Financial Intermediation, Capital Accumulation and Crisis Recovery

This paper integrates banks into a two-sector neoclassical growth model to account for the fact that a fraction of firms relies on banks to finance their investments. There are four major contributions to the literature: First, although banks’ leverage amplifies shocks, the endogenous response of leverage to shocks is an automatic stabilizer that improves the resilience of the economy. In particular, financial and labor market institutions are essential factors that determine the strength of this automatic stabilization. Second, there is a mix of publicly financed bank re-capitalization, dividend payout restrictions, and consumption taxes that stimulates a Pareto-improving rapid build-up of bank equity and accelerates economic recovery after a slump in the banking sector. Third, the model replicates typical patterns of financing over the business cycle: procyclical bank leverage, procyclical bank lending, and countercyclical bond financing. Fourth, the framework preserves its analytical tractability wherefore it can serve as a macro-banking module that can be easily integrated into more complex economic environments

Sphenoid Sinus Epidermoid Cyst: A Case Report

We present an unusual case of an epidermoid cyst in the sphenoid sinus with extensive bony erosions and mass effect, compressing the optic nerve causing visual disturbances. Epidermoid cysts of the paranasal sinuses are extremely rare cases. They usually present as intradural, extraaxial, benign masses of the cerebellopontine angle but they should also be considered in the differential diagnosis of sphenoid sinus lesions. The typical imaging appearance of craniocerebral epidermoid cysts is demonstrated and pathophysiological considerations of formation in the paranasal sinuses are discusse

Metastases in Meckel's Cave: A Challenge of Differential Diagnosis

Metastases in Meckel's cave are a rare tumor entity and should be considered as important differential diagnosis, especially if the patient presents with trigeminal neuralgia and suffers from a known primary malignancy. We present three cases of patients with secondary trigeminal neuralgia caused by a metastasis in Meckel's cave, treated by microsurgery and fractionated radiation therapy. Differential diagnoses are discussed on the basis of preoperative neuroradiological imaging. MRI is the preferred diagnostic modality, whereas complementary CT may be needed for evaluation of early bone invasio

Acute gastrointestinal bleeding: detection of source and etiology with multi-detector-row CT

This study was conducted to determine the ability of multi-detector-row computed tomography (CT) to identify the source and etiology of acute gastrointestinal bleeding. Eighteen patients with acute upper (n = 10) and lower (n = 8) gastrointestinal bleeding underwent 4-detector-row CT (n = 6), 16-detector-row CT (n = 11), and 64-slice CT (n = 1) with an arterial and portal venous phase of contrast enhancement. Unenhanced scans were performed in nine patients. CT scans were reviewed to determine conspicuity of bleeding source, underlying etiology, and for potential causes of false-negative prospective interpretations. Bleeding sources were prospectively identified with CT in 15 (83%) patients, and three (17%) bleeding sources were visualized in retrospect, allowing the characterization of all sources of bleeding with CT. Contrast extravasation was demonstrated with CT in all 11 patients with severe bleeding, but only in 1 of 7 patients with mild bleeding. The etiology could not be identified on unenhanced CT scans in any patient, whereas arterial-phase and portal venous-phase CT depicted etiology in 15 (83%) patients. Underlying etiology was correctly identified in all eight patients with mild GI bleeding. Multi-detector-row CT enables the identification of bleeding source and precise etiology in patients with acute gastrointestinal bleedin

In vivo identification of uric acid stones with dual-energy CT: diagnostic performance evaluation in patients

Background: To prospectively investigate the in vivo diagnostic performance of dual-energy (DE) computed tomography (CT) for the differentiation between uric acid (UA)-containing and non-UA-containing urinary stones. Methods: DE CT scans were performed in 180 patients with suspected urinary stone disease using a dual-source CT scanner in the DE mode (tube voltages 80 and 140kV). Urinary stones were classified as UA-containing or non-UA-containing based on CT number measurements and DE software results. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive values (PPV), and negative predictive values (NPV) for the detection of UA-containing urinary stones were calculated using the crystallographic stone analysis as the reference standard. Results: DE CT detected 110/180 patients (61%) with urinary stone disease. In 53 patients, stones were sampled. Forty-four out of 53 stones (83%) were non-UA-containing; and nine stones (17%) were UA-containing. The software automatically mapped 52/53 (98%) stones. One non-UA-containing stone (UA, 2mm) was missed; one UA-containing stone (3mm) was misclassified by software analysis. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV for the detection of UA-containing stones was 89% (8/9, 95% CI: 52-100%), 98% (43/44, 95% CI: 88-100%), 89% (8/9, 95% CI: 52-100%), and 98% (43/44, 95% CI: 88-100%). Conclusion: Our results indicate that DE dual-source CT permits for the accurate in vivo differentiation between UA-containing and non-UA-containing urinary stone