A bioeconomic model for Mediterranean fisherires, the hake off Catalonia (western Mediterranean) as a case study

The theoretical aspects and the associated software of a bioeconomic model for Mediterranean fisheries are presented. The first objective of the model is to reproduce the bioeconomic conditions in which the fisheries occur. The model is, perforce, multispecies and multigear. The main management procedure is effort limitation. The model also incorporates the usual fishermen strategy of increasing efficiency to obtain increased fishing mortality while maintaining the nominal effort. This is modelled by means of a function relating the efficiency (or technological progress) with the capital invested in the fishery and time. A second objective is to simulate alternative management strategies. The model allows the operation of technical and economic management measures in the presence of different kind of events. Both deterministic and stochastic simulations can be performed. An application of this tool to the hake fishery off Catalonia is presented, considering the other species caught and the different gears used. Several alternative management measures are tested and their consequences for the stock and economy of fishermen are analysed.

El Patrimoni cultural entre els criteris de sostenibilitat turística : col·laboració a la Carta Europea de Turisme Sostenible al Montseny

El present projecte té el seu origen en la proposta facilitada per l’Oficina del Parc Natural del Montseny en relació a les accions a portar a terme dins els compromisos de la Carta Europea de Turisme Sostenible (CETS) al Parc durant els anys 2011 – 2015. La Carta Europea de Turisme Sostenible és una acreditació que atorga la Federació EUROPARC als espais naturals protegits que demostren el seu compromís pràctic amb el turisme sostenible, definint una estratègia i un pla d’acció adaptats a les particularitats del territori. El Parc Natural del Montseny es situa entre les demarcacions de Girona i Barcelona i s’estén per les comarques del Vallès Oriental, la Selva i Osona. El Montseny és un espai singular dotat d’alts valors culturals i naturals reconeguts mitjançant la declaració d’importants figures de protecció (Parc Natural Reserva de la Biosfera per la UNESCO i Espai de la Xarxa Natura 2000). El cas de la Carta Europea de Turisme Sostenible al Parc Natural del Montseny supera els límits del Parc i inclou altres municipis limítrofs que compten amb característiques d’identificació amb els valors del massís

Sharing and Learning= Changing. A real story at the Institute of Public Security of Catalonia

The Institute has professionals with extensive experience in training, specifically with experience in the field of police and emergencies training. Moreover, it also has very talented people. But above all, our institution has public professionals with a desire to serve, who love security and emergency responders and want to provide them with the best knowledge to make them every day better professionals. In the quest for continuous training improvement, its during 2009 when e-learning begins to have a presence at the Institute. Virtual training methodology becomes a facilitator for the training of various professionals, avoiding geographical displacement and easing the class schedule.

Are we living longer but less healthy? Trends in mortality and morbidity in Catalonia (Spain), 1994-2011

Evidence on trends in prevalence of disease and disability can clarify whether countries are experiencing a compression or expansion of morbidity. An expansion of morbidity as indicated by disease have appeared in Europe and other developed regions. It is likely that better treatment, preventive measures and increases in education levels have contributed to the declines in mortality and increments in life expectancy. This paper examines whether there has been an expansion of morbidity in Catalonia (Spain). It uses trends in mortality and morbidity from major causes of death and links of these with survival to provide estimates of life expectancy with and without diseases and functioning loss. We use a repeated cross-sectional health survey carried out in 1994 and 2011 for measures of morbidity; mortality information comes from the Spanish National Statistics Institute. Our findings show that at age 65 the percentage of life with disease increased from 52% to 70% for men, and from 56% to 72% for women; the expectation of life unable to function increased from 24% to 30% for men and 40% to 47% for women between 1994 and 2011. These changes were attributable to increases in the prevalences of diseases and moderate functional limitation. Overall, we find an expansion of morbidity along the period. Increasing survival among people with diseases can lead to a higher prevalence of diseases in the older population. Higher prevalence of health problems can lead to greater pressure on the health care system and a growing burden of disease for individuals.

Construcció d'identitats en joves rubinencs d'origen marroquí

El fort caràcter industrial de Rubí, (Vallès Occidental), ha fet que des dels anys 60 la ciutat tingui un alt percentatge d’immigrants. Si a la dècada dels 60 i 70 van ser persones d’arreu de l’estat les que van emigrar a la nostra ciutat, als 2000 els nouvinguts han estat gent de països d’arreu del món, principalment del Marroc i Sud Amèrica. Els protagonistes del nostre treball són precisament joves que van néixer al Marroc i que van arribar a Rubí durant la seva adolescència. Ara tenen entre 18 i 23 anys. Amb aquest estudi hem volgut analitzar quins són els factors que més influeixen en la creació de la seva identitat i caracteritzar-la, parant especial atenció en la influència de la família, de l’escola o d’aquells amb qui interaccionen a l’espai públic. El treball també posa de manifest les notables diferències entre nois i noies, sobretot en l’ús de l’espai públic, i com això afecta directament a la construcció de la identitat de les joves

Dots i llegats dels Baldrich de Valls (1768-1863)

Aquest article presenta les dificultats que van haver d’afrontar entre 1768 i 1863 els hereus de la casa Baldrich de Valls per liquidar els dots i les deixes testamentàries. Anton Baldrich Janer va nomenar hereu el fill gran del primer matrimoni amb l’obligació de pagar als seus germans i especialment als seus germanastres unes quantitats molt elevades de diners atorgats en un moment de grans expectatives econòmiques, gràcies al comerç amb Amèrica i el nord d’Europa. Durant la primera meitat del segle XIX, alguns anys de males collites, les contínues guerres i la independència de les colònies americanes feren minvar els recursos i van afeblir la hisenda familiar. Els successius hereus maldaven per pagar les contínues reclamacions dels cabalers i les cabaleres de les diferents generacions, fet que els impedia invertir en noves empreses per tal d’ampliar i modernitzar els seus negocis. L’any 1863, el darrer hereu Baldrich va morir sense descendència, havent pagat els darrers deutes familiars però sense haver creat nous horitzons per als seus successors.

FROM TOTAL INSTITUTION TO EXTITUTION? Discussions on the future of monastic life in the Benedictine women’s monasteries of Catalonia (Spain

On the 50th anniversary of the creation of the Federation of Benedictine Women’s Monasteries of Catalonia (Spain), the five monasteries represented are discussing the following question: what will monastic life be like in the future? This question is added to the debate about “new forms of monasticism”, “urban monastic life” and, in a more general sense, to the modernisations and “the opening up” of the precepts and practices of monastic life at this time. Faced with the ambitious monastic questioning, the author responds with five deliberately provocative debates developed out of a consideration of various chapters of the Rule of St. Benedict that raise profound questions when it comes to responding to the question presented here. Having described these five debates, by way of a summary, the article presents three ideal types of monastery in relation to the current processes of deinstitutionalisation that represent, in an overall way, three provisional responses and serve as a focus for the question discussed here.

Miquela Valls : dona, docent, traductora de Verdaguer i defensora del català

La recepció de l’obra de Jacint Verdaguer (1845-1902) a França ha estat estudiada de forma fragmentària; tampoc no han estat estudiats en profunditat els seus traductors al francès, que han patit la mateixa sort i que, ara per ara, no han merescut prou atenció. Aquest és el cas de la professora i traductora nord-catalana Miquela Valls (Perpinyà, 1945). Amb aquest estudi s’intenta aportar una mica més de llum a la seva figura. Sobretot, es para una atenció especial a la seva faceta de traductora i, en aquest sentit, a més d’un esbós biobibliogràfic de Valls, es presenta una ressenya sobre la seva versió de Canigó, que és la més destacada de les que s’han fet.

Implantación de buenas prácticas en la residencia Nord Egara de Castellar del Vallés (Barcelona)

Este trabajo está basado en las prácticas del trabajo final de máster (TFM) de “Envejecimiento Activo y Satisfactorio” de la Universidad de Vic. Partiendo de la base que según la OMS el Envejecimiento Activo (en adelante EA) “pretende optimizar las oportunidades de salud, participación y seguridad a fin de mejorar la calidad de vida de las personas mayores”, en la Residencia Nord Egara de Castellar del Vallés (Barcelona) promoví un conjunto de Buenas Prácticas (en adelante BBPP), centrando la atención en los usuarios y considerando las dificultades derivadas de su situación de fragilidad y/o dependencia. En el Centro se promovieron dos tipos de BBPP: 7 BBPP de mejora enfocadas a las intervenciones en el Centro y 3 BBPP de recomendaciones para la buena praxis profesional en la vida cotidiana. La implantación de las BBPP implicó repensar en el ámbito organizativo y relacional del Centro, mejorando, entre otros aspectos, la manera de actuar de los profesionales, aspectos de organización interna, ampliación de horarios profesionales y las formas cotidianas de relación interpersonal. En concreto, las BBPP de mejora reportaron avances tales como ofrecer la oportunidad para que los usuarios, en función de sus capacidades y deseos, pudieran elegir entre varias alternativas, implicar a los usuarios y/o familias en las tomas de decisiones sobre aspectos que conciernen a la vida del propio usuario, aumentar la relación de los usuarios con el exterior (tanto abriendo el Centro a la comunidad como aumentando la integración de los usuarios en el entorno) y aumentar la implicación de las familias de los usuarios en la vida del Centro. Por otra parte, las BBPP como recomendaciones sirvieron de complemento para que los profesionales se evaluaran y reflexionaran sobre sus formas de actuación y de relación, concretando cómo debería actuar el equipo profesional si quería seguir avanzando, después de mi intervención en el Centro, en las áreas de mejora tratadas con las BBPP desarrolladas. Al finalizar el presente TFM, el Centro estaba en pleno proceso de implantación de prácticamente todas las BBPP. Por este motivo, con el paso de los meses, el equipo tendrá que ir revisando, evaluando y modificando (si precisa) dichas BBPP. A pesar de no estar todas completamente implantadas, éstas ya han dejado constancia de mejoras y beneficios en la calidad de vida de los usuarios.

Accessing Legal Information in Catalonia. Open Acces to Legislation and Case Law

The article outlines free online legal resources to conduct research on Catalan and Spanish legislation and case-law. Most of these resources are primary sources made public by government bodies. The list shows how the Spanish and Catalan governments, in their attempt to promote equal access to legislation and case-law, cover the different jurisdictions. The text also mentions some resources to conduct historical legal research about legislation and case law, and some free legal private websites.

Área residencial estratégica Sector l’Estació (Barberà del Vallès)

El ARE ‘Sector Estació’, es una propuesta para generar una centralidad en un entorno de baja densidad, utilizando como foco un gran vacío-parque que viene generado por la afección aérea del Aeródromo de Sabadell, y que resuelva la conexión viaria interna a través del ferrocarril. Se trata de generar un tejido residencial diverso y versátil, rico en gradaciones entre espacio público y privado, que incorpore criterios sencillos de urbanismo sostenible, y conseguir un espacio de identidad y de referencia en el municipio.

Viticulture under climate change : understanding vulnerability and adaptive capacity of wineries and growers. A case study in El Penedès region, Catalonia

Climate change may pose challenges and opportunities to viticulture, and much research has focused in studying the likely impacts on grapes and wine production in different regions worldwide. This study assesses the vulnerability and adaptive capacity of the viticulture sector under changing climate conditions, based on a case study in El Penedès region, Catalonia. Farm assets, livelihood strategies, farmer-market interactions and climate changes perceptions are analysed through semi-structured interviews with different types of wineries and growers. Both types of actors are equally exposed to biophysical stressors but unevenly affected by socioeconomic changes. While wineries are vulnerable because of the current economic crisis and the lack of diversification of their work, which may affect their income or production, growers are mainly affected by the low prices of their products and the lack of fix contracts. These socioeconomic stressors strongly condition their capacity to adapt to climate change, meaning that growers prioritize their immediate income problems, rather than future socioeconomic or climate threats. Therefore, growers undertake reactive adaptation to climate changing conditions, mainly based on ancient knowledge, whilst wineries combine both reactive and anticipatory adaptation practices. These circumstances should be addressed in order to allow better anticipatory adaptation to be implemented, thus avoiding future climate threats.

Proposal of three thermodynamic variables to discriminate between storms associated with hail and storms with intense rainfall in Catalonia (Proposta de tres variables termodinàmiques per discriminar entre tempestes amb pedregades i tempestes amb pluges intenses)

Between late spring and early fall, the development of storms is common in Catalonia. Despite the fact that they usually produce heavy showers of short duration, they can also involve severe weather with ice pellets or hail. While the latter usually affect inland regions, and there are numerous publications on these cases; the analysis of events affecting the coast and causing damage to public and private properties is not so well developed. The aim of this study is to provide additional thermodynamic indicators that help differentiate storms with hail from storms without hail, considering cases that have affected various regions of Catalonia, mainly coastal areas. The aim is to give more information to improve prognosis and the ability to detail information in these situations. The procedure developed involved the study of several episodes of heavy rainfall and hail that hit Catalonia during the 2003-2009 period, mainly in the province of Girona, and validated the proposal during the campaign of late summer and fall of 2009, as well as 2012. For each case, several variables related to temperature, humidity and wind were analyzed at different levels of the atmosphere, while the information provided by the radio sounding in Barcelona was also taken into account. From this study, it can be concluded that the temperature difference between 500 hPa and 850 hPa, the humidity in the lower layers of the atmosphere and the LI index are good indicators for the detection of storms with associated hail.

Network characteristics of film tourism websites in Catalonia: an application of network analysis in tourism

This master thesis presents a research on the analysis of film tourism stakeholders in Catalonia applying the network analysis approach. The research aims to provide an analysis of the relations between local tourism stakeholders with local film offices through their websites. Therefore, the development of the present work involved the review of literature on the themes of film tourism and network analysis. Then the main stakeholders of film and tourism of Catalonia were identified and their websites analyzed. The measures indicators for network analysis such as centrality, closeness and betweenness degree have been applied on the analysis of the websites to determine the extent of the relations of film and tourism stakeholders in Catalonia. Results and conclusions are presented on the referred sections

Chemistry in Catalonia 1990-1995

The seven-year period studied here differs very little from the sixyear period described in the previous Report (1990-1995). Sustained growth was observed in almost all the indicators used to evaluate the resources invested and the scientific results obtained