DISTORTIONS TO INCENTIVES IN CHINA'S AGRICULTURE AND IMPLICATIONS OF WTO ACCESSION

The overall goal of our paper will be to attempt to contribute to the empirically-based literature on the effects on China's agriculture of its accession to the WTO. In general, we seek to answer some of the most basic questions about the expected effects of China's entry in the World Trade Organization (WTO). On balance, will the nation's accession to WTO help or hurt farming households? If farmers lose (gain), who in the agricultural economy will get hurt (benefit)? Are there some regions in the economy that will be insulated from the effects of WTO due to their isolation from domestic markets?International Relations/Trade,

Quasi-homomorphisms of quantum cluster algebras

In this paper, we study quasi-homomorphisms of quantum cluster algebras, which are quantum analogy of quasi-homomorphisms of cluster algebras introduced by Fraser. For a quantum Grassmannian cluster algebra $\mathbb{C}_q[{\rm Gr}(k,n)]$, we show that there is an associated braid group and each generator $\sigma_i$ of the braid group preserves the quasi-commutative relations of quantum Pl\"{u}cker coordinates and exchange relations of the quantum Grassmannian cluster algebra. We conjecture that $\sigma_i$ also preserves $r$-term ($r \ge 4$) quantum Pl\"{u}cker relations of $\mathbb{C}_q[{\rm Gr}(k,n)]$ and other relations which cannot be derived from quantum quantum Pl\"{u}cker relations (if any). Up to this conjecture, we show that $\sigma_i$ is a quasi-automorphism of $\mathbb{C}_q[{\rm Gr}(k,n)]$ and the braid group acts on $\mathbb{C}_q[{\rm Gr}(k,n)]$

RISK FACTORS OF ENTERPRISE INTERNAL CONTROL: GOVERNANCE REFERS TO INTERNET OF THINGS (IOT) ENVIRONMENT

This study aims to investigate enterprise risk factors for governing the risk of Internet of Things (IoT) environment. Under the guidance of Gowin’s Vee knowledge map strategy, this study reviewed the related literature and used Delphi expert questionnaire to construct and revise the defined risk factors. Two rounds of expert survey were conducted. A total of 24 experts from the fields of information technology, audit management, and risk management were selected to conduct the questionnaire survey. Eighty-three question items were obtained and categorized into various types of risk factors including environment, process, decision-making, operation, authority, data processing and information, moral, and finance. These factors were categorized according to the consistent opinion of experts. Program SPSS 12.0 was adopted to analyze feedback information from expert questionnaire by conducting statistical analyses and validity testing. All risk factors were integrated and designed carefully, supplemented by verification through statistical value of mean, inter-quartile range, and content validity ratio (CVR). The results of this research can be used as reference in the study of risk factors under IoT governance, and to enhance the development of knowledge on qualitative research. Further, in the new generation of IoT governance practice, the related factors of enterprise risk management can be regarded as key measurement items in internal control and auditing

Clinical applicability of quantitative nailfold capillaroscopy in differential diagnosis of connective tissue diseases with Raynaud's phenomenon

Background/PurposeNailfold capillaroscopy is a useful tool to distinguish primary from secondary Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) by examining the morphology of nailfold capillaries but its role in disease diagnosis is not clearly established. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the roles of quantitative nailfold capillaroscopy in differential diagnosis of connective tissue diseases (CTDs) with RP.MethodsThe data between the year 2005 and 2009 were retrieved from the nailfold capillaroscopic database of National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH). Only the data from the patients with RP were analyzed. The criteria for interpretation of capillaroscopic findings were predefined. The final diagnoses of the patients were based on the American College of Rheumatology classification criteria for individual diseases, independent of nailfold capillaroscopic findings. The sensitivity and the specificity of each capillaroscopic pattern to the diseases were determined.ResultsThe data from a total of 67 patients were qualified for the current study. We found the sensitivity and specificity of scleroderma pattern for systemic sclerosis (SSc) were 89.47% and 80%, and the specificity of the early, active, and late scleroderma patterns for SSc reached 87.5%, 97.5%, and 95%, respectively. The sensitivity/specificity of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) pattern for SLE and polymyositis/dermatomyositis (PM/DM) pattern for PM/DM were 33.33%/95.45% and 60%/96.3%, respectively. The sensitivity/specificity of mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) pattern for MCTD were 20%/100%.ConclusionThe nailfold capillaroscopic (NC) patterns may be useful in the differential diagnosis of CTDs with RP. The NC patterns for SSc and PM/DM are both sensitive and specific to the diseases, while the SLE and MCTD patterns exhibit high specificity but relatively low sensitivity