Conjoint Analysis of Tourist Choice of Hotel Attributes Presented in Travel Agent Brochures

The purposes of this study are to demonstrate how it is possible to determinewhich attributes are the most important in the final choices of tourists who use a travel agent brochure as a source of information and how these attributes influence perceived value in a pre-purchase stage.We conduct the study in three phases: (i) a qualitative study, (ii) an experiment using choice-based conjoint analysis by means of a fractional factorial experimental design and (iii) another experiment using a full factorial derived from the same design. Results suggest advertisement size, a hotel's starred rating and price influence perceived value at this stage. The presence of a positive combined effect of price and advertising was found. Implications and directions for future applications are offered,focusing particularly on marketing services

When do tourists really enjoy authentic and exotic food experiences? Product adaptation and tourists’ attitudes

Gastronomy is an essential component of the travel experience.The current paper analyses the extent to which the perceived authenticity in the local food, the degree of adaptation and the cultural contrast determine tourist memorable experiences. Moreover, it proposes the moderating effect of searching for authenticity and adaptation ability. Results from a sample of international tourists in Segovia who tasted a typical dish “cochinillo” (roasted suckling pig) support the positive effect of authenticity and cultural contrast in the perceived experience, whereas the product adaptation reduces the perception of authenticity and cultural contrast. Authenticity has a greater effect on the experience perception when the tourists search for it and individuals are less influenced by the cultural contrast when they are unable to adapt themselves to different cultures.La gastronomía es un componente esencial de la experiencia de los viajeros. El presente trabajo analiza el efecto de la autenticidad percibida y del contraste cultural en la experiencia gastronómica de los turistas. Además, se propone el efecto moderador de la búsqueda de autenticidad y la capacidad de adaptación del turista en dicha relación. Los resultados obtenidos con una muestra de turistas internacionales que han probado la gastronomía típica (cochinillo) de una ciudad con un claro posicionamiento gastronómico-cultural (Segovia) apoya el efecto positivo de la autenticidad y el contraste cultural sobre la experiencia percibida mientras que la adaptación del producto reduce la autenticidad y el contraste cultural. Además, se prueba que la autenticidad posee un efecto mayor sobre la experiencia percibida cuando los turistas realmente la buscan mientras que los individuos con mayor capacidad de adaptación son menos sensibles al contraste cultural de la experiencia

Conjoint Analysis of Tourist Choice of Hotel Attributes Presented in Travel Agent Brochures

The purposes of this study are to demonstrate how it is possible to determine which attributes are the most important in the final choices of tourists who use a travel agent brochure as a source of information and how these attributes influence perceived value in a pre-purchase stage.We conduct the study in three phases: (i) a qualitative study, (ii) an experiment using choice-based conjoint analysis by means of a fractional factorial experimental design and (iii) another experiment using a full factorial derived from the same design. Results suggest advertisement size, a hotel’s starred rating and price influence perceived value at this stage. The presence of a positive combined effect of price and advertising was found. Implications and directions for future applications are offered, focusing particularly on marketing services.Postprint (published version

Nueva Propuesta de Identidad Corporativa para la empresa Panadería Ángeles

Universidad de Sevilla. Grado en Publicidad y Relaciones Pública

Experience Value or Satiety? The Effects of the Amount and Variety of Tourists’ Activities on Perceived Experience

Producción CientíficaIn recent years, destinations have moved from designing products to focusing on creating experiences that engage and involve the tourist. This study explores the role played by the value of tourist experience and of satiety as mediators between experience intensity and variety as well as future visitor behaviour. Although the intensity and variety of the experience leads tourists to feel their experience has been richer and to appraising it positively, it might also bring unwanted consequences such as a feeling of saturation. The empirical study reveals that the extensiveness of the experience improves the perceived experience value, whereas intensiveness reduces the value and causes satiety in the tourist. Moreover, while the experience value reinforces the intention to return, the intention to recommend and the intensification of the experience, the feeling of satiety, on the other hand, reduces the intention to return and even the intention to recommend the destination.Junta de Castilla y León (proyecto VA112P17)Junta de Castilla y León (proyecto VA085G18)Ministerio de Economía, Industria y competitividad (proyecto ECO 2017-85528-P

Real-Time Selective Harmonic Mitigation Technique for Power Converters Based on the Exchange Market Algorithm

Hand-in-hand with the smart-grid paradigm development, power converters used in high-power applications are facing important challenges related to efficiency and power quality. To overcome these issues, the pre-programmed Pulse-Width Modulation (PWM) methods have been extensively applied to reduce the harmonic distortion with very low power switching losses for high-power converters. Among the pre-programmed PWM techniques, Selective Harmonic Elimination (SHE) has been the prevailing solution, but recently, Selective Harmonic Mitigation (SHM) stands as a superior alternative to provide further control of the harmonic spectrum with similar losses. However, the large computational burden required by the SHM method to find a solution confines it as an off-line application, where the switching set valid solutions are pre-computed and stored in a memory. In this paper, for the first time, a real-time implementation of SHM using an off-the-shelf mid-range microcontroller is presented and tested. The Exchange Market Algorithm (EMA), initially focused on optimizing financial transactions, is considered and executed to achieve the SHM targets. The performance of the EMA-based SHM is presented showing experimental results considering a reduced number of switching angles applied to a specific three-level converter, but the method can be extrapolated to any other three-level converter topology.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación de España TEC2016-78430-RJunta de Andalucía P18-RT-1340Fondo Nacional de Investigación de Qatar NPRP 9-310-2-13

Twenty Tips for High-School Students Engaging in Research with Scientists

Ten high-school students from Catalunya and two neuroscientists from the Netherlandsstarted a research collaboration in 2012 investigating how colors may influence learningabilities. This research question was defined and developed solely by the students, withresearchers joining the project later through the guidance of a facilitator and a teacher. Thisrather radical approach to “citizen-science” involved research collaborations on citizen-generatedquestions and was extremely rewarding for both parties involved. It providedskills, empowered participants, and enhanced the social relevance of science while allowinginteractions that might have never happened otherwise. But the process was alsochallenging,which motivated the team of 10 students to propose “Twenty Tips” for otherstudents interested in embarking on a similar journey. In the spirit of all research within thisproject, this article was a collaborative effort between the participants and thus departsstructurally from other scientific articles

Beneficial effect of systemic allogeneic adipose derived mesenchymal cells on the clinical, inflammatory and immunologic status of a patient with recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa: A case report

Recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB) is an incurable inherited mucocutaneous fragility disorder characterized by recurrent blisters, erosions, and wounds. Continuous blistering triggers overlapping cycles of never-ending healing and scarring commonly evolving to chronic systemic inflammation and fibrosis. The systemic treatment with allogeneic mesenchymal cells (MSC) from bone marrow has previously shown benefits in RDEB. MSC from adipose tissue (ADMSC) are easier to isolate. This is the first report on the use of systemic allogeneic ADMSC, correlating the clinical, inflammatory, and immunologic outcomes in RDEB indicating long-lasting benefits. We present the case of an RDEB patient harboring heterozygous biallelic COL7A1 gene mutations and with a diminished expression of C7. The patient presented with long-lasting refractory and painful oral ulcers distressing her quality of life. Histamine receptor antagonists, opioid analgesics, proton-pump inhibitors, and low-dose tricyclic antidepressants barely improved gastric symptoms, pain, and pruritus. Concomitantly, allogeneic ADMSC were provided as three separate intravenous injections of 106 cells/kg every 21 days. ADMSC treatment was well-tolerated. Improvements in wound healing, itch, pain and quality of life were observed, maximally at 6-9 months post-treatment, with the relief of symptoms still noticeable for up to 2 years. Remarkably, significant modifications in PBL participating in both the innate and adaptive responses, alongside regulation of levels of profibrotic factors, MCP-1/CCL2 and TGF-beta, correlated with the health improvement. This treatment might represent an alternative for non-responding patients to conventional management. It seems critical to elucidate the paracrine modulation of the immune system by MSC for their rational use in regenerative/immunoregulatory therapies.This study was supported by a donation from Berritxuak-Elkartea (2015/00397/002), a collaborative rare disease association and, from La Paz University Hospital as well as by grants from the Community of Madrid (AvanCell-CM S2017/BMD-3692) and the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (SAF2017-86810-R). The UCMteamis supported by grants from the Spanish Institute of Health Carlos III (RD16/0011/0002) and the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (RTI2018-093899-B-I00). MJE is recipient of a contract funded by DEBRA-Spain

Alterations in Circulating Monocytes Predict COVID-19 Severity and Include Chromatin Modifications Still Detectable Six Months after Recovery

This study was supported by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (COVID-19 research call COV20/00181)—co-financed by the European Development Regional Fund “A way to achieve Europe” and by Consejería de Sanidad de la Comunidad de Madrid (CÍVICO study 2020/0082). R.L.G. and O.C.M. hold a research contract “Rio Hortega” (CM19/00120 and CM19/00092, respectively) from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation. MCL holds a predoctoral fellowship (FPU19/06393) from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation.An early analysis of circulating monocytes may be critical for predicting COVID-19 course and its sequelae. In 131 untreated, acute COVID-19 patients at emergency room arrival, monocytes showed decreased surface molecule expression, including low HLA-DR, in association with an inflammatory cytokine status and limited anti-SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell response. Most of these alterations had normalized in post-COVID-19 patients 6 months after discharge. Acute COVID-19 monocytes transcriptome showed upregulation of anti-inflammatory tissue repair genes such as BCL6, AREG and IL-10 and increased accessibility of chromatin. Some of these transcriptomic and epigenetic features still remained in post-COVID-19 monocytes. Importantly, a poorer expression of surface molecules and low IRF1 gene transcription in circulating monocytes at admission defined a COVID-19 patient group with impaired SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell response and increased risk of requiring intensive care or dying. An early analysis of monocytes may be useful for COVID-19 patient stratification and for designing innate immunity-focused therapies.Depto. de MedicinaFac. de MedicinaTRUEUnión EuropeaMinisterio de Ciencia e Innovación (España)Comunidad de MadridInstituto de Salud Carlos IIIpu

Geominero Museum: past, present and… the future?

[EN] The Geominero Museum is a public museum that currently depends on the IGME - CSIC National Centre. A valuable geological heritage made up of more than 100,000 specimens of fossils, minerals and rocks is kept by the Museum, whose origin dates back to the second half of the 19th century. Its objectives are to conserve, disseminate and research the richness and diversity of the palaeontological, mineralogical and petrological heritage from all Spanish regions, as well as from former Spanish colonies and some representative sites of the geological record of the world. From the 1990s until 2021, the Museum has worked in three areas: research, curation-restoration and education-dissemination. A vocational and consolidated staff has achieved to position the Museo Geominero among the national and international distinguished geological museums. However, as of Royal Decree 202/2021, 30th March, the Museum missed one of its main roles: research. The reduction in Geominero Museum staff, therefore the capacities to take on museum objectives are also reduced (see the definition of a Museum by International Council of Museums, ICOM), the current weakness of the synergies previously created between researchers, curators and disseminators and a lack of expertise staff on educational and dissemination activities, have led the Museum to become a mere exhibition space for exhibiting specimens. It does not seem a very promising future for a Museum that has been a main window to the world for such an emblematic, prestigious and a long and fruitful history institution as the Spanish Geological and Mining Institute (IGME).Peer reviewe