1359 research outputs found
Sort by
Gli effetti del capitale pubblico sulla produttività delle regioni italiane
Get PDFThis paper investigates the role played by public capital in increasing the productivity levels in Italy. For the construction of the regional series for the public capital over the period 1996-2002, the study benefits from the use of the rich dataset on public expenditure, recently published by the Dipartimento per le Politiche di Sviluppo of the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance. On the basis of estimated panel production functions the results point out that public capital has a positive and significant effect on production. Moreover, the effects of all production factors vary considerably between the Centre-Northern regions and the Southern regions of the country. In particular, while private capital is more effective in the South, public capital and labour exhibits elasticities much higher in the Centre-North with respect to the Mezzogiorno. The disaggregation of public capital in economic categories signals a significant different impact in the two macroareas. When the analysis is carried out by distinguishing among government levels it turns out that the decentralized administrative bodies are much less efficient in the South in delivering public expenditure
Convergence and divergence in Neoclassical Growth models with human capital
Get PDFAmong the determinants of the growth and convergence processes identified by the theoretical literature, human capital is certainly one of the most important. This paper offers a selective survey of the more recent contributions of the theory of human capital and growth. In particular, our aim is to provide the necessary link between the theory on growth, convergence and human capital and the empirics of convergence. Summarising with a play on words, we might conclude that during the last fifteen years there has been a convergence of ideas between endogenous and exogenous models with respect to the convergence hypothesis where human capital plays an important role. Despite the still theoretically important difference between models that assume exogenous versus models that assume endogenous long-run growth rates, both theories predict that a mechanism of convergence is possible, but it will only be so among similar economies. In particular, most theoretical literature assumes that similar levels of human capital are fundamental for catch up to take place. Therefore, both theories are currently able to explain a stylised fact of the empirical literature on growth, namely the observed convergence among groups of homogeneous countries and the absence of convergence when large and heterogeneous data sets are introduced. This observation explains why, with current econometric techniques, it is not possible to discriminate endogenous versus exogenous models by simply using a convergence regression
Sedici anni di censimenti del cervo sardo (Cervus elaphus corsicanus) nella riserva naturale WWF di Monte Arcosu
Get PDFThis paper describes data collected about consistence, density and social structure of Sardinian deer (Cervus elaphus corsicanus Erxleben, 1777) subspecies of European deer (Cervus elaphus Linnaeus, 1758) from 1989 to 2004. The study area is located in the WWF Faunal Park of Monte Arcosu (south-western of Sardinia). The flora of the Reserve is typical Mediterranean vegetation. The data have been collected with two different methods, using both roaring census and direct observations. Results show a population growth of 78.8%, during the study period. The sex ratio was 1:1.9. The social structure observed show that adult male were the 20.04% of population, young male the 9.17%, female the 52.31% and the young 18.49%. The number of deer for adult male varied between 3.63 and 4.53. In the 2004 density was 28.6 deer/km2, 1028 deer were value in the Reserve
Caratterizzazione biometrica di popolazioni selvatiche di gatto selvatico sardo
Get PDFThis paper is about the variation in body size and cranial dimensions in natural population of the Sardinian wildcat. We have recorded biometric measures of 40 wildcats (24 male and 16 female) collected or captured in different localities of Sardinia. Craniometrical measures were taken on seven of these cats. The results obtained in this study indicate that the Sardinian wildcat is smaller than the European (Felis silvestris silvestris) and the African (Felis silvestris libyca) wildcat. Cranial index and morphological aspect confirmed that Sardinian wildcats are similar to domestic cats (Felis silvestris catus)
Orographic influences in rainfall downscaling
Get PDFThe problem of rainfall downscaling in a mountainous region is discussed, and a simple methodology aimed at introducing spatial heterogeneity induced by orography in downscaling models is proposed. This procedure was calibrated and applied to rainfall data retrieved by the high temporal resolution rain gage network of the Sardinian Hydrological Survey
Banking with sentiments. A model of fiduciary interactions in micro-credit programs
Get PDFThe success of many micro-credit initiatives is difficult to account for in the traditional economic framework, where, mainly because of the assumption of self-interested behaviour, credit is rationed and provided only to those able to back it with collaterals. Having analysed different alternative explanations for such a success, the paper introduces the concept of trust responsiveness in the lender-borrower relationship and formalises it in a psychological game-theoretical model aimed at explaining the unusually high rate of repayment experienced in micro-credit programs. Three well-known psychological effects are introduced to discuss the factors that may positively or negatively affect borrowers’ trustworthiness. This model provides important normative implications for institutional design
Stime di consistenza del cervo sardo nell'oasi di Monte Arcosu mediante la tecnica del pellets-group count
Get PDFThis paper presents the results obtained during a research carried out from 2002 to 2003 in the Monte Arcosu Natural Park. The aim of this work has been to estimate the density values and the amount of population of Sardinian deer (Cervus elaphus corsicanus). Pellets-group count was the method used. Data obtained show the average density values in the study area (29.9 SE = 5.8 deer/Km2). A higher value has been obtained in the inner part of the Park. Data show that population is constant during the year with a light increase in the birth period and a decrease during winter. 954 deer is the amount of polulation estimated for the year 2002
Total Factor Productivity Growth and Employment: A Simultaneous Equations Model Estimate
Get PDFThis paper provides a structural estimation of the recent model proposed by Pissarides and Vallanti, a simplified equilibrium model which draws heavily on models with frictions and quasi-rents. The structural model is a system of three equations. The estimation method is a three-stage least squares. My empirical results find that although faster TFP growth temporarily decreases employment, most likely be- cause job destruction reacts faster to schocks than job creation does, after the first year I do not find any statistically significant effect of growth on employment
Effetti della siccità sull'abbondanza e distribuzione dei macroinvertebrati
Get PDFThe role of disturbance on structuring animal communities is a central subject in the ecological research. In particular in the intermittent systems river, the drought event seems to determine the macroinvertebrate community structure. In such context, we analysed the macrobenthos of a Sardinia intermittent stream (Rio Pula, Cagliari). The study was carried out on 16 sites in 3 years (from 2000 to 2002) with seasonal samplings (spring and autumn) of the macroinvertebrate community. The results have shown a temporal stability of community and a spatial change of community structure along the river basin determined by drought frequency. Finally, patterns of spatial change in the guild composition seem to be partly in contrast with the River Continuum concept
La flora endemica del Sarrabus-Gerrei: un patrimonio da tutelare e gestire
Get PDFIl presente contributo si inserisce nell’ambito degli studi di carattere geobotanico che gli autori
conducono da circa tre anni nei territori del Sarrabus e del Gerrei localizzati nella Sardegna
sud-orientale. Tale ricerca si sviluppa anche in relazione agli studi che hanno interessato
l’ultimo decennio i territori del Sulcis e che attualmente riguardano anche il sottosettore
dell’Iglesiente. Lo scopo di questa indagine è quello di analizzare la componente floristica endemica
ad oggi conosciuta per il Sarrabus e il Gerrei e di confrontarla con quella della Sardegna