International Reserves for Emerging Economies: A Liquidity Approach.

The massive stocks of foreign exchange reserves, mostly held in the form of U.S. T-Bonds by emerging economies, are still an important puzzle. Why do emerging economies continue to willingly loan to the United States despite the low rates of return? We propose that a dynamic general equilibrium model incorporating international capital markets, characterized by a non-centralized trading mechanism and U.S. T-Bonds as facilitators of trade, can provide an answer to this question. Declining financial frictions in these over-the-counter (OTC) markets would generate rising liquidity premiums on U.S. T-Bonds. Meanwhile, the higher liquidity properties of the U.S. T-Bonds would induce recipients of foreign investments, namely emerging economies, to hold more liquidity, that is U.S. T-Bonds, in equilibrium. The prediction of our model is confirmed by an empirical simultaneous equations approach considering an endogenous relationship between OTC capital inflows and reserves holdings

International Reserves for Emerging Economies: A Liquidity Approach.

The massive stocks of foreign exchange reserves, mostly held in the form of U.S. T-Bonds by emerging economies, are still an important puzzle. Why do emerging economies continue to willingly loan to the United States despite the low rates of return? We propose that a dynamic general equilibrium model incorporating international capital markets, characterized by a non-centralized trading mechanism and U.S. T-Bonds as facilitators of trade, can provide an answer to this question. Declining financial frictions in these over-the-counter (OTC) markets would generate rising liquidity premiums on U.S. T-Bonds. Meanwhile, the higher liquidity properties of the U.S. T-Bonds would induce recipients of foreign investments, namely emerging economies, to hold more liquidity, that is U.S. T-Bonds, in equilibrium. The prediction of our model is confirmed by an empirical simultaneous equations approach considering an endogenous relationship between OTC capital inflows and reserves holdings

Erratum: Nation-Wide Korean Breast Cancer Data from 2008 Using the Breast Cancer Registration Program

nation-wide breast cancer data and analyzed the data using their online registration program biannually. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the characteristics of Korean breast cancer from 2008 and examine chronological based patterns. Methods: Data were collected from 38 medical schools (67 hospitals), 20 general hospitals, and 10 private clinics. The data on the total number, gender, and age distribution were collected through a questionnaire as well as other detailed data analyzed via the online registration program. Results: In 2008, there were 13,908 patients who were newly diagnosed with breast cancer. The crude incidence rate of female breast cancer was 57.3 among 100,000 and the median age was 49 years. The age distribution had not changed since the initial survey; however the proportion of postmenopausal patients had increased and median age was older than the past. In staging distribution, the proportion of early breast cancer (stage 0, I) was 47.2 % with, breast-conserving surgery performed in 58 % and mastectomy in 39.5%. Conclusion: Compared to past data, the incidence of breast cancer in Korea continues to rise. Furthermore, the proportion of those detected by screening and breast conservation surgery has increased remarkably. To understand the patterns of Korean breast cancer, the nation-wide data should continuously investigated

Molecular orientation of liquid crystal on polymer blends of coumarin and naphthalenic polyimide

Photo-induced liquid crystal alignment layers were prepared by blending polyimides and photoreactive polymers followed by polarized UV irradiation. Polyimides are selected for the purpose of improving the thermal stability of the molecular orientation of the photoreactive groups. The thermal stability of the LC alignment layer was enhanced regardless of the type of the polyimide while the direction of LC orientation was dependent on the type of polyimide. The photoreactivity of the polyimide governs the LC orientation in the blend alignment layers. © 2008 Springer-Verlag.1

Development of a Spirometry \u3cem\u3eT\u3c/em\u3e-score in the General Population

Background and objective: Spirometry values may be expressed as T-scores in standard deviation units relative to a reference in a young, normal population as an analogy to the T-score for bone mineral density. This study was performed to develop the spirometry T-score. Methods: T-scores were calculated from lambda-mu-sigma-derived Z-scores using a young, normal age reference. Three outcomes of all-cause death, respiratory death, and COPD death were evaluated in 9,101 US subjects followed for 10 years; an outcome of COPD-related health care utilization (COPD utilization) was evaluated in 1,894 Korean subjects followed for 4 years. Results: The probability of all-cause death appeared to remain nearly zero until -1 of forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) T-score but increased steeply where FEV1 T-score reached below -2.5. Survival curves for all-cause death, respiratory death, COPD death, and COPD utilization differed significantly among the groups when stratified by FEV1 T-score (P \u3c 0.001). The adjusted hazard ratios of the FEV1 T-score for the four outcomes were 0.54 (95% confidence interval, 0.48–0.60), 0.43 (95% CI: 0.37–0.50), 0.30 (95% CI: 0.24–0.37), and 0.69 (95% CI: 0.59–0.81), respectively, adjusting for covariates (P \u3c 0.001). Conclusion: The spirometry T-score could predict all-cause death, respiratory death, COPD death, and COPD utilization

Anesthetic management for emergent Cesarean section in a patient with toxic epidermal necrolysis -A case report-

Toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) is rare but serious cutaneous reaction with significant mortality and long-term morbidity. Various etiologies, particularly numerous medications and infectious agents have been implicated. It is characterized as inflammatory bullous lesions of the skin and mucous membrane and can develop serious complications such as pneumonia, pneumothorax, sepsis and renal failure. In general, patients with TEN are managed as severe second-degree burn patients with preventing excessive fluid deficit and infections. In this case, we aimed to present anesthetic management of a 26-year-old pregnant woman with TEN who received general anesthesia during emergent cesarean section

Amniotic fluid embolism that took place during an emergent Cesarean section -A case report-

Amniotic fluid embolism (AFE) is a rare but fatal obstetric emergency, characterized by sudden cardiovascular collapse, dyspnea or respiratory arrest and altered mentality, disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). It can lead to severe maternal morbidity and mortality, but the prediction of its occurrence and treatment are very difficult. We experienced a case of AFE during emergent Cesarean section in a 40+6 weeks healthy pregnant woman, age 33. Sudden dyspnea, hypotension, signs of pulmonary edema and DIC were developed during Cesarean section, and cardiac arrest followed after these events. The course of these events was so rapid and catastrophic, which was consistent with AFE. Thus, we report this case precisely and review pathophysiology, diagnosis, treatment of AFE by referring to up-to-date literatures