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One name for two concepts: a systematic literature review about meta-organizations
No full textExisting literature on meta-organization is divided into two distinct streams in organizational and management studies, with different definitions and boundaries, potentially leading to inconsistencies and theoretical misalignment. Can we disambiguate the conceptualizations of meta-organizations, and what insights can be gleaned from this clarification? Using a systematic review of the meta-organization literature, we propose a novel classification, distinguishing between meta-organizations as ‘meta-level actors’, rooted in the organizational perspective, and meta-organizations as ‘orchestrated systems’, grounded in the management perspective. While synthesizing current knowledge about meta-organizations, we highlight the commonalities, divergences and specificities of both perspectives. We contribute to the literature on meta-organizations by bringing greater clarity to the field, by disambiguating the uses of meta-organization, by outlining a state of the art for both new categories and by providing a detailed research agenda. We also provide fundamental insights about two distinct ways of meta-organizing, that is creating order among and beyond single organizations through collectively decided social orders and orchestrated social orders
¿Cuándo los animales nos independizamos molecularmente de nuestras madres?
No full textGuanyador del 1r Premi Rin4' 2025Doctorat en Biomedicina. Curs 2024-202
Cardiomyopathy and thrombogenesis in cats through left atrial morphological and fluid dynamics analysis
No full textThe relationship between atrial fibrillation (AF), blood flow disturbances and thrombus formation is well-established in humans. Thrombi primarily form in the left atrial appendage (LAA), but the specific role of LAA morphology remains unclear. Felines, despite rarely experiencing AF, present a valuable model for studying human heart diseases. Cats exhibit a high incidence of cardiomyopathies, often accompanied by significant left atrial dilation and thrombus formation. This unique aspect prompts research focusing on LAA morphology and function in relation to thrombus development. Our study, using advanced image processing and fluid simulations on 24 cat hearts ranging from normal to cardiomyopathy subjects, aims to find distinctions in left atrium (LA) and LAA morphologies, blood flow patterns and their relation to thrombus formation. Significantly different variables in feline heart groups included: heart weight, LAA volume, LA volume, ostium area, ostium area-to-heart weight ratio, centreline length and velocity at the LAA ostium. Fluid simulations revealed lower LAA blood flow velocities and increased thrombotic risk in cases with thrombi. Our study enhances the understanding of LAA structure and function, offering insights into thrombus formation mechanisms with potential implications for better managing thrombosis risk in patients.This work was supported by the Agency for Management of University and Research Grants of the Generalitat de Catalunya under the Grants for the Contracting of New Research Staff Programme FI (2020 FI B 00608) and the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness under the Programme for the Formation of Doctors (PRE2018-084062), the Maria de Maeztu Units of Excellence Programme (MDM-2015-0502) and the Retos Investigación projects VIROLAAI and GENERALITAAT (RTI2018-101193-B-I00, PID2022-143239OB-I00). Furthermore, this work was supported by the H2020 EU SimCardioTest project (Digital transformation in Health and Care SC1-DTH-06-2020; Grant agreement No. 101016496)
SOS: El Montseny s’ofega : dues dècades de canvi forestal evidencien les deficiències del model de gestió actual
No full textTutora: Eva DomínguezTreball de fi de grau en Periodisme. Curs 2024-2025El Gran Reportatge SOS El Montseny sʼofega analitza les transformacions ecològiques que ha experimentat el Parc Natural del Montseny durant les dues darreres dècades, en el marc dels efectes creixents del canvi climàtic. A través de lʼús de tècniques de teledetecció i lʼanàlisi dʼimatges satel·litàries, sʼestudien els patrons de creixement i mortalitat forestal en aquest espai protegit. Els resultats obtinguts sʼhan validat conjuntament amb un equip dʼinvestigadors doctorals experts en teledetecció i es conclou que el Parc Natural del Montseny, entre el 2001 i el 2020, va guanyar entre 630 i 790 hectàrees de superfície arbrada, i en va perdre unes 863,5, les quals són majoritàriament en superfície privada. El treball combina dades científiques amb aportacions dʼexperts en ecologia, gestió ambiental i polítiques forestals, amb lʼobjectiu de contextualitzar els canvis observats i explorar possibles respostes, tan institucionals com ciutadanes. Tot i que el focus territorial és el Montseny, les conclusions del reportatge són extrapolables a la situació de bona part dels ecosistemes forestals de Catalunya. A més, el projecte qüestiona la manca de visibilitat dʼaquesta problemàtica en lʼagenda mediàtica i convida a repensar el relat hegemònic sobre la desforestació, sovint centrat en el Sud global. El reportatge es presenta en format web multimèdia, i, alhora, sʼinclou una prova pilot d'experiència immersiva en 3D com a proposta innovadora de comunicació ambiental.El Gran Reportaje SOS El Montseny sʼofega analiza las transformaciones ecológicas que ha experimentado el Parque Natural del Montseny durante las dos últimas décadas, en el contexto de los efectos crecientes del cambio climático. A través del uso de técnicas de teledetección y del análisis de imágenes satelitales, se estudian los patrones de crecimiento y mortalidad forestal en este espacio protegido. Los resultados obtenidos han sido validados conjuntamente con un equipo de investigadores doctorales expertos en teledetección, y se concluye que el Parque Natural del Montseny, entre el 2001 y el 2020, ganó entre 630 y 790 hectáreas de superficie arbolada, y perdió unas 863,5. Estos resultados se han superpuesto a capas de cobertura del suelo, observándose que la mayor parte de la pérdida se produce en propiedad privada. El trabajo combina datos científicos con aportaciones de expertos en ecología, gestión ambiental y políticas forestales, con el objetivo de contextualizar los cambios observados y explorar posibles respuestas, tanto institucionales como ciudadanas. Aunque el enfoque territorial es el Montseny, las conclusiones del reportaje son extrapolables a la situación de buena parte de los ecosistemas forestales de Cataluña. Además, el proyecto cuestiona la falta de visibilidad de esta problemática en la agenda mediática e invita a repensar el relato hegemónico sobre la deforestación, a menudo centrado en el sur global. El reportaje se presenta en formato web multimedia y, a su vez, se incluye una prueba piloto de experiencia inmersiva en 3D como propuesta innovadora de comunicación ambiental.The feature report SOS El Montseny sʼofega analyses the ecological transformations that the Montseny Natural Park has undergone over the past two decades in the context of the increasing impacts of climate change. Using remote sensing techniques and satellite image analysis, the study examines patterns of forest growth and mortality in this protected area. The results were validated in collaboration with a team of doctoral researchers specialising in remote sensing, and show that Montseny Natural Park gained between 630 and 790 hectares of tree-covered land, while losing approximately 863.5 hectares. These results were overlaid with land cover data, revealing that most forest loss occurred on private property. The report combines scientific data with contributions from experts in ecology, environmental management, and forest policy, aiming to contextualise the observed changes and explore potential responses at both institutional and citizen levels. Although geographically focused on Montseny, the reportʼs conclusions can be extrapolated to the situation of many forest ecosystems across Catalonia. Moreover, the project challenges the lack of visibility of this issue in the media agenda and invites a reconsideration of the dominant narrative on deforestation, which is often centred on the Global South. The report is presented as a multimedia web format, and also includes a pilot for an immersive 3D experience as an innovative proposal for environmental communication
Childhood exposure to non-persistent endocrine disruptors, glucocorticosteroids, and attentional function: A cross-sectional study based on the parametric g-formula
No full textBackground: Evidence suggests that endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) may perturb the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis, which has a major role in brain development. We aimed to evaluate the effects of childhood exposure to organophosphate pesticides, phenols, and phthalate metabolites, on urinary glucocorticosteroids and inattention in childhood. Methods: We used data from the Human Early-Life Exposome (HELIX) cohort (2013-2016) and the parametric g-formula to estimate associations between EDCs, glucocorticosteroids, and hit reaction time standard error (HRT-SE), a measure of inattention, and tested for possible effect modification by sex. Results: We observed a positive marginal contrast (MC) for exposure increases from the 10th to the 90th percentile for methyl-paraben (MC: 0.042 and 95% confidence interval (CI): (0.013, 0.071)), and the phthalate metabolites oxo-MiNP (MC: 0.023 and 95% CI: (0.003, 0.044)), oh-MiNP (MC: 0.039 and 95% CI: (0.001, 0.076)), and MEHP (MC: 0.036 and 95% CI: (0.008, 0.063)), on HRT-SE, indicating lower attention. Several EDCs were also associated with a positive MC for cortisone, cortisol, and corticosterone production. Increased levels of the glucocorticosteroids were not associated with HRT-SE, although we found a possible effect modification by sex. Conclusions: Our results suggest that multiple EDCs might interfere with inattention and with the homeostasis of the HPA axis
Neurodevelopmental disorders: 2024 update
No full textNeurodevelopmental disorders encompass a range of conditions such as intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder, rare genetic disorders and developmental and epileptic encephalopathies, all manifesting during childhood. Over 1,500 genes involved in various signaling pathways, including numerous transcriptional regulators, spliceosome elements, chromatin-modifying complexes and de novo variants have been recognized for their substantial role in these disorders. Along with new machine learning tools applied to neuroimaging, these discoveries facilitate genetic diagnoses, providing critical insights into neuropathological mechanisms and aiding in prognosis, and precision medicine. Also, new findings underscore the importance of understanding genetic contributions beyond protein-coding genes and emphasize the role of RNA and non-coding DNA molecules but also new players, such as transposable elements, whose dysregulation generates gene function disruption, epigenetic alteration, and genomic instability. Finally, recent developments in analyzing neuroimaging now offer the possibility of characterizing neuronal cytoarchitecture in vivo, presenting a viable alternative to traditional post-mortem studies. With a recently launched digital atlas of human fetal brain development, these new approaches will allow answering complex biological questions about fetal origins of cognitive function in childhood. In this review, we present ten fascinating topics where major progress has been made in the last year.The lab of M.D. acknowledges financial support from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (projects CPP2022-009659 and RTC2019-007329-1), the Spanish State Research Agency (project INTO-DS, reference PID2022-141900OB-I00), the Marato-TV3 Foundation (202212-30-31-32), and the European Comission Horizon 2020 programme (projects H2020-899986 and GO-DS21-848077). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. The CRG acknowledges the support of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation to the EMBL partnership, the Centro de Excelencia Severo Ochoa, and the CERCA Programme/Generalitat de Catalunya. The CIBER of Rare Diseases (CIBERER) is an initiative of ISCIII
Literature and global responsibility: narratives, questions, and challenges
No full textThis introductory essay offers a theoretical framework for discussing the relationship between contemporary literature and global responsibility. After surveying recent conceptualisations of collective responsibility, the introduction presents the definition of global responsibility that frames the Special Issue. 'Global' is understood here in the double sense of worldwide and comprehensive: it draws attention to our global relations of interdependence and to the complex networks of actions and inactions that create the conditions of possibility for structural violence and injustice. Literature is a powerful tool for thinking about the challenges and questions that characterise our interconnected world, as well as for developing a sense of responsibility that transcends national and cultural boundaries. Having reflected on the ethico-political role and potential of literature, this introduction summarises the articles that constitute this Special Issue. While the five essays that follow cannot possibly address all the problems that affect our globalised world, they offer a set of concepts, narrative explorations, and hermeneutical readings that help us to reassess critically our compromised positions, thus creating the pre-conditions for transformative interventions
Language as a digital biomaker across mental disorders: automatic detection and relation to brain dysfunction
No full textLanguage is increasingly regarded as a key readout of mental states and how they change in health and disease. This thesis collects four studies jointly exploring spontaneous speech as a potential digital biomarker of mental disorders. The first study aims at providing a new baseline of computational semantic markers of psychosis, using a variety of large language models in a theory-driven fashion. The second study expands these results with a view to exploring a missing link between semantic changes and brain function, focusing on a group of drug-naïve patients with a first episode of schizophrenia. Together, these first two studies demonstrate structural changes in the organization of the semantic space, as related to a shift in the hierarchical organization of functional networks in the cortex. The final two studies seek to further validate speech as a biomarker in a computational, crosslinguistic, and transdiagnostic scheme, using machine learning. Model accuracies in both a schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s sample exceeded the 80% mark. Overall, these findings further validate spontaneous speech as a biomarker and add further insights into its mechanistic and neurocognitive underpinnings.El lenguaje se considera cada vez más como un indicador clave de los estados mentales y de cómo cambian en la salud y la enfermedad. Esta tesis recopila cuatro estudios que exploran conjuntamente el habla espontánea como un posible biomarcador digital de trastornos mentales. El primer estudio tiene como objetivo proporcionar una nueva base de marcadores semánticos computacionales de la psicosis, utilizando una variedad de grandes modelos del lenguaje desde una perspectiva teórica. El segundo estudio amplía estos resultados con vistas a explorar un eslabón perdido entre los cambios semánticos y la función cerebral, centrándose en un grupo de pacientes sin tratamiento farmacológico con un primer episodio de esquizofrenia. En conjunto, estos dos primeros estudios demuestran cambios estructurales en la organización del espacio semántico, en relación con un cambio en la organización jerárquica de las redes funcionales corticales. Los dos
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últimos estudios buscan validar aún más el habla como un biomarcador en un esquema computacional, translingüístico y transdiagnóstico, utilizando el aprendizaje automático. Las precisiones de los modelos tanto en una muestra de pacientes con esquizofrenia como de pacientes con Alzheimer superaron 80%. En resumen, estos hallazgos validan el uso del habla espontánea como biomarcador y aportan un mayor entendimiento sobre sus fundamentos mecánicos y neurocognitivos.El llenguatge és considerat cada cop més com un indicador clau dels estats mentals i de com canvien en la salut i la malaltia. Aquesta tesi recull quatre estudis que exploren conjuntament la parla espontània com a potencial biomarcador digital. El primer estudi té com a objectiu proporcionar una nova base de marcadors semàntics computacionals de la psicosi, utilitzant una varietat de models del llenguatge grans basat en la teoria. El segon estudi amplia aquests resultats amb l'objectiu d'explorar per primera vegada un enllaç entre els canvis semantics i la funció cerebral, centrant-se en un grup de pacients sense tractament farmacològic amb un primer episodi d'esquizofrènia. En conjunt, aquests dos primers estudis demostren canvis estructurals en l'organització de l'espai semàntic, relacionats amb un canvi en l'organització jeràrquica de les xarxes funcionals cerebrals. Els dos últims estudis pretenen validar encara més l'ús de la parla com a biomarcador en un esquema computacional, interlingüístic i transdiagnòstic, mitjançant l'aprenentatge automàtic. Les precisions dels models tant en una mostra de pacients amb esquizofrènia com de pacients amb Alzheimer van superar 80%. En resum, aquests descrobiments validen encara més l'ús de la parla espontània com a biomarcador i amplien els nostres coneixements sobre els seus fonaments mecànics i neurocognitius.Programa de Doctorat en Traducció i Ciències del Llenguatg
Development of prognostic models for resected distal cholangiocarcinoma
No full textDistal cholangiocarcinoma is a biliary malignancy associated with poor oncological outcomes with a 5-year survival rate after surgery from 16% to 39.5%. There’s an urgent need to develop a valid prognostic model that assesses the clinical implications of combination of prognostic indicators for resected distal cholangiocarcinoma, identifying high-risk patients for recurrence. This doctoral thesis is based on two published articles. For the first study, we have developed a nomogram integrating independent prognostic factors to create a prognostic model for recurrence-free survival in distal cholangiocarcinoma. For the second study, A LASSO-regularized Cox regression model was employed for feature selection, examining coefficients' paths and creating a model to predict recurrence. Additionally, a web application was developed to enhance the clinical use of the algorithm.El colangiocarcinoma distal és una neoplàsia maligna d’origen biliar associada a mals resultats oncològics amb una taxa de supervivència a 5 anys després de la cirurgia del 16% al 39,5%. Hi ha una necessitat urgent de desenvolupar un model pronòstic que avaluï les implicacions clíniques de la combinació d'indicadors pronòstics per al colangiocarcinoma distal ressecat, identificant aquells pacients amb alt risc de recurrència. Aquesta tesi doctoral es basa en dos articles publicats. En el primer estudi vam desenvolupar un nomograma integrant els factors pronòstics independents per crear un model pronòstic de la supervivència lliure de recurrència del colangiocarcinoma distal. Per al segon estudi, vam confeccionar un model de regressió de Cox regularitzat amb LASSO per a la selecció de les variables, examinant els coeficients de cadascuna i creant un model per predir la recurrència. A més, vam desenvolupar una aplicació web per millorar l'ús clínic de l'algoritme.Programa de Doctorat en Biomedicin
Algorithms and complexity results for the 0-1 knapsack problem with group fairness
No full textData de publicació electrònica: 10-09-2025This paper presents an exact algorithm for a generalisation of the classical 0-1 Knapsack Problem, called the Knapsack Problem with Group Fairness. In this problem, items are partitioned into classes, and fairness constraints affect the number of items that can or must be chosen from each class. The problem was introduced by Patel et al. (in: Dignum (eds) Proceedings of the 20th International Conference on Autonomous Agents and MultiAgent Systems. International Foundation for Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems, 2021), where approximation algorithms are discussed. This paper describes the first exact solution approaches for the Knapsack Problem with Group Fairness, based on integer linear programming formulations and a dynamic programming algorithm. The latter allows us to establish the complexity of the problem. Finally, a set of computational experiments on benchmark instances derived from the knapsack literature compare the effectiveness of the alternative solution approaches.Alberto Santini was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities and by the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) through grant RYC2022-035269-I via MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 of the "Ramón y Cajal" programme and through grant PID2024-161521OA-I00 of the programme "Proyectos de Generación de Conocimiento 2024" of the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities. Enrico Malaguti and Paolo Paronuzzi were funded by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research under award number FA8655-25-1-7013