Long Term Dynamic of Real Exchange Rate, Trade Liberalization and Financial Integration: The Case of South-East Mediterranean Countries

In this paper, we aim to test the empirical validity of the QTM relationship for the Turkish economy. Using some contemporaneous time series estimation techniques, our estimation results reveal that stationarity characteristics of the velocities of currency in circulation and the broad money aggregate in the economy cannot be rejected through a quantity theoretical co-integrating long-term variable space. We find that there exists an about one-to-one proportionality between money and prices and money and real income, and that exogeneity of money cannot be rejected for the currency in circulation in the economy. But, the exception here comes from the broad monetary aggregate used in the QTM equation such that money seems to be endogenous as for the long-term variable space.Equilibrium real exchange rate, Misalignment, Trade liberalization, International financial integration, Cointegration, PSEM

Intra-aortic Balloon Pump May Attenuate Adverse Hemodynamic Effects of Negative Intrathoracic Pressure in Cardiogenic Shock

High negative intrathoracic pressure (NIP), as occurs during obstructive sleep apnea or hiccups, results in adverse hemodynamic consequences, specifically a decrease in left ventricle (LV) performance. These untoward effects can potentially be catastrophic in the case of an already compromised LV in cardiogenic shock. The interplay of intra-aortic balloon pump counter pulsation during abrupt high NIP in cardiogenic shock is described

Pulseless Paradoxus: A Clue to the Presence of Cardiac Tamponade During Continuous-Flow Mechanical Circulatory Support

This letter to the editor is in response to the published article by by Akhtar et al

Is Household Air Pollution a Risk Factor for Eye Disease?

In developing countries, household air pollution (HAP) resulting from the inefficient burning of coal and biomass (wood, charcoal, animal dung and crop residues) for cooking and heating has been linked to a number of negative health outcomes, mostly notably respiratory diseases and cancers. While ocular irritation has been associated with HAP, there are sparse data on adverse ocular outcomes that may result from acute and chronic exposures. We consider that there is suggestive evidence, and biological plausibility, to hypothesize that HAP is associated with some of the major blinding, and painful, eye conditions seen worldwide. Further research on this environmental risk factor for eye diseases is warranted

Promoting the Defence´s Role in the Preliminary Investigation, a Challenge in Maghrebian Criminal Proceedings

Maghrebian criminal procedures have long been based on a theory inherited from French legislation, based on the relationship between the effectiveness of police investigations and the weakening of the role of the lawyer, relying on the principles of the inquisitorial system, in particular the principle of secrecy that governs the entire preliminary phase of the trial. Through this article, the authors attempt to refute the latter theory, proving that any strengthening of the role of the lawyer during the preliminary investigation constitutes a deterrent and protection of the authorities against allegations of torture and ill-treatment, and a decisive means to guarantee the protection of the rights of the accused, and therefore, a contribution to the consecration of the efficiency of the investigations and the procedural fairness

A Novel Carbon Nanofibers Grown on Glass Microballoons Immunosensor: A Tool for Early Diagnosis of Malaria

This paper presents a novel method for direct detection of Plasmodium falciparum histidine rich protein-2 (PfHRP-2) antigen using carbon nanofiber (CNF) forests grown on glass microballoons (NMBs). Secondary antibodies specific to PfHRP-2 densely attached to the CNFs exhibit extraordinary ability for the detection of minute concentrations of Plasmodium species. A sandwich immunoassay protocol was employed, where a glass substrate was used to immobilize primary antibodies at designated capture zones. High signal amplification was obtained in both colorimetric and electrical measurements due to the CNFs through specific binding. As a result, it was possible to detect PfHRP-2 levels as low as 0.025 ng/mL concentration in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) using a visual signal within only 1 min of test duration. Lower limits of 0.01 ng/mL was obtained by measuring the electrical resistivity of the capture zone. This method is also highly selective and specific in identifying PfHRP-2 and other Plasmodium species from the same solution. In addition, the stability of the labeling mechanism eliminates the false signals generated by the use of dyes in current malaria rapid diagnostic test kits (MRDTs). Thus, the rapid, sensitive and high signal amplification capabilities of NMBs is a promising tool for early diagnosis of malaria and other infectious diseases

Studies on image compression and image reconstruction

During this six month period our works concentrated on three, somewhat different areas. We looked at and developed a number of error concealment schemes for use in a variety of video coding environments. This work is described in an accompanying (draft) Masters thesis. In the thesis we describe application of this techniques to the MPEG video coding scheme. We felt that the unique frame ordering approach used in the MPEG scheme would be a challenge to any error concealment/error recovery technique. We continued with our work in the vector quantization area. We have also developed a new type of vector quantizer, which we call a scan predictive vector quantization. The scan predictive VQ was tested on data processed at Goddard to approximate Landsat 7 HRMSI resolution and compared favorably with existing VQ techniques. A paper describing this work is included. The third area is concerned more with reconstruction than compression. While there is a variety of efficient lossless image compression schemes, they all have a common property that they use past data to encode future data. This is done either via taking differences, context modeling, or by building dictionaries. When encoding large images, this common property becomes a common flaw. When the user wishes to decode just a portion of the image, the requirement that the past history be available forces the decoding of a significantly larger portion of the image than desired by the user. Even with intelligent partitioning of the image dataset, the number of pixels decoded may be four times the number of pixels requested. We have developed an adaptive scanning strategy which can be used with any lossless compression scheme and which lowers the additional number of pixels to be decoded to about 7 percent of the number of pixels requested! A paper describing these results is included

Thrompella: Acute Impella Thrombosis During Ecpella Support

We present a case of acute Impella thrombosis during Ecpella support in a 48-year-old man listed for a heart transplant. After two weeks of Ecpella support, echocardiography revealed a 2.6 x 1.1 cm mobile thrombus attached to the Impella inlet (Video). The Impella and attached thrombus were pulled across the aortic valve into the descending aorta and removed without systemic thromboembolism. Due to the ongoing need for left ventricular venting, a new Impella CP was placed

Consilience and unity in ocular anterior segment research

In his beautiful book, Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge, the eminent biologist Edward O Wilson, advocates the need for integration and reconciliation across the sciences. He defines consilience as “literally a ‘jumping together' of knowledge with a linking of facts … to create a common groundwork of explanation”. It is the premise of this paper that as much as basic biomedical research is in need of data generation using the latest available techniques– unifying available knowledge is just as critical. This involves the necessity to resolve contradictory findings, reduce silos, and acknowledge complexity. We take the cornea and the lens as case studies of our premise. Specifically, in this perspective, we discuss the conflicting and fragmented information on protein aggregation, oxidative damage, and fibrosis. These are fields of study that are integrally tied to anterior segment research. Our goal is to highlight the vital need for Wilson's consilience and unity of knowledge which in turn should lead to enhanced rigor and reproducibility, and most importantly, to greater understanding and not simply knowing

„W ogóle jestem niechętny dźwiękom”. Muzyka w filmie Tatarak Andrzeja Wajdy

The aim of this article is to interpret the musical layer of Andrzej Wajda’s 2009 movie Tatarak (Sweet Rush), based on the novel by Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz. In the first part, the author attempts to depict the complex relationship between the literary and film works of these two artists and emphasizes three main motifs used by both of them: love and death, water and women’s themes. Next, Wajda’s attitude to music is analyzed. He treats sounds as an element of everyday life and, as is typical for our times, he is aware of the “dissolution” of musical works. In the next part, the author articulates the main problems of Sweet Rush, drawing attention to both Iwaszkiewicz’s novel and Wajda’s movie. The director’s adaptation, which is full of intermedia references, revolves around the theme of death and seems to underestimate the sexual aspect of Iwaszkiewicz’s work. Finally, Pawel Mykietyn’s soundtrack to Sweet Rush is interpreted. The composer used one of his earlier Shakespeare’s Sonnets (2000), which plays the role of a leitmotif, to illustrate the most enigmatic, inexplicable scenes from Wajda’s movie. Thanks to its discrete, sparing and “austere” nature, Mykietyn’s music made the artistic composition of Sweet Rush more balanced and revealed the suggestiveness of this work.The aim of this article is to interpret the musical layer of Andrzej Wajda’s 2009 movie Tatarak (Sweet Rush), based on the novel by Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz. In the first part, the author attempts to depict the complex relationship between the literary and film works of these two artists and emphasizes three main motifs used by both of them: love and death, water and women’s themes. Next, Wajda’s attitude to music is analyzed. He treats sounds as an element of everyday life and, as is typical for our times, he is aware of the “dissolution” of musical works. In the next part, the author articulates the main problems of Sweet Rush, drawing attention to both Iwaszkiewicz’s novel and Wajda’s movie. The director’s adaptation, which is full of intermedia references, revolves around the theme of death and seems to underestimate the sexual aspect of Iwaszkiewicz’s work. Finally, Pawel Mykietyn’s soundtrack to Sweet Rush is interpreted. The composer used one of his earlier Shakespeare’s Sonnets (2000), which plays the role of a leitmotif, to illustrate the most enigmatic, inexplicable scenes from Wajda’s movie. Thanks to its discrete, sparing and “austere” nature, Mykietyn’s music made the artistic composition of Sweet Rush more balanced and revealed the suggestiveness of this work