Ranch Women and Men on Both Sides of the Border

Hell on Horses and Women . Alice Marriott
Charrería Mexicana: An Equestrian Folk Tradition . Kathleen Mullen Sands     

DNA Methylation Signature of Childhood Chronic Physical Aggression in T Cells of Both Men and Women

Background

High frequency of physical aggression is the central feature of severe conduct disorder and is associated with a wide range of social, mental and physical health problems. We have previously tested the hypothesis that differential DNA methylation signatures in peripheral T cells are associated with a chronic aggression trajectory in males. Despite the fact that sex differences appear to play a pivotal role in determining the development, magnitude and frequency of aggression, most of previous studies focused on males, so little is known about female chronic physical aggression. We therefore tested here whether or not there is a signature of physical aggression in female DNA methylation and, if there is, how it relates to the signature observed in males.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Methylation profiles were created using the method of methylated DNA immunoprecipitation (MeDIP) followed by microarray hybridization and statistical and bioinformatic analyses on T cell DNA obtained from adult women who were found to be on a chronic physical aggression trajectory (CPA) between 6 and 12 years of age compared to women who followed a normal physical aggression trajectory. We confirmed the existence of a well-defined, genome-wide signature of DNA methylation associated with chronic physical aggression in the peripheral T cells of adult females that includes many of the genes similarly associated with physical aggression in the same cell types of adult males.

Conclusions

This study in a small number of women presents preliminary evidence for a genome-wide variation in promoter DNA methylation that associates with CPA in women that warrant larger studies for further verification. A significant proportion of these associations were previously observed in men with CPA supporting the hypothesis that the epigenetic signature of early life aggression in females is composed of a component specific to females and another common to both males and females.     

Differences in Efficacy and Safety of Pharmaceutical Treatments between Men and Women: An Umbrella Review

Being male or female is an important determinant of risks for certain diseases, patterns of illness and life expectancy. Although differences in risks for and prognoses of several diseases have been well documented, sex-based differences in responses to pharmaceutical treatments and accompanying risks of adverse events are less clear. The objective of this umbrella review was to determine whether clinically relevant differences in efficacy and safety of commonly prescribed medications exist between men and women. We retrieved all available systematic reviews of the Oregon Drug Effectiveness Review Project published before January 2010. Two persons independently reviewed each report to identify relevant studies. We dually abstracted data from the original publications into standardized forms. We synthesized the available evidence for each drug class and rated its quality applying the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) approach. Findings, based on 59 studies and data of more than 250,000 patients suggested that for the majority of drugs no substantial differences in efficacy and safety exist between men and women. Some clinically important exceptions, however, were apparent: women experienced substantially lower response rates with newer antiemetics than men (45% vs. 58%; relative risk 1.49, 95% confidence interval 1.35–1.64); men had higher rates of sexual dysfunction than women while on paroxetine for major depressive disorder; women discontinued lovastatin more frequently than men because of adverse events. Overall, for the majority of drugs sex does not appear to be a factor that has to be taken into consideration when choosing a drug treatment. The available body of evidence, however, was limited in quality and quantity, confining the range and certainty of our conclusions.     

Differences Between Men and Women in Ambulatory Blood Pressure Thresholds for Diagnosis of Hypertension Based on Cardiovascular Outcomes

Previous studies have reported sex differences in the pathophysiology of hypertension and responses to blood pressure (BP)-lowering medications. Moreover, men exhibit typically higher BP than women, the differences being greater for systolic (SBP) than diastolic (DBP) BP. These differences become apparent during adolescence and remain significant at least until 55–60 yrs of age. Despite such significant sex-related differences in BP regulation, the current recommended ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM) thresholds for diagnosis of hypertension do not differentiate between men and women. We aimed to derive separate male and female diagnostic thresholds for the awake and asleep SBP and DBP means based upon cardiovascular disease (CVD) outcome. We prospectively studied 3344 subjects (1718 men/1626 women), 52.6?±?14.5 yrs of age, during a median follow-up of 5.6 yrs. Those with hypertension at baseline were randomized to ingest all their prescribed hypertension medications upon awakening or the entire daily dose of ≥1 of them at bedtime. At baseline, BP was measured at 20-min intervals from 07:00 to 23:00?h and at 30-min intervals at night for 48?h, and physical activity was simultaneously monitored every minute by wrist actigraphy to accurately derive the awake and asleep BP means. Identical assessment was scheduled annually and more frequently (quarterly) if treatment adjustment was required. Cox regression analysis was used to derive outcome-based reference thresholds for ABPM in men and women. Men exhibited greater event rates than women of CVD death, myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, coronary revascularization, and heart failure; however, event rates of non-CVD death and cerebrovascular events were comparable. The relationship between progressively higher ambulatory BP and CVD risk increased more rapidly in women than men for awake SBP/DBP means ≥125/75?mm Hg and asleep means ≥110/70?mm Hg. The derived outcome-based reference thresholds for men were 135/85?mm Hg for the awake and 120/70?mm Hg for the asleep SBP/DBP means. In terms of CVD outcome, the equivalent cutoff threshold values for women were 125/80?mm Hg for the awake and 110/65?mm Hg for the asleep SBP/DBP means. Outcome-based reference thresholds for the diagnosis of hypertension were 10/5?mm Hg lower for ambulatory SBP/DBP in women than men. This marked sex difference indicates the need for revision of current guidelines that propose diagnostic thresholds for ambulatory BP without differentiation between men and women. (Author correspondence: rhermida@uvigo.es)     

陆军青年军人心理素质与人格、心理健康的相关研究

目的：探讨陆军青年军人心理素质与人格、心理健康的关系。方法：整群抽取陆军青年官兵881名,采用军人心理素质量袁、艾森克人格问卷（EPQ）、症状自评量表（SCL-90）进行测评,进行方差分析和相关分析。结果：（1）陆军青年军人心理素质各因子分及总分与EPQ人格问卷中的E分呈显著正相关（p〈0．01）;与N分、P分呈显著负相关（p〈0．01）。高、中、低心理素质水平军人E、P、N得分比较有显著差异（p〈0．05）,表现为在E量表得分上高心理素质组〉中等心理素质组〉低心理素质组;而在P、N量表得分上则反之。（2）陆军青年军人心理素质各因子分及总分均与SCL-90各因子分和总均分呈显著负相关（p〈0．01）。高、中、低心理素质水平军人SCL-90各因子得分比较有显著差异（p〈0．05）,表现为低心理素质组〉中等心理素质组〉高心理素质组。结论：陆军青年军人心理素质与心理健康密切相关,心理素质越高,其心理健康水平也越高。     

Separate People: Speaking of Creek Men and Women

Subjectivity, gender, and language are examined among contemporary Creek Indians of northeastern Oklahoma. Creek men are shown to define and shape social reproduction. Women's generality and unbounded "flow," such as that signified by menstruation, provide vitality and growth that force the separation of men from women and signal their definition as "separate(d) people." Creek language use is shown to be organized through these mutually interdependent principles of gendered subjectivity.     

Fertility Preservation Options for Men and Women With Cancer

Approximately 0.2% of Americans aged 20 to 39 years are childhood cancer survivors. Advances in cancer detection and therapy have greatly improved survival rates for young cancer patients; however, treatment of childhood cancers can adversely impact reproductive function. Many cancer patients report a strong desire to be informed of existing options for fertility preservation and future reproduction prior to initiation of gonadotoxic cancer therapies, including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. This article discusses, in detail, the effects of cancer treatment on fertility in men and women, and outlines both current and experimental methods of fertility preservation among cancer patients.Key words: Fertility preservation, Childhood cancer, Sperm cryopreservation, Testicular tissue cryopreservation, Spermatogonial stem cell cryopreservation, Embryo cryopreservation, Oocyte cryopreservation, Ovarian tissue cryopreservationIn 2014, an estimated 15,780 new cancer cases were diagnosed among children and adolescents younger than age 20 years, resulting in 1960 deaths. In addition, 1 in 285 children will be diagnosed with cancer before age 20, and approximately 0.2% of Americans aged 20 to 39 years are childhood cancer survivors.¹ Advances in cancer detection and therapy have greatly improved survival rates for young cancer patients; however, treatment of childhood cancers can adversely impact reproductive function (eg, men who survive childhood cancer are half as likely as their siblings to father a child).² Many cancer patients report a strong desire to be informed of existing options for fertility preservation and future reproduction.³ Therefore, the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the American Society for Reproductive Medicine recommend that consideration of fertility preservation be included prior to initiation of gonadotoxic cancer therapies, including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy.^4–6Infertility as a result of cancer treatment can be psycho logically upsetting for many patients,^3,7,8 and data suggest that those who pursued fertility preservation usually cope better with their cancer treatment.⁹ Infertile cancer survivors have an option to become parents through adoption or gamete donation, but most declare a preference for having a biological child.^3,10 Schover and colleagues³ found that 51% of newly diagnosed young male cancer patients reported a desire to have children in the future, and this rate increased to 77% for those who did not have children at the time of diagnosis. The desire to become a biological parent persists in male cancer survivors, as 70% reported wanting to father a child after chemotherapy treatment.⁹ A history of cancer treatment may be perceived by some to pose an increased risk to the health of future offspring; however, several studies have shown that male cancer survivors have not demonstrated an increased risk for having a child with birth defects or cancer.^11,12 Recently, a retrospective cohort study conducted in the United States showed no increased risk of malformations or premature birth in the offspring of male cancer survivors.¹³The optimal time for consideration of fertility preservation is before the initiation of any oncologic therapy that can affect gametogenesis; thus, it is critical that fertility preservation is discussed with all patients at the time of diagnosis and before treatment starts. Practitioners who provide care for cancer patients should be aware of the relationship between cancer treatment and infertility. Moreover, they need to be able to appropriately refer patients to a reproductive medicine specialist in a timely fashion for further counseling and fertility preservation. Although fertility concerns are paramount to young adults with cancer, many oncologists still do not routinely address these concerns.^3,14 In a survey of 200 young male cancer survivors who were primarily treated at a comprehensive cancer center, only 51% recalled being offered sperm cryopreservation prior to their cancer treatment.³ Further, it is important to recognize the psychologic stressors associated with a new cancer diagnosis and associated late effects of cancer treatment, such as infertility or early menopause. Findings from several studies support the importance of counseling patients regarding their risk for fertility issues and educating providers regarding the potential fertility preservation options that are available. For example, Babb and colleagues¹⁵ found that, at many institutions, this counseling is already taking place and there is a high rate of discussion with newly diagnosed patients regarding infertility.     

The Processing of Object Identity Information by Women and Men

The study examined whether women excel at tasks which require processing the identity of objects information as has been suggested in the context of the well-known object location memory task. In a computer-simulated task, university students were shown simulated indoor and outdoor house scenes. After studying a scene the students were presented with two images. One was the original image and the other a modified version in which one object was either rotated by ninety degrees or substituted with a similar looking object. The participants were asked to indicate the original image. The main finding was that no sex effect was obtained in this task. The female and male students did not differ on a verbal ability test, and their 2D:4D ratios were found to be comparable.     

Lipolysis in Intraabdorninal Adipose Tissues of Obese Women and Men

Intraabdominal fat in humans is located in two major depots, the omental and mesenteric. We compared basal and stimulated lipolysis in adipose tissue from these two depots and the subcutaneous abdominal depot of obese women and men. Omental fat cells of women are smaller and have lower rates of basal lipolysis than in men. Basal Iipolysis rates are significantly higher in subcutaneous than intraabdominal adipose tissues of both genders. In men, the incremental lipolytic response to norepinephrine is significantly greater in both intraabdominal fat depots than in the subcutaneous fat, while in women tlie response of tlie mesenteric is lower than tlie omental. In women, but not men, responsiveness to tlie beta agonist isoproterenol is also increased in omental tissue. Thus, in women, omental and mesenteric adipose tissues show distinctly different metabolic properties which may moderate the impact of intraabdominal obesity.     

Infectious Urethritis in Men and Women: Diagnosis and Treatment

Acute and recurrent infectious urethritis in men and women is commonly seen by physicians. Since specific therapy varies widely with the type of urethritis present, the proper diagnosis must be clearly established if curative drug therapy is to be selected. It is valuable, therefore, to review the diagnosis and therapy of the various forms of infectious urethritis that are recognized today in both men and women.     

Women Are Better at Selecting Gifts than Men

There is a widespread belief that women are better at selecting gifts than men; however, this claim has not been assessed on the basis of objective criteria. The current studies do exactly that and show that women do indeed make better gift selections for others, regardless of the gender of the receiver and the type of relationship between the giver and receiver. We investigate the mediating role of different aspects of interpersonal sensitivity and reveal that differences in interpersonal interest (measured with an autism questionnaire), but not differences in interpersonal reactivity, explain gender differences in gift selection quality. The current studies thus present the first objective evidence for the claim that women are better in selecting gifts for others and also give an indication of why this is the case.     

Psychophysiological and Some Functional Markers of Mental Workload in Young Men

The emotional state of a person affects both the central level and the peripheral indices of the autonomic nervous system, particularly those of the regulation of the heart rate. Our study showed that boys with a higher level of anxiety had higher values of the latent period of the P300 evoked potential and lower indices of short-term auditory memory. Changes in the temporal and spectral components of heart rate variability under the conditions of mental workload indicate that the neurohumoral regulation of the heart rate is shifted toward the suprasegmental influences, including pituitary–hypothalamic and cortical influences.     

Acceptability of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis among Men Who Have Sex with Men and Transgender Women in Northern Thailand

Background

Northern Thailand has a high burden HIV epidemic among MSM and TG. Oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) with tenofovir-emtricitabine has demonstrated efficacy in preventing HIV among MSM and TG in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Determinants of PrEP acceptability are needed to gauge the potential uptake of this prevention strategy.

Methods

From January to February 2012, 238 MSM and TG participants, who self-reported as HIV-uninfected or of unknown status, completed a self-administered survey on hand-held computers. Participants were recruited by venue-day-time sampling and asked to rate their likelihood of using oral PrEP for HIV prevention with an efficacy of 50%. PrEP acceptability was defined as being “very likely” to use PrEP. Odds ratios and 95% CIs were calculated to identify correlates of acceptability.

Results

131 MSM and 107 TG responded, with mean ages of 23.7 and 21.8, respectively. 24% of MSM engaged primarily in receptive anal sex vs. 74% of TG. 21% of MSM and 44% of TG reported regular medication use. Prior awareness of PrEP was high at 66% among both MSM and TG respondents. 41% of MSM and 37% of TG were "very likely" to use PrEP. Among MSM, factors associated with PrEP acceptability included a prior history of STIs (AOR 4.6; 95%CIs 1.7-12.6), previous HIV testing (AOR 2.4 95%CIs 1.1-5.3), regularly planned sex (AOR 2.8 95%CIs 1.1-7.2), and infrequent sex (AOR 2.9 95%CIs 1.3-6.3). Among TG, factors associated with acceptability included prior awareness of PrEP (AOR 3.3; 95%CIs 1.2-9.0) and having private insurance (AOR 5.0; 95%CIs 1.3-19.0).

Conclusion

MSM and TG in Northern Thailand are distinct groups in terms of sexual behaviors, patterns of medication use, and correlates of PrEP acceptability. Efforts to maximize PrEP uptake should include expanded HIV testing services and the provision of financial subsidies to reduce the cost of PrEP.     

Hip Circumference and Cardiovascular Morbidity and Mortality in Men and Women

Objective: It has recently been demonstrated that, in middle‐aged women, a wide hip circumference is a protective factor for a number of health endpoints in later years. The effect seems to be independent of both overweight and waist circumference. This paper aims to replicate this finding in another population‐based sample consisting of women and men. Research Methods and Procedures: This was a prospective observational study consisting of a random subset of adult Danes. A total of 2987 subjects born in 1922, 1932, 1942, or 1952 and 35, 45, 55, or 65 years of age (at examination in 1987 to 1988) participated in the Danish MONICA (MONItoring trends and determinants of CArdiovascular disease) project, with measurements of height, weight, and hip and waist circumference taken. Through personal identification numbers, incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) until the end of 1998 and all causes of death until 2001 were retrieved from the National Registers of Hospital Discharge. There was an average of 10 years of follow‐up for incidence of CVD and CHD and 13 years of follow‐up for total mortality. Results: Large hip circumference, relative to body size and waist circumference, predicted less incidence of CVD, CHD, and total death in women. This was not the case in men; BMI and waist circumference were the strongest independent predictors. Discussion: A large hip circumference seems to have independent and positive effects on CVD and CHD morbidity and mortality in women, but no protective effect on cardiovascular health in men. However, a borderline significant protective effect on total mortality was observed.     

Muscle Histidine-Containing Dipeptides Are Elevated by Glucose Intolerance in Both Rodents and Men

Objective

Muscle carnosine and its methylated form anserine are histidine-containing dipeptides. Both dipeptides have the ability to quench reactive carbonyl species and previous studies have shown that endogenous tissue levels are decreased in chronic diseases, such as diabetes.

Design and Methods

Rodent study: Skeletal muscles of rats and mice were collected from 4 different diet-intervention studies, aiming to induce various degrees of glucose intolerance: 45% high-fat feeding (male rats), 60% high-fat feeding (male rats), cafeteria feeding (male rats), 70% high-fat feeding (female mice). Body weight, glucose-tolerance and muscle histidine-containing dipeptides were assessed. Human study: Muscle biopsies were taken from m. vastus lateralis in 35 males (9 lean, 8 obese, 9 prediabetic and 9 newly diagnosed type 2 diabetic patients) and muscle carnosine and gene expression of muscle fiber type markers were measured.

Results

Diet interventions in rodents (cafeteria and 70% high-fat feeding) induced increases in body weight, glucose intolerance and levels of histidine-containing dipeptides in muscle. In humans, obese, prediabetic and diabetic men had increased muscle carnosine content compared to the lean (+21% (p>0.1), +30% (p<0.05) and +39% (p<0.05), respectively). The gene expression of fast-oxidative type 2A myosin heavy chain was increased in the prediabetic (1.8-fold, p<0.05) and tended to increase in the diabetic men (1.6-fold, p = 0.07), compared to healthy lean subjects.

Conclusion

Muscle histidine-containing dipeptides increases with progressive glucose intolerance, in male individuals (cross-sectional). In addition, high-fat diet-induced glucose intolerance was associated with increased muscle histidine-containing dipeptides in female mice (interventional). Increased muscle carnosine content might reflect fiber type composition and/or act as a compensatory mechanism aimed at preventing cell damage in states of impaired glucose tolerance.     

Validation of DXA Body Composition Estimates in Obese Men and Women

The aim of this study was to determine the accuracy of dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA)‐derived percentage fat estimates in obese adults by using four‐compartment (4C) values as criterion measures. Differences between methods were also investigated in relation to the influence of fat‐free mass (FFM) hydration and various anthropometric measurements. Six women and eight men (age 22–54 years, BMI 28.7–39.9 kg/m², 4C percent body fat (%BF) 31.3–52.6%) had relative body fat (%BF) determined via DXA and a 4C method that incorporated measures of body density (BD), total body water (TBW), and bone mineral mass (BMM) via underwater weighing, deuterium dilution, and DXA, respectively. Anthropometric measurements were also undertaken: height, waist and gluteal girth, and anterior‐posterior (A‐P) chest depth. Values for both methods were significantly correlated (r² = 0.894) and no significant difference (P = 0.57) was detected between the means (DXA = 41.1%BF, 4C = 41.5%BF). The slope and intercept for the regression line were not significantly different (P > 0.05) from 1 and 0, respectively. Although both methods were significantly correlated, intraindividual differences between the methods were sizable (4C‐DXA, range = ?3.04 to 4.01%BF) and significantly correlated with tissue thickness (chest depth) or most surrogates of tissue thickness (body mass, BMI, waist girth) but not FFM hydration and gluteal girth. DXA provided cross‐sectional %BF data for obese adults without bias. However, individual data are associated with large prediction errors (±4.2%BF). This error appears to be associated with tissue thickness indicating that the DXA device used may not be able to accurately account for beam hardening in obese cohorts.