The Effects of Market Liberalization on the Relative Earnings of Chinese Women

In this paper we first explore the effects of differences in labor market institutions and the degree of market liberalization on the size and composition of gender wages gaps in China's urban labor markets. We use enterprise-ownership type, enterprise age, and workers' methods of finding employment as proxies for the extent of market liberalization. We find both the size of the wage gaps and the proportion of the gap left unexplained by differences in productive characteristics largest in the most liberalized (joint venture) sector, and smallest in the least liberalized (state) sector. We next investigate the effects of differences in wage structure on the gender wage gaps. We find that differences in wage structure, in general, and the degree of wage dispersion, in particular, are extremely important in accounting for the larger wage gaps in the joint venture and collective sectors relative to the state-owned sector.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/39844/3/wp460.pd

An Interview With Albert W. Tucker

The mathematical career of Albert W. Tucker, Professor Emeritus at Princeton University, spans more than 50 years. Best known today for his work in mathematical programming and the theory of games (e.g., the Kuhn-Tucker theorem, Tucker tableaux, and the Prisoner\u27s Dilemma), he was also in his earlier years prominent in topology. Outstanding teacher, administrator and leader, he has been President of the MAA, Chairman of the Princeton Mathematics Department, and course instructor, thesis advisor or general mentor to scores of active mathematicians. He is also known for his views on mathematics education and the proper interplay between teaching and research. Tucker took an active interest in this interview, helping with both the planning and the editing. The interviewer, Professor Maurer, received his Ph.D. under Tucker in 1972 and teaches at Swarthmore College

Nickel electrode plate thickening study

The rate of thickening of the nickel electrode with cycling, under geochronous conditions, was investigated. The experimental procedures used to study the effects of various operational parameters on the rate of the thickness growth are outlined. The parameters included temperature, electrolyte composition, manufacturing lot, cycle parameters, and reconditioning methods

Transit times through the cycle phases of jejunal crypt cells of the mouse

Mean transit times as well as variances of the transit times through the individual phases of the cell cycle have been determined for the crypt epithelial cells of the jejunum of the mouse. To achieve this the fraction of labelled mitoses (FLM) technique has been modified by double labelling with [3H] and [14C]thymidine. Mice were given a first injection of [3H]thymidine, and 2 hr later a second injection of [14C]thymidine. This produces a narrow subpopulation of purely 3H-labelled cells at the beginning of G2-phase and a corresponding subpopulation of purely 14C-labelled cells at the beginning of the S-phase. When these two subpopulations progress through the cell cycle, one obtains FLM waves of purely 3H- and purely 14C-labelled mitoses. These waves have considerably better resolution than the conventional FLM-curves. From the temporal positions of the observed maxima the mean transit times of the cells through the individual phases of the cycle can be determined. Moreover one obtains from the width of the individual waves the variances of the transit times through the individual phases. It has been found, that the variances of the transit times through successive phases are additive. This indicates that the transit times of cells through successive phases are independently distributed. This statistical independence is an implicit assumption in most of the models applied to the analysis of FLM curves, however there had previously been no experimental support of this assumption. A further result is, that the variance of the transit time through any phase of the cycle is proportional to the mean transit time. This implies that the progress of the crypt epithelial cells is subject to an equal degree of randomness in the various phases of the cycle

Proving the correctness of the flight director program EADIFD, volume 1

EADIFD is written in symbolic assembly language for execution on the C4000 airborne computer. It is a subprogram of an aircraft navigation and guidance program and is used to generate pitch and roll command signals for use in terminal airspace. The proof of EADIFD was carried out by an inductive assertion method consisting of two parts, a verification condition generator and a source language independent proof checker. With the specifications provided by NASA, EADIFD was proved correct. The termination of the program is guaranteed and the program contains no instructions that can modify it under any conditions

Economic Reform and Changing Patterns of Labor Force Participation in Urban and Rural China

In this project, we employ data from the Chinese population censuses of 1982, 1990, and 2000 to examine reform-era changes in the patterns of male and female labor force participation and in the distribution of men’s and women’s occupational attainment. Very marked patterns of change in labor force participation emerge when we disaggregate the data by age cohort, marital status, sex, and rural/urban location. Women have decreased their labor force participation more than men, and urban women much more than rural women. Single young people in urban areas have decreased their labor force participation to stay in school to a much greater extent than single young people in rural areas. The urban elderly have decreased their rates of labor force participation while the rural elderly have increased theirs. We also find evidence of the feminization of agriculture.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/40173/3/wp787.pd

A Comparison of Reform-Era Labor Force Participation Rates of China’s Ethnic Minorities and Han Majority

Previous research suggests that minorities are not faring well in China’s transition—both income and occupational attainment gaps are widening. We are particularly interested in whether the differences in majority and minority economic outcomes are the result of ethnicity per se, or whether they are artifacts of local economic conditions. In this paper, we employ data from the three most recent population censuses of China to explore differences in the labor force participation rates of a number of China’s important ethnic groups. We estimate urban labor force participation rates using probit regressions controlling for sex, marital status, educational attainment, age, ethnicity, and location. We also account for the geographic concentration of particular ethnic minorities and compare the participation rates of different ethnic groups within geographic regions that represent the areas of principal residence for each minority. We concentrate on seven important minority groups: Hui, Koreans, Manchu, Mongolians, Uygurs, Yi and Zhuang. We find that location has limited explanatory power in explaining differences in the probability of labor force participation between these important Chinese ethnic minorities and the majority Han.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/40181/3/wp795.pd

Technical Note: The impact of spatial scale in bias correction of climate model output for hydrologic impact studies

Statistical downscaling is a commonly used technique for translating large-scale climate model output to a scale appropriate for assessing impacts. To ensure downscaled meteorology can be used in climate impact studies, downscaling must correct biases in the large-scale signal. A simple and generally effective method for accommodating systematic biases in large-scale model output is quantile mapping, which has been applied to many variables and shown to reduce biases on average, even in the presence of non-stationarity. Quantile-mapping bias correction has been applied at spatial scales ranging from hundreds of kilometers to individual points, such as weather station locations. Since water resources and other models used to simulate climate impacts are sensitive to biases in input meteorology, there is a motivation to apply bias correction at a scale fine enough that the downscaled data closely resemble historically observed data, though past work has identified undesirable consequences to applying quantile mapping at too fine a scale. This study explores the role of the spatial scale at which the quantile-mapping bias correction is applied, in the context of estimating high and low daily streamflows across the western United States. We vary the spatial scale at which quantile-mapping bias correction is performed from 2° ( ∼  200 km) to 1∕8° ( ∼  12 km) within a statistical downscaling procedure, and use the downscaled daily precipitation and temperature to drive a hydrology model. We find that little additional benefit is obtained, and some skill is degraded, when using quantile mapping at scales finer than approximately 0.5° ( ∼  50 km). This can provide guidance to those applying the quantile-mapping bias correction method for hydrologic impacts analysis

An examination of the form and content of John Calvin's prayers

The -writings on the life and work of John Calvin are numerous. Calvin's importance has always been recognised by the theologians both those who have been interested in the history of the Church and those who have been dealing with the trend of theology since the days of the Reformation. Special interest in Calvin has been shown by recent writers. There is the enlightening book by R. Stickelberger, who, in his biography of Calvin, has drawn a better balanced picture of the Reformer than others before. More important still are the works on Calvin's theology. Of the most outstanding ones, there may be mentioned: Erwin Miilhaupt's 'Die Predigt Calvins', which is a study of form and basic thoughts of Calvin's sermonsj T.P. Torrance's 'Calvin's doctrine of man*, a careful study of Calvin's understanding of man as he is in relation to God; Wilhelm Niesel's 'Die Theologie Calvins', which is a concise outline of the Reformer's theology; Heinrich Quistorp's 'Die letsten Dinge im Zeugnis Calvins', and others.However, in spite of all the many extensive investigations by so many theologians, very little attention has actually been paid to the prayers of John Calvin. Even an expert on Reformed theology like Alfred de Quervain, who has written an excellent book on prayer, refers very little to Calvin.So far there are only two books dealing with Calvin's prayers. One is by an English writer the other by a German. •Devotions and prayers of John Calvin* by E. Edwards, a small compilation of prayers and extracts from sermons. Then Johannes Calvin: Gebete zu den Vorlesungen uber Jeremia und Hesekiel' by Werner Dahm, also a small compilation of prayers. Except in each case for a short preface the writers make no comments on the prayers.An investigation into the form and content of John Calvin's prayers is therefore a fairly new undertaking. Admittedly, the ecclesiastical prayers, or parts of them, have been used for centuries by various churches, especially of the Reformed tradition of the French language. But also in other traditions was this the case. For instance, when the German speaking Reformed Church of the Canton of Aargau, Switzerland, introduced a new liturgy in 1950, more elements of Calvin's ecclesiastical prayers have been taken over than was the case in the earlier liturgies. However, the ecclesiastical prayers form actually only a small part, although an important one, of the many hundreds of prayers by the Reformer.Row as far as the sources are concerned some difficulties have arisen. The Corpus Reformatorum, which normally provides the student with the writings of Calvin, proved to be of little help. Strange enough, the editors omitted the vast majority of Calvin's prayers which were attached to his lectures and sermons, except for some few. It was therefore necessary to go back to old editions which, very fortunately, have printed those prayers throughout. Most of the citations given in this study are taken from the Amsterdam edition, 1667, the Recueil des Opuscules, 1566, 200 sermons on Deuteronomy, 1567, then from Arthur Golding's translation, 1583 and 1584. Of great help were also the volumes of the Calvin Translation Society, which, fortunately, printed the prayers throughout.A further valuable source has been the manuscripts of yet unpublished sermons and prayers which are to be found in the Biblioth&que Publique in Geneva. The history of those manuscripts is a very lamentable one. 2) According to Gagnebin some 43 volumes containing 2023 sermons in manuscript disappeared from the Biblioth&que Publique at the beginning of the 19th century. Apparently, they were sold to various people because the library was short of space. In 1823 eight of those volumes have been rediscovered in a second-hand dealer's shop by two students of theology who handed them back to the library. 3) As the situation is at present, out of 44 volumes that were originally in possession of the Biblioth&que Publique only twelve have been discovered and regained. 4) Some of them are now being printed and published under the supervision of Hanns Ruckert.This means that our investigation of Calvin's prayers will be incomplete in the sense that not all prayers that were originally written by Raguenier and his companions could be looked up for the simple reason that over one thousand sermons, together with the attached prayers, are still missing. 6) But although we cannot alter the fact that so many sermons and prayers are lost, perhaps beyond rediscovery, there is still a vast number available in print and also in manuscript. That should provide us with material enough to draw a fairly adequate picture of the form and content of John Calvin's prayers.As to the order of this study, it seemed expedient to give an outline of Calvin's doctrine of prayer. This will be done in the first chapter which is based mainly on the Institutes. It is supposed to provide the reader with the basic thoughts of Calvin on the subject of prayer. Thus an appropriate starting point will be made for our investigations in the actual prayers. Chapter two and three will deal with the form and the use of metaphor, simile, and illustrations. Chapter four to nine deal with the content where the main points of the Reformer's theology will be worked out. The final chapter will be of a critical survey of the matter treated, and certain conclusions will be drawn.One great problem must be mentioned here, namely: What is the better test of what a man really believes, systematic writings or prayers? There may well be a discrepancy between the content of Calvin's systematic theology as set forth in the Institutes and the content of his prayers which were mainly spoken ex tempore. Which of the two is more genuine in the sense that it represented more closely what was really important to Calvin ? Can one be held against the other ? Or should both be seen together in order to reach a balanced view ? These questions are most important in the case of Calvin as he was not only a theological writer but also one of the great public preachers of all time, and a man who played a leading part in the whole life of the Church. Many of his opponents who judged Calvin predominantly, if not solely, by the Institutes, and in fact by the least attractive things that he said in the Institutes, have wondered at the influence exercised by such a repulsive man on his Christian contemporaries.It would throw some light on the matter if we remember that a man in Calvin's position would exercise just as much influence through, for instance, his conduct of public worship as he did through such writings as the Institutes. For this reason it is doubly important to examine carefully such things as Calvin's public prayers and we are indeed fortunate that in spite of serious losses mentioned above so much of this material has survived. As it will be shown below it is the belief of the writer that Calvin's prayers do in fact not only correct some of the mistakes in emphasis but furnish us with new insight into many of the features of the Christian faith that are not adequately expressed elsewhere