In this paper, we empirically investigate a channel through which social capital may improve economic wellbeing and the functioning of institutions: political accountability. The main idea is that voters who share norms of generalized morality demand higher standards of behavior on their elected representatives, are more willing to bear the cost of acquiring information, and are more likely to base their vote on criteria of social welfare rather than (narrow) personal interest. We take this conjecture to the data using information on the Italian members of Parliament in the postwar period (1948{2001). The empirical evidence shows that electoral punishment of political misbehavior is considerably larger in electoral districts with high social capital, where social capital is measured by blood donation, while political misbehavior refers to receiving a request of criminal prosecution or shirking in parliamentary activity. Accordingly, political misbehavior is less frequent in districts with high social capital.JEL codes: D72, D73, Z10.

SummaryIn this paper, we empirically investigate a channel through which social capital may improve economic wellbeing and the functioning of institutions: political accountability. The main idea is that voters who share norms of generalized morality demand higher standards of behavior on their elected representavtives, are more willing to bear the cost of acquiring information, and are more likely to base their vote on criteria of social welfare rather than (narrow) personal interest. We take this conjecture to the data using information on the Italian members of Parliament in the postwar period . The empirical evidence shows that the electoral punishment of political misbehavior is considerably larger in electoral districts with high social capital, where social capital is measured by blood donation, and political misbehavior refers to receiving a request of criminal prosecution or shirking in parliamentary activity. Accordingly, episodes of political misbehavior are less frequent in electoral districts with high social capital. Keywords: Social Capital, Culture, Political Agency JEL Classification: D72, D73, Z10This paper was presented at the international conference on "Economics of Culture, Institutions and Crime", Milan, 20-22 January 2010 April 2010Abstract In this paper, we empirically investigate a channel through which social capital may improve economic wellbeing and the functioning of institutions: political accountability. The main idea is that voters who share norms of generalized morality demand higher standards of behavior on their elected representavtives, are more willing to bear the cost of acquiring information, and are more likely to base their vote on criteria of social welfare rather than (narrow) personal interest. We take this conjecture to the data using information on the Italian members of Parliament in the postwar period . The empirical evidence shows that the electoral punishment of political misbehavior is considerably larger in electoral districts with high social capital, where social capital is measured by blood donation, and political misbehavior refers to receiving a request of criminal prosecution or shirking in parliamentary activity. Accordingly, episodes of political misbehavior are less frequent in electoral districts with high social capital.JEL codes: D72, D73, Z10.

Flow visualizations and phase-averaged particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurements of a jet in crossflow configuration at very low Reynolds numbers (Rej ≃ 100) are performed in a water tunnel for jet-to-cross-stream velocity ratios R ranging from 1.5 to 4.5. The PIV vector fields and flow visualizations, carried out by injecting methylene blue dye and by the laser induced fluorescence (LIF) technique, are analysed to characterize the effect of R on the formation and evolution of large-scale vortices. It is shown that two distinct flow regimes are established depending on R, with R ≃ 3 being a transitional value. At low R, the longitudinal vorticity dynamics is dominated by the so-called wake-like structures which are shown to be strictly connected to the streamwise counter-rotating vortices (CRVP) which drive the destabilization of the jet flow. On the other hand, at large R, vortices with positive and negative vorticity are coupled together. The establishment of these different behaviours is interpreted physically as an effect of the jet Reynolds number which plays an essential role on the destabilization mechanisms which lead to the formation of the jet shear-layer structures. In any case, the onset of instability is driven by mechanisms which are different from those characteristic of free jets.

Hypertension is the most frequent medical complication of pregnancy. A recent report demonstrates the flogistic pathogenesis of pregnancy-induced hypertension. Because C-reactive protein (CRP) is a marker of inflammation, it can be used in the differential diagnosis of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. A total of 322 pregnant women at 24 to 32 weeks' gestation were enrolled. The control group (A) comprised 190 women. Sixty-three women had preeclampsia (PE, group B), 31 women presented transient hypertension (TH, group C), 19 had HELLP syndrome (HS, group D) and 19 had chronic hypertension (CH, group E). CRP serum concentrations were significantly higher in groups B, C, and D in comparison with the group A. In the whole population, systolic and diastolic pressure value inversely correlate with weight at delivery and weeks of gestation at delivery. CPR levels in patients with PE and HS inversely correlate with birth weight and gestational week at delivery. Normal plasma levels of CRP may be an important marker of differential diagnosis between TH and CH. In TH, PE, and HS, CRP levels were higher than in the control and CH groups, suggesting that inflammation may be the common pathogenetic cause of TH and PE. Finally CRP levels in preeclampsia are believed to correlate with preeclamptic process severity.

We develop a parsimonious bivariate model of inflation and unemployment that allows for persistent variation in trend inflation and in the non-accelerating inflation rate of unemployment. The model, which consists of five unobserved components (including the trends) with stochastic volatility, implies a time-varying vector autoregression model for changes in the rates of inflation and unemployment. The implied backwards-looking Phillips curve has a time-varying slope that is steeper in the 1970s than in the 1990s. Pseudo out-of-sample forecasting experiments indicate improvements upon univariate benchmarks. Since 2008, the implied Phillips curve has become steeper and the the non-accelerating inflation rate of unemployment has increased.

In this paper we critically review the literature on the political economy of monetary policy emphasizing the questions opened by the recent …nancial crisis. We begin with a discussion of the issue of rules versus discretion. We then examine the independence of Central banks both in normal times and in crisis and in relation to the political cycles. Finally we address international institutional issues concerning the feasibility, optimality and political sustainabilty of currency unions in which more than one country share the same currency. A brief review of the Euro experience concludes the paper.

In order to evaluate pregnancies for pre-term labor, the presence of pH>4.5 and a positive fFN test seems to be predictive of subsequent pre-term delivery.

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