bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Good moves, mistakes and unexpected events in an initiative to improve public management in the ICT service provision at a university
Authors: Melián-González Santiago , Bulchand-Gidumal Jacques 
Published: June 2009

New public management aims to improve the efficacy and other performance criteria of public organizations. To that end, it is based on principles like specialization and public organization desegregation, and on practices such as outsourcing and the development of internal markets. This article presents a public university management action comprising the creation of an information and communications technology service enterprise. The bases for this initiative include theoretical approaches as well as practical issues. The value of this work is that it studies the referred initiative implantation process and its subsequent effects. The case method is used to analyse some theoretical proposals of new public management. The result is that good moves, mistakes and unforeseen consequences have been found, making it a source of learning for academics and professionals in this field. Points for practitioners Internal markets constitute an appropriate mechanism to achieve the benefits of new public management. However, when implementing it, care has to be taken in several aspects: (1) the use of private sector initiatives in the public sector is complex and many different aspects have to be considered; (2) the human resources of the contracting company have to be involved in the process from the very beginning and; (3) measures of performance of the process must be developed and put into practice. That said, internal markets allow an increase in the number of services delivered without increasing the number of work posts, providing the parent firm with the advantages of both outsourcing and insourcing.
An empirical analysis of innovativeness in government: findings and implications
Authors: Seok Eun Kim  , Gee Weon Chang  
Published: June 2009

The purpose of the study is to identify the main determinants of innovation capacity in government using a large N dataset. Three different groups — agency employees, auditing agency employees, and executive officers of non-governmental organizations — evaluated the capacity for innovation of the 46 departments in the Korean central government. The results found that leadership style, performance-based reward, information and knowledge sharing, and learning culture appear to increase innovation capacity in government. Unexpectedly, goal clarity and network relationship moderates the capacity for innovation in government significantly. These counterintuitive findings challenge the conventional wisdom of bureaucratic inertia and call for a distinctive approach for research in government innovativeness. Points for practitioners As innovation has become a major tool of organizational survival, government managers must learn how to build capacity for innovation. They must not only have a strong will for exploring innovative ideas, but also act as a problem solver to implement innovative tasks effectively. Offering appropriate rewards for employees' creativity, encouraging information and knowledge sharing, and building a learning culture could also increase the capacity for government innovation. However, inappropriate goal clarification and consensus-building among network participants may impede innovation. Understanding the impact of innovation capacity would help government managers design strategic actions to make the government more receptive to innovation.
Evidence of public service motivation of social workers in China
Authors: Liu Bangcheng  
Published: June 2009

To investigate how generalizable public service motivation (PSM) observed in Western society is to China and examine the instrumentality of public service motivation, two studies were conducted independently. In Study 1, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) is implemented to test the existence of PSM based on 99 social workers in Region A of one city located in Eastern China. In Study 2, another CFA process is implemented to confirm the construct validity of PSM, based on 474 social workers in Region B of the same city. In Study 2, we evaluated the instrumentality of PSM. These studies not only provide evidence for the construct validity of PSM, but also produce interesting results that relate to the history and institutional background of Chinese social work. Points for practitioners Results of the study have confirmed the generalizability of public service motivation (PSM) observed in Western society in China and examined the instrumentality of the construct in China. The results identify several key implications for professionals working in social work management and administration: (1) PSM can be used as an additional tool to recruit and select individuals who are best suited for social work; (2) For management in social work or other public sectors, PSM could be as a direction in training and development; (3) More importantly, PSM could provide additional view of incentives in social work or other public sectors.
Revisiting the Association Between Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Diabetes
Authors: Yang Kyeongra , Chasens Eileen R. , Sereika Susan M. , Burke Lora E. 
Published: June 2009

Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine the association between cardiovascular risk factors and the presence of diabetes in a large population-level dataset. Methods A secondary analysis was conducted using data from the 2007 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, a population-based survey (n = 403,137) conducted in the United States. Results The majority of the respondents were middle-aged and overweight. Approximately half of the sample reported little or no physical activity. Estimates from a logistic regression model for a weighted sample of white, black, and Hispanic adults revealed that having hypertension or elevated cholesterol was a strong predictor of diabetes even when controlling for age, gender, race, education, income, body mass index, smoking status, and physical activity. Conclusions The results confirmed the importance of diabetes educators counseling patients with hypertension or hypercholesterolemia about their increased risk for developing diabetes.
Long-term Clinical Outcome of Open Meniscal Allograft Transplantation
Authors: van der Wal Robert Jan Peter , Thomassen Bregje Josephina Wilhelmina , van Arkel Ewoud Rijkert Adriaan 
Published: June 2009

Background Meniscal allograft transplantation is an accepted treatment for the symptomatic postmeniscectomized knee in younger patients; however, long-term data are scarce on clinical outcome. Hypothesis Cryopreserved meniscal allograft transplantations can, in the long term, be a good alternative for the symptomatic postmeniscectomized knee in younger patients. Study Design Case series; Level of evidence, 4. Methods Sixty-three meniscal allografts (40 lateral and 23 medial) were transplanted with an open procedure in 57 patients. Clinical outcome and failure rate were evaluated at 13.8 ± 2.8 years. Mean age at time of transplantation was 39.4 ± 6.9 years. Results Eight medial and 10 lateral allografts failed (overall failure rate, 29%). Overall Lysholm scores significantly improved from 36 ± 18 preoperatively to 61 ± 20 at long-term follow-up. Scores were not significantly different in the following subgroups: medial allografts, female patients, and left treated knees. All subgroups had poor scores at mean follow-up of 13.8 years, except the male patients group, which had a fair score. Short-term Lysholm scores were 79 ± 19 at 3.1 ± 1.5 years. All subgroups demonstrated a significant difference between short- and long-term Lysholm scores. There were no significant differences in Lysholm scores between posttransplanted survivors and posttransplanted nonsurvivors who received a total knee arthroplasty. For 2 other measures—the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score and the International Knee Documentation Committee scoring system—significant decline was present between men and women only. Conclusion Long-term follow-up results show that meniscal allograft transplantation is a beneficial procedure. Good improvements in clinical function and pain relief have been shown at short-term follow-up in this population. Despite the deterioration in function scores over time, there is still improvement in level of function at long-term follow-up but not at a high level. As such, meniscal allograft transplantation is a good salvage option for the treatment of degenerative arthritis of the symptomatic post-meniscectomized knee. Meniscal allograft transplantation can be used to postpone total knee arthroplasty in younger patients.
Use of combined androgen blockade for advanced prostate cancer in British Columbia
Authors: Chau Adeline , de Lemos Mário L , Pickles Tom , Blood Paul , Kovacic Laurel , Abadi Shirin , Barnett Jeff 
Published: June 2009

Objectives. Initial androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for metastatic prostate cancer with combined androgen blockade (luteinizing-hormone releasing hormone agonist [LHRH agonist] plus antiandrogen) is not recommended in British Columbia (BC). However, this is difficult to monitor since ADT includes concurrent antiandrogen for the first month of LHRH agonist to prevent disease flare. We describe the prevalence of CAB use in BC and its financial impact. Methods. This was a population-based, retrospective analysis. Patients started on LHRH agonist in January 2005 to December 2006 were identified from the BC Cancer Agency database. CAB was defined as greater than 1 month of antiandrogen concurrently with LHRH agonist. Incremental cost of CAB was based on an average 18 months of therapy from the pivotal CAB study. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was based on life-year gained (LYG) from the Prostate Cancer Trialists’ Collaborative Group meta-analysis. Estimated financial impact for 2007—2008 was based on an annual increase by 5.5% in prevalence of prostate cancer in BC. Results. A total of 2751 patients were identified. CAB was used in 607 patients (22%), associated with an incremental cost of CDN$1768 and ICER of CDN$11,220/LYG per patient. Total incremental cost was CDN$1,073,176 and estimated to be CDN$1,398,644 for January 2007 to December 2008. Conclusion. Nearly one-quarter of patients were treated with CAB for metastatic prostate cancer even though it was not recommended in BC. Additional cost of CAB use was considerable, at CDN$1768 per patient. With increased prevalence of prostate cancer, this has important budget implication for funding agencies which do to recommend CAB. J Oncol Pharm Practice (2010) 16: 121—126.
Cognitive deficits in multiple sclerosis patients with cerebellar symptoms
Authors: Valentino P , Cerasa A , Chiriaco C , Nisticò R , Pirritano D , Gioia MC , Lanza P , Canino M , Del Giudice F , Gallo O , Condino F , Torchia G , Quattrone A 
Published: June 2009

Background Cerebellar dysfunction is common in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). However, neuropsychological studies of this clinical feature are lacking. Objective We investigate the neuropsychological features in relapsing-remitting MS (RR-MS) patients with and without cerebellar dysfunction. Methods Twenty-one RR-MS patients with cerebellar dysfunction (RR-MSc), characterized by prevalent ataxic gait and nystagmus, and 21 RR-MS patients without any cerebellar manifestation (RR-MSnc) pair-matched for demographical and clinical variables were studied. All patients from each group underwent an extensive battery of neuropsychological tests. Magnetic resonance imaging analysis included hyperintense fast fluid-attenuated inversion-recovery lesion load in the whole brain as well as in the four lobes separately. Results Any significant differences were detected in total and regional lesion load measurements between the two groups. RR-MSc group performed equally as well as the RR-MSnc group on many of the cognitive exploration measures. Nevertheless, the RR-MSc group performed more poorly than the RR-MSnc group on attention tests (Symbol Digit Modalities Test) and verbal fluency tests (Controlled Oral Word Association Test); neither of the test results proved to be affected by regional lesion loads. Conclusion These results highlight the importance of considering cognitive deficits associated with the presence of cerebellar symptoms in RR-MS.
Measures in the first year of therapy predict the response to interferon β in MS
Authors: Río J , Castilló J , Rovira A , Tintoré M , Sastre-Garriga J , Horga A , Nos C , Comabella M , Aymerich X , Montalbán X 
Published: June 2009

Background and objective Several criteria for treatment response to interferon beta (IFNβ) have been proposed, although there is no consensus among different investigators. Hence, the aim of this study was to investigate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and clinical predictors of response during the first 12 months of therapy. Methods This is a prospective and longitudinal study of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients treated with IFNβ. Patients were classified based on the presence of new lesions on MRI, relapses, confirmed disability increase, or combinations of all these variables after 1 year of therapy. Regression analysis was performed in order to identify variables of response after a follow-up of 3 years. Results We included 222 RRMS patients. The logistic model demonstrated that only the combination of new active lesions on MRI with the presence of relapses (OR 4.4; 95% CI 1.6–12.5) or disability progression (Odds Ratio (OR) 7.1; 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.6–33.9), or both (OR 6.5; 95% CI 1.9–23.4) achieved significant values to identify those patients with a poor outcome. Conclusions In RRMS patients treated with IFNβ, the combination of measures of disease activity and the presence of new active lesions on MRI may have a prognostic value for identifying patients with disease activity in the second and third year of therapy.
Thermal Benefits of Tiled Roofs with Above-sheathing Ventilation
Authors: De With Govert , Cherry Nigel , Haig John 
Published: June 2009

Computer simulations are conducted to demonstrate the thermal benefits of good roofing design in hot climates. The work is aimed to quantify the thermal benefits from batten-space ventilation, commonly referred to as above sheathing ventilation (ASV), and thermal mass. Both roof features are effective in reducing the heat transmission into the habitable space. Nevertheless, the use of roof ventilation is often misunderstood and most procedures for energy assessment of building structures do not recognize the contribution from ASV and thermal mass. As part of this work, a computer algorithm is developed to predict the heat, air and moisture (HAM) transport in the building envelope. The algorithm predicts the transient temperature and moisture behavior in the building envelope and takes account of the air movement from bouyancy and wind driven airflows.
Forodesine has high antitumor activity in chronic lymphocytic leukemia and activates p53-independent mitochondrial apoptosis by induction of p73 and BIM
Authors: Alonso Roberto , López-Guerra Mónica , Upshaw Ramanda , Bantia Shanta , Smal Caroline , Bontemps Françoise , Manz Chantal , Mehrling Thomas , Villamor Neus , Campo Elias , Montserrat Emili , Colomer Dolors 
Published: June 2009

Abstract
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is an incurable disease derived from the monoclonal expansion of CD5+ B lymphocytes. High expression levels of ZAP-70 or CD38 and deletions of 17p13 (TP53) and 11q22-q23 (ATM) are associated with poorer overall survival and shorter time to disease progression. DNA damage and p53 play a pivotal role in apoptosis induction in response to conventional chemotherapy, because deletions of ATM or p53 identify CLL patients with resistance to treatment. Forodesine is a transition-state inhibitor of the purine nucleoside phosphorylase with antileukemic activity. We show that forodesine is highly cytotoxic as single agent or in combination with bendamustine and rituximab in primary leukemic cells from CLL patients regardless of CD38/ZAP-70 expression and p53 or ATM deletion. Forodesine activates the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway by decreasing the levels of antiapoptotic MCL-1 protein and induction of proapoptotic BIM protein. Forodesine induces transcriptional up-regulation of p73, a p53-related protein able to overcome the resistance to apoptosis of CLL cells lacking functional p53. Remarkably, no differences in these apoptotic markers were observed based on p53 or ATM status. In conclusion, forodesine induces apoptosis of CLL cells bypassing the DNA-damage/ATM/p53 pathway and might represent a novel chemotherapeutic approach that deserves clinical investigation.
Cautious epoprostenol therapy is a safe bridge to lung transplantation in pulmonary veno-occlusive disease
Authors: Montani D. , Jaïs X. , Price L. C. , Achouh L. , Degano B. , Mercier O. , Mussot S. , Fadel E. , Dartevelle P. , Sitbon O. , Simonneau G. , Humbert M. 
Published: June 2009

Pulmonary veno-occlusive disease (PVOD) carries a poor prognosis and lung transplantation is the only curative treatment. In PVOD, epoprostenol therapy is controversial, as this condition may be refractory to specific therapy with an increased risk of pulmonary oedema.We retrospectively reviewed clinical, functional and haemodynamic data of 12 patients with PVOD (10 with histological confirmation) treated with continuous intravenous epoprostenol and priority listed for lung transplantation after January 1, 2003.All PVOD patients had severe clinical, functional and haemodynamic impairment at presentation. Epoprostenol was used at low dose ranges with slow dose increases and high dose diuretics. Only one patient developed mild reversible pulmonary oedema. After 3–4 months, improvements were seen in the New York Heart Association functional class (class IV to III in seven patients), cardiac index (1.99±0.68 to 2.94±0.89 L·min−1·m−2) and indexed pulmonary vascular resistance (28.4±8.4 to 17±5.2 Wood units·m−2; all p<0.01). A nonsignificant improvement in the 6-min walk distance was also observed (+41 m, p = 0.11). Two patients died, one patient was alive on the transplantation waiting list on December 1, 2008 and nine patients were transplanted.Cautious use of continuous intravenous epoprostenol improved clinical and haemodynamic parameters in PVOD patients at 3–4 months without commonly causing pulmonary oedema, and may be a useful bridge to urgent lung transplantation.
Clinical characteristics and prognostic factors of pulmonary MALT lymphoma
Authors: Borie R. , Wislez M. , Thabut G. , Antoine M. , Rabbat A. , Couderc L-J. , Monnet I. , Nunes H. , Blanc F-X. , Mal H. , Bergeron A. , Dusser D. , Israël-Biet D. , Crestani B. , Cadranel J. 
Published: June 2009

Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue-derived (MALT) lymphoma, a low grade B-cell extranodal lymphoma, is the most frequent subset of primary pulmonary lymphoma. Our objective was to evaluate the initial extent of disease and to analyse the characteristics and long-term outcome of these patients.All chest and pathological departments of teaching hospitals in Paris were contacted in order to identify patients with a histological diagnosis of primary pulmonary lymphoma of the MALT subtype.63 cases were identified. The median age was 60 yrs. 36% of cases had no symptoms at diagnosis. 46% of patients had at least one extrapulmonary location of lymphoma. The estimated 5- and 10-yr overall survival rates were 90% and 72%, respectively. Only two of the nine observed deaths were related to lymphoma. Age and performance status were the only two adverse prognostic factors for survival. Extrapulmonary location of lymphoma was not a prognostic factor for overall survival or for progression-free survival. Treatment with cyclophosphamide or anthracyclin was associated with shorter progression-free survival, when compared with chlorambucil.The survival data confirm the indolent nature of pulmonary MALT lymphoma. Better progression-free survival was observed with chlorambucil when compared with cyclophosphamide or anthracyclin.
Measuring airway dimensions during bronchoscopy using anatomical optical coherence tomography
Authors: Williamson J. P. , Armstrong J. J. , McLaughlin R. A. , Noble P. B. , West A. R. , Becker S. , Curatolo A. , Noffsinger W. J. , Mitchell H. W. , Phillips M. J. , Sampson D. D. , Hillman D. R. , Eastwood P. R. 
Published: June 2009

Airway dimensions are difficult to quantify bronchoscopically because of optical distortion and a limited ability to gauge depth. Anatomical optical coherence tomography (aOCT), a novel imaging technique, may overcome these limitations. This study evaluated the accuracy ofaOCT against existing techniques in phantom, excised pig andin vivohuman airways.Three comparative studies were performed: 1) micrometer-derived area measurements in 10 plastic tubes were compared withaOCT-derived area; 2)aOCT-derived airway compliance curves from excised pig airways were compared with curves derived using an endoscopic technique; and 3) airway dimensions from the trachea to subsegmental bronchi were measured usingaOCT in four anaesthetised patients during bronchoscopy and compared with computed tomography (CT) measurements.Measurements in plastic tubes revealedaOCT to be accurate and reliable. In pig airways,aOCT-derived compliance measurements compared closely with endoscopic data. In human airways, dimensions measured withaOCT and CT correlated closely. Bland–Altman plots showed thataOCT diameter and area measurements were higher than CT measurements by 7.6% and 15.1%, respectively.Airway measurements usingaOCT are accurate, reliable and compare favourably with existing imaging techniques. UsingaOCT with conventional bronchoscopy allows real-time measurement of airway dimensions and could be useful clinically in settings where knowledge of airway calibre is required.
A randomised crossover trial of chest physiotherapy in non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis
Authors: Murray M. P. , Pentland J. L. , Hill A. T. 
Published: June 2009

Regular chest physiotherapy is advocated in non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis despite little evidence supporting its routine use. This study aimed to establish the efficacy of regular chest physiotherapy in non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis compared with no regular chest physiotherapy.20 patients not practising regular chest physiotherapy were enrolled in a randomised crossover trial of 3 months of twice daily chest physiotherapy using an oscillatory positive expiratory pressure device compared with 3 months of no chest physiotherapy. The primary end-point was the Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ). Additional outcomes included 24-h sputum volume, forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory flow at 25–75% of FVC (FEF25–75%), maximum inspiratory pressure (MIP), maximum expiratory pressure (MEP), exercise capacity, sputum microbiology and St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ). The treatment effect was estimated using the differences of the pairs of observations from each patient.There was a significant improvement in all domains and total LCQ score with regular chest physiotherapy (median (interquartile range) total score improvement 1.3 (-0.17–3.25) units; p = 0.002). 24-h sputum volume increased significantly with regular chest physiotherapy (2 (0–6) mL; p = 0.02), as did exercise capacity (40 (15–80) m; p = 0.001) and SGRQ total score (7.77 (-0.99–14.5) unit improvement; p = 0.004). No significant differences were seen in sputum bacteriology, FEV1, FVC, FEF25–75%, MIP or MEP.Regular chest physiotherapy in non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis has small, but significant benefits.