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In New Zealand, agriculture accounts for around 50% of total gross greenhouse gas emissions, energy production and use account for 40%. Given the limited possibility of reducing methane from the agricultural sector, we focus on the shape of, and factors influencing, the energy-related emissions profile. A single framework that combines environmental input–output analysis with structural decomposition analysis is established to systematically investigate driving forces shaping energy-related greenhouse gas emissions at national and sectoral levels. Results show that emission intensity, population, and consumption volume are dominant factors influencing shifting the energy-related emissions profile from 2007 to 2013. To achieve a net-zero-carbon economy, decarbonizing the transport sector is foremost and should be given priority. Policy directed at improving energy utilization in private consumption and exports, and the adoption and utilization of advanced technology in manufacturing, would contribute to achieving emissions reduction targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We develop a theoretical model to study the effect of the land titling program on land transfer, labor allocation, and agricultural production costs in rural China. To conduct empirical analysis, we employ the difference-in-differences and difference-in-difference-in-differences models and use nationally representative household survey data collected in 2013, 2015, and 2017. Results show that land titling significantly increases the probability of land transfer by approximately 6.36 percentage points. Land titling shifts rural laborers out of the agriculture sector and increases the migrant ratio in rural households. Finally, land titling decreases the per unit cost of agricultural products by about 8.11%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study uses the Just–Pope approach to investigate the effects of seasonal weather variables and extremes on the mean yield and yield variability of rice, bajra, chickpea, groundnut and sugarcane in India during the period 1990–2015. Results reveal that changes in rainfall and evapotranspiration across seasons largely affect mean yields for most crops, including bajra, chickpea and groundnut. However, high summer rainfall and low monsoon evapotranspiration extremes reduce groundnut and chickpea yield variability. Considering the importance of water availability to crop yields, this study suggests improving irrigation and water reallocation and management to reduce the severity of seasonal climate effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Acute minor ischemic stroke (AMIS) or transient ischemic attack (TIA) is a common cerebrovascular event with a considerable high recurrence. Prior research demonstrated the effectiveness of regular long-term remote ischemic conditioning (RIC) in secondary stroke prevention in patients with intracranial stenosis. We hypothesized that RIC can serve as an effective adjunctive therapy to pharmacotherapy in preventing ischemic events in patients with AMIS/TIA. This study aimed to investigate the feasibility, safety, and preliminary efficacy of daily RIC in inhibiting cerebrovascular/cardiovascular events after AMIS/TIA. Methods: This is a single-arm, open-label, multicenter Phase IIa futility study with a sample size of 165. Patients with AMIS/TIA receive RIC as an additional therapy to secondary stroke prevention regimen. RIC consists of five cycles of 5-min inflation (200 mmHg) and 5-min deflation of cuffs on bilateral upper limbs twice a day for 90 days. The antiplatelet strategy is based on individual physician's best practice: aspirin alone, clopidogrel alone, or combination of aspirin and clopidogrel. We will assess the recurrence rate of ischemic stroke/TIA within 3 months as the primary outcomes. Conclusions: The data gathered from the study will be used to determine whether a further large-scale, multicenter randomized controlled Phase II trial is warranted in patients with AMIS/TIA. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03004820; https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03004820.

This paper extends the literature on the consequences of over-education, in particular quit outcomes. It is the first study that explicitly tests the impact of job satisfaction and on-the-job training for workers in educational mismatched jobs and on quit behaviour using a longitudinal data set. Accounting for unobserved heterogeneity and endogeneity, the dynamic analytical framework examines labour market outcomes for job-mismatched workers. We find that over-education alone, or accompanied by skill under-utilization in combination with lower job satisfaction, increases the incidences of job quitting. Opportunities for training facilitate the retention of initially job-mismatched workers. These results have implications for interpreting mismatch data, retention, and resource allocation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]