Demographic Transition, Human Capital and Economic Growth in China.

We assess the impact of demographic changes on human capital accumulation and aggregate output using an overlapping generations model with endogenous savings and human capital investment decisions. We focus on China as it has experienced rapid changes in demographics as well as human capital levels between 1970 and 2010. Additionally, further variations in demographics are expected due to the recently introduced two-child policy. Model simulations indicate that education shares and income per capita will be lower with a fertility rebound as compared to status quo fertility. We find education policy to be effective in mitigating these adverse outcomes associated with higher fertility. While long-run declines in output per capita can be offset by a 4.7% increase in the government education budget, it requires a 28% increase to achieve the same outcome in the short-run.

A novel method for detecting uniparental disomy from trio genotypes identifies a significant excess in children with developmental disorders.

Exome sequencing of parent-offspring trios is a popular strategy for identifying causative genetic variants in children with rare diseases. This method owes its strength to the leveraging of inheritance information, which facilitates de novo variant calling, inference of compound heterozygosity, and the identification of inheritance anomalies. Uniparental disomy describes the inheritance of a homologous chromosome pair from only one parent. This aberration is important to detect in genetic disease studies because it can result in imprinting disorders and recessive diseases. We have developed a software tool to detect uniparental disomy from child-mother-father genotype data that uses a binomial test to identify chromosomes with a significant burden of uniparentally inherited genotypes. This tool is the first to read VCF-formatted genotypes, to perform integrated copy number filtering, and to use a statistical test inherently robust for use in platforms of varying genotyping density and noise characteristics. Simulations demonstrated superior accuracy compared with previously developed approaches. We implemented the method on 1057 trios from the Deciphering Developmental Disorders project, a trio-based rare disease study, and detected six validated events, a significant enrichment compared with the population prevalence of UPD (1 in 3500), suggesting that most of these events are pathogenic. One of these events represents a known imprinting disorder, and exome analyses have identified rare homozygous candidate variants, mainly in the isodisomic regions of UPD chromosomes, which, among other variants, provide targets for further genetic and functional evaluation.

Genetic diagnosis of developmental disorders in the DDD study: a scalable analysis of genome-wide research data.

BACKGROUND: Human genome sequencing has transformed our understanding of genomic variation and its relevance to health and disease, and is now starting to enter clinical practice for the diagnosis of rare diseases. The question of whether and how some categories of genomic findings should be shared with individual research participants is currently a topic of international debate, and development of robust analytical workflows to identify and communicate clinically relevant variants is paramount. METHODS: The Deciphering Developmental Disorders (DDD) study has developed a UK-wide patient recruitment network involving over 180 clinicians across all 24 regional genetics services, and has performed genome-wide microarray and whole exome sequencing on children with undiagnosed developmental disorders and their parents. After data analysis, pertinent genomic variants were returned to individual research participants via their local clinical genetics team. FINDINGS: Around 80,000 genomic variants were identified from exome sequencing and microarray analysis in each individual, of which on average 400 were rare and predicted to be protein altering. By focusing only on de novo and segregating variants in known developmental disorder genes, we achieved a diagnostic yield of 27% among 1133 previously investigated yet undiagnosed children with developmental disorders, whilst minimising incidental findings. In families with developmentally normal parents, whole exome sequencing of the child and both parents resulted in a 10-fold reduction in the number of potential causal variants that needed clinical evaluation compared to sequencing only the child. Most diagnostic variants identified in known genes were novel and not present in current databases of known disease variation. INTERPRETATION: Implementation of a robust translational genomics workflow is achievable within a large-scale rare disease research study to allow feedback of potentially diagnostic findings to clinicians and research participants. Systematic recording of relevant clinical data, curation of a gene-phenotype knowledge base, and development of clinical decision support software are needed in addition to automated exclusion of almost all variants, which is crucial for scalable prioritisation and review of possible diagnostic variants. However, the resource requirements of development and maintenance of a clinical reporting system within a research setting are substantial. FUNDING: Health Innovation Challenge Fund, a parallel funding partnership between the Wellcome Trust and the UK Department of Health.

Short- and Long-Term Evaluation of a Fixed Dose of Beauveria bassiana Strain MS-8 Diluted in Various Doses of Kaolin as a Powder Formulation Applied to Rice Grains to Control Almond Moth, Ephestia cautella Walker (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae).

Short-term and long-term evaluation studies were conducted against Ephestia cautella on rice grains, using Beauveria bassiana Strain MS-8 formulated in various doses of kaolin as an active carrier. In the short-term study (45 days), a fixed dose of 0.03 g conidia kg-1 of grain of Strain MS-8 was formulated in kaolin at doses of 0.3, 0.5, 1, and 2 g kg-1 of grain. These formulations were evaluated for their effects on larval mortality and the number of adults emerged. The highest level of larval mortality (90.0%) and the lowest numbers of adults emerged (1.6 insect/100 g of rice grain) were caused by Strain MS-8 in a kaolin dose of 2 g kg-1. However, Strain MS-8 in a kaolin dose of 1 g kg-1 performed well for the same parameters. In the long-term evaluation study (180 days), the same dose of Strain MS-8 was formulated in kaolin at doses of 0.5, 1, 2, and 3 g kg-1 of grain. These formulations were then evaluated against the levels of webbed grain, grain damage, and weight loss. The lowest levels of webbed grain (2.0%), grain damage (3.0%), and weight loss (1.8%) were caused by Strain MS-8 in kaolin at a dose of 3 g kg-1, although Strain MS-8 in kaolin doses of 1 g and 2 g kg-1 also performed well for the same parameters. The highest levels of webbed grain (15.0%), grain damage (30.0%), and weight loss (9.0%) were observed in the untreated control treatment (UCT).

Effects of adjuvant and conidial concentration on the efficacy of Beauveria bassiana for the control of the two spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae.

Greenhouse experiments were conducted on various crops (cucumber, tomato, eggplant, green bean) to ascertain the effects of Break-thru (polyether-polymethylsiloxane-copolymer, a silicone surfactant) and an oil emulsion, on Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin (Bb) applications for the control of the two spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch. The objectives were to compare a) the efficacy of Bb control when applied in aqueous Break-thru or an oil emulsion; b) the effects of various concentrations of Bb conidia, as affected by each surfactant; and c) the effects of Break-thru on the activity of the fungus. Conidia were suspended either in an aqueous Break-thru or an emulsifiable formulation at different conidial concentrations (1.05 x 10(6), 2.1 x 10(6) and 4.2 x 10(6) conidia ml(-1)) and sprayed onto leaves 2 weeks after artificial pest inoculation. Two sprays were performed, with an interval of one week from one spray to another, and T. urticae population counts (both motile and egg stages) were made on plant leaves 7 days after each spray. Bb conidia in Break-thru((R)) were more efficacious than conidia in emulsifiable formulation. With the highest rate of conidia (4.2 x 10(6) conidia ml(-1)), mortality of adult mites ranged from 60 +/- 4.2 (mean +/- SE) to 85.7 +/- 4.3% in the Break-thru suspension and 39.4 +/- 7 to 61.3 +/- 6% in the oil emulsion. Leaf damage index was also substantially reduced from 70% in the unsprayed control to 40% by the application of Bb conidia at the highest rate with Break-thru. Break-thru can be combined with Bb in the integrated management of T. urticae and Isolate R444 is a promising candidate for the control of the pest.

Health Disparities and the Socioeconomic Gradient in Elderly Life-Cycle Consumption.

We quantify the importance of health disparities in explaining consumption differences at older ages by estimating a panel VAR model of elderly consumption, health, and mortality using data from the Health and Retirement Study. We use the estimated model and initial joint distribution of health and consumption to simulate elderly life-cycle paths and construct a measure of the net present value of expected remaining lifetime consumption at age sixty (NPVC). We first document a steep education gradient in elderly lifetime consumption. We then decompose the gradient in NPVC to quantify the effect of 1) differences in the health distribution at age sixty and 2) differential health and mortality transitions after age sixty. Our decomposition results suggest that roughly 10-12% of the education gradient in NPVC at age sixty could be closed by eliminating elderly health differences.

The Macroeconomic and Welfare Implications of Rural Health Insurance and Pension Reforms in China.

We assess the potential impact of rural health insurance and pension reforms on macroeconomic outcomes and social welfare in a dynamic general equilibrium model calibrated to the Chinese economy. We analyze transition paths as well as steady state responses to the new policies. The current reforms in China provide modest rural pensions and reimbursement of a portion of healthcare costs, but at rates that are substantially lower than are already in place in the urban sector. We investigate the potential effect of raising the rural benefit rates to those enjoyed in the urban sector. While both reforms reduce income per capita, we show that the health insurance reforms are potentially welfare improving if they are implemented in a way that leads to reduced out-of-pocket health spending. The welfare gains are driven by rural health insurance providing relief from the risk of catastrophic medical expenditures that can wipe out household savings and force long working hours. A pay-as-you-go rural pension results in a welfare gain in the short-run but welfare loss in the long-run due to the distorting effects of taxes. Despite an increase in required financing due to an aging population, the welfare impact of rural health insurance remains positive when incorporating the projected old-age dependency ratio for the year 2050. However, a pay-as-you-go rural pension creates large income and welfare losses with 2050 demographics.

Effect of surfactants and temperature on germination and vegetative growth of Beauveria bassiana.

Three non-ionic surfactants: Tween20, Tween80 and Breakthru (®) were screened for their effects on spore germination and mycelial growth rates and for their influence on three isolates of Beauveria bassiana spore germination at various temperatures. Tween20 and Tween80 were compatible with all the B. bassiana isolates in the germination studies, but inhibited germination at higher surfactant concentrations, irrespective of the conidial concentrations . Breakthru (®) had an inhibitory effect on germination even at the lowest concentration of 0.1% on all the B. bassiana isolates. The effects of the surfactants on spore germination did not correspond with their effects on colony growth. Conidial viability within the same formulation declined significantly with increases in temperature, irrespective of the surfactant. The optimal temperature for conidial germination of B. bassiana isolates was approximately 25 °C with an upper limit at 30 °C. Isolate 7320 was identified as the least affected by the different surfactants. This isolate was able to germinate rapidly in a broad temperature range of 25-30 °C after 24 h, this characteristic being an essential factor in controlling house fly populations in poultry houses.

In vitro effects of flutriafol and azoxystrobin on Beauvaria bassiana and its efficacy against Tetranychus urticae.

BACKGROUND: Testing the compatibility of chemical pesticides and fungal biocontrol agents is necessary if these two agents are to be applied together in the integrated management of plant pests and diseases. In this study, the fungicides azoxystrobin (a strobilurin) and flutriafol (a triazole) were tested in vitro for their effects on germination of conidia and mycelial growth of Beauveria bassiana (Bals.) Vuill. and in bioassay for their effect on fungal activity against Tetranychus urticae Koch. The fungicides were tested at three different concentrations [recommended rate for field use (1 x X) and the dilutions 10(-1)x X and 10(-2)x X]. RESULTS: Flutriafol inhibited growth of mycelia and germination of the fungal conidia at all concentrations tested in vitro, and also reduced the efficacy of B. bassiana in bioassays against mites. The inhibitive effect of azoxystrobin in vitro varied with the concentration applied. A significant effect was observed at 1 x X and 10(-1)x X concentrations on both the germination of conidia and mycelia growth. At 10(-2)x X concentration, azoxystrobin showed little effect on B. bassiana. However, when this fungicide was tested in bioassays, none of the concentrations reduced B. bassiana activity against mites. CONCLUSION: Azoxystrobin was most compatible with B. bassiana, while flutriafol was the most harmful. Further studies are required to confirm the negative effect of flutriafol on B. bassiana activity.

Effect of surfactants and temperature on germination and vegetative growth of Beauveria bassiana

Three non-ionic surfactants: Tween20, Tween80 and Breakthru® were screened for their effects on spore germination and mycelial growth rates and for their influence on three isolates of Beauveria bassiana spore germination at various temperatures. Tween20 and Tween80 were compatible with all the B. bassiana isolates in the germination studies, but inhibited germination at higher surfactant concentrations, irrespective of the conidial concentrations. Breakthru® had an inhibitory effect on germination even at the lowest concentration of 0.1% on all the B. bassiana isolates. The effects of the surfactants on spore germination did not correspond with their effects on colony growth. Conidial viability within the same formulation declined significantly with increases in temperature, irrespective of the surfactant. The optimal temperature for conidial germination of B. bassiana isolates was approximately 25 °C with an upper limit at 30 °C. Isolate 7320 was identified as the least affected by the different surfactants. This isolate was able to germinate rapidly in a broad temperature range of 25–30 °C after 24 h, this characteristic being an essential factor in controlling house fly populations in poultry houses.