Are VAT reforms an effective tool for promoting culture? A quasi-experiment in Spain

Sponsoring culture is a long-term profit-generating investment that public policy makers can achieve by means of Pigouvian subsidy or tax schemes. This paper evaluates the effectiveness of the three VAT reforms implemented between 2012 and 2018 (one tax raise reform and two tax cut reforms) in the cultural sector in Spain. We first provide visual evidence and empirical estimates of the tax shifting and the distribution of the VAT burden between consumers and producers. We then use a regression discontinuity design to assess the causal effects of these VAT reforms on performing acts and cinema consumption (both in the extensive and the intensive margin). Several interesting findings arise from our results. First, we find that producers only passed through 45% of the VAT cut to consumer prices. Second, the effect of the 2017 VAT reduction on performing arts slightly increased the number of households consuming these cultural services, whereas the 2018 tax cut on cinema had no significant effect in the number of moviegoers (extensive margin). Third, the cultural spending per household conditional on participation (intensive margin) increased after the two VAT rate reductions. Finally, we test for asymmetries in pass-through with respect to the 2012 tax raise and we find (i) no evidence of prices responding more strongly to increases than to decreases in VAT, (ii) a symmetric response of the number of households consuming these cultural services, and (iii) an asymmetric response of the average cultural spending conditional on participation.     

Surgical Identity Play: The Anatomy Lab Revisited

The anatomy lab has been studied by sociologists interested in professional socialization since the 1950s. This is because the act of dissecting a cadaver is thought to be foundational for both the student's medical knowledge and the development of the student's professional identity. In this paper, I revisit the anatomy lab both historically and ethnographically. Drawing on theoretical insights from the laboratory ethnography tradition within science and technology studies, I show that students use material artifacts in the lab to support their “surgical identity play.” This activity is structured by the laboratory's performative architecture even while it is unsupervised by anatomy faculty. While many analyses of professional socialization focus on how students learn to interact with patients during their training, I show that the anatomy lab experience is an important form of professional socialization because here students learn to employ surgical instruments, language, and dress, and begin to relate to each other as colleagues.     

基于OBE教育理念的土木工程专业英语教学改革实践

为提高土木工程专业学生的英语应用能力和《土木工程专业英语》课程的教学效果，本次教改实践以OBE（成果导向教育）教育理念为教改指导思想，以土木工程专业英语教学为教改对象，设计了土木工程专业英语教学的教学内容、教学组织和教学评价等教学环节，在河北工程大学土木工程专业学生中进行了教改实践。教改实践结果表明，基于OBE的土木工程专业英语教学模式在提升土木工程专业学生英语应用能力方面具有很好的效果。本次教改实践的成果值得本校其他工科专业和其他兄弟院校借鉴。     

Paradox of public sector capacity building: Lessons from MATT2 UK–Bangladesh co‐operation

This study focuses on the Government of Bangladesh and the UK Department for International Development (DFID) public sector capacity‐building project under collaborative public governance. It examines the efficiency and effectiveness of a foreign‐funded and multistakeholder‐led public sector capacity‐development initiative dubbed Managing at the Top Stage 2 (MATT2) project, and how it contributed to the human resource capacity development in Bangladesh. A combination of data from Government sources, in‐depth interviews, focus group discussions, participant observation and author analysis was adopted. The results showed the project to have been largely successful, despite some challenges.     

信息不对称下价格随机的应急数量折扣契约研究

以市场需求和市场价格随机波动的二级供应链为研究对象，寻找其在信息不对称条件下绩效优化的路径。通过显示原理分别构建生产成本和销售成本信息不对称时应急供应链的数量折扣契约模型，得到最优订货量与最佳批发价策略。通过具体的算例加以验证，分析了信息不对称程度对供应链上成员及整个供应链绩效的影响。研究结果表明：当突发事件造成市场价格随机波动和市场需求变化时，供应链上的跟随者能从隐瞒私人信息中获利。但当市场需求增大时，整个供应链绩效受损，反之则反是。这与以往研究在市场需求随机、市场价格固定和信息不对称条件下的结论迥异。     

The case of vegetovascular dystonia: inventing the most common Soviet disease

ABSTRACT

The paper considers the case of vegetovascular dystonia, one of the most typical and common “Soviet” diseases. This syndrome emerged in Soviet medicine after World War II, and very quickly become a popular diagnosis among physicians. The author describes how the construct of vegetovascular dystonia was formed and developed, what changes it underwent, and what affected those changes. The concept and history of vegetovascular dystonia can provide an understanding of Soviet medicine and health science in general.     

基于供求关系的房价波动分析

基于1999—2017年中国35个大中城市的面板数据，构建基于供求关系的面板回归模型，从国家和区域两个层面对造成房价波动的原因进行探究。结果表明:价格预期在全国和区域模型中均对房价有显著的正向影响，且在大多数地区，其影响力大于其他因素；人口对房价有正向影响，但只在北部沿海、东部沿海和南部沿海显著；收入对南部沿海、黄河中游和西南地区的房价均有显著的正向影响，而在北部沿海、东部沿海、长江中游、西北地区和东北地区，该因素对房价的影响并不显著；除全国和西南、西北地区外，房屋造价作为成本因素对绝大多数地区的房价有正向影响；信贷的可获得性作为政策因素对房价有正向影响，除南部沿海和黄河中游外，在其他区域均显著；住宅开发投资与住宅价格呈负相关关系，但其只在少数经济发达地区显著。因此，未来对房地产市场的调控应根据区域房价波动影响因素的不同区别对待，因地制宜。     

生产性服务业:发展态势、存在的问题及高质量发展政策思路

生产性服务业的改造提升和优化升级,是中国经济高质量发展的内在要求。当前,研发设计服务业“量质齐增”,已成为中国经济高质量发展的重要引擎；物流服务业发展迅猛,在企业生产和居民生活中的重要性日益凸显；金融服务业通过提供融资支持,有力促进了经济社会的良性发展；信息技术服务和电子商务飞速发展,“数字+”成为产业升级的重要实现渠道；租赁和商务服务业业态更加丰富,是促进产业转型升级的重要力量；服务外包规模持续攀升,业务覆盖范围不断扩展；职业教育方兴未艾,提升了中国人力资源的整体水平。但是,中国生产性服务业依然存在着国际竞争力羸弱、对外开放水平较低、与其他产业的融合力度不强、在全球价值链中的地位不高等问题。对此,提出了应进一步夯实生产性服务业发展的基础,对标国际标准推进服务业供给侧结构性改革,把生产性服务与制造业融合发展作为主攻方向,把提升服务贸易国际竞争力作为关键抓手,抓住机会提升生产性服务业全方位对外开放水平等政策建议。     

参加医疗保险对农村居民健康的影响——基于CHARLS 2015数据的实证分析

基于CHARLS 2015数据,采用倾向得分匹配法实证分析参加医疗保险对农村居民健康的影响。研究发现:参加医疗保险对农村居民的日常活动能力和自评健康影响不显著,参加医疗保险对农村居民认知能力具有显著的正向影响。据此提出,应进一步提升社会医疗保险保障水平、扩大社会医疗保险保障范围、促进商业医疗保险有序发展、推进"三医"高效协同联动等,以充分发挥医疗保险的健康保障功能,从而进一步提升参加医疗保险对农村居民健康的正向影响。     

“四史”教育融入高校思政课教学的五维逻辑进路

历史照亮过去，历史启迪未来。以党史、新中国史、改革开放史、社会主义发展史为核心内容的“四史”教育，是以历史为基础的思想政治教育。从党史、新中国史、改革开放史、社会主义发展史中挖掘思想政治理论课教育资源，对高校传承红色基因、落实立德树人根本任务具有重要的指导意义。以庆祝中国共产党成立100周年为契机，将“四史”教育融入高校思想政治理论课教学，必须遵循相应的逻辑理路：树立正确党史观、坚定理想信念的价值追求是融入的逻辑立场；强化大历史观、理解党的伟大贡献是融入的逻辑方法；坚持内在统一性、把握“四史”教育的整体性逻辑是融入的基本前提；抓住侧重点、精准对接各门大学生思想政治理论课程是融入的逻辑核心；坚持实践逻辑、引导大学生从“四史”中汲取智慧和力量是融入的根本遵循。