Blogs@BJUI

Wong et al. [1] evaluate 19 clinical variables (training data) and three supervised machine‐learning algorithms to predict early biochemical recurrence after robot‐assisted prostatectomy. They further compare the areas under the curve (AUCs) resulting from these algorithms with the AUC of a conventional Cox regression model and conclude that the machine‐learning algorithms can produce accurate disease prognosis, perhaps better than a traditional Cox regression model. As the authors state,…

The first article of the month for 2019 is from McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada: Use of machine learning to predict early biochemical recurrence following robotic prostatectomy. McMaster University is the 4th best in Canada and makes number 77 in the Times Higher-Education rankings 2018-19. It introduced (in 1965) an accelerated three-year MD programme with classes all year round and in the 1980s the phrase "evidence-based medicine" was coined here. Hamilton is a port town…

Giulia Lane M.D. and Iryna Crescenze M.D. are Fellows in Neuro-urology and Pelvic Reconstruction in the Department of Urology at the University of Michigan. In this podcast they discuss the following BJUI Article of the Week: Cluster analysis of multiple chronic conditions associated with urinary incontinence among women in the USA Abstract Objective To identify patterns of prevalent chronic medical conditions among women with urinary incontinence (UI). Materials and Methods We…

This month, BJUI continues the Four Seasons Peer Reviewer Award recognising the hard work and dedication of our peer reviewers. Each quarter the Editor and Editorial Team  select an individual peer reviewer whose reviews over the last 3 months have stood out for their quality and timeliness. The Autumn Crown goes to Nicholas Raison. Nicholas Raison is Urology Specialist Registrar in the North London Deanery and Vattikuti Research Fellow at King’s College London. Alongside clinical urology,…

The article of the month for December 2018 is on work carried out in Guangzhou, China: Super‐mini percutaneous nephrolithotomy vs retrograde intrarenal surgery for the treatment of 1–2 cm lower‐pole renal calculi: an international multicentre randomised controlled trial. Guangzhou, on the River Pearl, is the capital of Guangdong in Southern China. It is a major port and transportation hub, and was known as Canton to early European traders. The current population is estimated to be >13…

In a recently published qualitative study, we found that urodynamic testing was acceptable to men with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), despite some reporting apprehension, discomfort or embarrassment and, at times, inadequate provision of information. Men’s experiences of urodynamics highlight ways in which clinical practice can be improved, including better communication about what to expect during and after the test, minimising embarrassment by ensuring privacy, and timely discussion of…

Maria Uloko is a Urology Resident at the University of Minnesota Hospital and Giulia Lane is a Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery Fellow at the University of Michigan. In this podcast they discuss the following BJUI Article of the Week: Urinary, bowel and sexual health in older men from Northern Ireland David W. Donnelly*, Conan Donnelly†, Therese Kearney*, David Weller‡, Linda Sharp§, Amy Downing¶, Sarah Wilding¶, PennyWright¶, Paul Kind**, James W.F. Catto††,…

The number of published systematic reviews and meta‐analyses in the urological literature has dramatically increased in recent years [1]. This is good news given their importance in guiding clinical decision‐making, guideline development and health policy. However, many of these studies are of low quality, raising concerns about the trustworthiness of their results. As with other research studies, it is therefore important for readers to have a framework for determining the quality of a given…

Dan was lost to us on Monday 5th November, 2018 after a fatal shark attack at Cid Harbour in the Whitsunday Islands, Queensland, Australia. Dan was surrounded by friends, many of them medical, who tried valiantly to resuscitate him. Other bystanders and the Queensland rescue team managed to assist in retrieving him to the nearest trauma hospital but nothing further could be done despite all best efforts. This blog in the BJUI, a journal Dan contributed to in many ways (blogs, articles, creating…