Friday the 13th: The Empirics of Bad Luck

We use the UK Labor Force survey to investigate whether the socio-economic outcomes of people born on the 13th day of the month, and of those born on Friday the 13th, differ from the outcomes of people born on more auspicious days. In many European countries, including the UK, number 13 is considered unlucky and Friday the 13th is seen as an especially unlucky day. We find little evidence that people born on the 13th or those born on Friday the 13th are significantly less likely to be employed, earn lower wages or that they are more likely to stay unmarried compared to people born on other days

Arenitic deposits of Mesones Unity (Lower Cambrian) in the Eastern Iberian Chain Petrographical analysis and material provenance

[Resumen] El Cámbrico inferior de la Unidad de Mesones, de características esencialmente detríticas, reúne unas especiales condiciones para su estudio petrográfico. A través de él se puede concluir que la Fm. Bámbola tiene una composici6n promedio de grauwacas cuárclcas, depositadas en un medio poco profundo de elevada energía; los depósitos de que la Fm. Embid, con una composici6n grauwáquico feldespática, corresponden a un medio de depósito más distal; por último, los materiales de la Fm. Jal6n, con depósitos detríticos de composición grauwáquico feldespática que alternan con niveles estromatolíticos de dolomías férricas, representan el depósito en un medio más somero pero de reducida energía. La secuencia diagenética de transformación de los depósitos primarios sigue una pauta similar en las tres formaciones: una cementaci6n temprana de cuarzo sintaxial asociada a formación de películas arcillosas y ferruginosas, se prosigue con una cementaci6n posterior de carbonatos, cementos silíceos y rellenos de matriz. Los procesos diagenéticos tardíos comprenden fenómenos de recristalización y autigénesis de micas (cloritas en los tramos superiores), autigénesis de piritas (especialmente en las Formaciones Embid yJalón) y fenómenos de silicificación, generalmente asociados a fenómenos tectónicos. Muy puntualmente se aprecian autigénesis de feldespatos y turmalinas. La aplicaci6n del análisis modal de componentes primarios, según las ideas de DICKINSON (1985), permite clasificar el área fuente de estos materiales como de cratón estable, correspondiente a una plataforma pasiva con oscilaciones eustáticas[Abstract] Lower Cambrian materials of Mesones Unity, mainly of detrital characters, show suitable conditions for its petrographical analysis. This study indicates that Bambola Formation presents average composition of quartzitic graywackes, related to shallow, high-energy environment; Embid Formation materials, constituted by detrital deposits of feldespatic-graywakic composition alternating with stromatolitic ferroan-dolomitic levels, are related to shallow, low-energy environment. Diagenetic transformations of primary deposits show similar trends in the three formations. Early sintaxial quartz overgrowths, associated to pelicular argillitic- ferruginous cements, are followed by carbonatic, silicic, cementation processes and matrix infilling. Later diagenetic stages are represented by recristallization, mica (of chloritic type in the upper sections) or pyrite authigenesis (mainly in Embid and jalón Formations) and silicification phenomena (related to tectonic activity). Feldspar and tourmaline authigenesis are locally observed. Primary components modal analysis following DICKINSON (1985) concepts, allow to classify the source area of these materials as belonging to a stable craton zone constituted by a passive platform with eustatic oscillations

El metamorfismo de bajo grado en el Paleozoico del sector central de la Cordillera Ibérica

Se describe el metamorfismo de bajo grado en sus aspectos paragenéticos, intensidad y condiciones de las rocas paleozoicas del sector central de la Cordillera Ibérica

Analysis of the production of ethylene in 2,4-D resistant and sensitive biotypes of "Papaver rhoeas L."

Hasta el momento no se ha realizado ningún estudio en España a fin de indagar en los mecanismos de resistencia de “Papaver Rhoeas” al 2,4-D. En otros trabajos se ha demostrado como la producción de etileno está involucrada en la respuesta resistente de ciertas malas hierbas a auxinas sintéticas. En el presente estudio se ha observado que las plantas sensibles de amapola producen más etileno que las resistentes después de la aplicación de 2,4-D. Estos resultados podrían ayudar a comprender de mejor manera como ciertos biotipos son capaces de resistir a este producto.So far there has been none study in Spain to investigate the 2,4-D resistance mechanism of Papaver rhoeas. Other studies have shown how ethylene production is involved in the response of certain resistant weeds when they are sprayed with synthetic auxins. In the present study it was observed that sensitive corn poppy plants produce more ethylene than resistant one after 2,4-D application. These findings could help to understanding how certain biotypes are able to resist this product

An analysis of country medal shares in individual sports at the Olympics

Research question: Several studies report modelling relating countries’ medal shares at the Olympics to population and per capita income (host status and political system are typically included as controls). This paper uses a similar model but disaggregates to the level of the individual sport to ask questions such as whether some sports have a less steep relationship with income levels than others and whether hosting effects are more pronounced in some sports than others. Research methods: Employing a random effects tobit model, data on medal shares are modelled across 15 sports at six editions of the Games (1992–2012). Marginal effects, calculated for the case of cycling, illustrate how far many poor countries are from reasonable expectation of achieving medals. Results and findings: Income is influential on outcomes in all sports, its effects most pronounced in sports with substantial requirements for specific capital equipment; the distribution of medals is less unequal in sports practised in multi-sports venues. Gains from hosting vary in magnitude, performance tending to be elevated most in sports with outcomes strongly influenced by judges. Implications: For poorer countries, the paper identifies a small group of sports on which it would be most realistic to focus resources. For Games organisers, who must decide which sports to include, it provides information relevant to the goal of spreading success more evenly across countries. For example, proposals to exclude wrestling are shown to have been potentially harmful to medal prospects of poorer countries

The effects of travelling reasons on social media resources and tourist expectations

Esta investigación tiene como objetivo examinar la relación de las fuentes del contenido generado por el usuario (UGC) en las redes sociales, que proviene generalmente de fuentes de lazos fuertes y fuentes de lazos débiles, en la generación de expectativas turísticas sobre los recursos básicos y los recursos o factores de apoyo de los destinos. También se analiza el efecto moderador de las razones para viajar en la relación de las fuentes UGC y las expectativas turísticas. Para esta investigación, se recogieron 375 encuestas. Los resultados señalan que las razones o motivos del viaje son un factor importante a considerar en la generación de las expectativas turísticas, y en nuestro caso, el UGC que provenía de las fuentes de lazos débiles influyen de manera significativa en la generación de expectativas del turista cuando viaja por motivos de trabajo.This research aims to examine the relationship of user generated content (UGC) sources in social media which is provided by strong-tie sources and weak-tie sources on tourist expectations on core resources and factor supporting of the destinations, and also analyze the moderate effect of the reasons of travelling on the relationship of UGC sources and tourist expectations. 375 samples were collected. The results demonstrate that travelling reasons is an important factor to consider about the origin of tourist expectations. The UGC that was provided by weak-tie source has influence on tourist expectations when they travel with business reason

Desertification

IPCC SPECIAL REPORT ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND LAND (SRCCL) Chapter 3: Climate Change and Land: An IPCC special report on climate change, desertification, land degradation, sustainable land management, food security, and greenhouse gas fluxes in terrestrial ecosystem