The body I live in. Perceptions and meanings of body dissatisfaction in young transgender adults: a qualitative study

Body dissatisfaction in individuals with Gender Incongruence (GI) represents a primary source of su↵ering. Several studies have highlighted how this su↵ering has psychological, physical, and biological implications. This work aims to explore experiences related to body dissatisfaction and investigate the issues associated with living in a body perceived as incongruent for individuals with GI. Thirty-six individuals, aged between 18 and 30 years old and at stage T0 of hormone treatment, participated in the study. Body dissatisfaction and experiences related to it were investigated using the Clinical Diagnostic Interview. The Consensual Qualitative Research methodology was applied to the transcripts of the interviews. Several themes emerged: experiences with GI development, experiences with puberty and bodily changes, perception of one’s body, psychological problems and complex behavioral patterns related to body dissatisfaction. Results pointed out the complexity implied in the relationship with one’s body for individuals with GI, highlighting specific aspects of body dissatisfaction among these individuals (e.g., eating disorders, sexual diculties, social withdrawal). This study underlines the need for a deeper understanding of some aspects of GI to better define guidelines for a correct assessment of it. In this way it will be easier to avoid negative outcomes for the psychological and general health of transgender people

An Atypical Case of Late-Onset Wolfram Syndrome 1 without Diabetes Insipidus.

Wolfram syndrome 1, a rare autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disease, is caused by mutations in the WFS1 gene. It is characterized by diabetes insipidus, diabetes mellitus, optic atrophy, and deafness (DIDMOAD), and other clinical manifestations such as urological and neurological disorders. Here we described the case of a patient with an atypical late-onset Wolfram syndrome 1 without DI. Our WS1 patient was a c.1620_1622delGTG (p.Trp540del)/c.124 C > T (p.Arg42*) heterozygous compound. The p.Arg42* nonsense mutation was also found in heterozygosity in his sister and niece, both suffering from psychiatric disorders. The p.Arg42* nonsense mutation has never been found in WS1 and its pathogenicity is unclear so far. Our study underlined the need to study a greater number of WS1 cases in order to better understand the clinical significance of many WFS1 variants

epidemiological pathophysiological and clinical peculiarities of graves disease in children with down and turner syndrome a literature review

Aim: to describe the salient relationships between Graves' disease (GD) and both Turner syndrome (TS) and Down syndrome (DS). Design: to conduct a secondary analysis of current literature on this topic. Results: 1) the prevalences of GD in TS and in DS young patients are 1.7% and 6.5‰, respectively, i.e. higher than that in pediatric general population (around 1‰); 2) in both these chromosomopathies GD presentation is often preceded by Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) antecedents; 3) in both TS and DS, GD presents with a clinical picture very similar to that observed in GD patients without these chromosomopathies; 4) in TS, clinical course of GD under pharmacological therapy is very similar to that observed in non-TS girls; 5) in DS, clinical course of GD under pharmacological therapy is less severe than that in non-DS patients. Conclusions: in the children with either TS or DS, GD is characterized by two common epidemiological peculiarities, i.e. increased prevalence rate and elevated frequency of HT antecedents

The Italian national survey on coronavirus disease 2019 epidemic spread in nursing homes

Introduction: Residents in facilities such as nursing homes (NHs) are particularly vulnerable to Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). A national survey was carried out to collect information on the spreading and impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in nursing homes, and on how suspected and/or confirmed cases were managed. We carried out a survey between 25 March 2020 and 5 May 2020. Materials and methods: All Italian nursing homes either public or providing services both privately and within the NHS were included in the study. An on-line questionnaire was sent to 3292 nursing homes across all Italian regions. Nursing homes were also contacted by telephone to provide assistance in completing the questionnaire. Results: A total of 1356 nursing homes voluntarily participated to the survey, hosting a total of 100,806 residents. Overall, 9154 residents died due to any cause from February 1 to the time when the questionnaire was completed (from March 25 to May 5). Of these, 7.4% had COVID-19 and 33.8% had flu-like symptoms, corresponding to a cumulative incidence of 0.7 and 3.1, respectively. Lack of personnel, difficulty in transferring patients to hospital or other facility, isolating residents with COVID-19, number of beds and geographical area were the main factor positively associated to the presence of COVID-19 in nursing homes. Discussion: This survey showed the dissemination and impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection in Italian nursing homes and on how older and potentially chronically ill people residing in these long-term care facilities were managed

Optical Triangulation-Based Microtopographic Inspection of Surfaces

The non-invasive inspection of surfaces is a major issue in a wide variety of industries and research laboratories. The vast and increasing range of surface types, tolerance requirements and measurement constraints demanded during the last decades represents a major research effort in the development of new methods, systems and metrological strategies. The discreet dimensional evaluation the rugometric characterization and the profilometric inspection seem to be insufficient in many instances. The full microtopographic inspection has became a common requirement. Among the different systems developed, optical methods have the most important role and among those triangulation-based ones have gained a major status thanks to their flexibility, reliability and robustness. In this communication we will provide a brief historical review on the development of optical triangulation application to the dimensional inspection of objects and surfaces and on the work done at the Microtopography Laboratory of the Physics Department of the University of Minho, Portugal, in the development of methods and systems of optical triangulation-based microtopographic inspection of surfaces

Has COVID-19 Delayed the Diagnosis and Worsened the Presentation of Type 1 Diabetes in Children?

Objective: To evaluate whether the diagnosis of pediatric type 1 diabetes or its acute complications changed during the early phase of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Italy. Research design and methods: This was a cross-sectional, Web-based survey of all Italian pediatric diabetes centers to collect diabetes, diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), and COVID-19 data in patients presenting with new-onset or established type 1 diabetes between 20 February and 14 April in 2019 and 2020. Results: Fifty-three of 68 centers (77.9%) responded. There was a 23% reduction in new diabetes cases in 2020 compared with 2019. Among those newly diagnosed patient who presented in a state of DKA, the proportion with severe DKA was 44.3% in 2020 vs. 36.1% in 2019 (P = 0.03). There were no differences in acute complications. Eight patients with asymptomatic or mild COVID-19 had laboratory-confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic might have altered diabetes presentation and DKA severity. Preparing for any "second wave" requires strategies to educate and reassure parents about timely emergency department attendance for non-COVID-19 symptoms

Diabetic ketoacidosis at the onset of disease during a national awareness campaign: a 2-year observational study in children aged 0-18 years

After a previous survey on the incidence of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) at onset of type 1 diabetes in children in 2013-2014 in Italy, we aimed to verify a possible decline in the incidence of DKA at onset during a national prevention campaign