A longitudinal study of sleep disorders in early-stage chronic kidney disease

Few studies have addressed the problem of sleep disturbances in patients with early-stage chronic kidney disease (CKD). A total of 220 patients newly diagnosed with CKD and 220 patients newly diagnosed with chronic hepatitis C were studied within 1 month from the diagnosis. They were evaluated by using the Charlson Comorbidity Index, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and the Beck Depression Inventory. Patients with CKD were followed up for 4 years. Sleep disturbances affected 59.5% of patients with chronic hepatitis C and 84.6% of patients with CKD. Sleeping disorders that were severe and peculiar in early CKD improved significantly over time. Beck Depression Inventory disclosed significa…

Cardiorenal Syndrome: New Pathways and Novel Biomarkers

Cardiorenal syndrome (CRS) is a multi-organ disease characterized by the complex interaction between heart and kidney during acute or chronic injury. The pathogenesis of CRS involves metabolic, hemodynamic, neurohormonal, and inflammatory mechanisms, and atherosclerotic degeneration. In the process of better understanding the bi-directional pathophysiological aspects of CRS, the need to find precise and easy-to-use markers has also evolved. Based on the new pathophysiological standpoints and an overall vision of the CRS, the literature on renal, cardiac, metabolic, oxidative, and vascular circulating biomarkers was evaluated. Though the effectiveness of different extensively applied biomark…

Vitamin D Status and the Relationship with Bone Fragility Fractures in HIV-Infected Patients: A Case Control Study

HIV-infected patients show high risk of fracture. The aims of our study were to determine the prevalence of vertebral fractures (VFs) and their associations with vitamin D in HIV patients. 100 patients with HIV infection and 100 healthy age-and sex-matched controls were studied. Bone mineral density was measured by quantitative ultrasound at the non-dominant heel. Serum osteocalcin and C-terminal telopeptide of collagen type 1 served as bone turnover markers. Bone ultrasound measurements were significantly lower in patients compared with controls (Stiffness Index (SI): 80.58 ± 19.95% vs. 93.80 ± 7.10%, respectively, p < 0.001). VFs were found in 16 patients and in 2 controls. HIV patie…

Deep learning for knowledge tracing in learning analytics: An overview

Learning Analytics (LA) is a recent research branch that refers to methods for measuring, collecting, analyzing, and reporting learners’ data, in order to better understand and optimize the processes and the environments. Knowledge Tracing (KT) deals with the modeling of the evolution, during the time, of the students’ learning process. Particularly its aim is to predict students’ outcomes in order to avoid failures and to support both students and teachers. Recently, KT has been tackled by exploiting Deep Learning (DL) models and generating a new, ongoing, research line that is known as Deep Knowledge Tracing (DKT). This was made possible by the digitalization process that has simplified t…

Estimating minimum adult HIV prevalence: A cross-sectional study to assess the characteristics of people living with HIV in Italy

In 2012, we conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study to assess the number of people living with HIV linked to care and, among these, the number of people on antiretroviral therapy. The health authority in each of the 20 Italian Regions provided the list of Public Infectious Diseases Clinics providing antiretroviral therapy and monitoring people with HIV infection. We asked every Public Infectious Diseases Clinic to report the number of HIV-positive people diagnosed and linked to care and the number of those on antiretroviral therapy during 2012. In 2012, 94,146 people diagnosed with HIV and linked to care were reported. The majority were males (70.1%), Italians (84.4%), and aged betw…

Epidemiology of hepatitis C virus infection in hemodialysis patients of Sicily

CKD NUTRITION, INFLAMMATION AND OXIDATIVE STRESS

Introduction and Aims: Serum p-cresyl sulfate associates with cardiovascular disease in patients at different stages of chronic kidney disease. p-Cresyl sulfate concentrations are determined by intestinal uptake of p-cresol, human metabolism to p-cresyl sulfate and renal clearance. Whether intestinal uptake of p-cresol itself is associated with cardiovascular disease in patients with renal disease has not been studied to date. Methods: We performed a prospective study in patients with chronic kidney disease stage 1-5 (clinicaltrials.gov NCT00441623). Intestinal uptake of p-cresol, under steady state conditions, was estimated from 24h urinary excretion of p-cresyl sulfate. Primary endpoint w…