The Contributions of Certain Variables in Determining Room Rates

Background: Researchers have given enormous importance to the hospitality industry, especially through studies that have analyzed the factors that affect traveler' decisions to book accommodation in hotels (e.g. room rate, amenities and location). However, data are generally examined from a guest's or a manager's point of view. Objective: This study examines factual data aiming to understand the extent to which the occupancy rate, quality, location and organizational form explain the room rates of hotels classified as four and five star. Data from hotels established in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, for a period of eleven years were gently provided by hoteliers and analyzed by multiple regression tests. Results: Among the six models obtained, the best model shows that the predictor variables explain 72.8% of the fees charged by the hotels examined in our research, and that the 'hotel quality' and 'occupancy rate' variables are those that contribute most positively to the configuration of the response variable. Conclusion: The models delivered by this study are the outcome of the multiple regression tests performed with five variables. There are other variables which might be included. However, the five variables explain 72.8% of the fees. The study is relevant to hoteliers because it analyses variables that directly affects the revenues of hotels. Knowing its contributions, hoteliers can decide investments to enhance outcomes

Da interceptação de aeronaves no Brasil: A medida de destruição como uma questão de Soberania Nacional? / On aircraft Interception in Brazil: The measure of destruction as a matter of National Sovereignty?

O tema proposto neste trabalho busca analisar criticamente a Lei n.º 9.614/1998, que introduziu o §3º, no Código Brasileiro de Aeronáutica, Lei n.º 7.565/1986, que prevê a possibilidade da medida de destruição, após esgotados todos os demais meios coercitivos legalmente previstos (medidas de averiguação, intervenção e persuasão) de interceptação de aeronaves hostis ou suspeitas de tráfico de substâncias entorpecentes e drogas afins, conforme Decreto n.º 5.144/2004. Criada num contexto da política antidrogas dos Estados Unidos na América Latina, “War on Drugs”, a denominada Lei do Tiro de Destruição levanta muitas polêmicas quanto a sua aplicação no Estado Democrático de Direito, inclusive no que toca a sua (in) constitucionalidade. Atualmente vigente no ordenamento jurídico pátrio, essa medida encontra-se sob responsabilidade de execução da Força Aérea Brasileira, tendo em vista o que dispõe o artigo 16-A, I - atividade subsidiária geral - e art. 18, VI - atividade subsidiária particular, ambos da Lei Complementar n.º 97/99, que dispõe sobre as normas gerais para a organização, o preparo e o emprego das Forças Armadas e, de acordo com o art. 142, §1º, da Magna Carta de 1988. Ocorre que, a referida medida, cabendo registrar, de caráter excepcional e extremo -ultima ratio- já foi autorizada em demais situações de segurança nacional, tal como naquela definida pelo Decreto nº 8.758/2016, que estabeleceu os procedimentos a serem observados em relação às aeronaves suspeitas ou hostis durante os Jogos Olímpicos e Paraolímpicos no Rio de Janeiro no ano de 2016. Após os eventos ocorridos em 11 de setembro de 2001, a pergunta que se pretende responder é: a medida de destruição é somente uma forma de patrulhamento do espaço aéreo brasileiro pela FAB, de modo a evitar os crimes transfronteiriços, tal como o tráfico de drogas internacional, ou, sobretudo, um instrumento de defesa da soberania aeroespacial brasileira

Geoprocessamento aplicado a análise das tecnologias sociais em ambientes geomorfológicos distintos na sub-bacia Jaibaras – Ceará / Geoprocessing applied to the analysis of social technologies in different geomorphological environments in the Jaibaras sub-basin - Ceará

O geoprocessamento vem se configurado como uma importante ferramenta para análise em diversas áreas do conhecimento científico. Tal fato é notório na na geografia física, em particular na geomorfologia, tais técnicas de cartografia auxiliam no desenvolvimento das pesquisas. Desta forma, o presente artigo tem como objetivo analisar a relação do relevo com as tecnologias sociais de convivência com semiárido, consideramos três unidades geomorfológicas da Sub-bacia Jaibaras, a vertente úmida e seca do maciço residual da Meruoca e a superfície sertaneja. Isto posto, como auxílio do geoprocessamento. Os procedimentos operacionais da pesquisa deram-se através de revisão bibliográfica, atividades de campo, reconhecimento da área, registros fotográficos e confecção de mapas temáticos. Os resultados nos trazem os condicionamentos e reflexos quais tecnologias são mais adequados para determinando ambientes da sub-bacia

Main nutrient patterns and colorectal cancer risk in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition study.

BACKGROUND: Much of the current literature on diet-colorectal cancer (CRC) associations focused on studies of single foods/nutrients, whereas less is known about nutrient patterns. We investigated the association between major nutrient patterns and CRC risk in participants of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study. METHODS: Among 477 312 participants, intakes of 23 nutrients were estimated from validated dietary questionnaires. Using results from a previous principal component (PC) analysis, four major nutrient patterns were identified. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were computed for the association of each of the four patterns and CRC incidence using multivariate Cox proportional hazards models with adjustment for established CRC risk factors. RESULTS: During an average of 11 years of follow-up, 4517 incident cases of CRC were documented. A nutrient pattern characterised by high intakes of vitamins and minerals was inversely associated with CRC (HR per 1 s.d.=0.94, 95% CI: 0.92-0.98) as was a pattern characterised by total protein, riboflavin, phosphorus and calcium (HR (1 s.d.)=0.96, 95% CI: 0.93-0.99). The remaining two patterns were not significantly associated with CRC risk. CONCLUSIONS: Analysing nutrient patterns may improve our understanding of how groups of nutrients relate to CRC

The associations of anthropometric, behavioural and sociodemographic factors with circulating concentrations of IGF-I, IGF-II, IGFBP-1, IGFBP-2, and IGFBP-3 in a pooled analysis of 16,024 men from 22 studies

Insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) and insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBPs) have been implicated in the aetiology of several cancers. To better understand whether anthropometric, behavioural, and sociodemographic factors may play a role in cancer risk via IGF signalling, we examined the cross-sectional associations of these exposures with circulating concentrations of IGFs (IGF-I, IGF-II) and IGFBPs (IGFBP-1, IGFBP-2, IGFBP-3). The Endogenous Hormones, Nutritional Biomarkers and Prostate Cancer Collaborative Group dataset includes individual participant data from 16,024 male controls (i.e. without prostate cancer) aged 22-89 years from 22 prospective studies. Geometric means of protein concentrations were estimated using analysis of variance, adjusted for relevant covariates. Older age was associated with higher concentrations of IGFBP-1 and IGFBP-2 and lower concentrations of IGF-I, IGF-II, and IGFBP-3. Higher body mass index was associated with lower concentrations of IGFBP-1 and IGFBP-2. Taller height was associated with higher concentrations of IGF-I and IGFBP-3 and lower concentrations of IGFBP-1. Smokers had higher concentrations of IGFBP-1 and IGFBP-2 and lower concentrations of IGFBP-3 than non-smokers. Higher alcohol consumption was associated with higher concentrations of IGF-II and lower concentrations of IGF-I and IGFBP-2. African Americans had lower concentrations of IGF-II, IGFBP-1, IGFBP-2 and IGFBP-3 and Hispanics had lower IGF-I, IGF-II and IGFBP-3 than non-Hispanic whites. These findings indicate that a range of anthropometric, behavioural, and sociodemographic factors are associated with circulating concentrations of IGFs and IGFBPs in men, which will lead to a greater understanding of the mechanisms through which these factors influence cancer risk. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

ALDH1A2 (RALDH2) genetic variation in human congenital heart disease

Abstract\ud \ud \ud \ud Background\ud \ud Signaling by the vitamin A-derived morphogen retinoic acid (RA) is required at multiple steps of cardiac development. Since conversion of retinaldehyde to RA by retinaldehyde dehydrogenase type II (ALDH1A2, a.k.a RALDH2) is critical for cardiac development, we screened patients with congenital heart disease (CHDs) for genetic variation at the ALDH1A2 locus.\ud \ud \ud \ud Methods\ud \ud One-hundred and thirty-three CHD patients were screened for genetic variation at the ALDH1A2 locus through bi-directional sequencing. In addition, six SNPs (rs2704188, rs1441815, rs3784259, rs1530293, rs1899430) at the same locus were studied using a TDT-based association approach in 101 CHD trios. Observed mutations were modeled through molecular mechanics (MM) simulations using the AMBER 9 package, Sander and Pmemd programs. Sequence conservation of observed mutations was evaluated through phylogenetic tree construction from ungapped alignments containing ALDH8 s, ALDH1Ls, ALDH1 s and ALDH2 s. Trees were generated by the Neighbor Joining method. Variations potentially affecting splicing mechanisms were cloned and functional assays were designed to test splicing alterations using the pSPL3 splicing assay.\ud \ud \ud \ud Results\ud \ud We describe in Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) the mutations Ala151Ser and Ile157Thr that change non-polar to polar residues at exon 4. Exon 4 encodes part of the highly-conserved tetramerization domain, a structural motif required for ALDH oligomerization. Molecular mechanics simulation studies of the two mutations indicate that they hinder tetramerization. We determined that the SNP rs16939660, previously associated with spina bifida and observed in patients with TOF, does not affect splicing. Moreover, association studies performed with classical models and with the transmission disequilibrium test (TDT) design using single marker genotype, or haplotype information do not show differences between cases and controls.\ud \ud \ud \ud Conclusion\ud \ud In summary, our screen indicates that ALDH1A2 genetic variation is present in TOF patients, suggesting a possible causal role for this gene in rare cases of human CHD, but does not support the hypothesis that variation at the ALDH1A2 locus is a significant modifier of the risk for CHD in humans.Work supported by grants from Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) 01/000090; 00/030722; 01/142381; 02/113402; 03/099982; 04/116068; 04/157044 and Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico 481872/20078. We would like to thank the careful work and thoughtful suggestions of the two reviewers responsible for the reviewing editorial process.Work supported by grants from Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) 01/00009-0; 00/03072-2; 01/14238-1; 02/11340-2; 03/09998-2; 04/11606-8; 04/15704-4 and Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico 481872/2007-8. We would like to thank the careful work and thoughtful suggestions of the two reviewers responsible for the reviewing editorial process