Risk factors for pulmonary mycobacterial disease in South African gold miners. A case-control study

OBJECTIVE: To measure monocular distance visual acuity, near visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, and visual field extent in full-term, 10-year-old children tested according to the protocol used to test 10-year-old preterm children in the Cryotherapy for Retinopathy of Prematurity study. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Subjects were 106 healthy, full-term children, 9.8 to 10.9 years of age, who had no ocular abnormalities other than ametropia. All were tested monocularly using Early Treatment and Diabetic Retinopathy Study distance and near visual acuity charts and Pelli-Robson contrast sensitivity charts, with refractive error corrected according to Cryotherapy for Retinopathy of Prematurity study criteria. Goldmann perimetry was tested without correction using the V-4-e and III-4-e stimuli along 8 meridia. A standard pediatric eye examination was performed on each subject. RESULTS: Mean (SD) distance visual acuity was 20/19.6 OD (0.082 log unit [lu]) and mean near visual acuity was 20/19.5 OD (0.100 lu). Mean (SD) contrast sensitivity was 1.69 OD (0.12 lu), with a mean (SD) of 36.4 (2.2) letters read. Visual field extent was larger for the V-4-e stimulus than for the III-4-e stimulus. CONCLUSIONS: The results provide the first monocular normative data from a large sample of 10-year-old children tested with Early Treatment and Diabetic Retinopathy Study distance and near visual acuity charts and the Pelli-Robson contrast sensitivity charts, and add to the literature on Goldmann perimetry in children.     

Dedicated land disposal of wastewater sludge in south africa: leaching of trace elements and nutrients.

Most of the wastewater treatment facilities in South Africa (80%) dispose of their sewage sludge on dedicated land disposal (DLD) sites. The impact of this practice on the environment is believed to be negative, but very little research has been carried out to determine the extent of the damage to the soil and water resources. Forty wastewater treatment facilities using DLD, with different soil properties, application techniques, metal concentrations and period of sludge application, were studied. Soil and groundwater samples were collected at each of the selected facilities. Three extraction methods (aqua regia, NH4EDTA and NH4NO3) were used and samples were analysed for total N, P and K, pH, organic carbon and their metal content (Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb). Some degree of leaching of the heavy metals (especially Co and Ni) occurred at some of the sampling sites and the average depth of leaching was 100-200 mm. Deeper than 300 mm, the metal concentrations in most soil samples reached background concentrations. Seven of the nine groundwater samples that could be obtained had high NO3 concentrations (> 6 mg L(-1)). Statistical analyses of the data indicate no significant differences between sludge type (wet or dry) and leaching, or age of the disposal sites and leaching. Taking into account the age of the disposal sites, the frequency of sludge application and the metal load of the sludge, the depth of leaching is surprisingly shallow in most soils, in spite of the low soil pH(H2O) and clay content.     

Development of the South African wastewater sludge guidelines.

The new South African Wastewater Sludge Guideline Series will replace the document entitled: "Permissible Utilisation and Disposal of Sewage Sludge, Edition 1, 1997" which deals with application of sewage sludge to land. The new guideline series will be published as 5 volumes: Volume 1: Management Options for the Use or Disposal of Wastewater Sludge, Volume 2: Requirements for the agricultural use of wastewater sludge, Volume 3: Requirements for the on site and off-site disposal of wastewater sludge, Volume 4: Requirements for the use of wastewater sludge in the production of commercial products, Volume 5: Requirements for the incineration of wastewater sludge, We envisage that Volumes 1 and 2 will be published at the time of the conference and that work has begun on Volume 3, 4 and 5. The paper aims to communicate the major differences between the previous sludge guidelines and these new sludge guideline series. For example, the paper details the new wastewater sludge classification system and the requirements for the characterisation of the sludge for classification purposes. The paper will also explain the approach followed in the development of Volume 1 and 2 and will elaborate on the proposed approach for Volumes 3, 4 and 5.     

The Appearance of Accountability: Communication Technologies and Power Asymmetries in Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Recovery

New communication technologies are celebrated for their potential to improve the accountability of humanitarian agencies. The response to Typhoon Haiyan in 2013 represents the most systematic implementation of “accountability to affected people” initiatives. Drawing on a year‐long ethnography of the Haiyan recovery and 139 interviews with humanitarian workers and affected people, the article reveals a narrow interpretation of accountability as feedback that is increasingly captured through mobile phones. We observe that the digitized collection of feedback is not fed back to disaster‐affected communities, but is directed to donors as evidence of “impact.” Rather than improving accountability to affected people, digitized feedback mechanisms sustained humanitarianism's power asymmetries.     

Genetic diversity and correlation of bean caffeine content with cup quality and green bean physical characteristics in coffee (Coffea arabica L.)

BACKGROUND: Although people began to consume coffee for its stimulating effect, the demand for decaffeinated coffee is increasing and now accounts for 10% of the total amount of coffee consumed in the world. Forty‐two arabica coffee genotypes originating from Ethiopia were tested to assess caffeine content variability among them, and the correlation of caffeine content with cup quality and green bean physical characteristics. RESULTS: Green bean caffeine content was measured using high‐performance liquid chromatography, while cup quality was determined by professional coffee tasters. Caffeine content ranged from 9.1 to 13.2 g kg^?1 on dry mass basis (d.m.b.). Six genotypes—AD0291, AD0591, AD2491, AD2691, AD2791 and AD2891—had a caffeine content of less than 10.0 g kg^?1. Caffeine content showed negative and statistically significant correlations with cup quality attributes. Correlations between caffeine content and green bean physical characteristics were non‐significant. CONCLUSIONS: Simultaneous selection for low caffeine content and good cup quality is possible. Some accessions had low caffeine content, and may serve as a source of desirable genes for variety development of types with relatively low caffeine content. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry     

The Effects of Stress and Diet on the “Brain–Gut” and “Gut–Brain” Pathways in Animal Models of Stress and Depression

Compelling evidence is building for the involvement of the complex, bidirectional communication axis between the gastrointestinal tract and the brain in neuropsychiatric disorders such as depression. With depression projected to be the number one health concern by 2030 and its pathophysiology yet to be fully elucidated, a comprehensive understanding of the interactions between environmental factors, such as stress and diet, with the neurobiology of depression is needed. In this review, the latest research on the effects of stress on the bidirectional connections between the brain and the gut across the most widely used animal models of stress and depression is summarised, followed by comparisons of the diversity and composition of the gut microbiota across animal models of stress and depression with possible implications for the gut–brain axis and the impact of dietary changes on these. The composition of the gut microbiota was consistently altered across the animal models investigated, although differences between each of the studies and models existed. Chronic stressors appeared to have negative effects on both brain and gut health, while supplementation with prebiotics and/or probiotics show promise in alleviating depression pathophysiology.