Cutaneous Manifestations in Patients on Hemodialysis and Assessment of the Changes in Quality of Life After 12 Weeks of Treatment by a Dermatologist.

Background: Cutaneous manifestations are frequently observed in end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) and affect the quality of life (QoL) of patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis (HD). Even patients undergoing HD who frequently visit hospitals do not receive active dermatological care. The aims of this study were to assess the cutaneous manifestations of patients undergoing HD and investigate changes in their QoL before and after active treatment by dermatologists.

Factors Associated With Health-promoting Behaviors Among Nurses in South Korea: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Based on Pender's Health Promotion Model.

Purpose: Although the importance of health promotion for nurses is increasing, there is a lack of meta-analyses targeting nurses in the world. This study aimed to identify the effect sizes between the health-promoting behaviors and related variables of nurses working in Korea.

Methods: Systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted according to the PRISMA and MOOSE guidelines.

High cortisol levels are associated with oxidative stress and mortality in maintenance hemodialysis patients.

Background: Chronic stimulation of the mineralocorticoid receptor has been suggested as one of the potential causes of cardiovascular events and death in patients with end-stage renal disease. This observational cohort study was performed to demonstrate that serum cortisol might be a predictive marker for patient mortality and to evaluate its association with oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) in hemodialysis (HD) patients.

Methods: Patients receiving HD three times a week were screened for enrollment at two institutions.

Optimal design of lattice structures for controllable extremal band gaps.

This paper presents very large complete band gaps at low audible frequency ranges tailored by gradient-based design optimizations of periodic two- and three-dimensional lattices. From the given various lattice topologies, we proceed to create and enlarge band gap properties through controlling neutral axis configuration and cross-section thickness of beam structures, while retaining the periodicity and size of the unit cell. Beam neutral axis configuration and cross-section thickness are parameterized by higher order B-spline basis functions within the isogeometric analysis framework, and controlled by an optimization algorithm using adjoint sensitivity.

Malnutrition, inflammation, progression of vascular calcification and survival: Inter-relationships in hemodialysis patients.

Background And Aims: Malnutrition and inflammation are closely linked to vascular calcification (VC), the severity of which correlate with adverse outcome. However, there were few studies on the interplay between malnutrition, inflammation and VC progression, rather than VC presence per se. We aimed to determine the relationship of malnutrition, inflammation, abdominal aortic calcification (AAC) progression with survival in hemodialysis (HD) patients.

Upcycling of jellyfish (Nemopilema nomurai) sea wastes as highly valuable reducing agents for green synthesis of gold nanoparticles and their antitumor and anti-inflammatory activity.

Due to its tentacle poison and huge body, giant jellyfish (Nemopilema nomurai) poses challenging issues to the environment and ecosystems. Here we developed, upcycling a giant jellyfish extract as a reducing agent, a green synthetic method of gold nanoparticles (JF-AuNPs) which possess biological activities. The colloidal solutions of JF-AuNPs were blue, violet, purple and pink depending on the extract concentration.

Effects of aspirin resistance and mean platelet volume on vascular access failure in hemodialysis patients.

Background/aims: Maintaining the patency of vascular access (VA) in hemodialysis (HD) patients is important and can be life-saving. We investigated the effects of aspirin resistance and mean platelet volume (MPV) on VA failure in HD patients.

Methods: We enrolled 163 patients on maintenance HD.

Seropositive rate of the anti-hepatitis A immunoglobulin G antibody in maintenance hemodialysis subjects from two hospitals in Korea.

Background/aims: Hepatitis A virus (HAV) is a self-limiting infectious disease, but 1% of subjects develop fulminant hepatitis. The prevalence of the anti-HAV immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody in hemodialysis subjects in Korea remains unknown. The purpose of this study was to describe and compare the seropositive rate of anti-HAV antibody among hemodialysis subjects in two hospitals according to age group.

The relationship between intradialytic hypotension and vascular calcification in hemodialysis patients.

Background: Vascular calcification is associated with structural and functional abnormality of the heart and blood vessels. We investigated the relationship between intradialytic hypotension (IDH) and vascular calcification in hemodialysis (HD) patients, and their impacts on cardiovascular events (CVEs).

Method: We enrolled 191 maintenance HD patients who underwent plain abdomen radiography for abdominal aortic calcification score (AACS).

Vascular calcification and cardiac function according to residual renal function in patients on hemodialysis with urination.

Background: Vascular calcification is common and may affect cardiac function in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). However, little is known about the effect of residual renal function on vascular calcification and cardiac function in patients on hemodialysis.

Methods: This study was conducted between January 2014 and January 2017.

Extracellular Fluid/Intracellular Fluid Volume Ratio as a Novel Risk Indicator for All-Cause Mortality and Cardiovascular Disease in Hemodialysis Patients.

Background: In hemodialysis patients, fluid overload and malnutrition are accompanied by extracellular fluid (ECF) expansion and intracellular fluid (ICF) depletion, respectively. We investigated the relationship between ECF/ICF ratio (as an integrated marker reflecting both fluid overload and malnutrition) and survival and cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the context of malnutrition-inflammation-arteriosclerosis (MIA) complex.

Methods: Seventy-seven patients from a single hemodialysis unit were prospectively enrolled.

A critical role for adiponectin-mediated development of endometrial luminal epithelial cells during the peri-implantation period of pregnancy.

Adiponectin is one of the adipokines in the collagen superfamily. It is secreted primarily by white adipocytes and influences reproductive processes including ovarian and uterine functions. Adiponectin regulates energy homeostasis, insulin sensitivity, and is anti-inflammatory in various tissues.

The Simplified Acute Physiology Score II as a Predictor of Mortality in Patients Who Underwent Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation for Septic Shock.

Background: The use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for patients with septic shock is controversial. The outcomes are favorable in children but heterogeneous in adults. The present study aimed to analyze the outcomes of adult patients who underwent ECMO for septic shock, and to determine the factors associated with prognosis.

Novel fabrication method of the peritoneal dialysis filter using silk fibroin with urease fixation system.

During the last decade, there has been a great advance in the kidney dialysis system by wearable artificial kidney (WAK) system for end-stage renal disease patients. Uremic solute removal and water regeneration system are the most prerequisite for WAK to work properly. In this study, we designed a filtering membrane system by using immobilized urease silk fibroin filter and evaluated its comparative effectiveness with a PVDF filtering system in peritoneal dialysate regeneration system by urea removal efficacy.

Preservation of Acquired Colistin Resistance in Gram-Negative Bacteria.

Colistin-resistant mutants were obtained from 17 colistin-susceptible strains of Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Escherichia coli. The stability of colistin resistance in these mutants was investigated. Three of four colistin-resistant P.

Loss of hypermucoviscosity and increased fitness cost in colistin-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae sequence type 23 strains.

In this study, we investigated the effects of colistin resistance on virulence and fitness in hypermucoviscous (HV) Klebsiella pneumoniae sequence type 23 (ST23) strains. Colistin-resistant mutants were developed from three colistin-susceptible HV K. pneumoniae ST23 strains.

Virtual World Currency Value Fluctuation Prediction System Based on User Sentiment Analysis.

In this paper, we present a method for predicting the value of virtual currencies used in virtual gaming environments that support multiple users, such as massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs). Predicting virtual currency values in a virtual gaming environment has rarely been explored; it is difficult to apply real-world methods for predicting fluctuating currency values or shares to the virtual gaming world on account of differences in domains between the two worlds. To address this issue, we herein predict virtual currency value fluctuations by collecting user opinion data from a virtual community and analyzing user sentiments or emotions from the opinion data.

The prevention of contrast-induced nephropathy by simultaneous hemofiltration during coronary angiographic procedures: a comparison with periprocedural hemofiltration.

Background: Periprocedural (6 h pre- and 24 h post-angiography) hemofiltration appears to effectively prevent contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients undergoing coronary angiography. However, this procedure over-uses medical resources, and the cessation of hemofiltration during coronary angiography results in persistent renal injury. In comparison, simultaneous hemofiltration performed only during coronary angiography requires fewer medical resources and can provide instantaneous protection against CIN.

Catechin-capped gold nanoparticles: green synthesis, characterization, and catalytic activity toward 4-nitrophenol reduction.

An eco-friendly approach is described for the green synthesis of gold nanoparticles using catechin as a reducing and capping agent. The reaction occurred at room temperature within 1 h without the use of any external energy and an excellent yield (99%) was obtained, as determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Various shapes of gold nanoparticles with an estimated diameter of 16.

Rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney injury associated with hypothyroidism and statin therapy.

Rhabdomyolysis is a syndrome involving the breakdown of skeletal muscle that causes myoglobin and other intracellular proteins to leak into the circulatory system, resulting in organ injury including acute kidney injury. We report a case of statin-induced rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney injury that developed in a 63-year-old woman with previously undiagnosed hypothyroidism. Untreated hypothyroidism may have caused her hypercholesterolemia requiring statin treatment, and it is postulated that statin-induced muscle injury was aggravated by hypothyroidism resulting in her full-blown rhabdomyolysis.

Earthworm extracts utilized in the green synthesis of gold nanoparticles capable of reinforcing the anticoagulant activities of heparin.

Gold nanoparticles were obtained using a green synthesis approach with aqueous earthworm extracts without any additional reducing or capping agents. The gold nanoparticles were characterized using UV-visible spectrophotometry, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The anticoagulant activity of the gold nanoparticles was assessed using the activated partial thromboplastin time and was mildly enhanced by combining the gold nanoparticles with heparin.