Estimating and testing simultaneous equation panel data models with censored endogenous variables

Wages;Estimation;Testing;Models

Estimating and interpreting models with endogenous treatment effects: The relationship between competing estimators of the union impact on wages

Wages;Trade Unions;Estimation;Models

Two-step estimation of simultaneous equation panel data models with censored endogenous variables

This paper presents some two-step estimators for a wide range of parametric panel data models with censored endogenous variables and sample selection bias. Our approach is to derive estimates of the unobserved heterogeneity responsible for the endogeneity/selection bias to include as additional explanatory variables in the primary equation. These are obtained through a decomposition of the reduced form residuals. The panel nature of the data allows adjustment, and testing, for two forms of endogeneity and/or sample selection bias. Furthermore, it incorporates roles for dynamics and state dependence in the reduced form. Finally, we provide an empirical illustration which features our procedure and highlights the ability to test several of the underlying assumptions.Estimation;Panel Data;statistics

(De)railing Mobility: Opera, Stasis, and Locomotion on Late-Nineteenth-Century Italian Tracks

On November 1, 1871, Lohengrin premiered amid much local buzz at Bologna’s Teatro Comunale. It was—famously—the first of Wagner’s works to be staged in Italy, over twenty years after its first performance in Weimar. Rumors that the Comunale was working to produce the opera had been in the air since the summer of 1869, when news had leaked that the impresario Luigi Scalaberni was pursuing this enterprise, most likely in a shared initiative with the local authorities and with Wagner’s Italian publisher (Casa Lucca). That project had seemingly been conceived with a double axis in mind: as a combined operation between the theaters of Bologna and Lugo, both managed by Scalaberni. The enterprise, however, failed, and when two years later Lohengrin was brought out on the Comunale’s stage, Scalaberni was no longer behind it. Well into the summer of 1871 the impresa of the theater was still vacant, the municipal authorities eventually setting their minds for its direction on Emidio Lambertini.British Academy Postdoctoral fellowship; St John's College junior research fellowshi

Cloaking by coating: How effectively does a thin, stiff coating hide a soft substrate?

From human tissue to fruits, many soft materials are coated by a thin layer of a stiffer material. While the primary role of such a coating is often to protect the softer material, the thin, stiff coating also has an important effect on the mechanical behaviour of the composite material, making it appear significantly stiffer than the underlying material. We study this cloaking effect of a coating for the particular case of indentation tests, which measure the `firmness' of the composite solid: we use a combination of theory and experiment to characterize the firmness quantitatively. We find that the indenter size plays a key role in determining the effectiveness of cloaking: small indenters feel a mixture of the material properties of the coating and of the substrate, while large indenters sense largely the unadulterated substrate

Statement of the Labor Policy Association Before the Commission on the Future of Worker-Management Relations Regarding Alternative Resolution of Private Disputes

Testimony_Vella_092994.pdf: 215 downloads, before Oct. 1, 2020

Chaiyo! King Vajiravudh and the Development of Thai Nationalism

Humanities Open Book Program, a joint initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Andrew W. Mellon FoundationThroughout his fifteen-year reign (1910-1925), King Vajiravudh, absolute monarch of Siam, attempted to foster a spirit of nationalism among the Thai, to unite the Thai people and make them proud of their land and their heritage. He hoped to save his country from expanding Western imperialism by infusing his people with the Western ideology of loyalty to the state. This book documents all the many forms the King's nationalistic efforts assumed, ranging from the establishment of a para-military patriotic organization called the Wild Tiger Corps to the encouragement of the team sports and the coining of a new cheer, Chaiyo! ("Victory!"). Vajiravudh was a prolific writer, and his hortatory articles, plays, poems, and speeches are analyzed in terms of the King's message to his people to be Thai, to act Thai, and to think Thai. Chaiyo! adds greatly to an understanding of the emergence of modern Thailand. It is also an important addition to studies of the impact of the West and the emergence of nationalism in Asia as a whole during the period of World War I. The findings will be of value not only to historians but also to political scientists and, indeed, to all those interested in the development of Asia or in the growth of nationalism anywhere in the world

Antibiotic prescribing on two medical wards at St Luke’s Hospital : what scope for improvement?

Antibiotics are frequently prescribed drugs and form a significant part of the hospital budget. The literature suggests that prescribing is not without problems and may need constant review. We have no data relating to our hospital. This study aims to explore some aspects of antibiotic use in our setting. Records of all patients prescribed antibiotics on two medical wards over a 4 month period were analysed for indication, choice of antibiotic, outcome and cost. There were 126 patients: 54% males; 75.4%, >60 years old; 62% were admitted because of infection. Of the whole group, 8.7% received antibiotics with no evidence of infection and no indication for prophylaxis. There were 118 infections, 64% respiratory, 13.5% urinary and the rest of miscellaneous sites; 14% of infections were nosocomial. Microbiological studies were available in only 29% of infections. For 6 patients, the antibiotics prescribed were relatively contraindicated because of impaired hepatic and renal function. There was one adverse drug reaction. The total drug cost was Lm2181.79; i.v. treatment accounted for 93% of this cost and ceftazidime for 60%. There is room for improvement in the selection of antibiotics and their route of administration. The hospital microbiologists and the Antibiotic Policy should be consulted more often. Laboratory diagnosis of infection and biochemical patient monitoring are inadequate. Restricting i.v. treatment could reduce cost very substantially.peer-reviewe