Relations between psychophysical measures of spatial hearing and self-reported spatial-hearing abilities.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to investigate how well the virtual psychophysical measures of spatial hearing from the preliminary auditory profile predict self-reported spatial-hearing abilities. DESIGN: Virtual spatial-hearings tests (conducted unaided, via headphones) and a questionnaire were administered in five centres in Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the UK. Correlations and stepwise linear regression models were calculated among a group of hearing-impaired listeners. STUDY SAMPLE: Thirty normal-hearing listeners aged 19-39 years, and 72 hearing-impaired listeners aged 22-91 years with a broad range of hearing losses, including asymmetrical and mixed hearing losses. RESULTS: Several significant correlations (between 0.24 and 0.54) were found between results of virtual psychophysical spatial-hearing tests and self-reported localization abilities. Stepwise linear regression analyses showed that the minimum audible angle (MAA) test was a significant predictor for self-reported localization abilities (5% extra explained variance), and the spatial speech reception threshold (SRT) benefit test for self-reported listening to speech in spatial situations (6% extra explained variance). CONCLUSIONS: The MAA test and spatial SRT benefit test are indicative measures of everyday binaural functioning. The binaural SRT benefit test was not found to predict self-reported spatial-hearing abilities.

Vibrionaceae from cases of acute diarrhoea and their antimicrobial sensitivity pattern - a five year prospective study.

Over a five year period, stool samples were screened for Vibrionaceae from cases of acute diarrhoea, to study their isolation rate and their antimicrobial sensitivity pattern. All the isolates were identified by standard laboratory techniques. A total of 323 species belonging to Vibrionaceae were isolated from 4492 stool samples tested over five year period (1996-2000), giving a positivity rate of 7.2%. Maximum isolation was during the months of May to August (62.5%). Out of 323 isolates, Vibrio spp. comprised 252 and 93.3% of them were Vibrio cholerae O1 biotype El Tor. Aeromonas spp. were isolated from 71 samples and 64.8% of them were A. hydrophila. V. cholerae showed 86.8% sensitivity to amikacin followed by 73.8% to cefotaxime. Tetracycline sensitivity was only 39.6%. Aeromonas spp. also showed maximum sensitivity to amikacin (70.4%). Isolation of Vibrio spp. have increased over the years, whereas Aeromonas spp. have decreased. Amikacin sensitivity has remained within 70-80% over the years, cefotaxime sensitivity has increased and tetracycline sensitivity has decreased.