The Lending-Deposit Rate Relationship in Eastern European Countries: Evidence from the Rank Test for Non-linear Cointegration

This study carries out an examination of the potential non-linear cointegration between the lending and deposit rates of eight Eastern European countries using the non-parametric rank tests proposed by Breitung (2001). Based upon our adoption in this study of the threshold error-correction model (TECM), we find solid evidence of an asymmetric price transmission effect, in both the short term and the long term, between lending and deposit rates. Thus, our results reveal that there are indeed such long-run non-linear cointegration relationships between the lending and deposit rates in these Eastern European countries. Furthermore, we go on to successfully capture the dynamic adjustment of the spread.lending-deposit rates, rank test, non-linearity

Structural Spurious Regressions and A Hausman-type Cointegration Test

This paper proposes two estimators based on asymptotic theory to estimate structural parameters with spurious regressions involving unit-root nonstationary variables. This approach motivates a Hausman-type test for the null hypothesis of cointegration for dynamic Ordinary Least Squares estimation using one of our estimators for spurious regressions. We apply our estimation and testing methods to four applications: (i) long-run money demand in the U.S.; (ii) long-run implications of the consumption-leisure choice; (iii) output convergence among industrial and developing countries; (iv) Purchasing Power Parity for traded and non-traded goods.Spurious regression, GLS correction method, Dynamic regression, Test for cointegration.

Relationship Among Supervisors\u27 Transformational and Transactional Leadership Styles, and Teachers\u27 Job Satisfaction in Taiwan Higher Education

This study examined the influence of supervisors\u27 transformational and transactional leadership styles on job satisfaction of college and university in Taiwan. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between supervisors\u27 transformational and transactional leadership styles, and the satisfaction of Taiwan\u27s higher education instructors. The number of teachers at the university level in Taiwan rose 36.8% from 1951 to 2004; therefore faculty job satisfaction is an important issue. Schools want to keep their faculty and reputation to maintain a competitive edge. This non-experimental, quantitative, explanatory correlation and explanatory comparative survey research explores the relationship between supervisors\u27 transformational and transactional leadership styles and the job satisfaction of Taiwan\u27s college and university faculty. This study utilized two questionnaires and five demographic and work profiles. The two questionnaires were: The transformational leadership and transactional leadership of the MLQ-5x short-form developed by Bass and Avolio (1995), and Teacher Job Satisfaction Questionnaire (TJSQ) developed by Lester (1984). In this study, 500 full-time teachers in Taiwan higher education were randomly selected. These questionnaires were mailed to them along with an introduction letter and a consent form. One hundred and fifty-seven of the 500 survey instruments were returned, yielding a return rate of 31%. Thirty were excluded, leaving 127 valid-survey instruments. The data were analyzed using the statistical software program SPSS12.0. Data analysis consisted of descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis, independent t-test and multiple regression analysis. The study found that teachers who perceived transformational leadership were the most satisfied with their jobs. In contrast, teachers who perceived transactional leadership reported less job satisfaction. In addition, Taiwanese higher education teachers with the most teaching experience were the more satisfied. Teacher job satisfaction increased with years of teaching experience. This study was limited to the relationship between supervisors\u27 transformational and transactional leadership styles, and teachers\u27 job satisfaction in higher education institutions in Taiwan. Future studies should add laissez-faire leadership to the research questions and hypotheses

Single step optimal block matched motion estimation with motion vectors having arbitrary pixel precisions

This paper proposes a non-linear block matched motion model and solves the motion vectors with arbitrary pixel precisions in a single step. As the optimal motion vector which minimizes the mean square error is solved analytically in a single step, the computational complexity of our proposed algorithm is lower than that of conventional quarter pixel search algorithms. Also, our proposed algorithm can be regarded as a generalization of conventional half pixel search algorithms and quarter pixel search algorithms because our proposed algorithm could achieve motion vectors with arbitrary pixel precisions

Single step optimal block matched motion estimation with motion vectors having arbitrary pixel precisions

This paper proposes a non-linear block matched motion model with motion vectors having arbitrary pixel precisions. The optimal motion vector which minimizes the mean square error is solved analytically in a single step. Our proposed algorithm can be regarded as a generalization of conventional half pixel search algorithms and quarter pixel search algorithms because our proposed algorithm could achieve motion vectors with arbitrary pixel precisions. Also, the computational effort of our proposed algorithm is lower than that of conventional quarter pixel search algorithms because our proposed algorithm could achieve motion vectors in a single step

Study of near consensus complex social networks using Eigen theory

This paper extends the definition of an exact consensus complex social network to that of a near consensus complex social network. A near consensus complex social network is a social network with nontrivial topological features and steady state values of the decision certitudes of the majority of the nodes being either higher or lower than a threshold value. By using eigen theories, the relationships among the vectors representing the steady state values of the decision certitudes of the nodes, the influence weight matrix and the set of vectors representing the initial state values of the decision certitudes of the nodes that satisfies a given near consensus specification are characterized

An integrative analysis of cancer gene expression studies using Bayesian latent factor modeling

We present an applied study in cancer genomics for integrating data and inferences from laboratory experiments on cancer cell lines with observational data obtained from human breast cancer studies. The biological focus is on improving understanding of transcriptional responses of tumors to changes in the pH level of the cellular microenvironment. The statistical focus is on connecting experimentally defined biomarkers of such responses to clinical outcome in observational studies of breast cancer patients. Our analysis exemplifies a general strategy for accomplishing this kind of integration across contexts. The statistical methodologies employed here draw heavily on Bayesian sparse factor models for identifying, modularizing and correlating with clinical outcome these signatures of aggregate changes in gene expression. By projecting patterns of biological response linked to specific experimental interventions into observational studies where such responses may be evidenced via variation in gene expression across samples, we are able to define biomarkers of clinically relevant physiological states and outcomes that are rooted in the biology of the original experiment. Through this approach we identify microenvironment-related prognostic factors capable of predicting long term survival in two independent breast cancer datasets. These results suggest possible directions for future laboratory studies, as well as indicate the potential for therapeutic advances though targeted disruption of specific pathway components.Comment: Published in at http://dx.doi.org/10.1214/09-AOAS261 the Annals of Applied Statistics (http://www.imstat.org/aoas/) by the Institute of Mathematical Statistics (http://www.imstat.org