The impact and economic cost of environmental regulation on energy utilization in China

This article utilizes three data envelopment analysis-based models: a no environmental regulation model, a weak environmental regulation model and a strong environmental regulation model to reveal the impact of environmental regulation on China’s regional total-factor energy efficiency (TFEE) during the period of 2003–2010. To take a further step, these three models are adjusted for calculating the correspondingly macro-economic cost of environmental regulation. The estimation results show that at present, the level of China’s environmental regulation is relatively low, and an enhancing of environmental regulation would lead to a sufficient increase of China’s regional TFEE with an enormous economic cost as its price. That means in China, the nationwide environmental stress is high, and the regulation cost is very huge. Strengthening environmental regulation would inevitably have some negative influences on China’s economy in the short run. Based on our findings, some corresponding policies are also proposed in this article.     

The impact of economic cycles on the demand for International Telecommunications in Australia

Recently an Australian Index of Leading Indicators has been constructed which is designed to consistently anticipate economic cycles. It is shown in this investigative paper, using cross spectral techniques, that there is a strong association between international telecommunications traffic and this leading index. The findings provide evidence in support of the hypothesis that telecommunications traffic responds to fluctuations in aggregate economic activity. Therefore the results suggest the appropriacy of the inclusion of the index as a putative explanatory variable in the construction of a forecasting model for telecommunications traffic.     

The influence of Internet on politics: the impact of Facebook and the Internet penetration on elections in Taiwan

Previous research on elections indicates that the rise of social media has had a positive impact on political participation and political interest, resulting in more voters going to the polls. However, there has been no research on the impact that social media have on bringing about a change in government. This research investigates the impact that the Internet and the Chinese version of Facebook have had on election results in Taiwan from 2001 to 2016. The findings indicate that after the Chinese version of Facebook appeared in 2008, the higher the penetration rate of the Internet in the Taiwan region, the more likely that political power will change hands and the ruling party will lose an election.     

基于模糊层次分析法的西部人口素质问题分析

基于模糊层次分析法对中国西部人口素质问题进行综合评价,建立了西部人口素质问题量化模型,为合理解决西部人口素质问题提供决策依据。     

The impact of economic and monetary uncertainty on the demand for money in emerging economies

By introducing uncertainty, monetary volatility and economic volatility are said to make the public cautious, hence increase their cash holdings or their demand for money. On the other hand, because of monetary and economic uncertainty if the public seek safer assets than money, they may hold less cash. In the absence of any paper testing for the impact of economic and monetary uncertainty on the demand for money in emerging economies, this article fills the gap by considering the experiences of six Central and Eastern European emerging economies and four other emerging economies. We found that the impact is transitory in most countries. Moreover, money demand is found correctly specified and stable in most countries, suggesting that policy based on monetary targeting could still be effective despite significant output and monetary uncertainty.     

Cost-effectiveness analysis of rasburicase over standard of care for the prevention and treatment of tumor lysis syndrome in children with hematologic malignancies in China

Aims: To conduct a lifetime cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) of rasburicase compared with standard of care (SOC) for tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) in children with hematologic malignancies from the Chinese healthcare system perspective.

Materials and methods: The CEA was performed using a decision tree model with a lifetime horizon. The model explores the cost-effectiveness of rasburicase vs SOC for both preventing TLS and treating established TLS among pediatric patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), acute lymphoid leukemia (ALL), and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL). Both the prophylaxis-use model and treatment-use model incorporate long-term health states of the diseases: survival without TLS and death. The efficacy data of rasburicase and SOC were obtained from published literature. Drug costs, healthcare resource utilization (HRU), and adverse event (AE) management costs were obtained via a published study with clinical experts. Costs in US dollar and quality-adjusted life year (QALY) are reported, and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) were also calculated. Uncertainties due to parameter fluctuations in the model were assessed through one-way sensitivity analysis and probabilistic sensitivity analysis (PSA).

Results: During TLS prevention, compared with SOC, the ICER of rasburicase treatment in China are $17,580.04/QALY, $5,783.45/QALY, and $5,391.00/QALY for pediatric patients with AML, ALL, and NHL, respectively. For the established TLS treatment, compared with SOC, the ICERs of rasburicase treatment are $2,031.18/QALY, $1,142.93/QALY, and $990.37/QALY for pediatric patients with AML, ALL, and NHL, respectively.

Limitations: The clinical data for SOC are based on the published study in China, and the rasburicase prevention or treatment failure rate was either calculated based on the risk ratio or directly from the clinical study among non-Chinese pediatric patients. Another study limitation was the lack of utility data for pediatric patients with TLS and without TLS. Thus, the utility scores of pediatric cancer survivors were used as an alternative.

Conclusion: Rasburicase is estimated to be a cost-effective alternative to SOC in the prevention and treatment of TLS among Chinese pediatric patients with AML, ALL, and NHL.     

股权分置对中国资本市场实证研究的影响及模型修正

流通股和非流通股并存的特殊股权制度影响到中国上市公司股价和股数科学合理的确定,进而影响到几乎所有的中国股票市场实证研究结果。股权分置改革全部完成之后,涉及股改前数据的所有实证研究和数据库建设也都不能忽视改革前后的股数和股价的不可比问题。现有的基于股权分置的指标修正方法五花八门,也缺少合理的经济逻辑和数据支持。本文证明忽视股权分置现实,或者不适当的修正都将导致偏颇的结论,进而提出了一个通用的修正方法,即每股非流通股的价格相当于每股流通股的一个百分比。然后用实际数据对这个百分比的表达式进行了估计,从而对股权分置条件下价格模型与回报率模型进行了修正。结果显示,经过修正后的模型估计优于未修正的模型。在此基础上,我们研究了现在的全流通改革是否公平地补偿了流通股股东。结果显示,对于非流通股比率较小的公司,补偿是公平的,但对于非流通股比率较高的公司,还是存在着大的非流通股股东剥削流通股股东的现象。     

Clinical and economic impact of mirabegron compared with antimuscarinics for the treatment of overactive bladder in Canada

Background: The β₃-adrenoceptor agonist, mirabegron, and antimuscarinic agents provide similar efficacy for the treatment of overactive bladder (OAB), but mirabegron appears to be associated with better persistence, perhaps due to an absence of anticholinergic side-effects. This study estimated the expected costs associated with the management of OAB in Canada from a societal perspective by utilizing real-world evidence.

Methods: An economic model with monthly cycles and a 1-year time horizon was developed to depict a treatment pathway for a hypothetical cohort of 100 patients with OAB. At model entry, patients receive mirabegron or an antimuscarinic. Patients who do not persist may switch treatment, undergo a minimally invasive procedure, or remain symptomatic (uncontrolled). The model includes direct costs (e.g. physician visits) and indirect costs (e.g. lost productivity). A one-way univariate sensitivity analysis assessed a ±20% variation in each of the key model inputs.

Results: At 1 year, a greater proportion of patients persisted on treatment with mirabegron compared with antimuscarinics (33% vs 15–23%), and a smaller proportion switched treatment (17% vs 20–22%). The number of healthcare visits (292 vs 299–304), pads used (74,098 vs 77,878–81,669), and work hours lost (4,497 vs 5,372–6,249) were all lower for mirabegron vs antimuscarinics. The estimated total annual cost of treatment per patient with mirabegron was $2,127.46 Canadian dollars (CAD) ($5.82 CAD/day) compared with $2,150.20–$2,496.69 CAD ($5.89–$6.84 CAD/day) for antimuscarinics. The one-way sensitivity analysis indicated the results are robust.

Conclusions: Improved persistence observed in routine clinical practice with mirabegron appears to translate into benefits of reduced healthcare resource use, and lower direct and indirect costs of treatment compared with antimuscarinics. Overall, these data suggest that mirabegron may offer clinical and economic benefits for the management of patients with OAB in Canada.     

Familiarity breeds growth: The impact of factional ties on local cadres’ economic performance in China

Some attribute China's rapid economic growth to a cadre promotion system that rewards economic performance. Others argue that political promotion in China hinges on factionalism. Extant empirical studies often assume that performance can be measured independently from the effect of factionalism. We test the validity of this assumption by examining whether local cadres’ economic performance would change as a result of losing vertical ties to a higher authority. We find an immediate increase in the growth rates of local GDP and government revenue. However, the performance change is mediated by the type of succeeding leaders, as it occurs only under locally promoted leaders who have existing ties with the local cadres. We further examine various channels through which a leader's insider status may affect local economic performance and find that newly appointed outsider leaders would cut fiscal transfers to the local level, which may explain the drop in their short‐term performance.     

Clinical and economic benefits of extended treatment with apixaban for the treatment and prevention of recurrent venous thromboembolism in Canada

Background and objective Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is associated with long-term clinical and economic burden. Clinical guidelines generally recommend at least 3 months of anticoagulation, but, in clinical practice, concerns over bleeding risk often limit extended treatment. Apixaban was studied for extended VTE treatment in the AMPLIFY-EXT trial, demonstrating superiority to placebo in VTE reduction without increasing risk of major bleeding. This study assessed the long-term clinical and economic benefits of extending treatment with apixaban when clinical equipoise exists compared to standard of care with enoxaparin/warfarin and other novel oral anti-coagulants (NOACs) for the treatment and prevention of recurrent VTE in Canada.

Methods A Markov model was developed to follow patients with VTE over their lifetimes. Efficacy and safety for apixaban and enoxaparin/warfarin were based on AMPLIFY and AMPLIFY-EXT, while relative efficacy to other NOACs was synthesized by network meta-analysis (NMA). Dosages for NOACs and enoxaparin/warfarin were based on their respective trials and were given up to 18 months and up to 6 months, followed by no treatment, respectively. Patient quality adjusted life years (QALYs) were based on published studies, and costs for resource utilization were from a Ministry of Health perspective, expressed as 2014 CAD ($).

Results Extended treatment with apixaban compared to enoxaparin/warfarin resulted in fewer recurrent VTEs, VTE-related deaths, and bleeding events, but at slightly increased cost. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was $4828 per QALY gained. Compared to other NOACs, apixaban had the fewest bleeding events, similar recurrent VTE events, and the lowest overall cost, which was driven by the strong bleeding profile. In scenario analyses of acute and lifetime treatments, apixaban was cost-effective against all strategies.

Conclusions Extended treatment with apixaban can offer substantial clinical benefits and is a cost-effective alternative to enoxaparin/warfarin and other NOACs.     

我国西部生态环境建设绩效评价体系研究

“局部改善,整体恶化”是我国西部地区生态环境状况的真实概括。为了治理西部地区的生态环境,党中央于1999年6月确定了西部大开发战略,将能源开发同生态环境治理并举。6年来,中央财政性建设资金投向西部地区4600亿元,转移支付和专项补助5000多亿元。国家计划在10年间退耕还林2．2亿亩,投资3600亿元。由于生态环境建设的绩效是一个漫长的量变累积过程,通过确定我国西部地区生态环境状况四大特征,建立“常态、一般、差”三级评价指标体系,对西部地区生态环境建设的绩效做出客观评价,有利于坚定人们对西部地区生态环境建设的信心。     

Understanding the economic burden of heart failure in China: impact on disease management and resource utilization

Introduction and objectives: This study has two objectives: (1) to examine healthcare resource utilization in heart failure (HF) patients; and (2) to examine the treatment costs associated with HF in China.

Methods: The data used in this study was from the 2014 national insurance database sponsored by the China Health Insurance Research Association (CHIRA), that covers national urban employees and residents. ICD-10 codes and keywords indicating heart failure diagnoses were used to identify patients with heart failure. Drug utilization, hospital visits, re-admission, and treatment costs in different service categories were examined.

Results: A total of 7,847 patients were included in this analysis, of which 1,157 patients had a 1-year complete follow-up period. In total, 48.16% of patients received the combination treatment of angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitor (ACEI)/angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARB) and beta-blockers (BB); and 22.87% of patients received the combination treatment of ACEI/ARB, beta-blockers and Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs). The annual treatment cost per patient with HF diagnosis was RMB 28,974, of which 66% was for inpatient care. The cost on HF medications accounted for 8.2% of annual cost. Treatment cost was much higher in provincial-level municipalities than that of prefecture-level and other cities.

Discussion and conclusion: Hospitalization is a major driver of HF treatment cost. Compared to the requirements in international treatment guidelines, HF standard of care medication treatment was under-utilized among HF patients in China. The high re-admission rate among Chinese patients indicates that the management of HF needs to be improved. The percentage of GDP spent on treating HF patients was much lower than that in the developed countries.     

新中国初期公费医疗制度建设研究——基于反浪费的视角

新中国公费医疗制度1952年第一次以法规的形式正式确立。1956年,制度建设中的奠基工作基本完成,形成了一套较完整的公费医疗制度。新中国初期公费医疗的施行,对增进国家机关工作人员的健康,保证了社会主义建设事业的胜利进展,均起到了积极作用。但是,公费医疗中浪费超支现象也随即出现,并渐变为一种普遍性的严重问题。严重的浪费超支引起党和政府的高度重视和社会舆论的集中关注,1957年开始,在"勤俭建国"方针的指引下,以改进制度为主要应对思路的"反浪费"工作在公费医疗领域深入展开。该项工作一直持续至1965年,改进符合当时实际,其间取得过一些效果,但终因情况过于复杂,未能完全收到预期成效。     

西部农业结构调整中的生态支持系统研究

本文介绍了农业生态支持系统的概念和研究内容，阐述了西部农业生态支持系统的现状，最后分别就入口、资源、能源及环境四个方面提出了西部农业生态支持系统的发展对策。     

中国西部农户沼气系统使用情况分析与对策研究

本文通过对我国西部四川、陕西和内蒙古三个地区173个沼气用户和48个无沼气户的调查数据分析,揭示沼气在西部农户生活生产中发挥的重要作用,同时分析研究了这三个地区农户沼气系统建设和使用中存在的问题.提出了在我国西部地区推广沼气系统的对策及政策建议.     

我国省对县(市)一般性转移支付的绩效评价——基于DEA二次相对效益模型的研究

一般性转移支付是我国转移支付制度的重要组成部分,它是中央财政为了平衡地区间财力差异、促进基本公共服务均等化为目的的重要制度安排。然而,中央财政以均等化为目标、以标准财政收支差为依据对省(市、自治区)拨付一般性转移支付资金,以及省对县(市)级政府拨付该项资金时,并没有规定具体用途,因此,县(市)级地方政府拥有对这部分资金完全的自主支配权。在多重目标,尤其是经济增长目标的压力下,一般性转移支付资金可能被挪用和挤占,上级政府实现公共服务均等化的政策意图难以达到预期的效果。本文的目的是:从制度层面论述一般性转移支付政策目标与效率评价的内在联系;探讨DEA二次相对效益模型对一般性转移支付绩效评价的适用性;从基本公共服务资金配置和提升效率两个方面,构建了省对县(市)一般性转移支付绩效评价体系;以云南省的县(市)为样本,对一般性转移支付绩效进行实证模拟评价;提出建立绩效评价是完善省对县(市)一般性转移支付制度的重要内容。     

The impact of frailty on the economic evaluation of geriatric surgery: hospital costs and opportunity costs based on meta-analysis

Abstract

Objectives: We used a systematic review and meta-analysis to analyze the difference in costs between surgery for frail and non-frail elderly patients. The opportunity cost of frailty in geriatric surgery is estimated using the results.

Methodology: Two literature reviews were carried out between 2000 and 2019: (1) studies comparing total hospital costs of frail and non-frail surgical patients; (2) studies evaluating the length of hospital stay and cost for surgical geriatric patients. We performed a meta-analysis of the items selected in the first review. We subsequently calculated the opportunity cost of frail patients, based on the design of a cost/time variable.

Results: Twelve articles in the first review were selected (272,717 non-frail and 16,461 frail). Fourteen articles were selected from the second review. Frail patients had higher hospital costs than non-frail patients (22,282.541 € and 16,388.844, p?<?.001) and a longer hospital stay (10.16 days and 8.4 (p?<?.001)). The estimated opportunity cost in frail patients is 1,019.56 € (cost/time unit factor of 579.30 €/day).

Conclusions: Frail surgical geriatric patients generate a higher total hospital cost, and an opportunity cost arising from not operating in the best possible state of health. Preoperatively treating the frailty of elderly patients will improve the use of health resources     

西部民族地区自发移民迁入地聚居区发展研究综述

本研究以西部民族地区自发移民迁入地聚居区作为对象。国内学者对农村扶贫中涉及自发移民搬迁的理论与实践进行过专门探讨,对移民搬迁与社会发展相关的社会经济问题也有研究。历史所载移民的方式一般只包括由官方组织实施或强制实行的,至多只记载了那些得到官方认可的自发移民,而不包括其他自发移民。对自找出路、投亲靠友、自行搬迁的移民,需要政府制订配套的优惠政策。自发移民无时不在进行,而这一过程却是残缺不全的,其合法性处于尴尬的位置,根本之策还是将其接纳和融入当地主流社会。西部民族贫困山区除通过异地开发、劳务输出等方式向外转移劳动力外,对于一些自发移民和短距离趋利性移民可进行近域迁移,而获得人口的聚居效应;自发移民的迁移成本与收益的相对大小是迁移与否的决定力量。     

The impact of China’s WTO accession on trade and economic relations across the Taiwan Strait

This paper evaluates the impact of China’s World Trade Organisation (WTO) accession on trade and economic relations across the Taiwan Strait and its implications for the rest of the world by a recursive dynamic, 17‐region, 25‐sector computable general equilibrium (CGE) model according to actual market access commitments that China and Taiwan have made to date. The simulation results show that both China and Taiwan will substantially benefit from their WTO memberships, and their economic interdependence and their dependence within the rest of the world will further deepen. The rest of the world may also benefit because of the expansion of world trade and improvement of their international terms of trade, but some developing countries with an endowment structure similar to China, like those in South America and Southeast Asia, may experience keener competition in labour‐intensive exports and lower prices for their products. JEL classification: F1, F02, C68, P52.