Browsing by Issue Date, starting with "2009-08"
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- Team production with inequity-averse agentsPublication . Jianpei, LiThis paper analyzes the effi ciency of team production when risk- neutral agents exhibit other-regarding preferences. It is shown that full effi - ciency can be sustained as an equilibrium of a budget-balancing mechanism that punishes some randomly chosen agents if output falls short of the effi cient level but distributes output equally otherwise. The result depends on agents being suffi ciently inequity-averse.
- The economic effects of improving investor rights in PortugalPublication . Castro, Rui; Clementi, Gian LucaThe Portuguese economy has performed remarkably well since join- ing the EU in 1986. Output per worker grew at an annual rate of 2.25%. The relative price of investment has declined. Real investment has increased compared to output, in part fuelled by an increase in capital inflows. At the same time, resource allocation seems to have improved as well: firm-level data shows a significant decline in the dispersion of labor productivity and size across firms. This paper argues that improvements in outside investor rights that have taken place since Portugal joined the EU is a prime candidate to explain this set of facts.
- Estate taxation with warm-glow altruismPublication . Garriga, Carlos; Sánchez-Losada, FernandoThis article examines the properties of the optimal fiscal policy in an economy with warm-glow altruism (utility interdependence) and heterogeneous individuals. We propose a new efficiency concept, D-efficiency, that considers an implicit constraint in the act of giving: Donors cannot bequeath to donees more than their existing resources. Considering this constraint, we show that the market equilibrium is not socially efficient. The efficient level of bequest transfers can be implemented by the market with estate and labor-income subsidies and a capital-income tax. In the absence of lump-sum taxation, the government faces a trade-off between minimizing distortions and eliminating external effects. The implied tax policy differs from Pigovian taxation since the government’s ability to correct the external effects is limited. Finally, we show that the efficiency-equity trade-off does not affect the qualitative features of the optimal distortionary fiscal policy.
- Organizações de base comunitária: que papel no conceito e implementação do desenvolvimento a partir de baixo?Publication . Parreira, José Manuel Rodeia Rocha; Oppenheimer, JochenEste trabalho procura demonstrar como um conceito alternativo de desenvolvimento não só é possível, mas é essencial para uma coexistência humana mais pacífica neste mundo interdependente e interligado. Primeiro procuro explicitar os conceitos fundamentais que suportam esta tese, reforçando noções como, a "partir de baixo" (bottom - up), local, empowerment, agência e participação comunitária. Depois uma ferramenta para o desenvolvimento é introduzida - o micro crédito - apresentando a experiência indiana neste campo, os Grupos de Auto Ajuda (Self - Help Groups - SHGs). Em seguida, a ligação essencial expressa no título do trabalho é apresentada, descrevendo e exemplificando de forma prática os diversos tipos de empowerment (capacitação) que uma organização de base comunitária (neste caso o SHG) pode potenciar, suportar e desenvolver. A seguir um estudo de caso sobre um projecto concreto é apresentado. Projecto esse que deu centralidade às Organizações de Base Comunitária (e em particular aos SHGs), especialmente no sentido de dar sustentabilidade ao processo de desenvolvimento local. Em suma, o objectivo central deste trabalho é demonstrar, teoricamente e por via de uma abordagem empírica, que as comunidades locais podem/devem ter um papel decisivo e essencial no seu desenvolvimento e no dos seus membros. A liberdade/responsabilidade ao nível individual e comunitário é essencial para despertar o potencial criativo/intuitivo (elemento cada vez mais chave para o desenvolvimento) do ser humano.
- Escola inclusiva: Do possível ao inadiável! - Relatório finalPublication . César, MargaridaRelatório final do projecto de investigação Escola inclusiva: Do possível ao inadiável!, onde estão indicados os casos estudados, as publicações, comunicações em eventos da especialidade, dissertações de mestrado e teses de doutoramento desenvolvidas no âmbito deste projecto.
- Fibulae from an Iron Age Site in PortugalPublication . Melo, Ana A.; Figueiredo, Elin; Araújo, Maria de Fátima; Senna-Martinez, João CarlosCastro de Pragança is located in Estremadura province, on the Portuguese Western coast. Although most of the metal artifacts found in the site can be dated to Copper and Bronze Ages, an unusual set of nine fibulae was recovered. They can be dated to the period from the Iron Age until the Roman conquest. Nondestructive micro-EDXRF elemental analyses showed that five of the fibulae are made of bronze (Cu-Sn alloy), while four fibulae have a polymetallic character and are made both of bronze and iron. This fact indicates exceptionally important archaeological and technological issues
- Amendment of an acid mine soil with compost and polyacrylate polymers enhances enzymatic activities but may change the distribution of plant speciesPublication . Varennes, A.; Queda, Cristina Cunha; Guiwei, QuMany soils derived from pyrite mines spoils are acidic, poor in organic matter and plant nutrients, contaminated with trace elements, and support only sparse vegetation. The establishment of a plant cover is essential to decrease erosion and the contamination of water bodies with acid drainage containing large concentrations of trace elements. We tested the application of compost and polyacrylate polymers to promote the growth of indigenous plant species present in the mine area. Soil treatments consisted of unamended soil (control), soil with mineral fertilizers only, soil with fertilizer plus compost, soil with fertilizer plus polyacrylate polymers, and soil with fertilizer plus both amendments. Half of the soil was grown with Briza maxima L.(greater quaking grass), Chaetopogon fasciculatus (Link) Hayek (chaetopogon), and Spergularia purpurea(Persoon) G. Don fil. (purple sandspurry),while the remainder was left bare. In the absence of plants, the greatest improvements in soil conditions were obtained by the application of both amendments,which was associated with the greatest values of protease, acid phosphatase, and β-glucosidase, whereas the activity of cellulase and microbial respiration were similar in soil amended with compost or polymer. Dehydrogenase activity was greatest in soil with compost (with or without polymer), whereas urease activity was impaired by both amendments. In the presence of plants, the application of both amendments led to the greatest activities of protease,urease, β-glucosidase, cellulase, and microbial respiration, but acid phosphatase was mainly enhanced by polymer and dehydrogenase was increased by compost. Plant growth was stimulated in all treatments compared with unamended soil, but the greatest value for total accumulated biomass was obtained in fertilized soil receiving both amendments. However, species responded differently to treatment: while the growth of B. maxima was greatest in soil with compost and polymer, the growth of C. fasciculatus responded better to soil with compost, and S. purpurea grew better in polymer-amended soil. The amendments tested improved the quality of a mine soil and stimulated plant growth. However, botanical composition likely changes over time with amendments, and this needs to be considered when a large scale application of amendments is projected.