This paper applies a time-varying cointegration (TVC) model to study regional financial integration, measured by the drifting cointegration coefficient of the long-term interest rates between Singapore and Malaysia. Conditioned on long-run exchange rate equilibrium, the evolving relation can be used to test the hypothesis of uncovered interest parity (UIP) in the strong and weak forms, and exam...

OBJECTIVES To investigate the clinical application of the fast track surgery (FTS) model based on preoperative nutritional risk screening (NRS) in patients with esophageal cancer. METHODS 180 patients with esophageal cancer who underwent surgery between January 2008 and April 2014 were randomly divided into study and control groups based on matched-pairs. The study group underwent assessment ...

BACKGROUND Endoscopic sphincterotomy (EST) combined with large-balloon dilation (LBD) has been proposed as an alternative to manage large bile duct stones. However, recent reports indicate that LBD without EST may be safe and effective in this setting. METHODS One hundred thirty-one patients with large common bile duct (CBD) stones 12 mm in size or larger underwent LBD alone (n=62) or EST plu...

OBJECTIVE Decompressive craniectomy (DC) is a useful surgical method to achieve adequate decompression in hypertensive intracranial patients. This study suggested a new skin incision for DC, and analyzed its efficacy and safety. METHODS In the retrograde reviews, 15 patients underwent a newly suggested surgical approach using n-shape skin incision technique (Group A) and 23 patients were trea...

OBJECTIVE The aim of the study was to compare the surgical and functional outcomes of the microsurgical osteoplastic retro-sigmoid approach in a semi-sitting position in two groups of patients with vestibular schwannomas (VSs) ranging from 1 to 3 cm in size. METHOD A 5-year retrospective evaluation was made of these two groups of patients with VS: Patients with VS sizes 1-<2 cm in maximal int...

Introduction: As far as application of chemicals as disinfectants may have side effects on human health and causes drug resistance, the topic of herbal and natural products has been investigated in recent researches. Nevertheless, application of medicinal smokes in the treatment of many diseases, including bacterial and infectious diseases has long been popular in Iran. Smoke from the burning o...

INTRODUCTION  One of the most severe complications of repair surgery for abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) is acute kidney injury (AKI). Even small rises in serum creatinine after surgery are associated with increased mortality. OBJECTIVES  The aim of the study was to assess the dynamics of AKI after elective AAA surgery using novel markers. PATIENTS AND METHODS  The study group consisted of...