Diagnostic Value of Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Evaluation of the Biliary Obstruction

Purpose. In this study, our purpose was to investigate the diagnostic efficacy of the dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) method in the patients with bile duct obstruction. Materials and Methods. 108 consecutive patients (53 men, 55 women, mean age; 55.77 ± 14.62, range 18–86 years) were included in this study. All the patients underwent conventional upper abdomen MRI using intravenous contrast material (Gd-DTPA) and MRCP in 1.5 Tesla MRI scanner. MRCP images were evaluated together with the T1 and T2w images, and both biliary ducts and surrounding tissues were examined for possible pathologies that may cause obstruction. Results. MRI/MRCP findings compared with final diagnoses, MRI/MRCP in the demonstration of bile duct obstruction sensitivity 96%, the specificity 100%, and accuracy 96.3%, in the detection of presence and level of obstruction, the sensitivity 96.7%, specificity 100%, and accuracy 97.2%, in the diagnosis of choledocholithiasis, the sensitivity 82.3%, specificity 96%, and accuracy 91.7%, and in the determination of the character of the stenosis, sensitivity 95.6%, specificity 91.3%, and accuracy 94.5% were found. Conclusion. The combination of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI and MRCP techniques in patients with suspected biliary obstruction gives the detailed information about the presence of obstruction, location, and causes and is a highly specific and sensitive method

Income Inequality and FDI: Evidence with Turkish Data

This paper explores how foreign direct investment (FDI) and other determinants impact income inequality in Turkey in the short- and long-run. We apply the ARDL (Auto-Regressive Distributed Lag) modelling approach, which is suitable for small samples. The data for the study cover the years from 1970 to 2008. The empirical results indicate the existence of a cointegration relationship among the variables. The positive impact of the FDI growth rate on income inequality, worsening inequality, is shown to be significant in the short-run, though at the 10% significance level only and with a quantitatively small impact, and insignificant in the long-run. In other words, FDI increases income inequality initially somewhat but this effect disappears in the long run. The literacy rate clearly reduces inequality in the long run, but also in the short run. On the other hand, population growth worsens inequality in the long run, and the effect is quite large, though it has no statistically significant effect on inequality in the short run. Also, an increase in GDP growth reduces inequality especially in the short run (at a 5% level of significance) but also in the long run (though only at the 10% level)

Purchasing Power Parity Hypothesis: Mixed Evidence from Eastern Europe Emerging Markets

This paper investigates whether the purchasing power parity (PPP) hypothesis holds in the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland by considering currencies of their five largest trading partners. We employ eight panel unit root tests that can be arranged in groups by cross-section independence or dependence. Empirical findings show that the stochastic behavior of real exchange rates in the Czech Republic and Poland is not a mean reversion, and the PPP condition does not hold for them. However, we obtain mixed empirical evidence in Hungary. Limited evidence is found for validity of the PPP hypothesis among currencies of Hungary's largest trading partners