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Goals: To examine the prevalence of chemotherapy-or radiotherapy-associated side effects and related treatment burden, and correlates of fatigue and missed work days among cancer patients.Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a dual sampling frame of 63,949 cancer patients (35,751 from an online panel and 28,198 from telephone listings) > or = 18 years receiving chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy at the time of the survey or during the previous 12 months. Data were collected on cancer type, time since diagnosis, treatment side effects, visits, caregiver burden, missed work days, and sociodemographic characteristics. Data are presented only for patients receiving cancer treatment at the time of the survey.Main Results: Of the 15,532 patients (24%) who responded to the screening questionnaire, 1,572 met the eligibility criteria and 1,569 completed the survey; 814 received chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy at the time of the survey. The most common side effects were fatigue (80%), pain (48%), and nausea/vomiting (48%). Patients spent 4.5 h, on average, per visit to treat side effects. Approximately 43% of the patients were employed; of these, 78% were actively working. Employed patients missed, on average, 18 work days annually for side effect treatment. Females, younger and unemployed patients, and those with higher levels of anxiety and depression experienced more fatigue; patients with a greater number of side effects endured more missed work days.Conclusions: In addition to the symptomatic experience of side effects, patients reported a considerable time burden for treatment. It is important to consider supportive care strategies that may effectively reduce side effects and their associated treatment burden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stimulatory effect of earthworms ( Lumbricus terrestris L.) on soil microbial activity was studied under microcosm-controlled conditions. The hypothesis was tested that microbial stimulation observed in the presence of a soil invertebrate would be due to the utilization of additional nutritive substances (secretion and excretion products) that it provides. Changes in microbial activity were monitored by measuring simultaneously CO2 release and protozoan population density. The increase in CO2 released in the presence of earthworms was found to result from both earthworm respiration and enhanced microbial respiration. The stimulation of microbial activity was confirmed by a significant increase in protozoan population density, which was 3–19 times greater in the presence of earthworms. The respiratory rate of L. terrestris was estimated to be 53 μl O2 g–1 h–1. Earthworm respiration significantly correlated with individual earthworm weight, but there was no correlation between the increase in microbial respiration and earthworm weight. This finding does not support the hypothesis given above that enhanced microbial respiration is due to utilization of earthworm excreta. A new hypothesis that relationships between microbial activity and earthworms are not based on trophic links alone but also on catalytic mechanisms is proposed and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this work was to assess the influence of redox conditions on benzoate biodegradation coupled with oxygen and nitrate as electron acceptors. A benzoate-degrading, facultatively denitrifying bacterium was isolated from a sediment sample and was tentatively identified as Comamonas terrigena (strain J92-6). The experimental system was based on sand columns that were filled with liquid medium containing benzoate and nitrate. The columns were inoculated to provide a fixed biofilm on the sand. Conditions were created by aeration, dinitrogen-purging, and sodium sulfide amendment that comprised oxic, anoxic, and reduced (–375 mV) zones, respectively, at different depths of the columns. Anaerobic biodegradation of benzoate was nitrate-dependent and proceeded at all redox potential values ranging from +400 to –375 mV. Thus, benzoate degradation coupled with denitrification was not inhibited at low redox potentials characteristic of sulfate reduction and methanogenesis. The results demonstrate that the fixed biofilm column system can be successfully used to evaluate the influence of environmental factors on the biodegradation of benzoate, a central decomposition product of anaerobic, aromatic hydrocarbon biodegradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]