A Cointegrating approach to budget deficits and long-term interest rates

A cointegrating approach is undertaken in this study to determine if there is a long-run equilibrium relationship between budget deficits and long-term interest rates for the United States and nine European countries. The cointegration approach consists of conducting cointegration tests and then testing several hypothesized values for the deficit and price expectations variables. The cointegration results suggest the existence of several significant cointegrating vectors for each of the ten countries, which would seem to appeal to the view of budget deficits having a positive impact on long-term interest rates. The hypothesized values for the deficit and price expectations variables are found to be too strict since the hypotheses are rejected in every case but one.     

Targeted erlotinib for first-line treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer: a budget impact analysis

Objectives:

A recent phase III trial showed that patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose tumors harbor specific EGFR mutations significantly benefit from first-line treatment with erlotinib compared to chemotherapy. This study sought to estimate the budget impact if coverage for EGFR testing and erlotinib as first-line therapy were provided in a hypothetical 500,000-member managed care plan.

Methods:

The budget impact model was developed from a US health plan perspective to evaluate administration of the EGFR test and treatment with erlotinib for EGFR-positive patients, compared to non-targeted treatment with chemotherapy. The eligible patient population was estimated from age-stratified SEER incidence data. Clinical data were derived from key randomized controlled trials. Costs related to drug, administration, and adverse events were included. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to assess uncertainty.

Results:

In a plan of 500,000 members, it was estimated there would be 91 newly diagnosed advanced NSCLC patients annually; 11 are expected to be EGFR-positive. Based on the testing and treatment assumptions, it was estimated that 3 patients in Scenario 1 and 6 patients in Scenario 2 receive erlotinib. Overall health plan expenditures would increase by $0.013 per member per month (PMPM). This increase is largely attributable to erlotinib drug costs, in part due to lengthened progression-free survival and treatment periods experienced in erlotinib-treated patients. EGFR testing contributes slightly, whereas adverse event costs mitigate the budget impact. The budget impact did not exceed $0.019 PMPM in sensitivity analyses.

Conclusions:

Coverage for targeted first-line erlotinib therapy in NSCLC likely results in a small budget impact for US health plans. The estimated impact may vary by plan, or if second-line or maintenance therapy, dose changes/interruptions, or impact on patients’ quality-of-life were included.     

‘We All Have a Responsibility to Each Other’: Valuing Racialised Bodies in the Neoliberal Bioeconomy

ABSTRACT

In neoliberalism, human tissue has been targeted as a source for extracting surplus value. Commercial attention on ethnic and racial minorities has resulted in products and services specifically developed for them. Here, we focus on this by exploring two empirical examples: US pharmaceutical clinical trials and UK stem cell transplantation. Both use racial taxonomies to discern biological difference and draw conclusions about the economic potential of people’s genetic constitutions. They do so by appealing to racialised minorities’ sense of responsibility towards ‘their’ communities, both buttressing the conflation of social and biological registers of human variation and demonstrating neoliberalism’s mobilisation of discourses of community. However, while the inclusion of racialised minorities is hoped to bring economic benefits, it also aims to address healthcare inequalities. Drawing on Science and Technology Studies, we argue that in our examples, economic, social and cultural values cannot be disentangled. This compels us to complement narratives of the commodification of racialised difference in neoliberal (consumer) culture, and focus on the intersections between different economic and ethical values. Ultimately we find that whilst work is being done to ameliorate racial inequities, broader socio-economic and political inequalities minority communities face go unaddressed, likely precluding the realisation of health equality.     

Pharmacoeconomic analysis for pemetrexed as a maintenance therapy for NSCLC patients with patient assistance program in China

Objective: This study is to evaluate the costs, clinical efficacy, and social benefits of a patient assistance program (PAP) implemented by the China Primary Healthcare Foundation for the use of pemetrexed as a first-line non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) maintenance therapy in China.

Methods: A survival analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 1,366 patients who participated in the PAP. The progression-free survival (PFS) and median maintenance treatment cycle of pemetrexed were analyzed. A 36-month Markov model from a payer’s perspective was constructed to analyze the cost and effectiveness associated with the PAP for pemetrexed. The inputs of the model were sourced from the PAP clinical database and published literature. The study estimated the incremental quality adjusted life-years (QALYs) (pemetrexed plus best supportive care [BSC] vs BSC only), the cost saving of the PAP, the impact on the percentage of catastrophic health expenditures (CHE), and poverty headcount ratio (HCR).

Results: The median of PFS and maintenance treatment cycles were 187 days and five cycles (total nine cycles, which included four cycles of induction therapy), respectively. The pemetrexed plus BSC treatment with PAP resulted in an additional 0.12 QALYs over BSC only. The total cost was $48,034.46 and $96,191.57 for the patients who had or had not joined the PAP in 3 years, respectively. Compared to the patients without PAP, the percentage of CHE and HCR with PAP was reduced from 98.39% to 19.91% and 66.98% to 4.89%, respectively, indicating that the PAP substantially decreased the number of patients who had CHE and fallen into poverty.

Conclusion: The study concluded that the pemetrexed PAP generated noticeable clinical and economic benefits to society and to patients. The program also increased patients’ compliance with chemotherapy by allowing patients, for whom the pemetrexed treatment was unaffordable, to continue to receive it.     

Determinants of a Digital Divide in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Spatial Econometric Analysis of Cell Phone Coverage

This paper investigates the determinants of disparities in coverage by cell telephone systems in Sub-Saharan Africa. It uses a spatially disaggregated probit for over 990,000 grid cells with adjustments for spatial autocorrelation. Determinants include potential market size (population); cost factors related to accessibility (elevation, slope, distance from a main road, and distance from the nearest large city); and competition policy. Estimates indicate significant results for the supply–demand variables, and very strong results for the competition policy index.Simulations suggest that a generalized improvement in competition policy could lead to huge improvements in cell phone area coverage, and to an overall coverage increase of nearly 100%.     

日本车用氢能的产业发展及支持政策

氢能作为最具发展潜力的清洁二次能源,由于其具有低碳零污染和能源高效等特点,开发和利用氢能正成为全球能源科技革命的重要方向。从应用终端来看,车用氢能是氢能主要发展领域。在日本,车用氢能全产业链包括从燃料电池研发到燃料电池汽车(FCV)生产等一系列核心价值链,并以下游终端应用为推力。日本车用氢能产业发展以国家战略为政策引领,面对氢燃料电池汽车成本高,加氢站等基础设施不足等问题,政府运用经济刺激和部门协同等多项政策举措加以应对,同时搭建"政府+大学+企业"的合作开发创新平台,加强技术与产业的协作,利用市场带动产业发展,以FCV作为下游终端发展重点,多层次协同推进车用氢能产业的发展。     

日本推动氢燃料电池汽车产业发展的机制研究

日本在实现经济社会发展全面绿色转型过程中,为突破本国资源匮乏限制的同时发挥其技术优势,高度重视氢燃料电池汽车产业的发展。日本通过中央政府的顶层设计明确氢燃料电池汽车产业战略发展目标,同时修订相关法律法规、推行中央财税激励与技术研发促进政策,引导氢燃料电池汽车产业发展;并通过建立中央与地方、地方政府之间沟通交流机制,地方政府因地制宜出台政策,促进地方氢燃料电池汽车产业能动性发展;再通过企业构建完整产业链促进应用落实,以及高校与科研院所的技术研究与人才培养,实现日本氢燃料电池汽车产业健康有序发展。中日两国氢燃料电池汽车产业在技术、市场、发展模式等领域存在极强的互补性,市场与技术共享、政府治理经验交流学习等方面合作前景广阔。日本氢燃料电池汽车产业发展的经验教训可为中国提供一些有益的启示和借鉴。     

基于模糊理论的燃料电池汽车能量管理策略

为了提高燃料电池汽车的经济性和燃料电池的效率,基于模糊控制理论,提出以减少燃料电池频繁启停为目标的能量管理策略.将这一策略与通用的功率跟随策略在UDDS循环工况下进行对比,结果表明:模糊控制策略能够满足实际工况的功率需求;燃料电池在1369 s的时间内启停次数由7次降为0次;整车的经济性提高了3.5％.研究成果可为燃料电池汽车的能量管理策略的制定提供参考.     

基于EIS的质子交换膜燃料电池输出性能优化

质子交换膜燃料电池(proton exchange membrane fuel cell, PEMFC)输出性能的影响是多方面的,极化曲线仅能反映燃料电池稳态外输出特性,不能充分反映具体影响因素及规律,因此需研究其内部物理参数的动态变化。通过建立电堆内阻和交流阻抗特性模型,利用电化学交流阻抗谱(electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, EIS)分析不同温度和湿度下燃料电池的内阻动态特性。结果表明,在333~353 K温度范围内,随着温度的增加,燃料电池的内阻减小;当温度不变时,相对湿度的增加能减小电堆内阻,燃料电池输出性能增强。最后,基于15kW燃料电池测试平台进行性能试验,验证了燃料电池动态特性分析的正确性,为进一步优化PEMFC输出性能提供理论支持。     

基于VAR模型的能源消费与废气排放量关系研究——以山西省为例

为了实现碳中和目标,通过VAR模型分析能源消费与废气排放量关系,进而提出改变能源生产消费方式的建议。基于山西省2007—2021年煤炭消费量、石油消费量、焦炭消费量和废气排放量数据,通过单位根检验、约翰逊协整检验、建立误差修正模型和向量自回归(VAR)模型,格兰杰因果检验,做出出脉冲响应图并进行方差分解,得出山西省煤炭消费量、石油消费量、焦炭消费量和废气排放量的长短期均衡关系和影响力度。研究表明,煤炭消费使废气排放量呈高排放状态,石油消费未曾大的影响废气排放,焦炭消费使废气排放量先升后降。研究提出山西省能源生产消费的节能减排路径,包括应用先进煤化工和煤电技术、开发石油生产消费低碳技术、促进新能源技术的普及和应用、开发能源互联网及绿色金融等新兴产业等。