bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Steering Sheath for 2-Nostril Transnasal Office Laryngoscopy
Authors: Hoffman Henry T. , Stegall Helen , Wingler Troy , Blitzer Andrew 
Published: December 2017

Objective: The aim was to study the feasibility of performing office-based laryngeal procedures employing a flexible hollow steerable sheath placed contralateral to the nostril through which a standard flexible video endoscope is placed. Methods: The study design included simulation of transnasal endoscopic laryngeal procedures evaluating the use of a flexible steering sheath in laboratory and clinic settings. Transnasal laryngeal procedures were performed in an otolaryngology office setting employing an airway-management-trainer mannequin and then repeated in a human cadaver lab with standard transnasal flexible video laryngoscopy. Video documentation assessed use of a lever-manipulated deflecting ureteral access sheath with an inner diameter of 2.97 mm, an outer diameter of 4.95 mm, and a length of 45 cm. Simulated transnasal laryngoscopy procedures deployed devices through the deflecting sheath to mimic vocal fold needle injection, biopsy with forceps, balloon dilation, and laser treatment to identify strengths and shortcomings to the technology and technique. Results: Simulation was successful in appropriately directing instrumentation for all procedures tested. Shortcomings included limitations in steering capacity, greater length to the sheath than desirable for laryngeal procedures, and the need for additional assistants to perform procedures. Conclusion: Steering sheath technology is applicable to enhance in-office transnasal laryngoscopy procedures.
Low-Risk Multi-Project Semi-Custom Microelectronics for Undergraduate Teaching Purposes
Authors: Hurst S. L. 
Published: December 2017

Low risk multi-project semi-custom microelectronics for undergraduate teaching purposes This paper discusses the need for integrated-circuit fabrication resources to support design activities at undergraduate level, and continues with a discussion of a particular form of masterslice array, which has been fabricated in CMOS technology. It is suggested that this form of circuit provides a viable means for multiproject undergraduate circuits.
Integrated Circuit Design in An Industrially-Oriented M. Eng. Course
Authors: Morant M. J. 
Published: December 2017

Integrated circuit design in an industrially oriented M.Eng. course The paper describes experience of teaching full-custom integrated circuit design in a postgraduate sandwich course. The course uses SERC facilities for CAD and the fabrication of student chip designs, making it particularly valuable to industry. An extension to first-degree courses including semi-custom design is highly desirable.
Microprocessor Control of a Self-Excited Induction Generator
Authors: Watso D. B. , Watson R. M. 
Published: December 2017

Microprocessor control of a self-excited induction generator The paper describes an experimental self-excited induction generator for a microhydro system with electronically switched active and reactive power regulators under microprocessor control, to maintain a constant-frequency constant-voltage output. Steady state operation and transients are recorded, and the inherent flexibility of the microprocessor is demonstrated.
Short Courses on the Industrial Applications of Electricity
Authors: Hobson L. 
Published: December 2017

Short courses on the industrial applications of electricity Details are given of a series of short courses on electrical utilisation which have been developed by the Electroheat Group at Loughborough University over the last decade. Information is also given on typical projects carried out during the courses which illustrate the inter-relationship between industrial electric heating processes and the design of the projects.
An Undergraduate Investigation into the Development of an Integrated Cad System Kernel
Authors: Ainscough J. , Medland A. J. , Heaton N. A. , Smith K. 
Published: December 2017

An undergraduate investigation into the development of an integrated CAD system kernel The paper describes an integrated C.A.D. system kernal designed to provide optimum performance during 3.D. interactive sessions. The hardware is based on proprietary L.S.I. devices. The resident software provides an elementary C.A.D. Language, which is based on threaded interpreted code. Analysis of the performance of the system is presented.
A Consultancy Assignment Used to Teach Tolerance Analysis and Computer Simulation of Analogue Circuits
Authors: Lee M. R. 
Published: December 2017

A consultancy assignment used to teach tolerance analysis and computer simulation of analogue circuits A consultancy assignment is presented in which students are placed in the position of Junior Engineers in a fictitious consultancy company. They are required to investigate and report on deficiencies in a circuit designed by a client company. The reactions of the students to this form of tuition are discussed.
A New Technique for Measurement of B/H Characteristics of Annular Permanent Magnets
Authors: Bhargava S. C. 
Published: December 2017

A new technique for measurement of B/H characteristics of annular permanent magnets A simple technique of B/H measurements on hard magnetic annuli is described. The flux density is still measured using a search coil wound on the specimen, but the corresponding magnetising field is extrapolated from the field about the adjacent surfaces. Results of test on a thin Vicalloy-I annulus are given.
Composite Insulation for a Power Cable
Authors: Salama M. M. A. , Hackam R. 
Published: December 2017

Composite insulation for a power cable A relationship is derived for the voltage of a power cable containing three different insulating materials, allowing for a safety factor in the withstand voltage of each insulator layer and assuming that the electric fields in the dielectrics do not exceed a prescribed maximum. This relationship has been used in a design project for power cable using multilayer insulation.
A Transconductance Model in Amplifier Stages — Part 1
Authors: Martinez Pedro A. , Pollan Tomas 
Published: December 2017

A transconductance model in amplifier stages — part 1 This paper presents a midfrequency linear incremental model for transistors in their typical amplifying region, valid for BJTs as well as for FETs. A generical single-stage amplifier configuration has also been developed which can be thoroughly modelled by three a.c. equivalent resistances. The advantage of this model lies in its three resistive parameters which remain valid for the different types of transistor.
The Effect that the Project Selection Preference Has on the Mark of a Final Year Student Project
Authors: James C. 
Published: December 2017

The effect that the project selection preference has on the mark of a final-year student project An investigation is reported on the project allocation for two years with 51 and 53 students. It is found that if a student is allocated his first preference (or his first or second preference), then his performance does not differ significantly from that of all other students who were allocated projects of lower preference.
Analysis of the Entrance Qualifications to a CNAA Honours Degree Course, Final Results and Subsequent Career Achievement
Authors: Briggs B. F. N. 
Published: December 2017

Analysis of the entrance qualifications to a CNAA Honours Degree Course, final results and subsequent career achievement The paper correlates student entry qualifications, with degree classifications obtained on the CNAA Honours Degree Course in Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Huddersfield Polytechnic, U.K. The paper also relates examination results midway through this 4–year course with final degrees and examines relevance of classifications to subsequent career achievement.
Case Studies in Dropping Out and Dropping Back In
Authors: Epstein Kitty Kelly 
Published: December 2017

I was invisible, man. I knew it. I sat in those schools for two years. I sat in the back of the room and I did nothing. I didn't speak to anyone and no one spoke to me. Nobody said, “Do your work” or nothing. Then one day I said it, “Man I'm invisible here.” I got up and walked out the door and I never went back. — an Oakland “dropout” who later graduated from the Oakland Street Academy I have to be honest and tell you, “I wish some of my students would drop out.” I'm so happy on the days they don't come to class. — a 1991 California credential candidate
A Role for Technology in Mathematics Education
Authors: Cuoco Albert A. , Goldenberg E. Paul 
Published: December 2017

New technology poses challenges to mathematics educators. How should the mathematics curriculum change to best make use of this new technology? Often computers are used badly, as a sort of electronic flash card, which does not make good use of the capabilities of either the computer or the learner. However, computers can be used to help students develop mathematical habits of mind and construct mathematical ides. The mathematics curriculum must be restructured to include activities that allow students to experiment and build models to help explain mathematical ideas and concepts. Technology can be used most effectively to help students gather data, and test, modify, and reject or accept conjectures as they think about these mathematical concepts and experience mathematical research.
The Child at Risk: The Case for the Youthful Offender
Authors: Cottle Thomas J. 
Published: December 2017

Several years ago in a conversation among young people in jail, a boy of seventeen recounted a chilling tale of murder. Late on a hot, still, Friday evening in the middle of summer, a large group of kids had gathered at a basketball court not far from the local middle school. Most of the kids knew each other, but there were some there who were “outsiders,” as it were. Suddenly, without any warning, this seventeen-year-old boy pulls a gun and fires two bullets into the head of a twelve-year-old whose name he does not know. “I was just standing there, talking to my friends, figuring out what we were going do that night, right, when I see this kid, kind of over my shoulder, you know, and I notice he's standing on my shadow. There's this long black shadow, you know, you couldn't miss it, everybody could see it, and he's standing on it. So I tell him, ‘Would you mind getting off my shadow.‘ The kid doesn't move. I don't know if he doesn't hear or he hears me and he doesn't care. So I tell him again, loud, ‘Would you get off my shadow.’ This time he's just looking at me, but he still doesn't move. Third time. ‘Hey, man, get off my shadow.’ The kid just looks at me. So, I did it. I warned him three times, right, and I shot him.”
Relativism and Pluralism in Ancient Greece
Authors: Kovacs David 
Published: December 2017

In the relations of the Greek city-states to each other, David Kovacs finds situations analogous to those that arise in a multicultural society. He tells us how the Greeks at first achieved harmony and then lost it, an experience close to our own. The question that remains is, how are we to re-establish a moral matrix that will bring social peace without sacrificing individual and group distinctiveness? Even though Greek city-states were frequently warring with one another, they managed to achieve a degree of cooperation and commonality. Kovacs believes that equilibrium was maintained because of the bond provided by nomos, customs whose force derived ultimately from religion. He cites evidence from the writings of Herodotus and Euripides to show the extent and strength of this unwritten code. But its strength was diminished over the years, notably by the teachings of Sophists, relativistic philosophers who became the educators of Greek youth. Even though other philosophers including Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle attempted to counter the influence of the Sophists, relativism—and the ravages of war and plague—caused Greeks to lose faith in their touchstone. Kovacs sees in the loss of nomos a parallel to present-day social and moral disintegration resulting from the ascendancy of relativism and deconstructionism. He believes that we need to develop a new kind of nomos—shared beliefs in objective right and wrong—that will provide social glue and moral guidance.
Is the use of hydroxyethyl starch as priming solution during cardiac surgery advisable? A randomized, single-center trial
Authors: Svendsen Øyvind S. , Farstad Marit , Mongstad Arve , Haaverstad Rune , Husby Paul , Kvalheim Venny L. 
Published: December 2017

Introduction: The use of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) leads to increased fluid filtration and edema. The use of artificial colloids to counteract fluid extravasation during cardiac surgery is controversial. Beneficial effects on global fluid loading, leading to better cardiac performance and hemodynamics, have been claimed. However, renal function and coagulation may be adversely affected, with unfavorable impact on outcome following cardiac surgery. Methods: Forty patients were randomly allocated to study groups receiving either acetated Ringer’s solution (CT group) or hydroxyethyl starch (HES group, Tetraspan®) as CPB priming solution. Fluid balance, bleeding and hemodynamics, including cardiac output, were followed postoperatively. The occurrence of acute kidney injury was closely registered. Results: Two patients were excluded from further analyzes due to surgical complications. Fluid accumulation was attenuated in the HES group (3374 (883) ml) compared with the CT group (4328 (1469) ml) (p=0.024). The reduced perioperative fluid accumulation was accompanied by an increased cardiac index immediately after surgery (2.7 (0.4) L/min/m2 in the HES group and 2.1 (0.3) L/min/m2 in the CT group (p<0.001)). No increase in bleeding could be demonstrated in the HES group. Three patients, all of them in the HES group, experienced acute kidney injury postoperatively. Conclusions: CPB priming with HES solution lowers fluid loading during bypass and improves cardiac function in the early postoperative period. The manifestation of acute kidney injury exclusively in the HES group of patients raises doubts about the use of HES products in conjunction with cardiac surgery. ( https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01511120 )
Evaluating Franchise Investment Opportunities using Probability-Tree Analysis
Authors: Pohl Norval F. , Pohl Barbikay B. Bissell 
Published: December 2017

A franchise investment opportunity is normally evaluated by the prospective investor in terms of financial ratio analysis, simple break-even analysis, and cash and capital budget analysis of average sales and profit figures or ranges provided by the franchising organization. In addition to this basic evaluation of the venture, a prospective investor can, using a probability-tree analysis, take into account the probabilities of occurrence of various profit levels based on his subjective judgment ratings of proposed locations and of proposed managerial ability. Such an analysis allows the franchise investor to gain maximum decision-making information from available sales and profit data.
Dimensions of SBIC and Venture Capital Financing
Authors: Johnson James M. 
Published: December 2017

Financing the small business can be both frustrating and time consuming. A large part of the problem stems from the lack of information available to the entrepreneur concerning the investment policies and objectives of potential financiers. As a step toward filling this information gap, the present study reports some key characteristics of the investment behavior of Small Business Investment Corporations and Venture Capital firms. The data provided are designed to enable the entrepreneur to determine whether such sources of funding might be profitably pursued.
A Study of Attitudinal Factors in the Consulting Relationship with Minority-Owned Small Businesses
Authors: Dougherty David M. 
Published: December 2017

Eighty-one black businesses which received free consulting assistance from whites from 1968 to 1973 were studied with respect to entrepreneur motivation and consultant attitude as determinants for the success of the firm and the value of the consulting relationship. Success of the businesses was determined by their survival into 1976, and the value of the consulting relationships was estimated from the consulting reports. The white consultant's motivation was not significant whereas the black entrepreneur's attitude was most important. A valueless consulting relationship predicts a business failure whereas a valuable consulting relationship does not predict business success.
A New Approach to Capital Budgeting in Closely-Held Firms and Small Firms
Authors: McInish Thomas H. , Kudla Ronald J. 
Published: December 2017

The traditional application of the net present value method in capital budgeting involves the use of market derived discount rates such as the cost of capital. Justification of these discount rates stems from the separation principle that states that investment decisions can be made independent of shareholders' tastes and preferences. The purpose of this paper is to show that the separation principle does not hold for closely-held firms and small firms, and, accordingly, market-derived discount rates are inappropriate. Two capital budgeting techniques which are appropriate for these firms are presented. Accept/reject decisions for capital budgeting projects are often made using a technique known as “net present value” (NPV).1 Using the NPV method, acceptable projects are those for which the project's cost is less than the present value of the project's cash flows discounted at the firm's cost of capital; in other words, acceptable projects have a positive NPV. The firm's cost of capital is usually taken to be the weighted average of the firm's cost of equity and debt as measured by investor returns in the capital markets. Justification for use of a discount rate, determined by reference to market-wide investor returns, is based on “the separation principle” which asserts that corporations can make capital budgeting decisions independently of their shareholders' views.2 But because a critical assumption of the separation principle is that shares are readily marketable, it is likely that the separation principle and, hence, market-determined discount rates are inappropriate for closely-held firms and small firms.3 In this paper, we discuss two capital budgeting approaches which are applicable to firms whose shares are not readily marketable. This paper is divided into five sections. First, we discuss the traditional net present value approach to capital budgeting and, then, we indicate in detail, why it may not be suitable for use by closely-held firms and small firms. In the third and fourth sections, we explain two capital budgeting techniques which may be appropriate for use by these firms. Finally, we summarize our conclusions.
Small and Medium-Size firms in Sweden and Government Policy
Authors: Herzog Helge 
Published: December 2017

The small and medium-sized firms are an important part of the Swedish economy. They are employing more than one million people or one third of the employees in Sweden. Small firms help many villages in the countryside to survive. They promote technical development and are important as sub-contractors to large industries. These firms, however, often face obstacles such as insufficient security for loans, lack of risk capital, and sometimes insufficient management expertise in the fields of technical development, financial planning, or marketing. The aim of governmental policy is to remove these obstacles. To achieve this, a number of supporting institutions have been launched in the last years. The most far-reaching is the organization of the Regional Development Funds. These funds are working in all 24 counties of Sweden, providing financial assistance and management service in various forms. The Funds do not compete with private organizations but work closely together with bank and private consultants. The Swedish Board of Industry (SIND) is the principal and financer of the Funds. According to the experiences of SIND, the small and medium-sized firms really need the services offered by the Funds. Those firms which have received support from the funds have been well benefited.
Management Training in Small Business
Authors: Solomon George T. , Carhart David H. 
Published: December 2017

Trainers, educators, and small business people have for some time, argued the issue of “the need for and the usefulness of” small business training. On the one hand, some individuals believe that small business training is both unwanted and in some cases, impossible to deliver. Those on the other side of the issue would point to the constant need for knowledge, the obsolescence of learned skills, and the highly competitive nature of the market place in which small businesses exist. In this paper an attempt is made to examine the issues surrounding small business training, a brief overview discussing the rationale and operation of a new innovative national training program jointly created by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the American Association of Community and Junior Colleges (AACJC) — “The Small Business National Training Network,” (SNTN) and the results from an empirically based research analyzing the attendees’ perception concerning the effectiveness of the program.
Accounting and Marketing—Key Small Business Problems
Authors: Wichmann Henry 
Published: December 2017

The Small Business Administration (SBA) estimates that small businesses represent 97 percent of all businesses in the United States [5, p. 1]. The SBA defines a small business as “one that is not dominate in its field.” While the ma and pa shops fall within this definition, much larger firms are considered small under SBA criteria. The owner-managers of these small firms face unique problems—success or failure is keyed to solving these problems. Each year in the United States, some 500,000 new businesses start and 400,000 businesses discontinue operations [1, p. 47]. These discontinuances are not all due to business failure (a bankrupt firm). Some small firms are merged with larger companies, while the spark of life leaves other small firms because the owner retires without a son or daughter to take over the reins of leadership. The purpose of this article is to aid small business managers by (1) reviewing the process of beginning a business, (2) identifying some of the attributes that characterize a successful or unsuccessful small business, and (3) discussing small firms’ problems common to the frontier states of Alaska and Wyoming.
Levels of Assurance
Authors: Cardegna Thomas F. , Martin Charles L. , Weimer Roderick D. 
Published: December 2017

Since July 1, 1979, the independent CPA has been permitted to perform three levels of service for a non-public entity. Each level of service corresponded to differing degrees of financial statement risk. In order to assess the appropriate level of risk and ensuing service, the CPA must often consider the client's needs along with the associated financial institution's requirements. Based upon in-depth interviews with representatives from independent CPA firms and financial institutions, one may identify specific situations that would dictate the need for mutually satisfying client desires and financial institution requirements. Such situations are identified and investigated in this paper.