495 research outputs found
Impacts of Migration and Remittances on Ethnic Income Inequality in Rural China
No full textMigration is often viewed as the best option for poor rural households to exit out of poverty, although the distributional effects of migrants' remittances tend to be ambiguous in the literature. Given that increasing income inequality is a major concern and policy issue, this paper examines the impacts of migration and migrants' remittances on income inequality in China's rural minority areas using recent proprietary household data. Treating migrants' remittances as a potential substitute for income, the results reveal that migration significantly boosts income for all ethnic groups, although the returns to ethnic minority households tend to be less than for Han households. Decomposition analyses further reveal that migration increases inequality between ethnic groups despite reducing spatial inequality. These countervailing effects imply that the continual transfer of rural urban migrants will likely lead to spatial convergence despite reinforcing ethnic inequalities in rural minority areas. Importantly, the percentage contribution of ethnic inequality to total inequality is larger than that of spatial inequality across sampled rural locations, thus highlighting the fact that the ethnic dimension is an important, yet often overlooked component of inequality in China. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.School of Economics at Peking UniversitySSCIARTICLE,SI200-2119
Firm R&D, innovation and easing financial constraints in China: Does corporate tax reform matter?
No full textThis paper studies the relationship between firms' innovation activities, financial constraints and corporate tax reform in China. A firm-level proxy for financial constraints is derived using cash-flow analysis and subsequently linked to various innovation activities of the firm. As an identification strategy, difference in-differences with exact matching is employed to study whether a reduction in the corporate tax burden via China's 2004 value-added tax (VAT) reform influences firms' innovation activities given they face increasing financial constraints. The results reveal that low access to liquidity in the private sector has a persistent negative effect on firms' innovation activities and reduces the innovation success for more R&D intensive firms. Given increasing financial constraints, a reduction in private-sector firms' corporate tax burden spurs new product and process sales despite failing to affect either their decision to pursue R&D or the amount to invest. The findings suggest that easing financial constraints alone cannot correct the market failure caused by underinvestment in China's private sector. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Natural Science Foundation of China [71603009]; School of Economics at Peking [email protected]
R.B.C. Howell and the theological foundation for Baptist participation in the benevolent empire
No full textThis dissertation examines the theological writing and preaching of Robert Boyte Crawford Howell, Southern Baptist pastor, editor, author, and denominational leader in the mid-nineteenth century. It argues that Howell promoted Baptist denominational participation in what many historians call "the benevolent empire" by demonstrating in his soteriology, ecclesiology, and eschatology the consistent connection between divine sovereignty and human responsibility in God's mission to the world. The dissertation demonstrates that Howell responded to the challenges brought to the burgeoning missions and benevolent movement among Baptists, particularly from antimission Baptists, populist Arminian, the Restoration Movement, pedobaptists, and Landmarkers, by constructing a theological foundation for the church's mission built upon a carefully integrated view of divine sovereignty and human responsibility.
Chapter one outlines the rise of the missions and benevolent movement among American denominations in the nineteenth century, known by historians as "the benevolent empire," giving attention to the beginning of Baptist denominational work. The chapter further describes Howell's ministerial labors on behalf of missions and benevolence throughout his ministry and the desire he articulated to provide a solid theological foundation for the movement.
The dissertation is organized according to systematic-theological categories in order to demonstrate the integration Howell endeavored to achieve in each doctrine in the midst of pressures from various opponents. Chapter two analyzes Howell's view of the divine decrees, providing analysis of his position on election and reprobation. Chapter three analyzes Howell's views on human depravity and the role of the Holy Spirit in the regeneration of the soul and revival in the church. Chapter four analyzes Howell's view of Christ's work on the cross, focusing on the covenant of redemption, the nature and extent of the atonement, justification, faith, repentance, sanctification, and perseverance. Chapter five sets forth Howell's convictions about God's mission for the church, the polity that God had ordained for the accomplishment of that mission, and the proper perspective on cooperation with other believers for the sake of missions. Chapter six explains Howell's postmillennial convictions and the impetus his missions and benevolent work received from this doctrine. Chapter seven contains a summary, conclusion, and prospects for future research
Temporal and spatial variability in speakers with Parkinson's Disease and Friedreich's Ataxia
No full textSpeech variability in groups of speakers with Parkinson's disease (PD) and with Friedreich's ataxia was compared with healthy controls. Speakers repeated the same phrase 20 times at one of two rates (fast or habitual). A non-linear analysis of variability was performed which used some of the principles behind the spatio-temporal index (STI). The STI usually employs variation in lip displacement over repetitions of the same utterance and a linear analysis of such signals is conducted to represent the combined variation in spatial and temporal control. When working with patients, audio measures (here we used speech energy) are preferred over kinematics ones as they are minimally disruptive to speech. Non-linear methods allow spatial variability to be estimated separately from temporal variability. The results are tentatively interpreted as showing that PD speakers were distinguished from healthy control speakers in spatial variability and ataxic speakers were distinguished from controls in temporal variability. These findings are consistent with the speech symptoms reported for these disorders. We conclude that the non-linear analysis using the speech energy measure is worth investigating further as it is potentially revealing of the differences underlying these two pathologies
Relative rates of evolution in the coding and control regions of African mtDNAs
No full textReduced median networks of African haplogroup L mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences were analyzed to determine the pattern of substitutions in both the noncoding control and coding regions. In particular, we attempted to determine the causes of the previously reported (Howell et al. 2004) violation of the molecular clock during the evolution of these sequences. In the coding region, there was a significantly higher rate of substitution at synonymous sites than at nonsynonymous sites as well as in the tRNA and rRNA genes. This is further evidence for the operation of purifying selection during human mtDNA evolution. For most sites in the control region, the relative rate of substitution was similar to the rate of neutral evolution (assumed to be most closely approximated by the substitution rate at 4-fold degenerate sites). However, there are a number of mutational hot spots in the control region, ∼3% of the total sites, that have a rate of substitution greater than the neutral rate, at some sites by more than an order of magnitude. It is possible either that these sites are evolving under conditions of positive selection or that the substitution rate at some sites in the control region is strongly dependent upon sequence context. Finally, we obtained preliminary evidence for "nonideal" evolution in the control region, including haplogroup-specific substitution patterns and a decoupling between relative rates of substitution in the control and coding regions. \ua9 The Author 2007. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution. All rights reserved
The campaign for democratic socialism 1960-1964.
No full textPhDIn early 1960 it seemed likely that the official Labour
Party defence policy would be defeated by a unilateralist
resolution at the Scarborough Conference. In response to
this possibility the Campaign for Democratic Socialism,
or CDS, was established.
The CDS projected the image of a grass-roots movement
inspired by Gaitskell's "fight and fight again" speech.
But it was run by a Campaign Committee which included
leading members of the Party like Tony Crosland, Roy
Jenkins and Patrick Gordon Walker, as well as less well
known members like Bill Rodgers, Dick Taverne, Philip
Williams, Brian Walden, Denis Howell and David Marquand.
This highly talented group launched an elaborate and
successful lobbying, publicity and briefing operation
which was influential in overturning the unilateralist
vote at the Blackpool Conference of 1961. After Blackpool
the Campaign helped many of its leading members find
seats in the House of Commons while continuing to put the
"revisionist" case through its newspaper Campaign.
The importance of the CDS in the history of the Labour
Party is, primarily, as the first internal pressure group
organised by the right of the Party. It was also the
first internal Party group to use such sophisticated
lobbying techniques. Moreover, the subsequent careers of
the leading members of the Campaign influenced the
development of the Labour Party. The CDS was an important
formative political action for many of them. Finally many
of the CDS supporters set-up or joined the SDP when it
was launched
'Indigenous' innovation with heterogeneous risk and new firm survival in a transitioning Chinese economy
No full textThis paper explores how heterogenous risk drives the firm innovation-survival relationship using a large sample of new entrepreneurial firms in China. Results show that innovation increases the probability of survival, although the impact on firm survival is conditioned by the timing of the innovation, the characteristics associated with the innovation strategy, along with the level of risk embodied in the innovation process. Cautious innovators are found to survive longer and contribute to a higher social welfare via gains in firm efficiency. In contrast, risky innovators are less likely to survive, are less efficient, and are only sometimes compensated for their risk in terms of higher profits. Results therefore show that other factors besides higher payoffs force some firms to engage in riskier innovation strategies. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights [email protected]
MALDI-TOF MS characterization of proanthocyanidins from cranberry fruit (Vaccinium macrocarpon) that inhibit tumor cell growth and matrix metalloproteinase expression in vitro
No full textProanthocyanidin-rich extracts were prepared by fractionation of the fruit of the North American cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon). In vitro growth inhibition assays in eight tumor cell lines showed that selected fractions inhibited the growth of H460 lung tumors, HT-29 colon and K562 leukemia cells at GI(50) values ranging from 20 to 80 mu g ml(-1). Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) of one of these fractions found it to be composed of polyflavan-3-ols, which are primarily tetramers through heptamers of epicatechin containing one or two A-type linkages. Whole cranberry extract and the proanthocyanidin fractions were screened for effect on the expression of matrix metalloproteinases in DU 145 prostate carcinoma cells. The expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 was inhibited in response to whole cranberry extract and to a lesser degree by the proanthocyanidin fractions. (c) 2005 Society of Chemical Industry.PT: J; CR: BOMSER J, 1996, PLANTA MED, V62, P212 CHA HJ, 1996, CANCER RES, V56, P2281 CHA HJ, 1998, ONCOGENE, V16, P771 FERGUSON PJ, 2004, J NUTR, V134, P1529 FOO LY, 2000, J NAT PROD, V63, P1225 GUTHRIE N, 2000, P EXP BIOL C SAN DIE HOWELL AB, 1998, NEW ENGL J MED, V339, P1085 HOWELL AB, 2002, CRIT REV FOOD SCI S, V42, P273 KANDIL FE, 2002, J AGR FOOD CHEM, V50, P1063 KOLODZIEJ H, 1995, PHYTOTHER RES, V9, P410 KRUEGER CG, 2000, J AGR FOOD CHEM, V48, P1663 KRUEGER CG, 2003, J AGR FOOD CHEM, V51, P538 MORROW DMP, 2001, MUTAT RES-FUND MOL M, V480, P269 MURPHY BT, 2003, J AGR FOOD CHEM, V51, P3541 NETO CC, 2005, S SERIES PHENOLICS F, P271 PORTER ML, 2001, J SCI FOOD AGR, V81, P1306 PUPA SM, 2002, J CELL PHYSIOL, V192, P259 SAMUEL SK, 1992, EMBO J, V11, P1599 SEERAM NP, 2004, J AGR FOOD CHEM, V52, P2512 SKEHAN P, 1990, J NATL CANCER I, V82, P1107 VAYALIL PK, 2004, CARCINOGENESIS, V25, P987 VINSON JA, 2001, J AGR FOOD CHEM, V49, P5315 YAN X, 2002, J AGR FOOD CHEM, V20, P5844 YE X, 1999, MOL CELL BIOCHEM, V196, P99 ZHAO J, 1999, CARCINOGENESIS, V20, P1737; NR: 25; TC: 2; J9: J SCI FOOD AGR; PG: 8; GA: 994DQSource type: Prin
Correction to Read for Credit #955 question 4
No full textDear Editor MacDermid, As the authors of "An in-depth look at zone III and IV anatomy of the finger extensor mechanism and some clinical implications for use of the relative motion flexion orthosis," 1 We are requesting that the author of Read for Credit Quiz #955 provide the correct answer to question #4. The correct answer is detailed in the article (1) on page 283; left column, line 4. Communication among clinicians and anatomists will improve if universal terminology regarding the structures composing the ex-tensor mechanism (EM) is implemented. This use of universal terminology between scientist and clinician colleagues would lend to better understanding and discussions about the anatomical and functional interactions between the EM's complex tendinous, in-tertendinous, and ligamentous structures. An example is the inappropriate use of the term lateral bands (LBs) instead of conjoined lateral bands (CLBs) when describing the tendinous structures that run on each side of the distal-dorsal end of the proximal phalanx and continue distally past the proximal interphalangeal joint (PIPJ). For this structure, the use of LBs instead of CLBs has lingered for too long and was an important aim for writing our article to distinguish the difference between the LBs and the CLBs. Another important focus of the article was to bring attention to the spiral fibers (SFs), their relationship with the CLBs, and their importance for the proper functioning of the EM. Knowledge of the arrangement of the EM's tendinous and inter-tendinous structures may improve our clinical insight into the EM's function. For example, we point out that intact SFs limit the volar shift of the CLBs (not the LBs) when moving into PIPJ flexion. As shown in Figure 11, the fibers composing the CLBs are derived from both extrinsic fibers from the LBs of the extensor digitorum (ED) and intrinsic fibers from the intrinsic tendon (IT). This is an important distinction between the CLBs and the LBs as the merger of the ex-trinsic fibers (LBs) and intrinsic fibers (IT) is proximal to the PIPJ, while the CLBs continue distally along the PIPJ. The SFs that are located directly over the PIPJ originate from these CLBs, then run dorsal on both sides of the PIPJ and attach to the medial band of the ED and the central slip. The clinical significance of understanding these anatomical relationships lies herein that a zone IV injury (LB/ IT) will probably be managed differently than a zone III EM injury (CLB/SF), and the use of universal (and correct) terminology will improve clinical decision making and communication between surgeons and therapists. Based on our description, the answers to Read for Credit #955 as provided below for question #4 are incorrect: Question #4. The spiral fibers run between the a. dorsal expansionand the EDC b. central slip and the lateral bands c. lumbricales and the interossei d. FDP and the EDC The correct answer should be the SFs are located between the central slip (and the medial slip of the ED) and the CLBs. On a final note, as we endorse the use of universal and precise terminology, we would have preferred that the author of the Read for Credit questions had not used the term EDC but would have followed the article's text, which consistently used ED based on the official International Federation of Societies for Surgery of the Hand and universal anatomical terminology (https://ifssh.info/terminology_hand_ surgery.php/, chapter 1: anatomy)
β-diversity of deep-sea holothurians and asteroids along a bathymetric gradient (NE Atlantic)
No full textMeasuring and understanding patterns of ?-diversity remain major challenges in community ecology. Recently, ?-diversity has been shown to consist of 2 distinct components: (1) spatial turnover and (2) species loss leading to nestedness. Both components structure deep-sea macrofaunal assemblages but vary in importance among taxa and ocean basins and with energy availability. Here, we present the first evidence for turnover and nestedness along a bathymetric gradient in 2 major megafaunal taxa, holothurians and asteroids. Turnover is the dominant component of ?-diversity throughout bathyal and abyssal zones in both taxa, despite major differences in ?-diversity and trophic composition. High spatial turnover suggests a role for evolutionary adaptation to environmental circumstances within depth bands. This pattern differs fundamentally from those in some macrofaunal groups in low-energy environments where abyssal nestedness is high and diversity low, with diversity maintained partly by source-sink dynamics
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