Let A be a real line arrangement in P(R), and let AC be its complexification. Let CC be the complement P (C) \ ⋃ AC. Let G be the Galois group of C/R. We construct a G-equivariant 2-dimensional strong deformation retract of CC. As an application, we give an explicit presentation of the orbifold fundamental group π1(CC//G), and deduce from it an explicit presentation of the ordinary fundamental ...

Received for publication March’ 2009 .............................. Purpose: To assess and compare the complications of primary and secondary implantation of flexible open loop anterior chamber intraocular lenses. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted in the Department of Ophthalmology, Abbasi Shaheed Hospital from January 2007-June 2008. In this study evaluation of 60 patients with fl...

Antrodia camphorata (AC) is an endemic mushroom that grows in Taiwan. We investigated the fatigue-alleviating effects of AC on endurance capacity in swim-exercised and weight-loading mice. Male Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) strain mice from 3 groups (n = 10 per group in each test) were orally administered AC fruiting body extract for 7 days at 0, 50, and 200 mg/kg/day, designated vehicle, ...

AIM To investigate the expression and clinical pathological significance of ROR2 and WNT5a in gallbladder squamous/adenosquamous carcinoma (SC/ASC) and adenocarcinoma (AC). METHODS EnVision immunohistochemistry was used to stain for ROR2 and WNT5a in 46 SC/ASC patients and 80 AC patients. RESULTS Poorly differentiated AC among AC patients aged > 45 years were significantly more frequent com...

OBJECTIVE The aim of this randomized controlled study was to evaluate the efficacy of oral native type II collagen treatment on the symptoms and biological markers of cartilage degradation, when given concomitantly with acetaminophen in patients with knee osteoarthritis. MATERIALS AND METHODS Thirty-nine patients diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis were included and randomly distributed into t...

OBJECTIVE To seek an association between articular chondrocalcinosis (AC) and calcification of the transverse ligament of the atlas (TLA), and to evaluate the frequency and the main computed tomography appearances of such calcification. METHODS Axial computed tomography slices of the cervico-occipital hinge were performed routinely in 21 patients with AC (three men, 18 women; mean age 79 year...

BACKGROUND The entire disease spectrum of chronic HBV infection (CHB) includes asymptomatic carriers (AC), active chronic hepatitis (ACH), cirrhosis (Cir), and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Previous study have demonstrated that the costimulation profiles from the livers of patients influenced immune responses and played various immunological roles in AC, ACH, Cir, and HCC. In addition, activa...