Plos One
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We explore the effects of the quantity of information on the tendency to contribute to crowdfunding campaigns. Using the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter, we analyze the campaign descriptions and the performance of over 70,000 projects. ⋯ To do so, we test for the non-linearity (quadratic) effect of our independent variable (word count) using regression analysis. Consistent with the hypothesis that excess information will negatively affect funds raised and number of contributors, we observe a consistent U-shaped relationship between campaign text length and overall success which suggest that an optimal number of words exists within crowdfunding texts and that going over this point will reduce a project's chance of fundraising success.
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Upper limb recovery is one of the main goals of post-stroke rehabilitation due to its importance for autonomy in Activities of Daily Living (ADL). Although the efficacy of upper limb Robot-assisted Therapy (RT) is well established in literature, the impact of the initial status of the patient on the effects of RT is still understudied. This paper aims to identify whether demographic, clinical and motor characteristics of stroke patients may influence the ability to independently perform ADL after RT. ⋯ Stroke patients with greater manual dexterity and less impairment appear to have a higher probability of achieving clinically significant ADL outcomes after upper limb RT. The obtained results can help to optimise the management of RT treatment planning. Further studies on a larger number of patients with a long-term follow up are recommended in order to evaluate other potential predictors and to validate the results.
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Administrative claims and electronic health records are valuable resources for evaluating pharmaceutical effects during pregnancy. However, direct measures of gestational age are generally not available. Establishing a reliable approach to infer the duration and outcome of a pregnancy could improve pharmacovigilance activities. ⋯ In Optum validation sensitivity analysis, a total of 73% of algorithm estimated starts for live births were in agreement with fertility procedure estimated starts within two weeks in either direction; ectopic pregnancy 77%, stillbirth 47%, and abortion 36%. An algorithm to infer live birth and ectopic pregnancy episodes and outcomes can be applied to multiple observational databases with acceptable accuracy for further epidemiologic research. Less accuracy was found for start date estimations in stillbirth and abortion outcomes in our sensitivity analysis, which may be expected given the nature of the outcomes.
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The prevalence of chronic kidney disease-associated pruritus (CKD-aP) varies from 22% to 84% among patients receiving hemodialysis. It occurs more frequently at night, and often affects patient's sleep quality. CKD-aP is often unreported by patients, and many do not receive effective treatment. There is, however, a paucity of available data on the prevalence and impact of CKD-aP on patients receiving hemodialysis in Pakistan. ⋯ Chronic kidney disease-associated pruritus is very common in patients receiving hemodialysis in Pakistan. Pruritus is significantly associated with poor sleep quality.
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Controlling blood pressure (BP) leads to significant reduction in cardiovascular risks and associated deaths. In Ethiopia, data is scarce about the level and determinants of optimal BP control among hypertensive patients. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and associated factors of optimal BP control among hypertensive patients attending at a district hospital. ⋯ A higher proportion of hypertensive patients remain with un-controlled BP. Modifiable risk factors including poor adherence to medications, lack of physical exercise, adding salt into meals, being on multiple medications and comorbidities were significantly and independently associated with poor BP control. Evidence-based, adherence-enhancing and healthy life style interventions should be implemented.