DYSLIPIDEMIA AS A FACTOR FOR PROGRESSION OF RENAL OSTEODYSTROPHY AND CORONARY HEART DISEASE IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE ON PERITONEAL DIALYSIS

Numerous studies of the last years focused on various links of pathogenesis and factors for progression of coronary heart disease (CHD) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) allowed to find intersection, such as progression of atherosclerosis or phosphorus and calcium and lipid imbalance, which lead to vascular calcareous infiltration, development of renal osteodystrophy and rising of cardiac risks. Purpose of the research: To define indicators of lipid exchange in patients on peritoneal dialysis which can be factors for progression of renal osteodystrophy and ischemic heart disease. Materials and methods. Indicators of lipid exchange, various types of renal osteodystrophy and clinical types of ischemic heart disease in 114 patients receiving peritoneal dialysis therapy in the Regional Clinical Center of Urology and Nephrology of V.I.Shapoval were analysed. Results. Having analysed changes in blood lipid profile of patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD), we found out a reliable growth of high-density lipoproteins (HDL) in a group of patients without signs of ischemic heart disease and in a group of patients having stable angina, whose primary types of renal osteodystrophy were osteoporosis and fibrous ostitis. Reliable differences had also very-low-density lipoproteins (VLDL) which also were the highest in a group of patients having stable angina without signs of cardiac decompensation. The average duration of PD treatment of patients of this group was 12,3 months. Conclusion. The results of the research confirmed that calcareous infiltration of vessels and heart valves on early stages of PD therapy is mainly caused by dyslipidemia and atherosclerotic changes and less by phosphorus and calcium imbalance which importance increases with duration of PD treatment

MODERN VISION OF DEVELOPMENT FACTORS OF PROTEIN-ENERGY MALNUTRITION SYNDROME IN PATIENTS, RECEIVING PERITONEAL DIALYSIS

Patients who have end-stage chronic kidney disease (СKD) and who receive substitutive peritoneal dialysis (PD) therapy, often have complication such as protein-energy malnutrition syndrome (PEMS). Important prognostic value is given to nutritional disorders as they increase prior disease development, complicate its correction, influence survival rate of patients of this category. Purpose: to explore prevalence of protein-energy malnutrition syndrome in PD patients and define factors of its development. Materials and methods: 67 PD patients were examined. Evaluation of nutritional status in patients under investigation was made using development of complex methodology that includes 5 specifications – body mass index (BMI), triceps skinfold, arm circumference – biceps, floating albumin and seraalbumin, absolute number of lymphocyte. Results. PEMS was found in 35,8% of patients, 29,8% had mild case and 6% had moderate case with mixed form domination. 26,8% of PD patients had average high or high transport characteristics of abdominal membrane that provided increased protein loss through abdominal membrane on PD. It was determined that with the growth of С-reactive protein (CRP) level nutritional disorders increased. In our research chronic inflammation syndrome was found in 16,3% of cases. Besides, protein loss was growing fast after another dialysis peritonitis. Expressed deficit of daily consumption of protein was registered in 29,2% of patients. Conclusion. Our researches analysis allowed us to define that risk factors of formation of protein metabolism disorders in PD patients are low protein consumption, connection with nutritional deficiency syndrome, system inflammatory reaction, protein loss with dialysis fluid having high transport characteristics of abdominal membrane and repeated dialysis peritonitis

COMPUTER-CONTROLLED GAS CHROMATOGRAPH CAPABLE OF ''REAL-TIME'' READOUT OF HIGH-PRECISION DATA.

A gas chromatograph has been assembled which provides computer control of sample injection, column temperature, and flow rate, plus direct computer readout of inlet pressure, mass flow rate, and detector response. Data processing yields, in real-time, a standard deviation of less than 0.05% in retention time, which is comparable to previous results obtained using an off-line computer. However, corrected retention volumes determined in real-time had a standard deviation of about 0.4% which reflected primarily the uncertainty in flow measurement

Test-retest reliability of the Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire

Objectives: No previous study has adequately demonstrated the test-retest reliability of the Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire, yet it is increasingly being used as a measure of pain. This study evaluates the test-retest reliability in patients with osteoarthritis. Methods: A prospective, observational cohort study was undertaken using serial evaluation of 57 patients at 2 time points. A sample of patients awaiting primary hip or knee joint replacement surgery were recruited in clinic or via mail (mean age 64.8 years). Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaires were delivered by mail 5 days apart, and a supplementary questionnaire was completed on the second occasion to explore if the patients’ pain report had remained stable. Results: The intraclass correlation coefficient was used as an estimate of reliability. For the total, sensory, affective, and average pain scores, high intra-class correlations were demonstrated (0.96, 0.95, 0.88, and 0.89, respectively). The current pain component demonstrated a lower intraclass correlation of 0.75. The coefficient of repeatability was calculated as an estimation of the minimum metrically detectable change. The coefficients of repeatability for the total, sensory, affective, average, and current pain components were 5.2, 4.5, 2.8, 1.4 cm, and 1.4, respectively. Discussion: Problems of adequate completion of the Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire were highlighted in this sample, and supervision via telephone contact was required. Patients recruited in clinic who had practiced completing the Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire demonstrated fewer errors than those recruited by mail. The Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire was demonstrated to be a highly reliable measure of pain. These results should not be generalized to a more elderly population, as increasing age was correlated with greater variability of the sensory component scores.</p

LC-MSsim – a simulation software for liquid chromatography mass spectrometry data

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Mass Spectrometry coupled to Liquid Chromatography (LC-MS) is commonly used to analyze the protein content of biological samples in large scale studies. The data resulting from an LC-MS experiment is huge, highly complex and noisy. Accordingly, it has sparked new developments in Bioinformatics, especially in the fields of algorithm development, statistics and software engineering. In a quantitative label-free mass spectrometry experiment, crucial steps are the detection of peptide features in the mass spectra and the alignment of samples by correcting for shifts in retention time. At the moment, it is difficult to compare the plethora of algorithms for these tasks. So far, curated benchmark data exists only for peptide identification algorithms but no data that represents a ground truth for the evaluation of feature detection, alignment and filtering algorithms.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We present <it>LC-MSsim</it>, a simulation software for LC-ESI-MS experiments. It simulates ESI spectra on the MS level. It reads a list of proteins from a FASTA file and digests the protein mixture using a user-defined enzyme. The software creates an LC-MS data set using a predictor for the retention time of the peptides and a model for peak shapes and elution profiles of the mass spectral peaks. Our software also offers the possibility to add contaminants, to change the background noise level and includes a model for the detectability of peptides in mass spectra. After the simulation, <it>LC-MSsim </it>writes the simulated data to mzData, a public XML format. The software also stores the positions (monoisotopic m/z and retention time) and ion counts of the simulated ions in separate files.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p><it>LC-MSsim </it>generates simulated LC-MS data sets and incorporates models for peak shapes and contaminations. Algorithm developers can match the results of feature detection and alignment algorithms against the simulated ion lists and meaningful error rates can be computed. We anticipate that <it>LC-MSsim </it>will be useful to the wider community to perform benchmark studies and comparisons between computational tools.</p

Forecasting: theory and practice

Forecasting has always been at the forefront of decision making and planning. The uncertainty that surrounds the future is both exciting and challenging, with individuals and organisations seeking to minimise risks and maximise utilities. The large number of forecasting applications calls for a diverse set of forecasting methods to tackle real-life challenges. This article provides a non-systematic review of the theory and the practice of forecasting. We provide an overview of a wide range of theoretical, state-of-the-art models, methods, principles, and approaches to prepare, produce, organise, and evaluate forecasts. We then demonstrate how such theoretical concepts are applied in a variety of real-life contexts. We do not claim that this review is an exhaustive list of methods and applications. However, we wish that our encyclopedic presentation will offer a point of reference for the rich work that has been undertaken over the last decades, with some key insights for the future of forecasting theory and practice. Given its encyclopedic nature, the intended mode of reading is non-linear. We offer cross-references to allow the readers to navigate through the various topics. We complement the theoretical concepts and applications covered by large lists of free or open-source software implementations and publicly-available databases

Forecasting: theory and practice

Forecasting has always been in the forefront of decision making and planning. The uncertainty that surrounds the future is both exciting and challenging, with individuals and organisations seeking to minimise risks and maximise utilities. The lack of a free-lunch theorem implies the need for a diverse set of forecasting methods to tackle an array of applications. This unique article provides a non-systematic review of the theory and the practice of forecasting. We offer a wide range of theoretical, state-of-the-art models, methods, principles, and approaches to prepare, produce, organise, and evaluate forecasts. We then demonstrate how such theoretical concepts are applied in a variety of real-life contexts, including operations, economics, finance, energy, environment, and social good. We do not claim that this review is an exhaustive list of methods and applications. The list was compiled based on the expertise and interests of the authors. However, we wish that our encyclopedic presentation will offer a point of reference for the rich work that has been undertaken over the last decades, with some key insights for the future of the forecasting theory and practice