Digital Commons Network^™

Extract From D. Richard Mcdonald & Jeanne M. Moloney, Correcting Incomplete Corporate Records, Michigan Business Law Journal (2009) (Practitioner Edited), Citing Bigler & Tillman's Void Or Voidable, Seth Barrett Tillman

Seth Barrett Tillman

This is an extract from D. Richard McDonald & Jeanne M. Moloney, Correcting Incomplete Corporate Records, Mich. Bus. L.J., Fall 2009, at 31 n.2, 34 nn.36, 41 (2009) (practitioners' journal), citing Bigler & Tillman's Void or Voidable.

[November 8, 2010]

Steady State Analysis Of Unified Power Flow Controllers, Omar H. Abdalla, Mohamed A. E. Ghazy, Lotfy M. Lotfy, Nermeen A. M. Hassan

Omar H. Abdalla

The paper presents a tutorial review of the basic operation, control functions and steady state performance of a Unified Power Flow Controller (UPFC). A typical circuit arrangement of a UPFC is given and principles of controlling active and reactive powers are described. The main functions of UPFC are analyzed; including voltage regulation, series reactive compensation, phase compensation, and combined actions. A simplified two-bus power system is considered to demonstrate the main effects of the UPFC. Studies and results are presented to show the wide range capabilities of the UPFC in controlling transmission active and reactive powers simultaneously and/or independently.

Effects Of Rsa Feedback On Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptomatology, Phillip Fourie

Phillip Fourie

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is one of the Anxiety Disorders, with particularly debilitating effects due to flashbacks and hypervigilance in daily life. Treatments commonly focus upon either pharmacological or psychotherapeutic modalities, but there is often a need to merge both of these approaches so as to deal effectively with the somatic as well as the psychological symptoms of PTSD in particular clients. This case study reports the application of a combined approach, using both client-centered counselling plus biofeedback of respiratory sinus arrhythmia to train the client to control his exaggerated sympathetic nervous system responses. Results indicated that both physiological and …

Influenza Vaccine For Preventing Acute Otitis Media In Infants And Children [Protocol], Elspeth Kay, K. Ng, A. Salmon, Chris Del Mar

Christopher Del Mar

This is the protocol for a review. The objectives are as follows: To assess the effects of influenza vaccination, compared to no vaccination, on the occurrence of acute otitis media in infants and young children.

Check Unit: Evidence Based Medicine, Chris Del Mar, Jenny Doust

Christopher Del Mar

Extract: This is an updated version of an original check unit on evidence based medicine (EBM) written by Chris Del Mar, Paul Glasziou and Chris Silagy in 1999. Our aim for this unit is to present a practical strategy in learning to use EBM in our every day practice. To practise EBM means to make clinical decisions based on the best evidence currently available. It sounds simple, however, the ‘devil’ is in the detail! Exactly how do we go about it? On completion of this unit we hope that participants will: • appreciate the role that EBM can play in …

Matters Of Life And Death: Key Writings, Chris Del Mar

Christopher Del Mar

Extract These essays from the pricker of British medical establishment conscience are thought-provoking and controversial.

Early Management Of Meningococcal Disease: Do Attitudes Of Gps Influence Practice?, Kari Jarvinen, Linda Selvey, Chris Del Mar, Michael Tilse, Robyn Pugh

Christopher Del Mar

BACKGROUND Survival from early meningococcal disease might be improved if general practitioners followed guidelines by immediately administering parenteral antibiotics (before hospital referral). METHODS Structured telephone interviews with 20 GPs who had previously treated meningococcal cases. RESULTS General practitioners knew guideline recommendations for early management of meningococcal disease: early parenteral antibiotics would be given by about half the GPs entertaining a diagnosis of meningococcal infection. Barriers to immediate treatment were: diagnostic uncertainty, regarding the case as nonurgent, and practising close to a hospital. DISCUSSION Diagnosing meningococcal disease is difficult in general practice. Early antibiotic administration for suspected cases is appropriate even …

Using N-Of-1 Trials As A Clinical Tool To Improve Prescribing, Catherine Jane Nikles, Alexandra M. Clavarino, Chris Del Mar

Christopher Del Mar

Background: N-of-1 trials are within-patient, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over comparisons of two drugs for chronic illnesses. We have investigated the use of these, offered to doctors as individualised medication effectiveness tests (IMETs), as a tool to improve drug prescribing. Aim: To examine patient perspectives and experiences of n-of-1 trials. Design of study: We provided n-of-1 trials for osteoarthritis (OA), comparing paracetamol and ibuprofen; and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), comparing dexamphetamine or methylphenidate and placebo. Patients or their carers were surveyed before and after the trials by questionnaire, and after the trial by semi-structured interview with thematic analysis. Setting: Australian …

Letter: "Drink Plenty Of Fluids" Authors' Reply, Michelle P. B. Guppy, Sharon M. Mickan, Chris Del Mar

Christopher Del Mar

"Drink plenty of fluids" - Recommendations are not supported by data - [Authors' reply]. Let us look deeper at the indirect evidence. Two case reports describe children with only infections of the upper respiratory tract with hyponatraemia and seizures. In infections of the lower respiratory tract, observational studies show that increased secretion of antidiuretic hormone occurs in bronchiolitis, where it is the norm. It is becoming standard management to advise careful monitoring and restriction of fluid intake with bronchiolitis.

Research Papers Submitted To Australian Family Physician - Types And Timelines, Rachel Green, Chris Del Mar

Christopher Del Mar

BACKGROUND Articles published in the research section of Australian Family Physician (AFP) are subject to an editorial process comprising several stages. METHOD Timelines tracking the movement of each research manuscript submitted to AFP from 2002-2004 through all stages of the editorial process were constructed. Of 179 papers, 130 had sufficiently progressed to be included in this study. Manuscripts were grouped by subject matter into eight categories. RESULTS Waiting for authors' responses to editorial feedback (with reviewers' reports) was the greatest cause of delay to AFP editorial processes. Peer reviewers took 43 (SD: 102) days to return their report. Authors took …

General Practitioner, Specialist Providers Case Conferences In Palliative Care: Lessons Learned From 56 Case Conferences, Geoffrey Mitchell, Margaret Cherry, Rosemary Kennedy, Karen Weeden, Letty Burridge, Alexandra Clavarino, Peter O'Rourke, Chris Del Mar

Christopher Del Mar

OBJECTIVE: To describe the utility and acceptability to general practitioners and palliative care staff of case conferences in palliative care. METHOD: Research focussed on case conferences conducted between GPs and staff of three specialist palliative care units (in an inner urban, outer metropolitan and regional setting), at the time of referral of patients to the service. Telephone interviews were conducted with all GPs who participated in a case conference, and focus groups were conducted with palliative care staff. RESULTS: For most GPs, case conferences by teleconference were a time effective and immediate means of information transfer. The best instances for …

Topical Analgesia For Acute Otitis Media, Ruth Foxlee, Ann-Charlotte Johansson, Jessika Wejfalk, Liz Dooley, Chris Del Mar

Christopher Del Mar

Background Acute otitis media (AOM) is a spontaneously remitting disease for which pain is the most distressing symptom. Antibiotics are now known to have less benefit than previously assumed. Objectives To assess the effectiveness of topical analgesia for AOM. Search strategy We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (The Cochrane Library Issue 2, 2006), MEDLINE (1966 to May Week 3 2006), EMBASE (1990 to December 2005) and LILACS (1982 to September 2005) without language restriction, and the reference lists of articles. We also contacted manufacturers and authors. Selection criteria Double-blind randomised or quasi-randomised controlled trials comparing an …

Non-Antibiotic Treatments For Sore Throat [Protocol], D. Francis, Chris Del Mar, M. Thomas, Paul Glasziou

Christopher Del Mar

This is the protocol for a review. The objective is as follows: 1. To determine the effect of non-antibiotic treatments in the management of sore throat in children and adults.

The View From Two Sides: A Qualitative Study Of Community And Medical Perspectives On Screening For Colorectal Cancer Using Fobt, Alexandra M. Clavarino, Monika Janda, Karen L. Hughes, Chris Del Mar, Shilu Tong, Warren R. Stanton, Joanne F. Aitken, Barbara A. Leggett, Beth Newman

Christopher Del Mar

Background. Population-wide screening for people at average risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) by faecal occult blood test (FOBT) is under consideration in Australia. Methods. Qualitative methods were used to examine the views of community members who did (n = 18) or did not (n = 12) participate in a pilot program of FOBT screening. In addition, views were obtained from general practitioners (GPs) and specialist gastroenterologists directly involved in the implementation of the program. Two focus group sessions were conducted with screening participants and interviews were conducted with non-participants, GPs and gastroenterologists. Results. The findings suggest that CRC screening by …

Models Of Disease, Chris Del Mar, Jenny Doust, Paul Glasziou

Christopher Del Mar

[Excerpt] What we will do here is set out some models of disease, and then apply them to some clinical problems to see how the models shape up. The models of disease we discuss are not all mutually exclusive, but different ways of viewing the clinical problems we encounter. The models include: *Cause and effect models, and their several variants; *‘edge of the distribution’ illnesses (also known as ‘spectrum disorders’); *Spontaneously remitting and self-perpetuating illnesses; and *‘alternative’ medicine models. These are all ‘transparent box’ approaches to disease: that is, a model of how the disease works, which in turn should …

Delayed Antibiotics For Symptoms And Complications Of Respiratory Infections [Review], Geoffrey K.P. Spurling, Chris Del Mar, Liz Dooley, Ruth Foxlee

Christopher Del Mar

Background: Providing patients with a prescription for antibiotics but suggesting delaying their use is a strategy that reduces antibiotic use. This review asks what effect this practice has on the clinical course of the illness. Objectives: To evaluate the clinical effect of delayed antibiotic use in acute upper respiratory tract infections compared to immediate use of antibiotics. Search strategy: The following electronic databases were searched: the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (The Cochrane Library Issue 1, 2004), MEDLINE (January 1966 to January Week 1 2004), EMBASE (1990 to September 2003) and Current Contents (1998 to 2003). Selection criteria: …

Does Legislation Reduce Harm To Doctors Who Prescribe For Themselves?, Margaret Kay, Chris Del Mar, Geoffrey Mitchell

Christopher Del Mar

OBJECTIVE To consider the issue of legislation restricting self prescribing by doctors.

METHOD Searches of the medical literature in Medline, Australian Medical Index and CINAHL using the terms ‘medical’, ‘legislation’ and ‘physician impairment’from 1966–2003 supplemented by checking citations of review papers.

RESULTS We found 144 articles, although no trials of legislation. The remaining research was inadequate to answer the question of whether restricting self prescribing reduces doctor impairment. However, descriptive studies suggest that impairment attributed to self prescribing is most often from self administration, which is not altered by legislation to restrict self prescribing.

DISCUSSION There are important theoretical adverse …

General Practice Research, Deborah Askew, Chris Del Mar, Brian R. Mcavoy, David Lyle

Christopher Del Mar

This chapter sketches the current status of general practice research in Australia and includes suggestions for enhancing it.

Clinical Diagnosis And Management Of Suspicious Pigmented Skin Lesions: A Survey Of Gps, Peter D. Baade, Chris Del Mar, John B. Lowe, Warren R. Stanton, Kevin P. Balanda

Christopher Del Mar

BACKGROUND The ability of general practitioners to make important clinical decisions about the diagnosis and management of skin lesions is poorly understood. METHODS A questionnaire on the diagnosis and management of eight photographed skin lesions was sent to 150 GPs in southeast Queensland. RESULTS The questionnaire was completed by 114 GPs (response rate 77%). General practitioners’ provisional diagnoses and management of photographed skin lesions were mostly or always correct, and there was general high consistency between diagnosis and intended management. Pigmented seborrhoeic keratoses were the most difficult lesions for GPs to diagnose correctly. Whether a lesion was different to usual …

Safety Of Neuraminidase Inhibitors For Influenza, Mark Jones, Chris Del Mar

Christopher Del Mar

Neuraminidase inhibitors, oseltamivir and zanamivir, are used for the treatment of, and protection from, influenza. The safety of these compounds has been assessed in systematic reviews. However, the data presented are somewhat limited by the paucity of good quality adverse event data available. The majority of safety outcomes are based on evidence from just one or two randomised controlled trials. The results of the systematic reviews suggest that neuraminidase inhibitors have a reasonable side effect and adverse effect profile if they are to be used to treat or protect patients against a life-threatening disease. However, if these compounds are to …

"Drink Plenty Of Fluids": A Systematic Review Of Evidence For This Recommendation In Acute Respiratory Infections, Michelle P. B. Guppy, Sharon M. Mickan, Chris Del Mar

Christopher Del Mar

Doctors often recommend drinking extra fluids to patients with respiratory infections. Theoretical benefits for this advice are replacing insensible fluid losses from fever and respiratory tract evaporation, correcting dehydration from reduced intake, and reducing the viscosity of mucus. However there are theoretical reasons for increased fluid intake to cause harm. Giving extra fluids while antidiuretic hormone secretion is increased (reported in some lower respiratory tract infections) may theoretically lead to hyponatraemia and fluid overload. Despite a systematic review to determine whether recommending increased fluids was beneficial or harmful no randomised controlled trials comparing increased and restricted fluid regimens in patients …

Pleistocene Human Footprints From The Willandra Lakes, Southeastern Australia, Steve Webb, Matthew L. Cupper, Richard Robins

Steve Webb

Human and other hominid fossil footprints provide rare but important insights into anatomy and behaviour. Here we report recently discovered fossil trackways of human footprints from the Willandra Lakes region of western New South Wales, Australia. Optically dated to between 19-23 ka and consisting of at least 124 prints, the trackways form the largest collection of Pleistocene human footprints in the world. The prints were made by adults, adolescents, and children traversing the moist surface of an ephemeral soak. This site offers a unique glimpse of humans living in the arid inland of Australia at the height of the last …

Liability For Unconscionable And Misleading Conduct In Commercial Dealings: Balancing Commercial Morality And Individual Responsibility, Brenda Marshall

Brenda Marshall

Pursuant to Part IVA and section 52 of the Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth) corporations are prohibited from engaging in 'unconscionable' and 'misleading or deceptive' conduct. The statutory provisions are not limited to consumer transactions but extend to cover the pre-contractual and contractual relationships entered into between commercial parties themselves. In recent times, concerns have been raised that the provisions are causing widespread uncertainty among business persons, resulting in much complex and costly litigation. This paper explores the rationale for including private commercial conduct within the scope of Part IVA and section 52, finding that the unifying theme of 'commercial …

Access To ‘Essential Facilities’ Under Part Iiia Of The Trade Practices Act: Implementing The Legislative Regime, Brenda Marshall, Rachael Mulheron

Brenda Marshall

This article reviews the operative provisions of Part IIIA and examines their implementation to date. The article begins by tracing the development of the ‘essential facilities doctrine’ (a judicial response to the essential facilities problem) in the United States. With that discussion as background, Australia’s decision to enact a separate regime to govern access to essential facilities is then explained. This is followed by a detailed consideration of the legislative requirements of Part IIIA, together with an analysis of recent access proceedings. The article ends on a positive note, concluding that, with some streamlining of regulatory function, the access regime …

Refusals To Supply Under Section 46 Of The Trade Practices Act: Misuse Of Market Power Or Legitimate Business Conduct?, Brenda Marshall

Brenda Marshall

[extract] As this article demonstrates, a refusal to supply will be excused by the courts provided there is some legitimate business explanation for it. Of necessity, this approach requires a case-by-case examination of the relevant factual matrix, but within the parameters established by judicial pronouncement. This article contends, therefore, that critics who assert the lack of 'any coherent framework' for the application of s 46 in refusal to supply cases have overlooked the significance of legitimate business reasons offered (or omitted) by the defendant corporation in justification of its conduct. To provide context for this discussion, the article first reflects …

What Determines Differences In Foreign Bank Efficiency? Australian Evidence, Jan-Egbert Sturm, Barry Williams

Barry Williams

This study examines the factors that determine difference in efficiency of foreign bank in the host market (Australia). The impact of home market, host market and parent bank characteristics are considered within the frameworks offered by comparative advantage and new trade theories. Parametric distance functions are used to estimate the efficiency of foreign banks in Australia, and the robustness of model specification is tested using both general to specific modelling and extreme bounds analysis. It is found that following clients reduces the efficiency of profit creation. Incumbent bank's market share acts as a barrier to entry, while parent bank profits …

Exclusionary Rule Hanging On By A Thread, Timothy O'Neill

Timothy P. O'Neill

Youth Violence Reduction Literature Review, Christine Yalda, William Crawley, Dana Bonnell, Melinda Furtaw, Aaron Rider

Christine A. Yalda

No abstract provided.

Testing Twin Deficits Hypothesis Using Vars And Variance Decomposition, Ahmad Zubaidi Baharumshah, Evan Lau, Ahmed M. Khalid

Ahmed Khalid

This paper examines the twin deficits hypothesis in the ASEAN countries. The major findings of this paper are the following. (1) Long run relationships are detected between budget and current account deficits. (2) The Keynesian view fits well for Thailand since the causality runs from budget deficit to current account deficit. For Indonesia, the causality runs in an opposite direction while the empirical results indicate that a bidirectional pattern of causality exists for Malaysia and the Philippines. (3) We also found support for an indirect causal relationship that runs from budget deficit to higher interest rates, and higher interest rates …

Financial Market Contagion: Evidence From The Asian Crisis Using A Multivariate Garch Approach, Ahmed M. Khalid, Gulasekaran Rajaguru

Ahmed Khalid

Recent trends of globalization and financial market internationalization have exposed the vulnerability of many emerging financial markets to external shocks and spillover effects from regional crisis. It is believed that similar spillover effects were the root cause of the 1997 financial crisis that faced many emerging economies in Asia. This study attempts to investigate the spillover effects of the 1997 Asian financial crisis using data from a sample of selected Asian countries. For empirical estimation, we use high frequency data (daily observations) on exchange rates from 1994 to 2002, construct a multivariate GARCH model and apply the Granger causality test …