Digital Sociology: An Introduction

This document provides an introduction to digital sociology. It includes discussion on using digital and social media for sociological research and for academic professional practice

Patient Recruitment into a Multicenter Randomized Clinical Trial for Kidney Disease: Report of the Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis Clinical Trial (FSGS CT)

We describe the experience of the focal segmental glomerulosclerosis clinical trial (FSGS CT) in the identification and recruitment of participants into the study. This National Institutes of Health funded study, a multicenter, open‐label, randomized comparison of cyclosporine versus oral dexamethasone pulses plus mycophenolate mofetil, experienced difficulty and delays meeting enrollment goals. These problems occurred despite the support of patient advocacy groups and aggressive recruitment strategies. Multiple barriers were identified including: (1) inaccurate estimates of the number of potential incident FSGS patients at participating centers; (2) delays in securing one of the test agents; (3) prolonged time between IRB approval and execution of a subcontract (mean 7.5 ± 0.8 months); (4) prolonged time between IRB approval and enrollment of the first patient at participating sites (mean 19.6 ± 1.4 months); and (5) reorganization of clinical coordinating core infrastructure to align resources with enrollment. A Web‐based anonymous survey of site investigators revealed site‐related barriers to patient recruitment. The value of a variety of recruitment tools was of marginal utility in facilitating patient enrollment. We conclude that improvements in the logistics of study approval and regulatory start‐up and testing of promising novel agents are important factors in promoting enrollment into randomized clinical trials in nephrology. Clin Trans Sci 2013; Volume 6: 13–20Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/96741/1/cts12003.pd

NMR and MS urinary metabolic phenotyping in kidney diseases is fit-for-purpose in the presence of a protease inhibitor

Nephrotic syndrome with idiopathic membranous nephropathy as a major contributor, is characterized by proteinuria, hypoalbuminemia and oedema. Diagnosis is based on renal biopsy and the condition is treated using immunosuppressive drugs; however nephrotic syndrome treatment efficacy varies among patients. Multi-omic urine analyses can discover new markers of nephrotic syndrome that can be used to develop personalized treatments. For proteomics, a protease inhibitor (PI) is sometimes added at sample collection to conserve proteins but its impact on urine metabolic phenotyping needs to be evaluated. Urine from controls (n = 4) and idiopathic membranous nephropathy (iMN) patients (n = 6) were collected with and without PI addition and analysed using 1H NMR spectroscopy and UPLC-MS. PI-related data features were observed in the 1H NMR spectra but their removal followed by a median fold change normalisation, eliminated the PI contribution. PI-related metabolites in UPLC-MS data had limited effect on metabolic patterns specific to iMN. When using an appropriate data processing pipeline, PI-containing urine samples are appropriate for 1H NMR and MS metabolic profiling of patients with nephrotic syndrome

A retrospective study of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis: clinical criteria can identify patients at high risk for recurrent disease after first renal transplantation

Contains fulltext : 118458.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)BACKGROUND: Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) is a frequent cause of end-stage renal disease. Renal transplantation in patients with FSGS is often complicated by disease recurrence, which is associated with poor outcome. There are no tests that reliably predict recurrence of FSGS after transplantation. The aim of this study was to evaluate if clinical criteria can identify patients at high risk for recurrent disease. METHODS: We retrospectively studied 94 patients who received a first renal transplant at a median age of 37 years (range 5-69 years). Patients were assigned to one of three groups: familial or genetic FSGS (group I; n=18), secondary FSGS (group II; n=10) and idiopathic FSGS (group III; n=66). Pretransplant clinical characteristics were analyzed to determine predictors of a recurrence after transplantation. RESULTS: FSGS only recurred in patients with idiopathic FSGS (group III; 42%). Patients with a recurrence had a significantly lower serum albumin, higher 24-hour proteinuria and higher estimated glomerular filtration rate at diagnosis. Serum albumin at diagnosis was the only independent predictor of a recurrence in patients with idiopathic FSGS. Patients with recurrent FSGS had more acute rejection episodes (54% vs. 27%, P =0.02) and lower five year graft survival compared to patients without a recurrence (50 vs. 82%, P <0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Clinical criteria allow identification of patients at high risk of recurrent FSGS after renal transplantation. This information can be used in the counseling and management of patients with FSGS

Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis: Pieces of the Puzzle

Contains fulltext : 30916_focasegl.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)RU Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen, 29 november 2007Promotor : Wetzels, J.F.M. Co-promotor : Steenbergen, E.176 p

De rol van herinnering bij de representatie van sociale afstand in The Sound and the Fury, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time en De avond is ongemak

Deze vergelijkende case study onderzoekt de relatie tussen het fictionele zelf in de vorm van personale vertellers in de romans The Sound and the Fury, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time en De avond is ongemak, en hun sociale omgeving. De scriptie richt zich specifiek op de representatie van sociale afstand in theorieën over temporaliteit binnen het postmodernisme. De roman The Sound and the Fury thematiseert vreemdheid bij de personale verteller Benjy door diens passiviteit op de voorgrond te plaatsen. Deze passiviteit komt tot uiting in de vertelling doordat zowel zijn onvermogen om verstandelijk op zijn herinneringen en gevoelens te reflecteren als het feit dat hij niet kan praten hem belemmeren bij de communicatie. In The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time staat de subjectiviteit van het hoofdpersonage Christopher op de voorgrond, waar zijn tijdsbeleving onderdeel van uitmaakt. Bij de reproductie van gesprekken door Christopher benadrukt de tekst de verschillen tussen hem en de personages waarmee hij in gesprek is. Daarnaast reflecteert hij op wat hij meegemaakt heeft. Het hoofdpersonage van De avond is ongemak probeert zich haar overleden broer te herinneren, hoewel zij merkt dat de herinnering aan hem steeds verder vervaagt. Haar ouders oefenen druk op haar uit om zich te conformeren aan hun eigen rouwverwerking, en in de beleving van haar klasgenoten vertegenwoordigt de jas die zij niet meer uitdoet sinds zijn overlijden de vreemdheid van haar gedrag. Tegenover haar ervaring van sociale afstand staat dat het hoofdpersonage wel sociale verbinding vindt bij haar zus in hun streven om de toekomst tegemoet te treden