Role Of Sex Research Articles

Breaking the gender code: configurational insights on women directors and financial performance in family firms

Purpose Previous studies have considered the presence of women directors on corporate boards and their impact on financial performance in isolation, disregarding their interaction with other corporate boards and firm-level attributes. Consequently, the results of such studies are largely inconclusive. This study addresses this gap by adopting a system’s approach to corporate governance characteristics and firm financial performance, rooted in a configurational approach. Design/methodology/approach The authors used fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis to investigate the association of outside executive women directors and family-affiliated executive women directors with financial performance in the presence of board and firm-level characteristics in 216 listed non-financial family firms in Pakistan over the period of 2014–2019. Findings The findings reveal that various configurations of board and firm characteristics lead to high financial performance, underscoring conjunction, equifinality and asymmetry. The authors note that, the presence of outside executive women directors on corporate boards is frequently associated with high financial performance compared to family-affiliated executive women directors. Additionally, results indicates that presence of either outside executive women directors, family-affiliated executive women directors or both on corporate board associates with low level of leverage and vice versa. Moreover, high proportion of independent directors, large board size and large firm size are frequently associated with high ROE and Tobin’s Q. Originality/value This study introduces a novel perspective by integrating board and firm-level characteristics using a configurational approach. Focusing on listed non-financial family firms, the study highlights the asymmetric association between women directors and financial performance, suggesting that their impact fluctuates based on their combination with other board- and firm-level attributes. The study’s findings challenge the notion of a one-size-fits-all approach to board gender diversity and call for a more contextual understanding of how different types of women directors contribute to firm performance in family firms.

SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 outcomes across mental disorders and the role of sex: A register-based study from Catalonia.

This study investigated the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe COVID-19 outcomes among different mental health diagnoses and the role of sex in these associations. Using electronic records from Catalonia, we identified adults receiving mental health care from 2017-2019 with diagnoses of non-affective psychosis (NAP), bipolar disorder (BD), depressive disorder (DEP), stress-related disorders, neurotic/somatoform disorders (NSD), and substance misuse (SUB) (exposed). The outcomes assessed were SARS-CoV-2 infection, COVID-19 hospitalization, and COVID-19-related death, compared to matched individuals without these mental disorders (unexposed). Adjusted logistic regression analyses were conducted. 785,378 adults were included (70.3% < 65 years old; 57.1% women). Compared to unexposed, those with NAP, BD, DEP, and SUB had a lower risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection, while those with NSD had an increased risk. Infected individuals with DEP, NSD, and SUB had a lower risk of hospitalization but a higher risk of COVID-19-related death. Higher COVID-19-related death was also observed in individuals with NAP and BD. Sex-stratified analysis revealed that women with NSD were especially vulnerable to infection, and women with DEP and NSD had a higher risk of COVID-19-related death. These findings emphasize the need for tailored public health strategies to reduce excess mortality risk among individuals with certain mental disorders, while accounting for sex differences.

Coffee and tea consumption and dementia risk: The role of sex and vascular comorbidities.

Coffee and tea consumption has been linked to dementia. However, it remained unknown how sex and vascular risk factors modify the association. We aimed to investigate the association of coffee and tea consumption with dementia and whether sex and vascular comorbidities modified the association. We included 278 elderly patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and 102 patients with vascular dementia (VaD) from three hospitals; controls (N=468) were recruited during the same period. We collected the frequency and amount of coffee and tea consumption and the presence of vascular comorbidities. The multinomial logistic regression model was utilized to evaluate the association of coffee and tea consumption with dementia, stratified by sex and vascular comorbidities. Different combinations and quantities of coffee and tea consumption protected against AD and VaD. Consumption of ≥3 cups of coffee or tea per day was protective against AD [adjusted odds ratio (aOR)=0.42; 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.22-0.78)] and VaD (aOR=0.42; 95% CI=0.19-0.94). Stratified analyses showed that the protective effects of a higher quantity of coffee and tea against AD were more pronounced among females and individuals with hypertension. Consumption of either coffee or tea was associated with a decreased risk of VaD among diabetic participants (aOR=0.23; 95% CI=0.06-0.98). Hyperlipidemia modified the association of coffee or tea consumption on the risk of AD and VaD (both Pinteraction < 0.01). The risk of AD and VaD was lower with increased consumption of coffee and tea; the impact differed by sex and vascular comorbidities including hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes.

Sex differences in the affective-cognitive dimension of neuropathic pain: Insights from the Spared Nerve Injury rat model

Over 40% of neuropathic pain patients experience mood and cognitive disturbances, often showing reduced response to analgesics, with most affected individuals being female. This highlights the critical role of biological sex in pain-related affective and cognitive disorders, making it essential to understand the emotional and cognitive circuits linked to pain for improving treatment strategies. However, research on sex differences in preclinical pain models is lacking. This study aimed to investigate these differences using the spared nerve injury (SNI) rat model, conducting a comprehensive series of behavioural tests over 100 days post-injury to identify key time points for observing sex-specific behaviours indicative of pain-related conditions. The findings revealed that female rats exhibited greater mechanical and cold hypersensitivity compared to males following nerve injury and showed earlier onset of depression-related behaviours, while males were more prone to anxiety, social, and memory-related alterations. Interestingly, by the 14th week post-injury, females displayed no signs of these emotional and cognitive impairments. Additionally, fluctuations in the oestrous cycle or changes in testosterone and oestradiol levels did not correlate with sex differences in pain sensitivity or negative affect. Recognizing the influence of biological sex on pain-induced affective and cognitive alterations, especially in later stages post-injury, is crucial for enhancing our understanding of this complex pain disorder. Data availabilityAccess to the raw data constituting the findings presented in this manuscript can be requested from the corresponding author of the publication.

Dual jeopardy for Indian service users: Qualitative study of managing comorbid schizophrenia and diabetes mellitus.

Diabetes mellitus is a sequelae of antipsychotic medication in people of Indian descent with schizophrenia. The Indian socio-cultural context amplifies challenges of managing chronic illness. The aim of this study was to explore Indian mental health service users' perspectives of managing comorbid psychosis and diabetes mellitus, specifically culture-related difficulties. In this exploratory study, people with an Indian cultural background recruited from community mental health clinics were interviewed by an Indian psychiatrist using a semi-structured questionnaire. Interviews were professionally transcribed. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to develop central organising concepts and identify themes. Four themes were identified: culture-specific views on comorbidity, preferences for tailoring education to Indian language and culture, changes in interpersonal relationships within extended family and relationships with healthcare professionals. Advice from hospital services was not specific to Indian culture and there were wider impacts of illness for wider family. Indian New Zealanders have challenges in managing dual mental and physical illnesses. Further research is needed to develop approaches to care that emphasise service users' culture as core to understanding illness and treatment. This includes consideration of gender roles, families, communities, food, language, lifestyle and barriers to treatment.

Exploring the role of sex in hospitalizations among people with and without HIV in British Columbia, Canada.

We assessed sex differences in hospitalization rates among people with HIV (PWH) and people without HIV (PWoH) in British Columbia (BC). PWH and a 10% random sample of PWoH in BC aged ≥19 were followed from 04/01/2002 to 03/31/2020, using linked administrative Comparative Outcomes and Service Utilization Trends (COAST) study data. Hospitalizations were categorized by discharge diagnosis, using broad International Classification of Diseases-classes. Using Poisson regression, we modelled the association between sex, HIV-status, their interaction, and hospitalization rates adjusting for confounders. Among 12,635 PWH (17.81% females) and 548,992 PWoH (49.34% females), age-adjusted hospitalization rates per 100 person-years were highest among females with HIV (incidence rate [IR] 34.25), followed by males with HIV (IR 21.49), females (IR 7.10), and males (IR 7.06) without HIV. Hospitalization rates for all causes declined from 2002-2022 across all subgroups but remained consistently higher among females with HIV, except for circulatory diseases and neoplasms. Adjusted for socio-structural factors, being male (rate ratio [RR] 1.92) or female with HIV (RR 2.66) was significantly associated with a higher hospitalization rate compared to males without HIV. Among PWH, female sex remained significantly associated with a higher hospitalization rate, after adjusting for HIV- and disease-related factors. We found a higher hospitalization rate among PWH than PWoH in BC, with the highest rate among females with HIV. This could partially be explained by socio-structural factors. Addressing these disparities and improving our understanding of the underlying mechanisms is critical to enhance health outcomes for women with HIV.

Exploring the role of sex, sex steroids, menstrual cycle, and hormonal contraception use in visual working memory: Insights from behavioral and EEG analyses.

Sex hormones have been shown to influence cognitive and emotional processes, yet their effects on visual working memory (VWM) are poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between VWM, sex, and female hormonal status in participants aged 18-35 years. We recruited 32 males (M) and 133 females, categorized into four groups: naturally cycling females in the early follicular (NCF, n = 33) and mid-luteal (NCL, n = 35) phases of the menstrual cycle, oral contraceptive (OC, n = 37), and intrauterine device users (IUD, n = 28). Participants completed a bilateral change detection task while behavioral and EEG data were recorded. We evaluated VWM performance and associated brain electrophysiological responses, specifically Contralateral Delay Activity (CDA). Salivary levels of testosterone, progesterone, and estradiol were assessed. We found no systematic differences in VWM task performance or CDA between groups, nor any correlations with hormone levels. However, an exception to this was that NCF females performed worse than OC users when recalling four items. Age emerged as a significant covariate, with greater age being linked to poorer performance. An interaction between age and group in memory capacity highlighted differential patterns of age-related cognitive decline across sexes and female hormonal status groups. These findings provide valuable insights into the broader relationship between sex, sex hormones, and cognition. They suggest that in studies employing a between-subject design, hormone-dependent differences in more complex processes, such as visuospatial performance, are unlikely to stem from the role of sex hormones in VWM and may instead arise from other factors.

Parental Drinking Patterns and Adolescent Alcohol Consumption: Considering the Role of Sex and Developmental Stage.

Research indicates that parental behaviors shape adolescents' alcohol consumption, but it is unclear whether mothers or fathers have a more significant impact and how this relationship varies by sex and developmental stage. This study examines the effects of parental alcohol consumption patterns on adolescents in Russia using a large representative sample. The study employs pooled data from the Russia Longitudinal Monitoring Survey-Higher School of Economics (RLMS-HSE) from 2006 to 2019. The final sample included 25 611 cases of adolescents with the available data on their parents (20% male adolescents aged 14-17, 20% female adolescents aged 14-17, 28% male adolescents aged 18-22, and 32% female adolescents aged 18-22; M = 18.22, SD = 2.63). Logistic regression models were used to account for sex and developmental stages. Adolescent drinking was measured as a binary variable indicating drinking at least sometimes, while parental drinking was categorised into five levels, including moderate and excessive consumption. Maternal alcohol consumption patterns were associated with adolescent drinking. Sex differences were observed, with parental drinking patterns showing a greater association with alcohol use for female adolescents. For middle adolescents, a positive association with excessive alcohol consumption by their parents was found. The study emphasises the importance of considering both parents' alcohol consumption patterns when examining adolescent alcohol use, with findings indicating that maternal drinking played a more significant role than paternal drinking. It is crucial to explore this relationship separately for male and female adolescents, considering the stage of adolescence.

Conditionings of being perpetrator or victim in adolescence

The aim of the article is to investigate the thesis of a direct and indirect link between sex, gender, and aggressive and victim behavior from the perspective of bio–, social and psychological development. The meta-analysis of the previous study identifies risk factors and protective factors for becoming an aggressor or a victim and the role of sex and gender in that process. The work consists of two parts. The first part of the chapter is the review of the latest research in the field of aggression and adolescence focused on conditions of violence among youth. And the second part is the presentation of the latest research of the author. In the study, model were considered: bio, psycho and social factors such as sex, temperament; attachment; aggressiveness; family, teacher, and classmate support; resilience; and the previous victim or aggressor experiences

Material and social deprivation among one-person households: the role of gender

We explore whether gender has a statistically significant impact on material and social deprivation of single adults after accounting for other characteristics. We use data from the 2022 European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions survey for six European countries. By assuming deprivation as an individual latent trait and by treating different deprivation levels as ranked categories, we estimate a proportional odds model separately by country. Our findings suggest a clear role for gender, i.e., the risk of being materially and socially deprived is relatively higher for women everywhere. The novelty is that facing “unexpected expenses” is the worst trouble for women, clearly coming from relative financial and economic fragility. Individual characteristics play a more important role than more aggregate indicators at explaining the risk of material and social deprivation. Finally, the estimated gender gap is robust to a large set of changes in model specification and assumptions.

P0063 Prevalence of sarcopenia in a cohort of patients with inflammatory bowel disease: observational study in a tertiary care centre

Abstract Background Malnutrition is a common condition of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and could be associated with sarcopenia i.e. a reduced muscle mass and strength. It is well demonstrated that sarcopenic IBD patients have two to three times higher risk of lost of response to biotechnology drugs than non-sarcopenic patients. Methods A prospective observational study was conducted.Consecutive IBD patients were enrolled. Data were collected on disease characteristics, therapy and disease activity. We collected data about the frequency(none, low,high) and the kind (aerobic or anaerobic) of the physical activity of patients.At the enrolment, nutritional assessments were performed by body mass index(BMI) and the global subjective assessment by the MUST(Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool) index.Moreover, the SARC-F questionnaire, recommended by the scientific consensus EWGSOP 2 to identify individuals at risk for sarcopenia was administrated.A SARC-F value≥4 was significant of sarcopenia. The quality of life was assessed using the inflammatory bowel disease questionnaire (IBDQ). Univariate and multivariate analysis was conducted between BMI, MUST,SARC-F and IBDQ values and patient characteristics(age, current therapy, disease activity and physical activity). Results A total of 353 IBD patients (170 CD, 183 UC),54,55% male, with a mean age of 44.78 years were enrolled. A mean BMI of 24,35 kg/m2, was calculated. Regarding malnutrition, 210 patients (59.66%) were considered at low risk (MUST=0), 88 subjects (25%) at medium risk (MUST=1), 53(15,34%) at high risk (MUST ≥2).A SARC-F value ≥4 was evaluated in 57 patients (16.19%). A reduction in quality of life, understood as IBDQ &amp;lt;209, was found in 124(35.23%) patients. Univariate analysis shows a protective role of male sex(OR vs. female sex: 0.33; p-value:0.018) in the risk of sarcopenia; older subjects had a higher sarcopenic risk (OR 1.04; p.&amp;lt;0.001). The risk was associated with a severe disease activity (OR 9.46,p.&amp;lt;0.001), increasing MUST(OR 1,65, p.&amp;lt;0.001) and with the IBDQ decreases (OR 5.9,p.&amp;lt;0.001). Multivariate analysis confirmed an higher incidence of sarcopenia in women of advanced age with active-stage disease (R2 0.88), furthermore female patients with active-stage disease who did not engage in physical activity had a greater impairment in quality of life (R2: 0.75, p.&amp;lt;0.0001). Physical activity played a protective role in the onset of sarcopenia regardless of sex and age (R2: 0.82, p.&amp;lt;0.0001). Conclusion In our cohort, sarcopenia was present in only 16.19%.Male sex was found to be a protective factor for sarcopenia. Disease status is linked to the risk of sarcopenia. Regular physical activity has been shown to have a protective was related with a lower risk of sarcopenia.

The Role of Sex and Gender in Acute Kidney Injury - Consensus Statements from the 33rd Acute Disease Quality Initiative.

Sex differences exist in acute kidney injury (AKI), and the role that sex and gender play along the AKI care continuum remains unclear. The 33rd Acute Disease Quality Initiative meeting evaluated available data on the role of sex and gender in AKI and identified knowledge gaps. Data from experimental models, pathophysiology, epidemiology, clinical care, gender, social determinants of health, education, and advocacy were reviewed. Recommendations include incorporating sex and gender into research along the bench-to-bedside spectrum, analyzing sex-stratified results, evaluating the effects of sex chromosomes, hormones, and gender on outcomes, considering fluctuations of hormone levels, studying the impact gender may have on access to care, and developing educational tools to inform patients, providers, and stakeholders. This meeting report summarizes what is known about sex and gender along the AKI care continuum and proposes an agenda for translational discovery to elucidate the role of sex and gender in AKI across the lifespan.

Sex-based analysis of status epilepticus management and outcome: A cohort study.

Status epilepticus (SE) is a neurological emergency with significant morbidity and mortality. The role of sex as a factor influencing the characteristics, treatment, and outcomes of SE has been scarcely addressed. This study investigates this variable regarding the clinical management and outcome among adult patients with SE. We retrospectively analyzed the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) Status Epilepticus Registry (SERCH) over a 10-year period, including 961 SE episodes in 831 patients (56.82% male; 43.18% female), excluding post-axonic cases. There were no statistically significant differences in age, potentially fatal etiology, or pre-treatment consciousness impairment between sexes. Male patients were slightly younger (mean age 61 vs 64 years, p =.03), had a higher prevalence of prior seizures (54.76% vs 47.9%, p = .04), and were more likely to present with generalized convulsive SE (51.5% vs 41%), whereas female patients exhibited a higher frequency of focal unaware SE (31.7% vs 22.1%, global p = .02). Treatment strategies were similar across sexes, with benzodiazepines as first-line therapy in over 80% of cases, levetiracetam being the most frequently prescribed second-line treatment, followed by valproate and lacosamide. Development of refractory SE was comparable between sexes (54% in both, p = .92); outcomes at discharge were also similar. SE refractoriness and return to baseline conditions remained similar after multivariable adjustment for potential confounders. Overall, our results suggest comparable SE management, treatment responsiveness and outcomes between men and women.

Rethinking Gender: Beyond the Binary and into the Unknown.

Our present and evolved understanding has challenged the previously synonymous use of the terms 'sex' and 'gender'. We have moved beyond the binary categorization towards proliferation of gender identities. Thus, raising questions whether certain identities are traits or gender identities. This complexity of the issue is exacerbated by the cultural relativity of gender identity and by lack of a standardized list. Adopting a balanced approach, the article touches upon the prejudices against the gender minorities. Additionally, it touches upon the controversies surrounding gender identities and their development to ensure that the individuals can make more informed choices and engage in more meaningful discourse. It addresses issues of politicised debates, linguistic diversity, and the role of pharma industry in the sex-change procedures. The paradigm of gender has transcended the binary constructs in the contemporary discourse. However, it has ventured into unchartered territories revealing several unexplored facets that await scholarly investigation. The present paper critiques the concept of gender identities and the sociopolitical landscape surrounding it through the lens of Critical Theory. In conclusion, our understanding of gender is still limited and evolving. There is a need for adopting a more nuanced and informed approach to challenge the issues posed by this era of evolving gender expression and identities. The article concludes with policy recommendations based on insights gained from the article and suggestions for future research.

The interplay of sex and genotype in disease associations: a comprehensive network analysis in the UK Biobank

BackgroundDisease comorbidities and longer-term complications, arising from biologically related associations across phenotypes, can lead to increased risk of severe health outcomes. Given that many diseases exhibit sex-specific differences in their genetics, our objective was to determine whether genotype-by-sex (GxS) interactions similarly influence cross-phenotype associations. Through comparison of sex-stratified disease-disease networks (DDNs)—where nodes represent diseases and edges represent their relationships—we investigate sex differences in patterns of polygenicity and pleiotropy between diseases.ResultsUsing UK Biobank summary statistics, we built male- and female-specific DDNs for 103 diseases. This revealed that male and female diseasomes have similar topology and central diseases (e.g., hypertensive, chronic respiratory, and thyroid-based disorders), yet some phenotypes exhibit sex-specific influence in cross-phenotype associations. Multiple sclerosis and osteoarthritis are central only in the female DDN, while cardiometabolic diseases and skin cancer are more prominent in the male DDN. Edge comparison indicated similar shared genetics between the two graphs relative to a random model of disease association, though notable discrepancies in embedding distances and clustering patterns imply a more expansive genetic influence on multimorbidity risk for females than males. Analysis of pleiotropic contributions of two sexually-dimorphic single-nucleotide polymorphisms related to thyroid disorders further validated a distinct genetic architecture across sexes that influences associations, confirmed through examination of corresponding gene expression profiles from the GTEx Portal.ConclusionsOur analysis affirms the presence of GxS interactions in cross-phenotype associations, emphasizing the need to investigate the role of sex in disease onset and its importance in biomedical discovery and precision medicine research.

Barriers to and facilitators of women general practitioners' careers: a systematic review.

Despite women comprising 52% of full-time equivalent general practitioners (GPs) in England, a significant gender pay gap persists (15% after adjustments). Further understanding of the barriers and facilitators impacting women GPs' careers is needed. To identify and synthesise research evidence exploring barriers to and facilitators of women GPs' careers. Systematic review of qualitative and quantitative studies. Studies were included of general practitioners conducted in the UK NHS general practice setting. Review methods followed Cochrane and PRISMA guidelines to systematically search MEDLINE, Embase, HMIC and Google Scholar to identify studies that explored gendered barriers and facilitators to GP careers. An inductive thematic analysis was used to synthesise the evidence. 21 articles were included in this review, with varied study designs. No relevant intervention studies were identified. There was a lack of recent research evidence; over half of the studies were conducted over 20 years ago. Most met quality criteria, though there were some problems with reporting and adjustment for potential confounders. Studies found barriers at personal, socio-cultural and system levels that inhibit women GPs' careers. While some positive changes have been documented across studies that span some thirty years, many challenges remain. Despite general practice being a medical specialty where women outnumber men, barriers at personal, socio-cultural and system levels continue to inhibit women GPs' careers.

Higher Intron Retention Levels in Female Alzheimer's Brains May Be Linked to Disease Prevalence.

Multimodal study of Alzheimer's disease (AD) dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) showed AD-related aberrant intron retention (IR) and proteomic changes not observed at the RNA level. However, the role of sex and how IR may impact the proteome are unclear. Analysis of DLPFC transcriptome showed a clear sex-biased pattern where female AD had 1645 elevated IR events compared to 80 in male AD DLPFC. Increased IR is correlated with lower mRNA levels, suggestive of nonsense-mediated mRNA decay. Two hundred thirty-three mRNAs with elevated IR in females were curated AD genes enriched for ubiquitin-like protein ligase and Tau protein binding. Increased IR genes in combined sex and female AD cohorts showed significant changes in their protein expression patterns with 11%-24% of them differential expressed proteins (DEP), alluding to the regulation of AD proteome by IR independent of RNA level. Upregulated DEPs in male AD were linked to RNA splicing that may prevent aberrant IR, whereas in female AD, they overlapped significantly more with the MAPK/metabolism module associated with cognitive decline. IR genes appeared to be significantly downregulated in specific female AD inhibitory and excitatory neurons compared to control. Differentially retained introns in female AD have elevated H3K27ac marks, strong CTCF binding at their flanking exons, and enriched for PABPC1 motif. Given that H3K27ac is repressive over gene bodies in aged brain and CTCF impedes transcription elongation, their binding patterns can delay co-transcriptional recruitment of spliceosome to cause IR, which may in turn contribute to different trajectories of AD pathology in women.

Co-creation of a gender responsive TB intervention in Nigeria: a researcher-led collaborative study

BackgroundIn Nigeria, men constitute over half of the people notified with tuberculosis (TB), experience longer delays before reaching care, and are estimated to account for two thirds of people who miss out on care. The higher TB risk and burden in men has implications for the whole population and reaching them earlier with TB services will reduce onward transmission in households, communities, and workplaces. The absence of a comprehensive guidance and the lack of substantial empirical evidence on TB care approaches that are responsive to the needs of men in Nigeria exacerbates this problem. Therefore, this research aimed to co-create a gender-responsive intervention for men in peri-urban communities in Nigeria.MethodsOur study utilised a researcher-led collaborative approach to engage local TB stakeholders including communities adversely affected by the disease to co-create a gender-responsive TB intervention. Between March and November 2022, we engaged 13 local TB stakeholders in a three-phase participatory intervention design process. This engagement involved two iterative cycles of Delphi research online, and an in-person workshop. In the first and second phases, participants described the potential impact of 15 listed interventions and prioritised combinations of nine interventions deemed to be effective in overcoming identified gendered barriers. Responses were analysed using a combination of qualitative framework approach, content analysis, and summary descriptive statistics assisted by NVivo software. Stakeholder consensus on a preferred intervention package was reached during the participatory workshop.ResultsOverall, participants prioritised approaches that sought to actively find and systematically screen men for TB including awareness creation as a crucial component. The stakeholders placed significant considerations on the synergy between interventions and their programmatic sustainability when making their final choices. Consequently, a complex intervention package comprising three components was developed. These included targeted awareness creation among men in communities; TB screening in male-dominated socio-cultural congregate settings; and the use of digital chest X-ray screening. Anticipated early outputs of this intervention included improved TB knowledge, increased care-seeking, reduced TB-related costs and TB stigma, and accelerated early diagnosis among men in Nigeria.ConclusionLeveraging the insights and experiences of local stakeholders through iterative engagements yielded consensus on a viable gender-responsive TB intervention.

Coronary atherosclerosis in athletes: emerging concepts and preventive strategies.

There should be no assumption that an athlete is immune to coronary artery disease (CAD), even when traditional cardiovascular (CV) risk factors appear well-managed. Excelling in certain aspects of health does not equate to total CV protection. Recent data from cardiac imaging studies have raised the possibility that long-term, high-volume, high-intensity endurance exercise is associated with coronary atherosclerosis. Whilst the risk of CV events has not been shown to rise with athletic activity, the potential for CAD should not be overlooked as it is the leading cause of sudden cardiac death in athletes >35 years of age (i.e. 'Masters athletes'). Evaluating both traditional and non-traditional risk factors for CAD is the most important part of pre-participation evaluation in Masters athletes. When managing athletes at risk of CAD it is important to adopt a shared decision-making approach regarding lifestyle adaptation and lipid-lowering treatments. In the great majority of athletes, after excluding the presence of symptoms and inducible ischaemia, this advice should include encouragement to continue exercising as available data indicate that higher levels of fitness are associated with a markedly attenuated incidence of coronary events regardless of the severity of coronary disease. Future research is needed to establish the relationship between clinically relevant CAD outcomes and coronary artery calcification in Masters Athletes, the role of sex, as well as exploration of the mechanisms underpinning these unexpected CV adaptations.

Exploring the Role of Sex and Gender in the Adoption of Assistive Technology in Dementia Care: A Scoping Review.

Given that women are disproportionately affected by dementia on several levels and assistive technology (AT) is increasingly used to manage the care of the growing number of people with dementia (PwD), there is an urgent need to understand the role of sex and gender regarding adoption of AT in dementia care. We conducted a scoping review following the framework of Arksey and O'Malley. All identified topics of sex and gender analysis (compatibility, attitude, usage, acceptance, access, usefulness, and well-being) were related to AT adoption, where the majority revealed sex and gender differences. Relevance of topics is discussed in relation to generation, culture, and mental health, including a switch of perspective to the gender of the technology. Even though we demonstrated sex and gender differences in AT adoption, their practical implications need to be further elaborated on in future research.