Spanish Region Of Extremadura Research Articles

Mining out of the crisis? The role of the state in the expansion of the lithium frontier in Extremadura, Spain

The increasing demand for transition minerals, such as lithium, to decarbonize energy and transportation systems has led to the emergence of new mining projects within the Global North. This paper explores the role of state actors in the contested expansion of the lithium frontier in Europe, using the Spanish region of Extremadura as a case study. It combines historical-materialist policy analysis and politics of scale to examine how state actors at multiple scales of regulation promote domestic lithium mining through legislative and non-legislative initiatives. The paper also investigates the discursive legitimizations of expanding the lithium frontier in Extremadura, highlighting how state authorities produce and refer to various “scales of meaning" (Towers, 2000) to discursively legitimate a green capitalist mode of crisis regulation. The analysis demonstrates the crucial role of state actors in shaping conflicts around lithium mining in Extremadura and contributes to the emerging literature on green extractivism and lithium onshoring in the Global North.

An application of C2-Net atmospheric corrections for chlorophyll-a estimation in small reservoirs

This study assesses Sentinel 2 remote sensing data for estimating chlorophyll-a concentrations in 32 small reservoirs located in the Spanish region of Extremadura. The atmospheric correction algorithms C2RCC, C2X, and C2XC were used to obtain chlorophyll-a estimations. In-situ measurements of chlorophyll-a were collected from ninety-four water samples in the study area, and their values were used to validate the satellite-derived estimates. The results showed that the C2RCC atmospheric correction algorithm outperformed the other two algorithms, with a Mean Absolute Average Error (MAAE) of 4.79 mg/m3 for non-hypertrophic reservoirs. C2X and C2XC algorithm performed inaccurately, with extreme RMSE and MAAE values. Spearman correlation coefficients are good for the three methods applied. The findings could be of interest to regional water management authorities and researchers in monitoring water quality in small reservoirs.

Early Childhood Education Teachers’ Perception of Outdoor Learning Activities in the Spanish Region of Extremadura

Over the years, it has been demonstrated that nature is a very important pillar in learning. Outdoor education is an innovative pedagogical approach that is gaining prominence and brings numerous benefits to the students who receive it. Previous studies have tried to show the positive relationship between education and nature and its benefits for children, but only a few reports refer to the specific perception of teachers on this issue, as well as possible differences according to the location of the school. Thus, taking into account the research questions, this paper aims to identify, analyze, and interpret the perception of early childhood education teachers in the Spanish region of Extremadura about outdoor educational practices. For this purpose, attention is paid to the implementation, difficulties, training, or area in which these outdoor educational practices take place, considering the location of the school. Findings showed that teachers are aware of the benefits of outdoor education, but most of them have not received specific training on it, perceive difficulties in carrying them out, or only carry them out at school. As a result, some differences can be perceived depending on the location of the school. Therefore, these results should make us change our perception of education and be able to propose alternatives, involving all the agents and participants of the education system and being aware of the benefits of outdoor education.

El perfil del cazador/a social en la comunidad autónoma de Extremadura

La actividad cinegética presenta un notable arraigo social, cultural, histórico, territorial y económico en la comunidad autónoma de Extremadura. En esta región destaca la existencia de dos modelos de caza: la social y la económica. Desde la asunción de competencias en materia de caza en 1983 por parte del gobierno autonómico ha tratado de darse la misma importancia territorial a ambos modelos cinegéticos. Este escenario ha desembocado en que, en la actualidad, los terrenos acotados dedicados a la práctica social abarquen aproximadamente la mitad de la superficie cinegética bajo la consideración de coto. La presencia de la caza en Extremadura ha llevado a la creación de un buen número de trabajos científicos que se decantan por esta temática. A pesar de ello, una escasa parte de estos trabajos abordan la caza social. De esta manera, la mayor parte de ellos se inclinan por otras líneas de investigación (económica, ambiental, etc.). Ante esta carencia de estudios el siguiente trabajo se expone como novedoso al analizar una de las partes más importantes de la caza social, sus practicantes, determinando su perfil, así como la situación de esta modalidad cinegética. Para conseguir mencionados objetivos se ha empleado como fuente de información principal una encuesta difundida entre cazadores extremeños a través de la asistencia a diferentes eventos cinegéticos (jornadas, ferias, etc.). Estos datos han sido tratados, posteriormente, mediante técnicas estadísticas que han permitido obtener una información relevante.

Tourist’s rational and emotional engagement across events: a multi-event integration view

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate and compare the role of communication, structural and intangible elements on both tourists’ rational and emotional engagement across five different types of events (nature, gastronomy, religion, theatre and music).Design/methodology/approachResponses from 1,528 tourists were obtained through a face to face questionnaire in five heterogeneous events in the Spanish region of Extremadura, a well-known cultural tourism destination. Linear regressions were used to evaluate focal constructs’ contribution (emotional and rational engagement, formal and informal communication and structural and non-structural elements) on tourists’ engagement across events.FindingsThe results revealed that tourist’s rational and emotional engagement depends on the type of event. Non-structural elements seem to be important for rational and emotional engagement for gastronomic and cultural events. Besides the impact of structural elements on rational engagement, all other factors seem to have a mixed influence. Therefore, practitioners must select the factors to highlight according to the type of events, besides structural factors.Practical implicationsThe current results allow tourism managers to understand the mechanisms for tourists’ engagement in a multi-event scenario to strategically select and use and communicate each type of appeal when planning and communicating events to specific target audiences.Originality/valueUnlike most studies that focus on a single event or typology, this study combines a set of heterogeneous events to provide a complete picture of tourism engagement for the tourism sector.

Análisis del impacto de la innovación, las TIC y el clima empresarial sobre los ingresos de las PYMES

Las organizaciones tienen como reto constante aumentar sus ingresos a través del volumen de sus ventas. Entre las formas de conseguir este objetivo encontramos la innovación y el uso de las tecnologías de la información y de la comunicación (TIC). Parte de la literatura científica señala que estas herramientas permiten no solo competir en el actual entorno económico, complejo y cambiante, sino también mejorar la eficiencia y la eficacia empresarial. Por estos motivos, el objetivo de este trabajo consiste en analizar si la innovación, las TIC y el entrono repercuten en el incremento de los ingresos, a través de las ventas, teniendo en cuenta la percepción sobre el entorno que tienen los responsables de las pymes. Para estudiar el objetivo se ha realizado una encuesta a 250 pymes de la región española de Extremadura. Como aportación principal del trabajo, nuestros resultados sugieren que tanto la innovación como las TIC impactan positivamente en el incremento de las ventas de las pymes, y, por lo tanto, las empresas han de integrarlas como parte fundamental de su estructura.

Effects of an exercise program linked to primary care on depression in elderly: fitness as mediator of the improvement.

The present study aimed to analyse the effects of 12months of participation in a public physical activity program linked to primary care on depression level and fitness, and to determine which fitness components were responsible for the improvement in depression using mediation analysis. Participants of this program were 2768 middle-aged and older adults from 67 municipalities throughout the Spanish region of Extremadura. In the analysis only participants with depression and without any missing values for fitness variables were included. This sample was 303 for exercise group and 74 for control group. Socio-demographic data, Geriatric Depression Scale and some fitness tests were applied at baseline and 1year later. Exercise group performed the program 3days/week for 50-60min per session involving brisk walking with intermittent flexibility, strength and balance activities/exercises. Socializing within the group was encouraged in all sessions. Data analysis included analysis of covariance, chi-squared and effect size statistics. Additionally, a parallel model of mediation analysis was performed to determine the indirect effect of the participation in the exercise program on depression through improvements in fitness. A considerable reduction from mild, moderate or severe depression to non-depression were obtained for exercise group (68%) P-value < .05. The parallel mediation analysis showed that flexibility (sit-and-reach [β - 0.04 (- 0.07 to - 0.01)], back scratch [β - 0.06 (- 0.12 to - 0.02)]) and cardiorespiratory fitness (6-min walk [β - 0.09 (- 0.15 to - 0.04)]) were mediators of the reduction in depression. This exercise program was effective in improving depression in older adults. Integrating aerobic and flexibility exercises in a group-based program of physical activity programs could improve the severity of depression in this population.

Water Tourism: A New Strategy for the Sustainable Management of Water-Based Ecosystems and Landscapes in Extremadura (Spain)

Water is an important element for the conservation of ecosystems and for human wellbeing. Recently, there has been a loss of awareness about the value of this resource, which requires scientific and practical action to encourage the rise of a new cultural attitude regarding water. Tourism gives water resources great potential, because it facilitates the development of such attractive resources, combining their protection with respectful use. However, studies that have explored the water tourism–territory relationship are still scarce. The objective of this work is to explore the current, touristic use of the aquifer sites in the Spanish region of Extremadura in order to determine whether these practices have the potential to generate new sensitivity about the value of water and its importance in socioeconomic development and environmental conservation. This research uses qualitative and quantitative methodologies, obtaining results that confirm the strategic role of water in the proper management of ecosystems and for the enhancement of human wellbeing. The empirical results show the beginning of a change in water-based tourism from both a supply- and demand-side perspectives. The conclusions suggest potential new measures that will facilitate a better understanding of the value of water, enhance the quality of life for everyone, and safeguard ecosystems.

The Economic Burden of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease In The Spanish Region of Extremadura

The Economic Burden of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease In The Spanish Region of Extremadura

Selecting indicators for assessing soil quality and degradation in rangelands of Extremadura (SW Spain)

Spanish rangelands are considered to be of high nature value and a habitat of interest in the European Union due to their productivity and species diversity. However, they are fragile landscapes where farmers’ decisions, such as changes in livestock pressure, can lead to serious deterioration. Currently, no indicator system is being used in these areas to enable farmers to evaluate the condition of rangeland soils. Aiming at this, soil properties, land degradation processes, rainfall characteristics, as well as pasture and land management were analysed in order to propose a set of soil quality and degradation indicators. The study was carried out on 22 enclosures selected from 10 privately-owned farms distributed throughout the Spanish region of Extremadura. Cation exchange capacity, available potassium, soil organic matter, water content at field capacity, soil depth and the thickness of the Ah-horizon were selected as soil quality indicators, with the percentage of bare ground cover and bulk density measured from 5 to 10cm in depth selected as soil degradation indicators. All the indicators were classified into 5 categories and land units were assessed accordingly. The results revealed that 14% of cases showed very low soil quality and 18% high degradation. The reasons that motivated the selection and categorisation of each indicator are described and the proposed system is compared with other existing indicator systems.

Urban vs. rural CLIL: an analysis of input-related variables, motivation and language attainment

ABSTRACTThe present article carries out an in-depth analysis of the differences in motivation, input-related variables and linguistic attainment of the students at two content and language integrated learning (CLIL) schools operating within the same institutional and educational context, the Spanish region of Extremadura, and differing only in terms of the social milieu: rural vs. urban. The results show that the CLIL learners in the urban school (n = 27) had started earlier, had had greater formal support outside school (i.e. private English lessons) and had attained a higher level of English (grammar, passive and active vocabulary) than their rural colleagues (n = 21), while their motivation and extramural exposure (i.e. informal contact with English) were not found to be dissimilar. Of the variables considered, social milieu (urban vs. rural), used here as a proxy of socio-economic status, explained most of the variance in language attainment results.

The Impact of Heavy Grazing on Soil Quality and Pasture Production in Rangelands of SW Spain

AbstractSoil degradation phenomena, including water erosion and physical and biological processes, have already been reported in rangelands of southwestern Spain. The increasing numbers of livestock since 1986 have been highlighted as one of the key causes. The main goal of this work is to analyse the effects of the excessive number of animals on soil quality and pasture production on privately owned farms dedicated to extensive ranching. Soil properties and surface cover, pasture production, rainfall and land management variables such as livestock density were analysed during a period of 3 years (2008–2011). The study was carried out in 22 livestock enclosures selected from ten farms distributed throughout the Spanish region of Extremadura. The occurrence of bare soil patches and water erosion processes, as well as an increase of mean bulk density in the soil layer from 5 to 10 cm in depth, was observed in the enclosures with animal stocking rates exceeding 1 AU ha−1. Indications that confirm the negative effects of increased bulk density on pasture production and quality were also found. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Culinary tourists in the Spanish region of Extremadura, Spain

Food and wine are considered to be part of the cultural identity of an area. In recent years, this identity has been getting stronger and creating possibilities for tourist destinations which, in turn, is supporting the economic development of certain regions. This paper presents a study into the relationship between wine, food and culture in the Spanish region of Extremadura. As part of this study, a survey of tourists dining in restaurants of the city of Cáceres was carried out. The main results of this study show that food and wine are closely linked to culture; cuisine and culture are the resources which tourists value most highly and desire most; and culinary tourists are distinguished by their high cultural and income levels, which make them an attractive market segment for tourist destinations.

A model-based integrated assessment of land degradation by water erosion in a valuable Spanish rangeland

This paper presents an integrated assessment model aimed at evaluating land degradation by water erosion in dehesa rangelands in the Iberian Peninsula. The model is built following the system dynamics approach. The degradation risk is likened to the probability of losing a certain amount of soil within a number of years, as estimated over a great number of stochastic simulations. Complementary indicators are the average times needed to lose different amounts of soil over the simulations. A group of exogenous factors are ranked in order of importance. These factors are mainly climatic and economic and potentially affect soil erosion. Calibration is carried out for a typical dehesa defined over 22 working units selected from 10 representative farms distributed throughout the Spanish region of Extremadura. The degradation risk turns out to be moderate. The importance of climatic factors on soil erosion considerably exceeds that of those linked to human activities.

«Braseros» de bronce protohistóricos en Extremadura. Viejos y nuevos hallazgos; nuevas y viejas ideas

The updated catalogue for the so called metallic “braziers” coming from the Spanish region of Extremadura, in the southwestern Iberian Peninsula is presented here. It includes from the oldest findings, like the silver one from the Aliseda Treasure to the latest unpublished items. They are already more than 20 vessels coming from nine archaeological sites both from Cáceres and Badajoz provinces, where until a few years such production were practically unknown. With the presentation of the new repertory, many archaeological theories touching these signaled objects are reviewed too.

Performance Measurement in the Health sector: Uses of Frontier Efficiency Methodologies and Multi-Criteria Decision Making

Performance measurement is essential for improvement.Although techniques for collecting, analyzing, and report-ing data fall within the quantitative skill set of theorganization, translating data into information that manag-ers need to promote performance improvement requires adifferent and more subtle skill set. Health services sector isa complex area that is unique in all its characteristics. It hastoo many dimensions to be fitted into a simple singular unitand it is therefore essentially very difficult to approach themeasurement of the performance of healthcare services byusing one method or another [7]. Frontier EfficiencyMethodologies and Multi-criteria Decision Making havebeen used rigorously in recent years. Data Envelopmentanalysis [1–3] is proven to be a useful tool in measuringefficiency and productivity of hospitals and health carerelated units [4, 5]. Multi-criteria decision making approachhas also been adopted extensively for performance analysisin healthcare sector [6, 8–10].The 9 papers comprising this special volume of theJournal of Medical Systems contribute to the theory andapplication of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). Paperswere included in the special volume after a rigorousrefereeing process, and represent only a small fraction ofthe total number of submitted manuscripts.The volume opens with an application focused on theperformance of dialysis facilities. Nick Kontodimopoulos,Nikolaos D. Papathanasiou, Angeliki Flokou, YannisTountas and Dimitris Niakas examine the impact of non-discretionary factors on DEA and SFA technical efficiencydifferences. They investigated the effect of factors such asoperating environment on the efficiency. In a sample of124 dialysis facilities, technical efficiency was comparedaccording to ownership, region, years in operation andsize. With second-stage Tobit regression, DEA and SFAefficiency was regressed against these environmental factorstodeterminetheirpotentialforpredictingtechnicalefficiency,as well as the efficiency differences between the two frontiermethods. DEA expectedly generated lower mean efficiencyscores than SFA, due to the “random effects” term computedby the latter, in addition to “true” inefficiency. This findingwas consistent for the subgroups formed on the basis of theenvironmentalfactors.ThyfoundthathalfthevariationintheDEA-SFA efficiency differences was explained by environ-mental factors. This suggests that in addition to marketinstabilities, luck, and other related phenomena, decision-makersintheirefforttodetermineoptimalresourceallocation,should point their attention to the potentially useful insightprovided by environmental factors.In another application in measuring technical efficiency inprimary health care in the Spanish region of Extremadura,Jose Manuel Cordero Ferrera, Eva Crespo Cebada and LuisR. Murillo Zamorano investigated the effect of exogenousvariables on efficiency. In this context, the exogenousvariables are represented by the main characteristics of thecovered population. They argued that with using multi-stageprocess in DEA allows calculating more accurate efficiencyscores that can reflect the performance of units moreproperly. Their results show that the inclusion of theexogenous variables in the evaluation has a great impacton both the values of efficiency scores and the rank of units.In the same area of searching for factors that affect onefficiency, Jos L.T. Blank and Bart L. Van Hulst investigatedgovernance characteristics that could explain the performance

Poverty Reduction and SAM Multipliers: An Evaluation of Public Policies in a Regional Framework

The objective of this paper is to obtain several poverty reduction effects by using multipliers based on social accounting matrices. Expressions relating them to Foster, Greer and Thorbecke poverty measures were derived, and two simulations were carried out for the Spanish region of Extremadura. In the first, we posited a per capita transfer equivalent to certain social policy instruments already existing in this region. Structural path analysis is also used to determine the paths by which poverty reduction effects are transmitted. In the second, we calculate the minimum government expenditure in transfers needed to reduce the regional poverty indices to the national values. The results confirmed that the main feature of poverty in Extremadura is incidence.

Measuring Technical Efficiency in Primary Health Care: The Effect of Exogenous Variables on Results

The aim of this paper is to extend the existing literature about efficiency measurement in primary health care with the application of a recently developed method to deal with exogenous variables. In this context, these variables are represented by the main characteristics of the covered population. The use of this technique allows calculating more accurate efficiency scores that can reflect the performance of units more properly. Our results show that the inclusion of these variables in the evaluation has a great impact on both the values of efficiency scores and the rank of units. This analysis has been carried out using a great amount of data available about primary health care centers in the Spanish region of Extremadura.

Assays of the Amino Acid Tryptophan in Cherries by HPLC-Fluorescence

Seven varieties of cherry from the “Valle del Jerte” in the Spanish Region of Extremadura were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively for their content of the amino acid tryptophan. Tryptophan is an essential amino acid in humans, being the precursor of the indolamines serotonin and melatonin which are biogenic amines with great importance in human sleep function. It is also of great importance in the synthesis of indole alkaloids in fruit. The objective of the present work was to determine the levels of tryptophan in “Valle del Jerte” (Extremadura, Spain) cherry varieties by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. Tryptophan was found in all seven varieties tested, the mean concentration being 54.48 ± 17.14 g/ml. There were major differences between the varieties. The highest levels corresponded to the variety Navalinda and the lowest to Pico colorado. The tryptophan content of all the cherry varieties tested, in particular Navalinda, will have importance as the precursor for the biosynthesis of the biogenic amines.

Sustainability in Spanish Extensive Farms (Dehesas): An Economic and Management Indicator-Based Evaluation

The dehesa is defined as an agroforestry system that is characteristic of the southwestern Iberian Peninsula, where grassland is combined with evergreen species of the genus Quercus. Those systems have been gradually transformed from the Mediterranean forest into a unique kind of pastoral woodland by means of an agricultural use. Dehesas occupy more than 6 million ha, and the livestock systems that are based in them are of vital importance for their sustainability. The present work classifies, describes, and evaluates the sustainability of these systems in the Spanish region of Extremadura (southwestern Spain). To this end, we apply a methodological adaptation of the Framework for the Evaluation of Management Systems incorporating Sustainability Index (MESMIS). MESMIS is based on the evaluation of basic attributes of sustainability from indicators that allow one to make a simultaneous and comparative analysis of different types of farms. For the study, 69 farms were selected at random, and were classified using multivariate techniques into four types according to their level of intensification and productive orientation. The results were used to obtain an overall value of sustainability from a technical economic perspective for each farm type present in the dehesa. The mixed systems (beef cattle–sheep–Iberian pigs) have been found to be the most sustainable in general terms. The high–stocking rate sheep dehesas are the least sustainable, although at present, they are the most profitable. The other two groups analyzed, “low–stocking rate sheep farms” and “beef cattle farms,” had intermediate and similar scores. Mixed livestock dehesa farms are the closest to the traditional systems with a highly diverse production, an optimal use of the system's resources, and little dependence on external subsidies. In the present context, with uncertainties about European Union subsidies, this type of farm should be a goal for dehesa farmers. Los sistemas agroforestales de dehesas se localizan en el suroeste de la Península Ibérica ocupando una extensión de más de 6 millones de hectáreas. Los sistemas ganaderos que en ellos se asientan son de vital importancia para su sostenibilidad. Este trabajo clasifica, describe y evalúa la sostenibilidad de estos sistemas en la región española de Extremadura (SO España). Para ello se aplica una adaptación metodológica del marco MESMIS (Marco de Evaluación de Sistemas de Manejo incorporando indicadores de Sostenibilidad). Este método se basa en la valoración de atributos básicos de sostenibilidad a partir de indicadores que permiten hacer un análisis simultáneo y comparativo de distintas tipologías de explotaciones. Para el desarrollo del trabajo se ha partido de 69 explotaciones seleccionadas aleatoriamente. Se emplearon técnicas de estadística multivariadas clasificandolas en cuatro tipologías según su nivel de intensificación y orientación productiva. De los resultados se obtuvo un valor global de sostenibilidad para cada tipología de explotación presente en la dehesa desde una perspectiva técnico-económica. Los sistemas mixtos (vacuno-ovino- porcino ibérico) han resultado ser los más sostenibles en términos generales. Las dehesas de ovino con alta carga ganadera son las menos sostenibles, aunque en la actualidad son las más rentables. Los otros dos grupos analizados, “explotaciones ovinas con carga baja” y “explotaciones de bovinos”, tienen puntuaciones intermedias y similares. Las dehesas con ganado mixto son las más cercanas a los sistemas tradicionales, con una producción altamente diversificada, un aprovechamiento óptimo de los recursos del sistema y una baja dependencia de los subsidios. En la situación actual, con incertidumbres acerca de los subsidios comunitarios, este tipo de explotación debería ser el objetivo de las explotaciones de dehesa.