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In this research note, Catherine Kim presents the findings of the changes in in-service STEM teachers' beliefs about English Learners (ELs) and English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) education gleaned from the teachers' written reflections in the portfolios submitted at the end of their yearlong participation in an ESOL professional development program. The objectives were to discover how STEM teachers made a self-assessment of what they learned from their ESOL professional development experience and to further evaluate whether it contributed to changing their views on ELs and ESOL education.

This study reports the major findings of an in-depth survey and interview with a group of students and parents who recently immigrated to the U.S. from Korea. The study was conducted to identify how they engage in out-of-school English language use and to what extent parents and teachers are involved and supportive in the process. All the participating students and parents were newcomers and had lived in the U.S. or other English-speaking countries for fewer than three years. The interview questions centered on the following aspects of English language use: amount and frequency, types of engagement, and degree of support from teachers, schools and parents in practicing English outside of the school setting. Findings of the study shed light on unique challenges that these newcomers face in developing second-language proficiency in an English-dominant society, and on how parents and teachers might be oblivious to these challenges. The findings also suggest that out-of-school English language practice could be guided and supported more effectively by teachers and parents.

STUDY QUESTION Is there an elevated risk of cyanotic congenital heart defects (CCHD) among livebirths following infertility treatments? SUMMARY ANSWER In this population-based study of single livebirths, infertility treatment (either ART or non-ART) was associated with a higher prevalence of CCHD among livebirths. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY The use of infertility treatment has been on the rise over the past few decades. However, there are limited studies assessing the risk of major cardiac defects following infertility treatments. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION A retrospective cohort study of livebirth data from the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) was conducted, comprising of 9.6 million singleton livebirths among first-time mothers aged 15–49 years from 2016 to 2022. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Information on infertility treatment use and CCHD was obtained from the health and medical information section of birth certificates, which was completed by healthcare staff after reviewing medical records. Logistic regression models were used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% CI. Entropy balancing weighting analysis and probabilistic bias analysis were also performed. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE The proportion of births following infertility treatment increased from 1.9% (27 116) to 3.1% (43 510) during the study period. Overall, there were 5287 cases of CCHD resulting in a prevalence of 0.6 per 1000 livebirths. The prevalence was 1.2 per 1000 live births among infertility treatment users (ART: 1.1 per 1000 livebirths; non-ART: 1.3 per 1000 livebirths) while that for naturally conceived births was 0.5 per 1000 livebirths. Compared to naturally conceived births, the use of any infertility treatment (OR: 2.06, 95% CI: 1.82–2.33), either ART (OR: 2.02, 95% CI: 1.73–2.36) or other infertility treatments (OR: 2.12, 95% CI: 1.74–2.33), was associated with higher odds of CCHD after adjusting for maternal and paternal age, race and ethnicity, and education, as well as maternal nativity, marital status, source of payment, smoking status, and pre-pregnancy measures of BMI, hypertension and diabetes. This association did not differ by the type of infertility treatment (ART versus other infertility treatments) (OR: 1.04, 95% CI: 0.82–1.33, P  = 0.712), and was robust to the presence of exposure and outcome misclassification bias and residual confounding. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION The findings are only limited to livebirths. We did not have the capacity to examine termination data, but differential termination by mode of conception has not been supported by previous studies designed to consider it. Infertility treatment use was self-reported, leading to the potential for selection bias and misclassification for infertility treatment and CCHD. However, the association persisted when systematic bias as well as exposure and outcome misclassification bias were accounted for in the analyses. Information on the underlying etiology of infertility relating to either maternal, paternal, or both factors, data on specific types of ART and other infertility treatments, as well as information on subtypes of CCHD, were all not available. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS In light of the increasing trend in the use of infertility treatment in the USA, and elsewhere, the finding of the current study holds significant importance for the clinical and public health of reproductive-aged individuals. The data show that the use of infertility treatment may expose offspring to elevated odds of severe congenital heart defects such as CCHD studied here. These findings cannot be interpreted causally. While our findings can assist in preconception counseling and prenatal care for pregnancies conceived by either ART or other infertility treatments, they also support some current recommendations that pregnancies resulting from infertility treatments undergo fetal echocardiography screening. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) No funding was sought for the study. The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. TRIAL REGISTRAION NUMBER N/A [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scientific knowledge is produced in multiple languages but is predominantly published in English. This practice creates a language barrier to generate and transfer scientific knowledge between communities with diverse linguistic backgrounds, hindering the ability of scholars and communities to address global challenges and achieve diversity and equity in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). To overcome those barriers, publishers and journals should provide a fair system that supports non-native English speakers and disseminates knowledge across the globe. We surveyed policies of 736 journals in biological sciences to assess their linguistic inclusivity, identify predictors of inclusivity, and propose actions to overcome language barriers in academic publishing. Our assessment revealed a grim landscape where most journals were making minimal efforts to overcome language barriers. The impact factor of journals was negatively associated with adopting a number of inclusive policies whereas ownership by a scientific society tended to have a positive association. Contrary to our expectations, the proportion of both open access articles and editors based in non-English speaking countries did not have a major positive association with the adoption of linguistically inclusive policies. We proposed a set of actions to overcome language barriers in academic publishing, including the renegotiation of power dynamics between publishers and editorial boards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context There are no reported data from prospective long-term studies on the relation of androgen levels in young women with development of metabolic syndrome (MetS) before menopause. Objective We investigated associations of androgens and SHBG with incident MetS during 23 years of follow-up. Methods We included 366 White and 375 Black women ages 20 to 32 years participating in the CARDIA study and CARDIA Women's study, free of MetS at baseline examination (1987-1988), and premenopausal 23 years later. Androgens and SHBG were categorized into quartiles. MetS was defined according to the American Heart Association/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute 2009 Joint Scientific Statement. Cox proportional hazards models were used. Results By year 23, 30% of women developed MetS. Adjusting for baseline age, race, and education, hazard ratios (95% CI) of developing MetS were 1.46 (1.02-2.10) and 2.22 (1.53-3.21) for women in the highest vs lowest total testosterone (T) and free T quartile, respectively. The hazards of developing MetS were 47%, 59%, and 53% lower for women with SHBG in the second, third, and fourth quartiles (vs lowest quartile), respectively. Associations were attenuated for total T with further adjustments for smoking, physical activity, menstrual status, oral contraceptive/hormone (OCHM) use, insulin level, oligomenorrhea, and age at menarche, but remained statistically significant for free T and SHBG. Associations were similar for both Blacks and Whites, and OCHM nonusers, but not for OCHM users. Conclusion High androgenicity in young premenopausal women is associated with higher risk of future MetS, suggesting that early assessment of androgens may contribute to prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single‐cell genomics has revolutionized tissue analysis by revealing the genetic program of individual cells. The key aspect of the technology is the use of barcoded beads to unambiguously tag sequences originating from a single cell. The generation of unique barcodes on beads is mainly achieved by split–pooling methods, which are labor‐intensive due to repeated washing steps. Toward the automation of the split–pooling method, a simple method to magnetize hydrogel beads is developed. The results show that these hydrogel beads provide increased yields and washing efficiencies for purification procedures. They are also fully compatible with single‐cell sequencing using the BAG‐seq workflow. The work opens the automation of the split–pooling technique, which will improve single‐cell genomic workflows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The notion of citizenship lies at the core of our constitutional structure, determining possession of fundamental rights ranging from the rights to vote and hold public office to the right to enter and remain in the United States at all. Indeed, the entire constitutional project of self-governance rests on the premise of a defined group of "We the people." Determining who qualifies as a citizen is thus central to our constitutional fabric. Prior literature has tacitly assumed that the federal judiciary has been the principal arbiter for deciding who qualifies for citizenship under our Constitution. This Article, however, demonstrates that political actors, rather than federal courts, have played the primary role in defining access to constitutional citizenship for members of historically marginalized groups, which raises significant normative implications. This Article excavates records surrounding three pivotal episodes from our nation's history: the contestation of citizenship for Black Americans in the early to mid-nineteenth century; the denial of citizenship to Chinese Americans during the Exclusion Era from 1882 to 1943; and the stripping of citizenship from American women who married noncitizens prior to 1922. In each case, members of historically marginalized groups seeking to assert their constitutional citizenship found little recourse in the federal courts. Political institutions, however, independently wrestled to determine their citizenship status, in the absence of -- or even in defiance of -- federal court opinions. The historical record tells a story of judicial abdication, which allowed political actors to both narrow and expand access to constitutional citizenship. The histories unearthed in this Article raise an urgent fundamental normative question: To what extent should constitutional citizenship be determined by political actors? This Article argues that citizenship is unique among constitutional provisions in ways that generally cast doubt on the legitimacy of efforts -- political or otherwise -- to deny it to members of marginalized communities. Moreover, the histories uncovered in this Article show that political institutions are not inherently more or less likely than the federal judiciary to do so. The experiences of Black Americans, Chinese Americans, and married American women thus suggest that the road to a more inclusive citizenship requires involvement by both: federal courts must play an active role in policing the constitutional floor for citizenship, but the political branches must remain free to expand constitutional citizenship beyond that floor, which may, in turn, generate a new consensus on what that floor should be. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]