A multi-layer perceptron neural network for varied conditional attributes in tabular dispersed data.

The paper introduces a novel approach for constructing a global model utilizing multilayer perceptron (MLP) neural networks and dispersed data sources. These dispersed data are independently gathered in various local tables, each potentially containing different objects and attributes, albeit with some shared elements (objects and attributes). Our approach involves the development of local models based on these local tables imputed with some artificial objects.

Caregiving experiences and practices: qualitative formative research towards development of integrated early childhood development interventions targeting Kenyans and refugees in Nairobi's informal settlements.

Background: Evidence is needed to understand factors that influence child development and caregiving experiences, especially in marginalized contexts, to inform the development and implementation of early childhood development (ECD) interventions. This study explores caregiving practices for young children in an urban informal settlement with Kenyans and embedded refugees, and identifies factors shaping these caregiving experiences, to inform the design and development of potentially appropriate ECD interventions.

Methods: A qualitative formative study, which included 14 focus group discussions (n = 125 participants), and 13 key informant interviews was conducted between August and October 2018.

Toward a globally inclusive knowledge base on adolescent development: A charge to the Majority World and a plea for epistemic and paradigmatic pluralism.

Ongoing internal dialog on the limitations of Euro-American developmental science has opened up space to explore how best to work toward a knowledge base that is adequately representative of the values, cultures, epistemic traditions, and lived experiences of peoples, nations, and regions around the world. So far, recommendations for the advancement of a global developmental science have focused preponderantly on (1) methodological considerations and (2) an architecture to support cross-disciplinary international collaborative inquiry and/or enhance research capacity building for Majority World scholars and institutions. In this commentary, instead of focusing on specific contributions to the Special Issue, I make a case for an explicit commitment to field-building within Majority World contexts as the primary gap-closing path toward the cultivation of a global developmental science knowledge base.

Barriers and facilitators to community acceptability of integrating point-of-care testing to screen for sickle cell disease in children in primary healthcare settings in rural Upper East Region of Northern Ghana.

Introduction: Sickle cell disease (SCD) remains a public health problem especially in sub-Saharan Africa including Ghana. While pilot initiatives in Africa have demonstrated that neonatal screening coupled with early intervention reduces SCD-related morbidity and mortality, only 50-70% of screen-positive babies have been successfully retrieved to benefit from these interventions. Point-of-care testing (POCT) with high specificity and sensitivity for SCD screening can be integrated into existing immunization programs in Africa to improve retrieval rates.

Bridging the Access Gap for Comprehensive Sickle Cell Disease Management Across Sub-Saharan Africa: Learnings for Other Global Health Interventions?

Background: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a major unresolved global health issue, with the highest disease burden in sub-Saharan African countries; yet, SCD care has not proportionally reached patients in these regions, and the disease has received limited attention in the past. Addressing the burden of SCD in sub-Saharan Africa requires a holistic, collaborative approach to ensure solutions are both comprehensive - i.e.

Evaluation of treatment patterns, healthcare resource utilization and cost of illness for sickle cell disease in Ghana: a private medical insurance claims database study.

Background: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a major public health concern in sub-Saharan Africa, accounting for nearly 75% of the global disease burden. The current analysis evaluated patient characteristics, treatment patterns, healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) and associated costs in patients with SCD based on a Private Medical Insurance Database in Ghana.

Methods: This retrospective longitudinal cohort study was conducted using an e-claims database from Ghana (01 January 2015 to 31 March 2021).

Study on the Use of Artificially Generated Objects in the Process of Training MLP Neural Networks Based on Dispersed Data.

This study concerns dispersed data stored in independent local tables with different sets of attributes. The paper proposes a new method for training a single neural network-a multilayer perceptron based on dispersed data. The idea is to train local models that have identical structures based on local tables; however, due to different sets of conditional attributes present in local tables, it is necessary to generate some artificial objects to train local models.

Health seeking behaviors and childcare patterns in an informal settlement of Nairobi, Kenya: A cross-sectional study.

Children in urban informal settlements experience high risks for poor health and development. Understanding health seeking behaviors and childcare patterns of caregivers in urban informal settlements is important for devising effective interventions. This study describes household characteristics and aspects of nurturing care among caregivers of children aged 0-2 years in Dagoretti informal settlement, Nairobi-Kenya.

A community engagement approach for an integrated early childhood development intervention: a case study of an urban informal settlement with Kenyans and embedded refugees.

Background: Community engagement is crucial for the design and implementation of community-based early childhood development (ECD) programmes. This paper aims to share key components and learnings of a community engagement process for an integrated ECD intervention. The lessons shared are drawn from a case study of urban informal settlement with embedded refugees in Nairobi, Kenya.

Long-term Safety of Secukinumab Over Five Years in Patients with Moderate-to-severe Plaque Psoriasis, Psoriatic Arthritis and Ankylosing Spondylitis: Update on Integrated Pooled Clinical Trial and Post-marketing Surveillance Data.

Secukinumab, a selective interleukin (IL)-17A inhibitor, is approved for use in adult and paediatric psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis. The aim of this study was to report the long-term safety of secukinumab in pooled data from 28 clinical trials and a post-marketing safety surveillance in psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis patients. Analyses included 12,637 secukinumab-treated patients, corresponding to 15,063, 5,985 and 3,527 patient-years of exposure in psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis patients, respectively.

Neural Network Used for the Fusion of Predictions Obtained by the K-Nearest Neighbors Algorithm Based on Independent Data Sources.

The article concerns the problem of classification based on independent data sets-local decision tables. The aim of the paper is to propose a classification model for dispersed data using a modified k-nearest neighbors algorithm and a neural network. A neural network, more specifically a multilayer perceptron, is used to combine the prediction results obtained based on local tables.

Health Systems Factors Associated With Adverse Events Among Hospitalized Obstetric Clients in a Tertiary Health Care Facility in Ghana.

Objectives: The risk of an adverse event (AE) in obstetric clients receiving care in hospitals is greater than the risk of dying in aviation, road traffic accidents, and breast cancer. There is little understanding of AEs with respect to their causes at hospitals. The study aimed at assessing factors that are associated with the occurrence of AEs among hospitalized obstetric clients in a tertiary hospital in Ghana.

Supporting Child Development Through Parenting Interventions in Low- to Middle-Income Countries: An Updated Systematic Review.

Over 250 million children in low- and middle-income countries are at risk of not achieving their fullest developmental potential due to co-occurring risks such as poor nutrition and inadequate learning opportunities. Early intervention programs integrating the aspects of nurturing care, that is, good health, adequate nutrition, safety and security, responsive caregiving, and learning opportunities, may ameliorate against the negative impact of these adverse conditions. This meta-analytic review updates the evidence base of parenting interventions comprising stimulation and responsive caregiving components on developmental outcomes for children under age 2 years in low- and middle-income countries.

Acute Common Peroneal Nerve Decompression After Total Knee Arthroplasty.

Common peroneal nerve palsy (CPNP) after total knee arthroplasty has a reported incidence of 0.3% to 4% and can lead to foot drop, equinovarus deformity, and marked disability if not resolved. Patients typically present in the early postoperative period with weakness or inability to dorsiflex the ankle and decreased sensation of the dorsum of the foot.

Factors affecting early re-displacement of paediatric diaphyseal forearm fractures at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.

Background: Complete fractures of the forearm have the potential to displace and angulate with overriding fracture fragments. Maintaining acceptable reduction is not always possible, and re- displacement or re-angulation is the most commonly reported complication. Factors responsible for the re-displacement after an initial acceptable reduction have not been clearly defined.

The risk of malignancy in patients with secukinumab-treated psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis: analysis of clinical trial and postmarketing surveillance data with up to five years of follow-up.

Background: Data on the use of biologic therapy and malignancy risk are inconsistent due to limited long-term robust studies.

Objectives: To assess the malignancy risk in patients with secukinumab-treated psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS).

Methods: This integrated safety analysis from both the secukinumab clinical trial programme and postmarketing safety surveillance data included any patient receiving at least one approved dose of secukinumab with a maximum of 5 years of follow-up.

Bloodstream infection with Acinetobacter baumanii in a Plasmodium falciparum positive infant: a case report.

Background: The increasing incidence of multi-antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections, coupled with the risk of co-infections in malaria-endemic regions, complicates accurate diagnosis and prolongs hospitalization, thereby increasing the total cost of illness. Further, there are challenges in making the correct choice of antibiotic treatment and duration, precipitated by a lack of access to microbial culture facilities in many hospitals in Ghana. The aim of this case report is to highlight the need for blood cultures or alternative rapid tests to be performed routinely in malaria patients, to diagnose co-infections with bacteria, especially when symptoms persist after antimalarial treatment.

Clinical efficacy and safety of secukinumab in patients with psoriasis and comorbidities: pooled analysis of 4 phase 3 clinical trials.

Background: The influence of comorbidities on the efficacy and safety of biologic therapies in psoriasis has not been rigorously explored.

Objective: To assess the incremental burden of comorbidities on clinical efficacy and safety of secukinumab vs. etanercept and placebo among patients with plaque psoriasis pooled from 4 phase 3 trials.

Association of Secukinumab Treatment With Tuberculosis Reactivation in Patients With Psoriasis, Psoriatic Arthritis, or Ankylosing Spondylitis.

Importance: Approximately one-quarter of the global population have latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI), and tuberculosis (TB) is accountable for more than 1.5 million deaths annually. Methotrexate, cyclosporine, and tumor necrosis factor inhibitors may be associated with increased risk of TB and LTBI reactivation, although data are limited on the risks of TB with use of newer biologics.

Ralstonia mannitolilytica sepsis: a case report.

Background: Ralstonia mannitolilytica is an emerging opportunistic pathogen that is associated with severe disease, including septic shock, meningitis, and renal transplant infections. Reports on this pathogen are limited, however, especially on the African continent.

Case Presentation: A 2-year-old Akan child was presented to a hospital in the northeastern part of Ghana with a 1-week history of fever and chills.

Mid-Term Results of Modular Tapered Femoral Stems in Revision Total Hip Arthroplasty.

Background: In revision total hip arthroplasty (THA), modular femoral components aid the surgeon in reconstructing joints compromised by loss of bone and soft-tissue integrity, providing customization to address bony deficits, deformity, limb length, and offset challenges. The purpose of this study was to review the survival and outcomes at minimum five-year follow up of patients who underwent revision THA at our center with a single modular femoral revision hip system offering a wide range of proximal body and distal stem geometries and sizing options.

Materials And Methods: A query of our practice arthroplasty registry revealed 66 consented patients (69 hips) who underwent revision THA using a modular femoral stem between December 2009 and July 2013 with minimum five-year follow up.

Gonococcal sepsis in a 32-year-old female: a case report.

Background: Neisseria gonorrhoeae is a Gram-negative bacterium which affects the urethra, throat, rectum and cervix of patients and often associated with sexually transmitted infections. The global epidemiology of the disease is not well characterised especially in resource constraint countries due to poor diagnostic capacity and inefficient reporting systems. Although important, little is known about the propensity of this bacterium to cause sepsis in immunocompetent individuals.

Prioritizing research for integrated implementation of early childhood development and maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health and nutrition platforms.

Background: Existing health and nutrition services present potential platforms for scaling up delivery of early childhood development (ECD) interventions within sensitive windows across the life course, especially in the first 1000 days from conception to age 2 years. However, there is insufficient knowledge on how to optimize implementation for such strategies in an integrated manner. In light of this knowledge gap, we aimed to systematically identify a set of integrated implementation research priorities for health, nutrition and early child development within the 2015 to 2030 timeframe of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Amount of Minutes Played Does Not Contribute to Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury in National Basketball Association Athletes.

There is limited information on the potential risk factors for sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear in National Basketball Association (NBA) athletes. This study evaluated 83 NBA players who sustained an ACL injury between 1984 and 2015 to determine the influence of minutes played on injury risk. Minutes played in the injury game, during the season, and over their career were assessed, along with the ability to return to play, player efficiency rating, and playing time after return.

CONTEXT AND THE ADVANCEMENT OF A GLOBAL SCIENCE OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT: A COMMENTARY.

United Nations agencies mandated to address the needs of children around the developing (Majority) world, routinely create large global data sets mostly for purposes of surveillance and strategic planning of development aid. UNICEF's Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) have produced one of the largest sources of internationally comparable data on women and children. This monograph creatively and elegantly harnesses MICS data on 41 low- and middle-income countries to shed light on risk and protective factors associated with growing up a boy or girl in the developing world.