17 research outputs found
The female menstrual cycle does not influence testosterone concentrations in male partners
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The time of ovulation has since long been believed to be concealed to male heterosexual partners. Recent studies have, however, called for revision of this notion. For example, male testosterone concentrations have been shown to increase in response to olfactory ovulation cues, which could be biologically relevant by increasing sexual drive and aggressiveness. However, this phenomenon has not previously been investigated in real-life human settings. We therefore thought it of interest to test the hypothesis that males' salivary testosterone concentrations are influenced by phases of their female partners' menstrual cycle; expecting a testosterone peak at ovulation.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Thirty young, healthy, heterosexual couples were recruited. During the course of 30-40 days, the women registered menses and ovulation, while the men registered sexual activity, physical exercise, alcohol intake and illness (confounders), and obtained daily saliva samples for testosterone measurements. All data, including the registered confounders, were subjected to multiple regression analysis.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In contrast to the hypothesis, the ovulation did not affect the testosterone levels, and the resulting testosterone profile during the menstrual cycle was on the average flat. The specific main hypothesis, that male testosterone levels on the day of ovulation would be higher than day 4 of the cycle, was clearly contradicted by a type II error(β)-analysis (< 14.3% difference in normalized testosterone concentration; β = 0.05).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Even though an ovulation-related salivary testosterone peak was observed in individual cases, no significant effect was found on a group level.</p
Spatially structured genetic diversity of the Amerindian yam (Dioscorea trifida L.) assessed by SSR and ISSR markers in Southern Brazil
Dioscorea trifida L. (Dioscoreaceae) is among the economically most important cultivated Amerindian yam species, whose origin and domestication are still unresolved issues. in order to estimate the genetic diversity maintained by traditional farmers in Brazil, 53 accessions of D. trifida from 11 municipalities in the states of São Paulo, Santa Catarina, Mato Grosso and Amazonas were characterized on the basis of eight Simple Sequence Repeats (SSR) and 16 Inter Simple Sequence Repeats (ISSR) markers. the level of polymorphism among the accessions was high, 95 % for SSR and 75.8 % for ISSR. the SSR marker showed higher discrimination power among accessions compared to ISSR, with D parameter values of 0.79 and 0.44, respectively. Although SSR and ISSR markers led to dendrograms with different topologies, both separated the accessions into three main groups: I-Ubatuba-SP; II-Iguape-SP and Santa Catarina; and III-Mato Grosso. the accessions from Amazonas State were classified in group II with SSR and in a separate group with ISSR. Bayesian and principal coordinate analyzes conducted with both molecular markers corroborated the classification into three main groups. Higher variation was found within groups in the AMOVA analysis for both markers (66.5 and 60.6 % for ISSR and SSR, respectively), and higher Shannon diversity index was found for group II with SSR. Significant but low correlations were found between genetic and geographic distances (r = 0.08; p = 0.0007 for SSR and r = 0.16; p = 0.0002 for ISSR). Therefore, results from both markers showed a slight spatially structured genetic diversity in D. trifida accessions maintained by small traditional farmers in Brazil.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Univ São Paulo, Luiz de Queiroz Coll Agr, Dept Genet, BR-13400970 São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Biol Sci, BR-09972270 São Paulo, BrazilUniv Calif Davis, Dept Plant Sci MS1, Sect Crop & Ecosyst Sci, Davis, CA 95616 USAUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Biol Sci, BR-09972270 São Paulo, BrazilFAPESP: 2007/04805-2Web of Scienc
Etude de la diversite genetique de l'igname sauvage Dioscorea Abyssinica(Hochst) estimee par les marqueurs AFLP au Benin: Comparaison avec la the deversite des ignames cultivees D. Rotundata(Poir)
The genetic diversity of two populations of D. abyssinica, assessed by AFLP markers, harvested in the classified forests of Upper Ouémé and the Pendjari National Park has revealed a great diversity within these populations. The Factorial Component Analysis (FCA) showed the existence of a genetic distance between the two populations analysed. These results show the existence of a geographic structuration ofthe D. abyssinica populations in Benin. The partition of individuals collected in Upper Ouémé in sub populations of allopatric and sympatric to the cultivars of the region is not confirmed by the AFC. Theanalysis show that the cultivars differ genetically from both the wild allopatric and sympatric of the zone and those collected in the Pendjari National Park. La diversité génétique de deux populations de Dioscorea abyssinica, estimée par les marqueurs AFLP, récoltées dans la forêt classée de l’Ouémé supérieur et le parc national de la Pendjari a révélé une grandediversité au sein de chacune de ces populations. L’analyse factorielle des correspondances (AFC) a montré l’existence d’une distance génétique entre les deux populations étudiées. Ces résultats montrentl’existence d’une structuration géographique des populations de D. abyssinica au Bénin. La subdivision des individus ramassés dans la forêt classée de l’Ouémé supérieur en sous-populations d’allopatriques et sympatriques aux cultivars de la région n’a pas été confirmée par l’analyse AFC. L’analyse montre que les cultivars diffèrent génétiquement aussi bien de ces individus sauvages allopatriques et sympatriques de la zone que de ceux ramassés dans le parc national de la Pendjar
Baseline renal function, ischaemia time and blood loss predict the rate of renal failure after partial nephrectomy
To identify independent predictors of renal failure after partial nephrectomy (PN) in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Data were available for 166 patients with pathological T1-3 N0M0 RCC treated with PN. Renal failure after PN was defined as a decrease in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) of > 25% (RIFLE criteria). The GFR before and after PN was estimated using the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease study group equation. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression models were used to assess a decrease of > 25% in GFR from the preoperative level. Candidate predictor variables were age, gender, PN indication (absolute vs relative), preoperative GFR, tumour size, perioperative blood loss, surgery duration and clamping time. After PN, 22 (13.3%) patients had a decrease in GFR of > 25%. The perioperative blood loss (P = 0.02), clamping time (P = 0.04) and preoperative GFR (P = 0.002) were independent predictors of a decrease in GFR of > 25%. We identified two important potentially modifiable variables that should be considered in the planning of PN, i.e. the clamping time and blood loss. It is possible that selective referral to experienced surgeons who can perform PN within short surgical and clamping times, and with minimal blood loss, could minimize the rate of renal failure, especially in patients with an underlying renal function impairment
A new staging system for locally advanced renal cell carcinoma: A multicentric European study including 2,000 patients
A new staging system for locally advanced renal cell carcinoma: A multicentric European study including 2,000 patients.
Patients with renal cell carcinoma nodal metastases can be accurately identified: External validation of a new nomogram
Outcome of patients with renal cell carcinoma nodal metastases (NM) is
substantially worse than that of patients with localized disease. This justifies
more thorough staging and possibly more aggressive treatment in those at risk of
or with established NM. We developed and externally validated a nomogram capable
of highly accurately predicting renal cell carcinoma NM in patients without
radiographic evidence of distant metastases. Age, symptom classification, tumour
size and the pathological nodal stage were available for 4,658 individuals. The
data of 2,522 (54.1%) individuals from 7 centers were used to develop a
multivariable logistic regression model-based nomogram predicting the individual
probability of NM. The remaining data from 2,136 (45.9%) patients from 5
institutions were used for external validation. In the development cohort,
107/2,522 (4.2%) had lymph node metastases vs. 100/2,136 (4.7%) in the external
validation cohort. Symptom classification and tumour size were independent
predictors of NM in the development cohort. Age failed to reach independent
predictor status, but added to discriminant properties of the model. A nomogram
based on age, symptom classification and tumour size was 78.4% accurate in
predicting the individual probability of NM in the external validation cohort.
Our nomogram can contribute to the identification of patients at low risk of NM.
This tool can help to risk adjust the need and the extent of nodal staging in
patients without known distant metastases. More thorough staging can hopefully
better select those in whom adjuvant treatment is necessary
Stage-specific effect of nodal metastases on survival in patients withnon-metastatic renal cell carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE: To quantify the survival disadvantage related to the presence of
exclusive nodal metastases (eNM) in patients with otherwise non-metastatic (M0)
renal cell carcinoma (RCC).
PATIENTS AND METHODS: Data were retrieved from 12 institutional databases and
yielded 3507 patients with T1-3N1-2M0 RCC treated with partial or radical
nephrectomy. Cox regression analyses relied on T stage, Fuhrman grade and
presence of eNM. Data were analysed using univariable, multivariable and
stratified analyses.
RESULTS: Overall 165 (4.7%) patients had eNM; of 2023 patients of stage T1, 23
(1.1%) had eNM, vs 20 of 448 (4.5%) for T2 and 122 of 993 (12.3%) for T3. In
univariable analyses the presence of eNM increased the rate of cancer specific
mortality (CSM) by 7.1 times. After adjusting for T stage and Fuhrman grade, in
all patients eNM increased the rate of CSM by 3.2 times. In stratified analyses
adjusted for Fuhrman grade, the increase in CSM related to the presence of eNM
was 28.9, 4.3 and 2.5 times (all P < 0.001) for stages T1, T2 and T3,
respectively.
CONCLUSIONS: From the prognostic perspective, staging lymphadenectomy appears of
most value in patients with T1-2 RCC, but the low prevalence of eNM questions the
practical applicability of nodal staging in those patients. Conversely, in
patients with T3 RCC, the prevalence and the prognostic impact of eNM might make
a staging lymphadenectomy worthwhile
Unclassified renal cell carcinoma: an analysis of 85 cases.
OBJECTIVES: To compare cancer-specific mortality in patients with unclassified
renal cell carcinoma (URCC) vs clear cell RCC (CRCC) after nephrectomy, as URCC
is a rare but very aggressive histological subtype.
PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eighty-five patients with URCC and 4322 with CRCC were
identified within 6530 patients treated with either radical or partial
nephrectomy at 18 institutions. Of 85 patients with URCC, 55 were matched with
166 of 4322 for grade, tumour size, and Tumour, Node and Metastasis stages.
Kaplan-Meier and life-table analyses were used to address RCC-specific survival.
Subsequently, multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to test for
differences in RCC-specific survival in unmatched samples.
RESULTS: Of patients with URCC, 80% had Fuhrman grades III or IV, vs 37.8% for
CRCC. Moreover, 36.5% of patients with URCC had pathologically confirmed nodal
metastases, vs 8.6% with CRCC. Finally, 54.1% of patients with URCC had distant
metastases at the time of nephrectomy, vs 16.8% with CRCC. Despite these
differences in the overall analyses, after matching for tumour characteristics,
the URCC-specific mortality rate was 1.6 times higher (P = 0.04) in matched
analyses and 1.7 times higher (P = 0.001) in multivariate analyses.
CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that URCC presents with a higher stage and
grade, and even after controlling for the stage and grade differences,
predisposes patients to 1.6-1.7 times the mortality of CRCC