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Experts give scores to wines, which are quality proxies for marketers and buyers. The production of scores proxying wine quality is explained by a set of observable objective attributes, plus another set of unobservable and subjective (sensory) features, and randomness. Is it possible to use a Stochastic Frontier Approach (SFA) to understand whether objective and subjective (sensory) characteristics of wines explain the differences in 'producing' wine scores? We estimate a wine quality stochastic frontier production function, using a database of 1800 top-scored wines, in 18 years-window encompassing objective determinants that largely explain the scores (price, production, year, grape, country, etcetera), being aware that sensory aspects related to wine grading are unobservable. We find that the observable variables explain part of the 'efficiency' in attaining scores and suggest that 'inefficiency' in score generation can be attributed to unobservable (sensory) variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To estimate the performance of China in terms of energy use efficiency during the first two decades of the twenty-first century while also taking into consideration pollutant emission, this study uses a panel data set covering 30 provincial administrative regions in mainland China for the period 2000–2016. To overcome problems with the DEA-based method, this study proposes an SFA-based model that can estimate environmental energy efficiency while maintaining the regularity constraints imposed on undesirable output, by using Bayesian technique. Our empirical results show that the average value of environmental energy efficiency during the whole sample period changed from 0.7858 in 2000 to 0.7726 in 2016, with an average value of 0.7812 over the whole period. This result is in sharp contrast with findings based on the often-used GDP/energy and GDP/undesirable output indexes, both of which show an improving trend over same sample period. This study suggests that more sophisticated indexes should be used to evaluate meaningful energy efficiency and environmental protection-related performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We measure the cost of technical inefficiency for local electricity distribution firms in Sweden using Stochastic Frontier Analysis, and explore how small-scale generation, the number of electric vehicles and the introduction of dynamic pricing schemes affects the transient inefficiency and efficiency scores. Our results show little to no effect of these environmental variables on the cost of technical inefficiency of electricity distribution grids in Sweden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trade credit (TC) is a more easily accessible financing source to the most small-scale aquaculture farms with limited access to institutional credit in the developing countries. However, it is often argued that TC is a drain, on one hand, and the gain, on the other hand, without quantifying and identifying sources of drain and gain. This study empirically examines the sources and size of benefits (gain) and costs (drain) of TC in aquaculture with a sample of 280 farms in Bangladesh using Stochastic Meta Frontier and Propensity Score Matching. Moreover, factors influencing the probability of having access to TC are explored using Probit regressions. TC enables financially constrained access to inputs, thereby avoiding production losses due to lack of capital. It also allows farms' to use improved production technology with a positive tradeoff between benefits and costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research paper aims to explore the market efficiency of stock exchanges in of ASEAN-5 countries, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and the Philippines, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Stock market efficiency is the degree to which stock prices reflect all available relevant information. In an efficient market, stock prices will immediately rise or fall to reflect new information released by a company. This study uses the Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA) method to determine the efficient value over time. Market efficiency generally refers to how well financial markets in these selected countries reflect all available information, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. SFA is useful here as it can separate random errors from inefficiencies, allowing us to isolate the impact of COVID-19 on market efficiency levels across these countries. The results show that the stock markets of ASEAN-5 countries (Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, and Philippines) are efficient during the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on the hypothesis test, for the overall period of 2021 and 2023, the average efficiency ranges from 0.68 to 0.72, and for the time period/per year the average efficiency ranges from 0.66 to 0.74. The efficiency of the Philippine stock market based on time period/per year shows the average maximum efficiency in 2021 (0.74) and 2023 (0.73). While the average efficiency of the Malaysian stock market shows the minimum level of efficiency in 2020 (0.66) and 2021 (0.68). AcknowledgmentThe authors would like to thank the Research and Innovation Institute (LRI), Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta, for the enormous financial support in writing this study.

This paper extends the concept of methodological crosschecking by examining whether bank efficiencies computed by the two frontier techniques, stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) and data envelopment analysis (DEA), are consistent. The study used a panel of 220 unbalanced observations from 27 Ghanaian banks between 2007 and 2016 to estimate cost and technical efficiencies and check for consistency using five criteria: efficiency distribution, ranking, ability to identify best or worst banks, stability of efficiencies, and relationship with accounting ratios. The results suggest that there is no consistency in the way parametric and non-parametric techniques rank or identify the best or worst banks. Also, there exists a weak relationship between the efficiency scores generated by both SFA and DEA and the non-frontier accounting ratios of Ghanaian banks. This suggests that the latter may contain some exogenous variables that make them weak measures of efficiency and should be used with caution, especially for bank supervision. However, the SFA approach yielded efficiency scores that were comparatively more stable over time. Therefore, the study concludes that the SFA approach is more practical and thus more appealing for regulatory purposes in Ghana due to the relatively consistent efficiency scores under the SFA approach compared to those under the DEA.

The efficiency of poultry production plays a crucial role in ensuring food security and maintaining human health sustainability. Although extensive research has been done on the largest poultry-producing countries, the European Union's contribution has not been thoroughly investigated, especially in Central and Eastern Europe. This study aims to fill this gap by analysing the technical efficiency of poultry farms in Hungary and Poland. We use the stochastic metafrontier approach to Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) data from 2010 to 2015. The results suggest that both countries have technical inefficiencies. The meta technical efficiency (MTE) was higher in Poland than in Hungary, driven by both a higher technology gap ratio (TGR) and higher (country-specific) technical efficiency (TE) in Poland. In both countries, returns to scale were increasing, which suggests that policies that increase scale of operation could increase efficiency. Furthermore, the study highlights the importance of technological gaps for several farms both in Poland and Hungary; therefore, policies should also focus on supporting investments in technology adoption and innovation. This could involve providing subsidies or grants for the adoption of advanced farming technologies, such as automated feeding systems or data analytics for optimizing production processes.

Port efficiency has different meanings for various stakeholders. This paper examines the existing studies on the efficiency types and analysis perspectives. Most studies focused on traditional port efficiencies (i.e., the technical, allocative and economic efficiency). Some extended these traditional types by considering ships' time in port and the negative environmental impacts. The majority of studies assessed port efficiency from the perspective of port authorities, managers, and operators. Few did it from the perspective of the users and the public. Even fewer noticed the possible conflicts between the port service level and its profitability. This highlights the need for port efficiency analyses to balance the interests of different stakeholders. Frontier methods are popular in port efficiency evaluation, but publications extending or combining different methods are still very rare. Several issues are identified, including the consistencies between decision-making units and the selection of input/output variables, the nature of port services, the extension and combination of these methods, and the impacts of new developments and occurrences, which can be the direction of further studies. • 301 studies on port efficiency analysis are reviewed from types and perspectives. • Majority assessed port traditional efficiency from the perspective of port. • Analysing efficiency from different perspectives needs more attentions. • Frontier methods are widely used, new approaches with combined methods are rare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The occurrence of dyslipidaemia, which is an established risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, has been attributed to multiple factors including genetic and environmental factors. We used a genetic risk score (GRS) to assess the interactions between genetic variants and dietary factors on lipid-related traits in a cross-sectional study of 190 Brazilians (mean age: 21 ± 2 years). Dietary intake was assessed by a trained nutritionist using three 24-h dietary recalls. The high GRS was significantly associated with increased concentration of TAG (beta = 0·10 mg/dl, 95 % CI 0·05–0·16; P < 0·001), LDL-cholesterol (beta = 0·07 mg/dl, 95 % CI 0·04, 0·11; P < 0·0001), total cholesterol (beta = 0·05 mg/dl, 95 % CI: 0·03, 0·07; P < 0·0001) and the ratio of TAG to HDL-cholesterol (beta = 0·09 mg/dl, 95 % CI: 0·03, 0·15; P = 0·002). Significant interactions were found between the high GRS and total fat intake on TAG:HDL-cholesterol ratio (P interaction = 0·03) and between the high GRS and SFA intake on TAG:HDL-cholesterol ratio (P interaction = 0·03). A high intake of total fat (>31·5 % of energy) and SFA (>8·6 % of energy) was associated with higher TAG:HDL-cholesterol ratio in individuals with the high GRS (beta = 0·14, 95 % CI: 0·06, 0·23; P < 0·001 for total fat intake; beta = 0·13, 95 % CI: 0·05, 0·22; P = 0·003 for SFA intake). Our study provides evidence that the genetic risk of high TAG:HDL-cholesterol ratio might be modulated by dietary fat intake in Brazilians, and these individuals might benefit from limiting their intake of total fat and SFA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we introduce a new command, xtsfsp, for fitting spatial stochastic frontier models in Stata. Over the last decades, stochastic frontier models have seen important theoretical progress via the incorporation of various types of spatial components. Models that can account for spatial dependence and spillovers have been developed for efficiency and productivity analysis, drawing extensive attention from industry and academia. Because of the unavailability of the statistical packages, the empirical applications of the new stochastic frontier models appear to be lagging. The xtsfsp command provides a procedure for fitting spatial stochastic frontier models in the style of Orea and Álvarez (2019, Journal of Econometrics 213: 556-577) and Galli (2023, Spatial Economic Analysis 18: 239-258), enabling users to handle different sources of spatial dependence. In this article, we introduce spatial stochastic frontier models, describing the syntax and options of the new command and providing several examples to illustrate its usage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the evolving convergence of bank cost efficiency in ASEAN from 1994 to 2022, focusing on the determinants influencing this trend during distinct periods. We aim to unravel the progression of convergence drivers and their policy implications. We employ the true fixed effect stochastic frontier approach (SFA) to estimate bank cost efficiency and identify a movement toward uniform efficiency across ASEAN banks using β-convergence and σ-convergence analyses. By examining conditional β-convergence in various sub-periods, we found that the initial convergence (1994–2000) was driven by economic growth and regulation, particularly aiding less developed economies. Post-crisis (2001–2009), banks in wealthier countries led efficiency gains, albeit with growing barriers from market concentration and regulatory intensity. As the sector matured (2010–2015), traditional drivers like GDP growth and regulation attenuated in influence, while bank size and national wealth supported further convergence. In the latest phase (2016–2022), traditional convergence drivers waned, signalling a shift in the banking landscape shaped by potential new factors such as fintech and consumer behaviour changes. The evolving nature of these determinants highlights the need for ASEAN banking policies to adapt proactively. Policymakers should consider flexible, forward-looking regulations that support efficiency convergence and sectoral integration amidst a rapidly changing financial landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The efficiency of poultry production plays a crucial role in ensuring food security and maintaining human health sustainability. Although extensive research has been done on the largest poultry-producing countries, the European Union's contribution has not been thoroughly investigated, especially in Central and Eastern Europe. This study aims to fill this gap by analysing the technical efficiency of poultry farms in Hungary and Poland. We use the stochastic metafrontier approach to Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) data from 2010 to 2015. The results suggest that both countries have technical inefficiencies. The meta technical efficiency (MTE) was higher in Poland than in Hungary, driven by both a higher technology gap ratio (TGR) and higher (country-specific) technical efficiency (TE) in Poland. In both countries, returns to scale were increasing, which suggests that policies that increase scale of operation could increase efficiency. Furthermore, the study highlights the importance of technological gaps for several farms both in Poland and Hungary; therefore, policies should also focus on supporting investments in technology adoption and innovation. This could involve providing subsidies or grants for the adoption of advanced farming technologies, such as automated feeding systems or data analytics for optimizing production processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The irrational application of chemical fertilizers in wheat cultivation not only threatens the agricultural ecosystem but also significantly contributes to carbon emissions, impeding the achievement of "carbon peaking" and "carbon neutrality" goals. The objective of this research is to assess the efficiency of chemical fertilizer use in wheat production across ten major wheat-producing provinces in China from 2004 to 2020. We employed a stochastic frontier production function to evaluate the technical efficiency of fertilizer use, determining feasible reduction levels. The Gini coefficient, kernel density estimation, and Markov chain analysis were further utilized to dissect the spatio-temporal dynamics of carbon emission reduction potential. Our findings provide a detailed analysis of the carbon emission reduction potential in wheat chemical fertilizer use across China's ten major wheat-producing provinces from 2004 to 2020. The average carbon emission reduction potential is significant, at 251.1 kg CE/hm2, with considerable variation observed among regions. The western region, in particular, stands out with the highest potential, reaching up to 336.51 kg CE/hm2, which is notably higher compared to the eastern (230.05 kg CE/hm2) and central regions (158.28 kg CE/hm2). The spatial distribution of this potential is uneven, and the disparities are progressively increasing, primarily due to inter-regional differences. Despite a general decline in carbon reduction potential, the spatial distribution remains relatively consistent. To foster sustainable wheat production, it is imperative to prioritize the western region for targeted chemical fertilizer carbon reduction initiatives. Attention must also be given to the issue of regional disparities in low-carbon wheat production. Enhancing the role of soil testing and fertilizer recommendations is essential to increase the effectiveness of carbon reduction efforts. Additionally, a multi-faceted approach that incorporates various alternative measures is necessary to drive further reductions in chemical fertilizer-related carbon emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice is a crucial agricultural product, and enhancing its productivity is essential for increasing production. This study aims to analyze the total factor productivity growth of rice production in Iran from 2000 to 2020. Using parametric (stochastic frontier analysis) approaches, the research evaluated the rice productivity growth and its components, including scale and technological changes. Based on the estimated Translog Cost Function, the annual total factor productivity growth was 2.1%, with positive technological change as the primary driver of these improvements. To further enhance productivity, the study recommends utilizing improved seeds, modern machinery, fertilizers, and nutritional solutions during rice cultivation. Additionally, the research suggests the application of parametric approaches in future studies to assess the impact of technological changes on crop yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice is a crucial agricultural product, and enhancing its productivity is essential for increasing production. This study aims to analyze the total factor productivity growth of rice production in Iran from 2000 to 2020. Using parametric (stochastic frontier analysis) approaches, the research evaluated the rice productivity growth and its components, including scale and technological changes. Based on the estimated Translog Cost Function, the annual total factor productivity growth was 2.1%, with positive technological change as the primary driver of these improvements. To further enhance productivity, the study recommends utilizing improved seeds, modern machinery, fertilizers, and nutritional solutions during rice cultivation. Additionally, the research suggests the application of parametric approaches in future studies to assess the impact of technological changes on crop yields.

Psoriasis is a chronic systemic disease with a multifaceted pathomechanism and immunological basis, with the presence of inflammatory skin lesions and joint ailments. Diseases accompanying psoriasis include metabolic and cardiovascular disorders. It has been suggested that inflammation is involved in the development of each of these conditions. The main objective of this study was to analyse the fatty acid profile, including polyunsaturated fatty acids, in the erythrocyte membranes of patients suffering from psoriasis. A total of 58 adult patients of the Department of Skin and Venereal Diseases of the Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, suffering from psoriasis, were qualified for this study. The patients had undergone an interview and physical examination, during which the severity of psoriasis was assessed. All patients had their weight and height measured to assess their body mass index (BMI). After 3 months of treatment, biochemical parameters (ALT, AST, total cholesterol) and inflammatory markers (CRP) in the blood were assessed. In addition, the isolation of fatty acids (PUFAs, SFAs, MUFAs) from erythrocyte membranes and the qualitative and quantitative analysis of their profile using a gas chromatograph were carried out. In patients with severe psoriasis requiring systemic treatment, an altered profile of fatty acids in erythrocyte membranes was found, including a significantly lower concentration of polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-3), which have an anti-inflammatory effect; a significantly higher concentration of saturated fatty acids; and a decreased concentration of oleic acid (omega-9), compared to the results obtained in patients with less severe psoriasis receiving topical treatment. In patients with psoriasis and BMI ≥ 25, significantly higher concentrations of AST and ALT in the blood and significantly higher concentrations of pro-inflammatory arachidonic acid in erythrocyte membranes were found. Elevated concentrations of saturated (R = 0.31) and monounsaturated fatty acids (R = 0.29) may correlate with a greater severity of psoriasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Dairy foods are often a major contributor to dietary saturated fatty acids (SFA) intake. However, different SFA-rich foods may not have the same effects on cardiovascular risk factors. We compared full-fat yogurt with low-fat yogurt and butter for their effects on cardiometabolic risk factors in healthy individuals. Methods: Randomized, two-period crossover trial conducted from October 2022 to April 2023 among 30 healthy men and women (15 to receive full-fat yogurt first, and 15 to receive low-fat yogurt and butter first). Participants consumed a diet with 1.5-2 servings of full-fat (4%) yogurt or low-fat (< 1.5) yogurt and 10–15 g of butter per day for 4 weeks, with 4 weeks wash-out when they consumed 1.5-2 servings of low-fat milk. At baseline, and the end of each 4 weeks, fasting blood samples were drawn and plasma lipids, glycemic and inflammatory markers as well as expression of some genes in the blood buffy coats fraction were determined. Results: All 30 participants completed the two periods of the study. Apolipoprotein B was higher for the low-fat yogurt and butter [changes from baseline, + 10.06 (95%CI 4.64 to 15.47)] compared with the full-fat yogurt [–4.27 (95%CI, -11.78 to 3.23)] and the difference between two treatment periods was statistically significant (p = 0.004). Non-high-density lipoprotein increased for the low-fat yogurt and butter [change, + 5.06 (95%CI (-1.56 to 11.69) compared with the full-fat yogurt [change, − 4.90 (95%CI, -11.61 to 1.81), with no significant difference between two periods (p = 0.056). There were no between-period differences in other plasma lipid, insulin, and inflammatory biomarkers or leukocyte gene expression of ATP-binding cassette transporter 1 and CD36. Conclusion: This study suggests that short-term intake of SFAs from full-fat yogurt compared to intake from butter and low-fat yogurt has fewer adverse effects on plasma lipid profile. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT05589350, 10/15/2022. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Financial distress (FD) signals the early warning of the undesirable state of a firm's business failure. Such early signs are essential for the firm to resolve future business failures promptly. This study investigates the influence of technical efficiency (TE) on the firm's FD. This study combines techniques to provide a comparative analysis for robust outcomes. TE is measured using Data Envelope Analysis (DEA) and Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA). FD is calculated by various Altman's Z-scores (AZS) and BOS distress scores developed by Berger et al. (J Financ Econ 42:259–287, 1996) and AC distress scores by Almeida and Campell (Rev Financ Stud 20:1429–1460, 2007). A sample of 78 non-financial listed firms in India for the observation period 2016–2020 is taken for the panel data analysis. The study's findings reveal that TE impacts the firm's FD. Moreover, DEA and SFA efficiencies have exhibited positive and negative effects on the firm's FD. The Covid-19 pandemic also has enhanced the FD. The current findings deliver essential implications for the stakeholders by demonstrating that TE is crucial for a firm's FD condition. This study augments the existing knowledge body by assessing the efficiency and distress scores of non-financial firms in India. This study also contributes to the related literature on FD through its novel findings of TE's impact on FD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coronary artery disease is one of the significant causes of death and is still a health problem for developed and developing countries. Increased cholesterol in the blood is caused by heredity and high-fat consumption. The effect of dietary fat on artery disease is related to the impact of fatty acid components and cholesterol on blood cholesterol. This study aims to determine the relationship between consumption of Saturated Fatty Acids (SFA), Monounsaturated Fatty Acids (MUFA), and Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFA) with total cholesterol levels in patients with coronary artery disease. The research design used was descriptive-analytic in clinical nutrition with a cross-sectional approach. The population in this study were 405 patients with coronary artery disease at the artery clinic of RSUD Dr. M. Yunus Bengkulu. The sample was 32 patients collected using a purposive sampling technique. Using the Chi-Square test, data analysis was used to determine the relationship between the consumption of SFA, MUFA, and PUFA with total cholesterol levels in patients with coronary artery disease. The study’s results found a significant relationship between SFA consumption and coronary artery disease. Still, conversely, there was no significant relationship between MUFA and PUFA consumption with total cholesterol level in coronary artery disease patients, namely that SFA consumption was inadequate (p-value = 0.043, OR = 0.407), inadequate MUFA consumption (p-value = 0.710), and inadequate of PUFA consumption (p-value= 0.465). The conclusion is that saturated fatty acids are related to total cholesterol in coronary artery disease while conversely to monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Dietary patterns (DP) and its relationship with academic performance especially among schoolchildren have received significant attention in nutritional epidemiology studies. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to determine the determinants of academic success among Malay teenagers in Terengganu, Malaysia. Methods: Habitual dietary intakes were obtained using a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire, anthropometry data were measured by trained researchers and information on academic performance were gathered from the school registrar’s office. The method of reduced rank regression was employed in order to determine the dietary patterns (DPs) and multivariable linear regression models were employed to examine the relationships between DP and academic performance. Results: Of the 375 study participants, half of the sample were female (50.1%), with 61.9% having a normal BMI. The main DP identified in this study was “high sugar, high sodium and high saturated fatty acid (SFA)”. The models showed that there were significant inverse associations between the DP with Science marks (β=-1.87; 95%CI:-0.39,-3.36; p=0.013) and the combination of Mathematics and Science marks (β=-3.49; 95%CI:-0.45,6.52; p=0.024). Findings showed that a ‘high sugar, sodium and SFA’ DP could negatively impact the academic performance of adolescents, particularly in STEM-related subjects. Conclusion: These could serve as a basis for developing nutritional education among adolescents to enhance academic performance for a better future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction/Aim. Seminal fluid analysis (SFA) plays a crucial role in helping infertility clinics diagnose the underlying reason of male infertility. The aim of the study was to investigate seminal fluid patterns of male partners of an infertile couple with apparently fertile female partners. Materials and A cross-sectional study was conducted between January 2019 and December 2022. Patients were attending consultations for delayed conception for more than 12 months with apparently fertile female partner. Results. Four hundred fifty-three patients were included in the study. The distribution of patients according to age groups showed that 277 patients were young, aged 21 - 30 years (61%). Two hundred sixtytwo (58%) patients complained of infertility for 12 - 24 months duration. Four hundred twenty-nine (94.7%) patients had normal semen volume. In terms of sperm count, 174 patients had below the normal sperm count. Sperm concentrations also showed a great decline with advancing age. Motility parameters were shown to be poor. Sperm morphology findings were relatively good. Results of the current study reflects the impact of infertility on young age groups (21-30 years) as 277 (61%) cases of infertility manifests in this age. One hundred fifty-eight (34.8%) patients were suffering from low sperm count which tend to get lower with increasing age. Motility is known to have a stronger impact on fertility rate compared to morphology. Conclusion. Low motility is caused by several factors which are highly prevalent in society as compared to abnormal morphology factors, including: smoking, drinking alcohol, low exercise, stress, obesity, while morphology on the other hand is affected by other factors which are less prevalent in society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many methods exist for solving the problem of evaluating efficiency in different processes. They are divided into two basic groups, parametric and non-parametric methods, which can have significant differences in the results. In this study, the authors consider the process of assessing the business climate depending on realized foreign investments. Due to the expected difference in efficiency assessment using different approaches, the goal of this paper is to create an optimization model of an ensemble for efficiency assessment that uses both types of methods with the aim of creating a symmetrical approach that achieves better results than each type of method individually. The proposed solution simultaneously analyzes the impact of different factors on foreign investments in order to determine the most important factors and thus enable each local government to ensure the best possible efficiency in this process. The innovative idea of this study is in the inclusion of classification and feature selection methods of machine learning to fulfill the set goal. Our research, focused on a specific case study in various cities across the Republic of Serbia, evaluated the effectiveness of that process. This study extends previous research and confirms the published results, highlighting the advantages of the newly proposed model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluates the technical efficacy of Côte d’Ivoire’s banks from 2005 to 2019, accounting for the effect of shareholding. The technical efficiency of the Ivorian banking system became much more efficient after 2012, according to the results of a Tobit random-effects model using the DEA and SFA methods. Additionally, private and foreign shareholding significantly and favorably influences technical efficiency, according to the study. We suggest that actions be taken to allow local and foreign private partners to purchase shares in Ivorian public banks, based on these findings.

This article investigates the Belgian Operational Mentoring and Liaison mission in Kunduz between 2009 and 2013 by applying military adaptation theory to the empirical data retrieved from interviews and archival research. The lessons learned by the Belgian OMLTs in Afghanistan, and its adaptation and emulation processes provide a useful template for upcoming Security Force Assistance operations. In addition, Belgian formal and informal procedures to disseminate lessons learned across the armed forces provide valuable insights for future operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measuring the agricultural production efficiency (APE) and the ecological transformation efficiency (ETE) is key to agricultural modernization and regional ecological civilization construction. Based on the agricultural input–output dataset of the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) from 2000 to 2015, we use the panel stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) to measure the APE and ETE to explore the spatiotemporal patterns of regional APE and ETE from the geographical perspective. We rely on the quantitative association characteristics to explore the key threshold of ecological economic development in agriculture. The results show that: (1) In the study period, the APE increased from 0.2993 to 0.5495, indicating that the cumulative growth of the whole period was 83.60%, and the high-value units gradually changed from point distribution to spatial distribution; (2) Although the ETE of the YREB increased from 2000 to 2015, the proportion of the first-class species was still only 7.26% in 2015, and the inverted U-shaped polarization distribution characteristics of the high-efficiency cities and the band-like structure of global decision-making units were formed at the same time; (3) The improvement of ETE has obvious segment distribution and threshold crossing characteristics, and the APE is equal to 0.661, which is the threshold for high-speed growth and low-speed growth of ETE. The research framework, spatiotemporal rules and key thresholds have reference value for agricultural modernization and ecological civilization construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ensuring a healthy and sustainable diet for all should be a global priority, and to achieve this goal the food system requires substantial changes. Adopting a one-size-fits-all approach is not feasible, and we need to consider the cultural particularities of each geography and not try to export models that work in one place but may be unsustainable in others. Our discussion will center on two key aspects within this overarching process: (a) the combination of a rigorous evidence-based approach with existing or proposed Nutritional Guidelines and policies required to realize the “ONE HEALTH” and “ONE QUALITY” concepts. Examining the Mediterranean diet and the latest findings on saturated fats will aid us in comprehending the necessary paradigm shift required to formulate new guidelines with substantial impact in preventing the rising prevalence of Non-Communicable Diseases worldwide; (b) the adequacy and scope of the data bank necessary to develop a global, science-based approach.

Despite numerous advances in all areas of cardiovascular care, cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the United States (US). There is compelling evidence that interventions to improve diet are effective in cardiovascular disease prevention. This clinical practice statement emphasizes the importance of evidence-based dietary patterns in the prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), and ASCVD risk factors, including hyperlipidemia, hypertension, diabetes, and obesity. A diet consisting predominantly of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, plant protein and fatty fish is optimal for the prevention of ASCVD. Consuming more of these foods, while reducing consumption of foods with saturated fat, dietary cholesterol, salt, refined grain, and ultra-processed food intake are the common components of a healthful dietary pattern. Dietary recommendations for special populations including pediatrics, older persons, and nutrition and social determinants of health for ASCVD prevention are discussed.

Abstract Objective: To identify the main foods determining SFA intakes and model the impact of food exchanges to improve compliance with dietary fat recommendations in Irish children. Design: Estimated food and nutrient intakes were obtained from a cross-sectional study, the National Children’s Food Survey II. Participants were categorised into low, medium and high SFA consumers, and the contribution of food categories to SFA intakes was compared. A food-exchange model was developed, whereby a selected range of high SFA foods was exchanged with lower SFA or unsaturated fat alternatives. Setting: Participants were randomly selected from primary schools throughout the Republic of Ireland. Participants: A representative sample of 600 Irish children (5–12 years). Results: The main determinants of low and high SFA consumers were milk, cheese and butter. These foods, including snack foods and meat and meat products, were considered exchangeable foods within the model. Compared with baseline data, modelled intakes for total fat, SFA, MUFA and trans-fat presented decreases of 3·2, 2·7, 1·6 and < 0·1 % of total energy (% TE), respectively. PUFA, n-6, n-3 and alpha-linolenic acid showed increases of 1·0, 0·8, 0·2 and 0·1 % TE, respectively. Compliance with total fat, MUFA and trans-fat recommendations remained adequate (100 %). Adherence to SFA and PUFA recommendations improved from 18 to 63 % and 80 to 100 %, respectively. Conclusion: The food-exchange model decreased SFA intakes and increased PUFA intakes, suggesting modest dietary changes to children’s diets can effectively improve their overall dietary fat profile.

Atherosclerosis is a key risk factor for developing cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Flow-mediated dilation (FMD), which reflects vascular reactivity, as well as pulse wave velocity (PWV) and augmentation index (AIx), both markers of arterial stiffness, have emerged as noninvasive, subclinical atherosclerotic markers for the early stages of altered vascular function. In addition to the long-term effects of diet, postprandial processes have been identified as important determinants of CVD risk, and evidence suggests an acute effect of fat quantity and fatty acid (FA) composition on vascular function. However, robust analyses of this association are lacking, especially concerning parameters of arterial stiffness. Therefore, we carried out a systematic literature search in PubMed, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library to investigate the impact of fat quantity and FA composition of meals on postprandial vascular function. Postprandial studies measuring FMD, PWV, and/or AIx in healthy adults and subjects with increased CVD risk (e.g., those with hypercholesterolemia or metabolic syndrome) were analyzed. In total, 24 articles were included; 9 studies focused on the effect of high-fat meals compared with control; and 15 studies investigated the effects of different fat sources. We found that consumption of a high-fat meal causes a reduction in FMD (decrease in vasodilation) and AIx (decrease in arterial stiffness). For eicosapentaenoic acid/docosahexaenoic acid (from fish oil), postprandial assessment (FMD and AIx) indicates a beneficial effect on vascular function. There is limited evidence of an influence of CVD risk on the vascular response to meals with varying fat doses or FA composition. However, meaningful conclusions were difficult to draw because of the large heterogeneity of the studies. Inconsistent results regarding both the impact of fat dose and FA composition on postprandial vascular function should be noted. We propose standardized methods for postprandial protocols to improve data quality in future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bats can use a wide range of roosts as hibernacula, resulting in diverse hibernation strategies. The ecological needs of a species during hibernation translate into particular torpor-arousal patterns and physiological demands. For mammalian hibernators, the oxidation of fatty acids from triacylglycerols stored in white and brown adipocytes provides the main energy to fuel hibernation. The relative content of saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids in body fat brings multifarious costs and benefits, and their importance during hibernation is likely changing. While considering the level of fatty acid saturation and their properties, we hypothesised that whole-body fat composition varies between bat species (Nyctalus noctula, Myotis myotis) that employ different hibernation strategies. Therefore, the focus of this study was to determine the relative fatty acid composition of the whole-body fat of these species. We found evidence that the body fat of N. noctula has a higher relative content of MUFAs than M. myotis, which, on the other hand, has high SFAs and PUFAs. Such profound differences in fatty acid profiles suggest that the studied species' distinct hibernation strategies and torpor-arousal patterns are reflected in functional differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Olive trees are among the best-adapted species to the Mediterranean basin and the Middle East, already characterized by persistent rain deficits. However, this area is considered a climate change hotspot for the increasing drought occurrence and warming predicted under future greenhouse gas emission scenarios. Indeed, drought stress is one of the major environmental constraints which detrimentally affects plant and fruit yields. However, it has been also broadly acknowledged the impressive effect of melatonin (MEL) treatment in mitigating the deleterious effects of this stress. In this view, our research was carried out to assess the potential advantageous effects of foliar MEL treatment exogenously (0 and 100 µM) on olive fruit quality, chemical profile, and yield of olive oil from Sevillana and Roughani olive cultivars exposed to various water stress levels (100, 75, and 50% ET). The data showed that independently of plant treatment, Sevillana oil exhibited more C16:1, C18:1, MUSFA/PUSFA, total chlorophylls, and carotenoids, while Roughani presented higher C16:0, C18:0, and phenolics. Olive oil from plants exposed to drought stress underwent several changes in fatty acid composition. For instance, under water stress, C16:0, C18:0, and C18:1 showed an increasing trend whereas the opposite was seen for C18:2 and C18:3 which declined. Therefore, while unsaturated fatty acid (USFA) significantly decreased, together with total chlorophylls, saturated fatty acids (SFA) considerably raised. Moreover, phenols and flavonoids, which are well-known to preserve membrane structure and prevent oxidative stress, increased under water deficit. MEL treatment, which has been proved promising in reducing membrane lipid peroxidation, further increased phenols, and carotenoids in the two cultivars under mild and strong water deficit, C16:1, C18:1, and C18:2 compared to respective controls. In conclusion, MEL-foliar treatment could cope with the deleterious drought effects by preserving the composition of fatty acids in membrane lipids, increasing the synthesis of antioxidant protective molecules that also improved the nutraceutical and nutritional value of olive oils and stabilizing oil yield, thus preserving oil quality and yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Turkey is the leading producer and exporter of hazelnuts, producing approximately 64% of global hazelnut production. This research investigated the effects of cultivars and altitude on the phenolic, antioxidant, and fatty acid compositions of five hazelnut cultivars grown at three different altitudes, 100 m, 350 m, and 800 m, in Ordu province, one of the territories that produce the most hazelnuts. The results showed that the cultivar and location significantly affected phenolic compounds, antioxidant activity, and fatty acid (FA) content. The lowest (2.30 mg/kg-Yağlı) and highest (21.11 mg/kg-Kara) gallic acids were obtained at 100 m. The highest total phenolic content and antioxidant activity were found in the nuts grown at 350 m in the Kara and Palaz cultivars, at 100 m in the Yağlı and Sivri cultivars, and at 800 m in the Çakıldak cultivar. Oleic acid was the predominant FA in the cultivars and possessed a diverse trend according to the altitude and cultivar, ranging from 76.04% to 84.80%, increasing with altitude in all cultivars except Çakıldak. Palmitic acid was the predominant saturated FA followed by stearic acid, which significantly varied according to the elevations. This study suggests that the responses of hazelnuts to altitude depend on the cultivar; hence, a proper approach to producing nuts containing more phenolic, fatty acids, and antioxidant activity includes choosing a suitable cultivar for a specific elevation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Penja, Sicyopterus parvei, is an endemic fish species in the Budong-Budong River, Central Mamuju, West Java, Indonesia. This species has a high nutritional content for human health. However, there is no research regarding the characterization of penja fish. This study aimed to determine the chemical quality and characteristics of the penja fish oil (Sicyopterus parvei) from the Budong-Budong River Estuary. Penja fish samples were extracted with 96% ethanol, purified and bleached with 3% bentonite. The yield and chemical characteristics of penja fish oil, including acid number, free fatty acid number, anisidine and peroxide value were determined. The characteristics of penja fish fatty acid were assessed using GCMS (Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry). All chemical characteristics of penja fish crude oil were higher than penja fish pure oil, including oil yield (8.55% vs 2.83%), acid number (50.75% vs 19.40%), free fatty acids (19.35% vs 9.56%), peroxide value (8.51 vs 2.58 meq/kg), anisidin value (4.14 vs 2.38 meq/kg) and total oxidation (20.95 vs 7.38 meq/kg). The fatty acid of penja fish recorded 10.62% PUFA, 19.03% MUFA and 35.3% SFA. Besides, penja fish contain omega 3, viz., DHA and EPA. The quality of the penja fish oil after purification was better than that before purification. Free fatty acids did not meet either the Indonesian National Standard (SNI) nor the International Fish Oil Standards (IFOS), while the peroxide value, anisidin number and total oxidation met both standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, total lipid and fatty acid profiles of Barbus tauricus samples which were obtained from Melen River Basin during winter, spring, and summer seasons, were evaluated. Total lipid levels were determined 2.27%, 2.37%, and 4.34% in winter, spring, and summer, respectively. The study also determined that the carbon count of 30 fatty acids, composing total fat compositions of B. tauricus caught in Melen Basin, ranges among 12-24. The major fatty acids of B. tauricus are palmitic acid and stearic acid from SFA; palmitoleic acid, trans oleic acid, oleic acid and erucic acid from MUFA and linoleic acid, alfa linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid from PUFA. The study is the first one on lipid and fat profiles of B. tauricus, one of the species living in Duzce Melen Basin and having high economic importance, and aimed to investigate total lipid and fatty acid profiles according to the season.

Peripheral artery disease is a condition that occurs due to narrowing or occlusion of arterial lumen usually secondary to atherosclerosis. Endovascular treatments are minimally invasive procedures that have become popular for recanalization of such calcified/sclerosed arteries. However, heavily calcified arteries make these procedures challenging and are more prone to complications like balloon rupture and bleeding. Herein, we report a novel case of rupture of superficial femoral artery and its management using self-expanding Supera stent.

Many methods exist for solving the problem of evaluating efficiency in different processes. They are divided into two basic groups, parametric and non-parametric methods, which can have significant differences in the results. In this study, the authors consider the process of assessing the business climate depending on realized foreign investments. Due to the expected difference in efficiency assessment using different approaches, the goal of this paper is to create an optimization model of an ensemble for efficiency assessment that uses both types of methods with the aim of creating a symmetrical approach that achieves better results than each type of method individually. The proposed solution simultaneously analyzes the impact of different factors on foreign investments in order to determine the most important factors and thus enable each local government to ensure the best possible efficiency in this process. The innovative idea of this study is in the inclusion of classification and feature selection methods of machine learning to fulfill the set goal. Our research, focused on a specific case study in various cities across the Republic of Serbia, evaluated the effectiveness of that process. This study extends previous research and confirms the published results, highlighting the advantages of the newly proposed model.

Measuring the agricultural production efficiency (APE) and the ecological transformation efficiency (ETE) is key to agricultural modernization and regional ecological civilization construction. Based on the agricultural input–output dataset of the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) from 2000 to 2015, we use the panel stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) to measure the APE and ETE to explore the spatiotemporal patterns of regional APE and ETE from the geographical perspective. We rely on the quantitative association characteristics to explore the key threshold of ecological economic development in agriculture. The results show that: (1) In the study period, the APE increased from 0.2993 to 0.5495, indicating that the cumulative growth of the whole period was 83.60%, and the high-value units gradually changed from point distribution to spatial distribution; (2) Although the ETE of the YREB increased from 2000 to 2015, the proportion of the first-class species was still only 7.26% in 2015, and the inverted U-shaped polarization distribution characteristics of the high-efficiency cities and the band-like structure of global decision-making units were formed at the same time; (3) The improvement of ETE has obvious segment distribution and threshold crossing characteristics, and the APE is equal to 0.661, which is the threshold for high-speed growth and low-speed growth of ETE. The research framework, spatiotemporal rules and key thresholds have reference value for agricultural modernization and ecological civilization construction.

One of the strategies of collecting taxes in Indonesian territory is through tax education as an effort to increase taxpayer awareness. PERMAN-RB No. 49 and PERMAN-RB No. 50 of 2020 show that the function of tax education is essential in tax collection. This study analyzed the effect of tax education on the inefficiency of tax collection in Indonesia. The method used in this study is Stochastic Frontier Analysis with a one-step estimation approach from 319 Primary Tax Service Offices in 2017-2020. The output variable used in this study is the realization of tax revenue, while the input variable used is capital per labor. This study also uses control variables which are: population density, education, the number of informal workers, the number of MSME taxpayers registered in the primary tax service office, and the number of non-SME taxpayers registered in the primary tax service office. The results show that the efficiency level of the primary tax service office in Indonesia with an average technical efficiency in 2017-2020 is 89.45% hence 10.45% identified, which can be optimized to get the most efficient operational level. Tax education has a negative effect on the inefficiency of the Primary Tax Service Office.

Research in the fields of public policy and efficiency evaluation in higher education intensifies amid the NPM spread. This paper advocates the need to increase awareness on whether universities transform and modernise their operations under performance-enhancing policies, and systematically reviews the existing empirical evidence on the effects of such policies in terms of efficiency and productivity. The study classifies the mechanisms of public intervention as ‘state as financier’, ‘the structuring state’ and ‘the autonomy steering state’. The synthesis of the fragmented evidence on the effects of public interventions in terms of universities’ efficiency and productivity addressed by data envelopment analysis and stochastic frontier analysis methodologies is follows. Enhancement of competitive environment and higher autonomy are associated with higher efficiency and productivity. Supply side concentration of resources through excellence initiatives and restructuring of the landscape because of Bologna Process were also effective in transforming universities’ production function. The evidence on top-down mergers is mixed, and we can question their implementation, as opposed to voluntary mergers.

This paper investigates the role of competition in the Middle East and North Africa countries for the period of 2012-2021. The bank efficiency is measured using Stochastic Frontier Analysis. Using a sample of 177 commercial banks and a dynamic panel data approach in GMM technique, the empirical results revealed that the higher the competition the higher bank efficiency. This finding suggests that banks in countries with low high competition tend to perform more efficiently. Furthermore, a negative but insignificant relationship between total assets and bank efficiency reflects the fact that larger banks in developing countries suffer from diseconomies of scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using stochastic frontier analysis, the paper measures the technical efficiency of cement industry of Pakistan. For this purpose, technical efficiency is calculated for 16 cement industries using panel data for the period 2000–2016. Two models are estimated to measure the technical efficiency of cement industry, i.e., the industrial model and the macro-model. In the former model, only industry related variables are used, while in the latter model macroeconomic variables are also used as input variables besides industrial variables. The results indicate that all industrial variables, i.e., capital, labor, raw material, repair and maintenance, energy inputs and advertisement have positive effect on production of cement industry measured by net sales. In macro-model, gross domestic product (GDP) growth and exchange rate have significant positive effect on production. It is found that one percent increase in economic growth will increase cement production by 0.061%. Similarly, one percent devaluation in exchange rate will bring 0.855% increase in cement production. The results show that there is 48.4% efficiency in cement industry of Pakistan, which indicates that cement industry in Pakistan is inefficient by 51.6%. It implies that there is a need to improve the efficiency of cement industry. Further, macroeconomic variables should be incorporated while examining the efficiency of cement industry in Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technical efficiency (TE) and total factor productivity (TFP) are important criteria to ensure the enhancement of the quality and efficiency of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and function as important indicators to assess the quality of their accomplishments. The purpose of this study is to explore whether the efficiency of SOEs is higher or lower than that of private enterprises. Transcendental logarithmic production function and stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) are used to assess the TE and TFP of listed central SOEs, local SOEs, and private enterprises, the data of which were taken from 2006–2020. The results show that the sampled private enterprises had the highest average TE during the study period, followed by the central and local SOEs. The private enterprises also had the highest average TFP growth rate, followed by the local and central SOEs. The TFP decompositions show that the TE change (TEC) and technical change (TC) indices of the SOEs were lower than those of the private enterprises. The TC, TEC, and scale change (SC) are limiting the TFP growth rates of the SOEs in labor-intensive industries. The SC of the SOEs has changed less than that of private enterprises in the sampled capital-intensive industries. Northern and southern China had the highest rates of TE and TFP growth. Indeed, this paper measures and decomposes TFP, and analyzes the efficiency of SOEs and private enterprises in different industries and regions in an international context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The protein, lipid, and fatty acid levels of three fish scorpion caught from Mediterranean changed significantly among the seasons (p <0.05). The highest protein levels were determined in winter, spring, and summer for S. scrofa and in summer for S. elongata and H. dactylopterus. The highest lipid contents were determined in the spring for S. scrofa and S. elongate and in autumn for H. dactylopterus. The dominant fatty acids for three species were detected as SFA>PUFA > MUFA. As a result, low PUFA/SFA ratios, low EPA levels, and dominant SFAs in the muscle of three species. However, low n6/n3 ratio and high protein, and poor lipid content are nutritionally important. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]