Countering Protection Rackets Using Legal and Social Approaches: An Agent-Based Test

Protection rackets cause economic and social damage across the world. States typically combat protection rackets using legal strategies that target the racketeers with legislation, strong sentencing, and increasing the presence and involvement of police officers. Nongovernmental organizations, conversely, focus on the rest of the population and counter protection rackets using a social approach. These organisations attempt to change the actions and social norms of community members with education, promotional campaigns, and discussions. We use an agent-based model, which draws on established theories of protection rackets and combines features of sociological and economic perspectives to modelling social interactions, to test the effects of legal and social approaches. We find that a legal approach is a necessary component of a policy approach, that social only approaches should not be used because they lead to large increases in violence, and that a combination of the two works best, although even this must be used carefully

Peer effects on compliance with extortive requests

We conduct laboratory experiments to study peer effects on compliance with extortive requests. To this aim, we use an \u201cextortion game\u201d with multiple victims. In agreement with our hypothesis, our results show that when the information on peers\u2019 behavior is available, compliance with appropriative requests is triggered by conformism among victims rather than by punishment. Moreover, we find that extorted sums are rather small, requests are proportional to the victim\u2019s earnings, similar across victims, and are significantly lower when the extorter self-selects into this role. Punishment is rare, but effective. Finally, our results indicate that fairness concerns matter even in a context of extra-legal taxation, shaping both extorters\u2019 requests and victims\u2019 compliance

Effect of Finnsheep crossbreeding on Lamon sheep performance: post-mortem traits

This experiment was conducted in order to study the effects of crossbreeding of the local breed Lamon (L) with Finnsheep (F),on the post-mortem performance of F, lambs (F x L). Nine L and 8 F x L ram-lambs were fattened with a diet (11.6 MJ M.E./kg d.m.) based on maize silage, dried sugar beet pulp and soybean meal, and slaughtered at 40.5 ± 5.9 kg live weight at the age of 22 weeks. Genotype did not affect dressing percentage on empty body weight (E.B.W.) but the crossbred lambs showed a lower incidence of the pelt (18,4 vs 20.2 % on E.B.W.;

Strangeness Production in pp,pA,AA Interactions at SPS Energies.HIJING Approach

In this report we have made a systematic study of strangeness production in proton-proton(pp),proton-nucleus(pA) and nucleus- nucleus(AA) collisions at CERN Super Proton Synchroton energies, using$\,\,\, HIJING\,\,\, MONTE \,\,\,CARLO \,\,\,MODEL$ \\ (version $HIJ.01$). Numerical results for mean multiplicities of neutral strange particles ,as well as their ratios to negatives hadrons($$) for p-p,nucleon-nucleon(N-N),\,\,p-S,\,\,p-Ag,\,\,p-Au('min. bias')collisions and p-Au,\,\,S-S,\,\,S-Ag,\,\,S-Au ('central')collisions are compared to experimental data available from CERN experiments and also with recent theoretical estimations given by others models. Neutral strange particle abundances are quite well described for p-p,N-N and p-A interactions ,but are underpredicted by a factor of two in A-A interactions for $\Lambda,\bar{\Lambda}, K^{0}_{S}$ in symmetric collisions(S-S,\,\,Pb-Pb)and for $\Lambda,\bar{\Lambda}\,\,$in asymmetric ones(S-Ag,\,\,S-Au,\,\,S-W). A qualitative prediction for rapidity, transverse kinetic energy and transverse momenta normalized distributions are performed at 200 GeV/Nucleon in p-S,S-S,S-Ag and S-Au collisions in comparison with recent experimental data. HIJING model predictions for coming experiments at CERN for S-Au, S-W and Pb-Pb interactions are given. The theoretical calculations are estimated in a full phase space.Comment: 33 pages(LATEX),18 figures not included,available in hard copy upon request , Dipartamento di Fisica Padova,report DFPD-94-NP-4

From anarchy to monopoly : how competition and protection shaped mafia's behavior

Mafia-like organizations are highly dynamic and organized criminal groups characterized by their extortive activities that impact societies and economies in different modes and magnitudes. This renders the understanding of how these organizations evolved an objective of both scientific and applicationoriented interests. We propose an agent-based simulation model - the Extortion Racket System model - aimed at understanding the factors and processes explaining the successful settlement of the Sicilian Mafia in Southern Italy, and which may more generally account for the transition from an anarchical situation of uncoordinated extortion to a monopolistic social order. Our results show that in situations of anarchy, these organizations do not last long. This indicates that a monopolistic situation shall be preferred over anarchical ones. Competition is a necessary and sufficient condition for the emergence of a monopolistic situation. However, when competition is combined with protection, the resulting monopolistic regime presents features that make it even more preferable and sustainable for the targets

The SPES project: a second generation ISOL facility

Abstract SPES is an INFN project to develop a Radioactive Ion Beam facility as an intermediate step toward EURISOL, the next generation European ISOL facility. The facility will be installed at the Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro where the superconductive linac ALPI will reaccelerate the exotic beams at energies larger than 10 AMeV. Neutron-rich radioactive beams will be produced by proton-induced Uranium fission at an expected in-target fission rate of 1013 fissions per second. As proton driver, a 70 MeV cyclotron with a total current of 0.750 mA shared on two exit ports will be installed. The key feature of SPES is to provide high intensity and high-quality beams of neutron-rich nuclei to perform forefront research in nuclear physics as well as to develop and interdisciplinary research center based on the cyclotron proton beam. Neutron production at a rate of 1014 n/s is expected using the proton beam on thick target. The status of the project and the layout of the neutron facility will be presented. Two facilities can be operated at the same time, with a capability of 5000 h per year each. The ISOL facility will use 0.2 mA to reach the goal of 1013 fissions per second and more than 0.5 mA will be available for applied physics applications, mainly neutron beam and medical isotopes production

Cognitive dynamics of norm compliance. From norm adoption to flexible automated conformity

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Body Shame in 7–12-Year-Old Girls and Boys: The Role of Parental Attention to Children’s Appearance

Guided by the Tripartite Influence Model and Objectification Theory, we examined whether parents’ attention to their children’s appearance was related to higher body shame in girls and boys. In Study 1 (N = 195) and 2 (N = 163), we investigated 7-12-year-old children’s metaperceptions about parents’ attention to their appearance and its association with children’s body shame. In Study 3, we examined the link between parents’ self-reported attention to their children’s appearance and children’s body shame among parent-child triads (N = 70). Results demonstrated that both children’s metaperceptions and fathers’ self-reported attention to children’s appearance were associated with body shame in children. Furthermore, when mothers’ and fathers’ attitudes toward their children were analyzed simultaneously, only fathers’ attention to their children’s appearance was associated with greater body shame in girls and boys. Notably, no gender differences emerged, suggesting that parents’ attention to their children’s appearance was not differentially related to body shame in girls and boys. These results remained significant when controlling for other sources of influence, namely peer and media influence, both of which were found to have a strong association with body shame in children. Theoretical and practical implications of our findings are discussed

Effect of decreasing dietary crude protein on growth performance, feed efficiency and meat quality of finishing Charolais bulls

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of decreasing dietary crude protein (CP) on the performance of finishing Charolais bulls in the Italian rearing system. Animals were fed two diets, differing only in the CP level (low protein (LP), 13.5% CP versus control (CON), 15.0% CP). Dry matter (DM) intake (DMI) and animals\u2019 weights were recorded to obtain average daily gain (ADG) and feed conversion rate (FCR). Feed and fecal samples were collected to evaluate digestibility of diet components. Daily cost of the ration (DRC), feed cost per kg of daily weight gain (CDG) and daily gross margin (DGM) were calculated to analyze the possible benefits of decreasing the protein level. Meat quality analyses were also conducted. Higher DMI (10.6 versus 10 kg/d; p < 0.05) and ADG (1.47 versus 1.36 kg/d; p < 0.05) were observed for CON. No differences in FCR or digestibility were found. Even if the DRC was lower (p < 0.05) for the LP diet (2.26 versus 1.97 \u20ac; CON versus LP), no difference was reported for CDG and DGM. Meat lightness and redness were significantly lower and higher in the LP, respectively. To conclude, the CP requirement in these rearing conditions appeared to be higher than 13.5%