Long-run growth patterns within Asian NIEs: Empirical analysis based on the panel unit root test, allowing the heterogeneity of time trend and endogenous multiple structural breaks

This study examines whether or not the convergence of per capita output—which is categorized as catching-up and long-run convergence, defined by Oxley and Greasley (1995)—exists within Asian newly industrializing economies (Asian NIEs), namely, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan. The newly developed panel unit root test, which can allow for multiple structural breaks at various unknown break dates for each time series, is applied to the panels for 1960–2004, which includes the period of the Asian financial crisis. Moreover, in order to confirm the coexistence of the different growth patterns within the Asian NIEs, the heterogeneity—in terms of the inclusion or exclusion of a linear time trend and the types of breaks (in level or slope)—is allowed for each series in the test. The empirical results show that Hong Kong and Singapore have long-run convergence, whereas Korea and Taiwan are yet to converge with Hong Kong

China's Regional Convergence in Panels with Multiple Structural Breaks

This study investigates the existence of regional convergence of per capita outputs in China from 1952–2004, particularly focusing on considering the presence of multiple structural breaks in the provincial-level panel data. First, the panel-based unit root test that allows for occurrence of multiple breaks at various break dates across provinces is developed; this test is based on the p-value combination approach suggested by Fisher (1932). Next, the test is applied to China’s provincial real per capita outputs to examine the regional convergence in China. To obtain the p-values of unit root tests for each province, which are combined to construct the panel unit root test, this study assumes three data generating processes: a driftless random walk process, an ARMA process, and an AR process with cross-sectionally dependent errors in Monte Carlo simulation. The results obtained from this study reveal that the convergence of the provincial per capita outputs exists in each of the three geographically classified regions—the Eastern, Central, and Western regions—of China

Long-run growth patterns within Asian NIEs: Empirical analysis based on the panel unit root test, allowing the heterogeneity of time trend and endogenous multiple structural breaks

This study examines whether or not the convergence of per capita output—which is categorized as catching-up and long-run convergence, defined by Oxley and Greasley (1995)—exists within Asian newly industrializing economies (Asian NIEs), namely, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan. The newly developed panel unit root test, which can allow for multiple structural breaks at various unknown break dates for each time series, is applied to the panels for 1960–2004, which includes the period of the Asian financial crisis. Moreover, in order to confirm the coexistence of the different growth patterns within the Asian NIEs, the heterogeneity—in terms of the inclusion or exclusion of a linear time trend and the types of breaks (in level or slope)—is allowed for each series in the test. The empirical results show that Hong Kong and Singapore have long-run convergence, whereas Korea and Taiwan are yet to converge with Hong Kong

China's regional convergence in panels with multiple structural breaks

This study investigates the existence of regional convergence of per capita outputs in China from 1952 to 2004, particularly focusing on considering the presence of multiple structural breaks in the provincial-level panel data. First, the panel-based unit root test that allows for the occurrence of multiple breaks at various break dates across provinces is developed; this test is based on the p-value combination approach suggested by Fisher (1932). Next, the test is applied to China's provincial real per capita outputs to examine the regional convergence in China. To obtain the p-values of unit root tests for each province, which are combined to construct the panel unit root test, this study assumes three Data Generating Processes (DGPs): a driftless random walk process, an Autoregressive Moving Average (ARMA) process and an Autoregression (AR) process with cross-sectionally dependent errors in Monte Carlo simulation. The results obtained from this study reveal that the convergence of the provincial per capita outputs exists in each of the three geographically classified regions–the Eastern, Central and Western regions–of China.

Study of HeLa cell death rate loaded with platinum salts or betamethasone irradiated by fast atomin ions

平成27年度HIMAC共同利用研究成果発表

Combination of Agents Modifying Effects in Hadrontherapy: Modelization of the Role of HO° Free Radicals

Purpose: A study is presented of the irradiation of cancerous cervical cell line HeLa loaded with a platinum salt, betamethasone and deoxyglucose. The presence of the platinum increases the free-radical concentration and augments the cell death rate, whereas betamethasone or deoxyglucose induces radiosensitization by the alteration of metabolic pathways. Two by two combinations of these chemicals are made to investigate the possible benefit when two radiosensitizers are present. A model is proposed to understand the results of the presence of two modifying agents on the dose effects.Materials and methods: The cells were incubated for 6 h in the presence of the following molecules: dichloro terpyridine platinum, concentration C = 350 μM, betamethasone and deoxyglucose with concentrations of C = 0.2 μM and C = 6 mM, respectively. The cells were subsequently irradiated by carbon C6+ ion 290 MeV/amu up to a dose of 2.5 Gy, under atmospheric conditions.Results: The presence of the platinum salt or bethamethasone augments the cell death rate. The combination of betamethasone with the platinum salt also increases the cell death rate, but less than for the platinum salt alone. The explanation is that any radiosensitizer also behaves as a scavenger of free radicals. This dual behavior should be considered in any optimization of the design of radiosensitizers when different ionizing particles are used

A Rare Case of Radiation-Induced Liver Disease in Treated Abdominal Lymphoma Showing High [18F]FDG Avidity and Low EOB Uptake Proportional to the Irradiation Dose

A 44-year-old woman presented with high [18F]FDG uptake liver lesion after six courses of R-CHOP and radiotherapy for abdominal DLBCL, which was misdiagnosed as a hepatic invasion. EOB–MRI showed slight T2 hyperintensity, low-intensity DWI, and decreased EOB uptake in the hepatocellular phase. Compared with the pretreatment planning CT, the liver lesion coincided with the area of >40.5 Gy, resulting in the diagnosis of RILD. At the follow-up [18F]FDG PET/CT 7 months after irradiation, the abnormal liver uptake disappeared. Comparing [18F]FDG PET/CT, EOB–MRI, and planning CT can lead to the correct diagnosis of RILD and avoid unnecessary biopsies and treatment changes