Friendship understanding in males and females on the autism spectrum and their typically developing peers

BackgroundAn altered understanding of relationships, including friendship, is one of the hallmark features of autism. However, research concerning friendship understanding among autistic people is scarce. The existing literature is limited mostly to children and often disregards gender differences. Thus, the current study aimed to examine friendship understanding in adolescents and adults whilst taking into account both autism diagnosis and gender.MethodThe current study was a secondary analysis of data obtained in the Polish Autism Survey. Participants were 76 autistic individuals (44 males, ages 14−37 years) and 76 matched controls. Qualitative responses to an open-ended question concerning friendship understanding were coded into six non-exclusive categories, including motivational (intimacy, support, and companionship) and cognitive-developmental (reciprocity, unconditional responsiveness, and complexity) aspects of friendship. Chi-squared tests and Mann-Whitney U were used to examine group (autistic vs. typically developing) and gender differences in friendship understanding.ResultsAutistic people referred to intimacy and unconditional responsiveness less often and also provided less complex definitions of a ‘friend’ than their typically developing peers. Autistic and typically developing males endorsed unconditional responsiveness and complexity less often than females. Additionally, participants who included cognitive-developmental aspects in their definition of a ‘friend’ more often reported having casual friends and a best friend.ConclusionsThe findings shed light on rarely explored aspects of friendship understanding in autistic and typically developing adolescents and adults. The study identifies distinct profiles of friendship understanding in autistic males and females. Taken together, the results can foster the development of fine-grained assessment and support of friendship understanding for people on the autism spectrum.     

大学生言语能力及职业成就的刻板解释偏差

目的考察大学生对言语能力及其职业成就是否存在内隐性别刻板印象。方法运用两个SEB实验设计对85名大学生进行团体施测。结果①1-SEB1与0存在极显著差异(t=3.531,P<0.001),2-SEB1与0存在显著差异(t=-1.979,P<0.05),2-SEB2与0存在显著差异(t=-3.211,P<0.01);②在职业成就上,主语性别和成败表现对被试归因倾向的交互作用显著(F=34.828,P<0.01)。结论大学生具有"女性言语能力很强,但男性言语能力不一定很弱"及"男性在言语能力要求高的职业上成就大于女性"的内隐性别刻板印象。即使在承认女性言语能力很强的基础上,仍存在女性职业成就不如男性的内隐性别刻板观念。     

我国家庭暴力中的性别差异

目的 由认知与应对策略出发,考察家庭暴力的性别差异.方法 在全国范围内选取东、西、南、北部8个地区的2951名成年男女作为被试,使用一般资料调查表、《修订版冲突策略量表简版》及自编的认知与应对问卷进行调查.结果 采用Pearson相关和卡方检验比较家庭暴力的性别差异.①男性的施暴率与受暴率相关(r=0.721,P=0.000);女性的施暴率与受暴率相关(r=0.553,P=0.000),整体施暴率与受暴率相关(r=0.642,P=0.000).自我报告的施暴率与受暴率具有显著的性别差异(P＜0.05);②家庭暴力的认知方面,将情感忽视界定为家庭暴力的时间上具有显著的性别差异(x2=13.995,P=0.003);③夫妻间冲突后的行为表现与解决方式具有显著的性别差异(P＜0.001).结论 男性与女性在家庭暴力的发生类型、认知及冲突后的表现与解决方式等方面均有所不同.应当从性别角色视角出发,有区别地开展家庭暴力的心理干预工作.     

高脂血症人群血清超氧化物歧化酶的变化趋势

目的探讨血清超氧化物歧化酶在高脂血症人群中不同性别、不同年龄的变化趋势,为评价机体抗氧化的能力提供客观依据。方法选择811名血脂正常者和803例高脂血症者,分别测定血清超氧化物歧化酶、总胆固醇、甘油三酯、高密度脂蛋白胆固醇和低密度脂蛋白胆固醇,t检验分析探讨不同性别、年龄组之间血清超氧化物歧化酶的差别。结果高脂血症青年男性、高脂血症中年男性、高脂血症老年男性的血清超氧化物歧化酶含量较相应血脂正常组明显升高;高脂血症老年男性的血清超氧化物歧化酶含量较高脂血症中青年男性明显降低。高脂血症青年女性、高脂血症中年女性、高脂血症老年女性的血清超氧化物歧化酶含量较血脂正常对照组明显升高;高脂血症老年女性的血清超氧化物歧化酶含量较高脂血症中青年女性明显降低。高脂血症女性各年龄组的血清超氧化物歧化酶含量明显低于同年龄组的高脂血症男性。结论不同性别、不同年龄的高脂血症人群之间,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。     

Empathy,schizotypy, and visuospatial transformations

Introduction. Adopting another person's visuospatial perspective has been associated with empathy, which involves adopting the psychological perspective of another individual. Both reduced empathy and abnormal visuospatial processing have been observed in those with schizophrenia and schizophrenia-related personality traits. In the current study, we sought to explore the relationship between empathy, schizotypy, and visuospatial transformation ability.

Methods. 32 subjects (16 women) performed a visuospatial perspective-taking task and a mental letter rotation task. Response times and accuracy were analysed in relation to dimensions of self-reported empathy, indexed using the Interpersonal Reactivity Index, and schizotypy, as measured by the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire.

Results. We found that: (1) greater cognitive and affective empathy were associated with reduced negative schizotypy, and, in men, greater cognitive empathy was associated with reduced positive schizotypy; (2) improved accuracy for imagined self–other transformations in the perspective-taking task was associated with greater self-reported cognitive empathy in women and higher positive schizotypy across genders; (3) faster mental letter rotation was associated with reduced cognitive empathy and increased negative schizotypy in women.

Conclusions. Together, the findings partially support the commonalities in visuospatial transformation ability, empathy, and schizotypy, and posit an interesting link between spatial manipulations of our internal representations and interactions with the physical world.     

Sex-specific environmental influences affecting MS development

Vitamin D status, smoking, and Epstein–Barr virus infection (EBV) may all contribute to explain differences in disease prevalence and incidence of Multiple Sclerosis (MS). MS affects women more often than men, and recent cross-sectional study assessments provide evidence of increased female to male prevalence in relapsing remitting MS patients, suggesting that sex hormones may exert an active role in disease pathogenesis. Studies in both humans and animal disease models demonstrate a functional synergy for the immunomodulatory effects of Vitamin D3 and 17-β estradiol. Both smoking and EBV infection clearly increase MS risk, and smoking history has also been associated with poorer disease prognosis. However, neither factor can explain the recent trend indicating greater female prevalence. Therefore, large population-based case–control studies from well defined geographic areas with homogeneous populations should be performed, in order to define environmental factor effects, and sex hormone influences, to better understand prevalence and incidence gender differences observed.     

5 117例股骨颈骨折患者流行病学调查分析

目的：分析2014至2019年收治的股骨颈骨折患者的流行病学特征及变化趋势。方法：对2014年1月至2019年12月期间广东省某三级甲等医院收治的股骨颈骨折患者资料进行回顾性分析,记录患者的性别、年龄、住院时间等数据,分析6年期间股骨颈骨折的流行病学特征及变化趋势。结果：共统计股骨颈骨折患者5 117例,男女比例为0.67:1,2014至2019年股骨颈骨折病例数总体呈逐年上升趋势;老年组、青壮年组、儿童组所占比例分别为70.22%、27.40%、2.38%;2014至2019年老年组患者所占比例逐步增加,青壮年组所占比例逐步下降;股骨颈骨折好发季节为冬季;88.27%的股骨颈骨折致伤原因为摔伤;70.50%的老年患者有合并症;43.37%的患者以急诊方式入院,91.12%的患者采用手术治疗。结论：2014至2019年股骨颈骨折病例数逐年上升,女性多于男性,老年女性为高发人群,70～79岁为高发病年龄段,冬季为股骨颈骨折的高发季节,应做好重点人群特定时间段的预防,以降低股骨颈骨折的发病率。     

Kinetic comparison of older men and women during walk-to-stair descent transition

Stair walking is one of the most challenging tasks for older adults, with women reporting higher incidence of falls. The purpose of this study was to investigate the gender differences in kinetics during stair descent transition. Twenty-eight participants (12 male and 16 female; 68.5 and 69.0 years of mean age, respectively) performed stair descent from level walking in a step-over-step manner at a self-selected speed over a custom-made three-step staircase with embedded force plates. Kinematic and force data were combined using inverse dynamics to generate kinetic data for gender comparison. The top and the first step on the staircase were chosen for analysis. Women showed a higher trail leg peak hip abductor moment (−1.0 N m/kg), lower trail leg peak knee extensor moment and eccentric power (0.74 N m/kg and 3.15 W/kg), and lower peak concentric power at trail leg ankle joint (1.29 W/kg) as compared to men (p < 0.05; −0.82 N m/kg, 0.89 N m/kg, 3.83 W/kg, and 1.78 W/kg, respectively). The lead leg knee eccentric power was also lower in women (p < 0.05). This decreased ability to exert knee control during stair descent transition may predispose women to a higher risk of fall.     

Are there gender differences in left ventricular remodeling after myocardial infarction in rats?

Objective

An unclear issue is whether gender may influence at cardiac remodeling after myocardial infarction (MI). We evaluated left ventricle remodeling in female and male rats post-MI.

Methods

Rats were submitted to anterior descending coronary occlusion. Echocardiographic evaluations were performed on the first and sixth week post-occlusion to determine myocardial infarction size and left ventricle systolic function (FAC, fractional area change). Pulsed Doppler was applied to analyze left ventricle diastolic function using the following parameters: E wave, A wave, E/A ratio. Two-way ANOVA was applied for comparisons, complemented by the Bonferroni test. A P≤=0.05 was considered significant.

Results

There were no significant differences between genders for morphometric parameters on first (MI [Female (FE): 44.0±5.0 vs. Male (MA): 42.0±3.0%]; diastolic [FE: 0.04±0.003 vs. MA: 0.037±0.005, mm/g] and systolic [FE: 0.03±0.0004 vs. MA: 0.028±0.005, mm/g] diameters of left ventricle) and sixth (MI [FE: 44.0±5.0 vs. MA: 42.0±3.0, %]; diastolic [FE: 0.043±0.01 vs. MA: 0.034±0.005, mm/g] and systolic [FE: 0.035±0.01 vs. MA: 0.027±0.005, mm/g] of LV) week. Similar findings were reported for left ventricle functional parameters on first (FAC [FE: 34.0±6.0 vs. MA: 32.0±4.0, %]; wave E [FE: 70.0±18.0 vs. MA: 73.0±14.0, cm/s]; wave A [FE: 20.0±12.0 vs. MA: 28.0±13.0, cm/s]; E/A [FE: 4.9±3.4 vs. MA: 3.3±1.8]) and sixth (FAC [FE: 29.0±7.0 vs. MA: 31.0±7.0, %]; wave E [FE: 85.0±18.0 vs. MA: 87.0±20.0, cm/s]; wave A [FE: 20.0±11.0 vs. MA: 28.0±17.0, cm/s]; E/A [FE: 6.2±4.0 vs. MA: 4.6±3.4]) week.

Conclusion

Gender does not influence left ventricle remodeling post-MI in rats.     

Is There a Recent Epidemic of Women's Drinking? A Critical Review of National Studies

Alcohol consumption is increasing in the United States, as is alcohol‐attributable mortality. Historically, men have had higher rates of alcohol consumption than women, though evidence for birth cohort effects on gender differences in alcohol consumption and alcohol‐related harm suggests that gender differences may be diminishing. We review studies using U.S. national data that examined time trends in alcohol consumption and alcohol‐related harm since 2008. Utilizing a historical–developmental perspective, here we synthesize and integrate the literature on birth cohort effects from varying developmental periods (i.e., adolescence, young adulthood, middle adulthood, and late adulthood), with a focus on gender differences in alcohol consumption. Findings suggest that recent trends in gender differences in alcohol outcomes are heterogeneous by developmental stage. Among adolescents and young adults, both males and females are rapidly decreasing alcohol consumption, binge and high‐intensity drinking, and alcohol‐related outcomes, with gender rates converging because males are decreasing consumption faster than females. This pattern does not hold among adults, however. In middle adulthood, consumption, binge drinking, and alcohol‐related harms are increasing, driven largely by increases among women in their 30s and 40s. The trend of increases in consumption that are faster for women than for men appears to continue into older adult years (60 and older) across several studies. We conclude by addressing remaining gaps in the literature and offering directions for future research.