Fuel poverty analysis in three spanish autonomous regions. Some retrofitting policy considerations

A person is to be regarded as living ‘in fuel poverty’ if he is a member of a household living on a lower income in a home which cannot be kept warm at a reasonable cost. This situation is mainly triggered by three factors: low household income, lack of energy efficiency and high energy invoices. Some European countries have already made some advantages towards officially defining fuel poverty in their countries. Nevertheless, in Spain only some research has been done and an official definition of the term is yet to come. This research explores the relation among households’ income, energy expenditure and housing stock in three autonomous regions in Spain in order to evaluate the housing stock of the fuel poor as well as to identify those households more in need. The results of the research allow establishing energy retrofitting priorities of existing housing stock as well as identifying current retrofitting policies limitations on order to tackle fuel poverty.

Aspectos formales y constructivos en la obra de Guillem Sagrera: el uso de las plantillas

Los enjarjes, jarjas o jarjamentos conforman el comienzo de la bóveda de crucería, el lugar en el que todos los nervios nacen reunidos. Permiten la transición entre el muro y las dovelas que constituyen nervios, resolviendo un encuentro de gran importancia constructiva. Están compuestos por piezas de lechos horizontales que traban con el muro y que, además de conformar el arranque de los nervios, han de proporcionar apoyo a las primeras dovelas. Al construirse a la vez que el muro y antes que el resto de la bóveda, se podría decir que son los encargados de portar su ADN: en ellos queda registrado el número de nervios que tendrá la bóveda, su curvatura, desde qué altura arrancará cada uno, su perfil, etc. El objetivo de este trabajo se centra en estudio de los enjarjes en la obra de Guillem Sagrera abordando su dimensión tecnológica, constructiva y de diseño. Dos características los distinguen de otras soluciones y justifican su interés: los nervios surgen directamente del muro, sin la intermediación de capiteles, ménsulas o pilastras; y se diseñan con la intención de facilitar la aparición de intersecciones entre las molduras de sus perfiles, en algunos casos mediante el cruce de los ejes de los nervios. Sagrera nos acerca a una innovación arquitectónica en la que el esfuerzo no se centra en realizar bóvedas con muchos nervios o con trazados en planta complejos, sino en la cuidada resolución de este encuentro de nervios. En ella se adivina el trabajo minucioso con las plantillas que controlan el trazado del contorno de los lechos de las piezas y la hábil mano de los canteros que son capaces de tallar intersecciones de gran complejidad. Se ha realizado un repaso de los primeros experimentos relativos al modo de relacionarse los nervios entre sí para ilustrar el contexto y origen de las soluciones realizadas por Guillem Sagrera. Mostramos que ante ciertas dificultades, consecuencia de la reunión de nervios, los constructores fueron capaces de desarrollar nuevas soluciones, mediante la experimentación con un sistema constructivo que conocían y manejaban con destreza. Para acercarnos a la comprensión de las estrategias de diseño que permiten el proyecto de estos enjarjes y los procedimientos técnicos y constructivos necesarios para su ejecución, nos vimos en la necesidad de adentrarnos en la problemática general de los enjarjes de la bóveda de crucería. De este modo, lo que empezó siendo una introducción para poder contextualizar la obra del mallorquín acabó convirtiéndose en la primera parte de la tesis, cuyo volumen prácticamente equipara a la segunda. En ella presentamos el proceso de diseño, trazado y talla de los cuatro enjarjes llevados a cabo en el taller de cantería de la ETSAM, en los que hemos podido experimentar de manera práctica los aspectos teóricos desarrollados. Estos ensayos nos han permitido contrastar hipótesis y baremar la dificultad de ciertos procedimientos o procesos, así como acercarnos realmente al elemento constructivo. El trabajo práctico nos ha enseñado a no fiarnos siempre de las hipótesis que se desarrollan modelando con el ordenador o dibujando; a valorar el pensar con las manos. En relación con la obra de Sagrera, la presente investigación realiza aportaciones al conocimiento del cambio proyectual y constructivo llevado a cabo en los arranques de las bóvedas entre los siglos XIII y XV, cuando los nervios comienzan a surgir directamente de los soportes y se dan los primeros cruzamientos. Mostramos que ya no solamente se construyen enjarjes fruto directo de la geometría general de la bóveda, sino que se llevan a cabo cambios deliberados en relación a su resultado, en los que se advierten decisiones proyectuales que, por supuesto, no serían viables sin las posibilidades que ofrece el trabajo con plantillas. ABSTRACT The solid blocks commonly known as tas-de-charge (in Spanish enjarjes, jarjas or jarjamentos) constitute the beginning of the ribbed vault – the place from which all the ribs spring together. They facilitate a transition between the wall and the rib voussoirs, and thus solve a junction of utmost constructive importance. They consist of blocks set in horizontal courses which interlock with the wall and which, as well as constituting the springing of the ribs, serve as a support for their first voussoirs. The tas-de-charge are built simultaneously with the wall and well before the remainder of the vault – thus, they arguably carry its ‘DNA’, since they register how many ribs the vault will have as well as their curvature, their springing height or their profile. This work is focused on the study of the tas-de-charge in the works of Guillem Sagrera, and will address their technological, constructive and design aspects. Two characteristics set these apart from other solutions and justify their relevance: these are that the ribs spring directly from the wall without the mediation of capitals, corbels or pilasters; and that they are deliberately designed to force the intersection of their mouldings, in some cases by crossing the rib axes. Sagrera’s work tells a story of architectural innovation – one where the effort is not centred on creating vaults with numerous ribs or a sophisticated ground plan, but on carefully solving the rib unions, which evidence a meticulous use of templates to control the tracing of the pieces’ profiles as well as the skill of the stonemasons, able to carve highly complex intersections. An overview of the first experiments with rib relationships will illustrate the context and origin of Guillem Sagrera’s solutions. We show how, faced with difficulties arising from the convergence of ribs into the tas-de-charge, builders were able to develop new solutions by experimenting with a construction system that they were already familiar with and could control easily. In order to gain a better insight into the design strategies behind his tas-de-charge and the technical and constructive procedures required for their execution, we found ourselves facing the need to address the general subject of tas-de-charge in ribbed vaults. This, which began as an introduction meant as context for Sagrera’s work, took on a life of its own and became the first half of the thesis, with a volume practically equal to that of the second. We have devoted a chapter to experimental archaeology. It comprises the design, tracing and carving processes for the four tas-de-charge executed at the ETSAM Stonecutting Workshop, in which we have tested experimentally the theories studied in the previous chapters. These tests have allowed us to contrast hypotheses, assess the difficulty of certain procedures or processes and understand the built element as a real entity. The practical work has taught us not to always trust the hypotheses proposed through computer modelling or drawing – and to recognise the importance of coordinating the hands and the mind. After studying Sagrera’s work and contrasting it with other related or previous tas-de-charge, our research will seek to make a contribution to the study of the shift in the design and construction of vault springers that took place between the 13th and 14th centuries, when ribs began to spring directly from their support and moulding crossings began to appear. We show that, from then on, tas-de-charge would not only depend on the general vault geometry – deliberate modifications would be carried out in order to achieve the desired result. This reveals design decisions that would have been unworkable if not for the effective use of template strategies.

Occurrence and analysis of selected pharmaceutical compounds in soil from Spanish agricultural fields

This work describes the analysis of 15 pharmaceutical compounds, belonging to different therapeutic classes (anti-inflammatory/analgesics, lipid regulators, antiepileptics, ?-blockers and antidepressants) and with diverse physical?chemical properties, in Spanish soils with different farmland uses. The studied compounds were extracted from soil by ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) and determined, after derivatization, by gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection (GC?MS). The limits of detection (LODs) ranged from 0.14 ng g?1 (naproxen) to 0.65 ng g?1 (amitriptyline). At least two compounds where detected in all samples, being ibuprofen, salicylic acid, and paracetamol, the most frequently detected compounds. The highest levels found in soil were 47 ng g?1 for allopurinol and 37 ng g?1 for salicylic acid. The influence of the type of crop and the sampling area on the levels of pharmaceuticals in soil, as well as their relationship with soil physical?chemical properties, was studied. The frequent and widespread detection of some of these compounds in agricultural soils show a diffuse contamination, although the low levels found do not pose a risk to the environment or the human health.

Composition, potential emissions and agricultural value of pig slurry from Spanish commercial farms

Pig slurry is a valuable fertilizer for crop production but at the same time its management may pose environmental risks. Slurry samples were collected from 77 commercial farms of four animal categories (gestating and lactating sows, nursery piglets and growing pigs) and analyzed for macronutrients, micronutrients, heavy metals and volatile fatty acids. Emissions of ammonia (NH3) and biochemical methane potential (BMP) were quantified. Slurry electrical conductivity, pH, dry matter content and ash content were also determined. Data analysis included an analysis of correlations among variables, the development of prediction models for gaseous emissions and the analysis of nutritional content of slurries for crop production. Descriptive information is provided in this work and shows a wide range of variability in all studied variables. Animal category affected some physicochemical parameters, probably as a consequence of different slurry management and use of cleaning water. Slurries from gestating sows and growing pigs tended to be more concentrated in nutrients, whereas the slurry from lactating sows and nursery piglets tended to be more diluted. Relevant relationships were found among slurry characteristics expressed in fresh basis and gas emissions. Predictive models using on-farm measurable parameters were obtained for NH3 (R2 = 0.51) and CH4

Pre-investigation of water electrolysis for flexible energy storage at large scales: the case of the Spanish power system

This report analyzes the basis of hydrogen and power integration strategies, by using water electrolysis processes as a means of flexible energy storage at large scales. It is a prospective study, where the scope is to describe the characteristics of current power systems (like the generation technologies, load curves and grid constraints), and define future scenarios of hydrogen for balancing the electrical grids, considering the efficiency, economy and easiness of operations. We focus in the "Spanish case", which is a good example for planning the transition from a power system holding large reserve capacities, high penetration of renewable energies and limited interconnections, to a more sustainable energy system being capable to optimize the volumes, the regulation modes, the utilization ratios and the impacts of the installations. Thus, we explore a novel aspect of the "hydrogen economy" which is based in the potentials of existing power systems and the properties of hydrogen as energy carrier, by considering the electricity generation and demand globally and determining the optimal size and operation of the hydrogen production processes along the country; e.g. the cost production of hydrogen becomes viable for a base-load scenario with 58 TWh/year of power surplus at 0.025 V/kWh, and large number electrolyzer plants (50 MW) running in variable mode (1-12 kA/m2)

'Suntipt' [ [Material gráfico]: Spanish oranges.

Tit. en la etiqueta: "Spanish / 'Suntipt' / oranges"

E. Roselló [ [Material gráfico]: Valencia : Spanish produce : prime quality : best value.

Un cebolla dentro de un rombo azul oscuro sobre un fondo blanco

E. Roselló [ [Material gráfico]: Valencia : Spanish produce : prime quality : best value.

Un cebolla dentro de un rombo azul claro sobre un fondo azul oscuro

Communicating strategically in the face of terrorism: The Spanish government’s response to the 2004 Madrid bombing attacks

With the re-emergence of insurgency tied to terrorism, governments need to strategically manage their communications. This paper analyzes the effect of the Spanish government’s messaging in the face of the Madrid bombing of March 11, 2004: unlike what happened with the 9/11 bombings in the USA and the 7/07 London attacks, the Spanish media did not support the government’s framing of the events. Taking framing as a strategic action in a discursive form (Pan & Kosicki, 2003), and in the context of the attribution theory of responsibilities, this research uses the “cascading activation” model (Entman, 2003, 2004) to explore how a framing contest was generated in the press. Analysis of the coverage shows that the intended government frame triggered a battle among the different major newspapers, leading editorials to shift their frame over the four days prior to the national elections. This research analyzes strategic contests in framing processes and contributes insight into the interactions among the different sides (government, parties, media, and citizens) to help bring about an understanding of the rebuttal effect of the government’s intended frame. It also helps to develop an understanding of the role of the media and the influence of citizens’ frames on media content.

The 12-Item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12): Reliability,external validity and factor structure in the Spanish population

The purpose of this study was to analyze the internal consistency and the external and structure validity of the 12-Item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) in the Spanish general population. A stratified sample of 1001 subjects, ages between 25 and 65 years, taken from the general Spanish population was employed. The GHQ-12 and the Inventory of Situations and Responses of Anxiety-ISRA were administered. A Cronbach’s alpha of .76 (Standardized Alpha: .78) and a 3-factor structure (with oblique rotation and maximum likelihood procedure) were obtained. External validity of Factor I (Successful Coping) with the ISRA is very robust (.82; Factor II, .70; Factor III, .75). The GHQ-12 shows adequate reliability and validity in the Spanish population. Therefore, the GHQ-12 can be used with efficacy to assess people’s overall psychological well-being and to detect non-psychotic psychiatric problems. Additionally, our results confirm that the GHQ-12 can best be thought of as a multidimensional scale that assesses several distinct aspects of distress, rather than just a unitary screening measure.

Time Trends in Self-Rated Health and Disability in Older Spanish People: Differences by Gender and Age

Abstract Background: To analyse time trends in self-rated health in older people by gender and age and examine disability in the time trends of self-rated health. Methods: The data used come from the Spanish National Health Surveys conducted in 2001, 2003, 2006 and 2011- 12. Samples of adults aged 16 yr and older were selected. Multivariate logistic regression was used to assess the association between age, gender, socio-economic status, marital status, disability and self-rated health across period study. Results: Women exhibited lower (higher) prevalence of good self-rated health (disability) compared to men. The multivariate analysis for time trends found that good self-rated health increased from 2001 to 2012. Overall, variables associated with a lower likelihood of good self-rated health were: being married or living with a partner, lower educational level, and disability. Conclusion: Trends of good self-rated health differ by gender according to socio-demographic factors and the prevalence of disability.

On the forecast accuracy and consistency of exchange rate expectations: The Spanish PwC Survey.

We examine the predictive ability and consistency properties of exchange rate expectations for the dollar/euro using a survey conducted in Spain by PwC among a panel of experts and entrepreneurs. Our results suggest that the PwC panel have some forecasting ability for time horizons from 3 to 9 months, although only for the 3-month ahead expectations we obtain marginal evidence of unbiasedness and efficiency in the forecasts. As for the consistency properties of the exchange rate expectations formation process, we find that survey participants form stabilising expectations in the short-run and destabilising expectations in the long- run and that the expectation formation process is closer to fundamentalists than chartists.