Impact of Urban Free Zones (Zones Franches Urbaines: ZFUs on Paid Employment and Business Creation)

France set up 41 Zones Franches Urbaines (ZFUs) on January, 1st, 2004 to replace a less generous program named Zones de Redynamisation Urbaine (ZRUs). Businesses located in ZFUs enjoy a five-year exemption from employers' social contributions, corporate income tax, local business tax, and property tax. To assess the impact on employment and business creation, we compare ZFUs with a control group of ZRUs that did not change status. We find a positive impact of the shift to ZFU status on business and job creation. Two-thirds of the increase in gross flows of local business units is due to an influx of economic activities from areas not targeted by the measures (i.e., these are transfers, not outright business creation). The cost per job created or transferred to ZFUs seems high, but we lack evaluations of policies aimed at similar objectives with which we could compare the ZFU system.Tax Exemption, Business Creation, Urban Policy, Matching, Evaluation

Cerebral vasospasm - theoretical remarks

Vasospasm is a serious complication of subarachnoid hemorrhage and it can cause ischemic brain injury (referred to as “delayed ischemia”) and permanent brain damage due to lack of oxygen in parts of the brain. Delayed ischemia is characterized by new neurological symptoms, and can be confirmed by transcranial doppler or cerebral angiography. About one third of all people admitted with subarachnoid hemorrhage will have delayed ischemia, and half of those suffer permanent damage as a result. It is possible to screen for the development of vasospasm with transcranial doppler every 24–48 hours. A blood flow velocity of more than 120 centimeters per second is suggestive of vasospasm. A protocol referred to as “triple H” is often used as a measure to treat vasospasm when it causes symptoms; this is the use of intravenous fluids to achieve a state of hypertension (high blood pressure), hypervolemia (excess fluid in the circulation) and hemodilution (mild dilution of the blood). Nimodipine is routinely used as prophylaxis against delayed ischemic neurological deficits associated with vasospasm. If the symptoms of delayed ischemia do not improve with medical treatment, angiography may be attempted to identify the sites of vasospasms and administer vasodilator medication: endovascular infusion of vasodilatory substances such as papaverine, or of calcium channel blockers such as verapamil; angioplasty may also be performed.&nbsp

Oxygen isotopic evidence for accretion of Earth's water before a high-energy Moon-forming giant impact

The Earth-Moon system likely formed as a result of a collision between two large planetary objects. Debate about their relative masses, the impact energy involved, and the extent of isotopic homogenization continues. We present the results of a high-precision oxygen isotope study of an extensive suite of lunar and terrestrial samples. We demonstrate that lunar rocks and terrestrial basalts show a 3 to 4 ppm (parts per million), statistically resolvable, difference in D17O. Taking aubrite meteorites as a candidate impactor material, we show that the giant impact scenario involved nearly complete mixing between the target and impactor. Alternatively, the degree of similarity between the D17O values of the impactor and the proto-Earth must have been significantly closer than that between Earth and aubrites. If the Earth-Moon system evolved from an initially highly vaporized and isotopically homogenized state, as indicated by recent dynamical models, then the terrestrial basalt-lunar oxygen isotope difference detected by our study may be a reflection of post-giant impact additions to Earth. On the basis of this assumption, our data indicate that post-giant impact additions to Earth could have contributed between 5 and 30% of Earth's water, depending on global water estimates. Consequently, our data indicate that the bulk of Earth's water was accreted before the giant impact and not later, as often proposed

Modélisation des systèmes de référence terrestres

not availableLes systèmes de référence terrestres sont devenus, au fil du temps, l'objet d'une attention croissante : la géodésie spatiale s'appuie sur les techniques GPS, DORIS, télémétrie laser sur satellite et interférométrie à très longue base, et elle rend possible la construction géométrique cohérente d'un modèle dynamique au voisinage de la terre. Ce modèle repose d'une part sur la restitution de l'orbite du satellite ou de la physique de l'objet vise, et d'autre part sur sa poursuite depuis la surface de la terre. Deux systèmes de référence entrent en jeu dans l'expression coordonnée du problème : un système quasi-inertiel associe à la dynamique satellitaire, et un système comobile avec la surface terrestre, appelé système de référence terrestre. La présente thèse détaille les stratégies possibles concernant l'usage des systèmes de référence et l'implication de ces stratégies sur la réalisation des systèmes. Les différentes stratégies s'articulent autour de trois points : la modélisation mathématique de l'espace (espace euclidien de la mécanique newtonienne ou variété riemannienne de la relativité générale), la modélisation physique de la dynamique dans le formalisme lie au choix précédent, et enfin, le traitement de l'observation dans un certain cadre stochastique. Ces divers choix donnent lieu à des difficultés spécifiques étudiées dans le cadre de cette thèse. On s'attache particulièrement à évaluer les implications de ces stratégies sur la réalisation des systèmes de référence terrestres. Ces travaux se placent en particulier dans la perspective de la construction du repère international de référence terrestre

Zones Franches Urbaines : quels effets sur l'emploi salarié et les créations d'établissements ?

[eng] France set up 41 “Urban Free Zones” (Zones Franches Urbaines: ZFUs) on 1 January 2004 to replace selected “Urban Regeneration Zones” (Zones de Redynamisation Urbaine: ZRUs). In ZFUs, businesses enjoy a fi veyear exemption from employers’ social contributions, corporate income tax, local business tax, and property tax. To assess the impact of these measures on paid employment and business creation, we estimated the change in both variables for ZFUs and for a control group of ZRUs that did not change status. We determined the control group by matching (“propensity scores” method) to allow for the selection bias affecting the choice of ZFUs in the total ZRU set. We calculated rates of change for the ZRU-to-ZFU transition year and later years. We fi nd a signifi cant positive impact of the shift to ZFU status on business and job creation. However, the effects should be qualifi ed. Two-thirds of the increase in gross fl ows of local business units is due to an infl ux of economic activities from areas not targeted by the measures (i.e., these are transfers, not outright business creation). The presence of a ZFU does not appear to have a signifi cant adverse impact on neighbouring areas. The cost per job created or transferred to ZFUs seems high, but we lack evaluations of policies aimed at similar objectives with which we could compare the ZFU system. [fre] 41 Zones Franches Urbaines (ZFU) ont été créées le . 1er janvier 2004 pour remplacer certaines Zones de Redynamisation Urbaine (ZRU). Dans les ZFU, les établissements bénéfi cient pour une durée de cinq ans d’exonérations de charges patronales, d’impôt sur les sociétés, de taxe professionnelle et de taxe foncière. Pour évaluer l’impact de ces mesures sur l’emploi salarié et les créations d’établissements, l’évolution de ces deux variables est calculée pour les ZFU et pour un groupe témoin de ZRU restées ZRU. Ce groupe témoin est déterminé par appariement afi n de tenir compte du biais de sélection des zones ZFU dans l’ensemble des Zones Franches Urbaines: quels effets sur l’emploi salarié et les créations d’établissements? ZRU (méthode des scores de propension). Les calculs d’évolution portent sur l’année de la transition entre ZRU et ZFU ainsi que sur les années suivantes. L’impact du classement en ZFU sur les créations d’établissement et d’emplois s’avère alors signifi catif et positif. Cependant, ces effets doivent être relativisés: l’augmentation des fl ux bruts d’établissements résulte pour les deux tiers d’un déplacement d’activités économiques en provenance de zones non ciblées par le dispositifs (transferts et non pas création d’établissements ex nihilo). . Le voisinage ne semble pas souffrir signifi cativement de la présence d’une zone franche. Le coût par emploi créé ou déplacé vers les ZFU par le dispositif semble élevé mais il n’existe pas d’évaluation de politique portant sur des objectifs similaires à laquelle le comparer. [ger] 41 abgabenfreie Stadtgebiete (Zones Franches Urbaines, ZFU) wurden am 1. Januar 2004 gegründet und traten an die Stelle der Gebiete der städtischen Redynamisierung (Zones de Redynamisation Urbaine, ZRU). In den ZFU sind die Unternehmen fünf Jahre lang von den Arbeitgeberabgaben, der Körperschaftssteuer, der Gewerbesteuer und der Grundsteuer befreit. Um die Auswirkungen dieser Maßnahmen auf die Beschäftigung und die Existenzgründung zu evaluieren, wird die Entwicklung dieser beiden Variablen für die ZFU und für eine Gruppe von ZRU, die ZRU blieben, ermittelt. Diese Gruppe wird durch paarweise Zusammenstellung bestimmt, um die Verzerrung bei der Auswahl der ZFU unter allen ZRU zu berücksichtigen („Propensity-Score-Methode“). Die Entwicklung wird für das Jahr des Übergangs von den ZRU zu den ZFU sowie die darauffolgenden vier Jahre errechnet. Die Einstufung als ZFU hat auf die Existenzgründung und die Beschäftigung signifi kante und positive Auswirkungen. Allerdings müssen diese Effekte relativisiert werden denn die Zunahme der Bruttozufl üsse von Unternehmen resultiert zu zwei Dritteln aus einer Verlagerung von Wirtschaftstätigkeiten aus nicht von diesen Maßnahmen betroffenen Gebieten (d. h. Verlagerungen und keine wirklichen Existenzgründungen). Für die Nachbarschaft scheint die Anwesenheit eines solchen Gebiets keine negativen Folgen zu haben. Die Kosten, die durch die Schaffung oder Verlagerung von Arbeitsplätzen in solche Gebiete entstehen, sind hoch es liegt aber keine politische Bewertung ähnlicher Maßnahmen vor, mit der ein Vergleich angestellt werden könnte. [spa] El 1 de enero de 2004 se crearon 41 Zonas Francas Urbanas (ZFU) para sustituir algunas Zonas de Redinamización Urbana (ZRU). En las ZFU, los establecimientos disfrutan durante cinco años de exoneraciones de cargas patronales, del impuesto de sociedades, del impuesto de actividad profesional y del impuesto sobre bienes inmuebles. Para valorar el impacto de estas medidas en el empleo asalariado y la creación de establecimientos, se calcula la evolución de estas dos variables para las ZFU y para un grupo de control de las ZRU que siguen siendo ZRU. Este grupo de control se determina por encuentro para tener en cuenta el sesgo de selección de las zonas ZFU en el conjunto de las ZRU (método de los índices de propensión). Los cálculos de evolución se refi eren al año de transición entre las ZRU y las ZFU, así como a los siguientes años. El impacto de la clasifi cación en ZFU sobre la creación de establecimientos y de empleos resulta entonces signifi cativo y positivo. No obstante, estos efectos deben relativizarse: el aumento de los fl ujos brutos de establecimientos procede en los dos tercios de de los casos del desplazamiento de actividades económicas procedentes de zonas no determinadas por los dispositivos (traslados y no creación de establecimientos ex nihilo). La vecindad no parece sufrir signifi cativamente por la presencia de una zona franca. El coste por empleo creado o trasladado hacia los ZFU por el dispositivo parece elevado, pero no existe evaluación de política sobre objetivos similares para compararlo.

Spatial Differences in Price Levels between French Regions and Cities with Scanner Data

This study is based on scanner data from large retailers sent daily to Insee in 2013. Its aim is to calculate indices that measure differences in consumer price levels between different areas of metropolitan France, focusing specifically on food products sold in supermarkets. A hedonic index based on the regression of the product price on barcode and territory dummies is developed. Several assessments are carried out over different weeks, with one week of data already providing a great degree of accuracy. The dispersion of price levels between regions or large conurbations is limited and, for the most part, robust to the choice of week. The highest prices are found in the Paris region and Corsica, with a magnitude of differences in the order of a few percentage points. A comparison of the new findings with research conducted by Insee between 1970 and 2000 shows that differences in food prices across different areas of metropolitan France are essentially structural and change little over time.Léonard Isabelle, Sillard Patrick, Varlet Gaëtan, Zoyem Jean-Paul. Spatial Differences in Price Levels between French Regions and Cities with Scanner Data. In: Economie et Statistique / Economics and Statistics, n°509, 2019. Big Data and Statistics. Part 2. Big Data in the Consumer Price Index. pp. 69-82

Scanner Data: Advances in Methodology and New Challenges for Computing Consumer Price Indices

When consumers pay for their purchases at the store checkout, the barcodes (also known as GTINs) of the goods purchased are scanned, recording quantities and the prices linked to each barcode in the process. Scanner data present an opportunity for use in constructing consumer price indices, which could supersede the use of survey data. Based on the existing concept of consumer price indices, the volume and new types of information provided by scanner datasets raise a number of new methodological questions, in particular in relation to price aggregation to produce indices, handling quality adjustments, classifying goods by homogeneous consumption segment and dealing with product relaunches and promotions. This article looks at how these questions have been addressed in France.Leclair Marie, Léonard Isabelle, Rateau Guillaume, Sillard Patrick, Varlet Gaëtan, Vernédal Pierre. Scanner Data: Advances in Methodology and New Challenges for Computing Consumer Price Indices. In: Economie et Statistique / Economics and Statistics, n°509, 2019. Big Data and Statistics. Part 2. Big Data in the Consumer Price Index. pp. 13-29

Prevalence of SARS-Cov-2 antibodies and living conditions: the French national random population-based EPICOV cohort

International audienceBackground: We aimed to estimate the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in France and to identify the populations most exposed during the first epidemic wave. Methods: Random selection of individuals aged 15 years or over, from the national tax register (96% coverage). Socioeconomic data, migration history, and living conditions were collected via self-computer-assisted-web or computer-assisted-telephone interviews. Home self-sampling was performed for a random subsample, to detect IgG antibodies against spike protein (Euroimmun), and neutralizing antibodies with in-house assays, in dried blood spots (DBS). Results: The questionnaire was completed by 134,391 participants from May 2nd to June 2st, 2020, including 17,441 eligible for DBS 12,114 of whom were tested. ELISA-S seroprevalence was 4.5% [95% CI 3.9-5.0] overall, reaching up to 10% in the two most affected areas. High-density residences, larger household size, having reported a suspected COVID-19 case in the household, working in healthcare, being of intermediate age and non-daily tobacco smoking were independently associated with seropositivity, whereas living with children or adolescents did not remain associated after adjustment for household size. Adjustment for both residential density and household size accounted for much of the higher seroprevalence in immigrants born outside Europe, twice that in French natives in univariate analysis. Conclusion: The EPICOV cohort is one of the largest national representative population-based seroprevalence surveys for COVID-19. It shows the major role of contextual living conditions in the initial spread of COVID-19 in France, during which the availability of masks and virological tests was limited