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Savoir quels sont les fantasmes érotiques les plus fréquents et les plus engageants pour les Italiens. Au total, 494 volontaires âgés de 18 à 65 ans ont été recrutés. Le questionnaire sur la fréquence des fantasmes, de l'excitation et du désir (QoFADF) a été utilisé pour étudier la fréquence des fantasmes, la réponse excitatrice et le désir de réalisation ; le Sexual Desire Inventory-2 (SDI-2) a été utilisé pour mesurer le désir sexuel du couple et le désir sexuel individuel. Au total, 454 sujets ont participé à l'étude : 212 hommes (46,7 %) et 242 femmes (53,3 %). Les scores totaux de fréquence (p = 0,009) de niveau (p < 0,001) et de désir (p < 0,001) du QoFADF étaient plus élevés chez les hommes que chez les femmes. Les scores totaux de fréquence (p < 0,001), de niveau (p = 0,003) et de désir (p = 0,007) du questionnaire des fantasmes étaient inversement corrélés à l'âge. Il n'y avait pas de différence significative en fonction de l'éducation du sujet (p < 0,86). La distribution des fantasmes les plus et les moins fréquents diffère nettement entre les hommes et les femmes. Il est nécessaire d'étudier des groupes plus importants pour évaluer d'éventuelles différences entre les diverses catégories. La connaissance de l'imagerie érotique féminine et masculine, ainsi qu'un outil tel que le répertoire des fantasmes, pourraient être des outils très utiles pour la sexologie clinique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vieillir en bonne santé n'est pas simple dans notre société. Vieillir avec succès et être bisexuel, est une sorte de défi. Des attitudes négatives envers les bisexuels ont été documentées chez les hétérosexuels aussi bien que chez les homosexuels. Les personnes âgées bisexuelles peuvent alors être victimes de diverses formes de discrimination qui les marginalisent et les rendent invisibles. La formation et le maintien d'une identité bisexuelle dans une culture sexuellement dichotomique est une tâche complexe et difficile qui exige de la résilience pour contrer l'isolement. Les bisexuels plus âgés ont différents types de relations. De plus, leurs familles reflètent des arrangements très différents. Une bonne communication au sujet de la bisexualité et d'autres questions conjugales s'est avérée être la clé de la satisfaction du couple. Les couples à orientation mixte font face à des problèmes découlant de la dichotomisation de la sexualité, des mythes et des stéréotypes négatifs et du manque de sensibilisation aux modèles et aux ressources. Cela peut être particulièrement problématique lorsque la bisexualité d'un partenaire est abordée pour la première fois dans le cadre d'une relation engagée, surtout si des problèmes sexologiques surviennent. Dans cette revue narrative de la littérature, les auteurs présentent certains des aspects clés du vieillissement des bisexuels dans les relations pertinentes pour les professionnels de la santé sexuelle, en mettant l'accent sur les questions les plus importantes soulignées dans la documentation. Diverses stratégies thérapeutiques sont maintenant disponibles, toutes devraient être appliquées dans le cadre d'une approche intégrative. Les tâches thérapeutiques dans ces couples comprennent l'étude de la sexualité et des relations dans le contexte du vieillissement dans le contexte de la stigmatisation, l'évaluation des antécédents sexuels et de la relation, la clarification des significations personnelles de la bisexualité, l'éducation et la fourniture de ressources. Si le besoin s'en fait sentir, il est important de faciliter les négociations concernant les rapports sexuels protégés et le polyamour. La thérapie permet d'affirmer la bisexualité et de valider les différents types de relations. Le thérapeute joue un rôle important dans l'acceptation de la bisexualité, servant à contrer l'invisibilité bisexuelle, tout en facilitant l'exploration des sentiments et des besoins des deux partenaires. To grow old well is not simple in our society. To grow old successfully and be bisexual it is a kind of challenge. Negative attitudes toward bisexuals have been documented among heterosexuals as well as homosexuals. Older bisexual adults may then experience various forms of discrimination which will lead to marginalization and invisibility. Forming and maintaining a bisexual identity in a sexually dichotomous culture is a complex and difficult task that calls for resilience to counter the isolation. Older bisexuals have many different types of relationships. Moreover, their families have very different arrangements. Good communication about bisexuality and other marital issues were found to be the key of the couple satisfaction. Mixed-orientation couples face problems stemming from the dichotomizing of sexuality, negative myths and stereotypes, and lack of awareness of models and resources. It can be particularly problematic when a partner's bisexuality is first addressed within a committed relationship, especially if sexological problems arise. In this narrative review the authors will present some of the key aspects of aging bisexuals in the relationships relevant for the sexual health professionals, focusing on the most important issues highlighted in the literature and proposing recommendations for clinicians. Various therapeutic strategies are now available, all of them should be applied in the framework of an integrative approach. Therapeutic tasks in these couples include addressing sexuality and relationships in the aging in the context of stigma, assessing sexual history and the relationship, clarifying personal meanings of bisexuality, providing education and resources. If there is the need, it is important to facilitate negotiations regarding safer sex and polyamory. Therapy provides affirmation of bisexuality and validation of the different types of relationships. The therapist plays an important role in providing acceptance for bisexuality, serving to counteract bisexual invisibility, facilitating an exploration of both partner's feelings and needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To grow old well is not simple in our society. To grow old successfully and be bisexual it is a kind of challenge. Negative attitudes toward bisexuals have been documented among heterosexuals as well as homosexuals. Older bisexual adults may then experience various forms of discrimination which will lead to marginalization and invisibility. Forming and maintaining a bisexual identity in a sexually dichotomous culture is a complex and difficult task that calls for resilience to counter the isolation. Older bisexuals have many different types of relationships. Moreover, their families have very different arrangements. Good communication about bisexuality and other marital issues were found to be the key of the couple satisfaction. Mixed-orientation couples face problems stemming from the dichotomizing of sexuality, negative myths and stereotypes, and lack of awareness of models and resources. It can be particularly problematic when a partner's bisexuality is first addressed within a committed relationship, especially if sexological problems arise. In this narrative review the authors will present some of the key aspects of aging bisexuals in the relationships relevant for the sexual health professionals, focusing on the most important issues highlighted in the literature and proposing recommendations for clinicians. Various therapeutic strategies are now available, all of them should be applied in the framework of an integrative approach. Therapeutic tasks in these couples include addressing sexuality and relationships in the aging in the context of stigma, assessing sexual history and the relationship, clarifying personal meanings of bisexuality, providing education and resources. If there is the need, it is important to facilitate negotiations regarding safer sex and polyamory. Therapy provides affirmation of bisexuality and validation of the different types of relationships. The therapist plays an important role in providing acceptance for bisexuality, serving to counteract bisexual invisibility, facilitating an exploration of both partner's feelings and needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This investigation provides comprehensive knowledge regarding metal cutting tribology with the purpose of re-examining the role of Oxygen in the process mechanics. Special purpose apparatus and tribological tools were designed and used to conduct experimental cutting tests on pure metals under Oxygen-rich surrounding medium. It was observed that chip curl, sticking and sliding zones are intimately connected with Oxygen concentration. The main research contribution of this study however, is the assessment of friction coefficient as a function of the process parameters, rather than a constant numeric value, resulting from complex phenomena at the contact interface between the cutting tool and the underside of the newly formed chip. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this work was to assess baseline serum levels of established biomarkers related to inflammation and oxidative stress in samples from alkaptonuric subjects enrolled in SONIA1 (n = 40) and SONIA2 (n = 138) clinical trials (DevelopAKUre project).Methods: Baseline serum levels of Serum Amyloid A (SAA), IL-6, IL-1β, TNFα, CRP, cathepsin D (CATD), IL-1ra, and MMP-3 were determined through commercial ELISA assays. Chitotriosidase activity was assessed through a fluorimetric method. Advanced Oxidation Protein Products (AOPP) were determined by spectrophotometry. Thiols, S-thiolated proteins and Protein Thiolation Index (PTI) were determined by spectrophotometry and HPLC. Patients' quality of life was assessed through validated questionnaires.Results: We found that SAA serum levels were significantly increased compared to reference threshold in 57.5% and 86% of SONIA1 and SONIA2 samples, respectively. Similarly, chitotriosidase activity was above the reference threshold in half of SONIA2 samples, whereas CRP levels were increased only in a minority of samples. CATD, IL-1β, IL-6, TNFα, MMP-3, AOPP, thiols, S-thiolated protein and PTI showed no statistically significant differences from control population. We provided evidence that alkaptonuric patients presenting with significantly higher SAA, chitotriosidase activity and PTI reported more often a decreased quality of life. This suggests that worsening of symptoms in alkaptonuria (AKU) is paralleled by increased inflammation and oxidative stress, which might play a role in disease progression.Conclusions: Monitoring of SAA may be suggested in AKU to evaluate inflammation. Though further evidence is needed, SAA, chitotriosidase activity and PTI might be proposed as disease activity markers in AKU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Résumé Les médias sociaux et les communautés en ligne sont devenus des canaux de communication importants pour les jeunes et l’utilisation massive de ces technologies par les nouvelles générations a donné lieu à un débat international concernant leur effet potentiel sur les relations et la sexualité. Le but de cet article est d’étudier les avantages et les limites des médias sociaux, en tant que source d’information formelle et informelle sur la sexualité, en mettant l’accent sur leur impact sur les jeunes et les professionnels impliqués dans les programmes d’éducation sexuelle. Une revue de la littérature scientifique de janvier 2006 à mai 2017 a été réalisée. Bien que les adolescents soient très intéressés par la santé sexuelle, le manque d’informations claires et scientifiquement fondées de l’éducation sexuelle en ligne peut conduire à propager de la confusion et de l’anxiété sur la sexualité. Pour cela et en raison de la diffusion croissante des médias sociaux, les organismes de santé recommandent l’utilisation de la technologie par les professionnels de la santé, même si les données montrent leur tendance à l’utiliser dans le privé, mais pas dans un contexte professionnel. La plupart des interventions d’éducation sexuelle en ligne sont axées sur la prévention des comportements à risque chez les adolescents plutôt que sur la promotion du bien-être sexuel. Considérant l’utilité des médias sociaux dans l’éducation sexuelle, un outil technologique mis au point par l’Institut de sexologie clinique de Rome, destiné à être utilisé lors des sessions d’éducation sexuelle, est présenté. Une approche critique devrait être développée à l’avenir afin de promouvoir une utilisation plus sûre des médias sociaux dans les interventions d’éducation sexuelle, où les émotions et les sentiments, et pas seulement l’augmentation de l’information, seront approfondis par les jeunes ensemble avec les professionnels. Summary The Social Media and online communities have become important communication channels for youth and the massive use of these technologies by new generations gave rise to an international debate regarding the potential effects on relationships and sexuality. The aim of this paper is to study advantages and limits of Social Media, as formal and informal source of information on sexuality, focusing on their impact on youth and professionals involved in sexual education programs. A review of scientific literature from January 2006 to May 2017 was performed. Despite adolescents are very interested about sexual health, the lack of clear and scientific-based online sex education information may lead to the spread of confusion and anxiety on sexuality. For this reason and because of Social Media growing diffusion, health organizations recommend the use of technology by Health Care Professionals, even if data shows their attitude to use it in private, but not in a professional context. Most of the online sexual education interventions are focused on adolescents’ risk behavior prevention instead of sexual well-being promotion. Considering the usefulness of Social Media in sexual education, a technological tool planned by the Institute of Clinical Sexology, Rome to be used during sexual education sessions is presented. A critical approach development should be provided in the future in order to promote a safer use of Social Media in sexual education interventions, where emotions and feelings, and not only the increase of information, are deepened by young people together with professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Résumé Les lignes d’assistance sont des services de conseil communs pour hommes et femmes cherchant des conseils de santé, et sur des problèmes psychologiques et sexuels. Avec l’avènement des réseaux sociaux, les utilisateurs ont maintenant plus de possibilités d’informations sur la santé sexuelle qu’auparavant. En comparant les données récentes d’un long entretien d’un service de conseil téléphonique de santé sexuelle par l’institut de sexologie clinique de Rome, nous avons examiné la gamme de préoccupations sexuelles rapportées par les utilisateurs, décrit les différences, le cas échéant, entre les interlocuteurs masculins et féminins et les changements du contenu et d’utilisation dans les dernières années. L’étude a inclus des enregistrements choisis parmi les appels reçus durant une période de 8 ans de 2010 à 2017 ( n = 1865). Les utilisateurs étaient plus souvent des hommes que des femmes (respectivement 1253 contre 612), âgés de 26 à 45 ans, avec des degrés d’études moyen à supérieur, employés, et qui n’avaient pas précédemment cherché d’aide pour leurs préoccupations sexuelles. Les raisons d’appel les plus fréquentes étaient « les dysfonctions sexuelles masculines » et « les problèmes relationnels ». En comparant avec les données précédentes, on a pu observer une diminution des demandes sur les dysfonctions sexuelles spécifiques et les informations sexuelles générales. De plus, quelques particularités de genre ont été constatées et les réponses des conseillers aux demandes des utilisateurs ont été analysées. Bien que le service ait enregistré une diminution d’appels entrants après le développement des médias sociaux, il s’est produit ces dernières années une nouvelle augmentation d’appels et un changement du contenu des demandes. Le conseil téléphonique est toujours une ressource importante et efficace pour élucider des problèmes qui, autrement, resteraient cachés ; cela peut donc, être un lien utile entre le système de santé et les interlocuteurs. Summary Helplines are common counseling services for men and women seeking advice for health, psychological and sexual problems. With the advent of the social media era, users have now more possibilities to search for information about sexual health than before. Comparing the recent data of a long-standing telephone counseling service on sexual health by the Institute of Clinical Sexology of Rome, we aimed to investigate the range of sexual concerns reported by users, to describe the differences, if any, between male and female callers, and the changes in contents and usage in the last years. The study included selected records of the calls received during the 8-year period between 2010 and 2017 ( n = 1865). Users were more often men than women (respectively 1253 vs. 612), aged between 26 and 45 years, medium to high education, employed, and who had not sought any previous help for their sexual concerns. The most frequently reported reasons to call were “male sexual dysfunctions” and “relational problems”. Comparing with previous data, a decrease of requests about specific sexual dysfunctions and sexual general information is noted. Moreover, some gender peculiarities are reported, and the counsellor actions to the user request are analysed. Although the service registered a decrease of calls in after the social media spreading, in the last years a new increase of calls and a switch in requests’ contents has been showed. Telephone counselling is still an important and effective resource to elicit requests that otherwise might remain hidden; therefore, it can be a useful link between health-care system and callers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Résumé Ces dernières années, le nombre d’utilisateurs de smartphones a explosé à travers le monde et les téléchargements d’applications pour smartphones ont considérablement augmenté, l’utilisation des smartphones atteignant 73 % chez les adolescents américains depuis 2013. Le but principal de cet article est de présenter une revue de littérature centrée sur l’utilisation des applications de smartphone pour améliorer la santé sexuelle. L’utilisation d’une application pour smartphone pour fournir des informations sur la santé sexuelle, en particulier à des populations plus jeunes, pourrait aider à accroître la sensibilisation aux comportements sexuels à risque avant les débuts sexuels. Fournir du matériel d’éducation de santé sexuelle exact, complet et à jour par le biais des smartphones et des sites Web pourrait améliorer les résultats en matière de santé sexuelle. Cependant, il y a peu d’applications de smartphones liées à la santé sexuelle et reproductive disponibles pour les utilisateurs. La recherche a montré que 80 % des utilisateurs d’Internet aux États-Unis effectuent des recherches en ligne pour obtenir des informations sur la santé et que les jeunes recueillent de plus en plus fréquemment des informations sur la santé, y compris sexuelle. Cependant, alors que les nouvelles technologies, y compris les applications pour smartphones, sont utilisées pour faciliter la recherche d’informations sur la santé, les applications liées à la santé sont rarement téléchargées et rarement utilisées. Cela suggère que, pour promouvoir la santé sexuelle au moyen d’applications pour smartphones, les chercheurs pourraient établir des partenariats avec les développeurs d’applications afin d’intégrer les interventions de promotion de la santé sexuelle dans les applications populaires liées au sexe ou aux rencontres. Cependant, il est évident que ces applications offrent de nouvelles possibilités d’engager les populations à risque dans les interventions de santé sexuelle. Plusieurs études ont suggéré que les jeunes adultes considèrent favorablement la promotion de la santé sexuelle via des applications. Les recherches futures devraient se concentrer sur l’évaluation de ces efforts, en particulier sur la réduction des conséquences négatives sur la santé sexuelle telles que la diminution des MST et des grossesses non désirées, ainsi que sur la possibilité de mettre en contact les patients avec les services de santé. Nos résultats pourraient aider les cliniciens en leur fournissant des informations sur l’utilisation potentielle des applications pour smartphones afin d’améliorer la santé sexuelle. Summary In recent years, the numbers of smartphone users has surged across the world and downloads of smartphone apps have grown significantly, with smartphone usage increased to 73% among American adolescents since 2013. The main goal of this article is to present a review of the literature focusing the use of smartphone applications to improve sexual health. Using a smartphone application to provide sexual health information, especially to younger populations, might aid in increasing awareness of sexual risk behaviors before sexual debut. Providing accurate, comprehensive, and up-to-date sexual health education materials through smartphones vs. Web sites might improve their sexual health outcomes. However, there are few smartphone applications related to sexual and reproductive health that are available to users. Research has shown that 80% of Internet users in the United States search online for health information, and that young people are gathering health information using mobile devices with increasing frequency, including sexual health information. However, while new technologies, including smartphone apps, are used to facilitate health information seeking, health-related apps are infrequently downloaded and rarely used. This suggests that, to promote sexual health through smartphone apps, researchers could partner with app developers in order to integrate sexual health promotion interventions in popular sex-related or dating apps. However, it is evident that these apps provide novel opportunities to engage at-risk populations in sexual health interventions. Several studies have suggested that young adults consider sexual health promotion via apps acceptable. Future research should focus on evaluating these efforts specifically in the reduction of negative sexual health consequences such as a decrease of STIs and unintended pregnancies as well as whether a sexual health app can link clients to health services. Our results could help clinicians by offering information about the potential use of smartphone apps to increase sexual health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the possibility to enhance the thermal characteristics of a building fabric taking into account the economic feasibility in order to avoid useless expensive interventions. The problem consists in realizing an internal insulation system for a single apartment located in Trieste. A genetic optimization has been implemented in order to search a large number of solutions with multiple objects and constraints. EnergyPlus has been used for dynamic building and plant simulation and modeFRONTIER for optimization loop setup. The objectives are the used heating energy consumption and the life cycle refurbishment cost, using a net present value approach. An additional objective has been added in order to guarantee the maximization of the interior useful floor area, which is directly influenced by the internal insulation thickness. Different approaches have been compared, considering actions dealing with opaque surfaces only or considering the replacement of existing windows. The paper demonstrates that an automatic optimization approach can help designers to identify the best suited intervention for building refurbishment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Brazilian Journal of Biology is the property of Instituto Internacional de Ecologia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objectives. The aim of this in vitro study is to evaluate the marginal and internal fit of zirconia core crowns manufactured following different digital and traditional workflows. Methods. A 6° taper shoulder prepared abutment tooth was used to produce 20 zirconia core crowns using four different scanning techniques: scanned directly with the extraoral lab scanner, scanned with intraoral scanner, dental impressions using individual dental tray and polyether, dental casts from a polyether impressions. Marginal and internal fits were evaluated with digital photography and the silicone replica method. Results. Medium marginal gaps were 76,00 μm ± 28.9 for extraoral lab scanner, 80.50 μm ± 36,2 for intraoral scanner, 88.10 μm ± 34,8 for dental impression scan and 112,4 μm ± 37,2 for dental cast scan. Medium internal gaps were 23.20 μm ± 10,3 for extraoral lab scanner, 16.20 μm ± 8.3 for intraoral scanner, 27.20 μm ± 16.7 for dental impression scan and 30.20 μm ± 12.7 for dental cast scan. Conclusion. Internal gap were extensively lower than 70 μm described in literature. Marginal fit was higher than ideal values for all the techniques but within the limit of clinical success. Intraoral scanners obtained the best results for internal gap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Arquivo Brasileiro de Medicina Veterinaria e Zootecnia is the property of Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Escola de Veterinaria and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Arquivo Brasileiro de Medicina Veterinaria e Zootecnia is the property of Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Escola de Veterinaria and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Arquivo Brasileiro de Medicina Veterinaria e Zootecnia is the property of Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Escola de Veterinaria and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Arquivo Brasileiro de Medicina Veterinaria e Zootecnia is the property of Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Escola de Veterinaria and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Arquivo Brasileiro de Medicina Veterinaria e Zootecnia is the property of Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Escola de Veterinaria and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Arquivo Brasileiro de Medicina Veterinaria e Zootecnia is the property of Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Escola de Veterinaria and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Arquivo Brasileiro de Medicina Veterinaria e Zootecnia is the property of Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Escola de Veterinaria and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article presents a study which aimed to determine the influence of dietary selenium (Se) supplementation in Jersey cow's diet on the in vitro production of oocytes and embryos. The study found that the higher addition of Se to the diet resulted in a higher production of oocytes. The researchers noted that improvement in immunity and better growth of the animals can also contribute to oocyte production.

The present paper studies the variation of the natural frequencies and mode shapes of rectangular plates carrying a three degree-of-freedom spring-mass system (subsystem), when the subsystem changes (stiffness, mass, moment of inertia, location). An analytical approach based on Lagrange multipliers as well as a finite element formulation are employed and compared. Numerically reliable results are presented for the first time, illustrating the convenience of using the present analytical method which requires only the solution of a linear eigenvalue problem. Results obtained through the variation of the mass, stiffness and moment of inertia of the 3-DOF system can be understood under the effective mass concept or Rayleigh's statement. The analysis of frequency values of the whole system, when the 3-DOF system approaches or moves away from the center, shows that the variations depend on each particular mode of vibration. When the 3-DOF system is placed in the center of the plate, "new" modes are found to be a combination of the subsystem's modes (two rotations, traslation) and the bare plate's modes that possess the same symmetry. This situation no longer exists as the 3-DOF system moves away from the center of the plate, since different bare plate's modes enable distinct motions of the 3-DOF system contributing differently to the "new' modes as its location is modified. Also the natural frequencies of the compound system are nearly uncoupled have been calculated by means of a first order eigenvalue perturbation analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background and Aim: To estimate if a meaningful relationship exists between body mass index (BMI) and the entity of coronary atherosclerosis, coronary events and mortality in a cohort of consecutive patients with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods and results: In this prospective study, we enrolled 1299 consecutive patients (905 [69.7%] males) who had undergone coronary angiography. Our sample consisted of 477 patients (36.8%) of normal weight; 567 (43.6%) overweight and 255 (19.6%) obese, according to the WHO classification. Conventional cardiovascular risk factors, BMI, endothelial function and subclinical inflammation were studied. Different angiographic CAD scores were used to quantify coronary atherosclerotic burden. In overweight and obese patients, respect to normal weight population, there is a higher prevalence of hypertension, hypercholesterolemia and diabetes mellitus, but BMI was not significantly associated with greater extent of coronary atherosclerosis. At follow-up (mean: 40; range: 24–82 months) obese and overweight patients showed a higher incidence of coronary events compared to the normal weight population (74.9% [obese] versus 62.7% [overweight] versus 53.2% [normal weight]; adjusted relative risk [obese versus overweight]: 1.08 [95% confidence interval: 1.02–1.23]; P <0.05; and adjusted RR [obese versus normal weight]: 1.17 [95% CI: 1.10–1.42], P <0.01). Mortality from cardiac events was not significant within the categories. The Cox regression model showed flow mediated dilation (P <0.0001), high-sensitive C reactive protein (P =0.022) and BMI (P=0.045) as independent predictors of acute coronary events. Conclusion: BMI is not associated with the extent of coronary atherosclerosis and mortality. The higher incidence of coronary events in obese subjects is only partly explained by conventional associated risk factors. Impaired endothelial function and sub-clinical inflammation could be involved in this association but BMI itself is related to cardiovascular events suggesting that other unknown (or not considered) pathways are involved. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Vibration analysis of rotating beams is a topic of constant interest in mechanical engineering. The differential quadrature method (DQM) is used to obtain the natural frequencies of free transverse vibration of rotating beams. As it is known the DQM offers an accurate and useful method for solution of differential equations. And it is an effective technique for solving this kind of problems as it is shown comparing the obtained results with those available in the open literature and with those obtained by an independent solution using the finite element method. The beam model is based on the Timoshenko beam theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Résumé: Ces 30 dernières années, l’utilisation d’une approche intégrée entre spécialités, modèles et techniques d’intervention en sexologie a rencontré un développement remarquable au niveau international, autant dans la pratique clinique que pour la contribution au domaine de la recherche. Un point critique réside toutefois dans la formation du sexologue, thérapeute souvent non reconnu officiellement malgré les demandes croissantes des patients. C’est dans ce contexte de la situation italienne que l’organisation didactique de l’Institut de sexologie clinique (ISC) propose depuis 20 ans une formation pour les médecins et psychologues intéressés par l’acquisition de compétences spécifiques et nécessaires à la pratique de cette spécialité. L’expérience clinique de notre équipe référente, historiquement tournée vers une pratique privée et aujourd’hui élargie au service public hospitalier, est naturellement la base de la transmission d’un savoir théorique et technique flexible que requiert une approche intégrée. Le contexte dans lequel le travail clinique est réalisé souligne plus encore les limites et les ressources d’une modalité qui englobe idéalement, et en parallèle, corps, psyché, et relationnel. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary: During the past three decades, integration in sexology between specialists, models and intervention techniques has decidedly increased, both in clinical practice and in international research contributions. The training of the sexologist, a figure often not officially recognized in spite of growing client demand, is still a critical issue. This paper describes the Italian situation through the 20-year experience of Rome''s Clinical Sexology Institute in training doctors and psychologists interested in acquiring the specific competencies required to work in the sexology field. The clinical experience of the ICS team, for a long time available only to patients in private clinics but today extended to patients in a public hospital, serves as a natural basis for transmitting flexible theoretical and technical knowledge, as required by the integrated approach. The context in which the clinical practice is carried out, also underlines the limits and resources of the integrated approach, a modality which ideally takes into consideration and puts on the same level of importance body, mind and relationship. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In reservoir simulations, it is common practice to use a limited number of components to describe the reservoir fluids, ranging from 2 (black-oil models) to 5-12 [compositional equation-of-state (EOS) based models]. On the opposite, surface models usually require a greater number of components, typically from 15 to 30. The hydrocarbon components used in surface models are usually lumped into pseudocomponents in reservoir simulations. This disparity in the description of the mixture may become an issue whenever integrated asset models are developed, with the aim of linking surface process and reservoir engineering. In this paper we implemented a consistent integrated simulation workflow from reservoir to process. Process models with detailed compositional formulation were linked to compositionally simple reservoir models, using Leibovic's delumping scheme (Leibovic et al. 1996, 2000) to convert fluid composition between EOSs with different component numbers. The proposed workflow was applied to simulate two different recovery processes, namely a gas injection below the dewpoint in a sour gas/condensate reservoir; and a miscible gas injection in a near-critical volatile oil reservoir. Results of this implementation in which detailed components are traced in reservoir model, are compared to integrated simulations in which all stages are modeled using detailed composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a case study on the diagnosis of a metrorrhagia form a plurigravid woman. The patient went through the diagnostic hysteroscopy and the endometrial biopsy. The procedures intend to analyze and investigate the symptomatic postmenopausal bleeding of the woman. The patient went through a physical examination after the detection of some metastases in the genital tract.

The article focuses on natural frequencies of thin plates by means of the finite element method using a conditioned conforming quadrilateral element. It aims to develop an algorithm of simple computational implementation but which generates good numerical results with a rather small mesh density of finite elements. It also provides the results of natural frequencies which compare satisfactorily with the ALGOR professional software solutions.

Summary: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a treatment technique that permits the clearance of different skin lesions with high success rates in many dermatological diseases. Worldwide recognized uses for PDT in dermatology include non-melanoma skin cancer, actinic keratoses, acne vulgaris, photorejuvenation, and hidradenitis suppurativa. In the European Union, and in the USA, its indication is for the treatment of nonhyperkeratotic actinic keratoses (AKs) of the face and scalp, for basal cell carcinoma and for Bowen''s disease. However, due to its intriguing mechanism of action, many dermatologists have begun to look at the use of PDT in photorejuvenation, acne vulgaris and hidradenitis suppurativa. Moreover, clinicians have to learn how to maximize this kind of therapy to treat other dermatologic entities, and many anecdotic reports can already be found in the literature. This paper aims to briefly but critically review these reports to give the dermatologist a useful guide to what could be the future experiences in PDT and how to target their efforts in clinics and research. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

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