Beyond the Binary: Gender Identity and Mental Health Among Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Adults

Despite increasing endorsement of non-binary gender identities among TGNC (transgender or gender non-conforming) populations, research regarding TGNC experiences often over-emphasizes pathology relative to positive psychology and reinforces binary conceptualizations of gender (exclusively male/female). TGNC individuals face increased rates of depression, suicide risk, anxiety, substance abuse, HIV/AIDS, homelessness, victimization, and negative police interactions. These disparities are exacerbated by discrimination, lack of culturally competent resources, and internalized stigma. Despite these negative experiences and increased risks, TGNC individuals hesitate to seek treatment and/or police assistance due to fears of discrimination, cultural incompetence, and/or re-victimization. To address these gaps, the present investigation utilized a mixed-methods design with a sample of 357 self-identified TGNC adults. Study 1 included individual interviews whereas Study 2 included an online survey. Both segments collected socio-demographic and mental health data. Overall, seven hypotheses were investigated: 1) Participant narratives will indicate a greater degree of heterogeneity in later phases of identity development than previously considered; 2) Narratives will reveal common themes of risk (e.g., internalized or environmental stigma) and resiliency (e.g., social support, community connectedness) within developmental processes; 3) Victimization will positively predict depression, anxiety, gender dysphoria, and grit; 4) Victimization will negatively predict flourishing; 5) Social support will mediate the relationship between victimization and psychological well-being; 6) TGNC community connectedness will mediate the relationship between victimization and psychological well-being; 7) Victimization will relate to decreased help-seeking (mental health or criminal justice services)

Laser scanner survey and 3-d modeling of the Cetara tower on the amalfitan coast.

The main goal of this work is to study and experiment the use of the terrestrial laser scanning technique in order to survey an architectural heritage. The experiment concerns the survey and the modeling of a tower characterized by a very articulated plan and a complex geometry placed in Cetara (Amalfitan Coast). We used three different laser scanners: Cyrax HDS2500, Optech ILRIS-3D and Riegl LMSZ420. The surveys carried out with the three different instruments demanded different design, planning and execution of the experiment. In order to carry out the survey of the Tower it has been necessary to run a high number of scans from various points of view and with different resolutions. This was necessary for the correct reconstruction of the architectonic elements which are complex and difficult to bring to simple and linear geometries. Modeling has been carried out using several commercial softwares used to filter the scan results and to reconstruct the 3D model of point clouds and the solid model by means of triangulation. By means of the DTMs derived from the three laser scanners we finally elaborated a number of orthophotos using a digital photogrammetrical software. We started from the images acquired with a semi-metric camera, the Nikon D100; we compared our different orthophotos among them and with that one derived from the DTM obtained by means of digital matching on the photogrammetric stereo pair. Such a comparison was made on a number of common check points

Craniomaxillofacial Disorders and Solutions in Humans and Animals.

Cross-disciplinary collaborations have initiated translational studies in an effort to harness naturally occurring diseases in companion animals to accelerate the development of new treatment modalities, drugs, and device inventions. These synergistic collaborations can identify clinically relevant models that offer the opportunity to conduct rigorous translational investigations. However, the relationship between craniomaxillofacial diseases in companion animals and humans has been widely overlooked. We report here an innovative and visionary 2-d symposium that was organized to gather professionals working on craniomaxillofacial disorders and solutions in humans and/or animals from multiple disciplines, including veterinary physicians, basic scientists, biomedical engineers, physicians, and dentists. The symposium provided a platform for junior and senior investigators and basic science and clinical researchers to network, collaborate, and develop a new clinical and translational framework for accelerated therapy development