bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Parent–infant synchrony and the construction of shared timing; physiological precursors, developmental outcomes, and risk conditions
Authors: Feldman Ruth
Published: March 2007

Synchrony, a construct used across multiple fields to denote the temporal relationship between events, is applied to the study of parent–infant interactions and suggested as a model for intersubjectivity. Three types of timed relationships between the parent and child's affective behavior are assessed: concurrent, sequential, and organized in an ongoing patterned format, and the development of each is charted across the first year. Viewed as a formative experience for the maturation of the social brain, synchrony impacts the development of self‐regulation, symbol use, and empathy across childhood and adolescence. Different patterns of synchrony with mother, father, and the family and across cultures describe relationship‐specific modes of coordination. The capacity to engage in temporally‐matched interactions is based on physiological mechanisms, in particular oscillator systems, such as the biological clock and cardiac pacemaker, and attachment‐related hormones, such as oxytocin. Specific patterns of synchrony are described in a range of child‐, parent‐ and context‐related risk conditions, pointing to its ecological relevance and usefulness for the study of developmental psychopathology. A perspective that underscores the organization of discrete relational behaviors into emergent patterns and considers time a central parameter of emotion and communication systems may be useful to the study of interpersonal intimacy and its potential for personal transformation across the lifespan.
Programs for parents of infants and toddlers: recent evidence from randomized trials
Authors: Olds David L. , Sadler Lois , Kitzman Harriet
Published: March 2007

Programs for parents of young children hold considerable promise for improving children's life‐course trajectories and for reducing health and development problems and associated costs to government and society. To date, this promise has not been achieved. Fulfilling the potential of parenting interventions will require substantial improvements in current practice for developing and testing such programs. Intervention development will be improved if clinicians and investigators ground parenting interventions in theory and epidemiology; and carefully pilot them to ascertain program feasibility, participant engagement, and behavioral change prior to testing them in randomized trials. Studies of parenting interventions will be improved if they adhere to the highest standards for randomization; if they examine objectively measured outcomes with clear public health relevance; and if they minimize selection factors known to compromise the analysis of data. Policy and practice recommendations for parenting interventions will be improved if they are based upon replicated randomized controlled trials, if the interventions are tested with different populations living in different contexts, and if they are examined in dissemination studies before public investments are made in such programs. Procedures need to be developed to ensure that the essential elements of evidence‐based parenting programs can be implemented reliably in a variety of practice settings so that they will produce their intended effects. To date, few programs have met these high programmatic and evidentiary standards, with the result that many large‐scale policy initiatives for at‐risk parents have failed. Evidence is accumulating, however, that some programs delivered by professionals, especially nurse home visiting programs for pregnant women and parents of young children, produce replicable effects on children's health and development, and that these programs can be reliably reproduced with different populations living in a variety of community settings.
Neurodevelopmental sequelae of postnatal maternal care in rodents: clinical and research implications of molecular insights
Authors: Kaffman Arie , Meaney Michael J.
Published: March 2007

Parental care plays an important role in the emotional and cognitive development of the offspring. Children who have been exposed to abuse or neglect are more likely to develop numerous psychopathologies, while good parent–infant bonding is associated with improved resiliency to stress. Similar observations have also been reported in non‐human primates and rodents, suggesting that at least some neurodevelopmental aspects of parent–offspring interactions are conserved among mammals and could therefore be studied in animals. We present data to suggest that frequency of licking and grooming provided by the dam during a critical period in development plays an important role in modifying neurodevelopment. These findings are examined in the broader context in which exposure to other sensory modalities such as vision or hearing during a specific period in development shapes brain development with functional consequences that persist into adulthood. We also discuss recent rodent work showing that increased frequency of licking and grooming provided by the dam during the first week of life is associated with changes in DNA methylation of promoter elements that control expression of these genes and behavior. The stability of DNA methylation in postmitotic cells provides a possible molecular scaffold by which changes in gene expression and behavioral traits induced by postnatal maternal care are maintained throughout life. Finally, the relevance of findings reported in rodents to those noted in non‐human primates and humans are assessed and the research and clinical implications of these observations for future work are explored.
In the best interests of society
Authors: Harris William W. , Lieberman Alicia F. , Marans Steven
Published: March 2007

Each year, exposure to violent trauma takes its toll on the development of millions of children. When their trauma goes unaddressed, children are at greater risk for school failure; anxiety and depression and other post‐traumatic disorders; alcohol and drug abuse, and, later in life, engaging in violence similar to that to which they were originally exposed. In spite of the serious psychiatric/developmental sequelae of violence exposure, the majority of severely and chronically traumatized children and youth are not found in mental health clinics. Instead, they typically are seen as the ‘trouble‐children’ in schools or emerge in the child protective, law enforcement, substance abuse treatment, and criminal justice systems, where the root of their problems in exposure to violence and abuse is typically not identified or addressed. Usually, providers in all of these diverse service systems have not been sufficiently trained to know and identify the traumatic origins of the children's presenting difficulties and are not sufficiently equipped to assist with their remediation. This multiplicity of traumatic manifestations outside the mental health setting leads to the inescapable conclusion that we are dealing with a supra‐clinical problem that can only be resolved by going beyond the child's individual clinical needs to enlist a range of coordinated services for the child and the family. This paper will focus on domestic violence as a paradigmatic source of violent traumatization and will (a) describe the impact and consequences of exposure to violence on children's immediate and long‐term development; (b) examine the opportunities for, as well as the barriers to, bridging the clinical phenomena of children's violent trauma and the existing systems of care that might best meet their needs; and (c) critique current national policies that militate against a more rational and coherent approach to addressing these needs.
The plant cell cycle − 15 years on
Authors: Francis Dennis
Published: March 2007

The basic components of the plant cell cycle are G1 (postmitotic interphase), S‐phase (DNA synthesis phase), G2 (premitotic interphase) and mitosis/cytokinesis. Proliferating cells are phosphoregulated by cyclin‐dependent protein kinases (CDKs). Plant D‐type cyclins are sensors of the G0 to G1 transition, and are also important for G2/M. At G1/S, the S‐phase transcription factor, ‘E2F’, is released from inhibitory retinoblastoma protein. Negative regulation of G1 events is through KRPs (Kip‐related proteins). Plant S‐phase genes are similar to animal ones, but timing of expression can be different (e.g. CDC6 at the start of S‐phase) and functional evidence is limited. At G2/M, A‐type and the unique B‐type CDKs when bound to A, B and D cyclins, drive cells into division; they are negatively regulated by ICK1/2 and perhaps also by WEE1 kinase. In Arabidopsis, a putative CDC25 lacks a regulatory domain. Mitosis depends on correct temporal activity of CDKs, Aurora kinases and anaphase promotion complex; CDK‐cyclin B activity beyond metaphase is catastrophic. Endoreduplication (re‐replication of DNA in the absence of mitosis) is characterized by E2F expression and down‐regulation of mitotic cyclins. Some cell size data support, whilst others negate, the idea of cell size having an impact on development.

Contents

Summary
261

I.
Introduction
262

II.
Plant CDKs and cyclins
263

III.
G0 → G1 → S – the dawn awakening
263

IV.
S‐phase – life gets replicated
264

V.
G2/M – let's dance
266

VI.
Mitosis – strictly come dancing
268

VII.
Cytokinesis – partitioning life
269

VIII.
M/G1 – party over
270

IX.
Endocycles – a curious life of their own
270

X.
Cell size
270

XI.
Root branching
271

XII.
Conclusions
271

Acknowledgements
273

References
273
Lawyer Satisfaction in the Process of Structuring Legal Careers
Authors: Dinovitzer Ronit , Garth Bryant G.
Published: March 2007

This article proposes a new approach to the study of job satisfaction in the legal profession. Drawing on a Bourdieusian understanding of the relationship between social class and dispositions, we argue that job satisfaction depends in part on social origins and the credentials related to these origins, with social hierarchies helping to define the expectations and possibilities that produce professional careers. Through this lens, job satisfaction is understood as a mechanism through which social and professional hierarchies are produced and reproduced. Relying on the first national data set on lawyer careers (including both survey data and in-depth interviews), we find that lawyers' social background, as reflected in the ranking of their law school, decreases career satisfaction and increases the odds of a job search for the most successful new lawyers. When combined with the interview data, we find that social class is an important component of a stratification system that tends to lead individuals into hierarchically arranged positions.
Lawyers' Pro Bono Service and American-Style Civil Legal Assistance
Authors: Sandefur Rebecca L.
Published: March 2007

Lawyers are often criticized for stinting on their responsibilities for public service; nevertheless, their uncompensated provision of legal services to poor people, or pro bono work, provides a substantial part of available civil legal assistance in the United States. Cross-sectional analysis of data from the late 1990s reveals that reliance on pro bono may render assistance vulnerable to market pressures in ways both obvious and subtle. In states where the legal profession takes in more receipts per lawyer, larger proportions of the profession provide uncompensated service to the poor. In states where the profession feels its work jurisdiction is under threat from unauthorized practice by other occupations, larger proportions of the profession participate in pro bono work than in states where there is no concern about unauthorized practice. As federally subsidized legal assistance shrinks in both scope and scale, growing reliance on pro bono leaves American-style civil legal assistance increasingly vulnerable to market forces.
The Meaning of Pro Bono: Institutional Variations in Professional Obligations among Lawyers
Authors: Granfield Robert
Published: March 2007

Recent data on lawyer participation in pro bono have suggested that such work flows from the intrinsic value one derives from volunteering as well as from workplace characteristics of those who provide pro bono service. This finding would imply that pro bono emerges not merely from individual personality traits but that the workplace environment structures motives and incentives for pro bono work. Such a finding points to a need to disentangle the effects of diverse workplace settings on the construction of different vocabularies of motive for engaging in pro bono work. In this article I employ an institutional framework to examine the impact of the workplace environment on participation in pro bono work among lawyers. Survey data were collected from 474 lawyers who graduated from three law schools that have mandatory pro bono requirements. Results indicate that lawyers' meanings of pro bono as well as their motivations for doing such work and the benefits they attribute to such work vary across workplace settings. These results are discussed in relation to institutional theory.
The Context of Minority Group Threat: Race, Institutions, and Complying with Hate Crime Law
Authors: King Ryan D.
Published: March 2007

A wealth of research suggests a direct association between minority group size and government social control, such as arrest or imprisonment rates. Prior work in this vein, however, gives scant attention to (1) types of law that explicitly address intergroup conflict and (2) regional variation in the salience of minority group threat. At the same time, research on organizational responses to law indicates that institutional linkages to legal environments dictate policy innovation and compliance, yet the relevance of such linkages for law enforcement agencies is less clear. The present research investigates these themes by focusing on law enforcement responses to hate crime in the United States. Data from a sample of large municipal and county policing agencies and their degree of compliance with the federal Hate Crimes Statistics Act are analyzed. Main effects models show that compliance with federal hate crime law is less likely in places with larger black populations, an intriguing finding in light of extant work suggesting that both formal social control and race-based hate crime offending are typically more prevalent where more blacks reside. This effect of black population size on compliance with hate crime law, however, is contingent on region. A positive correlation in the Northeast contrasts with an inverse association in the South. The findings also suggest that organizational facets of law enforcement agencies, notably their engagement in community policing, are associated with compliance. The results elaborate and qualify group threat explanations of government social control and contribute to a burgeoning literature on the utility of organizational theory in the realm of law enforcement.
Production of Ceramic Green Bodies Using a Microwave‐Reactive Organic Binder
Authors: Sato Kimiyasu , Kawai Miyuki , Hotta Yuji , Nagaoka Takaaki , Watari Koji
Published: March 2007

Because the pyrolysis of organic substances can result in the emission of harmful pollutant gases, a reduction in the use of organic binders is one aim of today's ceramics industry. A novel ceramic‐forming process was developed that requires considerably less organic binder than conventional techniques. The process involves immobilizing reactive molecules on the surfaces of the particles, which on subsequent irradiation with microwaves, form bridges that bind the entire particle assembly together. The chemical forces involved produce strong bonds, resulting in a significant reduction in the amount of organic binder that is required to maintain the shape of the ceramic green body. This method will help to decrease emissions of harmful gases produced from pyrolysis of the binder.
Ingratiation and Gratuity: The Effect of Complimenting Customers on Tipping Behavior in Restaurants
Authors: Seiter John S.
Published: March 2007

The present study examined the role of ingratiation on tipping behavior in restaurants. In the study, 2 female food servers waited on 94 couples eating dinner, and either complimented or did not compliment the couples on their dinner selections. Results indicated that food servers received significantly higher tips when complimenting their customers than when not complimenting them. These results and their implications are discussed.
A Meta‐Analysis of Self‐Attributions Following Three Types of Trauma: Sexual Victimization, Illness, and Injury1
Authors: Littleton Heather L. , Magee Karyn Tiedeman , Axsom Danny
Published: March 2007

Victim self‐attributions (e.g., that one caused an event or was responsible for its occurrence) have been discussed frequently in the trauma literature. However, little empirical work has sought to test the extant theoretical models conceptualizing why self‐attributions occur. We investigated by meta‐analysis the prevalence and predictors of self‐attributions following 3 traumatic events—sexual victimization, illness, and severe injury—in an attempt to identify predictors of self‐attributions and to examine extant theoretical models. The results supported that self‐attribution is not the modal response to trauma. In addition, partial support was found for the extant theoretical models, but no one model could explain the entire pattern of findings. Implications of these results for future empirical and theoretical work are discussed.
Effects of Electronic Monitoring Types on Perceptions of Procedural Justice, Interpersonal Justice, and Privacy1
Authors: McNall Laurel A. , Roch Sylvia G.
Published: March 2007

Electronic performance monitoring and control systems (EPMCSs) are raising fairness and privacy concerns in many organizations. Researchers typically have treated different types of EPMCSs as equal, yet various EPMCS types (e.g., computer monitoring, eavesdropping, surveillance) may exert differential influences on fairness and privacy perceptions. In this study, 246 participants read scenarios describing different technologies for evaluating performance. Results indicated that EPMCS types significantly influenced perceptions of procedural justice, interpersonal justice, and privacy. Computer monitoring was perceived as the most procedurally just; but traditional direct observation by a supervisor without electronic monitoring was perceived as the most interpersonally just, and the least invasive in terms of privacy. These findings suggest that employers should be cautious in the type of monitoring used.
Natural host‐plant quality affects immune defence of an insect herbivore
Authors: Klemola Netta , Klemola Tero , Rantala Markus J. , Ruuhola Teija
Published: March 2007

We examined the effect of natural host‐plant quality on immune resistance in the autumnal moth,Epirrita autumnata(Borkhausen) (Lepidoptera: Geometridae). The division of mountain birches [Betula pubescensssp.czerepanovii(Orlova) Hämet‐ahti (Betulaceae)] into two categories, high‐ and low‐quality food for larvae, was based on previous years’ results on the relative growth rate of the autumnal moth on the trees selected. The strength of the immune defence of autumnal moths was determined by measuring their encapsulation rate to exposure to a foreign antigen and the phenoloxidase (PO) activity of the pupal haemolymph. We found that individuals reared as larvae on naturally low‐quality food had a significantly higher encapsulation rate at the pupal stage than individuals reared on high‐quality food. Females also had a higher encapsulation rate than males. Food quality did not have statistically significant effect on PO activity, nor did this response variable show any differences between the sexes. Using half‐sib analyses, we found significant heritable variation in the encapsulation rate; the heritable variation in PO activity was near to significant, although equally strong. Heritability estimates (h2: 0.19–0.27) for immune defence traits were relatively low and only moderate when compared to other studies with insects. We also found a negative genetic correlation between pupal mass and PO activity, but not between PO activity and encapsulation rate. Our results suggest that the quality of food affects immune defence in the autumnal moth. Thus an intricate tritrophic relationship exists between the folivorous insect, the host tree, and the insect's natural enemies (e.g., pathogens, parasites, and parasitoids). This study demonstrates that natural variation within a food plant species has an effect on the innate immune system of an herbivorous insect.
Semiochemical‐mediated oviposition behavior by female peachtree borer, Synanthedon exitiosa
Authors: Derksen Shannon , Chatterton Monique , Gries Regine , Aurelian Marius , Judd Gary J.R. , Gries Gerhard
Published: March 2007

The peachtree borer, Synanthedon exitiosa (Say) (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae), is an important pest of commercial cultivations of peach trees, Prunus persicae (L.) (Rosaceae). Identification of semiochemicals that mediate host selection by adult S. exitiosa may lead to the development of a new earth‐friendly tactic within integrated programs for control of S. exitiosa. Larvae develop in the phloem of peach trees where their feeding stimulates the production of gum frass, a mixture of tree phloem particles, tree sap (gum), and larval feces (frass). We tested the hypothesis that gum‐frass semiochemicals signal a potential host tree, and induce oviposition by female S. exitiosa. In coupled gas chromatographic‐electroantennographic detection analyses of Porapak Q‐collected gum frass volatiles, 21 compounds elicited responses from male or female S. exitiosa antennae. These compounds included four acids, four hydrocarbons, four ketones, three acetates, two aldehydes, γ‐decalactone, conophthorin, 2‐phenylethanol, and 2‐isopropyl‐3‐methoxypyrazine. In dual‐choice laboratory experiments, all groups of compounds, except the acetates, were needed to induce significantly more egg laying by female S. exitiosa on treatment than on unbaited control oviposition sites. By responding to gum frass semiochemicals, female S. exitiosa seem to exploit signals that are complex, detectable, and that reliably indicate a potential host tree for larval development.
Contraceptive Discontinuation and Failure and Subsequent Abortion in Romania: 1994–99
Authors: Creanga Andreea A. , Acharya Rajib , Ahmed Saifuddin , Tsui Amy O.
Published: March 2007

This study examines the levels and correlates of contraceptive failure and discontinuation in Romania, together with the consequences of contraceptive method failure in terms of induced abortion. Of special interest are women who rely on the traditional method of withdrawal and the proportion of withdrawal failures resulting in abortion. Our analysis is based on multiyear calendar data concerning women's contraceptive use and monthly reproductive behaviors collected in the 1999 Romanian Reproductive Health Survey. Weibull regression models are estimated to analyze the determinants of discontinuation and failure for all methods combined and for withdrawal. Overall, 19 and 28 percent of women became pregnant within the first year of using any contraceptive method and of practicing withdrawal, respectively. About 57 and 59 percent of failures from use of all methods and from withdrawal ended in abortion, accounting for 30 percent and 22 percent, respectively, of all abortions reported between 1994 and 1999. These findings suggest that high rates of contraceptive discontinuation and failure contributed significantly to the widespread reliance on induced abortion among Romanian women during this period.
Couples' Reports of Women's Autonomy and Health‐care Use in Nepal
Authors: Allendorf Keera
Published: March 2007

Using data from interviews with matched couples recorded in the 2001 Nepal Demographic and Health Survey, this report explores how incorporating both spouses' reports of household decisionmaking may change the understanding of the determinants and consequences of women's autonomy. Results indicate that a substantial proportion of couples disagree about who makes household decisions, but the determinants of women's autonomy are still largely similar according to both spouses' reports. The assessment of the effects of two important sources of autonomy—women's education and employment—differs significantly between spouses, however. When spouses agree that the wife is autonomous, the association between her autonomy and her use of health‐care services is found to be substantially stronger than when spouses disagree about her autonomy. This finding suggests that the association between women's autonomy and health‐care‐service use may be underestimated when only women's reports are considered.
Assessing the Quality of Cesarean Birth Data in the Demographic and Health Surveys
Authors: Holtz Sara A. , Stanton Cynthia K.
Published: March 2007

Cesarean section surgery is the clinical response used to prevent several of the leading causes of maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity. Given the deficient state of health‐information systems in most developing countries, nationally representative surveys are currently the most widely available source of population‐based cesarean birth data. The purpose of this study is to assess the quality and internal consistency of Demographic and Health Survey cesarean birth data across countries and time periods. Although these surveys are highly standardized, the formulation of the question on cesarean birth and the categories of women who are asked the question often differ across surveys. A skip pattern that restricts the cesarean question to women who delivered in a health‐care facility improves the internal consistency of the data, although in some countries cesarean deliveries are still reported at low‐level, presumably nonsurgical facilities. Recommendations are made for improving data analysis and the future collection of population‐based cesarean birth data.
Neuroendocrine control of reproductive function in ruminants
Authors: OKAMURA Hiroaki , OHKURA Satoshi
Published: March 2007

Gonadotropin‐releasing hormone (GnRH) is a key molecule in the control of reproduction in mammals. It is generally thought that the secretion of GnRH into the pituitary portal vessels is governed by two distinct neural mechanisms: the pulsatile and surge mode centers. The former is called the GnRH pulse generator, and this neural substrate plays a role as the master regulator of the reproductive function. An electrophysiological technique for monitoring the neural activity of the GnRH pulse generator has been established in the Shiba goat. The central actions of several neuropeptides have been assessed using this system. Results suggest that several neuropeptides including neuropeptide Y, cholecystokinin‐octapeptide and melanocortins are involved in the regulation of the GnRH pulse generator activity in the goat. Each input of those neuropeptides likely represents a unique mechanism conveying specific information about changes in the internal and external environments such as olfactory signals, nutrition, stress, and steroidal milieu, to the GnRH pulse generator. Further elucidations of actions of neurotransmitters on the GnRH pulse generator may serve for better understanding of the neuroendocrine control of reproduction in the ruminant.
Emergence season of Hypoderma lineatum warbles in southern Punjab, Pakistan
Authors: KHAN Muhammad Nisar , SAJID Muhammad Sohail , IQBAL Zafar , ANWAR Muhammad
Published: March 2007

The objective of the present study was to observe the seasonal pattern of the life cycle and the warble stage in bovines of Dera Ghazi Khan and Rajan Pur Districts of Southern‐Punjab, Pakistan. The study was conducted from July 2004 to June 2005. The association was studied between various climatic changes and the fly life cycle. The larvae of warble flies were extracted from the backs of naturally infested animals and identified. The adult fly laid eggs in June, and hatched larvae penetrated the skin and followed intensive internal migration to diaphragm, esophageal wall and subcutaneous connective tissue in the month of July. At the start of August they reached the subcutaneous tissue and emergence began. In both species, the maximum warble emergence was found in mid‐December and the lowest in mid‐March and mid‐August. It was concluded that preventive treatment should be adopted before the month of July to avoid carcass depreciation and decreased leather quality.
The ‘Earlybird’ gets the breastmilk: findings from an evaluation of combined professional and peer support groups to improve breastfeeding duration in the first eight weeks after birth
Authors: Kruske Sue , Schmied Virginia , Cook Margaret
Published: March 2007

Australia has high initiation rates of breastfeeding, but the challenges of establishing and maintaining breastfeeding in the first few months of infant life result in many women changing to artificial formula feeding. This paper reports on the impact of a new strategy to improve breastfeeding duration rates in the first 8 weeks post‐partum. The Earlybird Program (EBP) combines the professional expertise of child and family health (C&FH) nurses with the expertise of the participating mothers to support each other in establishing breastfeeding in the first 8 weeks. This retrospective study compared the breastfeeding patterns of first‐time mothers who attended the EBP, with the breastfeeding patterns of mothers who accessed individual appointments with the nurses in a 12‐month period, and examined the predictors of continued breastfeeding at 8 weeks. The total sample comprised 193 infant records. Women who selected the EBP were more likely to be employed and less likely to be categorized as non‐English speaking background. These women also had more visits to the C&FH service. Logistic regression was used to determine the factors associated with breastfeeding cessation at 8 weeks post‐natal. After adjusting for variables, only exclusive breastfeeding at first visit and attending the EBP were significant predictors of continuing to breastfeed at 8 weeks. Facilitation skills that recognize the expertise of participating women were considered an important aspect of the programme.
Maternal depression and infant growth – a review of recent evidence
Authors: Stewart Robert C.
Published: March 2007

Depressive disorder occurring during pregnancy and the post‐natal period (maternal depression) is common in both developed and developing countries. It can cause functional impairment at a time when the mother is performing tasks vital to her infant’s growth and development. This article reviews recent research investigating whether there is an association between maternal depression and infant growth impairment. A search was made using Medline for articles published in the last 10 years, and the results were scrutinized for relevance and quality. Eight studies from developing countries, and three from the UK, are described. Cohort studies from both India and Pakistan provide evidence that maternal depression is an independent risk factor for poor infant growth. However, studies from other developing countries are limited and conflicting in their findings. The UK‐based research suggests that such an association occurs in mothers/infants living in conditions of socio‐economic deprivation. This review discusses the potential mechanisms by which the relationship between maternal depression and infant growth outcomes may be explained: the effect of infant growth ‘failure’ upon maternal mood; the impact of maternal depression upon health‐seeking behaviours, breastfeeding and mother–child interaction; the relationship between antenatal depression and low infant birthweight; and economic, socio‐cultural and confounding factors that may explain the variation between results from different settings.
Original Research: Prevalence and Evaluation of Sexual Health Problems—HSDD in Europe
Authors: Graziottin Alessandra
Published: March 2007

Introduction

The complex condition of the menopause is experienced by all women going through the physical and emotional changes associated with ovarian sexual hormones loss. It may impact directly on their physical and mental health.

Aim

The complexity of this condition makes it necessary to accumulate large bodies of data to define the patterns and trends in its evaluable manifestations. To this end, large amounts of data were collected on women from France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom, via the Women's International Survey on Health and Sexuality.

Main Outcome Measures

The key measures within the survey were the Profile of Female of Sexual Function© (PFSF©) and the Personal Distress Scale© (PDS©).

Results

The survey yielded 2,467 responders aged between 20 and 70, capturing women with surgical and natural menopausal status and those with premenopausal status. In the four EU countries studied, sexual activity decreases by age. An increase in female sexual dysfunction (FSD), particularly loss of sexual desire, is directly correlated with increasing age. However, the distress associated with loss of sexual desire is inversely correlated with age. Cultural and context-dependent factors modulate the percentage of any FSD in the different European countries. This is exemplified in the significant intercountry variation observed in the percentage of low desire in women aged 20–49, with normal ovarian function. However, when women undergo surgical menopause, with concomitant loss of their sexual hormones, the culture-related differences are blunted.

Conclusions

The findings of this survey have implications for the understanding of hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD), not only the way it should be assessed in clinical practice, but also the most appropriate means for its treatment. Testosterone deficiency is a significant cause of HSDD, and new therapies have been investigated which offer considerable potential to address this hormonal etiology.
Hormonal Changes in Menopause and Implications on Sexual Health
Authors: Schwenkhagen Anneliese
Published: March 2007

Introduction

The menopause is characterized by an array of changes to the female body caused by modulations which occur in the production of estrogens and androgens. The ovaries are important sites of testosterone production in the peri- and postmenopausal women, but the contribution of testosterone pro-hormones from the adrenal glands falls precipitously to the extent where the ovaries cannot correct the deficit. This results in a net decline in circulating testosterone levels.

Aims

This paper gives an overview of this interesting subject area. Researchers have cogitated on the relationship between the physical effects of the menopause and the observed declines in testosterone levels, but it is now much clearer that falling testosterone levels cannot explain all of these changes.

Main Outcome Measures

The cessation of follicular functioning results in a steep decline in the production of estrogens. This modulation is responsible for the physical manifestations of the menopause—hot flushes, sleep disturbances, mood changes, bleeding problems, local urogenital problems, vaginal changes, etc.

Methods

A review of the pertinent literature was conducted to investigate hormonal changes around the menopause. A précis of the salient information is presented here.

Results

Although the most obvious and well-known effects of the menopause are due to the decline of estrogen levels, the effects of falling testosterone levels are subtle, but by no means less significant. Reductions in sexual motivation, sexual arousal, vaginal lubrication, etc. are all associated with plummeting androgen levels.

Conclusions

Today, several options exist for the treatment of the endocrinological changes associated with the menopause. Estrogen deficiency can be corrected with hormone replacement therapy and topical preparations for the genitalia. A new transdermal system for the administration of testosterone shows a great deal of potential for the treatment of androgen deficiency.
Testosterone Treatment for Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder in Postmenopausal Women
Authors: Kingsberg Sheryl
Published: March 2007

Introduction

The reduced levels of testosterone in postmenopausal women are associated with loss of libido, decreased sexual activity, diminished feelings of physical well-being, and fatigue. A bilateral oophorectomy can lead to decreases in sexual desire in 50% of cases by removing ovarian contribution to the circulating levels of testosterone. Testosterone therapy is an option for the restoration of sexual drive.

Aim

Transdermal testosterone administration may bypass the effects of first pass hepatic metabolism. To this end a series of studies have been carried out using a novel transdermal testosterone system. A review of the results from these studies are presented here.

Main Outcome Measures

A key feature of these studies was the use of validated study instruments to measure sexual function: Sexual Activity Log© (SAL©), Profile of Female Sexual Function© (PFSF©) and Personal Distress Scale©.

Methods

The data from the Phase III studies, known as the Investigation of Natural Testosterone in Menopausal women Also Taking Estrogen in Surgically Menopausal women (INTIMATE SM) 1 and 2 were reviewed and the salient information is presented here.

Results

Both INTIMATE 1 and 2 showed a significant increase in total satisfying sexual activity, via the SAL© in those women receiving testosterone, compared with those women in the placebo group. Total satisfying sexual activity increased by 74% and 51% for INTIMATE 1 and 2, respectively. The PFSF© instrument demonstrated significant improvements in INTIMATE 1 and 2 in all domains of sexual function in testosterone-treated women compared with the placebo patients. In both studies, personal distress decreased in those patients receiving testosterone, compared with the placebo group. The most commonly reported adverse events were application site reactions. Eight-five percent of patients said they would probably or definitely continue treatment.

Conclusions

The transdermal testosterone patch is an effective treatment for hypoactive sexual desire disorder in surgically postmenopausal women receiving concomitant estrogen therapy. The treatment has a favorable safety profile.
Current Management Strategies of the Postmenopausal Patient with Sexual Health Problems
Authors: Goldstein Irwin
Published: March 2007

Introduction

Sexual health concerns of menopausal women include decreases in sexual interest, arousal, lubrication, and orgasm, and increases in sexual pain, all of which may be associated with distress.

Aim

To review a step-care progression of sexual healthcare management: identification of the sexual health problem; education of the patient and the partner; modification of reversible causes; first-line therapies consisting of devices and medications; and second-line therapies with more invasive treatments including surgery.

Methods

The healthcare provider is presented with a clinical diagnosis and treatment paradigm that engages mind, body, and relationship issues proceeding step-wise in a rational and cost-effective fashion.

Main Outcome Measure

Literature review in women's sexual health.

Results

Women's health, including sexual health, is a fundamental human right. Supported by evidence-based data, a step-care approach to diagnosis and management of women with sexual health problems is advised. Multidisciplinary interventions should be considered as needed. Identification of sexual health concerns engages diagnostic components of psychologic consultation, history, physical examination, and laboratory testing as appropriate. Key to clinical assessment is the detailed sexual, medical, and psychosocial history. No agreement exists on necessary laboratory tests. Patient (and partner) education improves understanding of treatment options and expectations, and promotes a trusting patient–physician partnership. Modification of reversible causes includes sex therapy, lubricants, altering medications, modifying lifestyle and physical therapy for pelvic floor disorders. First-line therapies should be administered based upon diagnosis, needs, expectations, risks, benefits, and cost, and include medical devices and drugs such as hormones, vasoactive agents, dopamine agonists, topical steroids, anti-infectious agents, and analgesic agents. Second-line therapies, such as surgery, are initiated upon failure, insufficient response, or adverse side effects associated with one or more of the first-line therapies or patient preference.

Conclusions

For postmenopausal women with sexual dysfunction, a rational clinical management strategy begins with treatment options that are most reversible and least invasive and costly.
Polymorphism of ZuBeCa3 microsatellite and its association with mammary tumor in dogs
Authors: Bhattacharya T. K. , Rani S. , Maiti S. K. , Dayal S. , Kumar P. , Sharma A.
Published: March 2007

A study was conducted to explore the genetic polymorphism at ZuBeCa3 microsatellite and to estimate the association between microsatellite polymorphism and mammary cancer in dogs. Three genotypes namely AA, AB and BB were observed both in dogs affected by mammary cancer and in non‐affected dogs. In the affected group, the frequency of genotype and allele was 0.63 for AA, 0.25 for AB and 0.12 for BB genotype, and 0.76 for A and 0.24 for B allele. In the nonaffected group, the frequency of AA, AB and BB genotype was 0.39, 0.38 and 0.23 and the frequency of A and B allele was 0.58 and 0.42, respectively. Histopathological observation classified the cancer‐affected animals into three groups namely, malignant solid mammary carcinoma, malignant papillary adenocarcinoma and benign papillary adenoma in which the frequency of A allele was relatively more predominant in benign tumor group, which is more than 80%. Statistical tests showed significant differences (P < 0.01) of allelic distribution between tumor‐affected and non‐affected group, which reveals the effect of polymorphism on occurrences of mammary cancer in dogs. Besides, χ2 test also reflected the significant effect of genotypes on occurrences of three groups of mammary cancer in dogs.
Mapping susceptibility gene locus for IgA deficiency at del(18)(q22.3–q23); report of familial cryptic chromosome t(18q; 10p) translocations
Authors: Dostal A. , Linnankivi T. , Somer M. , Kähkönen M. , Litzman J. , Tienari P.
Published: March 2007

This study presents a clinical report of the Finnish chromosome t(18q; 10p) translocation family with an overview of eight other selected immunoglobulin A (IgA)‐deficient 18q deletion (18q−) patients from seven published articles. The family members show features common to 18q− syndrome such as mental retardation, multiple facial dysmorphism, foot/hand deformities, abnormal myelination of brain white matter, and a spectrum of immunological/infectious disorders including IgA deficiency (IgAD). Genotype–phenotype correlation study of the unbalanced t(18q−; 10p+) translocation family members and other 18q− syndrome reports led to definition of a potential susceptibility gene locus for IgAD at distal region of 18q22.3–q23 between markers D18S812–18qter. The haplo‐insufficiency of the 18q22.3–q23 gene region is suggested to be a cause of the IgAD phenotype in 18q− individuals. This 7 Mb IgAD critical region shows significant association with susceptibility region for celiac disease that is frequently connected to IgAD.
Association between genetic polymorphisms in the human interleukin‐7 receptor α‐chain and inhalation allergy
Authors: Shamim Z. , Müller K. , Svejgaard A. , Poulsen L. K. , Bodtger U. , Ryder L. P.
Published: March 2007

Thymic stromal‐derived lymphopoietin (TSLP) and interleukin‐7 share a common receptor chain, IL‐7Rα. IL‐7 is involved in T‐cell homeostasis, and TSLP induces production of pro‐allergic cytokines. The gene encoding the IL‐7Rα chain is polymorphic, and investigation of inhalation allergic patients compared with controls showed significant association with two alleles at position +1237 and +2087.
Distribution Pattern of Photosynthetic Picoplankton and Heterotrophic Bacteria in the Northern South China Sea
Authors: Cai Yu‐Ming , Ning Xiu‐Ren , Liu Cheng‐Gang , Hao Qiang
Published: March 2007

The environmental regulation of picoplankton distribution in the northern South China Sea was examined in winter and summer of 2004. The average abundance of Synechococcus, Prochlorococcus, and heterotrophic bacteria was lower in winter (30, 21, and 780 × 103 cells/cm3, respectively) than in summer (53, 85, and 1 090 × 103 cells/cm3, respectively), but the seasonal pattern was opposite for picoeukaryotic phytoplankton (4 500 and 3 200 cells/cm3 in winter and summer, respectively). Synechococcus, picoeukaryotes, and bacteria were most abundant in the nutrient‐rich coastal zone and continental shelf, but Prochlorococcus was most abundant in the continental slope and open ocean. The vertical distribution of each photosynthetic group and heterotrophic bacteria changed between the two seasons. Synechococcus populations with apparently different phycoerythrobilin content occurred at many stations in the summer. In addition, two different populations of Prochlorococcus were found: (i) small, weakly fluorescing cells in the surface layer; and (ii) larger, strongly fluorescent cells in the deep layer. The distribution pattern of photosynthetic picoplankton and heterotrophic bacteria depends on environmental effects and their ecophysiological differences. The distribution of Synechococcus appeared to be related to nutrient availability, whereas the distribution of Prochlorococcus appeared to be limited by temperature. Synechococcus was the only picophytoplankton with a consistent strong relationship with bacteria.
Oxidative Stress and Antioxidant Responses in Young Leaves of Mulberry Plants Grown Under Nitrogen, Phosphorus or Potassium Deficiency
Authors: Tewari Rajesh Kumar , Kumar Praveen , Sharma Parma Nand
Published: March 2007

The aim of this study was to associate the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) with induced antioxidant responses and disturbed cellular redox environment in the nitrogen‐(N), phosphorus‐(P), or potassium‐(K) deficient mulberry (Morus alba L. var. Kanva‐2) plants. The indicators of oxidative stress and cellular redox environment and antioxidant defense‐related parameters were analyzed. Deficiency of N, P or K suppressed growth, accelerated senescence, and decreased concentrations of chloroplastic pigments and glutathione. Lipid peroxidation and activities of superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase and glutathione reductase were also increased in these N, P, or K deprived plants. Concentration of hydrogen peroxide increased in plants deficient in N or P. Deficiency of N or P particularly altered the cellular redox environment as indicated by changes in the redox couples, namely ascorbic acid/total ascorbate decreased in P‐, glutathione sulfydryl/total glutathione decreased in N‐, and increased in P‐deficient plants. Activity staining of native gels for superoxide dismutase revealed increased activity as indicated by increased intensity of bands, and induction of few new isoforms in P‐ and K‐deficient plants. Differences in the patterns of superoxide dismutase isoforms and redox status (ascorbic acid/total ascorbate and glutathione sulfydryl/total glutathione) indicate that N‐, P‐, or K‐deficiency altered antioxidant responses to varying extents in mulberry plants.