bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Stapedotomy with Stapedius Tendon Preservation: Technique and Long‐Term Results
Authors: Colletti Vittorio , Fiorino Francesco G. 
Published: November 2015

From 1975 to 1992, a total of 1459 primary stapedoplasty operations (i.e., stapedectomy, stapedotomy with tendon section, and stapedotomy with tendon preservation) were performed in 1323 subjects at the Ear, Nose, and Throat Department of the University of Verona. Pure‐tone audiometry was carried out in all subjects who were operated on and who underwent 6‐month and 10‐year follow‐ups. To evaluate the influence of stapedius tendon preservation on functional outcome, we randomly selected subgroups of patients using the three different stapedoplasty techniques and tested them by multiple‐frequency tympanometry, psychoacoustic tuning curves, and speech discrimination in noise. Finally, to assess the effect of prosthesis diameter on middle ear transfer function, we used the electrocochleographic technique and examined the threshold and latency of cochlear nerve compound action potentials recorded during surgery from the round window. The results of this study show that the best auditory performance in otosclerotic subjects is achieved by performing a stapedotomy of 0.7 mm diameter, using a 0.6 wire‐Teflon piston, and preserving the stapedius tendon.
Selfish Chromosomal Deletions and Other Delusions for Which Bioeconomics Provides Viable Alternatives
Authors: Ghiselin Michael T. 
Published: November 2015

Technical terms are apt to be misunderstood when they bear deceptive resemblance to ones used in every day language. Terms that are vague or equivocal can be misleading even to those who use them routinely. Sociobiological discourse is particularly misleading because it implicitly suggests metaphysical notions that conflict with the fundamentals of evolutionary thinking. Its language is misleading about agency, or the role of various entities in evolutionary processes. Calling genes ‘replicators’ falsely implies that they are active agents in the process of replicating something, when in fact they are passively replicated. Calling a gene ‘selfish’ suggests that it is some kind of economic agent. A reductio adabsurdum of such claims is provided by ‘selfish chromosomal deletions’ that confer higher fitness than their alleles do upon the organisms that contain them. To avoid linguistic and metaphysical pitfalls one needs to ask what the various evolutionary units are and what they do. Calling something a unit that is replicated rather than a replicator reduces the confusion. In economics and bioeconomics some clarity is gained by focusing upon the units that are resources and those that exploit them. Genes and routines are resources; organisms and firms are what make use of them. The latter might be called ‘exploiters’ to make the distinction clear.
Integral Pulse Frequency Modulated Ultrasound for the Detection and Quantification of Gas Microbubbles in Flowing Blood
Authors: Wright Gordon , Furness Anthony , Haigh Susan 
Published: November 2015

An integral pulse frequency modulated gas microbubble detector is described. When used in conjunction with an electromagnetic blood flowmeter, the ultrasound pulse repetition frequency can be regulated to reduce multiple counting errors due to variations in blood flow rate. A special detector mounting head eliminates problems due to wall curvature and pulsation, permits reliable and reproducible transducer coupling and makes it possible to gate the ultrasound field electronically in order to avoid spurious counts due to crystal and wall artefacts and low intensity regions. Results obtained from the detector during an in vitro evaluation of bubble oxygenators suggest that the number of arterial line gas microbubbles is less than has been claimed previously and that the total volume of gas liberated in the form of microbubbles may be too small to have any demonstrable primary clinical effects.
Justice Even for the Crime Victim: Implementing International Standards
Authors: Waller Irvin 
Published: November 2015

In November 1985, the United Nations General Assembly (1985) adopted a charter of victim rights — the ‘Declaration on the Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power’. Governments and international organisations are now faced with the challenge of implementing these principles. The UN Declaration and the Recommendations of the Council of Europe propose specific ways by which justice and services can be improved. Countries such as Canada, England, France and the United States are passing legislation. However, even there much more is required. All governments must ensure that the principles are put into practice by the police, in victim support agencies, in mental health approaches, in reparation to victims, and for acceptable participation by the person immediately hurt by crime. Further, the United Nations, governments, and private organisations need to establish commissions to assess the needs of victims, the state of services and justice, and solutions to meet needs better. However such commissions must have a role in implementation and prevention if communities are going to be safer and ‘Justice is going to open her eyes to victims’.
Responses to Suburban Highway Congestion: An Overview
Authors: Ross Catherine 
Published: November 2015

The dramatic increase in the growth of suburban-to-suburban travel as a result of the suburbanization of both jobs and people has ushered in another crisis. The congestion level in suburbs of American cities is the foremost topic of discussion and everywhere there is concern that we develop solutions that are both immediate and effective. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, this need arises at a time when local areas are financially stressed and the federal government is reducing funding for transportation services. It is obvious that in addition to the identification of nontraditional funding sources there is need for careful consideration of the fundamental policies that underlay service provision. These papers present approaches that focus on coordinated land use planning and ridesharing that challenge conventional methods.
Anesthesia for Bedside Procedures
Authors: Landow Laurence 
Published: November 2015

Within the past 10 years, numerous short-acting anesthetic drugs have been introduced for use in the operating room. This review article will discuss the role of these agents in critically ill patients undergoing bedside procedures. After a brief historical update, the first part of the review will focus on issues related to the pathophysiology and pharmacology of critically ill patients in general, and of specific organ dysfunction in particular. In-appropriate dosing and improper selection of agents will be highlighted. The second part of the article will discuss specific classes of drugs, with reference to their advantages and disadvantages in the ICU population. The article will conclude by emphasizing the potency, safety, and efficacy of these drugs in significantly reducing the pain and suffering experienced by patients with critical illness.
Diabetic Autonomic Neuropathy
Authors: Parish Roy C. 
Published: November 2015

Diabetic autonomic neuropathy (DAN) occurs in approximately half of Caucasian patients with diabetes and perhaps three-fourths of black diabetic patients. This may be asymptomatic for several years, but the majority of patients with DAN eventually exhibit symptoms of diarrhea, cardiac arrhythmias, sexual dysfunction, and abnormal sweating. Prolonged hyperglycemia results in damage to the autonomic nervous system (ANS), particularly the vagus nerve and other parts of the parasympathetic division. DAN is associated with increased risk of sudden death, high-risk cardiac arrhythmias, myocardial infarction, and death from other causes. Objective testing of autonomic nervous system function yields specific information that affects treatment decisions. Drug therapy can effect improvements in ANS function and reduce these risks. Complications of diabetes that result from ANS dysfunction can be partly reversed or their progress can be slowed by appropriate drug therapy. Features, implications, and therapy of the most common complications resulting from DAN are reviewed, and suggestions for pharmacist involvement in the care of these difficult patients are offered.
Ethics and Professional Values in Business and Industry in India
Authors: Kazmi Azhar 
Published: November 2015

Torn between the two extremes of one's own cultural heritage and the demands of the materialistic values being imitated from the Western societies, an Indian today seems to have temporarily lost his or her moorings. Verily, the current scenario is of confusion and extreme public cynicism about issues such as ethics and values. Businessmen, like human beings in other spheres of life, too face the dilemma arising out of the eternal conflict between the ends and the means. Business ethics and values might just be a new field focusing on age-old dilemmas. What makes the topic of ethics and values in business specially relevant and topical in the present context in India is fact that we are on the threshold of environmental changes of far-reaching consequences. This article is addressed to the subset of the larger issues of ethics and values in life in general. The setting is the business and industry in India in the 1990s and beyond. The basic suggestion of this article relates to the felt need that there has to be a greater understanding of the twin and interrelated issues of ethics and professional values in business and industry in India.
Information Technology – The Hidden Cost
Authors: Mitra Saurav 
Published: November 2015

Information System (IS) is the horse which a company can ride to attain the differentiation of cost and service· to retain or increase its customer base. But the IS department of a company cm1 also become a Trojan horse if it is not properly planned. Faulty planning can lend to escalation of costs. To avoid this, Information Technology (IT) managers have to take care of a lot of things ranging from procurement to the functioning of the IS. Training has to be planned and then imparted to make the most effective use of time and equipment, key employees have to be retained so that the teaming is retained within the organisation and utilised in training others. Service has to be planned so that the IS can function with the least downtime throughout the company. Cast advantage can be achieved through IS by keeping the above aspects in mind while planning, procuring and utilising the equipment.
An Empirical Analysis of Asset Returns and Inflation
Authors: Chawla Deepak , Sharma Amit 
Published: November 2015

In this article we have attempted to determine various assets that could provide a possible hedge against inflation. The data for the period 1980-81 to 2000-01 used in the study is collected from RBI website namely rbi.org.in and the Handbook of Statistics on Indian economy. The returns on seven assets were considered. The wholesale price index is used to compute inflation rate. The results indicate that gold is an over hedge against total inflation as well as on the expected and unexpected inflation. Silver is an over hedge against only expected inflation. The BSE sensex index is an over hedge against total as well as the expected inflation when the return on asset versus the inflation rate measure was used as computed on a continuously compounded basis. None of the remaining assets are hedges against inflation. The study concludes with suggestion for future research.
Managing Internal Conflict in the sales teams
Authors: Zameer Asif 
Published: November 2015

For any organization, the sales persons are the soldiers on the front lines of business. Certainly, if anyone can claim the title of “company warrior”, it would be the members of the sales force. After all, developing new client relationships - and managing existing ones - is an uphill battle. It is interesting, though, that many of the battles that sales persons choose to fight are with the people on their own side - that is, those individuals within their own organizations who are also selling but to different channels or customer groups. My experience has been that, in most companies where alternate distribution channels operate in parallel, the sales team managing one type of channel often has a poor, even contentious, relationship with the other teams. Most of this friction is avoidable and has its roots in the different perceptions that sales teams carry about their counterparts. In this article, the effort has been to explore the sources of these conflicts based on my experience and discussion with sales persons in some companies. The article also tries to suggest some measures to avoid the conflict within the sales department.
Building Relationships @ BPO India
Authors: Singh C. P. , Lather Anu Singh , Goyal D.P. 
Published: November 2015

Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) has gained importance as more and more companies now focus on core competencies. India has emerged as the hottest outsourcing destination to the world. The growth of BPO India in the recent past has been phenomenal, with a promising future to look ahead. When GE Capital, a US - owned MNC established their large call centre at Gurgaon in 1996, little did people realize that they have brought a gold mine or the Indian youth. The mediocre, educated, and unemployed urban youth, considered good for nothing by their parents, suddenly found a new vocation. About twenty to thirty years ago, nobody in India could imagine that its population, considered as bane, will soon become its biggest boon. With its vast English-speaking, computer-savvy human-resource base, it was soon emerging as the major offshoring destination. The change has arrived and with this, the emergence of BPO India. Hertzberg's theory of motivation states that money beyond a point is only a hygiene factor and no longer a motivator for the employees. This fact has been amply proved in the BPO sector; where good wages and better facilities are not able to arrest the high turnover rate. It is seen in Indian context that we value the emotional and social affiliations more than monetary gains. This paper highlights the need to build relationships with your workforce considering them as your strategic partners. It also recommends innovative methods and practices for building relationships forever; with a view to create well-motivated and dedicated workforce for this premier industry of India.
Price Reactions to Index Reorganization Announcements: Indian Evidence
Authors: George Roji 
Published: November 2015

It is a well-known fact that stock indices con be treated as a yardstick for market performance. Price changes reflect a great deal in the functioning of a stock in particular and the market as a whole. Index organizer periodically evaluates the market and decides the stocks which con be included and excluded. Available literature reveals that there ore price differences before and after the announcement dates and in the some way before and after the executing dates . It corrects this anomaly and helps in making profits and/or avoiding losses in stock market. In this study, an attempt has been made to analyse the stock price behaviour an S&P CNX Nifty Index due to such inclusions and exclusions. A period of two years (2004 to 2006) is considered. The study tries to analyse the changes and the reasons which can be attributed for the same. The study reveals that stock prices of firms entering or exiting the indices are not affected by the announcement of inclusion and exclusion dotes. Minor changes ore observed but these are very insignificant. These results prop up the basic premise of semi-strong form hypothesis that of share prices reflect an event or information very quickly, and therefore, it is not possible for on investor to beat the market using such information.
An Analysis of Performance of the Indian Textile Industry in Quota Free Regime
Authors: Sharma Manisha , Prashaant Anu 
Published: November 2015

Indian history witnesses the glorious achievements of the textile industry. The diversity and richness of Indian culture reflects in its textile products in terms of variety, colours, and patterns it offers to the world. Today the Indian textile industry is one of the most important and vital industry of our economy not only in terms of output but also in terms of foreign exchange earnings and employment generation. The Indian textile industry managed to penetrate its roots deep in the international market but that was in the era when multi-fiber Agreement (MFA) was in existence, but now, since 1 January 2005, the Multi-fibre Agreement has phased out and India needs to strive harder to sustain its past achievement. MFA is an agreement through which developing countries of the world were restricted to export their textile products beyond a certain level to the markets of developed nations. Thus, the motive behind this was to provide a window of opportunity for developed and underdeveloped economies or to save the interest of the domestic textile industry of the European Union and the US. Now since the quota is phased out it is a grand opportunity for developing countries. This development may have a positive impact not only on the textile sector of the country but also on the entire economy as a whole. The present research tries to make an attempt to analyse the export performance the Indian textile industry after the abolition of the multi-fibre Agreement with the help of advanced statistical techniques such as cluster analysis and Regression. The variables taken for the statistical analysis are quality, training of employees, finances, and funds and technological upgradation.
Vat And Gst In India - A Note
Authors: Roychowdhury Punarjit 
Published: November 2015

One of the most widely debated issues in indian public finances in current times is undoubtedly the proposed Goods and Services Tax (GST). Perceived as the ‘biggest tax overhaul since independence’ GST promises to fuel overall economic growth and increase tax revenue of the government to a great extent by removing all the impediments that the financial system had been hitherto subject to. This short note starts off by providing a somewhat candid analysis of the present system of VAT which has been in effect since 2005 and then goes to explore certain critical issues related to GST, its prospects and problems and how it can usher in a new era of government finances of the country. I am indebted to Shyama Nair for many for many helpful discussions. I also thank Sugata Marjit for comments and suggestions.
Securitization of Assets: Developments Abroad and Prospects in India
Authors: Sohoni U.S. 
Published: November 2015

Securitization of Assets is a tool in the asset-liability management of banks and financial institutions to tide over the liquidity and other risks and also to supplement income by way of profit on sale of loans. Housing finance sector is one area where securitization is in practice and government has identified National Housing Bank as a facilitator for providing guarantee. This paper focuses on development of securitization in the US and Europe where it has diversified from a mortgage loan phenomenon in the 70’s into non-mortgage based loans giving rise to Asset Based Securities (ABS). It also brings out the impediments and constraints in the way of realising the potential of ABS in India. The growth of securitization in India has been affected mainly due to the non-development of the debt-market. The onus of developing and popularising the asset based securities in India lies on the merchant banker.
Building Corporate Image Using Constructs of Optimum Personality
Authors: Gupta Mukul 
Published: November 2015

This paper begins with the concept of corporate personality. The concept is that of a distinguishable corporation, one that can be defined on the basis of a qualitative and observable differentiation from other such corporations. The external manifestation of these personality attributes is what is termed as the corporate-image. A corporation may tend to project multiple personalities that may, in quite a few situations, lead to the feeling of ‘what’personality or ‘no’personality, at all. To facilitate the designing of a communication strategy a concept like optimum corporate personality is attempted. Some of the dimensions of an optimum corporate personality are identified. There is no general dimension of ideal versus non-ideal personality characteristics. There are a few contrasting themes that offer creative alternatives for portrayal of an Optimum Corporate Image. A framework is then developed which offers a large band-width for communication designed for projecting an optimum corporate image. Restraint in the use of creative strategy is necessary in the sense that attempts to project an ideal kind of corporate trait be thwarted. Such attempts may only create distortions in the message and a fuzzy image.
Corporate Governance: Principles and Objectives
Authors: Vittal N. 
Published: November 2015

Corporate Governance provides the fundamental value framework for the culture of an organisation which ensures efficient functioning of enterprises on sound ethical values and principles. Corporate governance has become a necessity, especially since 1991, when India made a U-turn in its economic policy and the revised policy of the government was aimed at attracting funds from foreign financial institutions. The primary resonsibiity of good corporate governance is that of the Board of Directors. For better corporate governance the boards should perform the role of monitoring the functioning of an organisation, without at the same time reducing the effectiveness of the management by interfering with their day-to-day matters. One of the impediments in the way of good corporate governance is corruption. The three factors within any system which generate corruption are: scarcity, lack of transparency and delay. If these three problems are tackled effectively, corruption can be checked to a great extent. As far as public sector undertakings are concerned, the “Code of Conduct and Ethics” should facilitate the redesigning of the PSEs.
Analyses of Verbal Descriptions of the Sound Quality of a Flue Organ Pipe
Authors: Rioux Vincent , Västfjäll Daniel 
Published: November 2015

This paper presents two exploratory experiments aimed at establishing a lexicon suitable for the description of the sound quality of flue organ pipes. A lexicon of reference was established by an expert organ-builder commenting several voicing steps performed on a flue pipe. This lexicon was then extended, the purpose being primarily to enhance communication between and among organ builders, acousticians and musicians. In the first experiment a qualitative analysis was made of data collected from a listening test in which a number of specialists on organ performance, music theory, history and building took part. The 40 participants made ratings and gave comments to ten recordings of pipe sounds through the voicing process. By comparing an analysis of participants' comments with a primary list of descriptors defined by an organ builder, an attempt is made to extend this primary list to a more standard lexicon. A temporary classification of these descriptors is thus proposed. In a second experiment, a dimensional analysis of data collected from a semantic differential test was made, based on the descriptors found in Experiment 1. From a quantitative analysis the initial “qualitative” categorisation is reviewed and enhanced. By inspecting the factor structure of the descriptors, groups of related descriptors were formed and suitable prototypes of each group were proposed. We then show how, from original data extracted from free comments, a detailed classification of descriptors can be made.