• Title/Summary/Keyword: natural direct and indirect effects

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An Introduction to Causal Mediation Analysis With a Comparison of 2 R Packages

  • Sangmin Byeon;Woojoo Lee
    • Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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    • v.56 no.4
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    • pp.303-311
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    • 2023
  • Traditional mediation analysis, which relies on linear regression models, has faced criticism due to its limited suitability for cases involving different types of variables and complex covariates, such as interactions. This can result in unclear definitions of direct and indirect effects. As an alternative, causal mediation analysis using the counterfactual framework has been introduced to provide clearer definitions of direct and indirect effects while allowing for more flexible modeling methods. However, the conceptual understanding of this approach based on the counterfactual framework remains challenging for applied researchers. To address this issue, the present article was written to highlight and illustrate the definitions of causal estimands, including controlled direct effect, natural direct effect, and natural indirect effect, based on the key concept of nested counterfactuals. Furthermore, we recommend using 2 R packages, 'medflex' and 'mediation', to perform causal mediation analysis and provide public health examples. The article also offers caveats and guidelines for accurate interpretation of the results.

Impact of Direct Tax and Indirect Tax on Economic Growth in Vietnam

  • NGUYEN, Hieu Huu
    • The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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    • v.6 no.4
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    • pp.129-137
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    • 2019
  • Tax can be categorised into direct tax and indirect tax. This paper uses the ordinary least-squares regression method to study the impact of direct and indirect tax on economic growth in Vietnam in the period 2003-2017. Statistical data is collected from the Ministry of Finance of Vietnam. Theoretically, tax generates the state budget revenue and is a tool to regulate the economy. The results of statistical tests show that tax has a positive impact on Vietnam's economic growth. However, the effects of direct tax and indirect tax are different. The indirect tax has a positive influence and promote Vietnam's economic growth, while the impact of the direct tax is invisible. There has not been sufficient evidence to confirm that the indirect tax has a more positive impact than the direct tax. To promote economic growth, Vietnam needs to restructure its tax system towards: (1) Increasing the proportion of indirect tax, reducing the proportion of direct tax in the state budget revenue; (2) Expanding tax bases; (3) Reducing tax rates of corporate income tax and personal income tax; (4) Increasing tax rates of environmental protection tax, natural resources tax, value added tax and excise tax on some types of goods which harm health and environment.

The Tidal Flat Environments and Experiential Learning Program of Southwest Coast, Korea

  • Oh, Kang-Ho;Kim, Hai-Gyoung;Koh, Yeong-Koo;Youn, Seok-Tai;Kim, Jong-Hee
    • Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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    • v.8 no.3
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    • pp.251-258
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    • 2015
  • Ecosystems of the southwestern tidal flats in Korean peninsula have been seriously injured by human activities. The results are mainly due to the lack of public recognition and education on tidal flats. In particular, thoughtless visitors in tidal flats are giving rise up damages because of non-systematic experience programs to tidal flat ecosystems. Therefore, experience programs friendly to natural tidal flats are necessary as a plan to reserve tidal flats and to enhance the effects of environment education on the flats. Experience learning programs on tidal flats can divide into direct experience, indirect experience and local society works. Direct experience work must undergo tidal flats directly and consider on forming the flats with natural refinement functions. Indirect experience includes deeper knowledge on role, circumstance and ecosystems of the flats on the bases of direct experience on the flats. In addition, local society learning must have the feeling and understanding on socio-cultural characteristics of local society itself through above two works. Experience activity would be a kind of injuring one to tidal flats. However, appropriately planned experience and education works on tidal flats could be sustainable development to attract desirable human activity on coastal ecosystems.

A Causal Model on the Relationship between Resources of Natural Parks and User's Satisfaction (자연공원의 자원과 이용 만족도간의 관계에 관한 인과모형 -국립공원과 도립공원을 중심으로-)

  • 장병문;배민기
    • Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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    • v.30 no.3
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    • pp.12-24
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    • 2002
  • The purpose of this paper is to decompose the effect of resources of natural parks(NP) on user's satisfaction to answer the research question: What are the causal effects of resources of natural parks on user\ulcorner After reviewing the literature, classification of resources of NP, various approaches and analysis methods employed, we constructed the conceptual framework and have formulated the hypothesis of this research. We had obtained data through a questionnaire, which surveyed 414 visitors at 6 of the 73 NP in Korea in 2001, based on a stratified sampling method. We have analyzed the data using descriptive statistical methods, Pearson's correlation analysis, and a path analysis method. We found that 1) While the indirect effect of topographical feature and valley(TFV), socio-cultural resources(SCR), and climate, sound, and scent(CSS) turned out to be 2.75, 1.20, and 2.00 times higher than that of wild animal and plant(WAP), the direct effect of TFV, SCR, and landscape turned out to be 2.95, 2.88, and 2.64 times higher than that of CSS, 2) The magnitude of causal effects of the three exogeneous variables of TFV, WAP, and SCR and two intervening variables of CSS and landscape on User's satisfaction turned out to be 0.403, 0.048, 0.323, 0.188, and 0.243, respectively, 3) Total direct effect of the exogeneous and intervening variables on user's satisfaction is 0.871, while that of indirect effect is 0.334, and 4) Causal effect of tangible resources is 1.80 times higher than that of intangible while total effect of tangible resources are 1.36 times higher than that of intangible. The research results suggest that 1) Criteria for designation and maintenances of NP and results of previous studies on resources turned out to be unreliable and distorted, 2) In the criteria of planning and maintenance of NP, intangible resources must be included, 3) Remedial directions to increase user's satisfaction should be focused on maintenance of TFV and landscape in NP, and 4) The approach and path analysis adopted by this research is valid and highly useful for other resource based recreation area. It is recommended that more empirical study on seasonal variation of resources in NP based user's preference be performed in the future.

Participation Intention of Activity-oriented Program of Local Residents of Rural and Mountain Villages - Policy Implication for the Eco-Mountain Village Project - (농산촌체험마을 지역주민의 체험프로그램 참여의향 - 산촌생태마을사업을 위한 정책적 제언 -)

  • Lee, Duk-Jae;Kim, Jong-Ho;Jeon, Jun-Heon
    • Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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    • v.36 no.1
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    • pp.1-11
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    • 2008
  • Factors for promoting the resident participation in mountain villages are suggested to introduce the activity-oriented program of green tourism using a multinomial logit model(MNLM). Direct surveying, using a structured questionnaire was performed on local residents in the different types of rural tourism villages such as mountain villages, agricultural themed villages, and the mixed types of villages. The MNLM revealed that participation intention in the program was significantly higher for males, those with lower education, and residents in mountain villages. The participation intention of the program had a negative relationship with the increase of expected problems not from the program itself, but from the results of the program such as income distribution and nature destruction. Participation intention also increased with the indirect effects of an investment by the Village Development Project, such as local cooperativeness, public mind, etc. It was suggested that to introduce the activity-oriented program in mountain villages, negative effects from the results had to be minimized, and positive effects from the indirect changes between local residents had to be maximized through better communication and policy endeavors.

Economic Loss Assessment caused by Heavy Snowfall - Using Traffic Demand Model and Inoperability I-O Model (대설의 경제적 피해 - 교통수요모형과 불능투입산출모형의 적용)

  • Moon, Seung-Woon;Kim, Euijune
    • Journal of Korea Planning Association
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    • v.53 no.6
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    • pp.117-130
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    • 2018
  • Heavy snow is a natural disaster that causes serious economic damage. Since snowfall has been increasing recently, there is a need for measures against heavy snowfall. In order to make a policy decision on heavy snowfall, it is necessary to estimate the precise amount of damage by heavy snowfall. The direct damage of the heavy snow is severe, however the indirect damage caused by the road congestion and the urban dysfunction is also serious. Therefore, it is necessary to estimate indirect damage of snowfall. The purpose of this study is to estimate the effects on the regional economy from the limitation in traffic logistics caused by heavy snow using the transport demand model and inoperability input-output Model. The result shows that the amount of production loss caused by the heavy snow is KRW 2,460 billion per year and if the period of snowfall removal is shortened by one day or two days, it could be reduced to KRW 1,219 or 2,787 billion in production loss.

Simple power analysis in causal mediation models for a dichotomous outcome based on the mediation proportion

  • Kim, Young Min;Cologne, John Bennett;Cullings, Harry Michael
    • Journal of the Korean Data and Information Science Society
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    • v.28 no.3
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    • pp.669-684
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    • 2017
  • Mediation models are widely used in many fields of research and have recently gained attention in epidemiology. The mediation proportion is a standard measure to evaluate what part of the total exposure effect on an outcome may be explained by a particular mediator and to examine how important that pathway is relative to the overall exposure effect. A common question is how large a sample size is needed to achieve high statistical power or, equivalently, what magnitude of effect can be detected. Current power and sample size calculations for mediation analysis are limited and additional research is needed. We therefore propose a computer-intensive power analysis using the mediation proportion. We conduct simulation studies to calculate statistical powers and sample sizes. And then, we illustrate our power analysis using an example from the Adult Health Study of atomic-bomb survivors and demonstrate that the method is relatively straightforward to understand and compute.

A Study on the Radioprotective Effects of Foods -Focusing on the Glycobiological Properties of Mushrooms- (식품류를 이용한 방사선 방호 효과 -버섯류의 당 생물학적인 특징중심으로-)

  • Kim, Jong-Soo;Ahn, Byeong-Kwon;Choi, Hyun-Suk;Choi, Du-Bok;Yeom, Jung-Min;Kim, Soong-Pyung;Lee, In-Sung;Cho, Mi-Ja;Cha, Wol-Suk
    • KSBB Journal
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    • v.30 no.1
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    • pp.11-20
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    • 2015
  • Radiation causes various pathophysiological alterations in living animals, and it causes death at high doses by multiple mechanisms, including direct DNA damage and indirect oxidative stress. The search for useful radioprotectors has been an important issue in the field of radiation biology. Ideal radioprotectors should have low toxicity and an extended window of protection. As many synthetic compounds have toxic side effects, the natural products have attracted scientific attention as radioprotectors. Natural products that have been recently shown to be effective with various biological activities were found to have radioprotective effect. The aim of this review is to summary the recent research of the radioprotective effects of natural foods, especially focused on the glycobiological properties of mushrooms.

Effects of Turbid Water on Fish Ecology in Streams and Dam Reservoirs

  • Seo, Jin-Won;Lee, Jong-Eun
    • Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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    • v.41 no.4
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    • pp.431-440
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    • 2008
  • Turbid water or suspended sediment is associated with negative effects on aquatic organisms; fish, aquatic invertebrate, and periphyton. Effects of turbid water on fish differ depending on their developmental stage and a level of turbidity. Low turbid water may cause feeding and predation rates, reaction distance, and avoidance in fish, and it could make fish to die under high turbidity and long period. Therefore, it is very important to find out how turbid water or suspended sediment can affect fish in domestic watersheds. The objectives of this study were 1) to introduce international case studies and their standards to deal with suspended sediment, 2) to determine acute toxicity in 4 major freshwater fishes, and 3) to determine in relation to adverse effect of macroinvertebrates and fish. Impacts of turbid water on fish can be categorized into direct and indirect effects, and some factors such as duration and frequency of exposure, toxicity, temperature, life stage of fish, size of particle, time of occurrence, availability of and access to refugia, etc, play important role to decide magnitude of effect. A review of turbidity standard in USA, Canada, and Europe indicated that each standard varied with natural condition, and Alaska allowed liberal increase of turbidity over natural conditions in streams. Even though acute toxicity with four different species did not show any fatal effect, it should be considered to conduct a chronic test (long-term) for more detailed assessment. Compared to the control, dominance index of macroinvertebrates was greater in the turbid site, whereas biotic index, species diversity index, species richness index, and ecological score were smaller in the turbid site. According to histopathological analysis with gills of macroinvertebrate and fishes, morphological and physiological modification of gills due to suspended sediments can cause disturbance of respiration, excretion and secretion. In conclusion, in order to maintain good and healthy aquatic ecosystem, it is the best to minimize or prevent impact by occurrence of turbid water in stream and reservoir. We must make every effort to maintain and manage healthy aquatic ecosystem with additional investigation using various assessment tools and periodic biomonitoring of fish.

Mediated Effects of Nutritional Status on the Relationship between Symptom Experience and Functional Status in Patients with Lung Cancer undergoing Chemotherapy (항암화학요법 폐암 환자의 증상경험과 기능상태간의 관계에 미치는 영양상태의 매개효과)

  • Jung, Kyoung-Sun;Min, Hye Sook;Yun, Mi-Jeong
    • Journal of muscle and joint health
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    • v.24 no.2
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    • pp.130-139
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    • 2017
  • Purpose: This study was conducted to explore the mediating effect of nutritional status in the relationship between symptom experience and functional status among in patients with lung cancer undergoing chemotherapy. Methods: Subject (N=139) were lung cancer patients visiting the D hospital in B city. Data collection was conducted from May 2016 to February 2017. Seven nutritional status measurement tools, 22 symptom experience tools, and 15 EORTC QLQ-C30 functional scales were used to measure nutritional, symptom, and functional levels. The collected data were analyzed by SPSS / WIN 21.0 using descriptive analysis, Pearson correlation, 3-step regression analysis of Baron and Kenny, and Sobel test. Results: There was a significant positive correlation between symptom experience and nutritional status, a significant negative correlation between symptom experience and functional status, and significant negative correlation between nutritional status and functional status. Symptom experience had direct effect and indirect effects on functional status through nutritional status. Conclusion: For enhancing functional status in lung cancer patients, it is necessary to develop nursing intervention programs to palliate symptoms and improve nutritional status.