OUP accepted manuscript

STUDY QUESTION

What is the scope of literature regarding women’s reproductive span in terms of definitions, trends and determinants?

SUMMARY ANSWER

The scoping review found a wide variation in definitions, trends and determinants of biological, social and effective women’s reproductive span.

WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY

A woman’s reproductive span refers to her childbearing years. Its span influences a woman’s reproductive decisions.

STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION

A systematic scoping review was conducted. We searched MEDLINE, PubMed, JSTOR, CINAHL, Web of Science and Scopus electronic databases from inception to January 2021 without imposing language or date restrictions. We searched unpublished sources including the Global Burden of Disease, Demographic and Health Surveys, and National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys. The list of relevant references was searched by hand. Sixty-seven reports on women’s reproductive span were included in this review.

PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS

This scoping systematic review followed an established framework. The reporting of this scoping review followed the reporting requirements provided in the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses, Extension for Scoping Reviews. Identified records were independently screened and data were extracted. We performed conceptual synthesis by grouping the studies by available concepts of reproductive span and then summarized definitions, measures used, temporal trends, determinants, and broad findings of implications on population demographics and assisted reproduction. Structured tabulation and graphical synthesis were used to show patterns in the data and convey detailed information efficiently, along with a narrative commentary.

MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE

A total of 67 relevant reports on women’s reproductive span were published between 1980 and 2020 from 74 countries. Most reports (42/67) were cross-sectional in design. Literature on reproductive span was conceptually grouped as biological (the interval between age at menarche and age at menopause), effective (when a woman is both fertile and engaging in sexual activity) and social (period of exposure to sexual activity). We summarized the working definitions, trends and determinants of each concept. Few articles addressed implications on demographics and assisted reproduction.

LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION

A formal assessment of methodological quality of the included studies was not performed because the aim of this review was to provide an overview of the existing evidence base regardless of quality.

WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS

The review produced a comprehensive set of possible definitions of women’s reproductive span, trends, and potential determinants. Further advancement of these findings will involve collaboration with relevant stakeholders to rate the importance of each definition in relation to demography and fertility care, outline a set of core definitions, identify implications for policy, practice or research and define future research opportunities to explore linkages between reproductive spans, their determinants, and the need for assisted reproduction.

STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S)

This work received funding from the UNDP-UNFPA-UNICEF-WHO-World Bank Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction (HRP), a cosponsored programme executed by the World Health Organization (WHO). The authors had no competing interests.

STUDY REGISTRATION NUMBER

N/A.

Safe practice guidance: a review for otorhinolaryngologists during COVID-19 pandemic and after reopen process

COVID-19’s rapid sweep across the world has caused an extraordinary disruption to the otorhinolaryngology (ORL) profession and its subspecialties including the rhinology section. The present pandemic forced our specialty practitioners to make quick clinical and practice management decisions. Staff safety must receive the highest prioritization along with strategies to provide the highest quality care. The purpose of the present manuscript is to provide a narrative review of the current knowledge and committee practices regarding ORL (including rhinology) professionals' safe practice during COVID-19 pandemic and after reopen process. The present review findings will allow the clinical practitioners to understand the factors involved in reducing the risk of transmission of COVID-19 in the ORL and rhinology settings, personal protective equipment (PPE) for different ORL and rhinology practices and criteria of practice in outpatient clinic (OPC), emergency operations and ORL surgeries. The emerging evidence based on COVID-19 is rapidly changing. Further updates may be needed to this review as new details or evidence emerge. ORL including rhinology doctors should consider the specific conditions of each individual place of work and comply with all applicable legislations.

Cloning and expression of recombinant MPB70 protein antigen from Mycobacterium bovis BCG for diagnosis of tuberculosis

In a search for developing new skin test reagents, MPB70 protein antigen was a candidate antigen for the Diagnosis of bovine tuberculosis. First M. bovis BCG genomic DNA was extracted purified and the mpb70 gene was amplified by PCR. The gene was then ligated to an expression vector, PQE. After transformation of the expression E. coil M15 host strain with the PQE plasmid, the expression was induced using 10 mM of IPTG. Two bands were seen in the SDS-PAGE analysis the 44 and 50 KDa represents the dimmers of the nonglycosylated and glycosylated form of the reMPB70 antigen. The His-tagged reMPB70 antigen was then purified by metal affinity chromatography using Ni-NTA agarose. Protein refolding was done by the use of the co solvent Polyethylene glycol MW 3000. The diagnostic potential of the re-MPB70 was evaluated using sera from experimentally sensitized guinea pigs with different strains of mycobacteria (M. bovis BCG, M. tuberculosis, M. kansasii and M. intracellular) using ELISA test. The results indicated the efficiency of MPB70 but not bovine PPD to discriminate between M. bovis sensitized guinea pigs and those sensitized with other mycobacterial strains at serum dilution of 1150. In a field trials to using reMPB70 antigen for the serodiagnosis of bovine tuberculosis using ELISA test. Fifty serum samples from tuberculin +ve and 6 from tuberculin -ve cattle were used as well as 10 tuberculin +ve buffaloes. All +ve animals were confirmed to be M. bovis infected by P/M analysis, bacteriological examination. ELISA results revealed that reMPB70 could recognize the tuberculin +ve infected animals at serum dilution of 1/50 and that it could diagnose tuberculosis in cattle as well as buffaloes.