Classical Studies Research Articles

Χαρτοφυλάκιον/Scrinium: An integrating activity for monitoring and assessing the learning of classical languages

Abstract This article presents an adaptation of the recent e-portfolio learning strategy, named Χαρτοφυλάκιον in ancient Greek and Scrinium in Latin, which significantly enhances the learning and assessment of classical languages in a philosophical academic setting. Developed at the University of La Sabana, this approach synergises constructivist and experiential learning theories to actively involve students in their educational journey, encouraging deeper engagement with the acquisition of ancient Greek and Latin. The e-portfolio encompasses a comprehensive spectrum of student work, from translations and grammatical exercises to philosophical reflections and cultural analyses, all while integrating the creative element of ancient artistic inspiration. The assessment of this didactic strategy employs a custom e-rubric, designed to evaluate organisational skills, independent study, engagement with primary sources, artistic integration, and coherent philosophically reflective insights. Feedback garnered from an anonymous student survey indicates that the e-portfolio not only substantiates students’ intellectual growth but also significantly enriches the learning experience, as evidenced by increased student interest and critical inquiry. The results affirm the e-portfolio’s role in fostering a holistic and interactive learning environment that promotes the students’ autonomy and critical thinking. This research contributes to pedagogical discourse by providing a model for applying reflective, project-based learning frameworks to classical studies. This paper is a product of the project Proteus I: Development of Virtual Environments for Experiential Learning in the Humanities.

Fractal cycles of sleep, a new aperiodic activity-based definition of sleep cycles.

Sleep cycles are defined as episodes of non-rapid eye movement (non-REM) sleep followed by an episode of REM sleep. Fractal or aperiodic neural activity is a well-established marker of arousal and sleep stages measured using electroencephalography. We introduce a new concept of 'fractal cycles' of sleep, defined as a time interval during which time series of fractal activity descend to their local minimum and ascend to the next local maximum. We assess correlations between fractal and classical (i.e. non-REM - REM) sleep cycle durations and study cycles with skipped REM sleep. The sample comprised 205 healthy adults, 21 children and adolescents and 111 patients with depression. We found that fractal and classical cycle durations (89±34 vs 90±25 min) correlated positively (r=0.5, p<0.001). Children and adolescents had shorter fractal cycles than young adults (76±34 vs 94±32 min). The fractal cycle algorithm detected cycles with skipped REM sleep in 91-98% of cases. Medicated patients with depression showed longer fractal cycles compared to their unmedicated state (107±51 vs 92±38 min) and age-matched controls (104±49 vs 88±31 min). In conclusion, fractal cycles are an objective, quantifiable, continuous and biologically plausible way to display sleep neural activity and its cycles.

How to: correctly read scientific articles : Research design and methodology

Criteria for assessment of the significance of scientific articles are presented. The focus is on research design and methodology, illustrated by the classical study on prehospital volume treatment of severely injured individuals with penetrating torso injuries by Bickell etal. (1994). Awell-thought out research design is crucial for the success of ascientific study and is documented in astudy protocol beforehand. Ahypothesis is aprovisional explanation or prediction and must be testable, falsifiable, precise, and relevant. There are various types of randomization methods, with the randomized controlled trial being the gold standard for clinical interventional studies. When reading ascientific article it is important to verify whether the research design and setting align with the research question and whether potential sources of error have been considered and controlled. Critical scrutiny should also be applied to references, the funding and expertise of the researchers.

Oxytocin and Neuroscience of Lactation: Insights from the Molecular Genetic Approach.

In mammals, lactation is essential for the health and growth of infants and supports the formation of the mother-infant bond. Breastfeeding is mediated by the neurohormone oxytocin (OT), which is released into the bloodstream in a pulsatile manner from OT neurons in the hypothalamus to promote milk ejection into mammary ducts. While classical studies using anesthetized rats have illuminated the activity patterns of putative OT neurons during breastfeeding, the molecular, cellular, and neural circuit mechanisms driving the synchronous pulsatile bursts of OT neurons in response to nipple stimulation remain largely elusive. Only recently have molecular neuroscience techniques for imaging and manipulating specific genetically defined cells been applied to lactating mice. For instance, fiber photometry has revealed the temporal dynamics of the population pulsatile activity of OT neurons in freely moving dams across various lactation stages, while microendoscopy has provided single-cell level insights. In this review, we introduce the neuroscience of lactation with respect to OT neuron activity, discuss findings from molecular neuroscience approaches, and highlight key unresolved questions.

Non-monotonic frictional behavior in the lubricated sliding of soft patterned surfaces.

We study the lubricated contact of sliding soft surfaces that are locally patterned but globally cylindrical, held together under an external normal force. We consider gently engineered sinusoidal patterns with small slopes. Three dimensionless parameters govern the system: a speed, and the amplitude and wavelength of the pattern. Using numerical solutions of the Reynolds lubrication equation, we investigate the effects of these dimensionless parameters on key variables such as contact pressure and the coefficient of friction of the lubricated system. For small pattern amplitudes, the coefficient of friction increases with the amplitude. However, our findings reveal that increasing pattern amplitude beyond a critical value can decrease the friction coefficient, a result that contradicts conventional intuition and classical studies on the lubrication of rigid surfaces. For very large amplitudes, we show that the coefficient of friction drops even below the corresponding smooth case. We support these observations with a combination of perturbation theory and physical arguments, identifying scaling laws for large and small speeds, and for large and small pattern amplitudes. This study provides a quantitative understanding of friction in the contact of soft, wet objects and lays theoretical foundations for incorporating the friction coefficient into haptic feedback systems in soft robotics and haptic engineering.

4~6세기 고구려에 전래된 유학의 성격과 그 영향

From its early founding, Goguryeo embraced Confucian studies from China. At the time Goguryeo was established, the Han Dynasty saw the rise in popularity of the study of Confucian classics, which focused on researching The Five Classics, the core texts of Confucianism. Due to differences in script and textual versions, Confucian studies were divided into New Text Confucianism, written in the official script of the Han Dynasty, and Old Text Confucianism. New Text Confucianism placed particular emphasis on The Gongyang Commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals, which sought to elucidate the Way of Heaven through concepts like yin-yang, the five elements, and auspicious and catastrophic signs, while stressing the interaction between Heaven and Man. It was also connected to divination thought. New Text Confucianism emphasized textual interpretation, such as exegesis, to clarify the original meanings of the classics. 『The History of The Three Kingdoms』, in the Goguryeo Annals, contains numerous records related to auspicious and catastrophic signs from the kingdom’s founding to its fall. This indicates that Goguryeo was strongly influenced by Han Dynasty Confucian studies from an early period. The New Text and Old Text Confucian studies were later unified and systematically compiled by Zheng Xuan(鄭玄) during the Later Han Dynasty The pinnacle of Zheng Xuan's thought lay in ritual studies. Zheng Xuan provided annotations on The Three Rites, with a particular focus on the Zhouli (Rites of Zhou). This marked a shift in Han Dynasty Confucianism from a focus on Spring and Autumn Annals studies to a focus on ritual studies. During the Wei and Jin period, metaphysics became popular, particularly around Luoyang, though it was not a nationwide trend. Following the Wu Hu(five non-Han people) uprisings in the early 4th century, the Northern and Southern Dynasties emerged, each showing distinct ideological tendencies. In the South, metaphysics and a metaphysical approach to Confucian studies became popular, while in the North, Zheng Xuan’s approach to the study of Confucian classics continued to be widely practiced. It was natural for Goguryeo, which shared a border with the Northern Dynasties, to be influenced by them due to geographic proximity. In the 4th century, King Sosurim of Goguryeo established the Taixue(太學), officially recognized Buddhism, and promulgated a code of law. Additionally, King Gogugyang organized the Ancestor’s Shrine System. With the establishment of the Taixue, Goguryeo provided education in Confucian classics, specifically using the texts annotated by Zheng Xuan. Thus, the organization of the Ancestor’s Shrine System was influenced by Zheng Xuan’s teachings, which emphasized ritual systems. The establishment of ritual systems was closely related to the strengthening of royal authority and the establishment of a centralized government. Through the founding of the Taehak and the reorganization of the Ancestor’s Shrine System, Goguryeo established ritual systems and strengthened its legal system by promulgating codes of law. Consequently, after the 4th century, Goguryeo's state and political system developed into a unified, centralized system of governance centered around royal authority. Consequently, after the 4th century, Goguryeo’s state and political system evolved into a centralized, monolithic governance structure centered on royal authority. However, while Goguryeo reformed its institutions following the Chinese model, it also retained a significant portion of its own traditional customs. Strengthening the worship of Jumong and establishing the Temple of Jumong across the nation is a notable example of this. Additionally, there were slight differences in the recognition of animals symbolizing auspicious omens compared to China. This illustrates that while Goguryeo adopted Chinese Confucianism, it operated in a way that was subjectively tailored to its own circumstances.

Arabic Language Education: A Comparative Study of Pedagogical Approaches in Modern and Traditional Islamic Boarding Schools

Pesantren is one of the oldest educational institutions in Indonesia. It colored the faces of Indonesian education so that many of the great figures of this nation graduated from the pastoral cottage. Arabic has become one of the most important lessons that is almost always found in every training course in Indonesia. In its development, the patterns of learning Arabic in Pesantren differ between salaf and modern cottage. The aim of this study is to find out how to actualize the Arabic teaching in Pesantren Az Zahra al Gontori as a modern cabin and the Wonoyoso salafite cabin as a salaf cabin. The method used in this research is qualitative descriptive with field research methods. The results of this study are: 1) Modern Islamic language learning in Az Zahra Al Gontory is carried out in daily, weekly, monthly and incidental. while in Pesantren Salaf Wanayasa take the form of sorogan, classical and book studies. 2) The similarities between the actualization of the two lie in the aim of learning Arabic, namely educating a generation of Muslims who understand Islamic teachings well. 3) The difference between the two is the specific goals of learning Arabic and strategies and learning models.

Leach, Nathan, Daniel Charles Smith and Tony Keddie (eds). 2024. &lt;em&gt;Revelation and Material Religion in the Roman East. Essays in Honor of Steven J. Friesen&lt;/em&gt;. Routledge Monographs in Classical Studies. London: Routledge; 978-1-0323-8267-8 hardback £140.

This is a review of Revelation and Material Religion in the Roman East. Essays in Honor of Steven J. Friesen edited by Nathan Leach, Daniel Charles Smith and Tony Keddie, published in 2024 by Routledge.

Aggression experience and observation promote shared behavioral and neural changes.

The ability to observe the social behavior of others and use observed information to bias future action is a fundamental building block of social cognition 1,2 . A foundational question is whether social observation and experience engage common circuit mechanisms that enable behavioral change. While classic studies on social learning have shown that aggressive behaviors can be learned through observation 3 , it remains unclear whether aggression observation promotes persistent neural changes that generalize to new contexts. Here, to directly compare the effects of aggression experience and observation at brain-wide scale, we develop a strategy to perform large-scale cell-type specific recordings across subcortical networks for social behavior control and learning. We record longitudinally while animals "train" through direct experience or observation, then probe shared differences in behavior and neural activity in a novel "hard" aggression context. Using supervised and unsupervised methods for behavioral quantification, we detect unique signatures of a shared behavioral strategy not present in animals with no training. During observation, we find widespread activation that mimics experience in networks for behavior generation, with critical differences in signals associated with reward and threat learning. After observation, we observe that changes persist into the novel aggression context, with increased similarity in the neural dynamics between experience and observation groups. Network-level modeling reveals persistent shared changes to a core aggression network, with widespread decoupling of inhibition from a key hypothalamic output region. This demonstrates that "experience-like" activity during observation can recruit a shared plasticity mechanism that biases behavior toward adaptive defensive strategies in new contexts.

LiDAR for rapid geomorphological assessment in relict periglacial landsystems

The construction of the A21 Sevenoaks Bypass in Kent is a seminal case study in engineering geology. In 1965 during the earthworks for the road, major slope failures occurred presenting a significant setback to the programme. No slope stability issues were foreseen before the groundworks commenced. Post failure forensic investigations revealed multiple shear surfaces within lobe-like landforms that dissected the original route alignment. At that time, these landforms were not recognised, and their problematic nature not fully understood. Similarly, the Maidstone district has long been described as an area of relict periglacial landforms, specifically cambering and associated gulls, and valley bulge. This paper presents key case studies, which detail the nature of the relict periglacial landsystem that gave rise to the encountered geohazards and demonstrates the advances in ground model assessment offered by airborne LiDAR (laser scanning) data sets for engineering geomorphology. High resolution digital elevation models derived from the LiDAR imagery (that became available for the first time in 2019) can be utilised to interpret and visualise the on-ground geomorphology. The available LiDAR imagery is described, and examples of their use presented from these classic case study sites.

Fundamental understanding of quantum confinement effect on gate oxide reliability for gate-all around field-effect transistor

Gate oxide reliability has become a significant concern for emerging technology nodes, particularly as transistors continue to scale down. Quantum confinement effects in nano-scaled devices complicate the trapping dynamics near the interface. Although these behaviors can be modeled using density-functional theory (DFT) and Marcus theory, a more efficient method is essential for characterizing critical reliability issues at the nano-device level. This paper presents a pioneering numerical study that employs a Bohm potential and Marcus theory, examining carrier concentration decay near the channel/oxide interface to evaluate the charge-trapping process using density-gradient coupled Poisson equations. This approach incorporates vital quantum corrections to classical studies. Key physics-based parameters are initially derived from DFT calculations and subsequently calibrated against experimental data. Our findings indicate that charge trap rates decrease with carrier density at the interface, ultimately affecting the device's threshold voltage shift.

Metabolomic analysis of 18th-19th pipes from the kingdom of Dahomey (actual Benin) indicates smoking of caffeine-bearing plants.

Increasingly, molecular chemistry and pharmacology are complementing classical studies in the field of archaeology. In this case, we present the results of the chemical study of pipe residues found in the context of an archaeological mission (AROMA mission: Archaeology of the Exercise of Royal and Magico-Religious Power) in the royal palaces of Abomey (Benin), dating from the 17th-19th century. The search for many products was carried out (mainly tobacco, cannabis) but surprisingly only highlighted the presence of caffeine residues. This result is discussed and compared with field notions and in particular with ethnological surveys where coffee was consumed in the old way, smoked in a pipe (peripheral part or shell, and not the bean itself or the leaves).

Combination of histological and transcriptomic approaches for cell types annotation in non-model organisms by example of spiny mice &lt;i&gt;Acomys cahirinus&lt;/i&gt;

In mammals, cartilage tissue has a low potential for regeneration. Typically, the defect site is replaced by connective tissue. The Acomys cahirinus mouse is a relatively new model for studying tissue regeneration processes, specifically the elastic cartilage of the auricle. To investigate the molecular genetic mechanisms responsible for these processes and gain insight into the cellular and tissue composition of the intact auricle, we utilized the method of single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq). This method enables quantification of gene expression in the sample and modeling of cell clustering based on expression profiles. This allows for assessment of sample heterogeneity in terms of specific cell populations. Annotation of cell types, particularly in non-model organisms, should be supported by classical morphological studies to allow for more detailed identification of cell populations. This is necessary to separate clusters of cells that are grouped statistically based on similar expression profiles of a group of genes into smaller subpopulations. The objective of this study was to annotate all cell types present in the intact Acomys cahirinus auricle using a combination of transcriptomic approaches and classical histology methods. The study resulted in the annotation of 24 cell clusters based on known marker genes and by comparing genetic and morphological data.

Behavioral description of the endangered lizard Liolaemus arambarensis in its natural Restinga environment through continuous filming

Behavioral description is of key importance for the development of research and conservation projects for animals. Lizards are commonly classified by their foraging behavior, which can occur in a spectrum from “strictly ambush” to “wide-foraging”. Such characteristics are of taxonomic importance and play a crucial role in ecological function. Classic studies investigating foraging in lizards usually observe individuals in the field, but observer bias and other impacts may be poorly accounted for. We use surveillance cameras to describe the behavior of an endangered sand lizard. Continuous video was captured from 3 points within the study area on the dunes coasting the Patos Lagoon (Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil) for 48 days mostly during the hot season, which was screened for the appearance of the species, resulting in 7.35 hours of lizard footage. The behaviors performed were then identified and denoted. From this we observed that the individuals spent 90% of the time stationary, and in the remaining 10% they were found mostly dislocating, changing body posture or performing a sexual/territorial display. It was then possible to classify the species as a typical ambush predator. In addition, the predation footage obtained fit perfectly with that model. The recordings also showed other native vertebrate species as well as invasive wild-boars, which are a threat to the ecosystem. These findings inform the management and conservation needs of the Restinga habitat, that already faces many preservation challenges, and expand the prospects for future work both for the ethology and ecology of lizards.

P82 Are nail, scalp and intergluteal cleft psoriasis really risk factors for psoriatic arthritis or are we just repeating previous studies?

Abstract Psoriasis is a chronic, inflammatory, immune-mediated, systemic disease that primarily affects the skin and joints. In ∼70% of cases, the skin comes before the joints, and it is believed that ∼30% of patients with psoriasis will develop psoriatic arthritis (PsA). There is an ongoing effort to identify screening tools and biomarkers that detect joint disease early. Known risk factors include early onset and severity of disease, nail, scalp and intergluteal cleft involvement, family history of PsA, HLA-B27 positive, obesity, uveitis, biomechanical stress, and trauma. Observational, cross-sectional study with severe plaque psoriasis patients, aged between 18 and 70 years, of both genders. Non-probabilistic convenience sample: All patients were evaluated by the same board-certified dermatologist. Over 3 months, during the weekly shift of the severe psoriasis clinic, PEST was applied. Clinical and epidemiological variables were collected on medical records. PsA was defined by CASPAR criteria. It underwent an ethical assessment and was approved. Hundred and fifty-eight patients were studied: average age of 50.84 years, with a predominance of females (53.2%). The average duration of the disease was 15.89 years. Mean psoriasis area and severity index and body surface area were, respectively, 16.65 and 20.88%. Fifty patients (31.6%) with PsA were identified. Regarding PEST, a sensitivity of 84.61%, a specificity of 75.47%, with a negative predictive value of 90.90% were identified. Having a positive PEST made the presence of PsA almost seven times more frequent [PR: 6.914, P &amp;lt; 0.0001, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 3.486–13.714]. Scalp (80.9%) and intertriginous/intergluteal cleft psoriasis (55.1%) was frequent in the sample, but did not correlate with the presence of PsA (PR: 1.113, P = 0.794, 95% CI = 0.523–2.454; and PR: 0.881, P = 0.612, 95% CI = 0.565–1.375, respectively). However, nail involvement was significantly related to PsA (PR: 1.669, P = 0.026, 95% CI = 1.071–2.601). PEST performance was consistent with the literature and was especially valuable in ruling out PsA due to its high negative predictive value. A classic study that correlates the involvement of specific sites with joint disease may present a selection bias, since it was conducted within the scope of rheumatology, focusing on patients with seronegative chronic inflammatory arthritis, where the diagnosis of psoriasis was not obvious, being sought in ‘hidden’ areas. After all, apart from the involvement of the nail matrix as an extension of distal interphalangeal enthesitis, what would be the biological relationship between the involvement of the scalp or even the intergluteal cleft and the presence of arthritis? Small sample, cross-sectional design and the fact that only 66% of patients with PsA had the opportunity to confirm their diagnosis with a rheumatologist are recognized limitations.

Bias and Discrimination Against Women and Parents in Semi‐Automated Hiring Systems

ABSTRACTToday, organizations are increasingly relying on automated hiring. The mechanization of the hiring process is assumed to render it more neutral, but a growing literature shows algorithmic decisions are as likely to be biased (Dickson, 2018). In this study, we test two types of biases: (1) gender bias; and (2) parenting bias, (i.e., whether mothers and fathers with an extended gap to care for children are penalized vis‐à‐vis those with uninterrupted employment net of equivalent high‐impact qualifications). We apply a classic counterfactual study sending gender and parenthood manipulated CVs to 211 job advertisements across three occupations (men‐dominated, women‐dominated, and gender‐balanced, to mitigate confounding variables associated with gender composition) in the United States and measure penalty‐premium bias in response rates. Our results identify semi‐automated hiring bias against parents who took leave to care for children relative to those with uninterrupted employment. Importantly, we find fathers who have an extended parental leave were the most severely penalized, followed by mothers with an extended parental leave and women and men without parental leave respectively. Ultimately, we identify gender and parenting bias in algorithmic and human hiring decisions.

The comparative analysis of lineage-pair traits.

A powerful but poorly understood analysis in ecology and evolutionary biology is the comparative study of lineage-pair traits. "Lineage-pair traits" are characters like 'diet niche overlap' and 'strength of reproductive isolation' that are defined for pairs of lineages instead of individual taxa. Comparative tests for causal relationships among such variables have led to groundbreaking insights in several classic studies, but the statistical validity of these analyses has been unclear due to the complex dependency structure of the data. Specifically, lineage-pair datasets contain non-independent observations, but studies to-date have relied on untested workarounds for data dependency rather than direct models of linear-pair covariance, and the statistical consequences of non-independence have not been thoroughly explored. Here we consider how evolutionary relatedness among taxa translates into non-independence among taxonomic pairs. We develop models by which phylogenetic signal in an underlying character generates covariance among pairs in a lineage-pair trait. We incorporate the resulting lineage-pair covariance matrix into a modified version of phylogenetic generalized least squares and a new beta regression model suitable for bounded response variables. Both models outperform previous approaches in simulation tests. We re-analyze two empirical datasets and find dramatic improvements in model fit and, in the case of avian hybridization data, an even stronger relationship between pair age and RI than revealed by standard linear regression. We present a new tool, the R package phylopairs, to allow empiricists from a variety of biological fields to test relationships among pairwise-defined variables in a manner that is statistical robust and more straightforward to implement.

The Emerging Potential of Apolipoprotein C-III Inhibition for ASCVD Prevention: A State-of-the-Art Review.

Multiple agents are being developed that inhibit apolipoprotein (apo) C-III. This state-of-the-art review examines their potential for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk reduction. Apo C-III, an apolipoprotein on the surface of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins (TRLs), impairs clearance of TRLs through both lipoprotein lipase dependent and independent pathways, thereby resulting in increased concentrations of triglycerides. Apo C-III has also been shown to have pro-atherogenic effects when bound to high-density lipoprotein (HDL) particles. Classical and genetic epidemiology studies provide support for the concept that apo C-III is associated with an increased risk of ASCVD events. Drug efficacy of agents that silence APOC3 mRNA has been studied in populations with varying hypertriglyceridemia severity, including those with familial chylomicronemia syndrome, multifactorial chylomicronemia syndrome/severe hypertriglyceridemia, and mixed hyperlipidemia. Randomized controlled trials have reported significant reductions in TG and non-HDL cholesterol levels among these patients treated with APOC3 inhibitors. Upcoming clinical outcomes trials seek to establish a role for APOC3 inhibitors to reduce risk of ASCVD.

THE FUTURE WAR AND THE STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENT OF THE SOUTH ATLANTIC: AN ANALYSIS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE BRAZILIAN DEFENSE INDUSTRIAL BASE

This work aims to analyze the Future War, focusing on a scenario extending to 2039, and Brazil's interstate relations, with emphasis on the strategic environment of the South Atlantic, while observing classical geopolitical studies. Considering that the stability of the South Atlantic fundamentally depends on processes occurring on the western coast of Africa, this explains why Brazil's strategic environment extends to the other side of the Atlantic. This perspective also clarifies why Brazil contributes to the development of the African countries bordering the Atlantic Ocean. The study further extends its analysis to the Rio Grande Elevation Project. The entire context will serve as a foundation to examine the impacts on the development of the Brazilian Defense Industrial Base (BID). To carry out the research, the methodological approach is mixed: a qualitative perspective based on existing academic literature and field research, along with a quantitative structure, measuring data related to the BID and assessing the impacts of interstate relations on it. The direct result intended by this study is to produce new knowledge (scientific, doctrinal, and technological) in the field of defense through high-quality research, contributing to state policy. Indirectly, it aims to generate insights into Defense Studies and improve the decision-making process associated with the use of force, particularly as it relates to the BID.

Female specific interactions of serotonin and testosterone in the rostral ventromedial medulla after activity-induced muscle pain

Classical preclinical studies show that serotonin (5-HT) injected into the rostral ventromedial medulla (RVM) produces analgesia that is blocked by 5-HT2 receptor antagonists. One key modulator of 5-HT activity is the serotonin transporter (SERT) which reduces serotonergic signaling through reuptake into the presynaptic terminal. In the activity-induced muscle pain model, females show widespread pain and increased SERT expression in the RVM whereas males show localized pain and no changes in SERT expression. Since prior studies show testosterone protects from the development of widespread pain, and females have widespread pain in the activity-induced pain model, we hypothesized that testosterone modulates serotonin signaling to enhance analgesia in female mice with widespread pain. We showed that testosterone reduced the enhanced SERT protein expression and increased 5-HT2A receptor mRNA expression in the RVM normally observed in the activity-induced pain model in females, but not males. Inhibition of SERT in the RVM was analgesic in both female and male mice; this analgesia was blocked by co-administration of 5-HT2A antagonist. Next, using in situ hybridization, we demonstrated co-expression of SERT, 5-HT2A receptor, and androgen receptor mRNA in cells within the RVM in female mice. Lastly, activation of androgen receptors using dihydrotestosterone reduced hyperalgesia in female mice. These data therefore show for the first time expression of androgen receptors in the RVM in female mice, that activation of androgen receptors reduces nociceptive behaviors, and endogenous testosterone modulates SERT and 5-HT2 receptor expression. Thus, we show a sex-specific role for how testosterone modulates analgesia in mice. PerspectiveThis article presents novel mechanisms testosterone’s protection against muscle pain in female mice showing modulation of the serotonin system in the rostral ventromedial medulla. Understanding the relationship between testosterone and serotonin could lead to better treatment of individuals with muscle pain.