Evaluation of clinical named entity recognition methods for Serbian electronic health records.

Background And Objectives: The importance of clinical natural language processing (NLP) has increased with the adoption of electronic health records (EHRs). One of the critical tasks in clinical NLP is named entity recognition (NER). Clinical NER in the Serbian language is a severely under-researched area.

Dual Roles of the Mineral Metabolism Disorders Biomarkers in Prevalent Hemodilysis Patients: In Renal Bone Disease and in Vascular Calcification.

Background: Vascular calcification (VC) is highly prevalent in dialysis (HD) patients, and its mechanism is multifactorial. Most likely that systemic or local inhibitory factor is overwhelmed by promoters of VC in these patients. VC increased arterial stiffness, and left ventricular hypertrophy.

Predictive value of echocardiography and its relation to Kt/V and anthropometric parameters in hemodialysis patients.

Background: In order to evaluate the predictive value of echocardiograph parameters for mortality of hemodialysis patients and their relation to Kt/V and anthropometry, a prospective, single center study was analyzed post-hoc.

Methods: This analysis encompassed 106 patients on maintenance hemodialysis monitored for 108 months from 1996 to 2004. spKt/V was calculated using the Daugirdas formula.

Inflammatory markers as mortality predictors in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis patients.

Background/aim: Besides peritonitis, the most common complication, indicators of chronic inflammation are also present in patients treated by peritoneal dialysis. The aim of this study was to analyze the predictive value of inflammatory parameters on mortality of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients.

Methods: Eighty-seven patients (57 males), aged from 30 to 85 [62.

Association of small, dense low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and galectin-3 in patients with chronic kidney disease.

Background: Dyslipidemia is a common feature of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Although it has been observed that the pattern of lipid abnormalities can vary according to the stage of CKD, there is lack of data concerning the distribution of lipoprotein subclasses at various stages of the disease. In addition, association of proatherogenic small, dense low-density lipoprotein (sdLDL) subclasses with markers of inflammation, such is galectin-3, is not sufficiently explored.

A comparison of markers of myocardial injury and their relation to nutritional parameters in hemodialysis patients.

Background: Serum cardiac troponin T (cTnT) is a valuable marker of ischemic heart disease (IHD) and left ventricular hypertrophy, as well as a mortality predictor in hemodialysis populations. We compared the value of cTnT, creatinine kinase (CK)-MB mass and myoglobin as mortality predictors in our hemodialysis patients and evaluated their relation to nutritional status.

Methods: A total of 118 hemodialysis patients were prospectively studied from January 2004 to April 2013.

Implementation of recurrent artificial neural networks for nonlinear dynamic modeling in biomedical applications.

Simulation is indispensable during the design of many biomedical prostheses that are based on fundamental electrical and electronic actions. However, simulation necessitates the use of adequate models. The main difficulties related to the modeling of such devices are their nonlinearity and dynamic behavior.

[Different response to human recombinant erythropoietin in patients undergoing hemodialysis treatment].

Introduction: Treatment with recombinant human erythropoietin enabled the correction of anemia in the patients on regular hemodialysis but large individual differences in the dose required to achieve the target hemoglobin level were observed. In this study the erythropoietin resistance index was calculated in patients on hemodialysis in order to examine variations in the response to erythropoietin and factors that influence it.

Material And Methods: The study included 48 patients (25 males) of mean age 67.

Comparison of two diverse measurement methods by graphical agreement.

Biological processes are complex, and several methods are often used to measure them. However, different methods could determine diverse parts of a single biological process. To date, there are no widely accepted and convenient methods for comparison between the results, so we consider graphical analysis with the ability to demonstrate the pattern of distribution of findings from one method across another.

Risk factors associated with coronary artery calcification should be examined before kidney transplantation.

The best treatment for end stage renal disease (ESRD) patients is kidney transplantation, but the renal transplant recipients still have a higher incidence of cardiovascular events compared with general population. Cardiovascular risk factors were imposed long before ESRD, as the majority of patients starting dialysis or kidney transplantation already have signs of advanced atherosclerosis. Artery calcification is an organized, regulated process similar to bone formation.

Could the level of serum albumin be a method for assessing malnutrition in hemodialysis patients?

Background: Traditionally, serum albumin concentration has been used for assessing the nutrition status of hemodialysis patients despite evidence that the level is also affected by inflammation and many other underlying disorders frequently present in these individuals. The authors evaluated albumin as a nutrition parameter, comparing it with more specific anthropometric parameters.

Methods: The study included a cohort of 271 patients.

Cyclosporine versus azathioprine therapy in high-risk idiopathic membranous nephropathy patients: A 3-year prospective study.

There is no consensus regarding the modality of therapy for idiopathic membranous nephropathy (IMN), especially for patients who did not react to treatment with cytotoxic drugs. This study followed prospectively for 3-year IMN patients who did not react to Ponticelli protocol comparing effects of 2-year course of cyclosporine (CsA) with azathioprine (Aza) treatment both with small doses of prednisolone. Twenty-three patients were randomly assigned to receive either cyclosporine at 3mg/kg per day (10 patients) or azathioprine at 1.

Application of artificial neural networks in estimating predictive factors and therapeutic efficacy in idiopathic membranous nephropathy.

Idiopathic membranous nephropathy (IMN) is one of the most frequent causes of the nephrotic syndrome in adults and one of the most common cause of chronic renal failure among primary glomerular diseases. The aim of this study was to develop artificial neural networks (ANN) to investigate factors of poor outcome for IMN and to evaluate the efficacy of different therapeutic protocols. Data were collected retrospectively for 124 patients with IMN (82 males, mean based on the received therapy patients were divided into three groups: corticosteroids only (group 1), cyclophsophamide with corticosteroids (group 2), and so called Ponticelli protocol (group 3).

The predictive value of anthropometric parameters on mortality in haemodialysis patients.

Background: Since protein-calorie malnutrition is a common factor influencing morbidity and mortality of haemodialysis patients, assessing their nutritional status is important. The aim of this study was to investigate the predictive value of anthropometric parameters on mortality and their interrelationship.

Methods: The study included a cohort of 242 patients.

Relation between serum urea and mortality of hemodialysis patients.

Background: It is well known that serum urea concentration is not a good predictor of mortality in hemodialysis patients. On the other hand, urea kinetic modeling has been very successfully used to measure dialysis dose by the Kt/V index, which was found to be a good predictor of mortality. Could there be a relation between urea and mortality, but in some more complex way?

Methods: This is a post-hoc analysis of a single center observation study that included 242 patients and an 11-year observation period.

Serum amyloid-A rather than C-reactive protein is a better predictor of mortality in hemodialysis patients.

The most frequent cause of death in hemodialysis patients is cardiovascular disease with chronic inflammation being an epidemiologically proved risk factor. Many studies have shown C-reactive protein (CRP) as the strongest predictor of long-term mortality of hemodialysis patients, while other reports have indicated acute phase proteins as potential predictors of the mortality. The present study therefore aimed to evaluate the prevalence of chronic inflammation in hemodialysis patients and the role of acute phase proteins together with lipids and divalent ions for predicting mortality in hemodialysis patients.

Today Balkan endemic nephropathy is a disease of the elderly with a good prognosis.

Background: The outcome for Balkan endemic nephropathy (BEN) patients diagnosed in 1992 was analyzed in 2006 with the aim of detecting factors associated with disease progression and patient outcome.

Methods: In 1992 BEN was detected in 119 patients (53 males, 56.9 +/- 13.

[Influence of blood pressure control on maintenance of residual function in patients treated by haemodialysis].

Introduction: Residual renal function (RRF) in the patients treated by haemodialysis (HD) is associated not only with better volume and blood pressure control but also with better metabolic control.The condition of the cardiovascular system significantly affects RRF.

Objective: The aim of the study was to find if there was any association between blood pressure regulation and the achieved HD ultrafiltration in the first year of haemodialysis treatment and the maintenance of RRF.

Health-related quality of life, treatment efficacy, and hemodialysis patient outcome.

The aim of the study was to examine the influence of improved treatment of hemodialysis (HD) patients on their health-related quality of life (HrQoL) and to assess the predictive value of HrQoL dimensions on patient outcome. The prospective cohort study involved 102 HD patients, and their clinical and laboratory parameters and HD adequacy indices were followed from 2001 to 2007. HrQoL was measured using KDQOL-SF Version 1.

Hemodialysis modality, percentage of body fat, and patient survival.

Background: A number of studies have reported lower mortality of overweight hemodialysis patients. This post hoc analysis of an observational prospective single-center study was aimed at elucidating whether both being overweight and surviving longer could result from changes in the hemodialysis modality.

Methods: The study included a cohort of 242 patients who were gradually switched from cuprophane membrane and acetate dialysis to polysulfone (including high-flux) membranes and bicarbonate dialysis.

Could depression be a new branch of MIA syndrome?

The aims of the present study were to determine the prevalence of depression in our dialysis patients, to detect the most powerful variables associated with depression, and to determine the role of depression in prediction of mortality. The prospective follow-up study of 128 patients (77 HD and 51 CAPD, 65 male, aged 53.8 +/- 13.

Polyneuropathy in diabetic and nondiabetic patients on CAPD: is there an association with HRQOL?

Background: It is well known that patients with uremia, as well as patients with diabetes mellitus, develop polyneuropathy.

Objectives: The signs of polyneuropathy in diabetic and nondiabetic patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) and their relation with age, duration of dialysis, biochemical parameters, dialysis adequacy, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) were analyzed in the present study.

Patients And Methods: 65 CAPD patients (37 men, age 29-85 years, duration on dialysis 3 months to 14 years) were divided into two groups: group 1 was comprised of 20 diabetic patients (mean age 50.

[Frequency of polyneuropathy signs in CAPD patients].

Introduction: It is well known that polyneuropathy has been an important cause of disability in patients maintained on hemodialysis as well as on peritoneal dialysis. The present study was aimed to analyze frequency and causes of polyneuropathy in patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD).

Material And Methods: Sixty three CAPD patients (37 men), aged between 30 and 85 who were on dialysis from 1 to 290 months, were analyzed.

Nerve conduction studies and prediction of mortality in hemodialysis patients.

Background: The electrophysiological aspects of uremic neuropathy have been studied extensively, but never for prediction of mortality. In order to assess the parameters of nerve conduction study (NCS) as predictors of mortality in hemodialysis patients, a post hoc analysis of a prospective observation study was made.

Methods: We examined conventional electrophysiological parameters (motor nerve conduction velocity [MCV], terminal latency [TL], and F wave latency of the peroneal nerve, as well as sensory nerve conduction velocity [SCV] of the sural nerve) in 75 nondiabetic patients.

Hepatitis B and hepatitis C virus infection and outcome of hemodialysis and kidney transplant patients.

Aim: A comparison of the outcome of hepatitis virus-positive and -negative kidney transplant and hemodialysis patients was the aim of this investigation.

Materials And Methods: The study involved 384 kidney transplant patients (67 HBsAg positive, 39 anti-HCV positive, 278 hepatitis negative), transplanted between 1987 and 2001, and 403 hemodialysis patients (128 HBsAg positive, 83 anti-HCV positive, 192 hepatitis negative) who had started hemodialysis and were referred to the kidney transplant waiting list during the same period.

Results: Hemodialysis patients were older than transplant patients.