Factores auto-percibidos de eficiencia grupal en una comunidad lúdica on-line

Setenes Jornades de Foment de la Investigació de la FCHS (Any 2001-2002

Efectos de tempo y modo sobre el contenido emocional de la música

Novenes Jornades de Foment de la Investigació de la FCHS (Any 2003-2004)La relación entre música y emociones es evidente (Juslin & Sloboda, 2001), pero el acercamiento efectuado por la psicología se ha centrado casi siempre en “gestalt” musicales antes que en los parámetros de la música misma hasta fechas muy recientes. En el marco de esta indagación psicológica de la influencia de los parámetros musicales sobre las emociones humanas, se propone una primera exploración con cuatro condiciones experimentales, fruto de la modificación de una melodía neutra en dos factores – tempo y modo, cada uno dividido en dos niveles. Se recogieron los juicios sobre el contenido emocional de cada una de las cuatro melodías mediante una página web programada a propósito, teniendo que puntuar cada melodía en cuatro emociones básicas mediante una escala tipo Likert de cinco puntos. Los resultados parecen apoyar una teoría paramétrica de la influencia de la música sobre las emociones

Quieting the Sharholders\u27 Voice: Empirical Evidence of Pervasive Bundling in Proxy Solicitations

The integrity of shareholder voting is critical to the legitimacy of corporate law. One threat to this process is proxy “bundling,” or the joinder of more than one separate item into a single proxy proposal. Bundling deprives shareholders of the right to convey their views on each separate matter being put to a vote and forces them to either reject the entire proposal or approve items they might not otherwise want implemented. In this Paper, we provide the first comprehensive evaluation of the anti-bundling rules adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) in 1992. While we find that the courts have carefully developed a framework for the proper scope and application of the rules, the SEC and proxy advisory firms have been less vigilant in defending this instrumental shareholder right. In particular, we note that the most recent SEC interpretive guidance has undercut the effectiveness of the existing rules, and that, surprisingly, proxy advisory firms do not have well-defined heuristics to discourage bundling. Building on the theoretical framework, this Article provides the first large-scale empirical study of bundling of management proposals. We develop four possible definitions of impermissible bundling and, utilizing a data set of over 1,300 management proposals, show that the frequency of bundling in our sample ranges from 6.2 percent to 28.8 percent (depending on which of the four bundling definitions is used). It is apparent that bundling occurs far more frequently than indicated by prior studies. We further examine our data to report the items that are most frequently bundled and to analyze the proxy advisors’ recommendations and the voting patterns associated with bundled proposals. This Article concludes with important implications for the SEC, proxy advisors, and institutional investors as to how each party can more effectively deter impermissible bundling and thus better protect the shareholder franchise

Room for space in agencification reforms: A tale of three Italian museums

The debate on agencification in the public sector has traditionally overlooked the influence of space on how autonomy unfolds in practice. Starting with the contention that organizing and space are interweaved, the study analyses the early stages of the agencification process of three Italian museums and reveals that space is a constraint to, and an enabler of, de facto autonomy for newly created entities. Space is a constraint when spatial changes are temporally misaligned with the agencification process, including directorship cycles. On the other hand, space enables de facto autonomy, as it is purposely modified to accommodate new demands and needs by newly appointed managers. The paper maintains that policy makers and site managers should seriously consider space when dealing with agencification reforms, paying attention to the revenue and cost implications of spatial solutions, and the areas of responsibility concerning buildings and objects

Nano-particle characterization by using Exposure Time Dependent Spectrum and scattering in the near field methods: how to get fast dynamics with low-speed CCD camera

Light scattering detection in the near field, a rapidly expanding family of scattering techniques, has recently proved to be an appropriate procedure for performing dynamic measurements. Here we report an innovative algorithm, based on the evaluation of the Exposure Time Dependent Spectrum (ETDS), which makes it possible to measure the fast dynamics of a colloidal suspension with the aid of a simple near field scattering apparatus and a CCD camera. Our algorithm consists in acquiring static spectra in the near field at different exposure times, so that the measured decay times are limited only by the exposure time of the camera and not by its frame rate. The experimental set-up is based on a modified microscope, where the light scattered in the near field is collected by a commercial objective, but (unlike in standard microscopes) the light source is a He-Ne laser which increases the instrument sensitivity. The apparatus and the algorithm have been validated by considering model systems of standard spherical nano-particle

Are mass-media campaigns effective in preventing drug use? A Cochrane systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether there is evidence that mass-media campaigns can be effective in reducing illicit drug consumption and the intent to consume. DESIGN: Systematic review of randomised and non-randomised studies. METHODS: We searched four electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, ProQuest Dissertations & Theses A&I and CENTRAL) and further explored seven additional resources to obtain both published and unpublished materials. We appraised the quality of included studies using standardised tools. We carried out meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials and a pooled analysis of interrupted time-series and controlled before-and-after studies. RESULTS: We identified 19 studies comprising 184,811 participants. Pooled analyses and narrative synthesis provided mixed evidence of effectiveness. Eight interventions evaluated with randomised controlled trials leaned towards no evidence of an effect, both on drug use (standardised mean difference (SMD) -0.02; 95% CI -0.15 to 0.12) and the intention to use drugs (SMD -0.07; 95% CI -0.19 to 0.04). Four campaigns provided some evidence of beneficial effects in preventing drug use and two interventions provided evidence of iatrogenic effects. CONCLUSIONS: Studies were considerably heterogeneous in type of mass-media intervention, outcome measures, underlying theory, comparison groups and design. Such factors can contribute to explaining the observed variability in results. Owing to the risk of adverse effects, caution is needed in disseminating mass-media campaigns tackling drug use. Large studies conducted with appropriate methodology are warranted to consolidate the evidence base

DNA barcoding: theoretical aspects and practical applications

DNA barcoding is a molecular-based identification system, recently introduced in the scientific community. The method is not completely new to science, but the real innovation is not in the discrimination system itself: DNA barcoding can be considered as the core of an integrated taxonomic system, where bioinformatics plays a key role. Time is now ripe for a real collaboration of all the different forces working in taxonomy, towards a “next generation systematics”

Virtual shareholder meetings

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