This research examines the structure of international news flow and its determinants, using network analysis. International newspaper and periodicals trade data in Commodity Trade Statistics published by the United Nations are used to describe the international news flow network. NEGOPY reveals the inequality of international news flow between the core and the periphery. The Western industrialized countries are at the center, dominating international news flow. Cluster analysis reveals that the international news flow network is also structured into eight geographical-linguistic groups. In sum, the periphery is not only dominated by the unequal vertical news exchange between it and the core, but also marginalized by the news exchange among the core. Regression analysis indicates that the structure of international news flow is influenced by a country's economic development, the language(s) its people speak, its physical location, political freedom, and population. Among them, economic development is the most important factor.

This ongoing, randomized phase III study assesses the safety and efficacy of entecavir versus placebo in nucleos(t)ide-na€ ıve children (2 to <18 years) with hepatitis B envelope antigen (HBeAg)-positive chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Blinded treatment was administered for a minimum of 48 weeks. After week 48, patients with HBeAg seroconversion continued blinded treatment; those without switched to open-label entecavir. The primary endpoint was HBeAg seroconversion and HBV DNA <50 IU/mL at week 48. A total of 180 patients were randomized (2:1) and treated. Baseline median age was 12 years, with approximately 50% of children ages >12 to <18, and 25% each ages !2 to £ 6 and >6 to £ 12. Rates for the primary endpoint at week 48 were significantly higher with entecavir than placebo (24.2% [29 of 120] 60]; P 5 0.0210). Among entecavir-randomized patients, there was an increase in all efficacy endpoints between weeks 48 and 96, including an increase from 49% to 64% in virological suppression. The cumulative probability of emergent entecavir resistance through years 1 and 2 of entecavir was 0.6% and 2.6%, respectively. Entecavir was well tolerated with no observed differences in adverse events or changes in growth compared with placebo. Conclusion: In childhood CHB, entecavir demonstrated superior antiviral efficacy to placebo with a favorable safety profile. These results support the use of entecavir as a therapeutic option in children and adolescents with CHB.

This study showed that there is a high incidence of choledochal cyst and diagnostic and therapeutic ERCP for the management of various biliary and pancreatic diseases was safe and effective in Korean children.