Mortgage finance and culture

Using a nationally representative sample of 12,344 immigrants from 41 different countries of ancestry living in Spain in 2007, we find that the higher the housing‐loan penetration in the country of ancestry, the higher the likelihood of having a mortgage in Spain. Similarly, the higher the mortgage depth in the country of ancestry, the higher the present value of the monthly mortgage payments. Our results suggest that social norms regarding mortgage finance in the country of ancestry matter in determining immigrants’ mortgage finance in the host country. More specifically, the effect of social norms on the decision to have a mortgage (the extensive margin) and the amount of the mortgage payments (the intensive margin) is about one third and tenth the size of the effect of having a college degree on mortgage debt, respectively. Evidence of strong persistence of culture among those with longer tenure in the host country, those who immigrated as children or young adults, and second‐generation immigrants suggests that vertical transmission of beliefs (from parents to children) is a plausible channel of transmission. Perhaps most importantly, we find that cultural attitudes regarding property rights are most relevant when explaining individuals’ decision to get a mortgage, but those regarding credit information matter most when explaining the amount of the mortgage debt.     

Rock surface luminescence dating of prehistoric rock art from central Iberia

Rock art paintings are notoriously difficult to date numerically. Recently, luminescence dating has been shown to provide reliable rock surface burial ages in various archaeological settings. Here we use the cross-cutting relationship between a fallen rock and two paintings of the Iberian Levantine (older) and Schematic (younger) styles to constrain the age of the paintings by dating the rockfall event using rock surface luminescence dating. Infrared-stimulated luminescence (IRSL) signals as a function of depth into the buried face of the talus border indicate that the IRSL signal measured at 50°C (IR₅₀) was sufficiently reset to a depth of about 1.6 mm prior to burial. An uncorrected IR₅₀ age of 1.6 ± 0.2 ka was calculated for the rockfall event by dividing the surface equivalent dose (D_e) by the total dose rate. This age was corrected using both conventional and field-to-laboratory saturation approaches to yield indistinguishable ages of 2.7 ± 0.5 and 2.9 ± 0.3 ka, respectively. Since the panel with Schematic art was first available to the artist after the rockfall, we conclude the Schematic rock art at Villar del Humo is younger than ~2.9 ka. The Levantine rock art was painted on a panel constrained by the talus boulder before detachment, and so it is likely to be older than ~2.9 ka.     

西周倗国墓地绿松石珠微痕的数码显微镜分析

为有效揭示史前和历史时代早期出土玉器的加工痕迹,了解古代机械加工的起源和演变过程,选择西周倗国墓地出土的一枚穿孔绿松石珠,在带有景深扩展技术和三维图像重建功能VHX-500K型数码显微镜下进行微痕分析。发现其表面的打磨痕迹和孔壁上钻孔形成的多圈平行螺旋纹皆十分清晰。结合现代绿松石打磨的模拟实验和前人的工作,认为该枚绿松石珠表面打磨的工具应为一种机械转动磨盘,其具备粗磨和细磨两个功能。有关磨料的颗粒甚粗,其尺寸远大于现代细磨盘的磨料颗粒度。至于珠上的穿孔为对钻贯通,推测为空心管钻配合解玉砂高速旋转而成。这是国内首次将数码显微镜的景深扩展和三维重建技术应用于微痕分析,其研究成果可为古玉的科学鉴定,从加工工艺角度提供重要的信息。     

超声波技术在大佛寺石窟石质保护中的应用

介绍超声波探测在石质文物风化评价、化学加固效果评价及其裂隙研究方面的应用,并将其结果与目前常用的方法进行了比较。     

盐文化主题旅游产品的市场价值挖掘与深度开发研究——以大英死海、自贡盐都为例

论文理清了盐文化旅游资源市场价值观演交的脉络.认为旅游产品化是实现盐文化潜在资源显性化的必然,主题挖掘已经成为盐文化旅游产品差异化的当然选择.选取了大英死海和自贡盐都作为两个典型案例,得出盐文化主题旅游产品的显性市场价值在于文化性和娱乐性,其隐性市场价值是游客休闲体验性和社会文化生态性.最后基于后现代旅游语境下的"社会-游客"双核市场价值观,提出了深度开发策略.     

Early Darriwilian graptolites from central and western China

Taxonomic restudy of Early Darriwilian graptolites from the Yangtze region, Chiadam and Alxa, has enabled a precise correlation of the Undulograptus austrodentatus Zone (including two subzones) across the three regions, and with the Darriwilian GSSP at Huangnitang in the Jiangshan-Changshan-Yushan (JYC) area. Based on specimens from 17 localities in the Yangtze region, the Exigraptus clavus and Undulograptus austrodentatus zones are recognised as replacements respectively of the Undulograptus sinodentatus (Lower) and U. austrodentatus (Upper) zones of Mu et al. (1979). The U. sinicus Subzone, the upper subzone of the U. austrodentatus Zone, is also recognised from the Sichuan-Guizhou area of the Yangtze region. Two subzones of the U. austrodentatus Zone have also been identified from the Chiadam region with more diverse graptolite fauna. The U. austrodentatus Zone fauna also occurs in the Alxa region. A general pattern of changing graptolite diversity from platform through basinal slope to deep basin is proposed, based on early Darriwilian bio- and lithofacies changes from the Yangtze Platform through the Jiangnan belt to the Zhujiang basin. The graptolite diversity increased with water depth and more off-shore setting. Key graptolite species are illustrated.