Using Mixed Methods to Explore Forms of Harassment for K-12 BIPOC Trans Students

Trans students of color face verbal and physical harassment all too often in educational settings. Using the 2015 United States Trans Survey, this mixed methods study explored the relationship between race and gender identity with regard to experiences with verbal and physical harassment in the K-12 setting. The quantitative phase investigated the extent to which race and gender identity predicted verbal and physical harassment, while the qualitative phase explored the types of harassment experiences for trans students of color. Quantitative findings highlight a higher incidence of verbal and physical harassment for Alaska Native/American Indian trans individuals and trans women, and lower physical harassment for Asian/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders. The exploration of the alignment in quantitative and qualitative findings show which race and ages wrote more about their experiences, which highlighted some enduring effects of verbal and physical harassment

Rural Teachers\u27 Cultural and Epistemic Shifts in STEM Teaching and Learning

This article focuses on the ways in which integrated curriculum can improve STEM teaching and learning within rural spaces. Using a design-based research approach, this study focuses on rural teachers\u27 experiences of professional learning and development training as they learn to engage computing and maker technologies in their elementary classrooms as tools for teaching students about difficult histories of immigration, migration, and forced relocation across the United States

Oppressive Pushout: Examining Differences in Discipline and “Dropout” by Race, Gender, and Sexual Orientation

Drawing on well-established insights, our study adds nuance to the discussion regarding school pushout practices by centering race, sexual orientation and gender beyond the binary. By way of descriptive and inferential statistics using the High School Longitudinal Study (HSLS:09), our article seeks to disrupt the cisheteronormative discussion regarding exclusionary school discipline and institutionally inflicted pushout that impacts the educational trajectories and opportunities of queer and trans Black, Indigenous, students of color (QT BIPOC). Results from our chi-square analyses revealed significant differences in rates of cutting/skipping class, in-school suspension, suspension or expulsion, and dropping out across our four groups: QT BIPOC students, cis-heterosexual BIPOC students, QT white students, and cis-heteterosexual white students. Although effect sizes for these results were weak per phi-values, they are nonetheless meaningful in practice and policy formation

CHAIMELEON Project: Creation of a Pan-European Repository of Health Imaging Data for the Development of AI-Powered Cancer Management Tools

[EN] The CHAIMELEON project aims to set up a pan-European repository of health imaging data, tools and methodologies, with the ambition to set a standard and provide resources for future AI experimentation for cancer management. The project is a 4 year long, EU-funded project tackling some of the most ambitious research in the fields of biomedical imaging, artificial intelligence and cancer treatment, addressing the four types of cancer that currently have the highest prevalence worldwide: lung, breast, prostate and colorectal. To allow this, clinical partners and external collaborators will populate the repository with multimodality (MR, CT, PET/CT) imaging and related clinical data. Subsequently, AI developers will enable a multimodal analytical data engine facilitating the interpretation, extraction and exploitation of the information stored at the repository. The development and implementation of AI-powered pipelines will enable advancement towards automating data deidentification, curation, annotation, integrity securing and image harmonization. By the end of the project, the usability and performance of the repository as a tool fostering AI experimentation will be technically validated, including a validation subphase by world-class European AI developers, participating in Open Challenges to the AI Community. Upon successful validation of the repository, a set of selected AI tools will undergo early in-silico validation in observational clinical studies coordinated by leading experts in the partner hospitals. Tool performance will be assessed, including external independent validation on hallmark clinical decisions in response to some of the currently most important clinical end points in cancer. The project brings together a consortium of 18 European partners including hospitals, universities, R & D centers and private research companies, constituting an ecosystem of infrastructures, biobanks, AI/in-silico experimentation and cloud computing technologies in oncology.CHAIMELEON has been funded by as a Horizon 2020 project (RIA, topic DT-TDS-05-2020-AI for Health Imaging; call SC1-FA-DTS-2019-1, under Grant Agreement No. 952172)Martí Bonmatí, L.; Miguel, A.; Suárez, A.; Aznar, M.; Beregi, JP.; Fournier, L.; Neri, E.... (2022). CHAIMELEON Project: Creation of a Pan-European Repository of Health Imaging Data for the Development of AI-Powered Cancer Management Tools. Frontiers in Oncology. 12:1-11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2022.7427011111

Colon capsule endoscopy versus CT colonography in FIT-positive colorectal cancer screening subjects: a prospective randomised trial-the VICOCA study

Background: Colon capsule endoscopy (CCE) and CT colonography (CTC) are minimally invasive techniques for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening. Our objective is to compare CCE and CTC for the identification of patients with colorectal neoplasia among participants in a CRC screening programme with positive faecal immunochemical test (FIT). Primary outcome was to compare the performance of CCE and CTC in detecting patients with neoplastic lesions. Methods: The VICOCA study is a prospective, single-centre, randomised trial conducted from March 2014 to May 2016; 662 individuals were invited and 349 were randomised to CCE or CTC before colonoscopy. Endoscopists were blinded to the results of CCE and CTC. Results: Three hundred forty-nine individuals were included: 173 in the CCE group and 176 in the CTC group. Two hundred ninety individuals agreed to participate: 147 in the CCE group and 143 in the CTC group. In the intention-toscreen analysis, sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative predictive values for the identification of individuals with colorectal neoplasia were 98.1%, 76.6%, 93.7% and 92.0% in the CCE group and 64.9%, 95.7%, 96.8% and 57.7% in the CTC group. In terms of detecting significant neoplastic lesions, the sensitivity of CCE and CTC was 96.1% and 79.3%, respectively. Detection rate for advanced colorectal neoplasm was higher in the CCE group than in the CTC group (100% and 93.1%, respectively; RR = 1.07; p = 0.08). Both CCE and CTC identified all patients with cancer. CCE detected more patients with any lesion than CTC (98.6% and 81.0%, respectively; RR = 1.22; p = 0.002). Conclusion: Although both techniques seem to be similar in detecting patients with advanced colorectal neoplasms, CCE is more sensitive for the detection of any neoplastic lesion

Perinatal outcomes among immigrant mothers over two periods in a region of central Italy

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The number of immigrants has increased in Italy in the last twenty years (7.2% of the Italian population), as have infants of foreign-born parents, but scanty evidence on perinatal outcomes is available. The aim of this study was to investigate whether infants of foreign-born mothers living in Italy have different odds of adverse perinatal outcomes compared to those of native-born mothers, and if such measures changed over two periods.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The source of this area-based study was the regional hospital discharge database that records perinatal information on all births in the Lazio region. We analysed 296,739 singleton births born between 1996-1998 and 2006-2008. The exposure variable was the mother's region of birth. We considered five outcomes of perinatal health. We estimated crude and adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to evaluate the association between mother's region of birth and perinatal outcomes.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Perinatal outcomes were worse among infants of immigrant compared to Italian mothers, especially for sub-Saharan and west Africans, with the following crude ORs (in 1996-1998 and 2006-2008 respectively): 1.80 (95%CI:1.44-2.28) and 1.95 (95%CI:1.72-2.21) for very preterm births, and 1.32 (95%CI:1.16-1.50) and 1.32 (95%CI:1.25-1.39) for preterm births; 1.18 (95%CI:0.99-1.40) and 1.17 (95%CI:1.03-1.34) for a low Apgar score; 1.22 (95%CI:1.15-1.31) and 1.24 (95%CI:1.17-1.32) for the presence of respiratory diseases; 1.47 (95%CI:1.30-1.66) and 1.45 (95%CI:1.34-1.57) for the need for special or intensive neonatal care/in-hospital deaths; and 1.03 (95%CI:0.93-1.15) and 1.07 (95%CI:1.00-1.15) for congenital malformations. Overall, time did not affect the odds of outcomes differently between immigrant and Italian mothers and most outcomes improved over time among all infants. None of the risk factors considered confounded the associations.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our findings suggest that migrant status is a risk factor for adverse perinatal health. Moreover, they suggest that perinatal outcomes improved over time in some immigrant women. This could be due to a general improvement in immigrants' health in the past decade, or it may indicate successful application of policies that increase accessibility to mother-child health services during the periconception and prenatal periods for legal and illegal immigrant women in Italy.</p

HADES RV Programme with HARPS-N at TNG. XIII. A sub-Neptune around the M dwarf GJ 720 A

Context. The high number of super-Earth and Earth-like planets in the habitable zone detected around M-dwarf stars in recent years has revealed these stellar objects to be the key to planetary radial velocity (RV) searches. Aims: Using the HARPS-N spectrograph within The HArps-n red Dwarf Exoplanet Survey (HADES) we have reached the precision needed to detect small planets with a few Earth masses using the spectroscopic radial velocity technique. HADES is mainly focused on the M-dwarf population of the northern hemisphere. Methods: We obtained 138 HARPS-N RV measurements between 2013 May and 2020 September of GJ 720 A, classified as an M0.5 V star located at a distance of 15.56 pc. To characterize the stellar variability and to distinguish the periodic variation due to the Keplerian signals from those related to stellar activity, the HARPS-N spectroscopic activity indicators and the simultaneous photometric observations with the APACHE and EXORAP transit surveys were analyzed. We also took advantage of TESS, MEarth, and SuperWASP photometric surveys. The combined analysis of HARPS-N RVs and activity indicators let us address the nature of the periodic signals. The final model and the orbital planetary parameters were obtained by simultaneously fitting the stellar variability and the Keplerian signal using a Gaussian process regression and following a Bayesian criterion. Results: The HARPS-N RV periodic signals around 40 days and 100 days have counterparts at the same frequencies in HARPS-N activity indicators and photometric light curves. We thus attribute these periodicities to stellar activity; the first period is likely associated with the stellar rotation. GJ 720 A shows the most significant signal at 19.466 ± 0.005 days with no counterparts in any stellar activity indices. We hence ascribe this RV signal, having a semi-amplitude of 4.72 ± 0.27 m s−1, to the presence of a sub-Neptune mass planet. The planet GJ 720 Ab has a minimum mass of 13.64 ± 0.79 M⊕, it is in circular orbit at 0.119 ± 0.002 AU from its parent star, and lies inside the inner boundary of the habitable zone around its parent star. Based on observations collected at the Italian Telescopio Nazionale Galileo (TNG), operated on the island of La Palma by the Fundación Galileo Galilei of the INAF (Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica) at the Spanish Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, in the framework of the HArps-n red Dwarf Exoplanet Survey (HADES)

HADES RV Programme with HARPS-N at TNG. IV. Time resolved analysis of the Ca II H&K and Hα chromospheric emission of low-activity early-type M dwarfs

Context. M dwarfs are prime targets for current and future planet search programs, particularly those focused on the detection and characterization of rocky planets in the habitable zone. In this context, understanding their magnetic activity is important for two main reasons: it affects our ability to detect small planets and it plays a key role in the characterization of the stellar environment. Aims: We analyze observations of the Ca II H&K and Hα lines as diagnostics of chromospheric activity for low-activity early-type M dwarfs. Methods: We analyze the time series of spectra of 71 early-type M dwarfs collected in the framework of the HADES project for planet search purposes. The HARPS-N spectra simultaneously provide the Ca II H&K doublet and the Hα line. We develop a reduction scheme able to correct the HARPS-N spectra for instrumental and atmospheric effects, and also to provide flux-calibrated spectra in units of flux at the stellar surface. The Ca II H&K and Hα fluxes are then compared with each other, and their time variability is analyzed. Results: We find that the Ca II H and K flux excesses are strongly correlated with each other, while the Hα flux excess is generally less correlated with the Ca II H&K doublet. We also find that Hα emission does not increase monotonically with the Ca II H&K line flux, showing some absorption before being filled in by chromospheric emission when Ca II H&K activity increases. Analyzing the time variability of the emission fluxes, we derive a tentative estimate of the rotation period (on the order of a few tens of days) for some of the program stars, and the typical lifetime of chromospheric active regions (on the order of a few stellar rotations). Conclusions: Our results are in good agreement with similar previous studies. In particular, we find evidence that the chromospheres of early-type M dwarfs could be characterized by different filament coverage, affecting the formation mechanism of the Hα line. We also show that chromospheric structure is likely related to spectral type

The HADES RV programme with HARPS-N at TNG. XI. GJ 685 b: a warm super-Earth around an active M dwarf

Context. Small rocky planets seem to be very abundant around low-mass M-type stars. Their actual planetary population is however not yet precisely understood. Currently, several surveys aim to expand the statistics with intensive detection campaigns, both photometric and spectroscopic. Aims: The HADES program aims to improve the current statistics through the in-depth analysis of accurate radial-velocity (RV) monitoring in a narrow range of spectral sub-types, with the precision needed to detect small planets with a few Earth masses. Methods: We analyse 106 spectroscopic HARPS-N observations of the active M0-type star GJ 685 taken over the past five years. We combine these data with photometric measurements from different observatories to accurately model the stellar rotation and disentangle its signals from genuine Doppler planetary signals in the RV data. We run an MCMC analysis on the RV and activity index time series to model the planetary and stellar signals present in the data, applying Gaussian Process regression technique to deal with the stellar activity signals. Results: We identify three periodic signals in the RV time series, with periods of 9, 24, and 18 d. Combining the analyses of the photometry of the star with the activity indexes derived from the HARPS-N spectra, we identify the 18 d and 9 d signals as activity-related, corresponding to the stellar rotation period and its first harmonic, respectively. The 24 d signal shows no relation to any activity proxy, and therefore we identify it as a genuine planetary signal. We find the best-fit model describing the Doppler signal of the newly found planet, GJ 685 b, corresponding to an orbital period Pb = 24.160-0.047+0.061 d and a minimum mass MP sin i = 9.0-1.8+1.7 M⊕. We also study a sample of 70 RV-detected M-dwarf planets, and present new statistical evidence of a difference in mass distribution between the populations of single- and multi-planet systems, which can shed new light on the formation mechanisms of low-mass planets around late-type stars. Based on observations made with the Italian Telescopio Nazionale Galileo (TNG), operated on the island of La Palma by the INAF - Fundación Galileo Galilei at the Roche de Los Muchachos Observatory of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC); photometric observations made with the APACHE array located at the Astronomical Observatory of the Aosta Valley; photometric observations made with the robotic telescope APT2 (within the EXORAP programme) located at Serra La Nave on Mt. Etna

HADES RV Programme with HARPS-N at TNG . III. Flux-flux and activity-rotation relationships of early-M dwarfs

Context. Understanding stellar activity in M dwarfs is crucial for the physics of stellar atmospheres and for ongoing radial velocity exoplanet programmes. Despite the increasing interest in M dwarfs, our knowledge of the chromospheres of these stars is far from being complete. Aims: We test whether the relations between activity, rotation, and stellar parameters and flux-flux relationships previously investigated for main-sequence FGK stars and for pre-main-sequence M stars also hold for early-M dwarfs on the main-sequence. Although several attempts have been made so far, here we analyse a large sample of stars undergoing relatively low activity. Methods: We analyse in a homogeneous and coherent way a well-defined sample of 71 late-K/early-M dwarfs that are currently being observed in the framework of the HArps-N red Dwarf Exoplanet Survey (HADES). Rotational velocities are derived using the cross-correlation technique, while emission flux excesses in the Ca II H & K and Balmer lines from Hα up to H∊ are obtained by using the spectral subtraction technique. The relationships between the emission excesses and the stellar parameters (projected rotational velocity, effective temperature, kinematics, and age) are studied. Relations between pairs of fluxes of different chromospheric lines (flux-flux relationships) are also studied and compared with the literature results for other samples of stars. Results: We find that the strength of the chromospheric emission in the Ca II H & K and Balmer lines is roughly constant for stars in the M0-M3 spectral range. Although our sample is likely to be biased towards inactive stars, our data suggest that a moderate but significant correlation between activity and rotation might be present, as well as a hint of kinematically selected young stars showing higher levels of emission in the calcium line and in most of the Balmer lines. We find our sample of M dwarfs to be complementary in terms of chromospheric and X-ray fluxes with those of the literature, extending the analysis of the flux-flux relationships to the very low flux domain. Conclusions: Our results agree with previous works suggesting that the activity-rotation-age relationship known to hold for solar-type stars also applies to early-M dwarfs. We also confirm previous findings that the field stars which deviate from the bulk of the empirical flux-flux relationships show evidence of youth. Based on observations made with the Italian Telescopio Nazionale Galileo (TNG), operated on the island of La Palma by the Fundación Galileo Galilei of the INAF (Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica) at the Spanish Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias