Audiologic monitoring of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis patients on aminoglycoside treatment with long term follow-up

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Multi-drug resistant tuberculosis has emerged as a significant problem with the resurfacing of tuberculosis and thus the need to use the second line drugs with the resultant increased incidence of adverse effects. We discuss the effect of second line aminoglycoside anti-tubercular drugs on the hearing status of MDR-TB patients.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Sixty four patients were put on second line aminoglycoside anti-TB drugs. These were divided into three groups: group I, 34 patients using amikacin, group II, 26 patients using kanamycin and group III, 4 patients using capreomycin.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of these, 18.75% of the patients developed sensorineural hearing loss involving higher frequencies while 6.25% had involvement of speech frequencies also. All patients were seen again approximately one year after aminoglycoside discontinuation and all hearing losses were permanent with no threshold improvement.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Aminoglycosides used in MDR-TB patients may result in irreversible hearing loss involving higher frequencies and can become a hearing handicap as speech frequencies are also involved in some of the patients thus underlining the need for regular audiologic evaluation in patients of MDR-TB during the treatment.</p

Widespread colonisation of Tanzanian catchments by introduced Oreochromis tilapia fishes: the legacy from decades of deliberate introduction

From the 1950s onwards, programmes to promote aquaculture and improve capture fisheries in East Africa have relied heavily on the promise held by introduced species. In Tanzania these introductions have been poorly documented. Here we report the findings of surveys of inland water bodies across Tanzania between 2011 and 2017 that clarify distributions of tilapiine cichlids of the genus Oreochromis. We identified Oreochromis from 123 sampling locations, including 14 taxa restricted to their native range and three species that have established populations beyond their native range. Of these three species, the only exotic species found was blue-spotted tilapia (Oreochromis leucostictus), while Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and Singida tilapia (Oreochromis esculentus), which are both naturally found within the country of Tanzania, have been translocated beyond their native range. Using our records, we developed models of suitable habitat for the introduced species based on recent (1960–1990) and projected (2050, 2070) East African climate. These models indicated that presence of suitable habitat for these introduced species will persist and potentially expand across the region. The clarification of distributions provided here can help inform the monitoring and management of biodiversity, and inform policy related to the future role of introduced species in fisheries and aquaculture

Association between Interpersonal Trust, Reciprocity, and Depression in South Korea: A Prospective Analysis

Background: A growing body of empirical evidence indicates that low-level social capital is related to poor mental health outcomes. However, the prospective association between social capital and depression remains unclear, and no published studies have investigated the association with longitudinal data in East-Asian countries. Methods: We analyzed data from the ongoing Korean Welfare Panel Study to prospectively investigate association between social capital and depression. Social capital was measured at the individual level by two items specific to interpersonal trust and reciprocity. Depression was annually assessed as a dichotomous variable using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. After excluding participants who had depression in 2006, logistic regression models were applied to estimate the association between each social capital indicator and new-onset depression developed in 2007 or long-term depression in both 2007 and 2008. We also examined the association in a subpopulation restricted to healthy participants after excluding individuals with any pre-existing disability, chronic disease, or poor self-rated health condition. Results: Compared to the high interpersonal trust group, the odds ratios of developing new-onset and long-term depression among the low interpersonal trust group were 1.22 (95% CI: 1.08∼1.38) and 1.23 (95% CI: 1.03∼1.50), respectively, and increased to 1.32 (95% CI: 1.10∼1.57) and 1.47 (95% CI: 1.05∼2.08) in the subpopulation analyses restricted to healthy individuals. Although the low and intermediate reciprocity group also had significantly higher odds of developing new-onset depression compared to the high reciprocity group, the effects were attenuated and statistically non-significant in the subpopulation analyses. Conclusion: Low interpersonal trust appears to be an independent risk factor for new-onset and long-term depression in South Korea

Serotonin, genetic variability, behaviour, and psychiatric disorders - a review

Brain monoamines, and serotonin in particular, have repeatedly been shown to be linked to different psychiatric conditions such as depression, anxiety, antisocial behaviour, and dependence. Many studies have implicated genetic variability in the genes encoding monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) and the serotonin transporter (5HTT) in modulating susceptibility to these conditions. Paradoxically, the risk variants of these genes have been shown, in vitro, to increase levels of serotonin, although many of the conditions are associated with decreased levels of serotonin. Furthermore, in adult humans, and monkeys with orthologous genetic polymorphisms, there is no observable correlation between these functional genetic variants and the amount or activity of the corresponding proteins in the brain. These seemingly contradictory data might be explained if the association between serotonin and these behavioural and psychiatric conditions were mainly a consequence of events taking place during foetal and neonatal brain development. In this review we explore, based on recent research, the hypothesis that the dual role of serotonin as a neurotransmitter and a neurotrophic factor has a significant impact on behaviour and risk for neuropsychiatric disorders through altered development of limbic neurocircuitry involved in emotional processing, and development of the serotonergic neurons, during early brain development

Social-ecological analysis of integrated agriculture-aquaculture in Dedza, Malawi

Through the case of integrated agriculture-aquaculture in rural Malawi, this paper argues that hybrid research can reveal new interactions in social-ecological systems not evident when studies by social or natural methods independently. While recent research acknowledges the social and natural dimensions of aquaculture systems, studies often create an artificial divide by attempting to address each aspect in isolation. Social science research has overlooked the biophysical aspects of aquaculture, while scientific research has uncritically accepted orthodox explanations of environmental outcomes without addressing the social contexts of such systems. The social component of this research reveals that fish farmers in Malawi are rejecting practices which do not work in the local context (fertilization with pond mud) and adopting strategies that do work (irrigation with pond water). The physical component of this research compliments the social by elucidating that irrigation with pond water resulted in higher soil nutrient and moisture content. The paper concludes that small-scale aquaculture can make significant contributions to rural household food and income security in Africa and that hybrid research methods can improve our abilities to investigate the complex, connected nature of social-ecological systems