J Clin Endocrinol Metab
January 2025
Context: The goal of this review is to move beyond summarizing what is known about psychosexual development in females with classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency-commonly studied as a natural experiment to understand prenatal androgen effects in 46,XX individuals. Instead, it will explore the various aspects of the condition that significantly impact the daily lives of both male and female patients and their families, with a particular focus on the implications for psychosocial, educational, and vocational adaptation.
Evidence Acquisition: This work represents a selective, yet balanced review of papers highlighting potential threats to positive psychological adaptation in both male and female individuals with CAH.
Tannins are critical plant defense metabolites, enriched in bark and leaves, that protect against microorganisms and insects by binding to and precipitating proteins. Hydrolyzable tannins contain ester bonds which can be cleaved by tannases-serine hydrolases containing so-called "cap" domains covering their active sites. However, comprehensive insights into the biochemical properties and structural diversity of tannases are limited, especially regarding their cap domains.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe reaction of wood with maleic anhydride (MA) and sodium hypophosphite (SHP) has been identified as a viable modification method, with macroscopical properties indicating formation of cross-linking to explain the results. However, the chemical reaction between wood and the modification reagents has not been studied yet. To resolve this, the reaction was studied with solid-state C cross-polarization magic-angle-spinning (CP-MAS) and P MAS nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) to reveal the formation of bonds between wood components, MA and SHP during the treatments to explain the formation of cross-linking and the possible fixation of phosphorus in wood.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Disorders/Differences of Sex Development (DSD) encompass congenital conditions with atypical development of chromosomal, gonadal, or anatomical sex. Due to the rarity and complexity of these conditions, strong evidence for clinical practices is scarce, leading to controversies in management.
Objective: This study, part of a broader project, examines changes over time in the attitudes and beliefs of DSD healthcare providers, focusing on factors contributing to patients' life satisfaction and the influence of medical specialty, gender, and age.
Adv Tech Stand Neurosurg
September 2024
Background: There is a paucity of information on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) outcomes in parents and children with conditions affecting sex development. The objective of this study was to develop short forms of HRQoL questionnaires which consist of a 63-item and 25-item parent self-report (PSR) and parent proxy-report (PPR), respectively, optimizing use in routine clinical settings.
Methods: Short questionnaires were developed following exploratory factor analysis using raw data from 132 parents.
Introduction: Individuals with differences of sex development (DSD) experience complex, often competing, medical and psychosocial challenges surrounding fertility. The study aimed to characterize how "success" in fertility-related care is conceptualized and attained among individuals with a DSD, their parents or caregivers, healthcare providers, and other stakeholders.
Methods: As part of a larger study, DSD stakeholders (n = 110) participated in semi-structured interviews covering the clinical care of patients with DSD.
In this study, Kraft lignin was modified by ammonium dihydrogen phosphate (ADP) and urea for achieving phosphorylation and carbamylation, aiming to protect wood against biological and fire attack. Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) sapwood was impregnated with a water solution containing Kraft lignin, ADP, and urea, followed by heat treatment at 150 °C, resulting in changes in the properties of the Kraft lignin as well as the wood matrix.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEthnicity plays a significant role in adolescents' everyday lives, but there is a limited understanding of adolescents' own experiences with how ethnicity is addressed in different contexts. Three contexts of importance during adolescence are investigated in the present study: schools, social media, and sports. A closer contextual examination has the potential to provide insights into how multiple contexts shape experiences with ethnicity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThrough traditional mass media and online social media, we are almost constantly exposed to second-hand experiences of trauma and violence, providing ample opportunities for us to learn about threats through social means. This social threat learning can influence instrumental decision making through a social learning to decision-making transfer process, resembling the so-called Pavlovian to instrumental transfer effect, resulting in consequences that can be maladaptive. Here, we assessed if this influence could be diminished by extinction learning, a procedure where a previously threatening stimulus is learned to be safe, and thereby mitigate possible maladaptive consequences.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOutgroup and diversity attitudes are important components of intercultural understanding and well-being. Despite the potential of ethnic-racial identity development as a means to foster positive outgroup and diversity attitudes, little is known about its effectiveness in rapidly diversifying contexts such as Sweden. This pre-registered study filled this gap by examining if adolescents taking part in an intervention focused on ethnic-racial identity exploration, the Identity Project, also reported change in outgroup and diversity attitudes, and whether migration background, education type, and ethnic-racial identity development predicted such change.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: To identify the most important attributes related to the process of achieving, and outcomes associated with, successful care for differences of sex development (DSD).
Methods: We developed a best-worst scaling survey administered to 520 DSD stakeholders, including individuals or family members of those with DSD, health care specialists, and patient support and advocacy representatives. Fourteen process-related attributes and 16 outcome-related attributes were identified through qualitative research.
Several aspects of clinical management of 46,XX congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) remain unsettled and controversial. The North American Disorders/Differences of Sex Development (DSD) Clinician Survey investigated changes, over the last two decades, in clinical recommendations by specialists involved in the management of newborns with DSD. Members of the (Lawson Wilkins) Pediatric Endocrine Society and the Societies for Pediatric Urology participated in a web-based survey at three timepoints: 2003-2004 (T1, n = 432), 2010-2011 (T2, n = 441), and 2020 (T3, n = 272).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: In the last 15 years, the care provided for individuals born with differences of sex development (DSD) has evolved, with a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary approaches. However, these developments have not convinced some stakeholders to embrace the current model of care. This care model has also paid insufficient attention to socio-cultural differences and global inequalities.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOper Neurosurg (Hagerstown)
July 2024
Background And Importance: "Ping-pong fractures" (PPF) can occur in neonates and result in cosmetic deformity and local mass effect. Standard treatment involves surgical elevation of the depressed bone when the indentation is considerable or cosmetically apparent. Surgical correction of PPF subjects patients to the risks of surgery and general anesthesia.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Vascular anomalies are classified as either vascular tumors or vascular malformations. Vascular malformations can be difficult to diagnose and treat in the pediatric population and can masquerade as malignant processes. Understanding the genetics behind vascular malformations can lead to identification of specific mutations which can be treated with targeted immunotherapy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFParticleboards with different combinations of the adhesive material imidazole, citric acid, and sorbitol were produced. Softwood sawdust from a Swedish sawmill was mixed with an aqueous solution of the chemicals and then dried to 0% moisture content prior to pressing. The boards were pressed to a target density of 700 kg m at either 200 °C or 220 °C for 10 min.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Parents of infants and young children newly diagnosed with differences of sex development (DSD) commonly face medical and psychosocial management decisions at a time when they are first learning about the condition and cannot consult their child for input. The aim of this study was to identify areas of greatest need for parental decisional support.
Methods: 34 parents of children receiving care for DSD at one of three US children's hospitals participated in a survey to learn what clinical and psychosocial decisions needed to be made on behalf of their child.
Introduction: Advocacy and human rights organizations have called for a moratorium on elective surgical procedures until the patient is able to fully participate in the decision-making process. Due to the controversial nature surrounding surgery in differences of sex development (DSD) care, we aimed to assess the factors that teens and adults with DSD, parents, healthcare providers and other allied professionals consider pertinent to complex surgical decisions in DSD.
Methods: Stakeholders (n=110) in DSD care participated in semi-structured interviews exploring features and potential determinants of successful healthcare outcomes.