Internships for Higher Education Students to Promote the Local Sustainability of Rural Places

Sustainability and population have a complex relationship. Popular versions of the first are usually based on the premise of reducing the population. However, in some remote rural areas with a low density, this condition needs to be reconsidered, as it would put the viability of the local community at risk and lead to environmental, economic and, above all, social losses. Although repopulation is impossible, since remote rural areas have an ageing demographic structure and an extremely low fertility rate, we can propose the regeneration of their human, social and relational capital by attracting talent and commitment. To achieve this, the Desafio Programme (Rural Erasmus) enables university students to do internships in companies and institutions in sparsely populated areas, living alongside their residents. Despite being an experimental policy with a narrow scope in statistical terms, the Desafio Programme is an inspiring experience supported by those who have participated in it and contributes to the social and economic regeneration of areas in decline. This is a practical case of applying a sustainable strategy to a rural area in crisis, which can be transferred to many other countries facing a similar problem

A field-based modelling framework of the ecohydrology of schistosomiasis

Successful control of schistosomiasis, a water-borne parasitic disease, is challenged by the intricacy of the wormâs lifecycle, which depends on aquatic snail intermediate hosts, and involves environmental, ecologic, and socio-economic factors. Current strategies rely on deworming through mass drug administration which however do not protect against reinfection and the persistence of hotspots. It is recognized that multifaceted approaches will be necessary to reach elimination, whose development will require a renewed focus on the diseaseâs social-ecological drivers. Taking cue from the hydrological underpinning of these drivers, this Thesis aims at developing an ecohydrological approach to schistosomiasis with a view to identifying and exploiting the points in which its cycle can be broken. Schistosomiasis is a poverty-reinforcing disease affecting more than 150 million people in sub-Saharan Africa, being the parasitic disease causing the largest health burden after malaria. However, the impairing morbidity it causes has been undervalued in the past, qualifying it as a neglected tropical disease. Moreover, water resources development often exacerbate transmission, posing scientific and ethical challenges in addressing the ensuing trade-off between economic development and public health. The relevance of this Thesisâ work lies in furthering tools to offset this trade-off by unlocking the predictive appraisal of the social-ecological drivers of transmission. An integration of fieldwork applied in Burkina Faso (West Africa) and theoretical methods are employed to address this aim. This Thesis establishes the use of spatially explicit mathematical models of schistosomiasis at the national-scale, allowing to study the effect of human mobility and spatial heterogeneity of transmission parameters. Weekly ecological samplings of snail abundance and continuous environmental monitoring were preformed at three sites along the countryâs climatic gradient, leveraged through ecological modelling. A novel methodology for the large-scale prediction of river network ephemerality allowed for refined snail species distribution models, and the analysis of the diseaseâs geography in link with socio-economic covariates. Finally, surveys and participatory workshops shed light on local-scale water contact patterns. The obtained results substantiate the stance that hydrology is a first-order control of disease transmission. Stability analysis of the spatially explicit model generated additional insight into the impact of the expansion of suitable snail habitat due to water resources development, highlighting the interplay between local and country-wide effects driven by human mobility. Models of snail ecology revealed key hydrological drivers, and disputed density feedbacks. Uncovered phase shifts between permanent and ephemeral habitats were adequately reproduced at the national scale through model regionalization. Characterization and predictions of hydrological ephemerality improved the estimation of the snailsâ ecological range, mirroring the diseaseâs geography. Finally a national-scale association between ephemerality and disease risk was observed, possibly due to human-water contacts aggregation, as supported by preliminary results at village-level. The future incorporation of these ecohydrological findings into spatially explicit models of schistosomiasis is considered promising for optimizing control strategies and attaining disease elimination

Tribuaren berbak-eko batua eta euskalkiak sekuentzia didaktikoan ahozko euskararen irakaskuntza osatzeko proposamena

Lan honen helburua da “Tribuaren Berbak”-eko Sekuentzia didaktiko batean ahozko euskara lantzeko proposamen didaktikoa osatzea. Zehazki, Batua eta euskalkiak 4. sekuentzia hartu da eta jendaurreko ahozko bidaia proposamena testu-generoaren irakaskuntza proposamena hobetzeko saioa egin da. GRALaren atal teorikoan, testua, testu-generoa, eredu-didaktikoa eta sekuentzia didaktikoa zer diren azaltzeaz gain, hauek hizkuntzen irakaskuntzan duten egitekoa erakutsi nahi izan da. Bestalde, ahozko euskararen irakaskuntzaren ezaugarriak eta eskuragarri dauden sekuentzia batzuk ere bildu dira bertan. Bidaia proposamenaren generoaren inguruko deskribapena ere egin da, generoaren lanketarako dauden sekuentzia didaktiko batzuk ezagutzera emanez. Atala bukatzeko, “Tribuaren Berbak”-eko sekuentzia didaktikoei buruzko azalpen labur bat ematen da (besteak beste, antolaketa eta helburuak). Bigarren atalean, bidaia proposamena generoa lantzea xede duen “Tribuaren Berbak”- eko sekuentzia aztertu da, zer dagoen azalduz eta falta dena adieraziz. Bertan, hainbat hutsune identifikatu dira, gehienak hizkuntza baliabideen lanketarekin lotuta. Hau da, sekuentziaren amaieran ebaluatuko direla esaten den arren, ez da topatu haien gaineko lanketa sistematikorik, eta hori hobetzen saiatzeko asmoz, ahozko bidaia proposamena generoaren eredu didaktikoa eta sekuentziaren egitura eman dira. Lehenengoan, generoaren alderdi irakasgarriak identifikatu dira, eta ondorengo sekuentzia didaktikoaren egituran, helburu, jarduera eta material posibleak proposatu dira. Azkenik, ondorioetan, GRALean egindako proposamenari lotuta, aurrera begirako erronkak aipatzen dira. Izan ere, GRAL honetan egindako proposamenean ez dira jarduera zehatzak eskaintzen eta are gutxiago proposamena esperimentatzen, bi helburu horiek GRALetik kanpo geratzen baitira. Hitz-gakoak: testua, testu-generoa, eredu didaktikoa, sekuentzia didaktikoa, hizkuntzen irakaskuntza, ahozkoa

Tribuaren berbak-eko batua eta euskalkiak sekuentzia didaktikoan ahozko euskararen irakaskuntza osatzeko proposamena

Lan honen helburua da “Tribuaren Berbak”-eko Sekuentzia didaktiko batean ahozko euskara lantzeko proposamen didaktikoa osatzea. Zehazki, Batua eta euskalkiak 4. sekuentzia hartu da eta jendaurreko ahozko bidaia proposamena testu-generoaren irakaskuntza proposamena hobetzeko saioa egin da. GRALaren atal teorikoan, testua, testu-generoa, eredu-didaktikoa eta sekuentzia didaktikoa zer diren azaltzeaz gain, hauek hizkuntzen irakaskuntzan duten egitekoa erakutsi nahi izan da. Bestalde, ahozko euskararen irakaskuntzaren ezaugarriak eta eskuragarri dauden sekuentzia batzuk ere bildu dira bertan. Bidaia proposamenaren generoaren inguruko deskribapena ere egin da, generoaren lanketarako dauden sekuentzia didaktiko batzuk ezagutzera emanez. Atala bukatzeko, “Tribuaren Berbak”-eko sekuentzia didaktikoei buruzko azalpen labur bat ematen da (besteak beste, antolaketa eta helburuak). Bigarren atalean, bidaia proposamena generoa lantzea xede duen “Tribuaren Berbak”- eko sekuentzia aztertu da, zer dagoen azalduz eta falta dena adieraziz. Bertan, hainbat hutsune identifikatu dira, gehienak hizkuntza baliabideen lanketarekin lotuta. Hau da, sekuentziaren amaieran ebaluatuko direla esaten den arren, ez da topatu haien gaineko lanketa sistematikorik, eta hori hobetzen saiatzeko asmoz, ahozko bidaia proposamena generoaren eredu didaktikoa eta sekuentziaren egitura eman dira. Lehenengoan, generoaren alderdi irakasgarriak identifikatu dira, eta ondorengo sekuentzia didaktikoaren egituran, helburu, jarduera eta material posibleak proposatu dira. Azkenik, ondorioetan, GRALean egindako proposamenari lotuta, aurrera begirako erronkak aipatzen dira. Izan ere, GRAL honetan egindako proposamenean ez dira jarduera zehatzak eskaintzen eta are gutxiago proposamena esperimentatzen, bi helburu horiek GRALetik kanpo geratzen baitira. Hitz-gakoak: testua, testu-generoa, eredu didaktikoa, sekuentzia didaktikoa, hizkuntzen irakaskuntza, ahozkoa

Design, Implementation, and Empirical Validation of a Framework for Remote Car Driving Using a Commercial Mobile Network

Despite the fact that autonomous driving systems are progressing in terms of their automation levels, the achievement of fully self-driving cars is still far from realization. Currently, most new cars accord with the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Level 2 of automation, which requires the driver to be able to take control of the car when needed: for this reason, it is believed that between now and the achievement of fully automated self-driving car systems, there will be a transition, in which remote driving cars will be a reality. In addition, there are tele-operation-use cases that require remote driving for health or safety reasons. However, there is a lack of detailed design and implementation available in the public domain for remote driving cars: therefore, in this work we propose a functional framework for remote driving vehicles. We implemented a prototype, using a commercial car. The prototype was connected to a commercial 4G/5G mobile network, and empirical experiments were conducted, to validate the prototype’s functions, and to evaluate its performance in real-world driving conditions. The design, implementation, and empirical evaluation provided detailed technical insights into this important research and innovation area.This research was funded in part by the EU Horizon 2020 5G-PPP 5G-INDUCE project (“Open cooperative 5G experimentation platforms for the industrial sector NetApps”) under grant number H2020-ICT-2020-2/101016941, by the EU Horizon Europe INCODE project (“Programming platform for intelligent collaborative deployments over heterogeneous edge-IoT environments”) under grant number HORIZON-CL4-2022-DATA-01-03/101093069, and by the EU Horizon Europe project INCODE: programming platform for intelligent collaborative deployments over heterogeneous edge-IoT environments (HORIZON-CL4-2022-DATA-01-03/101093069)

The economic impact of schistosomiasis

BACKGROUND: The economic impact of schistosomiasis and the underlying tradeoffs between water resources development and public health concerns have yet to be quantified. Schistosomiasis exerts large health, social and financial burdens on infected individuals and households. While irrigation schemes are one of the most important policy responses designed to reduce poverty, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, they facilitate the propagation of schistosomiasis and other diseases. METHODS: We estimate the economic impact of schistosomiasis in Burkina Faso via its effect on agricultural production. We create an original dataset that combines detailed household and agricultural surveys with high-resolution geo-statistical disease maps. We develop new methods that use the densities of the intermediate host snails of schistosomiasis as instrumental variables together with panel, spatial and machine learning techniques. RESULTS: We estimate that the elimination of schistosomiasis in Burkina Faso would increase average crop yields by around 7%, rising to 32% for high infection clusters. Keeping schistosomiasis unchecked, in turn, would correspond to a loss of gross domestic product of approximately 0.8%. We identify the disease burden as a shock to the agricultural productivity of farmers. The poorest households engaged in subsistence agriculture bear a far heavier disease burden than their wealthier counterparts, experiencing an average yield loss due to schistosomiasis of between 32 and 45%. We show that the returns to water resources development are substantially reduced once its health effects are taken into account: villages in proximity of large-scale dams suffer an average yield loss of around 20%, and this burden decreases as distance between dams and villages increases. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides a rigorous estimation of how schistosomiasis affects agricultural production and how it is both a driver and a consequence of poverty. It further quantifies the tradeoff between the economics of water infrastructures and their impact on public health. Although we focus on Burkina Faso, our approach can be applied to any country in which schistosomiasis is endemic

Seismic velocities in outcropping units in the western flank of the la Invernada range, San Juan Precordillera

En este trabajo se muestran determinaciones de velocidades de ondas sísmicas P (Vp) en un sector (Reserva Don Carmelo) del flanco occidental de la sierra de la Invernada, Departamento Ullúm, Provincia de San Juan. Las velocidades obtenidas con el método de refracción sísmica indican valores de Vp de 550; 1.670 y 4.134 m/s y espesores de 1 m y 7 m aproximadamente, para un modelo de dos capas apoyadas sobre un substrato correspondiente a la mayor velocidad. Las unidades aflorantes reconocidas abarcan grauvacas y areniscas muy bien compactadas que se correlacionan con los valores más altos de Vp determinados en el experimento geofísico para los niveles interpretados a mayor profundidad. Asimismo los valores más bajos de Vp son consistentes con material de tipo aluvional situado en las capas sísmicas más superficiales (< 7m de profundidad). Otras unidades relevadas en el terreno indican afloramientos de diabasas y gabros, los cuales no han sido explorados geofísicamente. Sin embargo, a partir de la comparación de las litologías y velocidades sísmicas Vp observadas con bases de datos globales, es posible predecir la continuación en profundidad de las litologías máficas con velocidades sísmicas de Vp aún mayores que aquellas determinadas en superficie. Estos resultados son de interés debido a que ayudan a identificar una posible faja ofiolítica en Precordillera, en un sector donde el espesor cortical actual estimado en 64 km aproximadamente, estaría engrosado.P-wave seismic velocity (Vp) determinations are shown in this work for a region in the western flank (Don Carmelo nature reserve) of the la Invernada range in the Ullúm Department of the San Juan Province. The velocities obtained using the seismic refraction method indicate Vp values of 550; 1.670 and 4.134 m/s and thicknesses of 1 m and 7 m approximately, for a two-layer over a higher Vp half space model. The exposed units show greywacke and well compacted sandstones, which have a good correlation with the deepest and higher Vp values of the seismic model. Also the lowest Vp values are consistent with alluvial material located in the shallower seismic layers (< 7m depth). Other units observed on the surface exhibit outcrops of diabases and gabros, which were not geophysically explored. However, a comparison between the observed lithologies and Vp values with a global database predicts the continuation at depth of mafic rocks associated with even higher Vp values than those determined at the surface. These results are of interest because they help us to identify an ophiolite belt in the Precordillera, a region presently characterized by an overthickened crust of 64 km.Fil: Perez Lujan, Sofia Beatriz. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Departamento de Geofísica y Astronomía; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico San Juan. Centro de Investigaciones de la Geosfera y Biosfera; ArgentinaFil: Alvarado, Patricia Monica. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Departamento de Geofísica y Astronomía; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico San Juan. Centro de Investigaciones de la Geosfera y Biosfera; ArgentinaFil: Güel, Arturo. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Departamento de Geofísica y Astronomía; ArgentinaFil: Saez, Mauro. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Departamento de Geofísica y Astronomía; ArgentinaFil: Vujovich, Graciela Irene. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Geología. Laboratorio de Tectónica Andina; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Estudios Andinos; Argentin

Kurcuma: a kitchen utensil recognition collection for unsupervised domain adaptation

The use of deep learning makes it possible to achieve extraordinary results in all kinds of tasks related to computer vision. However, this performance is strongly related to the availability of training data and its relationship with the distribution in the eventual application scenario. This question is of vital importance in areas such as robotics, where the targeted environment data are barely available in advance. In this context, domain adaptation (DA) techniques are especially important to building models that deal with new data for which the corresponding label is not available. To promote further research in DA techniques applied to robotics, this work presents Kurcuma (Kitchen Utensil Recognition Collection for Unsupervised doMain Adaptation), an assortment of seven datasets for the classification of kitchen utensils—a task of relevance in home-assistance robotics and a suitable showcase for DA. Along with the data, we provide a broad description of the main characteristics of the dataset, as well as a baseline using the well-known domain-adversarial training of neural networks approach. The results show the challenge posed by DA on these types of tasks, pointing to the need for new approaches in future work.Open Access funding provided thanks to the CRUE-CSIC agreement with Springer Nature. This work was supported by the I+D+i project TED2021-132103A-I00 (DOREMI), funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033. Some of the computing resources were provided by the Generalitat Valenciana and the European Union through the FEDER funding program (IDIFEDER/2020/003). The second author is supported by grant APOSTD/2020/256 from “Programa I+D+i de la Generalitat Valenciana”