Auditory and otological manifestations in adults with HIV/AIDS

Objectives: This study aimed to describe the prevalence and nature of auditory and otological manifestations in adults with HIV/AIDS through clinical examinations and selfreported symptoms across stages of disease progression. Design: Descriptive, cross-sectional group design. Study Sample: Two hundred HIV positive adult patients attending the Infectious Disease Clinic of a tertiary referral hospital in Pretoria, South Africa were included through convenience sampling. Patients were interviewed, medical files were reviewed and clinical examinations, including otoscopy, tympanometry, pure tone audiometry and distortion product oto-acoustic emissions, were conducted. An age, gender, working-environment and race-matched control group were compiled and hearing loss prevalence were compared. Results: Tinnitus (26%), vertigo (25%) hearing loss (27.5%), otalgia (19%) and ear canal pruritis (38%) were prevalent self-reported symptoms. Abnormalities in otoscopy, tympanometry and otoacoustic emissions were evident in 55, 41 and 44% of patients respectively. Pure tone average (PTA) hearing loss >25 dBHL was evident in 14% of patients and 39% for hearing loss >15 dBHL (PTA). An increase in self reported vertigo, self reported hearing loss, OAE abnormalities and hearing loss (PTA>15dBHL and PTA>25dBHL) was seen with disease progression but was not statistically significant. A significant increase (p<.05) in sensorineural hearing loss was evident with disease progression. Significant differences were found between the average thresholds in the test and control group throughout the frequency spectrum. Conclusions: Auditory and otological symptoms are common in patients with HIV with a general increase of symptoms, especially sensorineural hearing loss, towards advanced stages of disease progression.Partial funding of this project : Centre for the study of AIDS, University of Pretoriahttp://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/titles/14992027.asphb201

The James Webb Space Telescope Mission

Twenty-six years ago a small committee report, building on earlier studies, expounded a compelling and poetic vision for the future of astronomy, calling for an infrared-optimized space telescope with an aperture of at least 4 m. With the support of their governments in the US, Europe, and Canada, 20,000 people realized that vision as the 6.5 m James Webb Space Telescope. A generation of astronomers will celebrate their accomplishments for the life of the mission, potentially as long as 20 yr, and beyond. This report and the scientific discoveries that follow are extended thank-you notes to the 20,000 team members. The telescope is working perfectly, with much better image quality than expected. In this and accompanying papers, we give a brief history, describe the observatory, outline its objectives and current observing program, and discuss the inventions and people who made it possible. We cite detailed reports on the design and the measured performance on orbit. © 2023. The Author(s). Published by IOP Publishing Ltd on behalf of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP). All rights reserved.Open access articleThis item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]