High Rate of Hypothyroidism in Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis Patients Co-Infected with HIV in Mumbai, India.

Adverse events (AEs) among HIV-infected patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) receiving anti-TB and antiretroviral treatments (ART) are under-researched and underreported. Hypothyroidism is a common AE associated with ethionamide, p-aminosalicylic acid (PAS), and stavudine. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of and risk factors associated with hypothyroidism in HIV/MDR-TB co-infected patients

Evaluating assumptions of scales for subjective assessment of thermal environments – Do laypersons perceive them the way, we researchers believe?

People's subjective response to any thermal environment is commonly investigated by using rating scales describing the degree of thermal sensation, comfort, and acceptability. Subsequent analyses of results collected in this way rely on the assumption that specific distances between verbal anchors placed on the scale exist and that relationships between verbal anchors from different dimensions that are assessed (e.g. thermal sensation and comfort) do not change. Another inherent assumption is that such scales are independent of the context in which they are used (climate zone, season, etc.). Despite their use worldwide, there is indication that contextual differences influence the way the scales are perceived and therefore question the reliability of the scales’ interpretation. To address this issue, a large international collaborative questionnaire study was conducted in 26 countries, using 21 different languages, which led to a dataset of 8225 questionnaires. Results, analysed by means of robust statistical techniques, revealed that only a subset of the responses are in accordance with the mentioned assumptions. Significant differences appeared between groups of participants in their perception of the scales, both in relation to distances of the anchors and relationships between scales. It was also found that respondents’ interpretations of scales changed with contextual factors, such as climate, season, and language. These findings highlight the need to carefully consider context-dependent factors in interpreting and reporting results from thermal comfort studies or post-occupancy evaluations, as well as to revisit the use of rating scales and the analysis methods used in thermal comfort studies to improve their reliability

The Scales Project, a cross-national dataset on the interpretation of thermal perception scales

Thermal discomfort is one of the main triggers for occupants' interactions with components of the built environment such as adjustments of thermostats and/or opening windows and strongly related to the energy use in buildings. Understanding causes for thermal (dis-)comfort is crucial for design and operation of any type of building. The assessment of human thermal perception through rating scales, for example in post-occupancy studies, has been applied for several decades; however, long-existing assumptions related to these rating scales had been questioned by several researchers. The aim of this study was to gain deeper knowledge on contextual influences on the interpretation of thermal perception scales and their verbal anchors by survey participants. A questionnaire was designed and consequently applied in 21 language versions. These surveys were conducted in 57 cities in 30 countries resulting in a dataset containing responses from 8225 participants. The database offers potential for further analysis in the areas of building design and operation, psycho-physical relationships between human perception and the built environment, and linguistic analyses

The Scales Project, a cross-national dataset on the interpretation of thermal perception scales

Thermal discomfort is one of the main triggers for occupants’ interactions with components of the built environment such as adjustments of thermostats and/or opening windows and strongly related to the energy use in buildings. Understanding causes for thermal (dis-)comfort is crucial for design and operation of any type of building. The assessment of human thermal perception through rating scales, for example in post-occupancy studies, has been applied for several decades; however, long-existing assumptions related to these rating scales had been questioned by several researchers. The aim of this study was to gain deeper knowledge on contextual influences on the interpretation of thermal perception scales and their verbal anchors by survey participants. A questionnaire was designed and consequently applied in 21 language versions. These surveys were conducted in 57 cities in 30 countries resulting in a dataset containing responses from 8225 participants. The database offers potential for further analysis in the areas of building design and operation, psycho-physical relationships between human perception and the built environment, and linguistic analyses

Research report 1: The effect of transporter inhibitors on metabolism in intestinal S9 of human and rat.

De begeleider en/of auteur heeft geen toestemming gegeven tot het openbaar maken van de scriptie. The supervisor and/or the author did not authorize public publication of the thesis.

Research report 2 : Evaluation of Co-trimoxazole in treatment of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis

Co-trimoxazole (SXT), a combination of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) and trimethoprim has shown in vitro activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. However, the pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacodynamic (PD) parameters of SXT in multidrug-resistant (MDR) tuberculosis (TB) are so far lacking. Therefore we evaluated the PK and drug susceptibility along with its tolerability during treatment. Based on drug-susceptibility testing MDR-TB patients received SXT as a part of their MDR treatment. The PK parameters of SMX, the effective component of SXT against Mycobacterium tuberculosis were evaluated. The ratio of AUC0-24h/MIC was used as the best PK/PD parameter to predict the efficacy of SMX. Adverse effects of SXT were also evaluated. Ten patients with MDR-TB (one of whom had XDR-TB) received 480 mg of SXT with median dose of 6.5 mg/kg of SXT (Range, 6.1-6.8) qd for a median treatment period of 381 days (Range, 129-465). In two patients, the dose was escalated to 960 mg. ƒAUC0-24/MIC of SMX exceeded 25 in only one patient. SXT was safe and well tolerated except for one patient who had gastrointestinal side effects after receiving 960 mg of SXT. Additional studies are needed to find the PK/PD targets and consequently to set the optimal dose of SXT for MDR-TB treatment.