International commodity prices, growth and the outbreak of Civil War in Sub-Saharan Africa

To learn more about the effect of economic conditions oncivil war, we examine whether Sub-Saharan civil wars aremore likely to start following downturns in the internationalprice of countries main export commodities. The data showa robust effect of commodity price downturns on the outbreakof civil wars. We also find that Sub-Saharan countries aremore likely to see civil wars following economic downturnsin their main OECD export destinations.

The aftermath of Civil War

Using an event-study methodology, this paper analyzes the aftermath of civil war in a cross-section of countries. It focuses on those experiences where the end of conflict marks the beginning of a relatively lasting peace. The paper considers 41 countries involved in internal wars in the period 1960-2003. In order to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the aftermath of war, the paper considers a host of social areas represented by basic indicators of economic performance, health and education, political development, demographic trends, and conflict and security issues. For each of these indicators, the paper first compares the post- and pre-war situations and then examines their dynamic trends during the post-conflict period. It conducts this analysis both in absolute and relative terms, the latter in relation to control groups of otherwise similar countries. The paper concludes that, even though war has devastating effects and its aftermath can be immensely difficult, when the end of war marks the beginning of lasting peace, recovery and improvement are indeed achieved.

The colonial origins of Civil War

The dominant hypothesis in the literature that studies conflict is that poverty is the main cause of civil wars. We instead analyze the effect of institutions on civil war, controlling for income per capita. In our set up, institutions are endogenous and colonial origins affect civil wars through their legacy on institutions. Our results indicate that institutions, proxied by the protection of property rights, rule of law and the efficiency of the legal system, are a fundamental cause of civil war. In particular, an improvement in institutions from the median value in the sample to the 75th percentile is associated with a 38 percentage points reduction in the incidence of civil wars. Moreover, once institutions are included as explaining civil wars, income does not have any effect on civil war, either directly or indirectly.

Malthusian dynamism and the rise of Europe: Make war, not love

This paper argues that Malthusian regimes are capable of sustained changes in per capita incomes. Shifting mortality and fertility schedules can lead to different steady-state income levels, with long periods of growth during the transition. Europe checked the downward pressure on wages through late marriage, which reduced fertility, and a mortality regime that combined high death rates with high incomes. We argue that both emerged as a result of the Black Death.

The three horsemen of riches: Plague, war and urbanization in early modern Europe

How did Europe escape the "Iron Law of Wages?" We construct a simple Malthusian model withtwo sectors and multiple steady states, and use it to explain why European per capita incomes andurbanization rates increased during the period 1350-1700. Productivity growth can only explain a smallfraction of the rise in output per capita. Population dynamics changes of the birth and death schedules were far more important determinants of steady states. We show how a major shock to population cantrigger a transition to a new steady state with higher per-capita income. The Black Death was such ashock, raising wages substantially. Because of Engel's Law, demand for urban products increased, andurban centers grew in size. European cities were unhealthy, and rising urbanization pushed up aggregatedeath rates. This effect was reinforced by diseases spread through war, financed by higher tax revenues.In addition, rising trade also spread diseases. In this way higher wages themselves reduced populationpressure. We show in a calibration exercise that our model can account for the sustained rise in Europeanurbanization as well as permanently higher per capita incomes in 1700, without technological change.Wars contributed importantly to the "Rise of Europe", even if they had negative short-run effects. We thustrace Europe s precocious rise to economic riches to interactions of the plague shock with the belligerentpolitical environment and the nature of cities.

Comportamiento y respuesta selectiva de las redes de arrastre de fondo granton 400 x120mm PE y PA en la evaluación de merluza. Verano 2001

Analiza los datos técnicas de la geometría de la red obtenidos directamente con el sistema de control de capturas Scanmar RX 400.

Selectividad de la red Granton 400x120 mm PA en la evaluación de merluza peruana. Otoño 2002

En el crucero BIC Olaya 0205 (Callao-Puerto Pizarro), se monitoreó la selectividad de la red de arrastre de fondo Granton tipo 400x120 mm PA, empleando copo (90 mm) y sobrecopo (13 mm). La probabilidad de captura al 50%, en la subárea A fue de 4,52cm; en la B, de 25,46 cm y en la C de 26,14 cm. El L50% total de las subáreas A, B, C fue 25,15 cm, con un factor de selección 0,28 y un rango de selección de 8,55 cm.

Caracterização micropedológica de solos reabilitados após exploração de bauxita em Porto Trombetas (PA)

Foi realizado um estudo micromorfológico em solos alterados após a exploração de bauxita, em sítios recuperados entre 1981 e 1987, em comparação ao Latossolo Amarelo inalterado (LA), como referência, para subsidiar indicadores de recuperação dos solos. O estudo foi desenvolvido no Platô Saracá, na mina de bauxita de Porto Trombetas, município de Oriximiná, no estado do Pará. Técnicas micromorfológicas e uso de microssonda de EDS, microscopia ótica e eletrônica de varredura foram avaliadas em conjunto com dados físicos e químicos dos solos alterados e do LA, nas profundidades de 0-10 e 40-50 cm. O Latossolo Amarelo mostrou forte microestrutura granular, enquanto os solos alterados apresentaram grande variabilidade em microestrutura e feições micropedológicas. O retorno do horizonte superficial, rico em matéria orgânica, favoreceu a microagregação. De modo geral, os solos alterados mostraram maior massividade e agregados mais coalescidos, em relação ao LA de referência. Análises microquímicas de EDS comprovaram a heterogeneidade dos solos superficiais alterados, com ocorrência de nódulos gibbsíticos, ferruginosos, concreções, agregados cauliníticos e plasma dominado por argilominerais 1:1, sob intensa pedobioturbação.