Substrate coherency-driven octahedral rotations in perovskite oxide films

We perform first-principles density functional calculations to explore the role of substrate proximity effects on the octahedral rotation patterns in perovskite oxide superlattices. With cubic perovskite SrFeO$_3$ as our model film and tetragonal SrTiO$_3$ as the substrate, we show that in most cases the substrate octahedral rotation patterns propagate into the film across the heterointerface. We also identify elastic boundary conditions for which the enforced structural coherence induces atomic displacement patterns that are not found in the bulk phase diagram of either individual constituent. We suggest that such substrate coherency-induced octahedral texturing of thin film oxides is a promising approach for tuning the electronic structure of functional oxide thin films.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Leaving home and housing prices. The experience of Italian youth emancipation

This paper provides an explanation for the postponement of youth emancipation in the Italian context mainly characterized by a sharp increase in both house and rent prices together with stagnant disposable income over the past decade. We first assemble a unique database related to the housing and rental market which is then matched with household characteristics. We find that the probability of leaving home decreases by about half percentage point and one percentage point for males and females, respectively, for a one-standard-deviation change in house prices. Together with property prices, local labour markets play a prominent role in determining decisions by unemployed youths to postpone the transition. The youngest cohort was mainly affected by the real estate market evolution that occurred in the last decade.coresidence, moving out, real estate market, discrete time duration model.

Leaving home and housing prices. The experience of Italian youth emancipation

This paper provides an explanation for the postponement of the youth emancipa- tion in the Italian context mainly characterized by a sharp increase in both house and rent prices together with a stagnant disposable income over the last decade. We first assemble a unique database related to the housing and rental market value which is then matched with household characteristics. We find a significant effect of the real estate market: the probability of moving out decreases by about 0.45% and 1.18% for males and females respectively for a one-standard-deviation increase in house prices. Together with property prices, local labour markets play a prominent role in determin- ing unemployed youth decisions to postpone the transition. The youngest cohort was mainly affected by the real estate market evolution occurred in the last decadecoresidence, moving out, real estate market, discrete time duration model

Retail sector concentration and price dynamics in the euro area: a regional analysis

We conduct a regional analysis of the relationship between market concentration and price dynamics in the grocery retail sector, focusing on a sample of five categories of goods belonging to the 12 COICOP aggregation and on a panel of countries that includes Germany, Spain, Finland, Italy, Austria and Portugal. Using a unique census-type dataset on retailers, we construct Herfindahl-Hirschman indices of concentration at the buying group, parent company and individual shop level for a sample of 118,540 large grocery stores and we study the association between these measures and regional price changes. Our results point to a positive association between retail market concentration and price growth in food and beverages, alcohol and tobacco and miscellaneous goods in the time span 2003-2010 at the buying, parental group and store level for the pooled sample of countries. The relation reverses sign for clothing and footwear and household equipment. This evidence is robust to different specifications of concentration indices.Market concentration, price dynamics, buying group, parent company, regional Herfindahl-Hirschman indices.