Além do binário: como discursos afetam o acesso de pessoas não binárias a tratamentos de afirmação de gênero

This text is a Portuguese translation of the Senior Thesis written by the north american author Lori Puopolo (PUOPOLO, 2018). Their study is based on researches that evidence how healthcare professionals use a transmedicalistpoint of view to limit the access of trans people to gender-affirming heallthcare, in order to understand how the discourses diffused by them affect, specially, the access of non binary people to gender-affirming healthcare. Puopolo notices that these specialists resort to a dominant discourse about transgender individuals so as to control the bodies of non binary people. On acount of this discourse, they internalyze the medical perspective about transiotioning, thereby delaying their treatments. Puopolo discloses that non binary people utilyze the Internet to discuss and inform themselves about the options involving the medical transition, noticing that as they gather more information, they become more willing to search access to the procedures desired.Este texto presenta una traducción de la tesis de Lori Puopolo. (PUOPOLO, 2018) Su estudio se basa en investigaciones para analizar cómo los profesionales de la medicina y salud mental utilizan el punto de vista transmedicalista para limitar el acceso de las personas trans a tratamientos de afirmación de género, con la finalidad de comprender cómo los discursos propagados afectan específicamente el acceso de las personas no binarias al proceso deafirmación de género. Se observa que mientras los médicos utilizan un discurso dominante sobre personas transgéneropara regular los cuerpos de los sujetos no binarios, los sujetos internalizan esos mismos discursos y, por eso, tambiénretrasan sus propios tratamientos. La internet es el medio utilizado por las personas no binarias para discutir e informarse sobre las posibilidades de transición, y en la medida en que tienen acceso a más explicaciones, se vuelven más dispuestas a buscar los tratamientos deseados.Este texto é uma tradução do trabalho de conclusão de curso de Lori Puopolo. (PUOPOLO, 2018) Em seu estudo, e autore se baseia em pesquisas que analisam como profissionais da medicina e da saúde mental utilizam a visão transmedicalista para limitar o acesso de pessoas trans a tratamentos de afirmação de gênero, com a finalidade de compreender como os discursos propagados por eles afetam, especificamente, o acesso de pessoas não binárias ao processo transexualizador. Desse modo, Puopolo observa que enquanto esses especialistas usam um discurso dominante sobre indivíduos transvestigeneres para regular os corpos de sujeitos não binários, esses sujeitos internalizam essas mesmas falas e, por isso, também atrasam seus próprios tratamentos. Puopolo descobre que a internet é o meio de comunicação usado por essas pessoas não binárias para discutir e se informar sobre as possibilidades da transição, notando que à medida que elas têm acesso a mais explicações, elas se tornam mais dispostas a procurar pelos tratamentos desejados

Correlation between crystal purity and the charge density wave in 1T-VSe2

We examine the charge density wave (CDW) properties of 1T-VSe2 crystals grown by chemical vapor transport (CVT) under varying conditions. Specifically, we find that upon lowering the growth temperature (Tg < 630\u25e6C), there is a significant increase in both the CDW transition temperature and the residual resistance ratio (RRR) obtained from electrical transport measurements. Using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, we correlate the observed CDW properties with stoichiometry and the nature of defects. In addition, we have optimized a method to grow ultrahigh-purity 1T-VSe2 crystals with a CDW transition temperature TCDW = (112.7 \ub1 0.8) K and maximum residual resistance ratio RRR 48 49, which is the highest reported thus far. This work highlights the sensitivity of the CDW in 1T-VSe2 to defects and overall stoichiometry and the importance of controlling the crystal growth conditions of strongly correlated transition metal dichalcogenides

Characteristics of strong midwifery leaders and enablers of strong midwifery leadership:An international appreciative inquiry

Objectives: This research aimed to identify the characteristics of strong midwifery leaders and explore how strong midwifery leadership may be enabled from the perspective of midwives and nurse-midwives globally. Design: In this appreciative inquiry, we collected qualitative and demographic data using a cross-sectional online survey between February and July 2022.Setting: Responses were received from many countries (n = 76), predominantly the United Kingdom (UK), Australia, the United States of America (USA), Canada, Uganda, Saudi Arabia, Tanzania, Rwanda, India, and Kenya. Participants: An international population (n = 429) of English-speaking, and ethnically diverse midwives (n = 211) and nurse-midwives (n = 218).Measurements: Reflexive thematic analysis was used to make sense of the qualitative data collected. Identified characteristics of strong midwifery leadership were subsequently deductively mapped to established leadership styles and leadership theories. Demographic data were analysed using descriptive statistics. Findings: Participants identified strong midwifery leaders as being mediators, dedicated to the profession, evidence-based practitioners, effective decision makers, role models, advocates, visionaries, resilient, empathetic, and compassionate. These characteristics mapped to compassionate, transformational, servant, authentic, and situational leadership styles. To enable strong midwifery leadership, participants identified a need for investment in midwives’ clear professional identity, increased societal value placed upon the midwifery profession, ongoing research, professional development in leadership, interprofessional collaborations, succession planning and increased self-efficacy. Key conclusions and implications for practice: This study contributes to understandings of trait, behavioural, situational, transformational and servant leadership theory in the context of midwifery. Investing in the development of strong midwifery leadership is essential as it has the potential to elevate the profession and improve perinatal outcomes worldwide. Findings may inform the development of both existing and new leadership models, frameworks, and validated measurement tools

Multi-transcriptome analysis following an acute skeletal muscle growth stimulus yields tools for discerning global and MYC regulatory networks

Myc is a powerful transcription factor implicated in epigenetic reprogramming, cellular plasticity, and rapid growth as well as tumorigenesis. Cancer in skeletal muscle is extremely rare despite marked and sustained Myc induction during loading-induced hypertrophy. Here, we investigated global, actively transcribed, stable, and myonucleus-specific transcriptomes following an acute hypertrophic stimulus in mouse plantaris. With these datasets, we define global and Myc-specific dynamics at the onset of mechanical overload-induced muscle fiber growth. Data collation across analyses reveals an under-appreciated role for the muscle fiber in extracellular matrix remodeling during adaptation, along with the contribution of mRNA stability to epigenetic-related transcript levels in muscle. We also identify Runx1 and Ankrd1 (Marp1) as abundant myonucleus-enriched loading-induced genes. We observed that a strong induction of cell cycle regulators including Myc occurs with mechanical overload in myonuclei. Additionally, in vivo Myc-controlled gene expression in the plantaris was defined using a genetic muscle fiber-specific doxycycline-inducible Myc-overexpression model. We determined Myc is implicated in numerous aspects of gene expression during early-phase muscle fiber growth. Specifically, brief induction of Myc protein in muscle represses Reverbα, Reverbβ, and Myh2 while increasing Rpl3, recapitulating gene expression in myonuclei during acute overload. Experimental, comparative, and in silico analyses place Myc at the center of a stable and actively transcribed, loading-responsive, muscle fiber–localized regulatory hub. Collectively, our experiments are a roadmap for understanding global and Myc-mediated transcriptional networks that regulate rapid remodeling in postmitotic cells. We provide open webtools for exploring the five RNA-seq datasets as a resource to the field

Characteristics of Strong Midwifery Leaders and Enablers of Strong Midwifery Leadership: An International Appreciative Inquiry

Objectives This research aimed to identify the characteristics of strong midwifery leaders and explore how strong midwifery leadership may be enabled from the perspective of midwives and nurse-midwives globally. Design In this appreciative inquiry, we collected qualitative and demographic data using a cross-sectional online survey between February and July 2022. Setting Responses were received from many countries (n=76), predominantly the United Kingdom (UK), Australia, the United States of America (USA), Canada, Uganda, Saudi Arabia, Tanzania, Rwanda, India, and Kenya. Participants An international population (n=429) of English-speaking, and ethnically diverse midwives (n=211) and nurse-midwives (n=218). Measurements Reflexive thematic analysis was used to make sense of the qualitative data collected. Identified characteristics of strong midwifery leadership were subsequently deductively mapped to established leadership styles and leadership theories. Demographic data were analysed using descriptive statistics. Findings Participants identified strong midwifery leaders as being mediators, dedicated to the profession, evidence-based practitioners, effective decision makers, role models, advocates, visionaries, resilient, empathetic, and compassionate. These characteristics mapped to compassionate, transformational, servant, authentic, and situational leadership styles. To enable strong midwifery leadership, participants identified a need for investment in midwives’ clear professional identity, increased societal value placed upon the midwifery profession, ongoing research, professional development in leadership, interprofessional collaborations, succession planning and increased self-efficacy. Key conclusions and implications for practice This study contributes to understandings of trait, behavioural, situational, transformational and servant leadership theory in the context of midwifery. Investing in the development of strong midwifery leadership is essential as it has the potential to elevate the profession and improve perinatal outcomes worldwide. Findings may inform the development of both existing and new leadership models, frameworks, and validated measurement tools

Integrated Ecosystem Assessment: Lake Ontario Water Management

BACKGROUND: Ecosystem management requires organizing, synthesizing, and projecting information at a large scale while simultaneously addressing public interests, dynamic ecological properties, and a continuum of physicochemical conditions. We compared the impacts of seven water level management plans for Lake Ontario on a set of environmental attributes of public relevance. METHODOLOGY AND FINDINGS: Our assessment method was developed with a set of established impact assessment tools (checklists, classifications, matrices, simulations, representative taxa, and performance relations) and the concept of archetypal geomorphic shoreline classes. We considered each environmental attribute and shoreline class in its typical and essential form and predicted how water level change would interact with defining properties. The analysis indicated that about half the shoreline of Lake Ontario is potentially sensitive to water level change with a small portion being highly sensitive. The current water management plan may be best for maintaining the environmental resources. In contrast, a natural water regime plan designed for greatest environmental benefits most often had adverse impacts, impacted most shoreline classes, and the largest portion of the lake coast. Plans that balanced multiple objectives and avoided hydrologic extremes were found to be similar relative to the environment, low on adverse impacts, and had many minor impacts across many shoreline classes. SIGNIFICANCE: The Lake Ontario ecosystem assessment provided information that can inform decisions about water management and the environment. No approach and set of methods will perfectly and unarguably accomplish integrated ecosystem assessment. For managing water levels in Lake Ontario, we found that there are no uniformly good and bad options for environmental conservation. The scientific challenge was selecting a set of tools and practices to present broad, relevant, unbiased, and accessible information to guide decision-making on a set of management options

Association between urinary biomarkers of total sugars intake and measures of obesity in a cross-sectional study

Obesity is an important modifiable risk factor for chronic diseases. While there is increasing focus on the role of dietary sugars, there remains a paucity of data establishing the association between sugar intake and obesity in the general public. The objective of this study was to investigate associations of estimated sugar intake with odds for obesity in a representative sample of English adults. We used data from 434 participants of the 2005 Health Survey of England. Biomarkers for total sugar intake were measured in 24 h urine samples and used to estimate intake. Linear and logistic regression analyses were used to investigate associations between biomarker-based estimated intake and measures of obesity (body mass intake (BMI), waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio) and obesity risk, respectively. Estimated sugar intake was significantly associated with BMI, waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio; these associations remained significant after adjustment for estimated protein intake as a marker of non-sugar energy intake. Estimated sugar intake was also associated with increased odds for obesity based on BMI (OR 1.02; 95%CI 1.00-1.04 per 10g), waist-circumference (1.03; 1.01-1.05) and waist-to-hip ratio (1.04; 1.02-1.06); all OR estimates remained significant after adjusting for estimated protein intake. Our results strongly support positive associations between total sugar intake, measures of obesity and likelihood of being obese. It is the first time that such an association has been shown in a nationally-representative sample of the general population using a validated biomarker. This biomarker could be used to monitor the efficacy of public health interventions to reduce sugar intake

Primate-specific evolution of noncoding element insertion into PLA2G4C and human preterm birth

Background The onset of birth in humans, like other apes, differs from non-primate mammals in its endocrine physiology. We hypothesize that higher primate-specific gene evolution may lead to these differences and target genes involved in human preterm birth, an area of global health significance. Methods We performed a comparative genomics screen of highly conserved noncoding elements and identified PLA2G4C, a phospholipase A isoform involved in prostaglandin biosynthesis as human accelerated. To examine whether this gene demonstrating primate-specific evolution was associated with birth timing, we genotyped and analyzed 8 common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in PLA2G4C in US Hispanic (n = 73 preterm, 292 control), US White (n = 147 preterm, 157 control) and US Black (n = 79 preterm, 166 control) mothers. Results Detailed structural and phylogenic analysis of PLA2G4C suggested a short genomic element within the gene duplicated from a paralogous highly conserved element on chromosome 1 specifically in primates. SNPs rs8110925 and rs2307276 in US Hispanics and rs11564620 in US Whites were significant after correcting for multiple tests (p < 0.006). Additionally, rs11564620 (Thr360Pro) was associated with increased metabolite levels of the prostaglandin thromboxane in healthy individuals (p = 0.02), suggesting this variant may affect PLA2G4C activity. Conclusions Our findings suggest that variation in PLA2G4C may influence preterm birth risk by increasing levels of prostaglandins, which are known to regulate labor.Children’s Discovery InstituteMarch of Dimes Birth Defects FoundationNational Institute of General Medical Sciences (U.S.) (grant T32 GM081739)Washington University (Saint Louis, Mo.) (Mr. and Mrs. Spencer T. Olin Fellowship for Women in Graduate Study)Sigrid Jusélius FoundationSigne and Anne Gyllenberg FoundationAcademy of FinlandVanderbilt University (Turner-Hazinski grant award

The evolution and storage of primitive melts in the Eastern Volcanic Zone of Iceland: the 10 ka Grímsvötn tephra series (i.e. the Saksunarvatn ash)

Major, trace and volatile elements were measured in a suite of primitive macrocrysts and melt inclusions from the thickest layer of the 10 ka Grímsvötn tephra series (i.e. Saksunarvatn ash) at Lake Hvítárvatn in central Iceland. In the absence of primitive tholeiitic eruptions (MgO > 7 wt.%) within the Eastern Volcanic Zone (EVZ) of Iceland, these crystal and inclusion compositions provide an important insight into magmatic processes in this volcanically productive region. Matrix glass compositions show strong similarities with glass compositions from the AD 1783–84 Laki eruption, confirming the affinity of the tephra series with the Grímsvötn volcanic system. Macrocrysts can be divided into a primitive assemblage of zoned macrocryst cores (An_78–An_92, Mg#_cpx = 82–87, Fo_79.5–Fo_87) and an evolved assemblage consisting of unzoned macrocrysts and the rims of zoned macrocrysts (An_60–An_68, Mg#_cpx = 71–78, Fo_70–Fo_76). Although the evolved assemblage is close to being in equilibrium with the matrix glass, trace element disequilibrium between primitive and evolved assemblages indicates that they were derived from different distributions of mantle melt compositions. Juxtaposition of disequilibrium assemblages probably occurred during disaggregation of incompatible trace element-depleted mushes (mean La/Yb_melt = 2.1) into aphyric and incompatible trace element-enriched liquids (La/Yb_melt = 3.6) shortly before the growth of the evolved macrocryst assemblage. Post-entrapment modification of plagioclase-hosted melt inclusions has been minimal and high-Mg# inclusions record differentiation and mixing of compositionally variable mantle melts that are amongst the most primitive liquids known from the EVZ. Coupled high field strength element (HFSE) depletion and incompatible trace element enrichment in a subset of primitive plagioclase-hosted melt inclusions can be accounted for by inclusion formation following plagioclase dissolution driven by interaction with plagioclase-undersaturated melts. Thermobarometric calculations indicate that final crystal-melt equilibration within the evolved assemblage occurred at ~1140°C and 0.0–1.5 kbar. Considering the large volume of the erupted tephra and textural evidence for rapid crystallisation of the evolved assemblage, 0.0–1.5 kbar is considered unlikely to represent a pressure of long-term magma accumulation and storage. Multiple thermometers indicate that the primitive assemblage crystallised at high temperatures of 1240–1300°C. Different barometers, however, return markedly different crystallisation depth estimates. Raw clinopyroxene-melt pressures of 5.5–7.5 kbar conflict with apparent melt inclusion entrapment pressures of 1.4 kbar. After applying a correction derived from published experimental data, clinopyroxene-melt equilibria return mid-crustal pressures of 4±1.5 kbar, which are consistent with pressures estimated from the major element content of primitive melt inclusions. Long-term storage of primitive magmas in the mid-crust implies that low CO_2 concentrations measured in primitive plagioclase-hosted inclusions (262–800 ppm) result from post-entrapment CO_2 loss during transport through the shallow crust. In order to reconstruct basaltic plumbing system geometries from petrological data with greater confidence, mineral-melt equilibrium models require refinement at pressures of magma storage in Iceland. Further basalt phase equilibria experiments are thus needed within the crucial 1–7 kbar range.D.A.N. was supported by a Natural Environment Research Council studentship (NE/1528277/1) at the start of this project. SIMS analyses were supported by Natural Environment Research Council Ion Microprobe Facility award (IMF508/1013).This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00410-015-1170-