178,014 research outputs found
"Gender congruence and acceptance before and after cross-sex hormonal therapy" G. Senofonte, F. Cargnelutti, A. Petrozzi, S. Colangelo, F. Pallotti, D. Paoli, M. Mosconi, F. Lombardo
No full textIntroduction - Gender dysphoria (GD) is a non congruity between an individual’s assigned
gender and the perceived gender identity. This incongruence often produces significant
distress and/or social functioning problems.
Aim – To evaluate gender congruence in FtM and MtF patients using a validated psychometric
scale.
Materials and Methods - We recruited 62 patients (33 FtM and 29 MtF; mean age 27.3 ± 6.7
and 28 ± 6.2 years, respectively) who referred to the outpatient clinic of Endocrinology and
Andrology of the Department of Experimental Medicine for Gender Dysphoria, “Sapienza”
University of Rome, sent by the mental health specialists. Each patient underwent clinical
evaluation, blood hormone testing and completed the Transgender Congruence Scale (TGCS).
This questionnaire is composed of 12 items, exploring Transgender Congruence (TC),
Appearance Congruence (AC) and Gender Identity Acceptance (GIA) (score 1-5). The
evaluation was carried out before the beginning of cross-sex hormone therapy (T0) and after
6 months of therapy (T6).
Results – Baseline evaluation – We detected higher TC scores in FtM patients compared to
MtF (2.65 ± 0.62 vs 2.17 ± 0.73, respectively; p = 0.001), and comparable AC and GIA scores in
both groups (AC: 1.94 ± 0.88 vs 1.69 ± 0.85, p = 0.087; GIA: 4.02 ± 0.26 vs 3.96 ± 0.26, p =
0.409); blood testosterone and estradiol values were within normal cis-gender ranges for all
patients.
FtM post therapy evaluation – At T6 we detected a significant increase of both TC and AC
scores (TC: 2.65 ± 0.62 vs 3.61 ± 0.21, T0 vs T6 respectively, p = 0.001; AC: 1.94 ± 0.88 vs 3.30
± 0.16, T0 vs T6 respectively, p = 0.001). Hormone testing revealed a significant increase of
testosterone levels within eugonadal male range (1.35 ± 0.83 vs 13.36 ± 4.52, T0 vs T6
respectively, p = 0.001).
MtF post therapy evaluation – Similarly, we detected a significant increase of both TC and AC
scores at T6 (TC: 2.17 ± 0.73 vs 3.27 ± 0.57, T0 vs T6, p = 0.005; AC: 1.69 ± 0.85 vs 3.06 ± 0.79,
T0 vs T6, p = 0.011). Blood hormone analysis revealed a significant decrease of testosterone
levels (19.39 ± 10.76 vs 2.70 ± 4.51, T0 vs T6, p = 0.004) without variation of estradiol levels
(24.52 ± 7.61 vs 31.23 ± 14.01, T0 vs T6, p = 0.424). It is noteworthy that TC scores at T6 in
MtF were significantly lower than in FtM (p = 0.048).
Correlations - No significant correlations were detected between sex hormones levels and
TGCS scores in both groups.
Conclusions – Both FtM and MtF individuals show high acceptance of their new gender
identity even before treatment due to their rejection of their birth-assigned gender. Six
months of cross-sex hormone therapy determined an outstanding improvement of selfreported
congruence and appearance scores in both groups, although to a milder extent on
MtF. This reflects the fact that androgen therapy induces marked physical changes in FtM
(menses cessation, hair growth, etc.) and with shorter latency than anti-androgens and
estradiol in MtF. Longer follow-up is required to determine long term maintenance of physical
and psychological effects of therapy
Some notions of multivariate positive dependence
No full textInternational audienceThe authors study new notions of positive dependence that are associated to multivariate stochastic orders of positive dependence introduced recently by Colangelo et al. [J. Multivar. Anal., to appear]. In particular, they discuss the relationship of these new notions to other existing concepts of positive dependence
Study of DsJ decays to D+KS0 and D0K+ final states in pp collisions
No full textA study of D+K0S and D0K+ final states is performed in a sample of 1.0 fb−1 of pp collision data collected at a centre-of-mass energy of s√=7 TeV with the LHCb detector. We confirm the existence of the D∗s1(2700)+ and D∗sJ(2860)+ excited states and measure their masses and widths to be
m(D∗s1(2700)+) = 2709.2±1.9(stat)±4.5(syst) MeV/c2, Γ(D∗s1(2700)+) = 115.8±7.3(stat)±12.1(syst) MeV/c2, m(D∗sJ(2860)+) = 2866.1±1.0(stat)±6.3(syst) MeV/c2, Γ(D∗sJ(2860)+) = 69.9±3.2(stat)±6.6(syst) MeV/c2
Relationships between size and abundance in beach plastics: A power-law approach
No full textSandy beaches are one of the most relevant coastal environments in terms of socio-ecological and economical value. So, the presence and accumulation of plastic litter determines a degradation of these values, and calls for management actions for cleaning are required. In this research, we investigated the features of plastic litter distribution on a Mediterranean beach in relation to size and abundance of the sampled items. Simple allometric models were applied with the aim to provide a parsimonious tool for estimating the amount and sizes of the beach plastic litter. The results show effective relations between size and abundance of plastic items according to the power-law distribution. This relationship could support decision-makers to estimate the total amount of beach plastics through the application of a simple model instead of more complex models requiring the estimation of many parameters and the availability of large datasets
Dredging disturbance imprinted in the structure of benthic communities: The case of the Port of Cervia
No full textDredging activities are regularly performed in front the entrance of most of the ports worldwide in order to remove subtidal sandbars, continuously accumulated due to coastal sediment dynamics, and assure minimum depth needed for access. These operations may have severe negative chemical, physical and biological impacts on marine environment (Manap & Voulvoulis, 2015) as well as high economic costs. As possible environmentally and economically friendly alternative, a new technology for seabed maintenance based on “ejectors”, intended to prevent sediment accumulation, is under development. The goal of this research was to analyse macrobenthic communities exposed to dredging activities in front of the Port of Cervia (northern Adriatic Sea) and in the nearby not affected areas, that would serve as a baseline for the evaluation of impacts of new technology that is going to be experimentally deployed in front of this port. Samples were taken in Spring 2018 in the dredged location in front of the Port of Cervia just couple of weeks after the operations and in four control locations, placed 600 m and 1200 m north and south of the impact, at 2-3 m depth range. Two sampling areas were defined in each location and at each area 4 replicated samples of sediment and fauna were taken by SCUBA diving using an aluminium frame (23.5×13.5 cm). In each sample analyses encompassed sediment grain size, percentage of organic matter, dry weight of shell debris and benthic macrofauna (after sieving on 0.5 mm mesh sieve) determination to the lowest possible taxonomic level. Univariate and multivariate analyses were done using software Primer v 6 and PERMANOVA+. Altogether 80 macrofaunal taxa were recorded. Structure of benthic communities was significantly different among sampling locations but not between areas within each location. Dredged location indicated clearly different structure of benthic communities from control ones and showed much higher variation among samples (Figure 1). Impacted communities were characterised by drastically lower species diversity and abundance (Figure 2a, 2b). SIMPER analyses (90% cut off) showed that average similarity in species composition and abundance between samples in control locations was very high (81% to 85%) and due to only three most abundant bivalve species: Lentidium mediterraneum, Donax semistriatus and Chamellea gallina. On the other hand similarity between samples in impacted location was only 37% (characterised by L. mediterraneum and C. gallina). Very high dissimilarity (75% to 80%) in species composition and abundance between impacted and control locations was due to a drastic decrease of abundance of the same three bivalve species on impacted location. Amount of shell debris and the percentage of medium sand (>250 μm) in the sediment were the parameters that had the highest correlation (Rho = 0.716) with the structure of benthic assemblages. Our results indicate that dredging activities had negative impacts both on species richness and abundance, however the settlement of opportunistic species on impacted location was not reported. The three bivalve species mostly characterising benthic assemblages on all locations belong to species sensitive to disturbance, which are characterised by relatively long life, slow growth and high biomass (Simboura and Zenetos, 2002). Communities that are characterized by sensitive species in general show strong effects and slow recoveries of dredging (Kotta et al., 2009). Moreover Chamelea gallina is edible mollusc thus negative impact of dredging on this species, might have economic implications. Several tens of taxa present in control samples weren’t recorded in impacted ones. Although these species weren’t very abundant their ecological importance in benthic communities cannot be neglected. Careful analyses of life traits of these species will have to be performed in order to understand eventual shifts in the functioning of benthic communities
Experimental Characterization of a Novel Fluidized-Bed Zn–Air Fuel Cell
No full textZn–air fuel cells are promising energy storage devices for renewable energy and power sources, as they are cost-effective and have high energy density. However, limited charge and discharge cycles and low round-trip efficiency have long been obstacles to large-scale market deployment. Herein, a new fluidized-bed zinc–air fuel cell is designed, constructed, tested, and characterized. The integration of the fluidized bed in the zinc–air fuel cell leads to key advantages such as: erosion of the anode passivation layer, which plays a key role in the rapid voltage decay and keeping the products of reactions away from the proximity of the electrodes, reducing the concentration overpotential, due to the concentration gradient of electrode species in the diffusion boundary layer between the electrode–electrolyte interface and the electrolyte bulk
L'insediamento fortificato di Satrianum in età angioina. Fonti, strutture materiali e documenti archeologici di un centro di potere nella Valle del Melandro (PZ), in F. Sogliani, M. Osanna, L. Colangelo, A. Parente, Gli spazi del potere civile e religioso dell'insediamento fortificato di Torre di Satriano in età angioina
No full textThe medieval fortified settlement of Satriano (Potenza) has been studied from 2005, due to a huge and intense archaeological investigation headed by the School of Specialization in Archaeology of Matera, under a large project sponsored by the Region of Basilicata and the Municipality of Tito (PZ). It represents an “Archaeology of power" case-study, particularly significant for its structural characteristics, its location and the impressive articulation of its planimetric organization.
With the recent widespread program of archaeological researches it was possible to comprehend the development of different phases in the chronological sequence, form the site sorted out to establish a structured system of territorial defence and control by the Normans (the first written sources date back to the end of XIIth century) to its desertion in post-medieval era. In the settlement it is possible to recognize an upper area, on the top of the hill, enclosed by walls, as the hierarchically most important space, including inside the seat of civil power - the big square tower – as the one of its' religious authority - the “Cathedral” and the fortified village developed on the slopes of the hill. Considerable seems to be the archaeological evidences related to the Angevin period, whose demographic situation registers an increase of “fuochi” from 151 to 224 in the second half of the XIIIth century. In this period the Cathedral was restored and in the cemetery of the religious area we observe an implementation of the richest tombs. The settlement was abandoned in the last decades of the XVth century, after the strong economic crisis of XIVth and XVth century, which will have serious consequences on the human settlement in the region of Basilicata. On the contrary, some sources testifies that the diocesan seat moved from Satriano to Campagna only in 1525. It is possible that even after the desertion of the medieval settlement, the Cathedral dedicated to St. Stephen, probably affected by some restoration activities, still play an important role in the territory, going on to celebrate the major religious solemnities
Introduction to European Union transport law (co-autore con M. Colangelo), Roma TrE-Press 2015 (ISBN 978-88-97524-21-2)
No full textIl manuale costituisce una breve introduzione ai corsi di Diritto europeo dei trasporti, un campo di crescente complessità segnata dalla intersezione fra diritto della concorrenza, aiuti di Stato, regolazione delle imprese a rete, e protezione dei consumatori. Il volume, dopo una Introduzione alle priincipali disposizioni comunitarie, è diviso in tre moduli: I. Trasporto aereo - II. Trasporto ferroviario - III. Tutela dei passeggeri.In appendice le principali decisioni delle Autorità e delle Corti europee che hanno aperto e conformato il mercato per servizi di trasporto trans-europei.A primer for courses on European Union Transport Law, a field of increasing complexity marked by a very strong inter-relation between full competition, State aid, services of general economic interest, regulation of network industries, consumer protection.
The volume, after an Introduction to the relevant EU provisions, is divided in three modules: I. Air transport; II. Rail transport; III. Passengers’ rights. It includes also the most important decisions by EU courts and by the European Commission which have opened and shaped the market for trans-European transport services
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