1,720,968 research outputs found
Reply to the Letter to the Editor: How Does Sleep Relate to Metabolic Syndrome in Women with Sexual Dysfunction?
No full textBone mineral density, body composition and metabolic profiles in adult women with complete androgen insensitivity syndrome and removed gonads using oral or transdermal estrogens
No full textObjectives: To assess bone health in adult women with complete androgen insensitivity syndrome (CAIS) and removed gonads compared with age-matched healthy controls. To evaluate the e ects of transdermal oestradiol 2 mg or oral estradiol valerate 2 mg on bone, biochemical and clinical characteristics. Design: Cohort study. Methods: Bone, body composition and anthropometric parameters were assessed in 32 adult CAIS and 32 healthy controls. In 28 cases, CAIS evaluations of metabolic, bone and body composition were performed also after a maximum of 6 years of therapy. Results: Lumbar, femoral and total body bone mineral density (BMD) were signi cantly lower in those with CAIS when compared with controls. The prevalence of vertebral osteoporosis and osteopenia was signi cantly higher in the CAIS group (P = 0.038, OR = 9.67, 95% CI: 1.13–82.83 and P = 0.012, OR= 3.85, 95% CI: 1.34–11.16, respectively). Prevalence of femoral osteopenia was signi cantly higher in the CAIS group (P = 0.0012, OR = 7.93, 95% CI: 2.26–27.9). During follow-up, lumbar BMD signi cantly increased suggesting a signi cant e ect of treatment on BMD (P = 0.0016), while femoral and total body BMD did not show any signi cant change. Total body BMD values were positively associated to the duration and route of oestrogen administration and to serum estradiol levels. Transdermal administration of estrogens was associated with better total body BMD in comparison to oral administration. Conclusions: Our results reinforce the importance of adequate hormonal treatment for women living with CAIS, suggesting a better e ect from the transdermal route over the oral route
Contraception across transgender
No full textSexual and reproductive issues are essential elements of well-being in cisgenders as well as for the transgender population. Gender-affirming hormonal treatments (GAHTs) aim to induce phenotypical changes congruent with the desired gender and subsequent reduction of gender dysphoria. While genital surgical procedures including hysterectomy and/or adenectomy cause permanent loss of ability to conceive, GAHT may induce a varying degree of reversible loss of fertility. For these reasons, transgender men and women need to be counseled concerning contraceptive options and potential effects of treatment on reproductive function before initiating GAHT. The literature reports that sexual activity with genital involvement is performed by less than half of transgender persons who have been sexually active with a partner in the past. Testosterone (T) is the most commonly used compound in transmen and usually leads to amenorrhea within 1-12 months from first administration, however cessation of menses does not mean anovulation. Some studies report cases of unintended pregnancies among transgender men under masculinizing therapy, therefore T treatment cannot be considered a contraceptive option. Currently available contraceptive options have pros and cons in transmen and scarce literature exists on their use. The effects of GAHT on fertility in transwomen are even less well known. Prolonged estrogen exposure induces sperm suppression and morphological changes of the spermatozoa, however the degree of resulting pregnancy protection is unclear. Further research to inform the contraceptive counseling in this population is mandatory
Safety and efficacy of non-ablative CO2 laser treatment of vulvo-vaginal atrophy in women with history of breast cancer
No full textPurpose Breast cancer survivors (BCS) suffer severe vulvo-vaginal atrophy (VVA) and some of the most effective therapies are contraindicated. In literature we have no data about the non-ablative CO2 laser on these women. The aim of this study was to examine its efficacy, safety and acceptability in BCS. Materials and methods The enrolled women underwent 3 sessions of laser therapy (t0, t1, t2) and a one-month follow up examination (t3). At each time point we measured objective signs of VVA via VHI (Vaginal Health Index) and VuHI (Vulvar Health Index) and subjective parameters (Dryness, Burning, Itching, Dysuria) via visual analog scales (VAS). In sexually active women we evaluated the sexual function with FSFI (Female Sexual Function Index), FSDS (Female Sexual Distress Score) scores and MENQOL (menopause quality of life questionnaire). Results We enrolled 26 BCS. The mean VHI, VuVHI, dryness and burning VAS scores improved significantly and this improvement was not influenced by the initial VVA grade. MENQOL sexual domain, Lubrication, Orgasm and Pain domains and FSFI total score improved significantly, while Desire, Arousal and Satisfaction domains of FSFI and FSDS did not. At t0 women using Aromatase Inhibitors suffered more severe vaginal dryness than women using Tamoxifen or no therapy, but the three subgroups improved without differences. No adverse event and minimum discomfort were reported. Conclusions The non-ablative CO(2 )laser is a safe and effective treatment of VVA and has positive effects on sexual function in BCS regardless the use of adjuvant therapies and the initial grade of VVA
Mental Health and Endocrine Telemedicine Consultations in Transgender Subjects During the COVID-19 Outbreak in Italy: A Cross-Sectional Web-Based Survey
No full textBackground: Transgender people are a vulnerable group with a higher incidence of mental health issues and,
during the COVID-19 outbreak, they may have faced psychological, physical and social obstacles.
Aim: To evaluate the impact of the pandemic and the access to health care services during the COVID-19
pandemic on the mental health of the transgender people living in Italy.
Methods: An anonymous web-based survey was conducted among transgender people living in Italy.
Outcomes: The survey consisted of 41 questions (to address socio-demographic and COVID-19 related variables,
general health problems and trans-related health issues) and three validated questionnaires (the Impact of
Event Scale [IES], the Beck Depression Inventory [BDI-II] and the SF-12.
Results: In total 108 respondents were included in the analysis, of these 73.1% were transmen and 26.9% transwomen.
The mean age was 34.3 § 11.7 years with 88.9% undergoing gender affirming hormonal treatment
(GAHT). Of these respondents 55.6% were not working during the COVID-19 pandemic, mainly because they
lost their jobs due to the lockdown (30.5%) or because they were otherwise unemployed (25.0%). Only four subjects
were quarantined at home because of a positive COVID-19 swab. The mean total IES score was 21.1 § 14.9
with 24.1% of subjects scoring over the cut-off score of 26 thereby suggesting a moderate-to-severe impact of the
pandemic event. Mean BDI score was 8.6 § 8.4. SF-12 total mean score was 96.1 § 11.9 with a Mental Component
Summary (MCS) score of 42.8 § 9.1. Access to endocrinological consultations for hormonal prescription via
telemedicine services was associated with better IES total scores (P = .01).
Clinical Implications: Our results highlight the impact of the pandemic on the mental health of this particular
population and how telemedicine services may serve to mitigate negative psychological effects.
Strengths & Limitations: Internet-based surveys may select a group of people not necessary representative of
the whole population. The self-reporting bias should also be considered. Those who responded to our survey
were mainly from northern Italy were COVID-19 has had a greater impact.
Conclusion: Vulnerable groups such as the transgender population should receive more consideration also during
pandemic events and their access to health services especially for endocrine and mental health care should be
improved. A nationwide plan for the extended use of telemedicine should be established with targeted intervention
to reduce psychological distress
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
Full text linkWe conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
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