“Some people write fanfiction as love letters to canon. This is hate mail”: Negotiating authorship and reader agency in Avengers: Endgame Fix-it Fics.

This masters thesis engages with the concepts of the author, the reader, canon, text and paratext, in the context of fanfiction as a literary genre. The study of fanfiction furthers explorations of the concept of the author and reader as seen through a post-structuralist lens following Roland Barthes’s and Michel Foucault’s texts regarding authorship as well as a fan theory lens, championed by Kristina Busse and Katherine Tosenberger, in their writings explaining authorial ethos and models of fandom interpretation. To do so, I will be analysing twelve fics that belong to the Fix-It Fic subgenre in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) fandom, specifically relating to the movie Avengers: Endgame (2018). Evaluating these pieces and how their authors use characters, space, storylines, and tropes to challenge preconceptions regarding authorship, intertextuality and reader-writer figures and asks new questions that allow us to adapt theory to contemporary texts.English - Master's ThesisENG350MAHF-LÆFRMAHF-EN

Els models de tarifes per congestió a autopistes USA. La seva aplicació al cas espanyol

L’imparable creixement del parc automobilístic mundial i l’ús poc eficient que es fa del vehicle privat, sobretot als països desenvolupats, fan del sistema de mobilitat adoptat actualment un greu problema mediambiental. La problemàtica s’agreuja especialment a les capitals, on els corredors d’accés als nuclis urbans acostumen a presentar greus problemes de congestió. És més, s’ha vist que aquesta tendència s’està reproduint a les petites i mitjanes àrees metropolitanes, on actualment les taxes de creixement de congestió són majors

VIVIENDA ¿DERECHO O MERCANCÍA? Propuesta artística del desahucio

VIVIENDA ¿DERECHO O MERCANCIA? es un proyecto artístico que habla de los desahucios que han tenido lugar en España desde el 2007, de la perdida forzada del hogar y de los derechos a una vida digna. Para ello se ha realizado un estudio de los factores que han llevado a esta crisis habitacional partiendo de la burbuja inmobiliaria, para después analizar la crisis social y habitacional surgida de esta especulación, cuya consecuencia son los desahucios. Se ha prestado especial interés a la respuesta social que ha tenido lugar por parte de la ciudadanía en la lucha por una vivienda digna y por la recuperación de los derechos civiles perdidos. Esta investigación teórica sustenta la parte práctica del proyecto que, mediante el uso de las instalaciones como medio expresivo-plástico, busca visibilizar esta pérdida del refugio con la creación de escenas con reminiscencias al ámbito doméstico. Estas instalaciones se han realizado en un espacio expositivo y en el medio urbano, construidas con objetos que pertenecen al entorno cotidiano del hogar y con elementos decorativos de este espacio, como lo son los azulejos, que relatan la transformación del concepto ¿casa¿ que viven los afectados tras este proceso de ser expulsados de ella.DWELLING, A RIGHT OR A PRODUCT? Is an artistic project that talks about the evictions that takes place in Spain since 2007, about the forced loss of the home and the right to have a dignified life. The project starts from the research about the facts that led to a housing problem through the development of the real estate bubble and continues with the analysis of the social crisis emerged after all the dwelling price speculation that let this evictions as a result. It has been a special interest for the research the social reaction of the citizens that fights for their rights to adequate housing. This theoretical part supports the practical aspect of the project based in an art installation that uses the visual scenario to show this lost of the home as a shelter. The installations had been exhibited in a gallery and as a site-specific action in the urban space, and they were created using mundane objects and decorative elements that belongs to the domestic space to talk about the transformation of the concept `¿home¿¿ in those who had lived this eviction process.Vazquez Domenech, L. (2018). VIVIENDA ¿DERECHO O MERCANCÍA? Propuesta artística del desahucio. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/110044TFG

Els models de tarifes per congestió a autopistes USA. La seva aplicació al cas espanyol

L’imparable creixement del parc automobilístic mundial i l’ús poc eficient que es fa del vehicle privat, sobretot als països desenvolupats, fan del sistema de mobilitat adoptat actualment un greu problema mediambiental. La problemàtica s’agreuja especialment a les capitals, on els corredors d’accés als nuclis urbans acostumen a presentar greus problemes de congestió. És més, s’ha vist que aquesta tendència s’està reproduint a les petites i mitjanes àrees metropolitanes, on actualment les taxes de creixement de congestió són majors

No labeling quantum mechanics of indiscernible particles

Our aim in this paper is to show an example of the formalism we have developed to avoid the label-tensor-product-vector-space-formalism of quantum mechanics when dealing with indistinguishable quanta. States in this new vector space, that we call the Q-space, refer only to occupation numbers and permutation operators act as the identity operator on them, reflecting in the formalism the unobservability of permutations, a goal of quasi-set theory.Instituto de Física La Plat

Characterization of additives of PVAc and acrylic waterborne dispersions and paints by analytical Py-GC-MS and Py-Silylation-GC-MS

[EN] Commercial formulations of poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc) and acrylic dispersions and paints commonly used by artists include a number of additives such as surfactants, coalescing agents, defoamers and thickeners, which are designed for improving shelf-life, as well as chemical and physical properties of the resulting product. Recent studies have shown that additives present in paints play an important role in the alteration processes undergone by the painting during ageing and further in cleaning tasks planed in conservation interventions. However, the identification of additives is a difficult task due to the elusive character of these substances present at low concentration in the paint. In this context, a four-step approach is proposed that includes analysis of paint samples together with analysis of their water extracted products by pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS) and pyrolysis-silylation-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-silylation-GC-MS). This analytical strategy enables a better characterization of common additives present in commercial PVAc and acrylic paints and dispersions. In particular, the analysis of water soluble extracts, which are mainly composed by paint additives, avoids the interference of the major polymer pyrolizates. Experimental conditions concerning sample preparation and instrumental working conditions of both Py-GC techniques are optimized. Both acrylic and PVAc paints presented poly(ethylene oxide) (POE) type fragments dominating the background of their pyrograms, especially when derivatized by means of hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS). For the first time, additives such as alkyl sulfate and alkyl ether sulfate with C-10 and C-12 alkyl chains, poly(ethoxylate) fatty alcohol and octylphenyl poly(ethoxylate) surfactants were identified, as well as polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) protective colloids, hydrophobically modified ethoxylated urethane (HEUR) thickeners an defoamers. Their major fragments and corresponding mass spectra are discussed. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Financial support from the MINECO Projects CTQ2011-28079-CO3-01 and CTQ2014-53736-C3-1-P, which are supported with ERDF funds, is gratefully acknowledged.Silva, MF.; Domenech Carbo, MT.; Osete Cortina, L. (2015). Characterization of additives of PVAc and acrylic waterborne dispersions and paints by analytical Py-GC-MS and Py-Silylation-GC-MS. Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis. 113:606-620. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaap.2015.04.011S60662011

Influence of plasticizer and biocide on the functional properties of gelatin-based adhesives used in painting consolidation

The study presented herein focuses on the influence of glycerol and citronella oil, added to gelatin dispersions as plasticizer and biocide, respectively, on the mechanical, water barrier and other functional properties of gelatin-based adhesives used in treatments of painting consolidation. For this purpose, ATR-FTIR spectroscopy, gas chromatography mass spectrometry, atomic force microscopy analyses combined with tensile, water vapour permeability, water content and water solubility tests were performed on gelatin films prepared by adding glycerol and citronella oil. These two products were chosen for their low toxicity and eco-friendly properties. The modification in the behaviour of gelatin-based adhesives as a result of addition of glycerol and citronella oil was evaluated on the basis of changes of the three-dimensional structure of the protein molecules due to their interaction with glycerol and citronella oil. All these data were provided by the analytical techniques. In a second step, stability of the proposed adhesive to light was assessed to establish its suitability for painting consolidation. The results suggest that citronella oil enhances the effectiveness of glycerol to improve mechanical behaviour and reversibility of the gelatine-based adhesive. Light ageing of the specimens containing the proposed additives produced no remarkable changes in structure, mechanical, water barrier and other functional properties of the adhesives.Financial support is gratefully acknowledged from the Spanish 'I+D+I MICINN' projects CTQ2011-28079-CO3-01 supported by ERDEF funds.Domenech Carbo, MT.; Lee, Y.; Osete Cortina, L.; Martín Rey, S. (2015). Influence of plasticizer and biocide on the functional properties of gelatin-based adhesives used in painting consolidation. Journal of Adhesion Science and Technology. 29(17):1774-1795. https://doi.org/10.1080/01694243.2014.975999S17741795291

Nanoplastics and arsenic co-exposures exacerbate oncogenic biomarkers under an in vitro long-term exposure scenario

The increasing accumulation of plastic waste and the widespread presence of its derivatives, micro- and nanoplastics (MNPLs), call for an urgent evaluation of their potential health risks. In the environment, MNPLs coexist with other known hazardous contaminants and, thus, an interesting question arises as to whether MNPLs can act as carriers of such pollutants, modulating their uptake and their harmful effects. In this context, we have examined the interaction and joint effects of two relevant water contaminants: arsenic and polystyrene nanoplastics (PSNPLs), the latter being a model of nanoplastics. Since both agents are persistent pollutants, their potential effects have been evaluated under a chronic exposure scenario and measuring different effect biomarkers involved in the cell transformation process. Mouse embryonic fibroblasts deficient for oxidative DNA damage repair mechanisms, and showing a cell transformation status, were used as a sensitive cell model. Such cells were exposed to PSNPLs, arsenic, and a combination PSNPLs/arsenic for 12 weeks. Interestingly, a physical interaction between both pollutants was demonstrated by using TEM/EDX methodologies. Results also indicate that the continuous co-exposure enhances the DNA damage and the aggressive features of the initially transformed phenotype. Remarkably, co-exposed cells present a higher proportion of spindle-like cells within the population, an increased capacity to grow independently of anchorage, as well as enhanced migrating and invading potential when compared to cells exposed to arsenic or PSNPLs alone. This study highlights the need for further studies exploring the long-term effects of contaminants of emerging concern, such as MNPLs, and the importance of considering the behavior of mixtures as part of the hazard and human risk assessment approaches