Transit Surveys Research Articles

A Typology of Transition Readiness for Adolescents with Congenital Heart Disease in Preparation for Transfer from Pediatric to Adult Care

PurposeTo understand the effectiveness of a nurse-led transition intervention by analyzing qualitative data generated in the context of a clinical trial. Design & methodsQualitative study of a two-session transition intervention conducted by registered nurses at two sites. Adolescents aged 16–17 years with moderate or complex congenital heart disease (CHD) had been randomized to a two-session transition intervention or usual care. Session 1 emphasized patient education including creation of a health passport and goal setting. Session 2, two months later, emphasized self-management. Qualitative data extracted from intervention logs, field notes and audio recordings of the sessions were analyzed for content and themes. ResultsData from 111 transition intervention sessions with 57 adolescents were analyzed. Creating a health passport, goal setting, and role-plays were the elements of the intervention most valued by participants. A typology of transition readiness was identified: 1) the independent adolescent (5%), already managing their own care; 2) the ready adolescent who was prepared for transition after completing the intervention (46%); 3) the follow-up needed adolescent who was still in need of extra coaching (26%), and 4) the at-risk adolescent who warranted immediate follow-up (14%). Baseline knowledge and transition surveys scores validated the typology. ConclusionsA two-session nursing intervention met the transition needs of approximately half of adolescents with CHD. However, additional transition-focused care was needed by 40% of participants (groups 3 and 4). Practice implicationsThese findings will guide pediatric nurses and other healthcare professionals to optimize an individualized approach for ensuring transition readiness for adolescents with CHD.

Intergenerational mobility in education and occupation and the effect of schooling on youth’s earnings in Brazil

This study uses data from the International Labor Organization’s 2013 school-to-work transition survey (SWTS) to measure intergenerational educational and occupational mobility in Brazil. The SWTS database contains information on youths from 15 to 29 years old as well as on family’s socioeconomic characteristics, both current and retrospective. This data set permits the measurement of intergenerational mobility. The results obtained show great intergenerational educational mobility, especially when parents had lower levels of education, and slightly less occupational mobility. To analyze the returns to education, earnings equations were estimated using the Heckman selection model. The education of youths and their parents had a great impact on youths’ earnings, mainly on females. Young women with higher education more than double their earnings compared to those without high school.

Size Evolution and Orbital Architecture of KEPLER Small Planets through Giant Impacts and Photoevaporation

AbstractThe KEPLER transit survey with follow-up spectroscopic observations has discovered numerous small planets (super-Earths/sub-Neptunes) and revealed intriguing features of their sizes, orbital periods, and their relations between adjacent planets. The planet size distribution exhibits a bimodal distribution separated by a radius gap at around 1.8 Earth radii. Besides, these small planets within multiple planetary systems show that adjacent planets are similar in size and their period ratios of adjacent planet pairs are similar as well, a phenomenon often dubbed as peas-in-a-pod in the exoplanet community. While the radius gap has been predicted and theorized for years, whether it can be relevant to the orbital architecture peas-in-a-pod is physically unknown. For the first time, we attempted to model both features together through planet formation and evolution processes involving giant impacts and photoevaporation. We showed that our model is generally consistent with the KEPLER results but with a smaller radius gap. The impact of Kubyshikina’s model for photoevaporation on our model is discussed.

A machine learning approach to rural entrepreneurship

AbstractThis study offers a novel approach to understand the mechanisms of rural entrepreneurship by applying five alternative machine learning techniques on data obtained from the Life in Transition Survey III. Results highlight how capital constraints, age, factors related to trust and over‐trust, awareness of current trends, the use of various media tools, a competitive character, institutional factors, and education are associated with the success and failure of potential entrepreneurs in rural areas who attempt to set up a business. The final predictions are achieved with accuracies ranging from seventy‐two to ninety‐two percent.

Substance Misuse and Condomless Sex Among Transgender Youth.

The purpose of this research is to explore the relationship between substance use and sexual risk behaviors among transgender youth. Data from the transgender subsample of the Survey of Today's Adolescent Relationships and Transitions (n=1567) were analyzed to assess associations between substance misuse (binge drinking, prescription drug misuse, illicit drugs) and sexual risk behaviors (condom use during sex). Multivariate logistic regression models calculated adjusted odds ratios (AORs) for substance use by sexual risk behavior controlling for race/ethnicity, gender identity (transgender male, transgender female, genderqueer/gender nonconforming), age, sexual identity, and region. Among participants, lifetime marijuana use (AOR=0.45), cocaine use (AOR=0.46), prescription drug misuse (AOR=0.52), and injecting substances with a needle (AOR=0.45) were all associated with lower odds of reporting condom use during the last act of receptive anal sex. Similarly, marijuana use in the last 30 days (AOR=0.46), lifetime marijuana use (AOR=0.25), heroin use (AOR=0.29), methamphetamine use (AOR=0.32), misuse of prescription drugs (AOR=0.40), and injecting substances with a needle (AOR=0.17) were all associated with lower odds of reporting condom use during the last act of insertive anal sex. No associations between substance use and condom use during last act of receptive frontal (vaginal) sex were found. We found that transgender youth who reported any lifetime substance use were more likely to report condomless sex during receptive and insertive anal sex than those who did not report substance use. Significant differences exist among demographic groups, type of substance use, and sexual risk behaviors for respondents based on gender identity.

Side effects and antibody titer transition of the BNT162b2 messenger ribonucleic acid coronavirus disease 2019 vaccine in Japan.

BackgroundThe coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has afflicted large populations worldwide. Although vaccines aroused great expectations, their side effects on Japanese people and the antibody titer transition after vaccination are unclear.MethodsThe side effects of the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine in participants who received vaccination at our center were investigated. Some participants were also surveyed for the antibody titer transition.ResultsIn this study, 983 and 798 Japanese participants responded to the first and second doses, respectively. Side effects occurred in 757 (77.0%) and 715 participants (90.0%) after the first and second doses, respectively. No Grade 4 side effects occurred. The second dose had significantly more side effects than the first dose (p < 0.001). Side effects occurred after the second dose in 571 female (92.1%) and 178 male participants (80.1%). Female participants had a higher incidence of side effects than the male participants (p < 0.001). A comparison among the age groups showed significant differences (p = 0.018), and the frequency of side effects decreased with age. Twenty-three individuals participated in the survey of antibody titer transition. After the second vaccine dose, the median antibody titers for IgG and IgM were 3.76 and 0.07 AU/mL, respectively. Both IgG and IgM titers showed a significant increase over the study period (p < 0.001).ConclusionsThe BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine might be safe for Japanese people, and the antibody titer increased with two doses of vaccination. Larger nationwide studies are warranted to verify these findings.

Disability and psychological distress in nine countries of the former Soviet Union

BackgroundPeople with disabilities (PWD) are at increased risk of poor mental health. However, this association and the pathways involved remain under-researched in many parts of the world. This study examined the association between disability and psychological distress in nine countries of the former Soviet Union (FSU). MethodsData were analysed from 18,000 adults aged ≥18 years collected during the Health in Times of Transition (HITT) survey undertaken in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, and Ukraine in 2010 and 2011. Information was obtained on disability status, the severity of the disability and psychological distress. Logistic regression analysis was used to estimate associations. ResultsIn a fully adjusted combined country analysis, disability was associated with over two times higher odds for psychological distress (odds ratio [OR]: 2.19, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.86-2.58). The strength of the association varied across the individual countries. Among PWD more severe disability was associated with significantly higher odds for psychological distress (OR: 2.12, 95%CI: 1.26-3.55). LimitationsThe data were cross-sectional and disability status was self-reported, possibly resulting in underreporting. ConclusionsDisability is associated with worse psychological health in FSU countries, especially among those with more severe disabilities. As poor mental health may also increase the risk of negative outcomes in PWD, this finding highlights the importance of the early detection and treatment of mental disorders in PWD in these countries.

Trends and Influencing Factors of Complementary Feeding Practices in Niger: An Analysis of National Surveys From 2000 – 2018

ObjectivesTo examine the trends and influencing factors of suboptimal complementary feeding (CF) practices among children aged 6–23 months in Niger using national data from 2000 to 2018. MethodsUsing data from the 2000 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey, 2012 Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), and 2018 Standardized Monitoring and Assessment of Relief and Transitions survey in Niger, the trends and predictors of WHO-UNICEF CF indicators including timely introduction of complementary foods (INTRO), minimum meal frequency (MMF), minimum dietary diversity (MDD), and minimum acceptable diet (MAD) were estimated. Using the most completed data in CF and influencing factors (available from 2012 DHS), multilevel logistic regression models were applied to identify factors at the individual, household and community levels that were associated with meeting INTRO, MMF, MDD, and MAD. ResultsThe weighted proportion of children aged 6–8 months meeting INTRO increased from 56.0% in 2000 to 84.4% in 2018. The weighted proportion of children meeting MMF (51.3% to 77.9%), MDD (9.8% to 14.2%), and MAD (5.6% to 10.9%) also increased between 2012 - 2018. At the individual level, children with mothers who were employed had higher odds of meeting all four indicators as compared to those whose mothers were unemployed. Older child age and maternal exposure to media were significantly associated with higher odds of meeting MMF, MDD, and MAD. Maternal education and child birth weight greater or smaller than average (reference) were positively associated with the odds of meeting MMF and MAD, and antenatal iron supplementation and currently breastfeeding were positively associated with the odds of achieving MDD and MAD. At the household level, the odds of meeting MMD and MAD were higher among children from wealthier households. At the community level, the odds of meeting INTRO and MMF were higher among children from communities with greater access to health services. ConclusionsDespite the improvement in CF practices since 2000, only 10% of children from 6–23 months received minimum acceptable diets. Factors associated with CF were distributed across individual, household and community levels, suggesting the need for multi-level strategies to improve child nutrition in Niger. Funding SourcesUNICEF West and Central Africa Regional Office (Grant # 43279190).

A search for transiting planets around hot subdwarfs

Context. Hot subdwarfs experienced strong mass loss on the red giant branch (RGB) and are now hot and small He-burning objects. These stars constitute excellent opportunities for addressing the question of the evolution of exoplanetary systems directly after the RGB phase of evolution. Aims. In this project we aim to perform a transit survey in all available light curves of hot subdwarfs from space-based telescopes (Kepler, K2, TESS, and CHEOPS) with our custom-made pipeline SHERLOCK in order to determine the occurrence rate of planets around these stars as a function of orbital period and planetary radius. We also aim to determine whether planets that were previously engulfed in the envelope of their red giant host star can survive, even partially, as a planetary remnant. Methods. For this first paper, we performed injection-and-recovery tests of synthetic transits for a selection of representative Kepler, K2, and TESS light curves to determine which transiting bodies in terms of object radius and orbital period we will be able to detect with our tools. We also provide estimates for CHEOPS data, which we analyzed with the pycheops package. Results. Transiting objects with a radius ≲1.0 R⊕ can be detected in most of the Kepler, K2, and CHEOPS targets for the shortest orbital periods (1 d and shorter), reaching values as low as ~0.3 R⊕ in the best cases. Sub-Earth-sized bodies are only reached for the brightest TESS targets and for those that were observed in a significant number of sectors. We also give a series of representative results for larger planets at greater distances, which strongly depend on the target magnitude and on the length and quality of the data. Conclusions. The TESS sample will provide the most important statistics for the global aim of measuring the planet occurrence rate around hot subdwarfs. The Kepler, K2, and CHEOPS data will allow us to search for planetary remnants, that is, very close and small (possibly disintegrating) objects.

Exploring the implications of the relationship between BMI and household consumptions for countries in transition

AbstractThis article explores the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and social status, namely household consumption and university education of the respondents, together with a set of demographics of 27 transitional countries in Eastern Europe using the data of the 2016 Life in Transition Survey. The two‐stage least squares (2SLS) estimations are conducted on the full sample of 27 countries, the sub‐datasets of former Soviet Union republics, as well as other Eastern European transitional countries, males and females, respectively, in an effort to compare the relationships between BMI and social status in different contexts. The results highlighted two important findings: First, household consumption has a strong and positive correlation with BMI across all the sub‐datasets. Second, the father's education of the respondent is a strong predictor in predicting low BMI. These findings indicate that these transitional countries still run the same model as that typical developing countries, 25 years after the beginning of the transition.

Disability and loneliness in nine countries of the former Soviet Union

BackgroundPeople with disabilities (PWD) often face structural and other barriers to community involvement and may therefore be at risk of loneliness. Yet, so far, this issue has received little attention. ObjectiveThis cross-sectional study aimed to examine the association between disability and loneliness in nine countries of the former Soviet Union (FSU). MethodsData were analyzed from 18000 respondents aged ≥18 that came from the Health in Times of Transition (HITT) survey that was undertaken in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine in 2010/11. Respondents reported on whether they had a disability (no/yes) and its severity. A single-item question was used to assess loneliness. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the associations. ResultsAcross the countries, 6.8% of respondents reported being disabled. In a fully adjusted combined country analysis, disability was associated with higher odds for loneliness (odds ratio: 1.30, 95% confidence interval: 1.06–1.60). In an analysis restricted to PWD, individuals in the most severe disability category (Group 1) had over two times higher odds for loneliness when compared to those in the least severe disability category (Group 3). ConclusionsDisability is associated with higher odds for reporting loneliness in the FSU countries and this association is especially strong among those who are more severely disabled. An increased focus on the relationship between disability and loneliness is now warranted given the increasing recognition of loneliness as a serious public health problem that is associated with a number of detrimental outcomes.

NGTS-19b: a high-mass transiting brown dwarf in a 17-d eccentric orbit

ABSTRACT We present the discovery of NGTS-19b, a high-mass transiting brown dwarf discovered by the Next Generation Transit Survey. We investigate the system using follow-up photometry from the South African Astronomical Observatory, as well as sector 11 Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite data, in combination with radial velocity measurements from the CORALIE spectrograph to precisely characterize the system. We find that NGTS-19b is a brown dwarf companion to a K-star, with a mass of $69.5 ^{+5.7}_{-5.4}$ MJup and radius of $1.034 ^{+0.055}_{-0.053}$RJup. The system has a reasonably long period of 17.84 d, and a high degree of eccentricity of $0.3767 ^{+0.0061}_{-0.0061}$. The mass and radius of the brown dwarf imply an age of $0.46 ^{+0.26}_{-0.15}$ Gyr, however, this is inconsistent with the age determined from the host star spectral energy distribution, suggesting that the brown dwarf may be inflated. This is unusual given that its large mass and relatively low levels of irradiation would make it much harder to inflate. NGTS-19b adds to the small, but growing number of brown dwarfs transiting main-sequence stars, and is a valuable addition as we begin to populate the so-called brown dwarf desert.

In situ formation of hot Jupiters with companion super-Earths

ABSTRACT Observations have confirmed the existence of multiple-planet systems containing a hot Jupiter and smaller planetary companions. Examples include WASP-47, Kepler-730, and TOI-1130. We examine the plausibility of forming such systems in situ using N-body simulations that include a realistic treatment of collisions, an evolving protoplanetary disc, and eccentricity/inclination damping of planetary embryos. Initial conditions are constructed using two different models for the core of the giant planet: a ‘seed-model’ and an ‘equal-mass-model’. The former has a more massive protoplanet placed among multiple small embryos in a compact configuration. The latter consists only of equal-mass embryos. Simulations of the seed-model lead to the formation of systems containing a hot Jupiter and super-Earths. The evolution consistently follows four distinct phases: early giant impacts; runaway gas accretion on to the seed protoplanet; disc damping-dominated evolution of the embryos orbiting exterior to the giant; a late chaotic phase after dispersal of the gas disc. Approximately 1 per cent of the equal-mass simulations form a giant and follow the same four-phase evolution. Synthetic transit observations of the equal-mass simulations provide an occurrence rate of 0.26 per cent for systems containing a hot Jupiter and an inner super-Earth, similar to the 0.2 per cent occurrence rate from actual transit surveys, but simulated hot Jupiters are rarely detected as single transiting planets, in disagreement with observations. A subset of our simulations form two close-in giants, similar to the WASP-148 system. The scenario explored here provides a viable pathway for forming systems with unusual architectures, but does not apply to the majority of hot Jupiters.

Emerging Human Rights Discourses in Post-Uprising Egypt

The uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region during 2011, which resulted in the demise of authoritarian rulers or gave rise to some political and economic reforms, proved the significance of human rights and moved that issue to the forefront of academic and political debates. As the protestors brought human rights references to the center of their political struggle, political actors used its rhetoric to claim legitimate authority or popularity. This article, which analyzes the human rights discourses and their use in legal and political action in post-uprising Egypt, focuses on the first two years of the transition process and surveys the main patterns of human rights discourses in post-uprising Egypt, and illustrates the multifaceted and complex potential of human rights in the transitional post-uprising Egypt.Analyzing the main patterns of human rights discourses during this period, the article demonstrates that human rights are not only used as an emancipatory tool by Egyptian citizens against their repressive authoritarian regimes, but also applied by key political actors from various and opposing ideological backgrounds. The article focuses on three significant documents issued during the constitution-making process (viz., the Al-Azhar Document, the National Council Document, and the Silmi Document) and illustrates how diverse opposing key political actors reflected their vision of human rights during the constitution-making process and tried to impose their ideological views on the county’s legal, political, and social frameworks.

NEMESIS: Exoplanet Transit Survey of Nearby M-dwarfs in TESS FFIs. I.

Abstract In this work, we present an analysis of 33,054 M-dwarf stars, located within 100 parsecs, via the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) full-frame images (FFIs) of observed sectors 1–5. We present a new pipeline called NEMESIS, developed to extract detrended photometry, and to perform transit searches of single-sector data in TESS FFIs. As many M-dwarfs are faint, and are not observed with a two-minute cadence by TESS, FFI transit surveys can provide an empirical validation of how many planets are missed, using the 30-minute cadence data. In this work, we detect 183 threshold crossing events, and present 29 candidate planets for sectors 1–5, 24 of which are new detections. Our sample contains orbital periods ranging from 1.25 to 6.84 days, and planetary radii from 1.26 to 5.31 R ⊕. With the addition of our new planet candidate detections, along with detections previously observed in sectors 1–5, we calculate an integrated occurrence rate of 2.49 ± 1.58 planets per star, for the period range ∈ [1, 9] days, and planet radius range ∈ [0.5,11] R ⊕. We project an estimated yield of 122 ± 11 transit detections of nearby M-dwarfs. Of our new candidates, 23 have signal-to-noise ratios &gt;7, transmission spectroscopy metrics &gt;38, and emission spectroscopy metrics &gt;10. We present all of our data products for our planet candidates via the Filtergraph data visualization service, located at https://filtergraph.com/NEMESIS.

A Transiting Warm Giant Planet around the Young Active Star TOI-201

Abstract We present the confirmation of the eccentric warm giant planet TOI-201 b, first identified as a candidate in Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite photometry (Sectors 1–8, 10–13, and 27–28) and confirmed using ground-based photometry from Next Generation Transit Survey and radial velocities from FEROS, HARPS, CORALIE, and Minerva-Australis. TOI-201 b orbits a young ( ) and bright (V = 9.07 mag) F-type star with a 52.9781 day period. The planet has a mass of , a radius of , and an orbital eccentricity of it appears to still be undergoing fairly rapid cooling, as expected given the youth of the host star. The star also shows long-term variability in both the radial velocities and several activity indicators, which we attribute to stellar activity. The discovery and characterization of warm giant planets such as TOI-201 b are important for constraining formation and evolution theories for giant planets.

Bioverse: A Simulation Framework to Assess the Statistical Power of Future Biosignature Surveys

Abstract Next-generation space observatories will conduct the first systematic surveys of terrestrial exoplanet atmospheres and search for evidence of life beyond Earth. While in-depth observations of the nearest habitable worlds may yield enticing results, there are fundamental questions about planetary habitability and evolution that can only be answered through population-level studies of dozens to hundreds of terrestrial planets. To determine the requirements for next-generation observatories to address these questions, we have developed Bioverse. Bioverse combines existing knowledge of exoplanet statistics with a survey simulation and hypothesis testing framework to determine whether proposed space-based direct imaging and transit-spectroscopy surveys will be capable of detecting various hypothetical statistical relationships between the properties of terrestrial exoplanets. Following a description of the code, we apply Bioverse to determine whether an ambitious direct imaging or transit survey would be able to determine the extent of the circumstellar habitable zone and study the evolution of Earth-like planets. Given recent evidence that Earth-sized habitable zone planets are likely much rarer than previously believed, we find that space missions with large search volumes will be necessary to study the population of terrestrial and habitable worlds. Moving forward, Bioverse provides a methodology for performing trade studies of future observatory concepts to maximize their ability to address population-level questions, including and beyond the specific examples explored here.

Stellar flares detected with the Next Generation Transit Survey

ABSTRACT We present the results of a search for stellar flares in the first data release from the Next Generation Transit Survey (NGTS). We have found 610 flares from 339 stars, with spectral types between F8 and M6, the majority of which belong to the Galactic thin disc. We have used the 13-s cadence NGTS light curves to measure flare properties such as the flare amplitude, duration, and bolometric energy. We have measured the average flare occurrence rates of K and early to mid-M stars and present a generalized method to measure these rates while accounting for changing detection sensitivities. We find that field age K and early M stars show similar flare behaviour, while fully convective M stars exhibit increased white-light flaring activity, which we attribute to their increased spin-down time. We have also studied the average flare rates of pre-main-sequence K and M stars, showing they exhibit increased flare activity relative to their main-sequence counterparts.

Changing fortunes and attitudes: what determines the political trust in modern Russia?

Research background: We are guided by concepts linking political trust with the perceived rank of people in the wealth hierarchy, their confidence in other people, and the means they use to learn about events at home and abroad.&#x0D; Purpose of the article: The aim of the article is to assess and analyse at the micro level the impact of subjective welfare, interpersonal trust and the intensity of usage of television &amp; radio or the Internet to search for news on political trust in four levels of Russian government.&#x0D; Methods: The study is based on microdata from the Life in Transition Surveys provided by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Ordinal logit regressions are constructed to evaluate the impact of test and control variables on political trust in the Russian president, federal, regional, and local governments in 2010 and 2016.&#x0D; Findings &amp; value added: We identify a reverse of political trust in the upper levels of the Russian government between 2010 and 2016, when the impact of perceived welfare level changes from positive to negative. This phenomenon is explained by the focus of the policy of the federal centre on sup-porting the poor groups of the population, as well as its distancing from business. In contrast, the positive, albeit inconsistent, effect of subjective wealth on trust in lower-level governments is due to the benefits that businesses can gain from interaction with local authorities. We find the positive impact of controlled television and radio on trust in the upper echelons of power, along with the negative impact of the freer Internet on political trust in regional and local authorities. We also confirm the hypothesis of a positive and significant relationship between interpersonal and political trust, highlighting the role of social capital. Finally, our research shows that in systems of the hierarchical type, such as Russia, specific mechanisms for maintaining political trust are established. They are associated with the redistribution of public expectations and claims to different branches of government. The results obtained are applicable for managing political trust through building a democratic state and civil society.

NGTS 15b, 16b, 17b, and 18b: four hot Jupiters from the Next-Generation Transit Survey

ABSTRACT We report the discovery of four new hot Jupiters with the Next-Generation Transit Survey (NGTS). NGTS-15b, NGTS-16b, NGTS-17b, and NGTS-18b are short-period (P &amp;lt; 5 d) planets orbiting G-type main-sequence stars, with radii and masses between 1.10 and 1.30RJ and 0.41 and 0.76MJ, respectively. By considering the host star luminosities and the planets’ small orbital separations (0.039–0.052 au), we find that all four hot Jupiters are highly irradiated and therefore occupy a region of parameter space in which planetary inflation mechanisms become effective. Comparison with statistical studies and a consideration of the planets’ high incident fluxes reveal that NGTS-16b, NGTS-17b, and NGTS-18b are indeed likely inflated, although some disparities arise upon analysis with current Bayesian inflationary models. However, the underlying relationships that govern radius inflation remain poorly understood. We postulate that the inclusion of additional hyperparameters to describe latent factors such as heavy element fraction, as well as the addition of an updated catalogue of hot Jupiters, would refine inflationary models, thus furthering our understanding of the physical processes that give rise to inflated planets.