El alcance del presente estudio es la aplicación de la metodología de prospectiva empresarial para la empresa ARCA distribuciones al 2032 la cual hace parte del sector Calzado colombiano, partiendo de la contextualización del país y del mundo, el análisis de tendencias tecnológicas y no tecnológicas del sector y la realización de talleres con los expertos se sigue la metodología del modelo prospectivo que incluye la selección de factores de cambio, definición de variables estratégicas, la definición de escenarios de futuro, la evaluación de prioridades para los actores y finalmente el establecimiento del escenario apuesta, sus correspondientes estrategias y plan vigía.

Este estudio de prospectiva tecnológica desarrolla el diseño escenarios de futuro para enfrentar el problema del delito y la violencia en los entornos locales, a través de la adopción de nuevas tecnologías de ciudad inteligente, como Big Data, Drones, entre otras; con el fin de mejorar los ecosistemas de seguridad urbana, ciudadana y convivencia. Sirve de orientación para la formulación de políticas públicas con un enfoque diferente a como se viene manejando la estrategia de seguridad ciudadana y convivencia, ya que tiene en cuenta, la implicación, el empoderamiento de los ciudadanos desde lo local con base en planes y programas de corresponsabilidad, resilencia, gobernanza y la apropiación de todos los actores sociales, para mejorar la calidad de vida que afectan su entorno. Plantea una visión de futuro para generar estrategias de acción de largo plazo para contrarrestar la problemática de inseguridad en las ciudades, buscando cambiar las conductas desviadas de ciertos individuos, incorporando retos, objetivos y acciones estratégicas de largo plazo para la construcción de una conciencia social para enfrentar problemas perversos, con base en la resolución de problemas sociales.

Este proyecto de investigación establece un diagnóstico y una propuesta de mejora sobre el funcionamiento de los procesos de gestión humana aplicados a la cadena de valor de Selcomp lngenieria S.A.S. lnicialmente exponemos la situación actual del área de gestión humana en cuanto al funcionamiento de los procesos de la misma en Selcomp lngenieria S.A.S, hacienda un recorrido por la historia de esta en la organización, mostrando el marco contextual de la empresa y teniendo como enfoque principal el desarrollo de los colaboradores, así como la efectividad en los procesos que los involucran, con el propósito de generar un impacto en el cumplimiento de los objetivos estratégicos de la misma; creando así una propuesta integradora que permita que Ia alta dirección conozca, se sensibilice y entienda la importancia de contar con procesos de gestión humana que vayan más allá de lo operativo, trasciendan a lo estratégico y que estén acordes al desarrollo de la cadena de valor.

How can public employees be motivated to pursue important public purposes with intelligence and energy? When employees are motivated to work, a greater State capacity and a better public provision can be achieved. Motivation concerns how behavior starts, energizes, sustains and directs people to attain goals with drive and persistence and the kind of subjective reaction present in the organism while all this is going on. Current literature in public administration, human resource management and psychology argue that motivation fosters employee work performance and, even more, that it affects the degree to which an employee can contribute to an organization’s success. This paper explains the importance of employee motivation, specifically in the public sector, and explores how this concept affects different factors of human resource management such as goal setting, training and development, organizational climate and culture, team-building, appreciation, feedback, rewards and fairness. This analysis is then contrasted with the reality of a specific organization belonging to a specific context: the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. For this, the Colombian public sector background – and the Ministry’s in particular – in regards to public employee motivation is illustrated. Through a qualitative research approach, the Human Resources Direction, 4 other top-level management and 34 employees are asked to indicate the main motivators of the staff and the factors that most affect their motivation to work. The results show that, due to the particularities of the Colombian context, there are certain factors that deeply affect the staff´s motivation. Such factors, nonetheless, validate what has been concluded by motivation, psychology and HRM literature and research. Employees in the Ministry, just as any other human being, seek to carry out interesting and purposeful tasks; want to grow and achieve goals; and long for an environment whose climate and culture provides appreciation, feedback and fairness. In this regard, 8 recommendations are provided to help the MFA improve its employees’ motivation and thus productivity, performance and – equally important – happinness (for high motivation is a sign of happier people). Although the recommendations are specific for the MFA, considering that the findings confirm motivation literature and are in accordance with the problems portrayed of the Colombian public sector context, it is also plausible to take them into account for other public sector agencies in Colombia and abroad.

Unnamed Aerial Vehicles (UAV) are known for their application in surveillance and tracking with on-board cameras. Videos from UAV usually suffer from jitter and high frequency unintended movements which makes necessary stabilize the footage. This is a Computer Vision problem, particularly difficult due to level of noise in acquisition and different types of scenarios which make hard to implement online stabilizer (on the fly). The present thesis explains in depth algorithms, methods and implementations of the OpenCV module videostab. We presented a version in C++ of videostab in context of video from UAV. Two main blocks constitute the current implementation: motion estimation and motion stabilization. In the former, the system robustly estimates global displacement in between every consecutive pair of frames. The latter can be used in two possible ways: Assuming that estimated motion contains intended UAV motion and high frequency vibrations or assuming that all estimated motion is undesirable. The first case is solved with a Gaussian filter to smooth motions and, in the second case, a filter called Zero Motion was implemented to give sensation of stillness. Results show that the implementation is robust and can work in different scenarios of UAV. Moreover, it is possible to run it in a general purpose computer with high speed performance. Online performance can be achieved using some function with graphic processing unit (GPU).

Development literature suggests that legal systems provide the framework for examining the main drivers of development. As one of the main legal tools through which lay citizens and companies can enforce contracts, the present analysis focuses on assessing the impact that the level of access to the legal system has on foreign investors’ decisions. Using a two stage least square (2 SLS) regression and data from the Rule of Law Index collected in 2009, this paper finds that the access to civil justice does not have a significant effect on Foreign Direct Investment. Further, the regression analysis indicates that the amount of taxes paid by the businesses as a percentage of commercial profits, the number of days to start a business and the Gross Domestic Product Per Capita are more important to attract foreign capital than the finding itself.

The benefit-effort analysis methodology was designed as a decision making tool in the provision of water and sanitation in rural communities in developing countries. This is an innovative approach that evaluates environmental projects during the complete project life cycle. The methodology provides a framework that incorporates social, political, economic, technical and ecological aspects which are essential to identify good solutions for the provision of water and sanitation in rural and isolated communities. It is based on the knowledge of experts that are recognized by their know-how in the specific topic and in the validation with local communities that can easily participate by providing personal opinions and suggestions. The methodology makes evident both, benefits and efforts during the complete project life cycle, in order to minimize or maximize them and to improve the decision making process guiding the identification of the best sustainable result.

This paper analyses how contemporary Colombian social studies and South African history textbooks represent notions of race and racism to combat the historical legacies of these countries. It uses Critical Discourse Analysis to argue that, while there has been significant progress made in overcoming racism in the new textbooks in the two countries, there are still many challenges. In particular the paper notes that notwithstanding the more equal and balanced representation of traditionally excluded subjects, new forms of exclusion still permeate new social studies and history textbooks in Colombia and South Africa. In reviewing the textbooks produced in the two countries, the paper provides markers for researchers and policy makers seeking to transform deep-seated inequities in society. 

Auricular reconstruction remains one of the biggest challenges faced by plastic surgeons. Reconstruction with autologous cartilage has proven to offer a lasting reconstruction with acceptable cosmetic results when performed by very experienced surgeons; however, the learning curve is long and few surgeons around the world have mastered this technique. For less experienced surgeons clinical outcome is frequently wanting; moreover, reconstructions with autologous cartilage carry its own burden of donor site morbidity and surgical complications. In order to reduce operating time, avoid the risks and complications inherent of cartilage harvest and homogenize clinical outcome of ear reconstruction, auricular off the shelf scaffolds have been manufactured using biomaterial. The only auricular scaffold present in the market today is made of high density porous polyethylene and commercialized under the trade name Medpor®. Despite its limited success porous polyethylene has not fully convinced surgeons due to its stiffness and extrusion rates. A novel nanocomposite polymer has been developed by Prof. Seifalian and its team at UCL by the incorporation of polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) nanocage as pendant side chains into poly (carbonate-urea) urethane. POSS PCU can be shaped as an auricle, it mimics the elastic properties of auricular native cartilage and supports cell growth and proliferation. In this project we have used human dermal fibroblasts primary cells (HFF) to study and compare cellular response on POSS PCU and Medpor®. In vitro experiments detected significantly higher cell adhesion on POSS PCU when compared to Medpor® (p < 0,05). Dynamic condition at 50 RMP was found reduce cell attachment on both polymers; under this condition POSS PCU supports higher cell adhesion than Medpor®. Even though no difference on cell proliferation or metabolic activity per cell was found between the two polymers, POSS PCU, with higher cell adhesion, have higher overall cell proliferation and metabolic activity. Collagen production per cell was found to be significantly increased on Medpor®; however, the higher cell number found on POSS PCU managed to produce as much total collagen as its counterpart. Even though POSS PCU is non-degradable, HFF were found to lower POSS PCU young’s modulus and make the scaffolds more flexible. Even though further refinement of POSS PCU scaffold production and the need for additional in vitro and in vivo studies, this biomaterial is a promising alternative for auricular reconstruction.

If we know how to apply a good communication and understand the roll of technology in our society, we can help elders become more useful and feel active helping them prevent depressions and applying their time to the new media technologies being also part of what’s going on and how fast technology changes and society has to evolve with it and take it part of their lives. The elderly have lots to offer, experience, education, wisdom and even money; we can´t leave all these on a side we need to act and change our perception of older people in our society. Kids should benefit from all of this that in one way or another is going to be useful for their learning. Some kids believe in what their grandpa´s says, in what their parents teach them and off course in what they learn in school. Kids are more capable to adapt to new environments and new languages but still its very fast and too much things that are happening at the same time and each time kids meets technology faster and younger that you get impressed of how fast they learn with this new media, or this new opportunity, if we could see it like that. What we need to understand is even if kids learn faster doesn't mean that adults and especially senior’s can’t learn. You just have to always have in mind that you’re never too old to learn. We need virtual connections to bring people, families together that for one reason life has separate them. Technology can add an enormous value to human relationships and permit or let you express your emotions beyond others even not having them present or standing towards or beside you. It can also help to have a better communication and improve your relationship getting closer. Communication progress, new technologies and a better living, leads to more and more new solutions in the field of design. The increasing diversity between developed end developing countries give designers a very important role today. Design and technology is a powerful medium to reach and to give new possibilities not only to people with easy access to Internet and digital devices. It is necessary to provide new opportunities for next generation in poorer countries, because only in this way they have a chance for a better future. Service design is made for people. The social reality is created as a result of the sum of all individual actions and communication between each other.