Testing for Restricted Stochastic Dominance

Asymptotic and bootstrap tests are studied for testing whether there is a relation of stochastic dominance between two distributions. These tests have a null hypothesis of nondominance, with the advantage that, if this null is rejected, then all that is left is dominance. This also leads us to define and focus on restricted stochastic dominance, the only empirically useful form of dominance relation that we can seek to infer in many settings. One testing procedure that we consider is based on an empirical likelihood ratio. The computations necessary for obtaining a test statistic also provide estimates of the distributions under study that satisfy the null hypothesis, on the frontier between dominance and nondominance. These estimates can be used to perform bootstrap tests that can turn out to provide much improved reliability of inference compared with the asymptotic tests so far proposed in the literature.Stochastic dominance, empirical likelihood, bootstrap test

TESTING FOR RESTRICTED STOCHASTIC DOMINANCE

Asymptotic and bootstrap tests are studied for testing whether there is a relation of stochastic dominance between two distributions. These tests have a null hypothesis of nondominance, with the advantage that, if this null is rejected, then all that is left is dominance. This also leads us to define and focus on {\it restricted} stochastic dominance, the only empirically useful form of dominance relation that we can seek to infer in many settings. One testing procedure that we consider is based on an empirical likelihood ratio. The computations necessary for obtaining a test statistic also provide estimates of the distributions under study that satisfy the null hypothesis, on the frontier between dominance and nondominance. These estimates can be used to perform dominance tests that can turn out to provide much improved reliability of inference compared with the asymptotic tests so far proposed in the literature.

Testing for restricted stochastic dominance

Asymptotic and bootstrap tests are studied for testing whether there is a relation of stochastic dominance between two distributions. These tests have a null hypothesis of nondominance, with the advantage that, if this null is rejected, then all that is left is dominance. This also leads us to define and focus on restricted stochastic dominance, the only empirically useful form of dominance relation that we can seek to infer in many settings. One testing procedure that we consider is based on an empirical likelihood ratio. The computations necessary for obtaining a test statistic also provide estimates of the distributions under study that satisfy the null hypothesis, on the frontier between dominance and nondominance. These estimates can be used to perform dominance tests that can turn out to provide much improved reliability of inference compared with the asymptotic tests so far proposed in the literature.Stochastic dominance, empirical likelihood, bootstrap test

Effect of tart cherry juice on risk of gout attacks: protocol for a randomised controlled trial

Introduction: Gout is a painful form of inflammatory arthritis associated with several comorbidities, particularly cardiovascular disease. Cherries, which are rich in anti-inflammatory and antioxidative bioactive compounds, are proposed to be efficacious in preventing and treating gout, but recommendations to patients are conflicting. Cherry consumption has been demonstrated to lower serum urate levels and inflammation in several small studies. One observational case cross-over study reported that cherry consumption was associated with reduced risk of recurrent gout attacks. This preliminary evidence requires substantiation. The proposed randomised clinical trial aims to test the effect of consumption of tart cherry juice on risk of gout attacks. Methods and analysis: This 12-month, parallel, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial will recruit 120 individuals (aged 18–80 years) with a clinical diagnosis of gout who have self-reported a gout flare in the previous year. Participants will be randomly assigned to an intervention group, which will receive Montmorency tart cherry juice daily for a 12-month period, or a corresponding placebo group, which will receive a cherry-flavoured placebo drink. The primary study outcome is change in frequency of self-reported gout attacks. Secondary outcome measures include attack intensity, serum urate concentration, fractional excretion of uric acid, biomarkers of inflammation, blood lipids and other markers of cardiovascular risk. Other secondary outcome measures will be changes in physical activity and functional status. Statistical analysis will be conducted on an intention-to-treat basis. Ethics and dissemination: This study has been granted ethical approval by the National Research Ethics Service, Yorkshire and The Humber—Leeds West Research Ethics Committee (ref: 18/SW/0262). Results of the trial will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. Trial registration number: NCT03621215

Integrating placement and audience characteristics to assess the recall of product placements in film: findings from a field study

This research incorporates into a single model characteristics of product placements in films and characteristics of the consumers and their viewing environment to assess the memorability of the placements. Eleven movies containing a total of 98 placements of varied characteristics were coded. 3,532 individuals who viewed a DVD rental of one of these movies at home completed a questionnaire on the following day. The questionnaire included audience viewing characteristics as well as a free recall measure of placements. The results reveal important insights into the variables that affect, positively or negatively, the day after recall of products placed in moviesBrand placement, consumer, movie, product placement, spontaneous day after recall

Tobacco Farmers, Other Farmers and Terms of Exchange

[From the Conclusions] The purpose of this study was to discover the truth concerning the relative well-being of tobacco farmers insofar as that well-being has been dependent upon the production of a specific commodity, tobacco. The conclusion reached may be stated quite simply: the tobacco grower has been in a relatively favorable position since 1911 as measured by his terms of exchange and as compared with the growers of previously specified commodities. The arguments for and against the terms of exchange as a measuring device have been stated. No conclusion has been reached as to whether or not the tobacco grower has, since 1911, been subjected to exploitation

Feeding the food insecure in Britain: learning from the 2020 COVID-19 crisis

The lockdown in Britain has rendered a large proportion of the population economically vulnerable and has at least quadrupled demand for emergency food relief. This paper looks critically at response to the crisis from the government and the voluntary sector with respect to provision of emergency food. In doing so, it has exposed gaps in understanding of the vagaries of the food supply for certain population groups and systemic weaknesses in the current system of emergency food aid. We make recommendations for healthier governmental capacity to react to a food security crisis, better relationships between the government and the voluntary sector, and further research into the dietary constraints of the precariate. Importantly, the social system needs to be responsive to short-term changes in people’s income if people are not to fall into food insecurity

Predator scent and presence alter mammal assemblages in the Missouri Ozarks, USA

Species that are vulnerable to predation exhibit a host of behavioral and physiological adaptations toward the avoidance of this outcome: Heightened awareness of surroundings through visual, olfactory, and auditory senses are common ways in which these species avoid detection by predators. While links between direct predator-prey relationships are well established, less is known about how predators can shape overall community structure or the populations of secondary or less frequently consumed prey items. As humans expand into rural areas, the frequency of wildlife conflicts rises. In response, humans look to prevent these events with a variety of methods. One such method is deterrence of nuisance species with olfactory cues from predator urines. However, the efficacy of this method remains unknown. In this thesis, I present two projects. In Section 1, I used data gathered from the Ozark Research Field Station to assess predator urine avoidance by nuisance wildlife (primarily raccoons) at the Missouri S&T Ozark Research Field Station, Newburg, Missouri. I found that the presence of predator urine deterred raccoons from consumption of high-quality food sources. In Section 2, I used a dataset from Tyson Environmental Research Center, Eureka, Missouri to determine mammal community structure in response to captive predator presence. I established concentric buffers around a captive predator zone and examined differences in mammal communities within each buffer. Mammal communities changed as distance from the predator enclosure changed. These results have implications for management of nuisance, game, and predator species in Missouri Ozark ecosystems and extend our understanding of ecological interactions among predators and their prey items --Abstract, page iv