Using Random Parameters to Account for Heterogeneous Preferences in Contingent Valuation of Public Open Space

To test for preference heterogeneity in dichotomous choice contingent valuation responses, a random parameter logit (RPL) specification is used in this analysis. The RPL model confirms heterogeneity in respondents' preferences for protection of public open space, as reflected in statistically significant standard deviations of the normally distributed random parameters. Results show that while the majority of respondents indicate a positive willingness to pay (WTP), a minority of those surveyed report a negative WTP. Some of this variation in tastes remains even after individual characteristics and attitudinal variables are included in the model.contingent valuation, open space, random parameter logit, willingness to pay, Land Economics/Use,

Marginal and irrelevant disorder in Einstein-Maxwell backgrounds

We study analytically the effect of a weak random chemical potential of zero average in an Einstein-Maxwell background. For uncorrelated disorder this perturbation is relevant however we show that it can become marginal or even irrelevant by tuning disorder correlations. At zero temperature we find that, to leading order in the disorder strength, the correction to the conductivity for irrelevant perturbations vanishes. In the marginal case, in order to renormalize a logarithmic divergence, we carry out a resummation of the perturbative expansion of the metric that leads to a Lifshitz-like geometry in the infrared. Disorder in this case also induces a positive correction to the conductivity. At finite temperature the black hole acquires an effective charge and the thermal conductivity has the expected Drude peak that signals the breaking of translational invariance. However the electric conductivity is not affected by the random chemical potential to leading order in the disorder strength.A. M. G. thanks Hong Liu and Elias Kiritsis for illuminating discussions. A. M. G. acknowledges partial support from EPSRC, grant No. EP/I004637/1. B. L. thanks Andrew Lucas for interesting discussions and suggestions concerning the conductivity. B.L. is supported by a CAPES/COT grant No. 11469/13-17. Both authors are grateful to the Galileo Galilei Institute for Theoretical Physics for the hospitality and the INFN for partial support during the completion of this work.This is the author accepted manuscript. It is currently under an indefinite embargo pending publication by the American Physical Society

A framework to analyse the effect of hotel websites stimuli on emotions, attitude and intentions moderated by sensory curiosity; language of instruction; classification of hotel; and annual income of customer

The present study reviews the literature about the S–O–R framework and proposes an extending model regarding attitude and behavioral intentions as responses. Additionally, the model hypothesizes that sensory curiosity, language of instruction, classification of Hotel, and annual income of customer moderate the relationships between atmospheric cues and consumers’ emotional reactions. The proposed model should be tested using two samples. One sample should gather consumers who have experience of using and booking in hotel websites. Another sample, a group of control, should be composed of people with no experience in using the hotel website for booking

Effect of explosive characteristics on the explosive welding of stainless steel to carbon steel in cylindrical configuration

The aim of this research is to study the influence of explosive characteristics on the weld interfaces of stainless steel AISI 304L to low alloy steel 51CrV4 in a cylindrical configuration. The effect of ammonium nitrate-based emulsion, sensitized with different quantities and types of sensitizing agents (hollow glass microballoons or expanded polystyrene spheres) and Ammonium Nitrate Fuel Oil (ANFO) explosives on the interface characteristics is analyzed. Research showed that the type of explosive and the type and proportion of explosive sensitizers affect the main welding parameters, particularly collision point velocity. The morphology of the wavy weld interfaces, chiefly the amplitude and length of the waves, is affected both by the impact velocity and the type and particle size of the explosive sensitizers, and increases with particle size. All the weld interfaces, except welds done with ANFO, displayed localized melted and solidified regions, whose chemical composition resulted from the contribution of both flyer and base metal

How VR can boost inspiration and increase donations

One of the major challenges that non-profit organizations face is inspiring people to be concerned about issues that seem geographically and emotionally distant. The aim of this study is to explore how Virtual Reality (VR) can boost inspiration and encourage potential donors to contribute to nonprofit fundraisings. To achieve this aim, a three group between-subjects experiment was conducted to examine how varying the degree of immersiveness of a short documentary about a remote health issue influences user reported social and spatial presence, inspiration, and donation intention. Findings reveal that perceived media richness gradually increases the user's spatial presence. Then, the positive effect of social and spatial presence on customer inspiration was tested and successfully verified. Finally, customer inspiration increases donation intention.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A technical note on the phase transformation in furnace container material after a periodic thermo-chemical treatment

The aim of this work is to investigate the metallurgical changes in the wall of cylindrical containers, fabricated by welding from AISI 310 steel, used in the thermal and chemical treatment of spindle chains for the automotive industry, for an in-service period of over 1000 h. In order to identify the phases originated during this in-service period, several etchants were used in the structural study, together with X-ray diffraction and 57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy analysis. The metallographic technique demonstrates some limitations in the complete identification of the phases produced in the wall of the containers. The structure of the wall of the containers, after the referred to working period, is composed of an austenitic matrix, whose grain size is about 212 and 238 [mu]m, near the internal and external faces of the wall, respectively. These show numerous precipitates inside the grains and at the grain boundaries. The density of the precipitates decreases from the internal to the external surface. The precipitates are nitrides (Cr, Mo)12 (Fe,Ni)8-x N4-z near the internal surface, and carbides (Cr, Fe, Mo)23C6 on the other zones of the wall.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6TGJ-4502Y49-G/1/4e6ae31d16e053b40c961bebbfda1e0

Transport in a gravity dual with a varying gravitational coupling constant

We study asymptotically AdS Brans-Dicke (BD) backgrounds, where the Ricci tensor R is coupled to a scalar in the radial dimension, as effective models of metals with a varying coupling constant. We show that, for translationally invariant backgrounds, the regular part of the dc conductivity σ$_{Q}$ deviates from the universal result of Einstein-Maxwell-dilaton (EMD) models. However, the shear viscosity to entropy ratio saturates the Kovtun-Son-Starinets (KSS) bound. Similar results apply to more general f(R) gravity models. In four bulk dimensions we study momentum relaxation induced by gravitational and electromagnetic axion-dependent couplings. For sufficiently strong momentum dissipation induced by the former, a recently proposed bound on the dc conductivity σ is violated for any finite electromagnetic axion coupling. Interestingly, in more than four bulk dimensions, the dc conductivity for strong momentum relaxation decreases with temperature in the low temperature limit. In line with other gravity backgrounds with momentum relaxation, the shear viscosity to entropy ratio is always lower than the KSS bound. The numerical computation of the optical conductivity reveals a linear growth with the frequency in the limit of low temperature, low frequency and large momentum relaxation. We have also shown that the module and argument of the optical conductivity for intermediate frequencies are not consistent with cuprates' experimental results, even assuming several channel of momentum relaxation.A.M.G. acknowledges support from EPSRC, Grant No. EP/I004637/1. B.L. is supported by CAPES/COT Grant No. 11469/13-17. A.R.B. acknowledges support from the Department of Physics and the Theory of Condensed Matter group of the University of Cambridge as well as the Cambridge Philosophical Society

Home gardening may be a risk factor for contact dermatitis to Alstroemeria

BACKGROUND: Occupational allergy among florists and people who work in cut flower production of Alstroemeria cultivars (Peruvian lily or Inca lily) has been previously reported. The allergen involved in sensitization is tulipalin A (alpha-methylene-gamma-butyrolactone). CASE REPORT: We describe the case of a 65-year-old woman who developed severe dermatitis on her right thumb, index and middle fingers and less severe dermatitis on her left palm and front of forearm with occasional itching of the neck and face after taking up home gardening activities, including cutting flowers such as Alstroemeria. METHODS: The patient and three healthy individuals were submitted to epicutaneous tests with the European standard series, the plant series, and stem portions of three suspected ornamental plants (Alstroemeria, Lilium and Zantedeschia), garlic, and onion. RESULTS: Patch tests performed in our patient, revealed an extreme reaction (+ + +) to Alstroemeria and alpha-methylene-gamma-butyrolactone, a strong reaction (+ +) to propolis and wood tar mix, a weak reaction (+) to balsam of Peru, an irritant reaction to garlic and negative results to diallyl disulfide and the other components investigated. Patch tests performed in the healthy individuals revealed negative. CONCLUSIONS: We stress the importance of Alstroemeria as a cause of allergic contact dermatitis not only in workers involved in the flower trade, but also in other people that come into contact with this plant in their leisure activities

The role of cinema on the tourist destination image formation process

Tourism literature widely acknowledges that images of tourist destinations are a product of all the experiences of an individual, being influenced by a series of information sources. The movies figure amongst this sources, and as an autonomous information agent, which in theory are not associated with the tourist market interests, they transmit information that is perceived as more reliable than conventional publicity. Thus, cinema acts directly on the organic image, creating and perpetuating associations about the places it depicts on the collective imagery. The present article aims to provide a bibliographical state of the art about the influence of films on the tourist destinations’ image, contextualizing the cinema on it’s formation process, as well as the cognitive and phsycological processes involved