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The role of schooling in equalizing achievement disparity by migrant background
No full textDoes schooling equalize achievement disparities among students with and without a migrant background? This question remains largely unanswered in sociology. We hypothesized that children of migrants would benefit more from schooling, thereby making schools engines of educational integration. Our study tests this hypothesis in the context of German primary schooling using data from the National Educational Panel Study. We compared the achievements of students from native families and those with Western, non-Western (including Turkey), and former Soviet Union migrant backgrounds. Using the differential exposure approach, we decomposed learning into two causally distinct components: learning due to school exposure and learning due to being older at the time of testing. Our findings do not support the notion that schooling equalizes migrant-native achievement gaps. Instead, our results suggest that school exposure may widen the gap between the two largest groups of migrants in Germany, with students from the former Soviet Union disproportionally benefiting from school compared to other non-Western students. We conclude that German primary schools are not functioning as engines of educational integration because schooling does not reduce the migrant-native achievement gap and migrant groups with the greatest educational disadvantage benefit the least from schooling.The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: Giampiero Passaretta gratefully acknowledges funding from the Spanish Research Agency (Agencia Estatal de Investigación [AEI]) under Grant Agreement No. AEI-PID2022-139412NA-I00
A porohyperelastic scheme targeted at high-performance computing frameworks for the simulation of the intervertebral disc
No full textBackground and Objective: The finite element method is widely used for studying the intervertebral disc at the organ level due to its ability to model complex geometries. An indispensable requirement for proper modelling of the intervertebral disc is a reliable porohyperelastic framework that captures the elaborate underlying mechanics. The increased complexity of such models requires significant computational power that is available within high-performance computing systems. The objective of this study is to present such a framework, validated both against literature and experiments, aiming to enable intervertebral disc research to benefit from state-of-the-art computational resources. Methods: In the context of this work, we implement a biphasic model that captures the mechanical response of the intricate, tissue-dependent models of the solid phase along with the hydrostatic pressure effects of the fluid phase. The tissue-dependent models involve the hyperelastic ground substance, fibrillar reinforcement, and osmotic swelling. The derived porohyperelastic, staggered scheme is implemented in Alya, a finite element code targeted at high-performance computing applications. The formulation is subsequently verified and validated by comparing the results of consolidation simulations with literature data for simulations and experiments using either generic or patient-specific geometries. Additionally, in-house experiments are replicated, evaluating the model’s ability to simulate alternating loading. Finally, the implementation’s circadian response is compared to previous implementation of similar material models in commercial software. Results: Results align well with experimental and literature findings in terms of disc height reduction (4% error), intradiscal pressure (14% error) and disc bulging. Validating the patient-specific geometry results in 4% and 7% deviation in measuring height loss. Simulations show excellent agreement with in-house experimental results, with less than 1% error regarding height reduction. Finally, the comparison to similar, published, earlier implementation in commercial software unveils excellent agreement of less than 1% error for the water content during circadian simulations. Simulation times are reported at 4 min per circadian cycle in the supercomputer Marenostrum V. Conclusions: This work presents a clear and validated formulation for simulating porohyperelastic materials based on assumptions that comply with the non-linear elasticity theory. The implementation in Alya enables intervertebral disc research to benefit from high-performance computing systems.Financial support was received from the Marie Skłodowska Curie International Training Network (ITN) “disc4all”, grant agreement #955735
Intercultural relationships in an internationalised undergraduate classroom: do they influence transcultural competence?
No full textHigher education institutions aspire to integrate international and intercultural dimensions. Yet, internationalisation is too often confined to policies and rankings, overlooking the actual experiences of students. This study investigates how in-class intercultural relationships influence transcultural competence within a multi-dimensionally internationalised undergraduate degree in Barcelona. Focusing on 23 first-year students, the study adopts a mixed-method approach, with quantitative data setting the ground for qualitative exploration. Findings reveal five descriptive patterns of interaction between transcultural competence and in-class intercultural relationships, highlighting how agency, previous experiences, and institutional support shape positive, negative, or neutral outcomes. The study emphasises the significance of reciprocal transformative opportunities in non-English-speaking environments and challenges the binary categorisation of students as local and international. It reveals the unique nature of individual experiences, calling for a more nuanced understanding of internationalised classrooms.This work was supported by Spain's Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, Agencia Estatal de Investigación, and European Regional Development Fund under Grant UE-PGC2018-098815-B-I00
Beyond the blockchain hype: addressing legal and regulatory challenges
No full textBlockchain technology has gained widespread attention and adoption in various industries. However, despite its potential benefits, there are still numerous challenges and issues that need to be addressed. This paper provides an overview of the legal, regulatory, and technical challenges related to the use of blockchain technology. It explores the challenges associated with privacy, data protection, and data security, and analyses the regulatory challenges and implications. Additionally, it identifies future challenges and issues that may arise in the field of blockchain technology, including the integration with emerging technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), and big data. The paper concludes by discussing the need for collaboration among stakeholders and the development of comprehensive legal and regulatory frameworks to address the challenges and ensure the successful implementation of blockchain technology in various sectors
Prenatal alcohol exposure dysregulates the expression of clock genes and alters rhythmic behaviour in mice
No full textFoetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) refer to a range of adverse physical, behavioural and cognitive effects caused by perinatal alcohol exposure. While cognitive impairments are well documented, FASD has also been associated with sleep disturbances and circadian rhythm disruptions. This study aimed to examine the effects of perinatal alcohol exposure on circadian rhythms at behavioural and gene expression levels across two developmental stages (adolescence and adulthood) in both male and female mice. Using a validated prenatal and lactation alcohol exposure (PLAE) protocol, we assessed circadian patterns of locomotor activity under free-running conditions and spatial memory performance during adolescence and adulthood. Additionally, we evaluated the impact of PLAE on circadian expression of clock and non-circadian genes involved in neurotransmission across key brain regions, including the medial prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. PLAE altered circadian rhythmicity and impaired spatial memory. Gene expression analyses revealed disrupted oscillatory patterns in clock genes and in genes related to plasticity and cognition, including those from the expanded endocannabinoid system (e.g. Cnr1, Dagla, Faah) and other neurotransmitter systems (e.g. Oprm1, Slc17a8, Drd1, Gabra1). These findings underscore the impact of early alcohol exposure on biological rhythms and neurobehavioural function, highlighting circadian dysregulation as a contributing factor to FASD.This work was supported by the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Grant PID2022-136962OB-100-MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by ERDF 'A way of making Europe', Ministerio de Sanidad (Delegación del Gobierno para el Plan Nacional sobre Drogas 2023/005 and Exp2022/008695 Fondos de Recuperación, Transformación y Resiliencia (PRTR) Union Europea), and by the Generalitat de Catalunya, AGAUR (2021SGR00485). O.V. is the recipient of an ICREA Academia Award (Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, Generalitat de Catalunya)
The measuring mind: cognitive mechanisms of rhythm and meter perception in humans and rats
No full text_El ritme és un component fonamental de la música, la parla i el moviment. En música, la pulsació i la mètrica són elements clau del ritme. La pulsació es defineix com una regularitat rítmica subjacent, mentre que la mètrica està determinada per l'agrupació jeràrquica de pulsacions fortes i febles. La percepció i producció de la mètrica s'ha estudiat en humans, per bé que aquesta facultat segueix essent una incògnita en animals no humans. A través d'una sèrie d'estudis conductuals i neurofisiològics, aquesta tesi explora els mecanismes cognitius i neurals subjacents a la percepció de la pulsació i de la mètrica en rates (Rattus norvegicus) i humans (Homo sapiens). Els resultats dels experiments conductuals han revelat que les rates són sensibles a l'organització temporal de seqüències rítmiques, demostrant la seva capacitat de reconèixer patrons rítmics i de discriminar entre seqüències a través de la informació temporal. No obstant això, les rates no han discriminat espontàniament les seqüències rítmiques en base a estructures mètriques, fet que suggereix que la inducció de la mètrica pot ser limitada o absent en espècies amb una integració audio-motora més feble. Respecte als experiments amb humans, els resultats han revelat sincronització neural a patrons d'agrupament de la pulsació coexistents, i que les respostes neurals a aquests patrons es debiliten quan es redueix la coherència tonal. A més, els participants han mostrat una preferència pels agrupaments binaris de la pulsació, cosa que suggereix un biaix específic de l'ésser humà. Aquest treball ofereix una visió sobre els fonaments cognitius i biològics de la percepció de la mètrica, destacant les diferències i similituds de cada espècie en la cognició del ritme, i proporcionant un marc per a futura recerca sobre els orígens evolutius del ritme.Rhythm is a fundamental component of music, speech and movement. In music, the beat and the meter are key elements of the rhythm. The beat is defined as an underlying rhythmic regularity, whereas the meter is determined by the hierarchical grouping of strong and weak beats. Meter perception and production has been studied in humans, though this faculty remains unknown in non-human animals. Through a series of behavioral and neurophysiological studies, this dissertation explores the cognitive and neural mechanisms underlying rhythm and meter perception in rats (Rattus norvegicus) and humans (Homo sapiens). The findings of the behavioral experiments revealed that rats are sensitive to the temporal organization of rhythmic sequences, demonstrating an ability to recognize rhythmic patterns and to discriminate between sequences based on temporal information. However, rats did not spontaneously discriminate rhythmic sequences based on metrical structures, suggesting that meter induction may be limited or absent in species with weaker auditory-motor integration. Regarding experiments with humans, the findings revealed that neural synchronization is observed separately in coexisting grouping patterns of the beat, and that neural responses to these patterns are weakened when tonal coherence is disrupted. Moreover, participants exhibited a preference for binary groupings of the beat, suggesting a human-specific bias. This work offers insights into the cognitive and biological foundations of meter perception, highlighting species-specific differences and similarities in rhythm cognition and providing a framework for future research on the evolutionary origins of rhythm.Universitat Pompeu Fabra. Doctorat en Biomedicin
Spontaneous Catalan sign language recognition: data acquisition and classification
No full textThis work presents the first investigation intoSpontaneous Isolated Sign Language Recog-nition for Catalan Sign Language (LSC). Our work is grounded on the derivation of a dataset of signs and their glosses from a corpus of spon-taneous dialogues and monologues. The recog-nition model is based on a Multi-Scale GraphConvolutional network fitted to our data. Results are promising since several signs are recognized with a high level of accuracy, and an average accuracy of 71% on the top 5 predicted classes from a total of 105 available. An interactive interface with experimental results is also presented. The data and software are made available to the research community.We are grateful to the reviewers for their useful comments which contributed to improvement of the present work. We would like to thank specially José Luis Alba Castro from Universidade de Vigo for useful discussions which helped ground the current work. We are indebted to Gemma Barberà and Josep Quer from Universitat Pompeu Fabra for sharing a version of the Catalan Sign Language corpus before its official release which helped jumpstart our project. Finally, we acknowledge support from the Spanish State Research Agency under the Maria de Maeztu Units of Excellence Programme (CEX2021-001195-M)
Physical activity shifts gut microbiota structure in aged subjects with overweight/obesity and metabolic syndrome
No full textWe aimed to identify how physical activity (PA), within the context of a Mediterranean diet, affects metabolic variables and gut microbiota in older individuals with overweight/obesity and metabolic syndrome. Observational analysis was conducted as part of the PREDIMED-Plus study with 152 males and 145 females with overweight/obesity and metabolic syndrome. General assessments, anthropometric and biochemical measurements, and gut microbial 16S rRNA sequencing data were analyzed at baseline and 1-year of follow-up. Participants were stratified by tertiles of 1-year change in total PA-related energy expenditure ranging from -98.77 to 1099.99 METs (min/week). The total PA percentage of change was reduced in tertile 1 (-44.83 ± 24.94), increased in tertile 2 (28.96 ± 23.33) and tertile 3 (273.64 ± 221.42). Beta diversity analysis showed differences in the gut microbiota population within each tertile group. Significant differences were found at phylum, family, and genus levels in the gut microbiota of the three tertile groups at baseline and 1-year timepoint. Tertile 3, the group with the greatest increase in PA, was characterized by increases in their levels of Sutterella, Bilophila, and Lachnospira bacteria as well as a reduction in Collinsella. Moreover, this tertile showed a different pattern in its predicted metabolic capacities to the other groups. Our results have demonstrated that changes in PA such as lifestyle and Mediterranean diet induces specific variations in the gut microbiota profile. This modulation of gut microbiome populations and their metabolic capacities may contribute to the health of the aged individuals with overweight/obesity and metabolic syndrome.This work was supported by the official Spanish Institutions for funding scientific biomedical research, CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN) and Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), through the Fondo de Investigación para la Salud (FIS), which is co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (three coordinated FIS projects lead by JS-S: PI13/00462, PI16/00501 and PI19/00576; two led by JV: PI17/01441, PI14/01206; and two led by MRBL: PI14/00696 and PI17/00855); the Especial Action Project entitled: Implementación y evaluación de una intervención intensiva sobre la actividad física Cohorte PREDIMED-Plus grant (OBN16PE01) to JS-S; the Recercaixa (number 2013ACUP00194) grant to JS-S. DC obtained grant from the Generalitat Valenciana (PROMETEO 2017/17) and Grant from the Ministry of Science and Innovation/Instituto de Salud Carlos III (reference: PI19/00781). Eat2beNICE project (European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 728018). PRL was supported by a "Sara Borrell" postdoctoral contract (CD19/00216) from the ISCIII-Madrid (Spain), co-financed by the Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional-(FEDER). IMI was supported by the "Miguel Servet Type II" program (CPII21/00013) of the ISCIII-Madrid (Spain), co-financed by the FEDER. JM and AA were supported by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 713679, cofunded from the Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV) and Fundació Catalunya La Pedrera. OCN was supported by Juan Rodés program JR17/00022 and PI20/00012. MM is supported by Miguel Servet I program (CP17/00133) from ISCIII and cofunded by FEDER. AMGP was supported by a research contract from Servicio Andaluz de Salud (B-0033-2014). MRBL is supported by Miguel Servet II program (CPII/00014) from ISCIII and by Nicolás Monardes program (C1-0005-2020) from Servicio Andaluz de Salud, both cofunded by FEDER. This work is partially supported by ICREA. Food companies Hojiblanca (Lucena, Spain) and Patrimonio Comunal Olivarero (Madrid, Spain) donated extra virgin olive oil; and the Almond Board of California (Modesto, CA, USA), American Pistachio Growers (Fresno, CA, USA), and Paramount Farms (Wonderful Company, LLC, Los Angeles, CA, USA) donated nuts for the PREDIMED-Pilot study
Genome-wide approach to the evolution and dynamics of Neotropical primate populations
No full textEls primats neotropicals (platirrins) estan clarament infrarepresentats en estudis genòmics, tot i ser el grup de primats més divers del planeta i enfrontar-se a greus amenaces antropogèniques. Tradicionalment, la seva evolució i biogeografia s'han estudiat a partir de paràmetres morfològics i marcadors genètics, explorant hipòtesis com l'efecte dels rius en la seva distribució. No obstant això, aquestes aproximacions no han mostrat prou resolució per aclarir completament la seva història. Les dades genòmiques poblacionals, com les emprades en aquesta tesi, són cada vegada més accessibles i permeten abordar aquesta limitació. A aquesta tesi analitzem més de 100 genomes dels gèneres Cacajao, Ateles i Brachyteles i introduïm un genoma de referència d'alta contigüitat d’Ateles hybridus. Aquestes dades han permès realitzar el primer estudi poblacional sobre la genòmica evolutiva de platirrins. Mitjançant la bioinformàtica, hem refinat estimacions prèvies de paràmetres de la seva història demogràfica, diversitat genètica i filogènia. Així mateix, hem explorat diferents trajectòries evolutives posteriors a la seva divergència, els seus nivells d'endogàmia i càrrega genètica. La nostra recerca revela una ràpida diferenciació dins dels gèneres, així com patrons de diversitat genètica i migració alineats amb paradigmes biogeogràfics coneguts o el dinamisme dels ecosistemes Amazònics. Amb aquesta tesi ampliem la representació genòmica dels platirrins i recalquem el paper crític de la genòmica en la seva descripció i conservació, aportant coneixements rellevants per preservar-los lligats a la necessària protecció dels seus hàbitats.Los primates neotropicales (platirrhinos) siguen estando muy poco representados en los estudios genómicos, a pesar de presentar la mayor diversidad de primates del planeta y de enfrentarse a fuertes amenazas antropogénicas. Tradicionalmente, la primatología neotropical se ha basado en la morfología y los marcadores genéticos para estudiar la evolución y su biogeografía, explorando paradigmas como la hipótesis fluvial. Sin embargo, estos enfoques carecían de la resolución necesaria para resolver plenamente estas cuestiones. Los conjuntos de datos genómicos a nivel poblacional, cada vez más al alcance, como los empleados en esta tesis, pueden ayudar a colmar esta laguna. Analizamos más de 100 genomas completos de los géneros Cacajao, Ateles y Brachyteles y presentamos un genoma de referencia de alta contigüidad para Ateles hybridus. Este conjunto de datos nos permitió realizar el primer estudio a nivel poblacional sobre la genómica evolutiva de los platirrinos. Gracias a la bioinformática, hemos perfeccionado estimaciones anteriores sobre su historia demográfica, diversidad genética y filogenética. Así mismo, exploramos las trayectorias evolutivas de estas especies posteriores a su divergencia y evaluamos sus niveles de endogamia y carga genética. Nuestros hallazgos revelan una rápida divergencia intragénero, así como patrones de heterocigosidad y migración que se alinean con características biogeográficas conocidas y el dinamismo de la cuenca del Amazonas. A través del trabajo de esta tesis, mejoramos significativamente la representación genómica de los platirrinos, a la vez que proporcionamos conocimientos clave para la conservación de las especies de estos géneros vinculados a la urgencia de proteger sus hábitats. Al conectar la genómica evolutiva y la de conservación, el trabajo de esta tesis subraya el papel crítico de las herramientas genómicas en la comprensión y preservación de los platirrinos.Neotropical primates (platyrrhines) remain vastly underrepresented in genomic studies, despite showing the greatest primate diversity on the planet and facing strong anthropogenic threats. Traditionally, Neotropical primatology relied on morphology and genetic markers to study platyrrhini evolution and biogeography, exploring paradigms such as the riverine hypothesis. Yet, these approaches lacked the resolution to fully resolve these questions. Increasingly available population-level genomic datasets, such as those employed in this thesis, can help address this gap. We analyzed over 100 whole genomes from the Cacajao, Ateles, and Brachyteles genera and presented a high-contiguity reference genome for Ateles hybridus. This dataset enabled the first population-level study on platyrrhine evolutionary genomics. Using bioinformatics, we refined past estimates of their demographic history, genetic diversity, and phylogenetics while also exploring post-divergence evolutionary trajectories and assessing their inbreeding and genetic load. Our findings reveal intra-genus fast divergence as well as heterozygosity and migration patterns that align with known biogeographic features and the dynamism of the Amazon basin. Through the work in this thesis, we significantly improve platyrrhine genomic representation, while providing key insights for the conservation of the species in these genera linked to the urgency of protecting their habitats. By connecting evolutionary and conservation genomics, the work in this thesis underscores the critical role of genomic tools in understanding and preserving platyrrhines.Universitat Pompeu Fabra. Doctorat en Biomedicin