Approaches to considering sex and gender in continuous professional development for health and social care professionals: An emerging paradigm.

Consideration of sex and gender in research and clinical practice is necessary to redress health inequities and reduce knowledge gaps. As all health professionals must maintain and update their skills throughout their career, developing innovative continuing professional education programs that integrate sex and gender issues holds great promise for reducing these gaps. This article proposes new approaches to partnership, team development, pedagogical theory, content development, evaluation and data management that will advance the integration of sex and gender in continuing professional development (CPD). Our perspectives build on an intersectoral and interprofessional research team that includes several perspectives, including those of CPD, health systems, knowledge translation and sex and gender.

Assessing tissue mechanical properties: Development of a custom-made tensile device and application on rodents sciatic nerves.

The development of biomaterials such as synthetic scaffolds for peripheral nerve regeneration requires a precise knowledge of the mechanical properties of the nerve in physiological-like conditions. Mechanical properties (Young's modulus, maximum stress and strain at break) for peripheral nerves are scarce and large discrepancies are observed in between reports. This is due in part to the absence of a robust testing device for nerves. To overcome this limitation, a custom-made tensile device (CMTD) has been built. To evaluate its reproducibility and accuracy, the imposed speed and distance over measured speed and distance was performed, followed by a validation using poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS), a commercial polymer with established mechanical properties. Finally, the mechanical characterization of rodents (mice and rats) sciatic nerves using the CMTD was performed. Mouse and rat sciatic nerves Young's modulus were 4.57 ± 2.04 and 19.2 ± 0.86 MPa respectively. Maximum stress was 1.26 ± 0.56 MPa for mice and 3.81 ± 1.84 MPa for rats. Strain at break was 53 ± 17% for mice and 32 ± 12% for rats. The number of axons per sciatic nerve was found to be twice higher for rats. Statistical analysis of the measured mechanical properties revealed no sex-related trends, for both mice and rats (except for mouse maximum stress with p=0.03). Histological evaluation of rat sciatic nerve corroborated these findings. By developing a robust CMTD to establish the key mechanical properties (Young's modulus, maximum stress and strain at break) values for rodents sciatic nerves, our work represent an essential step toward the development of better synthetic scaffolds for peripheral nerve regeneration.

Integration of sex and gender in a continuing professional development course on diabetes and depression: a mixed methods feasibility study.

OBJECTIVES: Assess the feasibility and impact of a continuous professional development (CPD) course on type 2 diabetes and depression on health professionals' intention to include sex and gender considerations in patient care. DESIGN AND SETTING: In collaboration with CPD organisations and patient-partners, we conducted a mixed-methods feasibility controlled trial with postintervention measures in three Canadian provinces. PARTICIPANTS: Of 178 eligible health professionals, 127 completed questionnaires and 67 participated in semistructured group discussions. INTERVENTION AND COMPARATOR: An interactive 1 hour CPD course, codesigned with patient-partners, on diabetes and depression that included sex and gender considerations (innovation) was compared with a similar course that did not include them (comparator). OUTCOMES: Feasibility of recruitment and retention of CPD organisations and patient-partners throughout the study; adherence to planned activities; health professionals' intention to include sex and gender considerations in patient care as measured by the CPD-Reaction questionnaire; and barriers and facilitators using the Theoretical Domains Framework. RESULTS: All recruited CPD organisations and patient-partners remained engaged throughout the study. All planned CPD courses occurred. Overall, 71% of eligible health professionals participated (63% under 44 years old; 79.5% women; 67.7% practising in French; 66.9% practising in Quebec; 78.8% in urban practice). After training, mean intention scores for the innovation (n=49) and control groups (n=78) were 5.65±0.19 and 5.19±0.15, respectively. Mean difference was -0.47 (CI -0.95 to 0.01; p=0.06). Adjusted for age, gender and practice settings, mean difference was -0.57 (CI -1.09 to -0.05; p=0.03). We identified eight theoretical domains related to barriers and six related to facilitators for providing sex-adapted and gender-adapted diabetes and depression care. CONCLUSIONS: CPD training on diabetes and depression that includes sex and gender considerations is feasible and, compared with CPD training that does not, may prompt health professionals to modify their care. Addressing identified barriers and facilitators could increase intention. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT03928132 with ClinicalTrials.gov; Post-results.

Diabetes impairs an interleukin-1ß-dependent pathway that enhances neurite outgrowth through JAK/STAT3 modulation of mitochondrial bioenergetics in adult sensory neurons.

BACKGROUND: A luminex-based screen of cytokine expression in dorsal root ganglia (DRG) and nerve of type 1 diabetic rodents revealed interleukin-1 (IL-1α) and IL-1ß to be significantly depressed. We, therefore, tested the hypothesis that impaired IL-1α and IL-1ß expression in DRG may contribute to aberrant axon regeneration and plasticity seen in diabetic sensory neuropathy. In addition, we determined if these cytokines could optimize mitochondrial bioenergetics since mitochondrial dysfunction is a key etiological factor in diabetic neuropathy. RESULTS: Cytokines IL-1α and IL-1ß were reduced 2-fold (p<0.05) in DRG and/or nerve of 2 and 5 month streptozotocin (STZ)-diabetic rats. IL-2 and IL-10 were unchanged. IL-1α and IL-1ß induced similar 2 to 3-fold increases in neurite outgrowth in cultures derived from control or diabetic rats (p<0.05). STAT3 phosphorylation on Tyr705 or Ser727 was depressed in DRG from STZ-diabetic mice and treatment of cultures derived from STZ-diabetic rats with IL-1ß for 30 min raised phosphorylation of STAT3 on Tyr705 and Ser727 by 1.5 to 2-fold (p<0.05). shRNA-based or AG490 inhibition of STAT3 activity or shRNA blockade of endogenous IL-1ß expression completely blocked neurite outgrowth. Cultured neurons derived from STZ-diabetic mice were treated for 24 hr with IL-1ß and maximal oxygen consumption rate and spare respiratory capacity, both key measures of bioenergetic fidelity that were depressed in diabetic compared with control neurons, were enhanced 2-fold. This effect was blocked by AG490. CONCLUSIONS: Endogenous synthesis of IL-1ß is diminished in nerve tissue in type 1 diabetes and we propose this defect triggers reduced STAT3 signaling and mitochondrial function leading to sup-optimal axonal regeneration and plasticity.