Abstract: Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are small chains of amino acids with the ability to cause bacterial death. AMPs are usually amphiphilic but diverse in charge and structure. The mechanism or mechanisms that AMPs implement to kill bacteria are still under discussion. Studies in model membranes have widely demonstrated the capacity of AMPs to interact with and disrupt the bacterial cell membrane. There are however, good reasons to suspect that AMP interactions with nonmembrane components of bacteria are important. For instance, there is an enormous discrepancy between the peptide to lipid molar ratio (P:L) necessary to generate membrane disruption in model systems (1:100), and the P:L necessary to stop bacterial growth, i.e. the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) (10-100:1). One potential explanation for this discrepancy is that AMPs may interact with non-membrane components of the bacterial cell envelope. The peptidoglycan (PGN) layer is one of the primary non-membrane components of Gram-positive bacterial cell envelopes and is responsible for cell shape and stability. Currently, there is an open discussion about whether PGN can entrap AMPs and prevent them from reaching the cell membrane or, instead promote the accumulation of AMPs on the cell membrane. The primary experimental approach employed in this thesis was 2H NMR spectroscopy of intact bacteria with 2H-labeled membranes. Specifically, since the quadrupolar splittings obtained from the spectra are proportional to the order parameter of the lipid acyl chains, the spectra reflect the structure and dynamics of the membrane. In particular, 2H NMR spectroscopy allows us to characterize the disruption of lipid bilayers caused by AMPs. In this study, different methods to grow 2H-membrane-enriched bacteria were optimized to obtain 2H NMR spectra of E. coli LA8, E. coli JM109 and B. subtilis. Additionally, 2H NMR was used to observe the level of disruption of the cell membrane of B. subtilis caused by the presence of different AMPs, MSI-78 and BP100. Both MSI-78 and BP100 caused the same level of membrane disruption at similar concentrations. Separately, comparison of the 2H NMR spectra of B. subtilis with intact and compromised PGN layers showed no differences. The lack of change in the spectra of PGN-compromised and PGN intact bacteria indicates that there is no change in the dynamics or structure of the lipid bilayer even with a weakened PGN layer. Finally, the disruption caused by MSI-78 and BP100 was measured in B. subtilis with a compromised PGN layer. The results indicate that there is no change in the level of membrane disruption caused by MSI-78 and BP100 when the PGN layer is partially removed.

Abstract: Armed conflicts affect almost every aspect of a country’s economy. Although the characteristics of armed conflicts are highly heterogenous, all of them have devastating effects on human capital, social infrastructure, burden of disease and population displacement. Health systems are invariably affected in countries stressed by armed conflicts. Several mechanisms might weaken health systems during the conflict: destruction of health infrastructure, loss of health professionals, interruptions on the supply of drugs and other medical devices or lack of funding as a result of the conflict itself. Decreases in the utilization of healthcare services further add to the suffering of these populations. This research finds that although preventive services might not be directly affected in areas affected by armed conflicts in Colombia, the utilization of non-preventive services might be directly affected. The hypotheses that might explain this phenomenon are discussed and recommendations for further research at made at the end of this report.

Abstract: Born in 1953 in Paris, Sophie Calle is a French artist who has exhibited extensively throughout the world since the late 1970s. She has been described as a conceptual artist, a photographer, a movie director or even detective; her work has a very recognizable shape that includes altering the means of expression. Douleur exquise narrates the break-up of a love affair the artist went through in 1984. Where the artist decides to begin a journey to alleviate her suffering, the work contrasts Sophie Calle’s own feelings with anonymous people’s answers to the question “Which was the day when I suffered the most?”. Towards her own recovering, she develops a very intricate ritual which fades away as her texts darken to the point of completely disappearing, symbolising a return to life. Our analysis is divided in three specific parts that aim to understand the process in which the artist can overcome her grief by comparing her own suffering to the others’ in the context of a ritual. The book concretizes the result of the shared exercise that explores the possibilities of literature from different angles, that we analyze under two types of interaction with respect to the ritual: it appears from the fact of having relativized collective mourning from a structure that will be reviewed in this work. To this end, it was necessary to analyze the way in which the two stories interact (that of Calle and that of the interrogated ones) by finding the peculiarities of the result: a possible structure and the elements involved, considering always that it concerns a collective exercise that pushes the boundaries between the personal and the public.

Abstract: This study examined inclusion practices from three ‘strategy as practice’ categories: identity work, discourse and materiality, which also contributes to open strategy knowledge. The case around the Colombian peace process made two differences: first, the study of strategy as practice at the national level, while previous studies have focused on organizational level; second, this study focuses on inclusion of a somehow illegitimate organization into a legitimate context, while earlier studies have an implied assumption of legitimate bodies to be included. The aim of this research was to identify manifestations and consequences of inclusion dynamics when governing with an open strategy, as a contribution to strategy as practice and open strategy body of knowledge. Initially, literature review focused on strategy as practice evolution, which has been focused on managerial levels, opening an opportunity for the study of grassroots in strategy making. This identification of a gap led to the idea of study inclusion in strategy making. Thus, a second literature review on inclusion was needed in order to understand how this concept has evolved in social sciences, and particularly in organization studies and strategy. In addition, it was necessary to understand the concept of legitimacy due to the case focuses on the inclusion of a declared terrorist organization that transformed into a political party. A qualitative content analysis of nearly 500 documents facilitated to interpret data from multiple sources such official documents, books, reports, academic documents, personal documents, news, websites, images, popular culture, and social media. The contents came mainly from the period of the Colombian peace process (2012-2016); however, other historical documents were needed to understand the context as well as other recent contents as the study also focuses on consequences of inclusion. The data analysis led to the identification of inclusion manifestations and consequences in terms of identity work, discourse and materiality, which contributes to understand some of the several challenges that strategy practitioners face in practice when open strategy process, as the case involved the endorsement of the peace process through a referendum. The study presents three main findings: first, in terms of the individual, inclusion moves in two dimensions, the individual identity and the identity of the other, which involves a personal transformation, while putting oneself in the shoes of the other. Second, intended inclusion involves the emergence of multiple inclusion and exclusion dynamics that interact and change along strategy making, questioning the promised benefits of inclusion, but also recognizing the value of emergent inclusion over intended. Third, the multiple manifestations of inclusion along this dissertation suggest nine levels of inclusion that may be considered for organizations and further studies in order to advance in inclusion implementation and understanding. Resumen: Este estudio examina las prácticas de inclusión a partir de tres categorías del área conocida como ʻstrategy as practice’ (estrategia como práctica): trabajo de identidad, discurso y materialidad, el cual también contribuye al conocimiento de estrategia abierta. El caso alrededor del proceso de paz colombiano hizo dos diferencias: primero, el estudio de la estrategia organizacional llevada al nivel nacional; segundo, este estudio se enfoca en la inclusión de un grupo que parte desde una posición de nula o escasa legitimidad, mientras que los estudios previos sobre legitimidad han partido desde el supuesto de una legitimidad implícita. El objetivo de esta investigación fue identificar manifestaciones y consecuencias de las dinámicas de inclusión cuando se gobierna con una estrategia abierta, como contribución al conocimiento de estrategia como práctica y de estrategia abierta. Inicialmente la revisión de literatura se enfocó en la evolución de la estrategia como práctica, la cual se ha enfocado en los niveles gerenciales de las organizaciones, lo cual abrió una oportunidad para el estudio de los niveles inferiores de las organizaciones en la construcción de la estrategia. Esta identificación de una brecha del conocimiento llevó a la idea de estudiar el concepto de la inclusión en la estrategia. Por lo tanto, una segunda revisión de literatura científica fue necesaria para entender como el concepto de inclusión ha evolucionado en las ciencias sociales, en particular en estudios organizacionales y estrategia. Adicionalmente fue necesario profundizar en el concepto de legitimidad dado que el caso de estudio se enfocó en la inclusión de una organización que estaba por fuera de la ley y se convirtió en un partido político. Un análisis de contenido cualitativo de cerca de 500 documentos facilitó la interpretación de datos provenientes de múltiples fuentes tales como documentos oficiales, libros, reportes, documentos académicos, documentos personales, noticias, sitios web, imágenes, cultura popular y redes sociales. Los contenidos provinieron principalmente del período del proceso de paz colombiano (2012-2016); sin embargo, otros documentos históricos fueron necesarios para comprender el contexto así como otros contenidos recientes dado que el estudio también se enfocó en las consecuencias de la inclusión. El análisis de datos llevó a la identificación de manifestaciones y consecuencias de la inclusión en términos de trabajo de identidad, discurso y materialidad, lo cual contribuye a entender alguno de los muchos retos a que se ven abocados quienes practican la estrategia cuando deciden llevar a cabo un proceso de estrategia abierta, dado que este caso en particular envolvió el desarrollo de un plebiscito para refrendar el proceso de paz. Este estudio presenta tres hallazgos principales: primero en términos de los individuos la inclusión se mueve en dos dimensiones, la identidad individual y la identidad del otro, lo cual involucra una transformación personal mientras uno se pone en los zapatos del otro; segundo, la inclusión planeada involucra también una serie de dinámicas de inclusión y exclusión que interactúan y cambian a lo largo que la estrategia se va construyendo, cuestionando los beneficios prometidos de la inclusión, pero también reconociendo el valor de la inclusión emergente, aún sobre la inclusión planeada; tercero, las múltiples manifestaciones de inclusión a lo largo del presente trabajo de grado sugieren nueve niveles de inclusión que pueden ser considerados por organizaciones y estudios posteriores con el fin de avanzar en la implementación y entendimiento de la inclusión.

Abstract: Music holds power; it empowers and integrates communities, transmits messages, propels a sense of identity, brings people together, and it impacts a massive population and an assortment of spaces that formal education systems do not reach. Exploring the potential music has can promote new forms of inclusion in which different cultural identities are valued equally. Acknowledging this, the paper explores Afro-Pacific music in Colombia as a space of assimilation and resistance in which black communities have raised their voices to counter hegemonic discrimination, and at the same time, they have reproduced certain stereotypes that delimit black culture. This is visible in the Petronio Álvarez Festival in Cali, Colombia. This Festival provides a setting to analyse the tensions between black communities, the institutional abandonment, racial inequalities, and the emergence of the multicultural discourse, through the framework of redistribution, recognition, representation, and reconciliation. Those tensions are visible in the link between race and territory; the contingency of tradition; and blackness as a cultural identity shaped the values of resistance, collectiveness, and autonomy. Resumen: La música tiene poder, empodera e integra a las comunidades, transmite mensajes, promueve un sentido de identidad, acerca a las personas, e impacta a una extensa población y un sinfín de espacios a los cuales los sistemas de educación formal no tienen acceso. Explorar el potencial de la música puede ayudar a promover nuevas formas de inclusión en la que diferentes identidades culturales sean valoradas de manera equitativa. A partir de este reconocimiento, este texto investiga la música afro-pacífica en Colombia como un espacio de asimilación y resistencia, en el cual las comunidades negras han alzado sus voces para contrarrestar la discriminación hegemónica, y al mismo tiempo, han reproducido ciertos estereotipos que delimitan la cultura negra. Esta tensión es visible en el Festival Petronio Álvarez en Cali, Colombia. Este festival provee un escenario para analizar las tensiones entre las comunidades negras, el abandono instituciones, las inequidades raciales, y la emergencia del discurso multicultural, a través de un marco de redistribución, reconocimiento, representación y reconciliación. Estas tensiones son visibles en el vínculo entre la raza y el territorio, la contingencia de la tradición, y la afirmación de la negritud como una identidad cultural moldeada por los valores de resistencia, colectividad y autonomía.

Abstract: The magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) equilibrium is a fundamental concept for the plasma fusion research, allowing to describe the non-trivial steady state of a magnetic confined plasma, which is necessary to reach the physical conditions for the fusion reaction to occur. A possible mathematical formulation for finding the MHD equilibrium consists in solving a non-linear constrained optimization problem, using an energy functional as the target function. In previous works a relaxation of this task was proposed, using concepts of optimal transport and gradient flows theory. Thus, instead of solving the optimization problem directly, the minimization problem is reformulated such that an initial magnetic field is transported by a properly chosen velocity until it reaches the equilibrium. The problem can be cast into evolving the fields with the induction and the transport equation. In the continuous formulation the topology of the magnetic field is preserved along with some invariances such as helicity and a divergence-free field. In a previous work promising results with a Lagrangian scheme were shown. The goal of this work is to investigate suitable discretizations for an Eulerian scheme using geometric methods. More specifically a Spline Finite Element method is chosen and the Finite Element Exterior Calculus (FEEC) is applied. The discretizations of the transport and the induction equation are studied independently. It is shown that the discrete scheme for the transport equation with explicit time stepping is only stable for constant velocity and a Cartesian grid. For the induction equation, three different discretizations are proposed based on a strong, a weak and a mixed formulation. The discretization of the weak formulation is proven to be energy stable and the mixed formulation is proven to be energy stable and helicity preserving. Numerical results are only presented for the strong and the weak formulation, using an analytical equilibrium solution as initial condition. In comparison, the weak formulation is more stable, however both formulations can preserve the topology for a short time only.

Abstract: In a globalized world, the rapid development in digital technologies and finance has enabled the successful growth of Airbnb around the world. The spectacular growth in main cities has caused the social fabric of the city was negatively impacted. The diminishing local welfare, shortage in the housing market, and to the need for identifying ways to regulate the operations are the major concerns of local government who perceive Airbnb as a disruptor of the main city sub-systems —social, urban infrastructure, and governance. This dissertation intends to find relationships between the coevolution of the gentrification process and Airbnb by using a quantitative approach. This discussion is essential to understand additional dimensions of the debate of commodification of housing and which socio-economic and demographic mechanisms enable the adoption of Airbnb. The statistical analysis shows that gentrification and Airbnb have unevenly grown along the last 10 years in Amsterdam. The relationships between Airbnb and household-housing conditions led to establishing that a strong association has evolved in surrounding neighbourhoods of the central district. The adoption follows patterns in the socio-economic and housing conditions of neighbourhoods. The policy advice suggests that measures taken by the Municipality of Amsterdam to counter the spread of Airbnb can exacerbate and reinforce the relationship between gentrification and Airbnb is those areas.

Abstract: The present study serves as an exploratory analysis of the current situation of the FARC (Fuerza Alternativa Revolucionaria del Común) political party in the reconciliation process in Colombia in light of two broad concepts: Legitimacy and Reconciliation. It focuses on how a sample of the Colombian population perceives both concepts regarding the FARC as a political party after being a guerrilla group and often considered, by the international community, a terrorist group. Given the fact that it has been suggested that incorporating the civil society can give the peace agreements higher levels of legitimacy (D. Nilsson, 2012), the Colombian peace process was no exception. The plebiscite of 2016 was a strong surprise as a slight majority of the population rejected the agreement, questioning the legitimacy of its future. This result was especially difficult for the following birth of the FARC political party, which was one of the key elements of what was agreed with the government of then President Juan Manuel Santos. Because Legitimacy is a key element for peace agreements to achieve the objectives set in the peace agreement, this study hypothesized that those who perceive a higher legitimacy of the FARC political party would also perceive that the political party is contributing more to Reconciliation in Colombia. This correlation is therefore moderated by key aspects of the Colombian political and social reality: religion, ideological stance, whether a person considers herself or himself as a victim of the FARC or whether they vote in favour or against the plebiscite of 2016. To analyse these variables, participants completed a questionnaire with different items regarding their opinion on statements offered. Through a Pearson correlation test and several Wilcoxon rank sum tests, it was shown a positive correlation between perceived Legitimacy and perceived contribution to Reconciliation by the FARC political party, statistically significant differences between the samples of each variable (faith, whether victim, in favour or against, ideology). Multiple linear regressions revealed that the contribution to Reconciliation by the FARC political party is predicted by how legitimate the respondent considers them, only slightly affected by how the person voted in 2016. Interestingly this is not the case when the variables are inverted: the perception of Legitimacy, having contribution to Reconciliation as the explanatory variable, is virtually affected by every moderator at all significant levels. These results are important because they contribute to understanding reconciliatory processes and the future of political parties created after experiences of prolonged violence and large numbers of victims.

Abstract: Nowadays, even when adherence to project schedule and budget are the most critical performance metrics among project owners, still 53% and 66% of typical construction projects exhibit schedule delays and cost overruns, respectively. Intending to contribute to a more efficient construction progress monitoring, this thesis proposes a method to detect some of the most common temporary objects classes in a laser scanner point cloud of a construction site. These objects can provide a precise estimate of the current construction progress. For this purpose, this thesis focuses on the detection of cranes, scaffolds, and formwork. The method involves computer vision and machine learning techniques to detect vertical instances of the selected object classes. The proposed workflow begins with the automatic downsampling and rotation of the point cloud. Subsequently, the target objects are detected using a combination of several techniques: image processing over vertical projections, finding patterns in 3D detected contours and performing checks over specifically generated vertical cross-sections. A deep learning algorithm was leveraged to classify these cross-sections for the purpose of formwork detection. The method was applied on three real point clouds of construction sites to assess its accuracy. The results reveal that the method achieves average rates above 88% for precision and recall. Moreover, the technique also achieved outstanding computational time performance. This demonstrates the capability of the method to support the automatic segmentation of point clouds of construction sites. Further development can be done to increase the precision and automation of the technique. Resumen: Hoy en día, incluso cuando el cumplimiento del cronograma y el presupuesto del proyecto son las métricas de rendimiento más críticas entre los propietarios de proyectos, aún el 53% y el 66% de los proyectos de construcción típicos presentan retrasos en el cronograma y sobrecostos, respectivamente. Con la intención de contribuir a un seguimiento más eficiente del progreso de la construcción, esta tesis propone un método para detectar algunas de las clases de objetos temporales más comunes en una nube de puntos con escáner láser de un sitio de construcción. Estos objetos pueden proporcionar una estimación precisa del progreso actual de la construcción. Para ello, esta tesis se centra en la detección de grúas, andamios y encofrados. El método involucra técnicas de visión por computadora y aprendizaje automático para detectar instancias verticales de las clases de objetos seleccionadas. El flujo de trabajo propuesto comienza con la reducción de resolución automática y la rotación de la nube de puntos. Posteriormente, los objetos de interés se detectan utilizando una combinación de varias técnicas: procesamiento de imágenes sobre proyecciones verticales, búsqueda de patrones en contornos detectados en 3D y realización de comprobaciones sobre secciones transversales verticales generadas específicamente. Se aprovechó un algoritmo de aprendizaje profundo para clasificar estas secciones transversales con el fin de detectar el encofrado. El método se aplicó en tres nubes de puntos reales de sitios de construcción para evaluar su precisión. Los resultados revelan que el método alcanza tasas promedio superiores al 88% en cuanto a precisión y recuperación. Además, la técnica también logró un rendimiento de tiempo computacional sobresaliente. Esto demuestra la capacidad del método para soportar la segmentación automática de nubes de puntos de sitios de construcción. Se pueden realizar más desarrollos para aumentar la precisión y automatización de la técnica.

Abstract: Informal and low-income settlements in several Latin American countries are located in the cities’ outskirts where the dwellers experiment high levels of socio-spatial segregation and lack of basic services that affect their livelihoods. This study aims to explore the components and dynamics of community-based organizations’ networks to understand how they contribute to building resilience in low-income settlements. Based on a literature review, the concept of resilience was operationalized to create a holistic framework that included sub-dimensions and attributes related to ecological, social and political aspects. Through an empirical research of the case of two community-based organizations networks in Medellin (Colombia), it was possible to identify characteristics of these networks (e.g. members’ structure, programs and activities) with a positive impact on resilience attributes. The findings showed that the studied community-based organizations promoted, through their programs and members, the creation of social capital represented in bonding and bridging activities that involve not only community members but also academic and governmental actors. These findings demonstrate the high potential that community-based organizations have to enhance resilience in low-income settlements in Medellin; especially in regards to social resilience and strategies to deal with violence and armed groups. The study reveals that building resilience not only depends on community members’ capacities but it can be improved when resources and knowledge from state and academic actors are combined with communities’ actions. Therefore, more collaborative projects are needed with an inclusive perspective that can allow community organizations to engage as equal partners, maintaining their independence and power.