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Smart tourist destination: a literature review and future agenda
No full textPurpose – The aim of this paper is to conduct a literature review of research on smart destinations, to establishthe state of the knowledge, identify research gaps and propose a future agenda.Design/methodology/approach – A bibliometric review, based on analytical tools, provides an overview of thestate of the knowledge. From the perspectives of smart cities and service ecosystems, the theoretical backgroundenabled us to identify 15 research areas within the smart destination domain that integrate existing research andhighlight gaps.Findings – The results show that publications have increased significantly since 2014. Systematic analysis uses theservice ecosystem and smart city perspectives as the theoretical background to conduct a micro, meso and macroanalysis of the fields of smart experience, smart people, smart governance, smart mobility, smart sustainability andsmart life. The most studied areas are identified and the research gaps are pinpointed for future research.Practical implications – Firstly, destination management organizations must coordinate with smart citymanagement entities. The smart tourist destination (STD) and smart city models should not evolve in isolation fromone another, without a unified vision of the territory and integrative governance. Smart technology must be used toaddress the areas of smart people, smart governance, smart mobility, smart sustainability and smart life. Secondly,while smart technology is important, it is not the goal of STD. As a service ecosystem, its purpose is to create valuethroughout the tourist journey, by operating at micro, meso and macro levels. Technology should be incorporated asthe final step in a process of identifying needs and defining a strategy centred on the co-creation of value.Originality/value – Unlike other systematic reviews of STDs, this study uses a dual theoretical framework(service ecosystem and smart city) to provide a comprehensive view of the phenomenon. This approach enablesus to establish the state of the art and identify research gaps more systematically than other literature reviewshave done to date
Extremism, marginalization, and talibanization: an ethnographic analysis of culture and state narratives of the pashtun society of Pakistan
No full textDoctorat internacionalThe US troops’ withdrawal and the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul in 2021 led to the resurgence of extremist groups like ISIS Khurasan and Tehreek I Taliban Pakistan, expanding their bases in the Indigenous Pashtun-populated region of Pakistan along the Durand Line, a contested border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. The region’s indigenous social structure is eroding due to militancy, religious intolerance, continuous militarization, and marginalization in the decision-making processes in the center of the post-colonial state. This qualitative research examines the growing culture of extremism and its contributing factors in this volatile region. The study is based on autoethnographic fieldwork and empirical evidence collected in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan from 2020 to 2024. It includes eight focus group discussions, 22 open-ended interviews, a research stay, and participation in communal and political activities related to the issue. The study showcases the current state of militarization and marginalization of the region by the military dominated center, religious indoctrination, and manipulation of extreme narratives by extremists in society. It investigates cases of mob violence related to blasphemy allegations, issues of mistrust between marginalized Pashtuns and the state, and an indigenously emerged nonviolent social movement, the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement, aka PTM, that seeks to protect ethnic Pashtuns’ equal rights. The primary investigation shows that the movement is oppressed by the state’s security agencies, which marginalize and mistreat the Pashtuns – highlighting a correlation between marginalization and extremism in society. The primary data indicate that over five decades of militarization of the region has significantly impacted the socio-political and indigenous cultural aspects of the population, and militants manipulate the society’s narratives of culture, religion, marginalization, and racial profiling by the state – resulting in a culture of intolerance – fueling extremism. Based on theories of social change, this research presents a blueprint for practitioners to implement resilient peace structures in volatile Indigenous populations.Programa de Doctorat en Estudis Internacionals de Pau, Conflictes i Desenvolupamen
Exploring the dark side of engagement: hidden costs to job satisfaction and well-being
No full textThis thesis examines the less explored side of employee engagement, particularly how it relates to emotional labor, stress, and job satisfaction. While engagement is often seen as positive, the research shows that it can also have unintended negative effects on employee well-being. By investigating these connections in depth, the study sheds light on how emotional demands at work may influence the experience of engagement and its outcomes. The findings offer useful insights for both scholars and practitioners, highlighting the need for a more balanced approach when promoting engagement in the workplace. This research aims to open up new directions for understanding and managing engagement in a way that supports both performance and employee health.Programa de Doctorat en Economia i Empres
Vigor-inducing effects of dopamine transport (DAT) blockers: studies using different types of behavioral activation and effort-based decision-making tasks in rodents.
No full textDoctorat internacionalDopamine transporter (DAT) blockers increase dopamine (DA) availability by inhibiting reuptake, enhancing dopaminergic activity, and are being explored as treatments for motivational deficits in psychiatric and neurological conditions. The mesolimbic DA system, particularly the ventral tegmental area to nucleus accumbens pathway, regulates motivation and effort-based decision-making. Dysfunction in this pathway is linked to symptoms like anergia and fatigue, common in depression, which often resist treatment. This thesis focuses on developing and validating mice models to study effort-related behaviors and test novel DAT blockers. Chapter 1 explores decision-making under varying reinforcer and effort conditions, adapting rat paradigms for mice. Chapter 2 validates these models using bupropion and examines the role of CDNF in motivation. Chapter 3 assesses new DAT inhibitors (CE-123, CE-158, MK-26) compared to modafinil and cocaine, analyzing their effects on anxiety and locomotion. These findings demonstrate the therapeutic potential of DAT blockers for addressing motivational dysfunctions.Programa de Doctorat en Ciències Biomèdiques i Salu
Zebrafish exposed to a cocktail of pesticides during early development display long-lasting neurobehavioral alterations
No full textThe widespread use of pesticides is increasing the presence of environmental contaminants with potential impacts on biodiversity, ecosystems, and human health. Although long-term pesticide effects have been previously studied, the long-term impact of an acute pesticide exposure during critical early developmental periods remains poorly understood. Here, we used zebrafish to examine whether acute exposure to a pesticide mixture at 0.5 μg/L (the maximum allowed in drinking water) during the first 5 days post-fertilisation (dpf) of development has lasting effects at 28 dpf. Zebrafish were assessed behaviourally, morphologically, and molecularly both immediately after exposure at 5 dpf and later at 28 dpf. Our results show alterations in stress-response that start to emerge right after the developmental exposure and are associated with a less anxious-like phenotype at juvenile stages. Interestingly, despite the observed behavioural phenotype at 28 dpf, it did not lead to significant molecular changes in the hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal (HPI) axis at this stage. On the contrary, a positive control group of juvenile fish subjected to a sustained pesticide exposure throughout the 28 dpf showed both reduced anxiety-like behaviour and HPI alterations. Our study suggests that even an acute exposure to a low-concentration of pesticides during critical developmental periods can result in enduring behavioural changes.Montpellier Université d'Excellence,MUSE-Pestifish 2017, Nicola Marchi, HORIZON EUROPE Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions, 101153110, Isabel Forner-Piquer, ANSES-OptoFish, ANSES-OptoFish, Nicola Marchi, National Institute of Health, NIH U01 DA044400-03, Caroline H. Brennan, Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, RYC2021-034012-I, Jose Vicente Torres-Perez, British Pharmacological Society, 2023 Pickford Award, Jose Vicente Torres-PerezFunding for open access charge: CRUE-Universitat Jaume I
Trata de seres humanos, jurisdicción universal y víctima
No full textDoctorat internacionalPara erradicar eficazmente la trata de personas, resulta imperativo reformular algunas de las instituciones del proceso penal a fin de que sean capaces de adaptarse a la naturaleza clandestina y dinámica de los grupos criminales dedicados a la captación, transporte y explotación de seres humanos, a la vez que prestar una tutela efectiva a las víctimas de este delito. Esta investigación doctoral explora la jurisdicción universal como mecanismo idóneo para perseguir los delitos de trata de personas, independientemente del lugar de comisión y de la nacionalidad de las personas involucradas, como un elemento que puede devenir fundamental para evitar la impunidad. Asimismo, se analizan los derechos ordinarios procesales de la víctima como son la información, asistencia, protección, participación y reparación. También se profundiza en la valoración de la prueba testifical de las víctimas y los criterios de incredibilidad subjetiva, corroboración objetiva y persistencia en la incriminación. Finalmente, se analizará la viabilidad y los límites de la prueba preconstituida como mecanismo para salvaguardar los derechos de las víctimas, siempre en el marco de las garantías procesales del acusado.In order to effectively eradicate human trafficking, it is imperative to reformulate some of the institutions of the criminal process so that they are able to adapt to the clandestine and dynamic nature of criminal groups dedicated to the recruitment, transportation and exploitation of human beings, while providing effective protection to the victims of this crime. This doctoral research explores universal jurisdiction as a suitable mechanism for prosecuting human trafficking crimes, regardless of the place of commission and of the involved persons’ nationality, as an element that can become fundamental in order to avoid impunity. Likewise, the ordinary procedural rights of the victim are analyzed, such as the information, assistance, protection, participation and reparation rights. The assessment of the victims' testimonial evidence and the criteria of subjective disbelief, objective corroboration and persistence in the incrimination are also discussed in depth. Finally, the viability and limits of preconstituted evidence as a mechanism to safeguard the rights of the victims are also analyzed, particularly within the framework of the procedural guarantees of the accused.Programa de Doctorat en Dre
Anatomía de un “sarampión travesti”. La categoría de transexualidad y las representaciones de mujeres trans en el discurso social de la Transición española
No full textDoctorat internacionalEl presente trabajo estudia la recepción de la categoría de transexualidad y las representaciones de mujeres trans en el discurso social de la Transición en español y catalán, un periodo en el que se dio una presencia masiva de estas identidades en lo que hemos calificado como el "sarampión travesti”. Desde la óptica de los estudios culturales y los estudios de género —más concretamente, los estudios trans—, nos centramos en analizar una serie de objetos culturales de carácter endógeno y exógeno que, entre 1976 y 1983, tematizaron la experiencia trans y en los que existe un diálogo explícito con la entonces “nueva” categoría médica. El trabajo concluye que su recepción en España se produjo en unas condiciones muy particulares, alejada generalmente de la institución médica en la que había nacido en otros contextos nacionales, lo que propició su transformación y, en consecuencia, una mayor ductilidad como término de identificación.This doctoral dissertation studies the reception of the category of transsexuality and the representations of trans women in the social discourse in Spanish and Catalan during the Transition period. This was a crucial time, as it marked the first mass presence of these identities in what we have termed the ‘sarampión travesti.’ From the perspective of cultural studies and gender studies –and more specifically, trans studies – it focuses on analysing a series of cultural objects -novels, films and newspapers-, both endogenous and exogenous, that between 1976 and 1983 addressed the trans experience in that period and explicitly engaged with the then “new” medical category. The thesis concludes that the reception of the medical category in Spain occurred under very particular conditions, generally removed from the medical institution where it had originated in other national contexts.Programa de Doctorat en Llengües Aplicades, Literatura i Traducci
Cognitive training in Multiple Sclerosis: behavioural and neuroimaging evidence from a restorative working memory training.
No full textCompendi d'articles, Doctorat internacionalPeople with Multiple Sclerosis (PwMS) often experience cognitive impairment, particularly affecting working memory (WM) and information processing speed (IPS). This thesis aimed to evaluate the effects of an intensive WM training program in PwMS and identify clinical and neurobiological predictors of its efficacy. Thirty-five PwMS completed a 10-day n-back training and underwent neuropsychological and neuroimaging assessments before and after the intervention. Results showed significant improvements in both the trained task and untrained WM/IPS tasks, indicating near transfer effects. Thalamic volume and baseline WM/IPS performance had a direct influence on training outcomes, with the latter mediating the impact of other variables. Resting-state functional connectivity of the default mode network (rsFC-DMN) emerged as the most robust predictor. Overall, the training proved effective in PwMS, and both structural and cognitive integrity, along with baseline rsFC-DMN, predicted the extent of the benefits. This project underscores the relevance of timely cognitive rehabilitation.Programa de Doctorat en Psicologi
How does the work context impact us throughout life? A multilevel approach to the interaction between work context and age
No full textThe aging population presents a demographic challenge that necessitates a multidisciplinary approach. This demographic shift is also transforming the work domain. The age range within teams and organizations is broadening, resulting in increased diversity in experience, cultural values, strengths, and vulnerabilities that creates complex work scenarios that can affect organizational outcomes and workers’ well-being. Work and organizational researchers have contributed to disclose this challenge primarily by adopting a lifespan developmental approach, yielding valuable insights into the relationships between aging and work. However, research indicates that age alone, along with its associated changes, is not a sufficient explanation for these phenomena and additional factors must be considered. Particularly, there is a necessity of further research on the effects of work environment, as individuals’ lifespan changes that impact work-related outcomes, might be more or less adaptive depending on the work context. This dissertation aims to provide empirical evidence of cross-level interactive effects between age and teams' contextual features that might impact key work outcomes related to well-being and performance. Specifically, three contextual dimensions are studied in relation to age: first, teams' age diversity; second, contextual emotional job demands; and third, contextual role ambiguity. These interactions are examined in relation to three respective work outcomes: work performance, engagement, and burnout.Programa de Doctorat en Psicologi