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Monitoring wheat yield and production is essential for ensuring global food security. Remote sensing can be used to achieve it due to its ability to provide global, comprehensive, synoptic, and repetitive information in near real-time. This study used the 2006–2016 Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NVDI) and Enhanced Vegetation Index 2 (EVI2) time series at a 250 m spatial resolution and 2006–2011 MERIS Terrestrial Chlorophyll Index (MTCI) time series at a 300 m spatial resolution. The post-maximum period for pixels containing wheat was selected based on the EU's Common Agrarian Policy (CAP) and Corine Land Cover (CLC) data. It was correlated with yield and production values from governmental statistics (GS) of the largest Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics level 2 (NUTS-2) wheat producers in Spain and for Spain overall. The selection of wheat masks was crucial for the accuracy of the models, with CAP masks offering greater forecasting capability. Models using CLC produced R2 values between 0.45 and 0.7, while those using CAP outperformed the former with R2 values of 0.9 throughout Spain. Production models outperformed yield models, and MTCI was the vegetation index (VI) that provided the greatest R2 value of 0.94. However, model accuracy was heavily conditioned by the precision of input data, where anomalies were detected in some NUTS-2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Banks are the backbone of the financial sector and catalysts in the economic development of any country. Current changes in their global business ecosystem make knowledge of about the fund-supplying and fund-demanding parties of the society a key resource for the fulfillment of banks’ investment and saving functions. This paper addresses the relationship between the performance and a learning culture that is supported by knowledge processes within the organization. Given the relevance of this subject for organizations from most knowledge-intensive domains, this research has focused on the Spanish banking sector. Using a structural equation model, feedback received from 215 employees from 142 individual branches from a major banking institution in Spain is studied. The results of the data analysis show that in addition to maximizing on what is already known about the customer base, employees’ learning about the potential new stakeholders and also about the internal strategies, tools, and techniques is directly related to the bank's performance, which, in turn, influences the economic recovery and socio-economic development. Results support that an active pursuit of learning within the context of the organization is required for banks to remain competitive in the dynamic, global business ecosystem, where international, national, and local banking sectors operate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between a firm's internal audit function (IAF) and the quality of its financial reporting. Since regulations on corporate governance were introduced, numerous national and international bodies have emphasized the fundamental role of the IAF in the financial reporting process, especially since it generally leads to higher quality reporting. Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses questionnaires sent to internal audit directors of Spanish banks. Findings – Banks with high quality financial reporting have greater collaboration between internal and external auditors in the annual audit. Greater involvement of internal audit in reviewing financial reporting leads to improved quality financial reporting. Research limitations/implications – Besides the usual caveats of survey research, there are limitations to this study. First, the problem of response bias may exist. Second, the 66 per cent survey response rate may mean that respondents have larger or better-developed internal audit functions, affording them more opportunity or motivation to respond to the survey. Hence, the results obtained through the survey may not be generalizable to non-respondents. Practical implications – The findings are relevant for bank regulators, management, boards of directors, and investors. In the current discussion on transparency, integrity and quality of financial reporting, these findings help define the issues. Originality/value – Previous empirical studies analyse the quality of financial reporting with actors in the corporate governance mosaic (board of directors, audit committee and external audit), but they do not do so directly with the IAF. This paper extends prior banking literature that analyses quality financial reporting along with other variables, but not internal audit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatial aggregation of different industrial facilities leads to simultaneous release of pollutant emissions. Our objective is to study cancer mortality risk associated with residence in the vicinity of pollutant factories. We used data on industries for year 2007 (3458 facilities). For the 8,098 Spanish towns, we defined a factor with 4 levels based on the number of factories in a radius of 2.5 km from the centroid of each town (industrial factor).We also used data of land cover use to approximate the percentage of municipal land used for industrial activities in each Spanish town (land-used variable). For both variables we fitted Poisson models with random terms to account for spatial variation. We estimated risk trends related with increasing number of factories or percentage of land used for industrial activities. We studied 33 cancer causes. For the industrial factor, 11 causes showed trend associated with increasing factor level. For the land use variable, 8 causes showed statistically significant risks. Almost all tumours related to the digestive system and the respiratory system showed increased risks. Thus mortality by these tumours could be associated to residence in towns nearby industrial areas with positive trend linked to increasing levels of industrial activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Using data from the European Community Household Panel for the period 1995–2001, in this paper we show that there are sizeable public sector wage differences among regions that are mostly due to differences in returns, and to a lesser extent to differences in characteristics and to selection effects. Regional differences in public sector wage gaps vary across gender, educational levels and occupations. Also, they display a positive correlation with regional unemployment and a negative one with regional labour productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foresters have played an important part in the Spanish national strategy against land degradation. It might be expected that after the changes restored political democracy in Spain in the late 1970s, a reorganization of the way the planning and implementation of soil and water conservation projects through reforestation would be changed. This paper considers the case of Guadalajara province as an example of the way in which reforestation has been effected at national level, and the consequences for the ecosystem. It examines how, since the 1940s, the technical methods used by forestry technicians have changed from concerns with protection to those of wood production. Although reforestation methods for wood production have been recognized as detrimental to soil and water conservation, they continue to be used even in the face of considerable opposition by local people and environmental pressure groups. The paper concludes that claims for soil protection mask a policy of wood production, excluding affected people from the decision-making process. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consecutive Spanish governments have been involved in the planning and implementation of extensive reforestation for wood production and soil and water conservation. The paper considers the constraints the policy of reforestation faces because of the growing evidence and debate about the need for participation and the changes in perception and values regarding the uses of forests. The Spanish State claims thatinvolvement of land users in the decision-making process is desirable, however, case studies suggest that considerable obstacles prevent the idea of participation becoming the practice. Thus two case studies, one in the Basque Country and one in Castilla-la-Mancha, provide examples of how past autocratic procedures are still affecting planning and decision making, and thus claims of participation are often merely rhetorical. The paper concludes that there is little evidence of efforts made by forestry-related administrations to accommodate participatory practices, even when these have been sought by grass-roots organizations. Technocracy is thus frustrating the efforts of organizations rather than promoting or accommodating participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The female immigrant population is especially vulnerable to imported diseases. We describe the results of a prospective screening program for imported diseases performed in immigrant female patients. The protocol included tests for HIV, hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), Treponema pallidum , Trypanosoma cruzi , Strongyloides stercoralis and Schistosoma spp., intestinal parasites, malaria, and the detection of microfilaremia, according to the patient's origin. Six hundred eleven patients were studied. The most frequent imported diseases were intestinal parasitosis (39.4%), followed by syphilis (14.6%), HIV infection (9%), chronic HCV (5%), and HBV (3.3%). Most of the cases of HIV (78%) and HBV (85%) were diagnosed in patients aged between 16 and 45 years. Hepatitis C virus appeared mostly in patients in the 46- to 65-year range ( P = 0.001; odds ratio [OD]: 3.667 [1.741-7.724]) or older than 65 years ( P = 0.0001; OR: 26.350 [7.509-92.463]). Syphilis was diagnosed more frequently in patients older than 46 years ( P = 0.0001; OR: 4.273 [2.649-6.893]). Multivariate analysis confirmed a greater presence of HCV infection ( P = 0.049) and syphilis ( P = 0.0001) in patients aged between 46 and 65 years. In 15.4% of patients, screening did not find any pathology. These data show a high prevalence of imported diseases in the female immigrant population, which may have serious consequences in terms of morbimortality and vertical transmission. Our results encourage the establishment of policies of active screening both in women of childbearing age and within the specific pregnancy screening programs.

The infectious causes of ovine abortion occurring in 148 farms in northern Spain between 1999 and 2003 were investigated. Laboratory analysis included microbiological, serological, pathological and molecular techniques. Border disease was diagnosed in 16% of the flocks, toxoplasmosis in 15%, chlamydiosis in 12%, salmonellosis in 10%, Q fever in 3%, miscellaneous infections in 7% (Yersinia spp., Listeria spp., Brucella spp.), and inflammatory lesions compatible with an infectious cause were seen in 7% of the flock. In an additional 1% of the flocks non-infectious causes were identified, and a diagnosis was not reached in 38% of the flocks. When a PCR retrospective study was carried out to investigate the possible implication of Coxiella burnetii in the cases without diagnosis, including those with inflammatory lesions, the prevalence of this pathogen increased from 3% up to 9% of the flocks, revealing the importance of this zoonotic pathogen as a small-ruminant abortifacient agent. Placenta was the most commonly positive sample, but other fetal tissues were also of value for C. burnetii DNA detection. The present results update information about the situation of abortion in sheep farms in northern Spain, and highlight the relevance of molecular diagnostic tools in routine laboratory analysis of abortions by C. burnetii.

A prevalence study of past Lyme borreliosis in persons with outdoor occupations was done. Consenting individuals (n = 302) were administered a questionnaire eliciting demographic and occupational data and a clinical history, and were asked to donate a serum specimen for detection of antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), immunoblotting, and borrelia inhibition assays, and for detection of potentially cross-reactive antibodies. Of 302 individuals, 77 (25%) had reactive antibodies detected by ELISA. Of these 302 individuals, 44 (15%) met the criteria of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for serological reactivity as evidenced by immunoblotting, and 70 (23%) had inhibitory activity. Through the clinical criteria employed, only 11 individuals with serological reactivity had prior illness compatible with Lyme borreliosis. Higher ELISA absorbances were positively correlated with age and duration of outdoor occupation. The results from three serological assays and the lack of reactivity to potentially cross-reactive infectious agents indicate that serological reactivity was due to exposure to B. burgdorferi. The disparity between serological reactivity and the clinical evidence of Lyme borreliosis suggests cumulative exposure to a nonpathogenic form of B. burgdorferi.

In the period 1962-1974, 36 patients with X-linked ichthyosis, belonging to 22 families, were selected for study. The frequency of this genodermatosis is higher in the province of Salamanca than in other countries. In most of the cases, the lesions were apparent at birth or shortly after. In 41% of the patients studied by slit-lamp microscopy, posterior embriotoxom was seen. Hyperkeratosis was seen in follicular and sweat duct orifices. Statistical analysis of the pedigrees showed a higher proportion of affected males among the offspring of carriers and also among the offspring of the ichthyotics' sisters. In addition, among the patients' descendants, the higher ratio of females is statistically significant, showing that there is likely to be selection in favour of the X chromosome.