Differences in seasonal price patterns among second home rentals and hotels: Empirical evidence and practical implications

Hotels and second home rentals are two of the most important tourist accommodation options in Spain. In terms of seasonality, almost all previous studies have analysed tourism demand from the point of view either of total arrivals or the number of tourists lodged in a single accommodation type (hotels, rural accommodation, etc). However, there are no studies focusing on price seasonality orcomparing seasonality among different accommodation types. By using seasonality indicators and a price index constructed by means of hedonic methods, this paper aims to shed some light on seasonal pricing patterns among second home rentals and hotels. The paper relies on a 2004 database of 144 hotels and 1,002 apartments on the Costa Brava (northeast Spain). The results show that prices for second home rentals display a smoother seasonal pattern than hotels due to reduced price differences between shoulder (May and October) and peak periods (August)

Arvopaperistaminen ja CDO-lainat

Tutkimuksen tavoitteena on tarkastella kansainvälisillä rahoitusmarkkinoilla nopeasti yleistynyttä arvopaperistamista prosessina sekä arvopaperistamalla muodostettuja sijoitustuotteita pääomamarkkinainstrumentteina ja sijoituskohteina. Yksittäisistä arvopaperistamalla luoduista sijoitusinstrumenteista tutkielmassa keskitytään erityisesti collateralized debt obligation -tyyppiin. Tutkimuksen ensimmäisessä osassa selvitetään arvopaperistamistoiminnan perusrakenteita sekä erilaisten arvopaperistamistapojen eroja toisiinsa nähden. Toisessa osassa perehdytään collateralized debt obligaton instrumenttiin, sen ominaispiirteisiin ja eroihin perinteisiin joukkovelkakirjalainoihin ja sijoitusrahastoihin verrattuna. Tutkimuksen kolmannessa osassa selvitetään institutionaalisen sijoittajan kannalta mahdollisuuksia ja ongelmia sijoitettaessa arvopaperistettuihin sijoitusinstrumentteihin. Viimeisessä osassa tarkastellaan arvopaperistettujen sijoitustuotteiden markkinaa yleisesti ja sen aiheuttamien ongelmien vaikutusta koko rahoitusmarkkinoihin.

Andante pour le violon avec accompagnemet second Violon, Alto et Violoncelle pour P. Rode Premier Violon de S.M. L'Empereur de toutes de Russies Oeuvre 17

Soitinnus: viulut (2).

Suberization-the second life of an endodermal cell.

The endodermis is the innermost cortical cell layer that surrounds the central vasculature and deposits an apoplastic diffusion barrier known as the Casparian strip. Although discovered 150 years ago, the underlying mechanisms responsible for formation of the Casparian strips have only recently been investigated. However, the fate of the endodermal cell goes further than formation of Casparian strips as they undergo a second level of differentiation, defined by deposition of suberin as a secondary cell wall. The presence and function of endodermal suberin in root barriers has remained enigmatic, as its role in barrier formation is not clear, especially in respect to the already existing Casparian strips. In this review, we present recent advances in the understanding of suberin synthesis, transport to the secondary cell wall, developmental features and functions. We focus on some of the major unknown questions revolving the function of endodermal suberin, which we now have the means to investigate. We further provide thoughts on how this knowledge might expand our current models on the developmental and physiological adaptation of root in response to the environment.

Exploring the relative DNA contribution of first and second object's users on mock touch DNA mixtures

Contact stains recovered at break-in crime scenes are frequently characterized by mixtures of DNA from several persons. Broad knowledge on the relative contribution of DNA left behind by different users overtime is of paramount importance. Such information might help crime investigators to robustly evaluate the possibility of detecting a specific (or known) individual's DNA profile based on the type and history of an object. To address this issue, a contact stain simulation-based protocol was designed. Fourteen volunteers either acting as first or second object's users were recruited. The first user was required to regularly handle/wear 9 different items during an 8-10-day period, whilst the second user for 5, 30 and 120 min, in three independent simulation sessions producing a total of 231 stains. Subsequently, the relative DNA profile contribution of each individual pair was investigated. Preliminary results showed a progressive increase of the percentage contribution of the second user compared to the first. Interestingly, the second user generally became the major DNA contributor when most objects were handled/worn for 120 min, Furthermore, the observation of unexpected additional alleles will then prompt the investigation of indirect DNA transfer events.

Policy learning in Europe : social policy and labour market reforms in 11 countries

This report compares policy learning processes in 11 European countries. Based on the country reports that were produced by the national teams of the INSPIRES project, this paper develops an argument that connects problem pressure and politicization to learning in different labor market innovations. In short, we argue that learning efforts are most likely to impact on policy change if there is a certain problem pressure that clearly necessitates political action. On the other hand, if problem pressure is very low, or so high that governments need to react immediately, chances are low that learning impacts on policy change. The second part of our argument contends that learning impacts on policy change especially if a problem is not very politicized, i.e. there are no main conflicts concerning a reform, because then, solutions are wound up in the search for a compromise. Our results confirm our first hypothesis regarding the connection between problem pressure and policy learning. Governments learn indeed up to a certain degree of problem pressure. However, once political action becomes really urgent, i.e. in anti-crisis policies, there is no time and room for learning. On the other hand, learning occurred independently from the politicization of problem. In fact, in countries that have a consensual political system, learning occurred before the decision on a reform, whereas in majoritarian systems, learning happened after the adoption of a policy during the process of implementation.

Taxation of nuclear waste in Spain

Law 15/2012 established in Spain four new environmental taxes and extended the scope objective excise duties on mineral oils to tax the use of natural gas and coal as sources of electricity. One of the newly created taxes falls on all electric power producers, and has as tax base the turnover. The second one tax hydropower production, and the other two fall on the nuclear industry. So, there are two new taxes in Spain on the production of electricity from nuclear sources. The first one is a tax on nuclear waste production; the second one is a tax on the storage of nuclear waste. However, these are not the only levies in the Spanish tax system affecting nuclear waste. At the State level there are already several charges on nuclear waste. At the regional level, on the other hand, two Autonomous Communities were taxing nuclear waste. The creation of these new State taxes will finish with the regional taxes, but the State will be oblige to compensate these regions for losing revenues. The purpose of this work is to carry out a critical analysis of the Spanish system of taxation on nuclear waste.

Facilitating coordination improvement efforts in cross-functional process development programs

Business process improvement is a common approach in increasing the effectiveness of an organization. It can be seen as an effort to increase coordination between units. Process improvement has proved to be challenging, and most management consultation firms facilitate organizations in this kind of initiatives. Cross-functional improvement is one of the main areas for internal consultants as well. However, the needs, challenges and means of cross-functional help have been rarely discussed in the literature. The objective of this thesis is on one hand to present a conceptual and descriptive framework to help understand the challenges of facilitating coordination improvement efforts in cross-functional improvement programs, and on the other hand to develop and test feasible solutions for some facilitation situations. The research questions are: 1. Why and in what kind of situations do organizations need help in developing coordination in cross-functional processes? 2. How can a facilitator help organizations in improving coordination to develop cross-functional processes? The study consists of two parts. The first part is an overview of the dissertation, and the second part comprises six research publications. The theoretical background for the study are the differentiation causing challenges in cross-functional settings, the coordination needed to improve processes, change management principles, methods and tools, and consultation practises. Three of the publications introduce tools for helping in developing prerequisites, planning responsibilities and supporting learning during the cross-functional program. The three other papers present frameworks to help understand and analyse the improvement situation. The main methodological approaches used in this study are design science research, action research and case research. The research data has been collected from ten cases representing different kinds of organizations, processes and developing situations. The data has been collected mainly by observation, semi-structured interviews and questionnaires. The research contributes to the rare literature combining coordination theories and process improvement practises. It also provides additional understanding of a holistic point of view in process improvement situations. The most important contribution is the addition to the theories of facilitating change in process improvement situations. From the managerial point of view, this study gives advice to managers and consultants in planning and executing cross-functional programs. The main factors increasing the need for facilitation are the challenges for differentiation, challenges of organizational change in general, and the novelty of initiatives and improvement practices concerning process development. Organizations need help in creating the prerequisites to change, in planning initiatives, easing conflict management and collaboration between groups, as well as supporting the learning of cross-functional improvement. The main challenges of facilitation are combining the different roles as a consultant, maintaining the ownership for the improvement project with the client, and supporting learning in the client organization.

Mediating the Immediate – Endogenous meanings and simulated narratives in ludic spaces

The thesis discusses games and the gaming experience. It is divided into two main sections; the first examines games in general, while the second concentrates exclusively on electronic games. The text approaches games from two distinct directions by looking at both their spatiality and their narrativity at the same time. These two points of view are combined right from the beginning of the text as they are used in conceptualising the nature of the gaming experience. The purpose of the thesis is to investigate two closely related issues concerning both the field of game studies and the nature of games. In regard to studying games, the focus is placed on the juxtaposition of ludology and narratology, which acts as a framework for looking at gaming. In addition to aiming to find out whether or not it is possible to undermine the said state of affairs through the spatiality of games, the text looks at the interrelationships of games and their spaces as well as the role of narratives in those spaces. The thesis is characterised by discussing alternative points of view and its hypothetical nature. During the text, it becomes apparent that the relationship between games and narratives is strongly twofold: on one hand, the player continuously narrativizes the states the game is in while playing, while the narratives residing within the game space form their own partially separate narrative spaces, on the other. These spaces affect the conception the player has of the game states and the events taking place in the game space itself.

La fureur divine et son détournement en Nb 25

The story Numbers of 25 which reports the incident of Baal Peor is one among several texts in the book of Numbers focusing on divine wrath, its cause and its consequences. The present article offers a detailed analysis of the account which is difficult to understand because of certain jumps in the plot and because of its allusive style. Scholars mostly agree with the idea that the story grew in two or three stages. A lot of commentators believe that the original story contains only the apostasy of Peor caused by the Moabites (vv. 1-5). A subsequent story would focus on Pinchas' action against Zimri and Kospi, and a third layer is linked to the story of the war between Israel and Midian (Numbers 31). The problem of this theory however is that it seems impossible to reconstruct an original story about the matter of Peor; one does not find a satisfying end within vv. 1-5. Furthermore, v. 5, which belongs to the first, "Moabite", section, is already linked to the theme of Midian which dominates the second and the third passage. Moreover, the assemblage of different themes and motifs seem having been done with care: Regarding the two abuses of Israel reported in the story--idolatry and intermarriage--, they often go together in late polemical Deuteronomistic and post-Deuteronomistic layers (Ezra-Nehemiah). The double focus on Midian and Moab could both be polemically directed against certain Moses traditions found in the books of Exodus and Deuteronomy (concerning Moses' marriage with a Midianite women on the one hand and his stay and death and burial in Moab - in the vicinity of Beth Peor - on the other hand). As in several ANE traditions also in the Hebrew Bible the motif of "divine wrath" serves to interpret fatal historical events; in Num 25 as in other Biblical stories however it is doubtful whether the alleged incident (the plague) really have taken place and the story's plot is anchored in ancient Israel's history.

Smoking behaviour, involuntary smoking, attitudes towards smoke-free legislations, and tobacco control activities in the European Union

The six most important cost-effective policies on tobacco control can be measured by the Tobacco Control Scale (TCS). The objective of our study was to describe the correlation between the TCS and smoking prevalence, self-reported exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) and attitudes towards smoking restrictions in the 27 countries of the European Union (EU27).

People favour imperfect catching by assuming a stable world

The visual angle that is projected by an object (e.g. a ball) on the retina depends on the object's size and distance. Without further information, however, the visual angle is ambiguous with respect to size and distance, because equal visual angles can be obtained from a big ball at a longer distance and a smaller one at a correspondingly shorter distance. Failure to recover the true 3D structure of the object (e.g. a ball's physical size) causing the ambiguous retinal image can lead to a timing error when catching the ball. Two opposing views are currently prevailing on how people resolve this ambiguity when estimating time to contact. One explanation challenges any inference about what causes the retinal image (i.e. the necessity to recover this 3D structure), and instead favors a direct analysis of optic flow. In contrast, the second view suggests that action timing could be rather based on obtaining an estimate of the 3D structure of the scene. With the latter, systematic errors will be predicted if our inference of the 3D structure fails to reveal the underlying cause of the retinal image. Here we show that hand closure in catching virtual balls is triggered by visual angle, using an assumption of a constant ball size. As a consequence of this assumption, hand closure starts when the ball is at similar distance across trials. From that distance on, the remaining arrival time, therefore, depends on ball's speed. In order to time the catch successfully, closing time was coupled with ball's speed during the motor phase. This strategy led to an increased precision in catching but at the cost of committing systematic errors.