Aims To develop a representative, self‐report assessment of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) for men and women, the symptoms of Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction Research Network Symptom Index‐29 (LURN SI‐29). Methods Women and men seeking treatment for LUTS at one of six academic medical centers in the US were assessed at baseline, 3‐month and 12‐month intervals. Twelve‐month data on 78 LURN SI‐29 items were analyzed among 353 women and 420 men using exploratory factor analysis (EFA), with factor structure confirmed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Internal consistency, reliability, and validity of the five developed scales were evaluated by assessing correlations with the American Urological Association Symptom Index (AUA‐SI), the genitourinary pain index (GUPI), and the Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory‐20 (PFDI‐20), and by examining expected sex differences in scores. Results EFA results (n = 150 women; 150 men) produced an interpretable eight‐factor solution, with three of the factors comprised of dichotomous items addressing LUTS‐associated sensations. The remaining five factors, confirmed with CFA in an independent sample of 473 participants, produced five scales: incontinence, urgency, voiding difficulty, bladder pain, and nocturia. Subscales and total LURN SI‐29 scores were correlated as expected with AUA‐SI, GUPI, and PFDI‐20. LURN SI‐29 scores also performed as expected in differentiating men from women based upon clinically expected differences, with men reporting more voiding difficulties and nocturia, and women reporting more urgency and incontinence. Conclusions The LURN SI‐29 questionnaire has the potential to improve research and clinical outcome measurement for both men and women with LUTS.

Life cycle changes in bone mineralization and bone size traits of the tibia and humerus were evaluated in commercial male and female broilers using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). Experiment 1 evaluated weekly changes in bone traits from 2 to 7 wk of age, whereas experiment 2 compared the bone traits of 4 strains of commercial meat-type chickens from 4 to 8 wk of age. Birds were restrained without anesthesia, and the humerus and tibia were scanned in vivo. After each scan, individual BW was determined. From the DEXA scans, bone mineral density (BMD), bone mineral content (BMC), as well as bone length, width, and area were determined. Bone mineralization and size traits were analyzed as an analysis of covariance with BW as the covariate. If BW was NS as a covariate, then an ANOVA was used. The BMD reached its peak at 4 wk of age. The BMC of the humerus changed little from 2 to 8 wk of age, whereas tibial BMC increased as the birds aged, especially in males (P < 0.0001). In experiment 1, bone length, width, and area also increased with age (P < 0.0001), with the tibia growing in length at a faster rate than the humerus. In experiment 2, the BMD did not differ among the 4 strains of commercial broilers. Interactions with strain of chicken were also NS, indicating that all strains of chickens responded similarly with respect to age (4, 6, and 8 wk of age), sex, and type of bone (humerus vs. tibia). Coefficients of variation for BMD ranged from 15 to 16%, indicating a potential use of DEXA for selection to improve skeletal integrity. In conclusion, the tibia continued to grow, especially after the initiation of the growth spurt at 3 to 4 wk of age, as indicated by bone length, width, and BMC, but it did not become denser in mineral after 4 wk of age as its surface area increased.

Purpose: Male urinary incontinence (UI) is thought to be infrequent. We sought to describe the prevalence of UI in a male treatment-seeking cohort enrolled in the Symptoms of Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction Research Network (LURN). Materials and Methods: The inclusion/exclusion criteria, including men with prostate cancer or a neurogenic bladder, have been previously reported. LURN participants prospectively completed questionnaires regarding lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and other clinical variables. Men were grouped based on type of incontinence (1=non-UI; 2=post-void dribbling [PVD] only; 3=UI). Comparisons were made using analysis of variance and multivariable regression. Results: Among 477 men, 24% reported non-UI, 44% PVD only, and 32% UI. Black men and those with sleep apnea were more likely to be in the UI group compared with the non-UI group (odds ratio [OR]=3.2, p=0.02 and OR=2.73, p=0.003, respectively). UI was associated with significantly (p<0.001) higher bother compared to those without leakage. Compared to men without UI and men with PVD only, men with UI were significantly (p<0.01) more likely to report higher scores (more severe symptoms) on patient-reported outcomes measurement information system (PROMIS) questionnaires regarding bowel issues, depression, and anxiety, compared to those without UI. Conclusions: UI is common among treatment-seeking men. This is concerning because the guideline-recommended questionnaires for assessing male LUTS do not query for UI. Thus, clinicians may be missing an opportunity to intervene and improve patient care. This provides a substantial rationale for a new or updated symptom questionnaire that provides a more comprehensive symptom assessment.