Psychological taxing in Flemish municipalities

We analyse whether the psychological pricing in the private sector has a public sector counterpart in tax policy. Analysing the main theoretical arguments for the existence of price points, and applying them to the public sector, suggests that psychological taxing reveals itself by the use of non-0 ending tax rates. The tax rate endings of the local income taxes, which are set by 308 Flemish municipalities in the fiscal year 1998, suggests the presence of psychological taxing. Non-0 endings occur more frequently in municipalities where demand for public policy is more elastic (and where, therefore, the benefits to the politicians from setting a tax just below a tax point is higher). The pre-tax income inequality and the level of the tax rate positively affect psychological taxing. The latter effect is reinforced in those municipalities where the existing tax rate is above the average tax rate in neighbouring municipalities and below their neighbours’ minimum, although this effect has a limited effect and is offset the further below the minimum the tax is set.     

Local spatial data infrastructure, Trujillo-Peru

The development of a Municipal Information System, or currently better known as a local spatial data infrastructure, is considered complex due to the required inter-institutional relationships. In many developing countries Geographical Information Systems (GISs) are introduced but the benefits are modest as no changes take place in technical and organisational structure of organisations. Digital databases and computer-aided design (CAD) maps are mushrooming in great variety within different private and public institutions, municipal organisations and even within single departments and with structures similar to the paper period and thus operating on a stand-alone basis.Many national mapping agencies are not able to provide large-scale digital urban base maps, while the absence or low quality of cadastres makes those basic core data sets unavailable or inaccessible. The result is that duplication and incompatible data are frequently observed and also donor-driven stand-alone projects have a limited impact through the lack of institutional embedding and are not able to mature from the project to the institutional level. However, a positive sign is that there is an increasing awareness among data producers and consumers that investments in the development of digital data sets should be combined to reduce costs and increase benefits from especially GIS, and information and communication technology (ICT) in general.Within Trujillo a long-term vision was developed to make full use of ICT and GIS to modernise all operations of the Municipality to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of its tasks. However, large investments are not feasible due to the very limited municipal budgets. To guarantee the support of the municipal council, short-term results are required. This paper describes three ‘products’ as part of the vision to develop through a step-by-step approach a local spatial data infrastructure for Trujillo.The three, rather different, products are:

1. fiscal cadastre, to increase municipal revenues through property taxation;

2. an ‘environmental atlas’ based on a compatible spatial and attribute data sets from a variety of organisations; and

3. a municipal website with interactive GIS and meta data information.

The paper concludes with some comments on the institutional and political requirements for the successful development of a local spatial data infrastructure and stresses that such an infrastructure is not a product but an incremental development process that will progress only in case such a process is simple, cost effective, user-friendly, and flexible with clear products.Political interest and institutional stability and genuine interest for inter-institutional cooperation will add much to the success of this process.     

There be句型在机器翻译软件中的对比研究

机器翻译虽已取得了很大进展,但仍主要停留在查词功能上,其译文可读性不强,准确性不够。以英语特殊句型Therebe为切入点,着重探讨英汉机器翻译中特殊句型的对应与不对应的调整问题,并以五种英汉全文机器翻译软件作为测试对象,就可以分析发现机器翻译软件在Therebe句型英汉翻译过程中的两点不足:一方面,将there译成地点状语“那里”;另一方面,翻译时不能对地点状语或时间状语进行位置调整,只能机械地逐词顺译。     

随机型细胞神经网络的稳定性

借助于李雅谱洛夫理论、矩阵分析方法和It?公式,结合不等式分析技巧,研究了随机细胞神经网络系统的均方指数稳定性,给出了系统的解的二阶矩Liapunov指数估计式和均方指数稳定的充分条件。     

误码率与随机共振

用Maltab语言的Simulink软件，构成一面向结构，而且可以定量分析非线性双稳系统随机共振现象的计算机仿真实验系统，并对输入字符串信息的符号误码率随噪声振幅变化的实验数据进行了拟合，验证了非线性系统特有的随机共振现象的存在。     

论《红楼梦》“十二金钗“的入选与序次

排座论次是中国古典小说的一种重要文化现象。“十二金钗”的入选 ,基于封建末世大家族的各种悲剧类型 ,但又着重强调了“十二金钗”的门第和出身 ,“十二金钗”的序列先后又体现了曹雪芹的爱憎情感和道德评价。通过对《红楼梦》“十二金钗”的入选和序次的考察 ,有助于我们加深对曹雪芹思想及创作心态的理解     

股票市场状态的动力学过程分析

就股票市场呈现的变化归纳为四种状态,即随机游走态、扩散漂移态、混沌震荡态、连贯平稳态,并对每一状态给出了动力学过程的数学描述,研究了各种"过程"下方程的解,以及各种状态下对股市价格带来的系统效应.从股市的微观结构出发,探讨了四种状态下的股市特征表现及投资者的操作策略,为实时地预测股市发展提供了辅助决策.     

A Semi-Parametric Quantile Function Estimator for Use in Bootstrap Estimation Procedures

In this note we develop a new quantile function estimator called the tail extrapolation quantile function estimator. The estimator behaves asymptotically exactly the same as the standard linear interpolation estimator. For finite samples there is small correction towards estimating the extreme quantiles. We illustrate that by employing this new estimator we can greatly improve the coverage probabilities of the standard bootstrap percentile confidence intervals. The method does not reqiure complicated calculations and hence it should appeal to the statistical practitioner.     

经济体中防范金融危机的两大外部条件

金融危机的矛盾集中反映了经济关系的国际化趋势和社会关系的国内化之间不同利益的冲突,以及现代经济中的市场价值和社会价值之间不同取向标准的碰撞;国内银行不良贷款的增加和国际短期资本的大出大进构成了金融危机的两大重要外部因素;由于市场经济的运行机制不能建立在计划经济的基础之上,所以在企业真正建立起以产权多元化为特征的现代企业制度是防范金融危机的第一个外部条件;由于金融易于与生产脱节,由于国际巨大游资的冲击,金融市场始终是一个不稳定、不确定的市场,再加上社会正义的非市场目标,所以政府积极地干预和建立国际金融新的秩序是防范金融危机的第二个外部条件。     

与框架核心分析法相关的几个问题

对黄伯荣教授倡导的框架核心分析法作了简要的述评 ,并对与之相关的四个问题进行了分析 :适合计算机的析句法是否同样适合于人 ;析句法要否包括语义结构分析乃至包括语用结构分析 ;应该建立怎样的句型框架 ;析句法中的语序问题