bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The protective effects of allopurinol and superoxide dismutase on noise‐induced cochlear damage
Authors: Seidman Michael D. , Shivapuja Bhagylakshmi G. , Quirk Wayne S. 
Published: January 2017

Several studies have demonstrated that noise exposure may result in local vasoconstriction of cochlear vessels. The subsequent decrease in cochlear blood flow may lead to hypoxia and predispose to the formation of free oxygen radicals (FORs). If hypoxia occurs in response to noise exposure, then drugs that scavenge or block the formation of FORs should protect the cochlea from damage resulting from hypoxic or ischemic events as well as noise trauma. Rats were exposed to 60 hours of continuous broad‐band noise (90 dB SPL) and treated with superoxide dismutase — Polyethylene glycol (SOD‐PEG), allopurinol, or a control vehicle. Exposure to noise resulted in significant threshold shifts at each frequency tested (3, 8, 12, and 18 kHz) as measured by tone burst‐evoked compound action potentials and cochlear microphonics recorded from the round window. Both of these thresholds In drug‐treated animals were attenuated compared with animals exposed to noise alone. These findings show that SOD‐PEG and allopurinol may preserve cochlear sensitivity associated with noise exposure. This suggests that noise‐induced damage to the cochlea may be related to the activity of FORs.
Admission planning and complications of direct laryngoscopy
Authors: Hendrix Robert A. , Ferouz Aliya , Bacon Charles K. 
Published: January 2017

Increasingly, third party payers are challenging the necessity of a hospital admission for endoscopic procedures. Direct laryngoscopy (DL), with or without open, rigid esophagoscopy or flexible, fiberoptic bronchoscopy, was evaluated for the incidence of perioperative complications and associated risk factors. A retrospective review of 200 in‐patient admissions between 1987 and 1990 for direct laryngoscopy or panendoscopy is presented. Complications were classified as major for untoward events that required hospitailzation for proper management. Complications were otherwise considered minor. The incidence of major complications was at least 19.5%, with minor complications occurring in 21% of patients. The total population was partitioned into subsets according to the occurrence of major complications, minor complications, and no complications. For the total population and each subset, distributions were developed by age, sex, habitus, physical status level, diagnosis of molignancy, presence of a malignant lesion in the aerodigestive tract, or medical history of head and neck surgery or radiation therapy. Statistical analysis indicates that these parameters do not offer reliable predictors of which patients are at risk for minor or major complications. It is concluded that all patients who undergo direct laryngoscopy are most safety managed in an in‐hospital setting for a period on the order of 24 hours.
Cranial base surgery: Results in 183 patients
Authors: Janecka Iva P. , Sen Chandranath , Sekhar Laligam N. , Ramasastry Sai , Curtin Hugh D. , Barnes E. Leon , D'Amico Frank 
Published: January 2017

OBJECTIVETo learn about the effects of cranial base surgery.DESIGNCohort study with a mean follow‐up of 30 months.SETTINGPopulation‐based.PATIENTSA consecutive sample of 183 patients who underwent cranial base surgery; 118 patients had malignant skull base tumors, the majority of which were previously treated; 50 had benign tumors; 9 had congenital malformations of the skull base; 3 had inflammatory lesions, and 3 had traumatic defects of the skull base.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURESDisease‐free Interval, overall survival, and rate of complications and functional status.INTERVENTIONCranial base surgery was followed by radiotherapy (In previously untreated patients).RESULTSAfter completion of follow‐up (mean, 30 months), 30 (25.4%) patients had died of their malignant tumors and 8 (6.8%) had died of other causes. One patient (0.84%) was lost to follow‐up. The overall cancer survival rate without regard to histologic type was 67% (63% with no evidence of disease). Among the patients who were treated for benign neoplasm, 72% had no evidence of disease at a mean follow‐up of 39 months. The group of patients with congenital malformations and inflammatory and traumatic lesions demonstrated successful correction of their presurgical problem with skull base surgery. One patient (who had invasive aspergillosis) died of disease. The overall surgical‐medical mortality rate was 2%; the complication rate was 33%, and the Kamofsky performance score was improved or unchanged after surgery in 83% of patients. The average duration of surgery, number of blood transfusions used, and length of the hospital stay were 10 hours, 3 units, and 15 days, respectively.CONCLUSIONSCranial base surgery is a valid surgical technique for treatment of cranial base afflictions. In this study It was found to be beneficial In controlling benign and malignant disease and to be the treatment of choice for selected congenital malformations, trauma, and inflammatory lesions.
Transnasal Endoscopic Repair of Cerebrospinal Fluid Rhinorrhea and Skull Base Defects: A Review of Twenty‐Nine Cases
Authors: Dodson Edward E. , Gross Charles W. , Swerdloff Jason L. , Gustafson L. Mark 
Published: January 2017

The management of cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea has historically plagued the neurosurgeon and the otolaryngologist—head and neck surgeon. Intracranial repair is still favored at many institutions, despite its inherent morbidity. Extracranial nonendoscopic techniques have been previously described but have not gained wide acceptance. More recently, several reports have been published describing a variety of endoscopic techniques in limited patient series used to manage cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea. We present our series of 29 patients with cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea, treated with endoscopic techniques between December 1989 and June 1993, with follow‐up ranging from 3 to 43 months. This represents the largest reported series to date of patients treated with this technique. Our technique has evolved during this time period but centers around the use of free tissue grafts from various donor sites. The causes of the skull base defects in this series included neurosurgical procedures (9), functional endoscopic sinus surgery (8), and trauma (3). Defects occurred spontaneously in 9 cases. The fovea ethmoidalis and sphenoid sinus were the site in 11 and 12 cases, respectively, and the cribriform plate was involved in 6 cases. Cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea was documented by nasal endoscopy with or without intrathecal fluorescein, laboratory studies, computed tomography with or without contrast cisternography, and radioisotope cisternography in various combinations. Resolution of cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea was achieved in 22 of 29 patients (75.9%) with one endoscopic procedure and 25 of 29 patients (86.2%) after a second attempt. Four patients required neurosurgical intervention for recurrent cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea. Complications were minimal and were related primarily to the original pathology or procedure. Cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea can be managed safely and effectively with endoscopic techniques in a majority of cases, and the morbidity of open procedures can be avoided.
Effects of Antiepidermal Growth Factor Receptor Antibody 528 on the Proliferation and Differentiation of Head and Neck Cancer
Authors: Sturgis Erich M. , Sacks Peter G. , Masui Hideo , Mendelsohn John , Schantz Stimson P. 
Published: January 2017

Antibodies directed against the epidermal growth factor receptor may impede proliferation and induce differentiation of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. To test this hypothesis, we examined the effect of monoclonal antibody 528 directed against epidermal growth factor receptor on the proliferation and differentiation of monolayer cells and multicellular tumor spheroids from three head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cell lines (1483, MDA 686Ln, and MDA 886Ln) and the epidermal growth factor—responsive vulvar carcinoma A431. All head and neck squamous cell carcinoma lines were shown to express high levels of epidermal growth factor receptor by Scatchard analyses. Epidermal growth factor inhibited the growth of monolayer cells but stimulated the growth of 886 and A431 multicellular tumor spheroids. Epidermal growth factor modulated the differentiation of A431 and 686 with respect to involucrin immunohistochemistry and cornified envelope competency. Monoclonal antibody 528 directed against epidermal growth factor receptor Inhibited cellular proliferation as measured by cell number, thymidine incorporation, and multicellular tumor spheroid volume. A mild promotion of differentiation was observed in the epidermal growth factor—responsive cells. In conclusion, monoclonal antibody 528 directed against epidermal growth factor receptor inhibits growth of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cells bearing high levels of epidermal growth factor receptors and promotes differentiation in some tumors. The use of a multicellular tumor spheroid model to evaluate growth factor responsiveness and inhibition of proliferation may more accurately reflect in vivo tumor growth than monolayer cells. Antibodies against epidermal growth factor receptor may prove effective in modulating disease progression in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
Economics, Politics, and Governance*
Authors: Jalan Bimal 
Published: January 2017

This paper discusses the dynamics of economics, politics, and governance and its implications for the Indian economy in general and the governance issues of educational institutions in particular. Independent India was founded on a democratic framework and an operational governance structure. The vision was to attain the specific economic and social goals that the country had set for itself. What is puzzling is the fact that despite the ideal combination of economics, politics, and civil service, the expected results were not achieved. What might have happened is the development of a substantial gap between the economically sound and the politically feasible policies, on the one hand, and the disharmony between the different levels of the administrative machinery, on the other. The author agrees with the renowned economist, Hanson, who found an answer to the problem not in the theory of planning or the people making the plans but with the unrealistic assumptions about the likely responses of the people. For instance, it was assumed that the people elected to power, the citizens of the country, and the labour and management of the public enterprises would all work selflessly to achieve the economic objectives of the country. In reality, however, regional and sectional interests dominated the political and economic decisions making the Indian economy self-centric, narrow, and wasteful. The channelization of economic benefits to the special interest groups led to the lop-sided distribution of wealth. To add to this was the political corruption which was accepted as an unavoidable feature of the electoral process. Another blow came from the public sector enterprises which, instead of generating public savings, led to the accumulation of internal public debt and lower investment. What is unfortunate is that all this continued for a long time despite the realization that they were going against the basic assumptions of the post-Independence policy framework. Taking the issue of fee determination in the case of IIMs, the author feels that it is again a complex interplay of the three elements - economics, politics, and governance. The economic issue from the public policy point of view is: why the larger subsidy from public funds and for whose benefit? While it is a popular political move to grant subsidies, it is a matter of conscious political choice as to which target group should get the benefit. Towards making India's vision a reality, the author suggests the adoption of pragmatic and flexible approaches with the contemporary realities in mind. The steps would include: simplifying administrative procedures managing fiscal deficit through fiscal policy changes ensuring accountability through legal reforms avoiding bureaucratic interference eliminating administrative discretion While a lot needs to be done in all these areas, the author is confident that with the economic potential of the country and the innate ability of the people of this country, it would definitely be possible to realize the full potential within the next two decades.
Rekindling the Heart and the Soul of Management
Authors: Singh J 
Published: January 2017

A concerted set of initiatives over the last 50 years has transformed management into a profession and a popular discipline for formal study. However, there has been a steady deterioration in the quality of working life in modern organizations. Contrary to the oft-repeated cliche about people being valuable assets, they are increasingly being treated as liabilities that can no longer be afforded. This is best reflected in the frenzy of ‘rightsizing’- a weak euphemism for turning employees out. Those who are lucky enough to survive are then subjected to a mechanistic culture devoid of human sensitivity. The focus is on squeezing the maximum out of them but not doing enough to make them feel wanted or to enhance their sense of self-worth and self-respect. Compounding these problems is the more dramatic fall in leadership standards. As the spate of recent scandals suggest, many organizations have fallen into the hands of greedy impostors masquerading as leaders. Simultaneously, the public image of business corporations has been severely tarnished. Because of frauds and other misdemeanours that have been uncovered and publicized, they are perceived less as creators of social wealth and progressively more as exploitative organizations seeking to prosper at the expense of the common good. Business ethics, good governance, and corporate social responsibility may be fashion- able themes for conferences but they are not much in evidence in practice. Any insightful observer is, therefore, likely to infer that modern corporations have lost their hearts (and hence the people-are-liabilities mindset) and their souls (hence their lack of sensitivity to social well-being). This paper underscores the urgent need for rekindling the corporate heart and soul — reorienting the prevailing approaches to dealing with employees and changing the mindset about corporate purpose. What people require is a genuinely supportive environment and a persevering, diligent leader to show the way. For creating the right kind of environment, the author suggests the following measures: appoint the right person treat people like assets - not liabilities invest generously in culture-building cultivate the right attitudes. For rekindling the corporate soul, the following initiatives are suggested: follow ethical conduct appoint ethical people get oriented towards social responsibility. Only when all these are achieved will business organizations provide enriching work experiences to their employees and ultimately succeed in transcending profit-making in its narrow sense to attain their more altruistic, nobler purposes. Among the various prescriptive measures, the most crucial is the selection of individuals for leadership roles. The importance of character is vital. Yet, it is perhaps the one requirement that is most often compromised.
Does Higher Price Signal Better Quality?
Authors: Verma D P S , Gupta Soma Sen 
Published: January 2017

With differentiated products, consumers may not be aware of the quality and features of the products they buy. They are often unable to make a quality comparison among various brands. Moreover, they often gather little information even when the financial commitment involved is substantial. A popular belief is: ‘You get what you pay for.’ Therefore, consumers tend to believe that high price is an indicator of better quality. Although many studies conducted on price-quality relationship have supported this belief, there are other studies that have found the relationship to be product-specific and weak in general. This study seeks to examine the relationship between the price of the product and the buyers' perception of quality in respect of durable, semi-durable, and non-durable products in the Indian context. Three products were selected for the purpose of the study: colour television as a durable product; T-shirt as a semi-durable product; and toothpaste as a non-durable product. Data were collected from the primary sources with the help of a non-disguised, pre-structured questionnaire. In particular, the authors sought to explore answer to two questions: (1) Does high price have a positive influence on the buyers' perception of product quality? (2) Is there a significant difference in the buyers' perception of the quality of products falling in different price ranges? The major findings of the study are as follows: For a durable product, like colour television, setting the price too low will negatively affect the quality image of the product and the consumer would be reluctant to buy a low-priced brand as it might lower his image in the society. Pricing it reasonably high will give the product a high-quality image. However, the marketer should take care of the competitors' pricing policies and the buyers' purchasing power. The target market for T-shirt in India consists mainly of the young, especially the college students, having limited purchasing power. They prefer local, or little known, but trendy brands of T-shirts rather than expensive ones. Also, they would opt for a T-shirt of a reputed brand if it is within their purchasing power. However, reducing the price of the T-shirt may dilute its brand image. Hence, the marketer of the T-shirt should think of market segmentation strategies and select the appropriate target segment(s) and price the product accordingly. For toothpaste, brand reputation is a critical factor and the marketer should price the product according to the reputation enjoyed by the brand. However, the price-quality relationship for this product has been found to be weak in comparison to colour television and T-shirt. The marketer, therefore, should be wary of charging a very low price as it would create an inferior quality image in the mind of the buyer. The findings have important marketing implications for pricing, market segmentation, target marketing, and product positioning.
Governance of Higher Education Institutions
Authors: Pandey I M 
Published: January 2017

Governance includes the issues of autonomy and accountability. In most countries, including developing countries, autonomy is being extended to higher education institutions (HEIs) in order to increase the flexibility which these institutions require to meet the needs of the society and the economy. Autonomy is the prerogative and the ability of an institution to act by its own choices in pursuit of its mission and goals. This ensures optimum allocation of resources for achieving the stated goals and missions of HEIs which are knowledge creation and dissemination. These institutions are mission- oriented and although they have a significant impact on the economy and the society, their action and results are not directly measurable in financial terms. Autonomy encompasses three areas - academic, institutional, and financial. Academic autonomy is the freedom for faculty members to operate freely which would lead to intellectual wealth of great quality. Institutional autonomy includes operational freedom and freedom of decision-making by the institute's constituents. Financial autonomy means the freedom to raise and use funds according to its priorities and internal rules. An institution cannot have full institutional autonomy without financial autonomy. Allowing financial autonomy with accountability would assess the effectiveness of the institution in disseminating knowledge to its students. Autonomy of publicly funded institutions also implies societal accountability. Institutions operate in a given environment. Therefore, their actions and outcomes must be consistent with the demands of the external environment. Societal concern assumes great significance as governance in HEIs cannot be devoid of environment and social responsibility. Every organization's actions influence the members of the society, directly or indirectly. Therefore, HEIs should strive to strike a balance between needs of their stakeholders, demands of the society, and autonomy. A socially responsible HEI should perform the following duties: Be a resource and supporter for public policies and issues. Ensure admission to all qualified students from all sections of the society. Facilitate quality education and research. Assist in professionalizing management practice of socially desirable but under-managed sectors. Help business and industry through training, research, and consultancy. Research on the issues that are significant for the government, the industry, and other sectors and disseminate the research findings. Collaborate with other academic institutions to help them improve their aca- demic standards. Organizations take a lot from the society and hence should also give back to the society. This attitude will sustain them over a long period of time.
Drucker: On Learning (to Learn) Management
Authors: Srinivasan Shiva Kumar 
Published: January 2017

This paper argues that there is an intrinsic link between the concepts of “learning-to-learn” and the “knowledge worker” in the work of Peter Drucker. This is because the increasing life-span of knowledge workers and the decreasing life-span of organizations in the contemporary world have changed the underlying nature of the “social contract” that has hitherto governed the relationship between workers and organizations. Furthermore, these changes are forcing all stakeholders to confront the demands of learning-to-learn and self-management as the necessary modalities of professional and social mobility for knowledge workers in the global economy. Drucker therefore argues that formalizing an ethic of learning-to-learn will provide both knowledge workers and organizations, by implication, with a competitive advantage in “the next society.” Understanding the importance of learning practices and knowledge management will also make it possible for knowledge workers and knowledge-based organizations to continually renew themselves despite the intensity of competition and the relentless demands for individuation, differentiation, and innovation in the global economy. Drucker cites his own career as an example of such a possibility by demonstrating that “intellectual omnivorousness” can serve as an emotional and intellectual reservoir of possibilities for knowledge workers over a long life span. What knowledge workers need then is a “method of study.” In addition to spelling out a possible model of study based on his own formative experiences, Drucker also cites the sources from which he initially learnt the modalities that he calls for in a general theory of learning-to-learn in knowledge workers and organizations. The essential modality in making knowledge “actionable” for Drucker is “feedback analysis,” a practice that he identifies with the Jesuits and the Calvinists in Europe. In other words, decision-makers must have the confidence and patience to write decision reports and check to see if they have been able to anticipate the consequences of a given decision through feedback analysis. They must also develop a high degree of self-awareness on what constitutes their cognitive style by deciding whether their style of information-processing demands the style of a “reader or listener” and act accordingly. This relates to the larger necessity of acting from strengths rather than from weaknesses in Drucker's thought. And, finally, the knowledge worker must be willing to learn from the experience of artists, musicians, and scientists on the possibilities of creativity in old-age and internalize the moral obligation to pursue perfection whenever or wherever possible.