Multiple imputation is a recommended method for handling incomplete data problems. One of the barriers to its successful use is the breakdown of the multiple imputation procedure, often due to numerical problems with the algorithms used within the imputation process. These problems frequently occur when imputation models contain large numbers of variables, especially with the popular approach of multivariate imputation by chained equations. This paper describes common causes of failure of the imputation procedure including perfect prediction and collinearity, focusing on issues when using Stata software. We outline a number of strategies for addressing these issues, including imputation of composite variables instead of individual components, introducing prior information and changing the form of the imputation model. These strategies are illustrated using a case study based on data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children.
The establishment of a legal market for medicinal cannabis under the Dangerous Drugs Amendment Act 2015 has positioned Jamaica at the forefront of cannabis law reform in the developing world. Many local cannabis businesses have attracted investment from overseas, including from Canada, US and Europe.

To explore the opportunities and risks of foreign investment in an emerging domestic legal cannabis market in a developing country.

Thematic analysis of semi-structured face-to-face interviews with 22 key informants (KIs) from the Jamaican government, local cannabis industry, academia and civil society, and field observations of legal and illegal cannabis cultivators.

KIs from the Jamaican public agencies and domestic cannabis entrepreneurs saw foreign investment as an essential source of capital to finance the start-up costs of legal cannabis businesses. Local cannabis entrepreneurs prioritised investors with the greatest financial resources, brand reputation and export networks. They also considered howomestic industry and support the transition of small-scale illegal cultivators to the legal regime. Foreign investments may alter the economic, social and political determinants of health in transitioning from illegal to legal cannabis market economy.
While foreign investment has facilitated the commercialisation of the cannabis sector in Jamaica, regulatory measures are also needed to protect the domestic industry and support the transition of small-scale illegal cultivators to the legal regime. Foreign investments may alter the economic, social and political determinants of health in transitioning from illegal to legal cannabis market economy.
HIV status disclosure facilitates access to HIV-related prevention and treatment services and increases opportunities for social support, HIV risk reduction with partners, and index testing for sexual partners or children. This study assessed the effect of a program model of community-based social welfare volunteers on HIV status disclosure among caregivers of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC).

This was a longitudinal study, which was based on OVC caregivers who were beneficiaries of the USAID Kizazi Kipya project in Tanzania. They were enrolled (baseline) by community social welfare volunteers during 2017-2018, received services, and reassessed at midline in 2019. Caregivers who reported having been HIV tested, were asked to voluntarily report the status in order for the volunteers to establish and provide needed services. Those who reported their HIV status as negative or positive were grouped as "disclosed", and those who knew their status but did not report it were documented as "undisclosed". McN. The observed loss of sociodemographic differences in HIV status disclosure rate at midline implies that community-based interventions may be well-positioned to successfully address and eliminate sociodemographic barriers to service uptake and consequently improve services coverage and health outcomes.
Non-infectious uveitis is a well-reported cause of blindness in more developed countries, however data from sub-Saharan Africa is lacking. Here we aim to describe the diseases associated with paediatric non-infectious uveitis and the effect of currently available treatment in this setting.

A retrospective observational analysis of children with non-infectious uveitis from January 2010 to December 2017, attending the tertiary paediatric rheumatology and ophthalmology referral units in Cape Town was conducted. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/ly3039478.html Statistical analysis utilising STATA13 software was performed with p < 0.05 considered significant.

Twenty-nine children were identified median age at first visit of 74 months (IQR 49-86 months), female to male ratio of 0.91, predominantly of mixed ancestry (72.4%). Juvenile idiopathic arthritis associated uveitis (JIAU) (48.3%), idiopathic uveitis (41.4%), sarcoidosis (6.9%) and Behcet's disease (3.5%) were diagnosed. Chronic anterior uveitis (72.4%) was the most frequent finding. Fifty-five pere idiopathic group. Visual acuity improved or was maintained on treatment.

Current practice seems to detect children with potentially sight-threatening disease but the high rate of complications and the low percentage of children with JIAU raises concerns of delayed healthcare intervention. Tumour necrosis factor inhibitors have improved outcomes in refractory cases in this cohort, however further studies are needed.
Current practice seems to detect children with potentially sight-threatening disease but the high rate of complications and the low percentage of children with JIAU raises concerns of delayed healthcare intervention. Tumour necrosis factor inhibitors have improved outcomes in refractory cases in this cohort, however further studies are needed.
Several central nervous system diseases are associated with disturbed cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow patterns and have typically been characterized in vivo by phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This technique is, however, limited by its applicability in space and time. Phase-contrast MRI has yet to be compared directly with CSF tracer enhanced imaging, which can be considered gold standard for assessing long-term CSF flow dynamics within the intracranial compartment.

Here, we studied patients with various CSF disorders and compared MRI biomarkers of CSF space anatomy and phase-contrast MRI at level of the aqueduct and cranio-cervical junction with dynamic intrathecal contrast-enhanced MRI using the contrast agent gadobutrol as CSF tracer. Tracer enrichment of cerebral ventricles was graded 0-4 by visual assessment. An intracranial pressure (ICP) score was used as surrogate marker of intracranial compliance.

The study included 94 patients and disclosed marked variation of CSF flow measures across disease categories.