Challenge of multi-level governance in developing countries and possible GIS applications

Of the three most prominent issues in governance discourse—the horizontal coordination of markets, government hierarchies and networks, global governance and multi-level governance—this paper argues that the last, developing and sustaining structures of multi-level governance, constitutes the most profound governance challenge for most developing countries.The paper identifies the major forces promoting change in favor of multi-level governance in developing countries. Using the growing literature and comparative national experiences (illustrated with the examples of India, the Philippines, Colombia and Nigeria), it highlights the key achievements of democratic decentralization as well as its nagging problems in these countries. Finally, the paper demonstrates the significance of these developments for democracy and development in these countries and shows some of the ways by which external partners—especially experts associated with the Geographic Information Systems for Developing Countries can assist and possibly benefit from this process.     

Modeling cooperation among self-interested agents: a critique

This paper reviews recent attempts to model cooperation in groups of self-interested unrelated individuals. It concludes that no empirically plausible model has been developed, and the economist's quest for an explanation of human prosociality in terms of self-interested agents has not been successful. We show that the equilibrium criteria employed in standard game-theoretic models have no attractive dynamic properties, and the mechanisms deployed in these models are not generally seen in empirical examples of cooperative groups. We also show that these models are not robust to plausible rates of signaling error and mutation. We present an alternative, involving strongly reciprocal agents, that satisfies all the requirements for a dynamically stable model of cooperation.     

Robustness of a Class of Partial Diallel Cross Designs to the Unavailability of a Complete Block of Observations

Complete and partial diallel cross designs are examined as to their construction and robustness against the loss of a block of observations. A simple generalized inverse is found for the information matrix of the line effects, which allows evaluation of expressions for the variances of the line-effect differences with and without the missing block. A-efficiencies, based on average variances of the elementary contrasts of the line-effects, suggest that these designs are fairly robust. The loss of efficiency is generally less than 10%, but it is shown that specific comparisons might suffer a loss of efficiency of as much as 40%.     

传统科技视野下的恐怖主义及其应对

科学技术的发展及其被恶意运用,使当代的恐怖主义活动变得更加复杂多样和令人恐慌.掌握和使用高科技的超级恐怖主义组织的确存在,但对于一般恐怖分子而言,高科技的运用还不大现实.多数情况下,都是传统通用科技引导着普通的恐怖主义活动.恐怖活动与传统通用科技相伴发展的历史事实,表明传统通用科技对恐怖主义与反击恐怖主义双重力量扩张所起的作用,具体体现在武器技术、交通运输和通信技术的应用等方面.科学技术既是恐怖主义盛行的因素,也是恐怖主义的克星,运用高科技手段反击恐怖主义也是我们的必然选择.     

地区信息化水平的综合评价

本文从信息化的发展入手,阐述了信息化建设及各地区信息化水平评价的重要性,采用多元统计中的主成分分析和主成分回归法,设计一个综合指标用以评估各类地区的信息化水平及其在全国所处的位置,指导各地区的信息化建设。     

电子政府——信息时代的新型政府组织形态

信息时代的网络技术改变了普通老百姓的生活和方式 ,也必然引起政府组织结构模式的变革。电子政府实现了政府组织结构和工作流程的重组优化 ,向全社会提供优质、规范、透明和全方位的管理与服务 ,是信息时代政府发展的必然选择     

会计信息的价值取向及其实现

不同利益者使用会计信息的目的各不相同 ,使用会计信息所获得的收益也各不相同 ,这就给会计信息的价值取向及其实现提出了既理性又现实的课题。理论上的会计信息 ,其价值的形成必须把所有使用者共同认定的取向作为理论依据 ;现实中的会计信息 ,其价值的实现必须有效地遏制“信息源”、“信息人”和“信息形式”被控的现实     

材料化学与高技术新材料和信息材料

材料化学的研究对象是物质的组成、制备、结构与性能的变化规律及其应用。它强调现代精细材料合成与光电技术相互结合,深入系统地研究各种材料制备工艺及其与材料性能的关系,发展新型功能材料的人工设计技术,采用先进的实验技术和方法,研究和发展具有特定微结构和性能的新型功能材料。高技术新材料和信息材料的发展离不开材料化学,反过来,材料化学的发展进一步推动高技术新材料和信息材料的发展和进步。     

网络环境下图书馆信息服务创新初探

信息资源网络化给图书馆的生存和发展带来了巨大的冲击,图书馆惟有创新才有出路。本文提出转变观念是信息服务创新的前提;加强网络信息资源的开发利用是信息服务创新的基础;技术创新是信息服务创新的手段;高素质的图书馆员是信息服务创新的关键。     

从中国信息化实践看信息技术观的社会形成

中国信息化的技术实践中,不仅能够呈现出技术观的现代性特征,而且还能够反映出后现代特征。通过对中国信息技术观的技术理性和人文理性因素等分析,可以发现信息技术观的形成乃是一个复杂的、与社会相互作用过程的结果。围绕着信息技术发展和技术观的社会形成问题的讨论,具有多方面的社会意义。