LDC Group Research Articles

Surgical treatment with microwave coagulo-necrotic therapy (MCN) and/or hepatic resection for small hepatocellular carcinoma

In our institute, hepatic resection and/or MCN have been used for HCC. This study assesses the efficacy of these treatments, especially for small HCC measuring 2 cm or less in greatest diameter.From July 1994 to March 2004, 60 patients with small HCC underwent hepatic resection (Hr) and/or MCN (Hr, 3; MCN, 55; Hr + MCN, 2).The cumulative 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates in MCN group were 100, 97.0, 91.6%, in Hr group were 100, 100, 100%, and in Hr + MCN group were 100, 100, - %. The cumulative 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates of Liver damage (LD)-A group were 100, 100, 100%, of LD-B group were 100, 100, 92.3%, and of LD-C group were 100, 0% (p < 0.0001).In conclusion, both Hr and MCN, especially MCN are the effective local treatment for small HCC with LD A or B.

Hormonal response to fluid administration in cardiac surgery patients

The effects of three different fluid regimes administered before surgery on stress-related hormones were studied in 36 patients undergoing elective aortocoronary bypass grafting. Low-dose Ringer's solution (10 ml/kg; low-dose crystalloid group [LDC]), high-dose Ringer's solution (20 ml/kg; high-dose crystalloid group [(HDC]). or a combination of Ringer's solution (10 ml/kg) with high-molecular weight hydroxyethylstarch (HES) (10 ml/kg) (crystalloid-HES group [C-HES]) were randomly administered prior to operation. Haemodynamic variables and plasma concentrations of ADH, ACTH, renin, aldosterone, cortisol and catecholamines were studied before volume load, before commencement of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), and immediately after weaning from CPB. Cardiac index and stroke volume index in the C-HES group increased by 20% and 18% respectively, systemic vascular resistance decreased by 25% after volume infusion. This was associated with a decrease in the plasma concentrations of ADH, renin and aldosterone. In contrast to this, in the LDC and HDC groups, haemodynamic parameters remained almost unchanged after volume load. This was associated with an increase in aldosterone (LDC 20%; HDC 58%) and renin (LDC 110%; HDC 44%). In all groups, plasma concentrations of catecholamines increased progressively during the time of surgery and were not influenced by the nature or volume of fluid administered. We conclude that the administration of a combination of crystalloid and colloid solutions during induction of anaesthesia effectively improves haemodynamics and attenuates the increase of the plasma levels of ADH, renin and aldosterone often associated with surgery.

Income convergence and divergence within and between LDC groups

We test in this study for per capita income convergence between 89 LDCs in Africa, Asia, and Central and South America. It is hypothesized that, given the large pool of publicly available technological innovations, the economies with the ability to adopt/adapt these innovations will tend to have their per capita incomes converge over time. Our findings point to income convergence within a smaller subsample of 30 countries. Our findings also suggest that the factors that contributed to this ability include the relative size of government, population growth and investment levels.

Chronic ethanol tolerance through free-choice drinking in the P line of alcohol-preferring rats

The objective of this study was to determine if the selectively bred P line of alcohol-preferring rats would develop behavioral (neuronal) tolerance with free-choice drinking of ethanol. Adult, male P rats were divided into four groups. One group (FCE) received food, water and a 10% (v/v) ethanol solution ad lib, while the control group (C) had only food and water. The other two groups received either a liquid diet containing 5% (v/v) ethanol (LDE) or a control liquid diet (LDC). All groups were kept on their respective feeding regimens for 14 days. The mean (±SEM) ethanol intakes for the FCE and LDE groups were 6.8±0.5 and 9.9±0.4 g ethanol/kg body wt./day, respectively. A shock-motivated jumping task recovery to a criterion of 75% of the performance level achieved with training. All rats were tested twice, once on the day before beginning their feeding regimens (day 0) and again 14 days later. Tolerance was assessed from differences in time of recovery to criterion performance and in blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) at recovery on day 0 vs. day 14. The mean recovery times for the C, FCE, LDC, and LDE groups on day 0 were 177±6, 170±6, 143±10 and 153±13 minutes, respectively, and the BACs were 219±6, 222±19 and 214±6 mg%, respectively. On day 14, the FCE and LDE groups exhibited tolerance with shorter recovery times of 80±7 and 70±9 minutes and higher BACs at recovery of 273±5 and 286±14 mg%, respectively. No significant differences in time of recovery or BACs were observed between days 0 and 14 for the C and LDC groups. The results demonstrated that free-choice consumption of 10% ethanol by P rats is sufficient to produce behavioral/neuronal tolerance which is similar in magnitude to that seen for P rats given ethanol in a liquid diet.

Development and distribution: A critique of the cross-country U-hypothesis

This paper questions the validity of a modern paradigm, viz., the U-Hypothesis. It argues that notwithstanding contrary claims, the recent cross-country econometric studies by Ahluwalia and others have little in common from a methodological point of view with Kuznets' earlier intertemporal national studies. Ahluwalia's cross-country U-Curve is found to be based on defective statistics and questionable methodological premises. In specific, the estimation of one U-Curve from observations on both LDCs and DCs is criticised. A sample restricted to the LDC group considerably weakens support for the U-Hypothesis. Further, even marginal variations in the data set lead to the virtual disappearance of Ahluwalia's empirical relationship. The paper concludes that the cross-country U-Hypothesis is more of a hindrance than an aid to our comprehension of the relationship between economic growth and income distribution.