Bootstrapping Data Envelopment Analysis of Efficiency and Productivity of County Public Hospitals in Eastern, Central, and Western China after the Public Hospital Reform

China implemented the public hospital reform in 2012. This study utilized bootstrapping data envelopment analysis（DEA） to evaluate the technical efficiency（TE） and productivity of county public hospitals in Eastern, Central, and Western China after the 2012 public hospital reform. Data from 127 county public hospitals（39, 45, and 43 in Eastern, Central, and Western China, respectively） were collected during 2012–2015. Changes of TE and productivity over time were estimated by bootstrapping DEA and bootstrapping Malmquist. The disparities in TE and productivity among public hospitals in the three regions of China were compared by Kruskal–Wallis H test and Mann–Whitney U test. The average bias-corrected TE values for the four-year period were 0.6442, 0.5785, 0.6099, and 0.6094 in Eastern, Central, and Western China, and the entire country respectively, with average non-technical efficiency, low pure technical efficiency（PTE）, and high scale efficiency found. Productivity increased by 8.12%, 0.25%, 12.11%, and 11.58% in China and its three regions during 2012–2015, and such increase in productivity resulted from progressive technological changes by 16.42%, 6.32%, 21.08%, and 21.42%, respectively. The TE and PTE of the county hospitals significantly differed among the three regions of China. Eastern and Western China showed significantly higher TE and PTE than Central China. More than 60% of county public hospitals in China and its three areas operated at decreasing return scales. There was a considerable space for TE improvement in county hospitals in China and its three regions. During 2012–2015, the hospitals experienced progressive productivity; however, the PTE changed adversely. Moreover, Central China continuously achieved a significantly lower efficiency score than Eastern and Western China. Decision makers and administrators in China should identify the causes of the observed inefficiencies and take appropriate measures to increase the efficiency of county public hospitals in the three areas of China, especially in Central China.

Mine production index(MPI)-extension of OEE for bottleneck detection in mining

Although mining production depends on various equipments, significant amount of production loss can be attributed a specific equipment or fleet. Bottleneck is defined not only by production loss but also by our satisfaction from the equipment. The user satisfaction could be measured as machine effectiveness.Mining literatures on performance improvement and optimization of equipment operations assert importance of availability, utilization and production performance as key parameters. These three parameters are useful for evaluating effectiveness of equipment. Mine production index(MPI), which can represent the effect of these factors, has been applied for continuous operation in mining. MPI uses Fuzzy Delphi Analytical Hierarchy Process to determine importance of each three parameter for individual equipment. A case study in a Swedish open pit mine was done to evaluate the field application of MPI.The results reveal that crusher is the bottleneck equipment in studied mine. As a methodical approach,an algorithm which uses MPI and detects bottleneck in continuous mining operation has been proposed.

Impacts of climate change on the potential forest productivity based on a climate-driven biophysical model in northeastern China

Climate warming is expected to influence forest growth,composition and distribution.However,accurately estimating and predicting forest biomass,potential productivity or forest growth is still a challenge for forest managers dealing with land-use at the stand to regional levels.In the present study,we predicted the potential productivity(PP)of forest under current and future climate scenarios(RCP2.6,RCP4.5,RCP6.0 and RCP8.5)in Jilin province,northeastern China by using Paterson’s Climate Vegetation and Productivity(CVP)index model.The PP was validated by comparing it with the mean and maximum net primary production calculated from light energy utilization(GLM_PEM).Our results indicated that using the CVP index model is partially valid for predicting the potential forest productivity in northeastern China.PP exhibited obvious spatial heterogeneity varying from 4.6 to 8.9 m3 ha-1 year-1 with an increasing tendency from northwest to southeast driven by the precipitation across the region.The number of vegetation-active months,precipitation and insolation coefficient were identified as the primary factors affecting PP,but no significant relationship was found for warmest temperature or temperature fluctuation.Under future climate scenarios,PP across the Jilin Province is expected to increase from 1.38%(RCP2.6 in 2050)to 15.30%(RCP8.5 in 2070),especially in the eastern Songnen Plain(SE)for the RCP8.5 scenarios.

Measuring Scientific Productivity in China Using Malmquist Productivity Index

Purpose: This paper aims to investigate the scientific productivity of China's science system. Design/methodology/approach: This paper employs the Malmquist productivity index(MPI) based on Data Envelopment Analysis(DEA).Findings: The results reveal that the overall efficiency of Chinese universities increased significantly from 2009 to 2016, which is mainly driven by technological progress. From the perspective of the functions of higher education, research and transfer activities perform better than the teaching activities.Research limitations: As an implication, the indicator selection mechanism, investigation period and the MPI model can be further extended in the future research.Practical implications: The results indicate that Chinese education administrative departments should take actions to guide and promote the teaching activities and formulate reasonable resource allocation regulations to reach the balanced development in Chinese universities.Originality/value: This paper selects 58 Chinese universities and conducts a quantified measurement during the period 2009–2016. Three main functional activities of universities(i.e. teaching, researching, and application) are innovatively categorized into different schemes, and we calculate their performance, respectively.

Effects of Drought on Net Primary Productivity:Roles of Temperature,Drought Intensity,and Duration

Northeast China has experienced frequent droughts over the past fifteen years. However, the effects of droughts on net primary productivity(NPP) in Northeast China remain unclear. In this paper, the droughts that occurred in Northeast China between 1999 and 2013 were identified using the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index(SPEI). The NPP standardized anomaly index(NPP-SAI) was used to evaluate NPP anomalies. The years of 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2007 were further investigated in order to explore the influence of droughts on NPP at different time scales(3, 6, and 12 months). Based on the NPP-SAI of normal areas, we found droughts overall decreased NPP by 112.06 Tg C between 1999 and 2013. Lower temperatures at the beginning of the growing season could cause declines in NPP by shortening the length of the growing season. Mild drought or short-term drought with higher temperatures might increase NPP, and weak intensity droughts intensified the lag effects of droughts on NPP.

Study on the evaluation system for the cleaner production of the mine

It is important to establish the evaluation system of the cleaner production of the mining enterprise, which canprovide the technical support and guidance for the cleaner production evaluation and facilitating the promotion ofcleaner productive techniques so as to realize the integration of economic development and environmental protection.This paper, according to the characteristic of mining and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), establishes the evaluationindex system, puts forward the overall quantitative evaluation method based on Fuzzy Mathematics and the experts’experience, and establishes the evaluation system of cleaner production. The main problems in cleaner production of themine are analyzed by calculation, and some countermeasures and suggestions are proposed.

A comparative analysis of Japanese firm productivity： Solow residual and Malmquist productivity index

For some time, two major kinds of Total Factor Productivity （TFP） have existed independently of each other： the Solow residual and the Malmquist Productivity Index （MPI）. The Solow residual was introduced in macro economic growth models, and the MPI has been used in micro economics and management studies. As both indices were developed independently, few studies utilize both together and compare the results. This paper uses the same data to compare the two productivity indices by setting to determine the economic implications of combining the two indices. We discovered that we could decompose TFP with each aspect of the Soiow residual and MPI. We could then interpret their relationship in the business cycle. Our results indicated that the frontier shift in MPI of Japanese firms often occurred when the Solow residual increased, meaning that improving oroductivitv with the Solow residual could be generated by a firm that could shift new production frontiers.

Overall profit Malmquist productivity index under data uncertainty

The calculation of the overall profit Malmquist productivity index(MPI)requires precise and accurate information on the input,output,input-output prices of each decision making unit(DMU).However,in many situations,some inputs and/or outputs and input-output prices are imprecise.As such,we consider the overall profit MPI problem when the input,output,and input-output prices are imprecise and vary over intervals,showing that method(MCM 54:2827–2838,2011)has some shortfalls.To remedy these shortfalls,we propose another method for measuring the overall profit MPI when the inputs,outputs,and price vectors vary over intervals.That is,to calculate the overall profit efficiency intervals,cone-ratio data envelopment analysis models can be applied to the incorporated information as weight restrictions.Further,we provide a new approach to calculating the upper bound of the overall profit efficiency of each DMU.A numerical example is provided for illustrating the proposed method.

Study on productivity of horizontal wells with segmental perforation based on pseudo steady-state flow

Segmental perforation is widely used for horizontal wells. However,the flow of fluid in porous media is a complex problem. Using the Fourier transform,principle of potential superposition,trigonometric function transform,asymptotic analyses,a pressure solution of a pseudo steady-state flow model in 3D circular-boxed media has been established. Comparing with the productivity of vertical wells,an equivalence radius model can be obtained. Based on the model,a method of evaluating the productivity of segmental perforation horizontal well is presented by means of principle of superposition. It shows that the equivalence radius is different for various positions of horizontal wells; the output of both ends of horizontal wells is greater than the others under the same length of perforation interval; it is more important to obtain high productivity by increasing the length of perforation interval than enlarging the spacing between perforation intervals. The result of this research can be used to ascertain the yield of each perforated interval.

Feasibility Analysis of Agricultural Product Price Index Insurance Based on Pilot Cases

Agricultural product price index insurance is a kind of index insurance. It avoids defects of traditional agricultural insurance,such as moral hazards,adverse selection,and high management cost. On the basis of studying agricultural product price index insurance of all areas of China,this paper analyzed characteristics of agricultural product price index insurance from object selection,product object,premium design,and policy support,and discussed feasibility of extending agricultural product price index insurance in an all-round way.

Estimating the Three-Stage Cost Malmquist Productivity Index in the Taiwan Biotech and Biopharmaceutical Industry

This paper estimates and decomposes the output-oriented three-stage cost Malmquist productivity index of the Taiwan Residents biotech and biopharmaceutical （B＆BP） industry in 2004-2007 periods. The empirical estimations proceed in three stages. Following the methodology of Yang and Huang （2009） with the assumption of variable return to scale （VRS） in the first stage, the original cost Malmquist productivity index （CM） is decomposed into five sources of productivity change： pure technical efficiency change, technical change, allocative efficiency change （AEC）, input-price effect, and cost scale efficiency change. The method of Yang and Huang （2009） is an excellent contribution, but it did not deal with the exogenous environmental variables and noises. In the second stage, the original input variables are adjusted by the exogenous environmental variables. Finally, adjusted input variables produced by the second stage are reused for obtaining the reality of CM in the third stage.

Isolating higher yielding and more stable rice genotypes in stress environments: fine-tuning a selection method using production and resilience score indices

In Asia, the rice crop sustains millions of people. However, growing demand for this crop needs to be met while simultaneously reducing its water consumption to cope with the effects of climate change. Lowland cropping systems are the most common and productive but have particularly high water requirements. High-yielding rice genotypes adapted to drier environments(such as rainfed or aerobic rice ecosystems) are needed to increase the water use efficiency of cropping. Identifying these genotypes requires fast and more accurate selection methods. It is hypothesized that applying a new quantitative selection method(the score index selection method), can usefully compare rice yield responses over different years and stress intensities to select genotypes more rapidly and efficiently. Applying the score index to previously published rice yield data for 39 genotypes grown in no-stress and two stress environments, identified three genotypes(ARB 8, IR55419-04 and ARB 7) with higher and stable yield under moderate to severe stress conditions. These genotypes are postulated to be better adapted to stress environment such as upland and aerobic environments. Importantly, the score index selection method offers improved precision than the conventional breeding selection method in identifying genotypes that are well-suited to a range of stress levels within the target environment.

Projection of hydrothermal condition in Central Asia under four SSP-RCP scenarios

Hydrothermal condition is mismatched in arid and semi-arid regions,particularly in Central Asia(including Kazakhstan,Kyrgyzstan,Tajikistan,Uzbekistan,and Turkmenistan),resulting many environmental limitations.In this study,we projected hydrothermal condition in Central Asia based on bias-corrected multi-model ensembles(MMEs)from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6(CMIP6)under four Shared Socioeconomic Pathway and Representative Concentration Pathway(SSP-RCP)scenarios(SSP126(SSP1-RCP2.6),SSP245(SSP2-RCP4.5),SSP460(SSP4-RCP6.0),and SSP585(SSP5-RCP8.5))during 2015-2100.The bias correction and spatial disaggregation,water-thermal product index,and sensitivity analysis were used in this study.The results showed that the hydrothermal condition is mismatched in the central and southern deserts,whereas the region of Pamir Mountains and Tianshan Mountains as well as the northern plains of Kazakhstan showed a matched hydrothermal condition.Compared with the historical period,the matched degree of hydrothermal condition improves during 2046-2075,but degenerates during 2015-2044 and 2076-2100.The change of hydrothermal condition is sensitive to precipitation in the northern regions and the maximum temperatures in the southern regions.The result suggests that the optimal scenario in Central Asia is SSP126 scenario,while SSP585 scenario brings further hydrothermal contradictions.This study provides scientific information for the development and sustainable utilization of hydrothermal resources in arid and semi-arid regions under climate change.

Performance Evaluation of Food and Beverage Listed Companies in Vietnam

During the last decade,the food and beverage industry has been one of the most significant and prioritized industries that contributed to the economic growth in Vietnam.Therefore,how to enhance the performance of food and beverage firms has become a critical factor for Vietnam’s economic development.This research aims to use the data envelopment analysis(DEA)and the Malmquist productivity index(MPI)to assess changes in operational performance and productivity of listed lead food and beverage firms in Vietnam during the period between 2015 and 2020.The obtained results reveal that Vietnamese food and beverage firms were generally inefficient between 2015 and 2020 because the number of relatively inefficient companies was higher than the relatively efficient ones in each year between 2015 and 2020.The MPI findings indicate the growth in productivity during the study period as a result of technological progress.By integrating the findings of the relative efficiency and productivity change,this study creates five decision-making matrixes for five periods,respectively,from 2015 to 2020 to position the food and beverage firms in each sector.The analytical results provide instructions to senior managers on developing strategy for increasing efficiency of food and beverage listed companies in Vietnam.

DEA-based Malmquist Productivity Index Measure of Operating Efficiencies:New Insights with an Application to Container Ports

To investigate the long-term operating efficiencies of container ports, we extend the work of previous researches to present a new systemic and improved method of data envelopment analysis （DEA）-based Malmquist productivity index （MPI） in this paper. An approach based on both panel data and multi-inputs/outputs is considered comprehensively, and aims at measuring the operating efficiencies of 10 leading container ports in China from 2001 to 2006 by applying this new systematic influence factor of total factor productivity change is the calculation method. The results illustrate that the main technology change, and the container transportation of these 10 ports is on the healthy development status and will recover and grow reposefully in the following years

On Product-Cordial Index Sets and Friendly Index Sets of 2-Regular Graphs and Generalized Wheels

A vertex labeling f ： V →Z2 of a simple graph G = （V, E） induces two edge labelings The friendly index set and the product-cordial index set of G are defined as the setsf is friendly}. In this paper we study and determine the connection between the friendly index sets and product-cordial index sets of 2-regular graphs and generalized wheel graphs.

Practical solution for stabilized pseudo-steady state productivity index of multiple vertical wells depleting closed reservoirs

The objective of this paper is introducing practical solutions for stabilized pseudo-steady state productivity index and pressure behaviors and flow regimes of multiple vertical wells depleting closed rectangular reservoirs.It introduces full understanding of reservoir performance during transient and pseudo-steady state flow using pressure and pressure derivative patterns and productivity index and productivity index derivative schemes.The practical solutions proposed in this study are relied on a new approach for accurate estimation of starting time of pseudo-steady state flow and stabilized productivity index by applying productivity index derivative that converges mathematically to zero at the beginning of this flow.It is also an attempt for pointing out the optimal reservoir configuration that can give maximum stabilized pseudo-steady state productivity index for different wellbore types and distributions in the drainage area.Several analytical models are used in this study for describing pressure drop and productivity index behavior of multiple vertical wells considering different reservoir configurations and different wellbore types and locations.These wells were assumed either fully or partially penetrate the formations.These pressure models are justified to generate two pressure derivatives,one represents the derivative of time dependent pressure drop and the second represents the derivative of time-invariant pressure drop.The two derivatives are used for determining the starting time of pseudo-steady state flow and stabilized productivity index when both converge and mathematically become identical.These models are used also to generate several plots for time-invariant or stabilized pseudo-steady state productivity index for different reservoir geometries considering different wellbore conditions.The maximum stabilized productivity index is illustrated in these plots and several analytical models for the expected flow regimes are developed using pressure and pressure derivative behaviors of different reservoirs and wellbore conditions.The outcomes of this study are summarized in:1)Developing new analytical solutions for pressure distribution in porous media drained by multiple vertical wells.2)Developing new practical solution for estimating stabilized pseudo-steady state productivity index.3)Understanding pressure,pressure derivative,and productivity index behavior of finite acting reservoir depleted by multiple vertical wells during transient and pseudo-steady state production.4)Investigating the impacts of different reservoir configurations and wellbore sizes and locations as well as partial penetration on stabilized pseudo-steady state productivity index.The novel points in this study are:1)The optimum reservoir configuration that gives the maximum stabilized productivity index is the rectangular shape reservoir with reservoir length to width ratio of(2-4).2)Starting time of pseudo-steady state and stabilized productivity index are impacted by wellbore numbers,sizes,and locations.3)Starting time of pseudo-steady state flow is not affected by partial penetration ratio,however,stabilized productivity index is affected by this ratio.4)Five spots pattern gives the maximum productivity index compared with other wellbore distribution patterns.5)Productivity index of diagonally distributed wellbores is greater than the index of wellbores distributed along reservoir length.

Study on the Consistency between Production or CostFunction and Index Number

This paper introduces some index concepts used in the study of economical theoryand summarizes some conclusions on the consistency between linear homogeneous production (or cost)function and index formula. In the last section , the authors show the consistency between nonlinearhomogeneous production and index formula and fill the gap in this field.

The efficiencies and their changes of China＇s resources-based cities employing DEA and Malmquist Index Models

Employing DEA model and Malmquist productivity index, this paper probes into the urban efficiencies of 24 typical resources-based cities in China and their changes from 2000 to 2008. The research finds that the overall efficiencies of the resources-based cities are just at a general level, and only a few of them reach the optimal level. The scale efficiency is the major determining factor of the achievement of overall efficiency, the effect of which, nevertheless, is reducing. From the perspective of classification characteristics, the resources-based cities in northeastern region have been in the front rank in terms of overall efficiency, pure technical efficiency and scale efficiency. There is a certain positive correlation between urban population scale and urban efficiency. The analysis of urban efficiency changes shows that the changes in overall efficiency of resources-based cities from 2000 to 2008 had a weak improving tendency. Both the technical change index and productivity change index decreased, indicating that the urban efficiency did not improve during this period, and the tendency of technical recession and productivity decline was obvious. In terms of the classification of urban efficiency changes, the urban overall efficiency improved in each of the four regions from 2000 to 2008, among which western region witnessed the greatest increase. Cities with different resource types have improved their urban overall efficiencies except steel-based cities. The urban overall efficiency increased in resources-based cities of different scales, with greater improvement in small and medium-sized cities than in big cities.