In this paper we propose a new approach (based on the Multiple Indicator Multiple Cause (MIMIC) model of Joreskog and Goldberger (1975)) to assess the performance of firms assuming that the 'true' firm performance is latent but there are many observable indicators of it. In our MIMIC model, the latent firm performance variable is linked with some observed explanatory variables (determinants) like age, size, advertising expenses, debt equity ratio, etc. Since there are many observed indicators (ROE, ROA, Tobin's Q, etc.) of the unobserved latent firm performance, the measurement equations in the MIMIC model link these observed indicators to the latent performance measure. We use firm level data from India during the period 2001 to 2008 to estimate the latent firm performance using the predicted factor scores and rank the firms according to the proposed measure. Finally, we estimate two stochastic frontier models and compute Pearson's correlation between pairs of performance measures. We find high rank correlation between the two measures of firm performance/efficiency, which justifies the use of the MIMIC model as a complementary method of performance measures.

Aims and Objectives:Sexual dimorphism refers to the variations in tooth size and shape between the sexes. The consistency of these variations is valuable in the identification of the sex of an individual in times of mass disaster when whole body parts get destroyed or are unavailable. There exist differences in the expression of these variables across races and regions. This study aims to tabulate and identify the variations in tooth measurements using standarized reference points in an attempt to establish parameters of sexual dimorphism.Materials and Methods:100 individuals (50 of each sex) in the age group 19-23 years were assessed for standard morphometric parameters of the maxillary central incisor, canine, premolar and molar. Odontometric measurements of established parameters were recorded from impression casts of the maxillary jaws. The mesiodistal width (MDW), the bucco-ligual width (BLW), the crown length (CL) and the cervical angle (CA) were charted among the teeth. The consistency of the variations was statistically analyzed and a logistic regression table was prepared to identify the sex of the individual from the tooth measurements.Results and Conclusions:The BLW, MDW and CL reflected significant variations among all the teeth to be effective in establishing sexual dimorphism. CA as a parameter was inadequate across all the teeth. The permanent maxillary canine was the most important tooth to be reflective of the gender and statistically significant to be utilized for gender determination.

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