Have the relative employment prospects for the low-skilled deteriorated after all?

Has the relative unemployment propensity for the low-skilled increased during the 1990s? We address this question empirically, based on two notions of low skills; i) low education, and ii) low ability, conditioned on education and work experience. Ability is identified by previous earnings. Evaluated by the education-based measure, we find that unemployment propensity has not developed unfavourably for the low-skilled. Evaluated by the ability-based measure, it has. We uncover a steady deterioration of employment prospects for persons with low ability relative to others with similar formal qualifications. The adverse employment effects of being low-skilled are stronger the higher is formal education.All correspondence to Knut Røed. The paper is part of the project Sorting, exposed groups and labour market programs financed by the Research Council of Norway. We wish to thank Rolf Aaberge, Paul Gertler, Harald Goldstein, Karl Ove Moene, Jon Strand, Steinar Strøm, Asbjrn Rødseth and an anonymous referee for helpful comments. Responsible editor: John F. Ermisch.     

Inferences concerning interpersonal choices given anonymously

It may be difficult or impossible to make a reliable empirical investigation of an unknown network of interpersonal choices or contacts if these are in some respect sensitive for the individuals involved. We consider how choice data given anonymously can be used to reveal various features of the network. Using tools from statistical decision theory and information theory we can determine risks and capacities of disclosing choice data, the graph structure of choice data and its numbers of loops and mutuals. We give some general results, illustrate the combinatorial complexity of the problem and comment upon the computational difficulties.     

The goal-oriented approach to evaluation: Critique and case study from drug abuse treatment

The specification and measurement of program goals remains central to most evaluation research strategies, yet procedures for implementing this approach are not well-articulated. It is the purpose of this discussion to describe a stepwise procedure for programmatic goal setting and monitoring used in a demonstration drug treatment program for women. Three implementation steps are described: (a) goal setting, (b) checking for consistency, (c) monitoring and feedback. The advantages and limitations of this approach are discussed and useful complementary measurement strategies are suggested.     

Projective (2n,n,λ,1)-designs

A projective (2n,n,λ,1)-design is a set $\text{D}$ of n element subsets (called blocks) of a 2n-element set V having the properties that each element of V is a member of λ blocks and every two blocks have a non-empty intersection. This paper establishes existence and non-existence results for various projective (2n,n,λ,1)-designs and their subdesigns.     

Procedures for improving the mle for ordered binomial parameters

The problem is that of estimating the probabilities of m independent binomial random variables when their probabilities are known to be nondecreasing and the loss function is squared error. In the cases where the m.l.e. is inadmissible (essentially when the total number of trials is 7 or more) we present a method for modifying the m.l.e. to get a better estimator. The method requires a series of changes. At each step we alter the action taken by the m.l.e. on each of three, appropriately chosen, points in the sample space.     

谈《中国古代笑话》之英译--读"有天没日"后

在汉译英研究或作品中,汉语笑话,尤其是古汉语笑话似不大多见,即使出现,也通常是"坐下席".我们这个不擅长幽默的民族在与世界上的其他民族的相互感染中已不再是"旧模样",因而这方面的翻译或研究理当得到应有的重视.现就一篇汉译英"笑话"的不当之处一述己见.     

元赋“祖骚宗汉”论

文章认为,“祖骚宗汉”实质上是元人不满于律赋的偏尚俳偶与文赋的倾于理趣,却又缺少情感或藻彩而提出的一个辞赋革新的口号。在这面旗帜下,元赋作家学习楚辞,宣泄失志之悲,驰骋想象,展开入地升天的描写;也学习汉赋的颂美皇家和铺陈讽谏。这些努力强化了元赋的抒情性和生动性,复兴了古赋的宏大气势,使之获得较高的文学价值,并奠定了明清辞赋以古为主的格局。元赋的不足是思想境界稍欠高迥,也缺少全新的创造。     

Profit efficiency analysis under limited information with an application to German farm types

Lack of information about technology and prices often hampers the empirical assessment of the profit maximization hypothesis (viz. by measuring the degree of profit efficiency). The non-parametric Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) methodology can deal with such incomplete information. We exploit the implicit but largely neglected profit interpretation of the DEA model that builds on assumptions of monotone and convex production possibility sets. We show how its embedded assessment of necessary conditions for profit maximization can be strengthened given partial information in the form of monetary sub-cost/-revenue data (that are often easier obtained than the pure quantity data). Finally, we argue that a ‘mix’ efficiency analysis is naturally complementary to such a profit efficiency analysis. An application to German farm types complements our methodological discussion. By using non-parametric statistical tests, we further demonstrate the potential of the non-parametric approach in deriving strong and robust statistical evidence while imposing minimal structure on the setting under study. In particular, we look for significant efficiency variation over regions.     

电子商务参与下的交易信用

世界经济迅速全球化、电子商务也得到了迅猛发展，全球和地区的商业合作已经成为各行业经营和管理的方式。不管在合作还是交易中交易信用的作用和需求都非常突出地显现出来了，作者通过对于国内外交易信用的调查，总结出国内信用体系建设的必要性、层次和方法以及应该注意的一些问题。     

C指针使用中的几个问题

本文给出C指针使用中的四个常见问题,详细分析了其产生原因,并指出如何避免这些问题.