Inequality in Pre-Industrial Europe (1260–1850): New Evidence From the Labor Share

The dynamics of economic inequality and its relationship with economic growth in the preindustrial world is increasingly attracting the attention of both economists and economic historians. In this paper, we tackle this theme by introducing new estimates of the labor share in five major European countries (England, France, Holland, Spain, and Portugal) for the period 1250–1850. Our estimates are constructed using an innovative method based on the conversion of real wages in 2011 PPP $. Overall, we find a complex pattern of evolution of the labor share with major fluctuations. Furthermore, using the inequality possibility frontier (IPF) framework, our results suggest that preindustrial Europe was characterized by a negative relationship between the extraction ratio and GDP

The origins of the Italian regional divide: Evidence from real wages, 1861-1913

The origins of the Italian North-South divide have always been controversial. We fill this gap by estimating a new dataset of real wages (Allen 2001; Allen et al. 2011) from Unification (1861) to WWI. Italy was very poor throughout the period, with a modest improvement since the late nineteenth century. This improvement started in the Northwest industrializing regions, while real wages in other macro-areas remained stagnant. The gap Northwest/South widened until the end of the period. Focusing on the drivers of regional trends, we find that human capital formation exerted strong positive effect on the growth of real wages

Identificação de dano baseada na totalidade da informação espectral: aplicações

O tema da identificação de dano (deteção e localização) em estruturas através de métodos não destrutivos recebeu, ao longo das últimas décadas, um interesse acrescido em resultado de um significativo número de estruturas monitorizadas, tais como pontes ou edifícios históricos de elevado interesse patrimonial. Vários métodos de identificação de dano têm sido sugeridos com base em alterações dos parâmetros dinâmicos (e.g. frequências naturais ou modos de vibração), sempre que a matriz de rigidez ou de massa seja alterada no sistema. Contudo, o problema da identificação de dano é complexo, não havendo, até ao momento, um método ou um conjunto de métodos que resolva o problema. O presente artigo apresenta um método de identificação baseado na utilização da totalidade da informação espetral dentro de uma gama de frequências de interesse, obtida por ensaios de vibração ambiente (sem medir as excitações). O método é aplicado a três casos de estudo. Os resultados demostram que o método baseado na utilização da totalidade da informação espectral poderá ser um importante contributo para a identificação do dano em estruturas

Structural monitoring and damage identification on a masonry chimney by a spectral-based identification technique

The present work deals with the damage identification of a historical masonry chimney located in Guimarães (Portugal), including a detailed survey, inspection and diagnosis. The chimney was object of a continuous monitoring campaign carried out to catch the evolution of the modal parameters and evaluate the success of the rehabilitation works planned after a lightning accident. Based on the dynamic features extracted from the OMA data, a damage identification analysis was performed making use of different damage identification techniques. Considering the explicit dependence of output-only power spectral densities on frequency contents, a spectral-based identification method was used to detect the damage. Finally, an appropriate localization index was defined combining evolutionary complex eigenvectors obtained from the decomposition of the power spectral density matrix. The results allow to conclude that the spectral-based dynamic identification method is a non-destructive tool able to capture the global behavior of a structure and may reveal itself of great help for exploring damage at an early stage in historical constructions

A spectrum-driven damage Identification technique: application and validation through the numerical simulation of the Z24 Bridge

The present paper focuses on a damage identification method based on the use of the second order spectral properties of the nodal response processes. The explicit dependence on the frequency content of the outputs power spectral densities makes them suitable for damage detection and localization. The well-known case study of the Z24 Bridge in Switzerland is chosen to apply and further investigate this technique with the aim of validating its reliability. Numerical simulations of the dynamic response of the structure subjected to different types of excitation are carried out to assess the variability of the spectrum-driven method with respect to both type and position of the excitation sources. The simulated data obtained from random vibrations, impulse, ramp and shaking forces, allowed to build the power spectrum matrix from which the main eigenparameters of reference and damage scenarios are extracted. Afterwards, complex eigenvectors and real eigenvalues are properly weighed and combined and a damage index based on the difference between spectral modes is computed to pinpoint the damage. Finally, a group of vibration-based damage identification methods are selected from the literature to compare the results obtained and to evaluate the performance of the spectral index.The authors would like to express their sincere gratitude to Prof. Dr. Guido De Roeck for sharing his information about the Z24 Bridge. The first author would also like to acknowledge the Italian Ministry of Education, Universities and Research (MIUR) for the Ph.D. scholarship provided

Duodenal intraepithelial lymphocytes of children with cow milk allergy preferentially bind the glycan-binding protein galectin-3

A breakdown in intestinal homeostasis results in inflammatory bowel diseases including coeliac disease and allergy. Galectins, evolutionarily conserved beta-galactoside-binding proteins, can modulate immune-epithelial cell interactions by influencing immune cell fate and cytokine secretion. In this study we investigated the glycosylation signature, as well as the regulated expression of galectin-1 and -3 in human duodenal samples of allergic and non-allergic children. Whereas galectin-1 was predominantly localized in the epithelial compartment (epithelial cells and intraepithelial lymphocytes) and the underlying lamina propria (T cells, macrophages and plasma cells), galectin-3 was mainly expressed by crypt epithelial cells and macrophages in the lamina propria. Remarkably, expression of these galectins was not significantly altered in allergic versus non-allergic patients. Investigation of the glycophenotype of the duodenal inflammatory microenvironment revealed substantial alpha2-6-linked sialic acid bound to galactose in lamina propria plasma cells, macrophages and intraepithelial lymphocytes and significant levels of asialo core 1 O-glycans in CD68+ macrophages and enterocytes. Galectin-1 preferentially bound to neutrophils, plasma cells and enterocytes, while galectin-3 binding sites were mainly distributed on macrophages and intraepithelial lymphocytes. Notably, galectin-3, but not galectin-1 binding, was substantially increased in intraepithelial gut lymphocytes of allergic patients compared to non-allergic subjects, suggesting a potential role of galectin-3-glycan interactions in shaping epithelial-immune cell connections during allergic inflammatory processes.Fil: Mercer, Natalia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Guzman, Luciana. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Ministerio de Salud. Hospital de Niños "Sor María Ludovica" de la Plata; ArgentinaFil: Cueto Rua, Eduardo. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Ministerio de Salud. Hospital de Niños "Sor María Ludovica" de la Plata; ArgentinaFil: Drut, Ricardo. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Ministerio de Salud. Hospital de Niños "Sor María Ludovica" de la Plata; ArgentinaFil: Ahmed, H.. University of Maryland; Estados UnidosFil: Vasta, G. R.. University of Maryland; Estados UnidosFil: Toscano, Marta Alicia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Fundación de Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Rabinovich, Gabriel Adrián. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Fundación de Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Docena, Guillermo H.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata; Argentin

Broad N2H+ emission towards the protostellar shock L1157-B1

We present the first detection of N2H+ towards a low-mass protostellar outflow, namely the L1157-B1 shock, at about 0.1 pc from the protostellar cocoon. The detection was obtained with the IRAM 30-m antenna. We observed emission at 93 GHz due to the J = 1-0 hyperfine lines. The analysis of the emission coupled with the HIFI CHESS multiline CO observations leads to the conclusion that the observed N2H+(1-0) line originates from the dense (> 10^5 cm-3) gas associated with the large (20-25 arcsec) cavities opened by the protostellar wind. We find a N2H+ column density of few 10^12 cm-2 corresponding to an abundance of (2-8) 10^-9. The N2H+ abundance can be matched by a model of quiescent gas evolved for more than 10^4 yr, i.e. for more than the shock kinematical age (about 2000 yr). Modelling of C-shocks confirms that the abundance of N2H+ is not increased by the passage of the shock. In summary, N2H+ is a fossil record of the pre-shock gas, formed when the density of the gas was around 10^4 cm-3, and then further compressed and accelerated by the shock.Comment: ApJ, in pres