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Background Multiple clinical trials targeted the assessment of cognitive function following local versus general anesthesia in patients undergoing ophthalmic surgery, but no previous clinical trials have focused on the effect of topical anesthesia on cognitive function. Objectives This study aimed to compare the effect of local anesthesia with lidocaine 2% versus topical anesthesia with Oxybuprocaine (benoxinate hydrochloride 0.4%) on cognitive function in patients undergoing elective cataract surgery. Methods This is a prospective randomized clinical trial carried out on 60 patients undergoing elective cataract surgery by phacoemulsification. Thirty patients received local anesthesia with lidocaine 2% and thirty patients received topical anesthesia with Oxybuprocaine (benoxinate hydrochloride 0.4%). Patients' satisfaction was assessed postoperatively using the Iowa satisfaction with anesthesia scale (ISAS). Cognitive assessment for all patients was done preoperatively and 1 week postoperatively using paired-associate learning test (PALT) and category verbal fluency (VF) test (animal category). Results There was no statistically significant difference between local and topical anesthesia groups in the mean of responses to the 11 statements of ISAS (P = 0.071). Regarding cognitive assessment, there was a statistically significant postoperative decline in the local anesthesia group in both PALT scores (P = 0.005) and VF scores (P = 0.01). In the topical anesthesia group, there was no statistically significant difference between pre- and postoperative PALT scores (P = 0.326) or VF scores (P = 0.199). Conclusions Postoperative cognitive dysfunction following elective cataract surgeries under local anesthesia can be attributed to the effect of local anesthesia rather than the effect of surgery.

The paper presents an ultra-high-speed image sensor for motion pictures of reproducible events emitting very weak light. The sensor is backside-illuminated. Each pixel is equipped with multiple collection gates (MCG) at the center of the front side. Each collection gate is connected to an in-pixel large memory unit, which can accumulate image signals captured by repetitive imaging. The combination of the backside illumination, image signal accumulation, and slow readout from the in-pixel signal storage after an image capturing operation offers a very high sensitivity. Pipeline signal transfer from the the multiple collection gates (MCG) to the in-pixel memory units enables the sensor to achieve a large frame count and a very high frame rate at the same time. A test sensor was fabricated with a pixel count of 32 &times, 32 pixels. Each pixel is equipped with four collection gates, each connected to a memory unit with 305 elements, thus, with a total frame count of 1220 (305 &times, 4) frames. The test camera achieved 25 Mfps, while the sensor was designed to operate at 50 Mfps.

In recent years, great numbers of enterprises worldwide form International Strategic Alliances (ISAs) in order to expand internationally and gain global competitiveness. The objective of this paper is to present a number of propositions on the contextual factors that have an impact on the development of trust at the later stages of ISA operations. We propose that alliance age and interdependence will positively affect the development of trust among alliance partners. On the contrary, we expect that perceived risk of opportunism will have a negative impact on trust development among alliance partners.

International Strategic Alliances (ISAs) are considered one of the most powerful mechanisms for combining competition and co-operation and for industrial restructuring on a global basis. Despite the fact that ISAs often fail to meet the goals set by the partners, their use has been rapidly increasing over the past two decades. A number of Greek enterprises seeking to expand their business activities abroad have formed ISAs with local partners, mostly in South East Europe. There is a general agreement on the role of trust on ISAs’ successful operation and positive outcomes. Furthermore, the construct of trust becomes even more important in the volatile environment of South East Europe. In this paper, three propositions are developed in order to investigate the impact of senior management commitment, control mechanisms and goal compatibility on trust among ISA partners. In addition, we suggest that trust has a positive impact on effective knowledge transfer from the partners to the ISAs. The objective of this paper is to lead to a better understanding of the above factors and to set the ground for future empirical research on the importance of trust in ISAs.

International Conference on Emerging Markets Queries in Finance and Business -- OCT 24-27, 2013 -- Tirgu Mures, ROMANIA, WOS: 000357094000215, Upon the harmonization and convergence efforts and achievements relating to accounting standards, national and international structures all around the world precipitated their efforts regarding to the consensus on International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and International Standards on Auditing (ISAs). Turkish government amended new codes for Turkish trade in 2012 as part of the reforms for an ultimate and comprehensive economic system and these codes brought some enforcements relating to the adoption and use of international standards. Inescapable interaction between trade codes and accounting and auditing standards led to comprehensive changes and ambiguities both for standard setting bodies and concerned parties. Major aim of this study is to probe the current situation with respect to IFRS and ISAs. The study will be carried on accounting professionals from different organizations with different levels of education and experience in order to reflect the awareness and perception of IFRS and ISAs. A questionnaire is designed and will be addressed to the sample accountants for the sake of determining awareness level and gathered data will be analyzed by means of SPSS software. According to the findings of research, possible solutions will be recommended. (C) 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V., Petru Maior Univ Tirgu Mures

Averaging of accumulated data is a standard technique applied to processing data with low signal-to-noise ratios (SNR), such as image signals captured in ultra-high-speed imaging. The authors propose an architecture layout of an ultra-high-speed image sensor capable of on-chip signal accumulation. The very high frame rate is enabled by employing an image sensor structure with a multi-folded CCD in each pixel, which serves as an in situ image signal storage. The signal accumulation function is achieved by direct connection of the first and the last storage elements of the in situ storage CCD. It has been thought that the multi-folding is achievable only by driving electrodes with complicated and impractical layouts. Simple configurations of the driving electrodes to overcome the difficulty are presented for two-phase and four-phase transfer CCD systems. The in situ storage image sensor with the signal accumulation function is named Image Signal Accumulation Sensor (ISAS).

The ISIS is an ultra-fast image sensor with in-pixel storage. The evolution of the ISIS in the past and in the near future is reviewed and forecasted. To cover the storage area with a light shield, the conventional frontside illuminated ISIS has a limited fill factor. To achieve higher sensitivity, a BSI ISIS was developed. To avoid direct intrusion of light and migration of signal electrons to the storage area on the frontside, a cross-sectional sensor structure with thick pnpn layers was developed, and named “Tetratified structure”. By folding and looping in-pixel storage CCDs, an image signal accumulation sensor, ISAS, is proposed. The ISAS has a new function, the in-pixel signal accumulation, in addition to the ultra-high-speed imaging. To achieve much higher frame rate, a multi-collection-gate (MCG) BSI image sensor architecture is proposed. The photoreceptive area forms a honeycomb-like shape. Performance of a hexagonal CCD-type MCG BSI sensor is examined by simulations. The highest frame rate is theoretically more than 1Gfps. For the near future, a stacked hybrid CCD/CMOS MCG image sensor seems most promising. The associated problems are discussed. A fine TSV process is the key technology to realize the structure.