Role Of Sex Research Articles

The concept of women's entrepreneurship as a mechanism of social lift

The work is relevant as it is aimed at a comprehensive disclosure of the female entrepreneurship potential and substantiation of its importance for the development of society, achieving gender equality, as well as creating favorable conditions for the economic growth and female social mobility. The author analyzes current trends in the field feminine entrepreneurship and its impact on economic development. It is noted that opportunities for women's business are expanding, and entrepreneurship is becoming an effective social elevator for women. The key goal of the article is to substantiate the concept of female entrepreneurship as an effective mechanism of social mobility and achievement of gender equality.Objectives: to analyze female entrepreneurship as a means of expanding women's rights and opportunities, increasing their social status and overcoming gender barriers; based on statistics and facts, to demonstrate the strengthening of the position of women's business in Russia and the world; to substantiate the potential of female entrepreneurship in solving social problems and promoting progressive changes. The paper uses methods of comparative analysis, generalization, secondary analysis of research results conducted by specialists in the development of female entrepreneurship. Particular attention is paid to the role of women entrepreneurs in politics and their ability to influence decision-making. It is noted that opportunities for women's business are expanding, and entrepreneurship is becoming an effective social elevator for women.Conclusions are drawn about the importance of developing female entrepreneurship as a tool for progressive transformations and achieving gender equality in society, and the need for a purposeful state policy to stimulate and support female entrepreneurship.

Sex- and Gender-Based Analysis on Norepinephrine Use in Septic Shock: Why Is It Still a Male World?

Sex and gender are fundamental health determinants and their role as modifiers of treatment response is increasingly recognized. Norepinephrine is a cornerstone of septic shock management and its use is based on the highest level of evidence compared to dopamine. The related 2021 Surviving Sepsis Campaign (SCC) recommendation is presumably applicable to both females and males; however, a sex- and gender-based analysis is lacking, thus not allowing generalizable conclusions. This paper was aimed at exploring whether sex- and gender-disaggregated data are available in the evidence supporting this recommendation. For all the studies underpinning it, four pairs of authors, including a woman and a man, extracted data concerning sex and gender, according to the Sex and Gender Equity in Research guidelines. Nine manuscripts were included with an overall population of 2126 patients, of which 43.2% were females. No sex analysis was performed and gender was never reported. In conclusion, the present manuscript highlighted that the clinical studies underlying the SCC recommendation of NE administration in septic shock have neglected the likely role of sex and gender as modifiers of treatment response, thus missing the opportunity of sex- and gender-specific guidelines.

Sex-Dependent Effects on Influenza-Specific Antibody Quantity and Neutralizing Activity following Vaccination of Newborn Non-Human Primates Is Determined by Adjuvants.

A number of studies have demonstrated the role of sex in regulating immune responses to vaccination. However, these findings have been limited to adults for both human and animal models. As a result, our understanding of the impact of sex on vaccine responses in the newborn is highly limited. Here, we probe this important question using a newborn non-human primate model. We leveraged our prior analysis of two cohorts of newborns, with one being mother-reared and one nursery-reared. This provided adequate numbers of males and females to interrogate the impact of sex on the response to inactivated influenza vaccines alone or adjuvanted with R848, flagellin, or both. We found that, in contrast to what has been reported in adults, the non-adjuvanted inactivated influenza virus vaccine induced similar levels of virus-specific IgG in male and female newborns. However, the inclusion of R848, either alone or in combination with flagellin, resulted in higher antibody titers in females compared to males. Sex-specific increases in the neutralizing antibody were only observed when both R848 and flagellin were present. These data, generated in the highly translational NHP newborn model, provide novel insights into the role of sex in the immune response of newborns.

Risk of Stroke Among HIV Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Global Studies and Associated Comorbidities.

Despite advancements in the management of HIV infection, the factors contributing to stroke development among HIV-positive individuals remain unclear. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to identify and evaluate the relative risk factors associated with stroke susceptibility in the HIV population. A comprehensive search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases to identify studies investigating the risk of stroke development in HIV patients and assessing the role of different risk factors, including hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, smoking, sex, and race. The quality assessment of case-control studies was conducted using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale, whereas cohort studies were assessed using the National Institute of Health tool. Meta-analyses were performed using a random-effects model to determine pooled hazard ratios (HRs) or odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). A total of 18 observational studies involving 116,184 HIV-positive and 3,184,245 HIV-negative patients were included. HIV-positive patients exhibited a significantly higher risk of stroke compared with HIV-negative patients [OR (95% CI): 1.31 (1.20 to 1.44)]. Subgroup analyses revealed increased risks for both ischemic stroke [OR (95% CI): 1.32 (1.19 to 1.46)] and hemorrhagic stroke [OR (95% CI): 1.31 (1.09 to 1.56)]. Pooled adjusted HRs showed a significant association between stroke and HIV positivity (HR: 1.37, 95% CI: 1.22 to 1.54). Among HIV-positive patients with stroke, hypertension [OR (95% CI): 3.5 (1.42 to 8.65)], diabetes [OR (95% CI): 5 (2.12 to 11.95)], hyperlipidemia, smoking, male gender, and black race were associated with an increased risk. Our study revealed a significant increased risk of stroke development among people with HIV. A multitude of factors, encompassing sociodemographic characteristics, racial background, underlying health conditions, and personal behaviors, significantly elevate the risk of stroke in individuals living with HIV. The use of observational studies introduces inherent limitations, and further investigations are necessary to explore the underlying mechanisms of stroke in people with HIV for potential treatment strategies. HIV patients face a higher risk of stroke development, either ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes. Hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, smoking, male gender, and black race were identified as significant risk factors. Early identification and management of these risk factors are crucial in reducing stroke incidence among patients living with HIV.

Experimenter bias: exploring the interaction between participant’s and investigator’s gender/sex in VR

This study explores the effect of the experimenter’s gender/sex and its interaction with the participant’s gender/sex as potential contributors to the replicability crisis, particularly in the man-gendered domain of VR. 75 young men and women from Western France were randomly evaluated by either a man or a woman during a 13-min immersion in a first-person shooter game. Self-administered questionnaires were used to measure variables commonly assessed during VR experiments (sense of presence, cybersickness, video game experience, flow). MANOVAs, ANOVAs and post-hoc comparisons were used. Results indicate that men and women differ in their reports of cybersickness and video game experience when rated by men, whereas they report similar measures when rated by women. These findings are interpreted as consequences of the psychosocial stress triggered by the interaction between the two genders/sexes, as well as the gender conformity effect induced, particularly in women, by the presence of a man in a masculine domain. Corroborating this interpretation, the subjective measure of flow, which is not linked to video games and/or computers, does not seem to be affected by this experimental effect. Methodological precautions are highlighted, notably the brief systematic description of the experimenter, and future exploratory and confirmatory studies are outlined.Graphical abstract

How to solve novel problems: the role of associative learning in problem-solving performance in wild great tits Parus major

Although problem-solving tasks are frequently used to assess innovative ability, the extent to which problem-solving performance reflects variation in cognitive skills has been rarely formally investigated. Using wild breeding great tits facing a new non-food motivated problem-solving task, we investigated the role of associative learning in finding the solution, compared to multiple other non-cognitive factors. We first examined the role of accuracy (the proportion of contacts made with the opening part of a string-pulling task), neophobia, exploration, activity, age, sex, body condition and participation time on the ability to solve the task. To highlight the effect of associative learning, we then compared accuracy between solvers and non-solvers, before and after the first cue to the solution (i.e., the first time they pulled the string opening the door). We finally compared accuracy over consecutive entrances for solvers. Using 884 observations from 788 great tits tested from 2010 to 2015, we showed that, prior to initial successful entrance, solvers were more accurate and more explorative than non-solvers, and that females were more likely to solve the task than males. The accuracy of solvers, but not of non-solvers, increased significantly after they had the opportunity to associate string pulling with the movement of the door, giving them a first cue to the task solution. The accuracy of solvers also increased over successive entrances. Our results demonstrate that variations in problem-solving performance primarily reflect inherent individual differences in associative learning, and are also to a lesser extent shaped by sex and exploratory behaviour.

Professional Experiences and Career Trajectories of Mid- to Senior-Career Women Clinician-Scientists

Despite increasing evidence and recognition of persistent gender disparities in academic medicine, qualitative data detailing the association of gender-based experiences with career progression remain sparse, particularly at the mid- to senior-career stage. To investigate the role gender has played in everyday professional experiences of mid- to senior-career women clinician-scientists and their perceptions of gender-related barriers experienced across their careers. In this qualitative study, a total of 60 of 159 invited clinician-scientists who received National Institutes of Health K08 or K23 awards between 2006 and 2009 and responded to a survey in 2021 agreed to participate. Invitees were selected using random, purposive sampling to support sample heterogeneity. Semistructured in-depth interviews were conducted January to May 2022. For this study, interviews from 31 women were analyzed using the framework approach to thematic analysis. Data analyses were performed between August and October 2023. Descriptive themes of participant experiences of gender and gender-based barriers in academic medicine. A total of 31 women clinician-scientists (8 identifying as Asian [25.8%], 14 identifying as White [45.2%], and 9 identifying as members of a minority group underrepresented in medicine [29.0%]; 14 aged 40-49 years [45.2%] and 14 aged 50-59 years [45.2%]) were included. Among them, 17 participants (54.8%) had children who required adult supervision or care, 7 participants (22.6%) had children who did not require supervision or care, and 6 participants (19.4%) did not have children. There were 4 dominant themes identified within participant experiences in academic medicine: the mental burden of gendered expectations at work and home, inequitable treatment of women in bureaucratic processes, subtle and less subtle professional exclusion of women, and value of communities built on shared identities, experiences, and solidarity. This study found that women perceived the institution of academic medicine as a male-centric system misaligned with the needs of women, with associated feelings of exclusion, disillusionment, and loss of trust in their institutions. Findings suggest that the confluence of domestic obligations and unaccommodating institutional environments may make it difficult for women clinician-scientists to achieve established timelines of career progression and productivity; these findings may have long-term implications for the well-being and retention of women in academic medicine.

The Influence of Sex and/or Gender on the Occurrence of Colorectal Cancer in the General Population in Developed Countries: A Scoping Review.

Objective: Gender as the "sociocultural role of sex" is underrepresented in colorectal cancer incidence studies, potentially resulting in underestimated risk factors' consequences and inequalities men/women. We aim to explore how literature focusing on differences between men and women in the incidence of colorectal cancer interprets these differences: through sex- or gender-related mechanisms, or both? Methods: We conducted a scoping review using PubMed and Google Scholar. We categorized studies based on their definitions of sex and/or gender variables. Results: We reviewed 99 studies, with 7 articles included in the analysis. All observed differences between men and women. Six articles examined colorectal cancer incidence by gender, but only 2 used the term "gender" to define exposure. One article defined its "sex" exposure variable as gender-related mechanisms, and two articles used "sex" and "gender" interchangeably to explain these inequalities. Gender mechanisms frequently manifest through health behaviors. Conclusion: Our results underscore the need for an explicit conceptual framework to disentangle sex and/or gender mechanisms in colorectal cancer incidence. Such understanding would contribute to the reduction and prevention of social health inequalities.

Coming Out of the Pension Closet: An Analysis From the Queer Theory of the Rulings of the Supreme Court of Justice in Relation to the Operation of the Survivor’s Pension in Same-sex Couples in Colombia

This article presents an analysis of the rulings issued by the Supreme Court of Justice - Labor Chamber and Labor Congestion Chamber - regarding the operationality of survivor pensions in same-sex couples. To achieve this, a qualitative methodology of jurisprudential review is employed to analyze the rules and sub-rules applied by the judges in resolving these cases, contrasting them with certain foundational ideas of queer legal theories. In this analytical exercise, the text elucidates how, within the dogmatic rules devised by the ordinary labor judge, there are emancipatory opportunities that escape the binary gender paradigm. One of the main conclusions drawn from this analysis is the progressive role played by the Labor Cassation Chamber and the Congestion Chamber within labor law, in formulating norms that acknowledge differentiated cohabitation for the acquisition of survivor pensions for same-sex couples.

Sex-Related Differences in Cardiovascular Risk in Adolescents with Overweight or Obesity.

Pediatric obesity is closely associated with cardiometabolic comorbidities, but the role of sex in this relationship is less investigated. We aimed to evaluate sex-related differences on cardiometabolic risk factors and preclinical signs of target organ damage in adolescents with overweight/obesity (OW/OB). The main cross-sectional study included 988 adolescents (510 boys and 478 girls) with OW/OB aged 10-18 years. In all youths clinical and biochemical variables were evaluated and an abdominal echography was performed. Echocardiographic data for the assessment of left ventricular mass (LVM) and relative wall thickness (RWT) were available in an independent sample of 142 youths (67 boys and 75 girls), while echographic data of carotid intima media thickness (cIMT) were available in 107 youths (59 boys and 48 girls). The three samples did not differ for age, body mass index, and sex distribution. In the main sample, boys showed higher waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) values (p 0.0001) and fasting glucose levels (p = 0.002) than girls. Lower levels of estimates glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) were found in girls vs boys (p 0.0001). No sex-related differences for prediabetes and hyperlipidemia were observed. A higher prevalence of WHtR 0.60 (57.3% vs 49.6%, p = 0.016) and fatty liver disease (FLD) (54.5% vs 38.3%, p 0.0001) as well as a trend for high prevalence of hypertension (40.4 vs 34.7%, p = 0.06) were observed in boys vs girls. More, a higher prevalence of mild reduced eGFR (MReGFR) ( 90 mL/min/1.73 ) was observed in girls vs boys (14.6% vs 9.6 %, p 0.0001). In the sample with echocardiographic evaluation, boys showed higher levels of LVM (p = 0.046), and RWT (p = 0.003) than girls. Again, in the sample with carotid echography, boys showed higher levels of cIMT as compared to girls (p = 0.011). Adolescent boys with OW/OB showed higher risk of abdominal adiposity, FLD, and increased cardiac and vascular impairment than girls, whereas the latter had a higher risk of MReGFR. Risk stratification by sex for cardiometabolic risk factors or preclinical signs of target organ damage should be considered in youths with OW/OB.

The Many Shades of Sexism: Female Journalists in Leadership Positions Reflect on Barriers to Career Advancement in Journalism

Female journalists worldwide still struggle for adequate representation in leadership positions. This study contributes to the (mainly Western) scholarship on gender barriers in journalism by exploring the mechanism of vertical gender segregation in the journalistic profession in the Czech Republic, a non-Western country with the legacy of a women’s emancipation project sponsored by the former communist regime. Semi-structured interviews ( N = 17) with female journalists in leadership positions revealed five main barriers: overall gender inequality in the Czech society; family and household responsibilities; lower self-esteem and ambition in women; sexism and sexual harassment; and masculine newsroom culture and “old boys’ clubs.”

Functional gas exchange measures on 129Xe MRI and spectroscopy are associated with age, sex, and BMI in healthy subjects.

Hyperpolarized 129Xe MRI and spectroscopy is a rapidly growing technique for assessing lung function, with applications in a wide range of obstructive, restrictive, and pulmonary vascular disease. However, normal variations in 129Xe measures of gas exchange across healthy subjects are not well characterized, presenting an obstacle to differentiating disease processes from the consequences of expected physiological heterogeneity. Here, we use multivariate models to evaluate the role of age, sex, and BMI in a range of commonly used 129Xe measures of gas exchange. Healthy subjects (N = 40, 16F, age 44.3 ± 17.8 yrs., min-max 22-87 years) with no history of cardiopulmonary disease underwent 129Xe gas exchange MRI and spectroscopy. We used multivariate linear models to assess the associations of age, sex, and body mass index (BMI) with the RBC:Membrane (RBC:M), membrane to gas (Mem:Gas), and red blood cell to gas (RBC:Gas) ratios, as well as measurements of RBC oscillation amplitude and RBC chemical shift. Age, sex, and BMI were all significant covariates in the RBC:M model. Each additional 10 years of age was associated with a 0.05 decrease in RBC:M (p < 0.001), each additional 10 points of BMI was associated with a decrease of 0.07 (p = 0.02), and males were associated with a 0.17 higher RBC:M than females (p < 0.001). For Mem:Gas, male sex was associated with a decrease and BMI was associated with an increase. For RBC:Gas, age was associated with a decrease and male sex was associated with an increase. RBC oscillation amplitude increased with age and RBC chemical shift was not associated with any of the three covariates. 129Xe MRI and spectroscopy measurements in healthy subjects, particularly the widely used RBC:M measurement, exhibit heterogeneity associated in part with variations in subject age, sex, and BMI. Elucidating the contributions of these and other factors to 129Xe gas exchange measurements is a critical component for differentiating disease processes from expected variation in healthy subjects. Notably, the Mem:Gas and RBC chemical shift appear to be stable with aging, suggesting that unexplained deviations in these metrics may be signs of underlying abnormalities.

Sex-Related Differences in Utilization and Outcomes of Extracorporeal Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation for Refractory Cardiac Arrest.

Sparse data exist on sex-related differences in extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) for refractory cardiac arrest (rCA). We explored the role of sex on the utilization and outcomes of ECPR for rCA by retrospective analysis of the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) International Registry. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Exploratory outcomes were discharge disposition and occurrence of any specific extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) complications. From 1992 to 2020, a total of 7,460 adults with ECPR were identified: 30.5% women; 69.5% men; 55.9% Whites, 23.7% Asians, 8.9% Blacks, and 3.8% Hispanics. Women's age was 50.4 ± 16.9 years (mean ± standard deviation) and men's 54.7 ± 14.1 ( p < 0.001). Ischemic heart disease occurred in 14.6% women vs. 18.5% men ( p < 0.001). Overall, 28.5% survived at discharge, 30% women vs. 27.8% men ( p = 0.138). In the adjusted analysis, sex was not associated with in-hospital mortality (odds ratio [OR] = 0.93 [confidence interval {CI} = 0.80-1.08]; p = 0.374). Female sex was associated with decreased odds of neurologic, cardiovascular, and renal complications. Despite being younger and having fewer complications during ECMO, women had in-hospital mortality similar to men. Whether these findings are driven by biologic factors or disparities in health care warrants further investigation.

Serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor, Val66Met polymorphism and open-label SSRI treatment response in Major Depressive Disorder

BackgroundBrain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has been implicated in the therapeutic action of antidepressants and possibly in the pathophysiology of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Clinical studies of peripheral blood levels of BDNF in MDD have provided conflicting results, and there are also conflicting reports regarding the predictive value of peripheral BDNF levels for antidepressant treatment response. The present study investigated the association between serum BDNF levels, the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism (rs6265), clinical characteristics and SSRI treatment response. MethodsThis open-label clinical trial included 99 physically healthy, unmedicated MDD participants and 70 healthy controls. Following a baseline assessment, 53 of the MDD participants completed an eight-week, open-label course of SSRI antidepressant treatment. Serum BDNF levels and Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HDRS) ratings were examined at baseline and after eight weeks of treatment. Antidepressant response was defined as a decrease in HDRS ratings of > 50% from baseline to the end-of-treatment. Finally, serum BDNF levels and SSRI treatment response were compared between MDD participants who were heterozygous or homozygous for the Met allele (“Met-carriers”) and individuals homozygous for the Val allele. ResultsSerum BDNF levels at baseline were significantly higher in the unmedicated MDD participants compared to healthy controls (15.90 ng/ml vs 13.75 ng/ml, t (167) = −2.041, p = 0.043). In a post-hoc analysis, this difference was seen in the female but not male participants (16.85 ng/ml vs 14.06 ng/ml, t (91) = −2.067, p = 0.042; 14.86 ng/ml vs 13.31 ng/ml, t (74) = −0.923, p = 0.359). Baseline serum BDNF levels were not associated with treatment responder status or with absolute change in depression ratings over the course of 8-week SSRI treatment (p = 0.599). In both Responders and Non-responders, no significant changes in serum BDNF levels were found over the 8-week period of SSRI-treatment (16.32 ng/ml vs 16.23 ng/ml, t (18) = 0.060, p = 0.953; 16.04 ng/ml vs 15.61 ng/ml, t (29) = 0.438, p = 0.665, respectively). Further, no differences were found in serum BDNF levels prior to treatment between MDD Met-carriers and MDD Val/Val homozygotes (15.32 ng/ml vs 16.36 ng/ml, t (85) = 0.747, p = 0.457), and no differences were found in post-treatment serum BDNF (F1,42= 0.031, p = 0.862). However, MDD Val/Val homozygotes showed significantly greater antidepressant responses at week 8 than did MDD Met-carriers (F1,46 = 4.366, p = 0.043). ConclusionOur results do not support sufficient reliability of using peripheral BDNF to characterize depression or to predict antidepressant response in clinical use. The role of sex in moderating BDNF differences in depression, and the role of BDNF gene polymorphisms in predicting antidepressant response, remain to be further investigated. We conclude that, while central nervous system BDNF is likely involved in antidepressant efficacy and in aspects of MDD pathophysiology, its reflection in serum BDNF levels is of limited diagnostic or prognostic utility.

Association of hair cortisol concentration with brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene methylation: The role of sex as a moderator.

Hair cortisol concentration (HCC) reflects the long-term activity of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in response to stress. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor DNA methylation (BDNF DNAM) may affect HCC, and sex and Val66Met may contribute to this association. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the associations between HCC and Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) DNAM, and the moderating effects of Val66Met and sex. We recruited 191 healthy young participants (96 women, mean age 23.0±2.6years) and collected body samples to evaluate HCC, and to determine BDNF DNAM and Val66Met genotypes. We analyzed the effects of BDNF DNAM, sex, and Val66Met on HCC. We also evaluated the associations between BDNF DNAM and HCC in groups separated by sex and genotypes. We found a marked association of BDNF DNAM with HCC across men and women. After dividing the data by sex, a positive correlation of HCC with BDNF DNAM was found only in women. There was no substantial moderation effect of Val66Met genotypes on the association between BDNF DNAM and HCC. Therefore, BDNF DNAM was found to have positive association with HCC only in healthy young women, indicating that sex moderates the association of BDNF DNAM with long-term HPA axis activity.

Anxiety, Sleep Problems, and Vigorous Physical Activity: Bidirectional Associations from Early Adolescence to Early Adulthood in Swedish Adolescents.

Anxiety symptoms and sleep problems typically emerge during adolescence and are frequently intertwined. However, there is a dearth of knowledge concerning their reciprocal influence and whether physical activity might play a protective role in this relationship. The present study aims at filling this gap exploring also the moderating role of sex. 915 13-year-old Swedish adolescents (56% girls) answered a survey conducted four times: at ages 13 (T1), 16 (T2), 19 (T3), and 22 (T4). A random intercept cross-lagged panel model was used. At within-levels, sleep problems and anxiety symptoms had a bidirectional positive association in middle adolescence. Vigorous physical activity and anxiety symptoms showed a reciprocal negative association from middle adolescence. Vigorous physical activity and sleep problems were reciprocally associated only in late adolescence. Associations were the same for girls and boys. This study demonstrated that the relations between anxiety symptoms, sleep problems, and vigorous physical activity cannot be understood without adopting a developmental perspective and that middle adolescence is a crucial period to plan interventions to reduce anxiety symptoms and sleep problems.

Abstract SY38-01: Diverse effects of obesity on cancer immunology and therapy: Both the good and the bad

Abstract Obesity (BMI of 30 or higher) has reached pandemic proportions in the US and continues to rise. Obesity is associated with increased cancer incidence, progression, and mortality. Obesity is also associated with a meta-inflammation as well as general immune suppression. However, we and others have observed in both preclinical models involving diet-induced obese (DIO) mice as well as clinical cancer outcomes, that obesity can be associated with increased efficacy and T cell responses following immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) targeting PD-1/PDL-1 (Wang Z et al, Nat Med 2019). This protective effect in preclinical models occurred despite marked increased tumor growth and progression in DIO mice. The results indicated that an “obesity paradox” existed regarding some cancer immune therapies. However, this increased efficacy did not apply to all immune therapy responses as we have also observed that following strong systemic immunostimulatory regimens such as with high dose cytokines (IL2) or following an allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT), that obesity was correlated with poorer outcomes due to increased cytokine release syndrome (CRS) due to macrophage dysregulation, reduction in gut microbiome diversity, and increased gut permeability, in both preclinical models and clinical outcomes (Khuat LT et al, Sci Trans Med 2020). These results indicated that a balance exists between the positive and negative effects of obesity which could be contingent on the particular type of cancer immunotherapy applied. With ICI, obesity is beneficial, but strong systemic immunostimulatory therapies can result in heightened proinflammatory responses and pathologies. It has also been reported that sex differences regarding the obesity paradox may also occur with high BMI males demonstrating increased anti-tumor efficacy (McQuade JL et al, Lancet Oncol 2018). The physiology of obesity regarding adiposity deposition and metabolic perturbations are also affected by sex hormones and obesity can also have marked effects on both androgen and estrogen production. We therefore assessed the role of sex on different cancer immunotherapy outcomes in obesity. Following systemic cytokine application or after allogeneic HSCT, no differences were observed between male and female DIO mice regarding the increased toxicities due to CRS. In marked contrast, following ICI targeting PD-1, increased anti-tumor effects were only observed in male and not female DIO mice. This was associated with immune differences in which female DIO mice had higher myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and decreased T cell responses. However, when female mice were ovariectomized before placed on diet, application of ICI now resulted in increased anti-tumor efficacy comparable to DIO males. Importantly, metabolomics indicated that key metabolite changes could be correlated with the return of responsiveness. Similarly, clinical outcomes stratified on both sex and BMI also demonstrated the increased efficacy following ICI in high BMI males. These results demonstrate that sex-linked differences exist regarding the effects obesity has on cancer immunotherapy outcome following ICI but not other types of immune therapies. Further, these sex-based differences in obesity can be correlated with immunological alterations, and these can be reversed by estrogen inhibition suggesting that hormone modulation may offer immunological benefits in the context of obesity following cancer immunotherapy involving ICI. Citation Format: William J. Murphy, Logan Vick, Robert Canter, Spencer Rosario, Arta Monjazeb. Diverse effects of obesity on cancer immunology and therapy: Both the good and the bad [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 2 (Late-Breaking, Clinical Trial, and Invited Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(7_Suppl):Abstract nr SY38-01.

Mindful monitoring and accepting the body in physical activity mediates the associations between physical activity and positive body image in a sample of young physically active adults.

The study aimed to extend research on the possible mechanisms that explain the associations between physical activity (PA), mindfulness during PA and positive body image. In the present study, we tested the mediating role of state mindfulness during PA in the association between PA and trait body appreciation. We also explored the moderating roles of sex and body mass index (BMI) in these associations. In total, 759 students participated in the study but after applying the inclusion criteria 539 questionnaires were approved for analysis, with a mean age of 23.3 ± 7.2 years (49.7% were women). Study participants completed the online survey, which included sociodemographic details, PA data, the State Mindfulness Scale for Physical Activity 2 (SMS-PA-2) and the Body Appreciation Scale 2 (BAS-2). Monitoring and accepting the body during exercise mediated the association between PA and body appreciation. BMI moderated the association between accepting the body during exercise and body appreciation: for heavier individuals with BMI > 24.99 kg/m2, the associations between accepting the body during exercise and body appreciation were higher (B = 0.53, p < 0.001) compared to those whose body weight was in the normal range (B = 0.21, p < 0.001). Strengthening mindfulness and promoting mindful body acceptance during exercise might enhance a positive body image, especially in individuals with a higher BMI.

Effects of Highly Palatable Diet on motivation for food and resistance to punishment in rats: Role of sex and age of exposure

Exposure to highly palatable food is believed to induce behavioral and neurobiological changes that may produce addiction-like behavior and increase the risks of obesity and overweight. Studies in rodents have led to conflicting results suggesting that several factors such as sex and age of exposure contribute to the development of maladaptive behaviors towards food. In addition, it is not clear whether effects of exposure to highly palatable diets (HPD) persist after their discontinuation, which would indicate long-term risks to develop addiction-like behavior. In this study, we investigated the persistent effects of an intermittent 8-week exposure to HPD in male and female rats as a function of age of exposure (adult and adolescent). We found that intermittent exposure to HPD did not alter body weight, but it affected consumption of standard food during the time of exposure in all groups. In addition, in adults, HPD produced a decrease in the initial baseline responding in FR1 schedules, an effect that persisted for 4 weeks in males but not in female rats. However, we found that exposure to HPD did not affect resistance to punishment measured by progressive shock strength break points or motivation for food as measured by progressive-ratio break points regardless of sex or age of exposure. Altogether, these results do not provide support for the hypothesis that intermittent exposure to HPD produce persistent increases in the vulnerability to develop addiction-like behaviors towards palatable food.

Role of sex in nutrition research in aging and wasting disease.

Role of sex in nutrition research in aging and wasting disease.