Silicone models as basic training and research aid in endovascular neurointervention-a single-center experience and review of the literature

The rapid development and wider use of neurointerventional procedures have increased the demand for a comprehensive training program for the trainees, in order to safely and efficiently perform these procedures. Artificial vascular models are one of the dynamic ways to train the new generation of neurointerventionists to acquire the basic skills of material handling, tool manipulation through the vasculature, and development of hand-eye coordination. Herein, the authors present their experience regarding a long-established training program and review the available literature on the advantages and disadvantages of vascular silicone model training. Additionally, they present the current research applications of silicone replicas in the neurointerventional arena

Real wages, inflation and labour productivity in Australia

This article presents an analysis of real wages, inflation and labour productivity interrelationships using cointegration, Granger causality and, most importantly, structural change tests. Applications of tests to Australian data over the 1965 to 2007 period corroborate the presence of a structural break in 1985 and show that a 1% increase in manufacturing sector real wages led to an increase in manufacturing sector productivity of between 0.5% and 0.8%. Comparable estimates for the effect of inflation on manufacturing sector productivity have limited statistical significance. Granger causality test results suggest that real wages and inflation both Granger cause productivity in the long run. © 2012 Taylor & Francis

Do emerging financial markets react to monetary policy announcements? Evidence from Poland

This paper provides evidence on the short-run reactions of an emerging financial market to monetary policy announcements. An instrumental variable estimation approach is employed, based on the ‘identification through heteroscedasticity’ technique, to estimate the impact of a change in the official interest rate and its surprise component on asset prices in Poland. The recently introduced methodology controls for possible feedback relationships between financial variables and official interest rate changes. In this analysis, the short-term interest rates respond significantly to official interest rate changes, but neither the long-term interest rates, stock indices, nor foreign exchange rates react to monetary announcements in the expected direction.

The roles of the exchange rate and the foreign interest rate in Estonia's money demand function and policy implications

The demand for real M2 in Estonia is positively influenced by real income, real stock prices and the depreciation of the kroon, and negatively associated with the deposit rate, the euro interest rate and the expected inflation rate. Hence, a higher euro interest rate would help raise Estonian real output, and the depreciation of the kroon may or may not raise real output. The Box-Cox transformation test shows that the double-log form cannot be rejected at the 5% level while the linear form can be rejected at the 5% level. The CUSUMSQ test shows that parameters in the money demand function are stable.

Openness and the speed of adjustment in the money market

Speed of Adjustment, Money Market, Openness, Bounds Testing, E41, F30,