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The UN’s sustainable development goal 17 in France: on economic growth and the implications of the CFA franc zone
No full textTreball guanyador del segon premi del 2025 en Benestar Planetari convocat conjuntament per la UPF, la UPF-BSM i la càtedra UNESCO de Cicle de Vida i Canvi Climàtic ESCI-UPF, al millors treballs de fi de grau (TFG) sobre temes de Benestar Planetari.Bachelor's degree in Global Studies. Curs 2024-2025Tutor: Pol Dalmau PaletThe present study examines the idiosyncrasies of both the political and economic relationship between the state of France and the West African countries within the CFA franc zone. The CFA franc zone is an economic and monetary area built on a fixed exchange rate to France’s Euro, granting it control over CFA franc member nations’ monetary policies. Focusing on Sustainable Development Goal 17 (SDG 17) – and with particular attention to targets 17.3, 17.4, and 17.11 – the following research aims to assess how this arrangement influences the possibilities for achieving member states’ sustainable development. Findings illustrate how the four main constraints of the system hinder CFA franc zone member states’ possibilities of economic growth. Consequently, any effort of French financial aid is ineffective insofar as the inherent conditions do not allow West African member states to develop on their own. The status quo ante helps understand the current setting, given that the CFA franc zone echoes the colonial continuity of France in the region. Emerging tertiary powers that have offset the classic colonial dependencies beg the question of whether there will be a significant shift in the CFA franc zone relationships. Gained consciousness of the issue has prompted the emergence of alternatives, most notably the ECOWAS project, although success is still premature. Full decision-making power should be completely vested in the CFA franc member states, allowing them to determine the most suitable course for their economic agreements, and, by extension, their development paths
Essays on the Macroeconomic Implications of Climate Change
No full textAquesta tesi doctoral s’estructura en tres capítols que analitzen com el canvi climàtic incideix en els resultats macroeconòmics mitjançant tres canals complementaris: l’adaptació empresarial, la transmissió de la política macroeconòmica i les expectatives de les llars. El Capítol 1 explora un mecanisme d’assegurança privada davant del risc recurrent d’inundacions a l’Índia, fonamentat en l’acumulació de “capital preventiu” que redueix l’exposició al risc. Aquest enfocament permet interpretar regularitats empíriques: les inundacions greus tenen un impacte negatiu sobre la producció i el capital en zones poc exposades històricament, mentre que les empreses en districtes d’alt risc minimitzen les pèrdues mitjançant inversions anticipades. El Capítol 2 analitza les externalitats ambientals de la política macroeconòmica, en particular els efectes no desitjats de la política monetària sobre les emissions de CO₂. Els resultats mostren que els instruments convencionals d’estabilització poden amplificar involuntàriament les externalitats ambientals, fet que posa de manifest les tensions entre la política econòmica i els objectius climàtics. El Capítol 3 examina com els xocs de confiança vinculats al clima poden esdevenir una font de fluctuacions cícliques, a través d’un enfocament basat en variables instrumentals. Es troben efectes contractius sobre la producció i l’ocupació, compatibles amb una dinàmica recessiva, així com increments de preus i incertesa. En conjunt, els tres capítols posen en relleu que el canvi climàtic incideix en l’economia agregada no només per la via dels danys directes, sinó també a través de decisions empresarials anticipades, retroalimentacions amb la política macroeconòmica i dinàmiques generades per les expectatives.Esta tesis doctoral se articula en tres capítulos que examinan cómo el cambio climático condiciona los resultados macroeconómicos mediante tres canales interrelacionados: la adaptación de las empresas, la transmisión de la política económica y la formación de expectativas en los hogares. El Capítulo 1 explora un mecanismo privado de aseguramiento frente a inundaciones recurrentes en la India, basado en la acumulación de capital específico que reduce la exposición al riesgo. Este modelo teórico permite explicar una serie de patrones observados en los datos: las inundaciones extremas tienden a reducir la producción y la inversión en zonas con escasa exposición previa, mientras que las empresas ubicadas en regiones de alto riesgo adoptan estrategias de inversión preventiva para mitigar el impacto. El Capítulo 2 analiza cómo las políticas macroeconómicas, en particular la política monetaria, pueden generar efectos indirectos sobre el medio ambiente, al influir en las emisiones de dióxido de carbono. Los resultados revelan que los instrumentos tradicionales de estabilización pueden entrañar costes ambientales, lo que subraya la necesidad de coordinar objetivos de estabilización y sostenibilidad. El Capítulo 3 investiga el rol de los shocks de confianza asociados al cambio climático como fuente de fluctuaciones económicas, empleando una estrategia de identificación basada en variables instrumentales. Se documentan efectos contractivos sobre la actividad y el empleo, así como aumentos en precios e incertidumbre, consistentes con episodios recesivos. En conjunto, estos ensayos aportan evidencia de que el cambio climático afecta a la economía agregada no solo a través de daños físicos, sino también a través de respuestas anticipadas de agentes económicos y de interacciones complejas con la política macroeconómica.This thesis consists of three chapters that explore how climate change shapes macroeconomic outcomes through three complementary channels: firm adaptation, policy transmission, and household expectations. Chapter 1 explores a private insurance mechanism against recurrent flood risk in India, based on the accumulation of "flood-preventing capital" that mitigates flood exposure. This framework helps explain empirical patterns: severe floods depress output and capital where historical exposure is low, while firms in high-risk districts mitigate losses via forward-looking investment. Chapter 2 analyzes the environmental spillovers of macroeconomic policies, specifically the unintended effects of monetary policy on carbon dioxide emissions. The findings reveal that conventional stabilization tools can unintentionally intensify environmental externalities, highlighting the interaction between policy objectives and climate mitigation targets. Chapter 3 studies the role of climate-driven confidence shocks as a source of business cycle fluctuations using an instrumental variable approach, and reveals contractionary effects on output and employment that are consistent with recessionary dynamics, alongside higher prices and greater uncertainty. Together, these essays highlight that climate change influences the aggregate economy not only through direct damages but also via forward-looking firm decisions, macro-policy feedbacks, and belief-driven cycles.Universidad Pompeu Fabra. Economics, Finance and Business Ph
Compositionality for hierarchical reinforcement learning
No full textRecent breakthroughs in AI have proven that reinforcement learning can be used successfully to solve
complex sequential decision problems to achieve near-optimal solutions. However, despite the
successful applications that use function approximation techniques, RL algorithms face open
challenges that involve data efficiency and generalization. In this line, hierarchical methods have been
historically applied to simplify learning as much as possible. In this thesis we study how algorithms
can exploit compositionality properties to obtain the optimal solution along with a hierarchical
decomposition of a large problem. To do this, we devise algorithms in which the agent works at
different levels of abstraction to learn a series of base behaviors. These can be combined to optimally
solve a higher level task specification. Such base behavior can be reused in different ways to bring
computational efficiency by reducing the number of learning samples used to solve each problem.Los avances recientes en IA han demostrado que el aprendizaje por refuerzo puede utilizarse con éxito
para resolver problemas complejos de decisión secuencial y lograr soluciones casi óptimas. Sin
embargo, a pesar de las aplicaciones exitosas que emplean técnicas de aproximación de funciones, los
algoritmos de aprendizaje por refuerzo enfrentan desafíos abiertos que incluyen la eficiencia y la
generalización. Para eso, los métodos jerárquicos se han aplicado históricamente para simplificar el
aprendizaje lo más posible. En esta tesis, estudiamos cómo los algoritmos pueden explotar las
propiedades de composicionalidad para obtener la solución óptima junto con una descomposición
jerárquica de un problema grande. Para ello, diseñamos algoritmos en los que el agente trabaja en
diferentes niveles de abstracción para aprender una serie de comportamientos base. Estos pueden
combinarse para resolver de manera óptima una especificación de tarea de nivel superior y pueden
reutilizarse de diversas maneras para mejorar la eficiencia computacional.Programa de Doctorat en Tecnologies de la Informació i les Comunicacion
Risk factors for one-year mortality in 440 femoral peri-implant fractures: insights from the PIPPAS prospective, multicentre, observational study
No full textAims: The Peri-Implant and PeriProsthetic Survival AnalysiS (PIPPAS) study aimed to investigate the risk factors for one-year mortality of femoral peri-implant fractures (FPIFs). Methods: This prospective, multicentre, observational study involved 440 FPIF patients with a minimum one-year follow-up. Data on demographics, clinical features, fracture characteristics, management, and mortality rates were collected and analyzed using both univariate and multivariate analyses. FPIF patients were elderly (median age 87 years (IQR 81 to 92)), mostly female (82.5%, n = 363), and frail: median clinical frailty scale 6 (IQR 4 to 7), median Pfeiffer 4 (1 to 7), median age-adjusted Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) 6 (IQR 5 to 7), and 58.9% (n = 250) were American Society of Anesthesiologists grade III. Results: Overall, 90.5% (n = 398) of the patients were treated surgically, 57.0% (n = 227) retained the implant, and 88.7% (n = 353) managed with fixation. Mortality rates were 8.2% (n = 3.6) in-hospital, 11.4% (n = 50) at 30 days, 21.1% (n = 93) at six months, and 21.6% (n = 95) at 12 months. Medical complications, mainly delirium, were common in the acute setting (52.7%, n = 215). The nonunion rate was 4.1% (n = 18). Mortality risk factors in the univariate analysis were age, living at a nursing home, no walking outdoors, frailty variables, fractures in the distal epiphysis, fractures around a proximal nail, discharge to a healthcare facility, and no osteoporotic treatment at discharge. Protective factors against mortality in the univariate analysis were surgical treatment by an experienced surgeon, management without an arthroplasty, allowing full weightbearing, mobilization in the first 48 hours postoperatively, and geriatric involvement. Risk factors for mortality in the multivariate analysis were cognitive impairment (Pfeiffer's questionnaire) (hazard ratio (HR) 1.14 (95% CI 1.05 to 1.23), p = 0.002), age-adjusted CCI (HR 1.18 (95% CI 1.07 to 1.30), p = 0.001), and antiaggregant or anticoagulant medication at admission (HR 2.00 (95% CI 1.19 to 3.38), p = 0.009). Haemoglobin level at admission was protective against mortality (HR 0.85 (95% CI 0.74 to 0.97), p = 0.018). Conclusion: Mortality in FPIFs occurs mainly within the first six months of follow-up. Early co-management and clinical optimization, particularly targeting frail older patients, is crucial in reducing mortality following these fractures
Gut microbial alteration in chronic spontaneous urticaria unresponsive to second generation antihistamines and its correlation with disease characteristics- a cross-sectional case-control study
No full textBackground: Gut microbial involvement has been speculated in chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU). The aim of the study was to compare the gut microbiome composition and diversity in CSU patients uncontrolled with second-generation antihistamines (sgAHs) and healthy individuals, as well as to explore any association between gut microbiome and disease characteristics. Methods: A cross-sectional case-control study including 20 CSU patients unresponsive to standard doses of sgAHs, and 15 age-and-sex matched healthy controls was conducted. Clinico-demographic profile, laboratory investigations and stool analysis were conducted in all study participants. 16S RNA gene sequencing and DNA isolation was performed for all stool samples, followed by bioinformatic analysis. Results: The CSU patients (mean age 39.5 ± 9.3, M:F 1:4) and healthy controls (mean age 35 ± 13, M:F 1:2) were statistically comparable. The median (IQR) duration of CSU was 42 months (7 81). Concomitant angioedema and concomitant symptomatic dermographism were present in 30% and 20% CSU patients, respectively. At inclusion, 60% patients were receiving add-on omalizumab, while the remaining 40% were on up-dosed sgAHs. Stool microbial analysis revealed increased diversity and higher microbial richness in CSU patients compared with healthy individuals. CSU patients showed reduced load of short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) producing microbiota and increased load of opportunistic pathogens. The Firmicutes/Bacteroides (F/B) ratio was higher in CSU patients. Among CSU patients, higher Bacteroides and reduced Firmicutes count were associated with higher disease activity and poor control; however, there was no link with the type of therapy. Conclusion: Gut microbial dysbiosis is seen in CSU and is linked with disease control
Seguridad Social y riesgo climático: el accidente de trabajo y la protección por desempleo desde una lectura dinámica
No full textEl cambio climático plantea desafíos que impactan directamente en los sistemas de Seguridad Social. Este libro aborda cómo adaptar estas estructuras frente a riesgos climáticos, explorando su relación con los derechos humanos. Se analiza la normativa internacional, europea y española, destacando cuestiones como accidentes laborales relacionados con factores climáticos, la fragmentación del sistema de desempleo y sus impactos en sectores vulnerables. Con enfoque en la sostenibilidad y la igualdad, se ofrecen propuestas para actualizar el sistema de Seguridad Social, garantizando una protección más inclusiva y eficaz frente al cambio climático
Borders, screens, and ballots: a review of populism in contemporary democracies
No full textTreball fi de màster de: Master's Degree in Economics and Finance. PhD Track Program. Curs 2024-2025Tutor: Felipe Bordini do AmaralThis paper reviews recent work on the political economy of populism, focusing on how changing voter preferences, media dynamics, and elite strategies interact. We begin by summarizing evidence on the economic and cultural drivers of populist demand, including globalization and automation, financial crisis and austerity, and immigration. Modern media—particularly mobile internet and social platforms— amplify these forces by enabling ideological polarization, lowering coordination costs, and boosting populist messaging. Formal models now incorporate values and identity into voter behavior, showing how income growth, trade shocks, and belief distortion can shift political conflict from class to culture. Finally, we examine how politicians strategically respond: some adopt rigid, anti-elite platforms to build credibility in low-trust environments, while others exploit ambiguity to attract broad anti-establishment support. Populism thus emerges not only from economic factors but from deeper changes in how voters form beliefs and how political communication is structured.Este trabajo describe los avances recientes en la economía política del populismo, centrandose en cómo interactúan las preferencias cambiantes de los votantes, las dinámicas de los medios de comunicacion y las estrategias de las élites. Comenzamos resumiendo la evidencia sobre los factores economicos y culturales que impulsan la demanda populista, incluyendo la globalización y la automatización, las crisis financieras con medidas de austeridad y la inmigración. Las plataformas digitales modernas amplifican estas fuerzas al facilitar la polarización ideológica, reducir los costos de coordinación y potenciar los mensajes populistas. Los modelos formales han comenzado a incorporar valores e identidad en el comportamiento electoral, mostrando como el crecimiento del ingreso, los shocks comerciales y la distorsión de creencías pueden desplazar el eje del conflicto político desde la clase hacia la cultura. Finalmente, exploramos como responden los políticos: algunos adoptan plataformas rígidas y anti-elitistas para ganar credibilidad en entornos de desconfianza institucional, mientras otros recurren a promesas ambiguas para atraer un respaldo ciudadano mas amplio. Así, el populismo surge no solo por factores económicos, sino por cambios más profundos en la formación de creencias y en la estructura de la comunicación política
No significant gender differences in driving-related skills following alcohol mixed with energy drinks during an experimental binge-drinking episode
No full textIntroduction: Consumption of alcohol mixed with energy drinks (AmEDs) is trendy among young people. It has been related to risk-taking behaviors like binge drinking and driving under the influence of alcohol. Previous data suggest that women are more sensitive to alcohol-induced impairment. The aim of the study was to assess whether women experience greater acute effects (on driving-related skills and subjective and physiological responses) after the controlled administration of alcohol and energy drinks in an experimental binge-drinking episode. Methods: A randomized, crossover, double-blind clinical trial was conducted with 28 healthy volunteers (14 men and 14 women) across four treatment conditions, namely, alcohol + energy drink (A/ED), alcohol + placebo of ED (A), placebo of alcohol + ED (ED), and both placebos (P). Men received 70 g of alcohol and women received 55 g, combined with 750 mL and 589 mL of ED, respectively; these were administered over 80 min, mimicking a binge-drinking episode. Driving-related skills (measured by a tracking test and the psychomotor vigilance task), subjective effects (using the visual analog scales (VASs, Biphasic Alcohol Effects Scale (BAES), and Addiction Research Center Inventory (ARCI)), vital signs, and alcohol and caffeine concentrations were measured over an 8-h period. Results: Peak alcohol concentrations in breath air were 0.46 mg/L in both genders, despite the alcohol dose being 21% lower in women. Similar peak blood caffeine concentrations were observed in men and women (4,500 ng/mL vs. 4,635 ng/mL with A/ED, higher than those with ED). Women reported greater drunkenness (effect size: 45 mm; 95% CI: 5-85 mm) and more alcohol-induced sedation than men (ARCI sedative subscale effect size: 12; 95% CI: 2-22), but no significant gender differences were found in driving-related skills. AmEDs slightly reduced alcohol's effects on most subjective and psychomotor outcomes, but ED did not entirely offset alcohol's effects, and no interaction between the two beverages was found for either gender. Conclusion: After a binge-drinking episode, women reported greater drunkenness and more sedation than men. Our results support that women are more sensitive to several subjective effects of alcohol, but further studies should be conducted to better elucidate gender differences in the effects of AmEDs on driving performance. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04616859.The author(s) declare that financial support was received for the research and/or publication of this article. This study was supported in part by grants from the Ministerio de Sanidad (Plan Nacional sobre drogas 2018I037, 2022I045, and 2024I013), the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Fondo de Investigación en Salud-Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (PI20/00879, Plataformas de Soporte para la Investigación Clínica PT20/00018), and Redes de Investigación Cooperativa Orientadas a Resultados en Salud (RICORS)-Red de Investigación en Atención Primaria de Adicciones (RIAPAd) under grant number RD21/0009/0004 and RD24/0003/0019 funded by Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), as well as SGR00945 (Generalitat de Catalunya; Spain). Additionally, PID 2019-104830RB-100/DOI (AEI) 10.13039/501100011033 (Ministerio de Ciencia e Investigación; Spain) and SGR 2021/01,421 (Generalitat de Catalunya; Spain) supported the statistical analysis
Capital and labour in economic theory: historical conflicts and conceptual shifts
No full textTreball de Fi de Grau en Economia. Curs 2024-2025Tutora: Enriqueta Camps-CuraThis project examines the evolution of conceptualisations of labour and capital within economic theory, tracing their development from classical political economy through neoclassical economics to post-Keynesian perspectives. Classical economists such as Adam Smith, David Ricardo, and Karl Marx viewed labour and capital as interdependent elements within a historical and social context, with a particular emphasis on the dynamics of accumulation, the distribution of income, and class relations. In contrast, the neoclassical school redefined these concepts within an abstract, ahistorical framework, focusing on individual choice and marginal productivity, which led to the treatment of capital as a homogeneous and measurable factor of production, abstracted from its historical and qualitative characteristics. The Cambridge Capital Controversy challenged this aggregation, highlighting the incommensurability of heterogeneous capital goods
and questioning the validity of marginalist theories in explaining income distribution. Post-Keynesian economists, drawing on both classical insights and Cambridge critiques, emphasized the importance of historical specificity, institutional context, and the role of power and conflict in shaping economic outcomes. This paper argues that the revival of classical themes offers a more historically grounded and analytically robust perspective on the labour-capital relationship, thereby enriching the discourse within heterodox economics
La taxa de residus d’acord amb la llei 7/2022: com implementar el principi de cobertura financera total de costos i el principi de qui contamina paga
No full textTreball de Fi de Grau en Dret. Curs 2024-2025Tutor: Alberto Vega GarcíaLa Llei 7/2022, de 8 d’abril, de residus i sòls contaminats per a una economia circular; ha renovat el model de residus espanyol amb l’objectiu tant d’assolir els objectius mediambientals en l’àmbit europeu com impulsar la transició cap a una economia circular. Per realitzar aquest canvi, s’han establert un conjunt d’instruments fiscals els quals tenen un paper important en aquesta transició de model econòmic tant per la seva capacitat d’influir en el comportament dels ciutadans com per la capacitat recaptatòria que tenen per finançar aquesta transició. En l'àmbit local, el legislador ha escollit renovar la figura de la taxa de residus; en obligar els ens locals a establir una taxa específica, diferenciada i no deficitària la qual permeti implementar sistemes de pagament per generació i reflecteixi el cost real del servei. Aquesta taxa serà l’objecte d’estudi del treball posant especial èmfasi en les dues novetats principals: l’autofinançament del servei i el pagament per generació. Es tractarà com s’han d’implementar a l’hora d’establir la taxa, la seva relació amb principis ja existents com el principi de ‘qui contamina paga’, i si en l’actualitat la taxa de residus aconsegueix el seu objectiu com a tribut ambiental