Geographies of Algorithmic Violence: Redlining the Smart City

City governments are embracing data-driven and algorithmic planning to tackle urban problems. Data-driven analytics have an unprecedented capacity to call urban futures into being. At the same time, they can depoliticize planning decisions. I argue that this shift calls urban studies scholars to investigate geographies of algorithmic violence—a repetitive and standardized form of violence that contributes to the racialization of space and spatialization of poverty. This article examines this broader phenomenon through the case of a proprietary market value assessment that is being used to guide development in cities across the United States. The assessment employs an algorithm that helps city officials make critical decisions about which neighborhoods to target for investment, disinvestment and public service upgrades or disconnections. I argue that the racial, infrastructural, and epistemological violence associated with this evaluation can potentially lead to a new kind of municipal redlining. The article brings insights from critical race theory into conversation with critical scholarship on algorithms by analyzing how algorithmic violence works through data-driven planning technologies to depoliticize and leverage power while further entrenching racism and inequality.     

基于关键节点与关键路径的专利集群网络演进研究

专利作为技术和知识的重要载体，是研究技术演进和产业发展的重要信息源。目前缺乏针对专利集群网络中关键节点与关键路径中节点的比较分析和技术知识挖掘。构建基于关键节点和关键路径的专利集群网络演进模型，从两个层面综合分析技术演进特征。检索德温特数据库(Derwent Innovation Index)得到碳化硅肖特基势垒二极管（SiC-SBD）相关专利作为实证数据，时间跨度为1986-2017年。结果表明，SiC-SBD专利集群网络经历了萌芽期、成长期、成熟期和衰退期，其中，萌芽期专利主要涉及基础技术，成长期为器件结构，以完善器件结构、改进二极管性能为主要研究方向。近年来SiC-SBD专利年增长率下降，技术发展速度放缓，专利价值更多体现在其商业价值上。SiC-SBD专利集群网络关键节点与关键路径中节点重合度较高，核心专利识别可通过多视角分析得到。通过关键节点与关键路径分析专利集群网络演进过程，有助于更全面呈现技术演进过程，为决策者识别核心专利、预测技术发展提供参考。     

Relationship between city size and firm productivity – A new interpretation using the Chinese experience

This paper contributes to the literature on the relationship between city size and firm productivity by focusing on agglomeration, selection (market competition), and sorting (presence of firms with diverse productivity) effects using Chinese firm-level data for 1998–2013. Contrary to the existing literature, our parametric regression estimates from nearly two million firms show that when the selection effect is controlled, productivity advantage in big cities is reversed. This outcome is explained through a quantile regression showing the existence of left-sided sorting (inefficient firms sort themselves to larger cities) in big cities which is not captured in existing empirical literature. We further find that (1) left-sided sorting is stronger in exporters than non-exporters; (2) is also generated mainly in enterprises with high asset-liability ratios; and (3) selection has a positive effect on firm productivity, suggesting that market competition is key in an explanation of the rapid growth of big cities in China.     

经济增长质量的研究进展与学术展望

改革开放40多年来，中国经济铸就了高速增长奇迹，目前已经具备向高质量发展转变的客观条件。本文通过梳理中国经济增长质量的相关文献，总结当下经济增长质量问题的研究不足和未来研究方向。研究发现：关于经济增长质量的文献集中在经济增长质量的内涵界定和解析、经济增长质量的评价维度与定量测度、经济增长质量的影响因素与调控政策等方面，研究成果较为丰富，但也存在经济增长质量的评价指标选取不一致、经济增长质量的评价指标缺乏宏微观维度区分、经济增长速度和增长质量关系认识不清等问题，今后学术研究当以此为重点突破方向。本文关于经济增长质量的文献梳理和评价，对各界理解经济高质量发展，确定经济增长质量的研究方向具有重要意义。     

中国高技术产业技术创新效率影响因素研究——一个理论框架

系统识别高技术产业技术创新效率影响因素，厘清影响因素之间的相互作用关系，对于有针对性地制定高技术产业技术创新效率提升策略具有重要意义。运用文献编码分析方法，对中国知网中检索到的2000-2018年中国高技术产业技术创新效率影响因素相关文献进行编码与提炼，构建高技术产业技术创新效率影响因素综合研究框架。研究发现：高技术产业技术创新效率影响因素主要包括创新要素质量、产业组织因素、产业集聚水平、产业开放程度、产业创新导向、技术因素和环境因素；影响因素之间的相互作用关系错综复杂，共同影响高技术产业技术创新效率水平。最后，提出促进高技术产业技术创新效率提升的相关策略。     

Nowcasting China’s GDP Using a Bayesian Approach

Real time nowcasting is an assessment of current-quarter GDP from timely released economic and financial series before the GDP figure is disseminated. Providing a reliable current quarter nowcast in real time based on the most recently released economic and financial monthly data is crucial for central banks to make policy decisions and longer-term forecasting exercises. In this study, we use dynamic factor models to bridge monthly information with quarterly GDP and achieve reduction in the dimensionality of the monthly data. We develop a Bayesian approach to provide a way to deal with the unbalanced features of the dataset and to estimate latent common factors. We demonstrate the validity of our approach through simulation studies, and explore the applicability of our approach through an empirical study in nowcasting the China’s GDP using 117 monthly data series of several categories in the Chinese market. The simulation studies and empirical study indicate that our Bayesian approach may be a viable option for nowcasting the China’s GDP.     

基于数据包络(DEA)分析的京津冀地区环境绩效评估研究

提高资源环境绩效是区域生态环境治理的核心与关键。在构建环境绩效评估指标体系的基础上，运用数据包络分析模型（DEA）测度并分析2005-2015年京津冀地区静态环境绩效水平。利用Malmquist指数动态分析法将环境绩效分解为技术效率变化指数和技术进步指数，并探讨分解指标对环境绩效的相对贡献。结果显示：京津冀地区环境治理投入与产出水平均呈现逐年上升趋势；北京和天津的总体环境绩效水平要远高于河北，2005-2011年京津冀地区的环境绩效水平排序为北京、天津、河北,2012-2015年京津冀地区的环境绩效水平排序为天津、北京、河北（2013年除外）。河北省环境绩效水平较低的主要制约因素是技术进步缓慢与全要素生产率偏低。Malmquist指数呈现出一定的波性，这主要是由技术变化指标波动所致。最后，就如何提升京津冀地区环境绩效水平，提出相关对策建议。     

国家高新区设立能够提升城市全要素生产率吗？——基于261个地级市TFP分解数据的路径分析

国家高新区是培育经济增长新动能，实现区域经济高质量发展的重要政策载体，文章利用2001-2014年我国261个城市面板数据，通过渐进双重差分法研究国家高新区设立对城市全要素生产率的影响。研究发现：研究期内国家高新区的设立对城市全要素生产率造成显著的负面影响；从TFP的分解项来看，高新区设立促进了所在城市规模效率提高，却抑制了技术进步和技术效率提高；异质性分析结果表明上述作用具有显著城市等级异质性，在高行政等级城市设立高新区对城市全要素生产率具有促进作用。进一步运用工业企业数据库、微观土地转让数据、城市专利数据等进行机制分析发现，企业间资源错配和土地价格扭曲降低了技术效率，而技术创新下降和产业升级钝化是抑制技术进步的主要机制。     

TrAffic LIght system for systemic Stress: TALIS3

For the purposes of financial stability, identifying financial institutions that, when in distress, could have a significant adverse impact on financial markets is important. A TrAffic LIght System for Systemic Stress (TALIS-cube) is proposed that provides a comprehensive color-based classification for grouping companies according to both the stress reaction level of the system when the company is in distress and the company’s stress level. TALIS³ can integrate multiple signals from the interaction between different risk metrics. Starting from specific risk indicators, companies are classified by combining two loss functions—one for the system and one for each company—evaluated over time and as a cross section. An aggregated index is also obtained from the color-based classification of companies. TALIS³ can be used to enhance the performance and robustness of existing systemic risk measures. An empirical analysis of the U.S. market is also provided.     

Is there a diversification “cost” of Shari’ah compliance? Empirical evidence from Malaysian equities

Islamic equity portfolios work with a smaller investment universe given the filtering of non-Shari’ah compliant stocks. It has been theoretically argued that this culminates in suboptimal portfolio diversification, which in turn adversely affects risk-adjusted returns. We offer empirical evidence that such a conceived portfolio diversification “penalty” is far from a foregone conclusion, at least empirically. Our results tend to indicate that Islamic portfolios are not invariably handicapped in terms of portfolio diversification. We also explored dimensions that may account for differences in the relative investment performance between Islamic and conventional portfolios, such as portfolio constraints, short selling and market conditions. We believe this paper is among the first to apply substantial empirical analysis specifically with respect to the portfolio diversification perspective on Islamic equity investments.