Differences In Efficiency Levels Research Articles

Linkages between Performance and Institutions in the Primary and Secondary Education Sector

The efficiency of schools diverges dramatically across countries in the OECD and can also vary markedly within countries. These differences in levels of efficiency can be traced to policy and institutional settings. As such, moving to best practice could boost educational attainment and reduce pressure on budgetary resources. This paper assesses empirically the relationship between institutional and policy settings and the efficiency of public spending on primary and secondary education across OECD countries. The analysis builds on two previous papers, which respectively developed OECD-area indicators of educational efficiency based on PISA score data and institutional indicators based on questionnaire responses. The results identify a number of institutional and policy settings that appear conducive to raising efficiency, as well as policies that appear to be detrimental to achieving higher levels of efficiency. Liens entre les indicateurs d'efficacite et les indicateurs institutionnels dans le secteur de l'enseignement primaire et secondaire L'efficacite des etablissements scolaires varie enormement dans les pays de la zone OCDE et peut aussi varier sensiblement a l'interieur d'un meme pays. Ces differences de niveaux d'efficience peuvent etre attribuees aux politiques publiques et aux structures institutionnelles. De ce fait, s'orienter vers les meilleures pratiques pourrait stimuler les performances des systemes scolaires. Cet article evalue de maniere empirique la relation entre les structures institutionnelles, les politiques gouvernementales et l'efficacite des depenses publiques consacrees a l'education primaire et secondaire dans les pays de l'OCDE. Cette analyse s'appuie sur deux precedentes etudes, l'une qui a elabore des indicateurs au niveau de la zone OCDE de l'efficacite des systemes educatifs a partir des scores PISA, l'autre des indicateurs des structures institutionnelles a partir des reponses a un questionnaire. Ceci conduit a identifier un certain nombre de structures institutionnelles et de politiques publiques qui semblent induire une efficience accrue, mais aussi des politiques qui semblent nuire a une amelioration des niveaux d'efficacite.

Technical efficiency of carp pond culture in South Asia: An application of a stochastic meta‐production frontier model

A stochastic meta‐production frontier model is estimated to examine the inter‐country differences in levels of technical efficiency of semi‐intensive/intensive and extensive carp pond culture systems among the major carp producing countries in South Asia, namely India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Nepal. The mean technical efficiencies for semi‐intensive/intensive farms vary from 0.68 for Nepal to 0.79 for India, with an overall average of 0.75 and those for extensive farms vary from 0.48 for Bangladesh to 0.62 for Pakistan, with an overall mean of 0.57. Differences in efficiency levels are explained in terms of various farm‐specific and country‐specific factors by estimating a model for technical inefficiency effects. The adoption of recommended fish, water, and feed management practices is found to be critical for improved performance of carp producers. For each country, the study also compares the efficiency scores based on its own production frontier with those obtained from the meta‐production frontier.

Implications of differences in technical efficiency of fishing boats for capacity measurement and reduction

Capacity measurement and reduction is a major international issue to emerge in the new millennium. However, there has been limited assessment of the success of capacity reduction schemes (CRS). In this paper, the success of a CRS is assessed for a European fishery characterised by differences in efficiency levels of individual boats. In such a fishery, given it is assumed that the least efficient producers are the first to exit through a CRS, the reduction in harvesting capacity is less than the nominal reduction in physical fleet capacity. Further, there is potential for harvesting capacity to increase if remaining vessels improve their efficiency.

Functional properties of isotype-switched immunoglobulin M (IgM) and IgG monoclonal antibodies to Pseudomonas aeruginosa lipopolysaccharide

Controversy exists regarding isotype-related differences in the antibacterial and protective properties of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-specific antibodies of the immunoglobulin M (IgM) class and various IgG subclasses. To clarify this issue, a murine hybridoma secreting IgM monoclonal antibody (MAb) specific for the O polysaccharide of Pseudomonas aeruginosa serogroup O6 LPS was class switched, by sib selection, to produce an IgG3 MAb with identical specificity and variable region heavy and light chain nucleotide sequences. This IgG3-secreting cell line was further switched to the production of O-specific, variable region-identical IgG1, IgG2b, and IgG2a MAbs. Functional comparisons of these LPS-specific IgM and IgG MAb isotypes revealed similar LPS binding, opsonic, and protective activities. Relatively minor isotype-related differences in levels of efficiency of MAb-mediated, complement-dependent opsonophagocytic killing (IgM > IgG2a > IgG3 > IgG2b > > IgG1) were not associated with corresponding differences in in vivo functions. These findings, in conjunction with previously published data, support a cautious approach to generic conclusions regarding the immunotherapeutic superiority of LPS-specific antibodies belonging to either the IgM or IgG class or to a particular IgG subclass.

Comparing Expanders for Direct Recovery of Exhaust Energy From a Low-Heat-Rejection Diesel

Part-load performance of a compound low-heat-rejection (LHR) engine is estimated at constant speed. The engine consists of an LHR diesel reciprocator geared to a supercharging compressor and an exhaust expander. Two classes of expander differing substantially in both flow characteristics and energy-extraction principles are ranked: aerodynamic (reaction turbine) and positive-displacement (internal expansion). To focus the comparison on differences in fundamental expander characteristics rather than differences in efficiency levels among specific samples of each type of expander, each is assigned an efficiency of 100 percent at its best-efficiency point. Although differences in fundamental characteristics between the expanders were sufficient to rank them on a performance basis, these differences were largely overshadowed by the magnitude of the indicated work developed in the reciprocator relative to the work developed by the expander.