The North American housing affordability crisis is escalating each year. In Canada, approximately the 83 percent of all homeowners and 40 percent of all renters exceed their affordability threshold on an annual basis. This implies high prices that prevent low-income families from becoming homeowners. Prefabricated, self-help kit homes are a potential solution to reduce housing cost, and to allow customers to participate in the decision-making process with respect to the design of their homes. The former is possible by eliminating paid labor and replacing it with sweat equity, while the latter is possible through the application of mass customization strategies that allow a high level of customer involvement during the pre-occupancy stage. The main goal of this research is to identify the different strategies that manufacturers apply during the production of kit homes. In addition to the theoretical framework, this report consists of analyses of kit homes from eight manufacturers, including evaluations of their advantages and disadvantages with respect to both affordability and mass customization. These analyses led to the definition of guidelines for manufacturing kit homes in Quebec. These guidelines were based on the ideals of improving customer involvement and ensuring the feasibility of self-help construction, while also offering choices and flexibility within kit home packages and affordable options for buyers. The main conclusion of this study is that self-help kit homes are approximately 45 percent less expensive than the conventional housing. However, this savings primarily depends on the ability of the buyers to be self-builders, and on the provision of cost-saving alternatives by manufacturers. Moreover, in terms of mass customization, both panelized and pre-cut prefabrication methods allow a tailored or pure customization. However, it is essential to facilitate the decision-making of customers during the post-occupancy stage as well, and to define more specific parameters and variations.

Un análisis desde las teorías de tres elementos gerenciales (liderazgo, conocimientos, habilidades y actitudes) y cómo se encuentran presentes en una nueva compañía teatral, el Ensemble Lodi de Italia; con la presencia de un reparto de actrices aficionadas, el éxito y los retos que aparecen para formular unos requisitos básicos sobre como la gestión del espectáculo puede impulsar el crecimiento de una compañía en sus inicios según el modelo del ciclo de vida organizacional.

The ambient noise analysis field has several methods used to study Microzonation with the aim to mitigate the risk of damage in structures. A new method to study seismic noise was developed by Wassermann et al., 2016. The novel technique uses the existent relation between the transverse component of acceleration and the vertical component of rotation generated by Love waves to retrieve their inherent dispersive character (Kurrle et al., 2010). The advantage of this implementation is that it only needs two instruments to measure acceleration and rotation in the same location, making it easy to deploy as the H/V spectral ratio. Moreover, the information retrieved is easier to interpret than the aforementioned technique. In addition, the same aspects of the wavefield retrieved from array echniques such as F-K and SPAC could be recovered. This thesis aims to complement this method by studying Rayleigh waves and using the implicit relation between the vertical acceleration and the horizontal rotation or tilt generated by them. We use a statistical process to build dispersion curves for this kind of wave, finding its phase velocities in the medium and its arrival direction. Our findings indicated that the new implementation overestimates the phase velocities, which may be due to the fact that a weak-rotational motion sensor was not available, and the array-derived rotation method was used. Hence, this led to high uncertainties in the measure of rotation and also to lower magnitudes of its horizontal components with respect to the vertical one. The method seems reliable to find the back azimuth of noise generated by Rayleigh waves and complements well the findings of the Love-wave technique previously mentioned.

The dissertation develops an analysis of how speed (as a quotient of space and time) has been described as a positive attribute and an adequate solution to industrial development, cities' efficiency and, in general, citizens' well being, while time?space compression as an underlying process has been widely studied but rarely acknowledged in policy. It analyses the evolution of the discourse on speed from before Bogotá’s BRT system “TransMilenio” (in 1996) and until recently (in 2006) and how it may have influenced such discourse. It questions the usefulness of speed and some transport interventions in Bogotá, and how other more structural measures may be taken to solve a city’s ills. The dissertation provides a conceptual framework on time, cities and time?space compression and speed, followed by a description of Bogotá and TransMilenio and results of the study. It ends with a discussion on the role of speed in Bogotá, the evolution of transport planning, and time?space compression and how it relates to the case in question. 

The oil and gas industry has long recognized the inadequacy of existing theories to predict the behavior and outcome of some hydraulic fracturing treatments. Data sets compiled over the last two decades are incompatible with the conventional picture of a single planar hydraulic fracture. These data sets include field studies, laboratory studies and theoretical models. Several field and laboratory observations show very complex fracture paths, multisegmented fractures, branching, asymmetry and the presence of multiple fractures. The purpose of this study is to investigate the pressure behavior of systems containing near wellbore and far field multiple vertical fractures. This objective is achieved by using two analytical models. These newly developed models are used to explore pressure behavior and to generate type curves using the pressure derivative concept. The first new analytical model considers a composite reservoir with the inner zone containing an arbitrary number of dendritic multiple hydraulic fractures and the outer zone showing natural fractures. Transient pressure, derivative and flow regimes of the fractured system are investigated using this model. This study also uses a numerical model to calibrate and validate the analytical model. Pressure transient behavior of multiple fractures is modeled using a full field model (FFM) with a detailed Cartesian local grid refinement (LGR) around the fractures. The model was calibrated and validated using the case of two wing fractures at 180o. Simulations of the two types of multiple fractures, dendritic and parallel, validate some results of the analytical solutions. The TDS technique is also used to analyze the linear and pseudo-radial flow regimes in order to find fracture length, angle between fractures, fracture conductivity and several conventional reservoir parameters, e.g. permeability, wellbore storage and skin.  Multiple fractures create more surface area in direct communication with the wellbore. As a consequence, a greater volume of fluid can be produced from the wellbore per unit time. While fracture treatments continue to be designed using the best tools and techniques available, geometry estimates from fracture models have been difficult to verify. Pressure transient analysis is one of the fracture diagnostic techniques available to fill this knowledge gap, improving our understanding of hydraulic fracture behavior. It is an excellent calibration tool because it lets us evaluate the effective length of the fracture, and determine the appropriate length to use in history matching. Also, regardless of the application, identifying and understanding fracture complexities can lead to improved treatment designs, better completion strategies, and the potential for significant economic rewards through improved well performance and/or reduced completion cost.

Socio economic reintegration of former combatants is one the most complicated stages in the aftermath of armed struggles and there is never a straightforward answer to its implementation. Although there has been theoretical and practical progress in these regards, ex-combatants often must face formal an informal constraints before regaining their citizenship. In these contexts, institutional interventions are crucial to facilitate the transition of this population into civilian life. This research analyses the role of the institutional framework and its impact in the proper economic reintegration of former politically motivated combatants in Colombia and Northern Ireland since 2000. Through a rigorous review of international examples, previous experiences in reintegration programmes, public policies and the examination of extensive literature, it was possible to identify punitive legislation, limited employment opportunities, discrimination, lack of skills and informal economies as main factors affecting the reintegration process. This overview was confronted with data collected through six semi-structured interviews with key actors in Colombia and Northern Ireland who have been deeply involved in conflict resolution matters. As a result of this triangulation, this exploration compares and concludes that the Colombian institutional framework is more advanced in terms of socio-economic reintegration of ex- combatants in comparison to the Irish case in which ex-prisoners’ role after the Good Friday/Belfast Agreement is not clear yet. In addition, this research identifies that former politically motivated combatants are still experiencing similar problems such as discrimination, exclusion and high levels of deprivation that official interventions have not been capable of addressing in both countries. Finally, two recommendations are stated in order to strengthen these programmes from a people-centred perspective and a sensitive approach that takes into account specificities of ex-combatants in terms of employment, self-employment and training.

En el campo de estudio de los Agentes Autónomos Inteligentes, uno de los retos más complejos de lograr es la simulación de los procesos cognitivos. Generalmente, la meta de integrar diversas micro-teorías en un solo modelo cognitivo que sea capaz de procesar ingentes cantidades de variables, las cuales cambian continuamente con una complejidad incremental, resulta ser una tarea intrincada cuyos frutos no siempre suelen reflejar las expectativas iniciales de sus diseñadores. En el área de la Cognición Artificial es posible distinguir tres grandes aproximaciones: la Cognitivista, basada en sistemas de representación simbólica y mecanismos de aprendizaje explícito; la Emergente, fundamentada en sistemas de representación sub-simbólica y procesos cognitivos de naturaleza implícita; y la Híbrida, que busca integrar lo mejor de cada aproximación. Esta última, a pesar de ser un enfoque conciliador que pretende compensar las debilidades y potenciar las fortalezas de cada aproximación, es un área de investigación muy reciente cuyos resultados son aún incipientes. En la presente tesis, se propone un modelo cognitivo híbrido y original, denominado Metáfora, cuyas aportaciones principales son: (1) la integración de teorías multi-disciplinares -- psicocognitivas, neurológicas, biológicas, de inteligencia artificial, etc. -- sobre la cognición; (2) un diseño arquitectónico basado en bloques de construcción cibernéticos, que adapta lo mejor de los modelos cognitivos más representativos -- diseño por capas, modular, multi-componente, descentralizado, y distribuido; (3) la fusión de los principios propuestos tanto por la aproximación cognitivista como por la aproximación emergente, y la definición de los mecanismos de integración y sincronización necesarios para comunicar estos dos niveles; y (4) un diseño innovador que articula tres niveles de auto-organización inspirados en principios de la biología evolutiva y del desarrollo: la epigénesis, la ontogénesis, y la filogénesis, a partir de los cuales emergen las diversas estructuras cognitivas de la arquitectura. En el nivel epigenético se define una capa cognitiva controlada por dos clases de máquinas autopoiéticas (i.e., los Sistemas Inmunes Artificiales y las Redes Neuronales Artificiales), cuya responsabilidad es crear las estructuras cognitivas de bajo nivel y dotar a la arquitectura con un grado significativo de plasticidad. En el nivel ontogenético, por un lado, se precisa un mecanismo atencional adaptativo el cual es capaz de orquestar los diversos comportamientos y procesos conscientes y subconscientes del agente, empleando para ello un modelo evolutivo de dispersión de energía de activación y, por otro, se define un mecanismo que evoluciona las estructuras cognitivas de orden superior. Por último, en el nivel filogenético, se propone un mecanismo basado en la ingeniería memética, encargado de co-evolucionar y trasmitir las estructuras cognitivas a través de la sociedad de agentes.

IMBOLIC is a collection of poems that was written for the Poetry 2 Assignment and for the final MA Dissertation. The work is divided into two sections: the first one, POETRYTMENT is a sequence of twelve poems where collage, verse, prose, lyricism and Spanish as a mother tongue work as a complete treatment to release pain and grab hope. In most of the pieces, there is a double reading that suggests a dialogue between a patient and some healers. Among them: Carol Watts, Mercedes Sosa (singer), William Butler Yeats, William Shakespeare, William Blake, Rosemary Tonks, Robert Frost, Alfonsina Storni, Sasha Moorsom and Pablo Neruda. The second one, THE SONG OF THE WOMB written for the final Dissertation addresses to transformation. It is a song that tunes with the voice of cycles, Nancy Gaffield, Patricia Debney, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, José Asunción Silva and Alfonsina Storni. In both pieces, there is a poetic product originated from some of the ideas that are registered as in Spanish as in English in “Truenos bajo la piel /Thunders under the skin” (http://claudiaorduz.blogspot.co.uk) since January 2014. For instance: Julio (Hide and Seek adaptation) and Invisible Stitches.

Population growth is currently one of the main challenges faced by all countries and their authorities. Problems generated by this trend include the formation of slums and their interaction with other elements of society, especially in developing countries where this phenomenon is significant. This situation is not new, even in Colombia. As a member of the United Nations Organization and as a developing country, this Latin American nation is supposed to conform to the Millennium Development Goals by 2020. With respect to the improvement of the condition of slums addressed in target 7d of goal number 7, a considerable number of measures have been adopted by authorities at different levels. Nevertheless, several cities and regional authorities have disregarded their obligation to reach the Millennium Development Goals.

The number of distributed resources into electrical network systems is increasing and it is challenging the way these systems are designed and operated. For traditional power systems, transmission and distribution networks play a passive role in voltage control. When distributed generation is presented these levels of the electrical network can play an important role in voltage regulation. The mini CHP technology is an interesting option for this active role. In this study, a voltage control strategy using mini CHP units is proposed. For this purpose a dynamic model of a mini CHP system using experimental data is developed and is represented in Matlab/Simulink for simulation. An electrical network for performing these studies is built in DIgSILENT PowerFactory and the mini CHP system model is integrated into the electrical network. The proposed voltage control operation mode is compared with a heat lead operation mode for determining advantages and disadvantages of both operations. The voltage control operation is an interesting option for regulating voltage in the distribution network when distributed resources are introduced. Further studies and developments are required to find a compromise between voltage regulation and thermal demand matching.