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Reposted by AJ Alveshere (she/her)

Theo Masters-Waage @masterswaage.bsky.social · Mar 11

Promotion and tenure (P&T) systems rely on external evaluations by arms-length reviewers.

Here we find that gender influences the content of these letters...

So much so that P&T candidates with more women letter writers were more likely to receive tenure!

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Women advocates and men critics: How referees' gender influences candidates' likelihood of receiving a promotion

External review letters (ERLs) play a critical role in the promotion and tenure (P&T) process. However, recently, scholars have questioned their valid…

www.sciencedirect.com

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AJ Alveshere (she/her) @ajalveshere.bsky.social · Jul 5

Far too many people are genuinely unaware that their own access to health care could be affected by the upcoming Medicaid cuts, especially in rural areas.

Please share this thread so everyone can be better prepared when the cuts take effect.

#Medicaid

Unintended Effects @unintendedeffects.bsky.social · Jul 5

Too many Americans don't realize that they personally rely on Medicaid. This is because Medicaid programs have different names in different states.

The screenshots in this thread show what Medicaid is called in each state. Medicaid programs may also be called State Plans or Title XIX Plans.

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AJ Alveshere (she/her) @ajalveshere.bsky.social · May 17

Because federal funding for NF research has been canceled this year, CTF's research funding has become more important than ever. For the next six days, all donations will be matched to double each donor's impact.

go.ctf.org/donate

AJ Alveshere (she/her) @ajalveshere.bsky.social · May 17

The Children's Tumor Foundation (CTF) created the NF awareness graphics that I've been sharing. CTF also raises money for research to find better treatments, and maybe someday a cure, for the NF disorders.

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AJ Alveshere (she/her) @ajalveshere.bsky.social · May 17

May 17th is World NF Awareness Day. This date was chosen because the gene that causes NF1 (the most common form of NF) is located on Chromosome 17.

#NFawareness #EndNF

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AJ Alveshere (she/her) @ajalveshere.bsky.social · May 14

Once formally diagnosed with NF1, regular screenings for tumor growth and other symptoms can help to catch problems early and make interventions more effective.

#NFAwareness #EndNF 3/3

AJ Alveshere (she/her) @ajalveshere.bsky.social · May 14

Called "Café-au-Lait" spots, or CALS, these are often the first symptom of the NF1 disorder.

If a child has six or more CALS the size of a quarter or larger, testing for the NF1 disorder is recommended. 2/3

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AJ Alveshere (she/her) @ajalveshere.bsky.social · May 14

Our kiddo was officially diagnosed with NF1 after a blood DNA test at eight months of age. NF1 was suspected at his two-month well-check when his pediatrician counted more than 25 tan birthmark-like spots on his skin. 1/3

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AJ Alveshere (she/her) @ajalveshere.bsky.social · May 7

Before we even began trying to conceive, I started taking pre-natal vitamins and avoiding foods, drinks, and chemicals that could harm a developing baby. My efforts likely helped prevent other problems, but NF1 was encoded in my son's DNA from the very beginning.

#NFawareness #EndNF

AJ Alveshere (she/her) @ajalveshere.bsky.social · May 7

These new mutations arise at random in sperm, eggs, and embryos and are not caused by any choices that the parent made.

This was especially frustrating for me because I had been militant about doing everything in my power to have a healthy baby.

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AJ Alveshere (she/her) @ajalveshere.bsky.social · May 7

My son is the first in our family to have NF but, if he has children someday, each child would have an approximately 50% chance of inheriting the disorder.

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AJ Alveshere (she/her) @ajalveshere.bsky.social · May 7

NF affects 1 in every 2000 people worldwide. About half of these people inherited NF from a parent. The other half are each the first person with NF in their family. In these cases, a new mutation occured in the sperm or egg that they developed from, or in the very earliest stages of embryo growth.

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AJ Alveshere (she/her) @ajalveshere.bsky.social · May 5

Trump policies promote "the idea that if you take away life-saving services, then only the strong will survive."

This is deeply flawed logic. The wealthiest people will survive; however, there are strong arguments to be made that the most privileged humans are the worst for our species' future.

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AJ Alveshere (she/her) @ajalveshere.bsky.social · May 4

A friend of ours passed away suddenly last year when an NF tumor in her chest created too much pressure on her heart. Other friends are losing their vision, hearing, and mobility due to NF tumors.

Federal funding for NF research has been eliminated for at least the next year.

#NFawareness #EndNF

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AJ Alveshere (she/her) @ajalveshere.bsky.social · May 4

My son's scariest tumor is on his brain stem. It could affect brain activities, disrupt the flow of cerebrospinal fluid, or damage his spinal cord. Risks include behavior changes, chronic pain, paralysis, or death. He needs frequent MRI scans. Eventually, he may need chemotherapy or a risky surgery.

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AJ Alveshere (she/her) @ajalveshere.bsky.social · May 4

Neurofibromatosis (NF) disorders cause tumors to form on nerves. The effects vary greatly, depending on which organs or systems they impact. The number of tumors typically increases over time. Because they grow on nerves, surgery can be very risky, and they grow back more aggressively after surgery.

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AJ Alveshere (she/her) @ajalveshere.bsky.social · May 3

Schwannomatosis is a term that describes the rarer varieties of NF which affect one in every 20,000 births. The name comes from "schwannoma" which is a certain type of nerve tumor.

NF Type 2 (NF2) is the most common of the Schwannomatosis disorders. One in every 25,000 babies is born with NF2.

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AJ Alveshere (she/her) @ajalveshere.bsky.social · May 3

NF Type 1 (NF1) is the most common variety of NF. Approximately one child out of every 2,500 born in every community around the world is born with the NF1 disorder, including one of my own children.

The study of NF1 from an anthropological perspective is a primary area of my professional research.

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AJ Alveshere (she/her) @ajalveshere.bsky.social · May 3

May is Neurofibromatosis (NF) Awareness Month

Neurofibromatosis, called "NF" for short, is a long word that describes a collection of genetic conditions with overlapping symptoms. The name refers to tumors called "neurofibromas" that can grow on nerves throughout the body.

#NFAwareness #ENDNF

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AJ Alveshere (she/her) @ajalveshere.bsky.social · Apr 6

West Central Illinois showed up to say #HandsOff!

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Reposted by AJ Alveshere (she/her)

Indivisible of West Central Illinois @indivisiblewcil.bsky.social · Apr 5

Here's a way to participate, even if you can't leave home to attend a Hands Off! protest.

Remember, every registration adds to the official total. Apparently 3.5% participation is the magic number (see next post).

Sign up, invite a friend. We can make a difference!

mobilize.us/s/WqAJnP

Hands Off! Disabled Community Fights Back · Hands Off

🚨 Donald Trump and Elon Musk think this country belongs to them. We are fighting back! 🚨 They're grabbing everything they can—our health care, our data, our jobs, our services—and daring the world to...

mobilize.us

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AJ Alveshere (she/her) @ajalveshere.bsky.social · Apr 3

"Might as well have handed control of the world's wealthiest nation to a troop of baboons led by a 'Magic 8-ball' toy."

Unintended Effects @unintendedeffects.bsky.social · Apr 3

It appears that the Trump team asked AI how to implement tariffs, and AI gave some spectacularly flawed advice. They then, of course, ran with it.

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AJ Alveshere (she/her) @ajalveshere.bsky.social · Apr 1

Please read the whole thread. Our nation is overflowing with stories like this. The senators are reading many of them on the senate floor right now.

It's time for our elected officials to listen and to begin to do their jobs and serve us, their constituents.

Unintended Effects @unintendedeffects.bsky.social · Apr 1

Chris Murphy has joined Cory Booker in a Senate filibuster. They are talking about the horrors of gun violence and crushing medical debt in the United States.

www.c-span.org/event/us-sen...

U.S. Senate

The Senate will vote to advance President Trump's nomination of Matthew Whitaker to be the U.S. Ambassador to NATO. He previously served as Acting Attorney General during the first Trump Administratio...

www.c-span.org

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Reposted by AJ Alveshere (she/her)

Indivisible of West Central Illinois @indivisiblewcil.bsky.social · Mar 25

This statement requests signatures to affirm the important role of higher education in democracy. Anyone who values the contributions of colleges and universities to democratic nations is encouraged to consider signing, if it's not too great a personal risk:

docs.google.com/document/d/1...

Speaking Out for Democracy and US Higher Education

Speaking Out for Democracy and US Higher Education To add your name to this statement, go to https://bit.ly/DemocracyAndHigherEdSign We publicly affirm our commitment to the enterprise of higher educ...

docs.google.com

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AJ Alveshere (she/her) @ajalveshere.bsky.social · Mar 20

Very sad news. But, let's take a moment to celebrate the life of this amazing bonobo who provided myriad insights into the fascinating mind and abilities of his species.❤️