Transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC) people experience high rates of minority stress and associated risk for negative health outcomes. However, during the last years, significant positive socio-cultural changes have happened, and younger cohorts of TGNC individuals are having diverse experiences compared to older cohorts. By integrating the minority stress theory and the life course perspective, this cross-sectional, web-based study aimed to explore in 197 Italian TGNC people aged 18 to 54 years (M = 29.82, SD = 9.64) whether the average ages of gender identity milestones (i.e., first insights about being TGNC, self-labeling as a TGNC person, and coming out), minority stress, and mental health vary among three generational cohorts (i.e., Generation Z, Millennials, and Generation X). Compared with older cohorts, younger participants: (a) were more likely to be in the trans-masculine spectrum; (b) self-labeled as TGNC and came out earlier; (c) had more negative expectations and lower levels of disclosure; and (d) had higher levels of mental health problems. No generational differences related to first insights about being TGNC and distal minority stressors were found. Furthermore, compared with binary individuals, participants with a non-binary identity: (a) reported later ages for the gender identity milestones; (b) had higher negative expectations; and (c) had higher levels of mental health problems. Overall, our findings indicated that changes in the social environments have a limited impact on stigmatization processes and mental health of Italian TGNC people.

The CD8+ T cell response to Moloney-murine leukemia virus (M-MuLV)-induced Ags is almost entirely dominated by the exclusive expansion of lymphocytes that use preferential TCRVβ chain rearrangements. In mice lacking T cells expressing these TCRVβ, we demonstrate that alternative TCRVβ can substitute for the lack of the dominant TCRVβ in the H-2-restricted M-MuLV Ag recognition. We show that, at least for the H-2b-restricted response, the shift of TCR usage is not related to a variation of the immunodominant M-MuLV epitope recognition. After virus immunization, all the potentially M-MuLV-reactive lymphocytes are primed, but only the deletion of dominant Vβ rescues the alternative Vβ response. The mechanism of clonal T cell “immunodomination” that guides the preferential Vβ expansion is likely the result of a proliferative advantage of T cells expressing dominant Vβ, due to differences in TCR affinity and/or cosignal requirements. In this regard, a CD8 involvement is strictly required for the virus-specific cytotoxic activity of CTL expressing alternative, but not dominant, Vβ gene rearrangements. The ability of T cells expressing alternative TCRVβ rearrangements to mediate tumor protection was evaluated by a challenge with M-MuLV tumor cells. Although T cells expressing alternative Vβ chains were activated and expanded, they were not able to control tumor growth in a long-lasting manner due to their incapacity of conversion and accumulation in the T central memory pool.

Childbirth is a stressful and physically painful event in a woman’s life and aromatherapy is one of the most used non-pharmacological methods that is effective in reducing anxiety and perceived pain. This randomized controlled study aimed at determining the effect of neroli oil aromatherapy on anxiety and pain intensity perception in 88 women during labor, randomly assigned to either an intervention group (n = 44) or control group (n = 44). Anxiety and perceived pain were assessed through the visual analogue scale during the latent, early, and late active phases of labor. Data analyses included the t-test, Chi-square test, and repeated measures ANOVA. Perceived pain and anxiety in the group receiving aromatherapy were significantly lower than in the control group at all stages of labor (p < 0.05). Specifically, as the labor progressed, pain and anxiety increased in all participants, but the increase was milder in the experimental group than in the control group. The multiparas showed higher average anxiety scores, but not perceived pain, than the primiparas in all phases of labor (p < 0.05). Ultimately, neroli oil aromatherapy during labor can be used as an alternative tool to relieve anxiety and perceived pain in women during all stages of labor.

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