Relevant Case Examples Research Articles

Magnetic Resonance Neurography of the Pelvic Nerves

Chronic pelvic pain syndrome is commonly caused by nerve injury, inflammation, or entrapment. Owing to the complex anatomy and branching patterns of pelvic nerves, pelvic neuropathies are often difficult to illustrate and diagnose. High-resolution 3-T magnetic resonance neurography is a promising technique for the evaluation of peripheral neuropathy. In this article, the authors discuss the normal anatomy of major pelvic nerves, technical considerations of high-resolution imaging, and normal and abnormal imaging appearances with relevant case examples.

Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery: Approaches and Techniques

Ross D. Farhadieh, Neil W. Bulstrode, Sabrina Cugno, eds. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery: Approaches and Techniques . Hoboken, NJ: Wiley-Blackwell, 2015. ISBN-10: 1118655427, ISBN-13: 978-1118655429. $399.95. ![Graphic][1] Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery: Approaches and Techniques is a single-volume comprehensive plastic surgery textbook that deftly navigates that delicate balance between simply summarizing the vast components of plastic surgery or burdening the reader with volumes of extensive detail. The book's 79 chapters are divided into nine sections covering the core topics of plastic surgery: “Basic Science and Principles,” “Integument,” “Pediatric Plastic Surgery and Congenital Disorders,” “Head and Neck Reconstruction,” “Breast,” “Trunk and Lower Limb,” “Upper Limb,” and “Aesthetic Surgery” (the ninth and final section is entitled “Military, Simulation Training, and Exams”). Each chapter follows a similar outline: relevant anatomy, classification, surgical options, case examples, and complications. The editors have assembled over 130 international authors, many of whom are recognized authorities in their subspecialty, to provide a truly global perspective of the field of plastic surgery. The book is true to its subtitle: Approaches and … Corresponding Author: Dr Keith E. Brandt, Washington University School of Medicine, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, CB 8238, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA. E-mail: brandtk{at}wustl.edu [1]: /embed/inline-graphic-1.gif

Traumatic Grief After Homicide

In this article, we examine the impact of community response on the devastating experience of losing a loved one to homicide. Although traumatic grief is deeply personal, an individual’s loss is also inevitably social, and survivors often contend with varying expectations from family members, community, and society at large, which have a profound impact on their experience of loss and grieving. In this article, using relevant clinical material, we seek to illuminate four key issues that emerge in the immediate and enduring aftermath of homicide: (a) common expectations of homicide survivors from family and surrounding community, particularly around the dominant narratives of healing and closure; (b) similarities and disparities in personal and public narratives of singular and multivictim homicides; (c) the permanence of traumatic loss and survivors’ enduring sense of apartness from others; and (d) the impact of homicide bereavement work on clinicians. These and other issues are explored with relevant case examples and clinical recommendations for working with this population. These reflections are based on our experience of doing long-term clinical work with survivors of homicide at the Center for Homicide Bereavement, a community-based program of the Victims of Violence Program at the Cambridge Health Alliance.

A Social Work Practice Reflection on Issues Arising for LGBTI Older People Interfacing With Health and Residential Care: Rights, Decision Making and End-of-Life Care

This article is a social work practice reflection on issues arising for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) older people interfacing with health and residential care in Australia; focusing on clients, families, and carers in relation to rights, decision making, and end-of-life care. The article explores relevant case examples from social work practice in a health and residential care setting that highlight some specific complexities of working with this client group. This article brings greater attention to issues arising for older LBGTI when interfacing with health and residential care and has the potential to improve practice for social workers and other health professionals and improve outcomes for LGBTI older people.

Sclerotic lesions of the spine: MRI assessment

Sclerotic (T2 dark) lesions of the spine are infrequent and, as a result, these are often missed or misdiagnosed. Plain films may not be always available during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) readout. Knowledge of such lesions and their imaging appearances on MRI evaluation is essential for a reader. Additionally, a systematic approach is important to accurately diagnose these lesions. In this article we discuss the various causes of spinal sclerotic lesions, describe their MRI characteristics with relevant case examples, and outline a systematic approach to their evaluation.

Bayesian methods for design and analysis of safety trials

Safety assessment is essential throughout medical product development. There has been increased awareness of the importance of safety trials recently, in part due to recent US Food and Drug Administration guidance related to thorough assessment of cardiovascular risk in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Bayesian methods provide great promise for improving the conduct of safety trials. In this paper, the safety subteam of the Drug Information Association Bayesian Scientific Working Group evaluates challenges associated with current methods for designing and analyzing safety trials and provides an overview of several suggested Bayesian opportunities that may increase efficiency of safety trials along with relevant case examples.

Arrhythmogenic Channelopathy Syndromes Presenting as Refractory Epilepsy

Children and young adults with potentially lethal cardiac channelopathies often present to medical care with a history of syncope or seizures due to episodic ventricular arrhythmias and associated cerebral hypoperfusion. Two important types of genetic arrhythmia syndromes-long QT syndrome and catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia-are discussed using relevant case examples. The pathophysiology and distinguishing clinical features of these conditions are reviewed. The patients in each case were ultimately diagnosed with a cardiac channelopathy as the cause for their syncope and refractory seizures. With appropriate medical management, no further events have occurred to date. Cardiac channelopathies can be misdiagnosed as refractory epilepsy when in fact these events represent convulsive syncopes. Knowledge of and suspicion for these arrhythmogenic conditions may expedite diagnosis and improve outcomes.

Addressing the policy challenges and opportunities of “Big data”

Addressing the policy challenges and opportunities of “Big data”

3T Magnetic Resonance Neurography of Tibial Nerve Pathologies

Diagnosis of tibial neuropathy has been traditionally based on clinical examination and electrodiagnostic studies; however, cross-sectional imaging modalities have been used to increase the diagnostic accuracy and provide anatomic mapping of the abnormalities. In this context, magnetic resonance neurography (MRN) offers high-resolution imaging of the tibial nerve (TN), its branches and the adjacent soft tissues, and provides an objective assessment of the neuromuscular anatomy, abnormality, and the surrounding pathology. This review describes the pathologies affecting the TN and illustrates their respective 3 Tesla (T) MRN appearances with relevant case examples.

Rapid casting solutions: a review

PurposeThis paper seeks to review the industrial applications of state‐of‐the‐art additive manufacturing (AM) techniques in metal casting technology. An extensive survey of concepts, techniques, approaches and suitability of various commercialised rapid casting (RC) solutions with traditional casting methods is presented.Design/methodology/approachThe tooling required for producing metal casting such as fabrication of patterns, cores and moulds with RC directly by using different approaches are presented and evaluated. Relevant case studies and examples explaining the suitability and problems of using RC solutions by various manufacturers and researchers are also presented.FindingsLatest research to optimize the current RC solutions, and new inventions in processing techniques and materials in RC performed by researchers worldwide are also discussed. The discussion regarding the benefits of RC solutions to foundrymen, and challenges to produce accurate and cost‐effective RC amongst AM manufacturers concludes this paper.Research limitations/implicationsThe research related to this survey is limited to the applicability of RC solutions to sand casting and investment casting processes. There is practically no implication in industrial application of RC technology.Originality/valueThis review presents the information regarding potential AM application – RC, which facilitates the fabrication of patterns, cores and moulds directly using the computer‐aided design data. The information available in this paper serves the purpose of researchers and academicians to explore the new options in the field of RC and especially users, manufacturers and service industries to produce casting in relatively much shorter time and at low cost and even to cast complex design components which otherwise was impossible by using traditional casting processes and CNC technology.

Managing i‐branding to create brand equity

PurposeGiven the emergent nature of i‐branding as an academic field of study and a lack of applied research output, the aim of this paper is to explain how businesses manage i‐branding to create brand equity.Design/methodology/approachWithin a case‐study approach, seven cases were developed from an initial sample of 20 food businesses. Additionally, utilising secondary data, the analysis of findings introduces relevant case examples from other industrial sectors.FindingsSpecific internet tools and their application are discussed within opportunities to create brand equity for products classified by experience, credence and search characteristics. An understanding of target customers will be critical in underpinning the selection and deployment of relevant i‐branding tools. Tools facilitating interactivity – machine and personal – are particularly significant.Research limitations/implicationsFuture research positioned within classification of goods constructs could provide further contributions that recognise potential moderating effects of product/service characteristics on the development of brand equity online. Future studies could also employ the i‐branding conceptual framework to test its validity and develop it further as a means of explaining how i‐branding can be managed to create brand equity.Originality/valueWhile previous research has focused on specific aspects of i‐branding, this paper utilises a conceptual framework to explain how diverse i‐branding tools combine to create brand equity. The literature review integrates fragmented literature around a conceptual framework to produce a more coherent understanding of extant thinking. The location of this study within a classification of goods context proved critical to explaining how i‐branding can be managed.

A systematised MRI approach to evaluating the patellofemoral joint

Knee pain in young patients is a common indication for knee MRI. Many static and dynamic internal derangements of the patellofemoral joint in these patients lead to various secondary MRI findings. This article focuses on how to systematically approach, detect, and emphasize the importance of these findings in the diagnosis of patellofemoral tracking and impingement syndromes with relevant case examples.

Endoscopic Management of Intraventricular Brain Tumors in Pediatric Patients: A Review of Indications, Techniques, and Outcomes

Endoscopic neurosurgical techniques have enabled pediatric neurosurgeons to treat a number of conditions in a minimally invasive manner. In addition to its pivotal role in the treatment of hydrocephalus, endoscopy is increasingly being used in the management of intraventricular brain tumors. Endoscopy has become the first-line modality for obtaining tumor samples from many intraventricular tumors, some of which do not ultimately need aggressive surgical treatment. Endoscopic techniques enable simultaneous treatment of hydrocephalus with tumor biopsy, saving patients an additional procedure. Endoscopy may also be used for complete excision of intraventricular tumors in selected cases. Overall, surgeries performed endoscopically are less invasive than conventional open neurosurgery and often enable shorter lengths of hospital stay and decreased costs. This article reviews endoscopic management of intraventricular tumors in children with a focus on indications, techniques, and outcomes. Relevant case examples are provided to illustrate the utility of these procedures.

Public Figures and Stalking in the European Context

The paper presents a brief overview of the international scientific research regarding stalking, threats and attacks on public figures. A special focus lies on European research and its tradition. Particular attention is directed towards the concept of pathological fixations on public figures which covers different forms of harassment and aggressive behaviour. A closer look at the history of scientific research and relevant case examples in this area reveals that pathological fixation on public figures is a phenomenon which was described by psychiatrists as early as 150 years ago. As stalking can affect various kinds of public figures, the research presented here covers stalking of celebrities, politicians, corporate figures and royals who become the victim of harassment or violent attacks. Finally, the state of the art regarding the management of public figure stalking and harassment and the prevention of assassinations by fixated persons in Europe is reviewed.

Financial and financial engineering considerations in supply chain and product development pipeline management

Enterprise-wide decision problems are receiving increasing attention in the process systems engineering literature. In particular, the supply chain and product development pipeline management components of this general class of problems have been subjects of intensive research in both their deterministic and their stochastic forms. The supply chain management (SCM) problem has seen work largely focused on the process operations and logistics components while for the product development pipeline management (PDPM) problem much of the attention has been on MILP formulations addressing the consequences of product failure during its development. In their full realization, both are recognized as challenging stochastic multi-stage decision problems. In this paper we discuss three important aspects of these problems that require further research: the realistic representation of the financial components and appropriate criteria for this class of problems, strategic management of supplier and customer relationships through inventory management and option contracts, and innovative approaches to suitably value and integrate a broader range of decisions available to management. We highlight and extend relevant contributions and case examples drawn from the recent literature that are emerging on these topics and use this work to point out further challenges.

Professional negligence in dental practice: Potential for civil and criminal liability in India

The doctor/dentist-patient relationship has transformed over the last two decades. Health professionals are increasingly viewed as providers of service for consideration. The Consumer Protection Act (CPA) was enacted in 1986 for better protection of the interests of consumers as well as to provide a simple and quick mechanism for redressing consumer grievances. Since 1995, health professionals have been included within the ambit of the CPA, empowering the patient to file lawsuits (in case of perceived negligence) in consumer courts. This review explores the definitions of 'consumer', 'services', and 'negligence', discussing their implications with respect to civil and criminal liability of dentists, while providing relevant case examples and court guidelines in landmark judgments. It is concluded that the potential for civil lawsuits against dentists for negligent actions is existent, although the prospect of a dentist being held liable for criminal negligence is low.

Vascular Malformations

After studying this article, the participant should be able to: 1. Understand the nomenclature and classification system of vascular malformations. 2. Evaluate these patients diagnostically. 3. Outline the surgical and nonsurgical options for treating these lesions. Vascular anomalies can be classified into two unique groups-hemangiomas and vascular malformations-based on their endothelial properties. The present review focuses on vascular malformations rather than hemangiomas. The authors address capillary malformations, lymphatic malformations, venous malformations, and arteriovenous malformations. Diagnostic and therapeutic modalities are discussed with relevant case examples. A MEDLINE search was performed to gather all pertinent references. The physician treating these challenging lesions should ideally use a multidisciplinary team-based approach with multispecialty experience in diagnostic and therapeutic modalities for the management of vascular malformations.

Risk management strategies for overseas SMEs investing in China

This paper presents a conceptual framework of business risk management for overseas Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) investing in China, mainly from a Singaporean perspective and experience, by drawing essence from the established and relevant framework in business and project risk management. This integrated framework is further investigated on the concept of relative predictability and manageability of risk at enterprise, market, industry and macro-environmental levels. Four major types of risk are developed, within a predictability-manageability matrix, to guide would-be overseas investors venturing into the growing China market. Relevant case examples, Singaporean SMEs, are used to provide evidence to support and illustrate the development and application of the risk management framework developed.

A clinician's guide to STAIR/MPE: Treatment for PTSD related to childhood abuse

Women who have PTSD related to childhood abuse have significant deficits in the areas of emotion regulation and interpersonal skills. These problems are associated with impaired functioning in social, work, and home life. In addition, there is substantial clinical concern that limited emotion-regulation skills puts this population at risk for early dropout and symptom exacerbation in treatment focusing on emotional processing of traumatic memories. Skills Training in Affective and Interpersonal Regulation plus Modified Prolonged Exposure (STAIR/MPE) is an evidence-based, 2-phase cognitive behavioral treatment designed to address these concerns. Specifically, this treatment targets PTSD symptoms, emotion-regulation deficits, and interpersonal difficulties. The purpose of this article is to describe the rationale for and clinical application of STAIR/MPE, detailing the essential clinical components and presenting relevant case examples.

Telemedicine: Benefits to advanced practice nursing and the communities they serve

To review the use of telemedicine in a variety of advanced nursing practice settings, its contribution in expanding the service and role of the nurse practitioner, and the regulatory issues of reimbursement and licensure. Literature review of relevant journals, research articles, case examples, and web searches. Although telemedicine has been utilized for many years, it has historically been used primarily by physicians. In recent years, telemedicine has been demonstrating its growing potential in advanced nursing practice in terms of economy, efficacy, and quality of care. When used appropriately, telemedicine complements advanced nursing practice in cost-effective ways and improves healthcare access to the populations served. Incorporating telemedicine into the advanced nursing practice can be rewarding for both clinicians and their patients. Because of the high variability that exists among state regulations and payer reimbursements, clinicians are advised to verify their respective Board of Nursing Examiners, State, and payers' policies prior to investing in the establishment of telemedicine in practice.