Spatial-temporal Divergence Characteristics and Driving Factors of Green Economic Efficiency in the Yangtze River Economic Belt of China

The spatial and temporal variation of green economic efficiency and its driving factors are of great significance for the construction of high-efficiency and low-consumption green development model and sustainable socio-economic development.The research focused on the Yangtze River Economic Belt(YREB)and employed the miniumum distance to strong efficient frontier DEA(MinDs)model to measure the green economic efficiency of the municipalities in the region between 2008 and 2020.Then,the spatial autocorrelation model was used to analyze the evolution characteristics of its spatial pattern.Finally,Geodetector was applied to reveal the drivers and their interactions on green economic efficiency.It is found that:1)the overall green economic efficiency of the YREB from 2008 to 2020 shows a W-shaped fluctuating upward trend,green economic efficiency is greater in the downstream and smallest in the upstream;2)the spatial distribution of green economic efficiency shows clustering characteristics,with multi-core clustering based on‘city clusters-central cities'becoming more obvious over time;the High-High agglomeration type is mainly clustered in Jiangsu and Zheji-ang,while the Low-Low agglomeration type is clustered in the western Sichuan Plateau area and southwestern Yunnan;3)from input-output factors,whether it is the YREB as a whole or the upper,middle and lower reaches regions,the economic development level,labor input,and capital investment are the leading factors in the spatial-temporal evolution of green economic efficiency,with the com-prehensive influence of economic development level and pollution index being the most important interactive driving factor;4)from so-cio-economic factors,information technology drivers such as government intervention,transportation accessibility,information infra-structure,and Internet penetration are always high impact influencers and dominant interaction factors for green economic efficiency in the YREB and the three major regions in the upper,middle and lower reaches.Accordingly,the article puts forward relevant policy re-commendations in terms of formulating differentiated green transformation strategies,strengthening network leadership and informa-tion technology construction and coordinating multi-factor integrated development,which could provide useful reference for promoting synergistic green economic efficiency in the YREB.

Integrated assessment of yield,nitrogen use efficiency and ecosystem economic benefits of use of controlled-release and common urea in ratoon rice production

Controlled-release urea(CRU)is commonly used to improve the crop yield and nitrogen use efficiency(NUE).However,few studies have investigated the effects of CRU in the ratoon rice system.Ratoon rice is the practice of obtaining a second harvest from tillers originating from the stubble of the previously harvested main crop.In this study,a 2-year field experiment using a randomized complete block design was conducted to determine the effects of CRU on the yield,NUE,and economic benefits of ratoon rice,including the main crop,to provide a theoretical basis for fertilization of ratoon rice.The experiment included four treatments:(i)no N fertilizer(CK);(ii)traditional practice with 5 applications of urea applied at different crop growth stages by surface broadcasting(FFP);(iii)one-time basal application of CRU(BF1);and(iv)one-time basal application of CRU combined with common urea(BF2).The BF1 and BF2 treatments significantly increased the main crop yield by 17.47 and 15.99%in 2019,and by 17.91 and 16.44%in 2020,respectively,compared with FFP treatment.The BF2 treatment achieved similar yield of the ratoon crop to the FFP treatment,whereas the BF1 treatment significantly increased the yield of the ratoon crop by 14.81%in 2019 and 12.21%in 2020 compared with the FFP treatment.The BF1 and BF2 treatments significantly improved the 2-year apparent N recovery efficiency,agronomic NUE,and partial factor productivity of applied N by 11.47-16.66,27.31-44.49,and 9.23-15.60%,respectively,compared with FFP treatment.The BF1 and BF2 treatments reduced the chalky rice rate and chalkiness of main and ratoon crops relative to the FFP treatment.Furthermore,emergy analysis showed that the production efficiency of the BF treatments was higher than that of the FFP treatment.The BF treatments reduced labor input due to reduced fertilization times and improved the economic benefits of ratoon rice.Compared with the FFP treatment,the BF1 and BF2 treatments increased the net income by 14.21-16.87 and 23.76-25.96%,respectively.Overall,the one-time blending use of CRU and common urea should be encouraged to achieve high yield,high nitrogen use efficiency,and good quality of ratoon rice,which has low labor input and low apparent N loss.

The impact of industrial transformation on green economic efficiency:New evidence based on energy use

Developing a green economy is key to achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. This paper uses the SBM-GML index, which includes non-desired outputs, to measure the trend of regional green economic efficiency changes and analyze the impact mechanism and realization path of industrial transformation on green economic efficiency. The research results show that advanced industrial structure has a positive influence on green economic efficiency nationwide, while energy utilization structure and energy utilization efficiency have positive partial intermediary effects in the influence path;industrial structure rationalization is also significantly positively related to green economic efficiency nationwide, and the mediating effect of energy utilization is positive. The impact of industrial transformation on green economic efficiency has regional heterogeneity, and the mediating effect of energy use also differs. Among them, the impact effect in the eastern region is basically consistent with the national sample, but is negative in the central and western regions. This paper proposes countermeasures in terms of adjusting the industrial structure, improving energy efficiency, and perfecting industrial and energy policies, which can provide theoretical and practical references for promoting the transformation and upgrading of regional industrial structure, optimizing energy utilization, and advancing the efficiency of the national and regional green economy.

Measurement of Technical, AIIocative and Economic Efficiency of Tomato Farms in Northern Pakistan

The study measures productive efficiency of tomato growers in village Akbarpura of Disctrict Nowshera in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa （KPK） province of Northern Pakistan. The study uses household level data collected in summer 2010 from sample farmers selected by multi-staged sampling. The study uses a theoretical framework to measure productive efficiency and estimates the Cobb-Douglas frontier production and cost models. The study found that technical efficiency indices varied significantly, with technical efficiency index averaging at 65%. The indices of allocative efficiency also varied widely, with an average of 56%. There was a wide gap between the highest and lowest economic efficiency indices, with a mean economic efficiency of 35%. The study concluded that farmer education, extension visits, age and access to credit contributed significantly and positively to productive efficiencies. A policy implication of this study is that there is enough potential for farmers to increase tomato production and net profits. The study recommends that the government should further invest in public education and strengthen extension services farmer education and because extension visits constituted important determinants of productive efficiencies.

Evaluation of Land-Use Efficiency Based on Regional Scale——A Case Study in Zhanjiang,Guangdong Province

Evaluating land use efficiency is critical to the revision of general land use planning. An assessment indicator system for regional land use efficiency was established in this paper from the aspects of society,economy,ecology and environment. The weight of each indicator was defined by an analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and the entropy method (EM). Then,a case study in Zhanjiang was carried out to analyze the regional land use efficiency from 1996 to 2004 and its development by using the method of multifactor composite evaluation and an analytical model of the de-gree of coordination. The results indicate that land use efficiency with respect to society and the economy improved,whereas the ecological and environmental efficiencies were found to decrease. The degree of coordination in Zhanjiang is still at the status of basic coordination. Finally,measures for enhancing the ecological and environmental establish-ment are suggested in order to improve the regulations of land use structure and patterns,establish ecological forests for the public good and green corridors and prevent the soil erosion.

A Note on an Economic Lot-sizing Problem with Perishable Inventory and Economies of Scale Costs:Approximation Solutions and Worst Case Analysis

This paper presents an economic lot-sizing problem with perishable inventory and general economies of scale cost functions. For the case with backlogging allowed, a mathematical model is formulated, and several properties of the optimal solutions are explored. With the help of these optimality properties, a polynomial time approximation algorithm is developed by a new method. The new method adopts a shift technique to obtain a feasible solution of subproblem and takes the optimal solution of the subproblem as an approximation solution of our problem. The worst case performance for the approximation algorithm is proven to be （4√2 ＋ 5）/7. Finally, an instance illustrates that the bound is tight.

Assessment of Stress Cognitive Control and Executive Function with Stress Control Rating Scale (ECOSTRESS) and Low Resolution Brain Electromagnetic Tomography (LORETA) (In Portuguese People in Situations of Unemployment and Economic Insufficiency)

This article reviews the constructs of stress, appraisal, coping, according to a transactional perspective, and executive function, and presents a stress control rating scale (ECOSTRESS), which design is founded in these constructs. This psychometric tool is useful in the assessment of cognitive control of stress, correlated with the function of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. It has been validated for its use in the assessment of Portuguese people in situations of stress related to unemployment and economic insufficiency. Also, within the context of the cognitive control of stress, it is highlighted the usefulness of low resolution brain electromagnetic tomography (LORETA).

Energy efficiency and economic growth of China:1953-2006

Energy plays an important role in the economic life. With the rapid development of economy, the constraint of energy on the sustainable development of economy is becoming more and more obvious. This paper just Studies the factors influencing energy efficiency of China and the relationship between energy efficiency and China＇s economic： growth. By using time series multivariable linear regression methods with China＇s relevant data from 1953 to 2006, this paper constructs the regression model to analyze the factors that would impact energy, efficiency. After that, a regression model of China＇s real output to capital, labor and energy e lficiency is conducted to estimate the marginal contribution of every factor to the real output to prove the fundamental influence of energy efficiency to the economic growth. In the end, some policies and recommendations are also put forward in order to improve the energy efficiency; of China.

Economic Benefits of Energy Efficiency to the Petroleum Refineries in Ghana: A Case of Tema Oil Refinery (TOR)

<span style="font-family:Verdana;">This study investigates the economic benefits of energy efficiency to petroleum refineries regarding Tema Oil Refinery (TOR), Ghana. The study explores lessons relating to the cost of production, energy recovery levels and economic fortunes of the refinery activities and designs a conceptual framework for improving the energy efficiency of Tema Oil Refinery (TOR). The study adopted a descriptive design using a quantitative approach to provide a statistical background to investigate the economic benefits of energy efficiency. A sample of 84 was adopted for study from a staff population of 520 working at Tema Oil refinery. In addition to primary data, secondary data on energy supply and consumption values from 2008 to 2019 was gathered. For the primary survey, 84 respondents were sampled from TOR and a structured questionnaire was used to retrieve information. A correlation analysis at P < 0.05 was conducted to test the relationship and significance of energy efficiency and economic benefits to the refinery. The study concludes that there is a linear trend between energy production (supply) and energy consumption. The energy generated in the entire economy of Ghana far exceeds the amount of energy consumed thus raising issues of waste or excesses that calls for better policies and management plan to improve EE. The study also identified that issues of lost energy are critical to the operations of the petroleum industry as the situation is compounded by the inability of the refineries to explore better ways to reduce and manage the waste. The study concludes that a significant and positive correlation between energy efficiency and the economic fortunes of Tema Oil Refinery is necessary for its economic fortunes. The supply of energy should have equivalence to the public consumption of energy.

Economic efficiency of radiology wards using data envelopment analysis: Case study of Iran

Background: In evaluating the activities and performance of radiology units, the main aim of applying feasible scientific methods is to use technological and human resources optimally. One of the suitable scientific methods in this field is determining the technical, economic, and allocative efficacy of these centers. We aimed to assess the economic efficiency of radiology units of hospitals affiliated to Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, southern Iran. Methods: In this descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study, the technical, economical, and allocative efficiency of 27 radiology units of public hospitals was assessed using data envelopment analysis. The input oriented envelopment form with the assumption of the varied outputs with respect to the scale was used. Related forms were filled using the existing information in the archives of radiology centers. Input variables in this study were the number of radiology devices, the number of expert personnel, the number of technicians, equipment maintenance and depreciation costs, and the salaries of the experts and technician. Output variables included the number of admitted patients and the number of photographic film. Then, data were analyzed using the DEAP software for calculating the various forms of efficiency. Results: The mean scores of economic, technical, and allocative efficiencies of radiology units were 0.749, 0.880, and 0.852, respectively. The final score of economical efficiency was lower than the technical and allocative efficiency scores. Only 15% of radiology units were economically efficient. Conclusion: Economical efficiency can be attained when resources are used in the best possible way and not wasted. Therefore, a combination of inputs that comprise the lowest costs should be selected.

Inter-Basin Water Transfer Projects and Climate Change: The Role of Allocation Protocols in Economic Efficiency of the Project. Case Study: Dez to Qomrood Inter-Basin Water Transmission Project (Iran)

Nowadays, there is a growing emphasis on Inter-basin water transfer projects as costly activities with ambiguous effects on environment, society and economy. Since the concept of climate change was in its embryonic phase before 1990’s, the majority of these projects planned before that period have not considered the effect of long term variation of water resources. In all of these numerous operational and under-construction projects, an intelligent selection of the best water transmission protocol, can help the governments to optimize their expenditures on these projects ,and also can help water resources managers to face climate change effects wisely. In this paper as a case study, Dez to Qomrood inter-basin water transfer project is considered to evaluate the efficiency of three different protocols in long term. The effect of climate change has been forecasted via a wide range of GCMs (Global Circulation Model) in order to calculate the change of flow in the basin's area with different climate scenarios. After these calculation, a water allocation model has been used to evaluate which of these three water transmission protocols (Proportional Allocation (PA), Fix Upstream allocation (FU), and Fix Downstream allocation (FD)) is the most efficient logic switch economically in a framework including both upstream and downstream stakeholders. As the final result, it can be inferred that Fix Downstream allocation (FD) protocol can supply more population especially with urban water for a fix expense and also is the most adapted protocol with future global change, at least in the first round of sustainability assessment.

The TOPSIS Evaluation on Carbon Emission Economic Efficiency

Based on carbon emission data of 17 cities in Shandong Province in 2005-2009,this paper analyzes carbon emission economic efficiency. It conducts weight distribution by the Ordered Weighted Averaging ( OWA) method,and takes systematic evaluation on carbon emission economic efficiency using TOPSIS method. In eastern coastal regions,including Dongying,Yantai,Weihai and Qingdao,the carbon emission economic efficiency is generally higher than inland regions of Shandong Province. The conclusion reached after correction of time weight is basically consistent with traditional TOPSIS overall evaluation,further proves validity of the evaluation. Finally,it gives recommendations for improving carbon emission economic efficiency in Shandong Province.

Literature Review of Agricultural Scale Management and Efficiency

Scale management remains the core position in entire development process of the economics and is a major issue of academic research and government concern. Focusing on related problems of agricultural scale management,this paper explored 4 aspects of past literature.( i) It defined the agricultural scale management based on economies of scale theory and changes in returns to scale.( ii) From the perspective of the returns to scale of grain production,there are changes in returns to scale of China's grain production,but the measured changes are not significant.( iii) Existing analysis on factors influencing agricultural scale management mainly includes factors influencing farmers' willingness of scale management and restrictive factors of implementation of scale management.( iv) In studies of the relationship between land management scale and production efficiency,many scholars made qualitative and quantitative analysis on land scale efficiency on the basis of economic indicators they defined,but they reached different conclusions. Finally,it summarized literature and pointed out several issues needing special attention in this field.

Rural Financial Development and Rural Economic Efficiency Improvement Based on Granger Causality Test

Based on the co-integration test theory,Financial Interrelation Ratio(FIR),level of financial efficiency(LFE),level of financial development(LFD) and other indices evaluating the rural financial development are selected by Granger Causality Test.The rural loan balance(RLB),rural deposit balance(RDB),total rural output(TRO),fixed assets investment(FAI),Financial Interrelation Ratio(FIR),economic efficiency(EE),level of financial efficiency(LFE),and level of financial development(LFD) in the years 1979-2007 are collected.Graphical method intuitively reflects the development trend and historical track of relevant indices;and Granger Causality Test verifies the relationship between rural financial development level and rural economic efficiency in the years 1979-2007.Result shows that rural financial development level has significant impact on rural economic growth,but rural economic growth has no significant impact on rural financial development;and rural financial development also has insignificant promotion impact on rural economic efficiency.Thus,conclusions are obtained.Although rural financial development has made certain contribution to the development of rural economy,this kind of contribution is only reflected in total quantity,but not efficiency.Therefore,government should further strengthen the promotion function of financial development for economic efficiency,and gradually establish a virtuous circle system for rural finance and economic development.

Suitability Analysis of Scale Management in Northeast China Based on Efficiency Evaluation

Under the resource constraint of low per capita possession of cultivated land and the strategic requirements for ensuring national food security,the intensive and efficient use of cultivated land is an important topic for long-term research in China's academic circles. It is an important prerequisite for exploring the moderate scale management of agricultural land. The calculation results of 147 county-level units in Northeast China by DEA method show that in the use efficiency evaluation results of cultivated land of county-level units,the mean values of comprehensive efficiency,pure technical efficiency and scale efficiency were 0. 674,0. 705 and 0. 96,respectively,and the DEA effective units account for about 11%. The effective areas of pure technical efficiency and scale efficiency do not have a high level of superposition. To a certain extent,this also limits the improvement of overall efficiency. In view of the scale of family farmland management,counties and cities with an average per household possession of cultivated land of 1. 71-2. 13 ha can achieve both scale and efficiency through efficiency improvement.

Economically Optimal Rates and Nutrients Use Efficiency Indices of Maize to the Application of Different Rates of Nutrients in Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia

The use of balanced fertilizers in adequate amount is very important to increase crop productivity and production in Ethiopia. The study was executed to quantify maize (Zea mays L.) grain yield response to different rates of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K) and sulfur (S) under balanced fertilization of other nutrients. On farm trials were conducted at seven sites on 8 farmers’ fields in Negele Arsi districts, west Arsi zone of Oromia region for three consecutive cropping seasons (2014-2016). Six rates of N, P, S and eight rates of K treatments established separately for each nutrient were laid out in randomized complete block (RCB) design with three replicates per farm. Nutrient response function modelling showed that 184, 20 and 80 kg•ha−1 were the agronomic optimum rate for N, P, and K, respectively. Mean agronomic efficiency (AE) of N, P and K were recorded at the lower rates of these nutrients, application of 46, 10 and 20 kg•ha−1 N, P and K resulted in 19.1, 61.0, and 24 kg additional grain yield•kg−1 N, P and K, respectively. Also, the mean partial factor productivity (PFP) of N, P and K were 77.6, 370 and 158 kg additional grain•kg−1 applied N, P and K respectively. Economically optimal rate (EOR) of N, P and K were 48 - 114 kg•ha−1 N with CP 8 - 3.5, 12 - 20 kg•ha−1 P with CP 18 - 4.5 and 32 - 53 kg•ha−1 K with CP 8-4, from these rates net returns of US$487.23 - 143.30, US$698.16 - 498.3 and US$359.31 - 193.63 could be obtained respectively. To conclude, application of 84, 12 and 40 kg•ha−1 N, P and K could be recommended for the production of maize.

Financial Efficiency and Economic Growth in Thailand

This paper investigates the relationship between financial efficiency and economic growth in Thailand with annual time series during 1991-2015. Financial efficiency measures:(i) bank efficiency in intermediating savings to investment, as measured by the net interest margin (the accounting value of bank’s net interest revenue as a share of its average interest-bearing assets)(IMARGIN) and lending-deposit spread (ISPREAD);and (ii) operational efficiency measures, such as overhead costs to total assets;NONILIA while the percentage change of real GDP per capita (real gross domestic product [RGDP]) represents economic growth. The Augmented Dickey-Fuller Test (ADF) of the stationary test shows that all data are stationary at the first difference except ISPREAD is stationary at the second difference. Since all variables are not integrated at the same order, there are no short run and long run relationship between financial efficiency variables and economic growth. The pairwise Granger causality result with 1 lagged length selected by Akaike Information Criterion (AIC), shows that no causality between financial efficiency variables and economic growth and vice versa;and supports the “neutral hypothesis”. However, there is a one-way causality linkage between twofinancial efficiency indicators, lending and deposit interest rate spread, and the ratio of overhead costs to total assets. In other words, the banks’ profit from interest spread is used to improve bank efficiency, such as hiring more staff, increase number of branches, and automatic teller machines (ATMs) to improve bank services. Therefore, financial institutions should provide financial services to response customers’ needs as the commercialization and modernization of the economy.

Eco-Efficiency： Environmental Performance vs Economic Performance

The second half of the 20th century was characterized by an increasing interest in the pace of economic growth and its impact on the environment. As a result, the concept of eco-efficiency as a philosophy of management has arisen, which combines the excellence of the environment and business. This paper uses the distribution-free approach to provide empirical evidence in relation to the eco-efficiency paradigm by studying the relation between environmental performance （measured by the level of emissions of air-contaminating substances） and economic performance （approximated by economic efficiency）, in 199 companies from mineral manufacturing industry in Spain between 2004 and 2007. The empirical analysis shows that the results are consistent with the paradigm of eco-efficiency and therefore it can be concluded that being responsible for the environment is positively related to economic efficiency.

Efficiency Comparison and Influencing Factor Analysis of Dairy Farms over/at Different Scales:Based on the Survey Data of 263 Scale Farms in 22 Provinces of China

China's dairy farming has presented a striking development in recent years.Under the dual constraints of environment and resources,it is of practical significance to increase the output of dairy farming and ensure the healthy and stable development of the dairy industry,by accurately comparing the differences in the farming efficiency of dairy farms at different scales and grasping key factors influencing the farming efficiency.This study,through the cost analysis of 263 scale farms across 23 provinces and regions of China in 2019,reaches a result that the cost of a single cow in a certain scale farm increases with the enlargement of the scale,and shows an inverted-U shaped curve with the relatively large scales(1001-2000 cows)at the highest point.It measures the farming efficiency of dairy farms at different scales through the data envelopment analysis and finds that the scale efficiency and allocation efficiency of scale farms in China are relatively high,while the technology efficiency and cost efficiency are relatively low.The efficiency of different scale farms is obviously different,where the cost efficiency,allocation efficiency and scale efficiency show a U-shaped curve as the scale enlarges(with the relatively large scale as the lowest point),while the technology efficiency gradually decreases as the scale expands.It is concluded that for the scale farms,feed conversion ratio and forage-to-concentrate ratio have a significantly negative impact on the scale efficiency,while the labor cost,number of employees,and depreciation of fixed assets are negatively correlated to the technology efficiency and cost efficiency of dairy farming.

Analysis on Irrational Decision Making of Tobacco Family Farmers from the Perspective of Optimal Scale of Efficiency

The larger the difference between the willingness scale of tobacco family farmers and the optimal scale of efficiency,the greater the degree of irrationality,and the higher the decision making risk.With the aid of DEA model,this study calculated the optimal scale of efficiency of Guiyang tobacco family farms.Using the ratio of willingness scale and efficiency optimal scale,it measured the degree of irrationality of family farmers.In addition,with the help of multiple linear regression model,it explained the irrational decision making mechanism of family farmers.Finally,it made a portrait of farmers who tend to make irrational decisions,to find specific farmers and guide them in their production and operation,reduce the risk of planting scale decision making and stabilize the sustainable development of the tobacco industry.