Beyond statistical significance:Embracing minimal clinically important difference for better patient care

The minimal clinically important difference(MCID)represents a pivotal metric in bridging the gap between statistical significance and clinical relevance,addressing the direct impact of medical interventions from the patient's perspective.This comprehensive review analyzes the evolution,applications,and challenges of MCID across medical specialties,emphasizing its necessity in ensuring that clinical outcomes not only demonstrate statistical significance but also offer genuine clinical utility that aligns with patient expectations and needs.We discuss the evolution of MCID since its inception in the 1980s,its current applications across various medical specialties,and the methodologies used in its calculation,highlighting both anchor-based and distribution-based approaches.Furthermore,the paper delves into the challenges associated with the application of MCID,such as methodological variability and the interpretation difficulties that arise in clinical settings.Recommendations for the future include standardizing MCID calculation methods,enhancing patient involvement in setting MCID thresholds,and extending research to incorporate diverse global perspectives.These steps are critical to refining the role of MCID in patient-centered healthcare,addressing existing gaps in methodology and interpretation,and ensuring that medical interventions lead to significant,patient-perceived improvements.

The prospects for China＇＇s food security and imports： Will China starve the world via imports？

China＇s food supply and demand have significant implications for both China＇s own national food security and that of the world. This study reviews China＇s food security prospects and their implications, focusing on international trade in the coming decade. The results show that China＇s policies for ensuring food security will be enhanced and China will move to sustainable agriculture. Most studies anticipate that China will increase its food and feed imports in the coming decade. China＇s overall food self-sufficiency is likely to fall from 94.5% in 2015 to around 91% by 2025. The greatest increases in imports are likely to be soybean, maize, sugar, and dairy products. However, within the production capacity of the major exporting countries and of many food-importing developing countries, China＇s additional imports of 3 to 5% of its total food consumption in the coming decade are unlikely to threaten global food security. Indeed, the projected imports of feed and several foods could provide opportunities for many exporting countries to expand their production and save global resources.

The potential of domestic production and imports of oil and gas in China:an energy return on investment perspective

Concerns about China’s energy security have escalated because of the country’s high dependency on oil and gas imports, so it is necessary to calculate the availability of domestic oil and gas resources and China’s ability to obtain foreign energy through trade. In this work,the calculation was done by using the energy return on investment（EROI） method. The results showed that the EROIstnd（i.e., standard EROI） of China’s oil and gas extraction decreased from approximately 17.3：1 in 1986 to 8.4：1 in 2003, but it increased to 12.2：1 in 2013. From a company-level perspective, the EROIstnddiffered for different companies and was in the range of（8–12）：1. The EROI2,d（EROI considering energy outputs after processed and direct energy inputs） for different companies was in the range of（3–7）：1. The EROI of imported oil（EROIIO）declined from 14.8：1 in 1998 to approximately 4.8：1 in 2014, and the EROI of imported natural gas（EROIING）declined from 16.7：1 in 2009 to 8.6：1 in 2014. In 2015, the EROIIO and EROIING showed a slight increase due to decreasing import prices. In general, this paper suggests that from a net energy perspective, it has become more difficult for China to obtain oil and gas from both domestic production and imports. China is experiencing an EROI decline, which demonstrates the risk in the use of unsustainable fossil resources.

China’s alfalfa market and imports: Development, trends, and potential impacts of the U.S.-China trade dispute and retaliations

This study examines the development and trends of China’s alfalfa market and imports, identifies key factors for the rapid increase in China’s alfalfa imports, and discusses potential impacts of the U.S.-China trade dispute and retaliations on the alfalfa markets and trade in both nations. China’s rapid transition toward larger-scale commercial dairy production, with enhanced feed and cost management as well as quality and safety control, and its limited resources for high-quality alfalfa production are key factors for the dramatic increase in its alfalfa imports, from 19 601 metric tons in 2008 to 1.38 million metric tons(mmt) in 2018. While the United States dominated China’s alfalfa imports with an average share of 97.01% from 2007 to 2017, the share dropped to 83.76% in 2018 and 63.28% in January 2019 due to the trade dispute and retaliations started in 2018. China will likely remain a large importer of alfalfa because of both its growing demand and the comparative advantages of imported alfalfa in quality and price, but the imports from the United States will be highly affected by the ongoing trade dispute and negotiations. China is also expected to make more efforts to reduce its dependence on U.S. alfalfa through increased investment in domestic alfalfa production and identification of alternative sources of alfalfa and other hay imports.

China's meat and grain imports during 2000–2012 and beyond: A comparative perspective

This paper provides a review on China＇s meat trade for the 2000–2012 period and discusses its future development, with reference to China＇s grain trade. With marginal decreases in meat exports and slight increases in their imports, China＇s net imports of major meat products（including pork, beef, mutton and poultry but excluding meat offal） were just below 1 million tons in 2012, dwarfed by China＇s net imports of grains which reached 66.7 million tons in the same year. This slow growth in meat trade seems to contradict earlier expectations on increasing meat demand and imports, based upon projected shifts in consumption patterns driven by rapid per capita income growth. Several plausible explanations of this paradoxical trade pattern are offered, including mass imports of feed grains, persistent（but shrinking） gaps between Chinese and international meat prices, tariff barriers, and non-tariff measures. In the near future China may not be able to maintain such a lower profile on the world meat markets, as per capita income is projected to continue to rise and domestic production cost advantages erode due to rising labor costs. A model-based projection exercise indicates that under plausible assumptions China＇s meat imports may rise sharply by 2030.

Changing structure of China's meat imports

This paper discusses the determinants of meat imports of China. Results indicate that import demand is mostly determined by import price and real GDP. Imported price has a negative effect and real GDP has a positive influence on import quantity. Tariff does not have a significant effect. As GDP and consumption capacity increases, China has a large potential demand for meat imports. Some countries may gain if China＇s economy continues expanding, while others, like the United States, are the most sensitive to the trade policy of China.

Review of U.S.Apparel and Textile Imports From China and Three Other Regions,1995-2006

This project is to evaluate the benefits of the MFN status and the consequences of non-MFN renewal on trades between China and the United States.This paper also reveals the effects of quota removal on clothing and textile products on international trades between the United States,China,Hong Kong,Taiwan,and India.Data analyses,statistics,and charts,the changes in China’s number of exports to the United States,in particular,the apparel and textile sectors were selected to analyze from 1995 to 2005.

China Crude Oil Imports and Oil Market-oriented Reform

Crude oil imports in China are mainly carried out by state-owned entities with non state-owned entities as compliment. Crude imported by 5 state-owned entities accounts for 90% of the total imports, while non state-owned entities are about given more freedom in using and importing crude. In 2015 only, there were 13 compauies graftted rcritlt access to imported crude oil and 6welv qualiied to import rights. Currently, there are 29 non-state-owned companies engaging in crude import business. China oil market is .faced with severe challenges. Ttre growth rate of oil demand declined, and dependence upon imported oil increased and reached as high as 61.26% in 2015. Refined oil demand growth also slowed down, and oil refining overcapacity got prominent and completion wouht become fiercer＂ in future. Overcapacity was about 140 million toils per year in 2015. Consumption ratio of diesel to gasoline went on declining, and ttre task of product structure adjustment was heavy. China oil market is undergoing great transformation, and institutional mechanism zoill go ahead, on the basis of centering on orderly release of limitations on crude oil and refined oil import and export, orderly release of competitive business arrd government pricing of oil/gas downstream links, vigorous resolving of overcapacity, strengthening low-carbon development, and laying a solid foundation.for guarantee.

Analyzing the Relation between Greek Paper and Paperboard Imports and Exports with Macroeconomic Variables

This paper describes the relation between Greek imports and exports of paper and paperboard and a number of major macroeconomic variables, such as population, gross domestic product, the industrial production index and domestic round wood production. The Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple regression analysis were employed in the analysis of the data. The study shows that there is no significant relation between paper and paperboard imports as a dependent variable and population, gross domestic product and domestic round wood production as independent variables. Despite this, an acceptable model is constructed using only gross domestic product as an independent variable. The study also shows that there is a significant relation between the export of paper and paperboard and gross domestic product, the industrial production index and round wood production. The results indicate that gross domestic product as an independent variable has the greatest effect on wood imports and exports in Greece during the period studied. Using these models is confirmed that the use of socioeconomic variables and the construction of future scenarios for the Greek forest sector is very efficient considering the special characteristics of the Greek economy. These models could help the establishment of economic growth, the reduction of the financial and ecological deficit, the implementation of economic reforms and to increase new investments.

Research on a Monte Carlo global variance reduction method based on an automatic importance sampling method

Global variance reduction is a bottleneck in Monte Carlo shielding calculations.The global variance reduction problem requires that the statistical error of the entire space is uniform.This study proposed a grid-AIS method for the global variance reduction problem based on the AIS method,which was implemented in the Monte Carlo program MCShield.The proposed method was validated using the VENUS-Ⅲ international benchmark problem and a self-shielding calculation example.The results from the VENUS-Ⅲ benchmark problem showed that the grid-AIS method achieved a significant reduction in the variance of the statistical errors of the MESH grids,decreasing from 1.08×10^(-2) to 3.84×10^(-3),representing a 64.00% reduction.This demonstrates that the grid-AIS method is effective in addressing global issues.The results of the selfshielding calculation demonstrate that the grid-AIS method produced accurate computational results.Moreover,the grid-AIS method exhibited a computational efficiency approximately one order of magnitude higher than that of the AIS method and approximately two orders of magnitude higher than that of the conventional Monte Carlo method.

Imports of Copper, Crude Oil and Iron Ore Soar in China

Driven by economic growth and a need to restock,China’s imports for crude oil and key commodities surged to a record high in the first month of the year,said China Daily.Imports of crude oil,iron ore and copper are often evaluated as a sign of China’s economic strength,but a weeklong Lunar New Year holiday,

The Report on 2021 Rankings for Imports in China Released

In 2020,despite the epidemic of COVID-19 impacted the world heavily,China still accelerated the pace to expand the opening up,carried out a series of relevant initiatives and measures,and held the third China International Import Expo(CIIE) as scheduled.Before the 4 th CIIE,in order to help deepen the understanding in China and around the world on the development of China's imports,2021 Rankings for Imports in China was compiled,which gave analysis on the imports into China from the perspectives of regional import trade,such as by pro vinces,municipalities,cities,sources.

Report on Chinese Imports 2023 Officially Released

The 5th China International Import Expo(CIIE)was held in Shangha i from November 5th to 10th,2023.In order to enable all the relevant parties at home and abroad to better understand the development of China’s imports,the“Report on Chinese Imports 2023”was published,which analyzes China’s imports from the perspectives of provinces and municipalities,cities,import source countries,industries,direct customs,high-tech industrial development zones,economic and technological development zones and free trade zones in order to comprehensively understand the latest trends and changes in the development of China’s import trade in 2022.

2019 China Import Ranking:Mechanical and Electrical Products Are No.1 Import Products; South Korea Is the No.1 Source of Imports

The Second CIIE(China International Import Expo)will be held during Nov.5-10 in Shanghai.Chinese President Xi Jinping will be present at the event again after he addressed the opening ceremony last year,showing that the Chinese government attaches great importance to the expo.The holding of the CIIE is a significant policy decision of China that aims to further the opening-up,and is also a great measure to open the Chinese market wider to the outside world.In order to allow other parties to better understand China’s import conditions,we have completed the 2019 China Import Ranking,in order to analyze China’s imports from various perspectives.

Analysis of China＇s Oil Imports and Exports in 2016

In 2016,China's net imports of crude oil increased to 378.3 million tons and its net exports of product oil soared to 20.45 million tons.Refinery crude runs continue to grow at a low rate,and the domestic product oil market still has a supply surplus.Diesel consumption fell for the first time in 21 years.The liquefied petroleum gas(LPG) market continues to grow rapidly,spurred on by feedstock demand for chemicals and gasoline blending components,and imports of LPG have reached a record high of 16.12 million tons.The refinery throughput of Petro China and SINOPEC had declined for 2 consecutive years,but crude oil imports climbed to a new high of 381 million tons as independent refineries boosted their utilization of capacity and the domestic oilfields produced a decreased amount of output.Imported oil now accounts for more than 2/3 of the Chinese market compared to being only about 1/3 15 years ago.Moreover,the proportion of imported crude in refinery runs has risen to 70%.In 2017,China's economy will continue to face substantial pressure,and domestic demand for product oil will continue to grow slowly.

Corn imports by China seen gaining sevenfold to record

According to Bloomberg on March 18,corn imports by China,the world’s second-largest consumer,may surge sevenfold to a record 28 million metric tons by 2015-2016 as local production fails to keep pace with increased

The Extraordinary Decade of China's Import Market——Report on Chinese Imports 2022 Officially Released

Recently,the Report on Chinese Imports 2022 was officially released,which stated that China has steadily held the position of the second largest importer in the world thanks to the dramatical development of China’s import trade in the last decade.The China International Import Expo (CIIE) fully demonstrates the broadness and the great potential of China’s import market,stimulating participating countries to export more to China.In addition to the United States,Japan,Germany and other developed countries,more countries along the Belt and Road,central and eastern European countries,and the least developed countries now actively participate in the CIIE to exhibit their featured prime exports.

2021 Report on the Development of China's Import Released:China Is Contributing Greatly to Increases in Global Imports

Recently,2021 Report on the Development of China's Import(the Report)was officially issued.As the first comprehensive report on import trade in China,the report serves the major national strategy of actively expanding imports and the event of China International Import Expo(CIIE).Since 2018,this annual report has been issued four times in line.The Report is jointly developed by the Business School and China Institute of Education and Social Development of Beijing Normal University.

The Comribution of the New Class C From Brazil to Deindustrialization and Increased Imports

This research analyzes the growth impacts promoted by C class in the process of the freezing of the Brazilian industry and increased imports. This emerging market, called class C, which is incorporated in part by the low-income segment, presents distinct characteristics and needs and for this precise reason eventually burdens the short-term production of Brazilian companies, which feel the need to opt for the importation of basic commodities, manufactured, and semi-manufactured goods, in order to maintain a market share and return on their investments. Although this fact is actually part of a trend of global economic transformation, here it is due to a number of irregular actions taken by the Brazilian government facing a short-term political need. Stemming from quantitative researches and qualitative data, this paper sought to learn more about the consumers＇ profile and draw up some recommendations for the organizations, in order to be better prepared to face this new demand. This paper also sought to know the actions already undertaken by a large cosmetics company, parts of whose products aim at class C.

The Decline of Imports Narrowed

China’s foreign trade in the first two months of 2016According to Customs figures,China’s total import and export in the first two months of 2016 reached 3.31trillion yuan,down 12.6%year on year(the same below).In terms of the U.S.dollar,the total import and export reached US$510.73 billion,down 17.4%.In February alone,the total