Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

Characterizing tree species richness in Indigenous Peoples’ lands: addressing often-overlooked data limitations and biases

Abstract Several studies have characterized species richness distribution in Indigenous Peoples’ Lands (IPL) using global biodiversity datasets. However, these datasets contain substantial limitations and biases which may compromise the accuracy of spatial biodiversity assessment...

Integrated pyrolysis and biorefinery strategies for valorising forest biomass for calcium acetate production

Forest biomass represents a promising resource within the bioeconomy, with significant potential for conversion into high-value chemicals and bioproducts. This work proposes an innovative pyrolysis oil biorefining pathway to valorise two types of underutilised forest biomass: Ale...

Emergent Bell phase in an electro-nanomechanical quantum simulator

Suspended carbon nanotubes hosting electrostatically defined quantum dots allow for exceptionally strong and tunable electromechanical coupling as well as mechanical modes that can reach the quantum ground state of motion simply by cryogenic cooling. This makes them a unique plat...

The 1820 Mallorca plague was not a classic bubonic outbreak

The 1820 plague outbreak in eastern Mallorca—long treated as a local episode and traditionally classified as a late bubonic manifestation of the Second Plague Pandemic—offers a unique opportunity to reassess transmission dynamics in a prebacteriological context. Using a previousl...

Prevalence and Predictors of Mechanical Restraint in Involuntary Patients in an Open-Door Inpatient Psychiatric Unit

Abstract Purpose Mechanical restraint (MR) remains one of the most controversial interventions in psychiatry, particularly in involuntarily admitted patients. This study examined the prevalence and clinical predictors of MR in an open-door psychiatric unit in Spain, a context whe...

Quantifying welfare impairment from respiratory disease in fattening pigs using adaptive conjoint analysis

Abstract Respiratory disease remains highly prevalent in pig production and constitutes a major health and welfare challenge worldwide. However, most studies assessing pig welfare impairment from respiratory disease rely on isolated animal-based indicators, limiting integration a...

Widespread thermophilization but weak link to climate warming in Europe’s summit plant communities

Abstract Recent changes in alpine vegetation are often attributed to climate warming, particularly community composition shifts towards more warmth-associated species, or thermophilization. Here we assess the link between thermophilization and warming across 53 European mountain...

PLCG2 downregulation impairs synaptic function and increases Alzheimer’s disease hallmarks in neuronal cultures

We developed a high-content screening to investigate how Alzheimer’s disease (AD) genetic risk factors may affect synaptic mechanisms in rat primary neuronal cultures. Of the target genes identified, we found that Plcg2 downregulation in mouse dentate gyrus neurons consistently d...

Unveiling the “Gray Zone”: Characterizing Young People's Moderate STEM Identities

ABSTRACT Understanding how students identify with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) is crucial for fostering broader and more equitable participation within these fields. While existing research has focused on students who either strongly identify with STEM or...

Comparing the effect of faecal microbiota and faecal filtrate transplantations on intestinal health in weaned piglets

<title>Abstract</title> Background Faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) and faecal filtrate transplantation (FFT) have emerged as promising methods to prevent intestinal dysbiosis and diarrhoea in piglets after weaning. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of FMT a...

Bullying victimization, language proficiency, and school belonging among Syrian refugee early adolescents in Canada: A cross‐lagged and random‐intercept cross‐lagged panel study

Abstract Refugee children's school adjustment is often associated with host country language proficiency, peer victimization, and school belonging, but longitudinal associations among these constructs may reflect both stable child differences and time‐varying school‐experience pr...

Cost-Effectiveness of a Host-Response Point-of-Care Assay for Early Sepsis Diagnosis in UK Emergency Departments

BACKGROUND: Early recognition of sepsis in emergency departments (EDs) improves outcomes and reduces healthcare resource use. However, current clinical practice (CCP), largely based on the National Early Warning Score 2 (NEWS2) and clinical judgement, has limited diagnostic sensi...

Quantum implicit neural representations for 3D scene reconstruction and novel view synthesis

Abstract Implicit neural representations (INRs) have become a powerful paradigm for continuous signal modeling and 3D scene reconstruction, yet classical networks suffer from a well-known spectral bias that limits their ability to capture high-frequency details. Quantum Implicit...

Sharing the Burden: The Impacts of Pharmacy Sector Reforms on the Labor Market for Pharmacists in Portugal

ABSTRACT During the 2010 crisis, the Portuguese government enacted several reforms to its prescription drug reimbursement system. As a result, value added per pharmacist in pharmacies fell by a third. We use longitudinal records from Quadros de Pessoal (QP), merged with collectiv...

Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Cocaine Use Disorder: An Observational Study

Background: Cocaine use disorder (CUD) presents high relapse rates and limited treatment options. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has shown promise, but evidence in clinical practice is scarce. Methods: We conducted a naturalistic retrospective study using med...

Sex-specific cognitive and metabolic effects of lifelong caloric restriction and sodium butyrate administration in aging rats

Aging is associated with progressive metabolic dysfunction and cognitive decline, which is often accompanied by hippocampal dysfunction and sex-specific vulnerabilities. Caloric restriction (CR) and sodium butyrate (NaBu), a short-chain fatty acid that acts as a histone deacetyla...

SEC22B modulates ClC-5/TMEM9 trafficking and serves as a urinary marker for Dent’s Disease

The Cl − /H + antiporter ClC-5 is a key regulator of renal proximal tubule function, primarily by controlling endosomal acidification. Loss-of-function mutations in ClC-5 cause Dent’s Disease type 1 (DD1), a rare renal tubulopathy that progresses to kidney failure with significan...

Global trade-offs between consumption, carbon prices and equity

As the remaining carbon budget continues to dwindle, economic growth strains efforts to limit global warming to 1.5 °C. Reducing unnecessary production and consumption in high-income regions and among the wealthy, and organising production more around human needs and human well-b...

Decentralized GNSS at global scale via graph-aware diffusion adaptation

Abstract Network-based Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) support critical infrastructure and autonomous systems, but centralized processing hubs limit scalability, resilience, and latency. We present a global-scale decentralized GNSS architecture that jointly estimates r...

Real-time invasion dynamics reveal the drivers of predator spread and prey extirpation on an island

Abstract Non-native predators profoundly restructure island biological communities worldwide, yet their management is hindered by limited empirical understanding of the dynamics of predator spread and prey extirpation. Here, we integrate two decades of field surveys, citizen-scie...