Cyclical Effects of Bank Capital Buffers with Imperfect Credit Markets: international evidence

This paper analyzes the cyclical effects of bank capital buffers using an international sample of 2,361 banks from 92 countries over the 1990-2007 period. We find that capital buffers reduce the bank credit supply but – through what could be “monitoring or signaling effects” – have also an expansionary effect on economic activity by reducing lending and deposit rate spreads. This influence on lending and deposit rate spreads is more pronunced in developing countries and during downturns. The results suggest that capital buffers have a counter-cyclical effect in these countries. Our data do not suggest differences in the cyclical effects of capital buffers between Basel I and Basel II.

Selecting lifestyle entrepreneurship recovery strategies: a response to the COVID-19 pandemic

The devastating context of the Covid-19 pandemic has created a new reality in which tourism has practically come to a standstill, a situation that must be reversed. This study focuses on the revitalization of businesses run by lifestyle entrepreneurs, a very significant class, of pivotal importance in innovation in the tourism sector. Specifically, this study aims to identify the most relevant indicators to select the recovery strategies of these entrepreneurs. Using the Delphi method combined with the Q-sort technique, a ranking of the indicators was produced on the basis of input from a panel of 26 senior managers and academics. The top five indicators were: creativity and innovation, level of innovation, qualification, startups number, and turnover volume. Findings reveal that the priority is on innovation and the qualification of the entrepreneurs. Only afterward do the traditional indicators of competitiveness of tourist destinations emerge.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Morbilidad Asistida y morbilidad real por infecciones respiratorias agudas

ResumenEl presente trabajo aborda el estudio de la morbilidad por Infecciones Respiratorias Agudas (IRA) en áreas del municipio Lisa en Ciudad Habana, así como en localidades del municipio Isla de la Juventud (Cuba), con objeto de caracterizar algunos aspectos de la morbilidad por demanda de consultae identificar la morbilidad real. Alrededor del 90% de las consultas por IRA fueron por primera vez y en general la razón de éstas, respecto al seguimiento fue de 5,3. A través de la búsqueda activa de enfermos se obtuvieron las tasas de morbilidad real (TMR) entre valores de 110,4 y 163,4 casos por 1000 habitantes, que fueron muy superiores a las tasas de morbilidad por demanda de consulta (TMDC) en iguales periodos de tiempo. Resultado de la división de ambas tasas se obtuvo el«índice de morbilidad real» (IMR) cuyo cociente osciló entre 5 y 15, aproximadamente. Una alta proporción (47,6%) de enfermos refirieron no haber solicitado atención médica. Estos resultados permiten hacer estimaciones aproximadas del comportamiento real de las IRA en el universo de estudio y establecer bases para un nuevo programa de control, perfeccionando ademcis la vigilancia epidemiolóigica en la atención primaria de salud.SummaryThe present work presents the study of morbidity due to acute respiratory infections (ARI) in areas of the town of Lisa in Ciudad Habana, and Isla Juventud (Cuba), to caracterise different aspects of morbidity measured by health care attendance and to measure true morbidity. About 90% of consultations for ARI were first-time consultations, while their ratio to further consultations was 5.3. True morbidity rates (TMR), obtained trough active research, ranged from 110.4 to 163.4 cases per 1000 inhabitants, considerably higher than morbidity rates measured by primary care consultations (MRPCC) in the same time period. The true morbidity index (TMI), as measured by the ratio of the two previous rates, ranged from 5 to 15. Ahigh proportion (47.6%) of cases reported no medical careattendance. These results provide approximate estimates of true morbidity in the study area, and allow the establishment of a new control program, also improving epidemiologic surveillance within primary care activities

Transforming local knowledge into lifestyle entrepreneur’s innovativeness: exploring the linear and quadratic relationships

Tourism Lifestyle Entrepreneurs (TLEs) play an essential role in the innovation and competitiveness of tourist destinations. However, little attention has been paid to how these entrepreneurs manage local knowledge and turn it into innovation. This research examines how place attachment, community-centered strategy, and knowledge assimilation influence lifestyle entrepreneur’s innovativeness. A mixed methodology was applied with an online survey of 511 TLEs being conducted first, followed by a qualitative research where 24 additional TLEs were in depth-interviewed. Empirical evidence shows that, while place attachment and community-centered strategy have a positive linear relationship with lifestyle entrepreneur innovativeness, knowledge assimilation has a U-shaped relationship. Based on this U-shaped relationship, three types of TLEs were identified according to their capacity to transform assimilated knowledge into innovation, namely, opportunity seekers, professionals and laggards. The theoretical and practical implications are essential for the management of a tourism destination.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Developing sustainable business models: local knowledge acquisition and tourism lifestyle entrepreneurship

Tourism lifestyle entrepreneurs’ (TLEs) businesses are associated with sustainable business models (SBMs) due to a link to the place. This link is a source of essential local knowledge that provides differentiation, competitiveness, and sustainability. Given the importance of local knowledge to SBMs, this article explores knowledge management by examining how TLEs acquire and integrate knowledge as well as its effects on innovativeness and self-efficacy. We use a sequential mixed-methods approach in which we first conducted a qualitative study with four in-depth semi-structured interviews with TLEs, followed by a quantitative study through a survey of 115 TLEs, and third we conducted another qualitative study based on four semi-structured interviews. The results indicate that entrepreneurial communication has a significantly positive and direct effect on both the innovativeness and self-efficacy of TLEs. A community-centered strategy has a positive influence on innovativeness and self-efficacy but via the indirect effect of entrepreneurial communication. Local knowledge assimilation plays a mediating role between the acquisition of local knowledge and innovativeness and self-efficacy. These findings provide a general understanding and framework about how TLEs link the elements of an SBM to greater innovativeness and self-efficacy

Non-Invasive measurer for methane and carbone dioxide emissions in bovine cattle through TRIZ

Greenhouse gases (GHG), mainly methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2), can be generated in agricultural activities, not only in waste but also in the process of breathing of livestock. The Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ) is an innovative Russian methodology that allows finding the solution to a problem raised. This paper presents the use of two TRIZ tools to design a non-invasive prototype that detects CH4 and CO2 emitted by cattle in real time. The tools were the matrix of technical contradictions and the nine-screen analysis with which the parameter to be improved (A) was found and the best possible solution to design a prototype that allows quantifying gases for animal welfare, Final Ideal Result (IFR) a wireless module with a sensor system for each of the gases placed on the bovine head, which convert the detected gas into an electrical signal to be sent wirelessly to a range of 1.5 km in free space at a receiver for its visualization representing the parts per million (ppm) of CH4 and CO2 that the bovine is generating during the measurement

The relationships between functional and physicochemical soil parameters in metal(loid) mine tailings from Mediterranean semiarid areas support the value of spontaneous vegetation colonization for phytomanagement

Spontaneous growth of native vegetation in abandoned metal(loid) mine tailings can be valuable for phytomanagement restoration projects. This study aimed to assess the degree to which spontaneous plant colonization of abandoned metal(loid) mine tailings from Mediterranean semiarid areas led to functional soil improvement, and to identify, if possible, a critical level indicating that this functionality was moving towards that of the vegetated soils from the surroundings. Vegetation ecological indexes, plant life forms and species functional roles, together with physicochemical and functional soils parameters, were studied in metal(loid) mine tailings abandoned ~40 years ago and surrounding forests in SE Spain. Vegetation patches showed only small differences in physicochemical parameters related to soil abiotic stress conditions (pH, salinity and metals), regardless of the vegetation. However, vegetation patches with greater species diversity and richness and presence of plants with contrasted life forms and functional traits that facilitate the growth of less stress-tolerant species showed an increase of the soil microbial functionality (higher microbial biomass C, β-glucosidase activity, bacterial metabolic activity and functional diversity). Moreover, these vegetation patches showed a functional soil status comparable to that of the forests outside the mine tailings. In this sense, the present study showed the value of preserving these vegetation patches since they may act as nucleation spots favoring positive plant-soil feedbacks that may help to accelerate the functional recovery of these degraded areas. Furthermore, strategies to promote the creation of new vegetation patches including a variety of species with contrasted life forms and functional traits should be considered in phytomanagement restoration projects for abandoned metal(loid) mine tailings.The present study was supported by the project RESCLICONT (CGL2016-80981-R), funded by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities of Spain through FEDER funds; by the project METOXCLIM (PTDC/CTA-AMB/29557/2017), funded by FEDER, through COMPETE2020 - Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalização (POCI), and by national funds (OE), through FCT/MCTES. Thanks are due to FCT/MCTES for the financial support to CESAM (UIDP/50017/2020+UIDB/50017/2020), through national funds. A. Peñalver-Alcalá was hired by the project RESCLICONT and received a grant from the Technical University of Cartagena for a short stay at the University of Aveiro. S. Peixoto holds a PhD grant (SFRH/BD/117738/2016) from FCT. I. Silva received a research fellowship from the METOXCLIM project (BI/CESAM/0063/METOXCLIM/2018). A.R.R. Silva received a research fellowship from the METOXCLIM project (BI/CESAM/00060/METOXCLIM/2018). M.N. González-Alcaraz holds a Saavedra Fajardo research contract from the Séneca Foundation of the Murcia Region. The authors thank F.J. Jiménez-Cárceles from Biocyma S.L. for his valuable help with vegetation fieldwork