Transforming traditional businesses doesn’t have to be an elusive goal

Firms need to develop an appetite for innovation, leverage knowledge about customers, and adopt agile ways of working, write Edivandro Carlos Conforto, Ricardo Viana Vargas, and Tahirou Assane Oumaro

Digital transformation in the wake of a crisis: focus on people

Crises differ in character, scale, and scope, but some aspects are true no matter the organisation, industry, or geography, write Edivandro Carlos Conforto, Ricardo Viana Vargas, and Tahirou Assane Oumaro

Ten questions to help you turn strategy into reality

Sustainable growth depends on delivering the right strategies the right way. Yet this is something that organisations appear ill-equipped to do. Our work at the Brightline Initiative is examining what causes the gap between strategy and implementation and how it can be closed. Our research suggests that business leaders need to answer ten key questions for their strategies to more effectively make the leap from design to delivery

Sustainability Indicators to Assess Infrastructure Projects: Sector Disclosure to Interlock with the Global Reporting Initiative

Infrastructure projects have great potential to impact the sustainability of cities due to typically being large-sized projects and having a high level of intervention. Thus, evaluating the sustainability of these projects through sustainability reports is highly relevant, mainly regarding their impacts on the environment, public health, and the local economy. The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) is the most widespread and internationally accepted Sustainability report tool. However, the GRI does not have an infrastructure sector disclosure. This research addresses this gap by providing a sustainability assessment instrument for infrastructure projects that interlocks with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). An extensive and detailed literature review was conducted, identifying 97 potential indicators to measure the sustainability of infrastructure projects. These indicators were evaluated following a top-down approach, conducting a survey of professionals experienced in the relevant field using Lawshe's content validity ratio. The results showed that 42 indicators were validated as essential, with 21 of them, not specifically related to infrastructure projects, already covered by the standard disclosure of the GRI. This assessment enabled the proposal of a sector disclosure formed by 21 new indicators related to the environmental, economic, and social dimensions. This study closes a gap in the evaluation of the sustainability of infrastructure projects and contributes to the discussion about sustainability indicators in infrastructure projects

¿Cómo innovar en cirugía en América Latina? Una propuesta para la evolución del marco IDEAL

Introduction. Innovation has driven progress in surgery through the development and application of safe and profitable procedures that focus on solving the professional’s problems. It also offers users new choices of safe and accessible techniques and alternatives. Division of Covered Topics. Innovation in surgery is based on 1) techniques; 2) improved logistics in the practice, and 3) the design and introduction of devices and tools. Innovation should be structured in frameworks such as those proposed by IDEAL (Idea, Development, Exploration, Assessment, Long term study). It is necessary to understand the need to innovate in surgery and to propose key aspects to take into consideration during the implementation of the IDEAL framework, which represents a valuable tool for the development of innovative proposals in Latin America. Conclusions. Innovation is a path towards progress and the advancement of medicine in general. It is suggested that innovative impact can be achieved by using the proposed algorithm, associating it with the realities we face in Latin America.  Introducción. La innovación ha marcado el progreso de la cirugía por medio del desarrollo y aplicación de procedimientos seguros y rentables enfocados en solucionar los problemas del profesional. Además, ofrece a los usuarios nuevas técnicas y alternativas accesibles y seguras para elegir. División de temas tratados. La innovación en cirugía se basa en: 1) técnicas; 2) mejora en la logística de la práctica; 3) e introducción, diseño de dispositivos y herramientas. El Innovar debe estructurarse basado en marcos propuestos como el Idea, Development, Exploration, Assessment, Long term study (IDEAL). Hay que comprender la necesidad de innovar en cirugía y proponer puntos clave para tener en cuenta durante la implementación del marco IDEAL, herramienta valiosa como propuesta innovadora de cirugía en Latinoamérica. Conclusiones. La innovación es un camino al progreso y avance de la medicina en general. Se propone que para lograr un impacto innovador se centre en la aplicación del algoritmo propuesto, relacionándolo con la realidad que afronta nuestra sociedad Latinoamericana

Laparoscopic choledochal cyst resection with simplified common bile duct reconstruction in an adult population: A case series

Introducción: Los quistes de colédoco (CC) son una patología congénita poco frecuente en la población adulta. Desde 1995, el manejo laparoscópico ha sido descrito para esta entidad. Sin embargo, su manejo se considera un tema controvertido debido al aumento del riesgo de colangiocarcinoma. Materiales y métodos: se realizó un estudio retrospectivo, observacional y descriptivo considerando pacientes diagnosticados de CC que fueron operados en un centro de referencia de cirugía hepatobiliar desde enero de 2013 hasta junio de 2018. Los pacientes fueron llevados a laparoscopia simplificada hepaticoyeyunostomía con reconstrucción en Y de Roux. Se presenta un análisis retrospectivo de los datos obtenidos. Resultados: Diez pacientes adultos con CC fueron sometidos a reconstrucción biliar quirúrgica a una edad media de 34,5 años; 75% tenía CC Todani tipo I y 25% Todani tipo IV-B CC. Aproximadamente el 50% de los pacientes fueron diagnosticados mediante colangiopancreatografía retrógrada endoscópica (CPRE) y el 50% de ellos mediante colangiopancreatografía por resonancia magnética. Ninguno requirió reintervención, no se informó mortalidad; y la estancia media en el hospital fue 5 días, ningún paciente tuvo fuga biliar posoperatoria, ninguno se convirtió a cirugía abierta y todos los pacientes tuvieron una tolerancia adecuada a la alimentación oral 2 días postoperatorios. El seguimiento a largo plazo no mostró incidencia de colangiocarcinoma después de un seguimiento de 2 años. Conclusión: Los quistes de colédoco en adultos son una patología poco frecuente que tiene una alta probabilidad de desarrollar malignidad cuando no se realiza de forma adecuada quirúrgicamente manejado y debido al reflujo biliar secundario. Estos factores hacen que el manejo quirúrgico sea una decisión crítica. El abordaje laparoscópico simplificado presentado en este trabajo parece ser una alternativa eficaz y segura a la cirugía reconstructiva de la vía biliar.Introduction: Choledochal cysts (CC) are rare congenital pathology in adult population. Since 1995, laparoscopic management has been described for this entity. Nevertheless, its management is considered to be a controversial matter due to the augmented risk of associated cholangiocarcinoma. Materials and methods: A retrospective, observational, and descriptive study was conducted considering patients diagnosed with CC who were operated at a hepatobiliary surgery referral center from January 2013 to June 2018. Patients were taken to simplified laparoscopic hepaticojejunostomy with a Roux-en-Y reconstruction. A retrospective analysis of the data obtained is presented. Results: Ten adult patients with CC underwent surgical biliary reconstruction at a mean age of 34.5 years; 75% had Todani type I CC and 25% Todani type IV-B CC. About 50% of the patients were diagnosed via endoscopic retrograde holangiopancreatography (ERCP) and 50% of them via magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography. None required re-intervention, no mortality was reported; and the mean hospital stay was 5 days, no patient had postoperative biliary leakage, none was converted to open surgery, and all patients had adequate oral feeding tolerance 2 days postoperative. Long-term follow-up showed no incidence of cholangiocarcinoma after 2-year follow-up. Conclusion: Choledochal cysts in adults is a rare pathology that has a high probability of developing malignancy when not adequately surgically managed and because of secondary bile reflux. These factors make surgical management a critical decision. The simplified laparoscopic approach presented in this paper seems to be an effective and safe alternative to biliary duct reconstructive surgery

Planejamento familiar e o impacto da laqueadura na taxa de natalidade no Brasil: uma revisão sistemática : Family planning and the impact of tubal sterilization in Brazil: a systematic review

Ao se buscar compreender o desenvolvimento social brasileiro, uma variável a ser considerada são os níveis de natalidade da nossa população e os métodos de organização e planejamento das famílias brasileiras, desta maneira este tem como objetivo fazer uma análise sistemática da relação entre as taxas de natalidade e o desenvolvimento de intervenções como a laqueadura, para tal este se embasou no método de pesquisa qualitativo com ênfase no levantamento bibliográfico. Concluindo que há uma relação muito íntima entre os métodos de contracepção e a queda de natalidade média brasileira

Height and body-mass index trajectories of school-aged children and adolescents from 1985 to 2019 in 200 countries and territories: a pooled analysis of 2181 population-based studies with 65 million participants

Summary Background Comparable global data on health and nutrition of school-aged children and adolescents are scarce. We aimed to estimate age trajectories and time trends in mean height and mean body-mass index (BMI), which measures weight gain beyond what is expected from height gain, for school-aged children and adolescents. Methods For this pooled analysis, we used a database of cardiometabolic risk factors collated by the Non-Communicable Disease Risk Factor Collaboration. We applied a Bayesian hierarchical model to estimate trends from 1985 to 2019 in mean height and mean BMI in 1-year age groups for ages 5–19 years. The model allowed for non-linear changes over time in mean height and mean BMI and for non-linear changes with age of children and adolescents, including periods of rapid growth during adolescence. Findings We pooled data from 2181 population-based studies, with measurements of height and weight in 65 million participants in 200 countries and territories. In 2019, we estimated a difference of 20 cm or higher in mean height of 19-year-old adolescents between countries with the tallest populations (the Netherlands, Montenegro, Estonia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina for boys; and the Netherlands, Montenegro, Denmark, and Iceland for girls) and those with the shortest populations (Timor-Leste, Laos, Solomon Islands, and Papua New Guinea for boys; and Guatemala, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Timor-Leste for girls). In the same year, the difference between the highest mean BMI (in Pacific island countries, Kuwait, Bahrain, The Bahamas, Chile, the USA, and New Zealand for both boys and girls and in South Africa for girls) and lowest mean BMI (in India, Bangladesh, Timor-Leste, Ethiopia, and Chad for boys and girls; and in Japan and Romania for girls) was approximately 9–10 kg/m2. In some countries, children aged 5 years started with healthier height or BMI than the global median and, in some cases, as healthy as the best performing countries, but they became progressively less healthy compared with their comparators as they grew older by not growing as tall (eg, boys in Austria and Barbados, and girls in Belgium and Puerto Rico) or gaining too much weight for their height (eg, girls and boys in Kuwait, Bahrain, Fiji, Jamaica, and Mexico; and girls in South Africa and New Zealand). In other countries, growing children overtook the height of their comparators (eg, Latvia, Czech Republic, Morocco, and Iran) or curbed their weight gain (eg, Italy, France, and Croatia) in late childhood and adolescence. When changes in both height and BMI were considered, girls in South Korea, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and some central Asian countries (eg, Armenia and Azerbaijan), and boys in central and western Europe (eg, Portugal, Denmark, Poland, and Montenegro) had the healthiest changes in anthropometric status over the past 3·5 decades because, compared with children and adolescents in other countries, they had a much larger gain in height than they did in BMI. The unhealthiest changes—gaining too little height, too much weight for their height compared with children in other countries, or both—occurred in many countries in sub-Saharan Africa, New Zealand, and the USA for boys and girls; in Malaysia and some Pacific island nations for boys; and in Mexico for girls. Interpretation The height and BMI trajectories over age and time of school-aged children and adolescents are highly variable across countries, which indicates heterogeneous nutritional quality and lifelong health advantages and risks