1,720,967 research outputs found
A two-step procedure to analize users' satisfaction
No full textIn this paper an integrated use of NLPCA (Nonlinear PCA) and multilevel
models for the analysis of satisfaction data is proposed. The basic hypothesis is that observed
ordinal variables describe different aspects of a latent unobservable continuous
variable that depends on covariates connected with individual and contextual features.
NLPCA is used to measure the level of a latent variable and multilevel model is adopted
for detecting individual and enviromental determinants of its level. An application to Eurobarometer
survey data concerning the satisfaction of European citizens for some Services
of General Interest, is carried out
The importance of choosing the data set for tax-benet analysis
No full textGiven the increased availability of survey income data, in this paper we analyse the pros and cons of alternative data sets for static tax-benefit microsimulation in Italy. We focus on
all possible alternatives, namely using (a) SHIW or (b) IT-SILC data using a consistent net-togross microsimulation model, or (c) IT-SILC data using the gross incomes provided since 2007.
Our results suggest that IT-SILC improves in the regional representativeness of the Italian population and does not perform worse than SHIW as for most demographic characteristics, SHIW provides more information regarding building and real estate incomes. Gross income
variables simulated by using the net-to-gross module included in the TABEITA microsimulation model and calibrating for tax evasion provide a very precise fit with external statistics. Simulated IT-SILC gross income data fit external aggregate data even better than gross income data
provided in IT-SILC, which tend to largely overestimate self-employment income. Finally, we suggest to match IT-SILC with SHIW to include in the former the information on building and
real estate incomes that are contained only in the latter. This allows us to reach a very satisfactory validation of the final data set
EU Gas Industry Reforms and Consumers' prices
No full textThis paper offers an empirical analysis of the impact of reforms in the
natural gas industry on consumer prices across the EU-15 area. After briefly
reviewing the most recent reforms, we study the relationship between regulatory
indicators and price dynamics by means of panel data econometrics. Our findings
suggest that so far there is limited evidence of beneficial effects for European
consumers from the standard package of gas industry reforms
Would you stick to using your car even if charged? : evidence from Trento, Italy
No full textRoad pricing is becoming increasingly popular among decision-makers as a policy tool meant to rationalize transport flows in a given area. This paper aims to study modal choice as a function of the personal characteristics of commuters by considering an original data set of more than 9000 commuters in the Trento district of Italy which was collected in 2001. Empirical estimates of drivers' reaction to the introduction of road pricing and to the improvement of the quality of public transport services are provided. It was found that the introduction of a system of road pricing would be far more effective in reducing private car use than an improvement in the speed of public transport. It is also shown that road pricing should be carefully defined, as elderly people and families with children are among those with more inelastic private transport demand
Migration and public finances in the EU
Full text linkWe provide novel and comprehensive evidence on the net fiscal contributions of natives and migrants to the governmental budgets of EU countries. We account for income taxes and cash benefits, along with indirect taxes and in-kind benefits, which are often missing in standard datasets. We find that on average, migrants were net contributors to public finances over the period of 2014–2018 in the EU and, moreover, that they contribute approximately €1.5 thousand more per capita each year than natives. We also show that this difference is partly due to the selection on characteristics that make migrants net fiscal contributors, such as demographic factors and employment probability
The importance of choosing the data set for tax-benefit analysis
Full text linkGiven the increased availability of survey income data, in this paper we analyse the pros and cons of alternative data sets for static tax-benefit microsimulation in Italy. We focus on all possible alternatives, namely using (a) SHIW or (b) IT-SILC data using a consistent net-to-gross microsimulation model, or IT-SILC data using the gross incomes provided since 2007. Our results suggest that IT-SILC improves in the regional representativeness of the Italian population and does not perform worse than SHIW as for most demographic characteristics, SHIW provides more information regarding building and real estate incomes. Gross income variables simulated by using the net-to-gross module included in the TABEITA microsimulation model and calibrating for tax evasion provide a very precise fit with external statistics, improving on results which could be obtained using the same TABEITA model on SHIW data. Simulated IT-SILC gross income data fit external aggregate data even better than gross income data provided in IT-SILC, which tend to largely overestimate self-employment income. Finally, we suggest to match IT-SILC with SHIW to include in the former the information on building and real estate incomes that are contained only in the latter. This allows us to reach a very satisfactory validation of the final data set.
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
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