Optimal Simple Rules for Fiscal Policy in a Monetary Union

The paper discusses the stabilizing potential of fiscal policy in a dynamic general-equilibrium model of monetary union. We consider a small open economy inside the currency area. We analyze the demand and supply effects of direct taxation, indirect taxation and government spending and derive optimal simple rules for fiscal stabilization of a technology shock. Fiscal policy achieves substantial macroeconomic stabilization. Simple public-expenditure rules show the highest degree of both output and inflation stabilization. The implementation lag substantially weakens output stabilization, but hardly affects the stabilization of prices. Out-put-oriented rules imply less instrument inertia than inflation-dominated rules. The implemen-tation lag leads to higher coefficients for inflation relative to output in the optimal rule. Com-pared to the single-instrument approach the simultaneous optimization of two instrument rules implies only little additional stabilization gains.Fiscal policy, monetary union, simple policy rules

Competing Motivations in Germany’s Higher Education Response to the “Refugee Crisis”

In 2015–16 Germany was confronted with over 1 million new refugees, which challenged public and private institutions alike and increasingly divided public sentiments. This article investigates the cultural, political, and economic dynamics as they were in Germany in 2015–16 and in particular how its higher education sector responded. The discussion covers a comprehensive review of media debates, public and private institutional research, new German- and English-language scholarship, and case studies the authors collected of fiffeen universities. The article ends with recommendations as German universities prepare for 30,000–50,000 refugees eligible for study in the coming years. En 2015-2016, l’Allemagne a fait face à plus de 1 million de nouveaux réfugiés, ce qui a remis en question les institutions publiques et privées et généré des sentiments de plus en plus divisés de la part du public. Cet article explore les dynamiques économiques, politiques et culturelles telles qu’elles se présentaient en Allemagne ces années-là, et en particulier la réaction de son enseignement supérieur. La discussion porte sur un examen exhaustif des débats médiatiques, de la recherche institutionnelle publique et privée, des nouvelles bourses d’études pour apprendre l’allemand ou l’anglais, et d’études de cas colligées par les auteurs dans 15 universités. L’article se termine sur des recommandations, alors que les universités allemandes se préparent à accueillir de 30 000 à 50 000 réfugiés admissibles aux études dans les années à venir.&nbsp

Labour hoarding during the pandemic: assessing the impact of job retention schemes in Europe

Job retention schemes have helped Europe to avoid mass unemployment during the Covid-19 pandemic. Bernhard Ebbinghaus and Lukas Lehner write that while these schemes had an immediate impact during lockdown, the future development and long-term consequences of job retention policies remain uncertain

An Architecture for Self-Aware IOT Applications

Future Internet of Things (IoT) applications will face challenges in increased flexibility, uncertainty, dynamics and scalability. Self-aware computing maintains knowledge about the applications state and environment and then uses this knowledge to reason about and adapt behaviours. In this position paper, we introduce self-aware computing as design approach for IoT applications which is centred around a self-aware architecture for IoT nodes. This architecture particularly supports adaptations based on node interactions. We demonstrate our approach with an IoT case study on multi-object coverage with mobile cameras

Self-organising zooms for decentralised redundancy management in visual sensor networks

When visual sensor networks are composed of cameras which can adjust the zoom factor of their own lens, one must determine the optimal zoom levels for the cameras, for a given task. This gives rise to an important trade-off between the overlap of the different cameras’ fields of view, providing redundancy, and image quality. In an object tracking task, having multiple cameras observe the same area allows for quicker recovery, when a camera fails. In contrast having narrow zooms allow for a higher pixel count on regions of interest, leading to increased tracking confidence. In this paper we propose an approach for the self-organisation of redundancy in a distributed visual sensor network, based on decentralised multi-objective online learning using only local information to approximate the global state. We explore the impact of different zoom levels on these trade-offs, when tasking omnidirectional cameras, having perfect 360-degree view, with keeping track of a varying number of moving objects. We further show how employing decentralised reinforcement learning enables zoom configurations to be achieved dynamically at runtime according to an operator’s preference for maximising either the proportion of objects tracked, confidence associated with tracking, or redundancy in expectation of camera failure. We show that explicitly taking account of the level of overlap, even based only on local knowledge, improves resilience when cameras fail. Our results illustrate the trade-off between maintaining high confidence and object coverage, and maintaining redundancy, in anticipation of future failure. Our approach provides a fully tunable decentralised method for the self-organisation of redundancy in a changing environment, according to an operator’s preferences

Resource-aware configuration in smart camera networks

A recent trend in smart camera networks is that they are able to modify the functionality during runtime to better reflect changes in the observed scenes and in the specified monitoring tasks. In this paper we focus on different configuration methods for such networks. A configuration is given by three components: (i) a description of the camera nodes, (ii) a specification of the area of interest by means of observation points and the associated monitoring activities, and (iii) a description of the analysis tasks. We introduce centralized, distributed and proprioceptive configuration methods and compare their properties and performance

Betriebsversuche an einem eTank Modell

eTanks als saisonale thermische Energiespeicher sind eine vielversprechende Technologie, um die beinahe unendliche Energie der Sonne über das ganze Jahr zu nutzen. Mit einer grossen Speicherkapazität, relativ einfacher Bauform und ohne komplizierte Bauteile, sind sie ideal für solarthermische Systeme geeignet. Die Nutzung der Sonne im Winter ist jedoch aufgrund der tiefen Aussentemperaturen und Einstrahlungswinkel mangelhaft. Die tiefen Rücklauftemperaturen der Solaranlage sind aufgrund des niedrigen Temperaturunterschiedes zum eTank nicht gut speicherbar. Abhilfe bietet in diesem Szenario die Kombination des eTanks mit Phasenübergangsmaterialien (PCM). Mithilfe dieser Materialien kann die Speicherkapazität bei niedrigen Temperaturen erhöht werden. Das PCM wird so gewählt, dass der Phasenübergang präzise bei den tiefen Wintertemperaturen stattfindet, welche die Sonne zu diesem Zeitpunkt liefern kann. Um den Effekt zu quantifizieren, werden zwei Modell-eTanks gebaut. Das PCM wird mit einem Doppelrohrsystem in einem der zwei Modelltanks eingebracht. Im Solarlabor der ZHAW werden Testdurchläufe durchgeführt, bei denen die Tanks parallel be- und entladen werden. Sämtliche relevante Daten werden während den Tests geloggt, ausgewertet und anschliessend bei der Auswertung mit berechneten, theoretischen Werten abgeglichen. Aufgrund von Ungenauigkeiten bei den Messungen, Frostschäden und Dichtigkeitsproblemen, konnten quantitativ nur eine reduzierte Anzahl Messungen durchgeführt werden. Diese Faktoren beeinflussen auch die Relevanz der Daten. Das Modell ist grundsätzlich funktionstüchtig, was durch den erfolgreichen Phasenübergang sichtbar wird. Dieser konnte bei der Demontage beobachtet werden. Die Resultate zeigen bei mehreren Testläufen eine grosse Abweichung zwischen den gemessenen und den berechneten Werten. Auch in den grafischen Darstellungen der Temperaturen ist der Phasenübergang schlecht sichtbar. Die Bauart der Modelltanks ist jedoch vielversprechend. Mit der Kalibration der Temperatur-sensoren, dichteren Rohrübergängen und mehr Kontrolle über die Vorlauftemperatur zu den Tanks könnten weitere Experimente mit dem System durchgeführt werden.eTanks as seasonal thermal energy storage systems are a very promising technology to use the almost infinite energy from the sun over the whole year. With their large storage capacity, relatively easy construction and lack of complicated parts, they are ideally suited in combination with solar thermal systems. The system still has disadvantages when it comes to the usage of solar power in Winter while temperatures are cold and angle of incidence to the panels are low. The colder return temperatures are difficult to store because of the low temperature difference to the eTank. A promising remedy for this scenario is the combination of an eTank with phase-changing-materials (PCM). These materials provide the possibility to increase the storage capacity at low temperatures. The PCM is selected according to its phase-change-temperature which can be precisely the return temperatures that are expected to be provided by the solar thermal system. Two model-eTanks are built to quantify this effect. The PCM is built in one of the tanks using a double-pipe system. Test runs are carried out at the solar laboratory at ZHAW. During these test runs, the tanks are thermally loaded and unloaded in parallel. All relevant data are logged during the test runs and later analyzed. During the evaluation, the measured data is compared to calculated possible values. Because of inaccuracies with the measurements, frost damage and leaks in the pipes, the quantity of the test runs was limited. These factors also affect the relevancy of the data. Based on observations during the disassembly, the PCM has successfully carried out the phase-change. This means that the model-tanks work. The results show a big difference between the measured and the calculated values in multiple test runs. The graphical analysis of the temperatures also shows no conclusive evidence of if, and at what temperature, the phase change happened

Possible Application of Short Range Communication Technologies in the Digital Tachograph System to Support Vehicles Filtering during Road Controls

The existing Digital Tachograph is a regulatory instrument (mandatory by Council Regulation since 1st May 2006) to enforce the application of social regulations in road transport especially with the view to increase traffic safety. It records the work and the rest times of drivers as well as the vehicle speed over time with the aim to ensure that appropriate rest periods are taken by drivers and that a maximum of permissible speed is not exceeded. The original and prime functionality of the Digital Tachograph is to document, i.e. to record, the driving history of a driver and his vehicle. Nevertheless controls by the road safety authorities are rather inefficient while time-consuming. The proposed update to the existing regulation would rather guarantee the Digital Tachograph as a compliance device rather than as an accurate recorder of driving history. Basic innovation is the application of short range communication technologies (like RFID) allowing the road authorities to scan by-passing vehicles and thus increasing the throughput by the order of ten.JRC.DG.G.7-Traceability and vulnerability assessmen