Increased and sex-differentiated medial prefrontal cortex activation during the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery in schizophrenia: A fNIRS study.

Executive impairment in schizophrenia is common, but the mechanism remains unclear. This is the first study to use simultaneously functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to monitor the hemodynamic response in schizophrenia during the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB). Here, we monitored relative changes in oxyhemoglobin concentration in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) during Trail Making Test, Symbol Coding Test and Mazes Test of the MCCB in 63 patients (29 females) with schizophrenia and 32 healthy controls (15 females). Results showed that patients with schizophrenia scored lower than healthy controls on all three tests (P < 0.001), but mPFC activation was significantly higher during the test (P < 0.03). Higher activation of the mPFC may reflect abnormal information processing in schizophrenia. In addition, the results also showed sex differences in hemodynamic activation during the task in patients with schizophrenia, and fNIRS has the potential to be a clinical adjunct to screening for cognitive function in schizophrenia.

Longitudinal associations of social jetlag with obesity indicators among adolescents - Shanghai adolescent cohort.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the longitudinal association between social-jetlag (SJL) and obesity development among adolescents, sex-difference and related modifying factors in the association. METHODS: Based on Shanghai-Adolescent-Cohort during 2017-2021, a total of 609 students were investigated. In grade 6, 7 and 9, the information on SJL was collected using questionnaires, and anthropometric measures were conducted. The fingernail cortisol and progesterone levels in grade 6 (using LC-MS/MS) and body composition in grade 9 (using Inbody-S10) were measured. By the latent-class-mixture-modeling, two trajectories for SJL (high-level vs. low-level) throughout 4 years were developed. The prospective associations of SJL trajectories and weight/fat gains were analyzed by sex and under different (high/moderate/low) cortisol/progesterone stratifications. RESULTS: In grades 6-9, 39.00%-44.50 % of adolescents experienced at least 1 h of SJL. Compared with the low-level SJL trajectory, the high-level SJL trajectory was associated with greater differences in body-mass-index Z-scores and waist-to-height ratios across 4 years, higher levels of body-fat-percentage and fat-mass-index in grade 9 (P-values<0.05), and such associations were stronger among girls and under moderate-to-high (vs. low) baseline cortisol and progesterone levels. However, no significant associations among boys were observed. CONCLUSIONS: High-level SJL in adolescents may be associated with the development of obesity, especially among adolescent girls and under relatively high baseline cortisol and progesterone levels.

SHOX and sex difference in height: a hypothesis.

The mean height is taller in males than in females, except for early teens. In this regard, previous studies have revealed that (1) distribution of the mean adult heights in subjects with disorders accompanied by discordance between sex chromosome complement and bioactive sex steroids and in control subjects (the British height standards) indicates that, of the ~12.5 cm of sex difference in the mean adult height, ~9 cm is accounted for by the difference in the sex chromosome complement and the remaining ~3.5 cm is explained by the dimorphism in sex steroids (primarily due to the growth-promoting effect of gonadal androgens); (2) according to the infancy-childhood-puberty growth model, the sex difference in the childhood growth function produces height differences of ~1 cm in childhood and 8-10 cm at 18-20 years of age, whereas the sex difference in the pubertal growth function yields height difference of ~4.5 cm at 18-20 years of age; and (3) SHOX expression and methylation analyses using knee cartilage tissues and cultured chondrocytes have shown lower SHOX expression levels in female samples than in male samples and methylation patterns consistent with partial spreading of X-inactivation affecting SHOX in female samples. These findings suggest that small but persistent sex difference in SHOX expression dosage leads to the variation in the sex steroid independent childhood growth function, thereby yielding the sex difference in height which remains small in childhood but becomes obvious in adulthood.

Androgen effects on mesoprefrontal dopamine systems in the adult male brain.

Epidemiological data show that males are more often and/or more severely affected by symptoms of prefrontal cortical dysfunction in schizophrenia, Parkinson's disease and other disorders in which dopamine circuits associated with the prefrontal cortex are dysregulated. This review focuses on research showing that these dopamine circuits are powerfully regulated by androgens. It begins with a brief overview of the sex differences that distinguish prefrontal function in health and prefrontal dysfunction or decline in aging and/or neuropsychiatric disease. This review article then spotlights data from human subjects and animal models that specifically identify androgens as potent modulators of prefrontal cortical operations and of closely related, functionally critical measures of prefrontal dopamine level or tone. Candidate mechanisms by which androgens dynamically control mesoprefrontal dopamine systems and impact prefrontal states of hypo- and hyper-dopaminergia in aging and disease are then considered. This is followed by discussion of a working model that identifies a key locus for androgen modulation of mesoprefrontal dopamine systems as residing within the prefrontal cortex itself. The last sections of this review critically consider the ways in which the organization and regulation of mesoprefrontal dopamine circuits differ in the adult male and female brain, and highlights gaps where more research is needed.

Driver Fatigue Detection Using Heart Rate Variability Features from 2-Minute Electrocardiogram Signals While Accounting for Sex Differences.

Traffic accidents due to fatigue account for a large proportion of road fatalities. Based on simulated driving experiments with drivers recruited from college students, this paper investigates the use of heart rate variability (HRV) features to detect driver fatigue while considering sex differences. Sex-independent and sex-specific differences in HRV features between alert and fatigued states derived from 2 min electrocardiogram (ECG) signals were determined. Then, decision trees were used for driver fatigue detection using the HRV features of either all subjects or those of only males or females. Nineteen, eighteen, and thirteen HRV features were significantly different (Mann-Whitney U test, p < 0.01) between the two mental states for all subjects, males, and females, respectively. The fatigue detection models for all subjects, males, and females achieved classification accuracies of 86.3%, 94.8%, and 92.0%, respectively. In conclusion, sex differences in HRV features between drivers' mental states were found according to both the statistical analysis and classification results. By considering sex differences, precise HRV feature-based driver fatigue detection systems can be developed. Moreover, in contrast to conventional methods using HRV features from 5 min ECG signals, our method uses HRV features from 2 min ECG signals, thus enabling more rapid driver fatigue detection.

Adult sex change leads to extensive forebrain reorganization in clownfish.

BACKGROUND: Sexual differentiation of the brain occurs in all major vertebrate lineages but is not well understood at a molecular and cellular level. Unlike most vertebrates, sex-changing fishes have the remarkable ability to change reproductive sex during adulthood in response to social stimuli, offering a unique opportunity to understand mechanisms by which the nervous system can initiate and coordinate sexual differentiation. METHODS: This study explores sexual differentiation of the forebrain using single nucleus RNA-sequencing in the anemonefish Amphiprion ocellaris, producing the first cellular atlas of a sex-changing brain. RESULTS: We uncover extensive sex differences in cell type-specific gene expression, relative proportions of cells, baseline neuronal excitation, and predicted inter-neuronal communication. Additionally, we identify the cholecystokinin, galanin, and estrogen systems as central molecular axes of sexual differentiation. Supported by these findings, we propose a model of sexual differentiation in the conserved vertebrate social decision-making network spanning multiple subtypes of neurons and glia, including neuronal subpopulations within the preoptic area that are positioned to regulate gonadal differentiation. CONCLUSIONS: This work deepens our understanding of sexual differentiation in the vertebrate brain and defines a rich suite of molecular and cellular pathways that differentiate during adult sex change in anemonefish.

This study provides key insights into brain sex differences in sex-changing anemonefish (Amphiprion ocellaris), a species that changes sex in adulthood in response to the social environment. Using single nucleus RNA-sequencing, the study provides the first brain cellular atlas showing sex differences in two crucial reproductive areas: the preoptic area and telencephalon. The research identifies notable sex-differences in cell-type proportions and gene expression, particularly in radial glia and glutamatergic neurons that co-express the neuropeptide cholecystokinin. It also highlights differences in preoptic area neurons likely involved in gonadal regulation. This work deepens our understanding of sexual differentiation of the brain in vertebrates, especially those capable of adult sex change, and illuminates key molecular and cellular beginning and endpoints of the process.

Sex-related differences regarding headache triggered by low barometric pressure in Japan.

PURPOSE: The prevalence of migraine headache is higher in women. Low barometric pressure is a factor in headache triggering, but sex-related differences have not been identified. The purpose of this study was to examine sex-related differences in headache triggered by low barometric pressure. METHODS: Study subjects aged 20-49 years were randomly selected from a research company's (Macromill, Inc.) web panel. Those with chronic migraine or tension-type headache invited to complete a web-based self-administered questionnaire. Logistic regression analysis was performed with the objective variable as the Headache Impact Test-6 (HIT-6) high scores (56 or more) or headache triggered by low barometric pressure. RESULTS: Participants were 332 women and 337 men in the headache population. HIT-6 high scores were associated with age at headache occurrence 20 years or younger (OR: odds ratio 1.85, 95% CI: confidence interval 1.15-2.99, p = 0.012) and headache triggered by low barometric pressure (OR 2.11, 95%CI 1.51-2.94, p < 0.001). Headache triggered by low barometric pressure was significantly associated with women (OR 2.92, 95%CI 2.12-4.02, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Headache triggered by low barometric pressure were related to sex-related differences. It was suggested that a sex-specific treatment approach for headache triggering is needed.

Sex Difference in the Association between Prior Fracture and Subsequent Risk of Incident Dementia: A Longitudinal Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: A history of fracture has been associated with increased risk of dementia; however, it is uncertain whether sex difference exists in the association between prior fracture and subsequent risk of incident dementia. OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether sex modified the relationship between prior fracture and subsequent risk of dementia. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: UK Biobank. PARTICIPANTS: 496,331 participants (54.6% women) free of dementia at baseline. MEASUREMENTS: History of fracture was self-reported via touchscreen questionnaires at baseline. The primary outcome was all-cause dementia. RESULTS: Both any fracture and fragility fracture were significantly associated with an increased risk of subsequent all-cause dementia in men (adjusted hazard ratio (HR): 1.28; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.14-1.43; adjusted HR: 1.48; 95% CI: 1.18-1.87, respectively), but not in women (adjusted HR: 1.04; 95% CI 0.95-1.15; adjusted HR: 1.01; 95% CI: 0.87-1.18, respectively); and these sex-differences were significant (P interaction = 0.006; P interaction = 0.007, respectively). The sex differences in the impacts of different fracture sites (including upper limb, lower limb, spine, and multiple sites) were consistent on all-cause dementia. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that prior fracture was associated with an increased risk of dementia in men but not in women, and the sex difference was significant. Previous fracture may be an important marker for identifying subsequent dementia in middle-aged and older men.

Effect of biological sex and short-term high-fat diet on cellular proliferation, ribosomal biogenesis, and targeted protein abundance in murine articular cartilage.

Objective: To identify factors contributing to sex-differences in OA risk by evaluating the short-term effect of high-fat (HF) diet on sex-specific changes in cartilage cell proliferation, ribosomal biogenesis, and targeted extra-cellular and cellular protein abundance. Materials and methods: Knee cartilage was harvested to the subchondral bone from 20-week-old female and male C57BL/6J mice fed a low-fat or HF diet for 4 weeks and labeled with deuterium oxide for 1, 3, 5, 7, 15, or 21 days. Deuterium enrichment was quantified in isolated DNA and RNA to measure cell proliferation and ribosomal biogenesis, respectively. Protein concentration was measured using targeted high resolution accurate mass spectrometry. Results: HF diet increased the maximal deuterium incorporation into DNA from approximately 40 to 50%, albeit at a slower rate. These findings, which were magnified in female versus male mice, indicate a greater number of proliferating cells with longer half-lives under HF diet conditions. HF diet caused distinct sex-dependent effects on deuterium incorporation into RNA, increasing the fraction of ribosomes undergoing biogenesis in male mice and doubling the rate of ribosome biogenesis in female mice. HF diet altered cartilage protein abundance similarly in both sexes, except for matrilin-3, which was more abundant in HF versus LF conditions in female mice only. Overall, HF diet treatment had a stronger effect than sex on cartilage protein abundance, with most changes involving extracellular matrix and matrix-associated proteins. Conclusions: Short-term HF diet broadly altered cartilage matrix protein abundance, while sex-dependent effects primarily involved differences in cell proliferation and ribosomal biogenesis.

Microglial responses to inflammatory challenge in adult rats altered by developmental exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls in a sex-specific manner.

Polychlorinated biphenyls are ubiquitous environmental contaminants linked with peripheral immune and neural dysfunction. Neuroimmune signaling is critical to brain development and later health; however, effects of PCBs on neuroimmune processes are largely undescribed. This study extends our previous work in neonatal or adolescent rats by investigating longer-term effects of perinatal PCB exposure on later neuroimmune responses to an inflammatory challenge in adulthood. Male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to a low-dose, environmentally relevant, mixture of PCBs (Aroclors 1242, 1248, and 1254, 1:1:1, 20µg / kg dam BW per gestational day) or oil control during gestation and via lactation. Upon reaching adulthood, rats were given a mild inflammatory challenge with lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 50µg / kg BW, ip) or saline control and then euthanized 3hours later for gene expression analysis or 24hours later for immunohistochemical labeling of Iba1+ microglia. PCB exposure did not alter gene expression or microglial morphology independently, but instead interacted with the LPS challenge in brain region- and sex-specific ways. In the female hypothalamus, PCB exposure blunted LPS responses of neuroimmune and neuromodulatory genes without changing microglial morphology. In the female prefrontal cortex, PCBs shifted Iba1+ cells from reactive to hyperramified morphology in response to LPS. Conversely, in the male hypothalamus, PCBs shifted cell phenotypes from hyperramified to reactive morphologies in response to LPS. The results highlight the potential for long-lasting effects of environmental contaminants that are differentially revealed over a lifetime, sometimes only after a secondary challenge. These neuroimmune endpoints are possible mechanisms for PCB effects on a range of neural dysfunction in adulthood, including mental health and neurodegenerative disorders. The findings suggest possible interactions with other environmental challenges that also influence neuroimmune systems.

Sex differences in the social motivation of rats: Insights from social operant conditioning, behavioural economics, and video tracking.

BACKGROUND: Social behaviour plays a key role in mental health and wellbeing, and developing greater understanding of mechanisms underlying social interaction-particularly social motivation-holds substantial transdiagnostic impact. Common rodent behavioural assays used to assess social behaviour are limited in their assessment of social motivation, whereas the social operant conditioning model can provide unique and valuable insights into social motivation. Further characterisation of common experimental parameters that may influence social motivation within the social operant model, as well as complementary methodological and analytical approaches, are warranted. METHODS: This study investigated the effects of biological sex, housing condition, and time-of-day, on social motivation using the social operant model. This involved training rats to lever press (FR1) for 60-s access to a social reward (same-sex conspecific stimulus). Subjects were male and female Wistar rats, housed under individual or paired conditions, and sessions were conducted either in the mid-late light phase (ZT6-10) or early-mid dark phase (ZT13-17). A behavioural economics approach was implemented to measure social demand and the influence of stimulus partner sex (same- vs. opposite-sex stimulus) on social operant responding. Additionally, video tracking analyses were conducted to assess the degree of convergence between social appetitive and consummatory behaviours. RESULTS: Biological sex, housing conditions, the interaction between sex and housing, and stimulus partner sex potently influenced social motivation, whereas time-of-day did not. Behavioural economics demonstrated that sex, housing, and their interaction influence both the hedonic set-point and elasticity of social demand. Video analysis of social interaction during social operant sessions revealed that social appetitive and consummatory behaviours are not necessarily convergent, and indicate potential social satiety. Lastly, oestrus phase of female experimental and stimulus rats did not impact social motivation within the model. CONCLUSIONS: Social isolation-dependent sex differences exist in social motivation for rats, as assessed by social operant conditioning. The social operant model represents an optimal preclinical assay that comprehensively evaluates social motivation and offers a platform for future investigations of neurobiological mechanisms underlying sex differences in social motivation. These findings highlight the importance of continued consideration and inclusion of sex as a biological variable in future social operant conditioning studies. Humans are social creatures-our everyday interactions with others and the support this provides play a key role in our wellbeing. For those experiencing mental health conditions, people's motivation to engage with others can wane, which can lead them to withdraw from those who support them. Therefore, to develop better treatment strategies for these conditions, we need to gain a deeper understanding of social motivation. Studying social behaviour in animals can facilitate this investigation of social motivation as it allows for a causal understanding of underlying neurobiology that is not possible in human experiments. An optimal way to study social motivation in animals is using the social operant conditioning model, where rats learn to press a lever that opens a door and allows them to interact with another rat for a short time. This study characterised the social operant model by testing whether sex, housing conditions, time-of-day, and the sex of the stimulus partner influence rats' motivation to seek interaction with another rat. We found that female rats were more socially motivated than males, and that rats living alone were more motivated than those living with another rat; interestingly, this effect of housing affected females more than males. Regardless of sex, rats were more motivated to interact with a rat of the opposite sex. These findings provide insights into sex differences in social motivation in rats and new insights into the social operant model which will help guide future research into social motivation and other mental health conditions.

Association between pre-hip fracture depression and days at home after fracture and assessing sex differences.

BACKGROUND: Hip fracture and depression are important public health issues among older adults, but how pre-fracture depression impacts recovery after hip fracture is unknown, especially among males who often experience greater depression severity. Days at home (DAH), or the days spent outside a hospital or healthcare facility, is a novel, patient-centered outcome that can capture meaningful aspects of fracture recovery. How pre-fracture depression impacts DAH after fracture, and related sex differences, remains unclear. METHODS: Participants included 63,618 Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries aged 65+ years, with a hospitalization claim for hip fracture surgery between 2010 and 2017. The primary exposure was a diagnosis of depression at hospital admission, and the primary outcome was total DAH over 12 months post-discharge. Longitudinal associations between pre-fracture depression and the count of DAH among beneficiaries were estimated using Poisson regression models after adjustment for covariates; sex-by-depression interactions were also assessed. Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) reflecting relative differences were estimated from these models. RESULTS: Overall, beneficiaries with depression were younger, White females, and spent 11 fewer average DAH compared to counterparts without depression when demographic factors (age and sex) (IRR = 0.91; 95% CI = 0.90, 0.92; p < 0.0001) and social determinants of health (race, Medicaid dual eligibility, and poverty) were adjusted for (IRR = 0.92; 95% CI = 0.91, 0.93; p < 0.0001), but this association attenuated after adjusting for medical complexities (IRR = 0.99; 95% CI = 0.98, 1.01; p = 0.41) and facility and geographical factors (IRR = 1.0037; 95% CI = 0.99, 1.02; p = 0.66). There was no evidence of effect modification by sex. CONCLUSIONS: The comorbidity burden of preexisting depression may impact DAH among both male and female Medicare beneficiaries with hip fracture. Results suggest a holistic health approach and secondary prevention of depressive symptoms after hip fracture.

The Influence of Body Fat Dynamics on Pulmonary Immune Responses in Murine Tuberculosis: Unraveling Sex-Specific Insights.

The World Health Organization (WHO) highlights a greater susceptibility of males to tuberculosis (TB), a vulnerability attributed to sex-specific variations in body fat and dietary factors. Our study delves into the unexplored terrain of how alterations in body fat influence Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) burden, lung pathology, immune responses, and gene expression, with a focus on sex-specific dynamics. Utilizing a low-dose Mtb-HN878 clinical strain infection model, we employ transgenic FAT-ATTAC mice with modulable body fat to explore the impact of fat loss (via fat ablation) and fat gain (via a medium-fat diet, MFD). Firstly, our investigation unveils that Mtb infection triggers severe pulmonary pathology in males, marked by shifts in metabolic signaling involving heightened lipid hydrolysis and proinflammatory signaling driven by IL-6 and localized pro-inflammatory CD8+ cells. This stands in stark contrast to females on a control regular diet (RD). Secondly, our findings indicate that both fat loss and fat gain in males lead to significantly elevated (1.6-fold (p ≤ 0.01) and 1.7-fold (p ≤ 0.001), respectively) Mtb burden in the lungs compared to females during Mtb infection (where fat loss and gain did not alter Mtb load in the lungs). This upsurge is associated with impaired lung lipid metabolism and intensified mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation-regulated activity in lung CD8+ cells during Mtb infection. Additionally, our research brings to light that females exhibit a more robust systemic IFNγ (p ≤ 0.001) response than males during Mtb infection. This heightened response may either prevent active disease or contribute to latency in females during Mtb infection. In summary, our comprehensive analysis of the interplay between body fat changes and sex bias in Mtb infection reveals that alterations in body fat critically impact pulmonary pathology in males. Specifically, these changes significantly reduce the levels of pulmonary CD8+ T-cells and increase the Mtb burden in the lungs compared to females. The reduction in CD8+ cells in males is linked to an increase in mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation and a decrease in TNFα, which are essential for CD8+ cell activation.

Sex- and age-specific reference intervals of 16 steroid metabolites quantified simultaneously by LC-MS/MS in sera from 2458 healthy subjects aged 0 to 77 years.

BACKGROUND: Reference intervals covering the whole life span for all the metabolites in the steroid hormone biosynthesis quantified by sensitive and robust analytical methods are sparse or not existing. OBJECTIVE: To develop a state-of-the-art LC-MS/MS method for simultaneous quantification of multiple steroid metabolites and to establish detailed sex- and age-specific reference intervals for 16 steroid metabolites. MATERIALS AND METHOD: An isotope diluted LC-MS/MS method was developed for simultaneous quantitation of 16 steroid hormones. Serum samples from cross-sectional cohorts of healthy infants, children, adolescents, and adults aged 0.17 months to 77 years (n = 2458) were analysed. RESULTS: With this novel, specific, and sensitive LC-MS/MS method, it was possible to quantify progesterone, 17-hydroxypregnenolone, 17-hydroxyprogesterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, androstenedione, testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, 11-deoxycorticosterone, corticosterone, 11-deoxycortisol, cortisol, and cortisone in ≥90 % of the samples, while estrone sulfate, aldosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone were quantified in 77 %, 75 % and 60 % of the samples, respectively. 21-deoxycortisol was only detectable in 2.5 % of samples from healthy subjects. Sex- and age-dependent fluctuations observed in minipuberty, puberty and adulthood including the menopausal transition were modelled. This enabled us to establish valid reference intervals from birth to late adult life for both males and females. CONCLUSION: Detailed sex- and age-specific reference intervals of multiple, simultaneously quantified steroid metabolites by a novel and specific LC-MS/MS method provides a valuable tool for clinical practice and for future research.

The impact of residential environment on stroke onset and its spatial heterogeneity: A multiscale exploration in Shanghai.

BACKGROUND: Stroke is a worldwide concern due to its high disability and mortality rates, especially in many countries entering ageing societies. This study aims to understand the spatial heterogeneity of stroke onset and residential environment influence scopes from multiscale. METHODS: The 2013 to 2022 spatiotemporal distribution pattern of stroke onset was obtained via out-patient data from a hospital in Shanghai. Then nine residential environmental factors were selected to estimate the association of stroke onset by multiscale geographically weighted regression (MGWR), in three scenarios. RESULTS: Accessibility to pubs/bars (PUB) and building density (BD) were the top two residential environmental factors both for the entire sample and by gender. Stress-related environmental factors have a greater impact on the onset of stroke in men but are limited in scope. The population of elderly people have relevance to environmental variables heterogeneity. The indicators relating to unhealthy food and alcohol suggest that habit-inducing environmental factors have a limited impact on stroke onset, but rather that pre-existing habits play a greater role. CONCLUSIONS: MGWR analyses individual components across multiple bandwidths, revealing geographical disparities in the impact of elements that would otherwise be undetected on a global scale. Environmental factors have a limited impact on the onset of stroke. When society is faced with both heavy ageing and fiscal constraints, some of the blue-green space budgets can be scaled back to invest in more secure facilities.

Relationship between sex differences in drinking, smoking, and exercising and the incidence of malignancies and medical procedures: a cross-sectional study of 21,916 participants in China.

Objectives: The unresolved issue of the relationship between sex differences in tea, coffee, and beverage consumption and malignancy risk prompted our study in 2022. Methods: Logistic proportional hazards models were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) in our investigation of the associations between cancer risk and tea, coffee, and beverage consumption. Results: Our findings revealed that frequent consumption of white tea significantly reduced the occurrence of malignant tumours, but this effect was detected only in the fully adjusted model for males (OR: 0.736, 95% CI: 0.095-5.704). The amount of sugar added to coffee was associated with an increased risk of malignancy in a dose-dependent manner (P for trend = 0.001), with significance observed for both men (P for trend = 0.049) and women (P for trend = 0.005) in the final model. Notably, individuals who consumed more than 2100 ml of sugary beverages daily had a statistically significant reduction in malignancy risk (OR: 0.219, 95% CI: 0.052-0.917). Interestingly, the intake of sugary beverages had a protective effect on cancer incidence, with a significant effect on males (P for trend = 0.031) but not females (P for trend = 0.096) in the final model. Conclusions: Our study highlights the substantial impact of regular white tea consumption on reducing the risk of malignant tumours in males. This study first reported that the potential protective effect of consuming sugary beverages is predominantly observed in males, and a correlation between the amount of sugar added to coffee and a heightened risk of malignancy.

Acute stress yields a sex-dependent facilitation of signaled active avoidance in rats.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating disorder characterized by excessive fear, hypervigilance, and avoidance of thoughts, situations or reminders of the trauma. Among these symptoms, relatively little is known about the etiology of pathological avoidance. Here we sought to determine whether acute stress influences avoidant behavior in adult male and female rats. We used a stress procedure (unsignaled footshock) that is known to induce long-term sensitization of fear and potentiate aversive learning. Rats were submitted to the stress procedure and, one week later, underwent two-way signaled active avoidance conditioning (SAA). In this task, rats learn to prevent an aversive outcome (shock) by performing a shuttling response when exposed to a warning signal (tone). We found that acute stress significantly enhanced SAA acquisition rate in females, but not males. Female rats exhibited significantly greater avoidance responding on the first day of training relative to controls, reaching similar levels of performance by the second day. Males that underwent the stress procedure showed similar rates of acquisition to controls but exhibited resistance to extinction. This was manifest as both elevated avoidance and intertrial responding across extinction days relative to non-stressed controls, an effect that was not observed in females. In a second experiment, acute stress sensitized footshock unconditioned responses in males, not females. However, males and females exhibited similar levels of stress-enhanced fear learning (SEFL), which was expressed as sensitized freezing to a shock-paired context. Together, these results reveal that acute stress facilitates SAA performance in both male and female rats, though the nature of this effect is different in the two sexes. We did not observe sex differences in SEFL, suggesting that the stress-induced sex difference in performance was selective for instrumental avoidance. Future work will elucidate the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the differential effect of stress on instrumental avoidance in male and female rats.

Frequency of and sex differences in cancer treatment-related cardiac dysfunction in trastuzumab-treated patients with salivary gland cancer: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Trastuzumab treatment for salivary gland, gastric, and breast cancer commonly causes cancer treatment-related cardiac dysfunction (CTRCD). CTRCD incidence by sex has not been well studied. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study investigated frequency of and sex differences in CTRCD in patients with salivary gland cancer treated with trastuzumab at our hospital from April 2017 to March 2022. All patients underwent echocardiography at baseline and after the first, third, and sixth trastuzumab courses. We measured changes in global and regional longitudinal strain (LS) after trastuzumab administration. CTRCD was defined by left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) or global LS (GLS). The results were compared by sex. RESULTS: We recorded clinical data of 49 patients (median age [IQR], 65 [55-71] years; males [75.5%]). The median follow-up period after the sixth trastuzumab course was 120 (111-128) days. One female patient and no male patient had CTRCD defined by LVEF, and two female patients (16.7%) and seven male patients (18.9%) had CTRCD, defined by GLS. The Kaplan-Meier curves showed no significant difference in CTRCD frequency, defined by GLS (log-rank, p = 0.88), between female and male patients. In the univariate analysis, sex was not associated with CTRCD, defined by GLS. A significant difference in apical LS was observed between baseline and the third follow-up results of male patients. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, CTRCD incidence was not significantly different between male and female patients with salivary gland cancer treated with trastuzumab. Although most previous studies have looked at female patients with breast cancer, a male patient may be found to be at similar risk of myocardial damage.

Association between Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination and inflammatory bowel disease: A two-stage sampling design within the Quebec Birth Cohort on Immunity and Health (CO·MMUNITY).

BACKGROUND: Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination, primarily administered to prevent tuberculosis, exhibits nonspecific immune effects and could play a role in inflammatory bowel disease prevention. We investigated the associations of BCG with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, and assessed sex-differences. METHODS: This two-stage study included 365,206 Canadians from the Quebec Birth Cohort on Immunity and Health (1970-2014; stage 1). Vaccination status was registry-based and inflammatory bowel disease cases were identified from health services with validated algorithms. We documented additional factors among 2644 participants in a nested case-control study in, 2021 (stage 2). A two-stage logistic regression analysis was applied to estimate the odds ratios (OR), corrected for sampling fractions and adjusted for confounding factors. We used interaction terms to assess sex-differences on the multiplicative scale. RESULTS: In the stage 1 sample, 2419 cases of Crohn's disease and 1079 of ulcerative colitis were included. Forty-six percent of non-cases received the BCG vaccine as compared to 47% for Crohn's disease and 49% for ulcerative colitis. Associations differed by sex. BCG vaccination was not associated with Crohn's disease among men (OR = 0.91; 95% CI: 0.79-1.04) but was related to an increased risk among women (OR = 1.13; 95% CI: 1.00-1.28, P interaction: 0.001). For ulcerative colitis, there was a tendency toward a slightly elevated risk among men (OR = 1.09; 95%CI: 0.90-1.32), whereas the risk was more substantial for women (OR = 1.17; 95% CI:0.99-1.39, P interaction: <0.001). CONCLUSION: BCG vaccination does not play a preventive role in inflammatory bowel disease. Our results point to distinct associations between men and women.

Health literacy and falls among community-dwelling older people in China: is there a sex difference?

BACKGROUND: Health literacy is one of the important determinants of healthy aging, yet few studies have focused on the association between health literacy and falls. AIMS: This study aims to explore the relationship between health literacy and falls, with a focus on sex differences among older people in China. METHODS: This cross-sectional study enrolled 2,144 older people aged ≥ 60 years from Shandong Province, China in 2021. We used general health literacy screening scale to assess health literacy, and collected the incidence of falls in the past year. Logistic regression models were employed to analyze the relationship between health literacy and falls. We investigated the sex differences by subgroup analyses. RESULTS: The prevalence of adequate health literacy and falls was 21.7% (95% CI: 20.0-23.5%) and 25.4% (95% CI: 23.6-27.3%), respectively. In a fully-adjusted model, adequate health literacy was associated with a lower prevalence of falls in older adults (OR = 0.71, 95%CI: 0.52-0.96). Subgroup analysis revealed sex differences in this relationship (Pfor interaction <0.05). Specifically, the female group showed no significant relationship between health literacy and falls (OR = 0.92, 95% CI: 0.59-1.44); however, the male group demonstrated a robust and significant relationship (OR = 0.58, 95% CI: 0.37-0.90). CONCLUSIONS: Older people with adequate health literacy have lower prevalence of falls, which appears to differ by sex. This relationship was significant among men but not among women. These findings emphasize the need for policymakers and healthcare providers to consider sex differences when designing and implementing programs aimed at improving health literacy and preventing falls in the older population. Improving health literacy among older women could be a strategic component in bridging sex inequality in falls.