In many cultures palms offer a vast number of products, especially Non-Timber-Forest Products (NTFPs), which have been traditionally used by indigenous and mestizo groups in Latin America. Some species have gone beyond the domestic use and their commercialization has reached local, national and international markets. Among the palm products that are widely commercialized in South America are palm heart (Euterpe oleracea), extracted from the young unfolded spear leaves of the palms, and the handicraft woven from fibers (Astrocaryum chambira, A. malybo and A. standleyanum), all extracted from the leaflets. In Colombia, these four palm species are economically important for the harvesting communities as well as for wholesalers and retailers. However, commercialization has been based on the extraction of raw material from wild palm stands up to the point that several palm species are threatened by developing markets for their products, and the need of income for the harvest communities and industry. The general objective of this thesis is to describe the value chains of palm products from E. oleracea, A. chambira, A. malybo and A. standleyanum in different Colombian regional markets, as well as national and international markets, and to analyze the economic importance, potentials and implications of this trade. Data on the four value chains was gathered through interviewing all actors of the value chain and revising the literature about the commercialization of these palm products. This study assesses the main actors or organizations in the commercialization chains, their specific activities, different routes to trade products, and how well the chains currently work by conducting a qualitative and quantitative value chain analysis.Major results involve particular dynamics and distributions of the profits along each value chain, as well as common aspects: the value chains are short, simple, the commercialization channels need to be strengthened, the scarcity of the raw material is a crucial constraint for the commercialization of the products. Unsustainable harvest practices are common. Moreover, the marketing potential of each group of palm products as well as promised target markets are characterized. The principal contribution of this thesis consists in shedding light on the current status of the value chains of these four palm species in Colombia, and proposing possible routes of development to strive for sustainability in each of the value chains analysed. Moreover, this study provides information about the economic importance of the palm products to the local communities and the need to upgrade the commercialization channels, products and communal incentives to assign equitable incomes along the chain.

Concessional agreements have been to many developing countries the keystone to reach development. Since the middle twentieth century up to now roads, water - wastewater systems, electricity’s generation and distribution have been operated under arrangements that foster the private sector participation. Concessional agreements seem to be an advantageous feature of project finance for a country as a whole and perhaps that is why governments have mostly opted for this option. The foregoing sum up to developing world problems, as lack of own recourses to build, operate or maintain infrastructure and inexperience of public sector in these affairs, have arisen the utilization of concessional agreements. Developing countries use to follow the models pre-established by developed countries embracing either slightly or substantial changes in the schemes. Concessions have not been the exception. The questions then, rise from two sides. From the developed countries view it is appropriate to inquire: Did concessional agreements contributed to third world countries development? Are they still been utilized? If so, what made them work? What failed? On the other hand we should ask ourselves: Have developing countries followed carefully the third world concessional schemes? Have they settled new schemes? What were developing countries’ purposes when establishing concessional agreement schemes as public policies? Have those schemes worked or not? What is the landscape in a developed country such as Germmany and in a developing country such as Colombia? A concessional agreement as a project finance´s feature depends heavily on its preparation. Structuring phase plays a major role to reach success. Project finance is a matter of risk. Implementation of concessional agreements is as well a matter of risk. Parties assume their own project responsibility and therefore they relay in the project risks allocation. Risks allocation is the first mitigation measure. A proper structuration supposes an accurate allocation of risks and a better performance of each party. This research as of an appraisal between the role of infrastructure concessions in developed and developing countries, and has as a purpose to make a comparison between both schemes regarding the management of infrastructure concessions in their structuring phase paying special attention in the risks allocation and mitigation. The foregoing study would focus in Germany and Colombia´s scenarios principally, but using as reference other cases in specific issues, if necessary.

The excavation for the 53-story reinforced concrete One Museum Park West building (OMPW) in Chicago was constructed using combined support systems. The building was supported by caissons and a perimeter wall formed by secant piles which transitioned to tangent piles below the bottom of the cut. After installing the perimeter wall and deep foundations for the building, the excavation for the reinforced concrete central core was supported by a circular cofferdam made of sheet piles and steel ring beams. This excavation was made using conventional bottom-up excavation techniques. The excavation for the rest of the building was made using a top-down method and was laterally braced with reinforced concrete floor slabs structurally connected to the secant pile walls and the reinforced concrete core. Field performance data during construction of the OMPW basements were collected with settlement points, inclinometers and strain gages installed in the concrete basement slabs. Significant settlements were observed adjacent to the excavation during wall and deep foundation installation, central core construction and top-down excavation. The influence of concrete material time-dependence of the floor slabs on the performance during top-down excavation is evaluated and a method for the separation of temperature-related strains from the excavation-induced strains in the concrete is described. The construction of the basements is simulated with a 3D numerical structural model to study the influence of the concrete material time-dependence of the floor slabs in the excavation-induced movements resulting from top-down construction. Computed strains in the floor slabs are compared with the observed performance data collected from the strain gages. For use in numerical simulation of the entire excavation process, hypoplasticity constitutive parameters for clays (HC model) at the element test level were calibrated with tests conducted on high quality block samples obtained from the excavation of Block 37 project in Chicago. They included oedometer tests, bender element measurements, and triaxial tests following different stress probes, and were further refined with seismic cone penetration results.  The entire OMPW excavation is simulated with the calibrated parameters with a fully coupled-flow deformation, three-dimensional finite element model. Influence of the construction of secant pile walls, concrete material time-dependence, and nonlinear concrete behavior of the perimeter pile walls on the performance of the OMPW excavation is determined. Conclusions about top-down construction are drawn in light of the measured and simulated performance of the OMPW excavation.

Many multinational corporations find themselves frequently in the dichotomous question of whether to make or buy a given component; but when those companies are operating with a global purchasing strategy, oriented to high levels of centralization and  dealing simultaneously with the implications of purchasing and producing the same item, the approach to take the decision becomes difficult to find, even with the current literature and practitioners knowledge. This master thesis addresses in a comprehensive proposal the way to undertake this kind of make-or-buy decisions. Through the literature review done, regarding global purchasing strategy, purchasing models, supplier selection methods and make-or-buy frameworks; it was found a convenient model to merge those concepts with the empirical experiences of a single case study in the Italcementi Group, one of the largest Cement producers in the world. The model proposed considers both strategic and economic elements and is designed as an iterative algorithm that evaluates several alternatives in order to arrive to the best make-or-buy approach. The methodologies selected and combined to solve the problem are mostly quantitative, but keeping the importance of qualitative elements within the analysis. The outcome of the thesis is a contribution to academicians and practitioners aiming to turn the existing knowledge about make-or-buy decisions into practical solutions for business management.

Abstract: O N. oleander é uma planta com ampla distribuição mundial, principalmente em regiões tropicais e subtropicais. Esses arbustos são frequentemente usados como plantas ornamentais e possuem mais de 30 glicosídeos cardíacos, causadores do quadro clínico de intoxicação em caninos. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar as alterações clínicas, eletrocardiográficas, bioquímicas, hematológicas e histológicas do rim e avaliar o efeito do uso da frutose 1,6 difosfato e da glicose como alternativas de tratamento em cães intoxicados com 0,25g/Kg de folhas frescas trituradas e adicionadas à ração em única dose. Foram utilizados 10 cães adultos, hígidos, sem raça definida, com 10 a 25Kg de peso, de 4 a 8 anos de idade. Foram distribuídos em dois grupos (Gl e Gll) com 5 animais cada. Para o Gl o tratamento consistiu na administração de uma solução a 10 % de glicose a 50mg/Kg via intravenosa (IV) e em seguida uma infusão continua a 10% de glicose IV por uma hora a 10ml/kg e Gll recebeu frutose 1,6 difosfato, IV a 50mg/Kg, e em seguida uma infusão a 10% da mesma solução, durante uma hora a 10ml/kg. Nenhum dos animais do experimento veio a óbito e todos apresentaram sinais após a intoxicação como: vômito, sialorréia, náuseas, apatia, conjuntiva ocular congesta, desidratação, dor abdominal, tremores, diarréia, inapetência e tenesmo. Observou-se elevação principalmente da GGTU, CK e CKMB. Pela análise do eletrocardiograma encontrou-se arritmias como: bradicardia sinusal, bloqueios atrioventriculares de segundo grau, taquicardia ventricular paroxística e complexos ventriculares prematuros. Na histopatologia não se encontrou alterações no rim. Não observou-se diferença significativa entre tratamentos e na parte clínica houve melhora para Gll observada no consumo de alimento. Conclui-se com o presente estudo que animais intoxicados com 0,25g/Kg de folhas verdes de N. oleander em única dose, causa sinais clínicos, alterações laboratoriais e mudanças no traçado do eletrocardiograma. E o uso da frutose 1,6 difosfato e da glicose tiveram um comportamento similar para as variáveis estudadas durante o tempo experimental. Resumen: N oleander es una planta con amplia distribución mundial, principalmente en regiones tropicales y subtropicales. Estos arbustos son frecuentemente usados como plantas ornamentales y poseen mas de 30 glucósidos cardíacos causantes de cuadros clínicos de intoxicación en caninos. El objetivo de este trabajo fue evaluar la alteraciones clínicas, electrocardiográficas, bioquímicas, hematológicas e histológicas con el fin de evaluar el efecto del uso de fructosa 1,6 difosfato y glucosa como alternativas de tratamiento para caninos intoxicados con 0,25g/kg de hojas frescas trituradas y adicionadas a la ración como única dosis. Fueron utilizados 10 caninos adultos, sin raza definida, con 10 a 25 kg de peso, de 4 a 8 años de edad. Fueron distribuidos en dos grupos (GI y GII) con 5 animales cada uno. Para el GI el tratamiento consistió en la administración de una solución al 10% de glucosa a 50 mg/kg vía intravenosa (IV) y enseguida una infusión continua al 10% de glucosa IV por una hora a 10 ml/kg y el GII recibió fructosa 1,6 difosfato, IV a 50 mg/kg y en seguida una infusión a 10% de la misma solución durante una hora a 10ml/kg. Ninguno de los animales del experimento murió y todos presentaron síntomas después de la intoxicación como: vomito, sialorrea, nauseas, apatía, congestión de la conjuntiva, deshidratación, dolor abdominal, tremor, diarrea, inapetencia y tenesmo. Observándose elevación principalmente de GGTU, CK y CKMB. El análisis electrocardiográfico encontró arritmias como: bradicardia sinusal, bloqueos atrioventriculares de segundo grado, taquicardia ventricular paroxística y complejos ventriculares prematuros. En histopatología no se encontró alteraciones en riñón, no observándose diferencia significativa entre tratamientos en la parte clínica hubo mejora para GII observándose no consumo de alimento. Concluyéndose con el presente estudio que animales intoxicados con 0,25g/kg de hojas verdes de N oleander en única dosis, causa signos clínicos, alteraciones de laboratorio y cambios en el trazado del electrocardiograma. El uso de fructosa 1,6 difosfato y de glucosa tuvieron un comportamiento similar para las variables estudiadas durante el tiempo experimental.

Abstract: Cetacean distribution was assessed by examining the relationships between oceanographic variables and cetacean species occurrence along the Pacific Exclusive Economic Zone (PEEZ) and the Caribbean Exclusive Economic Zone (CEEZ) in Colombia. The study areas were gridded at a resolution of 1o lat/long with 60 grid cells for the CEEZ and 37 grid cells for the PEEZ. Raster surfaces of four oceanographic variables (Temperature (°C), Salinity (PSU), Density (kg/m3), and Chlorophyll-a (Chla: ?g/l)) were generated through Interpolation Distance Weighting (IDW) to obtain mean values of response variables per grid cell. Data from cetacean species were related to the oceanographic variables using Redundancy Analyses ordination (RDA). Eighteen cetacean species were observed in the CEEZ and 22 cetacean species in the PEEZ, with a total of 617 and 828 sightings, and mean richness values of 2.8 (SD=7.54) and 3.69 (SD=3.27) cetaceans per grid cell, respectively. Distribution patterns showed counts concentrated in the continental shelf and adjacent to the coast for both regions. The CEEZ had concentrations in the northern Guajira Peninsula, in the central Santa Marta and Tayrona NP, in the southern Gulf of Morrosquillo, Cispatá Bay and the Gulf of Urabá, with a particular concentration in open waters around the Jamaica-Colombia Joint Regime. The PEEZ had cetacean concentrations in the northern Solano and Málaga Bay, in the central Buenventura city, in the southern Gorgona Island and Tumaco, with an important concentration in open waters in Malpelo Island. Distributions of cetaceans in the CEEZ showed an unclear correlation with oceanographic parameters (p=0.188), and no relationship between grid cells and species (p= 0.4426, p= 0.2547, and p= 0.1988, respectively). On the contrary, in the PEEZ, cetacean communities were mostly correlated to Chla, Density, and Salinity (Chla p= 0.016983, Density p= 0.018981, and Salinity p= 0.008991, respectively). Resumen: La distribución de cetáceos se evaluó examinando las relaciones entre las variables oceanográficas y la ocurrencia de especies de cetáceos a lo largo de la Zona Económica Exclusiva del Pacífico (PEEZ) y la Zona Económica Exclusiva del Caribe (CEEZ) en Colombia. Las áreas de estudio fueron divididas en cuadrículas con una resolución de 1º lat / long con 60 celdas para el CEEZ y 37 celdas para el PEEZ. Se generaron superficies ráster de cuatro variables oceanográficas (Temperatura (° C), Salinidad (PSU), Densidad (kg / m3), y Clorofila-a (Chla: μg / l)) mediante la Determinación de Distancia de Interpolación (IDW) para obtener valores promedio de las variables de respuesta por cada celda de las cuadrículas. Los datos de las especies de cetáceos se relacionaron con las variables oceanográficas usando la ordenación de análisis de redundancia (RDA). Se observaron 18 especies de cetáceos en la CEEZ y 22 especies de cetáceos en el PEEZ, con un total de 617 y 828 avistamientos, y valores promedio de riqueza de 2,8 (SD = 7,54) y 3,69 (SD = 3,27) por celda, respectivamente. Los patrones de distribución mostraron concentraciones en la plataforma continental y adyacentes a la costa para ambas regiones. La CEEZ obtuvo concentraciones en el norte por la Península de La Guajira, en la parte central en Santa Marta y el PNN Tayrona, en el sur en el Golfo de Morrosquillo, Bahía de Cispatá y el Golfo de Urabá, y con especial concentración en aguas abiertas alrededor del Área de Régimen Común Jamaica-Colombia. El PEEZ tenía concentraciones de cetáceos en el norte en Bahía Solano y Bahía Málaga, en la parte central en la ciudad de Buenventura, en el sur en la Isla Gorgona y enTumaco, con una importante concentración en aguas abiertas en la Isla Malpelo. Las distribuciones de cetáceos en la CEEZ mostraron una correlación poco clara con los parámetros oceanográficos (p = 0,188), y ninguna relación entre las celdas de la cuadrícula y las especies (p = 0,4426, p = 0,2547 y p = 0,1988, respectivamente). Por el contrario, en el PEEZ, las comunidades de cetáceos se correlacionaron principalmente con Chla, Densidad y Salinidad (Chla p = 0,016983, Densidad p = 0,018981 y Salinidad p = 0,008991, respectivamente).

Prescriptive ideas on war have been traditionally focused on the reasons and the means of war. However, contemporary scholars have emphasised the importance of normative judgements about the aftermath of armed conflicts. Although peacetime after war has been mainly guided by notions of corrective justice like retribution and restoration, a distributive approach to justice is currently proposed to redress socio-economic inequalities within highly unequal post-conflict scenarios. From this perspective, a peaceful state of affairs that preserves severe inequalities could not be deemed a just peace. In this regard, Colombian conflict is frequently utilised as an example of the expected role of distribution after war. Then, it seems a relevant question whether reducing socio-economic inequalities through mechanisms of distributive justice must be considered indispensable for a just peace after war. I will argue that distributive justice must be regarded as essential for a just peace within highly unequal post-conflict societies like Colombia. To that end, consequentialist and deontological arguments for post-conflict distribution will be discussed to analyse Colombian case as a scenario in which a just peace must necessarily include notions of distribution.

Resumen: Se hace un estudio de los aspectos legales de las asociaciones público privadas (APP) en Colombia bajo el régimen de la ley 1508 del 2012 que busca determinar la necesidad y la coherencia de esta ley en el ordenamiento jurídico colombiano. Se propone identificar la naturaleza legal de las transacciones de tipo APP en la legislación colombiana y determinar si esta regulación es coherente con las reglas del régimen de contratación estatal o si le son derogatorias. En aras de establecer los elementos esenciales del concepto se hace referencia a las llamadas “experiencias internacionales” más representativas que inspiraron al legislador colombiano y las características de la definición adoptada por la ley colombiana. El estudio luego se enfoca en las particularidades del régimen de la Ley 1508 de 2012 frente a la compra pública tradicional, dando especial atención al principio de valor por dinero y a las reglas particulares que rigen la estructuración, el proceso de selección y la ejecución de proyectos APP. Abstract: A study of the legal aspects of public private partnerships (PPP) in Colombia under the Law 1508 of 2012 that assesses the question of the necessity and the coherence of the law into the Colombian legal system. It purports to identify the legal nature of PPP transactions under the Colombian law and to determine whether such a regulation is in accordance with the public procurement regime or if it abolishes it. Aiming to establish the key elements of the concept, reference is made to the most representative international experiences that inspired the Colombian legislator and the special characteristics of the definition adopted by the Colombian law. The study then focuses on the peculiarities of the regime set forth under the Law 1508 of 2012 compared to the rules of the traditional public procurement, special attention is given to the principle of value for money and the particular rules governing the structuring process, the awarding of the contracts and the execution of PPP projects.

Résumé: La figure de Syméon Seth est celle d’un intellectuel encyclopédiste, comparable à celle de son contemporain Michel Psellos en ce qui concerne son attachement aux grandes familles constantinopolitaines. Pourtant, Seth se consacre à développer la science médicale plus que les autres branches du savoir, et il ne se limite pas à pratiquer la médecine dans le milieu privée des empereurs puisqu’une bonne partie de sa vie il l’a dédiée à l’écriture, des manuels à usage quotidien et d’autres manuscrits d’ordre théorique ou littéraire. Nous pensons qu’un portrait bio-intellectuel de Syméon Seth peut nous montrer s’il y a une pensée byzantine originale au tournant des XIe et XIIe siècles, et, de plus, s’il existait une dialectique entre la culture populaire et la plume des lettrés de la plus haute culture. Resumen: La figura de Syméon Seth es la de un intelectual enciclopedista, comparable a la de su contemporáneo Michel Psellos en lo concerniente a los lazos con las grandes familias de Constantinopla. Sin embargo, Seth se dedica a desarrollar la ciencia médica mucho más que las otras ramas del Saber, y no se limita a practica la medicina en el medio privado de los emperadores porque una buena parte de su vida la dedicó a la escritura, de manuales de uso cotidiano y otros manuscritos de tipo teórico o literario. Pensamos que un retrato bio-intelectual de Syméon Seth puedo mostrarnos si huno un pensamiento bizantino original alrededor de los siglos XI y XII, y, además, si existió una dialéctica entre la cultura popular y la pluma de los letrados de la más alta cultura.

The main purpose of this research is to demonstrate the connection between the vernacular architecture of La Cabaña and El Chuzo, two coffee regions of Caldas, Colombia, and how their ordinary domestic spaces of everyday life are defined and intimately related to the process of coffee production. The study of both veredas will lead us to understand an architecture that has been shaped by the two systems of coffee production in Caldas, known as Latifundios1 (La Cabaña) and minifundios2 (El Chuzo). Both systems determine the social and economic structure of the Caldas coffee region and therefore also its vernacular architecture and its peoples’ everyday life. This study will demonstrate the tangible and intangible qualities of these places, enabling us to understand in a deep way their values, meaning, and change over time. In Colombia, a country just starting to document its history and to create a written patrimony, being able to narrate what people do not know about La Cabaña and El Chuzo is a way to work toward a better understanding of the coffee region´s vernacular architecture and cultural landscape, and its sense of place and identity. To achieve this understanding of the coffee region, the project is undertaken in the emerging field of Cultural Landscape studies. This methodology aims to identify and analyze the essential and fundamental qualities of specific places, to then reveal their sense of place and identity. The study is done through historic photographs, oral histories, interviews, direct observation and documentation of peoples’ everyday lives around the process of coffee production. Only by studying how people live and the activities that take place in their domestic spaces and by being part of their everyday life, will we be able to understand how the vernacular architecture of La Cabaña and El Chuzo has been shaped by the process and culture of coffee production.