Administration of daily 5 mg tadalafil improves endothelial function in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia

Introduction: Tadalafil is a promising phosphodiesterase (PDE) 5 inhibitor prescribed for erectile dysfunction (ED). Daily low dose (5?mg) of tadalafil has also been used for the treatment of male lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) associated with benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH). PDE5 inhibitors induce relaxation of smooth muscle cells in the urethra, prostate, bladder neck, and blood vessels. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of tadalafil on vessels endothelial function, in patients with male LUTS symptoms associated with BPH.

Methods: The Institutional Review Board (IRB) approved this clinical study and informed consents had been obtained from 81 BPH patients.

The following male LUTS parameters: international prostate symptom score (IPSS), overactive bladder symptom score (OABSS), voiding volume, max and mean voiding flow on voiding flowmetry examination and post-voiding residual urine (RU) were compared at 0, 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after a daily dose of 5?mg tadalafil.

In addition, erectile function was evaluated by the sexual health inventory for men (SHIM) score and vessels endothelial function and peripheral neuropathy were assessed by the brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), ankle brachial index (ABI), and vibration perception threshold (VPT) at 0, 3, 6, and 12 months after treatment.

Results: The mean age of 81 patients was 66.4?±?11.4 years old. Their prostate size was 30.2?±?22.1?ml.

Male LUTS parameters including IPSS, OABSS, and RU showed significant improvement from 1 to 12 months after tadalafil administration. Max and mean voiding flow was significantly increased at 6 months after tadalafil treatment.

The SHIM score showed significant improvement after 3 months. Whilst, the results of baPWV also showed significant improvement from 3 to 12 months. ABI was also significantly improved at 6 months. However, there was no change in the VPT at any time point.

Conclusions: Tadalafil is effective for both male LUTS and ED. It is also shown that tadalafil improves baPWV, which we can conclude that higher vessels elasticity has been obtained. This major finding of this study shows that tadalafil has the potency to improve vessels endothelial dysfunction in patients with BPH.     

Gendered constructions of Filipina teachers in Japan's Skype English conversation industry

Drawing on data from a larger project that includes blog entries and interview findings, this paper investigates the ways in which Filipina teachers working in Japan's Skype English conversation (eikaiwa) industry are constructed as intimate and romanticized entities through Japanese male learners’ discursive practices. The paper argues that these highly gendered constructions are never unrelated to the male learners’ desires to display their masculinity. The paper also points out that these desires stem from the long‐established sex‐mediated link between Japanese men and Filipinas based on their economic disparities. The paper concludes with a suggestion that the popularity of Philippines‐based Skype eikaiwa cannot be explained by the development of telecommunication tools or neoliberalism alone; rather, it should be understood as a trend that has emerged from the complicated intersection of all pre‐existent and current economic, socio‐political, cultural‐political, and technological components.     

Impact of metabolic syndrome and its components on kidney stone in aging Taiwanese males

Objectives: Metabolic syndrome (MtS) and kidney stone are two common aging diseases with male dominant. This is the first study regarding the potential impact of MtS and its components on kidney stone in aging Chinese population.

Methods: A total of 694 males with a mean age of 55.6 years were enrolled. The definition of MtS was according to the modified criteria developed by the Bureau of Health Promotion in Taiwan. Subjects were classified as having a disease of kidney stones according to diagnosis by a physician with available medical records or evidence from ultrasonography judged by an investigator of urologist.

Results: Using age-adjusted multivariate logistic regression analysis, our results showed that subjects with kidney stone had significantly higher prevalence of MtS (p?=?0.04, OR?=?1.74, 95% CI: 1.0 1–3.00). The presence of MtS had significant correlation with kidney stone (p?=?0.01, OR?=?1.83, 95% CI: 1.1 4–2.93), which were associated with the increment of MtS components (p?p?Conclusions: In aging Taiwanese males, the presence of MtS and its components are strongly associated with kidney stone. Abnormal BP is the most significant risk component of MtS for kidney stone.     

Are urge incontinence and aging risk factors of erectile dysfunction in patients with male lower urinary tract symptoms?

Introduction: Several studies have indicated that erectile dysfunction (ED) patients also suffer from lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). We investigated a group of men with LUTS and assessed their sexual function with the aim of being able to predict ED risk factors and introduce ED treatments earlier for this patient group.

Methods: International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), Overactive Bladder Symptoms Score (OABSS) and Sexual Health Inventory for Men (SHIM) score were obtained from 236 men with LUTS at their first out-patients visit. Clinical parameters such as body mass index, prostate volume, residual urine volume and prostate specific antigen were also evaluated. The relationship between the SHIM score and other clinical data was analyzed.

Results: According to the SHIM score, ED in men with LUTS was severe 15%, moderate 19%, moderate to mild 28%, mild 17%, normal 7% and data was incomplete in 14%. Based on the results of a multivariate analysis, aging (p?p?=?0.024) were significantly correlated to severe and moderate ED. Furthermore, among OAB symptoms score items, urge urinary incontinence was a risk factor for severe and moderate ED (p?=?0.005).

Conclusion: Aging and OAB (notably urinary urge incontinence) are risk factors for severe and moderate ED in men with LUTS.     

Beyond a Simple Case of Black and White: Searching for the White Male Effect in the African-American Community

Prior research focusing on risk perceptions has led to the observation that well‐educated and politically conservative white males tend to systematically perceive lower levels of risk from a wide range of hazards when compared to other members of society (e.g., white women, nonwhite women and men). While this “white male effect (WME)” is quite striking given that many policymakers fall into this group, a byproduct of this finding is that it deflects attention from the heterogeneity, in terms of people's concerns about risks, that exists in African‐American and other minority communities. The research reported here set out to explore this heterogeneity by asking a simple question: Can a phenomenon similar to the WME be found in the African‐American community? It can, and its implications for research and practice in risk management are discussed.     

甘蓝型油菜NCa雄性不育系细胞形态学研究

甘蓝型油菜NCa雄性不育系和其保持系的花粉发育的研究指出：其花粉发育受阻发生在孢原细胞分化期,没有花粉囊的分化,有少量花粉发育受阻发生在四分体和单核花粉粒阶段,小孢子难以从四分体中释放出来,并且小孢子开始液泡化．     

再论历史流传物——文化实践解释学阅读札记之二

金元浦认为文化的历史流传物作为集体文化记忆,是作为当时文化事件的延伸活动被记录的,是由诸多个体记忆碰撞、对话、沟通、交流而形成集体记忆的。集体前理解正是通过不断生成的第三生成物调整、修正、转换,生成新的文化集体记忆和文化集体无意识,改变传统文化意识的既成结构,形成新的集群/民族文化心理共同体。史蝶飞等认为当代中国的新兴中产阶级通过都市化的报刊阅读、旅游文化和教育选择确立起了自己独特的品位结构与身份认同。中国中产阶级的崛起不能简单地根据收入和社会行为进行界划,也不能仅仅按照西方通行的理论看待这一现象,它受到了中国特色的政治、经济、社会和文化等语境的多维而复杂的影响。罗如春提出赛义德是后殖民知识分子中惟一一位系统探讨知识分子角色身份的思想家。赛义德心目中的理想知识分子的形象就是：以流亡者、边缘人身份,打破专业藩篱,秉持业余态度,坚持社会批判,面对权势说真话,成为普适价值的捍卫者。赛义德本人就是这样的知识分子的典型代表,他也表征了后殖民知识分子带有普遍性的角色身份及其认同期许。     

身体的隐喻——对张爱玲小说的一种解读

文学文本中女性的身体成为建构其主体意识的重要组成部分,其身体、欲望的觉醒具有反抗男权、颠覆既有的性别秩序的意义。张爱玲的小说具有独特、鲜明的女性视角,小说中的女性身体叙事,从另一个角度揭示了文本所具有的对男权文化的反抗和颠覆性质。     

后殖民角度下《秀拉》中的黑人男性形象

小说《秀拉》中,托尼·莫里森塑造出一群在黑人文化和白人文化夹缝中挣扎生活的美国黑人。虽然故事以黑人女性为中心,但被评论界长期忽略的黑人男性形象同样具有重要意义。本文从后殖民主义角度分析小说中的四类黑人男性形象,揭示出主流文化浸淫下的黑人男性无法获取身份认同,只能沦为社会边缘下的受害者。     

时代语境下官场知识分子的文化立场与身份认同——肖仁福官场小说论

肖仁福小说主要表现时代语境中知识分子的文化立场和身份认同问题,展现了这一特殊群体在自我定位和精神认同方面的内在矛盾。肖仁福从市场语境、体制束缚的角度分析了知识分子的处境和文化观念,将他们面对来自传统观念、商业氛围和体制权力的压力进行了全面揭示,剖析了转型时期官场知识分子的心路历程和思想状态。