Crowdfunding for non-commercial initiatives

Organizations and individuals dealing with non-commercial initiatives are in permanent search for funding. Crowdfunding is an alternative way of collecting funds from general public through Internet-based platforms, which is currently gaining popularity all over the world. There are several research initiatives in that field that show the influence of different factors on the success of campaigns, both with commercial and non-commercial objectives. Non-profit nature of the project is named among key predictors of positive outcome. In this context, the purpose of this work is to check whether the tendencies detected by scholars are valid for non-commercial initiatives, especially those having socially aware objectives, posted on the Belarusian crowdfunding platform Ulej. The method used for validation of the research hypotheses is binary logistic regression and statistical test. The results showed that the dependent variable success is influenced by such independent variables as the funding goal, the sum collected, the number of sponsors and the average pledge. On the other hand, the effect of the duration period is not significant. Inferential analysis shows that there is no difference in the level of success between commercial and non-commercial projects and that social orientation does not increase the likelihood of meeting financial goals. The findings are opposite to those provided in literature. However that could be explained by the short period of functioning of platform and the small number of projects.

Comportamento do consumidor: um estudo do mercado imobiliário em condomínios verticais fechados na região metropolitana de Natal

The research in question looked for to establish the relation between the motivation (of the proprietor of apartment) to change itself of another one apartment, in closed vertical condominium (residential mobility) in the period of the recognition of the necessity, and the satisfaction with the apartment after consume. The universe or the population chosen for the development of the study was of proprietors of apartment in vertical condominiums located in the region metropolitan of Natal. The analysis of data was made using the techniques of linear regression and logistic regression between variables. The linear regression found relations between the motivations for housing change and the satisfaction in after consume with some attributes of the apartment. The logistic regression showed that relations between the motivations for change and the general satisfaction to the apartment exist as a whole, in the period after consumes. With regard to the motivation to change itself of a apartment for another one, some reasons shown more motivation them the others. The research found different degrees of satisfaction with certain characteristics of the apartment and degrees of no satisfaction with others. Finally the results of the research had contributed for the reply of the problem that guided the present study, therefore had obtained in such a way to find how much logistic not linear relations between the two periods purchase (recognition of the necessity and evaluation after consume) and had elucidated the process that goes since the choice the product until the satisfaction of the necessities

Awareness and Coverage of the National Health Insurance Scheme among Formal Sector Workers in Ilorin, Nigeria

A prepayment scheme for health through the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) was commenced in Nigeria about ten years ago. Nigeria operates a federal system of government. Sub- national levels possess a high degree of autonomy in a number of sectors including health. It is important to assess the level of coverage of the scheme among the formal sector workers in Nigeria as a proxy to gauge the extent of coverage of the scheme and derive suitable lessons that could be used in its expansion. This is a cross-sectional, descriptive survey carried out among formal sector workers in Ilorin Kwara State, Nigeria. A stratified sampling technique was used to select study participants. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from respondents. Data was analysed with the SPSS. Ethical approval to conduct the study was obtained from the Bowen University Teaching Hospital Research Ethics Committee. A total of 370 people participated in the study. Majority, (78.9%) of the respondents were aware of the NHIS, however only 13.5 % paid for health care services through the NHIS. Logistic regression analysis shows that respondents with post-secondary education (OR = 9.032, CI = 2.562 – 31.847, p = 0.001) and in federal civil service (OR = 2.679, CI = 1.036 – 6.929, p = 0.042) were over nine and three times more likely to be aware of the scheme than others. Coverage of the scheme among the respondents was unimpressive. A lot still need to be done to fast-track the expansion of the scheme among this sector of the population.

Job-related strain and sexual health difficulties among heterosexual men from three european countries: The role of culture and emotional support

Introduction. Epidemiological evidence for the association between job-related stress and sexual difficulties in men is largely lacking. Little is known about the factors that may mediate or moderate this relationship. Aim. This study analyzes the association between job-related difficulties and men’s sexual difficulties. Main Outcome Measures. Job-related difficulties were measured by 10 yes/no questions that addressed a range of adverse workplace situations. The experience of sexual difficulties in the past 12 months was assessed by using seven dichotomous indicators developed in the National Study of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (NATSAL) 2000. Method. Analyses were carried out using data from a 2011 online study of Portuguese, Croatian, and Norwegian men (N = 2,112). Multivariate logistic regression and mediation analysis were used to test the hypothesized association. Results. Men with job-related concerns reported lower sexual satisfaction than men without such concerns did (F = 7.53, P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis confirmed the association between job-related and sexual health concerns. The odds of experiencing one or more sexual health difficulties in the past 12 months were about 1.8 times higher among men who reported the highest levels of workplace difficulties than among men who experienced no such difficulties. The odds of reporting sexual health difficulties were significantly reduced by a higher income (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.87, P < 0.01), emotional intimacy with one’s partner (AOR = 0.93, P < 0.001), having children (AOR = 0.62–0.66, P < 0.01), and country-specific effects (AOR = 1.98–2.22, P < 0.001). In all three countries, the relationship between job-related and sexual health difficulties was mediated by anxiety and depression. Conclusions. The findings suggest that negative mood is the mechanism behind the association between workplace strain and sexual difficulties. Emotional support, such as couple intimacy and fatherhood, can reduce—independently from sociocultural and socioeconomic factors—the risk of sexual health concerns.

Environmental risk factors for oesophageal cancer in Malawi: A case-control study

Aim There is a high burden of oesophageal cancer in Malawi with dismal outcomes. It is not known whether environmental factors are associated with oesophageal cancer. Without knowing this critical information, prevention interventions are not possible. The purpose of this analysis was to explore environmental factors associated with oesophageal cancer in the Malawian context. Methods A hospital-based case-control study of the association between environmental risk factors and oesophageal cancer was conducted at Kamuzu Central Hospital in Lilongwe, Malawi and Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Blantyre, Malawi. Ninety-six persons with squamous cell carcinoma and 180 controls were enrolled and analyzed. These two groups were compared for a range of environmental risk factors, using logistic regression models. Unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. Results Firewood cooking, cigarette smoking, and use of white maize flour all had strong associations with squamous cell carcinoma of the oesophagus, with adjusted odds ratios of 12.6 (95% CI: 4.2-37.7), 5.4 (95% CI: 2.0-15.2) and 6.6 (95% CI: 2.3-19.3), respectively. Conclusions Several modifiable risk factors were found to be strongly associated with squamous cell carcinoma. Research is needed to confirm these associations and then determine how to intervene on these modifiable risk factors in the Malawian context.

Optimal resource allocation and budgeting in libraries

Libraries since their inception 4000 years ago have been in a process of constant change. Although, changes were in slow motion for centuries, in the last decades, academic libraries have been continuously striving to adapt their services to the ever-changing user needs of students and academic staff. In addition, e-content revolution, technological advances, and ever-shrinking budgets have obliged libraries to efficiently allocate their limited resources among collection and services. Unfortunately, this resource allocation is a complex process due to the diversity of data sources and formats required to be analyzed prior to decision-making, as well as the lack of efficient integration methods. The main purpose of this study is to develop an integrated model that supports libraries in making optimal budgeting and resource allocation decisions among their services and collection by means of a holistic analysis. To this end, a combination of several methodologies and structured approaches is conducted. Firstly, a holistic structure and the required toolset to holistically assess academic libraries are proposed to collect and organize the data from an economic point of view. A four-pronged theoretical framework is used in which the library system and collection are analyzed from the perspective of users and internal stakeholders. The first quadrant corresponds to the internal perspective of the library system that is to analyze the library performance, and costs incurred and resources consumed by library services. The second quadrant evaluates the external perspective of the library system; user’s perception about services quality is judged in this quadrant. The third quadrant analyses the external perspective of the library collection that is to evaluate the impact of the current library collection on its users. Eventually, the fourth quadrant evaluates the internal perspective of the library collection; the usage patterns followed to manipulate the library collection are analyzed. With a complete framework for data collection, these data coming from multiple sources and therefore with different formats, need to be integrated and stored in an adequate scheme for decision support. A data warehousing approach is secondly designed and implemented to integrate, process, and store the holistic-based collected data. Ultimately, strategic data stored in the data warehouse are analyzed and implemented for different purposes including the following: 1) Data visualization and reporting is proposed to allow library managers to publish library indicators in a simple and quick manner by using online reporting tools. 2) Sophisticated data analysis is recommended through the use of data mining tools; three data mining techniques are examined in this research study: regression, clustering and classification. These data mining techniques have been applied to the case study in the following manner: predicting the future investment in library development; finding clusters of users that share common interests and similar profiles, but belong to different faculties; and predicting library factors that affect student academic performance by analyzing possible correlations of library usage and academic performance. 3) Input for optimization models, early experiences of developing an optimal resource allocation model to distribute resources among the different processes of a library system are documented in this study. Specifically, the problem of allocating funds for digital collection among divisions of an academic library is addressed. An optimization model for the problem is defined with the objective of maximizing the usage of the digital collection over-all library divisions subject to a single collection budget. By proposing this holistic approach, the research study contributes to knowledge by providing an integrated solution to assist library managers to make economic decisions based on an “as realistic as possible” perspective of the library situation.

Use of BARD scoring system in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease patients and its correlation with ultrasonographic grading in Gizan, Saudi Arabia

Purpose: To assess the efficacy of the BARD scoring system in Saudi non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients attending Gizan General Hospital and to identify the clinical variables associated with advanced fibrosis. . Methods: The cross-sectional study involved 120 patients aged ≥ 18 years who attended the Ultrasound Department of Gizan General Hospital, Gizan, Saudi Arabia, during January – June 2013. BARD scoring system comprised the following variables: body mass index (BMI) ≥ 28 = 1 point, aspartate aminotransferase/alanine aminotransferase (AST/ALT) ratio ≥ 0.8 = 2 points, and type 2 diabetes mellitus = 1 point. Results: Patients with advanced fibrosis were older (55.0 years) than patients with no/mild fibrosis (48.6 years), albeit not significantly so. A higher BMI was associated with advanced fibrosis in males, females and all study participants (p = 0.013, 0.016 and 0.001, respectively). Advanced fibrosis was more common in older patients with a higher weight to height ratio. Logistic regression suggested that age ≥ 50 years was associated with a 2.52-fold increase in the risk of advanced fibrosis, but this did not have a significant clinical impact (p = 0.087). BMI > 28 was associated with a 26.73-fold increased risk of advanced fibrosis, while AST/ALT ≥ 0.8 was associated with an 18.46-fold increased risk of advanced liver fibrosis (p = 0.002 and 0.006, respectively). Conclusion: The major risk factors for advanced fibrosis using BARD scoring system in patients with NAFLD were old age, BMI > 28, and AST/ALT ≥ 0.8. In addition, grade 3 ultrasonographic fatty liver significantly correlated with advanced fibrosis.

Prevalence of diabetic retinopathy in type II diabetic patients in a health facility in Karachi, Pakistan

Purpose: To study the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy in known diabetic patients attending the diabetes outpatient department (OPD) of Sind Government Hospital (SGH), New Karachi Township (NKT), Pakistan. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was carried out at the diabetic OPD of SGH, NKT over the period of 17 months from March 2013 to August 2014. The selected patients were interviewed based on a questionnaire; laboratory investigations were performed and examination of the eye was conducted by a specialist ophthalmologist. One hundred and fifty four (154) subjects out of 305 patients contacted fully completed the study. Stratification of the data on gender basis was done, after which one-way ANOVA, χ2 test of correlation, binary logistic regression and relative risk analyses were carried out using SPSS-20. Results: It was found that 66 % men of normal weight (χ2 = 4.667, p < 0.05) and 60.7 % overweight women (χ2 = 5.143, p < 0.05) were more likely to present with diabetic retinopathy (DR). Prevalence of DR in this target population was 42.86 % (N = 66). Background DR (56 %) and maculopathy (23 %) were more prevalent than advanced conditions of the disease. There was no gender-based preponderance for the presentation of DR (χ2 = 0.663; p > 0.05), nor was this seen in different ethnic groups. Conclusion: DR is prevalent in the target population and, therefore, emphasis should be on the education of the local population of New Karachi Township on how to attain euglycemic state with regular medication, diet and exercise to avoid development and progress of DR.

Eficiencia energética en el sector residencial de la ciudad de Cuenca, Ecuador

El estudio se centra en el sector residencial de la ciudad de Cuenca, Ecuador. El objetivo es determinar hasta donde se puede reducir el consumo de energía a la vez que se obtengan óptimas condiciones de confort, estableciendo un indicador de eficiencia energética. Para ello se determina la demanda de energía eléctrica y los factores principales de consumo, mediante una metodología de investigación mixta tanto cualitativa como cuantitativa, pues el consumo energético se ve influenciado por diferentes elementos como la eficiencia de los equipos, diseño y hábitos de uso de los habitantes, entre otros. Se realizan encuestas a una muestra de 280 hogares del sector residencial de Cuenca y por otro lado se mide el consumo y calidad lumínica del ambiente interior de 6 viviendas mediante equipos, simulaciones y encuestas. Posteriormente se analizan los resultados obtenidos y se los compara con los estándares de eficiencia nacional e internacional, se proponen estrategias básicas para la reducción del consumo de energía eléctrica y finalmente el estudio define una clasificación de indicadores de consumo mínimo.

Regressão Logística Geograficamente Ponderada aplicada a modelos de Credit Scoring

Dissertação (mestrado)—Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Economia, Administração e Contabilidade, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Administração, 2016.

Relação entre impacto de um treinamento gerencial no trabalho, desejabilidade social, suporte a transferência e características dos respondentes

Dissertação (mestrado)—Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Economia, Administração e Contabilidade, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Administração, 2016.