Regional Price Differences in Urban China 1986-2001: Estimation and Implication

Despite the intensive efforts made by economists to examine regional income inequality in China, limited attention has been paid to disentangle the contribution of regional price differentials. This paper examines regional price differential in urban China over the period 1986 to 2001. Spatial Price Index (SPI) is normally calculated using the Basket Cost Method, which defines a national basket and measures price variation of this common basket across different regions. The weakness of this method is that it arbitrarily assumes consumers’ preferences and has a strong reliance on good regional level price data, which are often not available. This paper adopts the Engel’s curve approach to estimate a Spatial Price Index for different provinces. The SPI obtained from the Engel’s curve approach indicates larger regional price variations than those obtained from the Basket Cost method. Further, regional price variations in urban China increased significantly during the late 1980s to early 1990s, stabilized at a relatively high level during the mid to end 1990s. Adjusting for the regional price variations our finding suggests that regional income inequality increased the most between the late 1980s and early 1990s, and stabilized in the mid 1990s, which contradicts previous findings using unadjusted income.spatial price index, Engel’s curve, income inequality, China

Intergenerational Income Mobility in Urban China

This paper estimates the intergenerational income elasticity for urban China, paying careful attention to the potential biases induced by income fluctuations and life cycle effects. Our preferred estimates are that the intergenerational income elasticities are 0.74 for father-son, 0.84 for father-daughter, 0.33 for mother-son, and 0.47 for mother-daughter. This suggests that while China has experienced rapid growth of absolute incomes, the relative position of children in the distribution is largely determined by their parents’ incomes. Investigating possible causal channels, we find that parental education, occupation, and Communist Party membership all play important roles in transmitting economic status from parents to children.intergenerational mobility, transgenerational persistence, political party membership

Image Encryption Algorithm Based on DNA Encoding and Chaotic Maps

We propose a new image encryption algorithm based on DNA sequences combined with chaotic maps. This algorithm has two innovations: (1) it diffuses the pixels by transforming the nucleotides into corresponding base pairs a random number of times and (2) it confuses the pixels by a chaotic index based on a chaotic map. For any size of the original grayscale image, the rows and columns are fist exchanged by the arrays generated by a logistic chaotic map. Secondly, each pixel that has been confused is encoded into four nucleotides according to the DNA coding. Thirdly, each nucleotide is transformed into the corresponding base pair a random number of time(s) by a series of iterative computations based on Chebyshev’s chaotic map. Experimental results indicate that the key account of this algorithm is 1.536 × 10127, the correlation coefficient of a 256 × 256 Lena image between, before, and after the encryption processes was 0.0028, and the information entropy of the encrypted image was 7.9854. These simulation results and security analysis show that the proposed algorithm not only has good encryption effect, but also has the ability to repel exhaustive, statistical, differential, and noise attacks

Sensory Loss in China: Prevalence, Use of Aids, and Impacts on Social Participation

The number of older adults with vision and/or hearing loss is growing world-wide, including in China, whose population is aging rapidly. Sensory loss impacts on older people's ability to participate in their communities and their quality of life. This study investigates the prevalence of vision loss, hearing loss, and dual sensory loss (combined vision and hearing loss) in an older adult Chinese population and describes the relationships between these sensory losses and demographic factors, use of glasses and hearing aids, unmet needs, and impacts on social participation. The China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study is a population-based longitudinal survey conducted since 2011. The 2013 dataset for people aged 60 and over was used in this study. Items analyzed included demographic data (age, gender, education, rurality, and SES), self-reported ratings of vision (including legally blind, excellent-poor long, and short distance vision and the use and frequency of wearing glasses), hearing (excellent-poor hearing and the use of hearing aids), dual sensory loss (both poor/fair vision and hearing), and social participation. Of the sample, 80.2% reported poor/fair vision, 64.9% reported poor/fair hearing, and 57.2% had poor/fair vision and hearing. Few respondents (10%) wore glasses regularly and 20.1% wore glasses from time to time. Only 0.8% of respondents wore hearing aids although the proportion with hearing loss was high (64.9%). The proportion of unmet needs for glasses and hearing aids was 54.9 and 63.9%, respectively. Low socio-economic status (SES), poor education, and rurality were significantly associated with the prevalence of poor/fair vision and hearing, the use of glasses and hearing aids and the unmet needs of glasses/hearing aids. Poor/fair vision and/or hearing, and the unmet needs for glasses/hearing aids were significantly and negatively associated with social participation. Sensory loss is a significant health issue for older Chinese people that impacts on their social participation. Training primary care health professionals in identification and rehabilitation approaches is needed as well as increasing the numbers of vision and hearing specialists working in the field. Providing information on sensory loss and the use of aids to older adults will also help improve older adult's quality of life

Image Encryption Algorithm Based on Dynamic DNA Coding and Chen’s Hyperchaotic System

With the development of national information processes, specific image information from secret departments or individuals is often required to be confidentially transmitted. Numerous image encryption methods exist, especially since the initial value sensitivity and other characteristics of chaos theory and chaos theory-based encryption have become increasingly important in recent years. At present, DNA coding constitutes a new research direction of image encryption that uses the four base pairs of DNA code and image pixel values to establish a special correspondence, in order to achieve pixel diffusion. There are eight DNA encoding rules, and current methods of selecting the DNA encoding rules are largely fixed. Thus, the security of encoded data is not high. In this paper, we use the Lorenz chaotic system, Chen’s hyperchaotic system, and the DNA encoding combination and present a new image encryption algorithm that can dynamically select eight types of DNA encoding rules and eight types of DNA addition and subtraction rules, with significant improvements in security. Through simulation experiments and histograms, correlations, and NPCR analyses, we have determined that the algorithm possesses numerous desirable features, including good encryption effects and antishear and antinoise performances

営業の経験学習がビジネスキャリアに与える影響についての考察

関西学院大

Dual Sensory Loss, Mental Health, and Wellbeing of Older Adults Living in China

Introduction: Deterioration in vision and hearing commonly occurs as adults age. Existing literature shows that Dual Sensory Loss (DSL) is a prevalent condition amongst older adults. In China, it has been estimated that 57.2% of the population experience DSL. Based on a small number of research papers, it has been identified that DSL influences mental health and wellbeing. The aims of this study were to explore the relationship between DSL and mental health and wellbeing in a sample of older adults residing in China; and investigate whether the comorbidities of functional dependency [Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL)] and chronic diseases influence the impacts of DSL on mental health and wellbeing.Method: The China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study Wave 2, 2013 data collection of a sample of people aged 60 years and over (n = 8,268) was used in this study. The sensory loss variables selected for analysis included a combined variable of self-reported vision and hearing loss (DSL). Mental health was measured by depression, and general wellbeing was measured by life satisfaction. In addition, chronic diseases, and limitations in IADL and ADL were used to test how their comorbidities with DSL influence mental health and wellbeing. Results were analyzed descriptively and using regression and modeling techniques.Results and Discussion: DSL was significantly and positively associated with advanced age, having difficulty in any ADL or IADL and experiencing depression and less life satisfaction. The observed negative associations between DSL and mental health or wellbeing, are indirect and could be partially explained by its comorbidity with chronic diseases and relationship to functional limitations. It is recommended that health services in China screen for DSL in older people and develop integrated services to assist with appropriate management and rehabilitation of older people with DSL focusing on both functional and mental health issues