Tariffs and formation of free trade agreements networks

This paper examines the formation of bilateral free trade agreements (FTAs) on the basis of country heterogeneity in the tariff level. We demonstrate that a country's unilateral incentive to form an FTA depends on the relative magnitudes of the (negative) market concession effect and the (positive) market expansion effect, both of which are determined by the tariff levels of the two FTA partner countries. Global welfare is maximised when all country pairs form FTAs. Two countries in equilibrium are more likely to form an FTA when their tariff gap is smaller or when their tariff levels are neither very high nor very low. This finding is robust to several extensions of the model. Our preliminary empirical analysis provides some evidence for the finding.     

东北地区产业升级的困境与出路

产业结构的优化升级对于推动区域经济协调发展具有重要意义。目前，东北地区的产业发展仍未摆脱结构不合理、布局趋同、国有资产负债重、企业竞争力不强的困境。制约产业结构优化升级的因素在于思想观念保守、产业融合度低和制度环境不佳。需要突破某些认识误区、优化政策环境、发展替代和后续产业。     

气相色谱法测定蔬菜中对硫磷的残留量

本文建立了包菜中对硫磷残留量的气相色谱-火焰光度检测器(FPD)检测方法.样品用QuEChERS方法进行前处理后,采用外标法进行定量.对硫磷在80.0~1000μg·L-1范围中线性关系良好(r=0.9994),方法添加回收率为96.0%~111%,相对标准偏差RSD为2.5%~4.3%,方法的检出限为0.161μg·kg-1,能够满足蔬菜中对硫磷残留量的分析要求.     

Cost-effectiveness analysis of ramucirumab treatment for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma who progressed on sorafenib with α-fetoprotein concentrations of at least 400 ng/ml

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to compare the cost-effectiveness of ramucirumab versus placebo for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma who progressed on sorafenib with α-fetoprotein concentrations (AFP) of at least 400?ng/ml in the United States.

Methods: A Markov model was constructed to assess the cost-effectiveness of ramucirumab. Health outcomes were measured as quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). With TreeAge software, the disease process was modeled as three health states: progression-free survival (PFS), progressive disease (PD), and death. Costs were extracted from the REACH-2 trial, and utility was derived from published literature. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) were calculated to compare ramucirumab with placebo. Probabilistic sensitivity analyses were developed to examine the robustness of the results.

Results: In the base case analysis, ramucirumab therapy had a cost of $55,508.41 and generated 0.54 QALYs, while placebo therapy had a cost of $761.09 and generated 0.47 QALYs, leading to an additional $54,747.32 in costs and 0.07 QALYs. The ICER was $782,104.57 per QALY, which was much higher than the willingness-to-pay threshold of $100,000 per QALY. According to sensitivity analyses, the utility of PD in the two groups was the dominant parameter influencing the ICER.

Conclusion: Although ramucirumab was associated with prolonged survival for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma who progressed on sorafenib treatment with an AFP of at least 400?ng/ml, it is not a cost-effective treatment from a United States payer perspective.     

Beyond trade creation: Preferential trade agreements and trade disputes

This study investigates the effects of preferential trade agreements (PTA) on bilateral trade disputes. We construct a unique and comprehensive dataset on inter-country trade disputes from 1995 to 2007. The dataset covers 110 countries and 1,162 bilateral country-pair trade disputes. Using this dataset in a gravity-type model of trade dispute analysis, we find that countries belonging to the same PTA tend to experience fewer trade conflicts among themselves than with non-member countries. By studying various types of PTA with different dispute settlement mechanisms, we further find that the dispute-reducing effect only comes from PTA with specific provisions on dispute settlement mechanisms. Moreover, the effect is stronger if those PTA explicitly stipulate that members can also resolve their disputes via the WTO Dispute Settlement Body. However, having PTA that do not address how members should resolve their disputes may lead to more dispute initiations than in cases without PTA.     

IOS移动平台互动绘本的设计

绘本随着计算机软硬件的发展和无线网络技术的进步，正由纸质图书形式向数字化屏式过渡，其自身可以根据故事的画面与技术手段相结合，从而产生新的绘本形态---互动绘本。在这种应用背景的推动下，指出纸质绘本的优缺点，调查分析IOS移动平台互动绘本发展的前景与优势，从研究互动绘本的设计特征着手，探讨互动绘本设计在数字技术支撑下的设计要素与设计方法，可对互动绘本的设计与发展有所借鉴，并实现其艺术价值与市场应用价值。     

Board Attributes,Corporate Social Responsibility Strategy,and Corporate Environmental and Social Performance

In this paper, we draw on insights from theories in the management and corporate governance literature to develop a theoretical model that makes explicit the links between a firm’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) related board attributes, its board CSR strategy, and its environmental and social performance. We then test the model using structural equation modeling approach. We find that the greater the CSR orientation of the board (as measured by the board’s independence, gender diversity, and financial expertise on audit committee), the more proactive and comprehensive the firm’s CSR strategy, and the higher its environmental and social performance. Moreover, we find this link to be endogenous and self-reinforcing, with superior CSR performers tending to further strengthen their board CSR orientation. This result while positive is also suggestive of the widening of the gap between the leads and laggards in CSR. Therefore, the question arises as to how ‘leaders’ are using their superior CSR competencies seen by many scholars as a source of corporate (at times unfair) competitive advantage. Stakeholders of corporations therefore need to be cognizant of this aspect of CSR when evaluating a firm’s CSR activities. Policy makers also need to be cognizant of these concerns when designing regulation in this field.     

长三角医药制造业上市公司动态竞争力研究

基于企业竞争力基本理论提出了上市公司动态竞争力的评价指标体系。运用集对同一度分析和因子分析对长三角17家医药制造业上市公司的竞争力进行了实证研究。得出了各上市公司动态竞争力的排序,同时总结了各上市公司在市场盈利、资产结构、组织运营、科技创新各方面的优劣,以及不同因素对公司动态竞争力影响的程度。     

优选富铁锌酵母活性干粉的制备

以酿酒酵母为目标菌株,采用梯度驯化的方式对酵母菌进行培养及铁、锌离子的测定,筛选出富集铁、锌的酵母菌株,优化富铁锌酵母干粉的制备条件和复水活化条件,为富铁锌酵母干粉食品化提供理论依据。     

信息共享下生鲜农产品供应链库存的建模与仿真研究

针对一个动态、多级的生鲜农产品供应链库存系统,运用系统动力学的方法构建其库存模型,选取信息不共享、信息低度共享和信息高度共享等三个决策变量在Vensim PLE平台上运行系统模型,结果显示供应链各主体实现信息共享后,其库存水平都呈现明显的下降趋势,且随着信息共享程度的提高,效果更加显著。