Childhood adiposity and adolescent sex steroids in the Exploring Perinatal Outcomes among Children study

ObjectiveIt is unclear how childhood adipose tissue deposition influences sex hormone profiles in later adolescence.DesignProspective cohort study.ParticipantsChildren (n = 418) with a mean age of 10.5 (1.5) years at visit 1 and 16.7 (1.2) at visit 2 in the Exploring Perinatal Outcomes among Children (EPOCH) Study.MeasurementsWe used reverse‐scale Cox proportional hazard models to assess associations between pubertal dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), testosterone (T), and oestradiol (E2) and childhood‐to‐puberty rate of change in visceral (VAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT). Models stratified by sex and adjusted for childhood adiposity, maternal factors, birthweight and pubertal onset, and then further adjusted for insulin, luteinizing hormone (LH), leptin and hepatic fat fraction.ResultsAmong boys, more rapid accumulation of either VAT or SAT was associated with lower testosterone at visit 2 (HR 0.86, and .96, respectively, both P < .0001), independently of race/ethnicity, LH, leptin and hepatic fat fraction. Among boys, more childhood VAT was associated with lower testosterone in adolescence (HR 0.98, P = .003), but this association did not persist after adjustment for leptin or insulin. No associations were observed between either fat measure and oestradiol or DHEA in boys. In girls, no associations between childhood fat or fat accumulation and sex hormones were observed.ConclusionsMore rapid accumulation of fat is associated with lower testosterone in boys. These associations suggest that fat growth influences androgen profiles in adolescent boys. Since fat accumulation is a modifiable risk factor, the study results provide a possible intervention target and time period for improving adult health.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/151892/1/cen14058_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/151892/2/cen14058.pd

Evaluation of Asperger Syndrome in Youth Presenting to a Gender Dysphoria Clinic

Purpose: There is evolving evidence that children and adolescents with gender dysphoria have higher-than-expected rates of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), yet clinical data on ASD among youth with gender dysphoria remain limited, particularly in North America. This report aims to fill this gap. Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of patient chart data from 39 consecutive youth ages 8 to 20 years (mean age 15.8 years, natal male: n?=?22, natal female: n?=?17) presenting for evaluation at a multidisciplinary gender clinic in a large U.S. pediatric hospital from 2007 to 2011 to evaluate the prevalence of ASD in this patient population. Results: Overall, 23.1% of patients (9/39) presenting with gender dysphoria had possible, likely, or very likely Asperger syndrome as measured by the Asperger Syndrome Diagnostic Scale (ASDS). Conclusion: These findings are consistent with growing evidence supporting increased prevalence of ASD in gender dysphoric children. To guide provision of optimal clinical care and therapeutic intervention, routine assessment of ASD is recommended in youth presenting for gender dysphoria.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/140161/1/lgbt.2015.0070.pd

Electrochemistry: A basic and powerful tool for micro- and nanomotor fabrication and characterization

Electrochemistry, although an ancient field of knowledge, has become of paramount importance in the synthesis of materials at the nanoscale, with great interest not only for fundamental research but also for practical applications. One of the promising fields in which electrochemistry meets nanoscience and nanotechnology is micro/nanoscale motors. Micro/nano motors, which are devices able to perform complex tasks at the nanoscale, are commonly multifunctional nanostructures of different materials - metals, polymers, oxides- and shapes -spheres, wires, helices- with the ability to be propelled in fluids. Here, we first introduce the topic of micro/nanomotors and make a concise review of the field up to day. We have analyzed the field from different points of view (e.g. materials science and nanotechnology, physics, chemistry, engineering, biology or environmental science) to have a broader view of how the different disciplines have contributed to such exciting and impactful topic. After that, we focus our attention on describing what electrochemical technology is and how it can be successfully used to fabricate and characterize micro/nanostructures composed of different materials and showing complex shapes. Finally, we will review the micro and nanomotors fabricated using electrochemical techniques with applications in biomedicine and environmental remediation, the two main applications investigated so far in this field. Thus, different strategies have thus been shown capable of producing core-shell nanomaterials combining the properties of different materials, multisegmented nanostructures made of, for example, alternating metal and polymer segments to confer them with flexibility or helicoidal systems to favor propulsion. Moreover, further functionalization and interaction with other materials to form hybrid and more complex objects is also shown

Robin Becomes the Major: The Collision between the Practical & the Ideal in Hawthorne\u27s Life & Art

Nathaniel Hawthorne\u27s life can be divided into four periods each containing a practical and ideal component. These components create a duality containing the dynamic Hawthorne confronted when moving between the practical world of work, family, and politics and the ideal world of art. This dynamic is used to explain the ambiguity of Hawthorne\u27s works, particularly My Kinsman, Major Molineaux, The Artist of the Beautiful, and The Blithedale Romance. The movement present in these works between practical and ideal interests is connected to Hawthorne\u27s view of the artist in society, the relationship of tradition and progress, and the issue of slavery. The conclusion shows that Hawthorne\u27s pride and integrity both lifted up and undermined his art--a paradox in keeping with Hawthorne\u27s character as a practical man and idealistic artist

Developing an LGBT curriculum and evaluating its impact on Dermatology Residents

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/171146/1/ijd15842_am.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/171146/2/ijd15842.pd