A Household Daily Non-Mandatory Activity Participation and Duration Modeling Accounting for Person Level Budget Constraints

A key methodological and behavioral innovative component in recent Activity-Based Models (ABMs) used for transportation planning is the household-level non-mandatory activity participation component. While traditional ABMs use a series of simple models to predict non-mandatory activity participation decisions in a sequential manner (which is often not correct), the Multiple Discrete Continuous Extreme Value (MDCEV) model can model both individual and joint non-mandatory activity participation and time allocation decisions in different out-of-home activities of all household members simultaneously. A key advantage of the MDCEV framework is that it accounts for complex intra-household interactions among different household members by allocating the total household time available in a day to different household members in a utility-consistent manner. However, the earlier time-use models worked with a single household level time budget constraint. So, the model ensures consistency of time predictions with the total household available time but it can violate person level budget constraints. The primary objective of this thesis is to enhance the behavioral and prediction accuracy of the MDCEV model in the time-use context by developing an improved model that handles multiple person level budget constraints

INDIVIDUAL AND GENDER DIFFERENCES IN PERSONALITY INFLUENCE THE DIAGNOSIS OF MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER

Background: In order to explore whether gender differences are present in self-reports on personality measures when all Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) participants are diagnosed at an equal intensity, the aim of this study was to investigate individual and gender differences in personality between healthy participants and those suffering from severe feature MDD. Subjects and methods: The sample consisted of 632 participants: 385 in the healthy control group and 247 MDD, the latter comprised of patients in their first diagnosed episode or recurrent. The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) was used to measure symptom severity. Beck’s Depression Inventory was administered when depression symptoms had lessened, establishing it as minor when filling out the personality questionnaire (NEO-PI-R). Results: The results indicate a broad difference in personality between the healthy control and the MDD groups. High neuroticism and low extraversion, accompanied by low scores on openness and conscientiousness, were the most important personality dimensions in understanding distinctions. While agreeableness did not indicate any important role, it did significantly influence the understanding of gender differences within groups. Females were found more agreeable in both groups, but those from the healthy group were also more open and conscientiousness than healthy males. Females from the MDD group were found to be also higher on neuroticism than males of the same group. Conclusions: A general conclusion from the study is that personality dimensions are more important in understanding vulnerability to depression in comparison to gender differences in personality within groups. As females in the MDD group tend to self-report higher levels of agreeableness and neuroticism than do males in the same group when the level of their depression is categorized as equal MDD-severe type, this may influence practitioners to unequally diagnose depression in males and females

Typical course of cystinuria leading to untypical complications in pregnancy: A case report and review of literature

Cystinuria is a rare genetic disorder inherited by an autosomal recessive pattern which affects the transmembrane transporter for the base amino acid cystine. It has a general prevalence of 1 in 7000 with demographic variations. Patients with cystinuria have excessive urinary excretion of cystine, which can lead to the formation of stones. Up to 70% of patients will develop chronic kidney disease that can progress even to end-stage renal disease. Symptoms usually start in the first two decades of life with a typical presentation consisting of flank pain and renal colic, usually accompanied by urinary tract infection and deterioration of kidney function. Men are typically affected twice as often as women and have a more severe clinical course. Diagnosis is made by spectrophotometric analysis of the stones that are collected after spontaneous expulsion or medical intervention. Genetic testing is not mandatory but is recommended in uncertain cases or as a part of genetic counseling. Treatment consists of diet modification, alkalization of urine, and thiol-based therapies if other measures fail to prevent stone formation. In pregnancy, cystinuria with the formation of cystine stones represents a therapeutic challenge and requires a multidisciplinary approach consisting of an uro-nephrology team and a gynecologist. We present the case of a 34-year-old woman with cystinuria on whom the diagnosis was made by analysis of the expulsed stone. While her previous pregnancies were without complications, her third pregnancy was accompanied by frequent urinary tract infections, acute worsening of kidney function, and urological interventions during pregnancy due to the formation of new stones. Despite the complicated course, the pregnancy was successfully carried to term with the delivery of a healthy female child

Two sides of the same coin: a complex presentation of autosomal dominant tubulointerstitial kidney diseases: a literature review and case reports

IntroductionGenetic kidney diseases are underdiagnosed; namely, from 7% to 40% of patients suffering from chronic kidney disease (CKD) can carry a pathogenic variant, depending on population characteristics. Hereditary tubulointerstitial kidney diseases, including autosomal dominant tubulointerstitial kidney diseases (ADTKD), are even more challenging to diagnose. ADTKD is a rare form of genetic kidney disease resulting from pathogenic variants in the MUC1, UMOD, HNF1B, REN, SEC61A1, and DNAJB11 genes. There is no typical clinical or histopathological sign of ADTKD, it is characterized by progressive CKD, an autosomal dominant inheritance pattern, and tubular atrophy with interstitial fibrosis on kidney biopsy. There is no significant proteinuria, and the urinary sediment is bland. The patients usually do not have severe arterial hypertension. There can be a history of early gout, especially when compared to the UMOD gene variants. Children can have enuresis due to a loss of renal concentration. On ultrasound, the kidneys can appear normal or small in size. Renal cysts are not pathognomonic for any of the named diseases. End-stage renal disease (ESRD) develops at the average age of 45, but this can be very variable. Family history that suggests autosomal dominant inheritance and CKD fulfilling the aforementioned characteristics of tubulointerstitial kidney disease should raise suspicion of ADTKD. In the setting of a negative family history for CKD, clinical suspicion should be raised based on clinical characteristics, including early onset of hyperuricemia or gout and compatible histology on the kidney biopsy. Contrary to the aforementioned characteristics of ADTKD, in the case of HNF1B-related disease, there is a more complex clinical presentation with extrarenal manifestations of the disease (diabetes mellitus, hypomagnesemia, neurologic and psychiatric disturbances, etc.). The diagnosis of ADTKD is based on a positive family history and a detection of the pathogenic variant in one of the genes in an affected individual.AimThe aim of our study is to present two case reports of ADTKD with different characteristics (slowly progressive CKD vs. complex clinical presentation with an extrarenal manifestation of the disease) with a literature review.MethodsA 34-year-old patient with CKD and a positive family history of CKD in whom kidney biopsy showed nonspecific chronic changes, with only genetic analysis confirming the diagnosis of MUC1-related ADTKD. Our second case is of a 17-year-old patient with an unremarkable family history who was initially referred to genetic counseling due to cognitive and motor impairment with long-lasting epilepsy. Extensive workup revealed increased serum creatinine levels with no proteinuria and bland urinary sediment, along with hypomagnesemia. His genetic analysis revealed 17q12 deletion syndrome, causing the loss of one copy of the HNF1B gene, the AATF, and the LHX1 gene.ConclusionAutosomal dominant tubulointerstitial kidney diseases are challenging to diagnose due to a lack of typical clinical or histopathological signs as well as an uncharacteristic and versatile clinical presentation. Increased clinical awareness is crucial for the detection of these diseases

Effects of citric ion on hexagonal NaYF4: Yb/Er phase formation during solvothermal synthesis

Up-converting nanoparticles (UCNPs) which have ability to emit a visible light upon excitation with NIR photons are with wide applications in optoelectronic devices, forensic, biomedicine and security. The synthesis of the most efficient hexagonal β- NaYF4:Yb/Er phase in shape of uniformly sized spherical nanoparticles is usually performed through thermal decomposition of complex organic precursor in high-boiling organic solvents, which rise deep concerns regarding their potential citotoxicity. In this work, citric acid and Na-citrate are used for the stabilization of hexagonal polymorph during solvothermal processing of NaYF4:Yb/Er phase from common inorganic precursor (rare earth nitrate salts). Additionally, effect of precipitation agent, i.e. fluorine source (NaF, NH4F and NH4HF2) on the final particle morphology is deduced based on comprehensive scanning and transmission electron microscopy analyses. Detailed refinement of the X-ray powder diffraction data (XRPD) revealed simultaneous nucleation of a cubic and hexagonal phase during solvothermal reaction. The use of citric acid resulted in formation of micro- and nano- spherical particles of a hexagonal and cubic NaYF4:Yb/Er phase, respectively, while Na-citrate provoked nucleation of well crystallized hexagonal crystals of β-NaYF4:Yb/Er phase. Size of the crystallites is determined by the choice of the precipitant, and is smallest in the case when NH4F is used. All synthesized powders emit bright and intense green light due to the intensification of the 2H11/2,4S3/2 →4I15/2 electronic transitions upon the excitation by the infrared light (λ=978 nm)

Case report: Sevelamer-associated colitis—a cause of pseudotumor formation with colon perforation and life-threatening bleeding

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a very common chronic non-communicable disease. Phosphate and calcium metabolism disorders are one of the most common features of CKD. Sevelamer carbonate is the most widely used non-calcium phosphate binder. Gastrointestinal (GI) injury associated with sevelamer use is a documented adverse effect but is underrecognized as a cause of gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with CKD. We report a case of a 74-year-old woman taking low-dose sevelamer with serious gastrointestinal adverse effects causing colon rupture and severe gastrointestinal bleeding

LC-MS/MS određivanje ostataka pesticida u višnjama

The MRM for the determination of acetamiprid, dimethoate, carbendazim, pyraclostrobin, propiconazole and tebuconazole in sour cherries was done by LC-MS/MS. Propiconazole was detected in two samples above the MRL while all the other pesticide derections were belowe the established values.LC-MS/MS je korišćen u MRM određivanja ostataka acetamiprida, dimetoata, karbendazima, piraklostrobina, propikonazola i tebukonazola u uzorcima višanja. Propikonazol je detektovan u dva uzorka iznad MDK, dok su sve ostale detekcije bile ispod propisanih vrednosti