A Systematic Review of Sellar and Parasellar Brown Tumors: An Analysis of Clinical, Diagnostic, and Management Profiles

Objective To systematically review and analyze clinical, diagnostic, and management trends in sellar and parasellar brown tumors reported in existing literature. Methods In this systematic review, PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases were searched for reported cases of sellar/parasellar brown tumors. Relevant titles and abstracts were screened in accordance to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses protocol. Articles meeting inclusion criteria were subjected to data extraction, summarization, and analysis. A rare case of parasellar brown tumor was also presented. Results Eight reports (including the current report) were eligible for inclusion. Mean patient age was 42.75 years. Reported symptoms included visual disturbances (n = 6), headache (n = 5), fatigue (n = 3), nausea/vomiting (n = 2), chest pain (n = 1), neck pain (n = 1), and dysphagia (n = 1). In cases where computed tomography findings were provided (n = 6), lesions were noted to be expansile and lytic. Lesions were hyperintense on T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (66.7%) and demonstrated contrast enhancement (83.3%). Histology unanimously showed multinucleated giant cells in a fibrovascular connective tissue stroma. Dramatic symptom resolution was noted in all patients who underwent resection of the sellar/parasellar brown tumor (n = 4; 50%). Conclusions Sellar/parasellar brown tumors are a rare, tertiary manifestation of hyperparathyroidism and can be elusive to diagnose. Diagnosis requires a high index of clinical suspicion in addition to comprehensive biochemical testing, imaging, and histopathologic analysis. Surgical extirpation is favored in cases where the lesion is causing compressive symptoms, or if it is unresponsive to management of hyperparathyroidism

Genetic diversity assessment of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) accessions using single nucleotide polymorphism markers

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) is an important resource to the national economy and it is essential to assess the genetic diversity in existing sorghum germplasm for better conservation, utilization and crop improvement. The aim of this study was to evaluate the level of genetic diversity within and among sorghum germplasms collected from diverse institutes in Nigeria and Mali using Single Nucleotide Polymorphic markers. Genetic diversity among the germplasm was low with an average polymorphism information content value of 0.24. Analysis of Molecular Variation revealed 6%variation amonggermplasmand 94%withingermplasms.Dendrogramrevealed threegroupsof clusteringwhich indicatevariationswithinthegermplasms. Privatealleles identified inthesorghum accessions from National Center for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, Ibadan, Nigeria and International Crop Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, Kano, Nigeria shows their prospect for sorghum improvement and discovery of new agronomic traits. The presence of private alleles and genetic variation within the germplasms indicates that the accessions are valuable resources for future breeding programs

Determinants and effects of sexual exploitation among female students of tertiary institutions in Rivers State

Background: Labor induction methods are continuously evolving to ensure safer and more effective outcomes for both mother and neonate. The present study aimed to assess the effectiveness and safety of combined use of misoprostol with intracervical catheter for labor induction. Methods: This single-blinded, parallel-group randomized control trial conducted at Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College, Dhaka, Bangladesh, included 200 women with term gestation and Bishop score ≤6. Participants were divided into two groups: the intervention group (group B) received misoprostol juice and Foley’s catheter, while the control group (group A) received misoprostol in the posterior fornix. Results: In Group A, 58% had vaginal deliveries, while in Group B, 65% had vaginal deliveries. Group B experienced a longer mean length of labor in the 1st stage (13.25±1.095) compared to Group A (12.98±1.982, p=0.008). The 3rd stage was shorter for Group B (10.00±0.000) than Group A (12.02±2.469, p<0.001). The most common induction reason was labor pain with an unfavorable cervix (31 in Group A and 33 in Group B). Group B had a higher percentage of inductions at less than 12 hours and a lower percentage at more than 24 hours. Neonatal outcomes were generally better for Group B. The Cox regression hazard model showed a lower likelihood of positive outcomes in Group B (hazard ratio 0.337, 95% CI 0.243-0.469, p=0.000), indicating a statistically significant difference between the groups. Conclusions: The combined use of misoprostol with Foley’s catheter for labor induction is safe and effective, resulting in shorter labor duration and higher rates of vaginal delivery compared to misoprostol alone

Quality education

This book investigates the intersections between education, social justice, gendered violence and human rights in South African schools and universities. The rich and multifarious tapestry of scholarship and literature emanating from South African classrooms provides a fascinating lens through which we can understand the complex consequences of the economies of education, social justice imperatives, gendered violence on the lives of women and children, and marginalised communities. The scholarship in the book challenges readers to imagine alternative futures predicated on the transformational capacity of a democratic South Africa. Contributors to this volume examine the many ways in which social justice and gendered violence mirrors, expresses, projects and articulates the larger phenomenon of human rights violations in Africa and how, in turn, the discourse of human rights informs the ways in which we articulate, interrogate, conceptualise, enact and interpret quality education. The book also wrestles with the linguistic contradictions and ambiguities in the articulation of quality education in public and private spaces. This book is essential reading for scholars seeking solid grounding in exploring quality education, the instances of epistemic disobedience, the political implications of place and power, and human rights in theory and practice

Quality education

This book investigates the intersections between education, social justice, gendered violence and human rights in South African schools and universities. The rich and multifarious tapestry of scholarship and literature emanating from South African classrooms provides a fascinating lens through which we can understand the complex consequences of the economies of education, social justice imperatives, gendered violence on the lives of women and children, and marginalised communities. The scholarship in the book challenges readers to imagine alternative futures predicated on the transformational capacity of a democratic South Africa. Contributors to this volume examine the many ways in which social justice and gendered violence mirrors, expresses, projects and articulates the larger phenomenon of human rights violations in Africa and how, in turn, the discourse of human rights informs the ways in which we articulate, interrogate, conceptualise, enact and interpret quality education. The book also wrestles with the linguistic contradictions and ambiguities in the articulation of quality education in public and private spaces. This book is essential reading for scholars seeking solid grounding in exploring quality education, the instances of epistemic disobedience, the political implications of place and power, and human rights in theory and practice

Health Visiting and School Nursing Programmes: supporting implementation of the new service model No.5: Domestic Violence and Abuse – Professional Guidance

Guidance created by an expert working group at the Department of Healt

Growth characteristics in individuals with osteogenesis imperfecta in North America: results from a multicenter study.

PurposeOsteogenesis imperfecta (OI) predisposes people to recurrent fractures, bone deformities, and short stature. There is a lack of large-scale systematic studies that have investigated growth parameters in OI.MethodsUsing data from the Linked Clinical Research Centers, we compared height, growth velocity, weight, and body mass index (BMI) in 552 individuals with OI. Height, weight, and BMI were plotted on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention normative curves.ResultsIn children, the median z-scores for height in OI types I, III, and IV were -0.66, -6.91, and -2.79, respectively. Growth velocity was diminished in OI types III and IV. The median z-score for weight in children with OI type III was -4.55. The median z-scores for BMI in children with OI types I, III, and IV were 0.10, 0.91, and 0.67, respectively. Generalized linear model analyses demonstrated that the height z-score was positively correlated with the severity of the OI subtype (P < 0.001), age, bisphosphonate use, and rodding (P < 0.05).ConclusionFrom the largest cohort of individuals with OI, we provide median values for height, weight, and BMI z-scores that can aid the evaluation of overall growth in the clinic setting. This study is an important first step in the generation of OI-specific growth curves

A population-based cross-sectional study of age-specific risk factors for high risk human papillomavirus prevalence in rural Nigeria

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Cervical cancer, caused by persistent infection with carcinogenic human papillomavirus (HR-HPV), is particularly prevalent in Sub-Saharan Africa and is associated with a high mortality rate. Some studies in West Africa, including our own, have found unusually high HR-HPV across all ages with a slight peak in older women. This increased prevalence at older ages may complicate screen-and-treat programs, which are implemented in regions where HPV prevalence declines with age and typically target women between 30-49 years. A better understanding of the determinants of high HR-HPV prevalence at older ages is needed. The goal of this study is to explore risk factors for HR-HPV prevalence by age among women in our population-based study in Irun, a rural town in southwestern Nigeria.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>1,420 women were administered a clinic-based questionnaire regarding sexual and reproductive behavior, marital status (including co-wives), and malaria exposure. Logistic regression compared questionnaire responses and PCR positivity for a set of 13 carcinogenic HR-HPV types. Results were stratified by age (15-29, 30-45, 46-55, and 56+ years).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Birth control use and age at first pregnancy were associated with HR-HPV (<it>p-value </it>= 0.03 and 0.05, respectively). Early age at sexual debut and multiple sex partners were risks for HR-HPV, but did not reach significance (<it>p-value </it>= 0.1 and 0.07, respectively). Neither self-reported malaria nor presence of co-wives in the household was associated with HR-HPV (<it>p-value </it>= 0.85 and 0.24, respectively). In age sub-categories, early age at sexual debut was a significant risk factor for HR-HPV among women 35-45 years (<it>p-value = 0.02</it>). Early age at first pregnancy remained a significant risk factor for women aged 56+ years (<it>p-value </it>= 0.04). Greater than 2 sex partners and use of birth control were associated (though not significantly) with HR-HPV in women aged 30-45 (<it>p-value </it>= 0.08, respectively).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>In this high-risk region with elevated HR-HPV prevalence at older ages, we confirmed previously described, behavioral determinants of HR-HPV. There was no association with self-reported malaria or co-wives, which we had hypothesized might correlate with HR-HPV at older ages.</p

Modelling the COVID-19 pandemic in context : An international participatory approach

Funding RA is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (OPP1193472). LW is funded by the Li Ka Shing Foundation. CF is funded by grant #2017/26770-8, São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP). The CoMo Consortium has support from the Oxford University COVID-19 Research Response Fund (ref: 0009280). Scientific writing assistance and editorial support was provided by Adam Bodley, according to Good Publication Practice guidelines.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Which resources should be used to identify RCT/CCTs for systematic reviews: a systematic review

BACKGROUND: Systematic reviewers seek to comprehensively search for relevant studies and summarize these to present the most valid estimate of intervention effectiveness. The more resources searched, the higher the yield, and thus time and costs required to conduct a systematic review. While there is an abundance of evidence to suggest how extensive a search for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) should be, it is neither conclusive nor consistent. This systematic review was conducted in order to assess the value of different resources to identify trials for inclusion in systematic reviews. METHODS: Seven electronic databases, four journals and Cochrane Colloquia were searched. Key authors were contacted and references of relevant articles screened. Included studies compared two or more sources to find RCTs or controlled clinical trials (CCTs). A checklist was developed and applied to assess quality of reporting. Data were extracted by one reviewer and checked by a second. Medians and ranges for precision and recall were calculated; results were grouped by comparison. Meta-analysis was not performed due to large heterogeneity. Subgroup analyses were conducted for: search strategy (Cochrane, Simple, Complex, Index), expertise of the searcher (Cochrane, librarian, non-librarian), and study design (RCT and CCT). RESULTS: Sixty-four studies representing 13 electronic databases met inclusion criteria. The most common comparisons were MEDLINE vs. handsearching (n = 23), MEDLINE vs. MEDLINE+handsearching (n = 13), and MEDLINE vs. reference standard (n = 13). Quality was low, particularly for the reporting of study selection methodology. Overall, recall and precision varied substantially by comparison and ranged from 0 to 100% and 0 to 99%, respectively. The trial registries performed the best with median recall of 89% (range 84, 95) and median precision of 96.5% (96, 97), although these results are based on a small number of studies. Inadequate or inappropriate indexing was the reason most cited for missing studies. Complex and Cochrane search strategies (SS) performed better than Simple SS. CONCLUSION: Multiple-source comprehensive searches are necessary to identify all RCTs for a systematic review, although indexing needs to be improved. Although trial registries demonstrated the highest recall and precision, the Cochrane SS or a Complex SS in consultation with a librarian are recommended. Continued efforts to develop CENTRAL should be supported