bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Surgical Accessibility of the Cochlear Nuclear Complex in Man: Surgical Landmarks
Authors: McElveen John T. , Hitselberger William E. , House William F.
Published: January 2017

Patients deafened by bilateral acoustic tumors or by transections of both cochlear nerves are excluded as candidates for cochlear implantation. These patients require more proximal stimulation of the auditory pathway. One potential area for such stimulation is the cochlear nuclear complex (CNC) in the lateral recess of the fourth ventricle. If animal studies establish the safety and efficacy of such stimulation, electrical stimulation of the human cochlear nuclear complex may become an accepted treatment modality for this select group of patients. Such implantation requires that the surgeon accurately locate the cochlear nuclear complex without destruction of vital surrounding neural and vascular structures. With ten fresh human brains, oriented for a translabyrinthine approach, we determined key anatomical landmarks to the exposed surface of the CNC on both sides of each brain. Using a combination of anatomical landmarks—including the flocculus, eighth nerve roof, choroid plexus, and taenia—we located the cochlear nuclear complex (without disruption of surrounding neural or vascular structures) and marked it with colloidal carbon. Access to the CNC was obtained in all 20 specimens, and histologic sections confirmed the carbon marker in the CNC in 19 Of 20 specimens.
A Predictive Model for Wound Sepsis in Oncologic Surgery of the Head and Neck
Authors: Cole Randolph R. , Robbins K. Thomas , Cohen James I. , Wolf Patricia F.
Published: January 2017

A prospective analysis of patients undergoing surgical resection of squamous cell carcinoma of the upper aerodigestive tract was performed in order to identify the patients at risk of postoperative wound infection and to develop a model predictive of wound infection. Fifty‐nine patients who underwent extirpative clean‐contaminated procedures—all of whom received cefazolin as the sole chemoprophylactic agent, were studied over a 1‐year period. Twenty‐three variables were recorded for each patient in the study. The overall rate of wound infection was 25.4%. Univariate analysis indicated that three variables were significantly related to the likelihood of postoperative wound infection. These included tumor stage (P = 0.0180), nodal stage (P = 0.0062), and duration of surgery (P = 0.0151). The Biomedical Computer Program (BMDP), a logistic regression program specifically designed for a binary dependent variable (infection vs. no infection) based on independent variables that may be continuous or categorical, was used in development of a model predictive of wound infection. T‐stage, N‐stage, and the presence of concomitant disease made up the combination of factors found to be most predictive of infection in our study population. Considering “success” to be the development of infection if the probability was 75% or higher, and the absence of infection if the probability was less than 25%, the multiple regression analysis model demonstrated a predictive success rate of 74.6%. Our results indicate that the risk of infection in patients undergoing clean‐contaminated oncologic surgery of the head and neck is greatest for patients who have advanced disease that requires prolonged surgery in the presence of concomitant diseases. The correlates and predictive model generated by this study can be used as assurance that patients at risk for postoperative infection have been appropriately randomized in future prospective antibiotic trials planned at this institution.
Audiometric Comparison of Lassa Fever Hearing Loss and Idiopathic Sudden Hearing Loss: Evidence for Viral Cause
Authors: Liao Been S. , Byl Frederick M. , Adour Kedar K.
Published: January 2017

A recently published prospective study on acute sensorineural deafness in Lassa fever among a West African population showed the audiometric pattern of a known virally induced hearing loss. Using the audiometric data from the patients with Lassa fever in that study, we analyzed and classified the initial hearing loss and final recovery into three groups by pure‐tone average values and then did the same for 222 patients with idiopathic sudden hearing loss (SHL) in our study. Statistical analyses of the severity of initial hearing loss and the hearing recovery pattern indicate that the clinical course of our 222 patients with idiopathic SHL showed no statistically significant differences from the clinical course of the patients with Lassa fever. We found a marked difference in age, however, and a clinically significant difference in the incidence of bilateral hearing loss. In reviewing the literature on sudden sensorineural hearing loss, we found no apparent relation between severity of viral illness and initial hearing loss or subsequent recovery. Cummins et al. suggest that virally induced hearing loss in Lassa fever is linked to the host's immune response and not to the viremia. We thus propose a virally induced immune response mechanism for idiopathic sensorineural SHL. Further prospective studies are needed for verification.
Tympanomastoidectomy for Chronic Otitis Media without Cholesteatoma
Authors: Vartiainen Eero , Kansanen Martti
Published: January 2017

A series of 221 ears with chronic suppurative otitis media without cholesteatoma is presented—84% of the cases were treated using one‐stage tympanomastoidectomy and 15% underwent cortical mastoidectomy with planned second‐stage tympanoplasty. Mean follow‐up period was 6.3 years. Control of infection succeeded in 92% after the primary operation. Failures were most common in ears infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Postoperative cholesteatoma developed in 5 ears (2.2%). Hearing results were unsatisfactory; a postoperative air‐bone gap within 20 dB was achieved in only 62%. In revision operations, retained mastoid air cells were found in 64% of ears with recurrent or persistent discharge. Thirty‐seven percent of patients with unsuccessful outcome were observed to have a possible underlying or concomitant disease. The importance of intensive preoperative conservative treatment and careful surgical technique is stressed.
An Anatomic Study of the External Laryngeal Framework with Surgical Implications
Authors: Meiteles Lawrence Z. , Lin Pi‐Tang , Wenk Eugene J.
Published: January 2017

Precise knowledge of the level of the vocal fold as projected on the external thyroid cartilage is of critical importance for the performance of thyroplasty type I and supraglottic laryngectomy. Measurements of the external laryngeal framework were made on the larynges of 18 human cadavers in order to identify landmarks that will aid the surgeon in determining endolaryngeal anatomy. On the basis of our results, the following guidelines are recommended: (1) Thyroid cartilage incision for supra‐glottic laryngectomy should be made on a line joining the juncture of the upper one third and lower two thirds of the midline length and the juncture of the upper one third and lower two thirds of the oblique line. This will ensure a position above the level of the anterior commissure and the true vocal cord; (2) In thyroplasty type I, the superior border of the thyroid cartilage window should be made at a line joining the midpoint of the midline length and the juncture of the upper two thirds and lower one third of the oblique line. Formation of the cartilage window according to this guideline will ensure its placement lateral to the vocalis muscle.
Antibiotics and Topical Surgical Preparation Solution in Septal Surgery
Authors: Yoder Milton G. , Weimert Thomas A.
Published: January 2017

One thousand forty patients undergoing septal surgery of the nose were included in this 5‐year study of no prophylactic antibiotics and no topical surgical preparation solution before surgery. Minor nasal infections developed in only five patients (0.48%) postoperatively. All five of these patients responded to oral antibiotic therapy and did not require hospitalization or intravenous antibiotic treatment. The incidence of infectious complications resulting from nasal surgery without the use of topical surgical preparation solution and without prophylactic antibiotics is minimal. No topical surgical preparation solution and no prophylactic antibiotic technique is a safe and acceptable approach for septoplasty and rhinoplasty surgery.
Head and Neck Lymphoma in Patients with the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
Authors: Shapiro Aaron L. , Shechtman Frank G. , Guida Robert A. , Kimmelman Charles P.
Published: January 2017

A marked increase has recently been noted in the incidence of lymphoma in patients with AIDS. These lymphomas are generally high‐grade, of B‐cell origin, and often involve extranodal sites. Reported here are twenty patients with AIDS in whom symptoms and physical findings developed related to the head and neck region as a result of lymphoma. The tumor was observed in a variety of sites, including the nasopharynx, orbit, submandibular triangle, anterior and posterior cervical triangles, supraclavicular fossa, and the hypopharynx. Sixteen tumors were large cell nonHodgkin's B‐cell lymphomas, three were small cell nonHodgkin's B‐cell lymphomas, and one was Hodgkin's disease, mixed cellularity. All were treated with combination chemotherapy. A high degree of suspicion for lymphoma is required in treating any patient with AIDS who has a rapidly enlarging mass in the head and neck. If needle aspiration is nondiagnostic, excisional biopsy should be performed after a complete head and neck evaluation. Although the development of lymphoma associated with AIDS portends a grave prognosis, prompt diagnosis will allow an improved chance of remission of the lymphoma.
Food and Agricultural Policy: The Challenges Ahead
Authors: Parikh Kirit S
Published: January 2017

Indian agriculture has made significant progress since independence. The produc - tion of foodgrains, oilseeds, sugarcane, cotton, and milk has increased four-fold since 1950-51. Yet, millions of Indians remain undernourished while, at the same time, more than 25 million tonne of foodgrains remain in the buffer-stock. The persistence of hunger amidst abundance is the result of inadequate purchasing power with the hungry. Agricultural policies alone cannot provide for food security. The main policy dilemma has been to provide farmers incentives to -grow more through remunerative prices and at the same time keep the food prices low enough for the consumers. This has been sought to be achieved through a policy of low output prices and low prices for agricultural inputs of water, power, and fertilizers through subsidies. This policy is no longer tenable and we need to change our agricultural policies. This paper suggests a set of policies which would make Indian agriculture productive, vigorous, and competitive, able to not only face the challenges of global markets but thrive from it.
Technology and Economic Growth: Quo Vadis, India?
Authors: Arunachalam V S
Published: January 2017

While the movement for independence of India was being led by the political leaders and social reformers, there was emerging another community of leaders—scientists and technologists—whose contributions remained unnoticed and unrecognized for a long time. If the politicians laid the foundation for a democratic India, the scientists created a fertile environment for building a science-based society in the country. Amongst them were those visionaries who also comprehended the links between science, technology, and economic growth.

Drawing from the economic growth theories, this paper demonstrates how technological innovations worked as the engine propelling economic growth of cities and nations and addresses four specific questions: What is the basis for economic growth? How can this growth be improved and sustained? How can it be spread across the country? What will be the reaction of the developed countries to such challenges?

The author closely studies the case of information and communication technology-based growth of Bangalore and explores the possibilities of its extension to other cities. He attributes Bangalore's economic growth to social, cultural, and infrastructural factors unique to the city. A comparison of Bangalore's growth with a few other locations suggests that it is not possible to blindly replicate the success story of Bangalore in other regions of the country. What has worked for Bangalore may not be relevant for those regions. What is required is a strong base and, for that, the country should start building the infrastructure and educating the labour. For diffusion of growth, the author stresses upon the need for identifying local strengths, encouraging local innovation, intensifying educational programmes, and respecting the sociological systems and local culture.

Overall, the author draws the following lessons for India: Population—trained and educated—is an asset. Labour will be an asset only if there is adequate infrastructure for the use of the genetic pool. Energy, communications, and transport systems should be ubiquitous, reliable, and affordable. Setting up of profit-seeking R&D centres and R&T institutions should be encouraged. Market size and competition should be increased. Transaction costs will have to be minimized. Ideas, knowledge, and skills should be allowed to come from anywhere.

This improved understanding of the forces driving social development and economic growth offers enticing options for India to pursue.
Modal Split between Rail and Road Modes of Transport in India
Authors: Chaudhury Prosenjit Dey
Published: January 2017

In the 1950s, the rail mode occupied a dominant position in transport within India. Since then, however, the transport sector in the country has been characterized by a secular decline in the share of rail mode. Internalization of the external costs of transport may not be sufficient for the achievement of a socially optimal modal split unless account is taken of the factors behind the current modal split. This paper attempts an investigation of these issues on the basis of data relating to eight representative sections in the country where the two modes are in competition.

India became a decidedly road-dominant economy in the beginning of the eighties with the railways losing out in respect of freight traffic in addition to its already declining share in passenger traffic. The dominance of road over rail has since continued unabated till the present and is likely to continue into the future.

This paper reviews the trends in transport and modal split in India from the fifties onwards and looks at the factors likely to influence modal choice. In the literature, an individual's choice of mode is divided into two main categories: personal characteristics of the individual (income, tastes, auto ownership, competing family needs for the car) characteristics of transportation alternatives available (relative time, cost, and comfort).

Based on time-series including user costs, per capita domestic product, and consumption expenditure, an econometric analysis of inter-modal competition in the eight sections selected for the current study reveals the following: In the case of passenger traffic, increases in the user cost difference and the user cost ratio between road and rail have an upward impact on the relative traffic volume of rail. Income (as represented by per capita gross state domestic product) seems to play a part in determining choice between travel by car on road and first-class/air-conditioned travel on rail. The relationship between modal split and user cost difference/cost ratio in the case of competition between bus on road and second-class/sleeper-class travel on rail appears to be a non-linear one. In the case of freight competition, the modal share of rail does not go up with increase in the user cost difference or cost ratio between road and rail. It is the income variable that appears to influence modal choice in freight transport in the expected manner with shippers patronizing the qualitatively superior road mode when per capita state domestic product goes up.

To arrive at a socially optimal modal split, therefore, it is necessary to concentrate on improvements in the quality of service on rail while at the same time devising measures to internalize the external costs of transport.
Comparative Advertising in India: Need to Strengthen Regulations
Authors: Pathak Akhileshwar
Published: January 2017

With the liberalization and globalization of the Indian economy, firms have been aggressively and vigorously promoting their products and services. In a comparative environment, every representation of a product or service is about what ‘others are not.’ These practices raise questions about truthfulness and fairness of representation of products and services. This paper explores regulations on comparative advertising of products and services in the context of globalization and liberalization in India.

The Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices (MRTP) Act, 1969, was amended in 1984 to introduce a chapter on unfair trade practices. One of the provisions constitutes any representation which ‘gives false or misleading facts disparaging the goods, services or trade of another person’ to be an unfair trade practice. The MRTP Commission and the Supreme Court have given shape to the provision.

Most comparative advertisements refer to rival products as ‘ordinary,’ instead of specifically mentioning names of products. Aggrieved firms have claimed that ‘ordinary’ refers to all products other than the advertised one. The MRTP Commission, however, has maintained that the wording in the law �goods of another person� implies disparagement of an identifiable product of a specific manufacturer.

Further, only if the disparagement is based on ‘false and misleading facts’ that the advertisement becomes an unfair trade practice. Establishing facts often requires detailed scientific and technical assessment of the products. Our courts are not equipped to deal with this. As courts can take a long time to settle a dispute, what has become crucial is whether a court would award intermediate injunction or not. This is restraining the party from advertising pending a final decision by the court. In fact, by the time interim injunction is granted, the advertisement may have abready done the damage. The law makes provision for compensating the party for ‘loss of business and profit.’ The courts, however, have found computing losses to be not free from ‘complications and complexities.’ Thus, courts have not been awarding compensation. All these factors together have left the field of comparative advertisement effectively unregulated.

The major findings of this study in this context are: The opening up of the economy, on its own, is not going to create and sustain competition. Protection against unfair trade practices has been available under the Consumer Protection Act. Thus, the repeal of the MRTP Act would not be of any significance. Not only the consumers but even the firms need adequate law against unfair trade practices to have some �rules of the game� for competing among themselves. But, within the structure of the Consumer Protection Act, competing firms cannot be �consumers� to approach a consumer forum. The state would need to develop adequate knowledge of the working of businesses in a free economy, enact laws, and create infrastructure and mechanisms for sustaining competition.
Union Budget 2005–06: Promises and Prospects
Authors: Dholakia Bakul H , Patel Mukesh M , Vyas Jay Narayan , Parekh Sunil , Dhruv Amal , Dholakia Ravindra H
Published: January 2017

The Union Budgets are traditionally surrounded by hype, debate, and controversies. This year's Budget has been no different. Presented in the backdrop of favourable macro-economic conditions, a sound business environment, a booming capital market, and a relatively stable political scenario, it drew a lot of expectations from all quarters. This issue's Colloquium is a post-mortem of the Budget, 2005–06 by an eminent panel of analysts. While highlighting the broad tenets of the Budget, they put across their views on the positives and the negatives and discuss their implications.

The objectives of the Budget have been implicitly stated as being the same as the National Common Minimum Programme which broadly advocates the maintenance of growth rate of 7–8 per cent, promotion of investment, generation of employment, introduction of fiscal reform, stimulation of growth in agriculture, manufacturing, and infrastructure, and alleviation of poverty.

The following positives emerged from the discussion: An explicit focus on the development of rural areas to reduce the pressure of migration to the urban areas. A clear roadmap for evolving a strategy for agricultural diversification. Incentives provided for strengthening the agriculture marketing infrastructure with a focus on agricultural credit, insurance, and micro finance. Dereservation of SSIs of 108 items and giving them the choice to pay excise duty for the first Rs.100 lakh and claim CENVAT or else remain outside the chain to help in integrating them into the value chain of production. A package of financial sector reforms including the removal of limits of SLR and CRR and facilitating the FII trading in derivatives. Substantial reliefs in the corporate tax and personal income-tax which should promote savings. Taxation of zero coupon bonds at 10 per cent of long-term capital gains.

The panelists identify the following problem areas in the Budget: Lack of transparency in the revenue implications of the tax proposals. Injecting fresh equity and providing fresh loans to PSUs as this would mean a reversal of the reforms. Difficulty in achieving effective fiscal consolidation. Fringe benefit tax on service, facility or amenity provided by an employer to his employee. Internal contradictions in the policies related to the housing industry, small scale sector, VAT, and disinvestment.

Overall, the panelists consider it a positive Budget in the sense that it would at least not disrupt the buoyancy of the economy. However, considering the opportunities that the overall environment offered, a more aggressive approach would have lifted the Indian economy further to help it emerge as yet another Asian Tiger.
Person-Culture Fit and Employee Commitment in Banks
Authors: Nazir Nazir A
Published: January 2017

This paper makes an attempt to ascertain the relationship between socialization, person-culture fit, and employee commitment. In other words, it seeks to determine whether the organizations high on socialization scores will experience high value congruency⁄person-culture fit and also whether high value congruency leads to employee commitment.

In the recent past, the concept of culture has gained wide acclaim as a subject of study and reflection. However, the parameters of culture are so intricate that they cannot be outlined or defined. While contemporary research fully endorses the view that culture is an internal variable and can be conceptualized in terms of widely shared and strongly held views, the researchers have not empirically investigated the relevance of social learning in permeating these values into the organizational members. This paper seeks to overcome this limitation and also deviates from the earlier research studies undertaken in this field in the Indian context by exploring whether the person-culture fit notion or the integration of organizational values and individual preferences for those values could predict employee commitment.

This study was conducted on six banks including two public sector (banks 1 and 2), two private sector (banks 3 and 4), and two foreign banks (banks 5 and 6) located in Delhi. It used three wellestablished scales — organizational culture profile (OCP), organizational commitment scale (OCS), and socialization practices scale (SPS) — to collect data from two separate groups of respondents through convenience sampling procedure. The first group consisted of 135 newly recruited employees who were asked to complete the OCP indicating their individual preferences on the given 54 value items and OCS for ascertaining their commitment. The second group comprised of 69 senior employees of the banks studied. An overall profile of the culture of each bank was developed by averaging the individual responses of this group. These were then used to calculate the person-culture fit scores for the newly hired employees.

The main findings of the study are as follows: Moderate to strong person-culture fit score was found in one private and two foreign banks and weak to moderate person-culture fit score was found in rest of the banks studied. Two foreign and one private bank scored high to moderate on socialization practices respectively. The other two public and one private bank scored low on this dimension. Banks high on value congruency and socialization scores showed significant correlation between person-culture fit and normative commitment. Banks low on value congruency and socialization practices exhibited insignificant correlation between person-culture fit and normative and instrumental commitment.

On the whole, the study indicates the need for firms, especially public sector, service-oriented firms, to pay attention to socialization practices which would result in strong cultures and employee commitment.
Organizational Downsizing: From Concepts to Practices
Authors: Bhattacharyya Sanghamitra , Chatterjee Leena
Published: January 2017

Downsizing is currently one of the most popular strategies being used by organizations in an effort to survive and compete in the current business scenario. Existing literature in the area has broadly focused on the following three issues: Why do organizations downsize? What are the consequences of downsizing on the individual and the organization as a whole? What are the strategies that can be adopted for successful downsizing?

While imperatives for downsizing have been considered from economic, institutional, strategic, ideological, and arational perspectives, suggestions for successful downsizing strategies have repeatedly reinforced the importance of adopting a planned, long-term, and people-oriented approach to implementation. The bulk of empirical research, however, appears to have focused on the consequences of downsizing both at the individual and organizational level. Given that downsizing today has achieved the status of an institutionalized norm, the relevant question is not so much whether or why organizations should downsize, but rather, how best to implement the process in a way which will enable organizations to accrue benefits and effectively manage the negative consequences of such an exercise.

A review of literature reveals that a planned approach to the implementation process would lead to sustained and long-term benefits to the organization. Drawing from change management theories as well as related theories in organizational learning, theory of business, and business model innovations, this paper has attempted to identify issues that need to be addressed at each stage of downsizing in order to ensure effective implementation. At one level, this would imply a need to question the very rationale for downsizing in terms of whether it really is the best alternative under the existing situation. At another level, assuming that downsizing has been accepted to be the most viable option, and given that any successful planned change would need to be handled as a multi-stage activity, this would include : reframing of the existing mental models and assumptions about the business extensive communication with employees at each stage managing the needs and expectations of survivors, victims, and implementers themselves planning for employability initiatives for employees helping employees to renegotiate their existing psychological contract with the organization.

This would necessitate bringing about a change in the mindsets and attitudes of the people involved in the exercise. Moreover, a downsizing exercise would also need to be implemented as a part of an overall corporate renewal package rather than as an isolated strategy on its own.

Suggestions for future research in this area, especially in the Indian context, have been identified with a view to adding to the existing body of knowledge and also facilitating greater understanding on the part of practitioners in handling a downsizing exercise.
Work-Family Challenges and Their Impact on Career Decisions: A Study of Indian Women Professionals
Authors: Buddhapriya Sanghamitra
Published: January 2017

A broad review of existing literature on barriers to women's career advancement suggests that one of the most important reasons inhibiting women's rise to the top positions in management is the work-life conflict that women professionals experience because of their strong commitment to family responsibilities. The primary objective of this study is to understand the impact of family responsibilities on the career decisions of women professionals and also to find out the type of work-life support they would require from their employers to balance their work and life in a better manner. The study is conducted with 121 women professionals working in government services, public sector, private sector, and in NGOs across different levels. The perception of women professionals regarding the barriers against their career advancement is studied. The impact of demographic factors like managerial level, marital status, and family structure on all the above-mentioned issues are also analysed.

Following are some of the major findings of the study: Apart from other factors, ‘commitment to family responsibility’ and ‘lack of gendersensitive policies by the employer’ are considered as important barriers which affect the career advancement of women professionals to senior positions. Senior and middle level professionals believe more strongly than the junior level women professionals that commitment to family responsibility hinders women professionals' advancement. Family responsibility considerably affects the career decisions of women professionals. It is generally expected that the female spouse should take care of the family responsibility. Women professionals agree that children's responsibility hinders their ability to advance. They think that they are not able to utilize their full potential and at times they have to make career trade-offs because of the family responsibilities. They also believe that putting career ahead of family leads to social disapproval and rejection and at the middle level of their career, the pressure for conforming to the societal norms could be more. The research reveals the expectations of the women professionals in terms of the support that organizations can provide to help them in achieving better work-life balance and advance in their career. A significant percentage of respondents have shown their strong preference for provisions like flexible working hours, childcare facilitates and emergency care for children and elders, support for non-work commitment, wellness, and personal development programmes. Half of the women professionals agree that “flexibility in work location” (working from home⁄telecommuting) can be taken up as an additional support provision. The requirement for all these work-life provisions are felt more at the middle and junior level rather than at the senior level.
Bivariate Analysis of Capital Asset Pricing Model in Indian Capital Market
Authors: Manjunatha T , Mallikarjunappa T
Published: January 2017

Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) establishes the relationship between risks and returns in the efficient capital markets. A review of studies conducted for various markets in the world reveals that researchers have used a number of methodologies to test the validity of CAPM. While some studies have supported the validity of CAPM, some others have revealed that beta alone is not a suitable determinant of asset pricing and that a number of other factors could explain the cross-section of returns. This paper has attempted to test the validity of the combination effect of the two parameter CAPM to determine the security⁄portfolio returns. The results show that: Intercept is not significantly different from zero. The combination of sizei and ln(BE/ME)i explains the variation in security returns under both percentage and log returns series. The combination of βi and ln(BE/ME)i, βi and (Rm-Rf)i, sizei and (E/P)i, and (E/P)i and (BE/ME)i explains the variation in security returns when log return series is used and the combination of βi and (Rm-Rf)i explains the variation in security returns when percentage return series is used. In case of portfolios, the combination of βp and Rm-Rf explains the variation of portfolio returns when portfolios formed with market value weights under both percentage and log returns and βp and ln(BE/ME)p explain the portfolio percentage returns when market value weights are used.

It is observed that while combinations of some of the independent variables, as opposed to the univariate variable considered in Manjunatha and Mallikarjunappa's (2006) paper, explain the variations in security⁄portfolio returns, the other combinations do not explain the variation in the security⁄portfolio returns. Further analysis in this paper has shown that beta, with some of the combinations of the independent variables, explains the variation in security⁄portfolio returns. However, beta alone, when considered individually in the two parameter regressions, does not explain the variation in security⁄ portfolio returns. This casts doubt on the validity of the standard form of CAPM.

In the light of these findings, it can be concluded that beta alone is not sufficient to determine the expected returns on the securities⁄portfolios. The empirical findings of this paper would be useful to financial analysts in the Indian capital market. Further research on the combination of market factors, firms' specific factors, and macroeconomic factors is needed to enlarge the understanding of modern finance and to cover fresh ground to unravel the mysteries and ramifications of the CAPM puzzle.
Low Frequency Noise and Vibration Annoyance Due to Low Speed Rotating Machinery
Authors: Ellison Louis F
Published: January 2017

This paper presents the findings of an investigation into a low frequency noise/vibration problem caused to residential property by low speed (250 to 700 rpm) rotating machinery.

A large rope-making machine was added at a site with a great number of existing but small machines and round the clock operations commenced. One resident, about 100 metres distant from the machine area, appeared to complain whenever the large machine was run. On the assumption that the newly introduced large machine was to blame, the factory management requested a low key survey of noise and an assessment as to whether the complaint was justified or not. The initial surveys found that the complaint was justified and that the situation was more complex. During a comprehensive programme of tests and measurements, it was found that the complaint occurred even when the new machine was stopped which was quite a surprise. Some thirteen machines were run individually to find their contribution to emissions. Part of the efforts were directed at finding whether airborne or groundborne effects or both were involved; groundborne vibrations in the range 8 to 13Hz proved to be the main effect. The data obtained was compared with levels reported in the literature to be audible and cause complaint. The levels of annoyance had to be related to the prospects of various options to control the effects at source. The solution to the problems emerged as relatively simple, all being connected with sensible maintenance of the machines. Improvements or reductions in vibration at source were achieved in the range 15 to 20dB which satisfied the complainant and improved the serviceability of the machines.
Regional Cerebral Blood Flow and Vasoactive Intestinal Polypeptide (VIP) in Rat Exposed to Whole-body Vibration Stress
Authors: Nakamura Hiroyuki , Nagase Hirofumi , Okazawa Takao , Yoshida Masami , Okada Akira
Published: January 2017

To clarify the involvement of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) in regional cerebral circulation during whole-body vibration (WBV), we determined regional cerebral blood flow and VIP-like immunoreactivity (VIP-LI) in rats following WBV for 90 min. at various accelerations (0, 2G and 4G rms), using the hydrogen gas electrolytic method. Interference electrodes were inserted into the frontal cortex and the hippocampus. Although we observed no change in hippocampal blood flow, the frontal cortical blood flow increased during the exposure in a manner that was dependent upon the acceleration. There was a significant reduction in hippocampal VIP-LI following WBV at an acceleration of 4G. The association between frontal cortical blood flow and hippocampal VIP-LI was significantly negative. Our results indicated that a local increase in blood flow in the frontal cortex of rats was induced by WBV. This increase seemed to be involved in the neural activation induced by WBV. Hippocampal VIP may have a role in the physiological regulation of frontal cortical circulation during WBV stress.
Pulsation Control in Pressure Metering Systems
Authors: Kalis H.U.
Published: January 2017

Reliable pressure measurement in pulsating flow conditions is difficult. When an orifice meter is used, two significant errors can arise: the square root error, which is inherent to orifice plates, and the pressure distortion generated in the sensing lines and DP transmitter.

This study is concerned with minimizing pulsation effects in the sensing-recording system. The method used involves predicting the system dynamic characteristic and modifying it so that pulsation excitation frequencies and the resonant frequencies of the system do not coincide. A differential pressure metering system is modelled as a acoustic-mechanical assembly that includes a DP transmitter equivalent piston, its cavities and sensing lines. The acoustic-mechanical interaction is shown for the pressure metering system incorporating a bellows type DP transmitter. The influence of the acoustic and mechanical parameters on the system dynamic characteristic is discussed.
A Method of Detection Low Frequency Fluctuations of Liquid Flow
Authors: Barkova Natalia A. , Barkova Marianna A.
Published: January 2017

The measurement of noise in liquid flow is a complicated technical problem. That is why such types of measurements are rarely used for industrial equipment diagnostics. Partially, these measurements can be substituted by the measurements of pipe wall random vibration, which is excited in long pipelines mainly by the pseudosound in the boundary layer of the liquid. The analysis of the processes that modulate the pipeline vibration enables us to solve several problems of practical diagnostics. In particular, defects can be detected in the flow generating machines and in the distribution systems, the low frequency longitudinal oscillations of the liquid in the flow can be investigated, the self-excitation processes can be detected. To solve these problems it is sufficient to measure the envelope spectrum of the high frequency random vibration at different points on the outer wall of the pipeline. It enables detection of the harmonical and random pulsation of the flow speed, exceeding 0.1% of the mean flow speed.
Kinetic and thermodynamic study of phosphate removal from water by adsorption onto (Arundo donax) reeds
Authors: Abdelhay Arwa , Al Bsoul Abeer , Al-Othman Amani , Al-Ananzeh Nada M , Jum'h Inshad , Al-Taani Ahmed A
Published: January 2017

The adsorption of phosphate ion onto natural reed ( Arundo donax) was studied in this work. The effect of phosphate initial concentration, adsorbent dose, pH, temperature, and salt addition on adsorption uptake was investigated. The results showed that the adsorption uptake is directly proportional to the phosphate ion initial concentration and inversely proportional to the adsorbent's dose and temperature. A maximum adsorption capacity of 16.2 mg/g was observed at neutral pH. The addition of sodium and potassium chlorides has decreased the adsorption uptake. The adsorption isotherms agree better with the Langmuir model. The negative values of (ΔG) and (ΔH) obtained from the thermodynamic study, indicted that the adsorption process is spontaneous and exothermic. The experimental adsorption data were analyzed using three kinetic models: pseudo-first order, pseudo-second order, and intra-particle diffusion model. The pseudo-second-order model presented the best fit with a determination coefficient ( R2) higher than 0.99 and a minimum normalized standard deviation.
Equilibrium and kinetics studies of Direct blue 71 adsorption from aqueous solutions using modified zeolite
Authors: Mirzaei Nezam , Mahvi Amir Hossein , Hossini Hooshyar
Published: January 2017

This study deals with the application of Iranian zeolite as a low cost adsorbent for the removal of the Direct blue 71 (DB 71) from colored solution. Important parameters including equilibrium and contact time, initial dye concentration, effect of pH, and zeolite dosage were evaluated. Maximum dye removal was obtained at about 99.8% for 25 mg/L at 120 min of equilibrium. Higher adsorption efficiency of direct dye was obtained at higher dose and acidic pH. To analyze the adsorption equilibrium and kinetic, Langmuir, Freundlich, and Temkin isotherms as well as four kinetic models encompassing pseudo first-order, pseudo second-order, intraparticle diffusion, and Elovich were evaluated. The Langmuir isotherm ( R2 = 0.995) and pseudo second-order models, gave the best fit to equilibrium experimental data. In Langmuir analysis, the maximum adsorption capacity (qm) by 13.66 mg/g was determined. Finally, the characteristics of zeolite including both natural and modified, such as compositions, surface morphology by X-ray diffraction technique (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were obtained. According to XRF analysis, it was demonstrated that Al2O3 and SiO2 are the most part of natural and modified zeolite. Furthermore, the clinoptilolite was determined as the significant crystalloid phase by XRD pattern.
Chromatographic and spectroscopic studies on β-cyclodextrin functionalized ionic liquid as chiral stationary phase: Enantioseparation of NSAIDs
Authors: Rahim Nurul Yani , Tay Kheng Soo , Mohamad Sharifah
Published: January 2017

Recently, we reported a new chiral stationary phase prepared using β-cyclodextrin functionalized with aromatic ionic liquid which is aimed to enhance the performance of enantioseparation of flavonoids and β-blockers. In this paper, the characteristics and performance of previously prepared chiral stationary phase denoted as β-CD-BIMOTs were compared with the newly synthesized chiral stationary phase denoted as β-CD-DIMOTs. β-CD-DIMOTs were prepared by functionalization of β-cyclodextrin with aliphatic ionic liquid. The obtained β-CD-BIMOTs and β-CD-DIMOTs stationary phases were compared with native β-CD stationary phase for the enantioseparation of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (ibuprofen, indoprofen, ketoprofen and fenoprofen). The β-CD-BIMOTs stationary phase showed greater chiral resolution capabilities rather than β-CD-DIMOTs and native β-CD stationary phases. Further, in order to understand the interaction of enantioseparation, the inclusion complex formation between NSAIDs and β-CD-BIMOTs was studied using 1H NMR, NOESY and UV/Vis. The enantioseparated NSAIDs were found to form multiple interactions with β-CD-BIMOTs-CSP.
Development of cobalt-doped alumina hybrids for adsorption of textile effluents
Authors: Parveen Kousar , Rafique Uzaira
Published: January 2017

The discharge volume and composition of textile effluents gain scientific concern due to hazardous and biotoxic nature of azo dyes. Azo dyes are non-biodegradable due to its complex molecular structure and recalcitrant nature. Serious attempts have been made to synthesize and develop new materials to combat the environmental problems. The present study is designed for removal of azo dyes (Methyl orange, Congo red and Basic fuchsine) from synthetic aqueous solutions and real textile effluents. For this purpose, cobalt-doped alumina hybrids are synthesized and applied as adsorbents in batch experiment. Two different aluminium precursor (aluminium nitrate and spent aluminium foil) and glucose are mixed following sol–gel method to get hybrids. The synthesized hybrids are characterized for surface and bulk properties using Fourier transform infrared, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray techniques. The characterization of materials under Fourier transform infrared revealed that –OH (3487–3504 cm−1), C–H (2935–2985 cm−1), Al–O–C (∼1380 cm−1), Al–O (∼ 800 cm−1), Al–O–Al (659–669 cm−1) and Co–O (583–589 cm−1) groups participate in the binding of dyes onto the surface of hybrids. Amorphous shaped particles and elemental composition (carbon, aluminium and oxygen) are demonstrated in scanning electron microscopy–energy dispersive X-ray micrograph. Time-dependent batch experiments under identical experimental parameters showed 74% of basic fuchsine, 68% of methyl orange and 85% maximum removal of Congo red onto the surface of cobalt-doped alumina hybrids probably through ion exchange mechanism. The experimental data when treated with adsorption models and isotherms, pseudo-second-order kinetic and Freundlich isotherm are found to be best fitted. The present study accomplishes the successful synthesis of novel and efficient cobalt-doped alumina hybrids provides environmental friendly and economical alternative option to the commercial adsorbents for the treatment of textile effluents.
Amino- and thiol-modified microporous silicalite-1 and mesoporous MCM-48 materials as potential effective adsorbents for Pb(II) in polluted aquatic systems
Authors: Malhis Abeer A , Arar Sharif H , Fayyad Manar K , Hodali Hamdallah A
Published: January 2017

Aluminum-free zeolite silicalite-1 and the ordered mesoporous silicates Mobile Crystalline Material No. 48 (MCM-48) were prepared and functionalized with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) and 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane (MPTMS) for the enhancement of adsorption capacity. Functionalization via post synthesis grafting method was adopted and the functionalized silicate systems were denoted as silicalite-1-NH2, silcalite-1-SH, MCM-48-NH2 and MCM-48-SH. Functionalization, that was confirmed by XRD, FT-IR and surface area measurements, indicated no structural changes on the silicate materials. The adsorption of Pb(II) ions into these modified silicates was investigated in aqueous solutions with optimized pH at 5.5 where adsorption influencing factors including contact time, adsorbent dose and metal ion initial concentration were studied. Adsorption experimental data for silicalite-1-NH2, MCM-48-NH2 and MCM-48-SH showed satisfactory correlation with Langmuir and Freundlich models. According to Langmuir isotherm, the maximum capacities for the above three modified silicate systems, for 100 ppm Pb(II) dose, are 43.5, 75.2 and 31.2 mg/g and with Kf constant values of 16.9, 44.4 and 12.0 L/mg from Freundlich isotherm, respectively. The three modified silicate systems exhibited complete sequestration of Pb(II) ion concentrations in the range 0.48–1.7 ppm from samples collected from Zarqa River in four seasons of the year 2013.