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The authentic A**hole: candidate consistency, causality, and the vote
No full textDespite politicians’ authenticity being increasingly invoked in public discourse to explain their electoral fortunes, empirical research on the trait in electoral studies remains nascent. Here we advance our knowledge through a vignette survey experiment carried out on a national British sample. Firstly, we demonstrate that respondents are more likely to perceive a hypothetical politician as authentic when that politician resists political pressure in order to maintain a consistency between their stated policy positions and their political actions. This is the case whether respondents agree with their policy position or not. We also show that a candidate being perceived as authentic carries electoral benefits for them. Furthermore, consistency between a politician’s policy position and their actions enhances citizens’ perception of authenticity, consequently increasing the likelihood that they will vote for that politician. This study contributes to understanding authenticity in politics, offering valuable insights into the causal mechanisms of its electoral implications
Urban planning and health in all policies: the health impact of green space interventions in cities
No full textThe geographical, environmental, and sociocultural characteristics of cities impact residents' health and well-being. Modern cities, while beneficial for people, also face high air and noise pollution, urban heat, and limited green spaces. These conditions promote sedentary lifestyles, exacerbate socioeconomic disparities, and contribute to stress and mental health problems, leading to further diseases and premature deaths. Quantifying these impacts provides evidence for policy-makers, contributing to the development of more sustainable, healthy, and equitable urban planning. In this context, urban greening can enhance environmental quality, and foster active transport, physical activity, and social interactions in cities. This thesis assessed the health impacts of insufficient green spaces in about 1000 European cities, analyzed socioenvironmental inequalities in six cities, estimated the health and economic benefits of a greening plan in Barcelona, and identified priority areas for intervention using multi-criteria decision analysis. The findings highlighted a significant health burden from limited green spaces, varying by city and socioeconomic group, and demonstrated the benefits of real-life greening policies. Future greening initiatives should be tailored to local contexts and aligned with broader policies to maximize co-benefits and reduce inequalities.Les característiques geogràfiques, ambientals i socioculturals de les ciutats afecten la salut i el benestar dels residents. Les ciutats modernes, tot i ser beneficioses per a les persones, també pateixen una alta contaminació de l’aire i acústica, calor urbana i espais verds limitats. Aquestes condicions fomenten estils de vida sedentaris, exacerben les desigualtats socioeconòmiques i contribueixen a l’estrès, als problemes de salut mental, provoca malalties i morts prematures. Quantificar aquests impactes proporciona evidencies per als responsables polítics, contribuïnt al desenvolupament d’una planificació urbana més sostenible, saludable i equitativa. En aquest context, la renaturalització urbana pot millorar la qualitat ambiental i fomentar el transport actiu, l’activitat física i les interaccions socials a les ciutats. Aquesta tesi va avaluar els impactes a la salut deguts a la manca d’espais verds en unes 1000 ciutats europees, va analitzar les desigualtats socioambientals a sis ciutats, va estimar els beneficis sanitaris i econòmics d’un pla de renaturalització a Barcelona i va identificar àrees prioritàries per a la intervención mitjançant l’anàlisi de decisions multicriteri. Els resultats van destacar una càrrega significativa per a la salut derivada de la manca d’espais verds, amb variacions segons la ciutat i el grup socioeconòmic, i van demostrar els beneficis de les polítiques de renaturalització. Les futures iniciatives de renatura-lització haurien d’adaptar-se als contextos locals i alinear-se amb polítiques més àmplies per maximitzar els co-beneficis i reduir les desigualtats.Programa de Doctorat en Biomedicin
MicroRNA genetic variation: from population analysis to functional implications of three allele variants associated with cancer
No full textNucleotide variants in microRNA regions have been associated with disease; nevertheless, few studies still have addressed the allele-dependent effect of these changes. We studied microRNA genetic variation in human populations and found that while low-frequency variants accumulate indistinctly in microRNA regions, the mature and seed regions tend to be depleted of high-frequency variants, probably as a result of purifying selection. Comparison of pairwise population fixation indexes among regions showed that the seed had higher population fixation indexes than the other regions, suggesting the existence of local adaptation in the seed region. We further performed functional studies of three microRNA variants associated with cancer (rs2910164:C > G in MIR146A, rs11614913:C > T in MIR196A2, and rs3746444:A > G in both MIR499A and MIR499B). We found differences in the expression between alleles and in the regulation of several genes involved in cancer, such as TP53, KIT, CDH1, CLH, and TERT, which may result in changes in regulatory networks related to tumorigenesis. Furthermore, luciferase-based assays showed that MIR499A could be regulating the cadherin CDH1 and the cell adhesion molecule CLH1 in an allele-dependent fashion. A better understanding of the effect of microRNA variants associated with disease could be key in our way to a more personalized medicine.Contract grant sponsors: Spanish National Institute for Bioinformatics (www.inab.org); "Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación de España" (BFU2010-18477, CGL2009-09013 and FPI-MINECO); European Union Seventh Framework Programme (PIOF-GA-2009-236836 and PIRSES-GA-2013-612583); "Direcció general de Recerca de la Generalitat de Catalunya; Agencia de Gestió d'Ajuts Universitaris de Recerca" (2014SGR-866, 2014SGR-1311); "Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte de España" (FPU-MEC, FPU13/06813); FEDER European Regional Development Fund "A way to build Europe"; Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad, Spain (grant no. BFU2013-43726-P)
Automatic identification of optimal transseptal puncture localization and device configuration with patient-specific haemodynamic modelling in patients undergoing left atrial appendage occlusion
No full textAtrial Fibrillation affects 33.5 million people worldwide. It is associated with life-threatening consequences such as stroke, placing a heavy burden on healthcare resources. Stroke prevention is based on administering direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) and for those contraindicated left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) is recommended. Still, after LAAO, a short-term period of anticoagulation is needed to avoid device-related thrombus. Predicting the minimal dose of anticoagulant administered after the intervention might reduce DOAC’s side effects. Therefore, we present a multi-therapeutic model that combines LAAO flow simulations with DOAC monitoring. Six simulations representing different clinical practice scenarios are performed: LAAO covering and uncovering the pulmonary ridge with or without 2.5 mg apixaban. Results show that applying 2.5 mg of Apixaban reduces the risk of DRT no matter the position of the occluder in the pulmonary ridge. Future steps should address the integration of more anticoagulant therapies. Despite being a proof-of-concept, we successfully developed a multi-therapeutic approach that evaluates the formation of DRT in different clinical scenarios.This study was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science (GENERALITAAT: PID2022-143239OB-I00) and the European Union (GA 101136438- GEMINI and 101016496 Sim-CardioTest). Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them
Striking a balance global impact of the local regulation of excitatory-inhibitory balance in cortical networks
No full textThe study of complex systems has unraveled the basic principles underlying the emergence of collective behaviors in networks of interacting units. Following this framework, we suggest that excitatory-inhibitory balance is one of such principles in cortical networks. We start by revealing how balanced excitatory-inhibitory interactions shape empirical functional networks and dynamics, especially at ultra-slow timescales. Then, we demonstrate the potential of excitatory-inhibitory homeostasis as a mechanism of self-organization by studying its role in the re-emergence of functional networks following lesions, reconciling empirical findings on the connectivity and excitability of the post-stroke brain. Finally, we demonstrate how multiple modes of homeostasis cooperate to support the emergence of collective metastable dynamics, maximizing functional complexity in large-scale cortical networks. Altogether, our results show that the benefits of maintaining a balance between excitation and inhibition extravasate the neuronal level, being a key piece in the emergence of collective dynamics in large-scale cortical networks.L’estudi dels sistemes complexos ha desvelat els principis bàsics subjacents a l’emergència de comportaments col·lectius en xarxes d’unitats que interactuen. Seguint aquests fonaments, en aquesta tesi suggerim que l’equilibri excitatori-inhibitori és un d’aquests principis a les xarxes corticals. Comencem revelant com l’equilibri de interaccions excitatòries-inhibitòries dona forma a les dinàmiques i xarxes funcionals empíriques, especialment a escales de temps ultra lentes. A continuació, demostrem el potencial de l’homeòstasi excitatòria-inhibitòria com a mecanisme d’auto-organització a través de l’estudi del seu paper en la re-emergència de les xarxes funcionals després de lesions, conciliant el coneixement empíric sobre la connectivitat i l’excitabilitat del cervell post-ictus. Finalment, demostrem com múltiples modes d’homeòstasi cooperen per donar suport a l’emergència de dinàmiques col·lectives metaestables, maximitzant la complexitat funcional en xarxes corticals. Així, els nostres resultats demostren que els beneficis de mantenir l’equilibri entre excitació i inhibició extravasen el nivell neuronal, sent una pec¸a clau en l’emergència de dinàmiques col·lectives en xarxes corticals de llarga escala.Programa de Doctorat en Tecnologies de la Informació i les Comunicacion
Essays in Econometric Forecasting with Applications to Macroeconomics and Finance
No full textThis thesis comprises three chapters on econometric forecasting, with applications to macroeconomics and finance. The first chapter introduces a testing procedure for evaluating superior predictive ability (SPA) in unstable environments. Therefore, it allows one to detect time-varying superiority. Applied to downside risk forecasts for the U.S. economy, it reveals substantial time-varying heterogeneity in the forecasting performance of the commonly used method (a quantile regression equipped with financial conditions). In the second chapter, we present a variant of the standard SPA test that assesses the predictive ability of one particular method against many alternatives when forecasting a panel of time series. Our empirical analysis assesses the forecasting performance of the factor model against different machine learning techniques when predicting macroeconomic variables in the U.S. (FRED-MD). We find that while the factor model dominates at short horizons, yet it is surpassed by simple methods at longer horizons, with results varying across different macroeconomic categories. Finally, the third chapter proposes a hybrid model combining factor models and largedimensional regularized regressions for intra-daily volume prediction in large panels of stocks. Applied to the STOXX 600 Index, our results demonstrate its superior performance over traditional univariate models.Esta tesis comprende tres capítulos sobre pronóstico econométrico, con aplicaciones a la macroeconomía y las finanzas. El primer capítulo presenta un procedimiento de prueba estadística para evaluar la capacidad predictiva superior (en inglés, SPA) en ambientes inestables. Por lo tanto, permite detectar si la superioridad de un modelo es variable en el tiempo. Aplicado a predicciones de riesgo a la baja para la economía de EE. UU., revela que el método comúnmente utilizado en la literatura (una regresión cuantil con condiciones financieras) presenta una heterogeneidad sustancial en el tiempo. En el segundo capítulo, presentamos una variante de la prueba estadística SPA estándar que evalúa la capacidad predictiva de un único método en contra de muchas alternativas al predecir un panel de series temporales. Nuestro análisis empírico evalúa la performance del modelo de factores contra diferentes técnicas de aprendizaje automático al predecir variables macroeconómicas en los EE. UU. (FRED-MD). Encontramos que si bien el modelo de factores domina en horizontes cortos, es superado por métodos simples en horizontes más largos, con resultados que varían entre diferentes categorías macroeconómicas. Finalmente, el tercer capítulo de le tesis propone un modelo híbrido de predicciones que combina modelos de factores y regresiones regularizadas de gran dimensión para la predicción de volumen intra-diario en grandes paneles de acciones. Aplicado al índice STOXX 600, nuestros resultados demuestran su rendimiento superior sobre modelos univariados tradicionales.Programa de Doctorat en Economia, Finances i Empres
Effect of an intensive lifestyle intervention on cystatin C-based kidney function in adults with overweight and obesity: from the PREDIMED-Plus trial
No full textBackground: Large-scale trials evaluating a multicomponent lifestyle intervention aimed at weight loss on kidney function are lacking. Methods: This was a post hoc analysis of the "PREvención con DIeta MEDiterránea-Plus" (PREDIMED-Plus) randomized controlled trial, including patients with overweight/obesity and metabolic syndrome, measured cystatin C and creatinine. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to an intensive weight loss lifestyle intervention (intervention group [IG]) consisting of an energy-restricted Mediterranean diet (MedDiet), physical activity promotion and behavioral support, or a control group (CG) receiving ad libitum MedDiet recommendations. The primary outcome was between-group differences in cystatin C-based kidney function (cystatin C-based estimated glomerular filtration rate-eGFRcys-and combined cystatin C-creatinine-based eGFR-eGFRcr-cys) change from baseline to 12 and 36 months. Secondary outcomes included between-group differences in creatinine-based eGFR (eGFRcr) and urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) change and the predictive capacity of these formulas at baseline for new-onset chronic kidney disease (CKD). Results: A total of 1909 participants (65 ± 5 years, 54% men) were included. Twelve-month decline in eGFRcys, eGFRcr-cys, and eGFRcr was greater in the CG compared to the IG, with between-group differences of -1.77 mL/min/1.73 m2 [95% confidence interval -2.92 to -0.63], -1.37 [-2.22 to -0.53], and -0.91 [-1.74 to -0.71], respectively. At 36 months, the decline in eGFRcr-cys and eGFRcr was greater in the CG. No between-group differences in UACR were found. Significant adjusted areas under the curve for baseline eGFRcys and eGFRcr-cys were observed for incident CKD at 36 months, which were similar to those for eGFRcr and UACR. Conclusions: In older adults with overweight/obesity and metabolic syndrome, the PREDIMED-Plus intervention may be an optimal approach to preserve kidney function
Preference cohesion and bargaining satisfaction among Southern EU member states: a comparative perspective
No full textTo what extent does being aligned in EU negotiations predict favourable outcomes for the Southern Euro countries (Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece) in Council of the EU negotiations? This article attempts to answer this question by leveraging data from the DEU (Decision-Making in the European Union) dataset, and comparing this group of countries to two other well-established alliances at the EU level: the Nordics and the Visegrad Four. Results indicate that the Southern alliance generally lacks cohesion compared to the other groups, but when it is able to find a coherent position, it becomes more effective in obtaining its members' desired legislative outcomes. Preliminary evidence also suggests that this effect occurs because aligning gives groups of countries more voting power, and because their social capital makes them more effective in negotiations.This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry Science and Research under Grant PID2020-119716GB-I00; it was also supported by the Erasmus + programme of the European Union under Grants 101085465 - BACES and 101047889 - EU-GOV (Jean Monnet Chair in European Governance)
Evaluación de la calidad de los agregadores de noticias chinos: propuesta de un nuevo instrumento de evaluación con patrones de diseño centrados en el usuario
No full textEsta tesis se centra en el estudio de una de las aplicaciones más utilizadas por la ciudadanía en China para informarse, los agregadores de noticias. Tiene como objetivo general la identificación de las características que dotan de calidad a estos agregadores, y su posterior formalización en un instrumento de análisis para la evaluación de su calidad. De este modo, se espera que el instrumento propuesto pueda servir: 1) como guía para el desarrollo de agregadores de noticias; 2) como instrumento de autoevaluación, útil para los propietarios y responsables de estas aplicaciones; y 3) como herramienta para la realización de análisis y estudios comparativos de estas aplicaciones. Para el desarrollo de esta investigación se han utilizado diferentes metodologías. Entre ellas, destacan las técnicas de análisis experto y estudio de casos, que han sido usadas en el diseño y la validación del instrumento. También la encuesta, utilizada para conocer la experiencia de uso y las preferencias de los usuarios reales de estas aplicaciones, y que ha servido para la propuesta de patrones de diseño centrados en estos usuarios. Como resultado, esta tesis presenta un nuevo instrumento para la evaluación de la calidad de los agregadores de noticias chinos, que agrupa en torno a tres dimensiones, ocho parámetros y setenta y tres indicadores. Además, este instrumento se completa con la propuesta de tres patrones de diseño centrados en sus usuarios. De este modo, en su conjunto, esta tesis permite profundizar en el conocimiento de una de las principales fuentes utilizadas por la ciudadanía china para informarse. Además, el instrumento propuesto puede ser útil para futuros desarrollos y estudios procedentes tanto del sector profesional como académico.This thesis focuses on the study of one of the most widely used applications by citizens in China for obtaining information: news aggregators. Its main objective is to identify the features that grant quality to these aggregators and then formalize them into an analysis instrument for evaluating their quality. Thus, it is expected that the proposed instrument can serve: 1) as a guide for the development of news aggregators; 2) as a self-assessment instrument, useful for the owners and managers of these applications; and 3) as an instrument for conducting analyses and comparative studies of these applications. For the development of this research, various methodologies have been used. Among them, expert analysis techniques and case studies stand out, which have been employed in the design and validation of the instrument. Surveys were also utilized to understand the usage experience and preferences of the actual users of these applications, serving as the basis for the proposal of user-centered design patterns. As a result, this thesis introduces a new instrument for evaluating the quality of Chinese news aggregators, which encompasses three dimensions, eight parameters, and seventy-three indicators. Additionally, this instrument is complemented with the proposal of three user-centered design patterns. In this way, as a whole, this thesis provides deeper insight into one of the primary sources used by the Chinese public to obtain information. Furthermore, the proposed instrument can be beneficial for future developments and studies both from the professional and academic sectors.Programa de Doctorat en Comunicaci
The measuring mind: cognitive mechanisms of rhythm and meter perception in humans and rats
No full textEl 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