Participacija stranih banaka i bankarske krize u tranzicijskim gospodarstvima

Using a fixed effect multivariate panel logit econometric model and taking possible endogenity problem into account, we test the hypothesis that foreign bank participation contributes to decrease in banking crises in transition economies in 1990-2006. The results suggest that foreign bank participation decreases the possibility of banking crises, controlling for other factors that may cause banking crises. This paper contributes to the literature by presenting the first empirical evidence on the negative relationship between the actual level of foreign bank presence (or foreign bank concentration) and banking crises for transition countries.Koristeći multivarijatni panelni logit ekonometrijski model s fiksnim učinkom i uzimajući u obzir mogući problem endogenosti, testirali smo hipotezu da participacija stranih banaka doprinosi smanjenju bankarskih kriza u tranzicijskim gospodarstvima u periodu od 1990-2006. Rezultati ukazuju na to da participacija stranih banaka umanjuje mogućnost za bankarske krize kontrolirajući ostale faktore koji takve krize mogu uzrokovati. Ovaj rad doprinosi literaturi tako što predstavlja prve empirijske dokaze negativnog odnosa stvarne razine prisustva stranih banaka (koncentracije stranih banaka) i bankarskih kriza u tranzicijskim gospodarstvima

Remission and Relapse in Alcohol and Substance Addiction

Alcohol and substance addiction is a chronic disease and continues throughout individual's life once after addiction develops. Therefore its natural course is characterized by remissions and relapses. In addiction, relapse periods can be followed by remission periods and individuals encounter with negative effects of alcohol and substances in these relapse periods. Many factors have been defined to determine the risk of relapse up to the date. These factors can be situational or personal and they also have physiological bases. Interaction of these factors with each other is critical in terms of relapse. Relapse is a quite well studied area in the literature, in order to prevent the individuals from restarting alcohol and substance use again. Defining the challenges of addicted patients in remission periods and recurrent periods of relapse in detail will guide clinicians to determine treatment strategies in addiction and to prevent subsequent relapse periods. [Psikiyatride Guncel Yaklasimlar - Current Approaches in Psychiatry 2014; 6(3.000): 243-256

Leakage tests reduce the frequency of biliary fistulas following hydatid liver cyst surgery

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Biliary fistulas are the most common morbidity (8.2-26%) following hydatid liver surgery. The aim of our study was to reduce the incidence of postoperative biliary fistulas after the suturing of cystobiliary communications by applying a bile leakage test. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 133 hydatid liver cysts from 93 patients were divided into two groups, according to whether the test was performed. Tests were performed on 56 cysts from 34 patients, and the remaining 77 cysts from 59 patients were treated without the test. In both groups, all visible biliary orifices in the cysts were suture ligated, and drains were placed in all cysts. The visibility of the biliary orifices and postoperative biliary drainage through the drains were recorded. Patients in both groups were also compared with respect to the number of days living with the drains, the length of the hospital stay, and secondary interventions related to biliary complications. RESULTS: Biliary orifices were more visible in the tested cysts (13% vs. 48%; P <0.001). Fewer biliary complications occurred in the tested patients (8.8% vs. 27.7%, P = 0.033). The mean drain removal time (4.1±3.3 days vs. 6.8±8.9 days, P<0.05) and the length of the hospital stay (6.7±2.7 days vs. 9.7±6.3 days, P,0.01) were shorter for the tested patients. None of the patients in the test group required postoperative Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreaticography (ERCP) or nasobiliary drainage (0.0% vs. 8.4%, P = 0.09). There were no long-term biliary complications for either group after three years of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Identification of biliary orifices with a bile leakage test and the suturing of cystobiliary communications significantly reduced postoperative biliary complications following hydatid liver surgery

Living donor liver transplantation with replacement of vena cava for Echinococcus alveolaris: A case report

AbstractINTRODUCTIONThere is no medical treatment for alveolar echinococceal disease (AED) of liver till now. Curative surgical resection is optimal treatment but in most advanced cases curative resection can’t be done. Liver transplantation is accepted treatment option for advanced AED. AED in some case invade surrounding tissue especially inferior vena cava (IVC). Advanced AED with invasion to IVC can be treated with deceased liver transplantation. Although living donor liver transplantation is very difficult to perform in patients with advanced AED with resected IVC, it come into consideration, since there is very few cadaveric liver.PRESENTATION OF CASEHere we present a case with advanced stage of AED of liver which cause portal hypertension and cholestasis. AED invaded surrounding tissue, right diaphragm, both lobes of liver and retrohepatic part of IVC. Invasion of IVC forced us to make resection of IVC and reconstruction with cryopreserved venous graft to reestablish blood flow. After that a living donor liver transplantation was done.DISCUSSIONCurative surgery is the first-choice option in all operable patients with AED of liver. Advanced stage of AED like chronic jaundice, liver abscess, sepsis, repeated attacks of cholangitis, portal hypertension, and Budd-Chiari syndrome may be an indication for liver transplantation. In some advanced stage AED during transplantation replacement of retrohepatic part of IVC could be done with artificial vascular graft, cadaveric aortic and caval vein graft.CONCLUSIONAlthough living donor liver transplantation with replacement of IVC is a very difficult operation, it should be considered in the management of advanced AED of liver with IVC invasion because of the rarity of deceased liver

Banking Crises and Diffusion of Information and Communication Technologies

In this study, the relationship between Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) penetration and banking crises is investigated using a panel logit model of the incidence of banking crises. The period under investigation is between 1990 and 2011, and the largest sample of the study consists of 182 countries. For robustness, four ICT indicators and bivariate models, as well as multivariate models, are used. Our empirical investigation suggests that the diffusion of ICT technologies increases the possibility of banking crises, controlling for other factors that may cause banking crises. Among ICT indicators used in the study, the number of fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people has the largest effect on the probability of a banking crisis. This paper contributes to the literature on banking crises by presenting the first empirical evidence on the relationship between ICT penetration and banking crises

The Impact of ICT Penetration on Deforestation: A Panel Data Evidence

A growing number of case studies and reports suggest that Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) play an important role in fighting against deforestation, and the penetration of ICT help decrease deforestation in a different part of world’s forests. The aim of this study is to test whether diffusion of ICT contributes to decreasing in deforestation in the world. For this purpose, the effect of ICT penetration on deforestation is estimated by using bivariate and multivariate fixed time effect models. In the sample selection process, those countries having 2% or more forest area as a percentage of total land area we included in our analysis. The largest sample includes 174 countries. The period under study is between 1991 and 2012. It is found that ICT penetration is significantly and negatively associated with deforestation. The results are robust to the inclusion of a number of control variables as well as different indicators of ICT penetration and deforestation as such all available four ICT indicators and two deforestation indicators are used. To avoid potential spurious regression problems in the analyses, the original models are re-estimated by using the stationary forms of all independent and dependent variables. A strong negative correlation between ICT indicators and deforestation indicators is also supported by the findings of re-estimated bivariate and multivariate models. Empirical evidence at the macro level provided in this paper confirms the results mentioned in the case studies

The Impact of ICT Penetration on Deforestation: A Panel Data Evidence

A growing number of case studies and reports suggest that Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) play an important role in fighting against deforestation, and the penetration of ICT help decrease deforestation in a different part of world’s forests. The aim of this study is to test whether diffusion of ICT contributes to decreasing in deforestation in the world. For this purpose, the effect of ICT penetration on deforestation is estimated by using bivariate and multivariate fixed time effect models. In the sample selection process, those countries having 2% or more forest area as a percentage of total land area we included in our analysis. The largest sample includes 174 countries. The period under study is between 1991 and 2012. It is found that ICT penetration is significantly and negatively associated with deforestation. The results are robust to the inclusion of a number of control variables as well as different indicators of ICT penetration and deforestation as such all available four ICT indicators and two deforestation indicators are used. To avoid potential spurious regression problems in the analyses, the original models are re-estimated by using the stationary forms of all independent and dependent variables. A strong negative correlation between ICT indicators and deforestation indicators is also supported by the findings of re-estimated bivariate and multivariate models. Empirical evidence at the macro level provided in this paper confirms the results mentioned in the case studies