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During the last decades, Nigerian migrant women in the European sex market, described as victims of trafficking, have generated consistent concern and outrage. This article analyzes data from an ethnographic study of more than 800 Nigerian sex workers in southern Spain, describing the networks used by these women to carry out their migration projects and the relationships they establish with their agents. Thus, it contributes to refuting the hegemonic narrative about trafficking and its victims by contrasting it with data collected and systematized over almost a decade of participant observation and informal conversation. This paper argues that the stereotypical image of the Nigerian migrant women as victims of abuse and violence by transnational trafficking networks functions to justify strict migration-control policies and the denial of labor rights to sex workers. As an antidote to the dominance of narratives based on stereotypes and pseudoscientific claims, this paper underscores the urgent need for ethnographic research and its focus on emic (participant) perspectives. The goal is to develop tailored and effective policies and practices for the prevention of and intervention in migrant women's experience of exploitation, abuse, and violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the diverse multiethnic setting of colonial New Spain, women faced challenges in separating themselves from marriages they considered unendurable. The Catholic Church, which exercised hegemony over definitions of marriage in the colony, controlled access to permanent, formal separation or "ecclesiastical divorce", while secular courts offered shorter-term separations generally aimed at reunifying couples. Outside of these options, flight, concealment, and bigamy, or "self-divorce," offered the only recourse for women seeking to leave an untenable relationship. While it is well known that few women sought (and even fewer were granted) ecclesiastical divorce, it is clear that many women sought separation through formal and informal means. Using ecclesiastical petitions for divorce, this paper investigates the experience of deposit (depósito) for New Spain's separated women. Deposit was likely a primary goal of women's divorce petitions. Moreover, the hegemony of marriage was less complete in reality than in ideology; the number of single women in the colony is now known to be vast, and their networks substantial. Building on Bird's and Megged's insights on separation and singleness, this paper argues that studying deposit reveals a custom that offered women of all classes a substantial degree of respite and agency in separation, particularly in the early colony, when institutional options were less formalized. Sometimes, depósito permitted lengthy separations that blurred into permanency, while at other times it served as a crucial safety valve. Nonetheless, the practice was a contested terrain on which husbands also sought to exercise power and control. Deposit, therefore, was a highly ambivalent form of "separation" in Latin America. This was undoubtedly true both in the early-colonial period and thereafter, but as colonial society matured and institutional deposit became more possible and common, men's power was enhanced. Studying the practice before the late seventeenth century therefore reveals some of the ways that early colonial societal flux authorized female agency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy management systems allow the Smart Grids industry to track, improve, and regulate energy use. Particularly, demand-side management is regarded as a crucial component of the entire Smart Grids system. Therefore, by aligning utility offers with customer demand, anticipating future energy demands is essential for regulating consumption. An updated examination of several forecasting techniques for projecting energy short-term load forecasts is provided in this article. Each class of algorithms, including statistical techniques, Machine Learning, Deep Learning, and hybrid combinations, are comparatively evaluated and critically analyzed, based on three real consumption datasets from Spain, Germany, and the United States of America. To increase the size of tiny training datasets, this paper also proposes a data augmentation technique based on Generative Adversarial Networks. The results show that the Deep Learning-hybrid model is more accurate than traditional statistical methods and basic Machine Learning procedures. In the same direction, it is demonstrated that more comprehensive datasets assisted by complementary data, such as energy generation and weather, may significantly boost the accuracy of the models. Additionally, it is also demonstrated that Generative Adversarial Networks-based data augmentation may greatly improve algorithm accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Avocado production has boomed worldwide in recent years, and Spain, including the Canary Islands, has been no exception. The number of avocado growers in the region has increased significantly as growers recognize the potential of this crop. However, several species of spider mites (Tetranychidae) pose a risk to this crop, with the genus Oligonychus being the most diverse and having the greatest economic impact. In particular, Oligonychus perseae (Tuttle, Baker and Abbatiello) has been reported as the one mainly responsible for the economic damage in major avocado-producing regions worldwide. In this paper, we aim to present an overview of the studies conducted and the measures implemented to mitigate the impact of O. perseae after its arrival in the Canary Islands. Our objective is to provide a detailed description of the current status of this pest (O. perseae), with special attention to its situation 17 years after its first appearance in avocado crops in the Canary Islands. In doing so, we aim to provide valuable insights and knowledge to understand and manage better the challenges posed by O. perseae in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on university education and its role in developing personality traits essential to achieving success in entrepreneurship is required because of the significance of entrepreneurship for advancements in the economic, social, technological, and environmental spheres. Additionally, the value of a university education in shaping an individual's personality, and the necessity of emphasizing entrepreneurship in higher education for students to achieve real success, should be a priority in our society. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to explore how university education influences personality traits that are key to success in entrepreneurship in Spain. To achieve this objective, a qualitative methodology based on the study of 11 cases has been adopted. The results allow us to conclude that university education has a decisive influence on the development of the personality traits that integrally determine entrepreneurial success as the culmination of the final stage of the maturation process; however, a university education is not fundamental to the development of these traits. Nevertheless, entrepreneurs emphasized that the personality traits analyzed need to be reinforced explicitly in university education since they effectively positively impact the success of entrepreneurial initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sideritis royoi is found in the rocky limestone habitats of the Port Massif (southern Catalonia, Spain). The species was first collected by the local botanist Lluís de Torres in the late part of the 20th century, but the specimens have remained unidentified positively in herbaria for over 40 years. Sideritis royoi likely belongs to section Sideritis subsection Hyssopifoliae and shows some morphological affinities with the relatively widespread South European species S. hyssopifolia L., but it differs from this species because it has subspinescent upper leaves, the main surfaces of its leaves are glabrous or glabrescent, the main abaxial surface of its bracts is without eglandular hairs, and due to the fact that it has shorter inflorescences. Weaker similarities have also been observed with some species belonging to S. subsection Fruticulosae Obón & D.Rivera. In this paper, a description for the new orophilous species is provided, along with a detailed illustration, field photographs, and a comparison with closely related species. We include an assessment of its conservation status and a dichotomous key for the identification of all the species of Sideritis subsection Hyssopifoliae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although celestial sources emitting in the few tens of GeV up to a few TeV are being investigated by imaging atmospheric Čerenkov telescope arrays such as H.E.S.S., MAGIC, and VERITAS, at higher energies, up to PeV, more suitable instrumentation is required to detect ultra-high-energy photons, such as extensive air shower arrays, as HAWC, LHAASO, Tibet AS- γ. The Italian National Institute for Astrophysics has recently become the leader of an international project, the ASTRI Mini-Array, with the aim of installing and operating an array of nine dual-mirror Čerenkov telescopes at the Observatorio del Teide in Spain starting in 2025. The ASTRI Mini-Array is expected to span a wide range of energies (1–200 TeV), with a large field of view (about 10 degrees) and an angular and energy resolution of ∼3 arcmin and ∼10 %, respectively. The first four years of operations will be dedicated to the exploitation of Core Science, with a small and selected number of pointings with the goal of addressing some of the fundamental questions on the origin of cosmic rays, cosmology, and fundamental physics, the time-domain astrophysics and non γ -ray studies (e.g., stellar intensity interferometry and direct measurements of cosmic rays). Subsequently, four more years will be dedicated to Observatory Science, open to the scientific community through the submission of observational proposals selected on a competitive basis. In this paper, I will review the Core Science topics and provide examples of possible Observatory Science cases, taking into account the synergies with current and upcoming observational facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the effectiveness of cross-border cooperation programmes between Spain and Portugal, focusing on their impact and outcomes in Portuguese regions. Drawing on a comprehensive analysis of the programmes, the study examines the socio-economic dynamics in border regions, including job creation, population trends, and investment patterns. The research employs a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative and quantitative data analysis. We argue that the cross-border territorial cooperation between Spain and Portugal has played a significant role in fostering regional development and addressing common challenges. While the concerted efforts have shown positive results in terms of economic growth and employment, they have not been sufficient to reverse the regressive demographic trends. Thus, it is essential to strengthen cooperation mechanisms, invest in human capital, and foster innovation so that the two countries can work together to create sustainable and inclusive development across their shared border regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Combined Heat and Power (CHP) has been identified by the EU as a powerful resource capable of making substantial contributions to energy savings and reducing GHG emissions. Spain's effort to promote CHP has been prolific since the 1980s. In this regard, there have been various Laws, Royal Decrees (RDs) and European Union (EU) Directives addressed to reach the national objectives set for the CHP sector. Despite these attempts, the evolution and growth of installed CHP capacity has been irregular, compared to other technologies. Likewise, the academic treatment of the Spanish CHP evolution has not deserved the same attention as other technologies such as wind, photovoltaic and thermal solar systems. As a result, this article is aimed at providing a comprehensive overview of the regulatory frameworks applied to the Spanish CHP sector and analysing the reasons behind the variable evolution of the installed CHP capacity. The study covers the legislative context from 1980 to 2020, describing the evolution during both the pre-liberalization and liberalization periods, highlighting the modifications in economic policies that affected self-producers and the so-called Special Regime (SR) for CHP, and examining the challenges faced during the cost containment measures that followed. The manuscript finds and explains the connection between the regulatory framework and the evolution of installed CHP capacity in Spain. Likewise, the connection between the industrial situation and the promotion of CHP, as well as the influence of the Spanish Electricity Sector (SES)'s liberalization on the CHP sector are also pointed out. The paper intends to provide valuable insights for CHP experts and policymakers by showcasing the importance of aligning regulatory measures with the objectives of energy efficiency. It also serves as a reference for countries in various stages of promoting CHP, and provides evidence for the importance of stable energy-policy control mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which is the United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change, has recently recognized the natural carbonation process as a way of carbon offsetting with mortar and concrete. Accordingly, this activity could be recognized as a carbon removal process for which certification should be granted. The aim of the certification of carbon removal is to promote the development of adequate and efficient new carbon removal processes. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to provide reliable results on carbon dioxide uptake by cement-based materials in Spain. Yearly, greenhouse gas emissions are reported to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) by each country, and the natural carbonation should be added up to the carbon accounting. Therefore, natural carbonation should be included in the IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories, and such accounting information should be made available promptly to the national regulatory authorities. This paper provides the results of carbon dioxide uptake by Spanish cement-based materials from 1990 to 2020 by using an easy method of estimating the net carbon dioxide emissions (simplified method) considering the carbon dioxide released by the calcination during clinker production (process emissions). The outcome of this study reveals that there was 93,556,000 tons of carbon dioxide uptake by the mortar and concrete manufactured in Spain from 1990 to 2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper compiles the data regarding the first occurrence of Oithona davisae and O. atlantica in NW Spain, which is supported by morphological and molecular analysis. Additionally, we investigated the seasonal dynamics of the invasive O. davisae, revealing that its abundance is conditioned by upwelling-downwelling patterns in the Rías Baixas of Galicia. Temperature was the most correlated factor, with higher abundances in upwelling relaxation-downwelling events. More studies in long-term zooplankton dynamics and molecular analysis are needed to determine if O. davisae is displacing other native species of the same genus, such as O. atlantica, in Galician waters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, youth unemployment has been the focus of attention of international and community bodies in the area of social rights. Specifically, there is a need to promote attitudes and skills to access employment, decent work, and entrepreneurship. The measures implemented have not been effective. In 2023, Spain had the highest youth unemployment rate in the European Union (29.6%). An improvement in the level and quality of education and training of young people would reduce their level of unemployment. Entrepreneurship education is, therefore, a necessary value in the society of the 21st century since it is a tool for the development and growth of the younger population. In the entrepreneurship education model proposed in this study for adolescents, we focus on the capacities of self-efficacy and personal initiative as precursors of entrepreneurial behavior. This paper analyzes the differences between the mean values of the variables before and after the implementation of the educational program and the influence or correlation between the variables. The main results are threefold: (i) the educational program implemented improves the mean values of the two variables analyzed; (ii) self-efficacy exerts a positive or direct influence on personal initiative, and (iii) the educational program improves or reinforces the positive influence of self-efficacy on personal initiative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]