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The Dutch Parliament claims to be one of the oldest, if not the oldest parliament still in function today, with roots tracing back to the 'States-General' of 17 provinces in the Low Countries that assembled for the first time in 1464. Historiography also tends to stress the remarkable continuity and stability of the Dutch Parliament, with rules, practices and traditions handed over from one generation to another – seemingly irrespective of regime changes. Continuity indeed is a significant aspect of Dutch parliamentary culture. This article will show that this is a result of an ongoing historical process of adaptation and re-negotiation, and by no means has it been self-evident. Confronted with internal and external challenges of the established (working) order, the Dutch Parliament throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries sought to reconciliate 'the old' with 'new' ideas on how to put parliamentarism, representation, and deliberative democracy into daily practice. In fact, this has been at the heart of every discussion on parliamentary procedure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: Complaints about menopause vary between cultures, and the experience of menopause changes significantly in women living in different countries. Limited evidence is available regarding the menopausal experience among Asian women. This study aims to explore the menopausal transition experiences of Vietnamese women. Methods: A qualitative inquiry was undertaken using the grounded theory approach. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and analyzed following constructivist grounded theory methods. Results: In the early transition, women's lives underwent many challenges. They had physical manifestations of menopause and difficulty in their sexual life. Later, women identified that their psychosocial impacts were affected, leading to emotional changes and changes in perceptions of others about the menopausal transition. The study also showed that each woman had their own beliefs and religion. Finally, after experiencing physical and mental changes, women found methods for discomfort relief. These methods included seeking information, applying strategies to manage menopausal challenges and consequences, and maintaining balance. Implications for Practice: The diverse perspectives on women's menopausal transition can help nurses and other health care professionals to provide culturally appropriate care for women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we study the changing position of parliament regarding public meetings in Germany and the Netherlands between 1870 and 1914. In the second half of the nineteenth century, parliaments in both countries were confronted with the challenge of how to justify their position, and whether and how to integrate the claims and longings of new groups into political decision-making. Public meetings offered a unique place to get in touch with voters and get direct knowledge of the constituents' needs and wishes. Based on the minutes of the Reichstag and Tweede Kamer, we argue that public meetings were increasingly conceived as a legitimate source of public opinion. Although parliamentary traditions and legal frameworks were different in Germany and the Netherlands, we demonstrate that there are interesting parallels in argumentation. In both countries, the question of freedom of expression, access to the meeting hall and an orderly style of debate were central. Public opinion was no longer considered the intellectual affair of an elite and taking 'the voice of the people' seriously could now also provide legitimacy to parliamentary politics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bladder cancer is a heterogeneous disease. Treatment decisions are mostly decided based on disease stage (non-muscle invasive or muscle invasive). Patients with muscle-invasive disease will be offered a radical treatment combined with systemic therapy, while in those with non-muscle-invasive disease, an attempt to resect the tumor endoscopically will usually be followed by different intravesical instillations. The goal of intravesical therapy is to decrease the recurrence and/or progression of the tumor. In the current landscape of bladder cancer treatment, BCG is given intravesically to induce an inflammatory response and recruit immune cells to attack the malignant cells and induce immune memory. While the response to BCG treatment has changed the course of bladder cancer management and spared many "bladders", some patients may develop BCG-unresponsive disease, leaving radical surgery as the best choice of curative treatment. As a result, a lot of effort has been put into identifying novel therapies like systemic pembrolizumab and Nadofaragene-Firadenovac to continue sparing bladders if BCG is ineffective. Moreover, recent logistic issues with BCG production caused a worldwide BCG shortage, re-sparking interest in alternative BCG treatments including mitomycin C, sequential gemcitabine with docetaxel, and others. This review encompasses both the historic and current role of BCG in the treatment of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer, revisiting BCG alternative therapies and reviewing the novel therapeutics that were approved for the BCG-unresponsive stage or are under active investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temporary elevation of tumor temperature, also known as hyperthermia, is a safe and well-tolerated treatment modality. The efficacy of hyperthermia can be improved by efficient thermosensitizers, and various candidate drugs, including inhibitors of the heat stress response, have been explored in vitro and in animal models, but clinically relevant thermosensitizers are lacking. Here, we employ unbiased in silico approaches to uncover new mechanisms and compounds that could be leveraged to increase the thermosensitivity of cancer cells. We then focus on elesclomol, a well-performing compound, which amplifies cell killing by hyperthermia by 5- to 20-fold in cell lines and outperforms clinically applied chemotherapy when combined with hyperthermia in vitro. Surprisingly, our findings suggest that the thermosensitizing effects of elesclomol are independent of its previously reported modes of action but depend on copper shuttling. Importantly, we show that, like elesclomol, multiple other copper shuttlers can thermosensitize, suggesting that disturbing copper homeostasis could be a general strategy for improving the efficacy of hyperthermia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bladder cancer (BC) is one of the most common malignant tumors in the urinary system, and its high recurrence rate is a great economic burden to patients. Traditional diagnosis and treatment methods have the disadvantages of insufficient targeting, obvious side effects and low sensitivity, which seriously limit the accurate diagnosis and efficient treatment of BC. Due to their small size, easy surface modification, optical properties such as plasmon resonance, and surface enhanced Raman scattering, good electrical conductivity and photothermal conversion properties, nanomaterials have great potential application value in the realization of specific diagnosis and targeted therapy of BC. At present, the application of nanomaterials in the diagnosis and treatment of BC is attracting great attention and achieving rich research results. Therefore, this paper summarizes the recent research on nanomaterials in the diagnosis and treatment of BC, clarifies the existing advantages and disadvantages, and provides theoretical guidance for promoting the accurate diagnosis and efficient treatment of BC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recommended treatment for patients with high-risk non–muscle-invasive bladder cancer (HR-NMIBC) is tumor resection followed by adjuvant Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) bladder instillations. However, only 50% of patients benefit from this therapy. If progression to advanced disease occurs, then patients must undergo a radical cystectomy with risks of substantial morbidity and poor clinical outcome. Identifying tumors unlikely to respond to BCG can translate into alternative treatments, such as early radical cystectomy, targeted therapies, or immunotherapies. Here, we conducted molecular profiling of 132 patients with BCG-naive HR-NMIBC and 44 patients with recurrences after BCG (34 matched), which uncovered three distinct BCG response subtypes (BRS1, 2 and BRS3). Patients with BRS3 tumors had a reduced recurrence-free and progression-free survival compared with BRS1/2. BRS3 tumors expressed high epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and basal markers and had an immunosuppressive profile, which was confirmed with spatial proteomics. Tumors that recurred after BCG were enriched for BRS3. BRS stratification was validated in a second cohort of 151 BCG-naive patients with HR-NMIBC, and the molecular subtypes outperformed guideline-recommended risk stratification based on clinicopathological variables. For clinical application, we confirmed that a commercially approved assay was able to predict BRS3 tumors with an area under the curve of 0.87. These BCG response subtypes will allow for improved identification of patients with HR-NMIBC at the highest risk of progression and have the potential to be used to select more appropriate treatments for patients unlikely to respond to BCG. Editor's summary: Intravesical administration of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is used as adjuvant treatment for high-risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (HR-NMIBC). However, about half of treated patients will experience recurrence, and predicting non-response could lead to earlier use of alternative treatments and potentially improved survival. Here, de Jong and colleagues performed molecular profiling on two cohorts of patients with HR-NMIBC. They identified three BCG response subtypes; BRS3 tumors were more aggressive and were associated with immune suppressive features and poorer progression-free survival. The BCG response subtypes performed better than current risk stratification approaches, and a commercially available qPCR-based assay could identify patients with BRS3 NR-NMIBC, highlighting the utility of these molecular subtypes in identifying those at highest risk of progression. —Melissa Norton [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates the first generation of peasant farmers elected to modern representative assemblies in Denmark. I argue that the contributions of the first peasant farmer politicians are an important but overlooked part of the history of democratisation in Denmark. The peasant farmer members were uneducated and unable to speak in a way considered suitable for parliament. For that reason, they were deemed unfit for political participation by their contemporaries and have been similarly judged in most of the existing literature. The peasant farmer members were not as timidly passive as they have been described. Instead of speaking, they used petitions to gain a voice in parliament. The farmer members thus introduced petitioning as a form of political participation in parliamentary politics, a practice that remains central to popular politics today. The actions of the peasant farmer politicians challenged the existing boundaries of what was considered appropriate political practice and thereby expanded the repertoire of forms of political participation available to the uneducated majority of the population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Nieuwe Tijdingen is the property of Leuven University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Serum N-glycan patterns from 50 Crohn's disease (CD) patients and 50 healthy controls were acquired using a carbon matrix, from which eight N-glycans with significant difference were screened out to reveal remarkale performance for CD diagnosis. This research is expected to help future glycan-based disease detection not limited to CD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To define the clinical and pathological patterns of urinary bladder carcinoma from the University Hospital of Nepal. Methods: This is a retrospective analytical study. Patients with bladder mass who underwent surgery over 1 year and who had data record were included in the study. Demographic profile, type of surgery, findings on clinical examination, cystoscopy findings, histopathological report, tumor stage, and post-surgery adjuvant therapy were analyzed. Results: Out of 86 patients who underwent transurethral resection of bladder tumor, 77 patients had biopsy-proven malignant bladder tumor. Urothelial cancer was present in 96.1%. Male were 78.6%. The mean age of diagnosis was 65.5 ± 11.8 years. Non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) was 3.7 times more common than muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). High-grade tumors (58.6%) were more common than low grade (41.4%). The detrusor muscle was present inthe biopsy specimen of 48 patients (64%). Re-TURBT within 2–6 weeks was considered based on histopathology reports for about half of the patients (45.3%). Upstaging and upgrading of the tumor was present in 5.8 and 5.8% of the patients, respectively. Residual tumor without upstaging and upgrading was present in 23.5%. One patient (1.3%) had Clavien–Dindo grade 1, three (4%) patients had grade 2 and two patients (2.7%) had grade 3b. Conclusion: In the present study, patients with bladder cancer are younger than reported in other studies. Smokers are strongly predisposed. The histological pattern is similar to the Western and Asian populations. NMIBC and MIBC occur in proportion to that described as in other studies. We had a lower rate of recurrence, upstaging and upgrading. We had a lesser rate of acceptance for radical cystectomy in our patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Batavian Revolution in the winter of 1794-1795 was greeted with song and dance all over the Netherlands. The f irst months of festivities were not, however, simply spontaneous expressions of joy over regained freedom, they were carefully designed events that had to bring people together after years of political turbulence. During these celebrations, the singing of revolutionary songs functioned as a practice that concretised abstract revolutionary ideals and made them available to the experience of the singers. As such, the revolutionary festivals and their songs offered people both spaces in which to imagine the shape of a new Batavian order, as well as opportunities to participate in and identify with this new order. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study evaluated the efficacy of a single instillation of pirarubicin with a short retention time for preventing intravesical recurrence of low-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer. Patients and Methods: We analyzed 165 patients with low-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer who underwent transurethral surgery. Single instillation of pirarubicin with 15-min retention time immediate after surgery was performed in 47 (28%) patients. The other patients (118, 72%) were treated without instillation therapy. The primary endpoint was recurrence-free survival. Results: Median overall follow-up was 50 (range=6-134) months. Recurrence-free survival at 1 and 5 years was 91% and 72%, and 79% and 54% in the group treated with pirarubicin, and that treated with surgery alone, respectively (p=0.031). Cox’s hazard analysis revealed lack of instillation and larger tumor size (>10 mm) as significant factors for risk of recurrence. No adverse events regarding intravesical chemotherapy were observed. Conclusion: Pirarubicin instillation with 15-min retention time can prevent intravesical recurrence of low-risk bladder tumors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we present a rhetorical-historical analysis of the speech Maranatha by Dutch politician and former pastor Abraham Kuyper. Kuyper's style of speech stands out in nineteenth century Dutch political culture, as it is generally more expressive and aimed at the public compared to the pragmatic and legal style of his colleagues in Parliament. Through close reading of the speech Maranatha, we show how Kuyper's political rhetoric was influenced by various rhetorical elocutio and pathos strategies from pulpit oratory that he learned during his time as a pastor. By reconstructing the professors, academic tradition and homiletic manuals that influenced Kuyper's theological education, we have determined four main advices for pulpit oratory: 1) choose one main theme that is well known, 2) create a feeling of unity through 'venturing' into the public, 3) make sure the speech is understandable to a large public and 4) use stylistic pathos figures in order to move the audience. Kuyper employs all four advices in Maranatha for the purpose of creating a sense of unity within his audience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Personal attacks abound in Dutch parliamentary history. This article considers personal insults and character attacks as an intrinsic part of parliamentary debate. But how widespread is the phenomenon? What forms of ad hominem arguments can be distinguished in the history of Dutch parliamentary debate? When and to what extent do parliamentarians deem the abusive attack acceptable? Drawing on a rich source of language ruled to be unparliamentary in Dutch parliament from 1934 until 2001, the article will reflect on the complicated nature of personal attacks within the context of parliaments: often condemned as indecent, yet appreciated as a cunning debating strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Urologie Pro Praxi is the property of SOLEN sro and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article sets out guidelines for law reform processes to account for the challenges that terrorism may pose to the rule of law and democracy. As a response to terrorism, an increase in reforms of laws and administrative measures has been seen across jurisdictions. The substantive offenses themselves have been criticized, but as of yet, the theoretical issues that may arise during processes of reform have not been considered. However, law reform as a direct and immediate response to such events may curtail the rule of law and democracy: there may be inadequate time for debate in the legislature regarding proposed measures, or the debate may be centered on arguments based on fear and hate toward perpetrators. This article argues that this may curtail individual autonomy of citizens and truncate democracy. It sets out guidelines for how processes of law reform may treat people as capable of self-moderation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article I examine how state formation in the revolutionary and Napoleonic period was experienced by inhabitants of the Dutch island of Ameland. I focus on chronicling and petitioning, two activities that were performed by ordinary people. The microhistorical perspective adopted in this article reveals more continuity in the way political transformations were experienced than an institutional outlook might suggest. Between 1780 and 1815 the Netherlands developed from an oligarchic confederacy of local administrative units into an autocratic and centralized monarchy. Yet the people of Ameland continued to understand political authority and political representation very much in old-regime terms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Petitions, loyal addresses, plebiscites, and other displays of popular consent accompanied most episodes of the revolutionary and Napoleonic expansion of France between 1789 and 1814. Petitioning had been adapted and transformed in France during the revolution, through which it became associated to popular sovereignty. Historians have often studied popular mobilisation through the prism of the conquest of rights, thereby pitting subordinate groups against entrenched ruling classes. This article surveys a different development, as French revolutionary administrators and generals, and Napoleon himself, adapted and reconfigured petitioning as a top-down tool for territorial expansion and empire-building, using it to invoke the supposed popular acquiescence to their reconfiguration of the political map of Europe. French propaganda portrayed these initiatives within the same interpretative framework that discussed the value of other, more autonomous, petitions. This work will thus analyse the paradox of top-down-controlled mobilisations that, at the same time, reinforced the symbolic pre-eminence of popular consent and participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Polish Otolaryngology / Otolaryngologia Polska is the property of Index Copernicus International and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objectives: The main goals of this study were to assess the most significant morphological changes and acoustic measures for the ageing process of a professional opera singer's voice. Design: This investigation included 58 healthy professional opera singers, who were compared with 42 young opera singers from the control group. Methods: All participants underwent a voice assessment protocol: ENT specialist examination and speech therapist evaluation. Acoustic parameters and subjective observations were obtained and analysed. Results: Fundamental frequency (F0) level was distinctly decreased in the case of older female singers, but F0 in older male singers had stable levels in comparison to that in younger singers. Older singers were found not to have substantially different values of jitter than younger ones. Maximal phonation time (MPT) was longer in the older women's group when compared to the younger singers, but not relatively different in the men's group. Shimmer value presented no age-related change. Morphological changes seem to correlate with the age of subjects. Conclusions: The main characteristic of voice change with age was a decreased F0 level among older female professional singers and rather stable F0 levels in male singers. This study gives preliminary results on the ageing of voice in the population of professional opera singers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Despite positive responses in phase II clinical trials, the bioreductive prodrug apaziquone failed to achieve statistically significant activity in non-muscle invasive bladder cancer in phase III trials. Apaziquone was administered shortly after transurethral resection and here we test the hypothesis that haematuria inactivates apaziquone.Methods: HPLC analysis was used to determine the ability of human whole blood to metabolise apaziquone ex vivo. An in vitro model of haematuria was developed and the response of RT112 and EJ138 cells following a 1-h exposure to apaziquone was determined in the presence of urine plus or minus whole blood or lysed whole blood.Results: HPLC analysis demonstrated that apaziquone is metabolised by human whole blood with a half-life of 78.6 ± 23.0 min. As a model for haematuria, incubation of cells in media containing up to 75% buffered (pH 7.4) urine and 25% whole blood was not toxic to cells for a 1-h exposure period. Whole blood (5% v/v) significantly (p < 0.01) reduced the potency of apaziquone in this experimental model. Lysed whole blood also significantly (p < 0.05) reduced cell growth, although higher concentrations were required to achieve an effect (15% v/v).Conclusions: The results of this study demonstrate that haematuria can reduce the potency of apaziquone in this experimental model. These findings impact upon the design of further phase III clinical trials and strongly suggest that apaziquone should not be administered immediately after transurethral resection of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer when haematuria is common. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Menopause is a physiologic phase in women life involving hormonal changes that could lead to severe menopausal symptoms and thereafter affecting one's quality of life. Moreover, army wives lead stressful lives. In this study, we aimed to determine quality of life among army wives during menopausal transition as well as to investigate possible association between socio-demographics and their quality of life. Seventy- five army wives were recruited. Mean age of menopause reported was 51.7 (± 2.5 SD). Physical domain was the most reported menopausal symptoms followed by psychosocial, sexual and vasomotor. Most army wives reported having lack of energy (78.7%), feeling worn out (77.3%) and decreased in physical energy (76%). Least reported symptom was change in facial hair (25.3%). Menopausal stages were significantly associated with MENQOL domains changes except sexual domain (p<0.05). Army wives in the early perimenopausal stage was most affected in psychological and physical domain. Overall MENQOL scores were associated with household income, spouse's division and rank (p<0.05). Spouse support is crucial during the menopausal transition. As such, intervention such as awareness, education and counselling can help these army wives to improve their QoL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses articles in the issue on topics including petitions in English parliamentary culture, historiography of petitioning terminology and Scots law.

The article presents a compilation of notices of periodicals and occasional publications in 2017 that were sent to "The English Historical Review," which includes the "20th Century British History," "Anglo-Norman Studies" and "American Historical Review".

Despite an extensive evidence base on contraceptive method choice, it remains uncertain which factors are most influential in predisposing women toward certain methods and against others. This paper addresses this gap in knowledge by making use of rarely-measured perceptions about specific methods, perceived social network experience of methods, and women's own past experiences using specific methods. We draw on baseline data from the project, "Improving Measurement of Unintended Pregnancy and Unmet Need for Family Planning." Using conditional logit analysis, we ascertain which perceived method-specific attributes, including past experience of methods by women themselves and by their friends, predict preferred future contraceptive method among 317 women living in Nairobi slums who are using no method but intend to start in the next 12 months. Results show that satisfaction with past use, positive experience of use by a woman's social network, husband/partner's approval, lack of interference with menses, and perception of safety for long term use were all associated with choice of a future method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intravesical instillation of Bacillus Calmette-Guerin is one of the standard treatment options for superficial bladder cancer. While Bacillus Calmette-Guerin therapy is usually well tolerated with most patients experiencing only cystitis, in rare cases, it can lead to disseminated granulomatous disease. We present a case of a 72-year-old man with disseminated granulomatous disease from intravesical BCG instillation whose treatment was complicated by antimycobacterial drug toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Intravesical chemotherapy administered within 24 h of the first resection of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) reduces recurrence rates and prolongs recurrence-free intervals. However, there is considerable variation in the use of intravesical chemotherapy amongst urologists. In our hospital, we use mitomycin C (MMC), and our usage was inconsistent. Therefore, we devised a care bundle to improve MMC usage. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the care bundle on postoperative MMC use.Methods: We measured baseline postoperative MMC use during the first quarter of 2013. In 2014, we implemented a care bundle by changing MMC delivery, through computer-based clinical information systems and repeated training of key stakeholders. We studied the performance of the bundle through snapshot audits in the last quarter of 2014, a 6-month period in the middle of 2015 and again in the final quarter of 2016.Results: We observed an increase in intravesical chemotherapy usage after implementing the care bundle. Instillation rates in our samples increased from 46% (6/13), in 2013 to 89% (8/9), in 2014, 90% (9/10), in 2015 and 100% (12/12), in 2016.Conclusion: Compliance rates of intravesical chemotherapy in NMIBC can improve by devising care bundles to modify team behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Single immediate intravesical instillation of chemotherapy after transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) has been the gold standard treatment for patients with low- and intermediate-risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). Herein, we conducted a multicenter prospective randomized controlled trial in Japan, comparing recurrence-free survival between single and two-time instillation of pirarubicin (THP) for solitary NMIBC.Methods: Between 2005 and 2009, 257 patients with solitary NMIBC were enrolled and randomized to single instillation of THP (30 mg/50 mL) immediately after TURBT (Group A) or two-time instillation of THP immediately after and 1 day after TURBT (Group B). The primary endpoint was recurrence-free survival. Secondary endpoints included rates of recurrence and adverse effects, including hematuria, micturition pain, difficult urination, pollakiuria, systemic symptoms, and other complications. This study was registered as UMIN C000000266.Results: Of 257 patients, 99 in Group A and 102 in Group B could be evaluated for recurrence. Median follow-up was 71 months. The overall recurrence rate was 39 and 31%, respectively (p = 0.2704). Although the 5-year recurrence-free survival rates were 55.9% and 67.7% in groups A and B, respectively, the difference between groups was not significant (p = 0.2031). No significant differences in adverse effects were observed between groups, except for pollakiuria (7 vs 22%, p = 0.0031). Multivariate analyses did not show that the treatment group was a significant risk factor for bladder cancer recurrence.Conclusions: Postoperative two-time intravesical instillation of THP was not superior to single immediate instillation for preventing recurrence after complete resection of a solitary NMIBC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soy and soy-based foods are considered healthy, particularly in many Asia-Pacific countries, where soy products have long been consumed. Soy and soy-related products have been found to help prevent the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases and certain types of cancer, such as breast and prostate cancer. These products can also have antioxidative effects that alleviate hot flashes during menopause and bone loss. These biological and therapeutic functions are primarily due to the isoflavones derived from soy, whose structure is similar to the structure of 17-β-oestradiol. Despite the many health benefits for humans and animals, the application of isoflavones remains controversial because of their anti-oestrogenic properties. We focused on general information regarding isoflavones, as well as their structure, function, and application. We summarized evidence showing that dietary or supplemental isoflavones exert protective effects on the health of humans and animals. Based on the literature, we conclude that soy foods and isoflavones may be effective and safe; however, more high-quality trials are needed to fully substantiate their potential use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Batavian Republic saw a series of constitutional referenda between the years 1796 and 1805. During these years, the Netherlands had to deal with a revolution, a new political system, new democratic institutions and a series of constitutions. For the first time the people received constitutional power under the new doctrine of popular sovereignty. The chosen representatives choose to bring the constitutional draft in a referendum to the public. Why did they choose for direct democracy in an otherwise representative democracy? This research shows that the answer can be found in the principles of Rousseau's Du contrat social. The Batavian politicians saw the referendum as the means to establish a constitutional social contract of the sovereign people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report here an innovative feature of green nanotechnology-focused work showing that mangiferin―a glucose functionalized xanthonoid, found in abundance in mango peels―serves dual roles of chemical reduction and in situ encapsulation, to produce gold nanoparticles with optimum in vivo stability and tumor specific characteristics. The interaction of mangiferin with a Au-198 gold precursor affords MGF-198AuNPs as the beta emissions of Au-198 provide unique advantages for tumor therapy while gamma rays are used for the quantitative estimation of gold within the tumors and various organs. The laminin receptor specificity of mangiferin affords specific accumulation of therapeutic payloads of this new therapeutic agent within prostate tumors (PC-3) of human prostate tumor origin induced in mice which overexpress this receptor subtype. Detailed in vivo therapeutic efficacy studies, through the intratumoral delivery of MGF-198AuNPs, show the retention of over 80% of the injected dose (ID) in prostate tumors up to 24 h. By three weeks post treatment, tumor volumes of the treated group of animals showed an over 5 fold reduction as compared to the control saline group. New opportunities for green nanotechnology and a new paradigm of using mangiferin as a tumor targeting agent in oncology for the application of MGF-198AuNPs in the treatment of cancer are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infertility is a worldwide public health issue that exerts an in-depth impact on couples, families, communities and the individual. This reproductive health condition, along with fertility treatments, often forces couples to question their purpose and meaning in life, and to begin a spiritual journey. Nursing and midwifery literature describes the care of those living with infertility, but often lacks a clear approach of the spiritual dimension, and diagnosis and interventions may not be effectively addressed. In this paper, we present a discussion about spirituality and the assessment of spiritual needs such as hope, beliefs, meaning and satisfaction in life. In addition, spiritual needs are defined, for both nurses and midwives, and spiritual interventions are proposed for promoting couples' resilience and spiritual well-being. Spirituality should be considered from the beginning to the end of life. It is necessary to translate this into the development and implementation of both specific policies regarding a spiritual approach and advanced education and training programs for nurses and midwives who care for infertile couples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effectiveness for vasomotor symptoms and sleep disorders plus the long-term safety of a nutraceutical combination of agnus-castus and magnolia extracts combined with soy isoflavones (SI) and lactobacilli were assessed in postmenopausal women. A controlled study was carried out in menopausal women comparing this nutraceutical combination (ESP group) with a formulation containing isoflavones alone (C group) at the dosage recommended. The Kuppermann index, The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and Short Form 36 (SF-36) were determined at baseline, three, six and 12 months. Endometrial thickness, mammary density and liver function were evaluated at baseline and after 12 months. One hundred and eighty women were enrolled in the study (100 in the ESP group and 80 in the C group). At the end of the treatment, mammary density, endometrial thickness, and hepatic function did not show substantial differences between groups. The Kuppermann index and particularly the tendency for hot flashes progressively and significantly decreased in frequency and severity during ESP versus C treatment. At the same time, a significant increase in sleep quality and psychophysical wellness parameters was observed in the ESP versus C groups. No adverse events were observed. Agnus-castus and magnolia, combined with SI + lactobacilli, can effectively and safely be used in symptomatic postmenopausal women, mainly when quality of sleep is the most disturbing complaint. The endometrium, mammary glands and liver function were unaffected after 12 months of treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decreased expression of tumor suppressor DAB2IP is linked to aggressive cancer and radiation resistance in several malignancies, but clinical survival data is largely unknown. We hypothesized that pretreatment DAB2IP reduction would predict worse prostate cancer-specific survival (PCSS). Immunohistochemistry of pretreatment biopsies was scored by an expert genitourinary pathologist. Other endpoints analyzed include freedom from biochemical failure (FFBF), castration resistance-free survival (CRFS), and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS). Seventy-nine patients with NCCN-defined high-risk prostate cancer treated with radiotherapy from 2005 to 2012 at our institution were evaluated. Twenty-eight percent (22/79) of pretreatment biopsies revealed DAB2IP-reduction. The median follow up times were 4.8 years and 5.3 years for patients in the DAB2IP-reduced group and DAB2IP-retained group, respectively. Patients with reduced DAB2IP demonstrated worse outcome compared to patients retaining DAB2IP, including FFBF (4-year: 34 vs. 92%; P < 0.0001), CRFS (4-year: 58 vs. 96%; P = 0.0039), DMFS (4-year: 58 vs. 100%; P = 0.0006), and PCSS (5-year: 83 vs. 100%; P = 0.0102). Univariate analysis showed T stage, N stage, and Gleason score were statistically significant variables. Pretreatment tumor DAB2IP status remained significant in multivariable analyses. This study suggests that about one-fourth of men with high-risk prostate cancer have decreased tumor expression of DAB2IP. This subpopulation with reduced DAB2IP has a suboptimal response and worse malignancy-specific survival following radiation therapy and androgen deprivation. DAB2IP loss may be a genetic explanation for the observed differences in aggressive tumor characteristics and radiation resistance. Further study into improving treatment response and survival in this subpopulation is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]