501 research outputs found

    Conceptual framework of local government and Third Sector responses to labor migration in the PRC

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    This paper develops a conceptual framework to guide the comparative inquiry of local government policy responses to labor migration in China drawing on existing literature in Chinese social policy, comparative family policy and regional study of migration and the family. We suggest a framework that situates the productivist welfare regime type, common in East Asian countries, within the unique context of PRC history that combines the strong centralized state economy with an increasingly decentralized municipal and lower administrative level responsibility for social protection and the promotion of social stability.postprin

    Children’s time use in developing countries: Comparative evidence from Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, and Vietnam

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    87 Session: Poster Session: Children and youth IIOrganizer: International Union for the Scientific Study of Population (IUSSP)Children’s time use is an important factor affecting human capital outcomes such as educational attainment and future employment. Thus far, little attention has been paid to how children’s time use varies across and within middle- and low-income countries compared to more economically-advanced countries. In this article, we use comparative survey data to examine children’s time use in four countries with varying degrees of development in the Asian region—the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam. We selected children’s time use as the key outcome and, based on previous literature, we hypothesize that child age and gender, and household characteristics influence the organization of children’s daily lives, in particular how they allocate their time between leisure, study (outside school), housework, and work that supplements family income. Using a series of OLS regression models, we find evidence of gendered time allocation, with girls generally more likely to perform housework and devote less time to leisure, while boys generally spend more time working to support the household and more time in leisure. Some of the gendered differences are attenuated within households with higher maternal education. The detailed results suggest nuanced processes differentiating the country samples, and we discuss both their theoretical and practical implications.postprin

    Policy adequacy, inclusion, and commitment: Impact of Household Expenditure in Education in China

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    251 Economics of educational attainment and quality ; Theme: Education and Labour ForceGlobally, labor migration is an essential component of the 21st century. Much of the existing research on the consequences of labor migration on the family has focused primarily on the economic consequences while the consequences for social protection have received less attention. Within in China, the Hukou household registration system, based on place of residence and administered by local municipalities, continues to be the primary mechanism through which people are eligible for government-subsidized social protection programs including public education. Decades of widespread ‘temporary’ migration of working-age population into urban centers are disrupting this place-based eligibility system of resource allocation. This current study examines the intersectionality of education policy and migration and the impacts on household educational expenditure. This paper explores the relationship between the policy environment, education and social inclusion using a cohort of children (aged 6 to 16 in 2010) from the China Family Panel Study (CFPS) combined with secondary data collected from the China Statistical Yearbooks. The multilevel modeling suggested that low commitment (higher teacher-student ration) is negatively associated with household expenditure in education. The community migrant population explain variability in educational expenditure across migrant and local resident households. The implication for educational inclusion and equity are discussed.postprin

    Characterization of Burkholderia rhizoxinica and B. endofungorum Isolated from Clinical Specimens

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    Eight isolates submitted to CDC from 1989 to 2006 from clinical specimens were initially identified as members of the genus Burkholderia based on preliminary cellular fatty acid analysis and/or 16S rRNA gene sequencing. With the recent descriptions of the new species B. rhizoxinica and B. endofungorum, which are considered endosymbiotic bacteria in Rhizopus microsporus fungi, we now identify seven of these clinical isolates as B. rhizoxinica and one as B. endofungorum based on biochemical testing, 16s rRNA, and DNA-DNA hybridization results. We also further characterize these isolates by assessing toxin production and/or by multiple locus sequence typing

    Using a New Odour-Baited Device to Explore Options for Luring and Killing Outdoor-Biting Malaria Vectors: A Report on Design and Field Evaluation of the Mosquito Landing Box.

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    Mosquitoes that bite people outdoors can sustain malaria transmission even where effective indoor interventions such as bednets or indoor residual spraying are already widely used. Outdoor tools may therefore complement current indoor measures and improve control. We developed and evaluated a prototype mosquito control device, the 'Mosquito Landing Box' (MLB), which is baited with human odours and treated with mosquitocidal agents. The findings are used to explore technical options and challenges relevant to luring and killing outdoor-biting malaria vectors in endemic settings. Field experiments were conducted in Tanzania to assess if wild host-seeking mosquitoes 1) visited the MLBs, 2) stayed long or left shortly after arrival at the device, 3) visited the devices at times when humans were also outdoors, and 4) could be killed by contaminants applied on the devices. Odours suctioned from volunteer-occupied tents were also evaluated as a potential low-cost bait, by comparing baited and unbaited MLBs. There were significantly more Anopheles arabiensis, An. funestus, Culex and Mansonia mosquitoes visiting baited MLB than unbaited controls (P<=0.028). Increasing sampling frequency from every 120 min to 60 and 30 min led to an increase in vector catches of up to 3.6 fold (P<=0.002), indicating that many mosquitoes visited the device but left shortly afterwards. Outdoor host-seeking activity of malaria vectors peaked between 7:30 and 10:30pm, and between 4:30 and 6:00am, matching durations when locals were also outdoors. Maximum mortality of mosquitoes visiting MLBs sprayed or painted with formulations of candidate mosquitocidal agent (pirimiphos-methyl) was 51%. Odours from volunteer occupied tents attracted significantly more mosquitoes to MLBs than controls (P<0.001). While odour-baited devices such as the MLBs clearly have potential against outdoor-biting mosquitoes in communities where LLINs are used, candidate contaminants must be those that are effective at ultra-low doses even after short contact periods, since important vector species such as An. arabiensis make only brief visits to such devices. Natural human odours suctioned from occupied dwellings could constitute affordable sources of attractants to supplement odour baits for the devices. The killing agents used should be environmentally safe, long lasting, and have different modes of action (other than pyrethroids as used on LLINs), to curb the risk of physiological insecticide resistance

    A phase II trial of gefitinib with 5-fluorouracil, leucovorin, and irinotecan in patients with colorectal cancer

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    Inhibition of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signalling contributes to the therapy of colorectal cancer. Gefitinib, an oral EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor, shows supra-additive growth inhibition with irinotecan and fluoropyrimidines in xenograft models. We designed a study to determine the tolerability and efficacy of gefitinib in combination with irinotecan, infusional 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and leucovorin (LV), on a 2-week schedule. Among 13 patients with advanced colorectal cancer, 10 required dose reductions of irinotecan and 5-FU because of dehydration, diarrhoea, and neutropenia, seven of whom required hospitalisation, three with neutropenic fever. One patient achieved partial response and seven had disease stabilisation. The combination of this standard chemotherapy regimen with gefitinib is associated with excessive toxicity, suggesting an interaction at a pharmacokinetic or pharmacodynamic level

    Simulating the exchange of Majorana zero modes with a photonic system

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    The realization of Majorana zero modes is in the centre of intense theoretical and experimental investigations. Unfortunately, their exchange that can reveal their exotic statistics needs manipulations that are still beyond our experimental capabilities. Here we take an alternative approach. Through the Jordan-Wigner transformation, the Kitaev's chain supporting two Majorana zero modes is mapped to the spin-1/2 chain. We experimentally simulated the spin system and its evolution with a photonic quantum simulator. This allows us to probe the geometric phase, which corresponds to the exchange of two Majorana zero modes positioned at the ends of a three-site chain. Finally, we demonstrate the immunity of quantum information encoded in the Majorana zero modes against local errors through the simulator. Our photonic simulator opens the way for the efficient realization and manipulation of Majorana zero modes in complex architectures

    Stochastic Gravity: Theory and Applications

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    Whereas semiclassical gravity is based on the semiclassical Einstein equation with sources given by the expectation value of the stress-energy tensor of quantum fields, stochastic semiclassical gravity is based on the Einstein-Langevin equation, which has in addition sources due to the noise kernel.In the first part, we describe the fundamentals of this new theory via two approaches: the axiomatic and the functional. In the second part, we describe three applications of stochastic gravity theory. First, we consider metric perturbations in a Minkowski spacetime: we compute the two-point correlation functions for the linearized Einstein tensor and for the metric perturbations. Second, we discuss structure formation from the stochastic gravity viewpoint. Third, we discuss the backreaction of Hawking radiation in the gravitational background of a quasi-static black hole.Comment: 75 pages, no figures, submitted to Living Reviews in Relativit
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