Enhancing the teaching of introductory economics with a team-based,multi-section competition

The authors describe a unique approach to enhancing student learning at the introductory economics level that utilizes a multi-section, team-based competition. The competition is structured to supplement learning throughout the entire introductory course. Student teams are presented with current economic issues, trends, or events, and use economic tools and theories to comprehensively examine the topics. Students present their analyses in their own sections with one team from each section moving on to compete in an inter-section round. Students are judged on technicality, creativity, and applicability of economic concepts. The competition has the potential to advance students' creativity, collaboration, communication, and critical and analytical thinking skills, while enhancing their ability to apply foundational economic concepts to real-world settings.     

The economic burden of common adverse events associated with metastatic colorectal cancer treatment in the United States

Aims: Adverse events (AEs) associated with treatments for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) may compromise the course of treatment, impact quality-of-life, and increase healthcare resource utilization. This study assessed the direct healthcare costs of common AEs among mCRC patients in the US.

Methods: Adult mCRC patients treated with chemotherapy or targeted therapies were identified from administrative claims databases (2009–2014). Up to the first three mCRC treatment episodes per patient were considered and categorized as with or without the AE system/organ category during the episode. Total healthcare costs (2014 USD) were measured by treatment episode and reported on a monthly basis. Treatment episodes with the AE category were matched by treatment type and line of treatment to those without the AE category. Adjusted total cost differences were estimated by comparing costs during treatment episodes with vs without the AE category using multivariate regression models; p-values were estimated with bootstrap.

Results: A total of 4158 patients with ≥1 mCRC treatment episode were included (mean age?=?59 years; 58% male; 60% with liver and 14% with lung metastases; 2,261 [54%] with a second and 1,115 [27%] with a third episode). On average, two treatment episodes were observed per patient with an average length of 166 days per episode. Adjusted monthly total cost difference by AE category included hematologic ($1,480), respiratory ($1,253), endocrine/metabolic ($1,213), central nervous system (CNS; $1,136), and cardiovascular ($1,036; all p?Limitations: Claims do not include information on the cause of AEs, and potentially less severe AEs may not have been reported by the physician when billing the medical service. This study aimed to assess the association between costs and AEs and not the causation of AEs by treatment.

Conclusions: The most costly AEs among mCRC patients were hematologic, followed by respiratory, endocrine/metabolic, CNS, and cardiovascular.     

REVISITING GLOBALIZATION CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF COOPERATIVES

Cooperatives have gained prominent attention in recent years as strategic elements to achieve sustainable economic development and greater social cohesion in the context of neoliberal globalization. This article explores, theoretically, the current challenges and opportunities for cooperatives to develop successfully in the globalizing economy. To this end, we provide an analytical, critical review of the key bibliography concerning some fundamental aspects that shape the relationship between economic globalization and cooperatives, an issue that has been generally neglected by previous literature. Three key fields are addressed: 1) the viability of cooperatives, based on their strengths and possible weaknesses, under current globalization; 2) the role of these organizations in promoting the local development and stability of local communities; and 3) the tensions and potentialities that internationalization entails for cooperatives. Based on the analytical review and the organization of the literature, we propose an agenda for further research. This includes some hypotheses and strategies for testing them that would be essential to assess the role of cooperatives in economic globalization, and sheds light on key areas for future research that could provide a better understanding of the complexity surrounding the relationship between globalization and cooperatives.     

国家级经济技术开发区发展绩效区位因素研究

国家级经济技术开发区（以下简称经开区）是推进我国工业化和外向型经济发展的重要载体。由于集聚了较多加工制造活动,与生产成本和交易成本相关的区位因素都可能影响经济绩效。基于经开区产业活动区位选择特点,结合106个国家级经开区2013年面板数据作因子分析和多元回归分析,探讨了各区位因素对经开区发展绩效的影响。研究显示,与交易成本相关的区位因素对经开区绩效的影响更显著,这不仅表现为工资、地价和排污费等与生产成本直接相关的区位因素与经开区单位面积产值呈负相关关系,而且表现为交通运输条件和政府依法行政状况等与交易成本相关的区位因素与经开区绩效呈明显的正相关性。因此,为促进经开区持续健康发展,地方政府要改变以往为节约生产成本在要素方面竞相压价和盲目比拼财税优惠政策的行为,加大重视抑制交易成本的上升。     

区域协同视角下长江经济带产业绿色发展研究

在长江经济带建设进程中,推动产业绿色发展及区域协同是破解资源、环境约束的重要突破口。基于非径向非角度SBM分析建立动态Malmquist模型,运用2000-2014年面板数据测算长江经济带产业绿色效率指数、效率变化指数、技术进步指数。在分析长江经济带时空分布的基础上,将其周边的11个省市划分为4个联盟,并对产业合作博弈过程中产业利益帕累托改进及其合作边界进行了探讨。最后,从区域协同视角出发,根据不同产业协作联盟,从空间合作策略、政策机制等方面提出了相关建议。     

我国企业税负“痛感”凸显之谜探析

近两年来我国企业税负"痛感"的凸显再次引发了社会各界对我国企业税负水平轻重的热议。基于各种数据、方法以及视角得出的多种结论纷至沓来、莫衷一是。文章从辨析企业税负的概念入手,说明由于受多种可比因素的限制,对企业税负水平进行国际间的横向比较得到的结论仅仅是一个事实判断而非价值判断。我国企业税负在近两年"痛感"凸显,是企业税负增加以及伴随着经济形势下行而来的产能过剩、职工工资总额上升以及税负转嫁困难等多种因素共同交织的结果。     

区域经济增长与碳排放脱钩关系的实证研究——以甘肃省为例

通过运用IPCC推荐的二氧化碳计算方法,推算出1994-2009年期间甘肃省工业部门的二氧化碳排放量,并以此为基础,基于Tapio脱钩指标对此期间甘肃省经济增长与二氧化碳排放之间的关系进行了脱钩分析,得出甘肃省经济增长与二氧化碳之间总体上呈弱脱钩状态。进一步分析,得出造成这种趋势的主要原因在于产业结构和能源消费结构的路径依赖效应。最后,基于结论提出针对性政策建议。     

Economic geography and wages in Brazil: Evidence from micro-data

This paper estimates the impact of market and supplier access on wage disparities across Brazilian states, incorporating the control for individual characteristics into the new economic geography methodology. We estimate market and supplier access disaggregated by industry, and we compute access to local, national and international markets separately. We find a strong correlation between market access and wage differentials, even after controlling for individual characteristics, market access level (international, national or local), and using instrumental variables.     

沿海欠发达地区经济联动开发模式研究——以江苏沿海开发为例

区域经济联动发展作为一种区域经济合作方式,受到密切关注。沿海欠发达地区面对经济高地的压力,要紧紧抓住其发展机遇,充分挖掘自身优势,打造新的经济发展模式,才能赶超经济发达地区。本文在总结国内区域经济联动发展理论与实践的基础上,提出沿海欠发达地区要建立多角度、多层次的经济联动开发模式。首先要实现城市联动,通过不断强化中心城市的集聚、扩散作用和壮大县域经济实力,打造经济中心与腹地经济联动发展的沿海经济圈;其次要实现产业联动,通过传统特色产业与新兴高科技产业联动和陆地产业与海洋产业联动相结合,打造支柱产业与新兴产业联动发展的沿海经济带;还要实现＂港口-城镇-产业＂联动,通过港口与城镇联动和港口与产业联动,打造港口、产业和城镇三位一体的港口经济区。希望可以为沿海欠发达地区的经济发展提供理论依据和借鉴参考。     

国际油价波动对经济增长的影响——基于中国的实证分析

基于1990年1月至2009年3月的月度数据,本文实证分析了我国经济增长与国际石油价格之间的长期变动关系,其特点在于,采用稳健性较强的T-Y因果检验来分析油价与经济增长的Granger因果关系,同时,运用非对称协整技术以考察油价与经济增长之间的非线性关系。研究发现：①长期中油价是我国经济增长的单向Granger原因;②油价与我国经济增长之间存在非对称协整关系,油价上涨对经济活动的负面影响大于油价下跌的积极影响。基于中国经济运行的实际,本文还分析了实证结果背后的原因,并提出当前国际金融危机背景下,油价呈下跌趋势,需抓住有利时机,动用外汇储备,大力购入石油资源,建立起石油战略储备;在经济复苏、油价上涨时,可以启动石油战略储备来减少石油供应冲击,从而有助于及时保证我国经济平稳快速增长的政策建议。