Article
Biology
Manuel Spitschan, Nayantara Santhi, Amrita Ahluwalia, Dorothee Fischer, Lilian Hunt, Natasha A. Karp, Francis Levi, Ines Pineda-Torra, Parisa Vidafar, Rhiannon White
Summary: Growing evidence suggests that sex differences have a significant impact on various aspects of human biology. This review focuses on exploring the influence of sex on the circadian and sleep physiology of humans and identifies a data gap in investigating the non-visual effects of light. A virtual workshop on the biomedical implications of sex differences in sleep and circadian physiology highlights the need for inclusive and accessible research design, recruitment strategies to achieve a balanced sample size, utilization of data visualization to understand the influence of sex, statistical analyses that incorporate sex as a factor, and making participant-level data open for future meta-analytic efforts.
Article
Biology
Lanyn P. Taliaferro, Rajeev K. Agarwal, C. Norman Coleman, Andrea L. DiCarlo, Kimberly A. Hofmeyer, Shannon G. Loelius, Olivia Molinar-Inglis, Dana C. Tedesco, Merriline M. Satyamitra
Summary: This article describes a workshop on the role of sex as a confounder in radiation research and its implications in radiological and nuclear applications. The workshop aimed to address the scientific implications and knowledge gaps in understanding sex in basic and translational research. The discussions covered topics such as sex differences in radiation animal models, biodosimetry and biomarkers, medical research lacking representation from both sexes, and regulatory policies influencing inclusion of women in research. The report highlights the need to consider both sexes in research to ensure robust and accurate outcomes.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RADIATION BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Raquel L. Carvalho, Angelica F. Resende, Jos Barlow, Filipe M. Franca, Mario R. Moura, Rafaella Maciel, Fernanda Alves-Martins, Jack Shutt, Cassio A. Nunes, Fernando Elias, Juliana M. Silveira, Lis Stegmann, Fabricio B. Baccaro, Leandro Juen, Juliana Schietti, Luiz Aragao, Erika Berenguer, Leandro Castello, Flavia R. C. Costa, Matheus L. Guedes, Cecilia G. Leal, Alexander C. Lees, Victoria Isaac, Rodrigo O. Nascimento, Oliver L. Phillips, Fernando Augusto Schmidt, Hans ter Steege, Fernando Vaz-de-Mello, Eduardo M. Venticinque, Jansen Zuanon, Joice Synergize Consortium, Joice Ferreira
Summary: Biodiversity loss is a major challenge of our time and understanding how ecological communities respond to environmental change is crucial. Despite the availability of global databases, research in tropical regions, especially in the Amazon rainforest, is lacking. This study shows that a significant percentage of understudied areas in the Brazilian Amazonia are vulnerable to climate and land use changes, highlighting the urgent need for action. Rating: 8/10.
Editorial Material
Cell Biology
Irene Miguel-Aliaga, Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic, Erin J. Stephenson, Frederic Gachon, Inoes Milagre, Evanna Mills, Joshua B. Rubin, Iva Kelava
Summary: Researchers in this collection explore the importance of sex differences in the development and progression of diseases, offering mechanistic clues on sexually dimorphic differences seen in interorgan communication, metabolic disease, neurological disorders, and more.
DEVELOPMENTAL CELL
(2022)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Dominic Millenaar, Markus Dillmann, Tobias Fehlmann, Alexander Flohr, Roxana Mehran, Rasha Al-Lamee, Lucas Lauder, Christian Ukena, Michael Boehm, Andreas Keller, Felix Mahfoud
Summary: This study explored the sex-specific differences in authorship of cardiovascular research over the past decade. The findings showed an overall increase in cardiovascular publications, particularly among female authors. However, articles by female authors had a lower median impact factor and were cited less frequently compared to male authors. There were also regional differences in the impact factor of articles by female authors, with North America having the highest and Africa having the lowest.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Lori van den Hurk, Sarah Hiltner, Sabine Oertelt-Prigione
Summary: Historically, authors in the biomedical field have often conflated the terms sex and gender in their research, significantly limiting reproducibility. In this study, current reporting practices around gender in biomedical publications claiming to identify gender differences were investigated. The findings showed inadequate conceptual understanding and methodological operationalization of gender, highlighting the need for appropriate training to improve output quality and reproducibility in the field.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Jennifer S. Williams, Michelle R. Fattori, Isabella R. Honeyborne, Stacey A. Ritz
Summary: The inclusion of sex and gender considerations in biomedicine has been increasing. However, overreliance on a female-male binary tends to oversimplify the interactions between sex-and gender-related factors and health, and runs a risk of being influenced by cultural stereotypes about sex and gender. When examining the influence of gender and sex hormones, it is important to approach the work critically and acknowledge the complexity of hormone physiology.
HORMONES AND BEHAVIOR
(2023)
Review
Biochemical Research Methods
Xiu-Ju George Zhao, Hui Cao
Summary: This article reviews the importance of biomedical data preprocessing and efficient computing, emphasizing the need to consider application scenarios, data acquisition, and individual rights. The article summarizes the common principles, knowledge, and methods of integrated research according to the whole-pipeline processing mechanism, and proposes new directions including the integration of neuromorphic and native algorithms, the mechanism of choosing different preprocessing, analysis, and transaction methods, and the construction of an ecosystem for integrated research and clinical diagnosis and treatment.
BRIEFINGS IN BIOINFORMATICS
(2022)
Review
Genetics & Heredity
Iftikhar J. Kullo, Cathryn M. Lewis, Michael Inouye, Alicia R. Martin, Samuli Ripatti, Nilanjan Chatterjee
Summary: Public health strategies play a crucial role in improving global human health, but their success relies on identifying risk factors underlying disease burden in the general population. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified thousands of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with common complex diseases or traits. A polygenic score (PGS), calculated based on the number of trait-associated alleles an individual carries, can reflect their genetic predisposition for a particular phenotype. Experts discuss the utility, strengths, limitations, and barriers of polygenic scores for equitable use.
NATURE REVIEWS GENETICS
(2022)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Sofia R. Bernstein, Caroline Kelleher, Raouf A. Khalil
Summary: Previous research has assumed that male and female biology is similar except for the reproductive system, leading to misconceptions in research interpretations and clinical applications. However, recent research has identified sex differences in various organs and systems, as well as differences in the prevalence and severity of certain disorders between males and females. This highlights the importance of studying gender differences in biology and disease.
BIOCHEMICAL PHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Aleksandra Kosza Koszalka, Klaudia Lustyk, Karolina Pytka
Summary: This review discusses the recent progress in understanding the biological sex differences in cognition and highlights the challenges encountered in such research. It focuses on spatial, recognition, and emotional memory, as well as executive functions such as attention, cognitive flexibility, and working memory.
NEUROSCIENCE AND BIOBEHAVIORAL REVIEWS
(2023)
Review
Neurosciences
Korrina A. Duffy, C. Neill Epperson
Summary: In existing neuropsychopharmacology (NPP) studies, there is limited evaluation of sex differences, with most studies still using methods to eliminate the effect of sex. Only a small percentage of studies found statistically significant sex differences in at least one outcome.
NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biology
Cathy S. Chen, Evan Knep, Autumn Han, R. Becket Ebitz, Nicola M. Grissom
Summary: Research on male and female mice in decision-making tasks revealed that males tend to make more exploratory choices while females learn more quickly during exploration. These sex differences are more prominent during periods of learning and exploration than during stable choices.
Review
Neurosciences
Kassandra Friedrichs, Philipp Kellmeyer
Summary: In the past three decades, there has been increasing attention on the human brain and its role in determining behavior. Neuroscientific explanations of human behavior have become particularly appealing to the general public. However, caution is needed in formulating neuroscientific explanations that can impact individuals, groups, or social relations. Feminist scholars specifically request more careful examination of neuroscientific research on sex/gender differences, as they have identified various ways in which sexist bias may be present. This article provides an overview of contemporary neurofeminist literature, discussing common levels of analysis and recent developments. The aim is to equip neuroscientists with a solid understanding of neurofeminist criticism to evaluate neuroscientific claims about sex/gender differences from a critical perspective.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Review
Immunology
Nicole M. Wilkinson, Ho-Chung Chen, Melissa G. Lechner, Maureen A. Su
Summary: Strong epidemiological evidence supports the important role of sex as a biologic variable in immunity, particularly in relation to COVID-19. However, the underlying mechanisms of sex differences in immune-mediated conditions still require further investigation. Recent experimental data have provided insights into how sex-defining factors impact immune responses and have potential implications for personalized patient care. This review focuses on recent findings regarding sex differences in autoimmunity, SARS-CoV-2 infection, and cancer immunotherapy, and emphasizes the importance of understanding these mechanisms for the development of sex-based approaches to disease screening and treatment.
ANNUAL REVIEW OF IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)