Efficiency and Productivity in the Spanish Food Distribution Sector

This study investigated the efficiency and productivity change of a sample of food distribution units (MERCAs) in Spain over the 1.997-1.999 period, applying non-parametric frontier methodology in a sales efficiency framework. We specified a mean sales model composed of two blocks of variables, the production block, and the marketing management block. Then we applied output oriented DEA methodology to perform the efficiency analysis, also taking into account the overall efficiency decomposition into pure and scale efficiency. The Malmquist index was calculated in order to analyse the components of the productivity change. The mean pure sales efficiency index was high, around 0.8, the mean scale index being 0,9. As appears from the results, six food distribution units were efficient, but some of the wholesale markets need to adapt their sales technology in order that their input bundle reaches a Most Productive Scale Size unit. We found no evidence of technical change during the period considered, but concluded that a notable scale efficiency change took place during the studied period. To summarise, we conclude that improvement in sales efficiency could be reached in the studied sector in both the pure and the scale efficiency.Efficiency, Productivity, DEA method, Malmquist index, Food Distribution Unit, Productivity Analysis,

Alberto Lista: An anglophile pioneer in Spanish translation

Alberto Lista es una figura pionera en la traducción literaria española. Una persona multicultural del siglo dieciocho, miembro de un grupo literario en Sevilla que tornó su mirada hacia la literatura inglesa en una época en la que la mayoría de los escritores españoles estaban centrándose en la musa francesa. Es un representante de la Ilustración. Su legado literario incluye poemas de realización propia, trabajos traducidos desde otras lenguas así como obras que están inspiradas en literatura foránea. Lista, educado bajo las doctrinas estéticas de André, Batteux, Marmontel y Blair se dedicó a una poesía de factura cuidada y de retórica sublime. Los poemas traducidos muestran su predilección por la poesía filosófica y cosmopolita similar a la de Meléndez y Cienfuegos. Le corresponde un lugar pionero por haber traducido tanto a Milton como a Alexander Pope al español, cuando la traducción de poesía de latitudes extranjeras se consideraba como un ejercicio infructuoso. Lista y el grupo hispalense representan un nuevo amanecer en la cultura española y allanan el camino para escritores venideros tales como Belmonte Müller o Juan Valera.G.I. HUM 767 (ayudas a Grupos de Investigación de la Junta de Andalucía) / Editorial Comares (colección interlingua

Studies in Trade and Investment: The Development Impact of Information Technology in Trade Facilitation

This chapter describes the impact of information technology (IT) in trade facilitation on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Philippines. The definition of SME varies across countries, and the Government of the Philippines has adopted one that includes micro- and cottage enterprises. The Government classifies establishments into four categories: (a) micro/cottage (1-9 persons in the workforce and with asset limit of P 3 million); (b) small (10-99 workers, with an asset limit of P 15 million); (c) medium (100-199 workers, with asset limit of P 100 million); and (d) large (more than 200 workers, and more than P 100 million in assets).Trade facilitation, automation, garment industry, IT, SMEs, export, customs, Philippines

High order and energy preserving discontinuous Galerkin methods for the Vlasov-Poisson system

We present a computational study for a family of discontinuous Galerkin methods for the one dimensional Vlasov-Poisson system that has been recently introduced. We introduce a slight modification of the methods to allow for feasible computations while preserving the properties of the original methods. We study numerically the verification of the theoretical and convergence analysis, discussing also the conservation properties of the schemes. The methods are validated through their application to some of the benchmarks in the simulation of plasma physics.Comment: 44 pages, 28 figure

Space Decompositions and Solvers for Discontinuous Galerkin Methods

We present a brief overview of the different domain and space decomposition techniques that enter in developing and analyzing solvers for discontinuous Galerkin methods. Emphasis is given to the novel and distinct features that arise when considering DG discretizations over conforming methods. Connections and differences with the conforming approaches are emphasized.Comment: 2 pages 2 figures no table

The Impact of Information Technology in Trade Facilitation on Small and Medium Enterprises in the Philippines

The paper is focusing on electronic lodgment through web-based applications of value-added service providers as the IT-based trade facilitation measure, the survey of Customs Brokers conducted in this study revealed that lodgment time in the Philippines dropped to one hour or less as a result, compared to previous lodgment times of one and a half to one day.Information Techonology, Trade Facilitation, SME, Philippines

Modelling the discrete and infrequent official interest rate change in the UK

This paper is an empirical analysis of the manner in which official interest rates are determined by the Bank of England. We use a nonlinear framework that allow for the separate study of factors affecting the magnitude of positive and negative interest rate changes as well as their probabilities. Using this approach, new kinds of monetary shocks are defined and used to evaluate their impact on the UK economy. Among them, unanticipated negative interest rate changes are especially important. The model generalizes previous approaches in the literature and provides a rich methodology to understand central banks' decisions and their consequences