Transit Surveys Research Articles

Characteristics, Determinants, Challenges and Performance of Self-employment among the Youth in Uganda

This study examined the characteristics, determinants, challenges and performance of self-employment among the youth in Uganda using the School-to-Work Transition survey data for 2015 collected by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics. We employed two analytical approaches: descriptive statistics and binary and multivariate probit models. We found that most employed youths are self–employed. The majority of the youth were poor and had acquired primary education or less. Econometric estimations indicate that self-employment is determined by age, the number of children, financial status, education, high-income motive and flexible work hours. Most youth started businesses with individual savings or family money but not bank loans. Most youth faced unique problems, but financial constraints followed by market competition were the main challenges faced by the self-employed youth. Self-employment is not lucrative, and 20.29% of self-employed youths do not make profits from their entrepreneurial efforts. Moreover, 78.83% of the self-employed youths live below the poverty line.

Differences in Health Care Experiences among Transgender and Gender Diverse Youth by Gender Identity and Race/Ethnicity.

Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) youth experience significant risk for negative health outcomes, yet few studies exist that address TGD youth's experiences of health care. This paper explores the equitable access and utilization of health care in a sample of TGD youth of diverse gender and racial/ethnic identities. Data for this analysis are from the TGD subsample (n = 1415) of the 2018 Survey of Today's Adolescent Relationships and Transitions (START) Project. We assessed five health care experiences: being insured, having a current health care provider, being out to one's provider, believing your provider was knowledgeable about transgender issues, and barriers to accessing care due to gender identity/expression. We examined the proportion of TGD youth who reported each of these outcomes and within-group differences by gender identity and race/ethnicity using descriptive statistics, logistic regression, and predicted probabilities. When differences were examined by gender identity, barriers to equitable care were consistently more present among transgender females than youth of other gender identities. There were few significant differences by race/ethnicity; however, dual referent models demonstrated barriers to equitable care were particularly evident among Black and Hispanic transgender women. We discuss these findings through the lens of intersectionality and highlight the importance of research and intervention work focused on reducing barriers to equitable care for TGD youth.

Silos and Shortages Challenge Transitions Between Care Settings

Summary A survey of the NEJM Catalyst Insights Council finds high-quality care transitions among different settings, but also fragmentation of care delivery, poor communication, and workforce shortages.

Comparative analysis of gender stereotypes in Central Asia and Central Europe

Despite the fight against gender inequality, this problem is still relevant in countries with economies in transition and requires further efforts. Conventional traditional gender stereotypes in the minds of people hinder the gender equality in almost all areas. At the same time, the consequences of gender bias on the economy and society remain insufficiently studied. The purpose of the study is to compare gender stereotypes in relation to the traditional distribution of responsibilities between men and women in the countries of Central Europe (CE) and Central Asia (CA). Two hypotheses were put forward, which were confirmed by the results of a regression-correlation analysis of secondary information on the Life in Transition Survey project, carried out by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in cooperation with the World Bank. The study's results will contribute to the pool of research on gender inequality and develop recommendations for adjusting social policies in states with transformational economies. The research methodology includes general scientific methods (positive and normative approaches) and applied methods (quantitative analysis). Based on the responses of three thousand four hundred five (3405) respondents from Central Asia and three thousand four hundred and sixty four (3464) respondents from Central Europe, a regression analysis was performed. The study results showed female respondents from Central Europe have weaker gender stereotypes than participants from Central Asia. The study's results will contribute to the challenge of generating employment growth, reducing vulnerable employment, and improving decent work opportunities in Central Asia.

Attitudes toward government, rich and poor, and support for redistribution

Abstract Scholars have argued that negative attitudes toward government inhibit support for redistributive policies, while other studies show that individual attitudes toward the rich and the poor shape support for redistribution. How these individual attitudes relate to support for redistribution together has seldom been examined. Using the third round of the Life in Transition Survey (fielded in 2016, including 29 countries transitioning from communism) and outcome variables that tap into general attitudes about closing the income gap between the rich and the poor and willingness to pay more to help the needy, we examine how individual attitudes toward government, as well as the rich and the poor are associated with support for redistribution (final analyzed sample n > 23,700). Using logit multivariate regression analysis, we find that trust in government institutions and perceptions of public corruption are associated with certain redistributive attitudes, while individual attitudes toward the rich and the poor are consistently associated with both the general beliefs that income gaps in the country should be reduced and individual levels of willingness to pay more to help the needy.

Global N-body simulations of circumbinary planet formation around Kepler-16 and -34 analogues I: Exploring the pebble accretion scenario

ABSTRACT Numerous circumbinary planets have been discovered in surveys of transiting planets. Often, these planets are found to orbit near to the zone of dynamical instability, close to the central binary. The existence of these planets has been explained by hydrodynamical simulations that show that migrating circumbinary planets, embedded in circumbinary discs, halt at the central cavity that is formed by the central binary. Transit surveys are naturally most sensitive to finding circumbinary planets with the shortest orbital periods. The future promise of detecting longer period systems using radial-velocity searches, combined with the anticipated detection of numerous circumbinary planets by ESA’s PLATO mission, points to the need to model and understand the formation and evolution of circumbinary planets in a more general sense than has been considered before. With this goal in mind, we present a newly developed global model of circumbinary planet formation that is based on the mercury6 symplectic N-body integrator, combined with a model for the circumbinary disc and prescriptions for a range of processes involved in planet formation such as pebble accretion, gas envelope accretion, and migration. Our results show that under reasonable assumptions, the pebble accretion scenario can produce circumbinary systems that are similar to those observed, and in particular is able to produce planets akin to Kepler-16b and Kepler-34b. Comparing our results to other systems, we find that our models also adequately reproduce such systems, including multiplanet systems. Resonances between neighbouring planets are frequently obtained, whilst ejections of planets by the central binary acts as an effective source of free floating planets.

The PEPSI Exoplanet Transit Survey (PETS). II. A Deep Search for Thermal Inversion Agents in KELT-20 b/MASCARA-2 b with Emission and Transmission Spectroscopy* *Based on data acquired with the Potsdam Echelle Polarimetric and Spectroscopic Instrument (PEPSI) using the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT) in Arizona.

Recent observations have shown that the atmospheres of ultrahot Jupiters (UHJs) commonly possess temperature inversions, where the temperature increases with increasing altitude. Nonetheless, which opacity sources are responsible for the presence of these inversions remains largely observationally unconstrained. We used LBT/PEPSI to observe the atmosphere of the UHJ KELT-20 b in both transmission and emission in order to search for molecular agents which could be responsible for the temperature inversion. We validate our methodology by confirming a previous detection of Fe i in emission at 16.9σ. Our search for the inversion agents TiO, VO, FeH, and CaH results in non-detections. Using injection-recovery testing we set 4σ upper limits upon the volume mixing ratios for these constituents as low as ∼1 × 10−9 for TiO. For TiO, VO, and CaH, our limits are much lower than expectations from an equilibrium chemical model, while we cannot set constraining limits on FeH with our data. We thus rule out TiO and CaH as the source of the temperature inversion in KELT-20 b, and VO only if the line lists are sufficiently accurate.

NGTS clusters survey – IV. Search for Dipper stars in the Orion Nebular Cluster

ABSTRACTThe dipper is a novel class of young stellar object associated with large drops in flux on the order of 10–50 per cent lasting for hours to days. Too significant to arise from intrinsic stellar variability, these flux drops are currently attributed to disc warps, accretion streams, and/or transiting circumstellar dust. Dippers have been previously studied in young star-forming regions, including the Orion Complex. Using Next Generation Transit Survey (NGTS) data, we identified variable stars from their light curves. We then applied a machine learning random forest classifier for the identification of new dipper stars in Orion using previous variable classifications as a training set. We discover 120 new dippers, of which 83 are known members of the Complex. We also investigated the occurrence rate of discs in our targets, again using a machine learning approach. We find that all dippers have discs, and most of these are full discs. We use dipper periodicity and model-derived stellar masses to identify the orbital distance to the inner disc edge for dipper objects, confirming that dipper stars exhibit strongly extended sublimation radii, adding weight to arguments that the inner disc edge is further out than predicted by simple models. Finally, we determine a dipper fraction (the fraction of stars with discs which are dippers) for known members of 27.8 ± 2.9 per cent. Our findings represent the largest population of dippers identified in a single cluster to date.

EDEN Survey: Small Transiting Planet Detection Limits and Constraints on the Occurrence Rates of Planets around Late-M Dwarfs within 15 pc

Earth-sized exoplanets that transit nearby, late-spectral-type red dwarfs will be prime targets for atmospheric characterization in the coming decade. Such systems, however, are difficult to find via widefield transit surveys like Kepler or TESS. Consequently, the presence of such transiting planets is unexplored and the occurrence rates of short-period Earth-sized planets around late-M dwarfs remain poorly constrained. Here, we present the deepest photometric monitoring campaign of 22 nearby late-M dwarf stars, using data from over 500 nights on seven 1–2 m class telescopes. Our survey includes all known single quiescent northern late-M dwarfs within 15 pc. We use transit injection-and-recovery tests to quantify the completeness of our survey, successfully identify most (>80%) transiting short-period (0.5–1 days) super-Earths (R >1.9 R ⊕), and are sensitive (∼50%) to transiting Earth-sized planets (1.0–1.2 R ⊕). Our high sensitivity to transits with a near-zero false-positive rate demonstrates an efficient survey strategy. Our survey does not yield a transiting planet detection, yet it provides the most sensitive upper limits on transiting planets orbiting our target stars. Finally, we explore multiple hypotheses about the occurrence rates of short-period planets (from Earth-sized planets to giant planets) around late-M dwarfs. We show, for example, that giant planets with short periods (<1 day) are uncommon around our target stars. Our data set provides some insight into the occurrence rates of short-period planets around TRAPPIST-1-like stars, and our results can help test planetary formation and system evolution models, as well as guide future observations of nearby late-M dwarfs.

Imaging of exocomets with infrared interferometry

Active comets have been detected in several exoplanetary systems, although so far only indirectly, when the dust or gas in the extended coma has transited in front of the stellar disk. The large optical surface and relatively high temperature of an active cometary coma also makes it suitable to study with direct imaging, but the angular separation is generally too small to be reachable with present-day facilities. However, future imaging facilities with the ability to detect terrestrial planets in the habitable zones of nearby systems will also be sensitive to exocomets in such systems. Here we examine several aspects of exocomet imaging, particularly in the context of the Large Interferometer for Exoplanets (LIFE), which is a proposed space mission for infrared imaging and spectroscopy through nulling interferometry. We study what capabilities LIFE would have for acquiring imaging and spectroscopy of exocomets, based on simulations of the LIFE performance as well as statistical properties of exocomets that have recently been deduced from transit surveys. We find that for systems with extreme cometary activities such as β Pictoris, sufficiently bright comets may be so abundant that they overcrowd the LIFE inner field of view. More nearby and moderately active systems such as є Eridani or Fomalhaut may turn out to be optimal targets. If the exocomets have strong silicate emission features, such as in comet Hale-Bopp, it may become possible to study the mineralogy of individual exocometary bodies. We also discuss the possibility of exocomets as false positives for planets, with recent deep imaging of α Centauri as one hypothetical example. Such contaminants could be common, primarily among young debris disk stars, but should be rare among the main sequence population. We discuss strategies to mitigate the risk of any such false positives.

Assessing Self-Reported Readiness of Medical Students transitioning to Clinical Clerkship at the University of Ottawa

Introduction: The transition from pre-clerkship to clinical clerkship is a pivotal moment for medical students. Curricular improvements can be made to better prepare students for clerkship. We collected student feedback to generate recommendations for improvement with regard to clerkship preparedness at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine.&#x0D; Methods: We created a pre- and post-clerkship transition survey for medical students at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine. The groups assessed were from different cohorts. Likert-type and open ended questions were used. The survey was open from October 10 to October 31, 2020. Microsoft Excel 2016 was used for data analysis.&#x0D; Results: We obtained 176 respondents (37% response rate), of which 158 provided consent and completed the survey. Students in the post-transition group were less anxious about the transition to clerkship, compared to their pre-transition colleagues, with the most significant difference being completing a thorough history and physical examination (2.9/5.0 vs. 3.3/5.0, p&lt;0.05). The two main stressors for incoming clerks were inadequate clinical skills training in pre-clerkship and lack of clarity around clerkship roles, responsibilities, and expectations.&#x0D; Conclusion: Improvements can be made in pre-clerkship through the integration of small-group orientation sessions, formative OSCEs, accelerated review of pre-clerkship material, and clerkship simulation sessions to facilitate a seamless transition to clerkship at the University of Ottawa.

Psychosocial factors and military-to-civilian transition challenges: A dyadic analysis of Veterans and their spouses

LAY SUMMARY Limited research has explored the influence Veterans and their spouses have on each other’s experiences during Veterans’ transition from military to civilian life. Analyses of the Canadian Armed Forces Transition and Well-being Survey were conducted to examine whether perceived challenges among Veterans and their spouses during this transition (i.e., whether they experienced financial difficulties, had trouble finding a health care provider, or felt a loss of military identity) are associated with the extent to which each believes they are able to handle stress, have access to social support, and have a strong sense of belonging to their community. Results show how the experiences of both Veterans and their spouses might be interdependent and emphasize the importance of ensuring each is better prepared for, and supported, during this important period of change.

A transit survey to search for planets around hot subdwarfs

Hot subdwarf stars are small post-red-giant-branch stars. To this day, no planets have been confirmed around them. In this document we present the first results of our analysis to quantify the presence of planets around hot subdwarfs by performing a wide transit survey using photo-metric data from the first part of the mission TESS. Our work shows an absence of transiting planets for the majority of these stars, but some display potentially interesting signals. These are now observed in our follow-up procedure. We also compute upper limits of the occurrence rates for planets around hot subdwarf stars from the numerous stars displaying no signal.

Worry about crime and loneliness in nine countries of the former Soviet Union

Worry about crime has been linked to several detrimental outcomes including worse mental health. However, there has been little research on the association between worry about crime and loneliness, even though loneliness is increasingly being recognised as a serious public health issue. To address this deficit, this study examined the association between worry about crime and loneliness in nine countries of the former Soviet Union (FSU - Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, and Ukraine), using data from 18,000 respondents aged 18 and above that were collected during the Health in Times of Transition (HITT) survey in 2010/11. Results from a pooled logistic regression analysis showed that compared to those who reported no worry about crime, individuals with a high level of worry had significantly higher odds of loneliness (odds ratio [OR]: 1.43, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.17–1.75). Sex- and age-stratified analyses further showed that the association was observed in women with a mid (OR: 1.37, 95%CI: 1.10–1.71) and a high level (OR: 1.70, 95%CI: 1.33–2.17) of worry about crime but not in men, and that a high level of worry about crime was linked to loneliness in adults aged 35–59 (OR: 1.39, 95%CI: 1.02–1.91) and 60 and above (OR: 1.64, 95%CI: 1.12–2.40) but not in those aged 18–34. High levels of worry about crime are associated with loneliness in the FSU countries. Reducing crime and its associated worries may have important public health benefits in these countries.

Entrepreneurship and social capital: a multi-level analysis

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between an individual's social capital context and entrepreneurship using a multi-level modelling framework.Design/methodology/approachThis paper uses data from 87,007 individual level observations across 428 regions in 37 countries. The data comes from the 2010 and 2016 Life in Transition Surveys. The paper uses a principal component analysis to identify the different dimensions of an individual's social capital context. Subsequently, a multi-level model is employed examining the relationship between the components of an individual's social capital context and entrepreneurship (which is proxied by an individual's attempt to set up a business), whilst controlling for both country and regional effects.FindingsGreater levels of networking, informal connections and tolerance of others have a significant positive relationship with entrepreneurial activity. Trust of institutions and others have a negative relationship with entrepreneurial activity. Regional and country differences are also important for entrepreneurship, demonstrating the importance of the multi-level and social contextual environment for business development.Originality/valueFirstly, the authors present a broad, but comprehensive social contextual framework incorporating many measures of social capital when examining the importance of social capital for business development. Secondly, the work provides interesting results on the “bright and dark sides of trust” for entrepreneurship, answering calls for improved understandings on the positive and negative relationships between social capital and entrepreneurial activity. Thirdly, the paper extends the burgeoning but limited number of studies that examine the multi-level contextual environment of entrepreneurial activities.

Discovery of a Filamentary Synchrotron Structure Connected to the Coherent Magnetic Field in the Outer Galaxy

Using data from the Galactic Arecibo L-band Feed Array Continuum Transit Survey, we report the discovery of two previously unidentified, very compressed, thin, and straight polarized filaments approximately centered at Galactic coordinates, (l, b) = (182.°5, − 4.°0), which we call G182.5–4.0. Using data from the Isaac Newton Telescope Galactic Plane Survey, we also find straight, long, and extremely thin Hα filaments coincident with the radio emission. These filaments are positioned in projection at the edge of the Orion-Eridanus superbubble and we find evidence indicating that the filaments align with the coherent magnetic field of the outer Galaxy. We find a lower limit on the total radio flux at 1.4 GHz to be 0.7 ± 0.3 Jy with an average linearly polarized fraction of . We consider various scenarios that could explain the origin of these filaments, including a shell-type supernova remnant (SNR), a bow shock nebula associated with a pulsar, or relic fragments from one or more supernova explosions in the adjacent superbubble, with a hybrid scenario being most likely. This may represent an example of a new class of objects that is neither an SNR nor a bow shock. The highly compressed nature of these filaments and their alignment with the Galactic plane suggests a scenario where this object formed in a magnetic field that was compressed by the expanding Orion-Eridanus superbubble, suggesting that the object is related to this superbubble and implying a distance of ∼400 pc.

The discovery of three hot Jupiters, NGTS-23b, 24b, and 25b, and updated parameters for HATS-54b from the Next Generation Transit Survey

ABSTRACT We report the discovery of three new hot Jupiters with the Next Generation Transit Survey (NGTS) as well as updated parameters for HATS-54b, which was independently discovered by NGTS. NGTS-23b, NGTS-24b, and NGTS-25b have orbital periods of 4.076, 3.468, and 2.823 d and orbit G-, F-, and K-type stars, respectively. NGTS-24 and HATS-54 appear close to transitioning off the main-sequence (if they are not already doing so), and therefore are interesting targets given the observed lack of hot Jupiters around sub-giant stars. By considering the host star luminosities and the planets’ small orbital separations (0.037–0.050 au), we find that all four hot Jupiters are above the minimum irradiance threshold for inflation mechanisms to be effective. NGTS-23b has a mass of 0.61 MJ and radius of 1.27 RJ and is likely inflated. With a radius of 1.21 RJ and mass of 0.52 MJ, NGTS-24b has a radius larger than expected from non-inflated models but its radius is smaller than the predicted radius from current Bayesian inflationary models. Finally, NGTS-25b is intermediate between the inflated and non-inflated cases, having a mass of 0.64 MJ and a radius of 1.02 RJ. The physical processes driving radius inflation remain poorly understood, and by building the sample of hot Jupiters we can aim to identify the additional controlling parameters, such as metallicity and stellar age.

The Upper Edge of the Neptune Desert Is Stable Against Photoevaporation

Transit surveys indicate that there is a deficit of Neptune-sized planets on close-in orbits. If this “Neptune desert” is entirely cleared out by atmospheric mass loss, then planets at its upper edge should only be marginally stable against photoevaporation, exhibiting strong outflow signatures in tracers like the metastable helium triplet. We test this hypothesis by carrying out a 12-night photometric survey of the metastable helium feature with Palomar/WIRC, targeting seven gas-giant planets orbiting K-type host stars. Eight nights of data are analyzed here for the first time along with reanalyses of four previously published data sets. We strongly detect helium absorption signals for WASP-69b, HAT-P-18b, and HAT-P-26b; tentatively detect signals for WASP-52b and NGTS-5b; and do not detect signals for WASP-177b and WASP-80b. We interpret these measured excess absorption signals using grids of Parker wind models to derive mass-loss rates, which are in good agreement with predictions from the hydrodynamical outflow code ATES for all planets except WASP-52b and WASP-80b, where our data suggest that the outflows are much smaller than predicted. Excluding these two planets, the outflows for the rest of the sample are consistent with a mean energy-limited outflow efficiency of . Even when we make the relatively conservative assumption that gas-giant planets experience energy-limited outflows at this efficiency for their entire lives, photoevaporation would still be too inefficient to carve the upper boundary of the Neptune desert. We conclude that this feature of the exoplanet population is a pristine tracer of giant planet formation and migration mechanisms.

A moderated-mediation analysis of pathways in the association between Veterans’ health and their spouse’s relationship satisfaction: The importance of social support

Military personnel and Veterans are at increased risk of mental and physical health conditions, which can impact their families. Spouses often perform a vital role in caring for service members and Veterans facing illness or injury, which can lead to caregiver burden. In turn, this may contribute to relationship issues. Research suggests that ensuring that spouses are well supported can alleviate some of these negative effects. The current study examined whether social support received by spouses of newly released Veterans buffers the impact of Veterans' health on caregiver burden, subsequently impacting spouses' relationship satisfaction. Data were collected as part of the Canadian Armed Forces Transition and Well-being Survey. The sample included N = 595 spouses of Regular Force Veterans who released in 2016 with at least 2 years of service. We examined Veterans' mental and physical health and spouses' caregiver burden, social support, and relationship satisfaction. A moderated mediation model was tested using structural equation modeling. There was a significant indirect association between Veterans' health (both physical and mental) and spouses' relationship satisfaction through caregiver burden. Furthermore, social support moderated the association, as evidenced by a weaker association between Veterans' health and caregiver burden at low levels (-1SD) of social support compared to high levels (+1SD). Findings suggest additional efforts should be made to ensure sufficient support is provided to spouses, especially when they are caring for a service member or Veteran facing illness or injury, to strengthen their families' well-being.

ODP163 Association of HbA1c and Comfort with Diabetes Self-Management Among Adolescents and Young Adults with Type 1 Diabetes

Abstract Glycemic targets are not met by many individuals with type 1 diabetes (T1D), especially among adolescents and young adults (AYA). To date, research is limited regarding comfort with diabetes self-management in this vulnerable demographic preparing to transition from pediatric to adult care. The purpose of this study was to examine levels of self-reported comfort with diabetes management tasks among AYA with T1D, and to describe the relationships among comfort levels, sociodemographic factors, and HbA1c. As a part of a quality improvement initiative at an academic pediatric hospital, AYA aged 15-23 years old with T1D received a transition survey to self-assess their comfort level with sixteen different diabetes management tasks on a 5-point Likert scale during a routine diabetes care visit. A chart review was subsequently performed to obtain sociodemographic factors and HbA1c. Among 161 participants who completed the survey (median age 17, median diabetes duration 7 years, 82.3% white, 59% female, 66.5% with private insurance, and median HbA1c 8.8%), comfort with diabetes management tasks was generally rated highly (median overall comfort level of 4.5 out of 5) and did not differ by race or insurance type. Regression analysis revealed that higher self-reported comfort level with diabetes management tasks was associated with a higher HbA1c (p=0.006), after controlling for age, sex, race, insurance type, and diabetes duration. These findings suggested that self-reported comfort with independently managing T1D may not be a sufficient metric in assessing AYA patients’ need for further intervention to optimize glycemic outcomes as they transition from pediatric to adult providers, and highlighted the importance of continuity of care to optimize diabetes management during this transitional period. Presentation: Sunday, June 12, 2022 12:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m., Monday, June 13, 2022 1:06 p.m. - 1:11 p.m.