Trade Liberalization and Market Access: Analyzing Dominican Export Performance during the Twentieth Century

Leading management thinker C.K. Prahalad argues that selling consumer goods to four billion poor people at the bottom of the economic pyramid (BoP) both generates sizeable profits for large businesses and eliminates poverty. A welcome, innovative and influential perspective, but an opportunity missed, I argue here. First, selling to the poor may do little to eradicate poverty, but potentially hurts small businesses and threatens local jobs and incomes. Second, a more precise analysis using household surveys shows a much smaller BoP market size, less than 5% of previous estimates. Third, virtually everyone in developing countries is classified as a 'poor' consumer in much of the BoP literature. The focus and the bulk of Prahalad's new purchasing power rests with the emerging middle class in India, China and Brazil, while the 2 billion people below $2 a day, especially those in Sub-Saharan Africa, are marginalised in this debate. Data for consumer prices confirms that the true challenge is to serve the latter group, those that are completely cut off from the global marketplace. This paper concludes that big businesses have a central role in shaping and expanding these future markets by generating employment and incomes.

A PHENOMENOLOGICAL CASE STUDY OF TRANSFORMATIVE LEARNING IN A NON-TRADITIONAL DIVERSITY TRAINING PROGRAM

Rapidly changing demographics and globalization has spurred a plurality of organizations to invest millions of dollars annually in diversity training, with the primary aim of improving the experiences of underrepresented employees. However, the results of diversity training to date have not proven encouraging. Positive outcomes of diversity training have generally been confined to increased awareness and improved attitudes towards diversity, with implicit and explicit prejudice and behavior remaining unchanged. The aim of this study was to understand the transformational learning experiences of participants in a non-traditional diversity training program and the impact of their transformational learning on their behavior. A phenomenological embedded case study design was employed. Data was collected through semi structured qualitative interviews. A pilot study of two participants was conducted to preview the interview protocol and strengthen the main study design. The main study was conducted with eight participants and also included the two pilot interviews for a total of 10 participants. Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was used to analyze the data from all ten participants. Results revealed the value of incorporating an interdisciplinary approach and transformative learning design in diversity training in order to impact affective and behavioral outcomes. Findings from the study provided practical implications for diversity and inclusion in HRD and for higher education practitioners, managers, and leaders as they seek to engage and empower a workforce that is global, multicultural, and interdependent. Contributions and implications for theory and future research, drawn from the findings of the study, are discussed

Traumatic penile injuries: Mechanisms and problems of treatment in a tertiary institution in Nigeria

Background: Penile injuries are uncommon. The more severe injuries are often difficult to manage.Objectives: We report our experience with penile injuries from different causes and treatment options available. Patients and Methods: We analyzed retrospectively 23 cases of penile injuries presenting to the Urology Unit of a tertiary hospital in the Southeastern part of Nigeria from January 2007 to December 2012.Results: The management for each patient varied depending on the nature and extent of the injury. The mean age of the patients was 28.9 ± 14.4 years (range 3 weeks to 43 years). The mean duration before presentation was 22.7 ± 17.8 h (range 1–168 h). The causes of penile injuries were categorized as follows: Postcircumcision 3 (13.0%), genital mutilation (self‑inflicted injury/attacks by assailants) 6 (26.1%), accident 4 (17.4%), penile fracture 8 (34.8%), and gunshot injury 2 (8.6%). Isolated blunt injuries to the corporal tissues as occurs in penile fractures was managed successfully with early exploration and closure of the tunical tear, while injuries to the penile skin was managed with dressing and secondary closure. Severe penile injuries resulting in partial or total phallic loss presented the most challenge to treatment.Conclusion: Traumatic penile injuries are not common. Severe penile injuries could be challenging because of the nature of the injuries, delayed presentation and unavailability of modern technological tools and experience required for the treatment of such severe injuries. Expertise in the use of flaps for a neophallus are still been developed, and penile prosthetic devices are not readily available in our setting.Key words: Injuries, management, penile, traumati

Success of nephron-sparing surgery in the treatment of localized renal cell carcinoma

Advancement in imaging techniques has now made it possible for small renal tumors to be detected incidentally. This has led to the use of minimally invasive techniques for treatment of these cases. A 33-year-old woman was diagnosed to have a small renal mass after routine abdominal ultrasonography for epigastric discomfort. Computed tomography scan was used to characterize the mass, and an elective partial nephrectomy was successfully carried out. The procedure is safe, less morbid, and has good oncological outcome

Sensitivity of high-resolution satellite sensor imagery to regenerating forest age and site preparation for wildlife habitat analysis

In west-central Alberta increased landscape fragmentation has lead to increased human use, having negative effects on wildlife such as the grizzly bear (Ursus arctos L.). Recently, grizzly bears in the Foothills Model Forest were found to select clear cuts of different age ranges as habitat and selected or avoided certain clear cuts depending on the site preparation process employed. Satellite remote sensing offers a practical and cost-effective method by which cut areas, their age, and site preparation activities can be quantified. This thesis examines the utility of spectral reflectance of SPOT-5 pansharpened imagery (2.5m spatial resolution) to identify and map 44 regenerating stands sampled in August 2005. Using object based classification with the Normalized Difference Moisture Index (NDMI), green, and short wave infrared (SWIR) bands, 90% accuracy can be achieved in the detection of forest disturbance. Forest structural parameters were used to calculate the structural complexity index (SCI), the first loading of a principal components analysis. The NDMI, first-order standard deviation and second-order correlation texture measures were better able to explain differences in SCI among the 44 forest stands (R2=0.74). The best window size for the texture measures was 5x5, indicating that this is a measure only detectable at a very high spatial resolution. Age classes of these cut blocks were analysed using linear discriminant analysis and best separated (82.5%) with the SWIR and green spectral bands, second order correlation under a 25x25 window, and the predicted SCI. Site preparation was best classified (90.9%) using the NDMI and homogeneity texture under a 5x5 window. Future applications from this research include the selection of high probability grizzly habitat for high spatial resolution imagery acquisition for detailed mapping initiatives

Persepsi Kaunselor terhadap Isu berkaitan Bunuh Diri dan Idea Membunuh Diri: Satu Analisa

Bunuh diri merupakan suatu isu yang menjadi perhatian dalam profesion Kaunseling semenjak dahulu lagi. Mutakhir ini, klien yang datang dengan isu-isu etika yang mencabar seperti bunuh diri memilih kaunseling sebagai terapi rasional bagi pencegahan melalui pertimbangan diri. Analisa literature mendapati terdapat cabaran-cabaran berkaitan isu ini dengan profesion Kaunseling dan mengenalpasti hubungan antara kepercayaan peribadi kaunselor tentang bunuh diri dan sikap beliau terhadap klien yang menyatakan “Idea untuk membunuh diri”. Persepsi kaunselor dilihat dari sudut pengetahuan, latihan, keagamaan, nilai dan kepercayaan peribadi kaunselor juga tanggapan mereka terhadap kematian. Hasil analisa mendapati bahawa persepsi kaunselor terhadap isu bunuh diri dan idea untuk membunuh diri oleh klien terbahagi kepada dua bahagian Utama iaitu pertama Bunuh Diri merupakan satu pilihan, kedua Bunuh diri atau Idea untuk membunuh diri disebabkan beberapa faktor iaitu putus asa, kegagalan, keraguan dan dasar tanggungjawab. Implikasinya beberapa perkara perlu diberi perhatian seperti latihan kaunselor, amalan klinikal dan penyelidikan lanjut di masa hadapan perlu dilaksanakan

Diagnosis of prostate cancer with needle biopsy: Should all cases be biopsied before treatment?

Background: The triad of digital rectal examination (DRE), serum prostate specific antigen, and transrectal ultrasound‑guided prostate biopsy is used in the detection of prostate cancer (PCa). It is recommended that all cases of PCa should be diagnosed with needle biopsy before treatment. The exclusion criteria for those that may not be suitable have not yet been defined. Materials and Methods: We reviewed all the patients diagnosed with PCa at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital Nnewi, Southeast, Nigeria, from January 2007 to December 2010. Relevant biodata and method of diagnosis of PCa before treatment were reviewed. Results: A total of 133 patients had bilateral orchidectomy over the period. 120 (90.2%) had their diagnosis confirmed by needle biopsy before bilateral orchidectomy (category 1), while 13 (9.8%) had bilateral orchidectomy before diagnosis was confirmed. The method of diagnosis for category 1 patients was with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), abnormal DRE findings, elevated prostate‑specific antigen (PSA), and transrectal needle biopsy. For category 11 patients, diagnosis of PCa was suspected based on LUTS, abnormal DRE findings, and elevated PSA. Of this number, 11 (84.6%) had, in addition, sudden onset paraplegia at presentation, while 2 (15.4%) had severe uncontrolled hematuria at presentation. All the patients in both categories had needle biopsy confirmation of their disease. The sensitivity of PSA was 99.2%. Conclusion: Needle biopsy of the prostate is the preferred method for the diagnosis of PCa in most cases before treatment is undertaken. There are valid reasons why all PCas will not be diagnosed in this fashion. Elevated PSA when combined with an abnormal DRE finding increases the predictive value for cancer. In areas where pathologists are lacking, abnormal DRE and elevated PSA results can be a guide to proceed to treatment especially, where there is severe compromise of patients’ quality of life due to symptoms of advanced PCa while awaiting confirmation.Keywords: Bilateral orchidectomy, needle biopsy, prostate cancerNigerian Journal of Clinical Practice •Jan-Mar 2012 • Vol 15 • Issue