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Background: Seasonal influenza epidemics have a substantial public health and economic burden, which can be alleviated through vaccination. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a 75% vaccination coverage rate (VCR) in: older adults (aged ≥ 65 years), individuals with chronic conditions, pregnant women, children aged 6–24 months and healthcare workers. However, no European country achieves this target in all risk groups. In this study, potential public health and economic benefits achieved by reaching 75% influenza VCR was estimated in risk groups across four European countries: France, Italy, Spain, and the UK. Methods: A static epidemiological model was used to estimate the averted public health and economic burden of increasing the 2021/2022 season VCR to 75%, using the efficacy data of standard-dose quadrivalent influenza vaccine. For each country and risk group, the most recent data on population size, VCR, pre-pandemic influenza epidemiology, direct medical costs and absenteeism were identified through a systematic literature review, supplemented by manual searching. Outcomes were: averted influenza cases, general practitioner (GP) visits, hospitalisations, case fatalities, number of days of work lost, direct medical costs and absenteeism-related costs. Results: As of the 2021/2022 season, the UK achieved the highest weighted VCR across risk groups (65%), followed by Spain (47%), France (44%) and Italy (44%). Based on modelling, the 2021/2022 VCR prevented an estimated 1.9 million influenza cases, avoiding 375,200 GP visits, 73,200 hospitalisations and 38,400 deaths. To achieve the WHO 75% VCR target, an additional 24 million at-risk individuals would need to be vaccinated, most of which being older adults and patients with chronic conditions. It was estimated that this could avoid a further 918,200 influenza cases, 332,000 GP visits, 16,300 hospitalisations and 6,300 deaths across the four countries, with older adults accounting for 52% of hospitalisations and 80% of deaths. An additional €84 million in direct medical costs and €79 million in absenteeism costs would be saved in total, with most economic benefits delivered in France. Conclusions: Older adults represent most vaccine-preventable influenza cases and deaths, followed by individuals with chronic conditions. Health authorities should prioritise vaccinating these populations for maximum public health and economic benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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]

Flashbulb memories (FBMs) refer to vivid and long-lasting autobiographical memories for the circumstances in which people learned of a shocking and consequential public event. A cross-national study across eleven countries aimed to investigate FBM formation following the first COVID-19 case news in each country and test the effect of pandemic-related variables on FBM. Participants had detailed memories of the date and others present when they heard the news, and had partially detailed memories of the place, activity, and news source. China had the highest FBM specificity. All countries considered the COVID-19 emergency as highly significant at both the individual and global level. The Classification and Regression Tree Analysis revealed that FBM specificity might be influenced by participants' age, subjective severity (assessment of COVID-19 impact in each country and relative to others), residing in an area with stringent COVID-19 protection measures, and expecting the pandemic effects. Hierarchical regression models demonstrated that age and subjective severity negatively predicted FBM specificity, whereas sex, pandemic impact expectedness, and rehearsal showed positive associations in the total sample. Subjective severity negatively affected FBM specificity in Turkey, whereas pandemic impact expectedness positively influenced FBM specificity in China and negatively in Denmark. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A global disaster, such as the recent Covid-19 pandemic, affects every aspect of our lives and there is a need to investigate these highly complex phenomena if one aims to diminish their impact in the health of the population, as well as their socio-economic stability. In this paper we present an attempt to understand the role of the governmental authorities and the response of the rest of the population facing such emergencies. We present a mathematical model that takes into account the epidemiological features of the pandemic and also the actions of people responding to it, focusing only on three aspects of the system, namely, the fear of catching this serious disease, the impact on the economic activities and the compliance of the people to the mitigating measures adopted by the authorities. We apply the model to the specific case of Spain, since there are accurate data available about these three features. We focused on tourism as an example of the economic activity, since this sector of economy is one of the most likely to be affected by the restrictions imposed by the authorities, and because it represents an important part of Spanish economy. The results of numerical calculations agree with the empirical data in such a way that we can acquire a better insight of the different processes at play in such a complex situation, and also in other different circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Epilepsy is a chronic brain disease characterized by recurrent seizures. We investigated real-world management of epilepsy across treatment lines in Spain, including healthcare resource use (HRU) and associated costs. Methods: This was a retrospective study of real-life data from epilepsy patients prescribed antiseizure medication (ASM) between January 2016 and December 2021. Patients were grouped according to their line of treatment (1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th +) during the recruitment period. Demographic and clinical characteristics, comorbidities and concomitant medications were analyzed during the baseline period (6 months before starting treatment line); antiepileptic treatments, concomitant medications, HRU and associated costs were analyzed during follow-up. Results: The study included 5006 patients. Treatment duration decreased as treatment lines progressed (mean ± SD progression time: 523.2 ± 279.1 days from 1st to 2nd line, 351.6 ± 194.4 days from 2nd to 3rd line; 272.7 ± 139.3 days from 3rd to 4th + line). Significant HRU differences were found with subsequent treatment lines, including an increase in hospital admissions and patients on sick leave. Mean (95% CI) adjusted total costs per patient were €2974/year (2773–3175) in the 1st line and €5735/year (5043–6428) in the 4th + line. There was an increase in adjusted direct and total costs with subsequent treatment lines; the mean difference in total costs between cohorts was €2761 (p < 0.001). The highest direct costs were associated with epilepsy medication, days at the hospital and specialist visits. Conclusion: Our data revealed a progressive increase in the use of resources and associated costs across subsequent epilepsy treatment lines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive and fatal lung disease associated with dyspnoea, cough and impaired quality of life affecting around 7500 patients in Spain. Objective: Our aim was to estimate the economic impact of IPF according to forced vital capacity (FVC) % predicted level in adult patients. Methods: We conducted a prospective, observational, multicentric study of patients with confirmed IPF in Spain. Total annual IPF-related costs were estimated per patient, and categorised according to the FVC% predicted value (FVC < 50%, FVC 50–80%, FVC > 80%) and total sample. Incurred direct health- and non-health-related costs and indirect costs were calculated considering the IPF-related healthcare resource use and the corresponding unitarian costs. Results were updated to 2023 euros. Results: Two hundred and four consecutive patients with IPF were included: 77% male, average age (standard deviation) 70.8 (7.6) years. At baseline, FVC% was < 50%, 50–80% and > 80% of predicted value in 10.8%, 74.5% and 14.7% of patients, respectively. The final cost-evaluable population included 180 subjects. The mean (standard deviation) total annual IPF-related cost was €26,997 (17,555), with statistically significant differences (p = 0.0002) between groups: €44,412 (33,389) for the FVC < 50%, €25,803 (14,688) for the FVC 50–80% and €23,242 (13,642) for the FVC > 80%. Annual direct health costs had the greatest weight and included pharmacological treatments [€22,324 (13,773)] and hospitalisation days [€1659 (7362)]. 14 patients had ≥ 1 acute exacerbation of IPF during the study; mean total cost of an acute exacerbation of IPF was €10,372. According to the multivariate analysis, an impaired lung function (FVC < 50%) and use of antifibrotic treatment were determinants of cost (p < 0.0001 both). Conclusions: We observed a significantly higher annual IPF-related cost at a lower level of predicted FVC%, the direct cost having the greatest weight to the total costs. Maintaining patients at early disease stages by slowing IPF progression is relevant to reduce the economic impact of IPF. Clinical Trial Registration: EU PAS register number EUPAS19387 (1 June, 2017). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The frequency and severity of extreme events related to climate change have intensified worldwide in the last decades. It is documented that increasing extreme rainfall and flooding cause more nutrient runoff into waterbodies, initiating numerous harmful algal bloom (HAB) events, especially in fragile ecosystems. We analyze the dramatic economic damage of one of these episodes in Mar Menor, the largest salt-water lagoon in Europe. We show that when the public perceived the severity of environmental degradation, the return on housing investment was 43% lower in the surroundings than in similar neighboring zones 6 years after the HAB (2015). This represents a loss in housing wealth of more than 4000 million euros, around ten times the gains of changing from dry-farming to irrigated crops, which makes this ecosystem fragile. Hence, we quantify some of the economic consequences of ecological deterioration linked to episodes of Global Climate Change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on electricity consumption patterns. We highlight the importance of decomposing total electricity consumption into consumption by firms and by households to better understand the economic and social impacts of the crisis. While electricity demand by firms has fallen substantially, the demand by households has gone up. In particular, our focus is on Spain where, during the total lockdown, these effects reached –29% and +10% respectively, controlling for temperature and seasonality. While the electricity demand reductions during the second wave were milder, the demand by firms remained 5% below its normal levels. We also document a change in people’s daily routines in response to the stringency of the lockdown measures, as reflected in their hourly electricity consumption patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the last decades the green economy has been proposed from different international organizations as an economic model for the 21st century that gravitates around respecting the environment. This paper tries to identify, with criteria of economic efficiency (high economic impact) and social efficiency (high impact on job creation, green jobs), the "potentially green sectors" that can be stimulated by a national strategy to develop a green economy in Spain. For this, we will use the Social Accounting Matrix of Spain 2010, identifying, by means of the normalized absorption and diffusion coefficients and by means of employment multipliers, the key, drivers and with greater capacity for job creation sectors from a group of ten sectors that we have identified as "potentially green sectors". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Persea mite, Oligonychus perseae Tuttle, Baker & Abbatiello (Acari: Tetranychidae), is an economically important foliar pest of avocados in Spain. The effects of this mite on the foliar damage, production losses and economic impact were assessed in two avocado, cv. Hass, orchards located in the main growing areas of Spain (Northern Tenerife and Málaga) for 3 and 5 consecutive years, respectively. The economic injury level (EIL) for the optimization of the use of acaricides to control this mite was also established, considering three spraying strategies: (i) mite-free treatment (<50 mites per leaf), (ii) conventional treatment (50–150 mites per leaf), and (iii) control treatment (the absence of spraying). Persea mite populations were sampled fortnightly and foliar damage was estimated. At the end of each season, fruits were harvested, weighed and production losses were quantified. The cumulate mite-days (CMDs) had a significant effect on the percentage of leaf area damaged (PLAD) and yield reduction. High numbers of the Persea mite caused extensive damage to leaves, so a loss in tree yield was evident. However, for the middle population level, there was no evidence of yield losses. The quantitative EIL was estimated at a PLAD of 17%, equivalent to a CMDs of 178 mites per leaf, which is the amount of damage that should not be exceeded. In Northern Tenerife, with a mild climate, the Persea mite can reach significant populations that are maintained throughout the months. In avocado orchards in Málaga, the summer is hotter and drier, so the presence of the mite exists for a shorter duration in the seasons, with less damage to the leaves. In Tenerife, yield loss can be compensated by chemical treatments that permit pest control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural landscapes cover >60% of terrestrial landscapes. While biodiversity conservation and crop productivity have been seen as mutually exclusive options for a long time, recent research suggests that agricultural landscapes represent significant opportunities for biodiversity conservation outside of traditional protected areas.Here, we use a unique dataset that includes annual monitoring of 12,300 permanent 25‐ha plots over two decades across Spain to assess how agricultural landscapes are changing over time. We focus particularly on landscape composition and configuration variables such as the diversity of crops grown within a landscape, average plot size or the cover of natural habitats and assess how changes to these variables affect the ability of agricultural landscapes to ensure high yields.We find potential synergistic strategies that are good for biodiversity conservation and can also lead to increasing crop yields. Specifically, we find that management practices that favour increasing biodiversity values such as maintaining small field sizes and high crop richness values at the landscape scale actually led to the greatest average yield values across 54 crops, 41% of which depend on pollinator activity for reproduction.Policy implications: While our analysis does not factor in economic costs and benefits, we show that synergy scenarios that are good for biodiversity conservation and crop productivity are possible, yet not as widespread as they could be. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this research is to explore the positive effect of dynamic capabilities on firm performance in Spanish hotels to further expand the ongoing knowledge of management strategies in a dynamic environment. It also embraces novel issues by linking uncertain changes with the current literature on the COVID-19 crisis. This study also emphasizes the mediation effect of innovation capability as a key hotel strategy in today's world. The final sample is composed of 212 hotels in Spain. The results reveal a positive and significant influence of dynamic capabilities on hotel performance, which is mediated by innovation capability (partial mediation effect). Both theoretical and practical implication of this research can help navigate the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Severe hypoglycemic events (SHE) represent a clinical and economic burden in patients with diabetes. Nasal glucagon (NG) is a novel treatment for SHEs with similar efficacy, but with a usability advantage over injectable glucagon (IG) that may translate to improved economic outcomes. The economic implications of this usability advantage on SHE-related spending in Spain were explored in this analysis. Methods: A cost-offset and budget impact analysis (BIA) was conducted using a decision tree model, adapted for the Spanish setting. The model calculated average costs per SHE over the SHE treatment pathway following a treatment attempt with IG or NG. Analyses were performed separately in three populations with insulin-treated diabetes: children and adolescents (4–17 years) with type 1 diabetes (T1D), adults with T1D and adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D), with respective population estimates applied in BIA. Treatment probabilities were assumed to be equal for IG and NG, except for treatment success following glucagon administration. Epidemiologic and cost data were obtained from Spanish-specific sources. BIA results were presented at a 3-year time horizon. Results: On a per SHE level, NG was associated with lower costs compared to IG (children and adolescents with T1D, EUR 820; adults with T1D, EUR 804; adults with T2D, EUR 725). Lower costs were attributed to reduced costs of professional medical assistance in patients treated with NG. After 3 years, BIA showed that relative to IG, the introduction of NG was projected to reduce SHE-related spending by EUR 1,158,969, EUR 142,162,371, and EUR 6,542,585 in children and adolescents with T1D, adults with T1D, and adults with insulin-treated T2D, respectively. Conclusions: In Spain, the usability advantage of NG over IG translates to potential cost savings per SHE in three populations with insulin-treated diabetes, and the introduction of NG was associated with a lower budget impact versus IG in each group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of perceived economic differences in everyday life is relevant to deepening knowledge of how inequality shapes psychological processes. In the current research, Spanish undergraduates (N = 547) were asked what their friends with the most and least money could do with their resources. Using a qualitative and quantitative approach, we performed a content analysis of the 1,085 open‐ended responses given, ran latent class analyses with the coded material to identify groups of participants, and explored whether class membership was associated with their awareness of inequality and support for redistribution. Participants perceived inequality among their friends through daily indicators such as consumption, opportunities, leisure, and mental health; some participants used compensatory strategies to mitigate perceived inequality. Latent class analyses suggested that participants differed mostly in the attention paid to consumption and in the use of compensatory strategies. Exploratory analyses suggested that perceiving inequality in everyday life in terms of consumption, negative attributes towards the wealthy, or positive attributes towards low socioeconomic groups was related to acknowledging economic differences among individuals and support for redistribution. The study of perceived economic inequality in everyday life continues a new line of research with the potential to obtain results more consistent with people's experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Circular economy strategies can be fostered with the use of waste taxation. • We assess the economic and environmental effects of landfill and incineration taxes. • An energy-environment-economy dynamic CGE model for Spain is developed. • The model provides high detail, with 19 different waste treatment industries. • We find a low economic impact and a reduction of all the environmental impacts. Economic theory states that incineration and landfill taxation can effectively diminish the environmental impacts of pollution and resource use by reducing their associated pollutants while stimulating the reuse and recycling of materials, and therefore, fostering a circular economy. The aim of this research is to assess the economic and environmental effects of these taxes in Spain in different scenarios with a detailed dynamic computable general equilibrium (CGE) model, as there are no studies analyzing this in detail. We focus on the economic impact on GDP and sectorial production and the environmental impact on different categories: global warming potential, marine eutrophication potential, photochemical ozone formation potential, particulate matter, human toxicity (cancer and noncancer), ecotoxicity, and depletion of fossil resources. We find in all scenarios that these taxes have a limited economic impact while reducing all of the environmental impact categories analyzed. The study reinforces the theory that policy makers need to impose taxes on landfill and incineration to reinforce the circularity of the economy and reduce environmental burdens, but also demonstrates that they can improve their design without additional costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to assess higher education institutions' (HEIs) social sustainability by applying Integrated Social Value (ISV) analysis to eight universities belonging to the Catalan Association of Public Universities in Spain. Design/methodology/approach: ISV analysis is a social accounting methodology that considers both the economic value and the social value created for all the organisation's stakeholders through a participatory and systematic process. Findings: The authors have shown that ISV analysis can be effective to assess the impacts on social sustainability of HEIs. The monetised results facilitate understanding about the valued impacts and allow integration with the universities' financial data. Research limitations/implications: The research advances the under-researched topic of social sustainability assessment in higher education. Practical implications: Quantifying universities' social impacts in monetary terms may help to transform conventional financial accounting and improve HEIs' internal strategy and management according to sustainability principles. Social implications: The process of measuring the social value created by universities provides a way to meet the rising demands for greater accountability and transparency and facilitates engagement with stakeholders on how these institutions are contributing to sustainable development. Originality/value: ISV analysis represents an innovative approach to assess how HEIs create benefits for its internal and external stakeholders and contribute to solutions to social challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of urban and regional impacts of high-speed rail (HSR) has drawn much attention in the research literature over the last few years. Previous studies have mostly used traditional tools (cost–benefit analysis, hedonic models, discrete choice modeling, and so on) to conduct ex ante analyses of potential HSR impacts. However, little attention has been paid to know the views of representatives from different economic sectors and their potential contribution to the participatory phase of the planning process. To address this limitation, this paper developed an ex ante participatory approach for analyzing HSR's urban and regional impacts, which fed into and complement other traditional assessment tools. This approach was applied to the case study of San Sebastian and its province in Spain, which should be linked to the Spanish HSR network by 2025. The research found that different economic sectors agree on some economic impacts triggered by HSR but disagree on many social and regional equity impacts. The paper discussed the potential of this approach for policymaking, highlighting its value in complementing traditional impact assessment methodologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are many studies on the exile of Spanish Jews from Spain and their settlement in Ottoman lands such as Istanbul, Selanik (Thessaloniki) and Izmir, and their effects on the broader Empire geography, however, there are limited number of studies regarding the social and economic consequences of the exile of Andalusian Muslims. The major waves of immigration that started after the surrender of Granada, the last Muslim city in the Iberian Peninsula, to the Spanish Kingdom in 1492, experienced the most severe period of immigration between 1609-1614 with the exile decision covering all remaining Muslims in the Peninsula in 1609. North African lands under the Ottoman rule were the primary regions where the exiled Muslims were settled. This exile had important consequences for both the Spaniards and the Ottomans. While the exile of Muslims is seen as one of the reasons for the economic decline of Spain to a certain extent, it is also considered as one of the main factors of the economic dynamism in North Africa. Andalusian Muslims, who carried various products and production styles to North Africa, contributed significantly to the development of the region. This article will discuss the contributions of Andalusian Muslims to the social and economic life in the regions where they settled and the results of those contributions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To determine the incidence of Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD) in Spain and to estimate its economic burden, using real world data.Methods: A retrospective, observational-study was carried out using data from the BIG-PAC database®. Patients aged ≥18 years with a diagnosis of major depressive-disorder (MDD) who initiated a new antidepressant treatment in 2015-2017 were included. The patients were classified as TRD and non-TRD. Patients were classified as TRD if they had, during the first year of antidepressant treatment: a) failure with ≥2 antidepressants including the prescription of ≥3 antidepressants (N06A) or ≥2 antidepressant and ≥1 antipsychotic (N05A; including lithium) b) antidepressants administered for ≥ 4 weeks each, and c) the time between the end of one treatment and the initiation of the next was ≤ 90 days. Inherent limitations of data collection from databases should also be considered in this analysis (e.g., lack of information about adherence to treatment). Follow-up period: 18 months. The incidence rate was calculated as the number of TRD patients per 1,000 persons-year divided by the population attended.Outcomes: direct healthcare and indirect costs. Two sensitivity analyses were performed varying the index date and the period used to define TRD patients (6 vs.12 months).Results: 21,630 patients with MDD aged ≥ 18 years (mean age: 53.2 years; female: 67.2%) were analyzed, of whom 3,559 met TRD criteria, yielding a 3-year cumulative incidence of 16.5% (95%CI: 16%-17%) among MDD patients. The annual population incidence rate of TRD in 2015-2017, was 0.59, 1.02 and 1.18/1,000 person-years, respectively (mean: 0.93/1,000 person-year). Overall, mean total costs per MDD patient were €4,147.9, being higher for TRD than for non-TRD patients (€6,096 vs. €3,846; p<0.001): a) direct costs (€1,341 vs. €624; p<0.001), b) lost productivity (€1,274 vs. €821; p<0.001) and c) permanent disability (€3,481 vs. €2,401; p<0.001, adjusted). Sensitivity analyses showed no differences with the reported results.Conclusions: The population based TRD incidence in Spain was similar to recent data from other European countries. TRD is associated with greater resource use and higher costs compared with non-TRD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Currently biomarkers play an essential role in diagnosis, treatment, and management of cancer. In non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) determination of biomarkers such as ALK, EGFR, ROS1 or PD-L1 is mandatory for an adequate treatment decision. The aim of this study is to determine the clinical and economic impact of current anaplastic lymphoma kinase testing scenario in Spain.Methods: A joint model, composed by decision-tree and Markov models, was developed to estimate the long-term health outcomes and costs of NSCLC patients, by comparing the current testing scenario for ALK in Spain vs a hypothetical no-testing. The current distribution of testing strategies for ALK determination and their sensitivity and specificity data were obtained from the literature. Treatment allocation based on the molecular testing result were defined by a panel of Spanish experts. To assess long-term effects of each treatment, 3-states Markov models were developed, where progression-free survival and overall survival curves were extrapolated using exponential models. Medical direct costs (expressed in €, 2019) were included. A lifetime horizon was used and a discount rate of 3% was applied for both costs and health effects. Several sensitivity analyses, both deterministic and probabilistic, were performed in order test the robustness of the analysis.Results: We estimated a target population of 7628 NSCLC patients, including those with non-squamous histology and those with squamous carcinomas who were never smokers. Over the lifetime horizon, the current ALK testing scenario produced additional 5060 and 3906 life-years and quality-adjusted life-years (QALY), respectively, compared with the no-testing scenario. Total direct costs were increased up to € 51,319,053 for testing scenario. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was 10,142 €/QALY. The sensitivity analyses carried out confirmed the robustness of the base-case results, being the treatment allocation and the test accuracy (sensitivity and specificity data) the key drivers of the model.Conclusions: ALK testing in advanced NSCLC patients, non-squamous and never-smoker squamous, provides more than 3000 QALYs in Spain over a lifetime horizon. Comparing this gain in health outcomes with the incremental costs, the resulting incremental cost-effectiveness ratio reinforces that testing non-squamous and never-smoker squamous NSCLC is a cost-effective strategy in Spain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this research is to quantify the impact of economic uncertainty shocks in Spain by using a structural vector autoregression (SVAR) approach with data from the first quarter of 2001 until the first quarter of 2018. Specifically, we analyze temporary and persistent economic and policy uncertainty shocks. Our results suggest that positive economic and political uncertainty shocks lead to an increase in unemployment and declines in consumption, investment, IBEX 35 index, and GDP. Based on our results, we can conclude that economic and policy uncertainty shocks have a significant negative impact on the Spanish economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dust accumulation significantly affects the performance of photovoltaic modules and its impact can be mitigated by various cleaning methods. Optimizing the cleaning frequency is essential to minimize the soiling losses and, at the same time, the costs. However, the effectiveness of cleaning lowers with time because of the reduced energy yield due to degradation. Additionally, economic factors such as the escalation in electricity price and inflation can compound or counterbalance the effect of degradation on the soiling mitigation profits. The present study analyzes the impact of degradation, escalation in electricity price and inflation on the revenues and costs of cleanings and proposes a methodology to maximize the profits of soiling mitigation of any system. The energy performance and soiling losses of a 1 MW system installed in southern Spain were analyzed and integrated with theoretical linear and nonlinear degradation rate patterns. The Levelized Cost of Energy and Net Present Value were used as criteria to identify the optimum cleaning strategies. The results showed that the two metrics convey distinct cleaning recommendations, as they are influenced by different factors. For the given site, despite the degradation effects, the optimum cleaning frequency is found to increase with time of operation. Image 1 • The optimum cleaning schedule varies depending on time of operation and health state. • Different cleaning schedules can be recommended based on the LCOE and NPV. • PV degradation does not affect the LCOE based cleaning decision algorithm. • Inflation influences the profitability of cleaning schedule over time. • Nonlinear degradation affects the cleaning frequency and its profitability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pandemics have historically had a significant impact on economic inequality. However, official inequality statistics are only available at low frequency and with considerable delay, which challenges policymakers in their objective to mitigate inequality and fine-tune public policies. We show that using data from bank records it is possible to measure economic inequality at high frequency. The approach proposed in this paper allows measuring, timely and accurately, the impact on inequality of fast-unfolding crises, like the COVID-19 pandemic. Applying this approach to data from a representative sample of over three million residents of Spain we find that, absent government intervention, inequality would have increased by almost 30% in just one month. The granularity of the data allows analyzing with great detail the sources of the increases in inequality. In the Spanish case we find that it is primarily driven by job losses and wage cuts experienced by low-wage earners. Government support, in particular extended unemployment insurance and benefits for furloughed workers, were generally effective at mitigating the increase in inequality, though less so among young people and foreign-born workers. Therefore, our approach provides knowledge on the evolution of inequality at high frequency, the effectiveness of public policies in mitigating the increase of inequality and the subgroups of the population most affected by the changes in inequality. This information is fundamental to fine-tune public policies on the wake of a fast-moving pandemic like the COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transport is one the most important sectors in the economy, but it also implies some cost, as it is responsible for an important amount of gas emissions, which favours the greenhouse effect (GHE) and climate change. In Spain, the sector of transport represents the 25% of total greenhouse sources. From this perspective, the impact of transport is important not only from an economic perspective but also in terms of its environmental impact. The transport of cargo is also responsible for an important amount of these emissions, as it represents more than 30% of all modes of transport's GHG emissions. The objective of this paper is to apprise the long-term environmental and economic impact in Andalusia of the new rail infrastructure known as Mediterranean Corridor. It will absorb an important part of the transport of cargo by road from the Port of Algeciras, which is one of the most important in Spain and an important node of this rail corridor. The effect is simulated through the use of a Computational General Equilibrium (CGE) model with a dynamic component, the vector of GHG emissions and calibrated with the Social Accounting Matrix (SAM) of 2013 of Andalusia with the modes of transport disaggregated. The results show how positive is the economic impact of this infrastructure, but also how environmental benefits outweigh economic ones, arising the need of assessing also environmental impacts and not only the economic ones. • The new infrastructure has a negligible economic impact in Andalusia in terms of GDP. • In terms of employment, it has a negative impact in the sector of transport by road of about 1300 jobs. • Jobs created by transport by rail do not offset this loss, but its positive indirect/induced effect reverse this situation. • In terms of emissions, modal shift has a positive impact, valued in more than 50.000 equivalent tons of CO2 in Andalusia. • In ground transport, the emissions are reduced by a 1,6%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Neuromuscular blocking (NMB) agents are often administered to facilitate tracheal intubation and prevent patient movement during surgical procedures requiring the use of general anesthetics. Incomplete reversal of NMB, can lead to residual NMB, which can increase the risk of post-operative pulmonary complications. Sugammadex is indicated to reverse neuromuscular blockade induced by rocuronium or vecuronium in adults. The aim of this study is to estimate the clinical and economic impact of introducing sugammadex to routine reversal of neuromuscular blockade (NMB) with rocuronium in Spain. Methods: A decision analytic model was constructed reflecting a set of procedures using rocuronium that resulted in moderate or deep NMB at the end of the procedure. Two scenarios were considered for 537,931 procedures using NMB agents in Spain in 2015: a scenario without sugammadex versus a scenario with sugammadex. Comparators included neostigmine (plus glycopyrrolate) and no reversal agent. The total costs for the healthcare system were estimated from the net of costs of reversal agents and overall cost offsets via reduction in postoperative pneumonias and atelectasis for which incidence rates were based on a Spanish real-world evidence (RWE) study. The model time horizon was assumed to be one year. Costs were expressed in 2019 euros (€) and estimated from the perspective of a healthcare system. One-way sensitivity analysis was carried out by varying each parameter included in the model within a range of +/− 50%. Results: The estimated budget impact of the introduction of sugammadex to the routine reversal of neuromuscular blockade in Spanish hospitals was a net saving of €57.1 million annually. An increase in drug acquisition costs was offset by savings in post-operative pulmonary events, including 4806 post-operative pneumonias and 13,996 cases of atelectasis. The total cost of complications avoided was €70.4 million. All parameters included in the model were tested in sensitivity analysis and were favorable to the scenario with sugammadex. Conclusions: This economic analysis shows that sugammadex can potentially lead to cost savings for the reversal of rocuronium-induced moderate or profound NMB compared to no reversal and reversal with neostigmine in the Spanish health care setting. The economic model was based on data obtained from Spain and from assumptions from clinical practice and may not be valid for other countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bioenergy sector in the European Union has undergone strong growth in line with the legislative framework, with environmental, economic and social implications at global scale. In Spain, almost 100% of biodiesel is produced from food and feed crops feedstocks. First-generation biodiesel will go on being a key partial rapid solution to replace fossil fuel in transport sector. However, impacts differ significantly among the type of agricultural system, the raw materials used and their life cycle. The aim of this study is to identify the best first-generation biodiesel alternative to replace petrodiesel in transport sector in the short term in Spain. Life Cycle Assessment normalization and weighting can facilitate decision making in situations where trade-offs among impact category results do not allow choosing one preferable solution among the alternatives. A panel weighting impact approach based on expert opinions was used to assess the sustainability of three biodiesel production systems. The results indicate that, according to expert's opinion, the rapeseed-based biodiesel produced entirely in Spain is the most sustainable alternative of biodiesel, with higher normalized weight (0.398), over soybean-based biodiesel produced in Argentina (0.291) or in Spain (0.312) using soybean oil imported from Argentina, because it could significatively increase job creation and gross value added. • First-generation biodiesel is a key partial rapid solution to replace petrodiesel. • Normalization and weighting can help policymakers to select the best alternative. • Climate change followed by human toxicity got the higher weighs (0.380 and 0.177). • Spanish biodiesel made with rape oil could increase job and economic performance. • Spanish biodiesel made with rape oil is the most sustainable alternative in Spain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To describe resource use and costs of severe exacerbations in patients with severe asthma. Method: Secondary analysis of an observational, longitudinal, retrospective study that estimated the economic impact of severe asthma. The study was carried out in severe asthma units of the pulmonology and allergy services of 20 public hospitals (inclusion period: June to November 2016). The study included adult patients diagnosed with severe asthma according to the European Respiratory Society/American Thoracic Society consensus in the stable phase (no exacerbation during the last 2 months), and with at least one severe exacerbation during the study period (12 months). Healthcare resource use due to severe exacerbations (emergency visits, hospitalizations and pharmacological treatment) was recorded. The direct health costs associated with severe exacerbations were calculated by multiplying the resources used by the corresponding unit cost (in 2018 euros). Results: 134 patients with ≥1 severe exacerbation were included: 63% were female and the mean age was 54 years. 249 severe exacerbations were registered. There were 1.5 physician visits at primary care, hospital care and/or emergency room per episode, 13% of episodes required hospitalization, with a mean hospital stay of 7.2 days. Systemic corticosteroids were prescribed in 92% of exacerbations. The mean direct cost was €758.7/exacerbation (95% confidence interval: 556.8–1,011.1), of which 82% was due to hospitalizations (€623.3/episode). Considering only episodes requiring hospital admission, the mean cost increased by €4,997/exacerbation. Conclusions: It was estimated that the economic impact of a severe exacerbation in Spanish patients with severe asthma was €758.7/exacerbation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyses the impact of the 2007 economic crisis on mountain tourism. In order to achieve this objective, we examined more than 300 tourist companies that focus their activity in the Central Pyrenees region in Spain. Through a longitudinal analysis that covers the period from 2006 (the year before the start of the crisis) to 2016 (the date on which the recovery is established), we analysed the evolution of the economic and financial variables. The results of the research indicate that during this period the majority of variables showed losses relative to the values in 2006. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many different countries have been under lockdown or extreme social distancing measures to control the spread of COVID-19. The potentially far-reaching side effects of these measures have not yet been fully understood. In this study we analyse the results of a multi-country survey conducted in Italy (N = 3,504), Spain (N = 3,524) and the United Kingdom (N = 3,523), with two separate analyses. In the first analysis, we examine the elicitation of citizens' concerns over the downplaying of the economic consequences of the lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic. We control for Social Desirability Bias through a list experiment included in the survey. In the second analysis, we examine the data from the same survey to predict the level of stress, anxiety and depression associated with being economically vulnerable and having been affected by a negative economic shock. To accomplish this, we have used a prediction algorithm based on machine learning techniques. To quantify the size of this affected population, we compare its magnitude with the number of people affected by COVID-19 using measures of susceptibility, vulnerability and behavioural change collected in the same questionnaire. We find that the concern for the economy and for "the way out" of the lockdown is diffuse and there is evidence of minor underreporting. Additionally, we estimate that around 42.8% of the populations in the three countries are at high risk of stress, anxiety, and depression, based on their level of economic vulnerability and their exposure to a negative economic shock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) is an important plant pathogen, causing economic impacts on crop production, especially in vegetable crops, including pepper. Resistance breeding is the most effective technique to manage TSWV epidemics. In pepper, the Tsw resistance gene is used. However, rapid emergence of resistance breaking (RB) strains of TSWV has hampered the control of TSWV. RB strains have previously shown clear geographic distribution that parallel each similar wild type (WT) strain. The present study collected pepper-infecting RB TSWV strains in limited districts of Spain and Turkey, and these strains clustered to two main clades based on the NSs protein amino acid sequences. Results verified the coexistence of the different strains in both countries. On the basis of amino acid sequence comparison of the collected isolates, common alteration responsible for resistance breaking was not identified in accordance with the preceding observations. These results emphasize the increasing diversity of the RB TSWV strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The state's administration, concerned about the importance of having an efficient Judicial System attempt to provide it with the required resources. Nevertheless, due to the state division in autonomies remarkable inequalities are produced between them. Along this essay, principally focused in Andalusian autonomous community, a comparison of the development of its judicial system efficiency will be analysed along with the rest of Spain. Given the specificities of each jurisdiction, the analysis will be done at a global level and later, specified in each jurisdiction. Via the radar chart's technique improvements will be analysed throughout the following periods, 2009-2012, 2012-2015 y 2016-2018, placing Andalusia in the national context. The results show that, globally in the 2009-2012 period, Andalusia follows the improvement path as well as the rest of Spain, notwithstanding the Andalusian situation decays in the following period, 2012-2015, being the civil jurisdiction the most affected one. With an unprecedented use of this technique in justice, a new investigation field is discovered to analyse the public sector, whose proper function conditionate other ones and has direct economic implications for the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of the economic crisis in Spain and the insertion of NGOs in the digital arena started a communication management process for these organizations that is still in a state of evolution. This study analyzes the discourse of twenty-two Spanish non-governmental development organizations. Seven of them have an annual budget greater than twenty-five million euro, and fifteen have one less than one million euro. From a mixed content analysis methodology, the discourses that these organizations manage in the digital arena are analyzed, understanding this NGOs as nontraditional political actors who dispute meanings in the political public space. Among the main findings it is evident that the budget difference would not be a factor that influences the choice of platforms to put their speeches into circulation. Furthermore, despite the identity features of the sector, the communicative practices analyzed indicate that the fundraising and news content find a greater place of expression than organizational, pedagogical or political ones. This disputes the social and transformative role of NGOs and suggests the establishment of an instrumental relationship between them and their audiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The impacts of C&DW during the building's life cycle (BLC) are analyzed. • The model quantifies from construction budgets for each stage of BLC. • Work breakdown systems allow to quantify this impacts within construction projects. • The impacts of CDW are connected through budgets of the different stages of the BLC. • Embodied water, CO2 emissions and energy quantify the impacts of C&DW during the BLC. The paper evaluates for the first time the embodied impact in CDW during the buildings life cycle by means of the bill of quantities of construction projects. The main objective is to be able to predict the future CDW to be generated by a project in the design stage, by means of the bill of quantities of the urbanization, construction, renovation, rehabilitation and demolition projects. The tools already in place for cost control can be used as an instrument for the introduction of sustainability considerations in construction projects. The methodology proposes a connection between the different stages of a building's life cycle, more precisely its budget. The latter is linked to other future budgets for building renovations or retrofitting projects. The result shows that urbanization and demolition generate 90% of CDW, the former is caused by earthworks and the latter is due to the elimination of all building materials. The building is removed 1.3 times, in terms of material weight, energy and water. Finally, traditional models for economic control and waste management in construction projects can be the vector which introduce environmental assessment through the building life cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Impacts of the legal designation of protected areas (PAs) may have contrasting implications for different stakeholders, and at different spatial scales. In this study, we analysed the organisational perception on the socioeconomic effects of PA designation from all sectors of activity in Spain, accounting for PAs' legal stringency. A semi-structured questionnaire was administered to 68 organisations at national, regional (Andalusia) and local scales (two municipalities in the Almeria province, Andalusia) through an online survey. Local stakeholders and the primary, secondary and tertiary sectors were most concerned about the social and economic impacts of PAs designation on their organisations. By contrast, organisations at the national or regional scales together with public institutions, the quaternary sector and other miscellaneous stakeholders perceived predominantly positive effects. Only national organisations perceived an increase in local social and economic effects from the designation of legally stringent PAs with regard to multiple-use PAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article assesses the economic impact of implementing a public buyback of groundwater rights to eliminate non-renewable pumping in the Murcia Plateau of the Spanish Segura basin, home of some of the most depleted aquifers in Europe. We find that, regardless of the policy instrument applied, stopping non-renewable extraction would severely hit the agricultural sector. The buyback of rights would not prevent this impact but the cost of reducing extraction would be borne by the government instead of farmers, making it a potentially more successful alternative. However, the estimated cost for the public budget is very large and probably unaffordable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Etanercept (ETN), a highly effective biological agent for the treatment of psoriasis (PSO) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA), is widely used in Spain. However, evidence of its economic impact is limited, indicating the need for a systematic review of the economic assessments conducted on the use of ETN in the treatment of both PSO and PsA in Spain. Methods: A systematic review was carried out in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Health Technology Assessment reports and not indexed sources up to November 2018. The inclusion criteria were economic evaluations (total and partial) and dose optimization studies published in English or Spanish on the use of ETN to treat PSO and PsA for ETN in Spain. Results: A total of 402 publications were identified, of which 32 were selected for inclusion in the review; of these 32 publications, 81.3% analyzed PSO (14 full economic evaluations, 5 partial economic evaluations and 7 dose optimization studies) and 18.8% analyzed PsA (1 economic analysis and 5 dose optimization studies). The perspective of the Spanish National Health Service (NHS) was used in 90.0% (n = 18) of the full and partial economic evaluations. The time horizons ranged from 12 weeks to 2 years. Reductions in the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) of 50, 75 and 90% (PASI 50, 75 and 90, respectively) were most commonly used as efficacy outcomes in the complete evaluations. The economic impact of ETN ranged from €9110–14,337/PASI 75 at 12 weeks (50 mg/week) to €82,279/PASI 90 at 2 years, depending on the health outcome, time horizon and ETN dose used. Only one study determined the cost of using ETN for the treatment of PSO (€29,430–52,367/QALY for dose 2 × 25 mg/week or 50 mg/week, respectively). Only one partial economic evaluation on PSA was identified (NHS perspective), resulting in an ETN annual cost of €8585/patient-year. Conclusion: Consistent evidence on the economic impact of ETN for the treatment of PSO and PSA in Spain is lacking, mainly due to the highly heterogeneous methodology used and the broad range of outcomes found in the economic evaluations published to date. Funding: Pfizer S.L.U. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study quantifies the environmental and economic life cycle impacts of solar photovoltaics (PV), grid electricity and a diesel generator as power sources for pumping water in an irrigation network in Spain. It compares these energy sources in the context of on-grid or off-grid scenarios, where the PV energy is consumed solely by the irrigation pumping system (off-grid) or distributed between the pump and grid (on-grid). Overall, the results show the PV as the option with lower burdens for most environmental impact categories in both, an off- and on-grid scenario, over a 30-year lifespan. However, solar PV demonstrated a higher abiotic resource depletion burden, due to the high material demands from its manufacturing. The on-grid PV option allowed for the export of excess energy, having environmental impacts six times lower than the off-grid option. From an economic perspective, solar PV option was the cheapest energy source, despite higher initial investment. Finally, extending the grid connection to the isolated location ensures grid exports from the solar PV installation, reducing the associated impacts by between 54 and 77% for the different burden categories. Based on a 30-year lifespan, solar PV is the most economically- and environmentally-viable energy source for pumping in irrigation networks. • The environmental and economic impacts of several energy supply systems for irrigation have been analysed. • An off-grid (diesel engine) and on-grid (grid electricity) energy supply systems were compare with a PV plant. • The LCA methodology and payback period were used to determine the impacts linked to each energy supply option. • A sensitivity analysis showed the lifespan length and diesel and electricity prices influence. • The PV system presented the lowest environmental impact and life cycle cost, although it showed the highest initial investment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Development of many rural forestry areas depends strongly on tourism activities; therefore, it is critical to incorporate these activities in the decision-making process for the management and conservation efforts. Different from other market resources provided by forests, recreation activities provide benefits not only to forest owners but to all surrounding communities. Economic valuation of recreation activities requires using indirect valuation approaches like the travel cost method. Annual welfare estimates for the "Aracena y Picos de Aroche Natural Park" in southern Spain ranged from 25.30 € per recreationist for driving and travel time costs to 72.69 € per recreationist for these former costs plus associated incidental (food, lodging, etc.) costs. The annual value of this natural protected area was estimated at 3,656,609 € for the driving and travel time costs approach; and it was increased to 10,505,885.7 € for the total costs approach. Distributing the recreation welfare estimate proportionally is not reasonable as the visitation rate to different areas is different. Therefore, we use the individual recreational activities demand to distribute the estimated recreation value. Finally, we integrate the consumer surplus, the vegetation resilience and the potential fire behavior to estimate the fire recreation susceptibility. The fire susceptibility was increased by 58.25 million € from driving and travel time costs to total costs including incidental costs. Development of a socio-economic susceptibility framework using Geographic Information Systems provides an objective tool for budget allocation and prioritization of prevention activities and suppression actions during wildfires. • Development of many rural forestry areas depends strongly on tourism activities. • The individual activities demand has been widely used to distribute the recreation value. • Distributing the recreation welfare estimate proportionally is not reasonable. • Fire vulnerability provides a tool for budget allocation and prioritization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Groundwater flow models have been increasingly used to support policy making. A substantial amount of research has been dedicated to improving, validating and calibrating models and including stakeholders in the modelling process. However, little research has been done to analyze how the choices of model makers and steering by policy makers result in models with specific characteristics, which only allow specific modelling outcomes, and how the use of these modelling outcomes leads to specific social, economic and environmental consequences. In this study, we use the social construction of technology framework to explore the development, characteristics and uses of the groundwater model of the Mancha Oriental aquifer in Spain. The specific characteristics and functioning of this model influenced the policy implementation, implying that involving stakeholders in the development and use of models is crucial for improved democratic policy making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Estimate the economic impact of severe asthma from the Spanish social perspective through the estimation of the associated annual direct and indirect costs. Methods: Observational, longitudinal, retrospective study carried out in 20 Spanish secondary settings (Pulmonology and Allergy Services) among patients aged ≥18, diagnosed with severe asthma according to European Respiratory Society/American Thoracic Society consensus and who have not experienced an exacerbation in the previous 2 months. Asthma-related healthcare resource utilization as well as asthma-related days off work were collected over a retrospective 12-month period from medical records review (inclusion period: June to November 2016). Total costs were calculated by multiplying the natural resource units used within 1 year by the corresponding unit cost. Costs were expressed in Euros for 2018. Results: A total of 303 patients were included, mean age was 54 years old and 67% were women. There were 5.7 physician visits per patient (3.3 in secondary care). The most common pharmacologic treatment was fixed dose combination of inhaled corticosteroids/long-acting β2-adrenergic agonists (96.7%), followed by leukotriene receptor antagonists (57.1%). 134 patients (44.2%) had at least one severe asthma exacerbation (mean: 1.9 exacerbation/patient), of whom 22 patients required hospitalization, with a mean hospital stay of 10.9 days/patient. Mean sick leave due to severe asthma was 9.1 days per patient per year. Mean annual direct cost (confidence interval 95%) was €7472/patient (€6578–8612). The cost per exacerbation was €1410/patient. When indirect costs were added (€1082/patient [€564–1987]), the total annual mean cost rose to €8554/patient (€7411–10199). Conclusions: Taking the social perspective, the economic impact of severe asthma in Spain was estimated to be €8554/patient/year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nature-based tourism is on the rise around the world. This article employs a cost–benefit analysis methodology to contribute to knowledge in this area by estimating both the economic impacts and the social costs and benefits of investing in hiking tourism. It includes tangible and non-tangible impacts, such as health benefits and CO2emissions. Using data collected between March 15 2014 and March 14 2015, results show a positive return from every Euro invested in hiking tourism. A single figure of net returns to society enables policymakers to assess the social value of the investment itself and can help citizens’ rational choice regarding whether to encourage or resist additional tourism development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forest certification has become a strategic instrument for businesses, particularly for accessing sensitive environmental markets and within sustainability commitments. This trend is also visible in Spain, where PEFC (Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) certification has increased by 91% in the past five years. However, there is a weak understanding of the certification impacts at the level of companies, especially when it comes to economic impacts. This study applies a longitudinal methodology to measure financial performance before and after obtaining PEFC-certification in Spain by analysing treatment and selection effects. The results show significant differences in economic profitability and turnover between certified and non-certified companies prior to certification. However, these differences are not significant in subsequent periods. Therefore, we could not confirm a treatment effect between forest certification and improved financial performance. Instead, we find a positive selection effect: companies with better financial performance have a greater propensity for certification, as has been previously detected for standards such as ISO 9001/14001. Compared to previous studies that predominantly assess economic impacts qualitatively, we use economic-financial data to avoid possible distortion emerging from perceptions and opinions. The main contribution of this study lies in the quantitative assessment of the impacts of forest certification on economic profitability and turnover. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Be-FAST is a computer program based on a time-spatial stochastic spread mathematical model for studying the transmission of infectious livestock diseases within and between farms. The present work describes a new module integrated into Be-FAST to model the economic consequences of the spreading of classical swine fever (CSF) and other infectious livestock diseases within and between farms. CSF is financially one of the most damaging diseases in the swine industry worldwide. Specifically in Spain, the economic costs in the two last CSF epidemics (1997 and 2001) reached jointly more than 108 million euros. The present analysis suggests that severe CSF epidemics are associated with significant economic costs, approximately 80% of which are related to animal culling. Direct costs associated with control measures are strongly associated with the number of infected farms, while indirect costs are more strongly associated with epidemic duration. The economic model has been validated with economic information around the last outbreaks in Spain. These results suggest that our economic module may be useful for analysing and predicting economic consequences of livestock disease epidemics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing share of electricity production from variable renewable energy sources increases the stochastic nature of the power system. This has repercussions on the markets for electricity. Deviations from forecasted production schedules require balancing of a generator’s position within a day. Short term products that are traded on power and/or reserve markets have been developed for this purpose, providing opportunities to actors who can offer flexibility in the short term. The value of flexibility is typically modelled using stochastic scenario extensions of dispatch models which requires, as a first step, understanding the nature of forecast uncertainties. This study provides a new approach for determining the forecast errors of wind power generation in the time period between the closure of the day ahead and the opening of the first intraday session using Spain as an example. The methodology has been developed using time series analysis for the years 2010–2013 to find the explanatory variables of the wind error variability by applying clustering techniques to reduce the range of uncertainty, and regressive techniques to forecast the probability density functions of the intra-day price. This methodology has been tested considering different system actions showing its suitability for developing intra-day bidding strategies and also for the generation of electricity generated from Renewable Energy Sources scenarios. This methodology could help a wind power producer to optimally bid into the intraday market based on more accurate scenarios, increasing their revenues and the system value of wind. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photovoltaics (PV) has reached high level of maturity in terms of material efficiency and low production costs. For this reason, nowadays, lot of emphasis is put on the reduction of the operation and maintenance costs. Soiling is one of the issues that most affect these costs. So, the understanding of its electrical and economic implications is essential to optimize the cleaning routines and minimize the associated costs. This paper investigates the possibility of estimating soiling directly from PV performance data, without the need of installing specific soiling monitoring equipment, which typically needs careful and regular maintenance. Five analytical methods are evaluated and applied to the data of PV modules of different technologies (m-Si, CdTe and CIS). An experimental campaign is conducted in a location in Southern Spain with low-moderate levels of soiling. The methods show promising accuracies when used to obtain the soiling losses of a module, especially during soiling-intense and long dry periods. • Soiling losses were directly extracted from the performance data of PV modules. • The goodness of five different analytical methods was assessed. • These methods allow soiling to be quantified without need for additional sensors. • Each methodology was applied to PV modules of three different technologies. • The accuracies of the methods were higher in periods with greater soiling losses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photovoltaics (PV) has reached high level of maturity in terms of material efficiency and low production costs. For this reason, nowadays, lot of emphasis is put on the reduction of the operation and maintenance costs. Soiling is one of the issues that most affect these costs. So, the understanding of its electrical and economic implications is essential to optimize the cleaning routines and minimize the associated costs. This paper investigates the possibility of estimating soiling directly from PV performance data, without the need of installing specific soiling monitoring equipment, which typically needs careful and regular maintenance. Five analytical methods are evaluated and applied to the data of PV modules of different technologies (m-Si, CdTe and CIS). An experimental campaign is conducted in a location in Southern Spain with low-moderate levels of soiling. The methods show promising accuracies when used to obtain the soiling losses of a module, especially during soiling-intense and long dry periods. • Soiling losses were directly extracted from the performance data of PV modules. • The goodness of five different analytical methods was assessed. • These methods allow soiling to be quantified without need for additional sensors. • Each methodology was applied to PV modules of three different technologies. • The accuracies of the methods were higher in periods with greater soiling losses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to determine the temperature threshold that triggers an increase in heat-induced mortality in Zaragoza, Spain to determine the impact of extreme heat on mortality and in-hospital cost. A longitudinal ecological study was conducted according to an autoregressive integrated moving average model of a time series for daily deaths and to determine the relative risk of mortality for each degree that the temperature threshold was exceeded. Mortality showed a statistically significant increase when the daily maximum temperature exceeded 38 °C. A Relative Risk was 1.28 with a 95 % confidence interval (95 %CI:1.08–1.57) This threshold temperature didn’t change over time. A total of 107 (95 %CI:42–173) heat-attributable deaths were estimated for the period 2002–2006, and the in-hospital estimated cost of these deaths reach € 426,087(95 %CI.€167,249–€688,907). The articulation of preventive measures to minimize the impact of extreme heat on human health is necessary because of the mortality–temperature relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper analyses and compares the merit order effects of photovoltaic and wind power on final electricity prices in the Spanish spot market and the cost of electricity tariffs. Artificial intelligence techniques are used to model the electricity auction clearing process. Several algorithms are studied before the M5P learning algorithm is finally applied to create a tree model of the spot market. Electricity tariffs for domestic consumers are also recalculated for fictional scenarios with no photovoltaic or wind power production. The conclusion is that the influence of photovoltaic and wind power is uneven. Wind power reduces final electricity prices by €9.10/MW h, generating an overall saving for the system of €364.0 million and for the average domestic consumer of €1.95 using 2012 figures; photovoltaic power reduces electricity prices by €2.18/MW h, generating an overall cost overrun for the system of €2034.1 million and for the average domestic consumer of €38.82. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper estimates the impact of a hypothetical change in Spain's energy mix on a number of productive sectors. The change would be brought about by substituting power generation from natural gas with generation from biomass. The total amount of electricity supplied has been calculated to remain constant so that a crowding-out effect would be derived from the displacement of one technology with another. An input–output (IO) framework has been used to estimate the overall economic impact on 26 productive sectors included on Spain's 2007 IO Table. Based on the available literature, the consideration of net impact improves the analysis. The results show that the overall net impact across all productive sectors of this change in the energy mix would be positive and equal to about 0.5% for the period. Higher impacts were measured for the ‘Electricity power and Electricity Supply’ sector (15.4%) followed by the ‘Agriculture, Hunting, Forestry’ sector (7.1%). Only the ‘Gas generation and Gas supply’ sector showed a negative impact (–2.5%), which is consistent with the reduced use of natural gas. The overall calculated total impact for Spain's productive sector was equal to € 8074.95 million at the 2007-equivalent value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]