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This paper investigates the effects of economic policy uncertainty on local government debt issuance in China and identifies a transmission channel through the cost of capital. Our findings demonstrate that economic policy uncertainty raises the cost of external financing for local governments, leading to decreased levels of debt issuance. Specifically, a 1% increase in uncertainty related to economic policy variations leads to a reduction in government debt issuance of 0.0478%. In addition, our analysis reveals that local governments located in regions experiencing lower fiscal pressure, lower economic catch‐up pressure, and higher sensitivity to uncertainty are more responsive to economic policy uncertainty changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) is an attractive pathway for producing ammonia under ambient conditions. The development of efficient catalysts for nitrogen fixation in electrochemical NRRs has become increasingly important, but it remains challenging due to the need to address the issues of activity and selectivity. Herein, using density functional theory (DFT), we explore ten kinds of triple transition metal atoms (M3 = Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn) anchored on the C2N monolayer (M3-C2N) as NRR electrocatalysts. The negative binding energies of M3 clusters on C2N mean that the triple transition metal clusters can be stably anchored on the N6 cavity of the C2N structure. As the first step of the NRR, the adsorption configurations of N2 show that the N2 on M3-C2N catalysts can be stably adsorbed in a side-on mode, except for Zn3-C2N. Moreover, the extended N-N bond length and electronic structure indicate that the N2 molecule has been fully activated on the M3-C2N surface. The results of limiting potential screen out the four M3-C2N catalysts (Co3-C2N, Cr3-C2N, Fe3-C2N, and Ni3-C2N) that have a superior electrochemical NRR performance, and the corresponding values are −0.61 V, −0.67 V, −0.63 V, and −0.66 V, respectively, which are smaller than those on Ru(0001). In addition, the detailed NRR mechanism studied shows that the alternating and enzymatic mechanisms of association pathways on Co3-C2N, Cr3-C2N, Fe3-C2N, and Ni3-C2N are more energetically favorable. In the end, the catalytic selectivity for NRR on M3-C2N is investigated through the performance of a hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) on them. We find that Co3-C2N, Cr3-C2N, Fe3-C2N, and Ni3-C2N catalysts possess a high catalytic activity for NRR and exhibit a strong capability of suppressing the competitive HER. Our findings provide a new strategy for designing NRR catalysts with high catalytic activity and selectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the impact of China's economic stimulus plan in 2008 on the total factor productivity (TFP) of China's listed firms. We hypothesize that firms operating in regions characterized by greater resource misallocation would experience a more pronounced decline in TFP following the implementation of the stimulus plan. To gauge the extent of resource misallocation, we employ the proportion of state‐owned enterprises (SOEs) as a measure. Our findings reveal a substantial decrease in TFP for firms located in provinces with higher SOE shares compared to those in provinces with lower SOE shares, amounting to approximately 9.2%. These results highlight the unintended policy consequence of the stimulus plan for firm‐level productivity in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Family‐focused practice has become an emerging paradigm in mental health services. However, little is known about family‐focused practice and associated factors in Chinese mental health workers. Aim: To examine family‐focused practice and associated factors in Chinese mental health workers. Method: A cross‐sectional survey was conducted in a convenience sample of mental health workers (n = 515) in Beijing, China. The Family‐Focused Mental Health Practice Questionnaire was used to measure family‐focused practice, as well as worker, workplace and client factors that might influence family‐focused practice. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to investigate the factors associated with family‐focused practice. Results: On average, the participants exhibited a moderate level of engagement in family‐focused practice. The factors that most significantly influenced family‐focused practice in Chinese mental health workers were skill and knowledge, worker confidence and time and workload. Moreover, psychiatrists were found to engage more in family‐focused practice than psychiatric nurses, and community mental health workers were more active in family‐focused practice than hospital‐based ones. Discussion: This study provided important data concerning family‐focused practice and associated factors in Chinese mental health workers. Implications for Practice: The varying level of Chinese mental health workers to engage in family‐focused practice has advocacy, training, research and organizational implications for mental health services in China and elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whether and how are zombie firms associated with a crisis‐rescue plan? We examine this issue through the channel of state‐owned enterprises (SOEs). We find that, after China's 2008 stimulus plan, a firm in the city with a high SOE share is more likely to become a zombie firm. This result may be driven by the fact that government‐led investment, through SOEs, tends to focus more on employment‐related projects than efficient ones, particularly during the crisis period. Resource misallocation associated with the crisis‐rescue plan may cause production inefficiency, which leads to the emergence of zombie firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]