Success Of Men Research Articles

Fitness determinants of success in men's and women's football

In this study, we examined gender and age differences in physical performance in football. Thirty-four elite female and 34 elite male players (age 17 ± 1.6 to 24 ± 3.4 years) from a professional football club were divided into four groups (n = 17 each) according to gender and competitive level (senior males, senior females, junior males, and junior females). Players were tested for specific endurance (Yo-YoIR1), sprint over 15 m (Sprint-15m), vertical jump without (CMJ) or with (ACMJ) arm swing, agility (Agility-15m), and ball dribbling over 15 m (Ball-15m). The Yo-YoIR1 and Agility-15m performances showed both a gender and competitive level difference (P < 0.001). Senior and junior males covered 97 and 153% more distance during the Yo-YoIR1 than senior and junior females, respectively (P < 0.001). Gender but not age differences were found for Sprint-15m performance (P < 0.001). No difference in vertical jump and Ball-15m performances were found between senior and junior males (P > 0.05). More marked gender differences were evident in endurance than in anaerobic performance in female players. These results show major fitness differences by gender for a given competitive level in football players. It is suggested that training and talent identification should focus on football-specific endurance and agility as fitness traits in post-adolescent players of both sexes.

Predictors of successful, self-reported lifestyle changes in a defined middle-aged population: The Söderåkra Cardiovascular Risk Factor Study, Sweden

It is well established that the main cause of the development of cardiovascular disease can be found in unhealthy lifestyle habits. In our study, we wanted to explore the long-term predictors of self-reported lifestyle changes in a middle-aged population after screening for cardiovascular risk factors 10 years earlier. We conducted a 10-year follow-up telephone interview on self-reported lifestyle changes in a rural population in south-eastern Sweden, after a cardiovascular screening programme. The population comprised 90% of all inhabitants (n=705) aged 40-59 years at baseline, and 90% of these (n=629) were reached for the telephone interview. When multivariate logistic regression was used, a higher success rate for lifestyle changes was independently associated with female gender (odds ratio (OR)=1.56, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.11-2.18). When stratified for gender, significant predictors for success in men were prevalent cardiovascular risk conditions (OR=4.77, 95% CI 2.18-10.5; p<0.001) and previous myocardial infarction (OR=22.8, 95% CI 4.73-110; p<0.001) at baseline. For women, elevated blood pressure (> or = 160 and/or > or = 90 mmHg) measured at baseline (OR=1.84, 95% CI 1.12-3.02; p=0.016) was significantly associated with successful lifestyle changes. Smoking at baseline was also associated with significant success: OR=3.36 (95% CI:2.05-5.51; p<0.001) and OR=1.81 (95% CI 1.11-2.95; p=0.017) for men and women, respectively. Female gender was associated with significant improvements in self-reported lifestyle changes. Furthermore, smoking, a medical history of diabetes, hypertension, angina pectoris or myocardial infarction at baseline predicted success in lifestyle change in this 10-year follow-up study.

Cardiac cell therapy: A realistic concept for elderly patients?

Established therapeutic concepts for heart failure in elderly patients aim at long-term medical and/or surgical palliation. Heart transplantation is limited to younger individuals, and permanent mechanical assist devices are not yet widely used. In this situation, myocardial cell therapy offers fascinating new perspectives, the ultimate goal being the complete regeneration of heart muscle and blood vessel cells. In small animal models, myocardial cell therapy often leads to a striking improvement of heart function, but the success in man has so far been modest. A possible explanation for the problems with bench-to-bedside translation of cardiac cell therapy is that mainly autologous cell products from aged patients with chronic diseases have been used so far. The aim of this paper is to summarize the current state of development of clinical cardiac cell therapy, to outline how autologous regenerative cells are subject to ageing processes, and to discuss whether the cardiac cell therapy in its present form is a realistic concept for elderly patients.

The role of sperm aneuploidy as a predictor of the success of intracytoplasmic sperm injection?

We present the first powered prospective study to assess whether sperm aneuploidy can predict the outcome of ICSI. Our null hypothesis was that aneuploidy rates (AR) are identical in men who achieve successful (Group A) and unsuccessful (Group B) ICSI outcome. A power calculation yielded a sample number of 56 to achieve 80% power to reject our hypothesis at the 5% significance level. Samples for testing were obtained on the day of embryo transfer and tests were performed on raw pre-preparation samples. Sperm AR of chromosomes 13, 18, 21, X/Y were assessed using fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) techniques (mean of 1223 sperm). There was no significant difference in any patient, seminal, cycle or laboratory characteristic between groups that may have affected outcome. Total AR (2.37 versus 1.18%, P = 0.01), as well as AR of chromosomes 18, X/Y and 18 + X/Y (1.48 versus 0.67%, P = 0.005) were significantly higher in Group B compared with Group A. Regression analysis confirmed these differences to be independent of other variables and showed a 2.6-fold change in odds of achieving a pregnancy for every 1% change in total AR. Our findings confirm a potential role for aneuploidy testing in the work-up of ICSI patients as a predictor of success, as well as in future genetic counselling. If confirmed, there may also be a place for a study of preimplantation genetic screening to improve ICSI success in men found to have high AR and ICSI failure.

Voice pitch predicts reproductive success in male hunter-gatherers.

The validity of evolutionary explanations of vocal sexual dimorphism hinges upon whether or not individuals with more sexually dimorphic voices have higher reproductive success than individuals with less dimorphic voices. However, due to modern birth control methods, these data are rarely described, and mating success is often used as a second-rate proxy. Here, we test whether voice pitch predicts reproductive success, number of children born and child mortality in an evolutionarily relevant population of hunter-gatherers. While we find that voice pitch is not related to reproductive outcomes in women, we find that men with low voice pitch have higher reproductive success and more children born to them. However, voice pitch in men does not predict child mortality. These findings suggest that the association between voice pitch and reproductive success in men is mediated by differential access to fecund women. Furthermore, they show that there is currently selection pressure for low-pitch voices in men.

The multifaceted influence of gender in career progress in nursing

The complex web of gender influence in the workplace results from a multifaceted interplay of factors [Walby et al. (1994) Medicine and Nursing. Sage Publications, London]. Literature reports that in nursing men's success compared with that of women is disproportionate and substantial evidence of gender-based disadvantage is found [Women in Management Review13 (1998) 184]. However, studies have not addressed the specific reasons for this and little is known of how or what influences nurses' career decisions and developments [Journal of Advanced Nursing25 (1997) 602]. Those studies which examine career developments and patterns are mainly found in the private business sector.

Gender Differences and Bariatric Surgery Outcome

Purpose: Bariatric surgery is an effective treatment for obesity, however it does not lead to equal results in every patient. Although the prevalence of obesity in women in the US parallels the increase in men, little data exists on differences in predictors of bariatric surgery outcome between men and women. The aim of this study was to identify gender differences in predictors of weight loss success in the first year after bariatric surgery. Methods: The charts of all patients who underwent laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) or Roux-en Y gastric bypass (RYGB) between 10/1/2000 and 10/31/2005 were reviewed. Demographic data, social history, past psychiatric history, personal and family history of obesity, self and professionally assessed eating behavior, as well as post-op data on excess body weight loss at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months follow-up were collected for each patient. Post-op weight loss success was defined as >50% of excess weight loss (EWL) at 12 months. Results: A total of 1,722 patients were evaluated and 635 without follow-up data at 12 months were excluded. Among the 1,087 analyzed individuals, 994 (88%) had the LAGB and 136 (12%) had RYGB. Women made up 73% and 83% of patients in the LAGB and RYGB groups respectively. The mean age was 41 ± 12 y and 44 ± 12 y for women and men respectively. The racial distribution was similar in both groups. The initial mean BMI was 44.8 kg/m2 and 47.7 kg/m2 for women and men. 70% of men were married, compared to only 48% of women (P < 0.001). Women had a higher number of negative pre-op social psychiatric factors compared to men (7.4 ± 3 vs. 6.3 ± 3, P < 0.001), but were more likely to achieve successful EWL compared to their male counterparts (53% vs. 38%, P < 0.001). Factors that were predictive of successful EWL among women included late night eating (P= 0.018), not eating carbohydrates (P= 0.020), being socially avoidant (P= 0.029), and having a marriage that was impacted by obesity (P= 0.016). None of these factors were predictive of post-op weight loss success in men. Conclusion: In this cohort we identified significant gender differences in bariatric surgery outcome as well as in the predictors of successful post-op weight loss. Further evaluation is warranted to better understand the impact of these factors on long-term weight loss outcome.

A Social Cognitive Construct Validation: Determining Women's and Men's Success in Engineering Programs

A Social Cognitive Construct Validation: Determining Women's and Men's Success in Engineering Programs

A Social Cognitive Construct Validation: Determining Women's and Men's Success in Engineering Programs

Because educational theorists have maintained that classroom environment strongly predicts academic success, we utilized Bandura's (1986) model measuring environment, self, and behavior to GPA using approximately 700 engineering students. A structural equation analysis indicated that discrimination affected females more frequently while academic integration had more positive effects on females' self-efficacy, perceived helpseeking, effort, and critical thinking.

Secular Pay-Offs to Religious Origins: Gender Differences Among American Jews

This paper uses the 2000-2001 National Jewish Population Study to explore potential independent connections between a variety of childhood and adolescent Jewish antecedents and subsequent 'success' in the secular adult world. The research focuses on how childhood denominational affiliation, Jewish education and friendship networks, and a variety of other factors may be independently linked with subsequent educational completion, employment, earnings, and household economic success. The focus is on explaining gender differentials in these over-time connections and in testing hypotheses suggestive of greater adult success for men and women who followed 'moderate' behavioral religious pathways in childhood and adolescence and/or have moderate contemporary religious connections as adults. Findings in several instances support the notion that 'moderate' orientations result in greater secular success, although some interesting and important gender differentials did emerge.

Management of sildenafil treatment failures

Although oral type 5 phosphodiesterase inhibitors are considered as first-line therapy for the majority of causes of erectile dysfunction, because of their high efficacy, ease of use, and acceptable safety profile, there are some who fail to respond, mainly because of end-organ failure. This communication reviews the management of sildenafil failures in light of recent advances. Sildenafil failures can be attributed to either lack of efficacy or side effects; issues may involve the physician, patient, and his partner. Physicians may contribute to sildenafil failure and discontinuation because of inadequate instructions, lack of adequate follow-up, suboptimal dosing, lack of adequate trial, and insufficient clarification about safety issues. Studies have demonstrated that progression of endothelial dysfunction and diminished cavernosal smooth-muscle content are recognized organic factors which cause end-organ dysfunction and ultimately treatment failure. Proper counseling, medication optimization, and modifying associated risk factors can provide success in men who had initially failed sildenafil therapy for erectile dysfunction. Other treatment modalities that may be considered when sildenafil failure occurs include vacuum devices, intraurethral, and intracavernosal administration of vasoactive drugs alone or combined with sildenafil. Penile prosthesis implantation is considered as a last resort, if all first-line and second-line therapies fail.

Writing Russia in the Age of Shakespeare by Daryl W. s&gt; Palmer (review)

754 SEER, 84, 4, 2006 language, and can be consideredas the definitivereferenceworkon the Czech New Wave. The analysesof individualfilms are brilliantlyperceptive (in particularin the chapterdedicated to the Milos Forman School),whilstthe scope and depth of his researchis outstanding.Anybody interestedin the studyand understanding of the Czech New Wave should read, or indeed, start by reading Hames's volume. Prague CEsARBALLESTER Palmer, Daryl W. Writing Russiain theAgeof Shakespeare. Studies in European Cultural Transition, 22. Ashgate, Aldershot, 2004. XXVi + 256 pp. Illustrations . Notes. Bibliography.Index. C45.??. FouRHUNDRED AND FIFTY years have passed since Britain'sfortuitous'discovery ' of Russia, but the decades followingRichard Chancellor'sfirst-footingin 1553 are the ones that continue to firethe imaginationand which gave birthto powerful and persistentstereotypesof people, country and mores. They provided some of the most colourfulepisodesin the long historyof Anglo-Russian relationswith the dramatispersonaeheaded by Ivan the Terrible,'the English emperor', and Elizabeth, the decidedly un-Russian queen, but including among other monarchs Boris Godunov, noted for sending to England students who never wished to return to Russia, and James I, who was on the point of makingRussia a protectoratewhen the Time of Troubles came to an end. But they were also decades that brought a wealth of English writing about Muscovy, emanatingfrom merchant adventurersand ambassadorsand collected and published 'to the lasting honour of our nation' by Richard Hakluyt. The strange land they described as well as the embassies the Russianssent to London also providedwriters,particularlydramatists,with a new and exotic supply of images and themes. Writing Russiais a fascinatingattempt to bring together in one chronologically arrangednarrativethe first-handaccountsof such as Anthonyjenkinson, Jerome Horsey and Giles Fletcher with the imaginative creations of ShakespeareandJohn Fletcher and to answer thereby the question posed in the firstline of the 'Preface':'how did Russiamatterto Englandin the Renaissance ?'ProfessorDaryl Palmer'sansweris that 'Russiamattered as a kind of complex prism, reflectingand refractinga whole spectrumof often contradictory images, conceits, and allegories'(p. viii). Quoting the line from William Warner'sAlbion'sEngland(London, 1597) that 'Russia thus remaineth to be reade',Palmeris concerned initiallywith the problemfaced by the firstvoyagers of how Russia should be written: his discussion of the travel accounts which, incidentally,are not as unknown and unread as he is prone to suggest, is well-grounded and stimulating. He contends that the writing travellers sought to advance themselves through the versions of Russia they projected, but they and what they did and wrote were also inextricablyconnected with the activitiesand interestsof the joint-stock enterprisefounded in I555 as the Muscovy, later Russia, Company. The Company'sstructureis seen to parallel that of theatricalcompanies, notably, the King's Men, where the writingwas 'everywhereinformedby corporateneeds and requirements'(p. xiii). Stressing REVIEWS 755 that there were unquestionable differences between his chosen five writers, Palmer nevertheless overplays the symmetries by asserting that 'Each man wrote out of a joint stock arrangement,and each man's relative success and failure tells us much about the way Russia mattered to England' (p. xii). For all the interestthat the firstchaptershold, it is Palmer'sprobing of the 'Russian theme' in Shakespeare'sLove'sLabours Lost,Measure for Measure and The Winter's Taleas well as, more obviously,inJohn Fletcher'sTheLoyalSubject that occupies centre stage. Hermione's 'The Emperor of Russia was my father' is once and for all removed from the shelf of mere quaint utterances.Palmer's writing is elegant, his analyses subtle and rewarding. He is ever anxious to warn against a mechanical identificationof charactersand plots with real-life personalitiesand events,preferringthe light touch of suggestion,of teasingout unsuspectedsubtexts, of weaving culturalcontexts. Writing Russiais a very good book, but the field was by no means as virgin as the author suggestsin his 'Preface'.He is certainlyfamiliarwith many, but far from all, of the English-languagehistorical works on the Russia of the period, but it would be remissin a review for a Slavonicjournal not to point out serious omissions in his bibliography. Apart from a curious reference to Iurii Lotman (in text, note and bibliography),he is completely unfamiliar with Russian-languageworks. There is, for instance, no mention of M. P. Alekseev'snumerousworks on the period, particularlyhis 'Shekspiri russkoe gosudarstvoXVI-XVII vv.', in Shekspir i russkaia kul'tura (Leningrad,I965)and his Russko...

The Landscape of Stalinism: The Art and Ideology of Soviet Space by Evgeny s&gt; Dobrenko Eric Naiman (review)

REVIEWS 755 that there were unquestionable differences between his chosen five writers, Palmer nevertheless overplays the symmetries by asserting that 'Each man wrote out of a joint stock arrangement,and each man's relative success and failure tells us much about the way Russia mattered to England' (p. xii). For all the interestthat the firstchaptershold, it is Palmer'sprobing of the 'Russian theme' in Shakespeare'sLove'sLabours Lost,Measure for Measure and The Winter's Taleas well as, more obviously,inJohn Fletcher'sTheLoyalSubject that occupies centre stage. Hermione's 'The Emperor of Russia was my father' is once and for all removed from the shelf of mere quaint utterances.Palmer's writing is elegant, his analyses subtle and rewarding. He is ever anxious to warn against a mechanical identificationof charactersand plots with real-life personalitiesand events,preferringthe light touch of suggestion,of teasingout unsuspectedsubtexts, of weaving culturalcontexts. Writing Russiais a very good book, but the field was by no means as virgin as the author suggestsin his 'Preface'.He is certainlyfamiliarwith many, but far from all, of the English-languagehistorical works on the Russia of the period, but it would be remissin a review for a Slavonicjournal not to point out serious omissions in his bibliography. Apart from a curious reference to Iurii Lotman (in text, note and bibliography),he is completely unfamiliar with Russian-languageworks. There is, for instance, no mention of M. P. Alekseev'snumerousworks on the period, particularlyhis 'Shekspiri russkoe gosudarstvoXVI-XVII vv.', in Shekspir i russkaia kul'tura (Leningrad,I965)and his Russko-angliiskie literatumye sviazi(Moscow, I982). But it is not only Russian sourcesthat are neglected. He is unawareof K. H. Ruffman'sDas Russlandbild im EnglandShakespeares (Gottingen, I952), to say nothing of other German contributions.An acquaintancewith the riches of SEERwould have revealed Leo Loewenson's establishing the author of The RussianImpostor (I674) to be Sir Roger Manley (3I, I952, 76, pp. 232-40) as well J. W. Draper's 'Shakespeareand Muscovy' (33, I954, 8o, pp. 2I7-2I). Amidst many further pertinent English sources, the omissions of R. R. Cawley's The Voyagers and Elizabethan Drama(Boston, MA, I938) with its many pages on Muscovy and the North and of Leslie Hotson's TheFirstJNight of Twelfth Night(London, 1954) are striking.Finally, for Palmer's discussion of Boris Godunov's reign, 7The Travailes of the Three EnglishBrothers, Sir Thomas, SirAnthony, Mr. Robert Shirley (I607),a play attributedtoJohn Day, William Rowley and George Wilkins,is a primarysourcethat includesa visit to the Russiancourt. Boris'sambassador to England in i6oo, incidentally, was, paceWillan's RussiaCompany, Grigorii Mikulin, not Melkin (p. I83). Fitzwilliam College ANTHONY CROSS Universitv of Cambridge Dobrenko, Evgeny and Naiman, Eric (eds). TheLandscape of Stalinism: TheArt andIdeologv of SovietSpace.Studies in Modernity and National Identity. University of Washington Press, Seattle, WA and London, 2003. xvii + 315 PP. Illustrations.Notes. Index. $25.00: ?i8.95 (paperback). STUDIES of Stalin's Russia have come a long way since pioneering Western historiansof the I96os to I970S grappledwith inadequatesourcesto revealthe 756 SEER, 84, 4, 2006 fundamentalsof politics,personalities,economics and institutions.It is notjust that access to archives has extended our knowledge, rather that in the last decade or so culturalhistorianshave penetratedplaces that we hardlyguessed existed, going beyond the simplisticnotion of Soviet culture as 'propaganda' to view it as an integralpart of a total landscapeof political-aestheticstruggle. This impressivecollection contains twelve articlesby leading scholars in the field, all focusing on the spatialdimensions of Stalinistideological discourse. Katerina Clarke's'SocialistRealism and the Sacralizingof Space' (pp.3i8 ) is a stimulatingstudy of the prioritizationof building metaphorsin transforming society. Space was 'purified',from the hollows to the heights, hence the interestin aviators,alpinisty and tall buildings.Like a number of authors, Clarkedwellson the image of the Kremlin at the heart of Soviet sacredspace, its great tower 'a sentinel, a guardian, or a guarantor of ideological purity' (p. I3). 'Monumental' depictions of Stalin were nearly always vertical and motionless,while the masses milled around below. It is instructivethat in real life the attempt to replace the ancient Kremlin with the futuristicPalace of Sovietsfailed. OksanaBulgakowatouches on this issuein her studyof 'Spatial Figuresin Soviet Cinema in the I930s' (pp. 51-76), which explores the reality of filmed...

Sildenafil citrate for erectile dysfunction in men with diabetes and cardiovascular risk factors: a retrospective analysis of pooled data from placebo-controlled trials*

ABSTRACTObjective: Cardiovascular (CV) risk factors are associated with an increased risk of erectile dysfunction (ED). In men with diabetes mellitus (DM), pooled from clinical trials of sildenafil treatment for ED, this retrospective analysis determined efficacy and safety, overall and in subgroups with additional CV risk (i.e., hypertension, dyslipidemia, and smoking).Research design and methods: From the manufacturer's database of worldwide research, 12‐week data from men with DM were pooled from randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials of flexible-dose sildenafil (25, 50, or 100 mg, PRN) for ED.Main outcome measures: Question 3 (achieving an erection), question 4 (maintaining an erection), and the Erectile Function domain of the International Index of Erectile Function; percentage of successful intercourse attempts according to patient event logs; and response to a global efficacy question (GEQ). Differences between groups were determined using logistic regression (percentage of responders according to GEQ) and analysis of covariance (all other outcomes).Results: Inclusion criteria were met by 11 trials and by 974 men with DM and ED who were randomized to placebo (n = 482) and sildenafil (n = 492) within the selected trials. For all outcomes, overall and regardless of additional CV risk, the benefit was greater for sildenafil versus placebo ( p ≤ 0.0001), including 3-fold more men responding that sildenafil treatment improved their erections (62% vs. 18%) and a more than doubling of the mean ± standard error percentage of successful sexual intercourse attempts (52.6 ± 5.0 vs. 22.4 ± 5.1). Adverse events were mild to moderate and included (sildenafil vs. placebo) headache (5% vs. 2%), flushing (7% vs. 2%), and dyspepsia (4% vs. 0%), which is consistent with the profile in the general population of men treated with sildenafil for ED.Conclusion: This retrospective analysis of pooled data showed that sildenafil was well tolerated and improved erectile function and intercourse success in men with ED and DM, regardless of additional CV risk factors.

Delayed Vasectomy Success in Men With a First Postvasectomy Semen Analysis Showing Motile Sperm

Delayed Vasectomy Success in Men With a First Postvasectomy Semen Analysis Showing Motile Sperm

Delayed Vasectomy Success in Men With a First Postvasectomy Semen Analysis Showing Motile Sperm

Objective: To determine the frequency of and factors associated with delayed vasectomy success in men with first postvasectomy semen analysis showing motile sperm. Design: Descriptive study. Setting: One hospital-based family planning clinic and two private clinics from the Quebec City area, Canada. Patient(s): Three hundred nine men vasectomized between 1990 and 2001 and who had a first semen analysis showing motile sperm. Intervention(s): None. Main Outcome Measure(s): Vasectomy success, based on the last available semen analysis— either in the medical record or as requested for the study—and on sterility as established by a telephone-based questionnaire in 2003. Result(s): Among the 309 men, 174 (56.3%, 95% confidence interval 50.7%– 61.7%) had delayed vasectomy success. Significant independent factors associated with delayed vasectomy success were lower sperm count in the first postvasectomy semen analysis and shorter interval between vasectomy and first postvasectomy semen analysis. Conclusion(s): Delayed vasectomy success occurs in more than half of men with a first postvasectomy semen analysis showing motile sperm. The decision to repeat vasectomy should not rely on a single semen analysis showing motile sperm. (Fertil Steril 2005;83:1435– 41. ©2005 by American Society for Reproductive Medicine.)

An Empirical Test of a Possible Solution to “the Central Theoretical Problem of Human Sociobiology”

KANAZAWA (2004) suggests that there is a negative association between social class and reproduction because lower-class individuals, who tend to have lower general intelligence, have greater difficulty employing evolutionarily-novel modern contraception. I derive three hypotheses from KANAZAWA's theory: 1) There are no class differences in the number of desired children; 2) The effect of sexual activity on reproduction is weaker among the more intelligent; and 3) The interaction between sexual activity and intelligence is stronger among men. The analyses of the U.S. General Social Surveys support all three hypotheses. Modern evolutionary psychology predicts that, because women prefer to mate with men with greater resources and higher status, such men attain greater reproductive success (BUSS 1994). Throughout human history, wealthy and powerful men of high status have had a greater number of mates and produced more children than poor and powerless men of low status (BETZIG 1986). In ancient civilizations, kings, emperors and sultans maintained large harems, consisting of hundreds and thousands of virgins, and local chiefs and noblemen kept several wives or concubines, while countless poor men in the countryside died mateless and childless (BETZIG 1993). And these wealthy and powerful men of high status often left a large number of descendants. In contrast, a strong positive correlation between social class and reproduction does not exist in the contemporary society. Marriage and successful reproduction are no longer the privilege of the wealthy and powerful only, and men's reproductive success is not related to social class. If anything, the correlation appears negative; in contemporary industrial societies like the United States, poor families tend to have more children than wealthy families. This is in contradiction to the prediction of evolutionary psychology.

Success of Testicular Sperm Injection and Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection in Men with Klinefelter Syndrome

The aim of this study was to report the successful fertility treatment of men with Klinefelter syndrome using testicular sperm extraction (TESE) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). A total of 42 men with Klinefelter syndrome who underwent 54 TESE procedures were identified. Before TESE, patients with serum testosterone levels less than 15.6 nmol/liter were treated with an aromatase inhibitor. Sperm retrieval rates and results of ICSI, including fertilization and clinical pregnancy, were collected. Mean pretreatment FSH and testosterone levels were 33.2 IU/liter and 9.8 nmol/liter. During medical therapy, the mean testosterone level rose to 17.0 nmol/liter (P < 0.01). Spermatozoa were found during 39 microdissection TESE procedures, on the day before, or day of oocyte retrieval during a programmed in vitro fertilization cycle. The sperm retrieval rate was 72% (39 of 54) per TESE attempt, and 29 of the 42 different men (69%) had adequate sperm found for ICSI. Thirty-three in vitro fertilization cycles yielded embryos for transfer in the 39 (85%) cycles with sperm retrieved. Eighteen clinical pregnancies have resulted in 21 live births [18 of 39 (46%)]. All children had a normal karyotype. TESE/ICSI is a successful intervention for the majority of patients with azoospermia and Klinefelter syndrome. Sperm retrieval and ICSI success in men with Klinefelter syndrome are comparable with other men with nonobstructive azoospermia treated at our center.

Mating context and menstrual phase affect women's preferences for male voice pitch

Fundamental frequency ( F 0) is the vocal acoustic parameter closest to what we perceive as pitch. Men speak at a lower F 0 than do women, even controlling for body size. Although the developmental and anatomical reasons for this sex difference are known, the evolutionary reasons are not. By examining fertility-related variation in women's preferences for men's voices, the present study tests the hypothesis that female choice for good genes influenced the evolution of male voice pitch (VP). Unlike previous correlational studies that did not consider the effects of menstrual phase and mating context on women's preferences for male VP, the present study includes these variables and utilizes experimental pitch (P) manipulations. Results indicate that low VP is preferred mainly in short-term mating contexts rather than in long-term, committed ones, and this mating context effect is greatest when women are in the fertile phase of their ovulatory cycles. Moreover, lower male F 0 correlated with higher self-reported mating success. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that an association between low male VP and heritable fitness led to the evolution of the observed patterns in women's P preferences and men's mating success and that these patterns influenced the evolution of low VP in men. However, alternative explanations are considered.

Delayed vasectomy success in men with a first postvasectomy semen analysis showing motile sperm

To determine the frequency of and factors associated with delayed vasectomy success in men with first postvasectomy semen analysis showing motile sperm. Descriptive study. One hospital-based family planning clinic and two private clinics from the Quebec City area, Canada. Three hundred nine men vasectomized between 1990 and 2001 and who had a first semen analysis showing motile sperm. None. Vasectomy success, based on the last available semen analysis-either in the medical record or as requested for the study-and on sterility as established by a telephone-based questionnaire in 2003. Among the 309 men, 174 (56.3%, 95% confidence interval 50.7%-61.7%) had delayed vasectomy success. Significant independent factors associated with delayed vasectomy success were lower sperm count in the first postvasectomy semen analysis and shorter interval between vasectomy and first postvasectomy semen analysis. Delayed vasectomy success occurs in more than half of men with a first postvasectomy semen analysis showing motile sperm. The decision to repeat vasectomy should not rely on a single semen analysis showing motile sperm.