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We conduct an analysis of 1835 pledges to 10 music production projects hosted on the largest Brazilian crowdfunding platform, namely the Catarse Web site, and we assess the relation between the fundraising accumulation period, the donor-entrepreneur distance and the propensity of donors to back projects. Our results suggest a significantly negative association between distance and the value of capital pledged to projects, which is consistent with the notion that the entrepreneur's network of close contacts might play a central role in funding. Furthermore, our results contradict the idea that crowdfunding reduces the inhibiting effect of donor-entrepreneur distance. In addition, the results show that a long project exposure is associated with higher values of pledges. These results suggest practical implications for the study of crowdfunding as a financing platform. This study contributes to the literature on the use of crowdfunding as an alternative funding source in a major emerging market.

This paper presents the synthesis of Theme C of the 17th ICOLD International Benchmark Workshop on Numerical Analysis of Dams, focused on the calibration and prediction of the behaviour of a 210 m-high Concrete Face Rockfill Dam (CFRD), a major component of the Nam Ngum 3 hydroelectric project in Laos. With increasing dam heights, empirical methods traditionally used in CFRD design are proving insufficient to address complex deformation mechanisms, particularly long-term settlements and concrete face cracking risks. Participants performed predictive simulations using laboratory data, then recalibrated their models based on field measurements of vertical and horizontal displacements. The narrow valley geometry causes stress redistribution, highlighting the necessity of using 3D models to accurately simulate the dam’s behaviour. Results show that lab-derived stiffness parameters systematically overestimate in situ rockfill stiffness, with a scale factor of approximately 1.7 required to match settlement measurements in 3D models using advanced constitutive models (especially Hardening Soil Model). In 2D models, the scale effect is smaller - around 1.4 for the Mohr-Coulomb and LADE models, and 1.1 for HSM - due to a compensation effect linked to the absence of vertical stress reduction in the 2D representation. Creep models enable a better match of long-term settlements, although the modelling approaches varied and may lack predictive accuracy. This benchmark highlights the importance of accounting for both scale effects and creep behaviour in 3D numerical models during the design phase of high rockfill dams and more specifically CFRDs and intends to provide a reference dataset and methodology for future predictive and back-analysis studies.

This article addresses Theme C of the 17th International Benchmark Workshop on Numerical Analysis of Dams. The study investigates the behavior of large concrete-faced rockfill dams (CFRDs) through 2D and 3D numerical simulations using Hardening Soil Model (HSM) and Mohr-Coulomb (MC) constitutive models, focusing on key aspects such as narrow valley effects and scale effects. The results indicate that 2D analyses overestimate settlements and bank-to-bank stresses by approximately 45% due to the narrow valley geometry. Regarding scale effects, the ratio between laboratory and on-site rockfill elastic moduli is assessed by means of a back-analysis of the monitored settlement. For MC and HSM in 2D models its values are 1.40 and 1.14, respectively, while when considering the 3D foundation shape, the HSM factor increases to 1.67. This value remains lower than the one obtained with Frossard equation under similar conditions (2.4), likely due to the high compaction efforts applied to Nam Ngum 3 rockfill. The overall settlement predictions align well with measured values when scale effects are considered, though horizontal displacement precision is lower. Additionally, a stress-dependent creep model is proposed to represent time-dependent deformations after construction, allowing to obtain a precise fit for the different elevations. The developed numerical models provide valuable insights into the behavior of large CFRDs in narrow valleys, contributing to improve prediction methods for future similar structures.

The present article focuses on the three-dimensional seismic analysis of an arch dam inspired by the case of Tsankov Kamak Dam, a double curvature arch dam, as part of Theme A of the 17th ICOLD Benchmark Workshop (BW) on the Numerical Analysis of Dams. The objective is to compare different numerical approaches for assessing the seismic behaviour of the dam and the dam-reservoir-foundation interactions. The study employs FLAC3D for the static and time-history analyses, and Ansys Workbench for modal analyses. Various modelling complexities are explored, including massed and massless foundations, dam-bedrock interfaces, vertical joints interfaces, and nonlinear concrete behaviour using both Concrete Damage Plasticity and Mohr-Tension constitutive models. Results demonstrate the sensitivity of the dam’s response to these modelling choices, particularly regarding stress distribution, displacements and amplification of accelerations. When comparing massed to massless foundation models, it is confirmed that an additional damping is obtained when considering massed foundation with radiative boundary, although it is lower compared to usual values reached with gravity dams. The evolution of the results considering increasing complexity for the massed foundation models follows expectations: when considering dam-foundation interfaces the dam heel tensile stresses are released, increasing displacements and the tensile stresses downstream; the concrete non-linear models allow to estimate the crack extension at the downstream face, which are rather of limited extent since the stresses in the elastic concrete model are only 10% higher than the concrete tensile strength. The behaviour depicted with the Concrete Damage Plasticity model appears exaggerated given the low earthquake load case. This is further confirmed by scaling up the earthquake load. The Mohr-Tension law appears to be a simpler and practicable alternative which leads to more a realistic behaviour.

This paper estimates the impacts of climate change in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) on migration and other economic outcomes. I develop a quantitative spatial model that captures the role of trade networks, migration barriers, and agricultural yields on the geography of the economy. I combine the model with forecasts of future crop yields to find that climate change, by the end of the century, reduces SSA real GDP per capita by 1.8 percent and displaces 4 million individuals. Migration barriers in SSA are very stringent: if absent, climate-induced migration exceeds 100 million individuals. Still, migration and trade are powerful adaptation mechanisms. Reducing migration barriers to the European Union (EU) standards eliminates the aggregate economic losses of climate change in SSA, but at the cost of more climate migration and higher regional inequality. Also reducing trade frictions to the EU levels attenuates this cost and makes SSA better off on aggregate and distributional terms.

A Constituição Federal de 1988 define a separação dos poderes, estabelecendo limites e competências de cada um. No entanto, diante da alegação de omissão dos Poderes Executivo e Legislativo na promoção de políticas públicas, a sociedade passou a recorrer ao Poder Judiciário para assegurar a efetivação de direitos, principalmente do direito à saúde, fundamentando essa pretensão, com respaldo do Poder Judiciário, principalmente fundamentada na inafastabilidade jurisdicional. Sob o argumento de que compete ao Judiciário a efetivação dos ditames constitucionais, especialmente do artigo 196 da Constituição Federal, o número de concessões, via Poder Judiciário, de direitos que deveriam ser resguardados por políticas públicas aumentou significativamente, popularizando-se a concessão de medicamentos através de ações judiciais isoladas – o ponto central do presente estudo. Contudo, o fenômeno da judicialização não é homogêneo e gera efeitos reflexos indiretos além do direito à saúde, incluindo a realocação emergencial de recursos, o aumento de custos e o aprofundamento das desigualdades sociais. A consequência direta dessa prática é a interferência negativa no orçamento público, conforme ilustram os casos envolvendo a doença AME e o tratamento Spinraza. Indiretamente, a judicialização resulta, indubitavelmente, em restrições a outras políticas eleitas como prioritárias pelo gestor originário para beneficiar toda coletividade. Nesse sentido, o presente artigo busca melhor compreender esse cenário para propor soluções para possam atender às demandas sociais e preservar a equanimidade e sustentabilidade do sistema.

The 1988 Federal Constitution defines the separation of powers, establishing limits and competencies for each one. However, in light of the alleged omission of the Executive and Legislative Powers in promoting public policies, society has turned to the Judiciary to ensure the enforcement of rights, particularly the right to health. This demand is supported by the principle of judicial protection. Under the argument that it is the Judiciary's duty to ensure the fulfillment of constitutional mandates, especially Article 196 of the Federal Constitution, the number of judicial decisions granting rights that should have been guaranteed by public policies has significantly increased. Among these decisions, the granting of medications through individual lawsuits stands out--the central focus of this study. However, the phenomenon of judicialization is not homogeneous and generates indirect effects that go beyond the right to health, including the emergency reallocation of resources, increased costs, and the deepening of social inequalities. A direct consequence of this practice is its negative impact on the public budget, as illustrated by cases involving the disease SMA and the treatment with Spinraza. Indirectly, judicialization imposes restrictions on other public policies prioritized by the original managers, to the detriment of the community as a whole. In this context, the present article seeks to better understand this situation and propose solutions that address social demands while preserving the equity and sustainability of the system. Keywords: Judicial Activism. Public Policy Control. Right to Health. Constitutional Rule of Law. Legitimacy and Limits. A Constituicao Federal de 1988 define a separacao dos poderes, estabelecendo limites e competencias de cada um. No entanto, diante da alegacao de omissao dos Poderes Executivo e Legislativo na promocao de politicas publicas, a sociedade passou a recorrer ao Poder Judiciario para assegurar a efetivacao de direitos, principalmente do direito a saude, fundamentando essa pretensao, com respaldo do Poder Judiciario, principalmente fundamentada na inafastabilidade jurisdicional. Sob o argumento de que compete ao Judiciario a efetivacao dos ditames constitucionais, especialmente do artigo 196 da Constituicao Federal, o numero de concessoes, via Poder Judiciario, de direitos que deveriam ser resguardados por politicas publicas aumentou significativamente, popularizando-se a concessao de medicamentos atraves de acoes judiciais isoladas--o ponto central do presente estudo. Contudo, o fenomeno da judicializacao nao e homogeneo e gera efeitos reflexos indiretos alem do direito a saude, incluindo a realocacao emergencial de recursos, o aumento de custos e o aprofundamento das desigualdades sociais. A consequencia direta dessa pratica e a interferencia negativa no orcamento publico, conforme ilustram os casos envolvendo a doenca AME e o tratamento Spinraza. Indiretamente, a judicializacao resulta, indubitavelmente, em restricoes a outras politicas eleitas como prioritarias pelo gestor originario para beneficiar toda coletividade. Nesse sentido, o presente artigo busca melhor compreender esse cenario para propor solucoes para possam atender as demandas sociais e preservar a equanimidade e sustentabilidade do sistema. Palavras-chave: Ativismo Judicial. Controle de Politicas Publicas. Direito a Saude. Estado Constitucional de Direito. Legitimidade e Limites. La Constitucion Federal de 1988 define la separacion de poderes, estableciendo limites y competencias para cada uno. Sin embargo, ante la supuesta omision de los Poderes Ejecutivo y Legislativo en la promocion de politicas publicas, la sociedad ha recurrido al Poder Judicial para garantizar la efectivizacion de derechos, especialmente el derecho a la salud. Esta demanda se respalda en la prerrogativa de la inafastabilidad jurisdiccional. Bajo el argumento de que corresponde al Poder Judicial garantizar el cumplimiento de los mandatos constitucionales, especialmente el articulo 196 de la Constitucion Federal, el numero de decisiones judiciales que conceden derechos que deberian haber sido garantizados por politicas publicas ha aumentado significativamente. Entre estas decisiones, destaca la concesion de medicamentos a traves de demandas judiciales individuales, que es el punto central de este estudio. No obstante, el fenomeno de la judicializacion no es homogeneo y genera efectos indirectos que van mas alla del derecho a la salud, como la reasignacion urgente de recursos, el aumento de costos y el agravamiento de las desigualdades sociales. Una consecuencia directa de esta practica es la interferencia negativa en el presupuesto publico, como lo ilustran los casos relacionados con la enfermedad AME y el tratamiento con Spinraza. Indirectamente, la judicializacion impone restricciones a otras politicas publicas priorizadas por los gestores originales, en perjuicio de la colectividad. En este contexto, el presente articulo busca comprender mejor esta situacion y proponer soluciones que atiendan las demandas sociales, al mismo tiempo que preserven la equidad y la sostenibilidad del sistema. Palabras clave: Activismo Judicial. Control de Politicas Publicas. Derecho a la Salud. Estado

Using fine-grained spatial data and a dynamic spatial general equilibrium model, this paperassesses the magnitude of mobility frictions in Latin America as well as the effects of their reduction on spatialdevelopment in the region. The results suggest that in most Latin American countries, migration frictions calibratedbased on spatially differentiated initial utility are on average smaller and less dispersed than those obtainedassuming uniform within-country initial utility. A reduction in trade costs due to optimal investments in roadinfrastructure in most Latin American countries increases the present discounted value of real per capita income onaverage in the region by 15.1 percent. This effect is larger than the effects obtained with static quantitative trademodels because of substantial dynamic gains. By contrast, a reduction in migration entry costs in the most productiveand more populous locations in the Latin American countries has a negligible effect on the present discounted value ofthe region’s real per capita income, reflecting the relatively small dispersion in domestic migration frictionsand their relatively low levels in top locations. In both counterfactuals, the welfare increases are significantlylarger than the increases in real per capita output because the reductions in mobility frictions allow people torelocate to areas with better amenities and therefore derive higher utility. These results suggest that trade costs, notmigration barriers, represent a major constraint to theefficient spatial distribution of economic activity and growth in Latin America.

A unilateral carbon tax trades off the distortionary costs of taxation and the future gains from slowing down global warming. Because the cost is local and immediate, whereas the benefit is global and delayed, this tradeoff tends to be unfavorable to unilateral carbon taxes. We show that this logic breaks down in a world with trade and migration where economic geography is shaped by agglomeration economies and congestion forces. Using a multisector dynamic spatial integrated assessment model (S-IAM), this paper predicts that a carbon tax introduced by the European Union (EU) and rebated locally can, if not too large, increase the size of Europe’s economy by concentrating economic activity in its high-productivity non-agricultural core and by incentivizing immigration to the EU. The resulting change in the spatial distribution of economic activity improves global efficiency and welfare. A unilateral carbon tax with local rebating introduced by the US generates similar global welfare gains. Other forms of rebating can dilute or revert this positive effect.