An analysis of the impacts of tax and welfare reform on effective marginal tax rates 1982-2002

This paper uses a microsimulation model that permits interactions between taxes, government benefits and housing assistance parameters and data from various releases of the Survey of Income and Housing Costs to illustrate how the distribution of effective marginal tax rates has varied between the years 0/1982,1996,2000 and 2002. The policy impact of changes in the tax-benefit system on effective marginal tax rates is then assessed by applying the real tax-benefit parameters from 1982, 1996 and 2002 to the household composition and income data from a base year (2000). The findings indicate that effective marginal tax rates have increased over the long-term. Even when the impacts of tax-benefit changes are isolated from changes in the composition of the population, policy changes have been insufficient to counteract increases in effective marginal tax rates that have been caused by compositional changes

An Environment Aware P-System Model of Quorum Sensing

Abstract. “Quorum Sensing ” has been identified as one of the most consequential microbiology discoveries of the last 10 years. Using Quorum Sensing bacterial colonies synchronize gene expression and phenotype change allowing them, among other things, to protect their niche, coordinate host invasion and bio-film formation. In this contribution we briefly describe the elementary microbiology background and present a P-systems based model for Quorum Sensing which includes environmental rules and a topological representation.

Research with Indigenous children and young people in schools: ethical and methodological considerations

The involvement of young Indigenous people in research is a key emphasis in current approaches to both sociology of childhood and Indigenous research. This article discusses how the two research methodologies, both of which emphasise participation rights, intersect in research focusing on the participation and perspectives of Indigenous children and young people in education. The article examines ethical requirements of Indigenous and childhood research and institutional ethics procedures, along with methodological considerations, potential constraints and opportunities in undertaking research that aims to facilitate children and young people\u27s participation. Drawing on empirical data it discusses how these processes have shaped participative research studying the views of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students learning Indigenous knowledge and perspectives in New South Wales schools