Threat of taxation, stagnation and social unrest: Evidence from 19th century Sicily

Taxation may trigger social unrest, as highlighted by historical examples. At the same time, tax income could boost state capacity which may, in turn, foster political stability. Understanding the a priori ambiguous taxation-turmoil nexus is particularly relevant for low-income countries today – yet causal evidence on the topic is very scarce. Using a regression discontinuity design, we exploit a unique policy experiment in 19th century Sicily to identify the effect of taxation on social unrest. It turns out that it is mostly the threat of taxation that may distort economic investment and ultimately result in greater political turmoil

The influence of online ratings and reviews on hotel booking consideration

This paper analyses the impact of good vs. bad ratings during the first stage of the decision-making process when booking a hotel. This study tested the interaction between numerical ratings given to a product or service and the number of verbal reviews it has received while controlling subject susceptibility to interpersonal influence. The study conducted a full factorial between subjects design of 2 levels of ratings (good vs. bad) x 2 levels of reviews (high vs. low) in a decision-controlled setting. Results suggest an asymmetric interaction between numerical ratings and reviews: When the rating is good, the trust in the rating depends on the number of reviews, but conversely, if the rating is bad, the number of reviews has no effect on how trustworthy the rating is. Academic and managerial implications of this study and scope for future research have also been discussed

La construcción doctrinal y jurisprudencial del concepto de domicilio como límite a la autotutela ejecutiva de la administración.

The public administration is a great privilege both in the legal traffic and in its relations with the administrated, from the same moment in which in the exercise of its administrative powers, it can execute its own acts. However, this “Administrative Autotutela”, is not unlimited, especially if the execution of the administrative act in question, involves the violation of the fundamental rights of the administrator, such as privacy, home inviolability or the secrecy of their communications. From this perspective, we can affirm that, in a social and democratic State of law, the merited “Administrative Self-Management” is not an absolute power of the Administration, since there are limits and control mechanisms tending to guarantee the fundamental rights of the administered.La Administración pública, es una gran privilegiada tanto en el tráfico jurídico como en sus relaciones con los administrados, desde el mismo momento en que en el ejercicio de sus potestades administrativas, puede ejecutar sus propios actos. Sin embargo, esa “Autotutela Administrativa”, no es ilimitada, especialmente si la ejecución del acto administrativo en cuestión supone la afectación a derechos fundamentales del administrado, como es su intimidad, su inviolabilidad domiciliaria o el secreto de sus comunicaciones. Desde esta perspectiva, podemos afirmar que, en un Estado Social y Democrático de Derecho, la meritada “Autotutela Administrativa” no es un poder absoluto de la Administración, pues existen límites y mecanismos de control tendentes a garantizar los derechos fundamentales del administrado

Análisis de los factores que determinan la imagen de España como destino turístico en los países lejanos culturalmente

Partiendo de la importancia que tiene la imagen en el proceso de elección de un destino turístico, así como en su satisfacción y lealtad, resulta fundamental comprender cuáles son los factores que influyen en la formación de la misma. En este contexto, esta investigación trata de desarrollar y validar empíricamente un modelo que explique los principales factores que la condicionan. En este caso, enmarcados en países lejanos culturalmente, países con un alto potencial de convertirse en emisores de gran importancia a nivel mundial, y, sin embargo, con un alto grado de desconocimiento. Se prevén implicaciones empresariales relevantes. En cuanto a la comunicación de los destinos, y sobre la base de los resultados, los responsables del destino deberán emprender un conjunto de acciones dirigidas mejorar y adecuar la imagen y adaptarla a las motivaciones de los turistas de países lejanos culturalmente.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Detecting Successful Student Profiles At An Open University: The Case Of The UNED (Spain)

At present, one of the major issues and most interesting discussions within the European Higher Education Area is the rate of success in university-level study, and therefore the adaptation of todays university education system to societys requirements. Moreover, we have seen significant growth in distance education throughout recent decades, as this type of education takes on a stronger leadership role in countries that are experiencing severe economic crises. Because the National Distance Education University (UNED) is the most important distance university in Spain, and the Economics Degree program has been offered by the School of Economics and Business for the first time, we have attempted to find a correlation between variables which describe student characteristics (age, gender, employment status, manner of admission, and nationality) and success rates in order to determine the influence that these variables have and achieve a better understanding of student success rates

Effectiveness of an Eye-Cervical Re-Education Program in Chronic Neck Pain: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Objectives. Proprioceptive training is popularly applied as a therapeutic exercise method in physiotherapy. Its effects on pain and range of motion are only poorly evaluated. Therefore, this study assesses the effectiveness of proprioceptive training with an Eye-Cervical Re-education Program to decrease pain and increase the joint range in chronic neck pain patients. Material and Methods. Design. A randomized, no-blinded, controlled clinical trial. Setting. Physiotherapy consultation. Participants. 44 people were divided into two groups. Interventions. All patients were treated with a multimodal physiotherapy intervention. The experimental group was supplemented with an exercise program that included eye-cervical proprioception. Outcomes. The primary outcomes included pain pressure thresholds (upper trapezius, levator scapulae, and splenius capitis) and cervical range of motion. The secondary outcomes included pain measured by the Visual Analogical Scale and the McGillSpv Questionnaire. Results. The proprioception treatment was effective in reducing the pain pressure threshold in the right upper trapezius (p=0.001), left upper trapezius (p=0.014), right levator scapula (p=0.040), and left splenius capitis (p=0.021). The increase in the joint range was statistically significant (p<0.05) in favor of the Eye-Cervical Re-education Program for all movements assessed. Conclusions. The Eye-Cervical Re-education Program is effective at relieving pain pressure thresholds in the upper trapezius, right levator scapula, and left splenius capitis and especially effective for increasing the cervical range of motion. This trial is registered with (retrospective registration)

Rapid in vivo PGC-1 mRNA upregulation in brown adipose tissue of Wistar rats by a beta(3)-adrenergic agonist and lack of effect of leptin.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator-1 (PGC-1) is highly expressed in brown adipose tissue (BAT) and plays an important role in adaptive thermogenesis. The aim of this study was to assess the acute effect of a β3-adrenergic agonist (Trecadrine) and leptin on the expression of PGC-1 and PPARγ2 mRNA in BAT. Trecadrine produced a marked increase (4.5-fold) in PGC-1 mRNA compared to controls (P<0.001) without changes in PPARγ2 mRNA, whereas leptin administration did not alter either PGC-1 or PPARγ2 expression. These results show that selective stimulation of the β3-adrenoceptor rapidly upregulates the expression of PGC-1 in brown adipocytes without a concomitant increase in PPARγ2. Moreover, our results show that PGC-1 and PPARγ2 expression in BAT seems not to be acutely regulated by leptin

Pushing limits in higher education: inclusion services’ perspectives on supporting students with learning disabilities in Spanish universities

The unprecedented growth of universities in recent years has meant that there are more students with learning disabilities attending courses. Consequently, universities have had to adapt, improve and create new resources to ensure greater inclusivity. These resources, their design, and development are managed by inclusion support services, aiming to the full inclusion of students with disabilities and the promotion of community awareness. This article aims to shed light on the current role of inclusion services in supporting students with learning disabilities, and the link these services have with the different university stakeholders, using a thematic analysis from the experiences of this services staff in eight Spanish universities. The results show that: i) there is no uniformity in the support services; and ii) more resources and work are needed to ensure increased inclusion and awareness. The discussion and conclusions drawn highlight the trends, challenges, and opportunities for universities improving their inclusion.Postprint (author's final draft