La licitud de l’interès: evolució històrica d’un tema de moral econòmica

[cat] El problema de la consideració de qualsevol interès com a usura i les formes per a evitar la condemna eclesiàstica foren uns dels principals temes econòmics i morals de l’Europa tradicional. Aquest paper mostra els orígens i fonaments de la doctrina eclesiàstica sobre la usura, l’aparición dels instruments comercials i financers que evitaven la condemna de l’església i les excepcions i noves doctrines que consideraven lícit el benefici procedent del préstec.

Leadership at the upper echelons : three essays

"IT'S THE ECONOMY STUPID", BUT CHARISMA MATTERS TOO: A DUAL PROCESS MODEL OF PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION OUTCOMES. ABSTRACT Because charisma is assumed to be an important determinant of effective leadership, the extent to which a presidential nominee is more charismatic than his opponent should be an important determinant of voter choices. We computed a composite measure of the rhetorical richness of acceptances speeches given by U.S. presidential candidates at their national party convention. We added this marker of charisma to Ray C. Fair's presidential vote-share equation (1978; 2009). We theorized that voters decide using psychological attribution (i.e., due to macroeconomics and incumbency) as well as inferential processes (i.e., due to leader charismatic behavior) when voting. Controlling for the macro-level variables and incumbency in the Fair model, our results indicated that difference between nominees' charisma is a significant determinant of electoral success, particularly in close elections. This extended model significantly improves the precision of the Fair model and correctly predicts 23 out of the last 24 U.S. presidential elections. Paper 2: IT CEO LEADERSHIP, CORPORATE SOCIAL AND FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE. ABSTRACT We investigated whether CEO leadership predicted corporate financial performance (CFP) and corporate social performance (CSP). Using longitudinal data on 258 CEOs from 117 firms across 19 countries and 10 industry sectors, we found that determinants of CEO leadership (i.e., implicit motives) significantly predicted both CFP and CSP. As expected, the most consistent positive predictor was Responsibility Disposition when interacting with n (need for) Power. n Achievement and n Affiliation were generally negatively related or unrelated to outcomes. CSP was positively related to accounting measures of CFP. Our findings suggest that executive leader characteristics have important consequences for corporate level outcomes. Paper 3. PUNISHING THE POWERFUL: ATTRIBUTIONS OF BLAME AND LEADERSHIP ABSTRACT We propose that individuals are more lenient in attributing blame to leaders than to nonleaders. We advance a motivational explanation building on the perspective of punishment and on system justification theory. We conducted two scenario experiments which supported our proposition. In study 1, wrongdoer leader status was negatively related to blame and the perceived seriousness of the wrongdoing. In study 2, controlling for the Big-Five personality factor and individual differences in moral evaluation (i.e., moral foundations), wrongdoer leader status was negatively related with desired severity of punishment, and fair punishments were perceived as more just for non-leaders than for leaders.

Nieto, Xavier y Santos, Marta, 2009, El vaixell grec arcaic de Cala Sant Vicenç. Monografies del CASC, 7, Museu d'Arqueologia de Catalunya-Barcelona, Barcelona 2009, 469 p.

Por sí sólo el hallazgo y excavación de un barco griego tardoarcaico en la costa norte de Mallorca ya constituiría una singularidad arqueológica digna de comentario; si además la aventura se materializa, como es el caso, en un excelente libro monográfico, el suceso se convierte en una fuente histórica de primer orden, que reporta un notorio avance en la comprensión del comercio empórico foceo occidental. Aunque se disponían de algunos trabajos preliminares, la presente obra culmina los esfuerzos de Xavier Nieto y Marta Santos, autores principales, pero también de treinta y cinco colaboradores que firman estudios especializados ¿tipológicos, epigráficos y analíticos¿ de muy variada metodología y extensión.

Western Iowa Missouri River Flooding -- Geo-Infrastructure Damage Assessment, Repair and Mitigation Strategies, TR-638, 2013

The 2011 Missouri River flooding caused significant damage to many geo-infrastructure systems including levees, bridge abutments/foundations, paved and unpaved roadways, culverts, and embankment slopes in western Iowa. The flooding resulted in closures of several interchanges along Interstate 29 and of more than 100 miles of secondary roads in western Iowa, causing severe inconvenience to residents and losses to local businesses. The main goals of this research project were to assist county and city engineers by deploying and using advanced technologies to rapidly assess the damage to geo-infrastructure and develop effective repair and mitigation strategies and solutions for use during future flood events in Iowa. The research team visited selected sites in western Iowa to conduct field reconnaissance, in situ testing on bridge abutment backfills that were affected by floods, flooded and non-flooded secondary roadways, and culverts. In situ testing was conducted shortly after the flood waters receded, and several months after flooding to evaluate recovery and performance. Tests included falling weight deflectometer, dynamic cone penetrometer, three-dimensional (3D) laser scanning, ground penetrating radar, and hand auger soil sampling. Field results indicated significant differences in roadway support characteristics between flooded and non-flooded areas. Support characteristics in some flooded areas recovered over time, while others did not. Voids were detected in culvert and bridge abutment backfill materials shortly after flooding and several months after flooding. A catalog of field assessment techniques and 20 potential repair/mitigation solutions are provided in this report. A flow chart relating the damages observed, assessment techniques, and potential repair/mitigation solutions is provided. These options are discussed for paved/unpaved roads, culverts, and bridge abutments, and are applicable for both primary and secondary roadways.

FRAX(®) Bone Mineral Density Task Force of the 2010 Joint International Society for Clinical Densitometry International Osteoporosis Foundation Position Development Conference.

FRAX(®) is a fracture risk assessment algorithm developed by the World Health Organization in cooperation with other medical organizations and societies. Using easily available clinical information and femoral neck bone mineral density (BMD) measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), when available, FRAX(®) is used to predict the 10-year probability of hip fracture and major osteoporotic fracture. These values may be included in country specific guidelines to aid clinicians in determining when fracture risk is sufficiently high that the patient is likely to benefit from pharmacological therapy to reduce that risk. Since the introduction of FRAX(®) into clinical practice, many practical clinical questions have arisen regarding its use. To address such questions, the International Society for Clinical Densitometry (ISCD) and International Osteoporosis Foundations (IOF) assigned task forces to review the best available medical evidence and make recommendations for optimal use of FRAX(®) in clinical practice. Questions were identified and divided into three general categories. A task force was assigned to investigating the medical evidence in each category and developing clinically useful recommendations. The BMD Task Force addressed issues that included the potential use of skeletal sites other than the femoral neck, the use of technologies other than DXA, and the deletion or addition of clinical data for FRAX(®) input. The evidence and recommendations were presented to a panel of experts at the ISCD-IOF FRAX(®) Position Development Conference, resulting in the development of ISCD-IOF Official Positions addressing FRAX(®)-related issues.

Sea Urchins Predation Facilitates Coral Invasion in a Marine Reserve

Macroalgae is the dominant trophic group on Mediterranean infralittoral rocky bottoms, whereas zooxanthellate corals are extremely rare. However, in recent years, the invasive coral Oculina patagonica appears to be increasing its abundance through unknown means. Here we examine the pattern of variation of this species at a marine reserve between 2002 and 2010 and contribute to the understanding of the mechanisms that allow its current increase. Because indirect interactions between species can play a relevant role in the establishment of species, a parallel assessment of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus, the main herbivorous invertebrate in this habitat and thus a key species, was conducted. O. patagonica has shown a 3-fold increase in abundance over the last 8 years and has become the most abundant invertebrate in the shallow waters of the marine reserve, matching some dominant erect macroalgae in abundance. High recruitment played an important role in this increasing coral abundance. The results from this study provide compelling evidence that the increase in sea urchin abundance may be one of the main drivers of the observed increase in coral abundance. Sea urchins overgraze macroalgae and create barren patches in the space-limited macroalgal community that subsequently facilitate coral recruitment. This study indicates that trophic interactions contributed to the success of an invasive coral in the Mediterranean because sea urchins grazing activity indirectly facilitated expansion of the coral. Current coral abundance at the marine reserve has ended the monopolization of algae in rocky infralittoral assemblages, an event that could greatly modify both the underwater seascape and the sources of primary production in the ecosystem.

The structure of Mediterranean rocky reef ecosystems across environmental and human gradients, and conservation implications

Historical exploitation of the Mediterranean Sea and the absence of rigorous baselines makes it difficult to evaluate the current health of the marine ecosystems and the efficacy of conservation actions at the ecosystem level. Here we establish the first current baseline and gradient of ecosystem structure of nearshore rocky reefs at the Mediterranean scale. We conducted underwater surveys in 14 marine protected areas and 18 open access sites across the Mediterranean, and across a 31-fold range of fish biomass (from 3.8 to 118 g m22). Our data showed remarkable variation in the structure of rocky reef ecosystems. Multivariate analysis showed three alternative community states: (1) large fish biomass and reefs dominated by non-canopy algae, (2) lower fish biomass but abundant native algal canopies and suspension feeders, and (3) low fish biomass and extensive barrens, with areas covered by turf algae. Our results suggest that the healthiest shallow rocky reef ecosystems in the Mediterranean have both large fish and algal biomass. Protection level and primary production were the only variables significantly correlated to community biomass structure. Fish biomass was significantly larger in well-enforced no-take marine reserves, but there were no significant differences between multi-use marine protected areas (which allow some fishing) and open access areas at the regional scale. The gradients reported here represent a trajectory of degradation that can be used to assess the health of any similar habitat in the Mediterranean, and to evaluate the efficacy of marine protected areas.

Genèse de la recherche académique nord-américaine sur les expériences de mort imminente. L'exemple des recherches menées par Russel Noyes, psychiatre, de 1967 à 1977

La présente thèse analyse les facteurs expliquant l'attrait académique pour la Near-Death Experience (NDE) aux Etats-Unis. À travers l'étude d'un acteur clé, Russell Noyés, la thèse démontre que l'expérience de mort imminente est devenue pertinente grâce aux psychiatres et aux psychologues qui lui ont octroyé une qualité clinique et thérapeutique. Afin de reconstruire les fondements académiques de l'intérêt pour l'étude de la mort, de l'expérience de la mort et de la mort imminente en psychiatrie dans les années 1960-70, la méthode employée est celle d'une enquête historique qui combine une approche empirique avec une génétique de récit. - The dissertation analyses the factors explaining the emergence of the Near- Death Experience (NDE) as a research topic in the disciplines of psychology and psychiatry in the United States. The study of a key actor, Russell Noyes, will demonstrate how the experience of near-death became relevant through the work of psychiatrists and psychologists who attributed a clinical and therapeutical quality to it. In order to retrace the academic foundations of the research on death, the experience of dying and near-death, during the 60s and 70s, this dissertation applies a historical method, which combines an empirical approach with a genetic of narratives.

A Study to Correlate Soil Consistency Limits with Soil Moisture Tensions, HR-27, 1965

The liquid and plastic limits of a soil are consistency limits that were arbitrarily chosen by Albert Atterberg in 1911. Their determination is by strictly empirical testing procedures. Except for the development of a liquid limit device and subsequent minor refinements the method has remained basically unchanged for over a half century. The empirical determination of an arbitrary limit would seem to be contrary to the very foundations of scientific procedures. However, the tests are relatively simple and the results are generally acceptable and valuable in almost every conceivable use of soil from an engineering standpoint. Such a great volume of information has been collected and compiled by application of these limits to cohesive soils, that it would be impractical and virtually impossible to replace the tests with a more rational testing method. Nevertheless, many believe that the present method is too time consuming and inconsistent. Research was initiated to investigate the development of a rapid and consistent method by relating the limits to soil moisture tension values determined by porous plate and pressure membrane apparatus. With the moisture tension method, hundreds of samples may be run at one time, operator variability is minimal, results are consistent, and a high degree of correlation to present liquid limit tests is possible.

Iowa Emergency Response Plan, October, 2010

The State of Iowa has adopted a multi-hazard approach to managing the consequences of emergency/disaster response. Underlying this approach is the principle that a standard set of generic functional capabilities can be employed to effectively address a wide variety of hazardous conditions and categories of incidents, whether these have a known probability of occurring or are totally unforeseen. Therefore, to the greatest extent possible, the activities described and assigned in this plan are organized along functional lines first, rather than by agency, type of hazard, or type of incident. Contained in this section of the Plan, known as the ―Basic Plan,‖ are instructions, policies, and explanatory information related to many or all of the agencies/entities involved in emergency/ disaster response, as well as information about the legal and administrative foundations for the Plan, the state’s characteristics and significant hazards, lines of succession for the state’s chief executive, plan activation requirements, and the structure of the response organization.