To whom should I be kind? A randomized trial about kindness for strong and weak social ties on mental wellbeing and its specific mechanisms of change

The current study examines the role of social ties in performing kind acts to enhance university students’ wellbeing. Due to facing multifaceted challenges, university students form a group that is particularly vulnerable in terms of their mental health. Interventions harnessing prosocial behaviour have the potential to increase students’ wellbeing, strengthen personal competencies, and broaden social networks. The first aim of the trial (N = 222) was to explore whether a 4-week acts-of-kindness intervention targeting either (1) strong social ties, (2) weak social ties or (3) unspecified receivers (treatment-as-usual) differ in their impact on students’ mental wellbeing, positive relations, depressive symptoms, anxiety, and perceived stress. The second aim was to examine whether kindness for strong versus weak social ties have different underlying working mechanisms (i.e., positive emotions versus self-esteem) and who benefits most from these instructions (i.e., those with high or low levels of self-esteem and positive relations). Results demonstrated that the most significant improvements in mental wellbeing were found in the kindness for strong social ties condition compared to the other conditions. No mediation effects of positive emotions and self-esteem were found. Moderation analyses revealed that participants who performed kind acts for weak social ties reported significantly less positive effects on mental wellbeing, but only when their levels of self-esteem at baseline were medium or high. Independent of group allocation, participants’ mental wellbeing increased throughout the intervention, but so did the experience of depressive symptoms, anxiety, and perceived stress. More research is needed to examine the timing of kindness interventions and investigate how they can improve mental wellbeing and psychological distress in acute phases of academic stress in university students

Determination of kanamycin plasma levels using LC-MS and its pharmacokinetics in patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis with and without HIV-infection

The objectives of the study were: (1) to determine kanamycin plasma concentrations using liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (LC-MS), (2) to investigate kanamycin pharmacokinetics (PK) in patients with multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), (3) to find out whether HIV infection, kidney dysfunction and antiretroviral drugs influence kanamycin PK. The study was designed as a non-randomized study involving male and female HIV- positive and HIVnegative patients admitted for MDR-TB treatment. Blood samples were collected before (baseline) and ½, 1, 2, 4, 8 and 24 hours after intramuscular injection of kanamycin. LC-MS was used to quantify kanamycin plasma concentrations. Thirty one patients including 13 HIV (+) participated in the study. The lower limit of detection and lower limit of quantification of kanamycin were 0.06 μg/ml and 0.15 μg/ml respectively. Kanamycin PK parameters were described and there was no significant difference between HIV-positive and HIV-negative patients. A statistical significant difference (p=0.0126) was found in the renal function in HIV - positive and HIV - negative patients. However, this difference did not affect kanamycin elimination. No interactions have been identified between antiretroviral drugs and kanamycin. Conclusion: LC-MS analysis method is highly specific and highly sensitive in the detection and quantification of kanamycin plasma concentrations. Kanamycin PK in patients with MDR-TB was described. Due to a limited number of patients, we cannot rule out any influence of HIV - infection, renal impairment and antiretroviral drugs on kanamycin pharmacokinetics. The relationship between the area under the curve of kanamycin free plasma concentrations (fAUC) and its minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) on M.tuberculosis isolated from the sputum of each patient should be assessed. Therefore, kanamycin free plasma concentrations and MIC should be determined.Web of Scienc

A many-analysts approach to the relation between religiosity and well-being

The relation between religiosity and well-being is one of the most researched topics in the psychology of religion, yet the directionality and robustness of the effect remains debated. Here, we adopted a many-analysts approach to assess the robustness of this relation based on a new cross-cultural dataset (N=10,535 participants from 24 countries). We recruited 120 analysis teams to investigate (1) whether religious people self-report higher well-being, and (2) whether the relation between religiosity and self-reported well-being depends on perceived cultural norms of religion (i.e., whether it is considered normal and desirable to be religious in a given country). In a two-stage procedure, the teams first created an analysis plan and then executed their planned analysis on the data. For the first research question, all but 3 teams reported positive effect sizes with credible/confidence intervals excluding zero (median reported β=0.120). For the second research question, this was the case for 65% of the teams (median reported β=0.039). While most teams applied (multilevel) linear regression models, there was considerable variability in the choice of items used to construct the independent variables, the dependent variable, and the included covariates

A Many-analysts Approach to the Relation Between Religiosity and Well-being

The relation between religiosity and well-being is one of the most researched topics in the psychology of religion, yet the directionality and robustness of the effect remains debated. Here, we adopted a many-analysts approach to assess the robustness of this relation based on a new cross-cultural dataset (N = 10, 535 participants from 24 countries). We recruited 120 analysis teams to investigate (1) whether religious people self-report higher well-being, and (2) whether the relation between religiosity and self-reported well-being depends on perceived cultural norms of religion (i.e., whether it is considered normal and desirable to be religious in a given country). In a two-stage procedure, the teams first created an analysis plan and then executed their planned analysis on the data. For the first research question, all but 3 teams reported positive effect sizes with credible/confidence intervals excluding zero (median reported β = 0.120). For the second research question, this was the case for 65% of the teams (median reported β = 0.039). While most teams applied (multilevel) linear regression models, there was considerable variability in the choice of items used to construct the independent variables, the dependent variable, and the included covariates

Sarah Goldblatt : letterkundige administratrise van C.J. Langenhoven

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2003.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In 1932 the well-known Afrikaans writer and politician, C.J. Langenhoven, died in Oudtshoorn in his home, Arbeidsgenot. In his testament he appointed Sarah Goldblatt as the person responsible for the administration of his literary works. Sarah, a Jewish woman, immigrated to the Cape together with her family in 1897. The aim of this research was to find the possible reasons why Langenhoven chose an English speaking Jewish woman as his administrator. Jews were not accepted with open arms into the South African community, especially not Jews from Eastern Europe, the area where Sarah and her family came from. Anti-semitic feelings amongst the Afriaans population were especially strong during the thirties and forties. It was during this time, in 1932, that Sarah received the job as administrator. The period of research stretches from 1889 to 1975, from Sarah's birth to her death. A look is taken at the changing South African attitude towards Jews during Sarah's life. The role and position of the Afrikanerwomen during this time is also investigated. Oudtshoorn, the town in which Langenhoven lived and where the friendship between him and Sarah started, will also be put under the spotlight. Many Jews settled in this town and played an active part in the Oudtshoorn community. Not only the South African attitude towards Jews and women will be discussed, but also Langenhoven's and Sarah's personal perspectives on these subjects. Both their friendship and work relationship will be discussed. Their philosophy of life and their relationship will cast light on the reasons why Langenhoven finally decided to appoint Sarah as the administrator of his literary works. Sarah's greatest achievements were directly involved with Langenhoven. Opinions differ about the influence Sarah had on the way the South African community saw Langenhoven. The work as administrator for the literary works was not all Sarah did. Therefore a review on Sarah's contribution to the Afrikaans language and culture is also provided.AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In 1932 is die bekende Afrikaanse skrywer en politikus, C.J. Langenhoven, op Oudtshoorn in sy huis Arbeidsgenot oorlewe. In sy testament het hy vir Sarah Goldblatt as administratrise van sy letterkundige nalatenskap aangewys. Sarah, 'n Joodse vrou, het in 1897 saam met haar gesin na die Kaap geïmmigreer en die in die studie word ondersoek ingestel na die redes waarom Langenhoven hierdie vrou as sy administratrise aangewys het. Suid-Afrika het nie altyd die Jode met ope arms ontvang nie, veral nie Jode vanuit Oos-Europa, die gebied waarvan Sarah en haar gesin afkomstig was, nie. Spesifiek gedurende die dertiger- en veertigerjare was daar 'n sterk antisemitiese gevoelonder Afrikanergeledere teenwoordig. Dit was juis in 1932 wat Sarah die taak as administratrise opgelê is. Die tydperk waarna daar gekyk word is breedweg vanaf 1889 tot 1975, Sarah se lewensjare. Op hierdie manier word daar na die veranderende Suid- Afrikaanse houding teenoor Jode gekyk gedurende Sarah se lewe. Daar word ook na die rol en posisie van die Afrikanervrou gekyk om dieselfde rede gekyk. Oudtshoorn, die dorp waarop Langenhoven homself gevestig het en waar sy en Sarah se vriendskap begin het word onder die soeklik geplaas. 'n Groot getal Jode het hulleself in die dorp gevestig en hulle het 'n daadwerklike impak op die Oudtshoornse gemeenskap uitgeoefen. Hierdie ondersoek is nodig om te sien waarom dit so vreemd was vir In Joodse vrou en In Afrikaner man, om so In spesiale vriendskap te kon deel. Nie alleen die Suid-Afrikaanse houding teenoor die Jood en die vrou word ondersoek nie, maar daar word ook na Langenhoven en Sarah se onderskeie houdings teenoor die sake gekyk. Beide hulle werks- en vriendskapsverhouding word ondersoek. Altwee se lewensuitkyk en hulle verhouding werp lig op die redes waarom Langenhoven uiteindelik sou besluit om Sarah as sy administratrise aan te stel. Sarah se grootste werk hou verband met Langenhoven. Opinies verskiloor die uitwerking wat sy op sy nagedagtenis gehad het. Haar werk as administratrise was egter nie al wat Sarah verrig het nie. 'n Oorsig oor Sarah se bydraes tot die Afrikaner taal en kultuur word dus ook blootgelê

Do HIV infection and antiretroviral therapy influence multidrug-resistant tuberculosis treatment outcomes?

The aim of this study was to find out whether human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infection and antiretroviral drugs influence multidrug-resistant (MDR)-tuberculosis (TB) treatment outcomes. The study compares MDR-TB treatment outcomes between HIV-positive and HIV-negative patients. It involved patients admitted for treatment of MDR-TB between 1 January 2004 and 31 December 2006. From 363 patients selected, 268 (177 males and 91 females) had MDR-TB and 95 patients (59 males and 36 females) were co-infected with HIV. Children in the HIV-negative group were 41 and 7 in the HIV-positive group. The HIV-infection was treated with Stavudine, Lamivudine and Efavirenz in 54 patients. Kanamycin, Ethionamide, Ofloxacin, Terizidone, Pyrazinamide and Ethambutol were used for MDR-TB treatment. In HIV-negative and HIV-positive patients MDR-TB treatment outcomes were, respectively as follows: 37 and 35% cure, 9 and 5% treatment failure, 20 and 25% lost to follow up, 11 and 17% mortality, 19 and 13% treatment completed, 6 and 5% transfer-out. The cure rate was 100% in children. In HIV-positive patients, MDR-TB cure rate was 35% in patients on ARVs and 34% in patients not receiving ARVs. The difference between these cure rates is not statistically significant (p-value = 0.79). The median (range) duration of ART before the start of MDR-TB treatment was 10.5 (1 to 60) months and did not influence MDR-TB treatment outcomes. In children, the full treatment was supervised in hospital. This could explain the 100% cure rate. Adults’ treatment was supervised in hospital only during the intensive phase then followed up as out patients over 18 months. According to the results of this study, HIV-infection and antiretroviral therapy did not influence MDR-TB treatment outcomes.Web of Scienc

Switching to bedaquiline for treatment of rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis in South Africa: A retrospective cohort analysis.

South Africa led the world with guidelines on bedaquiline (BDQ) use as a single drug substitution to manage rifampin resistant tuberculosis regimen toxicity. We examined reasons for giving BDQ in a retrospective cohort: >75% of patients were switched to BDQ for toxicity (ototoxicity or renal dysfunction) rather than drug resistance

A many-analysts approach to the relation between religiosity and well-being

The relation between religiosity and well-being is one of the most researched topics in the psychology of religion, yet the directionality and robustness of the effect remains debated. Here, we adopted a many-analysts approach to assess the robustness of this relation based on a new cross-cultural dataset (N = 10, 535 participants from 24 countries). We recruited 120 analysis teams to investigate (1) whether religious people self-report higher well-being, and (2) whether the relation between religiosity and self-reported well-being depends on perceived cultural norms of religion (i.e., whether it is considered normal and desirable to be religious in a given country). In a two-stage procedure, the teams first created an analysis plan and then executed their planned analysis on the data. For the first research question, all but 3 teams reported positive effect sizes with credible/confidence intervals excluding zero (median reported beta = 0.120). For the second research question, this was the case for 65% of the teams (median reported beta = 0.039). While most teams applied (multilevel) linear regression models, there was considerable variability in the choice of items used to construct the independent variables, the dependent variable, and the included covariates

Analysis of Outcomes in Ischemic vs Nonischemic Cardiomyopathy in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation A Report From the GARFIELD-AF Registry

IMPORTANCE Congestive heart failure (CHF) is commonly associated with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (AF), and their combination may affect treatment strategies and outcomes