Introduction. Urea pharmacokinetic equation systems have contributed to better understanding of the treatment dose among hemodialysis patients. The normalized treatment ratio, Kt/V assumes that smaller patients with low volume of urea distribution (V) require proportionately less total treatment (Kt) than bigger patients. Our aim was to compare estimates of dialysis adequacy obtained by single-pool Kt/V (spKt/V) and Surface-Area-Normalized Kt/V (SAN-Kt/V) formulas, and to identify the similarities and differences between these estimates.Methods. Study was carried out on 46 patients. A stable dialysis schedule was maintained during the study. SpKt/V and SAN-Kt/V were calculated from urea estimations using the following formulas: spKt/V = -ln(R - 0.008 x t) + (4 - 3.5 x R) x UF/W, where R is the Ct/Co, t is the duration of the HD session, UF is the ultrafiltration volume, and W is the body weight after the HD session. SAN-Kt/V = spKt/V multiplied by Vant/(3.271 x Vant2/3; in females, multiplied again by 0.91). Dialysis dose with the Kt was also measured in each session. Results. A total of 46 patients with mean age of 45.84 ±17.29 were included. Of them, 25 (54.34%) were male and 21(45.62%) were famale. With a prescribed mean Kt of 44.13 ± 2.66 lit, Sp Kt/v and SAN-Kt/v were more than 1.2 in 50% and 43.5% of the patients, respectively. According to sex, despite statistically equal prescribed Kt (mean Kt was 44.11 ± 2.6 lit and 44.12 ±2.7 lit in male and female patients), Sp Kt/v was significantly higher in females (1.27 ± 0.23 vs 1.06 ± 0.25; P = 0.006). Surprisingly, SAN-Kt/v in both groups was not significant (in males: 1.10 ±0.24 and in females: 1.07 ±.23; P = 0.667). Body surface area of the dialyzed subject and Sp Kt/v showed negative correlation (r = -0.583, P < 0.001). Conclusion. With an equal prescribed dialysis dose, delivered Kt/v by single-pool Kt/v in females is significantly higher than males but by SAN Kt/v, the results are somehow equal which could be due to BSA normalization.

but is also significantly influenced by the through-the-thickness stress distribution characterized by the degree of bending (DoB). The determination of DoB values in a tubular joint is essential for improving the accuracy of fatigue life estimation using the stress-life (S–N) method and particularly for predicting the fatigue crack growth based on the fracture mechanics (FM) approach. In the present paper, data extracted from finite element (FE) analyses of tubular KT-joints, verified against experimental data and parametric equations, was used to investigate the effects of geometrical parameters on DoB values at the crown 0°, saddle, and crown 180° positions along the weld toe of central brace in tubular KTjoints subjected to axial loading. Parametric study was followed by a set of nonlinear regression analyses to derive DoB parametric formulas for the fatigue analysis of KT-joints under axial loads. The tubular KT-joint is a quite common joint type found in steel offshore structures. However, despite the crucial role of the DoB in evaluating the fatigue performance of tubular joints, this paper is the first attempt to study and formulate the DoB values in KT-joints.

Introduction. A central issue in the management of patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis is the assessment of adequacy of dialysis. Simply, evaluating the blood urea nitrogen (BUN) is insufficient because a low BUN can reflect inadequate nutrition. In 2007, the mean delivered single pool KT/V of adult in-center dialysis patients in the United States was approximately above 1.5. By comparison, a survey of dialysis practices in the years 1998 to 2000 in five European countries found that the mean delivered Kt/V varied from 1.28 to 1.50. Methods. In this observational study, we have evaluated 35 patients’ files, between 2006 and 2008, in Al-Zahra hospital hemodialysis center. Our information sheets contained age, gender, underlying diseases, monthly URR and KT/V according to the Daugirdas II formula, calcium, phosphorus, parathyroid hormone (PTH), fasting blood sugar (FBS), hemoglobin, albumin, cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL, and LDL. Then, this information was expressed for frequency and descriptive parameters and analyzed by SPSS version 15.0 software.Results. There were 19 (54.3%) males and 16 (45.7%) females; their age ranged from 10 to 78 years. Diabetes was the most common known cause of ESRD in 8 (22.9%) followed by hypertension in 4 (11.4%); other etiologies were detected in 14 (40.0%) patients and in 9 (25.7%), the etiology was unknown. As it can be seen, the average URR and KT/V of our patients are in the recommended range.Conclusion. We conclude that our hemodialysis patients are under the worldwide recommended desired dialysis program. But, quality control and improvement of our services should always be our consideration.

Introduction: Anemia in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) can cause serious problems for patients. Objectives: The present study was conducted to investigate whether the type or adequacy of dialysis can affect the incidence of anemia in these patients. Patients and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 57 patients with ESRD, who were referred to Qaem and Imam Reza hospitals, Mashhad, Iran. The patients were divided into two groups of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) (n=37 patients) and hemodialysis (n=20 patients). Patients had no laboratory evidence of iron deficiency or hyperparathyroidism. Enrolled patients were received vitamin B12 and folic acid too. Hemoglobin concentration of under 11 mg/dL was considered as anemia. Adequacy of dialysis was evaluated by Kt/V index (>1. 2 for hemodialysis and >1. 7 per week for peritoneal dialysis). We compared different factors in these two groups, including anemia and Kt/V, and evaluated their relationship. Results: Around 27% and 65% of the patients on CAPD and hemodialysis were anemic respectively (P = 0. 005). Adequacy of dialysis in CAPD was acceptable in 81. 1% of the cases, while target Kt/V was achieved in 50% of the patients on hemodialysis. Dialysis adequacy was significantly higher in patients receiving CAPD (P = 0. 014). No significant correlation between the incidence of anemia and Kt/V in both types of dialysis was found (P > 0. 05). Conclusion: Anemia was mostly observed in patients receiving hemodialysis as compared to CAPD. Regardless of the type of dialysis, adequacy of dialysis did not affect the incidence of anemia in any of the groups.