bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Short‐ and long‐term efficacy of solifenacin treatment in patients with symptoms of mixed urinary incontinence
Authors: STASKIN DAVID R. , TE ALEXIS E. 
Published: May 2006

OBJECTIVETo evaluate urinary symptom relief in women with mixed urinary incontinence (MUI) treated for up to 52 weeks with solifenacin succinate for overactive bladder (OAB), as MUI is a complex and distressing condition reported by about a third of incontinent women, and with confirmed efficacy in OAB‐related urge incontinence, anticholinergic agents are a reasonable therapeutic option for such women.PATIENTS AND METHODSPatients with OAB (mean of ≥ 8 voids/24 h, plus ≥ 1 incontinence episode or ≥ 1 urgency episode/24 h) were pooled from four studies. A subgroup of 1041 patients reporting MUI at baseline were evaluated over 12 weeks in a double‐blind, placebo‐controlled study, and up to a further 40 weeks in 433 in an open‐label solifenacin treatment (5 mg and 10 mg). Voiding frequency, episodes of incontinence and urgency, and volume voided per void, were collected from voiding diaries completed during the 3 days before each study visit.RESULTSPatients with a history of MUI treated with solifenacin for up to 12 weeks had statistically significant reductions in voiding frequency and episodes of incontinence and urgency vs placebo. In all, 43% and 49% (at 5 mg and 10 mg, respectively) of patients with a history of MUI regained continence after 12 weeks, vs 33% with placebo. Among patients in the open‐label study with mixed symptoms, 52% reported regaining continence, and 34% reported resolution of symptomatic urgency based on diary reporting at study end. Sustained improvements in quality of life and high satisfaction ratings accompanied symptom improvements.CONCLUSIONSSignificant reductions in OAB‐related frequency, incontinence and urgency were reported after 12 weeks of solifenacin treatment in patients with a history of MUI. Symptom improvement in this subgroup was maintained during long‐term treatment. These findings support the therapeutic potential of solifenacin for treating symptoms of MUI and the need to re‐evaluate classically defined MUI.
Endoluminal occlusion of the inferior vena cava in renal cell carcinoma with retro‐ or suprahepatic caval thrombus
Authors: ZINI LAURENT , HAULON STEPHAN , LEROY XAVIER , CHRISTOPHE DECOENE , KOUSSA MOHAMED , BISERTE JACQUES , VILLERS ARNAULD 
Published: May 2006

OBJECTIVETo evaluate endoluminal occlusion of the inferior vena cava (IVC) during surgical treatment of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) with either retrohepatic (level II) or suprahepatic (level III) caval tumour thrombus.PATIENTS AND METHODSFrom January 2000 to February 2005, 31 patients with renal vein/IVC involvement (T3b/c) of 278 who had a radical nephrectomy, were selected for review. Of these 31, 13 consecutive patients with RCC presenting a thrombus level II or III were prospectively treated with endoluminal occlusion of the free IVC cranial to the thrombus, to avoid dissection of the suprahepatic IVC or the subdiaphragmatic IVC. The occlusion balloon was positioned using transoesophageal echocardiography (TEE) control through a cavotomy at the ostium of the renal vein. Thrombectomy and radical nephrectomy were then performed. The operative duration, peri‐operative bleeding, and complications during and after surgery were assessed. Overall patient survival time, disease‐free survival and development of metastasis were calculated.RESULTSCaval thrombectomy was successful in all patients. The IVC needed to be replaced with an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene graft in three patients and a patch closure after lateral cavectomy was used in four. There was no case of air embolism. One case of asymptomatic tumour migration was detected during the procedure by TEE. The mean (sd) and median (range) operative duration was 170 (29) and 170 (120–210) min, and the mean number of units of packed red cells transfused during hospitalization was 5 (5) and 3 (0–16). There was no peri‐operative mortality. The complications were one splenectomy and one early thrombosis of the IVC. The mean (range) follow‐up was 22.1 (2–50) months. Distant metastases occurred in seven patients; there was no local or IVC tumour recurrence. Four patients died from metastatic progression and six are alive with no progression.CONCLUSIONEndoluminal occlusion of the IVC with TEE monitoring for level II and III thrombus avoided a suprahepatic or subdiaphragmatic approach to the IVC. This technique caused no major complications and was very reliable, due to TEE monitoring. Segmental resection and reconstruction of the IVC could also be used for adherent thrombi.
The beneficial effect of alfuzosin 10 mg once daily in ‘real‐life’ practice on lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), quality of life and sexual dysfunction in men with LUTS and painful ejaculation
Authors: NICKEL J. CURTIS , ELHILALI MOSTAFA , EMBERTON MARK , VALLANCIEN GUY ,   FOR THE ALF‐ONE STUDY GROUP
Published: May 2006

OBJECTIVETo determine the efficacy and safety of the selective α1‐blocker alfuzosin in men with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and painful ejaculation, compared with those with LUTS only, as painful ejaculation is one of the most prevalent, differentiating and bothersome symptoms in men with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome.PATIENTS AND METHODSIn all, 4857 sexually active men with LUTS had an evaluable answer to the Danish Prostate Symptom Score for Sexual Symptoms question related to pain/discomfort on ejaculation at enrolment in a 6‐month open‐label study with alfuzosin 10 mg once daily. Efficacy was analysed at the endpoint in the intent‐to‐treat population.RESULTSOf the 4857 men, 997 (20.5%) had pain/discomfort on ejaculation and 889/997 (89.2%) considered it was a problem. At inclusion, men with painful ejaculation had more severe LUTS and bother than men with LUTS only. Erectile dysfunction (ED) and reduced ejaculation were more prevalent (74.5% and 71.9%, respectively) and bothersome in men with painful ejaculation than in those with no pain (59.6% and 57.4%, respectively). Under alfuzosin treatment, all variables in both groups significantly improved from baseline; men with painful ejaculation compared to LUTS‐only had similar improvements in weighted scores for LUTS (−7.8 vs −7.7), bother (−1.7 vs −1.7), and reduced ejaculate (−0.5 vs −0.4) but greater improvements in ED (−0.6 vs −0.4; P < 0.001). The weighted score for painful ejaculation decreased from 2.2 to 0.8 (P < 0.001). Alfuzosin was well tolerated in both groups.CONCLUSIONSThis 6‐month open‐label study suggests that alfuzosin 10 mg once daily significantly improves LUTS, quality of life and sexual function in men with prostatitis‐like symptoms, and is well tolerated.
Comparison of the clinical outcome after hormonal therapy for prostate cancer between Japanese and Caucasian men
Authors: FUKAGAI TAKASHI , NAMIKI THOMAS S. , CARLILE ROBERT G. , YOSHIDA HIDEKI , NAMIKI MIKIO 
Published: May 2006

OBJECTIVETo investigate the impact of race on the effectiveness of hormonal therapy in patients with prostate cancer, by comparing the outcomes of Caucasian men (CM) and Japanese‐American men (JAM) treated with hormonal therapy at one institution.PATIENTS AND METHODSFifty‐nine CM and 105 JAM with prostate cancer were treated with hormonal therapy at The Queen’s Medical Center in Honolulu. Age, stage, Gleason score, race, and pretreatment PSA levels were abstracted. The Kaplan–Meier method was used to construct overall and cause‐specific survival curves, which were compared using log‐rank statistics. These factors were assessed as to their interdependence and correlation with the clinical course using a Cox proportional hazards regression model.RESULTSAlthough there were no statistical differences in patient background, JAM who had received hormonal treatment had a better outcome than CM for overall and cause‐specific survival rate (P = 0.001 and 0.036, respectively). Race was one of the significant prognostic factors in the multivariate analysis (P = 0.03). The findings suggest a difference in the effectiveness of hormonal therapy for prostate cancer in JAM living in Hawaii compared to CM.CONCLUSIONSThere were marked racial differences in clinical outcome after hormonal therapy between JAM and CM. A prospective study with more patients might be necessary to elucidate the differential effectiveness of hormonal therapy for prostate cancer in different races, especially between Japanese and Caucasians.
Unravelling phenotypic plasticity – why should we bother?
Authors: Bradshaw Anthony D. 
Published: May 2006

SummaryThe ability of a genotype to change its phenotype was once considered rather a nuisance – making it difficult to define a genotype. This led to the idea that there was a problem called ‘instability’. But quite early it was recognized that stability was under genetic control, and was a character like other attributes of an individual. From this realization came the idea that there were two sides to the character of ‘instability’, and that the ability to change could be important. This ability was thus given the title of ‘plasticity’. Once recognized, it became clear from surveys of different species and populations that plasticity can (i) be a complex character, and (ii) be selected to fit species to the particular demands of different environments. For plants, which cannot meet variations in environment like animals by behavioural responses, phenotypic plasticity can be very important. Plants should therefore be valuable tools for unravelling the mechanisms of plasticity whilst also demonstrating its contribution to fitness experimentally. We ought also to be able to demonstrate that appropriate genetic variability is available through which complex responses can be built up by selection. Genes must exist not only to determine character means, but also to determine character response, which adds interesting complexity to our ideas about evolution.
VCCEP Pilot: Progress on Evaluating Children's Risks and Data Needs
Authors: Williams Pamela R. D. , Patterson Jacqueline , Briggs Daniel W. 
Published: May 2006

The Voluntary Children's Chemical Evaluation Program (VCCEP) is designed to provide information to the public on children's potential health risks associated with chemical exposures. The key question of the VCCEP is whether the potential hazards, exposures, and risks to children have been adequately characterized, and, if not, what additional data are necessary. To answer this question, manufacturers or importers of 23 chemicals were asked by the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) to sponsor their chemicals in the first tier of a pilot program. These chemicals were selected for evaluation because they have been found as contaminants in human tissue or fluids (adipose tissue, blood, breath, breast milk, or urine); food and water children may eat and drink; or air children may breathe (including residential or school air). Under the VCCEP framework, sponsoring companies agree to prepare Tier 1 hazard, exposure, and risk assessments on the individual chemicals, and identify the need for additional data. These assessment documents are submitted to the U.S. EPA and subsequently undergo review by experts in an independent peer consultation meeting that is open to the public. Following this peer consultation process, the U.S. EPA reviews each submission and makes a data‐needs determination, which may include requesting further data collection or generation by the sponsor. Sponsoring companies then decide whether to volunteer for the next tier and collect or generate the requested data.The purpose of this article is to describe the VCCEP process and to review and present the key findings from the first set of chemicals that have been fully or partially evaluated under the pilot program (vinylidene chloride, decabromodiphenyl ether, pentabromodiphenyl ether, octabromodiphenyl ether, acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, decane, undecane, and dodecane). Specifically, we provide a brief summary of the sponsors' submissions, the peer consultation panels' discussions, and the U.S. EPA's data‐needs decisions. Although we do not attempt to conduct independent analyses of the underlying data, we do identify a number of common themes that have emerged during implementation of the pilot program and discuss several key issues that could become important in the future. The information presented here should be useful for various parties interested in the progress of the VCCEP and the results of the initial (Tier 1) children's assessments.
Wal‐Mart and County‐Wide Poverty*
Authors: Goetz Stephan J. , Swaminathan Hema 
Published: May 2006

Objectives. This study seeks to identify the independent effect of Wal‐Mart stores on changes in U.S. family‐poverty rates at the county level. We draw on the contributions of a number of disciplines to enhance our understanding of the broader forces that influence poverty.Methods. A key innovation is that we estimate a two‐stage regression model, in which an instrument is created for new Wal‐Mart stores from a location equation; this reduces any potential endogeneity bias in the poverty‐change equation. In addition, we use spatial econometric methods to correct for spatial dependence bias.Results. After controlling for other factors determining changes in the poverty rate over time, we find that counties with more initial (1987) Wal‐Mart stores and counties with more additions of stores between 1987 and 1998 experienced greater increases (or smaller decreases) in family‐poverty rates during the 1990s economic boom period.Conclusions. Wal‐Mart creates both benefits and costs to communities in which the chain locates. These benefits and costs need to be weighed carefully by community decisionmakers in deciding whether to provide public subsidies to the chain.
College, Jobs, or the Military? Enlistment During a Time of War*
Authors: Kleykamp Meredith A. 
Published: May 2006

Objective. This article questions what factors are associated with joining the military after high school rather than attending college, joining the civilian labor force, or doing some other activity. Three areas of influence on military enlistment are highlighted: educational goals, the institutional presence of the military in communities, and race and socioeconomic status.Method. The analysis uses data from a recent cohort of high school graduates from the State of Texas in 2002, when the United States was at war, and employs multinomial logistic regression to model the correlates of post‐high‐school choice of activity in this cohort.Results. Results confirm the hypothesis that a higher military institutional presence increases the odds of enlisting in the military relative to enrolling in college, becoming employed, or doing some other activity after high school. Additionally, college aspirations are clearly associated with the decision to enroll in college versus enlist and also increase the odds of joining the military rather than the civilian labor market, or remaining idle. Unlike previous studies, few racial and ethnic differences are found.Conclusion. Voluntary military enlistment during wartime is associated college aspirations, lower socioeconomic status, and living in an area with a high military presence.
Religion and Public Opinion about Same‐Sex Marriage*
Authors: Olson Laura R. , Cadge Wendy , Harrison James T. 
Published: May 2006

Objective.The goal of this article is to analyze the relationship between religion, measured in terms of religious affiliation and religiosity, and public opinion about same‐sex marriage, civil unions, and a federal constitutional amendment that would prohibit gay marriage.Methods.We use logistic regression with calculated standardized coefficients to analyze data from a nationally representative survey of 1,610 respondents conducted in March–April 2004.Results.Religious variables perform better than demographic measures in models of attitudes about same‐sex unions. Non‐Protestants are much more likely to support same‐sex unions than are Protestants, and individuals with conservative attitudes toward morality and secularism and (to a lesser extent) those who participate actively in religious life are more likely to oppose such unions. On the whole, religious variables play a weaker role in predicting support for a constitutional amendment to prevent gay marriage than they do in predicting attitudes toward same‐sex unions.Conclusions.Religious variables play powerful roles in structuring attitudes about same‐sex unions. Moreover, homosexuality appears to be a major component of the “moral values” discourse that is currently so popular in American politics.
The Greater Complexity of Lived Race: An Extension of Harris and Sim*
Authors: Brown J. Scott , Hitlin Steven , Elder Glen H. 
Published: May 2006

Objectives. Harris and Sim (2002) recently demonstrated the complexity of lived race by exploring patterns of racial self‐identification. They raised important sociological questions about the role of context in racial self‐identification, but offered an incomplete picture of ethnic fluidity by excluding Hispanics from their analyses. We address this limitation with data on Hispanics from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health).Methods. Our social‐psychological approach, using compositional analysis, focuses on the lived experience of race and ethnicity as qualitatively similar conceptual categories.Results. Informed by the cognitive process of social categorization, we find that considerably more individuals show fluidity in racial and ethnic self‐identification across contexts than suggested by Harris and Sim.Conclusions. Harris and Sim's thesis is even more strongly supported by these findings than in their original analysis, and our findings reinforce their challenge to the assumed stability of racial and ethnic measurement in sociology. We conclude by proposing a change in the measurement of race/ethnicity in America.
ISOTOPIC ANALYSIS OF δ13C, δ15N, AND δ34S “A FEEDING TALE” IN TEETH OF THE LONGBEAKED COMMON DOLPHIN, DELPHINUS CAPENSIS
Authors: Niño‐Torres Carlos Alberto , Gallo‐Reynoso Juan Pablo , Galván‐Magaña Felipe , Escobar‐Briones Elva , Macko Stephen A. 
Published: May 2006

AbstractStable isotopic analyses of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur were performed on teeth of different ages and sexes of the longbeaked common dolphin, Delphinus capensis, from the Gulf of California. Similarities in diet are suggested between the sexes, with no significant differences in isotopic compositions being observed. Differences in the δ13C, δ15N, and δ34S signatures were found among the age groups (nursing calf, juvenile, subadult, and adult). These data suggest that this species is generally a coastal feeder, and that it changes its feeding habits with increasing age, drawing more nutrition from higher trophic level organisms later in life.
Analysis and Optimal Design of Fixture Clamping Sequence
Authors: Qin Guohua , Zhang Weihong , Wan Min 
Published: May 2006

Abstract
Considering the great impacts of the application sequence of multiclamps on the workpiece machining accuracy, this paper analyzes and optimizes clamping sequence. A new methodology that takes into account the varying contact forces and friction force during clamping is presented for the first time. A new analysis model is established to capture the effect of clamping sequence on contact force distributions and workpiece machining accuracy. It reveals that the historical accumulation of clamping steps influences heavily the final distribution of contact forces in the workpiece-fixture system. Therefore, the present contact forces in each clamping step are solved incrementally in terms of contact forces of the precedent step by means of the principle of the total complementary energy. Furthermore, based on the fact that the variation of contact forces from one step to another results in different workpiece deformations and position, a novel design model is formulated to select optimally the clamping sequence in order to minimize the workpiece deformation and position errors. Workpieces of low stiffness and high stiffness are investigated separately in order to simplify the modeling of clamping sequence optimization. Some numerical tests are finally demonstrated to validate the proposed model and method. Computational results are discussed and compared with experimental results available in the reference.
The Satiric Method of Ibn Dāniyāl: Morality and Anti-morality in Tayf al-Khayāl
Authors: Zargar Cyrus Ali 
Published: May 2006

AbstractIbn Dāniyāl's (d. 1311) shadow play Tayf al-Khayāl takes as its setting Cairo in the early Mamlūk period, a city depicted in the play as decadent and yet subjected to ineffective moral reforms. The play's complex satiric response to such reforms is the subject of this study. Contemporary theories of satire, especially Frank Palmeri's approach to narrative satire, are used to shed light on Ibn Dāniyāl's method of constructing a sense of satiric ambiguity. Special attention is given to the playwright's use of misplaced religious language and his ironic portrayal of the relationship between power and morality.
Polar Mesoscale Cyclones in the Northeast Atlantic: Comparing Climatologies from ERA-40 and Satellite Imagery
Authors: Condron Alan , Bigg Grant R. , Renfrew Ian A. 
Published: May 2006

Abstract
Polar mesoscale cyclones over the subarctic are thought to be an important component of the coupled atmosphere–ocean climate system. However, the relatively small scale of these features presents some concern as to their representation in the meteorological reanalysis datasets that are commonly used to drive ocean models. Here polar mesocyclones are detected in the 40-Year European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) Re-Analysis dataset (ERA-40) in mean sea level pressure and 500-hPa geopotential height, using an automated cyclone detection algorithm. The results are compared to polar mesocyclones detected in satellite imagery over the northeast Atlantic, for the period October 1993–September 1995. Similar trends in monthly cyclone numbers and a similar spatial distribution are found. However, there is a bias in the size of cyclones detected in the reanalysis. Up to 80% of cyclones larger than 500 km are detected in MSL pressure, but this hit rate decreases, approximately linearly, to ∼40% for 250-km-scale cyclones and to ∼20% for 100-km-scale cyclones. Consequently a substantial component of the associated air–sea fluxes may be missing from the reanalysis, presenting a serious shortcoming when using such reanalysis data for ocean modeling simulations. Eight maxima in cyclone density are apparent in the mean sea level pressure, clustered around synoptic observing stations in the northeast Atlantic. They are likely spurious, and a result of unidentified shortcomings in the ERA-40 data assimilation procedure.