The cooperation and contamination between mathematicians, statisticians and econometricians working in actuarial sciences and finance is improving the research on these topics and producing numerous meaningful scientific results. This volume presents new ideas, in the form of four- to six-page papers, presented at the International Conference eMAF2020 - Mathematical and Statistical Methods for Actuarial Sciences and Finance. Due to the now sadly famous COVID-19 pandemic, the conference was held remotely through the Zoom platform offered by the Department of Economics of the Ca' Foscari University of Venice on September 18, 22 and 25, 2020. eMAF2020 is the ninth edition of an international biennial series of scientific meetings, started in 2004 at the initiative of the Department of Economics and Statistics of the University of Salerno. The effectiveness of this idea has been proven by wide participation in all editions, which have been held in Salerno (2004, 2006, 2010 and 2014), Venice (2008, 2012 and 2020), Paris (2016) and Madrid (2018). This book covers a wide variety of subjects: artificial intelligence and machine learning in finance and insurance, behavioral finance, credit risk methods and models, dynamic optimization in finance, financial data analytics, forecasting dynamics of actuarial and financial phenomena, foreign exchange markets, insurance models, interest rate models, longevity risk, models and methods for financial time series analysis, multivariate techniques for financial markets analysis, pension systems, portfolio selection and management, real-world finance, risk analysis and management, trading systems, and others. This volume is a valuable resource for academics, PhD students, practitioners, professionals and researchers. Moreover, it is also of interest to other readers with quantitative background knowledge.

'I will never forget what the Nazi did to me. Never' 1940, Nazi-occupied Paris. A powerful story of love, tragedy and incredible courage, about one woman whose life is ripped apart by war and risks everything to seek justice. Brand new from the bestselling author of The Resistance Girl. As Nazis patrol the streets of the French capital, Tiena is alone, desperate and on the run. After defending herself against the force of an officer, she must find a new identity in order to survive. An accidental meeting with members of the Resistance gives her a lifeline, as she is offered the chance to reinvent herself as perfumer Angeline De Cadieux. However Angeline will never forget what happened to her, and will do everything she can to seek revenge. But vengeance can be a dangerous game, and Angeline can only hide her true identity for so long before her past catches up with her, with some devastating consequences... Paris, 2003. When the opportunity arises for aspiring journalist Emma Keane to interview world renowned perfumer Madame De Cadieux about her life during World War Two, she is determined to take it. There are secrets from her own family history that she hopes Angeline may be able to help unlock. But nothing can prepare Emma for Angeline's story, and one thing is for certain - it will change her own life forever... An absolutely heartbreaking, unforgettable historical novel of war, sacrifice and survival. Perfect for fans of Suzanne Goldring, Ella Carey and Catherine Hokin.

Bill Gates' quote, "Banking is necessary, but banks are not," showcases the opportunity for financial services digital transformation. The next transition from industry 4.0 to 5.0 will impact all sectors, including banking. It will combine information technology and automation, based on artificial intelligence, person-robot collaboration, and sustainability. It is time to analyze this transformation in banking deeply, so that the sector can adequately change to the 'New Normal' and a wholly modified banking model can be properly embedded in the business. This book presents a conceptual model of banking 5.0, detailing its implementation in processes, platforms, people, and partnerships of financial services organizations companies. The last part of the book is then dedicated to future developments. Of interest to academics, researchers, and professionals in banking, financial technology, and financial services, this book also includes business cases in financial services.

Despite all the medical and media attention focused on the rate of overweight and obesity in the African American population, African American images and body types are greatly influencing changes in the fashion, fitness, advertising, television and movie industries. This is because overweight, like beauty, can be in the eye of the beholder. Most research studies investigating attitudes about body image and body type among African Americans have shown they are more satisfied with their bodies than are their white counterparts and that there appears to be a wider range of acceptable body shapes and weights, and a more flexible standard of attractiveness, among black Americans as compared to whites. That fact is not being lost on leaders of industries that might profit from understanding this wider range of beauty, as well as playing to it. In this book, medical anthropologist Eric Bailey introduces and explains the self-acceptance and body image satisfaction of African Americans, and traces how that has spurred changes in industry. His book fills the void of scientific evidence to enhance the understanding of African Americans' perceptions related to body image and beauty-and is the first to document these issues from the perspective of an African American male. Despite all the medical and media attention focused on the rate of overweight and obesity in the African American population, African American images and body types are greatly influencing changes in the fashion, fitness, advertising, television, and movie industries. This is because overweight, like beauty, can be in the eye of the beholder. Most research studies investigating attitudes about body image and body type among African Americans have shown they are more satisfied with their bodies than are their white counterparts. Most black women, for example, are of course concerned with how they look, but do not judge themselves in terms of their weight and do not believe they are valued mostly on the basis of their bodies. Black teen girls most often say being thick and curvaceous with large hips and ample thighs is seen as the most desirable body shape. Thus, there appears to be a wider range of acceptable body shapes and weights, and a more flexible standard of attractiveness, among black Americans as compared to whites. That fact is not lost on leaders of industries that might profit from understanding this wider range of beauty, as well as playing to it. Voluptuous supermodel Tyra Banks is just one African American who's broken the mold in that industry. The effects have been seen right down to department and local clothes stores, where lines of larger and plus-size fashions are expanding, becoming more colorful and more ornate. In the fitness industry, health gurus Madonna Grimes and Billy Blanks have been revolutionizing how people get fit and how fitness needs to be redeveloped for the African American population. Advertising has taken a similar turn, not the least manifestation of which were the major campaigns Dove and Nike ran in 2005 with plus-sized actresses (who continue to appear in promotions for both companies). In movies and on television shows, the African American beautiful body image has followed suit. In this book, medical anthropologist Eric Bailey introduces and explains the self-acceptance and body image satisfaction of African Americans, and traces how that has spurred changes in industry. His book fills the void of scientific evidence to enhance the understanding of African Americans' perceptions related to body image and beauty-and is the first to document these issues from the perspective of an African American male.

This text provides critical information to help organizations improve their emergency communications, including the tools, automation technology, and processes of crisis notification. To grasp the importance of emergency notification, imagine this scenario: A shooter is on the loose at a college campus. Chaos reigns. To contain the situation, campus personnel need to communicate immediately and efficiently, not only with the students, faculty, and staff, but also the local police, federal law enforcement, and media. Effective emergency notification makes things "right," it allows the right message to reach the right people at the right time—facilitating the right response. Emergency Notification explains how. This book offers must-know information for business security, senior management, human resources staff, government policymakers, and emergency planners, examining what, when, how, why, and with whom to communicate during crises. This text also covers risk communication, message mapping, information loading, audience comprehension, and practical issues like testing emergency notification systems.

Tourism is one of the most rapidly evolving industries of the twenty-first century. The economy of many countries all over the world depends on their ability to attract visitors and maintain a distinct edge in a highly competitive market. International Tourism and Hospitality in the Digital Age brings together the best practices for growth, development, and strategic management within the tourism and hospitality industries. Highlighting comparative research that explores the cross-cultural contexts and societal implications of tourism, this book is an essential resource for professionals, researchers, academics, and students interested in a contemporary approach to promoting, managing, and maximizing profitability of leisure and recreation services.

This book provides an overview of the historical financial reforms and regulatory changes in China, highlighting the background to and causes of changes in the income structure of China's banks. It also investigates ongoing concerns with regard to banking diversification in China, and its consequences, amid the global trend of banks' shift to non-traditional businesses. Focusing on three critical aspects of bank-income diversification, namely the effects on profitability, risk level, and efficiency, it employs the concept of systemically important banks, which describes the scale and degree of influence a bank has in global and domestic financial markets. More importantly, rather than replicating techniques employed in the research on developed markets, it applies several improved methodologies to address bank diversification in the specific context created by China's unique institutional background and data characteristics, such as GMM-type threshold models and stochastic frontier analysis with the within maximum likelihood estimation. Shedding new light on the current status of income diversification in the Chinese banking sector, this book is a valuable resource for readers in fields such as banking and financial stability. It will also help banking professionals and financial regulatory authorities to better understand the reform of China's financial industry and the future direction of banking.

This book gathers the proceedings of the 7th International Conference, with the theme "Culture and Tourism in a Smart, Globalized and Sustainable World," held on Hydra Island, Greece, on June 17-19, 2020, published with the support of the International Association of Cultural and Digital Tourism. Highlighting the contributions made by numerous writers to the advancement of tourism research, this book presents a critical academic discourse on sustainable practices in the smart tourism context, improving readers' understanding of, and stimulating future debates in, this critical area. In addition to the knowledge economy and the concept of smart destinations, the book addresses new modes of tourism management and development, as well as emerging technologies, including location-based services, the Internet of things, smart cities, mobile services, gamification, digital collections and the virtual visitor, social media, social networking, and augmented reality.

Database technology can be used for various ends, ranging from promotion of democracy to strengthening of nationalism to shoring up authoritarian regimes through misinformation. Its use affects every layer of society: from individuals to households to local governments, and is a consuming issue in the United States Governments stance on privacy, security, and technology.

The Hilton brand is arguably one of the most successful and iconic brands in the hospitality industry in all time. The Story of Hilton Hotels: 'Little Americas' provides both an informative historical analysis of the development of the company, as well an engaging narrative about Conrad Hilton himself, illustrating how he fulfilled the typical American dream of rising from rags to riches and constructing a multinational hotel empire. The Story of Hilton Hotels: 'Little Americas' also engages with the wider historical contexts of politics and culture. It analyses some of the key shifts in the area of hotel management including standardisation, asset-light models and delivering the customer experience. Using original data and the first hand academic research the author can use this iconic hotel brand as a lens through which to analyse some of the key theoretical concepts and practices that are used in the industry today. A vital resource for all students (both postgraduate and undergraduate) on hospitality, marketing, business history and business management courses as well as executive courses delivered to hospitality professionals.

Covering a wide range of current issues, this comprehensive Handbook explores the links between tourism as a dynamic tertiary industry and China as the world's most influential tourism market and destination. From China outbound tourism, Chinese outbound tourists and the growth of smart tourism to the development of sectors such as the hotel market, theme parks and cruise tourism, contributors provide the latest indigenous knowledge otherwise unavailable to the global tourism research community. This essential reference allows readers to develop a fine-grained understanding of the current state of the art of research on tourism and China, all the more crucial given the fast speed of China's development and transformation and innovative industry practices in tourism. Vital reading for academics and researchers in need of the latest knowledge on Chinese tourism, this distinctive Handbook also offers a wealth of insight for students studying Chinese tourism, business and hospitality management. Industry practitioners in business management and marketing will also benefit from its insights into a flourishing international market. Contributors include: J. Bao, M.J. Bauman, P. Benckendorff, G. Brown, S. Cai, G. Chen, M. Cheng, J. Fountain, H. Gao, H. Gu, Q. Gu, M. Huang, S. Huang, Y. Jiang, B. Li, M. Li, X. Li, Z. Liang, X. Luo, Z. Mai, Y. Qin, Y. Rao, B.W. Ritchie, M.M. Su, J. Sun, X. Sun, J. Wang, B. Weiler, J. Wen, H.A. Williams, Y. Yang, J. Yin, J. Yuan, B. Zhai, S. Zhao, D. Zheng, L. Zhong, Y. Zhu, Y. Zou, B. Zuo

Tourism is frequently seen as a way of creating new employment opportunities in those regions which have suffered from severe de-industrialization and major cutbacks in manufacturing industry.This important book - based on new and original research - examines the economic impact, measured in employment terms, of the North of England Open Air Museum at Beamish. The authors provide a detailed assessment of the direct, indirect and induced employment generated by the museum. The assessment of the museum's employment impact is placed firmly within the context of its historical development and of the region's tourism activity. Tourism, Museums and the Local Economy focuses on one particular museum, but the methodology and much of the discussion are widely applicable to the evaluation of other tourist attractions. The policy implications of the study are fully assessed by the authors who also make use of a series of international comparisons. The book will be of interest to economists, geographers and all those who have an interest in tourism, the arts and museums, and regional development. It will be an invaluable asset to planners and policymakers at both central and local government level.

This book provides a management perspective on the full historical, contemporary, and geographic landscape of hospitality and tourism (H&T) in Africa. In so doing, it critically assesses and challenges the applicability of Western theories within the African context and draws attention to the insights offered by African management concepts. A variety of key topics are examined, including, for example, H&T management practices and management innovation in Africa, the drivers of and variation in uptake of Western management practices, policies and strategies to promote the development of H&T organizations, the influence of management practices on the competitiveness of African countries as tourism destinations, and areas for improvement of H&T organizations in Africa in the digital age. The approach is multidisciplinary. Both local and global perspectives are presented by authors from Africa, Europe, North America, and Asia, with inclusion of intra- and inter-country comparisons. This book will be essential reading for scholars, students, businesses, and policy makers with an interest in H&T in Africa.

As the hospitality industry continues to grow, managers and educators are faced with the task of preparing future hospitality professionals for a rewarding but challenging career. Due to the impact of an ever-changing economy on the industry as a whole, the education of hotel managers and professionals has become an increasingly important area of study. Educational Strategies for the Next Generation Leaders in Hotel Management combines practical experience with the effective pedagogical approaches being implemented in higher learning institutions and hospitality programs internationally. Highlighting key issues surrounding the current and future scope of hotel management and the skills and knowledge necessary for career success in the hospitality industry, this publication is an essential reference source for hospitality managers, educators, and students interested in the future of the industry and the best practices for hospitality education. This publication features timely, research-based chapters and analysis relevant to topics in the hospitality industry including, but not limited to, craft-based learning, e-learning, higher education, hospitality management, human resources, opening delays, professional development, six sigma, women in global leadership, and work integrated learning.