El Creixement urbà en el Parc Natural de la Zona Volcànica de la Garrotxa

L'article és bàsicament un treball de planificació. Es fonamenta en una problemàtica territorial concreta i té com a finalitat plantejar propostes d'actuació específiques. L'objectiu és l’anàlisi del dilema entre creixement urbà i protecció del medi al Parc Natural de la Zona Volcànica de la Garrotxa i la comprovació de tres alternatives possibles per resoldre el problema. En l'article es plantegen les hipòtesis de treball i les conclusions de la memòria de recerca que sota el mateix títol va presentar l'autora a la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona el setembre de 1991

Disseny de les pautes per la redacció del protocol de gestió per les aus del PNAE

Aquest projecte té com a objectius: determinar les Directrius a seguir per la futura redacció d’un protocol de gestió de les zones inundables del PNAE, amb la finalitat de potenciar la presència d’aus; determinar les millors condicions d’hàbitat per les poblacions d’aus del PNAE i redactar unes línies de seguiment que permetin d'una banda avaluar si les pautes proposades tindran l’efecte desitjat i d'altra banda que permetin la redacció del protocol de gestió

Diagnosi i propostes de millora dels trams urbans dels rius de la ciutat de Girona

Estudi dels quatre rius de la ciutat de Girona, Ter, Onyar, Güell i Galligants, realitzant una diagnosi ambiental i posteriors propostes de millora

Universitat de Girona, economia i territori

Estudi que analitza la incidència que la Universitat de Girona ha tingut, durant els quinze anys que han transcorregut des de la seva creació, a la ciutat de Girona i les comarques gironines des d’un punt de vista urbanístic, cultural, social i econòmic

The efficiency of direct payments versus tax reductions under uncertainty

This paper analyzes the optimal behavior of farmers in the presence of direct payments and uncertainty. In an empirical analysis for Switzerland, it confirms previously obtained theoretical results and determines the magnitude of the theoretical predicted effects. The results show that direct payments increase agricultural production between 3.7% to 4.8%. Alternatively to direct payments, the production effect of tax reductions is evaluated in order to determine its magnitude. The empirical analysis corroborates the theoretical results of the literature and demonstrates that tax reductions are also distorting, but to a substantially lesser degree if losses are not offset. However, tax reductions, independently whether losses are offset or not, lead to higher government spending than pure direct payments

Technological convergence: a strategic perspective

The information and communication technologies (ICT) sectors are in a process of technological convergence. Determinant factors in this process are the liberalisation of the telecommunications markets and technological change. Many firms are engaged in a process of mergers and alliances to position themselves in this new framework. Technological and demand uncertainties are very important. Our objective in this paper is to study the economic determinants of the strategies of the firms. With this aim, we review some key technological and demand aspects. We shed some light on the strategic motivations of the firms by establishing a parallel with the evolution of the retailing sector

Producción y Productividad Agrícolas en la Isla de Mallorca, 1590-1860

This paper proposes a detailed measurement of the agricultural development of the island of Majorca from the late sixteenth century to the midnineteenth century, with an emphasis on the products which made up the bulk of the island’s agricultural production. The authors have organized most of the existing databases in the island’s archives and have also incorporated quantitative and qualitative material from their own research and that of other colleagues. Due to their quality and regularity, the data are among the richest known for pre-industrial Europe. These sources lead to some conclusions which link with recent debates in European economic history concerning the calculation of economic growth in economies for periods before statistics were kept. The text presents a methodological analysis covering almost 80 per cent of agricultural production of the island of Majorca and leaves conclusions to be supplemented by further studies of the manufacturing and service sectors

The post-communist fertility puzzle

Fertility has unanimously declined across the entire post-communist region. This study explores the variation in fertility trends over time among these countries and assesses to what degree three explanations are applicable: second demographic transition (SDT), postponement transition (PPT) or reaction to the economic crisis. Moreover, on the basis of SDT and PPT theoretical tenets, as well as descriptive evidence, the economic context is hypothesized to be linked to two processes of fertility decline conversely. The results show that no one theoretical explanation is sufficient to explain the complex fertility declines across the entire post-communist region from 1990 to 2003. In some countries, a great part of the decline in fertility occurred before significant postponement of childbearing began, which indicates that the dramatic decline was due to stopping behavior or postponement of higher order births. Postponement of first births, either through PPT or SDT processes, greatly contributed to fertility decline in a small number of countries. Pooled cross-sectional time-series analyses of age-specific birthrates confirm that these two distinct processes are present and show that the economic crisis explanation has explanatory power for declining birth rates. In contrast, logistic regressions show that the likelihood of postponing childbirth increases with improved economic conditions. These results confirm the importance of taking the economic context into account when discussing explanations for fertility decline. More specifically, the results indicate that the severity and duration of economic crisis, or absence thereof, influenced the extent and manner in which fertility declined.

Exploring the conditions for a mortality crisis: bringing context back into the debate

This study engages with the debate over the mortality crises in the former Soviet Union and Central and Eastern Europe by 1) considering at length and as complementary to each other the two most prominent explanations for the post-communist mortality crisis, stress and alcohol consumption; 2) emphasizing the importance of context by exploiting systematic similarities and differences across the region. Differential mortality trajectories reveal three country groups that cluster both spatially and in terms of economic transition experiences. The first group are the countries furthest west in which mortality rates increased minimally after the transition began. The second group experienced a severe increase in mortality rates in the early 1990s, but recovered previous levels within a few years. These countries are located peripherally to Russia and its nearest neighbours. The final group consists of countries that experienced two mortality increases or in which mortality levels had not recovered to pre-transition levels well into the 21st century. Cross-sectional time-series data analyses of men’s and women’s age and cause-specific death rates reveal that the clustering of these countries and their mortality trajectories can be partially explained by the economic context, which is argued to be linked to stress and alcohol consumption. Above and beyond many basic differences in the country groups that are held constant—including geographically and historically shared cultural, lifestyle and social characteristics—poor economic conditions account for a remarkably consistent share of excess age-specific and cause-specific deaths.

La Renovación de la atención primaria desde la consulta

Texto y contexto que responden claramente al título bajo la batuta dedos médicos de familia, Josep Casajuana y Juan Gérvas, que aman suprofesión pero que, sobre todo, llevan décadas impulsando iniciativasclínicas, gestoras y de investigación para mejorar la atención a lospacientes. De ellos (y Mercedes Pérez) son los dos capítulos inicialesque sitúan el tema: qué cambios pueden impulsar los profesionalespara recuperar el protagonismo y liberarse de ataduras y complejos ycómo, de manera muy práctica, se combina ciencia y tecnología paraobtener lo mejor de los valores y tiempo del profesional comprometido.Para acabar de tener consciencia de la situación y organización de laatención primaria en España, analizan en los dos capítulos siguientes(junto con Marc Casajuana y Roberto Sánchez) qué supone ser médicode familia en Europa y cómo en un día cualquiera se resuelven hasta17 problemas distintos de atención y seguimiento.El contexto de la consulta –en la segunda mitad del libro– plantea larenovación como exigencia social aportando investigación originalsobre: 1) cómo lo que vamos aprendiendo acerca de la elección deespecialidad médica puede ayudar a refundar la Medicina de Familia yComunitaria (Patricia Barber y Beatriz González); 2) las formas dereasignar recursos (Francisco Hernansanz); 3) cómo renovar los servicios sanitarios en su conjunto en época de crisis (Vicente Ortún y MaríaCallejón); y 4) un panorama muy documentado sobre los campos demanifiesta necesidad de mejora en atención primaria (Ricard Meneu ySalvador Peiró),cuyo abordaje da sentido y complementa la renovaciónplanteada en la primera parte del libro.

Sustainable and equitable retirement in a life course perspective

We argue that long term sustainability of social security systems requires not only better equilibrium between the proportion in retirement and in employment but also an equitable distribution of the additional financial burden that aging inevitably will require. We examine how a proportional fixed ratios model of burden sharing between the aged and non-aged will establish inter-generational equity. Additionally we address the question of intra-generational equity and argue that the positive association between lifetime income and longevity requires more progressive financing of pensions and of care for the elderly.

Gendered networks and Mexican migration

In this paper, we investigate how the gendered origin of migrant networks (i.e. matrilineal vs. patrilineal) is associated with aspirations to migrate and subsequent migration behavior. Using longitudinal data from the Mexican Family Life Survey (MxFLS), we follow 3,923 married couples across 139 municipalities over the 2002-2005 period. We find that the networks of both the individual and her/his spouse are associated with aspiring to migrate to the United States. However, one’s own network matters most (i.e. matrilineal networks for women and patrilineal networks for men). On the other hand, in terms of behavior, only matrilineal networks predict a subsequent move to the U.S. for men and women/couples, who are assessed jointly. These findings suggest that our understanding of the role of migrant networks in perpetuating male-centered, labor migration does not necessarily translate once a union has formed. We make the case that future work would do well to account for not only the presence and composition of networks, but also their origin, which in certain circumstances may be the most relevant factor.

Monarquia vs. República : què costa més?

“El coneixement condueix a la unitat, com la ignorància a la diversitat” Ramakrishna.Fins a quin punt les nostres opinions estan realment ben fonamentades? És la diversitat d’opinió, fruit de la ignorància col·lectiva?Tants punts a tractar sobre la Monarquia o la República, i tan difícils cada un d’ells. En aquest cas, pretenem saber si hi ha o no grans diferències econòmiques entre un sistema i altre, donant un repàs als conceptes i magnituds importants per entendre bé el significat de les dades resultants.Si bé pensàvem que seria difícil arribar a una conclusió clara, i ens sorprèn haver-ho aconseguit, més ens sorprèn el fet d’haver-nos adonat, durant la realització de la investigació, de la carència d’informació que tenim. I no només els ciutadans, sinó els propis governs sobre les seves pròpies dades i sobre el que reflecteixen les mateixes. Conceptes entremesclats, dades poc clares, diferències en les informacions dins llocs oficials d’un mateix país... La República és més cara. Ho sabien? Però...ara que ho saben...és aquest un resultat que podria variar les seves preferències? O necessiten saber més?Tots tenim dret a opinar sobre aquest tema, a triar el que ens agrada més,però, com bé diu Ramakrishna, el resultat de la diversitat d’opinions sobre eltema és, probablement, conseqüència de la poca informació que tenim sobre laglobalitat de factors que influencien en la execució d’una d’aquestes formes d’estat.

Speed Dating y el mercado de solteros

Encontrar tu media naranja ocupa recursos, es un hecho crucial en el ser humano ser capaz de optimizarlos y hacer una elección que, como demostraremos, es racional aunque parezca que el amor sea ilógico.Considerando los posibles candidatos parte de la oferta y/o la demanda, los economistas crean modelos para explicar un mercadomatrimonial en el que la base de estudio son los clientes de Speed Dating, un sistema de citas rápidas. Siendo ésta la base principal,nuestro objetivo es realizar un proyecto en el que seamos capaces de establecer un prototipo de cliente, tanto femenino como masculino observando los posibles sesgos que tal población pueda mostrar para estudios de inferencia estadística sobre la población de los solteros.Las diferencias entre sexos son una motivación esencial, preguntarnos si puede marcar una diferencia en el punto de partida también. Éstas y demás preguntas las resolveremos en las siguientes páginas, ¿sabéis que en realidad nos unen más aspectos que el estado civil?, ¿no essospechoso que seamos aparentemente tan iguales?Si realmente la guerra de sexos existe aquí demostramos que avanzamos en aras de la igualdad: Los solteros del Speed Dating tienen altos niveles de estudios, dedican su tiempo de ocio a actividades culturales y de entretenimiento y disponen de una mentalidad abierta.La paz es posible pero no deja de implicar la incertidumbre sobre si una diferencia es positiva o negativa, cuestiones morales a parte. Si los candidatos de un sexo determinado superan al contrario, es lógico que, al haber mayor competencia busquen la diferenciación como ventaja comparativa para acceder a mejores términos de comercio, así que si no existe tal diferencia puede ser por dos motivos: realmente la igualdad impera en la sociedad como estudios sociológicos determinan, resaltando la homogamia, concepto propio de un mercado matrimonial “sin restricciones” o quizás, la heterogamia en las uniones está quedando en segundo lado, perdiendo en términos de apertura social.