Maturational Changes Research Articles

An integrated safety framework for the diamond mines: A case study from Namibia

The Integrated Diamond Safety Maturity Framework is a novel, innovative approach to safety maturity that embraces four Cs, viz. Culture, Competence, Cultivate and Connectedness (4Cs) in a single framework, underpinned by corporate values. As a novel people engagement approach, this framework allows for considering the complexity found in the dynamic reciprocal relationships between these 4Cs and how these enable people to be the strongest link in safety. This safety framework was, for the first time, applied to a Namibian marine diamond recovery company to enhance the safety of its workers at the frontline and support the mines’ safety maturity journey.The objective of this paper is to examine the extent to which the application of the Integrated Diamond Safety Maturity Framework has assisted to enhance the safety of frontline workers as well as support growth in safety maturity. For this purpose, a longitudinal research design methodology was applied to determine changes in safety maturity. Data triangulation was used. It included qualitative safety climate assessments where the whole employee population participated in semi-structured interviews as well as document analysis, which entailed reviewing the leading and lagging data that was collected by the company.The main findings of the study indicated that the application of the 4Cs approach can significantly shift an organisation towards Inherent maturity where people are ready to respond to the next risk.The most advanced area was found to be the culture of leadership, in which many more employees took responsibility for and were accountable for their safety and that of their work teams. The selected lagging and leading indicators also showed improvements, which implied that the number of serious injuries was reduced, with fatalities eliminated.The entire undertaking brings to light new field-based knowledge on how the implementation of the Integrated Diamond Safety Maturity Framework can significantly shift an organisation towards improved safety maturity. Further research is underway as new insights are revealed about the value of the Integrated Diamond Safety Maturity Framework and the role of leadership in eliminating fatalities.

Changes in Sexual Maturity (Puberty): A Narrative Literature Review

The process of sexual maturation, or puberty, is marked by the development of secondary sexual characteristics, rapid body growth, and, ultimately, the ability to reproduce. Various congenital and endocrine disorders can interfere with the timing of sexual maturation, causing delayed puberty or precocious puberty. This literature review aimed to describe puberty and its disorders and influencing factors. The age of puberty is multifactorial, involving genetic and environmental components. Delayed puberty is a physiological (constitutional) delay in which hormonal levels are normal, and the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis is intact, but maturation occurs slowly. Precocious puberty can be partial, complete, or mixed type and can be further categorized into central (GnRH dependent) and peripheral (GnRH dependent). In conclusion, congenital and endocrine disorders can interfere with the timing of sexual maturation, causing delayed puberty or precocious puberty.

Genome‐scale transcriptomic insights into the mature growth dynamic of tobacco leaves

AbstractThe harvest time is a key factor for cigar leaves with high quality, which varies greatly depending on the environment. In this study, we performed a growth characterization of the cigar tobacco CX‐26 (Nicotiana tabacum L.) from the cluster stage to the vigorous stage and mature stage. Further, soil plant analysis development measurement of three middle leaves with 67 (T1), 71 (T2), and 75 days (T3) of growth after transplant indicates that the maturity might change from 71 to 75 days of growth. A genome‐scale transcriptome was conducted to explore the gene expression dynamics of this maturity change. A total of 80,502 genes were detected in the CX‐26 leaves, of which 64,611 genes were annotated on the reference genome. T1 and T2 leaves had fewer differential expressing genes (DEGs), while T3 leaves had 26,456 DEGs from T2 leaves, supporting the distinct growth of T3 leaves. Analyses of Gene ontology, Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes identified that DEGs are involved inkey pathways including photosynthesis‐antenna proteins, plant hormone/mitogen‐activated protein kinase signaling pathway, and plant‐pathogen interaction. Abscisic acid and jasmonate acids positively regulate leaf senescence and chlorophyll degradation and were higher in the T3 leaves compared with T1 and T2 leaves. In contrast, the total sugar was reduced in T3 leaves compared with T1 and T2 leaves, indicating the overripe state of the T3 leaves. Furthermore, several photosynthesis‐related enzymes and a transcription factor were highlighted in the gene regulatory network, which might regulate the dynamics of carbohydrate metabolism, lipid metabolism, and energy metabolism. In summary, our study provides insight into the growth state of CX‐26 cigar leaves.

Sleep quality and sleep deprivation: relationship with academic performance in university students during examination period

The beginning of the university brings together maturational, psychosocial and academic changes that make university students more prone to suffer from insufficient or poor quality sleep, which can negatively influence their academic performance. The period of taking exams is a key part of the academic year. However, there are few studies that analyze sleep during this period of time. Our aim is to study the association of sleep quality and sleep deprivation with academic performance during the examination period. A descriptive, cross-sectional and correlational study was carried out with the participation of 640 subjects in the first three years of five faculties belonging to the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. The instrument used consisted of a questionnaire that included sociodemographic and academic data, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Epworth Sleepiness Scale and information about the academic performance. During the examination period, a positive association was found between sleep quality and academic performance. University students slept less than desired, both on weekdays and weekends, and the sleep debt during the week was associated with a worse students’ perception of their academic performance. In total, 61.3% of the students believed that their performance would improve by getting more sleep. In addition, low drowsiness and napping were also found. In conclusion, during periods of greater academic demand, an insufficient sleep and poor quality is commonly observed, affecting negatively to their academic performance. Actually, about 2/3 of our subjects believed that their performance would improve by getting more sleep.

An increased weaning age and liquid feed enhances weight gain compared to piglets fed dry feed pre-weaning

Increasing age and providing liquid creep feed could potentially increase the solid feed intake in pre-weaning piglets, which may in turn promote gut maturation and post-weaning feed intake, possibly lessening the severity of the growth-check associated with the suckling-to-weaning transition. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate if feeding dry- versus liquid creep feed (DF vs. LF) and weaning in week 4 or 5 (4W or 5W) could accelerate maturational changes to the small intestines of pre-weaning piglets by increasing digestive and absorptive capacity. In a 2 × 2 factorial study the effect of weaning age (WA) and feeding strategy (FS) on weaning weight, pre-weaning accumulated gain (AG), and average daily gain was measured for 12 923 piglets. A subpopulation of 15 piglets from each treatment group (4WDF, 4WLF, 5WDF and 5WLF; n = 60) were sacrificed to assess the effects of WA and FS on weight of digestive organs, activity of maltase, lactase and sucrase, and gene expression level of sodium-glucose linked transporter 1 (SGLT-1), glucose transporter 2 (GLUT2) and peptide transporter 1 (PepT1) in the proximal part of the small intestine (SI). No interactions were found but average weaning weight was affected by WA (P < 0.001) and FS (P < 0.001), where 5W were heavier than 4W and LF were heavier than DF. Correspondingly, the average daily gain (ADG) was affected by both WA (P = 0.003) and FS (P < 0.001). Only WA affected the relative weight of the digestive organs, where stomach weight, weight of SI and colon weight were heavier in 5W piglets compared to 4W. Lactase activity tended to decrease with age (P = 0.061), but there was no difference in the activity of maltase or sucrase between any of the treatment groups. Similarly, there was no differences in gene expression level of SGLT1, GLUT2 or PepT1 between neither the two ages nor feeding strategies. In conclusion, both WA and FS affect weaning weight and weight gain of piglets in the pre-weaning period.

Editorial introduction

Editorial introduction

Maternal antibiotic exposure increases total islet number and volume in the neonatal pancreas and reduces HbA1c and insulitis in adult female non‐obese diabetic mice

AbstractBackgroundEarly antibiotic treatment changes susceptibility to disease in rodent models for type 1 diabetes, but the impact that gestational antibiotics may have on pancreatic embryogenesis and β cell function later in life is still unknown.MethodsOur aim was to determine whether gestational antibiotics could change islet neogenesis and function in female non‐obese diabetic mouse offspring. Stereology of pancreatic islets and insulin measurements were therefore applied to 2‐week‐old pups from mothers either exposed or not to a broad‐spectrum cocktail of ampicillin (1 g/L), vancomycin (0.5 g/L) and neomycin (1 g/L) during pregnancy. The degree of insulitis, glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), serum cytokines and endotoxin, fasting glucose and insulin, and glucose tolerance were tested in the prediabetic pups later in life. Inflammatory and glycaemic measurements were made on the breeding females, and the gut microbiota was analysed by 16S sequencing in both the mothers and pups.ResultsAntibiotics depleted the maternal microbiome and perturbed the normal gut colonisation trajectory in the pups. While Akkermansia and Rikenellaceae were later enriched in the treated pups, Bacteroides failed to colonise post‐treatment. Antibiotic treatment reduced blood glucose in the mothers, weight of the pups, and HbA1c and insulitis in the adult offspring and increased anti‐inflammatory CD4+ natural killer T cells. This was preceded by more than 50% increase in total islet number and volume, and increased insulin levels in postnatal life. No changes were observed in their homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA‐IR) and β cell function (HOMA‐β), serum endotoxin or cytokine levels later in life, but the glucose tolerance response was altered in the treated offspring, which suggested an improvement in β cell exhaustion that may have left the islets less vulnerable to destruction.ConclusionOur study highlights the importance of considering maternal microbiota‐modulating factors as determinants that may mitigate or aggravate diabetes via changes in islet maturation and β cell function in perinatal life.

Incisor irregularity and dental arch dimensions changes in subjects with different severity of anterior crowding: a 37-year follow-up

BackgroundOcclusal stability is one of the goals of orthodontic treatment, and keeping teeth aligned in the long term is a challenge for the orthodontist. This study aimed to compare the long-term incisors irregularity and dental arches dimensions changes in subjects treated with 4 premolar extractions with different pretreatment Little's irregularity index (LII). The knowledge of long-term outcomes is evidence-based information for the prognosis of future treatments.MethodsIn total, 41 treated subjects were divided into two groups according to mandibular Little irregularity value at pretreatment (mild or severe). The maxillary and mandibular LII, transversal, and longitudinal widths were assessed at pretreatment, posttreatment, and 37-year posttreatment. Chi-square and independent t tests were used for intergroup comparison.ResultsThe groups presented similar behavior for all stages of maxillary and mandibular arch dimensions changes. Maxillary irregularity was corrected in both groups after treatment, and the alignment was acceptable in the long term. In the mild group, the mandibular incisor irregularity returned to pretreatment values in the long term. The mandibular LII increased in the severe group but did not return to pretreatment values in the long term.ConclusionsThe mild crowding group presented proportionally more relapse of mandibular incisor irregularity than the severe crowding group in the long term. Even so, the correction of mild and severe crowding with the extraction of 4 premolars showed satisfactory results in the long term, even with the presence of maturational changes and relapse.

Examining resting-state network connectivity in children exposed to perinatal maternal adversity using anatomically weighted functional connectivity (awFC) analyses; A preliminary report.

Environmental perturbations during critical periods can have pervasive, organizational effects on neurodevelopment. To date, the literature examining the long-term impact of early life adversity has largely investigated structural and functional imaging data outcomes independently. However, emerging research points to a relationship between functional connectivity and the brain's underlying structural architecture. For instance, functional connectivity can be mediated by the presence of direct or indirect anatomical pathways. Such evidence warrants the use of structural and functional imaging in tandem to study network maturation. Accordingly, this study examines the impact of poor maternal mental health and socioeconomic context during the perinatal period on network connectivity in middle childhood using an anatomically weighted functional connectivity (awFC) approach. awFC is a statistical model that identifies neural networks by incorporating information from both structural and functional imaging data. Resting-state fMRI and DTI scans were acquired from children aged 7-9 years old. Our results indicate that maternal adversity during the perinatal period can affect offspring's resting-state network connectivity during middle childhood. Specifically, in comparison to controls, children of mothers who had poor perinatal maternal mental health and/or low socioeconomic status exhibited greater awFC in the ventral attention network. These group differences were discussed in terms of the role this network plays in attention processing and maturational changes that may accompany the consolidation of a more adult-like functional cortical organization. Furthermore, our results suggest that there is value in using an awFC approach as it may be more sensitive in highlighting connectivity differences in developmental networks associated with higher-order cognitive and emotional processing, as compared to stand-alone FC or SC analyses.

A change of heart: understanding the mechanisms regulating cardiac proliferation and metabolism before and after birth.

Mammalian cardiomyocytes undergo major maturational changes in preparation for birth and postnatal life. Immature cardiomyocytes contribute to cardiac growth via proliferation and thus the heart has the capacity to regenerate. To prepare for postnatal life, structural and metabolic changes associated with increased cardiac output and function must occur. This includes exit from the cell cycle, hypertrophic growth, mitochondrial maturation and sarcomeric protein isoform switching. However, these changes come at a price: the loss of cardiac regenerative capacity such that damage to the heart in postnatal life is permanent. This is a significant barrier to the development of new treatments for cardiac repair and contributes to heart failure. The transitional period of cardiomyocyte growth is a complex and multifaceted event. In this review, we focus on studies that have investigated this critical transition period as well as novel factors that may regulate and drive this process. We also discuss the potential use of new biomarkers for the detection of myocardial infarction and, in the broader sense, cardiovascular disease.

청소년 진로성숙도의 종단적 변화 유형 및 사회 활동 영향 요인에 관한 연구

Objectives This study categorized the trajectories of career maturity of adolescents according to the passage of time in consideration of the developmental stages of teen, and verified the predictive factors affecting each type.&#x0D; Methods For this purpose, data from the 4th year among the 2013 panel data of the Korean Educational Longitudinal Study of the Korea Educational Development Institute were used. As an analysis method, latent class growth analysis was excuted to classify a career maturity change trajectory of a teenager and significant predictive factor was proved through multiple logistic regression analysis.&#x0D; Results First, the career maturity level of the students was classified into three groups, and according to the change trajectory, the three groups were classified into a low-level increase group (1.8%), an average group (95.1%), and a high-level decrease group (3.1%). Second, the social activities that affect the group classification by level were care for others, cooperative behavior, and volunteer activitie, and the higher the care for others, the higher the probability of belonging to the high-level decrease group. Cooperative behavior and volunteer activities were likely to belong to the low-level increase group and average group.&#x0D; Conclusions This study categorized the career maturity of adolescents into groups and examined the effects of social activity on the grouping. It shows that intervention at the school level is necessary for the variables of other-care, cooperative learning, and volunteer activities that affect the potential group classification in order to improve career maturity.

Biodentine™ Pulpotomy in Stage I primary Molars: A 12-month Follow-up.

This study aims to evaluate, over 12 months of clinical and radiographic follow-ups, the performance and outcomes of Biodentine™ pulpotomy in stage I primary molars. A total number of 20 stage I primary molars requiring pulpotomy were selected from eight healthy patients aged between 34 and 45 months. Patients presenting a negative attitude toward dental treatment on the dental chair were scheduled for dental treatments under general anesthesia.Pulpotomy with Biodentine™ as a pulp-dressing material was performed on all selected molars. The patients were called back at 1 and 3 months for clinical follow-ups, then at 6 and 12 months for clinical and radiographic follow-ups. Data were tabulated according to follow-up intervals and occurrence of any changes in root maturation, pulp canal obliteration (PCO), periodontal ligament space (PLS), and bone or root lesion. No statistically significant differences were recorded at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months. There was a statistically significant increase in number of roots with closed apices from six roots at 6 months to 50 roots at 12 months (p < 0.0005) and the PCO was present in all 50 roots at 12 months, after it was present in 36 roots only at 6 months (p = 0.0001). This is the first randomized clinical trial that evaluates the performance of Biodentine™ as a pulp-dressing agent in stage I primary molar pulpotomy over 12 months of follow-up. Contrary to previous studies, the present work highlights the continued root formation and apical closure (AC) in pulpotomized immature primary molars. Nasrallah H, Noueiri BE. Biodentine™ Pulpotomy in Stage I primary Molars: A 12-month Follow-up. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2022;15(6):660-666.

Surgical planning of arteriovenous fistulae in routine clinical practice: A machine learning predictive tool.

Arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is the preferred vascular access (VA) for hemodialysis, but it is associated with high non-maturation and failure rates. Predicting patient-specific AVF maturation and postoperative changes in blood flow volumes (BFVs) and vessel diameters is of fundamental importance to support the choice of optimal AVF location and improve VA survival. The goal of this study was to employ machine learning (ML) in order to give physicians a fast and easy-to-use tool that provides accurate patient-specific predictions, useful to make AVF surgical planning decisions. We applied a set of ML approaches on a dataset of 156 patients. Both parametric and non-parametric ML approaches, taking preoperative data as input, were exploited to predict maturation, postoperative BFVs, and diameters. The best approach associated with lowest cross-validation errors between predictions and real measurements was then chosen to provide estimates and quantify prediction errors. The k-NN was the best approach to predict brachial BFV, AVF maturation, and other VA variables, and it was also associated with the least computational effort. With this approach, the confusion matrices proved the high accuracy of the prediction for AVF maturation (96.8%) and the low absolute error distribution for the continuous BFV and diameter variables. Our data-based approach provided accurate patient-specific predictions for different AVF configurations, requiring short computational time as compared to a physical model we previously developed. By supporting VA surgical planning, this fast computing approach could allow AVF surgical planning and help reducing the rate of non-maturation, which might ultimately have a broad impact on the management of hemodialysis patients.

Hierarchical functional system development supports executive function.

In this perspective, we describe how developmental improvements in youth executive function (EF) are supported by hierarchically organized maturational changes in functional brain systems. We first highlight evidence that functional brain systems are embedded within a hierarchical sensorimotor-association axis of cortical organization. We then review data showing that functional system developmental profiles vary along this axis: systems near the associative end become more functionally segregated, while those in the middle become more integrative. Developmental changes that strengthen the hierarchical organization of the cortex may support EF by facilitating top-down information flow and balancing within- and between-system communication. We propose a central role for attention and frontoparietal control systems in the maturation of healthy EF and suggest that reduced functional system differentiation across the sensorimotor-association axis contributes to transdiagnostic EF deficits.

349 - HSCT Recipients That Develop Bronchiolitis Obliterans Syndrome Exhibit Significant Proteomic Changes in Complement Activation, Angiotensin Maturation, and Antiprotease Activity Prior to Clinical Diagnosis

349 - HSCT Recipients That Develop Bronchiolitis Obliterans Syndrome Exhibit Significant Proteomic Changes in Complement Activation, Angiotensin Maturation, and Antiprotease Activity Prior to Clinical Diagnosis

Aging and Pubertal Development Differentially Predict Symptoms of ADHD, Depression, and Impairment in Children and Adolescents: An Eight-Year Longitudinal Study.

Activational effects of the reproductive neuroendocrine system may explain why some youths with ADHD are at greater risk for exacerbated ADHD symptoms (hyperactivity, inattention, impulsivity) during adolescence. For youths diagnosed with ADHD, first signs of ADHD symptoms become noticeable by multiple reporters (e.g., teachers, parents) when children enter schools, typically around kindergarten. The current study examined possible sex differences in ADHD, impairment, and comorbidity due to pubertal effects, as the role of pubertal development in ADHD is understudied. ADHD symptoms, depressive symptoms, impairment, and pubertal stage were assessed annually by multiple reporters in a well-characterized community sample of 849 children over-recruited for ADHD over eight years. Ages ranged from 7 to 13 years (38.16% female) at wave 1. Multilevel models indicated that males had higher levels of hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention than females, but that females had higher levels of impairment than males. Inattention symptoms did not show marked maturation changes. Hyperactivity and impulsivity declined as youth aged and impairment increased as youth aged. Lastly, depressive symptoms largely increased as youth aged and were higher amongst youth at later pubertal stages. Put together, aging and pubertal development are associated with improved ADHD symptoms but not for youth with high impairment. Findings from this study contributes to understanding the role that aging, pubertal status, and pubertal development plays in ADHD, impairment, and comorbidity in children and adolescents.

Adolescent brain maturation and the neuropathological effects of binge drinking: A critical review.

Adolescence is a transitional stage marked by continued brain development. This period is accompanied by physical and neurochemical modifications in the shape and function of the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, and other limbic system structures. Brain maturation during adolescence, which is typically governed by intrinsic factors, can be dramatically altered by environmental influences such as drugs and alcohol. Unlike many other addictive substances, binge drinking is very common and normative among teenagers and young adults. This repeated pattern of excessive alcohol consumption in adolescents has been shown to cause behavioral changes and neurocognitive impairments that include increased anxiety, risky decision-making, and learning deficits, which could lead to the development of alcohol use disorder (AUD). This manuscript highlights factors that lead to adolescent binge drinking, discusses maturational changes that occur in an adolescent's brain, and then evaluates the effect of adolescent alcohol consumption on brain structure, function, and neurocognitive abilities in both human studies and animal models. The impact of gender/sex and COVID-19 are briefly discussed. Understanding the factors that promote the onset of adolescent binge drinking and its undesirable consequences could serve as a catalyst for developing therapeutic agents that would decrease or eradicate the damaging effects of alcohol on an adolescent brain.

A cross-sectional and longitudinal study of human brain development: The integration of cortical thickness, surface area, gyrification index, and cortical curvature into a unified analytical framework

Brain maturation studies typically examine relationships linking a single morphometric feature with cognition, behavior, age, or other demographic characteristics. However, the coordinated spatiotemporal arrangement of morphological features across development and their associations with behavior are unclear. Here, we examine covariation across multiple cortical features (cortical thickness [CT], surface area [SA], local gyrification index [GI], and mean curvature [MC]) using magnetic resonance images from the NIMH developmental cohort (ages 5–25). Neuroanatomical covariance was examined using non-negative matrix factorization (NMF), which decomposes covariance resulting in a parts-based representation. Cross-sectionally, we identified six components of covariation which demonstrate differential contributions of CT, GI, and SA in hetero- vs. unimodal areas. Using this technique to examine covariance in rates of change to identify longitudinal sources of covariance highlighted preserved SA in unimodal areas and changes in CT and GI in heteromodal areas. Using behavioral partial least squares (PLS), we identified a single latent variable (LV) that recapitulated patterns of reduced CT, GI, and SA related to older age, with limited contributions of IQ and SES. Longitudinally, PLS revealed three LVs that demonstrated a nuanced developmental pattern that highlighted a higher rate of maturational change in SA and CT in higher IQ and SES females. Finally, we situated the components in the changing architecture of cortical gradients. This novel characterization of brain maturation provides an important understanding of the interdependencies between morphological measures, their coordinated development, and their relationship to biological sex, cognitive ability, and the resources of the local environment.

Fecundity, Length at First Sexual Maturity and Gonadal Development of Lepidorhombus boscii in the Eastern Adriatic Sea.

This study presents data on the seasonal changes in population structure, maturation, fecundity and reproduction of the Lepidorhombus boscii from the central-eastern Adriatic Sea. This species is a commercially valuable fish in the Adriatic Sea; still, knowledge about its reproductive biology is very scarce. The analyses are based on the data collected between July 2020 and June 2021 by bottom trawls. In total, 963 individuals were collected out of which 508 were females (47.24%) and 455 were males (52.75%). Throughout the year, oocytes in the previtellogenic and vitellogenic stages were present in the ovaries, and the development of the ovaries followed the values of the gonadosomatic index. L. boscii has asynchronous ovarian development and a prolonged spawning season in the Adriatic Sea with the main spawning season between November and March. The oocyte diameter ranged from 34.01 to 562.72 μm (178.49 ± 129.83 μm). This study presents the first information on the reproductive cycle of L. boscii in the eastern Adriatic Sea and contributes to the understanding of the biology of this species necessary for its sustainable management.

Deletion of Androgen Receptor in LepRb Cells Improves Estrous Cycles in Prenatally Androgenized Mice.

Androgens are steroid hormones crucial for sexual differentiation of the brain and reproductive function. In excess, however, androgens may decrease fertility as observed in polycystic ovary syndrome, a common endocrine disorder characterized by oligo/anovulation and/or polycystic ovaries. Hyperandrogenism may also disrupt energy homeostasis, inducing higher central adiposity, insulin resistance, and glucose intolerance, which may exacerbate reproductive dysfunction. Androgens bind to androgen receptors (ARs), which are expressed in many reproductive and metabolic tissues, including brain sites that regulate the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal axis and energy homeostasis. The neuronal populations affected by androgen excess, however, have not been defined. We and others have shown that, in mice, AR is highly expressed in leptin receptor (LepRb) neurons, particularly in the arcuate (ARH) and the ventral premammillary nuclei (PMv). Here, we assessed if LepRb neurons, which are critical in the central regulation of energy homeostasis and exert permissive actions on puberty and fertility, have a role in the pathogenesis of female hyperandrogenism. Prenatally androgenized (PNA) mice lacking AR in LepRb cells (LepRbΔAR) show no changes in body mass, body composition, glucose homeostasis, or sexual maturation. They do show, however, a remarkable improvement of estrous cycles combined with normalization of ovary morphology compared to PNA controls. Our findings indicate that the prenatal androgenization effects on adult reproductive physiology (ie, anestrus and anovulation) are mediated by a subpopulation of LepRb neurons directly sensitive to androgens. They also suggest that the effects of hyperandrogenism on sexual maturation and reproductive function in adult females are controlled by distinct neural circuits.