Multifractal analysis of the irregular set for almost-additive sequences via large deviations

In this paper we introduce a notion of free energy and large deviations rate function for asymptotically additive sequences of potentials via an approximation method by families of continuous potentials. We provide estimates for the topological pressure of the set of points whose non-additive sequences are far from the limit described through Kingman's sub-additive ergodic theorem and give some applications in the context of Lyapunov exponents for diffeomorphisms and cocycles, and Shannon-McMillan-Breiman theorem for Gibbs measures.Comment: 23 pages, to appear in Nonlinearity; small changes made according to comments from the referee

Macroeconomic management and the division of powers in Brazil : perspectives for the nineties

The federal authority for macroeconomic management in Brazil has experienced a profound change as a result of the institutional changes that culminated with the promulgation of a new Federal Constitution in October of 1988. This paper examines the implications of the new fiscal arrangements for the exercise of macroeconomic policies by the federal government. It examines how recent changes in the division of powers among federal, state, and local governments in Brazil have affected the conditions for macroeconomic management in that country. This examination gains an added significance given that the erratic character of macroeconomic performance in Brazil has often been blamed on macroeconomic mismanagement. It focuses on how federal control of the policy variables has been affected by the latest development in Brazilian institutions.National Governance,Banks&Banking Reform,Economic Stabilization,Public Sector Economics&Finance,Municipal Financial Management

Profits and balance sheet developments at U.S. commercial banks in 1998

The performance of the U.S. commercial banking industry remained strong in 1998, but slipped a bit from the remarkable results of recent years. Both the return on assets and the return on equity edged down last year, although they remained high by historical standards. While supported by growth in fee income, profitability was damped by a large decline in the rates banks earned on their interest-bearing assets relative to the rates they paid on their liabilities, and also by higher noninterest costs, especially merger and restructuring expenses. Profitability was uneven last year across bank sizes: Whereas the largest and the smallest banks posted lower earnings, the profits of medium-sized banks--which account for almost two-thirds of industry assets--improved once again in 1998. Nevertheless, though these figures attest to the profitability of most banks, the share of bank assets at unprofitable institutions increased 2 percentage points, to 2.6 percent, the highest since 1994.Banks and banking ; Bank profits ; Bank assets

Bounded Rationality and Strategic Complementarity in a Macroeconomic Model: Policy Effects, Persistence and Multipliers

Motivated by recent developments in the bounded rationality and strategic complementarity literatures, we examine an intentionally simple and stylized aggregative economic model, when the assumptions of fully rational expectations and no strategic interactions are relaxed. We show that small deviations from rational expectations, taken alone, lead only to small deviations from classical policy- ineffectiveness, but that the situation can change dramatically when strategic complementarity is introduced. Strategic complementarity magnifies the effects of even small departures from rational expectations, producing equilibria with policy effectiveness, output persistence and multiplier effects.

“She Must Be a Pure Vessel”: An Examination of a Spirit Medium Persona

Rosemary Brown (1916-2001) is certainly a highly unusual case in Music History. In the 1960s, she started to notate hundreds of musical pieces that she attributed to the spirits of several great concert music composers, with whom she claimed to be in touch as a spirit medium. Brown also furnishes a promising persona case study. In order to convince the public that her music had a spiritual origin, she described herself as a simple housewife and mother with no profound musical knowledge, therefore hardly capable of writing original musical pieces in the styles of acclaimed composers. The purpose of this paper is first, to provide an examination of Rosemary Brown’s public persona; second, to relate it to spiritualist tradition, in order to demonstrate that Rosemary Brown’s persona features were available in the spiritualist cultural repertoire; third, to discuss the implications of gender for the understanding of mediumship among spiritualists

Territórios de exceção: redes de infraestrutura na cidade de São Paulo

O setor de infraestrutura de serviços no Brasil e, especificamente na cidade de São Paulo, tem sua história marcada pela ocupação de territórios de exceção no tecido urbano da cidade. As redes de serviços encontram grande capilaridade na malha urbana onde estão inseridas e hoje, com o brutal crescimento da mancha urbana, suas faixas funcionais atravessam bairros densamente povoados deixando vazios significativos, principalmente quando comparados às escassas áreas livres existentes nesses locais.A instalação dessas redes, levando-se em conta somente seus aspectos funcionais e de segurança, gera uma sequência de espaços residuais que muitas vezes acabam por aumentar os riscos, já que não estão inseridas no contexto urbano onde estão instaladas. A faixa non aedificandi de um oleoduto e uma linha de alta tensão é tratada de maneira exemplar, como uma das diversas redes de infraestrutura instaladas na malha urbana da cidade de São Paulo.The service infrastructure sector in Brazil, and specifically in the city of São Paulo, has its history marked by the occupation of territories of exception in the urban fabric of the city. The service networks find great capillarity in the urban network where they are inserted and today, with the brutal growth of the urban spot, its functional bands cross densely populated neighborhoods leaving significant voids, especially when compared to the scarce free areas in these places.The establishment of these infrastructural networks, taking into account only their functional and safety aspects, generate a sequence of residual space which often contributes to increased risk factors since they are not inserted within the urban context of their locations. The range of a pipeline and a high voltage line is treated in an exemplary manner, as one the city of São Paulo’s various infrastructural networks within its urban grid

Cultura en nuestras manos: puentes semánticos entre las poblaciones indígenas y la sociedad occidental en la era de los proyectos

O povo Katukina (Noke Koi) tem seu território no estado do Acre (Brasil). O primeiro contato com a sociedade ocidental foi no final do século XIX, quando migrantes viajaram pela bacia amazônica em busca de seringueiras. Desde então, mantiveram contato permanente, ajudando primeiro os seringueiros e os patrões como guias, caçadores e na produção de borracha. O recente sucesso dos povos vizinhos em obter recursos de projetos de ONGs despertou nos líderes o interesse de fazer algo semelhante e, assim, promover através da “cultura” a entrada de recursos em suas terras. Este artigo descreve a colaboração entre o antropólogo e os Noke Koi na fundação de uma associação e seus desdobramentos no contexto de fortalecimento dos povos indígenas e suas associações na Amazônia. A partir do encontro etnográfico, poderemos analisar a complexidade das relações entre os Katukina e a sociedade envolvente, bem como o que nossos interlocutores realmente buscam ao se engajar nessas atividades.The Katukina (Noke Koi) people have their territory within the state of Acre in Brazil. Their first contact with Western society was in the late XIX century, when migrants traveled through the Amazon basin in search of rubber trees. Since then, they have been in permanent contact, first helping the rubber tappers and bosses as guides, hunters, and in the production of rubber. The recent success of neighboring peoples in obtaining resources from NGO projects has awakened in the leaders’ the interest of doing something similar and thus promoting through “culture” the entry of resources in their land. This article describes the collaboration between the anthropologist and the Noke Koi in the founding of an association and its development contextualized by the strengthening of indigenous peoples and their associations in the Amazon. From the ethnographic encounter we will be able to analyze the complexity of the relations between the Katukina and the surrounding society as well as what our interlocutors really seek when engaging in these emerging activities.Los Katukina (Noke Koi) tienen su territorio dentro del estado de Acre, en Brasil. Sus primeros contactos con la sociedad occidental se produjeron a finales del siglo XIX, cuando los migrantes viajaron por la cuenca del Amazonas en busca de árboles de caucho. Desde entonces han estado en contacto permanente, primero ayudando a los patrones y recolectores de caucho como guías, cazadores y en la producción de caucho. El reciente éxito de los pueblos vecinos en la obtención de recursos de proyectos de ONGs ha despertado en los líderes el interés de hacer algo similar y, por lo tanto, promover a través de la “cultura” la entrada de recursos en sus tierras. Este artículo describe la colaboración entre el antropólogo y los Noke Koi en la fundación de una asociación y sus desarrollos en el contexto del fortalecimiento de los pueblos indígenas y sus asociaciones en la Amazonia. A partir del encuentro etnográfico podremos analizar la complejidad de las relaciones entre los Katukina y la sociedad circundante, así como lo que nuestros interlocutores realmente buscan cuando participan en estas actividades