Southern European Journalists' Perceptions of Discursive Menaces in the Age of (Online) Delegitimization

In a new communication context, factors such as the rise of hate speech, disinformation, or a precarious financial and employment situation in the media have made discursive menaces gain increasing significance. Threats of this kind challenge the legitimacy of institutional news media and professional journalists. This article contributes to the existing literature on the legitimization of journalism and boundary work through a study that seeks to understand the perceptions of Southern European journalists of the threats that they encounter in their work and the factors that help explain them. To this end, a survey of 398 journalists in Spain, Italy, and Greece was conducted to learn what personal or professional factors influenced their views and experiences of discursive and non-discursive menaces. Results show that discursive threats, such as hateful or demeaning speech and public discrediting of one’s work, are the most frequent to the safety of journalists, while expressions of physical violence are less common. Younger and more educated journalists tended to perceive themselves as having been victims of discursive menaces more often, although not many significant differences were observed between different groups of journalists. Even though it could show a worrying trend, this finding can also indicate a growing awareness about menaces of this kind

Renewable energy auction prices: near subsidy-free?

The latest trend of low record bid prices in renewable energy auctions has raised concerns on the effective deployment of the winning projects. A survey of recent auction data from several countries, technologies and remuneration designs is analysed and compared with the corresponding levelised costs of energy (LCOEs) to draw first insights on their viability. A critical assessment of the ability of the LCOE for determining the adequate bid level is then performed and the preliminary unviable results of selected mature technologies are further investigated using improved profitability metrics as the project and equity net present value (NPV) and internal rate of return (IRR). As representative examples, the analysed Danish 2019 onshore wind and photovoltaics (PV) auctions require very specific scenarios to become viable, which cast doubts on their effective implementation. Under the assumptions of a realistic base case, the sensitivity analysis revealed that either 59% of decrease in the weighted average cost of capital (WACC), or 37% of discount on the investment cost or a 3.6% annual increment in the mean market price is needed for achieving the NPV break-even in the onshore wind case. Likewise, the PV case is unprofitable whatever the WACC may be, and either a 60% discount on the investment cost or a 6.8% annual increment in the mean market price is needed for the NPV to break-even. Although some projects could be relying on indirect revenues or additional sources of incomes beyond the auction support, it remains to see if they are finally materialised.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Migración y medios de comunicación. Perspectiva de los periodistas especializados en España

En un contexto en el que la migración tiene un notable peso mediático, y dado el acuerdo general existente en la profesión y la academia sobre los déficits en la cobertura de todas las vertientes de esta en los medios de comunicación, tendente a la negatividad y el estereotipo en un gran número de ocasiones, en este artículo profundizamos en el discurso mediático desde la perspectiva de sus productores: los periodistas especializados. Con este propósito se llevaron a cabo 33 entrevistas en profundidad semiestructuradas y de reconstrucción a periodistas españoles especializados en migraciones, refugiados y personas en movilidad. A través de un análisis de contenido informatizado y manual del texto oralizado obtenido a través de estas entrevistas observamos que los entrevistados aprecian en el periodismo de migraciones deficiencias como: abundancia de estereotipos, falta de profundización/contextualización y escasez de visibilización de la voz de los migrantes. Aunque este diagnóstico concuerda con el observado en trabajos previos que analizan el contenido mediático, la novedad de este trabajo radica en el hecho de que los propios protagonistas, los periodistas especializados, plantean en él posibles opciones de mejora en la cobertura y publicación de información referente a migrantes y refugiados, como una mayor atención al uso del lenguaje y el uso de fuentes primarias humanas

Determination of lithic raw materials in Cantabrian Spain during Greenland Stadial 2: The Magdalenian of Tito Bustillo Cave (Ribadesella, Asturias)

The lithic assemblage studied here comes from the space known as the ' Area de Estancia in Tito Bustillo Cave (Ribadesella, Asturias, Spain), a representative Magdalenian site. The remains were found in Sub-level 1c2 in the Lower Complex (1LC), which was excavated by J.A. Moure Romanillo from 1981 to 1983 and is associated with abundant evidence of osseous industry, fauna, portable art, etc. The present study is especially innovative because it introduces a holistic approach to the understanding of the management of lithic resources by hunter -gatherer groups in the late Pleistocene. It establishes the two main groups of raw materials in the assemblage (flint and quartzite) and the different types through a petrographic description, and the different procurement strategies that were employed. Some preliminary results about the functionality of these tools are also offered. The occupants of this cave during the Greenland Stadial 2 traced a diversified and complex dynamic of exploitation of lithic resources that combined both the most immediate, easily available and in greater volume (for example, quartzite and Pilon similar to a flint), and the most distant, of good knapping quality (Flysch flint, funda-mentally). This circulation of raw materials is parallel to the patterns detected in other deposits in the region with a similar chronology. Significant differences are observed in the knapping schemes between raw materials based on the production of blanks for the manufacture of tools, whose typological classification and analysis of use-wear makes us propose a specialized and little diversified functionality, which is usually related to that of temporary occupations.This research was undertaken in the context of Ph.D. scholarship Junta de Castilla y León and Fondo Social Europeo (S. Martín-Jarque), and of the Spanish projects PID2020-114462 GB-100 and PID2020-118359 GB-I00 both funded by the Programa Estatal de Fomento de Generación de Conocimiento y Fortalecimiento Científico y Tecnológico, of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation. A. Prieto is a postdoctoral researcher supported by the UPV/EHU and the Spanish Ministry of Science with UE-Next-Generation funds (María Zambrano Fellowship). His research was also supported by the PID2021-126937NB-I00 and the HAR2017-82493-C3-1-P Spanish Ministry of Science projects

A comprehensive model for the design of a microgrid under regulatory constraints using synthetical data generation and stochastic optimization

As renewable energy installation costs decrease and environmentally-friendly policies are progressively applied in many countries, distributed generation has emerged as the new archetype of energy generation and distribution. The design and economic feasibility of distributed generation systems is constrained by the operation of the microgrid, which has to consider the uncertainty of renewable energy sources, consumption habits and electricity market prices. In this paper, a mathematical model intended to optimize the design and economic feasibility of a microgrid is proposed. After a search in the state-of-the-art, weaknesses and strengths of existing models have been identified and taken into account for building the present model. The present model should be seen as a basis on which other models can be built upon, hence a complete definition of the different sub-models is stated: uncertainty modelling, optimization technique, physical constraints and regulatory framework. One of the main features presented is the generation of synthetic data in uncertainty modelling, employed to enhance the reliability of the model by taking into account a longer time horizon and a shorter time step. Results show significant details about energy management and prove the suitability of using a stochastic approach rather than deterministic or intuitive ones to perform the optimization.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Desarrollo del prototipo AndaLAND para evaluar suelos agrícolas y agua en el marco del cambio climático

16 páginas.-- 7 figuras.-- 26 referencias.-- Annex 1. Equivalents of USDA and FAO soil classifications (IUSS Working Group WRB 2006)[ES]: There is a critical need to incorporate concerns on soil and water use and protection into land use planning policies and practices, not exclusively in protected areas, especially taking into account the widespread power transfer to local authorities regarding land-use decision making. Accordingly, it is extremely useful what Decision Support Systems (DSS) do on land use. AndaLAND is a prototype DSS which has been developed as a web-based application. It helps to define the vulnerability and the efficiency of the use and protection of soils in the selected target region: Andalusia (Southern Spain). AndaLAND integrates a complete catalogue of information on climate, soil and soil management, to make land vulnerability evaluation. By using Web Map Services (WMS), AndaLAND is fed with available databases from public mapping services (the Geographic Information System for the Common Agricultural Policy-SIGPAC) and other external sources (Microcomputed-based Land Evaluation Information System, MicroLEIS). Climate change scenarios are considered jointly with other relevant global change elements, such as land use change. Soil evaluation is based on decision rules that follow a decision tree. This method was established from Drools (a powerful hybrid reasoning system), using agrological rules for determining soil capacity in plots. The tool is capable of evaluating individually more than 6 million plots currently existing in the Andalusian region. AndaLAND’s final output is a report on the particular vulnerability of a user-specified plot. The report includes information on the plot’s geographical location, its environmental status regarding to (current and potential) impacts, degradation and/or pollution in the water-soil-crop system and eventual affections due to climate change-induced events. The report also provides practical recommendations for sustainable use and management of plots (in particular, for irrigated crops, these recommendations are linked to available irrigation technologies and water consumption).[PO]: Cada vez é mais evidente a necessidade de implementar políticas e práticas que integrem critérios de ordenamento do território para a proteção do uso do solo e da água, não só nas áreas protegidas, tendo em consideração o papel das autoridades locais e dos pequenos agricultores na tomada de decisão sobre os diversos usos do solo. Por isso, e uma vez que existe uma prática cada vez mais difundida no uso de Sistemas de Apoio à Decisão (SAD) para a gestão do uso do solo, o AndaLAND é apresentado como um protótipo dos SAD desenvolvido como uma aplicação web. Esta ferramenta permite determinar a vulnerabilidade e eficiência no uso e proteção do solo na área de estudo: Andaluzia (Sul de Espanha). O AndaLAND integra um catálogo abrangente de informações sobre o clima, solo e gestão da mesma, para permitir a avaliação da vulnerabilidade dos solos alvo. Usando serviços Web Map (WMS), o AndaLAND permite descarregar as informações dos bancos de dados de mapeamento de serviços públicos (Sistema de Informação Geográfica para a Política Agrícola Comum-SIGPAC) assim como de outras fontes diversas (sistemas de informação para a avaliação de serviços web do solo existentes MicroLEIS). Os cenários de alterações climáticas são construídos como informação relevante para prever os potenciais impactos associados com as mudanças no uso do solo. A avaliação global do solo é estabelecida a partir de regras definidas usando árvores de decisão. Este método foi implementado através do sistema Drools (sistema de regras de gestão), utilizando critérios agronómicos para determinar a capacidade agrológica das parcelas. Assim, esta ferramenta é capaz de avaliar individualmente mais de 6 milhões de explorações atualmente existentes na Andaluzia. O resultado final do uso AndaLAND é um relatório individual sobre a vulnerabilidade da parcela definida pelo utilizador como parcela-alvo. Esta documentação inclui informações sobre a localização geográfica da parcela, o seu estado ambiental em relação a atuais e potenciais impactos, possível fase de degradação e / ou contaminação no sistema solo-água-cultura e a robabilidade de ser afetada pelos efeitos associados às alterações climáticas. O relatório final inclui recomendações práticas para a utilização e gestão sustentável na parcela-alvo (especialmente no caso das culturas de regadio estas orientações referem-se às tecnologias de rega existentes e ao consumo de água).[ES]: Cada vez se hace más patente la necesidad de implementar políticas y prácticas de planificación territorial que integren criterios para la protección del uso del suelo y el agua, no sólo en las zonas naturales protegidas, y considerando a su vez el papel desempeñado por las administraciones locales y pequeños agricultores en la toma de decisiones sobre los distintos usos del suelo. Por ello, y dado que existe una práctica cada vez más generalizada en el uso de Sistemas de Ayuda a la Decisión (SAD) para la gestión de los usos del suelo, AndaLAND se presenta como un prototipo de SAD desarrollado como una aplicación web. Esta herramienta permite determinar la vulnerabilidad y la eficiencia en el uso y protección de los suelos en la región objetivo de estudio: Andalucía (S España). AndaLAND integra un catálogo muy completo sobre información climática, de suelos y de manejo de los mismos, para poder realizar la evaluación de la vulnerabilidad de suelos objetivo. Mediante el uso de Web Map Services (WMS), AndaLAND es capaz de volcar la información procedente de las bases de datos de servicios de cartografía públicos (el Sistema de Información Geográfica de la Política Agraria Común-SIGPAC), así como otras fuentes muy diversas (sistemas de información de evaluación de suelos ya existentes en servicios web, MicroLEIS). Los escenarios de cambio climático están incorporados como información relevante para poder predecir los posibles impactos asociados a los cambios de uso del suelo. La evaluación global del suelo se establece a partir de reglas definidas mediante árboles de decisión. Dicho método fue implementado a través del sistema Drools (sistema de gestión de reglas), utilizando criterios agronómicos para determinar la capacidad agrológica en las parcelas. De esta forma, la herramienta es capaz de evaluar individualmente más de 6 millones de explotaciones declaradas actualmente en Andalucía. El resultado final del uso de AndaLAND es un informe individual sobre la vulnerabilidad de la parcela objetivo definida por el usuario. Dicha documentación incluye información sobre la localización geográfica de la parcela, su estado medioambiental con respecto a actuales y potenciales impactos, la posible fase de degradación y/o contaminación en el sistema suelo-agua-cultivo, y la probabilidad de verse afectada por los efectos asociados al cambio climático. El informe final incorpora recomendaciones prácticas para el uso y gestión sostenible en la parcela objetivo (en particular, en el caso de cultivos de regadío estas pautas están referidas a tecnologías de riego existentes y hacia el consumo de agua).This research was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) within the framework of the new Precommercial Public Procurement (CPP). The AndaLAND DSS has been jointly developed by the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), the Institute of Natural Resources and Agrobiology of Seville (IRNAS-CSIC) and two Spanish companies: INCLAM, specialized in water and environmental engineering; and EVENOR-TECH, specialized in Information and Comunication Technologies (ICT) applied to land use planning.Peer reviewe

A view of the Brazil-Malvinas confluence, March 2015

The encountering of the subtropical Brazil Current (BC) and the subantarctic Malvinas Current (MC) along the western margin of the Argentine Basin forms the Brazil-Malvinas Confluence (BMC), one of the most intense open-ocean fronts in the world ocean and a site for the formation of intermediate water masses. Here, we provide a comprehensive description of the BMC based on physical and biogeochemical data – hydrographic stations, profiling floats and subsurface drifters – gathered in March 2015. We use these data in order to characterize the impinging and outflowing currents and to describe the cross- and along-frontal thermohaline structure. In addition, we compare the in-situ measurements with both climatological data and the Mercator Ocean eddy-resolving reanalysis. The hydrographic sections illustrate the contrasting properties between the two western boundary currents: warm, salty, nutrient- and oxygen-poor oligotrophic subtropical waters carried southward by the BC and the cold, fresh, oxygen- and nutrient-rich subantarctic waters carried northward by the MC. The frontal system is also characterized by the presence of thermohaline intrusions, with the cross-frontal gradients and along-front velocities sharpening as the colliding currents shape the frontal system. We also observe brackish waters spreading on top of the frontal jet as a result of both the confluence dynamics and off-shelf advection favored by north-easterly winds. These low-salinity waters are positively correlated with surface ageostrophic speeds over the frontal jet. The cruise data illustrates the high regional and mesoscale variability as compared with climatological conditions, and further document the submesoscale subsurface complexity, which is not properly captured by available operational models.Fil: Orúe Echevarría, Dorleta. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Instituto de Ciencias del Mar; EspañaFil: Pelegrí, Josep L.. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Instituto de Ciencias del Mar; EspañaFil: Alonso González, Iván J.. Oceomic, Marine Bio And Technology S.L; EspañaFil: Benítez Barrios, Verónica M.. Oceomic, Marine Bio And Technology S.L; EspañaFil: Emelianov, Mikhail. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Instituto de Ciencias del Mar; EspañaFil: García Olivares, Antonio. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Instituto de Ciencias del Mar; EspañaFil: Gasser i Rubinat, Marc. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Instituto de Ciencias del Mar; EspañaFil: De La Fuente, Patricia. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Instituto de Ciencias del Mar; EspañaFil: Herrero, Carmen. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Instituto de Ciencias del Mar; EspañaFil: Isern Fontanet, Jordi. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Instituto de Ciencias del Mar; EspañaFil: Masdeu Navarro, Marta. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Instituto de Ciencias del Mar; EspañaFil: Peña Izquierdo, Jesús. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Instituto de Ciencias del Mar; EspañaFil: Piola, Alberto Ricardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Centro de Investigaciones del Mar y la Atmósfera. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Centro de Investigaciones del Mar y la Atmósfera; ArgentinaFil: Ramírez Garrido, Sergio. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Instituto de Ciencias del Mar; EspañaFil: Rosell Fieschi, Miquel. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Instituto de Ciencias del Mar; EspañaFil: Salvador, Joaquín. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Instituto de Ciencias del Mar; EspañaFil: Saraceno, Martin. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Centro de Investigaciones del Mar y la Atmósfera. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Centro de Investigaciones del Mar y la Atmósfera; Argentina. Universidad de Barcelona; EspañaFil: Valla, Daniel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Ciencias de la Atmósfera y los Océanos; ArgentinaFil: Vallès Casanova, Ignasi. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Instituto de Ciencias del Mar; EspañaFil: Vidal, Montserrat. Universidad de Barcelona; Españ

Liver CPT1A gene therapy reduces diet-induced hepatic steatosis in mice and highlights potential lipid biomarkers for human NAFLD

The prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has increased drastically due to the global obesity pandemic but at present there are no approved therapies. Here, we aimed to revert high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity and NAFLD in mice by enhancing liver fatty acid oxidation (FAO). Moreover, we searched for potential new lipid biomarkers for monitoring liver steatosis in humans. We used adeno-associated virus (AAV) to deliver a permanently active mutant form of human carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1A (hCPT1AM), the key enzyme in FAO, in the liver of a mouse model of HFD-induced obesity and NAFLD. Expression of hCPT1AM enhanced hepatic FAO and autophagy, reduced liver steatosis, and improved glucose homeostasis. Lipidomic analysis in mice and humans before and after therapeutic interventions, such as hepatic AAV9-hCPT1AM administration and RYGB surgery, respectively, led to the identification of specific triacylglyceride (TAG) specie (C50:1) as a potential biomarker to monitor NAFFLD disease. To sum up, here we show for the first time that liver hCPT1AM gene therapy in a mouse model of established obesity, diabetes, and NAFLD can reduce HFD-induced derangements. Moreover, our study highlights TAG (C50:1) as a potential noninvasive biomarker that might be useful to monitor NAFLD in mice and humans

Wage inequality, segregation by skill and the price of capital in an assignment model

Some pieces of empirical evidence suggest that in the U.S., over the last few decades, (i) wage inequality between-plants has risen much more than wage inequality within-plants and (ii) there has been an increase in the segregation of workers by skill into separate plants. This paper presents a frictionless assignment model in which these two features can be explained simultaneously as the result of the decline in the relative price of capital. Additional implications of the model regarding the skill premium and the dispersion in labor productivity across plants are also consistent with the empirical evidence. [resumen de autor

Healthcare workers hospitalized due to COVID-19 have no higher risk of death than general population. Data from the Spanish SEMI-COVID-19 Registry

Aim To determine whether healthcare workers (HCW) hospitalized in Spain due to COVID-19 have a worse prognosis than non-healthcare workers (NHCW). Methods Observational cohort study based on the SEMI-COVID-19 Registry, a nationwide registry that collects sociodemographic, clinical, laboratory, and treatment data on patients hospitalised with COVID-19 in Spain. Patients aged 20-65 years were selected. A multivariate logistic regression model was performed to identify factors associated with mortality. Results As of 22 May 2020, 4393 patients were included, of whom 419 (9.5%) were HCW. Median (interquartile range) age of HCW was 52 (15) years and 62.4% were women. Prevalence of comorbidities and severe radiological findings upon admission were less frequent in HCW. There were no difference in need of respiratory support and admission to intensive care unit, but occurrence of sepsis and in-hospital mortality was lower in HCW (1.7% vs. 3.9%; p = 0.024 and 0.7% vs. 4.8%; p<0.001 respectively). Age, male sex and comorbidity, were independently associated with higher in-hospital mortality and healthcare working with lower mortality (OR 0.211, 95%CI 0.067-0.667, p = 0.008). 30-days survival was higher in HCW (0.968 vs. 0.851 p<0.001). Conclusions Hospitalized COVID-19 HCW had fewer comorbidities and a better prognosis than NHCW. Our results suggest that professional exposure to COVID-19 in HCW does not carry more clinical severity nor mortality