Search results for "Sex"
showing 10 items of 4056 documents
Women's socioeconomic position in ontogeny is associated with improved immune function and lower stress, but not with height
2020
AbstractImmune function, height and resource accumulation comprise important life history traits in humans. Resource availability models arising from life history theory suggest that socioeconomic conditions influence immune function, growth and health status. In this study, we tested whether there are associations between family income during ontogeny, adult height, cortisol level and immune response in women. A hepatitis B vaccine was administered to 66 young Latvian women from different socioeconomic backgrounds, and blood samples were then collected to measure the level of antibodies that the women produced in response to the vaccination. Cortisol levels were measured from plasma sample…
Sex- and age patterns in incidence of infectious diseases in Germany: analyses of surveillance records over a 13-year period (2001–2013)
2018
AbstractSex differences in the incidence of infections may indicate different risk factors and behaviour but have not been analysed across pathogens. Based on 3.96 million records of 33 pathogens in Germany, notified from 2001 to 2013, we applied Poisson regression to generate age-standardised incidence rate ratios and assessed their distribution across age and sex. The following trends became apparent: (a) pathogens with male incidence preponderance at infant and child age (meningococcal disease (incidence rate ratio (IRR) = 1.19, 95% CI 1.03–1.38, age = 0–4); influenza (IRR = 1.09, 95% CI 1.06–1.13, age = 0–4)), (b) pathogens with sex-switch in incidence preponderance at puberty (e.g. nor…
The Carnism Inventory: Measuring the ideology of eating animals.
2016
Beliefs surrounding the practice of eating animals are widely held, and have been argued to constitute an ideology named carnism (Joy, 2009). We developed and validated the novel Carnism Inventory to measure two positively related components of carnistic beliefs: carnistic defense and carnistic domination. We anticipated that carnistic defense would legitimate the practice of eating animals, while carnistic domination would support the killing of animals for their meat. The Carnism Inventory showed the hypothesized two-dimensional structure as well as good internal consistencies and stability (N = 302, Study 1). We also demonstrated the convergent and discriminant validity of the Carnism In…
The torso integration hypothesis revisited in Homo sapiens: Contributions to the understanding of hominin body shape evolution.
2018
Objectives: Lower thoracic widths and curvatures track upper pelvic widths and iliac blades curvatures in hominins and other primates (torso integration hypothesis). However, recent studies suggest that sexual dimorphism could challenge this assumption in Homo sapiens. We test the torso integration hypothesis in two modern human populations, both considering and excluding the effect of sexual dimorphism. We further assess covariation patterns between different thoracic and pelvic levels, and we explore the allometric effects on torso shape variation. Material and Methods: A sex-balanced sample of 50 anatomically connected torsos (25 Mediterraneans, 25 Sub-Saharan Africans) was segmented fro…
Thermosensory mapping of skin wetness sensitivity across the body of young males and females at rest and following maximal incremental running
2019
Key points: Humans lack skin receptors for wetness (i.e. hygroreceptors), yet we present a remarkable wetness sensitivity. Afferent inputs from skin cold-sensitive thermoreceptors are key for sensing wetness; yet, it is unknown whether males and females differ in their wetness sensitivity across their body and whether high intensity exercise modulates this sensitivity. We mapped sensitivity to cold, neutral and warm wetness across five body regions and show that females are more sensitive to skin wetness than males, and that this difference is greater for cold than warm wetness sensitivity. We also show that a single bout of maximal exercise reduced the sensitivity to skin wetness (i.e. hyg…
The molecular epidemiology of HIV-1 in the Comunidad Valenciana (Spain): analysis of transmission clusters
2017
AbstractHIV infections are still a very serious concern for public heath worldwide. We have applied molecular evolution methods to study the HIV-1 epidemics in the Comunidad Valenciana (CV, Spain) from a public health surveillance perspective. For this, we analysed 1804 HIV-1 sequences comprising protease and reverse transcriptase (PR/RT) coding regions, sampled between 2004 and 2014. These sequences were subtyped and subjected to phylogenetic analyses in order to detect transmission clusters. In addition, univariate and multinomial comparisons were performed to detect epidemiological differences between HIV-1 subtypes, and risk groups. The HIV epidemic in the CV is dominated by subtype B i…
Sex Alters the MHC Class I HLA-A Association With Polyglandular Autoimmunity.
2018
Abstract Context The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) strongly contributes to the development of polyglandular autoimmunity (PGA). Objective To evaluate the impact of sex on human leukocyte antigen (HLA) association with PGA for the first time. Design Cross-sectional immunogenetic study. Setting Academic tertiary referral Orphan Disease Center for PGA (ORPHA 282196) and immunogenetics laboratory. Subjects Patients (158) with coexistent type 1 diabetes and autoimmune thyroid disease (adult type 3 PGA, ORPHA 227982) and 479 unrelated healthy controls. Interventions All 637 white subjects were typed for HLA-A, -B, -DRB1, -DQA1, and -DQB1 alleles at a two-field level. Main Outcome Measure…
Phylogenetic analysis of an epidemic outbreak of acute hepatitis C in HIV-infected patients by ultra-deep pyrosequencing.
2017
Abstract Background The incidence of acute hepatitis C (AHC) among HIV-infected men who have sex with men (MSM) has increased significantly in the last 10 years. Several studies point to a social and sexual network of HIV-positive MSM that extends internationally. Objectives The aim of our study was to investigate the dynamics of HCV transmission in an outbreak of AHC in HIV-infected MSM in Barcelona by ultra-deep pyrosequencing. Study design Between 2008 and 2013, 113 cases of AHC in HIV-infected MSM were diagnosed in the Infectious Diseases Unit, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona. Massive sequencing was performed using the Roche 454 GS Junior platform. To define possible transmission networks, m…
The close link between the fetal programming imprinting and neurodegeneration in adulthood: The key role of “hemogenic endothelium” programming
2021
The research on neurodegenerative diseases (NeuroDegD) has been traditionally focused on later life stages. There is now an increasing evidence, that they may be programmed during early development. Here, we propose that NeuroDegD are the result of the complex process of imprinting on fetal hemogenic endothelium, from which the microglial cells make to origin. The central role of placenta and epigenetic mechanisms (methylation of DNA, histone modifications and regulation by non-coding RNAs) in mediating the short and long-term effects has been also described. Precisely, it reports their role in impacting plasticity and memory of microglial cells. In addition, we also underline the necessity…
Germ-free housing conditions do not affect aortic root and aortic arch lesion size of late atherosclerotic low-density lipoprotein receptor-deficient…
2020
The microbiota has been linked to the development of atherosclerosis, but the functional impact of these resident bacteria on the lesion size and cellular composition of atherosclerotic plaques in the aorta has never been experimentally addressed with the germ-free low-density lipoprotein receptor-deficient (Ldlr(-/-)) mouse atherosclerosis model. Here, we report that 16 weeks of high-fat diet (HFD) feeding of hypercholesterolemicLdlr(-/-)mice at germ-free (GF) housing conditions did not impact relative aortic root plaque size, macrophage content, and necrotic core area. Likewise, we did not find changes in the relative aortic arch lesion size. However, late atherosclerotic GFLdlr(-/-)mice …