Beyond essentialist fallacies: Fine‐tuning ideology critique of appeals to biological sex differences

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebekka Hufendiek
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Fine Tuning ◽  
Ideology Critique ◽  
Biological Sex

The traditional sexual script and humor in courtship

2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 197-218
Author(s):  
Elaina M. Ross ◽  
Jeffrey A. Hall
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Gender Roles ◽  
Cultural Influences ◽  
Past Research ◽  
Ambivalent Sexism ◽  
Hostile Sexism ◽  
Sexual Script ◽  
Biological Sex ◽  
Sex Influence ◽  
Potential Partner

AbstractTo account for sex differences in the production, receptivity, and preference for humor in potential mates during courtship, past research has often adopted an evolutionary approach. The present manuscript will attempt to integrate evolutionary explanations with proximal social and cultural influences using the traditional sexual script and ambivalent sexism theory. The results of both Study 1 (N=227) and Study 2 (N=424) suggest that trait masculinity is positively associated with humor production in courtship, while trait femininity is associated with humor receptivity. Study 1 indicated that the traditional flirting style was associated with less humor production by women, and Study 2 indicated that hostile sexism was related to a lower preference for a humor-producing potential partner by men. A sex difference in humor production in potential partners in Study 2 was no longer detectable once trait gender and hostile sexism was accounted for. Taken together, gender roles, over and above biological sex, influence one’s own humor use in courtship and preference for humor in potential partners.

Unexplored functions of sex hormones in glioblastoma cancer stem cells

Endocrinology ◽  
2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juyeun Lee ◽  
Katie Troike ◽  
R’ay Fodor ◽  
Justin D Lathia
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Immune Response ◽  
Sex Differences ◽  
Cancer Stem Cells ◽  
Tumor Growth ◽  
Sex Hormones ◽  
Cellular Heterogeneity ◽  
Cellular Functions ◽  
Biological Sex ◽  
Organismal Development

Abstract Biological sex impacts a wide array of molecular and cellular functions that impact organismal development and can influence disease trajectory in a variety of pathophysiological states. In non-reproductive cancers, epidemiological sex differences have been observed in a series of tumors, and recent work has identified previously unappreciated sex differences in molecular genetics and immune response. However, the extent of these sex differences in terms of drivers of tumor growth and therapeutic response is less clear. In glioblastoma, the most common primary malignant brain tumor, there is a male bias in incidence and outcome, and key genetic and epigenetic differences, as well as differences in immune response driven by immune-suppressive myeloid populations, have recently been revealed. Glioblastoma is a prototypic tumor in which cellular heterogeneity is driven by populations of therapeutically resistant cancer stem cells (CSCs) that underlie tumor growth and recurrence. There is emerging evidence that GBM CSCs may show a sex difference, with male tumor cells showing enhanced self-renewal, but how sex differences impact CSC function is not clear. In this mini-review, we focus on how sex hormones may impact CSCs in GBM and implications for other cancers with a pronounced CSC population. We also explore opportunities to leverage new models to better understand the contribution of sex hormones versus sex chromosomes to CSC function. With the rising interest in sex differences in cancer, there is an immediate need to understand the extent to which sex differences impact tumor growth, including effects on CSC function.

scholarly journals Sex differences in neuro(auto)immunity and chronic sciatic nerve pain

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Katja Linher-Melville ◽  
Anita Shah ◽  
Gurmit Singh
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Pain ◽  
Sex Differences ◽  
Immune Cells ◽  
Immune Cell ◽  
Nerve Repair ◽  
Specific Treatment ◽  
Neural Firing ◽  
Biological Sex ◽  
Treatment Regimens ◽  
Nerve Recovery

AbstractChronic pain occurs with greater frequency in women, with a parallel sexually dimorphic trend reported in sufferers of many autoimmune diseases. There is a need to continue examining neuro-immune-endocrine crosstalk in the context of sexual dimorphisms in chronic pain. Several phenomena in particular need to be further explored. In patients, autoantibodies to neural antigens have been associated with sensory pathway hyper-excitability, and the role of self-antigens released by damaged nerves remains to be defined. In addition, specific immune cells release pro-nociceptive cytokines that directly influence neural firing, while T lymphocytes activated by specific antigens secrete factors that either support nerve repair or exacerbate the damage. Modulating specific immune cell populations could therefore be a means to promote nerve recovery, with sex-specific outcomes. Understanding biological sex differences that maintain, or fail to maintain, neuroimmune homeostasis may inform the selection of sex-specific treatment regimens, improving chronic pain management by rebalancing neuroimmune feedback. Given the significance of interactions between nerves and immune cells in the generation and maintenance of neuropathic pain, this review focuses on sex differences and possible links with persistent autoimmune activity using sciatica as an example.

scholarly journals Sex Differences in Performance of a Clinically-Relevant Dual-Task Assessment in Healthy College Students

Neurology ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 93 (14 Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. S33.2-S34
Author(s):  
Nicholas Erdman, AT ◽  
Juliana Jimenez ◽  
David Howell ◽  
Thomas Buckley ◽  
Joseph Hart ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Sex Differences ◽  
Dual Task ◽  
Word List ◽  
Interaction Effects ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Immediate Memory ◽  
Biological Sex ◽  
Clinical Measures

ObjectiveTo determine if biological sex influenced performance on a novel dual-task (DT) assessment which consisted of commonly used clinical measures of sport concussion (SC) in healthy college students.BackgroundDT assessments consist of motor and cognitive tasks administered simultaneously and show promise as clinical measures of SC.Design/MethodsOur cross-sectional study included 60 (53.3% female) healthy, recreationally active college students (age = 20.5 ± 1.34 years, height = 171.7 ± 9.33 cm, mass = 69.25 ± 12.23 kg). Participants completed the Standardized Assessment of Concussion (SAC) and timed tandem gait (TTG) test independently (single task [ST]) and concurrently (DT). The revised SAC (45 points) which included a 10-word list was utilized. The TTG composite score was a sum of the average time to completion for each SAC task (3 trials for immediate memory [10-word list], up to 5 trials for the digits-backwards task, and one trial for the months in reverse order and delayed recall tasks). Independent t-tests were used to assess for sex differences for SAC and TTG performance during ST and DT administration. 2 × 2 factorial analyses of variance (ANOVA) were used to assess for sex (male, female) by task (ST, DT) interaction effects with effect sizes calculated using Cohen’s d. All analyses were assessed at α = 0.05.ResultsNo sex differences were observed for ST performance of the SAC (males = 37.1 ± 3.45 points, females = 37.4 ± 3.74 points; t[58] = 0.28, p = 0.78) or TTG (males = 44.3 ± 7.09 seconds, females = 46.1 ± 8.88 seconds; t[58] = 0.88, p = 0.38). No sex differences were observed for DT performance of the SAC (males = 39.7 ± 4.50 points, females = 39.2 ± 3.12 points; t[58] = 0.46, p = 0.64) or TTG (males = 52.1 ± 8.56 seconds, females = 52.1 ± 10.28 seconds; t[58] = 0.02, p = 0.98). No sex by task interaction effects were observed for SAC (F = 0.74, p = 0.39, d = 0.23) or TTG (F = 1.1, p = 0.30, d = 0.28) performance for ST or DT assessment.ConclusionsOur results indicate that our novel DT assessment was robust to sex differences in healthy college students which supports the utilization of our DT assessment across sexes without adjustment for interpretation.

scholarly journals Cross-sectional and longitudinal associations of family income-to-needs ratio with cortical and subcortical brain volume in adolescent boys and girls

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucy S. King ◽  
Emily L. Dennis ◽  
Kathryn L. Humphreys ◽  
Paul M. Thompson ◽  
Ian H. Gotlib
Keyword(s):  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Sex Differences ◽  
Family Income ◽  
Brain Volume ◽  
Important Variable ◽  
White Matter Volume ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Biological Sex ◽  
Matter Volume ◽  
Childhood Socioeconomic Status

AbstractDeviations in neurodevelopment may underlie the association between lower childhood socioeconomic status and difficulties in cognitive and socioemotional domains. Most previous investigations of the association between childhood socioeconomic status and brain morphology have used cross-sectional designs with samples that span wide age ranges, occluding effects specific to adolescence. Sex differences in the association between childhood socioeconomic status and neurodevelopment may emerge or intensify during adolescence. We used tensor-based morphometry, a whole brain approach, to examine sex differences in the cross-sectional association between normative variation in family income-to-needs ratio (INR) and cortical and subcortical gray and white matter volume during early adolescence (ages 9-13 years, N=147), as well as in the longitudinal association between in INR and change in volume from early to later adolescence (ages 11-16 years, N=109). Biological sex interacted with INR to explain variation in volume in several areas cross-sectionally and longitudinally. Effects were primarily in cortical gray matter areas, including regions of the association cortex and sensorimotor processing areas. Effect sizes tended to be larger in boys than in girls. Biological sex may be an important variable to consider in analyses of the effects of family income on structural neurodevelopment during adolescence.HighlightsSex-specific associations of SES with neurodevelopment may emerge in adolescence.We used a whole-brain approach to examine gray and white matter volume.Sex interacted with SES to explain variation in volume across adolescence.Sex is an important variable to consider in analyses of SES and brain volume.

Biological Sex Differences in Depression: A Systematic Review

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 383-392 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ainitze Labaka ◽  
Olatz Goñi-Balentziaga ◽  
Andrea Lebeña ◽  
Joana Pérez-Tejada
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Sex Differences ◽  
Depressive Disorder ◽  
English Language ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Physiological Measures ◽  
Biological Sex ◽  
Language Studies ◽  
Biological Patterns

Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide, and its prevalence is 2 times higher in women than in men. There is, however, a lack of data on sex-specific pathophysiology of this disorder. The purpose of this systematic review is to identify the biological sex differences found in major depressive disorder (MDD) in studies published in the last 10 years. We conducted a literature search using the Medline, PsycInfo, PubMed, and Web of Science databases, selecting English-language studies that included physiological measures compared by sex in addition to MDD. We identified 20 relevant studies, which consisted primarily of mixed methodology and samples. The reported physiological measures comprised a variety of serum biomarkers, gene mRNA expression, and brain activity. Findings suggest different biological patterns in those with MDD depending on sex. Specifically, women presented higher levels of inflammatory, neurotrophic, and serotonergic markers and a stronger correlation between levels of some inflammatory and neurotrophic factors and the severity of symptoms. This review provides information about possible different biological patterns for women and men with depressive disorder and may have important implications for treatment. Future research should include homogeneous samples; make comparisons based on sex, control sex hormone fluctuations and pharmacological treatment; and use consistent criteria for evaluating psychobiological changes in MDD.

scholarly journals Sex Differences in HIV Infection: Mystique Versus Machismo

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 82 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eileen P. Scully
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Hiv Infection ◽  
Immune Activation ◽  
Multiple Infections ◽  
Comparative Biology ◽  
Microbiota Composition ◽  
Hiv Disease ◽  
Effective Prevention ◽  
Biological Sex ◽  
Activation Pathways

Biological sex is a determinant of both susceptibility to and pathogenesis of multiple infections, including HIV. These differences have effects on the spectrum of HIV disease from acquisition to eradication, with diverse mechanisms including distinct chromosomal complements, variation in microbiota composition, hormonal effects on transcriptional profiles, and expression of different immunoregulatory elements. With a comparative biology approach, these sex differences can be used to highlight protective and detrimental immune activation pathways, to identify strategies for effective prevention, treatment, and curative interventions. 

Circumscribed interests in autism: are there sex differences?

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 187-198 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sallie Wallace Nowell ◽  
Desiree R. Jones ◽  
Clare Harrop
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Functional Impairment ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Diagnostic Assessment ◽  
Functional Impairments ◽  
Circumscribed Interests ◽  
Primary Interest ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Biological Sex ◽  
Children With Asd

Purpose Sex differences in circumscribed interests (CI) may delay diagnosis for females with autism spectrum disorder (ASD); therefore, it is important to characterize sex differences in CI to determine if differential approaches to diagnostic assessment are warranted for females with ASD. The purpose of this paper is to examine sex differences in parent-reported quantity, content and functional impairment of children’s interests. Design/methodology/approach Parent responses to the Interests Scale were analyzed using descriptive statistics and ANOVAs to determine diagnostic (ASD vs typical development (TD)) and sex differences between four groups of children ages six to ten years: ASD males, ASD females, TD males and TD females. Findings Groups were comparable on the quantity of interests reported on the Interests Scale. Children with ASD demonstrated significantly more nonsocial interests and had greater functional impairment associated with their interests than TD children. A significant diagnosis×sex effect was found for the number of interests in folk psychology. Descriptively, males with ASD were more likely to have a primary interest in the traditionally male category of physics than females with ASD whose primary interest mainly fell into the categories of TV or the more traditionally female category of psychology. Originality/value These findings strengthen the results of Turner-Brown et al. (2011) by replicating their findings that children with ASD have more nonsocial interests and greater functional impairments related to their interests compared to TD children in a sample that is balanced on biological sex. However, there are distinctions between males and females with ASD in their primary interests that have implications for diagnostic assessment.

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