Knowledge is critical for self- management, however there are no measures available in Arabic to effectively assess knowledge and self-management for chronic kidney disease (CKD). The aim of this study was to translate, culturally adapt, and validate Chronic Kidney Disease Self-Management Instrument-29 (CKD-SM-29) and Kidney Disease Knowledge survey (KiKs) for use by Arabic-speaking health professionals and patients. The study was carried out in two phases translation and cultural adaptation, and validation. Instruments were translated from English to Arabic then adapted and validated using 203 pre-dialysis CKD patients. Face validity and internal consistency were demonstrated for Arabic versions of CKD-SM-29 and KiKs. Cronbach’s α for the CKD-SM-29 was .91 for KiKS was .78. Test-retest revealed good stability over a 1-week period. Intra Class Correlation coefficient for CKD-SM-29 was .90 and was .78 for KiKS. Convergent and discriminative validity were also demonstrated for the translated instruments. The validity and reliability of the Arabic CKD-SM-29 and KiKs were demonstrated. The translated instruments are culturally adapted and will support care of patients with CKD in Arabic-speaking countries.

To report a case of profound bilateral sensorineural hearing and vestibular loss from relapsing polychondritis and hearing outcomes after cochlear implantation.

Case report and literature review.

A 43 year-old woman developed sudden loss of hearing and balance that progressed over several weeks to bilateral, profound hearing and vestibular loss. Steroid treatments were ineffective. She underwent vestibular physical therapy and left cochlear implantation. About 10 months after her initial presentation, she developed erythema, warmth, swelling, and pain of the left auricle sparing the lobule, flattening of the bridge of her nose, and right ankle swelling, warmth, and skin erythema. A biopsy of the left auricle revealed histopathologic findings consistent with relapsing polychondritis. She was treated with high dose prednisolone. The ear inflammation resolved, however, despite excellent auditory response to pure tone thresholds, the patient reported no improvement in speech perception after cochlear implantation.

Relapsing polychondritis can present with rapidly progressive, profound loss of hearing and vestibular function. Hearing outcomes after cochlear implantation can include poor speech discrimination despite good pure tone detection thresholds.

Relapsing polychondritis can present with rapidly progressive, profound loss of hearing and vestibular function. Hearing outcomes after cochlear implantation can include poor speech discrimination despite good pure tone detection thresholds.Background Molecular testing (MT) refines risk stratification for thyroid nodules that are indeterminate for cancer by fine needle aspiration (FNA) cytology. Criteria for selecting nodules for MT vary and remain largely untested, raising questions about the best strategy for maximizing the usefulness of MT while minimizing the harms of overtesting. Vorinostat We used a unique data set to examine the effects of repeat FNA cytology-based criteria for MT on management decisions and nodule outcomes. Methods This was a study of adults (age 25-90 years; 281 women and 72 men) with cytologically indeterminate (Bethesda III/IV) thyroid nodules who underwent repeat FNA biopsy and Afirma Gene Expression Classifier (GEC) testing (N = 363 nodules from 353 patients) between June 2013 and October 2017 at a single institution, with follow-up data collected until December 2019. Subgroup analysis was performed based on classification of repeat FNA cytology. Outcomes of GEC testing, clinical/sonographic surveillance of unresected nodules,n guide the selection of cytologically indeterminate thyroid nodules that warrant MT. The Restrictive model of performing Afirma GEC only on nodules with two separate biopsies showing Bethesda III/IV cytology would reduce the rate of diagnostic surgery for histologically benign nodules while missing only rare low-risk tumors. Given the low but nontrivial risks of thyroidectomy, the higher specificity of the Restrictive testing approach disproportionately outweighs the potential harms.Background and Objective Several positions have been described for percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL). The aim of this study was to compare the safety and effectiveness of the traditional prone position PCNL (TP-PCNL) and the prone split-leg position PCNL (PSL-PCNL). Patients and Methods A retrospective review was made of the data of 212 patients who underwent prone PCNL in PSL or TP between January 2017 and November 2019. The demographic and preoperative clinical data were used for propensity score-matching (PSM). Following the PSM based on a multivariable logistic regression model, the PSL-PCNL and TP-PCNL groups were compared in preoperative, perioperative, and postoperative parameters. All surgical procedures were performed by an experienced endourologist. Results After PSM, 51 patients from the PSL-PCNL group were matched to 51 TP-PCNL patients. The stone burden was not statistically significant between the two groups (p = 0.388). The mean operation time of the two groups was significantly different (81.5 ± 32.4 minutes vs 93.1 ± 25.9 minutes, respectively, p = 0.026). The hemoglobin decrease in the PSL-PCNL group was greater than that in the TP-PCNL group (-17.7 ± 16.9 g/L vs 13.1 ± 10.9 g/L, p  less then  0.001). Both groups had similar stone-free rates after 2 weeks (p = 0.49). No significant difference was observed between the groups in the total complication rate (p = 1). Conclusions The application of PSL in PCNL simplifies the surgical procedure and shortens the operating time. Another important advantage is that it allows retrograde intrarenal surgery and ureteroscopy to be performed simultaneously. We recommend the PSL to be applied in PCNL for renal stone patients.Introduction Impulse control disorders (ICDs) represent a side effect of dopaminergic medication in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Patients experience an excessive desire toward natural rewards paired with uncontrolled actions. Yet, the precise neural and behavioral mechanisms associated with ICDs and, importantly, each specific subdomain remain unclear. We aim to decipher resting-state and corticolimbic functional connectivity in PD patients with and without hypersexual ICD. Materials and Methods Seventeen PD patients with hypersexuality (PD+HS) and 15 PD patients without hypersexuality (PD-HS) underwent two sessions (with and without medication) of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and were compared with 17 healthy controls. Dual-regression independent component analyses extracted salience, sensorimotor, default-mode, and central executive networks. Seed-based functional connectivity with three striatal subdivisions (motor, associative, and limbic) was obtained and significant changes were correlated with key impulsivity and inhibitory measures.