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Social life cycle assessment (S-LCA) is a tool to address social impacts from a life cycle perspective. This work presents the first S-LCA of the Portuguese pulp and paper sector. It presents the social risks and the positive social impacts of the sector, which have not been extensively covered in the scientific literature. Two different approaches were used to compile the social life cycle inventory based on input-output analysis. Approach 1 was based on impact analysis of changes in added value. Approach 2 was based on structural path analysis, supporting the disaggregation by production levels (or tiers). The functional unit was the production of 1 United States Dollar in the Portuguese pulp and paper sector. In the social life cycle impact assessment, the social risk assessment was conducted using the Social Hotspots Database. The positive impacts were addressed considering indicators of employment and remuneration, namely total employment, number of employees, labor compensation, and compensation of employees. Based on Approach 1, the results of the social risks showed the Portuguese pulp and paper industry, commerce and forestry sectors, and the Spanish forestry sector as the critical sectors. Based on Approach 2, Portugal and Spain continued to be the countries having the greatest social risks. Other contributions of countries were identified at different production levels, particularly China in tier 3. In both approaches, the stakeholder category 'worker' was the most critical. Regarding the positive social impacts, Approach 1 showed that Portugal and Spain contribute to the highest employment level linked to the pulp and paper, commerce, and forestry sectors. Approach 2 supported the differentiation of employment and remuneration at different production levels. Tier 2 (direct suppliers) presented the highest employment level and persons engaged and the lowest remuneration level. The results showed that Approach 1 provides a faster and more aggregated assessment of social risks and positive social impacts. Furthermore, Approach 2 allowed a more detailed evaluation, providing a better understanding of the social risks and positive social impacts on the supply chain. Thus, Approach 2 is encouraged for different applications since it produces a better understanding of where social risks and positive social impacts occur, providing better guidance for corrective measures and decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Paper industry generates a considerable amount of wastes. Their composition mainly depends on the type of paper produced and the origin of cellulose fibres. Nowadays, in Spain, 40% of solid wastes generated by the paper and pulp industry are deposited directly in landfill, 25% are used in the agriculture, 13% in the ceramic industry and 7% in the concrete production. In the last years, thermal treatment methods like combustion, pyrolysis and gasification have been widely study as alternative techniques for the valorization of different organic waste materials. The main objective of the present work is to study the pyrolysis behaviour of different paper mill waste materials. For this reason, a wide characterization of eight paper mill waste materials from different origins was performed using SEM, FTIR, DRX and thermogravimetric techniques. Paper mill sludges from recycled paper, mainly wastes obtained from deinking process, showed high CaCO3 and clays contents. Compared with the elevated total organic matter content (TOM) of paper mill waste materials their low organic carbon content determined by Cr2O7 2− oxidation reveals the elevated chemical stability of organic matter, due to high content on cellulose fibres. Analysis of samples by SEM indicates that successive recycled processes of paper leads to paper mill waste materials with more degraded fibres. XRD analyses show as crystalline cellulose was present in reject and primary sludge from paper mills that produced paper from virgin wood. However, crystalline cellulose content significantly decreased in waste materials from recycled paper. Finally, thermogravimetric analysis indicates that presence or mineral matter and degradation of cellulose significantly influences their pyrolysis behaviour. In general, weight loss of paper mill waste materials started at lower temperatures than pure cellulose. In waste materials from recycled paper weight loss continues at temperatures highest than 500°C due to kaolinite dehydration and carbonates decomposition. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• GNSS-PWV time series are computed using 44 GNSS stations in Andalucía and ERA5 temperature and pressure data. • GNSS-PWV and ERA5-PWV are used to compute SPCI time series. • The SPCI generally shows high correlation with the SPEI, with better results for ERA5-SPCI than GNSS-SPCI. • The SPCI outperforms SPI for a limited geographical region and 24-month timescale. In this paper the Standardized Precipitation Conversion Index (SPCI), a PWV-based drought index, has been computed using GNSS and ERA5 PWV and its performance has been tested with respect to the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) in Southern Spain. One of the climatic features of this area is the low correlation level between PWV and precipitation, in contrast with other areas in which SPCI has been previously tested. The GNSS-SPCI has been derived from validated ZTD time series estimated from local GNSS permanent stations' data. All the needed meteorological values were derived from ERA5, excepting precipitation values and SPEI-SPI values which were extracted from a national high-resolution dataset. The resulting SPCI time series have shown high correlation coefficients with respect to the SPEI. The use of longer SPCI time series allowed by ERA5 model has provided the most coherent results, suggesting that the ERA5-PWV data can be interesting to overcome problems caused by the short timespan of GNSS time series in SPCI computation. In general, high correlation coefficients have been obtained compared to global results from previous studies. This shows that, even for regions with low correlation levels between PWV and precipitation, the SPCI can have an interesting potential for drought monitoring. The SPCI was found to perform better on higher timescales (12 and 24 months). The performance of SPCI has also been compared that of the SPI: SPCI is able to outperform SPI for the 24-month timescale for a limited geographical region. This supports that the inclusion of PWV data in drought monitoring indices could be promising and is worth keeping to be investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Mining has a high level of serious accidents compared to all other sectors. The analysis is based on 15,032 accidents. • 12 variables are studied and the influence of each variable on the severity, which is divided into three types (light, serious and fatal). • The results make it possible to design prevention measures for the situations that have led to the most serious accidents. Introduction: The aim of this paper is to understand the causes of occupational accidents in Spain's mining sector in order to propose action plans and improve future accident rates. Method: This research analyzed a pool of data on 15,032 accidents occurring in the mining sector and reported to authorities between 2013 and 2018. Accidents are divided into three levels of severity: light, serious, and fatal. We study the influence of 12 variables on the accident severity rate in our sample. Results: The results show that accident severity is related to age, gender, nationality, length of service, economic activity, company size, accident location, days of injury leave, day of the week, deviation, injury, and specific Spanish region. This sector produces a high rate of serious accidents compared to all other sectors; has a male-dominated, older and experienced workforce; and employs mainly Spanish workers. Its activity is concentrated in larger companies and the work involves the use of heavy machinery and dangerous materials. We offer conclusions and future lines of research to help regulators, companies and workers to improve worker safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Analysis of several factors that may be behind an undue extension of the injured worker's recovery time. • Comprehensive empirical analysis of more than 400,000 non-fatal work accidents in manufacturing industries. • Women, workers with more seniority, higher wages, and those employed in larger companies take longer to return to work after an occupational injury. • The duration of sick leave for immigrant workers is lower than for native-born workers. • Improving working conditions and supervision mechanisms during the recovery process is recommended to increase attendance motivation and reduce moral hazard exposure. Introduction : Despite the significant economic impact of occupational injuries on companies and society, studies focused on analyzing the determinants of workdays lost due to sick leave remain scarce and incomplete. This paper contributes to this issue by (a) analyzing the drivers of sick leave duration, distinguishing factors that explain the health recovery time from those that could lead workers to a voluntary extension of the absence period, and (b) formulating and empirically testing the effect of gender, citizenship, temporary work, job tenure, amount of disability benefit, and size of the injured worker's firm on the number of days the employee is off work after the injury. Method: Hypotheses are tested on a comprehensive dataset that includes all nonfatal occupational injuries causing sick leave that occurred in the manufacturing sector in Spain during 2015–2019, with more than 400,000 injuries. We conduct ordinary least squares and count data regression models in which the number of days off work is regressed on employees and work characteristics while accounting for a set of variables to control the injury's nature and severity. Results: The results show that after considering the intrinsic characteristics of the injury and the severity of the worker's injuries, women, native workers, workers with more seniority, workers with higher salaries, and those working in larger companies have longer periods of sick leave. The results suggest that moral hazard considerations significantly impact the time to return to work after an occupational injury. Practical applications: Based on the findings, several insights for company managers and public decision-makers are discussed. Specifically, interventions aimed at improving the organization of work and the working conditions of workers in manufacturing industries are highlighted, as well as the need to improve control and supervision mechanisms during the recovery process of injured workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Pioneer Spain: first country to include in grid code the synthetic inertia capability. • Synthetic inertial response of a PV inverter studied based on the Spanish grid code. • Analyzed the role of power plant controller in the dynamic response of the facility. • PV system able to contribute to frequency control providing an inertial response. As the large-scale integration of renewable energy grows, inertia in power systems is reduced, which causes the rate of change of frequency to increase and worsens the frequency nadir during disturbances. There is, therefore, an urgent need to accelerate the development of international standards and regulations that require solar PV systems and other renewable installations to also contribute to stability in the network by emulating inertia. Spain is a pioneer in this field: it is currently the only country that includes the synthetic inertia technical requirement in its grid code. In this context, the present paper analyzes the synthetic inertial response of a PV system model that forms part of an actual PV power plant in Spain under two scenarios, according to its grid code: i) when measurements are conducted at the power conversion PV system level and hence only its control algorithms are executed; and ii) when measurements are conducted at the power plant level and the power plant controller also influences the response of the entire installation. Among its aims, this paper seeks to thoroughly assess the response of an actual PV power conversion system that has the capability of actively contributing to frequency regulation in a network and to critically analyze the suitability of having a power plant controller when the PV facility contributes to power-frequency control by means of an inertial response. The results reveal, at the power conversion PV system level, that the inertia emulation module significantly reduces the response times of the installation to changes in frequency -by more than 68% in the worst case under frequency increases, and by 73% under frequency decreases, thus contributing to more rapid power-frequency regulation in the network. However, at the power plant level, the power plant controller disturbs the PV power conversion system's behavior and causes the opposite effect: response times increase -up to more than 7% in the most unfavorable case when the inertia module is enabled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes impoliteness-related language in response to a season's greeting posted by the Prime Ministers of Spain and the UK on December 2022 to wish Twitter users a Felices Fiestas/Merry Christmas. A corpus made up of the first 500 tweet events mentioning Sánchez and Johnson with the @ feature was analyzed through the combination of qualitative and quantitative tools and an impoliteness2 approach to compare the most commonly deployed impoliteness strategies in response to what is felt as an offense by respondents from the two cultures. Previous impoliteness taxonomies inform the analysis (Culpeper, 1996 , 2011). Findings reveal a preference for on-record strategies vs. off-record ones in both corpora. Whereas the English respondents oriented themselves towards attacking the negative face of the Prime Minister and that of other participants with sarcasm and implicated impoliteness, the Spanish group deployed impoliteness-related language to disparage the Prime Minister's positive face through insults and the rectification of his words. The hostile acts and explicit metalanguage about emotional states in the replies to the expressive speech act corroborate the perceived breach of some aspects of the moral order on the part of the Twitter users in the out-group, hence aiding the already observed polarization of political discussions. • Impoliteness is analyzed in replies to the season's greetings of Pedro Sánchez and Boris Johnson on Twitter. • Findings indicate that on-record impoliteness strategies are more frequent than off-record ones in both groups. • English respondents use negative-face attacking strategies, sarcasm, and implicated impoliteness in their replies. • Spanish respondents deploy insults and attacks on the positive public face of the Prime Minister as favored strategies. • Impoliteness-related discourse is multifunctional and aims to restore the moral order that is perceived as altered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tourism has become a very active ecosystem to deploy solutions based on Information and Communication Technologies. Indeed, it is now possible to analyse the mobility behaviour of tourists in great detail. However, current solutions aimed at anticipating tourist flows usually follow a limited approach based on the local (e.g., to predict the next landmark to visit) or regional (e.g., to predict the incoming number of tourists in a city) level. This paper states a novel approach to solve the problem of tourist inflow forecasting on a broader nationwide scale by defining it as an edge prediction task. To do so, we model the tourist mobility of a country as a graph which fuses heterogeneous tourism data obtained from multiple sources related to the country's mobility and infrastructure features. Then, as a major contribution, an ensemble of Graph Neural Networks are fed with the graph models to provide the final prediction. The proposed solution has been tested in Spain showing a F1 score higher than 0.7. • A mechanism to anticipate the flows of tourists in Spain is proposed. • The prediction is solved as an edge prediction between Spanish regions. • A Graph Neural Network has been used as underlying model. • The model is fed with touristic infrastructure data of Spain. • The human mobility is extracted from Call Detail Records and geo-tagged Twitter posts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Mechanisms to encourage clean energy in Spain from 2005 to the present are analyzed. • FiT and FiP mechanisms can be effective in promoting new renewable projects. • Experience suggests that excessive support can jeopardize the entire market. • A transitional retribution scheme has proven to be effective if correctly supervised. This research paper delves into the central mechanisms implemented in Spain to foster the adoption of clean energy projects. The study scrutinizes various mechanisms established from 2005 onwards, evaluating their efficacy in achieving the desired outcome of supporting clean energy project implementation. The aim is to comprehensively assess the associated costs, effectiveness, and attainment of renewable energy objectives stemming from implementing diverse support schemes. This paper explores the effectiveness of feed-in tariffs and feed-in premium mechanisms in promoting the integration of new renewable energy generation into the power system. However, the Spanish experience suggests that exhaustive planning control is imperative to prevent excessive support costs that could jeopardize the entire market and cause a significant rise in final energy costs. The research studies the support schemes and associated market distortion and presents the roadmap from regulated tariffs to a "total market" for wind and solar energy. The findings demonstrate that, under proper supervision and planning, a transitional retribution scheme effectively promotes renewable energy plant integration. Finally, the analysis examines the need to regulate the excess benefits that non-emitting power sources receive in a marginal price market, as this can lead to market imbalances and a substantial increase in final costs. These plans serve as a crucial tool in achieving the decarbonization objectives of the European Power System. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper compares the performance of conventional and organic fruit farms in Spain, using a set of base indicators to assess their economic and environmental performance on a per hectare basis. Composite indicators are also calculated to measure the overall economic and environmental performance of both production systems. Comparisons are made using propensity score matching to minimize the non-randomization biases caused by structural differences between the samples of conventional (n = 552) and organic (n = 127) fruit farms sourced from the Spanish Farm Accountancy Data Network (RECAN). The results based on per hectare metrics point to modest changes in the performance of farms that converted to organic farming. This is mainly because most converted farms were former conventional farms characterized by lower profitability and less intensive input use, consequently minimizing the effects of the conversion process. Nevertheless, the conversion outcomes exhibit a degree of variability depending on the specific type of fruit production. Economic gains are only discernible in the case of nut farms, whereas fruit and tropical fruit farms tend to yield the most favorable results per hectare from an environmental perspective. • Changes in per hectare performance are assessed when fruit farms convert to organic. • A complete set of economic and environmental base and composite indicators is used. • A matching procedure is implemented to obtain unbiased difference estimators. • Small changes are found in the per hectare performance of farms after conversion. • Mixed results depending on the type of fruit production subsector considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wind power is one of the most important renewable energy sources worldwide. However, integrating these technologies in electricity markets faces challenges due to the intermittent wind speed, resulting in potential imbalances within power grids and subsequent inefficiencies. Traditional approaches for modeling the uncertainty simulate fixed wind power values in operational and planning models, which work well for the short term but are inadequate for medium-term decision-making due to lower forecasting accuracy and the inability to differentiate the imbalance risk faced in each simulated value. This paper proposes a novel methodology for incorporating wind energy imbalance risk into medium-term generation planning models. For this, we first simulate realistic wind power scenarios and perform a fitting distribution process to characterize the hourly wind power behavior. Then, we model the imbalance risk using quadratic-uncertainty cost functions for each simulated value. Subsequently, we conduct a temporal aggregation to reduce the computational burden, preserving the conceptual framework of the imbalance risk modeling. Finally, we propose a medium-term generation planning model that includes the imbalance risk model and the temporal aggregation strategy. Our approach is evaluated in a real-size case study formed by Spain, Portugal, and France's electricity markets, demonstrating accurate wind power imbalance risk modeling and lowered planning costs. • A new methodology to include wind energy imbalance risk in generation planning models. • Introducing a fitting process for modeling the distribution asymmetries of wind power. • Proposing a temporal aggregation method for efficient imbalance risk modeling. • The methodology is validated in Spanish, Portuguese, and French electricity markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying the main drivers of the household carbon footprint (HCF) is a priority to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and move towards a more sustainable economy. Among the multiple factors that explain the HCF, some previous research has confirmed the relevance of gender. In this paper, we calculate the HCF of individual Spanish households using an environmentally extended multi-regional input-output model (EEMRIO) that quantifies the emissions embedded in the supply chain of goods and services that households consume. We assess the differences in consumption and emissions patterns, measuring the gender effect by a new variable, the female share of the household. This represents a remarkable improvement over previous literature that used simpler approaches. Moreover, we assess the partial effect of gender on HCF using multivariate regressions for total and sectoral emissions. Our results show that households with a majority of men have a higher HCF and carbon intensity. Even when controlling for economic, sociodemographic, and regional factors there are differences in the sectoral emissions according to gender. Female households spend more (and generate more emissions) on housing and food products, while male households show that pattern for restaurants and transport. These results can help orientate environmental campaigns and demand-side mitigation policies. • We calculate HCF for individual Spanish households using HBS data and EEMRIO. • We introduce the gender effect through the new indicator "female share in households." • Households with a majority of men have a higher HCF and carbon intensity. • The higher the proportion of women in a household, the higher the HCF in housing and food. • The higher the proportion of women in a household, the lower the carbon footprint in restaurants and transportation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increased penetration of renewable energy sources (RESs) as an effective mechanism to reduce carbon emissions leads to an increased weather dependency for power and energy systems. This has created dynamic operation and degradation phenomena, which affect the lifetime estimation of the assets operated with RESs. For the reliable and efficient operation of RES it is crucial to monitor the health of its constituent components and feature selection is a crucial step for building robust and accurate health monitoring approaches. In this context, this paper presents a probabilistic feature selection approach, which probabilistically weights and selects features through a heuristic and iterative process for an improved asset lifetime estimation. Power transformers are key power grid assets and they are used to demonstrate the validity and impact of the proposed approach. The approach is tested on two different photovoltaic power plants operated in Spain and Australia. Results consistently show that the proposed feature-selection approach reduces the prediction error and consistently selects relevant features. The approach has been applied to transformer lifetime estimation, but it can be generally applied to assist in the lifetime estimation of other components operated in RESs. Part of the studies presented here as well as source codes are all open-source under the GitHub repository https://github.com/iramirezg/FeatureSelection. • Probabilistic feature selection approach for improved asset lifetime estimation. • Integration of environmental features for improved renewable-operated asset lifetime. • Systematic and robust feature weighting methodology. • Improved transformer lifetime estimation including sensor and environmental data. • Validated on two real photovoltaic power plant case studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a climatological study focused on the analysis of atmospheric aerosols properties over Burjassot and Aras de los Olmos AERONET sites, located at Eastern Spain, is performed. Computed mean values for Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD 440), Ångström exponent (α 440 − 870) and columnar water vapor (w) in Burjassot (Aras de los Olmos) are 0.19 ± 0.08 (0.10 ± 0.02), 1.21 ± 0.16 (1.18 ± 0.25) and 1.87 ± 0.68 cm (0.94 ± 0.10 cm), respectively. From the monthly statistics of w and AOD , it is concluded that summer months are characterised by higher humidity and turbidity, being the latter favoured by particle stagnation, recirculation, secondary aerosol formation, hygroscopic processes and North African dust intrusions. Regarding the volume size distribution, well developed fine and coarse modes are found in summer. On the other hand, the spectral dependence of the asymmetry parameter (g) describes a decrease in λ up to 870 nm , and then a slight increase due to the influence of dust particles. The computed mean values for the asymmetry parameter (g 440) are 0.700 ± 0.013 (0.709 ± 0.016) for Burjassot (Aras de los Olmos). With respect to the Single Scattering Albedo (SSA) and the complex refractive index, an additional analysis using Level 1.5 data is performed, as relatively few data points pass the filters imposed by the Level 2.0 conditions. In the case of SSA, which is found to be larger in spring and summer months, the obtained mean annual values at 440 nm are 0.94 ± 0.03 (0.95 ± 0.03) for Burjassot (Aras de los Olmos). Finally, regarding the complex refractive index, the mean values of the real part (m 440) are 1.50 ± 0.03 (1.49 ± 0.03), and for the imaginary part (∣ k 440 ∣) are 0.007 ± 0.004 (0.004 ± 0.003) in Burjassot (Aras de los Olmos). The present study is complemented with three analyses based on the distinction between the different aerosol types. To begin with, these are classified according to their nature, being the most abundant continental clean aerosols. Next, Gobbi diagrams are plotted for both sites, depicting a clustered region of coarse aerosols, as well as particle growth traces. Finally, the different air masses affecting the measurement sites are studied, reaching to the conclusion that these originated in the European and the African continents are the most turbid ones. To conclude this study, a seasonal Mann-Kendall test is applied to AOD, α , w and SSA measurements in order to study possible trends. Hence, a statistically significant (> 80 %) decreasing trend in AOD is observed for most months; whereas α , w and SSA do not show statistically significant long-term trends, only for a few months of the year. • 20 (6) years AERONET data studied for Burjassot (Aras de los Olmos) in Eastern Spain. • Continental clean aerosols are dominant over Burjassot and Aras de los Olmos. • AOD, α and ω higher at Burjassot than Aras de los Olmos due to its urban character. • European and African air masses are responsible for high turbidity measurements. • AOD decreases with 80% confidence level; but α and SSA trends are not statistically significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents the characterization and chronology of the Quaternary terrace sequence developed in the confluence zone of the Júcar and Cabriel river valleys. The study area covers a radius of 10 km from the confluence of the two valleys near the locality of Cofrentes (Valencia). It is located in the northern zone of the Ayora-Cofrentes Graben in the northeastern sector of the External Prebetic Zone adjacent to southern Iberian Chain. This N-S graben is an inherited tectonic feature with an axial salt wall subject to different periods of fluvial dissection and refilling since at least the end of the Messinian Salinity Crisis (MSC). Regional isostatic uplift and local uplift and subsidence processes related to salt flow and dissolution during the Quaternary period, favored by fluvial entrenchment and terrace development. The terrace system and the previous pre-incision erosional and depositional surfaces are analyzed from a geomorphological point of view. The terrace system only develops within the soft Mio-Pliocene sedimentary fill of the graben, whilst upstream and downstream this zone the studied valleys develop important gorges (canyons) carved in the Cretaceous tablelands (Caroch Massif) and Mio-Pliocene deposits (Llanura Manchega). The geochronological control is established from 20 numerical ages obtained by different dating methods, such us Electron Spin Resonance (ESR), Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) in detrital sequences and Th/U series in calcareous tufa deposits. Additionally, four K/Ar dates available for volcanic materials disrupting the upper and oldest terrace have been considered. A total of 14 terrace levels were identified between +130–135 m (T1) and +3–4 m (T14) of relative height above the river thalwegs. The T1 has an approximate age of c. 1.6–2.0 M.a. as indicate the age of the volcanic materials from the Agras Volcano intruded in the terrace, marking the onset of Quaternary fluvial dissection in the zone. The obtained geochronological data indicate that the Lower-Middle Pleistocene boundary is slightly above T6 (+60–65 m), which has an ESR age of 577 ± 43 ka. This terrace also documents the onset of the most important period of rise of the salt within the graben interfering drainage development. The geochronological data indicate the occurrence of a second eruptive event during the second half of the Middle Pleistocene related to the terraces T7 (+50 m) and T8 (+35–40 m), updating the volcanic activity in the zone. The beginning of the Upper Pleistocene is recorded by the top sequences of the T9 terrace (+25–30 m) where numerous OSL and Th/U data have been obtained with ages between ca. 105 and 81 ka (MIS 5). However, these young terraces (T8 to T13) are thickened (8–10 m) recording Middle Pleistocene sediments in their basal sequences with ages between ca. 193 and 137 ka (MIS 6). The study provides important data on valley evolution under the interference of volcanic activity, salt –related deformation (diapirism, solution subsidence) and fluvial incision fostered by the rise of the axial diapir (salt wall) protruding the graben since at least the Brunhes-Matuyama boundary. The analyzed fluvial evolution documents interesting cases of river capture, drainage antecedence and tectonic adaptation of the drainage throughout the Quaternary Period. The paper also poses interesting geochronological data on the long-term Quaternary evolution of Mediterranean valleys in the Iberian Peninsula, poorly explored to the date. [Display omitted] • The evolution of the Júcar Fluvial system (Spain) is addressed for first time supported. • The catchment contains a complex sequence of 14 terrace levels up to +135 m • Terrace sequence is dated within the last 2.0 Ma using K/Ar, Th/U, OSL and ESR data. • Phreatomagmatic activity disrupts valley evolution during the Lower-Middle Pleistocene • Cases of river capture, drainage antecedence and tectonic superposition are documented [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an innovative framework is introduced for assessing the impact of climate change on coastal structures, with a primary emphasis on modeling future climate conditions. The framework encompasses several key components: the development of a new climate emulator to facilitate multivariate extreme value analysis; a hybrid statistical–numerical wave propagation strategy; and the integration of a novel compound modeling approach specific to coastal structure sites. These advancements are designed to effectively manage multiple climate scenarios and models within the context of high uncertainty. The methodology is applied and validated for a coastal structure located on the Mediterranean coast in Spain. Focusing on compound wave and sea-level events, the projections indicate an increase in the frequency and severity of extreme conditions, exacerbating coastal impacts such as wave overtopping. For instance, the present-day 500-year coastal flooding level would be associated with a return period of 50 years by mid-century under a stabilization scenario and would be further reduced to 25 years under a high-emission global warming scenario, resulting in important consequences for structure performance if no adaptation is implemented. • Develops a framework for assessing the impact of climate change on coastal structures. • It develops a new climate emulator to facilitate multivariate extreme value analysis. • It encompasses a hybrid statistical–numerical wave propagation strategy. • It integrates a novel compound modeling approach specific to coastal structures sites. • It has been applied and validated for a coastal structure in Spain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the field of civil engineering, specifically within railway projects, the adoption of Building Information Modeling (BIM) has become imperative. However, the sector's adherence to traditional methods for infrastructure design and management has delayed the widespread adoption of BIM. This paper describes a BIM-centered methodology applied to a real-world High-Speed Railway Line (HSRL) project. Through an extensive examination of HSRL design parameters and the integration of various BIM-based tools, a 3D parametric design model is generated. This model serves as the foundation for evaluating up to five design alternatives, considering technical and economic aspects. Furthermore, a degradation model is proposed to assess alternative performance over the infrastructure's full lifecycle under specific rail traffic assumptions. This facilitates a rapid evaluation of alignment design's impact on maintenance costs. The paper draws two main conclusions with potential benefits for both private companies and railway administrations: Firstly, BIM proves feasible and advantageous despite some interoperability challenges, highlighting the need for continued advancements in BIM software compatibility. Secondly, the proposed approach can potentially lead to up to 40% cost savings in maintenance for railway administrations. [Display omitted] • The influence of the horizontal alignment design of a High-Speed Railway Line (HSRL) on its maintenance period is analyzed. • A BIM-centered method has been proposed to evaluate both construction and tamping costs. • The importance of considering the maintenance costs during the design phase has been demonstrated. • The interoperation between an alignment design tool and a budget management software has been tested. • The method is applied to a real HSRL project in Spain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adaptation of port infrastructures to climate change and sea level rise effects is highlighted as a key field among transportation systems' lines of action for adaptation, given their highly exposed location in coastal areas and position as critical nodes in logistic chains and local, regional and national economies. The present work proposes an adaptation assessment framework that, based on a high-resolution compound climate risk assessment, identifies the main threats that climate change may pose to port performance, defines a set of optimized adaptation measures and characterizes constraints for implementation, and finally evaluates the applicability and effectiveness of these measures under diverse climate scenarios and different time frames. The framework is applied in a study case located in the northern coast of Spain. It is shown that the proposed methodology enables port managers and planners to develop tailor-fitted adaptation plans, providing tools to make them coherent with actual and future uncertain climate conditions. • The paper develops a novel framework to prepare climate change adaptation plans for port and coastal infrastructures. • It identifies the main needs and limitations for adaptation of port infrastructures based on a compound CC risk assessment. • It identifies and optimizes a set of adaptation measures, considering measure combinations, based on risk-reduction criteria. • It assesses the adaptation options' effectiveness in reducing climate risk for different scenarios and time horizons. • The framework has been applied and validated for a case study located on the Atlantic coast in Spain. [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]

Within the precepts defended by the International Charter of Kraków, this paper aims at presenting a fully non-destructive multidisciplinary approach able to characterize masonry bridges at three different levels: i) geometrical level; ii) material level and; iii) structural level. To this end, this approach integrates the terrestrial laser scanner, the sonic and impact-echo methods, the ground penetrating radar and the multichannel analysis of surface waves. All these data are combined with reverse engineering procedures, allowing the creation of suitable as-built CAD models for advanced numerical simulations. Then, these numerical models are contrasted and updated through the data provided by the ambient vibration tests. To validate the methodology proposed in this paper, the Roman bridge of Avila was used as study case. This bridge shows a complex mixture of constructive techniques (masonry, cohesive material, Opus Caementicium and reinforced concrete). Thus, the numerical model was considered for performing predictive structural analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The operation of solar photovoltaic installations for many years may lead to problems such as reduced energy efficiency and aging of components. Under this framework, replacing certain components in the facility to extend the service life of the power plant is viewed, in some cases, as a feasible strategy. However, despite its enormous strategic interest for the solar PV industry, we find that revamping PV installations has been the focus of very few scientific publications, and even less so when it comes to analyzing real facilities. Thus, this paper performs a techno-economic analysis of three revamping strategies at a real PV power plant located in the south-east of Spain. The strategies consist of substituting, in each case, the PV modules, the inverter, and both components. The simulated results show that the highest production value by installed power is obtained when both the modules and the inverter are replaced. In the same vein, the economic analysis reveals this scenario as the most favorable in terms of profitability. Based on the results obtained, an interesting future line of research would be focused on the extension of the analysis at country level to study the joint impact of numerous revamping actions. • Techno-economic analysis of revamping projects of a real solar PV power plant. • Replacing modules and inverter emerges as the most feasible strategy. • Study's applicability extends to other revamping initiatives and geographical regions. • Economic outcomes allow the most cost-effective alternatives to be determined. • This research can contribute to efficient and sustainable energy planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In smart agriculture, the accurate prediction of evapotranspiration plays a crucial role in optimizing water usage and maximizing crop yield. However, the increasing adoption of IoT sensor technologies has resulted in the accumulation of large amounts of data, which are frequently contaminated by noise and pose a significant challenge to extract reliable knowledge through data modeling. This research addresses the problem of noisy IoT sensor data and its impact on evapotranspiration prediction, an essential aspect of agricultural practices. The effect of noise on sensor variables and evapotranspiration is extensively analyzed by simulating different noise levels in evapotranspiration datasets collected from various agricultural areas in Spain, enabling a comprehensive evaluation of its impact on the performance of data science models. Despite the potential consequences of this type of errors, a noise preprocessing stage is often overlooked in existing literature in this field, which is necessary to improve data quality prior to modeling. In order to address this challenge, this paper proposes the usage of regression noise filters as approach to mitigate the detrimental effects of noisy IoT sensor data on evapotranspiration prediction. Additionally, we introduce the rgnoisefilt R package, which offers a practical and efficient implementation of noise filtering techniques for regression datasets, providing a valuable solution for handling noisy data in smart agriculture applications. The experimental results obtained emphasize the negative impacts of noise on evapotranspiration prediction performance and highlight the importance of an appropriate data treatment to mitigate system deterioration. Furthermore, the findings of this research emphasize the efficacy of the regression noise filters implemented in the rgnoisefilt software, enhancing the performance of the models built and providing a valuable tool for improving data quality in smart agriculture. • Noisy IoT sensor data in evapotranspiration prediction are addressed. • This research analyzes the impact of different types of noise in the data. • Regression noise filters are proposed as a tool to improve data quality. • The rgnoisefilt R package provides efficient solutions for noisy sensor data. • The effectiveness of filters with noisy evapotranspiration data is shown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Inclusion of temporal data can improve detection F 1 -Score by 8% • Infrared bands provide about 4% more F 1 -Score than visible bands despite lower resolution • Using over 80 features provides an increase of about 12% F 1 -Score over using less than 10. • The proposed method successfully detects all test plots with nearly 90% F 1 -Score • A dataset of recent manure application, verified through on-site validation, is made public. The use of manure in agricultural fields during the wet season can lead to environmental pollution by releasing nitrates into nearby water sources. To address this issue, authorities may impose closed periods during which manure application is prohibited. However, ensuring compliance with these regulations can be challenging, as it is difficult to monitor all fields in a country. To tackle this problem, a solution has been proposed that involves employing machine learning techniques in conjunction with satellite imagery to automatically identify freshly manured fields. This paper investigates the relationship and effectiveness of the Sentinel-2 satellite bands and 51 frequently utilized multispectral indices in the context of precision agriculture, by exploring different feature selection methods. The proposed method achieves nearly 90% F 1 -Score and detects all test plots of the northern Spanish region, showing its potential for large-scale use in precision agriculture and environmental monitoring. This method incorporates temporal data, resulting in an 8% improvement in the detection F 1 -Score. Despite their lower spatial resolution, infrared bands have proven to be more effective than visible bands, enhancing the F 1 -Score by 4%. Furthermore, the use of over 80 features contributes to a 12% increase in the F 1 -Score compared to using fewer than 10 features. For further research and future studies, a dataset of recently manured plots, verified on-site, has been developed and made publicly available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficiency is a fundamental element of the transition towards a sustainable use of natural resources among which water has a prominent role. Spain is among the European countries facing considerable water shortage problems, particularly within its southern regions. The current paper introduces an efficiency evaluation model based on Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). The model incorporates a subset of outputs as undesirable inputs to account for the circularity of the production process by means of treated and reused water. The main differences existing between the circular approach proposed, a standard two-stage DEA model and a dynamic Slacks-Based Measure process will be carefully illustrated. In particular, the drawbacks faced by these latter techniques to consistently incorporate circularity into their optimization structures will be demonstrated both formally and numerically. The malleability of the current approach and its capacity to generate consistent identifiable categories among the regions evaluated within a circular production setting will be studied in detail. The analysis performed demonstrates significant structural differences in production capacity and efficiency across regions, with the inefficient ones displaying a considerable subpar use of resources through their production processes. The prevalence of inefficiency in several northern regions is partially compensated through their treatment and reutilization of water. However, this is not the case for the southern ones, which face stricter constraints and more inefficient production processes. The subsequent implications for efficiency are examined and policies aimed at enhancing the structural quality of the corresponding production systems suggested. [Display omitted] • We define a circular Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) efficiency evaluation model. • Undesirable inputs implement the production circularity generated by treated water. • Two-stage and dynamic Slacks-Based Measure DEA are inapplicable to our setting. • Significant differences in production efficiency are found across Spanish regions. • Southern regions remain inefficient even with water treatment and reutilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • Photo-Fenton with Fe3+-EDDS removes CECs regardless water composition. • 80% CEC removal after 15 min in 5 real WWTP effluents. • Nature and not the load of organic matter has impact on CEC removal. • Short reaction time to remove CECs encourages continuous flow operation. • Mechanism developed with synthetic effluent explains reactions in real wastewater. Abstract This paper presents for the first time the treatment of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in a systematic study in different municipal wastewater treatment plants (MWWTPs) of the Mediterranean area, more than 1000 km away. Solar photo-Fenton process at neutral pH with Fe3+-EDDS has been demonstrated to be very efficient under controlled conditions and must be validated in realistic and variable conditions such as real MWWTP effluents of different composition. To this end, CEC removal was studied in effluents from 5 treatment plants in the Mediterranean area of Spain, the inorganic and organic composition varying in the range 161–641 mg L−1 (sulfate), 133–538 mg L−1 (chloride) and 10–20 mg L−1 (dissolved organic carbon). More than 45 CECs were quantified in MWW and results showed that the effect on CEC elimination of the concentration of anions and organic matter was interfered by the nature of the organic matter. However, origin and composition of MWW was not critic for attaining >80% degradation of CECs after 15 min of reaction. Moreover, conventional anions (sulfate, chloride) had a positive effect on CEC degradation rate. This paper demonstrates the consistency and predictability of the solar photo-Fenton process at circumneutral pH for treating CECs in simple and cheap photoreactors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper investigates the incentives and inhibiting factors of eco-innovation capacities in the firm. Firms materialize the objectives of eco-innovation from a reactive attitude to external pressures, to a more proactive attitude that implies the voluntary incorporation of eco-innovation activities. This variability in the behaviour of companies with respect to the level of eco-innovation development has been a motivator for the research. However, despite the importance of this research question, this has been approached in a dispersed way from multiple approaches. From a dynamic capabilities perspective, we assume that the innovation capacity of the firm encourages eco-innovations. Our paper is focused on the process of eco-innovation, identifying the elements that facilitate or hinder the eco-innovation in the firm. We study the Spanish case, using a panel from the Spanish Innovation Survey, with a sample of 5461 Spanish firms. The results highlight that the complexity of the eco-innovation process negatively affects the decision to develop eco-innovations. However, our results suggest that institutions and organizations of the Spanish environment are making efforts to compensate these obstacles and provide incentives to develop eco-innovations. Highlights • We model investigates the incentives and inhibiting factors of eco-innovation. • Our focus is on the process of eco-innovation from dynamic capabilities perspective. • The complexity of the eco-innovation process negatively affects to develop eco-innovations. • Results show that the experience facilitates the development of future eco-innovations. • The institutions provide incentives to develop eco-innovations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hospitals present a widely recognized margin for energy conservation due to their elevated final energy use intensity. Specifically, operating rooms are among the functional areas with greatest energy demand in hospitals, given the stringent indoor conditions for patients and surgical staff. However, energy efficiency in surgical facilities has traditionally been overlooked by the scientific literature in favor of guaranteeing adequate air quality conditions. This paper assesses the potential energy savings that could be achieved in a surgical suite in a Spanish hospital by lowering the current ventilation rates to the lowest energy-demanding values recommended by the proper Spanish standard and other international codes. Likewise, the paper assesses the actual hygrothermal and ventilation conditions in the suite based on the results of a continuous monitoring campaign performed for a period of 12 days. Simulations undertaken with a dynamic energy model specifically developed and calibrated for this work revealed that the average energy intensity of the suite is 1021 kWh/m 2 /year (1685 kWh/m 2 /year for operating rooms), with 80% of the total annual thermal demand corresponding to periods of inactivity. In addition, energy savings between 40% and 80% are possible while complying with both national and international standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study contributes to research on integrated and sustainability reporting at higher-education institutions in the context of voluntary reporting by focusing on an innovative Spanish university. It examines the developments for the implementation of sustainability and integrated reporting at this university by critically analysing what, why, who and how the new models of reporting have been implemented. The paper provides a case study using documentary analysis and qualitative data based on semi-structured interviews. The results show that the report is mainly focused on social and sustainability values and can not be considered an integrated report that connects all the capitals creating value. The key driver has been stakeholders' interests, represented by the university's social council, aiming at increasing competitiveness and achieve third mission objectives. The paper contributes by pointing out the challenges and principal issues of the process of implementation. An important issue for successful implementation is introducing it as a managerial and accountability tool, and linking it to the organisation's strategic objectives. This can be used for learning processes at other universities that want to follow this path. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Urbanization causes biodiversity loss in rivers. • Benthic macroinvertebrates can be used as indicators of land use changes. • Land uses changes modify the trophic structure of benthic communities. • Riparian forests act as a buffer zone important to preserve riverine biodiversity. • Management politics must highlight the importance of biological indicators. Since the second half of the 20th century, when monitoring programmes were implemented as a measure to improve the water quality of rivers, numerous advantages have been achieved. one of the most remarkable advances was the integration of bioindicators as a suitable and quick tool to complement the assessment based on the evaluation of physical and chemical parameters. This paper evaluated which of the already used water quality indices based on macroinvertebrates would be more suitable to assess the ecological status of 6 rivers (Barxas, Deva, Tea, Manco, Louro and Furnia rivers) within the Miño River international basin (NW Spain and N Portugal) applying the methodology proposed by the Water Framework Directive (WFD). In addition, the relationship between the water quality and the land uses within a buffer zone of 100 along the watershed of each river was studied. Our findings demonstrate that the IBMWP (Iberian Biomonitoring Working Party) is the most suitable index to evaluate the water quality of rivers from this geographical zone. Nevertheless it is necessary to use other more sensitive index like EPT and PT indices to identify any potential pressures that might be concealed by IBMWP. The tributaries of the Miño River generally presented a good ecological status according to the IBMWP. Nevertheless, the Louro River had the lowest score for all the indices being the worst preserved among all within the basin. On the contrary Barxas, Deva and Furnia rivers showed the higher values. The results indicated that the most urbanised river was the Louro River (13 %) followed, to a lesser extent, by Manco River (7 %) and Tea River (2 %). Consequently, the Louro River had the worst water quality (poor quality) and a less diverse benthic macroinvertebrate community, in which more generalist taxa such as Chironomids, Ceratopogonids, or Crustaceans were found. On the other hand, the rivers with the best water quality were the Barxas, Deva, and Furnia, all of them with a negligible proportion of artificial cover surface (<1 %) within the delimited buffer zone. This would suggest a negative influence of the proportion of artificial areas over diversity and quality indices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Controlling solar furnace systems presents significant challenges due to their nonlinear dynamics and uncertainties in model parameters. Therefore, this paper provides a comprehensive study of four predictive control strategies specifically tailored for solar furnaces: linear generalized predictive control (GPC), nonlinear GPC (NGPC), nonlinear model predictive control (NMPC), and practical NMPC (PNMPC). The primary objective is to address practical issues in solar furnaces, including nonlinear behavior, measured and unmeasured disturbances, and optimal control actions to enhance control performance and reliability in thermal resistance trials. Using real data from an actual solar furnace facility, the control strategies are evaluated in a simulation environment, considering various aspects such as control performance, computational burden, and robustness. Among the strategies, PNMPC proves to be the most promising, attending a compromise between control performance and computational cost. It exhibits a small error-index and significantly shorter processing time (20 times less) compared to NMPC in the simulated test. Consequently, PNMPC is implemented in the existing solar furnace SF60 in Plataforma Solar de Almería, Spain. Real-world results demonstrate the effectiveness of PNMPC in controlling the sample temperature during thermal stress trials in the solar furnace. The controller successfully handles system constraints and performs exceptionally with no steady-state error. As a result, the research outcomes provide suitable solutions to meet high-criteria requirements in thermal stress experiments in solar furnace systems. Furthermore, this study's findings advance the control engineering field in solar furnace systems, facilitating the transition towards sustainable and efficient use of solar energy. • Comprehensive study of four control strategies for solar furnaces is conducted. • Model validation and linear model parameter analysis are performed. • Practical NMPC balances performance and computational cost to enhance thermal stress trials. • Real-world tests validate the selected PNMPC in meeting high-criteria requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Finding alternative phosphorus sources is imperative to address negative environmental and societal impacts caused by its current inefficient use. However, the direct use of phosphorus in sewage sludge in agriculture is controversial. This paper uses Denmark, Germany, and Spain as case examples to assess relevant legislation and boundary conditions in agricultural production to identify opportunities and barriers for the utilisation of recycled phosphorus from wastewater in agriculture on a regional level. Only five out of 22 phosphorus recycling technologies considered were in full compliance with legislation across all three countries, and these five were then assessed for their potential to supply phosphorus to major crops within countries. We considered the application of technologies across four scenarios: 1) struvite; 2) vivianite as iron supply; 3) vivianite for calcium phosphate precipitation; and 4) ashes for calcium phosphate precipitation. The most suitable scenario identified for Denmark was vivianite for calcium phosphate precipitation, whereas in Spain vivianite as iron supply was identified as most suitable, and ashes for calcium phosphate in Germany. We found that in 2018, the potential phosphorus supply from recycling technologies was on average 0.38, 0.29 and 0.05 kg of phosphorus per capita for Danish, German, and Spanish regions. These quantities could meet 9.1, 21.7, and 10.0 percent of the phosphorus required to produce major cereals in each country (specifically wheat, barley, and rye). Given current legal constraints, wastewater treatment plant connections and agronomic context, the potential contribution of recycled phosphorus is non-negligible in many sub-national regions. Still, to access the full potential of phosphorus circularity clear product specifications and transport and logistics among regions will be necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the relevant potential of offshore resource to substantially mitigate the effects of climate change through the generation of renewable electricity, the full exploitation of such wind resource currently remains incomplete. To promote offshore wind energy projects, it is crucial to engage in comprehensive planning processes that encompass technical, social, environmental, stakeholder, and political considerations. Within this framework, this paper presents a combined approach based on Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) methodology to optimize the selection of offshore wind farm locations. The proposed methodology includes annual net electricity production as a critical factor in the decision-making process, which has been previously optimized with regard to the wake effect. Subsequently, the determination of potential locations involves key criteria such as technical feasibility, environmental impact, economic viability, and power generation potential. This MCDM-GIS approach was applied and evaluated in a case study along the Spanish coastline, considering 92 initial alternatives. The results indicate that the offshore wind energy targets established for Spain in 2030 and 2050 should be reevaluated, as the optimal utilization of the available area represents only 16% of the total potential area. Based on the aforementioned criteria, a suitability map was generated by integrating all relevant map layers, including their respective buffer zones. [Display omitted] • Net electricity production criterion included in the alternative decision matrix. • GIS-MCDM synergy methodology at territorial level to optimize offshore wind sites. • Multi-criteria definition includes technical, environmental, and economic factors. • 92 potential offshore wind plant alternatives in a Spanish case study are considered. • Results give different ranking of alternatives depending on each MCDM approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents IH-LANSloc (IH-Long-term Anthropized coastlines Simulation tool for local-scale studies), a numerical model that solves shoreline and nearshore evolution at short and long-term time scales and in a wide variety of sandy coastal settings. IH-LANSloc results from the two-way fully coupling of a data-assimilated shoreline evolution model with a process-based wave propagation model and a rules-based profile translation tool. In contrast to shoreline evolution models, IH-LANSloc is able to reproduce the nearshore evolution in areas with complex bathymetries, considering the effects of human interventions (e.g., groynes, seawalls, breakwaters and nourishments) and natural ecosystems (e.g., coral reefs, seagrasses, and vegetation patches). This nearshore evolution model is less computationally expensive and is applicable to larger time scales than most process-based models and provides more accurate and richer results than present-day physics-based models. Model validation is carried out at an embayed beach in northern Spain showing great agreement with satellite-derived shoreline observations (RMSE<7m). • A physics-based nearshore evolution model for sandy coasts is presented. • It is composed of a multi-model coupling including a spectral wave model. • It can assess the nearshore evolution considering complex bathymetries. • The model accounts for the effects of hard structures and ecosystems. • Model outputs can be directly used for flood modelling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IEC 61400-21-1 describes the procedure for measuring the flicker produced by a wind turbine. This is a complex procedure, as it involves the processing of voltage and current time series recorded in a grid connected wind turbine for its entire operating range. The standard assumes that the flicker produced by a wind turbine is related to wind variations and switching operations. The voltage and current signals recorded in a 2 MW Type III wind turbine located at a 32 MW wind power plant in Spain were used for the study. The work shows that most of the flicker produced by the wind turbine is due to the power consumption of the motor used by the yaw control system to orient the nacelle. These operations generate voltage changes whose amplitude is independent of the generated power. As the generated power increases, so does the number of yaw control operations and thus the flicker emitted. A simple analytical method is proposed to estimate the flicker produced by yaw control operations. The results confirm that incorporation of this strategy into the standard could considerably simplify the current flicker measurement procedure. • The paper quantifies the effect of yaw operations on flicker in a 2 MW Type III WT. • Each yaw operation generates three times as much flicker as a WT switching operation. • During continuous operation the 80% of generated flicker is due to yaw operations. • Flicker due to yaw operations can be simply estimated from the P s t =1 curve. • The estimation would simplify the flicker measurements, reducing economic costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The consumption of plastic raw materials has been exponentially growing throughout the world in the last decade and so has, in the same proportion, their associated waste. Recycling through the mechanical treatment of the heavy fraction of these plastics is the most economic and the safest alternative to use this waste and to recirculate it for reuse within the same industry or for other related industries located near the place where the waste is generated. In this paper, a study of characterization and post-processing of recycled high density polyethylene received by a hazardous waste manager in southern Spain is presented, an area in which containers, Intermediate Bulk Containers, and drums, originally used for oil products from refineries and petrochemical industries nearby, are employed. These high density polyethylene materials are validated to meet the requirements of the harmonized standards to be used as self-supply in the production of manhole covers. EN 124–6:2015 standard allows the use of plastic materials such as PE or PP, even using material externally reprocessed, such as material derived from thermoplastic products that have not been previously used as lids or manhole covers. Class A-15 and B-125 of the standard are oriented for the construction of these types of elements to cover or close in certain urban spaces such as pedestrian areas, parking areas or multi-story car parks for vehicles. The study shows that the recycled material fully complies with the density; it keeps unalterable during fire test after application of the coating, there are no adverse effects on artificial ageing; the decrease of the average value of the tensile impact strength by 21.84%; and achieves 6 mm of maximum deflection against the test load Fp (45.3 MPa). Therefore, it can be considered a valid scenario for the effective use of solid plastic waste in products that make up part of the urban or industrial areas, as an example of complete circularity material and offers a valid alternative to the end-of-waste condition. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Energy Communities analysis and review in Europe and, more specifically, in Spain. • Promoting energy poverty reduction and cooperation through Energy Communities. • Real case study focused on reducing energy poverty in the city of Getafe (Spain). • Selection of public buildings to implement energy community in two neighborhoods. • Significant electricity bill reductions for energy poverty households. Advancements in renewable energy technologies, a growing awareness of the need for sustainable energy solutions, and the emergence of new business models in the energy sector, have contributed to the growth of Energy Communities. Public entities can find in energy communities today an opportunity to tackle energy poverty, to increase the cooperation among citizens and to empower them to be a more active player within the energy sector. This paper analyzes energy communities in Europe and focuses specifically on Spain; considering the three beneficial aspects previously mentioned. It aims to obtain ground truth about the applications of these new citizens' arrangements. A citizen-led initiative at the city of Getafe (Madrid, Spain) is included and discussed in detail. This case study focused on reducing energy poverty of its participants. An energy community was designed and implemented as a collective PV solar self-consumption infrastructure. The roofs of various public buildings in the two case study neighborhoods were selected for locating the PV installations. Real metered data were used to evaluate the solution. A public building was selected for the energy community, considering generation on roof and dwellings proximity. The results provided that out of the 77% PV generations could be used to contribute to the demand of 100 residences; while the resulting 23% would provide approximately 60% of the energy demand of the public building. The setting up of the Energy Community not only had the technical part but also included workshops seminars and information sessions, to ensure that people prone to benefit and maximize its impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Picasso created his most famous painting, Guernica , in just over three weeks in 1937 after the bombing of the little town of Guernica, located in the Basque region, during the Spanish Civil War. Thousands of innocent people were injured or killed. In its sharp lines, its confusion and its distorted shapes, Guernica shows the suffering and pain of war. Rather than using color, especially vivid reds, Picasso used only black and white paint as symbols of death, mourning and tragedy. He believed that brighter colors might distract the viewer from the agony of the scene. In Guernica , most of the figures have open mouths; hear them shouting, groaning or screaming. The aim of this paper and its relevance to public relations is to examine whether and how visual communication can publicize and frame a military event, the character of military leaders, and warfare as a generic aspect of democratic self-governance. This paper proposes that rhetorical, discursive art can contribute impact to public relations efforts, by focusing attention, making issues public, and making informative, framing, and democratizing statements. Even more important is the ability of art to express moral outrage, especially when giving voice to muted interests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The strongest economic crisis ever known, started in 2008, destroyed much of the social achievements. Although the European Union had to deal with this situation by designing common policies, the member states have handled this crisis in many different ways. Nevertheless, not all the countries had the same possibilities for manage their economic policies inside a common currency area. These states involved in the EuroZone have faced some restrictions due to their belonging to a currency area, so they have had to design alternative economic policies to the monetary one. The main objective of this paper is to assess the acceptance of the restrictive policies on public health expenses due to economic crisis and the implemented economic policy, from the point of view of citizens. This paper hypothesized that this acceptance or not depends on citizens perception of adequate use of the public health care system. A survey was conducted among the main social actors involved on healthcare system: the general population and health professionals. And for testing the hypotheses a means comparison ( t -test and ANOVA) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) has been developed using data from that survey. Outcomes from those econometric exercises show a general disagreement with the cuts in health expenses, but in a level very related with citizen’s perceptions of overuse of public health services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses directional distance function DDF in order to analyze a group of environmental performance indicators (EPIs) in doing so, selecting desired and undesired inputs and outputs and taking as variables the analyze of glass, paper, cardboard, light packaging and other waste. In a second phase an analysis is generated with five socioeconomic factors (Built for this paper); population density, tourism, the economic activity of the municipality, the economic level per inhabitant and education. As a result, we are able to observe the influence and effects of ecoefficiency on urban waste management (EUWM) in 143 Spanish municipalities. The result panel data is generated via a “Tobit Model” regression analysis showing that tourism and education are the significant independent variables in model. The study shows that a local administration does not need to have a high economic level or be highly populated to reach a good level of eco-efficiency. It is not the money that causes a level of eco-efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the problem of reducing the number of values required to characterize an electricity demand profile, which is usually known as its dimensionality. This reduction may have a significant impact on the computational efforts and storage capacities required to analyze and process high volumes of electricity load curves. Also, the reduction to 2 or even 1 component enables its graphic representation. Specifically, this work is mainly focused on profiles defined by their monthly demand values, and where the clients are aggregated by locations and/or economic activities. This approach is of great interest for marketing analysis and decision-making of electricity retailers. In this sense, the use of dimensionality reduction techniques based on knowledge (calendar and temperature) along with the application of data-driven procedures (Principal Component Analysis and autoencoders), are explored in the paper. The results of this research show that autoencoders clearly outperform the other techniques, yielding errors in the reduction process between 15% to 40% lower and preserving distances between profiles in the low-dimensional spaces, with a correlation of 0.93 with the distances in high dimensional space. Additionally, the bidimensional graphical representation of a profile can easily be interpreted in a polar way, where the angle denotes the shape of the profile, and the radius reveals its scale. To reach these results, a very large dataset has been employed, with about half a million aggregated profiles corresponding to the electricity consumption during 3 years of more than 27 million clients in Spain. [Display omitted] • Autoencoders are the best option to reduce the dimensionality of demand profiles. • Data-driven techniques outperform knowledge-based models by reducing components. • Low-dimensional characterization preserves the relative distances between profiles. • The graphic representation of bidimensional profiles admits a polar interpretation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this study 10 commercial top selling cigarette brands in Spain have been machine smoked and the mainstream smoke has been analyzed. Multifunctional analysis has been satisfactorily employed to correlate the effect of the main design features of the cigarettes including amount of tobacco, filter size or paper weight with the amount of smoked tobacco and with the ratio CO2/CO. The composition of the vapor phase and that of the particulate matter have been analyzed. The particulate matter retained in the filter of the cigarettes has also been analyzed showing a distinct behavior of the compounds condensed in the cigarette filters and in the traps, related to their retention time. A general trend for the relative yield of some compounds in the different brands have been identified and confirmed by multifunctional analysis. Nevertheless, there are some noticeable compounds that behave differently in the different brands. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Pulp industry plays an important role in the structure of European economy and society. Paper pulp manufacture, the industrial utilization of plant biomass, is increasing every year. In Spain, Eucalyptus is the dominant raw material and the Kraft cooking and total chlorine free (TCF) bleaching processes lead the procedures of Eucalyptus paper pulp production. This paper aims to identify and quantify the environmental impacts associated to Eucalyptus TCF pulp manufacture by using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) as an analytical tool. The system has been defined using a cradle-to-gate perspective, that is to say from forest activities to the exit gate of the pulp mill. The production of chemicals consumed in the cooking and bleaching stages as well as the on-site energy production system is the elements that contribute the most to all impact categories analyzed (more than 50% of total contributions), except for the eutrophication potential where forest activities and waste treatment play an important roles (about 52% of total). Specific actions associated to the recovery boiler, lime kiln and digestion stage could considerably reduce the environmental impact and improve the environmental performance of the Spanish paper pulp industry. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Multiscale analysis of terrain altitude. • New metric for the landscape. • Multifractal parameters and anisotropic character of the landscape. This paper presents sound innovations in the processes for geographical data collection and data evaluation for multiscale analysis of terrain altitude. Data sets were collected along several transects, as well as different geographical directions, in three dissimilar zones of Spain, for the sake of Detrended Fluctuation Analysis (DFA) proper trade off. Used terrain data base consists of a 1003 × 1003-pixel matrix, with 1-m pixel resolution, provided by Official Spanish GIS. For multiscale terrain altitude analysis, generalized Hurst dimensions (H(q)) and multifractality index (ΔH(q)) were calculated on several transects crossing the areas under study. The results show, for all cases, a self-affine characteristic within most of the scale range, as well as a persistent character and a variable value of ΔH(q). Directionality analysis results, for both parameters, when represented by means of a rose plot, clearly demonstrate the differences in the scaling behavior along and across mountains, natural vegetation and crop lands and it could define a new metric for the landscape. Each of the three geographical areas covered by current statement of work clearly shows its particular anisotropy, this situation will be verified using a wider geographical data base in forthcoming works. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cities today are dense networks of interchanging investments, information, goods and people, as well as centers of innovation and knowledge management. In such a complex framework of housing, social and economic interrelationships, cities become large consumers of resources and producers of greenhouse gases. Therefore, and in order to preserve resources and guarantee social services and the well-being of citizens, planning and policy actions are required that contribute to achieving sustainable growth. Beyond the environmental perspective, a socio-economic analysis is essential to make a comprehensive sustainability diagnosis of urban and rural systems. This paper presents a methodology for sustainability assessment, based on 38 indicators that include the three pillars of sustainability: social, economic and environmental. To carry out this assessment, 64 municipalities out of 313 located in Galicia (Northwest Spain) were selected and classified in three categories according to their population size (Medium Size, Small Size and Village). Moreover, two weighting methods have been considered (equal weighting and measured weighting attributed through Analytic Hierarchy Process method). The results show that most sustainable municipalities are located in the north of the region. On the other hand, regardless of the weighting method, 57% of the medium-sized municipalities are rated sustainable compared to 45% of those of the categories of Village and Small Size categories. Therefore, municipal size is relevant for measuring sustainability and there are no significant differences between the results obtained with the two weighting methodologies, indicating that the method developed is robust and could be applied to other municipalities and cities. Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the use of trenching and paleoseismological techniques to determine salt flow rates into a salt diapir for the first time in the literature. The Salinas de Oro diapir, located in the northern Spanish Pyrenees, is an oval-shaped Triassic-salt stock that extends vertically for ≫7 km down to the Paleozoic basement. Salt dissolution subsidence and diapir growth are coeval active processes. Karstification is responsible for the development of large sinkholes, a thick caprock and the monocline folding and ring faulting of the Cretaceous and Early Tertiary limestone rim. The evaporite karstic aquifer discharges high-concentration water of up to 137 g/l of total dissolved solids and a conductivity over 200 mS/cm into the Salado Creek, which drains the diapir top. The salinity monitoring of this drainage provides a maximum karstic surface lowering rate of around 2.8 mm/yr. Salt upwelling has caused the 150 m uplift of the annular limestone escarpment and the development of ≫3000 m long radial grabens with up to 90 m of vertical offset that disrupt drainages, displace Quaternary deposits and overprint concentric faults. The 260 cm drag folding of lacustrine facies exposed in a 42 m long and 6.5 m deep trench due to the creep motion of the western radial fault of Azanza Graben yielded a minimum short-term uplift slip rate of 1.75 mm/yr for the last 1485 years and provides a minimum salt supply rate of over 5 mm/yr considering karstification lowering. This value that is several hundred times higher than average, evidence the discontinuous growth of Salinas de Oro diapir. • The geomorphology of salt diapirs mainly depends on the uplift/subsidence ratio. • The minimum growing rate of Salinas de Oro diapir is currently higher than the maximum karstic lowering rate. • The AMS dating of exposed sediments in the hanging-wall of a radial fault evidences the episodic growth of the diapir. • The trenching of radial faults is a useful technique to measure the net growing rate of salt stocks in continental settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a multidisciplinary approach to the tectonic geomorphology and history of the Palomares strike-slip fault in the Eastern Betic Cordillera (SE Spain). Analysis combines geomorphological mapping of fan-surfaces, pedological studies of faulted sedimentary successions, geoelectrical prospection and typical paleoseismological routines of structural analyses. Combined application of these methods together with the existing geochronological databases offer probable paleoclimatic and paleoseismic scenarios for the zone from Middle Pleistocene to Holocene. This study segments the Palomares Fault (PLF) in three overlapping "en echelon" N–S trends (PLF1, PLF2, PLF3). The older PLF1 controls the main faulted Almenara-Almagro range fronts. The younger PLF2 cuts and beheads crusted fan surfaces in the Aljibejo zone (ABJ). The intermediate PLF3 controls the development of intervening tectonic reliefs and offset paleosol sequences in alluvial-colluvial deposits. Our analysis focuses on the PLF3 at the La Escarihuela site (ESCH), where outcrops display eight faulted paleosols developed on overlapped Middle Pleistocene colluvial-alluvial deposits, with variable vertical slip of between 21 and 12 cm (bulk accumulated offset: 33 cm), evidence of two surface faulting events. After the structural analysis of the fault planes (striae plunges) net left-lateral displacements of 120.9 ± 3.3 cm (Event 1) to 69.1 ± 5.2 cm (Event 2), associated with maximum magnitudes of c. 6.7–6.5 Mw. However, the faulted sequence is sealed by a thick mature calcrete horizon of similar characteristics to that faulted at the ABJ1 site. Regional chronological data on calcic soils and calcretes in SE Spain assign this mature calcrete to Oxygen isotopic stages (OIS) 9 (c. 300 ka). With this age fixed at the uppermost of the faulted paleosol sequence at the ESCH site (PLF3), soil development features (clay and carbonate contents, thickness, reddishness, etc.) were used as paleoclimatic proxies to correlate soil horizons with conventional OIS. Correlation indicates that clayey Bt soil horizons primarily occurred during warm isotopic stages followed by recalcification and carbonate accumulation (Btk; Bk; Ck horizons) during latter warmer stages. A proposed theoretical geochronological framework suggests that the sedimentary sequence at the ESCH site (PLF3) was deposited between OIS 18 and 9. Major environmental change towards the present semi-arid climate occurred during OIS 13 (c. 500 ka). During this same stage, paleoseismic event 1 also occurred, but paleoseismic event 2 took probably place during OIS 10 (c. 350 ka), before development of the uppermost calcrete sealing the deformation in this fault segment. However, this OIS 9 calcrete is faulted in the ABJ1 and a younger less developed calcrete is faulted in ABJ2 on the PLF2 segment. Chronology proposed in this paper suggests theoretical ages for these events of between OIS 8-OIS 5 for ABJ1 (c. 200 ka) and between OIS 4 -OIS 2 for ABJ2 (c. 40 ka). This last paleoseismic event triggered major landscape changes with still-visible fault scarps, linear tectonic reliefs, alluvial fan beheading and active drainage shuttering. This present work illustrates the use of soil/paleosol analyses in paleoseismology as a useful tool to build paleoclimatic analogues and develop relative chronological frameworks from existing regional age data. • Geomorphology of faulted paleosol sequences allows exploration of tectonic landscapes. • Paleosols are used as proxies to build OIS-based geochronological analogues. • The used methodology analyzes past surface faulting seismic events in SE Spain. • Proposed geochronological analogues allow the relative dating of past earthquakes. • Use of paleosol sequences as a valuable tool in paleoseismic investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gully width (W) is usually characterized by having a power relation with discharge. However, calculating runoff discharge in ungauged basins, where these gullies typically form, is inherently difficult and associated with large uncertainties. This paper examines a simplified approach to relating gully width directly to the runoff contributing area (A) in a cultivated area in SW Spain. The effect of rainfall and land use on this W-A relation was also analysed. Gully width was measured in 46 sections through the analysis of 10 historical orthophotos between 1956 and 2013, in a 21 km2 catchment in S Spain. These were validated by field measurements in 2013. Widening rates varied strongly over time, at between ~0 and 2,19 m year−1. No significant differences in the gully widening rates were found between the two land uses present in the study zone (olive groves and herbaceous crops). The data obtained show a significant power relation of the form W = αA β for all time periods analysed, except for 1980, when many gullies were filled in artificially due to a change in land use in the study area. The power relation coefficient (β) varied at between 0.2 and 0.3. A good correlation was obtained between the number of days with daily rainfall of above 13 mm and the increase in the α coefficient over time. The results of this study on gully width dynamics provide new insights into improving the estimation of gully volume, for example in combination with gully headcut retreat models, and including the effects of different climate scenarios. • Gully width dynamics were reconstructed from aerial orthophotos in Mediterranean crops. • We found a significant correlation between gully width and runoff contribution area. • Gully widening rates were successfully correlated with a rainfall index based on daily rainfall thresholds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]