Hu, Y.

Liver fat content is associated with increased carotid atherosclerosis in a Chinese middle-aged and elderly population: The Shanghai Changfeng study (Article)

2012-10-01T00:00:00Z

Background: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is closely associated with metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease (CVD). We investigated whether the liver fat content (LFC) is independently associated with carotid artery intima-media thickness (CIMT) and evaluated the contribution of the LFC to the increased CIMT. Methods: We conducted a community-based study among 1809 participants (682 males and 1127 females) from the Changfeng Study who were at least 45 years old. A standard interview, anthropometrics and laboratory parameters were performed for each participant. The CIMT was determined by ultrasonography. A large CIMT value was defined as 75th percentile of the maximum CIMT. A standardised ultrasonographic hepatic-renal ratio was used to assess the LFC. Results: The median LFC value was 6% (interquartile range, 3-14%), and 34% of the subjects had hepatic steatosis based on the criteria for diagnosis of steatosis by quantitative ultrasound. The maximum CIMT, average CIMT and plaque score were strongly associated with the LFC (β = 0.319, 0.324 and 1.361, respectively; all P < 0.05) after adjustment for age, gender, smoking history, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and metabolic syndrome. The multiple logistic regression analysis showed that a 1 SD increase in the LFC, the OR for having a large CIMT was 1.350 (95% CI 1.180-1.545; P < 0.001) after adjustment for all potential confounders. Conclusions: These results suggest that the LFC is independently associated with carotid atherosclerosis in the Chinese population, and that the risk of atherosclerosis is proportional to the degree of hepatic steatosis.

Allocation of Decision Rights in Fruit and Vegetable Contracts in China (Research Paper)

2007-10-31T00:00:00Z

We empirically examine the determinants of the allocation of decision rights in the context of fruit and vegetable contracting. The main conclusion is that under contract farming, many decision rights are shifted from farmers to firms. Quality, reputation and specific investments by firms positively influence the number of decision rights allocated to agri-business firms under contract farming, while monopsony-oligopsony power and specific investments by farmers have no effect on the allocation of decision rights.

Essays on the Governance of Agricultural Products: Cooperatives and Contract Farming (Doctoral Thesis)

2007-10-04T00:00:00Z

Dit proefschrift analyseert besluitvormingsprocedures en de toewijzing van besluitvormingsrechten in twee beheersstructuren in de landbouw sector: cooperaties en contracten. De belangrijkste onderzoeksvragen hebben betrekking op de wijze waarop zeggenschap de keten verticaal coördineert in verscheidene beheersstructuren in een transitie economie (China), en onder welke omstandigheden een bepaalde beheersstructuur efficiënt is. Het theoretisch onderzoek richt zich op de rol van de Raad van Commissarissen in coöperaties, terwijl het empirische onderzoek gericht is op de organisatorische en strategische attributen van Chinese land- en tuinbouwcooperaties en de contractuele arrangementen in de Chinese fruit- en groente sector. In het theoretisch onderzoek is vastgesteld dat de Raad van Commissarissen waarde toevoegen in coöperaties vanwege het tweemaal beoordelen van investeringsvoorstellen. Het niveau van het beoordelingscriterium is gekarakteriseerd als een strategisch substituut. Het tweede resultaat is dat Chinese coöperaties worden bestuurd door zowel kernleden als niet kernleden, waarbij relaties en capaciteiten van de bestuurders een grote rol spelen. Specifiek menselijk kapitaal, in de vorm van het bewerkstelligen en onderhouden van relaties, en toegang tot markten blijkt een grotere rol te spelen dan specifiek fysiek kapitaal om de keuze van beheersstructuur te verklaren in de huidige Chinese institutionele omgeving. In de derde plaats, vele besluitvormingsrechten zijn van boeren naar verwerkers verschoven in contracten. Kwaliteit, reputatie en specifieke investeringen door ondernemingen bepalen het aantal besluitvormingsrechten dat wordt toegewezen aan ondernemingen, terwijl marktmacht en specifieke investeringen van boeren geen rol blijken te spelen in de toewijzing van besluitvormingsrechten.

Organization and Strategy of Farmer Specialized Cooperatives in China (Research Paper)

2005-10-18T00:00:00Z

A description and analysis of China’s Farmer Specialized Cooperatives is presented. Data is presented regarding the historical development of farmer cooperatives in China, the membership composition of a sample of 66 farmer cooperatives in the Zhejiang province, and the various attributes (governance, quality control system, and strategy) of a watermelon cooperative in this province. Many cooperatives are being transformed in organizations with a market orientation. These cooperatives exhibit substantial heterogeneity, in terms of farmers being member and skewness in the distribution of control rights. Human asset specificity in terms of establishing and maintaining relations and access to markets seems to be more important than physical asset specificity in accounting for governance structure choice in the current institutional setting.