bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hidrocefalia congênita em cão idoso
Authors: De Lima Renata , Weinstein Teixeira Marcelo , Séllos Costa Fabiano , Adão Vescovi Séllos Costa Lorena , Soares da Silva Elayne Cristine
Published: January 2017

In the fetal nervous system training period faults can occur, leading to problems after birth, as the persistence of the fontanelle, which is due to no calcification of the cranial sutures. Hydrocephalus is a type of genetic defect caused by inadequate circulation of the cerebrospinal fluid that to build up promotes increased volume and consequent dilation of cerebral ventricles. It can be congenital or acquired, and the most predisposed breeds of dogs are those small. Among the most common clinical signs of hydrocephalus are deformities in the skull, the eye socket, or increased pressure in the midbrain integument, depression, apathy, delirium, blindness, ataxia, dementia, aggression, irritation, training of difficulty and learning to walk in circles and convulsions. The animal's history must be performed properly, followed by clinical and neurological examination, and may require the request for laboratory and imaging tests to make the diagnosis of hydrocephalus. brain imaging as ultrasound, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging have been providing currently better support as diagnostic tools. Among the therapeutic agents used in classical include: corticosteroids, diuretics and osmotic agents which will act reducing cerebral edema, and consequently the intracranial pressure. Patients who have seizures need to receive specific therapy. Depending on the case, treatment with medication is effective, however, for better control of symptoms, sometimes indicates the ventriculoperitoneal bypass surgery. We report a case of a canine Poodle, 11 years old, female, who after suffering head trauma and performed CT examination, was diagnosed with congenital hydrocephalus and persistent fontanelle in front and bilaterally region, between the parietal and temporal bones. The patient was treated with classical therapy using corticosteroids (dexamethasone and prednisone), and diuretics (furosemide and mannitol), obtaining successful recovery.
Biotransformación del pelo residual de curtiembres
Authors: Numpaque P. Ruth Viviana , Viteri R. Silvio Edgar
Published: January 2017

La industria de curtiembres genera una alta carga contaminante representada por residuos líquidos, sólidos y gaseosos. Entre los residuos sólidos, el pelo residual es vertido directamente al río Bogotá y/o en rellenos sanitarios, desencadenando serios conflictos de orden ambiental, social y económico. El objetivo de esta investigación fue evaluar la capacidad de los microorganismos del EM y Agroplux en la transformación del pelo residual en compost. Se evaluaron tres tratamientos con pelo residual y materiales orgánicos de plaza en diferentes porcentajes y dos controles, utilizando el diseño completamente al azar, con tres repeticiones. Durante el compostaje se determinaron las variables temperatura, formación de agregados, pH y conductividad eléctrica. El desarrollo de la temperatura ocurrió en ciclos que concordaron con los volteos y re-inoculaciones. En el tercer ciclo el mayor incremento de temperatura fue obtenido en los tres tratamientos, cuando ya se había agotado la mayor parte de los residuos orgánicos. La formación de agregados indicó que el proceso se llevó a efecto principalmente en el tratamiento con 20% de pelo residual más 80% de residuos orgánicos. Además de su color oscuro y la ausencia de olor y fragmentos, el compost producido mediante dicho tratamiento mostró la conductividad eléctrica más baja y un pH casi neutro. Se concluye que los microorganismos del EM y Agroplux tienen capacidad para transformar el pelo residual en compost y por lo tanto representan una alternativa viable para la continuación del funcionamiento de la industria de curtiembres en Villapinzón (Cundinamarca) y en otras regiones de Colombia.
Atendimento educacional especializado (AEE) e a oferta para alunos com deficiência física Ci
Authors: Fachinetti Tamiris Aparecida , Gonçalves Adriana Garcia , Lourenço Gerusa Ferreira
Published: January 2017

O presente manuscrito tem como objetivo abordar os pressupostos do Atendimento Educacional Especializado (AEE) na realidade brasileira e apresentar as possíveis formas de oferta deste serviço para alunos com deficiência física. No que tange a especificidade do AEE para alunos com deficiência física, com oferta primariamente em Salas de Recursos Multifuncionais, serão apresentados elementos primordiais para garantir acessibilidade no interior da escola, desde os aspectos arquitetônicos até aos mais específicos do processo de ensino-aprendizagem, como por exemplo, o desenvolvimento específico de recursos e estratégias de ensino.
Algumas pontuações sobre a obra Fundamentos da Educação III: recortes e discussões
Authors: Rueda Jurany Leite
Published: January 2017

O livro é fruto do esforço de estudiosos da educação, doutores, mestrandos, mestres, acadêmicos e pesquisadores que acreditam que é pelo acesso a esses temas e o debate dos mesmos que podemos refletir sobre nossas práticas em seus diferentes níveis, isto é, tanto na relação com os alunos quanto como intervenção nas políticas públicas de educação.
Movimentos sociais e educação: intervenções político-pedagógicas de movimentos negros em Sorocaba
Authors: Cerqueira Silva Mariana Martha
Published: January 2017

Este artigo se insere nas discussões sobre movimentos negros e educação e é fruto da pesquisa que desenvolvi no mestrado em Educação. O presente trabalho apresenta como objetivo recontar o percurso histórico da população negra de Sorocaba desde o século XVI bem como mapear a presença atual de coletividades negras nesta mesma cidade. Os dados aqui expostos são resultado de ampla pesquisa bibliográfica sobre a história da cidade a partir de levantamento de obras do historiador Carlos Carvalho Cavalheiro. O mapeamento dos movimentos negros em atuação no século XXI são decorrentes do critério metodológico da pesquisa participante desenvolvida naquela ocasião. Nesse contexto foram realizadas entrevistas semi-estruturadas com os/as militantes destes movimentos negros que nos cederam os dados compartilhados neste artigo. A história desta população negra segue o padrão da negligência, quando não da distorção, a que foram submetidos os feitos históricos de resistência, luta e intervenção social encabeçados por afrodescendentes. As ações dos movimentos negros em atuação revelam que a conquista por direitos sociais é ainda bandeira de luta no século XXI e que o campo da educação continua sendo espaço formativo para
A proposta de reorganização escolar do governo paulista e o movimento estudantil secundarista
Authors: Piolli Evaldo , Pereira Luciano , Mesko Andressa de Sousa Rodrigues
Published: January 2017

O texto analisa a proposta de reorganização escolar do governo estadual e as características do movimento de ocupação das escolas promovidos pelos estudantes secundaristas. Partimos de uma análise do projeto, situando-o no contexto das políticas educacionais do Estado de São Paulo para, em seguida, analisarmos a resposta dos estudantes à proposição do governo. Para tanto, apresentamos as primeiras análises das entrevistas em grupo focal realizadas com estudantes que participaram do movimento das ocupações de escolas em dois municípios do interior do Estado.  A partir do depoimento dos estudantes, procuramos descrever as características do movimento, o modo de organização e a pauta estudantil.  O movimento propiciou a politização dos estudantes e o aprendizado sobre as formas de luta e organização de um movimento social. Para além da crítica e resistência à proposta governamental, os estudantes ampliaram as suas pautas, introduzindo questões e temas não pelo modelo gerencial proposto pela Secretaria. Considera-se que o modo de organização das ocupações possui elementos que devem ser levados em conta na elaboração de uma proposta alternativa às concepções gestionárias que hoje estão sendo implantadas pela Secretaria de Educação do Estado.
Reinsurance by South African short-term insurers
Authors: du Plessis Marno , Mostert Frederik J. , Mostert Jan Hendrik
Published: January 2017

Short-term insurers utilize mutually loss sharing by obtaining cover for their risk portfolios by ceding a part thereof to a professional reinsurer, who pools the risks of various insurers. This study, which has the improvement of financial decision-making by short-term insurers pertaining reinsurance as its objective, focuses on the reasons why short-term insurers obtain reinsurance. The various methods/contracts of reinsurance, as well as the forms/bases of reinsurance which are employed by short-term insurers, represent main sections of this research. The factors which determine the retention level of a short-term insurer also receive the necessary attention. This study may serve as an illustration to other developing countries with emerging economies as the empirical study focuses on the market leaders of the General Segment of the South African short-term insurance industry.
The valuation by multiples of Italian firms
Authors: Fidanza Barbara
Published: January 2017

The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, the paper illustrates which comparables selection method provides the most accurate forecasts by using multiples. Firms listed on the Milan stock exchange from 2000 to 2006 were analyzed. Comparable firms were selected by activity sector, sector and size, sector and ROA, ROA and size, and were averaged with the arithmetic mean, median, and harmonic mean. Twelve multiple valuation methods were analyzed. The empirical results suggest that the selection of comparable firms on the basis of sector and ROA or sector and size are the most accurate criteria. Valuation improves when multiples are averaged using a median relative to arithmetic and harmonic mean. Moreover, in order to test which multiples are most effective to value a company, the main multiples were considered and I analyzed how factors such as sector, size and year bias these outcomes. The results show that the multiples based on cash flows are almost always significant; the multiples based on earnings are most significant in industrial sectors, in particular for small firms with many intangible assets; the multiples on book value appear most effective for non-industrial firms.
The influence of the newspaper media on the corporate governance practices of Irish listed PLCs
Authors: Gorman Louise , Lynn Theo , Mulgrew Mark
Published: January 2017

While a great deal of research has focused on the factors driving adoption of codes of best practice in corporate governance, only recently has the influence of the news media been considered. Corporate governance literature has largely converged upon internal monitoring and shareholder activist strategies as methods of shareholder protection following the decline of the market for corporate control. Commentators and activists alike have generally neglected the opportunity for an independent party, which watches over the management of companies, to guard shareholders’ interests. Ireland is just one country where the value of media coverage of corporate governance violations to: (i) shareholders, (ii) policymakers and (iii) company directors has not been assessed. This paper investigates the reaction of these groups to newspaper coverage of corporate governance violations so as to determine the influence of the newspaper media on the corporate governance practices of public limited companies (plcs) listed on the Irish Stock Exchange. Using newspaper articles, media activity was analysed and measured in 15 instances of corporate governance violations and the relationships between this activity and the actions and behaviours of investors, policymakers and company directors as indicated by stock market data8, government reports9 and newspaper articles respectively were examined. Evidence from this study suggests that the Irish newspaper media influences (i) the boards of directors of Irish listed plcs, in that subsequent newspaper articles report reformatory measures taken by the boards in the vast majority of companies in the sample; (ii) the government authorities who are responsible for the legislative and regulatory infrastructure in which they operate, with statistical evidence of increases in government attention to corporate governance issues following increased newspaper coverage of theses issues and (iii) the investing decisions of investors in Irish listed plcs, with statistical verification of a relationship between movements in share price and volumes of newspaper articles relating to corporate governance violations by listed companies.
Changes of audit methodologies in less developed countries: affirmation of internationalisation, reality of audit practice and society’s negotiation
Authors: Alnodel Ali , Turley Stuart
Published: January 2017

This paper reports on an interpretive study carried out to explore the change of audit methodologies toward the Business Risk Audit (henceforth, the BRA) approach in Less Developed Countries (henceforth, LDCs). It argues that changes of audit methodologies in LDCs proceeds through assurance of the international affiliation by the Internationally Affiliated Audit firms (henceforth, IAA), confrontation of reality of local audit practice and social discourse about the international affiliation rather than the actual change of the core of the audit methodology itself in order to claim quality, superiority, and knowledge. The study found that the approach has been promptly introduced artificially in manuals and other materials but without sufficient efforts to relax the existed and approved challenging environmental factors that prevent the practical application of the approach. This consistent with the argument which says that audit manuals might resemble the worldwide audit manual of the global audit approach of the large international firm, but in the local environments auditors could shelve significant parts of such a manual because of facts on the ground and work according to the reality of their audit society. Nevertheless, IAA firms in their negotiation with their community endeavor to argue the international logo of their audit approaches as a clue of their advancement, modernization, and superiority of knowledge over the locally less developed audit practice. This behavior is likely to reflect the social perceptions of the society in LDCs about the definition of the international logo, the ambiguous of the term of audit quality, dependency of LDCs on more developed countries for development, and aspiration toward evolution. Given such reference of quality and superiority of knowledge, the study argues that innovations in audit technologies are not imported to LDCs only because of their technical benefits but more important to serve social functions, mainly affirmation of international affiliation as clue of advancement and superiority.
State ownership in publicly listed Chinese firms and its performance
Authors: Li Ji , Tang Guiyao , Chen Amy YY , Yan Nick M.
Published: January 2017

Based on research, we studied the state ownership in publicly listed Chinese firms, and develop an empirical test of the relationship between state ownership and firm performance. We demonstrate the importance of some unique Chinese factors to understanding organizational behavior in China. The study indicates that the predictive validity of Western theories could be improved by taking into account the effects of fief-specific factors. We propose hypotheses that are relevant to this issue, and test them with empirical data collected from formerly state-owned firms in China’s manufacturing industries. The results support the hypothesized effects of fief-specific factors. The paper concludes with a discussion of the theoretical and practical implications of the research findings.
Corporate governance at work: the attributes and roles of boards in Brazilian companies
Authors: Martins Henrique Cordeiro , Gonçalves Carlos Alberto , Pardini Daniel Jardim
Published: January 2017

The board of directors is seen as the central governance instrument, promoting interaction between stakeholders and promoting high performance, organization sustainability and return to investors. The practices and strategic definitions of corporative governance are considered of great importance today for corporations, due to the size and to the complexity of their structures (like M _ Forms structures) and the different forms in which they are presented: in networks, associations, partnerships, mergers and acquisitions. The aim of this article is to analyze the constitution of boards of directors, based on their attributes, and the impacts of this classification on the roles and responsibilities of the directors in Brazilian companies. For this, a quantitative survey was performed in the 300 largest companies in Brazil listed in BOVESPA - stock exchange in capital market. The results found point to a strong correlation of some attributes of the directors of the researched firms with the roles and responsibilities of the board, in relation to strategic, control, and institutional dimensions.
Family control, audit committees and audit fees
Authors: Leung Sidney , Wang Ran
Published: January 2017

This paper examines the impact of family control on audit effort and audit risk as proxied by audit fees, the relation between the quality of the audit committee (AC) and audit fees, and how family control influences the association between AC quality and audit fees. Using a sample of Hong Kong companies from the 2005/06 fiscal year, we find that family-controlled firms have lower audit fees. The results also show a positive association between AC quality and audit fees in Hong Kong. Moreover, the association of higher AC quality with higher audit fees is stronger in family-controlled firms than in non-family-controlled firms. Collectively, our findings suggest that audit committees in family-controlled firms require a higher degree of external audit effort than do those in non-familycontrolled firms.
Executive bonuses
Authors: Canil Jean , Rosser Bruce A.
Published: January 2017

Criticism by the Administration at the height of the global financial crisis of „excessive‟ company bonuses rekindles debate on the link between executive pay and firm performance. We model the relationship between realized CEO pay and an earnings-adjusted barrier call as the dependent variable. We employ both externally- and internally-derived metrics of target financial performance. Pay components are found strongly interrelated. Salary sensitivities to the dependent variable are broadly consistent with determination of a reservation wage set by the executive labor market, while annual bonuses are paid for expected above-target performance, but are also capped. Long-term incentive plans are used to mitigate noise in earnings only when above-target performance is expected. Hence, we find no evidence of „excessive‟ bonuses, at least during the interval ending in fiscal 2005. Rather, we document evidence that the „excessiveness‟ may, in fact, be present in salaries.
Financial market imperfections, control aversion and venture capital in Spanish SMEs
Authors: Bertoni Fabio , Ferrer María Alejandra , Pellón José Martí
Published: January 2017

Information asymmetries and control aversion limit the capacity of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to take advantage of growth opportunities. In this work we analyse to what extent Venture Capital (VC) can play a positive role by allowing a temporary shareholder to reduce the investment dependency on internally generated funds. We study a sample of 322 Spanish VC-backed SMEs at the expansion stage, and a one-by-one matched sample of non-VC-backed firms. We find that both groups of firms exhibit a significant sensitivity of investments to cash flows before the initial VC investment. VC, however, is effective in reducing investment cash flow sensitivity in the post-investment period in the group of VC-backed companies.
What kinds of takeover defenses are most beneficial to shareholders during and following the bidding process?
Authors: Glegg Charmaine , Gleason Kimberly , Harris Oneil , Madura Jeff
Published: January 2017

We investigate whether the strength of target antitakeover defenses impacts the market’s perception of the wealth generated for both targets and bidders shareholders in acquisitions, as well as the long-run post-acquisition returns to bidders. Our results indicate that while returns to bidder shareholders are a decreasing function of takeover defense strength, target shareholders benefit from moderate takeover defense strategies, at least in the short term. However, target shareholders are adversely affected by the highest levels of takeover defenses, both in the short run and in terms of any position they hold in the acquirer after the transaction is completed, which is reflective of value destruction during the bidding process by entrenched managers. Long run returns to successful bidders are highest when a weak defense target is acquired, and a declining function of target takeover defense strength. The lowest long run returns are experienced by bidders that acquire targets with very-strong takeover defenses. These results are confirmed by multivariate analyses. Overall, our results support the Entrenchment and Myopia theories, and partially support the bargaining power hypothesis.
Combining efficiency with ROA: indicator of future relative performance – South African banking groups
Authors: Cronjé Tom , de Beer Johan
Published: January 2017

Bank financial performance and relative future financial performance are important issues to stakeholders like management, shareholders, investment analysts and portfolio managers. This paper provides evidence that bank financial performance expressed as return on assets (ROA) figures that are adjusted according to relative income and expenditure efficiency provide fundamental measures of performance that have a causal link with future profits and can be utilised in estimating future financial performance. The methodology applied in this research consists of empirically investigating the annual changes in the ROAs of the nine listed South African Banking Groups over the period 2000 to 2008. The study consists of a two stage process. Data envelopment analysis (DEA) is conducted and resultant DEA scores are combined with the calculated ROAs of banks to provide efficiency adjusted ROA. The findings of this research paper shows that combining the CRS efficiency of bank groups with ROA provides a more reliable measure of future financial performance than just conventional ROA figures and efficiency figures.
The valuation of IPOs in the European legal framework
Authors: Meoli Michele , Paleari Stefano , Vismara Silvio
Published: January 2017

We question whether an evolution in the national legal system leads to higher valuations for companies going public. We investigate this issue with reference to the population of firms going public on the main and second stock markets in the three largest economies of Continental Europe over the last fifteen years (1995-2009). We use a new dynamic measure of the evolution of the legal framework, defined as the compliance record of the Member States of the European Union. Controlling for the nature of the firm as well as for the identity of the ultimate shareholder, we find that an increase in the annual number of infringements is related to a decrease in the valuation of the firms going public. Therefore, we conclude that a higher evolution of the legal system leads to higher valuations of firms.
A comparison of earnings management between domestic and cross-border mergers.
Authors: Ho Amy Yueh-Fang
Published: January 2017

This study examines how U.S. acquiring firms managed their earnings by means of discretionary accruals prior to the announcement of stock-for-stock domestic and cross-border mergers during the period 1980 to 2002. The objective of this study is to determine whether earnings management is exacerbated in cross-border mergers according to the informational asymmetry hypothesis. The results show that that acquiring firms tend to manage earnings upward prior to stock swap domestic takeovers. In addition, the results reveal some evidence of earnings management prior to stock swap cross-border takeovers. However, the empirical results exhibit no significant distinction in earnings management between the domestic and cross-border mergers. Despite the possible existence of asymmetric information associated with cross-border takeover activities, the international mergers and acquisitions do not facilitate managers to engage in more aggressive earnings management. The findings suggest that the higher degree of information asymmetry in cross-border mergers does not contribute to a higher degree of earnings management.
Corporate governance in banks: the Nigerian experience
Authors: Adeyemi Babalola
Published: January 2017

Recent failures/collapse of high profit institutions around the world such as Enron, Parmalat, Worldcom, Barings Bank to mention just a few have shown that no company can be too big to fail. A common trend that ran through these monumental failures was poor corporate governance culture, exemplified in poor management, fraud and insider abuse by both management and board members, poor asset and liability management, poor regulations and supervision among others. This paper examines the conceptual framework of corporate governance. Some of the components of corporate governance in general and in the Nigerian banking sector in particular were identified and observed. Secondary sources were basically consulted for the purpose of this work and simple percentages were also used to explain a few of the findings. The study revealed that the boards of directors of a good number of these banks were ineffective and that the internal controls were equally weak as a result of the overriding influence of the chairman/chief executive officers. It was also observed that there were instances of insider abuses such as granting of insider related credits, huge non-performing loans and so on. In addition, lack of transparency and non-disclosure of financial transactions were very rampant in the banking sector in Nigeria according to the study carried out. Recommendations made include total separation of ownership from management, sound internal control system, full disclosure of all financial transactions and strengthening the enforcement mechanism of the regulatory authorities.
Equity ownership structure and corporate performance using industry-adjusted measures
Authors: Yi Bingsheng , Lin Jang Shee Barry , Mooney Jane
Published: January 2017

This paper applies a more robust methodology in industry-adjustment on measuring firm performance as related to ownership structure. We consider insider ownership, institutional ownership, and blockholder ownership. Even after controlling for the endogeneity of insider ownership, we still find positive effect of insider ownership on firm performance, which is conflicting with results found by other recent studies. We find a non-linearity in the relationship between insider ownership and firm performance, but our results do not support a relationship as neat as the inverse U-shape effect found by earlier studies. Our results indicate that the effects of the insider and square of insider on performance are positive, yet the effect of the cubic of insider ownership on firm performance is negative. As no other study based on U.S. data used the cubic of insider ownership and document its effect, our finding is new. We find strong negative effect of blockholder ownership on firm performance, and our results indicate that institutional investors are efficient monitors whose existence helps improving firm value and protecting outside minority shareholders.
Dyke-Davidoff-Masson syndrome - typical imaging features
Authors: Bjelan Mladen , Kozic Dusko , Njagulj Vesna , Ragaji Aleksandar , Koprivsek Katarina , Lucic Milos
Published: January 2017

Introduction. Dyke-Davidoff-Masson syndrome is an uncommon neurological
disorder clinically presented with seizures, various degrees of mental
retardation, motor weakness and sometimes body asymmetry. Typical
neuroimaging features include cerebral hemiatrophy with ipsilateral hyper
pneumatization of paranasal sinuses. The purpose of this report was to
present a rare cause of seizures revealed by magnetic resonance imaging.
Case Report. We report a case of a 17-year-old boy admitted to hospital due
to a severe headache. He had been treated because of partial epileptic
seizures for six years. Neuropsychological examination revealed mild mental
retardation, mild speech and reading difficulties and discrete right-sided
hemiparesis. Typical magnetic resonance imaging features confirmed clinical
suspicion of Dyke-Davidoff-Masson syndrome, revealing left frontal lobe
atrophy, with consecutive widening of the left lateral ventricle frontal
horn, thickening of the near?by frontal squama and hypertrophy of left
frontal sinus. Conclusion. Magnetic resonance imaging is the key imaging
modality that confirms clinical suspicion of Dyke-Davidoff-Masson syndrome
based on a proper physical and neurological examination.
Efficiency of sildanefil monotherapy in benign prostatic hyperplasia
Authors: Grbic Dragan , Vojinov Sasa , Jeremic Dimitrije , Levakov Ivan , Djozic Senjin , Sekulic Vuk
Published: January 2017

Introduction. High incidences of benign prostatic hyperplasia and lower
urinary tract symptoms have a high socioeconomic importance. There are
several published studies which have proved the efficiency of
phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors in treatment of benign prostatic
hyperplasia and lower urinary tract symptoms. However, more studies are
needed to make this therapy the standard option for treating benign
prostatic hyperplasia and lower urinary tract symptoms. This study was aimed
at exploring changes in International Prostate Symptom Score, post voiding
residuum and maximal urine flow in benign prostatic hyperplasia and lower
urinary tract symptoms patients treated by sildenafil for benign prostatic
hyperplasia and lower urinary tract symptoms. Material and Methods. This
study, which was conducted as a prospective, controlled, opened, randomized
study, included 30 patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia and lower
urinary tract symptoms. Research was conducted at the Department of Urology,
Clinical Center of Vojvodina (November 2011 till November 2012). The
inclusion criteria were as following: >45 years of age, International
Prostate Symptom Score >3, prostatic specific antigen <10, normal
urinalysis. The patients were periodically tested for International Prostate
Symptom Score, maximal urine flow, and post voiding residuum. Results.
Statistically significant changes were found in all parameters: mean
International Prostate Symptom Score value improved from 12.8 to 8.6 (32.8%
change), mean post voiding residuum value decreased from 49.4 ml to 40.2 ml
(18.6% change), mean maximal urine flow value increased from 11.8 ml/s to
12.8 ml/s (8.5% change). Conclusion. Treatment of benign prostatic
hyperplasia and lower urinary tract symptoms with a continuous low dose of
sildenafil seems to be a good treatment choice for the patients with mild to
moderate benign prostatic hyperplasia and lower urinary tract symptoms,
especially in the patients with concomitant erectile dysfunction. The
authors are aware that their study is limited by a small number of patients.
Since there are not too many studies on this topic, they believe that their
study will contribute to the determination of place and role of this
treatment approach.
Surgical treatment of unstable pelvic ring injuries
Authors: Harhaji Vladimir , Ninkovic Srdjan , Rasovic Predrag , Lalic Ivica , Salabat Merhan , Vranjes Miodrag
Published: January 2017

Introduction. Unstable pelvic ring injuries are among the most serious
injuries of skeletal system. As they are often associated with young age and
multiple organ injuries they are difficult for management. Material and
Methods. This study included 26 unstable pelvic ring injuries surgically
treated at the Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Traumatology from
August 2008 until August 2015. The average age of 22 males and 4 female
patients was 45.4 years. The most common mechanism for injury was a traffic
accident (19), fall from height (6), and one patient was buried under
rubble. Out of 26 patients who were operated, 24 had type C injury and two
had type B injury according to Tiles classification. The average follow-up
time was 23 months (8 - 84 months). The functional outcome was assessed by
means of Majeed and Iowa Pelvic Score. Results. Pelvic ring injuries were
healed in all 26 patients. A leg length discrepancy was found in 13 patients
and it was 9 mm on average. Four patients reported using walking stick, and
5 out of 26 had sexual dysfunction. Majeed score was 72.1 on average (23 to
100), and Iowa Pelvic Score was 76.5 (38 to 100). Conclusion. Unstable
pelvic ring injuries are difficult to be surgically treated. When these
injuries are treated adequately and timely, good results can be expected.
Average scores achieved by our patients are very good for both scales.
Functional performance test after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with hybrid tibial fixation
Authors: Janjic Natasa , Dulic Oliver , Ninkovic Srdjan , Harhaji Vladimir , Gojkovic Zoran , Milankov Miroslav
Published: January 2017

Introduction. Anterior cruciate ligament rupture is one of the most common
injuries in team sports and its fixation at the tibial site is the weakest
link in the femur-hamstring-tibia structure in anterior cruciate ligament
reconstruction. The aim of this research was to compare the results of knee
stability, knee motion and activity after anterior cruciate ligament
reconstruction with single bundle hamstring tendon graft versus bone
hamstring tendon bone graft placed with different techniques. Material and
Methods. Ninety patients who underwent anterior cruciate ligament
reconstruction were randomly divided into three groups; group I patients
were treated with standard single bundle hamstring tendon graft and standard
operative technique, group II patients had modified single bundle hamstring
tendon graft with bone attachments on both ends which was fixed with
standard method, while group III patients were operated with hybrid fixation
technique at the tibial site and modified graft was used as neoligament.
Results. All surgically treated patients had a statistically significant
improvement post-operatively in comparison with their condition before the
treatment according to the Lachman scale and International Knee
Documentation Committee standard. However, the patients of group III have
achieved statistically significant better postoperative results on Tegner
scale and Lysholm score when compared to group I and II patients. It took
the third group athletes a significantly shorter time to participate in the
first competition after surgery than the athletes from the other two groups.
Conclusion. Hybrid operative technique increased strength and stability of
the graft at the tibial site which accelerated healing process and reduced
knee laxity.
Self-perception and satisfaction with dental appearance and aesthetics with respect to patients’ age, gender, and level of education
Authors: Strajnic Ljiljana , Bulatovic Dijana , Stancic Ivica , Zivkovic Rade
Published: January 2017

Introduction. Patient?s subjective evaluation of dental appearance and
aesthetics is becoming an increasingly important factor in aesthetic
treatments and prosthetic therapy. Objective. The aim of this study was to
investigate the influence of age, education level, gender, and different
dental status and the appearance of the upper anterior teeth (color, size,
shape, position and alignment of the anterior teeth) on the satisfaction of
the respondents with dental appearance and aesthetics of their upper anterior
teeth and their desire for improvement. Methods. The study encompassed 480
people aged 20 to 50 years with an average age of 30.84 years. There were 236
male and 244 female subjects. The respondents were interviewed using a
questionnaire specially designed for the purpose of this research. For the
study, the subjects were divided into the following three age groups: the
younger age group (20-30 years of age), the middle age group (31-40 years of
age), and the older age group (41-50 years of age). Results. The conducted
study did not reveal statistical significance with respect to gender in any
of the examined parameters (p > 0.05). A little more than one half of the
respondents in each age group were satisfied with their dental appearance and
aesthetics (60.3% of the respondents in the age group of 20-30 years, 55.7%
in the age group of 31-40, and 53.7% in the age group of 41-50 years of age).
Satisfaction with dental appearance and aesthetics increases linearly with
the increase in the level of education and was the highest among the
respondents with university degree (33.3%). Conclusion. Female respondents
were more dissatisfied with their dental appearance and aesthetics as
compared with male respondents, but the difference was found to be
non-significant. Patients with higher education level were more satisfied
with their dental appearance and aesthetics than those with lower education.
Is pacemaker therapy the right key to patients with vasovagal syncope?
Authors: Radovanovic Nikola , Kircanski Bratislav , Raspopovic Srdjan , Pavlovic Sinisa , Jovanovic Velibor , Milasinovic Goran
Published: January 2017

Introduction. Vasovagal syncope is the most common type of reflex syncope.
Efficacy of cardiac pacing in this indication has not been the subject of
many studies and pacemaker therapy in patients with vasovagal syncope is
still controversial. Objective. This study aimed to assess the efficacy and
safety of pacing therapy in treatment of patients with vasovagal syncope, to
determine contribution of new therapeutic models in increasing its success,
and to identify risk factors associated with a higher rate of symptoms after
pacemaker implantation. Methods. A retrospective study included 30 patients
with pacemaker implanted due to vasovagal syncope in the Pacemaker Center,
Clinical Center of Serbia, between November 2003 and June 2014. Head-up tilt
test was performed to diagnose vasovagal syncope. Patients with
cardioinhibitory and mixed type of disease were enrolled in the study.
Results. Mean age was 48.1 ? 11.1 years and 18 (60%) patients were men. Mean
follow-up period was 5.9 ? 3.0 years. Primarily, implantable loop recorder
was implanted in 10 (33.3%) patients. Twenty (66.7%) patients presented
cardioinhibitory and 10 (33.3%) mixed type of vasovagal syncope. After
pacemaker implantation, 11 (36.7%) patients had syncope. In multiple logistic
regression analysis we showed that syncope is statistically more likely to
occur after pacemaker implantation in patients with mixed type of vasovagal
syncope (p = 0.018). There were two (6.7%) perioperative surgical
complications. Conclusion. Pacemaker therapy is a safe treatment for patients
with vasovagal syncope, whose efficacy can be improved by strict selection of
patients. We showed that symptoms occur statistically more often in patients
with mixed type of disease after pacemaker implantation.
Quality of osteoarthritis care in family medicine - a cross-sectional study
Authors: Racic Maja , Tosic Milena , Masic Srdjan
Published: January 2017

Introduction. Effective treatments for osteoarthritis are available, yet
little is known about the quality of primary care in the Republic of Srpska
for this disabling condition. Objective. The main objective of this study was
to analyze the overall quality of osteoarthritis treatment in a family
medicine setting, as well as to explore whether the achievement of quality
indicators was associated with particular patient characteristics and
severity of osteoarthritis. Methods. The cross-sectional study included 120
patients with confirmed hand, knee, and hip osteoarthritis, recruited at
seven family practices in the town of Ugljevik, Republic of Srpska, Bosnia
and Herzegovina. Data were extracted from a patient questionnaire on quality
indicators, as well as from their electronic and paper records, to assess
care against 14 indicators. The included quality indicators were based on the
Arthritis Foundation?s Quality Indicator set for Osteoarthritis. Summary
achievement rates for hip, knee, or hand osteoarthritis, as well as for the
total sample, were calculated. Results. The mean achievement rate for all 14
quality indicators obtained from medical records was 74%, and 77% obtained
from patient interview. The quality indicators concerning referral for weight
reduction (23%) and pharmacological treatment (24%) had the lowest
achievement rates, whereas the highest achievement rates were related to
physical examination (100%), pain and functional assessment (100%), and
education (90.8%). Patients physical functioning was significantly associated
with the quality indicator achievement rate (p = 0.001). Conclusion.
Pharmacological therapy and the referral of osteoarthritis patients in need
of weight reduction seem to have the greatest potential for improvement in
primary health care.
The onset of systemic lupus erythematosus and thyroid dysfunction following graves’ disease - a case report and literature review
Authors: Zhanga Yuanyuan , Xiaoa Xiaoyan , Haoa Qiufa , Lia Xianhua , Renb Jianmin , Hu Zhao
Published: January 2017

Introduction. Graves? disease is a multifactorial autoimmune thyroid disease,
with the presence of typical circulating autoantibodies that can activate the
thyroid hormone receptors, resulting in hyperthyroidism, goiter, and
ophthalmopathy. Systemic lupus erythematosus is a multi-systemic autoimmune
disease that involves almost all the organs of the human body and is
characterized by autoantibodies formation. Several studies have reported that
autoimmune thyroid and rheumatic disorders can present an unusual
relationship. Case Outline. We report a case of a middle-aged woman who
presented with systemic lupus erythematosus one year after being diagnosed
with Graves? disease. Prednisone and cyclophosphamide were administered to
control the development of systemic lupus erythematosus. Furthermore, a
percutaneous thyroid biopsy was performed for further confirmation of Graves?
disease. Methimazole instead of propylthiouracil was added into the
therapeutic scheme. A month later, the patient?s clinical manifestation and
laboratory tests got significant improvement, except that new thyr o id
dysfunction appeared opposite to the original one. The administration of
anti-thyroid drug was discontinued. With a period of decreased administration
of prednisone, the patient?s thyroid function gradually got back to normal
levels without any levothyroxine replacement. Conclusion. In conclusion, the
clinical use of prednisone and antithyroid drugs may result in instability of
the hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid axis, and thyroid function should be
carefully monitored in such patients.

 This article has been corrected. Link to the correction 10.2298/SARH1702101E
Mucormycosis of the paranasal sinuses in a patient with acute myeloid leukemia
Authors: Colovic Natasa , Arsic-Arsenijevic Valentina , Barac Aleksandra , Suvajdzic Nada , Lekovic Danijela , Tomin Dragica
Published: January 2017

Introduction. Invasive fungal infection is among the leading causes of
morbidity, mortality, and economic burden for patients with acute leukemia
after induction of chemotherapy. In the past few decades, the incidence of
invasive fungal infection has increased dramatically. Its management has been
further complicated by the increasing frequency of infection by
non-Aspergillus molds (e.g. Mucorales). Neutropenic patients are at a high
risk of developing an invasive mucormycosis with fulminant course and high
mortality rate (35-100%). Case Outline. We are presenting the case of a
72-year-old male with an acute monoblastic leukemia. The patient was treated
during five days with hydroxycarbamide 2 ? 500 mg/day, followed by cytarabine
2 ? 20 mg/sc over the next 10 days. He developed febrile neutropenia,
headache, and edema of the right orbital region of the face. Computed
tomography of the sinuses revealed shadow in sinuses with thickening of
mucosa of the right paranasal sinuses. Lavage and aspirate from the sinuses
revealed Rhizopus oryzae. Mucormycosis was successfully treated with
amphotericin B (5 mg/kg/day) followed by ketoconazole (400 mg/day). Two
months later the patient died from primary disease. Conclusion. In patients
with acute leukemia who developed aplasia, febrile neutropenia, and pain in
paranasal sinuses, fungal infection should be taken into consideration. New
and non-invasive methods for taking samples from sinuses should be
standardized in order to establish an early and accurate diagnosis of
mucormycosis with the source in paranasal sinuses, and to start early
treatment by a proper antifungal drug. Clear communication between physician
and mycologist is critical to ensure proper and timely sampling of lavage and
aspirate from sinuses and correct specimen processing when mucormycosis is
suspected clinically.
Development of cardiopulmonary bypass: A historical review
Authors: Susak Stamenko , Redzek Aleksandar , Rosic Milenko , Velicki Lazar , Okiljevic Bogdan
Published: January 2017

The idea of isolated organ perfusion, a precursor of cardiopulmonary bypass,
came by Legalois in 1812. First isolated organ perfusion was described by
Loebell in 1849. The first closed system for oxygenation and returning the
blood through arteries was created by Frey and Gruber in 1885. Gibbon Jr. is
considered the father of extracorporeal circulation. In spring of 1934 he
began constructing a machine for extracorporeal circulation in Boston. He
published the first description of this system in 1937. Gibbon won the grant
of the International Business Machines Corporation for developing the machine
in 1947. Together they developed Model I in 1949 and Model II in 1951. After
a few unsuccessful attempts in 1952, the first successful surgical
intervention on the heart (closure of atrial septal defect) using
cardiopulmonary bypass was performed on May 6, 1953. In 1945, Kirklin and his
working group reported on a series of eight successfully treated patients in
a row who underwent surgery with extracorporeal circulation. First successful
valve surgery under the direct vision was performed by Dodrill in 1952, using
his ?Michigan Heart? machine as a right heart bypass. Using cardiopulmonary
bypass, cardiac surgeons can deal with the complex cardiac pathology and save
millions of lives.
Stibadium B of villa with peristyle at Mediana
Authors: Gavrilovic-Vitas Nadezda , Milosevic-Jevtic Gordana , Crnoglavac Vesna
Published: January 2017

In the course of archaeological investigations of the villa with peristyle in
2010 and 2011, a room of circular plan in the north-western segment of the
villa and to the north of room w-24, was discovered. The room had annexes in
the east and west and is analogous to the stibadium A discovered in the
north-eastern section of the villa. Further investigations of the room called
stibadium B revealed that the stibadium walls were decorated with a facing of
marble slabs and the floor was covered with exceptionally well preserved high
quality mosaic. Archaeological excavations in 2015 defined completely the
system of floor and wall heating. The mosaic floors in stibadium B are
conserved. The area to the west of the stibadium has also been explored and a
channel with the remains of a lead water pipe was discovered there. The
terrain to the north of the northern wall of the villa with peristyle was
also levelled.