ABSTRACT
Accumulation of waste tyres causes an environmental disaster because of the rapid rise in transport vehicle demand resulting from modern developments, Covid-19 and similar pandemics. Thus, recycling waste tyres in the form of aggregates as a sustainable construction material can be a solution to reduce the environmental problems. Current research focuses on the impact resistance and mechanical properties of the crumb rubber self-compacting alkali-activated concrete reinforced with 1% steel fibres (SFs) where fine and coarse crumb rubbers (CR) are partially replaced with 10% and 15% replacement ratios. The compressive, flexural, splitting tensile strengths and modulus of elasticity were investigated;impact resistance was found using a drop hammer impact test. The incorporation of CR reduced the mechanical properties, and the reduction was found more with increased rubber contents, whereas the incorporation of SF compensated for the strength loss. The impact performance was enhanced with the CR and SF incorporations. The 15% CR incorporation improved the impact energy up to three times, whereas both 1% SF and 15% CR incorporations significantly enhanced the impact energy up to 30 times. Similar mechanical strengths were obtained for the different sizes of CR. However, impact performance was significantly influenced by the sizes of CR. © 2022 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
ABSTRACT
Background and Aim: Awareness of electrocardiographic (ECG) changes is crucial in patients who receive coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) treatment. In this study, we aimed to evaluate ECG parameters in patients under COVID-19 therapy and their relationship with the severity of lung involvement and the disease on the basis of thoracic computerized tomography (TCT) findings and laboratory parameters. Material(s) and Method(s): Of 350 patients hospitalized due to COVID-19 between March 2020 and June 2020, 300 patients with available data were retrospectively analyzed. Blood analysis, electrocardiographic, and clinical findings were evaluated. Six-month follow-up data were also recorded. Result(s): The patients were categorized into two groups: Survivor (n = 206, 68.7%, Group 1) and nonsurvivor patients (n = 94, 31.3%, Group 2). The mean total follow-up period was 125.39 +/- 73.09 days. The mean age was similar in both groups. In multivariate regression analysis that aimed to predict COVID-19 disease severity, it was found that besides increased C-reactive protein and D-dimer levels, and >=50% lung involvement in TCT, which are well known as bad prognostic factors, the corrected QT interval duration (QTc) prolongation >=60 miliseconds (msn) during hospitalization was associated with worse prognosis in COVID-19 patients during follow-up. Conclusion(s): Our study is the first study that demonstrated that the presence of >=60 msn QTc prolongation during hospital stay was found to be the most valuable ECG parameter to predict the prognosis and had a significant association with >=50% lung involvement in TCT in patients under anti-COVID therapy. Close monitoring of this ECG parameter is important both in terms of treatment planning and interpretation of disease progression. Copyright © 2022 Society of Cardiovascular Academy. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate pregnancy frequency and evaluate the factors affecting live births in hemodialysis (HD) patients. METHODS: Female HD patients whose pregnancy was retrospectively reported between January 1, 2014, and December 31, 2019. The duration of HD, primary disease, and the information on whether the pregnancy resulted in abortion, stillbirth, or live birth, whether the HD duration was prolonged after diagnosing the pregnancy and whether it accompanied preeclampsia were recorded. RESULTS: In this study, we reached 9038 HD female patients' data in the study. A total of 235 pregnancies were detected in 145 patients. The mean age was 35.42 (35 ± 7.4) years. The mean age at first gestation was 30.8 ± 6.5 years. The average birth week was 32 (28 -36) weeks. A total of 53.8% (no = 78) of the patients had live birth, 51.7% (no = 70) had at least one abortion in the first 20 weeks, and 13.1% (no = 19) had at least one stillbirth after 20 weeks. The rate of patients' increased numbers of dialysis sessions during pregnancy was 71.7%. The abortion rate was 22.4% in those with increased HD sessions, whereas 79.3% in those not increased HD sessions (p < 0.001). Live birth frequency was 67.2% in the increased HD sessions group and 3.4% in those who did not differ in HD sessions (p < 0.001). DISCUSSION: For the first time, we reported pregnancy outcomes in HD female patients, covering all regions of Turkey. It has been observed that;increasing the number of HD sessions in dialysis patients will decrease fetal and maternal complications and increase live birth rates.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: There is not enough data on the post-COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) period for peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients affected from COVID-19. We aimed to compare the clinical and laboratory data retrospectively obtained in the follow-up of PD patients after COVID-19 with a control PD group. METHOD: This study, supported by the Turkish Society of Nephrology, is a national multicenter retrospectively case-control study involving adult PD patients with confirmed COVID-19, using data collected from 21 April 2021 to 11 June 2021. A control PD group was also formed from each PD unit, from patients with similar characteristics but who did not have COVID-19. Patients in the active period of COVID-19 were not included. Data at the end of the first month and within the first 90 days, as well as other outcomes, including mortality, were investigated. RESULTS: A total of 223 patients (COVID-19 group: 113, control group: 110) from 28 centers were included. The duration of PD in both groups was similar [median (IQR):3.0 (1.88-6.0) years and 3.0 (2.0-5.6)], but the patient age of the COVID-19 group was lower than the control group [50 (IQR:40-57) years and 56 (IQR:46-64) years, P < 0.001]. PD characteristics and baseline laboratory data were similar in both groups, except serum albumin and hemoglobin levels on Day 28, which were significantly lower in the COVID-19 group. In the COVID-19 group, respiratory symptoms, rehospitalization, lower respiratory tract infection, change in PD modality, UF failure and hypervolemia were significantly higher on the 28th day. There was no significant difference in laboratory parameters at Day 90. Only one (0.9%) patient in the COVID-19 group died within 90 days. There was no death in the control group. Respiratory symptoms, malnutrition and hypervolemia were significantly higher at Day 90 in the COVID-19 group. CONCLUSION: Mortality in the first 90 days after COVID-19 in PD patients with COVID-19 is not different from the control PD group. However, some of these patients continue to experience significant problems, especially respiratory system symptoms, malnutrition, and hypervolemia.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Haemodialysis (HD) patients are at increased risk for adverse short-term consequences of COVID-19. In this study, we investigated the characteristics of chronic HD patients in the post-COVID-19 period and compared them with the control group. METHOD: We conducted a national multicentre observational study involving adult chronic HD patients recovering from COVID-19. The control HD group was selected from patients with similar characteristics who did not have COVID-19 in the same center. SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR negative patients and patients in the active period of COVID-19 were not included. RESULTS: A total of 1223 patients (635 COVID-19 groups, 588 control groups) were included in the study from the data collected from 47 centres between 21 April 2021 and 11 June 2021. The patients' baseline demographics, comorbidities, medications, HD characteristics and basic laboratory tests were quite similar between the groups (Table 1). 28th-day mortality and between 28th day and 90th day mortality were higher in the COVID-19 group than in the control group [19 (3.0%) patients and 0 (0%) patients;15 (2.4%) patients and 4 (0.7%) patients, respectively]. Presence of respiratory symptoms, rehospitalization, need for home oxygen therapy, lower respiratory tract infection and A-V fistula thrombosis were significantly higher in the COVID-19 group in the first 28 days of illness and between 28 and 90 days. Mortality was significantly associated with preexisting COVID-19, age, current smoking, use of tunneled HD catheter, persistence of respiratory symptoms, rehospitalization, need for home oxygen support, presence of lower respiratory tract infection within 28 days and persistence of respiratory symptoms. CONCLUSION: In the post-COVID-19 period, mortality, rehospitalization, respiratory problems and vascular access problems are higher in maintenance HD patients who have had COVID-19 compared to control HD patients. (Table Presented).