Poly(thioether) Vitrimers via Transalkylation of Trialkylsulfonium Salts.

Vitrimers are permanently cross-linked organic polymers that can be reshaped, molded, and recycled without loss of network integrity. Herein, we report poly(thioether) networks, prepared through a straightforward thiol-ene photopolymerization, that can be turned into catalyst-free vitrimer materials by partial alkylation of the thioethers (1-10%) to the corresponding trialkylsulfonium salts. Based on a classical S2-type substitution, the resulting polyionic networks can be reshaped upon heating via swift transalkylation reactions.

Efficacy and safety of oxandrolone in growth hormone-treated girls with turner syndrome.

Context And Objective: GH therapy increases growth and adult height in Turner syndrome (TS). The benefit to risk ratio of adding the weak androgen oxandrolone (Ox) to GH is unclear.

Design And Participants: A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, dose-response study was performed in 10 centers in The Netherlands.

Long-term effects of growth hormone (GH) treatment on body composition and bone mineral density in short children born small-for-gestational-age: six-year follow-up of a randomized controlled GH trial.

Unlabelled: Context Alterations in the GH-IGF-I axis in short small-for-gestational-age (SGA) children might be associated with abnormalities in bone mineral density (BMD) and body composition. In addition, birth weight has been inversely associated with diabetes and cardiovascular disease in adult life. Data on detailed body composition in short SGA children and long-term effects of GH treatment are very scarce.

Final height outcome after three years of growth hormone and gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist treatment in short adolescents with relatively early puberty.

Objective: Our objective was to assess final height (FH) and adverse effects of combined GH and GnRH agonist (GnRHa) treatment in short adolescents born small for gestational age or with normal birth size (idiopathic short stature).

Design And Patients: Thirty-two adolescents with Tanner stage 2-3, age and bone age (BA) less than 12 yr for girls or less than 13 yr for boys, height sd score (SDS) less than -2.0 SDS or between -1.

High serum levels of growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) during high-dose GH treatment in short children born small for gestational age.

Context: Epidemiological studies have indicated that high serum levels of GH and IGF-I are associated with long-term risks.

Objective: The objective of the study was to evaluate the changes in serum levels of GH during overnight profiles, IGF-I, and IGF binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3) in short small for gestational age (SGA) children during GH treatment with two doses.

Patients: Thirty-six prepubertal short SGA children were the subjects of this study.

Final height after treatment of early puberty in short adopted girls with gonadotrophin releasing hormone agonist with or without growth hormone.

Objective: To compare final height data after treatment with gonadotrophin releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) alone or in combination with growth hormone (GH) in short adopted girls with early puberty.

Design: A randomized controlled trial.

Patients And Methods: Twenty-six girls with onset of puberty before 10 years of age were treated for 3 years with either GnRHa alone (group A, n = 12) or with GnRHa and GH (group B, n = 14).

[Measuring the length of newborn infants].

Since 1985, measurement of the length of neonates has been practically abandoned in the Netherlands because it was thought that stretching the legs and knees briefly in order to measure the length immediately after birth could be harmful for the development of the hip joint. However, this fear seems unjustified. Measuring the length of the neonate provides useful information regarding the general condition and has predictive value for the final adult height.

[Turner's syndrome in mother and daughter].

A girl with Turner's syndrome due to a 45,X mosaicism and a ring chromosome was born to a 29-year-old mother with a non-mosaic 45,X in her blood lymphocytes. Cytogenetic investigation revealed that the ring chromosome of the daughter included almost the entire X chromosome with the exception of the uppermost part of the short arm. In the literature, girls with Turner's syndrome are said to have functional ovarian tissue and pregnancies in women with Turner's syndrome after oocyte donation and intracytoplasmatic sperm injection (ICSI) are no longer exceptional.

GH treatment and its effect on bone mineral density, bone maturation and growth in short children born small for gestational age: 3-year results of a randomized, controlled GH trial.

Background: To investigate in a group of short children born small for gestational age (SGA), the effects of 3 years of GH treatment vs. no treatment on bone age (BA), height and bone mineral density (BMD). Also, to evaluate the influence of the severity of growth retardation at start and the GH dose on the gain in height.

Evaluation of the usefulness of a quantitative ultrasound device in screening of bone mineral density in children.

Background: Osteoporosis is a major public health problem, and its prevention is of great importance. It is known that bone mass later in life is determined by the peak bone mass acquired during adolescence and the subsequent rate of bone loss. Therefore we should give special attention to children that are 'at risk' of low bone mass, and we must seek simple yet reliable methods to measure their bone mineral density (BMD) regularly.

[Bladder control in 1-4 year old children in the the Eindhoven and Kempen region (The Netherlands) in 1996 and 1966].

Objective: To determine the age at which children gain bladder control and to compare this with the data from 30 years ago.

Design: Questionnaires.

Method: On the basis of the findings of a 1966 study into toilet training in the Eindhoven and de Kempen region, the Netherlands, a questionnaire was drawn up and distributed via 30 child-health clinics in this region to parents of children aged 12-59 months, during the period 1 March-30 June 1996.

Influence of knowledge, training and experience of observers on the reliability of anthropometric measurements in children.

Objective: To elucidate the impact of the observer's level of technical knowledge, training and experience with measuring height and triceps skinfold thickness on the reliability of these measurements in children. Despite of instructions and encouraging careful measurements, these factors may significantly affect measurements and lead to interpretation difficulties, especially of short term growth data.

Subjects And Methods: A cross-sectional study was designed in which 18 children, aged 2-7 years, were measured in duplo by 12 observers with different backgrounds and levels of experience, protocol knowledge and protocol training.

High dose growth hormone treatment induces acceleration of skeletal maturation and an earlier onset of puberty in children with idiopathic short stature.

Background: Long term growth hormone (GH) treatment in children with idiopathic short stature (ISS) results in a relatively small mean gain in final height of 3-9 cm, which may not justify the cost of treatment. As it is unknown whether GH treatment during puberty adds to final height gain, we sought to improve the cost-benefit ratio, employing a study design with high dose GH treatment restricted to the prepubertal period.

Aims: To assess the effect of short term, high dose GH treatment before puberty on growth, bone maturation, and pubertal onset.

Psychological assessments before and after treatment of early puberty in adopted children.

Unlabelled: Early puberty is frequently observed in adopted children. This randomized trial treated 30 adopted children with early puberty and short stature with either gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) alone or in combination with growth hormone (GH) for 3 y. Before the start of treatment (T1) in the trial and at discontinuation (T2) the children and their parents underwent a psychological evaluation.

Genotype versus phenotype in families with androgen insensitivity syndrome.

Androgen insensitivity syndrome encompasses a wide range of phenotypes, which are caused by numerous different mutations in the AR gene. Detailed information on the genotype/phenotype relationship in androgen insensitivity syndrome is important for sex assignment, treatment of androgen insensitivity syndrome patients, genetic counseling of their families, and insight into the functional domains of the AR. The commonly accepted concept of dependence on fetal androgens of the development of Wolffian ducts was studied in complete androgen insensitivity syndrome (CAIS) patients.

Gonadotrophin releasing hormone agonist treatment with or without recombinant human GH in adopted children with early puberty.

Background: Early onset of puberty is frequently observed in adopted children. During treatment with a gonadotrophin releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa), a decrease in height velocity (HV) precludes height gain.

Objective And Design: We studied the effect of the addition of GH to GnRHa treatment in a 3-year prospective randomized trial in 30 adopted children with early puberty.

A randomized controlled trial of three years growth hormone and gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist treatment in children with idiopathic short stature and intrauterine growth retardation.

We assessed the effectiveness and safety of 3 yr combined GH and GnRH agonist (GnRHa) treatment in a randomized controlled study in children with idiopathic short stature (ISS) or intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR). Gonadal suppression, GH reserve, and adrenal development were assessed by hormone measurements in both treated children and controls during the study period. Thirty-six short children, 24 girls (16 ISS/8 IUGR) and 12 boys (8 ISS/4 IUGR), with a height SD score of -2 SD or less in early puberty (girls, B2-3; boys, G2-3), were randomly assigned to treatment (n = 18) with GH (genotropin 4 IU/m(2).

Final height after gonadotrophin releasing hormone agonist treatment for central precocious puberty: the Dutch experience.

Final height (FH) data of 96 children (87 girls) treated with GnRH agonist for central precocious puberty were studied. In girls mean FH exceeded initial height prediction by 7.4 (5.

Final height in girls with Turner's syndrome treated with once or twice daily growth hormone injections. Dutch Advisory Group on Growth Hormone.

Objectives: To study final height in girls with Turner's syndrome treated with once or twice daily injections of growth hormone (GH) in combination with low dose ethinyl oestradiol.

Design: Until final height was reached, the effect of fractionated subcutaneous injections given twice daily was compared with once daily injections of a total GH dose of 6 IU/m2/day. Twice daily injections were given as one third in the morning and two thirds at bedtime.

Growth hormone therapy with three dosage regimens in children with idiopathic short stature. European Study Group Participating Investigators.

Objective: In children with idiopathic short stature (ISS) we studied the growth-promoting effect at 4 years of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) therapy in three dose regimens and evaluated whether increasing the dosage after the first year could prevent a decline in height velocity (HV).

Design: Included were 223 patients who were treated with subcutaneous administrations of rhGH 6 days per week. They were randomized to three groups: 3 IU/m2 body surface/day, 4.

Growth response and levels of growth factors after two years growth hormone treatment are similar for a once and twice daily injection regimen in girls with Turner syndrome. (Dutch Working Group on Growth Hormone).

Unlabelled: GH is known to improve height velocity in girls with Turner syndrome (TS) but the optimal dosage regimen has yet to be defined.

Objective: We attempted to improve the growth response by trying to mimic normal pulsatile GH secretion more closely.

Design: In a 2-year study the effect of fractionated twice daily (BID) was compared with once daily (OD) s.

Final height in central precocious puberty after long term treatment with a slow release GnRH agonist.

Objective: To study the resumption of puberty and the final height achieved in children with central precocious puberty (CPP) treated with the GnRH agonist triptorelin.

Patients: 31 girls and five boys with CPP who were treated with triptorelin 3.75 mg intramuscularly every four weeks.

[Acute gastric dilatation and superior mesenteric artery syndrome in the mentally retarded].

Three mentally retarded male patients, 24, 30 and 14 years old, died from acute gastric dilatation leading to rupture and perforation. Superior mesenteric artery syndrome (SMA) was the cause of gastric dilatation in two of them. In the third patient the cause was not clear.

Congenital hypothyroidism caused by a premature termination signal in exon 10 of the human thyroid peroxidase gene.

The molecular basis of a total iodide organification defect causing severe congenital hypothyroidism has been elucidated. The defect occurred in a family in which two of five siblings were affected. Thyroid tissue from one patient was available for investigation.

Maternal thyroid peroxidase antibodies during pregnancy: a marker of impaired child development?

Women with antibodies against the enzyme thyroid peroxidase [TPO-Ab; formerly microsomal antibodies (MsAb)] are at particular risk for developing postpartum thyroid dysfunction; the latter is significantly associated with postpartum depression. Although the negative effect of postpartum maternal depression on child development is well documented, the consequences of elevated titers of TPO-Ab during pregnancy and subsequent postpartum thyroid dysfunction on child development are not known. In a prospective study of a cohort of 293 pregnant women, the occurrence of TPO-Ab during gestation, thyroid dysfunction, and depression was investigated.