Accounting for slacks to measure dynamic inefficiency in data envelopment analysis

Slacks that arise when nonparametrically constructing technologies are relevant because they can be an important source of technical inefficiency. This paper extends the measurement of dynamic inefficiency in the full input–output space in the adjustment-cost theory framework to account for slacks. In particular, the paper develops the dynamic weighted additive model in Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and shows its main properties. Additionally, the approach is illustrated by a real application. The empirical applica- tion concerns data on large firms in the dairy-manufacturing industry in the main dairy-producing coun- tries in the European Union (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Poland, and the Czech Republic) from 2005 to 2012. The results show the differences in average dynamic inefficiency between the analyzed countries. The findings also indicate that, not surprisingly, firms are, on average, closer to their own-country fron- tier than the common frontier comprising all firms, regardless of country. Greater inefficiency was also found, on average, in the new approach when related to the dynamic framework that does not account for slacksWe thank three anonymous referees for providing constructive comments and help in improving the contents and presentation of this paper. Additionally, the authors appreciate the financial support from the Spanish Ministry for Economy and Competitiveness (Ministerio de Economia, Industria y Competitividad), the State Research Agency (Agencia Estatal de Investigacion) and the European Regional Development Fund (Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional) under grant MTM2016-79765-P (AEI/FEDER, UE)

Spatiotemporal Characteristics of the Largest HIV-1 CRF02_AG Outbreak in Spain: Evidence for Onward Transmissions

Background and Aim: The circulating recombinant form 02_AG (CRF02_AG) is the predominant clade among the human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) non-Bs with a prevalence of 5.97% (95% Confidence Interval-CI: 5.41–6.57%) across Spain. Our aim was to estimate the levels of regional clustering for CRF02_AG and the spatiotemporal characteristics of the largest CRF02_AG subepidemic in Spain.Methods: We studied 396 CRF02_AG sequences obtained from HIV-1 diagnosed patients during 2000–2014 from 10 autonomous communities of Spain. Phylogenetic analysis was performed on the 391 CRF02_AG sequences along with all globally sampled CRF02_AG sequences (N = 3,302) as references. Phylodynamic and phylogeographic analysis was performed to the largest CRF02_AG monophyletic cluster by a Bayesian method in BEAST v1.8.0 and by reconstructing ancestral states using the criterion of parsimony in Mesquite v3.4, respectively.Results: The HIV-1 CRF02_AG prevalence differed across Spanish autonomous communities we sampled from (p < 0.001). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that 52.7% of the CRF02_AG sequences formed 56 monophyletic clusters, with a range of 2–79 sequences. The CRF02_AG regional dispersal differed across Spain (p = 0.003), as suggested by monophyletic clustering. For the largest monophyletic cluster (subepidemic) (N = 79), 49.4% of the clustered sequences originated from Madrid, while most sequences (51.9%) had been obtained from men having sex with men (MSM). Molecular clock analysis suggested that the origin (tMRCA) of the CRF02_AG subepidemic was in 2002 (median estimate; 95% Highest Posterior Density-HPD interval: 1999–2004). Additionally, we found significant clustering within the CRF02_AG subepidemic according to the ethnic origin.Conclusion: CRF02_AG has been introduced as a result of multiple introductions in Spain, following regional dispersal in several cases. We showed that CRF02_AG transmissions were mostly due to regional dispersal in Spain. The hot-spot for the largest CRF02_AG regional subepidemic in Spain was in Madrid associated with MSM transmission risk group. The existence of subepidemics suggest that several spillovers occurred from Madrid to other areas. CRF02_AG sequences from Hispanics were clustered in a separate subclade suggesting no linkage between the local and Hispanic subepidemics

Production under a quota system: an extension of the weighted additive model to assess technical efficiency

Since it was introduced, data envelopment analysis (DEA) has been applied to many different areas and has also been extended to numerous production contexts. In this paper, we focus our attention on the production framework under output quotas. Many types of markets throughout the world are subject to intervention by government policies, with the purpose of raising the prices that producers receive for their products through the imposition of production quotas. In this paper, we introduce a comprehensive approach based upon the extension of the weighted additive model in DEA with the aim of measuring technical inefficiency of firms producing under a quota system. Accordingly, we prove several interesting properties of the new approach and compare it with the conventional weighted additive model. The paper concludes by considering a case study that analyses milk production inefficiency in Canadian provinces, incorporating information on the quota assigned to each of the provincesWe would like to express our gratitude to two anonymous referees for their helpful comments, as well as to the Spanish Ministry for Economy and Competitiveness for supporting us through grant MTM2013-43903-P

The determination of the least distance to the strongly efficient frontier Data Envelopment Analysis oriented models: Modelling and computational aspects

Determining the least distance to the efficient frontier for estimating technical inefficiency, with the consequent determination of closest targets, has been one of the relevant issues in recent Data Envelopment Analysis literature. This new paradigm contrasts with traditional approaches, which yield furthest targets. In this respect, some techniques have been proposed in order to implement the new paradigm. A group of these techniques is based on identifying all the efficient faces of the polyhedral production possibility set and, therefore, is associated with the resolution of a NP-hard problem. In contrast, a second group proposes different models and particular algorithms to solve the problem avoiding the explicit identification of all these faces. These techniques have been applied more or less successfully. Nonetheless, the new paradigm is still unsatisfactory and incomplete to a certain extent. One of these challenges is that related to measuring technical inefficiency in the context of oriented models, i.e., models that aim at changing inputs or outputs but not both. In this paper, we show that existing specific techniques for determining the least distance without identifying explicitly the frontier structure for graph measures, which change inputs and outputs at the same time, do not work for oriented models. Consequently, a new methodology for satisfactorily implementing these situations is proposed. Finally, the new approach is empirically checked by using a recent PISA database consisting of 902 schoolsWould like to express their gratitude to the Spanish Ministry for Economy and Competitiveness for supporting this research through grant MTM2013-43903-P and Jose M. Cordero also acknowledges the sup- port from the same institution through grant ECO2014-53702-P

Benefit function and individual preferences.: A generalization of the Zero-Maximum principle.

In this paper we show that given a utility threshold Luenberger�s benefit function correctly represents individual preferences as long as specific reference commodity bundles are considered. We further show a condition which is sufficient for reaching Pareto optimality that generalizes the zero-maximum principle proposed by Luenberger. Under our hypothesis, the social benefit could be positive, negative or zero, and not necessarily always zero

Changes in productivity in the virgin olive oil sector: An application to Protected Designations of Origin in Spain

Virgin olive oil is a key ingredient of the renowned Mediterranean diet. In this context, the main objective of this study was to estimate and decompose productivity change for Protected Designations of Origin (PDOs) in the Spanish virgin olive oil sector for the period 2008-2013. To this end, we introduced a Luenberger-type indicator based on a specific weighted additive model in Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), which, in contrast to previous studies, captured all sources of inefficiency and avoided infeasibilities. Regarding the results, we found a reduction in productivity, in average terms, in the first periods analyzed (-0.12 and -1.65), followed by an improvement (0.79 and 0.54), that in the last period analyzed (2012-2013), however, returned to adverse figures (-0.47). In Spain, where foreign competition is weak, the most productive PDOs were those with an important number of oil mills and packaging/marketing companies such as “Montes de Toledo” and “Siurana”; productivity changes were mainly the consequence of downwards and upwards of the frontier of the technology over time. These changes were explained, to a certain extent, by the evolution of the economic crisis; and the productivity of the sector declined, in general, from 2008 to 2010, improving thereafter except for the last registered period, 2012-2013, where expectations for market recovery exceeded actual sales

Analysis of Spain´s competitiveness in the European tomato market: an application of the Constant Market Share method

This paper presents a quantitative analysis of the competitiveness of Spanish tomato export compared with its major competitors in the European Union market countries (EU28). The methodological framework is implemented through Constant Market Share to analyze variations in exports, allowing the portion attributable to competitiveness and segregation into general or specific competitiveness to be quantified. This analysis was carried out with the 2005-2009 and 2010-2014 periods to see if there had been a recovery from the global financial and economic crisis of 2007 in the Spanish tomato trade. Before the global economic and financial crisis, Spain had a positive structural effect of exports which contributed significantly to the growth of tomato sales to the EU, but had a negative change in the volume of exports to the EU28, mainly due to the negative effect of the competitiveness component. According to the segregation effect of competitiveness, a marked general negative competitive effect was evident, that cannot be offset by the positive effect of specific competitiveness. Since 2010, Spain has experienced a positive change in the volume of its tomato exports to the EU28, the competitiveness component also being positive, due to positive investment of the component of general competitiveness and whose greatest contribution was the positive effect of specific competitiveness. Within the group of competitors, Spain is the only country supplying tomatoes to the EU28 that has experienced a positive change in volume when comparing business performance of 2010-2014 vs 2005-2009

Red de Investigación del 2º Curso del Grado de Arquitectura Técnica. Acciones de mejora derivadas del seguimiento, evaluación y acreditación

Esta red coordina las asignaturas del 2º Curso del Grado de Arquitectura Técnica y se han realizado por orden cronológico distintas acciones de mejora para la docencia Universitaria. Primero, se ha editado un cuaderno de la titulación del Grado de Arquitectura Técnica para informar al estudiante, de nueva incorporación y a los que siguen los estudios, sobre lo que van a aprender en las asignaturas de cada curso. Segundo, se ha realizado una visita guiada por técnicos de la empresa constructora y por profesores pertenecientes a esta red a varias obras de rehabilitación que están llevando a cabo en la localidad de San Juan. Tercero, se ha realizado un Concurso de Estructuras. Cuarto, se ha realizado una revisión bibliográfica sobre la implantación de BIM (Building Information Modelling) en los estudios superiores de Ingeniería Civil y Arquitectura en distintas Universidades Nacionales e Internacionales. Quinto, se han realizado varias propuestas de TFG aplicadas al ámbito del Cálculo de las Estructuras relacionadas con BIM. Sexto, se convoca una reunión presencial al final del curso para comentar resultados, dificultades y propuestas de mejora de las asignaturas. La finalidad de este conjunto de acciones ha sido intentar motivar al estudiante y mejorar la docencia de la Titulación del Grado

Operación colega

Se desarrolla un proyecto de innovación educativa que pretende conseguir un buen clima de centro a través de un juego de puntuación de clase e individual con el que se obtendrán recompensas. Se trata de concienciar e implicar a toda la comunidad educativa en la mejora de la convivencia, premiar las conductas y situaciones del alumnado que impliquen respeto a los compañeros y compañeras, profesorado, material e instalaciones, y favorecer la resolución pacífica de conflictos entre iguales. La valoración global del proyecto es positiva por parte del profesorado, alumnado y familias, siendo recomendable incluir más contenidos de carácter didáctico y cultural. En la realización del proyecto se destaca el buen hacer de los participantes, el rigor del cumplimiento del calendario y el empeño por el trabajo de calidad, así como la consideración del profesorado participante que se trata de un a buena experiencia que favorece la convivencia en el centro .Castilla y LeónConsejería de Educación. Dirección General de Universidades e Investigación; Monasterio de Nuestra Señora de Prado, Autovía Puente Colgante s. n.; 47071 Valladolid; +34983411881; +34983411939ES