Life Of Man Research Articles

Impact of Enzalutamide Compared with Bicalutamide on Quality of Life in Men with Metastatic Castration-resistant Prostate Cancer: Additional Analyses from the TERRAIN Randomised Clinical Trial

BackgroundImproving health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is an important goal in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). ObjectiveTo examine the impact of enzalutamide versus bicalutamide on HRQoL in mCRPC. Design, setting, and participantsTERRAIN is a multinational, phase 2, randomised, double-blind study in asymptomatic/mildly symptomatic men with mCRPC (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01288911). Patients were randomised (1:1) via an interactive voice and web response system to enzalutamide 160mg/d (n=184) or bicalutamide 50mg/d (n=191), with androgen deprivation therapy. Outcome measurements and statistical analysisHRQoL was assessed using Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy–Prostate (FACT-P), European Quality of Life 5-Domain Scale (EQ-5D), and Brief Pain Inventory, Short-form questionnaires every 12 wk. Primary and secondary analyses utilised mixed models for repeated measures and pattern mixture models, respectively. Results and limitationsAt 61 wk, 84 (46%) enzalutamide and 39 (20%) bicalutamide patients in the study were assessed. At 61 wk, changes from baseline favoured enzalutamide versus bicalutamide on three FACT-P domains in mixed models for repeated measures analyses and seven in pattern mixture models analyses. There were no differences in changes for EQ-5D index/visual analogue scale scores. Risk of first deterioration was lower with enzalutamide for FACT-P total (hazard ratio: 0.64, 95% confidence interval: 0.46–0.89, p=0.007), FACT-G total (hazard ratio: 0.70, 95% confidence interval: 0.50–0.98, p=0.04), PCS pain (hazard ratio: 0.74, 95% confidence interval: 0.54–1.00, p=0.048), and EQ-5D index (hazard ratio: 0.66, 95% confidence interval: 0.47–0.93, p=0.02) scores versus bicalutamide. Brief Pain Inventory, Short-form scores increased in both groups. There was no difference in time-to-pain progression. Study limitations include the exploratory nature of the HRQoL analyses, lack of multiple comparisons corrections, and unknown effects of anxiety/depression on HRQoL. ConclusionsIn patients with asymptomatic/mildly symptomatic mCRPC, enzalutamide provides HRQoL benefit versus bicalutamide. Patient summaryEnzalutamide treatment was associated with better health-related quality of life in several domains versus bicalutamide in asymptomatic/mildly symptomatic metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. This likely relates to previously reported lower rates of symptomatic disease progression.

The Mental Health Impact of Physical Appearance Concerns in the Context of Other Life Domains Among Australian Gay Men.

Previous studies have identified gay men as a high-risk population for body image disturbances. However, little research has examined the mental health impact of gay men's physical appearance concerns in the context of other major life domains. The present study addressed this gap by investigating how mental health outcomes (satisfaction with life, self-esteem, positive well-being, and psychological distress) were associated with satisfaction with and importance of physical appearance, work, family relationships, friendships, health and fitness, and sex life among Australian gay men aged 18-39. The possible moderating role of intimate relationship status was also examined. Results from an online survey revealed that greater satisfaction with physical appearance, work, family, and friendships all had similar positive associations with mental health. However, more importance placed on physical appearance was more consistently associated with poorer mental health compared with the subjective importance of other domains. Findings also indicated the associations between physical appearance satisfaction and life satisfaction, and between physical appearance importance and positive well-being, were weaker for those in relationships. Thus, physical appearance matters in gay men's lives, but was only one factor when considered in the broader context of other life areas that contributed to overall well-being. These findings suggest the need for a nuanced and contextualized understanding of how physical appearance concerns fit into gay men's lives.

Assessment of Pharmacognostic, Phytochemical and Physicochemical Standards of Aralia racemosa (L.) root

Abstract: Context: Ethnomedicinally, the root of Aralia racemosa L. (Araliaceae) has long been used in various ailments in traditional system; most importantly it is used against rheumatism, whooping cough, skin diseases, pleurisy, diaphoretic, diuretic, asthma, diarrhoea, syphilis, inflammation and hay fever. The main problem experienced in standardization of herbal drugs is lack of proper identification of plant source. So there is need to establish quality control parameters by using pharmacognostic and phytochemical evaluation, which ensures the purity, safety and efficacy of medicinal plant A. racemosa. Aim: To evaluate pharmacognostic properties including macroscopic, microscopic and physicochemical parameters of the root of A. racemosa. Methods: Micro and Macroscopic characters of fresh and dried root samples were investigated. Physicochemical parameters were done by utilizing WHO recommended parameters, preliminary phytochemical and fluorescent analysis of root sample were performed for identification and standardization of root of A. racemosa. Results: The colour, shape, size, odour and surface characteristics were noted from the root and powdered root material of A. racemosa. Light electron microscope images of cross section of root and powdered root revealed that the presence of lignified sclerides, cork cells, lignified spiral vessels, medullary rays and parenchymatous cells. Phytochemical screening showed the presence of tannins, volatile oils, flavonoids, saponins, triterpenes and glycosides. Physicochemical parameters such as moisture content, ash value, extractive value and fluorescent behaviour of root powder were determined. These parameters are useful tools to differentiate the powdered drug material. Conclusion: The present study is helpful to supplement the information with regard to its standardization and identification and in carrying out further research in ayurvedic system of medicine. Key words: Pharmacognostic, Microscopical, Lignified sclerides, Aralia racemosa. L., physicochemical and Lignified spiral vessels.

Lessons Learned About Motivation From a Pilot Physical Activity Intervention for African American Men.

African American men are less likely than White men to meet physical activity recommendations, and few physical activity interventions have focused on the unique needs of African American men. Because health is not more important to men than fulfilling the role of a provider or other socially important roles, one of the biggest challenges in creating interventions for African American men is helping them identify reasons that they should prioritize both health and life goals. In a recent pilot physical activity intervention for 30- to 70-year-old African American men, we used self-determination theory and motivational interviewing principles to create worksheets that helped men identify their core values and life goals and asked them to describe how their values and goals were related to health and physical activity. We used basic statistics and thematic analysis to identify and examine key sources of motivation for men to be healthier and more physically active. We found that being healthy, a good Christian, a good spouse/partner, disciplined, and successful were among men's most important life goals. This article highlights a strategy for identifying key sources of motivation in African American men's lives and key themes that can be used in to enhance future interventions.

Women's Voices, Men's Lives: Masculinity in a North Indian Urdu newspaper

AbstractLiterary journals and newspapers aiming to reform the religious beliefs and domestic habits of women were common in early twentieth-century North India. Although most readings have focused on how these texts reflected male legislation of women's behaviour, we should look at Muslim reformist literature to understand male experiences; this investigation offers new insights into an emergent middle-class identity defined more by manners than birth. Readings of a previously little-researched Urdu newspaper, Madinah, and its women's section offer new insights on male experiences of reformism, characterized by profound ambivalence. Playfulness emerged in some reformist descriptions of women's voices, channelling the influence of rekhti. Ultimately Madinah cultivated pride in Islam's strict division of gender roles and conversely threatened men with shame for failing to regulate uneducated women. Descriptions of powerful, Ottoman women warriors were framed to incite men to acts of bravery, using reports from Europe as cautionary examples of the over-indulgence of women. While the newspaper offered outlets for men to express curiosity about women's experiences, ultimately reformist literature limited expressions of pleasure. Male ambivalence regarding the implications of the reformist project remained embedded in writing about women.

Men's Sexual and Relational Adaptations to Erectile Dysfunction After Prostate Cancer Treatment

ABSTRACTThis study investigated how men adapt to erectile dysfunction and other sexual side-effects of prostate cancer treatment. The study recruited nonheterosexual and heterosexual men using an anonymous, international, online survey (N = 558). This article focuses on a qualitative analysis of answers (n = 348) to one open-ended question on sexual practices after treatment. Five themes emerged: (a) recovery of erectile function; (b) reframing sexual practices; (c) the importance of partners; (d) exploring anal sex; (e) the use of masturbation. The findings suggest that men should explore varied sexual options. Partners are also important in the overall recovery of men's sexual lives.

Prioritizing Effective Factors on Liveliness and Improvement of the Urban Life Caused by the Development of Green Spaces with the Attraction-Repulsion Pattern

The daily increase in population and the complexity of urban issues, shortages in suitable financial and human resources, environmental pollutions, etc. sometimes cause the citizens to forget or be unable to fulfill their needs in the hobnob of life, pollution, tiredness and the routine of life. This has led some factors such as the closeness to the work and living place of human beings to nature, small green spaces within the cities and their benefits for the people receive less attention in our time. Cities, as centers of man's activities and life, in order to keep their sustainability have no way but to accept the structure and they have no function affected by natural systems. Here, urban green spaces, as the vital and inseparable part of the cities' unified form in their metabolism, have basic roles and their shortage can cause serious disorders in the lives of the cities. Public green spaces have a significant impact in improving the life quality of the citizens, liveliness and the beautification of the city. With regard to these issues, it has been tried in this paper to analyze the mental and social impacts of urban green spaces on the improvement of the citizens' life quality and their roles in the beautification of urban spaces and their liveliness by using the attraction-repulsion pattern with an approach to green spaces and by analyzing case studies among the citizens. The results indicated that the citizens use green spaces mostly to have access to clean air, family entertainment, liveliness, being away from the pollutions and the smallness of their houses, walking, relieving their tiredness, running away from their routine lives, etc. and these spaces have significant impact in the beautification of urban environments.

Game as a Means to Fulfi ll the Creative Potential of Children and Young People

The article is devoted to the issues of development of the game culture of celebrations and game technologies in the work with university and school students. The author reveals the major objectives and functions of game, underlines the importance of game in a child and young man's life. For students the formation of knowledge and skills in the theory and practice of game culture of celebrations, understanding the specifics features of space and time of play activity in celebratory forms of culture, the study of basic and conceptual approaches to the issues of game technologies and immediate focus on solving practical problems in this area are very important.

Physical activity and sport participation: A systematic review of the impact of fatherhood.

Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activity (MVPA), including sport participation, is an important component of a healthy lifestyle. Scholars have devoted considerable attention to understanding the impact of parenthood on MVPA, albeit only for women. As the impact of fatherhood on men's lives is drawing more and more scholarly and societal attention, the aim of the current article is to provide an systematic overview of studies examining the impact of fatherhood on MVPA.A systematic review was conducted in Google Scholar, Web of Science and Web of Knowledge, using (combinations of) the search terms: father(hood), parent(hood), exercise, physical activity, sport and leisure time. This resulted in 54 papers reporting differences in MVPA and/or sport between fathers and childless men or within men that became father, of which 13 were included.Our overview of findings suggested that fathers spent less time on MVPA compared with childless men, but that fathers did not differ from their childless counterparts on the subarea of sport participation. Differences in time spent on MVPA were strongest between childless men and fathers with young children (< 6 yrs).Our systematic review revealed that fathers spent less time on MVPA compared to childless men, especially when they had young children. Interestingly, linkages between parental status and the subarea of sport participation were not found, which suggests that fathers cut back on other areas of MVPA. Given the impact of MVPA on a healthy lifestyle, future research in this field is warranted.

Narrative transitions in views and behaviors of fathers parenting children with disabilities

ABSTRACTWhile analysis has centered on the transitions of first-time fathers, little attention has been given to the transitions that happen within fathering. This study explores the experiences of fathers learning to recognize and manage a child's disability as a transition within fathering. Observations and interviews spanning over a year with five fathers and their families are analyzed with a combination of thematic and narrative techniques. The significant themes are divided into reorganization of inner thinking and external behavior. Reorganization of inner thinking consists of narrative changes that can occur through significant experience or transformations over time. Changes in behavior identified within the study are learning how to interact with children and shifting parenting responsibilities. This study makes a contribution to the existing literature through the analysis of fathers’ experiences with a child's disability as narrative transformations that represent fathering transitions within men's lives.

Variation in Testosterone Levels and Health-related Quality of Life in Men Diagnosed With Prostate Cancer on Active Surveillance

To determine the extent to which low testosterone levels impact health-related quality of life in patients undergoing active surveillance (AS) for prostate cancer. Eligible AS patients were grouped as having low, low-normal, or normal testosterone levels (<300 vs 300-400 vs ≥400 ng/dL). Patients were surveyed with the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite-26 (EPIC-26), Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS), Memorial Anxiety Scale for Prostate Cancer, and treatment outlook satisfaction questions at enrollment and successively during follow-up. The cohort consisted of 223 patients, 74 (33%) of which had low testosterone levels. The mean age was 66.8 ± 7.2 years, with 85% being Caucasian. Mean prostate-specific antigen did not differ between groups. Obesity was significantly higher for men with low testosterone levels (P < .01). All PROMIS-Global items were comparatively lower in men with lower testosterone. EPIC-26 scores for the sexual domain were worse in men with lower testosterone. After age and obesity adjustment, men with normal testosterone levels had significantly better PROMIS Physical, Overall, and Mental Health, EPIC-26 Hormonal, and treatment satisfaction responses when compared to those patients with low testosterone levels. Those with normal testosterone levels reported hormonal EPIC-26 domain responses 65% higher than for those with low testosterone, and 12% higher treatment satisfaction during 2-year follow-up when corrected for age and obesity (P < .05). Men with testosterone levels ≥400 ng/dL reported some improved measures of health-related quality of life including greater satisfaction with treatment outcome. These findings are hypothesis generating in the controversial area of exogenous testosterone administration in men on AS.

Trends in health expectancies among the oldest old in Sweden, 1992-2011.

Information on the extent to which older people's increasing life expectancy is characterized by good or poor health is important for policy and fiscal planning. This study explores trends in health expectancies among the oldest old in Sweden from 1992 to 2011. Cross-sectional health expectancy estimates at age 77 were obtained for 1992, 2002, 2004 and 2011 by Sullivan's method. Health expectancy was assessed by severe disability, mild disability and mobility problems. Changes in health expectancies were decomposed into the contributions attributed to changes of mortality rates, and changes in disability and mobility prevalence. Mortality data were obtained from Statistics Sweden and prevalence data from two nationally representative surveys, the Swedish Panel Study of Living Conditions of the Oldest Old and the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe. Years free from severe disability, mild disability and mobility problems increased in both men and women. Decomposition analysis indicates that the increase was mainly driven by the change in health status rather than change in mortality. In relation to total life expectancy, the general patterns suggest that women had a compression of health problems and men an expansion. Men's life expectancy increased more than women's; however, the increased life expectancy among men was mainly characterized by disability and mobility problems. The results suggest that the gender gap in health expectancy is decreasing.

Mentorship in the 21st Century: Celebrating Uptake or Lamenting Lost Meaning?

Mentorship in the 21st Century: Celebrating Uptake or Lamenting Lost Meaning?

Collings, Peter. Becoming inummarik: men's lives in an Inuit community. xvi, 406 pp., maps, bibliogr. Montreal &amp; Kingston: McGill-Queen's Univ. Press, 2014. £22.99 (paper)

Journal of the Royal Anthropological InstituteVolume 22, Issue 2 p. 434-435 Book review Collings, Peter. Becoming inummarik: men's lives in an Inuit community. xvi, 406 pp., maps, bibliogr. Montreal & Kingston: McGill-Queen's Univ. Press, 2014. £22.99 (paper) Zoe Todd, Zoe Todd University of AberdeenSearch for more papers by this author Zoe Todd, Zoe Todd University of AberdeenSearch for more papers by this author First published: 27 April 2016 https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9655.12414Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Volume22, Issue2June 2016Pages 434-435 RelatedInformation

William Golding’s Iconoclastic Views about the Neanderthal Man in The Inheritors

William Golding has been identified as a nonconformist whose opinions always go contrary to what is customarily accepted or established. This is shown in all his novels, more specifically The Inheritors , in which he defies long-established opinions held by anthropologists, historians, archaeologists as well as many others about the Neanderthals and their immediate successors the Homo sapiens. Though my PhD was about some of Golding's novels, no single word is mentioned in my PhD dissertation about his challenging novel The Inheritors , which is still regarded by both critics and readership as most complicated. Golding's intention in this novel is not merely to rebut the cliches and stereotypes of the Neanderthals, but also to describe them as enjoying uniquely far sublime qualities that make them outdo their rivals, the Homo sapiens. Therefore, he portrays them very sympathetically, and their plight tragically, thereby demonstrating his scepticism about the moral superiority of the Homo sapiens, the real 'inheritors' of the earth. The aim of this article is to discuss Golding's repudiation of such convictions by examining in some detail the novel's thematic structures, characterisation and settings. Likewise, the present article will focus on the clarity of the novel's narrative style that shows the simplicity, if not naivety, of the Neanderthal man's life juxtaposed to the complexity and maturity of his rivals' language and life style. Keywords: Cliches, Homo sapiens, iconoclast, the Neanderthal man, nonconformist, stereotypes

Giving ‘Em Hell

From the 1940s to the mid-1960s, America's ‘true adventure’ pulp magazines offered a cocktail of action, adventure and lurid sleaze. Titles such as Male, Man's Life, Men Today, Stag and True Men brimmed with stories and features dealing with combat, crime, hunting, exploration and sport, alongside an array of pinups and prurient exposés. This article chronicles the history of the ‘true adventure’ genre, and relates its development and characteristic form to broad shifts in gendered identities in America after the Second World War. Beneath these magazines’ elaboration of an exaggerated form of robust and virile manhood, it is argued, there lurked a sense of unease and anxiety rooted in broader concerns about the trajectory of social and cultural change.

Hypogonadism and erectile dysfunction as harbingers of systemic disease

Prescription sales of Testosterone and erectile aids such as phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors are at an all-time high, underscoring the importance of hypogonadism (HG) and erectile dysfunction (ED) to men’s health. The effect of these debilitating conditions has a major impact on the quality of men’s lives. Some risk factors for HG or ED including aging, obesity, smoking, and a sedentary lifestyle. Notably, these are the same risk factors for several other medical co-morbidities that contribute to significant morbidity and mortality in men. HG and ED often co-exist with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis. This review will explore these three co-morbidities that overlap with HG and ED, and will provide a review of their relationship with each other.

Prospective Quality of Life in Men Choosing Active Surveillance Compared to Those Biopsied but not Diagnosed with Prostate Cancer

Active surveillance is an important alternative to definitive therapy for men with low risk prostate cancer. However, the impact of active surveillance on health related quality of life compared to that in men without cancer remains unknown. In this study we evaluated health related quality of life outcomes in men on active surveillance compared to men followed after negative prostate needle biopsy. A prospective study was conducted on men who were enrolled into the Center for Prostate Disease Research Multicenter National Database and underwent prostate needle biopsy for suspicion of prostate cancer between 2007 and 2014. Health related quality of life was assessed at biopsy (baseline) and annually for up to 3years using SF-36 and EPIC questionnaires. Health related quality of life scores were modeled using generalized estimating equations, adjusting for baseline health related quality of life, and demographic and clinical characteristics. Of the 1,204 men who met the initial eligibility criteria 420 had a negative prostate needle biopsy (noncancer comparison group). Among the 411 men diagnosed with low risk prostate cancer 89 were on active surveillance. Longitudinal analysis revealed that for most health related quality of life subscales there were no significant differences between the groups in adjusted health related quality of life score trends over time. In this study most health related quality of life outcomes in patients with low risk prostate cancer on active surveillance did not differ significantly from those of men without prostate cancer. A comparison group of men with a similar risk of prostate cancer detection is critical to clarify the psychological and physical impact of active surveillance.

What Is a "Good" Treatment Decision? Decisional Control, Knowledge, Treatment Decision Making, and Quality of Life in Men with Clinically Localized Prostate Cancer.

We explored whether active patient involvement in decision making and greater patient knowledge are associated with better treatment decision-making experiences and better quality of life (QOL) among men with clinically localized prostate cancer. Localized prostate cancer treatment decision making is an advantageous model for studying patient treatment decision-making dynamics because there are multiple treatment options and a lack of empirical evidence to recommend one over the other; consequently, it is recommended that patients be fully involved in making the decision. Men with newly diagnosed clinically localized prostate cancer (N = 1529) completed measures of decisional control, prostate cancer knowledge, and decision-making experiences (decisional conflict and decision-making satisfaction and difficulty) shortly after they made their treatment decision. Prostate cancer-specific QOL was assessed at 6 months after treatment. More active involvement in decision making and greater knowledge were associated with lower decisional conflict and higher decision-making satisfaction but greater decision-making difficulty. An interaction between decisional control and knowledge revealed that greater knowledge was only associated with greater difficulty for men actively involved in making the decision (67% of sample). Greater knowledge, but not decisional control, predicted better QOL 6 months after treatment. Although men who are actively involved in decision making and more knowledgeable may make more informed decisions, they could benefit from decisional support (e.g., decision-making aids, emotional support from providers, strategies for reducing emotional distress) to make the process easier. Men who were more knowledgeable about prostate cancer and treatment side effects at the time that they made their treatment decision may have appraised their QOL as higher because they had realistic expectations about side effects.

Contabilidade rural: Estudo de caso da cultura do feijão e da soja na região de Jussara-Goiás no período 2014/2015.

Accountancy existed since the ancient civilizations, when the man did not even know the conventional counting system, but with the need to follow the evolution of his flock, the counting system with scratches on trees or stones, as from that moment the accounting has become part of man's life and it has evolved throughout the historical process of humanity. Only in the early nineteenth century that accounting ceased to be a simple tool for providing information. In the rural area, we have today a more precisely and controlled accounting, not only to ascertain the heads of animals in the property, but a way to control the familiar rural heritage in general, directing property's inputs and outputs, managing all cash flows, because the farm is also a company, being the entrepreneur its own proprietary. Inside the culture ranching and farming, we have the crop production portion with the temporary or permanent culture. For the property success it is necessary to pay attention to the costs of expenses, that investment requires being both relevant, variable and fixed costs. The bean crop is a temporary cultivation and requires a moderate climate with not very heavy rainfall, and the soy is the development champion for the last three decades. This field research showed us the real situation of bean cultivation and soy, inside the accounting field, evaluating since spending on soil preparation for sale of the product thus having the actual values of inputs, outputs and profits and which products have higher profitability.