Invited Review: Gender issues related to spaceflight: a NASA perspective

2001 ◽  
Vol 91 (5) ◽  
pp. 2374-2383 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah L. Harm ◽  
Richard T. Jennings ◽  
Janice V. Meck ◽  
Michael R. Powell ◽  
Lakshmi Putcha ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Orthostatic Intolerance ◽  
Decompression Sickness ◽  
Physiological Responses ◽  
Exercise Physiology ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Potential Health ◽  
Gender Specific Differences ◽  
Gender Specific

This minireview provides an overview of known and potential gender differences in physiological responses to spaceflight. The paper covers cardiovascular and exercise physiology, barophysiology and decompression sickness, renal stone risk, immunology, neurovestibular and sensorimotor function, nutrition, pharmacotherapeutics, and reproduction. Potential health and functional impacts associated with the various physiological changes during spaceflight are discussed, and areas needing additional research are highlighted. Historically, studies of physiological responses to microgravity have not been aimed at examining gender-specific differences in the astronaut population. Insufficient data exist in most of the discipline areas at this time to draw valid conclusions about gender-specific differences in astronauts, in part due to the small ratio of women to men. The only astronaut health issue for which a large enough data set exists to allow valid conclusions to be drawn about gender differences is orthostatic intolerance following shuttle missions, in which women have a significantly higher incidence of presyncope during stand tests than do men. The most common observation across disciplines is that individual differences in physiological responses within genders are usually as large as, or larger than, differences between genders. Individual characteristics usually outweigh gender differences per se.

Acceptance of wearable fitness devices in developing countries: exploring the country and gender-specific differences

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shweta Pandey ◽  
Deepak Chawla ◽  
Sandeep Puri ◽  
Luz Suplico Jeong
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Partial Least Square ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Gender Specific Differences ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Gender Specific

Purpose Notwithstanding the novelty and importance of wearable fitness devices, few studies have focussed on comparing the drivers of adoption and usage of wearable fitness in the context of developing countries. This study aims to explore factors that drive overall acceptance of wearable fitness devices in developing countries (India and the Philippines) and whether the impact of these factors on the intention to adopt (INT) differs by country and gender. Design/methodology/approach The study extends the existing body of knowledge by developing a model that integrates the impact of various perceived benefits (health, autonomy, social, hedonic, symbolic), health self-efficacy (HEALTHSE) and individual characteristics (technological innovativeness [TI]) on the INT wearable fitness devices and the moderating impact of country and gender. The analysis was carried out using partial least square and data of 343 respondents. Findings This study finds that the INT wearable fitness devices by consumers in developing countries are positively impacted by hedonic, health and autonomy, HEALTHSE and TI. Symbolic and social factors do not have any significant impact on the overall INT wearable fitness devices. However, there are country and gender-specific differences that are consequential to the development of marketing strategies. Research limitations/implications The framework and results are specific to the two countries and limited by convenience sampling. Future research can focus on replication across different countries and extend the model with additional contextual factors such as perceived risks. Originality/value To the best knowledge of the authors, this is one of the few studies to examine and compare the drivers of adoption of wearable fitness devices in lesser researched developing countries. Also, it is one of the few studies to compare the moderating impact of country and gender in the context of the INT wearable devices. The study provides a theoretical and methodological foundation for future research, as well as practical implications for global companies developing and promoting wearable fitness devices.

scholarly journals Gender and the Sex Hormone Estradiol Affect Multiple Sclerosis Risk Gene Expression in Epstein-Barr Virus-Infected B Cells

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremy T. Keane ◽  
Ali Afrasiabi ◽  
Stephen D. Schibeci ◽  
Nicole Fewings ◽  
Grant P. Parnell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Gender Differences ◽  
B Cells ◽  
Epstein Barr Virus ◽  
Barr Virus ◽  
Risk Gene ◽  
Gender Specific Differences ◽  
Epstein Barr ◽  
Gender Specific

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a complex immune-mediated disease of the central nervous system. Treatment is based on immunomodulation, including specifically targeting B cells. B cells are the main host for the Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV), which has been described as necessary for MS development. Over 200 genetic loci have been identified as increasing susceptibility to MS. Many MS risk genes have altered expression in EBV infected B cells, dependent on the risk genotype, and are themselves regulated by the EBV transcription factor EBNA2. Females are 2-3 times more likely to develop MS than males. We investigated if MS risk loci might mediate the gender imbalance in MS. From a large public dataset, we identified gender-specific associations with EBV traits, and MS risk SNP/gene pairs with gender differences in their associations with gene expression. Some of these genes also showed gender differences in correlation of gene expression level with Estrogen Receptor 2. To test if estrogens may drive these gender specific differences, we cultured EBV infected B cells (lymphoblastoid cell lines, LCLs), in medium depleted of serum to remove the effects of sex hormones as well as the estrogenic effect of phenol red, and then supplemented with estrogen (100 nM estradiol). Estradiol treatment altered MS risk gene expression, LCL proliferation rate, EBV DNA copy number and EBNA2 expression in a sex-dependent manner. Together, these data indicate that there are estrogen-mediated gender-specific differences in MS risk gene expression and EBV functions. This may in turn contribute to gender differences in host response to EBV and to MS susceptibility.

The size of pain referral patterns from a tonic painful mechanical stimulus is increased in women

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 179-179
Author(s):  
Q.G. Liu ◽  
T.S. Palsson ◽  
L.B. Sørensen ◽  
T. Graven-Nielsen
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Mechanical Stimulus ◽  
Female Group ◽  
Referral Patterns ◽  
Infraspinatus Muscle ◽  
Pressure Pain Thresholds ◽  
Gender Specific Differences ◽  
Gastrocnemius Muscles ◽  
Gender Specific ◽  
Pain Area

Abstract Aims The purpose of this study was to investigate potential gender differences in pain referral patterns induced by a tonic painful mechanical stimulus. Methods Forty-five healthy adults (22 women) participated in this study. Pressure pain thresholds (PPTs) were assessed at the infraspinatus, the brachioradialis and the gastrocnemius muscles on the dominant side, using handheld algometry. Following this, painful pressure at the infraspinatus muscle was induced using the algometer by rapidly increasing the pressure until it reached the level of 7 cm on VAS (PVAS7). This pressure was kept constant for 60s. Upon release, the subject was asked to indicate the area of the pressure-induced pain on a digital body chart. PPT values, PVAS7 and the pain area (number of pixels) were extracted for data analysis. Results No gender differences were found in PPT values (P >0.05). The pressure needed to reach 7 cm on the VAS was significantly lower in the female group (687.4±50.5 kPa) compared with males (971.0 ± 49.6 kPa; unpaired t-test: P < 0.05). The size of the pain area following PVAS7 stimulation for 60 s was significantly larger in the female group (12,578.5 ± 17,280.3 pixels) compared with the male group (6175.0 ± 9518.5 pixels; Mann–Whitney-U; P < 0.05). Conclusions Despite comparable PPT values, women demonstrated larger pain areas compared with men although the standardized painful stimulus which intensity was perceived similarly as 7 cm on the VAS scale in both groups. These findings suggest that there are gender-specific differences in pain distribution and referred pain but it is unclear through which mechanism they are mediated.

scholarly journals Family and Developmental History of Female Versus Male Adolescents With ADHD: Disorder-specific Overlap but Few Gender Differences

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johanna Waltereit ◽  
Jonas Zimmer ◽  
Veit Roessner ◽  
Robert Waltereit
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Diagnostic Interview ◽  
Developmental History ◽  
Male Adolescents ◽  
Interview Technique ◽  
Clinical Diagnostic ◽  
Icd 10 ◽  
Gender Specific Differences ◽  
Pathological Behavior ◽  
Gender Specific

Abstract Background: Gender differences in the development of children and adolescents are well known in the psychiatric examination including the clinical diagnostic interview technique. Some gender-specific differences in behaviors of patients as assessed in the clinical examination are related to typical development and some are related to disorders. Family and developmental history is an important part of the clinical diagnostic interview. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with disorder-specific markers in family and development history. However, it is unclear to what extent ADHD-specific signs and narratives differ between female and male adolescents. The aim of this study was to assess and to compare the family and developmental history profiles of female versus male adolescents with ADHD.Methods: Data were collected using the clinical diagnostic interview technique from parents of female and male patients diagnosed with ADHD (ICD-10 F90.0, F90.1 and F98.8) between the ages of 12 and 17 years (n = 92). The two groups were matched in pairs for gender, IQ and ICD-10 diagnosis (F90.0, F90.1 and F98.8). The majority of interview data were non-metric and operationalized in three categories: 0 - normal behavior, 1 - minor pathological behavior, 2 - major pathological behavior. The two groups were compared with two-way ANOVA. Results: Female in comparison to male adolescents were reported by the parents with very few differences in items that are typical for ADHD. However, there were a few differences in items in which gender-specific differences are known regardless of ADHD. Conclusions: Our study suggests that ADHD-related items in family and developmental history, as obtained with the clinical diagnostic interview technique, appear in female compared to male adolescents more similar than different.

Gender-specific differences in the expression of selenoproteins in mammals

2005 ◽  
Vol 113 (S 1) ◽  
Author(s):  
C Riese ◽  
F Streckfuss ◽  
U Schweizer ◽  
J Köhrle ◽  
L Schomburg
Keyword(s):  
Gender Specific Differences ◽  
Gender Specific

Gender-specific differences in the pattern of gene expression during post-MI remodeling

2006 ◽  
Vol 54 (S 1) ◽  
Author(s):  
M Bauer ◽  
G Mitterer ◽  
W Dietl ◽  
K Trescher ◽  
E Wolner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Gender Specific Differences ◽  
Gender Specific

scholarly journals Gender Differences in Academic Efficacy across STEM Fields

2021 ◽  
pp. 073112142110286
Author(s):  
Jennifer Ashlock ◽  
Miodrag Stojnic ◽  
Zeynep Tufekci
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Gender Gap ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Stem Fields ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Science Technology ◽  
Middle Schoolers ◽  
Self Assessments ◽  
Math Grades ◽  
And Mathematics

Cultural processes can reduce self-selection into math and science fields, but it remains unclear how confidence in computer science develops, where women are currently the least represented in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). Few studies evaluate both computer skills and self-assessments of skill. In this paper, we evaluate gender differences in efficacy across three STEM fields using a data set of middle schoolers, a particularly consequential period for academic pathways. Even though girls and boys do not significantly differ in terms of math grades and have similar levels of computer skill, the gender gap in computer efficacy is twice as large as the gap for math. We offer support for disaggregation of STEM fields, so the unique meaning making around computing can be addressed.

scholarly journals Bugs That Can Resist Antibiotics but Not Men: Gender-Specific Differences in Notified Infections and Colonisations in Germany, 2010–2019

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 894
Author(s):  
Michael Brandl ◽  
Alexandra Hoffmann ◽  
Niklas Willrich ◽  
Annicka Reuss ◽  
Felix Reichert ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
Incidence Rates ◽  
Federal State ◽  
German Population ◽  
Hygiene Measures ◽  
Invasive Infections ◽  
Gender Specific Differences ◽  
Acinetobacter Spp ◽  
Notification Data ◽  
Gender Specific

Data from surveillance networks show that men have a higher incidence rate of infections with anti-microbial-resistant (AMR) pathogens than women. We systematically analysed data of infections and colonisations with AMR pathogens under mandatory surveillance in Germany to quantify gender-specific differences. We calculated incidence-rates (IR) per 100,000 person–years for invasive infections with Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and for infections or colonisations with carbapenem-non-susceptible Acinetobacter spp. (CRA), and Enterobacterales (CRE), using the entire German population as a denominator. We limited the study periods to years with complete notification data (MRSA: 2010–2019, CRA/CRE: 2017–2019). We used Poisson regression to adjust for gender, age group, federal state, and year of notification. In the study periods, IR for all notifications were 4.2 for MRSA, 0.90 for CRA, and 4.8 for CRE per 100,000 person-–years. The adjusted IR ratio for infections of men compared to women was 2.3 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.2–2.3) for MRSA, 2.2 (95%CI: 1.9–2.7) for CRA, and 1.7 (95%CI: 1.6–1.8) for CRE. Men in Germany show about double the risk for infection with AMR pathogens than women. This was also true for colonisations, where data were available. Screening procedures and associated hygiene measures may profit from a gender-stratified approach.

scholarly journals Determinants of prepaid systems of healthcare financing: a worldwide country-level perspective

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea M. Leiter ◽  
Engelbert Theurl
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Panel Data ◽  
Health Care Financing ◽  
Value Added ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Dynamic Panel Data ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Minor Importance ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Country Level

AbstractIn this paper we examine determinants of prepaid modes of health care financing in a worldwide cross-country perspective. We use three different indicators to capture the role of prepaid modes in health care financing: (i) the share of total prepaid financing as percent of total current health expenditures, (ii) the share of voluntary prepaid financing as percent of total prepaid financing, and (iii) the share of compulsory health insurance as percent of total compulsory prepaid financing. In the econometric analysis, we refer to a panel data set comprising 154 countries and covering the time period 2000–2015. We apply a static as well as a dynamic panel data model. We find that the current structure of prepaid financing is significantly determined by its different forms in the past. The significant influence of GDP per capita, governmental revenues, the agricultural value added, development assistance for health, degree of urbanization and regulatory quality varies depending on the financing structure we look at. The share of the elderly and the education level are only of minor importance for explaining the variation in a country’s share of prepaid health care financing. The importance of the mentioned variables as determinants for prepaid health care financing also varies depending on the countries’ socio-economic development. From our analysis we conclude that more detailed information on indicators which reflect the distribution of individual characteristics (such as income, family size and structure and health risks) within a country’s population would be needed to gain deeper insight into the decisive determinants for prepaid health care financing.

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