Polystyrene samples prepared in emulsion at 55 C were carefully fractionated. The resulting fractions were in turn fractio­nated, combined in groups having similar intrinsic viscosities, and re-­fractionated. As the intrinsic viscosity of these fractions increased, the value of Huggins' k' in methyl ethyl ketone was found to increase a slightly ( from 0.39 to 0.41). Polystyrene samples prepared in exactly the same way except for the addition of small amounts of divinylbensene, a cross-linking agent, were similarly fractionated. The value of k' in methyl ethyl ketone for these fractions increased considerably (from 0.41 to 0.68) as the intrinsic viscosity increased, even though the amount of divinylbensene added was very small (from 0.003to 0.05%). Relations were then established for these cross-linked fractions between k' and the proportion of divinylbensene present, and between k' and the intrinsic viscosity of the fractions. It was concluded that polystyrene prepared in emulsion at 55 C. is essentially linear in structure, and that the value of Huggins' k* seems to provide a convenient and sensitive test for the presence of any appreciable branching that might occur in polystyrene. / Thesis / Master of Science (MS)

No / In the culture domain, questionnaires are often used to obtain profiles of users for adaptation. Creating questionnaires requires subject matter experts and diverse content, and often does not scale to a variety of cultures and situations. This paper presents a novel approach that is inspired by crowdwisdom and takes advantage of freely available structured linked data. It presents a mechanism for extracting culturally-related facts from DBpedia, utilised as a knowledge source in an interactive user modelling system. A user study, which examines the system usability and the accuracy of the resulting user model, demonstrates the potential of using DBpedia for generating culture-related user modelling questionnaires and points at issues for further investigation.

X-linked hypophosphataemia (XLH) is the most common form of inherited rickets that leads to deformities in the lower limbs, poor tooth and skeletal mineralization, and disproportionate short stature in children. In adults, it is often complicated by enthesopathy, an abnormal mineralization of the tendon-bone attachment. Enthesopathy causes pain and stiffness in affected joints, particularly in the knee, hip, and ankle joints. Enthesopathy is reported as one of the most debilitating symptoms in XLH patients. Previous studies showed that entheses from mice with XLH (Hyp) are characterized by enhanced Bone morphogenic protein (BMP) and Indian hedgehog (IHH) signaling. This study aims to investigate the role of GDF5 in the development of enthesopathy in the Hyp mice. The study has two specific aims: (1) to determine if deleting GDF5 in enthesis (scleraxis-expressing (Scx+)) cells affects BMP/IHH signaling in entheses and (2) to determine if deleting GDF5 in Scx+ cells of Hyp mice attenuates XLH enthesopathy. The study hopes to gain a better understanding of role of GDF5 in enthesis maturation and XLH enthesopathy development. This study finds that deleting GDF5 in wild-type mice does not change normal enthesis maturation. However, deleting GDF5 in Hyp mice attenuates enthesopathy as indicated by decreased BMP/IHH signaling in Hyp entheses. / 2026-03-19T00:00:00Z

In 1989, a large suburban school district and a cluster of public service agencies initiated a pilot program to provide a multi-agency staffing to develop action plans for identified students. The purpose of this study was to describe the process that was involved in the establishment of this school-linked, integrated program. The research questions that guided data collection in this study were: (1) what was the impetus for initiating this interagency innovation and what resources were required? (2) who were the key players, how were they determined, and in what ways did they plan together to establish and implement this school-linked program? (3) in what ways was the initiation of the pilot program supported or impeded? (4) what is the status of the pilot program today? The case study approach, using qualitative methods of data collection, was used in order to answer these questions of process and understanding. Before data collection began, permission was obtained from the study school district to proceed. Interviews were conducted with selected individuals who participated in the planning or implementation of the program. Documents generated at the time of its establishment were also reviewed. Analysis involved the organization of data into coded categories followed by a search for themes and patterns to provide a detailed and rich description of the process. The findings of the study are presented chronologically within two phases, planning and implementation, with themes that emerged discussed within this framework. The results of this study add additional information to the body of research that describes the linking process, from vision to implementation, that occurs when a school district and community agencies work together to address children's needs. Conclusions from the study are presented as well as implications for future endeavors and recommendations for further research. / Ed. D.

The purpose of this study was to provide an in-depth explanation of the development of coordinated services during the last four years at a selected number of Project Success pilot sites, and to identify critical factors that emerged which are associated in the literature with effective school-linked strategies. The research questions guiding this study were: (1) What common elements developed that crossed all selected sites, and what individual differences emerged among the sites? (2) What organizational structure emerged among the multi-agencies at the selected sites? (3) What collaborative processes emerged across selected sites that facilitated the project? (4) In what ways did parents become involved in the implementation of the project? (5) What barriers or support were encountered in establishing and operating the sites? The data collection for this study occurred in three parts: individual interviews with the Project Coordinators, focus group interviews with appropriate representatives of the pilot site projects, and notes from meetings of the Local Governing Board. A questionnaire that consisted of seven questions was used to collect data for this study. Materials gathered during in-depth interviews were transcribed and analyzed after the interviews were completed. First, the researcher read the transcribed interviews and hand coded the consistencies and emerging themes on a large chart. Second, a matrix was made of the hand coded data using a word processor. Third, the researcher used the Ethnograph Computer Software Program to organize and code the data. From this data, the researcher identified themes, common patterns, and important stories shared by the participants regarding their experiences with developing coordinated services to meet the needs of children and families during the last four years. A narrative summary was written for each selected pilot site. Recommendations for further research are provided at the conclusion of chapter five. / Ed. D.

The purpose of the study was to determine the perceptions and opinions of national school board members concerning the present availability and impact of school-linked services in their school districts. Schools have been asked to act as brokers for a diverse array of social, health, and judicial services to help ameliorate some of the problems of students at risk of educational failure. In response, a growing number of school districts have established many types of school-linked programs which provide services to children and their families through collaborative partnerships among schools, health care providers, social service agencies, and judicial systems. The research questions for this study were: (1) To what extent do school board members perceive that school-linked services are necessary and are available to students in their district, and developed in a collaborative manner? (2) Do school board members perceive changes in governance and in formulating policy to oversee the school district as a result of school-linked services? (3) To what extent do school board members perceive that school-linked services impact on school funding? (4) To what extent do school board members perceive that review procedures are in place to evaluate the effectiveness of school-linked services in their district? (5) What are school board members' opinions of the obstacles and critical issues related to school-linked services in their school district? Descriptive research methodology was utilized in this study. A stratified, random sample of school board member subscribers to The American School Board Journal was identified, and subsequently surveyed through the use of a mailed questionnaire. Thirty percent of the population of 19,723 were surveyed. The response rate was 5.9 percent. A second mailing was sent to 3 percent of the subscriber population. This time a coded survey was utilized. This mailing resulted in a 19.7 percent response rate. The data revealed that the development of school-linked services are supported and are needed in a majority of the school districts that responded. The range of services provided and the variety of approaches of school-linked services is broad and diverse. The majority of board members do not perceive changes in governance or policy formulation as a result of school-linked services in their district. School-linked services do not impact on school district funding; however, inadequate financing is the major obstacle to implementing services. School board members responded that procedures to review the effectiveness of programs are in place and that the services offered are meeting the clients' needs. In addition to funding, another obstacle to successful implementation of services is that some school board members' believe that schools should not get involved in providing social services. Substance abuse services, health services and parenting classes ranked as the three areas where services are most critically needed. / Ed. D.

Collagenous tissues such as ligaments and tendons are viscoelastic materials. They exhibit a slow continuous increase in strain over time, or creep, when subjected to a constant stress and a slow continuous decrease in stress over time, or stress relaxation, when subjected to a constant strain. Moreover, the loading and unloading stress-strain curves are different when the tissues are subjected to cyclic loading, showing hysteresis and softening phenomena. The micro-structural origin of the viscoelasticity of these tissues is still unknown and the subject of debate among experts in biomechanics. Therefore, formulating viscoelastic models by accounting for the mechanical contributions of the structural components of these tissues can help in understanding the genesis of viscoelasticity. A nonlinear viscoelastic modeling framework has been developed to describe the elastic and viscoelastic properties of ligaments and tendons by considering their main structural components, the collagen fibers and proteoglycan-rich matrix. The mathematical models derived within this framework can illustrate the tensile behavior, stress relaxation and creep by as suming that the collagen fibers are elastic and the surrounding proteoglycan-rich matrix is viscoelastic. The collagen fibers are represented by linear elastic springs that are engaged to support load at different values of the tissue's strain according to a Weibull distribution function. The mechanical contribution of the matrix is introduced via a Maxwell-type viscoelastic element arranged in parallel with the collagen fibers. According to the proposed mathematical framework, both the collagen fibers and the proteoglycan-rich matrix are responsible for resisting tensile loads. However, the collagen fibers play a significant role in creep while the proteoglycan-rich matrix has a dominant role in stress relaxation. The model parameters that define the stress relaxation and strain stiffening phenomena are estimated by using published experimental on rabbit medial collateral ligaments and are then used to predict creep. The above modeling framework has been also extended to capture the in uence of preconditioning on the mechanical properties of ligaments and tendons. The stress softening and decrease in hysteresis that are observed during successive loading cycles in preconditioning are assumed to be determined by a decrease in the elastic properties of the collagen fibers and proteoglycan-rich matrix. Preliminary data collected on stress relaxation and preconditioning on rat medial collateral ligaments by collaborators are used to evaluate the model parameters and analyze its predictions. The elastic and viscoelastic properties of single collagen fibers are studied by formulating a nonlinear viscoelastic framework by accounting for their main components: microfibrils, cross-links and proteoglycan-rich matrix. The model illustrates tensile behavior and stress relaxation of a single collagen fiber by assuming that the microfibrils and the cross-links are elastic and the surrounding proteoglycan-rich matrix is viscoelastic. The mechanical contribution of the microfibrils is included via a linear elastic spring while the cross-links are represented by linear elastic springs that progressively fail at different values of the tissue's strain according to an exponential distribution function. The matrix is defined by linear dashpots arranged in parallel with each single spring that represents an individual cross-link. The viscous properties of the matrix associated with the unbroken and broken cross-links are assumed to have different values. In the model formulation, the microfibrils and the cross-links are assumed to determine the elastic response of the fibers while the proteoglycan-rich matrix determines the stress relaxation. Microfibrils, cross-links and the proteoglycan-rich matrix are responsible for resisting the loading force during tensile behavior. Experimental data collected by performing incremental stress relaxation tests by other investigators on reconstituted rat tail tendons are used to estimate the parameters in the model and evaluate its performance. / Ph. D.

Economic preferences are fundamental to risky decision making and other economic decision- making. Unlike traditional economics, which routinely assumes that individuals are endowed with stable preferences and try to maximize the expected utility when facing risky decision-making problems, behavioral economics and neuroeconomics offer research strategies that help us explore the factors that influence economic preferences and risky decision-making process. This dissertation consists of three essays studying the underlying experiential influences on economic preferences and neurobiological effects on risky decision making. Chapter 2 examines whether experiences during adolescence have a long-term effect on economic preferences. Between 1966 and 1976, China's Sent-Down Movement required seventeen million urban teenagers to spend several years living and working in rural areas. The program had a number of goals for participants, including learning empathy for rural laborers and developing collectivist values. The sent-down movement can be regarded as a natural experiment, which allows us to investigate whether this government policy was successful in effecting a lasting change to economic preferences. Using a modified Global Preference Survey and employing a regression discontinuity design, we find that the experience of being Sent-Down significantly changed participants' risk preferences, other-regarding preferences, and attitudes toward government. Chapter 3 explores how the arousal system modulates attention and investment behavior. Experimental research shows that human decision making is shaped by emotions associated with an outcome's success or failure. Regret, for example, is a powerful predictor of future investment decisions in asset markets. Using a fictive learning model to capture regret, we examine changes in pupil diameter of participants performing a sequential investing task. By manipulating task uncertainty, we show that pupil dilation is positively correlated with both asset price variance and regret. In addition, pupil linked arousal is positively associated with the learning rate. We conclude that the pupil–linked arousal system helps regulate investment behavior in a dynamic market environment. Chapter 4 explores the complex process by which people make risky choices. While traditional models, like expected utility theory, model choice as the selection of the outcome with the highest probability-weighted value, research shows that in some environments these models do a poor job of describing behavior. This study explores the role of attention, pupil-linked arousal, and salience in risky choice. First, we replicate earlier findings that those choices are consistent with expected utility theory when the calculation is easy, however, as the calculation becomes harder, they make decisions by comparing unweighted payoffs and are attend to the salient option. Further, we find that pupil-linked arousal is associated with the level of cognitive effort needed to calculate expected utility. Finally, we show that arousal reflects cognitive effort associated with resisted selecting a more salient option. / Doctor of Philosophy / Economic decisions are those involving trade-offs where an individual must give up one item or possibility to get another. Economic preferences define which outcome an individual will value more, and helps explain why, for example, some people invest their money in high-risk and high- yield bonds while others keep their money in their savings account. Economists and other social scientists are interested in the differences between individuals' economic preferences, how they are formed, and how they translate into peoples' decisions. Risky decision making is one common type of economic decision that people make daily, for example, investing in the stock market, gambling in casinos, buying lottery tickets or trying a new restaurant. We know that when two people make different decisions that sometimes it is because they have different preferences, and sometimes it is because they go about making decisions in different ways. This dissertation explores whether people's early experiences have a long-term impact on economic preferences (Chapter 2), and investigate the roles that attention, emotional arousal, and information salience play in risky decision making (Chapters 3 4) using research methods from behavioral economics, experimental economics, and neuroeconomics. The scientific mission of this dissertation is to deepen our understanding of how and why people make choices. We add to the evidence that economic preferences are not inborn and stable; instead, they are shaped by people's experiences. We also explore risky choices like investing money and find that while people often try to minimize regret, our emotional arousal system significantly affects our attention patterns and behavior. In addition, when faced with decisions requiring calculations that are hard to do in your head, people make different decisions than when the calculations are easy. Overall, we paint a picture of human decision-makers whose past experiences and current options determine both the nature of their choices and how they make them.

[ES] El objetivo de la presente tesis doctoral es el estudio, desarrollo y validación de diferentes métodos inmunoquímicos que permitan determinar contaminantes químicos en alimentos de origen vegetal y en agua, de manera que contribuyan a mejorar su calidad y por ende la seguridad del consumidor. Spirotetramat es un plaguicida de nueva generación altamente eficiente, comercializado mundialmente para su uso como insecticida en multitud de cultivos agrícolas. Tiene propiedades sistémicas, ya que después de la absorción se transloca tanto a través del xilema como del floema, gracias a que es transformado por la planta en spirotetramat-enol, mucho más polar. En consecuencia, la definición de residuo de este insecticida en alimentos de origen vegetal para fines analíticos incluye también dicho metabolito. Por otro lado, anatoxina-a es un alcaloide secundario con neurotoxicidad aguda que se pueden encontrar en agua dulce. Esta toxina es producida por siete géneros diferentes de cianobacterias, y se ha detectado en lagos y otras fuentes de agua de todos los continentes. El análisis de sustancias como spirotetramat y anatoxina-a se lleva a cabo actualmente mediante métodos cromatográficos como HPLC-MS. Estas técnicas presentan una elevada sensibilidad y fiabilidad; sin embargo, requieren personal altamente cualificado y un equipamiento caro y no portable. Una opción complementaria son los métodos inmunoquímicos, como el ELISA (Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay) o el inmunoensayo de flujo lateral (LFIA, Lateral Flow ImmunoAssay), ya que son métodos de análisis rápidos y económicos, y además son muy versátiles permitiendo adaptarlos a necesidades analíticas particulares, como los ensayos de cribado de numerosas muestras o los ensayos portátiles con lectura visual de los resultados. A partir de una colección de bioconjugados y de anticuerpos de spirotetramat y de anatoxina-a se caracterizó la afinidad y especificidad de los inmunorreactivos con el fin de seleccionar parejas conjugado/anticuerpo aptas para el desarrollo de inmunoensayos tipo ELISA y LFIA competitivos. Se optimizaron las condiciones de ensayo, y se llevó a cabo un estudio de la influencia de diferentes factores fisicoquímicos sobre los parámetros analíticos de los ensayos seleccionados. Posteriormente se evaluó la influencia de la matriz alimentaria, particularmente uva, zumo de uva y vino, así como de aguas de diferente procedencia, sobre la señal y la sensibilidad de los inmunoensayos. La diferente afinidad de los anticuerpos hacia spirotetramat y spirotetramat-enol nos llevó a optimizar el tratamiento de muestra, incluyendo una etapa de hidrólisis para transformar spirotetramat en spirotetramat-enol de manera controlada, rápida y cuantitativa. De este modo se hizo posible aportar resultados en forma de suma de la concentración de ambos compuestos en la muestra, tal y como exige la legislación vigente. Además, para la extracción de residuos de este insecticida a partir de muestras de uva se puso a punto un procedimiento empleando la tecnología QuEChERS, y para la reducción de interferencias de vinos y zumos se utilizó polivinilpolipirrolidona. En el caso de las aguas, se aplicó una simple filtración para eliminar partículas en suspensión. Los inmunoensayos enzimáticos en microplaca optimizados para determinar de manera competitiva residuos de spirotetramat presentaron valores de IC50 para spirotetramat-enol en torno a 0.1 ng/mL, y límites de detección alrededor de 0.02 ng/mL. El estudio de la precisión y exactitud del método empleando muestras de alimentos dopados reflejó límites de cuantificación de 2.5 ng/mL para uva, zumos de uva y vinos, tanto blancos como tintos, muy por debajo de los límites máximos de residuos autorizados en la Unión Europea para este insecticida en dichos alimentos. / [EN] The aim of this doctoral thesis is the study, development and validation of different immunochemical methods for determining chemical contaminants in produce and water, in a way that they may contribute to improving food quality and therefore to assure consumer safety. Spirotetramat is a highly efficient new-generation pesticide, marketed worldwide for use as insecticide in many agricultural crops. It has systemic properties, since short after absorption it translocates through both the xylem and the phloem, thanks to the fact that it is transformed by the plant into the much more polar spirotetramat-enol. Consequently, the residue definition for this insecticide in foods of plant origin with analytical purposes also includes said metabolite. On the other hand, anatoxin-a is a secondary alkaloid with acute neurotoxicity that can be found in fresh water. This toxin is produced by seven different genera of cyanobacteria, and has been detected in lakes and other water resources on all continents. The analysis of substances like spirotetramat and anatoxin-a is currently carried out by chromatographic methods like HPLC-MS. These techniques are highly sensitive and reliable; however, they require highly qualified personnel and expensive, non-portable equipment. Nowadays, the immunochemical methods, such as the ELISA (Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay) or the LFIA (Lateral Flow ImmunoAssay), constitute excellent complementary analytical options to instrumental strategies, since they are fast and inexpensive analytical methods, and are also very versatile so they can be adapted to particular analytical needs, such as screening assays for large numbers of samples or portable tests with visual reading of the results. The antibody affinity and specificity from a collection of spirotetramat and anatoxin-a immunoreagents was characterized in order to select conjugate/antibody pairs suitable for the development of competitive ELISA and LFIA tests. The assay conditions were optimized, and a study of the influence of different physicochemical factors over the analytical parameters of the selected immunoassays was carried out. Subsequently, the influence of the food matrix, particularly grape, grape juice and wine, as well as water from different sources, over the assay signal and sensitivity was evaluated. The different affinity of the available antibodies towards spirotetramat and spirotetramat-enol led us to optimize the sample treatment procedure, so a hydrolysis step to transform spirotetramat into spirotetramat-enol in a controlled, rapid and quantitative way, was included. Thus, it was possible to provide results in the form of the sum of the concentration of both compounds in the sample, as required by current legislation. In addition, a procedure using QuEChERS technology was developed to extract residues of this insecticide from grape samples, and polyvinylpolypyrrolidone was used to reduce interferences from wines and juices. In the case of waters, a simple filtration was applied to remove suspended particles. Microplate enzyme immunoassays that were optimized to competitively determine spirotetramat residues showed IC50 values for spirotetramat-enol around 0.1 ng/mL, and limits of detection around 0.02 ng/mL. Precision and accuracy studies with these immunoassays using fortified food samples reflected limits of quantification of 2.5 ng/mL for grapes, grape juices and wines, both white and red, well below the maximum residue limits authorized by the European Union for this insecticide in such foodstuffs. Finally, a comparative study with HPLC-MS/MS validated the studied immunoassay for analyzing spirotetramat residues in grape samples within a wide range of concentrations. / [CA] L’objectiu de la present tesi doctoral és l’estudi, desenvolupament i validació de diferents mètodes immunoquímics que permeten determinar contaminants químics en aliments d’origen vegetal i en aigua, de manera que contribuïsquen a millorar la seua qualitat i per tant la seguretat dels consumidors. Spirotetramat és un plaguicida de nova generació altament eficient, comercialitzat mundialment per a l’ús com insecticida en multitud de cultius agrícoles. Té propietats sistèmiques, ja que en ser absorbit es transloca tant a través del xilema com del floema, gràcies a que és transformat per la planta en spirotetramat-enol, molt més polar. Conseqüentment, la definició de residu d’aquest insecticida en aliments d’origen vegetal amb finalitats analítiques inclou també l’esmentat metabòlit. D’una altra banda, anatoxina-a és un alcaloide secundari amb neurotoxicitat aguda que es pot trobar en aigua dolça. Aquesta toxina és produïda per set gèneres de cianobacteris diferents, i s’ha detectat en llacs i altres fonts d’aigua de tots els continents. L’anàlisi de substàncies com spirotetramat i anatoxina-a es duu a terme actualment mitjançant mètodes cromatogràfics, com HPLC-MS. Aquestes tècniques presenten una elevada sensibilitat i fiabilitat; tanmateix, requereixen personal altament qualificat i un equipament car i no portable. Una opció complementària són els mètodes immunoquímics, com l’ELISA (Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay) o l’immunoassaig de flux lateral (LFIA, Lateral Flow Immunoassay), ja que són mètodes d’anàlisi ràpids i econòmics, i a més són molt versàtils, la qual cosa permet adaptar-los a necessitats analítiques particulars, com són els assaigs per destriar nombroses mostres o els assaigs portàtils amb lectura visual dels resultats. A partir d’una col·lecció de bioconjugats i d’anticossos de spirotetramat i d’anatoxina-a es va caracteritzar l’afinitat i especificitat dels immunorreactius amb la finalitat de seleccionar parelles conjugat/anticòs aptes per desenvolupar immunoassaigs tipus ELISA i LFIA competitius. S’optimitzaren les condicions d’assaig, i es va dur a terme un estudi de la influència de diferents factors fisicoquímics sobre els paràmetres analítics dels assaigs seleccionats. Posteriorment, es va avaluar la influència de la matriu alimentària, particularment raïm, suc de raïm i vi, així com d’aigües de diferent procedència, sobre el senyal i la sensibilitat dels assaigs. La diferent afinitat dels anticossos cap a spirotetramat i spirotetramat-enol ens va dur a optimitzar el tractament de mostra mitjançant la inclusió d’una etapa d’hidròlisi per transformar spirotetramat en spirotetramat-enol de manera ràpida, controlada i quantitativa. D’aquesta manera es va fer possible aportar resultats en forma de suma de la concentració d’ambdós composts en la mostra, tal i com exigeix la legislació vigent. A més a més, per extraure residus d’aquest insecticida a partir de mostres de raïm es va posar a punt un procediment emprant la tecnologia QuEChERS, i per reduir interferències de vins i sucs es va utilitzar polivinilpolipirrolidona. En el cas de les aigües, es va aplicar una simple filtració per eliminar partícules en suspensió. Els immunoassaigs enzimàtics en microplaca optimitzats per determinar de manera competitiva residus de spirotetramat presentaren valors d’IC50 per spirotetramat-enol al voltant de 0.1 ng/mL, i límits de detecció propers a 0.02 ng/mL. L’estudi de la precisió i exactitud del mètode emprant mostres d’aliments dopats va reflectir límits de quantificació de 2.5 ng/mL per raïm, sucs de raïm i vins, tant blancs com negres, molt per sota dels límits màxims de residus autoritzats per la Unió Europea per a aquest insecticida en els esmentats aliments. Finalment, un estudi comparatiu amb HPLC-MS/MS va validar l’immunoassaig estudiat per analitzar residus de spirotetramat en mostres de raïm en un ampli rang de concentracions. En el cas d’anatoxina-a, es van optimitzar dos immunoassaigs tipus ELISA competitiu, els valors d’IC50 dels quals van estar entre 0.5 i 1.0 ng/mL, amb límits de detecció per davall de 0.1 ng/mL. L’anàlisi de diferents tipus d’aigües fortificades amb anatoxina-a ens va revelar que els immunoassaigs desenvolupats permeten quantificar aquesta cianotoxina entre 0.5 i 500 ng/mL. Addicionalment es van optimitzar i caracteritzar assaigs immunocromatogràfics, tipus tires reactives, tant per spirotetramat com per anatoxina-a, vàlids com a tècniques portables i ràpides per determinar semi-quantitativament aquestes substàncies tòxiques en vi i aigües, respectivament. Seguint la normativa europea per a mètodes ràpids front a petites molècules orgàniques, es va determinar el senyal indicatiu del llindar per distingir les mostres positives, que superen la concentració de destriament establerta, de les negatives. En el cas de spirotetramat, el mètode desenvolupat permet el triatge, tant instrumental com visual, amb un interval de confiança del 99%, de mostres de vi amb una concentració de residu de 1000 ng/mL, equivalent al límit màxim de residus, expressada como la suma de spirotetramat més spirotetramat-enol. Per anatoxina-a, les tires immunocromatográfiques desenvolupades van poder detectar mostres d’aigua amb 2 ng/mL de l’esmentada cianotoxina amb una fiabilitat del 99%, i mostres amb 1 ng/mL amb una probabilitat del 40%, mentre que el límit de detecció visual va ser de 3 ng/mL. / A la Secretaría Nacional de Educación Superior, Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación (SENESCYT), del gobierno de la República de Ecuador que al adjudicarme la beca bajo el “PROGRAMA DE BECAS PARA DOCTORADO (PHD) PARA DOCENTES DE UNIVERSIDADES Y DE ESCUELAS POLITÉCNICAS 2015”, permitió formarme como persona y profesional en mis estudios de doctorado. / Cevallos Cedeño, RE. (2020). Desarrollo de métodos inmunoquímicos para la determinación de sustancias tóxicas en alimentos y aguas [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/149570

Yes / Innovation is vital to find new solutions to problems, increase quality, and improve profitability. Big open linked data (BOLD) is a fledgling and rapidly evolving field that creates new opportunities for innovation. However, none of the existing literature has yet considered the interrelationships between antecedents of innovation through BOLD. This research contributes to knowledge building through utilising interpretive structural modelling to organise nineteen factors linked to innovation using BOLD identified by experts in the field. The findings show that almost all the variables fall within the linkage cluster, thus having high driving and dependence powers, demonstrating the volatility of the process. It was also found that technical infrastructure, data quality, and external pressure form the fundamental foundations for innovation through BOLD. Deriving a framework to encourage and manage innovation through BOLD offers important theoretical and practical contributions.