Communication Style in Medical Crowdfunding: Effect of Emotional Framing and Updates Frequency on Funding and Emotional Support

Despite the rise of medical crowdfunding and its benefits to patients including reducing financial hardships and providing emotional social support, limited attention has been paid to how a campaign organizer can drive performance. In this study, we investigate how the communication style used in a medical crowdfunding campaign can affect both the funding performance and emotional support received. We find that emotional framing and frequent updates have a positive effect on funding and emotional support and discuss the implications

How to fix Nigeria – But is it broken? Pertinent issues facing Africa’s largest economy ahead of impending elections

What could possibly be the most ferociously contested elections in decades has been postponed for six weeks, but LSE’s Chiaka Osuala looks at points raised at the ‘How to Fix Nigeria – The 2015 Elections & Beyond’ debate held by the Royal African Society in London on 28 January. This post is part of our African Elections series

Genetic And Physiological Contribution Of Adrenergic Cells In Heart Development

The adrenergic hormones norepinephrine (NE) and epinephrine (EPI) are essential for cardiovascular development as embryos lacking NE/EPI begin to die abruptly between embryonic days 10.5 and 11.5 due to apparent cardiac failure. The objective of this research aims to elucidate the mechanism of the embryonic fatality observed in the NE/EPI deficient mouse model. Here we utilized the dopamine β- hydroxylase knockout (Dbh-/-) mouse model, which lacks the gene and subsequent enzyme necessary for the conversion of dopamine to norepinephrine. Embryonic mouse hearts were extracted from Dbh+/+ (control) and Dbh-/- (experimental model) mice for mRNA transcript expression profiling. These studies were performed using the Affymetrix Mouse Genome 430A 2.0 Arrays and quantitative real-time RT-PCR. Gene expression data suggest a novel connection between the ability of the heart to synthesize adrenergic hormones and the gene expression of enzymes involved in the synthesis of retinoic acid. Specifically, we found a statistically significant change in transcriptional expression of the retinol binding protein-1 (Rbp-1), retinol dehydrogenase 12 (Rdh-12) and beta carotene monooxygenase-1 (Bcmo-1) genes in the E10.5 Dbh-/- mouse heart. The gene expression of Rbp-1 and Rdh-12 were increased 1.4 fold and 2.1 fold on the microarray, respectively. The proteins translated from these genes play central roles in the transport and enzymatic conversion of precursor molecules in the pathway of retinoic acid biosynthesis. Additionally, we found that the expression of Bcmo-1, an enzyme responsible for the breakdown of beta carotene to the retinoic acid iii precursor retinal, was down regulated 2.7 fold in the Dbh-/- heart based on microarray assessment. Bcmo-1 is a well known retinoic acid responsive gene, suggesting that the loss of adrenergic hormones in the Dbh-/- mouse heart may result in a deregulation of retinoic acid synthesis and further an alteration in the concentration of retinoic acid present in the embryonic tissue of adrenergic hormone deficient embryos. In addition, we utilized a genetic mouse model that expresses β-galactosidase (β-Gal) in cells capable of synthesizing epinephrine in order to identify the spatial and temporal distribution of adrenergic-derived cells in the developing heart. The model was designed so that cells capable of expressing the gene phenylethanolamine Nmethyltransferase (Pnmt), which is responsible for the synthesis of epinephrine, also produce the enzyme β-Gal as a reporter. The resulting presence of the β-Gal enzyme can be visualized using a β-Gal substrate called XGAL, which is converted into a blue precipitate when cleaved by the β-Gal enzyme. Evaluation of the location of these cells in the embryonic heart showed a preferential distribution at the atrioventricular sulcus at E10.5, and later at E18.5 a more widely distributed ventricular pattern was observed. In addition, the right atrium showed a cluster of XGAL positive cells (blue cells) near the region of the sinoatrial node, while the distribution of XGAL positive cells in the left atrium was quite diffuse. Interestingly, when the adult heart was examined, it was discovered that cells capable of synthesizing epinephrine (adrenergic-derived) are found predominately on the left side of the heart. This left-sided distribution appears to be non-random and non-uniform, since specific regions are consistently XGAL positive, but not every cell in each region. Whole mount and 3-dimensional reconstruction of the iv β-Gal staining showed that these cells traverse the depth of the heart at the midventricular and apical regions. This finding is quite interesting and may provide new knowledge about the functional and structural characteristics of the adult heart. One observation is that these cells may contribute to the cardiomyopathy known as TakoTsubo or Broken Heart syndrome. The syndrome is characterized by left ventricular dysfunction during bouts of stress. Also, of particular intrigue is the anatomical correlation of the adrenergic derived cells and the helical ventricular myocardial band (HVMB). Careful examination of the spatial and directional pattern of these cells within the myocardium suggests they contribute primarily to a specific section of the HVMB. The significance of this finding is yet to be uncovered. Taken collectively, this study has shown a novel connection between two crucial developmental signaling pathways. Adrenergic hormone and retinoic acid signaling can now be viewed as cooperative partners in the development of the embryonic heart. In addition, this study has also shown that adrenergic derived cells in the adult heart have a distinctive left-sided distribution, which is non-random, non-uniform, and shows interesting features suggesting an anatomical connection to the HVMB and a clinical association to Tako-Tsubo syndrome. These findings will appreciably contribute to the knowledge base of the scientific communit

Do Non-Bank Financial Institutions’ Loans and Advances Influence Economic Growth? A Bounds Test Investigation

The study examines the economic impact of non-bank financialinstitutions’ (NBFIs) loans and advances on Nigeria’s economic growth usingBounds testing approach to co-integration. Time series data covering the period1996-2010 was used. Economic growth, proxied by real gross domestic product(RGDP) was regressed on loans and advances of Discount Houses (DH), FinanceHouses (FH) and Insurance companies (IC) which were considered the importantnon-bank financial institutions in Nigeria. The result of the analysis showsthat there is a long-run relationship between economic growth and loans andadvances of insurance companies in Nigeria. The test further confirms thenon-existence of any significant statistical relationship between economicgrowth and the loans and advances of Finance houses and Discount houses inNigeria during the period studied.  Theempirical evidence emerging from the study suggests that non-bank financialinstitutions, especially insurance companies, are very important in theNigeria’s financial system and as such should be harnessed so as to effectivelychannel long-term investment funds from the surplus unit of the economy to thedeficit unit through them. This can be achieved through formulation of proper,prudent and investment-friendly policies by the concerned authorities in thecountry. Besides, the study indicates that the enhancement of the NBFIs canpromote the development of small-scaled and rural based industries because ofthe ability of NBFIs to mobilize and tap the latent savings potentials of ruralpeople.Keywords: Bounds test, non-bank financialinstitutions, insurance companies

Using the right information: A theoretical explanation of user motivation to validate web-content

Using unverified information can have many dire consequences especially when used in decision making or tasks. Evidence of gaffes caused by using deficient information abound. The increasing dependence of users on the web as a source of information raises the risk of using obsolete, inaccurate, and unreliable content it is unverified. Though the web serves as an information store and archive, the nature of its information content is sticky due to the lack of centralized controls, regulation, and content gatekeeping. Using the regulatory focus theory as a lens and augmenting with propositions from attributional processing, this study seeks to theoretically understand how users can be motivated to validate web content and the moderating conditions

Add the cool factor:An empirical investigation of the effect of positivity and pictorial images on review coolness

Cool excites, attracts, drives trends, stands out, and is considered a characteristic quality of appealing brands, products, or people. Despite the value cool online reviews provide to review contributors by drawing attention and peer recognition to them, and the potential value of cool reviews to focal businesses being reviewed, little has been done to understand what factors impact user perception of coolness in online reviews. In this paper, we explore some of these factors. We find that positive and favorable reviews are more likely to be perceived as being cool compared to negative and unfavorable reviews. Similarly, having pictorial images increases the likelihood of an online review being perceived as cool. However, we do find that the inclusion of pictorial images in online reviews is skewed towards highly positive reviews suggesting that review contributors may be adding pictorial images to support their very favorable reviews compared to unfavorable reviews

Colonialism and the Disintegration of Indigenous Technology in Igboland: A Case Study of Blacksmithing in Nkwerre

Long before the advent of colonial administration, indigenous technology especially blacksmithing was a flourishing profession among the people of Nkwerre. The significance and influence of this industry were pronounced within and outside the community. Through this indigenous technology, the people developed various means with which their socio-economic as well as military needs were met. Consequent upon Nkwerre blacksmithing ingenuity, the people bagged the sobriquet, ‘Nkwerre Opia Egbe’ (Nkwerre, the manufacturer of gun). This is derived from their knack for blacksmithing. Unfortunately, this renowned traditional technology had suffered neglect and abandonment. Hence, Nkwerre has never been historically considered among blacksmithing communities par excellence. This is evident in much of the available literature. The decline in this local technology has been attributed to colonialism as well as the policies of the post-colonial government in Nigeria towards indigenous technology. The paper is set to achieve three purposes: In the first place; it examines the nature of blacksmithing technology and its relevance in pre-colonial and colonial Igboland which cannot be underestimated or over-emphasised. Secondly and the import of the paper, it assesses the impact of colonialism on the decline of this indigenous technology and finally to seek ways through which such indigenous technologies could be revitalised and  modernised in order to suit the present trend in industrial and economic growth for sustainable development. In the methodology, primary and secondary sources were adopted. The paper is thematic, chronological as well as analytical in presentation Keywords: Colonialism, disintegration, indigenous technology, blacksmithing

Visualization of patient specific disease risk prediction

The increasing trend of systematic collection of medical data (diagnoses, hospital admission emergencies, blood test results, scans etc) by health care providers offers an unprecedented opportunity for the application of modern data mining, pattern recognition, and machine learning algorithms. The ultimate aim is invariably that of improving outcomes, be it directly or indirectly. Notwithstanding the successes of recent research efforts in this realm, a major obstacle of making the developed models usable by medical professionals (rather than computer scientists or statisticians) remains largely unaddressed. Yet, a mounting amount of evidence shows that the ability to understanding and easily use novel technologies is a major factor governing how widely adopted by the target users (doctors, nurses, and patients, amongst others) they are likely to be. In this work we address this technical gap. In particular, we describe a portable, web based interface that allows health care professionals to interact with recently developed machine learning and data driven prognostic algorithms. Our application interfaces a statistical disease progression model and displays its predictions in an intuitive and readily understandable manner. Different types of geometric primitives and their visual properties (such as size or colour), are used to represent abstract quantities such as probability density functions, the rate of change of relative probabilities, and a series of other relevant statistics which the heath care professional can use to explore patients' risk factors or provide personalized, evidence and data driven incentivization to the patient.Postprin

Utilization of Computer Software in Posting Transactions to Ledger Accounts in the Teaching of Financial Accounting in Tertiary Institutions in the North-East Nigeria

The study determined the extent of utilization of computer software in posting transactions to ledger accounts in teaching financial accounting in tertiary institutions in the North-East, Nigeria. The survey method was used for the study and the instrument for data collection was Computer Software Utilization Questionnaire (CSUQ). The Cronbach Alpha Coefficient was used to determine the level of reliability of the instrument, with the test yielding reliability coefficient of 0.99. The tools for analysis of data were the mean and standard deviation (S.D.) for the research question and ANOVA for testing the hypothesis. It was found that the accounting lecturers utilized computer software in posting transactions to ledger accounts, to a moderate extent. It was recommended that the proprietors of the institutions should provide appropriate facilities in the institutions and the lecturers should endeavour to improve their software utilization skills, among others. Keywords: utilization, computer software, posting transactions, ledger accounts, teaching, and financial accounting

History as a Vehicle for National Development: a Nexus for Nigeria’s Unity

The relevance of the subject matter – history – in any given society is germane. History basically evaluates the dynamics of human societies in all ramifications. It houses the totality of human activities in the past for evaluation. Just as the memory is to the mind, history is to the society. Therefore, for a meaningful development in a nation like Nigeria, history as a discipline and concept is sine qua non in the road to national development. Thus, in terms of policy formulation, decision making among other topical issues on national development, it is important to resort to history for road map, Hence, the paper re-examines and revisits the relevance of history in the road to national  development with particular reference to Nigeria. The methodology is thematic and interpretation employing historical analysis, Keywords: History, Vehicle, National, Development, Nexus, Nigeri