L’estudi dels materials del patrimoni cultural ens aporta informació sobre els corrents artístics i estètics. Però també ens dona una visió molt útil sobre la història, la societat i la tecnologia en les quals s’ha creat l’objecte d’art, tot sovint aportant dades noves o fins i tot rectificant les que es tenien per certes. A més, un cop elaborats, els materials dels quals estan composats els objectes artístics inicien processos d’alteració en contacte amb el medi que els envolta: ”el temps també pinta”. Tots els materials evolucionen i es transformen amb el temps. L’anàlisi i posterior interpretació dels materials que conformen l’obra d’art i les vicissituds que ha patit la peça (enterraments, restauracions anteriors, repintats, possibles falsificacions...) ens permetran afrontar amb coneixement de causa tant les accions encaminades a la conservació preventiva com les eventuals intervencions de restauració. En aquest sentit l’aportació de les tècniques físico-químiques a la Història de l’Art i al coneixement i la preservació del Patrimoni en general són inqüestionables, si més no en teoria. Però cal establir ponts que permetin als historiadors de l’art i als gestors de patrimoni comprendre les aportacions que aquestes tècniques fan al coneixement i la salvaguarda d’un Patrimoni que és de tots. Aquesta tesi pretén –a partir d’un exhaustiu anàlisi de la situació actual a Catalunya quan al coneixement de les aportacions que fa la Ciència– donar eines a aquests col·lectius perquè puguin comprendre una mica millor el mon de la caracterització de materials patrimonials. Amb aquest objectiu s’ha elaborat un complert Manual de tècniques físico-químiques dirigit a historiadors de l’art i gestors del patrimoni cultural; però també proposa accions de trobada entre historiadors, gestors, conservadors, restauradors i científics amb l’objectiu de generar un corpus de coneixement comú. / The study of cultural heritage materials gives us information on the aesthetic and artistic trends. But it also gives us a very useful on the history, society and technology which created the art object, often providing new data and even those had to rectifying certain. In addition, once processed, the materials of which are composed art objects initiate processes of change in contact with the environment around them, "the time also paints." All materials evolve and transform over time. The analysis and subsequent interpretation of the materials that make up the artwork and the difficulties suffered by the piece (burials previous restorations, repainting, possible forgeries ...) we will deal with knowledge of both actions to preventive conservation and eventual restoration interventions. In this regard the contribution of physicochemical techniques in art history and knowledge and the preservation of cultural heritage in general are unquestionable, at least in theory. But we must build bridges that allow art historians and asset managers understand the contributions that these techniques are knowledge and safeguard a heritage that belongs to everyone. This thesis aims -from a thorough analysis of the current situation in Catalonia when knowledge of the contributions that science does- provide tools to these groups so that they can understand a little better the world of materials characterization of heritage. With this objective has prepared a complete handbook Physicochemical techniques aimed at art historians and managers of cultural heritage; but also proposes actions meeting between historians, managers, curators, conservators and scientists with the aim of creating a common body of knowledge.

Introduction: Interferon regulatory factor-7 (IRF-7), the “master regulator” of type 1 interferon, has shown to orchestrate anti-viral immune responses via fine-tuning expression of interferons and interferon-stimulated genes. Methods: IRF-7 levels were examined using multi-parametric flow-cytometry in HIV-uninfected Manitoban donors and in HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected Kenyan volunteers from a well-characterized Kenyan sex worker cohort. IRF-7 expression level was reduced by IRF-7 specific siRNA or shRNA encoded in lentivirus and administered into ex-vivo CD4+ T cells by transfection or transduction. Results: In unstimulated PBMC, IRF-7 was constitutively expressed at low levels in every defined subset we examined. We observed less HIV-infected cells (~10%) with IRF-7 knockdown, suggesting that IRF-7 may play a role in HIV infection. Conclusions: Unexpectedly, it was found that even though IRF-7 had been implicated in orchestrating antiviral events, reducing IRF-7 expression in ex vivo CD4+ T cells did not increase the cellular susceptibility to productive HIV infection. / February 2017

Immune reconstitution following T-cell depletion consists of expansion of circulating T-cells or de novo synthesis of T-cells from the thymus. The IL-7/IL-7 receptor signalling pathway is critical for the maturation and differentiation of thymocytes before they leave the thymus as mature T-cells. Viral infections including HIV have been shown to decrease IL-7Ralpha (CD127) expression on circulating CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells. However little is known about the effects of HIV infection on CD127 expression and activity in thymocytes despite existing evidence of HIV infection of the thymus. Thymic function is altered in HIV infection leading to a dysregulation of the thymic epithelial network and reduced thymic output which may contribute, in part, to impaired immune reconstitution in progressive HIV disease. In vitro studies demonstrate that HIV infection interrupts thymopoiesis resulting in a developmental block in thymopoiesis similar to that seen in models of IL-7/IL-7R deficiencies suggesting a role for altered IL-7 signalling in HIV associated thymic dysfunction. Therefore we hypothesize that thymic dysfunction which occurs in HIV infection is due to reduced IL-7R and/or altered IL-7 signalling in thymocytes resulting in impaired de novo T-cell synthesis. In order to address this hypothesis an in vitro system for the functional study of human thymocytes has been optimized. The research conducted as part of this thesis assessed if in vitro HIV infection or if cytokines that are upregulated in the course of HIV infection altered CD127 expression on maturing thymocytes. It also evaluated if in vitro HIV infection disrupts thymocyte function at different stages of maturation and whether this disruption in function is due to impaired IL-7/IL-7R signalling. The host factors IL-7, TNF- and IL-4, which are upregulated in HIV infection, are found to downregulate CD127 expression on thymocytes. IL-4 pre-treatment of thymocytes reduced the ability of IL-7 to induce STAT-5 phosphorylation. Furthermore following in vitro HIV infection of thymocytes, CD127 expression of single positive CD8 thymocytes was decreased. In vitro HIV infection altered IL-7 activity as demonstrated by lower levels of Bcl-2 and phospho-STAT-5 expression in thymocytes following IL-7 stimulation. These accumulated results suggests that HIV may play a role in impaired thymic function by altering IL-7 responsiveness. Understanding the mechanisms of thymic dysfunction in HIV infection may provide some insight into therapies leading to immune reconstitution through increased thymic output.

Treaty 7 First Nations, who have occupied the South Saskatchewan River Basin since time immemorial, have water rights protected by s.35 of the Constitution, Treaty 7, and the Natural Resources Transfer Agreement, 1930. This thesis suggests that Alberta has devised a legal regime that circumvents the treaty relationship between the Crown and Treaty 7 First Nations. Section 52 of the Constitution and the principles of constitutionalism and the rule of law require that Crown legislation and action must be consistent with the Constitution. Because Aboriginal and treaty rights are protected under s.35(1) of the Constitution, Albertas consultation guidelines must address the protection of existing Aboriginal and treaty rights. This thesis examines whether the treaty or any subsequent Crown legislation or Crown action has extinguished the Aboriginal and treaty rights of Treaty 7 First Nations and draws the conclusion that the Aboriginal rights of Treaty 7 First Nations not only continue to exist, but are afforded additional protection by Treaty 7 and the Natural Resources Transfer Agreement. This leads to the conclusion that Albertas consultation policy fails to recognize and affirm Aboriginal and treaty rights in their entirety as they currently exist. To the extent that Albertas Aboriginal consultation policies and regulations are inconsistent with s.35(1) they are null and void.

Immune reconstitution following T-cell depletion consists of expansion of circulating T-cells or de novo synthesis of T-cells from the thymus. The IL-7/IL-7 receptor signalling pathway is critical for the maturation and differentiation of thymocytes before they leave the thymus as mature T-cells. Viral infections including HIV have been shown to decrease IL-7Ralpha (CD127) expression on circulating CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells. However little is known about the effects of HIV infection on CD127 expression and activity in thymocytes despite existing evidence of HIV infection of the thymus. Thymic function is altered in HIV infection leading to a dysregulation of the thymic epithelial network and reduced thymic output which may contribute, in part, to impaired immune reconstitution in progressive HIV disease. In vitro studies demonstrate that HIV infection interrupts thymopoiesis resulting in a developmental block in thymopoiesis similar to that seen in models of IL-7/IL-7R deficiencies suggesting a role for altered IL-7 signalling in HIV associated thymic dysfunction. Therefore we hypothesize that thymic dysfunction which occurs in HIV infection is due to reduced IL-7R and/or altered IL-7 signalling in thymocytes resulting in impaired de novo T-cell synthesis. In order to address this hypothesis an in vitro system for the functional study of human thymocytes has been optimized. The research conducted as part of this thesis assessed if in vitro HIV infection or if cytokines that are upregulated in the course of HIV infection altered CD127 expression on maturing thymocytes. It also evaluated if in vitro HIV infection disrupts thymocyte function at different stages of maturation and whether this disruption in function is due to impaired IL-7/IL-7R signalling. The host factors IL-7, TNF- and IL-4, which are upregulated in HIV infection, are found to downregulate CD127 expression on thymocytes. IL-4 pre-treatment of thymocytes reduced the ability of IL-7 to induce STAT-5 phosphorylation. Furthermore following in vitro HIV infection of thymocytes, CD127 expression of single positive CD8 thymocytes was decreased. In vitro HIV infection altered IL-7 activity as demonstrated by lower levels of Bcl-2 and phospho-STAT-5 expression in thymocytes following IL-7 stimulation. These accumulated results suggests that HIV may play a role in impaired thymic function by altering IL-7 responsiveness. Understanding the mechanisms of thymic dysfunction in HIV infection may provide some insight into therapies leading to immune reconstitution through increased thymic output.

¿Qué son los pigmentos?, ¿De dónde provienen?, ¿Qué procesosnecesita la materia prima para transformarse en pigmento?, ¿Qué secretosencerraban los talleres de los maestros?, ¿Cómo han evolucionado a lo largode la historia hasta llegar a nuestros días?.A lo largo de la historia, el artista ha actuado sobre la materiaconvirtiéndola en forma para poderla aplicar. Esta manipulación ha sidoprotagonista de numerosas interpretaciones, experimentaciones, mezclas yselecciones recogidas en tratados, recetarios, diarios, textos alquímicos y otrosestudios.Pertenezco al campo del arte y de su conversación - restauración y laconsulta a estas obras es vital para llevar con éxito el trabajo dedocumentación. Con el paso del tiempo, me di cuenta que las obrasconsultadas eran extraordinarias pero muy específicas. En estas ocasiones,echaba de menos disponer de un manual que fusionase distintos campos conel cual obtener rápidamente aquellos datos que precisaba sin la incomodidadde tener que leer cientos de páginas.De este modo nace El arte de los pigmentos: un manual de pigmentosde consulta rápida partiendo de un exhaustivo estudio de los tratadosespañoles de Francisco Pacheco y Antonio Palomino. Estas dos obrasfundamentales de la tratadística española, en ocasiones olvidadas, sonrespaldadas por una sólida columna vertebral cronológica desde Plinio,Vitruvio, Teófilo, Cennini o actuales como Matteini y Moles o Philip Ball.Los beneficios que aporta este manual es su practicidad einterdisciplinariedad, ya que se ha conseguido fusionar los distintos camposque abarca el arte y mostrar toda esa interesante información de la maneramás clara posible.Para ello se ha estructurado El arte de los pigmentos, en un total de 31fichas técnicas, en las que cada pigmento nombrado por Pacheco y Palomino,son estudiados y contrastados desde varios puntos de vista como es suelaboración, otros nombres asignados, composición, estabilidad o empleo. Entodo momento se acompaña al texto de ilustraciones y fotografías que ayudana una mejor comprensión del texto. Se ha incluido también un vocabularioglosariode términos, herramientas y otras materiales para facilitar la lectura delas citas.Este manual proporciona también una verificación rápida de cualquierdato relacionado con los pigmentos. Se obtiene perfectamente gracias a loscuadros e índice analíticos que se adjuntan al final de la obra. En esteapartado, la información más relevante esta expuesta de tal modo que con ungolpe de vista, se alcanza la información deseada.Otras de las ventajas que ofrece la presente investigación, es su versióninformatizada; es decir, podemos realizar la búsqueda a través de Internet enwww.elartedelospigmentos.com. Se pretende romper así con todas las barrerasfísicas que supone una investigación, además de facilitar su consulta ya queresulta mucho más cómodo este tipo de soporte. De este modo se pretendedemostrar que la historia del arte puede ir de la mano de la última tecnologíapara conseguir mejores y más rápidos resultados.Por último, señalar que en El arte de los pigmentos se pone demanifiesto las reafirmaciones de distintos autores, pero también se rompenteorías que han estado a lo largo de los siglos, creando así nuevas hipótesispor resolver en futuras investigaciones. / What are the pigments? Where are they coming from? Which process is required to turn rawmaterials into pigments? Which secrets were kept for years in the masters' workshop and howhave them evolved along history?For experts in art conservation and restoration, like me, existing studies are absolutely necessaryin order to successfully document a masterpiece. I realized that the existing books were of greatvalue but often too specific. Most of the time, I was missing a compulsory "pigments' guide"providing straightforward information.So, The art of the pigments was born: a complete and easy-to-use manual about pigments, whichincludes the learning from the Spanish treaties of Francisco Pacheco and Antonio Palomino.These two masterpieces, sometimes forgotten, are supported by a solid chronologic backbonefrom Pliny to Philip Ball.The manual is highly practical and has an interdisciplinary nature. The art of thepigments is divided into 31 technical files, in which each pigment named by Pacheco andPalomino are studied and contrasted from various points of view such as elaboration,composition, stability and usage. It also includes many illustrations and photographs as well as aglossary, tools and other materials to facilitate the reading of the quotes.The Art of the Pigments' manual is also available online. Please visitwww.elartedelospigmentos.com.

Treaty 7 First Nations, who have occupied the South Saskatchewan River Basin since time immemorial, have water rights protected by s.35 of the Constitution, Treaty 7, and the Natural Resources Transfer Agreement, 1930. This thesis suggests that Alberta has devised a legal regime that circumvents the treaty relationship between the Crown and Treaty 7 First Nations. Section 52 of the Constitution and the principles of constitutionalism and the rule of law require that Crown legislation and action must be consistent with the Constitution. Because Aboriginal and treaty rights are protected under s.35(1) of the Constitution, Albertas consultation guidelines must address the protection of existing Aboriginal and treaty rights. This thesis examines whether the treaty or any subsequent Crown legislation or Crown action has extinguished the Aboriginal and treaty rights of Treaty 7 First Nations and draws the conclusion that the Aboriginal rights of Treaty 7 First Nations not only continue to exist, but are afforded additional protection by Treaty 7 and the Natural Resources Transfer Agreement. This leads to the conclusion that Albertas consultation policy fails to recognize and affirm Aboriginal and treaty rights in their entirety as they currently exist. To the extent that Albertas Aboriginal consultation policies and regulations are inconsistent with s.35(1) they are null and void.

In his book¡uFuture Favors the Bold ¡V What we must Do to Build a New and Lasting Global Prosperity¡v, Lester C. Thurwo mentioned that the Value Added Business Tax¡]VABT¡^ will be the best way which national tax revenue comes from under the worldwide economic system. Currently, Taiwan business taxation system has been applied both VABT and Gross Business Receipt Tax¡]GBRT¡^,and the former plays major rule. Moreover, both of the two systems are multiple-step sales taxation under which tax ratio can be categorized into 0%, 1¢M,2%, 5%, 15% and 25%, etc. Due to the feature of island economy, enterprises in Taiwan are always encouraged to do Export and Import trade. The benefits which export trade could bring, such as earning foreign currency and reducing the international trading cost and risk are seriously taken into government's policy consideration. For instance, legal business tax article 7 has listed the business tax rates shall be zero for the sales of goods or service. The Zero Tax also called Total Tax Free which means sales of goods and labors generates zero tax in the business tax category. According to the VABT that out-put tax deduct input-tax during certain period of time and in the certain amount which 5% tax can be refund under the Business Tax Regulation 39 ACT. Recently, some companies take this advantage to do some illegal acts, which cause considerable national tax income loss. For example, some company pretend export goods, but those exporting good are actually sold domestically. Thus, these illegal acts might successfully result in unlawful 5% sales tax refund. The skills of tax evasion are getting improved and better than before, and this problem has made the national taxation department put more labor to verify those zero tax cases. Even though having went through several specific steps to verify those abnormal zero tax case, some cases are still inevitably missed because of the variety of experience, understanding of regulation, and talent among different tax officers. Are current factors enough to verify those tax evasion cases, or are there other relevant factors also should be taken into consideration? In the project will go through statistic method to find out more relevant factors to solve this problem.

Esta tesis doctoral tiene como objetivo principal analizar la que es, quizá, la cuestión de más difícil comprensión en la trayectoria del escultor Jorge Oteiza: su abandono del arte en 1959, justo cuando su obra comienza a tener reconocimiento a nivel internacional. Partimos de la hipótesis de que este abandono responde a su personal concepción del arte, que además, da cuenta de la coherencia de su proyecto estético a lo largo de los treinta años (1929-1959) en los que se desarrolla su lenguaje plástico. Para ello, se analizan sus esculturas más importantes, poniendo el acento en los cambios morfológicos que hacen que su lenguaje plástico concluya con unas formas escultóricas "vacías". Este análisis se acompaña con el estudio de la importante producción escrita del escultor, donde es posible encontrar varias de las claves teóricas que justifican los cambios morfológicos de sus obras, además de que nos permiten hacernos cargo del profundo significado religioso que Oteiza otorga al arte. Esta característica de su concepción del arte y de la estética es la que lleva a Oteiza a dar por finalizada su labor como escultor. / To understand the artistic personality of Jorge Oteiza we have to move back to an event, that we could at least refer to as unusual: two years after being awarded as the best international sculptor in the IV Bienal de Sao Paulo in 1957, he decided to abandon his artistic career He renounced with this decision to the international recognition and the economic temptations of the art business. This doctoral thesis has the primary objective of interpreting this intriguing early retirement by analysing the sculptural and theoretical development of Jorge Oteiza's work throughout his lifespan. Our starting premise is that this giving up responds to his personal conception of what art means. We will comment on this conception in order to provide coherence to the thirty years (1929- 1959) in which his artistic language was founded and developed. For doing so, we will study the hermeneutical keys that help us to explain the evolution of his sculpture, which ended up with the execution of «void» figures. This analysis will be enriched with Oteiza's written reflections about his own work, that contain a strong religious component. It is precisely this artistic and aesthetic conceptual characteristic what we consider to be the ultimate explanation of the abrupt end of his career as a sculptor.

La devoció a la Mare de Déu del Roser va ser un dels cultes més estesos a la Diòcesi de Girona durant l’època moderna i fins a principis del segle XX. La devoció del Roser està necessàriament lligada a les confraries del Roser, màximes exponents de la propagació i manteniment d’aquest culte. Estudiar la devoció del Roser requereix també abordar un ampli entramat d’aspectes religiosos, socials, culturals i històrics, que comprenen imatges, rituals, festivitats, decisions i interessos polítics; simbolismes i identitats. Sota En aquesta tesi el concepte de devoció agrupa tot aquest complex de conceptes; però sobretot, es treballen dos eixos d’aquesta devoció: les confraries i les imatges. Aquesta tesi exposa com en el fons de la qüestió de la devoció hi ha una seqüència formada per la successió dels següent conceptes: identitat-pertinença-símbol-ritual. Aquests contribueixen a pensar la devoció de manera global. Les primeres confraries del Roser s’instauraren a finals del segle XVI i des d’aleshores es documenten fundacions de confraries fins al segle XIX, tot i que l’auge d’aquesta devoció cal situar-lo entre els segles XVII i XVIII. Les confraries es van instaurar en les parròquies o sufragànies en més de la meitat de les 350 parròquies que hi havia aleshores al Bisbat de Girona. Alhora, en les confraries s’hi inscrivia gran part de la població i així, les confraries donaren forma a la devoció i, en certa manera, la institucionalitzaren. Aquesta institucionalització de la devoció es donà sobretot gràcies als dominics i a l’Església de la contrareforma, però també gràcies al paper primordial de les parròquies i els rectors, com també a les mateixes voluntats i desitjos dels feligresos de la societat de l’època moderna. Les confraries del Roser són les comitents dels diferents objectes litúrgics i imatges que formen part dels espais i rituals de la confraria. Les imatges són presents en tots els actes i espais de la confraria, tant públics (processons) o els privats (celebracions d’aniversaris de difunts o misses). Aquestes obres són molt diverses, des de retaules, imatges processionals, banderes, pal·lis, peces d’orfebreria a peces d’indumentària, i totes elles s’han de considerar conjuntament en relació a l’ús, l’espai i el ritual on s’activen. Aquesta particularitats obliguen a repensar les imatges més enllà de l’obra d’art i del context tradicional d’estudi de la història de l’art i és per això que aquest tesi aporta també una perspectiva antropològica a la devoció del Roser. Aquest Aquesta tesi també documenta un gran nombre d’imatges i objectes litúrgics encarregats per les confraries del Roser de la diòcesi de Girona – avui la majoria desapareguts – que formaven part del culte. Aquestes notícies inèdites s’han localitzat gràcies a l’estudi de la documentació primària de les mateixes confraries: els llibres de confraria. / The Devotion of the Virgin of the Rosary was one of the most extended cults in the Diocese of Girona during the Modern era and until the beginning of the 20th Century. The devotion of the Rosary is necessarily linked to the confraternities of the Rosary, the greatest exponents for the proliferation and preservation of this cult. The study of the Devotion of the Rosary requires also addressing a broader network of religious, social, cultural, and historical issues, which include images, rituals, festivals, political decisions and interests, symbolisms and identities. In this dissertation, the concept of devotion brings together all these complex concepts, but, above all, two axis of this devotion are discussed: confraternities and images. This dissertation shows how at the heart of the matter of devotion there is a sequence formed by the succession of the following concepts: identity, belonging, symbol, ritual. These contribute to understand devotion in a general way. The first confraternities of the Rosary were created in the late 16th Century and since then their establishment is documented until the 19th century, though the rise of this devotion takes place between the 17th and 18th centuries. These confraternities were established in parishes or their suffragans in more than half of the 350 parishes then in the Diocese of Girona. Also, a large part of the population was part of the confraternity (although, obviously, being registered in the confraternity book did not necessarily entail an active participation to the confraternity) and in this way the confraternities shaped to the devotion and, in some way, they institutionalized it. This institutionalization of the devotion happened mainly thanks to the Dominicans and the Counter-Reformation, but also thanks to the fundamental role of parishes and parish priests as well as the parishioners will and desires in Modern era societies. The confraternities of the Rosary are sponsors of the various liturgical objects and images that are part of the confraternity’s spaces and rituals. The images are present in all of the confraternity’s events and places both public (processions) and private (memorials or masses). There is a great variety of works, ranging from altarpieces, processional images, flags, pallia, jewelry and objects crafted in precious metals to clothing; all of which should be considered together in relation to their use, space, and the ritual that activates them. These specificities bring to rethink the images beyond their understanding as artworks and within the traditional context of study of art history; it is precisely for this reason that this dissertation provides as well an anthropological perspective on the devotion of the Rosary. This dissertation also documents a large number of images and liturgical objects that were part of the cult (most of them no longer extant) and commissioned by the confraternities of the Rosary in the dioceses of Girona.