Abstract: In the Colombian armed conflict, women represented between 40% and 50% of guerrilla ranks. Since 1999 until 2017 the DDR program in charge of the rehabilitation and reintegration for children lead by ICBF has attended around 1720 girls that disengaged from non-stated armed groups, from which 60% came from FARC. Keeping in mind that in 2016, the peace agreement between the government of Colombia and FARC was signed, the analysis of challenges in the reintegration processes of these girls, obtain relevance. Considering that the gender inequalities in the Colombian Society represent a structural violence that in many cases are the root causes that push girls to join the guerrilla groups, this research addresses to what extent the DDR Program for children lead by ICBF, managed to break the perpetuation of the sex/gender cultural system, based on the life trajectories of six former Colombian child combatants that were in the guerrilla groups and today have finished the ICBF program. The study will be grounded in ideas of post-conflict peacebuilding and DDR as a practice tool to peacebuilding. Also, insights of feminist theories such as the sex/gender system, intersectionality, gender stereotyping among others will be discussed to delimit the understanding of the structural violence based on gender to analyze the life-stories of the disengaged people.

Abstract: Housework and care have historically been associated with women, the feminine, and have been considered unproductive tasks despite its demanding and inexhaustible nature. It is not by chance that, within the framework of the modern-colonial gender system, these jobs are carried out by migrant and precarious women. This dissertation comprises an investigation about the life stories of migrant women of diverse origins, analyzing the intersection of our life experiences, tightening the thread of power relations that cross us, and exploring how closeness is woven from conversation and company. Through an approach to the embodied knowledge of domestic workers in Spain, it accounts for the creation of a shared intimacy, in a search to challenge the power dynamics that situate us and put the hierarchy between productive, reproductive, and even unproductive jobs in tension. At the same time, it seeks to give birth to an artistic practice that allows the female life experience to be captured under a horizontal logic, conversation, and mutual care. Resumen: Los trabajos de cuidado en el espacio doméstico han estado asociados históricamente con las mujeres, lo femenino, y se han considerado tareas improductivas a pesar de su naturaleza demandante e inagotable. No es casualidad que, en el marco del sistema moderno-colonial de género, estos trabajos sean llevados a cabo por mujeres migrantes y precarizadas. La presente tesina comprende una investigación acerca de historias de vida de mujeres migrantes de orígenes diversos analizando la intersección de nuestras experiencias de vida, tensando el hilo de las relaciones de poder que nos atraviesan y explorando cómo se teje confidencia a partir de la conversación y la compañía. Mediante una aproximación a los saberes encarnados de trabajadoras del hogar en España, da cuenta de la creación de una intimidad compartida, en una búsqueda por desafíar las dinámicas de poder que nos sitúan y poner en tensión la jerarquía entre trabajos productivos, reproductivos e incluso improductivos. A su vez, busca dar a luz una práctica artística que permita plasmar la experiencia de vida femenina bajo una lógica horizontal, de conversación y de cuidado mutuo.

Abstract: The master thesis, ""Exploring the Colombian Constitutional Jurisprudence through Bibliometric Analysis and Large Language Models: An Application in Legal Research,"" represents a groundbreaking fusion of statistics, data science, and legal research, poised to revolutionize the Colombian legal landscape. The study addresses a critical gap in the Colombian Constitutional Court's search capabilities in a digital era where legal information retrieval is evolving. The research uses cutting-edge statistical techniques and data science methodologies to introduce a novel similarity metric for legal documents, seamlessly integrating co-citation, bibliographic coupling, and advanced natural language processing (NLP) techniques. The exciting journey begins by recognizing the transformative potential of information and communication technology (ICT) in legal practice. The thesis challenges the status quo, proposing a semantic search engine that goes beyond keyword based queries. It's not just about finding documents; it's about understanding their context, a gamechanger for legal professionals, students, and the public navigating the rich tapestry of Colombian jurisprudence. The heartbeat of the thesis is the innovative application of large language models (LLMs) and the Word2Vec algorithm to the intricacies of Colombian law. The research isn't merely about technology; it's about fine-tuning these models to the nuances of legal language. The results? A powerful semantic search engine that doesn't just retrieve information but empowers users with a deeper understanding of legal concepts and principles. The thesis doesn't stop at technological advancements. It envisions a societal impact that resonates across economic, social, and legal dimensions. This isn't just about efficiency gains; it's about access to justice, legal literacy, and transparency. The proposed tools promise to be a catalyst for change, fostering a legal system that's inclusive, efficient, fair, and responsive to the needs of individuals. In the realm of data science competitions, this thesis stands out as a beacon of innovation with a clear path to real-world application. The fusion of statistics, data science, and legal expertise isn't just theoretical; it's a roadmap for tangible impact. As the research unfolds, it reveals the potential for winning a competition and the promise of transforming the way legal decisions are made, accessed, and understood in Colombia. This thesis isn't just a contender; it's a champion in the making, poised to leave an indelible mark on the future of legal research and data-driven decision-making in Colombia.

Resumen: En esta disertación se contextualiza el short squeeze de GameStop ocurrido entre diciembre de 2020, enero y febrero de 2021, donde usuarios del subreddit WallStreetBet logran disparar el precio de la empresa de videojuegos GameStop, mediante la compra de acciones a través de aplicaciones de bolsa minorista como Robinhood, que hacen accesible a cualquier persona participar en el mercado de valores, y acción que sólo era llevada a cabo por fondos de cobertura. Las pequeñas inversiones se convirtieron en un movimiento a gran escala y único en su género que llevó a la quiebra a reputados fondos de alto riesgo y sacudió el sistema de Wall Street. Además, este análisis pretende comprender cuál era la razón de ser del movimiento, las estrategias discursivas para convencer a millones de usuarios de que se unieran al movimiento, aunque tuvieran que asumir el riesgo de invertir su propio capital en lo que también se conoce como ""meme stock"", que al final es una aventura impredecible. El método utilizado para servir a este propósito fue hacer una lectura cercana y un análisis del discurso de los posts y comentarios más y menos populares en el subreddit WallStreetBet con respecto a GameStop entre diciembre de 2020, enero y febrero de 2021, para identificar los patrones y los términos vernáculos apropiados por la comunidad, esto también mediante la participación en discusiones más amplias sobre la participación digital, las acciones conectivas y la gamificación de la economía. Los hallazgos incluyen, por un lado, la importancia de la máscara en la cultura vernácula de Reddit, que da a los usuarios un sentido de posibilidad, libertad y unión como miembros de una comunidad más grande, y por otro lado, la importancia de la ""máscara"" o construir una ""persona"" o una nueva identidad en la cultura vernácula de Reddit, que le da al usuario la sensación de posibilidad mas allá de su cotidiano, libertad y unión como miembros de una comunidad mayor, por otro lado, también demuestra el poder del enjambre y las acciones conectivas.

Abstract: Las lesiones cerebrales agudas (LCA) se asocian con altas tasas de mortalidad y malos resultados funcionales a largo plazo. La medición de biomarcadores del líquido cefalorraquídeo ventricular (vLCR) en pacientes con LCA puede ayudar a dilucidar algunas de las vías fisiopatológicas implicadas en el pronóstico de estos pacientes. Primero realizamos una búsqueda sistemática y una revisión descriptiva (Crit Care. 5 de agosto de 2021; 25 (1): 278; DOI: 10.1186/s13054-021-03698-z) donde concluimos que en pacientes con LCA, las concentraciones alteradas de biomarcadores proteicos en el vLCR relacionados con el daño citoesquelético, la inflamación, la apoptosis y el estrés oxidativo pueden predecir peores resultados neurológicos. Debido a estos resultados, realizamos un estudio de observación prospectivo (Neurocrit Care. 2022 Oct;37(2):463-470.doi:10.1007/s12028-022-01507-1.) donde concluimos que la expresión desregulada de la proteína en el vLCR diferenciaba entre LCA y no LCA. Luego realizamos otro estudio (J Neurosurg Anesthesiol. 27 de abril de 2023. doi:10.1097/ANA.0000000000000916.) donde concluimos que la expresión de patrones moleculares asociados al peligro (DAMP) específicos del vLCR se asociaba con un aumento de episodios de hipertensión intracraneal severa y muerte. Por último, en otro estudio observacional (Crit Care. 2023 Jun 24;27(1):249. doi: 10.1186/s13054-023-04538-y.), concluimos que las concentraciones de proteínas del vLCR después de una LCA eran un factor de riesgo para el desarrollo de enfermedades neurodegenerativas crónicas después de una LCA no traumática. Los hallazgos más importantes de esta tesis fueron que la respuesta proteómica después de una LCA es homogénea entre la LCA traumática y no traumática, involucra múltiples proteínas (DAMP) y puede estar asociada con enfermedades neurodegenerativas a largo plazo también en la LCA no traumática.

Resumen: Esta investigación compara las memorias escritas en la Comisión de la Verdad de Colombia -un documento de 11 tomos resultante de la firma del Acuerdo de Paz con la guerrilla de las FARC- con otras memorias orales sobre las causas y consecuencias de la guerra urbana en Medellín entre 1977 y 2006. Los resultados del método comparativo de las memorias establecieron tres causales de la violencia en Medellín: la disputa por la tierra, el ethos social y el círculo de venganza. Además, se hallaron tres consecuencias: la creación de milicias urbanas y grupos de autodefensas, la reunión de múltiples guerras en un mismo periodo histórico (guerrillas, carteles de narcotráfico, autodefensas y grupos delincuenciales), y el desarrollo de mecanismos de resistencia civil e institucional. Este es, pues, un análisis revisionista a la diversa literatura científica sobre el conflicto en Medellín, al trabajo de la Comisión de la Verdad y a las memorias orales de organizaciones sociales, para concatenar ideas similares frente a las causas y consecuencias de la violencia. La investigación aporta, desde una perspectiva sociohistórica, a la comprensión del conflicto que marcó a Medellín como la ciudad más violenta del mundo en 1991 con más de 6 mil asesinatos. Abstract: This investigation looks to compare the written memories in the Commission of Colombian Truth with other oral memories about the causes and consequences of the war in Medellin between 1977 and 2006. Although the Colombian armed conflict was centralized in rural areas and resulted in 12,000 victims, cities like Medellin were also locations of confrontation. The results establish three causes of the violence in Medellin: the dispute over the land, the social ethos and the circle of vengeance. Furthermore, three consequences were found: the creation of urban militias, and self-defense groups, the reunion of multiple wars in a single historical period (guerillas, drug trafficking cartels, self-defense and delinquent groups), and the development of mechanisms of civil and institutional resistance. This article hopes to, from a socio-historical perspective, further understand the conflict that framed Medellin as the most violent city in the world in 1991.

Abstract: Emotional Nature is a hands-on learning experience and toolkit that connects different tangible and intangible tools for educators to visualise, grasp and engage in a dialogue with emotions in relation to materials. The Emotional Nature toolkit is also a temporary safe space for educators and children to motivate their understanding of emotions, as well as meaningful connections with nature. The learning is enhanced through a creative and fun process combining tools like value cards, storytelling, meditation, natural inks, and mainly wood-based biomaterials. Having regular contact and meaningful connections with nature have several benefits for humans from playful learning to wellbeing, from bonding relations with other beings to inner self. This research is focused on the specific relationships between emotions and materials, and it is supported by a bigger academic context - The CHEMARTS strategy. The research process is designed in response to the main findings from the initial exploratory phase of Emotional Nature. First, biomaterials as a key tool to feel nature, as well as express and materialise emotions; second, the difficulties in dealing with emotions in the classroom; and third, the reduced availability of safe and comfortable spaces to share and transform emotions in Finnish educational context. This study is an explorative approach based on self-experimentation and participatory design research practices done mainly with teachers and field experts. The research design seeks to inspire educators to explore and grasp relationships between emotions and nature through the experimentation with biomaterials and diverse tools in Finnish School Context. The main audience for Emotional Nature Learning Experience are educators of children between 10 and 13 years old. However, based on the co-creation sessions with different populations, such as parents and postgraduate students, the hands-on learning experience also proved to beeffective for other age groups and settings.

Abstract: The development of sustainability is nowadays visible in every industry. For the fashion industry, it is the foundation of the slow fashion movement, which strives for a balance between production, consumption, and impact on an economic, environmental, and social level, better understood as the triple bottom line (Fletcher,2010). This balance is reached through sustainable practices involving the community, the conscious use of natural resources, or the transition to materials less destructive to the future of fashion and the ecosystem, among others. This report will address the possibility of using fibre derived from the Cannabis plant, hemp, in the Colombian fashion market and how this would help reinforce the slow fashion movement and the market's sustainability. Following the interpretive paradigm, this research project followed a qualitative approach aimed at understanding the reality of the environment in the fashion sector in depth through semi-structured interviews with members of the local fashion industry who are knowledgeable about hemp, its characteristics and potential (Cresswell, 2018). By understanding the context of the Colombian fashion industry and sizing the current role of local sustainable brands, the potential and innovation of these emerging brands were pinpointed. However, there is a gap in education, government assistance and innovative supply that would allow for the immediate production, commercialisation, and use of hemp in Colombia. Nevertheless, due to the conditions, tools and knowledge that brands already possess today, a phased implementation can happen in the long term. This report will outline key strategies for hemp implementation considering the timeframe and the stakeholders involved, as well as bearing in mind the barriers and opportunities identified throughout the research. These recommendations were based on four key aspects: the immediate actions a local brand could take, the need for education, creating assertive marketing and establishing the government's role. Hence, this project will provide an overview of the actual status and requirements for the Colombian fashion industry to achieve a more sustainable and conscious market.

Abstract: The exchange of water and sediments between the Magdalena River and the Zapayán wetland is regulated by the complex interactions that exist between these important water bodies. The effect of these interactions in the Zapayán Water System (ZWS) are mainly the flood propagation, the water circulation pattern and the concentration of nutrients. The ZWS plays an important role in the regulation of floods for the villages and towns located downstream of it. The Zapayán wetland and it connection channel are located on the right bank of the Magdalena River 150 km upstream of its mouth in Bocas de Ceniza. In this study hydrodynamic interactions between the Magdalena River and the Zapayán wetland are investigated gathering the proper knowledge about the responses of this wetland to the flood events in the river by a series of regression equations generated from the output of a physically based model of the ZWS. The model calibration and validation processes were carried out by comparing the observed flood extent derived from a satellite image and the flood extent generated by the model. Four hydraulic indicators of the ZWS were analyzed using the physically based model results: water level, flood extent, overtopping flow area and the river-wetland discharge, and using the water level in the Magdalena River as independent or input variable, 18 regression equations were derived to describe and quantify the river-wetland interactions. Results show that the interaction of the Magdalena River and the Zapayán wetland depends on the head differences between these water bodies and the velocity of the water ascension in the river. The proposed equations are very promising, as they can be applied in combination with data of the Forecasting and Early Warning System of Colombia, generating information that will help the local authorities, stakeholders and decision makers, to reduce flood risk in the ZWS region. Resumen: El intercambio de agua y sedimentos entre el río Magdalena y la Ciénaga de Zapayán está regulado por las complejas interacciones que existen entre estos cuerpos de agua. El efecto de estas interacciones en el Sistema Hídrico de Zapayán (SHZ) son principalmente la propagación de inundaciones, el patrón de circulación del agua y la concentración de nutrientes. El SHZ desempeña un papel importante en la regulación de las inundaciones en los pueblos y ciudades situados aguas debajo de este. La Ciénaga de Zapayán y su caño se ubican en la margen derecha del río Magdalena 150 km aguas arriba de su desembocadura en Bocas de Ceniza. En este estudio se investigan las interacciones hidrodinámicas entre el río Magdalena y la Ciénaga de Zapayán reuniendo el conocimiento adecuado sobre las respuestas de esta a las inundaciones en el río mediante una serie de ecuaciones de regresión generadas a partir de la salida de un modelo hidrodinámico del SHZ. Los procesos de calibración y validación del modelo se llevaron a cabo comparando la extensión de la inundación observada derivada de una imagen satelital y la extensión de la inundación modelada. Se analizaron cuatro indicadores hidráulicos del SHZ utilizando los resultados del modelo hidrodinámico: nivel del agua, extensión de la inundación, área de flujo desbordante y descarga río-humedal, y utilizando el nivel del agua en el río Magdalena como variable independiente o de entrada, se generaron 18 ecuaciones de regresión derivadas para describir y cuantificar las interacciones río-ciénaga. Los resultados muestran que la interacción del río Magdalena y la Ciénaga de Zapayán depende de las diferencias de cabeza hidráulica entre estos cuerpos de agua y la velocidad de ascensión del agua en el río. Las ecuaciones propuestas son muy prometedoras, ya que pueden aplicarse en combinación con datos del Sistema de Pronóstico y Alerta Temprana de Colombia, generando información que ayudará a las autoridades locales, actores y administradores, a dar mejor manejo al SHZ.

Abstract: The transition from armed conflict to post-conflict periods in tropical countries can have significant impacts on natural ecosystems and their services. Colombia, a country currently transitioning into a post-conflict period, faces significant challenges arising from the peace agreement. These challenges are related to rural land development, socio-economic recovery, stabilization of the agricultural frontier, and the conservation of its tropical forests. Therefore, understanding the role of ecosystem services becomes important for sustainable land development strategies that prioritize the well-being of local communities and the conservation of tropical forests and the services they supply. The objective of this thesis was to explore the supply of ecosystem services in a post-conflict tropical forest region and assess the implications of different rural landscape alternatives on ecosystem services supply and local communities’ livelihoods, using El Capricho Environmental Unit for Peace and Social Services (El Capricho UAPSS) from San José del Guaviare, Colombia, as a case study. To achieve the research objective, the study employed as research methods the analysis of land cover maps and ecosystem services analysis, including the bundle analysis. The data collection methods included an expert assessment through the application of an online survey and literature review. Pastures were identified as the major land cover type in the baseline landscape, followed by secondary vegetation and dense forest. Three rural landscape alternatives were determined for future landscape development: agroforestry, forest conservation, and intensification of extensive livestock farming and timber extraction, also referred to as livestock & timber intensification. The study identified 22 main ecosystem services in the study area, categorized into nine provisioning, nine regulating and maintenance, and four cultural services. The findings revealed the high importance of water supply, livestock, water cycle regulation, and crops, among other services, for local communities. The assessment of ecosystem services showed that more natural land covers, such as dense forest and fragmented forest, exhibited higher capacities to supply ecosystem services compared to highly human-modified land covers. A possible trade-off between livestock service and other ecosystem services was also observed. Furthermore, the study assessed the ecosystem services supply within the baseline landscape and the three alternatives. For the baseline landscape, it was found that the more homogenous landscape pattern benefits some ES at the expense of others, highlighting the high potential supply of livestock and carbon sequestration. The agroforestry and forest conservation alternatives, characterized by landscape heterogeneity, showed a more balanced bundle of ecosystem services with a high potential supply. In contrast, the livestock & timber intensification alternative, characterized by landscape homogeneity, showed a decline in the potential supply of most ecosystem services. The implications of these findings for local communities suggest the importance of maintaining a diverse range of ecosystem services. Recommendations for sustainable rural landscape development include the promotion of agroforestry practices, forest conservation efforts, and careful management of livestock. Additionally, other economic activities can emerge by making use of ecosystem services with high potential supply, such as nature-based tourism, nature photography, and payment for ecosystem services schemes. This can support local communities’ livelihoods and provide new income opportunities and income diversification. These recommendations, combined with community involvement and monitoring systems, can help rural areas in post-conflict tropical forests achieve a high level of rural development and preserve ecosystem services.