Hormonal homeostasis in a group of 216 aging Czech males and correlation with responses to a questionnaire of the University of St Louis

The male aging process is accompanied by changes in the levels of several types of hormones. Falling levels of androgenic-anabolic steroids (total testosterone, free testosterone, biologically accessible testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone) correspond to a group of symptoms referred to as PADAM syndrome (Partial Androgen Deficiency in the Aging Male). In the case of those carefully examined patients with symptoms of PADAM and proven hypogonadism, administering androgen supplements can alleviate some of the undesirable manifestations. In its literature, the University of St Louis repeatedly refers to its questionnaire as a verbal tool for the detection of possible hypogonadism.

The aim of this study was to ascertain to what extent the aging process is evident in hormonal homeostasis detected in laboratory testing, and the extent to which this data is in accord with the evaluation of responses to questions in the University of St Louis questionnaire. Method: 216 men aged over 50 years were examined. Measurements were taken of: testosterone; the index of free testosterone; androstenedione; dihydrotestosterone; dehydroepiandrosterone and its sulfate; isomers 7α- and 7β-hydroxydehydroepiandrosterone; epitestosterone; luteinizing hormone (LH); follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH); prolactin; and sexual hormone-binding globulin (SHBG). Evaluations of the patients' responses to the University of St Louis questionnaire were compared with the results of the laboratory tests. Results: The study confirms that the most prominent phenomenon is that of an age-related decrease in the index of free testosterone, which is indicated in particular by an increase in the level of SHBG, and by a decrease in dehydroepiandrosterone and its derivatives. No significant correlation was found between levels of hormones and single items on the questionnaire, nor with the overall score arrived at by studying the patients' data.     

Globalization and the New Spaces for Social Movement Politics: The Marginalization of Labor Unions in Bolivian Gas Nationalization

This article aims for a critical engagement with the new spaces for social movement politics. Recent literature focusing on the relationship between globalization and these spaces foregrounds the new opportunity structures for political practices. Yet amid talk of ‘grassroots globalization’ and ‘globalization from below’, it is important to remain sensitive to how certain forms of practice and organization, particularly those of labor unions, are marginalized within the political spaces of globalization. This paper investigates how the political spaces of globalization shaped the nationalization of gas resources in Bolivia. Nationalization was achieved by new social movements partly negotiating within political spaces opened by globalization. Yet the interests and demands of labor unions were significantly marginalized in implementation. ‘Actually existing’ nationalization can best be described as a pragmatic renegotiation of contracts, in response to a dual pressure from new social movements and from economic globalization. Bolivian nationalization of gas illustrates how union politics around issues of work are constrained within the political spaces of globalization.

Este artículo intenta conseguir un compromiso crítico con los nuevos espacios para la política de movimientos sociales. Una literatura reciente con un enfoque en la relación entre la globalización y estos espacios, destaca las nuevas oportunidades de estructuras para las prácticas políticas. No obstante, al hablar de “la globalización de base popular” y “la globalización desde abajo”, es importante mantenerse sensible ante la manera como ciertas formas de práctica y organización, particularmente aquellas de los sindicatos laborales, se han marginado dentro de los espacios políticos de la globalización. Este trabajo investiga cómo los espacios políticos de la globalización dieron forma a la nacionalización de los recursos de gas en Bolivia. La nacionalización se logró mediante nuevos movimientos sociales, en parte negociando dentro de los espacios políticos abiertos por la globalización. Aún así, en la implementación, los intereses y las demandas de los sindicatos laborales fueron marginadas considerablemente. “De hecho, la nacionalización existente” se puede describir mejor como una renegociación pragmática de contratos, en respuesta a la doble presión de los movimientos sociales y a la globalización económica. La nacionalización boliviana del gas ilustra cómo la política de los sindicatos alrededor de los asuntos de trabajo, están restringidos dentro de los espacios políticos de la globalización.

     

The St. Petersburg Paradox at 300

Nicolas Bernoulli’s discovery in 1713 that games of hazard may have infinite expected value, later called the St. Petersburg Paradox, initiated the development of expected utility in the following three centuries. An account of the origin and the solution concepts proposed for the St. Petersburg Paradox is provided. D’Alembert’s ratio test is used for a uniform treatment of the manifestations of the St. Petersburg Paradox and its solution proposals. It is also shown that a St. Petersburg Paradox can be solved or regained by appropriate transformations of the winnings or their utilities on the one hand or the probabilities on the other. This last feature is novel for the analysis of the St. Petersburg Paradox.     

The Relationship Between Disadvantaged Fathers’ Employment Stability,Workplace Flexibility,and Involvement With Their Infant Children

ABSTRACT

In the United States, the slow pace of economic recovery and change in the workplace has created barriers for disadvantaged fathers to engage with their infant children. Using secondary data from the Fragile Families and Child Well-Being Study (n = 1,548), one of a few national studies that examine disadvantaged fathers, we conducted a series of regression analyses examining the relationship between disadvantaged fathers’ employment stability, workplace flexibility, and involvement with their infant children. The results showed that resident, younger, Black, higher income-earning fathers and fathers with stable employment and workplace flexibility were more involved with their infant children. This study provides additional evidence to the literature espousing the importance of workplace policies and arrangements that provide employees with stability and flexibility in the workplace. In doing so, policymakers, employers, and practitioners should develop and implement workplace policies and arrangements strengthening the relationships between disadvantaged fathers and their children and families, employees and their employers, businesses and their consumers, and businesses and their communities. With changes in the American household and workforce nationwide, especially as they relate to men and disadvantaged fathers, it is important that future research continue to examine the relationship between these two entities.     

COUNTERVAILING POWER AND DYNAMIC EFFICIENCY

This paper studies the impact of buyer power on dynamic efficiency. We consider a bargaining model in which buyer power arises endogenously from size and may impact on a supplier’s incentives to invest in lower marginal cost. We challenge the view frequently expressed in policy circles that the exercise of buyer power stifles suppliers’ incentives. Instead, we find that the presence of larger buyers keeps a supplier “more on his toes” and induces him to improve the competitiveness of his offering, in terms of both price and quality, relative to buyers’ alternative options.     

Considering justice: an exploratory study of family therapy with adolescents

Feminist approaches to therapy with adolescents emphasize an empowering focus on the strengths of adolescents while simultaneously insisting that therapists become aware of their own biases toward today's adolescents. However, a review of the family therapy literature finds little mention of feminist approaches for addressing injustices (e.g., family scapegoating, negative societal views of adolescents, and gender oppression) that arise in family therapy with adolescents. Therefore, this study explores clinical approaches and resources suggested by a surveyed group of self-identified feminist family therapists. In addition, we also recommend several approaches and resources that will aid family therapists in creating a more just climate for family therapy with youth.     

The impact of influenza vaccination on respiratory illness at a boarding school.

We studied the impact of influenza vaccine during an outbreak of influenza at a 989-student boarding school in January to March, 1989. By February 6, 120 (17%) of 690 students completing survey questionnaires had been ill with fever and respiratory symptoms. Eighty-seven students had received influenza vaccine in the previous 18 months; these students had an attack rate half that of the unvaccinated students (9% v 19%; vaccine efficacy = 50%, confidence interval = 0%-70%). We estimate that, if the entire student body had been vaccinated, influenza-like illness could have been prevented in 162 students (16% of the school), and that preventing this illness could have avoided at least 482 student-days of missed classes, or approximately one student-day for each 1.8 additional doses of vaccine given. This study suggests that, when feasible, a broad influenza immunization policy for healthy students at residential schools should substantially decrease the disruption of school activities caused by influenza.     

Mental Retardation: Impairment or Handicap?

A social psychological approach to mental retardation is outlined in which (1) mental retardation is seen as a social construct rather than a within-individual pathology and (2) the meaning of the construct is related to social interests and purposes. Hence, between group differences in beliefs about retardates are seen as the expression of different group norms, i.e. a social psychological phenomenon rather than an aggregate of individual differences. Empirical support for the approach is provided by contrasting lay people's and psychologists' beliefs about 'retardates', most strikingly in the form of a differential effect of personal contact, which as predicted, 'improves' lay evaluation, but leaves psychologists' beliefs unchanged.     

Cognitive differentiation in consumer product judgments

The investigations reported in this article examined some of the individual and situational determinants of the level of cognitive product differentiation in consumer products judgements, Subjects consisted of four large samples of male and female consumers in two large metropolitan areas in the USA. These four independent studies found empirical support for the following hypothesis: consumers tend to have more differentiated judgments of negatively valenced products than positively valenced products. These findings were discussed in the context of the “vigilance”. “justification” and “Pollyanna” hypotheses. Finally, as a promising direction for future research. the need for an interactionist approach to cognitive functioning was emphasized.