Estudi i revaloritzaci�� dels paisatges culturals de l'alta muntanya pirinenca: la vall del Madriu (Andorra), patrimoni de la humanitat de la UNESCO

Estudi arqueol��gic integrat de la vall del Madriu-Perafita-Claror (Andorra) iniciat al 2004 sota la coordinaci�� de l���ICAC. L���estudi s���insereix en la declaraci�� de la vall com a Patrimoni de la Humanitat (UNESCO). Las recerques s���enfoquen des de l���Arqueologia del Paisatge, de manera diacr��nica i pluridisciplinar, fent especial atenci�� a les relacions de les societats amb el medi. Les restes arqueol��giques treballades s���associen a activitats ramaderes, metal���l��rgiques i de carboneig. La recerca paleoecol��gica se centra en sediments lacustres, torbosos i arqueol��gics. L���any 2006, s���han analitzat a alta resoluci�� temporal dues seq��encies palinol��giques: l���estany Blau (2471 m) i la torbera de Bosc dels Estanyons (2180 m), obtenint les principals fases d���explotaci�� i antropitzaci�� d���aquest espai altimont��, aix�� com l���evoluci�� del paisatge en els darrers 11000 anys . La campanya de camp s���ha centrat en l���obtenci�� de mostres de pluja pol���l��nica referencial a la vall i en el sondatge de l���estany Forcat (2539 m). Un total de tres mostres han estat enviades a datar per C14. Els treballs arqueol��gics s���han centrat en l���excavaci�� de sondejos de diagn��stic als jaciments de Basses de Setut (2325 m) i Pleta de les Bacives ( 2530 m) i en la realitzaci�� de prospeccions a les cap��aleres de les valls de Madriu, Perafita i Claror. S���han documentat estructures arqueol��giques i s���han realitzat estudis antracol��gics dels sediments excavats en aquestes. S���ha realitzat un transecte altitudinal de carboneres al llarg de la vall per tal de enregistrar una major diversitat cronol��gica dels espais de carboneig. S���han enviat datacions C14 per tal de determinar la cronologia de les estructures. Les datacions del 2005 mostren una intensa ocupaci�� ramadera i de carboneig a partir del segle XIV, en ��poca baixmedieval i moderna, aix�� com un establiment metal��l��rgic d�����poca romana.

Dualizing complexes-The modern way

We give a survey of some recent results on Grothendieck duality. We begin with a brief reminder of the classical theory, and then launch into an overview of some of the striking developments since 2005.

Power laws and scaling of rain events and dry spells in the Catalonia region

We analyze the statistics of rain-event sizes, rain-event durations, and dry-spell durations in a network of 20 rain gauges scattered in an area situated close to the NW Mediterranean coast. Power-law distributions emerge clearly for the dryspell durations, with an exponent around 1.50 �� 0.05, although for event sizes and durations the power-law ranges are rather limited, in some cases. Deviations from power-law behavior are attributed to finite-size effects. A scaling analysis helps to elucidate the situation, providing support for the existence of scale invariance in these distributions. It is remarkable that rain data of not very high resolution yield findings in agreement with self-organized critical phenomena.

Universality of rain event size distributions

We compare rain event size distributions derived from measurements in climatically different regions, which we find to be well approximated by power laws of similar exponents over broad ranges. Differences can be seen in the large-scale cutoffs of the distributions. Event duration distributions suggest that the scale-free aspects are related to the absence of characteristic scales in the meteorological mesoscale.

CODAMAT: a modern analogue techinque for compositional data

The quantitative estimation of Sea Surface Temperatures from fossils assemblages is afundamental issue in palaeoclimatic and paleooceanographic investigations. TheModern Analogue Technique, a widely adopted method based on direct comparison offossil assemblages with modern coretop samples, was revised with the aim ofconforming it to compositional data analysis. The new CODAMAT method wasdeveloped by adopting the Aitchison metric as distance measure. Modern coretopdatasets are characterised by a large amount of zeros. The zero replacement was carriedout by adopting a Bayesian approach to the zero replacement, based on a posteriorestimation of the parameter of the multinomial distribution. The number of modernanalogues from which reconstructing the SST was determined by means of a multipleapproach by considering the Proxies correlation matrix, Standardized Residual Sum ofSquares and Mean Squared Distance. This new CODAMAT method was applied to theplanktonic foraminiferal assemblages of a core recovered in the Tyrrhenian Sea.Kew words: Modern analogues, Aitchison distance, Proxies correlation matrix,Standardized Residual Sum of Squares

Globalization and the Symphony of the New (Post-modern) World: From Westphalia to Maastricht���passing by Washington DC

Taking on the challenge of understanding and explaining the Symphony of (today���s) New World in realistic terms (not realist), this essay aims to analyse the Post-Cold war era by devising a multi-conceptual framework that combines different theoretical contributions not yet linked in a fully explanatory way. This paper suggests two inter-related analytical contexts (or background melodies) to understand Dvorak��s "New World���. First, the socio-economic structural context that falls under the controversial category of Globalization and, second, the post-modern political structural context that is built on Robert Cooper���s threefold analysis (Pre-modern, Modern and Post-modern) of today���s world [Cooper, R: 1997, 1999]. Lastly, the closing movement (allegro con fuoco) enters the normative arena to assess American foreign policy options in the light of the theoretical framework devised in the first part of the essay.

Neogene antecedents of the modern human hand and its relation to bipedalism

El present projecte s'ha dut a terme a l'American Museum of Natural History (AMNH, New York) entre el 31 de Desembre de 2010 i el 30 de Desembre de 2012. L'objectiu del projecte era elucidar la hist��ria evolutiva de la m�� humana: tra��ar els canvis evolutius en la seva forma i proporcions que van propiciar la seva estructura moderna que permet als humans manipular amb precisi��. El treball realitzat ha incl��s recol���lecci�� de dades i an��lisis, redacci�� de resultats i formaci�� en m��todes anal��tics espec��fics. Durant aquest temps, l'autor a completat la seva de base de dades existent en mesures lineals de la m�� a hominoides. Tamb�� s'han agafat dades del peu; d'aquesta forma ara mateix es compta amb una base de dades amb m��s de 500 individus, amb m��s de 200 mesures per cada un. Tamb�� s'han agafat dades en tres imensions utilitzant un l��ser esc��ner. S'han apr��s t��cniques de morfometria geom��trica 3D directament dels pioners al camp a l'AMNH. Com a resultat d'aquesta feina s'han produ��t 10 resums (publicats a congressos internacionals) i 9 manuscrits (molts d'ells ja publicats a revistes internacionals) amb resultats de gran rellev��ncia: La m�� humana posseeix unes proporcions relativament primitives, que s��n m��s similars a les proporciones que tenien els hominoides f��ssils del Mioc�� que no pas a la dels grans antropomorfs actuals. Els darrers tenen unes mans allargades amb un polzes molt curts que reflexen l'��s de la m�� com a eina de suspensi�� sota les branques. En canvi, els hominoides del Mioc�� tenien unes mans relativament curtes amb un polze llarg que feien servir per estabilitzar el seu pes quan caminaven per sobre de les branques. Una vegada els primers hom��nids van apar��ixer al final del Mioc�� (fa uns 6 Ma) i van comen��ar a fer servir el bipedisme com a mitj�� m��s com�� de locomoci��, les seves mans van ser "alliberades" de les seves funcions locomotores. La selecci�� natural���ara nom��s treballant en la manipulaci�����va convertir les proporcions ja existents de la m�� d'aquests primats en l'��rgan manipulatori que representa la m�� humana avui dia.

Transmit diversity vs. spatial multiplexing in modern MIMO systems

A contemporary perspective on the tradeoff between transmit antenna diversity andspatial multiplexing is provided. It is argued that, in the context of most modern wirelesssystems and for the operating points of interest, transmission techniques that utilizeall available spatial degrees of freedom for multiplexing outperform techniques that explicitlysacrifice spatial multiplexing for diversity. In the context of such systems, therefore,there essentially is no decision to be made between transmit antenna diversity and spatialmultiplexing in MIMO communication. Reaching this conclusion, however, requires thatthe channel and some key system features be adequately modeled and that suitable performancemetrics be adopted; failure to do so may bring about starkly different conclusions. Asa specific example, this contrast is illustrated using the 3GPP Long-Term Evolution systemdesign.

De-hyping transmit diversity in modern MIMO cellular systems

A contemporary perspective on the tradeoff between transmit antenna diversity and spatial multi-plexing is provided. It is argued that, in the context of modern cellular systems and for the operating points of interest, transmission techniques that utilize all available spatial degrees of freedom for multiplexingoutperform techniques that explicitly sacrifice spatialmultiplexing for diversity. Reaching this conclusion, however, requires that the channel and some key system features be adequately modeled; failure to do so may bring about starkly different conclusions. As a specific example, this contrast is illustrated using the 3GPP Long-Term Evolution system design.

Modern Perspectives on Fiscal Stabilization Policies

The present paper describes recent research on two central themes of Keynes General Theory: (i) the social waste associated with recessions, and (ii) the effectiveness of fiscal policy as a stabilization tool. The paper also discusses some evidence on the extent to which fiscal policy has been used as a stabilizing tool in industrial economies over the past two decades.

The Three Horsemen of Growth: Plague, War and Urbanization in Early Modern Europe

How did Europe overtake China? We construct a simple Malthusian model with two sectors, and use it to explain how European per capita incomes and urbanization rates could surge ahead of Chinese ones. That living standards could exceed subsistence levels at all in a Malthusian setting should be surprising. Rising fertility and falling mortality ought to have reversed any gains. We show that productivity growth in Europe can only explain a small fraction of rising living standards. Population dynamics - changes of the birth and death schedules - were far more important drivers of the longrun Malthusian equilibrium. The Black Death raised wages substantially, creating important knock-on effects. Because of Engel's Law, demand for urban products increased, raising urban wages and attracting migrants from rural areas. European cities were unhealthy, especially compared to Far Eastern ones. Urbanization pushed up aggregate death rates. This effect was reinforced by more frequent wars (fed by city wealth) and disease spread by trade. Thus, higher wages themselves reduced population pressure. Without technological change, our model can account for the sharp rise in European urbanization as well as permanently higher per capita incomes. We complement our calibration exercise with a detailed analysis of intra-European growth in the early modern period. Using a panel of European states in the period 1300-1700, we show that war frequency can explain a good share of the divergent fortunes within Europe.

Modern perspectives on stabilization policies

The present paper describes recent research on two central themes of Keynes General Theory: (i) the social waste associated with recessions, and (ii) the effectiveness of fiscal policy as a stabilization tool. The paper also discusses some evidence on the extent to which fiscal policy has been used as a stabilizing tool in industrial economies over the past two decades.

Modern energy consumption and economic modernisation in Latin America and the Caribbean between 1890 and 1925

In the absence of comparable macroeconomic indicators for most of the Latin Americaneconomies before the 1930s, the apparent consumption of energy is used in this paper as a proxyof the degree of modernisation of Latin America and the Caribbean. This paper presents anestimate of the apparent consumption per head of modern energies (coal, petroleum andhydroelectricity) for 30 countries of Latin American and the Caribbean for 1890 to 1925,multiplying the number of countries for which energy consumption estimates were previouslyavailable. As a result, the paper provides the basis for a quantitative comparative analysis ofmodernisation performance beyond the few countries for which historical national accounts areavailable in Latin America.

Book production and the onset of modern economic growth

Endogenous growth theory suggests that human capital formation plays a significant role for the wealth and poverty of nations. In contrast to previous studies which denied the role of human capital as a crucial determinant of for really long-term growth, we confirm its importance. Indicators of human capital like literacy rates are lacking for the period of 1450-1913; hence, we use per capita book production as a proxy for advanced literacy skills. This study explains how, and to what extent, growth disparities are a function of human capital formation.