Market structure and environmental amenities in hedonic pricing of rural cottages

Site-specific characteristics are attributes of tourism services for consumers and a factor influencing their costs and quality for producers. These services are a fine illustration of territorial rents. Using estimates from hedonic price equations, we test the role of environmental/territorial variables as services differentiation tools in the context of a non-competitive market, and recover the value of territorial rent generated by tourism managers' strategies. Two territories of reference are chosen, one currently benefiting from the renewed interest of the public, and a usual tourist destination. The results of a comparative analysis suggest that tourists' preferences for new destinations, combined with firms' strategies generate some catching up effect by emerging territories.ENVIRONMENTAL VALUATION; HEDONIC METHOD; SERVICE DIFFERENTIATION; TOURISM

In Peer Matters, Teachers Matter: Peer Group Influences on Students\u27 Engagement Depend on Teacher Involvement

This study focused on the joint effects of teachers and peer groups as predictors of change in students’ engagement during the first year of middle school, when the importance of peer relationships normatively increases and the quality of teacher–student relationships typically declines. To explore cumulative and contextualized joint effects, the study utilized 3 sources of information about an entire cohort of 366 sixth graders in a small town: Peer groups were identified using sociocognitive mapping; students reported on teacher involvement; and teachers reported on each student’s engagement. Consistent with models of cumulative effects, peer group engagement and teacher involvement each uniquely predicted changes in students’ engagement. Consistent with contextualized models suggesting differential susceptibility, peer group engagement was a more pronounced predictor of changes in engagement for students who experienced relatively low involvement from teachers. These peer effects were positive or negative depending on the engagement versus disaffection of each student’s peer group. Person-centered analyses also revealed cumulative and contextualized effects. Most engaged were students who experienced support from both social partners; steepest engagement declines were found when students affiliated with disaffected peers and experienced teachers as relatively uninvolved. High teacher involvement partially protected students from the motivational costs of affiliating with disaffected peers, and belonging to engaged peer groups partially buffered students’ engagement from the effects of low teacher involvement. These findings suggest that, although peer groups and teachers are each important individually, a complete understanding of their contributions to students’ engagement requires the examination of their joint effects. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved

Characterization of Siloxane-poly(methyl methacrylate) Hybrid Films Obtained on a Tinplate Substrate Modified by the Addition of Organic and Inorganic Acids

Tinplate is used to food packaging and other types of packages. The corrosion resistance of the tinplate has been study due the necessity of an alternative to high environmental impact of chromatization process. Therefore protective coatings as hybrid films base elaborations with different acids are studied to improve the barrier effect against corrosion. The objective of this work is characterize hybrid films deposited on a tinplate from a sol made up of the alkoxide precursors 3-(trimethoxysilylpropyl) methacrylate (TMSM), tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) together with one of three acids (acetic, hydrochloric or nitric acid) and to verify their action against the corrosion of the substrate. The films were obtained by a dip-coating process and cured for 3 hours at 160 °C. The film hydrophobicity was determined by contact angle measurements, and the morphology was evaluated by SEM. FTIR measurements were performed to characterize the chemical structures of the films. The electrochemical behavior of the coatings was evaluated by techniques open circuit potential monitoring (OCP), potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The results demonstrate that the siloxane-PMMA films improve the protective properties of the tinplate, with the films obtained by acetic acid addition exhibiting the greatest improvement

Rôles,impacts et services issus des élevages en Europe. Synthèse du rapport d’expertise scientifique collective

L’élevage, secteur majeur pour l’économie de nombreux territoires et structurant beaucoup de paysages ruraux européens, fait l’objet de controverses, depuis au moins une décennie, notamment du fait des dommages environnementaux qu’il engendre. Dans un tel contexte, il est apparu nécessaire d’étayer les débats en faisant le point sur l’état des connaissances scientifiques relatives aux rôles, impacts et services environnementaux, économiques et sociaux issus des élevages européens et leurs produits. Pour ce faire, les ministères français en charge de l’Environnement et de l’Agriculture ainsi que l’Agence de l’environnement et de la maîtrise de l’énergie (Ademe) ont sollicité l’Inra pour réaliser une expertise scientifique collective (ESCo) abordant conjointement les multiples conséquences sur les milieux et le climat, l’emploi et le travail, les marchés et certains enjeux sociaux et culturels, de la production et de la consommation humaine de produits d’origine animale (bovins, ovins, caprins, porcins et avicoles). L’analyse de ces diverses dimensions s’appuie sur les démarches d’évaluation rapportées dans la littérature scientifique internationale. Abordées, dans un premier temps, de manière analytique et globale, les connaissances ont ensuite été mobilisées par « bouquet de services » au sein de territoires contrastés. Les relations entre les différents impacts ou services permettent d’identifier des compromis et des leviers d’action envisageables pour les systèmes d’élevage. Livestock production is a sector of major economic importance that defines many European rural areas. It has become the focus of controversy over the past decade or more, particularly with regard to the environmental impacts it causes. In this context, it seemed useful to support this debate with a critical review of the state of scientific knowledge on the role, impacts, and services – environmental, economic, and social – associated with European livestock production. Accordingly, the French ministries responsible for Agriculture and the Environment, in cooperation with the French Environment and Energy Management Agency (ADEME), requested INRA to undertake a collective scientific assessment addressing the many consequences – for the environment and the climate, for employment and labor, for markets, and for a variety of social and cultural issues – related to the production and human consumption of animal products (cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, and poultry). Analysis of these diverse dimensions was based on assessment methods utilized and described in the international scientific literature. Using a broad, analytical overview as a starting point, the review proceeded by identifying the "service bundles" associated with livestock production in contrasting areas