Technical Efficiency and Contractual Incentives: the Case of Urban Public Transport in France

This paper studies the relative performances of contractual arrangements used in the French local public transport industry. Levels of inefficiency are estimated with a production frontier approach. The results confirm the theoretical properties of incentive contracts that lead to better technical efficiency.Contracts ; Contractual Incentives ; Contractual arrangements ; Efficiency ; Performance ; Urban Public Transport ; Public service governance ; France

Identification of Segments of French Urban Public Transport with a Latent Class Frontier Model

This paper analyses technical efficiency of French urban public transport from 1995 to 2002 with unbalanced panel data. The latent class frontier model is used allowing the identification of different segments in the production frontier. We find that there are three statistically significant segments in the sample. Therefore, we conclude that no common transport policy can reach all of the transportation companies analysed, thereby requiring transport policies by segments.Urban public transport, stochastic production frontier, latent class model, technical efficiency, panel data.

New Condensation polyimides containing 1,1,1-triaryl-2,2,2-trifluoroethane structures

The invention relates to a condensation polyimide containing a 1,1,1-triaryl 2,2,2-trifluoroethane structure and other related condensation polyimides. The process for their preparation, which comprises polymerization of a cyclic dianhydride with a diamine is also covered

Description of a New Species of Slave-making Ant in the \u3ci\u3eFormica Sanguinea\u3c/i\u3e Group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

The new species, Formica gynocrates, is described and illustrated from all the castes. This slave-making species is a member of the sanguinea group and is most similar to F. pergandei. The type locality is the E. S. George Reserve, Livingston County, Michigan. Specimens were also examined from North Dakota, Wyoming, and Colorado. A key is provided for the separation of the described North American members of the sanguinea group. The most commonly associated slave species is F. vinculans Wheeler, a member of the neogagates group. It is our opinion that F. vinculans is a valid species and not a synonym of F. neogagates, as has been previously supposed

Substituted 1,1,1-triaryl-2,2,2-trifluoroethanes and processes for their synthesis

Synthetic procedures are disclosed for tetraalkyls, tetraacids, and dianhydrides substituted 1,1,1-triaryl 2,2,2-trifluoroethanes which comprises: (1) 1,1-bis (dialkylaryl) 1-aryl 2,2,2-trifluoroethane, (2) 1,1-bis (dicarboxyaryl) 1-aryl 2,2,2-trifluoroethane, or (3) cyclic dianhydride or diamine of 1,1-bis (dialkylaryl) 1-aryl 2,2,2-trifluoroethanes. The synthesis of (1) is accomplished by the condensation reaction of an aryltrifluoromethyl ketone with a dialkylaryl compound. The synthesis of (2) is accomplished by the oxidation of (1). The synthesis dianhydride of (3) is accomplished by the conversion of (2) to its corresponding cyclic dianhydride. The synthesis of the diamine is accomplished by the similar reaction of an aryltrifluoromethyl ketone with aniline or aklyl substituted or disubstituted anilines. Also, other derivatives of the above are formed by nucleophilic displacement reactions

Labor market data

A guide to the use and interpretation of labor market data (employment, unemployment, and wages). Important statistical sources are surveyed and their histories outlined.Labor market