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Índice ECoTES de desempeño del sistema de seguridad y salud en el trabajo, resultados de un estudio piloto en seis países iberoamericanos
No full textObjetivo. Describir y evaluar la metodología del índice de las encuestas de condiciones de trabajo, empleo y salud (ECoTES), diseñado para medir el desempeño de los sistemas nacionales de seguridad y salud en el trabajo (SST), tras su aplicación en un estudio piloto en seis países iberoamericanos. Método. El índice ECoTES se calculó para cada país con base a dos componentes: i) un cuestionario con 15 preguntas contestado por 47 personas expertas de Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, España, Honduras y Perú; y ii) ocho indicadores estadísticos (tasa participación laboral, total y de mujeres, tasa de informalidad, porcentaje del producto interno bruto destinado a protección social excluida la salud, porcentaje de la población cubierta por seguros del riesgo del trabajo, porcentaje de la población cubierta por al menos una prestación social, tasa de lesiones mortales por accidentes de trabajo y tasa de mortalidad atribuible por riesgos laborales). Para simular el valor del índice, dimos distintos pesos a cada componente, y se valoró la correlación entre las puntuaciones de las personas expertas e indicadores estadísticos. Resultados. El cuestionario fue contestado sin dificultad y, además de permitir la construcción del índice, las respuestas también sirvieron para mejorar su redacción. Hubo una buena correlación entre las puntuaciones de los componentes del índice (r = 0,66) y del ranking entre países en las diferentes simulaciones (Spearman: entre 0,95 y 1). Conclusiones. El índice ECoTES mostró robustez metodológica, y es el primer indicador en el mundo que valora el desempeño de los sistemas nacionales de SST. Su aplicación periódica permitirá comparaciones en el tiempo y entre países, y contribuirá a estimular la mejora de los sistemas nacionales
Single dose of foot-and-mouth disease peptide vaccine fully protects swine and achieves intraserotype crossed neutralization
No full textFoot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) poses a persistent threat to the livestock sector, urging a need for safer and more effective vaccines. As traditional control approaches relying on inactivated virus vaccines face limitations, exploring subunit vaccine strategies such as those based on synthetic peptides represents an attractive alternative, compliant with DIVA vaccine requirements. We previously reported that dendrimer structures combining virus-specific B- and T-cell epitopes-referred to as B2T-conferred solid protection against type-O FMDV in swine. More recently, we designed a synthetic strategy with broad application prospects, assembling peptides into a modular dendrimer platform named B2T-TB2, a dimeric version of the preceding construct, harboring up to six immunologically relevant epitopes. In this study, we demonstrate that a single low dose of this multiepitopic vaccine induces in swine a fast and robust neutralizing response covering a broad antigenic spectrum and confers full protection, portraying B2T-TB2 as a promising FMDV emergency vaccine.Work supported by the Spanish Research Agency (grants PID2020-113184RB-C21 to F.S., PID2020-113184RB-C22 to D.A. and PID2022-140925OB-I00 to E.B.) and Comunidad de Madrid (P2018/BAA-4370 to F.S. and E.B.), co-financed with ECFEDER funds. Work at UPF also supported by Generalitat de Catalunya (TECNIO network, BAPP node) and by the Maria de Maeztu Program of the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (grant CEX2018-00079)
Genetic history of the peoples of North Africa: origins, admixture and adaptation
No full textLes dades genètiques humanes d'Àfrica, especialment del nord, són escasses, malgrat que el continent és el bressol de la humanitat i alberga una diversitat genètica excepcional. Aquesta tesi, presenta noves dades genòmiques de poblacions autòctones infrarepresentades d’Algèria i Sudan, pertanyents a diferents grups etnolingüístics. Situats en una regió clau per a les migracions humanes, aquest estudi té com a objectiu investigar la seva diversitat genètica, els patrons de barreja i la història evolutiva. Els resultats revelen múltiples esdeveniments demogràfics i diferenciació genètica a escala microgeogràfica, així com selecció adaptativa a la malària després d’una barreja i més d'un milió de variants noves, ampliant significativament el catàleg de variació genètica humana. Aquesta tesi doctoral subratlla la importància d'incorporar conjunts de dades genèticament diversos per aprofundir en el coneixement de l'evolució i la història humanes, i posa en relleu la necessitat urgent d'omplir buits persistents en la investigació genòmica global.Los datos genéticos humanos de África, especialmente del norte, son escasos, a pesar de que el continente es la cuna de la humanidad y alberga una diversidad genética excepcional. Esta tesis, presenta nuevos datos genómicos de poblaciones autóctonas infrarrepresentadas de Argelia y Sudán, pertenecientes a diferentes grupos etnolingüísticos. Situados en una región clave para las migraciones humanas, este estudio tiene como objetivo investigar su diversidad genética, los patrones de mezcla y la historia evolutiva. Los resultados revelan múltiples acontecimientos demográficos y diferenciación genética a escala microgeográfica, así como selección adaptativa a la malaria después de una mezcla y más de un millón de variantes nuevas, ampliando significativamente el catálogo de variación genética humana. Esta tesis doctoral subraya la importancia de incorporar conjuntos de datos genéticamente diversos para profundizar en el conocimiento de la evolución y la historia humanas, y pone de relieve la necesidad urgente de llenar vacíos persistentes en la investigación genómica global.Human genetic data from Africa, particularly from the north, remains limited, despite the continent being the cradle of humankind and harboring exceptional genetic diversity. To address this gap, we present new genome-wide data from underrepresented autochthonous populations from Algeria and Sudan, representing distinct ethnolinguistic groups. Given the region’s role as a crossroads of human migration, the aim of this PhD thesis was to investigate their genetic diversity, complex admixture patterns, and evolutionary history. Our findings reveal multiple demographic events and microgeographical genetic differentiation, reflecting population-specific demographic histories and varying degrees of isolation. We also identify adaptive selection to malaria following admixture and report over one million novel variants, significantly expanding the catalog of known human genetic variation. This thesis underscores the importance of incorporating genetically diverse datasets to deepen our understanding of human evolution and history, and highlights the urgent need to fill persistent gaps in global genomic research.Universitat Pompeu Fabra. Doctorat en Biomedicin
Development and pilot evaluation of an evidence-based algorithm for MASLD (formerly NAFLD) management in primary care in Europe
No full textBackground: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD, formerly NAFLD), emerges as major cause of morbidity and mortality globally, with chronic patients facing increased risk. Guidelines on MASLD management in primary care (PC) are limited. This study aimed to develop and evaluate a clinical care pathway for use in PC to improve MASLD screening and management, including early detection, communication and treatment, in three European countries (Greece, Spain, the Netherlands). Methods: An international multidisciplinary panel of experts oversaw pathway development, which was designed as a two-step algorithm with defined and sequenced tasks. To evaluate algorithm implementation, a controlled pilot study was conducted. Patients at risk of MASLD were assigned to general practitioners (GPs) trained in algorithm implementation (active group) or usual care (control group) and followed for 4-8 weeks. Primary outcomes were the number of patients screened for MASLD, managed in PC and referred to specialists. Results: In this algorithm, patients with metabolic or liver dysfunction, confirmed MASLD or cardiovascular disease are screened with FIB-4 and classified as having risk of low-level (FIB-4 < 1.3), intermediate-level (1.3 ≤ FIB-4 < 2.67) or high-level MASLD (FIB-4 ≥ 2.67). The algorithm provides evidence-based tools to support GPs manage patients with risk of low-level MASLD in PC, coordinate linkage of patients with risk of high-level MASLD to specialists and refer patients with risk of intermediate-level MASLD for elastography (low-risk if <7.9 kPa or intermediate/high-risk if ≥7.9 kPa). During pilot evaluation, N = 37 participants were recruited in Spain (54.1% women, median age: 63 years). Significantly higher rates of patients in the active group (n = 17) than the control group (n = 20) were screened with FIB-4 (94.1% vs. 5.5%, p = 0.004). Patients in the active group received significantly more frequently a PC intervention for weight loss (70.6% vs. 10.0%, p < 0.001), alcohol regulation (52.9% vs. 0%, p < 0.001) and smoking cessation (29.4% vs. 0%, p = 0.005). In Greece no algorithm implementation was observed in either the active or control group, while the evaluation was not conducted in the Netherlands for logistic reasons. Conclusion: This study provides evidence on the development and implementation of a new PC algorithm for MASLD screening and management. Variations among participating settings in algorithm implementation are indicative of context-specific particularities. Further research is necessary for integrating such pathways in tailored interventions to tackle this emerging public health issue
El cuidado infantil y sus efectos en la intención de tener más hijos en España
No full textEspaña es uno de los países con las tasas de fecundidad más bajas de Europa. La escasez de servicios de apoyo a las familias con hijos se ha esgrimido como una de las causas estructurales de su reducida fertilidad. En este contexto, la ayuda al cuidado infantil formal, especialmente en la etapa de 0 a 3 años, es considerada un recurso crucial para mejorar el escenario existente. Utilizando datos de la Encuesta de Fecundidad de España de 2018 (INE), este artículo analiza la relación entre las estrategias de cuidado infantil y la intención de las madres de tener más hijos. Distinguimos entre tres grupos de madres: aquellas con hijos de 0 a 3 años, aquellas con un solo hijo y las que tienen menos de los deseados. Distinguimos también entre cuatro estrategias de cuidado: parental, informal, formal privado y formal público. Los métodos de regresión logística muestran una asociación positiva entre el cuidado informal (p. ej., abuelos) y la intención de tener más descendencia. Respecto al cuidado formal, los resultados son mixtos. El cuidado público está asociado positivamente con la intención de tener más hijos y el privado lo está de forma negativa. Por último, los recursos económicos que las familias destinan a la resolución del cuidado infantil constituyen un fuerte mediador de la relación entre las estrategias de cuidado y la intención de tener más descendencia.Este trabajo, que forma parte de la tesis doctoral en Demografía (UAB, CED) de Maida Juni, cuenta con el apoyo de la «Ayuda Joan Oró para la contrata-ción de personal investigador predoctoral en formación», de la AGAUR (Ref. 2023 FI-2 00421), y del proyecto Generación de conocimiento, del Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (Ref. PID2021-124267OB-I00)
El reconeixement jurídic de les persones no-binàries
No full textTreball de Fi de Grau en Dret. Curs 2024-2025Tutora: Lorena Ramírez LudeñaEl present treball de fi de grau analitza el reconeixement de les persones no-binàries a l'ordenament jurídic espanyol. Malgrat l'augment de persones no-binàries, aquest col·lectiu segueix experimentant una greu discriminació i invisibilització institucional, ja que la legislació estatal actual no contempla aquesta identitat de gènere. A través d’una anàlisi legal, el document argumenta que l’absència de reconeixement integral vulnera els drets fonamentals a la igualtat i a la no-discriminació, generant problemàtiques d’injustícia material i d’inseguretat jurídica, tant a nivell nacional com internacional. Es plantegen diverses qüestions a tenir en compte a l’hora de fer una proposta de regulació per tal de garantir el reconeixement de les persones no-binàries, sense vulnerar els drets de cap altre grup. A partir de recomanacions d'organismes internacionals i el context social i jurídic actual, s’estudia la necessitat d'incloure el gènere en els documents oficials per intentar garantir la promoció dels drets de les persones no-binàries i la reducció de la discriminació. El treball proposa mantenir el registre de gènere
Evaluating feature matching and ensemble strategies for monocular pose estimation in colonoscopy videos
No full textTreball fi de màster de: Erasmus Mundus joint Master in Artificial Intelligence (EMAI)Supervisor: Professor Giorgio Grisetti
Co-Supervisor: Dr Sophia Bano Academic
Tutor: Professor Massimo MecellaColonoscopy, a key procedure for colorectal cancer screening, could benefit from 3D reconstruction and pose estimation for enhanced navigation, but robust feature matching remains an open challenge due to tissue deformation, variable illumination, and motion artefacts. This thesis evaluates three state-of-the-art learned feature matchers (DISK-LightGlue, GIM-LightGlue, and XFeat) and an ensemble approach for monocular pose recovery in synthetic colonoscopy videos. Results show that while the ensemble achieved the lowest rotational error (0.56°) and failure rate (0.5%) on registered sequences, trajectory recovery remained poor, and screening video evaluation was inconclusive due to pipeline limitations. These f indings suggest that current matchers alone are insufficient for reliable reconstruction in this domain, highlighting the need for deformation-aware models and more representative data before clinical application is feasible. Code is available at https://github.com/hduthie/thesis-colonoscopy-eva
Safety and efficacy of BioMime sirolimus-eluting stent system in all-comers real-world population with coronary artery stenosis: MILES global registry
No full textBackground: This study evaluated the safety and efficacy of BioMime sirolimus-eluting stent (SES) system, with an ultra-low strut thickness (65 µm), in real-world all-comers population with coronary artery stenosis (CAD). Methods: This was a post-marketing, multicenter, single-arm, observational clinical registry among patients undergoing intervention for CAD. Patients were clinically followed up at 1, 9, 12, and 24 months after the index percutaneous coronary intervention. Four major indications, namely long stents of > 30 mm, stents with diameters of 4 and 4.5 mm, bifurcation subgroup, and chronic total occlusion (CTO) were evaluated as pre-specified subsets. Results: A total of 771 patients (1,079 treated lesions) from 23 sites were included in this study. The mean length and diameter of the implanted stents were 25.57 ± 9.35 mm and 3.00 ± 0.44 mm, respectively. The mean minimum lumen diameter before and after the procedure was 1.00 ± 1.69 mm and 2.96 ± 1.35 mm, respectively. The cumulative rates of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) and stent thrombosis (ST) at 1, 9, 12, and 24 months were 1.05%, 3.13%, 4.04%, 5.64% and 0%, 0.13%, 0.28%, 0.28%, respectively. In a subset with > 30 mm long stents, the cumulative rate of MACEs was 0.4%, 4.6%, 5.12%, and 7.01% at 1, 9, 12, and 24 months, respectively. The corresponding rates of ST were 0%, 0.42%, 0.43%, and 0.44%, indicating constant rate of ST after 9 months. In a subset of 4 and 4.5 mm diameter stents, the cumulative rate of MACEs was high (0%, 6.25%, 6.25%, and 10.41%) at 1, 9, 12, and 24 months, respectively. However, there was no case of ST until 24 months. In patients with bifurcation lesions, the cumulative rates of MACEs and ST were 2.46%, 6.32%, 11.53%, 16.21% and 0%, 1.27%, 1.28%, 1.35% at 1, 9, 12, and 24 months follow-up. In patients with chronic total occlusion, the cumulative rates of MACEs and ST were 0.79%, 5.04%, 6.83%, 7.07% and 0%, 0.84%, 0.85%, 0.88% at 1, 9, 12, and 24 months, respectively, indicating constant rate of ST after 9 months. Conclusions: The BioMime SES demonstrated good safety and efficacy outcomes at 24-month follow-up, with low rates of MACEs and ST in patients with CAD in the real-world setting
Review of Claude Markowitz, India and the world: a history of connections, c. 1750-2000
No full textClaude Markovits' India and the World: A History of Connections, c. 1750-2000 is a compelling, wide-ranging examination of India's global interactions over two centuries and a half. Across seven sweeping thematic chapters, Markovits explores India's past through its role in the three-fold global exchange of things (commodities, manufactured goods, cultural productions), people (voluntary migration, indentured labour, military conscription), and ideas (religion, political ideologies, the reception of historical events). The author's aim is to explore Indian history through a broader, connected history framework, drawing on methodologies most notably pioneered by Sanjay Subrahmanyam.1 The book positions India as an active participant in transoceanic networks sustained through multidirectional connections. As Markovits demonstrates, India influenced and was influenced by the world in a dynamic and reciprocal, if sometimes uneven, manner.
The book's opening chronology provides an excellent indication of what is to come, in terms of the monograph's ambitious thematic scope. The chronology features standard political and military milestones, ranging from the Carnatic Wars of 1746-53 to the Kargil conflict of 1999. It also pinpoints, however, cultural moments, from the publication of William Jone's English translation of Kalidasa's play Shakuntala in 1789 to the box-office success of the Tamil masala film Muthu in Japan in 1998. The masterful balance between economic, political, social, and cultural history underscores the breadth of Markovits's scholarship, which enables him to situate India not just within the frameworks created by European colonialism but also in global landscapes. This broader scope breaks from the more conventional focus on India's imperial ties, demonstrating that India's global reach extended well beyond them. Markovits takes the reader on a tour from Japan, where the Sindwork merchants of Sindh's Hyderabad sold Japonaiserie trinkets to affluent North American customers in search of exotica, to Benin, where vodún followers incorporated images of Hindu gods imported by Indian traders into their religious practices. It is precisely in charting India's interactions with the non-imperial and the non-European - particularly the rest of Asia, Africa, and the Americas - that the book is most gripping and successful
Building a Healthy Urban Design Index (HUDI): how to promote health and sustainability in European cities
No full textBackground: As global urbanisation accelerates, alongside declining environmental quality and increasing climate challenges, it is increasingly vital for urban planners and policy makers to integrate health and wellbeing considerations into urban planning. This study introduces the Healthy Urban Design Index (HUDI), a high-resolution spatial index developed for European cities. HUDI combines policy-relevant indicators related to urban design, sustainable transportation, environmental quality, and greenspace accessibility-key factors influencing human health and well-being. Unlike existing indices, which often focus on few or large metropolitan cities and lack spatial granularity, HUDI offers high resolution and extends its scope to small-sized and medium-sized cities, home to over 50% of Europe's population. Methods: We analysed 917 European cities in total, 916 cities and one larger city, on the basis of the 2018 Urban Audit database. Using open-source spatial data, we mapped cities at a fine 250 m grid cell scale. To compare cities effectively, we grouped them into five city clusters on the basis of population size, following the definition of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development: large metropolitan (11), metropolitan (53), medium-sized (177) and small (638) cities, and small towns (38). A set of 13 indicators, across four overarching domains of urban design, sustainable transportation, environmental quality, and green space accessibility was calculated spatially at the 250 m grid cell scale and then aggregated to the city level. The 13 indicators were optimal dwelling density, compactness, mid-rise development, permeability, opportunity to walk, opportunity to cycle, public transport stops, air quality (PM2·5 and NO2), surrounding greenness (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index), lower urban heat islands, universal access to green spaces, and access to large green spaces. To ensure comparability, all indicators were standardised on a scale from 0 to 10, considering data quality, indicator target levels, and specific evaluation criteria. The HUDI was then calculated by applying different weights to these indicators, allowing us to rank cities within their respective city size cluster. We visualised overall city performance using spider plots and did Local Moran's I and Local Indicators of Spatial Association analyses to pinpoint areas with poor urban planning. We did sensitivity tests and correlation analyses, incorporating external datasets where available, to validate our findings. Findings: HUDI scores ranged from 2·9 to nearly 7 of 10, showing that there is still room for improvement in creating healthier urban environments across European cities. Larger metropolitan cities, particularly in northern Europe and parts of Spain, tended to score well in the urban design and sustainable transportation domains. In contrast, medium and smaller-sized cities did better in the environmental quality domain. However, smaller cities often struggled with the green space accessibility domain, as fewer parks and green spaces were accessible via walking or cycling, despite having plenty of surrounding greenery. A clear east-west divide exists, with cities in Western Europe, such as those in the UK, Spain, and Sweden, achieving the highest HUDI scores, whereas eastern European cities, particularly in Romania, Bulgaria, and Poland, scored lower. These findings highlight how city size and regional factors shape urban sustainability and public health outcomes. Interpretation: The HUDI is a large-scale, high-resolution, open-data tool that measures key urban health factors across nearly 1000 European cities of different sizes. As an open-source resource, HUDI provides valuable, data-driven insights to help cities identify strengths, weaknesses, and urban management areas needing improvement. By offering clear, measurable indicators, it helps policy makers and urban planners pinpoint problem areas and make informed decisions to improve public health and sustainability. HUDI is a dynamic tool, not a definitive ranking. By clustering cities by size, it enables comparisons, knowledge, and best practice sharing. Further research is needed to refine HUDI and expand its indicators and cities as better data become available. A key strength of HUDI is its ability to highlight data gaps and encourage better data collection. We call on researchers and urban planners to support HUDI development by sharing data and code on GitHub and Zenodo, helping track urban health and sustainability progress more effectively. Funding: The Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, Generalitat de Catalunya, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en red Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Urban Burden of Disease Estimation for Policy Making Horizon Europe project, Barcelona Institute for Global Health, University of Turin, ISI Foundation, and US Department of Energy.We acknowledge support from the grant CEX2023-0001290-S funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033, and support from the Generalitat de Catalunya through the Centres de Recerca de Catalunya programme. Additional support was provided by the Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red for Epidemiology and Public Health and the Urban Burden of Disease Estimation for Policy Making Horizon Europe project (2023–26, grant 101094639). TCC's contribution was funded by the US Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Science, Biological and Environmental Research programme through an Early Career Award. The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory operates under DOE contract DE-AC05-76RL01830 via Battelle Memorial Institute. The University of Turin, Computer Science Department, supported AB's and RS's contributions