Sex-based Differentials Research Articles

Phenotyping of Obesity Treatment Candidates: A Narrative Review.

This review explores characterizing candidates for obesity treatments including pharmacotherapy, endoscopic bariatric therapies, and metabolic bariatric surgery (MBS), focusing on established clinical parameters for diagnosing obesity beyond body mass index alone. Existing literature primarily provides rates for fat mass percentage (i.e., a marker for adiposity quantity), waist circumference (i.e., a marker for adiposity distribution), and C-reactive protein levels (i.e., a marker for adiposity functionality) among obesity treatment candidates. Limited data on abnormal values and sex-based differentiation exist. The literature indicates high central-tendency measures for fat mass percentage and waist circumference, while C-reactive protein levels vary. Data on the Edmonton Obesity Staging System (i.e., a marker for adiposity-related disease severity) is predominantly available for MBS candidates. Future studies in obesity interventions should improve screening and diagnosis of obesity by incorporating sex-specific considerations and providing abnormal value rates for measurements to enhance understanding of patients' characteristics.

Gendered burial practices of early Bronze Age children align with peptide-based sex identification: A case study from Franzhausen I, Austria

Gendered burial practices that differentiate between men and women by the way the body was placed were used over large parts of Central Europe in the Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age (c. 2900–1600 BC). Until recently, it was unknown if the sex-based differentiation of bodies was extended to children, and if the biological sex of the children matched the classification as men and women placed on the left/right side in the opposite orientation.We applied nanoflow liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (nanoLC-MS/MS) to identify sex-specific peptides in human tooth enamel in 75 children under 12 years at death buried at one of the largest Early Bronze Age cemeteries in Europe, Franzhausen I, Austria, 70 of which produced reliable results.The study confirmed that the sex of the children corresponds to the gendered body position in 98.4% of cases. For burials in which the gendered sidedness and orientation are not internally consistent with the male or female pattern, we found that the sidedness of the body corresponds to the sex of the children rather than the orientation.

Longitudinal changes of laboratory measurements after discharged from hospital in 268 COVID-19 pneumonia patients.

Monitoring recovery process of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients released from hospital is crucial for exploring residual effects of COVID-19 and beneficial for clinical care. In this study, a comprehensive analysis was carried out to clarify residual effects of COVID-19 on hospital discharged patients. Two hundred sixty-eight cases with laboratory measured data at hospital discharge record and five follow-up visits were retrospectively collected to carry out statistical data analysis comprehensively, which includes multiple statistical methods (e.g., chi-square, T-test and regression) used in this study. Study found that 13 of 21 hematologic parameters in laboratory measured dataset and volume ratio of right lung lesions on CT images highly associated with COVID-19. Moderate patients had statistically significant lower neutrophils than mild and severe patients after hospital discharge, which is probably caused by more efforts on severe patients and slightly neglection of moderate patients. COVID-19 has residual effects on neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) of patients who have hypertension or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). After released from hospital, female showed better performance in T lymphocytes subset cells, especially T helper lymphocyte% (16% higher than male). According to this sex-based differentiation of COVID-19, male should be recommended to take clinical test more frequently to monitor recovery of immune system. Patients over 60 years old showed unstable recovery process of immune cells (e.g., CD45 + lymphocyte) within 75 days after discharge requiring longer clinical care. Additionally, right lung was vulnerable to COVID-19 and required more time to recover than left lung. Criterion of hospital discharge and strategy of clinical care should be flexible in different cases due to residual effects of COVID-19, which depend on several impact factors. Revealing remaining effects of COVID-19 is an effective way to eliminate disorder of mental health caused by COVID-19 infection.

Sex-Based Differentials in the Prevalence and Determinants of Food Insecurity and Its Association With Measures of Wellbeing in Arab Countries

ObjectivesThis study aimed to: 1- compare the prevalence and trends of food insecurity (FI) within Arab countries using a gender lens; and 2- explore the sociodemographic determinants of FI and its association with measures of wellbeing, by sex. MethodsData for the present study were drawn from four waves of the Gallup World Poll (GWP) surveys for years 2014–2017, covering 18 Arab countries (n = 65,903). Surveys included questions about FI, socio-demographic characteristics, social support, well-being indices (e.g., global well-being index). For this analysis, mild+ (mild, moderate and severe FI), moderate+ (moderate and severe FI), and severe FI were calculated. Multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to explore the association of socioeconomic variables (e.g., education, employment and social support), emotional wellbeing and sex interactions with the likelihood of experiencing FI in the study population, whilst controlling for country and year. ResultsOn average, 42%, 24%, and 11% of the study population experienced mild+, moderate + and severe FI, respectively. Significant sex-differences in FI prevalence were observed across Arab countries. Multiple regression analyses showed that older age females, unemployed, or those with low social support had significantly higher odds of experiencing mild+, moderate + and severe FI, whereas females with higher educational or those who were married had lower odds of FI (P < 0.05). Further, females experiencing mild+, moderate + and severe FI had significantly lower odds of reporting a thriving global well-being compared to food secure males (OR = 0.43, 95% CI: 0. 38, 0.48; OR = 0.43, 95% CI: 0. 37, 0.49; OR = 0.51, 95% CI: 0.41, 0.64, respectively). ConclusionsFemales in the Arab region experience different forms of FI and have significantly lower subjective wellbeing compared to males. Findings highlight the need for developing policies and programs that address gender disparities in employment; land and asset ownership; and access to services such as education, health care and technology. Negative gender social norms and attitudes need to be also challenged to alleviate FI and improve overall wellbeing of women in the Arab world. Funding SourcesThis study was partially funded by the University Research Board at the American University of Beirut.

Sex-derived attributes contributing to SARS-CoV-2 mortality.

Epidemiological data in COVID-19 mortality indicate that men are more prone to die of SARS-CoV-2 infection than women, but biological causes for this sexual dimorphism are unknown. We discuss the prospective behavioral and biological differences between the sexes that could be attributed to this sex-based differentiation. The female sex hormones and the immune stimulatory genes, including Toll-like receptors, interleukins, and micro-RNAs present on X-chromosome, may impart lesser infectivity and mortality of the SARS-CoV-2 in females over males. The sex hormone estrogen interacts with the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, one of the most critical pathways in COVID-19 infectivity, and modulates the vasomotor homeostasis. Testosterone on the contrary enhances the levels of the two most critical molecules, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and the transmembrane protease serine-type 2 (TMPRSS2), transcriptionally and posttranslationally, thereby increasing viral load and delaying viral clearance in men as compared with women. We propose that modulating sex hormones, either by increasing estrogen or antiandrogen, may be a therapeutic option to reduce mortality from SARS-CoV-2.

Presidents’ Sex and Popularity: Baselines, Dynamics and Policy Performance

AbstractPublic approval is a crucial source of executive power in presidential systems. Does the public support female and male presidents similarly? Combining insights from gender and politics research with psychological evidence, this study theorizes sex-based differentials in popularity based on more general expectations linking gender stereotypes to diverging performance evaluations. Using quarterly analyses of eighteen Latin American democracies, South Korea and the Philippines, the analyses compare the levels, dynamics, and policy performance of macro-approval for male and female presidents. As expected, female presidents are less popular, experience exaggerated approval dynamics and their approval is more responsive to security and corruption (though not economic) outcomes. These findings have clear implications for our understandings of mass politics, political accountability and presidentialism.

Home-range interactions of three sympatric mesopredators in east Texas

Spatial interactions among predators are central to their behavioral ecology. Although coyotes (Canis latrans Say, 1823), bobcats (Lynx rufus (Schreber, 1777)), and raccoons (Procyon lotor (L., 1758)) occur sympatrically throughout much of the USA, little is known about the nature of inter- and intra-specific spatial interactions. We used kernel analysis to estimate home ranges and core areas for these species. We estimated home-range overlap within and among species using the utilization distribution overlap index (UDOI) and percent overlap. Bobcat and coyote home ranges were similar in extent, whereas raccoons had substantially smaller home ranges. Only bobcats displayed seasonal differences in home-range size. Male bobcats had larger home ranges than female bobcats; there was no sex-based differentiation in home range or core area for coyotes or raccoons. Home-range overlaps calculated using percent overlap were consistently larger than UDOI estimates. Percent overlap seemed to exaggerate the extent to which individuals of the same species share space. Bobcats and coyotes shared space more than raccoons did with either bobcats or coyotes, which indicates that raccoons may have avoided areas used by trophically higher ranking mesopredators or that species with similar feeding strategies had lower levels of overlap to avoid competition.

Explaining Participation Differentials in Dutch Higher Education: The Impact of Subjective Success Probabilities on Level Choice and Field Choice

In this article we examine whether subjective estimates of success probabilities explain the effect of social origin, sex, and ethnicity on students’ choices between different school tracks in Dutch higher education. The educational options analysed differ in level (i.e. university versus professional college) and fields of study (i.e. science versus non-science). First we analyse students’ self-assessed success probabilities for specific tracks in higher education. We hypothesize that differences in demonstrated academic ability explain these perceived success probabilities. Next, we test whether these success probabilities contribute to explaining educational decisions and differentials herein with respect to social background, sex, and ethnicity. We use the Dutch Participation in Higher Education dataset wave 1995 and 1997 to answer our questions. Success probabilities differ across social origins, between men and women, and across ethnic groups, even after controlling for ability differences. Success probabilities contribute to the explanatory model for school transition decisions which differ by field of study and level of schooling. They also help to explain social origin and sex-based differentials in field choice, but not in level choice. Ability is not a sufficient indicator for self-perceived success probabilities: success probabilities explain educational differentials better than ability.

PATHWAYS TO SEX‐BASED DIFFERENTIATION IN CRIMINAL COURT SENTENCING

Using a matched sampling method, this research examined the process of sex‐based differentiation in sentencing outcomes for 194 men and 194 women, sentenced over a seven‐year period in Christchurch, New Zealand. Consistent with past research, our results showed that judicial processing treated women more leniently than men. Path analyses revealed that judges were less likely to sentence women than men to imprisonment terms because of gendered information and decisions made earlier in the judicial process, such as criminal history, length of custodial remands, and pre‐sentence recommendations by probation officers. In contrast, judges exercised considerable leniency towards women (compared with men) in setting the length of prison terms, even after statistically controlling for all sex‐differentiated factors such as criminal history. Explanations and implications are discussed.

Sex ratio variation and spatial distribution of Siparuna grandiflora, a tropical dioecious shrub.

Populations of dioecious plant species often exhibit biased sex ratios. Such biases may arise as a result of sex-based differences in life history traits, or as a result of spatial segregation of the sexes. Of these, sex-based differentiation in life history traits is likely to be the most common cause of bias. In dioecious species, selection can act upon the sexes in a somewhat independent way, leading to differentiation and evolution toward sex-specific ecological optima. I examined sex ratio variation and spatial distribution of the tropical dioecious shrub Siparuna grandiflora to determine whether populations exhibited a biased sex ratio, and if so, whether the bias could be explained in terms of non-random spatial distribution or sex-based differentiation in life history traits. Sex ratio bias was tested using contingency tables, a logistic regression approach was utilized to examine variation in life history traits, and spatial distributions were analyzed using Ripley's K, a second-order neighborhood analysis. I found that although populations of S. grandiflora have a male-biased sex ratio within and among years, there was no evidence of spatial segregation of the sexes. Rather, the sex ratio bias was shown to result primarily from sex-based differentiation in life history traits; males reproduce at a smaller size and more frequently than females. The sexes also differ in the relationship between plant size and reproductive frequency. Light availability was shown to affect reproductive activity in both sexes, though among infrequently flowering plants, females require higher light levels than males to flower. The results of this study demonstrate that ecologically significant sex-based differentiation has evolved in S. grandiflora.

Alcohol Use among Hispanic Adolescents: A Preliminary Report

This study reports on the use of alcohol by a group of Hispanic seventhand eighth-grade junior high school students in the city of Los Angeles. The randomly selected sample included 54 males and 53 females, ranging in age from 13 to 16. Subjects responded to a self-administered questionnaire concerning demographic issues, social characteristics, and family composition as well as alcohol consumption, school performance, and a number of other behaviors. Findings of the study suggest definite patterns to alcohol consumption, sex-based differentials, and strong links between the use of alcohol and marijuana among Hispanic adolescents.

The Canadian Bill of Rights and Sex-Based Differentials in Canadian Federal Law

The Canadian Bill of Rights and Sex-Based Differentials in Canadian Federal Law