Birth defects among surviving children under seven years of age in Tianjin, China

Birth defects are a leading cause of infant mortality in the developed countries. They are also of increasing concern in many developing countries, such as China. However, prevalence and causes of birth defects in China are inadequately understood.^ The purpose of the present study was to estimated prevalence of birth defects in surviving children under seven years of age in Tianjin, China and investigate determinants of birth defects in the study area.^ The present study took place in Tianjin, China in 1986, involving 22,081 surviving children under seven years of age. Children with birth defects were ascertained through physical examinations by physicians during household visits and ascertainment of birth defects was verified through multiple sources. Of 22,081 surviving children, 524 had birth defects (23.7 per 1,000). The study noted a striking discrepancy in the prevalence of birth defects between urban and rural area. The prevalence of birth defects was 16.3 per 1,000 in the urban and 33.2 per 1,000 in the rural area.^ Using cases of birth defects ascertained from surviving children, a case-control study was carried out. The study observed that first-trimester maternal flu was associated with increased risk of both major and minor birth defects in children after controlling for other maternal factors (adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 8.7, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 4.3-17.3; OR = 3.6, 95% CI = 1.7-7.5). This association could be biased by different reporting of exposure between mothers of children with birth defects and mothers of children without defects. This study indicated that maternal flu was also associated with congenital heart defects and polydactyly after controlling for other maternal factors (adjusted OR = 32.3, 95% CI = 13.3-78.3; adjusted OR = 5.5, 95% CI = 1.1-27.7). The associations remained when affected controls (children with similar birth defects other than congenital heart defects or polydactyly) were used (adjusted OR = 4.3, 95% CI = 1.2-15.3; OR = 1.4, 95% CI = 1.4-7.9). A weak association between first-trimester vaginal bleeding and selected groups of birth defects was found in this study, but the association may be confounded by other factors. Maternal smoking during pregnancy was modestly associated with cleft lip with or without cleft palate (OR = 1.4, 95% = 0.4-4.9), but the association may be due to chance. Some major limitations in this study warrant caution in interpretation of the findings, especially the causal relation. ^

Influence of Social Institutions on Inequality in China

This study analyses the impact of changes in social institutions, i.e. in the informal and formal social security system, on income inequality in China. This study uses an inequality decomposition analysis approach comparing household survey data for 1988 with 1995.Three main results emerge from the analysis: first, it findsthat the family based social security is losing its importance mainly through the changes in employment pattern in a household. This change contributes to rising income inequality. Second, thestudy shows that the introduction of new formal social security system helped to equalise the distribution of retired household members' income in urban areas in 1995. Third, however, these changes have only benefited a restricted number of persons. Benefits for rural migrants are low and most of the rural population has still no access to the new system.

The Flowchart Model of Cluster Policy: The Automobile Industry Cluster in China

This paper proposes a general model of the flowchart approach to industrial cluster policy and applies this model to Guangzhou's automobile industry cluster. The flowchart approach to industrial cluster policy is an action plan for prioritizing policy measures in a time-ordered series. We reached the following two conclusions. First,we clarified the effects of Honda, Nissan, and Toyota on agglomeration in Guangzhou's automobile industry cluster. Second, we established that local governments play a crucial role in successful industrial cluster policy, and that the mayor of the local government should be offered incentives in order to target industrial clustering and implement cluster policy.

China's regional economies and value chains : an interregional input-output analysis

Attempts to understand China’s role in global value chains have often noted the case of Apple's iPhone production, in particular the fact that the value added during the Chinese portion of the iPhone’s supply chain is no more than 4%. However, when we examine the Chinese economy as a whole in global production networks, China’s share in total induced value added by China’s exports of final products to the USA is about 75% in 2005. This leads us to investigate how Chinese value added is created and distributed not only internationally but also domestically. To elucidate the increasing complexity of China’s domestic production networks, this paper focuses on the measure of Domestic Value Chains (DVCs) across regions and their linkages with global markets. By using China’s 1997 and 2007 interregional input-output tables, we can understand in detail the structural changes in domestic trade in terms of value added, as well as the position and degree of participation of different regions within the DVCs.

China's inter-regional spillover of carbon emissions and domestic supply chains

In this study, we apply the inter-regional input–output model to explain the relationship between China’s inter-regional spillover of CO2 emissions and domestic supply chains for 2002 and 2007. Based on this model, we propose alternative indicators such as the trade in CO2 emissions, CO2 emissions in trade, regional trade balances, and comparative advantage of CO2 emissions. The empirical results not only reveal the nature and significance of inter-regional environmental spillover within China’s domestic regions but also demonstrate how CO2 emissions are created and distributed across regions via domestic production networks. The main finding shows that a region’s CO2 emissions depend on not only its intra-regional production technique, energy use efficiency but also its position and participation degree in domestic and global supply chains.

East China Sea and Yellow Sea Regions, China, North Korea, and South Korea, 1749 (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the historic paper map entitled: Carte du Katay : ou, Empire de Kin, pour servir a l'histoire de Jenghiz Khan ; raportée dans l'histoire generale des voyages, tirée de l'Anglois = Kaart van Kitay, of 't Ryk der Kin, dienende tot de historie van Jenghiz Khan, uit de Engelsche in dit Bestek gebragt. ; J.V. Schley direx. It was published by Pierre de Hondt in 1749. Scale [ca. 1:1,500,000]. Covers the East China Sea and Yellow Sea regions, China, North Korea, and South Korea. Map in French and Dutch. The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to the World Miller Cylindrical projected coordinate system. All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, index maps, legends, or other information associated with the principal map. This map shows features such as drainage, cities and other human settlements, territorial boundaries, shoreline features, and more. Shows also the Great Wall of China and the travels of Genghis Khan. Relief shown pictorially. This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps from the Harvard Map Collection. These maps typically portray both natural and manmade features. The selection represents a range of originators, ground condition dates, scales, and map purposes.

China, North Korea, and South Korea, 1749 (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the historic paper map entitled: La Chine avec la Korée, et les parties de la Tartarie les plus voisines : tirées des cartes que les Jesuites Missionaires ont levées les années 1708, jusqu'en 1717, J. V. Schley direx. It was published by Pierre de Hondt in 1749. Scale [ca. 1:2,100,000]. Covers East and Central China, and North and South Korea, and a small portion of Mongolia. Map in French and Dutch.The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to the Asia North Lambert Conformal Conic coordinate system. All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, index maps, legends, or other information associated with the principal map. This map shows features such as drainage, cities and other human settlements, territorial boundaries, shoreline features, the Great Wall of China, and more. Relief shown pictorially. This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps from the Harvard Map Collection. These maps typically portray both natural and manmade features. The selection represents a range of originators, ground condition dates, scales, and map purposes.

China, North Korea, and South Korea, 1808 (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the historic paper map entitled: China, Neele sculpt. It was published by Longman & Co, Paternoster Row in Jany. 1, 1808. Scale [ca. 1:9,600,000]. Covers East and Central China, and North and South Korea, and a small portion of Mongolia, Vietnam, Laos, Burma, India, Japan, and Russia. Map in French and Dutch. The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to the Asia North Lambert Conformal Conic coordinate system. All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, index maps, legends, or other information associated with the principal map. This map shows features such as drainage, cities and other human settlements, territorial boundaries, shoreline features, and more.This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps from the Harvard Map Collection. These maps typically portray both natural and manmade features. The selection represents a range of originators, ground condition dates, scales, and map purposes.

East and Central China, ca. 1738 (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the historic paper map entitled: Regni Sinae vel Sinae propriae mappa et descriptio geographica : ex mappis particularibus, quas Sinarum rex Canghi opera patrum missionariorum é S.I. in provincias regni universi ejus rei gratia ablegatorum concinnari fecit, perfecta, publicoque primum communicata in opere magnificentissimo R.P. du Halde, et ab Anvillaeo gall. reg. geographo in compendiosiorem hanc formam reducta, nunc secundum magis legitimas projectionis stereographicae leges reformata, studio Ioh. Matth. Hasii, math. p.p. It was published by impensis Homanianorum Heredum, ca. 1738. Scale [ca. 1:5,250,000]. Covers East and Central China, and a small portion of Mongolia. Map in Latin.The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to the Asia North Lambert Conformal Conic coordinate system. All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, index maps, legends, or other information associated with the principal map. This map shows features such as drainage, cities and other human settlements, roads, territorial and administrative, boundaries, shoreline features, and more.This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps from the Harvard Map Collection. These maps typically portray both natural and manmade features. The selection represents a range of originators, ground condition dates, scales, and map purposes.

East and Central China, 1841 (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the historic paper map entitled: Karte von China mit dessen Eintheilung in 18 Provinzen, nach den neuesten u. zuverlässigsten Materialien entworfen, gezeichnet und bearbeitet von J. B. Roost ; in Stein grawirt v. D. Grasmüller. It was published der liter. artist. Anstalt der L.G. Cotta'schen Buchhandlung in 1841. Scale 1:6,500,000. Covers East and Central China, and the Korean Peninsula. Map in German. The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to the Asia North Lambert Conformal Conic coordinate system. All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, index maps, legends, or other information associated with the principal map. This map shows features such as drainage, cities and other human settlements, roads, territorial and provincial boundaries, shoreline features, and more.This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps from the Harvard Map Collection. These maps typically portray both natural and manmade features. The selection represents a range of originators, ground condition dates, scales, and map purposes.

Northeast China & Eastern Siberia, Russia, 1750 (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the historic paper map entitled: Carte de la Tartarie Orientale : pour servir a l'Histoire générale des voyages, tirée des cartes levées par les PP. Jesuites. It was published by Pierre de Hondt in 1750. Scale [ca. 1:8,000,000]. Covers a portion of Northeast China and Eastern Siberia and Sakhalin, Russia. Map in French. The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to the Asia North Lambert Conformal Conic coordinate system. All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, index maps, legends, or other information associated with the principal map. This map shows features such as drainage, cities and other human settlements, shoreline features, the Great Wall of China, and more. Relief shown pictorially. This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps from the Harvard Map Collection. These maps typically portray both natural and manmade features. The selection represents a range of originators, ground condition dates, scales, and map purposes.

Min River Estuary, Fujian Sheng, China, 1749 (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the historic paper map entitled: Carte de la baye d'Hocsieu et des entrées de la riviere de Chang situées dans la province de Fokyen : tirées de manuscrits hollandois, J.V. Schley direx. It was published by Pierre de Hondt in 1749. Scale [ca. 1:270,000]. Covers the Minjiang Kou region, China. Map in French and Dutch.The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to the Asia North Lambert Conformal Conic coordinate system. All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, index maps, legends, or other information associated with the principal map. This map shows features such as drainage, cities and other human settlements, selected buildings, fortification, and temples, shoreline features, and more. Relief shown pictorially, depths by soundings.This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps from the Harvard Map Collection. These maps typically portray both natural and manmade features. The selection represents a range of originators, ground condition dates, scales, and map purposes.

Pearl River Estuary Region : North, Guangdong Sheng, China, 1749 (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the historic paper map entitled: Carte de l'entrée de la riviere de Canton : dressée sur les observations les plus récentes, par N.B., Ingr. ordre. de la Marine ; J.V. Schley direx. It was published by Pierre de Hondt in 1749. Scale [ca. 1:475,000]. Covers the Zhujiang Kou region, Guangdong Sheng, China. Map in French and Dutch.The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to the Asia North Lambert Conformal Conic coordinate system. All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, index maps, legends, or other information associated with the principal map. This map shows features such as drainage, cities and other human settlements, selected buildings and fortification, shoreline features, and more. Relief shown pictorially.This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps from the Harvard Map Collection. These maps typically portray both natural and manmade features. The selection represents a range of originators, ground condition dates, scales, and map purposes.