Energy in Generic Higher Curvature Gravity Theories

We define and compute the energy of higher curvature gravity theories in arbitrary dimensions. Generically, these theories admit constant curvature vacua (even in the absence of an explicit cosmological constant), and asymptotically constant curvature solutions with non-trivial energy properties. For concreteness, we study quadratic curvature models in detail. Among them, the one whose action is the square of the traceless Ricci tensor always has zero energy, unlike conformal (Weyl) gravity. We also study the string-inspired Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet model and show that both its flat and Anti-de-Sitter vacua are stable.Comment: 18 pages, typos corrected, one footnote added, to appear in Phys. Rev.

On the fate of singularities and horizons in higher derivative gravity

We study static spherically symmetric solutions of high derivative gravity theories, with 4, 6, 8 and even 10 derivatives. Except for isolated points in the space of theories with more than 4 derivatives, only solutions that are nonsingular near the origin are found. But these solutions cannot smooth out the Schwarzschild singularity without the appearance of a second horizon. This conundrum, and the possibility of singularities at finite r, leads us to study numerical solutions of theories truncated at four derivatives. Rather than two horizons we are led to the suggestion that the original horizon is replaced by a rapid nonsingular transition from weak to strong gravity. We also consider this possibility for the de Sitter horizon.Comment: 15 pages, 3 figures, improvements and references added, to appear in PR

Extended Gravity Theories and the Einstein-Hilbert Action

I discuss the relation between arbitrarily high-order theories of gravity and scalar-tensor gravity at the level of the field equations and the action. I show that $(2n+4)$-order gravity is dynamically equivalent to Brans-Dicke gravity with an interaction potential for the Brans-Dicke field and $n$ further scalar fields. This scalar-tensor action is then conformally equivalent to the Einstein-Hilbert action with $n+1$ scalar fields. This clarifies the nature and extent of the conformal equivalence between extended gravity theories and general relativity with many scalar fields.Comment: 12 pages, Plain Latex, SUSSEX-AST-93/7-

Global distributions of age- and sex-related arterial stiffness: systematic review and meta-analysis of 167 studies with 509,743 participants

Background: Arterial stiffening is central to the vascular ageing process and a powerful predictor and cause of diverse vascular pathologies and mortality. We investigated age and sex trajectories, regional differences, and global reference values of arterial stiffness as assessed by pulse wave velocity (PWV). Methods: Measurements of brachial-ankle or carotid-femoral PWV (baPWV or cfPWV) in generally healthy participants published in three electronic databases between database inception and August 24th, 2020 were included, either as individual participant-level or summary data received from collaborators (n = 248,196) or by extraction from published reports (n = 274,629). Quality was appraised using the Joanna Briggs Instrument. Variation in PWV was estimated using mixed-effects meta-regression and Generalized Additive Models for Location, Scale, and Shape. Findings: The search yielded 8920 studies, and 167 studies with 509,743 participants from 34 countries were included. PWV depended on age, sex, and country. Global age-standardised means were 12.5 m/s (95% confidence interval: 12.1-12.8 m/s) for baPWV and 7.45 m/s (95% CI: 7.11-7.79 m/s) for cfPWV. Males had higher global levels than females of 0.77 m/s for baPWV (95% CI: 0.75-0.78 m/s) and 0.35 m/s for cfPWV (95% CI: 0.33-0.37 m/s), but sex differences in baPWV diminished with advancing age. Compared to Europe, baPWV was substantially higher in the Asian region (+1.83 m/s, P = 0.0014), whereas cfPWV was higher in the African region (+0.41 m/s, P < 0.0001) and differed more by country (highest in Poland, Russia, Iceland, France, and China; lowest in Spain, Belgium, Canada, Finland, and Argentina). High vs. other country income was associated with lower baPWV (-0.55 m/s, P = 0.048) and cfPWV (-0.41 m/s, P < 0.0001). Interpretation: China and other Asian countries featured high PWV, which by known associations with central blood pressure and pulse pressure may partly explain higher Asian risk for intracerebral haemorrhage and small vessel stroke. Reference values provided may facilitate use of PWV as a marker of vascular ageing, for prediction of vascular risk and death, and for designing future therapeutic interventions. Funding: This study was supported by the excellence initiative VASCage funded by the Austrian Research Promotion Agency, by the National Science Foundation of China, and the Science and Technology Planning Project of Hunan Province. Detailed funding information is provided as part of the Acknowledgments after the main text

A model of collaborative innovation between local government and tourism operators

[EN] This research proposes a framework for collaborative innovation in a public private partnership by applying techniques that combine quantitative data collection and qualitative depth. It proposes a collaborative model that looks to provide competitive advantage by improving tourist services from two perspectives: from the core of public administration, and from the private tourist sector perspective.Pons Morera, C.; Canós Darós, L.; Gil Pechuán, I. (2017). A model of collaborative innovation between local government and tourism operators. SERVICE BUSINESS. AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL. 1-26. doi:10.1007/s11628-017-0341-xS126Anderberg MR (1973) Cluster analysis for applications. Academic Press, New YorkAugustyn K (2000) Performance of tourism partnerships: a focus on York. Tour Manag 2:341–351Aziri B, Nedelea A (2013) Business strategies in tourism. Ecoforum 2(1):9Baglieri D, Consoli R (2009) Collaborative innovation in tourism: managing virtual communities. TQM J 21(4):353–364Barbero MI (2009) Métodos de elaboración de escalas. UNED, MadridBeaumont N, Dredge D (2010) Local tourism governance: a comparison of three network approaches. J Sustain Tourism 18(1):7–28Beritelli P, Bieger T, Laesser C (2007) Destination governance: Using corporate governance theories as a foundation for effective destination management. J Travel Res 46:96–107Bigné JE, Aldás J, Küster I, Vila N (2002) Estableciendo los determinantes de la fidelidad del cliente: Un estudio basado en técnicas cualitativas. Investigación y Mark 77:58–62Bruntland GH (1987) Our common future. http://www.un-documents.net/our-common-future.pdf . Consulted in 2016Buch EB, Cabaleiro R (2011) Hacia la determinación de la condición financiera de la administración publica local. Aplicación a los municipios de la comunidad autónoma de Galicia. Academia, Revista latinoamericana de administración, No. 47, pp. 43–60Burke JG, O’Campo P, Peak GL, Gielen AC, McDonnell KA, Trochim WM (2005) An introduction to concept mapping as a participatory public health research method. Qual Health Res 15(10):1392–1410Bustelo C, García-Morales E (2008) Administración electrónica y gestión documental. Consideraciones a la luz de la ley para el acceso electrónico de los ciudadanos a los servicios públicos. El profesional de la información. Enero-febrero 17(1):106–111Caffyn A, Jobbins G (2003) Governance capacity and stakeholder interactions in the development and management of coastal tourism: examples from Morocco and Tunisia. J Sustain Tourism 11(2):224–245Carlisle S, Kunc M, Jones E, Tiffin S (2013) Supporting innovation for tourism development through multi-stakeholder approaches: experiences from Africa. Tour Manag 35:59–69Clavero J, Codina M, Pérez A, Serrat-Brustenga M (2009) Estudio de caso de servicio de préstamo de libros electrónicos. El profesional de la información. Marzo-abril 18(2):237–241Czernek K (2013) Determinants of cooperation in a tourist region. Ann Tourism Res 40:83–104Dinica V (2009) Governance for sustainable tourism: a comparison of international and dutch visions. Journal of Sustainable Tourism. 17(5):583–603Dredge D, Whitford M (2011) Event tourism governance and the public sphere. J Sustain Tourism 19(4-5):479–499European Directive 2006/7/EC. Bathing Water. http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2006:064:0037:0051:EN:PDF . Consulted in 2016Everitt B (1980) Cluster analysis. New York, NY, Halsted Press, a Division of John Wiley and SonsFernández O (1991) El análisis de Cluster: Aplicación, interpretación y validación. Papers 37:65–76Foundation for Environmental Quality of the European Union. http://www.blueflag.org/menu/awarded-sites/2014/northern-hemisphere/spain-2/List/Beaches . Consulted in 2016Freeman RE, McVea J (1984) A stakeholder approach to strategic management. Pitman, BostonGil-Lafuente AM, Kyun-Oh Y (2012) Incidencia de las inversiones de la administración pública sobre el desarrollo turístico de una ciudad. Revista Venezolana de Gestión Pública. Enero-Diciembre 3(3):81–109Gil-Pechuán I, Conesa-García M, Navarro-García A (2014) Concept mapping to improve higher education. Innovation and Teaching Technologies. ISBN: 978-3-319-04824-6. pp. 61–73Granovetter M (1985) Economic action and social structure: the problem of embeddedness. Am J Sociol 91(3):481Greenwood J (1993) Business interest groups in tourism governance. Tourism Manag 14:335–348Gulati R (1995) Social structure and alliance formation patterns: a longitudinal analysis. Adm Sci Q 40:619–653Henao-Betancur PA, Echeverri-Farley OM, Zartha-Sossa JW (2013) Metodología web para la formulación e implementación de estrategias de innovación en empresas. Rev Gestión de las Personas y Tecnol 16:6Hodge GA, Greve C (2017) On public-private partnership performance: a contemporary review. Public Works Manag Policy 22(1):55–78Hultman J, Hall CM (2012) Tourism place-Making governance of locality in Sweden. Ann Tourism Res 39(2):547–570Khattri N, Miles MB (1994) Cognitive mapping: a review and working guide. Center Policy Res, SparkhillKlodiana G, Dorina K, Engjellushe Z (2012) The role of local government in sustainable development. AUDOE. 8(2):139–155León JA, Zapico F (2003) Usos prácticos sobre la política electrónica en los servicios públicos: el caso de Extremadura. El profesional de la información. Mayo-junio 12(3):232–236Marinao E, Chasco C (2012) Trust in tourist destinations. the role of local inhabitants and institutions. Academia, Revista latinoamericana de administración 51:27–47Marzo-Roselló R, Peris-Pérez P, Ferris-Oñate, Sánchez-Lacuesta J, Matínez-Gómez L, Olaso-Melis J, Garcés-Pérez L, Primo-Capella VJ (2013) La experiencia turística en la ciudad de Valencia. Rev de Biomec 59:63–66Menon S, Manoj E (2014) Public private partnerships in tourism- a case study of Kerala Travel Mart. Afr J Hosp Tour Leisure 3(2):1–7Miranda-Gumucio L, Gil-Pechuán I, Palacios-Marqués D (2013) An exploratory study of the determinants of switching and loyalty in prepaid cell phone users. An application of concept mapping. Serv Bus 7(4):603–622Miret-Pastor L, Segarra-Oña MV (2011) Estudio del clúster turístico de Benidorm a través de indicadores de aglomeración y especialización. Renovación de destinos turísticos consolidados, pp 69–86Miret-Pastor L, Segarra-Oña MV, Hervás-Oliver JL (2009) Un análisis sobre la concentración espacial en el turismo valenciano. Congreso de la Asociación Española de Ciencia Regional. XXXV Reunión de estudios regionales, ValenciaMoscardo G (2011) Exploring social representations of tourism planning: issues for governance. J Sustain Tour 19(4-5):423–436Muñoz-Cañavate A, Chaín Navarro C (2004) La administración local española en internet: estudio cuantitativo de la evolución de los sistemas de información web de los ayuntamientos (1997–2002). Ciencias de la Inf 35(1):43–55Nabitz U, Severens P, Brink WVD, Jansen P (2007) Improving the EFQM model: an empirical study on model development and theory building using concept mapping. Total Qual Manag 12(1):69–81National and Integral Tourism Plan (2012–2015) http://www.minetur.gob.es/turismo/es-ES/PNIT/Documents/Plan%20Nacional%20e%20Integral%20de%20Turismo%20(PNIT)%202012-2015.pdf . Consulted in 2016Nicholson J, Orr K (2016) Local government partnership working: a space odyssey. Or, journeys through the dilemmas of public and private sector boundary-spanning actors. Policy Politics 44(2):269–287Nordin S, Svensson B (2007) Innovative destination governance: the Swedish ski resort of Åre. Entrepr Innov 8(1):53–66Nunkoo R (2015) Tourism development and trust in local government. Tour Manag 46:623–634Pechlaner H, Tschurtschenthaler P (2003) Tourism policy, tourism organisations and change management in Alpine regions and destinations: a european perspective. Curr Issues Tour 6(6):508–539Pfeffer J, Salancik G (1978) The external control of organizations: a resource-dependence perspective. Harper and Row, New YorkPorter ME (1990) The competitive advantage of nations. Harv Bus Rev 68(2):73–93Prahalad CK, Hamel G (1990) The core competence of the corporation. Harv Bus Rev 68(3):79–91Queiroz F, Rastrollo-Horrillo MA (2015) State of art in tourist destination governance. Tour Manag Stud 11(2):47–55. doi: 10.18089/tms.2015.11206Rodríguez MP, López AM, Ortiz D (2010) Implementing the balanced scorecard in public sector agencies: An experience in municipal sport services. Acad Rev latinoam de adm 45:116–139Rooter report (2010) La innovación en servicios en España. www.rooter.es . Consulted in 2016Rosas SR (2005) Concept mapping as a technique for program theory development: an illustration using family support programs. Am J Eval 26(3):389–401Rosas SR, Camphausen LC (2007) The use of concept mapping for scale development and validation in evaluation. Eval Progr Plann 30:125–135Santos M, Ferreira AM, Costa C (2014) Influential factors in the competitiveness of mature tourism destinations. Tour Manag Stud 10(1):73–81Selin S, Chavez D (1994) Characteristics of successful tourism partnerships: a multiple case study design. J Park Recreat Adm 12(2):51–61Selin S, Chavez D (1995) Developing an evolutionary tourism partnership model. Ann Tour Res 22(4):844–856Simpson B (1994) How do women scientists perceive their own career development? Int J Career Manag 6(1):19–27Soler-López MC (2013) Calidad y Rendimiento de Sitios Web de e-Government. Aplicación a la Administración Local. Doctoral thesis. Murcia UniversitySpanish Tourism Plan Horizon (2020) pp. 24 and 43. http://static.hosteltur.com/web/uploads/2011/10/Plan_de_Turismo_Espaol_Horizonte_2020.pdf . Consulted in 2016Toral SL, Barrero F, Martínez MR, Gallardo S, Cortés FJ (2006) Determinación de las variables de diseño en el desarrollo de una herramienta de e-learning. Pixel-Bit, Rev de medios y edu 27:99–113Torres L, Pina V (2001) Public–private partnership and private finance initiatives in the EU and Spanish local governments. Eur Account Rev 10:601–619Trochim WMK (1989) An introduction to concept mapping for planning and evaluation. Eval Progr Plann 12(1):1–16Trochim WMK, Linton R (1986) Conceptualization for planning and evaluation. Eval Progr Plann 9(4):289–308United Nations World Tourism Organization (2005) Making tourism more sustainable. A guide for policy makers, UNEP and UNWTO, pp 11–12. http://sdt.unwto.org/content/about-us-5United Nations World Tourism Organization (2015) UNWTO tourism highlights, p 6. http://www.e-unwto.org/doi/pdf/10.18111/9789284416899Velasco GM (2007) Gestión de destinos: ¿Gobernabilidad del turismo o gobernanza del destino?. Ministerio de educación y ciencia de España. Plan nacional de I + D + I (2004–2007)Wang Y (2008) Collaborative destination marketing: understanding the dynamic process. J Travel Res 47(2):151–166Wang Y, Fesenmaier RD (2007) Collaborative destination marketing: a case study of Elkhart county, Indiana. Tour Manag 28:863–875Wang C, Honggang X (2014) The role of local government and the private sector in China’s tourism industry. Tour Manag 45:95–105Williamson OE (1975) Markets and hierarchies: analysis and antitrust implications. The Free Press, New YorkWood DJ, Gray B (1991) Towards a comprehensive theory of collaboration. J Appl Behav Sci 27:139–162World Travel & Tourism Council (2016) Economic Impact 2016 Spain, p 3. http://www.wttc.org/-/media/files/reports/economic%20impact%20research/countries%202016/spain2016.pdf . Consulted in 2016Zapata MJ, Hall CM (2012) Public–private collaboration in the tourist sector: balancing legitimacy and effectiveness in local tourism partnerships. The Spanish case. J Policy Res Tour Leisure Events 4(1):61–8

‘Kamikaze’ heritage tourism in Japan: A pathway to peace and understanding?

Reflecting the wider belief that international tourism offers the opportunity to encourage peace and understanding amongst peoples and nations, one objective of Japan’s recent tourism development policy is the enhancement of mutual understanding and the promotion of international peace. The purpose of this paper is to consider the extent to which this objective is achievable, particularly in the context of continuing controversy surrounding the country’s confrontation of its twentieth century military heritage in general and its role in the Pacific War in particular. Based on research at two ‘difficult’ heritage sites, Chiran Peace Museum in Kagoshima Prefecture and Yūshūkan War Museum in Tokyo, it explores specifically how the kamikaze phenomenon is commemorated and interpreted for international visitors, in so doing revealing a significant degree of dissonance at both sites. Not only is a selective narrative of heroic sacrifice presented within a wider revisionist history of the Pacific War but also no attempt is made to acknowledge the prevailing cultural context that might underpin a more nuanced understanding of the kamikaze. Hence, the paper concludes that a meaningful opportunity to enhance international understanding has been missed

Diminishing benefits of urban living for children and adolescents’ growth and development

Optimal growth and development in childhood and adolescence is crucial for lifelong health and well-being1–6. Here we used data from 2,325 population-based studies, with measurements of height and weight from 71 million participants, to report the height and body-mass index (BMI) of children and adolescents aged 5–19 years on the basis of rural and urban place of residence in 200 countries and territories from 1990 to 2020. In 1990, children and adolescents residing in cities were taller than their rural counterparts in all but a few high-income countries. By 2020, the urban height advantage became smaller in most countries, and in many high-income western countries it reversed into a small urban-based disadvantage. The exception was for boys in most countries in sub-Saharan Africa and in some countries in Oceania, south Asia and the region of central Asia, Middle East and north Africa. In these countries, successive cohorts of boys from rural places either did not gain height or possibly became shorter, and hence fell further behind their urban peers. The difference between the age-standardized mean BMI of children in urban and rural areas was <1.1 kg m–2 in the vast majority of countries. Within this small range, BMI increased slightly more in cities than in rural areas, except in south Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and some countries in central and eastern Europe. Our results show that in much of the world, the growth and developmental advantages of living in cities have diminished in the twenty-first century, whereas in much of sub-Saharan Africa they have amplified

Global variation in diabetes diagnosis and prevalence based on fasting glucose and hemoglobin A1c

Fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) are both used to diagnose diabetes, but these measurements can identify different people as having diabetes. We used data from 117 population-based studies and quantified, in different world regions, the prevalence of diagnosed diabetes, and whether those who were previously undiagnosed and detected as having diabetes in survey screening, had elevated FPG, HbA1c or both. We developed prediction equations for estimating the probability that a person without previously diagnosed diabetes, and at a specific level of FPG, had elevated HbA1c, and vice versa. The age-standardized proportion of diabetes that was previously undiagnosed and detected in survey screening ranged from 30% in the high-income western region to 66% in south Asia. Among those with screen-detected diabetes with either test, the age-standardized proportion who had elevated levels of both FPG and HbA1c was 29-39% across regions; the remainder had discordant elevation of FPG or HbA1c. In most low- and middle-income regions, isolated elevated HbA1c was more common than isolated elevated FPG. In these regions, the use of FPG alone may delay diabetes diagnosis and underestimate diabetes prevalence. Our prediction equations help allocate finite resources for measuring HbA1c to reduce the global shortfall in diabetes diagnosis and surveillance