Economic and Political Changes and Import Demand Behavior of North Korea

We study some empirical aspects of North Korean economy implied in its import behavior in the period before the collapse of Soviet Union. Our analysis is based on econometric inference for a cointegration relation and some model determination methods. We have found that for North Korean economy some non-market factors are important determinants of the import behavior. The non-market factors are related to the country¡¯s political situations, its political relation with two communist superpowers, and its relation with western industrialized countries. Our results show that the non-market factors have different impacts on imports from different countries and imports for different commodity groups, which enables us to find some interesting aspects of North Korean economy. Among several results those with the following two implications are of particular interests. First, the two communist superpowers were overall stable and the most important suppliers to North Korean economy regardless of the political situation while Western countries filled the deficiency, if any, caused by Sino-Soviet dispute. Second, the foreign debt problem had significantly negative impacts on imports from the capitalist countries, which is true even after the new open door policy initiated in 1984.

Growth of Carbon Nanotubes on Carbon Fiber by Thermal CVD Using Ni Nanoparticles as Catalysts

AbstractNickel nanoparticles and thin film on carbon fiber have been prepared through electroless deposition. Moreover, carbon nanotubes were grown on carbon fiber covered by nickel nanoparticles using thermal chemical vapor deposition. The effects of changes in the thickness of the nickel catalyst layer and the growth temperature of carbon nanotubes were studied systemically, and the results are discussed in the present work

Stress-induced Cardiomyopathy during Pulmonary Resection (Takotsubo Syndrome) - A case report -

Stress-induced cardiomyopathy is caused by emotional or physical stressors and mimics acute myocardial infarction, though Stress-induced cardiomyopathy is characterized by reversible left ventricular (LV) apical ballooning in the absence of significant coronary artery disease. We describe a 51-year-old male who underwent left upper lobectomy for non-small cell lung cancer, and during which cardiogenic arrest occurred due to stress-induced cardiomyopathy, successfully managed by intra-aortic balloon pumping and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation

An Isolated True Aneurysm of the Superficial Femoral Artery in a Young Woman - A case report -

A 39-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital due to a pulsatile mass on her right inner thigh that was evident for two months. She did not exhibit any risk factors of atherosclerosis, no evidence of vasculitis, or any signs of previous trauma history. Ultrasound and computed tomography revealed an adult fist-sized aneurysm on the distal superficial femoral artery. The aneurysm was resected and peripheral circulation was restored with the interposition of a saphenous vein graft. The resected aneurysm had three layers that showed atherosclerosis on histological examination

Focal Bone Marrow Lesions: A Complication of Ultrasound Diathermy

Ultrasound diathermy is widely used for the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders and other soft tissue injuries. Its use as a therapeutic modality is believed to be safe, with very few reported complications. Here, we report two patients who developed focal bone marrow abnormalities after receiving ultrasound diathermy. Both patients’ magnetic resonance (MR) evaluations revealed linear subchondral bone lesions of the superolateral humeral head similar to those in osteonecrosis. The patients’ symptoms subsequently improved, and available follow-up MR evaluation revealed near complete resolution of bone lesions. These findings suggest that ultrasound diathermy, and its interaction with bone tissue through thermal mechanisms, can cause focal bone marrow abnormalities. Furthermore, the bone marrow abnormalities seem to be transient, resolving upon cessation of ultrasound diathermy, therefore osteonecrosis should be differentiated from this temporal lesion

KINEMATIC ANALYSIS OF THE WOMEN’S JAVELIN THROW AT THE IAAF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS, DAEGU 2011

The purpose of this study was to analyze the kinematic variables for the women's javelin throw at the IAAF World Championships, Daegu 2011. Three-dimensional motion analyses of the eight players who qualified for the final round were carried out to obtain the data. The results showed that average release, attitude, and attack angles were 38.0±2.0°, 40.4±4.3°, and 3.7±1.1°, respectively. At the release, the average inclination angle of the trunk, upper arm, forearm were 60.8±8.3°, 47.3±10.1°, and 62.6±10.6°, respectively. Moreover, the release velocity and the release height results averaged 25.60±1.16 m/s and 1.86±0.05 m. The crossover phase and delivery phase had average distances of 1.88±0.31 m and 1.53±0.21 m. After release, the average distance between the landing foot and the foul line was 1.72±0.63 m