TrueNTH sexual recovery study protocol: a multi-institutional collaborative approach to developing and testing a web-based intervention for couples coping with the side-effects of prostate cancer treatment in a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Over half of men who receive treatment for prostate suffer from a range of sexual problems that affect negatively their sexual health, sexual intimacy with their partners and their quality of life. In clinical practice, however, care for the sexual side effects of treatment is often suboptimal or unavailable. The goal of the current study is to test a web-based intervention to support the recovery of sexual intimacy of prostate cancer survivors and their partners after treatment. METHODS: The study team developed an interactive, web-based intervention, tailored to type of treatment received, relationship status (partnered/non-partnered) and sexual orientation. It consists of 10 modules, six follow the trajectory of the illness and four are theme based. They address sexual side effects, rehabilitation, psychological impacts and coaching for self-efficacy. Each includes a video to engage participants, psychoeducation and activities completed by participants on the web. Tailored strategies for identified concerns are sent by email after each module. Six of these modules will be tested in a randomized controlled trial and compared to usual care. Men with localized prostate cancer with partners will be recruited from five academic medical centers. These couples (N = 140) will be assessed prior to treatment, then 3 months and 6 months after treatment. The primary outcome will be the survivors' and partners' Global Satisfaction with Sex Life, assessed by a Patient Reported Outcome Measure Information Systems (PROMIS) measure. Secondary outcomes will include interest in sex, sexual activity, use of sexual aids, dyadic coping, knowledge about sexual recovery, grief about the loss of sexual function, and quality of life. The impact of the intervention on the couple will be assessed using the Actor-Partner Interaction Model, a mixed-effects linear regression model able to estimate both the association of partner characteristics with partner and patient outcomes and the association of patient characteristics with both outcomes. DISCUSSION: The web-based tool represents a novel approach to addressing the sexual health needs of prostate cancer survivors and their partners that-if found efficacious-will improve access to much needed specialty care in prostate cancer survivorship. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov registration # NCT02702453 , registered on March 3, 2016.

Correspondence between stone composition and urine supersaturation in nephrolithiasis.

Supersaturation (SS) with respect to calcium oxalate monohydrate (COM), brushite (Br) and uric acid (UA), obtained in three 24-hour pretreatment urine samples from patients with stone disease were compared to the mineral composition of stones passed by the same patients to determine whether sparse urine SS measurements accurately reflect the long-term average SS values in the kidney and final urine. Among males and females elevation of SS above same sex normals corresponded to composition. As well, treatments that reduced stone rates also reduced these SS values. The degree of calcium phosphate (CaP) admixture was accurately matched by shifting magnitudes of COM and Br SS. As well, increasing CaP content was associated with falling urine citrate and rising urine pH, suggesting renal tubular acidosis. We conclude that sparse urine SS measurements accurately track stone admixtures, and are a reliable index of average renal and urine SS.

Relationship between the piriform aperture and interalar nasal widths in adult males.

The piriform aperture of 182 skulls of black and white males in the United States was measured and compared with soft tissue readings taken previously. Statistical analysis indicated that nose width prediction formulas currently utilized in facial reconstruction required modification. Two revised formulas are proposed to improve accuracy of reconstructions: an addition prediction formula for ease of use and a multiplication prediction formula for more precise results on those skulls outside of the mean range.

Membrane proteins of the P388D1 macrophage cell line: isolation of membrane polypeptides that bind to the Fc portion of aggregated IgG.

Lactoperoxidase-catalyzed cell surface radioiodination was employed to radiolabel membrane polypeptides of a murine macrophage cell line P388D1. Optimal conditions for radioiodination of P388D1 cells were determined and were found to differ from conditions used to label lymphoid cells. SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of detergent soluble membrane polypeptides revealed that 9 to 10 molecular species from 1 X 10(5) to 0.15 X 10(5) daltons were labeled. Radioiodinated, Triton X-100 extracted P388D1 membrane polypeptides were subjected to affinity chromatography on aggregated IgG:Sepharose columns. Elution of the bound polypeptides and analysis by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed polypeptides with an apparent molecular size of 8 X 10(4), which possess binding affinity for the Fc portion of aggregated IgG. The 8 X 10(4) dalton membrane polypeptides do not readily aggregate, are resistant to degradation, are not composed of disulfide-linked subunits, and do not appear to contain much carbohydrate. Cellular binding characteristics paralleled the binding of soluble receptor for sieved fractions of aggregated IgG suggesting that these polypeptides may be responsible for the in situ binding of aggregated IgG to P388D1 cells.