Abstract: Pharmaceutical Compounds (PCs), are synthetic substances intensively consumed by humans and continuously released into the urban wastewater. Often, the removal of PCs from wastewater is found to be insufficient, or even absent if population is not connected to the sewage system and wastewater is directly emitted into the environment. In the last decades, the PCs have aroused special attention because they have been found in surface water at concentrations that can cause negative effects on the aquatic biota and environment. Studies employing PCs monitoring and modelling techniques on surface waters have been mainly conducted in developed countries, while studies in developing countries are still scarce. Attempting to fill this gap, this work focused specifically in Colombia, where the occurrence of PCs has not been thoroughly studied and monitoring plans are barely done due to high costs. This work employed the Exposure to Pharmaceuticals in the Environment (ePiE), a spatially distributed model only implemented and used in Europe, to predict concentrations of PCs in rivers and lakes by considering their consumption, fate and transport. So, it aimed to create a new ePiE model network taking as a case of study the prediction of Naproxen and Paracetamol in the Upper Catchment of the Cauca River, Colombia, an area with a different socio-economic and climatic conditions with respect to the European continent. The methodological approach included: a) data collection on PCs’ consumption, physicochemical properties and removal in Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs); b) consolidation of geodata of the study area such as hydrology, hydrography, urban agglomeration and WWTPs location; c) model building by using the open-source software environment R; d) analysis of the model sensitivity to input parameters; e) model validation. The results showed that all concentration predictions deviate within a range of only one order of magnitude from measurements which is a remarkable result when dealing with such high uncertainties. In terms of magnitude prediction, for the worst-case scenario, Naproxen and Paracetamol were found to exceed the environmental standards thresholds in 9% and 1% of the model river network nodes respectively. Overall, this research aimed to assess the applicability of the ePiE model in estimating the presence of PCs in a subregion of Colombia, demonstrating that it is feasible to expand ePiE to other areas and giving insights about the spatial distribution of pharmaceuticals substances so hotspots can be identified and several scenarios can be built in future works.

Abstract: Bogotá Social Backbone proposes the development of a backbone of social infrastructure for the most needed people in Bogota, those who usually do not have access to the professional services of an architect. I selected three ""free"", abandoned, and problematic spaces along the Caracas Avenue in Bogotá, and three clients who inhabit them; a drug addict who was displaced from El Bronx, a prostitute from Santafé neighborhood and a recycler from Caracas 59. Social architecture is proposed with the objective of being a platform for these people to reintegrate into society with dignity, providing minimal housing, as well as places for training and for the development of a life project. Resumen: Bogotá Social Backbone propone el desarrollo de una columna vertebral de infraestructura social para las personas más necesitadas de Bogotá, aquellas que normalmente no tienen acceso a los servicios profesionales de un arquitecto. Seleccioné tres espacios ""libres"", abandonados y problemáticos a lo largo de la Avenida Caracas en Bogotá y tres clientes que los habitan; un drogadicto desplazado de El Bronx, una prostituta del barrio Santafé y un reciclador de la Caracas con 59. La arquitectura social se propone con el objetivo de ser una plataforma para que estas personas se reintegren dignamente a la sociedad, proporcionándoles una vivienda mínima, así como lugares para la formación y para el desarrollo de un proyecto de vida.

Abstract: Colombia is a country whose economy is largely driven by SMEs companies, but with the advance of technology, their production and growth is stagnating. Only companies that have under- stood the importance of innovation and have applied technologies framed in the DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION are making progress. One of the most critical reasons why these companies have not yet begun to go through this change of ideology is due to the lack of knowledge and support. The information is abundant but it is not compiled in a single digital site, where any- one can find it. Companies will continue to invest in technology to support the shift towards remote work and automation, but that is no longer enough. One of the most relevant findings when talking to various stakeholders, has been to understand that in the collective imagination of entrepreneurs, there are misconceptions about what DT means. It is common that this concept is framed in a series of myths that confuse and are transferred from voice to voice, creating a panorama of misinformation. That is why, I took on the challenge of creating a digital strategy that brings together in one place the dimensions that are part of the DT. The objective is to demystify the preconceived ideas of entrepreneurs so they can understand that their perception of digital reality has been created under ideas that do not correspond to the truth. Therefore, to achieve this change of mentality, a common and direct language will be used in order to make people feel identified with their false ideas about the concept and as a result, they will experience a desire to explore further. Resumen: Colombia es un país cuya economía está en gran medida impulsada por empresas pymes, pero con el avance de la tecnología, su producción y crecimiento se están estancando. Solo las empresas que han comprendido la importancia de la innovación y han aplicado tecnologías enmarcadas en la TRANSFORMACIÓN DIGITAL están progresando. Una de las razones más críticas por las cuales estas empresas aún no han comenzado a pasar por este cambio de ideología se debe a la falta de conocimiento y apoyo. La información es abundante, pero no está recopilada en un solo espacio digital, donde cualquiera pueda encontrarla. Las empresas continúan invirtiendo en tecnología para respaldar el cambio hacia el trabajo remoto y la automatización, pero eso ya no es suficiente. Uno de los hallazgos más relevantes al hablar con diversos interesados ha sido comprender que en la imaginación colectiva de los empresarios, hay conceptos erróneos sobre lo que significa la Transformación Digital. Es común que este concepto se enmarque en una serie de mitos que confunden y se transmiten voz a voz, creando un panorama de desinformación. Por eso, asumí el desafío de crear una estrategia digital que reúna en un solo lugar las dimensiones que forman parte de la TD. El objetivo es desmitificar las ideas preconcebidas de los empresarios para que puedan entender que su percepción de la realidad digital se ha creado bajo ideas que no corresponden a la verdad. Por lo tanto, para lograr este cambio de mentalidad, se utilizará un lenguaje común y directo con el fin de que las personas se sientan identificadas con sus ideas falsas sobre el concepto y, como resultado, experimenten el deseo de explorar más a fondo. Dentro de esta estrategia y como artefacto final, desarrollé un sitio web llamado ""Mitos Digitales"", los empresarios podrán comprender el concepto, sus componentes, beneficios, la tecnología más usada, historias de éxito y una recopilación de mitos desarticulados. Finalmente, podrán encontrar algunos recursos en términos de formación y ayuda financiera que el gobierno y las organizaciones privadas en Colombia están proporcionando para apoyar y fortalecer el crecimiento y desarrollo tecnológico de las pymes.

Abstract: Reservoir models of deep-water channels rely upon low-resolution but spatially extensive seismic data, high vertical resolution but spatially sparse well log data and geomodeling methods. The results cannot predict architecture below seismic resolution or between well logs. Usually, the data and interpretations that provide constraints for modeling workflows do not capture sub-seismic scale architecture. Therefore, standard modeling methods do not generate models that include details that can impact hydrocarbon flow and recovery. Constraining models to well and seismic data is problematic. Employing measured sections in the Tres Pasos Fm. (Magallanes Basin, Chile) is feasible to predict deep-water channel architecture, specifically channel stacking patterns with 1D information analogous to well data. This research performed near-wellbore modeling to generate multiple scenarios of channel stacking patterns constrained by machine learning-derived probabilities using (i) conditional Monte Carlo simulation with soft probabilities per channel element within the measured section choosing the highest probabilities for each element (ii) conditional Monte Carlo simulation of channel stacking, (iii) template-based modeling, (iv) forward modeling with Markov transition probabilities without matching to thickness and (v) conditional Monte Carlo simulation constrained to measured section thickness. Machine learning workflows generate channel position probabilities (i.e., axis, off-axis, margin) within a measured section given the interpreted top/bases of channel elements. These probabilities constitute the input for Monte Carlo simulations capturing channel element stacking patterns at the measured section locations. The most likely 2D channel stacking pattern scenarios defined channel centerline points, and volumes of the individual channel elements can be generated connecting them. Surface-based modeling offers a way to depict reservoirs of hydrocarbons, water or low-enthalpy geothermal systems in which small-scale heterogeneity needs to be captured explicitly by bounding surfaces because it impacts fluid flow, improving our forecasts of resource exploitation. Furthermore, predicting heterogeneity controlled by depositional architecture is critical for transport and storage capacity in CO2 reservoirs. The dataset provided and the advent of these flexible and accurate methods to depict the subsurface offer the opportunity to overcome the historical limitations of grid-based models and allow us to assess multiscale architecture that controls fluid flow. This research aims to show the results of modeling deepwater channels, including a 1D identification of architectural positions and a 2D arrangement of channel stacking patterns.

Abstract: The supply chain is a network of nodes that connects the different states through which a raw material must go from the source to being a finished product available to the consumer. The intermediate nodes that help reduce the distances between the manufacturer and the customer when distributing products are called warehouses, distribution centres or cross-docks. These facilities serve as temporary storage that reduces distribution costs and allows products to be available closer to the customers when required. In many operations worldwide where automation is not an option as it is a costly alternative, these warehouses, distribution centres and crossdocks manually operate with workers their activities of loading, unloading, picking, sorting, storing, among others. This study seeks to address the workforce sizing problem in warehouses, distribution centres or cross-docks to understand what the indicated number of workers should be to meet the site's performance indicators, meet demand and reduce operating costs. The research was developed under a methodology with mixed methods, where from an exploratory sequential approach, it begins with a systematic literature review to find the most relevant variables or factors used by multiple studies when trying to address the problem of dimensioning the workforce in distribution centres, warehouses, or cross-docks, as well as contrast their approaches and identify the techniques and tools used. With this, a total of 46 variables were found by breaking down their frequency of appearance by journal article or conference proceeding, clustering them into 7 categories which are input and output operations, material handling equipment (MHE) performance, warehouse configuration, warehouse performance, product complexity, picking operations and labour and worker conditions. Based on these variables, some were used in the technique that most frequently appeared in the literature, simulation. Here, a crossdock of a company belonging to the mass consumption sector was virtually represented using Flexsim software. The objective of this simulation was to find the number of forklifts needed to handle the loading and unloading operation of 5 types of trucks under different demand scenarios, or the total number of trucks to attend per day. After developing the model and extracting the results for 4 demand profiles, a sensitivity analysis was carried out where the influence of the forklift quantity on the crossdock performance measures was demonstrated, finding that as the number of forklifts increased, the average truck cycle time decreased, the total quantity of trucks attended reached the expected number per day according to the demand profile, and the average forklift utilization decreased. Finally, the limitations were shown from the literature and from the simulation model to address the workforce sizing problem, giving suggestions for future research that can deepen or address the problem from another approach.

Abstract: The thesis critically deals with Urban Greening, a phenomenon that transformed contemporary urban areas in the post-industrial landscape. After a deep exploration of literature and field fieldwork, this research defines such an issue as “an accumulative mechanism of translation of the perception and relationship between society and urban nature”. By inquiring greening mechanisms in the cases of Rotterdam and Torino, the work proposes a design experiment to challenge the current ways of production of green bodies, by fostering new relationships in the urban sphere. The first part of the thesis defines urban greening through literature, contemporary definitions, and categorizations. Aiming for a redefinition of the concept by means of the deconstruction into its main components; society, nature, time, and interactions. The research directly moves towards a better understanding of what greening and nature can mean, by confronting the ideas of some significant authors, such as Matthew Gandy, Phillippe Descola, and Lucilla Barchetta, among others. The exploration understands the relevance of greening as a term that has gained momentum in the past few decades, with the decline of the post-industrial landscape and the increasing degradation processes of the Anthropocene. However, the general approach, wishes to go beyond the contemporary notions of greening, as one of the promises of the so-called “sustainable city”, and explore the constructions and narratives that have constituted its meaning throughout time. The second part of the inquiry takes two contemporary cities as case studies: Rotterdam and Torino. By analyzing their greening history and urban expansion, to later take a look at the modern-day panorama in terms of administration, governance, and policies around green infrastructures. Moreover, confronting this Greening agenda with the projects that will shape the future of Rotterdam and Torino, assessing their reach, coherence, and implementation in terms of the Sustainable City. As a result of the case studies exploration, the thesis draws a series of considerations that suggest new types of relationships around urban greening. The last part of the study wishes to challenge current ways of urban greening, by experimenting with a form of planning that drifts apart from the objectification of green elements and hopefully tries to integrate spontaneity in urban relationships.

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.