No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

Background-The profound hypogonadism that occurs with androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) for prostate cancer (PCa) results in complications such as diabetes and metabolic syndrome that predispose to cardiovascular disease. Since phytoestrogens have been associated with an improvement in metabolic parameters, we evaluated their role in men undergoing ADT. Objective-To evaluate the effects of high-dose isoflavones on metabolic and inflammatory parameters in men undergoing ADT. Methods-This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 12-week pilot study. Participants were randomly assigned to receive 20 g of soy protein containing 160 mg of total isoflavones vs taste-matched placebo (20 g whole milk protein). The study was conducted at a tertiary care center in the United States. Results-Thirty-three men (isoflavones=17, placebo=16) undergoing ADT for PCa completed this pilot study. Mean age in the two groups was 69 years and majority of men were Caucasians. Mean duration of ADT in both groups was approximately 2 years (P=0.70). The two groups were well-matched at baseline. After 12-weeks of intervention, there was no significant difference in either metabolic or inflammatory parameters between the two groups. Conclusion-High-dose isoflavones over a course of 12-weeks do not improve metabolic or inflammatory parameters in androgen deprived men.

This paper draws on "hyperlocal" journalism scholarship to investigate aspects of the civic function of Australian local journalism in the digital age. The paper uses case studies based on interviews with media practitioners and civic leaders from three disparate communities. The interviews are thematically analysed to understand the civic functions of local journalism and news media and the effects on these functions caused by digital disruption. The research finds community groups are engaging with social media, particularly Facebook, to connect locals to services and community news. It finds community service providers are increasingly adept at using social media and, in many cases, prefer it to legacy media to gather, disseminate and exchange news information. Concurrently, legacy media have lost newsroom resources and journalists, hampering their capacity to practice "shoe leather" journalism and making them more dependent on official sources without independent verification. News outlets are adapting to a reduced financial base to support their journalism including forming symbiotic relationships with non-media news providers. This paper finds that as legacy media news coverage shrinks there are promising alternatives for fostering civic discourse and engagement in local communities through digital technologies but reduced capacity for verified, independent journalism.