Objectives To determine, in a prospective randomized, double‐blind placebo‐controlled study, the effect of 6 weeks of high‐dose (5 g/day) orally administered nitric oxide (NO) donor l‐arginine on men with organic erectile dysfunction (ED). Patients and methods The study included 50 men with confirmed organic ED who were randomized after a 2‐week placebo run‐in period to receive l‐arginine or placebo. A detailed medical and sexual history, O’Leary's questionnaire, a specially designed sexual function questionnaire and a sexual activity diary were obtained for each patient. All participants underwent a complete physical examination including an assessment of bulbocavernosus reflex and penile haemodynamics. Plasma and urine nitrite and nitrate (designated NOx ), both stable metabolites of nitric oxide, were determined at the end of the placebo run‐in period, and after 3 and 6 weeks. Results Nine of 29 (31%) patients taking l‐arginine and two of 17 controls reported a significant subjective improvement in sexual function. All objective variables assessed remained unchanged. All nine patients treated with l‐arginine and who had subjectively improved sexual performance had had an initially low urinary NOx , and this level had doubled at the end of the study. Conclusions Oral administration of l‐arginine in high doses seems to cause significant subjective improvement in sexual function in men with organic ED only if they have decreased NOx excretion or production. The haemodynamics of the corpus cavernosum were not affected by oral l‐arginine at the dosage used.

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Notre but est de comparer l'accès au premier emploi des apprentis et des lycéens et par conséquent de mesurer l'effet « pur » d'une formation en entreprise. Le modèle utilisé estime les paramètres associés aux probabilités d'être apprenti et d'être en emploi ainsi que ceux associés à la fonction de densité de la durée de la période de chômage observée. Les apprentis semblent avoir un avantage sur les lycéens, en terme d'accès au premier emploi. Access to the first job : Apprenticeship versus vocational shool ABSTRACT.-Our aim is to compare the access to the first job of apprentices and vocational school leavers and therefore measure the « pure » within-firm training effect. The model estimates the parameters linked to the probabilities of being an apprentice and being employed, and those associated to the probability density function of the unemployment duration. Apprentices seem to have a distinct advantage over those who attended vocational school in term of access to the first job.

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