The Costs and Benefits of Monetary Integration Reconsidered: towards Value-Added Based Openness Measures

Ansgar Belke and Lars Wang 세종대학교 경제통합연구소 2006 Journal of Economic Integration Vol.21 No.1

This study re-assesses regional integration by taking new measures for thedegree of openness into account. The value-added based economic integration(VEI) model which improves on traditional economic integration models forms thecore of these openness indicators. We show that a shift from the usual proxies ofthe gross economic integration (GEI) model towards those of the VEI model leadsto a decrease of the realized degree of economic integration. Hence, the costs(benefits) are higher (lower) for a country from joining a fixed exchange rate areaas supposed by the standard GEI model. From this perspective, the outcomesbased on the traditional GEI model tend to overestimate the potential success ofa given monetary integration process. More specifically, even a revision of therecommendation for a country to participate in a single currency area might be aconsequence. Finally, empirical estimates of these new openness measures aredelivered for more than twenty countries. JEL classifications: C67, E20, F15, F42

Effects of Novel Vibro-Acupuncture on Healthy Subjects and Those with Experimental and Clinical Pain as Assessed by Quantitative Sensory Testing

Kelun Wang,Dennis Boye Larsen,Silvia Ambite-Quesada,Yuan Zhang,Huilin Liu,César Fernández-de-las-Peñas,Lars Arendt-Nielsen 사단법인약침학회 2021 Journal of Acupuncture & Meridian Studies Vol.14 No.4

Background: To investigate the analgesic effects of vibro-acupuncture (VA), a novel acuvibrator was developed. Objectives: To compare the analgesic effects of VA with those of manual acupuncture (MA) and placebo acupuncture (PA) on subjects with normal sensory perception (Study I), experimentally induced acute pain (Study II), and clinical chronic pain (Study III). Methods: Thirty healthy volunteers (21 males, age: 20-30 years) participated in Study I. Fourteen healthy volunteers (8 males, age: 20-32 years) participated in Study II in which experimental pain was induced by injection of hypertonic saline. Fourteen patients suffering from unilateral epicondylalgia (9 males, age: 30-61 years) participated in Study III. All participants received VA, MA, and PA at LI4 and LI10 points in a randomized, crossover, and double-blinded manner. Quantitative sensory testing (QST) was performed on the ipsilateral forearm before and after each treatment. Data were analyzed using repeated-measures (RM) ANOVA. Results: A significantly higher vibration detection threshold (VDT) was observed after treatment of VA than after MA and PA (p < 0.001). No significant treatment effect on experimental pain intensity was detected (p > 0.086). Significantly lower pain intensity (p = 0.005) and a smaller drawing area (p = 0.011) of unilateral epicondylalgia were found after VA treatment than after PA. Conclusion: A specific effect on the VDT beyond that of MA and PA was evoked by VA. Patients with epicondylitis showed significantly lower pain intensity during VA than during PA. This study indicated that VA may be beneficial in individuals with clinical chronic musculoskeletal pain; however, further studies are needed.

The Costs and Benefits of Monetary Integration Reconsidered: towards Value-Added Based Openness Measures

( Ansgar Belke ),( Lars Wang ) 세종대학교 경제통합연구소 (구 세종대학교 국제경제연구소) 2006 Journal of Economic Integration Vol.21 No.1

This study re-assesses regional integration by taking new measures for the degree of openness into account. The value-added based economic integration (VEI) model which improves on traditional economic integration models forms the core of these openness indicators. We show that a shift from the usual proxies of the gross economic integration (GEI) model towards those of the VEI model leads to a decrease of the realized degree of economic integration. Hence, the costs (benefits) are higher (lower) for a country from joining a fixed exchange rate area as supposed by the standard GEI model. From this perspective, the outcomes based on the traditional GEI model tend to overestimate the potential success of a given monetary integration process. More specifically, even a revision of the recommendation for a country to participate in a single currency area might be a consequence. Finally, empirical estimates of these new openness measures are delivered for more than twenty countries.

Arabidopsis RADICAL-INDUCED CELL DEATH1 is involved in UV-B signaling

Jiang, Lei,Wang, Yan,Bjorn, Lars Olof,Li, Shaoshan Korean Society of Photoscience 2009 Photochemical & photobiological sciences Vol.8 No.6

The Arabidopsis radical-induced cell death1 (rcd1) mutant is sensitive to ozone fumigation and apoplastic superoxide, but tolerant to methyl viologen. In the present article, we report that the rcd1 mutant is also tolerant to supplementary UV-B radiation. The rcd1-1 mutant exhibits less accumulation of TT dimers, increased hypocotyl growth inhibition and higher accumulation of flavonoids under supplemental UV-B radiation. Moreover, the expression of HY5 (ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL5) is increased in the mutant after UV-B treatment. Gene expression downstream of UV-B signaling reveals that COP1 (CONSTITUTIVELY PHOTOMORPHOGENIC1)-regulated genes have an elevated expression in rcd1-1 mutant under UV-B radiation, while expression of UVR8 (UV RESISTANCE LOCUS 8)-regulated and HY5-independent genes are not changed. Interestingly, the expression of RCD1 genes is not significantly changed by UV-B radiation. Previous study has shown that STO protein is interacting with RCD1 in vitro. Here, we found the mRNA level of STO (SALT TOLERANCE) is greatly increased in rcd1-1 mutant after UV-B radiation. However, UV-B-induced HY5 and CHS expression is partially inhibited in sto mutant. Based on the above results, it is deduced that the RCD1, working together with STO, is involved in Arabidopsis UV-B signaling.

Study on effect of sample preparation on structure and size distribution of exudate gums using asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation coupled with multi-angle light scattering (AsFlFFF-MALS)

Meiyu Zhang,Jaeyeong Choi,Da Wang,Lars Nilsson,Seungho Lee 한국분석과학회 2021 학술대회논문집 Vol.2021 No.11

Exudate gums are widely used as emulsifiers or thickening agents in the food industry. The performance of exudate gums is affected by their physicochemical properties such as molar mass (), molecular size, molecular conformation, protein content, et al. The high polydispersity, large and poor solubility of exudate gums bring challenges to their analysis. Either filtration or centrifugation can be used for preliminary separation of soluble and insoluble parts of the gum. However, their separation efficiency and their effect on the structural changes in gums are still unclear. In this research, asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation coupled with multi-angle light scattering (AsFlFFF-MALS) was used to investigate the effect of the preparation method (filtration or centrifugation) on the size and the conformation of three types of gums (labelled ‘GT’, ‘GA’, and ‘GK’, respectively). The effect of removal of insoluble and large -populations on the emulsifying property of gums are also evaluated. Results showed that both filtration and centrifugation remove the co-eluted large populations, thus decrease the measured radius of gyration () of the gums. The removal of the large-sized populations and insoluble parts significantly reduced the viscosity of the gum dispersion and the emulsion prepared by the gums, resulting in an decreases in the stability of the emulsions.

Study on effect of sample preparation on structure and size distribution of exudate gums using asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation coupled with multi-angle light scattering (AsFlFFF-MALS)

Meiyu Zhang,Jaeyeong Choi,Da Wang,Lars Nilsson,Seungho Lee 한국분석과학회 2021 학술대회논문집 Vol.2021 No.11

Exudate gums are widely used as emulsifiers or thickening agents in the food industry. The performance of exudate gums is affected by their physicochemical properties such as molar mass (), molecular size, molecular conformation, protein content, et al. The high polydispersity, large and poor solubility of exudate gums bring challenges to their analysis. Either filtration or centrifugation can be used for preliminary separation of soluble and insoluble parts of the gum. However, their separation efficiency and their effect on the structural changes in gums are still unclear. In this research, asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation coupled with multi-angle light scattering (AsFlFFF-MALS) was used to investigate the effect of the preparation method (filtration or centrifugation) on the size and the conformation of three types of gums (labelled ‘GT’, ‘GA’, and ‘GK’, respectively). The effect of removal of insoluble and large -populations on the emulsifying property of gums are also evaluated. Results showed that both filtration and centrifugation remove the co-eluted large populations, thus decrease the measured radius of gyration () of the gums. The removal of the large-sized populations and insoluble parts significantly reduced the viscosity of the gum dispersion and the emulsion prepared by the gums, resulting in an decreases in the stability of the emulsions.

Being Adaptive to Pain Enhances Sham Acupuncture Analgesia: A Crossover Healthy Human Study

Zhen Zheng,Dawn Wong Lit Wan,Lars Arendt-Nielsen,Dong Y. Yao,Genevieve Iversen,Charlie C. Xue,Kelun Wang 사단법인약침학회 2017 Journal of Acupuncture & Meridian Studies Vol.10 No.6

We have reported a model that distinguishes pain adaptive individuals (PA) from those who are pain non-adaptive (PNA). The present randomised, cross-over, participant-assessor blinded study aimed to determine the impact of pain adaptability on individuals’ response to real and sham acupuncture. Healthy volunteers (nine PA and 13 PNA) were randomly allocated to receive real and sham acupuncture on the left hand and forearm in two separate acupuncture sessions. Pressure pain thresholds (PPTs) were measured at bilateral forearms and right leg before, immediately after and 20 minutes after the end of acupuncture. Ratings to pinprick and suprathreshold PPT were also recorded. The two groups were comparable in their demographic and baseline data. Analgesia induced by real or sham acupuncture did not differ on any outcome measures. PA responded to acupuncture needling better than PNA, and to sham needling (20% increase in PPT) better than to real acupuncture (7.9%). Those differences were at 20 min after end of acupuncture in the areas distant to the needling sites. PNA reported little changes in PPT. Being adaptive to pain was associated with enhanced distant analgesia in response to sham acupuncture. Our finding might partly explain varied acupuncture analgesia in clinical practice and trials.