bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Economics and Politics of Agricultural Trade Liberalization
Authors: Frank Garry L.
Published: September 2005

Fred Sanderson, (Ed.), Agricultural Protectionism in the Industrialized World.

Theodore Cohn, The International Politics of Agricultural Trade.
Mercantilism as the Prevailing Agricultural Marketing Policy
Authors: Hadwiger Don F.
Published: September 2005

Ronald T. Libby, Protecting Markets: U.S. Policy and the World Grain Trade.
Agenda‐Setting and Policy Results
Authors: Sharp Elaine B.
Published: September 2005

This paper focuses on three episodes of US. policymaking concerning illicit drugs, one. during the Nixon administration, one during the Carter administration, and the contemporary war on drugs. Drawing upon evidence from drug‐related Congressional hearings, the Gallup Poll, counts of relevant articles in the Headers' Guide to Periodical Literature and content analysis of the New York Times Index, the three episodes are characterized as fating one of Cobb, Ross, and Ross's (1976) models of agenda‐setting. The paper then considers the linkage between these differences in agenda setting and the very different policy content of each episode. While the Nixon and Carter episodes exemplify the dynamics of “mobilization” and “inside access” agenda setting respectively, the contemporary drug policy episode is anomalous. It suggests the need for an extension of the Cobb, Ross, and Ross typology to incorporate a new, “network” type of agenda setting.
Environmental Policy in India
Authors: Reich Michael R. , Bowonder B.
Published: September 2005

This article reviews the significant changes India has achieved in environmental policy in the pool 10 years, especially in terms of regulatory procedures and organizational structure. Despite these changes, however, environmental quality has continued to deteriorate, largely because a wide gap persists between the intent of policy and the actual achievement and because major problems have eluded serious attention. The paper analyzes major problems in the implementation of Indian environmental policy, with particular attention to policy design, policy analysis, and standard setting. Political problems are identified that underlie difficulties in policy formulation and implemetation, and strategies to improve implemetation are proposed.
Merging Analytical Traditions
Authors: Browne William P.
Published: September 2005

Daniel W. Bromley. Environment and Economy: Property Rights and Public Policy.

Richard E. Cohen, Washington at Work: Back Rooms and Clean Air.
“Indirect Regulation” of Environmental Hazards Through the Provision of Information to The Public
Authors: Rich Richard C. , Conn W. David , Owens William L.
Published: September 2005

Title III of the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 seeks to reduce the risks of chemical accidents through a strategy of indirect regulation that relies on providing the public with information about chemical hazards. For this strategy to be effective, citizens must aggressively utilize the information provided to monitor industrial practices and press for risk reduction. Since prior research suggests it is very difficult to evoke the degree of citizen action that would be required to make a strategy of indirect regulation successful, and since the federal legislation provided no funds for implementation, there is a question of whether the structures set up by Title III are sufficient to achieve its objectives. This article reports the results of anational study that examined selected aspects of the implementation of Title III in an effort to assess the likely outcome of its attempt at indirect regulation. Our focus is on the degree to which the Title III‐mandated Local Emergency Planning Committees are pursuing policies that are likely to get the necessary information to citizens and foster community debate on hazardous materials issues.
From Traditional Management to the New Management in British Local Government
Authors: Clarke Michael , Stewart John
Published: September 2005

The article outlines the assumptions on which traditional management in British local authorities was based. It argues the those assumptions were grounded in the conditions of the postwar period, but outlines developing critiques. In recent years societal changes and economic and financial pressures have challenged the basis of traditional management and reinforced the critiques. The legislative program of the Conservative Government on local government is presented as one response to the need to build a new management, with its own strengths and weaknesses.
The Growth of Enterprise Zones: A Policy Transformation
Authors: Gunn Elizabeth M.
Published: September 2005

The rapid growth of enterprise zones during the 1980s has occurred despite the lack of empirical support for its theory of using tax incentives to rebuild inner cities. This paper concludes, after reviewing the literature and assessments made by zone coordinators that enterprise zones, like Head start, have been transformed into a program through which both conservatives and liberals can justify spending on improved community social and infrastructure services.
Assessing Presidential Communications in Civil Rights Policymaking
Authors: Shull Steven A. , Ringelstein Albert C.
Published: September 2005

This chapter compares the public communications of modern presidents across target groups and issue areas of civil rights. We find that attention, support, and symbolism on civil rights vary considerably across individual presidents and political party. Not surprisingly, in their public messages Democratic presidents are more attentive and supportive of civil rights than are Republican presidents. Some results were expected, while others were surprising. Lyndon B. Johnson was attentive and supportive; but, unexpectedly, George H. W. Bush was highly attentive to and quite nonsupportive of civil rights. Also surprisingly, on most indicators, Bush's policy statements were less symbolic and less equivocal than were Ronald W. Reagan's. Most attention is given to blacks as a target group (although this is declining) and to the employment issue area. Overall, the findings reveal the considerable flexibility and discretion in presidents' public communications in the civil rights realm.
Affirmative Action and Business Deregulation: On the Reagan Administration's Failure to Revise Executive Order No. 11246
Authors: Detlefsen Robert R.
Published: September 2005

This case study of the enforcement of executive orders shows one of the complexities of presidential administrative leadership. Executive Order No. 11246, designed to implement equal employment opportunity in federal contracts, is the focal point for the study. Ronald W. Reagan wished to make sure that the impact of the executive order was not to impose numerical goals, quotas, or timetables on employers. However, even within his own administration, Secretary of Labor William Brock opposed Reagan's lessening of employment standards. More interestingly, perhaps, the larger contractors also opposed changing the order, thinking that uncertainty and reduced standards might affect them negatively. The study shows that even within the administrative presidency there are limits to presidential influence, as the wishes of the labor secretary and large government contractors prevailed.
Recycling: A Policy Dilemma for American States?
Authors: Khator Renu
Published: September 2005

In 1990, 38 states passed more than 140 recycling laws. What prompts the states to commit to recycling? In this article, various political, economic, and environmental variables are tested for their independent and group effect on states’ recycling commitment. A composite measure of recycling commitment is developed by combining several political and economic attributes. The results indicate that in comparison to the commonly used economic, political, and demographic variables, a new set of variables measuring policy image are more promising.
Interstate Migration: A Test of Competing Interpretations
Authors: Shelley Mack C. , Koven Steven G.
Published: September 2005

This study presents a model of net interstate migration in the United States during the 1970s. Of 5 composite dimensions derived from an exploratory factor analysis of 20 candidate predictors of interstate migration, the greatest predictive power in an ordinary least squares regression analysis is attained by a set of quality‐of‐life correlates of migration. Composites of fiscal policy and labor relations variables, more controllable by public decisionmakers, are also significant.
Regional Influences and Environmental Policymaking: a study of Acid Rain
Authors: Alm Leslie R.
Published: September 2005

This study uses a four‐region classification of states to investigate the impact of regionalism on the acid rain policy debate. Using multiple regression analyses and controlling for such factors as total pollution emissions, coal production, and precipitation pH, it was found that a state's activity level with respect to involvement in the acid rain policy debate was significantly influenced by both its commitment to environmental protection and its regional differentiation.
The Potential Impact of Disability Studies on Political Science (as well as vice‐versa)
Authors: Hahn Harlan
Published: September 2005

The conjunction of two seemingly disparate fields of research such as disability studies and political science creates the potential of yielding results that are either familiar or unexpected. On the one hand, it is probable that the merger of these subjects might contribute insights that could expand the scope of investigations about disability and add one more important element to policy analysis. On the other hand, it is also possible that the reciprocal impact of these areas of research could expose significant anomalies in the dominant paradigms of either or both fields that might have a lasting effect. The first portion of this paper examines the impact of political science on disability studies; the second part assesses the potential effect of disability studies on political science; and the final segment explores the prospects for a new paradigm in political science that would permit an increased analysis of social movements and political identity, theories of social change, the phenomenon of paternalism, and the implications of differences in physical appearance.
Personal Assistance Services: The Hub of the Policy Wheel for Community Integration of People with Severe Physical Disabilities
Authors: Nosek Margaret A. , Howland Carol A.
Published: September 2005

The success of persons with severe physical disabilities in living independently in the community, engaging in self‐directed productive activities, and staying healthy depends, in part, on getting and maintaining adequate personal assistance with basic tasks such as getting out of bed and tending to personal hygiene. Although few policymakers would disagree with the contention that many people with disabilities need assistance with daily tasks, there is considerable debate about who should provide assistance, what services should be included, who should pay, who should be entitled to publicly provided and paid services, how much assistance should be provided, and who should control its administration. The prevailing model for delivery of personal assistance services has been primarily medical, with control of services by health care professionals, rather than independent living, with control by consumers receiving services. Traditionally there has been an institutional bias of funding for disability‐related service, despite its much higher expense than community‐based personal assistance services and its violation of basic human rights. Proponents of various solutions to health care reform have given little consideration to the provision of support services for people with disabilities. The advantages of implementing a uniform national system for the delivery of personal assistance services based on consumer control are discussed.
A Comparative Analysis of Civilian Technology Strategies Among Some Nations
Authors: Lederman Leonard L.
Published: September 2005

This article compares the national civilian technology policies, strategies, and priorities of France, the Federal Republic of Germany, Japan, the Untied Kingdom, and the United States. An analysis is given of similarities and differences and of the national “systems;” data on research and development funding, science, and engineering personnel and technological outputs is provided; and options are presented. At the end, a summary of what we know and do not know about technology transfer is given.
Defense Conversion and Dual‐Use Technology
Authors: Brandt Linda
Published: September 2005

The world has changed. The Cold War is over, and, while the nation is not yet beating its swords into plowshares, public policymakers are attempting simultaneously to accomplish two extremely difficult and seemingly opposing objectives: reducing the defense budget, while at the same time saving industrial jobs, technology, and infrastructure in the defense industrial base by converting them into a flexible, commercial infrastructure capable of supporting both defense and non‐defense needs. The outcome of this attempted balancing act will have far‐reaching defense and economic consequences for the nation.

This paper explores the concept of defense conversion as it relates to the defense industry. As a corollary of conversion, the paper also explores the concept of dual‐use technology and its application to continued strength of the defense technology base. A brief overview of the applicable legislation provides some insights into how Washington has crafted political solutions to difficult technical problems. Finally, the paper will examine some of the difficulties that still stand in the way of the creation of an integrated civilian and military industrial base that could support the nation's security needs in a flexible, affordable, and publicly acceptable manner.
Technology Transfer and Public Policy
Authors: Matkin Gary W.
Published: September 2005

This article uses events occurring between 1989 and 1994 at the University of California (UC) as a case study to illustrate the consequences to the university of the collision between two powerful public policy agendas for the university: (a) that it maintain its traditional independence, carrying out its roles of teaching and research untainted by the lures and demands of the marketplace, and (b) that it become more active in economic development activities, including the development and sale of its intellectual property and the establishment of companies to exploit university research. The unsuccessful attempts over these five years by the UC to establish a separate nonprofit foundation to manage its considerable portfolio of intellectual property and to form a for‐profit company to fund development and start‐up efforts have been plagued with controversy. UC's story offers parallels with the experiences of other universities and illustrates an emerging pattern in the responses of higher education to the new pressures on them to be more economically relevant. The lessons from the UC case are valuable for other universities and for policymakers involved in technology transfer activities.
Technology Transfer from University to Industry
Authors: Lee Yong , Gaertner Richard
Published: September 2005

The present national technology transfer policy suffers from the limited focus on structural barriers, as well as the reluctance of American business to invest in precommercial research and development. A growing consensus from the national debate suggests that policy attention be reoriented, thereby giving a greater emphasis to precommercial technology development (TD) research. This paper examines whether the nation's research‐intensive universities, a reservoir of virtually unlimited scientific and technological resources, can possibly go beyond basic research and produce economically viable technology efficiently. To this end, the paper introduces key principles that help organize TD research within the research‐intensive university. It also presents the results of a large‐scale TD experiment being carried out by a research‐intensive university under federal sponsorship. The midterm result strongly indicates that with modest financial support and some internal cultural adjustment, research‐intensive universities can break through their ideological barriers and efficiently translate new scientific advances into commercially viable, cutting‐edge technology. This is possible because, among other factors, the research‐intensive university can build on its awn comparative advantage of strong fundamental research.
Policy Gridlock in Waste Management
Authors: Feldman David L. , Peretz Jean H. , Jendrucko Barbara D.
Published: September 2005

Current federal hazardous and low‐level radioactive waste management policies (under conjoint federalism) fail to balance national concerns for consistency with state concerns for equity, discretion, and adequate resources. Congress should expand conjoint federalism to permit states to charge differential fees on imported hazardous waste as it does for low‐level radioactive waste. For low‐level radioactive waste, clarification of the “take title” issue makes the present framework for state discretion implementable, given sufficient time.
Judicial Intervention and Local Spending
Authors: Duncombe William D. , Straussman Jeffrey D.
Published: September 2005

This study develops a methodology for examining the impact of court orders on local budgets and applies it to one of the most important areas of judicial involvement‐local jails. During the 1980s an increasing number of local jails came under court order due to overcrowded facilities. In many counties this has been matched by equally rapid growth in jail capacity and expenditures. Based on simple comparisons of these trends and case studies of individual counties, previous research on court intervention has concluded that the courts have forced reluctant local governments to increase expenditures on corrections. However, past research on judicial intervention may be misleading because of inadequate controls for other factors that may affect both jail capacity and spending. We examine the determinants of jail spending for a national sample of jails in the mid‐1980s. Our results indicate that court orders influence capacity expansion (their impact on current expenditures is less clear); however, other jail and demand factors may have a stronger effect. Contrary to conventional wisdom, our findings suggest that many jurisdictions, given adequate fiscal resources, budget for jail expansion when they need its not when forced by the courts to act.
The Low‐Level Radioactive Waste Siting Process in Connecticut
Authors: Kearney Richard C. , Smith Ande A.
Published: September 2005

The national policy to manage low‐level radioactive waste (LLRW) from commercial nuclear power plants and other generators appears to be at a standstill with regard to siting new LLRW disposal facilities in the states. Regional compacts have been established and host stales designated in most compacts, but the NIMBY problem has proved insurmountable. Connecticut has been added to the growing list of states that have experienced siting setbacks and failures. This case study describes and analyzes the Connecticut experience. We show that siting was derailed by a technical‐rationality approach that ignored the political dimensions of siting until it was too late, and by the consequent and powerful NIMBY reaction that ensued. We consider the national LLRW policy dimensions of siting failures and suggest possible policy alternatives for siting LLRW disposal facilities.
Policy Paradigms and Policy Change
Authors: Howlett Michael
Published: September 2005

Canadian policy towards Aboriginal Peoples is a complex regime involving property rights, constitutional entitlements, cultural concerns, and interlocking administrative, social, economic, and political aims and goals. Recent events related to constitution‐making have led investigators to suggest that an old “assimilationist” paradigm established in colonial times is in the process of being replaced by a new policy paradigm of “self‐government” and “peaceful coexistence.” Utilizing a model of paradigmatic policy change put forward by Peter Hall, this paper examines the development of the old and new Canadian policy and the reasons for the transition between the two. In so doing, it establishes the need to focus more closely on the relationships existing between endogenous and exogenous sources of change in policy subsystems in understanding the liming and content of policy change.
Studies in Mental Health Policy
Authors: Whittemore Kenneth R.
Published: September 2005

It is intended that the publication of this symposium will result in the involvement of more political scientists and policy analysts in the intriguing, challenging, and important area of mental health policy. The articles in this symposium serve as examples of a few of the areas in mental health that offer both the opportunity for and that would benefit from, more studies of policy issues and processes. Many others exist as well.
Schools, Scapegoats, and Skills: educational Reform and the Economy
Authors: Paris David C.
Published: September 2005

Much of the rhetoric concerning educational reform has focused on the role of education in improving economic competitiveness and productivity. This article notes some of the difficulties in assuming strong links between education and the economy, especially given our limited understanding of the relationship of education and job skills. These difficulties raise serious policy issues about the aims of public education and the relationship(s) of schools to other institutions.
Policy Type, Bureaucracy, and Urban Policies: Integrating Models of Urban Service Distribution
Authors: Lee Seung Jong
Published: September 2005

This study advances a comprehensive model of urban service distribution based upon types of urban services, to which little concern has been paid in the study of service distribution. By introducing an integrating typology of urban services, it shows how the pattern of service distribution varies depending on service type. By doing so, this study demonstrates that polarized discussions about the primacy of different explanatory models are inadequate and artificial, and that seemingly contradictory models are not necessarily mutually exclusive when the effect of service type on the distribution of services is taken into consideration.
Disability Policy and the Media: A Stealth Civil Rights Movement Bypasses the Press and Defies Conventional Wisdom
Authors: Shapiro Joseph
Published: September 2005

The Americans with Disabilities Act was pushed through Congress with far less attention from the media than has accompanied other major civil rights bills. This was part of a deliberate and unconventional strategy by disability rights lobbyists who believed that media portrayals of disability were so cliched that journalists would impede, not further, the public's understanding of disability rights issues. Despite the success of the strategy, there is a price to pay for having been a ‘stealth’ civil rights movement: Now that the law is in place, disabled people face a backlash from Americans who neither understand the ADA nor the need for civil rights protection for disabled people.
Unintended Consequences in Public Policy: Persons with Psychiatric Disabilities and the Americans with Disabilities Act
Authors: Campbell Jean
Published: September 2005

This essay explores the occurrence of unintended consequences of public policy, particularly those embodied in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) towards people diagnosed with mental illness. Rights to equal opportunity under the ADA are not inalienable. Two key provisions of the ADA allow employers to abridge those rights. While these provisions sound reasonable on the surface, this paper points out how they disproportionately affect people with psychiatric disabilities. The first provision is the direct threat exclusion, which exempts employers from the requirement to provide reasonable accommodation to a person with disabilities if that person poses a significant risk to the safety of others. Employers can exclude or fire qualified applicants or employees who potentially may pose a direct threat to the health or safety of other individuals in the workplace. The second provision is that employers must only accommodate the known disabilities of an employee or applicant. While these provisions address legitimate concerns, they may be abused and they may distract employers and policymakers from other underlying problems.
Achiasmia and unilateral optic nerve hypoplasia in an otherwise healthy infant
Authors: Pomeranz Howard D. , Agadzi Anthony K. , Ekesten Björn
Published: September 2005

An 18‐month‐old white boy, observed by his parents at 1–2 months age to have poor visual attentiveness and nystagmus, underwent an ophthalmological evaluation. The patient also underwent unsedated 5‐channel flash visual evoked potentials (VEP) and sedated electroretinogram (ERG) testing as well as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain and orbits. The VEP in response to monocular stimulation demonstrated occipital asymmetry and was clearly suggestive of crossed asymmetry and also showed right optic nerve hypoplasia. The MRI and fundoscopic examinations supported the findings of achiasmia and probable optic nerve hypoplasia. The patient also had decreased Teller card visual acuity, nystagmus and a variable right esotropia. Neurological examination was normal. The ophthalmological and MRI findings in this 18‐month‐old male patient support the diagnosis of isolated non‐decussating retinal–fugal fibre syndrome as well as hypoplasia of the optic nerve.
Cross‐cultural equivalence in depression assessment: Japan–Europe–North American study
Authors: Furukawa T. A. , Streiner D. L. , Azuma H. , Higuchi T. , Kamijima K. , Kanba S. , Ozaki N. , Aoba A. , Murasaki M. , Miura S.
Published: September 2005

Objective:  Worldwide use of the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD) presupposes that depression symptomatology can be measured the same way across countries but no empirical study has yet examined this issue. We therefore examined cross‐cultural consistency of factor structure of HRSD.

Method:  A 17‐item HRSD data were sought for 5185 individuals diagnosed with major depression in Japan, Europe and North America. Candidate factor structures were obtained with simultaneous component analysis (SCA) across the three cultures. They were then submitted to multiple‐group confirmatory factor analysis (CFA).

Results:  According to SCA, 3‐, 4‐ or 5‐factor solutions were found to optimally and adequately summarize the variables for all the three populations. When submitted to CFA, the 5‐factor solution was the best fitting and the most parsimonious: they were ‘anhedonia/retardation,’‘guilt/agitation,’‘bodily symptoms,’‘insomnia’ and ‘appetite.’

Conclusion:  Common underlying factors exist for HRSD among Japanese, European and American patients with major depression.
Clinical features of depressed patients with or without a family history of alcoholism
Authors: Sher L. , Oquendo M. A. , Conason A. H. , Brent D. A. , Grunebaum M. F. , Zalsman G. , Burke A. K. , Mann J. J.
Published: September 2005

Objective:  To compare clinical features of depressed subjects without alcoholism but with a family history of alcoholism to a depressed group without alcoholism and without a family history of alcoholism.

Method:  Clinical and demographic data of 209 depressed subjects without a history of alcoholism in first‐degree relatives and 73 depressed individuals with a history of alcoholism in first‐degree relatives were compared. Subjects with a personal history of alcoholism were excluded.

Results:  Depressed subjects with a family history of alcoholism have a significantly higher prevalence of reported childhood physical and sexual abuse and post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), make more suicide attempts, and have greater intent to die at the time of their most lethal suicide attempt, compared to depressed subjects without a family history of alcoholism.

Conclusion:  Depressed patients with a family history of alcoholism are at greater risk for suicidal behavior and PTSD and may require more careful management.
Retention of luting agents on implant abutments of different height and taper
Authors: Bresciano Mario , Schierano Gianmario , Manzella Carlo , Screti Antonio , Bignardi Cristina , Preti Giulio
Published: September 2005

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the retention of four cements used to lute metal restorations onto computer designed and manufactured titanium implant abutments of different heights and convergence angles.

Material and methods: Test specimens consisted of metal coping cemented on Procera® titanium abutments of 5, 7, and 9 mm of height, and of 0°, 4°, and 8° of convergence angle. The cements used were zinc‐phosphate, zinc oxide‐eugenole, polyurethane resin with and without vaseline. The samples were tested in a universal testing machine. The mean uniaxial load at point of separation was determined. The results were statistically evaluated with ANOVA.

Results: The luting agent, the height, and the taper influence the retention of metal casting on customized CAD–CAM implant abutments.

Conclusion: The most retentive cement was zinc‐phosphate, followed by polyurethane, polyurethane plus vaseline, and zinc oxide‐eugenol.
Wrapping Things up about Virus RNA Replication
Authors: Mackenzie Jason
Published: September 2005

All single‐stranded ‘positive‐sense’ RNA viruses that infect mammalian, insect or plant cells rearrange internal cellular membranes to provide an environment facilitating virus replication. A striking feature of these unique membrane structures is the induction of 70–100 nm vesicles (either free within the cytoplasm, associated with other induced vesicles or bound within a surrounding membrane) harbouring the viral replication complex (RC). Although similar in appearance, the cellular composition of these vesicles appears to vary for different viruses, implying different organelle origins for the intracellular sites of viral RNA replication. Genetic analysis has revealed that induction of these membrane structures can be attributed to a particular viral gene product, usually a non‐structural protein. This review will highlight our current knowledge of the formation and composition of virus RCs and describe some of the similarities and differences in RNA‐membrane interactions observed between the virus families Flaviviridae and Picornaviridae.
Five Years After the Launch of Viagra in Korea: Changes in Perceptions of Erectile Dysfunction Treatment by Physicians, Patients, and the Patients’ Spouses
Authors: Kim Sae-Chul , Park Hye Sook
Published: September 2005

Introduction

When Viagra was first launched in Korea in 1999, there were high expectations for its efficacy, and strong concerns regarding its safety and potential for misuse.

Purpose

To research changes in perceptions of erectile dysfunction (ED) treatment 5 years after Viagra was launched.

Materials and Methods

Participants in the study were drawn from six provinces in Korea. They were 120 physicians, 80 patients with ED who had been treated with Viagra, and 40 women who knew that their husbands were being treated with Viagra. The study was conducted using a random face-to-face interview and a questionnaire.

Results

Most physicians responded that since the launch of Viagra, discussions on the topic of sex are more acceptable (92%), and the number of patients seeking medical treatment for ED has increased (92%). They now have a better understanding of ED (98%). They are more confident of treatment (96%), more interested in identifying ED patients (72%), and more comfortable at initiating discussions on ED with patients (80%). Prior to the launch of Viagra, 65% of internal medicine/family medicine doctors did not prescribe any special treatment for ED. However, after Viagra became available, 92% of these doctors prescribed oral medication for ED, thus confirming their position as primary physicians for ED treatment. One of the most distinct changes in perceptions related to Viagra is the higher level of confidence shown by physicians, patients, and patients’ spouses in the safety of the drug.

Conclusion

Five years after the launch of Viagra, the social environment has changed, making discussions of sex more acceptable. A larger number of patients now seek medical treatment for ED, and there is an increased acknowledgment for ED treatment by physicians, patients, and patients’ spouses. Moreover, these parties are now more confident about the safety of Viagra.
Management of Ischemic Priapism with High-Dose Intracavernosal Phenylephrine: From Bench to Bedside
Authors: Wen C. Charles , Munarriz Ricardo , McAuley Iain , Goldstein Irwin , Traish Abdulmaged , Kim Noel
Published: September 2005

Introduction

Ischemic priapism is associated with cavernosal acidosis, which decreases the efficacy of adrenergic agonists. We determined the effect of acidosis on ligand dissociation from adrenergic receptors and assessed the efficacy of high-dose phenylephrine in treating patients with acute ischemic priapism.

Methods

Dissociation rates of [3H]prazosin were determined at pH 7.2 and 6.9 in membrane preparations of rabbit penile cavernosal tissue. Vital signs were recorded from patients before injection, and at 1 minute and 5 minutes after injection of high-dose phenylephrine (1,000 mg q 5 minutes) for 17 consecutive cases of iatrogenic ischemic priapism that occurred after vascular assessment. We also provide two case reports of prolonged ischemic priapism successfully managed with high-dose phenylephrine.

Results

Dissociation rates of [3H]prazosin were greater at pH 6.9 (K −1 = 0.23/minute) than at pH 7.2 (K −1 = 0.10/minute), suggesting decreased receptor affinity at acidic pH. Intracavernosal therapy with high-dose phenylephrine (mean dose 2,059 ± 807 µg) was 100% effective with no adverse events or significant changes in vital signs. In addition, two patients with ischemic priapism for ≥36 hours were successfully treated with high-dose intracavernosal phenylephrine (mean dose 45,000 µg) without any adverse event. Both patients are currently potent.

Conclusions

Acidic pH may decrease the binding affinity of adrenergic ligands to their receptors. Phenylephrine at doses higher than previously reported may be necessary to overcome this decreased affinity in acidosis associated with ischemic priapism. High-dose intracavernosal phenylephrine administration is safe and effective in the management of ischemic priapism. Continuous cardiovascular monitoring is advised.
Tianeptine Can Be Effective in Men with Depression and Erectile Dysfunction
Authors: El-Shafey Hany , Atteya Ahmad , Abu el-Magd Samir , Hassanein Ahmad , Fathy Ahmad , Shamloul Rany
Published: September 2005

Introduction

Erectile dysfunction (ED) and depression are highly prevalent medical disorders affecting men of diverse cultures throughout the world. Tianeptine is a new antidepressant drug with less adverse effects on sexual functions.

Aim

To evaluate the efficacy of tianeptine in the treatment of mild to moderate depression with ED.

Methods and Main Outcome Measures

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial. Subjects were assigned either tianeptine or matching placebo, each for 8 weeks. All patients were followed up on monthly basis where they were asked to complete three assessment questionnaires, namely, Anxiety and Depression Scale, Brief Sexual Inventory, and Quality-of-life and erection questionnaire. All patients were asked a global assessment question. Treatment-responsive subjects were defined as study participants who had scores 1–16 on the Anxiety and depression Scale, showed normal erectile function on the Brief Sexual Inventory, and answered “yes” to the global assessment question.

Results

Of the 237 consecutive men complaining of ED of >6 months and screened for this study, 110 patients met our inclusive criteria; 42 declined to participate. The remaining 68 patients were randomly assigned to treatment. Significant improvement (P < 0.05) was observed during the active drug phase in all three assessments questionnaires, in comparison with the placebo phase. Forty-eight patients (72.7%) of the subjects during the active drug phase were classified as responders, while 19 (27.9%) of the subjects during placebo phase were classified as responders.

Conclusions

Tianeptine could be considered an effective therapy for the treatment of depression and ED. Further large-scale multicentered studies are warranted.
Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone Assessments in a Dutch Cohort of 620 Men with Lifelong Premature Ejaculation Without Erectile Dysfunction
Authors: Waldinger Marcel D. , Zwinderman Aeilko H. , Olivier Berend , Schweitzer Dave H.
Published: September 2005

Introduction

Apart from the involvement of central serotonergic neurotransmission on lifelong premature ejaculation, interference of thyroid function has been speculated.

Aim

To study thyroid function in a large group of men with lifelong premature ejaculation (LPE).

Methods

Lifelong premature ejaculation was defined as an intravaginal ejaculation latency time (IELT) of less than 1 minute. Any consecutive man with LPE and no erectile dysfunction assessed by medical history and the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) was eligible for the study. Apart from the assessment of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) also free thyroxin (f T4) was determined in case of a TSH of <0.3 mU/L or TSH of >4.0 mU/L (being the lower and upper limits of normal values, respectively). Blood samples were drawn throughout the day within office hours.

Main Outcome Measures

Thyroid-stimulating hormone and f T4.

Results

Included were 620 men; age (mean ± SD) was 39.9 ± 9.4 years (range 19–65). TSH concentrations from morning, early and late afternoon samples did not differ. The geometrical mean TSH concentration was 0.85 mU/L (95% confidence intervals: 0.82–0.90) with a coefficient of variation of 57.9%. Fourteen men had a TSH of <0.3 mU/L (2.2%), while five men (0.8%) of >4.0 mU/L. All men with an abnormal TSH had a normal f T4 (between 10 and 20 pmol/L). No relationship was found between age and TSH concentrations.

Conclusion

Thyroid-stimulating hormone distribution was analyzed in a cohort of Dutch men with lifelong premature ejaculation and no erectile dysfunction. According to statistical analysis, there appeared to be no interaction between this ejaculatory complaint and the prevalence of thyroidal dysfunction. However, further studies are needed to gain more insight into the role of thyroid dysfunction and regulation of ejaculation time. Waldinger MD, Zwinderman AH, Olivier B, and Schweitzer DH. Thyroid-stimulating hormone assessments in a Dutch cohort of 620 men with lifelong premature ejaculation without erectile dysfunction. J Sex Med 2005;2:865–870.
The ultimate halo mass in a ΛCDM universe
Authors: Busha Michael T. , Evrard August E. , Adams Fred C. , Wechsler Risa H.
Published: September 2005

In the far future of an accelerating ΛCDM cosmology, the cosmic web of large-scale structure consists of a set of increasingly isolated haloes in dynamical equilibrium. We examine the approach of collisionless dark matter to hydrostatic equilibrium using a large N-body simulation evolved to scale factor a= 100, well beyond the vacuum—matter equality epoch, aeq= 0.75, and 53 h−1 Gyr into the future for a concordance model universe (Ωm= 0.3, ΩΛ= 0.7). The radial phase-space structure of haloes — characterized at a≲aeq by a pair of zero-velocity surfaces that bracket a dynamically active accretion region — simplifies at a≳ 10 aeq when these surfaces merge to create a single zero-velocity surface, clearly defining the halo outer boundary, rhalo, and its enclosed mass, Mhalo. This boundary approaches a fixed physical size encompassing a mean interior density ∼5 times the critical density, similar to the turnaround value in a classical Einstein—de Sitter model. We relate Mhalo to other scales currently used to define halo mass (M200, Mvir, M180b) and find that M200 is approximately half of the total asymptotic cluster mass, while M180b follows the evolution of the inner zero-velocity surface for a≲ 2 but becomes much larger than the total bound mass for a≳ 3. The radial density profile of all bound halo material is well fit by a truncated Hernquist profile. An NFW profile provides a somewhat better fit interior to r200 but is much too shallow in the range r200 < r < rhalo.
Dark galaxies or tidal debris? Kinematical clues to the origin of massive isolated H i clouds
Authors: Bekki Kenji , Koribalski Bärbel S. , Kilborn Virginia A.
Published: September 2005

An extended H i cloud (VIRGOH i 21) with an H i mass of ∼108 M⊙ and no apparent optical counterpart was recently discovered in the Virgo cluster. In order to understand the origin of physical properties of apparently isolated H i clouds like VIRGOH i 21, we numerically investigate physical properties of tidal H i debris that were formed by galaxy—galaxy interactions in clusters of galaxies. Our hydrodynamical simulations demonstrate that tidal debris with total H i masses of 108–109 M⊙ can have (1) a wide spread of H i velocities (>200 km s−1), (2) a small mass fraction of stars (∼10 per cent), and (3) a mean B-band surface brightness of the stellar components fainter than 30 mag arcsec−2. These results suggest that VIRGOH i 21, which lies at a projected distance of ∼150 kpc from the one-armed, H i-rich spiral galaxy M99 (NGC 4254), is tidal debris. We propose that the comparison between the simulated and the observed velocity fields of H i clouds allows us to better understand their nature and origin (e.g. whether they are just tidal debris or are ‘dark galaxies’ that have H i gas only and are embedded within dark matter haloes).
The dependence of the Rossby number and XUV—Lyα emission flux with age for solar-like G-type stars
Authors: Vardavas I. M.
Published: September 2005

Stellar parameters of 11 G-type stars with ages ranging from 0.1 to 8.5 Gyr, from the Sun in Time programme, were used to compute the Rossby number, ℜ, for each star. The Rossby number for each star was calculated from the rotation period and the convective overturn time derived from spectral type (B−V). It was found to vary essentially as t0.5, where t is the stellar age in Gyr. The Rossby number is used as an index of X-ray—ultraviolet (XUV) (1–1200 Å) and Lyα activity, defined as the ratio of the total emission flux in these spectral regions to the total bolometric emission. Expressions for the ratio of the stellar surface XUV and Lyα emission flux relative to present mean solar surface flux values are given in terms of ℜ. It is shown that the observed activity in these stars varies as ℜ−β, where β takes values of 2.5 and 1.5 for XUV and Lyα, respectively. Expressions for deriving the Rossby number from B−V and age are also given. Thus, one can use the stellar B−V and effective temperature variation with age to calculate the XUV and Lyα emission flux relative to present solar values. As an example, the evolution of the solar XUV and Lyα with age from 0.1 to 8.5 Gyr is given. The variation of the stellar ultraviolet flux with age can be used in photochemical models to study the evolution of planetary atmospheres orbiting such stars.
Gravitational waves from remnants of ultraluminous X-ray sources
Authors: Hopman Clovis , Portegies Zwart Simon
Published: September 2005

Ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs) with X-ray luminosities larger than the Eddington luminosity of stellar-mass objects may be powered by intermediate-mass black holes (IBHs) of masses M•∼ 103 M⊙. If IBHs form in young dense stellar clusters, they can be fed by Roche lobe overflow from a tidally captured massive (M★ > 10 M⊙) stellar companion. After the donor leaves the main sequence it forms a compact remnant, which spirals in as a result of gravitational wave (GW) emission. We show that space-based detectors such as the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna are likely to detect several of these sources. GW sources stemming from this scenario have small eccentricities which give distinct GW signals. Detection of such a GW signal will unambiguously prove the existence of IBHs, and support the hypothesis that some ULXs are powered by IBHs with captured companions.
The age dependence of halo clustering
Authors: Gao Liang , Springel Volker , White Simon D. M.
Published: September 2005

We use a very large simulation of the concordance Λ cold dark matter cosmogony to study the clustering of dark matter haloes. For haloes less massive than about 1013h−1 M⊙ the amplitude of the two-point correlation function on large scales depends strongly on halo formation time. Haloes that assembled at high redshift are substantially more clustered than those that assembled more recently. The effect is a smooth function of halo formation time and its amplitude increases with decreasing halo mass. At 1011h−1 M⊙ the ‘oldest’ 10 per cent of haloes are more than five times more strongly correlated than the ‘youngest’ 10 per cent. This unexpected result is incompatible with the standard excursion set theory for structure growth, and it contradicts a fundamental assumption of the halo occupation distribution models often used to study galaxy clustering, namely that the galaxy content of a halo of given mass is statistically independent of its larger scale environment.
System Dynamics Modeling of Transboundary Systems: The Bear River Basin Model
Authors: Sehlke Gerald , Jacobson Jake
Published: September 2005

System dynamics is a computer‐aided approach to evaluating the interrelationships of different components and activities within complex systems. Recently, system dynamics models have been developed in areas such as policy design, biological and medical modeling, energy and the environmental analysis, and in various other areas in the natural and social sciences. The Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory, a multipurpose national laboratory managed by the Department of Energy, has developed a system dynamics model in order to evaluate its utility for modeling large complex hydrological systems. We modeled the Bear River basin, a transboundary basin that includes portions of Idaho, Utah, and Wyoming. We found that system dynamics modeling is very useful for integrating surface water and ground water data and for simulating the interactions between these sources within a given basin. In addition, we also found that system dynamics modeling is useful for integrating complex hydrologic data with other information (e.g., policy, regulatory, and management criteria) to produce a decision support system. Such decision support systems can allow managers and stakeholders to better visualize the key hydrologic elements and management constraints in the basin, which enables them to better understand the system via the simulation of multiple “what‐if” scenarios. Although system dynamics models can be developed to conduct traditional hydraulic/hydrologic surface water or ground water modeling, we believe that their strength lies in their ability to quickly evaluate trends and cause‐effect relationships in large‐scale hydrological systems, for integrating disparate data, for incorporating output from traditional hydraulic/hydrologic models, and for integration of interdisciplinary data, information, and criteria to support better management decisions.