Foreign direct investment and regional inequality in China

One downside effect of rapid economic growth in China has been the ever rising inter-regional inequality. Foreign direct investment (FDI) has been blamed for driving the Chinese regions apart. It is difficult to reconcile the positive effect of FDI on economic growth with its potential ‘negative’ effect on regional inequality. Using the largest panel dataset for the Chinese regions over 1979-2003 and employing an augmented Cobb-Douglas production function, this paper proves that FDI has been an important factor of economic growth in China. It also suggests that it is the uneven distribution of FDI instead of FDI itself that has caused regional growth differences.Foreign direct investment, regional inequality, China

Foreign Direct Investment and Regional Inequality in China

China?s economic miracle over the past three decades has been featured with its open-door policy, especially the absorption of foreign capital. One downside effect of economic reform has been the ever rising interregional inequality. As FDI is highly unevenly distributed across regions, many scholars and policymakers have blamed their inflows as one of the main factors driving the Chinese regions apart. If this logic were true, then controlling the scale of FDI could be a solution to reduce regional inequality. However, it is difficult to reconcile the positive effect of FDI on economic growth with its potential ?negative? effect on regional inequality. This is a controversial and provocative issue in the economic development literature. Using the largest panel dataset covering all the Chinese regions over the entire period 1979-2003 and employing an augmented Cobb-Douglas production function, this paper proves that FDI has been an important factor responsible for regional growth differences in China. However, it suggests that FDI cannot be blamed for causing regional inequality; it is the uneven distribution of FDI instead of FDI itself that has caused regional growth differences. The key policy issue is that FDI should be guided towards the inland areas with preferential policies in order to improve the spatial allocation of investments as a means to reduce regional inequality.foreign direct investment, regional inequality, China

Foreign direct investment and regional inequality in China

China's economic miracle over the past three decades has been featured with its open-door policy, especially the absorption of foreign capital. One downside effect of economic reform has been the ever rising interregional inequality. As FDI is highly unevenly distributed across regions, many scholars and policymakers have blamed their inflows as one of the main factors driving the Chinese regions apart. If this logic were true, then controlling the scale of FDI could be a solution to reduce regional inequality. However, it is difficult to reconcile the positive effect of FDI on economic growth with its potential negative effect on regional inequality. This is a controversial and provocative issue in the economic development literature. Using the largest panel dataset covering all the Chinese regions over the entire period 1979-2003 and employing an augmented Cobb-Douglas production function, this paper proves that FDI has been an important factor responsible for regional growth differences in China. However, it suggests that FDI cannot be blamed for causing regional inequality; it is the uneven distribution of FDI instead of FDI itself that has caused regional growth differences. The key policy issue is that FDI should be guided towards the inland areas with preferential policies in order to improve the spatial allocation of investments as a means to reduce regional inequality

Use Capacitance-Resistance Model to Characterize Water Flooding in A Tight Oil Reservoir

Gaither Draw Unit is a heterogeneous and tight formation with an average permeability of 0.1 mD. After more than 1.7 MMSTB water has been injected, there was no clear signal indicating the injected water from any producer. However, knowing the distribution of injected water is critical for future well planning and quantifying the efficiency of injection. The objective of this study is to show how the Capacitance-Resistance Model (CRM) was used to study this field and how the results were validated using traditional reservoir simulation. The CRM model quantitatively describes the connectivity and the degree of fluid storage between injectors and producers only from injection and production rate data. On the basis of material balance, signals from injectors to producers can be represented in the CRM model. The connectivity between each injector/producer pair of a selected portion of the field is estimated by using a constrained nonlinear multivariable optimization technique. The fitting results of the connectivity and the time constant through the CRM analysis indicate the regional permeability heterogeneity, which is consistent with Computer Modelling Group, Ltd. (CMG) full field modelling. The time constants conform to the low permeability of a tight formation. The history matched CMG full field model and results from the CRM analysis both present similar pressure distributions. It indicates that the majority of the injected water mainly saturates the regions surrounding the injectors, and the low transmissibility prevents pressure dissipation

Overall survival and cancer-specific survival were improved in local treatment of metastatic prostate cancer

BackgroundFor metastatic prostate cancer (mPCa), radical prostatectomy (RP) and radiation therapy (RT) may improve overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS). Compared with RT, RP shows significant advantages in improving patient outcomes. External beam radiation therapy (EBRT) even slightly elevates CSM with no statistical difference in OS compared with no local treatment (NLT).ObjectiveTo evaluate OS and CSS after local treatment (LT) (including RP and RT) versus NLT in mPCa.Design, setting, and participantsWithin the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database (2000-2018), 20098 patients with metastatic prostate cancer were selected in this study, of which 19433 patients had no local treatment, 377 patients with radical prostate treatment, and 288 patients with RT.Outcome measurements and statistical analysisMultivariable competing risks regression analysis after propensity score matching (PSM) was used to calculate CSM. Multivariable Cox regression analysis was used to identify the risk factors. Kaplan-Meier methods were used to calculate OS.Results and limitationsA total of 20098 patients were included: NLT (n = 19433), RP (n=377) and RT (n=288). In a competing risk regression analysis after PSM (ratio 1:1), RP resulted in a significantly lower CSM (hazard ratio [HR] 0.36, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.29-0.45) than NLT, while RT showed a slightly lower CSM (HR 0.77, 95% CI 0.63-0.95). In a competing risk regression analysis after PSM (ratio 1:1), RP led to a lower CSM (HR 0.56, 95% CI 0.41-0.76) versus RT. As for all-cause mortality (ACM), RP (HR 0.37, 95% CI 0.31-0.45) and RT (HR 0.66, 95% CI 0.56-0.79). also showed a downward trend. In terms of OS, RP and RT significantly improved the survival probability compared with NLT, with the effect of RP being more pronounced. Obviously, older age, Gleason scores ≥8, AJCC T3-T4 stage, AJCC N1, AJCC M1b-M1c were all associated with higher CSM (P <0.05). The same results held true for ACM. The limitation of this article is that it is not possible to assess the effect of differences in systemic therapy on CSM in mPCa patients and clinical trials are needed to verify the results.ConclusionsFor patients with mPCa, both RP and RT are beneficial to patients, and the efficacy of RP is better than RT from the perspective of CSM and ACM. Older age, higher gleason scores and the more advanced AJCC TNM stage all put patients at higher risk of dying.Patient summaryA large population-based cancer database showed that in addition to first-line therapy (hormonal treatment), RP and radiotherapy can also benefit patients with mPCa

Protein-bound uremic toxin kinetics modeling for a new dialysis device

Thesis (Master's)--University of Washington, 2020Addition to the conventional hemodialysis, a protein-bound uremic toxins process device is designed. To better understand the mechanism of this novel device, we build a fixed-bed adsorbent column model to simulate this process. Also, we build a compatible hemodialysis model with Python language. This hemodialysis model consists of a three-compartment patient model, a dialyzer model and toxin removal unit models where the PBUTs adsorption model can be plugged in. With these models, the effect of various parameters affecting adsorption process are discussed in detail

Cavitation Prevention Potential of Hydromechanical Pressure Compensation Independent Metering System with External Active Load

This article studies the cavitation performance and preventing method of the hydromechanical pressure compensation independent metering system (HPCIMS). Compared with the conventional load sensing system (CLSS), the meter-in and meter-out orifices of HPCIMS can be regulated independently. A quasi-static behavior analysis of cavitation performance was applied to the HPCIMS and CLSS. The meter-in pressure equation of HPCIMS showed that keeping the ratio of the meter-in and meter-out orifices greater than the minimum value can avoid the cavitation phenomenon. Systems parameters were then kept as constant, and the key parameters related to cavitation performance of the two systems were compared by varying external force. Comparison results show that the cavitation phenomenon in the meter-in chamber of CLSS with the external active load is inevitable, but in HPCIMS, it can prevent the cavitation phenomenon by changing the ratio of the meter-in and meter-out orifices, so the HPCIMS has the cavitation prevention potential

Research Paper No. 2008/94 Foreign Direct Investment and Regional Inequality in China

China’s economic miracle over the past three decades has been featured with its open-door policy, especially the absorption of foreign capital. One downside effect of economic reform has been the ever rising interregional inequality. As FDI is highly unevenly distributed across regions, many scholars and policymakers have blamed their inflows as one of the main factors driving the Chinese regions apart. If this logic were true, then controlling the scale of FDI could be a solution to reduce regional inequality. However, it is difficult to reconcile the positive effect of FDI on economic growth with its potential ‘negative ’ effect on regional inequality. This is a controversial and provocative issue in the economic development literature. Using the largest panel dataset covering all the Chinese regions over the entire period 1979-2003 and employing an augmented Cobb-Douglas production function, this paper proves that FDI has been an important factor responsible for regional growth differences in China. However, it suggests that FDI cannot be blamed for causing regional inequality; it is the uneven distribution of FDI instead of FDI itself that has caused regional growth differences. The key policy issue is that FDI should be guided towards the inland areas with preferential policies in order to improve the spatial allocation of investments as a means to reduce regional inequality