Ethical banks: an Alternative in the Financial Crisis

This paper studies the differences between traditional financial intermediaries (commercial banks, saving banks and credit cooperatives) and ethical banks that focus on positive social and ethical values. The credit crisis calls into question the functionality and good performance of traditional banks. The full incorporation of ethical values and principles by traditional financial intermediaries might be a form to solve their misleading financial situation. We have analyzed four factors that theoretically mean ethical differences: information transparency, placement of assets, guarantees and participation. These four factors are grouped in an index called Radical Affinity Index (RAI). The paper is focused on the study of RAI using a sample of 119 European banks. The evidence shows, that transparency of information and placement of assets are factors that differentiate ethical banks and the rest of financial intermediaries. The guarantees and participation, which seemed to be useful factors to differentiate ethical aspects of banks, do not support clear evidence to the analysis. In sum, RAI is a functional and useful index to show the ethical policy of financial intermediaries

Design of a Bedside Walker-Cane Hybrid to Aid Senior Adults Avoid Falls during Night Walks

The objective of this research and development work is to design a device to help senior adults prevent fall during night walks indoors. The problem of elders falling at a night setting was found to be caused by the multiple environmental and medical conditions. The target demographic was found to be seniors from age 65 and older. Several occupational therapists and two physical therapists were consulted to gain knowledge on elders\u27 behavior, possible improvements on current existing devices, and feedback regarding the early prototype built. Several products and patents were researched with a lack of findings on similar products that perform the proposed functions. A walking aid device was successfully designed using a systematic design process. A bed anchor and locking mechanism were also designed for the walking aid device to be attachable to the bed. This gives the ability for the walking device to be always available when needed. A finite element analysis, failure modes effects analysis, working model simulations, and early prototype tests were made. The tests determined the possible failures, materials, stability, and demonstrated the interaction between user and device

An Overview of Transfer Conditions: Exploring Latino Community College Students in Texas

This paper begins exploring the transfer conditions for Latino community college students in Texas. We provide an overview of the high school schooling conditions for Latinos; the experiences of Latinos in the community college; and some models that can increase the transfer and graduation rates for Latina/o community college students.Educatio

Ecosystem engineers in the world coasts: case studies and conceptual linkages

Research on physical ecosystem engineering-i.e., the structural modification of environments by organisms-has flourished during the last two decades. At present, the importance of physical ecosystem engineers for the biodiversity and the functioning of ecosystems is well recognized by scientists. This Special Issue contains fifteen papers that illustrate the diversity of physical ecosystem engineering processes that occur in the world coastal habitats-from coastal dunes to the shallow subtidal zone. It includes 2 reviews comparing ecosystem engineering attributes and impacts across taxa and 13 case studies that inform our general understanding of the variation in engineering impacts, compound engineering effects, novel engineering interactions, and engineered structural legacies.Fil: Gutierrez, Jorge Luis Ceferino. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Geología de Costas y del Cuaternario. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Instituto de Geología de Costas y del Cuaternario; Argentina. Estación Biológica Las Brusquitas. Grupo de Investigación y Educación en Temas Ambientales; Argentin

Lines of Curvature, Umbilic Points and Caratheodory Conjecture

Lines of Curvature, Umbilic Points and Caratheodory Conjectur

Fermion mass hierarchy and non-hierarchical mass ratios in SU(5) x U(1)_F

We consider a SU(5) x U(1)_F GUT-flavor model in which the number of effects that determine the charged fermions Yukawa matrices is much larger than the number of observables, resulting in a hierarchical fermion spectrum with no particular regularities. The GUT-flavor symmetry is broken by flavons in the adjoint of SU(5), realizing a variant of the Froggatt-Nielsen mechanism that gives rise to a large number of effective operators. By assuming a common mass for the heavy fields and universality of the fundamental Yukawa couplings, we reduce the number of free parameters to one. The observed fermion mass spectrum is reproduced thanks to selection rules that discriminate among various contributions. Bottom-tau Yukawa unification is preserved at leading order, but there is no unification for the first two families. Interestingly, U(1)_F charges alone do not determine the hierarchy, and can only give upper bounds on the parametric suppression of the Yukawa operators.Comment: 14 pages, one figure. Few typos correcte

Does rock type account for variation in mussel attachment strength? A test with Brachidontes rodriguezii in the southwestern Atlantic

Mussel attachment strength varies in space and time, frequently in association with variations in wave exposure. Yet, it remains uninvestigated whether different rock types can contribute to variation in mussel attachment. Here we compared the attachment strength of the mussel Brachidontes rodriguezii between soft and hard intertidal rock substrates that are typical of coastal Buenos Aires Province, Argentina: Pampean loess cemented by calcium carbonate and orthoquartzite, respectively. Overall comparisons of mussel attachment across natural platforms of either rock type (10 loess sites and 4 orthoquartzite sites) indicated stronger mussel attachment to orthoquartzite. However, mussel attachment strength did not differ when compared across natural loess platforms and introduced orthoquartzite blocks (i.e., groins and revetments) occurring within the same site. Mussels attaching to loess showed more byssal threads than those attaching to orthoquartzite at the same site. These findings suggest, first, that rock type does not influence mussel attachment strength in our study system, secondly, that overall differences in mussel attachment strength with rock type across natural platforms in our study range are due to confounding influences of co-varying factors (e.g., wave exposure) and, finally, that mussels can increase byssus production to counteract potential substrate failure when attaching to soft, friable rock. The latter likely explains the ability of mussels to maintain relatively stable cover across rocks of contrasting hardness.Fil: Gutierrez, Jorge Luis Ceferino. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Biología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata; ArgentinaFil: Bagur, María. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"; ArgentinaFil: Arribas, Lorena Pilar. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico. Instituto de Biología de Organismos Marinos; ArgentinaFil: Palomo, Maria Gabriela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"; Argentin