Information in Tender Offers With a Large Shareholder

We study takeovers of firms whose ownership structure is a mixture of minority block‐holders and small shareholders. We show that the combination of dispersed private information on the side of small shareholders and the presence of a large shareholder can facilitate profitable takeovers. Furthermore, our analysis implies that even if some model of takeovers predicts a profit for the raider, for example, due to private benefits, the profit will be underestimated unless the large shareholder and the dispersion of information among the small shareholders are modeled.     

Model Selection and Shrinkage: An Overview

This special issue is concerned with model selection and shrinkage estimators. This Introduction gives an overview of the papers published in this special issue.     

Oracle Inequalities for Convex Loss Functions with Nonlinear Targets

This article considers penalized empirical loss minimization of convex loss functions with unknown target functions. Using the elastic net penalty, of which the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (Lasso) is a special case, we establish a finite sample oracle inequality which bounds the loss of our estimator from above with high probability. If the unknown target is linear, this inequality also provides an upper bound of the estimation error of the estimated parameter vector. Next, we use the non-asymptotic results to show that the excess loss of our estimator is asymptotically of the same order as that of the oracle. If the target is linear, we give sufficient conditions for consistency of the estimated parameter vector. We briefly discuss how a thresholded version of our estimator can be used to perform consistent variable selection. We give two examples of loss functions covered by our framework.     

On the Joint Lot-Sizing Problem with Zero Setup Costs

In a recent paper, Pinto and Mabert [5] presented a lot-sizing rule and an improvement procedure for the joint lot-sizing problem with zero setup costs. We show that this procedure often yields infeasible schedules. We also present and discuss two interesting properties of the joint lot-sizing problem with zero setup costs. A numerical example to illustrate the second property is provided.     

Within inequality characteristics and adaptation of immigrants in the United States

Until recently, in works of literature, the assimilation of immigrants had been viewed as an individualistic rather than a community-based process. However, Hatton and Leigh (2011) showed that immigrants integrate to their host country as communities, not as individuals; hence, group characteristics play as much of a role as individual characteristics in terms of adaptation. This paper introduces another dimension to the immigrant adaptation proxies that reflect community-based characteristics. The fundamental assertion of this paper is that inequality can be used as a proxy of adaptation within immigrant groups. Immigrant groups that exhibit income and education distributions similar to those of the natives can be regarded as well-adapted groups, while those who exhibit vastly different distributions should be considered to be groups with limited adaptation. Using the American Community Survey (ACS) 2010 cohort, this paper presents the initial findings of the within-group inequality of immigrants. Then, a cross-sectional regression analysis is employed to analyze the determinants of inequality across these immigrant groups. The results suggest that immigrant community-based characteristics, such as average income, education, and number of years that the immigrants have spent in the US, can indeed explain most of the variation in inequality.     

Semantic analysis of natural language processing in a study of nurse mobility in the Northern Territory,Australia

In lieu of diverse consequences in the demand and supply of health care professionals such as nurses and midwives in Australia and the world, a firm understanding of the characteristics of staff mobility and the factors influencing their retention could lead to achieving enhanced service delivery, greater job satisfaction, and the establishment of a more stable and robust workforce. The research reported in this paper attempts to shed light on qualitative aspects of mobility in health care professional staff in the Northern Territory of Australia. It builds upon an existing survey study of the quantitative factors that determine why nurses and midwives come to the Northern Territory, why some stay and why many leave, by analysing additional qualitative textual responses of participants using semantic network approaches to natural language processing. Our results illustrate the methodological and policy significance of semantic approaches to knowledge acquisition and representation, especially in complementing findings of traditional survey analysis techniques, and in analysing the broader social settings, effects and consequences of staff retention and mobility.     

A DISCRETE DYNAMIC OPTIMIZATION MODEL FOR MADE-TO-ORDER COST ANALYSIS

A model is presented that yields optimal production rates for a firm producing a contracted order. The model is unique in that it considers the influence of production rate and learning on total program cost. An application to the specific characteristics of two military production programs is presented. As demonstrated by the application, models of this type may be used as decision-making tools when negotiating the cost impact of contract modifications.     

Fringe benefits and income inequality

In this paper, we analyze the distribution of fringe benefits among workers and underline its implications for income inequality. To this end, we develop a positional approach to inequality based on the concept of rent as a potential link between positions and their rewards. We hypothesize that workers extract rent in the form of benefits in industries with worker leverage (in the form of unioniziation, internal labor market, and public employment) or share rent with firms in highly profitable industries that endure for efficiency wage reasons. On the basis of a unique dataset from Israel, we test these hypotheses by estimating the probabilities of obtaining benefits according to industries’ structural features while controlling for cross-industrial differences in workers’ demographic and human capital characteristics. The analyses reveal that benefits are determined by structural factors, representing a separate dimension of the rewards attached to positions, different from earnings. We further stress the importance of incorporating fringe benefits into inequality research, given that benefits together with earnings stratify workers and evidently signify structured positions in the economy.     

Visceral adiposity index is associated with premature ejaculation inversely: a cross-sectional study

Objective: Visceral adiposity index (VAI) is a novel indicator for the assessment of visceral obesity. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the relationship between VAI and premature ejaculation (PE).

Materials and method: A total of 300 men were included in the study. Hundred and fifty men with PE and 150 men without PE (control). All men were evaluated for PE by premature ejaculation diagnostic tool (PEDT). VAI levels were calculated using body mass index (BMI), high density lipoprotein and triglyceride (TG) levels.

Results: Mean age of the study groups was 34.3?±?5.2 (30–60) years and the mean age of the controls were 35.9?±?5.3 (30–60) years. The men with PE had lower BMI, TG levels, waist circumference (WC) and higher high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) levels. Mean VAI level was 4.13?±?0.7 in study group and 5.72?±?1.6 in control group, respectively. VAI levels were statistically higher in men without PE (p?Discussion: Our cross-sectional study demonstrated a negative correlation between VAI and PE. VAI is superior index for the evaluation and calculation the relationship between obesity and PE.     

Turkey's physicians' attitudes toward euthanasia: a brief research report

Euthanasia and assisted suicide are subject to an ongoing debate and discussed with various aspects. Because physicians are in a profession closely related to euthanasia, their attitudes toward this subject are significant. Thus, research intending to explore their opinions is carried out in many countries. In this study, opinions of the physicians regarding euthanasia's definition, contents, legal aspects, and acceptable conditions for its application are addressed. The questionnaire was given to 949 physicians, more than 1% of the total working in Turkey. Of the physicians who participated in the study, 49.9% agreed with the opinion that euthanasia should be legal in certain circumstances. In addition, 19% had come across a euthanasia request and the majority of physicians (55.9%) believed that euthanasia is applied secretly in the country despite the prohibitory legislation. In conclusion, the authors infer from the study itself and believe that euthanasia should be legal in certain circumstances and that the subject, which is not in the agenda of the Turkish population, should continue to be examined.