A musical perception test for people with hearing loss: Turkish adaptation and normalization of the Music Perception Test (MPT).

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to develop a Turkish musical perception test that provide the opportunity to measure music performance of people with hearing loss. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: In the study, the Music Perception Test (MPT), which was translated and adapted into Turkish, was applied randomly to 100 individuals aged between 18-40 years. The test was applied with computers and professional head phones to 20 individuals chosen as a pilot study. Data obtained after the pilot study were evaluated and the application to the other 80 participants were completed. In order to obtain validity and credibility data, 20 randomly chosen participants were retested. RESULTS: The average total score of the MPT of the participants was 97.5 ± 12.2 (Min: 69, Max: 120). As the total score of the MPT has been examined, low value for ± 1SD was 85.3/top value was 109.7; low value for ± 2SS was 73.1/top value was 121.9; low value for ± 3SS was 60.9/top value was 134.1. In our study, the value of internal consistency of the Turkish MPT was 0.898. This value indicates that the test was reliable. In a similar manner, considering the correlation of test-retest parameters, both subtests and total score results showed the results were reliable. With the examination of the results there were no relation between the total scores of the MPT and age (r:0.176, p: 0.080) but the interest in music (r: 0.641, P < 0.001) and the frequency of listening to music (r:0.479, P < 0.001) had an important effect on the total scores of musical perception. The difference in the total scores of the MPT between female and male participants were found to be statistically significant (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Results of this study show that the Turkish MPT is a valid and reliable musical perception test for the Turkish people who have normal hearing and hearing loss.

Estimating the magnitude of pulmonary tuberculosis patients missed by primary health care clinics in South Africa.

SETTING: The present study was conducted at 20 randomly selected primary health clinics across Buffalo City Metropolitan Health District, a high TB burden district in South Africa. OBJECTIVE: To estimate the proportion of TB patients missed by primary health clinics. DESIGN: We enrolled 1255 TB-symptomatic individuals exiting primary health clinics between March and December 2015. Participants were interviewed and asked to provide sputum for Xpert® MTB/RIF testing. RESULTS: Clinic staff screened 79.1% of participants seeking care for TB-related symptoms and 21.9% of those attending a clinic for other reasons (P < 0.001). Of those screened by clinic staff, 21.5% reported submitting sputum, although only 9.8% had available results. Study staff tested sputum from 779 participants not tested by clinic staff. Of these, 39 (5.0%) individuals tested positive for TB, three of whom were rifampicin-resistant; 15/39 (38.5%) were never screened and 24/39 (61.5%) were screened but not tested by clinic staff. We estimate that the health system missed 62.9-78.5% of TB patients attending primary health clinics for TB-related symptoms and 89.5-100% of those attending a clinic for other reasons. CONCLUSION: Low rates of TB screening and testing by the health system resulted in missed TB patients. Universal TB screening and testing of symptomatic individuals should be instituted in high TB burden communities in South Africa.

Completeness and concordance of TB and HIV surveillance systems for TB-HIV co-infected patients in South Africa.

SETTING: South Africa currently maintains separate surveillance systems for tuberculosis (TB) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). There are future plans for integration of these systems; however, the consistency of information across the existing systems has not previously been assessed. OBJECTIVE: To determine the completeness and concordance of data in the TB and HIV surveillance systems for TB-HIV co-infected patients. DESIGN: In a retrospective cohort evaluation of the records of TB-HIV co-infected patients in the Eden District of the Western Cape, data were abstracted from paper-based and electronic TB and HIV surveillance sources. Concordance was measured using Fleiss' kappa coefficient. RESULTS: Demographic variables had high completeness and concordance across the TB and HIV systems. Completeness and concordance for clinical variables was somewhat lower, particularly for TB variables in the HIV systems and HIV variables in the TB systems. CONCLUSION: Varying levels of completeness and concordance of surveillance data for TB-HIV co-infected patients highlight challenges in the current TB and HIV surveillance systems. Future integration of TB and HIV programs in this region will need to support more accurate data collection at all levels.

Distribution of genotypes of F-specific RNA bacteriophages in human and non-human sources of faecal pollution in South Africa and Spain.

AIMS: To assess whether the distribution of genotypes of F-specific RNA bacteriophages reflects faecal pollution of human and animal origin in water environments. METHODS AND RESULTS: Stool samples, animal feedlot waste slurries and a wide variety of faecally polluted waters were studied in South Africa and Spain. Genotyping was performed by plaque and spot hybridization with genotype-specific probes. Only genotypes II and III were detected in human stool. Animal faeces contained predominantly, but not exclusively, genotypes I and IV. Raw hospital and municipal sewage contained mostly genotypes II and III, whereas genotypes I and II prevailed in settled sewage, secondary treated sewage and non-point diffuse effluents from developing communities. Abattoir wastewaters contained mostly genotypes I and IV. No differences were observed between the distribution of genotypes in Spain and South Africa. CONCLUSIONS: Although the association of genotypes II and III with human excreta and I and IV with animal excreta was statistically significant, the results suggest that the association cannot be used for absolute distinction between faecal pollution of human and animal origin. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This study contributes greatly to understanding the usefulness of genotypes of F-specific RNA bacteriophages in source tracking of faecal wastes.