Expanding congenital abnormalities of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT) genetics: basonuclin 2 (BNC2) and lower urinary tract obstruction

his work was supported by FIS PI16/02057, PI19/00588, PI19/00815, DTS18/00032, REDinREN RD016/0009 Fondos FEDER, ERA-PerMed-JTC2018 (KIDNEY ATTACK AC18/00064 and PERSTIGAN AC18/00071), Sociedad Española de Nefrología, FRIAT, and Comunidad de Madrid B2017/BMD-3686 CIFRA2 and Rio Hortega to MV Perez-Gome

Air pollution and kidney disease: Review of current evidence

Along with amazing technological advances, the industrial revolution of the mid-19th century introduced new sources of pollution. By the mid-20th century, the effects of these changes were beginning to be felt around the world. Among these changes, health problems due to environmental air pollution are increasingly recognized. At the beginning, respiratory and cardiovascular diseases were emphasized. However, accumulated data indicate that every organ system in the body may be involved, and the kidney is no exception. Although research on air pollution and kidney damage is recent, there is now scientific evidence that air pollution harms the kidney. In this holistic review, we have summarized the epidemiology, disease states and mechanisms of air pollution and kidney damage

Factors Influencing the Career Choice of Nursing Students

The people who choose nursing as a career should choose it consciously, should very well recognize it, and embrace it, and love it so that, this profession can develop and rise in social status. This was a descriptive type of study, aimed to determine the reasons why the students choose to study nursing

EFFECTS OF A CREATIVE DRAMA ASSISTED PSYCHOLOGY COURSE ON STUDENTS’ SOCIAL ANXIETY, LEVEL OF EMPATHIC TENDENCY, COMMUNICATION AND ASSERTIVENESS SKILLS

Some areas of education place students at the centre of learning; for example, creative drama is one of these active learning methods. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of a creative drama-supported psychology course on the levels of self-concept, social anxiety, empathic tendency, and communication/assertiveness skills of 2nd year AÇÜ Faculty of Health Sciences Nursing Department students. For this study, a quasi-experimental research model with a control group, pre-test, and post-test design was utilized. The teaching methods suggested by the current psychology curriculum were utilized with both the control and experimental groups, and for the experimental group the identical curriculum was also supported through the creative drama method. The study was conducted on sophomore students enrolled in sections A and B of the psychology course offered in the nursing department of Artvin Çoruh University. Also, the group which was enrolled to take the drama-supported psychology course was selected randomly. It was determined that students in the experimental and control groups were similar in terms of their age, gender, family type, place of residence, level of social anxiety, empathic tendency skills, communication skills, and level of assertiveness. At the outset of the study, the number of students constituting the research group totalled 63, with 28 in the experimental group considered Class A, and 35 as a control group considered Class B; however, due to attrition from students quitting the university, transferring universities, and not completing the necessary data collection tools the number of participates decreased to a total of 47 with 19 in the experimental group and 28 students in the control group. The lessons planned for the research study were two hours a week over a period of ten weeks. The study data were collected via a "Personal Information Form", "Social Anxiety Scale", "Empathic Tendency Scale", "Communication Skills Evaluation Scale" and “Rathus Assertiveness Inventory”. Data from the study were then analysed utilizing SPSS 17.0 through number, average, percentage, "Chi-square Compliance Test", "Mann-Whitney U test" and a "Willcoxon Signed Ranks Test". In addition, expert opinion was obtained regarding the validity and reliability of the study, as well as, the "Cronbach Alpha" was calculated. Furthermore, before beginning the study, an ethics committee approval from the university, written permission of the institution where the study was conducted, and informed consent of the participants were obtained. According to the findings from this study, it was determined that the creative drama-supported psychology course brought about positive increases in the levels of students’ self-concept. It was also observed that the social anxiety scores of students in the experimental group who attended creative drama decreased. Also, the scores relating to empathic tendency, communication and assertiveness skill increased for students from the experimental group. Importantly, there was no statistically significant change in the variables in the control group. Finally, the results of this study are considered to contribute knowledge and understanding to the field of creative drama and psychology in terms use of active learning and teaching methods.  Article visualizations

Hemodiyaliz hastalarında okült viral B Hepatit sıklığı ve Hepatit C enfeksiyonunun okült viral B Hepatit sıklığı üzerine etkisi

Hepatit B virüs (HBV) enfeksiyonu hemodiyaliz hastalarında önemli bir sorun olmaya devam etmektedir. Bu duruma okült HBV enfeksiyonunun katkısı olduğu düşünülmektedir. Bu çalışmada amaç; hemodiyaliz hastalarında okült HBV enfeksiyonun sıklığını saptamak ve Hepatit C enfeksiyonun (HCV) okült HBV enfeksiyonu sıklığına katkısının olup olmadığını saptamaktır. Çalışmaya hepatit B yüzey antijeni (HBsAg) negatif 138 adet hemodiyaliz hastası alındı. Bu hastaların 84?ü serum anti HCV pozitif ve 54?ü negatifti. Hastaların %15.2?inde (21/138) serum HBV DNA pozitif olarak tespit edildi. HCV enfeksiyonu olan hemodiyaliz hastalarının 12?inde (%14.2) ve HCV enfeksiyonu olmayan hemodiyaliz hastalarının 9?unda (%16.6) serum HBV DNA pozitif saptandı. Okült HBV enfeksiyonu saptanan hemodiyaliz hastaları ile saptanmayan hastaların yaş, cinsiyet, hemodiyaliz süreleri, serum AST-ALT düzeyleri ve HBV serolojileri bakımından bir farklılık saptanmadı (p>0.05). Sonuç olarak, bizim çalışmamıza göre hemodiyaliz hastalarında HCV enfeksiyonu varlığı okült HBV enfeksiyonu için bir risk faktörü değildir. Hepatitis B (HBV) infections continue to occur in adult hemodialyis units. Occult HBV infection (serum hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) negative but HBV DNA positive) may be a contributory factor in these patients. This study was designed to investigate (1) the prevalence and clinical impact of occult HBV infection in hemodialysis patients (2) to compare the prevalence of occult HBV infection between HCV positive and HCV negative hemodialysis patients. We included 138 patients who were on chronic hemodialysis. Eighty four patients were serum anti HCV positive and fifty four patients were negative. Serum HBV DNA testing was performed by polymerase-chain reaction (PCR). We also recorded general characteristics of the patients, duration of hemodialysis, serum AST and ALT levels. Nine (16.6 %) of the 54 HCV negative hemodialysis patients were HBV DNA positive. Twelve (14.2%) of the 84 anti HCV positive patients were HBV DNA positive. Hemodialysis duration; demographic features and biochemical parameters were not significantly different in patients with and without occult HBV infection in both HCV positive and negative hemodialysis patients (p>0.05). Anti HCV positivity is not a contributory factor for occult HBV infection in hemodialysis patients. None of the parameters help to distinguish patients with occult HBV infection from those who are serum HBV DNA negative

COVID-19 Salgını Erken Dönemlerinde Genel Popülasyonda Uyku Kalitesini Etkileyen Etmenlerin Belirlenmesi

Objective: This study aimed to determine the factors affecting sleep quality in the general population during the early phase of the Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study and included 595 people who were surveyed online. The data were collected through the "socio-demographic characteristics form", "Pittsburgh Sleep Quality index" and "Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale-7". Results: In this study, sleep quality among individuals was found to be poor, and as the level of generalised anxiety increased, sleep quality decreased. Sleep quality was found to be poor those living in urban areas and those with chronic diseases. Conclusion: The results of the study can be used to develop therapeutic strategies and implement social policies to support people with sleep difficulties.Amaç: Bu çalışma Koronavirüs hastalığı-2019 (COVID-19) salgını erken dönemlerinde genel popülasyonda uyku kalitesini etkileyen etmenlerin belirlenmesi amacı ile planlanmıştır. Gereç ve Yöntem: Bu çalışma kesitsel tipte olup “online survey” (çevrimiçi anket) ile ulaşılan 595 kişi ile tamamlanmıştır. Veriler ‘‘sosyodemografik özellikler formu”, “Pittsburgh Uyku Kalitesi indeksi”, “Yaygın Anksiyete Bozukluğu ölçeği-7” ile toplanmıştır. Bulgular: Bu çalışmada bireylerin uyku kalitesi kötü olup, yaygın anksiyete düzeyi arttıkça uyku kalitesi azalmaktadır. Kentsel bölgede yaşayanlarda ve kronik hastalığı olanlarda uyku kalitesi kötü bulunmuştur. Sonuç: Sonuçlar, bu süreçte uyku güçlüğü çeken bireyleri desteklemek için terapötik stratejilerin geliştirilmesi ve sosyal politikaların uygulanması için kullanılabili

The role of endothelial glycocalyx in health and disease

The endothelium is the largest organ in the body and recent studies have shown that the endothelial glycocalyx (eGCX) plays a major role in health and disease states. The integrity of eGCX is vital for homoeostasis and disruption of its structure and function plays a major role in several pathologic conditions. An increased understanding of the numerous pathophysiological roles of eGCX may lead to the development of potential surrogate markers for endothelial injury or novel therapeutic targets. This review provides a state-of-the-art update on the structure and function of the eGCX, emphasizing the current understanding of interorgan crosstalk between the eGCX and other organs that might also contribute to the pathogenesis of kidney diseasesM.K. gratefully acknowledges use of the services and facilities of the Koc University Research Center for Translational Medicine, funded by the Republic of Turkey, Ministry of Developmen

İSKEBE Kadına Yönelik Şiddet Tutum Ölçeği (İSKEBE Tutum Ölçeği) geliştirme çalışması

Objective: To develop an attitude scale in order to determine the attitudes of individuals towards violence against women. Methods: A question pool of 58 items was created as a result of the literature reviews, interviews with individuals and expert advice. The trial form prepared was applied to 949 people between the age of 15 and 65, who are at least primary school graduates. Results: The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) value of the scale was found as 0.96, while the result of Bartlett's test was found to be 21972.02. As a result of the factor analysis, a scale consisting of two factors and 30 items was obtained. In this two-factor scale, it was determined that the first factor explains 38.2% of the total variance, the second factor explains 9.6% of the total variance, while these two factors together explain 47.9% of the total variance. In the determination of the internal validity of the scale, the upper and lower groups of 27% were assessed with the 't-test in independent groups', and it was concluded that the difference was significant. The Cronbach's alpha and the test-re-test reliability method were used for the reliability of the scale, the Cronbach's alpha value was determined as 0.86, and the test-retest correlation coefficient was determined as 0.81. Conclusion: The validity and reliability analyses performed showed that the scale can be applied to female and male individuals between the age of 15 and 65, who are at least primary school graduates.Bu çalışmanın amacı, bireylerin kadına yönelik şiddet tutumlarını belirlemek üzere bir tutum ölçeği geliştirmektir. Yöntem: Literatür taramaları, bireylerle görüşmeler ve uzman önerileri sonucu 58 maddelik soru havuzu oluşturulmuştur. Hazırlanan deneme formu en az ilkokul mezunu olan 15-65 yaşları arasındaki 949 kişiye uygulanmıştır. Bulgular: Ölçeğin Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) değeri 0.96, Barlett testi sonucu 21972.02 olarak bulunmuştur. Faktör analizi sonucu iki faktör ve 30 maddeden oluşan bir ölçek elde edilmiştir. Elde edilen iki faktörlü bu ölçekte, birinci faktörün toplam varyansın %38.2’sini, ikinci faktörün toplam varyansın %9.6’sını açıkladığı, bu iki faktörün birlikte toplam varyansın %47.9’unu açıkladığı belirlenmiştir. Ölçeğin iç geçerliliğinin belirlenmesinde %27’lik üst ve alt gruplar ‘bağımsız gruplarda t testi’ ile değerlendirilmiş ve farkın istatistiksel olarak anlamlı olduğu sonucuna ulaşılmıştır. Ölçeğin güvenilirliği için Cronbach alfa ve test-tekrar test güvenilirliği yöntemi kullanılmış; Cronbach alfa değeri 0.86, test-tekrar test korelasyon katsayısı 0.81 olarak belirlenmiştir. Sonuç: Yapılan geçerlilik ve güvenilirlik analizleri ölçeğin en az ilkokul mezunu olan 15-65 yaşları arasındaki kadın ve erkek bireylere uygulanabileceğini göstermiştir

Factors associated with current smoking in COPD patients: A cross-sectional study from the Eastern Black Sea region of Turkey

INTRODUCTION Even though smoking is a major reason for the development and progression of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)-and quitting smoking is the only way to stop its progression-a significant number of smokers still continue to smoke after being diagnosed with COPD. The aim of this study is to compare the clinical and demographic characteristics of COPD patients who are current and former smokers and to find factors associated with their current smoking status. METHODS For this study, data were collected between June 2015 and August 2016; COPD patients who had been regularly visiting Hopa State Hospital’s outpatient clinic over the last year or longer were included. Their demographic, clinical and functional data were recorded. Patients completed a pulmonary function test, six-minute walk test (6-MWT), COPD assessment test (CAT), and modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) dyspnea scale. Comparisons were then made according to their smoking status. RESULTS In total 100 patients were included in the study; with a mean age of 63.4±10.7 years and mostly males (94%). Regarding smoking status, 49% were current smokers and 51% were former smokers. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that current smoking was negatively associated with age (odds ratio, OR=0.93, 95% confidence interval, CI=0.88–0.96) and Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) stage (OR=0.32, 95% CI=0.13– 0.79), and was positively associated with six-minute walk distance (OR =1.005, 95% CI=1.001–1.009) and CAT score (OR=1.07, 95% CI=1.009–1.13). CONCLUSIONS Nearly half of the COPD patients in the study continued smoking even after having been diagnosed with COPD. The younger patients, with better lung function, better exercise capacity and poor quality of life were associated with current smoking

The prevalence of pandemic anxiety, anxiety and depression during the covid-19 pandemic in Turkey

Background: This prevalence study involved participants from various cities in Turkey was conducted in April 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic in Turkey, with a view to evaluate the pandemic-related anxiety, generalized anxiety, and depression in the society. Method: The study was conducted with 1267 people in more than 70 cities in Turkey. The study data were obtained by means of online data collection forms, due to the risks posed by the contagious COVID-19 disease in face to face interviews. The Demographic Properties Form, the Utkan Pandemic Anxiety (UPA) scale, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scale, and the Beck Depression Inventory for Primary Care (BDI-PC) were utilized as data collection tools. Results: The average value for the UPA scale for the sample was calculated as 10.5 +/- 0.257 points, for the GAD-7 scale as 5.5 +/- 0.153 points, and for the BDI-PC as 3.8 +/- 0.095 points. The cut-off threshold for the UPA scale was exceeded by 34%, for the GAD-7 scale by 25.7%, and for the BDI-PC by 30.9% of the sample. Conclusion: It was concluded that the level of pandemic-related anxiety in the community was high, that the level of generalized anxiety and depression had increased in comparison to pre-pandemic times, and that women had a higher risk of pandemic-related anxiety, generalized anxiety, and depression, because they were a group at risk, and also due to the effect of media surveillance and reports