Catholic social economy: past evolution and present challenges

ConferenceConferenci

Social Europe: the Dangers of Compensatory Solidarity

An argument commonplace in narratives concerning the difficult recovery after the 2008 crisis, the relative backslide of 2011, and the European peripheral debt crisis is that difficulties occurred because European economic integration has been privileged over any form of political solidarity. Consequently, Europe should develop the institutions of solidarity to provide relief of instability and inequality. Maastricht had to lead to political Union and to some form of solidarity, but this aspect always remained vague and was not implemented. What has been implemented after the crisis is an even tougher set of control-oriented institutions that introduce further rigidities in European economies, reducing the degrees of freedom of national economic policy. The aim of this contribution is to argue that the implementation of solidarity schemes in the EU should not be conceived of as a compensatory measure for the costs and damages directly or indirectly caused by the European Monetary Union (EMU) and its rigidities and passiveness, including the inability to curb financial instability. Solidarity schemes should instead be the product of unified programs framed by a genuine constitutional federalism

PROGRESO TECNOL 3GICO, ECONOM\ucdA Y SOCIEDAD EN EL PENSAMIENTO DE WILHELM R 6PKE

El presente art\uedculo propone estudiar evoluci\uf3n t\ue9cnica y el desarrollo econ\uf3mico-social en el pensamiento del economista Wilhelm R\uf6pke (1898-1966). Para ello se exponen los fundamentos del orden social y la dimensi\uf3n cualitativa de la tecnolog\ueda como racionalizaci\uf3n y masificaci\uf3n seg\ufan el autor. La primera parte del trabajo explica la relaci\uf3n entre moralidad, integraci\uf3n social y mercado. Se parte exponiendo la postura te\uf3rica de R\uf6pke en su relaci\uf3n con el humanismo y con la concepci\uf3n \ue9tica del hombre. Luego se expone la conexi\uf3n entre moralidad e integraci\uf3n social, desarroll\ue1ndola mediante el criterio de \u201cmeta-estabilidad\u201d de una sociedad que organiza su sistema econ\uf3mico a trav\ue9s de la instituci\uf3n del mercado. En la segunda parte se discute el problema de la innovaci\uf3n tecnol\uf3gica, relacion\ue1ndolo con la mencionada meta- estabilidad de la sociedad

Financialization and Deindustrialization in the Southern European Periphery

Historically, Southern European countries have shared a \u2018semi-peripheral\u2019 model of capitalism which has been characterized by fundamental fragilities in the production system. The financialization induced by the EMU has rendered these economies more fragile and unstable. Liberalization and market reform policies have taken southern economies onto the path of a credit-based and passively-extroverted financialized economy that trap them into a low-cost-of-wages search of competitiveness. However, the lack of autonomy in macroeconomic policies has weakened Southern opportunity to react to the financial crisis. The \u2018internal devaluation\u2019 policies that followed have caused a deep and thorough process of de-industrialization. This has sped-up the centralization of the European economy that has its centre in a narrow space within Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin and Frankfurt

directional response of structures to thunderstorm outflows

Due to the combined effect of the background wind, the translation of the downburst and the radial nature of the downdraft after the touchdown, a peculiar characteristic of a thunderstorm outflow as detected by an anemometer or experienced by a structure is the potential variation of the flow direction. The study of the wind-excited response of structures has habitually neglected this issue because, dealing traditionally with synoptic events, their direction is endowed with a regular pattern. This paper proposes two families of methods to take into account directional changes in the evaluation of the wind-excited response of structures. The first one generalizes the method usually applied to downbursts, which by its nature implicitly assumes a non-directional response. The second one is based on a new directional decomposition strategy of the wind speed that represents a generalization to thunderstorm outflows of what is historically done for synoptic events. The conceptual aspects involved in and the results provided by these methods are critically discussed and compared both to each other and with regard to the traditional non-directional structural analysis of thunderstorm outflows

Dynamic response of structures to thunderstorm outflows taking directionality effects into account

Due to the combinate effect of the background wind, the translation of the downburst and the radial nature of the jet after the touchdown, a peculiar characteristic of a signal associated to a thunderstorm outflow measured by an anemometer is the potential variation of direction during the life of the event. Despite this situation, the study of the dynamic response of structures to thunderstorm outflows has traditionally neglected the angle of attack and the effects induced by that, implicitly assuming the response as alongwind. This paper proposes two methods to consider the role of the direction and its possible variation into the evaluation of dynamic response of structures subjected to Aeolian events. In particular, the second one is based on a decomposition method of the wind speed which constitutes a generalization of what historically defined for stationary events. Thus, it allows to establish a robust parallelism between the dynamic response due to synoptic winds and thunderstorm outflows

Impact of office-based surgery for hemorrhoids on clinical outcomes and institutional costs: a prospective controlled study

Aim: Transanal hemorrhoidal artery ligation with mucopexy (THAL-m) is a treatment option for symptomatic hemorrhoidal disease (HD). Open hemorrhoidectomy (OH) has stood the test of time in terms of radical cure for HD. Both techniques can be performed under local anesthesia. The aim of this study was to determine the impact on postoperative outcome and cost-effectiveness of performing these techniques in ambulatory setting in an Italian academic centre. Method: A prospective series of grade II /III HD. 100 consecutive patients undergoing ambulatory surgical treatment of hemorrhoids in 2015–2017 (group A) were compared to 100 patients operated at the same institution in the same period (Group H) by hospitalization. The primary outcome was sick leave used as a proxy of clinical outcome. Secondary outcomes included postoperative complications, cost-effectiveness, and patient satisfaction. Results: Sick leave was significantly reduced in Group A patients (8 days versus 15) with no increase in postoperative complications, and patient satisfaction was high. Total mean direct costs per patient were significantly lower in office-based setting versus the hospital stay group (431 euros versus 1320). Conclusion: Implementing ambulatory surgery for hemorrhoids is feasible, efficient, safe, and cost-effective but correct selection of patients is necessary

Effect of ancillaries on the aerodynamic behaviour of freestanding lattice towers

Free-standing lattice towers are structures commonly used in the field of telecommunications, as they support antennas and other equipment necessary for broadcasting as well as signal transmission. Due to their lightness they are particularly sensitive to wind load. An investigation of the influence of antennas as well as linear ancillaries such as ladders and cables has been carried out on the aerodynamic coefficients of a sectional lattice tower model. A series of static wind tunnel tests have been planned and conducted, and three models have been considered. A first model has been tested only considering its structural components (Test 1). Sequentially, linear ancillaries such a ladder and cables (Test 2) and discrete ancillaries such as panel and parabolic antennas (Test 3) were mounted and tested. For each test, aerodynamic data are evaluated at different wind tunnel speeds and angles of attack. The main purpose of the study is to understand the influence of ancillary components on the wind loading of lattice towers

Left atrial strain in patients with arterial hypertension

Background: Arterial hypertension (HTN) causes left ventricular (LV) cavity dysfunction even if ejection function (EF) remains preserved. Recent studies have shown that diastolic dysfunction and left atrial (LA) dilatation are also associated with myocardial dysfunction. The aim of the present study was to explore the nature of LA longitudinal function disturbances in hypertensive patients with normal LV and LA structure and conventional function parameters.Methods: Peak atrial longitudinal strain (PALS) was evaluated in 78 patients with systemic HTN and preserved EF (≥ 55%) divided in 41 patients with diastolic dysfunction but no hypertrophy (group HTNdd), and 37 patients with no diastolic dysfunction or hypertrophy (group eHTN). Results were compared with those from 38 age and gender-matched healthy controls.Results: Indexed LA area and indexed LA volume were within the normal range and not different between the two patient groups and controls. eHTN group had reduced global PALS (p &lt; 0.001) and four-and two-chamber average PALS (p &lt; 0.001 for both). Similar abnormalities were seen in HTNdd group but to a worse degree (P &lt; 0.01 for both). LV EF was not different between the eHTN and HTNdd groups compared to controls. LV E/e' ratio was the strongest predictor of reduced global PALS in both eHTN and HTNdd groups.Conclusion: Asymptomatic untreated HTN patients with preserved LVEF and normal diastolic function have compromised LA strain despite normal cavity size, consistent with preclinical LA myocardial dysfunction.</p