Intermediaries as Quality Assessors in Markets with Asymmetric

. Intermediaries often arise in order to facilitate trade in markets characterized by asymmetric information. In this paper we study the intermediary role of tour operators in the market for package tourism. Policymakers have tried to address information asymmetries in this market by providing hotel ratings. We show that those ratings are not accurate indicators of quality and that tour operators play a vital role by pooling together information about different holiday destinations and providing their own ratings of accommodations. We also find that significant price variation exists across countries, and that some countries systematically under- or over-rate their hotels.intermediaries, middlemen, asymmetric information, tourism industry.

Zeolites fit for a crown:Studying organic-framework host-guest interactions through thermogravimetric techniques

Every year millions of tons of zeolites are produced, being used as molecular sieves, hydrocracking catalysts, gas-capture materials and for emerging novel applications. There is a demand to synthesise new zeolites with bespoke frameworks, which are tailor-made for a chosen application. To achieve these ‘designer zeolites’ it is crucial to fully understand the host-guest interactions between organic additives and zeolitic frameworks. Here we have studied four different zeolites, synthesised with the same organic additive, 18-crown-6 ether, which show observable differences in the host-guest interactions. We demonstrate that the framework geometry dominates the decomposition temperature, enthalpy and mechanism. The zeolites show unique decomposition features, emphasising experimental differences in how the organic additive and framework interact.</p

Influence of alkali metal cations on the formation of zeolites under hydrothermal conditions with no organic structure directing agents

Alkali metal cations play an important role in directing formation of zeolite frameworks in the absence of organic structure directing agents.</p

Prediabetes and the risk of type 2 diabetes: investigating the roles of depressive and anxiety symptoms in the Lifelines Cohort Study

Background Depression and anxiety may increase the risk of progressing from prediabetes to type 2 diabetes. The present study examined the interactions between prediabetes status and elevated depressive and anxiety symptoms with the risk of type 2 diabetes. Methods Participants (N=72,428) were adults aged 40 years and above without diabetes at baseline from the Lifelines Cohort Study (58% female; mean age=51.4 years). The Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview screened for elevated symptoms of major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. Glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels determined prediabetes status at baseline (2007-2013), and HbA1c and self-reported diabetes diagnoses determined diabetes status at follow-up (2014-2017). Groups were formed for elevated depressive and anxiety symptoms, respectively, and prediabetes status at baseline (elevated depressive/anxiety symptoms with prediabetes, elevated depressive/anxiety symptoms alone, and prediabetes alone), and compared to a reference group (no prediabetes or anxiety/depression) on the likelihood of developing diabetes during the follow-up period. Findings N=1,300 (1.8%) participants developed diabetes. While prediabetes alone was associated with incident diabetes (OR=5.94; 95% CI=5.10-6.90, p<.001), the group with combined prediabetes and depressive symptoms had the highest likelihood of developing diabetes over follow-up (OR=8.29; 95% CI=5.58-12.32, p<.001). Similar results were found for prediabetes and anxiety symptoms (OR=6.57; 95% CI=4.62-9.33, p<.001), compared to prediabetes alone (OR=6.09; 95% CI=5.23-7.11, p<.001), though with a smaller effect. The interaction between depressive symptoms and prediabetes was synergistic in age-and-sex adjusted analyses. Conclusion Individuals with elevated depressive, and to some extent anxiety, symptoms in combination with prediabetes may represent a high-risk subgroup for type 2 diabetes

Hot-pressed dowels in bonded-in rod timber connections

Bonded-in rod connections are becoming a more and more popular method in the constructionindustry for connecting timber. These connections are favored for their versatility. The most commonly used system is bonded-in steel rods, which are typically prone to brittle failures. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of hot-pressed wooden rods as an alternative to conventional steel bonded-in rod systems, which have better material harmonization and exclude the use of adhesives. The proposed connection was applied to the practical situation of a beam splice in flexure to determine its potential. The results showed that ductile failure mode occurred at high rotations at which peak loads were displayed. A theoretical model was developed and found to be accurate compared with the experimental results. This type of connection has good ductility, which suggests its application in domestic timber framing in regions of high seismicity would be practical

Systematic approaches towards template-free synthesis of EMT-type zeolites

Presently it is understood that 18-crown-6 ether is necessary as an organic template to synthesise pure and well crystalline EMT-type zeolites. This is problematic for optimisation of organic-free synthesis of zeolites. We report a new method to synthesise pure zeolite EMC-2 using a lower amount of 18-crown-6 ether than previously reported. At these low 18-crown-6 ether concentrations, FAU-type zeolites were not seen to co-crystallise. We observe that the crystallinity of the EMT-type zeolite is proportional to the amount of 18-crown-6 ether added in the synthesis. The as-synthesised zeolites were characterised using X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and solid state nuclear magnetic resonance. These findings are a crucial step towards understanding template roles and designing syntheses for zeolites without the use of toxic organic templates