Government Intervention in IPO—Evidence on the Exemption from IPO Regulatory Requirements in China

2016 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 79-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Li ◽  
Yajing Li ◽  
Hongquan Zhu

ABSTRACT This study examines whether and how the Chinese central government's intervention in the IPO process, in terms of the State Council's granting the discretionary exemption to help IPO firms circumvent its own regulation on the three-year operation requirement, is related to the quality of IPO firms and investor protection. The results show that the State Council grants the exemption to IPO firms with relatively better operating performance in both the pre-IPO and the post-IPO periods. Although the financial information of exempt IPO firms for the pre-IPO period is pro forma, investors do not show more concern. As a result, they do not react more negatively to these firms than to the regular IPO firms on the IPO day. Moreover, the stock of exempt IPO firms outperforms that of regular IPO firms in both the short term and the long term after the IPO. Overall, the results indicate that the central government can sometimes act as a helping hand, which produces positive impacts on resource allocations.

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 147470492199833
Author(s):  
Leif Edward Ottesen Kennair ◽  
Trond Viggo Grøntvedt ◽  
Mons Bendixen

In several recent papers the sex difference in regret predicted by sexual strategies theory has been supported: men more than women report regret passing up short-term sexual opportunities (inaction regret), while women regret having had sexual encounters (action regret). However, the adaptive function of regret, to improve future behavioral choices, has not been tested. In this first longitudinal test of behavioral change following regret, we consider whether regret actually results in adaptive shifts of behavior: will men who regret passing up sex engage in more short-term sex following regret? Will women who regret short-term encounters either choose better quality partners, reduce number of one-night stands or shift their strategy to long-term relationships? Across two waves (NT1 = 399, 65.4% women and NT2 = 222, 66.2% women) students responded to questions about casual sex action regret and inaction regret, along with possible outcomes, intrapersonal traits, and concurrent contextual predictors. There was no clear evidence for the proposed functional shifts in sexual behavior. Casual sex regret was associated with respondent sex and stable individual differences, such as sociosexual attitudes, regret processing and metacognitions, but the effect of these predictors were not consistent across the two waves. Among the tested concurrent contextual predictors, sexual disgust was the most consistent across waves. Regret is considered a gauge of the value and quality of the short-term sexual encounter. However, tentatively we conclude that after this first test of function using longitudinal data, we find no evidence of a mating strategy shifting effect following sexual regret.


2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (67) ◽  
pp. 1-178 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie Westwood ◽  
Bram Ramaekers ◽  
Shona Lang ◽  
Nigel Armstrong ◽  
Caro Noake ◽  
...  

BackgroundAllergy is a form of immune-mediated exaggerated sensitivity (hypersensitivity) to a substance that is either inhaled, swallowed, injected or comes into contact with the skin. Foreign substances that provoke allergies are called allergens. It has been claimed that multiplex allergen testing may help in diagnosing the cause of symptoms in patients with an unclear cause of allergy or who are allergic to more than one substance.ObjectivesTo evaluate multiplex allergen testing [devices that can measure the presence of multiple immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies in a patient’s blood at the same time], by assessing (1) clinical effectiveness (allergy symptoms, incidence of acute exacerbations, mortality, adverse events of testing and treatment, health-care presentations or admissions, health-related quality of life); (2) effects on treatment (diet, immunotherapy medications, other potential testing); (3) any additional diagnostic information provided by multiplex allergen testing; and (4) cost-effectiveness (cost of different assessment strategies).MethodsFifteen databases were searched from 2005 to April 2015, including MEDLINE (via OvidSp), MEDLINE In-Process Citations, MEDLINE Daily Update, PubMed (National Library of Medicine), EMBASE, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE), Health Technology Assessment (HTA) database, Science Citation Index (SCI), Conference Proceedings Citation Index-Science (CPCI-S), BIOSIS Previews, Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature (LILACS), National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) HTA programme, and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA); supplementary searches of conference proceedings and trials registries were performed. Review methods followed published guidance from the Cochrane Collaboration and the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination, University of York, UK. The methodological quality of included studies was assessed using appropriate published tools or a review-specific tool designed by the project team. Studies were summarised in a narrative synthesis. Owing to a lack of data on the clinical effectiveness of multiplex allergen testing, no long-term cost-effectiveness model was developed. A conceptual model structure was developed and cost analyses were performed to examine the short-term costs of various possible diagnostic pathways.ResultsFifteen studies were included in the review. The very limited available data indicated that the addition of multiplex allergen testing [ImmunoCAP®Immuno Solid-phase Allergen Chip (ISAC), Thermo Fisher Scientific/Phadia AB, Uppsala, Sweden] to standard diagnostic work-up can change the clinicians’ views on the diagnosis, management and treatment of patients. There was some indication that the use of ImmunoCAP ISAC testing may be useful to guide decisions on the discontinuation of restrictive diets, the content of allergen-specific immunotherapy (SIT) prescriptions, and whether or not patients should receive SIT. However, none of the studies that we identified reported any information on clinical outcomes subsequent to changes in treatment or management. There was some evidence that ImmunoCAP ISAC may be useful for discriminating allergens that are structurally similar and are recognised by the same IgE antibody (cross-immunoreactive). No data were available for Microtest (Microtest Matrices Ltd, London, UK). Detailed cost analyses suggested that multiplex allergen testing would have to result in a substantial reduction of the proportions of patients receiving single IgE testing and oral food challenge tests in order to be cost-saving in the short term.ConclusionsNo recommendations for service provision can be made based on the analyses included in this report. It is suggested that a consensus-based protocol for the use of multiplex allergen testing be developed. The clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the proposed protocol should then be assessed by comparing long-term clinical and quality of life outcomes and resource use in patients managed using the protocol with those managed using a standard diagnostic pathway.Study registrationThis study is registered as PROSPERO CRD42015019739.FundingThis project was a Diagnostic Assessment Report commissioned by the NIHR HTA programme on behalf of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.


2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (06) ◽  
pp. 10352-10360
Author(s):  
Jing Bi ◽  
Vikas Dhiman ◽  
Tianyou Xiao ◽  
Chenliang Xu

Learning from Demonstrations (LfD) via Behavior Cloning (BC) works well on multiple complex tasks. However, a limitation of the typical LfD approach is that it requires expert demonstrations for all scenarios, including those in which the algorithm is already well-trained. The recently proposed Learning from Interventions (LfI) overcomes this limitation by using an expert overseer. The expert overseer only intervenes when it suspects that an unsafe action is about to be taken. Although LfI significantly improves over LfD, the state-of-the-art LfI fails to account for delay caused by the expert's reaction time and only learns short-term behavior. We address these limitations by 1) interpolating the expert's interventions back in time, and 2) by splitting the policy into two hierarchical levels, one that generates sub-goals for the future and another that generates actions to reach those desired sub-goals. This sub-goal prediction forces the algorithm to learn long-term behavior while also being robust to the expert's reaction time. Our experiments show that LfI using sub-goals in a hierarchical policy framework trains faster and achieves better asymptotic performance than typical LfD.


Author(s):  
Julia B. Griswold ◽  
Aditya Medury ◽  
Robert J. Schneider ◽  
Offer Grembek

Expansion factors based on the trends in long-term count data are useful tools for estimating daily, weekly, or annual volumes from short-term counts, but it is unclear how to differentiate locations by activity pattern. This paper compares two approaches to developing factor groups for hour-to-week pedestrian count expansion factors. The land use (LU) classification approach assumes that surrounding LUs affect the pedestrian activity at a location, and it is easy to apply to short-term count locations based on identifiable attributes of the site. The empirical clustering (EC) approach uses statistical methods to match locations based on the actual counts, which may produce more accurate volume estimates, but presents a challenge for determining which factor group to apply to a location. We found that both the LU and EC approaches provided better weekly pedestrian volume estimates than the single factor approach of taking the average of all locations. Further, the differences between LU and EC estimation errors were modest, so it may be beneficial to use the intuitive and practical LU approach. LU groupings can also be modified with insights from the EC results, thus improving estimates while maintaining the ease of application. Ideal times for short-term counts are during peak activity periods, as they generally produce estimates with fewer errors than off-peak periods. Weekly volume estimated from longer-duration counts (e.g., 12 h) is generally more accurate than estimates from shorter-duration counts (e.g., 2 h). Practitioners can follow this guidance to improve the quality of weekly pedestrian volume estimates.


2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 16-24
Author(s):  
Elena S. Akarachkova ◽  
◽  
Anton A. Beliaev ◽  
Dmitrii V. Blinov ◽  
Evgenii V. Bugorskii ◽  
...  

World Health Organization declared COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic on March 11, 2020. Fear of illness, self-isolation/quarantine, and reduced quality of life dramatically increased the prevalence of stress-related disorders in the population. Therefore, it is necessary to implement the preventive health-care measures aimed at short-term and long-term COVID-19 pandemic consequences reduction and promotion of social stability.


Author(s):  
E.S. Lartseva ◽  
◽  
A.D. Kuznetsova

Based on official statistics on the number, of representatives of the family of non-ruminant cloven-hoofed animals (Artiodactyl) on the territory of the Russian Federation. Using the example of two species: domestic pigs and wild boars, the dynamics of the indicator for the long term is analyzed. Multidirectional trends were revealed for each species. Mathematical models of the dynamics of the livestock were obtained using the methods of regression analysis and applied software. Statistical estimates of the quality of animal population models were obtained. The short-term forecast for 2020 has been fulfilled.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (47) ◽  
pp. 139-139
Author(s):  
Vladimir V Drozdov

Background: Etiology of various gastrointestinal dysfunctions varies from infections and infestations to consequences of emotional stress and errors in animals’ nutrition. Taking this variability of etiology and pathogenesis into account, a lot depends not only on completeness of homeopathic history taking but also on the quality of laboratory studies. In our experience, coprology studies are especially complicated when persistent gastrointestinal disorders were preceded by massive use of allopathic remedies. This sometimes necessitates repeated examinations. That is why our interest in having reliable results and early detection of latent indigestion made us look for non-invasive methods which could be easy to use in animals but at the same time could reveal latent gastrointestinal pathology in animals. Aims: The study was aimed to determine the effect of a homeopathic medication Nux Vomica 6CH on detection of latent gastrointestinal pathology in small domestic animals. Method: Coprology studies were performed simultaneously with the use of sedimentation method and Fulleborn method (modification of Scherbovich). Infestations were diagnosed and characteristics of patient digestion were recorded. Feces test detected: 1. Presence of endoparasites (helminths, protozoa and yeast-like structures); 2. State of intestinal microflora (presence of different species and their balance with each other); 3. Degree of food absorbency (presence or lack of undigested protein, carbohydrates and fat); 4. Presence of inedible inclusions; 5. Presence of cells (lymphocytes, erythrocytes, intestinal epithelium, tumor fragments). If animal feces tests were non-informative, then all medications (except vitally important) were discontinued and Nux Vomica 6CH twice a day twenty minutes prior to food intake was prescribed for 6 days (4 globules dissolved in 10 ml of water). Results: 4500 coprology tests were performed during 3 years in cats and dogs. About 10% of the total number of examined animals (449 patients) produced very little information about the state of gastrointestinal systems at the first examination. When these cases were analyzed, the following reasons were found: long-term use of strong drugs, significant weakening of body immune system. As a result diagnostic tests were of very little value. These animals were treated by Nux Vomica 6CH for 6 days and then repeated feces test was performed. This produced a more informative picture of the state of gastrointestinal system and enabled to determine etiology and pathogenesis of the animal condition and prescribe necessary treatment. Conclusion. In such a way, Nux Vomica 6CH homeopathic remedy promoted effective optimization of coprology studies in animals. The suggested scheme of use for Nux Vomica 6CH significantly improves feces test quality. This in turn reduces time needed to choose strategy and tactics of treatment of small domestic animals with different chronic diseases.


PEDIATRICS ◽  
1990 ◽  
Vol 86 (2) ◽  
pp. 289-293
Author(s):  
Rachel Levy-Shiff ◽  
Michael A. Hoffman ◽  
Salli Mogilner ◽  
Susan Levinger ◽  
Mario B. Mogilner

This short-term longitudinal study assessed the degree to which the frequency of fathers' visits with their preterm infants in the hospital was associated with the quality of ongoing and long-term fathering and infant development. Data on fathering and infant development were collected during the hospital stay, at discharge, at 8 months of age, and at 18 months of age, using both questionnaires and observational schedules. The frequency of visits was significantly correlated with more extensive and positive patterns of fathering at discharge and later periods. It was also associated with more positive perceptions of the infant, as well as with weight gain during hospitalization and psychosocial aspects of later infant development during the first 18 months. The discussion emphasized possible ways in which early paternal contact in the hospital might influence fathers, mothers, and infants. The frequency of paternal visits was highlighted as a variable useful in predicting high-risk parenting.


Author(s):  
Paria Arfa-Fatollahkhani ◽  
Afsaneh Safar Cherati ◽  
Seyed Amir Hasan Habibi ◽  
Gholam Ali Shahidi ◽  
Ahmad Sohrabi ◽  
...  

AbstractBackgroundThere is growing evidence that exercise modalities have considerable effects on Parkinson’s disease (PD). This trial aimed to provide a more detailed viewpoint of short-term and long-term treadmill training (TT) effects on some motor and non-motor features of PD.MethodsIn this prospective, randomized, single-blind clinical trial, 20 mild to moderate PD patients, admitted in Rasoul-e-Akram hospital in Tehran, Iran, were randomly allocated in case (11) and control (9) groups. Treadmill intervention was performed at moderate intensity with 60% of heart rate reserved (HRR) in two 30-min sessions/week for a duration of 10 weeks. Both the groups were evaluated for three times; at the baseline, 2 months later and then 2 months after the second evaluation. We assigned the Timed Up and Go test (TUG), 6-min walk test (6MW), and the SF-8 healthy questionnaire, for assessment of balance, functional capacity, and Quality of life (QoL), respectively.ResultsBalance and functional capacity were significantly improved in the case group after the intervention (TUG p-value: 0.003, 6MW p-value: 0.003). Moreover, the long-term analysis revealed significant results as well (TUG p-value: 0.001, 6MW p-value: 0.004). Mental condition’s scores of SF-8 in cases were not statistically different in short-term follow-up (F/U). However, analysis illustrated p-value: 0.016 for long-term assessment. The intervention induced significant changes in physical condition’s scores in both of the F/Us (PC p-value: 0.013).ConclusionsThis study provides evidence that a TT of mild to moderate intensity has significant and persistent benefits for the balance, functional capacity, and QoL in PD.


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