Propensity Score Matching Methodology Research Articles

Unveil the benefit of independent leadership structure on employee welfare

PurposeEmployees play a vital role in the success of a corporation. While boards of directors are created to protect shareholders’ interests, it is unclear if these directors also ensure employee welfare. In this vein, our paper examines the relationship between board leadership structure and employee well-being.Design/methodology/approachThe authors employ several analysis techniques, including univariate analysis, ordinary least squares (OLS) regressions, two-stage least squares (2SLS) regressions, propensity score matching methodology, the Heckman Selection model and difference-in-differences analysis. The sample comprises USA public firms for the period 1998–2018.FindingsOur findings indicate that having an independent chairperson can significantly benefit the welfare of employees, especially for firms with overly powerful chief executive officers (CEOs) and during times of financial distress.Originality/valueIndependent leadership structure is one of the crucial board characteristics that have not been examined to explain employee welfare at firms. We find that an independent chairperson can mitigate the negative effect of overly powerful CEOs on employee benefits. Importantly, independent chairpersons are beneficial for employees in difficult times and when CEOs are busy with daily activities.

Dynamic Survival Risk Prognostic Model and Genomic Landscape for Atypical Teratoid/Rhabdoid Tumors: A Population-Based, Real-World Study.

An atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor (AT/RT) is an uncommon and aggressive pediatric central nervous system neoplasm. However, a universal clinical consensus or reliable prognostic evaluation system for this malignancy is lacking. Our study aimed to develop a risk model based on comprehensive clinical data to assist in clinical decision-making. We conducted a retrospective study by examining data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) repository, spanning 2000 to 2019. The external validation cohort was sourced from the Children's Hospital Affiliated to Chongqing Medical University, China. To discern independent factors affecting overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS), we applied Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) and Random Forest (RF) regression analyses. Based on these factors, we structured nomogram survival predictions and initiated a dynamic online risk-evaluation system. To contrast survival outcomes among diverse treatments, we used propensity score matching (PSM) methodology. Molecular data with the most common mutations in AT/RT were extracted from the Catalogue of Somatic Mutations in Cancer (COSMIC) database. The annual incidence of AT/RT showed an increasing trend (APC, 2.86%; 95% CI:0.75-5.01). Our prognostic study included 316 SEER database participants and 27 external validation patients. The entire group had a median OS of 18 months (range 11.5 to 24 months) and median CSS of 21 months (range 11.7 to 29.2). Evaluations involving C-statistics, DCA, and ROC analysis underscored the distinctive capabilities of our prediction model. An analysis via PSM highlighted that individuals undergoing triple therapy (integrating surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy) had discernibly enhanced OS and CSS. The most common mutations of AT/RT identified in the COSMIC database were SMARCB1, BRAF, SMARCA4, NF2, and NRAS. In this study, we devised a predictive model that effectively gauges the prognosis of AT/RT and briefly analyzed its genomic features, which might offer a valuable tool to address existing clinical challenges.

The Effectiveness of Conditional Cash Transfer Program: A Case of Rural and Urban Beneficiaries in Philippines

This paper analyzes the effectiveness of the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) program in the Philippines in terms of its effect on conditionality goods as reflected by food, health, and education expenditures of households from rural and urban areas that benefitted the program. The CCT program in the Philippines is known as Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) that seeks to address the problem on poverty by improving the socioeconomic status of poor households through targeted investments in health and education. This study used the Propensity Score Matching methodology in estimating the average treatment effect on the treated to capture the effect of CCT on conditionality goods. The study finds that CCT has a significant effect on education for household beneficiaries in rural areas and has improved the quality of food consumed by household beneficiaries in urban areas. Also, a decreased in the per capita total expenditure and per capita food expenditure of the household beneficiaries is revealed in urban areas driven by their improved saving behavior. Thus, the CCT program, at some point, is effective in meeting its short-term goal, but it must be more targeted in order to improve its impact on other conditionality goods.

Association of Designated Pediatric Trauma Center and Outcomes of Severely Injured Children Who Were Mechanically Ventilated and Underwent Tracheostomy: A Propensity-Matched Analysis.

The purpose of the study is to examine the outcomes of care delivered at the pediatric trauma center (PTC) in severely injured children who were intubated, mechanically ventilated, and underwent tracheostomy. The study data were obtained from the Trauma Quality Improvement Program database for the calendar years 2017 to 2019. All children aged ≤17 years who sustained severe injury, required intubation and mechanical ventilation for more than 96 hours, and underwent tracheostomy were included in the study. Patients' characteristics, injury severity, and outcomes were compared between the care provided at the PTCs (level I or level II) and nonpediatric trauma centers (NPTCs). The propensity score matching methodology was used to perform the analysis. All P values are 2-sided, and a P value of <0.0.5 is considered statistically significant. Of 2164 patients who were qualified for the study, 1288 (59%) of the patients were treated at PTCs, and 876 (40.5%) of the patients were treated at NPTCs. Propensity matching created 876 pairs of patients. There were no significant differences found between the 2 groups on patients' characteristics except for age. Patients who were treated at PTCs had a median age of 14 (10-16) versus 15 (11-17) years ( P < 0.001) when compared with care provided at NPTCs. A longer hospital stay was found in the PTC group when compared with the NPTC group (24 [23, 25] vs 22 [21, 24], P = 0.008). Patients who were treated at PTC were found to have significantly less sepsis occurrence (0.9% vs 2.2%), and a higher proportion of patients were discharged home without needing additional support (26.2% vs 18.5%). Care at the PTC was associated with a lower occurrence of sepsis complications. A higher number of patients were discharged home without additional services when the care was provided at PTC.

PP70 Mapping Of Health Technology Assessment In China: A Comparative Study Between 2016 And 2021

IntroductionThis study aimed to compare changes in the level of health technology assessment (HTA) development from 2016 to 2021, and to inform policies and decisions to promote further development of HTA in China.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional and anonymous web-based survey to relevant stakeholders in China in 2016 and 2021 respectively. The mapping of the HTA instrument was used to reflect the HTA development from eight domains. To reduce the influence of confounders and to compare the mapping outcomes between 2016 and 2021 groups, we performed 1:1 propensity score matching methodology in this study. Univariate analysis was performed to compare the differences in these two groups. We also compared the overall results with that of a mapping study that included ten countries.ResultsA total of 212 and 255 respondents completed the survey in 2016 and 2021 respectively. After propensity score matching methodology, 183 cases from the 2016 group and 2021 group were matched. Overall, the mean score of 2021 in most of the domains was higher than in 2016 in China (p &lt; 0.05), matching the level of HTA institutionalization and dissemination strategy, except for the assessment domain. Although China scored significantly lower among the three developed countries, the overall HTA development score for China was comparable among the ten countries.ConclusionsOur study suggested the level of HTA development in China has made great progress from 2016 to 2021. Prior to HTA activities, the researcher or policy makers should first formulate an explicit assessment goal and scope, and during the assessment process, more attention should be paid to the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness indicator to ensure a higher quality of HTA evidence.

Impact of direct payments and non-financial support on smallholder income from environmentally friendly agriculture in Tohoku region, Japan

In the face of climate-related challenges in agriculture, Japan's ‘Direct Payment for Environmentally Friendly Farming’ policy stands as a proactive effort to incentivize sustainable practices among smallholder farmers. This study evaluates the policy's impact on smallholder farmers' net farm income within the Tohoku Region, employing a propensity score matching (PSM) methodology to analyze survey data encompassing household-specific attributes and engagement with the policy. Our results indicate that participation in the direct payment scheme enhances farmer income, averting an estimated reduction of 125 thousand JPY per annum. While direct payments demonstrated a positive effect on smallholder income, our findings surprisingly revealed that skill training, a key non-financial support, had a negligible impact on household earnings. The findings highlight the policy's efficacy in promoting practices that decrease reliance on chemical inputs and increase organic farming, thereby contributing to carbon emissions mitigation. Notably, our analysis suggests that subsidies directed towards integrating renewable energy on farms may have a less immediate financial impact compared to other forms of support. This research underscores the complex interplay between agricultural subsidies, environmental sustainability, and farmer income, revealing that direct financial incentives are pivotal in fostering climate-conscious agricultural practices among smallholders.

Incremental health care resource utilization and costs associated among patients with Parkinson's disease psychosis and incident dementia: An analysis of medicare beneficiaries.

Real-world evidence examining the incremental health care resource use (HCRU) and cost burden of incident dementia among patients with Parkinson's disease psychosis (PDP) are needed within the United States (US). To compare HCRU and cost burden between PDP patients with incident dementia (PDP+D) versus without incident dementia (PDP). A retrospective analysis of inpatient (Part A), outpatient (Part B), and prescription drug (Part D) claims from the 100% Medicare sample was conducted to compare PDP+D patients versus PDP patients between 01/01/14-12/31/18. Patients with a diagnosis of dementia, psychosis, secondary parkinsonism, or other psychotic disorders, during 12-month pre-index were excluded. Patients in both groups were matched using 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM) methodology using 31 variables (age, sex, race, region and 27 Elixhauser comorbidity characteristics). Differences in 12-month post-index HCRU rates and mean per patient per year (PPPY) costs for all-cause inpatient (IP) hospitalizations, and by type of IP stay (i.e., short-term [ST-stay], skilled nursing facility [SNF-stay] and long-term [LT-stay]) were analyzed via logistic and gamma log-link regression models. Of the 12,484 patients who met our study criteria, 1855 PSM-matched cohorts were identified. Mean age, gender, and comorbidities were similar in PSM groups. Approximately, 50.3% with PDP+D reported ≥1 all-cause IP hospitalizations versus 36.0% with PDP (p<0.05) during 12-month follow-up. Specifically, all-cause ST-stay, SNF-stay, and LT-stay among PDP+D versus PDP patients were: 45.2% versus 35.7%, 28.3% versus 15.7%, and 8.5% versus 6.0% (p<0.05), respectively. Psychiatric-related ST-stay, SNF-stay, and LT-stay among PDP+D versus PDP patients were: 12.3% versus 9.0%, 7.5% versus 3.4%, and 2.4% versus 1.2% (p<0.05), respectively. Mean PPPY all-cause IP hospitalization costs for PDP+D patients versus PDP patients was $17,891 (±29,882) versus $11,599 (±$25,247) (p<0.05). Patients with PDP+D experience significantly higher all-cause and psychiatric-related IP hospitalizations, including ST-stays, LT stays, and SNF stays. They also had 54% greater mean PPPY IP hospitalization costs versus PDP patients.

The energy conservation and emission reduction co-benefits of China’s emission trading system

Emission Trading System (ETS) is an innovative practice under the progress of green development in China. It is also an important method for China to achieve market-oriented environmental governance in ecological civilization construction. The ETS pilot policy has implemented for more than 10 years. However, the co-benefits of ETS pilot policy by the integration of energy consumption, carbon and sulfur dioxide emissions, and wastewater has not been evaluated. In order to fill this gap, we use the 2003–2017 annual data of 30 China’s provinces (municipalities and autonomous regions), and utilize the Difference-in-Differences (DID) model and Propensity Score Matching (PSM-DID) methodology to evaluate the co-benefits of ETS pilot policy on energy conservation and emission reduction. We find that the ETS pilot policy significantly promote energy conservation and emission reduction. Eastern and central China have significantly benefited from the policy, while the western China has not due to the limited technology and innovation as well as an imbalance of the industrial structure. The results provide the policy reference for China’s government and institutions as well as the governments and institutions around the world to fulfill their commitments to save energy and reduce emissions, and early achieve the carbon peaking and carbon neutralization.

Can public credit programs improve artisanal fisher performance? The case of FONDEPES a credit program

In this study, we show the effects of the FONDEPES credit program - a government public credit program- focused only on artisanal fishers – on profits, associativity, fish landing centers (DPA), sales destinations, and employment. We take advantage of the program’s selection mechanism and the National Artisanal Maritime Census data 2012 to apply a Propensity Score Matching (PSM) methodology. The results show that receiving the credit from the program improves the profits, associativity, and sales destination. Additionally, the results are robust under different matching types, covariate balance, inverse-probability-weighted (IPW), and non-observable tests. Overall, the evidence found in this analysis suggests that the FONDEPES credit program can help artisanal fishers improve their performance. However, there are differences between the outcomes of fishermen and ship-owners, the latter being the largest. It is recommended to focus on the group of fishermen by government entities to provide training and assistance in administrative issues to leap productivity to become a ship-owner. Exploring other credit products that replace the dependence on financing from intermediaries is recommended in ship-owners' cases.

Adopting a social purpose in for-profit firms: the role of the board of directors

AbstractThe debate on the purpose of corporations has intensified over the past decade, compelling businesses to reassess their societal roles. To effectively integrate sustainability into corporate strategies, for-profit firms are increasingly encouraged to adopt a pro-social purpose (SP).However, adopting and integrating an SP is a substantial shift that necessitates an internal push from corporate actors. In particular, due to its function of strategic decision-making, the board of directors represents a pivotal player in promoting the adoption of an SP.This research delves into the impact of board characteristics on the likelihood of adopting an SP in for-profit firms. We examined 580 European firms employing propensity score matching and logistic regression methodologies. Our findings offer initial insights on the effect of the board composition on adopting an SP. In particular, we found that cultivating the directors’ network with employees, fostering gender and age diversity, and welcoming highly qualified directors on board are key factors in facilitating the adoption and implementation of an SP in EU for-profit firms.Our study represents the first attempt to quantitatively examine the relationship between the board and SP. By doing so, we contribute to the theoretical advancement of the complementarity of corporate governance and corporate purpose. Moreover, we encourage practitioners to accrue awareness of the board characteristics that facilitate the adoption of an SP within their firms.

Subsidized health insurance impact among the poor: Evidence on out-of-pocket health expenditures in Indonesia

Universal Health Care (UHC) in Indonesia, named the National Health Insurance (Jaminan Kesehatan Nasional - JKN), has been running since 2014. JKN was predicted to be the most extensive UHC program in the world. Under JKN, the poor get free health services through the cashless method through a sub-program called Contribution Assistance Recipients (Penerima Bantuan Iuran - PBI). Unfortunately, JKN faced several failures to cover the program's expenditures within years. Within the current dynamics, was PBI, as part of JKN still effectively helping the poor? We examined the effectiveness of the PBI program by measuring differences in out-of-pocket health expenditures for the poor with similar socio-economic characteristics who used PBI and those who did not. We incorporated secondary data from National Socio-economic Survey (SUSENAS). The dataset was executed by using Propensity Score Matching (PSM) methodology. We used health expenditures and socio-economic parameters such as income, education, and gender from the 2017 and 2018 SUSENAS data. We found that in 2017, the total health expenditures of the PBI beneficiaries were lower than the non-beneficiaries. Nevertheless, by merging all two years' data, similar to 2018, we found general pattern that PBI participants' total health out-of-pocket payments were bigger than the non-participants. Health expenditures such as medicine, traditional practitioners, and others, were expenditure classifications in which PBI beneficiaries had lower expenses than non-beneficiaries in 2017. Therefore, Therefore, the UHC subsidy program for the poor in Indonesia has not only been ineffective through the years of implementation but also has not been effectively implemented for all variations of health expenditure types.

The Impact of Agricultural Credit on Banana cultivation in Valle del Cauca, Colombia

This study aimed to explore the use and effect of agricultural credit disbursed from banks and financial institutions on banana yield in farmers from Valle del Cauca (Colombia) using data from the National Agricultural Census (2014). Additionally, it evaluated whether the effect of credit differs according to the items in which the farmer prefers to invest. For this purpose, because credits are not granted randomly, this research used the Propensity Score Matching (PSM) methodology to manage selection bias. Initially, it was found through the probit model that having one's own agricultural machinery, using chemical fertilization to improve soil fertility, not belonging to an ethnic minority, and having some type of basic or higher education, increases the probability of obtaining an agricultural credit. On the other hand, the results suggest that credit has positive and significant effects on crop yield (6.2%), but the effect is greater if it is invested in land purchase and post-harvest processes, with an increase of 39% and 37% in yield, respectively. On the other hand, this study also suggests that, if credit is invested in items not related to agricultural activity, yields can be affected with a 10% reduction. Finally, it is recommended that a public policy be implemented to encourage greater participation of banana farmers in Valle del Cauca in agricultural credit programs, given their low participation (10%) despite the high acceptability rate (86%).

MP17-13 PROGNOSTIC VALUE OF PRETREATMENT LUNG IMMUNE PROGNOSTIC INDEX IN PATIENTS WITH METASTATIC HORMONE-SENSITIVE AND CASTRATION-RESISTANT PROSTATE CANCER

You have accessJournal of UrologyCME1 Apr 2023MP17-13 PROGNOSTIC VALUE OF PRETREATMENT LUNG IMMUNE PROGNOSTIC INDEX IN PATIENTS WITH METASTATIC HORMONE-SENSITIVE AND CASTRATION-RESISTANT PROSTATE CANCER Zhipeng Wang, Haoyang Liu, Jinge Zhao, Pengfei Shen, and Hao Zeng Zhipeng WangZhipeng Wang More articles by this author , Haoyang LiuHaoyang Liu More articles by this author , Jinge ZhaoJinge Zhao More articles by this author , Pengfei ShenPengfei Shen More articles by this author , and Hao ZengHao Zeng More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1097/JU.0000000000003237.13AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookLinked InTwitterEmail Abstract INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: The lung prognostic index (LIPI), which combines the derived neutrophil-to-lymphocyte Ratio (dNLR) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels, was first proposed to predict the effectiveness of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (mNSCLC) patients in 2018, and was subsequently found to be an important prognostic biomarker irrespective of treatment modality for mNSCLC patients. In this study, we aim to explore the prognostic value of the LIPI in patients with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC) and metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed data of 502 mHSPC patients primarily treated with maximal androgen blockade and 158 mCRPC patients receiving abiraterone. All cases were classified into the LIPI-Good, LIPI-Intermediate, and LIPI-Poor groups based on their LIPI score calculated by the derived neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and lactate dehydrogenase. The potential of LIPI in predicting mCRPC-free survival (CFS), PSA response, PSA-progression-free survival (PSA-PFS), and overall survival (OS) were analyzed. A propensity score matching (PSM) methodology was performed to balance the baseline factors of different groups. RESULTS: In the mHSPC cohort, patients of the LIPI-Good (mCFS: 25.7-mo; mOS: 93.3-mo), LIPI-Intermediate (mCFS: 14.8-mo; mOS: 51.9-mo) and LIPI-Poor group (mCFS: 6.8-mo; mOS: 18.5-mo) had sequentially worse clinical outcomes (p<0.001 for all pairwise comparisons). The results remain consistent after PSM. Multivariate Cox regression further confirmed that LIPI was an independent predictor of survival outcomes. Subgroup analysis verified that LIPI was associated with unfavorable prognosis in all subgroups except for cases with visceral metastases or receiving abiraterone/docetaxel. As for patients with CRPC receiving abiraterone, LIPI was also an indicator of poor prognosis. Specifically, cases in the LIPI-Good, LIPI-Intermediate and LIPI-Poor group had a ladder-shaped worse PSA response (71.4% [50/70] vs. 56.5% [39/69] vs. 36.8% [7/12], p=0.015), PSA-PFS (14.9- vs. 9.3- vs. 3.1-mo, p<0.001) and OS (14.6- vs. 32.3- vs. 53.4-mo, p<0.001). The results were robust even after PSM. Multivariate Cox regression confirmed that LIPI was an independent prognosticator of abiraterone. CONCLUSIONS: This study firstly demonstrated that baseline LIPI was a significant prognostic biomarker for both mHSPC and mCRPC patients and could potentially facilitate risk classification and treatment-decision making in clinical practice. Source of Funding: This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC 82172785, 82103097, 81974398, 81902577, and 81872107) © 2023 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 209Issue Supplement 4April 2023Page: e218 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2023 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.MetricsAuthor Information Zhipeng Wang More articles by this author Haoyang Liu More articles by this author Jinge Zhao More articles by this author Pengfei Shen More articles by this author Hao Zeng More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...

The prognostic value of the pretreatment lung immune prognostic index in patients with metastatic hormone-sensitive and castration-resistant prostate cancer.

The lung immune prognostic index (LIPI) was first reported to predict the effectiveness of immune checkpoint inhibitors in patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer and there are no studies investigating the predictive value of LIPI for patients with PCa. This study explores the prognostic value of the LIPI in patients with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC) and metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Data from 502 patients with mHSPC primarily treated with maximal androgen blockade (MAB; 89% of patients received MAB) and 158 patients with mCRPC who received abiraterone were retrospectively analyzed. All cases were classified into LIPI-good, LIPI-intermediate, and LIPI-poor groups based on their LIPI score as calculated with the derived neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and lactate dehydrogenase level. The potential for LIPI to be used in predicting mCRPC-free survival (CFS), prostate-specific antigen (PSA) response, PSA-progression-free survival (PSA-PFS), and overall survival (OS) was analyzed. A propensity score matching (PSM) methodology was performed to balance the baseline factors of the different groups. In the mHSPC cohort, patients of the LIPI-good (mCFS: 25.7 months; mOS: 93.3 months), LIPI-intermediate (mCFS: 14.8 months; mOS: 51.9 months), and LIPI-poor group (mCFS: 6.8 months; mOS: 18.5 months) had sequentially worse clinical outcomes (P<0.001 for all pairwise comparisons). The results remained consistent after PSM. Multivariate Cox regression further confirmed that LIPI was an independent predictor of survival outcomes. Subgroup analysis verified that LIPI was associated with an unfavorable prognosis in all subgroups except for cases with visceral metastases or those receiving abiraterone or docetaxel. As for patients with mCRPC receiving abiraterone, LIPI was also an indicator of poor prognosis. Specifically, cases in the LIPI-good, LIPI-intermediate, and LIPI-poor groups had a ladder-shaped worse PSA response [71.4% (50/70) vs. 56.5% (39/69) vs. 36.8% (7/19); P=0.015], PSA-PFS (14.9 vs. 9.3 vs. 3.1 months; P<0.001), and OS (14.6 vs. 32.3 vs. 53.4 months; P<0.001). The results were robust even after PSM. Multivariate Cox regression confirmed that LIPI was an independent prognosticator of PSA-PFS and OS in patients with mCRPC treated with abiraterone. This study demonstrated that the baseline LIPI was a significant prognostic biomarker for patients with both mHSPC and mCRPC and could potentially facilitate risk classification and clinical decision-making.

Prognostic value of pretreatment lung immune prognostic index in patients with metastatic hormone-sensitive and castration-resistant prostate cancer.

198 Background: The aim of this study was to explore the prognostic value of the lung immune prognostic index (LIPI) in patients with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC) and metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data of 502 mHSPC patients primarily treated with maximal androgen blockade and 158 mCRPC patients receiving abiraterone. All cases were classified into the LIPI-Good, LIPI-Intermediate, and LIPI-Poor groups based on their LIPI score calculated by the derived neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and lactate dehydrogenase. The potential of LIPI in predicting mCRPC-free survival (CFS), PSA response, PSA-progression-free survival (PSA-PFS), and overall survival (OS) were analyzed. A propensity score matching (PSM) methodology was performed to balance the baseline factors of different groups. Results: In the mHSPC cohort, patients of the LIPI-Good (mCFS: 25.7 mo; mOS: 93.3 mo), LIPI-Intermediate (mCFS: 14.8 mo; mOS: 51.9 mo) and LIPI-Poor group (mCFS: 6.8 mo; mOS: 18.5 mo) had sequentially worse clinical outcomes (P&lt;0.001 for all pairwise comparisons). The results remain consistent after PSM. Multivariate Cox regression further confirmed that LIPI was an independent predictor of survival outcomes. Subgroup analysis verified that LIPI was associated with unfavorable prognosis in all subgroups except for cases with visceral metastases or receiving abiraterone/docetaxel. As for patients with CRPC receiving abiraterone, LIPI was also an indicator of poor prognosis. Specifically, cases in the LIPI-Good, LIPI-Intermediate and LIPI-Poor group had a ladder-shaped worse PSA response (71.4% [50/70] vs. 56.5% [39/69] vs. 36.8% [7/12], P=0.015), PSA-PFS (14.9- vs. 9.3 vs. 3.1 mo, P&lt;0.001) and OS (14.6- vs. 32.3- vs. 53.4 mo, P&lt;0.001). The results were robust even after PSM. Multivariate Cox regression confirmed that LIPI was an independent prognosticator of abiraterone. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that baseline LIPI was a significant prognostic biomarker for both mHSPC and mCRPC patients and could potentially facilitate risk classification and treatment-decision making in clinical practice.

Do minority banks perform better or worse than non-minority banks?

ABSTRACT We investigate whether Minority Owned/Controlled Banks (MDIs) perform better or worse than Non-Minority Banks (NMDIs) in terms of lower profit rates and higher risk. MDIs and NMDIs are compared using a propensity score matching (PSM) methodology. We also compare the performance when their headquarters are in the same census tract. In contrast to previous and earlier studies, the empirical results indicate that MDIs exhibit no signs of under- or over-performance vis-à-vis NMDIs. Moreover, we find no statistically significant difference between the four sub-categories of MDIs (Black, Asian, Hispanic, and Native American) and NMDIs regarding either profitability or riskiness. Robustness checks using zip code and city-level data effectively confirm these results.

The impact of credit on agricultural productivity of Musaceae: evidence from Valle Del Cauca, Colombia

This study evaluates the impact of agricultural credit on productivity of Musaceae (banana and plantain) in farmers from Valle del Cauca (Colombia) using data from National Agricultural Census of 2014. Additionally, the effect of credit on two productivity indices (PI1 y PI2) was evaluated, PI1 measured in tons of production per hectare and PI2 in ton of production per employee. To evaluate this impact, the counterfactual without treatment was estimated using the information of those farmers who obtained a credit and similar farmers who did not. Therefore, to control the selection bias, derived from the fact that the credits are not awarded randomly, this study uses the Propensity Score Matching (PSM) methodology applying the 4-nearest neighbor matching algorithm. In general, for banana producers, the results suggest that access to agricultural credit has positive and significant effects with an increase in productivity per hectare (PI1) of 8.4%; on the other hand, for PI2 the result was not statistically significant, however, it may be an indicator that the farmer is not using human resources efficiently to achieve the increase obtained in PI1 . Finally, this study suggests that access to agricultural credit may not be decisive in increasing the productivity of the plantain crop, given that the effect on the two indices evaluated was indeterminate.

Impact assessment of adopting improved rice variety on farm household welfare in Ethiopia

This article presents the evaluation of the impact of the adoption of improved rice varieties on yield, commercialization, multidimensional poverty, and subjective poverty using data collected from 594 rice producing smallholder farmers in Ethiopia. We adopted an endogenous switching regression model complemented with a propensity score matching methodology to test robustness and reduced selection bias restricting from both observed and unobserved characteristics. The analysis results are consistent across models, indicating that adoption of improved rice varieties has a robust and positive impact on rice yield, and commercialization. Controlling the variations in household characteristics, the average effect of improved rice varieties adoption on productivity was 0.564 t/ha. Similarly, the econometric result showed that improved rice variety adoption decreased multidimensional poverty and subjective poverty by 1.7% and 12.4%, respectively. The government should work with development partners and NGOs to ease the accessibility and expansion of improved rice varieties in rice producing areas of the country. Therefore, policymakers and development organizations should consider improved rice variety adoption as the main strategy to increase productivity, commercialization, and reduce poverty of the rice farm households. • The study evaluates the impact of improved rice varieties on smallholder farmers' welfare. • The study employed an endogenous switching regression model to analyze data collected from the major rice-producing area of Ethiopia. • Factors influencing the adoption of improved rice varieties identified. • Improved rice variety adoption leads to significant yield and commercialization gains. • Improved rice variety adoption have significant multidimensional poverty and subjective poverty-reducing impacts.

The use of propensity score matching methodology for analysis of concession: The case of road networks in Peru

In this paper, a comparison has been made between the average crash rate, cost overruns and time overruns of the road sections concessioned with the estimated level that these sections would have if they had not been concessioned for the Peruvian case. For this exercise, the Propensity Score Matching methodology has been used that guarantees correct comparability between the concessioned and non-concessioned highways. This technique matches the unique characteristics that distinguish the control (to try to make them more similar) and treatment groups. The main result is that the crash rate, number of injuries, number of deaths, cost overruns and time overruns are lower in the concessioned sections than in the non-concessioned sections. In addition to this, the cost of crashes on concessioned and non-concessioned highways for Peru has also been estimated. In this case, the average annual cost per crash on the concessioned highways in the period 2015–2019 would be USD 65.72 million, while for the non-concessioned highways it would be USD 254 million. In other words, if all highways were concessioned, Peru would save an average of US $ 189 million per year from traffic crashes.

Comparative analysis of visual amenity services valuation: A nationwide assessment through propensity scoring matching and hedonic regression

Conventional hedonic valuations of environmental amenities and cultural ecosystem services (CES) expose two limitations. First, related studies are unable to fully capture the value of visual amenity services which synergistically contribute and enhance the provision of valuable CES together with recreation, educational and spiritual services. Second, studies using linear hedonic regression cannot address potential bias resulting from multicollinearity in independent variables. We found that popular choices of covariates are correlated with the main amenity variable, which can lead to an undermined estimation precision. Therefore, to address those shortcomings, we first employed a specific proxy dummy variable to assign treatment and control individuals based on the service type. Second, we adopted propensity score matching (PSM) methodology to match treatment and control observations conditional on overlapping baseline covariates in order to avoid collinearity. Then, we carried out a comparative evaluation of a nationwide visual amenity service of the ocean ecosystem in China, via our new PSM-based average treatment effects (ATE) methodology and a conventional linear hedonic regression. Two methodologies showed opposite results, with an 8.3% premium in apartment price via PSM-ATE and a negative 0.9% premium via hedonic linear regression. Via a novel evaluation method and a nationwide case study, we conclude that diversifying and enriching the current methodology should be the priority for environmental amenity and cultural ecosystem services-related valuations.