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Environmental law [PROVA]
No full textComunicació presentada al 31st International Conference on Collaboration Technologies and Social Computing (CollabTech 2025), celebrada a Jakarta (Indonèsia) del 4 al 7 de novembre de 2025
FUTURE-AI: international consensus guideline for trustworthy and deployable artificial intelligence in healthcare
No full textDespite major advances in artificial intelligence (AI) research for healthcare, the deployment and adoption of AI technologies remain limited in clinical practice. This paper describes the FUTURE-AI framework, which provides guidance for the development and deployment of trustworthy AI tools in healthcare. The FUTURE-AI Consortium was founded in 2021 and comprises 117 interdisciplinary experts from 50 countries representing all continents, including AI scientists, clinical researchers, biomedical ethicists, and social scientists. Over a two year period, the FUTURE-AI guideline was established through consensus based on six guiding principles—fairness, universality, traceability, usability, robustness, and explainability. To operationalise trustworthy AI in healthcare, a set of 30 best practices were defined, addressing technical, clinical, socioethical, and legal dimensions. The recommendations cover the entire lifecycle of healthcare AI, from design, development, and validation to regulation, deployment, and monitoring.Funding for this work was provided by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 under grant agreement No 952103 (EuCanImage). The funders had no role in considering the study design or in the collection, analysis, interpretation of data, writing of the report, or decision to submit the article for publication
Associations between bone material strength index and FRAX scores
No full textIntroduction: Impact microindentation (IMI) measures bone material strength index (BMSi) in vivo. However, its ability to predict fractures is still uncertain. This study aimed to determine the association between BMSi and 10 year fracture probability, as calculated by the FRAX algorithm. Materials and methods: BMSi was measured using the OsteoProbe in 388 men (ages 40-90 yr) from the Geelong Osteoporosis Study. The probabilities for a major osteoporotic fracture (MOF) and hip fracture (HF) were calculated using the Australian FRAX tool. Hip (HF) and major osteoporotic (MOF) fracture probabilities were computed with and without the inclusion of femoral neck bone mineral density (BMD). For each participant, four 10 year probability scores were therefore generated: (i) HF-FRAXnoBMD; (ii) HF-FRAXBMD; (iii) MOF-FRAXnoBMD; (iv) MOF-FRAXBMD. Results: BMSi was negatively correlated with age (r = - 0.114, p = 0.025), no associations were detected between BMSi and femoral neck BMD (r = + 0.035, p = 0.507). BMSi was negatively correlated with HF-FRAXnoBMD (r = - 0.135, p = 0.008) and MOF-FRAXnoBMD (r = - 0.153, p = 0.003). These trends held true for HF-FRAXBMD (r = - 0.087, p = 0.094) and MOF-FRAXBMD (r = - 0.111, p = 0.034), but only the latter reached significance. Conclusion: BMSi captures the cumulative effect of clinical risk factors in the FRAX algorithm, suggesting that it could provide additional information that may be useful in predicting risk of fractures. Further studies are warranted to establish its efficacy in predicting fracture risk
Axonal damage and inflammation response are biological correlates of decline in small-world values: a cohort study in autosomal dominant Alzheimer's disease
No full textThe grey matter of the brain develops and declines in coordinated patterns during the lifespan. Such covariation patterns of grey matter structure can be quantified as grey matter networks, which can be measured with magnetic resonance imaging. In Alzheimer's disease, the global organization of grey matter networks becomes more random, which is captured by a decline in the small-world coefficient. Such decline in the small-world value has been robustly associated with cognitive decline across clinical stages of Alzheimer's disease. The biological mechanisms causing this decline in small-world values remain unknown. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) protein biomarkers are available for studying diverse pathological mechanisms in humans and can provide insight into decline. We investigated the relationships between 10 CSF proteins and small-world coefficient in mutation carriers (N = 219) and non-carriers (N = 136) of the Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network Observational study. Abnormalities in Amyloid beta, Tau, synaptic (Synaptosome associated protein-25, Neurogranin) and neuronal calcium-sensor protein (Visinin-like protein-1) preceded loss of small-world coefficient by several years, while increased levels in CSF markers for inflammation (Chitinase-3-like protein 1) and axonal injury (Neurofilament light) co-occurred with decreasing small-world values. This suggests that axonal loss and inflammation play a role in structural grey matter network changes
Deep cascaded registration and weakly-supervised segmentation of fetal brain MRI
No full textDeformable image registration is a cornerstone of many medical image analysis applications, particularly in the context of fetal brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), where precise registration is essential for studying the rapidly evolving fetal brain during pregnancy and potentially identifying neurodevelopmental abnormalities. While deep learning has become the leading approach for medical image registration, traditional convolutional neural networks (CNNs) often fall short in capturing fine image details due to their bias toward low spatial frequencies. To address this challenge, we introduce a deep learning registration framework comprising multiple cascaded convolutional networks. These networks predict a series of incremental deformation fields that transform the moving image at various spatial frequency levels, ensuring accurate alignment with the fixed image. This multi-resolution approach allows for a more accurate and detailed registration process, capturing both coarse and fine image structures. Our method outperforms existing state-of-the-art techniques, including other multi-resolution strategies, by a substantial margin. Furthermore, we integrate our registration method into a multi-atlas segmentation pipeline and showcase its competitive performance compared to nnU-Net, achieved using only a small subset of annotated images as atlases. This approach is particularly valuable in the context of fetal brain MRI, where annotated datasets are limited. Our pipeline for registration and multi-atlas segmentation is publicly available at https://github.com/ValBcn/CasReg.This publication is part of the project PCI2021-122044- 2A, funded by the project ERA-NET NEURON Cofund2, by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033/and by the European Union “NextGenerationEU”/PRTR. G. Piella is supported by ICREA under the ICREA Academia programme. We also thank the study participants for their personal time and commitment to the IMPACT BCN Trial, and all the medical staff, residents, midwives, nurses, MR platform, and researchers of BCNatal especially Annachiara Basso, MD and Kilian Vellvé, MD for their support in the MR data collection. IMPACT BCN Trial was partially funded by a grant from “la Caixa” Foundation (LCF/PR/GN18/10310003); Cerebra Foundation for the Brain Injured Child (Carmarthen, Wales, UK); ASISA Foundation; AGAUR under grant 2017 SGR No. 1531 and Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), PI18/00073, co-funded by the European Union. A. Nakaki has received the support of a fellowship from la Caixa Foundation under grant number LCF/BQ/DR19/11740018. F.Crovetto reports a personal fee from Centro de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Red sobre Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER)
Acte d’entrega de premis a les dades de recerca en obert 2025
No full textActe d’entrega de premis a les dades de recerca en obert, realitzat el 20 d'octubre del 2025 a l'auditori Mercè Rodoreda del campus de la Ciutadella amb motiu de la Setmana de l'accés obert 2025. Inclou:
Presentació i benvinguda a l’acte - Cristina Pujades, Vicerectora de Recerca; Entrega de premis- Cristina Pujades ; Intervenció dels tres premiats - Luisa Santus, Recep Oguz Araz, Benno Weck; Xerrada "Il Gattopardo a l’era de les dades obertes: transformació real o il·lusió de canvi” a càrrec del professor Toni Rodon; Presentació del vídeo "Històries d'èxit de la ciència oberta: Tast" - Anna Casaldàlig
Chromatin-linked and NF-kB independent IkBa function in embryonic stem cell pluripotency exit and differentation
No full textPluripotent stem cells (PSCs) have the ability to self-renew and give rise to almost every somatic cell type. Because of their enormous potential as a tool for regenerative medicine, understanding molecular mechanisms that drive and maintain pluripotency identity is crucial not only to obtain somatic cell products but also to better know how pluripotency dysregulation can lead to diseases such as cancer. In this regard, NF-κB constitutes a key pathway which mediates immune response and inflammation, although its implication in pluripotency has not yet been elucidated. Specifically, the main inhibitor of NF-κB, IκBα, has been reported to have nuclear and alternative functions independent to NF-κB which are linked to developmental gene regulation in adult stem cells. In this doctoral thesis, I study the functional implication of nuclear IκBα in the context of pluripotency, and how it can regulate gene regulation upon differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells. I demonstrated that IκBα is essential for pluripotency exit after mESCs differentiation in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, loss of IκBα in mESCs induces a global loss of DNA methylation which persists upon differentiation. Interestingly, identification of separation-of-function IκBα mutants has allowed to demonstrate for the first time that pluripotency blockade in IκBα-/- mESCs is.Las células madre pluripotentes (por sus siglas en ingles PSCs) tienen la habilidad de mantenerse en cultivo de manera indiferenciada establemente y, activando diferentes programas de diferenciación, puedes originar casi todos los tipos de células diferenciadas. Debido al gran potencial que las PSCs tienen como herramienta en medicina regenerativa, entender los mecanismos moleculares que controlan la pluripotencia es crucial no sólo para obtener mejores productos celulares sino también para conocer mejor cómo la desregulación en la red de pluripotencia puede originar enfermedades como el cáncer. En este sentido, la vía de NF-κB es clave para mediar una respuesta inmune y regular la inflamación, aunque la implicación de esta vía en la pluripotencia no se conoce muy bien. Específicamente, el principal inhibidor de of NF-κB, IκBα, tiene una función nuclear y alternativa independiente a NF-κB que está ligada a regulación génica durante el desarrollo en células madre adultas. En esta tesis doctoral, estudio el papel funcional de este IκBα nuclear en el contexto de pluripotencia, y cómo IκBα puede regular genes durante la diferenciación de células madre embrionarias. Más en detalle, demuestro que IκBα es esencial para la salida de pluripotencia tras la diferenciación de PSCs de ratón in vivo e in vitro. A nivel mecanístico, la falta de IκBα en PSCs induce una perdida global de metilación en el DNA que persiste tras la diferenciación. Además, la identificación de mutantes de IκBα que pueden separar la función cromatínica de la función ligada a NF-κB ha permitido demostrar por primera vez que el bloqueo de pluripotencia en IκBα-/- PSCs es dependiente de la función de cromatina de IκBα, mientras que no depende de la vía de NF-κB.Programa de doctorat en Biomedicin
Between empowerment and control: AI-enabled brain-computer interfaces, fundamental rights, and the quest for a European legal framework
No full textTreball de Fi de Màster: Master in European and Global Law. Curs 2024-2025Tutora: Migle LaukyteAs artificial intelligence and neurotechnologies are merging together, the borders between human cognition and digital systems are blurring. These technologies promise significant benefits in healthcare and assistive communication, but they also introduce complex legal challenges related to mental privacy, data protection, and cognitive manipulation. This thesis addresses the regulatory gap in the European Union concerning the absence of a coherent legal framework for governing AI-enabled brain-computer interfaces.
The research investigates how the EU can regulate BCIs in a way that safeguards fundamental rights, anticipates dual-use risks, and supports innovation. Adopting a comparative and interdisciplinary methodology, the thesis analyses key European instruments, including the GDPR, and the AI Act, alongside national developments in Chile, Colorado (USA), and Spain.
The findings reveal at least seven structural weaknesses in the EU framework: lack of recognition of neurorights; inadequate categorisation and protection of neural data; exclusion of neurotechnologies from export control regimes; weak individual safeguards under the AI Act; fragmented oversight; overlapping norms; and the absence of a strategic EU vision. By contrast, Chile has elevated neurorights to constitutional status; Colorado has granted enforceable protection to neurodata; and Spain is trying to move the European Union towards the recognition of neurorights through the promotion and adoption of ethical charters and policy papers.
Based on this analysis, the thesis proposes the creation of a dedicated European legal instrument on neurotechnology, grounded in the recognition of neurorights as extensions of existing fundamental rights. It calls for precise legal definitions, stronger protections for neural data, and a centralised governance mechanism for high-risk applications, particularly in military contexts.
A forward-looking and integrated regulatory approach would allow the EU to shape neurotechnology governance in line with its core values of dignity, autonomy, and democratic accountability
El desarrollo de un enfoque crítico en la enseñanza del español como lengua extranjera: creencias docentes
No full textEste artículo presenta los resultados de una investigación llevada a cabo en el contexto de la enseñanza de lenguas con el objetivo de aproximarse a las creencias que manejan los docentes sobre lo que supone el desarrollo de un enfoque crítico, de dónde parten dichas creencias y cómo incorporan actividades que ayuden al desarrollo de dicho enfoque crítico en sus clases. Para alcanzar estos objetivos, se han recogido datos desde una perspectiva metodológica cualitativa, específicamente, se ha entrevistado a cuatro docentes en activo, con amplia formación y experiencia. Los resultados a los que se ha llegado indican la dificultad para acotar qué se entiende por desarrollo de un enfoque crítico, así como la variedad de propuestas didácticas relacionadas con el intento de desarrollarlo en el aula de lenguas. Estos resultados están en consonancia con la diversidad de disciplinas teóricas que incorporan el vocablo "crítico" en su denominación, lo que dificulta una aproximación por parte de los docentes a lo que supone el desarrollo de un enfoque crítico en sus propuestas didácticas.Esta revista provee acceso libre inmediato a su contenido bajo el principio de que hacer disponible gratuitamente investigación al público apoya a un mayor intercambio de conocimiento global. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/?lang=e
Environmental constraints and diffusion shaped the global transition to food production
No full textThe transition from foraging to plant cultivation represents the most important shift in the economic history of early Holocene societies. This process unfolded independently in different regions of the globe, resulting in varied plant assemblages, cultivation strategies, dietary practices, and landscape modifications. To investigate the drivers of this transition, we employed a machine-learning approach. Using Random Survival Forest, we analyze a comprehensive dataset of radiocarbon dates linked to the first adoption of domesticated plants, coupled with environmental predictors. Our findings indicate strong spatial autocorrelation in the timing of agricultural adoption, underscoring the role of diffusion and contact between regions. Region-specific bioclimatic factors emerged as influential: in the Americas, mean temperature and temperature seasonality were critical, while in Southwest Asia and Europe, seasonal variation in precipitation relative to temperature held greater importance. These results suggest that diffusion facilitated the spread of agricultural practices in a process shaped by local environmental conditions, as it was not possible to determine a set of universal drivers. Thus, the emergence of food production was influenced by a combination of local factors and cultural transmission, leaving the specific determinants for each region's first transition an open question for further study