Sexual dysfunction: overview of prevalence,etiological factors,and treatments

Sexual dysfunctions and sexual problems are reviewed from the perspective of prevalence, broad etiological factors, and available treatments. Although a large percentage of individuals experience sexual problems, with estimates between 10 and 52% of men and 25 and 63% of women, the prevalence of sexual dysfunctions that meet diagnostic criteria is lower and less well established by large scale population-based studies. Sexual problems and dysfunctions are correlated with other health conditions, including cardiovascular disorders, common diseases such a s diabetes, health habits, and mental health. Adequate sexual functioning also appears to be associated with personal well-being and relationship stability, although this may be more accurate for men than women. Efficacious and effective treatments exist for some of the sexual disorders, and there is an increasing focus on medical (particularly pharmacological) treatments being tested by the pharmaceutical industry. Sexual problems and dysfunctions have been notably under-researched, particularly from the perspective on consequences to individual mental health, relationships, and family functioning.     

Ethical leadership: A review and future directions

Our literature review focuses on the emerging construct of ethical leadership and compares this construct with related concepts that share a common concern for a moral dimension of leadership (e.g., spiritual, authentic, and transformational leadership). Drawing broadly from the intersection of the ethics and leadership literatures, we offer propositions about the antecedents and outcomes of ethical leadership. We also identify issues and questions to be addressed in the future and discuss their implications for research and practice. Our review indicates that ethical leadership remains largely unexplored, offering researchers opportunities for new discoveries and leaders opportunities to improve their effectiveness.     

Parental Involvement in Playgroups

SUMMARY. This paper reports results from a study of playgroups in three areas of England. It describes the extent and nature of parent involvement in the study playgroups, and how far this involvement included fathers as well as mothers; examines the relationship between involvement and various socio-economic characteristics of the parents, to see whether certain groups were more or less likely to be involved in their children's playgroups; and considers attitudes to parent involvement among both mothers and playgroup leaders, and playgroup leaders' experience of involvement, in particular whether they experienced any difficulties in getting or maintaining involvement.     

Rethinking the concept of professionalism: the case of journalism

Journalists in the UK have always been ambivalent about what form of occupational control to pursue. Although resistant to the structures of the conventional profession, they have embraced the idea of 'professionalism'. As the formations traditionally associated with Anglo-American professions become relevant to fewer and fewer employees and increasingly subject to external regulation it is more relevant, we suggest, to investigate how the discourse of 'professionalism' as a set of values and identities can be mobilized by employers as a form of self-discipline. Journalism, notable for its powerful occupational mythology, provides a vivid example of how this process has eased the imposition of radical changes to the organization of work. Now, ironically, recent changes in the occupation's social composition and training may mean that journalists, who have always cherished a self-image as socially marginal, will aspire to conventional professional respectability.     

Short-Term Dermal Absorption and Penetration of Chemicals from Aqueous Solutions: Theory and Experiment

Dermal penetration of organic chemical-contaminated water from showering and bathing scenarios is a concern of regulatory agencies that have been tasked with determining safe exposure levels. During household showering and bathing, nearly the entire surface area of the body is exposed for short periods of time (5-15 minutes). The primary means of predicting body burden during brief exposures is to estimate total chemical penetrated from the steady-state penetration rate using a skin permeability coefficient. A variety of approaches has been recommended to estimate "body burden." The purpose of this investigation was to collect experimental data from short-term exposures to an organic chemical (dibromomethane [DBM]) in aqueous solution so that methods for estimating body burden could be compared. Rat skins were exposed in vitro to saturated aqueous solutions of DBM for 20 minutes and the amount of chemical in the receptor solution and the skin was analyzed. The total DBM mass in the receptor solution and the skin was taken to represent an in vivo body burden. These results were compared with the estimates of penetration from steady-state calculations, square root of time calculations, and a biologically based mathematical model. Results indicated that the amount of chemical in the skin and its fate during short exposures is important. The square root of time approach predicted total amount of chemical absorbed and penetrated better than did the steady-state approach. The biologically based mathematical model accurately predicted total body burden and could be used to distinguish between the amount of chemical in the skin and the amount of chemical that penetrated through the skin, which would be useful for understanding local toxicity.     

Career Counseling of Chinese American Women: Are They in Limbo?

The voices for political and financial equality as well as freedom in work and family appear persuasive in the United States. The traditional cultural thoughts, however, persist to alienate Chinese American women from their American counterparts and from the world of work. Counselors play a vital role in exploring the cultural values and specific career needs of Chinese American women and in promoting a healthier environment in which Chinese American women can be empowered to fulfill their optimum occupational potential. In this article, the cultural values and vocational barriers of Chinese American women are explored, and suggestions for career counseling approaches are provided.     

The hispanic writings of C. Wright Mills: A study in social psychology

The purpose of this article is to conduct a social-psychological analysis of C. Wright Mills and his “Hispanic writings.” I demonstrate how Mills's social-psychological theoretical framework, as articulated in Character and Social Structure, is attendant in his comments on Latinos and Latin America—a population and geopolitical region for which he seemed to have a compelling if somewhat distant fascination. I conclude with a synopsis and appraisal of: (1) Mills's personal perceptions of Latinos; (2) the social structural factors that impacted on the four Latino groups, and (3) the personality traits of Latinos as Mills saw them.     

Disability and Adult Education - the consumer view

Developments in recent years have shown an increasing interest in the educational needs and aspirations of disabled adults. There is still, however, limited research information representing the disabled person's voice. This paper describes the outcomes from a survey of the educational experiences of 44 physically disabled adults in the North West of England. The findings indicated that, usually, the earlier someone had acquired a disability, the less likely they were, as adults, to have achieved professional or higher qualifications, and that the level of qualifications reached among women being surveyed was particularly low. Barriers to course attendance reflect both attitudinal and practical access issues, with underachievement often the result of oppression from a variety of sources. Both positive and negative experiences from disabled adults form the basis of recommendations for an equal opportunities approach to adult education for disabled people around the themes of integration, self worth, empowerment and consultation.