Prevalence and Severity of Premenstrual Syndrome among Female University Students in Central Uganda: A Cross-sectional Study

Background Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) is characterized by recurrent psychological, behavioural, and/or physical symptoms occurring before menses and usually resolve by the end of or during menstruation. These symptoms usually affect the women’s quality of life and efficiency. Although over 95% of women worldwide suffer from PMS, in Uganda, little is documented about the prevalence and existence of PMS among students. This study, therefore, sought to determine the prevalence and severity of PMS among female university students in Central Uganda. Methodology A cross-sectional study was carried out using a questionnaire between November 2021 and May 2022. The sample of 238 participants was taken from female students in 4 universities who met the inclusion criteria. Sampling was done by proportionate sampling. Primary data was obtained about Premenstrual Syndrome prevalence and severity using modifications of the following tools: The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists' diagnostic criteria for PMS; the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders criteria (DSM-IV) diagnostic criteria for PMDD; and the premenstrual symptoms screening tool (PSST). The data was analysed to obtain descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages. A student was considered to be suffering from PMS if they satisfied the DSM-IV criteria for the diagnosis of PMS.  Results The prevalence of PMS among female University students in central Uganda was found to be 28.3% (60). However, at least 76.9% (163) of the respondents suffered at least one or more symptoms of PMS.  Conclusion Over a quarter of female university students suffer from Premenstrual syndrome. Recommendation There is a need to create awareness as well as mobilize social support so that there is help available to the students who suffer PMS

Effects and coping mechanisms associated with Premenstrual Syndrome among female University Students in Central Uganda: A Cross-sectional Study

Background The cyclic nature of Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) affects those with severe symptoms in ways that make them incapacitated or inefficient every month impairing their quality of life. This problem in Uganda is compounded by the cultural stigma associated with menstruation making it difficult for ladies and communities to address the associated problems. Therefore, this study sought to identify how Premenstrual Syndrome affects the quality of life of female University students in Central Uganda in terms of effects and coping mechanisms.  Methodology A cross-sectional study was carried out using a questionnaire between November 2021 and May 2022. 238 participants from 4 universities who met the inclusion criteria were given self-administered questionnaires on PMS symptoms, effects and coping mechanisms. The data was analysed to obtain frequencies and percentages. Statistically significant associations between PMS and Effects of PMS as well as the Coping mechanism were determined using Chi-square correlations. Results At least 70 (33%) of the 212 respondents reported that the PMS symptoms affected either their school and/or their relationships or their daily activities plus home chores. Statistically significant effects of PMS on school efficiency were: sleeping in class χ2(1, n=212) = 4.957, p=0.026; and being late on assignments χ2(1, n=212) = 6.279, p=0.012. Coping mechanisms that were found to be statistically significantly associated with PMS at α-level of 5% were: hiding or locking self in a room χ2(1, n=212) = 4.846, p=0.028; taking alcohol χ2(1, n=212) = 5.115, p=0.024; seeing a health worker χ2(4, n=212) = 14.201, p=0.007; and taking pain killers χ2(1, n=212) = 5.202, p=0.03. Conclusion PMS was significantly affecting school efficiency of students. Recommendation There are still huge knowledge gaps about PMS that need addressing. Some students reported that they used herbal preparations for PMS symptoms which need to be investigated for potential pharmaceutical development

Social-demographic factors associated with Premenstrual Syndrome among female University students in Central Uganda: A Cross-sectional Study.

Background Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) is a common disorder among females of reproductive age, which also happens to be the most productive period within the life of a woman. Unfortunately, the aetiology of PMS is still not known; although, the following theories have been proposed to explain PMS symptoms: A genetic predisposition; changes in neurotransmitter levels; or changes in different hormone levels during the menstrual cycle.  In Uganda the factors associated with PMS are hardly documented, making awareness, prevention, and management complicated. The aim of this study, was to determine the social demographic factors associated with PMS among female university students in Central Uganda. Methodology A cross-sectional study was carried out using a self-administered questionnaire between November 2021 and May 2022. 238 female students in 4 universities who consented and met the inclusion criteria participated in the study. Data which was obtained about social demographic characteristics and PMS symptoms was coded and analysed to obtain descriptive statistics and Chi-square correlations.  Results The mean age of the respondents was 22.67±5.595, with most of the respondents (188, 88.7%) being between 19 to 24 years of age, the minimum age was 19 years and the maximum was 55 years. Among this study population, menarche age group χ2(2, n=212) = 7.756, p=0.021, and several menstrual bleeding days χ2(1, n=212) = 5.188, p=0.023 were associated with PMS among the female university students. Conclusion The cause of the PMS among this study population is likely biological as respondents who reported that they started their menses started at age ≤12 years; as well as those whose bleeding days were more than or equal to 5 days were more likely to suffer PMS. Recommendation Studies need to be carried out to investigate the biological causes of PMS to guide management and prevention

Guidelines for mapping the preferences in gender sensitive product profiles to crop ontology and creating a consumer segment ontology. Version 1.0.

The guidelines were developed to guide scientists, database managers and ontology curators to annotate their product profiles with the ontology the proper social dimensions, documenting trait preferences in a way that it can be interpretable by breeders and food scientists. The development of breeding product profiles targeting specific market segments or consumer segments supposes that breeders can access interpretable information about the key preferences of the end users. The translation or interpretation of the collected preferences into traits and variables to make it interpretable and measurable by breeders is not always straightforward. A lot of contextual information needs to be included. The Guidelines were produced for the Research Programme on Roots, tubers and Bananas (RTB) and the RTBFoods project with the support of the CGIAR Gender Platform. Provided examples are taken from the RTB Foods-Alliance Bioversity CIAT report entitled ‘Gendered-food mapping on Matooke in Uganda: Understanding the Drivers of Trait Preferences and the ‘Development of Multi-user RTB Product Profiles’ (Marimo P. et al, 2021) and the RTBFoods ‘Gendered Food Product Profile Template’ (Forsythe et al, 2022), This version will go through further revisions following additional feedback provided by experts

Draft genome sequence of Solanum aethiopicum provides insights into disease resistance, drought tolerance, and the evolution of the genome

The African eggplant (Solanum aethiopicum) is a nutritious traditional vegetable used in many African countries, including Uganda and Nigeria. It is thought to have been domesticated in Africa from its wild relative, Solanum anguivi. S.aethiopicum has been routinely used as a source of disease resistance genes for several Solanaceae crops, including Solanum melongena. A lack of genomic resources has meant that breeding of S. aethiopicum has lagged behind other vegetable crops. Results: We assembled a 1.02-Gb draft genome of S. aethiopicum, which contained predominantly repetitive sequences (78.9%). We annotated 37,681 gene models, including 34,906 protein-coding genes. Expansion of disease resistance genes was observed via 2 rounds of amplification of long terminal repeat retrotransposons, which may have occurred ∼1.25 and 3.5 million years ago, respectively. By resequencing 65 S. aethiopicum and S. anguivi genotypes, 18,614,838 single-nucleotide polymorphisms were identified, of which 34,171 were located within disease resistance genes. Analysis of domestication and demographic history revealed active selection for genes involved in drought tolerance in both “Gilo” and “Shum” groups. A pan-genome of S. aethiopicum was assembled, containing 51,351 protein-coding genes; 7,069 of these genes were missing from the reference genome. Conclusions: The genome sequence of S. aethiopicum enhances our understanding of its biotic and abiotic resistance. The single-nucleotide polymorphisms identified are immediately available for use by breeders. The information provided here will accelerate selection and breeding of the African eggplant, as well as other crops within the Solanaceae family

Effect of early tranexamic acid administration on mortality, hysterectomy, and other morbidities in women with post-partum haemorrhage (WOMAN): an international, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Background Post-partum haemorrhage is the leading cause of maternal death worldwide. Early administration of tranexamic acid reduces deaths due to bleeding in trauma patients. We aimed to assess the effects of early administration of tranexamic acid on death, hysterectomy, and other relevant outcomes in women with post-partum haemorrhage. Methods In this randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, we recruited women aged 16 years and older with a clinical diagnosis of post-partum haemorrhage after a vaginal birth or caesarean section from 193 hospitals in 21 countries. We randomly assigned women to receive either 1 g intravenous tranexamic acid or matching placebo in addition to usual care. If bleeding continued after 30 min, or stopped and restarted within 24 h of the first dose, a second dose of 1 g of tranexamic acid or placebo could be given. Patients were assigned by selection of a numbered treatment pack from a box containing eight numbered packs that were identical apart from the pack number. Participants, care givers, and those assessing outcomes were masked to allocation. We originally planned to enrol 15 000 women with a composite primary endpoint of death from all-causes or hysterectomy within 42 days of giving birth. However, during the trial it became apparent that the decision to conduct a hysterectomy was often made at the same time as randomisation. Although tranexamic acid could influence the risk of death in these cases, it could not affect the risk of hysterectomy. We therefore increased the sample size from 15 000 to 20 000 women in order to estimate the effect of tranexamic acid on the risk of death from post-partum haemorrhage. All analyses were done on an intention-to-treat basis. This trial is registered with ISRCTN76912190 (Dec 8, 2008); ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00872469; and PACTR201007000192283. Findings Between March, 2010, and April, 2016, 20 060 women were enrolled and randomly assigned to receive tranexamic acid (n=10 051) or placebo (n=10 009), of whom 10 036 and 9985, respectively, were included in the analysis. Death due to bleeding was significantly reduced in women given tranexamic acid (155 [1·5%] of 10 036 patients vs 191 [1·9%] of 9985 in the placebo group, risk ratio [RR] 0·81, 95% CI 0·65–1·00; p=0·045), especially in women given treatment within 3 h of giving birth (89 [1·2%] in the tranexamic acid group vs 127 [1·7%] in the placebo group, RR 0·69, 95% CI 0·52–0·91; p=0·008). All other causes of death did not differ significantly by group. Hysterectomy was not reduced with tranexamic acid (358 [3·6%] patients in the tranexamic acid group vs 351 [3·5%] in the placebo group, RR 1·02, 95% CI 0·88–1·07; p=0·84). The composite primary endpoint of death from all causes or hysterectomy was not reduced with tranexamic acid (534 [5·3%] deaths or hysterectomies in the tranexamic acid group vs 546 [5·5%] in the placebo group, RR 0·97, 95% CI 0·87-1·09; p=0·65). Adverse events (including thromboembolic events) did not differ significantly in the tranexamic acid versus placebo group. Interpretation Tranexamic acid reduces death due to bleeding in women with post-partum haemorrhage with no adverse effects. When used as a treatment for postpartum haemorrhage, tranexamic acid should be given as soon as possible after bleeding onset. Funding London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Pfizer, UK Department of Health, Wellcome Trust, and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Highlights from the 13th African continental meeting of the International Society of Paediatric Oncology (SIOP), 6–9 March 2019, Cairo, Egypt

CITATION: Khalek, E. R., et al. 2019. Highlights from the 13th African Continental Meeting of the International Society of Paediatric Oncology (SIOP), 6–9 March 2019, Cairo, Egypt. Ecancermedicalscience, 13:932, doi:10.3332/ecancer.2019.932.The original publication is available at https://ecancer.org/en/journal/ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The 13th African continental meeting of the international society of paediatric oncology, held on 6–9 March 2019 in Cairo, was organised in collaboration with the Children Cancer Hospital (57357) in Egypt and the global parents’ organisation (Childhood Cancer International) and supported by a large international faculty. With 629 delegates from 37 countries (24 African), this was the largest forum of healthcare professionals focused on children and young people with cancer in Africa to showcase advances and discuss further improvements. Three targeted workshops, on nursing care, pharmacy and nutrition, attracted large numbers and catalysed new collaborative initiatives in supportive care studies, extended roles for pharmacists in quality control and care delivery and addressed malnutrition concurrently with cancer treatment. The Collaborative Wilms Tumour Africa Project, open in seven sub-Saharan countries, and the trials in Burkitt’s lymphoma reported encouraging outcomes with further initiatives in supportive care (the supportive care for children with cancer in Africa project). While acknowledging deficits in radiotherapy provision, available in only 23 of 52 African countries, centres with facilities reported their technical advances that benefit patients. Of great importance for children with brain tumours, who are underdiagnosed in Africa, was the first announcement of African paediatric neuro-oncology society, whose 63 current members aim to tackle the shortage of neurosurgeons through training fellowships, workshops and a dedicated conference. The congress provided the opportunity to discuss how African countries will work with the WHO global initiative aiming to improve childhood cancer survival to 60% in all countries by 2030. This conference report is dedicated to the three Kenyan delegates who died tragically on the Ethiopian Airlines flight ET302 on their way home, full of new ideas and pride in what they had achieved so far. All those who heard their presentations are determined to continue their excellent work to improve cancer care for children in Africa.https://ecancer.org/en/journal/article/932-highlights-from-the-13th-african-continental-meeting-of-the-international-society-of-paediatric-oncology-siop-6-9-march-2019-cairo-egyptPublisher's versio

Draft genome sequence of Solanum aethiopicum provides insights into disease resistance, drought tolerance, and the evolution of the genome

The African eggplant (Solanum aethiopicum) is a nutritious traditional vegetable used in many African countries, including Uganda and Nigeria. It is thought to have been domesticated in Africa from its wild relative, Solanum anguivi. S. aethiopicum has been routinely used as a source of disease resistance genes for several Solanaceae crops, including Solanum melongena. A lack of genomic resources has meant that breeding of S. aethiopicum has lagged behind other vegetable crops