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This paper examines the strategic trade policy incentives for investment policies towards quality improvements in a vertically differentiated exporting industry. Firms first compete in qualities and then export to a third country market based on Bertrand or Cournot competition. Optimal policies are asymmetric across the two producing countries. Under Bertrand competition, the low-quality country subsidizes investment to raise export quality, while the high-quality country imposes a tax so as to reduce the quality of its already high quality exports. Under Cournot competition, the results are reversed with a tax in the low-quality country and a subsidy in the highquality country.

The objective is to evaluate the association of periodontal disease with the risk of oral cancer. Literature retrieval, selection and assessment, data extraction, and meta-analyses were performed according to the RevMan 5.0 guidelines. In the meta-analysis, we utilized random-effect model to pool the odds ratio (OR) according to the test of heterogeneity. A total of five eligible studies included 1,191 oral cancer patients and 1,992 healthy control subjects were analyzed. By meta-analysis, we found a significant association of periodontal disease with oral cancer [OR = 3.53, 95 % CI (1.52-8.23); P = 0.003]. Patients with periodontal disease have increased susceptibility to oral cancer.

This paper examines the strategic trade policy incentives for investment policies towards quality improvements in a vertically differentiated exporting industry. Firms first compete in qualities and then export to a third country market based on Bertrand or Cournot competition.Optimal policies are asymmetric across the two producing countries. Under Bertrand competition, the low-quality country subsidizes investment to raise export quality, while the high-quality country imposes a tax so as to reduce the quality of its already high quality exports. Under Cournot competition, the results are reversed with a tax in the low-quality country and a subsidy in the highquality country. 2 Taiwan, for example, has a long standing policy to influence the quality of exports through compulsory inspection of certain export items and the subsidization of quality control associations in some sectors [e.g., machine tools, heavy electrical machinery, umbrellas and toys] (Wade 1990:144]). Korea has also encouraged product quality improvement in some sectors, while, as part of the so called "Northern strategy", it has also subsidized the marketing of certain low quality products, thus eliminating incentives to improve product quality (Ursacki and Vertinsky 1994). In Finland, the government subsidized product oriented R&D in paper production, offering incentives for climbing the product quality scale in an industry which was already a world leader in the production of high quality papers (Wilson et al. 1998). Subsidies for product quality improvement in the newsprint industry have also been recommended in Canada, despite Canadian leadership in quality (see Binkley 1993).There are various arguments as to why governments might want to raise the quality of exports when quality levels are low. For example, Taiwan may have imposed quality controls to avoid damage to the reputation of all its exports from the export of shoddy goods. There may also be a motive to improve the quality of exports so as to satisfy minimum quality standards in importing countries. However, these arguments do not explain why governments would subsidize quality improvements for firms that are already industry leaders in quality or even discourage the development of quality for their low quality exporters. This paper explores the implications of a "strategic-trade policy" or "rent-shifting" motive 4 for subsidy or tax policy applied to investments in quality improvements for exported products.There are two countries, a developed country and an LDC (lesser developed country), each with one firm producing a quality differentiated good. To focus on strategic trade policy effects, we assume 5 For the effects of asymmetric production costs see De Meza (1986) and Neary (1994). 6 Policy is very different since, for the basic model, it involves an R&D subsidy under both Bertrand and Cournot competition (see Bagwell and Staiger 1994). 3 that the entire production is exported to a third country market on the basis of either Bertrand or Cournot competition. A feature of th...

China, diamond industry, governance environment, Hong Kong, inter-organizational exchange, market exchange, marketing channel behavior, relation-based, rule-based, U.S.,

Background: Many imaging techniques have been developed for the detection of rotator cuff tears (RCTs). Despite numerous quantitative diagnostic studies, their relative accuracy remains inconclusive.Purpose: To determine which of 3 commonly used imaging modalities is optimal for the diagnosis of RCTs.Study Design: Systematic review; Level of evidence, 4.Methods: Studies evaluating the performance of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), magnetic resonance arthrography (MRA), and ultrasound (US) used in the detection of RCTs were retrieved from the PubMed/MEDLINE and Embase databases. Diagnostic data were extracted from articles that met the inclusion/exclusion criteria. A network meta-analysis was performed using an armbased model to pool the absolute sensitivity and specificity, relative sensitivity and specificity, and diagnostic odds ratio as well as the superiority index for ranking the probability of these techniques.Results: A total of 144 studies involving 14,059 patients (14,212 shoulders) were included in this network meta-analysis. For the detection of full-thickness (FT) tears, partial-thickness (PT) tears, or any tear, MRA had the highest sensitivity, specificity, and superiority index. For the detection of any tear, MRI had better performance than US (sensitivity: 0.84 vs 0.81, specificity: 0.86 vs 0.82, and superiority index: 0.98 vs 0.22, respectively). With regard to FT tears, MRI had a higher sensitivity and superiority index than US (0.91 vs 0.87 and 0.67 vs 0.28, respectively) and a similar specificity (0.88 vs 0.88, respectively). The results for PT tears were similar to the detection of FT tears. A sensitivity analysis was performed by removing studies involving only 1 arm for FT tears, PT tears, or any tear, and the results remained stable.Conclusion: This network meta-analysis of diagnostic tests revealed that high-field MRA had the highest diagnostic value for detecting any tear, followed by low-field MRA, high-field MRI, high-frequency US, low-field MRI, and low-frequency US. These findings can help guide clinicians in deciding on the appropriate imaging modality.

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