Identification Strategy Research Articles

Urbanization and economic growth in China: empirical evidence based on a SIVQR approach

PurposeWe seek to quantify the relationship between urbanization and economic growth in China using recent advances in econometric techniques.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopts a smoothed instrumental variables quantile regression (SIVQR) estimator to obtain consistent estimates of the effects of urbanization on economic growth in China. Our approach accounts for the differential impacts of urbanization across the conditional distribution of economic growth while allowing for an identification strategy that addresses the endogeneity of urbanization. Our main findings reveal that ignoring urbanization endogeneity leads to inconsistent estimates of urbanization effects. Further, we find a positive relationship between urbanization and growth resembling an inverted U-shape. This supports the hypothesis that the beneficial effects of urbanization intensify at initial stages while diminishing beyond a certain threshold, due perhaps to weakening scale economies.FindingsOur main results indicate that the individual productivity gains brought by urbanization outweigh the negative effects thereof that impede productivity, thus contributing to the economic growth in China. Further, we find that ignoring differential impacts of urbanization underestimates the beneficial effects of urbanization for provinces whose quality of governance is in the vicinity of the center of quality distribution. Ignoring the endogeneity of urbanization generates inconsistent estimates of the elasticity of economic growth with respect to urbanization. Finally, we estimate an inverted U-shape resembling relationship between urbanization and growth.Research limitations/implicationsFirst, future studies would benefit from incorporating more data as provinces further east on the mainland become more urbanized and urbanization runs its course. Second, controlling the barriers to rural-urban mobility would contribute to the robustness of the estimated relationship between urbanization and growth once such data became available. Unveiling the impact of government-imposed barriers is key to designing optimal policies that help fuel economic growth in the country. Finally, future research could benefit from information on urbanization sources not considered here such as inter-provincial migration, as such data become publicly available.Practical implicationsQuantifying the beneficial effects of urbanization on economic growth can help guide the government in China to further fuel the growth through a set of relevant policy tools that promote urbanization.Social implicationsRural-urban migration in China lays the groundwork for economic advancement in recipient cities and economies, as it may induce scale economies. This can benefit both the economy at large and the migrants.Originality/valueThe SIVQR estimator accounts for potential heterogeneous effects of urbanization across the entire conditional distribution of growth while allowing for an identification strategy that addresses the endogeneity of urbanization. An additional distinguishing feature of the current study is our use of the most recent novel, provincial-level data obtained from the National Bureau of Statistics of China. Our focus on a single country allows sidestepping issues arising from the inconsistency of the definition of urban across different countries while accounting for intra-country urbanization drivers intrinsic to China, such as natural features and geographic characteristics. Therefore, our approach has the potential to sidestep the bias resulting from the differences in mechanisms behind urbanization-growth relationships across different countries.

Gender dynamics of the impact of cash transfer on female educational expenditure of informal settlements in Bangladesh

Gender-biased educational investment remains a critical issue for vulnerable households. Despite increased female enrolment in the past decade, motivation to invest on female education remains low. Resource scarcity and low woman empowerment are two major reasons of low educational expenditure on female children of a vulnerable household. As the most vulnerable households in a society, informal settlers (slum households) are supposed to spend less on female children. However, whether there is any gender bias in informally settled households’ spending on education remains a question. Further, Cash Transfer (CT) programs provide resources to vulnerable households for investing on human capital elements like education. This study aims to examine three research questions: whether a informally settled household’s spending on education is gender biased, whether the households in which women receive CT spend more for female education than those in which women do not receive CT, and finally whether the impact of female receipt of CT differs from that of male receipt of CT in terms of female education expenditure. As the assignment of female access to CT is not randomized, the simple comparison between the treated and untreated suffers from selection bias. We employ propensity score matching (PSM) as an identification strategy to address selection bias. Inverse probability weighted regression adjustment (IPWRA) has been applied as a robustness check. The study's policy implications highlight the significance for policymakers in the domains of women's education, empowerment, and the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals.

Identification of pathogenic-like fungal species on Akebia trifoliata fruit by integrating transcriptome analysis and specific sequences of putative pathogens

Large-scale cultivation of recently domesticated crops poses great potential disease risk, so rapid and comprehensive identification of pathogenic microbes is of great significance and value for the commercial development of wild plant resources. Akebia trifoliata is widely cultivated in various regions of China, although its domestication remains in the early stages. Here, to avoid large economic losses, we identified the pathogenic-like fungi of widely cultivated A. trifoliata based on causal relationship between pathogens and hosts such as discernible symptoms, fungal diversity and differentially expressed sequences in symptomatic and asymptomatic fruits. First, we observed partly discernible symptoms of four diseases (powdery mildew, anthracnose, fruit shrinkage and brown spot) by observing disease development in the field. Second, comparative analysis of the ITS sequences between the symptomatic and asymptomatic rind bulks suggested that Cercospora, Colletotrichum and Strelitziana could contain pathogenic-like fungi. Finally, interaction transcriptome sequencing afforded strong evidence for 20 pathogenic-like fungi associated with five reported diseases in A. trifoliata and other plants and seven putative unknown diseases, among which the pathogenic-like fungi causing anthracnose, powdery mildew and brown spot were the three top richness fungi in symptomatic fruit rind. This study provides a new strategy for the rapid identification of pathogenic-like fungi in plants and provides some reference for farmers to prevent and control A. trifoliata diseases.

Studying the context of psychoses to improve outcomes in Ethiopia (SCOPE): Protocol paper

Background Global evidence on psychosis is dominated by studies conducted in Western, high-income countries. The objectives of the Study of Context Of Psychoses to improve outcomes in Ethiopia (SCOPE) are (1) to generate rigorous evidence of psychosis experience, epidemiology and impacts in Ethiopia that will illuminate aetiological understanding and (2) inform development and testing of interventions for earlier identification and improved first contact care that are scalable, inclusive of difficult-to-reach populations and optimise recovery. Methods The setting is sub-cities of Addis Ababa and rural districts in south-central Ethiopia covering 1.1 million people and including rural, urban and homeless populations. SCOPE comprises (1) formative work to understand care pathways and community resources (resource mapping); examine family context and communication (ethnography); develop valid measures of family communication and personal recovery; and establish platforms for community engagement and involvement of people with lived experience; (2a) a population-based incidence study, (2b) a case-control study and (2c) a cohort study with 12 months follow-up involving 440 people with psychosis (390 rural/Addis Ababa; 50 who are homeless), 390 relatives and 390 controls. We will test hypotheses about incidence rates in rural vs. urban populations and men vs. women; potential aetiological role of khat (a commonly chewed plant with amphetamine-like properties) and traumatic exposures in psychosis; determine profiles of needs at first contact and predictors of outcome; (3) participatory workshops to develop programme theory and inform co-development of interventions, and (4) evaluation of the impact of early identification strategies on engagement with care (interrupted time series study). Findings will inform development of (5) a protocol for (5a) a feasibility cluster randomised controlled trial of interventions for people with recent-onset psychosis in rural settings and (5b) two uncontrolled pilot studies to test acceptability, feasibility of co-developed interventions in urban and homeless populations.

Does cap-and-trade scheme impact energy efficiency and firm value? Empirical evidence from India

Governments worldwide have adopted environmental regulations to fight global warming. In 2012, the Government of India introduced the Perform, Achieve and Trade (PAT), a cap-and-trade scheme, to achieve energy efficiency for large-sized industries. The extant literature is divided on the impacts of environmental regulations on firm performance. While the win-win argument of Porter and Van der Linde (1991) proposes a positive effect, the cost-regulation theory suggests a negative impact. Against this backdrop, we examine the impact of the PAT scheme on energy efficiency and firm value. As an identification strategy, we employ difference-in-differences (DID) combined with propensity score matching methods on firm level data from 2006 to 2015. We do not find evidence of a statistically significant impact of the PAT scheme on firms' energy efficiency. In contrast, our results suggest that the scheme adversely affects firm value. Furthermore, we find that increased expenditure on repair and maintenance, research and development, rising plant and machinery purchases, and a fall in productivity are the potential channels through which the PAT scheme impacts firm value. Our results are robust to alternative definitions of energy intensity, firm value, and empirical specifications.

Personal income tax and corporate innovation: The key role of inventors’ financial incentives

Despite the importance of the personal income tax around the world, little is known about its impact on innovation. We construct a large database of inventors who patented at publicly listed companies during the 2008–2016 period and exploit the revised Personal Income Tax (PIT) Law of 2011 in China as a quasi-natural experiment to establish the causal effect of the personal income tax on corporate innovation. Using a difference-in-differences identification strategy, we show that a lower personal income tax rate has a significantly positive impact on patent quantity and quality. Further, the revised PIT Law raises the efficiency of R&D activities, induces more explorative innovation, and improves the success rate of patent applications, providing consistent evidence for the intentional effort channel. Moreover, this positive innovation effect is more pronounced in firms with an R&D team that is more sensitive to the salary incentive system, greater innovation dependence, better governance, and firms located in regions with better innovation environments. Taken together, our findings shed light on how inventors and firms respond to decreasing personal income tax rates and confirm that the net return to innovation can be vital to the innovation capacity of firms.

Attachment theory, organizational identification, and communication engagement strategies of successful college students: A retention study

Institutional attachment (belongingness) is the single strongest predictor of college student retention (Credé & Niehorster, 2012) and the preponderance of retention research has focused on the first-year student experience. The present study investigated attachment theory, organizational identification, and the communication engagement strategies of 189 graduating seniors from two universities. As graduation is the ultimate goal of retention, more can be learned from seniors who have successfully navigated the college experience. Attachment theory explicated varying approaches that students use to develop belongingness. College seniors demonstrated a high level of organizational identification and levels differed between attachment styles. Quantitative analysis demonstrated functional outcomes for both secure and preoccupied attachment styles for student engagement. In contrast to previous research (Bernier et al., 2004; Larose et al., 2005; Mattanah et al., 2011), which has associated a preoccupied attachment style with dysfunctional outcomes, the preoccupied style of attachment in the present study demonstrated the highest level of organizational identification and proved to be the most engaged student. Qualitative thematic analysis of responses to four scenarios describing college student challenges revealed insight as to the communication strategies based on the four-attachment style model. Implications for attachment theory, retention research, and student support services are discussed.

Mutual Inductance Identification and Bilateral Cooperation Control Strategy for MCR-BE System

Considering that the excitation method of an electric excitation synchronous motor has the disadvantages of the brush and slip ring, this article proposes a new brushless excitation system, which includes two parts: a wireless charging system and a motor. To meet the requirements of maximum transmission efficiency and constant voltage output of the system, a bilateral cooperation control strategy is proposed. For the strategy, the buck converter in the receiving side of the system can maintain maximum transmission efficiency through impedance matching, while the inverter in the transmitting side can keep the output voltage constant through phase shift modulation. In the control process, considering that the offset of coupling coils will affect the control results, a grey wolf optimization–particle swarm optimization algorithm is proposed to identify mutual inductance. Simulation and experimental results show that this identification algorithm can improve the identification accuracy and maximize the avoidance of falling into local optima. The final experimental result shows that the bilateral cooperation control strategy can maintain the output voltage around 48 V and the transmission efficiency around 84.5%, which meets the expected requirements.

EVALUATION OF SOURCING RISKS IN MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY

In the dynamic landscape of the manufacturing industry, sourcing decisions play a Pivotal role in determining operational efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and overall business resilience. This abstract provides a concise overview of the evaluation of sourcing risk within the manufacturing sector, highlighting key factors, methodologies, and implications. Manufacturers face multifaceted challenges in sourcing, ranging from geopolitical instability and supply chain disruptions to fluctuating market demands and regulatory constraints. Evaluatingthese risks demands a holistic approach that integrates quantitative and qualitative assessments. Traditional risk assessment frameworks often focus on financial metrics, supplier stability, and operational contingencies. However, contemporary approaches recognize the need for broader considerations, including environmental sustainability, ethical sourcing practices, and social responsibility. This abstract delves into the methodologies employed for assessing sourcing risk, encompassing both pre-emptive risk identification and ongoing risk management strategies. It explores the role of advanced analytics, including predictive modelling and simulation, in forecasting and mitigating potential disruptions.

Monetary policy and wealth inequality

AbstractThis thesis examines how monetary policy shocks affect wealth inequality in Australia. I analyse how a monetary policy shock, through asset price responses, affects household balance sheets and wealth inequality measures. I find that contractionary monetary policy reduces the wealth gap, but also disproportionately increases the wealth share of the most affluent Australians. This is driven largely by the response of house prices to an increase in the central bank's policy rate. I use a novel methodology to overcome the data limitations that usually impede studies of wealth inequality, and I produce results with implications for central bankers and policymakers. My results are robust to numerous lag specifications, modelling techniques and identification strategies.

Update on advances in cystic fibrosis towards a cure and implications for primary care clinicians

During the past quarter century, the diagnosis and treatment of cystic fibrosis (CF) have been transformed by molecular sciences that initiated a new era with discovery of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene. The knowledge gained from that breakthrough has had dramatic clinical impact. Although once a diagnostic dilemma with long delays, preventable deaths, and irreversible pathology, CF can now be routinely diagnosed shortly after birth through newborn screening programs. This strategy of pre-symptomatic identification has eliminated the common diagnostic “odyssey” that was a failure of the healthcare delivery system causing psychologically traumatic experiences for parents. Therapeutic advances of many kinds have culminated in CFTR modulator treatment that can reduce the effects of or even correct the molecular defect in the chloride channel —the basic cause of CF. This astonishing advance has transformed CF care as described fully herein. Despite this impressive progress, there are challenges and controversies in the delivery of care. Issues include how best to achieve high sensitivity newborn screening with acceptable specificity; what course of action is appropriate for children who are identified through the unavoidable incidental findings of screening tests (CFSPID/CRMS cases and heterozygote carriers); how best to ensure genetic counseling; when to initiate the very expensive but life-saving CFTR modulator drugs; how to identify new CFTR modulator drugs for patients with non-responsive CFTR variants; how to adjust other therapeutic modalities; and how to best partner with primary care clinicians. Progress always brings new challenges, and this has been evident worldwide for CF. Consequently, this article summarizes the major advances of recent years along with controversies and describes their implications with an international perspective.

Strategies for Early Identification and Treatment of Severe Maternal Hypertension

Strategies for Early Identification and Treatment of Severe Maternal Hypertension

VASCULAR AGE AS A KEY FOR A TEAM-BASED APPROACH TO MANAGE BLOOD PRESSURE AND CARDIOVASCULAR RISK BETWEEN COMMUNITY PHARMACISTS AND PRIMARY HEALTH CARE CENTERS (TOGETHER)

Objective: Hypertension (HTN) is the main cause of premature death worldide. Previous studies in Portugal, Austria and Spain have shown that estimating arterial stiffness in Community Farmacies (CPh) improves its management. The main objective is to evaluate whether empowering hypertensive subjects by determining arterial stiffness in CPh increases the rate of HTN control. Secondary objective is to establish paths of lasting cooperation between Primary Care (PC) doctors and CPh. Design and method: TOGETHER is a randomized study in Portugal, Austria and Spain. All consecutive expected 1260 subjects entering CPh will be offered blood pressure measurement and ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) for those cases with high values. 140 CPh will be randomly grouped into a usual care arm (health education associated with HTN and communication of the results to PC). In the experimental care group, early vascular aging (EVA) will additionally be assessed estimating oscillometric pulse wave velocity. The concept and therapeutic options of EVA will be explained to patients and PC. HTN will be treated by PC according to usual clinical practice. After 6 months a second evaluation with ABPM will be performed and HTN control will be compared between the two arms. The degree of patient-doctor interaction and economic implications will be determined through validated surveys. Results: TOGETHER will address five fundamental unmet needs: 1) lack of HTN screening programs; 2) the concept of cardiovascular risk is difficult to understand. The EVA concept (“Your arteries are 10 years older than you”) is simple and more informative; 3) understanding CV risk on an individual basis (individual EVA) should improve patient adherence and reduce physician inertia; 4) TOGETHER will implement health educational programs, combined with the concept of EVA; 5) there is an objective need to improve collaboration and develop a team-based approach to HTN care between CPh and PC. Conclusions: The complementary strengths and organizational settings of CPh and PC will allow TOGETHER to create new strategies for early identification and intervention in HTN, ranging from lifestyle to medical treatment, taking social, economic, and behavioral aspects into account.

Identifying Metabolic Diseases That Precipitate Neonatal Seizures.

Although a rare cause of neonatal seizures, inborn errors of metabolism (IEMs) remain an essential component of a comprehensive differential diagnosis for poorly controlled neonatal epilepsy. Diagnosing neonatal-onset metabolic conditions proves a difficult task for clinicians; however, routine state newborn screening panels now include many IEMs. Three in particular-pyridoxine-dependent epilepsy, maple syrup urine disease, and Zellweger spectrum disorders-are highly associated with neonatal epilepsy and neurocognitive injury yet are often misdiagnosed. As research surrounding biomarkers for these conditions is emerging and gene sequencing technologies are advancing, clinicians are beginning to better establish early identification strategies for these diseases. In this literature review, the authors aim to present clinicians with an innovative clinical guide highlighting IEMs associated with neonatal-onset seizures, with the goal of promoting quality care and safety.

Lead compound profiling for small molecule inhibitors of the REV1-CT/RIR Translesion synthesis Protein-Protein interaction

Translesion synthesis (TLS) is a cellular mechanism through which actively replicating cells recruit specialized, low-fidelity DNA polymerases to damaged DNA to allow for replication past these lesions. REV1 is one of these TLS DNA polymerases that functions primarily as a scaffolding protein to organize the TLS heteroprotein complex and ensure replication occurs in the presence of DNA lesions. The C-Terminal domain of REV1 (REV1-CT) forms many protein–protein interactions (PPIs) with other TLS polymerases, making it essential for TLS function and a promising drug target for anti-cancer drug development. We utilized several lead identification strategies to identify various small molecules capable of disrupting the PPI between REV1-CT and the REV1 Interacting Regions (RIR) present in several other TLS polymerases. These lead compounds were profiled in several in vitro potency and PK assays to identify two scaffolds (1 and 6) as the most promising for further development. Both 1 and 6 synergized with cisplatin in a REV1-dependent fashion and demonstrated promising in vivo PK and toxicity profiles.

The interaction between incentive and opportunity in corporate tax planning: Evidence from financially constrained firms

Prior studies document that incentive factors (i.e., equity compensation, shareholder activism, financial constraints, etc.) motivate managers to avoid more taxes, which suggests that managers overlook tax planning opportunities (TPOs) in the absence of incentives. In this study, I use a prediction model to capture TPOs and find that the positive association between financial constraints (my proxy for incentive) and tax avoidance is stronger for firms with higher levels of TPOs. My results are robust to a variety of identification strategies. To shed light on a possible source of tax uncertainty, I show moderate evidence that firms with lower levels of TPOs adopt risky tax planning strategies under financial constraints to increase tax avoidance. Overall, my study contributes to the literature by demonstrating corporate tax planning as an incentive-opportunity story and identifying an important cross-section in which the connection between incentive and tax avoidance is more prominent.

Membrane Proteome-Wide Screening of Autoantibodies in CIDP Using Human Cell Microarray Technology.

Autoantibody discovery in complex autoimmune diseases is challenging. Diverse successful antigen identification strategies are available, but, so far, have often been unsuccessful, especially in the discovery of protein antigens in which conformational and post-translational modification are critical. Our study assesses the utility of a human membrane and secreted protein microarray technology to detect autoantibodies in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP). A cell microarray consisting of human embryonic kidney-293 cells expressing >5,000 human proteins was used. First, a validation step was performed with 4 serum samples from patients with autoimmune nodopathy (AN) to assess the ability of this technology to detect circulating known autoantibodies. The ability of the cell microarray technology to discover novel IgG autoantibodies was assessed incubating the array with 8 CIDP serum samples. Identified autoantibodies were subsequently validated using cell-based assays (CBAs), ELISA, and/or tissue immunohistochemistry and analyzed in a cohort of CIDP and AN (n = 96) and control (n = 100) samples. Serum anti-contactin-1 and anti-neurofascin-155 were detected by the human cell microarray technology. Nine potentially relevant antigens were found in patients with CIDP without other detectable antibodies; confirmation was possible in six of them: ephrin type-A receptor 7 (EPHA7); potassium-transporting ATPase alpha chain 1 and subunit beta (ATP4A/4B); leukemia-inhibitory factor (LIF); and interferon lambda 1, 2, and 3 (IFNL1, IFNL2, IFNL3). Anti-ATP4A/4B and anti-EPHA7 antibodies were detected in patients and controls and considered unrelated to CIDP. Both anti-LIF and anti-IFNL antibodies were found in the same 2 patients and were not detected in any control. Both patients showed the same staining pattern against myelinating fibers of peripheral nerve tissue and of myelinating neuron-Schwann cell cocultures. Clinically relevant correlations could not be established for anti-LIF and anti-IFNL3 antibodies. Our work demonstrates the utility of human cell microarray technology to detect known and discover unknown autoantibodies in human serum samples. Despite potential CIDP-associated autoantibodies (anti-LIF and anti-IFNL3) being identified, their clinical and pathogenic relevance needs to be elucidated in bigger cohorts.

Destruction, Policy, and the Evolving Consequences of Washington, DC's 1968 Civil Disturbance

Destruction, Policy, and the Evolving Consequences of Washington, DC's 1968 Civil Disturbance

Validation of the Youth Internalizing Problem Screener in Singapore

The use of a screening tool for school-wide screening of internalizing symptoms is an important strategy for early identification and prevention of more serious and impairing emotional and behavioral health problems in adolescents. However, threshold cut-off scores determined for screening tools may not be suitable for all populations. Using a sample of 237 Singaporean secondary school students, this study validated the Youth Internalizing Problems Screener (YIPS) for local use. Results of confirmatory factor analyses supported a one-factor solution for the construct. A threshold cut-off score of 27 was found to show good classification accuracy based on receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analyses. Correlational and path analyses provided evidence of convergent and predictive validity for using YIPS to indicate at-risk status. The YIPS status was uniquely associated with girls’ sense of school well-being over and above the nature of their interpersonal relationships and their sense of inadequacy. Overall, YIPS demonstrated comparable sensitivity and specificity rates even though a different cut-off score was used for this study sample. The use of YIPS as a screening tool in a multitier system of support and directions for future development were discussed.

Design, Construction, and Validation of an Experimental Electric Vehicle with Trajectory Tracking.

This research presents an experimental electric vehicle developed at the Tecnológico Nacional de México Celaya campus. It was decided to use a golf cart-type gasoline vehicle as a starting point. Initially, the body was removed, and the vehicle was electrified, meaning its engine was replaced with an electric one. Subsequently, sensors used to measure the vehicle states were placed, calibrated, and instrumented. Additionally, a mathematical model was developed along with a strategy for the parametric identification of this model. A communication scheme was implemented consisting of four slave devices responsible for controlling the accelerator, brake, steering wheel, and measuring the sensors related to odometry. The master device is responsible for communicating with the slaves, displaying information on a screen, creating a log, and implementing trajectory tracking techniques based on classical, geometric, and predictive control. Finally, the performance of the control algorithms implemented on the experimental prototype was compared in terms of tracking error and control input across three different types of trajectories: lane change, right-angle curve, and U-turn.