The hepatitis B virus (HBV) particle consists of an envelope containing three related surface proteins and probably lipid and an icosahedral nucleocapsid of approximately 30 nm diameter enclosing the viral DNA genom...The hepatitis B virus (HBV) particle consists of an envelope containing three related surface proteins and probably lipid and an icosahedral nucleocapsid of approximately 30 nm diameter enclosing the viral DNA genome and DNA polymerase. The capsid is formed in the cytosol of the infected cell during packaging of an RNA pregenome replication complex by multiple copies of a 21-kDa C protein. The capsid gains the ability to bud during synthesis of the viral DNA genome by reverse transcription of the pregenome in the lumen of the particle. The three envelope proteins S, t4, and L shape a complex transmembrane fold at the endoplasmic reticulum, and form disulfide-linked homoand heterodimers. The transmembrane topology of a fraction of the large envelope protein L changes posttranslationally, therefore, the N terminal domain of L (preS) finally appears on both sides of the membrane. During budding at an intracellular membrane, a short linear domain in the cytosolic preS region interacts with binding sites on the capsid surface. The virions are subsequently secreted into the blood. In addition, the surface proteins can bud in the absence of capsids and form subviral lipoprotein particles of 20 nm diameter which are also secreted.展开更多
We give definitions on increasing, constant and decreasing returns to scale under the generalized data envelopment analysis (GDEA) model. The GDEA model prossesses cone structures for describing evaluators’ preferenc...We give definitions on increasing, constant and decreasing returns to scale under the generalized data envelopment analysis (GDEA) model. The GDEA model prossesses cone structures for describing evaluators’ preferences toward different decision making units (DMU) and toward different input / output categories. The GDEA model contains many important DEA models as its subclasses. Based upon the definition, we discuss and rigorously prove the necessary and sufficient conditions for a DMU to have increasing, constant and decreasing returns to scale under a GDEA model, and discuss and clarify the differences and relationships of these conditions under different subclasses of the GDEA model. Furthermore, we describe a method based on a two-stage linear program to test returns to scale properties.展开更多
Objective To evaluate the environmental and technical efficiencies of China's industrial sectors and provide appropriate advice for policy makers in the context of rapid economic growth and concurrent serious environ...Objective To evaluate the environmental and technical efficiencies of China's industrial sectors and provide appropriate advice for policy makers in the context of rapid economic growth and concurrent serious environmental damages caused by industrial pollutants. Methods A data of envelopment analysis (DEA) framework crediting both reduction of pollution outputs and expansion of good outputs was designed as a model to compute environmental efficiency of China's regional industrial systems. Results As shown by the geometric mean of environmental efficiency, if other inputs were made constant and good outputs were not to be improved, the air pollution outputs would have the potential to be decreased by about 60% in the whole China. Conclusion Both environmental and technical efficiencies have the potential to be greatly improved in China, which may provide some advice for policy-makers.展开更多
This review introduces the history and present status of data envelopment analysis (DEA) research, particularly the evaluation process. And extensions of some DEA models are also described. It is pointed out thatmathe...This review introduces the history and present status of data envelopment analysis (DEA) research, particularly the evaluation process. And extensions of some DEA models are also described. It is pointed out thatmathematics, economics and management science are themain forces in the DEA development, optimization provides the fundamental method for the DEA research, and the wide range of applications enforces the rapid development ofDEA.展开更多
Concepts revolving around "displaced cones" are used to extend the ideas of nondominated solutions in multiobjective programming. Necessary and sufficient conditions are formed around the additive models of ...Concepts revolving around "displaced cones" are used to extend the ideas of nondominated solutions in multiobjective programming. Necessary and sufficient conditions are formed around the additive models of DEA to idelltify nondominated solutions. This provdes a basis for effecting contacts with other disciplines and other parts of DEA.展开更多
In recent years improper allocation of safety input has prevailed in coal mines in China, which resulted in the frequent accidents in coal mining operation. A comprehensive assessment of the input efficiency of coal m...In recent years improper allocation of safety input has prevailed in coal mines in China, which resulted in the frequent accidents in coal mining operation. A comprehensive assessment of the input efficiency of coal mine safety should lead to improved efficiency in the use of funds and management resources. This helps government and enterprise managers better understand how safety inputs are used and to optimize allocation of resources. Study on coal mine's efficiency assessment of safety input was con- ducted in this paper. A C^2R model with non-Archimedean infinitesimal vector based on output is established after consideration of the input characteristics and the model properties. An assessment of an operating mine was done using a specific set of input and output criteria. It is found that the safety input was efficient in 2002 and 2005 and was weakly efficient in 2003. However, the efficiency was relatively low in both 2001 and 2004. The safety input resources can be optimized and adjusted by means of projection theory. Such analysis shows that, on average in 2001 and 2004, 45% of the expended funds could have been saved. Likewise, 10% of the safety management and technical staff could have been eliminated and working hours devoted to safety could have been reduced by 12%. These conditions could have Riven the same results.展开更多
Irrigation water shortage is becoming an increasingly serious problem in agricultural production. In this case, it is very important for policy makers to take measures to improve irrigation water use efficiency, espec...Irrigation water shortage is becoming an increasingly serious problem in agricultural production. In this case, it is very important for policy makers to take measures to improve irrigation water use efficiency, especially in the water-scarce areas. In this paper, the data envelopment analysis (DEA) techniques, based on the concept of input-specific technical efficiency were used to develop farm-level technical efficiency measures and sub-vector efficiencies for irrigation water use. The Tobit regression technique was then adopted to identify the factors that influence irrigation water efficiency differentials under the shortage of water resources. Based on a sample data of 432 wheat farmers in northwestern China, our experimental results of the DEA analysis showed the average technical efficiency of 0.6151. It suggested that wheat farmers could increase their production by as much as 38.49% by using inputs more efficiently. Further, the mean irrigation water efficiency of 0.3065, suggested that wheat farmers could produce the same quantity of wheat using the same quantity of inputs but with 69.35% less water. The results of the Tobit regression analysis showed that the farmer's age, income, education level, and the farm size tended to affect the degree of irrigation water efficiency positively, and the channel conditions and different irrigation methods made a significant impact on irrigation water use efficiency. Furthermore, the arrangements of exclusive water property rights and competitive water price mechanism have effectively encouraged the water saving behavior of farmers. These results are valuable for policy makers since it could help to guide policies towards high irrigation water use efficiency.展开更多
The cross-efficiency evaluation method is reviewed which is developed as a data envelopment analysis (DEA) extensive tool. The cross-efficiency evaluation method is utilized to identify the decision making unit (DM...The cross-efficiency evaluation method is reviewed which is developed as a data envelopment analysis (DEA) extensive tool. The cross-efficiency evaluation method is utilized to identify the decision making unit (DMU) with the best practice and to rank the DMUs by their respective cross-efficiency scores. The main drawbacks of the cross-efficiency evaluation method when the ultimate average cross-efficiency scores are used to evalu- ate and rank the DMUs are also pointed out. With the research gap, an improved technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) is introduced to rank the crossfficiency by eliminating the average assumption. Finally, an empirical example is illustrated to examine the validity of the proposed method.展开更多
Urban agglomerations in China have become the strategic core of national economic development and the main component of the new type of urbanization. However, they are threatened by a series of eco-environmental probl...Urban agglomerations in China have become the strategic core of national economic development and the main component of the new type of urbanization. However, they are threatened by a series of eco-environmental problems and challenges, including the severe overexploitation of natural resources. Eco-efficiency, which is defined as accomplishing the greatest possible economic benefit with the least possible resource input and damage to the environment, is used as an indicator to quantify the sustainability of urban agglomerations. In this work, a traditional data envelopment analysis(DEA) model with a slack-based measurement(SBM) model of undesirable outputs, was used to assess and compare the economic efficiency and eco-efficiency of four major urban agglomerations in eastern China(UAECs) in 2005, 2011, and 2014. The spatio-temporal characteristics of the evolution of urban agglomerations were analyzed. Based on the results of a slack analysis, suggestions for improving the eco-efficiency of the four UAECs are provided. The overall economic efficiency of urban agglomerations located in the Shandong Peninsula, Yangtze River Delta, and Pearl River Delta displayed a V-shaped pattern(decreased and then increased). In contrast, the overall economic efficiency of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration declined during the study period. The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration had a considerable loss of economic efficiency due to pollution, whereas the Shandong Peninsula urban agglomeration was less impacted. Overall, the eco-environmental efficiency of the four UAECs declined from 2005 to 2011 and then increased from 2011 to 2014. In addition, the urban eco-efficiency in the four coastal UAECs was characterized by different evolution patterns. The eco-efficiency was higher in the peri-urban areas of the core cities, riverside areas, and seaside areas and lower in the inland cities. The core cities of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Yangtze River Delta, and Pearl River Delta urban agglomerations were characterized展开更多
The conventional data envelopment analysis (DEA) measures the relative efficiencies of a set of decision making units with exact values of inputs and outputs. In real-world prob- lems, however, inputs and outputs ty...The conventional data envelopment analysis (DEA) measures the relative efficiencies of a set of decision making units with exact values of inputs and outputs. In real-world prob- lems, however, inputs and outputs typically have some levels of fuzziness. To analyze a decision making unit (DMU) with fuzzy input/output data, previous studies provided the fuzzy DEA model and proposed an associated evaluating approach. Nonetheless, numerous deficiencies must still be improved, including the α- cut approaches, types of fuzzy numbers, and ranking techniques. Moreover, a fuzzy sample DMU still cannot be evaluated for the Fuzzy DEA model. Therefore, this paper proposes a fuzzy DEA model based on sample decision making unit (FSDEA). Five eval- uation approaches and the related algorithm and ranking methods are provided to test the fuzzy sample DMU of the FSDEA model. A numerical experiment is used to demonstrate and compare the results with those obtained using alternative approaches.展开更多
The traditional data envelopment analysis (DEA) model can evaluate the relative efficiencies of a set of decision making units (DMUs) with exact values of inputs and outputs, but it cannot handle imprecise data. I...The traditional data envelopment analysis (DEA) model can evaluate the relative efficiencies of a set of decision making units (DMUs) with exact values of inputs and outputs, but it cannot handle imprecise data. Imprecise data, for example, can be expressed in the form of the interval data or mixtures of interval data and ordinal data. In this study, a cross-efficiency method is introduced into the DEA model to calculate the interval of cross-efficiency values, based on which a new TOPSIS method is proposed to rank the DMUs. Two examples are presented to illustrate and validate the proposed method.展开更多
Identifying the driving forces that cause changes in forest ecosystem services related to water conservation is essential for the design of interventions that could enhance positive impacts as well as minimizing negat...Identifying the driving forces that cause changes in forest ecosystem services related to water conservation is essential for the design of interventions that could enhance positive impacts as well as minimizing negative impacts. In this study, we propose an assessment concept framework model for indirect-direct-ecosystem service (IN-DI-ESS) driving forces within this context and method for index construction that considers the selection of a robust and parsimonious variable set. Factor analysis was integrated into two-stage data envelopment analysis (TS-DEA) to determine the driving forces and their effects on water conservation services in forest ecosystems at the provincial scale in China. The results showed the following. 1) Ten indicators with factor scores more than 0.8 were selected as the minimum data set. Four indicators comprising population density, per capita gross domestic product, irrigation efficiency, and per capita food consumption were the indirect driving factors, and six indicators comprising precipitation, farmland into forestry or pasture, forest cover, habitat area, water footprint, and wood extraction were the direct driving forces. 2) Spearman's rank correlation test was performed to compare the overall effectiveness in two periods: stage 1 and stage 2. The calculated coefficients were 0.245, 0.136, and 0.579, respectively, whereas the tabulated value was 0.562. This indicates that the driving forces obviously differed in terms of their contribution to the overall effectiveness and they caused changes in water conservation services in different stages. In terms of the variations in different driving force effects in the years 2000 and 2010, the overall, stage 1, and stage 2 variances were 0.020, 0.065, and 0.079 in 2000, respectively, and 0.018, 0.063, and 0.071 in 2010. This also indicates that heterogeneous driving force effects were obvious in the process during the same period. Identifying the driving forces that affect service changes and evaluating their efficiency h展开更多
文摘The hepatitis B virus (HBV) particle consists of an envelope containing three related surface proteins and probably lipid and an icosahedral nucleocapsid of approximately 30 nm diameter enclosing the viral DNA genome and DNA polymerase. The capsid is formed in the cytosol of the infected cell during packaging of an RNA pregenome replication complex by multiple copies of a 21-kDa C protein. The capsid gains the ability to bud during synthesis of the viral DNA genome by reverse transcription of the pregenome in the lumen of the particle. The three envelope proteins S, t4, and L shape a complex transmembrane fold at the endoplasmic reticulum, and form disulfide-linked homoand heterodimers. The transmembrane topology of a fraction of the large envelope protein L changes posttranslationally, therefore, the N terminal domain of L (preS) finally appears on both sides of the membrane. During budding at an intracellular membrane, a short linear domain in the cytosolic preS region interacts with binding sites on the capsid surface. The virions are subsequently secreted into the blood. In addition, the surface proteins can bud in the absence of capsids and form subviral lipoprotein particles of 20 nm diameter which are also secreted.
基金This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China.
文摘We give definitions on increasing, constant and decreasing returns to scale under the generalized data envelopment analysis (GDEA) model. The GDEA model prossesses cone structures for describing evaluators’ preferences toward different decision making units (DMU) and toward different input / output categories. The GDEA model contains many important DEA models as its subclasses. Based upon the definition, we discuss and rigorously prove the necessary and sufficient conditions for a DMU to have increasing, constant and decreasing returns to scale under a GDEA model, and discuss and clarify the differences and relationships of these conditions under different subclasses of the GDEA model. Furthermore, we describe a method based on a two-stage linear program to test returns to scale properties.
文摘Objective To evaluate the environmental and technical efficiencies of China's industrial sectors and provide appropriate advice for policy makers in the context of rapid economic growth and concurrent serious environmental damages caused by industrial pollutants. Methods A data of envelopment analysis (DEA) framework crediting both reduction of pollution outputs and expansion of good outputs was designed as a model to compute environmental efficiency of China's regional industrial systems. Results As shown by the geometric mean of environmental efficiency, if other inputs were made constant and good outputs were not to be improved, the air pollution outputs would have the potential to be decreased by about 60% in the whole China. Conclusion Both environmental and technical efficiencies have the potential to be greatly improved in China, which may provide some advice for policy-makers.
基金This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 19771087).
文摘This review introduces the history and present status of data envelopment analysis (DEA) research, particularly the evaluation process. And extensions of some DEA models are also described. It is pointed out thatmathematics, economics and management science are themain forces in the DEA development, optimization provides the fundamental method for the DEA research, and the wide range of applications enforces the rapid development ofDEA.
文摘Concepts revolving around "displaced cones" are used to extend the ideas of nondominated solutions in multiobjective programming. Necessary and sufficient conditions are formed around the additive models of DEA to idelltify nondominated solutions. This provdes a basis for effecting contacts with other disciplines and other parts of DEA.
基金Project 70771105 supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China
文摘In recent years improper allocation of safety input has prevailed in coal mines in China, which resulted in the frequent accidents in coal mining operation. A comprehensive assessment of the input efficiency of coal mine safety should lead to improved efficiency in the use of funds and management resources. This helps government and enterprise managers better understand how safety inputs are used and to optimize allocation of resources. Study on coal mine's efficiency assessment of safety input was con- ducted in this paper. A C^2R model with non-Archimedean infinitesimal vector based on output is established after consideration of the input characteristics and the model properties. An assessment of an operating mine was done using a specific set of input and output criteria. It is found that the safety input was efficient in 2002 and 2005 and was weakly efficient in 2003. However, the efficiency was relatively low in both 2001 and 2004. The safety input resources can be optimized and adjusted by means of projection theory. Such analysis shows that, on average in 2001 and 2004, 45% of the expended funds could have been saved. Likewise, 10% of the safety management and technical staff could have been eliminated and working hours devoted to safety could have been reduced by 12%. These conditions could have Riven the same results.
基金supported by the National Natural Sci-ence Foundation of China (70903060)the Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province, China(Y6090552)
文摘Irrigation water shortage is becoming an increasingly serious problem in agricultural production. In this case, it is very important for policy makers to take measures to improve irrigation water use efficiency, especially in the water-scarce areas. In this paper, the data envelopment analysis (DEA) techniques, based on the concept of input-specific technical efficiency were used to develop farm-level technical efficiency measures and sub-vector efficiencies for irrigation water use. The Tobit regression technique was then adopted to identify the factors that influence irrigation water efficiency differentials under the shortage of water resources. Based on a sample data of 432 wheat farmers in northwestern China, our experimental results of the DEA analysis showed the average technical efficiency of 0.6151. It suggested that wheat farmers could increase their production by as much as 38.49% by using inputs more efficiently. Further, the mean irrigation water efficiency of 0.3065, suggested that wheat farmers could produce the same quantity of wheat using the same quantity of inputs but with 69.35% less water. The results of the Tobit regression analysis showed that the farmer's age, income, education level, and the farm size tended to affect the degree of irrigation water efficiency positively, and the channel conditions and different irrigation methods made a significant impact on irrigation water use efficiency. Furthermore, the arrangements of exclusive water property rights and competitive water price mechanism have effectively encouraged the water saving behavior of farmers. These results are valuable for policy makers since it could help to guide policies towards high irrigation water use efficiency.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China for Innovative Research Groups(70821001),the National Natural Science Foundation of China(70901069)the Special Fund for the Gainers of Excellent Ph.D.'s Dissertations and Dean's Scholarships of Chinese Academy of Sciences,the Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China for New Teachers(20093402120013)+1 种基金the Research Fund for the Excellent Youth Scholars of Higher School of Anhui Province of China(2010SQRW001ZD)the Social Science Research Fund for Higher School of Anhui Province of China
文摘The cross-efficiency evaluation method is reviewed which is developed as a data envelopment analysis (DEA) extensive tool. The cross-efficiency evaluation method is utilized to identify the decision making unit (DMU) with the best practice and to rank the DMUs by their respective cross-efficiency scores. The main drawbacks of the cross-efficiency evaluation method when the ultimate average cross-efficiency scores are used to evalu- ate and rank the DMUs are also pointed out. With the research gap, an improved technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) is introduced to rank the crossfficiency by eliminating the average assumption. Finally, an empirical example is illustrated to examine the validity of the proposed method.
基金Major Program of National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.41590840,No.41590842National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.41371177
文摘Urban agglomerations in China have become the strategic core of national economic development and the main component of the new type of urbanization. However, they are threatened by a series of eco-environmental problems and challenges, including the severe overexploitation of natural resources. Eco-efficiency, which is defined as accomplishing the greatest possible economic benefit with the least possible resource input and damage to the environment, is used as an indicator to quantify the sustainability of urban agglomerations. In this work, a traditional data envelopment analysis(DEA) model with a slack-based measurement(SBM) model of undesirable outputs, was used to assess and compare the economic efficiency and eco-efficiency of four major urban agglomerations in eastern China(UAECs) in 2005, 2011, and 2014. The spatio-temporal characteristics of the evolution of urban agglomerations were analyzed. Based on the results of a slack analysis, suggestions for improving the eco-efficiency of the four UAECs are provided. The overall economic efficiency of urban agglomerations located in the Shandong Peninsula, Yangtze River Delta, and Pearl River Delta displayed a V-shaped pattern(decreased and then increased). In contrast, the overall economic efficiency of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration declined during the study period. The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration had a considerable loss of economic efficiency due to pollution, whereas the Shandong Peninsula urban agglomeration was less impacted. Overall, the eco-environmental efficiency of the four UAECs declined from 2005 to 2011 and then increased from 2011 to 2014. In addition, the urban eco-efficiency in the four coastal UAECs was characterized by different evolution patterns. The eco-efficiency was higher in the peri-urban areas of the core cities, riverside areas, and seaside areas and lower in the inland cities. The core cities of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Yangtze River Delta, and Pearl River Delta urban agglomerations were characterized
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (70961005)211 Project for Postgraduate Student Program of Inner Mongolia University+1 种基金National Natural Science Foundation of Inner Mongolia (2010Zd342011MS1002)
文摘The conventional data envelopment analysis (DEA) measures the relative efficiencies of a set of decision making units with exact values of inputs and outputs. In real-world prob- lems, however, inputs and outputs typically have some levels of fuzziness. To analyze a decision making unit (DMU) with fuzzy input/output data, previous studies provided the fuzzy DEA model and proposed an associated evaluating approach. Nonetheless, numerous deficiencies must still be improved, including the α- cut approaches, types of fuzzy numbers, and ranking techniques. Moreover, a fuzzy sample DMU still cannot be evaluated for the Fuzzy DEA model. Therefore, this paper proposes a fuzzy DEA model based on sample decision making unit (FSDEA). Five eval- uation approaches and the related algorithm and ranking methods are provided to test the fuzzy sample DMU of the FSDEA model. A numerical experiment is used to demonstrate and compare the results with those obtained using alternative approaches.
基金supported by National Natural Science Funds of China for Innovative Research Groups(No.70821001)National Natural Science Funds of China(No.71222106,70901069 and 71171001)ScholarshipAward for Excellent Doctoral Student granted by Ministry of Education
文摘The traditional data envelopment analysis (DEA) model can evaluate the relative efficiencies of a set of decision making units (DMUs) with exact values of inputs and outputs, but it cannot handle imprecise data. Imprecise data, for example, can be expressed in the form of the interval data or mixtures of interval data and ordinal data. In this study, a cross-efficiency method is introduced into the DEA model to calculate the interval of cross-efficiency values, based on which a new TOPSIS method is proposed to rank the DMUs. Two examples are presented to illustrate and validate the proposed method.
基金Under the auspices of Science and Technology Service Network Initiative Project of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(No.KFJ-EW-STS-002)
文摘Identifying the driving forces that cause changes in forest ecosystem services related to water conservation is essential for the design of interventions that could enhance positive impacts as well as minimizing negative impacts. In this study, we propose an assessment concept framework model for indirect-direct-ecosystem service (IN-DI-ESS) driving forces within this context and method for index construction that considers the selection of a robust and parsimonious variable set. Factor analysis was integrated into two-stage data envelopment analysis (TS-DEA) to determine the driving forces and their effects on water conservation services in forest ecosystems at the provincial scale in China. The results showed the following. 1) Ten indicators with factor scores more than 0.8 were selected as the minimum data set. Four indicators comprising population density, per capita gross domestic product, irrigation efficiency, and per capita food consumption were the indirect driving factors, and six indicators comprising precipitation, farmland into forestry or pasture, forest cover, habitat area, water footprint, and wood extraction were the direct driving forces. 2) Spearman's rank correlation test was performed to compare the overall effectiveness in two periods: stage 1 and stage 2. The calculated coefficients were 0.245, 0.136, and 0.579, respectively, whereas the tabulated value was 0.562. This indicates that the driving forces obviously differed in terms of their contribution to the overall effectiveness and they caused changes in water conservation services in different stages. In terms of the variations in different driving force effects in the years 2000 and 2010, the overall, stage 1, and stage 2 variances were 0.020, 0.065, and 0.079 in 2000, respectively, and 0.018, 0.063, and 0.071 in 2010. This also indicates that heterogeneous driving force effects were obvious in the process during the same period. Identifying the driving forces that affect service changes and evaluating their efficiency h