Doctoral School

Reading date: 11/12/2025

• CRIOLLO ALIENDRES, CRUZ ARMANDO: Caracas Cinética: La transformación del paisaje urbano a partir de la inserción de obras de arte en los edificios públicos y privados, en los espacios públicos, la infraestructura vial y los sistemas masivos de transporte 1950-2012.
  
  Author: CRIOLLO ALIENDRES, CRUZ ARMANDO
  Thesis file: (contact the Doctoral School to confirm you have a valid doctoral degree and to get the link to the thesis)
  Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN URBANISM
  Department: Department of Urbanism, Territory and Landscape (DUTP)
  Mode: Normal
  Deposit date: 29/09/2025
  Reading date: 11/12/2025
  Reading time: 15:30
  Reading place: ETSAB (Esc. Técnica Sup. Arquit. Bcn)-Pl.Baja-Sala GradosAv. Diagonal, 649-651-08028-BCN(Videoconfencia: https://meet.google.com/ckz-quih-zjk-15:00)
  Thesis director: RUBERT DE VENTOS, MARIA
  Thesis abstract: This thesis analyzes the role of public art in the symbolic and social transformation of urban space in Caracas, with special emphasis on its transformative potential in environments marked by spatial fragmentation and a lack of public space. It is based on the premise that public art—particularly murals, sculptures, visual interventions, and ephemeral installations—intervenes in the relationships between citizens, territory, and collective memory.The research is based on a dual quantitative and qualitative approach, which articulates urban history, the cataloging and study of unique cases located in different urban environments (buildings, road infrastructure, the Metro, and the street), as well as an urban analysis from the 1950s to 2010. Emblematic cases are analyzed, such as works of art integrated into architecture, interventions linked to the network of avenues and highways, and monumental works such as those by Gego, Carlos Cruz Diez, Jesús Soto, and Alejandro Otero.The findings reveal that public art in Caracas serves multiple functions: it redefines urban spaces, reinforces local and metropolitan identities, and democratizes access to culture. The research identifies how the recurring practice of integrating art, architecture, and the city has evolved into an urban tradition that continues to this day, in an environment that poses tensions between visual art, urban policies, and the processes of appropriation of public space. Thus, art located in urban spaces plays a connecting role between institutional programs and social actors.Finally, the thesis compiles and organizes a section of the city's urban evolution, in which public art served as a catalyst for a more just, plural, and participatory city.
  

• DEL POZO MARTÍN, JORGE: Estudio estadístico del control de calidad del hormigón
  
  Author: DEL POZO MARTÍN, JORGE
  Thesis file: (contact the Doctoral School to confirm you have a valid doctoral degree and to get the link to the thesis)
  Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING
  Department: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (DECA)
  Mode: Normal
  Deposit date: 18/11/2025
  Reading date: 11/12/2025
  Reading time: 10:00
  Reading place: C1-002
  Thesis director: AGUADO DE CEA, ANTONIO | PIALARISSI CAVALARO, SERGIO HENRIQUE
  Thesis abstract: This doctoral thesis addresses a critical analysis of the structural concrete quality control system in Spain. Currently, national regulations establish a dual control system: one for production, executed by the manufacturer at the plant, and another for reception, carried out on-site upon receipt of the concrete. This duplication generates operational, technical, and economic conflicts, as well as potential inconsistencies in test results, which raises a debate about its suitability and effectiveness.The general objective of the first part of this thesis is to evaluate the efficiency and reliability of the dual control system, in order to subsequently propose an optimized model that simplifies the process without compromising structural safety or concrete quality. The aim is to move toward a more rational control adapted to the technological reality and European regulations.The second line of research focuses on the statistical basis on which the regulatory criteria for the acceptance or rejection of a batch of concrete are based. Currently, Spanish regulations assume that compression test results follow a normal (Gaussian) distribution. However, this hypothesis lacks solid theoretical justification and has limitations such as the possibility of obtaining negative values and a symmetry that does not always fit the real data. Therefore, other distribution functions are explored, such as the log-normal and Weibull distribution functions, which could better fit the actual results obtained in tests.Throughout the document, a methodology based on the analysis of large volumes of test data from real-life construction projects is presented. Different distribution functions are contrasted using goodness-of-fit tests, and the differences in the estimate of the 5% percentile, which defines the characteristic strength of concrete, are quantified. The results indicate that the normal function is not the most appropriate distribution function to best fit the data.Based on the findings obtained, the thesis proposes a review of the current quality control model, opting for a system based primarily on production control—with the possibility of receiving control using other types of tests that provide information about the finished structure—provided that traceability and quality are guaranteed through strict procedures and certifications. Likewise, it is suggested that normative statistical models be updated, incorporating distribution functions that more accurately represent the actual behavior of concrete.In conclusion, this research proposes a significant improvement in the way structural concrete quality is controlled in Spain. It provides technical, regulatory, and statistical foundations that justify a shift toward a more efficient model, free of redundancies, aligned with European guidelines, and supported by more robust statistical analysis, which could represent
  

• FERRANDO MONSONÍS, JAVIER: Interpretability in Natural Language Processing and Machine Translation
  
  Author: FERRANDO MONSONÍS, JAVIER
  Thesis file: (contact the Doctoral School to confirm you have a valid doctoral degree and to get the link to the thesis)
  Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
  Department: Department of Computer Science (CS)
  Mode: Normal
  Deposit date: 13/11/2025
  Reading date: pending
  Reading time: pending
  Reading place: pending
  Thesis director: RUIZ COSTA-JUSSA, MARTA
  Thesis abstract: This thesis presents a set of methods and analyses designed to improve our understanding of the internal mechanisms of Transformer-based models in natural language processing and machine translation.This work first investigates the role of attention weights in encoder-decoder Transformers, showing that while they do not provide accurate word alignments, they nonetheless help explain model predictions and contribute to a deeper understanding of translation quality.A central contribution of the dissertation is the development of ALTI and its extensions, which offer a new approach to input attribution. These methods challenge prior assumptions about the explanatory power of attention mechanisms and reveal how information propagates between encoder and decoder components. In doing so, they also shed light on sources of hallucinations in translation systems.Further, the thesis introduces techniques to attribute predictions to individual components and positions, enabling contrastive explanations of linguistic behavior. These explanations clarify how language models represent and solve different linguistic phenomena.The dissertation also proposes a methodology for tracking information flow during inference, offering insight into how various components contribute to model predictions. This allows for the identification of domain-specialized components and a better understanding of how representations are transformed across layers.Lastly, the analysis of cross-lingual circuit similarities reveals shared structural patterns in how models handle different languages. These findings point to potential universal mechanisms in language models.Collectively, this thesis advances the interpretability of Transformer models by providing tools and frameworks for probing, attributing, and understanding the behavior of complex NLP systems.
  

• LÓPEZ GÓMEZ, PATRICIA VICTORIA: Multifunctional hydrogels for advanced regenerative therapies
  
  Author: LÓPEZ GÓMEZ, PATRICIA VICTORIA
  Thesis file: (contact the Doctoral School to confirm you have a valid doctoral degree and to get the link to the thesis)
  Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
  Department: Department of Materials Science and Engineering (CEM)
  Mode: Normal
  Deposit date: 19/09/2025
  Reading date: 11/12/2025
  Reading time: 10:30
  Reading place: Aula A1.13, Edifici A, Escola d'Enginyeria de Barcelona Est (EEBE), Av. d'Eduard Maristany, 16, 08019 Barcelona
  Thesis director: MAS MORUNO, CARLOS | MEHWISH, NABILA
  Thesis abstract: Implant-associated infections remain one of the most critical challenges in the biomedical field. Despite advances in aseptic surgical techniques and antibiotic therapies, the persistence of bacterial colonization on implant surfaces -often involving biofilm formation- continues to compromise clinical outcomes. Conventional treatment strategies, including the systemic administration of antibiotics, local drug delivery systems, and surgical debridement, often fail to effectively eradicate biofilms, particularly those formed by pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Concurrently, the field of tissue engineering demands implantable materials that not only support tissue regeneration but also provide active defense against infection. However, most currently available materials fall short of achieving this dual function. In contaminated or high-risk environments, this shortcoming becomes especially critical. To address these limitations, there has been a growing focus on developing next-generation biomaterials that are no longer passive scaffolds but bioactive and dynamic systems capable of interacting with the biological milieu in real time. In this context, biofunctionalization has emerged as a powerful strategy to enhance both regenerative and antimicrobial properties of biomaterials. Among the different bioactive tools available, peptides have shown considerable promise due to their tunable chemistry, modular architecture, and high specificity. This thesis focuses on two peptide motifs with complementary bioactivities: RGD, which promotes cell adhesion, and hLf1-11, a broad-spectrum antimicrobial peptide derived from human lactoferrin. Together, these peptides represent a rational platform for engineering multifunctional materials that address the dual challenge of infection control and tissue integration. Specifically, the present work investigates the integration of RGD and hLf1-11 peptides into three hydrogel-based material systems, each representing a distinct level of biofunctionality and design complexity: • Chapter I examines the modification of alginate, a naturally derived but bioinert polymer, with RGD-hLf1-11 to evaluate stem cell behavior and antimicrobial activity. • Chapter II explores a fully synthetic PEG-based hydrogel system functionalised with these peptides and incorporating a protease-sensitive crosslinker to enable bioactivity and controlled degradation. • Chapter III focuses on self-assembling peptide hydrogels, where both structural assembly and biological function are encoded at the molecular level, enabling the formation of intrinsically bioactive materials without further modification. Collectively, these platforms offer a comparative and progressive approach toward the design of multifunctional hydrogels. This work not only demonstrates the feasibility of dual viii biofunctionalization but also highlights the critical roles of molecular architecture, crosslinking strategy, and material origin in shaping biological responses. Ultimately, this thesis contributes to the development of smart biomaterials that are both cell-instructive and antibacterial, aligning with the growing clinical need for adaptable, multifunctional solutions in regenerative medicine and infection-prone environments.
  

• REZK, JOSEPHIN: Sustainability assessment model for post-war reconstruction of blast-damaged RC buildings without structural collapse risk: A multi-criteria decision-making framework applied to the tourism sector in Damascus, Syria
  
  Author: REZK, JOSEPHIN
  Thesis file: (contact the Doctoral School to confirm you have a valid doctoral degree and to get the link to the thesis)
  Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN ARCHITECTURAL, BUILDING CONSTRUCTION AND URBANISM TECHNOLOGY
  Department: Department of Architectural Technology (TA)
  Mode: Normal
  Deposit date: 26/09/2025
  Reading date: 11/12/2025
  Reading time: 11:00
  Reading place: ETSAB (Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura de Barcelona) - Planta Baja - Sala de Grados Av. Diagonal, 649-651 - 08028 - Barcelona
  Thesis director: PONS VALLADARES, ORIOL | MUÑOZ BLANC, CARLOS
  Thesis abstract: Post-war reconstruction presents a series of complex challenges that go beyond restoring physical structures. In conflict-affected regions, decisions regarding the reconstruction of damaged buildings must be made under conditions of extreme resource limitations, infrastructural disruption, and socio-cultural fragility. However, most existing sustainability assessment frameworks are not suited to these conditions. They typically lack the adaptability and practicality required to support decision-making for individual buildings in post-conflict settings. This doctoral thesis addresses this gap through the development of a new decision-support model for assessing the sustainability of reconstruction strategies for reinforced concrete buildings damaged by external blasts but confirmed to be structurally stable.The thesis proposes a novel methodology that integrates the Integrated Value Model for Sustainable Assessment (MIVES) with the Delphi method, forming a multi-criteria decision-making framework capable of evaluating four reconstruction alternatives: refurbishment, demolition, reconstruction with retained identity, and preservation for future work. A key contribution of the thesis is the development of a specialized technical assessment form designed specifically for use in resource-constrained conflict zones. This form facilitates the classification of damage using visual inspection and expert consultation, offering a practical and accessible alternative to laboratory-based evaluations. It serves as an essential tool for determining a building’s eligibility for further sustainability-based assessment using the proposed model.To validate the MIVES-Delphi model, the thesis applies it to three real-world case studies involving reinforced concrete buildings used in the tourism sector in Damascus, Syria. Two of the buildings are located within protected historical areas, while the third is situated in a major tourism corridor. All buildings were confirmed by engineering reports to pose no risk of structural collapse. The results demonstrate that no single reconstruction alternative is universally optimal. In one case, refurbishment proved to be the most sustainable option in economic and social terms, while in another, preservation emerged as the most favorable from an environmental perspective. These outcomes highlight the model’s ability to adapt to contextual variables and support balanced, evidence-based reconstruction decisions.This thesis concludes that the newly developed decision-support model and technical assessment form together provide a transparent, replicable, and context-sensitive framework for guiding sustainable reconstruction in post-war environments. Although the model was validated through case studies in Syria, it is designed to be applicable across a wide range of conflict-affected regions. The work contributes significantly to the advancement of sustainable post-conflict recovery by offering practical tools for stakeholders seeking to align immediate reconstruction efforts with long-term resilience and development goals.