37,992 research outputs found
A Short Play on the Idea of Laffer Curve in Transition Economies
Very strong emotions have accompanied the idea of the Laffer Curve from the very beginning. This simple analysis does not try to solve the discussion. The author has constructed the (TBI-Tax Burden Index), a special measure of taxes. The special feature of this measure is that it tries to take into account both tax rates and tax ceilings while measuring the average taxation. The ensuing analysis gives us some evidence of the presence of some kind of the Laffer-like relationship in countries analysed. It shows that the Laffer Curve for these three countries can be bell shaped. On the other hand this relationship does not seem to play an important role in determining budget revenues in these countries. It seems that differences in revenues among countries are more the result of other factors specific to each country. Therefore, even if the main objective of a government is to maximize revenues, it should not pay to much attention to this issue, it would do much better trying to make tax system as simple as possible, minimizing both incentives and possibilities for tax evasion and tax avoidance.Laffer Curve, transition economies
"Laffer paradox, Leviathan, and Political Contest"
This paper considers a political contest model wherein self-interested politicians seek rents from the public budget, while general voters make political efforts to protest against politicians' rent seeking directly (for example, through voting in referendums such as the passage of Proposition 13) or indirectly (for example, through donating money to organized groups such as the National Taxpayer Union). We show that the political contest may ironically lead to the Laffer paradox; that is, rent-seeking politicians may intend to set the tax rate higher than the revenue-maximizing rate. For taming Leviathans, political protests may not be as effective as competition among governments.
Caterpillar phenology predicts differences in timing of mountain chickadee breeding in urban and rural habitats
To ensure the survival of their offspring, birds need to precisely time their reproduction: when offspring have the highest demand for food, food resources should be most abundant. In temperate environments, caterpillars are often a key food source for nestlings, so many insectivorous bird species time their reproduction to correspond to the peak abundance of caterpillars in their habitat. Mountain chickadees (Poecile gambeli) are small songbirds that naturally inhabit coniferous forests, but are also found in urban areas. Reproductive timing of these birds may be altered by urbanization, as mountain chickadees in the city have been shown to breed earlier than those in natural habitat. This study aimed to determine if caterpillar abundance drives reproductive timing of mountain chickadees and if urbanization alters the timing of caterpillar abundance. Birds in both urban and rural habitats were monitored throughout the breeding season. Caterpillar abundance was estimated at each nest location by collecting samples of caterpillar excrement (frass).We found that in both urban and rural habitat, frass mass changed throughout the breeding season, but the date of maximum frass mass occurred about one week earlier in urban habitat. However, in both habitats maximum frass mass occurred when offspring were approximately 11 days old. Our results suggest that mountain chickadees time their reproduction to correspond to caterpillar abundance, and birds in urban environments may be reproducing earlier to correspond with earlier peak caterpillar abundance in the city.Peer reviewedarticlespublishedPoecile gambeliFrassUrbanizationReproductive timingCaterpillarMountain chickade
Urban ‘tourism exploration space’: the example of Łódź
The author refers to the concept of ‘tourism space’ published earlier, and confronts this notion with a definition of ‘urban space’, bearing in mind that both these ‘spaces’ are subspaces of general ‘geographical space’. Assuming that each is distinguished on the basis of differing criteria, the author believes that the tourism function which gives rise to ‘tourism space’ can develop within ‘urban space’. Further on, the formulation of a precise definition of urban ‘tourism exploration space’ is focused on, which is understood as a personal space of created in the discovery of a city. The conclusion includes three case studies of urban ‘tourism exploration space’ in Łódź: Bidermann family properties, Piotrkowska courtyards and the ‘Green Ring of Tradition and Culture’
Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture in Kyiv (Ukraine): "Crisis Induced Strategy" versus Recreational Resource
For the study 240 Kyiv households with urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) have been surveyed in 2005. Quotas were assigned to four different types of plots. A standardized questionnaire was developed to collect data on crop and animal production, inputs, sales of produce for income, importance of the plot for self-sufficiency, recreation and leisure time. A factor analysis is employed to reduce attitudinal data. Based on factor scores a cluster analysis is conducted to segment the respondents into more homogeneous groups and to show multiple purposes of UPA. Four clusters labeled as “Seekers of leisure activities”, “UPA-dependent growers”, “Recreation-oriented growers” and “Little engaged growers” are created. Multiple purposes of UPA are shown by profiling the clusters due to demographic, socioeconomic and other selected characteristics. The results show that depending on the type of plot the importance of UPA shifts from livelihood necessity to recreational resource or combines both.Urban and peri-urban agriculture, livelihood, Ukraine, Farm Management,
Inhibition of BK channels by GABAb receptors enhances intrinsic excitability of layer 2/3 vasoactive intestinal polypeptide-expressing interneurons in mouse neocortex
Datasets for the publication titled: Bogaj K, Urban-Ciecko J. Inhibition of BK channels by GABAb receptors enhances intrinsic excitability of layer 2/3 vasoactive intestinal polypeptide-expressing interneurons in mouse neocortex. J Physiol. 2025 Mar;603(5):1171-1196. doi: 10.1113/JP286439. Epub 2025 Feb 3. PMID: 39901494; PMCID: PMC11870045.Raw data contains electrophysiological records in *.abf format (Clampfit, Molecular Devices, free to open and analysis).Please consult the Readme.odt file for additional information. For more details see related publication or contact the corresponding author.</p
Total Cost Assessment (TCA)
Chapter 3.24Report of the Horizon 2020 project UrBAN-WASTE. Information about the project can be found on Internet.OLD Urban and Regional DevelopmentSpatial Planning and Strateg
Sustainable neighbourhood transformation
Urban renewal through the large-scale restructuring of post-war neighbourhoods is a major challenge throughout Europe in the decades ahead, Current urban restructuring programmes in the Netherlands focus on the demolition and replacement of the existing housing stock, The motivation behind this strategy is creating a better social mix between 'poor¿ and 'better-off¿ households, to improve the general quality of the housing stock and to create a financially viable restructuring programme, The general aim is to improve various aspects of sustainability in urban neighbourhoods, Are demolition and replacement strategies the most effective and efficient way to achieve this objective? In this book, we examine the effects of demolition and replacement strategies on sustainability from different perspectives.OT
Industrial Symbiosis (IS)
Chapter 3.15Report of the Horizon 2020 project UrBAN-WASTE. Information about the project can be found on Internet.OLD Urban and Regional DevelopmentSpatial Planning and Strateg
Brazilian urban porosity: Treat or threat?
Urban areas have spatial discontinuities, such as disconnected neighbourhoods, brownfield areas and leftover places. They can be captured by the metaphor of urban porosity. This paper aims to highlight the potential social consequences of urban porosity by creating a ‘porosity index’. The authors argue that these areas can provide capacity for flexibility, fluidity and absorption in major cities, but that they can also be a source of fragmentation, disconnection and isolation between different social groups, eroding the adaptive capacity of metropolitan systems. Porosity may thus have both positive and negative influences on the resilience of urban systems. Brazil's rapid process of urbanisation over the last 50 years shows both these sides of porosity, which create treats and threats for its urban systems. This paper develops an analytical framework within which to study how porosity manifests itself in Brazilian metropolises, which helps to identify porosity in the context of urban growth and decline. It uses statistical data from Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics relating to 12 Brazilian metropolises to generate the proposed porosity index. Additionally, the paper discusses the added value of the concept of urban porosity in addressing urban resilience and briefly elucidates the issues and opportunities caused by discontinuities in the urban fabric in Brazil's metropolises.OTBArchitecture and The Built Environmen
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