Modified Fixed Effects Estimation of Technical Inefficiency

We consider method of moment fixed effects (FE) estimation of technical inefficiency. When N, the number of cross sectional observations, is large it ispossible to obtain consistent central moments of the population distribution of the inefficiencies. It is well-known that the traditional FE estimator may be seriously upward biased when N is large and T, the number of time observations, is small. Based on the second central moment and a single parameter distributional assumption on the inefficiencies, we obtain unbiased technical inefficiencies in large N settings. The proposed methodology bridges traditional FE and maximum likelihood estimation – bias is reduced without the random effects assumption.

The place of writing in the poetry of W.B Yeats and Patrick Kavanagh

This article addresses the theme of place in the poetry of W. B. Yeats and Patrick Kavanagh, focusing on the concept of place as a physical and psychological entity. The article explores place as a creative force in the work of these two poets, in relation to the act of writing. Seamus Heaney, in his essay “The Sense of Place,” talks about the “history of our sensibilities” that looks to the stable element of the land for continuity: “We are dwellers, we are namers, we are lovers, we make homes and search for our histories” (Heaney 1980: 148-9). Thus, in a physical sense, place is understood as a site in which identity is located and defined, but in a metaphysical sense, place is also an imaginative space that maps the landscapes of the mind. This article compares the different ways in which Yeats and Kavanagh relate to their place of writing, physically and artistically, where place is understood as a physical lived space, and as a liberating site for an exploration of poetic voice, where the poet creates his own country of the mind.

A finite sample improvement of the fixed effects estimator : applied to technical infficiency

The FE ('fixed effects') estimator of technical inefficiency performs poorly when N ('number of firms') is large and T ('number of time observations') is small. We propose estimators of both the firm effects and the inefficiencies, which have small sample gains compared to the traditional FE estimator. The estimators are based on nonparametric kernel regression of unordered variables, which includes the FE estimator as a special case. In terms of global conditional MSE ('mean square error') criterions, it is proved that there are kernel estimators which are efficient to the FE estimators of firm effects and inefficiencies, in finite samples. Monte Carlo simulations supports our theoretical findings and in an empirical example it is shown how the traditional FE estimator and the proposed kernel FE estimator lead to very different conclusions about inefficiency of Indonesian rice farmers.

Booth of the Lithographic Technical Foundation, Inc. at the Lithographic Technical Forum

This photo of the Lithographic Technical Forum shows the booth of the Lithographic Technical Foundation, Inc. The foundation was founded in 1924 to foster research and education in the lithography industry. The slogan "Research to improve lithography . . . Education to improve craft skill" can be seen at the very top of the booth. A group of people are depicted looking at the range of educational material about lithography on display. Black and white photograph.

Crowd at the Lithographic Technical Forum

Several people are looking at sample prints in this photograph of the Lithographic Technical Forum. In the background the booth for the Lithographic Technical Foundation, Inc. can be seen. Black and white photograph.

Lithographic Technical Foundation, Inc. booth at the Lithographic Technical Forum

Three people are posed in front of the Lithographic Technical Foundation, Inc. booth at the Lithographic Technical Forum. The Lithographic Technical Foundation was founded in 1924 as an industry organization to promote research and education. In the 1960s the foundation changed its name to the Graphic Arts Technical Foundation and in the late 1990s merged with Printing Industry America. The organization ha a number of educational materials about lithography on display. Black and white photograph.

Booth at the Lithographic Technical Forum

Two men are pictured on either side of an LTF Sensitivity Guide at a booth at the Lithographic Technical Forum. Black and white photograph.

Group photo at the Lithographical Technical Forum

Several people are shown posing around a cardboard cutout at the Lithographic Technical Forum. To the right others can be seen enjoying refreshments. Black and white photograph.