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This paper presents the examination of a values–beliefs–norms (VBN) model, modified by climate change risk perception, in France, Germany, and Spain, to investigate consumers' intentions to purchase personal and house care products that are going to contain innovative ingredients made from recycled CO2. Electronic interviews were undertaken by a research agency on stratified (gender and age) samples in each country. Solely biospheric values indicated a statistically significant and positive causal relationship with risk perception. Risk perception provided the strongest of all impacts on awareness of consequences. Awareness of consequences affected the ascription of responsibility, and ascription of responsibility affected personal norms, which in turn generated consumption intentions. VBN was found powerful in explaining 58%, 60.2%, and 43.3% of the variance in intentions to buy CPGs with green chemical ingredients in French, German, and Spanish consumers, respectively. Moderation analysis indicated that the relationship between personal norms and consumption intentions is stronger in France and Germany than in Spain. Theoretical and practical implications are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has indicated how diverse books contribute to a more culturally responsive pedagogy, allowing children to identify themselves in the stories they read and gain an appreciation for others whose lives are different from theirs. Moreover, a sensitive discussion of and critical responses to diverse picturebooks is found to positively influence a child's social and emotional learning competecies, apart from increasing a child's cultural knowledge and serving as a catalyst for social justice. This paper is meant to broaden early childhood educators' repertoire of picturebooks that can be used in the classroom to also include international titles (translated into English from their original languages) and multicultural titles to facilitate affective engagement with these narratives and introduce social and emotional learning skills (self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship management and responsible decision-making). This paper provides a list of diverse books (from the Netherlands, Japan, Lithuania, Spain, Germany, France, Argentina – among others) for students in early childhood (from preschool to third grade) thematically organized across the five social and emotional learning competencies. Strategies such as book-bonding and literacy bags for family engagement will be shared while using the framework of culturally responsive teaching in an early childhood setting. Recommendations for how family members can be more involved are included, along with critical literacy strategies that include conversations, multiple perspectives and the sharing of authentic experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of religious signs in schools, as in other areas of the public sphere, is a current topic, given that legislative changes are constantly taking place. In countries as close as Germany, France, England and Spain, the legislation governing the wearing of the Islamic veil differs considerably due to their different historical, cultural, social, economic and idiosyncratic contexts. Leaving aside the ethnocentric perspective, in this paper a comparative study of the situation was carried out in these four countries. The main results include a negative attitude towards the wearing of the Islamic veil in France as opposed to a more tolerant position in England and Spain. In the case of Germany, there is a greater diversity of positions due to the characteristic autonomy of each federal state. Given the different types of veils, the reasons for wearing them, the traditions of each society and regional idiosyncrasies, it is considered that, a priori, there should not be a fight against its use, although it is recommended to adopt a belligerent stance against its imposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is little doubt that supply-side populism associates with radical platforms of the left and the right. However, few empirical analyses have focused on the connection between left-right ideological radicalism and populism at the individual level, even less in countries where populist discourses are not only associated with the radical right. This paper considers the association between populist attitudes and ideological radicalism in two countries where left-wing populist parties exist: France and Spain. For that, it uses an approach to political ideology that distinguishes political-economic issues and political-cultural ones. Main results show that radically minded individuals, located at the left and the right of the ideological axis, display stronger populist attitudes in France and Spain. However, differences between the two countries exist that highlight the relevance of context-dependent associations between populism and other (thick) ideologies in the electoral arena. In France, individuals located at the extreme right of the cultural dimension tend to show stronger populist attitudes than those located at the far left. In contrast, in Spain, individuals located at the extreme left of the economic and cultural dimensions display stronger populist attitudes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, several countries declared “states of exception,” that is, authorized legal devices that, in the face of circumstances deemed catastrophic, permit the implementation of extraordinary measures and the temporary suspension of some rights in order to restore the previous state of affairs as soon as possible. This paper offers a comparative textual analysis of the different states of exception declared in the USA, France, and Spain. I argue that these texts constitute a privileged site to explore how prevalent global political logics and mainstream discourses on illness are interwoven. Regarding the global political logics in play, I hold that these declarations constitute an instantiation of democracy’s autoimmune character; it attacks itself in order to protect itself. Regarding mainstream discourses on illness, I explore how illness is regarded as a threat to one’s self (by something seemingly other) and the notion that therapy must consist of securing the self’s triumph over anything seemingly other. This twofold analysis reveals that an aporetic dialectic between self and other—as regards politics and illness—operates in these declarations, most likely because it is, in fact, one and the same dialectic, upon which Western epistemology rests. Furthermore, I suggest that these texts reflect and promote these dominant logics, contributing to shape human relationships around the globe in a certain dangerous way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meat is an important element in human nutrition, and its consumption is expected to increase in the coming years in parallel with population growth. However, the livestock sector faces problems related to climate change, animal protection and welfare, and various epizootics, which have decimated livestock. In this context, the article analyses pig, cattle and sheep herds, as well as the production of pig, beef and sheep meat resulting from slaughterhouses in the EU, focusing on the main animal breeders and meat producers, for the period 2018-2022. The results of the study show that the number of pigs, cattle and sheep in the EU decreased during the period under review, as well as the total production of slaughtered meat. The most important pig breeders were Spain, Germany and France, for cattle - France, Germany and Ireland, and for sheep - Spain, Romania and Greece. Among the meat-producing countries stood out: for pork - Spain, Germany and France; for beef - France, Germany and Italy and for sheep meat - Spain, France and Ireland. At the same time, the article presents the perspectives of meat consumption, in the context of the pressures to which the livestock sector is subject and the changes that are manifested in the food preferences of European consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foreign assistance was decisive in the formation of the teams in charge of nuclear science, technology and industry in Spain. France played a key role from the end of World War Two, assisting Spanish expertise in all stages of the uranium cycle, from mining to disposal. In this paper, after examining the configuration of the French nuclear complex and the start of French-Spanish cooperation, we will focus on the training of Spanish nuclear personnel, in both the scientific-technical and the industrial side. We will try to prove the importance of France in the whole Western nuclear assistance, and also that, though France was unable to supplant the United States, it was able to grab significant projects and influence in Spain. In the end, nuclear learning proved to be a cumulative and mutual (not symmetrical) process, which far exceeded the temporal, geographical and sectorial limits initially marked out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The paper has a focus on energy consumption habits and trends using statistical methods. • Occupants' behavior is monitored using smart metering system and awareness surveys. • The impact of a serious game on occupant's behavior is evaluated. The paper has a focus on energy consumption habits, trends and intervention strategies in residential buildings, mainly through the serious game approach with a combination of direct consumer feedback through smart metering. More than 150 homes in France and Spain have been involved in the research experiment and the consumption habits of approximately 50 homes were deeply analyzed. The applied methods, processes, results and findings of the monitoring data analysis are presented in the paper with two aims. First, consumption profiles and trends were determined for apartment homes with regard to heating, domestic hot water and electric consumption. Second, the impact of a serious game experiment was assessed comparing energy consumption, indoor air temperature and users' habits (based on questionnaires) before and after launching the experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The three European countries included in the northwest littoral of the Mediterranean region – Italy, France and Spain – reported their first cases of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus early in 2020. The subsequent epidemic strongly impacted these countries, challenging the healthcare systems efficiency, and the capacity and transparency of their public statistics structures. Because public statistics were not fully adapted to such a new health situation, the available official data could not wholly describe the epidemic correctly. This paper developed an indicator derived from the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 aiming to describe the time and spatial dynamics of the epidemic. Although the analysis was not applied to France due to the lack of data available, the comparative analysis among Spain and Italy highlighted some similarities and certain divergences, partially attributable to the features of each country‘s national demographic patterns and the peculiarities of applied health protocols. Finally, mortality during the first wave of the epidemic has been analysed for the three countries, demonstrating higher mortality index in Spain, although the reported number of SARS-CoV-2 declared deaths does not explain a portion of this mortality excess. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite their increasing political importance and role in frame construction and application, issue framing research has paid very little attention to domain experts – those who hold comprehensive knowledge in a specific field. This paper draws upon concepts from environmental psychology to examine how agroecology training centers in Belgium, France, and Spain construct and apply agroecology issue frames based on specific environmental values. I develop the argument that by highlighting a "community frame" based on the value of environmental altruism, domain experts can act as potentially powerful conduits through which informal institutions can develop and spread in the transition to agroecology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of a 'biographical turn' in scholarship, theorizations of comics as scholarship and a recent publishing boom of biographical comics in Europe, this paper argues for the 'biocomic'—beyond being a pervasive object of study—as a knowledge-making modality capable of critically contributing to myriad fields of scholarship. This is achieved through a case study of the biographical construction of Salvador Dalí focusing on two comics from France and Spain: Dalí por Baudoin (Edmond Baudoin, 2012) and El juego lúgubre (Paco Roca, 2012). I position these comics within the so-called 'Dalí renaissance' taking place within Spanish Cultural Studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thousands of Spaniards contributed to the defence and the liberation of France as military contractors, legionnaires and soldiers between 1939 and 1945. This paper focuses on three elements of their contributions. First, it investigates the importance of French internment camps for Spanish refugees that became key recruitment grounds for soldiers and labourers. Secondly, it will analyse the importance of the military background Spanish volunteers acquired in both Spanish and French ranks. Thirdly, it will analyse the features of Free French Spanish volunteers and their fighting itineraries as transnational soldiers. Despite its importance, politicians in both France and Spain only recognised Spanish contributions to the French resistance after the Second World War. This is a fourth aspect of the entangled Franco-Spanish history of the Second World War that this article analyses. By incorporating the accounts of French Gaullists, Communists and Spanish Francoists, it demonstrates how the context of the Cold War, which reinforced these interpretations, left little room for the study and commemorative inclusion of these "outsiders". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Up to now, relatively little effort has been dedicated to the quantitative assessment of the differences in spatial patterns of model outputs. In this paper, we employed a variogram-based methodology to quantify the differences in the spatial patterns of root-zone soil moisture, net radiation, and latent and sensible heat fluxes simulated by three land surface models (SURFEX/ISBA, JULES and CHTESSEL) over three European geographic domains – namely, UK, France and Spain. The model output spatial patterns were quantified through two metrics derived from the variogram: i) the variogram sill, which quantifies the degree of spatial variability of the data; and ii) the variogram integral range, which represents the spatial length scale of the data. The higher seasonal variation of the spatial variability of sensible and latent heat fluxes over France and Spain, compared to the UK, is related to a more frequent occurrence of a soil-moisture-limited evapotranspiration regime during summer dry spells in the south of France and Spain. The small differences in spatial variability of net radiation between models indicate that the spatial patterns of net radiation are mostly driven by the climate forcing data set. However, the models exhibit larger differences in latent and sensible heat flux spatial variabilities, which are related to their differences in i) soil and vegetation ancillary datasets and ii) physical process representation. The highest discrepancies in spatial patterns between models are observed for soil moisture, which is mainly related to the type of soil hydraulic function implemented in the models. This work demonstrates the capability of the variogram to enhance our understanding of the spatiotemporal structure of the uncertainties in land surface model outputs. Therefore, we strongly encourage the implementation of the variogram metrics in model intercomparison exercises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grammatical Swarm is a search and optimization algorithm that belongs to the more general Grammatical Evolution family, which works with a set of solutions called individuals or particles. It uses the Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm as the search engine in the evolution of solutions. In this paper, we present a Grammatical Swarm algorithm for total energy demand estimation in a country from macroeconomic variables. Each particle in the Grammatical Swarm encodes a different model for energy demand estimation, which will be decoded by a predefined grammar. The parameters of the model are also optimized by the proposed algorithm, in such a way that the model is adjusted to a training set of real energy demand data, selecting the more appropriate variables to appear in the model. We analyze the performance of the Grammatical Swarm evolution in two real problems of one‐year ahead energy demand estimation in Spain and France. The proposal is compared with previous approaches with competitive results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to address Apolônio de Carvalho’s path between the years 1937 and 1947, as well as memories from the character about this time of his political militancy. Such context was highlighted by his affiliation to the Brazilian Communist Party (PCB) and his decision to fight alongside the republicans in the Spanish civil conflict (1936-1939) and, afterwards in the French resistance against Nazi-fascists potencies during World War II (1939-1945). Therefore, the time frame in question contemplates a decade of the character’s engagement in the anti-fascist fight in Spain and France. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study key processes of the water cycle, two special observation periods (SOPs) of the Hydrological cycle in the Mediterranean experiment (HyMeX) took place during autumn 2012 and winter 2013. The first SOP aimed to study high precipitation systems and flash flooding in the Mediterranean area. The AROME-WMED (western Mediterranean) model is a dedicated version of the mesoscale Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) AROME-France model, which covers the western Mediterranean basin providing the HyMeX operational center with daily real-time analyses and forecasts. These products allowed for adequate decision-making for the field campaign observation deployment and the instrument operation. Shortly after the end of the campaign, a first reanalysis with more observations was performed with the first SOP operational software. An ensuing comprehensive second reanalysis of the first SOP, which included field research observations (not assimilated in real time) and some reprocessed observation datasets, was made with AROME-WMED. Moreover, a more recent version of the AROME model was used with updated background error statistics for the assimilation process. This paper depicts the main differences between the real-time version and the benefits brought by HyMeX reanalyses with AROME-WMED. The first reanalysis used 9 % additional data and the second one 24 % more compared to the real-time version. The second reanalysis is found to be closer to observations than the previous AROME-WMED analyses. The second reanalysis forecast errors of surface parameters are reduced up to the 18 and 24 h forecast range. In the middle and upper troposphere, fields are also improved up to the 48 h forecast range when compared to radiosondes. Integrated water vapor comparisons indicate a positive benefit for at least 24 h. Precipitation forecasts are found to be improved with the second reanalysis for a threshold up to 10 mm (24 h) -1. For higher thresholds, the frequency bias is degraded. Finally, improvement brought by the second reanalysis is illustrated with the Intensive Observation Period (IOP8) associated with heavy precipitation over eastern Spain and southern France. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Ballast deterioration, under dynamic loads, remains an important issue on high-speed tracks that can lead to high maintenance costs. This ballast deterioration leads to settlements. Several studies have shown that these settlements were linked to high accelerations produced in the ballast by high-speed train (HST) passages. The solution with bituminous underlayment was used since 1980s in several countries like United States, Italy, Spain, especially on high-traffic and high-speed lines (HSL). In France, the interest in this technique is recent. Following the East European HSL satisfactory behavior, a layer of asphalt concrete was used under the ballast layer of the Bretagne-Pays de la Loire (BPL) HSL. It is intended, in addition to the schedule savings and the protection of the subgrade during the construction phase, to reduce acceleration amplitudes produced at the passage of HST, to ensure moisture stability in the subgrade and thereby to decrease the maintenance costs of the tracks. BPL HSL includes 105 km of innovative track with an asphalt concrete (GB) ballast sublayer, and 77 km with a granular layer under the ballast (UGM). Out of the instrumented sections of the BPL track, 3 sections are constructed with GB subballast layer and one with a layer of UGM as a subballast layer. A total of 127 sensors that includes accelerometers, anchored displacement sensors, temperature and humidity probes, and extensometers are used. Sensors are placed at various positions and depths in the track structures. Data were first acquired during a speed up test phase, under controlled conditions, with the same train passing at speeds ranging from 160 to 352 km/h. This paper presents the different sensors used for the instrumentation as well as the acquisition system installed to collect all measurements. Data treatment and processing is explained in details. Finally, results obtained for different speeds are presented, with a focus on accelerometer and anchored displacement sensor measurements, on two sections, allowing, among others, comparisons between the response of structures with and without asphalt concrete. The role of the GB, as a subballast layer, in damping the vertical displacement of the sub ballast structure and reducing the accelerations peaks in the ballast layer for ballasted tracks is demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research in economic geography has provided a critical examination of securitization's role in the recent global financial crisis. Building on earlier studies which interrogated the development of US securitization, contemporary research has explored how securitization has been adopted in different political economies. Although these novel studies have begun to highlight the geographies of securitization, our knowledge of the historical spread of securitization remains underdeveloped. This paper seeks to address this issue by exploring how securitization emerged within different European financial spaces. In doing so, the paper examines the cases of France, Spain and Italy to identify how securitization circulated through space and across communities of practice, facilitating the co-creation of new knowledge. The paper provides deeper insight into how securitization became established within European financial centres throughout the 1990s, shaping contemporary financial networks and the spread of the credit crunch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Sarcoma Policy Checklist was created by a multidisciplinary expert group to provide policymakers with priority areas to improve care for sarcoma patients.Main Body: This paper draws on this research, by looking more closely at how France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom are addressing each of these priority areas. It aims to highlight key gaps in research, policy and practice, as well as ongoing initiatives that may impact the future care of sarcoma patients in different European countries. A pragmatic review of the published and web-based literature was undertaken. Telephone interviews were conducted in each country with clinical and patient experts to substantiate findings. Research findings were discussed within the expert group and developed into five core policy recommendations. The five identified priority areas were: the development of designated and accredited centres of reference; more professional training; multidisciplinary care; greater incentives for research and innovation; and more rapid access to effective treatments. Most of the countries studied have ongoing initiatives addressing many of these priorities; however, many are in early stages of development, or require additional funding and resources.Conclusion: Gaps in access to quality care are particularly concerning in many of Europe's lower-resourced countries. Equitable access to information, clinical trials, innovative treatments and quality specialist care should be available to all sarcoma patients. Achieving this across Europe will require close collaboration between all stakeholders at both the national and European level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental sustainability in the wine sector has become a priority, as a result of both the growing interest in environmental issues and the consumer's demand for more information regarding the environmental impact of the products they purchase. In this context, the use of carbon footprint as an indicator to assess and report the environmental burdens associated with wine production has gained a role of primary interest. The present study has the aim of improving the wine sector's sustainability by providing inventory data on wine production systems from a total of 18 wineries located in major wine-producing regions in Spain and the South of France. The main novelty of this paper is: the corporate carbon footprint approach, the greater number of wineries studied, the diversity of location of those wineries, the detail of data presented and the identification of the best reference flow for vineyards. Data was statistically analysed. Vineyard consumptions are usually related to the area of cultivation. However, although 1 ha of vineyard or 1 kg of harvested grape could both be considered good reference flows for vineyard processes, this study shows a greater standard deviation of average data calculated per ha rather than per kg. Impact results show a major contribution of the winery phase to the corporate carbon footprint (73%), mainly due to glass production for bottling (45.6% contribution) and electricity consumption (9.2%). In the vineyard phase, contribution comes mainly from diesel production and combustion due to field works (11.3%) and the use of phytosanitary products (6.0%). The results revealed that with the establishment of best practices and with optimized resource consumption, the corporate carbon footprint values can be reduced by almost 25%. The comparative results presented can be used as a reference that will enable wineries to compare their impacts to the average, to identify in which aspects they are within the average and which aspects they are outside the average and whether these aspects are significant to their carbon footprint. This may encourage wineries to adopt measures for Eco-innovation through carbon emission reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anglo-French relations in the late 1580s were seriously affected by an increasing mistrust between Elizabeth I and Henry IV, who found it difficult to agree on a common policy against Spain. The upper stages of power viewed Elizabeth's support to the French cause as the only means of protecting the English coasts from Spanish attacks and so they tried to persuade the English sovereign to keep in good terms with France. Theatre became a useful instrument to suggest new policies in this regard. This paper examines the French debate in the anonymous play The True Chronicle History of King Leir , successfully performed by the Queen's Men in 1594. Through an analysis of its structure, characters and motifs, the paper explores the play's debt to the romance tradition and the use of this mode to offer an optimistic view of the Anglo-French alliance while making a good box office. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The paper presents key results regarding a possible reform of the Common Agricultural Policy direct payments, based on a scenario analysis by the CAPRI (Common Agricultural Policy Regionalized Impact) modelling system. Combining aggregate programming models at the NUTS 2 level with a global spatial multi-commodity model, it enables depicting the impacts of different policy and economic scenarios from regional to the global scale. The paper discusses simulated impacts on farm income and agricultural markets from implementing the European flat rate hectare payment corrected for the purchasing power disparities across the Member States while reducing the overall budget outlays for direct payments by 50% and dismantling the remaining coupled support to ruminants. The results are an outcome of a comparative static analysis against a reference scenario which assumes the Health Check policy in 2020. The model results suggest a drop of the agricultural gross value added by 9% at the aggregate EU27 level compared to the reference scenario. Impacts differ between the Member States groups, Member States and regions, depending on the share of premiums in the income from agriculture, specialization and competitiveness of production. The largest reduction is projected for the suckler cow herd, dropping by 6% compared to the reference scenario. The drop is caused by removing the coupled support and affecting mostly the herds in Spain and France. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper deals in a systematized and detailed way with the problems regarding probation through the perspective of the new criminal code provisions. On the basis of examining the relevant provisions of this law, and also on a comparative approach with the provisions of the present criminal code, when necessary, the paper manages to explain the new vision of our legislator in this matter. The author comes to the conclusion that there are fundamental differences between the regulations from the tow criminal codes, and that the new approach, inspired by the German, French and Spanish criminal law, is a better answer to the need of fighting against crimes. Through its conclusions, the paper is useful to legal advisors, both at t theoretical and practical level, being a starting point in any discussion on this matter, considering the imminent coming into force of the New Criminal Code. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to understand how the public's beliefs in five countries may change as more families have direct experience with Alzheimer's disease. The data are derived from a questionnaire survey conducted by telephone (landline and cell) with 2678 randomly selected adults in France, Germany, Poland, Spain, and the United States. The paper analyzes the beliefs and anticipated behavior of those in each country who report having had a family member with Alzheimer's disease versus those who do not. In one or more countries, differences were found between the two groups in their concern about getting Alzheimer's disease, knowledge that the disease is fatal, awareness of certain symptoms, and support for increased public spending. The results suggest that as more people have experience with a family member who has Alzheimer's disease, the public will generally become more concerned about Alzheimer's disease and more likely to recognize that Alzheimer's disease is a fatal disease. The findings suggest that other beliefs may only be affected if there are future major educational campaigns about the disease. The publics in individual countries, with differing cultures and health systems, are likely to respond in different ways as more families have experience with Alzheimer's disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we analyze the intonational properties of a type of focus construction that has been understudied, represented by answers to wh-questions in which the constituent that fills the variable does not do so exhaustively, that is, it does not provide an exhaustive answer because the speaker cannot commit to asserting that the other potential alternative candidates to fill the variable are cancelled. This type of narrow focus, Non-Exhaustive Narrow Focus (NENF), is different from Exhaustive Narrow Focus (ENF), in which a constituent fills the variable of the question exhaustively, with a concomitant cancellation of the rest of the focal alternatives. Our claim is that natural languages have the means to distinguish ENF and NENF unambiguously through prosodic means. In the present study, we show that speakers of (Northern Bizkaian) Basque assign particular intonational features to answers to wh-questions that should be interpreted non-exhaustively. In our experiment, we measured peak scaling of accents in the subject and the verb in ENF and NENF utterances. The results show that NENF is distinguished from ENF in having a pitch accent on the verb with a higher F0 value, almost as if the verb were focalized. In fact, we compared the intonational patterns of NENF with Verum Focus constructions, in which the polarity of the event expressed by the verb is focalized, and there were no significant differences in the verbal peaks in NENF and VF. There were no significant differences in peak scaling in the subject's stressed syllable between ENF and NENF, and neither were there any differences between NENF and VF. The paper offers a semantic analysis of the differences between ENF and NENF, by claiming that NENF is a split focus construction, in which both the subject and the polarity (or rather, the pairing between the subject and the polarity) constitute the focus of the utterance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A regional baroclinic model forced with several tidal constituents at different frequencies is used to investigate the internal tide of the Bay of Biscay. The regional ocean model is free surface, sigma-coordinate and it is implemented in order to accurately take into account the barotropic forcing, the strong bathymetry gradients and the temperature and salinity stratifications. In a previous paper, the barotropic component of the tides was studied in details and the boundary conditions of the three-dimensional model were extracted from the atlases. In the present paper, we focus on the baroclinic component of the tides and the simulations are validated against observations from the MINT94 experiment. The observed currents and stratification are accurately reproduced by the model. The internal tide pattern is consistent with the descriptions found in the literature. Combining wavelet and principal component analysis we extract the patterns of generation and propagation of the internal tide at the semi-diurnal and quarter-diurnal frequencies. Secondary internal wave generation areas are identified over the plain. The vertical displacements of isopycnal surfaces for the M4 internal tide are found to be locally half those induced by the semi-diurnal internal tide. A sensitivity study shows the impact of using a three-dimensional initial stratification over the direction of propagation and wavelengths of the internal tides. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Previous research on high-speed rail (HSR) and urban development has underlined the need for a multilevel analysis and has differentiated between HSR’s impact on small cities and on big intermediate cities. This paper focuses on big intermediate cities along HSR lines, develops a multilevel analysis at national, regional and local levels and examines HSR’s selective capacity to transform time distances and accessibility. The paper draws together data which make clear how HSR opens up new opportunities for these big intermediate cities. Specifically, it analyses three particular cases: Córdoba and Zaragoza in Spain and Lille in France. This case-study approach, taking account of specific circumstances and contexts, facilitates the understanding of the similarities and differences in HSR’s impact on urban and territorial development. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper focuses on the economics of a cross-border transmission interconnector. The domestic spot electricity price is modelled as a stochastic process with mean reversion and jumps; it also includes a deterministic part that accounts for hourly and daily sasonalities along with non-working days. The two domestic spot prices are assumed to be correlated. As an illustration of the approach, we consider the particular case of the interconnector between Spain (an 'electric island') and France. Domestic prices are first calibrated and then used for simulating the stochastic behavior of the price gap between the two countries. In addition, the actual import/export behavior as a function of the price gap is captured by a Tobit model fitted from observed data. This model is then combined with the simulated price gaps to compute a multiple series of hourly prices and exports/imports of electricity through the interconnector. Drawing on these simulations we derive the probability distributions of revenues and expenses from exports and imports, and also some risk measures. According to our results, the economics of this interconector depends on different domestic seasonalities (hourly and daily), the growing trend of the price gap and some stochastic idiosyncrasies. They call for an expanded link. • This paper focuses on the economics of a cross-border electricity interconnector. • Domestic price is a stochastic process with seasonality, mean reversion and jumps. • A Tobit model is estimated to capture trade patterns as functions of the price gap. • Trade patterns and simulated price gaps yield probability distributions of revenue. • Results strongly support expanding the link France ― Spain (an 'electric island'). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the different ways in which the EU dimension was contextualised in domestic politics in the 2005 Constitutional Treaty referendums in Spain, France and The Netherlands. It suggests that an ideationally based type of contextualisation dominated the Spanish referendum, in sharp contrast with the materially based mode that was dominant in France and The Netherlands. Variations in the ways in which the EU dimension was structured in domestic politics are largely accounted for by the interplay between the presence of an explicit anti-European agenda and government popularity. The paper shows that in Spain a popular government managed to keep control of the referendum debates, preventing anti-EU campaigners from gaining control of the debate and turning its focus from a symbolic pro-European discourse to materially based anti-European matters. By contrast, increasingly unpopular governments in France and The Netherlands were unable to keep the debate focused away from potential sources of material discontent. By focusing on the modes the EU dimension is framed in domestic politics, the paper aims at making a contribution to the literature on European referendums. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is an attempt to present the experience of co-development in Europe and particularly in Spain. It is focus on the governmental initiatives since the end of the 1990's decade, as a consequence of a massive reception of migrants. Co-development is the policy in which this paper is focused, from its former periods in France to the moment in which it has been considered in Spain. In order to show this evolution and its effectiveness I use the Mexican case, because it demonstrates that there is a feasible link between migration and development. However, this it is only possible if the initiatives are coming from the migrants and their communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spain is one of the main truffle-producing countries in the world, and truffle (Tuber spp.) cultivation in this country is currently undergoing a considerable surge. This work describes the Spanish research history and we list the Spanish references. Until 1993 the Spanish bibliography on truffles was very limited (28 references). However in the last 12 years, Spanish research has produced 200 references on truffles, developed in 13 centres (6 doctoral theses, 67 papers in international scientific congresses, 49 papers in Spanish scientific congresses, 7 documents on websites, 51 published Spanish papers, 12 published articles, and 8 papers submitted to international journals listed in the Journal Citation Report). Moreover, a comparative analysis of truffle research production in Spain, France, and Italy has shown how truffle research in Spain is now on a par with that of France, although it is still lower than Italian truffle research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues that, in order to understand economic crises, we need to approach them in a multifaceted way and pay attention to the extra-economic elements. Economic crises, far from being irrevocably identifiable through objective indicators, are subject of multiple interpretations. Consequently, we need to pay attention to the perceptions of those key actors involved in taking decisions and study the policy-making processes during crises in the context of states as contradictory and never-fixed institutional arrangements with possibly contradictory territorial projects. The economic crisis in Spain and, more specifically, in the Basque Country during the 1980s is presented in this paper as a case study in which these research challenges are addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the borderlands, in the context of the psychological perception of frontiers, were presented. The common relationships between different nationalities living in border twin towns was a principal point of analysis. During the investigation two main research questions were asked: Is a frontier a barrier or a bridge in the common relationships between nationalities living on both sides of the borderline? and Does the trans-border casual social integration stimulate openness to neighbours? The study was conducted in two double towns: la Jonquera (Els límits) - Le Perthus at the Spanish-French border and Słubice - Frankfurt-am-Oder at the Polish-German border. The data were gathered from surveys by questioning locals and visitors during street polling. The design of the questionnaire included three main groups of questions relating to: 1) the perception of the borderline and the role of the border twin towns, 2) the attitude towards neighbours and identification with the borderlands, and 3) the future of the borderline in the context of the twin towns existence and cross-border linkages. The results showed that the historical circumstances and cultural background play a crucial role in the current bilateral interrelations between nations sharing the common space of the twin towns. These two aspects of the borderland have an influence on the psychological perception of the border that creates mental boundaries in local societies. However, as the results proved, the necessity of living together pushed locals to be more open-minded, which as a consequence supported the establishment of social bonds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transport infrastructures, including high-speed rail networks, are built to make efficient transport services possible. An analysis of the characteristics of the networks and sections they comprise can support design decisions and contribute to increase the efficiency of transport services. This paper is devoted to analysis of the structure and topology of three representative high-speed rail networks, in Japan, France and Spain. The Japanese network presents a mixed lineal and branching structure, while the French and Spanish networks are clearly branching. The efficiency and ratios of development of the systems are estimated. Two types of sections can be differentiated in branching railway networks - those located in the centre, denoted as backbone sections, and their ramifications at the periphery. The operating models and line equipment used on these two types of sections should not be the same as their roles are different. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our population is ageing very quickly. This increase is added to the rapid, exponential breakthrough of new technologies in our everyday lives. These two factors are generating great interest and many studies have been published on how information technology and communication simultaneously exist in ageing western societies. This paper analyses the main habits of use and consumption of new technologies by older people, in particular, the level of knowledge and their level of education. The purpose is to analyse whether the technological skills of our elderly are sufficient, as well as to know if the audio-visual resources are appropriate. This study wants to know if the ageing society is prepared to handle everything the Internet has to offer. This study has taken place in three countries of the European Union: the United Kingdom, France and Spain. An attempt is made to generate comparisons and conclusions that help to increase the opportunities and to take on challenges of our current digital society. This study has used a methodology based on surveys which collect information on the use and habits in the three countries and the level of media literacy, as well as the interest of our elderly in training in new technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focusses on coping strategies employed by children and adolescents with diagnosed short stature, assesses the impact of socio-demographic and clinical characteristics on coping, examines the relationship between coping and health related quality of life (QoL) and investigates the role of coping strategies in mediating the relationship between height and QoL. Coping with a disease (CODI) and quality of life in short stature youth (QoLISSY-QoL) questionnaires were completed by 137 short-statured children and adolescents between 8 and 18 years, participating in the crosssectional European QoLISSY study. Clinical and socio-demographic data were collected to examine differences in coping via variance and regression analyses, associations between CODI and QoLISSY were inspected using correlation and mediation analyses. Most frequently employed coping strategies in the CODI were 'Acceptance' and 'Wishful Thinking', with 'Emotional Reaction' used least. Significant effects of age, diagnosis and treatment status on coping strategies were detected. CODI scales 'Acceptance' and 'Distance' were associated with higher QoLISSY-QoL scores, 'Emotional Reaction' and 'Wishful Thinking' with lower scores. Coping strategies predicted 60 % of the QoLISSY-QoL variance. Relationships between height deviation and QoLISSY-QoL were mediated by the coping strategies of 'Wishful Thinking' and 'Distance'. Findings suggest that coping efforts vary with socio-demographic and clinical characteristics, that protective coping strategies in terms of QoL can be identified and that coping mediates the relationship between short stature and QoL. Future longitudinal research should focus on the adaptive function of coping in relation to QoL over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing a regional power system to achieve a high level of integration of national systems requires sufficient development of the regional transmission grid. This is possible only with appropriate schemes for the complete cost–benefit analyses, and cost allocation of these transmission investments, which plays a critical role in the selection of the most efficient network investment and the proper assignment of their cost to the national systems. Network reinforcements affect the operation of power systems and, therefore, the externalities of power generation. This paper examines the impacts of integrating local air pollution damage from power production within the benefit assessment and cost allocation of transmission investments. The paper describes the methodology followed and illustrates its application in a real-life case study where a simplified version of a European network is considered. Within this case study, we have assessed the impact of considering the reduction in air pollution damage achieved through a particular HVDC project between France and Spain on the benefits, and benefit-driven cost allocation, computed for this project. In this case study, local pollution related benefits are a relevant fraction of the overall benefits of the considered transmission project. However, considering the local air pollution benefits of the project does not affect the net positive benefits of each country significantly, resulting in a limited change in the cost allocation of the project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cover Crops (CC) are increasingly appreciated in vineyards because they can provide ecosystems services, such as preventing soil erosion and compaction, increasing soil organic matter or, controlling weeds. Many species from different botanical families can be used depending on the final purpose of the CC, but their successful establishment in Mediterranean semiarid conditions of NE Spain can be challenging. Therefore, it is mandatory to understand and be able to predict the emergence patterns of the chosen species as their success is crucial to achieve a good soil cover. Different models based on thermal time (TT), hydrothermal time (HTT), photohydrothermal time (PhHTT) and photosolar hydrothermal time (PhSHTT) have already been used in crops and weeds for this purpose. In this paper, these four models have been developed for the 18 species susceptible of being CC, some of them being successfully validated with independent data from southern France. Results suggest that, although TT and HTT based models are accurate, their precision is improved when light is included (R2 >0.9). Models including light could be widespread used in some species as the successful validation with independent data demonstrates. These models considerably contribute to inter-row management in vineyards as decision support systems (DSS) tools to predict CC establishments. • The emergence of 18 cover crop species has been successfully modelled for semiarid conditions of northeastern Spain. • Emergence models including light improved their accuracy for all species. • The validation with independent data suggests some models can be used in other agroclimatic conditions. • The developed models contribute to the decision support systems (DSS) for cover crop management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the viability of the management of a transboundary fishery. In a deterministic dynamic framework, we consider a fish stock with two age groups, juveniles and adults, exploited by two countries having a different impact on the age groups. A regulatory agency defines an annual total allowable catch and its allocation between the two countries. We consider allocations satisfying a set of constraints representing viability conditions. The constraints include a minimal quota and minimal profit for each country. We compare intertemporal viable trajectories with the trajectory resulting from a cooperative game in which the two countries agree on the maximization of the fishery's total profit. While the cooperative solution consists in allocating the whole fishing effort to the most efficient country, the viable solution ensures a limitation of inequalities but reduces the overall economic outcome. The results are illustrated for the Bay of Biscay anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus L.), exploited by Spain and France, with two different types of gear, the purse seine for Spain and the pelagic trawl for France. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Several Finish wallpapers from the 18th and 19th century were analysed by using Raman spectroscopy assisted with EDXRF instrumentation, in an attempt of determine the pigments used in their manufacture process as well as of trying to date some of the samples through pigment composition. All pigments present in samples were determined and surprisingly the unusual and strange iron (III) chromate yellow pigment was found. Besides, unusual mixtures were found to obtain fashionable colours, especially in blue and green areas, where more than one blue pigments were mixed with green and yellow pigments. Blue verditer, ultramarine blue, Prussian blue, chrome yellow, calcite, lead white, red and yellow iron oxide, gypsum and carbon black were identified. The presence of the risky and poisonous emerald green must be highlighted. The results were compared with those found in other wallpapers from Spain and France. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Following the lead of recent scholarship enhancing the importance of studying children's experiences on the basis of children's sources, this paper seeks to tackle the issue of children's agency in the case of Spanish Civil War refugee children in France in 1939. Instead of taking for granted that the best characterization for their experiences of war and exile is always that of ‘victim’ and ‘trauma’, I would like to examine if, how and when they were able to adapt to their situation and act on it. In other words, the problem I wish to address is: To what extent should Spanish refugee children be considered as passive victims in the face of the dramatic events which disrupted their lives, or as aware and partly autonomous historical agents? Here, I will reflect on this question with one specific source: the journal Niños españoles. Periódico semanal para los niños españoles refugiados, a weekly publication made of texts written by Spanish refugee children in France from May to July 1939. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: In inland France, diets dominated by the wild European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) enter the archaeological record around the Pleistocene–Holocene transition, whereas zooarchaeological faunas from Mediterranean Spain typically contain rabbit in abundance much earlier in the Upper Paleolithic. This paper compares data from these two times and places, drawing particularly on faunal data from the Soultrean site of Cueva de Ambrosio (Almería Province, Spain) and the Magdalenian site of Moulin du Roc (Dordogne, France), to consider biogeographic, environmental, and cultural factors that might contribute to the development of rabbit-dominated diets in southwestern Europe. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper seeks to clarify the mechanisms of gender-based differentiation in everyday practices of work organization within a profession where employees face a particularly high level of stress: secondary school teaching. It compares France and Spain, two countries where the professional teaching standards differ and ask for a particular commitment at work. Focusing on the results of a qualitative survey, the author gives prime importance to the speeches and representations that individuals use to describe their experiences at work. Taking into account the various working environments (career-related and non career-related), it leads us to observe that, although the impacts are not alike within the two countries studied, gender-differentiated spatial and temporal arrangements have consequences from a health point of view, namely in terms of stress. However, the commonly identified feeling of "overload" remains often unrecognised, or even officially unspeakable, within this profession with a family-friendly reputation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forest ecosystems where periodical tree bark harvesting is a major economic activity may be particularly vulnerable to disturbances such as fire, since debarking usually reduces tree vigour and protection against external agents. In this paper we asked how cork oak Quercus suber trees respond after wildfires and, in particular, how bark harvesting affects post-fire tree survival and resprouting. We gathered data from 22 wildfires (4585 trees) that occurred in three southern European countries (Portugal, Spain and France), covering a wide range of conditions characteristic of Q. suber ecosystems. Post-fire tree responses (tree mortality, stem mortality and crown resprouting) were examined in relation to management and ecological factors using generalized linear mixed-effects models. Results showed that bark thickness and bark harvesting are major factors affecting resistance of Q. suber to fire. Fire vulnerability was higher for trees with thin bark (young or recently debarked individuals) and decreased with increasing bark thickness until cork was 3-4 cm thick. This bark thickness corresponds to the moment when exploited trees are debarked again, meaning that exploited trees are vulnerable to fire during a longer period. Exploited trees were also more likely to be top-killed than unexploited trees, even for the same bark thickness. Additionally, vulnerability to fire increased with burn severity and with tree diameter, and was higher in trees burned in early summer or located in drier south-facing aspects. We provided tree response models useful to help estimating the impact of fire and to support management decisions. The results suggested that an appropriate management of surface fuels and changes in the bark harvesting regime (e.g. debarking coexisting trees in different years or increasing the harvesting cycle) would decrease vulnerability to fire and contribute to the conservation of cork oak ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change impacts on wave conditions can increase the risk of offshore and coastal hazards. The present paper investigates wave climate multidecadal trends and interannual variability in the Bay of Biscay during the past decades (1958-2001). Wave fields are computed with a wave modeling system based on the WAVEWATCH III code and forced by 40-yr European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts Re-Analysis (ERA-40) wind fields. It provides both an extended spatiotemporal domain and a refined spatial resolution over the Bay of Biscay. The validation of the wave model is based on 11 buoys, allowing for the use of computed wave fields in the analysis of mean and extreme wave height trends and variability. Wave height, period, and direction are examined for a large array of wave conditions (by seasons, high percentiles of wave heights, different periods). Several trends for recent periods are identified, notably an increase of summer significant wave height, a southerly shift of autumn extreme wave direction, and a northerly shift of spring extreme wave direction. Wave fields exhibit high interannual variability, with a normalized standard deviation of seasonal wave height greater than 15%% in wintertime. The relationship with Northern Hemisphere teleconnection patterns is investigated at regional scale, especially along the coast. It highlights a strong correlation between local wave conditions and the North Atlantic Oscillation and the east Atlantic pattern indices. This relationship is further investigated at the local scale with a new method based on bivariate diagrams, allowing the identification of the type of waves (swell, storm, intermediate waves) impacted. These results are discussed in terms of comparison with previous studies and coastal risk implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper studies the relations between bilateral FDIs and immigrant networks of France, Germany, UK, Italy and Spain, and the emigrant diasporas of Italy and Spain. It focuses on skilled and unskilled immigrants and on ties with developing and developed countries. Results evidence two different network models: FDIs of UK, Germany and France are prompted by the ties of skilled immigrants, while those of Italy and Spain are only influenced by their respective diasporas. The disparity may stem from history. Differently from the findings of previous literature, the effects of networks with developing countries are similar to those with rich economies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper, we present a critical analysis of the distribution of Paleolithic sites between the Massif Central and the Pyrenees (southwestern France) to understand the settlement patterns during the last climatic deterioration of the Quaternary period. This analysis used recent stratigraphic and archaeological data from thousands of systematic test pits conducted for rescue archaeology in different geomorphological contexts. Our analysis addresses crucial questions about the role of the Garonne alluvial plain in this territory during the Upper Paleolithic. The implications are discussed in the context of this region of Europe, which was considered to be a favorable zone for human occupation during glacial periods. The conclusions reveal a division of this territory into two parts separated by a large unoccupied or rarely occupied zone. We discuss perspectives not only concerning the territoriality of the prehistoric groups who lived on the margins of this no man’s land, but also the cultural endemism that could have led to this geography, influenced by climatic conditions clearly more rigorous than previously recognized in this region. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: During summer, wind driven coastal upwelling dominates in the Central Cantabrian Sea (southern Bay of Biscay). Nevertheless, atmospheric forcing is highly variable and wind pulses may cause noticeable and fast hydrographic responses in the shelf region. In this paper, the composition and vertical distribution of the summer ichthyoplankton assemblage during the daytime at a fixed station, located on the Central Cantabrian Sea shelf, are documented. Also, the impact of a short-time scale hydrographic event on the abundance and structure of the larval fish assemblage is examined. Significant small-scale temporal hydrographic variability was observed. Currents showed changes in speed and direction and significant changes in thermocline depth were also observed. A total of 34 taxa of fish larvae were identified. Engraulis encrasicolus eggs and larvae of the shelf-dwelling species Trachurus trachurus, Capros aper and E. encrasicolus dominated the ichthyoplankton assemblage. The distribution of E. encrasicolus eggs and fish larvae was vertically structured. E. encrasicolus egg concentration increased exponentially towards the surface. Fish larvae showed a subsurface peak of concentration and their vertical distribution was not conditioned by thermocline depths. The short term hydrographic event did not affect the vertical distribution of fish larvae but it accounted for significant temporal changes in larval fish assemblage structure and abundance. Results suggest that temperature and light intensity are important factors in the vertical distribution of fish larvae. They also indicate that the temporal monitoring of the larval fish assemblage in this region requires multiple sampling sites. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Oral questions are usually seen as a procedure designed for political conflict. Yet question time may serve other purposes depending on the institutional setting, the political context and the policy field. By comparing the use of oral questions on the defence issue in the national parliaments of four Western democracies, the paper identifies a specific characteristic of questioning in each lower house: political conflict in Germany, internal dissent in the United Kingdom, reward of policy expertise in Spain and local issues in France. Such diverse uses of questioning procedures impact differently on the quality of the accountability process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The history of popular education is a long-standing field of research. Its beginnings trace back at least to the mid-twentieth century and it maintains its attractiveness for many researchers, both historians and educators. But, using the same label, quite different lines of research have been developed. They correspond to different ideas about what has to be considered as popular education. The paper starts by revising some of the outstanding works and authors in this field, analysing the main terms used and their underlying concepts. Popular education is then confronted with other close concepts, such as people education, popular or working-class self-education, adult education, women's education or social education. The author argues that the approach and perspective adopted for identifying a popular education subject of research are more determinant factors than an a priori thematic demarcation. From this point of view, popular education is centred on the study of education activities and school provision addressed to the lower classes and individuals taking part in them. This social origin and position of the public and not of the providers is what really defines this field of study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]