Has environmental protection tax reform promoted green transformation of enterprises? Evidence from China.

Facing the increasingly stringent constraints of resources and the environment, the green transformation of enterprises is imperative. This study selects A-share listed companies in Shanghai and Shenzhen from 2014 to 2021 as samples, using the difference-in-differences method to examine the impact of the environmental protection tax reform (EPTR) on the green transformation of enterprises. The results indicate that the EPTR can promote the green transformation of enterprises, achieving this through three channels: raising the cost of pollution, strengthening the rigidity of law enforcement, and breaking the collusion between the government and enterprises. Notably, this promotional effect is more significant in non-state-owned enterprises, companies in the eastern and western regions, firms with low financing constraints, and those with high media attention. Further analysis shows that the EPTR has a positive impact on the green total factor productivity (GTFP) of enterprises, which implies that enterprises are not only proactively pushing for a green transformation at the strategic level but also taking practical actions. This study responds to the problem of the greening of tax system to promote the green development of enterprises from two aspects of enterprise strategic implementation and productivity and explores the impact mechanism from the perspective of institutional logic. It enriches the research on the effectiveness of the EPTR at the micro-level and broadens the research perspective on the impact mechanisms of environmental regulation. The findings of this study provide references for further optimising relevant policies and regulations and also offer insights for other countries and regions seeking sustainable development.

Predictive Value of Pulmonary Artery Distensibility for Short-Term Adverse Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Acute Pulmonary Embolism.

We aimed to explore the relationship between pulmonary artery distensibility obtained from computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) and short-term adverse clinical outcomes in patients with acute pulmonary embolism (APE). We included patients who underwent retrospective electrocardiogram-gated CTPA and were subsequently diagnosed with APE. Patients were categorized into good and poor outcome groups based on short-term clinical outcomes. Pulmonary artery distensibility (AD), right ventricle/left ventricle (RV/LV) ratio, and pulmonary artery obstruction index (PAOI) were measured, and the receiver operating characteristic curves were constructed. Sixty-four patients with APE (good outcome, 46; poor outcome, 18) were enrolled. AD, RV/LV ratio, and PAOI differed significantly between groups (P < 0.05). Pulmonary artery AD in the good outcome group was greater than that in the poor outcome group (P < 0.001). The poor outcome group exhibited a higher RV/LV ratio and PAOI than the good outcome group (P < 0.05). AD and PAOI were independent predictors of adverse clinical outcomes. Areas under the curve for AD and PAOI were 0.860 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.750-0.934) and 0.675 (95%CI: 0.546-0.786), and the combined curve of the AD and RV/LV ratio was 0.906 (95%CI: 0.806-0.965). The calibration curve showed a combined curve superior to the other curves. The decision curve showed high clinical application value of the combined curve. Retrospective electrocardiogram-gated CTPA-derived AD could serve as an indicator for predicting short-term adverse clinical outcomes in APE. Combining AD and PAOI has a high predictive value for short-term adverse clinical outcomes.