Changes in Mental Health and EEG Biomarkers of Undergraduates Under Different Patterns of Mindfulness.

The effects of short-term mindfulness are associated with the different patterns (autonomic, audio guided, or experienced and certified mindfulness instructor guided mindfulness). However, robust evidence for reported the impacts of different patterns of mindfulness on mental health and EEG biomarkers of undergraduates is currently lacking. Therefore, we aimed to test the hypotheses that mindfulness training for undergraduates would improve mental health, and increase alpha power over frontal region and theta power over midline region at the single electrode level. We also describe the distinction among frequency bands patterns in different sites of frontal and midline regions. 70 participants were enrolled and assigned to either 5-day mindfulness or a waiting list group. Subjective questionnaires measured mental health and other psychological indicators, and brain activity was recorded during various EEG tasks before and after the intervention. The 5-day mindfulness training improved trait mindfulness, especially observing (p = 0.001, d = 0.96) and nonreactivity (p = 0.03, d = 0.56), sleep quality (p = 0.001, d = 0.91), and social support (p = 0.001, d = 0.95) while not in affect. Meanwhile, the expected increase in the alpha power of frontal sites (p < 0.017, d > 0.84) at the single electrode level was confirmed by the current data rather than the theta. Interestingly, the alteration of low-beta power over the single electrode of the midline (p < 0.05, d > 0.71) was difference between groups. Short-term mindfulness improves practitioners' mental health, and the potentially electrophysiological biomarkers of mindfulness on neuron oscillations were alpha activity over frontal sites and low-beta activity over midline sites.

Risk factors and their association with mortality in patients undergoing long-term hemodialysis or/and kidney transplant patients or late-stage chronic kidney disease: A single center, prospective observational study.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are a very common occurrence in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and that was the main cause of mortality in these patients. The aims of the present study were to examine the effects of inflammation, malnutrition, and an oxidative stress in patients undergoing long-term hemodialysis or/and kidney transplant patients or patients with late-stage CKD, with its coherent consequences during a 38-month follow-up period. The present study included 137 patients with renal insufficiencies (48 patients had CKD, 29 patients had kidney transplants, and 60 CKD patients underwent hemodialysis [HD] and 39 normal individuals [controls]; aged 49 ±â€…20 years, 96 males and 80 females). All patients with renal insufficiencies were dialyzed 3 times a week for 4 to 5 hours/day (dialysis commenced in March 2017 and continued for 38 months). Biochemical parameters, Paraoxonoase (PON)-1 status, and inflammatory-markers were assayed using the standard laboratory protocols. The Kaplan-Meier method with the log-rank test was used for survival analysis of CKD patients. Older aged patients had a higher risk of developing CKD than the controls (P < .001). The albumin level, body mass index, and total cholesterol were found to be lower, and the triglyceride value was found to be higher in the patients of the HD group (P < .05 for all). The patients of the HD group exhibited a higher activity of PON-1 than the patients who received a kidney transplant (P < .001). The control patients had a higher activity of PON-1 than the patients of the HD group, those with CKD, and those of the kidney transplant group (P < .001 for all). Following a follow-up of 16 patients with CKD for 38 months, 15 patients undergoing HD succumbed due to cardiovascular diseases and one patient received a kidney transplant. At 8 to 10-month of follow-up 85% of survival function was noted. As the disease progressed, the survival function decreased to 30% due to the malnutrition in patients with CKD. Lipid oxidation and malnutrition/inflammation are associated with in various stages of CKD patients. With progressing CKD patients' biomarkers of lipid oxidation and malnutrition/inflammation show an increasing trend.

Implication of combined urinary biomarkers in early diagnosis of acute kidney injury following percutaneous coronary intervention.

BACKGROUND: Kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1), neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) and interleukin 18 (IL-18) are three of the most promising biomarkers for the early detection of acute kidney injury. In the present study, to determine whether a combination of the three biomarkers enhances their predictive value, representing an ideal indicator for the early detection of Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) we examined 118 adults undergoing elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHODS: We performed a single center, nested case-control study. Urinary KIM-1, NGAL and IL-18 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay before and 6 h, 24 h, 48 h postcontrast. Serum creatinine was measured before and 24 h, 48 h postcontrast. RESULTS: 12 patients (10.1%) were identified with AKI. 30 patients were selected as controls, matched with cases at an attempted 2.5 : 1 ratio. Compared to the non-AKI group, urinary NGAL were significantly higher at all the time-points. Urinary KIM-1 and IL-18 levels were significantly higher at 24 h and 48 h postcontrast. In the AKI group, Urinary NGAL peaked at 6 h postcontrast, and then decreased. Both KIM-1 and IL-18 peaked at 24 hours postcontrast, remained markedly elevated up to 48 h. By applying area under the receiver operator characteristic curve, the combination of KIM-1, NGAL and IL-18 had the most powerful diagnostic power (AUC = 0.99, (95%CI: 0.90 - 1.00), p = 0.0001) for diagnosis of AKI at 24 h postcontrast, superior to that for single detection and serum creatinine. CONCLUSIONS: KIM-1, NGAL and IL-18 were increased in tandem after PCI. The combination of urinary biomarkers may allow for early detection of AKI following PCI, better than serum creatinine, and the individual biomarkers.

Effect of SGLT2 inhibitor on renal function in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

OBJECTIVE: This study summarizes the evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to assess the effects of SGLT2 inhibitors on renal function and albuminuria in patients with type 2 diabetes. MATERIALS/METHODS: We searched PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library and EMBASE for reports published up to March 2018 and included RCTs reporting estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and/or urine albumin/creatinine ratio (UACR) changes. Data extraction and assessment of research quality based on Cochrane risk biasing tools. Data were calculated to represent the standardized mean difference (SMD) for each study, and the SMDs with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were pooled using a random effects model. RESULTS: Fifty-one studies were included that evaluated eGFR levels, and 17 studies were included that evaluated UACR levels. A meta-analysis showed that SGLT2 inhibitors had no significant effect on eGFR levels (SMD - 0.02, 95% CI - 0.06, 0.03, p = 0.45), and eGFR reduction was observed in the subsets of the duration of the trial 12 < duration ≤ 26 weeks (SMD - 0.08, 95% CI - 0.13, - 0.02, p = 0.005) and mean baseline eGFR < 60 ml/min per 1.73 square meters (SMD - 0.22, 95% CI - 0.37, - 0.07, p = 0.004). We found that SGLT2 inhibitors reduced UACR levels in patients with type 2 diabetes (SMD - 0.11, 95% CI - 0.17, - 0.05, p = 0.0001). Compared with monotherapy, the combination with other hypoglycemic agents can reduce albuminuria levels (SMD - 0.13, 95% CI - 0.19, - 0.06, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The effect of SGLT2 inhibitor on eGFR in patients with T2DM was not statistically significant, but it was effective in reducing albuminuria levels.