Mainstream Economics and Sense-Making

This work presents a semiotic approach to the economy, underlining that any economic phenomena is at the same time a communicative act as it is contingent to sense-making.The article discusses this topic by focusing on a specific phenomenon studied by economics: the underground economy. It shows that the conceptualization of the underground economy in terms of sense-making processes offers a thought-provoking perspective for theoretical development. More in general, the discussion proposed makes it clear that in order to deepen our vision of economic phenomena in a more thoughtful and realistic way we need to rethink these phenomena as being reciprocally and circularly embedded in the semiotic flow of life. The economy is within sense-making and it is shaped by it; at the same time sense-making is within the economy, as its semiotic substance.

Impacts of Non-Driving Related License Suspensions on Quality of Life: a Qualitative Study

Applied Research in Quality of Life - The purpose of this qualitative study was to determine if and how non-driving related license suspensions impact affected individuals’ quality of life....     

Relationship between emotions and some aspects of respiratory activity: morphology of the chest, cyclic activity, and acid-base balance

The relationship between the style of affective-emotional management measured on the Gottschalk test and respiratory activity of 19 undergraduate students in psychology was examined. The biological measurements were tonic-static attitudes of the chest (morphology), amplitude and duration of the phases of the respiratory activity, and acid-base balance. Statistically significant correlations were observed between affectivity (hostility and anxiety) and some biological scores. A psychophysiological model integrating biological and psychological levels was discussed.     

Effects of body image on tactile sensitivity to a tickle:: a study of pregnancy

A group of 20 middle-class women between 20 and 40 yr. of age and in the third trimester of pregnancy was compared with a control group of 20 non-pregnant women for cutaneous sensitivity (to a tickle) and for modifications of body schema which were hypothesized to occur during pregnancy. Latency and actual duration were considered in the perception of the tickle. Body schema were studied using two of Fisher's tests, Body Prominence and Body Cathexis. Pregnancy leads to modifications in sensitivity to tickle, specifically with regard to the right half of the body and to some extent in body schema.     

Visual decodification of some facial expressions through microimitation

We examined the level of muscular tension of mentalis muscle of 36 students in graphic design at rest and during the presentation of three slides reproducing facial expressions. Analysis showed an increase in the myographic level of mentalis muscle from the third second of measurement onwards after the presentation of the slide in which contraction of the chin was involved. We interpret this result by hypothesizing that the decodification of some facial expressions is realized through a microreproduction of the stimulus from the decodifying subject.