Male Female Group Research Articles

Toxicity and phyto-bioactive constituent of Ficus aurea L. leaf extract: A trado-medicinal herb used in southeastern Nigeria

BackgroundThe intrinsic adroitness of medicinal plants as a therapy for several maladies is well-documented in African Herbal Pharmacopeia. Leaves of Ficus aurea L. ( Moraceae) are commonly used in folkloric medicine in southeastern Nigeria and other areas of the world to treat malaria, dermatitis, circulatory and intestinal parasitic health abnormalities. ObjectiveThe aim of the study was to explore the phytochemical composition and potential toxicity of the ethanolic leaf extract of F. aurea L. (herein afterwards referred to as ELEFA) in albino rats of both sexes. MethodsGas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC–MS) was performed to analyze the chemical constituents of F. aurea. In the acute toxicity study, a single oral dose of up to 5000 mg/kg ELEFA was administered. For the sub-acute toxicity study, rats were randomly assigned to individual cages to eschew copulation. Male groups (A2-A4) and female groups (B2-B4) were administered varying doses of ELEFA (250, 500, 750 mg/kg) for 28 days, while control groups A1 and B1 received 1 mL/kg of distilled water. Standard analytical procedures were utilized to evaluate the biochemical and haematological profiles, as well as liver and kidney histopathology. ResultsThe GC–MS analysis identified 13 phyto-compounds, six of which possess known bioactive and pharmacological properties. These bioactive compounds include gamma-dodecalactone, n-hexadecanoic acid, methyl stearate, 9,12-octadecadienoic acid, oleic acid, octadecanoic acid. In the acute toxicity, no death was recorded within 24 h following oral administration of ELEFA. Remarkably, haematological and renal biomarkers remained unaltered post-ELEFA administration. However, elevated levels of serum aspartate and alanine transaminases were detected in ELEFA-treated groups, indicating potential hepatotoxicity. A reduction in atherogenic lipid markers and a dose-dependent elevation in antioxidant concentrations were observed, suggesting a nuanced impact on oxidative stress. ConclusionThe study emphasized caution regarding higher ELEFA doses, highlighting potential hepatotoxic effects evident in liver histopathology at 500 mg/kg and 750 mg/kg. We recommend the prudent use of lower ELEFA doses for therapeutic purposes to mitigate potential adverse effects.

The impact of fetal sex on pregnancy and neonatal outcomes in twin gestation.

Fetal sex is independently associated with pregnancy complications and impacts neonatal outcomes. Evidence suggests that females have an advantage over males, with a better outcome in the perinatal period. In addition, fetal outcome in twin gestations is also related to the intrauterine position of the fetus, such as the first, the presenting or second twin. It has been demonstrated that the neonatal outcome of the second fetus is worse than that of the first fetus. This study aimed to examine the influence of fetal sex on obstetric outcomes in twin pregnancies based on the location of the fetus in the uterus. Retrospective study. Maternal and obstetric outcomes were compared among three groups: male‒male, female‒female, and male‒female groups. Comparisons of neonatal outcomes were performed among the four groups: male A-male B, male A-female B, female A-male B, and female A-female B. A total of 1073 twin gestations were included, comprising 288 male‒male, 288 female‒female, and 497 male‒female gestations. A greater percentage of neonates admitted to the NICU was observed for male fetuses than for female fetuses. Adverse composite neonatal outcome was more common in the male‒male group than in the female‒male group and in the female‒female group. Twin gestation with a first twin male tends to have worse neonatal outcomes than does twin gestation with a first twin female. The presence of a male co-twin increases the risk of adverse outcomes.

Cerebrovascular Dysfunction in a Mouse Model of Marfan Syndrome: Increased Vulnerability to Neuropathology & Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Marfan syndrome (MFS) is a connective tissue disorder (CTD) associated with mutations in fibrillin-1 ( Fbn1), leading to chronic systemic increases in transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) availability and signaling that could lead to aortic wall weakening and aneurysm/rupture. TGF-β has been implicated in cerebrovascular dysfunction, loss of blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity, age-related neuroinflammation and neurological deficits. Improvements in MFS treatment and life expectancy have uncovered a risk for systemic vascular dysfunction including cerebrovascular complications such as stroke, and cerebral aneurysm. Therefore, we hypothesized that Fbn1 mutation ( Fbn1C1041G/+) is associated with systemic vascular dysfunction, BBB permeability, neuroinflammation, neurobehavioral alterations, and impaired glutamate homeostasis, leaving the brain more vulnerable to mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Our experimental groups included: 6M-old male and female MFS ( Fbn1C1041G/+) and C57BL/6 (WT) control, and middle-aged 12M WT mice (N=3-10/group, P < 0.05). In vivo ultrasound imaging analyzed by two blinded investigators demonstrated increased aortic root diameters and stiffness in MFS mice compared to 6M and 12M WT mice, where MFS male diameters were affected more than females. Vascular dysfunction measured by blood flow velocity (BFV) extended to the left pulmonary artery where 6M MFS and 12M WT mice were reduced compared to 6M WT mice. This reduction continued through decreased posterior cerebral artery BFV in MFS males, where MFS females were comparable to 6 and 12M WT females. In 6M MFS male mice, Evans blue extravasation and Immunoglobulin G staining demonstrated increased BBB permeability in the hippocampus to large and small molecules, respectively, as well as to small molecules in the lateral hypothalamus as compared to 6M WT and like 12M WT. In adjacent sections, iba-1-stained cells had morphologies indicative of reactive microglia. In vivo electrochemical recordings in the hippocampus showed a trend towards lowered peak glutamate amplitudes and elevated baseline glutamate concentrations in MFS and 12M WT mice demonstrating disrupted glutamate homeostasis. Furthermore, exogenous TGF-β applied in the lateral hippocampus of 6M WT males revealed an evoked glutamate response that may support this elevated baseline in MFS mice. Higher neurobehavioral severity scale (NSS) scores in 6M MFS mice suggested neurobehavioral alterations that were more like 12M WT. Midline fluid percussion was used to induce mTBI, where 6M MFS male mice and both female groups required a 15% lower pressure to induce mTBI righting reflex times (5-10 minutes) compared to 6M WT male mice. Mice were evaluated at 1-day post injury, where BBB permeability to large and small molecules and microglia activation were increased, glutamate clearance was slowed, and NSS scores were increased compared to 6M WT and were like 6M MFS and 12M WT mice. These novel findings signify MFS as a condition of systemic vascular dysfunction and pre-mature cerebrovascular aging phenotype with more vulnerability to brain injury. Funding: NIH-R36AG083385, Valley Research Partnership-P1A-5012, NIH-R15HL145646, NIH-R01NS100793, Midwestern Graduate Funds, Phoenix Children’s Hospital Leadership Circle, Graduate and Professional Council Research and Projects Grant. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Novel Variants Linked to the Prodromal Stage of Parkinson's Disease (PD) Patients.

The symptoms of most neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's disease (PD), usually do not occur until substantial neuronal loss occurs. This makes the process of early diagnosis very challenging. Hence, this research used variant call format (VCF) analysis to detect variants and novel genes that could be used as prognostic indicators in the early diagnosis of prodromal PD. Data were obtained from the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI), and we analyzed prodromal patients with gVCF data collected in the 2021 cohort. A total of 304 participants were included, including 100 healthy controls, 146 prodromal genetic individuals, 21 prodromal hyposmia individuals, and 37 prodromal individuals with RBD. A pipeline was developed to process the samples from gVCF to reach variant annotation and pathway and disease association analysis. Novel variant percentages were detected in the analyzed prodromal subgroups. The prodromal subgroup analysis revealed novel variations of 1.0%, 1.2%, 0.6%, 0.3%, 0.5%, and 0.4% for the genetic male, genetic female, hyposmia male, hyposmia female, RBD male, and RBD female groups, respectively. Interestingly, 12 potentially novel loci (MTF2, PIK3CA, ADD1, SYBU, IRS2, USP8, PIGL, FASN, MYLK2, USP25, EP300, and PPP6R2) that were recently detected in PD patients were detected in the prodromal stage of PD. Genetic biomarkers are crucial for the early detection of Parkinson's disease and its prodromal stage. The novel PD genes detected in prodromal patients could aid in the use of gene biomarkers for early diagnosis of the prodromal stage without relying only on phenotypic traits.

Quantitative Analysis of Occipital Artery Bypass Donor Vessels by Ultrasonography and DSA.

Occipital artery (OA) acts as a vital donor vessel in intra-cranialand extra-cranial bypass. Ultrasonography and digital subtracted angiography (DSA) are becoming increasingly important in the assessment of vascular morphology and hemodynamically; however, quantitative analysis of occipital artery bypass donor vessels by Ultrasonography and DSA are seldom discussed. A retrospective study involving 62 cases accepted occipital artery bypass to treat posterior circulation aneurysms or artery occlusion/stenosis. The characteristics of OA are collected and analyzed. Occipital artery bypasses were performed to treat posterior circulation aneurysms in 34 patients and to treat posterior circulation artery occlusion or stenosis in 28 patients. Compared with the ultrasonography group, the DSA group had a greater diameter of OA, and Bland Altman analysis indicated that the discrepancy between the 2 groups was about 0.555 mm. Ultrasonography showed the characteristics of OA: the mean Peak Systolic Velocity (PSV) was 42.98 cm/s, the mean End Diastolic Velocity (EDV) was 8.811 cm/s, and the mean Resistance Index (RI) was 1.46. There were no statistical differences in the diameter of OA, PSV, EDV, and RI between the male group and female group, the elderly group and younger adult group or the left occipital artery group and right occipital artery group. However, compared with patients with posterior circulation aneurysms, patients with artery occlusion or stenosis were older and had higher PSV, RI, and greater diameter in occipital arteries. The mean diameter of occipital arteries was increased in the first postoperative years but reduced in 3 patients during 1 year follow-up. Both ultrasonography and DSA were effective assessment methods of occipital artery bypasses, and the DSA group had a greater diameter of OA. Age, gender, and left or right sides had little effect on the diameter of OA, PSV, EDV, and RI. Posterior circulation occlusion or stenosis had higher PSV, RI, and greater diameter of the occipital artery when compared with posterior circulation aneurysms. Occipital artery bypasses could increase the diameter of OA in most cases.

Application of panoramic radiographs in the diagnosis of temporomandibular disorders.

To evaluate the feasibility of temporomandibular disorder (TMD) diagnosis with panoramic radiography, and provide standardized data for artificial intelligence-assisted diagnosis by measuring the differences in the condylar and mandibular ramus heights. A total of 500 panoramic radiographs (219 male and 281 female participants) of healthy individuals were examined. The panoramic machine compatible measurement software, SCANORA 5.2.6, was used to measure the bilateral condylar height and mandibular ramus height, and SPSS 27.0 was used to calculate the left- and right-side differences in condylar height and mandibular ramus height of healthy individuals. Magnetic resonance images of the temporomandibular joint region obtained from 46 outpatients in the Stomatology Department were selected along with their corresponding panoramic radiographs. The left- and right-sided differences were measured and compared with the magnetic resonance imaging results. The measurement data are expressed as mean ± standard deviation (mm). t Tests were used to analyze data from healthy male and healthy female groups. The findings revealed that while there was no significant difference (P > .05) in the height of the condyle between men and women, there was a significant difference (P < .05) in the height of the mandibular ramus. In healthy population, the difference in height between the left and right condyle was 1.09 ± 0.99 mm. The difference in height of mandibular ramus in men was 1.26 ± 0.85 mm and that in women was 1.19 ± 0.87 mm. For the diagnosis of TMD, the sensitivity of panoramic radiographs was 94.74% (36/38), specificity was 75.00% (6/8), and diagnostic accuracy was 91.30% (42/46). The height of the right and left lateral condyles was not identical in healthy individuals, resulting in a discernible height discrepancy. In addition, the height of the mandibular ramus varied. By considering the left-right lateral height differences identified in this study along with clinical examination, it is possible to employ this metric as a preliminary screening tool for patients with TMD. Further, the use of panoramic radiographs for initial TMD screening is both viable and significant.

Genetic biomarker prediction based on gender disparity in asthma throughout machine learning.

Asthma is a chronic respiratory condition affecting populations worldwide, with prevalence ranging from 1-18% across different nations. Gender differences in asthma prevalence have attracted much attention. The aim of this study was to investigate biomarkers of gender differences in asthma prevalence based on machine learning. The data came from the gene expression omnibus database (GSE69683, GSE76262, and GSE41863), which involved in a number of 575 individuals, including 240 males and 335 females. Theses samples were divided into male group and female group, respectively. Grid search and cross-validation were employed to adjust model parameters for support vector machine, random forest, decision tree and logistic regression model. Accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 score were used to evaluate the performance of the models during the training process. After model optimization, four machine learning models were utilized to predict biomarkers of sex differences in asthma. In order to validate the accuracy of our results, we performed Wilcoxon tests on the genes expression. In datasets GSE76262 and GSE69683, support vector machine, random forest, logistic regression, and decision tree all achieve 100% accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 score. Our findings reveal that XIST serves as a common biomarker among the three samples, comprising a total of 575 individuals, with higher expression levels in females compared to males (p < 0.01). XIST serves as a genetic biomarker for gender differences in the prevalence of asthma.

Acute toxicity test of the Li-Dan-He-Ji granules

To observe the acute toxic reaction of the Li-Dan-He-Ji granules, and to evaluate its safety. Sixty C57BL6/J mice were randomly divided into normal control group, vehicle group and drug treatment group, with 10 females and 10 males in each group. According to the Technical guidelines for the study of toxicity of single drug administration, the maximum administration dosage (MAD) was used to intragastric administration of Li-Dan-He-Ji granules 0.04 mL/g (42.8 g/kg), three times within 24 hours, with an interval of 6 hours. The vehicle group was fed with the same pure water. The normal control group received no treatment. The mice were observed continuously for 14 days, and the appearance characteristics, behavioral activities, body weight changes and the number of deaths in each group were recorded. At the 14 days, blood samples were collected from the eyeballs, and routine blood tests such as white blood cell count (WBC), lymphocyte count (LYM), neutrophil count (NEU), lymphocyte percentage (LYM%), neutrophil percentage (NEU%), red blood cell count (RBC), hemoglobin (Hb), and platelet count (PLT) were performed. And alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine (Cr) and other biochemical indicators. The mice were then sacrificed, and the histopathological changes of liver and kidney were observed by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. The organ indexes of heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney and thymus were calculated. The median lethal dose (LD50) of Li-Dan-He-Ji granules were not obtained. During the MAD experiment, the animals in each group did not die, their behavioral activities were normal, and there was no significant change in liver and kidney histopathological examination. There were no significant differences in body weight, blood routine, biochemical indexes and organ index among all groups (all P > 0.05). The body weight (g) of normal control female and male group, vehicle female and male group and drug female and male group before administration were 18.96±1.14, 19.65±1.45, 19.33±1.30, 19.53±1.22, 19.28±1.69 and 19.48±1.28; 14 days after administration were 27.69±0.81, 28.19±2.22, 27.77±1.00, 27.88±1.85, 27.92±1.33 and 28.07±1.93, respectively. The Li-Dan-He-Ji granules have low oral toxicity, combined with clinical observation, can be safely used in infants.

FRI049 Correlation Between Tri-Ponderal Mass Index And Insulin-like Growth Factor-I, Insulin-like Growth Factor Binding Protein-3 In Children And Adolescent

Abstract Disclosure: I.H. Choi: None. M. Kim: None. Purpose: We aimed to investigate relation between Tri-ponderal mass index (TMI) and Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) which has been known to be associated with growth and development of fat. Methods: 1630 children and adolescent has been selected among patient who has visited Jeonbuk National University children’s hospital and been diagnosed as normal. Patient’s medical chart were reviewed retrospectively about age, sex, height, weight, Body mass index (BMI), TMI, IGF-I, IGFBP-3. Male group and female group were categorized into 4 age groups and weight group such as underweight, normal, overweight, obesity according to BMI and TMI. Correlation between each of BMI, TMI and IGF-I, IGF-I standard deviation score (SDS), IGFBP-3, IGFBP-3 SDS, IGF-I/IGFBP-3 ratio were analyzed. Results: In male group, significant correlation between BMI and IGF-I, IGF-I SDS, IGFBP-3, IGFBP-3 SDS, IGF-I/IGFBP-3 ratio was observed only in normal weight group. But Significant correlation was observed in normal weight group between TMI and IGF-I, IGF-I SDS, IGFBP-3, IGFBP-3 SDS, IGF-I/IGFBP-3 ratio, also in overweight group between TMI and IGF-I, IGFBP-3, IGFBP-3 SDS. In female group, significant correlation for BMI was observed in normal weight group with all variable and in overweight group with IGFBP-3, IGFBP-3 SDS. Significant correlation for TMI was observed in normal weight group with all variable except IGFBP-3 SDS, and in overweight group with all variable, also in obesity group with IGFBP-3 SDS (rho=0.571, p=0.041). Conclusions: TMI may have significant correlation with IGF-I and IGFBP-3 in overweight and obesity group more than BMI. Especially IGFBP-3 SDS with TMI may be more helpful to evaluate overweight and obesity in female adolescent Presentation: Friday, June 16, 2023

Correlation of the Degrees of Hearing Loss between Male and Female Patients with Otitis Media

Background: Otitis media (OM) is an infection of the middle ear and mastoid cavity. In many studies, hearing loss is described as a consequence of otitis media (OM); the degree of hearing loss can be analyzed by biologically calibrated AA 222 diagnostic audiometer. But in Bangladesh, we have not enough research-based information regarding this issue. Aim of the Study: The aim of the study was to evaluate the correlation of the degrees of hearing loss between male and female patients with otitis media. Methods: This was a prospective observational study and was conducted in the Department of Otolaryngology &amp; Head Neck Surgery, Bashundara Ad-Din Medical College and Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh during the period from January 2022 to December 2022. A total of 64 patients with chronic otitis media (COM) suffered for the past three months or more attended the mentioned hospital were enrolled in this study as the study population. Among them 32(50%) were male and other 32(50%) were female patients. Ear drums of patients were inspected on both sides suction under microscope wherever necessary. The patient’s hearing levels in decibel were tested by a biologically calibrated AA 222 diagnostic audiometer. All data were collected, processed and analyzed by using MS Office and SPSS version 23.0 programs as per need. In comparison student’s T-tests were also performed. Results: In this study, in analyzing the hearing loss status of the patients regarding ear involvement we observed that, 6(18.8), 14(43.7) and 12(37.5) male participants on the other hand 10(31.2), 11(34.4) and 11(34.4) female patients right, left and both ears were found involved respectively. In comparing the ear involvement in hearing loss between the male-female groups, we did not find any significant correlation (P=0.427). In comparing the right dB grading, left dB grading, right ear comments and left ear comments of the patients in both groups we did not find any significant correlation; the P- value were 0.932, 0.983, 0.228 and 0.618 respectively. Conclusion: As per the findings of this study we can conclude that, there was no significant correlation of degrees of hearing loss between male and female patients with otitis media.

Sex-dependent Cerebrovascular Aging and Vulnerability to Traumatic Brain Injury in a Transgenic Mouse Model of a Fibrillin-1 Associated Connective Tissue Disorder

Marfan syndrome (MFS) is a connective tissue disorder (CTD) associated with mutations in fibrillin-1 (Fbn1), leading to systemic increases in transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) availability and signaling that induces an accelerated vascular aging phenotype with known peripheral vascular dysfunction by 6-months (6M) of age in Fbn1 C1041G/+ (MFS) mice. TGF-β has been implicated in cerebrovascular dysfunction, loss of blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity, age-related neuroinflammation and neurological deficits. Improvements in MFS treatment and life expectancy have uncovered a risk for cerebrovascular complications such as stroke, and cerebral aneurysm, predominantly in the posterior cerebral artery (PCA). CTDs have shown unmasking events via mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), where patients display increased severity and recovery times. Cerebrovascular dysfunction and neuropathology have been minimally investigated in MFS. We hypothesized that abnormal Fbn1 protein expression is associated with a sex-dependent accelerated aging phenotype in the aorta, cerebrovasculature, BBB permeability, neuroinflammation, behavior, and glutamate homeostasis, leaving the brain more vulnerable to mTBI. Male and female 6M MFS, 6M C57BL/6 (WT) control, and middle-aged 12M WT mice were utilized. In vivo ultrasound imaging demonstrated increased aortic root diameters and stiffness in MFS mice compared to 6M WT mice, like 12M WT, where MFS males were affected more than females. Aortic results were associated with decreased PCA blood flow velocity in MFS males, where MFS females were similar to 6 and 12M WT female mice. In 6M MFS mice, Evans blue extravasation and Immunoglobulin G staining demonstrated increased BBB permeability in the hippocampus to large and small molecules, respectively, as compared to WT and like 12M WT. In adjacent sections, iba-1 stained cells had morphologies indicative of reactive microglia. Acute glial activation and BBB permeability can disrupt glutamate homeostasis, where in vivo electrochemical recordings in the hippocampus showed slower glutamate clearance and elevated baseline glutamate concentrations in MFS and 12M WT mice. Higher neurobehavioral severity scale (NSS) scores in 6M MFS mice suggested neurobehavioral alterations that were more like 12M WT. Midline fluid percussion was used to induce mTBI, where 6M MFS male mice and both female groups required a 15% lower pressure to induce mTBI righting reflex times (5-10 minutes) compared to 6M WT male mice. Mice were evaluated at 1-day post injury, where BBB permeability to large and small molecules and microglia activation were increased, glutamate clearance was slowed, and NSS scores were increased compared to 6M WT and were similar to 6M MFS and 12M WT mice. These novel findings signify MFS as a disease of accelerated cerebrovascular aging phenotype and demonstrate potential vulnerability to injury, where chronic TGF-β dysregulation may be a critical regulator of age-related pathology. Valley_Research_Partnership-P1A-5012, NIH-R15HL145646, NIH-R01NS100793, Midwestern Graduate Funds This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2023 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

The Effect of Two-Generation Exposure to a High-Fat Diet on Craniofacial Morphology in Rats.

This study aimed to examine the sexual dimorphism effect of two-generation exposure to a high-fat diet (HFD) on the craniofacial growth of rat offspring. Ten eleven-week-old pregnant Wistar rats were fed either a control or HFD from day 7 of pregnancy until the end of lactation. Twelve male and female offspring from the control-diet-fed mothers were assigned to the CM (control male, n = 6) and CF (control female, n = 6) groups. The other twelve from the HFD-fed mothers were assigned to the HFD male (HFDM, n = 6) and HFD female (HFDF, n = 6) groups. HFDM and HFDF rats continued with an HFD. The offspring's weight and fasting blood sugar levels were measured every two weeks. The craniofacial and dental morphologies were studied from lateral X-rays of the head at ten weeks old. The HFDM rats showed an increased body weight and larger neurocranial parameters compared with the CM group. Furthermore, there were slightly significant differences in body weight and viscerocranial parameters between the rats in the HFDF and CF groups. In conclusion, two-generational exposure to an HFD had a greater effect on the male offspring's body weight and craniofacial morphology.

High-normal free thyroxine level is related with decreased bone mineral density in nonobese male patients with type 2 diabetes over 50 years old.

The prevalence of 'low bone mineral density (BMD)' in Type 2 diabetes (T2DM), especially stratified by body mass index, is seldom reported. The relation of the euthyroid range and low BMD in T2DM remains to be further elucidated. We aim to investigate the thyroid hormones' impact on BMD among euthyroid patients with T2DM. A total of 1452 hospitalized T2DM patients with normal thyroid function (43.6% males aged over 50 and 56.4% postmenopausal females) were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. BMD was measured at lumbar spine by GE lunar dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry system, and 'low BMD' was defined as T-score <-1.0 SD. The prevalence of 'low BMD' was compared between obese and nonobese (body mass index < 25 kg/m2) groups for both sexes, and the relation of low BMD and free T4 quartiles was explored by multiple logistic regression. The general prevalence of 'low BMD' was 12.3% for male patients aged over 50 (15.5% in the nonobese group and 8.0% in the obese group) and 49.8% for postmenopausal females (56.7% in the nonobese group and 48.9% in the obese group). After adjustment in multiple linear regression, free T4 level remained significantly related to decreased BMD in nonobese male subgroup. Multiple logistic regression revealed that BMD of the highest free T4 quartile (1.12-1.48 ng/dL) decreased significantly than other three quartiles after adjusting for confounding factors including age, body mass index, serum calcium and creatinine level, fasting glucose, alkaline phosphatase, glycosylated hemoglobin, total cholesterol, and smoking history (OR = 2.724, 95% CI = 1.085-6.840, p = 0.033). No significant relation was found in obese male or postmenopausal female groups. High-normal free T4 is a potential independent risk factor for 'low BMD' in nonobese male T2DM patients aged over 50. Close attention should be paid to thyroid function profile, even within normal range, in nonobese men with underlying higher fracture risks on diabetes status.

The impact of donor-to-recipient gender compatibility on outcomes of haploid hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in patients with hematological malignancies

Objective: To investigate how gender differences between the donor and the recipient affect the effectiveness of antithymocyte globulin (ATG) and pure peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (haplo-HSCT) in the treatment of malignant hematological diseases. Methods: From February 2015 to September 2020, 648 hematological malignancies patients underwent myeloablative condition regimen haplo-HSCT treatment at the Bone Marrow Transplant Center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University. The median age was 32 (14-62) years, with 363 males (56.0% ) and 285 females (44.0% ) present. 242 cases of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) (37.3% ) , 293 cases of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) (45.2% ) , 56 cases of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) (8.7% ) , 27 cases of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) (4.2% ) , and 30 cases of other hematological malignancies (4.6% ) . Results: ① The 3-year overall survival (OS) , DFS, the incidence of Ⅱ-Ⅳ grade acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) , the incidence of Ⅲ-Ⅳ grade aGVHD, the 3-year incidence of moderate & severe chronic GVHD (cGVHD) , severe cGVHD, the 3-year incidence of relapse, and NRM of the whole group were (73.10±1.90) % , (70.80±1.90) % , (33.96±1.87) % , (13.08±1.33) % , (35.10±2.14) % , (10.66±1.38) % , (19.43±1.67) % , and (9.80±1.24) % , respectively. ②There was no statistically significant difference between the donor-recipient gender match and donor-recipient gender mismatch groups in the 28-day cumulative neutrophil engraftment rate, 28-day cumulative platelet engraftment rate, the incidence of Ⅱ-Ⅳ grade aGVHD, the incidence of Ⅲ-Ⅳ grade aGVHD, 3-year OS, 3-year DFS, the cumulative incidence of relapse, NRM, and incidence of moderate & severe cGVHD, severe cGVHD. ③The 28-day cumulative neutrophil engraftment rate did not differ statistically between the male-female, female-female, male-male, and female-male groups (P=0.148) . The incidence of Ⅱ-Ⅳ grade aGVHD, the incidence of Ⅲ-Ⅳ grade aGVHD, 3-year OS, 3-year DFS, cumulative relapse rate, and NRM, and the incidence of cGVHD were not statistically different among the four groups (P>0.05) . The 28-day cumulative platelet engraftment rate of the female-male group was significantly lower than male-female group, and the female-female group [ (91.45±2.63) % vs. (94.77±1.75) % , P=0.004; (91.45±2.63) % vs. (95.54±2.05) % , P=0.005]. No significant difference existed in the 28-day cumulative platelet engraftment rate between the female-male group and the male-male group [ (91.45±2.63) % vs. (95.08±1.41) % , P=0.284]. ④Among patients ≤35 years old, the 3-year incidence of severe cGVHD patients receiving sister donors and sibling donors were (26.71±5.90) % and (10.33±4.43) % , respectively (P=0.054) . Patients accepting daughter donors and son donors had a 3-year incidence of moderate and severe cGVHD that was 40.07% vs. 27.41% , respectively, among those over 35 (40.07±6.65) % vs. (27.41±4.54) % (P=0.084) . ⑤Female donors to male recipients had a significantly lower 28-day cumulative platelet engraftment rate compared to the other groups [ (91.45±2.63) % vs. (95.08±0.95) % , P=0.037]. ⑥ Female donors to male recipients had a significantly lower 28-day cumulative platelet engraftment rate than the other groups in the ATG-Fresenius (ATG-F) 10 mg/kg group [ (89.29±4.29) % vs. (94.49±1.45) % , P=0.037]. But when compared to the other groups in the Rabbit Antihuman Thymocyte Immunoglobulin (rATG-T) 6 mg/kg group, the 28-day cumulative platelet implantation rate between female donors and male recipients was not significantly different [ (93.44±3.38) % vs. (95.62±1.26) % , P=0.404]. Conclusion: The main clinical outcomes of patients with malignant blood diseases following transplantation are unaffected by the gender combination of the donor and patient in the haplo-HSCT mode based on ATG and PBSC sources. Female donors to male recipients have a lower 28-day cumulative platelet engraftment rate and longer platelet engraftment times.

In-depth investigations of the molecular basis underlying sex differences among middle-aged and elderly schizophrenia populations.

Sex can influence almost all aspects of schizophrenia. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying sex differences in schizophrenia remain poorly understood. In this project, the dataset GSE107638 containing neuronal RNA-seq data and age/sex information of individuals with or without schizophrenia were retrieved. Schizophrenia samples were divided into young male (M-1), young female (F-1), middle-aged and elderly male (M-2) and middle-aged and elderly female (F-2) groups. Next, green/yellow/turquoise modules related to the M-2 trait and turquoise module correlated with the F-2 trait were identified by weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA) analysis (soft thresholding power: 13; min module size: 200). Crucial genes in the M-2 green, M-2 turquoise and F-2 turquoise modules were identified by WGCNA, gene significance/module membership, and protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis. Moreover, 2067 and 934 differentially expressed genes (|log2 fold-change| ≥0.58 and P-value < 0.05) in M-2 and F-2 schizophrenia subgroups versus same-age and same-sex counterparts were identified, respectively. Additionally, 82 core genes in the M-2 turquoise module and 4 hub genes in the F-2 turquoise module were differentially expressed in M-2 and F-2 schizophrenia subgroups versus their counterparts, respectively. Among the 82 hub genes, 15 genes were found to be correlated with neuronal development by the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis. Also, 2 potential PPI networks related to neuronal development were identified. Taken together, multiple potential hub genes and 2 potential neurobiological networks related to schizophrenia sex differences and disease progression were identified among middle-aged and elderly schizophrenia populations.

Analysis of the effect of temperature on tuberculosis incidence by distributed lag non-linear model in Kashgar city, China.

The aim of this study was to explore the effect of temperature on tuberculosis (TB) incidence using the distributed lag non-linear model (DLNM) from 2017 to 2021 in Kashgar city, the region with higher TB incidence than national levels, and assist public health prevention and control measures. From January 2017 to December 2021, a total of 8730 cases of TB were reported, with the higher incidence of male than that of female. When temperature was below 1 °C, it was significantly correlated with TB incidence compared to the median observed temperature (15 °C) at lag 7, 14, and 21, and lower temperatures showed larger RR (relative risk) values. High temperature produced a protective effect on TB transmission, and higher temperature from 16 to 31 °C has lower RR. In discussion stratified by gender, the maximum RRs were achieved for both male group and female group at − 15 °C with lag 21, reporting 4.28 and 2.02, respectively. At high temperature (higher than 20 °C), the RR value of developing TB for female group was significantly larger than 1. In discussion stratified by age, the maximum RRs were achieved for all age groups (≤ 35, 36–64, ≥ 65) at − 15 °C with lag 21, reporting 3.20, 2.07, and 3.45, respectively. When the temperature was higher than 20 °C, the RR of the 36–64-year-old group and the ≥ 65-year-old group was significantly larger than 1 at lag 21, while significantly smaller than 1 for cumulative RR at lag 21, reporting 0.11, 95% confidence interval (CI) (0.01, 0.83) and 0.06, 95% CI (0.01, 0.44), respectively. In conclusion, low temperature, especially in extreme level, acts as a high-risk factor inducing TB transmission in Kashgar city. Males exhibit a significantly higher RR of developing TB at low temperature than female, as well as the elderly group in contrast to the young or middle-aged groups. High temperature has a protective effect on TB transmission in the total population, but female and middle-aged and elderly groups are also required to be alert to the delayed RR induced by it.

&lt;strong&gt;The differences of RND between males and females and the correlation between age and RND based on panoramic radiographs&lt;/strong&gt;

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Estimating age and sex through several radiographic methods have a significant role in the victim identification process. The mandibular ramus is thought to have a high degree of dimorphism and a close relationship with chronological age, which can be determined by ramus notch depth (RND). This study aimed to analyze the differences in RND between males and females and the correlation between age and RND based on panoramic radiographs. Methods: The type of study is an observational analytic cross-sectional study. The study sample comprised 70 radiographs (35 males and 35 females) aged 19-60 years with complete mandibular permanent dentition, including third molars. The samples were obtained from the database of the Dentomaxillofacial Radiology Installation of RSGM UGM Prof. Soedomo. Analysis of the radiograph was carried out by measuring the RND using EzDent-I Vatech Software with a scale of ratio 1:1. Results: The mean RND value was 2.31 ± 7.95 mm and 1.94 ± 4.93 mm in the male and female groups, respectively. Independent T-test results showed a significant difference (p &lt; 0.05) in RND between the male and female groups. Pearson’s correlation test result did not find any correlation between age and RND in the male dan female group (p &gt; 0.05). Conclusion: RND in males is higher than in females, and there is no correlation between age and RND in both sex groups.Keywords: MISS; trauma of mandible; half face helmet; traffic accidents

Relationship of Neck Circumference and Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Cross-sectional Study in Pakistani Population

Objective: This study aimed to determine the reliability of neck circumference in comparison to BMI for a measure of Obstructive Sleep Apnea and determine the interaction between neck circumference and the severity of apnea in the Pakistani adult population.&#x0D; Materials and Methods: A total of 306 subjects, were recruited retrospectively for the cross-sectional research in the Department of Pulmonary Vascular and Sleep Disorders in Dow University Hospital, Karachi. We reviewed the hospital records to evaluate the BMI, neck circumference, and AHI from June 2018 to February 2022 by non-Random Purposive sampling. The patients 1) who were adults with age more than 18 years and 2) patients with obstructive sleep apnea who were diagnosed through the Polysomnography test were included. IBM SPSS statistics 25 was used for data analysis. Statistical significance was considered as a p-value &lt;0.05.&#x0D; Results: The average age was 52.3 ± 11.4 years. Results showed that sleep apnea was found to be more prevalent and severe in males than in females. Increased neck circumference is associated with the severity of sleep apnea and is found to be significant in male subjects (p=0.018) but not in females (0.577). The neck circumference and the BMI had a statistically significant relationship among the male group and female group (p=0.006 and p=&lt;0.001) which shows that individually neck circumference is not a significant risk factor to diagnose OSA. In multivariate regression, we found a strong association between obesity (OR: 4.3; 95% CI: 2.03-9.38; p-value: 0.00) and males (OR: 2.3; 95% CI: 1.41-3.73; p-value: 0.001) among obstructive sleep apnea patients.&#x0D; Conclusion: In conclusion, the individuals who have large neck circumference have raised BMI, and the traditional indicators for instance males, older age, and BMI were associated with OSA but a larger neck circumference as an independent element was not linked to OSA. In addition, the correlation of large necks with OSA is found to be significant in male subjects but not in females.

Comparison of serum troponin level and echocardiographic parameters between male and femal patients with ACS

Background: Acute Coronary Syndrome is one of the commonly diagnosed life threatening condition as of now. Hence it is necessary to diagnose early and assess the severity of disease as soon as possible. Troponin is considered a specific marker for the diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Aim: To estimate the high-sensitivity cardiac troponin (hs-cTn) in Acute coronary syndrome patients. Also to compare serum troponin levels and echocardiographic parameter in patient's gender. Materials and Methods: 70 patients of both sexes who got admitted within 24 hours after onset of symptoms and diagnosed as Acute Coronary Syndrome in Hospital of Baghdad /medical city during the period of December 2020 to December 2021. The (hs-cTn) was measure in the blood with Elisa Assay kit. Results: This study included 70 patients, they divided into two groups: Male group and female group. The control group included 20 healthy persons. There was a significant increase in the frequency of ACS among males in comparison to females (P-value =0.0027). The mean (± SEM) value of serum hs-troponin I concentrations did not differ significantly (p=0.372) as compared with mean (± SEM) value of serum control group.

Protective effects of female reproductive factors on gastric signet-ring cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUNDThe overall incidence of gastric cancer is higher in men than women worldwide. However, gastric signet-ring cell carcinoma (GSRC) is more frequently observed in younger female patients. AIMTo analyze clinicopathological differences between sexes in GSRC, because of the limited evidence regarding association between sex-specific differences and survival.METHODSWe reviewed medical records for 1431 patients who received treatment for GSRC at the Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences between January 2011 and December 2018 and surveyed reproductive factors. Clinicopathological characteristics were compared between female and male patients. Cox multivariable model was used to compare the mortality risks of GSRC among men, menstrual women, and menopausal women. RESULTSOf 1431 patients, 935 patients were male and 496 were female (181 menstrual and 315 menopausal). The 5-year overall survival in male, menstrual female and menopausal female groups was 65.6%, 76.5% and 65%, respectively (P < 0.01). Menstruation was found to be a protective factor (hazard ratio = 0.58, 95% confidence interval: 0.42–0.82).CONCLUSIONThe mortality risk of GSRC in menstrual women was lower than that in men. This study identified the protective effects of female reproductive factors in GSRC.