Pedicle screw sublaminary wiring (PSSW) combined with anti-tuberculosis chemotherapy for treating spinal tuberculosis in adults: A cohort study

Operative procedures and anti-tuberculosis combinations are controversial for tuberculous spondylitis (TS) management in cases with risk of deformity, fragments, instability, and neurological disorders. Purpose: To assess the effectiveness of a combination of anti-tuberculosis and pedicle screw sublaminary wiring (PSSW) for treating TS. Method: This study was a cohort study with a pre-test/post-test control design. This study was conducted at the Dr. Zainoel Abidin Hospital (Banda Aceh) from March 2005 to March 2007. Sampling technique was judgement sampling. Neurological data deficit (Frankel classification) was analyzed before and after treatment using the Spearman test. Kyphosis angles were analyzed before and after treatment using the regression correlation test. Results: A total of 18 patients (61.1% male and 38.9% female) participated in this study. The spinal column involved in this study was 55.6% thoracic, 27.8% thoraco-lumbar, and 16.7% lumbar. Neurological status before the treatment was 11.1% Frankel C, 72.2% Frankel, D, and 16.7% Frankel E. Neurological status after the treatment was 5.55% Frankel C and 94.4% Frankel E. It showed that there was no significant association between a combination of anti-tuberculosis and PSSW for neurological deficit improvement (P = 0.212). The mean angle of kyphosis before the treatment was 23.05 ± 11.9 while after the treatment it was 10.5 ± 5.9. It showed that there was a significant association between a combination of anti-tuberculosis and PSSW for kyphosis degree improvement (P = 0.000). Conclusions: A combination of anti-tuberculosis and PSSW for six months provided significant results if assessed from degree of kyphosis, but did not provide significant results if assessed from Frankel classification

Sodium Benzoate is Associated with Salmonella Typhi Resistant to Chloramphenicol

Background: There are many factors that govern growth and resistant of Salmonella typhi. A study had reported that the use of sodium benzoate caused antibiotic resistant. However, no study has directly evaluated the effect of sodium benzoate exposure on S. typhi sensitivity to chloramphenicol. The aim of this study was to evaluate the resistance or sensitivity of S. typhi to chloramphenicol after sodium benzoate exposure. Methods: The study was conducted in seven groups: three treatment groups (sodium benzoate insensitive S. typhi+8 µg/mL, 16 µg/mL, and 32 µg/mL of chloramphenicol), three positive control groups (sodium benzoate sensitive S. typhi+8 µg/mL, 16 µg/mL, and 32 µg/mL of chloramphenicol), and one negative control groups (sodium benzoate sensitive S. typhi+0 µg/mL of chloramphenicol). The effect of sodium benzoate exposure to S. typhi sensitivity to chloramphenicol was measured after 24 hours. Spearman test was used to analyzed this association. Results: In this study, we found that the average S. typhi growth in the treatment groups (A, B, C) was 445 CFU/mL, 385 CFU/mL, and 171 CFU/mL, respectively. While in the positive control group (D, E, F) was not obtained any S. typhi growth. Average S. typhi growth in the negative control group was 430 CFU/mL. Discussion: We found that sodium benzoate exposure inhibited S. typhi growth and affected S. typhi sensitivity to chloramphenicol (p<0.05). In addition, we found that 32 µg/mL chloramphenicol had the highest mean difference value, so this showed that the dose 32 µg/mL of chloramphenicol had the best effectiveness of various treatment groups (p<0.05). Conclusions: Sodium benzoate exposure can inhibit S. typhi growth and cause S. typhi resistant to chloramphenicol.&nbsp

Community Willingness to Participate in a Dengue Study in Aceh Province, Indonesia

Background: Dengue virus infection is the most rapidly spreading vector-borne disease in the world. Essential research on dengue virus transmission and its prevention requires community participation. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the factors that are associated with the willingness of communities in high prevalence areas to participate in dengue research. The aim of this study was to explore factors associated with the willingness of healthy community members in Aceh province, Indonesia, to participate in dengue research that would require phlebotomy. Methodology/Principal Findings: A community-based cross-sectional study was carried out in nine regencies and municipalities of Aceh from November 2014 to March 2015. Interviews using a set of validated questionnaires were conducted to collect data on demography, history of dengue infection, socioeconomic status, and knowledge, attitude and practice regarding dengue fever. Two-step logistic regression and Spearman's rank correlation (rs) analysis were used to assess the influence of independent variables on dependent variables. Among 535 participants, less than 20% had a good willingness to participate in the dengue study. The factors associated with good willingness to participate were being female, working as a civil servant, private employee or entrepreneur, having a high socioeconomic status and good knowledge, attitude and practice regarding dengue. Good knowledge and attitude regarding dengue were positive independent predictors of willingness to participate (OR: 2.30 [95% CI: 1.36-3.90] and 3.73 [95% CI: 2.24-6.21], respectively). Conclusion/Significance: The willingness to participate in dengue research is very low among community members in Aceh, and the two most important associated factors are knowledge and attitude regarding dengue. To increase participation rate, efforts to improve the knowledge and attitude of community members regarding dengue fever and dengue-related research is required before such studies are launched

Korelasi Derajat Graves' Ophthalmopathy dengan Durasi Menderita Hipertiroid

Graves' ophthalmopathy merupakan penyakit autoimun. Studi ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui distribusi manifestasi klinis Graves' ophthalmopathy dan mengetahui kaitan lama menderita hipertiroid dengan derajat keparahan Graves' ophthalmopathy. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian observasional analitik dengan 34 sampel penderita Graves' ophthalmopathy. Data dianalisis menggunakan uji Spearman. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa distribusi manifestasi klinis penderita Graves' ophthalmopathy di poliklinik endokrin RSUZA adalah 23,5% derajat 0; 8,8% derajat 1; 14,7% dengan derajat 2; 14,7% derajat 3; 11,7% derajat 4; 20,5% derajat 5; dan 5,8% derajat 6. Terdapat asosiasi signifikan antara lama menderita hipertiroid dengan derajat Graves' ophthalmopathy (p=0,000). Kebanyakan penderita Graves' ophthalmopathy memiliki manifestasi klinis derajat 0 dan lama menderita hipertiroid berbanding lurus dengan tingkat keparahan Graves' ophthalmopathy.Graves' ophthalmopathy is an autoimmune disease. The aim of this study is to determine the characteristic of the clinical manifestations of Graves' ophthalmopathy and the association between duration of hyperthyroidism and the degree of Grave's ophthalmopathy. It is an analytical observational study in 34 patients with Graves' ophthalmopathy. Data were analyzed using the Spearman test. It showed that 23.5% of the patients were in stage 0; 8.8% were in stage 1; 14.7% were in stage 2; 14.7% were in stage 3; 11.7% were in stage 4; 20.5% were in stage 5; and 5.8% were in stage 6. There was a significant association between the degree of Graves' ophthalmopathy and duration of hyperthyroidism. Majority of the patients with Graves' ophthalmopathy had clinical manifestation of stage 0 and the duration of hyperthyroidism was significantly associated with the severity of Graves' ophthalmopathy

Spectrophotometric measurements of the carbonate ion concentration:aragonite saturation states in the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean

Research articleMeasurements of ocean pH, alkalinity, and carbonate ion concentrations ([CO3 2−]) during three cruises in the Atlantic Ocean and one in the Mediterranean Sea were used to assess the reliability of the recent spectrophotometric [CO3 2−] methodology and to determine aragonite saturation states. Measurements of [CO3 2−] along the Atlantic Ocean showed high consistency with the [CO3 2−] values calculated from pH and alkalinity, with negligible biases (0.4 ± 3.4 μmol· kg−1). In the warm, salty, high alkalinity and high pH Mediterranean waters, the spectrophotometric [CO3 2−] methodology underestimates the measured [CO3 2−] (4.0 ± 5.0 μmol·kg−1), with anomalies positively correlated to salinity. These waters also exhibited high in situ [CO3 2−] compared to the expected aragonite saturation. The very high buffering capacity allows the Mediterranean Sea waters to remain over the saturation level of aragonite for long periods of time. Conversely, the relatively thick layer of undersaturated waters between 500 and 1000 m depths in the Tropical Atlantic is expected to progress to even more negative undersaturation values. Moreover, the northern North Atlantic presents [CO3 2−] slightly above the level of aragonite saturation, and the expected anthropogenic acidification could result in reductions of the aragonite saturation levels during future decades, acting as a stressor for the large population of cold-water-coral communities.Preprint5,228