Decomposing competitive balance in the major European football leagues : a Rawlsian approach

The study of competitive balance in sports has received considerable attention in the academic literature, mainly as a consequence of the effect that it could have on the interest of society in the competitions analyzed. However, most of the studies have focused on the total competitive balance, without taking into account the methodological importance of decomposing it. This paper analyzes competitive balance in the Spanish, English, Italian and German football leagues between 1975 and 2016, and the internal dynamics behind the changes experienced. Our results show a considerable decrease in the total competitive balance in recent decades, although the dynamics behind the increases in inequality are different in the four leagues. Focusing on Rawlsian principles, our analysis shows that the Spanish competition is the only league in which the promoted teams do not have a higher probability of being relegated, and therefore, the competition in which incumbent teams suffer lower entry barriers and have higher chances of survival

Individual differences and health in chronic pain: are sex-differences relevant?

Background: Because psychological variables are known to intercorrelate, the goal of this investigation was to compare the unique association between several well-established psychological constructs in pain research and pain-related outcomes. Sex differences are considered because pain is experienced differently across sex groups. Methods: Participants were 456 consecutive chronic pain patients attending a tertiary pain clinic (mean age = 58.4 years, SD = 14.8, 63.6% women). The study design was cross-sectional. Psychological constructs included personality (NEO-Five Factor Inventory), irrational thinking (General Attitudes and Beliefs Scale), and coping (Social Problem Solving Inventory). Outcomes were pain severity and interference (Brief Pain Inventory) and physical, general, and mental health status (Short Form-36). To decide whether the bivariate analyses and the two-block, multivariate linear regressions for each study outcome (block 1 = age, sex, and pain severity; block 2 = psychological variables) should be conducted with the whole sample or split by sex, we first explored whether sex moderated the relationship between psychological variables and outcomes. An alpha level of 0.001 was set to reduce the risk of type I errors due to multiple comparisons. Results: The moderation analyses indicated no sex differences in the association between psychological variables and study outcomes (all interaction terms p > .05). Thus, further analyses were calculated with the whole sample. Specifically, the bivariate analyses revealed that psychological constructs were intercorrelated in the expected direction and mostly correlated with mental health and overall perceived health status. In the regressions, when controlling for age, sex, and pain severity, psychological factors as a block significantly increased the explained variance of physical functioning (ΔR2 = .037, p < .001), general health (ΔR2 = .138, p < .001), and mental health (ΔR2 = .362, p < .001). However, unique associations were only obtained for mental health and neuroticism (β = − 0.30, p < .001) and a negative problem orientation (β = − 0.26, p < .001). Conclusions: There is redundancy in the relationship between psychological variables and pain-related outcomes and the strength of this association is highest for mental health status. The association between psychological characteristics and health outcomes was comparable for men and women, which suggests that the same therapeutic targets could be selected in psychological interventions of pain patients irrespective of sex

“Validatio-autenticatio” y “expeditio-traditio” de la documentación inquisitorial: el sello y el correo del Santo Oficio español

Entre las fases ulteriores que conforman la “conscriptio” diplomática caben destacar, por una parte, la “validatio” y la “autenticatio” (referentes a la estampación de signos y suscripciones, con que se cerraba el texto documental, y a la aposición del sello), y, por otra, la “expeditio” y la “traditio” (concernientes a la remisión y entrega del original al destinatario). En el presente artículo, los autores abordan el estudio de estos elementos circunscribiéndose al ámbito inquisitorial, materia prácticamente inédita. De ahí que se analicen aspectos tales como el sello, los elementos validativos, el correo y el papel timbrado en relación con el Santo Oficio.Within those phases that constitute the diplomatic “conscription”, it's necessary to emphasize, firstly, the “validation” and the “autenticatio” (related to signs’ writing, that closes the document's text, and seal's apposition); and, secondly, the “expedition” and “tradition” (both concerning the original document´s sending and delivery to addressee), In this article, the authors deal with the study of these elements from the inquisitorial perspective (an almost unknown subject). They analyze topics such as the seal, validation methods, and the relationship between the Spanish Inquisition and mailing systems or sealed paper

Las visitas de navíos durante los siglos XVI y XVII: historia y documentación de una práctica inquisitorial

El Santo Oficio inspeccionaba sus propios distritos, tribunales y hacienda, pero también realizaba registros en barcos y librerías en busca de obras contrarias a la fe y perjudiciales para la moral. El presente estudio se centra en el análisis de las “visitas de navíos” en España durante el período austriaco, analizando tanto su origen, desarrollo histórico y actuación procedimental, como las repercusiones socio-culturales que supuso esta costumbre inquisitorial.The Spanish Inquisition inspected its own administrative districts, courts and finances, but also searched the ships and bookshops looking for heretical books or sheets, paintings, sculptures… This work analyzes the ships’ inspections, during the Habsburg period and tries to explain its origin, history, procedure and socio-cultural influence

Quenching of singlet oxygen by extract of peels of the fruit of syzygium cumini

Recent research has shown the importance of plant extracts as powerful antioxidants owing to the presence of chemically active components such as polyphenols, anthocyanins, flavonoids, among others. This synergy of the components becomes a possible alternative to the use of antioxidants of synthetic origin. In this study, Syzygium cumini fruit peel was used to determine the antioxidant activity against singlet oxygen. The extract showed appreciable amounts of phenolic groups (about 8.55 AGE mg/g fruit weight). HPLC-DAD characterization showed at least 3 anthocyanins of higher relative abundance (malvidin 3,5-diglucoside, delphinidin 3,5-diglucoside and petunidin 3,5-diglucoside). The percentage of quenching of singlet oxygen was determined at different concentrations of the ethanolic extract, finding a value of 60% at a concentration of 0.39 mg/mL.Recientes investigaciones demuestran la importancia de los extractos de origen vegetal como potentes antioxidantes, debido a la presencia de componentes químicamente activos, como los polifenoles, antocianinas, flavonoides, entre otros. Esta sinergia de los componentes se convierte en una posible alternativa frente al uso de antioxidantes de origen sintético. En este trabajo la cáscara de la fruta Syzygium cumini fue utilizada para determinar la actividad antioxidante frente al oxígeno singulete. El extracto mostró cantidades apreciables de grupos fenólicos (alrededor de 8,55 AGE mg/g peso fruta). La caracterización por HPLC-DAD muestra por lo menos 3 antocianinasde mayor abundancia relativa (la malvidina 3,5-diglucósido, la delfinidina 3,5- diglucósido y la petunidina 3,5-diglucósido). El porcentaje de desactivación del oxígeno singulete fue determinado a diferentes concentraciones del extracto etanólico, encontrándose un valor del 60% a una concentración 0.39 mg/mL

WHAT DRIVES SATISFACTION AND DISSATISFACTION OF HOTEL GUESTS? AN EXPLORATORY ANALYSIS BASED ON TRIPADVISOR

Understanding the drivers of hotel guest satisfaction and dissatisfaction is basic for hotel managers. In this research, we use a large database of more than 30,000 reviews that were posted on TripAdvisor to investigate this issue. We use Power BI to assign a sentiment score to each review and to extract the main phrases from them. This allows us to create two datasets of words and phrases (one derived from the reviews of satisfied guests and one derived from the reviews of dissatisfied guests) in order to compare them. In order to compare both datasets, we perform a quantitative analysis. We find that some of the concepts are mentioned almost equally by both types of guests (the staff, the room, the food options and the infrastructure of the hotel, mainly the pool area), while others appear more predominantly in one of the cases (e.g. the bathroom and prices are mentioned much more frequently by dissatisfied guests). These results allow us to draw some conclusions for hotel managers

Development of a control-oriented model to optimise fuel consumption and NOX emissions in a DI Diesel engine

This paper describes a predictive NOX and consumption model, which is oriented to control and optimisation of DI Diesel engines. The model applies the Response Surface Methodology following a two-step process: firstly, the relationship between engine inputs (intake charge conditions and injection settings) and some combustion parameters (peak pressure, indicated mean effective pressure and burn angles) is determined; secondly, engine outputs (NOX and consumption) are predicted from the combustion parameters using NOX and mechanical losses models. Splitting the model into two parts allows using either experimental or modelled combustion parameters, thus enhancing the model flexibility. If experimental in-cylinder pressure is used to obtain combustion parameters, the mean error of predicted NOX and consumption are 2% and 6% respectively, with a calculation time of 5.5 ms. Using modelled parameters reduces the calculation time to 1.5 ms, with a penalty in the accuracy. The model performs well in a multi-objective optimisation, reducing NOX and consumption in different amounts depending on the objective of the optimisation.The support of the Universitat Politecnica de Valencia (PAID-06-09) and Generalitat Valenciana (GV/2010/045) is greatly acknowledged.Molina, S.; Guardiola, C.; Martín Díaz, J.; Garcia Sarmiento, D. (2014). Development of a control-oriented model to optimise fuel consumption and NOX emissions in a DI Diesel engine. Applied Energy. 119:405-416. doi:10.1016/j.apenergy.2014.01.021S40541611

Cooperativa agrícola de pequeños productores en la reserva del Merendón, San Pedro Sula, Honduras

El siguiente trabajo consiste en formar y estructurar una cooperativa agrícola en una Zona de Reserva muy cercana a la segunda ciudad más grande de Honduras (San Pedro Sula). Debido a los precios tan bajos que reciben los agricultores por la venta de productos en la ciudad, todo ello provocado entre otros factores por la independencia entre productores y la poca fuerza que pueden ejercer en el mercado, se crea la necesidad de actuar en conjunto. Para ello se forma la cooperativa COME (Cooperativa del Merendón) solo a 30 km de San Pedro Sula. Para realizar el proyecto se hicieron grupos de trabajo entre agricultores, entrevistas, visitas a sus parcelas, visitas a otras cooperativas y reuniones en la municipalidad, compras en los mercados locales y entrevistas en cuatro supermercados de la ciudad. Se ha diseñado la estrategia de la cooperativa, incluida la marca y logotipo, la política de ventas y las necesidades de producción. El presupuesto es de cien mil euros y el volumen de negocio de algo más de 125.000 euros anuales. Además de conseguir trabajo para las 32 familias involucradas se generaría empleo para 18 personas

The Role of Risk Attitudes in Probabilistic Environments

In this work we asked if risk attitudes influence the way agents learn in a probabilistic environment. For that purpose, 31 male students played a version of a well-known game called the multi-armed bandit (with four levers/buttons). We found that after controlling for cognitive abilities (i.e. Raven’s test), risk seekers in gains preferred to explore in this environment, rather than exploit options, even if one of them was clearly more rewarding. We briefly discuss the reasons and some implications for financial decision theories, in particular, for Bayesian and behavioral proposals

Fortalecimiento de la capacidad fiscal de los países en desarrollo y apoyo a la lucha internacional contra la evasión fiscal

Making progress on development means mobilising the financial resources developing countries already have in a fuller way. That involves, firstly, improving taxation systems and strengthening the fiscal administrations of those countries; and secondly, generating a more transparent and cooperative international environment, which facilitates countries’ tax collection and pursues fraud, illicit cash transferrals and capital evasion. The present document analices those aspects, suggesting different methods of reform that could be supported by more active international cooperation.Avanzar en el proceso de desarrollo exige movilizar de forma más plena los recursos financieros propios de los países en desarrollo. Ello comporta, en primer lugar, mejorar los sistemas fiscales y fortalecer las administraciones tributarias de estos países; y , en segundo lugar, generar un entorno internacional más transparente y cooperativo, que facilite la recaudación de los países y persiga el fraude, los flujos financieros ilícitos y la evasión de capitales. El presente documento realiza un análisis de estos aspectos, sugiriendo diversas medidas de reforma que podrían ser apoyadas desde un marco más activo de cooperación internacional.Tax System, Tax Administration, International Cooperation, Tax Evasion, Tax Havens, Sistema Fiscal, Administración Tributaria, Cooperación Internacional, Evasión Fiscal, Paraísos Fiscales.