bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Mixture Model to Assess The Effect of Hormonal Stimulation on the Development of Follicles in Prepubertal Heifers
Authors: Lambert Philippe
Published: March 2003

The goal of this study is to assess the effect of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) on the growth of follicles in prepubertal heifers. Adams and co-workers have shown that follicles develop in waves as in post-pubertal heifers: after a few days, a dominant follicle arises on one of the two ovaries whereas the other subordinate follicles regress. The dominant follicle remains detectable when the next wave occurs. The number and the diameters of these follicles have been measured for 14 days. The same experiment was repeated after a 3-day FSH stimulation. Several large follicles now arise simultaneously on both ovaries together with small follicles which cannot be detected any more when the next wave occurs. Unfortunately, follicles were not individually tracked. Therefore a three-component mixture model was used to describe the potential simultaneous observation of dominant, decaying dominant and subordinate follicles before the FSH stimulation; the same type of model was considered for large, decaying large and small follicles after the hormonal stimulation. Moreover, for technical reasons, only follicles larger than 2 mm are observable. Measurements were thus left truncated. The models fitted are used to quantify the effects of the stimulation and to determine the ideal time point at which follicles should be punctured under ultrasonography to harvest ovocytes that will be fertilized and cultured in vitro.
Lee–Carter Mortality Forecasting: A Parallel Generalized Linear Modelling Approach for England and Wales Mortality Projections
Authors: Renshaw Arthur , Haberman Steven
Published: March 2003

The paper presents a reinterpretation of the model underpinning the Lee–Carter methodology for forecasting mortality (and other vital) rates. A parallel methodology based on generalized linear modelling is introduced. The use of residual plots is proposed for both methods to aid the assessment of the goodness of fit. The two methods are compared in terms of structure and assumptions. They are then compared through an analysis of the gender- and age-specific mortality rates for England and Wales over the period 1950–1998 and through a consideration of the forecasts generated by the two methods. The paper also compares different approaches to the forecasting of life expectancy and considers the effectiveness of the Coale–Guo method for extrapolating mortality rates to the oldest ages.
On White Noises Driven by Hidden Markov Chains
Authors: Francq Christian , Roussignol Michel
Published: March 2003

We consider a time series model where the variance of the underlying process depends on the state of a non‐observed Markov chain. Maximum likelihood estimates are shown to be consistent. Estimators with asymptotic Gaussian distribution are proposed. Prediction and identification are also mentioned. This is illustrated by means of real and simulated data sets
The mean squared error of Geweke and Porter‐Hudak's estimator of the memory parameter of a long‐memory time series
Authors: Hurvich Clifford M. , Deo Rohit , Brodsky Julia
Published: March 2003

We establish some asymptotic properties of a log‐periodogram regression estimator for the memory parameter of a long‐memory time series. We consider the estimator originally proposed by Geweke and Porter‐Hudak (The estimation and application of long memory time series models. Journal of Time Ser. Anal. 4 (1983), 221–37). In particular, we do not omit any of the low frequency periodogram ordinates from the regression. We derive expressions for the estimator's asymptotic bias, variance and mean squared error as functions of the number of periodogram ordinates, m, used in the regression. Consistency of the estimator is obtained as long as m←∞ and n←∞ with (m log m)/n← 0, where n is the sample size. Under these and the additional conditions assumed in this paper, the optimal m, minimizing the mean squared error, is of order O(n4/5). We also establish the asymptotic normality of the estimator. In a simulation study, we assess the accuracy of our asymptotic theory on mean squared error for finite sample sizes. One finding is that the choice m = n1/2, originally suggested by Geweke and Porter‐Hudak (1983), can lead to performance which is markedly inferior to that of the optimal choice, even in reasonably small samples.
Bootstrap‐assisted Goodness‐of‐fit Tests in the Frequency Domain
Authors: Chen Hui , Romano J. P.
Published: March 2003

The validity of a stationary time series model may be measured by the goodness of fit of the spectral distribution function. Anderson (Technical Report 27, 1991; Technical Report 309, 1995; Stanford University) has worked out the closed‐form characteristic functions for the Cramer–von Mises criterion for general linear processes, under the condition that all values of the parameters are specified. The asymptotic approach is not easily implemented and usually requires a case by case analysis. In this paper we propose a bootstrap goodness‐of‐fit test in the frequency domain. By properly resampling the residuals, we can consistently estimate the p values for many weakly dependent semiparametric models with unspecified parameter values. This is the content of the main theorem that we try to explain. A group of simulations is conducted, showing consistent significance level and good power. The special tests are applied to the lynx data and reveal structure unexplained by the AR(1) model fitted by Tong (J. R. Stat. Soc. A 140 (1977), 432–36). A possible generalization with application to financial data analysis is also discussed.
A Wavelet‐Based Test for Stationarity
Authors: Von Sachs Rainer , Neumann Michael H.
Published: March 2003

We develop a test for stationarity of a time series against the alternative of a time‐varying covariance structure. Using localized versions of the periodogram, we obtain empirical versions of a reasonable notion of a time‐varying spectral density. Coefficients with respect to a Haar wavelet series expansion of such a time‐varying periodogram are an indicator of whether there is some deviation from covariance stationarity. We propose a test based on the limit distribution of these empirical coefficients.
Benchmarking Labour Market Performances and Policies
Authors: Tronti Leonello
Published: March 2003

The recent EU initiatives on employment policy and the “Luxembourg employment strategy” underscore the relevance of benchmarking as an instrument for improving labour market performance and labour policy effectiveness. This paper presents the major results of a research project aimed at exploring the application of benchmarking techniques to convergence between the European labour markets. After synthetically describing the development of benchmarking techniques in the private and the public sectors, the paper addresses the crucial question of defining labour market performance and presents the possibility of creating labour market performance and policy benchmarks through the construction of efficiency frontiers. A second possibility explored is the radar‐chart approach, a presentation technique that allows both for single dimension and overall performance monitoring. The paper then faces the problem of broadening the scope of benchmarking from the identification of benchmarks to the understanding of performance gaps through more comprehensive analytical tools. In this area, useful contributions are provided by the employment systems and the transitional labour markets approaches. The concluding section stresses the role of normative decisions, as well as the possible political challenges implied by a thorough application of benchmarking techniques to labour market convergence.
Unemployment Flows in Finland, 1969–95: A Time Series Analysis
Authors: Eriksson Tor , Pehkonen Jaakko
Published: March 2003

We adopt a flow approach to analyse Finnish unemployment experience during the last three decades. In addition to data on short‐term and total outflow and inflow rates from a relatively long period beginning in 1969, we also have data on duration‐specific outflow rates for the period 1984 I–96 II which encompasses the spectacular increase in unemployment in the early nineties. The empirical study shows that both the inflow and the outflow is mainly driven by variation in job opportunities. For a given vacancy‐unemployment ratio, the outflow rate has fallen because of changes in unemployment compensation, demographic structure and emigration. The outflow has been only marginally affected by long‐term unemployment. The results indicate that the beneficial effects of labour market policies on long‐term unemployment are to some extent counteracted by substitution effects.
Non‐Standard Employment in Irish Manufacturing: Do Firm Characteristics Matter?
Authors: Görg Holger , Killen Lynn , Ruane Frances
Published: March 2003

Non‐standard or atypical employment in Irish manufacturing more than doubled between 1987 and 1995. This paper attempts to analyse empirically the nature of non‐standard employment in Ireland using plant‐level data for 1995. We focus on firm characteristics as explanatory factors. Our econometric results indicate that there are significant differences in the use of atypical employment between small and large firms, and between indigenous and foreign‐owned firms.
The Management of Redundancies in Europe: The Case of Great Britain
Authors: Deakin Simon , Wilkinson Frank
Published: March 2003

The paper presents the findings of a comparative and interdisciplinary legal and economic study on managing labour redundancies in seven EU member countries. It is structured for immediate comparability between the systems examined. The introductory section contains an account of the evolution of the British labour market, with special reference to redundancy trends, the features of the programmes for managing redundancies, the roles of firms and the ‘external environment’ in handling workforce adjustments. The second section presents a map of policies that work to prevent labour redundancies (preventive measures) such as flexibility, training etc. Next, the instruments for handling temporary labour redundancies (retentive measures) are examined (e.g. short‐time working, temporary layoffs etc.). The following section is devoted to instruments and programmes involved in the management of permanent labour redundancies (expulsive measures), e.g. collective dismissals, severance pay etc. The final section provides an overall assessment of the British system for managing labour redundancies, and briefly discusses the national debate on the prospects for reform, in light of the principles and policies of convergence set forth by the European Union.
The Cost of Children When Children are a Choice
Authors: Colombino Ugo
Published: March 2003

The standard methods of measuring the cost of children are flawed because of the endogeneity of fertility decisions and because — even if they were exogenous — children bring (or may bring) utility to the household. This paper presents a simple structural model of household allocation of time and income to ‘children’s (quantity and quality) production’. From the estimates one can compute the cost of children as the market value of resources devoted to children. Some policy simulations illustrate the relevance of accounting for the endogeneity of children.
Job Flows and Plant Size Dynamics: Traditional Measures and Alternative Econometric Techniques
Authors: Garibaldi Pietro
Published: March 2003

This paper measures the relation between job flows and establishment size, applying econometric techniques best suited for analyzing the long‐run dynamics of large cross‐section. Using a balanced panel from the Mexican manufacturing sector, it shows that, in line with existing evidence, initially small firms create proportionally more jobs than large firms. Since these results suffer from regression toward the mean, the paper applies an alternative technique and does not find any long‐run tendency of small establishments converging toward the mean. Furthermore, it shows how cross‐sectional dynamics across industries varies, and how it is linked to gross and net flows in each sector. Convergence to the mean is observed in relatively stable industries, with asymmetric dynamic behavior between expanding and declining industries.
Efficient Labour Contracts: Impediments and How to Circumvent Them
Authors: Winker Peter
Published: March 2003

Efficient labour contracts on wages and employment could contribute to a reduction in unemployment in Europe. Their implementation is hindered by institutional settings and asymmetric incentives at different levels of the bargaining process. Employed workers have no incentives to forego wage increases at the firm level for potential employment gains, while employers’ federations possess no means to guarantee an employment increase for the sector covered by a wage agreement. Decentralization of wage bargaining does not solve this incentive problem. It is demonstrated that the introduction of marketable certificates may reduce the asymmetric incentive effects enabling contracts with higher employment.
Factors Affecting the Job–to–joblessness Turnover and Gender
Authors: Theodossiou I.
Published: March 2003

This paper explores gender differences with respect to the factors affecting the job–to–joblessness turnover. It casts light on the characteristics of those men and women who experience the highest propensity of their job ending in joblessness, taking into account the reasons for the job loss. The findings highlight the determinants of gender differences in labour turnover patterns.
Negotiation of Form, Recasts, and Explicit Correction in Relation to Error Types and Learner Repair in Immersion Classrooms
Authors: Lyster Roy
Published: March 2003

This article presents a study of the relationships among error types, feedback types, and immediate learner repair in 4 French immersion classrooms at the elementary level. The database is drawn from transcripts of audio‐recordings of 13 French language arts lessons and 14 subject‐matter lessons totaling 18.3 hours and including 921 error sequences. Wecoded the 921 learner errors initiating each sequence as grammatical, lexical, or phonological, or as unsolicited uses of L1 (English) and corrective feedback moves as negotiation of form (i.e., elicitation, metalinguistic clues, clarification requests, or repetition of error), recasts, or explicit correction. Findings indicate that lexical errors favoured the negotiation of form; grammatical and phonological errors invited recasts, but with differential effects in terms of learner repair. Overall, the negotiation of form proved more effective at leading to immediate repair than did recasts or explicit correction, particularly for lexical and grammatical errors, but not for phonological errors. Phonological repairs resulted primarily from recasts.
The Influence of Task Structure and Processing Conditions on Narrative Retellings
Authors: Skehan Peter , Foster Pauline
Published: March 2003

This article explores the effects of inherent task structure and processing load on performance on a narrative retelling task. Task performance is analyzed in terms of competition among fluency, complexity, and accuracy. In a study based on 47 young adult low‐intermediate subjects the fluency of performance was found to be strongly affected by degree of inherent task structure; more structured tasks generated more fluent language. In contrast, complexity of language was influenced by processing load. Accuracy of performance seemed dependent on an interaction between the two factors of task structure and processing load. We discuss which aspects of performance receive attention by the language learner. The implications of such cross‐sectional results for longer term language development are considered.
Processing Instruction: An Update
Authors: VanPatten Bill
Published: March 2003

In this article I review processing instruction (PI), first introduced in VanPatten and Cadierno (1993). I outline a model of input processing, then describe the nature of PI itself, and follow this with a description of research to date on PI. I also review research that offers counterevidence to the findings of my own and others’ research and argue that some of these studies can be considered not as contradictory, but as complementary, to the research on PI, whereas some of the other studies contain drawbacks in design and procedure that merit close scrutiny.
Development of Communitarian Regulation in the Chemical Industry
Authors: Rees Joseph
Published: March 2003

This study explores the development of communitarian regulation in the American chemical industry by focusing on the history and challenges facing Responsible Care, the leading example of regulation by an industry association on the environmental scene today.
Compelled Third‐Party Participation in the Regulatory Process: Legal Duties, Culture, and Noncompliance
Authors: Gilboy Janet
Published: March 2003

This paper focuses on government’s enlistment of private entities (industries, businesses, professionals) to help in public enforcement. Despite the popularity of this enforcement strategy, there is little systematic research about the behavior of private enforcers in these systems. This article draws together the widely scattered popular and scholarly literature to examine: (a) the settings in which this strategy occurs, (b) its common features, and (c) the responses of private parties to their compelled participation. I then examine existing explanations for private parties’ responses. Very little empirical research has been published. I argue that what exists suggests limitations of a conventional cost‐benefit approach to explaining noncompliance, as well as highlights the need for a broader perspective that considers how cultural factors may influence private enforcers’ responses to their mandated duties.
Regulatory Pluralism: Designing Policy Mixes for Environmental Protection
Authors: Gunningham Neil , Sinclair Darren
Published: March 2003

One of the most important strategies for protecting the environment is regulation, yet our present regulatory system is often not up to the task. An excessive reliance on “single instrument” approaches is misguided, because all instruments have strengths and weaknesses, and because none are sufficiently flexible and resilient to be able to successfully address all environmental problems in all contexts. Accordingly, a better strategy will seek to harness the strengths of individual mechanisms while compensating for their weaknesses by the use of additional instruments. That is, in the large majority of circumstances, a mix of regulatory instruments is required, tailored to specific policy goals. We cannot assume, however, that all combinations of instruments will be better than a single instrument approach. On the contrary, different combinations of instruments, or the introduction of a new instrument to an existing policy mix, could have a variety of effects, not all of which are positive. This article examines the interactions of different categories of regulatory instruments to determine which combinations are productive, counterproductive, or context specific. The aim is to develop a prescriptive categorization of instrument mixes that will aid policymakers in policy design.
The Effect of Legal and Extra‐Legal Variables on the Recommending and Granting of a Pardon
Authors: Austin Thomas , Hummer Don
Published: March 2003

A familiar but little studied area of criminal justice is that of pardons. Using data from the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons, the decision‐making process is examined to determine the degree of correspondence between the board’s recommendation and the governor’s decision to grant or deny a pardon. Included in the analysis is an assessment of the relative impact of legal and extra‐legal variables on the decision‐making process. The paper concludes with a discussion on the dynamics of the process, including why some individuals are more likely than others to be granted a pardon, and the implications the findings have for both policy and theory development.
Expressing Conflict, Neutralizing Blame, and Making Concessions in Small‐Claims Mediation
Authors: Borg Marian
Published: March 2003

This research examines the link between the way small‐claims mediation participants express their conflicts and their willingness to engage in concession‐making. Observations of seventy‐seven mediation participants suggest that a significant factor in this relationship is the way participants manage the issue of blame. The research identifies three categories of mediants: individuals named in a civil suit who represent themselves; agents, usually lawyers, who represent the interests of other parties in a civil suit; and business owners or managers who represent the interests of their establishments. The study depicts some of the differences in the way these participants describe their conflicts. In particular, the research suggests that the manner in which mediation participants handle the issue of blame – by either justifying, excusing, or denying it – constrains their willingness to engage in concession‐making, a fundamental aspect of the mediation process. I discuss implications for future research and for developing strategies that might improve the effectiveness of mediation for some participants.
Problem‐Solving Courts: A Brief Primer
Authors: Berman Greg , Feinblatt John
Published: March 2003

This essay traces the history of problem‐solving courts (including drug courts, community courts, domestic violence courts and others), outlines problem‐solving principles, and answers a basic set of questions about these new judicial experiments: Why now? What forces have sparked judges and attorneys across the country to innovate? What results have problem‐solving courts achieved? And what – if any – trade‐offs have been made to accomplish these results?
Discipline, Assault, and Justice: Violent Parents and the Law
Authors: Bollenbacher Vicky , Burtt Shelley
Published: March 2003

This article calls attention to an unacceptable double standard in American law: the lenient treatment of parental violence against children when compared to other forms of physical assault. Parts II and III critique the generous privilege of physical discipline extended to parents and the differential state response to violence when the victim is a child in the assailant's family. Appeals to family privacy and parental autonomy to justify the current double standard are examined and found wanting. Clearer and much stricter limits on corporal punishment are recommended and defended as constitutional. We further recommend that parental violence which falls outside these limits should be treated no differently than other misdemeanor and felony assaults. These two proposals give children the protection against domestic violence to which they are entitled as a matter of right and prudence.
Business Conditions and Speculative Assets
Authors: Black Angela , Fraser Patricia , MacDonald Ronald
Published: March 2003

In this paper we examine the hypothesis that the predictable components of U.K. shares and bonds are related to business conditions. Financial market variables, such as maturity and default premia, are constructed in an attempt to capture different components of business‐conditions risk. The hypothesis is investigated using multivariate regression analysis and a latent variable model. One of the main conclusions reached in this paper is that the time‐varying component of U.K. share and bond excess returns tends to exhibit varying degrees of sensitivity to information on business conditions as captured ex ante by a number of financial variables.
Being Keynesian in the Short Term and Classical in the Long Term: The Traverse to Classical Long‐Term Equilibrium
Authors: Duménil Gérard , Lévy Dominique
Published: March 2003

We analyse the relationship between the Keynesian (post‐Keynesian, Kaleckian) and classical perspectives, emphasizing the distinction between two time frames, short term and long term. A model is presented in which the traverse to a long‐term classical equilibrium, with prices of production, is obtained as a sequence of short‐term Keynesian equilibria (in which outputs are adjusted to demands). In the short term, prices and capital stocks are constant; they are only adjusted in the long term. Prices respond to disequilibria concerning capacity utilization rates. Investment is subject to a financing constraint, in which the provision of loans by the banking system is involved. Loans are modified in response to inflation (monetary policy).
Consumer Perceptions of Commodity Characteristics: Implications for Choice and Well‐being
Authors: Currie Martin , Steedman Ian
Published: March 2003

Consumers base market choices on beliefs about the properties of commodities. Invoking Lancaster’s characteristics approach, we explore the implications for consumer well‐being of such beliefs being incorrect. Following an examination of the welfare cost of inaccurate beliefs, we address the question: do more accurate beliefs necessarily result in greater well‐being? The impacts of changes in prices and income on well‐being are then explored and some implications are drawn for the use of compensating variation. Finally, we contrast alternative perspectives on what constitutes the appropriate measurement of welfare where consumers’ beliefs about what they are actually consuming are mistaken.
Nonlinear Tax Structures and Endogenous Growth
Authors: Yamarik Steven
Published: March 2003

The growth implications of a nonlinear tax structure are investigated. The interest here is on the distortionary not the redistributive effects of taxation on economic growth. The study finds two results. First, the inclusion of a nonlinear tax structure into an Ak growth model introduces the convergence behavior of the neoclassical growth model while retaining the steady‐state growth properties of the Ak model. Second, a tax structure that is more progressive through time will lower the transitional growth rate and raise the speed of convergence. Therefore, it is suggested that the tax structure may be another source of observed differences in per capita growth rates.
A Welfare Loss Measure of Unemployment with An Empirical Illustration
Authors: Paul Satya
Published: March 2003

Based on interpersonal comparisons, a welfare loss measure of unemployment is developed. The proposed measure is additively decomposable which enables us to assess the group‐specific contribution to aggregate welfare cost. It possesses certain other desirable properties. It is sensitive to unemployment rate, mean duration of unemployment and the relative differences in the duration of unemployment. Since all these can vary differently over the years and across regions, the proposed measure is most suitable for comparing the welfare cost of unemployment over a period of time or across regions. An empirical exercise based on the Australian labour force survey data illustrates the usefulness and an easy applicability of the proposed measure.
The Utilization of Education and Skills: Evidence from Britain
Authors: Green Francis , McIntosh Steven , Vignoles Anna
Published: March 2003

This paper assesses how far the products of education are utilized in the British labour market, and how utilization has recently changed. We distinguish the concepts of ‘under–education’, ‘over–education’ and ‘qualification inflation’. Using data from four surveys we find that over–education, while substantial, has been stable since the mid–1980s. Although observed over–education is partly associated with low ability compared with one’s educational peers, both over–education and skill under–utilization are also associated with mismatch in the labour market, and both involve a loss of wages. We conclude that, in order to inform policy, education and skill utilization should be closely monitored.
Investment Facing Credit Rationing
Authors: Chatelain Jean–Bernard
Published: March 2003

The explicit expression of investment facing credit rationing and convex adjustment costs is derived. Three implications follow. First, the assumption of convex adjustment costs can be substituted by credit rationing to derive an investment function. Second, it explains how credit rationing acts as a ‘financial brake’ at the bottom of a slump, when investment demand is high and collateral is low. Third, it allows the explicit Lagrange multiplier related to credit rationing to be derived and misspecification in recent empirical work to be checked.
Approximating Large Diversified Portfolios
Authors: Hofmann Norbert , Platen Eckhard
Published: March 2003

This paper considers a financial market with asset price dynamics modeled by a system of lognormal stochastic differential equations. A one‐dimensional stochastic differential equation for the approximate evolution of a large diversified portfolio formed by these assets is derived. This identifies the asymptotic dynamics of the portfolio as being a lognormal diffusion. Consequentially an efficient way for computing probabilities, derivative prices, and other quantities for the portfolio are obtained. Additionally, the asymptotic strong and weak orders of convergence with respect to the number of assets in the portfolio are determined.
Mean‐Variance Hedging for Stochastic Volatility Models
Authors: Biagini Francesca , Guasoni Paolo , Pratelli Maurizio
Published: March 2003

In this paper we discuss the tractability of stochastic volatility models for pricing and hedging options with the mean‐variance hedging approach. We characterize the variance‐optimal measure as the solution of an equation between Doléans exponentials; explicit examples include both models where volatility solves a diffusion equation and models where it follows a jump process. We further discuss the closedness of the space of strategies.
Philosophy for Children and the Reconstruction of Philosophy
Authors: Kennedy David
Published: March 2003

In this paper I trace the dialogical and narrative dimensions of the philosophical tradition and explore how they are reconfigured in the notion of community of philosophical inquiry (CPI), the mainstay of the collection of novels and discussion plans known as Philosophy for Children. After considering the ontology and epistemology of dialogue, I argue that narrative has replaced exposition in our understanding of philosophical discourse and that CPI represents a narrative context in which truth comes to represent the best story, in a discursive location in which there are always multiple stories. Finally, I raise the issue of children's philosophical voice. Can children philosophize, and if they can, do they do so in a voice different from adults'? If so, what are the distinctive features of that voice? I assert that it is children's historical marginalization in the Western construction of rationality that now – as that rationality undergoes its crisis – makes of them, like women and other “natives,” privileged strangers to the tradition, who are, through CPI, enabled to enter it through dialogue and narrative.
Contemporary Environmental Ethics From Metaethics to Public Philosophy
Authors: Light Andrew
Published: March 2003

In the past thirty years environmental ethics has emerged as one of the most vibrant and exciting areas of applied philosophy. Several journals and hundreds of books testify to its growing importance inside and outside philosophical circles. But with all of this scholarly output, it is arguably the case that environmental ethics is not living up to its promise of providing a philosophical contribution to the resolution of environmental problems. This article surveys the current state of the field and offers an alternative path for the future development of environmental ethics toward a more publicly engaged model of applied philosophy.
The Impact of Income Inequality on Product Diversity and Economic Growth
Authors: Falkinger Josef , Zweimüller Josef
Published: March 2003

The paper presents an empirical analysis of a model of endogenous growth and innovation with unequal incomes and hierarchical consumer demand. The theoretical model predicts a positive impact of income inequality on product diversity. The impact of inequality on per‐capita growth may be positive or negative depending upon the assumptions about productivity growth, where the standard assumption that productivity is positively related to product diversity implies a positive impact. In the empirical part, indices for absolute and relative product diversity are calculated from ICP‐expenditure data. The empirical evidence shows that a significant positive relationship exists between income inequality and relative product diversity and that the relationship between income inequality and economic growth is negative and significant. The results lead to the conclusion that the diversity‐productivity relationship used in new growth theory has to be treated with scepticism.
Industrial Specialization, Catching‐up and Labour Market Dynamics
Authors: Landesmann Michael A. , Stehrer Robert
Published: March 2003

This paper presents a dynamic model as a heuristic tool to discuss some issues of changing industrial specialization which arise in the context of catching‐up processes of (technologically) less advanced economies and the impact which various scenarios of such catching‐up processes might have on the labour market dynamics both in the advanced and in the catching‐up economies. In analysing the evolution of international specialization, we demonstrate the twin pressures exerted upon the industrial structures of “northern” economies: competition from “type‐A southern” economies, which maintain a comparative competitive strength in labour‐intensive and less skill‐intensive branches, and competition from “type‐B catching‐up” economies, whose catching‐up increasingly focuses upon branches in which the initial productivity gaps and hence the scope for catching‐up are the highest. The contrast between these two catching‐up scenarios allows the explicit analysis of the implications of “comparative advantage switchovers” between northern and southern (type B) economies for labour market dynamics.
The Production Responses of the Competitive Firm to Three Conventional Distributional Shifts: a Unified Perspective
Authors: Simpson Wayne , Sproule Robert
Published: March 2003

This paper presents a unified perspective on the production responses of the competitive firm to three conventional distributional shifts: (i) a rightward shift of the distribution, (ii) a Rothschild–Stiglitz increase in risk, and (iii) a Menezes et al. increase in downside risk. In particular, assuming that the von Neumann–Morgenstern utility is increasing and concave, and assuming its higher‐order derivatives are uniformly signed, we demonstrate that the production responses are unambiguous in the case of price less than or equal to marginal cost. In the alternative case of price greater than marginal cost, we then demonstrate that the production responses can be signed unambiguously by reference to sufficient conditions motivated by absolute risk aversion and by absolute prudence.
Segmentation and Increasing Returns in the Evolutionary Dynamics of Competing Techniques
Authors: Leoncini Riccardo
Published: March 2003

The diffusion process of two competing technologies is investigated by means of a multilayer niche model modified to encompass several hierarchically related levels, such as the case of fragmentation of the population of adopters between two competing technologies due, for instance, to product differentiation. The multilevel model describes how in each of two markets two groups of firms are producing different products, giving four products in total that can be produced by means of two techniques. The result is thus a model of competition within competition and diffusion within diffusion that generates a non‐linear dynamic system. The characteristics of the system are investigated by means of simulation. The long‐run behaviour of the model is sensitive to initial conditions, though an unfavourable start‐up can be overcome by means of increasing returns to scale. Indeed, returns to scale play a crucial role in determining the final outcome, although very high returns to scale imply instability. Furthermore, the winning technology need not be the most efficient and stability of a trajectory does not imply stability of the relative technique.
Doctors in a Wired World: Can Professionalism Survive Connectivity?
Authors: Blumenthal David
Published: March 2003

The Information Revolution Has Raised Myriad questions about how the health care system will function in the future (Gingrich and Magaziner 2000; National Research Council 2000). The consensus seems to be that new information technologies will significantly affect almost every aspect of health care, from the way that employers and individuals purchase health insurance to the way that doctors and patients provide and receive care (National Research Council 2000).

Although peer‐reviewed evidence to support these predictions is scarce, the available data suggest that the major health care actors are actively experimenting with the new capabilities to exchange information. A February 2002 survey by Harris Interactive (www.Harrisinteractive.com) found that 137 million Americans were users of the Internet and the World Wide Web and 110 million reported going on‐line at least three times a month to look for health care information (Landro 2002). An earlier survey by the Pew Charitable Trusts reported that of those Americans who used the Internet for health care purposes, 92 percent found the information useful.

The information revolution has the potential to reduce the asymmetry of information between patients and doctors and thereby to undermine a central pillar of physicians' claim to professional status: the possession of distinctive competence based on technical know‐how selflessly applied and collectively monitored. A close analysis of the information revolution's likely effects suggests that for some patients with some conditions, their access to more and better information will indeed reduce the magic, mystery, and power of the medical profession. However, the information revolution also offers opportunities for physicians to bolster the cognitive and moral bases of professionalism. To seize those opportunities, physicians must master new roles and skills and avoid unacceptable conflicts of interest.
Navigating the Disability Process: Persons with Mental Disorders Applying for and Receiving Disability Benefits
Authors: Bilder Scott , Mechanic David
Published: March 2003

The Social Security Disability benefit programs (SSDI and SSI) constitute an essential safety net for individuals unable to work because of disability. Eligibility for SSDI is based on work history and is viewed as an entitlement for individuals who meet disability criteria. SSI eligibility, however, depends on means testing and, although it is administered as a Social Security program, is seen more as income support for persons with disabilities who have not worked and cannot work. Ideally, such programs seek to provide assistance to those who most need it without encouraging those who can work to leave the workforce or to stop looking for work. The search for balance among meeting need, encouraging work, and containing public expenditures is a source of underlying tension that typifies such safety net programs. Outcomes depend on both the administration of the eligibility process and the processes by which persons and their associates become aware of the disability program, decide to apply, negotiate the application process, and succeed or fail in their attempts.

Persons with mental disorders are less likely to be working and more likely to apply for and receive SSDI and/or SSI benefits than are those without such disorders. Data from the National Health Interview Survey on Disability (NHIS‐D) were examined to identify the predictors of SSDI/SSI application and receipt among persons with self‐reported mental disorders. Compared with nonapplicants, applicants had higher levels of disability, fewer financial and interpersonal resources, and better access to information about the disability programs. Among applicants, similar factors distinguished recipients from those who did not receive benefits. Navigating the disability process is associated with the extent of impairment, economic and social disadvantage, and linkage to the disability determination process.
Public–Private Collaboration in Health and Human Service Delivery: Evidence from Community Partnerships
Authors: Bazzoli Gloria J. , Stein Rebecca , Alexander Jeffrey A. , Conrad Douglas A. , Sofaer Shoshanna , Shortell Stephen M.
Published: March 2003

The collaboration among public–private partnerships that applied to the Community Care Network (CCN) demonstration program of the Hospital Research and Educational Trust is examined. These partnerships link broad‐based community coalitions with health and human service providers in efforts to improve community health and local service delivery. Although they willingly collaborated in identifying community health needs, coordinating services, and reporting to the community, partnership participants showed less alacrity in joining forces to reduce redundancy and increase efficiency. Such patterns suggest that organizations might best profit from working together on activities that maintain existing power relations and that have the potential to add prestige and attract new clients. Collaboration in these areas may be essential to building a foundation of trust that leads to future cooperation in more sensitive areas.
Increased Competition and the Quality of Health Care
Authors: Sisk Jane E.
Published: March 2003

Available information does not indicate either that quality has deteriorated as price competition has increased or that quality has improved. To reward plans for providing what consumers want, public and private policies have crucial roles in the following areas: mandating minimal requirements for plans; funding research to improve knowledge and methods related to quality‐of‐care assessment; publication of quality‐of‐care information; selective contracting and regionalizing of services; and payment for physician services. Learning what degree of trade‐off between cost versus quality and other benefits is acceptable to consumers will be an iterative process that informs future policies to safeguard the quality of care.
A Political History of the Indian Health Service
Authors: Bergman Abraham B. , Grossman David C. , Erdrich Angela M. , Todd John G. , Forquera Ralph
Published: March 2003

One of the few bright spots to emerge from the history of relations between American Indians and the federal government is the remarkable record of the Indian Health Service (IHS). The IHS has raised the health status of Indians to approximate that of most other Americans, a striking achievement in the light of the poverty and stark living conditions experienced by this population. The gains occurred in spite of chronically low funding and can be attributed to the combination of vision, stubbornness, and political savvy of the agency’s physician directors and the support of a handful of tribal leaders and powerful allies in the Congress and the White House. Despite the agency’s imperfections and the sizeable health problems that still exist among American Indians and Alaskan Natives, the IHS is an example of one federal program that has worked.
The Governance and Management of Effective Community Health Partnerships: A Typology for Research, Policy, and Practice
Authors: Mitchell Shannon M. , Shortell Stephen M.
Published: March 2003

Community health partnerships (CHPs) are voluntary collaborations of diverse community organizations that have joined forces in order to pursue a shared interest in improving community health. Although these cross‐sectoral collaborations represent a way to address social determinants of health and disease in society, they suffer from governance and management problems associated with interorganizational relationships in general and health care challenges specifically. A typology of effective governance and management characteristics provides a systematic, theoretically based way of addressing dimensions of governance and management and serves as a guide in constructing, maintaining, and measuring successful partnerships. It offers a multidisciplinary perspective for classifying important organizational issues, identifying barriers to successful development and sustainability, and facilitating the attainment of goals.
Hospital Restructuring and the Work of Registered Nurses
Authors: Norrish Barbara R. , Rundall Thomas G.
Published: March 2003

American hospitals have undergone three waves of organizational restructuring in the past two decades. These changes have had direct effects on a key set of employees—nurses. A review of the relevant literature to identify the ways in which hospital restructuring affects the work of registered nurses focuses on three important structural characteristics of nursing work: nurses' work roles, workload, and control of work. The review concludes that the impact of restructuring on each of the characteristics affects nurses' satisfaction with their work and may also affect the quality of patient care. While much of the policy debate around restructuring focuses on the extent to which reductions in nurse staffing levels affects quality of care, it is important to examine not only changes in nurse staffing levels, but changes in the work performed by registered nurses, as well.
Theory of Mind and Self‐Consciousness: What Is It Like to Be Autistic?
Authors: Frith Uta , Happé Francesca
Published: March 2003

Autism provides a model for exploring the nature of self‐consciousness: self‐consciousness requires the ability to reflect on mental states, and autism is a disorder with a specific impairment in the neurocognitive mechanism underlying this ability. Experimental studies of normal and abnormal development suggest that the abilities to attribute mental states to self and to others are closely related. Thus inability to pass standard ‘theory of mind’ tests, which refer to others’ false beliefs, may imply lack of self‐consciousness. Individuals who persistently fail these tests may, in the extreme, be unable to reflect on their intentions or to anticipate their own actions. In contrast, individuals with high‐functioning autism or Asperger syndrome often possess a late‐acquired, explicit theory of mind, which appears to be the result of effortful learning. An experimental study with three people with Asperger syndrome suggested that level of performance on standard theory of mind tasks was strongly related to the ability to engage in introspection. Qualitative differences in the introspections of high‐functioning people with autism are also reflected in autobiographical accounts which may give a glimpse of what it is like to be autistic.
Adaptive Modelling and Mindreading
Authors: Peterson Donald M. , Riggs Kevin J.
Published: March 2003

This paper sets out to give sufficient detail to the notion of mental simulation to allow an appraisal of its contribution to ‘mindreading’ in the context of the ‘false‐belief tasks’ used in developmental psychology. We first describe the reasoning strategy of ‘modified derivation’, which supports counterfactual reasoning. We then give an analysis of the logical structure of the standard false‐belief tasks. We then show how modified derivation can be used in a hybrid strategy for mindreading in these tasks. We then formulate the hypothesis that children become able (around the age of 4 years) to pass these tasks when they acquire the counterfactual reasoning ability required in this strategy. We find this to be consistent with various empirical findings. We then discuss the implications for the theory/simulation debate, meta‐representation and pretence.