Soft tissue coverage techniques for management of open fractures of tibia (type IIIB)

Background: Open fractures are surgical emergencies; incidence of open fractures is increasing with more high-energy road traffic accidents. The tibia is exposed to frequent injury because of its location. The need for aggressive debridement, adequate fracture fixation, and early flap coverage in reducing the morbidity cannot be over emphasized.Methods: Treatment of open fracture by immediate debridement and anatomical fracture reduction using external fixator device. Gastrocnemius muscle flap done in upper 1/3 open fractures (type IIIB) with larger defects along with split thickness skin graft (STSG). In middle and lower 1/3 open fractures (type IIIB), fasciocutaneous and soleus muscle flaps done with relatively smaller soft tissue defects and exposed bone with STSG.Results: The study included 15 patients with open tibia fracture Gustillo Anderson type IIIB classified after the initial debridement. Excellent flap takes up was seen in all cases. 11 cases (73.3%) achieved union at the end of 6 months follow-up while 4 cases (26.7%) showed delayed union which required additional procedures like BMI or bone graft.Conclusions: Soft tissue coverage techniques like fascicutaneous flap, gastrocnemius and soleus muscle flap had a definitive role in the management of open fractures of tibia (type IIIB)

Using SIMCTS framework to model determinants of customer satisfaction: a case in an ISP

In this paper we describe a call center simulation case study that uses real data obtained from an Internet Service Provider (ISP). The case study is conducted using SIMCTS (Simulation Modelling and Analysis of Customer Satisfaction Patterns for Telecommunication Service Providers) framework [25]. The applicability of this framework to model ISP business scenario is discussed in detail. The simulation case study reveal that the dimensions of service quality have huge impact on customer satisfaction and also provide valuable insight in to gap analysis of customer perception and expectation. Various key satisfaction variables in relation to call center are modelled using SIMAN simulation language and ARENA simulation software. The simulation case study investigates service quality dimension, technical (or) functional service quality and their role in evaluation of overall satisfaction judgment. The simulation model collects transient performance measures which can be used to make competitive marketing decisions

Genomic Approaches to Enhance Stress Tolerance for Productivity Improvements in Pearl Millet

Pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.], the sixth most important cereal crop (after rice, wheat, maize, barley, and sorghum), is grown as a grain and stover crop by the small holder farmers in the harshest cropping environments of the arid and semiarid tropical regions of sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Millet is grown on ~31 million hectares globally with India in South Asia; Nigeria, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali in western and central Africa; and Sudan, Uganda, and Tanzania in Eastern Africa as the major producers. Pearl millet provides food and nutritional security to more than 500 million of the world’s poorest and most nutritionally insecure people. Global pearl millet production has increased over the past 15 years, primarily due to availability of improved genetics and adoption of hybrids in India and expanding area under pearl millet production in West Africa. Pearl millet production is challenged by various biotic and abiotic stresses resulting in a significant reduction in yields. The genomics research in pearl millet lagged behind because of multiple reasons in the past. However, in the recent past, several efforts were initiated in genomic research resulting into a generation of large amounts of genomic resources and information including recently published sequence of the reference genome and re-sequencing of almost 1000 lines representing the global diversity. This chapter reviews the advances made in generating the genetic and genomics resources in pearl millet and their interventions in improving the stress tolerance to improve the productivity of this very important climate-smart nutri-cereal

Framework identifying the heterogeneous resource constraints faced by women entrepreneurs at the planning and managing stages

The aim of this research was to explore and identify the underlying dynamics in women entrepreneurship in the Sydney metropolitan region in Australia. While the main focus was on constraints and barriers, women in business face in general, the paper also specifically puts forth self-reported challenges about obtaining resources in the form of skills constraint, funding and network and support services. The goal is to understand the experiences of the Australian women entrepreneurs and recognise the constraints in resource requirements at varied stages of their business and the challenging environment in which they operate. This research found that challenges that the potential and the existing women entrepreneurs face can be divided into two areas: (a) barriers affecting women considering or planning a career in small business and (b) problems experienced by women managing their own business. Both groups identified the significance of access to varied resources for the survival and success of their business and pointed out that it was difficult to get a good mix of all these resources as the resource requirement in each case were heterogeneous at the varied stages of their business. Using the resource-based theory, this study recognizes the significance of heterogeneous resources at different stages in the business owned by women in Australia. The research identifies, firm-level factors and resource requirements for the survival and performance of women owned business in Australia. This study concludes that although human, social and financial resources are vital at each stage of the women owned business, the human capital requirement are stronger at the planning stages to set their business afloat and the social capital requirements are stronger at the managing stage for the survival of their business.22 page(s

Higher education students' attitudes towards experiential learning in international business

Using qualitative and quantitative analysis this paper presents a teaching model based on experiential learning in a large ‘International Business’ unit. Preliminary analysis of 92 student evaluations determined the effectiveness of experiential learning to allow students to explore the association between theory and practice. The analysis of the student responses identify that the students were able to complete all four stages of Kolb's Learning Styles Inventory (KLSI), the components of experience, critical reflection, abstract conceptualization, active experimentation, through the participation in experiential activities in this unit.The cognitive and affective experiences of students learning were measured using a battery of 15 Likert scale items. The scores for all the 15 items were found to be significantly above the scale midpoint of 3 validating a positive learning experience. The respondents were strongly of the opinion that the experiential learning activities helped them learn (Cognitive) and they liked participating in the activity (Affective). The attitudinal scores of Asian students were compared to the other students and a significant difference was found in only one of the 15 attitudinal items of the likert scale administered to the students. The Asian students found experiential activities material too complex as opposed to the other students.18 page(s

The Efficacy of web-based teaching in experiential learning

Experiential learning is learning by doing and participating in activities that result in hands on approach to the transfer of knowledge. Experiential learning can be defined as a process by which the learner creates meaning from direct experience. Experiential-learning has been around for ages. It was one the first methods of educational instruction. Modern day experiential-learning theory has been mostly attributed to the works of John Dewey and David A. Kolb, but there have been contributions to the field made as far back as the French philosopher Rousseau in the early 19th century. (Kraft,1995). There are students who do not have the opportunity to participate in an off-campus internship or cooperative program due to various reasons, but there is an alternative option for students to enroll in an experiential-learning opportunity by registering for a course with an experiential-learning centered approach. The purpose of this paper is to determine the educational impact of experiential learning on the attitude and the performance of students in an “International Business unit”. The paper presents a teaching model based on experiential learning in the “International Business” unit at undergraduate level. Preliminary analysis of 92 student evaluations determined the efficacy of experiential learning. To evaluate the cognitive (whether they learned from the experiential activity) and affective (did they like participating in this activity) impact on student learning .To evaluate the impact of experiential learning on ones own life.12 page(s

The Aftermath of the global financial crisis : Australia's international trade position

The current notion widespread across the world today is that the worst of the GFC is over The global crisis has been accompanied by an extraordinary collapse in world trade. How does Australia's current International trade position look after the GFC? The present global financial crisis presents both major challenges and opportunities for Australian businesses Australian exporters are finding overseas orders sluggish due to declining demand in international markets or because overseas buyers are facing complexity in obtaining adequate credit. On the other hand the fall in the value of the Australian dollar is serving to make Australian products more cost competitive in global markets The global financial crisis and today's vibrant trade environment- means that Australian industry must become accustomed to dynamic international engagement. This paper begins with an introduction of the GFC and its impact on Australia and a brief theoretical evidence of a relation between trade and crisis The next section discusses the impact of the crisis on global trade and introduces key pragmatic indices that give a succinct indication of its scale and scope The paper concludes with an assessment of the GFC's implication for Australia's international trade.23 page(s

The Global financial crisis and Australia’s international trade position

The current notion rampant throughout the world today is that the worst of the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) is over. Are we truly over and done with the GFC? The global financial crisis had been accompanied by an extraordinary collapse in world trade. Australia stood up to the GFC much better than most other countries and notably trade was seen to be stable and steady. What is the rationale for this? This paper explores the impact of the GFC on trade and Australia's distinctive position. How does Australia's trade position look today? The global financial crisis created major challenges and opportunities for Australia. But Australian products were seen to be more cost competitive in the global markets and they retained strong relations with their traditional trading partners in the European Union and United Kingdom during the course of the GFC and stepped up trade with the emerging markets in Asia. Today, after the GFC, Australian exporters are seeing a slowdown in business due to waning demands from international markets. The GFC and today's vibrant trade environment means that Australian industry must become accustomed to dynamic international engagement. This paper presents concise theoretical evidence supporting the relation between trade and crisis before moving to the appraisal of the GFC and its impact globally and on Australia's trade in particular. It presents key pragmatic indices that give a succinct indication of its scale and scope. The paper concludes with an assessment of the GFC's implication for Australia's International trade position and illustrates the factors supporting Australia's sustainable trade position during the GFC.26 page(s

Alternative modes of teaching international business : online experiential learning

21 page(s