bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Treatment of the Open Abdomen with the Commercially Available Vacuum‐Assisted Closure System in Patients with Abdominal Sepsis
Authors: Wondberg D. , Larusson H. J. , Metzger U. , Platz A. , Zingg U. 
Published: October 2008

AbstractBackgroundAbdominal Vacuum‐Assisted Closure (V.A.C.) systems for treatment of open abdomens have been predominantly used for trauma patients with a high primary fascial closure rate. Use of the V.A.C. technique in abdominal sepsis is less well established.MethodsAll patients with abdominal sepsis and treatment with the abdominal V.A.C. system between 2004 and 2007 were prospectively assessed. End points were fascial closure, V.A.C.‐related morbidity, and quality of life score (SF‐36) at follow‐up.ResultsThirty patients with abdominal sepsis were included in the study. Primary fascial closure was feasible in 10, partial closure in 4, and no closure in 16 patients. Median number of V.A.C. changes was 3 (range, 1–10). Nine patients died. V.A.C.‐related morbidity was as follows: two fistulas, three fascial edge necroses, one skin blister, and four prolapses of small bowel between the fascia and foam. Univariate analysis showed no variables influencing primary closure rate or V.A.C.‐related morbidity. Mortality was significantly influenced by age (P < 0.001), respiratory failure (P = 0.01), and pneumonia (P = 0.03). At follow‐up, V.A.C. patients scored lower in the physical health scores and similar in the mental health scores compared with the normal population.ConclusionsTreatment of the open abdomen in patients with abdominal sepsis with the abdominal V.A.C. system is safe with good long‐term quality of life. Primary closure rate in these patients is substantially lower than in trauma patients. Stepwise closure of the fascia during V.A.C. changes should be attempted to avoid additional lateral retraction of fascial edges. V.A.C.‐related complications may be avoided with careful surgical technique.
Microhabitat use by foraging white‐clawed crayfish (Austropotamobius pallipes) in stream pools in the NE Iberian Peninsula
Authors: Clavero Miguel , Benejam Lluís , Seglar Ariana 
Published: October 2008

AbstractThe white‐clawed crayfish (Austropotamobius pallipes) is an endangered species across most of its distribution range, and information on its ecological requirements is needed to implement effective conservation measures. Its habitat use has been studied in different areas and at various spatial scales. However, being a nocturnal species, there is scarce information on its habitat selection during foraging periods. In this work we analyse nocturnal habitat use of white‐clawed crayfish in pools of a small stream in the northeastern Iberian Peninsula at two different scales: (1) microhabitat selection and (2) pool characteristics. Large crayfish showed a clear positive selection for deeper microhabitats, a selection pattern that was weaker for medium‐sized crayfish and absent for small ones. On the other hand, crayfish of all sizes avoided cobble and boulder microhabitats and positively selected fine substrate and more exposed microhabitats. Crayfish abundance in pools was positively influenced by pool area, pool depth and the availability of fine substrates, especially silt. While studies on white‐clawed crayfish habitat use have often stressed the importance of rough substrates as crayfish refuge, our results show that fine substrates are positively selected by foraging crayfish of all size classes and promoted active crayfish abundance in pools. These apparently contradictory results may be due to the differences in microhabitat preferences exhibited by active and inactive crayfish. Thus, our results help to better complete the picture of white‐clawed crayfish habitat requirements.
Magnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles: Synthesis and Surface Functionalization Strategies
Authors: Wu Wei , He Quanguo , Jiang Changzhong 
Published: October 2008

AbstractSurface functionalized magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (NPs) are a kind of novel functional materials, which have been widely used in the biotechnology and catalysis. This review focuses on the recent development and various strategies in preparation, structure, and magnetic properties of naked and surface functionalized iron oxide NPs and their corresponding application briefly. In order to implement the practical application, the particles must have combined properties of high magnetic saturation, stability, biocompatibility, and interactive functions at the surface. Moreover, the surface of iron oxide NPs could be modified by organic materials or inorganic materials, such as polymers, biomolecules, silica, metals, etc. The problems and major challenges, along with the directions for the synthesis and surface functionalization of iron oxide NPs, are considered. Finally, some future trends and prospective in these research areas are also discussed.
Using Simulation to Design a Central Sterilization Department
Authors: Lin Feng , Lawley Mark , Spry Charlie , McCarthy Kelly , Coyle‐Rogers Patricia G. , Yih Yuehwern 
Published: October 2008

ABSTRACTA SIMULATION PROJECT was performed to assist with redesign of the surgery department of a large tertiary hospital and to help administrators make the best decisions about relocating, staffing, and equipping the central sterilization department.A SIMULATION MODEL was created to analyze department configurations, staff schedules, equipment capacities, and cart‐washing requirements. Performance measures examined include tray turnaround time, surgery‐delay rate, and work‐in‐process levels.THE ANALYSIS PROVIDES significant insight into how the proposed system will perform, allowing planning for expected patient volume increases. This work illustrates how simulation can facilitate the design of a central sterilization department and improve surgical sterilization operations. AORN J 88 (October 2008) 555–567. © AORN, Inc, 2008.
Plastic Surgery: Understanding Abdominoplasty and Liposuction
Authors: Logan Judith M. , Broughton George 
Published: October 2008

ABSTRACTREQUESTS FOR PLASTIC SURGERY procedures that alter one's body image are on the rise. To ensure the best possible outcome, patients who request a combined procedure (eg, abdominoplasty and liposuction) must meet certain criteria to be eligible for surgery. It is critically important for patients to understand that these surgeries are not weight‐reduction procedures, and they must be prepared to make lifestyle changes to ensure long‐lasting results.THESE PROCEDURES are performed in a variety of facilities (eg, surgeons' offices, surgery centers, hospitals).PERIOPERATIVE NURSES must have a basic knowledge and understanding of abdominoplasty and liposuction and the special requirements and potential complications involved with these procedures. AORN J 88 (October 2008) 587–600. © AORN, Inc, 2008.
Governing buyer–supplier relationships through transactional and relational mechanisms: Evidence from China
Authors: Liu Yi , Luo Yadong , Liu Ting 
Published: October 2008

AbstractBuilding on economic and social exchange theories, this study investigates the different roles transactional and relational mechanisms have in hindering opportunism and improving relationship performance in an emerging economy. Our study applied to manufacturer–distributor dyads in China and used matched survey data (225 paired sample firms) to test our hypotheses. Our hierarchical multivariate regression and semipartial correlation analyses suggest that transactional mechanisms are more effective in restraining opportunism while relational mechanisms are more powerful in improving relationship performance. This performance is improved more significantly when both contracts and relational norms are used jointly than when used separately. Likewise, opportunism is curbed more effectively when both contracts and trust are used jointly than when used individually.
Holocene environment and subsistence patterns near the Tree Shelter, Red Sea Mountains, Egypt
Authors: Marinova Elena , Linseele Veerle , Vermeersch Pierre 
Published: October 2008

AbstractThe Tree Shelter site dates to the Early to Mid-Holocene (8000 to 490014C yr BP). Present conditions around the site are hyperarid, but charcoal remains indicate less severe aridity at the time of its occupation. The environment around the site then supported a rich wadi vegetation, which allowed hunting during the Epipaleolithic and herding during the Neolithic occupation. Although more favorable than today, the environmental conditions also displayed a desert character and seem to have limited the range of domestic herbivores introduced in the area.
Understanding National Administrative Styles and Their Impact Upon Administrative Reform: A Neo-Institutional Model and Analysis
Authors: Howlett Michael 
Published: October 2008

AbstractStudents of organizational behaviour have always been concerned with understanding the manner in which complex organizations – including systems of public administration – tend to have distinctive organizational cultures and the impact these cultures have upon their activities and outputs, including their prospects for reform. Recently, neoinstitutional accounts of social and political life have provided a new entry point to the analysis of administrative cultures and administrative reform. For neo-institutionalists, the institutional structure of an organization is seen as creating a distinct pattern of constraints and incentives for state and societal actors which define and structure actor's interests and channel their behaviour. The interaction of these behaviour and structure generates a particular administrative logic and process, or “style”. However, since institutional structures vary, a neo-institutional perspective suggests that there will be many different kinds of relatively long-lasting administrative style – each pattern being defined by the particular set of formal and informal institutions, rules, norms, traditions, and values of which it is comprised – and many different factors affecting the construction and deconstruction of each pattern. Following this neo-institutional logic, this paper examines several relatively recent efforts to identify and classify administrative styles. On the basis of these assessments, a multi-level, “nested,” model of national administrative styles is developed and applied to the question of observances of patterns of convergence and divergence in administrative reforms in many jurisdictions over the past several decades.
Open or Closed Boundaries? Attitudes towards Sovereignty Issues in Australia
Authors: Bean Clive 
Published: October 2008

Abstract
This paper considers data from Australia on two dimensions related to the concept of sovereignty, namely public attitudes concerning the maintenance of economic boundaries and attitudes related to the social, economic and cultural impact of immigration. The data suggest that in general Australians are inclined to favour economic protection rather than openness but at the same time they tend to emphasise the benefits rather than the costs of immigration. Various theoretical propositions are tested concerning the social and attitudinal predictors of these dimensions. Despite some differences between the two dimensions, the most important variables prove to be occupational status, birthplace and education, plus attitudes towards multi-national companies and general feelings towards immigrants. These results imply that, other things being equal, public attitudes on both the immigration and economic dimensions are likely to become more open over time.
The Changing Role of Consultants in Canadian Policy Analysis
Authors: Perl Anthony , White Donald J 
Published: October 2008

Abstract
This article explores the Canadian government's trend toward outsourcing policy analytical and advisory services over the 1980s and 1990s. We test three (not mutually exclusive) hypotheses about why such policy consulting has increased. A combination of New Public Management values and knowledge expansion are shown to drive this trend. In the late 1990s, the federal government significantly decreased the number of in-house operational and administrative support workers. These reductions enabled the government to contract out more while a managerial and administrative cadre remained in place to manage the contracts. The main implication is that contracting out analytical and advisory services does not necessarily lower costs, but does aid government in pursuing other objectives. The growth in Canadian policy consulting corresponded with a stabilization of public service personnel expenditures, a focus on leaner government, and an ability to rely on outside specialists for objective, expert advice.
Medical Regulation in Malaysia: Towards an Effective Regulatory Regime
Authors: Rosnah Nik , Abdullah Wan 
Published: October 2008

AbstractThis paper assesses the functioning of the regulatory system of the Malaysian medical profession. It demonstrates that the regulatory bodies of the medical profession do not reflect the interest of the users adequately. Their composition mostly represents the medical practitioners and medical organizations and their regulatory processes do not provide clear channels through which users can voice complaints.
The Role of Property Tax in Fiscal Decentralization in Indonesia
Authors: Asher Mukul G 
Published: October 2008

Abstract
Indonesia has embarked on a decentralization process with potentially far reaching implications for its fiscal system and political economy. This paper examines the role of property tax in fiscal decentralization in Indonesia. Currently, the property tax is essentially a central tax as far as design, valuation, collection (target based), and administration are concerned. The net revenue is fully shared with provinces and districts, though the basis of sharing is not fully transparent. This paper suggests that in order to increase the share of own-revenues of the regions, policymakers may consider permitting greater discretion to districts to set effective property tax rates, within the overall limits set by the central government. It is suggested that centralized administration be retained. Transforming property tax into a truly local tax, including local responsibility for valuation, is not currently recommended, but could be kept as a key long-term goal.
Women, Gender and International Institutions: Exploring New Opportunities at the International Criminal Court
Authors: Chappell Louise 
Published: October 2008

Abstract
Traditionally women have been constructed in very limited terms under international law. They have been defined through their relationships with either men or with children. Moreover, the types of crimes experienced by women in times of armed conflict, including rape and other forms of sexual violence, have been categorised as less egregious than those experienced by men. In recent years feminists have sought to challenge the existing definition of women, drawing attention to the serious nature of gender-based crimes. They have done this through their engagement with new international institutions including the UN ad hoc tribunals for Yugoslavia and Rwanda and the development of the statute for the International Criminal Court (ICC). Through their efforts they have made some significant advances in bringing to light the complex, diverse and unique aspects of women's lives previously ignored in international criminal and humanitarian law. Although there is still much to be done, feminist activists have demonstrated that the law and its influence are not fixed but dynamic and open to change.
The Political Gender Gap: Australia, Britain and the United States
Authors: Hill Lisa 
Published: October 2008

Abstract
This article explores gender differences in voting habits and explores the question of whether it is possible to speak of a distinctive women's perspective when it comes to elections. Drawing on a wide body of existing data, the discussion focuses on the “gender gap” in three settings: Britain, Australia and the United States. It canvasses competing explanations of political gender differences and seeks to account for the similarities between the British and Australian cases and their differences with the American. A key puzzle is this: Why was America's “traditional” (that is, conservative) gender gap superseded so readily by a “modern” (that is, liberal) gender gap while Australia and Britain's traditional gender gap retained its resilience? Future prospects for the gender gap in each case are also considered.
Gender, Mainstreaming and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights
Authors: Guerrina Roberta 
Published: October 2008

Abstract
This article explores the impact of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights on the position of women in the EU. The context of the paper is current debates about women's rights and constitutionalism in Europe. The discussion outlines the development of EU women's rights, the introduction and development of Union citizenship within the Treaties and the launch of the Charter at the Nice Summit. The paper thus explores the position of equality and women's rights in the Charter, with particular emphasis on the Commission and Treaties’ commitments to mainstreaming. The paper concludes with an evaluation of the power of mainstreaming as a theory and political strategy for the pursuit of substantive equality within the EU.
Media Representations of Women Politicians in Australia and New Zealand: High Expectations, Hostility or Stardom
Authors: van Acker Elizabeth 
Published: October 2008

Abstract
Senior women politicians are a novelty, receiving enormous media attention. They have had to deal with high expectations in the media and other political institutions such as Parliament. This essay examines media portrayals of women politicians in Australia and New Zealand. It argues that the media embrace women quickly and fully early in their careers, but attack them very fiercely when things go wrong. The media creates elevated hopes around them when they enter the political arena. Initially, these women can do no wrong as the media raises them on a pedestal. Those who cannot meet the high expectations, however, fall from the pedestal and are often attacked or trivialised. A more recent development, particularly by the Australian media, shapes women into stars, promoting them as personalities. The women themselves may encourage or welcome the celebrity tag. The minute they make mistakes, however, they are judged harshly. I argue that media representations of women's political styles illustrate perceptions about politics that continue to reflect entrenched gender norms. One-dimensional media portrayals do little to challenge these norms. Setting up false distinctions of femininity and masculinity contributes little to pushing women's interests on to the political agenda.
The Leadership Role of the Prime Minister and Party
Authors: George Mulgan Aurelia 
Published: October 2008

Abstract
Transformational leadership implies both a reforming vision and the achievement of significant change. Strong transformational leadership, as provided by some western democratic leaders, has not been possible in Japan because of the lack of institutional power available to the formal executive and the strong policy nexus between the ruling party and the bureaucracy. The failure of the Koizumi government to implement its reform agenda illustrates this impossibility. However, some Japanese prime ministers, including Koizumi himself, have been able to exhibit a relatively weak form of transformational leadership, in comparison with the more transactional style typical of most prime ministers. Whether the ruling LDP is capable of sustaining a stronger form of leadership is open to doubt.
Japanese Foreign Policy: Leadership and Style
Authors: Javed Maswood S 
Published: October 2008

AbstractIt is a curious reality that despite being the second largest economic power, Japan has not cast a large shadow on issues of international politics. Instead, the Japanese government has been largely content to remain on the sidelines and play a reactive role. This broad depiction of Japanese foreign policy however obscures recent attempts by the Japanese government to pursue its own agenda on the international stage. This paper looks at Japanese dealings within the International Whaling Commission and in the field of regional finance to highlight a more activist foreign policy posture. In the end the picture that emerges is of a Japan that is prepared to vigorously articulate and defend a position that is of somewhat ‘marginal’ interest to its key international allies but unprepared to venture out on other critical issue areas.
Local Political Leadership in Japan: A Harbinger of Systemic Change in Japanese Politics?
Authors: Jain Purnendra 
Published: October 2008

Abstract
Observers of Japanese politics have generally assumed that because Japan is a unitary state, local government and its political chief executives have very little political and policy autonomy. Yet the assumption that a high degree of centralization in the political structure prevents leadership at the local level is misguided. Three case studies demonstrate that local chief executives from the peripheries are now more than ever demonstrating leadership at the local level. Local chief executives are increasingly challenging central government plans and policy priorities for local areas by setting policy agendas to follow their own vision and local needs, rather than accepting the center's fiat. Using the typology of transactional and transformational styles of leadership, this article argues that trends observed in some localities may be the harbinger of transformational leadership from the local level, as local government takes a more salient place in Japan's political system.
Japan's Leadership Role in East Asia: Cooperation and Competition between Japan and China
Authors: Zhao Quansheng 
Published: October 2008

Abstract
The issue of Japan's regional role is a source of concern and uncertainty for its Asian neighbours. By focusing primarily on Japan's relationship with China as well as the United States, this article first examines the concept of transformational leadership. It then discusses regionalism in the Asian Pacific arena, Japan's possible leadership role, and the changing dynamics of power distribution in the region for the past two decades. The challenge for Japan is that it must develop a joint leadership role with China in order to integrate the region as has been done in Europe and North America. In the economic dimension, such cooperation and integration is already well-developed, although limitations still remain. The most difficult problems lay in strategic and political dimensions. Japan's relations with China continue to be affected by two major factors, namely historical legacies (war memories) and the United States’ role in the region (particularly with regard to the issue of Taiwan).