bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Residential Segregation and the Availability of Primary Care Physicians
Authors: Gaskin Darrell J. , Dinwiddie Gniesha Y. , Chan Kitty S. , McCleary Rachael R.
Published: April 2012

Objective

To examine the association between residential segregation and geographic access to primary care physicians (PCPs) in metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs).

Data Sources

We combined zip code level data on primary care physicians from the 2006 American Medical Association master file with demographic, socioeconomic, and segregation measures from the 2000 U.S. Census. Our sample consisted of 15,465 zip codes located completely or partially in an MSA.

Methods

We defined PCP shortage areas as those zip codes with no PCP or a population to PCP ratio of >3,500. Using logistic regressions, we estimated the association between a zip code's odds of being a PCP shortage area and its minority composition and degree of segregation in its MSA.

Principal Findings

We found that odds of being a PCP shortage area were 67 percent higher for majority African American zip codes but 27 percent lower for majority Hispanic zip codes. The association varied with the degree of segregation. As the degree of segregation increased, the odds of being a PCP shortage area increased for majority African American zip codes; however, the converse was true for majority Hispanic and Asian zip codes.

Conclusions

Efforts to address PCP shortages should target African American communities especially in segregated MSAs.
Community Radio and the Tōhoku Earthquake
Authors: KANAYAMA TOMOKO
Published: April 2012

This article illustrates issues that community radio stations in the stricken area of Northern Japan have faced, and discusses the necessity of social collaboration for supporting these radio stations. As of 1 December 2011, the Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications had granted permission to operate special emergency‐broadcast FM stations, providing earthquake‐related information, to residents of 27 communities in the Tōhoku and North Kanto regions. Ten such community stations have used existing FM radio frequencies in their community for emergency broadcasting while 15 local governments set up newly established community‐based radio stations by themselves, relying on: conventional community radio stations nationwide; national and international non‐profit organizations; and voluntarily organized civic groups. Despite playing such an important role, community radio stations themselves have struggled to survive, not because of damage caused by the disaster, but as a result of the current social system based upon economic stability. Many of these stations have faced financial problems, such as losing advertising revenue and funding needed for equipment damaged by the disaster. It has become more difficult, particularly for the stations newly set up, to produce a variety of programs when the operation becomes prolonged. As the community radio plays a vital role as a lifeline to provide disaster‐related information to residents, we need to establish a supportive system in society that allows community radio to function as intended.
Why the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster is a Man‐made Calamity
Authors: FUNABASHI HARUTOSHI
Published: April 2012

The Fukushima nuclear disaster caused by the earthquake on 11 March 2011 is a man‐made calamity because technological failures were derived from the failure of multiple social safeguards. The insufficient social safeguards can be explained by highlighting the “nuclear complex.” Institutional frameworks assured the enormous economic power of electric power companies and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). Using this power, the electric power companies effectively manipulated information, maintained strong political power and constructed the nuclear complex, which has imposed an overwhelming influence on the central sphere of control at a national level and has put economic profit before safety. Regulations for safety have not been insufficient because the organization charged with nuclear safety belongs to the nuclear complex. Consequently, Regulatory Guides concerning reactors defined by the government have not accounted for catastrophic accidents. Philosopher Mori Arimasa's concept of "binary combination" provides us with an insight into a profound sociological reason for the Fukushima nuclear disaster because it highlights the immaturity of subjectivity and the root of irresponsibility in Japanese society. Binary combination is defined as a relationship between two persons that is characterized by intimacy and a vertical relation. Binary combination tends to produce a group or organization that is closed to outsiders and often shows indifference as well as insensitivity to outside opinions. In order overcome the defects of energy policy as well as the decision‐making process, and to achieve a sustainable society, it is necessary to promote an energy paradigm shift and reforms for decision‐making through the enrichment of the public sphere.
For whom do we forgive? A functional analysis of forgiveness
Authors: STRELAN PETER , MCKEE IAN , CALIC DRAGANA , COOK LAUREN , SHAW LISA
Published: April 2012

We propose that people forgive to serve particular functions, depending on the extent to which forgiveness is intended to benefit the self, the offender, and their relationship. Three studies on personally experienced transgressions in valued relationships (Ns = 233, 239, and 83) indicate that victims are more likely to forgive for the sake of the self and the relationship than for an offender. Relationship focus is associated with increased benevolence and relationship quality and decreased revenge and avoidance. Offender focus is associated with nonvengeful motivations. Self focus is associated with avoidance and lower relationship closeness; in the immediate aftermath of a transgression, it is also related to unforgiving responses and reduced relationship satisfaction. The findings have important implications for forgiveness theorizing and application.
Parenting stress and marital relationship as determinants of mothers' and fathers' parenting
Authors: Ponnet Koen , Mortelmans Dimitri , Wouters Edwin , Van Leeuwen Karla , Bastaits Kim , Pasteels Inge
Published: April 2012

Using the actor–partner interdependence model, we explore how various sources of stress and support experienced by fathers and mothers influence their own parenting styles and the parenting styles of the partner. Data from 227 couples were analyzed, with mothers and fathers rating their parenting stress and marital relationship and children rating the parenting styles of both mothers and fathers. Structural equation models revealed actor effects of parenting stress on demanding and responsive parenting styles, as well as partner effects between positive aspects of marital relationship and responsive parenting style. The results further indicate that the strength of these pathways is similar for both mothers and fathers and do not support the hypothesis that the parenting of fathers is more vulnerable than the parenting of mothers.
Outsourcing and the Contracting of Responsibility*
Authors: Lair Craig D.
Published: April 2012

Outsourcing is becoming an increasingly prevalent phenomenon not only in business life, but also in the affairs of governments and in the lives of individuals and families. But what exactly is outsourcing and what are its consequences? I will argue that outsourcing offers entities a set of freedoms (i.e., possibilities of action and non‐action) that are not considered possible in this practice’s absence. However, many of these freedoms are precarious in that they involve a multitude of risks and dangers both for those outsourcing their affairs and for those who take them on. Although there are multiple freedoms of this sort, one is focused upon here; how outsourcing allows entities to contract, in the sense of limiting, their responsibilities. Three specific ways in which outsourcing allows entities to do this are detailed. Recognizing this precarious aspect of the freedoms associated with outsourcing is important because it highlights the social risks involved in this practice.
Ultrasonographic fatty liver indicator, a novel score which rules out NASH and is correlated with metabolic parameters in NAFLD
Authors: Ballestri Stefano , Lonardo Amedeo , Romagnoli Dante , Carulli Lucia , Losi Luisa , Day Christopher P. , Loria Paola
Published: April 2012

Background

Differentiating steatosis from NASH is key in deciding treatment and follow‐up schedules. We hypothesized that sonographic grading of steatosis will correlate with metabolic and pathologic changes of NASH.

Methods

Fifty‐three non‐consecutive patients had a semi‐quantitative evaluation of hepatic steatosis through ultrasonographic Fatty Liver Indicator (US‐FLI) just prior to liver biopsy. All biopsies demonstrated NAFLD. US‐FLI is a new scoring system ranging 2–8 based on the intensity of liver/kidney contrast, posterior attenuation of ultrasound beam, vessel blurring, difficult visualization of gallbladder wall, difficult visualization of the diaphragm and areas of focal sparing. NAFLD is diagnosed by the minimum score ≥2. Ultrasonographic findings were correlated with metabolic and histological data. Inter‐observer US‐FLI score agreement, evaluated by three different operators in 31 consecutive patients with steatosis, showed “almost perfect/substantial” agreement (P < 0.001).

Results

US‐FLI showed a positive correlation with HOMA, insulin, uric acid, ferritin, ALT and bilirubin and was associated with steatosis extent assessed histologically and histological features of NASH, except for fibrosis. US‐FLI was an independent predictor of NASH (OR 2.236; P = 0.007) and a US‐FLI < 4 had a high negative predictive value (94%) in ruling out the diagnosis of severe NASH according to Kleiner's criteria.

Conclusion

Data confirm the hypothesis that US‐FLI significantly correlates with metabolic derangements and individual pathologic criteria for NASH and may better select patients for liver biopsy.
Evaluation of Potential Responses to Invasive Non‐Native Species with Structured Decision Making
Authors: LIU SHUANG , WALSHE TERRY , LONG GRAHAM , COOK DAVID
Published: April 2012

Abstract:  In managing invasions and colonizations of non‐native species, eradication or control efforts must proceed quickly. There are 2 challenges in taking such quick action. First, managers frequently have to choose among complex and often competing environmental, social, and economic objectives. Second, the effects are highly uncertain. We applied participatory structured decision making (SDM) to develop a response plan for the recent invasion of non‐native myrtle rust (Uredo rangelii) in Australia. Structured decision making breaks a complex decision process into 5 steps: identify problems (i.e., decisions to be made), formulate objectives, develop management alternatives, estimate consequences of implementing those alternatives, and select preferred alternatives by evaluating trade‐offs among alternatives. To determine the preferred mid‐ to long‐term alternatives to managing the rust, we conducted 2 participatory workshops and 18 interviews with individuals to elicit stakeholders’ key concerns and convert them into 5 objectives (minimize management cost, minimize economic cost to industry, minimize effects on natural ecosystems and landscape amenities, and minimize environmental effects associated with use of fungicide) and to identify the 5 management alternatives (full eradication, partial eradication, slow spread, live with it [i.e., major effort invested in mitigation of effects], and do nothing). We also developed decision trees to graphically represent the essence of the decision by displaying the relations between uncertainties and decision points. In the short term or before local expansion of myrtle rust, the do‐nothing alternative was not preferred, but an eradication alternative was only recommended if the probability of eradication exceeded about 40%. After the expansion of myrtle rust, the slow‐the‐spread alternative was preferred regardless of which of the short‐term management alternatives was selected at an earlier stage. The participatory SDM approach effectively resulted in informed and transparent response plans that incorporated multiple objectives in decision‐making processes under high uncertainty.
Perfusion Practices and Education of Perfusionists for Open Heart Surgery in Turkey—Current Practices and Future Suggestions
Authors: Onan Ismihan Selen , Yivli Perihan , Erkan Halime , Akçevin Atıf , Ündar Akif , Bakir Ihsan
Published: April 2012

Our objective is to compare our current findings with the findings of our former study in 2004 and to make new suggestions for the development of cardiovascular perfusion in Turkey according to the results of the survey in 2011.
Abnormal structural and functional brain connectivity in gray matter heterotopia
Authors: Christodoulou Joanna A. , Walker Linsey M. , Del Tufo Stephanie N. , Katzir Tami , Gabrieli John D. E. , Whitfield‐Gabrieli Susan , Chang Bernard S.
Published: April 2012

Purpose:  Periventricular nodular heterotopia (PNH) is a malformation of cortical development associated with epilepsy and dyslexia. Evidence suggests that heterotopic gray matter can be functional in brain malformations and that connectivity abnormalities may be important in these disorders. We hypothesized that nodular heterotopia develop abnormal connections and systematically investigated the structural and functional connectivity of heterotopia in patients with PNH.

Methods:  Eleven patients were studied using diffusion tensor tractography and resting‐state functional connectivity MRI with bold oxygenation level–dependent (BOLD) imaging. Fiber tracks with a terminus within heterotopic nodules were visualized to determine structural connectivity, and brain regions demonstrating resting‐state functional correlations to heterotopic nodules were analyzed. Relationships between these connectivity results and measures of clinical epilepsy and cognitive disability were examined.

Key Findings:  A majority of heterotopia (69%) showed structural connectivity to discrete regions of overlying cortex, and almost all (96%) showed functional connectivity to these regions (mean peak correlation coefficient 0.61). Heterotopia also demonstrated connectivity to regions of contralateral cortex, other heterotopic nodules, ipsilateral but nonoverlying cortex, and deep gray matter structures or the cerebellum. Patients with the longest durations of epilepsy had a higher degree of abnormal functional connectivity (p = 0.036).

Significance:  Most heterotopic nodules in PNH are structurally and functionally connected to overlying cortex, and the strength of abnormal connectivity is higher among patients with the longest duration of epilepsy. Along with prior evidence that cortico‐cortical tract defects underlie dyslexia in this disorder, the current findings suggest that altered connectivity is likely a critical substrate for neurologic dysfunction in brain malformations.
Different degrees of loss of function between GEFS+ and SMEI Nav1.1 missense mutants at the same residue induced by rescuable folding defects
Authors: Sugiura Yoshihiro , Ogiwara Ikuo , Hoshi Akihiko , Yamakawa Kazuhiro , Ugawa Yoshikazu
Published: April 2012

Generalized epilepsy with febrile seizures plus (GEFS+) and severe myoclonic epilepsy of infancy (SMEI) differ in their clinical severity and prognosis even though mutations of the Nav1.1 sodium channel are responsible for both disorders. We compared the electrophysiologic properties of two mutant Nav1.1 channels characterized by distinct amino acid substitutions at the same residue position: GEFS+ (A1685V) and SMEI (A1685D). Both the mutants showed complete loss of function when expressed alone. However, the function of A1685V can be partly rescued by the β1 subunit, consistently with a folding defect, whereas that of A1685D was not rescued. These electrophysiologic differences are consistent with the divergence in clinical severity between GEFS+ and SMEI.
Will clinical studies elucidate the connection between the length of storage of transfused red blood cells and clinical outcomes? An analysis based on the simulation of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Pereira Arturo
Published: April 2012

BACKGROUND: The temporal pattern of the biologic mechanism linking red blood cell (RBC) storage duration with clinical outcomes is yet unknown. This study investigates how such a temporal pattern can affect the power of randomized controlled trials (RCT) to detect a relevant clinical outcome mediated by the transfusion of stored RBCs.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: This study was a computer simulation of four RCTs, each using a specific categorization of the RBC storage time. The trial's endpoint was evaluated assuming five hypothetical temporal patterns for the biologic mechanism linking RBC storage duration with clinical outcomes.

RESULTS: Power of RCTs to unveil a significant association between RBC storage duration and clinical outcomes was critically dependent on a complex interaction among three factors: 1) the way the RBC storage time is categorized in the trial design, 2) the temporal pattern assumed for the RBC storage lesion, and 3) the age distribution of RBCs in the inventory from which they are picked up for transfusion. For most combinations of these factors, the power of RCTs to detect a significant treatment effect was below 80%. All the four simulated RCTs had a very low power to disclose a harmful clinical effect confined to last week of the maximum 42‐day shelf life of stored RBCs.

CONCLUSIONS: Ongoing RCTs may lack enough power to settle the issue of whether or not the transfusion of stored blood has a negative clinical impact. A precautionary reduction of the maximum storage time to 35 days is advisable.
Critical Factors in Reading Comprehension Instruction for Students with Learning Disabilities: A Research Synthesis
Authors: Kim Woori , Linan‐Thompson Sylvia , Misquitta Radhika
Published: April 2012

This review examined the effectiveness of critical factors in instruction for improving the reading comprehension of middle school students with learning disabilities. Five critical factors were identified: (i) type of instructional methods, (ii) self‐monitoring, (iii) components of reading incorporated, (iv) fidelity of instruction (scripted vs. nonscripted and researcher vs. teacher), and (v) group size. Fourteen studies published between 1990 and 2010 were reviewed. The findings indicated that interventions incorporating strategy instruction, specifically, main idea and summarization, yielded high effects on comprehension. The use of self‐monitoring combined with main idea strategy improved comprehension performance. It was found that both, instruction targeting comprehension alone, as well as comprehension that incorporated other reading components such as vocabulary had significant effects on comprehension. Researcher‐delivered instruction with script yielded higher effects across intervention types. One‐on‐one instruction or instruction in pairs was more effective than large group instruction across intervention types.
Note‐Taking and Secondary Students with Learning Disabilities: Challenges and Solutions
Authors: Boyle Joseph R.
Published: April 2012

As more secondary students with learning disabilities (LD) enroll in advanced content‐area classes and are expected to pass state exams, they are faced with the challenge of mastering difficult concepts and abstract vocabulary while learning content. Once in these classes, students must learn from lectures that move at a quick pace, record accurate and complete notes, and then demonstrate their mastery of the content on tests. This article provides an overview of the challenges faced by students with LD in content‐area classes and discusses the problems that students have learning from lectures and recording notes. Further, the article discusses theory and research related to note‐taking and presents note‐taking interventions that teachers can use to help students improve their note‐taking skills, and ultimately, improve their achievement in these classes.
Latino Immigration and the Low‐Skill Urban Labor Market: The Case of Atlanta
Authors: Liu Cathy Yang
Published: April 2012

Objectives

Latino immigrants continue to enter low‐skilled urban labor markets across metropolitan areas in the United States. This study provides a dynamic account of the employment competition between Latino immigrant and black workers in the context of an emerging immigrant gateway: the Atlanta Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Methods

This study identifies occupational niches that Latino immigrants and black workers heavily concentrate for years 1990, 2000, and 2008. Occupational‐level composition and wage models are also estimated to test for the impact Latino immigration might have on black workers.

Results

Both black workers and Latino immigrant workers became increasingly concentrated in a few occupations between 1990 and 2008. While Latino immigrants have entered several historically black occupational niches, no downward pressure on the wage growth of blacks in the same occupation is observed.

Conclusions

As immigrants become increasingly clustered in manual‐intensive craftsmen, operative, and farm occupations, blacks gravitate toward the better‐paid and language‐intensive sales, clerical, and service occupations, forming a segmented low‐skill labor market. The reinforcement of their respective niches also tends to create closure to the other groups and intensify within‐group competition.
Novel Ceramic/Camphene‐Based Co‐Extrusion for Highly Aligned Porous Alumina Ceramic Tubes
Authors: Moon Young‐Wook , Shin Kwan‐Ha , Koh Young‐Hag , Yook Se‐Won , Han Cheol‐Min , Kim Hyoun‐Ee
Published: April 2012

We herein propose a novel way of producing highly aligned porous alumina tubes by co‐extruding an initial feed rod, which comprised of a pure camphene core and a frozen alumina/camphene shell. This new and simple technique produced alumina tubes (~4.4 ± 0.1 mm in outer diameter) having uniform alumina walls (~1.1 ± 0.12 mm in thickness) with highly aligned pores, which were created by removing the extensively elongated camphene dendrites in the extruded alumina/camphene shell. Furthermore, the heat treatment of the extruded bodies at 33°C, which is close to the freezing point of the alumina/camphene slurry, led to a considerable increase in the size of the aligned pores formed in the alumina walls, from ~<5 to ~54 μm with increasing heat‐treatment time from 0 to 6 h. The compressive strength also increased significantly from 21 ± 1.6 to 61 ± 11.6 MPa, which was attributed mainly to the achievement of well densified alumina walls.
Transcriptional analysis of physiological pathways in a generalist herbivore: responses to different host plants and plant structures by the cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera
Authors: Celorio‐Mancera Maria de la Paz , Heckel David G. , Vogel Heiko
Published: April 2012

The generalist cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), can consume host plants in more than 40 families, and often utilizes several tissues of a single plant. It is believed that generalists owe their success to the deployment of various members of multigene families of detoxification and digestive enzymes, a strategy that may also be responsible for rapid evolution of insecticide resistance. However, studies of generalist adaptations have been limited to specific genes or gene families, and an overview of how these adaptations are orchestrated at the transcriptional level is lacking. We used Drosophila melanogaster Meigen gene homology to H. armigera‐expressed sequence tags to identify key groups of genes and pathways differentially regulated in the gut of fifth instars after 2 days of feeding on a variety of food sources. A series of microarray hybridizations was performed following two alternating loop designs, one comparing the gut gene expression upon feeding on various hosts (cotton, bean, tobacco, and chickpea) and two artificial diets (pinto bean and wheat germ‐based), whereas the second design compared the gut expression toward feeding on various plant structures within cotton (leaf, square, and boll). The transcriptional responses toward bean and tobacco feeding treatments were more closely related in comparison with the rest of the diets, whereas the gene expression profiles toward cotton leaf and square‐feeding were highly similar. We furthermore found significant changes in several pathways not directly responsible for detoxification mechanisms. Genes involved in primary and secondary metabolism, environmental information processing, and cellular processes were found to be differentially expressed. In addition, regulation of xenobiotic metabolism and the extracellular matrix‐receptor pathways appeared differentially regulated across feeding treatments. Three cytochrome P450 genes – CYP6AE17, CYP6B6, and CYP9A17 – grouped as part of a xenobiotic metabolism pathway, were up‐regulated in the bean‐feeding treatment, and down‐regulated in both tobacco and cotton‐feeding treatments. CYP4L11, CYP4L5, and CYP4S13 were differentially expressed upon feeding on different cotton plant structures. The present work provides host plant and plant structure‐specific transcriptional responses in a lepidopteran herbivore, including pathways and gene candidates for future studies of H. armigera physiology under a more integrative ecologically meaningful framework.
Chemical and structural effects of invasive plants on herbivore–parasitoid/predator interactions in native communities
Authors: Harvey Jeffrey A. , Fortuna Taiadjana M.
Published: April 2012

The introduction and/or spread of exotic organisms into new habitats is considered a major threat to biodiversity. Invasive plants have been shown to negatively affect native communities, competing with and excluding other plants and disrupting a wide range of trophic interactions associated with them. In spite of this, thus far, few studies have explicitly studied the mechanisms underlying the displacement and potential local extinction of native herbivores and their natural enemies up to the third trophic level and even higher. Here, we formulate hypotheses on how structural and chemical characteristics of invasive plants may affect the plant‐finding abilities of herbivores and the host‐ or prey‐finding behavior of predators and parasitoids. The sudden incursion of an invasive plant into a native plant community may fragment native habitats and thus create structural barriers that impede dispersal and plant‐finding ability for herbivores and prey‐ or host‐finding ability for predators and parasitoids. At the same time, invasive plants may produce odors that are attractive to native insects and thus interfere with interactions on native plants. If invasive plants are both attractive and toxic to native insects, they may constitute ‘traps’ that are possibly beneficial against insect pests in agro‐ecosystems, but have conservation implications for native herbivores and their natural enemies. However, we also suggest that some herbivores, and by association their parasitoids, may benefit from the establishment and spread of exotic plants because they increase the amount of available resources for them to exploit.
Partial Caries Excavation
Authors: RITTER ANDRÉ V. , BROWNING WILLIAM D. , SWIFT, JR. EDWARD J.
Published: April 2012

Regular readers will note that we depart from our normal Critical Appraisal format in this issue of the Journal. This particular Critical Appraisal resembles an expanded Contemporary Issues feature and describes a protocol for partial caries excavation that was recently implemented in the student clinics of the University of North Carolina (UNC) School of Dentistry.
Developmental neurotoxicity guideline study: Issues with methodology, evaluation and regulation*
Authors: Tsuji Ryozo , Crofton Kevin M.
Published: April 2012

Recently social concerns have been increasing about the effects of environmental factors on children's health, especially on their nervous systems. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Organisation for Economic Co‐operation and Development (OECD) have published testing guidelines for developmental neurotoxicity (DNT). Approximately 110 guideline studies have been conducted to date. Importantly, information from these studies has provided data critical for regulatory decisions for a number of chemicals. However, the DNT guidelines do not always satisfy all stakeholders because of some uncertainties in their methodology, evaluation, and regulation. Methodological issues include incomplete harmonization between EPA and OECD guidelines, criticisms of the methodology for learning and memory testing, and unspecified positive control substances. Potential artifacts in morphometric neuropathological measures, criteria for observation measures, uncertainty of postnatal offspring exposure, especially in feeding studies, and extrapolation of data from rats to humans are major evaluation issues. In addition, there is some uncertainty in the use of an additional safety factor for susceptibility of infants and children. Moreover, the DNT guidelines have extensive time and cost requirements, use large numbers of animals, and there is a limited set of laboratories that can conduct the study. This paper reviews some of these issues and summarizes discussions from the symposium ‘Developmental neurotoxicity testing: Scientific approaches towards the next generation to protecting the developing nervous system of children’ held at the 2011 annual meeting of the Japanese Teratology Society.
SOP: Physical Examination and Laboratory Testing for Men with Erectile Dysfunction
Authors: Ghanem Hussein M. , Salonia Andrea , Martin-Morales Antonio
Published: April 2012

Introduction

Physical examination and laboratory evaluation of men with erectile dysfunction (ED) are opportunities to identify potentially life-threatening etiologies and comorbid conditions.

Aim

To review genital anatomy, identify any physical abnormalities, assess for comorbid conditions, and reveal significant risk factors for ED.

Methods

Expert opinion was based on evidence-based medical literature and consensus discussions between members of this International Society for Sexual Medicine (ISSM) standards committee.

Results

For men with ED, a general examination including blood pressure and pulse measurements and a focused genital exam are advised. Fasting blood sugar, serum total testosterone, prolactin levels, and a lipid profile may reveal significant comorbid conditions.

Conclusions

Though physical examination and laboratory evaluation of most men with ED may not reveal the exact diagnosis, these opportunities to identify critical comorbid conditions should not be missed.
Hormonal Causes of Male Sexual Dysfunctions and Their Management (Hyperprolactinemia, Thyroid Disorders, GH Disorders, and DHEA)
Authors: Maggi Mario , Buvat Jaques , Corona Giovanni , Guay André , Torres Luiz Otavio
Published: April 2012

Introduction

Besides hypogonadism, other endocrine disorders have been associated with male sexual dysfunction (MSD).

Aim

To review the role of the pituitary hormone prolactin (PRL), growth hormone (GH), thyroid hormones, and adrenal androgens in MSD.

Methods

A systematic search of published evidence was performed using Medline (1969 to September 2011). Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine—Levels of Evidence (March 2009) was applied when possible.

Main Outcome Measures

The most important evidence regarding the role played by PRL, GH, thyroid, and adrenal hormone was reviewed and discussed.

Results

Only severe hyperprolactinemia (>35 ng/mL or 735 mU/L), often related to a pituitary tumor, has a negative impact on sexual function, impairing sexual desire, testosterone production, and, through the latter, erectile function due to a dual effect: mass effect and PRL-induced suppression on gonadotropin secretion. The latter is PRL-level dependent. Emerging evidence indicates that hyperthyroidism is associated with an increased risk of premature ejaculation and might also be associated with erectile dysfunction (ED), whereas hypothyroidism mainly affects sexual desire and impairs the ejaculatory reflex. However, the real incidence of thyroid dysfunction in subjects with sexual problems needs to be evaluated. Prevalence of ED and decreased libido increase in acromegalic patients; however, it is still a matter of debate whether GH excess (acromegaly) may create effects due to a direct overproduction of GH/insulin-like growth factor 1 or because of the pituitary mass effects on gonadotropic cells, resulting in hypogonadism. Finally, although dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and its sulfate have been implicated in a broad range of biological derangements, controlled trials have shown that DHEA administration is not useful for improving male sexual function.

Conclusions

While the association between hyperprolactinemia and hypoactive sexual desire is well defined, more studies are needed to completely understand the role of other hormones in regulating male sexual functioning.
Varicocele is Associated with Erectile Dysfunction: A Population-Based Case-Control Study
Authors: Keller Joseph J. , Chen Yi-Kuang , Lin Herng-Ching
Published: April 2012

Introduction

While many studies have been conducted investigating the efficacy of varicocele treatment on fertility, the literature is comparatively sparse concerning the association between varicocele, varicocelectomy, and erectile dysfunction (ED).

Aim

This study aimed to estimate the associations between varicocele, varicocelectomy, and ED using a population-based dataset.

Methods

This study used data from the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2000 in Taiwan. A total of 32,856 cases and 98,568 randomly selected controls were included in this study. Conditional logistic regression analyses were used to examine associations between ED and having been previously diagnosed with varicocele or having underwent a varicocelectomy.

Main Outcome Measure

The odds of prior varicocele or having underwent a varicocelectomy between cases and controls.

Results

Of the sampled patients, the prevalence of prior varicocele was 3.3% and 1.2% for cases and controls, respectively (P < 0.001). Conditional logistic regression analysis suggested that the odds ratio (OR) of being previously diagnosed with varicocele for cases was 3.09 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.67–3.49) when compared with controls after adjusting for monthly income, geographic location, hypertension, diabetes, coronary heart disease, hyperlipidemia, hypogonadism, obesity, and alcohol abuse/alcohol dependence syndrome. Furthermore, cases were 1.92 (95% CI = 1.52–2.43) times more likely to have undergone a varicocelectomy than controls. Furthermore, subjects aged between 18 and 29 had the highest ORs for prior varicocele among cases when compared with controls (OR = 5.20; 95% CI = 3.27–8.28).

Conclusion

This investigation succeeded in identifying an association between both varicocele and ED. We also realized that varicocele patients who underwent a varicocelectomy had lower magnitudes of association with ED than those who did not.
Without it no music: beat induction as a fundamental musical trait
Authors: Honing Henkjan
Published: April 2012

Beat induction (BI) is the cognitive skill that allows us to hear a regular pulse in music to which we can then synchronize. Perceiving this regularity in music allows us to dance and make music together. As such, it can be considered a fundamental musical trait that, arguably, played a decisive role in the origins of music. Furthermore, BI might be considered a spontaneously developing, domain‐specific, and species‐specific skill. Although both learning and perception/action coupling were shown to be relevant in its development, at least one study showed that the auditory system of a newborn is able to detect the periodicities induced by a varying rhythm. A related study with adults suggested that hierarchical representations for rhythms (meter induction) are formed automatically in the human auditory system. We will reconsider these empirical findings in the light of the question whether beat and meter induction are fundamental cognitive mechanisms.
Musical training and the role of auditory feedback during performance
Authors: Pfordresher Peter Q.
Published: April 2012

Recent research has shown that music training enhances music‐related sensorimotor associations, such as the relationship between a key press on the keyboard and its associated musical pitch (auditory feedback). Such results suggest that the role of auditory feedback in performance may be based on learned associations that are task specific. Here, results from various studies will be presented that suggest that the real state of affairs is more complex. Several recent studies have shown similar effects of altered auditory feedback during piano performance for pianists and individuals with no piano training. Other recent research suggests dramatic differences between pianists and nonmusicians concerning the influence of auditory feedback on melody switching that suggest greater influence of auditory feedback among nonmusicians than pianists. Taken together, results suggest that musical training refines preexisting sensorimotor associations.
The dynamic audio–motor system in pianists
Authors: Jäncke Lutz
Published: April 2012

This paper reports a preliminary study based on the theoretical assumption that continuous closed‐loop audio–motor control could be disadvantageous for pianists. It is argued that the functional relationship between the intracerebral electrical activations in the auditory and premotor cortex should be rhythmically decreased and increased. To test this hypothesis, intracerebral electrical activations for the auditory and premotor cortex were estimated using scalp EEG and standardized low‐resolution electrical tomography (sLORETA). The extracted times series were subjected to a Granger causality analysis, revealing a causal relationship from the auditory cortex to the premotor cortex that was considerably stronger during piano playing and weaker during rest. Importantly, this relationship varied rhythmically during the course of piano playing, with lags (obtained with cross‐correlations) between 666 ms and 820 milliseconds. This study thus delivers evidence that the functional coupling between the auditory and premotor cortex varies during piano playing.
Expertise in folk music alters the brain processing of Western harmony
Authors: Tervaniemi M. , Tupala T. , Brattico E.
Published: April 2012

In various paradigms of modern neurosciences of music, experts of Western classical music have displayed superior brain architecture when compared with individuals without explicit training in music. In this paper, we show that chord violations embedded in musical cadences were neurally processed in a facilitated manner also by musicians trained in Finnish folk music. This result, obtained by using early right anterior negativity (ERAN) as an index of harmony processing, suggests that tonal processing is advanced in folk musicians by their long‐term exposure to both Western and non‐Western music.
Mental imagery in music performance: underlying mechanisms and potential benefits
Authors: Keller Peter E.
Published: April 2012

This paper examines the role of mental imagery in music performance. Self‐reports by musicians, and various other sources of anecdotal evidence, suggest that covert auditory, motor, and/or visual imagery facilitate multiple aspects of music performance. The cognitive and motor mechanisms that underlie such imagery include working memory, action simulation, and internal models. Together these mechanisms support the generation of anticipatory images that enable thorough action planning and movement execution that is characterized by efficiency, temporal precision, and biomechanical economy. In ensemble performance, anticipatory imagery may facilitate interpersonal coordination by enhancing online predictions about others’ action timing. Overlap in brain regions subserving auditory imagery and temporal prediction is consistent with this view. It is concluded that individual differences in anticipatory imagery may be a source of variation in expressive performance excellence and the quality of ensemble cohesion. Engaging in effortful musical imagery is therefore justified when artistic perfection is the goal.
Tinnitus: the dark side of the auditory cortex plasticity
Authors: Pantev Christo , Okamoto Hidehiko , Teismann Henning
Published: April 2012

Music has increasingly been used as a tool for investigation of human cognition and its underlying brain mechanisms. However, music can be used also for neurorehabilitation. Chronic tinnitus is a symptom with high prevalence, especially in industrialized countries. There is evidence that the tinnitus perception is related to unfavorable cortical plastic changes. Maladaptive auditory cortex reorganization may contribute to the generation and maintenance of tinnitus. Because cortical organization can be modified by behavioral training, potentially via reversing maladaptive auditory cortex reorganization, we attempted to reduce tinnitus loudness by exposing chronic tinnitus patients to self‐chosen, enjoyable music that was modified (“notched”) to contain no energy in the frequency range surrounding the individual tinnitus frequency and thus attracting lateral inhibition to the brain area generating tinnitus. On this basis, we have developed and evaluated a customized music training strategy that appears capable of both reducing cortical tinnitus‐related neuronal activity and alleviating subjective tinnitus perception.
Becoming musically enculturated: effects of music classes for infants on brain and behavior
Authors: Trainor Laurel J. , Marie Céline , Gerry David , Whiskin Elaine , Unrau Andrea
Published: April 2012

Musical enculturation is a complex, multifaceted process that includes the development of perceptual processing specialized for the pitch and rhythmic structures of the musical system in the culture, understanding of esthetic and expressive norms, and learning the pragmatic uses of music in different social situations. Here, we summarize the results of a study in which 6‐month‐old Western infants were randomly assigned to 6 months of either an active participatory music class or a class in which they experienced music passively while playing. Active music participation resulted in earlier enculturation to Western tonal pitch structure, larger and/or earlier brain responses to musical tones, and a more positive social trajectory. Furthermore, the data suggest that early exposure to cultural norms of musical expression leads to early preferences for those norms. We conclude that musical enculturation begins in infancy and that active participatory music making in a positive social setting accelerates enculturation.
Glycobiology of immune responses
Authors: Rabinovich Gabriel A. , van Kooyk Yvette , Cobb Brian A.
Published: April 2012

Unlike their protein “roommates” and their nucleic acid “cousins," carbohydrates remain an enigmatic arm of biology. The central reason for the difficulty in fully understanding how carbohydrate structure and biological function are tied is the nontemplate nature of their synthesis and the resulting heterogeneity. The goal of this collection of expert reviews is to highlight what is known about how carbohydrates and their binding partners—the microbial (non‐self), tumor (altered‐self), and host (self)—cooperate within the immune system, while also identifying areas of opportunity to those willing to take up the challenge of understanding more about how carbohydrates influence immune responses. In the end, these reviews will serve as specific examples of how carbohydrates are as integral to biology as are proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids. Here, we attempt to summarize general concepts on glycans and glycan‐binding proteins (mainly C‐type lectins, siglecs, and galectins) and their contributions to the biology of immune responses in physiologic and pathologic settings.
Making music in a group: synchronization and shared experience
Authors: Overy Katie
Published: April 2012

To consider the full impact of musical learning on the brain, it is important to study the nature of everyday, non‐expert forms of musical behavior alongside expert instrumental training. Such informal forms of music making tend to include social interaction, synchronization, body movements, and positive shared experiences. Here, I propose that when designing music intervention programs for scientific purposes, such features may have advantages over instrumental training, depending on the specific research aims, contexts, and measures. With reference to a selection of classroom approaches to music education and to the shared affective motion experience (SAME) model of emotional responses to music, I conclude that group learning may be particularly valuable in music pedagogy.
Contemplative Practices and Mental Training: Prospects for American Education
Authors:   Mind and Life Education Research Network (MLERN):, J. Davidson Richard , Dunne John , Eccles Jacquelynne S. , Engle Adam , Greenberg Mark , Jennings Patricia , Jha Amishi , Jinpa Thupten , Lantieri Linda , Meyer David , Roeser Robert W. , Vago David
Published: April 2012

This article draws on research in neuroscience, cognitive science, developmental psychology, and education, as well as scholarship from contemplative traditions concerning the cultivation of positive development, to highlight a set of mental skills and socioemotional dispositions that are central to the aims of education in the 21st century. These include self‐regulatory skills associated with emotion and attention, self‐representations, and prosocial dispositions such as empathy and compassion. It should be possible to strengthen these positive qualities and dispositions through systematic contemplative practices, which induce plastic changes in brain function and structure, supporting prosocial behavior and academic success in young people. These putative beneficial consequences call for focused programmatic research to better characterize which forms and frequencies of practice are most effective for which types of children and adolescents. Results from such research may help refine training programs to maximize their effectiveness at different ages and to document the changes in neural function and structure that might be induced.
Highly efficient pollination by bumblebees ensures seed production inPedicularis lachnoglossa(Orobanchaceae), an early‐flowering Himalayan plant
Authors: YU Wen‐Bin , LI De‐Zhu , WANG Hong
Published: April 2012

Abstract Pedicularis(Orobranchaceae) is a common high altitude genus of the Himalayas that may be affected by pollination limitation. UsingPedicularis lachnoglossafrom Yulong (Jade Dragon) Snow Mountain in Lijiang (Yunnan Province, southwest China), we investigated the effects of high altitude habitats on the process of pollination and seed production. Floral biology, pollinator foraging behavior, breeding system, and pollination efficiency were examined using observation and exclusionary techniques.Pedicularis lachnoglossawas found to be entomophilous and exclusively pollinated byBombus friseanusandB. yunnanicola. Our results indicated that pollination limitation inP. lachnoglossawas not significant. Under open pollination, approximately 80% of flowers were successfully pollinated and developed to fruits, and about 38% of ovules developed to mature seeds. Bumblebee pollination is highly precise and efficient inP. lachnoglossa, because its flowering phenology and floral characters enhance the foraging of bumblebees on flowers. This study supports that animal pollination plays a crucial role in the outbreeding of the early floweringPedicularis. The evolution of floral specification inPedicularishas the advantages of adaptation to bumblebee pollination in adverse high altitude habitats.