Frequent inappropriate use of unweighted summary statistics in systematic reviews of pathogen genotypes or genogroups.

OBJECTIVES: Our study aimed to systematically assess and report the methodological quality used in epidemiological systematic reviews (SRs) and meta-analysis (MA) of pathogen genotypes/genogroups. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: Nine electronic databases and manual search of reference lists were used to identify relevant studies. The method types were divided into three groups: 1) with weighted pooling analysis (which we call MA), (2) unweighted analysis of the study-level measures (which we call summary statistics), and (3) without any data pooling (which we call SR only). Characteristics were evaluated using Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR), Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA), and Risk Of Bias In Systematic reviews (ROBIS) tools. The protocol was registered in PROSPERO with CRD42017078146. RESULTS: Among 36 included articles, 5 (14%) studies conducted SR only, 16 (44%) performed MA, and 15 (42%) used summary statistics. The univariable and multivariable linear regression of AMSTAR and PRISMA scores showed that MA had higher quality compared with those with summary statistics. The SR only and summary statistics groups had approximately equal scores among three scales of AMSTAR, PRISMA, and ROBIS. The methodological quality of epidemiological studies has improved from 1999 to 2017. CONCLUSION: Despite the frequent use of unweighted summary statistics, MA remains the most suitable method for reaching rational conclusions in epidemiological studies of pathogen genotypes/genogroups

A case of trigeminal schwannoma presenting as a parasellar mass

Schwannoma's of considerable size arising from the trigeminal nerve are very rare. Here, a case of a large right-sided parasellar mass diagnosed as a trigeminal schwannoma is reported. Complete resection of the tumor was successfully achieved. The patient had an excellent postoperative course

Adult desmoplastic medulloblastoma

Medulloblastoma is more common in young age and rare in adult age. Some characteristics that characterize medulloblastoma in adults compared with children: Lateral cerebellar location, heterogeneous signal intensity on magnetic resonance imaging, desmoplastic histological variant and more favorable prognosis. Preoperative diagnosis is important for correct management of these patients. However, because of the low incidence of medulloblastoma in adults, preoperative diagnosis still challenging and prognostic factors and best treatment options are still controversial. We report a case of a 31-year-old male patient who presented with a rare case of posterior fossa medulloblastoma

Insight View on the Role of in Ovo Feeding of Clenbuterol on Hatched Chicks: Hatchability, Growth Efficiency, Serum Metabolic Profile, Muscle, and Lipid-Related Markers

The present study aimed to assess the in ovo administration of clenbuterol on chick fertility, growth performance, muscle growth, myogenic gene expression, fatty acid, amino acid profile, intestinal morphology, and hepatic lipid-related gene expressions. In this study, 750 healthy fertile eggs from the local chicken breed Dokki-4 strain were analyzed. Fertile eggs were randomly divided into five experimental groups (150 eggs/3 replicates for each group). On day 14 of incubation, in addition to the control group, four other groups were established where 0.5 mL of worm saline (30 °C) was injected into the second group of eggs. In the third, fourth, and fifth groups, 0.5 mL of worm saline (30 °C), 0.9% of NaCl, and 10, 15, and 20 ppm of clenbuterol were injected into the eggs. Results suggested that clenbuterol increased growth efficiency up to 12 weeks of age, especially at 15 ppm, followed by 10 ppm, decreased abdominal body fat mass, and improved hatchability (p < 0.01). Clenbuterol also modulated saturated fatty acid levels in the breast muscles and improved essential amino acids when administered at 10 and 15 ppm. Additionally, clenbuterol at 15 ppm significantly decreased myostatin gene expression (p < 0.01) and considerably increased IGF1r and IGF-binding protein (IGFBP) expression. Clenbuterol administration led to a significant upregulation of hepatic PPARα, growth hormone receptor, and Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) mRNA expression with a marked decrease in fatty acid synthase (FAS) and sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1 (SREBP-1c) expression. In conclusion, the current study revealed that in ovo injection of clenbuterol showed positive effects on the growth of hatched chicks through reduced abdominal fat deposition, improved intestinal morphology, and modulation of hepatic gene expressions in myogenesis, lipogenesis, and lipolysis