ENTROPY-BASED ESTIMATION AND INFERENCE IN BINARY RESPONSE MODELS UNDER ENDOGENEITY

This paper considers estimation and inference for the binary response model in the case where endogenous variables are included as arguments of the unknown link function. Semiparametric estimators are proposed that avoid the parametric assumptions underlying the likelihood approach as well as the loss of precision when using nonparametric estimation. Suggestions are made for how the utility maximization decision model can be altered to permit attributes to vary across alternatives.Research Methods/ Statistical Methods,

Spatial Analyses of the Meat Marketing Sector in 1955 and 1960

The livestock products sector is a complex composed of the activities of production, farm marketing, slaughtering, distribution and consumption. The level of each of these activities varies spatially and thus regional imbalances are generated which make necessary product flows between the geographical areas. Within this setting this study is concerned with an interregional analysis of the livestock meat sector of the U. S. economy. Thus, spatial slaughter-consumption relations will be basic observations for this analysis. In this study regional demands are reflected by price dependent demand relations or specific estimates of consumption. Regional supplies are dressed carcass weights of livestock slaughter within the regions. In particular for the beef, pork, veal, and lamb and mutton sectors for the years 1955 and 1960 answers will be sought to the following questions: 1. What are the levels of regional demand for each of these meat products? 2. What are the levels of regional supply for each of these products? 3. What is the aggregate interregional trade for each meat product for each year? 4. For each commodity and for each year, what regions import, export or do neither? 5. What are the levels of regional exports and imports for each region, commodity and year? 6. What is the optimum volume and direction of trade between all possible pairs of regions for each commodity and each year? 7. What are the optimum price differentials between regions for each commodity and year? 8. What is the total transport cost for the aggregate trade of each commodity and year? 9. What is the impact of alternative ways of estimating regional meat consumption on the interregional flows and price differentials? In the following pages the results that are generated by these questions will be given and the implications and uses of the results will be discussed

Spatial Analyses of the Flow of Slaughter Livestock in 1955 and 1960

In this study attention is focused on the spatial aspects of slaughter livestock movements from production to slaughtering. Given the regional levels of production, slaughtering and the costs of moving one unit of various types of slaughter livestock from any one region to another region, this study is concerned with ascertaining the regional price differentials, and the volume and direction of regional imports and exports that are consistent with minimizing the total cost of moving the livestock from production to slaughter. In addition, questions about the consequences of changes in the existing structure of the livestock economy may be evaluated with regard to their impact on regional prices and slaughter livestock flows

Joint Spatial Analysis of Regional Slaughter and the Flows and Pricing of Livestock and Meat

The purpose of this study is to (1) develop a model to handle the simultaneous solution for the processing and flow problem, (2) develop estimates of slaughtering capacity for cattle and hogs in each region, and (3) apply the model using estimates of regional levels of production, regional levels of consumption, regional slaughtering capacities, and transportation costs of live slaughter animals and meats. Attention is focused at determining what regional levels of slaughter and directions and levels of interregional livestock and meat flows satisfy the regional production consumption, and capacity constraints and make the total cost of transportation of live slaughter animals and meat a minimum. The analysis is broadened to also obtain the impacts of alternative regional slaughter capacity restrictions and .regional differences in the labor cost of slaughtering livestock

Application of econometric procedures to the demands for agricultural products

The objective of this study is to get for several food products the kind of demand information that is relevant when a price support administrator selects a support price. The specific problems dealt with are those of estimating the retail demand conditions for (1) pork, beef and poultry products and (2) eggs. In connection with each problem, demand equations have been set up. In each case demand relations have been estimated by the least squares method, which treats demand equations in isolation from supply equations. Demand equations have also been estimated by simultaneous equations methods, which deal with a demand equation as part of a system of equations including a supply equation and perhaps others

Direct UV observations of the circumstellar envelope of alpha Orionis

Observations were made in the IUE LWP camera, low dispersion mode, with alpha Ori being offset various distances from the center of the Long Wavelength Large Aperture along its major axis. Signal was acquired at all offset positions and is comprised of unequal components of background/dark counts, telescope-scattered light, and scattered light emanating from the extended circumstellar shell. The star is known from optical and infrared observations to possess an extended, arc-minute sized, shell of cool material. Attempts to observe this shell with the IUE are described, although the deconvolution of the stellar signal from the telescope scattered light requires further calibration effort

The interface between morphology and action planning: a comparison of two species of New World monkeys

Recent research with several species of nonhuman primates suggests sophisticated motor-planning abilities observed in human adults may be ubiquitous among primates. However, there is considerable variability in the extent to which these abilities are expressed across primate species. In the present experiment, we explore whether the variability in the expression of anticipatory motor-planning abilities may be attributed to cognitive differences (such as tool use abilities) or whether they may be due to the consequences of morphological differences (such as being able to deploy a precision grasp). We compared two species of New World monkeys that differ in their tool use abilities and manual dexterity: squirrel monkeys, Saimiri sciureus (less dexterous with little evidence for tool use) and tufted capuchins, Sapajus apella (more dexterous and known tool users). The monkeys were presented with baited cups in an untrained food extraction task. Consistent with the morphological constraint hypothesis, squirrel monkeys frequently showed second-order motor planning by inverting their grasp when picking up an inverted cup, while capuchins frequently deployed canonical upright grasping postures. Findings suggest that the lack of ability for precision grasping may elicit more consistent second-order motor planning, as the squirrel monkeys (and other species that have shown a high rate of second-order planning) have fewer means of compensating for inefficient initial postures. Thus, the interface between morphology and motor planning likely represents an important factor for understanding both the ontogenetic and phylogenetic origins of sophisticated motor-planning abilities

'This is what democracy looks like' : New Labour's blind spot and peripheral vision

New Labour in government since 1997 has been roundly criticized for not possessing a clear, coherent and consistent democratic vision. The absence of such a grand vision has resulted, from this critical perspective, in an absence of 'joined-up' thinking about democracy in an evolving multi-level state. Tensions have been all too apparent between the government's desire to exert central direction - manifested in its most pathological form as 'control freakery' - and its democratising initiatives derived from 'third-way' obsessions with 'decentralising', 'empowering' and 'enabling'. The purpose of this article is to examine why New Labour displayed such apparently impaired democratic vision and why it appeared incapable of conceiving of democratic reform 'in the round'. This article seeks to explain these apparent paradoxes, however, through utilising the notion of 'macular degeneration'. In this analysis, the perceived democratic blind spot of New Labour at Westminster is connected to a democratic peripheral vision, which has envisaged innovative participatory and decentred initiatives in governance beyond Westminster