A Look Back To Look Forward: New Patterns In The Supply/Demand Equation In The Lodging Industry

In his dialogue entitled - A Look Back to Look Forward: New Patterns In The Supply/Demand Equation In The Lodging Industry - by Albert J. Gomes, Senior Principal, Pannell Kerr Forster, Washington, D.C. What the author intends for you to know is the following: “Factors which influence the lodging industry in the United States are changing that industry as far as where hotels are being located, what clientele is being served, and what services are being provided at different facilities. The author charts these changes and makes predictions for the future.” Gomes initially alludes to the evolution of transportation – the human, animal, mechanical progression - and how those changes, in the last 100 years or so, have had a significant impact on the hotel industry. “A look back to look forward treats the past as prologue. American hoteliers are in for some startling changes in their business,” Gomes says. “The man who said that the three most important determinants for the success of a hotel were “location, location, location” did a lot of good only in the short run.” Gomes wants to make you aware of the existence of what he calls, “locational obsolescence.” “Locational obsolescence is a fact of life, and at least in the United States bears a direct correlation to evolutionary changes in transportation technology,” he says. “…the primary business of the hospitality industry is to serve travelers or people who are being transported,” Gomes expands the point. Tied to the transportation element, the author also points out an interesting distinction between hotels and motels. In addressing, “…what clientele is being served, and what services are being provided at different facilities,” Gomes suggests that the transportation factor influences these constituents as well. Also coupled with this discussion are oil prices and shifts in transportation habits, with reference to airline travel being an ever increasing method of travel; capturing much of the inter-city travel market. Gomes refers to airline deregulation as an impetus. The point being, it’s a fluid market rather than a static one, and [successful] hospitality properties need to be cognizant of market dynamics and be able to adjust to the variables in their marketplace. Gomes provides many facts and figures to bolster his assertions. Interestingly and perceptively, at the time of this writing, Gomes alludes to America’s deteriorating road and bridge network. As of right now, in 2009, this is a major issue. Gomes rounds out this study by comparing European hospitality trends to those in the U.S.

Pollen distribution of sediment core MD96-2048 from the Western Indian Ocean

Glacial-interglacial fluctuations in the vegetation of South Africa might elucidate the climate system at the edge of the tropics between the Indian and Atlantic Oceans. However, vegetation records covering a full glacial cycle have only been published from the eastern South Atlantic. We present a pollen record of the marine core MD96-2048 retrieved by the Marion Dufresne from the Indian Ocean ~120 km south of the Limpopo River mouth. The sedimentation at the site is slow and continuous. The upper 6 m (spanning the past 342 Ka) have been analysed for pollen and spores at millennial resolution. The terrestrial pollen assemblages indicate that during interglacials, the vegetation of eastern South Africa and southern Mozambique largely consisted of evergreen and deciduous forests. During glacials open mountainous scrubland dominated. Montane forest with Podocarpus extended during humid periods was favoured by strong local insolation. Correlation with the sea surface temperature record of the same core indicates that the extension of mountainous scrubland primarily depends on sea surface temperatures of the Agulhas Current. Our record corroborates terrestrial evidence of the extension of open mountainous scrubland (including fynbos-like species of the high-altitude Grassland biome) for the last glacial as well as for other glacial periods of the past 300 Ka.

Analisi del catalogo Europeo-Mediterraneo degli RCMT: 18 anni di dati.

L'RCMT (Regional Centroid Moment Tensor), realizzato e gestito dai ricercatori dell'INGV (Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia), è dal 1997 il catalogo di riferimento per gli eventi sismici avvenuti nell'area Europea-Mediterranea, ossia nella regione avente longitudine compresa tra 10° W e 40° E e latitudine compresa tra 25° N e 60° N. Tale regione è caratterizzata da un'attività tettonica complessa, legata non soltanto alla convergenza delle placche Euroasiatica ed Africana, ma anche al movimento di altre placche minori (ad esempio, la placca Arabica), che tutte insieme danno origine ad una vasta gamma di regimi tettonici. Col termine RCMT si indica un particolare tipo di tensore momento sismico, la cui determinazione avviene su scala regionale, per eventi sismici aventi M_w >= 4.5 (M_w >= 4.0 per gli eventi che avvengono nella penisola italica). Il tensore momento sismico è uno strumento fondamentale per caratterizzare natura ed entità di un terremoto. Da esso, infatti, oltre alla magnitudo momento M_w, si ricava anche il meccanismo focale. Comunemente rappresentato sotto forma di beach ball, consente di individuare il tipo di movimento (distensivo, compressivo o trascorrente, o anche una combinazione del primo o del secondo con il terzo) avvenuto sulla faglia che ha provocato il terremoto. I tensori momento sismico permettono, quindi, di identificare le faglie che si attivano durante una sequenza sismica, di comprendere la loro cinematica e di ipotizzare la successiva evoluzione a breve termine. Scopo di questa relazione di laurea è stato derivare le relazioni che intercorrono fra le M_w dell'RCMT e le M_w del CMT (Centroid Moment Tensor della Columbia University), del GFZ (Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum di Postdam) e del TDMT (Time Domain Moment Tensor). Le relazioni sono state ottenute applicando il metodo dei minimi quadrati agli eventi comuni, che sono stati selezionati utilizzando alcuni semplici programmi scritti in Fortran.

Evaluating New Policy Instruments of the Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards : Footprints, Credit Transferring and Credit Trading

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Evaluating New Policy Instruments of the Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards : Footprints, Credit Transferring and Credit Trading

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Age model and pollen analysis from site GIK16867 in the northern Angola Basin

Sporomorphs and dinoflagellate cysts from site GIK16867 in the northern Angola Basin record the vegetation history of the West African forest during the last 700 ka in relation to changes in salinity and productivity of the eastern Gulf of Guinea. During most cool and cold periods, the Afromontane forest, rather than the open grass-rich dry forest, expanded to lower altitudes partly replacing the lowland rain forest of the borderlands east of the Gulf of Guinea. Except in Stage 3, when oceanic productivity was high during a period of decreased atmospheric circulation, high oceanic productivity is correlated to strong winds. The response of marine productivity in the course of a climatic cycle, however, is earlier than that of wind vigour and makes wind-stress-induced oceanic upwelling in the area less likely. Monsoon variation is well illustrated by the pollen record of increased lowland rain forest that is paired to the dinoflagellate cyst record of decreased salinity forced by increased precipitation and run-off.

Pollen analyses of sediment core GeoB1711-4 in the eastern South Atlantic

Influx of aeolian pollen trapped in marine sediments off Namibia provides a wind variation record for the last 135 kyr. The influx of major pollen components is derived from the southwest African desert/semi-desert zone and shows six periods during which enhanced southeast trade winds contributed to strong upwelling and reduced sea surface temperatures. The most prominent of these occurred during 17-23 cal. kyr, 42-56 kyr and before 130 kyr B.P. Correspondence between the pollen influx record and the Vostok deuterium isotope record suggests that pronounced glacial Antarctic cooling was accompanied by intensification of the southeast trades throughout the Late Quaternary. However, during 42-23 kyr B.P. the combination of strong Antarctic glaciation with a decrease of wind zonality induced by low latitude precessional insolation changes caused strong alongshore winds and Ekman pumping that resulted in strong upwelling and reduced sea surface temperatures without pollen influx enhancement.

Fertilidad del suelo con prácticas agroecológicas y manejo convencional en el cultivo de café

Las prácticas agroecológicas en plantaciones de café ( Coffea arábica L.), son necesarias para el mantenimiento y aumento de la fertilidad de los suelos y el manejo sostenible de las plantaciones. Este estudio se realizó de junio de 2009 a enero de 2010 en el Jardín Botánico y en el Centro Experimental Campos Azules, en Masatepe, Nicaragua. El propósito fue evaluar dos prácticas agroecológicas y un manejo convencional en el cultivo de café y su influencia en la fertilidad física, química y biológica del suelo. Se utilizó un arreglo unifactorial en diseño bloques completo al azar (BCA) con tres repeticiones. Las variables fueron densidad aparente, porosidad, retención de agua, materia orgánica, nitrógeno total, carbono orgánico, pH, capacidad de intercambio catiónico y cuantificación de bacterias y hongos. No existen diferencias entre los componentes de la fertilidad física y química del suelo, sin embargo, los sistemas con prácticas agroecológicas registran mayor porosidad y retención de humedad, y menor densidad aparente; así como valores más altos de materia orgánica, capacidad de intercambio catiónico, carbono orgánico, nitrógeno total y pH. No se registra diferencia en las poblaciones de bacterias, pero sí de hongos en el período lluvioso. El rendimiento acumulado de café no difiere pero existe una tendencia en los sistemas agroecológicos al aumento. Los resultados sugieren que la implementación de prácticas agroecológicas contribuye de manera sustancial con la fertilidad global del suelo.

Climate Change or Urbanization? Impacts on a Traditional Coffee Production System in East Africa over the Last 80 Years

Global environmental changes (GEC) such as climate change (CC) and climate variability have serious impacts in the tropics, particularly in Africa. These are compounded by changes in land use/land cover, which in turn are driven mainly by economic and population growth, and urbanization. These factors create a feedback loop, which affects ecosystems and particularly ecosystem services, for example plant-insect interactions, and by consequence agricultural productivity. We studied effects of GEC at a local level, using a traditional coffee production area in greater Nairobi, Kenya. We chose coffee, the most valuable agricultural commodity worldwide, as it generates income for 100 million people, mainly in the developing world. Using the coffee berry borer, the most serious biotic threat to global coffee production, we show how environmental changes and different production systems (shaded and sun-grown coffee) can affect the crop. We combined detailed entomological assessments with historic climate records (from 1929-2011), and spatial and demographic data, to assess GEC's impact on coffee at a local scale. Additionally, we tested the utility of an adaptation strategy that is simple and easy to implement. Our results show that while interactions between CC and migration/urbanization, with its resultant landscape modifications, create a feedback loop whereby agroecosystems such as coffee are adversely affected, bio-diverse shaded coffee proved far more resilient and productive than coffee grown in monoculture, and was significantly less harmed by its insect pest. Thus, a relatively simple strategy such as shading coffee can tremendously improve resilience of agro-ecosystems, providing small-scale farmers in Africa with an easily implemented tool to safeguard their livelihoods in a changing climate.

Caracterização da fração de óleo de café extraido de grãos sadios, verdes e preto-verdes, e a influência na adição deste na sensorial de café liofilizado

The application of roasted coffee oil directly on freeze dried soluble coffee is used to minimize the formation of fine poder which adhere on the glass packaging, which results in a negative visual appearance, as well as contributes to the aromatic impact when opening the packaging. The coffee oil is considered a high cost product obtained from Arabica coffee beans, previosly selected and roasted, by mechanical press. In Brazil the coffee culture and marketing results in the selection of the beans by type of defects and beverage, the volume of exportation works with types of coffee beans with low quantity of defects resulting in a large volume of defective coffee beans trading on the domestic market. Nevertheless, coffees which present defective grains like green, black-green beans present differences in the final flavor of the roasted coffees. The aim of this study was to evaluate the chemical composition of the oils extracted from grains classified as normal, green and black-green, at natural and roasted conditions. The oil was obtained by cold extraction using solvents of different polarities, and yield was calculated as well as its fatty acid composition. The oil of the roasted defective coffee grains was also used to prepare drinks of lyophilized soluble coffee in order to verify if jugdes were able to differenciate the sensory caracteristics of the beverages, in comparison to the product prepared using commercial oil obtained by mechanical pressing. Samples of oil obtained from defective grains showed similar extraction yields compared to hot extraction. Cromatographs of oils of the deffective grains did not showed differences compared to normal grains. In relation to the sensory analysis of the soluble coffee beverages, it was verified that when applying oils of light roasted black-green beans or oils of medium and dark roasted green beans obtained with rapid process, judges had more difficulties to distinguish differences between samples. Economic viability demonstrated that with the actual prices of the coffee beans, the use of defective beans could reduce in 64% the costs of the raw beans.

Estudios sobre el café

"Bien se sabe cuán exigente es el café en todas las operaciones que con él se ejecutan: si cuando está tostándose, se retira del fuego antes de haber soltado el aceite esencial que contiene la cafeína, esto es, el principio excitante y aromático, todavía no es café; si deja tostar demasiado, ya nos es café; si se emplea agua impura o alterada por excesiva ebullición, el aroma y el sabor se pervierten; si se guarda la infusión por más de cierto tiempo, el gusto menos educado le encuentra sensibles cambios desfavorables; y así muchas otras hipótesis y reglas análogas." Rafael Uribe Uribe

Desenvolvimento da estrutura de Podzolicos e Latossolos derivados de granulitos.

Visando a esclarecer os fatores que influenciam a formacao da estrutura do horizonte B de Podzolicos e Latossolos, foram estudados quatro perfis de solos localizados na zona cacaueira da Bahia, sob clima Af de Koppen. Com base nos dados morfologicos e micromorfologicos dos perfis, foram realizados estudos mineralogicos por difracao de raios X e microscopia eletronica, interpretacao de resultados de ferro livre (Tamm) e ferro total (HCl), e efetuadas analises de curvas obtidas pelo metodo de estracao cinerica, com o objetivo de identificar possiveis amorfos de ferro e alumina. Pelo relacionamento entre a mineralogia e os resultados do ferro livro, constatou-se que este aparece na forma de goetita microcristalizada. Nesta, nao se observou variacao de cristalinidade em funcao do tipo de estrutura dos solos. Nao foi evidenciada a presenca de amorfos. Quanto aos resultados da mineralogia, verificou-se o relacinamento entre o predominio da holoisita e a estrutura moderada em blocos muito pequenos e pequenos, angulares e subangulares, enquanto o predominio de caulinita, com ou sem desordem no eixo b e/ou gibsita, relacionanou-se com estrutura ultrapequena granular, do tipo "po-de-cafe". Verificou-se tambem que nao houve relacao entre grau de floculacao e estrutura. As argilas sao muito bem floculadas em todos horizontes (GF de 90 a 100%).

Plan de comercialización para pequeños productores de café procesado del municipio de Guadalupe, San Vicente. Caso ilustrativo.

El uso de la Mezcla de Mercadotecnia en la elaboración del Plan de Comercialización para los pequeños productores del municipio de Guadalupe, San Vicente, tendrá un fuerte impacto en el crecimiento de las ventas y adquisición de nuevos clientes en mercados potenciales. En la presente investigación se aplicaron herramientas de mercadeo como comerciales, para dar una propuesta de mejora que requiere la empresa caso de estudio "Café del Volcancito" con lo que pretende penetrar el mercado del municipio de San Salvador. La investigación arrojo en cuestión de precios, que el mercado del municipio de San Salvador está dispuesto a pagar un precio por encima del previsto por la empresa, lo cual propone mayores márgenes de ganancias que previamente apalancan planes operativos de mercadeo, mejorando la comercialización de la empresa café del volcancito. En el país se detectó alrededor de 21,000 productores de café que contribuyen en el total de producción a nivel nacional; estos venden su producción a beneficios e intermediarios internacionales. En cuanto al producto, éste cuenta con los elementos suficientes para satisfacer la demanda del mercado en cuanto a precio y propuesta de valor, por ser un café diferenciado en cuanto a sabores, inclusive es mejor por el hecho de ser un producto cultivado y procesado en El Salvador 100% natural, sin embargo se diseñó un plan de comercialización utilizando la mezcla de mercadeo para dar a conocer al consumidor del mercado del municipio de San Salvador sus componentes y los beneficios que este brinda no sólo por su sabor único, sino también por la contribución económica a productores Salvadoreños obteniendo un precio justo por su café. La parte mercadológica resulto ser una debilidad para la organización caso de estudio "Café del Volcancito" por no contar con las herramientas suficientes para enfrentar esta parte; por lo que se diseñaron estrategias promocionales aplicando los elementos de la Mezcla de Promoción, esto con la finalidad de tener un fuerte impacto en el mercado, puesto que la promoción es parte fundamental para cualquier tipo de negocio. Palabras clave: Precio, plaza, producto, promoción, estrategias y mezcla de promoción.

Microclimate, development and productivity of robusta coffee shaded by rubber trees and at full sun.

Existem poucos estudos sobre arborização de café conilon com seringueira. Objetivou-se avaliar o microclima, desenvolvimento e produtividade do cafeeiro conilon cultivado a pleno sol e sob sombreamento proporcionado pela seringueira. O experimento foi composto por uma lavoura de café conilon (Coffea canephora), cultivada a pleno sol e outra lavoura de café consorciada com seringueira (Hevea brasiliensis). A seringueira e o cafeeiro foram plantados no sentido Leste/Oeste, em Jaguaré, Espírito Santo, Brasil. Avaliou-se a luminosidade, temperatura e umidade relativa do ar, concentração foliar de nutrientes, medição dos internódios dos ramos plagiotrópicos e ortotrópicos, área foliar, índice relativo de clorofila, e a produtividade do cafeeiro. O sombreamento influenciou diretamente no microclima, reduzindo a temperatura do ar no verão e no inverno e aumentando a umidade relativa. A luminosidade no verão teve uma redução media de 905 lumens ft-2 ao longo de todo dia, equivalente a 72,49%, e no inverno de 1665 lumens ft-2, equivalente a 88,04%. O sombreamento proporcionou maior estiolamento dos ramos plagiotrópicos e ortotrópicos, bem como maior expansão foliar. A concentração foliar de Fe e Mn foram maiores no cafeeiro arborizado. A clorofila b e total estimada foram maior no cafeeiro cultivado a pleno sol. O denso sombreamento oferecido pela seringueira nas condições estudadas proporcionou perdas na produtividade do cafeeiro, contudo, ocorre a formação da seringueira.