Province Of Malaga Research Articles

Spiritual Dimension at the End of Life: A Phenomenological Study from the Caregiver's Perspective.

The lives of healthy and sick people are structured according to a variety of conceptual matrices. One of these matrixes consists of philosophical, spiritual, and religious convictions, being this especially relevant in the process of the end of life. The objective of the study is to understand the meaning that individuals at the end of life and the relatives of such individuals award spiritual and/or religious beliefs through an examination of caregiver narratives. Multicentric study was developed that used a qualitative design and a phenomenological approach. The study was conducted in the autonomous community of Andalusia, specifically in the provinces of Almeria, Malaga, Seville, Granada, and Huelva. The selection method was purposive sampling. Caregivers who had lost a relative in a period between 2months and 2years previously and who were not in a process of pathological grieving were selected for inclusion in the study. The method involved five discussion groups and 41 in-depth interviews, with a total of 87 participants. A change of paradigms is necessary in which, among other elements, the focus of palliative care is centered on the ability to address these spiritual needs, and healthcare professionals are trained to assist in the provision of such care. Another important consideration is the inequality of spiritual supported provided by clergy from various religions. At least in the cultural context of the research, Catholic chaplains were the only institutional figures whose presence was assumed necessary by health organizations. However, the cultural and/or religious diversity in the autonomous community in which the study was conducted is increasingly broad and complex. It appears necessary to incorporate a variety of clergies in health units so that all patients may find support, whether in terms of companionship or celebration.

Integrating MCDM and GIS for renewable energy spatial models: assessing the individual and combined potential for wind, solar and biomass energy in Southern Spain

The present study aims to develop an integrated methodology using multi-criteria decision-making methods and geographical information systems for a renewable energy spatial planning model. This methodology has been applied to the province of Malaga (Southern Spain), which is characterised by high energy demand for both residential and touristic use. Criteria and restrictions are defined, weighed and combined in order to identify high potential areas for the construction of single- or combined wind power, solar power and biomass generation facilities. Finally, a cluster analysis is carried out in order to classify municipalities within the province according to the availability of medium and high potential land for the construction of these facilities. Results suggest that for the three types of energy analysed (wind, solar and biomass), single- or combined solar and wind power facilities are the best options in the province of Malaga. The breakdown of these results at the municipality level is of great interest from the point of view of spatial planning. For instance, in some municipalities less than 1 km2 is regarded as having a medium-to-high potential in terms of renewables. Some of these municipalities, situated on the Costa del Sol, must meet high current- and future energy demands, owing both to population density and the volume of touristic demand, which is the highest in the region of Andalusia. The methodology used can be applied to other regions and will be of interest for planners, managers and investors, all of whom can use this information for spatial- and energy planning, and the definition of targets and strategies, and, therefore, as and to aid decision-making.

Estilo de interacción del entrenador, clima motivacional percibido y satisfacción de las necesidades psicológicas básicas en futbolistas jóvenes

El objetivo del presente trabajo fue analizar el clima motivacional percibido a través de las relaciones existentes entre el estilo de interacción del entrenador (apoyo a la autonomía o estilo controlador) con los constructos de la Teoría de las Metas de Logro (ego o tarea) y el grado de satisfacción con las necesidades psicológicas básicas en una muestra de jóvenes deportistas. Participaron 125 futbolistas de la provincia de Málaga (España), con edades comprendidas entre los 15 y 18 años (M= 16.66, DT= 1.13). Para recoger la información se utilizó la Escala de Estilo Controlador del Entrenador (CCBS), el Cuestionario de Percepción de Soporte de la Autonomía en el Proceso de Entrenamiento (ASCQ), el Cuestionario de Clima Motivacional Percibido en el Deporte (PMCSQ-2) y Escala de Medición de la Satisfacción de las Necesidades Psicológicas en el Ejercicio (PNSE). Los análisis efectuados pusieron de manifiesto relaciones negativas entre la satisfacción de las necesidades psicológicas básicas y el estilo controlador, pero positivas con el apoyo a la autonomía. Además, destaca las relaciones positivas entre el estilo controlador y la percepción del clima motivacional orientado al ego, siendo positivas con el clima orientado a la tarea.

Facing robustness as a multi-objective problem: A bi-objective shortest path problem in smart regions

The goal in Robust Optimization is to optimize not only the quality of the solutions but also the variation of this quality with the uncertain parameters of the optimization problem. We propose a robust model for the bi-objective shortest path problem applied in a smart mobility context: Finding routes for cars in a city to minimize travel time and gas emissions. Our proposal treats robustness from a multi-objective point of view. We model the parameters that define each instance as random variables, described through their mean and variance. In this way, we can obtain efficient solutions that are also less sensitive to changes in the environment. We run different types of algorithms in multiple instances to solve this problem so that we obtain a global view of the behavior of different techniques. All experimentation uses a scenario based on real data: The province of Malaga, Spain. This realistic settlement for our study allows us to test the applicability of our model in final systems for the citizens.The results clearly state the interest of our proposal for tackling robustness and represents a new state-of-the-art in smart mobility, an always appealing feature of works, that could lead to an industrial prototype.

Estilos alternativos de desarrollo local: metodología utilizada para el caso de una Investigación Acción Participativa en la provincia de Málaga

El objetivo de este artículo es evidenciar la necesidad de poner en circulación experiencias de investigación que atisban una incipiente producción creativa que permite experimentar con estilos de desarrollo comunitario. Para ello, presentamos una Investigación Acción Participativa desarrollada a nivel local, concretamente en la provincia de Málaga (España) que generó un laboratorio social polifónico, confluencia de distintas voces, prácticas y formas de hacer, y cuya finalidad última fue visualizar muchas de las problemáticas sociales diarias y concretas que vivíamos los habitantes. El proceso fue protagonizado por vecinos, vecinas, junto con movimientos sociales e investigadores, quienes elaboramos un informe diagnóstico y los recursos metodológicos para afrontar dichas problemáticas y mejorar nuestro entorno.

Increasing resolution of airborne pollen forecasting at a discrete sampled area in the southwest Mediterranean Basin

Daily fluctuations of the airborne pollen concentrations produce variations on symptomatology in allergic population. Such fluctuations are influenced by local vegetal coverage, flowering phenology, geography and climatology. Since 1991, airborne pollen of Malaga province (southern Spain) has been monitored in 7 different locations. Malaga station has been kept operational uninterruptedly throughout the studied period, while the rest of the stations only worked in periods of 2–4 years. Weekly, its pollen information is updated online to inform the population in order to prevent allergic diseases. Increasing the spatial resolution of pollen information would be very useful for allergic population living at unsampled locations. Due to the impossibility of keeping operational a high number of pollen stations covering the whole province of Malaga, the aim of this study is to create spatial models to extrapolate and forecast the pollen concentrations to Malaga province by using the concentrations registered at the capital as unique input. To do so, the relationships obtained between the airborne pollen concentrations detected at Malaga city and those detected at the other stations have been used to elaborate models for the main pollen types registered at the province. These models were spatially interpolated all over the province by using co-kriging techniques and the Compensated Thermicity Index as covariable. As result of this work, pollen distribution of the 8 most prevalent taxa has been depicted all over the whole Malaga province and an allergy alert system has been set up to extrapolate pollen information from Malaga to the whole province.

UNIVERSO BERROCAL. Aproximación multidisciplinar al proceso creativo y a la figura del escultor Miguel Berrocal // Umática #2_Call4Papers-

The editorial team of Umatica –Magazine for the analysis of image and creation– and the Fundacion Escultor Berrocal para las Artes (Foundation Sculptor Berrocal for the Arts) invite researchers and creators to discover or rediscover one of the most uncommon, fascinating Spanish sculptors of the 20th Century: Miguel Berrocal (1933-2006). Spanish sculptor born in 1933 in the province of Malaga, Spain, an internationally renowned artist whose works can be found in countless museums and in the main public and private collections in the world.The Work and processes of Berrocal highlight and allow to reflect on the profound interconnections between art, science, and technology.

Sobre los factores de diferenciación de la diversidad rural y las opciones de su clasificación: ensayo metodológico en la provincia de Málaga

El objetivo de este trabajo es elaborar una propuesta para medir la diversidad del medio rural. Dada las limitaciones de los indicadores simples se recurre a la técnica del análisis multivariante. Como una primera experiencia el procedimiento propuesto se aplica en el espacio rural de la provincia de Málaga. La clasificación de los indicadores mediante componentes principales ha identificado tres factores como nuevas variables que explican la diversidad rural: “transformación productiva”, buen status demográfico”, “dinamismo local”. A partir de este análisis se ha derivado dos tipologías, una estadística (análisis clúster) y otra directa que han permitido clasificar el territorio en ocho niveles de ruralidad. Concluyéndose que ambas tipologías describen acertadamente las diferencias básicas del medio rural en la provincia, por la relevancia y pertinencia de los mencionados factores.

Relaciones entre los cambios en los usos del suelo y el incremento de los riesgos de inundabilidad y erosión: análisis diacrónico en la provincia de Málaga (1957–2007)

Las características rexistásicas de los sistemas eco-geomorfológicos en entornos mediterráneos predisponen a la existencia de riesgos ciertos de inundabilidad y erosión de suelos. Se trata de geo-sistemas de respuesta rápida frente al cambio en cualquiera de sus componentes y muy sensibles a los cambios en los usos del suelo. Este trabajo usa una región extensa y significativa como es la provincia de Málaga para evaluar el modo en que el aprovechamiento del territorio ha actuado positiva o negativamente sobre dichos riesgos. Para ello se realiza un análisis diacrónico de ambos procesos y se evalúan las variaciones de su intensidad. Se han utilizado como indicadores el umbral de escorrentía y la erosión potencial de suelos, y se ha trabajado a dos escalas, la provincial, para obtener una visión comparativa de la distribución de los procesos, y una de más detalle para identificar de forma concreta cuáles son los cambios territoriales que explican los principales incrementos y decrementos en la erosión y la inundabilidad. Los resultados muestran el reparto geográfico de ambos riesgos en los dos periodos seleccionados, y permite concluir las variaciones espaciales a las que la evolución del territorio ha dado lugar, y la influencia que procesos como la litoralización, el turismo, la periurbanización, los incendios forestales o las reforestaciones.

Aportaciones del análisis pedoantracológico al conocimiento paleoecológico de Pinus Pinaster en el sur de España: el caso de Sierra Bermeja

Pinus pinaster es una conífera nativa del Mediterráneo Occidental que ocupa una amplia área corológica, apareciendo en gran diversidad de hábitats. En el caso de Sierra Bermeja (provincia de Málaga, sur de España), la especie integra, junto con los abetales de Abies pinsapo, las formaciones forestales predominantes en la actualidad sobre suelos serpentiníticos. Sin embargo, esta conífera también ha sido considerada por ciertos autores una especie introducida en este territorio. Este hecho y la aparición aislada de distintas especies de Quercus arbóreos han justificado diversas teorías fitosociológicas defensoras de la marginalidad de P. pinaster frente a los árboles latifolios. Este trabajo, mediante el análisis pedoantracológico y posterior datación radiométrica C14 de muestras de carbón, ha permitido establecer el origen natural de la especie sobre los sustratos ultramáficos y su presencia en el macizo a lo largo de gran parte del Holoceno. Asimismo, de los resultados obtenidos parece inferirse además el rol de refugio –probablemente el más meridional de Europa– que pudo tener este macizo para P. pinaster durante el último máximo glaciar, en un contexto en el que parece que el fuego tuvo un papel destacado en la configuración del paisaje vegetal bermejense a lo largo del Holoceno.

La crisis filoxerica en España (estudio comparativo sobre las consecuencias socio-economicas de la filoxera en algunas regiones vitivinicolas españolas)

La filoxera, el insecto microscópico que atacó y arrasó los viñedos europeos a finales del siglo pasado, invadió España en el año 1878, al aparecer su primer foco en la provincia andaluza de Málaga. A partir de esta fecha extendió su marcha funesta por todas las provincias vitivinícolas españolas, causando la destrucción de casi la totalidad de los viñedos de la Península y llevando a la más completa miseria a cientos de miles de viticultores. Existen, sin embargo, apreciables diferencias entre las respectivas regiones vitivinícolas españolas en cuanto a las consecuencias socio-económicas de esta plaga y, también, a las respuestas adoptadas frente a ella, ya sea respecto a la lucha antifiloxérica o a las medidas emprendidas para salir de ella. Apreciar y analizar estas diferencias será el objetivo del presente artículo que tendrá en cuenta, principalmente, las regiones de La Rioja, Cataluña y partes de Andalucía.

Towards network governance model that assume the increasing of complexity

The ever growing complexity in today’s society has brought about new necessities of interaction among the distinct social actors, that ascend from the segmentation of the bureaucratic model to the reticular configuration of the governance”. This article analyzes the aspects associated with governance on the policies related to social inclusion within the Province of Malaga (Spain). To ascertain whether any correspondence existed with the theory’s envisioned framework it was vital to gain knowledge of the opinions held by the actors associated with these policies. The methodology employed, therefore, consisted in a bibliographic and documental review and in semi-formal interviews with the actors involved as well as the public. The actors consulted demand another way of doing things, one in which they can network in a sustainable manner so as to avoid feeling discredited by a public who perceives their services as uncoordinated.

A place in the sun: the British housing market’s (de)construction of Andalusia

Andalusia has become one of the main destinations for British residential tourists, attracted by leisure, a mild climate and the search for a better lifestyle. Prompted by its interest in selling houses, the real estate industry has devised an image of the Andalusian landscape that is, to all intents and purposes, partial and biased. The purpose of this research is to assess the importance of the elements and features that characterise this particular vision of this Spanish region, paying particular attention to more rural inland areas. For this, an empirical study has been conducted based on content analysis of real estate websites targeting British buyers. This study has revealed that: (i) the misrepresented and romantic projection of the image of Andalusia still persists to a certain extent. Among the main elements and attributes that characterise the landscape are all those that emphasise the region’s sublime, picturesque and exotic nature; other main landscape qualities and unique areas, specifically, any that today enjoy natural or cultural legal protection due to their heritage value, are less important in this cultural construction; (ii) the various parts of Andalusia are treated unequally. Malaga province and the rest of the Baetic Mountains are much better represented than other areas (the Guadalquivir Valley and the Sierra Morena mountains). This imbalance sometimes results in a distorted construction of the territory. This way of conceiving Andalusia puts Malaga at the heart of the region, and the further from the Costa del Sol, the more peripheral the regions become; (iii) the complexity of the landscape as a cultural expression is reduced to a set of simplified features that can be easily digested by a social group focused not on experiencing, but on consuming the landscape.

Creation and validation of a scale of sexuality for adolescents: Scale of Myths about Sexuality

IntroductionIn recent decades western countries have become more open about sexuality and sexual relations, and adolescents get information about these issues mainly through the internet, TV and social networks. Often such information is incomplete, wrong or even contradicts itself. What favors them to develop myths, false beliefs and/or negative attitudes about sexuality, love, equality in relationships, or Sexually Transmitted Infections. At the same time, the presence of myths favors double standards, sexism, and a negative attitude toward toward personal, partner and/or social sexuality. ObjectivesTo create a scale for evaluating the permanence of myths about sexuality in adolescents, and to analyze the structural reliability and validity of this scale. MethodThe sample was formed by a pilot group (n=216) and a final group (n=661), both with adolescents from high schools in the province of Malaga, obtained by non-probability cluster sampling. The first 69 initial items were given to the pilot sample to determine the final questions making up the “Escala de Mitos sobre la Sexualidad”. ResultAll final items have an item-total correlation over 0.29. A final questionnaire was obtained of 27 items, grouped into 6 components. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient indicated a high internal consistency of the test (0.881). Moreover, it confirms a significant difference between the sexes and between grades (cohorts). ConclusionThe Scale has appropriate parameters for use in sex education and research. The use of this scale would help to discover adherence to the myths of adolescents, in order to eliminate them and build a solid, free and personal concept of sexuality.

Issues and challenges in defining a heat wave: A Mediterranean case study

We evaluated three definitions of heat wave (HW) and demonstrate that selection of the reference period and air temperature threshold used in the definition can affect the reported frequency of HWs. First, we propose an alternative definition of HW that is based on a moving reference period and specific air temperatures threshold for each calendar date. Then, we present a case study using data from five observatories in Malaga Province (Spain) from 1971 to 2016. We assessed the effect of a moving reference period (rather than a fixed reference period) and the definition of daily air temperatures threshold on the identification of anomalies in the definition of a HW. The results indicate that HWs can occur throughout the year. Finally, we propose incorporation of minimum daily air temperatures in two alternative definitions of HW. Our results indicate a high frequency of HWs in the summer months, in which HWs are mainly due to anomalous high Tmin and more frequent HWs in which maximum and minimum daily air temperature are exceeded from 2014 onwards. These new methods of defining a HW provide more accurate assessments of thermal discomfort.

Aproximación a la situación de los escribanos de cabildo en la provincia de Málaga a mediados del Setecientos español: ¿una mala organización laboral o desidia profesional?

The notary of chapter is a figure known enough by the Spanish historiography, however, its analysis suffers from a lack of studies for the Spanish eighteenth century in general and for the Malaga province especially. The study is based on original sources belonging to different files. Across the in-vestigation, we could have verified that these notaries were an important figure within the town council, since its main function was to leave a scriptural record of everything that happened in the city. This primordial work of this socio-professional collective in many occasions was not completed, since it has been possible to verify a certain professional indifference on the part of these notaries. There are nu-merous complaints filed before the town council for the lack of involvement of these professionals, while there are also numerous documents that lacked any legal value due to the lack of rubric of these notaries. All this indicates to us that it was a collective that enjoyed a great lack of organization in the accomplishment of its professional tasks.

Length of stay for tourists' inland trips

Abstract This paper addresses the problems of scant research on the Province of Malaga's interior and heterogeneous results of research on length of stay. Based on a negative binomial regression model and data from 675 surveys, the results suggest that two different patterns coexist simultaneously regarding variables’ impacts on the length of stay of national versus foreign tourists. For domestic tourists, their reasons for travelling condition length of stay, whereas, for international tourists, satisfaction has the most significant impact on length of stay. In addition, this paper confirms a negative relationship between income and length of stay. Implications for the tourism industry at the destination in question and possible future research are discussed.

Comparative analysis of the financial results-equity in family firms and non-family firms: the case of the service sector in Malaga (Spain)

This research explores the differences between the main economic financial ratios of family firms and non-family firms. The analysis has been carried out on a total of 335 firms from within the province of Malaga, of which 154 are family firms, with the remaining 181 being non-family firms. The sector that is the subject of this study is the tertiary sector: choosing bars, cafes and wholesale providers of these type of businesses due to their evident importance to the service sector in the province. Among main results, significant differences are highlighted in all the ratios analysed between the two groups of firms studied, as well as a greater distribution of profits to its shareholders by family firms (FF) versus non-family firms (NFF). Results show NFF have relatively higher economic return, although the variation of this ratio is greater than in a family firm.

Lost in the South: A Roman Copper Ingot from the area of Tarragona in the Baetica

A Roman copper ingot recovered from a wreck located in the border region of the provinces of Malaga and Cadiz is presented in the following contribution. With a diameter of 45 to 53 cm and a weight of 75.4 kg it is one of the heavier specimens. Presumably the abbreviation of a name and the indication of its weight were incised near the rim of the bottom. Lead isotope and trace element analysis suggest a provenance not from mines in southern Hispania, but from the polymetallic ores of the Catalunya region in northeastern Spain.

Analysis of social innovation on social networking services

ABSTRACTSocial network services are allowing more social connectivity and making possible sharing information and knowledge of a different nature. This article analyses if social workers related to active social policies from Malaga province (Spain) are using social network services to share information and knowledge and if there is a mirror between online and offline relationships. Since it is an experimental model, through virtual ethnography and through social network analysis methodology, we observed the presence, connectivity and analysed the structure of relationships that keep 235 professionals from 52 organizations in Facebook®. Moreover, the model uses the statistical technique of modularity for detecting online communities, which are compared with distribution of professionals in their organizations. Results show how social network services applied to social intervention are massively and frequently used by professionals. On the other hand, the detected communities reflect existence of analogy between online and offline relationships. The online structure shows a high degree of cohesion and how certain professionals have higher capacity of influence and diffusion depending on position in the online structure. It argues about the opportunity to incorporate social network services towards social intervention as a manner of social innovation to improve cooperation and diffusion of information and knowledge.