Gender-specific Research Articles

Reactive response of peripheral blood neutrophils of school-age adolescents with scoliosis

Scoliosis adversely affects the physical and mental health of children and adolescents. The scoliosis deformity develops faster during the period of intensive growth and development, which, in the absence of treatment, can lead to numerous disorders in many body systems, including the immune system. Study of the impact of the reactive response of peripheral blood neutrophils in adolescents (15-17 years old) with and without scoliosis. The reactive response of peripheral blood neutrophils of adolescents in two groups (experimental and control) was evaluated according to the indicators of the peripheral blood neutrophils reactive response rate, the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), the neutrophil, leukocyte shift ratio; the neutrophil-to-monocyte ratio: lymphocyte-to-granulocyte ratio, leukocyte to ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate) ratio; non-specific reactivity index. Statistical processing of the obtained results involved well-known methods of variable statistics. The peripheral blood neutrophils reactive response rate in boys with scoliosis decreased by 25.0%, while the lymphocyte-to-granulocyte ratio increased by 6.53%, the leukocyte to ESR ratio increased by 33.33%, while the neutrophil-to-monocyte ratio increased by 1.37% compared to the control group. The reactive response of peripheral blood neutrophils in adolescent girls with scoliosis is higher according to the neutrophil reactive response rate and the neutrophil shift rate by 25.0%, according to the lymphocyte-to-granulocyte ratio —by 16.97%, and lower according to the neutrophil-to-monocyte ratio by 13.10%, according to by the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio — by 16.75%, according to the leukocyte shift ratio — by 16.46%, according to the leukocyte to ESR ratio — by 4.76%. It was found that the reactive response of peripheral blood neutrophils in adolescents with scoliosis, depends on gender and individual specifics of the reactive response: boys were found to have an increased reactive response of peripheral blood neutrophils was found compared to the reactive response of neutrophil granulocytes in girls. It is appropriate to continue research in this direction with the involvement of a larger category of respondents in a wider age group. Keywords: adolescents, scoliosis, cellular reactivity, neutrophils, granulocytes.

Canopy architecture and diurnal CO2 uptake in male and female clones of yerba‐mate cultivated in monoculture and agroforestry

AbstractSecondary sexual dimorphism (SSD) in flowering plants is expressed by sexual differences of characters that are not directly related to gamete production. The leaf C/N ratio, photosynthetic traits or clonal responses have never been studied in relation to SSD in yerba‐mate. It was hypothesized that leaf and plant photosynthesis are higher in female than in male individuals because females must supply photoassimilates to compensate for the additional reproductive investments of SSD in biomass. Here, we investigated how two contrasting light environments (monoculture—MO and agroforestry—AFS) and plant genders change leaf and plant photosynthesis, plant architecture, leaf and branch biomass production and C and N investments of two male and two female clones. To model the 3D yerba‐mate structure, virtual trees were constructed using measurements of plant morphology using VPlant modelling software. The light‐response curves of leaf CO2 assimilation were used to model instantaneous leaf and daily plant photosynthesis. Photosynthetic traits derived from light‐response curves did not differ between MO and AFS. Some architectural traits were segregated sexually only in MO, while some physiological ones only in AFS. Leaf photosynthesis was higher in females than in males in AFS over a large part of the diurnal cycle, but SSD was not expressed in carbon gains at plant or daily scales. Leaf C/N ratio was higher in MO than in AFS, indicating MO as an ecosystem with higher degree of environmental degradation. Female clones had leaves with lower C/N ratio than males in both systems, relating to higher leaf photosynthesis on an area basis in females. SSD expressed in leaf photosynthesis over a large part of the diurnal cycle in AFS was not observed in carbon gains at plant or daily scales, indicating that the integration of physiology and architecture equalized the gender specificities. The insensitivity of photosynthetic traits derived from light‐response curves indicated acclimation of yerba‐mate leaves to a wide range of incoming light.

Is gendered power irrelevant in higher educational institutions? Understanding the persistence of gender inequality

ABSTRACT For the past 30 years, many researchers have highlighted the gendering of higher educational institutions. However, many organizations in the broadly defined Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) area in the EU have varying degrees of interest, or academic staff available, in the gender equality area with many being largely unaware of this literature. This article draws provocatively on existing concepts to ‘make sense’ of the persistence of gender inequality. Such concepts include gendered organizational power, which is frequently taken-for-granted and is reflected at structural and cultural levels. The concept of legitimating discourses (including excellence, choice, women’s ‘nature’ and organizational gender neutrality) helps to explain why gender inequality is not perceived. Other manifestations of institutional resistance to gender inequality provide insights into why it is not tackled effectively. The article recognizes that gendered change does occur and uses the metaphor of bonsai-ing to highlight attempts to limit the impact of such changes. Finally, it identifies some key issues that need to be tackled.

A Mind Genomics Cartography of Shopping Behavior for Food Products during the Covid -19 Pandemic

Abstract The study presents a new approach to understand the mind of the persons in order to drive desired action in crisis situation, specifically the COVID-19 pandemic. Understand the mind of the shopper in a pandemic situation, with massive uncertainty, should provide direction for governments and the retail trade to adopt practices and communications which will reassure their customers. This study investigates the nature of what people will do to reassure themselves in the pandemic, and has been executed during the period of the pandemic, making the study relevant to the actual events taking place. The focus of the study is on the likelihood of buying ordinary food, given certain descriptions. The study revealed three mind-sets, clusters of individuals who respond to the pandemic in one of three ways. These are: Mind-Set 1: Focus on sanitation & supply; Mind-Set 2: Focus on budget for lifestyle; Mind-Set 3: Focus on shopping, personal needs, consumption. These mind-sets are distributed through the population, and are not limited to specific age or gender. The paper closes with the PVI, personal viewpoint identifier, to assign a new person to one of the three mind-sets.

Gender specificity of psychological help-seeking among Russian adolescents

The influence of social factors in adolescents seeking professional psychological help seems to be an urgent scientific and practical problem in both the foreign and Russian contexts. This article identifies the specifics of strategies and scenarios for help-seeking among boys and girls aged 14-17 based on the results of a quantitative sociological study of adolescents in Russia. An online survey of a representative sample (N = 17,000) aimed to measure help-seeking rates among two gender groups, an assessment of this experience, the prevalence of various coping strategies and social attitudes towards psychological help among Russian adolescents. The results showed significant differences in the experience of boys and girls in these aspects. In particular, female respondents more often had experience of seeking the services of a psychologist and used this practice to solve their mental problems. Young men were much less likely to seeking professional psychological help, which may be due to stigmatizing social attitudes. The revealed trends facilitated to propose key direction for future research of gender differences in the level of mental health literacy among Russian adolescents as well as their vulnerability to the social factor of stigma.

The Gender Aspect of the English Language. Should We Teach Gender Neutrality in the Classroom?

Aim. This article is aimed at the study of different aspects of gender linguistics in the English language, namely, the grammatical category of gender, gender vocabulary and phraseology, male and female differences in using language, the problem of gender neutrality teaching in English. Methods. The article is based on the study and review of research works in the fields of cultural studies, linguistics, and sociology. The paper summarises the current state of understanding on the topic and makes contribution to the field. Results. In this paper the grammatical gender of English is studied, examples of lexical units, phraseology, proverbs, and sayings are given, and differences in speech between men and women are described, forms of gender-neutral English are presented. The results of research clearly show that in the past English used not to be a gender-neutral language. Nowadays, we can observe that changes in cultural views influenced by feminism in the English-speaking countries have led to changes in the language itself. Conclusions. English has become one of the first languages in the world in which gender neutrality has become predominant. We think since gender-neutrality is highly valued in the English-speaking society, it must be taught to learners of English in different countries since the primary aim of learning a foreign language is communication which always includes a cultural component.

Using crayfish behavior assay as a simple and sensitive model to evaluate potential adverse effects of water pollution: Emphasis on antidepressants

The freshwater crayfish, Procambarus clarkii is an excellent aquatic animal model that is highly adaptable and tolerant. P. clarkii is widely used as a toxicity model to study various pharmaceutical exposure. This animal model has complex behavioral traits and is considered sensitive to environmental changes, making it an excellent candidate to study psychoactive drugs based on a behavioral approach. However, up to now, most behavioral studies on crayfish use manual observation and scoring that require panelists. In this study, we aim to develop an automation pipeline to analyze crayfish behavior automatically. We use a deep-learning approach to label body parts in multiple crayfish, and based on the trajectory results, the intra- or inter-individual crayfish were calculated. Reliable and fast results of several behavior endpoints in multiple crayfish were retrieved. We then validated the detection performance of numerous crayfish in specific gender groups (male-male and female-female). Based on the result, the male crayfish displayed significantly higher aggression than females. We also tested the antidepressant exposure on this animal model to evaluate the psychoactive effects of this drug. As male crayfish display more distinct agonistic behavior than females, we exposed them to sertraline (SRT) 1 ppb for 7 and 14 days. It was revealed that sertraline was able to alter several behavioral endpoints in crayfish. Significant increases in extend claw ratio, total distance moved, average speed, and rapid movement were displayed in sertraline-exposed crayfish but decreased interaction time and longest interaction time. In addition, SRT 14 days exposure could atler the aggressiveness and bold behavior In the present method, DeepLabCut (DLC) has been utilized to analyze the locomotion behavior of multiple crayfish. This established method provides rapid and accurate ecotoxicity measurements using freshwater crayfish, which beneficient and applicable for environmental research.

Psychological defenses in patients with autonomic nervous system disorder

In order to identify psychosocial characteristics of individuals with autonomic nervous system disorder (ANSD), 104 patients of the organized population of Petrozavodsk (n=104; mean age 36.8±10.7 years; gender index 1:1) were examined. The control group included healthy individuals (n=30; mean age 36.1±5.5 years; gender index 1:1; p=0.761). The ANSD diagnosis was confirmed by means of the Questionnaire for identifying signs of vegetative changes and the Study scheme for detecting signs of vegetative disorders (Vein A.M. et al., 2003), as well as by palpatory examination using the Markelov-Naryshkin method. The calculation of the Kerdo index in the patients with ANSD showed a predominance of sympathicotonia (40.38% and 50.0% of cases among men and women, respectively) over parasympathicotonia (21.15% of the patients without gender differences). In addition, psychological defenses (PD) were investigated using the method of the Life Style Index (LSI) (R. Plutchik, H. Kellerman, R. Conte, 1979). It was found that the patients with ANSD were characterized by an increase in the overall stress index of psychological defense mechanisms due to “regression” (22.28±15.45 (0) / 35.57±14.6 (9.33±5.31)), “projections” (23.97±17.61 (10.78±3.59) / 31.23±18.05 (12.83±6.11)), and “substitutions” (20.43±12.74 (5.65±1.15) / 16.29±10.85 (6.67±3.98)), with statistically rarer use of “denial” (36.71±15.42 (47.68±13.98) / 34.18±17.64 (51.8±14.37) percentiles among men with ANSD (healthy individuals) / women with ANSD (healthy individuals); p=0.001). Gender specificity was noted only in relation to the PD “reactive education”, with its predominant use by women 37.88±23.71 (compared with 23.27±19.37 percentiles in men; p<0.01). The identified psychosocial predictors are aimed at timely diagnosis and optimization of medical and psychological rehabilitation of patients with ANSD.

Gender Neutrality Made Easy and Constitutional: Why We Call Members of the House “Congressman” and “Congresswoman,” and Why We Should Not

Abstract How did we come to use and accept “congressman” and, later, “congresswoman” instead of “representative” as the nearly default designation for members of the House, while at the same time referring to senators exclusively by that title? And despite it being inherently inaccurate and unnecessarily binary, this convention for members of the House has gone unchallenged, even as gender-neutral language advances and even as the House of Representatives has considered such things as adding more gender-neutral bathrooms. This article traces, for the first time, the history of “congressman” (and “congresswoman”) conceptualized as a linguistic meme subject to a process of replication and imitation. It explores the first uses of “congressman” prior to the Constitution, how the reporting of elections in the early decades of the republic embedded the use of “congressman” for House members in the national vocabulary, and how the arrival of congresswomen ironically reinforced this convention. This study also uses comparisons to the titles for legislators in American states and other nations to show how exceptional these terms are in being both gendered and institutionally inaccurate. Finally, it draws on that history to argue that the House, press, and public should drop these gendered, civically confusing, and politically inappropriate honorifics in favor of the one specified in the Constitution.

Appraising Unmet Needs and Misinformation Spread About Polycystic Ovary Syndrome in 85,872 YouTube Comments Over 12 Years: Big Data Infodemiology Study.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrinopathy in women, resulting in substantial burden related to metabolic, reproductive, and psychological complications. While attempts have been made to understand the themes and sentiments of the public regarding PCOS at the local and regional levels, no study has explored worldwide views, mainly due to financial and logistical limitations. YouTube is one of the largest sources of health-related information, where many visitors share their views as questions or comments. These can be used as a surrogate to understand the public's perceptions. We analyzed the comments of all videos related to PCOS published on YouTube from May 2011 to April 2023 and identified trends over time in the comments, their context, associated themes, gender-based differences, and underlying sentiments. After extracting all the comments using the YouTube application programming interface, we contextually studied the keywords and analyzed gender differences using the Benjamini-Hochberg procedure. We applied a multidimensional approach to analyzing the content via association mining using Mozdeh. We performed network analysis to study associated themes using the Fruchterman-Reingold algorithm and then manually screened the comments for content analysis. The sentiments associated with YouTube comments were analyzed using SentiStrength. A total of 85,872 comments from 940 PCOS videos on YouTube were extracted. We identified a specific gender for 13,106 comments. Of these, 1506 were matched to male users (11.5%), and 11,601 comments to female users (88.5%). Keywords including diagnosing PCOS, symptoms of PCOS, pills for PCOS (medication), and pregnancy were significantly associated with female users. Keywords such as herbal treatment, natural treatment, curing PCOS, and online searches were significantly associated with male users. The key themes associated with female users were symptoms of PCOS, positive personal experiences (themes such as helpful and love), negative personal experiences (fatigue and pain), motherhood (infertility and trying to conceive), self-diagnosis, and use of professional terminology detailing their journey. The key themes associated with male users were misinformation regarding the "cure" for PCOS, using natural and herbal remedies to cure PCOS, fake testimonies from spammers selling their courses and consultations, finding treatment for PCOS, and sharing perspectives of female family members. The overall average positive sentiment was 1.6651 (95% CI 1.6593-1.6709), and the average negative sentiment was 1.4742 (95% CI 1.4683-1.4802) with a net positive difference of 0.1909. There may be a disparity in views on PCOS between women and men, with the latter associated with non-evidence-based approaches and misinformation. The improving sentiment noticed with YouTube comments may reflect better health care services. Prioritizing and promoting evidence-based care and disseminating pragmatic online coverage is warranted to improve public sentiment and limit misinformation spread.

The myth of gender neutrality in family court: A clinician's perspective on determinations of “the best interest of the child”

AbstractMisogyny is a universal prejudice against women manifest in all areas of society. To interrogate the nature of this prejudice, the author uses the family court system as her focus. The myth of gender neutrality in family court is pervasive. Current laws are framed around the assumption that both parents are on a level playing field. The reality is that our legal system is biased against mothers. This often reveals itself in the way courts make determinations of “the best interests of the child”. Family court is a microcosm of societal attitudes about parents, especially mothers, and related beliefs about what protects children. A brief review of family law and the “best interest” standard follows as well as a review of what we know and do not know about what is protective for children. The author reviews the problems inherent in family law and mental health training and practice—forensic and clinical. Although mandated to protect children, family court decisions sometimes have the opposite impact, and at times, even endangering the most protective parent and the child. This occurs mainly by devaluing the caretaking role while requiring the more responsible parent to facilitate the other parent's relationship with the child—regardless of the impact on her and the child. There are many reasons for this, but the basic one is the misogyny built into this system. This essay describes how social science research, psychological theory, and developmental principles are misused by both the legal and mental health professions to that end.

Is a gender-morality or gender-control gap responsible for male-female differences in delinquency? cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses

ABSTRACT This study tested for gender-morality and gender-control gaps that might explain sex differences in crime in a group of 2,718 early adolescent youth (1,309 boys and 1,409 girls; mean age = 12.12 years). Although moral neutralization and cognitive impulsivity were significantly higher in boys than in girls and moral neutralization rose significantly over time, the rise was roughly comparable across gender. Analyses confirmed the presence of a gender-morality gap whereby moral neutralization had an effect on delinquency in boys but not girls, and a gender-control gap where cognitive impulsivity played a role in delinquency for girls but not boys. In a cross-sectional analysis, the partial correlation between gender and moral neutralization, controlling for delinquency, was significantly higher than the partial correlation between gender and delinquency, controlling for moral neutralization, implying that gender differences in moral neutralization are stronger than gender differences in delinquency in early adolescence. In a longitudinal analysis, moral neutralization mediated the relationship between gender and delinquency in a design with proper temporal order between the independent (gender), mediating (moral neutralization), and dependent (delinquency) variables. These findings suggest that weak moral agency may be one of the factors driving the well-known relationship between male gender and antisocial behavior.

Гендерные маркеры погребений римского времени из могильника Опушки

This paper makes an attempt to identify the markers of various gender groups among those buried in the cemetery of Opushki, which is located in the central part of the Crimean foothill area. A total of 266 burials (167 child, 59 female, and 40 male graves) dating from the first to fourth century AD have been analysed. All these monuments belong to the Late Scythian and the Neizats archaeological cultures. The analysis undertaken indicates that neither grave construction, nor funeral rite had gender specificity. In this perspective, the composition of grave goods was more expressive. The exclusively female and child accessories were mirrors, spindle whorls, and bells; moreover, graves of children usually received only fragments of mirrors, though women’s burials got complete artefacts. Scythian arrowheads, faience amulets, and pendants made of coins and mollusc shells were predominantly children’s attributes. The finds of weapons, horse harness, and iron rod-shaped artefacts and flints, probably used to make fire, were associated with male graves only. The buckles were also concentrated mostly in male graves. Although the brooches, ornaments, vessels, knives, and whetstones appeared in the burials of all sex-and-age groups, gender specificity might be observed in minor details, i.e. quantity, frequency of occurrence, ways of usage, and so on. It is especially pronounced with the ornaments, mainly in case of the beads.

Masculinity as a Trace Element of Relationship: The case of IFÁ and AYÒ OLỌ́PỌ́N among Yoruba of Southwestern Nigeria

Different cultures of the world have gender specifications for cultural and professional activities- religious or social. Among the Yoruba, Ifá is the foundation on which the culture rests. That is, every cultural activity is connected back to and referenced in Ifá. Ayò ọlọ́pọ́n is an indigenous Yoruba game that has gained an international nomenclature in the present time. Despite the influence of Ifá on every aspect of the Yoruba life, no work has been carried out linking or relating ayò ọlọ́pọ́n with to Ifá, particularly on gender. This gap is filled by this study. Cultural studies, which emphasize the social power that encodes the culture in society are adopted using the comparative method. Adopting a cultural approach offers an opportunity for using appropriate analytical tools necessary at any point of analysis. The scope of cultural studies accommodates interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary fields of academic inquiry. Relying on Ifá corpora texts, incantation and interviews from Ifá practitioners and ayò ọlọ́pọ́n’s players and author’s observations from the field, gender specificity in Ifá is compared with gender roles in ayò ọlọ́pọ́n to establish gender synergies between the two cultural elements. It is found that there is a cultural confluence between male gender activities in Ifá and ayò performances. It is also found that there is communities’ cultural change resulting in growth and development, with the involvement of the female gender in ayò ọlọ́pọ́n in contemporary times among the Yoruba. This study concludes that the male gender relates ayò ọlọ́pọ́n to Ifá.

Exploring gender disparities in burn injuries: A retrospective study at a burns centre in Karachi, Pakistan

IntroductionBurn is defined as any injury due to heat or acute trauma, according to the International Society of Burns Injury (ISBI). A neglected aspect of our country is the gender-specific pattern of burn injuries. This study aims to highlight the gender-based disparities of burns injuries and overcome the drastic effects of burns on an individual's life. MethodThe data from the burns centre of Dr Ruth.K.M.Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi from Jan 1, 2021, to Dec 31, 2021, were retrospectively analyzed to perform this study. Different variables such as aetiology, circumstances, residence, age, TBSA, degree and occupation were recorded from the patient's files. They were compared by gender to find out any existing correlation. ResultsThe estimated sample size was 375, 180(48%) females, and 195(52%) were burned males. A significant correlation was found for gender with a degree of burns, aetiology, age, occupation, and residence. Whereas circumstances of burns and TBSA were non-significantly correlated to gender. ConclusionIn conclusion, our study determined that men most commonly suffer from burn injuries. In contrast, thermal injury is the most dominant etiological factor in every age group in both genders. Several risk factors are associated with a specific gender, requiring adaptive prevention and management approaches to culminate this issue.

Varieties of antigenderism: the politicization of gender issues across three European populist radical right parties

ABSTRACT This research contributes to the study of populist radical right parties’ (PRRPs) role in gendered democratic backsliding by analyzing their articulation and symbolic representation of gender issues. We compare the politicization of gender issues across three European PRRPs, examining how context-specific gendered opportunity structures – the level of contestation of gender issues in their country, the resonance of antigenderism among their electorate, and their issue repertoire and historical trajectory – shape the extent and ways in which the German AfD, the Italian Lega and the Sweden Democrats politicize gender issues. We conduct a quantitative content analysis of PRRPs’ framing of gender issues and construct topic networks based on the parties’ Facebook and Twitter posts during the European Parliament election campaign 2019. We analyze the salience of gender issues, the broader topical context in which they are embedded, the specific gender issues addressed, and the parties’ positions on these issues. Our results show how context-specific gendered opportunities shape PRRPs’ national gender discourses: A low level of contestation, evidenced by a high public recognition and legal protection of gender and sexual equality, seems to foster a femonationalist framing, while antigenderist discourse is less pronounced in such a context. Instead, a higher level of contestation, expressed in a lower public recognition and legal protection of gender and sexual equality, seems to foster antigenderist discourse. A transnational femonationalist framing, shared by all analyzed parties, relates to a common nativist ideological core.

Human Papillomavirus-Associated Oropharyngeal Cancer: Global Epidemiology and Public Policy Implications.

Global trends in human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated head and neck cancers (HNC), specifically in the oropharynx subsite, have been dynamically changing, leading to new staging and treatment paradigms. Epidemiologic studies have noted regional variations in HPV-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC). While HPV vaccination remains the main preventative approach, vaccination policy in relation to gender neutrality is heterogeneous and particularly sparse in low- and middle-income countries, where the burden of global cancer cases and HPV-associated HNC are not well-characterized in certain regions. This review summarizes the existing literature on regional variations of HPV-associated OPSCC and gender-neutral vaccine policies. Based on available data, the incidence of HPV-associated OPSCC is highest in North America, Europe, and Oceania. As of 2022, 122 of 195 (63%) World Health Organization (WHO) member states had incorporated HPV vaccinations nationally; of these, 41 of 122 (34%) member states have introduced gender-neutral vaccine coverage. Future research is needed to describe continued evolving trends in HPV-associated OPSCC, understand underlying risk factors leading to regional variation in disease, and implement gender-neutral policy more broadly.

Can Women and Religion (Catholic) Save Modern Leadership?

This article examines the theoretical potential of the gender leadership model of women motivated by the Catholic religion in the context of its ability to socially and politically activate and its effectiveness in terms of assumed goals. Numerous studies on gender indicate a certain effectiveness of gender politics (including gender equality and neutrality) in reducing the deficit of women in politics, but it turns out that in the long term it does not effectively solve the problem of the asymmetry of gender representation in the world of politics. The analysis of the decision-making processes of a selected group of Saints, Blessed and Venerable Servants of God, recognised by the Catholic Church as a model to follow, indicates that women with a strong internal religious motivation were more determined to act and enter the sphere of public activity (including politics) than those motivated only externally. They preferred a relational style of political leadership, but also practiced its goal-oriented form. These leaders mixed strategies, adjusting them to their own capabilities and the needs of their surroundings, making them more effective and efficient in achieving their goals despite the limitations resulting from external systemic conditionalities.

Integrating LGBTQI+ Content in Nursing Education Using Immersive Virtual Reality: Embodying Eden.

Teaching nursing students to understand LGBTQI+ health care perspectives is critical in providing safe and effective care. Nursing curricula often have limited LGBTQI+ content to prepare students, with clinical experiences too varied to ensure exposure to specific gender diversity learning opportunities. Immersive virtual reality is a promising strategy to offer rich learning experiences from the perspective of the LGBTQI+ community.

Gender-related Characteristics of Oxidative Stress Severity and Cognitive Impairment in Patients With Schizophrenia.

The gender specificity of the clinical and psychopathological features of schizophrenia is an important factor in this disease. Gender features of neurocognitive deficit in schizophrenia and associated functional and structural disorders of the brain activity are of particular interest to researchers. There are several potential pathogenetic factors of this disease associated with gender, one of which is considered to be oxidative stress. Stress-induced cell death in the prefrontal and anterior frontal regions and reduced brain volume in these regions lead to cognitive and executive decline in patients with schizophrenia. Despite the great interest in the gender factor in schizophrenia pathogenesis, there are currently very few studies on gender differences in the severity of redox imbalance in patients with schizophrenia and their association with neurocognitive deficit.The aim of the study was to reveal the gender specificity of oxidative stress severity in patients with schizophrenia and assess its association with the severity of neurocognitive deficit.The study included 125 patients with schizophrenia and 75 sex- and age-matched healthy volunteers. Sociodemographic and clinical data were studied. Cognitive functions were evaluated using BACS. Blood samples were taken for biochemical studies of the levels of reduced glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) in erythrocyte hemolysate, malonic dialdehyde (MDA), aldehyde-2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazones (ADNPH), ketone-2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazones (KDNPH) in plasma. Levels of oxidative stress markers were assessed by spectrophotometric method.In a sample of patients with schizophrenia, a statistically significantly higher activity of CAT was revealed among women compared to men (T=2.25; p=0.025), however, it was lower than in healthy volunteers. But, at the same time, a higher concentration of protein peroxidation products was found in the peripheral blood of women than in men (ADNPH MCO: T=2.52; p=0.013; KDNPH MCO: Z=-2.26; p=0.017). In the group of healthy volunteers, in contrast to patients with schizophrenia, gender differences in markers of oxidative stress were not found. In women with schizophrenia, single correlations were found between the level of the lipid peroxidation product MDA and the test scores for verbal memory (R=-0.36; p=0.006) and working memory (R=-0.36; p=0.006), antioxidant enzyme activity SOD and motor skills (R=-0.26; p=0.047). In men, on the contrary, multiple correlations of both antioxidants and, mainly, products of lipid and protein peroxidation with cognitive functions assessed using BACS were found.Despite the fact that oxidative stress is more pronounced in women than in men with schizophrenia, associations of redox imbalance with neurocognitive deficit in women is much less pronounced than in men.