In Government We Trust: The Role of Fiscal Decentralization

We measure the contribution of fiscal decentralization to trust in government. Using repeated cross-country survey data of individuals on several measures of trust in govern- ment over the 1994-2007 period, we estimate an ordered response model of the government trust and fiscal decentralization nexus. We control for unobserved country characteristics, macroeconomic determinants, and individual characteristics. Our main finding is that fiscal decentralization increases trust in government. More specifically, a one percentage point increase in fiscal decentralization causes roughly a four-fifths of a percentage point increase in government trust. The beneficial effect of fiscal decentralization on trust in government is neither limited to nor necessarily large for relatively decentralized countries.Fiscal Decentralization;Government Trust;Social Capital

GMM Estimation of Fixed Effects Dynamic Panel Data Models with Spatial Lag and Spatial Errors

We extend the three-step generalized methods of moments (GMM) approach of Kapoor et al. (2007), which corrects for spatially correlated errors in static panel data models, by introducing a spatial lag and a one-period lag of the dependent variable as additional explanatory variables. Combining the extended Kapoor et al. (2007) approach with the dynamic panel data model GMM estimators of Arellano and Bond (1991) and Blundell and Bond (1998) and specifying moment conditions for various time lags, spatial lags, and sets of exogenous variables yields new spatial dynamic panel data estimators. We prove their consistency and asymptotic normality for a large number of spatial units N and a xed small number of time periods T. Monte Carlo simulations demonstrate that the root mean squared error of spatially corrected GMM estimates|which are based on a spatial lag and spatial error correction|is generally smaller than that of corresponding spatial GMM estimates in which spatial error correlation is ignored. We show that the spatial Blundell-Bond estimators outperform the spatial Arellano-Bond estimators.Dynamic panel models;spatial lag;spatial error;GMM estimation

The Determinants of VAT Introduction:A Spatial Duration Analysis

Abstract: The spatial survival models typically impose frailties, which characterize unobserved heterogeneity, to be spatially correlated. This specification relies highly on a pre-determinate covariance structure of the errors. However, the spatial effect may not only exist in the unobserved errors, but it can also be present in the baseline hazards and the dependent variables. A new spatial survival model with these three possible spatial correlation structures is explored and used to investigate the determinants of value-added tax implementation in 92 countries over the period 1970–2008 using the proposed model. The estimation results suggest the presence of a significant copycat effect among neighboring countries for both contiguity and distance weight matrices.

FMCW Radar Phase-Processing for Automotive Application

An unmanned high-speed vehicle requires a high resolution control unit to decide whether the vehicle should break or steer. This paper describes the utilization of a Frequency Modulated Continous Wave (FMCW) radar to detect the distance and angular position of the target relative to the moving vehicle. These informations are calculated from some numbers of data obtained from a radar system that is mounted on the moving vehicle. To obtain a high angular resolution, a phase-processing approach is introduced by extracting the constant phase information from the radar FMCW beat signal. It is found that a very high angular resolution can be obtained by processing the phase information, independent from the change of relative velocity between the radar and the target. However, this method requires a very stable radar system with high phase resolution and accuracy

New block ILU preconditioner scheme for numerical analysis of very large electromagnetic problems

Large electromagnetic scattering and radiation problems are tackled by iterative solvers, which require the use of huge preconditioners. Most often, the incomplete LU decomposition (ILU) of the preconditioner is applied to the system matrix at each iteration. However, the preconditioner ILU cannot be done in-core when the size of the preconditioning matrix exceeds the available memory. This paper presents a new preconditioning scheme to do the preconditioner ILU in small blocks that fit in core memory. The resulting approach allows the solution of very large problems in small computers.Peer Reviewe

Wide-Angle X-Band Antenna Array with Novel Radiating Elements

An antenna array with wide-angle beam steering is presented in this paper. The antenna consists of dielectrically filled open-ended waveguides with a new type of excitation as individual radiators. The characteristics of the radiator have been analyzed. The novel radiator has a wide beamwidth and the frequency band of around 21%. Following the computational modeling and experimental investigations the characteristics of the antenna array for scan angles up to 50° are discussed

Accurate numerical modeling of the TARA reflector system

The radiation pattern of the large parabolic reflectors of the Transportable Atmospheric RAdar system (TARA), developed at Delft University of Technology, has been accurately simulated. The electric field integral equation (EFIE) formulation has been applied to a model of the reflectors including the feed housing and supporting struts, discretised using the method of moments. Because the problem is electrically large (the reflector has a diameter of 33λ) and nonsymmetrical, this lead to a badly conditioned linear system of approximately half a million unknowns. In order to solve this system, an iterative solver (generalized minimum residual method) was used, in combination with the multilevel fast multipole method. Because of the bad conditioning, the system could only be solved by using a huge preconditioner. A new block-incomplete LU preconditioner (ILU) algorithm has been employed to allow for efficient out-of-computer core memory preconditioning.Peer Reviewe

Size dependence of photocatalytic oxidation reactions of Rh nanoparticles dispersed on (Ga1-xZnx)(N1-xOx) support

Mixed Ga–Zn oxynitrides were synthesized using coprecipitation, wet-precipitation, and solid-solution methods. The oxynitrides were used as supports for Rh nanoparticle catalysts in photocatalytic water splitting, CO oxidation, and H2 oxidation. Mixed Ga–Zn oxynitrides produced by wet precipitation and nitridation had good visible-light-absorption properties and high surface areas, so they were used to support uniformly sized poly(vinylpyrrolidone)-stabilized Rh nanoparticles. The nanoparticle size range was 2–9 nm. These catalysts had negligible activity in photocatalytic H2 production by water splitting with methanol as a sacrificial agent. Other mixed Ga–Zn oxynitrides were also inactive. A reference sample provided by Domen also showed very low activity. The influence of particle size on Rh-catalyzed oxidation of CO and H2 was investigated. For CO oxidation, the activities of small particles were higher for particles with higher Rh oxidation degrees. The opposite holds for H2 oxidation