Nonpoint source pollution, space, time and asymetric information - a deposit refund approach

The incorporation of space allows the establishment of a more precise relationship between a contaminating input, a contaminating byproduct and emissions that reach the final receptor. However, the presence of asymmetric information impedes the implementation of the first-best policy. As a solution to this problem a site specific deposit refund system for the contaminating input and the contaminating byproduct are proposed. Moreover, the utilization of a successive optimization technique first over space and second over time enables definition of the optimal intertemporal site specific deposit refund system

Time-series regression models to study the short-term effects of environmental factors on health

Time series regression models are especially suitable in epidemiology for evaluating short-term effects of time-varying exposures on health. The problem is that potential for confounding in time series regression is very high. Thus, it is important that trend and seasonality are properly accounted for. Our paper reviews the statistical models commonly used in time-series regression methods, specially allowing for serial correlation, make them potentially useful for selected epidemiological purposes. In particular, we discuss the use of time-series regression for counts using a wide range Generalised Linear Models as well as Generalised Additive Models. In addition, recently critical points in using statistical software for GAM were stressed, and reanalyses of time series data on air pollution and health were performed in order to update already published. Applications are offered through an example on the relationship between asthma emergency admissions and photochemical air pollutants

Problemes de física per a batxillerat i cicles formatius [versió comprimida]

Aquest manual recull un conjunt de problemes que engloben els principals camps de la física clàsica. El seu enfocament està dirigit a estudis preuniversitaris (batxillerat, cicles formatius de grau superior) i pretén ser un complement tant dels manuals ja existents, com una ajuda per aquells estudiants ja universitaris que vulguin repassar els seus coneixements previs

Cicle de Stirling (applet) [versió comprimida]

Simulació del cicle d'Stirling

Cicles termodinàmics (applet) [versió comprimida]

Simulació de cicles termodinàmics

Prices versus exams as strategic instruments for competing universities

In this paper we investigate the optimal choice of prices and/or exams by universities in the presence of credit constraints. We first compare the optimal behavior of a public, welfare maximizing, monopoly and a private, profit maximizing, monopoly. Then we model competition between a public and a private institution and investigate the new role of exams/prices in this environment. We find that, under certain circumstances, the public university may have an interest to raise tuition fees from minimum levels if it cares for global welfare. This will be the case provided that (i) the private institution has higher quality and uses only prices to select applicants, or (ii) the private institution has lower quality and uses also exams to select students. When this is the case, there are efficiency grounds for raising public prices

European employment strategy and spanish labour market policies

The paper aim is to analyse the influence of the European Employment Strategy (EES)in the implementation of the Spanish labour market policies. The first part of the paper describes the evolution and content of the EES. In the second one, the definition of activation is also explained. In addition to that, the ways how the EES develops and promotes active labour market policies are examined. The evolution of labour market policies in Spain and the current configuration of both active and passive policies are studied in the next three chapters. In these parts, the paper investigates to which extent the provisions of the EES have been implemented in Spain. The paper shows that: i) activation has been rising in the European countries since the implementation of the EES; ii) this fact has also happened in relative terms (comparing the evolution of active to passive policies); iii) Spain has been one of the countries which has led these processes; iv) the EES seems to have been influencing

Does it pay to be socially responsible? Evidence from spanish retail banking sector

This paper presents a theoretical and empirical analysis of strategic competition in retail banking when some of the financial firms are non-profit organisations that invest in social activities. Banking literature about competition is fairly large, but the strategic interaction between profit maximizing and non profit maximizers has not been extensively analysed except for Purroy and Salas (1999). In this paper, a completely different approach is taken. An adaptation of Hotelling’s two stage model of spatial competition is developed to take into account consumer perceptions respect to the two different types of financial institutions. The empirical analysis confirms that consumers take into account other features different from the price, such as social contribution or closer service to make a deposit or mortgage decision. These conclusions are of interest in the debate about a firm’s social or ethical activities. It is shown that if consumers value social activities, firms can improv

Lecture Notes on Compositional Data Analysis

These notes have been prepared as support to a short course on compositional data analysis. Their aim is to transmit the basic concepts and skills for simple applications, thus setting the premises for more advanced projects

Statistical modeling on (α, +∞)

Observations in daily practice are sometimes registered as positive values larger then a given threshold α. The sample space is in this case the interval (α,+∞), α > 0, which can be structured as a real Euclidean space in different ways. This fact opens the door to alternative statistical models depending not only on the assumed distribution function, but also on the metric which is considered as appropriate, i.e. the way differences are measured, and thus variability

El Castellum de Sant Julià de Ramis

Aquest estiu ha quedat obert el jaciment del Castellum de Sant Julià de Ramis, amb la intenció de convertir-lo en un referent del turisme cultural. Fruit de la col·laboració entre la Universitat de Girona i l'ajuntament de sant Julià de Ramis, l'espai que un dia va ocupar aquest singular edifici és ara un focus d'atracció

Editorial

Es parla de la implantació dels estudis de Medicina a la ciutat de Girona

La Quarta millor biblioteca universitària

Amb la posada en marxa de la segona fase de la biblioteca de Montilivi, la Universitat de Girona (UdG) completa un cicle que es va iniciar quinze anys enrere i que ha estat un repte constant en l'agenda dels successius equips de govern: definir quin havia de ser el millor model de biblioteca per a la universitat per al seu territori i, alhora, donar un servei de valor afegit a les persones. La Biblioteca de la UdG és avui la quarta entre les millors biblioteques universitàries espanyoles, i en la inauguració d'aquest nou equipament la Dra. Anna Maria Geli, rectora de la UdG, va manifestar que "millorarem posicions i, perquè no pensar a ser els primers?"

La Selectivitat com a mecanisme integrat a la UdG

Les proves de Selectivitat són organitzades cada curs per les universitats per tal de disposar d'un barem formulat amb criteris objectius, que reguli l'accés al sistema universitari a través d'una prova externa amb la col·laboració dels centres de secundària

Ernst Tugendhat, professor convidat de la Càtedra Ferrater Mora

Ernst Tugendhat ha estat el professor convidat per la Càtedra ferrater Mora per dirigir el seminari Cinco Conferencias dobre temas de Antropología Filosófica que s'ha impartit entre els dies 28 de maig i 1 de juny