Orientation Data Research Articles

Distribution and Morphology of Lava Tube Systems on the Western Flank of Alba Mons, Mars

AbstractIntegrated analyses of Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) IR, Context Camera (CTX), and Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) data sets have been used to characterize the western flank of the Martian volcano Alba Mons, which hosts a prominent population of lava tube systems. Identification and mapping of lava tube systems is based on both morphologic and topographic analyses, including the presence of chains of collapse depressions and elongate, sinuous ridges. Lava tubes and adjacent tabular lava flows with lengths of 100+ km form an extensive lava flow field. Analyses of topographic data sets, including slope maps, suggest continuity of the radial flow field pattern across the full western flank. Concurrent surface activity across the western flank is consistent with age constraints from geologic mapping and crater size‐frequency distributions that indicate Early Amazonian ages. The mapped population of 331 lava tube systems in the western flank geologic map quadrangle has a mean length of 36.2 km and a total length of ∼12,000 km. Individual lava tube systems extend up to ∼400 km. Orientation and slope data for lava tube systems show small deviations compared to regional values in 50‐km grid cells defined by the MOLA Digital Elevation Model, suggesting a strong coupling of lava tubes to the current slopes of Alba Mons. Mapping of lava tube systems documents segments both showing collapse and with no collapse, indicating the potential for extensive subsurface cavities that would be important astrobiological targets.

Particle Image Velocimetry measurements in a turbulent channel flow laden with elongated particles

Particle Image Velocimetry is employed to investigate the turbulence modulation induced by dispersed elongated, rod-like particles in a turbulent channel flow. Particles with two different aspect ratios AR=40,80 are tested, at a volume fraction of 10-5. Carrier flow velocimetry data and distribution and orientation data of dispersed particles are obtained by an ad-hoc single-camera phase-discrimination technique. Carrier flow data shows that in the near-wall region turbulence modulation by particle occurrs as well as a decrease of average streamwise velocity. Analysis of conditional probability density function of particles location reveals that particles locations statistically match flow regions with instantaneous low vorticity and high streamwise velocity, in particular in the near-wall region.

Geostatistical Ore Body Modeling on Uranium Mineralization in Remaja Sector, Kalan Area, West Kalimantan

Manual ore body modeling on Remaja Sector, Kalan, West Kalimantan generally takes a long time and is subjective. On the other hand, automatic modeling (implicit modeling) is faster, objective, and equipped with uncertainty factors. This study aimed to analyze the comparison between the geostatistical Sequential Indicator Simulation (SIS) ore body model to the manual ore body model. The lithology database was used as input for variogram analysis and SIS simulation. The directional variogram was used to construct an experimental variogram for the lithology with orientation data. The orientation of the lithologies corresponds to the anisotropy of their variogram map. The SIS was carried out in Block A and Block B with block sizes of 6×6×6 m3 and 5×5×5 m3 respectively. The simulation results were processed to produce a lithology probability model. By using maximum probability as block lithology, simulation results were well validated by the composite database histogram, the lithologies along the tunnel on the geological map of level 450 masl of Eko Remaja Tunnel., and the lithologies along boreholes. The weakness of the geostatistical ore body model was the results depending on the input parameters. Meanwhile, several advantages of the geostatistical ore body model were a faster processing process, equipped with an uncertainty factor, and the block size of the model has taken into account the distance between grade data so that it can be used directly for grade estimation. Quantitatively, the geostatistical ore body model had a higher average percentage of conformity to the lithology of the mineralized zone along the borehole than the manual ore body model.

Effect of the anisotropy of martensitic transformation on ferrite deformation in Dual-Phase steels

The volume increase and shape change during austenite to martensite transformation in dual-phase (DP) steels are largely accommodated in the microstructure by the deformation of the surrounding ferrite matrix. Accurate estimation of transformation-induced deformation of ferrite via experiments and modeling is essential for predicting the subsequent mechanical behavior of DP steels. This study aims to illustrate the disadvantages of simplifying the anisotropic transformation deformation of martensite to isotropic dilatation for modeling the transformation-induced deformation of ferrite. A novel methodology is developed comprising sequential experimental and numerical research on DP steels to quantify transformation-induced strains in ferrite. This methodology combines the results of prior austenite grain reconstruction, phenomenological theory of martensite crystallography and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) orientation data to estimate variant-specific transformation deformation. Subsequently, by comparison of full-field micromechanical calculation results on a virtual DP steel microstructure with experimental EBSD kernel average misorientation and geometrically necessary dislocation measurement results it is shown that neglecting the shear deformation associated with the martensitic transformation leads to significant underestimation in the prediction of transformation-induced strains in ferrite.

LGBTQ+ Perspectives on Conducting Genomic Research on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

We conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews with LGBTQ+-identified individuals (n = 31) to explore the range of LGBTQ+ perspectives on genomic research using either sexual orientation or gender identity (SOGI) data. Most interviewees presumed that research would confirm genetic contributions to sexual orientation and gender identity. Primary hopes for such confirmation included validating LGBTQ+ identities, improved access to and quality of healthcare and other resources, and increased acceptance in familial, socio-cultural, and political environments. Areas of concern included threats of pathologizing and medicalizing LGBTQ+ identities and experiences, undermining reproductive rights, gatekeeping of health or social systems, and malicious testing or misuse of genetic results, particularly for LGBTQ+ youth. Overall, interviewees were divided on the acceptability of genomic research investigating genetic contributions to sexual orientation and gender identity. Participants emphasized researchers’ ethical obligations to LGBTQ+ individuals and endorsed engagement with LGBTQ+ communities throughout all aspects of genomic research using SOGI data.

Effects of Virtual Reality-Based Multimodal Audio-Tactile Cueing in Patients With Spatial Attention Deficits: Pilot Usability Study.

BackgroundVirtual reality (VR) devices are increasingly being used in medicine and other areas for a broad spectrum of applications. One of the possible applications of VR involves the creation of an environment manipulated in a way that helps patients with disturbances in the spatial allocation of visual attention (so-called hemispatial neglect). One approach to ameliorate neglect is to apply cross-modal cues (ie, cues in sensory modalities other than the visual one, eg, auditory and tactile) to guide visual attention toward the neglected space. So far, no study has investigated the effects of audio-tactile cues in VR on the spatial deployment of visual attention in neglect patients.ObjectiveThis pilot study aimed to investigate the feasibility and usability of multimodal (audio-tactile) cueing, as implemented in a 3D VR setting, in patients with neglect, and obtain preliminary results concerning the effects of different types of cues on visual attention allocation compared with noncued conditions.MethodsPatients were placed in a virtual environment using a head-mounted display (HMD). The inlay of the HMD was equipped to deliver tactile feedback to the forehead. The task was to find and flag appearing birds. The birds could appear at 4 different presentation angles (lateral and paracentral on the left and right sides), and with (auditory, tactile, or audio-tactile cue) or without (no cue) a spatially meaningful cue. The task usability and feasibility, and 2 simple in-task measures (performance and early orientation) were assessed in 12 right-hemispheric stroke patients with neglect (5 with and 7 without additional somatosensory impairment).ResultsThe new VR setup showed high usability (mean score 10.2, SD 1.85; maximum score 12) and no relevant side effects (mean score 0.833, SD 0.834; maximum score 21). A repeated measures ANOVA on task performance data, with presentation angle, cue type, and group as factors, revealed a significant main effect of cue type (F30,3=9.863; P<.001) and a significant 3-way interaction (F90,9=2.057; P=.04). Post-hoc analyses revealed that among patients without somatosensory impairment, any cue led to better performance compared with no cue, for targets on the left side, and audio-tactile cues did not seem to have additive effects. Among patients with somatosensory impairment, performance was better with both auditory and audio-tactile cueing than with no cue, at every presentation angle; conversely, tactile cueing alone had no significant effect at any presentation angle. Analysis of early orientation data showed that any type of cue triggered better orientation in both groups for lateral presentation angles, possibly reflecting an early alerting effect.ConclusionsOverall, audio-tactile cueing seems to be a promising method to guide patient attention. For instance, in the future, it could be used as an add-on method that supports attentional orientation during established therapeutic approaches.

Development of a Lightweight Inertial Gravimeter for Use on Board an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle: Measurement Principle, System Design and Sea Trial Mission

The purpose of this paper is to present the design, development and testing of an innovative instrument called GraviMob, which allows performing dynamic measurements of underwater gravity anomalies. After recalling the interest in underwater gravimetry, we describe the system, the core of which consists of triads of accelerometers rigidly attached to an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV). The article also presents the mathematical methods for estimating the east, north and vertical components of the local gravity vector. An unscented Kalman filter, integrating AUV position and orientation data, performs estimation of gravity in a frame adapted to its interpretation. To assess its performance, GraviMob was tested in the Mediterranean Sea during the year 2016. A comparison of the surface gravimetric signal previously acquired by the French Navy indicates that the maximum discrepancy between the vertical gravity component and its reference is below 4 mGal. Components of the vertical deflection calculated from GraviMob’s measurements were compared with those calculated from recent gravity field models. While a remarkable agreement was found on the north component, there remains a discrepancy (7 arcsec) on the east component which can be largely reduced by refining the estimation of the orientation of GraviMob’s sensitive axes in the AUV.

Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Data Collection in Oncology Practice: Findings of an ASCO Survey.

PURPOSE:Lack of collection of sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) data in oncology practices limits assessment of sexual and gender minority (SGM) cancer patients' experiences and restricts opportunities to improve health outcomes of SGM patients. Despite national calls for routine SOGI data collection, individual-level and institutional barriers hinder progress. This study aimed to identify these barriers in oncology.METHODS:An online survey of ASCO members and others assessed SOGI data collection in oncology practices, institutional characteristics related to SOGI data collection, respondents' attitudes about SOGI data and SGM patients, and respondent demographics. Logistic regression calculated adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs for factors associated with sexual orientation (SO) and gender identity (GI) data collection.RESULTS:Less than half of 257 respondents reported institutional SO and GI data collection (40% and 46%, respectively), whereas over a third reported no institutional data collection (34% and 32%, respectively) and the remainder were unsure (21% and 17%, respectively). Most respondents felt that knowing both SO and GI was important for quality care (77% and 85%, respectively). Collection of SO and GI was significantly associated in separate models with leadership support (ORs = 8.01 and 6.02, respectively), having resources for SOGI data collection (ORs = 10.6 and 18.7, respectively), and respondents' belief that knowing patient SO and GI is important (ORs = 4.28 and 2.76, respectively). Themes from qualitative comments mirrored the key factors identified in our quantitative analysis.CONCLUSION:Three self-reinforcing factors emerged as critical drivers for collecting SOGI data: leadership support, dedicated resources, and individual respondents' attitudes. Policy mandates, implementation science, and clinical reimbursement are strategies to advance meaningful data collection and use in clinical practice.

Application of Convolutional Neural Networks in Visual Feedback of Movable Camera Mounting Control

The aim of this work is to present an automatic solution to control the surveillance camera merely by the movements of the operator’s head. The method uses convolutional neural networks that work in a course-to-fine manner to estimate head orientation in image data. First, the image frame of the operator’s head is acquired from the camera on the operator’s side of the system. The exact position of a head, given by its bounding box, is estimated by a Multitask Cascaded Convolutional Network. Second, the customized network for a given scenario is used to classify the orientation of the head-on image data. In particular, the dedicated image dataset was collected for training purposes and was given a discrete set of possible orientations in the vertical and horizontal planes. The accuracy of the estimators is higher than 80%, with an average of 4.12 fps of validation time. Finally, the current head orientation data are converted into a control signal for two degrees of freedom surveillance camera mounting. The feedback response time is 1.5 s, which is sufficient for most real-life surveillance applications.

Providing home hospice care for LGBTQ+ patients and caregivers: Perceptions and opinions of hospice interdisciplinary care team providers.

Hospice patients and caregivers who are members of sexual and gender minority groups (i.e., LGBTQ+) have reported experiencing unmet needs at end of life (EOL). Negative experiences often stem from challenging interactions with healthcare providers due to ineffective or poor communication and providers' heteronormative assumptions and biases. Few studies, however, examine hospice care team (HCT) providers' knowledge, experience, and opinions related to EOL care for LGBTQ+ patients and caregivers despite this being identified as a gap in competency and education. We sought to examine HCT providers' perceptions regarding (1) awareness of LGBTQ+ patients and caregivers; (2) knowledge of specific or unique needs; and (3) opinions on best care and communication practices. Six focus groups conducted with HCT providers (n = 48) currently delivering hospice care in three US states were audio-recorded and transcribed. Data were content coded (κ = 0.77), aggregated by topical categories, and descriptively summarized. Participants were mostly white and non-Hispanic (n = 43, 89.6%), cisgender female (n = 42, 87.5%), heterosexual (n = 35, 72.9%), and religious (n = 33, 68.8%); they averaged 49 years of age (range 26-72, SD = 11.66). Awareness of LGBTQ+ patients and caregivers depended on patient or caregiver self-disclosure and contextual cues; orientation and gender identity data were not routinely collected. Many viewed being LGBTQ+ as private, irrelevant to care, and not a basis for people having specific or unique EOL needs because they saw EOL processes as universal, and believed that they treat everyone equally. Providers were more comfortable with patients of lesbian or gay orientation and reported less comfort and limited experience caring for transgender and gender-diverse patients or caregivers. Many HCT members were unaware of specific issues impacting the EOL experiences of LGBTQ+ patients and caregivers, or how these experiences may inform important care and communication needs at EOL.

Sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) data in dermatologic studies and opportunities for inclusion.

Dermatologists serve a vast array of patients with unique backgrounds. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) designated members of sexual and gender minorities as underrepresented in scholarly literature. Our study examines the past 10 years of studies published in highly-cited dermatologic journals, surveying each study for common data collection of sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) in dermatological studies. We found representation of sexual and gender minorities to be increasing in dermatological studies but recommend that SOGI data be collected regularly just as any other common variable in dermatological patient studies.

Spatial Variation of Shallow Stress Orientation Along the Hikurangi Subduction Margin: Insights From In‐Situ Borehole Image Logging

AbstractKnowledge of the contemporary in‐situ stress orientations in the Earth's crust can improve our understanding of active crustal deformation, geodynamic processes, and seismicity in tectonically active regions such as the Hikurangi Subduction Margin (HSM), New Zealand. The HSM subduction interface is characterized by varying slip behavior along strike, which may be a manifestation of combined variations in both stress state and the mechanical properties of faults and their hanging walls. Alternatively, these variations in subduction thrust slip behavior may drive heterogeneity in the stress state in space and time. In this study, we analyze borehole image and oriented four‐arm caliper logs acquired from 13 boreholes along the HSM to present a comprehensive stress orientation data set from borehole data within the shallow (&lt;3 km) upper plate of the subduction thrust. Our results reveal a 065°/245° SHmax orientation within the central HSM (Hawke's Bay region) which rotates to 112°/292° and 140°/320° in the southern HSM. This rotation of SHmax orientation correlates spatially with along‐strike variations in subduction interface slip behavior, characterized by creep and/or shallow episodic slip events in the central HSM and interseismic locking in the south. The borehole SHmax orientations suggest that contemporary stress orientations may be caused in part by along‐strike variation in deformation style imposed by clockwise rotation of forearc. In the southern HSM, borehole‐derived SHmax orientations are inconsistent with SHmax orientations derived from focal mechanism solutions in the subducting plate, implying some degree of mechanical decoupling between the shallow hanging wall and subducting slab.

Tensile Test Coupled with an EBSD Study of a GH4169 Ring Rolled Product.

An in situ tensile test of the ring-rolled GH4169 alloy is performed to investigate the plastic deformation behavior at the micro level. Slip system activations are identified by slip traces captured by a scanning electron microscope and lattice orientation data acquired by electron backscattered diffraction. Our results demonstrated that the fraction of low-angle grain boundaries gradually increased upon tensile deformation, and the misorientation evolution in the grain interior was severely inhomogeneous. The Schmid factors at the grains of interest are calculated for comparison with the actual activated slip systems. Most of the slip system activation coincides with the Schmid law, as opposed to the initiation of other potential slip systems at some grains.

Pediatric sexual orientation and gender identity data collection in the electronic health record.

The systematic documentation of sexual orientation and gender identity data in electronic health records can improve patient-centered care and help to identify and address health disparities affecting sexual and gender minority populations. Although there are existing guidelines for sexual orientation and gender identity data among adult patients, there are not yet standard recommendations for pediatric patients. In this article, we discuss methods that pediatric primary care organizations can use to collect and document sexual orientation and gender identity information with children and adolescents in electronic health records. These recommendations take into consideration children's developmental stages, the role of caregivers, and the need to protect the privacy of this information. We also focus on the current limitations of electronic health records in capturing the nuances of sexual and gender minority identities and make suggestions for addressing these limitations.

A Novel Approach Using Continuous Monitoring Of Peripheral Edema In Heart Failure Patients Allows Recognition Of Acute Decompensation Early In The Window Of Intervention

<h3>Introduction</h3> Peripheral edema is a common clinical sign along with weight gain, dyspnea, jugular distention, and elevated brain natriuretic peptides (BNP) of cardiac insufficiency associated with impending decompensation and hospitalization. Pitting edema is used in the clinical setting to classify edema severity. And patients occasionally use various subjective measures such as visibility of foot tendons, depth of sandal strap depression, and watch band tension to assess the degree of fluid retention. A better method is needed. A continuous, reliable, quantitative measurement of peripheral edema in the patient setting provides the early recognition necessary for diagnosis and treatment of the underlying causes of decompensation required to prevent the unnecessary cycle of crisis hospitalization. <h3>Hypotheses</h3> Continuous monitoring of ankle circumference will establish a normal baseline and allow detection of "ankle swelling" (peripheral edema) associated with fluid retention. We hypothesize that fluid retention presents as deviations from a normal baseline or "dry state" and can be characterized to distinguish between compensated events and decompensation trends. <h3>Methods</h3> A method of continuously measuring ankle circumference with 1 mm accuracy in the patient setting was employed, allowing us to test the feasibility of detecting changes in ankle swelling (peripheral edema) associated with fluid retention. An open pilot study was performed which collected ankle circumference and orientation data from both healthy normal and heart failure subjects. This data was enhanced using Subject Information Logs which tracked medication adherence, activity, salt intake, and daily weight. Continuous monitoring of the Daily Swelling Profile (DSP) allows definition of a Normal Baseline for each subject. Changes in fluid retention is identified as the difference between the Ankle Circumference Daily Rolling Average (DRA) compared to the Normal Baseline. Events from the Subject Information Logs were mapped to the Ankle Circumference Data. <h3>Results</h3> The following results were documented. Well-managed heart failure subjects present a DSP and Normal Baseline substantially equivalent to healthy normal subjects. Each subject's DSP represented as the change in ankle circumference from a horizontal position (sleeping) to standing or sitting throughout the day is 5-8 mm. Fluid retention or loss presents as a shift in the Ankle Circumference DRA. Compensated fluid retention such as missed medication or isolated high salt intake are observed as an increase in the Ankle Circumference DRA and return to normal after the subject corrects the anomalous behavior. Decompensated fluid retention is observed as an increasing trend in Ankle Circumference DRA and indicates a medical assessment and intervention may be needed. <h3>Conclusion</h3> A continuous, reliable, quantitative measurement of peripheral edema in the patient setting is a feasible method to recognize acute decompensation early in the window of intervention.

Nonuniform Dual-Rate Extended Kalman-Filter-Based Sensor Fusion for Path-Following Control of a Holonomic Mobile Robot with Four Mecanum Wheels

This paper presents an extended Kalman-filter-based sensor fusion approach, which enables path-following control of a holonomic mobile robot with four mecanum wheels. Output measurements of the mobile platform may be sensed at different rates: odometry and orientation data can be obtained at a fast rate, whereas position information may be generated at a slower rate. In addition, as a consequence of possible sensor failures or the use of lossy wireless sensor networks, the presence of the measurements may be nonuniform. These issues may degrade the path-following control performance. The consideration of a nonuniform dual-rate extended Kalman filter (NUDREKF) enables us to estimate fast-rate robot states from nonuniform, slow-rate measurements. Providing these estimations to the motion controller, a fast-rate control signal can be generated, reaching a satisfactory path-following behavior. The proposed NUDREKF is stated to represent any possible sampling pattern by means of a diagonal matrix, which is updated at a fast rate from the current, existing measurements. This fact results in a flexible formulation and a straightforward algorithmic implementation. A modified Pure Pursuit path-tracking algorithm is used, where the reference linear velocity is decomposed into Cartesian components, which are parameterized by a variable gain that depends on the distance to the target point. The proposed solution was evaluated using a realistic simulation model, developed with Simscape Multibody (Matlab/Simulink), of the four-mecanum-wheeled mobile platform. This model includes some of the nonlinearities present in a real vehicle, such as dead-zone, saturation, encoder resolution, and wheel sliding, and was validated by comparing real and simulated behavior. Comparison results reveal the superiority of the sensor fusion proposal under the presence of nonuniform, slow-rate measurements.

2D and 3D visualizations of archosaur jaw muscle mechanics, ontogeny and phylogeny using ternary diagrams and 3D modeling.

Comparing patterns of performance and kinematics across behavior, development and phylogeny is crucial to understand the evolution of complex musculoskeletal systems such as the feeding apparatus. However, conveying 3D spatial data of muscle orientation throughout a feeding cycle, ontogenetic pathway or phylogenetic lineage is essential to understanding the function and evolution of the skull in vertebrates. Here, we detail the use of ternary plots for displaying and comparing the 3D orientation of muscle data. First, we illustrate changes in 3D jaw muscle resultants during jaw closing taxa the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis). Second, we show changes in 3D muscle resultants of jaw muscles across an ontogenetic series of alligators. Third, we compare 3D resultants of jaw muscles of avian-line dinosaurs, including extant (Struthio camelus, Gallus gallus, Psittacus erithacus) and extinct (Tyrannosaurus rex) species to outline the reorganization of jaw muscles that occurred along the line to modern birds. Finally, we compare 3D resultants of jaw muscles of the hard-biting species in our sample (A. mississippiensis, T. rex, P. erithacus) to illustrate how disparate jaw muscle resultants are employed in convergent behaviors in archosaurs. Our findings show that these visualizations of 3D components of jaw muscles are immensely helpful towards identifying patterns of cranial performance, growth and diversity. These tools will prove useful for testing other hypotheses in functional morphology, comparative biomechanics, ecomorphology and organismal evolution.

Recruiting an underserved, difficult to reach population into a cancer trial: Strategies from the Restore-2 Rehabilitation Trial for gay and bisexual prostate cancer patients.

Sexual minorities are small and under-researched populations that are at disproportionate risk for cancer and poor cancer outcomes. Described as a "hidden population," the principal research challenge has been to develop effective methods to identify and recruit such cancer patients into cancer studies. Online recruitment strategies, as well as targeted clinic recruitment using patient-entered sexual orientation and gender identity data from electronic medical records have potential to transform recruitment, but studies testing the effects of how to recruit using these have not been published. In 2019, we conducted a naturalistic, three-arm, stratified prospective study to compare three recruitment strategies: (a) clinic based recruitment of prostate cancer patients from gay health and urology clinics; (b) directly from the gay community; and (c) online recruitment (through cancer support, sex/dating, and social sites). For each strategy, we estimated time, workload, and direct costs involved. To study how recruitment strategy may affect sampling, we tested for retention rates, demographic and outcome differences across sites. Using these methods, we successfully recruited 401 gay and bisexual prostate cancer patients into a randomized, controlled, 24-month trial testing an online sexual and urinary rehabilitation curriculum tailored for this population. There were seven key results. First, it is possible to recruit substantial numbers of sexual minority men into prostate cancer studies provided online recruitment methods are used. Second, we observed big differences in dropout during study onboarding by recruitment source. Third, within online recruitment, the online sex/dating application (app) was the most successful and efficient, followed by the cancer support site, and then the social networking site. Fourth, while clinics were the cheapest source of recruitment, they were time intensive and low in yield. Fifth, the cancer support site and sex/dating app recruits differed by several characteristics, with the former being more rehabilitation-focused while the latter were younger and more sexually active. Sixth, we found almost no differences in outcomes across the three online recruitment sites. Seventh, because retention in online studies has been a concern, we confirm very low attrition at 3- and 6 months into the trial. For sexual minority cancer research, more research on how to use sexual orientation and gender identity electronic medical record data for clinic-based recruitment is needed. For other small or hard-to-reach populations, researchers should compare and publish online versus offline recruitment strategies.

Include, Affirm, and Empower: A Paradigm Shift in Cancer Clinical Trials for Sexual and Gender Diverse Populations

Sexual and gender diverse (SGD) individuals have unique lived experiences across the lifespan that contribute to health disparities and influence cancer risk and outcomes. Biopsychosocial factors contribute to trauma and medical mistrust with suboptimal engagement with healthcare and cancer-preventive screenings. These factors contribute to cancer disparities among SGD people. A lack of inclusive and affirming practices within cancer clinical trials also contributes to this problem. Dismantling exclusionary research practices requires strategic action. We advocate for sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) data collection as well as thoughtful design and conduct of clinical trials that consider the role of intersectionality and minority stress. Exploring SGD cancer patients’ lived experiences and medical histories in a sensitive and affirming manner will help us learn about factors influencing treatment adherence and prognosis. The current manuscript outlines a paradigm shift in the conduct of clinical trials from early conceptualization through dissemination and implementation in order toinclude, affirm, and empowerSGD people with cancer. We provide an overview of culturally responsive practices that should be implemented at each phase of the research process. These enhancements to conventional trial procedures will promote the long-term goal of improving the safety and efficacy of cancer treatments for SGD patients. We also discuss methods for SGD community engagement, research personnel training, and considerations for working with SGD people in industry-funded clinical trials. Advancing clinical and research competencies along these guidelines are fundamental to promoting the inherent value of SGD patients’ lives and more equitable outcomes across the cancer care continuum.

All Research Is LGBTQI Research: Recommendations for Improving Cancer Care Through Research Relevant to Sexual and Gender Minority Populations

A growing body of research suggests lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI) people—referred collectively as sexual and/or gender minorities (SGM)—experience health disparities. While research is growing, limited evidence exists to inform patient-centered care for SGM people. The collection of demographic data is a cornerstone of quality assurance, yet collection of sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) data remains challenging and sparse. SGM people share with racial, ethnic, and other minoritized people stigma and suboptimal social determinants of health that may result in chronic stress and poorer health outcomes compared to cisgender, white, heterosexual people. Challenges are compounded for those who occupy multiple minoritized categories. The stigma and discrimination experienced by SGM are critically tied to behavioral risks related to maladaptive coping. Additionally, stigma impacts screening and other healthcare seeking behaviors. To advance SGM health equity, both clinicians and researchers need training on culturally appropriate collection of SOGI data and the relevance of these data to cancer prevention, screening, treatment, and survivorship.