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This study investigates the role of financial development in the effect of exchange rate volatility on capital inflows. The threshold methodology and GMM estimation are employed to analyse the panel dataset of 20 emerging countries from 2010 to 2019. Two types of inflows are involved in the studies including foreign direct investment and portfolio investment to examine the responses of different inflows to exchange rate risk. Financial development is measured by two traditional indices including ratios of broad money to GDP and domestic credit to GDP. The results indicate a negative relationship between exchange rate volatility and capital inflows. However, financial development can reduce the detrimental influence of exchange rate volatility on capital inflows. This result suggests an improvement of financial development is necessary for diminishing the negative effect of exchange rate volatility. Emerging countries with low financial development should stabilise the exchange rate to attract more capital inflows.

La transplantation rénale a été réalisée pour la première fois au monde par J. Murray le 23 décembre 1954 à Boston, États-Unis. Au Vietnam, la première transplantation rénale réussie a eu lieu le 4 juin 1992 à l’Académie militaire de médecine du Vietnam. Notre hôpital avait effectué deux premières transplantations rénales au 29 décembre 1992. Jusqu’en décembre 2022, tout le Vietnam comptait un total de 6761 transplantations rénales, notre série avait réalisé 1126 cas. Ce rapport présente une analyse rétrospective des cas de transplantation rénale réalisés dans notre centre au cours des 30 dernières années.

To analyze postoperative CT dacryography features in patients with persistent epiphora after endonasal surgery.

AbstractThis paper report the volatile compounds identified in the leaf and wood essential oil hyrdrodistilled from Taxus chinensis(Rehder & E.H. Wilson) Rehder (Taxaceae) from Vietnam. The chemical constituents of the oil were analysed by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The yields of the yellow oils were 0.15 % and 0.11 % (v/w) respectively, calculated on a dry weight basis. The main constituents of the leaf oil were monoterpenes represented by α-pinene (24.2 %), sabinene (19.5 %), α-terpinyl acetate (12.8 %) and 1,8-cineole (11.7 %). However, α-pinene (20.0 %), photosantalol (10.2 %), caryophyllene oxide (8.9 %), spathulenol (7.6 %) and guaiol (6.8 %) were the representative compounds of the wood oil. The essential oils displayed antimicrobial activity against Enterococcus faecalisATCC 299212 with MIC values of 16.0 and 64.0 μg/mL, and IC50of 3.98 and 20.33 μg/mL, respectively. However, only the leaf oil inhibited the growth of Bacillus cereusATCC 14579 with MIC and IC50values of 64.0 and 19.78 μg/mL, while showing stronger action towards Candidan albicans ATCC 10231 with MIC of 128.0 μg/mL. Moreover, the wood oil exhibited stronger antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureusATCC 25923 (MIC 128.0 μg/mL, IC5056.78 μg/mL) and displayed moderate antimicrobial action against Escherichia coliATCC25922 with MIC and IC50values of 256.0 and 87.78 μg/mL respectively.

Retrospective longitudinal study to evaluate the efficacy of botulinum neurotoxin A (BoNT/A) therapy for epiphora with patent lacrimal ducts.

Retrospective long-term study to evaluate the efficacy of botulinum neurotoxin A (BoNT/A) therapy for epiphora due to non-surgical nasolacrimal duct obstruction.

Background Although AV fistulas are the preferred access for hemodialysis and have low complication rates, failure to function remains high and time to first dialysis may be several months.Methods Data from a Computerized Patient Record System of patients undergoing AV fistula from October 2000 to March 2006 were reviewed for type of fistula, interval from AV fistula construction to first hemodialysis, patency period, and complication rate.Results 129 patients were identified who underwent 155 autogenous AV fistula constructions. The average age was 62.1 (range 40–84) years old. 114 radiocephalic and 41 brachiocephalic fistulas were performed. 57 (50%) radiocephalic fistulas allowed successful hemodialysis after an average length of 13±5 weeks with a primary patency of 13±4 months. 24 (42%) fistulas subsequently thrombosed, 7 (12%) developed fistula stenosis, and 2 (4%) developed steal syndrome. 28 (68%) brachiocephalic fistulas reached successful hemodialysis after 6±2 weeks with a primary patency of 16±7 months. Eleven (42%) of the brachiocephalic fistulas that reached hemodialysis remained patent while four (15%) thrombosed. Two (8%) brachiocephalic fistulas thrombosed before reaching hemodialysis. There were two incidences (5%) of steal syndrome in the brachiocephalic group with one case being severe leading to tissue loss in the hand.Conclusion Brachiocephalic fistulas were superior to radiocephalic in both time to maturity, primary patency, and functional primary patency. Brachiocephalic fistulas had a higher maturation rate and were less likely to fail once hemodialysis began. Vascular surgeons should develop better patient selection to predict which fistulas will function successfully rather than risk complications of prolonged central catheters.

Dietary phytochemicals have been shown to be protective against various types of cancers. However, the precise underlying protective mechanisms are poorly understood. In the present study, we report that treatment of A549 cells with quercetin resulted in a dose-dependent reduction in cell viability and DNA synthesis with the rate of apoptosis equivalent to 1.2 ± 0.8, 6.3 ± 0.9, 16.5 ± 1.5, 36.4 ± 2.6 and 42.5 ± 5.8% on treatment with 0.1% dimethylsulfoxide, 14.5, 29.0, 43.5 and 58.0 µM quercetin, respectively. Concomitantly, quercetin treatments led to a 1.1-, 1.1-, 2.5- and 3.5-fold increase in Bax. Similar elevations were also observed in Bad, which increased 1.1-, 2.1-, 2.2- and 2.3-fold, respectively, as compared with control. While Bcl-2 was decreased by 30%, Bcl-xL was elevated in a dose-dependent fashion. Quercetin also induced the cleavage of caspase-3, caspase-7 and PARP (poly ADP-ribose polymerase). While Akt-1 and phosphorylated Akt-1 were inhibited, the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) was phosphorylated following quercetin treatment in a dose-dependent fashion. Phosphorylation of ERK and c-Jun occurred at 3 h and was sustained over 14 h. Phosphorylation of MEK1/2 was increased in concordance with ERK activation. Quercetin-induced phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and cleavage of caspase-3 occurred 6 h after quercetin exposure and before cleavage of caspase-7 and PARP was detected. Inhibition of MEK1/2 but not PI-3 kinase, p38 kinase or JNK abolished quercetin-induced phosphorylation of c-Jun, cleavage of caspase-3 and -7, cleavage of PARP and apoptosis. Inhibition of caspase activation completely blocked quercetin-induced apoptosis. Expression of constitutively activated MEK1 in A549 cells led to activation of caspase-3 and apoptosis. The results suggest that in addition to inactivation of Akt-1 and alteration in the expression of the Bcl-2 family of proteins, activation of MEK-ERK is required for quercetin-induced apoptosis in A549 lung carcinoma cells.

Iridium oxide films formed by electrodeposition onto noniridium metal substrates are compared with activated iridium oxide films (AIROFs) as a low impedance, high charge capacity coating for neural stimulation and recording electrodes. The electrodeposited iridium oxide films (EIROFs) were deposited on Au, Pt, PtIr, and 316 LVM stainless steel substrates from a solution of IrCl/sub 4/, oxalic acid, and K/sub 2/CO/sub 3/. A deposition protocol involving 50 potential sweeps at 50 mV/s between limits of 0.0 V and 0.55 V (versus Ag|AgCl) followed by potential pulsing between the same limits produced adherent films with a charge storage capacity of >25 mC/cm/sup 2/. Characterization by cyclic voltammetry and impedance spectroscopy revealed no differences in the electrochemical behavior of EIROF on non-Ir substrates and AIROF. The mechanical stability of the oxides was evaluated by ultrasonication in distilled water followed by dehydration and rehydration. Stability under charge injection was evaluated using 200 /spl mu/s, 5.9 A/cm/sup 2/ (1.2 mC/cm/sup 2/) cathodal pulses. Loss of iridium oxide charge capacity was comparable for AIROFs and the EIROFs, ranging from 1% to 8% of the capacity immediately after activation or deposition. The EIROFs were deposited and evaluated on silicon microprobe electrodes and on metallized polyimide electrodes being developed for neural recording and stimulation applications.

Microvascular sequestration was assessed in the brains of 50 Thai and Vietnamese patients who died from severe malaria (Plasmodium falciparum, 49; P. vivax, 1). Malaria parasites were sequestered in 46 cases; in 3 intravascular malaria pigment but no parasites were evident; and in the P. vivaxcase there was no sequestration. Cerebrovascular endothelial expression of the putative cytoadherence receptors ICAM-1, VCAM-1, E-selectin, and chondroitin sulfate and also HLA class II was increased. The median (range) ratio of cerebral to peripheral blood parasitemia was 40 (1.8 to 1500). Within the same brain different vessels had discrete but different populations of parasites, indicating that the adhesion characteristics of cerebrovascular endothelium change asynchronously during malaria and also that significant recirculation of parasitized erythrocytes following sequestration is unlikely. The median (range) ratio of schizonts to trophozoites (0.15:1; 0.0 to 11.7) was significantly lower than predicted from the parasite life cycle (P< 0.001). Antimalarial treatment arrests development at the trophozoite stages which remain sequestered in the brain. There were significantly more ring form parasites (age < 26 hours) in the cerebral microvasculature (median range: 19%; 0–90%) than expected from free mixing of these cells in the systemic circulation (median range ring parasitemia: 1.8%; 0–36.2%). All developmental stages of P. falciparumare sequestered in the brain in severe malaria.

This paper presents a theoretical study of heat transfer and flow by natural convection in an annular layer of porous material saturated with cold water and subjected to different thermal boundary conditions. The governing equations are solved, within the Boussinesq and Darcy approximations, using an implicit finite difference method. The results obtained for streamlines and isotherms, velocity and temperature profiles, and local and global Nusselt numbers are analysed in terms of R, the radius of the cavity, Rˆa, a nonlinear Rayleigh number, and γ, an inversion parameter, relating the temperature for maximum density to the wall temperature. It is found that the essential effect of density inversion is to create multicellular flows and to reduce the fluid velocities as well as the convective heat transfer. The problem of a common fluid without density inversion is recovered as a special case of this study

In this study, we evaluated 3 extracts (n-hexane, acetone, and methanol) of Usnea undulataStirton (Usneaaceae) and 5 isolated compounds [methyl orsellinate (1), methyl β-orsellinate (2), 7-hydroxyl-5-methoxy-6-methylphtalide (3), usnic acid (UA) (4), and salazinic acid (5)] for their inhibitory activity against Helicobacter pylori. The results showed that the n-hexane extract exhibited the strongest activity with the largest inhibition zone (d= 14 mm). For the isolated metabolites, besides UA that has been reported as a potent anti-H. pyloriagent, compounds 1and 2showed higher inhibition compared to the reference drugs. Our results demonstrated that U. undulatacould be a promising source of potential anti-H. pylorimetabolites.

We present a new methodology to derive imperfect interface models for the problems with interphase layers. The test case is potential problems, e.g., thermal conductivity, antiplane elasticity, etc. The methodology combines classical asymptotic analysis with concepts from the theory of complex-valued functions. Its major advantage over existing asymptotic approaches is the straightforward derivation of jump conditions that involve surface differential operators of arbitrary order, resulting in a hierarchy of models that maintain arbitrary-order accuracy with respect to the layer thickness and its curvature. Unlike low-order models, the derived higher-order models can accurately represent layers that are significantly softer or stiffer than the adjacent bulk materials, exhibit varying curvature, or are of finite thickness with respect to the characteristic length scale of the adjacent bulk regions. The interface models obtained via our methodology are compared with existing models of different orders, their limiting behavior is validated with respect to known interface regimes, and the improved accuracy of higher-order variants is illustrated for a benchmark example. While here we limited ourselves to scalar problems in two dimensions, the extension to vector problems in two-dimensions is straightforward. We also discuss the pathway to extend our methodology to scalar and vector problems in three-dimensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]