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Kenis-Coskun, Ozge, Esra Giray, Zeynep Kardelen Gencer-Atalay, Ilker Yagci, and Evrim Karadag-Saygi. "Reliability of quantitative ultrasound measurement of flexor digitorum superficialis and profundus muscles in stroke." Journal of Comparative Effectiveness Research 9, no. 18 (2020): 1293–300. http://dx.doi.org/10.2217/cer-2020-0105.
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Aim: This study aims to investigate reliability of quantitative ultrasound measurement of the flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) and flexor digitorum profundus (FDP) muscles in stroke. Materials & methods: Patients with a history of stroke were recruited. FDP and FDS muscles on both upper extremities were investigated with ultrasound. Two independent assessors acquired images and analyzed them using a program and Heckmatt scale. Results: Forty-eight patients were included. The inter-rater intraclass correlation coefficient for echo intensities was calculated as 0.91 while intrarater intraclass correlation coefficient as 0.80. For Heckmatt scale, the inter-rater reliability for FDS was Kw = 0.74 (p < 0.0005) and for FDP it was Kw = 0.73 (p < 0.0005). Mean echo intensity values showed significant strong correlations with Heckmatt scores (r = 0.663 and r = 0.633 with both p values <0.001). Conclusion: Quantitative ultrasound imaging of FDS and FDP is a reliable method to demonstrate echo intensity changes of muscles in stroke.
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Black, Carolyn, Haibi Cai, Aliya Shabbir, and Leo H. Wang. "Relationship Between Hand Function and Handheld Ultrasound Imaging in Inclusion Body Myositis." Journal of Clinical Neuromuscular Disease 25, no. 3 (2024): 115–21. http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/cnd.0000000000000463.
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Abstract Objective: Ultrasound studies in inclusion body myositis (IBM) have reported a characteristic pattern of increased echointensity in the flexor digitorum profundus (FDP) with relative sparing of the flexor carpi ulnaris (FCU). We examined the relationship between echointensity of the FDP and FCU muscles and hand strength or patient-reported outcomes (PROs). Methods: A total of 15 patients with IBM were recruited. Ultrasound images of the FDP and FCU muscles were obtained by a point-of-care ultrasound and graded using the modified Heckmatt score. Hand grip and neutral pinch strength were measured by dynamometry. PROs were assessed by the IBM Upper Extremity Function Scale. Results: FDP and/or FCU modified Heckmatt score showed a significant relationship with grip, neutral pinch strength, and PROs. Conclusions: Point-of-care ultrasound examination of the forearm may serve as an extension of the neuromuscular examination. The semi-qualitative echointensity rating based on modified Heckmatt score seems to correlate well with the objective strength measurement and PROs.
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Klawitter, Felix, Uwe Walter, Robert Patejdl, Josefine Endler, Daniel Reuter, and Johannes Ehler. "Sonographic Evaluation of Muscle Echogenicity for the Detection of Intensive Care Unit-Acquired Weakness: A Pilot Single-Center Prospective Cohort Study." Diagnostics 12, no. 6 (2022): 1378. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics12061378.
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Qualitative assessment by the Heckmatt scale (HS) and quantitative greyscale analysis of muscle echogenicity were compared for their value in detecting intensive care unit-acquired weakness (ICU-AW). We performed muscle ultrasound (MUS) of eight skeletal muscles on day 3 and day 10 after ICU admission. We calculated the global mean greyscale score (MGS), the global mean z-score (MZS) and the global mean Heckmatt score (MHS). Longitudinal outcome was defined by the modified Rankin scale (mRS) and Barthel index (BI) after 100 days. In total, 652 ultrasound pictures from 38 critically ill patients (18 with and 20 without ICU-AW) and 10 controls were analyzed. Patients with ICU-AW had a higher MHS on day 10 compared to patients without ICU-AW (2.6 (0.4) vs. 2.2 (0.4), p = 0.006). The MHS was superior to ROC analysis (cut-off: 2.2, AUC: 0.79, p = 0.003, sensitivity 86%, specificity 60%) in detecting ICU-AW compared to MGS and MZS on day 10. The MHS correlated with the Medical Research Council sum score (MRC-SS) (r = −0.45, p = 0.004), the mRS (r = 0.45; p = 0.007) and BI (r = −0.38, p = 0.04) on day 100. Qualitative MUS analysis seems superior to quantitative greyscale analysis of muscle echogenicity for the detection of ICU-AW.
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Asadi, Borhan, Clara Pujol-Fuentes, Alberto Carcasona-Otal, Sandra Calvo, Pablo Herrero, and Diego Lapuente-Hernández. "Characterizing Muscle Tissue Quality Post-Stroke: Echovariation as a Clinical Indicator." Journal of Clinical Medicine 13, no. 24 (2024): 7800. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm13247800.
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Background/Objectives: Strokes remain a major global health concern, contributing significantly to disability and healthcare costs. Currently, there are no established indicators to accurately assess the degree of muscle tissue impairment in stroke-affected individuals. However, ultrasound imaging with an echotexture analysis shows potential as a quantitative tool to assess muscle tissue quality. This study aimed to identify specific echotexture features in the gastrocnemius medialis that effectively characterize muscle impairment in post-stroke individuals. Methods: An observational study was conducted with 22 post-stroke individuals. A total of 21 echotexture features were extracted and analyzed, including first-order metrics, a grey-level co-occurrence matrix, and a grey-level run length matrix. The modified Heckmatt scale was also applied to correlate with the most informative echotexture features. Results: Among the features analyzed, echovariation (EV), echointensity, and kurtosis emerged as the most informative indicators of muscle tissue quality. The EV was highlighted as the primary feature due to its strong and significant correlation with the modified Heckmatt scale (r = −0.81, p < 0.001) and its clinical and technical robustness. Lower EV values were associated with poorer muscle tissue quality, while higher values indicated better quality. Conclusions: The EV may be used as a quantitative indicator for characterizing the gastrocnemius medialis muscle tissue quality in post-stroke individuals, offering a more nuanced assessment than traditional qualitative scales. Future studies should investigate the correlation between the EV and other clinical outcomes and explore its potential to monitor the treatment efficacy, enhancing its applicability in clinical practice.
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Asadi, Borhan, Juan Nicolás Cuenca-Zaldívar, Alberto Carcasona-Otal, Pablo Herrero, and Diego Lapuente-Hernández. "Improving the Reliability of Muscle Tissue Characterization Post-Stroke: A Secondary Statistical Analysis of Echotexture Features." Journal of Clinical Medicine 14, no. 9 (2025): 2902. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14092902.
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Background/Objectives: Ultrasound (US) imaging and echotexture analysis are emerging techniques for assessing muscle tissue quality in the post-stroke population. Clinical studies suggest that echovariation (EV) and echointensity (EI) serve as objective indicators of muscle impairment, although methodological limitations hinder their clinical translation. This secondary analysis aimed to refine the assessment of echotexture by using robust statistical techniques. Methods: A total of 130 regions of interest (ROIs) extracted from the gastrocnemius medialis of 22 post-stroke individuals were analyzed. First, inter-examiner reliability between two physiotherapists was assessed by using Cohen’s kappa for muscle impairment classification (low/high) for each echotexture feature. For each examiner, the correlation between the classification of the degree of impairment and the modified Heckmatt scale for each feature was analyzed. The dataset was then reduced to 44 ROIs (one image per leg per patient) and assessed by three physiotherapists to analyze inter-examiner reliability by using Light´s kappa and correlation between both assessment methods globally. Statistical differences in 21 echotexture features were evaluated according to the degree of muscle impairment. A binary logistic regression model was developed by using features with a Cohen’s kappa value greater than 0.9 as predictors. Results: A strong and significant degree of agreement was observed among the three examiners regarding the degree of muscle impairment (Kappalight = 0.85, p < 0.001), with nine of the 21 features showing excellent inter-examiner reliability. The correlation between muscle impairment classification with the modified Heckmatt scale was very high and significant both globally and for each echotexture feature. Significant differences (<0.05) were found for EV, EI, dissimilarity, energy, contrast, maximum likelihood, skewness, and the modified Heckmatt scale. Logistic regression highlighted dissimilarity, entropy, EV, Gray-Level Uniformity (GLU), and EI as the main predictors of muscle tissue impairment. The EV and EI models showed high explanatory power (Nagelkerke’s pseudo-R2 = 0.74 and 0.76) and robust classification performance (AUC = 94.20% and 95.45%). Conclusions: This secondary analysis confirms echotexture analysis as a reliable tool for post-stroke muscle assessment, validating EV and EI as key indicators while identifying dissimilarity, entropy, and GLU as additional relevant features.
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Moreta, Marisa C., Alana Fleet, Rajiv Reebye, et al. "Reliability and validity of the modified Heckmatt scale in evaluating muscle changes with ultrasound in spasticity." Toxicon 190 (January 2021): S50—S51. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.toxicon.2020.11.447.
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Moreta, Marisa C., Alana Fleet, Rajiv Reebye, et al. "Reliability and Validity of the Modified Heckmatt Scale in Evaluating Muscle Changes With Ultrasound in Spasticity." Archives of Rehabilitation Research and Clinical Translation 2, no. 4 (2020): 100071. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.arrct.2020.100071.
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Battisti, Nicoletta, David Milletti, Marco Miceli, Corrado Zenesini, and Antonella Cersosimo. "Usefulness of a Qualitative Ultrasound Evaluation of the Gastrocnemius–Soleus Complex with the Heckmatt Scale for Clinical Practice in Cerebral Palsy." Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology 44, no. 12 (2018): 2548–55. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2018.08.006.
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Soto, C., S. Y. Solorzano Flores, F. Carranza-Enriquez, A. Angeles-Acuna, R. E. Escobar-Cedillo, and C. Pineda. "AB1537 CAN WE DIFFERENTIATE PATIENTS WITH DYSFERLINOPATHIES AND INFLAMMATORY MYOPATHIES BY MUSCLE ULTRASOUND? A DISCRIMINANT ANALYSIS STUDY." Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases 82, Suppl 1 (2023): 2001.2–2002. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/annrheumdis-2023-eular.4078.
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BackgroundImmune-mediated myopathies (IMM) are a heterogeneous group of diseases characterized by inflammation and muscle weakness; among their differential diagnoses are the dysferlinopathies, which are autosomal recessive neuromuscular disorders caused by mutations in the DYSF gene that present muscle weakness and significant increase of CK, just like IMM.ObjectivesDetermine the sonographic differences between dysferlinopathies and immune-mediated myopathies and whether these allow their classification.MethodsObservational, cross-sectional, and analytical study in which we evaluated 20 muscles from 11 patients with dysferlinopathies and 11 with inflammatory myopathies according to current classification criteria. They were matched for age, sex, and time of disease evolution. Clinical and laboratory variables were analyzed. GE LOGIQTMe equipment with a 4-12 MHz linear transducer was used, and the thickness of each muscle was measured. A semiquantitative scale evaluated elementary lesions: atrophy, edema, power Doppler, and the Heckmatt scale (0-4) was calculated. Descriptive statistics were performed using measures of central tendency and dispersion according to the distribution of the variables, followed by bivariate analysis (Student’s t-test and Chi[2]test). Finally, discriminant analysis was performed to determine which ultrasound variables best predicted the diagnoses.ResultsA total of 40 muscles were evaluated, finding a greater degree of atrophy and a higher Heckmatt scale in patients with dysferlinopathies compared to MII. Discriminant analysis showed that the set of 3 muscles, Right biceps/brachialis (BB), Right quadriceps (CD), and Gastrocnemius/right soleus (GC), had a diagnostic accuracy of 100% (sensitivity 100%, specificity 100%, canonical coefficient 0.733 p=.000). We present a set of 2 formulas that allow classifying with the highest score according to the measurement of the muscles in group 1 (dysferlinopathy) or group 2 (MII). Finally, a COR analysis was performed to determine the cut-off points of each muscle to classify as dysferlinopathies.ConclusionThe study of 3 muscle groups (BB, CD, GC) presents high diagnostic accuracy to differentiate dysferlinopathies from MII, especially when there is no genetic study or antibodies available, and there is diagnostic doubt.Reference[1]Izumi R, Takahashi T, Suzuki N, Niihori T, Ono H, et al. The genetic profile of dysferlinopathy in a cohort of 209 cases: Genotype-phenotype relationship and a hotspot on the inner DysF domain. Hum Mutat. 2020; 41(9):1540-1554. doi: 10.1002/humu.24036.Table 1.Characterization of patients with dysferlinopathies and inflammatory myopathiesDysferlinopathies n=11IMM n=11General characteristics*pWomen9 (81.8%)9 (81.8%)Males2 (18.18%)2 (18.18%)Ages (years)39.54±11.2437.36±10.62.971Evolution (years)16±6.4316.55±6.25.852Manual Muscle Testing Scores [MMT8 (mean)]100 (79-112)145 (136-147).007LaboratoriesCK (mcg/L)2785.50 (1052.75-4378.75)162.00 (72.00-311.00).000LDH (U/L)289.00 (192.00-411.75)170.00 (156.00-196.00).001TGO (U/L)52.75 (42.25-71.55)25.30 (16.90-29.70).011TGP (U/L)78.30 (64.90-113.80)20.10 (15.50-28.00).016Muscle sizeBB (cm)1.67±0.632.78±0.49<0.0001CD (cm)2.70±0.843.45±0.87.046GC (cm)1.88±0.423.16±0.42<0.001Discriminant analysisFunctionFunction**CPBB7.43413.928<2.44CD-1.117-4.250<2.72GC13.48925.399<2.29Constant-18.051-52.935• Group 1: -18.051 + 7.434(B/B)-1.117(CD)+13.489(GC)• Group 2: -52.953 + 13.928(B/B)-4.250(CD)+25.399(GC)*p= <0.05; **CP: cut-off pointAcknowledgements:NIL.Disclosure of InterestsNone Declared.
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Picelli, Alessandro, Alessio Baricich, Elena Chemello, et al. "Ultrasonographic Evaluation of Botulinum Toxin Injection Site for the Medial Approach to Tibialis Posterior Muscle in Chronic Stroke Patients with Spastic Equinovarus Foot: An Observational Study." Toxins 9, no. 11 (2017): 375. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/toxins9110375.
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The tibialis posterior muscle is a frequent target for injection of botulinum toxin during the management of spastic equinovarus foot in adults with post-stroke spasticity. Although it is deep-seated, the needle insertion into the tibialis posterior muscle is usually performed using anatomical landmarks and safety information obtained from healthy subjects and cadavers. Our aim was to evaluate the botulinum toxin injection site for the medial approach to the tibialis posterior muscle in chronic stroke patients with spastic equinovarus foot. Forty-six patients were evaluated at the affected middle lower leg medial surface with ultrasonography according to the following parameters: tibialis posterior muscle depth, thickness, and echo intensity. As to the spastic tibialis posterior, we found a mean muscle depth of 26.5 mm and a mean muscle thickness of 10.1 mm. Furthermore we observed a median tibialis posterior muscle echo intensity of 3.00 on the Heckmatt scale. The tibialis posterior muscle thickness was found to be inversely associated with its depth (p < 0.001) and echo intensity (p = 0.006). Furthermore, tibialis posterior muscle depth was found to be directly associated with its echo intensity (p = 0.004). Our findings may usefully inform manual needle placement into the tibialis posterior for the botulinum toxin treatment of spastic equinovarus foot in chronic stroke patients.
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Filippetti, Mirko, Rita Di Censo, Valentina Varalta, et al. "Is the Outcome of Diagnostic Nerve Block Related to Spastic Muscle Echo Intensity? A Retrospective Observational Study on Patients with Spastic Equinovarus Foot." Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine 54 (March 29, 2022): jrm00275. http://dx.doi.org/10.2340/jrm.v54.85.
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Objective: To investigate the relationship between spastic calf muscles echo intensity and the outcome of tibial nerve motor branches selective block in patients with spastic equinovarus foot.Design: Retrospective observational study. Patients: Forty-eight patients with spastic equinovarus foot.Methods: Each patient was given selective diagnostic nerve block (lidocaine 2% perineural injection) of the tibial nerve motor branches. All patients were evaluated before and after block. Outcomes were: spastic calf muscles echo intensity measured with the Heckmatt scale; affected ankle dorsiflexion passive range of motion; calf muscles spasticity measured with the modified Ashworth scale and the Tardieu scale (grade and angle).Results: Regarding the outcome of tibial nerve selective diagnostic block (difference between pre- and post-block condition), Spearman’s correlation showed a significant inverse association of the spastic calf muscles echo intensity with the affected ankle dorsiflexion passive range of motion (p = 0.045; ρ = 00–0.269), modified Ashworth scale score (p = 0.014; ρ = –0.327), Tardieu grade (p = 0.008; ρ = –0.352) and Tardieu angle (p = 0.043; ρ = –0.306).Conclusion: These findings support the hypothesis that patients with spastic equinovarus foot with higher spastic calf muscles echo intensity have a poor response to selective nerve block of the tibial nerve motor branches. LAY ABSTRACTThis study reviewed data from 48 patients with spastic equinovarus foot in order to investigate the relationship between spastic calf muscles echo intensity (which indicates the degree of muscular fibrosis) and the outcome of tibial nerve motor branches diagnostic block (which temporarily relieves focal muscle overactivity). Outcome was the response to nerve block as to passive motility of the affected ankle and overactivity of the calf muscles. All patients were evaluated before and after the nerve block. A significant inverse association was found for the outcome of selective diagnostic nerve block of the tibial nerve motor branches with their respectively supplied spastic calf muscles (i.e. gastrocnemius medialis and lateralis, soleus and tibialis posterior) echo intensity. These results support the hypothesis that the degree of spastic muscle fibrosis may reduce the response to selective diagnostic nerve block in patients with spastic equinovarus foot.
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Shin, Janghoon, and Wanhee Lee. "Muscle Activity Based on Real-time Visual Feedback Training Methods by Rehabilitative Ultrasound Image in Elderly and Relationship between Heckmatt Scale, Muscle Thickness and Tone : A Pilot Study." Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science 10, no. 1 (2021): 82–89. http://dx.doi.org/10.14474/ptrs.2021.10.1.82.
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Neumark, David, Ian Burn, and Patrick Button. "Experimental Age Discrimination Evidence and the Heckman Critique." American Economic Review 106, no. 5 (2016): 303–8. http://dx.doi.org/10.1257/aer.p20161008.
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We design and implement a large-scale field experiment on age discrimination to address limitations of past research that may bias their results. One limitation is the practice of giving older and younger applicants similar experience in the job to which they are applying, to make them “otherwise comparable.” The second limitation is ignoring the likelihood of greater variation in unobserved differences among older workers owing to human capital investment. Based on evidence from over 40,000 job applications, we find robust evidence of age discrimination in hiring against older women, but considerably less evidence of age discrimination against older men.
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Falola, Abraham, Mobololaji Omolabake Musa, Ridwan Mukaila, Adetunji Olanrewaju, and Taiye Hassanah Subair. "Determinants of Value addition to Plantain among small-scale Farmers in Kwara State, Nigeria." Kufa Journal for Agricultural Sciences 16, no. 4 (2024): 1–12. https://doi.org/10.36077/kjas/2024/v16i4.15871.
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Value addition has been reported as a panacea for poverty among small-scale farmers. However, the factors that determine its use among plantain farmers are unclear. Therefore, this study focuses on the variables that affect plantain value addition among small-scale farmers in Kwara State, Nigeria. Using a three-stage sample procedure, a structured questionnaire was used to elicit information from 120 plantain farmers—44 value adders and 76 non-value adders. Descriptive statistics and the Heckman two-stage model were used to analyze the data. The majority of the plantain value adders (70.5%) were female, whereas the majority of non-value adders (81.6%) were male. About 56.8% of the value adders processed plantain into plantain flour, while 29.6% were engaged in the production of both roasted plantain and plantain chips. The Heckman two-stage model's outcome showed that the decision to add value to plantain is influenced by the availability of processing equipment, gender, farm size, access to training, and proximity to market while the amount of value added to plantains was positively influenced by processing equipment, farm size, education level, access to training, and plantain output. The study further revealed that poor processing facilities, inadequate finance, and a low level of awareness (mean = 3.6) were the most identified constraints faced by the farmers. The study therefore recommends that farmers should endeavor to process plantain flour, as it is seen to be more profitable and economical.
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Li, Chao, Lin Wang, Rundong Luo, Guangjie Ning, Peiya Zhao, and Xiaoning Yu. "Complexity between Aging and the Structure of Financial Market: Empirical Evidence from Microdata." Complexity 2022 (March 21, 2022): 1–15. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2022/5226827.
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By empirically testing the scale and structure hypotheses of aging’s impacts on the financial market using Tobit, FRM, and Heckman selection models, this paper proves that the number and proportion of elderly family members change the structure of families’ financial assets, though without significant effects on their overall size. Specifically, aging increases the share of cash and deposits in families’ total financial assets and decreases both the quantity and percentage of investment in risky assets. One more family member aged sixty and over, the risky assets decline by 5, 500RMB and its share decreases by 8.8 percent. A Heckman two-step model verifies the robustness of our results. The heterogeneity analysis reveals that aging plays different roles in different types of financial assets.
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Orimogunje, Ronke Victoria, Ayodeji Sunday Ogunleye, and Ayodeji Damilola Kehinde. "Effect of Microcredit on Profit Efficiency of Small-Scale Poultry Farmers Oyo State, Nigeria." Agricultura 17, no. 1-2 (2021): 37–46. http://dx.doi.org/10.18690/agricultura.17.1-2.37-46.2020.
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This study investigated the effect of microcredit on profit efficiency of small-scale poultry farmers in Oyo State. Multistage sampling procedure was used to select two hundred poultry farmers for the study. Data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics, Heckman selection model, stochastic frontier and Tobit models. Result from descriptive statistics showed that men (78%) are predominantly involved in poultry production. The average age of poultry farmers in the area of study is approximately 43 years. Most of the farmers are married (77.5%) and literate (80.5%). Furthermore, most of the respondents (73.5%) had access to microcredit with 87.5% belonging to one farmer’s association or the other. Heckman two-stage selection model revealed that membership of cooperative/farmer’s association and contact with extension agent are the significant factors influencing farmer’s access to microcredit. The second stage of the model reveals that age, years of education, household size, years of farming experience, distance to source of microcredit, timeliness of microcredit and stock size are the significant factors influencing the amount of microcredit obtained by farmers. Results obtained from the stochastic frontier model showed that smallholder poultry farmers had an average profit efficiency of 54.0% in poultry production. Furthermore, the Tobit model (Model 1) results revealed that amount of microcredit, distance to source of microcredit, interest rate and loan repayment period significantly influenced farmer’s profit efficiency while in the second model, years of formal education, poultry farming experience and membership of cooperative/farmer’s association influenced farmer’s profit efficiency. The results of two-side censored Tobit model suggest that microcredit variables are the most favourable variables for line of action. This suggested that policy makers should ensure that microcredit available through the agricultural credit programmes get to the needy farmers.
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HASAN, SYED. "GREAT ENGINES TURN ON SMALL PIVOTS: A PRODUCTIVITY ANALYSIS OF SMALL-SCALE MANUFACTURING IN PUNJAB, PAKISTAN." Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship 23, no. 03 (2018): 1850014. http://dx.doi.org/10.1142/s1084946718500140.
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This paper uses estimates of total factor productivity of small enterprises to identify the reasons underlying idiosyncratic variation. Empirical analysis is used to segregate internal and external determinants of productivity using a novel dataset. For reliable estimation, the baseline estimates are corrected for simultaneity bias using instrumental variables and selectivity bias through Heckman correction. Results identify significance of factors operating within firms; educational qualification and professional training of entrepreneurs for higher levels of productivity and the external drivers of productivity differences; sources of energy, selective access to credit and agglomeration economies. The research has important implications for entrepreneurs and policy intervention.
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Petuchowski, S. J., and C. L. Bennett. "Neutral Gas Contributions to [S II] Galactic Background Emission." Symposium - International Astronomical Union 169 (1996): 613–14. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s007418090023043x.
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Elevated ratios of [S II]/Hα relative to those typical of H II regions have been used to identify supernova remnants (SNRs) and also characterize the diffuse Galactic background (Reynolds 1985) and gas observed on the large scale in other galaxies (e.g., Lehnert & Heckman 1994). We explore the implications for these regions of the fact that ionized sulfur may exist both in gas that is predominantly neutral as well as fully ionized.
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Hollburg, Maximilian, and Silke Stöber. "The potential of Climate Field Schools to boost small-scale farmers’ adaptation capacity." IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science 748, no. 1 (2021): 012032. http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/748/1/012032.
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Abstract Increasing temperature and changing rainfall patterns cause a decrease in agricultural production. Adapting to climate change is one of the major challenges of farmers in Indonesia. Since the climate will continue to change in the future, it is important to understand the determinants of adaptation in order to know how to support this adaptation process. This study identifies the link between perception and adaptation, in addition to the driving forces for adopting one or more of a set of 21 farm-level adaptation strategies. A survey was conducted among 74 participants of a Climate Field School in Tana Toraja, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. The 2-step Heckman estimation model that was used analyses the link between perception of and adaptation to climate change. The results indicate that better educated farmers and farmers with no off-farm income are more likely to adapt. The logistic regression model demonstrates that the possession of livestock increases the likelihood of applying a wider range of adaptation strategies. The Climate Field Schools offer a promising approach for enabling farmers to select appropriate adaptation strategies. However, other factors need to be considered to make best use of the potential of sustainable adaptation.
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Musyoka, John Kennedy, Hezron Nyarindo Isaboke, and Samuel Njiri Ndirangu. "Farm-Level Value Addition among Small-scale Mango Farmers in Machakos County, Kenya." Journal of Agricultural Extension 24, no. 3 (2020): 85–97. http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/jae.v24i3.8.
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The study examined farm-level value addition among small-scale mango farmers in Machakos County, Kenya. A sample size of 352 small-scale mango farmers was proportionately selected from six wards of the study area. A structured interview schedule was used for data collection. Percentage and Heckman two-stage selection model were employed in data analysis. The result showed that only 33.52% of the farmers practised mango value addition. Off-farm income, access to cold storage facilities, price of value-added products, group membership, extension contact, farmers’ awareness, amount of credit and hired labour positively influenced mango farm-level value addition. Training, farmers’ awareness and access to cold storage facilities positively influenced the proportion of mangoes value added at farm-level, while distance to market and livestock equivalence precipitated a negative effect on the proportion of mangoes value added. Relevant authorities in the County should provide adequate and up to date mango storage facilities and improve methods of extension delivery in order to increase the uptake of mango farm-level value addition among small-scale farmers.
 Keywords: Farm-level value addition, extent of participation
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XU, Jian, and Yang CHEN. "Potential Characteristics of Supervisory Board, Company Asset Scale and Irregularity of Listed Companies: Empirical Analysis Based on Heckman Two-Stage Model." 系统科学与信息学报(英文) 11, no. 2 (2023): 179–203. http://dx.doi.org/10.21078/jssi-2023-179-25.
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Zhang, Xiuru, Lin Zhang, and Tangzhe Nie. "Study on the Impact of Social Capital on Farmers’ Decision-Making Behavior of Adopting Trusteeship Services." Sustainability 15, no. 6 (2023): 5343. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su15065343.
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The development of sustainable agriculture is an important link in promoting agricultural modernization. As a new sustainable agricultural production model, the promotion effect of agricultural production trust depends on the participation of farmers. Therefore, based on the micro-data of 461 valid questionnaires from farmers in the Heilongjiang Province and the Heckman sample selection model, this study empirically analyzed the impact of social capital on the decision behavior of farmers to adopt custody services from two aspects of adoption behavior and adoption degree. The results showed that social capital had a significant positive impact on the adoption behavior and the degree of adoption of rural households’ trusteeship services. From the perspective of different business scales, for large-scale households, participation in the service promotion activities of agricultural means of production suppliers and trust in the technical information disseminated by the government had a significant positive impact on the adoption of custody services. However, for small farmers, participating in village collective service promotion activities and trusting the service information spread by their neighbors’ relatives and friends had a significant positive impact on trust adoption behavior. Therefore, more attention should be paid to the impact of social capital on farmers’ trust adoption behavior decision making in the future agricultural trust service promotion process to accelerate the promotion of sustainable agricultural development.
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Gao, Jie, Jianlin Li, Ke Yuan, and Wanli Liu. "The Influence of South Korea’s OFDI under the Effects of Multinational Enterprises’ Investment Motivations and Host Country Institutions." Journal of Korea Trade 26, no. 5 (2022): 1–22. http://dx.doi.org/10.35611/jkt.2022.26.5.1.
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Purpose - This study aims to analyze the influence of South Korea’s outward foreign direct investment(OFDI) under the effect of both multinational enterprises’ (MNEs) investment motivation and host country institutions. Some suggestions are put forward with regard to South Korean MNEs participating in and integrating into the fierce and changeable world of international market competition.
 Design/methodology - The basic hypotheses are that MNEs’ investment motivations and the host country’s superior institutions both boost South Korea’s OFDI in those host countries. South Korea’s OFDI is divided into investment choice stage and investment scale stage. A Heckman two-stage selection model is established for empirical analysis, using the panel data of South Korea’s OFDI and related variables, from 2002 to 2019.
 Findings - (1) The influence on the investment scale of South Korea’s OFDI is more regular and noteworthy than the influence on investment choice. (2) In the investment scale stage, there are obvious motivations to seek markets, labor force and superior technology, but not natural resources. (3) In the investment scale stage, the South Korea’s OFDI is more obviously attracted by the host country’s superior political institutions, economic institutions and legal institutions, but not cultural institutions.
 Originality/value - The choices of variables and uses of model expand the theoretical basis and empirical method of OFDI research. The results of the empirical study also provide some reference for the transnational investment of South Korean MNEs and the investment policy formulation of the South Korean government.
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Hwang, Jaehee. "Who Becomes a Fisherman? A Two-Stage Sample Selection Analysis on Small-Scale Fishery Choice and Income in Korea." Sustainability 14, no. 4 (2022): 2167. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su14042167.
Full textAbstract:
The sustainability of coastal communities is emerging as a primary topic in policy groups. In Korea, the multifunctionality of small-scale fisheries is being emphasized, and the government has attempted various policies, such as the promotion of in-migration and the fishery industry. However, despite the diverse alternatives, the population and fisheries have been continuously downsizing. This trend threatens the sustainability and pluralistic values of coastal communities. This study identifies the crucial determinants needed to expand small-scale fisheries and enhance the economic motivation for sustainable coastal communities. The analysis is conducted with a two-stage Heckman selection model using the Korea Fishery Census and the Agricultural Census. The estimation results show that the socioeconomic incentives and performance of fisheries in coastal areas are limited. In particular, although the policy pays attention to young, highly educated, and in-migrant groups, it seems to have a limited preference for small-scale fisheries due to economic, societal, and institutional constraints. On the other hand, the family-oriented fishing activities and self-governance unique to fishing villages in Korea could improve the multifunctionality of small-scale fisheries in Korea. In addition, when a fishery household engages in production and sales activities as a member of a fraternity or collective wholesale contract, economic outcomes significantly increase. The results suggest that it is necessary to sustain communal socioeconomic activities by opening up communities and adjusting specific operating systems of self-governance.
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ABDELALI-MARTINI, MALIKA, BOUBAKER DHEHIBI, and ADEN AW-HASSAN. "DETERMINANTS OF SMALL SCALE DAIRY SHEEP PRODUCERS’ DECISIONS TO USE MIDDLEMEN FOR ACCESSING MARKETS AND GETTING LOANS IN DRY MARGINAL AREAS IN SYRIA." Experimental Agriculture 50, no. 3 (2013): 438–57. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0014479713000628.
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SUMMARYThe paper describes value chain actors and institutional arrangements along value chains, and identifies major determinants of farmers’ decision making to work with middlemen/traders ‘jabbans’ (or cheese makers), and based on those identify short implications for research, development and policy processes. We hypothesize that small-scale sheep producers are more dependent on middlemen for market and loans than larger holders, leading to welfare losses. Our empirical findings based on a Heckman model applied for 120 farming households conducted in Khanasser region (Syria) show that despite unequal benefits, local arrangements are more blessing than curse for the poor. Small-scale sheep producers and middlemen developed intricate institutional arrangements that are mutually beneficial. Producers act collectively to pool sufficient quantity of milk to be attractive to traders (jabban) while gaining access to market and cash loans mainly for feed. This provides the middlemen needed supplies with reduced transaction costs. This suggests that development organizations should support local capacity of producing organizations to work together, small-scale producers to organize, develop small scale dairy processing workshops for pooling and possibly processing milk, support training for direct market access and facilitate access to loans. Finally, supporting organizations such as rural financial services and micro-finance need to ensure up-to-date market information is available to ensure fair prices are paid. They should also be able to negotiate favourable conditions for loans and reach out to these resource-poor rural populations where formal credit systems are absent.
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Cai, Liangmei, and Linping Wang. "Analysis on outsourcing service behavior of rice pest and disease control based on Heckman selection model—A case study of ten counties in Fujian Province." PLOS ONE 16, no. 7 (2021): e0254819. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0254819.
Full textAbstract:
Under the background of relatively slow agricultural labor transfer and land circulation, agricultural production outsourcing has become the main means of agricultural modernization. In order to provide a beneficial perspective for appropriately expanding the scale of rice control outsourcing services, we investigated the situation of rice control outsourcing in ten counties of Fujian Province, and analyzed the factors influencing rice farmers’ decision-making and control degree by using Heckman model. First of all, the main factors affecting farmers’ participation in outsourcing are agricultural labor force, whether family members are cooperative members, planting area, proportion of grain income, degree of organization of outsourcing team, region and so on. Secondly, agricultural labor force, cooperative members, planting area, part-time behavior, mechanical efficiency of prevention and control organization, and region are the main factors affecting the scale of control outsourcing. Thirdly, from a regional perspective, the rice farmers in northern and Western Fujian are more dependent on outsourcing services consumption compared with the rice farmers in Southern Fujian. These results have a clear impact on policymakers, indicating that policy and measures should encourage the prevention and control of the nature of cooperation, and improve the advanced nature of outsourcing facilities of plant protection equipment, thereby effectively improving the professional level of rice pest and disease control.
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Sun, Jingjing, Jie Li, and Yue Cui. "Does Non-Farm Employment Promote Farmland Abandonment of Resettled Households? Evidence from Shaanxi, China." Land 13, no. 2 (2024): 129. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/land13020129.
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The de-agrarianisation of the labor force in the poverty alleviation resettlement (PAR) inevitably influences households’ farmland management and farmland abandonment in the relocated areas. Drawing on survey data from 1079 households in Shaanxi, China, this study uses the Heckman two-stage model to empirically examine the relationship between non-farm employment and farmland abandonment in relocated areas. Additionally, it explores heterogeneity by considering the quantity and spatial distribution of non-farm employment, as well as the moderating effect of the withdrawal of rural homesteads (WRH). The results show that: (1) non-farm employment significantly promotes both behavioral and scale of farmland abandonment, with the magnitude of this impact varying based on the quantity of non-farm employment; (2) Heterogeneity analyses show that areas with non-farm employment exert a noteworthy positive effect on farmland abandonment. On average, farmers engaged in non-farm employment outside the county (NEO) exhibit a higher marginal effect on both behavioral and scale aspects of farmland abandonment compared to those engaged in non-farm employment within the county (NEI). Furthermore, only when the number of NEI reaches 3 does the probability and scale of farmland abandonment surpass those of NEO; (3) Mechanism analysis sheds light on the role of WRH, indicating that the cultivation of land in WRH weakens the promotion of farmland abandonment by non-farm employment, particularly in the NEI group. Conversely, the duration of WRH strengthens the contributions of non-farm employment to farmland abandonment, and this effect is concentrated in the NEO group. These findings underscore the importance of actively cultivating and introducing new types of agricultural management entities, promoting the moderate-scale operation of farmland, and encouraging the recultivation of withdrawn rural homesteads as strategies to curb farmland abandonment.
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Tras, Mehmet Fatih, Esra Balli, and Ciler Sigeze. "An Investigation on the R&D Expenditures in Turkey: A Firm-Level Approach." International Journal of Economics and Finance 8, no. 5 (2016): 48. http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/ijef.v8n5p48.
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<p>Access to foreign technology is important for small and medium sized companies. Most small and medium sized firms face with constraints resulting from financial, institutional and structural issues. In developing countries, most firms tend not to invest in Research and Development (R&amp;D), resulting in lack of innovation. Besides, R&amp;D is important to enter in international markets, in the determination of firm’s competition level, sustaining growth as well as to obtain a more advanced technology. Therefore, exhibiting the factors determining R&amp;D level for companies becomes crucial to make well-targeted policies both in government and firm levels. This study aims to analyze the participation and expenditure decisions of Turkish manufacturing firms in R&amp;D activities employing Heckman selection model taking region and industry effects into consideration. The results demonstrate that human capital, government funding of R&amp;D and the scale of the firm are related to R&amp;D decisions.</p>
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Ślawska, Justyna. "Shaping the Rural Landscape: Institutions of Land Use Change in Non-Urbanized Areas in Poland." Sustainability 16, no. 24 (2024): 10902. https://doi.org/10.3390/su162410902.
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Although extensive research has examined land use dynamics in urban settings, non-urbanized areas remain understudied, particularly in post-socialist contexts. This study investigates the political, economic, and institutional drivers of land use changes in the non-urbanized areas of Poland through the Political Market Framework. It focuses on how local government structures and interest group interactions shape land development decisions. The two-stage Heckman model was used to address sample selection bias. The results reveal three key findings: (1) municipal council composition significantly influences land use outcomes, with farmers and highly educated councilors generally opposing intensive development, while partisan councilors favor it; (2) interest groups, particularly production companies and the tourism sector, drive both the initiation and scale of land use changes; and (3) institutional factors, including agricultural land quality and farm size, moderate these relationships. This study advances our understanding of rural land use governance by demonstrating how political–economic forces interact with local institutional contexts to shape spatial development patterns. These findings have important implications for land use policy in transitional economies and contribute to broader discussions on rural governance.
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Liu, Di, and Pan Wang. "WeChat E-Commerce, Social Connections, and Smallholder Agriculture Sales Performance: A Survey of Orange Farmers in Hubei Province, China." Agriculture 13, no. 11 (2023): 2076. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13112076.
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WeChat is a social media widely used in rural China because of its operability and simplicity. This paper contributes to the role of WeChat in rural e-commerce. Based on 406 orange farmers’ survey data from Hubei Province, China, we used the Heckman model to analyze the factors that influence farmers’ participation in WeChat e-commerce and estimate the impacts of WeChat e-commerce on farmers’ sales performance. We found that information literacy and social connections are important factors affecting farmers’ participation in WeChat e-commerce. WeChat e-commerce has a positive effect on farmers’ sales performance, and the social connections between farmers and consumers can reinforce this effect. Particularly, the beneficial effects are more prominent for farmers with a higher level of Internet development, who operate on a smaller scale, and who are less educated. The results show that WeChat e-commerce improves sales performance mainly by increasing the quantity of sales and the profit rate. These findings will help countries like China to use daily social media to develop rural e-commerce.
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Hwang, Seong-hyuk, and Jongin Kim. "Analysis of Determining Factors of Agricultural Income among Farm Households Participating in Farming Cooperative Using a Sample Selection Model." Crisis and Emergency Management: Theory and Praxis 19, no. 8 (2023): 169–83. http://dx.doi.org/10.14251/crisisonomy.2023.19.8.169.
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Employing the Heckman model and drawing on the national database, this study scrutinized the determinants influencing the selection of participation in farming cooperatives, as well as the impact of such participation on the agricultural income of farm households. Participation probabilities were observed to rise notably among males in their 50s and 60s with larger business scales, while protracted periods of farming experience and education correlated positively with the likelihood of engagement in farming cooperatives. Farm households actively participating in farming cooperatives demonstrated a notable elevation in their income levels compared to those who abstained from participation. Among the subset of farm households engaged in agricultural cooperatives, the utilization of ICT was linked to a more agricultural income. Given the discernible positive impact of farming cooperatives on the amplification of agricultural income, there arises a compelling need for the government to fortify policies aimed at nurturing the growth and development of these cooperatives.
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Kretsos, Lefteris, and Ilias Livanos. "The extent and determinants of precarious employment in Europe." International Journal of Manpower 37, no. 1 (2016): 25–43. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/ijm-12-2014-0243.
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Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the extent and determinants of the so-called precarious employment across Europe and using different measures and based on individual’s self-assessment. Design/methodology/approach – Data on over two million workers across Europe (EU-15) from the European Union Labour Force Survey are utilised and a Heckman selection approach is adopted. Findings – About one tenth of the total European workforce is in employment relationships that could be related to precariousness. The sources of precariousness are mainly involuntary part-time and temporary work. Less prominent as a source of precariousness is job insecurity related to fear of job loss. Vulnerable groups are found to have a higher risk of precariousness while significant country variations indicate that precariousness cannot be examined in isolation of the national context. Finally, signals of previous employment inability, such as lack of past working experience, as well as the state of labour market significantly increase the risk of precarious work. Originality/value – The present study utilises a large-scale survey in order to investigate the incidence of precarious employment in a harmonised way and produce results that are comparable across EU-15 countries.
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Sillanpää, A., L. Takalo, K. Nilsson, et al. "The Environment of OJ 287: Nearby Galaxies and a Long Optical Jet?" Symposium - International Astronomical Union 175 (1996): 47–48. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0074180900079961.
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A widely accepted model for BL Lac objects is that they are radio galaxies with a relativistic jet pointing almost directly towards us. But we need a clear trigger mechanism for these jets. One possibility is the close interaction between the BL Lac host and the closeby galaxies (e.g. Heckman et al. 1986). This interaction has been seen many times in the case of quasars (Hutchings et al. 1989) but not so much is known about the close surroundings of the BL Lac objects although there has been some pioneer work like Stickel et al. (1993). The problem has usually been that the images are not deep enough and that the seeing has not been so good. To clarify the situation we have started an observing program to get very deep images in the sub-arcsecond seeing conditions from the whole 1 Jy sample (Stickel et al. 1991) of BL Lac objects. The aims of this study are: 1. to search for very close companions to the BL Lacs, 2. to study the large scale galaxy clustering around the BL Lacs and 3. to study the BL Lac hosts themselves.
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Ji, Hongdan. "Does the Underwriter Reputation Affect the Pricing of Local Government Bonds in China?" International Business Research 13, no. 7 (2020): 45. http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/ibr.v13n7p45.
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As the product of the combination of fiscal and financial, local government bonds should also follow the pricing mechanism of the securities market even under the special financial system in China. This paper uses Heckman&#39;s two-stage model to investigate whether the mechanism of underwriter reputation affects the pricing of local government bonds. The empirical results show that local governments tend to choose securities company underwriters with high reputation when they issue bonds with large scale, long maturity, and call right which have high degree of information asymmetry, and this tendency has an obvious time trend. However, high-reputation securities company underwriters failed to play the role of information intermediary to reduce the cost of local governments. On the contrary, implicit guarantees and government interventions induced the commercial banks to depress their quotations even leading to &ldquo;interest rate upside down&rdquo;, which resulted in the lack of securities company underwriters. In order to play the mechanism of underwriter reputation to promote the marketization of local government bonds pricing, this paper proposes to eliminate government interference, guide underwriters to strengthen the construction of their reputation, promote the marketization of underwriting fees and strengthen the supervision of underwriters.
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Kibirige, Douglas, Ajay S. Singh, Sicelo I. Dlamini, Delsile D. Dlamini, and N. Mavimbela. "Determinants of Market Participation among Smallholder Common Bean Farmers in Eswatini (Former Swaziland)." Asian Journal of Advances in Agricultural Research 24, no. 5 (2024): 10–20. http://dx.doi.org/10.9734/ajaar/2024/v24i5503.
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Purpose: Promoting small-scale farmers’ market participation is perceived to be a motivation of transforming peasantry subsistence farming to commercialization for improved rural livelihoods especially in developing countries like Eswatini. Despite efforts by the government and other stakeholders the transformation process is too slow or stagnant mostly on non-traditional export food commodities including common beans in Eswatini. The drivers of small-scale common bean farmers ‘market participation and level of market participation in Eswatini are not known, hence this study. Objectives: The main objective of the present study is to find out the determinants of market participation among the smallholder common beans farmers in Eswatini. Research Methods: This study used secondary data accessed from Eswatini Agricultural Development Enterprise (ESWADE) under the Smallholder Market Lead Project was used. The data was cleaned and a total of 164 common bean farmers were considered for this study. The data was analysed using descriptive statistics and Heckman two-stage selection model. Findings: The results generated indicate that most respondents were females (63%). The results further show that there is a significant difference of 1.396 in the number of family size helping in farming between participant and non-participants. About 84.8% of the farmers depend on rain to water their beans. Gender, knowing size of land, method of watering and household farm labour size were found to be the determinants of common bean farmer’s choice and intensity of participation in the market. Recommendation: It is recommended that farmers should consider irrigating their crops, participate fully in farming activities and know their size of land because these factors has been proven to increase the intensity of market participation of bean farmers and the government should take initiative to provide more extension officers to conduct effective training and incentives that will encourage the middle age group to participate in sugar bean farming. Originality/ Value: This paper highlights the determinants of market participation among the smallholder common beans farmers in Eswatini as well as establishes the socio-economic characteristics of the small scale common bean farmers.
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Xiao, Chunhuan, and Ziyin Zhuang. "Do R&D Tax Credits Incentivize Radical or Incremental Innovation? Evidence from China." Sustainability 14, no. 14 (2022): 8238. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su14148238.
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Many countries use R&D tax credits to promote firm innovation. Using the data of A-share listed companies from 2012 to 2019, we use a fixed effects model to examine the heterogeneity effect of the R&D tax credit in China on radical and incremental innovation based on the perspective of firm property rights, scale, and age under the framework of heterogeneity. The results show that the R&D tax credit significantly stimulates radical and incremental innovation, but the incentive effect on radical innovation is weak. Further heterogeneity analysis shows that the incentive effects of enterprises with different complementary resources and innovation capabilities are different. Specifically, we find that the R&D tax credit has a stronger impact on incremental innovation of state-owned enterprises and radical innovation of non-state-owned enterprises. Compared with small firms and start-ups, it has a stronger incentive effect on the radical and incremental innovation of large-, medium-sized, and incumbent firms. Finally, the results are consistent and robust using the Heckman two-step method, core indicator substitution method, and change lag period. This paper deepens the theoretical research on the heterogeneity effect of tax incentives on firm innovation, while also providing insights on how to design R&D tax credits to raise radical innovation for emerging economies.
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Kyaw, Nyein, Soojung Ahn, and Sang Lee. "Analysis of the Factors Influencing Market Participation among Smallholder Rice Farmers in Magway Region, Central Dry Zone of Myanmar." Sustainability 10, no. 12 (2018): 4441. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su10124441.
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Smallholder farmers face numerous constraints that restrict their access to markets and prevent them from taking advantage of market opportunities. This research aimed to examine the factors affecting the market participation of smallholder farmers and find ways to improve the income and livelihood of smallholder farmers, focusing on Myothit Township in Magway Region, Central Dry Zone of Myanmar. For the primary data, we surveyed 150 smallholder rice farmers which were selected using a random sampling technique. Using the Heckman two-stage selection model, we analyzed the factors influencing smallholder rice farmers’ decisions regarding participation in the agricultural market. This study revealed that the decision to participate in the rice market was dependent on different factors such as the household head age, education status, household size, total produce of rice, price of rice, household income, ownership of livestock, membership of farmer organization, access to roads, distance to market, access to extension services, and market information. The results of this study have implications as to what factors need to be addressed to encourage smallholder rice farmers to participate in the market. We suggest that Myanmar government and policymakers need to establish balanced policies for small-scale farmers and manage them in an appropriate way so that agricultural development can be induced, contributing to poverty reduction, food security, and economic development.
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Bocher, Temesgen, Kirimi Sindi, Tawanda Muzhingi, Jean Claude Nshimiyimana, Madjaliwa Nzamwita, and Jan Low. "Investigating consumer preferences and willingness to pay for Orange-fleshed Sweet potato (OFSP) juice in Rwanda." Open Agriculture 4, no. 1 (2019): 227–36. http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/opag-2019-0021.
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AbstractWhile micronutrient malnutrition has become a major public health problem in developing countries, consumption of biofortified foods such as orange fleshed sweet potato has proved to be cost effective means of addressing vitamin A deficiency. This paper describes consumer preferences and willingness to pay for Orange fleshed Sweet potato (OFSP) juice based on a structured survey and taste tests administered to 946 participants (384 female and 562 male) chosen at random in Rwanda. Four juices types were tested: two popular brands of 100% pineapple juice, one 100%-OFSP juice, and one 80% OFSP- 20% pineapple juice blend. Consumers ranked different attributes of each juice such as aroma, taste, color, “right” amount of sugar, and aftertaste using a Likert scale (1 to 5). Heckman two-stage probit model was used to analyze willingness to pay and a multinomial logit model was used to analyze the determinants of juice choice. Gender of the consumer, juice buying frequency, aroma, the taste of the juice, and vitamin A knowledge were positively associated with willingness to pay and juice choice. Without nutritional information on OFSP juice, the willingness to pay for the standard juices were statistically higher; but with nutritional information, the willingness to pay and choice of OFSP juice was significantly improved. It is concluded that nutrition information is an important factor influencing the acceptance and willingness to pay for OFSP juice.
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Harmini, Harmini, Harianto Harianto, Nunung Kusnadi, and Herawati Herawati. "Determinants Of Off-Farm Household Income: Evidence From Rice Farmers In Indonesia." Jurnal Agribisnis Indonesia 13, no. 1 (2025): 214–22. https://doi.org/10.29244/jai.2025.13.1.214-222.
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Most small-scale rice farming households in Indonesia face land ownership constraints that result in low on-farm income levels, often falling below the national poverty line. In such circumstances, off-farm income serves as a vital alternative source to meet household needs. This study aims to identify the key determinants of off-farm income among rice farming households in Indonesia using the two-step Heckman selection model to address potential sample selection bias. The analysis is based on household survey data collected in 2016 by the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Indonesia, comprising 321 farming households across 14 major rice-producing districts. The estimation results indicate that off-farm income is significantly influenced by macro-level factors, such as the proportion of non-agricultural labor in the district and geographical proximity to economic centers. At the micro level, the number of working household members and the educational attainment of the household head are positively associated with off-farm income. Conversely, limited access to land and low levels of non-labor income serve as push factors driving participation in low-productivity off-farm activities. The findings suggest that policy interventions should focus on promoting the development of non-agricultural industries in rural areas and improving farmers' access to education and vocational training in order to enhance income diversification and strengthen the economic resilience of farming households.
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Nguyen, Phuong Thi, and Minh Khac Nguyen. "Misallocation and reallocation of resources in Vietnamese manufacturing firms." Journal of Economic Studies 47, no. 7 (2020): 1605–27. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/jes-04-2019-0168.
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PurposeThis research identifies the level of misallocation in Vietnamese manufacturing sector for the period 2000–2015. Meltiz and Polanec dynamic productivity decomposition is used to compare the relative productivity contributions from surviving, entering and exiting firms to aggregate productivity change by the type of ownership. Heckman's two-step model is used to examine the effect of misallocation and industry- and firm-level factors on entry or exit decision and market share of firms in Vietnamese manufacturing sector.Design/methodology/approachThe level of misallocation and efficiency gains in total factor productivity (TFP) are assessed using Hsieh and Klenow (2009) productivity decomposition framework for the period 2000–2015. The dynamic productivity decomposition of Meltiz and Polanec (2015) is used to compare the relative contributions from surviving, entering and exiting firms to aggregate productivity change. The effects of misallocation and other factors on entry or exit decisions and market share of firms are determined by using Heckman choice model.FindingsThe results indicate three main points. Firstly, resource misallocation is found to be highest among state-owned enterprise (SOEs) and low technology industries. TFP is found to 81.2% greater if there is no resource misallocation among firms. Secondly, the aggregate productivity change for the entering, exiting and surviving firms is 35% due to productivity reallocation among three groups. Finally, the decision of entry or exit as well as the market share of firms are influenced by misallocation and industry- and firm-level factors such as Vietnam's WTO entry, tax policy, financial frictions, industrial concentration, technology gap, capital intensity, human capital, scale of firm, time entry and FDI spillovers. The result finds the higher misallocation level is, the lower the probability and market share for a new firm to enter in the industry is.Research limitations/implicationsThe main limitation of the study is that the market is assumed perfectly competitive and the method has only decomposed misallocation of resources to those arising from output and capital distortions. The results of Heckman choice model only clarify on the sub-sample of state-owned enterprises and low technology firms.Originality/valueThe focus of many previous research papers on resource misallocation was generally to look at the level of misallocation in developed countries. However, knowledge about the effect of misallocation and other factors on entry or exit decisions and market share of firms is limited, particularly in the context of developing countries. This paper clarifies the level of misallocation in Vietnamese manufacturing sector and the effect of misallocation and other factors on entry or exit decisions and market share of firms.
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Xie, Yuefeng, Luman Zhao, Yabin Zhang, and Zhenguo Wang. "How Do Robot Applications Affect Corporate Sustainability?—An Analysis Based on Environmental, Social, and Governance Performance." Sustainability 17, no. 5 (2025): 1822. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17051822.
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Can the application of robots promote corporate sustainability? This study constructs micro-data based on robot data provided by the IFR and annual reports of China’s A-share listed companies from 2010 to 2018. By employing a multidimensional fixed effects model for empirical analysis, we arrive at the following conclusions. Firstly, the implementation of robotic technologies substantially improves the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance of corporations, which remains robust following a series of robustness tests (including the implementation of instrumental variables, the Heckman two-stage model, and placebo tests). Secondly, a decomposition effect analysis shows that robots positively influence the E, S, and G aspects of ESG; in addition, robotic applications primarily promote corporate ESG performance by promoting green technology innovation, boosting corporate goodwill, and enhancing internal control effectiveness. Thirdly, a heterogeneity analysis reveals that the positive effects of robotic applications on corporate ESG performance are predominantly observed in state-owned, large-scale, and technology-intensive enterprises. Additionally, the promoting effect is strongest in enterprises located in central regions, followed by the eastern regions, while the effect in the western regions is insignificant. Furthermore, the results of the quantile regression analysis reveal that robotics exerts a greater impact on firms with higher initial levels of ESG performance. These findings offer researchers a framework to identify and measure the effects of robots on corporate sustainability, thus enhancing the understanding of the relationship between robotics and corporate sustainability.
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Lu, Yangxiao, and Suhao Wei. "Outsourcing of Agricultural Machinery Operation Services and the Sustainability of Farmland Transfer Market: Promoting or Inhibiting?" Sustainability 16, no. 22 (2024): 9765. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su16229765.
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The agricultural machinery operation services (AMOS) market and the farmland transfer market are regarded by policymakers as complementary goals for promoting agricultural development in China. Nonetheless, the farmland transfer market in China is confronted with the threat of sustainable development. The relationship between AMOS and farmland transfer is not always complementary. To analyze the relationship between the AMOS market and the sustainability of the farmland transfer market, methods such as conditional mixed process, the Heckman two-step method, and the Sobel test were employed to explore the influence of AMOS on farmland transfer and its underlying mechanisms. The empirical results show the following: (i) AMOS inhibits farmland transfer-out but promotes farmland transfer-in, which will intensify the market competition of farmland transfer. This result remains valid after correcting for the potential endogenous bias and selective bias and is consistent across different variables and samples. This conclusion suggests that AMOS has emerged as a factor restricting the sustainable development of the farmland transfer market in China. (ii) The heterogeneity analysis results indicate that AMOS has a greater inhibitory effect on the farmland transfer-out of small-scale farmers, part-time farmers, and elderly farmers, and a greater incentive effect on the farmland transfer-in of large-scale farmers, professional farmers, and non-elderly farmers. (iii) Labor allocation and agricultural capital allocation are the potential mechanisms for AMOS to affect farmland transfer. AMOS indirectly inhibits farmland transfer-out and promotes farmland transfer-in by farmland operation ability of labor force and benefits of farmland operation. These results imply that there is a complementary relationship and substitution relationship between the AMOS market and the farmland transfer market. The substitution relationship may sometimes frustrate policies aimed at stimulating the farmland transfer market. The Chinese government is required to be wary of the potential menace that AMOS brings to the sustainability of China’s farmland transfer market.
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Cossart, Étienne, and Mathieu Fressard. "Assessment of structural sediment connectivity within catchments: insights from graph theory." Earth Surface Dynamics 5, no. 2 (2017): 253–68. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/esurf-5-253-2017.
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Abstract. To describe the sedimentary signal delivered at catchment outlets, many authors now refer to the concept of connectivity. In this framework, the sedimentary signal is seen as an emergent organization of local links and interactions. The challenge is thus to open the black boxes that remain within a sediment cascade, which requires both accurate geomorphic investigations in the field (reconstruction of sequences of geomorphic evolution, description of sediment pathways) and the development of tools dedicated to sediment cascade modeling. More precisely, the development of tools devoted to the study of connectivity in geomorphology is still in progress, although graph theory offers promising perspectives (Heckmann and Schwanghart, 2013). In this paper, graph theory is applied to abstract the network structure of sediment cascades, keeping only the nodes (sediment sources, sediment stores, outlet) and links (linkage by a transportation agent), represented as vertices and edges. From the description of the assemblages of sedimentary flows, we provide three main indices to explore how small-scale processes may result in significant broad-scale geomorphic patterns. The main hypothesis guiding this work is that the network structure dictates how sediment inputs from various sources interact at tributary junctions and finally at the outlet of a cascading system. First, we use the flow index to assess the potential contribution of each node to the sediment delivery at the outlet. Second, we measure the influence of each node regarding how it is accessible from both sediment sources and the outlet (using the Shimbel index). Third, we propose a new connectivity index named Network Structural Connectivity index (NSC) revealing whether the potential contribution of a node is lower or higher than expected from its location within the network. These indices are first computed for a conceptual sediment cascade network and then applied to a catchment located in the southern French Alps. We demonstrate that this index may be used to simulate sediment transfer and help in identifying the hotspots of geomorphic change. In the present case, we try to predict how a sediment cascade may be impacted by an edge disruption or a reconnection.
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Wilkinson, Thomas J., Douglas W. Gould, Daniel G. D. Nixon, Emma L. Watson, and Alice C. Smith. "Quality over quantity? Association of skeletal muscle myosteatosis and myofibrosis on physical function in chronic kidney disease." Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation 34, no. 8 (2018): 1344–53. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ndt/gfy139.
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Abstract Background Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is characterized by adverse changes in body composition, which are associated with poor clinical outcome and physical functioning. Whilst size is the key for muscle functioning, changes in muscle quality specifically increase in intramuscular fat infiltration (myosteatosis) and fibrosis (myofibrosis) may be important. We investigated the role of muscle quality and size on physical performance in non-dialysis CKD patients. Methods Ultrasound (US) images of the rectus femoris (RF) were obtained. Muscle quality was assessed using echo intensity (EI), and qualitatively using Heckmatt’s visual rating scale. Muscle size was obtained from RF cross-sectional area (RF-CSA). Physical function was measured by the sit-to-stand-60s (STS-60) test, incremental (ISWT) and endurance shuttle walk tests, lower limb and handgrip strength, exercise capacity (VO2peak) and gait speed. Results A total of 61 patients (58.5 ± 14.9 years, 46% female, estimated glomerular filtration rate 31.1 ± 20.2 mL/min/1.73 m2) were recruited. Lower EI (i.e. higher muscle quality) was significantly associated with better physical performance [STS-60 (r = 0.363) and ISWT (r = 0.320)], and greater VO2peak (r = 0.439). The qualitative rating was closely associated with EI values, and significant differences in function were seen between the ratings. RF-CSA was a better predictor of performance than muscle quality. Conclusions In CKD, increased US-derived EI was negatively correlated with physical performance; however, muscle size remains the largest predictor of physical function. Therefore, in addition to the loss of muscle size, muscle quality should be considered an important factor that may contribute to deficits in mobility and function in CKD. Interventions such as exercise could improve both of these factors.
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Lei, Lei, Yaling Zhu, and Qiang Liu. "Analysis on Quantified Self-Behavior of Customers in Food Consumption under the Perspective of Social Networks." Complexity 2021 (October 6, 2021): 1–14. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2021/6001654.
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China is still facing the double challenges of over nutrition and malnutrition. One of the main reasons is the lack of residents’ understanding of the nutritional value of food. Quantified self, as a measure of consumer self-activity, has been used to analyze food consumption behavior recently. Although the research results are increasing, the conclusions are not consistent. What’s more, previous literatures did not consider food consumption behavior based on the theory of information perception and the risk perception theory. In addition to obtaining information through their own human capital for quantitative activities, consumers will also obtain information through social networks. In view of the above understanding, this study uses experimental design and field survey to obtain data, uses Heckman two-step method and PLS path modeling method to analyze the impact of consumers’ quantified self-behavior on their health food consumption, and discusses the moderating role of social networks based on the perspective of complex network. The results show that (1) consumers’ health awareness can promote their choice of quantified self-behavior, (2) consumers’ quantified self-behavior is helpful to promote their purchase intention and purchase scale of healthy food, and (3) social networks play a positive moderating role in consumers’ quantified self-influence on their healthy food consumption. Both emotional networks and instrumental networks have significant moderating effect, but the formal is stronger. This article not only considers the relationship between food consumption behavior and social network but also the enhances literature based on the theory of information perception and the risk perception theory.
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Driessen, Geert. "The fragile foundation of pre- and early-school programs for disadvantaged children." Forum for Education Studies 3, no. 1 (2024): 1869. https://doi.org/10.59400/fes1869.
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In many countries, pre- and early-school programs are the core of educational disadvantage policy. Such programs aim at preventing educational delays of children growing up under unfavorable socioeconomic circumstances. The programs provide a range of compensational stimulation activities in child care centers and kindergartens, sometimes combined with activities for parents at home. Despite the investment of billions of dollars each year, the educational gap between the rich and poor is widening. The question, then, is whether such programs are really effective. Therefore, studies into the effectiveness of such programs are significant. In this sense, this article reviews two so-called model programs, the Perry Preschool and the Abecedarian programs, which were small-scale experimental programs conducted in the 1960s and 1970s. This review critically analyzes a series of publications written by the projects’ staff and reanalyses done by Nobel laureate James Heckman and colleagues. They claim that both programs are highly effective and that their findings can be generalized to other reasonably similar programs. This review shows, however, that both experiments were hampered by several methodological shortcomings, which seriously threaten the reliability and validity of their outcomes. Furthermore, the projects were so exceptional, in terms of circumstances, target groups, budgets, and teacher qualifications, that it is not possible to generalize their results. It is concluded that not just quality research, but especially critical quality research, is imperative. That is, researchers should be more critical with regard to their own work and that of their colleagues, and they should not accept research findings at face value.
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Du, Yu, Hui Feng, Qingsong Zhang, and Shaofeng Zheng. "Influence of Information Literacy on Farmers’ Green Production Technology Adoption Behavior: The Moderating Role of Risk Attitude." Agriculture 15, no. 7 (2025): 701. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture15070701.
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Green production technology is a critical component of contemporary agricultural development, playing a pivotal role in the promotion of sustainable agricultural practices. Information literacy is the basic ability for farmers to engage in agricultural production, including information awareness, information knowledge, and information ability. In order to investigate the impact of information literacy on farmers’ green production technology adoption behavior, this paper constructs information literacy indicators using factor analysis, based on survey data from 1316 farming households in Shanxi and Hebei provinces, and empirically analyzed the impact of information literacy on farmers’ green production technology adoption behavior and the moderating effect of risk attitude using the Heckman model and moderating effect model, respectively. The empirical evidence indicates the following: (1) Information literacy can significantly contribute to farmers’ adoption decisions and adoption degree of green production technologies. (2) Information literacy has a significant effect on the adoption decisions of all five green production technologies. (3) The results of the heterogeneity analysis indicate that the coefficient of information literacy on the degree of adoption of green production technologies by farmers with different endowment characteristics varies significantly. The promotion effect is more pronounced for small-scale farmers and farmers with a high share of agricultural income. (4) The interaction term between risk attitude and information literacy has a significant effect on farmers’ green production technology adoption degree. Based on these findings, the paper recommends that relevant institutions focus on enhancing farmers’ information literacy, strengthening the agricultural production guarantee system, and developing differentiated strategies for promoting green production technologies.
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Makkar, Sanchit, Sumedha Minocha, Kishor Govinda Bhat, et al. "Iron Fortification through Universal Distribution of Double-Fortified Salt Can Increase Wages and Be Cost-Effective: An Ex-Ante Modeling Study in India." Journal of Nutrition 152, no. 2 (2021): 597–611. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jn/nxab378.
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ABSTRACT Background The alleviation of iron deficiency through iron supplementation has not effectively reduced anemia in India, mainly due to low compliance. Food fortification with iron is considered a viable alternative, and the provision of double-fortified salt (DFS; with iron and iodine) has been mandated in public health programs. Limited evidence exists on its benefit–cost ratio. Objective In this study we sought to estimate the economic benefit in terms of increased wages in relation to introduction of DFS in reduction of anemia and the cost of doing so. Methods The economic benefit of introducing DFS in India was derived using a series of mathematical, statistical, and econometric models using data from national surveys capturing earnings and dietary iron intake of the population. Anemia status was predicted from data on dietary intake, sanitation, and for women, menstrual losses. The impact of iron deficiency anemia (IDA) on wages was estimated using a Heckman Selection model and 2-stage least squares procedure. Benefit of DFS was estimated through increased wages attributed to anemia reduction compared with its cost. Results Men and women with IDA had lower wages (by 25.9%, 95% CI: 11.3, 38.1; and by 3.9%, 95% CI: 0.0, 7.7, respectively) than those without IDA. Additional iron intake through DFS was predicted to reduce prevalence of IDA (from 10.6% to 0.7% in men and 23.8% to 20.9% in women). The economic benefit–cost ratio of introducing DFS at a national level was estimated to be 4.2:1. Conclusions Iron fortification delivered through DFS under a universal program can improve wages and be sufficiently cost-effective for its implementation at scale in India.
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He, Lei, Peikun Xue, and Hongxing Lan. "Does Local Citizenship Still Matter? The Impact of Hukou Locality on the Employment of Relocated Households from the Perspective of Welfare Acquisition Cost." Land 13, no. 12 (2024): 1977. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/land13121977.
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Rural-to-urban resettlement is a widely used poverty alleviation strategy in China for fundamentally transforming poor farmers’ livelihoods, with roughly 263,000 rural poor relocated to urban communities in Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture between 2016 and 2020. This dramatic development intervention in urbanization has unexpectedly resulted in the separation of hukou locality and residence. Considering that the government equally provides follow-up employment support policies to guarantee the citizenship rights for resettlers whether or not their hukou locality has transferred to urban communities, then, does the local citizenship still matter for employment? If so, how does local citizenship make a difference? What role does employment policy play in terms of the impact of local citizenship on employment? The answers to these questions are not yet clear. Based on a survey of 735 relocated households in the Liangshan Yi Ethnic Area, the Heckman sample selection model was used to empirically estimate the effect of local citizenship (hukou locality) on employment from the perspective of welfare acquisition cost, paying particular attention to the moderating effect of follow-up employment support policies. Our results show that (1) local citizenship can significantly increase the employed persons of a household by 0.279 units, prolong the working months by 2.297 units, and increase per capita wage by 0.885%. (2) Mechanism analysis shows that local citizenship affects relocated households’ employment by reducing welfare acquisition costs. (3) Moderating analysis shows that the follow-up employment support policies weakened the positive impact of local citizenship on employment, developing pro-poor jobs substitutes for the positive effect of local citizenship on the employed size; recommending job information substitutes for the positive effect of local citizenship on working months; and targeted labor exporting substitutes for the positive effect of local citizenship on per capita wage. This study provides new empirical evidence for understanding the relationship between hukou locality and employment consequences at a smaller scale and then provides theoretical reference and practical basis for the improvement of employment from the perspective of local citizenship.
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Golovash, B., L. Golovash, and B. Hishchak. "Theoretical aspects of the genesis of human capital." Ways to Improve Construction Efficiency 3, no. 52 (2023): 188–95. https://doi.org/10.32347/2707-501x.2023.52(3).188-195.
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The article is devoted to the study of the theoretical aspects of the genesis of human capital, its definition, and its role in the modern economy. The evolution of the concept of "human capital" is analyzed, considering the contributions of leading economists such as G. Becker, T. Schultz, D. Coleman, P. Romer, R. Barro, and J. Heckman. Particular attention is given to the impact of investments in human resources on labor productivity, income levels, and the competitiveness of the national economy. The transformation of views on the category of human capital throughout the development of economic science is identified, as well as the formation of an understanding of its significance for society and the state. The article emphasizes that human capital is not merely an accumulation of knowledge and skills but also a complex set of investments in health, social connections, motivation, and cultural values that contribute to improving labor quality and economic well-being. The concept is considered on three levels: the individual level, which includes personal abilities and qualifications; the microeconomic level, which reflects the impact of human capital on business performance; and the macroeconomic level, which determines its contribution to national development. It is emphasized that human capital is a critically important factor for economic growth and the innovative development of the state. Accordingly, strategic investments in education, health, and the development of social resources form the foundation for increasing productivity, competitiveness, and overall societal well-being. It is determined that further research is needed to expand methodological approaches to assessing and managing human capital to develop effective state development strategies in the context of globalization and contemporary challenges. The article identifies the risks associated with the development of human capital in our country at the present stage, particularly the negative impact of martial law on education, the structure of the labor market, workforce qualifications, and the presence of large-scale migration processes in Ukraine. Additionally, the destruction of educational infrastructure, the temporary suspension of the educational process, and the decline in its quality also negatively impact the development of human capital. The necessity of strengthening state support for education and professional development is emphasized, as it is crucial for restoring and enhancing human capital in the post-war period.