Recovery of dialysis patients with COVID-19 : health outcomes 3 months after diagnosis in ERACODA

Background. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related short-term mortality is high in dialysis patients, but longer-term outcomes are largely unknown. We therefore assessed patient recovery in a large cohort of dialysis patients 3 months after their COVID-19 diagnosis. Methods. We analyzed data on dialysis patients diagnosed with COVID-19 from 1 February 2020 to 31 March 2021 from the European Renal Association COVID-19 Database (ERACODA). The outcomes studied were patient survival, residence and functional and mental health status (estimated by their treating physician) 3 months after COVID-19 diagnosis. Complete follow-up data were available for 854 surviving patients. Patient characteristics associated with recovery were analyzed using logistic regression. Results. In 2449 hemodialysis patients (mean ± SD age 67.5 ± 14.4 years, 62% male), survival probabilities at 3 months after COVID-19 diagnosis were 90% for nonhospitalized patients (n = 1087), 73% for patients admitted to the hospital but not to an intensive care unit (ICU) (n = 1165) and 40% for those admitted to an ICU (n = 197). Patient survival hardly decreased between 28 days and 3 months after COVID-19 diagnosis. At 3 months, 87% functioned at their pre-existent functional and 94% at their pre-existent mental level. Only few of the surviving patients were still admitted to the hospital (0.8-6.3%) or a nursing home (∼5%). A higher age and frailty score at presentation and ICU admission were associated with worse functional outcome. Conclusions. Mortality between 28 days and 3 months after COVID-19 diagnosis was low and the majority of patients who survived COVID-19 recovered to their pre-existent functional and mental health level at 3 months after diagnosis

Associations of autozygosity with a broad range of human phenotypes

In many species, the offspring of related parents suffer reduced reproductive success, a phenomenon known as inbreeding depression. In humans, the importance of this effect has remained unclear, partly because reproduction between close relatives is both rare and frequently associated with confounding social factors. Here, using genomic inbreeding coefficients (F-ROH) for >1.4 million individuals, we show that F-ROH is significantly associated (p <0.0005) with apparently deleterious changes in 32 out of 100 traits analysed. These changes are associated with runs of homozygosity (ROH), but not with common variant homozygosity, suggesting that genetic variants associated with inbreeding depression are predominantly rare. The effect on fertility is striking: F-ROH equivalent to the offspring of first cousins is associated with a 55% decrease [95% CI 44-66%] in the odds of having children. Finally, the effects of F-ROH are confirmed within full-sibling pairs, where the variation in F-ROH is independent of all environmental confounding.Peer reviewe

The Effectiveness of Western Psychotherapy in treating Psychological Disorders among Subsaharan African Populations. A Systematic Review of the Literature

Background: Psychotherapy has been shown to be effective in the treatment of mental disorders in the western world but viewed as an alien method of treatment to Africans. Aim: To review the literature on the effectiveness of psychotherapy in sub- Saharan Africa. Method: A systematic search of Medline, PsychINFO, CINHAL, were undertaken along with citation searches. In addition relevant text books and journals were searched for and used. Studies were selected if psychotherapy treatment in Africa were described in the title or abstract. Study quality was rated. Result: The search produced over 1261 articles; nine (9) met the inclusion criteria, four (4) were case reports, four (4) randomized controlled trials and one (1) quasi-experimental. Of the five (5) with relevant data four (4) revealed a positive outcome and, the need for some adaptation of the western model. Conclusion: High quality data examining the effectiveness of psychotherapy is quite sparse. However, the few quality data available revealed mostly positive outcome

Risperidone -Induced Tardive Dykinesia in aYoungAdultNigerian Patient:ACase Report

Background: Tardive dyskinesia is a common problem associated with long-term use of potent antipsychotic drugs. It has become common with increased use of the newer atypical drugs. The condition ismanifest by abnormal orofacial, extremity, and sometimes trunk movements. Hence, the aim of this case report is to highlight that risperisone may cause tardive dyskinesia in Nigerians. Method: An 18-year-old black Nigerian female with a 9-month history of schizophrenia developed buccolingual  masticulatory tardive dyskinesia after receiving risperidone 6 mg. She had received small dosages of typical antipsychotics before receiving risperidone. Result: Reduction in dosage of risperidone to 2 mg resulted in improvement in tardive dyskinesia and up to the last follow-up visit; she had remained free of any abnormal involuntary movements. Conclusion: We report a case of tardive dyskinesia in a young Nigerian woman with a brief exposure to typical antipsychotic drugs while she was on the so-called “antidyskinetic dose” of risperidone. The tardive dyskinesia resolved after stopping risperidone and remained abated after reinstitution of smaller doses of risperidone. Irrespective of the safety profile of newer atypical antipsychotic drugs, a clinician must be on the lookout for rare side effects. Prevention is the best option, as treatment may be unsatisfactory.Niger Med J. Vol. 48, No. 4, Oct. – Dec.,2007: 99 – 100.Keywords: tardive dyskinesia, risperidone, atypical antipsychotic drugs

Influence of engine operating variable on combustion to reduce exhaust emissions using various biodiesels blend

This study focused mainly on the behavior of biodiesel operated under various operating conditions. The experiment was conducted with B20 of three potential biodiesel sources, namely, rice bran, Moringa and sesame oil. A significant outcome was observed from the test results, which showed that the brake thermal efficiency of the biodiesel blend was about 3.4% lower under constant speed running conditions than constant torque operating conditions. Similarly, about 6.5% lower exhaust gas temperatures under constant speed running conditions with lower peak pressure were found than under constant torque testing conditions. On the subject of emission, it is seen that the testing conditions also have an influence on exhaust emission. For instance, under constant speed running conditions, the engine produces about 19.5% lower NO and 19% higher HC than under constant torque running conditions. A similar influence was also found in the pressure and heat release rate. However, there is a clear variation found in the results under different operating conditions. Therefore, it is necessary to test the fuel under various operating conditions, such as constant torque, constant speed, variable injection timing, for the optimal use of biodiesel

Consumer satisfaction with a federal health care service in Nigeria

No Abstrac

An intelligent based-model role to simulate the factor of safe slope by support vector regression

An infrastructure development in landscape and clearing of more vegetated areas have provided huge changes in Malaysia gradually leading to slope instabilities accompanied by enormous environmental effects such as properties and destructions. Thus, prudent practices through vegetation incorporating to use slope stability is an option to the general stabilized technique. Few researches have investigated the effectiveness of vegetative coverings related to slope and soil parameters. The main goal of this study is to provide an intelligent soft computing model to predict the safety factor (FOS) of a slope using support vector regression (SVR). In the other words, SVR has investigated the surface eco-protection techniques for cohesive soil slopes in Guthrie Corridor Expressway stretch through the probabilistic models analysis to highlight the main parameters. The aforementioned analysis has been performed to predict the FOS of a slope, also the estimator’s function has been confirmed by the simulative outcome compared to artificial neural network and genetic programing resulting in a drastic accurate estimation by SVR. Using new analyzing methods like SVR are more purposeful than achieving a starting point by trial and error embedding multiple factors into one in ordinary low-technique software. © 2018, Springer-Verlag London Ltd., part of Springer Nature