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Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; 2019-nCoV; Activitats; Contenció; Mesures de seguretat Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; 2019-nCoV; Actividades; Contención; Medidas de seguridad Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; 2019-nCoV; Activities; Containment; Security measures Cartell adreçat a la ciutadania informant de les mesures de protecció destinades a la contenció de la COVID-19 que seran d'aplicació a partir del 8 de març a Catalunya. Cartel dirigido a la ciudadanía informando de las medidas de protección destinadas a la contención de la Covid-19 que serán de aplicación a partir del 8 de marzo en Catalunya. Poster addressed to the public informing of the protection measures intended for the containment of the COVID-19 that will be applicable from March 8 in Catalonia.

Altres ajuts: ZZ and NW acknowledge the computer resources at MareNostrum and the technical support provided by Barcelona Supercom- puting Center (FI-2020-1-0014). We acknowledge PRACE for awarding us access to MareNostrum 4 at Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), Spain (OptoSpin project id. 2020225411) Proximity effects between layered materials trigger a plethora of novel and exotic quantum transport phenomena. Besides, the capability to modulate the nature and strength of proximity effects by changing crystalline and interfacial symmetries offers a vast playground to optimize physical properties of relevance for innovative applications. In this work, we use large-scale first principles calculations to demonstrate that strain and twist-angle strongly vary the spin-orbit coupling in graphene/transition metal dichalcogenide heterobilayers. Such a change results in a modulation of the spin relaxation times by up to two orders of magnitude. Additionally, the relative strengths of valley-Zeeman and Rashba spin-orbit coupling can be tailored upon twisting, which can turn the system into an ideal Dirac-Rashba regime or generate transitions between topological states of matter. These results shed new light on the debated variability of spin-orbit coupling and clarify how lattice deformations can be used as a knob to control spin transport. Our outcomes also suggest complex spin transport in polycrystalline materials, due to the random variation of grain orientation, which could reflect in large spatial fluctuations of spin-orbit coupling fields

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) defines forced migration or forced displacement as migratory movement induced by several factors such as force, compulsion, or coercion. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reports that the number of displaced individuals almost doubled over the last decade, with around 40% of these individuals being compelled to cross borders. 1 These refugees or asylum seekers settle primarily in neighbouring countries, which are usually developing countries with limited resources and often precarious political situations. This report aims to better understand cross-border displacement by analysing the time sequence from events potentially inducing displacement to migration into the neighbouring country. This time sequence is of particular interest to many stakeholders, as better knowledge of the timing can help decision makers anticipate and plan possible actions to support host countries. For instance, it can help the planning of humanitarian corridors and resettlement pledges, as well as the support to international organisations providing shelter and assistance in refugees camps. Furthermore, timing on initial cross-border displacement can also inform about possible developments of mixed-migration along the migratory routes to Europe.

Els danys causats pels incendis forestals han sorgit com una gran amenaça a tot el món. Una explicació adequada de la interacció entre el foc i l'atmosfera al voltant del foc pot ser clau perquè els bombers i els cossos de protecció civil puguin prendre decisions durant el transcurs de l'esdeveniment. En aquest sentit, WRF-SFIRE és un simulador d'incendis forestals que combina el model meteorològic WRF-ARW i el model de propagació d'incendis SFIRE que resol l'equació de Rothermel a través del mètode del conjunt de nivell. Aquest model soluciona la interacció entre l'atmosfera i el foc a través de la dinàmica de fluids computacional (CFD). No obstant això, té algunes limitacions que permeten l'objectiu d'aquesta investigació. El sistema acoblat abans esmentat necessita ser executat prou ràpid com per assegurar execucions en temps real. Una anàlisi profunda del paral·lelisme programat en ell és una qüestió important per obtenir resultats operacionals. La millor manera d'executar ràpidament WRF-SFIRE és utilitzant un paral·lelisme de memòria distribuïda amb MPI, però té algunes limitacions causa de la grandària de les parts del domini. Un altre element important de WRF-SFIRE, que permet evolucionar l'incendi i el manté actualitzat, és el mètode del conjunt de nivell. El mètode del conjunt de nivell amb taxes de propagació fortes i heterogènies pateix d'inestabilitats, el que provoca incendis espuris. Això es resol complint la restricció de que la funció del conjunt de nivell en un punt no pugui disminuir per sota del valor mínim en els veïns. Finalment, es proposa un nou mètode per ajustar el temps d'arribada del foc a les dades perimetrals observades, que es pot utilitzar per generar un historial artificial de l'incendi, que pot utilitzar-se per spin up el model atmosfèric per tal de començar una simulació des d'un perímetre de foc observat. La idea principal és minimitzar una funció objectiu no lineal, que satisfà l'equació eikonal quan va a 0. Aquest nou mètode, a diferència de la posició o les correccions de temps additives, respecta la dependència de la velocitat de propagació en la topografia, canvis diürns en la humitat del combustible, vents, així com la heterogeneïtat espacial del combustible. Aquest mètode d'interpolació es pot usar per assimilar els perímetres de foc i les deteccions de foc satelitals al model acoblat de atmosfera-foc. Damages resulting from wildfires have arisen as a major threat worldwide. Properly accounting for the interaction between the fire and the atmosphere surrounding the hazard could aid fire fighters and civil protection staff in making more informed, better decisions during an ongoing event. In that sense, WRF-SFIRE is a wildfire simulator which couples the meteorological model WRF-ARW and the fire spread model SFIRE solving Rothermel's equation through the level set method. This model solves the complex interaction between the atmosphere and the fire through a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) approach. However, it has some limitations which provide the motivation for this investigation. The aforementioned coupled system needs to run fast enough to assure real-time execution. A deep analysis of the parallelism programmed in WRF-SFIRE is an important matter to get operational results. The best way to run WRF-SFIRE fast is using a distributed memory parallelism with MPI, but it has some limitations because of the dimension of the division of the domain. Another important element of WRF-SFIRE, which evolves the fire being modeled and keeps it updated, is the level set method. The level set method with strong and heterogeneous rates of spread suffers from instabilities, resulting in spurious fires. This is solved by enforcing the constraint that the level set function at a point may not decrease below the minimum value at neighbors. Finally, a new method of fitting the fire arrival time to observed perimeter data is proposed. This new method can be used to generate an artificial fire history, which can be used to spin up the atmospheric model for the purpose of starting a simulation from the observed fire perimeter. The main idea is to minimize a non-linear objective function, which is zero when the fire arrival time satisfies the eikonal equation. This new method, unlike position or additive time corrections, respects the dependence of the fire rate of spread on topography, diurnal changes of fuel moisture, winds, as well as spatial fuel heterogeneity. This interpolation method could be used to assimilate fire perimeters and satellite fire detections into the coupled atmosphere-fire model.

Las bronquiectasias representan una condición caracterizada por la presencia de dilataciones bronquiales irreversibles, que predisponen al desarrollo de infecciones respiratorias recurrentes y a la colonización bronquial por microorganismos potencialmente patógenos (MPP), entre los cuales la Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) es uno de los más frecuentes. La colonización bronquial por PA se asocia a un peor pronóstico de la enfermedad, a un rápido deterioro funcional pulmonar y a una mayor tasa de mortalidad. Por este motivo, es de gran importancia identificar a los pacientes con colonización por PA. Sin embargo, el diagnóstico se basa en cultivos microbiológicos que requieren tiempo y personal entrenado, entre otras limitaciones. En este proyecto de Tesis, se llevaron a cabo dos estudios dirigidos a la valoración de nuevos métodos diagnósticos para la identificación de la colonización bronquial por PA como los niveles séricos de inmunoglobulina G (IgG) específica anti- PA y el análisis de los patrones de compuestos orgánicos volátiles (COV) en el aire exhalado mediante la nariz electrónica (e-nose). Para ello fueron incluidos pacientes con bronquiectasias clínicamente estables, que fueron catalogados como no colonizados o colonizados por PA u otros MPP según la microbiología del esputo. Se evaluó la eficacia diagnóstica de ambas pruebas para identificar a los pacientes con bronquiectasias colonizados por PA. En ambos estudios se observó una elevada precisión de validación cruzada, así como una alta sensibilidad, especificidad y valores predictivos positivos y negativos para identificar a los pacientes con bronquiectasias y colonización bronquial por PA. En conclusión, la medición de los títulos de anticuerpos IgG específicos anti-PA y la identificación de patrones de COV en el aire exhalado con la e-nose son dos métodos que muestran resultados prometedores para detectar la colonización bronquial bacteriana, específicamente por la PA, en pacientes con bronquiectasias. Bronchiectasis is a respiratory condition characterized by the presence of irreversible bronchial dilatations, which predispose to the development of recurrent respiratory infections and bronchial colonization by potentially pathogenic microorganisms (PPM), among which Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) is one of the most frequent. Bronchial colonization by PA is associated with a worse prognosis of the disease, a rapid pulmonary functional decline and a higher mortality rate. Therefore, it is highly important to identify patients with airway PA colonization. However, its diagnosis is based on microbiological cultures that require time and trained personnel, among other limitations. In this Thesis project, two studies were conducted to evaluate new diagnostic methods for identifying PA bronchial colonization such as serum levels of anti-PA specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) and the analysis of volatile organic compound (VOC) in the exhaled air with the electronic nose (e-nose). Patients with clinically stable bronchiectasis were included, and they were classified as non-colonized or colonized by PA or other PPM according to sputum microbiology. The diagnostic efficacy of both tests to identify bronchiectasis patients with PA airway colonization was evaluated. In both studies, a high cross-validation accuracy was observed, as well as a high sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative predictive values to identify patients with bronchiectasis and PA airway colonization. In conclusion, the measurement of specific anti-PA IgG antibody titres and the identification of VOC patterns in exhaled air with the e-nose are two methods that show promising results to detect bacterial bronchial colonization, specifically by PA, in bronchiectasis patients.

This chapter offers a general overview of the often spectacular rise of the share of cohabitation in the process of union formation in 24 Latin American and Caribbean countries during the last 30 years of the twentieth and the first decade of the twenty-first century. First, we offer a brief ethnographic and historical sketch to illustrate the special position of many Latin American regions and sub-populations with respect to forms of partnership formation other than classic marriage. Second, we present the national trends in the rising share of cohabitation in union formation for men and women for the age groups 25-29 and 30-34. Third, we inspect the education and social class differentials by presenting the cross-sectional gradients over time. Fourth, we reflect on the framework of the "second demographic transition" and hence on the de-stigmatization of a number of other behaviors that were equally subject to strong normative restrictions in the past (e.g. divorce, abortion, homosexuality, suicide and euthanasia). Last, we deal with the household and family contexts of married persons and cohabitors respectively.

US studies of marriage and cohabitation have mainly highlighted the social and racial differentials as they were observed in cross-sections, and have as a result essentially focused on the "pattern of disadvantage". The evolution of such social differentials over time and space reveals that this pattern of disadvantage has clearly persisted, but that it is far from covering the whole story. Historically, there has been a major contribution to the rise of cohabitation by white college students, and later on young white adults with higher education continued to start unions via cohabitation to ever increasing degrees. Only, they seem to move into marriage to a greater extent later on in life than other population segments. Also, the religious affiliation matters greatly: Mormons and evangelical Christians have resisted the current trends. Furthermore this effect is not only operating at the individual but at the contextual level as well. Conversely, even after controls for competing socio-economic explanations, residence in areas (either counties or PUMA-areas) with a Democratic voting pattern is related to higher cohabitation probabilities. And, finally, different legal contexts at the level of States also significantly contributed to the emergence of strong spatial contrasts. Hence, there is a concurrence of several factors shaping the present differentiations, and the rise of secular and liberal attitudes, i.e. the "ethics revolution", is equally a part of the explanation.

Polítiques de salut; Salut pública; Sistema sanitari Health policies; Public health; Sanitary system Políticas de salud; Salud pública; Sistema sanitario Aquesta infografia dóna fe d'unes accions i d’uns resultats, però, sobretot, vol reconèixer l'esforç i el sacrifici fets aquest lustre per un capital humà que, amb el seu coneixement i per sobre de l'interès personal, ha estat a l'altura del que el país i la sanitat pública requerien, ja fos a les administracions, a les professions o a les entitats organitzades de la societat civil.