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This viewpoint discusses the role of women in the fight against corruption in Ghana. It argues that although there is no evidence that women in Ghana by their nature are less corrupt than men, gend...

The treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with immune checkpoint inhibitors has prolonged their survival dramatically. However, some patients develop resistance after initial response. Here, we used imaging mass cytometry and whole exome and RNA sequencing to analyze matching tumor samples from a cohort of NSCLC patients who initially responded to immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy and later developed acquired resistance. We detected two patterns of resistance: One group of patients had reduced numbers of tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cells and reduced expression of PD-L1 after development of resistance, whereas the other group showed high CD8+ T cell infiltration and high expression of PD-L1 and markedly elevated expression of other immune-inhibitory molecules. In two cases, we detected downregulation of type I and II IFN pathways after resistance developed, which could lead to an impaired anti-tumor immune response. This study adds to our knowledge of the mechanisms that cause resistance to immunotherapy in NSCLC patients.

The greatest challenge identified in the business registration regime in Ghana is the delays in obtaining the requisite permits, licences and certificates to enable one to commence business in Ghana. Research conducted under the Strategic Partnerships to Prevent and Fight Administrative Corruption in Ghana Project, (the ‘FSPPFACP’) reveals that these delays are primarily the root cause of administrative corruption in the business registration regime in Ghana (PEF, Feb. 2020. Research Report Identifying and Detailing the Cost Implications the Gaps, Delays and Other Inefficiencies. https://www.pef.org.gh/index. php/en/2015-11-04-19-46-07/pef-research-reports/item/ download/31_8f1e597e6b231bc2c38e0b94c6294864.). This article provides context and statistics to understand the cause of administrative corruption in the business licensing, permit and certification regime in Ghana. The article submits that the fight against administrative corruption in the business registration regime in Ghana will be a mirage unless it is targeted at eliminating unnecessary delays in the business registration regime. The article further makes recommendations on eliminating the delays in the business registration regime and on preventing and fighting administrative corruption in the business registration regime in Ghana through the effective implementation and use of service delivery charters and automation of services among others. Administrative Corruption, Administering Agency, Bribes, Business Registration Regime, FSPPFACP, GIPC, RGD, Service Delivery Charter, TIN.

Background: Current mobility and functional assessments do not capture the subtle changes in balance and gait that may predispose people with multiple sclerosis (MS) to falling. The purpose of this study was to use clinical and instrumented measures to examine the effects of an acute bout of aerobic exercise on balance and gait in individuals with MS. Methods: Ten adults with MS performed 15 minutes of moderate-intensity recumbent cycling or 15 minutes of rest. Exercise and rest visit order was randomized and separated by 1 week. Balance and mobility were assessed before, immediately after, and 2 hours after each test condition. Results: There were no significant differences across measurement periods for Timed 25-Foot Walk test times or Brief Balance Evaluation Systems Test scores. Significant improvements in mean sway radius and sway velocity when standing on foam and in percentage of stance stride time variability were found immediately after exercise compared with immediately after rest. Conclusions: This study lends further evidence that individuals with MS can safely engage in single bouts of aerobic exercise without detrimental short-term effects on function and may actually receive some short-term benefit regarding standing postural sway and gait variability. Future research should examine the dose-dependent relationship of varying types, intensities, or timing of exercise necessary to elicit short-term functional benefit and long-term health outcomes.

Metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) may suffer from heavy side effects and not all patients benefit from the treatment. We conducted a comprehensive statistical analysis to identify promising (bio-)markers for treatment response. We analyzed retrospective data from NSCLC patients treated with ICIs in first-or furtherline therapy settings at the University Hospital Zurich. We investigated 16 possible prognostic markers with respect to overall survival, tumor size reduction, and the development of an immunerelated adverse event (irAE) and assessed the robustness of our results. For the further-line patient group, the most significant result was that increased basophil counts were associated with increased odds of tumor size reduction within three months and with the development of an irAE. For the first-line patient group, the most significant results were that increased lymphocyte counts, the histology of adenocarcinoma, and the intake of non-steroidal anti-rheumatic drugs (NSAR) were associated with decreased hazards of dying. Our study yielded new hypotheses for predictive (bio-)markers for response to ICIs in NSCLC patients. The possibly beneficial role of high basophil counts is a particularly interesting finding. Our results should be tested on independent data in a prospective fashion., Cancers, 14 (1)

Arbejdsmarkedsportalen understøtter sagsbehandling og styring af beskæftigelsesindsatsen. Portalen er et fælles redskab for de professionelle aktører - på tværs af stat, kommuner, a-kasser og andre aktører. Kernen i Arbejdsmarkedsportalen er data om forsørgelse og indsats på personniveau. Portalen gør det muligt at registrere sagsoplysninger, herunder til og afmeldinger i forbindelse med ledighed, planlagte og afholdte kontaktsamtalet, match, tilbud og jobplaner. Desuden er der udviklet et særligt modul til kommunikation mellem A-kasser og Jobcentrene.

Det Fælles Datagrundlag (DFDG) understøtter sagsbehandling og styring af beskæftigelsesindsatsen for sagsbehandlingssystemer og borgere. DFDG er et fælles redskab der der udstiller centrale masterdata og forretningsregler for de professionelle aktører - på tværs af stat, kommuner, a-kasser og andre aktører. Udstillingen foregår via webservices. Kernen i Det Fælles Data Grundlag er data om forsørgelse og indsats på personniveau. DFDG gør det muligt at registrere sagsoplysninger, herunder til- og afmeldinger i forbindelse med ledighed, planlagte og afholdte kontaktsamtaler, fravær og fritagelser, match, tilbud og planer.

The field of medicine is undergoing a fundamental change, transforming towards a modern data-driven patient-oriented approach. This paradigm shift also affects perinatal medicine as predictive algorithms and artificial intelligence are applied to enhance and individualize maternal, neonatal and perinatal care. Here, we introduce a pharmacometrics-based mathematical-statistical computer program (PMX-based algorithm) focusing on hyperbilirubinemia, a medical condition affecting half of all newborns. Independent datasets from two different centers consisting of total serum bilirubin measurements were utilized for model development (342 neonates, 1,478 bilirubin measurements) and validation (1,101 neonates, 3,081 bilirubin measurements), respectively. The mathematical-statistical structure of the PMX-based algorithm is a differential equation in the context of non-linear mixed effects modeling, together with Empirical Bayesian Estimation to predict bilirubin kinetics for a new patient. Several clinically relevant prediction scenarios were validated, i.e., prediction up to 24 h based on one bilirubin measurement, and prediction up to 48 h based on two bilirubin measurements. The PMX-based algorithm can be applied in two different clinical scenarios. First, bilirubin kinetics can be predicted up to 24 h based on one single bilirubin measurement with a median relative (absolute) prediction difference of 8.5% (median absolute prediction difference 17.4 μmol/l), and sensitivity and specificity of 95.7 and 96.3%, respectively. Second, bilirubin kinetics can be predicted up to 48 h based on two bilirubin measurements with a median relative (absolute) prediction difference of 9.2% (median absolute prediction difference 21.5 μmol/l), and sensitivity and specificity of 93.0 and 92.1%, respectively. In contrast to currently available nomogram-based static bilirubin stratification, the PMX-based algorithm presented here is a dynamic approach predicting individual bilirubin kinetics up to 48 h, an intelligent, predictive algorithm that can be incorporated in a clinical decision support tool. Such clinical decision support tools have the potential to benefit perinatal medicine facilitating personalized care of mothers and their born and unborn infants.

Mobility challenges and cognitive impairments prominent in adults with multiple sclerosis (MS) significantly increase the risk of falling. Examining perceptions of how the simultaneous performance of completing motor and cognitive tasks impacts fall risk may have clinical utility. The purpose of this study was to identify the most significant self-reported predictors of falling including perceived dual-tasking.Participants included 79 individuals with MS were surveyed and reported their fall history over the previous 3 months and completed the Multiple Sclerosis Walking Scale -12 (MSWS-12), Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS), Falls Efficacy Scale International (FES-I), and two Dual-Task Questionnaires (DTQ), a previously published original one and a newly expanded version.Of the sample, 63 were classified as non-fallers and 16 as fallers. Backward stepwise regression analysis revealed that perceived ambulation disability and dual-tasking best predicted fall status (sensitivity of 57.7%, specificity of 90.6%, area under the receiving operating curve of 0.81 (95% CI 0.70-0.92).The inclusion of self-reported dual-tasking perceptions has utility in predicting fall risk. Effective assessment toward this end offers the potential for early detection and intervention.

Student achievement in mathematics is an area of concern that has implications for student success on an individual level as well as for the nation as a whole (National Mathematics Advisory Panel, 2008). Although tier 2 intervention has been shown to be effective in remediating math difficulty, an estimated 3-8% of students do not respond to intervention (Fuchs, Fuchs, & Compton, 2012). This indicates a need to identify specific intervention components, which can increase academic outcomes. One potential intervention component to increase academic outcomes is the use of behavioral strategies in math intervention. Behavioral strategies have been found to increase academic engagement (Brooks, Todd, Tofflemoyer & Horner, 2003; Liaupsin, Umbreit, Ferro, Urso, Upreti, 2006; Todd, Horner, & Sugai, 1999). In turn, engagement increases academic outcomes (Finn, 1993; Marks, 2000). The following study uses meta-analytic techniques to assess effect size differences between math interventions with and without behavioral components. Twelve studies were included in the analysis. In addition, effect sizes were calculated by behavioral component type in order to determine whether the magnitude of effect varied by this moderator. Results from this study indicate that the use of behavioral strategies in mathematics interventions may increase intervention effectiveness. The use of self-monitoring strategies, particularly graphing progress, led to larger effect sizes than studies which utilized other strategies (verbal praise and tangible reinforcement). Limitations and implications for future research are discussed.

Research has demonstrated similar efficacy of drill epiphysiodesis and percutaneous epiphysiodesis using transphyseal screws for the management of adolescent leg length discrepancy. A cost analysis was performed to determine which procedure is more cost-effective. Patients seen for epiphysiodesis of the distal femur and/or proximal tibia and fibula between 2004 and 2017 were reviewed. A decision analysis model was used to compare costs. Two hundred thirty-five patients who underwent either drill (155/235, 66%) or screw (80/235, 34%) epiphysiodesis were analyzed with an average age at initial procedure of 13 years (range, 8.4 to 16.7 years). There was no significant difference in average initial procedure cost or total cost of all procedures across treatment groups (n = 184). The cost difference between drill and screw epiphysiodesis is minimal. In order for screw epiphysiodesis to be cost-favored, there would need to be a significant decrease in its cost or complication rate. (Journal of Surgical Orthopaedic Advances 30(3):181-184, 2021).