Cash transfers and multiplier effect: lessons from the grain subsidy program in China

This study examines the multiplier effects of the grain subsidy program in China, which is a large food self-sufficiency project that is implemented as a cash transfer program. Income multiplier effects have not been examined in the evaluation of the grain subsidy program although increasing the income of farmers is the original goal of this project. A large number of household-level observations are employed to measure the program’s income multiplier. Results show that the grain subsidy program has an unrealized high income multiplier, and the income promotion effect of the transferred subsidies is from agricultural production derived by intensifying various input uses for each unit of land. The multiplier effect can be particularly utilized by households with good education and poor farmers in less developed regions. Hence, to maximize the income multiplier effect, the grain subsidy distribution method should consider these criteria instead of retaining the prevalent standard that is based on contracted land areas

Cash Transfers and Multiplier Effect: Lessons from the Grain Subsidy Program in China

This study examines the multiplier effects of the grain subsidy program in China, which is a large food self-sufficiency project that is implemented as a cash transfer program. Income multiplier effects have not been examined in the evaluation of the grain subsidy program although increasing the income of farmers is the original goal of this project. A large number of household-level observations are employed to measure the program’s income multiplier. Results show that the grain subsidy program has an unrealized high income multiplier, and the income promotion effect of the transferred subsidies is from agricultural production derived by intensifying various input uses for each unit of land. The multiplier effect can be particularly utilized by households with good education and poor farmers in less developed regions. Hence, to maximize the income multiplier effect, the grain subsidy distribution method should consider these criteria instead of retaining the prevalent standard that is based on contracted land areas

In vivo retention of poloxamer-based in situ hydrogels for vaginal application in mouse and rat models

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the in vivo retention capabilities of poloxamer-based in situ hydrogels for vaginal application with nonoxinol-9 as the model drug. Two in situ hydrogel formulations, which contained 18% poloxamer 407 plus 1% poloxamer 188 (GEL1, relative hydrophobic) or 6% poloxamer 188 (GEL2, relative hydrophilic), were compared with respect to the rheological properties, in vitro hydrogel erosion and drug release. The vaginal retention capabilities of these hydrogel formulations were further determined in two small animal models, including drug quantitation of vaginal rinsing fluid in mice and isotope tracing with 99mTc in rats. The two formulations exhibited similar phase transition temperatures ranging from 27 to 32 °C. Increasing the content of poloxamer 188 resulted in higher rheological moduli under body temperature, but slightly accelerated hydrogel erosion and drug release. When compared in vivo, GEL1 was eliminated significantly slower in rat vagina than GEL2, while the vaginal retention of these two hydrogel formulations behaved similarly in mice. In conclusion, increases in the hydrophilic content of formulations led to faster hydrogel erosion, drug release and intravaginal elimination. Rats appear to be a better animal model than mice to evaluate the in situ hydrogel for vaginal application

Evolution in the Surgical Care of Patients With Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer in the Mid-South Quality of Surgical Resection Cohort

Surgery is the most important curative treatment modality for patients with early-stage non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We examined the pattern of surgical resection for NSCLC in a high incidence and mortality region of the United States over a 10-year period (2004-2013) in the context of a regional surgical quality improvement initiative. We abstracted patient-level data on all resections at 11 hospitals in 4 contiguous Dartmouth Hospital Referral Regions in North Mississippi, East Arkansas, and West Tennessee. Surgical quality measures focused on intraoperative practice, with emphasis on pathologic nodal staging. We used descriptive statistics and trend analyses to assess changes in practice over time. To measure the effect of an ongoing regional quality improvement intervention with a lymph node specimen collection kit, we used period effect analysis to compare trends between the preintervention and postintervention periods. Of 2566 patients, 18% had no preoperative biopsy, only 15% had a preoperative invasive staging test, and 11% underwent mediastinoscopy. The rate of resections with no mediastinal lymph nodes examined decreased from 48%-32% (P \u3c 0.0001), whereas the rate of resections examining 3 or more mediastinal stations increased from 5%-49% (P \u3c 0.0001). There was a significant period effect in the increase in the number of N1, mediastinal, and total lymph nodes examined (all P \u3c 0.0001). A quality improvement intervention including a lymph node specimen collection kit shows early signs of having a significant positive effect on pathologic nodal examination in this population-based cohort. However, gaps in surgical quality remain