Sex Differences Research Articles

Morphometric Investigation of Sexual Dimorphism and Homotypic Variations of Ossicula Auditus in Morkaraman Sheep

In this study, it was aimed to determine the morphometric characteristics of the bones forming the ossicula auditus of Morkaraman sheep and to reveal the differences between sexes and sides. For this purpose, 24 (12 females/12 males) craniums of Morkaraman sheep were used in the study. After the craniums were macerated, the ossicula auditus in the cavum tympani were dissected out and morphometric data were determined by taking linear measurements. Sexually dimorphic structures and homotypic variations of the obtained morphometric data were statistically calculated. It was observed that the bones forming the ossicula auditis were malleus, incus and stapes, respectively, When the morphometric data obtained were analyzed, it was determined that there were statistically dimorphic differences between sexes in the parameters of LH, WHM and LhM (P

Serum Lipoprotein Profiling by NMR Spectroscopy Reveals Alterations in HDL-1 and HDL-2 Apo-A2 Subfractions in Alzheimer’s Disease

Identifying biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is crucial, due to its complex pathology, which involves dysfunction in lipid transport, contributing to neuroinflammation, synaptic loss, and impaired amyloid-β clearance. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is able to quantify and stratify lipoproteins. The study investigated lipoproteins in blood from AD patients, aiming to evaluate their diagnostic potential. Serum and plasma were collected from AD patients (n = 25) and healthy individuals (n = 25). We conducted a comprehensive lipoprotein profiling on serum samples using NMR spectroscopy, analysing 112 lipoprotein subfractions. In plasma, we measured unspecific markers of neuronal damage and AD hallmark proteins using single molecule array technology. Additionally, clinical data and cerebrospinal fluid biomarker levels were also collected to enrich our data. Our findings, after adjusting for age and sex differences, highlight significant alterations in two specific lipoproteins; high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-1 Apo-A2 (H1A2) and HDL-2 Apo-A2 (H2A2), both with area under the curve (AUC) values of 0.67, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.52–0.82). These results indicate that these lipoprotein subfractions may have potential as indicators of AD-related metabolic changes.

Sex differences in contextual fear conditioning and extinction after acute and chronic nicotine treatment

BackgroundChronic cigarette smokers report withdrawal symptomology, including affective dysfunction and cognitive deficits. While there are studies demonstrating sex specific withdrawal symptomology in nicotine-dependent individuals, literature examining the underlying biological mediators of this is scant and not in complete agreement. Therefore, in this study, we evaluated the sex specific effects of nicotine and withdrawal on contextual fear memory, a hippocampally dependent aspect of cognition that is disrupted in nicotine withdrawal.MethodsMale and female B6/129F1 mice (8–13 weeks old) were used in all experiments. For the acute nicotine experiment, mice received intraperitoneal saline or nicotine (0.5 mg/kg) prior to contextual fear conditioning and test. For the chronic nicotine experiment, mice received nicotine (18 mg/kg/day) or saline for 11 days, then underwent contextual fear conditioning and test. Following the test, mice underwent minipump removal to elicit withdrawal or sham surgery, followed by the fear extinction assay. Bulk cortical tissue was used to determine nicotinic acetylcholine receptor levels via single point [3H]Epibatidine binding assay. Gene expression levels in the dorsal and ventral hippocampus were quantified via RT-PCR.ResultsWe found that female mice had a stronger expression of contextual fear memory than their male counterparts. Further, following acute nicotine treatment, male, but not female, subjects demonstrated augmented contextual fear memory expression. In contrast, no significant effects of chronic nicotine treatment on fear conditioning were observed in either sex. When examining extinction of fear learning, we observed that female mice withdrawn from nicotine displayed impaired extinction learning, but no effect was observed in males. Nicotine withdrawal caused similar suppression of fosb, cfos, and bdnf, our proxy for neuronal activation and plasticity changes, in the dorsal and ventral hippocampus of both sexes. Additionally, we found that ventral hippocampus erbb4 expression, a gene implicated in smoking cessation outcomes, was elevated in both sexes following nicotine withdrawal.ConclusionsDespite the similar impacts of nicotine withdrawal on gene expression levels, fosb, cfos, bdnf and erbb4 levels in the ventral hippocampus were predictive of delays in female extinction learning alone. This suggests sex specific dysfunction in hippocampal circuitry may contribute to female specific nicotine withdrawal induced deficits in extinction learning.

Candida albicans infection model in Drosophila melanogaster suggests a strain-specific virulent factor boosting a stormy innate immune response

IntorductionPathogens drive the evolution of host defence strategies, with both innate and adaptive immune systems playing key roles. Priming enhances the innate immune system’s readiness by functionally reprogramming immune cells after initial exposure to stimuli, like β-glucans. In this sense, Drosophila melanogaster is a valuable model to evaluate the role of innate immunity to control infections.ObjectivesIn this study we aimed to set light on the immune priming effect of oral treatment with heat-killed M. manresensis and two different heat-killed C. albicans isolates upon systemic infection by C. albicans in the D. melanogaster model.MethodsA clinical and a control ATCC 90028 Candida albicans strain were used. Flies were primed through oral administration of heat-killed C. albicans (hkCa), both clinical and control, and hk-Mycolicibacterium manresensis. After priming, flies were systemically infected with both C. albicans isolates. Host survival, pathogen load, and immune response in response to treatment and infection were evaluated.ResultsBoth treatments showed a significant capacity to enhance the expression of antimicrobial peptides, in particular Diptericin, and Drosomycin in males. This response had a marked sexual dimorphism due to the difference in Upd3, Nox, and Duox expression. Surprisingly, even when priming was able to avoid the growth of both C. albicans strains, survival was not improved in the case of the clinical isolate, causing an unexpected mortality rate in hours, regardless of the host’s sex. Gene expression analysis 24 hours post-infection showed an exacerbated increase in Diptericin, Drosomycin and Upd3 expression upon infection with the clinical strain.ConclusionData herein suggests the presence of a strain-specific component in C. albicans as the booster of a “stormy” innate immune response, which must be further investigated, and position D. melanogaster as a useful model for evaluating virulent factors related to the modulation of the innate immunity.

Analyzing 3D facial morphology: Insights from a comparative European and South African study on population affinity, sex, age, and allometry

Variable growth patterns and multifactorial mechanisms cause variation in facial shape. These differences in facial morphology pose challenges for craniofacial reconstruction. Three-dimensional (3D) imaging modalities are a valuable resource for examining these variations. In this study, we used geometric morphometric methods to evaluate the effects of population affinity, sex, age, and allometry on the variation and covariation of hard and soft tissue facial morphology matrices in a sample of French and white South African individuals. Seventy-six and 108 cone-beam computed tomography scans of white South African and French nationals, respectively, were retrospectively acquired. Three-dimensional anatomical structures (hard and soft tissue matrices) were extracted using MeVisLab© v. 2.7.1 software for dense landmarking of 43 craniometric, 50 capulometric, and 559 sliding landmarks. Geometric morphometric analyses were used to quantify shape differences attributed to population affinity, sex, age, and allometry and assess the covariation between hard tissue structures and soft facial tissues. Hard and soft tissue facial matrices were influenced by population differences, sexual dimorphism, and aging. Compared to sex and age, population affinity had the strongest influence on variation. In French individuals, all hard and soft tissue matrices were sexually dimorphic, except for the eyes and left external auditory meatus (EAM). In white South Africans, sexual dimorphism was observed for the mouth, midface, and left EAM. Significant shape differences were also observed for specific age groups. The underlying skull and overlying soft tissues were strongly associated with the nose and anterior nasal aperture (correlation, r2-PLS = 0.976), followed by the right ear and right EAM (r2-PLS = 0.875) and the left ear and left EAM (r2-PLS = 0.871) in white South Africans. For French individuals, relatively weak to moderate correlations were observed, and the covariation between matrices was nonsignificant, except for the association between the right ear and right EAM (r2-PLS = 0.499). The smallest covariation was observed between the mouth and midfacial matrix in both populations (South African: r2-PLS = 0.464; French: r2-PLS = 0.367), which was also nonsignificant. This study revealed that 3D imaging technology and geometric morphometric methods can accurately quantify and visualize facial morphology differences. These methods can also evaluate the association between skull structure and soft facial features.

Mental Foramen as a Guide to Establish Sexual Dimorphism among Eastern Indian Population: An Observational Cross-sectional Study on Dry Bones

Abstract Context: The study deals with a role of mental foramen in determining the sexual dimorphism of mandibles as well as generating the sufficient data for the dental surgeons regarding location and measurements of the same. Aims: The aim of the study was to determine the location of mental foramen with respect to the different bony points of mandible and the presence of accessory foramen, if any and to establish sexual dimorphism among mandibles in relation to mental foramen and assessing the role of mento-submental angle for the same. Settings and Design: An observational cross-sectional study was conducted at Medical Colleges of West Bengal. Materials and Methods: Two hundred and eighty dry mandibles were used. Digital images were captured with digital camera after placing the bones in anatomical position for suitable views. Measurements were taken with the help of ImageJ software. Statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS software. Statistical Analysis Used: Measures of central tendency were determined. Significance was tested using the Chi-square test or unpaired Student’s t test, as applicable. Results: Most of the mental foramina were in line with the second premolar tooth or between the first and second premolars. Distance from the alveolar margin and the diameters of foramen were statistically significant among the genders. Mento-submental angle was significantly lower in males as compared to females being <115° and >115°, respectively. The prevalence of accessory mental foramen was very low in both genders. Conclusions: Sexual dimorphism can be well established from the morphometry of mental foramen of mandibles in the Eastern Indian population.

Quantitative proteomic profiling reveals sexual dimorphism in the retina and RPE of C57BL6 mice.

Sex as a biological variable is not a common consideration in molecular mechanistic or preclinical studies of retinal diseases. Understanding the sexual dimorphism of adult RPE and retina under physiological conditions is an important first step in improving our understanding of sex-based physio-pathological mechanisms. Isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) were used for quantitative proteomics of male and female mouse retina and RPE (10 mice of each sex for each tissue type). Differentially expressed proteins were subjected to Gene Ontology (GO) analysis and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA). Differential expression analysis identified 21 differentially expressed proteins in the retina and 58 differentially expressed proteins in the RPE. Ingenuity pathway analysis identified the top canonical pathways differentially activated in the retina to be calcium transport I, nucleotide excision repair, molecular transport and cell death and survival. In the RPE, the top canonical pathways were calcium signaling, dilated cardiomyopathy signaling, actin cytoskeletal signaling and cellular assembly and organization. These results provide insights into sex differences in the retina and RPE proteome of mice and begin to shed clues into the sexual dimorphism seen in retinal diseases.

Sex differences in cardiovascular outcomes in patients with acute pancreatitis.

The risk of cardiovascular disease increases in patients with acute pancreatitis. However, it remains unknown whether this increase varies between males and females. To assess sex differences in cardiovascular outcomes among acute pancreatitis patients during long-term follow-up. Participants were recruited from the UK-biobank, which is a population-based cohort study consisting of 502 368 individuals aged 40-69 years old. Cardiovascular outcomes were defined as major cardiovascular and cerebrovascular adverse events (MACCE), encompassing all-cause death, myocardial infarction, and stroke. We compared sex difference in MACCE incidence using incidence rate per 1,000 person-years. The association between sex and MACCE risk was assessed using Cox proportional hazards models and win-ratio method, adjusted for demographic, lifestyle, metabolic factors and medication use. A total of 1371 participants with acute pancreatitis were included, 42.5% were male. Over a median follow-up of 13.9 years, 226 MACCE cases occurred. The incidence rate of MACCE for male was 16.44, compared to 9.80 in female. Multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated a higher risk of MACCE in male compared to female (HR 1.80 [95% CI 1.36-2.38]). Adjusted HR for all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction, and stroke were 1.49, 2.75, and 1.67, respectively. The adjusted win ratio by inverse probability of treatment weighting was 0.55 (P <0.001), suggesting a worse outcome in male acute pancreatitis patients. Male experienced more adverse cardiovascular outcomes than female in the long follow-up after acute pancreatitis, suggesting a need for sex-specific management strategies in acute pancreatitis patients.

The influence of sexual dimorphism on the manifestation of coordination abilities of volleyball players aged 15-17

Background and Study Aim. Sexual dimorphism plays a crucial role in the design of training programs for athletes. Therefore, understanding the influence of sexual dimorphism on various abilities is essential for optimizing training regimens. The aim of this study is to determine the influence of sexual dimorphism on the manifestation of coordination abilities in young volleyball players aged 15–17. Material and Methods. Volleyball players aged 15–17 years participated in the study (n=92, training experience – 5–7 years). Fifty of them were girls, and forty-two were boys. Motor tests were used to determine the level of coordination preparedness of the volleyball players. The study assessed kinesthetic differentiation, spatial orientation, reaction, coupling, binding of movements, and balance skills. Statistical data processing was carried out using Microsoft Excel and SPSS programs. Results. For most of the compared indicators of coordination abilities, there was no significant difference between male and female volleyball players aged 15–17 (p&gt;0.05). In the “Shuttle run with back forward” test, which determined the ability of volleyball players to quickly rebuild motor activity, boys outperformed girls by 5.6% (p&lt;0.05). In the “Sprint test with the given rhythm”, boys significantly outperformed girls by 16.6% (p&lt;0.001). However, control exercises that determined the relative indicators of the above qualities did not show a significant difference. No significant differences (p&gt;0.05) were found in the indicators that characterized the subjects' ability to demonstrate balance in both groups. Girls outperformed boys by 4.2% in terms of sagittal displacement of the center of mass. Comparison of the magnitude of latent periods of simple and complex visual-motor reaction by groups did not reveal significant differences among boys and girls. Conclusions. The results of the study indicate the need to implement targeted training programs to address and mitigate gender differences in coordination abilities among young volleyball players. These programs should focus on enhancing specific coordination skills. This approach ensures balanced development. Purposeful sports training can help overcome inherent physiological differences. By doing so, it leverages the benefits of tailored training to promote equality in athletic performance.

Sex-related differences in vitamin D testing in the Veneto Region, Italy: a retrospective analysis from 2005 to 2016

SummaryA retrospective analysis was performed to evaluate the frequency of vitamin D blood testing in individuals from the Padua province, Veneto, Italy from 2005 to 2016. A significant increase in the frequency of vitamin D blood tests, particularly in females was observed and in individuals with severe vitamin D deficiency (Class I).PurposeVitamin D deficiency has been linked to negative health outcomes that extend beyond bone-related conditions. The frequency of vitamin D blood testing in residents from the Padua province, (Veneto, Italy) from 2005 to 2016 was evaluated.MethodsData were retrospectively retrieved from blood test databases (Laboratory Medicine Unit, Padua University Hospital) and information on number of vitamin D blood tests performed on residents from 2005 to 2016 was collected. Data were stratified by sex and ten birth cohorts from 1901 to 2016. Blood tests were classified into five vitamin D classes: I < 50 nmol/L, II 50–74.9 nmol/L, III 75–149 nmol/L, IV 150–250 nmol/L, and V > 250–1000 nmol/L. Blood test trends were analyzed as blood test rate and vitamin D class rate/resident population. Population analysis was analyzed by incidence rates and stratified by vitamin D class.Results293,013 vitamin D blood tests were conducted between 2005 and 2016 across 10 birth cohorts. Females accounted for 75% of tests and fewer were conducted in the youngest and oldest birth cohorts. Sex differences in vitamin D blood test frequency were observed; adjusted rates ranging from 1.7 to 35.6% for males and 8 to 81% for females from 2005 to 2016. Crude incidence rates (per 1000 from 2005 to 2016) varied from 1.5 to 10.8‰ for males and 7 to 19.4‰ for females. Crude blood test rates for vitamin D deficiency (Class I) increased from 1.1 to 9.9‰ in 2016 for males and 5 to 17.3‰ for females. Crude incidence rates (from 2005 to 2016) for Class I were 9.7–57.1‰ in males and 43.6–92.4‰ in females.ConclusionsThese findings highlight sex-related differences in vitamin D testing, providing valuable insight for healthcare planning.

Examining the Potential Impact of Recreational Cannabis Legalization on Individuals Receiving Treatment for Substance Use Disorder: An Interrupted Time Series Study in Guelph, Ontario, Canada

Objective: The present research evaluated the impact of legalizing recreational cannabis among individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs) who may already use cannabis at high rates. Method: Using an interrupted time series study design, we evaluated the potential impact of legalizing recreational cannabis among individuals seeking treatment for SUD within a hospital-based treatment setting in Guelph, Ontario. We examined 2,925 individuals who entered an inpatient SUD treatment program between April 2017 and December 2021. We performed segmented regression analyses using both the date of cannabis legalization and the date of edibles legalization as the interruption time point. We also performed stratified analyses to examine potential sex differences. Results: We found no significant changes in the frequency of cannabis use using either of the interruption time points. However, among the subsample who had used cannabis, there was evidence of increasing CUD severity post-legalization of edibles, as well as an overall decreasing trend in readiness to quit over time. Stratified analyses also suggested possible sex differences in frequency of cannabis use, CUD severity, and readiness to quit. Conclusions: Results point to some small but potentially important impacts of recreational cannabis legalization that may only continue with time. Nevertheless, there is a need to continue to monitor cannabis use trends over time to understand any potential lagged effects.

Sex Differences in Coping Strategies and Well-Being During the COVID-19 Pandemic Among Taiwanese Police Officers

This study compares Taiwanese male and female police officers’ work stress and coping strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data derived from 1,329 male and 225 female police officers between May and July 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was found that male officers experienced more family-work stress than their female colleagues. Male officers were more likely to engage in avoidance coping and used humor to cope with stress. On the contrary, female officers were more inclined to adopt emotion regulation strategies and distraction to cope with stress. Supervisor support was found to be positively associated with officers’ well-being and negatively connected with officers’ stress. Humor and self-distraction were found to be positively associated with officers’ well-being, whereas avoidance and negative stressor appraisal of COVID-19 were negatively connected with well-being. Policy implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Task-switching mechanisms under methamphetamine cravings: sex differences in cued and voluntary task-switching

IntroductionThis study explored the effects of task-switching type and sex on the task-switching ability of methamphetamine abstainers, as well as the differences in brain mechanisms under drug cravings under drug cravings using near-infrared spectroscopy.MethodsCraving-inducing videos were used to arouse 20 methamphetamine abstainers (including 10 men), whose switching ability was then assessed using voluntary and cued task-switching exercises.ResultsDuring task-switching under methamphetamine cravings, the activation of the premotor cortex (PMC), supplementary motor area (SMA), frontal eye field (FEF), and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in women was significantly stronger than in men, while the activation of FEF in men was significantly stronger than in women. Voluntary task-switching induced stronger FEF activation than cued task-switching. During the latter, women exhibited stronger activation in the anterior prefrontal cortex (aPFC) than men.DiscussionBoth men and women showed brain lateralization during task-switching under methamphetamine cravings. Men tended to adopt proactive control and use a top-down dominant strategy to start a new task. Women, however, tend to use a bottom-up strategy focusing on inhibiting old tasks and emotional switching. Moreover, in cued task-switching, the result shows women paid more attention to emotional processing than did men, which suggests that different task-switching training programs should be developed according to sex.

A method for constructing demographic profiles of Capra aegagrus/C. hircus using logarithm size index scaling

Sex-specific demographic profiles of archaeological animal bone assemblages are key to being able to reconstruct the varied strategies used by ancient hunters and herders to harvest animals from both wild and managed herds. Nearly 25 years ago Zeder developed a method for constructing these profiles based on the study of a large collection of modern wild and domestic caprines that combined metric data and a refined system for determining age of death of archaeological caprine bones (Zeder, 2001, 2006a, 2008; Zeder and Hesse, 2000). The utility of this method was limited, however, by its reliance on individual dimensions from single elements, subjecting the method to sample size limitations. This paper presents a new method for constructing demographic profiles for assemblages of goat remains from archaeological sites drawing on a method developed by Zeder and Lemoine for Sus scrofa (Zeder and Lemoine, 2020a). The method uses normalized metric data following the Logarithm Size Index (LSI) scaling technique designed to address sample size issues. LSI values of post-crania metric data are shown to reflect the strong sexual dimorphism in body size in modern wild goats which is evident in the post-crania of animals over one year of age. Once adjusted for regional body size differences, as well as differences in the scaling of different post-cranial elements, the mid-point of the range of LSI values is shown to be a reliable and highly accurate way of distinguishing between the elements of females and males and for constructing sex-specific age profiles based on these identifications. This method is applied to metric data of goat assemblages from four archaeological sites in the Zagros — two representing hunted animals (Yafteh Cave and Asiab) and two representing early managed herds (Ganj Dareh and Ali Kosh). The paper concludes by offering recommendations, and caveats, for the use of this method in building sex-specific demographic profiles of ancient goat assemblages.

Targeted Deletion of Fibroblast Growth Factor 23 Rescues Metabolic Dysregulation of Diet-induced Obesity in Female Mice.

Fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) is a bone-secreted protein widely recognized as a critical regulator of skeletal and mineral metabolism. However, little is known about the nonskeletal production of FGF23 and its role in tissues other than bone. Growing evidence indicates that circulating FGF23 levels rise with a high-fat diet (HFD) and they are positively correlated with body mass index (BMI) in humans. In the present study, we show for the first time that increased circulating FGF23 levels in obese humans correlate with increased expression of adipose Fgf23 and both positively correlate with BMI. To understand the role of adipose-derived Fgf23, we generated adipocyte-specific Fgf23 knockout mice (AdipoqFgf23Δfl/Δfl) using the adiponectin-Cre driver, which targets mature white, beige, and brown adipocytes. Our data show that targeted ablation of Fgf23 in adipocytes prevents HFD-fed female mice from gaining body weight and fat mass while preserving lean mass but has no effect on male mice, indicating the presence of sexual dimorphism. These effects are observed in the absence of changes in food and energy intake. Adipose Fgf23 inactivation also prevents dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia, and hepatic steatosis in female mice. Moreover, these changes are associated with decreased respiratory exchange ratio and increased brown fat Ucp1 expression in knockout mice compared to HFD-fed control mice (Fgf23fl/fl). In conclusion, this is the first study highlighting that targeted inactivation of Fgf23 is a promising therapeutic strategy for weight loss and lean mass preservation in humans.

Correlation Between Physical Activity and Learning Concentration, Self-Management, and Interpersonal Skills Among Korean Adolescents

This study aimed to investigate the association between physical activity participation and key developmental competencies—learning concentration, self-management, and interpersonal skills—among Korean adolescents. Data were drawn from the 2021 Study on the State of Play Culture of Children and Adolescents and Measures to Support Growth, conducted by the Korea Adolescent Policy Institute. The study participants included elementary, middle, and high school students in Korea, consisting of 1507 males (53.3%) and 1322 females (46.7%), totaling 2829. We analyzed the data using frequency distribution, chi-square test, and multivariate logistic regression. The results revealed a significant sex difference in the duration of physical activity, with boys spending more time engaging in physical activity than girls. In addition, time spent on physical activities decreased as the school grade level increased. Notably, the more time Korean adolescents spent engaging in daily physical activity, the higher they rated their learning concentration, self-management, and interpersonal skills. These findings suggest the need to promote greater physical activity among adolescents—particularly among girls—which can help improve learning concentration, self-management, and interpersonal skills.

Comparison of Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Patterns by Sex, Geographical Location, and Time of the Week in Mexican Adolescents

Background: Excess sedentary behaviour (SB) and insufficient physical activity have been identified as risk factors for cardiometabolic diseases in adolescents, and some factors may affect how much time they spend on these activities. This study sought to compare the SB and PA patterns as well as compliance with PA recommendations by sex, geographical location, and time of the week in Mexican adolescents. Methods: In a cross-sectional design, we objectively assessed SB and PA in 106 adolescents (15 to 18 y) through waist-worn accelerometers for one week. The time spent in SB and in PA at different intensities was compared by sex, geographical location and time of the week with two-way and three-way repeated measures MANOVAs, while the compliance with physical activity recommendations (i.e., ≥60 min/day) was compared using chi-squared and McNemar tests. Results: Male participants spent more time in moderate, vigorous, and moderate to vigorous PA than females both during the whole week and on weekdays (all p &lt; 0.05). There was no significant difference in SB nor PA by geographical location (i.e., metropolitan vs. non-metropolitan areas). Moreover, all participants spent more time on moderate, vigorous, and moderate to vigorous PA on weekdays than on weekends (p &lt; 0.05). Compliance with international PA recommendations also showed a sex difference (males &gt; females) and change between weekdays and weekends with no difference by geographical location. Conclusions: While geographical location does not seem to be a relevant factor, sex and time of the week appear to influence the SB and PA patterns in Mexican adolescents.

Trauma-Based Sexually Dimorphic Changes in the Connectome and Its Association with Central Sensitization Syndromes—A Systematic Review

Background/Objectives: Chronic pain syndromes pose a significant global health challenge to patients and physicians with a complex relationship of biological and psychosocial factors that are only partly understood. Emerging research suggests an association between prenatal and childhood adversity and the development of somatic syndromes, particularly in females. This study aims to explore the relationship between sexual dimorphic epigenetic changes in the connectome and prenatal and early life adversity (ELA). Methods: A review of the existing literature was conducted, examining studies utilizing MRI to identify critical periods of environmental influence on neural phenotypes. Results: The findings indicate a significant association between prenatal and childhood adversity and the emergence of central sensitization syndromes, particularly among females. Notably, alterations in grey matter volume and neural connectivity patterns were observed, suggesting that early adverse experiences can influence pain signaling mechanisms. Conclusions: Understanding the role of sex differences in brain circuitry is crucial for developing personalized pain management strategies. This study highlights the importance of considering both biological and psychosocial factors in addressing chronic pain, as interventions based predominantly on male subjects may be less effective for females. Further research is warranted to explore these differences and refine therapeutic approaches.

The Compelling Story of Sex Differences—Seek and Ye Shall Find

The Compelling Story of Sex Differences—Seek and Ye Shall Find

Sex Disparities in Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia Mortality

This cohort study examines sex differences in 30- and 90-day mortality among patients with Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia in Wales, United Kingdom.