Abstract Background Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) is a genetic disorder characterized by usually benign tumors of the parathyroid glands, pancreatic islet cells, and anterior pituitary. ...Hyperparathyroidism (HPT) occurs in 90% of MEN1 patients. In rare cases, it is associated with parathyroid carcinoma (PC) or atypical parathyroid neoplasm (APN). We present a cohort of 3 such patients. Methods We performed a retrospective review of our institution’s MEN1 database to identify patients who underwent operations for HPT and had a histopathologic diagnosis of PC or APN. Clinical features, genetics, and outcomes were summarized. Results Of 291 MEN1 patients, 242 had HPT (83.2%). Two of the 242 patients (0.8%) had a histopathologic diagnosis of PC, and 1 (0.4%) had a diagnosis of APN. The patients with PC were male, ages 62 and 56 years at the time of surgery; the patient with APN was female, age 32 years. All patients also had a pancreatic endocrine tumor. The observed genetic mutations in the PC patients were c.703G>A (p.E235K) in exon 4 and c.1378C>T (p.R460X) in exon 10. All 3 patients had recurrence of hypercalcemia, and 2 patients underwent reoperation; pathologic analysis revealed the presence of a hyperplastic gland, not tumor recurrence. No cases had distant metastasis. Conclusions This is the first report of APN in an MEN1 patient. Although rare, the presence of PC or APN in MEN1 is noteworthy because it affects the management if hypercalcemia recurs, possibly requiring an open approach rather than the minimally invasive techniques used in the reoperative setting for benign disease.
Growing concerns about the continued use of cultural stereotypes in media production, and the subsequent decrease in diversity, resulted in the launch of a student film production programme between ...three tertiary institutions in South Africa and Finland during the first half of 2006. The aim of the programme was to encourage students to produce films about a foreign culture that moved “beyond stereotypes” and reflected a greater understanding of that society. This article examines the production process, participants’ experience and analyses the final products that were produced in the nine weeks the students spent in Helsinki, Finland. To what extent can media productions, such as film, be devoid of stereotypes?
In this briefing on the digital divide in South Africa, the author analyses user behavior in two Johannesburg internet cafes to explore the class based factors of internet use in the cities. A brief ...discussion of internet use & availability in Africa contextualizes the gaps between incomes of users, & gender differences. Comparative analysis of data on the type of uses of the internet, & demographics of internet cafe users indicates that African entrepreneurs use the cafes for business purposes, & the potential for cafe failure results from lack of resources & clientele in low income areas, unreliable power supply, & telecommunications monopoly. The author concludes by offering prescriptions to mitigate the persistence of class based, racial & gender discrepancies in the use of the internet. J. Harwell
Growing concerns about the continued use of cultural stereotypes in media production, and the subsequent decrease in diversity, resulted in the launch of a student film production programme between ...three tertiary institutions in South Africa and Finland during the first half of 2006. The aim of the programme was to encourage students to produce films about a foreign culture that moved "beyond stereotypes" and reflected a greater understanding of that society. This article examines the production process, participants' experience and analyses the final products that were produced in the nine weeks the students spent in Helsinki, Finland. To what extent can media productions, such as film, be devoid of stereotypes? "Kykies verby die stereotipes" : uitbeeldings van 'n vreemde kultuur in filmstudente se produksies Daar is groeiende kommer oor die volgehoue gebruik van kulturele stereotipes in mediaproduksies, want dit lei tot 'n afname in verskeidenheid. Om dié rede is daar besluit om in die eerste helfte van 2006 'n studentefilmprojek tussen drie tersiêre instellings in Suid-Afrika en Finland van stapel te laat loop. Die doel van die program was om nege studente films oor 'n vreemde kultuur te laat vervaardig wat verder kyk as stereotipes en groter begrip toon vir die ingewikkelde aard van gemeenskappe. Hierdie artikel ontleed hoe die deelnemende studente die probleem van stereotiperende uitbeeldings tydens die vervaardiging van hulle films opgelos het. Die artikel ontleed ook die deelnemers se ervarings in die finale produkte wat in die nege weke vervaardig is wat die Suid-Afrikaanse studente in Helsinki, Finland deurgebring het. Tot watter mate kan mediaproduksies stereotipe-vry wees?
Since the African National Congress (ANC) assumed power in South Africa in 1994, there has been a concerted effort to correct the gender and race imbalance in tertiary education institutions. These ...alterations have been facilitated by government policies and economic incentives. Have these methods been successful in encouraging previously disadvantaged groups to register at universities and continue into postgraduate studies? The statistics are favourable in this regard. When observing registration numbers at the University of the Witwatersrand, it is clear that there is an increase in the number of historically marginalised people entering this institution, particularly black females. It is also reassuring to note that more women students are studying in traditionally male disciplines.
A new reduced phase derived from the excitonic insulator candidate Ta2NiSe5 has been synthesized via the intercalation of lithium. LiTa2NiSe5 crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Pmnb (no. ...62) with lattice parameters a = 3.50247(3) Å, b = 13.4053(4) Å, c = 15.7396(2) Å, and Z = 4, with an increase of the unit cell volume by 5.44(1)% compared with Ta2NiSe5. Significant rearrangement of the Ta-Ni-Se layers is observed, in particular a very significant relative displacement of the layers compared to the parent phase, similar to that which occurs under hydrostatic pressure. Neutron powder diffraction experiments and computational analysis confirm that Li occupies a distorted triangular prismatic site formed by Se atoms of adjacent Ta2NiSe5 layers with an average Li–Se bond length of 2.724(2) Å. Li-NMR experiments show a single Li environment at ambient temperature. Intercalation suppresses the distortion to monoclinic symmetry that occurs in Ta2NiSe5 at 328 K and that is believed to be driven by the formation of an excitonic insulating state. Magnetometry data show that the reduced phase has a smaller net diamagnetic susceptibility than Ta2NiSe5 due to the enhancement of the temperature-independent Pauli paramagnetism caused by the increased density of states at the Fermi level evident also from the calculations, consistent with the injection of electrons during intercalation and formation of a metallic phase.
A new reduced phase derived from the excitonic insulator candidate Ta
NiSe
has been synthesized via the intercalation of lithium. LiTa
NiSe
crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group
(no. 62) with ...lattice parameters
= 3.50247(3) Å,
= 13.4053(4) Å,
= 15.7396(2) Å, and
4, with an increase of the unit cell volume by 5.44(1)% compared with Ta
NiSe
. Significant rearrangement of the Ta-Ni-Se layers is observed, in particular a very significant relative displacement of the layers compared to the parent phase, similar to that which occurs under hydrostatic pressure. Neutron powder diffraction experiments and computational analysis confirm that Li occupies a distorted triangular prismatic site formed by Se atoms of adjacent Ta
NiSe
layers with an average Li-Se bond length of 2.724(2) Å. Li-NMR experiments show a single Li environment at ambient temperature. Intercalation suppresses the distortion to monoclinic symmetry that occurs in Ta
NiSe
at 328 K and that is believed to be driven by the formation of an excitonic insulating state. Magnetometry data show that the reduced phase has a smaller net diamagnetic susceptibility than Ta
NiSe
due to the enhancement of the temperature-independent Pauli paramagnetism caused by the increased density of states at the Fermi level evident also from the calculations, consistent with the injection of electrons during intercalation and formation of a metallic phase.