Social Media Usage and User’s Self-Esteem: The Influence of Instagram’s posts on Millennials

Dissertation presented as the partial requirement for obtaining a Master's degree in Information Management, specialization in Marketing IntelligenceIn our digital era, social media has been playing a key role in connecting everyone from all over the world. This phenomenon raised its prevalence given the current pandemic situation, where lockdowns became part of our daily lives, and the internet has been the only escape route. While no one can deny the numerous benefits of such platforms, a less documented dark side of this technology and its effect on the average user’s behavior does exist. This research aims to investigate how social comparison is affecting social media’s consumers’ mental health. More specifically, how Instagram’s posts are affecting the Millennials’ view of their own lives, as well as how being exposed to other people’s lifestyles affect their self-esteem. In extreme cases, high degrees of social comparison might even lead to depression or suicide. To successfully address that, a quantitative and qualitative survey with multiple sections ranging from social media usage to self-esteem evaluation will be conducted, with young Millennials aged between 23 and 38 years old as the main recipient. Results show that an increase usage of Instagram leads to negative views of body image, as well as yielding a high recurrence of upward social comparison, which then have strictly negative effects on life satisfaction, and ultimately selfesteem

Numerical solution of a piezoelectric contact problem

We consider a mathematical model, which describes a contact problem between a piezoelectric body and a conductive foundation. The linear electro-elastic constitutive law is employed to model the piezoelectric material. The process is static, the contact is frictionless and described with the normal compliance condition and an electric contact condition. Our aim is to present a detailed description of the numerical modelling of the problem. To this end, we introduce a discrete scheme, based on the finite element method to approximate the spatial variable. Then we treat the contact conditions by using a penalized approach and a version of Newton's method.  Finally, we provide numerical simulations in the study of a two-dimensional example and compare the regularized problem with the original one

Numerical solution of a piezoelectric contact problem

We consider a mathematical model, which describes a contact problem between a piezoelectric body and a conductive foundation. The linear electro-elastic constitutive law is employed to model the piezoelectric material. The process is static, the contact is frictionless and described with the normal compliance condition and an electric contact condition. Our aim is to present a detailed description of the numerical modelling of the problem. To this end, we introduce a discrete scheme, based on the finite element method to approximate the spatial variable. Then we treat the contact conditions by using a penalized approach and a version of Newton's method.  Finally, we provide numerical simulations in the study of a two-dimensional example and compare the regularized problem with the original one

Long-term regional changes in inter-annual precipitation variability in the Campania Region, Southern Italy

Precipitation variability in space and time has been a focus of research over the past decades. The largest body of literature was essentially focused on long-term changes in average climates and in climate extremes. Analyses of the changes in the inter-annual climate variability (the year-to-year variability), which represent an index of climatic risk, received instead very less attention, but it represents an important issue in order to quantitatively measure the socioeconomic impact of climate change impact over water resources. In order to depict a general characterization of the long-term climate variability for the Campania region, located in Southern Italy within the Mediterranean basin, an analysis of the precipitation coefficient of variation, assumed as an index of inter-annual climate variability, was performed over the period 1918-2015 and compared with the annual precipitation regime and the intra-annual precipitation variability of the same region. The Mann-Kendall and the modified Mann-Kendall tests were applied to detect the sign and significance of the temporal changes and Sen's test was applied to quantify the temporal changes in inter-annual variability. The results illustrated a generalized condition (73% of total stations) of statistically significant increase of inter-annual variability distributed almost over the whole analyzed area, even though the detected change appeared rather moderate in magnitude. The relationship between annual precipitation, intra-annual precipitation variability, and inter-annual precipitation variability was not clearly identified for the studied region, likely because of the characteristics of climatic homogeneity for the area under investigation. However, the comparative analyzes clearly showed how, if the variations in the annual precipitation regime and in the intra-annual precipitation variability are poorly significant (respectively for 9% and 11% of total station), changes in inter-annual precipitation variability are strongly marked over the studied region

L'initiation et le suivi du traitement hormonal d'affirmation de genre (THAG) en médecine générale

peer reviewe

Soigner un système en transition - réorganisation des lignes de soins trans-spécifiques en Belgique

peer reviewedEn Belgique francophone, les soins trans-spécifiques sont principalement prodigués au sein d’une seule structure universitaire pluridisciplinaire. Bien qu’il n’y ait ni avantage majeur en matière de remboursement ni contraintes juridiques, les personnes transgenres restent majoritairement référées vers ce centre de soin tertiaire, y compris par d’autres endocrinologues et chirurgien·ne·s. Cette relégation des personnes transgenres en troisième ligne génère différentes problématiques : délais importants, barrière géographique, absence de choix des soignant·e·s, ainsi qu’un renforcement des disparités de pouvoir patient/médecin et un morcellement des soins en contexte hospitalier. Sur base d’une expérience clinique de première ligne en planning familial, d’une thèse d’exercice sur l’initiation du traitement hormonal en médecine générale, et d’un mémoire en études de genre sur l’accès au soin des personnes transmasculines, cette présentation, croisant sociologie et médecine, vise à offrir une réflexion sur les réaménagements nécessaires du paysage de soin trans-spécifique. Nous postulons une inadéquation entre l’offre de soin et la demande des personnes transgenres, d’une part, ainsi qu’entre la structuration des parcours trans-spécifiques et les évolutions du contexte socio-institutionnel, d’autre part. En effet, l’institutionnalisation du triptyque psychiatrie-endocrinologie-chirurgie est un reliquat d’impératifs législatifs désormais révolus plutôt qu’un idéal de prise en charge. Comparée aux soins de troisième ligne, la première ligne, largement désinvestie de ces questions, a pourtant des caractéristiques qui en feraient un espace de soin privilégié et non stigmatisant. Son approche de suivi longitudinal centrée sur la personne plutôt que sur la maladie est effectivement plus en phase avec les volontés de dépathologisation des transidentités. Confiner les soins trans-spécifiques au milieu hospitalo-universitaire contribue, quant à lui, à institutionnaliser l’exceptionnalité des corps et besoins de santé des personnes transgenres. Outre ces aspects, instaurer et coordonner les soins trans-spécifiques en première ligne accroîtra également leur disponibilité et leur qualité, en tirant profit des caractéristiques clés des soins primaires : la globalité de la prise en charge, l’intégration des soins, et l’accessibilité. Nous argüons donc qu’un changement de paradigme dans l’organisation des parcours trans-spécifiques est nécessaire. Une première étape en ce sens serait de former la première ligne afin qu’elle soit à la hauteur des missions qui lui incombent.10. Reduced inequalities3. Good health and well-being5. Gender equalit

Rôle de l'adrénomédulline dans la néoangiogenèse et l'invasion tumorale

Les glioblastomes sont des tumeurs fatales du fait de leur agressivité et du manque de traitements efficaces. La prolifération accrue, le caractère invasif et la résistance à la mort cellulaire leur confèrent une croissance rapide et une invasion du parenchyme cérébral environnant, à l origine de leur systématique récidive. Exprimée par la composante tumorale en hypoxie mais également par la composante vasculaire, l AM participe de façon autocrine et paracrine au développement des glioblastomes en favorisant la croissance des cellules tumorales et l angiogenèse tumorale.Il a été montré que des anticorps polyclonaux dirigés contre les récepteurs de l AM inhibent in vitro la croissance, la migration et la formation de pseudo-capillaires des cellules endothéliales, suggérant une neutralisation par ces anticorps de certaines étapes de l angiogenèse. De même, il a été montré in vivo que ces anticorps inhibent la croissance tumorale en supprimant l angiogenèse et la croissance des cellules tumorales suggérant ainsi que les récepteurs de l AM constitueraient une bonne cible thérapeutique. Des anticorps capables de reconnaître et neutraliser à la fois l AM, les CLR, RAMP2 et RAMP3 agissant de la même manière sur la croissance tumorale et l angiogenèse représenteraient un bénéfice thérapeutique majeur. Des anticorps dirigés contre un peptide chimérique constitué de l enchainement de séquences peptidiques des protéines CLR, RAMP2, RAMP3 et du peptide AM sont en cours. Le traitement par ces anticorps diminue la croissance des cellules tumorales ainsi que leurs migration et invasion. Ces résultats très encourageants nous permettent pour le moment de valider la faisabilité du concept d anticorps développés à partir d un peptide chimérique pour neutraliser le système AM/AMR dans le but d envisager dans le futur une application thérapeutique.Glioblastoma are fatal tumors because of their aggressiveness and lack of effective treatments. The increased proliferation, the invasiveness and resistance to cell death gives them a rapid growth and invasion of brain parenchyma surrounding the origin of their systematic recurrence. Expressed by the tumoral component in hypoxia but also by the vascular component, the AM participate by an autocrine and paracrine way, the development of glioblastoma by promoting tumor ell growth and tumor angiogenesis.It was shown that polyclonal antibodies directed against the AM receptor inhibit in vitro growth, migration and the formation of pseudo-capillary of endothelial cells, suggesting neutralization by theses antibodies in certain stages of angiogenesis. Similarly, it has been shown in vivo that these antibodies inhibit tumor growth by suppressing angiogenesis and tumor cell growth, suggesting that the AM receptor would be a good therapeutic target. Antibodies that recognized and neutralized both the AM, the CLR, RAMP2 and RAMP3 acting the same way on tumor growth and angiogenesis represent a major therapeutic benefit. Antibodies against a chimeric peptide consisting of peptide sequence of CLR, RAMP2, RAMP3 and AM peptide are in progress. Treatment with these antibodies decreases the growth of tumor cells, their migration and invasion. These encouraging results allow us the time to validate the feasibility of the concept of antibodies developed from a chimeric peptide to neutralize the AM/AMR system in order to consider in the future therapeutic application.AIX-MARSEILLE2-Bib.electronique (130559901) / SudocSudocFranceF