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Introduction: There are many differences between hemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD) treatments, including their impact on the psychological status of the patients. In this study, our aim was to compare the psychological statuses of HD and PD patients during the social isolation period due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: We conducted this cross-sectional study on adult HD and PD patients when the curfew measures were in effect. We used an electronic form composed of 3 sections to collect data. In the first section, we collected data on the demographics and clinical and laboratory parameters of the patients. The second and third sections consisted of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) questionnaires, respectively. Results: The HD (n = 116) and PD (n = 130) groups were similar regarding age and sex, and they had similar HADS anxiety scores. HADS depression scores were higher in PD patients (p = 0.052). IES-R scores were significantly higher in PD patients in comparison to HD patients (p = 0.001). Frequencies of abnormal HADS-anxiety (p = 0.035) and severe psychological impact (p = 0.001) were significantly higher in PD patients. Discussion/Conclusion: During the social isolation period due to the COVID-19 pandemic, HD patients had better mood profiles than PD patients. A more stable daily routine, an uninterrupted face-to-face contact with health-care workers, and social support among patients in the in-center dialysis environment might be the cause of the favorable mood status. PD patients might need additional psychological support during those periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Compared with the general population, the risk of death is substantially higher in renal transplant recipients than in age- and sex-matched individuals in the general population. In the general population, coronary artery calcification (CAC) predicts all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. In this study we aimed to analyse these relationships in renal transplant recipients. Methods We examined 178 renal transplant patients in this prospective observational cohort study. We measured CAC with multidetector spiral computed tomography using the Agatston score at multiple time points. Overall, 411 scans were performed in 178 patients over an average 12.8 years follow-up. The clinical endpoint was a composite including all-cause death and non-fatal cardiovascular events. Data analysis was performed by the joint model. Results During a follow-up of 12.8 ± 2.4 years, coronary calcification progressed over time (P < 0.001) and the clinical endpoint occurred in 54 patients. In the analysis by the joint model, both the baseline CAC score and the CAC score progression were strongly associated with the incidence rate of the composite event [hazard ratio 1.261 (95% confidence interval 1.119–1.420), P = 0.0001]. Conclusions CAC at baseline and coronary calcification progression robustly predict the risk of death and cardiovascular events in renal transplant recipients. These findings support the hypothesis that the link between the calcifying arteriopathy of renal transplant patients and clinical end points in these patients is causal in nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Taking into account the growing use of social media, this research was conducted to find out the effects of the visuals shared at Instagram to health-related life quality, psychosocial behaviour and motivations to participate exercise. Methods: The survey consisted of 38 women and 22 men as a total of 60 healthy people, aged between 23-54 years old and working as an academic or administrative staff at Uskudar University. The demographic profiles of participants are recorded. In the survey, psychosocial conditions are measured with Beck Depression Inventory and health-related quality of life is measured with SF - 36, individuals' reasons for exercising is measured with Exercise Motivations Inventory (EMI). An Instagram account opened and after the participants have started to follow this account, exercise programs, ergonomic arrangements and exercises the benefits of walking, right sleeping posture, useful effects of doing exercises shared for eight weeks period. An Instagram account opened and after the participants have started to follow this account, visuals containing up and lower extremities exercises, trunk exercises, ergonomic movements, the benefits of swimming and walking, right sleeping posture, useful effects of doing exercises shared for eight weeks period. Participants from control group did not receive these entries. After the end of eight weeks, both control and experimental groups reevaluated the surveys. Results: At the end of the survey, when groups are compared, no significant difference is found in terms of sub parameters of BDI (p=0374) and EMI (p=0,05). At Short Form - 36, significant difference is found in terms of mental health subparameter (p=0,009) between groups while there is no significant difference at the rest of the sub-parameters (p>0,05). 63,3% of the participants has applied the suggestions on visuals 1-2 times in a week while 36,7% of never applied. Significant difference is found in experimental group between participants who applied suggestions at visuals shared Instagram and those who did not applied in terms of BDI (p=0,006), mental health(p=0,029), overall health perception(p=0,012) and physical activity (p=0,018) sub-parameters of Short Form - 36, positive health (p=0,049) sub parameter of EMI. Conclusions: As a result, in this study motivation of individuals via using social media (Instagram) has a positive effect on mental health, health-related life quality and participation of exercise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To validate the actual cumulative doses delivered to the seminal vesicle (SV) depending on the organ movement using kV-Cone Beam CT (kV-CBCT) datasets acquired during prostate image-guided radiation therapy. Ten patients with intermediate risk prostate cancer treated with IMRT were included in this study. Both the prostate and the first 2 cm of the SV were included in the CTV. PTV margin was 8 mm in all directions except posterior, where it was 5 mm. Sixteen kV-CBCT scans per patient were used for assessments. After each kV-CBCT was matched with the planning CT based on prostate, the SV were recontoured as proximal, distal SV and both of them together (the whole SV). Actual delivered doses to the SV were assessed by means of DVH. The variations in certain dose-volume parameters were analyzed using the Student's test. Systematic and random errors of the SV and margins were assessed using the van-Herk formula. We observed that the SV movement in the anterior-posterior direction was significantly more compared to superior-inferior and left-right direction. The dose volume variations for the whole SV (D98%, D50%, D2%) and the distal SV (D98%, D95%, D50%) were significantly different than the planned doses. However, both the whole SV and the distal SV received the prescribed dose. Although it seems that there is a need to give larger margin to the SV in posterior direction, the actual cumulative doses delivered to SV throughout the treatment were within the prescribed dose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In clinical practice, individuals are followed up to predict the outcome event of interest, and their longitudinal measurements are collected on a regular or irregular basis. We aimed to examine the classical approach, joint model (JM), and alternative parameterization structures using data on the effect of time-varying longitudinal measurements on survival. The motivating cohort dataset included 158 consecutive kidney transplant recipients who had baseline and follow-up data. Although the longitudinal log-transformed estimated glomerular filtration rate (log[eGFR]) measurements and graft failure have an association clinically, the 2 processes are analyzed separately in the classical approach. In addition to the extended Cox model, the current value JM, the weighted cumulative effect JM, and dynamic predictions were performed in the study, by taking advantage of R codes. Of the 158 patients, 34.8% were males. The mean age was 29.8 ± 10.9 years, and the median age was 26 years at the time of transplantation. The hazard ratio for graft failure was 8.80 for a 1-unit decrease in log(eGFR) in the extended Cox model, 10.58 in the current value JM, and 3.65 in the weighted cumulative effect JM. The presence of coronary heart disease was also found to be associated with log(eGFR): 0.199 (P = .03) for the current value JM and 0.197 (P = .03) for the weighted cumulative effect JM. The current value JM was identified as a better model than the extended Cox model and the weighted cumulative effect JM based on parameter and standard error comparison and goodness of fit criteria. JMs should be preferred, as they facilitate better clinical decisions by accounting for the varying slopes and longitudinal variation of estimated glomerular filtration rate among patients. Suitable types of models should be practiced depending on baseline biomarker levels, their trends over time, the distribution of the biomarkers, and the number of longitudinal biomarkers., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Background and Aim: Noninvasive scores are developed for the estimation of advanced fibrosis, including parameters in addition to transaminases in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). In this study, we aimed to investigate the diagnostic performances of Fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) and NAFLD Fibrosis Score (NFS) in the estimation of advanced fibrosis comparing patients with normal and elevated transaminases., Material and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the prospectively collected data of a total of 407 consecutive patients with biopsy-proven NAFLD. FIB-4 scores of <1.3 and >2.67 or <1.45 and >3.25 indicated a low and high risk for advanced fibrosis, respectively. NFS scores of <-1.455 and >0.676 were used to assess low and high risk for advanced fibrosis, respectiv., Results: FIB-4 cutoffs of <1.3 and <1.45 for low risk of advanced fibrosis had a sensitivity of 70% and 54% in patients with elevated transaminases and 70% and 52% in patients with normal transaminases, respectively. The specificities for the cutoffs of >2.67 and >3.25 were 97% and 98% in patients with elevated transaminases and 99% and 100% in patients with normal transaminases, respectively. Concerning NFS, we found similar results., Conclusion: FIB-4 and NFS showed acceptable diagnostic performance in the exclusion of advanced fibrosis in both populations with normal and elevated transaminases., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflict of interest to declare., (© Copyright 2020 by Hepatology Forum.)

Introduction: The full-text publication of abstracts presented at any given scientific meeting in peer-reviewed journals is accepted as a measure of scientific quality of that particular meeting. The aim of this study is to determine the full-text publication rate of abstracts presented at the 2005 Scientific Meeting of the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS)., Methods: We identified the scientific abstracts presented at the 2005 UHMS meeting and searched the PubMed database (June 2005 to July 2010) for their corresponding full-text publication. We recorded the following parameters for each of the abstracts: number of authors, number of centers involved in the study, statistical methods used, country of origin of the study, study type, and subject of the abstract. We recorded the time to publication and the title of the journal if the abstract had been published in a peer-reviewed journal., Results: Overall, we identified 187 abstracts presented at the 2005 UHMS meeting. Two of the abstracts were excluded from the study because they had been retracted from the meeting and six more because they had been already published as full-text articles at the time the meeting was held. Of the 179 abstracts, 62 (34.6%) were published as full-text articles within the succeeding five years. The mean (+/- SD) time to publication was 18.5 (+/- 13.6) months. Multivariate analysis with logistic regression identified "country of origin" and "the subject of the abstract" as independent predictors of full-text publication., Conclusion: We found that only one-third of the abstracts presented at the 2005 UHMS meeting were published as full-text articles within the succeeding five years. Although this rate is consistent with similar studies from various disciplines, further research is needed to identify the specific barriers to full-text publication of abstracts in the field of underwater and hyperbaric medicine.