The Future of Plastics Trade: Identifying Determinants and Impacts of the Shifting Global Plastic Scraps Network

Plastic waste management is an area of increasing concern for environmental and public health. Existing research shows that as of 2019, 79% of total generated plastic waste has accumulated in landfills or leaked into the environment, 12% incinerated, and 9% recycled. China’s Operation National Sword, launched in 2017, banned the import of plastic waste and other materials, triggering ripple effects throughout the global plastic scraps trade network. The impacts are cross-sectoral and multi-scalar, cascading across markets, policy, the natural environment, public health, and have increased uncertainty about the future of the global trade of plastics. To understand shifts across the global plastic scraps network, the author of this dissertation first uses a Social Network Analysis (SNA) approach to explore the structural changes over time of the plastic trade network, especially due to China’s Operation National Sword. Results show that Southeast Asian, and Western and Central European countries became the most important traders of plastic waste after China’s Operation National Sword. A cross-sectional time-series multi-method analysis additionally shows that poorer countries with large manufacturing sectors were the most affected by the policy, becoming havens for plastic waste. Trade partners of top plastic traders such as China became more likely to import waste as well. Results from a System Generalized Method of Moments (SGMM) analysis reveals that wealthier countries trade more plastic scraps of mixed materials, while large manufacturers import more polyethylene plastic. Countries with higher environmental performance were better to prevent plastic import increases relative to their exports

Structure analysis and lesion detection from retinal fundus images

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.Ocular pathology is one of the main health problems worldwide. The number of people with retinopathy symptoms has increased considerably in recent years. Early adequate treatment has demonstrated to be effective to avoid the loss of the vision. The analysis of fundus images is a non intrusive option for periodical retinal screening. Different models designed for the analysis of retinal images are based on supervised methods, which require of hand labelled images and processing time as part of the training stage. On the other hand most of the methods have been designed under the basis of specific characteristics of the retinal images (e.g. field of view, resolution). This compromises its performance to a reduce group of retinal image with similar features. For these reasons an unsupervised model for the analysis of retinal image is required, a model that can work without human supervision or interaction. And that is able to perform on retinal images with different characteristics. In this research, we have worked on the development of this type of model. The system locates the eye structures (e.g. optic disc and blood vessels) as first step. Later, these structures are masked out from the retinal image in order to create a clear field to perform the lesion detection. We have selected the Graph Cut technique as a base to design the retinal structures segmentation methods. This selection allows incorporating prior knowledge to constraint the searching for the optimal segmentation. Different link weight assignments were formulated in order to attend the specific needs of the retinal structures (e.g. shape). This research project has put to work together the fields of image processing and ophthalmology to create a novel system that contribute significantly to the state of the art in medical image analysis. This new knowledge provides a new alternative to address the analysis of medical images and opens a new panorama for researchers exploring this research area.Mexican National Council of Science and Technolog

“La relación entre las Inquisiciones de España y Portugal en los siglos XVI y XVII: objetivos, estrategias y tensiones”

Durante la Edad Moderna, las Inquisiciones de España y de Portugal se vieron obligadas a mantener una comunicación constante, que permitió el intercambio regular de información relativa a posibles herejes, sobre todo judaizantes. Muchos más problemas generó el espinoso asunto de la remisión de reos de un reino a otro. A pesar de los intentos de la Inquisición española, en el siglo XVI, y de la portuguesa, en el XVII, para que se estableciesen los casos y supuestos en los que podrían extraditarse herejes, nunca se llegó a firmar ningún acuerdo entre los dos tribunales. Por ello, las remisiones de reos de un reino a otro se debieron siempre a la voluntad de los sucesivos inquisidores generales, a las estrategias concretas de cada tribunal de distrito y a factores coyunturales

Sistematización: actividades de aprendizaje y evaluación alternativa

Se presenta la experiencia de veinte asignaturas correspondientes a las cátedras de Informática Educativa y de Tecnologías Informáticas para la Educación, ambas de la carrera de Informática Educativa, en la implementación de actividades de aprendizaje y evaluación alternativa con apoyo de aplicaciones digitales. Dichas actividades se llevan a cabo desde el año 2016 y se continúan hasta la fecha. La experiencia refleja diferentes formas en que son solicitados los trabajos académicos a los estudiantes y se sugiere el modo de ser evaluados de forma alternativa. Dentro de los principales resultados se obtiene que los estudiantes se sienten más satisfechos con el desarrollo de proyectos y tareas que les exija tener interacción con el campo de estudio, y de actividades relacionadas con el contexto como visitas a centros educativos, además del uso de herramientas digitales y en contraposición, el instrumento con menor aceptación es la prueba escrita

General Inquisitors and Portuguese Crown in the Seventeenth Century: Between Political Service and the Defense of the Faith (1578-1705)

The Inquisition was established in Portugal in 1536. From the beginning, the pope authorized the Portuguese king to choose the General Inquisitor, who was granted authority by the pope to pursue and punish crimes of heresy. This article investigates the Portuguese General Inquisitors during the seventeenth century in order to establish their social background, politics, ecclesiastical careers, and links with the Crown. The aim is to discover the relationships they had with the Crown and to understand how far they managed to preserve the autonomy of the Inquisition in relation to the Crown and the Holy See

Counselor Formation and Gatekeeping Best Practices

Counselor educators and supervisors contribute to students’ development while determining fitness for the profession. How we intervene can either help students work through internal conflicts that prevent them from embracing professional skills and dispositions or undermine that process. Facilitators will interactively engage participants in the application of a developmental framework that maximizes students’ dissonance in service to their counselor identity development process

An ecclesiastical oligarchy in Portugal during the Ancien Regime: Professors, canons and inquisitors

Los canónigos doctorales de las diócesis antiguas constituyeron una élite de poder en Portugal a lo largo de toda la Edad Moderna. Formados en Derecho, habían estudiado necesariamente en la Universidad de Coimbra y, a veces, habían residido en uno de los dos colegios mayores seculares. Normalmente, sirvieron también en la Inquisición, como diputados de los tribunales de distrito, inquisidores o miembros del Consejo General, y dieron clase en la Universidad de Coimbra. No fue infrecuente, incluso, que ascendiesen a los altos tribunales y Consejos del Reino. En este artículo intentamos evaluar hasta qué punto la pertenencia al Santo Oficio constituyó, en muchos casos, una mera excusa para poder gozar del privilegio de non residendo concedido a los ministros de la fe y, así, servir en la Universidad, en los tribunales y en los Consejos y percibir las rentas de las canonjías sin residir en ellasThe doctoral canons of the old dioceses constituted an élite of power in Portugal during the Early Modern Age. They all had studied Law (Canon and Civil) in the University of Coimbra and, in many cases, had lived in one of the two secular university Colleges. They frequently served at the Inquisition, as deputies of the district courts, inquisitors or members of the General Council, and they taught at the University of Coimbra. It was not uncommon for them to ascend to the high Courts of Justice and Councils of the Kingdom. In this paper, it is assessed if their belonging to the Holy Office was, in some cases, just an excuse to use the non residendo privilege granted to the ministers of the Inquisitions. By that means, they would be able to serve at the University, the high Courts and the Councils, receiving, at the same time, the rents of their canonries without residing in the