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Job creation has become an urgent agenda for policymakers of many sub-Saharan African nations who are struggling with unemployment. Thus, this study has attempted to examine the determinants of labour demand in the manufacturing sector in Ethiopia using industry-level panel data containing 37,555 firms grouped into 100 industries with 919 observations over the period of 2002–2020. By using a two-step system generalised method of moments estimator, the study reveals that the real wage and product market competition difficulty impact the labour demand of manufacturing industries significantly and negatively, while the value of energy, locally sourced and imported raw material used as well as the output, fixed capital stock and labour demand first lag has a positive and significant effect, holding other factors constant. In addition to the lags of the endogenous variables, the pension of the worker contributed by the industries and the percentage of firms facing a high raw material shortage in the industries were used as external instruments to treat the endogeneity of real wage and output, respectively. The consistence of the results was checked by using the robust form of ordinary least square and fixed effect model estimations. In order to address the problem of raw materials shortage, it is suggested to provide incentives for agricultural production driven by industry needs. Policy interventions aimed at lowering the proportion of raw material imports are recommended due to the severe shortage of foreign currency. In addition, industries' labour demand will rise as a result of fixed capital formation, improved energy provision and efficient consumption, and smoothing competition in the product market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On the 5th of March 2013, the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) issued warnings regarding elevated pollution levels. Air pollution were reported in various regions of England, thereby influencing consumer behavior significantly. In response to the inconveniences and health threats posed by air pollution, individuals may alter their behavior to contribute to environmental improvement and mitigate the risks of potential future disasters. This study employs a difference-in-difference model, incorporating a two-way fixed effect model, to explore the repercussions of air pollution on consumer behavior. The findings suggest severe air pollution increase reliance on public transportation, as well as heighten inclination towards walking and cycling for short journeys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The digital economy has introduced new ideas and methods for the high-quality development of agriculture, becoming a driving force for enhancing agricultural production efficiency. This manuscript utilizes balanced panel data from 1,503 counties and employs the three-stage DEA-Malmquist method to measure agricultural total factor productivity (hereinafter referred to as ATFP). Fixed effect models and mediation models are used to explore the impact and mechanisms of digital rural development on ATFP. The research findings indicate that both ATFP and digital rural development are increasing, although regional disparities exist. The eastern region has higher levels of digital rural development and ATFP compared to the central and western regions. Analysis using fixed effect models and mediation models shows that digital rural development has a significant positive effect on ATFP during the sample period, with rural inclusive finance and human capital playing a mediating role. The impact of digital rural development on ATFP varies across regions. It is more prominent in main grain-producing and main grain-consuming areas, and less significant in balanced production and consumption areas. Geographically, the impact is stronger in the eastern region than in the central and western regions. When categorized by the type of agricultural production, the impact is significant in livestock areas, while relatively smaller in planting industry areas. Based on these findings, it is recommended that local areas tailor their approach to digital rural construction and formulate agricultural production policies that leverage regional strengths and address weaknesses. Additionally, promoting the development of rural inclusive finance, cultivating digital talent, improving talent introduction policies, and expanding the rural digital talent pool are suggested to build momentum for agricultural development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. A benefit of L-carnitine (LC) supplementation for athletes' performance remains unclear. The present study aimed to evaluate an effect of LC supplementation on a postexercise blood lactate level and aerobic capacity in athletes/trained individuals. Methods. A systematic review and metaanalysis study was conducted based on the PRISMA guidelines. PubMed, Google Scholar, and ProQuest were searched for relevant studies from database inception to November 2023. An overall effects estimation was performed using random and fixed effects models for a blood lactate level and maximal oxygen consumption (V̇O2 max). Pooled effects were presented as standardized mean difference or mean difference. Results. A total of 257 athletes from 14 studies were included. Pooled analysis demonstrated that a supplementation group had significantly lower blood lactate levels (SMD = -0.52 mmol/L, 95% CI: -0.85 to -0.19, p = 0.002) and higher V̇O2 max (MD = 2.16 ml/kg/min, 95% CI: 0.45 to 3.87, p = 0.01) compared to a placebo group. Subgroup analysis showed that chronic LC supplementation resulted in lower post-exercise blood lactate levels than placebo (SMD = -0.69 mmol/L, 95% CI: -1.16 to -0.21, p = 0.004). Conclusions. This study suggests that athletes may benefit from chronic LC supplementation by decreasing post-exercise blood lactate levels and increasing V̇O2 max. However, acute LC supplementation only resulted in an increase in V̇O2 max. Nevertheless, more scrutinous studies are needed to ascertain its efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Banks play an important role in the development and prosperity of countries' economies. We cannot carry out daily transactions, whether individual or business, without their presence. The purpose of current study is to investigate whether a relationship exists between insolvency risk and Islamic banks’ profitability in the MENA region. Previous researchers covered this risk individually, however, in this study the risk is taken into consideration including the deposit ratio which are the control variables in this study. For this purpose, data were obtained from 12 MENA countries covering 20 Islamic banks as panel data over ten years period from 2011 till 2020. The fixed effect models were relied upon to analysis data. In the study, the results of two profitability measures (ROA and ROE) were discussed to explain how they are distinct from each other using insolvency risk as independent variable. The results show that insolvency risk has insignificant effect on the profitability of Islamic banks measured by ROA and ROE, regarding control variable, the outcome demonstrate that deposit ratio has insignificant effect on ROA and ROE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this research is to examine if the profit earned by Jordanian banks influenced by change in working capital turnover. Previous researchers depend on different metrics to evaluate how working capital turnover affects earnings, however, in this study utilize return on assets and return on equity as indicators of profitability, and use the ratio of revenue attributed to average working capital as a metric for measuring the working capital turnover. To achieve this objective, The chosen sample consists of 7 traditional banks operating in Jordan, and panel data analysis is utilized to examine the period spanning from 2015 to 2019. Data analysis was conducted using fixed effect models. In this research, we used profitability as dependent variable and working capital turnover as independent variable. The results show that profitability measured by ROE was negatively impacted by working capital turnover, while insignificant impact on ROA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper examines the effects of technological infrastructure and a business-friendly environment on economic growth in the Arab world from 2004 to 2021 using a detailed panel data analysis approach. Design/Methodology/Approach: The study chooses the fixed effect model based on the Hausman test with additional diagnostic tests confirming the absence of serial correlation and heteroscedasticity employing fixed and random effect models on data from thirteen Arab countries. Findings: Findings reveal a negative relationship between ease of doing business and GDP growth (Gross Domestic Product) suggesting that improvements in the business environment paradoxically decrease economic growth. Conversely, a positive relationship exists between the human development index and economic growth underscoring the significance of human capital. Notably, no significant relationship is detected between technological infrastructure and economic growth. Conclusion: The study concludes that regulatory reforms and human capital investment are pivotal for economic growth in the Arab world challenging the assumed positive impact of ease of doing business on economic expansion. It underscores the need for a strategic focus on developing human resources and technological infrastructure to foster sustainable economic growth. Contribution to the Literature: This research contributes to the economic literature by highlighting the nuanced effects of the ease of doing business and the essential role of human capital in driving economic growth within the Arab region offering new insights for policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a network traffic prediction model based on linear and nonlinear model combination. Network traffic is modeled by an autoregressive moving average model, and the error between the measured and predicted network traffic values is obtained. Then, an echo state network is used to fit the prediction error with nonlinear components. In addition, an improved slime mold algorithm is proposed for reservoir parameter optimization of the echo state network, further improving the regression performance. The predictions of the linear (autoregressive moving average) and nonlinear (echo state network) models are added to obtain the final prediction. Compared with other prediction models, test results on two network traffic datasets from mobile and fixed networks show that the proposed prediction model has a smaller error and difference measures. In addition, the coefficient of determination and index of agreement is close to 1, indicating a better data fitting performance. Although the proposed prediction model has a slight increase in time complexity for training and prediction compared with some models, it shows practical applicability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reducing urban-rural income disparities is crucial for economic growth and sustainable development. Does combating environmental pollution contribute to reducing income inequality? Drawing on data gathered from 199 prefecture-level cities spanning 2011 to 2019, this study examines the impact of public environmental concern on urban-rural income gaps using a two-way fixed effects model and dynamic panel model. The study reveals that heightened public environmental awareness can impede the growth of farmers' income, exacerbating urban-rural income disparities with a delayed effect. This influence is more pronounced in densely populated areas, economically advanced regions, mid-regions, and low-pollution zones. Further investigations demonstrate that public environmental awareness can widen the economic divide between urban and rural areas by influencing environmental governance capabilities and deteriorating the employment landscape. These findings offer valuable insights for regions aiming to concurrently achieve shared prosperity and reduce carbon emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to investigate the possible association among profitability evaluated ROA and ROE and capital structure, represented by the debt ratio and debt to equity ratio with the share price of Jordanian banks. The chosen sample consists of 7 traditional banks operating in Jordan, and panel data analysis is utilized to examine the period spanning from 2015 to 2019. The model employed to analyze data is the fixed effect model. This study relied on (ROA, ROE, DR and DER) as independent variables, whereas the share price as dependent variable. The results reached reveal that a negative influence of debt ratio exists on Jordanian banks' share price, while positively impacted by ROA and ROE, however, DER has insignificant influence on share price that traded by Jordanian banks. The outcomes presented above align with the prevailing literature reviews included in this study, confirming the theoretical discussions concerning the interplay between capital structure, profitability, and share price. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper empirically analyses the impact of fiscal policy on the economic growth of the countries of Southeast Europe. The work was carried out with secondary data from the 12-year period and respectively from 2010 to 2021 and includes 11 countries, so the data belongs to the panel type. The purpose of this paper is to analyze social variables such as government spending, income from taxes, public debt, government effectiveness, fiscal freedom, rule of law index, and corruption in economic growth. For this purpose, we employ different econometric models and techniques such as OLS, OLS Robust fixed and random effects models, and GMM (Generalized Method of Moments). The findings from the research show that fiscal policy instruments have a positive impact on the economic growth of the countries of Southeast Europe, while the effectiveness of the government, the rule of law, and corruption show a statistically significant impact on the economic growth of these countries. The recommendations for the countries are for policymakers in the region to prioritize the development and implementation of sound fiscal policies to stimulate economic growth. By strategically managing government spending and taxation, these countries can enhance aggregate demand, encourage investment, and create a favourable business climate. Furthermore, adopting expansionary measures during economic downturns and adopting prudent debt management practices can contribute to stability, confidence, and sustainable growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper empirically analyses the determining factors of the growth in the migration rate in the countries of the Western Balkans. The analysis is carried out with panel data over 17 years from 2005 to 2021. The purpose of this paper is to analyse social variables such as unemployment and standard of living, and political variables such as corruption, political stability, government effectiveness, rule of law and the level of corruption in the migration of citizens. For this purpose, we employ different econometric models and techniques such as OLS, OLS robust fixed and random effects models, and GMM (generalized method of moments). The study's findings demonstrate that high levels of unemployment in the Western Balkan region are the primary cause of the surge in migration; thus, large levels of labour force migration are also present in these countries. The findings also show that variables related to the political situation have statistical significance in reducing migration. The paper does not find a statistically significant influence of the level of corruption on migration. The recommendations for the countries of the Western Balkan region are to create long-term sustainable employment policies and increase wages as preventive measures for migration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Facultad de Ciencias Economicas: Investigacion y Reflexion is the property of Revista Facultad de Ciencias Economicas and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study aimed to estimate the perinatal mortality associated with prenatally diagnosed vasa previa and to determine what proportion of those perinatal deaths are directly attributable to vasa previa. The following databases have been searched from January 1, 1987, to January 1, 2023: PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase. Our study included all studies (cohort studies and case series or reports) that had patients in which a prenatal diagnosis of vasa previa was made. Case series or reports were excluded from the meta-analysis. All cases in which prenatal diagnosis was not made were excluded from the study. The programming language software R (version 4.2.2) was used to conduct the meta-analysis. The data were logit transformed and pooled using the fixed effects model. The between-study heterogeneity was reported by I 2 . The publication bias was evaluated using a funnel plot and the Peters regression test. The Newcastle-Ottawa scale was used to assess the risk of bias. Overall, 113 studies with a cumulative sample size of 1297 pregnant individuals were included. This study included 25 cohort studies with 1167 pregnancies and 88 case series or reports with 130 pregnancies. Moreover, 13 perinatal deaths occurred among these pregnancies, consisting of 2 stillbirths and 11 neonatal deaths. Among the cohort studies, the overall perinatal mortality was 0.94% (95% confidence interval, 0.52–1.70; I 2 =0.0%). The pooled perinatal mortality attributed to vasa previa was 0.51% (95% confidence interval, 0.23–1.14; I 2 =0.0%). Stillbirth and neonatal death were reported in 0.20% (95% confidence interval, 0.05–0.80; I 2 =0.0%) and 0.77% (95% confidence interval, 0.40–1.48; I 2 =0.0%) of pregnancies, respectively. Perinatal death is uncommon after a prenatal diagnosis of vasa previa. Approximately half of the cases of perinatal mortality are not directly attributable to vasa previa. This information will help in guiding physicians in counseling and will provide reassurance to pregnant individuals with a prenatal diagnosis of vasa previa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the panel data of 204 cities from 2008 to 2020, the study first uses the mixed OLS model and two-way fixed effect model to verify the direct impact of tourism on the urban-rural income gap. Next, we employ the instrumental variable method, as well as estimation methods such as 2SLS and GMM, to test for endogeneity problem present in the study. Furthermore, the mediating effect model is used to examine the mechanism through which tourism affects the urban-rural income disparity. The findings indicate that rural infrastructure acts as an intermediary between tourism development and the reduction of the urban-rural income disparity. Furthermore, the impact of tourism on narrowing the income gap seems to diminish gradually from the western regions to the eastern ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the impact of policy uncertainty on air pollution, using the turnover of local officials in China as a quasi-natural experiment. The results from the two-way fixed effects model show that policy uncertainty caused by the turnover of different officials produces contrasting effects on air pollution. While the turnover of the mayor has no effect on air pollution, the turnover of the municipal party committee secretary deteriorates it. Two-Stage Least Square estimation confirms these results where the age and tenure of officials were used as instrumental variables of policy uncertainty. The results are robust after endogenous treatments and robustness tests. The mechanism analysis further indicates that policy uncertainty worsens air quality by weakening environmental regulation and crowding out green innovation. Moreover, the impact is more pronounced in smaller and less developed cities. The conclusions provide policy implications for environmental governance in the period of policy uncertainty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite much impetus on economic growth, educational expansion, health and infrastructural development, women participation in labour force market is not improving. Women participation in politics, leadership positions, national parliaments and local government, judiciary and police force is very essential for achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. The said target is clearly mentioned as SDG 5.5 which entails—"Ensure women's full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life". In India, percentage of female elected representatives in parliament rose from 9.0% in 1999 (13th Lok Sabha general elections) to 14.4% in 2019 (17th Lok Sabha general elections) as per the statistical reports published by the Election Commission of India. Thus, the paper tries to study the relationship between women in parliament (MP) and female labour force participation rates (FLPR) using panel data across Indian states for the period 1999 to 2019. The objective of the paper is to empirically examine the relationship between female (elected) political representation and FLPR, using fixed effect panel data model across 15 Indian states excluding Union Territories (UTs), North-Eastern States (NEs), Delhi, Goa, and Jammu & Kashmir (J&K). The panel data is created by taking data of female elected candidates of different states from the statistical reports of general elections published by Election Commission of India and that of FLPR is extracted from various rounds of National Statistical Office (NSO) and Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) reports, respectively. The empirical results suggest that higher political representation of women is associated with favourable female labour outcomes. Our result implies that Female Political Representation (FPR) has a positive and significant effect on FLPR under fixed effect model. However, the random effect model suggests net state domestic product (NSDP) per capita has a negative and significant effect on FLPR, while, Fixed effect model suggests that female literacy rate has a negative and significant effect on FLPR which are consistent with the established literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Arquivos Brasileiros de Oftalmologia is the property of Arquivos Brasileiros de Oftalmologia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Estudios Internacionales is the property of Instituto de Estudios Internacionales de la Universidad de Chile and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Purpose: Previous work in urology has shown that men have higher h-indices than women. However, the degree to which h-indices vary by gender within urological subspecialties has not been well defined. Herein, we assess gender differences in h-index among different subspecialties. Materials and Methods: Demographics were recorded for academic urologists using residency program websites as of July 2021. Scopus was queried to identify h-indices. Gender differences in h-index were estimated from a linear mixedeffects regression model with fixed effects for gender, urological subspecialty, MD/PhD status, years since first publication, interactions of subspecialty with years since first publication, and interactions of subspecialty with gender and random effects for AUA section and institution nested within AUA section. The Holm method was used to adjust for multiplicity (7 hypothesis tests). Results: Of 1,694 academic urologists from 137 institutions, 308 were women (18%). Median years since first publication was 20 for men (IQR 13, 29) and 13 for women (IQR 8, 17). Among all academic urologists, the median h-index was 8 points higher for men (15 [IQR 7, 27]) vs women (7 [IQR 5, 12]). There was no significant gender difference in h-index for any of the subspecialties after adjusting for urologist experience and after applying the Holm method for multiplicity correction. Conclusions: We were unable to demonstrate a gender difference in h-index after adjusting for urologist experience for any urological subspecialties. Future study is warranted as women become more senior members of the urological workforce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to systematically review and meta-analyse epidemiological data of refractive error prevalence in Portugal. A structured search strategy and systematic literature review was applied to multiple databases, such as MEDLINE/PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Google Scholar, official organizations and academic repositorium's, to identify all relevant epidemiological studies in Portugal until February 2021. The outcome measure was the prevalence of refractive error among the Portuguese population. The events and sample size were entered as raw data and the effect size parameters were computed by Comprehensive Meta-Analysis Software. A total of 9 studies were pooled for the meta-analysis. The fixed effects model points to an estimated effect size of 43% (95% CI: 41.9–44.1%). However, the statistics of heterogeneity (Q-value p < 0.001; I-squared =99.344) showed very high heterogeneity among studies and recommends using a random-effects model. The random effects model points to an estimated effect size of 31.9% (95% CI: 19.8–47.0%) prevalence of refractive error in the Portuguese population. A prevalence of refractive error in Portugal of 31.9% (95% CI: 20.0–47.0%) can be considered as a conservative approach to the real burden of this condition. However, it translates into at least 2 to 4.5 million Portuguese individuals with a refractive error. The high heterogeneity between studies, the wide estimate and the random effects involved demonstrate the need for more studies and consistent sources to obtain narrower estimates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The planet on which we are living is currently under an imminent threat. Population growth, massive digitalization, environmental pollution, increased scarcity of resources, and the greenhouse effect are putting our future and the future of generations to come at risk. As more and more governmental reforms are aiming to diversify the sources of energy production and many international players are working on market coupling to enhance cross-border cooperation, the question that arises is what developing countries can do in light of an energy crisis. Such so-called transition economies are working hard to promote growth, sustainable development and increase competitiveness in the European arena. Said that, it becomes important to know how market dynamics shape the energy demand, and thus the energy consumption in these countries. To answer this question, this paper employs secondary data from 2007-2021. The empirical analysis builds on unbalanced panel data and studies the main statistically significant determinants steering energy consumption across Balkan region, by examining the case of Albania, Serbia, Bulgaria, Republic of North Macedonia, and Bosnia & Herzegovina through a Fixed Effects model. A wide pool of variables related to innovation, political climate, economy, and finance were chosen to explain the energy consumption in the region. Using a general-to-specific approach, we were able to obtain a model with three regressors, all of them critical in capturing the variability in energy consumption. The results showed that in developing countries the main drivers of energy consumption are HDI, FDI and Innovation Index. This research provides an up-to-date picture on the dynamics of the energy markets in the region by providing a comprehensive analysis, which accounts for a variety of factors and adequate methodology. It is especially useful for policy makers to have a forward-looking approach and embed the results of such a study in their projections, analysis, and future decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of trade on environmental performance has recently become a hot topic. However, little is known about whether import trade affects the energy use of developing countries. Therefore, we use detailed micro-firm data on China's manufacturing sector to investigate the impact of import competition on firms' coal energy intensity. We measure the degree of import competition by import penetration and estimate firm-level data for 2001–2010 using a fixed effects model and 2SLS strategy. The findings suggest that import competition significantly reduces coal energy intensity for Chinese firms, which implies that increasing imports will make it easier for China to meet the objective of "carbon peaking, carbon neutral". By decomposing import competition, we find that differences in the sources of import competition can explain decline changes in firm energy intensity. The theoretical framework and mechanism tests show that the improvement of production and technology application efficiency are the main channels through which import competition decreases energy intensity. However, there is no evidence that import competition has driven firm green transformation process. Finally, we constructed an industry correlation index using the input–output relationship between industries to confirm that import competition affects the energy intensity of near-neighbor industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Kirsehir Education Faculty is the property of Journal of Kirsehir Education Faculty and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study aims to determine the variables as determinants of local government revenue in Indonesia. The research method used was panel data regression analysis for 34 provinces in Indonesia from 2016-2021 with variables of local government revenue (LGR), gross regional domestic product (GRDP), road length (RL), domestic investment (INV), population (POP), human development index (HDI), and foreign direct investment (FDI). Based on the Chow test, the Hausman test and the LM test results, it was found that the suitable model was the fixed effect model (FEM). The results showed that all variables significantly affected LGR values, except for the foreign direct investment (FDI) and road length (RL). The variables with a considerable influence on the local government revenue (LGR) increase were the population (POP), domestic investment (INV), human development index (HDI), and gross regional domestic product (GRDP). The recommendation in this research is that it is necessary to formulate an integrated policy between the local government and actors from each district or city to encourage rapid economic development independence by improving the investment and business climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Municipal infrastructure is typically implemented to address a social need, yet not regularly evaluated to assess its impacts. This research explores the question of measuring the impact of wastewater infrastructure on water-borne diseases using the case study of Texas. There are over 300,000 mostly Hispanic residents living in informal settlements called colonias primarily located along the Texas-Mexico border. Until the late 2000′s these residents were using contaminated wells, hauled water, cesspools, or nonfunctioning septic tanks. Consequently, the incidences of contagious diseases associated with poor water quality greatly surpassed the state average. Federal and state agencies invested about $1 billion for first-time water and wastewater service in these rural communities with the objective of reducing water-borne diseases. This study applies a two-way fixed effects regression model to evaluate results using data gathered from publicly available reports and over 90 interviews with water and wastewater service providers. This quasi-experimental analysis exploited the size, location, and timing of wastewater infrastructure. Results show that residents in the eight counties with the largest colonia population experienced a 24% reduction in hepatitis A incidence rate. However, tuberculosis and salmonellosis rates do not seem to be affected by infrastructure investment and continue to be a problem. Most of the utility managers interviewed, especially in the more rural areas, coincided that even though population growth or economic development did not occur, they witnessed quality-of-life improvements. This research design and results contribute to an emerging body of literature on monitoring and evaluation of programs related to municipal infrastructure. [Display omitted] • Investment in sanitation can assist in addressing hepatitis A. • High incidences of other contagious diseases such as tuberculosis continue. • Stakeholder interviews were important to understand other quality-of-life benefits. • Public data is available for program evaluation of infrastructure investment. • Fixed effects model used to measure impacts of infrastructure on health outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND A classic debate concerns whether absolute or relative income is more salient. Absolute values resources as constant across time and place while relative contextualizes one's hierarchical location in the distribution of a time and place. OBJECTIVE This study investigates specifically whether absolute income or relative income matters more for health and well-being. METHODS We exploit within-person, within-age, and within-time variation with higher-quality income measures and multiple health and well-being outcomes in the United States. Using the Panel Study of Income Dynamics and the Cross-National Equivalent File, we estimate three-way fixed effects models of self-rated health, poor health, psychological distress, and life satisfaction. RESULTS For all four outcomes, relative income has much larger standardized coefficients than absolute income. Robustly, the confidence intervals for relative income do not overlap with zero. By contrast, absolute income mostly has confidence intervals that overlap with zero, and its coefficient is occasionally signed in the wrong direction. A variety of robustness checks support these results. CONCLUSIONS Relative income has far greater predictive validity than absolute income for self-reported health and well-being. CONTRIBUTION Compared to earlier studies, this study provides a more rigorous comparison and test of the predictive validity of absolute and relative income that is uniquely conducted with data on the United States. This informs debates on income measurement, the sources of health and well-being, and inequalities generally. Plausibly, these results can guide any analysis that includes income in models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Several studies show that cohabiting adult children have less frequent contact with their mothers than married adult children. We argue that these findings might be spurious due to confounding. OBJECTIVE Our aim is to replicate earlier research using more robust statistical instruments from the family of multi-level models with fixed effects, which are known to offer better control of omitted-variable bias. We also want to show the extent to which union-type effects vary across countries and by parenthood status. METHODS We use data from the SHARE survey. Mothers are the primary respondents and report on contact with all their children as well as on their children's union type. We apply mother-level fixed effects (i.e., within-mother comparisons) to see if the frequency of contact depends on the child's union type (distinguishing marriage and unmarried cohabitation). RESULTS We find no overall association between the adult child's union status and the frequency of intergenerational contact with the mother. While there are some differences across countries in this effect, these are uncorrelated with the prevalence of unmarried cohabitation, any typology of family systems, or the prevailing type of unmarried cohabitation. CONCLUSIONS We failed to replicate previously reported associations between children's union type and frequency of intergenerational contact. We conclude that the earlier findings are spurious and cannot be interpreted causally. CONTRIBUTION Unmarried cohabitations should not be seen as 'incomplete institutions.' Cohabitors are not excluded from family networks and intergenerational exchanges on the basis of their union status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Propose a heterogeneous deep learning framework for carbon emission prediction. • Conduct prior heterogeneity analysis using fixed effects models. • Propose an Attention Deep & Cross Network model to predict carbon emissions. • Employ the SHAP method to explain factor contributions and feature interaction. • Highlight the impact of AI technology and smart city on reducing carbon emissions. High technology and artificial intelligence (AI) are crucial for achieving urban Dual Carbon Goals. This study proposes a heterogeneous deep learning framework with analysis and prediction phases to explore AI technology's impact on urban carbon emissions. In the analysis phase, fixed effect models address differences in AI development and time heterogeneity among cities. In the prediction phase, an Attention Deep & Cross Network (ADCN) model leveraging feature interactions is proposed to enhance prediction precision and robustness. The Shapley Additive Explanations (SHAP) method quantifies each feature's contribution to ADCN's predictions, elucidating factors' impacts on carbon emissions. This study investigates AI development levels and other variables across 275 Chinese cities to test model performance and uncover the AI-carbon emissions relationship. Results show that fixed effects models significantly improve prediction accuracy, with ADCN outperforming statistical and machine learning models (RMSE: 646.262, MAE: 474.818, R²: 0.993). SHAP analysis reveals that AI technology level (11.85 %), smart city (12.35 %), energy consumption (11.60 %), population (9.38 %), urbanization rate (8.89 %), and GDP (8.40 %) significantly influence carbon emissions. Especially, the interaction between AI technology and smart city or intelligent manufacturing proportion increases their carbon reduction by 1.059 × 1021 or 4.992 × 1019 tons. AI technology moderates the impact of increasing energy consumption and urbanization, reducing their potential emissions by 20 % and 1 %. The framework offers high accuracy and scalability, providing valuable insights for strategy development. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Incorporating GDFO and PCR into the same analytical framework. • Assessing the role of GDFO contributes to PCR in 285 Chinese cities. • Proposing three crucial channels for the impact of GDFO on PCR. • The marginal impact of GDFO on PCR exhibits double threshold characteristics. • PCR effects of GDFO show significant heterogeneity. As a fusion of financial ''digitalization'' and ''greening'', green digital finance is crucial for ecological quality enhancement. Based on panel data from 285 cities in China spanning 2011 to 2021, this study aims to examine the synergistic impact of Green Digital Finance (GDFO) on Pollution and Carbon Reduction (PCR). The two-way fixed effect model, moderated effect model, and threshold model are employed to study the direct, transmission, and non-linear effects of GDFO on PCR. Results indicate that GDFO significantly enhances PCR in urban areas, and this conclusion remains valid after several robustness tests. Mechanically, encouraging green technology innovation, promoting industrial structure upgrading, and enhancing financial supervision are effective channels for strengthening the impact of GDFO on PCR. At varying levels of green digital finance and financial supervision, the marginal impact of GDFO on PCR exhibits double threshold characteristics in the form of "U-shaped" and "inverted U-shaped". Furthermore, the impact of GDFO on PCR is more pronounced in the eastern and western regions, resource cities, and cities with a high level of financial development, excellent digital infrastructure, and robust environmental regulation. This study offers theoretical support and empirical evidence for deepening the GDFO to promote PCR at the city level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon neutrality and common prosperity have been highlighted as key goals for the Chinese government in the coming decades. However, to date, no single study has examined the relationship between common prosperity and carbon emissions. This study addresses this gap by utilizing panel data from 31 provinces in China spanning from 2000 to 2021 and employing a fixed-effect spatial Durbin model to examine the direct and spatial spillover effects of common prosperity on carbon emissions. The results reveal a U-shaped relationship between common prosperity and carbon emissions within a local region, indicating a trade-off between achieving common prosperity and reducing emissions in the long term. Additionally, industrial agglomeration is found to have played a moderating role in this curvilinear relationship. Higher levels of industrial agglomeration can flatten the U-shaped curve and shift the turning point to the right, suggesting the potential for carbon decoupling of common prosperity—a scenario where economic growth and environmental sustainability can be achieved concurrently, making it a critical goal for polixy-makers. Furthermore, the study demonstrates an inverted U-shaped curve for the spatial spillover effect of common prosperity on carbon emissions. Promoting agglomeration in neighboring regions can mitigate the spatial spillover effects of common prosperity on carbon emissions. These findings emphasize the need for collaborative efforts among regions to achieve a win-win outcome of common prosperity and carbon neutrality. • China faces a trade-off between achieving common prosperity and long-term emission reduction. • Common prosperity exhibits spatial spillover effects on carbon emissions. • Agglomeration can facilitate the decoupling of carbon emissions from common prosperity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the technological advancements embodied by digital technology have received significant attention from policymakers and researchers because of their profound impacts on the economy and society. In particular, the relationship between digital technology and employment continues to be a subject of considerable debate. This article focuses on the microperspective, and the causal effects and mechanisms of corporate digital transformation on labour employment are examined. With the use of data on Chinese A-share manufacturing companies from 2008– to 2019, text analysis is employed in this study to construct a comprehensive index of corporate digital transformation. We utilise a combination of fixed effects models, difference-in-differences (DiD) models, and instrumental variable methods and demonstrate that digital transformation stimulates enterprise labour demand, a conclusion that remains valid after multiple endogeneity tests and robustness assessments. The heterogeneous results indicate that nonstate-owned enterprises (non-SOEs), nonhigh-tech enterprises, enterprises with low financing constraints, and small enterprises exhibit greater employment creation effects through digital transformation. Mechanistic analysis suggests that digital transformation increases enterprise employment by increasing operational and management efficiency, profitability, and labour productivity levels. Further exploration reveals that digital transformation increases the demand for labour with varying skills and human capital upgrading in enterprises. This article, through the lens of digital technology, enriches the body of research on the nexus between technological progress and employment, provides novel insights into employment fluctuations under the digital paradigm, and outlines significant implications for countries balancing digital economy development, employment growth, and social stability. • The digital transformation of enterprises has a job-creating effect on employment and promotes employment stability. • Reduces operational costs, enhances profitability, and boosts labour productivity are the primary channels of effect. • The use of digital technology in China's manufacturing sector has facilitated the upgrading of companies' human capital. • The employment creation effect of corporate digital transformation exhibits asymmetry across different types of enterprises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-speed railway (HSR) has become the backbone of China's rapid and comprehensive urban transportation network system. However, the impact of the network characteristics of HSR on urban land prices has not been studied in sufficient detail. To fill this gap, this study focuses on both the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration and explores the linkage relationship between the HSR network and urban land prices. For this analysis, social network analysis and fixed effects model are used. The results show that the overall HSR network density of these two urban agglomerations still has room for improvement. Affected by regional proximity and the direction of HSR lines, HSR presents a spatial pattern of a multi-center–multi-tier network. The "siphon effect" is the main effect of the HSR network characteristics on land prices. However, the weakening degree of spatial spillover effect on siphon effect of the HSR network in the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration is stronger than that in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration. Local governments should fully utilize the spatial effects of HSR and enhance the level of coordinated development among urban agglomerations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The larger proportion of the youth population favorably enhances urban residents' spending on housing consumption. • The rise in the youth population share positively boosts expenditures on necessities consumption. • The higher percentage of the elderly population negatively impacts urban housing consumption. • For rural residents, an increase in the elderly population share results in increased spending on medical care and leisure consumption. The age structure of a population is a crucial indicator of a country's economic development. This study analyzes the impact of population aging and declining birth rates on the household consumption structure in urban and rural China. China, the largest country by population, is selected owing to its significance in population studies. Using a fixed effects model, our findings reveal that in China, a higher proportion of youth in the population positively affects residents' spending on survival consumption while negatively affecting developmental consumption. Conversely, a higher proportion of older adults in the population negatively affects survival consumption while positively influencing developmental consumption.Through the research in this article, it is hoped that the results can provide some reference significance for the changes in population age structure and the development of resident consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Property rights and market transactions have constantly been a core topic in development economics, but existing studies rarely, especially using fine-grain data, examine the impact of property rights system reform on land market evolution. Based on the natural experiment of China's land titling and 3053 transferred plots in Yangshan County, we employ a fixed effect model to identify this impact. We find that land titling promotes the marketization of land transfer, enabling it to evolve from relational trust to formal contracts. Specifically, land titling increases the probability of households signing land transfer contracts, especially written contracts with legal force. It also stimulates households to transfer their land to non-acquaintances, to charge rents, and to determine a specific duration. Land titling's impact is primarily achieved by its improvement in the exclusivity, stability, and clarity of land rights. This impact is constrained by the characteristics of plots and households. Households are conservative about the marketization of larger plot transfers. Better irrigation conditions and higher off-farm migration are associated with deeper marketization of land transfer. This evidence emphasizes that land titling, as a combination of technology and institutions, can effectively reduce transaction costs and improve the efficiency of land use. • Property rights are closely related to the evolution of land markets. • 3053 transferred plots are used to identify this connection. • Land titling promotes the marketization of land transfer. • This effect is explained by the reduction of transaction costs. • This effect is constrained by the characteristics of plots and households. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ESG has become a critical focus in the global hospitality industry. This study addresses a research gap by examining ESG dimensions' financial effects. Employing a two-way fixed effect model with firm-level fundamental data and ESG data, we identify the effect of the ESG performance of hotel firms in the United States on their cost of debt. Our novel results show that in general the hotel firms with higher ESG scores are significantly associated with lower debt cost. Furthermore, the study has observed that the relationship between hotels' ESG scores and their debt costs has become statistically significant since 2014, implying that ESG has been more valued by lenders in recent years. This study presents the first evidence of the cost advantage linked to the ESG performance of U.S. hotel firms in debt markets, providing further incentives beyond stock markets to adopt environmentally friendly and socially responsible practices. • This study examines how ESG performance relates to debt cost in hotels, analyzing US public firms from 2010-2016. • We merged Compustat, CRSP, and Sustainalytics data, using panel regression methods. • Better environmental and social performance lowered debt costs; governance had no effect. • ESG-debt cost link became significant from 2014, showing increased lender focus on ESG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the 21st century, following sustainable development trends has become one of the most important factors for effective business. This study focuses on the impact of environmental, social and corporate (ESG) components on the financial performance of IT companies. In this regard, the purpose of the work is to identify the most significant practices in the field of sustainable development that contribute to an increase in the financial performance of organizations of the IT sector. To assess the relationship under consideration, panel data were collected for 43 companies operating in the time period from 2004 to 2020. As a result of the evaluation of the model using the method of OLS regression, a model with fixed individual effects or a model with random individual effects, a list of the most significant practices in the field of sustainable development was formulated. It was found that an increase in the environmental and social scores have a significant impact on financial performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The U.S. is known for having a low rate of public transportation use, especially in its rural areas. Some argue that because rural America has such a low population density, public transportation is unnecessary. Indeed, investments in public transportation have been made in the United States in recent years, but these investments have largely been concentrated in cities. However, is public transportation really unnecessary when some rural areas in the United States experience population growth? To study this question, we use national population survey data in the 2010s to examine effects of population growth on commuting patterns in modern rural America. Using a two-way fixed effects model, we find that population growth has a positive effect on the rate of public transportation commuting even in the "most rural areas" of the U.S. The main results are robust to changes to the definition of rural area, sample, and specification. We further find that changes in public transportation ridership has no correlation with commuting times. • We study trends in public transportation in rural America. • Rural America is widely recognized as having low public transportation ridership. • Despite this stereotype, population growth does increase public transportation use. • The conclusion robust to change to definition, change, and model. • The increase in public transportation does not affect the commuting time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Contaduría y Administración is the property of Facultad de Contaduria y Administracion-Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Galician Journal of Economics / Revista Galega de Economía is the property of Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Servicio de Publicaciones and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Carboplatin increases the pathological complete remission (pCR) rate in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) when added to neoadjuvant chemotherapy, however, evidence on its effect on survival outcomes is controversial. The study was prospectively registered at PROSPERO (CRD42021228386). We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Clinical Trials, and conference proceedings from January 1, 2004 to January 30, 2022 for relevant randomized clinical trials (RCTs) of (neo)adjuvant chemotherapy in TNBC patients, with carboplatin in the intervention arm and standard anthracycline taxane (AT) in the control arm. PRISMA guidelines were used for this review. Data were pooled using fixed and random effects models as appropriate on extracted hazard ratios (HR). Individual patient data (IPD)for disease free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were extracted from published survival curves of included RCTs; DFS and OS curves for each trial and the combined population were reconstructed, and HR estimated. The primary outcome was DFS; OS, pCR, and toxicity were secondary outcomes. Eight trials with 2425 patients were included. Carboplatin improved DFS (HR 0.60; 95% CI 0.47 to 0.78; I2 45%, p < 0.001) compared with AT at trial level and IPD level (HR 0.66; 95%CI, 0.55 to 0.80, p < 0.001) analysis. The OS also improved with carboplatin at both trial level (HR 0.69, 95%CI 0.50 to 0.95, I2 41%, p = 0.02) and IPD level (HR 0.68; 95%CI, 0.54 to 0.87, p = 0.002) analysis. The pCR as expected, was better in the carboplatin arm (OR 2.11; 95% CI = 1.44–3.08; I2 67%, p = 0.009). Anaemia and thrombocytopaenia were higher in the carboplatin arm. and relevance: Carboplatin added to (neo)adjuvant chemotherapy in TNBC improves survival, as shown in both trial level and IPD analysis. • Carboplatin in (neo)adjuvant chemotherapy improves disease-free and overall survival in TNBC. • Individual participant data analysis confirms this result. • Expected increase in myelosuppression seen with carboplatin. • These results have practice-changing implications in how we treat TNBC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista de Economia e Sociologia Rural is the property of Sociedade Brasileira de Economia e Sociologia Rural and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study examined the impact of board components of corporate governance on the financial index of money deposit banks in Nigeria using econometric regression models. Financial index is used to track the performance of Nigerian banks over 10 years using Tobin's Q as a measurement proxy. The sample comprised thirteen money deposit banks that are listed on the Nigeria stock exchange market over the period between 2011 and 2020. The Panel Fixed Effect results showed that the p-value of the t-statistics calculated for board size was 0.0000, which is less than the critical value of 5%. This implied that board size has significant influence on the financial index of the selected banks and the p-value of the F-statistics computed for the variables for testing the overall fixed effect of the regression model of 0.000000 was less than the critical value of 5%. This suggested that there was a significant relationship between the financial index and board of directors' index of the deposit money banks in Nigeria. Board independence and the proportion of foreign directors in the total number of directors (as characteristics of corporate board composition) have a significant strong positive impact on firm performance (both contemporaneous and subsequent). The study therefore recommends that banks should have an adequate board that includes both executive and non-executive directors and to exercise caution in populating the board because it will be difficult for the stakeholders to control the board when it is too large. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ICT "leapfrogging" is when developing economies adopt the use of technology to jump-start their development agenda. This study positions the 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 8 to test the leapfrogging hypothesis on eight SAARC economies (Afghanistan, Bhutan, Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka) from 2000 to 2020. We examine if the hypothesis holds using an unbalanced panel data on real per capita GDP and four ICT indicators (mobile phones, fixed telephones, fixed broadband, and Internet users). We deploy panel spatial correlation consistent (PSCC) and method of moments quantile regression (MM-QR) techniques. The MM-QR offers more reliable results than PSCC because it takes into account the conditional heterogeneity issues that are understated. The general consensus indicates that ICT (individual indicators and composite index) exerts a statistically significant positive effect on economic growth mostly at the 1% level. However, the MM-QR reveals that: (1) the leapfrogging hypothesis holds for mobile phones and composite index models; (2) the hypothesis holds only at the lower quantiles of fixed broadband model; and (3) mobile phones show the largest increasing leapfrogging effect of 0.034%, 0.052%, 0.082%, and 0.099%, respectively. Policy recommendations are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Formación Universitaria is the property of Centro de Informacion Tecnologica (CIT) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

There remains a lack of clarity about the effect of temporary employment on wages. Using asymmetric fixed effects models with a dummy impact function, we study the wage effects of four distinct transitions: (1) from unemployment into a temporary relative to (2) a permanent contracts; and (3) from temporary into permanent contracts relative to (4) from permanent into temporary contracts. We use panel data from eight countries to examine the effect of these distinct transitions, over time after the transition occurs, and in a cross-national, comparative context. The main finding explains the wage penalty of temporary employment identified by previous research. The negative effect is more accurately understood as the difference between two types of transitions, neither of which are negative, even if transitions from temporary into permanent contracts more positive than transitions from permanent into temporary contracts. There is little difference in the wage effect of transitions from unemployment into temporary relative to permanent contracts. The findings may be counter intuitive, but they are consistent with the theory of equalizing differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Incorporating water quality into the WEF system pressure (WEFSP) evaluation framework. • Exploring the impact of new-type urbanization (NU) on WEFSP. • WEFSP exhibits an inverted "U-shaped" characteristic under NU. • China's current level of NU has exceeded the threshold of the Environmental Kuznets Curve. • Economic and spatial urbanization contribute to the reduction of the WEFSP. To address the resource and environmental challenges posed by rapid urbanization, China has devised and executed the strategy of new-type urbanization (NU). This study aims to discuss the effects of NU on resource pressure in view of the water-energy-food (WEF) system. Taking 30 provinces in China from 2006 to 2020 as samples, this paper firstly establishes a comprehensive evaluation indicator system of NU from the population, economic, spatial, social and eco-environmental dimensions, and assesses the level of NU using the entropy weight method. Secondly, this paper uses the gray water footprint as a measurement indicator, innovatively integrating water quality into the WEF system for assessing WEF system pressure (WEFSP). Finally, the impact of NU on WEFSP is explored based on the panel fixed effects model. The findings revealed: (1) There is an inverted "U-shaped" relationship between NU and WEFSP, and China's current level of NU has exceeded the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) threshold. (2) The impact of NU on WEFSP exhibits significant regional heterogeneity, with a significant impact in the eastern region. (3) NU consistently exacerbates regional water stress when water quality is considered, indicating that sustainable urban water management practices are essential. (4) The subdimensions of NU indicate that population and social urbanization are important factors that exacerbate the WEFSP, while economic and spatial urbanization reduce the WEFSP. The research results help to clarify the impact of NU on the WEFSP and provide a reference for the timely adjustment and optimization of NU policies to achieve effective resource management and regional sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista de Economia e Sociologia Rural is the property of Sociedade Brasileira de Economia e Sociologia Rural and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)