DEBT OVERHANG, FINANCIAL SECTOR DEVELOPMENT AND ECONOMIC GROWTH

This paper uses panel data of 20 high external debt countries selected from Asia and Latin-America to investigate the financial sector development-debt-growth nexus within the framework of an endogenous growth and financial development mechanism. First, we found that among 20 high external debt countries, the external debt-to-GDP ratio is significantly negatively correlated with economic growth rates, indicating that excessive debt is detrimental to the growth of an economy. Second, we introduced the simultaneous GMM equations between financial sector development and economic growth to evaluate the interaction effects among economic growth, external debt, and financial sector development. In empirical results, we find that the negative impact of high debt on growth appears to operate through a strong negative effect, in terms of compulsion to resort to financially repressive policies. In addition, we also find a two-way relationship between financial sector development and economic growth.Debt Overhang Hypothesis, Dynamic Panel Data, Dynamic GMM, Financial Sector Development, Economic Growth

The Effectiveness and Sustainability of the Sterilization Policy in China

The aim of this paper is to examine the sterilization policy in China. First, several indices are used to measure the status of China’s markets and to determine effectiveness and sustainability of the sterilization policy and the possible impacts it may have induced. Second, within a microeconomic framework, we incorporate the housing price variable into the target loss function of the monetary authority to explore its financial capabilities and evaluate the effectiveness and sustainability of China’s sterilization policy. The empirical results show that Chinese monetary authorities sterilize almost all of the effects of international capital inflows and increase foreign exchange reserves on the monetary base. That is, increased capital mobility does not sabotage the independence of the Chinese monetary policy. Nevertheless, analyses of the sustainability of sterilization policy indicate that the sustainability of the monetary sterilization policy has been seriously challenged since March 2008, which suggests that Chinese monetary authority has endured tremendous pressure for unsustainable sterilization

Effects of fluid resuscitation on cerebral tissue oxygenation changes in a piglet model of hemorrhagic shock

AbstractBackgroundAcute blood loss linked to severe hypovolemia and hemorrhagic shock is a critical condition in pediatric intensive care. This study was to investigate the role of various fluid resuscitation approaches to cerebral tissue oxygenation using a piglet model of hemorrhagic shock.MethodsThirty piglets received blood removal to induce hemorrhagic shock, and then were randomly assigned to a control group (no treatment), a control-normal saline (NS) group (treated with bolus normal saline 10mL/kg only), or one of three treatment groups treated with 15mL/kg/dose fluid every 30min with either whole blood (WB), lactated Ringer’s solution (LR), or NS in addition to an initial bolus of saline. The piglets’ physiological profiles, arterial blood gases, and regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rScO2) levels were recorded, fractional tissue oxygen extraction was calculated, and blood hemoglobin levels were measured.ResultsThe results showed that no matter whether treated with only one dose of bolus NS (control-NS group) or with extra WB, LR, or NS, all the treated animals had a significantly higher survival rate, mean arterial blood pressure (MAP), arterial oxygen tension, arterial oxygen saturation, and rScO2 than the control group (p<0.05). Animals treated with WB all survived the full experimental period, and their hemoglobin levels, MAP, and rScO2 were the highest comparing to all other groups (p<0.05).ConclusionEffective resuscitation using a high concentration of inspired oxygen and adequate fluid infusion, either as a single-dose bolus of NS or combining this with a subsequent transfusion of WB, LR, or NS, helped to stabilize the cardiovascular condition of the tested young subjects and improved cerebral tissue oxygenation over the emergent first four hours. Furthermore, WB was the best fluid choice when used in addition to the bolus NS challenge for maintaining better brain tissue oxygenation when treating hemorrhagic shock

Peritoneal Dialysis in Infants and Children After Open Heart Surgery

BackgroundInfants and children who undergo surgical repair of complex congenital heart diseases are prone to developing renal dysfunction. The purpose of this study was to investigate the risk factors associated with prolonged peritoneal dialysis (PD) and the mortality of pediatric patients with acute renal failure (ARF) after open heart surgery.MethodsFrom June 1999 to May 2007, a total of 542 children underwent open heart surgery for congenital heart disease. Fifteen (2.8%) experienced ARF and seven (1.3%) required PD. The clinical and laboratory variables were compared between the survivor and non-survivor groups of ARF patients that needed PD.ResultsThe non-survivors (n = 3, 43%) had a longer cardiopulmonary bypass time (154 ± 21 vs. 111 ± 8 minutes, p = 0.012) and longer aorta clamping time (92 ± 40 vs. 66 ± 15 minutes, p = 0.010) than the survivors (n = 4, 57%). Before the PD, the pH and base excess of the arterial blood gas analysis in the survivors was much higher than that non-survivors (7.30 ± 0.04 vs. 7.16 ± 0.10, p = 0.039; −5.15 ± 3.13 vs. −12.07 ± 2.9 mmol/L, p = 0.031). Furthermore, the survivors had a shorter interval between the onset of ARF and the day the PD was begun (1.2 ± 0.4 vs. 4.3 ± 1.2 days, p = 0.001), and shorter duration of PD (6.6 ± 2.7 vs. 13.0 ± 3.5 days, p= 0.036) than non-survivors.ConclusionEarly intervention with PD is a safe and effective method for managing patients with ARF after open heart surgery. The cardiopulmonary bypass and aortic clamping duration, time of initiating PD, duration of the PD, sepsis, and relative complications may predict the prognosis of these patients

In situ reconstruction of septic aortic pseudoaneurysm due to Salmonella or Streptococcus microbial aortitis: long-term follow-up

AbstractObjectiveThis study was undertaken to illustrate the safety of in situ reconstruction of septic aortic pseudoaneurysm (SAP) secondary to microbial aortitis, with or without long-term antibiotic treatment.MethodsData for patients with SAP (11 abdominal, 4 thoracic) operated on between 1993 and 1999 were reviewed. Computed tomography and aortography showed septic pseudoaneurysm in all patients before surgery. After diagnosis of SAP, all patients underwent aneurysm resection and extensive debridement, with in situ prosthetic grafting or patch repair angioplasty. The graft in 10 of the 11 patients with abdominal SAP was also wrapped with an omental pedicle. In vitro active parenteral antibiotic therapy was prescribed for all patients for at least 2 to 8 weeks after surgery.ResultsAll 15 patients had positive preoperative blood cultures or intraoperative tissue cultures for Salmonella spp (n = 12), viridans Streptococcus (n = 1), group G Streptococcus (n = 1), or Streptococcus pneumoniae (n = 1). There were two perioperative deaths (13.3%), one 6 days after surgery and the other 19 days after surgery, and two late deaths, at 8 and 10 months after surgery, neither of which was related to aortic repair. One patient was unavailable for follow-up. The other 10 patients have been regularly followed up with abdominal ultrasound or computed tomography (mean, 84 months; range, 47-118 months). To date, there has been no graft infection, thrombosis, false aneurysm, or subsequent aortic surgery in these 10 patients.ConclusionSAP due to Salmonella and streptococcal microbial arortitis can be successfully treated with resection of the aneurysm and extensive debridement, followed by in situ prosthetic graft interposition or patch repair aortoplasty. This is a safe and effective treatment that may result in complete remission of SAP. Postoperative parenteral antibiotic therapy should be continued for 2 to 8 weeks. Although usually recommended, lifelong suppressive antibiotic therapy appears to be nonessential with this approach

Neuronal degeneration in autonomic nervous system of Dystonia musculorum mice

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p><it>Dystonia musculorum </it>(<it>dt</it>) is an autosomal recessive hereditary neuropathy with a characteristic uncoordinated movement and is caused by a defect in the <it>bullous pemphigoid antigen 1 </it>(<it>BPAG1</it>) gene. The neural isoform of <it>BPAG1 </it>is expressed in various neurons, including those in the central and peripheral nerve systems of mice. However, most previous studies on neuronal degeneration in <it>BPAG1</it>-deficient mice focused on peripheral sensory neurons and only limited investigation of the autonomic system has been conducted.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In this study, patterns of nerve innervation in cutaneous and iridial tissues were examined using general neuronal marker protein gene product 9.5 via immunohistochemistry. To perform quantitative analysis of the autonomic neuronal number, neurons within the lumbar sympathetic and parasympathetic ciliary ganglia were calculated. In addition, autonomic neurons were cultured from embryonic <it>dt/dt </it>mutants to elucidate degenerative patterns <it>in vitro</it>. Distribution patterns of neuronal intermediate filaments in cultured autonomic neurons were thoroughly studied under immunocytochemistry and conventional electron microscopy.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Our immunohistochemistry results indicate that peripheral sensory nerves and autonomic innervation of sweat glands and irises dominated degeneration in <it>dt/dt </it>mice. Quantitative results confirmed that the number of neurons was significantly decreased in the lumbar sympathetic ganglia as well as in the parasympathetic ciliary ganglia of <it>dt/dt </it>mice compared with those of wild-type mice. We also observed that the neuronal intermediate filaments were aggregated abnormally in cultured autonomic neurons from <it>dt/dt </it>embryos.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>These results suggest that a deficiency in the cytoskeletal linker BPAG1 is responsible for dominant sensory nerve degeneration and severe autonomic degeneration in <it>dt/dt </it>mice. Additionally, abnormally aggregated neuronal intermediate filaments may participate in neuronal death of cultured autonomic neurons from <it>dt/dt </it>mutants.</p

The Relationship between Qi Deficiency, Cancer-related Fatigue and Quality of Life in Cancer Patients

AbstractBackgroundQi (氣 qì) refers to the vital energy of the body in Traditional Chinese medicines (TCM). Qi deficiency (氣虛 qì xū) is the most common symptom in cancer patients according to the concept of TCM. We hypothesized that cancer patients with Qi deficiency suffer from poor quality of life (QOL) and fatigue.MethodAmong the 256 registered cancer patients screened at our outpatient clinic, a total of 198 were enrolled. The inclusion criteria were (1) age between 18 and 70years, (2) cancer diagnosis confirmed by the professional physician, (3) being Chinese, and (4) Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status rating (PSR)≤3. The major outcome is the difference in QOL score in cancer patients with and without Qi deficiency.ResultsThe initial results showed statistically significant differences in WHO-QOL scores in physical, psychological, and social domains between the groups with and without Qi deficiency as well as the groups with and without cancerrelated fatigue (CRF). All patients with CRF present were also diagnosed as Qi deficient. In addition, among the patients with no CRF, 39.9% (69/173) were diagnosed as suffering from Qi deficiency, which led to poor QOL.ConclusionsThe present study showed statistically significant difference in WHO-QOL scores in physical, psychological, and social domains between the groups with and without Qi deficiency as well as the groups with and without CRF. Cancer patients diagnosed with Qi deficiency or CRF have poor QOL. The concept of Qi deficiency in TCM might be applied to cancer health care

Coenzyme Q0 from Antrodia cinnamomea

We investigated the anticancer effects of Antrodia cinnamomea, a medicinal mushroom from Taiwan, on A549 human lung cancer cells using the ethyl acetate extract from submerged culture filtrates. Our results showed that 2,3-dimethoxy-5-methyl-1,4-benzoquinone (coenzyme Q0; CoQ0) derived from A. cinnamomea submerged culture filtrates has anticancer activity. CoQ0 treatment reduced the viability of A549, HepG2, and SW480 cancer cell lines. Furthermore, CoQ0 induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and apoptosis in A549 cells, which was inhibited by the antioxidant ascorbic acid. To our knowledge, these data demonstrate for the first time that CoQ0 derived from A. cinnamomea submerged culture filtrates exerts its anticancer effect through the induction of ROS-mediated apoptosis in A549 human lung cancer cells

Clinical Impacts of Delayed Diagnosis of Hirschsprung’s Disease in Newborn Infants

BackgroundAsian infants are at a higher risk of having Hirschsprung’s disease (HD). Although HD is surgically correctable, serious and even lethal complications such as Hirschsprung’s-associated enterocolitis (HAEC) can still occur. The aim of this study was to investigate the risk factors of HAEC, and the clinical impacts of delayed diagnosis of HD in newborn infants.Patients and methodsBy review of medical charts in a medical center in Taiwan, 51 cases of neonates with HD between 2002 and 2009 were collected. Patients were divided into two groups based on the time of initial diagnosis: Group I, diagnosis made within 1 week after birth, and Group II after 1 week. Clinical features including demographic distribution, presenting features of HD, short-term and long-term complications related to HD were compared between the two groups of patients.ResultsThere were 25 patients in Group I and 19 in Group II. Group II patients had more severe clinical signs and symptoms of HAEC than Group I patients. The incidence of preoperative HAEC was 12% in Group I and 63% in Group II (adjusted odds ratio = 12.81, confidence interval = 2.60–62.97). Patients with preoperative HAEC were more likely to develop adhesive bowel obstruction after operation (33% vs. 3%, p = 0.013) and failure to thrive (33% vs. 3%, p = 0.013). Also, patients with long-segment or total colonic aganglionosis were at risk of developing both postoperative HAEC (85% vs. 29%, p = 0.001) and failure to thrive (39% vs. 3%, p = 0.002).ConclusionIn our study, we found that delayed diagnosis of HD beyond 1 week after birth significantly increases the risk of serious complications in neonatal patients. Patients with long-segment or total colonic aganglionosis have higher risk of postoperative HAEC and failure to thrive. Patients with preoperative HAEC are more likely to have adhesive bowel obstruction and failure to thrive