Under the current 2030 agenda, Urban Waste Management (WM) systems are facing the challenge to become more sustainable. However, the increases in the already overwhelming quantities of waste generation, the difficulties implementing efficient recycling programs, and the large social, economic and environmental impacts resulting from the unfitting management are in the order of the day. Additionally, recycling has been for years an informal and profitable activity of vulnerable and marginalized communities. Notably, "informal" recyclers from many developing countries are engaging in bottom-up pressures to reach social, environmental and economic recognition of their activity. This thesis outlines how current challenges for SDG's implementation are reflected in a concrete problem at the country level in where poverty reduction and resource management global objectives need to be deescalated. Therefore the thesis presents the results of a systemic analysis that by using transition studies/frameworks focus on the dynamics of change and actors’ interactions in Bogotá WM system, placing country reality, actors, institutions, and system vision as essential elements of a transition towards a more sustainable end. The analysis concludes that it is necessary to achieve flexibility to adapt local conditions and stability to attain objectives while hypothesizing that to facilitate the transition are needed processes of participative learning and knowledge creation, inducing the coordination of institutions and actors.

Abstract: Recent reports show that some fungal entomopathogens are also able to grow as plant endophytes. These reports lead us to question if these fungi could interact with soil-borne fungal pathogens, or could trigger, as endophytes, defense responses in the plant that could modify the disease progress or disease severity. In order to study a possible direct interaction between entomopathogens and a soil-borne plant pathogen, we performed in-vitro antagonism assays between two Beauveria bassiana, two Metarhizium brunneum, and one Acremonium strictum strains and the plant pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici. Confrontation assays in Petri plates showed that all of the entomopathogens produced inhibition of F. oxysporum growth, and the highest antagonism indexes were found in the two M. brunneum strains 36% and 33%) and in B. bassiana Can 31%). These fungi also produced an inhibition zone which suggested the production of antibiotic compounds. In order to further study the possible interaction of M. brunneum Cb15 with soil-borne pathogens and with their plant host, as an endophyte, two different plant-pathogen systems were chosen: Tomato-F. oxysporum and oilseed rape-Verticillium longisporum. Plants were inoculated by root dipping either with their respective pathogen, with M. brunneum Cb15 or with a mix of both fungi. Tomato plants inoculated with F. oxysporum did not develop typical symptoms of Fusarium wilt besides having a lower height during all the growth period, and this was supported with a lower shoot biomass at the end of the experiment. Plants with simultaneous inoculation of both fungi grew similar to the control. There was no growth promoting effect in tomato plants inoculated with M. brunneum alone; on the contrary, plants had lower final shoot dry weight. Endophytic colonization of plant tissues was evaluated by re-isolation from the hypocotyl tissues, where M. brunneum was found in only 1% of the plants inoculated; in a different experiment using inoculation in spore suspension during seed germination, the same percentage of recovery was found. In order to find if the entomopathogen was present in tissues, but not found in re-isolation experiments because of patchy distribution or very low amounts, samples were analyzed by real-time PCR, were no M. brunneum DNA was found, with a limit of detection of 100 pg. To further increase the limit of detection, a nested PCR was standardized, increasing the threshold detection to 10 fg of Mbr DNA, and using this method, the entomopathogen was found in about 40% of all the plants, independently of its inoculation treatment. We conclude that M. brunneum Cb15 was a poor colonizer of tomato plant tissues, but its interaction with the plant and/or with F. oxysporum modifies the response of the plant to the pathogen. In the second plant-pathogen system studied, oilseed rape plants infected with V. longisporum grew stunted, developed leaf chlorosis, dark veins, and leaf necrosis. Plants were harvested weekly to measure growth parameters, and M. brunneum decreased the disease severity during the first four weeks after inoculation, where plants with dual inoculation had a higher shoot dry biomass, plant height and leaf area than plants inoculated only with the pathogen. This was reflected also in the area under the disease progress curve (AUDCP) that was lower for the dual treatment. The amount of V. longisporum DNA was analyzed by qPCR every week, and the decreased disease symptoms until 28 dpi corresponded with lower amounts of pathogen DNA in hypocotyl tissues. M. brunneum was not detected by qPCR, but was detected by nested PCR, in about 25% of plants inoculated with the entomopathogen alone, but seemed to be excluded from tissues in plants that also were inoculated with the pathogen. We conclude that the interaction of M. brunneum with V. longisporum slow the initial growth of the pathogen inside plant tissues, decreasing disease severity during the first four weeks, after which the pathogen overcomes this inhibition and is able to invade plant tissues, causing worsening of disease symptoms. Resumen: Investigaciones recientes muestran que algunos hongos entomopatógenos también pueden crecer como endófitos de las plantas. Esto nos llevó a la pregunta de si estos hongos podrían ser antagonistas de los hongos patógenos del suelo, ya que comparten hábitat similares. También podrían elicitar, como endófitos, respuestas de defensa en las plantas, y de esta manera modificar el progreso y/o la severidad de la enfermedad. Con el fin de estudiar una posible interacción directa entre diferentes hongos entomopatógenos y un patógeno vegetal transmitido por el suelo, se realizaron ensayos de antagonismo in vitro de dos cepas de Beauveria bassiana, dos cepas de Metarhizium brunneum y una cepa de Acremonium strictum contra Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici. En el ensayo de confrontación en caja de Petri, todos los hongos entomopatógenos causaron inhibición del crecimiento de F. oxysporum, y los índices de antagonismo más altos se encontraron en las dos cepas de M. brunneum (36% y 33%) y B. bassiana Can (31%). Estos hongos también produjeron una zona de inhibición que sugiere la producción de compuestos antibióticos. Con el fin de estudiar más a fondo la posible interacción de M. brunneum Cb15 con hongos patógenos transmitidos por el suelo y su respectiva planta huésped, se seleccionaron dos Patosistemas vegetales: Tomate - F. oxysporum y colza - Verticillium longisporum. Las plantas se inocularon mediante inmersión de las raíces en una suspensión con las esporas de sus respectivos patógenos, con M. brunneum Cb15 o con una mezcla de las esporas de ambos hongos. Las plantas de tomate inoculadas con F. oxysporum tuvieron una altura inferior durante todo el período de crecimiento, y una menor biomasa aérea al final del experimento. No se observaron otros sintomas de la enfermedad. Las plantas inoculadas simultáneamente con ambos hongos crecieron de forma similar al control. La colonización endofítica de los tejidos vegetales se evaluó mediante re-aislamiento por medio de incubación en medio nutritivo de los tejidos del hipocótilo, donde se encontró M. brunneum en solo el 1% de las plantas inoculadas. Para incrementar la sensibilidad de detección de la colonizacion endofitica, se estandarizó un protocolo de PCR (Reaccion en cadena de la polimeraza) anidado, con un umbral de deteccion de 10 fg de ADN de M. Brunneum. Con el PCR anidado, el entomopatógeno se encontró en aproximadamente 40% de todas las plantas, independientemente de su tratamiento de inoculación. Concluimos que M. brunneum Cb15 no fue eficiente colonizando las plantas de tomate, pero su interacción con la planta y / o con F. oxysporum modifico la respuesta de la planta al patógeno. En el segundo sistema de planta-patógeno estudiado, las plantas de colza infectadas con V. longisporum presentaron retraso en el crecimineto, oscurecimiento de las nervaduras foliares, clorosis y necrosis foliar. Se hicieron cosechas semanales para medir los parámetros de crecimiento y la biomasa de ambos hongos por medio de PCR en tiempo real (qPCR). M. brunneum disminuyó la severidad de la enfermedad durante las primeras cuatro semanas post- inoculación, donde las plantas con doble inoculación tenían mayor biomasa seca, altura y área foliar que las plantas inoculadas solo con el patógeno. Esto se reflejó también en el área bajo la curva de progreso de la enfermedad (AUDCP) que fue menor para el tratamiento con ambos hongos. La disminución de los síntomas de la enfermedad hasta los 28 dias post-inoculacion coincidio menor cantidad de ADN del patógeno en los tejidos del hipocótilo. M. brunneum no fue detectado por qPCR, pero se detectó mediante PCR anidado, en aproximadamente 25% de las plantas inoculadas solamente con el entomopatógeno, pero no en plantas que también fueron inoculadas con el patógeno. Concluimos que la interacción de M. brunneum con V. longisporum ralentiza el crecimiento inicial del patógeno dentro de los tejidos vegetales, disminuyendo la severidad de la enfermedad durante las primeras cuatro semanas, luego de lo cual el patógeno supera esta inhibición y puede invadir los tejidos vegetales, causando un empeoramiento de los síntomas de la enfermedad.

Abstract: This project, based on a study of television producers in Colombia, is an ethnographic exploration of the working conditions of cultural production within a highly contextualized environment such as public service television under state control, using Señal Colombia TV channel as case study. I examine how cultural production is affected by governmental structures and dynamics, whilst exploring the conditions and processes of public service television production, and how television producers experience these processes at an individual level. My primary question is to determine how the production of public service television under state control impacts producers’ practices and perceptions regarding the value and outcomes of their work. In this context, precariousness, autonomy, good work, power and public value have emerged as central areas of constant tension. I link issues regarding cultural work and public value in a media production analysis, obtaining direct empirical data that provides an in-depth description of the current public media production context under state control in Colombia. To explore these intersections, the project brings together interviews, focus groups, and participant observation. The findings exposed that the internal dynamics of both the nation and the organisation significantly affect the concept of public value, making it an ambivalent, uncertain and ill-defined notion. Where governance is state-driven, workers, regardless of their role, subscribe to dominant narratives and discourses that justify their work, and thus contribute to keeping themselves under prescribed creativity. In general, the present study provides a holistic account of cultural work study, focusing on what occurs to cultural work in various contexts of control, and the individual reactions to these contexts. The analysis of cultural work in this context, also broadens current knowledge on the concepts of network sociality and good work under clientelism, and in a non-free-market. Resumen: Este proyecto, basado en un estudio de productores de televisión en Colombia, es una exploración etnográfica de las condiciones laborales de la producción cultural en un entorno altamente contextualizado como la televisión de servicio público bajo control estatal, utilizando el canal de televisión Señal Colombia como caso de estudio. Examino cómo la producción cultural se ve afectada por las estructuras y las dinámicas gubernamentales, mientras se exploran las condiciones y los procesos de producción de televisión de servicio público, y cómo los productores de televisión experimentan estos procesos a nivel individual. Mi pregunta principal es determinar cómo la producción de televisión de servicio público bajo el control del estado impacta las prácticas y las percepciones de los productores con respecto al valor y los resultados de su trabajo. En este contexto, la precariedad, la autonomía, el buen trabajo, el poder y el valor público han surgido como áreas centrales de tensión constante. Enumero temas relacionados con el trabajo cultural y el valor público en un análisis de producción de medios, obteniendo datos empíricos directos que proporcionan una descripción en profundidad del contexto actual de producción de medios públicos bajo control estatal en Colombia. Para explorar estas intersecciones, el proyecto reúne entrevistas, grupos focales y observación participante. Los hallazgos revelaron que las dinámicas internas de la nación y la organización afectan significativamente el concepto de valor público, convirtiéndolo en una noción ambivalente, incierta y mal definida. Donde la gobernanza es impulsada por el estado, los trabajadores, independientemente de su rol, se suscriben a las narrativas y discursos dominantes que justifican su trabajo y, por lo tanto, contribuyen a mantenerse bajo un estado de creatividad prescrita. En general, el presente estudio proporciona una explicación holística del estudio del trabajo cultural, centrándose en lo que ocurre con el trabajo cultural en diversos contextos de control, y las reacciones individuales a estos contextos. El análisis del trabajo cultural en este contexto, también amplía el conocimiento actual sobre los conceptos de socialidad de red y buen trabajo bajo prácticas clientelares, y en un contexto de mecado no-libre.

Abstract: Through a fragmented and asynchronous narrative, this project analyzes three spaces inside the Bogotá house of the Colombian artist Feliza Bursztyn (1933-1982): her husband’s room or the archive, the garden and the studio. A pioneer of installation art, or environmental spaces in Latin America, Bursztyn worked with unconventional materials such as scrap metal, ragged fabrics, stainless steel and machine engines to create sculptures accompanied by sound, movement, lights and short films. She was an active member of Bogotá’s intellectual spheres, and was part of their discussions and thoughtful criticism on the Colombian social and political context from 1960 to 1980. After being persecuted and criminalized by the Colombian government Bursztyn left the country and died in Paris in 1982. Her presence in the art scene was brief and her importance in Latin American – not to mention global – art history is barely mentioned. Therefore, her work and her figure remain a quizzical and ungraspable object of study. This research will discuss spaces, people, animals and objects inside her house, an uninhabited place working as a private and complex archive through the contradictions and the unwritten layers of knowledge that vibrate within. Resumen: Este ensayo es una narración fragmentada y asincrónica. Contiene tres espacios dentro de la casa de la artista colombiana Feliza Bursztyn (1933-1982): el cuarto de su marido o el archivo, el jardín y el taller. Pionera de la instalación, o de los espacios ambientales en América Latina, Bursztyn trabajó con materiales no convencionales, como la chatarra, telas rasgadas, acero inoxidable y motores para crear esculturas acompañadas de sonido, movimiento, luces y cortometrajes. Fue miembro activo de las esferas intelectuales de Bogotá e hizo parte de las discusiones y críticas sobre el contexto social y político colombiano entre 1958 y 1981. Después de ser perseguida y criminalizada por el gobierno colombiano, Bursztyn abandonó el país y murió en París en 1982. Su presencia en la escena artística fue breve y su importancia en la historia del arte latinoamericano- por no decir mundial - apenas se menciona. Este texto analizará los espacios, personas, animales y cosas dentro de su casa, un lugar inhabitado que funciona como un archivo privado y complejo, con contradicciones y capas de conocimiento que no están escritas.

"The dissertation is an analytical review of the available literature on marine protected areas (MPAs) to propose some governance, and spatial management mechanisms in the Colombian CaribbeanAbstract: The family Culicidae contains approximately 3,500 species of mosquitoes distributed over a diverse range of habitats around the world. Mosquito identification has been traditionally conducted with morphological features; however, the development of molecular techniques, such as DNA-barcoding, provides opportunities for gaining higher resolution in species determination. Colombia, one of the world's megadiverse countries, has a highly diverse mosquito fauna and a high prevalence of mosquito-borne diseases. In order to provide relevant information about the diversity and taxonomy of mosquito species in Colombia, this research tests the usefulness of combining adult morphology and barcode sequences to identify and describe mosquito species collected over different gradients in the Departments of Antioquia and Caldas. A total of 22 different mosquito species from eight genera were identified. One of the species, Wyeomyia luteoventralis, is the first record for Colombia. A total of 77 barcode sequences were generated with 16 species submitted as new records for public databases. These sequences were compared with the identification systems of existing DNA barcode databases (BOLD and GenBank through BLAST), to evaluate performance to discriminate mosquito specimens. We also validated the usefulness of DNA barcodes across a greater geographical area by compiling 1,292 sequences of mosquito species listed for the Neotropics and using two tree-based methods (neighbor-joining and maximum likelihood). Both methodologies provided similar results by showing 105 of 133 total species of mosquitoes separated into distinct clusters. Additionally, to provide the most up-to-date list of mosquito species for Colombia, a systematic review was complied which includes 329 species from 28 genera. This work shows the importance of combining and integrating methodologies to accurately identify diversity of mosquitoes. Resumen: La familia Culicidae contiene aproximadamente 3.500 especies de mosquitos distribuidas en una amplia gama de hábitats en todo el mundo. Tradicionalmente, la identificación de mosquitos se ha llevado a cabo con características morfológicas; sin embargo, el desarrollo de técnicas moleculares, como los códigos de barras de ADN, brinda la oportunidad de obtener una mayor resolución en la determinación de especies. Colombia, uno de los países megadiversos del mundo, tiene una diversa fauna de mosquitos y una alta prevalencia de enfermedades transmitidas por mosquitos. Con el fin de proporcionar información relevante sobre la diversidad y taxonomía de las especies de mosquitos en Colombia, esta investigación prueba la utilidad de combinar la morfología adulta y las secuencias de códigos de barras para identificar y describir las especies de mosquitos recolectados en diferentes gradientes en los departamentos de Antioquia y Caldas. En total, se identificaron 22 especies diferentes de mosquitos de ocho géneros. Una de las especies, Wyeomyia luteoventralis, es el primer registro para Colombia. Se generaron un total de 77 secuencias de códigos de barras con 16 especies presentadas como nuevos registros para bases de datos públicas. Estas secuencias se compararon con los sistemas de identificación de las bases de datos de códigos de barras de ADN existentes (BOLD y GenBank a través de BLAST), para evaluar el rendimiento para discriminar especímenes de mosquitos. También validamos la utilidad de los códigos de barras de ADN en un área geográfica mayor al compilar 1.292 secuencias de especies de mosquitos reportadas para el neotrópico y el uso de dos métodos basados en árboles (NJ y ML). Ambas metodologías proporcionaron resultados similares al mostrar 105 de 133 especies de mosquitos separadas en grupos distintos. Además, para proporcionar la lista más actualizada de especies de mosquitos para Colombia, se cumplió una revisión sistemática que incluye 329 especies de 28 géneros. Este trabajo muestra la importancia de combinar e integrar metodologías para identificar con precisión la diversidad de mosquitos. Sea, particularly in the Seaflower MPA. The Seaflower MPA is facing several challenges regarding political issues of boundary disputes and also adverse impacts on the marine environment from the increase in shipping activities. This is largely due to the expansion of the Panama Canal and the possible Nicaragua Canal, which is increasing the maritime traffic of international shipping to almost double that of today. In addition, the increase in seabed activities is also a threat to the ecosystems within it. This research describes the Colombian framework of MPAs, and it also shows the issues that face the Seaflower MPA today. The aim is to propose and to recommend some governance and management measures based on the ecosystem-based approach to establish a transboundary agreement keeping the integrity of the MPA and giving regional relevance for the protection of the unique ecosystems. Furthermore, to address the issues of negative impacts from shipping, some protective measures have to be taken to protect the ecosystems and safe navigation guaranteeing long-term sustainable development. "

This clinical report discusses how Dance Movement Psychotherapy (DMP) can be used to support the psychological recovery of adults who suffer from mild depression. The first part offers a critical review of the literature related to depression, psychodynamic theory and its links with DMP. The second part shows a case study that unfolded whilst working one-to-one with a female client in the context of a mental health day centre. Except for holiday breaks and scheduled absences, client and therapist met once a week over a period of six months for a total of eight DMP sessions, with five more left until the end of the treatment. This academic paper is informed by the thought process that developed during this time, in which a therapeutic relationship was gradually built around the themes of loss, self-identity and the hope of moving forward. By approaching the body as a living metaphor, teeming with imagery and symbols, both therapist and client found useful tools on the journey of working through depression and integrating its difficult emotions through Dance Movement Psychotherapy.

This exploratory study about the experiences of 5 former high school exchange students in Colombia, analyses their relationships with others, the challenges they faced and their general reflections and insights about the overall experience, in light of theory about Intercultural Competence (IC). The data was collected by conducting semi-structured interviews and was analysed using Thematic Content Analysis. Results were categorised in 5 relevant themes that emerged from participants’ responses: relevance of other people; problems faced with other people; talking as a relevant skill; attitudes gained during and after the exchange; and general cultural knowledge about Colombia. In conclusion, elements of IC were salient during participants’ recollections of interactions with others, which somehow were mediated by the others’ IC and different external, contextual and subjective factors.

In the Caribbean coast of Colombia, within a triangle-shaped mountainous massif covered by a dense jungle of endemic flora (known as the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta), lies the archaeological park Teyuna-Lost City. A series of terraces, roads, stairs, spillways and sewerage systems form the largest and most impressive archaeological settlement in Colombia. Given the complexity of its geographical location, the place remained unnoticed, hidden and well protected for over 400 years. However, since its discovery, in 1975, the site has been subjected to different political, social and cultural dynamics that have affected its management and conservation. In the context of Colombian post-conflict, Teyuna has been perceived by many as an alternative to enhance their living condition. However, tensions promoted by stakeholders, communities and illegal armed groups are affecting the appropriate dissemination of its cultural values. After all, some communities conceive Teyuna as a business rather than as a National Heritage. In this project, I present an analysis of the bodies that are behind the tourism market, the limitations of the community-based tourism in the post-conflict scenario, the power imbalances on Teyuna´s management, and the dissemination problems of the archaeological site.

Los proyectos participativos que incluyen la práctica musical amateur son cada vez más utilizados en el mundo de la cultura. En este tipo de proyectos, los participantes amateurs hacen parte de una creación artística junto con músicos profesionales. En general los proyectos culminan con una presentación pública del trabajo realizado. Así pues, varios factores se movilizan: La función de audiencia, el status de la obra de arte y el rol del mediador cultural. A partir de un estudio de caso, este trabajo analiza el proceso, el resultado y las formas de participación posibles en el campo de la música. Igualmente, se cuestiona la práctica musical como una forma de acercarse al arte. Finalmente, se propone una reflexión sobre la existencia de la mediación y por lo tanto del mediador en este tipo de contextos.

Abstract: Trypanosomes are unicellular early divergent eukaryotic microorganisms that cause sleeping sickness and Chagas disease. Genome sequencing has revealed that these parasites lack most of the highly conserved proteins involved in chromosome segregation. However, kinetochore-associated chromosome segregation has been proposed to occur in Trypanosoma brucei and the existence of centromeres, the locus that interacts with the kinetochores, has been inferred in T. brucei and Trypansoma cruzi. This work aimed to characterise, at a structural and functional level, the centromeres of Trypanosoma sp. Centromeres in T. brucei have been localised to chromosomal loci that contain an array of ~147 bp AT-rich tandem repeats. Using a long-range restriction endonuclease mapping approach, we found that the sizes of the arrays in T. brucei chromosomes 1-8 vary from 20 to 110 kb and present length heterogeneity between chromosome homologues. Topoisomerase II-? (TOP2?) plays a major role in sister chromatid segregation. TOP2? specific centromeric activity has been demonstrated in trypanosomes. In this project, we systematically evaluated through different approaches, regulatory mechanisms for the TOP2? activity/recruitment to trypanosome centromeres. In other eukaryotes, the Small Ubiquitin-like MOdifier (SUMO) interaction with TOP2? is required for it to be recruited to centromeres during mitosis. In independent experiments, we found no evidence for this association in bloodstream form (BSF) T. brucei . Modifications to the carboxyl terminal region (CTR) of TOP2?, other than SUMOylation, have been described that affect cell cycle specific localisation on chromosomes. Here, we undertook experiments to further delineate regions of the CTR of trypanosome TOP2?. Using a sequential deletion approach, we found that amino acids 1223-1312 in the CTR of enzyme are not required for its centromeric-specific activity. Finally, we found that the condensin unit SMC2 is essential for growth of T. brucei BSFs and not for TOP2? specific centromeric activity.