Recent developments in D-optimal designs

In the paper, some issues concerned with the determining spring balance weighing designs satisfying the criterion of D-optimality under the assumption measurement errors are uncorrelated and they have the same variances are discussed. In addition, highly D-efficient spring balance weighing designs are also considered. Some conditions under which any spring balance weighing design is regular D-optimal or highly D-efficient are proved. What is more, new construction methods of regular D-optimal and highly D-efficient spring balance weighing designs are presented.     

Statistical testing strategies for assessing treatment efficacy and marker accuracy in phase III trials

When a candidate predictive marker is available, but evidence on its predictive ability is not sufficiently reliable, all‐comers trials with marker stratification are frequently conducted. We propose a framework for planning and evaluating prospective testing strategies in confirmatory, phase III marker‐stratified clinical trials based on a natural assumption on heterogeneity of treatment effects across marker‐defined subpopulations, where weak rather than strong control is permitted for multiple population tests. For phase III marker‐stratified trials, it is expected that treatment efficacy is established in a particular patient population, possibly in a marker‐defined subpopulation, and that the marker accuracy is assessed when the marker is used to restrict the indication or labelling of the treatment to a marker‐based subpopulation, ie, assessment of the clinical validity of the marker. In this paper, we develop statistical testing strategies based on criteria that are explicitly designated to the marker assessment, including those examining treatment effects in marker‐negative patients. As existing and developed statistical testing strategies can assert treatment efficacy for either the overall patient population or the marker‐positive subpopulation, we also develop criteria for evaluating the operating characteristics of the statistical testing strategies based on the probabilities of asserting treatment efficacy across marker subpopulations. Numerical evaluations to compare the statistical testing strategies based on the developed criteria are provided.     

A Qualitative Case Study on Recovery and Personal Growth in Korean Drug Addicts

ABSTRACT

In recent years, crimes related to drug smuggling and production have gradually increased in Korea. This qualitative case study explores the experiences of Koreans recovering from drug addiction and identifies specific details and mechanisms of recovery. For this purpose, participants were selected based on criteria such as engaging in social activities after recovery from addiction for 3 years or more. Next, one-on-one in-depth interviews were conducted with five voluntarily consenting participants. Data were analyzed using the within-/cross-case analysis suggested by Creswell. Substantial personal growth took place in the recovery process for drug addicts. Nineteen themes were identified as manifestations of personal growth through within-case analysis. Four common themes were then derived through cross-case analysis. These four common themes were “reconnection with reality,” “embracing the essence of one's own existence,” “reconstructing oneself in social relations,” and “self-love.” The study's results suggest that a recovery program needs to be developed wherein the program not only enables drug addicts to reflect on their current existence but also allows them to develop their specific coping skills. Future research should be broadened to consider the social support mechanism and viewpoints of people including family and local community members in close contact with drug addicts.     

超竞争环境下企业困境并购定价与时机研究

在超竞争环境下企业面临的竞争环境越来越动荡，企业的竞争优势呈现出短期性与临时性的特点，为了快速发展，越来越多的企业选择并购。本文以超竞争环境为研究背景，运用期权博弈理论，分析并建立了存在竞争对手的企业困境并购定价与时机选择模型，通过模型求解得到并购中主并企业给予目标企业的最优价值以及主并企业的最佳并购时机；此外，通过数值模拟重点分析了三个超竞争特征因子（竞争强度、竞争不确定性、企业价值损失因子）、企业困境因子以及竞争对手的溢价水平对企业困境并购时机的影响。本文研究发现：（1）被并企业得到的价值补偿比例及主并企业最佳并购时机均受到各超竞争特征因子、企业困境因子以及竞争对手溢价水平的综合影响；（2）竞争对手的存在会使目标企业得到的价值补偿比例增加；（3）超竞争环境下企业困境并购中主并企业的最佳并购时机取决于并购双方的相对价值比；（4）随着可能导致双方谈判破裂因素、事件的增多以及企业财务困境程度的增加，主并企业提前进行并购的可能性增加；（5）随着竞争强度、竞争不确定性、竞争对手造成溢价水平的增加，主并企业推迟并购时机的可能性增大。     

唐诗与魅的世界

在“世界的祛魅”中，如何返回魅的世界，是现代哲学思考的重要问题，同时也应该从中国传统的思想中汲取智慧。唐诗作为中国古代诗歌的典范，具有丰富的诗歌智慧与美感经验，可以为我们重新激活，使现代人有所受用     

政府奖惩机制下药品安全质量监管三方演化博弈及仿真分析

药品安全关乎人民群众生命健康、经济发展、社会稳定和国家安全，一直以来都是政府和全社会关注的热点问题之一。但是，近年来频发的各类药品安全事件，揭露了政府监管缺失、药品检测机制不完善、公众投诉失效等诸多问题。本文考虑了药品检测中存在寻租现象，构建了药品生产企业、第三方药品检测机构和政府监管部门之间的三方演化博弈模型，分析了各参与方策略选择的演化稳定性，探讨了各要素对三方策略选择的影响关系，进一步分析了三方博弈系统中均衡点的稳定性。研究结果表明：1)政府增强奖励、惩罚力度均有助于促进企业生产高药效药品、第三方药品检测机构拒绝寻租的规范行为，但是增大奖励力度将不利于政府自身履行监管职责；2)政府设定合理的奖惩机制必须符合对各方的奖惩之和大于其投机收益的条件，才能保障演化稳定市场环境下的药品安全；3)上级政府对监管部门失职的问责对增强企业生产高药效药品的稳健性具有重要意义；4)提升企业的药品销售收益、增加企业寻租成本也是避免企业生产低药效药品的有效途径。最后，利用Matlab 2020b进行了仿真分析，为政府完善药品监管机制提出了对策与建议。     

Factors associated with a positive childbirth experience in Brazilian women: A cross-sectional study

BackgroundHaving a positive childbirth experience is an increasingly valued outcome. Few studies evaluated the women’s satisfaction with childbirth through face-to-face interviews out of the health service environment. The objective of this study was to identify factors associated with a higher level of satisfaction with the childbirth experience among Brazilian women.MethodsThis cross-sectional study involved 287 women giving birth in two hospitals in southern Brazil. Women who gave birth to healthy newborns at term were randomly selected. Face-to-face interviews were conducted 31–37 days after delivery, at the mothers’ homes, using a structured questionnaire. Satisfaction with the childbirth experience was measured using a Likert-type scale ranging from very satisfied to very dissatisfied. Prevalence ratios (PR) were estimated using Poisson regression with robust variance.ResultsFollowing hierarchical multivariate analysis, the following factors remained associated with a higher level of satisfaction with the childbirth experience: being satisfied with antenatal care (PR = 1.30; 95% confidence interval [95%CI] = 1.06−1.59), understanding the information provided by health professionals during labor and delivery (PR = 1.40; 95%CI = 1.01−1.95), not having reported disrespect and abuse (PR = 1.53; 95%CI = 1.01−2.31), and having had the baby put to the breast within the first hour of life (PR = 1.63; 95%CI = 1.26−2.11). No association was observed with type of delivery or hospital status (public or private).ConclusionsA higher level of satisfaction with the childbirth experience is related to satisfactory antenatal care, a non-abusive, respectful, and informative environment during childbirth, and to the opportunity to breastfeed the baby within the first hour of life. In clinical practice, greater attention to these basic principles of care during pregnancy and delivery could provide more positive experiences during birth.     

习近平新时代观的理论生成探讨

理顺习近平关于“中国特色社会主义进入新时代”的逻辑理路，有助于系统论证“新时代”的科学性和理论性。从方法论上看，习近平新时代观是应用马克思主义立场观点和方法得出的正确结论。从理论归因看，中国社会主要矛盾的转化作为习近平新时代观生成的主要标志，源于马克思主义关于矛盾运动的基本理论。从理论定位看，习近平新时代观展现的是中国发展的特殊阶段，内含着中国对自身发展的时代定位与目标趋向，渗透着中国与世界在共同发展中的新阶段、新高度、新未来，是对中国发展方向的顶层设计。     

“百年未有之大变局”之哲学分析

当今世界正处于“百年未有之大变局”中。这是中国共产党对于世界新的时代特征的全新、科学和准确的研判。“百年未有之大变局”这一重大论断，具有深厚的马克思主义哲学的本体论基础、认识论基础、矛盾论基础和历史观基础。作为科学世界观与方法论，马克思主义哲学的辩证唯物主义和历史唯物主义为我们深刻认识和精准把握“百年未有之大变局”的深层本质和哲学依据提供了重要的认知性引导、方法论基础和实践智慧支撑。