We present 12CO(1−0) and 12CO(2−1) observations of a sample of 20 star-forming dwarfs selected from the Herschel Virgo Cluster Survey, with oxygen abundances ranging from 12 + log (O / H) ~ 8.1 to ...8.8. CO emission is observed in ten galaxies and marginally detected in another one. CO fluxes correlate with the FIR 250 μm emission, and the dwarfs follow the same linear relation that holds for more massive spiral galaxies extended to a wider dynamical range. We compare different methods to estimate H2 molecular masses, namely a metallicity-dependent CO-to-H2 conversion factor and one dependent on H-band luminosity. The molecular-to-stellar mass ratio remains nearly constant at stellar masses ≲ 109 M⊙, contrary to the atomic hydrogen fraction, MHI/M∗, which increases inversely with M∗. The flattening of the MH2/M∗ ratio at low stellar masses does not seem to be related to the effects of the cluster environment because it occurs for both Hi-deficient and Hi-normal dwarfs. The molecular-to-atomic ratio is more tightly correlated with stellar surface density than metallicity, confirming that the interstellar gas pressure plays a key role in determining the balance between the two gaseous components of the interstellar medium. Virgo dwarfs follow the same linear trend between molecular gas mass and star formation rate as more massive spirals, but gas depletion timescales, τdep, are not constant and range between 100 Myr and 6 Gyr. The interaction with the Virgo cluster environment is removing the atomic gas and dust components of the dwarfs, but the molecular gas appears to be less affected at the current stage of evolution within the cluster. However, the correlation between Hi deficiency and the molecular gas depletion time suggests that the lack of gas replenishment from the outer regions of the disc is lowering the star formation activity.
Chemotherapy plus 1-year trastuzumab is the standard adjuvant treatment of HER2-positive breast cancer. The efficacy of less extended trastuzumab exposure is under investigation. The short-HER study ...was aimed to assess the non-inferiority of 9 weeks versus 1 year of adjuvant trastuzumab combined with chemotherapy.
HER2-positive breast cancer patients with node-positive or, if node negative, with at least one risk factor (pT>2 cm, G3, lympho-vascular invasion, Ki-67 > 20%, age ≤35 years, or hormone receptor negativity) were randomly assigned to receive sequential anthracycline–taxane combinations plus 1-year trastuzumab (arm A, long) or plus 9 weeks trastuzumab (arm B, short). This study was designed as a non-inferiority trial with disease-free survival (DFS) as primary end point. A DFS hazard ratio (HR) <1.29 was chosen as the non-inferiority margin. Analyses according to the frequentist and Bayesian approach were planned. Secondary end points included 2-year failure rate and cardiac safety.
A total of 1254 patients from 82 centers were randomized (arm A, long: n = 627; arm B, short: n = 626). Five-year DFS is 88% in the long and 85% in the short arm. The HR is 1.13 (90% CI 0.89–1.42), with the upper limit of the CI crossing the non-inferiority margin. According to the Bayesian analysis, the probability that the short arm is non-inferior to the long one is 80%. The 5-year overall survival (OS) is 95.2% in the long and 95.0% in the short arm (HR 1.07, 90% CI 0.74–1.56). Cardiac events are significantly lower in the short arm (risk-ratio 0.33, 95% CI 0.22–0.50, P < 0.0001).
This study failed to show the non-inferiority of a shorter trastuzumab administration. One-year trastuzumab remains the standard. However, a 9-week administration decreases the risk of severe cardiac toxicity and can be an option for patients with cardiac events during treatment and for those with a low risk of relapse.
EUDRACT number: 2007-004326-25; NCI ClinicalTrials.gov number: NCT00629278.
Aims. We use different tracers, such as Hα, ultraviolet (UV), and infrared (IR) emissions at various wavelengths, to study the dust and star formation (SF) conditions throughout the disk of M 33. ...Methods. We derive the radial distribution of dust, of the old and young stellar population using Spitzer and GALEX data, complemented by ground-based optical data and available surveys of atomic and molecular gas. We separate the contribution of discrete sources to the IR brightness from the diffuse emission. Results. At 8 and 24 μm, discrete sources account for $\ga$40% of the IR emission in the innermost 3 kpc, and for $\la$20% further out. We find that stochastic emission from very small grains in the diffuse interstellar medium accounts for only ~10% of the diffuse 24 μm emission, and that dusty circumstellar shells of unresolved, evolved AGB stars (carbon stars) are a viable alternative. The 8 μm profile suggests that PAH emission declines faster with radius than the dust continuum. In annular regions 0.24 kpc wide, we find a mean extinction value for the stellar continuum $A_{\rm V} \sim 0.25$ mag with a weak dependence on radius, consistent with the shallow metallicity gradient observed. Dust opacity derived from the 160 μm emission decreases instead by a factor of 10 from the center to edge of the star forming disk. Conclusions. Using extinction corrected UV and Hα maps we find the global SF rate in M 33 over the last 100 Myr to be $0.45\pm 0.10~M_\odot$ yr-1. Far-IR and total-IR luminosities can trace SF even though a high conversion factor is required to recover the effective rate. If carbon stars are powering the diffuse 24 μm emission in M 33, this can trace star formation 1 Gyr ago and provide a more complete view of the SF history of the galaxy. Today the SF rate declines radially with a scale length of ~2 kpc, longer than for the old stellar population, suggesting an inside-out growth of the disk.
Purpose
To date, few studies have addressed attitudes toward transgender individuals. In addition, little is known about health care providers’ (HCP) attitudes toward sexual minorities. The aim of ...the present study is to compare attitudes toward homosexual and transgender individuals between gender dysphoric individuals (GDs), general population controls (C) and HCP.
Methods
A total of 310 subjects were considered, including 122 GDs (63 transwomen and 59 transmen), 53 heterosexual HCP (26 males and 27 females) and 135 C. Participants completed the Modern Homophobia Scale (MHS) and the Attitudes Toward Transgendered Individuals Scale (ATTI) in order to assess attitudes toward gay men and lesbian women and toward transgender individuals, respectively. In addition, GDs completed the Gender Identity/Gender Dysphoria Questionnaire (GIDYQ-AA) and ATTI to measure, respectively, gender dysphoria levels and internalized transphobia. Religious attitudes were evaluated by means of the Religious Fundamentalism Scale (RFS), and Discrimination and Stigma Scale (DISC-12) was used to measure perceived discrimination.
Results
(1) Men showed significantly higher levels of homophobia and transphobia when compared to women (
p
< 0.001); (2) perceived discrimination was higher in lesbian women compared to gay men and in transwomen compared to transmen (
p
< 0.001 and
p
< 0.05, respectively); and (3) religious fundamentalism was associated with both homophobia and transphobia (both
p
< 0.001).
Conclusions
Our results underline the need to promote awareness and acceptance of the sexual minorities, who are more at risk of discriminatory attitudes, which are strongly dependent on religious precepts and dogma.
A set of 31 isolates were obtained from apricot (
Prunus armeniaca
L.) orchards showing symptoms of blast and gummosis in orchards located in north-eastern Italy, mostly during three subsequent ...growing seasons (2014–2016). These isolates were identified by means of their colony morphology, pathogenicity (hypersensitive reaction in tobacco leaves and the detection of both syringomycin and coronatine coding genes), genetic features (BLASTn analysis of the
rpoD
gene) and physiological tests (GATTa) as
Pseudomonas syringae
pv.
syringae
and
P. syringae
pv.
morsprunorum
race 1 and race 2 strains, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis based on the
rpoD
gene sequence showed that the two pathovars and two races are well separated and highlighted high intrapathovar/race variation for both
P. syringae
pv.
syringae
and
P. syringae
pv.
morsprunorum
race 2.
Pseudomonas syringae
pv.
morsprunorum
race 1 formed a unique clade that had high sequence homology. Repetitive element-based polymerase chain reaction fingerprinting analysis using the ERIC, REP and BOX primers again showed both high intra-pathovar variation within the
P. syringae
pv.
syringae
isolates, which grouped into six distinct clusters, and notable intra-race genetic diversity within both
P. syringae
pv.
morsprunorum
races. All 31 strains showed tolerance to copper at 200 ppm in vitro. Among these isolates, 13 were highly resistant (up to 500 ppm) and revealed the presence of the
cusCBA
gene cluster. All
P. syringae
pv.
syringae
strains showed ice nucleation activity, and nine were markedly active (up −3 °C) and characterised by the presence of the
INAz
gene
.
Finally, this study is the first report of the isolation of
P. syringae
pv.
morsprunorum
race 2 strains from apricot in Italy.
Aims. The properties of young stellar clusters (YSCs) in M 33, identified from the center out to about twice the size of the bright star-forming disk, are investigated to determine possible spatial ...and time variations of the star formation process in this Local Group blue galaxy. Methods. 915 MIR sources have been extracted from the Spitzer 24 μm image. Upon inspection of Hα and GALEX images and exclusion of evolved AGB stars, a sample of 648 objects is selected as candidate YSCs and their luminosity function is examined. The spectral energy distribution of each object, based on aperture photometry, is compared with Starburst99 models to derive age, mass and AV of individual clusters. In the analysis we allow for different values of the upper mass cutoff of the stellar initial mass function (IMF), the porosity of the ISM, and the dustiness of HII regions. We also examine the influence of different dust models and include corrections for incompleteness of the IMF. Results. We find discrete MIR sources as far as the extent of the warped HI disk, i.e. 16 kpc from the galaxy center. Their surface density has a steep radial decline beyond 4.5 kpc, and flattens out beyond the optical radius at 8.5 kpc. We are able to identify YSCs out to 12 kpc. At large galactocentric radii, the paucity of luminous clusters and the relevance of hot dust emission become evident from the analysis of the bolometric and MIR luminosity functions. The YSC mass and size are correlated with a log-log slope of 2.09 ± 0.01, similar to that measured for giant molecular clouds in M 33 and the Milky Way, which represent the protocluster environment. Most of the YSCs in our sample have AV ~ 0−1 mag and ages between 3 and 10 Myr. In the inner regions of M 33 the clusters span a wide range of mass (102 < M < 3 × 105 M⊙) and luminosity (1038 < Lbol < 3 × 1041 erg s-1), while at galactocentric radii larger than ~4 kpc we find a deficiency of massive clusters. Beyond 7 kpc, where the Hα surface brightness drops significantly, the dominant YSC population has M < 103 M⊙ and a slightly older age (10 Myr). This implies the occurrence of star formation events about 10 Myr ago as far as 10−12 kpc from the center of M 33. The cluster LFUV vs. LHα relation is non-linear for LFUV < 1039 erg s-1, in agreement with randomly sampled models of the IMF which, furthermore, shows no appreciable variation throughout the M 33 disk.
Purpose
We evaluated differences in Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) scores between a sample of hormone-naïve transgender and cisgender people and the impact of gender-affirming hormonal treatment ...(GAHT) on AQ scores across time. Furthermore, we assessed alexithymia and social anxiety as possible mediators of changes in AQ scores.
Methods
A cross-sectional comparison between cisgender and transgender people before GAHT and a prospective study on the effects of GAHT over time were performed. Transgender and cisgender people completed several psychometric tests. A total sample of 789 persons (
n
= 229 cismen;
n
= 172 ciswomen;
n
= 206 transmen;
n
= 182 transwomen) referring to the Florence and Rome Gender Clinics between 2018 and 2020 was enrolled. Of these, 62 participants referring to the Florence Gender Clinic were evaluated in a prospective study at baseline and 12 months after GAHT.
Results
Groups showed significant differences in terms of autistic traits: ciswomen showed lower scores of AQ, while cismen reported higher scores of AQ than all other groups. Transgender individuals showed significant higher levels of Gender Dysphoria (GD), body uneasiness, alexithymia and social anxiety, compared to cisgender ones. No significant differences in general psychopathology were found between groups. Across time, transmen and transwomen showed a significant reduction in AQ scores. The decrease in alexithymia and social anxiety after GAHT did not predict the change in AQ scores.
Conclusions
The autistic traits in our sample may represent an epiphenomenon of GD rather than being part of an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) condition, since they significantly decreased after 12 months of GAHT.
PDF
