<strong>Background:</strong> Kidney stone disease, also termed nephrolithiasis is associated with significant morbidities such as severe colicky flank pain, haematuria, urinary tract infection and kidney f...<strong>Background:</strong> Kidney stone disease, also termed nephrolithiasis is associated with significant morbidities such as severe colicky flank pain, haematuria, urinary tract infection and kidney failure. Kidney stone disease was perceived as uncommon in developing countries;however, the global prevalence has been rising over the past two decades due to lifestyle changes. There is very limited literature on kidney stone composition in Africa, including Ghana and South Africa. It was based on this evidence that this study was undertaken. <strong>Aim:</strong> The primary aim of this study was to describe and compare the composition of kidney stone in patients receiving treatment at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH), Accra (Ghana) and Groote Schuur Hospital (GSH), Cape Town (South Africa). <strong>Methods:</strong> The study was a retrospective folder review of patients treated for nephrolithiasis at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra (Ghana) and Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town (South Africa). Patients who were treated for kidney stone disease between 1<sup>st</sup> June 2016 and 31<sup>st</sup> May 2018 were recruited, and their folder numbers were retrieved from theatre logbooks. A total of hundred and sixty-three (n = 163) folders (n = 30 KBTH;n = 133 GSH) were subsequently retrieved from the two facilities’ records department. Demographic data and kidney stone analysis results were analyzed using the <em>R</em> statistical software. <strong>Results:</strong> The age of KBTH patients ranged from 24 to 75 years and age of 45 years, while that of GSH ranged 19 to 77 years and median age 48 years respectively. Males were the majority stone formers for both hospitals [56.7% KBTH;59.4% GSH]. There was no statistical difference in gender (<em>p</em> = 0.9447) and age (<em>p</em> = 0.2612) between the two groups. Calcium oxalate (86.7%) and uric acid (90.0%) were the commonest components of the kidney stones analyzed from the KBTH. Calcium oxalate (66.2%) and carbonate apatite (40.6%) were the most common components stones from GSH. Brushite (3.0%), cystine (3.8%) and struvite (19.6%) stones were only found in GSH patients. All kidney stones from the KBTH were mixed stones. Pure kidney stones were only found among the GSH dataset constituting 48.9%, also female patients from GSH formed more mixed stones than their male counterparts (M:F = 40.5%:66.67%) and infection kidney stones were also predominantly found among female patients. <strong>Conclusion:</strong> The findings indicate that the two facilities’ participants are not different in terms of gender and age. However, the composition of stones was found to be different between participants from both hospitals. This suggests that kidney stone composition may be influenced by patients’ geographical location and or cultural background.展开更多
In social networks where individuals discuss opinions on a sequence of topics,the selfconfidence an individual exercises in relation to one topic,as measured by the weighting given to their own opinion as against the ...In social networks where individuals discuss opinions on a sequence of topics,the selfconfidence an individual exercises in relation to one topic,as measured by the weighting given to their own opinion as against the opinion of all others,can vary in the light of the self-appraisal by the individual of their contribution to the previous topic.This observation gives rise to a type of model termed a De Groot-Friedkin model.This paper reviews a number of results concerning this model.These include the asymptotic behavior of the self-confidence(as the number of topics goes to infinity),the possible emergence of an autocrat or small cohort of leaders,the effect of changes in the weighting given to opinions of others(in the light for example of their perceived expertise in relation to a particular topic under discussion),and the inclusion in the model of individual behavioral characteristics such as humility,arrogance,etc.Such behavioral characteristics create new opportunities for autocrats to emerge.展开更多
文摘<strong>Background:</strong> Kidney stone disease, also termed nephrolithiasis is associated with significant morbidities such as severe colicky flank pain, haematuria, urinary tract infection and kidney failure. Kidney stone disease was perceived as uncommon in developing countries;however, the global prevalence has been rising over the past two decades due to lifestyle changes. There is very limited literature on kidney stone composition in Africa, including Ghana and South Africa. It was based on this evidence that this study was undertaken. <strong>Aim:</strong> The primary aim of this study was to describe and compare the composition of kidney stone in patients receiving treatment at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH), Accra (Ghana) and Groote Schuur Hospital (GSH), Cape Town (South Africa). <strong>Methods:</strong> The study was a retrospective folder review of patients treated for nephrolithiasis at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra (Ghana) and Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town (South Africa). Patients who were treated for kidney stone disease between 1<sup>st</sup> June 2016 and 31<sup>st</sup> May 2018 were recruited, and their folder numbers were retrieved from theatre logbooks. A total of hundred and sixty-three (n = 163) folders (n = 30 KBTH;n = 133 GSH) were subsequently retrieved from the two facilities’ records department. Demographic data and kidney stone analysis results were analyzed using the <em>R</em> statistical software. <strong>Results:</strong> The age of KBTH patients ranged from 24 to 75 years and age of 45 years, while that of GSH ranged 19 to 77 years and median age 48 years respectively. Males were the majority stone formers for both hospitals [56.7% KBTH;59.4% GSH]. There was no statistical difference in gender (<em>p</em> = 0.9447) and age (<em>p</em> = 0.2612) between the two groups. Calcium oxalate (86.7%) and uric acid (90.0%) were the commonest components of the kidney stones analyzed from the KBTH. Calcium oxalate (66.2%) and carbonate apatite (40.6%) were the most common components stones from GSH. Brushite (3.0%), cystine (3.8%) and struvite (19.6%) stones were only found in GSH patients. All kidney stones from the KBTH were mixed stones. Pure kidney stones were only found among the GSH dataset constituting 48.9%, also female patients from GSH formed more mixed stones than their male counterparts (M:F = 40.5%:66.67%) and infection kidney stones were also predominantly found among female patients. <strong>Conclusion:</strong> The findings indicate that the two facilities’ participants are not different in terms of gender and age. However, the composition of stones was found to be different between participants from both hospitals. This suggests that kidney stone composition may be influenced by patients’ geographical location and or cultural background.
基金the Western Australian Governmentunder the Premier’s Science Fellowship Program。
文摘In social networks where individuals discuss opinions on a sequence of topics,the selfconfidence an individual exercises in relation to one topic,as measured by the weighting given to their own opinion as against the opinion of all others,can vary in the light of the self-appraisal by the individual of their contribution to the previous topic.This observation gives rise to a type of model termed a De Groot-Friedkin model.This paper reviews a number of results concerning this model.These include the asymptotic behavior of the self-confidence(as the number of topics goes to infinity),the possible emergence of an autocrat or small cohort of leaders,the effect of changes in the weighting given to opinions of others(in the light for example of their perceived expertise in relation to a particular topic under discussion),and the inclusion in the model of individual behavioral characteristics such as humility,arrogance,etc.Such behavioral characteristics create new opportunities for autocrats to emerge.
