Academic libraries and learning support in the electronic environment

Learning and teaching techniques are changing in the new electronic environment. Students are asked to gather information from different sources, most of them in electronic formats. Libraries have to adapt their buildings and services to meet their users needs continuously. Amongst the means librarians have included to support learning are electronic based information and learning resources, a better provision of IT technologies, working environments for different types of learning, digital reference services, information literacy skills and the possibility of accessing all these facilities, resources and services at any time. The conclusion indicates that librarians should continuously improve electronic information and learning resources, as well as discovering new ways to approach students

Agricultural and food trade in European Union countries, 1963‐2000:a gravity equation approach

The proliferation of regional trade agreements in the last decades of the 20th century has intensified the debate about the different processes of regional integration. This study contributes to this debate by analysing the principal determinants of the growth in trade flows of the countries making up the European Union. The work analyses EU agri‐food trade from a disaggregated perspective, by products, imports and exports, from 1963 to 2000. An extended gravity equation model is estimated employing Prais‐ Weistein estimation and fixed effects in order to improve on the results reported in previous studies. The results of the present study show that in EU countries the growth of per capita income stimulated exports and reduced imports. Specifically, its exports were positively influenced by the presence of the home market effect, while its imports were strongly influenced by the effects of the liberalisation of intra‐EU trade, as also occurred in the case of intra‐EU trade flows.International Agricultural Trade, Economic History of the European Union, Gravity equation

Changes in the structure of world trade in agri-food products: evidence from gravity modelling in a long term perspective, 1950-2000

This study examines the reasons for changes in the composition of international trade in agricultural and food products. We use a Gravity Model to compare the impact of the key factors in bilateral agri-food trade, which we split into three main product groups, between 1963 and 2000 for a representative sample of 40 countries. Our results show how intervention and/or protectionism, the level of participation in intra-industrial trade and the effects of national and per capita income growth have determined the rise in high value-added products and processed goods and the declining share of traditional, basic commodities.Agri-food trade, Gravity Model, GATT, Regional Trade Agreements, home market effect

Terms of trade of agricultural and food products, 1951‐2000

This paper focuses on analysing the evolution of the terms of trade of products in the agricultural and food trade in the second half of 20th century. We have compiled 56 new price indices for internationally‐traded agricultural products. Furthermore, in order to obtain real prices, the agricultural price series have been deflated by an international trade price index that includes major changes in the prices of not only manufactured goods, but also other commodities, such as energy products, which have had so much influence on the shocks occurring in the period. Another feature of this work is the use of a new time series method. We shall analyse the presence of two structural breaks in non‐stationary series, as well as establishing the years of structural break endogenously. Our aim is to characterise the distinct trends of the groups of products by determining which groups experienced the greatest decline, and the possible causes, both economic and institutionalSinger‐Prebish Hypothesis, terms of trade, agricultural and food trade, agricultural prices

Vida, naturaleza, y nihilismo afectivo en Fichte

This paper considers Fichte’s philosophy from the standpoint of the concept of nihilism: I contend that Fichte subordinates the emotional life to the moral imperative. After leaving Jena, Fichte would have tried to answer Jacobi’s objections, making the concept of life his central philosophical concern. This attempt at reconciling the primacy of the moral imperative and a relevant concept of life (in response to Jacobi) would allow us to understand Fichte’s philosophy in the Berlin period and, in particular, his concept of the absoluteEl artículo considera la obra de Fichte a partir de la noción de nihilismo, interpretándola sobre todo como una subordinación de la vida afectiva al imperativo moral. Tras su salida de Jena, Fichte habría intentado responder a las críticas de Jacobi, convirtiendo el concepto de vida en un tema central de su filosofía. El intento de conciliar esa dependencia del imperativo moral y la importancia dada a la vida a partir de las objeciones de Jacobi, permitiría entender algunas claves de su filosofía en el periodo de Berlín y en particular su concepción de lo absoluto

Looking backward to look forward: water use and economic growth from a long-term perspective

Recent research has examined the relationship between natural resources and economic growth. Considered vitally important, not only for humanity’s well-being but also for ecosystem integrity, the relationship between water use and economic growth has traditionally garnered little attention by analysts. This paper studies water use trends from 1900 to 2000 throughout the world, and their main determinants. To do this, we first analyse historical water use trajectories. Second, to proceed with the determinants of water use, we reformulate the IPAT equation (Ehrlich and Holdren, 1971; Commoner et al. 1971), decomposing water use trends into changes in economic demands and in water use intensity. Finally, a simple scenario analysis is conducted, to project future water use trends under different economic, demographic and technological assumptions. The empirical evidence shows that economic and population growth have been crucial for explaining the increase in water use over the past 100 years, with significant regional differences. Nevertheless, the decline in water use intensity has been responsible for a significant reduction in the growth of total water use.Water use, environmental impacts, economic growth, IPAT model, scenario analysis

Las tres reseñas de Fichte del otoño de 1793.

Sin resume

The long-run decline in the share of agricultural and food products in international trade, 1951-2000: a gravity equation approach of its causes

The objective of this study is to determine the causes of the loss of share of agricultural products and food in international trade. The article compares, using a gravity model, the impact of various factors upon bilateral trade in agricultural products, in manufactures and in total trade, between 1963 and 2000 for a representative sample of 40 countries. The results clearly demonstrate how the low demand elasticity for agricultural products and food, the high degree of protectionism to which they were subjected and their meagre share in intra-industrial trade are the principal causes of their relatively slow growth