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Culturas periodísticas en la cobertura mediática de las migraciones transnacionales Estudio de caso sobre la labor informativa de los corresponsales de las agencias de noticias Associated Press, EFE, Agence France- Press y Reuters en el corredor migratorio de México, Centroamérica y El Caribe
No full textAquesta tesi s'enfoca a l'estudi de les cultures periodístiques, l'arrelament professional i les diferents estratègies d'adaptació que estan implementant els corresponsals que cobreixen temes relacionats amb el corredor migratori de Centreamèrica, Mèxic i el Carib, per part de les quatre agències informatives més importants del món. Davant d'una crisi conjuntural deguda als canvis diversos en el flux migratori a la regió, les agències de notícies internacionals necessiten instaurar canvis a l'interior de les seves estructures internes per afrontar una temàtica que s'ha consolidat com una qüestió prioritària de l'agenda transnacional. Aquests ajustaments s'estan provocant individualment en els periodistes pel que fa a les seves identitats professionals, la interpretació dels seus rols professionals i funcions institucionals així com les nocions d'objectivitat, ètica periodística i orientacions epistemològiques. A través d'un enfocament qualitatiu exploratori, aquesta tesi desenvolupa tres tipus d'entrevista com a tècnica de producció i recol·lecció de dades: l'entrevista semiestructurada i l'entrevista narrativa amb els reporters, així com l'entrevista formal a un reconegut acadèmic especialista en aquest tema. La codificació de les dades es va fer des d'una perspectiva inductiva i deductiva per a la cultura i l'arrelament periodístics, així com a través de la teoria fonamentada per abordar les estratègies d'adaptació per part de les agències i els seus periodistes davant dels reptes actuals dels fluxos migratoris. Els resultats principals permeten observar el que podem anomenar un ritual estratègic d'empatia entre els periodistes i les fonts migrants, així com la confecció d'una estratègia de cobertura composta des de la interdisciplinarietat. Una altra observació fruit del treball és la clara consolidació del que podem anomenar corresponsal temàtic internacional i que es veu plasmat en la presentació del primer grup temàtic de cobertura de migració conformat per una agència de notícies internacional, en aquest cas, l'AP. Així mateix, es detecta un desplaçament dels components de les identitats professionals i les funcions institucionals daquests periodistes, reconfigurant les seves interpretacions dels valors ideals del periodisme sobre migracions.Esta tesis se enfoca en el estudio de las culturas periodísticas, el arraigo profesional y las diferentes estrategias de adaptación que están implementando los corresponsales que cubren temas relacionados con el corredor migratorio de Centroamérica, México y El Caribe, por parte de las cuatro agencias informativas más importantes del mundo. Ante una crisis coyuntural debida a los diversos cambios en el flujo migratorio en la región, las agencias de noticias internacionales necesitan instaurar cambios al interior de sus estructuras internas para afrontar una temática que se ha consolidado como una cuestión prioritaria de la agenda transnacional. Estos ajustes se están provocando a nivel individual en los periodistas por lo que se refiere a sus identidades profesionales, la interpretación de sus roles profesionales y funciones institucionales así como las nociones de objetividad, ética periodística y orientaciones epistemológicas. A través de un enfoque cualitativo exploratorio, esta tesis desarrolla tres tipos de entrevista como técnica de producción y recolección de datos: la entrevista semiestructurada y la entrevista narrativa con los reporteros, así como la entrevista formal a un reconocido académico especialista en el tema. La codificación de los datos se llevó a cabo desde una perspectiva inductiva y deductiva para la cultura y el arraigo periodísticos, así como a través de la teoría fundamentada para abordar las estrategias de adaptación por parte de las agencias y sus periodistas ante los retos actuales de los flujos migratorios. Los principales resultados permiten observar lo que podemos llamar un ritual estratégico de empatía entre los periodistas y las fuentes migrantes, así como la confección de una estrategia de cobertura compuesta desde la interdisciplinariedad. Otra observación fruto del trabajo es la clara consolidación del que podemos nombrar como corresponsal temático internacional y que se ve plasmado en la presentación del primer grupo temático de cobertura de migración conformado por una agencia de noticias internacional, en este caso, la AP. Así mismo, se detecta un desplazamiento de los componentes de las identidades profesionales y las funciones institucionales de estos periodistas, reconfigurando sus interpretaciones de los valores ideales del periodismo sobre migraciones.This thesis focuses on the study of journalistic cultures, professional embeddness and the different adaptation strategies being implemented by correspondents covering issues related to the migration corridor in Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean by the four most important news agencies in the world. Faced with an economic crisis due to the various changes in the flow of migration in the region, international news agencies need to make changes within their internal structures in order to deal with an issue that has become consolidated as a priority on the transnational agenda. These adjustments are taking place at the level of individual journalists in terms of their professional identities, the interpretation of their professional roles and institutional functions as well as notions of objectivity, journalistic ethics and epistemological orientations. Through an exploratory qualitative approach, this thesis develops three types of interview as a technique of production and data collection: the semi-structured interview and the narrative interview with reporters, as well as the formal interview with a renowned academic specialist in the field. The coding of the data was carried out from an inductive and deductive perspective for journalistic culture and embeddness, as well as through grounded theory to address the adaptation strategies of agencies and their journalists in the face of the current challenges of migratory flows. The main results allow us to observe what we can call a strategic ritual of empathy between journalists and migrant sources, as well as the creation of a strategy for coverage based on interdisciplinarity. Another observation resulting from the work is the clear consolidation of what we can call an international thematic correspondent, which is reflected in the presentation of the first thematic group of migration coverage formed by an international news agency, in this case, the AP. Likewise, we detect a shift in the components of the professional identities and institutional roles of these journalists, reconfiguring their interpretations of the desirable ideal values of migration journalism.Universitat Pompeu Fabra. Doctorat en Comunicaci
Juventud, migraciones y convivencia : cuatro estudios de caso en el Barcelonés (2000-2024)
No full textEsta tesis doctoral analiza la cuestión de la compleja interrelación de los espacios y la acogida de los jóvenes migrantes y sus familias, así como los efectos que tienen en las siguientes generaciones. Se pregunta por el papel que juegan las relaciones en esos espacios/territorios y por cómo los mecanismos de identidad/alteridad/discriminación/estigma acaban constituyendo elementos clave de los conflictos, violencias y racismos actuales. La investigación parte de 4 estudios de caso, realizados en diferentes periodos, que no sólo representan 4 contextos espaciales sino temporales en relación con la historia de las migraciones de personas jóvenes en el Barcelonés (2000-2024). La metodología utilizada combina la etnografía, estudios de caso y procesos participativos a partir de la colaboración en proyectos de intervención social en diferentes territorios y a nivel transnacional. Los resultados explican la evolución del proceso a lo largo del tiempo y la incidencia e implicación que han tenido las políticas públicas, los mecanismos comunitarios y la construcción de discursos colectivos que se han posicionado de forma más o menos clara con relación a la defensa de los derechos humanos y sus mecanismos de protección. Se trata de un recorrido que problematiza el fenómeno y a la vez permite vislumbrar las problemáticas de inclusión/exclusión y sus repercusiones para la convivencia y la cohesión social.Programa de Doctorat en Comunicaci
Predicting interacting hotspots for nanobodies' binding using triplets of residues
No full textProtein-protein interactions (PPI) are fundamental to cellular signaling, forming robust networks that govern critical biological processes such as immune response, cell growth, and signal transduction. Nanobody-based therapies have emerged as a key strategy for modulating PPIs, offering exceptional potential due to their high specificity, stability, and ability to access challenging epitopes on PPI interfaces inside cells. The rational design of nanobodies relies mainly on understanding and predicting their binding regions, particularly the residues that contribute the most to the binding energy (binding hotspots). Existing computational methods do not fully provide a scalable solution for hotspot identification in nanobody design, leaving a critical gap in the rational design of these therapeutics. Here, we present a scalable and structure-aware algorithm for hotspot prediction in nanobody design. The algorithm queries a curated database of triplets of interacting residues obtained from ~20,000 non-redundant PDB structures. We showed that these triplets contain structural and energetic information, being able to assess the stability effect of residue variations in protein structures, Pearson R = 0.63 (MSE = 1.58 kcal/mol). More important than effects on stability is the ability of the algorithm to predict binding hotspots of protein-protein generic complexes and more specifically in complexes containing nanobodies. HotspotPred reached an accuracy of 0.73 for hotspot residue identification in a protein interaction dataset of 1160 Alanine mutants and correctly identified in 63.4% of the cases we predicted at least 2 residues on the binding surface.This publication is part of the grant PRE2022-101389, funded by MICIU/AEI /10.13039/501100011033 and by the ESF+, and of the project PID2021-122341NB-I00, funded by MCIN/ AEI / 10.13039/501100011033 / FEDER, UE). This project has also received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement No 101020135)
Framing traditional culture: cultural nationalists as policy entrepreneurs in the Hu-Wen era
No full textTreball de Fi de Màster en Estudis d'Àsia-Pacífic en un context global. Curs 2024-2025Tutor: Manel Ollé RodríguezSince the reform and opening-up period, the Chinese party-state has faced growing pressure to respond to a pluralised environment shaped by decentralisation and marketisation. The re-emergence of nationalism in the 1990s further complicated the ideological landscape, prompting new efforts to consolidate cultural identity under Party leadership. Within this context, actors promoting traditional culture have emerged as discursive participants in the policy sphere. Drawing on frameworks of cultural nationalism and policy entrepreneurship, this study examines how such intellectuals navigate official discourse and institutional channels to influence outcomes from within the system. While their impact remains constrained, their activity reveals how cultural advocacy can serve both as a mode of participation and a site of negotiation, offering insight into evolving state-society relations and the shifting boundaries of ideological adaptation under authoritarian rule
Una presencia no tan singular: españoles en la economía del opio en Asia oriental (1815-1843)
No full textBalneotherapy for the treatment of post-COVID syndrome: a randomized controlled trial
No full textBackground: Post-Acute COVID Syndrome (PACS) is a complex disorder that currently lacks effective evidenced-based therapies to manage it. This randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the effects of balneotherapy (BT) on PACS symptomatology. Methods: Ninety-eight adults with PACS visited at Hospital del Mar Research Institute, Barcelona (Spain) were included to the study. Participants in the intervention group (n = 51) were allocated to 12 sessions of BT and aquatic exercises delivered in one month while the control group (n = 47) did not. The primary outcome was to evaluate the absolute change in questionnaire scores between baseline and two follow-up points: immediately after balneotherapy (or one-month post-baseline for the control group) and 2 months post-baseline. The following scales/questionnaires were employed: Post-COVID-19 functional status scale, mMRC dyspnea Scale, SF-36, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Memory failures in everyday life following severe head injury, and Visual Analogic Scale (VAS). Results: Forty-seven patients in the BT group and 43 in the control group completed the study. The majority of participants were middle-aged women (> 84%; mean age 48 years), and the most prevalent symptoms were fatigue, musculoskeletal pain, and neurocognitive impairment (> 88%). Noteworthy, the vast majority did not undergo a severe primary infection (ICU admissions < 3%). After BT, significant improvement was detected in the BT group vs. the control group in various SF-36 domains, PSQI total score (Beta-coefficient [95%CI] 2.641 [1.15;4.12]; p -value = 0.003), HAD's anxiety subscale (Beta-coefficient [95%CI] 1.72 [0.40;3.03;p-value = 0.023), and VAS (Beta-coefficient [95%CI] 1.625 [0.32;2.96]; p-value = 0.026). Among these, SF-36's energy/fatigue and pain subscales exhibited the most prominent changes with a Beta-coefficient [95%CI] of -17.45 [-24.23;-10.66] and - 21.634 [-30.48;-12.78], respectively (p-value < 0.0001). No severe adverse effects were reported during BT although seventeen patients reported mild and transient worsening of preexisting symptoms, particularly fatigue/post-exertional malaise mainly in the first sessions of BT. Conclusion: Balneotherapy comprise an effective therapeutic modality that can alleviate several symptoms that characterize PACS, particularly musculoskeletal pain and fatigue. However, the sustainability of these effects over time remains uncertain, as evidenced by the loss of some between-group differences at the one-month follow-up. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05765591 (13/03/2023)
Exploring the capacity of large language models to assess the chronic pain experience: algorithm development and validation
No full textBackground: Chronic pain, affecting more than 20% of the global population, has an enormous pernicious impact on individuals as well as economic ramifications at both the health and social levels. Accordingly, tools that enhance pain assessment can considerably impact people suffering from pain and society at large. In this context, assessment methods based on individuals’ personal experiences, such as written narratives (WNs), offer relevant insights into understanding pain from a personal perspective. This approach can uncover subjective, intricate, and multifaceted aspects that standardized questionnaires can overlook. However, WNs can be time-consuming for clinicians. Therefore, a tool that uses WNs while reducing the time required for their evaluation could have a significantly beneficial impact on people's pain assessment. Objective: This study is the first evaluation of the potential of applying large language models (LLMs) to assist clinicians in assessing patients’ pain expressed through WNs. Methods: We performed an experiment based on 43 WNs made by people with fibromyalgia and qualitatively evaluated in a prior study. Focusing on pain severity and disability, we prompt GPT-4 (with temperature parameter settings 0 or 1) to assign scores and scores’ explanations, to these WNs. Then, we quantitatively compare GPT-4 scores with experts’ scores of the same narratives, using statistical measures such as Pearson correlations, root mean squared error, the weighted version of the Gwet agreement coefficient, and Krippendorff α. Additionally, 2 experts specialized in chronic pain conducted a qualitative analysis of the scores’ explanation to assess their accuracy and potential applicability of GPT’s analysis for future pain narrative evaluations. Results: Our analysis reveals that GPT-4’s performance in assessing pain narratives yielded promising results. GPT-4 was comparable in terms of agreement with experts (with a weighted percentage agreement higher than 0.95), correlations with standardized measurements (for example in the range of 0.43 and 0.49 between the Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire and GTP-4 with temperatures 1), and low error rates (root mean squared error of 1.20 for severity and 1.44 for disability). Moreover, experts generally deemed the ratings provided by GPT-4, as well as the scores’ explanation, to be adequate. However, we observe that GPT has a slight tendency to overestimate pain severity and disability with a lower SD than expert estimates. Conclusions: These findings underline the potential of LLMs in facilitating the assessment of WNs of people with fibromyalgia, offering a novel approach to understanding and evaluating patient pain experiences. Integrating automated assessments through LLMs presents opportunities for streamlining and enhancing the assessment process, paving the way for improved patient care and tailored interventions in the chronic pain management field
Russia –Ukraine conflict and reproductive technologies: protecting surrogate-born children from crimes against humanity and war crimes
No full textThis article examines the situation of surrogacy-born children in the Russia–Ukraine armed conflict through a complementary lens that brings together international humanitarian law, human rights law, and international criminal law, in order to assess the regulatory gaps that exacerbate their vulnerability. After outlining the applicable legal frameworks and their shortcomings, the analysis shows how the conflict heightens the risks of forced transfer, trafficking, and illicit adoption. On that basis, these acts are identified as potential crimes against humanity and war crimes under Rome Statute. Finally, the article present recommendations to remedy the absence of specific safeguards in the ICC Office of the Prosecutor’s Policy on Children and calls for greater attention and protection for this vulnerable group
Implicaciones clínicas de las pruebas de imagen en la evaluación de la sarcopenia asociada a las bronquiectasias
No full textLa bronquiectasia es una enfermedad pulmonar compleja cuyas manifestaciones sistémicas han sido poco estudiadas. La presente tesis explora en profundidad la presencia y características de la sarcopenia en pacientes con bronquiectasias y la correlación entre la debilidad muscular y la gravedad de las bronquiectasias. Se incluyeron 20 pacientes con bronquiectasias en fase estable de enfermedad y 10 sujetos sanos como controles. A través de un enfoque multidisciplinar que incluyó evaluaciones clínicas, funcionales, radiológicas (ultrasonido y resonancia magnética) e histológicas (procedimiento de biopsia abierta en el vasto lateral, VL), se observó una disminución significativa de la masa muscular y la fuerza en los pacientes con bronquiectasias comparados con controles sanos. Los hallazgos de imagen revelaron una reducción del grosor y área muscular, así como un aumento de la infiltración grasa, que se correlacionó con la gravedad de la enfermedad. A nivel histológico, se evidenció un fenotipo muscular alterado caracterizado por un aumento de fibras híbridas, núcleos internos y otras anormalidades, lo que sugiere una degeneración muscular y una menor capacidad regenerativa. Se concluye que, en los pacientes con bronquiectasias estables de leves a moderadas, la sarcopenia se evidenció clínicamente a través de la reducción significativa de la masa y la función muscular de los miembros superiores e inferiores. Las técnicas de imagen (ultrasonido, resonancia magnética) han demostrado ser herramientas poderosas para caracterizar la sarcopenia asociada a bronquiectasias, al revelar alteraciones específicas en la arquitectura muscular y la composición del tejido, estas técnicas no solo facilitan el diagnóstico precoz, sino que también permiten un seguimiento más preciso de la evolución de la enfermedad y la respuesta a las intervenciones terapéuticas.Bronchiectasis is a complex lung disease whose systemic manifestations have been little studied. The present thesis investigates the presence and characteristics of sarcopenia in patients with bronchiectasis and the correlation between muscle weakness and the severity of bronchiectasis. Twenty patients with bronchiectasis in stable disease and 10 healthy controls were included. Using a multidisciplinary approach including clinical, functional, radiological (ultrasound and MRI) and histological (open biopsy of the vastus lateralis, VL) assessments, a significant decrease in muscle mass and strength was observed in patients with bronchiectasis compared to healthy controls. Imaging findings showed reduced muscle thickness and area and increased fatty infiltration, which correlated with disease severity. Histologically, an altered muscle phenotype characterized by an increase in hybrid fibers, internal nuclei and other abnormalities was evident, suggesting muscle degeneration and reduced regenerative capacity. It is concluded that in patients with mild to moderate stable bronchiectasis, sarcopenia is clinically evidenced by a significant reduction in muscle mass and function of the upper and lower limbs. Imaging techniques (ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging) have proven to be powerful tools to characterize bronchiectasis-associated sarcopenia by revealing specific alterations in muscle architecture and tissue composition. These techniques not only facilitate early diagnosis, but also allow more accurate monitoring of disease progression and response to therapeutic interventionsPrograma de Doctorat en Biomedicin
Identitat gamer, classe social i gènere: una anàlisi dels discursos del col·lectiu adolescent sobre la cultura del videojoc i les pràctiques videolúdiques
No full textAquesta tesi doctoral analitza el paper que juguen la classe social i el gènere en els processos de construcció de la identitat gamer, entre el col·lectiu adolescent de 14 i 15 anys escolaritzat a Barcelona i Vic. Per fer-ho, s’han realitzat dos qüestionaris qualitatius, als adolescents i les seves famílies, vuit grups de discussió i setze entrevistes (vuit entrevistes virtuals semiestructurades i vuit entrevistes jugant online). Les diferències entre col·lectius evidencien que l’entorn sociocultural i les desigualtats de classe i gènere condicionen de forma significativa la relació que el col·lectiu adolescent estableix amb videojoc, és a dir, la percepció que tenen del mitjà i les seves pràctiques videolúdiques, així com el paper que juga el videojoc en els seus processos de construcció de la identitat gamer i les aspiracions que tenen envers el videojoc com a possible via de futur professional.This doctoral thesis analyses the role played by social class and gender in the processes of construction of gamer identity among teenagers aged 14 and 15 years old in school in the cities of Barcelona and Vic. For this purpose, two qualitative questionnaires have been carried out with teenagers and their families, eight focus groups and sixteen interviews (eight virtual semi-structured interviews and eight online gaming interviews). The differences evidenced between groups show that the sociocultural environment, in terms of social class and gender inequalities, significantly conditions the relationship that teenagers establish with the medium and, therefore, their perception of video games and their gaming practices, as well as their processes of construction of gamer identity and the aspirations they have towards video games as a possible future career path.Esta tesis doctoral analiza el papel que juegan la clase social y el género en los procesos de construcción de la identidad gamer, entre el colectivo adolescente de 14 y 15 años escolarizado en Barcelona y Vic. Para hacerlo, se han llevado a cabo dos cuestionarios cualitativos, a los y las adolescentes y sus familias, ocho grupos de discusión y dieciséis entrevistas (ocho entrevistas virtuales semiestructurades y ocho entrevistas jugando online). Las diferencias entre colectivos evidencian que el entorno sociocultural y las desigualdades de clase y género condicionan de forma significativa la relación que el colectivo adolescente establece con el videojuego, es decir, la percepción que tienen del medio y sus prácticas videolúdicas, así como el papel que juega el videojuego en sus procesos de construcción de la identidad gamer y las aspiraciones que tienen en relación al videojuego como posible vía de futuro profesional.Programa de Doctorat en Comunicaci