B A C K G R O U N D : S e x a n d g e n d e r inequality is prevalent in health care, and affects receipt of health care services and outcomes. Our objective was to measure the association between sex and receipt of evidence-based perioperative care for hip fracture in Ontario. METHODS: This was a populationbased retrospective cross-sectional analysis. We identified all Ontario residents aged 66 years and older who had hip fracture surgery between 2014 and 2016. After protocol registration, we measured the adjusted association between female sex and perioperative geriatric care (primary outcome), anes

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Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is thought to play a role in follicle activation and oocyte maturation. It is postulated that BDNF and its receptor, tyrosine kinase receptor B (TrkB), may also play a role in maintaining the corpus luteum. Therefore,human granulosa lutein cells (GLC) were obtained from women undergoing ovulation induction and treated with increasing concentrations of cAMP (0, 125, 500 and 1000 μmol/l). BDNF and progesterone concentrations were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. cAMP treatment significantly increased progesterone output but had no effect on BDNF concentration in the spent media. However, the BDNF concentration was significantly increased in GLC lysates. To assess the expression of BDNF and TrkB in active versus regressing corpora lutea, ovaries from adult female BALBc mice (n = 4) from each day of the oestrous cycle were processed for immunohistochemistry. Two markers of luteal activity were used (3b-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase and tenascin-X). There was a trend towards higher BDNF and TrkB H-scores in active versus regressing corpus lutea. In conclusion, intracellular BNDF concentrations were dose-dependently increased by cAMP but treatments had no effect on BDNF output. It is speculated that BDNF contributes in an autocrine manner to GLC survival in the active corpus luteum.