Ventilatory functions response to breathing training versus aerobic training in asthmatic children

Background: There is worldwide public interest in physical therapies for asthma. Objective: To compare the effects of a program of breathing training and aerobic training on ventilatory functions in children with bronchial asthma. Methods: Forty asthmatic children from both genders (22 boys and 18 girls) were recruited to participate with age range 6-13 years. The children were divided into two groups of equal number, group A received a program of breathing training and group B received a program of aerobic training on cycle ergometer three times per week for three months. Ventilatory functions were measured before beginning and after finishing the training. Results: The results showed high statistical significant differences in the FVC, FEV1, PEF, FEF25-75% and MVV within each group while on comparing the two groups, the ventilatory functions were comparable. Conclusion: Breathing training and aerobic training can be used as a safe complement to medical treatment in asthma.Keywords: Asthmatic children; ventilatory functions, breathing training; aerobic trainingEgypt J Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2012;10(1):33-3

Effect of oxytocin infusion versus tranexamic acid on reducing blood loss during hysteroscopic myomectomy: a randomized controlled trial

Background: Women undergoing hysteroscopic myomectomy are prone to significant blood loss and hematological disturbances. Oxytocin is a uterotonic drug, used mainly in obstetric practice. Tranexamic acid is a haemostatic drug that has been used to reduce blood loss after trauma and in many surgeries. The aim of our study was to compare the safety and efficacy of oxytocin versus tranexamic acid in reducing perioperative blood loss during hysteroscopic myomectomy.Methods: This study included 60 patients scheduled for hysteroscopic myomectomy allocated into 2 groups: group A: received 10 mg/kg of tranexamic acid slowly intravenous after induction of anesthesia, while group B: received infusion of 10 IU of oxytocin at a rate of 400 mIU/min throughout the procedure. Preoperative and postoperative hemoglobin and hematocrit levels, need for blood transfusion, duration of operation, complications and medications adverse effects were recorded.Results: The 2 groups were comparable in terms of the mean difference between preoperative and postoperative hemoglobin a hematocrit levels, operative time, operative complication and medications’ adverse effects. No patients needed blood component transfusion in either group.Conclusions: It can be concluded that tranexamic acid and oxytocin are equally effective in reducing blood loss and transfusion requirements during hysteroscopic myomectomy with comparable good safety profiles. Both of them can be used according to availability and surgeon preferences

The interplay between related party transactions and earnings management: The role of audit quality

Related Party Transactions (RPTs) are considered a potential tool for shareholder wealth expropriation as they offer opportunities to transfer wealth between the firm and related parties. While considerable evidence has reported on the negative consequences of RPTs (declines in shareholder wealth, lowered accounting quality and an increased likelihood of financial fraud), studies examining how RPTs may be used in earnings management are relatively rare. Consequently, we investigate whether RPTs are associated with real or accrual earnings management or used as a third alternative to manage reported earnings. Our study employs a sample of firms listed on the Athens Stock Exchange during the period between 2009 and 2014. Our results indicate that, on average, real earnings management and RPTs appear to be used as substitutes. However, additional tests show that this substitution is not significant if the firm is audited by one of the Big 4 auditors. Contrarily, we do not find any significant association between accrual earnings management and RPTs. Our evidence adds to understanding about the interplay between RPTs and earnings management and how audit quality can affect the relationships investigated

Monopolar Electrocautery, an Alternative Novel Method of Hemostasis During Radical Cystectomy: Preliminary Report

Objective: During radical cystectomy, local hemostasis is a critical factor for surgical success. It can be accomplished with a variety of techniques including mechanical compression, ligatures, auterization and laser. The aim of this work was to evaluate monopolar electrocautery alone for achieving hemostasis during radical cystectomy. Patients and Methods: In this prospective study 30 patients were scheduled for radical cystectomy over a period of 2 years at Al-Azhar University Hospitals using monopolar electrocautery as the only hemostatic tool. The parameters studied were: operative time, estimated blood loss and incidence of complications. The data were analyzed clinically and statistically. Results: Monopolar electrocautery as the only hemostatic tool during radical cystectomy resulted in a short operative time (35 ± 5 minutes). The mean estimated blood loss was 150 ± 50 ml. Intraoperative bleeding was encountered in 2 patients only and they received blood transfusion. The overall post-operative early (within the fi rst month) complication rate was low (13.3%) and all complications were managed conservatively. Conclusion: Monopolar electrocauterization is a safe method for achieving hemostasis during radical cystectomy, with a signifi cantly short operative time, low cost, low blood loss, a low cystectomy-related complication rate and a short hospital stay. African Journal of Urology Vol. 14 (1) 2008: pp. 23-2

Does the audit committee member’s accounting experience associated with key audit matter types?

Using a narrow view of accounting experience, this study examines the relationship between accounting experience on audit committees (ACs) and key audit matters (KAMs) in the UK. In contrast to extant research, this study distinguishes between different types of accounting experience on AC and how this relates to different types of KAMs. We also address the effects of the interplay between accounting and supervisory experiences on KAMs. Using a sample from FTSE 350, we provide robust evidence that accounting experience on ACs is an important driver of extended audit reporting quality. Moreover, we find evidence that different types of accounting experience have mostly similar effects on different types of KAMs. Further, we show that AC members with prior supervisory experience complement the role of accounting experience. Nevertheless, this complementary relationship varies between types of KAMs. Overall, our study offers important insights regarding how accounting and supervisory experience on ACs is associated with the quality of KAMs reported in the extended reports. Our results are robust to alternative sampling, model specifications, and endogeneity concerns

BER performance of OFDM signals in presence of nonlinear distortion due to SSPA

Orthogonal frequency division multiplexed signals typically exhibit large dynamic ranges due to superposition of a large number of subcarrier signals. As a result, such signals are highly vulnerable to distortion caused by high power amplifier (HPA) nonlinearity, leading to degradation in bit error rate (BER). In turn, the HPA operating point should be backed off to compensate for such degradation at the expense of the HPA efficiency. In this paper, the considered amplifier chain is a solid state power amplifier of Rapp's model. We develop the factors contributing to BER degradation in terms of the input backoff (IBO) level assuming quadrature phase shift keying modulation. Consequently, the BER performance for such an amplifier model is developed as a function in IBO. Then, we show how this developed performance can be used to determine the required HPA operating point to achieve a certain required BER. Accordingly, an improvement in the amplifier efficiency is achieved. All developed analytic expressions are compared against simulationmeasurements, which show that good agreement exists