The Effects of Age, Ethnicity, Sexual Dysfunction, Urinary Incontinence, Masculinity, and Relationship with the Partner on the Quality of Life of Men with Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer, the leading cause of cancer in men, has positive survival rates and constitutes a challenge to men with its side effects. Studies have addressed the bivaritate relationships between prostate cancer treatment side effects masculinity, partner relationship, and quality of life (QOL). However, few studies have highlighted the relationships among prostate cancer treatment side effects (i.e., sexual dysfunction, urinary incontinence), masculinity, and relationship with the partner together on QOL in men. Most studies were conducted with predominately Caucasian sample of men. Miami is a unique multiethnic setting that hosts Cuban, Columbian, Venezuelan, Haitian, other Latin American and Caribbean communities that were not represented in previous literature. The purpose of this study was to examine relative contributions of age, ethnicity, sexual dysfunction, urinary incontinence, masculinity, and perception of the relationship with the partner on the quality of life in men diagnosed with prostate cancer. Data were collected using self administered questionnaires measuring demographic variables, sexual and urinary functioning (UCLA PCI), masculinity (CMNI), partner relationship (DAS), and QOL (SF-36). A total of 117 partnered heterosexual men diagnosed with prostate cancer were recruited from four urology clinics in Miami, Florida. Men were 67.47 (SD = 8.42) years old and identified themselves to be of Hispanic origin (54.3 %, n = 63). Findings demonstrated that there was a significant moderate negative relationship between urinary and sexual functioning of men. There was a significant strong negative association between men’s perceived relationship with partner and masculinity. There was a weak negative relationship between the partner relationship and QOL. Hierarchal multiple regression showed that the partner relationship (β = -.25, t (91) = -2.28, p = .03) significantly contributed overall to QOL. These findings highlight the importance of the relationship satisfaction in the QOL of men with prostate cancer. Nursing interventions to enhance QOL for these men should consider strengthening the relationship and involving the female partner as an active participant.

The effect of male -male competition and its underlying regulatory mechanisms on the electric signal of the gymnotiform fish Brachyhypopomus gauderio

Sexually-selected communication signals can be used by competing males to settle contests without incurring the costs of fighting. The ability to dynamically regulate the signal in a context-dependent manner can further minimize the costs of male aggressive interactions. Such is the case in the gymnotiform fish Brachyhypopomus gauderio, which, by coupling its electric organ discharge (EOD) waveform to endocrine systems with circadian, seasonal, and behavioral drivers, can regulate its signal to derive the greatest reproductive benefit. My dissertation research examined the functional role of the EOD plasticity observed in male B. gauderio and the physiological mechanisms that regulate the enhanced male EOD. To evaluate whether social competition drives the EOD changes observed during male-male interactions, I manipulated the number of males in breeding groups to create conditions that exemplified low and high competition and measured their EOD and steroid hormone levels. My results showed that social competition drives the enhancement of the EOD amplitude of male B. gauderio. In addition, changes in the EOD of males due to changes in their social environment were paralleled by changes in the levels of androgens and cortisol. I also examined the relationship between body size asymmetry, EOD waveform parameters, and aggressive physical behaviors during male-male interactions in B. gauderio, in order to understand more fully the role of EOD waveforms as reliable signals. While body size was the best determinant of dominance in male B. gauderio, EOD amplitude reliably predicted body condition, a composite of length and weight, for fish in good body condition. To further characterize the mechanisms underlying the relationship between male-male interactions and EOD plasticity, I identified the expression of the serotonin receptor 1A, a key player in the regulation of aggressive behavior, in the brains of B. gauderio. I also identified putative regulatory regions in this receptor in B. gauderio and other teleost fish, highlighting the presence of additional plasticity. In conclusion, male-male competition seems to be a strong selective driver in the evolution of the male EOD plasticity in B. gauderio via the regulatory control of steroid hormones and the serotonergic system.

The Effect of male-male competition and its Underlying Regulatory Mechanisms on the Electric Signal of the Gymnotiform fish Brachyhypopomus gauderio

Sexually-selected communication signals can be used by competing males to settle contests without incurring the costs of fighting. The ability to dynamically regulate the signal in a context-dependent manner can further minimize the costs of male aggressive interactions. Such is the case in the gymnotiform fish Brachyhypopomus gauderio, which, by coupling its electric organ discharge (EOD) waveform to endocrine systems with circadian, seasonal, and behavioral drivers, can regulate its signal to derive the greatest reproductive benefit. My dissertation research examined the functional role of the EOD plasticity observed in male B. gauderio and the physiological mechanisms that regulate the enhanced male EOD. To evaluate whether social competition drives the EOD changes observed during male-male interactions, I manipulated the number of males in breeding groups to create conditions that exemplified low and high competition and measured their EOD and steroid hormone levels. My results showed that social competition drives the enhancement of the EOD amplitude of male B. gauderio. In addition, changes in the EOD of males due to changes in their social environment were paralleled by changes in the levels of androgens and cortisol. I also examined the relationship between body size asymmetry, EOD waveform parameters, and aggressive physical behaviors during male-male interactions in B. gauderio, in order to understand more fully the role of EOD waveforms as reliable signals. While body size was the best determinant of dominance in male B. gauderio, EOD amplitude reliably predicted body condition, a composite of length and weight, for fish in good body condition. To further characterize the mechanisms underlying the relationship between male-male interactions and EOD plasticity, I identified the expression of the serotonin receptor 1A, a key player in the regulation of aggressive behavior, in the brains of B. gauderio. I also identified putative regulatory regions in this receptor in B. gauderio and other teleost fish, highlighting the presence of additional plasticity. In conclusion, male-male competition seems to be a strong selective driver in the evolution of the male EOD plasticity in B. gauderio via the regulatory control of steroid hormones and the serotonergic system.