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This paper estimates China's water utilization efficiency using the directional distance function to take into account the environmental degradation affecting the economy. We further analyze the spatial correlation and the factors influencing the utilization efficiency using spatial panel data models. The results show that water utilization efficiency in China differs between provinces and regions. For example, water utilization efficiency in the eastern coastal provinces is significantly higher than that of inland provinces. The pattern of spatial auto-correlation Moran's I index presents significant spatial auto-correlation and evident cluster tendencies in China's inter-provincial water utilization. Factors that contribute to water utilization efficiency include economic development, technological progress, and economic openness. Negative factors affecting water utilization efficiency arise from industrial structure, government interference, and water resources endowment. In addition, the price of water resources is insignificant. The improvement of water utilization efficiency is essential to sustainable economic development. To raise the utilization efficiency of water resources, China should focus on transforming its industrial restructure, advancing technological development, enhancing economic openness, and encouraging entrepreneurial innovations. Moreover, establishing a mechanism to encourage water conservation and reduce wastewater pollution will further increase water utilization efficiency.

While urbanization brings economic and social benefits, it also causes water pollution and other environmental ecological problems. This paper provides a theoretical framework to quantitatively analyze the dynamic relationship between water resource utilization and the process of urbanization. Using data from Jiangsu province, we first construct indices to evaluate urbanization and water resource utilization. We then adopt an entropy model to examine the correlation between urbanization and water resource utilization. In addition, we introduce a dynamic coupling model to analyze and predict the coupling degree between urbanization and water resource utilization. Our analyses show that pairing with rising urbanization during 2002-2014, the overall index of water resource utilization in Jiangsu province has experienced a "decline -rise-decline" trend. Specifically, after the index of water resource utilization reached its lowest point in 2004, it gradually began to rise. Water resource utilization reached its highest value in 2010. The coupling degree between urbanization and water resource utilization was relatively low in 2002 and 2003 varying between −90 • and 0 • . It has been rising since then. Out-of-sample forecasts indicate that the coupling degree will reach its highest value of 74.799 • in 2016, then will start to gradually decline. Jiangsu province was chosen as our studied area because it is one of the selected pilot provinces for China's economic reform and social development. The analysis of the relationship between provincial water resource utilization and urbanization is essential to the understanding of the dynamic relationship between these two systems. It also serves as an important input for developing national policies for sustainable urbanization and water resource management.

This article estimates levels and identifies trends in the profitability of capital in a broad sample of developed, developing and post-communist transition economies making up over 80% of global output. The underlying distributional and efficiency determinants of profitability are considered in the Marxian analytical framework. For the period of 1995-2007 leading to the Great Recession, our estimates indicate a trend towards convergence of national profit rates largely driven by the convergence of profitability in developing and transition economies. During this period, the level of profit rates in all groups of countries experienced growth with the global capital-weighted rate of profit increasing by approximately 50%. The main contributor to this growth in all groups of countries was the increase in average productivity of capital, measured by output-capital ratio. In developed and transition economies, the increase in profit shares of national income and the decline in the relative price of capital goods also contributed to profitability growth. In the same period for developing countries, profit shares and relative prices were relatively stable.

Ninety-five percent of the 30 million foreign-born persons living in the UnitedStates reside in a metropolitan area, and more than one half reside in just six gateway cities. We investigate whether less-educated immigrants tend to settle in large urban communities of their compatriots. Based on statistical analysis we find a negative relationship between the level of education and the size of immigrant population for the immigrants born in China, India, Philippines, Korea, El Salvador, Cuba, and Mexico. The relationship is strongest for Chinese, with a decrease of 2.7 years in average educational attainment for each tenfold increase in the size of immigrant community. Generally, this relationship is stronger for the immigrants from Asia and Latin America and nonexistent or mixed for immigrants from Europe and Canada. Des 30 millions de personnes n~es a l'(tranger et maintenant aux Fztats-Unis, quatrevingt-quinze pour cent vivent dans une rdgion m~tropolitaine et plus de la moitid habitent une des six villes portails. L'dtude se penche sur l'hypoth~se que les immigrants moins instruits ont tendance h se retrouver dans Ies mfmes grandes communautds urbaines que leurs compatriotes. Une analyse statistique fait ressortir une corrdlation ndgative entre le rendement scolaire et la taiUe de la population d'immigrants pour ceux qui sont nds en Chine, en Inde, aux Philippines, en Corde, en Salvador, ~ Cuba et au Mexique. La correlation est la plus forte pour les Chinois, qui ddmontrent une baisse moyenne de 2, 7 ans sur Ie plan du rendement scolaire chaque fois que ta taille de la communaut~ d'immigrants d~cuple. De fagon gdndrale, cette correlation estplus forte chez les immigrants d'Asie et d'Am(rique Iatine. Elle est soit inexistante soit mixte pour les immigrants d'Europe et du Canada.