in a similar way. This formula was used in numerous computations of π, culminating with Shanks’ computation of π to 707 decimal digits accuracy in 1873 (although it was later found that this result was in error after the 527-th decimal place). With the development of computer technology in the 1950s, π was computed to thousands and then millions of digits. These computations were facilitated by...

BACKGROUNDS/AIMS Aging of population is leading to more operative treatments on elderly patients in various aspects. Growing numbers of patients are going through operations about cholecystitis in the same sense. We tried to survey them anew about remarkably increasing octogenarian patients and the outcome after operative management for cholecystitis seeking to improve treatment result. METHO...

The patent laws are in the U.S. Constitution dating back from 1790 to 1793 to promote, as articulated by one of the framers, Thomas Jefferson, and protect ‘any new and useful art, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new or useful improvement thereof ’. Although the U.S. Congress in 1952 replaced the word ‘art’ with the word ‘process’, the Congress, as well as the courts, have...