AIM: To examine the allegations in malpractice litigations related to gastrointestinal endoscopy in Japan. METHODS: A retrospective review of cases tried in the civil court system during the 21-year period from 1985 t...AIM: To examine the allegations in malpractice litigations related to gastrointestinal endoscopy in Japan. METHODS: A retrospective review of cases tried in the civil court system during the 21-year period from 1985 to 2005, identified in a computerized legal database, was undertaken. RESULTS: Eighteen malpractice litigations and a total of 30 allegations were identified. Of the 18 (44%) malpractice litigations, 8 (44%) were related to eso- phagogastroduodenoscopy, 4 (22%) to colonoscopy, 4 (22%) to endoscopic sphincterotomy, and 2 (11%) to endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. Seventeen (94%) cases pertained to complications, and the remaining (6%) case pertained to misdiagnosis. In 10 cases, the patient died of the complications. Allegations were categorized as: (1) performance error during the endoscopic procedure (n = 12, 40%); (2) lack of informed consent (n = 9, 30%); (3) performance error during the treatment after the endoscopic procedure (n = 4, 13%); (4) premedication error (n = 3, 10%); (5) diagnostic error (n = 1, 3%); and (6) indication error for the endoscopic procedure (n = 1, 3%). CONCLUSION: These data may aid in the design of risk prevention strategies to be used by gastrointestinal endoscopists.展开更多
Acupuncture is effective for the treatment of apoplectic hemiplegia, and the acupoint on the paralytic side is often selected for acupuncture. However, some doctor prefers healthy-side needling with quite satisfactory...Acupuncture is effective for the treatment of apoplectic hemiplegia, and the acupoint on the paralytic side is often selected for acupuncture. However, some doctor prefers healthy-side needling with quite satisfactory results. We study and review the treatment of apoplexy by healthy-side needling to further improve its therapeutic effects.展开更多
In a commercialized and fragment media market where crisis and humanitarian interventions are big news that sells, how do politicians and the public respond to them? Bearing in mind that immigration is a phenomenon w...In a commercialized and fragment media market where crisis and humanitarian interventions are big news that sells, how do politicians and the public respond to them? Bearing in mind that immigration is a phenomenon with a growing presence in society and increasingly politicized, this paper explores an important and persistent question regarding the role of news media in affecting policy decisions, particularly during times of crisis (Paletz, 1998), transference of the issue and the media frames occurs. Having taken into account the agenda building paradigm and the concept of flame (Entman, 1993; Snow & Benford, 1988), the topic of immigration is analyzed in the Spanish main newspapers (El Pais & El Mundo) and in the political interventions (Parliamentary Debates). In order to implement this extraction and framing analysis, the associative method is adopted. The assaults of Ceuta and Melilla (2005) and the Canarias crisis (2006) are taken as the cases of study. The findings of this research highlight that moments of humanitarian crisis and key newsworthy events related to African immigrants increase the media's power to introduce the issue of immigration and to have influence on the frames used in the political and public agenda.展开更多
Globalization, which is characterized by the escalating mobility of capital, people, ideas and information on a universal scale, has become a sweeping theme in the contemporary world. Tourism and its associated econom...Globalization, which is characterized by the escalating mobility of capital, people, ideas and information on a universal scale, has become a sweeping theme in the contemporary world. Tourism and its associated economic activities are evidently not immune to such a wider context of the world economy. In the past one or two decades, a stable increase has been witnessed in international tourist flows, inter-regional and inter-organizational alliances, and foreign direct investment. These trends are especially prevalent in the developing world, largely because of their pristine nature, di- verse culture, inexpensive goods and services, cheap labours, and other resources. However, it has been cautioned by some scholars, especially those from the Third World countries, that tourism is an industry run by and for the rich, more powerful nations and their corresponding multinational corporations. This article, from the perspective of political economy, supplemented with views from development studies, made a normative analysis on the impacts of the glob- alization of tourism on the Third World destination countries. Specifically, these impacts have been detailed in terms of economic, sociocultural, and ecological domains. It was demonstrated that without appropriate planning and manage- ment, the costs of Third World tourism development may accrue to the extent that its benefits are burned out. To avoid this happening, some suggestions have been made.展开更多
AIMTo compare the effectiveness and safety of vonoprazan-based therapy with proton pump inhibitor (PPI)-based therapies to treat Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori).METHODSWe retrospectively analysed data from first-line ...AIMTo compare the effectiveness and safety of vonoprazan-based therapy with proton pump inhibitor (PPI)-based therapies to treat Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori).METHODSWe retrospectively analysed data from first-line (vonoprazan or PPI with 200 mg clarithromycin and 750 mg amoxicillin twice daily for 7 d) (n = 1353) and second-line (vonoprazan or PPI with 250 mg metronidazole and 750 mg amoxicillin twice daily for 7 d) (n = 261) eradication treatments for H. pylori -positive patients with associated gastrointestinal diseases from April 2014 to December 2015 at Hattori Clinic, Japan. The primary endpoint was the eradication rate, which was assessed with a full analysis set. The secondary endpoints were adverse events and related factors.RESULTSAfter the first-line treatments, the eradication rates for vonoprazan, esomeprazol, rabeprazole, and lansoprazole were 87.9% (95%CI: 84.9%-90.5%), 71.6% (95%CI: 67.5%-75.5%), 62.9% (95%CI: 52.0%-72.9%), and 57.3% (95%CI: 50.4%-64.1%), respectively. The vonoprazan eradication rate was significantly higher than that of the PPIs (P < 0.01). Interestingly, smoking did not affect the H. pylori eradication rate in the vonoprazan group (P = 0.34), whereas it decreased the rates in the PPI groups (P = 0.013). The incidence of adverse events in the vonoprazan group was not different from the PPI group (P = 0.054), although the vonoprazan group exhibited a wider range of adverse events. Vonoprazan-based triple therapy was highly effective as a second-line treatment, with an eradication rate similar to that of PPI-based therapy.CONCLUSIONVonoprazan might be superior to PPIs in first-line H. pylori therapy, particularly for smokers. However, caution is required due to possible adverse events.展开更多
Hard Ball by Chris Matthews is a great book offering fascinating anecdotes of various people seeking political power: their ambitions, the brutality of politics and their skillful maneuverings of political schemes. T...Hard Ball by Chris Matthews is a great book offering fascinating anecdotes of various people seeking political power: their ambitions, the brutality of politics and their skillful maneuverings of political schemes. This essay utilizes a hypothetical scenario, how to get ele,:ted to local school boards, to illustrate how politics is played at the local level. I chose this scenario is because all politics are local and school board can influence schools, teachers and students on a daily basis.展开更多
To be successful in global markets, companies from the emerging countries need the approval of foreign investors and other stakeholders. In this regard, Brazil, Russia, India, and China (BRIC) have progressively str...To be successful in global markets, companies from the emerging countries need the approval of foreign investors and other stakeholders. In this regard, Brazil, Russia, India, and China (BRIC) have progressively strengthened their corporate governance rules to help their companies overcome the competitors from the old industrialized countries. Directors' non-executive qualification, independence, and professional expertise represent basic requirements for effective corporate governance, so they should be carefully considered to guarantee a proper board composition and an adequate establishment of internal committees in listed companies. The paper intends to compare the legislative and regulatory frameworks adopted by the four countries; then it aims at answering to the following research questions by means of an empirical investigation: Have BRIC companies appointed non-executive and independent board members? What do BRIC companies do in order to assure an effective participation of non-executive and independent board members to corporate governance activities? Have BRIC companies established internal committees? The research examines the appointment of non-executive directors and independent directors to the boards of 100 BRIC leading firms, as well as their involvement in internal committees focused on matters requiring motivated and impartial opinions. Although the laws and recommendations seem to favor a general convergence of corporate governance principles among the four BRIC and towards the international best practices, some differences and peculiarities emerge from a firm-level perspective. Indeed, the Indian and the Chinese companies analyzed appear more inclined than the Brazilian and the Russian ones to reassure their international stakeholders about board independence and effective committees.展开更多
This paper reviews the importance of visibility in public deliberation in the theoretical construction of political communication. Political communication is the area that study social and political interactions of ac...This paper reviews the importance of visibility in public deliberation in the theoretical construction of political communication. Political communication is the area that study social and political interactions of actors through discourses and practices within the public sphere. The social and political actors manage their public appearances in an exercise of visibility, allowing deliberation of public affairs. In recent years, Mexico has been a relevant case of study for understanding the opening of media into the public discussion of governmental affairs. As an example, this paper presents an analysis of public deliberation in the city of Quer6taro, Mexico. This study analyses political participation and openness of media, based on the concepts visibility, public sphere and citizenship. The analysis was built on the idea that the press concentrates most of the issues of public interest and that it reflects actors and arguments given for deliberation. In a qualitative approximation, we analyzed the discourses published in four journals and developed an analytical framework that illustrates the levels of access and visibility of a variety of political and social actors. This exercise demonstrates the importance of the concept of visibility in public deliberation and the media as managers in the current configuration of political communication.展开更多
The purpose of this article is to analyze the impact of corporate governance and disclosure policy on corporate financial performance by examining the combined effect of board characteristics and disclosure level on f...The purpose of this article is to analyze the impact of corporate governance and disclosure policy on corporate financial performance by examining the combined effect of board characteristics and disclosure level on financing costs. The empirical analysis, conducted on a sample of 192 Canadian companies, generally shows the importance of board characteristics in determining the level of disclosure and firms' costs of financing. In particular, the results found indicate that boards whose characteristics meet the governance requirements that are associated with greater transparency in disclosure on governance attributes reduce the costs of financing of their companies by debt as well as by equity capital.展开更多
The TanDEM-X mission is a scientific and commercial Earth observation mission comprising two satellites flying in close formation. The formation maintenance can be advantageously performed by an onboard autonomous sys...The TanDEM-X mission is a scientific and commercial Earth observation mission comprising two satellites flying in close formation. The formation maintenance can be advantageously performed by an onboard autonomous system, which reduces the operational efforts, provides a shorter reaction time in case of contingencies and increases the control performance. The TanDEM-X Autonomous Formation Flying (TAFF) system has been developed for this purpose and is intended to replace the ground-based formation keeping activities during routine operations. TAFF has been activated for the first time in October 2010 for commissioning, during which the autonomous usage of thrusters was prohibited. Afterwards, a closed-loop campaign was successfully conducted in March 2011, demonstrating the capability of TAFF to maintain autonomously the formation. After a brief technical description of the system, the paper presents the key results gained during the commissioning phase and the closed-loop campaign,展开更多
Yongquan (KI 1) is a jing (well) point of the Kidney Meridian of Foot-Shaoyin. As this point is widely used for treatment of acute or chronic diseases, it has drawn attentions from physicians both in the ancient and i...Yongquan (KI 1) is a jing (well) point of the Kidney Meridian of Foot-Shaoyin. As this point is widely used for treatment of acute or chronic diseases, it has drawn attentions from physicians both in the ancient and in the present times. If this point is taken accurately and the differentiation of disease is made properly, both the needling and the external drug application can achieve satisfactory therapeutic results.展开更多
This paper describes a brief overview of both corporate social responsibilities (CSR) and rural development (RD) ideas since the last 50 years. It aims at comparing and contrasting the both (CSR and RD) thoughts...This paper describes a brief overview of both corporate social responsibilities (CSR) and rural development (RD) ideas since the last 50 years. It aims at comparing and contrasting the both (CSR and RD) thoughts, and searches an initiative to expand the sustainable development achievement. Using secondary data from libraries studies, the progress of each thought will be identified to find out its advantages and weaknesses. Then, the result showed that the timeline perspectives come up with the conjunction idea of sustainability. In order to be more sustainable in development, then, the idea of CSR--as a tool for gaining sustainability in RD--should be transformed into "social business" approach. Here, there is a change in the time of taking decision about profit from "the last to the first". The paper contains four sub-topics: (1) definition and progress of CSR; (2) change in RD themes; (3) CSR, RD and social business; and (4) transformation of CSR to social business. The process of transformation from CSR to social business should include following agenda: (1) tailoring public-private partnerships to the local context; (2) providing resources, horizon and commitment; and (3) encouraging further innovation. This new position requires a shift in corporate law as well as establishing good corporate governance.展开更多
63 patients with senile vascular dementia were randomly divided into the treatment group (treated by acupuncture) and the control group (treated with piracetam). The authors observed the changes in the score of Hasega...63 patients with senile vascular dementia were randomly divided into the treatment group (treated by acupuncture) and the control group (treated with piracetam). The authors observed the changes in the score of Hasegawa's dementia scale (HDS), p300, rheoencephalogram, topographic EEG, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in erythrocytes, and lipid peroxide (LPO) level in plasma before and after treatment. The statistical data showed that the total effective rate in the treatment group (80.6%) was significantly higher than that in the control group (25%), and the differences in the observed indexes before and after treatment were significant (P 0.05), indicating that the acupuncture treatment was superior in immediate therapeutic effect on senile vascular dementia to drug treatment.展开更多
Objective: To investigate the relationship between eye injury and laser in-situ keratomileusis (LASIK) surgery in military personnel. Methods: This retrospective study collected the data from 27 evacuation hospit...Objective: To investigate the relationship between eye injury and laser in-situ keratomileusis (LASIK) surgery in military personnel. Methods: This retrospective study collected the data from 27 evacuation hospitals of Chinese army. All medical records of eye injuries in military personnel admitted to the 27 hospitals between January 2006 and December 2010 were reviewed. Patients' detailed information was analyzed, including the injury time, place, type, cause, as well as examination, treatment and outcome. Results: There were 72 eye-injured patients who had been treated by LASIK before. The incidence was risingyear by year. Among them, 69 patients were diagnosed with mechanical ocular injury and 3 with non-mechanical ocular injury; 29 patients had traumatic flap-related complications and 21 patients need surgery. There was statistical difference when compared with those having no refractive sur- gery history. Visual acuity recovered well at discharge. Conclusion: There is a high risk of potential traumatic flap problems after LASIK and it is not recommended in army service.展开更多
The development of order in transitional China is not merely a matter of institutional supply, hut also a matter of defining the state's special roles and functions in the transition period. Since reform and opening ...The development of order in transitional China is not merely a matter of institutional supply, hut also a matter of defining the state's special roles and functions in the transition period. Since reform and opening up, China has sought to realize the twin governance aims of high speed development of the socialist economy and maintenance of stability, which require that the state simultaneously undertake the dual roles of modern government and national capital. The consequent adjustments to the governance structure are expressed in the state's devolution of power to the market while reserving government pricing power; devolution of power to local governments while reserving power over central tasks; and affirming social rights while reserving the power to approve social organizations. At the institutional level, the externalities produced by this "quasi-decentralized governance structure" are marked by the shrinkage of arrangements for collective welfare, the absence of mechanisms for routine security in ordinary life, and the development of mechanisms that allow the government to profit from the market. This may result in the instrumentalization of government functions and the capitalization of public power, producing imbalances in the distribution of social rights, wealth and risk, or in other words, social instability.展开更多
Objective : To analyze the data of patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) induced by road traffic crashes in southeastern Iran for better understanding the pattern of these injuries and therefore for better designi...Objective : To analyze the data of patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) induced by road traffic crashes in southeastern Iran for better understanding the pattern of these injuries and therefore for better designing health system planning. Methods : In this historical cohort study, the patients who had been transferred to Level I trauma center in southeastern Iran due to road traffic accidents with radiographic documented SCI were evaluated. Results: Among 64 patients with SCI, 38 patients (59.4 %, 36 males and 2 females, aged 27.42 years ± 9.44 years on average) were injured by road traffic accidents. Car and motorcycle accidents were responsible for 26 cases (68.4%) and 12 cases (31.6%), respectively. And 31patients (81. 6%) had complete SCI. Conus medularis (T12-L2 ) was the most affected level. Conclusions: Results are discussed in terms of preventive measures, specifically those concerning the use of restraint and helmet and driving behavior. This study should be extended nationally to gain a larger case series so that the SCI risk of particular vehicle configurations, considering other crash factors, can be more precisely quantified and the characteristics for low occurrence of SCI can be more precisely identified.展开更多
The operating processes of boards of directors are delicate and complex, so corporate legislation cannot simply equate board structure law with board governance law. It is therefore necessary to start from China's ac...The operating processes of boards of directors are delicate and complex, so corporate legislation cannot simply equate board structure law with board governance law. It is therefore necessary to start from China's actual conditions and grasp the operating processes of Chinese boards with a sober appreciation of the irrational elements in their operating mechanisms. Board governance has entered a new stage of institutionalization, and the law should shift from its emphasis on structure to give equal attention to structure and process in optimizing institutional structure. In the construction of board operating mechanisms, we should treat differently such "living laws" as customs, experiences and traditions, give full play to the functionality of boards' strategic choices, and provide legal regulation of irrational elements, so as to distinguish between different roles, develop consensus, select strong points and improve efficiency. We should build control over board operational procedures, improve the system of functional allocation, correct assessment mechanisms, develop a mechanism for judicial scrutiny of the affective relationships in society and curb such behavioral tendencies as relational identity, structural bias and group polarization, with a view to controlling such "living laws" within the framework of the basic values and principles of board governance.展开更多
The reality that social contradictions are intensifying in some parts of China has revealed some inescapable defects in the current stage of our criminal justice system and has presented new challenges to criminal jus...The reality that social contradictions are intensifying in some parts of China has revealed some inescapable defects in the current stage of our criminal justice system and has presented new challenges to criminal justice. Justice is a crucial factor in effective linkages between social governance and the path to the rule of law, and the attainment of good social governance through justice is a basic marker of a rule of law society. Using the rational choice framework to examine representative individual cases, we can see that theories of participatory governance, self-governance and polycentric governance provide an approach to the interpretation of extreme social contradictions and the reduction of social conflicts, thus constituting a theoretical support and guiding direction for the reform of the judicial system. This will enable us to create a dispute resolution mechanism consistent with the concept of societal governance and judicial principles.展开更多
Purpose: To investigate efficacy of open reduction and internal fixation with the miniplate and hollow screw in the treatment of Lisfranc injury. Methods: Ten cases of Lisfranc injury treated by open reduction, mini...Purpose: To investigate efficacy of open reduction and internal fixation with the miniplate and hollow screw in the treatment of Lisfranc injury. Methods: Ten cases of Lisfranc injury treated by open reduction, miniplate and hollow screw in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed. There were 6 males and 4 females with age ranging from 25 to 45 years (mean 32 years). Among them, one case was classified as Type A, six Type B and three Type C. Injury mechanism included road traffic accidents (3 cases), fall from height (5 cases) and hit by heavy object (2 cases). All injuries were closed without cerebral trauma or other complicated injuries. The time interval between injury and operation was 6-10 days (average 6.6 days). Postoperatively, the foot function was assessed using Visual Analogue Scales (VAS) and American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) Scales. Healing time and complications were observed. Results: All patients were followed up for 18-24 months (average 20 months). Anatomic reduction was achieved in all patients on images. There was statistical significance between preoperative score (Z89 ± 0.34) and score at postoperative 8 weeks (0.67 ± 0.13). According to the AOFAS score, 5 cases were defined as excellent, 3 cases as good and 2 cases as fair. During follow-up, there was no wound infection or complications except for osteoarthritis in 2 cases. Healing time ranged from 3 to 6 months with an average of 3.6 months. Conclusion: Anatomical reduction of Lisfranc injury can be achieved by open reduction and internal fixation with the miniplate and hollow screw. Normal structure of Lisfranc joint is regained to a great extent; injured ligaments were also repaired. Therefore, this method offers excellent curative effect and can avoid postoperative complications and improve the patients' quality of life.展开更多
文摘AIM: To examine the allegations in malpractice litigations related to gastrointestinal endoscopy in Japan. METHODS: A retrospective review of cases tried in the civil court system during the 21-year period from 1985 to 2005, identified in a computerized legal database, was undertaken. RESULTS: Eighteen malpractice litigations and a total of 30 allegations were identified. Of the 18 (44%) malpractice litigations, 8 (44%) were related to eso- phagogastroduodenoscopy, 4 (22%) to colonoscopy, 4 (22%) to endoscopic sphincterotomy, and 2 (11%) to endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. Seventeen (94%) cases pertained to complications, and the remaining (6%) case pertained to misdiagnosis. In 10 cases, the patient died of the complications. Allegations were categorized as: (1) performance error during the endoscopic procedure (n = 12, 40%); (2) lack of informed consent (n = 9, 30%); (3) performance error during the treatment after the endoscopic procedure (n = 4, 13%); (4) premedication error (n = 3, 10%); (5) diagnostic error (n = 1, 3%); and (6) indication error for the endoscopic procedure (n = 1, 3%). CONCLUSION: These data may aid in the design of risk prevention strategies to be used by gastrointestinal endoscopists.
文摘Acupuncture is effective for the treatment of apoplectic hemiplegia, and the acupoint on the paralytic side is often selected for acupuncture. However, some doctor prefers healthy-side needling with quite satisfactory results. We study and review the treatment of apoplexy by healthy-side needling to further improve its therapeutic effects.
文摘In a commercialized and fragment media market where crisis and humanitarian interventions are big news that sells, how do politicians and the public respond to them? Bearing in mind that immigration is a phenomenon with a growing presence in society and increasingly politicized, this paper explores an important and persistent question regarding the role of news media in affecting policy decisions, particularly during times of crisis (Paletz, 1998), transference of the issue and the media frames occurs. Having taken into account the agenda building paradigm and the concept of flame (Entman, 1993; Snow & Benford, 1988), the topic of immigration is analyzed in the Spanish main newspapers (El Pais & El Mundo) and in the political interventions (Parliamentary Debates). In order to implement this extraction and framing analysis, the associative method is adopted. The assaults of Ceuta and Melilla (2005) and the Canarias crisis (2006) are taken as the cases of study. The findings of this research highlight that moments of humanitarian crisis and key newsworthy events related to African immigrants increase the media's power to introduce the issue of immigration and to have influence on the frames used in the political and public agenda.
文摘Globalization, which is characterized by the escalating mobility of capital, people, ideas and information on a universal scale, has become a sweeping theme in the contemporary world. Tourism and its associated economic activities are evidently not immune to such a wider context of the world economy. In the past one or two decades, a stable increase has been witnessed in international tourist flows, inter-regional and inter-organizational alliances, and foreign direct investment. These trends are especially prevalent in the developing world, largely because of their pristine nature, di- verse culture, inexpensive goods and services, cheap labours, and other resources. However, it has been cautioned by some scholars, especially those from the Third World countries, that tourism is an industry run by and for the rich, more powerful nations and their corresponding multinational corporations. This article, from the perspective of political economy, supplemented with views from development studies, made a normative analysis on the impacts of the glob- alization of tourism on the Third World destination countries. Specifically, these impacts have been detailed in terms of economic, sociocultural, and ecological domains. It was demonstrated that without appropriate planning and manage- ment, the costs of Third World tourism development may accrue to the extent that its benefits are burned out. To avoid this happening, some suggestions have been made.
文摘AIMTo compare the effectiveness and safety of vonoprazan-based therapy with proton pump inhibitor (PPI)-based therapies to treat Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori).METHODSWe retrospectively analysed data from first-line (vonoprazan or PPI with 200 mg clarithromycin and 750 mg amoxicillin twice daily for 7 d) (n = 1353) and second-line (vonoprazan or PPI with 250 mg metronidazole and 750 mg amoxicillin twice daily for 7 d) (n = 261) eradication treatments for H. pylori -positive patients with associated gastrointestinal diseases from April 2014 to December 2015 at Hattori Clinic, Japan. The primary endpoint was the eradication rate, which was assessed with a full analysis set. The secondary endpoints were adverse events and related factors.RESULTSAfter the first-line treatments, the eradication rates for vonoprazan, esomeprazol, rabeprazole, and lansoprazole were 87.9% (95%CI: 84.9%-90.5%), 71.6% (95%CI: 67.5%-75.5%), 62.9% (95%CI: 52.0%-72.9%), and 57.3% (95%CI: 50.4%-64.1%), respectively. The vonoprazan eradication rate was significantly higher than that of the PPIs (P < 0.01). Interestingly, smoking did not affect the H. pylori eradication rate in the vonoprazan group (P = 0.34), whereas it decreased the rates in the PPI groups (P = 0.013). The incidence of adverse events in the vonoprazan group was not different from the PPI group (P = 0.054), although the vonoprazan group exhibited a wider range of adverse events. Vonoprazan-based triple therapy was highly effective as a second-line treatment, with an eradication rate similar to that of PPI-based therapy.CONCLUSIONVonoprazan might be superior to PPIs in first-line H. pylori therapy, particularly for smokers. However, caution is required due to possible adverse events.
文摘Hard Ball by Chris Matthews is a great book offering fascinating anecdotes of various people seeking political power: their ambitions, the brutality of politics and their skillful maneuverings of political schemes. This essay utilizes a hypothetical scenario, how to get ele,:ted to local school boards, to illustrate how politics is played at the local level. I chose this scenario is because all politics are local and school board can influence schools, teachers and students on a daily basis.
文摘To be successful in global markets, companies from the emerging countries need the approval of foreign investors and other stakeholders. In this regard, Brazil, Russia, India, and China (BRIC) have progressively strengthened their corporate governance rules to help their companies overcome the competitors from the old industrialized countries. Directors' non-executive qualification, independence, and professional expertise represent basic requirements for effective corporate governance, so they should be carefully considered to guarantee a proper board composition and an adequate establishment of internal committees in listed companies. The paper intends to compare the legislative and regulatory frameworks adopted by the four countries; then it aims at answering to the following research questions by means of an empirical investigation: Have BRIC companies appointed non-executive and independent board members? What do BRIC companies do in order to assure an effective participation of non-executive and independent board members to corporate governance activities? Have BRIC companies established internal committees? The research examines the appointment of non-executive directors and independent directors to the boards of 100 BRIC leading firms, as well as their involvement in internal committees focused on matters requiring motivated and impartial opinions. Although the laws and recommendations seem to favor a general convergence of corporate governance principles among the four BRIC and towards the international best practices, some differences and peculiarities emerge from a firm-level perspective. Indeed, the Indian and the Chinese companies analyzed appear more inclined than the Brazilian and the Russian ones to reassure their international stakeholders about board independence and effective committees.
文摘This paper reviews the importance of visibility in public deliberation in the theoretical construction of political communication. Political communication is the area that study social and political interactions of actors through discourses and practices within the public sphere. The social and political actors manage their public appearances in an exercise of visibility, allowing deliberation of public affairs. In recent years, Mexico has been a relevant case of study for understanding the opening of media into the public discussion of governmental affairs. As an example, this paper presents an analysis of public deliberation in the city of Quer6taro, Mexico. This study analyses political participation and openness of media, based on the concepts visibility, public sphere and citizenship. The analysis was built on the idea that the press concentrates most of the issues of public interest and that it reflects actors and arguments given for deliberation. In a qualitative approximation, we analyzed the discourses published in four journals and developed an analytical framework that illustrates the levels of access and visibility of a variety of political and social actors. This exercise demonstrates the importance of the concept of visibility in public deliberation and the media as managers in the current configuration of political communication.
文摘The purpose of this article is to analyze the impact of corporate governance and disclosure policy on corporate financial performance by examining the combined effect of board characteristics and disclosure level on financing costs. The empirical analysis, conducted on a sample of 192 Canadian companies, generally shows the importance of board characteristics in determining the level of disclosure and firms' costs of financing. In particular, the results found indicate that boards whose characteristics meet the governance requirements that are associated with greater transparency in disclosure on governance attributes reduce the costs of financing of their companies by debt as well as by equity capital.
文摘The TanDEM-X mission is a scientific and commercial Earth observation mission comprising two satellites flying in close formation. The formation maintenance can be advantageously performed by an onboard autonomous system, which reduces the operational efforts, provides a shorter reaction time in case of contingencies and increases the control performance. The TanDEM-X Autonomous Formation Flying (TAFF) system has been developed for this purpose and is intended to replace the ground-based formation keeping activities during routine operations. TAFF has been activated for the first time in October 2010 for commissioning, during which the autonomous usage of thrusters was prohibited. Afterwards, a closed-loop campaign was successfully conducted in March 2011, demonstrating the capability of TAFF to maintain autonomously the formation. After a brief technical description of the system, the paper presents the key results gained during the commissioning phase and the closed-loop campaign,
文摘Yongquan (KI 1) is a jing (well) point of the Kidney Meridian of Foot-Shaoyin. As this point is widely used for treatment of acute or chronic diseases, it has drawn attentions from physicians both in the ancient and in the present times. If this point is taken accurately and the differentiation of disease is made properly, both the needling and the external drug application can achieve satisfactory therapeutic results.
文摘This paper describes a brief overview of both corporate social responsibilities (CSR) and rural development (RD) ideas since the last 50 years. It aims at comparing and contrasting the both (CSR and RD) thoughts, and searches an initiative to expand the sustainable development achievement. Using secondary data from libraries studies, the progress of each thought will be identified to find out its advantages and weaknesses. Then, the result showed that the timeline perspectives come up with the conjunction idea of sustainability. In order to be more sustainable in development, then, the idea of CSR--as a tool for gaining sustainability in RD--should be transformed into "social business" approach. Here, there is a change in the time of taking decision about profit from "the last to the first". The paper contains four sub-topics: (1) definition and progress of CSR; (2) change in RD themes; (3) CSR, RD and social business; and (4) transformation of CSR to social business. The process of transformation from CSR to social business should include following agenda: (1) tailoring public-private partnerships to the local context; (2) providing resources, horizon and commitment; and (3) encouraging further innovation. This new position requires a shift in corporate law as well as establishing good corporate governance.
文摘63 patients with senile vascular dementia were randomly divided into the treatment group (treated by acupuncture) and the control group (treated with piracetam). The authors observed the changes in the score of Hasegawa's dementia scale (HDS), p300, rheoencephalogram, topographic EEG, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in erythrocytes, and lipid peroxide (LPO) level in plasma before and after treatment. The statistical data showed that the total effective rate in the treatment group (80.6%) was significantly higher than that in the control group (25%), and the differences in the observed indexes before and after treatment were significant (P 0.05), indicating that the acupuncture treatment was superior in immediate therapeutic effect on senile vascular dementia to drug treatment.
文摘Objective: To investigate the relationship between eye injury and laser in-situ keratomileusis (LASIK) surgery in military personnel. Methods: This retrospective study collected the data from 27 evacuation hospitals of Chinese army. All medical records of eye injuries in military personnel admitted to the 27 hospitals between January 2006 and December 2010 were reviewed. Patients' detailed information was analyzed, including the injury time, place, type, cause, as well as examination, treatment and outcome. Results: There were 72 eye-injured patients who had been treated by LASIK before. The incidence was risingyear by year. Among them, 69 patients were diagnosed with mechanical ocular injury and 3 with non-mechanical ocular injury; 29 patients had traumatic flap-related complications and 21 patients need surgery. There was statistical difference when compared with those having no refractive sur- gery history. Visual acuity recovered well at discharge. Conclusion: There is a high risk of potential traumatic flap problems after LASIK and it is not recommended in army service.
文摘The development of order in transitional China is not merely a matter of institutional supply, hut also a matter of defining the state's special roles and functions in the transition period. Since reform and opening up, China has sought to realize the twin governance aims of high speed development of the socialist economy and maintenance of stability, which require that the state simultaneously undertake the dual roles of modern government and national capital. The consequent adjustments to the governance structure are expressed in the state's devolution of power to the market while reserving government pricing power; devolution of power to local governments while reserving power over central tasks; and affirming social rights while reserving the power to approve social organizations. At the institutional level, the externalities produced by this "quasi-decentralized governance structure" are marked by the shrinkage of arrangements for collective welfare, the absence of mechanisms for routine security in ordinary life, and the development of mechanisms that allow the government to profit from the market. This may result in the instrumentalization of government functions and the capitalization of public power, producing imbalances in the distribution of social rights, wealth and risk, or in other words, social instability.
文摘Objective : To analyze the data of patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) induced by road traffic crashes in southeastern Iran for better understanding the pattern of these injuries and therefore for better designing health system planning. Methods : In this historical cohort study, the patients who had been transferred to Level I trauma center in southeastern Iran due to road traffic accidents with radiographic documented SCI were evaluated. Results: Among 64 patients with SCI, 38 patients (59.4 %, 36 males and 2 females, aged 27.42 years ± 9.44 years on average) were injured by road traffic accidents. Car and motorcycle accidents were responsible for 26 cases (68.4%) and 12 cases (31.6%), respectively. And 31patients (81. 6%) had complete SCI. Conus medularis (T12-L2 ) was the most affected level. Conclusions: Results are discussed in terms of preventive measures, specifically those concerning the use of restraint and helmet and driving behavior. This study should be extended nationally to gain a larger case series so that the SCI risk of particular vehicle configurations, considering other crash factors, can be more precisely quantified and the characteristics for low occurrence of SCI can be more precisely identified.
文摘The operating processes of boards of directors are delicate and complex, so corporate legislation cannot simply equate board structure law with board governance law. It is therefore necessary to start from China's actual conditions and grasp the operating processes of Chinese boards with a sober appreciation of the irrational elements in their operating mechanisms. Board governance has entered a new stage of institutionalization, and the law should shift from its emphasis on structure to give equal attention to structure and process in optimizing institutional structure. In the construction of board operating mechanisms, we should treat differently such "living laws" as customs, experiences and traditions, give full play to the functionality of boards' strategic choices, and provide legal regulation of irrational elements, so as to distinguish between different roles, develop consensus, select strong points and improve efficiency. We should build control over board operational procedures, improve the system of functional allocation, correct assessment mechanisms, develop a mechanism for judicial scrutiny of the affective relationships in society and curb such behavioral tendencies as relational identity, structural bias and group polarization, with a view to controlling such "living laws" within the framework of the basic values and principles of board governance.
基金an achievement of"Research on the Models,Rules and Reform Directions of the Socialist Legal System with Chinese Characteristics"(14AKS009)a major project of both the National Social Science Fund of China and Plan 2011 of the Collaborative Innovation Center for Judicial Civilization
文摘The reality that social contradictions are intensifying in some parts of China has revealed some inescapable defects in the current stage of our criminal justice system and has presented new challenges to criminal justice. Justice is a crucial factor in effective linkages between social governance and the path to the rule of law, and the attainment of good social governance through justice is a basic marker of a rule of law society. Using the rational choice framework to examine representative individual cases, we can see that theories of participatory governance, self-governance and polycentric governance provide an approach to the interpretation of extreme social contradictions and the reduction of social conflicts, thus constituting a theoretical support and guiding direction for the reform of the judicial system. This will enable us to create a dispute resolution mechanism consistent with the concept of societal governance and judicial principles.
文摘Purpose: To investigate efficacy of open reduction and internal fixation with the miniplate and hollow screw in the treatment of Lisfranc injury. Methods: Ten cases of Lisfranc injury treated by open reduction, miniplate and hollow screw in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed. There were 6 males and 4 females with age ranging from 25 to 45 years (mean 32 years). Among them, one case was classified as Type A, six Type B and three Type C. Injury mechanism included road traffic accidents (3 cases), fall from height (5 cases) and hit by heavy object (2 cases). All injuries were closed without cerebral trauma or other complicated injuries. The time interval between injury and operation was 6-10 days (average 6.6 days). Postoperatively, the foot function was assessed using Visual Analogue Scales (VAS) and American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) Scales. Healing time and complications were observed. Results: All patients were followed up for 18-24 months (average 20 months). Anatomic reduction was achieved in all patients on images. There was statistical significance between preoperative score (Z89 ± 0.34) and score at postoperative 8 weeks (0.67 ± 0.13). According to the AOFAS score, 5 cases were defined as excellent, 3 cases as good and 2 cases as fair. During follow-up, there was no wound infection or complications except for osteoarthritis in 2 cases. Healing time ranged from 3 to 6 months with an average of 3.6 months. Conclusion: Anatomical reduction of Lisfranc injury can be achieved by open reduction and internal fixation with the miniplate and hollow screw. Normal structure of Lisfranc joint is regained to a great extent; injured ligaments were also repaired. Therefore, this method offers excellent curative effect and can avoid postoperative complications and improve the patients' quality of life.