Doctoral School

Reading date: 23/05/2025

• DELMAS, GINGER: Linking Human Poses With Natural Language
  
  Author: DELMAS, GINGER
  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: 10/03/2025
  Reading date: 23/05/2025
  Reading time: 10:00
  Reading place: Sala d'Actes, Facultat de Matemàtiques i Estadística, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (FME), Carrer de Pau Gargallo, 14, 08028 Barcelona
  Thesis director: MORENO NOGUER, FRANCESC D'ASSIS | WEINZAEPFEL, PHILIPPE
  Thesis abstract: Human pose is key to multiple human-centric applications, in a wide range of domains such as art (person depiction), sport (fitness coaching), robotics (skill teaching), entertainment (motion capture in movies, digital animation) or digitization (avatar design). In order to materialize such systems, researchers have designed deep learning models which address the related, underlying tasks of pose-guided image synthesis, 3D human pose estimation, human motion generation, mesh synthesis, pose prior production, and so forth.Until very recently, human pose had mostly been studied in conjunction with images. The field twitched with the arrival of efficient language models, which fostered the incorporation of linguistic in vision frameworks, and thereby powered multi-modal applications.This thesis fits into this dynamic. We aim to leverage Natural Language (NL) to bud human pose understanding in human-centric tasks. In contrast to prior endeavors, we juggle with static 3D human poses, images and detailed NL texts all together. We further explore novel multi-modal applications, requiring fine-grained understanding of the human pose.First, to alleviate the lack of data, we introduce new datasets linking 3D human poses with NL texts. We notably investigate two settings. One where the text is a description of the target pose, and another where the text provides modification instructions to reach the target pose from a source pose. These datasets result both from (i) the collection of crowd-sourced annotations, and (ii) the automatic, rule-based generation of texts, which consists in the incorporation of classified pose measurements into templates sentences. Next, we use these datasets to develop several cross-modal generation models like text-driven pose synthesis, pose captioning, text-guided pose editing and generation of textual posture feedback. Eventually, we connect 3D, text and images through a novel combinating framework, so as to derive a versatile, multi-modal pose representation, to be leveraged for downstream tasks akin to pose estimation or NL posture feedback from visual input.In summary, we tackle multiple machine learning tasks entailing human pose understanding, thanks to the connection of human pose and Natural Language.
  

• PÉREZ CAMBRA, MARIA DEL MAR: Mitigation of compound events in Barcelona: urban water scarcity, flood risk and reduction of surface temperatures through WSUD.
  
  Author: PÉREZ CAMBRA, MARIA DEL MAR
  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: Article-based thesis
  Deposit date: 20/03/2025
  Reading date: 23/05/2025
  Reading time: 10:30
  Reading place: ETSAB (Esc. Tècnica Sup. Arquitectura de Bcn)-Planta Baixa-Sala de GrausAv. Diagonal, 649-651-08028-Barcelona(Inici conexió a les 10:00 h)
  Thesis director: ROCA CLADERA, JOSE NICASIO | MARTINEZ SANTAFE, MARIA DOLORS
  Thesis abstract: Climate change is bringing with it situations where droughts coexist with periods of extreme rainfall in many regions of the world. Surface temperatures are increasing due to more frequent drought periods. In urban areas, the rise in surface temperatures also contributes to the heat island effect.In this context, this thesis explores the implementation of water sensitive urban design, which helps to mitigate water scarcity, reduce surface temperatures and cut rainwater runoff in the city of Barcelona.The study deeps delve into a methodology to response the mitigation of compound events effect through WSUD. To achieve this goal, the hydraulic conductivity of the WSUDs’ infiltrating characteristic materials and their thermal behaviour is determined. The methodology is implemented In two different study areas with different building typologies, open spaces and street canyons, with a focus on the most critical parameters. Finally, water consumption reduction, rainwater management and surface temperature were compared for the present time and for the near future, according to the last climate change forecast for the city of Barcelona.
  

Reading date: 26/05/2025

• MORALES FLORES, PALOMA: La incidencia de las actuaciones de pacificación viaria en la consolidación del capital social. La experiencia de la Supermanzana de Sant Antoni en Barcelona
  
  Author: MORALES FLORES, PALOMA
  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: Article-based thesis
  Deposit date: 30/04/2025
  Reading date: pending
  Reading time: pending
  Reading place: pending
  Thesis director: MARMOLEJO DUARTE, CARLOS RAMIRO
  Thesis abstract: This doctoral thesis explores the intricate relationship between urban design and the formation of social capital (SC), using the traffic calming of public space in the Sant Antoni Superblock in Barcelona as a case study. Starting from the premise that social interactions are fundamental to community development, SC is adopted as a conceptual framework, recognising its impact on individual and collective well-being. In this sense, SC is configured as a preventive tool with great potential to address the current challenges of an ageing society, characterised by an increase in single-person households and an increase in situations of dependency, as well as a growing sense of loneliness. The progressively multicultural nature of society, driven by the sustained increase in migration necessary to meet the demands of the labour market, requires the development of support networks that, on the one hand, complement the work of public social services and, on the other, contribute to strengthening social cohesion.According to the literature, SC is not an individual attribute, but an emergent property of social structures, rooted in interpersonal relationships. For this reason, the public administration has an essential role in the provision and management of spaces, especially those of public ownership, which act as catalysts for the intersubjective relationships that shape SC. However, beyond the mere provision of facilities, the design of public space acquires critical relevance by influencing patterns of human activity and the quality of life of people.In contrast to the traditional approach of macro-scale studies based predominantly on surveys, this research proposes a complementary micro-scale analysis, focused on the direct observation of behavioural patterns in public space as evidence of SC. In other words, we consider social manifestations in public space as symptoms of a more complex condition: SC. In this way, we seek to understand how the design and management of public space influence social interactions at the micro level, contributing to a deeper and more granular understanding of SC in the urban context.A mixed methodology is used, which integrates: 1) a literature review, 2) urban analysis, 3) observation of the behaviour of people in public space, and 4) analysis of social capital indicators.Various attributes of urban design are considered with the aim of elucidating their impact on the promotion of SC, such as: the tactical and structuring nature, spatial typologies (squares, courtyards, passages), connectivity, proximity, level of pedestrianisation, personalisation and permeability of building facades at ground level, among other characteristics of the environment.The results reveal that urban interventions, both structuring and tactical, increase social activity compared to traditional urban design. However, structuring interventions of a permanent nature and characterised by the use of durable and low-maintenance materials such as concrete, generate greater diversity of uses and attract a wider public, as opposed to tactical interventions of an ephemeral and modular nature, which use more affordable elements such as paint and wood. This study offers valuable lessons for future urban interventions, emphasising the importance of a context-sensitive design, the balance between different users, social cohesion and long-term maintenance as key elements for the creation of inclusive spaces that foster social capital.
  

Reading date: 27/05/2025

• ANDRADE DOS SANTOS, BARBARA: Quantum Adventures From Analog to Digital: Gauge, Scars and Laughlin
  
  Author: ANDRADE DOS SANTOS, BARBARA
  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: 30/04/2025
  Reading date: 27/05/2025
  Reading time: 10:00
  Reading place: ICFO Auditorium
  Thesis director: LEWENSTEIN, MACIEJ | GRASS, TOBIAS DANIEL
  Thesis abstract: This is a thesis in theoretical physics about analog quantum simulations, digital quantum simulations (quantum computing), and quantum state preparation using different quantum platforms (neutral atoms, trapped ions, and superconducting circuits). We live in a quantum era with such a wide variety of platforms available, however performing experiments on existing quantum devices remains challenging due to limitations in control, scale, and connectivity. Therefore, innovative strategies must be developed to achieve quantum advantage using current quantum technology. We are primarily interested in applications to high-energy physics, as quantum computing provides a natural framework for simulating the real-time evolution of gauge theories. While the field of quantum simulations and quantum computing is still in its infancy and may be far from uncovering relevant insights about the Standard Model in regimes inaccessible to analytical methods, classical simulations, or direct experiments, interesting discoveries are emerging. Significant developments include the observation of quantum many-body scar states and the reformulation of quantum field theories as quantum link models.Most part of the thesis is dedicated to the quantum simulations of lattice gauge theories, which we explore under different lenses. First, we propose a scheme to effectively generate three body interactions in trapped-ion platforms which consists of a generalization of the Mølmer-Sørensen scheme for three spins. In this project, we envision the quantum simulation of the spin 1/2 quantum link model description of the massless Schwinger model, which features a three-body interaction. Such interaction requires at least 12 two-qubit gates to be performed, which in principle accumulates more errors than a single three-qubit gate. This is what makes analog quantum simulations so powerful: We can tailor the platform to generate interactions of a specific target model, potentially reducing quantum errors.Next, assuming the existence of a perfect three-body gate, we study quantum many-body scar states in the Schwinger model. We use a mapping from the spin 1/2 Schwinger quantum link model to the PXP model to identify the relevant physical configurations. Then, we compare the evolution of thermal and non-thermal states under sequential Trotterized quantum circuits to their evolution under randomized quantum circuits. Our results indicate that the non-thermal sector of the Hilbert space, which includes the quantum many-body scars, are more sensitive to randomization.Then, on a more realistic note, we use real quantum devices from IBMQ to perform digital quantum simulations of the Schwinger model. These quantum computers are based on superconducting circuits, and we currently have access to up to 156-qubits together with a basis of single and two-qubit gates. The devices impose strong limitations on connectivity and depth of the quantum circuits, hence we propose using gauge invariance, in the form of the Gauss' law, for quantum error detection.In the last part of this thesis, we shift focus to study an interesting many-body behavior that emerges from the presence of a static gauge field. Specifically, we propose a protocol for the quasi-adiabatic preparation of the 1/2-Laughlin state, a fractional quantum Hall state, using rotating ultracold atoms to create artificial gauge fields. From the condensate phase to the Laughlin state there are three points of closed gaps, and we make trap largely anisotropic to cross these regions without losing fidelity. We improved the preparation times by a factor of ten compared to previous studies.
  

• DE OLIVEIRA, KEVIN: Improving the Characterisation of Anthropogenic NMVOC Emissions for Air Quality Modelling
  
  Author: DE OLIVEIRA, KEVIN
  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: 30/04/2025
  Reading date: 27/05/2025
  Reading time: 11:00
  Reading place: Place: ETSECCPBUPC, Campus NordBuilding C2. Classroom: 212C/Jordi Girona, 1-308034 Barcelona
  Thesis director: GUEVARA VILARDELL, MARC
  Thesis abstract: Non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOC) are a large group of organic compounds emitted from various anthropogenic and natural sources. They impact health, with species like benzene classified as human carcinogens, and play a crucial role in atmospheric chemistry as precursors to ground-level ozone (O3) and secondary PM2.5 concentrations, both posing significant health risks. Over 90 \% of the urban population in the European Union is exposed to O3 and PM2.5 concentrations exceeding the limit values recommended by the WHO Air Quality Guidelines. In response, a revised European Ambient Air Quality Directive (AAQD) has come into force, introducing stricter limit and target values and placing greater emphasis on air quality modelling for pollution assessment and planning. This underscores the growing need for accurate NMVOC emission assessments in air pollution control.Despite recent advances in atmospheric chemistry modelling, significant gaps remain in NMVOC emission representation. Several factors contribute to this gap. First, long-term observations of a broad range of NMVOC species are scarce, limiting model evaluation and increasing uncertainty compared to other continuously monitored pollutants. Second, uncertainties arise from the quantification and spatio-temporal disaggregation of emission inputs. Third, the limited availability of updated speciation profiles, needed to split total NMVOC emissions into individual compounds, remains a critical challenge in modelling individual species and affects the understanding of source contributions. The objective of this thesis is to improve our understanding of anthropogenic NMVOC emissions for air quality modelling, focusing on Europe. To achieve this, the thesis first compiles a state-of-the-art database of speciation profiles covering over 150 emission sectors. This was combined with reported emissions to create a detailed NMVOC emission inventory for Spain, including over 900 species. Following a reactivity-based approach, the inventory was used to estimate O3 formation potential (OFP) for different species and sectors. The results revealed that the relevance of species and sectors varied regionally, with key differences between urban and rural areas, highlighting where policy action should be prioritised. The policy recommendations from this work were included in the Spanish scientific basis for a national ozone plan.The compiled speciation profiles were integrated into the MONARCH air quality system to assess model performance using bottom-up emissions for Spain. Discrepancies between modelled and observed benzene, toluene, and xylenes (BTX) levels were identified, particularly in industrial areas due to uncertainties in emissions, and in urban areas linked to road transport. This approach was extended to Europe by evaluating the CAMS-REG emission inventory and assessing the impact of replacing the default speciation. Updating speciation profiles improved model performance for benzene by refining the characterisation of residential wood combustion, while for toluene and xylenes, biases in urban and rural areas were reduced by providing a more accurate characterisation of solvent emissions. The analysis also identified issues with spatial disaggregation and total emissions, which require further investigation. Despite these improvements, speciation changes had a limited, localised impact on modelled O3 concentrations, with no significant overall performance improvement.Key outputs of this work include the speciated NMVOC emission inventory for Spain, which supports applications aligned with the new AAQD for NMVOC, and the updated NMVOC speciation profile database, fully compatible with the CAMS-REG inventory, providing a valuable resource for the modelling community. Furthermore, this work identifies key limitations and proposes future research directions to further improve NMVOC emission inventories and their representation in air quality models.