[Ressenya del llibre] Turismo cultural. Entre la experiencia y el ritual, José Antonio Donaire Benito

Ressenya del llibre 'Turismo cultural. Entre la experiencia y el ritual', escrit per José Antonio Donaire Benito, publicat l'any 2012 per edicions Vitel·la

Biblioteques : de Gutenberg a l'e-book. Estudi de tres biblioteques de la ciutat de Barcelona: Biblioteca de Sant Pau i Santa Creu, Biblioteca de la Universitat Pompeu Fabra i Biblioteca de la Universitat Oberta de Catalunya

Les biblioteques han deixat de ser simples dipòsits de llibres per complir funcions molt diverses en la societat actual. L'objectiu d'aquest treball no és fer un repàs històric sinó centrar-nos en la situació actual fortament influenciada per les noves tecnologies, les noves necessitats dels usuaris i altres factors com són el nou paradigma docent, la multiculturalitat, la situació econòmica, els fluxos migratoris, etc. Veurem els canvis que aquestes institucions han hagut d'adoptar, tant a nivell de personal, com d'instal·lacions i recursos, per adequar-se a aquesta nova realitat.

Virtual Book Store

L'objectiu final d'aquest projecte és el seguiment del procés d'enginyeria per al desenvolupament d'una botiga virtual on s'apliquin els conceptes de J2EE, que són les sigles de Java 2 Enterprise Edition.

The deployment of an e-book consultation and loan service : the experience of the Open University of Catalonia Library

La Biblioteca de la UOC (UOC Library) ha ofert durant tres mesos (octubre-desembre 09), en fase de prova pilot, un servei de consulta i préstec de lectors de llibres electrònics (e-readers). Aquest nou desplegament s'ha desenvolupat en consonància amb l'aposta general de la Universitat en innovació en tecnologies aplicades a l'educació, i la voluntat de potenciar les col·leccions de llibres electrònics i l'ús dels dispositius de lectura de llibres electrònics com una extensió més de la tecnologia del Campus 5.0, en el suport a l'aprenentatge dels seus estudiants durant la seva formació a la Universitat. Aquest treball presenta en detall les especificacions de la prova pilot, a més de contenir una anàlisi i avaluació dels resultats obtinguts: punts forts i punts febles, relació dels aspectes a millorar i modificar, de cara a la consolidació final del servei.

Recommender System Based on Consumer Product Reviews

Consumer reviews, opinions and shared experiences in the use of a product is a powerful source of information about consumer preferences that can be used in recommender systems. Despite the importance and value of such information, there is no comprehensive mechanism that formalizes the opinions selection and retrieval process and the utilization of retrieved opinions due to the difficulty of extracting information from text data. In this paper, a new recommender system that is built on consumer product reviews is proposed. A prioritizing mechanism is developed for the system. The proposed approach is illustrated using the case study of a recommender system for digital cameras

Book vs. Fair Value Accounting in Banking, and Intertemporal Smoothing

The aim of this paper is to examine the pros and cons of book and fair value accounting from the perspective of the theory of banking. We consider the implications of the two accounting methods in an overlapping generations environment. As observed by Allen and Gale(1997), in an overlapping generation model, banks have a role as intergenerational connectors as they allow for intertemporal smoothing. Our main result is that when dividends depend on profits, book value ex ante dominates fair value, as it provides better intertemporal smoothing. This is in contrast with the standard view that states that, fair value yields a better allocation as it reflects the real opportunity cost of assets. Banking regulation play an important role by providing the right incentives for banks to smooth intertemporal consumption whereas market discipline improves intratemporal efficiency.

Book vs. fair value accounting in banking and intertemporal smoothing

The aim of this paper is to examine the pros and cons of book and fair value accounting from the perspective of the theory of banking. We consider the implications of the two accounting methods in an overlapping generations environment. As observed by Allen and Gale(1997), in an overlapping generation model, banks have a role as intergenerational connectors as they allow for intertemporal smoothing. Our main result is that when dividends depend on profits, book value ex ante dominates fair value, as it provides better intertemporal smoothing. This is in contrast with the standard view that states that, fair value yields a better allocation as it reflects the real opportunity cost of assets. Banking regulation play an important role by providing the right incentives for banks to smooth intertemporal consumption whereas market discipline improves intratemporal efficiency.

Book production and the onset of modern economic growth

Endogenous growth theory suggests that human capital formation plays a significant role for the wealth and poverty of nations. In contrast to previous studies which denied the role of human capital as a crucial determinant of for really long-term growth, we confirm its importance. Indicators of human capital like literacy rates are lacking for the period of 1450-1913; hence, we use per capita book production as a proxy for advanced literacy skills. This study explains how, and to what extent, growth disparities are a function of human capital formation.

L'estudi dels incendis en el món mediterrani

This article discusses briefly the evolution of fire in the Mediterranean biome and reviews afterwards the main research themes that geographers, ecologists and botanists have developed around forest fires issues in the Mediterranean

Els catàlegs i inventaris en la història del llibre i de les biblioteques

[eng] After first analysing the definitions of catalogue and inventory, the article highlights differences between the two and reviews the use of both terms throughout history. Likewise, it emphasises the importance of delving into the history of the book and of libraries from the perspectives of different disciplines, such as History of written culture. Taking as an example the inventory of the Convent library of the Order of Mercy of Barcelona, an outline of work is suggested based on the study of catalogues and inventories from the point of view of Library sciences

Los catálogos e inventarios en la historia del libro y de las bibliotecas

[eng] After first analysing the definitions of catalogue and inventory, the article highlights differences between the two and reviews the use of both terms throughout history. Likewise, it emphasises the importance of delving into the history of the book and of libraries from the perspectives of different disciplines, such as History of written culture. Taking as an example the inventory of the Convent library of the Order of Mercy of Barcelona, an outline of work is suggested based on the study of catalogues and inventories from the point of view of Library sciences

«Conocimientos situados»: reflexión sobre las geografías de la Geografía (Crónica de un viaje al 100 Congreso de la Association of American Geographers)

Dolido por la escasa repercusión y el nulo interés de la geografía (crítica) estadounidense ante los atentados de Al Qaeda en Madrid, el cuaderno de viaje de Margarita del Vez (participante en el 100 Congreso de la Association of American Geographers) reprocha no sólo que el conocimiento geográfico sigue siendo mercantilizado y puesto al servicio del poder, sino que, descontextualizado y desideologizado, a menudo se convierte en una nueva forma de «saber ignorante». Con la deconstrucción formal de la narrativa «científica», el texto pretende ser también una denuncia al hecho de que la institución académica, por guardar las formas, llegue al extremo de dar la espalda a la realidad.

Anne Gangloff, Dion Chrysostome et les mythes. Hellénisme, communication et philosophie politique, París (J. Millon) 2006.

Thi book, as its author makes clear, is based on a thesis that set out initially to analyse what the myths in the works of Dio Chrysostom actually represented but as Gangloff proceeded whit her research her analysis became rather an examination of how the sophist took over and reinvented myths, adpting them to his own purposes and his own times.

IX ASMOSIA International Conference Interdisciplinary Studies on Ancient Stone: Tarragona, 8-13th June 2009 (Book of abstracts)

Aquesta obra recull els resums de les comunicacions orals i pòsters que es van presentar durant el IX Congrés Internacional de l’Association for the Study of Marbles and Other Stones in Antiquity (ASMOSIA), organitzat per l’ICAC en el marc del programa de recerca HAR2008-04600/HIST, amb el suport del programa d’Ajuts ARCS 2008 (referència expedient IR036826) de la Generalitat de Catalunya i del Ministeri de Ciència i Innovació (Accions Complementàries HAR2008-03181-E/HIST), i celebrat a Tarragona entre el 8 i el 13 de juny del 2009.