bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Health‐related quality of life and satisfaction with care among older men treated for prostate cancer with either radical prostatectomy or external beam radiation therapy
Authors: JAYADEVAPPA RAVISHANKAR , CHHATRE SUMEDHA , WHITTINGTON RICHARD , BLOOM BERNARD S. , WEIN ALAN J. , MALKOWICZ S. BRUCE 
Published: April 2006

OBJECTIVETo analyse health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) and satisfaction with care across potential curative treatments for older patients newly diagnosed with prostate cancer.PATIENTS AND METHODSIn a prospective cohort study we recruited 115 older patients (≥65 years) newly diagnosed with prostate cancer from the urology clinics of an urban academic and a Veterans’ Administration (VA) hospital. Patients completed generic (Short Form‐36), prostate‐specific (University of California Los Angeles Prostate Cancer Index) HRQoL, and Client Satisfaction with Care (CSQ‐8) surveys before treatment with either radical prostatectomy (RP) or external beam irradiation (EBRT) and at 3, 6 and 12 months afterward. Clinical and demographic data were obtained via medical chart review. A repeated‐measures analysis of variance was used to examine changes in generic and prostate cancer‐specific HRQoL between treatments. Log‐linear regression was used to analyse the factors associated with 12‐month HRQoL scores, and Kaplan–Meier survival curves were used to compare the return to baseline values for HRQoL.RESULTSThe RP group had significantly higher income, education and better general health than the EBRT group. Age (odds ratio 0.5, 95% confidence interval 0.32–0.82), non‐VA hospital (28.8, 2–402) and prostate‐specific antigen level at diagnosis (2.8, 1.05–7.5) were associated with RP. The analysis results indicated that the RP group had higher scores for generic HRQoL subscales of physical function (P = 0.019), role emotional (P = 0.037), vitality (P = 0.033) and general health (P = 0.05) than the EBRT group. A log‐linear regression model for predicting the 12‐month scores showed that RP was associated with higher scores for most of the generic HRQoL and bowel function (odds ratio 1.12, P = 0.03), urinary bother (1.6, P = 0.014) and bowel bother (1.5, P = 0.013). Being older was associated with a lower score on bowel function (0.98, P = 0.05) and sexual function (0.92, P = 0.05). Satisfaction with care was comparable between treatment groups at baseline and at the follow‐up.CONCLUSIONSOlder patients tolerate RP well from the HRQoL perspective and thus decisions for therapy in this age cohort should not be based primarily on age.
The effects of isolated posterior compartment defects on lower urinary tract symptoms and urodynamic findings
Authors: COLE EMILY E. , KAUFMAN MELISSA R. , SCARPERO HARRIETTE M. , DMOCHOWSKI ROGER R. 
Published: April 2006

OBJECTIVESTo determine any significant patterns among subjective and/or objective storage or voiding variables in women with isolated rectoceles or posterior enteroceles.PATIENTS AND METHODSWe retrospectively reviewed the charts of 23 women with isolated posterior compartment defects. Patient histories, physical examination findings, catheterized postvoid residual urine volume (PVR) after uroflowmetry, and urodynamic evaluations were reviewed. Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) were classed as pure storage (urgency, frequency, nocturia, etc.), pure voiding (hesitancy, straining, positional voiding, etc.), or mixed.RESULTSThe mean (range) age of the women was 67 (48–85) years. On physical examination, 15 women had a grade 3 defect, and eight a grade 2 defect. Thirteen women reported symptoms related to their prolapse (vaginal bulge, splinting with defecation): nine reported pure storage symptoms, one pure voiding symptoms, and 12 mixed symptoms; two women relied on catheterization for bladder emptying. Only one woman reported no LUTS. An elevated PVR (>100 mL) was found in 11 women (48%). Urodynamic studies were available for 17 women, and revealed detrusor overactivity in nine of them. There were low maximum urinary flow rates (Qmax ≤ 15 mL/s) in 12 of the 17 women, and high voiding pressures at Qmax (Pdet.Qmax ≥  20 cmH20) in 10. Both findings were present in seven of the 17 women. There was evidence of abdominal straining to void in nine of the 17 women.CONCLUSIONSThe overwhelming majority of women with isolated posterior compartment defects reported bothersome LUTS and most had abnormal urodynamic variables. The findings suggest that significant posterior prolapse defects can cause bladder outlet obstruction.
Effects of magnetic stimulation in the treatment of pelvic floor dysfunction
Authors: VOORHAM–VAN DER ZALM PETRA J. , PELGER ROB C.M. , STIGGELBOUT ANNE M. , ELZEVIER HENK W. , LYCKLAMA À NIJEHOLT GUUS A.B. 
Published: April 2006

OBJECTIVETo correlate, in a pilot study, the clinical results of extracorporeal magnetic innervation therapy (ExMI) of the pelvic floor muscles with functional changes in the pelvic floor musculature, urodynamics and quality of life.PATIENTS AND METHODSIn all, 74 patients (65 women and nine men) with urge incontinence, urgency/frequency, stress incontinence, mixed incontinence and defecation problems were included in a prospective study of ExMI using a ‘electromagnetic chair’. All patients were treated twice weekly for 8 weeks. Digital palpation and biofeedback with a vaginal or anal probe were used for registration of the pelvic floor musculature. A urodynamic evaluation, a voiding diary, a pad‐test, the King's Health Questionnaire (KHQ) and a visual analogue scale (VAS) were completed by the patient at baseline and at the end of the study.RESULTSIn the group as a whole, there were no significant differences in the voiding diary, pad‐test, quality of life, VAS score, biofeedback registration and urodynamics before and after treatment. Additional stratification was applied to the total patient group, related to the pretreatment rest tone of the pelvic floor, the basal amplitude registered on electromyography, to age and to previous treatments. However, there were no significant differences in the data before and after treatment within all subgroups (stress incontinence, urge incontinence, urgency/frequency, defecation problems, overactive pelvic floor, age, previous treatments), except for the KHQ domain of ‘role limitations’, where there was a significant improvement in all groups.CONCLUSIONExMI did not change pelvic floor function in the present patients. The varying outcomes of several studies on ExMI stress the need for critical studies on the effect and the mode of action of electrostimulation and magnetic stimulation. In our opinion ‘the chair’ is suitable to train awareness of the location of the pelvic floor. However, active pelvic floor muscle exercises remain essential.
Incidental acute prostatic inflammation is associated with a lower percentage of free prostate‐specific antigen than other benign conditions of the prostate: a prospective screening study
Authors: ROWE EDWARD W.J. , LANIADO MARC E. , WALKER MARJORIE M. , ANUP PATEL 
Published: April 2006

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the performance of percentage free/total prostate‐specific antigen (f/tPSA) as a screening tool for prostate cancer, and to assess the impact of prostatic inflammation on f/tPSA.PATIENTS AND METHODSMen aged 50–65 years were invited for prostate cancer screening. Biopsies were taken from men with a tPSA of ≥ 4 ng/mL, together with those with a tPSA of 1.1–3.99 ng/mL and a f/tPSA of ≤ 20%. Histological evidence of prostate cancer, acute inflammation, chronic inflammation, and benign prostatic tissue were noted in biopsy cores, together with the associated f/tPSA values.RESULTSThe cancer detection rate was 4.3% (33/773). Evidence of inflammation was found in about half (87/175) of those biopsied. Men with acute inflammation (27/175, 15%) had significantly lower serum f/tPSA values (mean 13.4%) than those with chronic inflammation (mean 16.6%, P = 0.002) and benign prostatic tissue (mean 15.7%, P = 0.034), but were similar to men with prostate cancer (mean 15.3%, P = 0.315).CONCLUSIONSIn this prospectively screened cohort of men, there was a high incidence of asymptomatic inflammation on prostatic histology; f/tPSA values were significantly lower in men with acute inflammation. This might explain the variability of f/tPSA in improving specificity when used as a screening tool for prostate cancer, and might also reduce its effectiveness in differentiating tumours with more aggressive potential.
Metabolic abnormalities associated with calyceal diverticular stones
Authors: AUGE BRIAN K. , MALONEY MICHAELLA E. , MATHIAS BARBARA J. , PIETROW PAUL K. , PREMINGER GLENN M. 
Published: April 2006

Stones in calyceal diverticula present an interesting problem, both surgical and metabolic. Authors from the USA used a comprehensive metabolic evaluation of patients with these stones, and found consistent abnormalities. They also found that these could be corrected with selective medical therapy, and this was associated with a high remission rate.OBJECTIVETo review the metabolic analyses of patients with calyceal diverticular stones who had surgical treatment of their calculi and to examine the effect of selective medical therapy on stone recurrence, as recent reports suggest that metabolic abnormalities contribute to stone development.PATIENTS AND METHODSIn all, 37 patients who had endoscopic treatment of symptomatic calyceal diverticular calculi were retrospectively reviewed. Stone composition and initial 24‐h urine collections (24‐h urinary volumes, pH, calcium, sodium, uric acid, oxalate, citrate, and the number of abnormalities/patient per collection) were compared with 20 randomly selected stone‐forming patients (controls) with no known anatomical abnormalities. Stone formation rates before and after the start of medical therapy were calculated in the patients available for follow‐up.RESULTSTwelve of the diverticulum patients (five men and seven women) had complete 24‐h urine collections, all of whom had at least one metabolic abnormality. Seven patients had hypercalciuria, four had hyperuricosuria and three had mild hyperoxaluria. The most common abnormality was a low urine volume; 11 of the 12 patients had urine volumes of <2000 mL/day (range 350–1950). Ten patients had hypocitraturia in at least one of the two 24‐h urine samples; seven had low urinary citrate levels (172–553 mg/day) on both samples. The findings were similar in the control group. The diverticulum patients had 3.1 abnormalities/patient, and the controls had 2.9 abnormalities/patient (P > 0.05). No patients had gouty diathesis and none developed cystine stones. Stone analyses were similar in the two groups; both developed either calcium oxalate or mixed calcium oxalate/calcium phosphate stones. Six patients were followed for a mean of 23.1 months while on selective medical therapy; only one passed any additional stones, thought to be existing calculi, for a remission rate of five of six (83%).CONCLUSIONSAll patients with symptomatic calyceal diverticular stones who had comprehensive metabolic evaluation had metabolic abnormalities. There were similar abnormalities in the control random stone‐formers. The abnormalities were corrected with selective medical therapy, as shown by the high remission rate. We recommend that, for patients with symptomatic calyceal diverticular calculi, a metabolic evaluation should be considered to determine stone forming risk factors.
Local Business Co‐operation and   the Dilemmas of Collective Action: Rural Micro‐business Networks in the North of England
Authors: Phillipson Jeremy , Gorton Matthew , Laschewski Lutz 
Published: April 2006

AbstractCase study research in two rural market towns in the north of England investigates the local connectivity of micro‐businesses and notions of co‐operative behaviour with a view to informing a debate on the extent to which external (state) agencies can support the formation of local business networks. The research finds that co‐operation is often associated with symbolic activities to express local identities with few cases of formal collective action. The case studies highlight an inherent danger of external state intervention in the facilitation of small business networks, in that, by disturbing established local norms and networks, such interventions may jeopardise the latent structures of social capital which they seek to exploit.
The Project Class in Central Europe: The Czech and Hungarian Cases
Authors: Kovách Imre , Kučerová Eva 
Published: April 2006

AbstractThis article examines the rise of the ‘project class’ in Central and Eastern Europe, linking it to the emerging rural development agenda, driven principally by the demands of EU accession. The emphasis on ‘projects’ in rural development, the demand for local expertise and the mobilisation of social capital are, it is argued, contributing to a restructuring of local power and the emergence of a new ‘project class’. Drawing upon fieldwork in Hungary and the Czech Republic, this article considers the phenomenon and its potential impact within rural social formations.
The Social and Intellectual Construction of Farming Styles: Testing Dutch Ideas in Australian Agriculture
Authors: Vanclay Frank , Howden Peter , Mesiti Luciano , Glyde Scott 
Published: April 2006

AbstractVan der Ploeg's ‘styles of farming’ approach attempts to explain the social nature of diversity in agriculture. For over 10 years we have attempted to apply this concept to a range of farming situations in Australia. This article reviews the issues posed by Vanclayet al. in 1998 and provides insight into what have been the developments in the concept of farming styles. We utilise the results of three studies in Australia: a study of farming styles in broadacre cropping and grazing farmers in the Riverina region of New South Wales; a study of grape growers in the Sunraysia district of Victoria and a separate study of grape growers across south‐eastern Australia. While this research was intended to validate the existence of styles and to provide evidence of the usefulness of the concept and its application in rural industries, we were unable to replicate or validate van der Ploeg's original conceptualisation and methodology. We conclude that farming styles are more of an intellectual construction than a social construction. Nevertheless, we believe that the concept of farming styles is a useful heuristic and a new framework for understanding farming styles is presented.
The Long-Term Effectiveness of Refusal Conversion Procedures on Longitudinal Surveys
Authors: Burton Jonathan , Laurie Heather , Lynn Peter 
Published: April 2006

SummarySurvey organizations often attempt to ‘convert’ sample members who refuse to take part in a survey. Persuasive techniques are used in an effort to change the refusers’ minds and to agree to an interview. This is done to improve the response rate and, possibly, to reduce non-response bias. However, refusal conversion attempts are expensive and must be justified. Previous studies of the effects of refusal conversion attempts are few and have been restricted to cross-sectional surveys. The criteria for ‘success’ of a refusal conversion attempt are different in a longitudinal survey, where for many purposes the researcher requires complete data over multiple waves. The paper uses data from the British Household Panel Survey from 1994 to 2003 to assess the long-term effectiveness of refusal conversion procedures in terms of sample sizes, sample composition and data quality.
Latent Class Logistic Regression: Application to Marijuana Use and Attitudes Among High School Seniors
Authors: Chung Hwan , Flaherty Brian P. , Schafer Joseph L. 
Published: April 2006

SummaryAnalysing the use of marijuana is challenging in part because there is no widely accepted single measure of individual use. Similarly, there is no single response variable that effectively captures attitudes toward its social and moral acceptability. One approach is to view the joint distribution of multiple use and attitude indicators as a mixture of latent classes. Pooling items from the annual ‘Monitoring the future’ surveys of American high school seniors from 1977 to 2001, we find that marijuana use and attitudes are well summarized by a four-class model. Secular trends in class prevalences over this period reveal major shifts in use and attitudes. Applying a multinomial logistic model to the latent response, we investigate how class membership relates to demographic and life style factors, political beliefs and religiosity over time. Inferences about the parameters of the latent class logistic model are obtained by a combination of maximum likelihood and Bayesian techniques.
Design and Evaluation of Prophylactic Interventions Using Infectious Disease Incidence Data from Close Contact Groups
Authors: Yang Yang , Longini Ira M. , Halloran M. Elizabeth 
Published: April 2006

Summary
Prophylaxis of contacts of infectious cases such as household members and treatment of infectious cases are methods to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. We develop a method based on maximum likelihood to estimate the efficacy of such interventions and the transmission probabilities. We consider both the design with prospective follow-up of close contact groups and the design with ascertainment of close contact groups by an index case as well as randomization by groups and by individuals. We compare the designs by using simulations. We estimate the efficacy of the influenza antiviral agent oseltamivir in reducing susceptibility and infectiousness in two case-ascertained household trials.
The Assessment of Tumour Response to Treatment
Authors: Demidenko Eugene 
Published: April 2006

Summary
A parsimonious model for treated tumours is developed as a continuation of our previous work on regrowth curve theory. The statistical model belongs to the family of marginal non-linear models since the only linear parameters of the model are tumour specific and random facilitating parameter estimation. An important feature of the model is that it enables the estimation of the fraction of cancer cells surviving the treatment in vivo having easy-to-obtain longitudinal measurements of tumour volume. We compare several methods of estimation, including Lindstrom–Bates, iterated reweighted least squares and maximum likelihood. The last two methods are computed via the total estimating equations approach and variance least squares. The theory is illustrated with a photodynamic tumour therapy example.
A Two-Sample Test for Threshold Crossing Latent Variables with Application to Valuation Studies
Authors: Belluzzo Walter 
Published: April 2006

SummaryContingent valuation researchers are often interested in a comparison of the underlying willingness-to-pay distributions in two independent studies. Since willingness to pay is not observable, traditional testing procedures for comparing distributions cannot be applied directly. The paper proposes a permutation test for this sort of comparison. The main distinguishing characteristic of the test proposed is that it does not rely on asymptotic approximations and facilitates the introduction of covariates. The permutation test is illustrated with the case of projects of investment for the improvement of two important Brazilian river basins.
THE CRUSTOSE CORALLINES OF THE NORTHWESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC, INCLUDING LITHOTHAMNIUM LEMOINEAE N. SP.1
Authors: Adey Walter H. 
Published: April 2006

SUMMARYReproductive, vegetative, anatomical, and depth distribution keys are presented for the saxicolous crustose corallines of the northwestern North Atlantic. The 3 species of Lithothamnium in the region are named, while Lithothamnium lemoineae is described as a new species.
VOLVOX POCOCKIAE, A NEW SPECIES WITH DWARF MALES1
Authors: Starr Richard C. 
Published: April 2006

SUMMARY Volvox pocockiae is described as the second species in the section Janetosphaera. The somatic protoplasts are connected by cytoplasmic strands approximately the same diameter as flagella, and the construction of the spheroid is identical to that of V. aureus. Asexual reproduction by the division of gonidia differs from that in V. aureus in the enlargement of the gonidium prior to its division to form the embryo. Sexual reproduction is very similar to that in V. spermatosphaera, a species in the section Merrillosphaera without cytoplasmic connections. Dwarf males are formed in the posterior end of the parental spheroid, and, as in V. spermatosphaera, the dwarf males are composed exclusively of androgonidia with no sterile somatic cells. Females are facultatively asexual spheroids, the gonidia of which function as eggs. The single biflagellate zoospore produced by the germinating zygote undergoes cleavage to form a germling spheroid. The differentiation of gonidia in the asexual embryo and in the germling spheroid is evident only after inversion and enlargement of the spheroid have begun.
ASPECTS ULTRASTRUCTURAUX PARTICULIERS AU PLASTE DU BATRACHOSPERMUM VIRGATUM (SIRDT)—RHODOPHYCÉE—NEMALIONALE1
Authors: Lichtlé Christiane , Giraud Georges 
Published: April 2006

SUMMARYPhycobiliprotein aggregates, found at the outer surfaces of the chloroplast lamellae of Batrachospermum virgatum, do not look like isolated globular granules, or thin discs, as reported in different algae by other authors. The aggregates appear as long cylinders of constant thickness, perhaps composed of subunits which are not distinguishable.On a single lamella (or thylakoid) the cylinders are always parallel to one another and this parallelism may persist through several successive lamellae. However, this pattern may change according to variations in the orientation of the lamellae; in tangential and oblique sections, the phycobiliprotein cylinders frequently take the shape of chevrons.In addition, arrays of tubular structures bearing phycobilin aggregates at their outer surfaces are also seen. These “tubes” probably originate from dilated short or fragmented thylakoids.
NEW TAXONOMIC CRITERIA IN THE CLASSIFICATION OF CHLOROCOCCUM SPECIES. III. ISOZYME ANALYSIS1,2
Authors: Thomas Dempsey L. , Brown R. Malcolm 
Published: April 2006

SUMMARYProteins of whole cell extracts from 16 Chlorococcum species and 3 Tetracystis species (formerly Chlorococcum) were analyzed for isozymes of nonspecific α‐esterases, leucine aminopeptidase, and malate dehydrogenase using starch gel electrophoresis. Each species could be identified by the banding patterns. Chlorococcum species are heterogenous regarding the presence, number, electrophoretic mobility, concentration, and distribution of isozymes. The data are discussed in relation to current knowledge of each species. Taxonomic applications of algal isozymes are considered.
SOME PROPERTIES OF DNA FROM ZOOXANTHELLAE HARBORED BY AN ANEMONE ANTHOPLEURA ELEGANTISSIMA1
Authors: Franker Colin K. 
Published: April 2006

SUMMARYNative DNA from the zooxanthellae harbored by an anemone, Anthopleura elegantissima consists of 2 species resolvable by differences in bouyant density in CsCl. Nuclear DNA has a density of 1.695 g/ml. Chloroplast DNA bands at a density of 1.688 g/ml. A third species of DNA, also with a density of 1.695 g/ml in the native state, is presumably mitochondrial DNA. It was detected in heat‐denatured preparations. Nuclear DNA contains, in addition to the 4 usual bases, some 5‐methyl cytosine. The latter was absent from chloroplast fractions.