bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Property Rights and Natural Resource Management Incentives: Do Transferability and Formality Matter?
Authors: Omura Makiko 
Published: May 2008

AbstractThis article examines how property rights expectations affect resource management incentives. It utilizes expected property rights over different timespans and of different strengths, corresponding to (a) investments of different intensities and (b) farmers' sense of security regarding their often de facto property rights. The results suggest that property rights and their alienability in ten‐year time matter to intensive infrastructural investments, although not to lighter investments. Formality of property rights is shown to be insignificant to investment incentives, indicating that there is no functional difference between formal rights and customary rights at present in indigenous communities of the Philippines.
Spatio‐Temporal Modeling of Agricultural Yield Data with an Application to Pricing Crop Insurance Contracts
Authors: Ozaki Vitor A. , Ghosh Sujit K. , Goodwin Barry K. , Shirota Ricardo 
Published: May 2008

AbstractThis article presents a statistical model of agricultural yield data based on a set of hierarchical Bayesian models that allows joint modeling of temporal and spatial autocorrelation. This method captures a comprehensive range of the various uncertainties involved in predicting crop insurance premium rates as opposed to the more traditional ad hoc, two‐stage methods that are typically based on independent estimation and prediction. A panel data set of county‐average yield data was analyzed for 290 counties in the State of Paraná (Brazil) for the period of 1990 through 2002. Posterior predictive criteria are used to evaluate different model specifications. This article provides substantial improvements in the statistical and actuarial methods often applied to the calculation of insurance premium rates. These improvements are especially relevant to situations where data are limited.
The Value of Variable Rate Technology: An Information‐Theoretic Approach
Authors: Bullock David S. , Ruffo Matías L. , Bullock Donald G. , Bollero Germán A. 
Published: May 2008

AbstractWe present a theoretical treatment of the economics of variable rate technology and its interplay with information. The framework facilitates description of on‐farm empirical profitability studies of variable rate nitrogen application on Illinois cornfields. We estimate site‐specific ex ante economically optimal nitrogen application rates, and the value of site‐specific information in the management of variable rate technology. We find that with site‐specific information provided free, variable rate nitrogen application would have been profitable in six of eight fields. Because private markets are unlikely to provide such information sufficiently, more public funding of long‐term, multiregion, multiyear experimentation is appropriate.
Removing Distortions in the U.S. Ethanol Market: What Does It Imply for the United States and Brazil?
Authors: Elobeid Amani , Tokgoz Simla 
Published: May 2008

AbstractWe analyze the impact of trade liberalization and removal of the federal tax credit in the United States on ethanol markets using a multimarket international ethanol model. We find that U.S. trade barriers have been effective in protecting the ethanol industry. Under current policy, there is separability of the U.S. ethanol market from world markets. With trade liberalization, the ethanol market deepens, making it less susceptible to price volatility. The effect of trade liberalization extends beyond ethanol markets, affecting agricultural markets. The results show that the impact of removal of the tax credit overrides the impact of the tariff removal.
The Demand for Food Quality in Rural China
Authors: Yu Xiaohua , Abler David 
Published: May 2008

AbstractMany studies of food demand do not use actual prices but unit values, obtained by dividing expenditures by the quantity consumed. This can bias empirical analyses because unit values are not exogenous market prices; they reflect household food quality choices within each food category. This article develops a framework for assessing the resulting bias in income and price elasticities of demand and applies the framework to data for rural China. Empirical results indicate that households in rural China tend to consume higher‐quality food as income increases, with a greater sensitivity to income for basic foods than for luxury foods.
Entering a New Peer Group in Ethnically and Linguistically Diverse Childcare Classrooms
Authors: Howes Carollee , Sanders Kay , Lee Linda 
Published: May 2008

AbstractThis short‐term longitudinal study examined changes over time in social competence with peers as a function of child and classroom characteristics. One hundred and seventy ethnically diverse low‐income children, all new to their peer groups, entered childcare classrooms with heterogeneous entry policies and ethnic/racial compositions. We observed them with their teachers and peers at entry and again six months later. Observers rated aggressive, anxious/withdrawn, and prosocial behavior with peers and observed complexity of peer play. Children who lacked peers with a shared ethnic heritage and children who spoke a different language at home than the language most often used in the classrooms appeared to be struggling with peer interaction six months after entry into the peer group. Children who had a peer who shared their ethnic heritage and entered the most ethnically diverse classrooms increased their complex peer play more than other children.
Effects of Group Norms on Children's Intentions to Bully
Authors: Nesdale Drew , Durkin Kevin , Maass Anne , Kiesner Jeff , Griffiths Judith A. 
Published: May 2008

AbstractA minimal group study examined the effect of peer group norms on children's direct and indirect bullying intentions. Prior to an inter‐group drawing competition, children (N = 85) aged seven and nine years were assigned to a group that had a norm of out‐group dislike or out‐group liking. Results indicated that, regardless of group norms, the children's attitudes were more positive towards the in‐group vs. the out‐group. Children's bullying intentions were greater when the in‐group had a norm of out‐group dislike vs. out‐group liking, the children were younger rather than older, and the bullying was indirect vs. direct. A three‐way interaction showed that the in‐group norms had a larger effect on the younger children's direct rather than indirect bullying intentions, but a larger effect on the older children's indirect rather than direct bullying intentions. Implications for understanding school bullying intentions and behaviour are discussed.
Maternal Sensitivity Moderates the Relation between Negative Discipline and Aggression in Early Childhood
Authors: Alink Lenneke R. A. , Mesman Judi , Van Zeijl Jantien , Stolk Mirjam N. , Juffer Femmie , Bakermans‐Kranenburg Marian J. , Van IJzendoorn Marinus H. , Koot Hans M. 
Published: May 2008

AbstractThree models regarding the relation between maternal (in)sensitivity, negative discipline, and child aggression were examined in a sample of 117 mother–child pairs with high scores on child externalizing behavior: (1) Sensitivity and discipline are uniquely related to child aggression (the additive model); (2) the relation between discipline and aggression is moderated by maternal sensitivity (the moderating model); (3) the relation between sensitivity and aggression is mediated by maternal discipline (the mediating model). Parenting and child aggression were observed when the children were on average 26.71 months old (range of 13.58 to 41.91 months) and again one year later. Results supported the moderating model. More negative discipline was related to more child aggression one year later, but only when mothers were insensitive. This finding supports the idea that the affective context is important for the impact of negative discipline on child development.
Modelling Sparse Generalized Longitudinal Observations with Latent Gaussian Processes
Authors: Hall Peter , Müller Hans-Georg , Yao Fang 
Published: May 2008

SummaryIn longitudinal data analysis one frequently encounters non-Gaussian data that are repeatedly collected for a sample of individuals over time. The repeated observations could be binomial, Poisson or of another discrete type or could be continuous. The timings of the repeated measurements are often sparse and irregular. We introduce a latent Gaussian process model for such data, establishing a connection to functional data analysis. The functional methods proposed are non-parametric and computationally straightforward as they do not involve a likelihood. We develop functional principal components analysis for this situation and demonstrate the prediction of individual trajectories from sparse observations. This method can handle missing data and leads to predictions of the functional principal component scores which serve as random effects in this model. These scores can then be used for further statistical analysis, such as inference, regression, discriminant analysis or clustering. We illustrate these non-parametric methods with longitudinal data on primary biliary cirrhosis and show in simulations that they are competitive in comparisons with generalized estimating equations and generalized linear mixed models.
Non‐Monotonicity of the Tversky‐Kahneman Probability‐Weighting Function: A Cautionary Note
Authors: Ingersoll Jonathan 
Published: May 2008

Abstract Cumulative Prospect Theory has gained a great deal of support as an alternative to Expected Utility Theory as it accounts for a number of anomalies in the observed behavior of economic agents. Expected Utility Theory uses a utility function and subjective or objective probabilities to compare risky prospects. Cumulative Prospect Theory alters both of these aspects. The concave utility function is replaced by a loss‐averse utility function and probabilities are replaced by decision weights. The latter are determined with a weighting function applied to the cumulative probability of the outcomes. Several different probability weighting functions have been suggested. The two most popular are the original proposal of Tversky and Kahneman and the compound‐invariant form proposed by Prelec. This note shows that the Tversky‐Kahneman probability weighting function is not increasing for all parameter values and therefore can assign negative decision weights to some outcomes. This in turn implies that Cumulative Prospect Theory could make choices not consistent with first‐order stochastic dominance.
What's New in Finance?
Authors: Keloharju Matti 
Published: May 2008

Abstract This paper prepares a list of the 300 most cited articles published in the area of Finance during the period 2000–2006. The articles are ranked based on the ratio of the number of citations and the number of years since publication, as of August 2007. Citation data come from Google Scholar and cover all articles in 29 Finance journals and Finance articles in 21 Economics, six Accounting, and two Operations research journals. The paper also reports the number of highly cited articles by number of authors, journal, research area, and institution.
The basal level of intracellular calcium gates the activation of phosphoinositide 3‐kinase‐Akt signaling by brain‐derived neurotrophic factor in cortical neurons
Authors: Zheng Fei , Soellner Deborah , Nunez Joseph , Wang Hongbing 
Published: May 2008

AbstractBrain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) mediates survival and neuroplasticity through the activation of phosphoinositide 3‐kinase‐Akt pathway. Although previous studies suggested the roles of mitogen‐activated protein kinase, phospholipase C‐γ‐mediated intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i) increase, and extracellular calcium influx in regulating Akt activation, the cellular mechanisms are largely unknown. We demonstrated that sub‐nanomolar BDNF significantly induced Akt activation in developing cortical neurons. The TrkB‐dependent Akt phosphorylation at S473 and T308 required only phosphoinositide 3‐kinase, but not phospholipase C and mitogen‐activated protein kinase activity. Blocking NMDA receptors, L‐type voltage‐gated calcium channels, and chelating extracellular calcium by EGTA failed to block BDNF‐induced Akt phosphorylation. In contrast, chelating [Ca2+]i by 1,2‐bis(o‐aminophenoxy)ethane‐N,N,N ′,N ′‐tetraacetic acid‐acetoxymethyl ester (BAPTA‐AM) abolished Akt phosphorylation. Interestingly, sub‐nanomolar BDNF did not stimulate [Ca2+]i increase under our culture conditions. Together with that NMDA‐ and membrane depolarization‐induced [Ca2+]i increase did not activate Akt, we conclude that the basal level of [Ca2+]i gates BDNF function. Furthermore, inhibiting calmodulin by W13 suppressed Akt phosphorylation. On the other hand, inhibition of protein phosphatase 1 by okadaic acid and tautomycin rescued Akt phosphorylation in BAPTA‐AM and W13‐treated neurons. We further demonstrated that the phosphorylation of phosphoinositide‐dependent kinase‐1 did not correlate with Akt phosphorylation at T308. Our results suggested novel roles of basal [Ca2+]i, rather than activity‐induced calcium elevation, in BDNF‐Akt signaling.
Association of serotonin transporter promoter regulatory region polymorphism and cerebral activity to visual presentation of food
Authors: Kaurijoki Salla , Kuikka Jyrki T. , Niskanen Eini , Carlson Synnöve , Pietiläinen Kirsi H. , Pesonen Ullamari , Kaprio Jaakko M. , Rissanen Aila , Tiihonen Jari , Karhunen Leila 
Published: May 2008

SummaryRecent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies have revealed links between genetic polymorphisms and cognitive and behavioural processes. Serotonin is a classical neurotransmitter of central nervous system, and it is connected to the control of appetite and satiety. In this study, the relationship between the functional variation in the serotonin transporter gene and the activity in the left posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), a brain area activated by visual food stimuli was explored. Thirty subjects underwent serial fMRI studies and provided DNA for genetic analyses. Subjects homozygous for the long allele exhibited greater left PCC activity in the comparison food > non‐food compared with individuals heterozygous or homozygous for the short allele. The association between genotype and activation was linear, the subjects with two copies of the long allele variant having the strongest activation. These results demonstrate the possible genetically driven variation in the response of the left PCC to visual presentation of food in humans.
Plasma levels of natriuretic peptide type B and A in children with heart disease with different types of cardiac load or systolic dysfunction
Authors: Westerlind Andreas , Wåhlander Håkan , Berggren Håkan , Lundberg Per‐Arne , Holmgren Daniel 
Published: May 2008

SummaryNatriuretic peptide levels B (BNP) and A (ANP) have been described in children with different diagnose of congenital heart defects (CHD). However, the impact of the type of cardiac loadper seon natriuretic peptide levels, irrespective of diagnosis, has not been reported. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the levels of BNP and ANP in children with congenital and acquired heart disease according to different types of cardiac load. Plasma BNP and ANP were analysed in 137 children with CHD/heart disease, median age 2·9 (0·3–16·7) years. Haemodynamic load was classified as:no overload,pressure overload,volume overloadof right and/or left ventricle andsystolic ventricular dysfunction.Twenty‐three children without heart disease served as controls for the natriuretic peptide measurements. The highest BNP and ANP values were observed in thesystolic dysfunction, 613 ng l−1(81·8–3910) and 431 (43·8–1990), andvolumegroups, 29·8 (5·5–352) and 93·0 (15·9–346), respectively, whereas the values in thepressure, 17·9 (0·7–315) and 51·9 (8·7–210), andno overloadgroups, 10·3 (0·2–28·1) and 28·6 (8·6–105), respectively, were only slightly higher than those in the controls 4·7 (0·0–17·7) and 32·9 (11·7–212·2), respectively. The highest BNP and ANP values were seen in children with systolic dysfunction, while volume overload in the absence of heart failure resulted in higher levels than pressure overload.
Role of retrograde flow in the shear stimulus associated with exercise blood flow
Authors: Gonzales Joaquin U. , Thompson Benjamin C. , Thistlethwaite John R. , Scheuermann Barry W. 
Published: May 2008

SummaryTo test the hypothesis that retrograde flow influences the shear stimulus of exercise blood flow, eight healthy men [25·6 ± 3·1 years (SD)] performed 20 min of single‐leg knee‐extension exercise at two contraction velocities: fast (FR, 1·5 m s−1) and slow (SR, 0·4 m s−1). Contraction frequency (30 cpm) and workload (5 kg) were kept constant resulting in a work rate of 15·25 W for both contraction velocities. Common femoral artery diameter and blood velocity were measured at rest and during exercise using ultrasound Doppler. Mean blood flow was not different between contraction velocities while antegrade (2012·4 ± 379·9 versus 1745·6 ± 601·5 ml min−1; P = 0·05) and retrograde (121·7 ± 43·0 versus 11·2 ± 6·6 ml min−1; P<0·001) flows were higher during FR than SR contractions, respectively. Despite the similar mean blood flow response, vascular resistance was lower during FR than SR contractions (0·06 ± 0·01 versus 0·08 ± 0·03 units; P = 0·03) and was closely related to shear rate (pooled data: r = −0·77, P<0·01). Retrograde flow was associated with a lower vascular resistance during exercise (pooled data: r = −0·48, P≤0·05). In addition, calculated oscillatory flow indices were higher during FR than SR contractions and were significantly correlated to retrograde flow, shear rate and vascular resistance. These results indicate that retrograde blood flow influences the shear stimulus of exercise blood flow by enhancing the oscillatory behaviour of flow.
The Impact of Medicare Coverage Policies on Health Care Utilization
Authors: Foote Susan Bartlett , Virnig Beth A. , Town Robert J. , Hartman Lacey 
Published: May 2008

Objective. To determine whether Medicare coverage policies affect utilization of services in Medicare.Data Sources. We constructed an analysis data set for eight different procedures using secondary data obtained from Medicare claims (1999–2002) and Medicare coverage policies posted on Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services website.Study Design. We analyzed the impact of coverage policies using difference‐in‐difference approach in a regression framework.Principal Findings. We found that in only one case (transesophageal echocardiography) out of eight did utilization change (reduced by 13.6 percent) after the effective date of the local policies. There is no systematic pattern that policies affect utilization, and the type of coverage policy does not seem to play an important role in its impact.Conclusions. Coverage policies have the potential but do not consistently impact utilization as policy makers intend and expect them to do. These findings raise significant policy questions about the effectiveness of Medicare coverage policies, which deserve further study.
Quality control in nonstaple food markets: evidence from India
Authors: Fafchamps Marcel , Hill Ruth Vargas , Minten Bart 
Published: May 2008

AbstractUsing original survey data collected on growers, traders, processors, markets, and village communities, we will compare the situation in four states: Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Orissa. We examine the way that information about crop attributes is conveyed (or not) along the value chain. We find that little information circulates about unobservable crop characteristics. Growers receive a price premium when they dry, grade, and pack their produce, but we find no evidence that information about crop salubrity or agricultural practices circulates through the value chain or that growers are encouraged to follow specific agricultural practices for quality purposes. Market infrastructure is deficient regarding sanitation, with few public toilets, inadequate drainage, and no coordinated pest control.
Would Indian farmers benefit from liberalization of world cotton and sugar markets?
Authors: Mittal Surabhi , Reimer Jeffrey J. 
Published: May 2008

AbstractRich‐country support programs for cotton and sugar producers are frequently claimed to be detrimental for developing‐country farmers. This study investigates whether a reduction in protectionist policies for Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development cotton and sugar producers would have a measurable effect on the welfare of Indian farmers. The fact that these sectors are intensively regulated within India might suggest that any such effect will be small. However, this study shows econometrically that prices in Indian rural markets closely follow world prices, and that Indian farmers are flexible in the medium to long run in changing production according to price signals from these markets. Depending on the crop and the nature of liberalization, producer surplus increases from 4.2% to 22.3% in the long run.
The effects of NCPB marketing policies on maize market prices in Kenya
Authors: Jayne T. S. , Myers Robert J. , Nyoro James 
Published: May 2008

AbstractThe Government of Kenya pursues maize marketing policy objectives through the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB), which procures and sells maize at administratively determined prices, and stores maize as a contingency against future shortages. A private sector marketing channel competes with the NCPB. This article estimates the effects of NCPB activities on the historical path of private sector prices in Kenyan maize markets between 1989 and 2004. The analysis is carried out using a reduced form vector autoregression model (VAR) estimated with sparse data and imposing only minimal identification restrictions. Results show that NCPB activities have stabilized maize market prices in Kenya, reduced price levels in the early 1990s, and raised average price levels by roughly 20% between 1995 and 2004. Over the past decade, the price‐raising activities of the NCPB have transferred income from urban consumers and a majority of small‐scale farm households that are net buyers of maize to a relatively small number of large‐ and small‐scale farmers who are sellers of maize.
Regional obesity determinants in the United States: a model of myopic addictive behavior in food consumption
Authors: Miljkovic Dragan , Nganje William 
Published: May 2008

AbstractObesity is considered one of the largest public health problems in the United States today. The premise for our study is a body of results from medical research showing that sweetened foods, i.e., an increased consumption of sugars, leads first to sugar addiction and second to carbohydrate addiction and increased consumption of fats. The latter feature is actually responsible for the increase in body mass index (BMI), but the trigger that produces cravings for extra calories is sugar and sweeteners. Based on our results, a myopic model of addictive behavior in food consumption seems to capture the food consuming habits and related outbreak of obesity among the American population. Our results indicate that lower current and past real prices of sugar contribute significantly to higher values of BMI, and increase the likelihood of becoming obese in the United States.