The Impact of Ownership Reform in Chinese Industry, 1995-2001

During the 1980s, the restructuring of Chinese industry was driven principally by the entry of new enterprises into the enterprise system and by the restructuring of managerial incentives. In 1993, China’s leadership formally inaugurated the shareholding experiment. This paper examines the impact on eight performance measures of the conversion of both state- and collective-owned enterprises to shareholding enterprises. The analysis distinguishes between the direct effect of conversion and the induced effect, involving the attraction of non-state investment, which reduces the proportion of state assets and state control rights. We find evidence for SOEs that both conversion and a decline in the share of state-owned assets motivate rising productivity and R&D intensity. While rising proportions of non-state assets motive lower employment and rising wages, the initial conversion effect is associated with higher employment and lower wages. These latter impacts may result from agreements with workers as part of the conversion process. The SOE conversion process exhibits selection bias in which SOEs with high rates of capital productivity and profitability, high tax burdens, and comparatively low wages and smaller labor forces are more likely to be selected for conversion. No similar selection bias is evident in the collective sector.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/39927/3/wp542.pd

The Impact of Ownership Reform in Chinese Industry, 1995-2001

During the 1980s, the restructuring of Chinese industry was driven principally by the entry of new enterprises into the enterprise system and by the restructuring of managerial incentives. In 1993, China’s leadership formally inaugurated the shareholding experiment. This paper examines the impact on eight performance measures of the conversion of both state- and collective-owned enterprises to shareholding enterprises. The analysis distinguishes between the direct effect of conversion and the induced effect, involving the attraction of non-state investment, which reduces the proportion of state assets and state control rights. We find evidence for SOEs that both conversion and a decline in the share of state-owned assets motivate rising productivity and R&D intensity. While rising proportions of non-state assets motive lower employment and rising wages, the initial conversion effect is associated with higher employment and lower wages. These latter impacts may result from agreements with workers as part of the conversion process. The SOE conversion process exhibits selection bias in which SOEs with high rates of capital productivity and profitability, high tax burdens, and comparatively low wages and smaller labor forces are more likely to be selected for conversion. No similar selection bias is evident in the collective sector.

Screening mammography use and chemotherapy among female stage II colon cancer patients: a retrospective cohort study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Although chemotherapy is not a routine recommendation for stage II colon cancer by the U.S. national guidelines, 20-30% of patients have received chemotherapy. This study investigated whether screening mammography use before the cancer diagnosis was associated with chemotherapy use among female elderly patients with stage II colon cancer.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Retrospective cohort study on 2910 female stage II colon cancer patients aged 67-79 using the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER)-Medicare data (1996-2002). Screening mammography use and chemotherapy use were identified using Medicare claims data. Multivariate logistic regression and Kaplan-Meier curves were used.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>About 25% of female elderly patients received chemotherapy. The chemotherapy rates increased from 22% in 1996-1998 to 26% in 2001-2002. After adjusting for socio-demographic variables, tumor characteristics and Charlson index for comorbidities, the odds of receiving chemotherapy were 28% higher among those who had a screening mammogram before the cancer diagnosis than those who did not (OR: 1.28, 95% CI: 1.07-1.54). Those with a prior mammogram also received chemotherapy earlier than those without. In addition, patients with unfavorable tumor characteristics were more likely to receive chemotherapy. Mammography use before the cancer diagnosis was associated with favorable tumor characteristics.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Despite the controversy about the chemotherapy use among stage II colon cancer, female elderly patients still received chemotherapy at a high rate. Our findings suggest that patient's health beliefs and health care seeking behavior, together with physician's recommendation, play important roles in the cancer treatment decision.</p

Slightly Fluorination of Al₂O₃ ALD Coating on Li₁.₂Mn₀.₅₄Coo.₁₃Ni₀.₁₃O₂ Electrodes: Interface Reaction to Create Stable Solid Permeable Interphase Layer

Improving the performance of cathodes by using surface coatings has proven to be an effective method for improving the stability of Li-ion batteries (LIBs), while a high-quality film satisfying all requirements of electrochemical inertia, chemical stability, and lithium ion conductivity has not been found. In this study, a composite film composed of Al2O3 and AlF3 layers was coated on the surface of Li1.2Mn0.54Co0.13Ni0.13O2 (Li-rich NMC) based electrodes by atomic layer deposition (ALD). By varying the ratio of Al2O3 and AlF3, an optimal coating was achieved. The electrochemical characterization results indicated that the coating with 1 cycle of AlF3 ALD on 5 cycles of Al2O3 ALD (1AlF3-5Al2O3) significantly improved the cycling stability and alleviated the voltage attenuation problem of Li-rich NMC based electrodes by suppressing side reactions between the electrolyte and electrode, as well as inhibiting the transformation of layered Li2MnO3 into a spinel-like phase. After 200 cycles of charge-discharge, the discharge capacity retention of LIB half cells based on 1AlF3-5Al2O3 coated Li-rich NMC electrodes kept at 84%, much higher than that of the uncoated Li-rich NMC (the capacity retention less than 20%)

Evidence of a role for Th17 cells in the breach of immune tolerance in arthritis

Th17 cells are thought to play a pathogenic role in various autoimmune diseases. Cytokines secreted by Th17 cells like IL-17, IL-17F and IL-22 have the capacity to mediate a massive inflammatory response. These proinflammatroy cytokines are likely to mediate the pathogenic potential of Th17 cells. Recent evidence suggests a role for Th17 cells in the breach of immune tolerance. This might shed some new light on the pathogenic role of Th17 cells in autoimmunity