bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Vaccinium macrocarpon: An interesting option for women with recurrent urinary tract infections and other health benefits
Authors: Pérez‐López Faustino R. , Haya Javier , Chedraui Peter 
Published: September 2009

AbstractAim:  To review the scientific publications concerning the clinical use and mechanism of action of the North American cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) for women with recurrent urinary tract infections (UTI) and other health conditions.Methods:  This is a retrospective study of published information concerning Vaccinium macrocarpon retrieved from a PubMed and individual searches.Results:  Urinary tract infections are very common in women, cause discomfort, and may aggravate other genitourinary conditions. The available scientific information supports a clinical benefit of Vaccinium macrocarpon in the prevention of recurrent UTI in women. There is a non‐significant reduction of UTI associated with Vaccinium macrocarpon treatment during pregnancy. A group of proanthocyanidins (PAC) with A‐type linkages have been isolated from Vaccinium macrocarpon which inhibit P‐fimbriae synthesis and induce a bacterial deformation, on both antibiotic‐susceptible and antibiotic‐resistant uropathogenic Escherichia coli. It is plausible that cranberry PAC prevent bacteria from adhering to the uroepithelium of the bladder, thereby blocking the ability of E. coli to infect the urinary mucosa.Conclusion:  Cranberry treatment is a safe, well‐tolerated supplement that does not have significant drug interactions. Although investigations are in the early stages, experimental and preclinical studies suggest that cranberry components may have other potential benefits, including anti‐infective, anticancer and antioxidant effects, which may be considered as positive for different age‐related conditions. In addition, cranberry components may induce positive cardiovascular and metabolic changes, and may improve neuropsychological activity. These effects warrant further clinical research to better place the role of cranberry products for women.
Modified sequential laser photocoagulation of placental communicating vessels for twin–twin transfusion syndrome to prevent fetal demise of the donor twin
Authors: Nakata Masahiko , Murakoshi Takeshi , Sago Haruhiko , Ishii Keisuke , Takahashi Yuichiro , Hayashi Satoshi , Murata Susumu , Miwa Ichiro , Sumie Masahiro , Sugino Norihiro 
Published: September 2009

AbstractAims:  Twin–twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) complicated with absent or reversed end‐diastolic flow in the umbilical artery (UA‐AREDF) of the donor has a high perinatal mortality rate. To improve the prenatal outcome, we introduced and modified the technique of sequential selective laser photocoagulation of communicating vessels (SQLPCV), and assessed the clinical efficacy.Methods:  The modified SQLPCV was designed with the following order of coagulation: (i) artery‐to‐artery (AA) anastomoses; (ii) venous‐to‐venous anastomoses; (iii) artery‐to‐venous anastomoses from donor to recipient; and (iv) artery‐to‐venous anastomoses from recipient to donor. TTTS patients with UA‐AREDF of donors were recruited, and the perinatal outcome and its association with the types of anastomoses were compared in patients who underwent the standard selective laser method (SLPCV).Results:  Twenty‐three patients underwent modified SQLPCV and 29 underwent SLPCV. Total intrauterine fetal death (IUFD) was significantly lower in modified SQLPCV than in SLPCV (9% vs 38%; P < 0.001). Donor IUFD was significantly lower in modified SQLPCV than in SLPCV (13% vs 52%; P = 0.007); however, no significant effect was noted in the recipient IUFD cases. When AA anastomoses were present, donor IUFD was significantly lower in modified SQLPCV than it was in SLPCV (18% vs 71%; P = 0.018); however, the difference was not significant when AA anastomoses were not present (8% vs 25%; P = 0.59). Logistic regression analysis revealed that modified SQLPCV served as the protective factor against the donor's IUFD (odds ratio = 0.015; 95% confidence interval [0.0001–0.775]; P = 0.037).Conclusion:  The modified SQLPCV was useful for the prevention of the donor's IUFD in cases of TTTS with UA‐AREDF.
Postpartum subarachnoid hemorrhage due to Moyamoya disease associated with renal artery stenosis
Authors: Matsumoto Yasuyo , Asada Masahiro , Mukubou Masaaki 
Published: September 2009

AbstractMoyamoya disease is a cerebrovascular stenotic or occlusive disease predominantly seen in Asian countries. Sometimes there are coexisting renal artery lesions in Moyamoya disease patients. A 32‐year‐old multipara had a cesarean section at 33 gestational weeks due to preeclampsia. One month later, she developed subarachnoid hemorrhage and angiography demonstrated Moyamoya vessels with renal artery stenosis. After conservative therapy, the patient was discharged without any deficits. Our conclusion is that patients with Moyamoya disease carry a risk of cerebrovascular accident during pregnancy and postpartum. In this case, we did not diagnose Moyamoya disease with renal artery stenosis until the patient developed subarachnoid hemorrhage. It is very important to make a careful differential diagnosis of hypertension during pregnancy and the postpartum period.
The dynamics of obstetricians and gynecologists in Japan: A retrospective cohort model using the nationwide survey of physicians data
Authors: Ide Hiroo , Yasunaga Hideo , Kodama Tomoko , Koike Soichi , Taketani Yuji , Imamura Tomoaki 
Published: September 2009

AbstractAim:  A shortage of obstetricians and gynecologists (OB/GYNs) in Japan has been highlighted. We conducted a descriptive and retrospective cohort study using data from the Survey of Physicians in Japan, and analyzed the dynamics of OB/GYNs.Methods:  We calculated the total numbers of OB/GYNs, their average age, the percentage of female OB/GYNs, hospital OB/GYNs, and the number of OB/GYNs in rural areas in 1974, 1984, 1994 and 2004. We determined the number of physicians who participated in and left the specialty of obstetrics and gynecology. The withdrawal rates of OB/GYNs who graduated in 1972, 1982 and 1992 were retrospectively followed using survival analysis.Results:  The overall number of physicians has increased, while the number of OB/GYNs has remained almost unchanged over the past 30 years. The percentage of female OB/GYNs has increased. Fewer new graduates chose obstetrics and gynecology, the withdrawal rate of current OB/GYNs decreased, and their average age (50.8 years) increased. The trend in withdrawal rates did not differ significantly among the generations.Conclusions:  The gravest problem in the OB/GYNs workforce is the continued decline in newly graduated OB/GYNs. Improvements in working conditions and job satisfaction are considered vital.
Withholding and withdrawing life‐sustaining treatment in children
Authors: WELLESLEY HUGO , JENKINS IAN A. 
Published: September 2009

SummaryModern medicine gives us the ability to prolong life even in situations where it may not be right to do so. This article discusses some of the complex ethical and legal issues surrounding withholding and withdrawing life‐sustaining treatment in children, including the concepts of futility, best interests and intolerability. We advocate the use of a structured framework to help guide decision‐making, particularly in the more difficult situations. The lack of a morally or legally significant difference between withholding and withdrawing treatment is discussed, as is the role of the doctrine of double effect (particularly in relation to the use of neuromuscular blocking agents during withdrawal of ventilatory support).
Successful intubation using a simple fiberoptic assisted laryngoscope for Treacher Collins syndrome
Authors: Sugawara Yasutsune , Inagawa Gaku , Satoh Keiko , Kikuchi Tatsuaki , Goto Takahisa 
Published: September 2009

SummaryA fiberoptic‐assisted laryngoscope (FLS) (Acoma Medical Industry Co. Ltd., Tokyo, Japan) is a modified Macintosh laryngoscope with a tubular holder into which a fiberoptic bronchoscope can be inserted. We present three cases of Treacher Collins syndrome whose tracheas were successfully intubated with the aid of the FLS. These cases suggest that the FLS may be a useful alternative in the case of difficult pediatric intubation.
Religious practice, blood transfusion, and major medical procedures
Authors: HIVEY SARAH , PACE NICHOLAS , GARSIDE JOHN P. , WOLF ANDREW R. , WOLF ANDREW R. 
Published: September 2009

SummaryIn this debate, we explore the dilemmas between the law, the ethical issues, the good clinical practice, and the wishes of the family. In the scenario chosen, the issues center around not only the senior family members but also of an older child with some rights to self‐determination. There are no absolute rights or wrongs to this case, which is based on a synthesis of other actual clinical scenarios. The maze of considerations are not easy to negotiate, and in the final analysis, the surgeon and the anesthetist must also be comfortable with the decisions as they are the active elements that have to practically manage a clinical crisis should it occur. The participants in this debate are all UK based, and as such the legal standpoint reflects UK legislation, and the ethical and clinical reviews are strongly influenced by current attitudes within UK and Europe that may not be exactly mirrored in different cultural frameworks. However, in this article, it is the broad principles behind the differing responses that are important, which it is hoped will stimulate reflection of attitudes and management in different cultural frameworks.
Ethical concerns in the management of pain in the neonate
Authors: MANCUSO THOMAS , BURNS JEFFREY 
Published: September 2009

SummaryThe debate about the management of pain in the neonate has continued to evolve over the past 30 years. This controversy can be understood as evolving through now three eras of thought about the effect of pain and its management in newborns and infants. The first generation was characterized by a widespread belief that newborns lacked the complete development of the neuroanatomical and neuroendocrine components necessary to perceive pain. During this period, newborns often received inadequate anesthesia and analgesia for painful procedures, if not no treatment at all. The second generation was heralded by research that demonstrated that newborns did demonstrate similar or even exaggerated physiological and hormonal responses to pain compared with those observed in older children and adults and that exposure to prolonged or severe pain may increase neonatal morbidity. Controversy in this generation focused around the dosage of analgesia to newborns as well as the risks and benefits of pain management techniques. We are now in a third generation of thought about pain in the neonate, defined by intense debate over the significance of a growing number of studies in immature animal models that demonstrate degenerative effects of several anesthetics on neuronal structure. The challenge of this era is to integrate the advances in diagnosis and treatment achieved in previous generations with ongoing adaptation of clinical practice as dictated by research advances in the field. In this review, we examine the evolution of medical thought and ethical concerns regarding pain treatment in the neonate.
Auditor‐Auditee Negotiation Outcome: Effects of Auditee Business Risk, Audit Risk, and Auditor Business Risk in Tunisian Context
Authors: Sahnoun Manel Hadriche , Zarai Mohamed Ali 
Published: September 2009

ABSTRACTManuscript Type: EmpiricalResearch Question/Issue: This study seeks to investigate the impact of auditee business risk, audit risk, and auditor business risk evaluation on auditor‐auditee negotiation outcomes. A model is developed and tested that characterizes the auditor‐auditee negotiation outcome as a process of risk evaluation and risk adaptation.Research Findings/Insights: An experiment was conducted using 200 Tunisian auditors as participants. The results show that the partners considered the relationship between audit risk and auditee business risk. Also, our results indicate that auditee business risk has a significant effect on auditor‐auditee negotiation outcomes. So, auditors will be less likely to accept an auditee's aggressive reporting practice when the auditee's business risks are high. On the other hand, results show that audit risk evaluation don't affect auditor‐auditee negotiation outcome. Finally, auditor business risk has a non‐significant effect on auditor‐auditee negotiation outcome.Theoretical/Academic Implications: This study provides evidence that despite the expectation of conservatism required by generally accepted auditing principles (GAAP), certain environmental factors may cause auditors to acquiesce to auditee preferences and allow more aggressive reporting. From stakeholders' (e.g., investors, regulators) perspective, this is not necessarily an optimal criterion for decisions that impact the financial statements. The expectations of stakeholders are that auditors will select the most informative alternative.Practitioner/Policy Implications: The implication for practice is that accounting firms may need to strengthen their internal oversight mechanisms (e.g., peer reviews, concurring partner reviews) to ensure that auditors' decisions are aligned with the firm's, as well as stakeholders', expectations of audit quality. So, auditors must pay more attention to financial statements when business risk is high.
Effect of Governance Reforms on Corporate Ownership in Italy: Is It Still Pizza, Spaghetti, and Mandolino?
Authors: Mengoli Stefano , Pazzaglia Federica , Sapienza Elena 
Published: September 2009

ABSTRACTManuscript Type: Empirical.Research Question/Issue: This paper describes the logic that guides the implementation of corporate governance reforms and investigates the extent to which the logic leads to an increase in investor protection. We use the example of Italy, where major governance reforms were passed in 1998 to protect minority shareholders from the risk of expropriation.Research Findings/Insights: Our two‐stage mixed‐methods longitudinal study (1995–2005) reveals that the reforms were only modestly effective in improving governance practices. On the one hand, we document a greater alignment of cash flow rights and voting rights of ultimate owners after 1998, suggesting that minority shareholders face lower risk of expropriation. Yet, on the other hand, we find that the percentage of firms where control is fully contestable continues to remain low. Our qualitative analysis reveals both facilitators such as institutional investor activism and mandatory provisions, and impediments such as discretionary provisions, weak enforcement, and an ingrained culture of high control.Theoretical/Academic Implications: This study elaborates extant theory on the effectiveness of reforms by adopting a longitudinal design that describes both their underlying logic and their actual effects on business practices. It also offers conceptual clarity to this literature by bringing attention to factors that act as facilitators and impediments to reform efforts.Practitioner/Policy Implications: This study prompts lawmakers in countries endeavoring reforms to encourage participation of institutional investors, as also urges them to consider mandatory provisions, especially those which enhance disclosure and representation.
Governance Bundles, Firm Performance, and the Substitutability and Complementarity of Governance Mechanisms
Authors: Ward Andrew J. , Brown Jill A. , Rodriguez Dan 
Published: September 2009

ABSTRACTManuscript Type: ConceptualResearch Question/Issue: This paper extends the theory of bundles of corporate governance mechanisms to address agency issues within the Anglo‐Saxon system of corporate governance. The focus of our study is to detail the role of firm performance as a key determinant of how the governance mechanisms of monitoring and incentive alignment serve as complements or substitutes in addressing agency issues. Previous research has looked at these mechanisms in isolation from each other, with limited regard for the contingencies of firm performance and external monitoring. We propose that it is best to look at these mechanisms as a bundle of mechanisms to protect shareholder interests, and that firm performance is a key determinant of the composition of this bundle.Research Findings/Insights: We introduce firm performance as a critical contingency that heightens shareholders' concerns over governance issues as they seek to retain control over adverse selection and moral hazard problems. We propose that when firms are performing poorly, outside monitoring by institutional investors can complement internal monitoring by boards of directors.Theoretical/Academic Implications: We examine governance bundles under both agency and stewardship theoretical lenses to tie together previous empirical research and advance theory. In specifying the role of firm performance in determining the mix of mechanisms within the governance bundle, we reconcile prior disparate findings as to whether or not these governance mechanisms act in a complementary or substitutable fashion.Practitioner/Policy Implications: The conceptualization of these governance mechanisms has practitioner merit in analyzing the challenges that board members face managing agency conflicts through the mix of governance mechanisms, given different levels of firm performance. Our research also shows that, under conditions of poor performance, shareholders can provide effective external monitoring that can improve the overall governance effectiveness of the firm.
Tracking Diabetes: New York City's A1C Registry
Authors: CHAMANY SHADI , SILVER LYNN D. , BASSETT MARY T. , DRIVER CYNTHIA R. , BERGER DIANA K. , NEUHAUS CHARLOTTE E. , KUMAR NAMRATA , FRIEDEN THOMAS R. 
Published: September 2009

Context:In December 2005, in characterizing diabetes as an epidemic, the New York City Board of Health mandated the laboratory reporting of hemoglobin A1C laboratory test results. This mandate established the United States’ first population‐based registry to track the level of blood sugar control in people with diabetes. But mandatory A1C reporting has provoked debate regarding the role of public health agencies in the control of noncommunicable diseases and, more specifically, both privacy and the doctor‐patient relationship.Methods:This article reviews the rationale for adopting the rule requiring the reporting of A1C test results, experience with its implementation, and criticisms raised in the context of the history of public health practice.Findings:For many decades, public health agencies have used identifiable information collected through mandatory laboratory reporting to monitor the population's health and develop programs for the control of communicable and noncommunicable diseases. The registry program sends quarterly patient rosters stratified by A1C level to more than one thousand medical providers, and it also sends letters, on the provider's letterhead whenever possible, to patients at risk of diabetes complications (A1C level >9 percent), advising medical follow‐up. The activities of the registry program are similar to those of programs for other reportable conditions and constitute a joint effort between a governmental public health agency and medical providers to improve patients’ health outcomes.Conclusions:Mandatory reporting has proven successful in helping combat other major epidemics. New York City's A1C Registry activities combine both traditional and novel public health approaches to reduce the burden of an epidemic chronic disease, diabetes. Despite criticism that mandatory reporting compromises individuals’ right to privacy without clear benefit, the early feedback has been positive and suggests that the benefits will outweigh the potential harms. Further evaluation will provide additional information that other local health jurisdictions may use in designing their strategies to address chronic disease.
Responsive Consumerism: Empowerment in Markets for Health Plans
Authors: ELBEL BRIAN , SCHLESINGER MARK 
Published: September 2009

Context: American health policy is increasingly relying on consumerism to improve its performance. This article examines a neglected aspect of medical consumerism: the extent to which consumers respond to problems with their health plans. Methods: Using a telephone survey of five thousand consumers conducted in 2002, this article assesses how frequently consumers voice formal grievances or exit from their health plan in response to problems of differing severity. This article also examines the potential impact of this responsiveness on both individuals and the market. In addition, using cross‐group comparisons of means and regressions, it looks at how the responses of “empowered” consumers compared with those who are “less empowered.” Findings: The vast majority of consumers do not formally voice their complaints or exit health plans, even in response to problems with significant consequences. “Empowered” consumers are only minimally more likely to formally voice and no more likely to leave their plan. Moreover, given the greater prevalence of trivial problems, consumers are much more likely to complain or leave their plans because of problems that are not severe. Greater empowerment does not alleviate this. Conclusions: While much of the attention on consumerism has focused on prospective choice, understanding how consumers respond to problems is equally, if not more, important. Relying on consumers’ responses as a means to protect individual consumers or influence the market for health plans is unlikely to be successful in its current form.
TEXTURED SPATIALITY AND THE ART OF INTERPRETATION
Authors: KAHAN DAVID 
Published: September 2009

In the twentieth century one interpretative perspective is curiously and strikingly absent: spatiality of narrative. Philosophical thought saw fundamental ontology as founded on temporality with space as decoration. Johannine inquiry has tended to follow in philosophy's temporal footsteps. However, it is plausible to assume that New Testament writers were spatially oriented while modern interpreters have been ensconced in temporal consciousness. Furthermore, as anthropology has long recognized, conceptions of space and place are central to any culture's sense of self. The undue hermeneutic privileging of linearity and causality may have forced biblical texts into a temporal mode of reading that their original authors may not have intended.In understanding biblical worlds it is necessary to again explore spatiality. This essay will introduce textured spatiality as it applies to John 9. It will briefly review temporal thought and consciousness and explain how visual imagery is an essential component to the transmission and preservation of tradition. Textuality will also be used to tell the tale of the man born blind. Using the nature of Shabbat as a pivot, and a narrative juxtaposition of two contrasting Sabbath spaces, the paper will point to a possible Urcarnivalesque element in the chapter.