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Platform capitalism is a growing reality with a widening social and economic impact. The rapid expansion of Short-Term Rental (STR) platforms has led to new challenges for policy regulation. The main objective of this paper is to shed some light on current conflicts surrounding the regulation of STR. The body of literature on this topic mainly focuses on the increasing substitution of sharing economy by commercial hosts. By contrast, we explain that the ideological notion of host hinders the understanding of the supply-side structure. A critical approach (as critique of ideology and ideological categories) should entail a class perspective based on rent theory and engage with critical works on platform capitalism. In this article, we propose an innovative analytical approach to STR supply-side supported by rent theory, which focuses on the relationship of agents with land and technology ownership and specialised management services, as these are forms of rent appropriation. From this point of view, these supply-side agents are not hosts, but class factions with common and competing economic interests in rent appropriation. Therefore, they can employ a variety of strategies to influence the political regulation of STRs. Based on in-depth interviews with landlords, individual managers, and corporate agencies in Andalusia (Southern Spain), we show the conflicting internal structure behind the ideological notion of host and even professionalisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Educational systems have the common objective of coordinating efforts to improve students' communicative competence and facilitate the development of their oral and written language skills for personal, social, academic, and professional purposes. The work on communicative competence from a school perspective has various antecedents in the international educational context. In Spain, the improvement of students' linguistic communication competence in all the languages spoken in the schools (mother languages and second languages) has been addressed through different initiatives, among which the SLP (School Language Project) programme, better known in Spanish as Proyecto Lingüístico de Centro (PLC), which has been implemented in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia since the 2013–2014 academic year, stands out. The aim of this paper is to examine the opinions of the teacher coordinators involved in the implementation of SLP in their schools as well as their perceptions about the impact of external factors in the process and, lastly, to highlight the main implications emerging from this global vision for the implementation of interdisciplinary projects to improve LCC (Linguistic Communication Competence) schools. This study is based on the feedback provided by the coordinators of the SLP initiative in Andalusian institutions over five academic years. The findings have been studied utilising a qualitative methodology and assessed using the Atlas Ti 6.0 software, then grouped into five diverse categories. The results indicate that, despite the programme's strengths, specific improvement measures are necessary in both external and internal aspects related to SLP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The advent and spread of social networking sites have been the object of study of most of the research performed on political communication over the past 25 years. However, more recent inquiries have indicated that the political establishment still has not fully exploited the interactive potential of these media. Against this backdrop, this paper presents the results of a systematic study of the communication between the main political parties in Andalusia (the most populous region in Spain) and the citizenry on Twitter, with the aim of confirming whether or not it is really interactive and participatory. To this end, the spotlight is placed here on those parties most active online and on the way in which they foster interactivity, the subjects that they broach and the functions of their messages. The data were obtained from a content analysis of the tweets (n = 10,729) posted on the official profiles of the main Andalusian parties in 2020. The results indicate that there was no interactive communication with the citizenry, despite the fact that they were in much need of reassurance owing to the unprecedented situation to which the COVID-19 pandemic had given rise. The Andalusian political parties still use social networking sites for the one-way dissemination of information, which shows that they are not, in practice, horizontal and participatory spaces of communication, as the cyber-optimists, defending the innovation hypothesis, predicted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The European Commission and EU Member States have recently promoted legislation (under the REPower EU Plan) to accelerate renewable energy projects by allowing the elimination or reduction of environmental assessment and public participation in the approval procedure. To avoid adverse effects on the environment, these regulations propose the exclusion of certain areas (identified through available information on protected and/or environmentally sensitive areas) from the procedure. This paper aims to evaluate whether such measures are effective to avoid damage to biodiversity from the implementation of photovoltaic energy. To this end, we studied the distribution and abundance of a threatened bird species, the Black-bellied Sandgrouse, at two geographic scales: i) regional: Andalusia (southern Spain); ii) local: Campo de Tabernas (an excellent example of the semi-arid ecosystems of southeastern Spain) and evaluated the quality of the information that Administrations have on the species by comparing it with own censuses. We also assessed the effectiveness of the environmental impact procedure for photovoltaic plants planned in Campo de Tabernas. Data from the regional Administration reveal that Andalusian protected areas cover a minimal part (17.7%) of the species' range. Moreover, neither the regional nor the national Administration have reliable and updated information on the distribution of the species in Campo de Tabernas (only 17% of the current distribution area is known). The wrong choices made by developers about where to locate the photovoltaic plants together with wrong decisions of the regional Administration (with land-use planning competences, including the planning of power plant locations) have led to the loss of 630 ha of the species' range in Campo de Tabernas. Public participation of experts prevents, through allegations to the projects, an important part of the impact on the species. Policy implications: the information that the Administrations have on this species does not allow them to make proper decisions on where to apply renewable acceleration. Obtaining complete and updated information on the distribution of endangered species to elaborate detailed wildlife sensitivity areas is essential and urgent before implementing measures to accelerate renewables. • The new EU renewable acceleration directives are analysed here for the first time. • A threatened species becomes locally extinct due to solar power plants' poor planning. • Involving experts in EIA procedure greatly reduces the impact on a threatened species. • The design of renewable go-to areas demands specific research on threatened species. • Current EU legislation to accelerate renewables will negatively affect biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"The Book of Secrets in the Results of Ideas", usually called "The Book of Secrets" is a codex containing drawings and descriptions of thirty-one artifacts attributed to the engineer Alī Ibn Khalaf al-Murādī, who lived in Andalusia in southern Spain at the beginning of the 11th century. This manuscript is one of the first written testimonies that describe medieval mechanisms with complex precision. The aim of this work is to reconstruct and study from a historical and technological point of view two of the ancient artifacts contained in the "Book of Secrets", the "Fortress Demolisher" and the "Magic Well". The "Fortress Demolisher" is a war machine designed to demolish the upper part of the walls or towers and consists of a battering ram mounted on a platform that can be raised several meters above the ground using a scissor mechanism. The "Magic Well" is a mechanism with several pulleys whose purpose is to raise water several meters from the bottom of a well by collecting a small portion of rope. To reconstruct the two artifacts, a digital model and a detailed study of the geometry and operation of the mechanisms, were first carried out. 3D printing, using the Fused Deposition Modelling technology, made the physical reproduction. The digitization and physical reproduction by 3D printing of the mechanisms represent an update of the traditional ways of transmitting knowledge. The use of these new technologies makes the knowledge more accessible, understandable and attractive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Coxiella burnetii, the causative agent of Q fever, is a multi-host zoonotic bacterium of public and animal health concern, with Spain being the European country with the highest number of Q fever cases in recent years. However, and despite that the European wild rabbit and the Iberian hare are two keystone species in the Iberian Peninsula and are considered important sources of food for humans, very little is known about the epidemiological role of these two species. To tackle this question, a cross-sectional study was carried out to determine the seroprevalence and risk factors associated with C. burnetii exposure in wild lagomorph populations of Southern Spain. Antibodies against this bacterium were found in 11.3% of 471 wild rabbits, and, for the first time, in 2.4% of 167 Iberian hares, which provides evidence of the moderate circulation of C. burnetii in wild lagomorph populations in Spanish Mediterranean ecosystems. Our results also demonstrated that wild lagomorphs from western Andalusia and those from hunting grounds in which sheep were present were at higher risk of exposure to C. burnetii. In this context, these risk factors should be prioritized in future risk-based surveillance programs for this zoonotic multi-host bacterium. Coxiella burnetii is an important zoonotic pathogen of worldwide distribution that can infect a wide range of wild and domestic species. The European wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) can play a role as a reservoir for this bacterium in certain epidemiological scenarios, but, to date, a very limited numbers of large-scale serosurveys have been conducted for this species worldwide. Although exposure in hare species has also been described, C. burnetii in Iberian hare (Lepus granatensis) has never been assessed. Here, we aimed to determine the seroprevalence and risk factors associated with C. burnetii exposure in wild lagomorphs in the Mediterranean ecosystems of southern Spain. Between the 2018/2019 and 2021/2022 hunting seasons, blood samples from 638 wild lagomorphs, including 471 wild rabbits and 167 Iberian hares, were collected from 112 hunting grounds distributed across all eight provinces of Andalusia (southern Spain). The overall apparent individual seroprevalence was 8.9% (57/638; 95% CI: 6.8–11.4). Antibodies against C. burnetii were found in 11.3% (53/471; 95% CI: 8.4–14.1) of the wild rabbits and 2.4% (4/167; 95% CI: 0.1–4.7) of the Iberian hares. Seropositive animals were detected for 16 (14.3%; 95% CI: 7.8–20.8) of the 112 hunting grounds tested and in all the hunting seasons sampled. A generalized estimating equations model showed that the geographical area (western Andalusia) and presence of sheep were risk factors potentially associated with C. burnetii exposure in wild lagomorphs. A statistically significant spatial cluster (p < 0.001) was identified in the south-west of Andalusia. Our results provide evidence of moderate, endemic and heterogeneous circulation of C. burnetii in wild lagomorph populations in Spanish Mediterranean ecosystems. Risk-based strategies for integrative surveillance programs should be implemented in these species to reduce the risk of transmission of the bacterium to sympatric species, including humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to characterise the prevalence of violence in intimate relationships among young university students and the internalisation of ambivalent sexism. The method used was a quantitative, descriptive study of Primary Education and Early Childhood Education groups in Andalusia, Spain. The final sample consisted of 848 participants. As a data collection tool, we used the VIREPA questionnaire and the Ambivalent Sexism Inventory. The results show that the most frequent forms of violence in young couples' relationships are emotional, followed by physical and sexual violence, and emotional violence, followed by physical and psychological violence, with sexual aggression being slightly lower. Concerning the variable sex, although the averages are very close, women have higher averages in terms of emotional, physical, and psychological abuse; personal devaluation; and sexual abuse, while men have higher averages in terms of social and economic control. In addition, low levels of sexism were found to be ambivalent in the sample, with the results being highly differentiated by gender, with men having higher arithmetic means than women. This led us to design educational strategies that avoid inequalities between men and women and that contribute to the eradication of sexism and, consequently, the perpetration of violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Dairy goat farming in Andalusia is diverse and predominantly family-based and presents particularities in terms of its economic strategies that require a specific approach. For this reason, in the context of climatic and energy crises that have a decisive influence on the activity, it has been considered relevant to deepen the knowledge of the economic and energy profiles of the different goat production systems, filling an information gap that existed. For this purpose, twenty-one farms, representatives of the dairy goat system diversity in Andalusia, were monitored for one year, obtaining technical-economic information that allowed the calculation of different energy and economic indicators. The results of this work demonstrate that, from an energetic point of view, goat farms that base their feeding strategies on grazing and make optimal use of natural resources are more efficient than models based on permanent stabling. This greater environmental sustainability derived from extensification is penalized by the markets, which give priority to intensive models with greater milk production and less food autonomy. Nevertheless, this study demonstrates that extensification strategies are capable of remunerating family labor and can, therefore, be economically viable, provided that support from the Common Agricultural Policy is included in the analyses. The family-owned dairy goat sector in Andalusia presents great diversity. Taking into account the particularities of their economic strategies, which are focused on generating net value added and a stable long-term remuneration for family labor, this work aims to expand the scarce existing knowledge on the energetic and economic profiles of the different caprine management systems in a context of climate and energy crisis. For this purpose, twenty-one farms, representatives of the four typologies of the Andalusian dairy goat system, were monitored for one year: pastoral systems, grazing systems with high feed supply, indoor systems with associated crops, and indoor systems without associated crops. Technical-economic information was obtained that allowed the calculation of energy and economic indicators. In terms of socialized output, the differences found were due to the energy derived from milk sales, which was clearly lower in pastoral systems. The higher proportion of energy output obtained from manure with respect to edible products (milk and meat) highlights the importance of the former in energetic terms. High values for external inputs are found in the intensive group (111.22 GJ LSU−1), while the lowest results correspond to the pastoral group (36.96 GJ LSU−1). The main external input is the energy proceeding from purchased feed, which accounts for over 79% of the total external energy input in all four groups. The highest energy efficiency corresponds to the pastoral group, which is also the most efficient one in the use of non-renewable energy to produce milk and meat. Additionally, the level of eco-efficiency is higher in pastoral systems. Common Agricultural Policy funds contribute to increasing the remuneration of family work in pastoral systems, assimilating it to the rest of the systems. Therefore, intensification does not imply an absolute monetary advantage in all cases, while extensification can be remunerative for family-owned dairy farming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]