Abstract: The issue of Network Neutrality has become one of the most discussed topics in the IT sector in recent times with calls by Network Providers to drop the current scheme and allow them to discriminate the traffic that passes through their networks. One of the possible consequences of dropping this framework is that internet providers will now be able to engage in foreclosure of downstream competitors (e.g. VoIP services that compete with their fixed telephony service). To see if such incentives do exist this study analyzes the issue through a theoretical framework, first presenting a review of the literature on the topic; then analyzing one of the few theoretical models available, developed by Chen and Nalebuff, reassessing their conclusion that there are no incentives to degrade the downstream competitor’s service if the downstream good’s valuation is low enough; extending their analysis for the case of higher valuation of the downstream good; and, finally, developing a model where the vertically integrated firm’s upstream product is essential only to the downstream competitor but not to its own downstream product, much like the case of DSL internet providers. The study finds that the conclusion that Chen and Nalebuff reach is misleading, that if the valuation of the downstream good is high enough then foreclosure is profitable and that, when the vertically integrated firm’s product does not require the upstream product, degradation is not profitable but access denial is. Resumen: Recientemente, la neutralidad de la red se ha convertido en uno de los temas más discutidos en el sector de las tecnologías de la información, donde los proveedores de red han abogado para que su uso cese, permitiéndoles así discriminar el tráfico que fluye por sus redes. Una de las posibles consecuencias de cesar el uso de la neutralidad de la red es que los proveedores de internet podrían excluir a competidores en el mercado secundario o “downstream” (p.e. servicios de telefonía IP que compiten con sus servicios tradicionales de telefonía fija). Para determinar si estos incentivos existen, este estudio analiza el problema dentro de un marco teórico, primero presentando una revisión de la literatura disponible; posteriormente analizando uno de los pocos modelos teóricos desarrollado por Chen y Nalebuff, revisando su conclusión de que no hay incentivos para degradar el servicio del competidor en el mercado secundario si la valoración de este servicio es lo suficientemente baja; extendiendo este análisis para el caso en el que la valoración del servicio secundario es más alta; y, finalmente, desarrollando un modelo donde el producto primario (upstream) del proveedor verticalmente integrado es esencial únicamente para el competidor en el mercado secundario pero no para su propio producto, similar al caso de proveedores de internet DSL. El estudio encuentra que la conclusión de Chen y Nalebuff es errónea, que si la valoración del producto secundario es lo suficientemente alta entonces excluir es rentable y que, cuando el proveedor integrado verticalmente no requiere el producto primario, degradar el servicio de su competidor no es rentable pero excluirlo si lo es.

The research on electrochemical carbon molecule oxidation started in the past years as new electrochemistries were researched for new fuel cells systems and batteries that may line up as backup energy supply and storage systems in off-grid and on-grid microgrids, as modeled by our group at the University of Twente [1-3]. By lining up these two disciplines we hope to support the bridge between new electrochemical systems on one side, (pilot) production with partner companies, prediction, and validation of systems upon implementation in microgrids by our group. The electrochemical oxidation of glycerol in alkaline aqueous solution has been studied on gold and gold coated metals (Zn-Au and Cu-Au) by voltammetry and EIS (Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy) for possible use in a new fuel cell as an outlet for the excess glycerol that is produced in the biodiesel industry. The observations show that the gold surface may change upon cycling by cyclic voltammetry. Besides, the current density shows non-linear behavior with the square root of the scan rate, implying that the reaction is not totally controlled by diffusion. EIS analysis using the EQUIVCRT software revealed that one out of twenty tested equivalent circuits fitted the data well at potentials of -0.05 V,- 0.15 V and -0.25 V vs. Ag/AgCl, identifying resistors and a Warburg element in parallel with the double layer capacitance, the elements are possibly related to the presence of double layers associated with hydroxypyrovate and oxalate ions. The results are consistent with the low-frequency error fitting analysis (10-4), AC Simulink-Matlab fitting responds and the Kronig-Kramers transform test. The tested Zn-Au and Cu-Au electrodes show similar voltammetry behavior as the gold electrode, as witnessed by the results of cycle analysis and the scan rate analysis. The discharge chronoamperometry test further shows that the Zn-Au electrode and Cu-Au have higher current densities than the gold electrode at a potential of -0.25 V vs. Ag/AgCl (5 mA cm-2, 4.5 mA cm-2, and 3 mA cm-2 respectively).

Abstract: Aspergillus fumigatus is a fungus very well known in medicine because is responsible of invasive aspergillosis (IA) in immunocompromised patients. The use of antifungals for this disease, in particular azoles, had given a good result until the appearance of the first azole-resistant aspergillosis in 1997. Since then more cases with different mechanisms of acquiring the resistance have appeared and have been studied. The pan-azole cases also exist and represent a challenge for them to be successfully treated without mortality involved. It has always been thought is the cycle only included the environment and the human being. But one important question remains, is if animals play a role in the cycle of transmission. This thesis is a beginning step, in the research of isolates of Azole-Resistant A. fumigatus present in the respiratory tissue of the most affected species in Veterinary Medicine, birds. Respiratory tissues from poultry (Gallus Gallus Domesticus) obtained in a slaughter house in the Utrecht province and a common seagull (Larus Canus) from the North-Holland province in the Netherlands were macroscopically analysed, manipulated in three diverse ways and then cultured at several temperatures. 19 A. fumigatus isolates were obtained from poultry and 1 from the seagull. All isolates were put through a resistant experiment. Along with resistant and susceptible strains obtained by Jianhua Zhang, all isolates were cultivated in Malt Agar, Malt Agar with itraconazole at 4 mg/ml and Malt Agar with Tebuconazole at 4mg/ml. The diameter of the colony was measured several days later, with at least three consecutive measurements done. They all presented a higher response to Tebuconazole than to Itraconazole, being none of them fully resistant. Further research can address molecular mechanisms involved in this kind of response. Resumen: Aspergillus fumigatus es un hongo muy conocido en la medicina porque es responsable de la aspergilosis invasiva (AI) en pacientes inmunocomprometidos. El uso de antifúngicos para esta enfermedad, en particular los azoles, había dado un buen resultado hasta la aparición de la primera aspergilosis resistente a azol en 1997. Desde entonces, han aparecido y se han estudiado más casos con diferentes mecanismos de adquisición de la resistencia. Los casos de resistencia a varios azoles también existen y representan un desafío para que puedan ser tratados con éxito sin la mortalidad involucrada. Siempre se ha pensado que el ciclo solo incluía el medio ambiente y el ser humano. Pero una pregunta importante que queda es si los animales juegan un papel en el ciclo de transmisión. Esta tesis es un paso inicial, en la investigación de aislamientos de A. fumigatus resistentes a Azoles presentes en el tejido respiratorio de las especies más afectadas en Medicina Veterinaria, las aves. Los tejidos respiratorios des aves de corral (Gallus Gallus Domesticus) obtenidos en un matadero en la provincia de Utrecht y una gaviota común (Larus Canus) de la provincia de Holanda Septentrional en los Países Bajos se analizaron macroscópicamente, se manipularon de tres maneras diferentes y luego se cultivaron a varias temperaturas. En total 19 aislamientos de A. fumigatus se obtuvieron de aves de corral y 1 de la gaviota. Todos los aislamientos se sometieron a un experimento resistente. Junto con las cepas resistentes y susceptibles obtenidas por Jianhua Zhang, todos los aislamientos se cultivaron en agar de malta, agar de malta con itraconazol a 4 mg / ml y agar de malta con tebuconazol a 4 mg / ml. El diámetro de la colonia se midió varios días después, con al menos tres mediciones consecutivas. Todos presentaron una respuesta más alta al tebuconazol que al itraconazol, ninguno de ellos era totalmente resistente. Investigación adicional puede abordar los mecanismos moleculares implicados en este tipo de respuesta.

Résumé: Les grands trésors chrétiens sont nés autour des reliques de saints et martyres. Les textiles et les broderies, représentatifs de chaque époque, font partie des objets qui se trouvent dans les trésors De cette manière, les reliques et leurs reliquaires sont une source pour l’étude de l’histoire des textiles et de la broderie. Cette recherche aborde la broderie médiévale (XIIe-XVe siècles) en étudiant les bourses à reliques brodées existantes aujourd’hui en France. Dix bourses sont analyses : son histoire, les techniques et matériaux utilisés pour les créer et son iconographie sont étudiés pour arriver à mieux comprendre ces objets et son utilisation en tant que reliquaires. La recherche porte aussi sur les bourses au Moyen Âge en France. Resumen:Al rededor de la reliquias se han creado los grandes tesoros de del cristianismo. Dentro de estos tesoros encontramos textiles representativos de cada época, siendo las reliquias y sus relicarios una excelente fuente para el estudio de la historia textil y del bordado. La presente investigación estudia el bordado medieval, del siglo XII al XV, usando las bolsas en tela bordadas, que se conservan hoy en día en Francia, que sirvieron como relicarios en tesoros de iglesias. Diez bolsas son analizadas : su historia, las técnicas y materiales utilizados para crearlas y su iconografía son estudiados para comprender su uso como relicario. La investigación aborda también el estudio del objeto bolsa en la Edad Media en Francia.

This study investigates the effect of commodity price volatility on sectoral production for three main metal exporters: Australia, Chile, and South Africa. Using quarterly data of the real value added per industry from 1994 to 2015, I perform a SVAR model to analyse the impulse response functions of each industry to a 1% metal commodity price shock. The results show that each country behaves idiosyncratically with the greatest sectoral responses for the construction sector in South Africa, the trade sector in Chile, and the manufacturing sector in Australia. However, some patterns arise across the sample. First, there is no evidence of de-industrialization in the short run given a commodity boom. Second, services and trade sectors seem to benefit from commodity price shocks. Third, the short run impact of the mining sector reflects production capacity constraints and cost structure in the industry. Finally, the overall assessment of the sectoral impact argues against the resource curse hypothesis in the short run as most industries seem to improve their production given an external shock in commodity prices. The increase in each sector after a price shock could came by three channels: the interdependence of other industries with the mining sector, the increase on internal demand due to the increase in private consumption, and the increase of public spending. The results of this study could potentially inform economic policies that allow developing countries that rely on mining activities to shield themselves from price shocks.

Resumen: Esta tesis analiza la incidencia y el potencial transformador del Movimiento Estudiantil Colombiano y de la Universidad Autónoma Indígena Intercultural en el campo de la educación superior en Colombia en el periodo 1998-2014. Apelando a los objetivos y metodologías propuestas por la sociología de las emergencias, propone una teoría relacional de la exclusión y la desigualdad que, mostrando los componentes estructurantes, participativos y posicionales sobre los que se constituyen las relaciones sociales, defiende la relevancia de los conceptos de goce y producción de lo común, igualdad de posiciones y epistemologías de lo injusto para comprender qué es la exclusión y la desigualdad y qué significa superar tales relaciones. La tesis estudia cómo el Movimiento Estudiantil Colombiano y la Universidad Autónoma Indígena Intercultural han intentado superar las situaciones de exclusión y desigualdad provocadas por las relaciones de clase social, pertenencia étnica, género, procedencia regional, dependencia internacional, discapacidad y epistemicidio en el campo de la educación superior. Reconociendo los tipos de transformación rupturista, contrahegemónica y simbiótica que surgen en el marco de las luchas sociales, define la incidencia y potencial transformador de las luchas estudiantiles e indígenas en su defensa de la educación superior como derecho y bien común fundamentado en el diálogo intercultural, que se contrapone al sistema de educación superior masificado, jerarquizado y heterónomo que se consolida en Colombia.

Abstract: This research investigates how energy provision has been implemented in refugee settings. It develops a framework of analysis using concepts of linking relief rehabilitation and development and energy access (basic energy services, social infrastructures, productive uses and market based approach) to identify challenges, benefits and possibilities to improve energy provision with a long-term approach. It applies the framework to review programmes applied in mid to long-term refugee camps and recovers opinions of energy experts and official from humanitarian and development agencies. It concludes that programmes that take into account the interception between energy for social infrastructure and productive uses present opportunities for market development, long-term outcomes and possibilities for resilience among refugees and host communities. Resumen: Esta investigación investiga como la provision de energía en campos de refugiados ha sido implementada. Desarolla un marco conceptual de análisis, utilizando el concepto de vincular, la asistencia humanitaria, la rehabilitación y el desarrollo junto con aproximaciones al acceso a la energía ( servicios de energía básicos, infraestructuras sociales, usos productivos y abordaje basado en el Mercado). Mediante este marco, la investigación identifica retos, beneficios y posibilidades para mejorar la provision de energía con un enfoque de largo plazo. Aplica el marco de análisis para revisar una serie de programas implementados en campamentos de refugiados con duración de mediano a largo plazo. Además, recopila opinions de expertos en energía y oficiales de agencias humanitarias y de desarrollo. Concluye que los programas que toman en cuenta en su implementación la intersección entre proyectos de energía para infraestructura social y usos productivos son los que presentan más y mejores oportunidades para el desarrollo de un mercado, impactos de largo plazo y posibilidades para construir resiliencia entre los refugiados y las comunidades receptoras.

The research topic was about the responses of Gammarus pulex to chemical signals released from the predator fish, Leuciscus idus. The aim of this study is to compare the responses of individuals of G.pulex when these individuals are alone and in group. This research was done because there was lack of information about single and group responses of G.pulex to chemical signals released from predators. Three experiments (a pre-experiment, main experiment and a side experiment) were performed to compare the single and group responses of G.pulex to chemical stimuli. The first two experiments consisted in three treatments named Normal, Control and Fish water. The normal and control treatments were made by Dutch Standard Water whereas the fish water contained chemical cues of the predatory fish, L.idus. The side experiment included ammonium as a fourth treatment. The reason of the ammonium treatment was to compare the responses of G.pulex to ammonium and fish water to see if the responses of G.pulex could be stress responses to the ammonium rather than the fish cue contained in the fish water. In general, individuals and groups of G.pulex showed the lowest values of activity under the fish water treatment. In singles and groups of G.pulex, there were significant differences between the control and fish water and between the normal and fish water treatments indicating that the singles and groups respond to the fish water, which was the predator chemical source. Also, there were significant differences between the ammonium and fish water treatments suggesting that G.pulex distinguished between these two chemical sources. Generally, G.pulex tended to reduce activity in the presence of fish water, however, not all the individuals of G.pulex reduced the activity in the same manner, which suggested that there were variations in individual responses to the predator chemical source.

Kinesiology tape is commonly applied to enhance muscle functioning. The targeted improvement could be influenced by the neuromuscular stimulation acquired within the muscle and modulated by the mechanoreceptor after its application. The importance of the muscular facilitation effect that K-TAPE may produce within the muscle lies on the direct impact of this property on athletes’ performance, health promotion, injury- prevention and rehabilitations programs. This study seeks to investigate if the application of K-TAPE, from origin to insertion of the RF, significantly increase the motor unit firing within the muscle, after performing a MVC. More precisely, this study examines whether this application leads to a better muscle functioning or conversely, no significant differences on the electrical stimulation within the rectus femuris muscle when using K-TAPE after MVC. Based on an EMG experimental study and using pre-test/post-test designs, twenty healthy subjects were randomly allocated into experiment and control groups. Using regression analysis to compare pre-test and post-test EMG outputs, findings of this study confirm a significant improvement on the neuromuscular facilitation of the rectus femuris of 7% on average. This result is statistically significant at 5% confidence level. Additional tests show that the difference can be as high as 25% after the application of the K-tape. Further analysis on the control group could not reject the theory proved on the experiment group. The contribution made in this study proves that Kinesiology tape can be used to enhance the muscular functioning.

Abstract: Being liked or preferred by peers is important for human beings and more so for children. During preschool years the development of the ability to relate to peer groups takes place. At this age, being highly disliked by peers in a group may be a sign of the particular functioning of specific neurocognitive processes. This study thus explored how cognitive inhibitory control (CIC) and behavioral inhibition/behavioral activation systems (BIS/BAS) are associated with peer preference in preschool children. Twenty-nine 4-year-olds were tested with a neuropsychological measure of CIC (i.e. peg tapping task), and a neuropsychological (i.e. SPSRQ-C) and a neurophysiological (i.e. EEG frontal asymmetry) measure of BIS/BAS activity. Peer preference was measured with sociometric interviews. CIC was not associated with peer preference. In contrast, BIS was positively related with peer preference, while BAS was negatively related with peer preference. Specifically, the ‘fight/flight/freezing system’ factor of the BIS and the ‘drive’ factor of the BAS showed the significant correlation with peer preference. Furthermore, the BIS to BAS ratios proved useful to explain peer preference. No correlation was found between EEG frontal asymmetry and peer preference. The importance of considering both BIS and BAS scores is discussed. A major role of BIS/BAS, compared to CIC, in level of peer preference was concluded. Resumen: Ser querido o preferido por los pares es importante para los seres humanos y aún más para los niños. Durante los años preescolares toma lugar el desarrollo de la habilidad para relacionarse con grupos de pares. A esta edad, ser rechazado por pares puede ser signo del funcionamiento particular de ciertos procesos neurocognitivos. Este estudio exploró cómo el control inhibitorio cognitivo (CIC) y los sistemas de inhibición/activación comportamental (BIS/BAS) están asociados con la preferencia de pares en niños preescolares. 22 niños de 4 años de edad fueron evaluados con una medida neuropsicológica de control inhibitorio cognitivo (i.e., tarea de peg tapping) y una medida neuropsicológica y neurofisiológica (i.e., asimetría frontal electroencefalográfica) de la actividad de los sistemas de inhibición/activación, BIS/BAS. La preferencia de pares se midió con entrevistas sociométricas. El control inhibitorio cognitivo CIC no se encontró asociado a la preferencia de pares. En cambio, la escala BIS de inhibición y la escala BAS de activación comportamental se encontraron asociadas, de manera respectiva, positivamente y negativamente, con la preferencia de pares. Específicamente, el “sistema de lucha/escape/bloqueo” del BIS y el “impulso” del BAS fueron los factores que estuvieron significativamente relacionados con la preferencia de pares. Además, la relación BIS/BAS resultó útil al explicar la preferencia de pares. No se encontraron correlaciones entre la asimetría frontal electroencefalográfica y la preferencia de pares. Aquí se discutirá la importancia de considerar ambos puntajes en las escalas del BIS y el BAS. En este estudio se concluyó un papel fundamental de los sistemas de inhibición comportamental BIS/BAS, en contraste con el del control inhibitorio cognitivo, para qué tanto se es preferido por los pares en la edad preescolar.