Children's work in Spanish textiles during the 19th and 20th Centuries

This essay deals with the reasons explaining children s work in 19th century textile factories and their removal during the first part of the 20th century. The inadequacy of the structure of incomes and expenditures of the household and the very low economic incentives to educate children can explain why children were in the factories and not in the school. Moreover, the marginal economic contribution to the economy of the household of a child was the same as that of his mother. This normally implied that women and children were perfect substitutes. When the family had a child at working age this allowed to replace the paid work input of the mother. With the beginnings of the 20th century a set of changes leading to the increase of women s productivity and hourly real wages, switched the situation and involved the new incorporation of women into paid work and the investment in children s human capital.

Ownership structure, customer satisfaction and brand equity

This paper studies the interaction between ownership structure, taken as a proxy for shareholders commitment, and customer satisfaction - the main driver of consumer loyalty - and their impact on a firm s brand equity. The results show that customer satisfaction has a positive direct effect on brand equity but an indirect negative one because of reductions in ownership concentration. This latter effect emerges when managers are mainly customer-oriented. Such result gives out a warning signal that highlights the perverse effect of implementing policies, focused excessively on satisfying customers at the expense of shareholders, on a firm s brand equity. The empirical analysis uses an incomplete panel data comprising 69 firms from 11 nations, for the period 2002-2005.

Single mothers and incentives to work: The French experience

This paper analyzes the effect of the 1998 reform of the French single parents allowanceon the labor supply of single mothers with very young children. The reform aimed atencouraging participation by allowing eligible single parents to accumulate benefits andlabor earnings for a limited period of time. Using data from the French EmploymentSurvey, the analysis shows that single mothers affected by the reform had experienced asignificant increase in their employment rate four years after the reform wasimplemented. During the same period, the employment rate of married mothers withyoung children did not experience a significant change, suggesting that at least part ofthe increase was a consequence of the reform. These results provide some evidence thatbenefit schedules that provide financial incentives to work can have significant effectsin getting single moms back to work, even in the presence of very young children.

Student experiences in a course blended learning

Fascination is a project for design students, developed jointly by the Technical University of Catalonia (UPC) and the University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT), which works with two groups of students, one group of participants in Spain and another group in Thailand where, hands-on activities, a range of technologies are used to prepare students for the lessons, through learning activities and content. This research paper presents the test of both a general model and a tool for measuring the participants��� experiences in a course that uses a blended learning methodology, with the aim of collecting empirical evidence to justify the effort of applying this methodology, based on the participants��� satisfaction. The procedure used in the conceptualization of the survey, the generation of topics, the collection of data, and the validation of the scale of various items are described here. The information, provided by the 26 people surveyed about the course and the virtual environment that was used, was analyzed to measure their perceptions and explore possible relations. Finally the conclusions of the research and the future work are presented.

Desenvolupament d'un joc per torns parametritzable amb possibilitat multijugador i I.A.

Els jocs s��n una de les ind��stries de software m��s gran del m��n de la inform��tica. Des dels primers jocs en blanc i negre que simulaven raquetes i una pilota, fins avui en dia, en que el desenvolupament d���un joc porta darrere un equip de professionals tant o m��s gran que el major dels projectes inform��tics del m��n de les ind��stries, els jocs han evolucionat m��s que la majoria de programes. La possibilitat d���elaborar un joc ��s, a part d���una proposta temptadora (ja que difereix enormement de qualsevol pr��ctica feta durant la carrera), un repte de caire personal per alg�� que sempre ha estat en contacte amb videojocs i que, despr��s d���adquirir una s��rie de coneixements indispensables, s���ha proposat d���intentar desenvolupar-ne un des de l���arrel. L���objectiu d���aquest treball ��s doncs aix��, aprendre com neix un joc partint de res, i veure totes les complicacions que sorgeixen a l���hora de desenvolupar-lo. Els resultats delt projecte mostren generosament el gran nombre de problemes que sorgeixen en un proc��s com aquest, per�� com a conclusions importants cal destacar la satisfacci�� envers els resultats obtinguts, aix�� com els coneixements que s���han guanyat mitjan��ant el desenvolupament del programa.

Escacs, un sistema intel��ligent

Des dels inicis dels ordinadors com a m��quines programables, l���home ha intentat dotar-los de certa intel���lig��ncia per tal de pensar o raonar el m��s semblant possible als humans. Un d���aquests intents ha sigut fer que la m��quina sigui capa�� de pensar de tal manera que estudi�� jugades i guanyi partides d���escacs. En l���actualitat amb els actuals sistemes multi tasca, orientat a objectes i acc��s a mem��ria i gr��cies al potent hardware del que disposem, comptem amb una gran varietat de programes que es dediquen a jugar a escacs. Per�� no hi ha nom��s programes petits, hi ha fins i tot m��quines senceres dedicades a calcular i estudiar jugades per tal de guanyar als millors jugadors del m��n. L���objectiu del meu treball ��s dur a terme un estudi i implementaci�� d���un d���aquests programes, per aix�� es divideix en dues parts. La part te��rica o de l���estudi, consta d���un estudi dels sistemes d���intel���lig��ncia artificial que es dediquen a jugar a escacs, estudi i cerca d���una funci�� d���avaluaci�� v��lida i estudi dels algorismes de cerca. La part pr��ctica del treball es basa en la implementaci�� d���un sistema intel���ligent capa�� de jugar a escacs amb certa l��gica. Aquesta implementaci�� es porta a terme amb l���ajuda de les llibreries SDL, utilitzant l���algorisme minimax amb poda alfa-beta i codi c++. Com a conclusi�� del projecte m���agradaria remarcar que l���estudi realitzat m���ha deixat veure que crear un joc d���escacs no era tan f��cil com jo pensava per�� m���ha aportat la satisfacci�� d���aplicar tot el que he apr��s durant la carrera i de descobrir moltes altres coses noves.

Intangible Capital: An opportunity for PhD students and junior researchers

El objetivo de esta editorial es exponer los hitos m��s importantes acontecidos durante el a��o 2008, en el que se public�� el volumen 4, los datos de visibilidad y por primera vez los resultados de una encuesta de satisfacci��n realizada a los autores que han enviado durante 2008 alguna publicaci��n a evaluaci��n. Adem��s, en el anexo se expone la relaci��n de revisores y miembros del Editorial Board que han hecho posible el cuarto volumen de Intangible Capital. Tambi��n se informa sobre los aspectos que indican el principio de una consolidaci��n de la revista, y la importancia de mantener los principios b��sicos que dieron origen a esta publicaci��n. Concluimos la editorial animando a directores de tesis, estudiantes de doctorado y autores noveles a enviar sus primeros trabajos a evaluaci��n.The aim of this editorial is to present the most important Intangible Capital milestones of 2008. During the last year, the intangible Capital published its 4th volume, together with information regarding the journal���s visibility and the first results of a satisfaction survey conducted among the authors, who submitted a paper for evaluation. In addition, the annex presents the list of reviewers and the Editorial Board members who have enabled the publication of the fourth volume of the Intangible Capital. This editorial also provides information regarding the aspects that indicate the beginning of the journal���s consolidation, and the importance of maintaining the basic principles that gave rise to this publication. The editorial concludes by encouraging PhD advisors, doctoral students and junior researchers the Intangible Capital a potential outlet for their work.

A Model for Improving the Quality of Student Internship Placements in Engineering Degrees

Work Internship Placements (WIP) is a new and transversal enterprise internships programme, which is focused on quality improvement, academic control and satisfaction of collaborating enterprises. This programme is addressed to the engineering students of the PolytechnicSchool at the University of Girona (UdG) in Spain. The fundamental WIP infrastructure combines a web-based intranet platform, that provides a complete set of WIP tools, with a protocol of procedures and tasks that are observed and followed at all internship stages by every participating agent, i.e. enterprises, students, coaching professors and administrative staff. Our new programme is centered on a broader, more holistic internship placement procedure than the traditional ���career and academic goals��� approach. The WIP programme has been found to be a valuable asset in addressing enterprise and student needs in the experiential project