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Software maintainability is a very important quality attribute. Its prediction for relational database-driven software applications can help organizations improve the maintainability of these applications. The research presented herein adopts a survey-based approach where a survey was conducted with 40 software professionals aimed at identifying and ranking the important maintainability predictors for relational database-driven software applications. The survey results were analyzed using frequency analysis. The results suggest that maintainability prediction for relational database-driven applications is not the same as that of traditional software applications in terms of the importance of the predictors used for this purpose. The results also provide a baseline for creating maintainability prediction models for relational database-driven software applications.

I impose functional-form restrictions on the time-series processes of expected returns and expected dividend growth rates to better estimate them in a small sample. The approach helps to aggregate information contained in the entire history of prices, dividend growth, and additional predictors without parameter proliferation. I find that both expected returns and expected dividend growth rates are substantially time-varying, positively correlated with each other, and covary with several macroeconomic variables. The estimated expectations of returns and dividend growth rates are strong predictors of realized returns and dividend growth rates, respectively, both in-sample and out-of-sample. Book-to-Market Ratio, Stock Variance, Consumption-Wealth-Income Ratio, and BAA-rated Corporate Bond Yield significantly improve the return and dividend forecasts of my present-value model.

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine whether baseline characteristics predict outcomes twelve weeks after open reduction and internal fixation of proximal phalangeal fracture.

Methods: A cohort of patients (n = 48, mean 35 years; SD 11) commencing outpatient rehabilitation within one week of surgery were reviewed. Outcomes of interest were active PIP extension; active total range of motion; pain at rest; comprehensive pain; strength; and hand use (reported difficulty performing specific activities such as turning a door handle, as well as usual activities including housework and recreation) at twelve weeks. Possible predictors included which finger is injured, whether the fracture is intra or extra-articular, whether the dominant or non-dominant hand is injured and/or how much pain is experienced in the first post-operative week. Multiple linear regression was performed to produce a model of the prediction for each outcome of interest at Week 1 (baseline).

Results: Results from multivariate linear regression analyses suggest that pain at rest at baseline was significantly predictive of pain at rest (OR = 1.25, 95% CI = 1.06–1.47), p = 0.01), comprehensive pain (OR = 3.18, 95% CI = 1.47–6.84, p = 0.01), and hand use (OR = 2.38, 95% CI = 1.18–4.80, p = 0.02) twelve weeks after open reduction and internal fixation of proximal phalangeal fracture. The turning point on the receiver-operator characteristic curve of false versus true risk (AUC = 0.94, p = 0.04) indicated that at least a score of 4.5 on the 10 cm visual analogue scale for baseline resting pain was needed for significant likelihood of reduced hand use. Which finger was injured, location of fracture and side of injury were not predictive of any outcomes.

Conclusions: Moderate to high levels of resting pain in the week following surgery for proximal phalangeal fracture is predictive of pain and hand use at twelve weeks. Moderate to high levels of resting pain should be recognised as unusual, and could be targeted in rehabilitation. Further prospective studies are needed to determine whether early identification and targeted intervention to reduce pain improves outcomes at 12 weeks.

Objective: To describe the clinical profile and predictors of mortality of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) patients in Hong Kong. To compare the accuracy of the latest Five-Factor Score (FFS-2009) and the Birmingham Vasculitis Activity Score (BVAS) in prediction of survival with this local cohort.

Methods: A retrospective observational study on newly diagnosed AAV patients, from January 1, 2011 to March 31, 2022, managed in the Kowloon West Cluster (KWC) hospitals in Hong Kong. Demographic and baseline characteristics, clinical profile, and treatment profile were reviewed. Factors associated with mortality were analyzed with the Cox proportional hazards model. The performances of FFS and BVAS in mortality prediction were analyzed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves.

Results: A total of 83 AAV patients were included in the study. The median age was 70.5 years at diagnosis. Microscopic polyangiitis (MPA; 69.9%) was the most common AAV subtype. The median FFS and BVAS were 2 and 20, respectively. The overall mortality was 45.6% across the study period. Multivariate Cox regression identified age at diagnosis (HR 1.043, $P=0.027$), stabilized peak serum creatinine (HR 1.002, $P=0.001$), hemoglobin level (HR 0.754, $P=0.006$), cardiac involvement (HR 3.862, $P=0.008$), and use of maintenance therapy (HR 0.261, $P=0.002$) as independent predictors of overall survival. Both FFS and BVAS were significant predictors of overall survival. The areas under the curve (AUC) of ROC curves suggested FFS was a good prediction tool for early mortality in 1 year, with an AUC value of 0.874.

Conclusion: Despite the advances in treatment, AAV still carried significant morbidities with high mortality. Clinical predictors and existing scoring systems showed good predictive power on mortality.