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Magnetoactive and electroactive biobased and biopolymer composites
No full textIn the scope of a more sustainable economy, composite materials based on non-renewable fossil fuel resources must undergo a rapid reduction and being gradually replaced by more sustainable composites, including biobased ones, aiming to improved environmental friendliness and biodegradability. This review highlights the application of biobased polymer composites in the field of magnetoactive and electroactive smart materials, which are some of the most useful and extended composite materials currently used in sensor, actuator and related applications. First, the physical principles of the most common magnetoactive and electroactive responses are presented. The materials used to produce magnetoactive and electroactive composites are discussed in the following sections, with particular emphasis on the active filler materials, the matrices, and to representative applications that have been developed. Finally, as an essential consideration in this field, the environmental impact of the life cycle of the materials has been discussed. This work should serve as a basis for researchers who are working in the field of magnetoactive and electroactive composites, aiming to contribute to the needed sustainability improvement in the field, while maintaining or even improving performance parameters.This research was funded by Basque Government Economic Development, Sustainability and Environment Department, grant number 393 KK-2022/00109) under the FRONTIERS Project (Elkartek program). A.G.D want to thank the Basque Government for funding under an FPI grant (PRE_2020_1_0201). This work has been supported by the PID2022-138572OB-C42 project funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033/FEDER, UE. This study also forms part of the Advanced Materials programme and was supported by MCIN with funding from European Union NextGenerationEU (PRTR-C17.I1) and (L.R.-P), as well as by IKUR Strategy under the collaboration agreement between Ikerbasque Foundation and BCMaterials on behalf of the Department of Education of the Basque Government
Quantum Measurement Theory and Some of its Applications
No full text217 p.The novelty of this dissertation lies in the examination of three foundationalchallenges of quantum theory, giving particular emphasis to the quantummeasurement theory. These three problems can be regarded as open questions,as they continue to be the subject of active investigation in contemporaryscientific literature. In particular, we focus on timing the moment a quantumtransition occurs, examine the tunnelling time problem and address thequestion of ¿which way¿ a particle take
Un paseo breve por París, entre expectativas (frustradas), espectáculos (engañosos) y especulaciones (imprescindibles para conocer la vida a la intemperie)
No full textKnowledge diversity for climate change adaptation: A social-ecological-technological systems (SETS) approach to mental models
No full textAs climate-driven extreme weather events continue to intensify, risk mitigation and governance are a critical aspect of urban climate change adaptation. Interdisciplinary knowledge integration is critical in order to account for varied perspectives related to the impacts of extreme weather events on urban systems. Despite advances made to integrate different strands of knowledge through systems-based approaches, few methods exist to contextualize and analyze the diversity of the knowledge being integrated. Assessing knowledge diversity exposes varying ways in which stakeholders identify and problematize the impacts of extreme weather events, uncovering knowledge gaps as well as dominant knowledge framings that might bias and/or hinder risk governance processes. This study presents a novel methodology that integrates a mental models approach with the social-ecological-technological systems (SETS) framework to assess and compare the perceptions of individual stakeholders on the impacts of extreme weather events on an urban system. By classifying system components and interactions into social, ecological, and technological domains, mental models enable the visualization of knowledge diversity, as well as the identification of potential gaps and silos in stakeholder understanding. The methodology is applied to New York City, engaging 20 expert stakeholders from diverse disciplines and sectors involved in mitigating the impacts of extreme precipitation. Findings reveal significant variability in how stakeholders emphasize SETS domains and interactions. By supporting more holistic and inclusive co-production processes, this approach provides a theoretical and empirical foundation for addressing the multifaceted challenges posed by climate change in urban environments.PHC was supported by the Doctoral INPhINIT–INCOMING program, fellowship code (LCF/BQ/DI22/11940028), from “La Caixa” Foundation (ID 100010434). M.O. acknowledges the support of the grant RYC2022-037585-I funded by MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and ESF+. SK acknowledges the support from the predoctoral program AGAUR-FI grants (2024 FI-2 00594) Joan Oró of the Secretariat of Universities and Research of Department of Research and Universities of the Generalitat de Catalunya and the European Fund Social Plus, and Sostenipra (2021 SGR 00734) funded by the Department of Research and Universities of the Generalitat de Catalunya. JL acknowledges NICHES (PCI2022-133011), Biodiversa+/WaterJPI Cofund project financed by MICIU/AEI /10.13039/501100011033 and EU-NextGeneration EU/PRTR; INTERLACE (869324) under EC-H2020; Commit2Green (101139598) under EC-Horizon Europe; and BIG-5 (101116435), ERC-2023-STG. TM is supported by the US National Science Foundation (grant no. #1927167 and #1934933) and Go Green Next under Europe Union’s Horizon Europe Innovation and Research programme (Grant Agreement no. 101137209) Authors acknowledge the support of María de Maeztu Excellence Unit 2023–2027 Ref. CEX2021-001201-M, funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033, and by the Basque Government through the BERC 2022–2025 program. This research also contributes to the ICTA-UAB “María de Maeztu” Programme for Units of Excellence of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (CEX2019-000940-M). The authors of this study are thankful for the response and participation of the contacted decision-makers and researchers
Managing the water-energy-food nexus in the adige river basin: impacts of climate and land use change on ecosystem services bundles
No full textThe Water-Energy-Food (WEF) nexus framework highlights the interdependencies among water, energy, and food systems. Integrating Ecosystem Services (ESs) enhances this approach by incorporating ecological benefits for more holistic assessments. This study applies a spatially explicit ESs-based WEF nexus analysis in the Adige River Basin (Northern Italy), focusing on five ESs: water provisioning, crop yield, sediment retention, carbon storage, and landscape diversity, under two future scenarios (SSP1-RCP 2.6 and SSP5-RCP 8.5) from 2018 to 2050. Using Self-Organizing Maps, sub-basins were clustered into ESs bundles enabling the identification of tailored management strategies. Results reveal spatial heterogeneity and shifts in ESs bundles, with synergies often found in upstream, forested areas. Under high-emission scenarios, regulating services decline and provisioning services face trade-offs, especially with intensified agriculture. Key strategies suggested include maintaining environmental flows, reducing synthetic fertilizers, promoting reforestation, crop diversification, and expanding protected areas. These are structured into physical, economic, and climatic pathways aligned with EU restoration goals. Findings demonstrate the value of an ESs-bundles approach for optimizing synergies and managing trade-offs across the WEF nexus.The activities conducted in this study are carried out within the framework of HORIZON2020- NEXOGENESIS project (Grant Agreement No. 101003881 NEXOGENESIS). A.S. acknowledges the PNRR research activities of the consortium iNEST (Interconnected North-East Innovation Ecosystem) funded by the European Union Next-GenerationEU (Piano Nazionale di Ripresa e Resilienza (PNRR) Missione 4 Componente 2, Investimento 1.5 D.D. 1058 23/06/2022, ECS_00000043 – Spoke1, RT1B, CUP H43C22000540006). This manuscript reflects only the Authors views and opinions, neither the European Union nor the European Commission can be considered responsible for them
Unraveling Volatility Spillovers and Price Dynamics Across Regional ElectricityMarkets
No full text138 p.The global energy system is rapidly transitioning toward a sustainable, affordable, and secure mix, driven bygrowing energy demand from electrification, industrialization, and economic growth. This transformation places thepower sector at the core of decarbonization efforts, requiring resilient, well-integrated electricity markets tomaintain stability and ensure efficient resource allocation. Market liberalization since the 1990s¿seen in regionssuch as Europe, Japan, and Australia¿has fostered competition, improved price formation, optimized cross-borderflows, and encouraged investment in grids and renewables. However, market integration also increasesvulnerability to volatility spillovers, where local shocks can propagate across regions, raising complexity anduncertainty.This dissertation addresses the challenge of understanding volatility transmission across interconnected electricitymarkets. Chapter 1 examines nine European markets (2015¿2023) using the Diebold-Yilmaz framework, finding highintegration but variation in spillover intensity depending on interconnection levels and renewable penetration.Chapter 2 analyzes Australia¿s National Electricity Market, revealing asymmetric spillovers where upward anddownward price movements propagate differently, offering insights for risk management and forecasting. Chapter3 introduces spatial econometrics to study price formation across five European bidding zones, showing howproximity, interconnection, and renewables shape price dynamics. Together, these analyses contribute to improvedmarket design, forecasting, and policy for a more resilient energy transition
Derechos humanos y empresas. Consolidación de la diligencia debida como estándar normativo vinculante: de los PRNU a la Directiva CS3D.
Get PDFEn el complejo e incierto contexto actual, marcado por una profunda asimetría entre el poder económico de las grandes corporaciones transnacionales y la limitada capacidad reguladora de los Estados, el estándar de diligencia debida empresarial ha cobrado protagonismo como eje vertebrador del nuevo modelo de gobernanza corporativa responsable. Desde una óptica crítica, el presente trabajo analiza la evolución de este concepto, desde su incorporación inicial en instrumentos internacionales de soft law, hasta su progresiva incorporación en distintas normativas nacionales y europeas, prestando especial atención a la Directiva CS3D como último hito en este proceso de positivación. El estudio pone el acento en los desafíos estructurales que plantea la aplicación efectiva de este estándar en las cadenas globales de valor, las disonancias existentes entre los referidos marcos voluntarios y obligatorios, las deficiencias del entramado normativo vigente, así como las dificultades reales para garantizar el acceso a la tutela judicial efectiva de las víctimas frente a vulneraciones de derechos fundamentales cometidas por actores empresariales. Lejos de limitarse a una reflexión meramente doctrinal, este análisis pretende aportar elementos sustantivos al debate sobre la compatibilidad entre el desarrollo económico y la protección de la dignidad humana en el marco de las dinámicas corporativas que definen nuestro tiempo
Uncovering biomarkers of response to neoadjuvant endocrine therapy in oestrogen receptor-positive breast cancer
Get PDF247 p.Neoadjuvant endocrine therapy (NET) in oestrogen receptor-positive (ER+) / HER2-negative (HER2-) breast cancer (BC) allows real-time evaluation of treatment sensitivity and offers the opportunity of personalised BC therapy. However, the lack of reproducible biomarkers to assess response and long-term prognosis after NET is a significant barrier to increase its indications. In this context, this work sought to identify robust and reproducible biomarkers of NET response in a multicentre cohort of 131 ER+/HER2- BC patients (in whom paired pre- and post-NET tumour samples were collected). For that, we used various approaches including analyses of clinical data and molecular characterisation by different techniques. First, we observed that the radiological measurements of tumour size pre-NET (at diagnosis) correlate more accurately with the pathological tumour size observed post-NET (at surgery) than the radiological assessment after NET. Additionally, we identified a novel biomarker, tumour cellularity size, as a promising indicator of response to NET and prognosis. Furthermore, we observed a decrease in the HER2-low status after NET. Later, analyses using the PAM50 gene expression assay revealed that those tumours changing from Luminal A to Normal-Like showed increased response to NET. Next, our immunohistochemical analyses showed that p53 (and p21, in a lesser extent) expression was associated with NET outcomes. Finally, we successfully established a workflow to apply the spatial transcriptomics technique in our samples. In conclusion, this thesis characterises the response of ER+/HER2- BC tumours after NET and identifies potential biomarkers of respons
Claves para la puesta en marcha de programas de acción socioeducativa cocurricular
No full textEste artículo recoge los hitos que vertebran el programa de acción socioeducativa cocurricular realizado durante 2021-2023 en la comarca alavesa de Zuia con los distintos agentes sociosanitarios, culturales, políticos y la comunidad educativa. Se han combinado la metodología cualitativa y cuantitativa en aras de profundizar en una realidad concreta, llevando a cabo de esta manera un estudio de caso divido en tres frases. En la primera, se ha realizado un pretest sobre “clima escolar” y cinco grupos focales con los distintos agentes de la comunidad; en la segunda fase, cinco grupos de debate con alumnado y profesorado de los centros docentes que participan en la investigación y técnicas de dibujo con alumnado, y en la tercera fase, se ha realizado un postest de “clima escolar” y cuatro entrevistas en profundidad. A modo de conclusión, los hitos que hemos detectado y que caracterizan esta intervención socioeducativa cocurricular en Zuia lo constituyen la innovación, la coordinación; el acompañamiento al alumnado, profesorado y familias; el dialogo y la acción comunitaria. Otras claves propias son el cambio de paradigma cocurricular, y las metodologías que introduce dicho programa, agregando un aspecto pedagógico al ocio y una dimensión social a la educación
Novel P-Spline-Based Approaches for Curve and Derivative Estimation in Longitudinal Growth Studies
No full text175 p.Longitudinal data analysis plays a key role in understanding individual development over time. It helps identify important characteristics such as growth patterns, biological variations, and key milestones like growth spurts and the age at which they occur. Although several statistical models and software implementations are available to estimate growth curves and their derivatives, challenges remain due to the complex and dynamic nature of these processes.This dissertation explores a range of statistical methods for modeling growth based on repeated measurements from individuals. In particular, it highlights the use of penalized spline (P-spline) models, which have gained popularity for their flexibility in modeling smooth curves. Additionally, their connection with mixed-effects models allows us to take advantage of the methodological and computational tools in this setting for fitting P-spline models.We focus on three main classes of models for fitting individual growth trajectories and estimating their derivatives: (i) the double-penalty P-spline model, (ii) a family of semiparametric mixed-effects models, and (iii) modified versions of the SuperImposition by Translation and Rotation (SITAR) model. Each approach is discussed in terms of its theoretical background, practical implementation, and suitability for growth analysis.The proposed methods are evaluated through simulation studies and compared with alternative approaches to assess their performance. Our results indicate that the proposed models provide a slight improvement in curve fitting and derivative estimation. Additionally, we demonstrate the application of these methods using real longitudinal data from 125 young professional football players to analyze their growth and maturation processes over tim