Evaluation of port efficiency in Shanghai Port and Busan Port based on three-stage DEA model with environmental concerns

The global green development has led many ports to impose measures to reduce emissions and improve port efficiency. As large-scale construction can do damage to the environment, it is not supported under the green strategy, which makes it more important to make full use of existing resources in the port competition. While, whether there is a relationship between emissions and port efficiency, and whether the relationship can reflect the problems in port management are vital factors need to be considered when making port development strategy. To solve the two problems, this paper takes the case of Shanghai Port and Busan Port, and uses the three-stage Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to evaluate the efficiency of the two ports respectively. Pollutant emissions from the ports are selected as an environmental variable in the second stage to examine their effects on the redundancy of input variables. The results indicate that the efficiency of Shanghai Port is insufficient due to excessive scale and pollutant emissions. Based on the results, some suggestions are given to improve the drawbacks. Furthermore, the use of the three-stage DEA to study the annual change in performance of a single target in this paper is also a novelty. First published online 20 November 201

Learning in Hybrid-Project Systems: The Effects of Project Performance on Repeated Collaboration

This study advances contingency theories of performance-outcome learning in hybrid-project systems, in which both project participants and superordinate organizations influence the formation of project ventures. We propose that performance-outcome learning depends on the perceived relevance of prior performance and on organizational control over project participants. We examine this framework using data on 239 U.S. movie projects from the years 1931-40. In keeping with our theory, higher project performance led to future collaborations with the same partners, contingent on prior collaborations, project similarity, and organizational control. Our findings imply distinct patterns of network evolution and unfolding adaptation of hybrid-project systems through slow-moving, local adjustments

The Association between Differentiation of Self and Life Satisfaction among Chinese Emerging Adults: The Mediating Effect of Hope and Coping Strategies and the Moderating Effect of Child Maltreatment History

Background: Differentiation of self (DoS) is a core construct in Bowen family systems theory. At the interpersonal level, it represents the capacity to maintain rational thinking rather than reacting emotionally, especially while under stress. Previous studies have demonstrated the positive association between DoS and life satisfaction. The current study aims to investigate the mediating roles of hope and coping strategies on this association, and whether the mediation mechanism was moderated by participants’ experience of child maltreatment. Methods: The current sample consisted of 447 Chinese college students recruited from three Chinese universities. DoS, life satisfaction, hope and coping strategies, as well as childhood maltreatment history, were measured via self-report. Structural equation modeling was used to test the proposed mediation and moderation effect. Results: Participants who were maltreated in childhood (n = 149) exhibited significantly lower levels of DoS, hope, and positive coping strategies than the comparison group (n = 298) at baseline and lower life satisfaction at the 3-month follow-up. Structural equation modeling analysis showed that coping strategies mediated the association between DoS and life satisfaction for both the maltreated and comparison groups. Hope appeared to have a significant mediating effect only among those in the comparison group. Conclusions: The current findings lend support to Bowen’s theoretical statement regarding the role of DoS on psychological well-being, with an incorporated viewpoint of Snyder’s hope theory

Relationships between the <i>Osteocalcin</i> Gene Polymorphisms, Serum Osteocalcin Levels, and Hepatitis B Virus-Related Hepatocellular Carcinoma in a Chinese Population

<div><p>Background</p><p>Available evidence has demonstrated that osteocalcin may play a role in pathogenesis of cancer, and mutation of the <i>osteocalcin</i> gene may be involved in the cancer development. The aim of this study is to determine whether <i>osteocalcin</i> gene polymorphisms are associated with hepatitis B virus (HBV) related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) among Chinese population.</p><p>Methods</p><p>A total of 515 subjects were divided into four groups: 129 patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB), 62 patients with HBV-related liver cirrhosis (LC), 154 patients with HBV-related HCC, and 170 healthy controls. The polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism strategy was used to detect <i>osteocalcin</i> gene <i>rs1800247</i> and <i>rs1543297</i> polymorphisms.</p><p>Results</p><p>Compared with healthy controls, the <i>rs1800247</i> HH and Hh genotypes were associated with a significantly increased susceptibility to HCC (HH versus hh: OR = 6.828, 95% CI 2.620–17.795, <i>P</i> <0.001; Hh versus hh: OR = 6.306, 95% CI 3.480–11.423, <i>P</i> <0.001, respectively). Similarly, the subjects bearing the H allele of <i>rs1800247</i> had more than a 2.4-fold increased risk for development of HCC (OR = 2.484, 95% CI 1.747–3.532, <i>P</i> <0.001) compared with those bearing the h allele. In addition, we found significant decreased serum osteocalcin levels in HBV-related HCC patients (11.73±8.18 ng/mL) compared with healthy controls (15.3±6.06 ng/mL). Furthermore, the serum osteocalcin levels were significantly lower in HCC patients than healthy controls among the individuals with heterozygous Hh genotype (<i>P</i> = 0.003) and CT genotype (<i>P</i> <0.001). In contrast, there were no significant differences in the genotype and allele of <i>rs1543297</i> polymorphisms between the groups of patients and healthy controls.</p><p>Conclusions</p><p>These findings for the first time suggest that genetic variant in <i>osteocalcin</i> gene <i>rs1800247</i> polymorphisms may be a risk factor for HBV-related HCC. We also find an inverse association of serum osteocalcin levels with HCC.</p></div

PCR-RFLP assay for analyzing the <i>rs1543297</i> polymorphisms of the <i>osteocalcin</i> gene.

<p>Lanes M: DNA Marker; Lanes 1, 2 and 9 show CC genotype; lane 5, 6, and 10 shows CT genotype; Lanes 3, 4, 7 and 8 show TT genotype.</p

Association of <i>osteocalcin</i> polymorphisms with serum osteocalcin levels (median ± IQR, ng/mL) in cases and healthy controls.

<p><i>CHB</i> chronic hepatitis B, <i>HCC</i> hepatocellular carcinoma,<i>LC</i> liver cirrhosis,<i>IQR</i> interquartile range, OC, osteocalcin, <i>N</i> group number</p><p>* Kruskal-Wallis test: comparing the difference of serum osteocalcin levels in the three genotypes among the same group subjects.</p><p>** Kruskal-Wallis test: comparing the difference of serum osteocalcin levels in the four group subjects among the individuals with the same genotype.</p><p>Association of <i>osteocalcin</i> polymorphisms with serum osteocalcin levels (median ± IQR, ng/mL) in cases and healthy controls.</p

Demographic characteristics of the study population.

<p><i>CHB</i> chronic hepatitis B, <i>HCC</i> hepatocellular carcinoma, <i>LC</i> liver cirrhosis, <i>SD</i> standard deviation, <i>IQR</i> interquartile range</p><p>Demographic characteristics of the study population.</p

Genotype and allele frequencies of two SNPs in the <i>osteocalcin</i> gene between HCC patients and healthy controls.

<p>* Adjusted for sex, age, smoking and drinking by logistic regression model</p><p>^a Dominant model: HH+Hh versus hh;</p><p>^b Recessive model: HH versus hh+Hh</p><p>^c Dominant model: TT+CT versus CC;</p><p>^d Recessive model: TT versus CC+CT</p><p>Genotype and allele frequencies of two SNPs in the <i>osteocalcin</i> gene between HCC patients and healthy controls.</p