Abstract: This thesis analyzes how former Colombian Presidents Laureano Gómez Castro and Álvaro Uribe Vélez utilized their speeches to advance autocratic agendas under the guise of protecting democracy and pluralism. This research employed Discourse Analysis as proposed by Teun Van Dijk, aiming to detail symbolic violence through speeches that, although seemingly promoting democracy, concealed attacks on their opponents. It was discovered that both leaders, through their rhetoric and actions, persuaded the political space towards an exclusive regime, promoting a state that, under promises of inclusion and democracy, fostered exclusion and weakened democratic institutions. The results also suggest that while in power, the 3 former presidents moderated their speeches to include the opposition, a practice not observed while they were in opposition, where they were more visceral in their attacks. The analysis of the information was conducted on two levels. First, the concepts that appear most frequently in each one's speeches were recovered to explain their existence. Then, the information was classified according to the categories proposed by the researcher to understand how they used their speeches for two main purposes: first, to empathize with most of the population, and second, to create an internal enemy to attack. When referring to the former, they depict a plural country where everyone can participate, and when discussing the latter, which grouped the opponents of their mandate, their eradication was justified because they opposed the democratic regime. In creating their nemesis, both knew how to use the population's fears: communists, in the case of Gómez; and terrorists, in the case of Uribe. Resumen: La presente tesis analiza cómo los expresidentes de Colombia, Laureano Gómez Castro y Álvaro Uribe Vélez, utilizaron sus discursos para avanzar en agendas autocráticas bajo la apariencia de proteger la democracia y el pluralismo. Esta investigación usó el Análisis de Discurso como lo planteó Teun Van Dijk y buscó detallar la violencia simbólica, a través de discursos que, aunque parecían promover la democracia, escondían ataques a sus opositores. Se descubre que ambos líderes, a través de su retórica y sus acciones, persuadían el espacio político hacia un régimen excluyente, promoviendo un estado que, bajo promesas de inclusión y democracia, fomentaba la exclusión y debilitaba las instituciones democráticas. Los resultados también sugieren que mientras estuvieron en el poder, los expresidentes moderaron sus discursos para incluir a la oposición, lo que no ocurrió mientras estuvieron en la oposición, en la que fueron más viscerales en sus ataques. El análisis de la información se hizo en dos niveles. Primero, se recuperaron los conceptos que más aparecen en los discursos de cada uno para explicar la existencia de estos. Después, se clasificó la información de acuerdo con las categorías propuestas por el investigador para entender cómo utilizaron sus discursos con dos fines principales: primero, para empatizar con el grueso de la población, y segundo para crear un enemigo interno al que atacar. Cuando se refieren al primero, muestran un país plural en donde todos pueden participar, y cuando hablan del segundo, que agrupaba a los opositores de su mandato, se justificaba su erradicación porque se oponían al régimen democrático. En la creación de su némesis, ambos supieron usar los miedos de la población: los comunistas, en el caso de Gómez; y los terroristas, en el caso de Uribe.

Abstract: Peace education, pivotal in shaping national identities particularly in post-conflict settings, fosters mutual understanding, dialogue, and reconciliation. In Colombia, the 2016 Peace Agreement represented a major milestone in ending decades of violence, leading to the establishment of the ‘Cátedra de Paz’ in 2015. This initiative mandates its inclusion in the curricula of all educational institutions to instill peace values in youth and promote a culture of engagement among new generations. Despite the progress, this study identifies persistent challenges in program implementation, such as inadequate teacher training, excessive teacher workloads, and insufficient resources, alongside cultural barriers like resistance to change. Semi-structured interviews emphasize the necessity for significant restructuring and enhanced institutional support to effectively incorporate peace education into the national curriculum. Recommendations from participants include specialized teacher training, student-centered pedagogical approaches, rigorous program monitoring, and inclusive educational resources, particularly for marginalized communities. There is widespread agreement on the importance of equipping educators with the skills needed to handle sensitive topics and encourage critical thinking. Although challenges persist, participants concur that ‘Cátedra de Paz’ promotes dialogue and empathy, enabling students to contribute to more peaceful societies. Continued effort and comprehensive strategies involving all stakeholders, from educators to community members, are crucial for achieving post-conflict harmony and equity in Colombia.

Abstract: Technology, events, and sustainability are three interconnected concepts that play a key role in influencing our society and business landscape. Technology has changed various aspects of our lives and the events industry is no exception. The advent of advanced digital tools and platforms has transformed the way events are organized, conducted, and experienced. Events such as festivals, conferences and celebrations traditionally pose significant environmental problems due to their resource-intensive nature. The mass gatherings of people combined with excessive energy consumption, waste generation and greenhouse gas emissions have contributed to the global climate crisis. Faced with this problem, sustainability has become a key factor in event management. Sustainable development in the context of events refers to the adoption of practices that minimize negative environmental, social, and economic impacts. It encompasses a range of strategies including resource efficiency, waste reduction, carbon neutrality and promoting social responsibility. Incorporating sustainability principles into event management helps to take environmental concerns into account and aligns with the growing demand for responsible and ethical practices from consumers and stakeholders. The importance of this research lies in its potential to provide valued insights into how technology can be used to increase sustainability in the events industry. This study examines the intersection of these three concepts and aims to contribute to the development of innovative approaches and best practices for organizing green events. Additionally, understanding the sustainability perspectives and expectations of event attendees will provide valuable guidance to industry leaders in meeting changing market demands. At a time when the climate crisis requires urgent action and when consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the impact of businesses and industries on the environment, it is important to seek innovative solutions that respond to these challenges.

Abstract: Changes in demographics and epidemiology have made non-communicable diseases (NCDs) a global and highly relevant problem. Globally, oral diseases cause serious health and economic burdens, leading to a substantial reduction in quality of life for those affected. Oral diseases and other NCDs share modifiable risk factors, including tobacco use, harmful use of alcohol and unhealthy diets, as well as the same socioeconomic determinants. The oral cavity provides valuable insights into overall health, as systemic diseases such as diabetes, HIV/AIDS, and autoimmune disorders often presents oral manifestations. However, in prison settings, where access to healthcare is limited and challenging as a human right, individuals experience exacerbated oral health outcomes and complications. Oral health status serves as a mirror of overall health, highlighting the interconnectedness between oral health and general well-being. The involvement of health authorities in prison settings plays a significant role in promoting and maintaining optimal oral health, which in turn has a profound impact on the physical and mental health of PLP. The World Health Organization's Oral Health Report of 2022 emphasizes the importance of addressing oral health inequalities as a crucial step in achieving fairness and implementing preventive interventions. Therefore, coherent and comprehensive regulation and legislation in oral health are needed to achieve social justice, ethical public health policies and professional practice. This study used a combination of methods with a focus on qualitative research. The first phase involved following the guidelines set out in “Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta Analyses (PRISMA)” to conduct a comprehensive and systematic scoping review addressing the primary and secondary objectives of the study. The third objective was covered by semi structured interviews involving purposive sampling, identified by three target groups: dentist personnel working in prisons; prison health experts; harm reduction policymakers, to gain insight from global prison health experts on potential areas of improvement for oral health in prison. In the first phase of this study, scientific articles published between January and August 2022 were gathered and reviewed. Subsequently, in 2023, a series of interviews were conducted involving fifteen participants. Ethical approval for the study was obtained from the Ethics Committee of the Ruprecht Karls Faculty of Medicine in Heidelberg (S 288/2023). The data collection instrument was carefully designed to accommodate the specific profiles of the participants, all owing for necessary adjustments to ensure the relevance and effectiveness of the study. Online in depth semi structured interviews were conducted via Zoom with relevant health prison experts. The combination of inductive and deductive approaches was used to design the study, collect and analyze data, and answer the research questions. The major findings of this study shed light on the persistent neglection of oral health into the health systems across different settings. Challenges and limitations in addressing oral health in prison, remains with a focus on the provision of emergency treatments and dental mutilations as services provided instead of conservatives approaches. Comprehensive and specialized dental care is necessary to avoid burdens on the health system, mostly from preventable oral disorders. Oral care and basic dental hygiene are still on the list of necessities in prison settings, as well as lack of resources, committed staff, and infrastructure to support the delivery of comprehensive dental services in prisons. In order to increase access to quality dental care, address oral health disparities, and promote the overall well-being of PLP, policy reforms, capacity building, and collaboration are necessary.

Abstract: One of the recurring problems in the construction industry is its recognised lack of productivity due to different factors, among which could be highlighted the fragmentation of the information flow between the different phases of the project life cycle and the difficulty in communication between the different stakeholders. To address this, the industry has reacted through the use of prefabrication and the implementation of new technologies such as Building Information Modelling. The aim is to improve both productivity, through mass customisation, and the flow of information between phases and stakeholders in the projects, through the use of software and platforms, which also give the possibility of automation with processes such as Generative Design. The dissertation investigates the use of these technologies in the area of prefabrication in construction, focusing on the current implementation of configurators and the associated automation that could be derived from their use for the development of projects. Taking a hybrid prefabrication system (wood and concrete) currently used by CASAIS company as a case study, the research seeks to develop a framework that exploits the modular characteristics of these systems, especially in the design phase. It is in this phase where it is possible to take advantage of the limited number of parameters of the prefabricated elements in automating the generation of design proposals and in obtaining information related to KPIs, which would, in turn, allow a more objective feasibility analysis during this first phase of the project. The indicated solution is, firstly, the proposal of a methodology to develop a configurator applied to the case study, which uses tools and/or platforms, that are currently present in the market related to BIM and the construction industry. Then the dissertation continues with the specific development of the section of the methodology corresponding to the generation of the computational model, and for this purpose visual programming is used, taking as initial information the relevant parameters and data to be obtained that are typical of the prefabrication system studied. The research seeks to make a contribution to the current progress in terms of productivity and information flow that has been developed in the construction industry with the implementation of prefabrication and BIM. With the use of configurators, associated with these new technologies, an incursion into automation methods is proposed, especially in the project gestation phases through Generative Design. Thus, by making use of the mass customisation possibilities offered by prefabrication systems and the integration of nonprofessional agents, (taking advantage of the ease of use of the configurators), a more integrated design process and a more objective decision-making process can be achieved, since it is based on more accurate data related to the feasibility of the projects.

Abstract: When lower-dimensional self-sustained objects encounter higher-dimensional ones, they can be dissolved and absorbed. We delve into this intriguing erasure phenomenon resulting from topological defects’ interaction. This general phenomenon has significant implications in cosmology and fundamental physics, which we discuss in the first part of the thesis. We start with the erasure of onedimensional objects. One key finding is that vortices or strings of all kinds, such as cosmic strings, QCD flux tubes, or fundamental strings, undergo erasure when encountering defects like domain walls, solitonic structures, or D-branes that deconfine their fluxes. Consequently, a new mechanism of cosmic string break-up emerges. We explain the erasure phenomenon by the loss of coherence in the annihilation process. Additionally, for the case of point-like objects immersed in three-dimensional objects, we explore the interactions between magnetic monopoles and domain walls formed by the same order parameter within an SU(2) gauge theory. As previously suggested, a collision between monopoles and a domain wall leads to their erasure. The monopoles unwind and spread their magnetic charge over the wall, with the erasure process consistently occurring due to the loss of coherence in the collision and the entropy suppression on the recreation of a monopole. This erasure phenomenon has significant cosmological implications, particularly in post-inflationary phase transitions. Furthermore, it sheds light on the nature of gauge theories with coexisting phases, such as confining and Higgs phases. The erasure phenomenon has significant imprints in cosmology and astrophysics as well. In particular, a new mechanism of cosmic string break-up emerges. Moreover, the monopole erasure may serve as a solution to the cosmological monopole problem. In another investigation of interactions of topological defects, we examine the annihilation of a pair of ’t Hooft-Polyakov monopoles confined by a string. We focus on scenarios where the scales of monopoles and strings are comparable. The emitted GW spectrum agrees with previous calculations for wavelengths longer than the system width and before the collision. However, in head-on collisions, the monopoles are never re-created. Instead, the system decays into waves of Higgs and gauge fields, and the recreation of a monopole pair becomes highly improbable due to the loss of coherence during the annihilation process. This behavior is expected to be analogous in systems involving heavy quarks connected by a QCD string. Thus, in a similar regime, the string does not re-stretch after the initial collapse, but the system hadronizes and decays into numerous mesons and glueballs. In the second part of the thesis, we changed our subject of study to another self-sustained objects. These objects attain the maximal entropy permitted by unitarity. They are called saturons, as they saturate unitarity and entropy bounds. Interestingly enough, they share many properties with black holes, for which they are considered exceptional. For instance, the time evolution and information-processing properties of BHs are also found in saturons. Thus, we suggest a “Black hole-Saturon” correspondence. Our work confirms this connection within a renormalizable SU(N) invariant theory. The theory’s spectrum contains a tower of non-topological defects of the Q-ball type, or vacuum bubbles, representing bound states of SU(N) Goldstones. Surprisingly, despite the absence of gravity, these saturated bound states exhibit striking similarities to BHs, displaying an information horizon, an entropy governed by the Bekenstein-Hawking formula, thermal evaporation at a rate corresponding to their inverse radius, and an information retrieval time equivalent to Page’s time. The BH-Saturon correspondence has profound implications for BH physics and saturated systems, both in fundamental theory and observational aspects.

Resumen: Este trabajo final de máster presenta el proceso y los resultados del proyecto de investigación - creación artística Mosquerías: Relatos supersticiosos, verdades a oídos, realizado en el marco de la maestría de producción e investigación artística en la Universidad de Barcelona entre 2022 y 2023. A través de esta investigación indagué de forma crítica, estética y antropológica la construcción de la realidad imaginada y de lo que denomino «verdad a oídos», tomando como marco de análisis relatos supersticiosos acerca de cuerpos aparecidos, de los que surgen elementos a explorar. Para ello presenté postulados teóricos y antecedentes artísticos, que han servido como fundamento para la producción y creación de la obra artística que he desarrollado. Expongo los resultados del proceso, dando paso a cinco piezas que he producido a partir de la experiencia con el barro y con la materia sonora. En estas se interpretan narrativas visuales y sonoras, que interactúan entre sí y en el espacio, y que proponen al espectador experimentar de una manera diferente y descentralizada historias comunes supersticiosas acerca de los cuerpos que se aparecen y que se convierten en constructo de la realidad. Un constructo que se genera a partir de imaginarios colectivos, que toma forma a través de la oralidad y la organicidad que surge a partir de los relatos acerca del cuerpo.

Abstract: Housework and care have historically been associated with women, the feminine, and have been considered unproductive tasks despite its demanding and inexhaustible nature. It is not by chance that, within the framework of the modern-colonial gender system, these jobs are carried out by migrant and precarious women. This dissertation comprises an investigation about the life stories of migrant women of diverse origins, analyzing the intersection of our life experiences, tightening the thread of power relations that cross us, and exploring how closeness is woven from conversation and company. Through an approach to the embodied knowledge of domestic workers in Spain, it accounts for the creation of a shared intimacy, in a search to challenge the power dynamics that situate us and put the hierarchy between productive, reproductive, and even unproductive jobs in tension. At the same time, it seeks to give birth to an artistic practice that allows the female life experience to be captured under a horizontal logic, conversation, and mutual care. Resumen: Los trabajos de cuidado en el espacio doméstico han estado asociados históricamente con las mujeres, lo femenino, y se han considerado tareas improductivas a pesar de su naturaleza demandante e inagotable. No es casualidad que, en el marco del sistema moderno-colonial de género, estos trabajos sean llevados a cabo por mujeres migrantes y precarizadas. La presente tesina comprende una investigación acerca de historias de vida de mujeres migrantes de orígenes diversos analizando la intersección de nuestras experiencias de vida, tensando el hilo de las relaciones de poder que nos atraviesan y explorando cómo se teje confidencia a partir de la conversación y la compañía. Mediante una aproximación a los saberes encarnados de trabajadoras del hogar en España, da cuenta de la creación de una intimidad compartida, en una búsqueda por desafíar las dinámicas de poder que nos sitúan y poner en tensión la jerarquía entre trabajos productivos, reproductivos e incluso improductivos. A su vez, busca dar a luz una práctica artística que permita plasmar la experiencia de vida femenina bajo una lógica horizontal, de conversación y de cuidado mutuo.

Abstract: The master thesis, ""Exploring the Colombian Constitutional Jurisprudence through Bibliometric Analysis and Large Language Models: An Application in Legal Research,"" represents a groundbreaking fusion of statistics, data science, and legal research, poised to revolutionize the Colombian legal landscape. The study addresses a critical gap in the Colombian Constitutional Court's search capabilities in a digital era where legal information retrieval is evolving. The research uses cutting-edge statistical techniques and data science methodologies to introduce a novel similarity metric for legal documents, seamlessly integrating co-citation, bibliographic coupling, and advanced natural language processing (NLP) techniques. The exciting journey begins by recognizing the transformative potential of information and communication technology (ICT) in legal practice. The thesis challenges the status quo, proposing a semantic search engine that goes beyond keyword based queries. It's not just about finding documents; it's about understanding their context, a gamechanger for legal professionals, students, and the public navigating the rich tapestry of Colombian jurisprudence. The heartbeat of the thesis is the innovative application of large language models (LLMs) and the Word2Vec algorithm to the intricacies of Colombian law. The research isn't merely about technology; it's about fine-tuning these models to the nuances of legal language. The results? A powerful semantic search engine that doesn't just retrieve information but empowers users with a deeper understanding of legal concepts and principles. The thesis doesn't stop at technological advancements. It envisions a societal impact that resonates across economic, social, and legal dimensions. This isn't just about efficiency gains; it's about access to justice, legal literacy, and transparency. The proposed tools promise to be a catalyst for change, fostering a legal system that's inclusive, efficient, fair, and responsive to the needs of individuals. In the realm of data science competitions, this thesis stands out as a beacon of innovation with a clear path to real-world application. The fusion of statistics, data science, and legal expertise isn't just theoretical; it's a roadmap for tangible impact. As the research unfolds, it reveals the potential for winning a competition and the promise of transforming the way legal decisions are made, accessed, and understood in Colombia. This thesis isn't just a contender; it's a champion in the making, poised to leave an indelible mark on the future of legal research and data-driven decision-making in Colombia.

Resumen: En esta disertación se contextualiza el short squeeze de GameStop ocurrido entre diciembre de 2020, enero y febrero de 2021, donde usuarios del subreddit WallStreetBet logran disparar el precio de la empresa de videojuegos GameStop, mediante la compra de acciones a través de aplicaciones de bolsa minorista como Robinhood, que hacen accesible a cualquier persona participar en el mercado de valores, y acción que sólo era llevada a cabo por fondos de cobertura. Las pequeñas inversiones se convirtieron en un movimiento a gran escala y único en su género que llevó a la quiebra a reputados fondos de alto riesgo y sacudió el sistema de Wall Street. Además, este análisis pretende comprender cuál era la razón de ser del movimiento, las estrategias discursivas para convencer a millones de usuarios de que se unieran al movimiento, aunque tuvieran que asumir el riesgo de invertir su propio capital en lo que también se conoce como ""meme stock"", que al final es una aventura impredecible. El método utilizado para servir a este propósito fue hacer una lectura cercana y un análisis del discurso de los posts y comentarios más y menos populares en el subreddit WallStreetBet con respecto a GameStop entre diciembre de 2020, enero y febrero de 2021, para identificar los patrones y los términos vernáculos apropiados por la comunidad, esto también mediante la participación en discusiones más amplias sobre la participación digital, las acciones conectivas y la gamificación de la economía. Los hallazgos incluyen, por un lado, la importancia de la máscara en la cultura vernácula de Reddit, que da a los usuarios un sentido de posibilidad, libertad y unión como miembros de una comunidad más grande, y por otro lado, la importancia de la ""máscara"" o construir una ""persona"" o una nueva identidad en la cultura vernácula de Reddit, que le da al usuario la sensación de posibilidad mas allá de su cotidiano, libertad y unión como miembros de una comunidad mayor, por otro lado, también demuestra el poder del enjambre y las acciones conectivas.