DOCTORAL DEGREE IN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

• BAGHERZADE GHAZVINI, MINA: A Data-driven Intelligent Decision Support Framework for Process Operation Management. An Application to Gas Turbine Process.
  
  Author: BAGHERZADE GHAZVINI, MINA
  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: 25/07/2025
  Reading date: pending
  Reading time: pending
  Reading place: pending
  Thesis director: SANCHEZ MARRE, MIQUEL | ANGULO BAHON, CECILIO
  Thesis abstract: This thesis presents a data-driven framework for enhancing the management and maintenance of industrial processes, exemplified through a case study involving gas turbines. The research focuses on several key areas: preprocessing operational data, identifying operational modes, analysing transitions between these modes, and detecting patterns for predictive maintenance. The research proposal begins with detailed data preprocessing to ensure the quality and usability of data. It then introduces methods for automatically recognising distinct operational modes using an ensemble of clustering techniques The research also explores the modelling of transitions between these operational states, capturing the dynamic nature of industrial processes. Furthermore, the Cluster-based Matrix Profile method is proposed to detect significant operational patterns that indicate potential issues or efficiencies, essential for developing predictive maintenance strategies. Overall, the framework developed in this thesis offers a systematic approach to improve decisionmaking, reliability, and efficiency in managing industrial processes. Although initially applied to gas turbines, this framework holds the potential for broader applications across various industrial systems.
  
• POU MULET, BARTOMEU: Supervised and Reinforcement Learning for Extreme Adaptive Optics with Application to Exoplanet Imaging
  
  Author: POU MULET, BARTOMEU
  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: Change of supervisor
  Deposit date: 05/09/2025
  Reading date: 06/10/2025
  Reading time: 15:00
  Reading place: Sala d'actes Marti Recover de la FIB
  Thesis director: MARTÍN MUÑOZ, MARIO | GRATADOUR, DAMIEN | QUIÑONES MORENO, EDUARDO
  Thesis abstract: This thesis demonstrates that applying a combination of deep learning (DL) models in adaptive optics (AO), each addressing an AO error source, can significantly increase performance, providing telescopes with better angular resolution. The first part focuses on developing DL models to mitigate specific errors within the AO loop. These include a reinforcement learning (RL) model trained online to reduce temporal error (caused by atmospheric evolution and control system delay), and supervised learning (SL) models trained offline to address non-linear error (arising from sensor non-linearities) and noise. Each chapter provides an in-depth analysis to interpret the behaviour of these DL models and demonstrates improvements over selected baselines. As a conclusion to the first part, the application of exoplanet imaging from some of the models is shown. In the second part, the focus shifts to deploying these methods in real systems. To this end, the real-time framework COSMIC is adapted to support neural networks, and both the inference and training of the models are optimised using specialised libraries (e.g., TensorRT) or reduced floating-point precision.Overall, integrating deep learning models, each focused on different error sources in the adaptive optics loop, together with real-time implementation, enables progress towards extreme adaptive optics, with promising implications for high-contrast imaging and direct exoplanet detection.
  

DOCTORAL DEGREE IN AUTOMATIC CONTROL, ROBOTICS AND VISION

• ESCUDERO RODRIGO, DIEGO: Dealing with the Anchoring Problem in Robotic Kitting using Behavior Trees
  
  Author: ESCUDERO RODRIGO, DIEGO
  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 AUTOMATIC CONTROL, ROBOTICS AND VISION
  Department: Department of Automatic Control (ESAII)
  Mode: Normal
  Deposit date: 01/09/2025
  Reading date: 15/10/2025
  Reading time: 11:30
  Reading place: Sala Polivalent de l'INTE, Campus Diagonal Sud, Edifici PC (Pavelló C)., ETSEIB, Av. Diagonal, 647 08028 Barcelona
  Thesis director: ARANDA LÓPEZ, JUAN | ALQUEZAR MANCHO, RENATO
  Thesis abstract: Industrial flexible manufacturing is a production method designed to adapt quickly to changes in product variety and volume. This is enabled by robots and perception systems capable of managing high-mix and high-volume production, ensuring quality and being easy to program. Flexible machines receive different types of parts using in-feed systems, and which types are used depends on the product that should be built. An important step is to provide to these machines all the parts required to be used during the production; this step is named as robotic kitting. Robotic kitting means the creation of parts assortment to be used later and these parts are selected from one or more containers in which there are different types of them randomly distributed. The procedure involves gathering the different parts to be moved and placed in a preparation area. In this area, the different parts are reassembled into a kit.The aim of this research was to develop an anchoring framework for Robotic `Intelligent' Kitting, a generalization of robotic kitting that incorporates symbols and their manipulation. Since symbols are required to solve this problem, the anchoring problem must be considered. This anchoring framework should enable generalist robots to anchor objects and actions required for a new task, through human-robot interaction and learning mechanisms. Our framework is based on automatically generated code and a human supervised approach, in which robot learning and human-robot interaction are used to anchor percepts and instructions to symbols during commissioning or reconfiguration phase. Genetic programming is a known technique for code generation that allows learning programs from scratch. So, it was combined with behavior trees for anchoring symbolic actions (e.g., find-part) to robot instructions at sensori-motor level (e.g., move-arm-to).An algorithm that combines genetic programming with conditional behavior trees (GP-CBT) is proposed. The core of the algorithm is composed by specific genetic operators, an evaluation criterion and the fallback swapper. As making easy the interaction with the operator is essential for our framework, this algorithm has been extended in order to generate action nodes automatically, allow the user to add task requirements, and update prior knowledge from previously learned tasks.
  

DOCTORAL DEGREE IN CIVIL ENGINEERING

• ALARCÓN FERNÁNDEZ, DANIEL: A model for the aero‐hydro‐servo‐elastic analysis of floating offshore wind turbines based on a co‐rotational formulation
  
  Author: ALARCÓN FERNÁNDEZ, DANIEL
  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 CIVIL ENGINEERING
  Department: Barcelona School of Civil Engineering (ETSECCPB)
  Mode: Normal
  Deposit date: 12/09/2025
  Reading date: pending
  Reading time: pending
  Reading place: pending
  Thesis director: MOLINS BORRELL, CLIMENT
  Thesis abstract: Nowadays, there is an increasing, despite reduced, number of models capable of performing fully coupled aerohydro‐servo‐elastic simulations in the time domain for the analysis of floating offshore wind turbines (FOWTs).Historically, in its beginnings, these models widely adopted rigid multibody systems (RMS) formulations todescribe the global dynamics response of the complete system. However, their incapability to determine theinternal stress‐strain state of hyperstatic components, in conjunction with the irruption of platform conceptswith higher structural complexity, promoted the development of a second generation of models adoptingflexible multibody systems (FMS) formulations. Whose main strategy, because they were fundamentally anevolution of the firsts, relied on describing the dynamic response of the flexible components by superimposinga first‐order deformational analysis over their spatial rigid‐body configuration. Nevertheless, because theindustry has quickly trended in the last decades toward bigger and more powerful wind turbines, somecomponents of the system have suffered from increasing slenderness and flexibility. As is the case of the rotorblades or the tower, which are starting to require the adoption of non‐linear analyses to assess their dynamicresponse and their internal stress state properly.In this context, there is an incipient but reduced number of models capable of performing fully coupled nonlineardynamic structural analyses of FOWTs. However, they are mostly strictly restricted to one‐dimensionalbeam type elements, forcing the adoption of approximated local load mapping procedures during the detailedengineering design phase. For that reason, a new advanced fully coupled model based on the Finite ElementsMethod (FEM) is proposed in the present thesis. Its main advantages lie in the ability to perform non‐lineardynamic analyses in time domain of complex structural models composed of multiple finite elements ofdifferent nature. This feature allows a more precise definition of the real structural behaviour and, therefore,leads to more detailed internal stress‐strain state analyses without the need of adopting additional techniques.The underlying balance equations of the model have been derived based on the Element Independent Corotational(EICR) method, whose foundations were laid in the work developed by C. C. Rankin and F. A. Broganin the 1980s and later readapted and improved by C.A. Felippa and B. Haugen in the 2000s. However, becauseit was initially mainly focused on non‐linear quasi‐static structural analysis, a detailed and consistent extensionto non‐linear dynamics based on continuum mechanics theory has been developed in the framework of thepresent thesis research.To evaluate the performance of the proposed structural model, it has been verified based on a set ofcomputational mechanics benchmarks available in the literature on non‐linear dynamics of flexible bodies.While the fully coupled aero‐hydro‐servo‐elastic model for the analysis of FOWTs has been validated based onthe experimental data provided in the framework of the Offshore Code Comparison, Collaboration, Continued,with Correlation and unCertainty (OC6) international project promoted by the International Energy Agency(IEA).
  

DOCTORAL DEGREE IN CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING

• SANG, XIAOHAN: Real-time Data-driven Safety Assessment for Building Structures
  
  Author: SANG, XIAOHAN
  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: Change of supervisor + Article-based thesis
  Deposit date: 10/09/2025
  Reading date: pending
  Reading time: pending
  Reading place: pending
  Thesis director: KONG, QINGZHAO | ROCA FABREGAT, PEDRO
  Thesis abstract: The evolution mechanism of structural performance remains a critical research topic in structural mechanics. Cracks, serving as indicators of performance deterioration, manifest physically at the meso-scale as processes of crack initiation and propagation, while at the macro-scale, they correspond to the global responses of structural stiffness degradation and load-bearing capacity attenuation. Traditional manual inspection methods are time-consuming and labor-intensive, and the acquired data are often unsuitable for direct application in structural evolution analysis. Consequently, this study focuses on developing performance evolution methodologies for crack-damaged buildings, aiming to enhance assessment efficiency and provide robust support for the lifecycle safety management of large-scale urban building structures.This research primarily addresses crack evolution prediction, crack-embedded finite element modeling techniques, rapid finite element modeling methods, and automated crack embedding approaches. Firstly, based on the curvature characteristics of reinforced concrete (RC) members, a method for predicting crack locations according to curvature variations is proposed and validated for accuracy through four-point bending tests. Secondly, to further improve prediction precision, an initial-condition-free crack prediction method is introduced. This approach, grounded in nonlinear bond-slip theory, is capable of describing extreme scenarios of reinforcement-concrete debonding, and its feasibility is experimentally verified.Regarding crack embedding within finite element models, this study presents a method for calculating the flexibility matrix of cracked elements based on strain energy release rate theory, along with modification techniques adaptable to diverse boundary conditions. Simultaneously, a novel simulation method utilizing nonlinear spring elements is proposed for unreinforced masonry structures, and its effectiveness is experimentally validated. Building upon this, a method for embedding cracks into masonry structures is further developed. This method simulates the alterations in tensile-compressive and shear behavior of post-cracking elements by adjusting the mechanical properties of planar elements and spring elements.Finally, a computer vision data-driven geometric adaptive modular finite element modeling method is proposed. This technique enables rapid acquisition of geometric information for frame structures, facilitating swift modeling and condition assessment. Additionally, to address the challenge of automated crack embedding in finite elements, a labeled crack embedding method is introduced. By assigning labels containing information on crack position, orientation, and boundary conditions, rapid integration of crack data is achieved.In summary, this study yields significant advancements in performance analysis methods for damaged buildings. It establishes theoretical formulations for crack location prediction and develops modeling approaches for damaged beams, columns, and walls, thereby laying a scientific foundation for constructing a structural performance evolution analysis framework.
  

DOCTORAL DEGREE IN ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING

• CAMÓS VIDAL, ROBERT: Design and characterization of an unobtrusive ECG monitoring system for wheelchairs
  
  Author: CAMÓS VIDAL, ROBERT
  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 ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING
  Department: Department of Electronic Engineering (EEL)
  Mode: Normal
  Deposit date: 16/09/2025
  Reading date: pending
  Reading time: pending
  Reading place: pending
  Thesis director: ROSELL FERRER, FRANCISCO JAVIER | SUDRIA ANDREU, ANTONI
  Thesis abstract: This work was carried out within the framework of the “Doctorats Industrials” program, in collaboration with Regner Engineering S.L., a company specialized in the manufacturing of wheelchair solutions, and the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya.As cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain the leading cause of death globally, and people with disabilities are at increased risk, the need for continuous, non-obtrusive heart monitoring becomes urgent. Three high-growth markets relevant to Electrocardiography (ECG) monitoring in wheelchairs were analyzed. First, the global wheelchair market is growing steadily, with powered models showing strong demand. Next, wearable and medical wearable markets are expanding rapidly, driven by advances in sensor integration and healthcare needs. Finally, the mHealth and IoHT sectors are experiencing major growth due to digital health trends and remote monitoring. Together, these markets highlight strong commercial potential for the proposed system.This PhD thesis presents the design and validation of a novel unobtrusive ECG monitoring system fully embedded into a wheelchair, tailored to the daily needs of individuals with mobility impairments.The developed solution integrates single-lead ECG sensors into the wheelchair’s armrests, using active electrodes powered by a bootstrapped supply to ensure ultra-high input impedance and high Common Mode Rejection Ratio (CMRR) in front of electrode impedance mismatch. This design allows the system to operate under both direct conductive contact (similar to dry electrodes) and indirect capacitive coupling (through clothing), without requiring hardware changes.Furthermore, the ECG sensor includes a protection circuit against electrostatic discharges (ESD), compliant with IEC 61000-4-2, which has been accurate designed and simulated in order not to degrade the high input impedance. The system also features Bluetooth connectivity and a modular backend, aiming for future scalability and industrial application.Sensor characterization was performed using an original experimental setup with an AC coupling inside a Faraday cage, allowing the measurement of very high input impedance values at low frequencies, i.e.191 fF at 50 Hz and common-mode rejection ratios (CMRR) up to 76.1 dB. Real-ECG recording tests with a volunteer wearing a cotton shirt confirmed accurate signal acquisition, with 117 µV RMS amplitude for the ECG and 31 dB of Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR).The research successfully achieved its goals by designing and validating a reliable unobtrusive ECG system for wheelchairs, meeting both clinical and industry standards. It lays a strong foundation for future developments in health monitoring. The proposed solution lays the foundation for future integration into chairs, beds, vehicle seats or even wearable technologies. It marks an important advance toward reliable, non-intrusive ECG monitoring for people with limited mobility, with both clinical and commercial potential.
  

DOCTORAL DEGREE IN ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

• SAVADKOOHI, MARJAN: An Advanced Control Strategy for Optimizing HVAC System Performance in Non-Residential Buildings
  
  Author: SAVADKOOHI, MARJAN
  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 ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
  Department: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (DECA)
  Mode: Normal
  Deposit date: 10/09/2025
  Reading date: 24/11/2025
  Reading time: 11:00
  Reading place: Place: ETSECCPBUPC, Campus NordBuilding C1. Classroom: 002C/Jordi Girona, 1-308034 Barcelona
  Thesis director: CASALS CASANOVA, MIQUEL | MACARULLA MARTÍ, MARCEL
  Thesis abstract: This PhD research addresses the scientific and practical challenges in implementing advanced control systems (ACS) for HVAC optimization in non-residential buildings. While adaptive and predictive strategies, especially model predictive control (MPC) and neural network (NN)-based methods, have shown promise in research, real-world deployment remains limited. Barriers include insufficient building historical data, technical limitations of HVAC systems, lack of building energy management systems (BEMS) standardization, and low institutional readiness. To address these, this thesis uses a dual-method approach combining empirical analysis and simulation-based experimentation.First, a survey of 676 non-residential buildings evaluates BEMS practices, focusing on HVAC control, data storage, and predictive control adoption. While smart metering and sensors are increasingly common, predictive control is reported in only 0.6% of buildings. Key barriers identified include a lack of environmental data logging, obsolete HVAC systems that do not support integration with predictive control technologies, limited technical expertise among building operators, and insufficient investment frameworks, particularly in the public sector.To respond to data and implementation challenges, the second part develops and evaluates NN-based predictive controllers using a calibrated building energy model. Eight NN models are trained on varying amounts of historical data to assess impacts on prediction accuracy and HVAC performance. Validations use consistent KPIs for thermal comfort and energy efficiency. Results show that 1–4 months of data are needed for acceptable performance, reaching a performance threshold after two years. Data preprocessing helps in data-limited cases (<100 instances), but adds little value with larger datasets, suggesting a context-specific role.Further analysis explores operational and climatic sensitivities. In cold climates and post-HVAC shutdown periods (e.g., Monday mornings), models struggle due to sparse training data. Performance improves mid-week and in warm zones, highlighting the need for diverse and climate-adapted training data. Compared to rule-based scheduling, NN controllers consistently improve energy use and comfort, especially when supported by adequate data and system configuration.This thesis offers novel insights into deploying intelligent HVAC control systems. It identifies data thresholds for effective predictive control, clarifies preprocessing roles, and provides guidance on model adaptation to climate and operations. It also highlights broader needs such as standardizing data acquisition, training energy professionals, and fostering public-private collaboration to reduce implementation risk. The findings support scalable predictive control in practice and contribute to the goals of energy efficiency, smart building management, and decarbonization.
  
• TUCI, FRANCESCA: Identification of Critical Issues and Development of Strategies to Increase the Environmental Sustainability of Textile Districts in Europe
  
  Author: TUCI, FRANCESCA
  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 ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
  Department: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (DECA)
  Mode: Normal
  Deposit date: 11/07/2025
  Reading date: 06/10/2025
  Reading time: 11:00
  Reading place: Room 138 School of EngineeringVia S.Marta 3, Florence
  Thesis director: LOPEZ GRIMAU, VICTOR | GORI, RICCARDO
  Thesis abstract: The textile industry is highly water-intensive, consuming 200-400 liters of freshwater per kg of product, making it the EU's 3rd largest water consumer. The Textile BAT Reference document (TXT Bref) highlights the volume of water discharged and its chemical load as key environmental concerns applicable throughout the European Union, including Italy and Spain. This study examines water-related challenges in the textile districts of Prato (Italy) and Catalonia (Spain), aiming to develop strategies for enhanced sustainability through innovative wastewater management, resource recycling, and sludge treatment. TXT BAT conclusions introduced associated emission levels (BAT-AELs) for direct and indirect wastewater discharges. Consequently, textile companies characterized by indirect discharge will be supposed to respect the BAT-AELs of certain contaminants unless the downstream wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) can abate these contaminants. In this study, mass balance calculations of two WWTPs located in Prato were conducted to verify that the removal of specific pollutants primarily originating from textile processes resulted from an effective treatment process and not merely a dilution effect with domestic wastewater. The findings confirmed the effective removal of critical compounds like COD, BiAS, sulfides, phenols, and hydrocarbons. Contaminants like Zn, Cu, Ba, Crtot, and Sb showed >50% removal efficiency, though results varied with sampling procedures. TXT BAT conclusions promote reuse and recycling to reduce freshwater use and wastewater generation. Prato, home to Europe’s largest wastewater recycling plant, faces challenges with high hardness in reclaimed water from Baciacavallo WWTP. It was demonstrated that an ultrafiltration-nanofiltration (UF-NF) pilot plant can reduce water hardness by more than 98%, regardless of the operating conditions. Furthermore, a simplified steady-state model of the chloride cycle revealed that replacing ion-exchange resin technology, used in Prato for water softening, with a UF-NF system leads to a substantial reduction in chloride concentration, enabling the reuse of reclaimed wastewater for other purposes such as irrigation.This research demonstrated that NF can treat dyeing wastewater and reuse the permeate for the dyeing process, thereby avoiding freshwater consumption and recovering salts. To this end, a laboratory NF pilot plant was employed to treat and reuse wastewater from the dyeing of cotton with reactive dyes. Permeate reuse had no impact on the final product's color reproducibility and allowed saving up to 24% of NaCl and 32% of Na2CO3. Moreover, electrochemical oxidation was applied to treat the NF concentrate, resulting in a color degradation level exceeding 95%. This outcome suggests the potential for the reuse of the concentrate, accompanied by the recovery of additional resources. Textile sludge (TXS) disposal, mainly via landfilling or incineration, is an environmental challenge. Therefore, in this work, biochemical methane potential (BMP) tests were conducted on three types of sludge (i.e., municipal, textile, and mixed) to assess anaerobic digestion (AD) as a potential sustainable treatment alternative. The results demonstrated the feasibility and benefits of AD for the valorization of TXS, with co-digestion as a promising approach to maximize biogas production efficiency. Finally, the study addressed microplastic (MP) pollution, proposing a method to quantify and identify MPs in wastewater. Understanding WWTP efficiency in MP removal supports efforts to mitigate emerging environmental concerns. The study outlines strategies to improve the environmental sustainability of textile districts. By adopting technologies like NF and AD, industries could reduce resource use, enhance wastewater treatment, and recover byproducts. It also highlights the need to tackle issues like microplastics with advanced monitoring, promoting sustainable practices in the European textile sector.
  

DOCTORAL DEGREE IN GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING

• MONCADA RAMÍREZ, ANÍBAL ANDRÉS: Coupled modelling and sustainability assessment of polymeric reinforced soil retaining structures subjected to environmental conditions
  
  Author: MONCADA RAMÍREZ, ANÍBAL ANDRÉS
  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 GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING
  Department: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (DECA)
  Mode: Normal
  Deposit date: 05/09/2025
  Reading date: 20/10/2025
  Reading time: 11:00
  Reading place: ETSECCPB.UPC, Campus NordBuilding C2. Classroom: 212C/Jordi Girona, 1-308034 Barcelona
  Thesis director: PUIG DAMIANS, IVAN | OLIVELLA PASTALLE, SEBASTIAN
  Thesis abstract: The focus of this Thesis are reinforced soil structures with polymeric (or geosynthetic) reinforcement elements. These materials are known for their rate-dependent behaviour, that is, time, load, temperature, and, to some extent, humidity, will affect their mechanical response. Depending on the geographic location of the structure, in-air and in-soil conditions can vary widely in temperature values and moisture content. Moreover, current climate change conditions, which are only expected to worsen with time, have shown drastic changes in local and global climate patterns, highlighting the need to better understand the response of reinforced soil structures to changing conditions. Coupled (thermo-hydraulic) numerical simulations were carried out to better understand how atmospheric climate influences in-soil conditions of a reinforced soil mass, namely, temperature, moisture content, and degree of saturation. Results allow for a better understanding on in-soil response to changing atmospheric conditions, as well as a valuable precursor for future coupled modelling attempts.Pullout tests were carried out using polyester strap reinforcements to study the effect of in-soil temperature in the soil-reinforcement response (i.e., pullout strength and friction interaction factors). Likewise, different geometries, vertical pressures, and installation techniques were tested to evaluate the overall pullout response of strap reinforcements, possible damages due to displacements and their consequences in the long-term, as well as reinforcement stiffness and extensibility. Results are useful in practical- and research-related fields as they allow to determine the soil-reinforcement interaction factor in a wide range of conditions and provide a better understanding of the temperature dependencies in the mechanical response of polyester.Polymeric materials will suffer from long-term deformations when subjected to constant load conditions. This phenomenon, also known as creep, will depend on the load level as well as temperature conditions. Analytical and numerical models usually rely on the selection of a single stiffness value to determine the response of polymeric materials. The selection of this value is not trivial, as it will depend on time, load, and temperature. With the aim of providing a numerical tool to simulate the long-term response of reinforced soil structure, a coupled viscoplastic constitutive model with temperature, load, and relative humidity dependencies was developed. Model parameters were calibrated using a wide dataset of laboratory measured creep master curves and later implemented in a finite element software.Polymeric materials cover a wide range of solutions in the fields of civil, mining, and geotechnical engineering. A key advantage of these materials is their reduced environmental impact, attributed to reductions in the use of granular material and subsequent transportation efforts. This Thesis goes a step beyond environmental impacts and into sustainability assessments of reinforced soil walls. For this, different facing elements and backfill material alternatives were analysed. Assessments include environmental, social/functional, and economic requirements. A probabilistic approach was used for the environmental and economic requirements. Results use idealized scenarios to evidence the advantages and/or disadvantages of different alternatives for reinforced soil walls with rigid facings. Finally, the procedure and results serve as example and/or starting point for future sustainability assessments, which are expected to be determining in future infrastructure projects.
  
• YAZDANI CHERATI, DAVOOD: Hydromechanical Simulation of Argillaceous Rocks for Radioactive Waste Disposal Applications
  
  Author: YAZDANI CHERATI, DAVOOD
  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 GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING
  Department: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (DECA)
  Mode: Normal
  Deposit date: 28/07/2025
  Reading date: pending
  Reading time: pending
  Reading place: pending
  Thesis director: VAUNAT, JEAN | GENS SOLE, ANTONIO
  Thesis abstract: Argillaceous claystones are primarily composed of clay particles of sedimentary origin andcontain a substantial amount of chemically precipitated cement, often calcium carbonate, whichacts as a bonding agent. Due to their favorable properties—such as low permeability, minimalmolecular diffusion, self-sealing capabilities, and high retention capacity for radionuclides—theyare considered suitable host geomaterials for the deep geological disposal of radioactive waste.However, fractures within these geomaterials, induced by excavations or post-disposal processes,can create preferential pathways for radionuclide migration, potentially influencing theperformance of the disposal system. Therefore, these problems should be numerically evaluated.However, due to their complex behavior, modeling argillaceous rocks presents a significantchallenge. Under shearing, these geomaterials exhibit anisotropy, creep, and quasi-brittle failurecharacterized by significant post-peak softening and strain localization. This study aims toinvestigate the hydromechanical response of Callovo-Oxfordian (COx) argillaceous claystones tolaboratory tests, field excavations, and post-disposal processes by employing the argillite modelsimplemented in the CODE-BRIGHT program. The argillite models are adopted since they caneffectively reproduce the key characteristics of argillaceous materials. Additionally, throughoutthis thesis, several other constitutive models are applied to simulate the behavior of materialsinteracting with the COx, including soft and rigid supports, and swelling materials. The outcomesof this thesis provide significant insight into the hydromechanical behavior of argillaceous rocks,thereby contributing to a more accurate evaluation of the disposal process.
  

DOCTORAL DEGREE IN MARINE SCIENCES

• ENRIQUEZ HIDALGO, ANDRES MAURICIO: Decision Support System for Coastal Area Management in Response to Flooding and Coastal Erosion: A Case Study of Tumaco-Nariño
  
  Author: ENRIQUEZ HIDALGO, ANDRES MAURICIO
  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 MARINE SCIENCES
  Department: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (DECA)
  Mode: Normal
  Deposit date: 18/07/2025
  Reading date: 14/10/2025
  Reading time: 16:00
  Reading place: Pontificia Universidad Javeriana Ak 7#40-62 Bogota Colombia
  Thesis director: MESTRES RIDGE, MARC | ESPINO INFANTES, MANUEL | TORRES ABELLO, ANDRES EDUARDO
  Thesis abstract: Flood and erosion risk management in coastal areas affected by these processes requires integrated and, when conditions allow, coupled approaches that combine physical, socioeconomic, and cultural factors. This thesis develops a methodology based on a decision support system (DSS), which operates in contexts with data scarcity and high uncertainty. This DSS integrates coupled numerical modeling (FLOW+SWAN), geospatial analysis, fuzzy logic (FL), machine learning (ML), and multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) with Monte Carlo simulations, offering a platform focused on risk characterization and the spatial prioritization of development pathways (DP) proposed in the Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Its flexible design allows for the combination of indices that consider hazard, vulnerability, and exposure, and the evaluation of DP such as hard and soft engineering measures, built environment adaptation, planned retreat or advancement, and nature-based solutions (NBS), adapted to coastal archetypes.Flood and erosion hazards are estimated based on coastal water levels that exceed land elevation and coastal slopes, considering significant wave height (SWH) and tidal range obtained through numerical modeling, and integrating as additive factors the influence of peak wave period (PWP) and wave direction (WDI). The degree of influence of oceanic forcing on shoreline displacement (SLD), analyzed using 30 years of data from the Landsat 5, 7, 8, and 9 collections with CoastSat, is quantified using a random forest. Vulnerability is defined based on elevation, terrain slope, and the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), while exposure is based on land use and land cover (LULC) and human settlements (HS); all these variables are derived from Sentinel-2 imagery processed using a convolutional neural network (ResNet). These layers are normalized and combined using fuzzy membership functions along with Monte Carlo simulations, which allows the generation of probabilistic risk maps derived from hazard, vulnerability, and exposure. In parallel, the DP are prioritized through MCDA, using the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), enhanced with Monte Carlo simulations to incorporate the uncertainty associated with expert judgment. Finally, the optimal solutions are spatially assigned according to the risk distribution, sea level rise (SLR) scenarios (SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, and SSP5-8.5) projected by NASA, and LULC and HS projections for the present, 2050, and 2100.The methodology developed constitutes the main result of this thesis. In its application to El Morro and Tumaco islands, in the Bay of Tumaco (Nariño – Colombia), the spatial allocation of DP shows a predominant combination of NBS, soft engineering, and built environment adaptation, distributed according to the level of risk, LULC, and HS. When comparing scenarios with and without numerical modeling, it is observed that the omission of modeling leads to a significant overestimation of risk areas, which implies managing approximately 284 more hectares than are necessary. Likewise, the inclusion of sea level rise (SLR) projected by the SSP scenarios allows the identification of 52 additional hectares requiring intervention in the long term. These differences demonstrate that the DSS is not only robust but also flexible, as it allows for the evaluation of scenarios with varying degrees of technical complexity and the adjustment of the risk threshold established in this case at the 95th percentile according to the decision maker’s level of risk tolerance.
  

DOCTORAL DEGREE IN MATERIALS SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING

• AL ZEYADI, NOORA TALIB MOHAMMED: 3D printing of aluminum alloys under different extrusion techniques
  
  Author: AL ZEYADI, NOORA TALIB MOHAMMED
  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 MATERIALS SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
  Department: Department of Materials Science and Engineering (CEM)
  Mode: Normal
  Deposit date: 18/07/2025
  Reading date: 17/11/2025
  Reading time: 11:30
  Reading place: UPC Facultat de Matemàtiques i Estadística Campus Diagonal Sud, Carrer de Pau Gargallo, 14, Distrito de Les Corts, 08028 Barcelona SALA D'ACTES
  Thesis director: CABRERA MARRERO, JOSE MARIA | FENOLLOSA ARTÉS, FELIP
  Thesis abstract: This doctoral research evaluated the feasibility of using various aluminum-based feedstocks in additive manufacturing (AM) to develop cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional metal fabrication. The study systematically examined AA6061 filament, AlSi10Mg granules (commercial and recycled), and AlSi10Mg powder paste across three AM techniques: Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), screw-based extrusion, and Direct Ink Writing (DIW). The main objectives were to optimize printing, thermal debinding, and sintering parameters for each feedstock and AM technique, and to assess the resulting mechanical properties and microstructures of the fabricated parts.For printing, AA6061 filament processed via FDM achieved optimal results with a 0.8 mm nozzle diameter at 205 °C. AlSi10Mg granules (commercial and recycled) and AlSi10Mg powder paste, used in screw-based extrusion and DIW respectively, performed best with 0.6 mm nozzles and lower temperatures. These optimizations established critical baseline conditions for subsequent processing steps, emphasizing the distinct requirements of each material and technique.Thermal debinding, essential for removing polymeric binders before sintering, was optimized for each feedstock. For AA6061 filament, 550 °C with holding times up to 3 hours was most effective. For commercial AlSi10Mg granules, 350 °C for 3 hours yielded optimal results, a condition that also worked for recycled granules and powder paste. These parameters minimized defects and prepared the parts for successful sintering.Sintering parameters were rigorously optimized to ensure densification and desired mechanical properties. AA6061 filament was best sintered at 635 °C, while commercial AlSi10Mg granules and powder paste achieved optimal results at 600 °C. Recycled AlSi10Mg granules reached peak performance at 620 °C. All sintering was conducted for 3 hours under a nitrogen atmosphere with vacuum and oxygen traps. SEM analysis confirmed increased densification and uniform microstructures under these conditions.A pre-sintering pressing technique was introduced to further enhance densification and reduce porosity. This step significantly improved the relative density of sintered parts by 19.25–45.55%, with pressed samples achieving densities up to 93.65%. Mechanical testing showed that recycled AlSi10Mg granules provided the highest compressive strength (168.34 MPa), followed by commercial granules, AA6061 filament, and powder paste.
  
• GARCÍA DE ALBÉNIZ LÓPEZ DE ABERÁSTURI, NEREA: Engineering zirconia surfaces with cell instructive and antibacterial properties
  
  Author: GARCÍA DE ALBÉNIZ LÓPEZ DE ABERÁSTURI, NEREA
  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 MATERIALS SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
  Department: Department of Materials Science and Engineering (CEM)
  Mode: Article-based thesis
  Deposit date: 29/07/2025
  Reading date: 13/10/2025
  Reading time: 10:30
  Reading place: ESCOLA D'ENGINYERIA BARCELONA ESTC/Eduard Maristany, 16 (08019 Barcelona)934137400Planta 2 Aula A A2.13https://meet.google.com/ztp-qftd-pqu
  Thesis director: JIMENEZ PIQUÉ, EMILIO | MAS MORUNO, CARLOS
  Thesis abstract: Tetragonal zirconia polycrystals stabilized with 3 mol% yttria (3Y-TZP) has gained growing interest as an alternative to titanium for dental implants, owing to its excellent biocompatibility, high mechanical strength and corrosion resistance and superior aesthetics. Despite these advantages, the clinical performance of zirconia implants still depends on their ability to promote osseointegration while simultaneously minimizing the risk of bacterial colonization, a competitive process known as "race for the surface". Surface properties of dental implants, such as topography, chemistry, and wettability, critically influence the biological response at the tissue-implant interface. In particular, micro- and nanotopographies directly impact cell-material interaction and can modulate several cellular functions including adhesion, migration, proliferation, and differentiation. Similarly, these topographical features affect bacterial response, either promoting bacterial adhesion or, conversely, reducing colonization through antifouling or bactericidal effects. For this reason, surface modifications have become a widely explored strategy to enhance the biological performance of implants. Nevertheless, the major challenge lies in designing surfaces that simultaneously support osseointegration while also preventing bacterial adhesion.This PhD Thesis addressed this challenge by investigating different surface modification approaches to improve the biological performance of zirconia. The aim was to create topographies that simultaneously improve cell behavior while exhibiting antibacterial properties. In concrete, we developed and characterized a series of micro and nanostructured zirconia surfaces and evaluated their biological performance both in terms of human mesenchymal stem cell (hMSC) response and bacterial adhesion of different strains. Prior to experimental work, a comprehensive bibliographic review on topographical modification strategies for 3Y-TZP was conducted (Chapter I), highlighting existing knowledge gaps and guiding the selection of surface treatments. Following this, different surface modification techniques were employed, including hydrofluoric acid (HF) etching for generating nanotopography (Chapter II) and laser patterning via nanosecond (ns-) and femtosecond (fs-) laser to create defined microstructures (Chapter III). These techniques were also combined to evaluate a potential synergistic effect of hierarchically rough micro- and nanotopographies on the biological response (Annex I). Our findings demonstrate both chemical etching and laser patterning techniques successfully enhanced the biological performance of zirconia by improving the hMSCS behavior and reducing bacterial adhesion. However, their combination did not result in a synergistic improvement. Among all the surfaces, the 3 μm linear pattern (L3) created through fs-laser patterning offered the best balance by simultaneously enhancing hMSC adhesion, migration, and osteogenic differentiation, while significantly reducing the adhesion of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria. It also led to the most favorable biological outcome under competitive co-culture conditions. Furthermore, biofunctionalization of this topography using a multifunctional peptide containing both antimicrobial and cell-adhesive sequences showed promising synergistic biological effects (Annex II). Importantly, these improvements were achieved without compromising the mechanical integrity of the L3-patterned surface (Annex III). In conclusion, this PhD Thesis demonstrated that topographical modification of zirconia offers promising strategies for developing zirconia implant with improved biological performance, enhancing both osseointegration and antibacterial properties. Future directions should focus on integrating biochemical cues, in vivo validations, and complete assessment of the mechanical integrity.
  

DOCTORAL DEGREE IN NATURAL RESOURCES AND THE ENVIRONMENT

• SAVADKOOHI, MARJAN: Evaluating harmonized equivalent black carbon mass concentration and source apportionment for air quality assessment
  
  Author: SAVADKOOHI, MARJAN
  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 NATURAL RESOURCES AND THE ENVIRONMENT
  Department: Department of Mining, Industrial and ICT Engineering (EMIT)
  Mode: Article-based thesis
  Deposit date: 26/06/2025
  Reading date: 06/10/2025
  Reading time: 11:00
  Reading place: Sala Multimèdia B3 - Escola Tècnica Superior d'Enginyeria de Telecomunicació de Barcelona
  Thesis director: PANDOLFI, MARCO | ALASTUEY UROS, JOSE ANDRES
  Thesis abstract: Black carbon (BC), derived from optical absorption measurements, has emerged as an air quality (AQ) metric due to its significant effects on air quality, climate, and public health. As BC cannot be directly measured, inconsistencies arise in estimating its equivalent mass. The Europeans’ new AQ directive mandates BC monitoring at supersites and recommends it at hotspots, defining it as carbonaceous aerosols measured by light absorption. In atmospheric sciences, equivalent black carbon (eBC) is commonly defined as the mass concentration indirectly derived from measuring light attenuation by particles collected on filters at specific wavelengths (λ) using filter absorption photometers (FAPs). The measured attenuation is converted to absorption coefficient (babs), and then to eBC mass using predefined mass absorption cross-section (MAC), either default or calibrated with elemental carbon (EC). Despite regulatory progress, accurate eBC quantification and source apportionment remain challenging due to the absence of a standardized reference method and operational inconsistencies across monitoring networks. This thesis addresses these limitations by harmonizing absorption measurements, refining eBC estimation, and improving source apportionment methodologies. It further incorporates advanced computational tools to enhance consistency and interpretability in eBC reporting. Ambient eBC data from 50+ monitoring sites across Europe, including urban background (UB), traffic (TR), suburban (SUB), and regional background (RB) areas, were analyzed to study spatial and temporal variability. In the first phase, harmonized light absorption measurements and historical eBC data revealed a clear decreasing trend in eBC concentrations, TR > UB > SUB > RB, with a northward gradient consistent with other pollutants such as PM2.5. Strong seasonal variability was observed, with winter peaks at UB and SUB due to increased domestic heating and low atmospheric mixing. This methodology was also applied in harmonizing eBC observations across US regions, where emissions from gasoline and diesel vehicles were reduced, but wildfires increased regional eBC levels. eBC was apportioned into liquid fuel (eBCLF) and solid fuel (eBCSF) sources using Aethalometer (AE33) data and the common Aethalometer model. Despite its limitations, the method showed strong eBCLF dominance, while eBCSF retained regional relevance. A decreasing eBCLF trend was linked to reduced diesel emissions, whereas eBCSF remained stable or increased in some areas, suggesting persistent solid fuel use. To enhance eBC estimation, the second phase explored the spatial-temporal variability of site- and instrument-specific MACs using collocated EC and absorption data. Estimations based on nominal MACs overestimated eBC by up to 50%, whereas rolling site-specific MACs improved accuracy. A strong seasonal MAC dependence highlighted the need for continuous calibration. In the third phase, source apportionment was refined by deriving site-specific Absorption Ångström Exponent (AAE) values from AE33 data. A percentile-based method to estimate AAELF and AAESF (from summer and winter AAE distributions, respectively) was validated using chemical tracers (e.g., m/z 60 for biomass burning). Results showed that fixed AAE values were not universally applicable, reinforcing the need for site- and season-specific values to improve source characterization. Finally, integrating multi-wavelength optical and chemical datasets with multi-time resolution factor analysis improved the determination of site- and source-specific AAE. Machine learning models were also developed as virtual sensors for eBC estimation, showing strong cross-site transferability and offering a scalable solution for AQ monitoring. Overall, this thesis lays the foundation for a more standardized approach of eBC monitoring, supporting its inclusion as a regulated pollutant and reinforcing its role in AQ and climate policies.
  
• YOUSEFIAN, MOHAMMAD: Evaluating the Impact of Corporate Social Responsibility on Financial Performance, Productivity, and Critical Success Factors in the European Mining Industry
  
  Author: YOUSEFIAN, MOHAMMAD
  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 NATURAL RESOURCES AND THE ENVIRONMENT
  Department: Department of Mining, Industrial and ICT Engineering (EMIT)
  Mode: Normal
  Deposit date: 16/09/2025
  Reading date: 21/10/2025
  Reading time: 10:00
  Reading place: Sala d'actes Escola Politècnica Superior d'Enginyeria de Manresa. EPSEM
  Thesis director: BASCOMPTA MASSANÈS, MARC | SANMIQUEL PERA, LLUIS
  Thesis abstract: Responsible and ethical business practices have gained prominence, particularly through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Over four decades, CSR disclosure evolved significantly, increasingly appearing in dedicated reports. Each economic sector has established distinct CSR practices and standards, including the mining industry. In Europe, CSR is largely voluntary for SMEs, while larger firms follow internationally recognized guidelines. Despite its modest scale, European mining is essential to achieving sustainability and transitioning to a circular economy, yet SMEs hesitate in adopting CSR due to unclear financial implications.This thesis investigates CSR's impact on economic growth and management within the European mining sector, specifically examining macroeconomic and microeconomic indicators, financial performance, and decision-making. Data from 45 publicly listed European mining companies from 2018 to 2021 was analyzed using content analysis and fixed-effects panel regression models. Financial indicators studied include Return on Asset (ROA), Return on Equity (ROE), Net Profit Margin (NPM), Tobin’s Q, and labor productivity, alongside CSR ratings from CSRHub. Results revealed a consistently positive relationship between CSR performance and financial indicators, and partially positive effects on labor productivity.Furthermore, the relationship between CSR and Total Factor Productivity (TFP) was studied using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and panel regression analysis on data from 40 mining firms and the World Bank. Findings indicated that CSR initiatives positively influence TFP, with transparency, training, health and safety, and resource management identified as significant contributing factors.Finally, the research identified Critical Success Factors (CSFs) for successful CSR implementation using fuzzy Delphi and Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) methodologies. An expert panel refined 16 initial factors down to 12, identifying biodiversity conservation, waste management, and energy efficiency as the most critical success factors strongly interconnected with other CSR elements.This comprehensive study underscores the value of CSR in enhancing financial and economic performance in the European mining industry and provides a clear framework for effective CSR implementation.
  

DOCTORAL DEGREE IN PHOTONICS

• FERNÁNDEZ FERNÁNDEZ, GABRIEL: Learning particle dynamics: from diffusion to interactions
  
  Author: FERNÁNDEZ FERNÁNDEZ, GABRIEL
  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 PHOTONICS
  Department: Institute of Photonic Sciences (ICFO)
  Mode: Normal
  Deposit date: 01/09/2025
  Reading date: pending
  Reading time: pending
  Reading place: pending
  Thesis director: LEWENSTEIN, MACIEJ | MANZO, CARLO
  Thesis abstract: Understanding how a complex system works from its components, such as a virus invading a cell or particles aggregating in a liquid, is a fundamental question in the study of nature that provides great biological benefits. To solve this question, it is interesting to observe the path taken by the components of a system, as this contains valuable information that helps us to characterize them and understand how they interact with each other. Advances in the last decade in the field of machine learning offer a promising numerical tool, as they allow the automatic extraction of relevant features and relationships, while also predicting the system's behavior.In this thesis, we focus on the analysis of particle trajectories observed in complex systems, addressing two fundamental aspects:the random and therefore difficult-to-characterize individual behavior, as occurs in the lungs, where we inhale air and oxygen diffuses into the capillaries of the alveoli; and behavior due to multiple ways of interacting, in some cases unknown, such as that of a large flock of birds migrating together.In particular, we consider three problems:1) the accurate estimation of parameters that characterize the anomalous diffusion observed in biological processes,2) the identification of significant parameters to describe stochastic processes,and 3) the extraction of the functional form of the multiple forces present in particle systems.To tackle each of the problems, we developed a specific machine learning model designed to extract meaningful information from trajectories and rigorously evaluated it on a series of simulated systems with known dynamics.The first method, KISTEP, predicts anomalous diffusion properties at each time step, for trajectory segments, and for a set of trajectories, allowing for detailed analysis at each level, based on individual trajectories. With this method, we participated in the AnDi Challenge 2, a scientific competition comparing computational methods dedicated to characterizing fractional Brownian motion trajectories that resemble biological phenomena observed in experiments such as cell endocytosis or protein immobilization.The second method, SPIVAE, helps to identify the minimal representation of stochastic processes thanks to its unsupervised, interpretable, and generative features. Furthermore, it is capable of generating new trajectories that reproduce the learned characteristics of the process. The analysis performed with SPIVAE revealed the expected parameters of BM, fractional BM, and confined BM, while it learned a nonlinear combination in the case of the scaled BM.The third method, FISGAE, employs a graph neural network to infer in an unsupervised manner the functional form of the forces acting between particles. FISGAE successfully learned the forces between 21 interacting particles with non-reciprocal linear forces, while in the more complex scenario of a Lennard-Jones gas, it learned well the force at short distances.In conclusion, this research provides methods to facilitate the analysis of particle systems directly from their trajectories, unlocking insights otherwise unavailable. The proposed methods have the potential to benefit experimental and theoretical researchers, and even artificial intelligence developers, by enabling a more comprehensive understanding of complex systems. Furthermore, the developed frameworks are ready for future improvements, which could be achieved through the integration of more sophisticated architectures, thereby paving the way for even more advanced applications and discoveries.
  
• KOKABEE, OMID: High-power ultrafast optical parametric oscillators from the visible to mid-infrared
  
  Author: KOKABEE, OMID
  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 PHOTONICS
  Department: Institute of Photonic Sciences (ICFO)
  Mode: Normal
  Deposit date: 09/07/2025
  Reading date: 11/11/2025
  Reading time: 10:00
  Reading place: ICFO Auditorium
  Thesis director: EBRAHIM-ZADEH, MAJID
  Thesis abstract: The introduction of electric lighting in Architecture marked a profound transformation in its design conception, establishing artificial light as a fundamental element in the configuration of space. Unlike other artistic and architectural disciplines, artificial architectural lighting lacks a formalised Art History. Existing specialist literature remains largely focused on technical and quantitative aspects, frequently relegating the qualitative dimensions of light in space to a secondary status. Consequently, there is a notable absence of a specific vocabulary capable of accurately describing the qualitative effects of lighting in architecture. This lexical gap hampers the effective communication of lighting-related spatial concepts, ultimately to the detriment of architectural practice. In light of these challenges, and with the aim of improving both design and pedagogical methodologies, this research advocates for the establishment of a dedicated vocabulary for qualitative architectural lighting. It is predicated on the hypothesis that it is feasible to construct a consensual glossary that enables the precise articulation of the formal and spatial attributes of lighting effects within architectural environments. To substantiate this hypothesis, the research sets out two principal objectives: first, to identify the parameters that define the qualitative aspects of lighting and to compile the associated terminological corpus; second, to develop a lexical and visual dictionary in which each term is clearly defined and illustrated, thereby facilitating its comprehension and application in both academic and professional contexts, and contributing to the standardisation of a specific and practical language.The study adopts a qualitative methodological framework, centred on the linguistic analysis of texts describing architectural lighting projects, which have been published in specialised Spanish-language media. A rigorous, systematic, and replicable terminology methodology has been employed, drawing upon established principles from the field of Terminology studies and related research on lighting perception. The process integrates automated term extraction methods, enabling efficient handling of large data sets, and applies linguistic techniques adapted to the visual domain. The research identifies the principal parameters defining the formal qualities of architectural lighting as direction, colour, and distribution, followed by quantity, luminance, sources, informational content, perceptual effects, and others. Among these, the distribution parameter emerges as the most frequently cited and, thus, the most critical for both configuring and describing architectural lighting. Accordingly, the dictionary focuses on the most recurrent terms related to distribution, listed alphabetically as follows: accent lighting, ambient lighting, composed lighting, diffuse lighting, direct lighting, directed lighting, dispersed lighting, focalized lighting, general lighting, grazing lighting, homogeneous lighting, horizontal lighting, indirect lighting, integrated lighting, precise lighting, projected lighting, reflected lighting, uniform lighting, and vertical lighting. It has been demonstrated that each of these terms can be defined in a manner that supports clear, precise, and intelligible communication within architectural lighting discourse. Furthermore, it is feasible to identify corresponding visual representations that exemplify each definition, reinforcing their pedagogical and practical applicability. In conclusion, this research affirms the viability of developing a consensual glossary of terms to imporve the communication of the formal and spatial characteristics of lighting effects within architectural practice, which constitutes a foundational step toward the recognition and standardisation of qualitative lighting vocabulary in the discipline.
  
• MORTIMER, LUKE BAILEY: A Variety of Optimization Techniques Applied In the Context of Quantum Information Theory
  
  Author: MORTIMER, LUKE BAILEY
  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 PHOTONICS
  Department: Institute of Photonic Sciences (ICFO)
  Mode: Normal
  Deposit date: 01/09/2025
  Reading date: 06/10/2025
  Reading time: 11:00
  Reading place: ICFO Auditorium
  Thesis director: ACÍN DAL MASCHIO, ANTONIO
  Thesis abstract: The thesis considers a number of optimisation techniques applied in the context of quantum information theory. After a pedagogical introduction of both quantum information theory and optimisation, it considers three main avenues of research. The first is the well-known foundational open problem of mutually unbiased bases, which consists of finding sets of orthonormal bases that are each unbiased with one another. More specifically, it remains unknown whether one can find a set of 4 mutually unbiased bases in dimension 6. A variety of optimisation techniques are applied, including non-linear semidefinite programming, see-saw optimisation, semidefinite programming relaxations, branch-and-cut, gradient descent methods and the method of Lagrange multipliers, each providing further insights into the problem. The second avenue is that of Bell nonlocality, more specifically attempting to simplify the hierarchy of semidefinite programs known as the NPA (Navascués-Pironio-Acín) hierarchy used to find bounds on the maximum quantum violation of Bell inequalities. For the case in which one has a large number of inputs per party, advantage in both memory and time versus state-of-the-art solvers is demonstrated using a combination several optimisation techniques. The third avenue is that of many-body quantum physics, which encompasses a wide range of topics. The thesis considers the problems of bounding expectation values of observables over the steady-states of open quantum systems, finding improved Fermion-to-qubit mappings and solving the graph colouring problem with a novel qudit-inspired optimisation algorithm. In each case, advantage versus comparable methods is demonstrated.
  
• WU, YINA: Theoretical aspects of the interaction of free and tunneling electrons with low-dimensional photonic systems
  
  Author: WU, YINA
  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 PHOTONICS
  Department: Institute of Photonic Sciences (ICFO)
  Mode: Normal
  Deposit date: 10/09/2025
  Reading date: 24/10/2025
  Reading time: 10:00
  Reading place: ICFO Auditorium
  Thesis director: GARCÍA DE ABAJO, JAVIER
  Thesis abstract: In this thesis, we provided a theoretical description of how focused electron beams interact with low-energy excitations and generate nanoscale light, which is of great interest in the field of nanophotonics. In addition, we described light generation by tunneling electrons and applied this phenomenon to the detection of analytes through the changes that they produce in the far-field emitted intensity.Specifically, through detailed modeling, we have investigated the plasmonic behavior in nanostructured materials, the phononic responses in polar crystals, and light generation through inelastic electron tunneling. We also calculated the spectral distribution of energy losses experienced by fast electrons interacting with these excitations and obtained spatially resolved electron energy-loss spectra for diverse systems. Here, we summarize our key findings:In Chapter2, we explored that the infrared plasmon response of fluorine-doped indium oxide nanocube dimers is controlled by how the cubes touch: point and edge contacts produce a singular low-energy dipolar mode that vanishes when the gap opens, whereas face contacts give a smooth spectral shift. Electron energy loss spectroscopy measurements and simulations confirm this geometry-dependent behavior, challenging the assumption that all dimers are identical. These results provide new insights into gap plasmons for sensing and nonlinear optics applications.In Chapter3, our study of hexagonal boron nitride nano-ellipsoids shows that nonlocal effects rule the low-energy phonon polaritons when the particle size drops below a few tens of nanometers. An atomistic model that includes long-range dipole–dipole interactions explains both the surface-confined and bulk-like modes seen in monochromated scanning transmission electron microscopy-electron energy loss spectroscopy, while a simple local dielectric model misses the surface feature entirely. We also find that finite size and surface polarization reshape the vibrational spectrum. These results underline that any realistic design of mid-infrared hexagonal boron nitride devices must account for spatial dispersion at the atomic scale. By integrating advanced microscopy, atomistic theory, and computational modeling, this research provides a blueprint for studying vibrational excitations in low-dimensional polar materials. In Chapter5, it introduced a self-illuminating plasmonic biosensor driven by electron tunneling. The device utilizes an metal-insulator-metal tunnel junction with a gold nanowire metasurface on top, enhancing electron-to-light conversion via plasmonic resonance. The developed sensor demonstrates spatially uniform emission over large areas and exhibits high sensitivity for detecting thin polymer films and biomolecular layers. This work offers a practical platform suited for integrated biosensing without relying on external illumination sources. Hence, angle-resolved photodetection could provide deeper insights into plasmonic mode structures, leading to enhanced spectral selectivity and sensitivity. The interplay between electron probes, excitations, and nanoscale light generation offers numerous exciting opportunities for future research. We believe that the insights and methods presented in this thesis can contribute significantly to exploring these promising new directions.
  

DOCTORAL DEGREE IN SIGNAL THEORY AND COMMUNICATIONS

• MAS I MÉNDEZ, MIREIA: RADAR-BASED TECHNIQUES FOR CONTINUOUS MONITORING OF SOIL MOISTURE AND VEGETATION USING TIME SERIES ANALYSIS
  
  Author: MAS I MÉNDEZ, MIREIA
  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 SIGNAL THEORY AND COMMUNICATIONS
  Department: Department of Signal Theory and Communications (TSC)
  Mode: Normal
  Deposit date: 10/09/2025
  Reading date: 28/10/2025
  Reading time: 11:00
  Reading place: Aula de Teleensenyament ETSETB, Campus Nord, Barcelona
  Thesis director: FABREGAS CANOVAS, FRANCISCO JAVIER
  Thesis abstract: Ongoing changes in climate and weather patterns have emphasized the need for improved observation and understanding of rapid land–atmosphere interactions, particularly those related to the water cycle. This thesis explores the use of high-temporal-resolution SAR to monitor soil and crop dynamics, aiming to support the development of future Earth Observation missions, especially from geosynchronous orbit with short revisit times.The research was conducted within the framework of the HydroSoil project, funded by ESA, which established a unique ground-based SAR observation facility. The system allows for continuous monitoring of fields with a temporal resolution of 10 minutes and a spatial resolution of 1 m2 in the boresight. Complemented by extensive meteorological and ground truth data, the facility offered an ideal setup to study short-term dynamics of SM and crop development, focusing on two crops: barley and corn.The first part of the study examines diurnal cycles in radar backscatter time series and its relationship with environmental variables such as atmospheric humidity, temperature, and dew formation. Time-frequency analysis using wavelets was applied to quantify how radar signals correlate with specific meteorological variables at different time scales. Following this, a two-layer surface scattering model was applied to better capture the effects of diurnal SM variations on radar backscatter. In particular, the model accounts for the formation of a transient wet layer at the soil surface during nighttime, followed by daytime evaporation. When integrated with a short-term change detection method, the model enabled the retrieval of soil moisture time series with improved accuracy, particularly under conditions of high incidence angles and during rapid transitions following precipitation.The second part of the thesis focuses on the radar response to crop development. It is shown that radar backscatter and interferometric coherence are sensitive to plant height and phenological stage, though these relationships weaken under dense vegetation. A new metric, the daily growth rate, was introduced to better characterize crop evolution, correlating better with radar observables than traditional static parameters. Additionally, diurnal cycles in backscatter, primarily driven by dew formation and atmospheric humidity, were consistently observed and quantified.The final part of the thesis investigates the scattering mechanisms underlying the radar signal using several polarimetric decomposition techniques. These tools allowed for a detailed temporal characterization of how radar signals respond to environmental variables and crop growth stages. While all decomposition methods provided valuable insights, each also presented limitations, particularly in high biomass conditions where traditional models tended to overestimate volume scattering due to saturation effects.To address these limitations, the NNED was applied, reducing inconsistent scattering artifacts and improving robustness especially under dense canopies. The study also highlights that attributing all volumetric scattering to cross-polarized channels is overly simplistic. It is suggested that future research should explore combinations of different decomposition methods and leverage time-series analysis to refine interpretations of crop–environment interactions.In conclusion, this work demonstrates the potential of high-temporal-resolution SAR for monitoring short-term variations in soil and vegetation conditions. By integrating advanced modeling, coherence analysis, and polarimetric decompositions, the thesis provides a comprehensive framework for improving the understanding of land surface processes. The findings contribute to the current development of SAR-based methods for precision agriculture and offer practical guidance for the design of future radar missions targeting environmental and agricultural monitoring applications.
  

DOCTORAL DEGREE IN STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS

• VENGHAUS, HENNING: Advanced Finite Element Methods for Metal Forming and Manufacturing Process Simulation: An Application to Friction Stir Welding Analysis.
  
  Author: VENGHAUS, HENNING
  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 STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS
  Department: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (DECA)
  Mode: Article-based thesis
  Deposit date: 10/09/2025
  Reading date: 10/11/2025
  Reading time: 12:00
  Reading place: Sala Zienkiewich (CIMNE) Building C1, UPC - Campus NorthGran Capitan S/N 08034 Barcelona
  Thesis director: CHIUMENTI, MICHELE | BAIGES AZNAR, JOAN | JUHRE, DANIEL
  Thesis abstract: This work explores the benefits and challenges of advanced Finite Element Methods for metal forming and manufacturing processes. As these processes become increasingly complex, FEM has emerged as a crucial tool. It helps predict physical quantities, aiding engineers in decision-making and enhancing the efficiency of development and production chains.Metal forming often involves (nearly) isochoric behavior due to plastic deformations, which can cause the standard Finite Method to become unstable. To address the isochoric behavior and ensure local convergence of strains and stresses, this study utilizes mixed finite element formulations, including the displacement-pressure (u/p), displacement-strain (u/ε), and displacement-pressure-deviatoric strain (u/p/e) formulations. To mitigate the high computational cost of the u/ε and u/p/e formulations, the Adaptive Formulation Refinement (AFR) technique is developed. This technique selectively activates the enhanced formulations based on physical criteria or error estimation. The method's accuracy and convergence rate is studied and compare favorably to reference solutions. The method is successfully applied to quasi-brittle structural failure analysis.This work further addresses the practical application of advanced numerical methods to complex manufacturing problems, notably Friction Stir Welding (FSW), which is a solid-state welding technique. FSW is characterized by isochoric deformations, extremely high strain rates, and highly non-linear and temperature-dependent material behavior. An Embedded Finite Element Method is employed to simplify the modeling of complex geometries and moving boundary conditions. It uses a purely Eulerian framework and a discrete level-set function for tool modeling and works directly with CAD tool geometries. The simulation results align well with experimental data. A parameter study of process parameters is carried out to evaluate their impact on welding forces and temperature evolution, demonstrating the tool's usefulness in aiding development processes.To enhance usability, a Graphical User Interface (GUI) is developed for creating simulation input files and managing simulations. Additionally, a particle tracing algorithm is implemented to visualize material flow. This work aims to bridge the gap between academic research and practical engineering applications. It provides advanced, yet robust and efficient numerical tools for simulating metal forming and manufacturing processes.
  

DOCTORAL DEGREE IN SUSTAINABILITY

• ROURA SALIETTI, MIREYA: Reuse of ICT devices as commons: A property rights governance model for collective access
  
  Author: ROURA SALIETTI, MIREYA
  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 SUSTAINABILITY
  Department: University Research Institute for Sustainability Science and Technology (IS.UPC)
  Mode: Normal
  Deposit date: 15/07/2025
  Reading date: 09/10/2025
  Reading time: 11:00
  Reading place: Campus Nord, C6-E106
  Thesis director:
  Thesis abstract: Understanding the role of property rights in managing Information and Communication Technology devices, primarily computers, is fundamental to addressing resource waste and achieving digital inclusion and sustainability goals. Although ICT device acquisition, use, and disposal are predominantly governed by individual property, reuse ecosystems demonstrate significant benefits. In such ecosystems, diverse actors collaborate to recover discarded ICT devices, refurbish, maintain and deliver them at minimal environmental and economic cost to vulnerable populations. Based on Common-Pool Resources theory, this thesis introduces a model that applies a community property approach to govern the reuse of ICT devices, using the bundle of rights framework to organise and manage reuse ecosystems. Building on the eReuse initiative, developed through action-research by a multistakeholder community involved in computer refurbishment for social inclusion in Spain, it captures patterns of collective action, classifies participants by roles, and maps the property rights underpinning their interactions, ensuring fair relationships within the ecosystem. To assess the suitability and application in Ibero-American contexts, the model was evaluated in three reuse ecosystems in Argentina and Uruguay. Results indicate that, although local adaptation is often needed, the model works in practice and shows strong potential to inform the governance design in culturally aligned ICT reuse ecosystems. The model is operationalised through two digital tools, DeviceHub and Workbench, which facilitate the tracing of property changes in devices throughout their life cycle, while also collecting detailed usage and performance metrics. In eReuse, it was found that approximately 46% of discarded and donated devices could be reused, highlighting the premature recycling of functional equipment due to criteria such as accounting or software obsolescence. Data collected through these tools also enables more precise estimation of impacts and supports the creation of indicators for comparing digital inclusion strategies across various regions and scenarios. The results show that the CO2 equivalent efficiency of reusing devices ranges from 30% in areas with a higher proportion of renewable energy to 5% in regions dependent on fossil fuels, when compared to new devices. This underscores that reuse is not inherently efficient but is instead dependent on contextual factors. Furthermore, these findings emphasize the need for more granular data to refine these estimates and gain a better understanding of the full impact of ICT reuse in different contexts. Finally, this governance model was tested through practical case studies in real-world contexts. Our results demonstrate that the success or failure of reuse depends on the sociocultural context and barriers such as ensuring long-term maintenance and usability, which are more effectively mitigated in servitised reuse ecosystems, where maintainers and ICT agents ensure device performance in the face of rapid technological change. These insights contribute to bridging the gap between sustainability goals and ICT governance, highlighting the role of digitally enabled reuse ecosystems in fostering equitable, low-carbon digital transitions and generating local employment opportunities.
  

DOCTORAL DEGREE IN AGRI-FOOD TECHNOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY

• CANO LÓPEZ, ALICIA: Novel strategies to reduce persistent, mobile, and toxic substances in groundwater and wastewater: Impact on agriculture and human health
  
  Author: CANO LÓPEZ, ALICIA
  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 AGRI-FOOD TECHNOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
  Department: Department of Agri-Food Engineering and Biotechnology (DEAB)
  Mode: Normal
  Deposit date: 30/09/2025
  Deposit END date: 13/10/2025
  Thesis director: MATAMOROS MERCADAL, VÍCTOR | ESCOLÀ CASAS, MÒNICA
  Thesis abstract: Water scarcity is one of the most pressing global challenges, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions such as the Mediterranean basin. In countries like Spain, where agriculture is a major consumer of water resources, the reuse of reclaimed water has become essential for ensuring both water and food security. However, treated wastewater effluents and even groundwater can contain organic micropollutants that are partially removed in conventional water treatments. Among these, persistent, mobile, and toxic (PMT) substances are especially concerning due to their resistance to degradation, mobility through water systems, and their toxicity potential in the environment, posing risks to ecosystems, crops, and human health.This PhD thesis explores both the reduction and impact of PMT substances across four experiments. Two focus on treatment technologies, a chemical approach (advanced oxidation process, AOP) and a biological system (nature-based solution, NBS), to eliminate PMT substances from groundwater and wastewater. The other two assess the effects of PMT-contaminated irrigation water on crops, using both hydroponic and soil-based systems. Chapter 3 compares eight oxidation treatments for removing chlorinated solvents from contaminated groundwater, coupled with a human health risk assessment. Chapter 4 investigates four NBS configurations for removing short-chain PFAS and other PMT substances from groundwater and wastewater, focusing on the influence of factors like filter media, grain size, vegetation, and microbial communities. Chapter 5 evaluates PMT uptake and bioaccumulation in lettuce grown in a hydroponic setup, alongside assessments of plant health, metabolomic responses, and implications for food safety. Chapter 7 explores an on-going soil-based irrigation study comparing secondary and pilot-scale quaternary effluents, analysing suspect PMT uptake, and crop quality, complementing the hydroponic findings.Overall, this thesis provides novel insights into PMT substances in water resources and agricultural systems, offering both treatment evaluations and risk-based perspectives that may inform future water reuse strategies and regulatory frameworks.
  

DOCTORAL DEGREE IN ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN

• FERNANDEZ-MOSCOSO LOPEZ-DURAN, EDUARDO: La sustitución como recurso de proyecto. Hormigón armado y madera en la última etapa del Movimiento Moderno
  
  Author: FERNANDEZ-MOSCOSO LOPEZ-DURAN, EDUARDO
  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 DESIGN
  Department: Department of Architectural Design (PA)
  Mode: Normal
  Deposit date: 26/09/2025
  Deposit END date: 09/10/2025
  Thesis director: PEÑIN LLOBELL, ALBERTO | FERRATER ARQUER, BORJA
  Thesis abstract: The thesis begins with a critical observation: the substitution of materials in architecture without altering the original constructive logic, as seen in Doric temples rebuilt in stone or in Sverre Fehn’s Nordic Pavilion. This practice challenges the idea that each material must be used strictly according to its physical properties. The author proposes a critical suspension of this paradigm, inspired by Husserl, in order to open architectural design to a more experimental and symbolic logic.From an interdisciplinary perspective that combines technique, history, theory, and philosophy, the thesis argues that technique is not only functional but also narrative. Concepts such as *design hysteresis* or *formwork as material memory* show how technical operations can also be interpretative. Moreover, the use of contemporary materials like CLT (Cross Laminated Timber) allows substitution to be approached from a sustainability perspective.Four historical milestones are analyzed: Greek temples, Norwegian stave churches, the Ironbridge, and the Hennebique system. In all of these cases, substitution not only preserved the architectural form but also opened up new technical and expressive possibilities. The analysis of authors such as Vitruvius, Wright, Nervi, and Arup reveals that even the most normative discourses have allowed for adjustments and material reinterpretations.The second part of the thesis examines three contemporary case studies. In the Tremaine House, Neutra replaces wood with concrete to redefine the relationship between house and landscape. In the Kagawa Prefectural Offices, Tange substitutes traditional wooden structures with reinforced concrete while preserving the formal logic of Japanese architecture. In the Nordic Pavilion, Fehn uses concrete as if it were wood, creating a hybrid architecture between tradition and modernity.The thesis concludes that substitution is a valid architectural operation capable of enriching the project from technical, symbolic, and cultural standpoints. Introducing alternative materials does not weaken a work; rather, it expands its meaning. Furthermore, it is proposed that technique should be understood as an open and narrative process, and that substituting materials is not a denial of their origin but a projection of new interpretations.Finally, the thesis invites further exploration of substitution involving other material pairings, prefabrication processes, and even immaterial elements such as typologies or programs, thereby opening new lines of research within contemporary architectural design.
  

DOCTORAL DEGREE IN ARCHITECTURAL, BUILDING CONSTRUCTION AND URBANISM TECHNOLOGY

• BILBAO VILLA, AINARA: Palabras de luz: Herramientas léxicas y gráficas para la definición de los principales términos empleados en la descripción de la distribución lumínica en el espacio arquitectónico.
  
  Author: BILBAO VILLA, AINARA
  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: 01/10/2025
  Deposit END date: 14/10/2025
  Thesis director: MUROS ALCOJOR, ADRIAN
  Thesis abstract: The introduction of electric lighting in Architecture marked a profound transformation in its design conception, establishing artificial light as a fundamental element in the configuration of space. Unlike other artistic and architectural disciplines, artificial architectural lighting lacks a formalised Art History. Existing specialist literature remains largely focused on technical and quantitative aspects, frequently relegating the qualitative dimensions of light in space to a secondary status. Consequently, there is a notable absence of a specific vocabulary capable of accurately describing the qualitative effects of lighting in architecture. This lexical gap hampers the effective communication of lighting-related spatial concepts, ultimately to the detriment of architectural practice. In light of these challenges, and with the aim of improving both design and pedagogical methodologies, this research advocates for the establishment of a dedicated vocabulary for qualitative architectural lighting. It is predicated on the hypothesis that it is feasible to construct a consensual glossary that enables the precise articulation of the formal and spatial attributes of lighting effects within architectural environments. To substantiate this hypothesis, the research sets out two principal objectives: first, to identify the parameters that define the qualitative aspects of lighting and to compile the associated terminological corpus; second, to develop a lexical and visual dictionary in which each term is clearly defined and illustrated, thereby facilitating its comprehension and application in both academic and professional contexts, and contributing to the standardisation of a specific and practical language.The study adopts a qualitative methodological framework, centred on the linguistic analysis of texts describing architectural lighting projects, which have been published in specialised Spanish-language media. A rigorous, systematic, and replicable terminology methodology has been employed, drawing upon established principles from the field of Terminology studies and related research on lighting perception. The process integrates automated term extraction methods, enabling efficient handling of large data sets, and applies linguistic techniques adapted to the visual domain. The research identifies the principal parameters defining the formal qualities of architectural lighting as direction, colour, and distribution, followed by quantity, luminance, sources, informational content, perceptual effects, and others. Among these, the distribution parameter emerges as the most frequently cited and, thus, the most critical for both configuring and describing architectural lighting. Accordingly, the dictionary focuses on the most recurrent terms related to distribution, listed alphabetically as follows: accent lighting, ambient lighting, composed lighting, diffuse lighting, direct lighting, directed lighting, dispersed lighting, focalized lighting, general lighting, grazing lighting, homogeneous lighting, horizontal lighting, indirect lighting, integrated lighting, precise lighting, projected lighting, reflected lighting, uniform lighting, and vertical lighting. It has been demonstrated that each of these terms can be defined in a manner that supports clear, precise, and intelligible communication within architectural lighting discourse. Furthermore, it is feasible to identify corresponding visual representations that exemplify each definition, reinforcing their pedagogical and practical applicability. In conclusion, this research affirms the viability of developing a consensual glossary of terms to imporve the communication of the formal and spatial characteristics of lighting effects within architectural practice, which constitutes a foundational step toward the recognition and standardisation of qualitative lighting vocabulary in the discipline.
  
• GONZÁLEZ ZABALA, STEVEN: Inhabind, desarrollo de un instrumento de evaluación multicriterio para valorar la calidad constructiva del soporte físico de los polígonos de actividad económica: aplicación a un caso de la Región Metropolitana de Barcelona.
  
  Author: GONZÁLEZ ZABALA, STEVEN
  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: 30/09/2025
  Deposit END date: 13/10/2025
  Thesis director: ZAMORA MESTRE, JOAN LLUIS | SERRA FABREGÀ, RAÜL
  Thesis abstract: According to the most recent data published, 40% of industrial land in Catalonia remains unoccupied. Moreover, over half of this land comprises industrial areas smaller than 5 hectares, with 50% of the total classified as fully obsolete. This challenging initial scenario is further exacerbated by rapid transformations in production and manufacturing models driven by:globalization and geographical relocation of industries,fragmentation of production,increasing outsourcing of business activities,growing digitalization of industrial processes.These changes have created an urgent need for short- and medium-term interventions aimed at updating and adapting the built infrastructure of specialized urban production areas, recently designated as Polígonos de Actividad Económica (PAE). In response, various public-private partnerships have initiated efforts to revitalize the industrial sector as a key economic driver of the country, which inherently requires substantial investments in the rehabilitation of the built environment. To maximize the effectiveness of these investments, it is essential to establish a shared and validated assessment of the current state of the built infrastructure, enabling the prioritization of interventions that offer the highest benefit-to-cost ratio.The objective of this research is to initiate the development of an evaluation tool to assess the built quality of such infrastructure, based on a multicriteria methodology. This approach, leveraging available, up-to-date, and validated data, aims to generate a value index—referred to as InHABind—that quantifies the built quality of the physical infrastructure of each PAE.The availability of this tool in the future would not only facilitate the assessment of each PAE’s condition at a given point in time but also support the strategic planning of the most effective improvement programs.To achieve this, the multi-criteria decision -making tool MIVES, previously developed at UPC, was selected for its demonstrated flexibility, usability, and technical rigor in providing straightforward evaluations of quality indicators specific to PAEs. Consequently, this thesis centers on the formulation of the pertinent Requirements, Criteria, Parameters, and Indicators (RCPI) needed for the evaluation process. This undertaking is complex due to several factors:PAEs have been established over different time periods,not all PAEs have managers who possess the necessary information for evaluation,and some of the required information is undocumented, outdated, or not readily accessible.Once the tool—designated Inhabind 0.0—was developed, a case study was undertaken on a selected PAE located in the municipality of Polinyà. This particular site was chosen due to the heterogeneity of PAEs within the Barcelona Metropolitan Region (RMB) and the demonstrated willingness of the involved stakeholders to actively participate in the research.The engagement of these stakeholders is expected to facilitate the weighting and prioritization of the Requirements, Criteria, Parameters, and Indicators (RCPI), allowing for their refinement and simplification based on the information that is actually available. Additionally, this process aims to incorporate quality aspects related to management, such as maintenance plans and investment programs.For the scope of this research, only the urbanity dimension module has been developed, encompassing requirements for the networks of roadways, lighting, sewerage, water supply, telecommunications services, and energy distribution. Future research efforts will focus on the development of the remaining modules.Keywords: multicriteria evaluation, industrial habitability index, industrial areas, built quality, physical infrastructure.
  
• 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
  Deposit END date: 09/10/2025
  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.
  

DOCTORAL DEGREE IN ARCHITECTURE, ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT

• CASTELLARNAU VISUS, MARIA ANGELES: Cosecha de lo invisible. Paisaje de agua en la Val de Ayerbe
  
  Author: CASTELLARNAU VISUS, MARIA ANGELES
  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 ARCHITECTURE, ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT
  Department: Department of Architectural Technology (TA)
  Mode: Normal
  Deposit date: 26/09/2025
  Deposit END date: 09/10/2025
  Thesis director: CUCHÍ BURGOS, ALBERTO
  Thesis abstract: In a context of environmental crisis evidenced by the loss of biodiversity, drought, percolation in the functional structures of productive landscapes, global warming, and trends towards irreversible positions; of social crisis that reveals the strong depopulation of rural areas, the imbalance, the loss of community social structure, and the loss of linkage of people with the natural environment. And of economic crisis resulting in a loss of land use, changes in the system of ownership, the fragility of agricultural and livestock activities increasingly subjected to the costs of industrialization and inputs in the sector, and the tensions of the markets of production and distribution of food. The inland territories of the northeastern Iberia peninsula are thrown into a critical environmental and social vulnerability that jeopardizes the sustainability of habitability in these territories and their systemic functionality as resource and food producing territories.The present research aims, through the analysis of the management of material flows in the cultural landscapes of the pre-Pyrenean zone of Huesca, to find the keys that in the interrelation between architecture and agriculture reveal the strategies that make it possible for human beings organized in society to inhabit these territories.The systemic analysis of the biophysical matrix on which pre-industrial societies organized in communities manage resources to inhabit the territory provides the foundations for the management of material resources that make possible the sustainability of productive systems and, therefore, of habitability in these arid territories.Knowing and understanding the fundamental principles that govern the systemic functioning of the dynamics of micro-systemic and macro-systemic exchanges and management of material resources applied by pre-industrial societies will allow the development of strategies to achieve habitability in these territories and in territories with a similar biophysical and climatic matrix in a post-oil scenario.The present research analyzes this management in the area of the Ayerbe valley, an eminently agricultural territory typical of the pre-Pyrenees in Huesca. From this analysis of the biophysical matrix, the pre-industrial social group and its structure and dynamics of community management and the strategies of water and soil management, technological strategies that allow maintaining the viability of inhabiting these territories are refined.The methodology used consists of a cartographic study, an interview, the study of an 1856 land survey, the analysis of the internal regulations of the irrigation communities, fieldwork and the case study of the different systems of soil and irrigation management.The research results describe these modeling technologies of the natural hydrological system and soil geomorphology, which are deployed in water and soil harvesting and irrigation systems that govern as fundamental laws in the construction of the cultural landscapes of this territory. Thus, flooding, infiltration, drainage, runoff, catchment, conduction, decanting, storage, evapotranspiration, terracing, etc. technologies are described, which aim to replenish nutrients, maintain soil fertility, prevent erosion, optimize water harvesting, adapted to the local rainfall regime, crop cycles and management, and soil structure.In conclusion, the technological strategies detected are governed by fundamentals based on the laws of nature adapted to this climate and this biophysical matrix and are therefore susceptible to reconsideration for the development of strategies for the management of material resource flows not based on the use of fossil fuels in the future.
  

DOCTORAL DEGREE IN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

• BRAVO ROCCA, GUSSEPPE JESUS: Human-on-the-loop Continual Learning: Data, Knowledge and Agents for Model Adaptation
  
  Author: BRAVO ROCCA, GUSSEPPE JESUS
  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: 24/09/2025
  Deposit END date: 08/10/2025
  Thesis director: GUITART FERNANDEZ, JORDI
  Thesis abstract: How do we effectively adapt a Machine Learning (ML) model when real-world data changes? This seemingly straightforward question underlies one of the most persistent challenges in deploying ML systems in production environments. As data distributions inevitably shift over time, ML models experience performance degradation, requiring systematic approaches to adaptation. Our work begins with data-driven techniques and progressively incorporates knowledge-based approaches, culminating in a "human-on-the-loop" paradigm where human specialists provide domain knowledge that guides autonomous AI processes. This thesis addresses the research question: How can we develop intelligent systems for ML model adaptation that effectively leverage human domain expertise?Our research spans four interconnected contributions, evolving from foundational Continual Learning (CL) approaches to sophisticated agent-based systems. First, we develop Task-Agnostic Domain-Incremental Learning (TADIL), an unsupervised data-driven approach that enables models to recognize when they need adaptation without explicit task boundaries, outperforming previous task identification methods by 6% in accuracy. This addresses the fundamental challenge of determining when model changes are necessary in continuously evolving environments. Next, we propose an experience replay method (TADILER) enhanced by LLM-generated descriptions and zero-shot clustering, where human domain knowledge guides template and description design for medical imaging tasks. This approach improves CL by reducing forgetting by 3.1% over traditional techniques while maintaining privacy in sensitive domains like healthcare.Building on these CL foundations, we develop LLM-based agents incorporating the structural insights gained from our earlier approaches. Our Cognitive Architecture for Monitoring Agent (CAMA) applies feature engineering principles through a decision procedure that transforms complex monitoring data into actionable insights via three key steps: Refactor, Break Down, and Compile. With humans providing domain knowledge and drift thresholds, CAMA surpasses state-of-the-art monitoring interpretation baselines by 33.3% in accuracy while requiring only 6% computational overhead. Finally, we present the Kahneman-Clear Agent (KC-Agent), a cognitive architecture inspired by dual-process theory that combines fast pattern-based responses (System 1) and deliberate analytical improvements (System 2). This architecture integrates human-provided dataset descriptions and cognitive science principles to provide theoretical guarantees for safe model enhancement while improving adaptation performance by 5.7% on new data distributions compared to conventional approaches.Through rigorous experimentation across multiple domains including autonomous driving, medical imaging, and financial prediction tasks, we demonstrate that our approaches significantly outperform conventional adaptation methods while maintaining computational efficiency. Our contributions advance the state-of-the-art in ML model maintenance by providing practical, theoretically-grounded solutions for the critical challenge of adapting to evolving data distributions. The proposed frameworks enable more robust, reliable, and efficient AI systems that can maintain performance over extended operational periods in dynamic real-world environments, marking an important step toward AI systems that learn continuously while preserving previously acquired knowledge.
  

DOCTORAL DEGREE IN AUTOMATIC CONTROL, ROBOTICS AND VISION

• DALMASSO BLANCH, MARC: Cooperative Planning and Negotiation in Human-Robot Teams
  
  Author: DALMASSO BLANCH, MARC
  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 AUTOMATIC CONTROL, ROBOTICS AND VISION
  Department: Institute of Robotics and Industrial Informatics (IRI)
  Mode: Normal
  Deposit date: 01/10/2025
  Deposit END date: 14/10/2025
  Thesis director: SANFELIU CORTES, ALBERTO
  Thesis abstract: As robots become increasingly integrated into everyday environments, rigid role paradigms and unilateral control models fall short of enabling meaningful collaboration. Preserving human autonomy while allowing robots to contribute proactively in shared decision-making tasks introduces the need for alignment and negotiation between agents. Negotiation arises not merely as a design preference but as a requirement when autonomous entities with partial knowledge, differing capabilities, or misaligned goals must act jointly in real-world settings.This thesis investigates the challenge of integrating robots into human teams in unstructured environments, with a particular focus on Human-Robot Collaborative Navigation (HRCN). It seeks to empower them as active decision-making agents who flexibly and critically adapt to human preferences and needs. This technological development is framed as a social necessity: without it, robots would remain confined to controlled environments, or people would lose agency by having to adapt to rigid robot behaviour.The core contributions of the thesis are threefold. First, it introduces the Social Reward Sources (SRS) model, a shared spatial and task representation for Human-Robot Teams (HRT). Second, it presents a multi-agent planning system leveraging the SRS model to generate collaborative plans for heterogeneous teams. Third, it proposes a negotiation framework for Human-Robot Plan Negotiation (HRPN), incorporating a novel plan characterisation model, the cooperativeness space. These and additional secondary contributions are validated through real-world experiments within the collaborative object search benchmark.Altogether, the thesis offers a pathway for deploying robots as collaborative agents capable of negotiation, thereby supporting agency-preserving human-robot interaction in open-world contexts.
  
• GARCIA CAMACHO, IRENE: Benchmarking cloth manipulation
  
  Author: GARCIA CAMACHO, IRENE
  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 AUTOMATIC CONTROL, ROBOTICS AND VISION
  Department: Institute of Robotics and Industrial Informatics (IRI)
  Mode: Normal
  Deposit date: 25/09/2025
  Deposit END date: 08/10/2025
  Thesis director: ALENYÀ RIBAS, GUILLEM | BORRÀS SOL, JÚLIA
  Thesis abstract: Benchmarking is a crucial tool in research for fostering progress in a field. It consists on standardized frameworks for evaluation, quantifying the performance of an approach in comparison to previous works to determine the improvements and progress made. Robotic cloth manipulation presents many challenges due to the high deformable nature of textile objects. It is an interdisciplinary field that integrates many components such as control, perception and hardware, among others, to solve cloth manipulation problems with a wide variety of robotic platforms, end-effectors, objects and strategies. This variability makes difficult to design general evaluation procedures that can be adopted by the vast researchers in the field. This thesis addresses the need for standardized benchmarks in cloth manipulation, providing solutions for the key aspects of which a benchmark is composed: setup description, task description and evaluation procedures. The thesis starts with the design of benchmarks for relevant cloth manipulation tasks, proposing clear procedures and metrics to assess the performance quality. Setup standardization is improved with the introduction and distribution of a standardized cloth object set with textile household objects, given that object directly impact on the manipulations required and results obtained. Additionally, we propose a framework to characterize textile objects through its physical and mechanical properties, so we can deal with object's wear and usage over time, maintaining the standardization and extending it to textile objects of other categories. Subsequently, we proposed a scene state definition of cloth manipulation based on its configuration, grasp type and grasp location to represent cloth manipulation tasks and build more informed evaluation metrics. Later delving into state estimation for decision-making and benchmarking. The thesis culminates with the organization of a cloth manipulation and perception competition, done for joining research groups in comparing their systems with equal test conditions and raise awareness of the importance of designing and adopting standardized evaluation processes to foster in the field.In summary, this thesis touches on benchmarking, standardization, task representation, and decision-making in the context of cloth manipulation.
  
• IZQUIERDO BADIOLA, SILVIA: Hybrid Systems for Human-Centered Robotics: Combining Symbolic and Generative AI for Flexible and Adaptive Plan Generation and Execution
  
  Author: IZQUIERDO BADIOLA, SILVIA
  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 AUTOMATIC CONTROL, ROBOTICS AND VISION
  Department: Institute of Robotics and Industrial Informatics (IRI)
  Mode: Normal
  Deposit date: 29/09/2025
  Deposit END date: 10/10/2025
  Thesis director: ALENYÀ RIBAS, GUILLEM | RIZZO, CARLOS ERNESTO
  Thesis abstract: Robots are rapidly leaving structured factory floors and entering human-rich environments such as homes, hospitals, and shared workplaces. A human-centric approach to developing robot behavior is essential for effective collaboration and acceptance of robots in such dynamic settings. This entails enabling robots to generate plans that continuously adapt to the evolving environment and human states, proactively preventing failures, while allowing those plans and models to be specified in a flexible, human-intuitive manner. This thesis contributes toward this goal through an approach driven by two complementary strategies: (i) foundational, structured planning and agent-modeling techniques, and (ii) their extension with Large Language Model (LLM) capabilities, resulting in hybrid systems capable of more general and adaptive behavior.We develop four main contributions, each targeting a specific challenge. First, to address the lack of effective integration of human states in Human-Robot Collaboration (HRC) planning, often resulting in failures, we propose a framework that incorporates an agent model into task planning via action cost modulation, targeting proactive failure prevention. Second, to tackle the challenge of estimating agent-specific action costs in data-scarce HRC scenarios, we introduce a simulation-based learning framework. Third, to overcome the rigidity and modeling effort of current systems, we develop a planning framework that translates natural language human goals and agent conditions into structured planning problems, enabling more flexible and intuitive plan generation. Fourth, recognizing that plan execution may encounter issues not foreseeable at planning time, we present an agent for context-aware issue detection, explanation, and recovery, leveraging a regulated interaction between an LLM and grounded perception and interaction tools. Collectively, these contributions, supported by published results, address three core objectives: (O1) integrating task planning with agent modeling to produce human-adaptive plans; (O2) devising flexible techniques for defining planning, action, and agent models; and (O3) implementing failure-prevention mechanisms for dynamic, human-centric environments.This thesis embraces the shift from rigid, task-specific systems toward adaptive, generalizable robotics by combining structured symbolic methods with generative AI. Key challenges for this transition are identified, and targeted solutions are proposed to inform and guide future advancements in human-centered robotics. Through hybrid approaches, this research advances flexible, natural plan generation that adapts to human preferences and states while proactively preventing failures during execution, laying the groundwork for a future unified system capable of real-world, human-aware adaptability.
  
• PUERTO SANTANA, CRISTIAN: Design, implementation, and evaluation of novel fault detection methodologies for time varying industrial mechanical systems
  
  Author: PUERTO SANTANA, CRISTIAN
  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 AUTOMATIC CONTROL, ROBOTICS AND VISION
  Department: Department of Automatic Control (ESAII)
  Mode: Normal
  Deposit date: 25/09/2025
  Deposit END date: 08/10/2025
  Thesis director: OCAMPO MARTINEZ, CARLOS AUGUSTO | DÍAZ ROZO, JAVIER
  Thesis abstract: This dissertation addresses the necesity of scalable and robust fault detection methods in industrial mechanical systems operating under complex, noisy, and variable conditions. These systems—comprising components such as rotors, gears, and structural frameworks—play a vital role in industrial operations, and their failures can lead to substantial performance degradation, safety risks, and increased maintenance costs. Motivated by these challenges, the research proposes data-driven methodologies designed to improve the accuracy, reliability, and scalability of condition monitoring in these environments. Unlike traditional model-based methods that rely heavily on system-specific knowledge and simulation, the approaches developed in this work emphasize adaptability, minimal calibration, and real-world applicability. The thesis begins with a detailed examination of industrial mechanical systems and a critical review of existing fault detection methods, particularly those targeting mechanical unbalance, gear defects, and structural resonance. This foundation highlights the limitations of current technologies and sets the stage for the development of six original contributions.A central innovation in this research is a method for automatically identifying transient and stationary regimes in multivariate systems using statistical tools, signal processing, and geomery of spatial curves. This regime classification is essential for segmenting data accurately and applying appropriate fatult detection strategies. Building on this framework, the thesis introduces two novel condition indicators: one for detecting mechanical unbalance using non-intrusive signal processing techniques, and another for identifying gear faults under fluctuating speed conditions via Gaussian mixture models and the Cauchy-Schwarz divergence. Both indicators are designed to function reliably in noisy environments and are validated on experimental platforms that replicate real industrial conditions. Another major contribution extends monitoring capabilities to both rotordynamic elements and structural components within a single system, demonstrated through a power generation setup. This cross-monitoring approach integrates data-driven modeling to detect anomalies that may result from mechanical faults or structural instabilities, offering a more comprehensive diagnostic tool.In addition to enhancing fault detection in rotating machinery, the dissertation explores advanced techniques in structural health monitoring. Using long-term bridge data, the research applies the Hankel alternative view of Koopman analysis to extract meaningful features and assess parameter sensitivity. This is complemented by a new feature extraction strategy that leverages regime classification to enhance resilience to noise and reduce computational costs. The final contribution is a probabilistic modeling framework based on Copula functions, which allows for flexible, noise-tolerant modeling of feature distributions while incorporating prior knowledge. Collectively, these methodologies form a unified framework capable of operating under real-world industrial constraints. The research not only demonstrates high performance across varied fault types and systems but also advances the field by offering tools that can adapt to multivariate, dynamic, and uncertain conditions without requiring extensive system modeling or manual settings.
  
• VERMA, PARIKSHIT: Control strategies for the traffic management of AGV-based transportation systems
  
  Author: VERMA, PARIKSHIT
  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 AUTOMATIC CONTROL, ROBOTICS AND VISION
  Department: Institute of Industrial and Control Engineering (IOC)
  Mode: Normal
  Deposit date: 01/10/2025
  Deposit END date: 14/10/2025
  Thesis director: OLM MIRAS, JOSEP MARIA | SUAREZ FEIJOO, RAUL
  Thesis abstract: Current research in fleet control of Automatic Guided Vehicles (AGVs) focuses on enhancing their efficiency and integration within industrial environments like manufacturing plants and warehouses. The AGVs are primarily used for material transportation and, when effectively integrated into factory workflows, offer significant advantages in terms of flexibility and scalability. This integration enables factories to dynamically distribute the work to processing stations and expand the system by adding new AGVs or workstations with minimal disruption. A major challenge lies in managing diverse AGV under a unified control system to maintain smooth operations as transportation demands vary. One core aspect of managing AGV fleets is traffic control in shared environments. Typically, these indoor spaces are pre-mapped, and all the AGVs share access to this map, which includes road networks and Points of Interest (POIs) like pick-up/drop-off zones, charging stations, and parking areas. Since these POIs can only be occupied by one AGV at a time, traffic management systems must address which AGV occupies which point, identify potential conflicts, schedule AGV movement out of parking zones, and decide which AGVs get priority at shared points. Another vital component is task allocation, i.e. determining which AGV should perform a specific task and when. This decision depends on multiple factors, including the AGV’s current location, battery status, load capacity, traffic conditions, and the urgency of the task. Efficient task allocation and traffic control are deeply interconnected; managing one often involves considerations of the other. For instance, by deciding the optimal timing of task execution, the system can reduce conflicts and enhance overall performance. While existing fleet management approaches address many of these issues, there remains considerable room for improving coordination, adaptability, and optimization in AGV-based transportation systems.This thesis explores various features of a multi-AGV-based transportation system, providing a comprehensive overview of its operational aspects. However, the primary contributions of this work are centered on three key areas. Firstly, it presents an efficient traffic management strategy designed to enhance the flow of AGVs within a Flexible Manufacturing System (FMS). This approach is evaluated through a comparative analysis with current state-of-the-art methods, demonstrating its effectiveness in optimizing traffic flow and minimizing delays.Secondly, the thesis delves into the practical application of the proposed traffic management strategy in real-world industrial settings. It assesses the spatial discretization of the AGV workspace and control periods in the implementation of the traffic management strategy in industrial environments, providing valuable insights crucial for bridging the gap between theoretical models and their practical deployment, hence ensuring effective integration into existing industrial processes.Lastly, the research investigates the impact of different task assignment criteria on the overall efficiency of the AGV system. By examining various strategies for allocating tasks to AGVs, the thesis identifies key factors that influence the performance of both traffic management and the entire transportation system. This analysis aims to refine task assignment methods to further improve the operational efficiency of AGV fleets, ultimately contributing to more streamlined and productive industrial workflows.
  

DOCTORAL DEGREE IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING

• JAMES, CHRISTOPHER WILLIAM VINCENT: Biomaterials for Cardiac Regeneration
  
  Author: JAMES, CHRISTOPHER WILLIAM VINCENT
  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: 01/10/2025
  Deposit END date: 14/10/2025
  Thesis director: ENGEL LOPEZ, ELISABET
  Thesis abstract: Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death globally, with heart transplantation being the most effective treatment following injury due to the heart’s limited regenerative capacity. In situ tissue engineering has emerged as a promising approach to activate endogenous cardiac repair. This thesis focuses on the design, development, and characterization of injectable biomaterials for in situ cardiac regeneration.Hydrogel scaffolds that physically support damaged tissue, provide inherent bioactivity, or deliver bioactive agents are particularly promising. We first isolated and characterized porcine cardiac extracellular matrix (cECM) hydrogels, demonstrating their compatibility for supporting the growth of cardiac-associated cells. To enhance the viscoelastic properties of cECM without compromising biocompatibility, alginate—a hydrogel currently in clinical trials—was incorporated, resulting in improved mechanical properties.Lactate, traditionally seen as a metabolic by-product, has gained attention for its role in promoting angiogenesis, cardiomyocyte proliferation, and reducing fibrosis. Based on this evidence, we developed a lactate-release scaffold by embedding FDA-approved PLGA nanoparticles into the cECM-alginate matrix, optimizing nanoparticle size and degradation to achieve sustained lactate release.The regenerative potential of stem cell-derived secretomes, comprising bioactive molecules such as growth factors and extracellular vesicles, was also explored. Bone marrow-derived stromal cell (BMSC) secretomes were evaluated for their cardioprotective effects on human cardiac fibroblasts. A novel culture method showed superior outcomes, and the resulting secretome was incorporated into the scaffold either directly or via PLGA nanoparticles for sustained delivery.In conclusion, this work presents several novel injectable biomaterials that show potential for in situ cardiac regeneration through enhanced mechanical support, bioactivity, and sustained delivery of regenerative agents such as lactate and BMSC-derived secretomes. These findings warrant further investigation to optimize the therapeutic efficacy of these platforms.
  

DOCTORAL DEGREE IN CHEMICAL PROCESS ENGINEERING

• RODRÍGUEZ ALEGRE, RUBÉN: Wastewater treatments in real case studies: separation & purification in the framework of the circular economy
  
  Author: RODRÍGUEZ ALEGRE, RUBÉN
  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 CHEMICAL PROCESS ENGINEERING
  Department: Department of Chemical Engineering (EQ)
  Mode: Article-based thesis
  Deposit date: 02/10/2025
  Deposit END date: 15/10/2025
  Thesis director: PEREZ MOYA, MONTSERRAT | GARCIA MONTAÑO, JULIA | YOU CHEN, XIALEI
  Thesis abstract: This thesis explores innovative strategies for resource recovery and water reuse from wastewater streams in three key sectors (agrifood, industrial, and urban) by integrating membrane technologies and chemical precipitation. While membrane and chemical treatments have been widely studied independently, this work is among the first to demonstrate their combined and sector-specific application in real or pilot-scale scenarios, framed within circular economy principles.In the agrifood sector, pig slurry liquid fraction was used as a representative effluent. This thesis is the first to evaluate both acidification and basification strategies for nutrient recovery from SLF using a membrane-based treatment train. Acidification, combined with microfiltration and forward osmosis, enabled >80% recovery of NPK nutrients. In contrast, basification allowed for selective nitrogen recovery using precipitation and membrane-assisted stripping. From these strategies, the basic treatment was validated under real on-farm conditions over two years, demonstrating its seasonal robustness and nitrogen recoveries between 46–56%. Water recovery for reuse in irrigation ranged from 39–75%, confirming the viability of decentralised systems in rural settings and marking a significant advance beyond laboratory-scale approaches.For the industrial sector, this thesis presents a novel circular treatment train for acid mine drainage, integrating reverse osmosis with bipolar membrane electrodialysis and chemical precipitation, a combination not previously applied to this matrix. This enabled the selective recovery of high-value metals (Al, Zn, Cu, Mn, Mg, Ca) with >60% efficiency, along with 97% water recovery and in-situ regeneration of NaOH. This approach shifts the paradigm from pollutant removal to resource valorisation, offering a replicable model for sustainable mining wastewater treatment with chemical reuse loops.In the urban context, microplastic pollution was addressed through the first systematic study on how microfiltration membrane configuration affects recovery efficiency. Using synthetic wastewater and varying spacer geometries and sizes, it was found that smaller diamond or corrugated geometries significantly improved performance, with recovery rates >99% and water reuse at 80%. This work provides practical design guidance for future applications in microplastic retention under real wastewater conditions.Additionally, circularity indicators (resource and water recovery) were applied to each case study, allowing for a quantitative assessment of circular performance. All recovered products and waters were analysed following the current Spanish legislation, confirming their potential reuse in irrigation, industrial, and cleaning applications. Overall, this thesis not only demonstrates the technical feasibility of integrated membrane–chemical systems, but also establishes their role as scalable, circular solutions for wastewater treatment across multiple sectors.
  

DOCTORAL DEGREE IN CIVIL ENGINEERING

• ARES DE PARGA REGALADO, SEBASTIAN: Reduced order models and machine learning techniques for digital twin applications
  
  Author: ARES DE PARGA REGALADO, SEBASTIAN
  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 CIVIL ENGINEERING
  Department: Barcelona School of Civil Engineering (ETSECCPB)
  Mode: Article-based thesis
  Deposit date: 30/09/2025
  Deposit END date: 13/10/2025
  Thesis director: ROSSI BERNECOLI, RICCARDO | HERNANDEZ ORTEGA, JOAQUIN ALBERTO
  Thesis abstract: This thesis advances intrusive projection-based reduced order modeling (PROM) as a scalable, physics-consistent foundation for real-time digital twins in industrial applications. By integrating high-fidelity numerical methods with robust model reduction techniques, it addresses the computational bottlenecks limiting the deployment of large-scale simulations for design, optimization, and operational monitoring.Structured as a compendium of peer-reviewed articles, the work presents three key methodological contributions. First, it introduces a novel hyper-reduction framework for Petrov–Galerkin PROMs that eliminates the need for complementary meshes, enabling element-wise sampling fully compatible with standard finite element workflows, such as Kratos Multiphysics. Second, it proposes a scalable, HPC-enabled workflow for PROM training and deployment, leveraging parallel snapshot generation, distributed singular value decomposition, and a parallel version of the empirical cubature method, demonstrated on an industrial thermal digital twin of an electric motor. Third, it extends PROM methodologies into nonlinear regimes using latent-space closure strategies, including PROM-ANN and interpretable kernel-based surrogates (PROM-GPR, PROM-RBF), to overcome the Kolmogorov n-width barrier in convection-dominated flows. This extension includes a discrete physics-informed training strategy aligning neural network-based manifolds with the residual behavior of the underlying numerical scheme, ensuring physical consistency.The developed methods are systematically validated on canonical model problems such as the inviscid one-dimensional Burgers' equation, and extended to industrial configurations like the Ahmed body wake flow using the AERO-F framework. Classical techniques, including piecewise-linear and quadratic manifolds, are also discussed to contextualize the limitations of global linear subspaces and motivate the nonlinear strategies presented.All contributions have been implemented in the Kratos Multiphysics and AERO-F open-source frameworks, highlighting their practical applicability for large-scale engineering workflows. While this thesis does not implement a closed-loop digital twin, it provides a robust foundation for future Component Twins and Asset Twins, bridging high-fidelity modeling and real-time predictive capabilities.Lastly, this thesis supports technology transfer through the SimTwins spin-off initiative, delivering scalable and open-source digital shadows and digital twins tailored to meet emerging Industry 4.0 and 5.0 demands. Collectively, these contributions position intrusive projection-based ROMs as robust, interpretable, and high-performance tools essential for next-generation digital twin ecosystems.
  
• MAJORAL OLLER, GENÍS: Designing Robust Transport Policy Mechanisms for Multiple Economic and Institutional Settings under Uncertainty
  
  Author: MAJORAL OLLER, GENÍS
  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 CIVIL ENGINEERING
  Department: Barcelona School of Civil Engineering (ETSECCPB)
  Mode: Article-based thesis
  Deposit date: 01/10/2025
  Deposit END date: 14/10/2025
  Thesis director: SAURI MARCHAN, SERGI
  Thesis abstract: Transport planning and policymaking increasingly face wicked problems. The era of planning under greenfield conditions is gone, and new policies must be implemented within a complex, dynamic society, navigating challenges that range from climate change to rapid technological shifts, often with contradictory stakeholder demands. Despite extensive research on individual policy topics, the field lacks an integrated framework for the policy design process itself, leading to interventions that are vulnerable to failure or overlooked risks.This doctoral thesis addresses the challenge of designing more robust transport policies from multiple perspectives. The researched carried out aims at providing the foundation for a more systemic approach to policymaking. Such a framework approaches policymaking from a higher level, aiming to generate guidance to more robust policies by systematically addressing common failure mechanisms, and transferring policy knowledge between different interventions and settings, yet sensitive to specific contexts.To do so, a bottom-up policy analysis is proposed, by building a taxonomy of transport policy clusters from the combination of transport policymaking domains (transport system characteristics) and policy instruments. Then, a Transport Policy Failure Mechanism Framework is derived from multiple sources of information and serves as a diagnostic tool to identify the root causes of policy vulnerability.After that, following an inductive approach, the framework application to four case studies synthesizes findings against failure mechanisms and leads to the primary contribution of this work: a two-tiered set of design principles. These are a set of foundational principles from the case studies, and stemming from that the thesis conducts a subsequent synthesis to derive higher order overarching principles. These reveal more general and hidden recurring patterns across multiple and varied settings, that may help test policy design to enhance its robustness.The case studies carried out to do so revolve around an e-commerce tax to consumer, technological innovation for container terminal automation, superblocks, and road freight decarbonization. Ultimately, the thesis proposes a new approach to move the discussion from ad-hoc problem-solving to a systemic discipline of policy design science, where both a systematic approach to design and the generalization of principles to ensure robustness can be embedded in new way of policymaking.
  
• PERELLÓ RIBAS, RAFEL: Data assimilation for real-time dynamic prediction of wind-induced forces in vehicle platooning
  
  Author: PERELLÓ RIBAS, RAFEL
  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 CIVIL ENGINEERING
  Department: Barcelona School of Civil Engineering (ETSECCPB)
  Mode: Normal
  Deposit date: 01/10/2025
  Deposit END date: 14/10/2025
  Thesis director: HUERTA CEREZUELA, ANTONIO | ZLOTNIK MARTINEZ, SERGIO
  Thesis abstract: We consider the vehicle platoon problem from an aerodynamic point of view. That is, the multiparametric problem of predicting the aerodynamic forces acting on a vehicle following another one under realistic road conditions. We develop a RANS methodology to simulate accurately the physics governing the problem and devise a multifidelity methodology to approximate the problem using as few computational resources as possible. In the first part of the thesis we develop and analyse the surrogate methodology in the framework of the Smolyak approximation method. We extend the Multi-Index Stochastic Collocation (MISC) method to handle the problem in a more efficient way. This includes the possibility of constructing a single surrogate for vector-valued functions as well as the use of a parametric domain with categorical variables representing a finite number of possible leading vehicle geometries.For this, we formulate the Smolyak approximation in a more abstract way and implement it in a modular C++ code using efficient and stable numerical algorithms. We also provide some novel convergence bounds of the method and validate them with numerical examples. We also address the problem of unstability that manifests in some problems where MISC has been applied in the form of spurious oscillations. We identify the reasons of the oscillations as irregularities present in the low fidelity data and prove a theorem in the general framework of multifidelity that shows that such irregularities must be avoided to ensure convergence of the surrogate.In the second part of the thesis we study different efficient CFD methodologies to simulate accurately the flow past a vehicle in realistic road conditions. This includes the presence of cross-wind and the disturbances of the flow due to other vehicles in typical platoon and overtake manoeuvres. Finally we apply the extended MISC method to a multiparametric platoon problem to construct a surrogate of the three components of the aerodynamic force acting on a vehicle under realistic platoon conditions.
  
• PRATS PUNTÍ, ARNAU: Estudi experimental de la resistència al flux de la canya americana (Arundo Donax) en condicions de vegetació emergent. Aplicació a rius mediterranis.
  
  Author: PRATS PUNTÍ, ARNAU
  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 CIVIL ENGINEERING
  Department: Barcelona School of Civil Engineering (ETSECCPB)
  Mode: Normal
  Deposit date: 26/09/2025
  Deposit END date: 09/10/2025
  Thesis director: FERRER BOIX, CARLES | NUÑEZ GONZÁLEZ, FRANCISCO
  Thesis abstract: The massive presence of giant reed (Arundo Donax) in river channels leads to an increased flood risk. In riparian areas with a Mediterranean climate, this invasive plant of great height and spatial density represents a significant increase in flow resistance as it colonizes areas previously occupied by native vegetation or bare alluvial soil. Arundo Donax’s flow resistance was not quantified and knowing it is necessary to calculate the hydraulic capacity of river channels where it is present, and thus improve flood risk management.The main characteristics of the plant necessary for its study were obtained from a fieldwork carried out in a riparian stand located in the Llobregat River (near Barcelona). The stems have an average height of 6 m and the spatial density is very variable, with an average value of 23 m2 but with a maximum of 78 and a minimum of 4. The leaves grow only in the upper half of the plants, and for the lower part the average frontal area of opposition per unit volume (a) is 0.575 m-1 and the solid fraction is 0.011.Due to the large size of the plant, an experimental study was conducted in a laboratory flume using a physical scale model based on Froude similarity. The study focused exclusively on emergent vegetation conditions (that is when the plant height exceeds the water depth and occupies the entire water column) and therefore stem bending is irrelevant and is not represented. The geometric scale of the model is 8 and the stems are represented in the flume by rigid steel cylinders with a diameter of 3.4 mm.The main objective is to determine the drag coefficient (CD) of the extensive Arundo Donax's stands under emergent vegetation conditions. With this coefficient, the drag force and flow resistance can be calculated for any water depth below 3 m, which is the maximum threshold at which the assumed hypotheses are applicable.The spatial distribution of the stems obtained in the fieldwork was represented in the flume (heterogeneous model). To analyze the effect of a highly variable spatial distribution of obstacles on the flow, a second model was installed for comparison. This second model (homogeneous model) has the same characteristics and number of cylinders, but with the difference that they are placed in a staggered pattern. The analysis of the velocity measurements obtained with ADV was carried out by applying their temporal and spatial average (Double-Averaging Method). The momentum balance, necessary for the calculation of CD, was calculated with the Double-Averaged Navier-Stokes equations.For the heterogeneous model, the average result of CD is 1.06 and no clear relationship between CD and flow velocity is observed for the tested velocity range (0.26-0.81 m/s, prototype scale). The result of the homogeneous model is higher (1.34 on average), and means that the heterogeneous spatial distribution of the stems causes their drag force and flow resistance to be lower than if they were located following a homogeneous pattern. The vertical profiles of the longitudinal velocity do not have a logarithmic shape but are rather constant.The results are intended to be applied in streams with a massive presence of Arundo Donax’s stands, using a flow resistance equation valid under emergent vegetation conditions which uses the product of the variables CDa equal to 0.61 m-1, obtained in this research. For the stands, the larger the water depth the larger the flow resistance. Flow resistance values obtained are much higher than those of the alluvial bed or other riparian species, thus demonstrating Arundo Donax’s great impact on hydraulics and flood risk. Application of the results was conducted in two real case studies. For a small stream full of stands that crosses an urban area, the estimated hydraulic capacity is reduced by 60%.
  
• RENDON DÁVILA, VÍCTOR OSCAR: COMPORTAMIENTO HIDRÁULICO DE ALIVIADEROS DE PERFIL ESTRICTO EN ZONAS DE GRAN ALTITUD
  
  Author: RENDON DÁVILA, VÍCTOR OSCAR
  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 CIVIL ENGINEERING
  Department: Barcelona School of Civil Engineering (ETSECCPB)
  Mode: Normal
  Deposit date: 01/10/2025
  Deposit END date: 14/10/2025
  Thesis director: SANCHEZ JUNY, MARTI
  Thesis abstract: This research explores the influence of altitude on the shape of strict profile spillways and their discharge coefficients, pressure field, and cavitation risk. An experimental campaign has been carried out next to the Condoroma dam, in Peru, at an altitude of 4075 m a.s.l. and the data obtained were compared with existing classical references. First, the influence of altitude on the spillway profile was analyzed. For this purpose, the discharge over a sharp crested rectangular spillway was analyzed, considering 5 discharge heights of 0.05, 0.10, 0.20, 0.20, 0.30, and 0.35 m and flow rates up to a maximum of 285 l/s. Classical fits by Creager (1917), Scimemi (1930), Creager et al. (1945), Hager (1987), and WES (1977) show some differences with respect to the profile resulting from the Condoroma experiments for all P⁄Hd ratios.The equation proposed for the Condoroma data allows the standard profile of a spillway to be defined at altitudes around 4000 m a.s.l. Near the ridge 0<x⁄H_d <0.5, for dimensionless profiles, there is a tendency for the Condoroma values to overlap with the classical profiles. For x⁄Hd >1, the Condoroma profile, it tends to separate from all the classical profiles, giving a slightly wider profile. In order to evaluate the discharge coefficients, up to five different spillway heights (P), characterized by the dimensionless value (P⁄Hd ) were analyzed. The results show that the discharge coefficients vary considerably, with values systematically lower than those obtained to date in previous studies at lower altitudes. With regard to the pressure field and the risk of cavitation in standard profile spillways designed according to the USBR criteria for the 5 different heights, the results are presented in standardized graphs and compared with previous studies, showing that the pressure ranges obtained are similar. In addition, the structural recommendations for the design of these spillways are compared, and it is found that in most cases they are more restrictive than in areas of lower elevation.With regard to the risk of cavitation, new plots are presented with for P⁄H_d showing that there is a critical value of H⁄Hd and that this is more limiting than the pressure load for all the P⁄Hd studied.
  

DOCTORAL DEGREE IN COMPUTATIONAL AND APPLIED PHYSICS

• EIXIMENO FRANCH, BENET: High performance computing and artificial intelligence algorithms for dimensionality reduction of turbulent flows
  
  Author: EIXIMENO FRANCH, BENET
  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 COMPUTATIONAL AND APPLIED PHYSICS
  Department: Department of Physics (FIS)
  Mode: Article-based thesis
  Deposit date: 29/09/2025
  Deposit END date: 10/10/2025
  Thesis director: RODRIGUEZ PEREZ, IVETTE MARIA | LEHMKUHL BARBA, ORIOL
  Thesis abstract: This thesis presents a suite of methodologies for the dimensionality reduction of turbulent flow data, with a focus on high-fidelity simulations of external aerodynamics in industrial contexts, such as flow around simplified road vehicles. These simulations, typically performed on unstructured meshes with hundreds of millions of degrees of freedom, require scalable tools for analysis and modeling. All developments are implemented in pyLOM, an open-source Python library designed for terabyte-scale reduced-order modeling.The work progresses in four main steps, all of them published and detailed in their corresponding peer-reviewed article. First, classical reduction techniques based on the singular value decomposition (SVD), such as proper orthogonal decomposition (POD), dynamic mode decomposition (DMD), and spectral POD (SPOD), are adapted for high-performance computing by exploiting parallel QR factorization. Strong and weak scalability tests demonstrate high efficiency, with communication during QR factorization identified as the main bottleneck. Such performance gains together with the parallel input/output capabilities of pyLOM helped to apply these algorithms to datasets which occupy several terabytes of data as the direct numerical simulation of the flow in the Stanford diffuser in 80 seconds.Second, a convolutional neural network (CNN) variational autoencoder ($VAE) is developed for nonlinear dimensionality reduction, successfully capturing the temporal dynamics of the Windsor body back pressure with only two latent variables. The model effectively compresses snapshots of back pressure taken at yaw angles of 2.5º, 5º, and 10º. The projection of the mean pressure coefficient to the latent space yields an increasing linear evolution of the two latent variables with the yaw angle. The mean pressure coefficient distribution at yaw angle 7.5º is predicted with a mean error of 3.13% when compared to the results obtained by means of wall-modeled large eddy simulations (WMLES) after computing the values of the latent space with linear interpolation.Both methodologies have been merged to create a novel method named Geometry-Agnostic Variational-autoencoder Integration (GAVI), replacing the SVD step with a VAE operating on QR-factorized data. GAVI provides compact latent spaces without requiring structured grids, achieving high energy recovery across diverse test cases: circular cylinder, Windsor body, and urban flows, with latent spaces of 3–6 variables recovering over 90% of flow energy. The only step involving high performance computing (HPC) in GAVI is the computation of the QR factorization. This operation is done in parallel using pyLOM and its economic cost for all cases tested is lower than 10€. The fit of the VAE to the R matrix can be done with a GPU that fits in a workstation or laptop.Finally, a transformer-based closure strategy is proposed to compensate for energy loss in reduced models. By learning the spatial distribution of unresolved fluctuations, it improves reconstruction accuracy for complex unstructured domains, outperforming approaches based on super resolution generative adversarial networks (SRGAN) in both vehicle wakes and urban wind scenarios. The transformer model learns the probability density function of the missing fluctuations conditioned to the fluctuations already recovered by the model. Adding these fluctuations closes the energy gap between the original and the reconstructed data and improves the accuracy on both the instantaneous fields and the root mean square value of the fluctuations.
  
• RIU I VICENTE, JORDI: Scaling Quantum Optimization Algorithms: Advancing Techniques for Handling Industrial-Level Workloads with Artificial Intelligence
  
  Author: RIU I VICENTE, JORDI
  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 COMPUTATIONAL AND APPLIED PHYSICS
  Department: Department of Physics (FIS)
  Mode: Normal
  Deposit date: 01/10/2025
  Deposit END date: 14/10/2025
  Thesis director: GARCIA SAEZ, ARTURO | MONRAS BLASI, ALEXANDRE
  Thesis abstract: This thesis integrates traditional optimization methods and artificial intelligence techniques with near‑term quantum algorithms to accelerate the adoption of hybrid protocols for large‑scale, time‑sensitive decision problems. These techniques can manage millions of variables, but they are very expensive computationally. Conversely, quantum approaches such as quantum annealing and QAOA promise more efficient exploration of complex solution landscapes, yet they are hampered by severe hardware limitations and steep training challenges like barren plateaus. By combining these paradigms, the work offloads subproblems suited to classical resources and reserves quantum circuits for the most demanding kernels.We first present the formulation of a relevant use case of a medical‑drone logistics network modeled across Catalonia’s mountainous terrain. An initial discrete‑time MILP with millions of binary variables captures the relevant properties but exceeds the reach of current quantum hardware. A continuous‑time reformulation later reduces variable count. Resource estimates confirm that hardware scaling alone cannot close the gap, underscoring the need for new algorithmic strategies.To address NISQ‑era circuit depth, the thesis introduces RL‑ZX, a reinforcement‑learning–driven quantum compiler built on the ZX‑Calculus framework. Quantum circuits translate into feature‑annotated ZX diagrams, which a Graph Attention Network encodes. An agent trained with proximal policy optimization then applies ZX rewrite rules to minimize two‑qubit gates under device‑specific cost metrics. When evaluated on large, unseen circuits, RL‑ZX outperforms leading heuristics almost universally, yielding shallower, higher‑fidelity circuits.Next, we automate the process of including hard constraints in QUBO formulations. We design a Graph Neural Network and train it to predict penalty magnitudes in a single inference pass, treating variables and constraints as nodes and edges annotated with energy‑difference features. Integrated end‑to‑end with a differentiable QAOA simulator, this approach uses ground‑state sampling probability as its training signal. Experiments on random instances of the knapsack problem, TSP, and assignment tasks demonstrate large improvements in solution probability compared to analytic bounds.The third topic under study is the choice of starting state for VQAs. By measuring coherence via relative entropy, we show that higher‑coherence initial states produce better approximation ratios in fixed‑depth QAOA on small Max‑Cut instances. A tensor‑network imaginary‑time evolution protocol generates Matrix‑Product States approximating pure Gibbs states, that are later mapped to shallow quantum circuits. This initialization strategy suggests a clear path toward improved performance as quantum hardware matures.Finally, two “constraint-satisfying” ansätze are developed to prepare valid solutions directly, eliminating penalty terms. The first builds assignments incrementally using multi‑controlled rotations, while the second creates superpositions of partial assignments before deterministically completing them with ancilla qubits.By uniting these advances—hybrid classical/quantum decomposition, RL‑driven compilation, GNN‑based penalty tuning, coherence‑aware initialization, and feasible‑only state preparation—the thesis lays a scalable, modular foundation for achieving quantum advantage in real‑world optimization.
  

DOCTORAL DEGREE IN COMPUTER ARCHITECTURE

• RODRIGUEZ FERRANDEZ, IVAN: Mixed software/hardware-based fault-tolerance techniques for complex COTS system-on-chip in radiation environments
  
  Author: RODRIGUEZ FERRANDEZ, IVAN
  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 COMPUTER ARCHITECTURE
  Department: Department of Computer Architecture (DAC)
  Mode: Normal
  Deposit date: 01/10/2025
  Deposit END date: 14/10/2025
  Thesis director: KOSMIDIS, LEONIDAS | TALI, MARIS
  Thesis abstract: This thesis titled “Mixed Software/Hardware-based Fault-tolerance Techniques for Complex COTS System-on-Chip in Radiation Environments" explores the challenges and solutions for integrating high-performance Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) System-on-Chip (SoC) technologies, specifically GPUs, into space applications. These automotive-grade systems offer significant computational capabilities but face unique challenges in radiation-intense environments typical of space. The research investigates these challenges and proposes solutions to enhance the reliability of such systems. A key component of the thesis involves the comprehensive evaluation of modern embedded GPUs under space-like conditions, including exposure to proton and heavy-ion radiation. This analysis identifies vulnerabilities such as Single Event Effects (SEE) , which can cause faults like Single Event Upset (SEU), Single Event Functional Interrupt (SEFI), and Single Event Latch-up (SEL). To support these evaluations, the author develops the OBPMark suite, an open-source benchmark tailored for assessing the performance and efficiency of GPUs in space-specific computational tasks. To address the faults identified, the thesis proposes innovative software-based fault mitigation strategies. These include the design of fault-tolerant GPU kernels and middleware solutions that improve error detection and recovery. The effectiveness of these methods is demonstrated through both simulation and radiation testing. Additionally, the research presents hardware-level innovations, such as the development of application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) and specialized printed circuit boards (PCBs), to enhance system resilience without compromising performance. This work significantly contributes to the field of space computing by creating a robust framework for evaluating and mitigating radiation effects in complex COTS SoCs. It bridges the gap between the cost-effectiveness and performance of commercial technologies and the reliability demands of space-grade applications. The findings of this thesis pave the way for the adoption of high-performance embedded GPUs in future space missions.
  

DOCTORAL DEGREE IN CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING

• LOA CANALES, GUSTAVO JUAN FRANKLIN: Seismic performance and loss assessment of Peruvian RC wall buildings designed under current codes
  
  Author: LOA CANALES, GUSTAVO JUAN FRANKLIN
  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: Change of supervisor
  Deposit date: 25/09/2025
  Deposit END date: 08/10/2025
  Thesis director: MURCIA DELSO, JUAN | TARQUE RUIZ, SABINO NICOLA
  Thesis abstract: In countries with high seismicity, such as Peru, Chile, and Colombia, the mid- to high-rise buildings typically use reinforced concrete (RC) wall systems, which have generally demonstrated adequate seismic performance. However, cases such as the collapse of the Alto Río building during the 2010 Chile earthquake and severe damage reported in other wall-structured buildings reveal that, under certain conditions, these systems may be vulnerable. Modern RC wall buildings in Peru have not yet been subjected to a severe earthquake, so it is uncertain whether current design procedures established in Peruvian standards are adequate to provide sufficient safety or to achieve a repairable state after a major earthquake.This thesis employs analytical methods to evaluate the performance and expected losses of modern Peruvian RC wall buildings. First, it examines the design and detailing procedures of a representative set of buildings, from which 20 prototype buildings are developed for analysis. The structural performance is evaluated for different levels of seismic intensity, and the damage and losses are estimated using the FEMA P-58 methodology. Finally, recommendations are made to improve current design standards for RC wall buildings in Peru.The typical design and detailing characteristics of 20 RC wall Peruvian buildings constructed between 2010 and 2023, were used to develop 20 prototype code-conforming wall buildings. The configurations of the prototype buildings and the structural design of the walls, columns, and beams was obtained automatically with a MATLAB script, following all the guidelines of the current standards.An efficient beam-based computational model that accounts for axial-shear-flexure interaction was developed and implemented in OpenSees to analyze entire building systems. The model combines a force-based beam element with a fibre section for flexural response and a zero-length element for shear response. The reduction of shear resistance caused by inelastic flexural deformations is accounted for in the model to reproduce failures due to shear-flexure interaction. The model provides good predictions on average for the effective stiffness, lateral strength and ultimate displacement for the 52 wall tests, with mean numerical-to-experimental ratios of 1.13, 1.02 and 1.00, respectively.Nonlinear static and time-history dynamic analyses of the 20 prototype buildings were conducted using the beam-based modelling scheme for walls. The static analysis results show average values of an ultimate roof drift ratio of 1.35%, an overstrength ratio of 2.43, and a primary failure mode corresponding to the concrete crushing of wall ends caused by flexural deformations. On average, the peak roof displacements for the design basis earthquake (DBE) obtained from nonlinear analysis were 1.6 times the code expectations and corresponded to displacement demand/capacity ratio ranging between 0.25 and 0.83. The expected seismic losses of twelve prototype buildings were assessed following the FEMA P-58 methodology. The lateral capacity of low-rise buildings was higher than that of higher buildings, which generated some collapse cases for the buildings of 8 to 16 levels. The results show a mean loss ratio (MLR) at design level earthquake of 28.5%, 31.5%, 33.5% and 32.6% for the buildings of 4, 8,12 and 16 levels, respectively.It is concluded that the displacement demands in Peruvian RC wall buildings are higher than those estimated by conventional procedures in the current Peruvian standards, and the estimated damages are more severe than expected. On this basis, updates to Peruvian codes are recommended, which include: (1) changes for the calculation of expected seismic displacements, (2) classification of structural walls into ordinary and special categories with different inter-story drift limits, (3) mandatory peer review and nonlinear response history analysis for certain buildings, and (4) calculation of accelerations.
  

DOCTORAL DEGREE IN EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING AND STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS

• TIRADO GUTIERREZ, RODOLFO JAVIER: EVALUATION OF STRUCTURAL RELIABILITY. REVIEW OF DESIGN METHODOLOGIES AND SEISMIC PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF REINFORCED CONCRETE STRUCTURES
  
  Author: TIRADO GUTIERREZ, RODOLFO 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 EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING AND STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS
  Department: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (DECA)
  Mode: Normal
  Deposit date: 25/09/2025
  Deposit END date: 08/10/2025
  Thesis director: VARGAS ALZATE, YEUDY FELIPE | GONZALEZ DRIGO, JOSE RAMON
  Thesis abstract: Seismic risk and structural reliability are fundamental concepts in the design and evaluation of safe and resilient buildings. It should be noted that most of the casualties, injuries and economic losses during an earthquake are associated with damage to civil structures. In this context, there is an urgent need to improve the design and evaluation methodologies of this type of structures. From a numerical perspective, several strategies can address this need, ranging from improvements in modeling and advanced analysis methods, to the probabilistic analysis of the variables involved (such as seismic hazard), including the review of configuration and material properties of the systems under study. Therefore, this research proposes a methodology to evaluate structural reliability using a probabilistic approach, validated through nonlinear dynamic analysis and a statistical cloud study. This methodology constitutes a robust and powerful tool, applicable not only at the building level but also at urban and regional scales. For this purpose, it is proposed to study a set of reinforced concrete buildings with variable configurations in both plan and elevation. These models represent real buildings, that were recently designed and constructed, located in areas of high seismicity in Colombia, for which the most modern seismic-resistant design standards have been followed. This thesis is divided into three main sections: 1) Calculation of improved intensity measures, in terms of efficiency and steadfastness, to derive more accurate fragility curves; 2) Development of a probabilistic analysis methodology to estimate, with high statistical accuracy and reduced time, the dynamic response of tall buildings by using transfer functions; and 3) Evaluation of structural reliability, based on the probability of exceeding different damage indices and thresholds at different levels of seismic intensity. The first part focuses on identifying and developing optimal and improved intensity measures, based on the efficiency and steadfastness they show as correlated with the structural response of complex systems. An optimal seismic intensity measure enables the development of more accurate fragility curves, which are essential for assessing the probability of damage in a structure under different seismic intensity levels. The second part focuses on the development of a structural analysis method based on the transfer function (TF) concept. This mathematical model establishes the relationship between the response of a system and the input excitation. The proposed approach allows probabilistic estimation, while maintaining statistical accuracy, of the nonlinear dynamic response. It aims to overcome the limitations of the high computational cost associated with nonlinear dynamic analysis. Finally, the third part focuses on calculating the structural reliability of two real buildings located in a high seismicity zone, evaluating the probability of exceeding different damage thresholds. The results obtained show that intensity measures based on velocity present a higher correlation with the structural response, regardless of whether they are analyzed as a whole. This will make it possible to evaluate risk scenarios in large areas by means of fragility curves that adequately represent different structural typologies, facilitating a better characterization of urban environments. Likewise, it is observed that the developed method, by using a reduced number of seismic records, allows obtaining reliable results in terms of the principal statistical moments of the structural response of complex systems, and importantly, in a considerably shorter time. In conclusion, this research presents a series of advanced numerical tools that allow the calculation of damage scenarios, while optimally accounting for seismic hazard, and using methodologies that significantly reduce the time required to estimate the structural reliability of a set of buildings.
  

DOCTORAL DEGREE IN MARINE SCIENCES

• ANGELINI, RICCARDO: Coastal environment monitoring through satellite, terrestrial and airborne remote sensing
  
  Author: ANGELINI, RICCARDO
  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 MARINE SCIENCES
  Department: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (DECA)
  Mode: Normal
  Deposit date: 01/10/2025
  Deposit END date: 14/10/2025
  Thesis director: MASIERO, ANDREA | LUZI, GUIDO | RIBAS PRATS, FRANCESCA
  Thesis abstract: Coastal areas are increasingly threatened by sea-level rise due to climate change and anthropogenic pressures, calling for robust and scalable monitoring tools. The first phase of this thesis implements a comprehensive methodology for semi-automatic shoreline extraction through the use of multispectral satellite imagery (Sentinel-2 and PlanetScope). The extracted shorelines are validated using in situ GNSS surveys and high-resolution orthomosaics along three Mediterranean sandy beaches. The shoreline extraction tool works with several spectral indices tested with thresholding and unsupervised clustering segmentation methods. A high coastline extraction performance is achieved using Sentinel-2, with an average sub-pixel accuracy of 4 m (Mean Absolute Deviation, MAD) obtained from a 10 m pixel. A MAD of 2 m is achieved from imagery at 3 m pixel resolution of PlanetScope. In the second phase, the obtained multispectral satellite shorelines are used to characterize megacusps shoreline undulations with alongshore wavelengths of hundreds of meters and cross-shore amplitudes up to a few tens of meters that can significantly affect beach usability. Subsequent validation with reference data proves satellite-derived shorelines can robustly and accurately describe megacusp parameters such as amplitude and wavelength. Moreover, megacusp evolution can be effectively characterized by combining different types of satellite imagery (Sentinel-2 and PlanetScope), enabling the identification of periods of growth, decay, and migration, even at weekly timescales. This can be a useful tool to manage the impact of these features on Mediterranean beaches.Another phase involves evaluating and correcting the extracted shorelines to tide excursions and wave setup. Corrections based on tide gauge and buoy data show that although absolute displacements are limited, assessing them helps eliminate a potential source of error, justifying their integration into high-accuracy workflows. This would also allow applying the developed methodology to meso- or macro-tidal beaches.Finally, the research incorporates Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery (Sentinel-1 and TerraSAR-X) to expand the shoreline extraction tool to periods without light or with clouds, including two other Mediterranean beaches characterized by gravel sediment. The SAR-based shoreline extraction module includes advanced extra-denoising filtering and an outlier detection module, but it maintains the core methodology used in the first phase, demonstrating the flexibility of the developed approach. The results demonstrate unprecedented accuracy and stability for gravel beaches (approximately 6 m of MAD), and for sandy beaches (approximately 7 m of MAD), starting from a 10 m pixel size. In a comparative assessment between the two TerraSAR-X images available and the closest Sentinel-1 in terms of time, the first achieves higher accuracy in terms of MAD (2.5 m) compared to the second one (6.5 m), but only in the image with good meteorological conditions (no differences are obtained in the other date). The study also investigates the influence of radar parameters, such as polarization, wavelength, acquisition geometry, and environmental conditions, on SAR shoreline accuracy. The results show that higher land–sea backscatter contrast, typical of gravel beaches, and moderate wind conditions enhance detection reliability. Conversely, high wind and wave activity reduce contrast and increase errors.Overall, this work offers robust, scalable tools for high-resolution coastal morphology monitoring in Mediterranean beaches using satellite data. These methodologies could be extended to beaches with significant tides and other related fields such as flood mapping. The developed algorithms could be incorporated into operational platforms like early warning systems or interactive WebGIS applications, potentially significantly contributing to local authorities' adaptive coastal zone management.
  

DOCTORAL DEGREE IN MECHANICAL, FLUIDS AND AEROSPACE ENGINEERING

• MASSAROTTI, GIORGIO PAOLO: New Dual Steering System in a Compact Tractor
  
  Author: MASSAROTTI, GIORGIO PAOLO
  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 MECHANICAL, FLUIDS AND AEROSPACE ENGINEERING
  Department: Department of Mechanical Engineering (EM)
  Mode: Normal
  Deposit date: 01/10/2025
  Deposit END date: 14/10/2025
  Thesis director: GAMEZ MONTERO, PEDRO JAVIER | CODINA MACIA, ESTEBAN
  Thesis abstract: In order to achieve optimal controllability in a dual-steering tractor (a four-wheel, iso-diametric tractor equipped with a dual-hydraulic steering system), this thesis proposes a coordinated approach that combines experimental testing (using a special agricultural tractor) with numerical analysis of the entire vehicle, developed in Bond Graph-3D. After an exhaustive review of the scientific literature, it is observed that the compact tractor with dual steering, has not yet been thoroughly analysed. In this thesis, in chapter 1 it is possible to identify the reasons that led to the realization of this long work and the objectives that were set at the beginning. These objectives were born from the understanding of the state of the art relating to double steering in the off-road sector, focusing particularly on the case of a vineyard tractor. All starting from the basics, from the steering which occurs smoothly and through the variants that can be found on the market today. In light of the machine construction information, the model of the studied tractor was introduced, searching the literature for the methods and models that could describe its dynamic behavior. In order to detail the description, the hydraulic circuit chosen based on the requirements listed in chapter 4 was introduced and an analysis to its modeling combined with the dynamic model of the tractor using Bond-Graph was provided. At the same time, experimental tests were carried out with a prototype tractor which incorporated the hydraulic circuitpreviously described, together with the dynamic model of the tractor, also obtained through modeling from the physical machine. The numerical analysis provided results that match very well with the experimental data, providing the key to the "salient" factors that characterize the tractor's steering capacity. A threshold can be set, relative to the vehicle speed, to disable dual-steer mode when a certain speed is exceeded. Based on experimental data, this threshold is set around 8.5 km/h. In conclusion, there are possibilities for future development that would lead the system described to a new circuit capable of appreciating not only the factors that determine the drivability of the tractor, but also of managing possible dangerous conditions for the user.
  

DOCTORAL DEGREE IN NUCLEAR AND IONISING RADIATION ENGINEERING

• MONT I GELI, NIL: Characterization of underground neutron fluxes by experimental measurements, Monte Carlo simulations and improvement of (α,n) nuclear data
  
  Author: MONT I GELI, NIL
  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 NUCLEAR AND IONISING RADIATION ENGINEERING
  Department: Department of Physics (FIS)
  Mode: Normal
  Deposit date: 30/09/2025
  Deposit END date: 13/10/2025
  Thesis director: CALVIÑO TAVARES, FRANCISCO | TARIFEÑO SALDIVIA, ARIEL
  Thesis abstract: particularwith the radiation detectors used in scientific research, resulting in a radiationbackground that could become one of the main limiting factors that determines thefeasibility of the measurement. To overcome such a limitation, rare event experimentsin fields such as neutrino physics, direct searches of dark matter, and nuclear astrophysicshave to be carried out in underground laboratories. The rock overburdenshields most of the cosmic radiation, but experiments still require carefully designedradiation shielding to avoid the impact from the underground radiation. This radiationcomes mainly from (α,n) reactions and spontaneous fission processes caused bythe intrinsic radioactivity of the walls of the laboratory. As a consequence, a precisecharacterization of the underground radiation fluxes is crucial for many experiments.Neutrons are one of the main radiation types that affect underground experiments.The High Efficiency Neutron Spectrometry Array (HENSA) is a high-efficiency neutrondetection system that was designed to characterize the neutron flux in undergroundlaboratories. Today, the spectrometer has been used in facilities suchas the Canfranc Underground Laboratory (LSC) in Spain, the underground facilityFelsenkeller in Germany, and the Gran Sasso National Laboratory (LNGS) in Italy.This thesis is focused on the characterization of the neutron flux at LSC, in particularin hall B of the facility named LAB2400. To do that, experimental measurementswith HENSA are combined with Monte Carlo calculations. For more than four years,neutron data were acquired in the same location within hall B. It was found thatthe neutron flux remained stable during the whole measurement, with any possiblefluctuation being smaller than the monthly resolution of the spectrometer. The resultsof HENSA, in particular the magnitude and energy distribution of the neutronflux were also used to asses the impact of such neutrons on the background of theANAIS-112 dark matter experiment, which is located close to the setup of HENSA.In collaboration with the ANAIS team, the impact of underground neutrons on thebackground of ANAIS-112 was found to be negligible. Furthermore, the impact of(α,n) data on Monte Carlo calculations of the underground neutron flux was studied.Recent technical meetings organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency(IAEA) have concluded that there is a need to improve nuclear data on (α,n) reactions.Such reactions are of primary interest not only in underground physics but also infields such as nuclear astrophysics, medical physics, technologies, and non-destructiveassays for spent fuel management applications. To improve the status of the nucleardata, the Measurement of Alpha Neutron Yields and spectra (MANY) collaborationwas formed. The project is based on the use of the currently existing infrastructurein Spain, in particular the α beams produced by the accelerators at CMAM (Centrode Micro-An´alisis de Materiales) and CNA (Centro Nacional de Aceleradores).In the context of the MANY collaboration, the final part of the present thesis dealswith the design and development of a new moderated neutron counter, miniBELEN,to perform measurements of (α,n) production yields and reaction cross sections. Theanalysis of the commissioning measurement using aluminum targets is also discussed.The results obtained are consistent with the existing data in the literature, showingthat miniBELEN is able to perform measurements of (α,n) yields and cross sections.The measurement also produced new data for the cross section of 27Al(α,n)30P foralpha energies greater than 5.5 MeV.
  
• PALLÀS I SOLÍS, MAX: Study of neutron-rich β-delayed emitters relevant for understanding the formation of the r-process rare earth-peak around mass A~160
  
  Author: PALLÀS I SOLÍS, MAX
  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 NUCLEAR AND IONISING RADIATION ENGINEERING
  Department: Department of Physics (FIS)
  Mode: Normal
  Deposit date: 30/09/2025
  Deposit END date: 13/10/2025
  Thesis director: TARIFEÑO SALDIVIA, ARIEL | TOLOSA DELGADO, ALVARO
  Thesis abstract: The r-process is responsible for the formation of nearly half of all nuclei heavier than iron. New elements are synthesized via the r-process, involving neutron-rich nuclei characterized by the emission of neutrons following beta decay. Precise network computations are crucial for understanding the astrophysical conditions of the r-process and replicating observed abundance distributions. These calculations rely heavily on data regarding nuclear structure, often based on theoretical estimates for isotopes that are not experimentally accessible. High-precision experimental data for isotopes far from stability play a crucial role in refining nuclear structure models, which, in turn, enhance the reliability of r-process network calculations.In this context, the beta-delayed neutrons at RIKE (BRIKEN) collaboration performed high-precision measurements of the half-lives and neutron emission probabilities of neutron-rich nuclides. The setup consisted of the Advanced Implantation Detector Array (AIDA) placed inside the BRIKEN neutron counter, an array of 3He neutron counters embedded in a polyethylene matrix. The experiment was performed in the Rare Isotope Beam Factory (RIBF) of the RIKEN Nishina Center (Japan).The present thesis is centered on the analysis of the BRIKEN RIBF-148 experiment, specifically for nuclei spanning the range from 146Ba to 162Nd; these are pivotal in the r-process nucleosynthesis of rare-earth elements. The findings of this research include 36 T1/2 values that are consistent with earlier experimental data. Of these, 13 measurements also provide a reduced uncertainty compared to previously reported values. For the P1n study, it was the first experiment in this region, with 22 of the 24 values being new measurements.Additionally, we developed a revised RHB+RQRPA nuclear structure model, incorporating several improvements. The model’s predictive capabilities were enhanced by refining its parameterization with the experimental data presented in this thesis.In the final part of this work, we discussed the preliminary astrophysical impact of these new experimental data and the refined nuclear model on r-process abundances in the REP region through nuclear reaction network calculations.
  

DOCTORAL DEGREE IN POLYMERS AND BIOPOLYMERS

• JIN, ANYI: Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs): Processing, Property Modulation, and Biomedical Applications
  
  Author: JIN, ANYI
  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 POLYMERS AND BIOPOLYMERS
  Department: Department of Chemical Engineering (EQ)
  Mode: Normal
  Deposit date: 02/10/2025
  Deposit END date: 15/10/2025
  Thesis director:
  Thesis abstract: This doctoral thesis presents a comprehensive study on the structure-property relationships, processing behavior, and functional performance of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), with the aim of enhancing their applicability as sustainable alternatives to conventional plastics. The work focuses on various PHA-based materials and explores their modification through blending strategies and the incorporation of functional additives. A wide range of processing techniques were employed, including melt compounding, injection molding, ultrasonic molding, solvent casting, and electrospinning. These methods enabled the fabrication of various PHA-based formulations tailored for specific applications. Physicochemical characterization was carried out using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), polarized optical microscopy (POM), tensile testing, and synchrotron-based FTIR microspectroscopy (SR-FTIR). These techniques enabled the investigation of molecular structure, crystallization kinetics, morphology, thermal stability, and mechanical properties.The results demonstrate that copolymer composition plays a critical role in defining the crystallinity, thermal behavior, and mechanical performance of PHAs. The incorporation of comonomers such as 3-hydroxyvalerate (3HV), 3-hydroxyhexanoate (3HHx), and 4-hydroxybutyrate (4HB) effectively tuned the material properties. The addition of nucleating agents, such as boron nitride (BN) and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB), were found to significantly accelerate the crystallization rate of P3HBHHx without adversely affecting its molecular or thermal stability. Blending P3HBHHx with other biopolymers, such as poly(latic acid) (PLA), poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT), poly(butylene succinate) (PBS), and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate) (P34HB), further modulated its performance, although compatibility remained a challenge in certain formulations. Biomedical applications were also explored using electrospinning and ultrasonic molding. Drug-loaded poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) nanofibers exhibited tunable release kinetics and antibacterial activity, while P34HB demonstrated excellent processability and thermal resistance under ultrasonic molding conditions. Finally, SR-FTIR microspectroscopy revealed spatial orientation patterns within PHBV spherulites, offering new insights into the molecular organization of PHAs. Overall, this thesis establishes a comprehensive framework for tailoring PHA materials through formulation and processing innovations. It contributes to the scientific understanding and technological advancement of PHAs as viable sustainable material across various sectors.
  

DOCTORAL DEGREE IN SIGNAL THEORY AND COMMUNICATIONS

• MARTÍNEZ GOST, MARC: The DCT as the Basis for Nonlinear Signal Processing and Task-Oriented Communications
  
  Author: MARTÍNEZ GOST, MARC
  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 SIGNAL THEORY AND COMMUNICATIONS
  Department: Department of Signal Theory and Communications (TSC)
  Mode: Normal
  Deposit date: 01/10/2025
  Deposit END date: 14/10/2025
  Thesis director: PEREZ NEIRA, ANA ISABEL
  Thesis abstract: This dissertation addresses two fundamental and increasingly connected challenges in modern information processing: nonlinear learning and task-oriented communications. Both fields require compact, interpretable and efficient representations of nonlinear functions. These representations are essential for building learning models as well as for transmitting information relevant to a downstream task. Traditional approaches, often dominated by black-box architectures and data-driven approaches, face limitations in interpretability, scalability and robustness. This motivates the search for structured and principled alternatives.At the core of this work lies the discrete cosine transform (DCT), a classical signal processing tool reinterpreted here as a unifying framework for nonlinear modeling and communication. By leveraging its mathematical properties, such as orthogonality, energy compaction and oscillatory structure, the DCT is shown to offer advantages far beyond its traditional role in image compression. The dissertation explores how the DCT can support both efficient learning algorithms and the design of novel modulation strategies that jointly encode data and computation.The study begins with the integration of the DCT in adaptive learning algorithms for univariate nonlinear functions, where the structural properties of the DCT enable fast convergence and low complexity solutions. This method is successfully applied to the compensation of nonlinearities in wireless communication channels. The approach merges the structure and interpretability of classical signal processing blocks with the flexibility and performance of data-driven methods.The work then extends to multivariate settings through the introduction of the Expressive Neural Network (ENN), a multilayer perceptron that integrates the DCT within its activation functions. This architecture preserves the interpretability of the DCT while enabling expressive and scalable modeling. Thanks to the structure provided by the DCT, even small networks can learn complex nonlinear mappings.On the communications front, the dissertation investigates the emerging paradigm of task-oriented communications, where the focus shifts to transmitting data relevant to a computation task. To this end, the oscillatory nature of the DCT is employed to design modulation schemes that embed computation within the physical waveform. A novel DCT-based modulation is proposed, and classical schemes are revisited through the lens of the DCT, enabling function computation through frequency modulations. These concepts are further extended to multi-user wireless systems, where the DCT guides the design of a new multiple access scheme tailored for federated edge learning (FEEL). This approach offers robust, low-power and efficient aggregation of distributed data for collaborative edge learning.Altogether, this work demonstrates that the DCT, a classical tool introduced nearly 50 years ago, can be revitalized as a foundational building block for modern signal processing. Its structure offers a powerful, interpretable and efficient foundation for addressing contemporary challenges in intelligent information processing. By bridging classical signal processing with contemporary machine learning and communication challenges, the dissertation presents a unified framework for nonlinear representation, learning and communications.
  
• MHATRE, SUVIDHA SUDHAKAR: AI-Enabled Network Slicing and Resource Management for Open and Programmable Next-Generation (6G) Networks
  
  Author: MHATRE, SUVIDHA SUDHAKAR
  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 SIGNAL THEORY AND COMMUNICATIONS
  Department: Department of Signal Theory and Communications (TSC)
  Mode: Normal
  Deposit date: 01/10/2025
  Deposit END date: 14/10/2025
  Thesis director: VERIKOUKIS, CHRISTOS | RAMANTAS, KONSTANTINOS
  Thesis abstract: This thesis addresses the emerging challenges in resource management for 6G networks by proposing intelligent, scalable, and explainable solutions using Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) and related AI techniques. With the evolution from 5G to 6G, the increasing heterogeneity of applications and services introduces complex requirements in terms of latency, bandwidth, computational efficiency, and end-to-end quality of service (QoS). The research presents a suite of AI-driven solutions for dynamic and adaptive resource allocation tailored to network slicing scenarios in Open and Programmable architectures.The work begins by developing a DRL-based, QoS-aware slice resource allocation framework, integrating user association parameterization for beyond-5G O-RAN environments. A hierarchical DRL model is introduced to manage global-local resource trade-offs efficiently. This is extended by proposing a multi-time scale resource management framework under an AI-as-a-Service (AIaaS) paradigm to serve heterogeneous 6G services.To improve interpretability and trust in automated network operations, the thesis incorporates Explainable Reinforcement Learning (XRL) techniques into RAN slicing and management strategies. Finally, the use of transfer learning in DRL is explored to enhance policy adaptation in intra- and inter-slice domains, accelerating learning and improving performance in diverse and dynamic network conditions.The thesis includes extensive simulations and experimental validation to demonstrate the superiority of the proposed methods in terms of scalability, efficiency, and generalization over state-of-the-art (SOTA) baselines. The overall contributions provide a technically innovative and practically applicable roadmap for intelligent, trustworthy, and adaptive resource management in future 6G wireless systems.
  
• RAFIEIAN, BARDIA: Enhancing Word and Document Embeddings for Natural Language Processing Tasks
  
  Author: RAFIEIAN, BARDIA
  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 SIGNAL THEORY AND COMMUNICATIONS
  Department: Department of Signal Theory and Communications (TSC)
  Mode: Normal
  Deposit date: 02/10/2025
  Deposit END date: 15/10/2025
  Thesis director: VÁZQUEZ ALCOCER, PERE PAU
  Thesis abstract: This thesis delves into various aspects of natural language processing, focusing on domain-specific neural machine translation, specialized word embeddings, data augmentation, recommender systems, document embedding techniques, and hierarchical classification with large language models. The work is structured around a couple of key contributions.Chapter 4 introduces a novel data preparation and tokenization method (Hybrid-BTS) for biomedical neural machine translation, alongside a post-specialization technique leveraging Wasserstein GANs to enhance word embeddings with multilingual constraints. Chapter 5 proposes a domain adaptation strategy for biomedical translation involving forward translation, BPE optimization, and term frequency manipulation. It also details the development of two fashion e-commerce recommender systems: one content-based and one collaborative, both integrating practical style rules. Finally, Chapter 6 presents an evaluation of document embedding models (Doc2vec, SciBERT, Longformer, LLaMA-3, GEMMA-2B) for long document classification, and a modular pipeline designed for multi-label hierarchical patent classification using transformer-based models, optimized for efficiency with LoRA and quantization. Collectively, these contributions push the state-of-the-art in both applied and theoretical NLP by providing new methods to boost performance, adaptability, and efficiency in domain-specific and large-scale applications.
  

DOCTORAL DEGREE IN STATISTICS AND OPERATIONS RESEARCH

• GROTTO, ANDREA: Optimal transition towards zero tailpipe emission mobility in urban and suburban areas
  
  Author: GROTTO, ANDREA
  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 STATISTICS AND OPERATIONS RESEARCH
  Department: Department of Statistics and Operations Research (EIO)
  Mode: Normal
  Deposit date: 01/10/2025
  Deposit END date: 14/10/2025
  Thesis director: FONSECA CASAS, PAU | ZUBARYEVA, ALYONA
  Thesis abstract: This doctoral research presents an innovative methodological framework for developing Urban Mobility Digital Twins through formalization using the Specification and Description Language (SDL). The study addresses the challenges of urban mobility management in the context of digital transformation and Society 5.0 principles, where technology serves human needs rather than the opposite.The research combines SUMO with its integrated SAGA module, formalized through SDL to enable conceptual model validation by stakeholders. This methodology enables continuous validation of digital twin models through real-time data integration from Internet of Things sensors and traffic monitoring systems distributed throughout urban networks.The conceptual model is demonstrated through a proof-of-concept implementation in Bolzano City. In this implementation, the BSc block integrates activity-based modelling with microscopic traffic simulation, with multi-objective optimization across energy consumption, CO2 emissions, and urban traffic congestion criteria. As an example, the implementation focuses on electric vehicle adoption optimization scenarios.The research is conducted in collaboration with Urban Resilience, a company developing SUMOSU sustainable mobility hubs that integrate electric charging infrastructure, shared vehicles, and photovoltaic renewable energy systems. This collaboration demonstrates the framework's practical applicability in evaluating integrated and sustainable mobility solutions.Additionally, comprehensive validation protocols are developed and formalized through SDL, including specific procedures for data validation, operational validation, experimental validation based on Design of Experiments methodology, and solution validation. These protocols ensure systematic and reproducible validation processes across different environmental and seasonal conditions.Main contributions include: development of a conceptual model for Urban Mobility Digital Twins facilitating stakeholder communication regardless of technical background; establishment of continuous validation protocols distinguishing true Digital Twins from static simulation models; integration of mobility and energy systems within a unified framework supporting sustainability evaluations; alignment with Society 5.0 principles by transforming complex technical systems into accessible decision-making tools.The research establishes methodological foundations for connecting Urban Mobility Digital Twins with other urban digital twins or models through common formalization approaches. This enables analysis of complex urban interactions while maintaining human-centered technological development through the conceptual model that expresses what is contained within the Digital Master of the Digital Twin.Results demonstrate that the formalization successfully creates a common language for urban mobility stakeholders, enabling effective collaboration between diverse professional domains and facilitating the adoption of sustainable technologies in urban contexts.
  

DOCTORAL DEGREE IN SUSTAINABILITY

• MEHABA, WAFA: The effect of promotions on consumer purchasing behavior
  
  Author: MEHABA, WAFA
  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 SUSTAINABILITY
  Department: University Research Institute for Sustainability Science and Technology (IS.UPC)
  Mode: Normal
  Deposit date: 02/10/2025
  Deposit END date: 15/10/2025
  Thesis director: GIL ROIG, JOSE MARIA
  Thesis abstract: The retail industry has long had to contend with a more competitive and complicated environment. Changes in consumer behaviour, market structures, and public health concerns have drastically altered this environment over the last 20 years. Furthermore, the importance of promotional differentiation increased as a result of economic crises, inflation, dwindling consumer purchasing power. Retail sales promotions present significant opportunities to reshape and influence the consumer behaviour. Considering their direct impact on expenditures patterns, it is crucial to understand the multifaceted promotional effects.In this context, the overall objective of this dissertation is studying the effect of sales promotions on consumer purchasing behaviour across different contexts. Three consumer studies were conducted, examining promotional effects on budget allocation, crisis driven behavioural changes and health related policy implications using Homescan data from Kantar Worldpanel. First, the effect of retail sales promotions on the allocation of the household food budget among the items of the shopping basket was investigated in Catalonia, Northeast region in Spain. Using Homescan data from purchases of a supermarket, own and cross-promotion elasticities were calculated using the Exact Affine Stone Index (EASI). Results reveal positive effects of sales promotions on households’ expenditure and mostly a negative asymmetric cross-effect, implying a small but significant budget reallocation.Second, purchasing behaviour changes during crisis periods were analysed using COVID-19 pandemic as a case study. Price sensitivity and promotional responsiveness were examined across different crisis phases and expenditure levels using both fixed effects regression and quantile regression models. Homescan data covering the period the first year of COVID-19 and the year before are used. The results indicate that households exhibit a decreased price sensitivity and reduced promotion responsiveness during the first lockdown followed by increased sensitivity during the new normality period. Additionally, during first lockdown, low expenditure households are more sensitive to prices and promotions than high expenditure households. Third, a cross-country comparative analysis is conducted. The relationship between retail sales promotions and Body Mass Index (BMI) is examined using the EASI demand system, comparing northern (Scotland) and southern (Spain) regions. The analysis focuses on foods High in fat, Sugar and Sodium (HFSS) across different BMI profiles. Findings indicate that consumers with unhealthy BMI exhibit higher sensitivity to price and expenditure changes compared to those with healthy BMIs. Moreover, Scottish households show greater sensitivity to expenditure changes and promotions compared to their Spanish counterparts.The research conducted in this dissertation provides valuable insights to retailers, policymakers, and other stakeholders involved in the food retail sector. The outcomes of this dissertation can guide promotional strategy design, pricing decisions, and policy interventions to meet consumer needs while addressing broader societal concerns including crisis management and public health objectives.
  
• URIOSTE DAZA, SERGIO ALEJANDRO: Advancing Reform of European Union Plant Variety Registration: Institutional, Empirical, and Policy Insights for Sustainable Agri-Food Governance
  
  Author: URIOSTE DAZA, SERGIO ALEJANDRO
  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 SUSTAINABILITY
  Department: University Research Institute for Sustainability Science and Technology (IS.UPC)
  Mode: Normal
  Deposit date: 29/09/2025
  Deposit END date: 10/10/2025
  Thesis director: TAGHOUTI, IBTISSEM | GIL ROIG, JOSE MARIA
  Thesis abstract: Plant variety registration is a critical regulatory gatekeeper between the breeding of improved varieties and their farm-level adoption. In the European Union, however, this system is being outpaced by technological advances and sustainability challenges. Legislative reform is now underway to address these shortcomings, aiming to improve the system’s efficiency by integrating new technologies and sustainability criteria into variety testing and fostering greater harmonisation across Member States. Although these reforms are broadly welcomed, diverging positions among stakeholder groups and EU institutions remain unresolved.Bridging these differences will require robust evidence to inform the ongoing negotiations. This thesis responds to this demand by providing an evidence-based assessment of the current system’s inefficiencies and by proposing realistic reform pathways to help reconcile core tensions between regulatory drag and productivity, divergent stakeholder interests, and the gap between policy goals and farm-level realities. To achieve these objectives, this research presents an integrated framework that engages all key actors in variety testing and combines econometric analysis, decision-analytic modelling, and qualitative analysis.Using a large panel dataset on crop registration and productivity, a fixed-effects analysis provides evidence of regulatory drag on productivity gains, particularly for crops subject to Value for Cultivation and Use testing. Evidence gathered from stakeholders explores into the factors behind these regulatory delays and identifies pathways to overcome systemic inefficiencies, including the uptake of enabling technologies and the harmonisation of testing processes.Subsequently, an analysis of contested policy alternatives is conducted using a replicable framework that integrates expert judgment with public input through multi-criteria decision methods and complementary weighting techniques. The results reveal a clear consensus on prioritising the adoption of technological advancements to improve the system's efficiency and accuracy. However, the analysis also exposes disagreements over efforts to harmonise the system and include sustainability criteria in testing procedures, revealing significant heterogeneity among stakeholder groups.To further investigate the contested issue of adding sustainability criteria in variety testing, a farm-level study is presented to elicit the preferences of apple growers in Spain. Using a Discrete Choice Experiment, farmers' preferences for sustainability traits in new apple varieties were elicited and examined in relation to risk behaviours. The results show a positive but heterogeneous demand for sustainability-related traits, with willingness-to-pay shaped by farm characteristics rather than by measured risk attitudes.Together, these findings demonstrate how data-driven and stakeholder-informed reforms can reduce institutional friction by establishing common ground for negotiation on key aspects of the regulation. Both stakeholder priorities and farmers’ demands point toward the need to prioritise technological uptake and design mechanisms that facilitate the delivery of climate-resilient and resource-efficient varieties. Effective stakeholder involvement and continuous evidence generation are essential for the regulatory path forward. By integrating evidence across institutional, technological, and behavioural layers, this research advances the goals of the European Green Deal and the Farm to Fork Strategy and provides a transferable framework for future assessments of agricultural policy and innovation.
  

DOCTORAL DEGREE IN TRANSPORT ENGINEERING AND INFRASTRUCTURE

• TEJEDOR FUENTETAJA, JOSÉ: Análisis en la afección de infraestructuras ferroviarias convencionales, con la incorporación de líneas de alta velocidad, durante la construcción y explotación.
  
  Author: TEJEDOR FUENTETAJA, JOSÉ
  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 TRANSPORT ENGINEERING AND INFRASTRUCTURE
  Department: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (DECA)
  Mode: Normal
  Deposit date: 01/10/2025
  Deposit END date: 14/10/2025
  Thesis director: CAMPOS CACHEDA, JOSÉ MAGÍN | GRANDE ANDRADE, ZACARIAS
  Thesis abstract: This paper analyzes the impact on the conventional network caused by the construction of the new high-speed line in Catalonia, once it has entered into operation and its construction work has been completed, except for the Barcelona La Sagrera station, which will be under construction in July 2025.The implementation of high-speed rail has led to the remodeling and construction of new track sections and stations, a situation that is particularly pronounced around the city of Barcelona.To conduct this analysis, we must examine the conditions of the railway infrastructure, superstructure, and technical operating systems of the conventional network in 2000. Subsequently, a determination will be made as to how the construction of the new infrastructure may have affected rail operations on each of the conventional lines, in terms of the number of trains on each of their different sections, and the type of transport services provided on them (long-distance, medium-distance, commuter, and freight). This will determine whether the construction of the new line could have impacted rail operations.The results obtained will be used to determine the current status of the conventional network, in order to identify shortcomings and propose improvements that could lead to improved rail operations, as well as better management, and thus greater efficiency and safety. They will also be used to assist in decision-making regarding future rail infrastructure projects. Once the railway sector was liberalized, initially with freight transport services in 2007 and with the new entry of private companies starting in 2019, and in 2021, in addition to Renfe with its commercial AVE and AVLO products, OUIGO and Iryo also began providing high-speed passenger transport services on some corridors in Spain.However, the European Union's regulations require member states to incorporate competition not only in freight and passenger transport services, but also to extend this competition to medium-distance and suburban passenger transport services, and to be implemented by 2033 at the latest.Therefore, the analysis of the behavior of the railway infrastructure, as well as of the transport services, during the construction of the infrastructure works of the high-speed network in Catalonia, and with the actions that should be carried out previously on the conventional network, in order to offer a better quality of service to medium-distance and suburban passengers, once its liberalization is effective, this analysis can help to see the behavior before future actions on the infrastructure, not only in Catalonia, but at the national level, since liberalization will affect the entire State.
  

DOCTORAL DEGREE IN URBAN AND ARCHITECTURAL MANAGEMENT AND VALUATION

• CARRILLO CERVERA, ALEJANDRO: Efecto del área verde en la salud: parques y enfermedades cardiovasculares en Mérida (2020)
  
  Author: CARRILLO CERVERA, ALEJANDRO
  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 URBAN AND ARCHITECTURAL MANAGEMENT AND VALUATION
  Department: Department of Architectural Technology (TA)
  Mode: Normal
  Deposit date: 25/09/2025
  Deposit END date: 08/10/2025
  Thesis director: ROCA CLADERA, JOSE NICASIO | ARELLANO RAMOS, BLANCA ESMARAGDA
  Thesis abstract: This doctoral study analyzes the relationship between urban green spaces and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality in the city of Mérida, Yucatán (Mexico), using a pioneering methodology at the urban block scale. The research combined spatial analysis, statistical techniques, and direct observation to assess the impact of green coverage, quality (NDVI), and accessibility to urban parks on public health.In Mérida, the analysis reveals that daily proximity to green areas—especially small or medium-sized parks within 300 meters—has a statistically significant effect (β = –0.001; p < 0.001). These parks exhibit the highest quality of urban greenery and the best plant health. In contrast, larger parks over 5 hectares, where vegetation quality and plant health are poor, show no significant effect (β = 0.000; p = 0.006). This suggests that it is not only the amount of permeable land in parks that matters, but also the quality of urban vegetation and accessibility in the immediate surroundings. By age group, young adults (18–24 years) had better access to parks, while children and older adults faced more barriers.People with disabilities are more vulnerable to developing CVD (β = 0.324; p = 0.010). The findings also indicate an increase in mortality associated with the use of private vehicles as a means of transportation (β = 0.261; p = 0.007). On the other hand, higher spending on food consumed at home has a protective effect (β = –0.165; p < 0.001).Although other factors may also explain changes in mortality rates, urban greenery and the quality of the built environment significantly influence population health. The regression equation was statistically significant F(5, 10036) = 0.001. The R² value was 0.202, indicating that 20.2% of the CVD mortality rate can be explained by the model, which includes variables such as accessibility to urban parks, the percentage of people with disabilities, spending on private vehicle use, and spending on food consumed at home.The mortality rate decreases by –0.001 points for every additional square meter of urban greenery in parks. Excluding medians and sidewalks, the population has access to an average of 7.17 m² of urban green space per inhabitant across all parks within the peripheral ring, and 5.79 m² per inhabitant when considering only parks of 5 hectares or more. The average CVD mortality rate is 29.78% per urban block.
  

DOCTORAL DEGREE IN URBANISM

• 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
  Deposit END date: 10/10/2025
  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.