Abstract: Since early 2020, the challenging conditions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic had diverse effects on the various fields of the economy worldwide. More specifically, social distancing and confinement measures to avoid contagion disrupted the regular operation of education institutions at all levels. The 2020-2025 Development Plan of the Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts (Fachhochschule Dortmund, FH-Do) considers as an objective of high priority the diversification of their education strategy with a broader online course offer, which was accelerated by the current urging public health scenario, leading the administration to take measures directed to further elearning and Blended Learning (BL) development. This master thesis aims to propose a BL design and development framework that meets the long-term vision of the FH-Do by integrating into the university’s BL ecosystem de facto design methodologies, such as Instructional Design (ID) and User Experience (UX), all under the Agile/Lean project management (PM) methodology known as Scrumban. This is done while keeping a strict focus on learner-centered design and the pedagogical aspect by incorporating the theory of constructivism. Additionally, the proposed framework considers the long-standing e-learning industry standard known as SCORM (Sharable Content Object Reference Model) for the development of interactive BL modules, and relevant policies that regulate the operation of the FH-Do’s BL ecosystem. Besides the due literature review in connection with this research, two basic SCORM-conformant BL prototypes were developed, a series of structured interviews was conducted with students of the European Master in Project Management (EuroMPM) for its review, and unstructured interviews were held with BL Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) and with the supervisors of this master thesis. The data collection process, their corresponding analysis, and results are presented in this document in connection with the proposed framework. The applicability of the present framework at the FH-Do aims to benefit the digitization of lecture contents, regardless of the program and study level. The scalable nature of the SCORM-conformant BL modules developable under this framework hold great potential pursuant to a standardized online course offer.

Abstract: This research aims to create non-hurricane non-tornadic maps of extreme wind speeds for the mean recurrence intervals MRIs 700, 1700, and 3000 years, covering the Colombian territory. For infrastructure design, these maps are combined with existing hurricane wind speed studies, to be used as input loads due to wind. For each station with non-thunderstorm wind speeds time histories in the input data, following (Pintar, Simiu, Lombardo, & Levitan, 2015), extreme wind speeds corresponding to each MRI are calculated using a Peaks Over Threshold Poisson Process POT-PP extreme value model, then wind velocities with the same MRI are spatially interpolated to generate continuous maps for the whole study area. The annual exceedance probability for all velocity values in 700, 1700 and 3000 years MRIs output maps are respectively 1/700, 1/1700 and 1/3000. Regarding input data, not only time series of field measurements from IDEAM methodological stations are used, but also postprocessed information coming from the Integrated Surface Database ISD, and ERA5 forecast reanalysis data. This condition demanded a comparison of the different data sources, in order to verify the feasibility in the use of ISD and ERA5, this is downscaling support. The result of the comparison showed little similarity between the different sources, but taking into account that complete and adequate measured data from IDEAM was not available. Before to apply POT-PP, ISD and IDEAM data sources were standardized to meet the requirement of three seconds (3-s) wind gust speed, ten (10) meters anemometer height, and terrain open space condition. Due to the limitation in the classification of thunderstorm and non-thunderstorm data, it was not possible to take real advantage of POT-PP method, which was limited/restricted from non-homogeneous to homogeneous and from nonstationary to stationary, being equivalent to use the most common POT - generalized Pareto approach. Non-hurricane maps were created for data sources ISD and ERA5, using Kriging as spatial interpolation method. After the integration with previous hurricane studies, the results of ERA5 showed the most reliable final maps, despite limitations in the input data to guarantee downscaling support. ISD final map showed very high wind values, which are unlikely. These shortcomings may be corrected when complete IDEAM data-source and storm data classification are available. A complete R tool was implemented to solve the whole process, which is based in copyrighted code for declustering and thresholding generously given by Dr Adam L. Pintar adam.pin [email protected] - NIST, U.S Department of Commerce. Resumen: Esta investigación tiene como objetivo la creación de mapas de velocidades de viento extremo (no-huracán, no tornado) para los periodos de retorno 700, 1700 y 3000 años, cubriendo todo el territorio colombiano. Estos mapas se combinaron con estudios sobre velocidades de viento de huracanes para ser usados como cargas de viento para diseño de infraestructura. Para cada estación en los datos de entrada con historias de tiempo de velocidades de viento tipo ""no tormenta"", siguiendo (Pintar, Simiu, Lombardo, & Levitan, 2015), se calcularon velocidades extremas de viento correspondientes a cada periodo de retorno, usando un modelo de valores extremos de picos sobre el umbral - proceso de Poisson (POT-PP), para posteriormente interpolar velocidades de viento con el mismo periodo de retorno y generar mapas continuos para toda el área de estudio. La probabilidad de excedencia anual para todos los mapas resultantes con valores de velocidad de 700, 1700 y 3000 años, son 1/700, 1/1700 y 1/3000 respectivamente. En relación con los datos de entrada, no solamente se usaron las series de tiempo de los datos de campo del IDEAM, pero también datos de la base de datos ISD (Integrated Surface Database) y datos de reanálisis de ERA5, sin embargo, los resultados finales se basaron solamente en ERA5.

Abstract: The Colombian Navy currently has a deficit of logistical vessels to support other maritime and landbased units. Through the Naval Development Plan 2042, the Navy’s objective is to acquire, among other objectives, one multipurpose vessel or Landing Platform Dock and four logistic ships. This study aims to apply the MCDA methodology for selecting a logistic ship within the alternatives presented by the Chief of Naval Planning. In developing this study, a Multi-criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) model has been made for the Colombian Navy. The Simple Multi-Attribute Rating Technique (SMART) has been applied to select the most optimal logistic vessel according to the considerations and specifications provided by the Navy. Four alternatives of different designs and companies were assessed in this study: KERSHIP B2M, FASSMER MPV 70 MKII, DAMEN Logistic Support Vessel LSV 6513 and BCC 6012 (Cargo and cabotage vessel) from COTECMAR shipyard. Our main idea was to break down the overall problem into smaller parts, focusing on them separately. The SMART model was structured in a step-by-step procedure described in an easy-to-follow and user-friendly manner. Six fundamental objectives were identified and assessed by experts. The decision-maker then assessed the main attributes resulted from the expert’s evaluation. The decision-maker preferences were identified for the following criteria: cost, operational capabilities, and support capacity to determine the most preferred alternative. The results suggest that the B2M and BCC 6012 were the most preferred alternative, lying on the efficient frontier. Through sensitivity analysis, the decision-maker was supported to assess how efficient the vessel selection is and thus achieve an optimal choice within the alternatives. The results indicate that MCDA and SMART can support decision-makers in analysing, structuring, and interpreting priorities in a decision-making process. The main output of this thesis has been the implementation of a decision model to assist decision-making in selecting a logistics vessel for the Navy.

Abstract: Sexual reproduction depends on the transmission of exactly one copy of each chromosome by the maternal and paternal gametes. This is accomplished during meiosis when diploid progenitors undergo two consecutive rounds of chromosome segregation following a single round of DNA replication. In most organisms, this relies on the establishment of bivalent chromosomes consisting of replicated parental homologues physically linked at sites of meiotic recombination. In female mammals, bivalents are formed during fetal development when the lifetime stock of primordial-stage oocytes is established. However, they are not resolved until shortly before ovulation. Extending this period beyond ~35 years results in a dramatic increase in embryo aneuploidy. Depletion of the lifetime stock of oocytes during ageing culminates in menopause. Our previous studies indicate that Rec8-containing cohesin complexes also become depleted from oocyte chromosomes during female ageing. Consistent with cohesin’s role in maintaining chromosome structure, depletion of Rec8 is associated with destabilisation of bivalents chromosomes. Nevertheless, the mechanisms and timing of cohesin depletion remain unknown. Here, I investigated the possibility that age-related cohesion depletion is a consequence of leaky inhibition of the protease separase, which cleaves Rec8 during anaphase. I found that oocyte-specific deletion of separase did not prevent depletion of oocyte cohesin during female ageing. I, therefore, conclude that age-related depletion occurs by a separaseindependent mechanism. I next investigated the timing, during oogenesis, at which cohesin loss occurs. I found that cohesin is predominantly lost at the primordial stage before oocytes are recruited for growth. In addition, using an oocyte-specific deletion of Pten, I determined that this occurs independently of the decline in the ovarian stock of primordial-stage oocytes. Together, these results indicate that age-related cohesin depletion occurs at the primordial stage by a separase-independent mechanism. Other possible of mechanisms of cohesin depletion include protein damage and/or agerelated deterioration of chromatin structure. From a clinical perspective, my work suggests that “rejuvenation’ of fertility by activating the residual pool of primordial oocytes is unlikely to be successful in older women.

Abstract: Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are hazardous compounds mainly produced during combustion and pyrolysis processes which also act as precursors for soot formation. The reduction of these air pollutants contributes to mitigate their impact on human health and on the environment. Moreover, the combustion chemistry of PAHs is not yet fully understood due to the vast number of chemical compounds isomers. Consequently, the development of a detailed kinetic mechanism capable of predicting PAH formation is necessary to understand the chemical phenomena behind these pollutants. The work of this thesis aims to systematically study the kinetics of growth, pyrolysis, and oxidation of three different chemical families of two-ring PAHs through the application of rate rules that have been derived for all the different reaction classes by analogy from monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (MAH) characterized by the same functional group. The benefit of such an approach allows rate rules based optimization where needed, immediate rate rules revision when theoretical calculations become available. The new model is validated against several experimental data in a wide range of operative conditions in different ideal reactors and 1-D premixed flames. The comparison is performed between the new model predictions, the experimental data, and other kinetic models available in the literature. Firstly, indene decomposition is investigated under pyrolysis conditions in a flow reactor and its formation mechanisms in toluene primary reference fuels (TPFR) with further validations under flame conditions. Then, a detailed study on the reactivity of alphamethylnaphthalene based on new ignition delay times in shock tubes and rapid compression machines and laminar flame speed measurements is performed. The new model demonstrates the strong relation between indene and phenanthrene concentration and corroborates the analogy of characterizing chemical families by the same functional group. Finally, alpha-methylnaphthalene reactivity is predicted by using the application rate rules approach on H-abstraction reactions by OH, HO2, O, and O2 from toluene oxidation. The results shows that indeed kinetic modelling based of the rate rules application within chemical families represents a valid agreement between the simulations and experimental data. Overall, the model cannot satisfactorily predict all the operative conditions reviewed, but through the detailed analysis of the performance is possible to observe the contributions from the updated rates, which can be integrated and extended to further theoretical and experimental investigations. Moreover, further studies should be aimed at overcoming possible limits of the rate rules based optimization approach.

Resumen: La investigación nace del proceso actual de reconstrucción (postconflicto) de la sociedad colombiana, profundamente dividida por el conflicto armado y se detiene en una práctica de comunicación comunitaria popular y alternativa: el colectivo de comunicación comunitaria Alharaca por la paz, para comprender la participación de niños, niñas y adolescentes de 8 a 12 años de la región del piedemonte amazónico ubicada en el departamento de Caquetá - Colombia en acciones de cambio social. A través de la pregunta: ¿Cómo el colectivo de comunicación Alharaca por la paz promueve acciones de cambio social dentro de una comunidad afectada por el conflicto armado? Se describe cómo los y las niñas son agentes de cambio en sus comunidades a través de la producción de cortometrajes y estrategias de comunicación comunitaria, local y participativa. Abstract: The research stems from the current process of reconstruction (post-conflict) of Colombian society, deeply divided by the armed conflict, and focuses on a popular and alternative community communication practice: the community communication group Alharaca por la paz, to understand the participation of children and adolescents from 8 to 12 years of age from the Amazonian piedmont region located in the department of Caquetá - Colombia in actions of social change. Through the question: How does the communication group Alharaca por la paz promote actions of social change within a community affected by the armed conflict? It describes how boys and girls are agents of change in their communities through the production of short films and community, local and participatory communication strategies.

Abstract: This research aims to identify a transformative model to regenerate the first-cycle school buildings in the post-pandemic city. Starting from the school infrastructure in Turin and compared with international cases, the research focuses on outdoor spaces, intended as a resource to face the pandemic’s critical situation and facilitate the integration of innovative learning processes. The two-step analysis findings concentrate firstly on the whole stock of first-cycle school buildings in Turin and secondly on a selection of representative cases. Those are the basis to propose a spatial toolkit that identifies design principles and architectural devices that could be generalized to other design contexts. Based on this theoretical and statistical work, the intervention is conducted in three schools in Turin, an experiment that follows a morphological and typological study as the base for identifying the transformative potential of the outdoor spaces. As a result, it has been possible to create the first spatial toolkit that summarises and conceptualizes design tools that could be put in action on school open spaces. Those strategies must improve the quality of the available space for a possible regeneration and new relations between the city and the school buildings, giving children the opportunity to have innovative outdoor learning activities and practical classes. Resumen: Esta investigación tiene como objetivo identificar un modelo transformador para regenerar los edificios escolares de primer ciclo en la ciudad postpandemia. Partiendo de la infraestructura escolar de Turín y en comparación con casos internacionales, la investigación se centra en los espacios al aire libre, pensados como un recurso para enfrentar la situación crítica de la pandemia y facilitar la integración de procesos de aprendizaje innovadores. Los resultados del análisis en dos pasos se concentran, en primer lugar, en todo el stock de edificios escolares de primer ciclo en Turín y, en segundo lugar, en una selección de casos representativos. Esas son la base para proponer un conjunto de herramientas espaciales que identifica principios de diseño y dispositivos arquitectónicos que podrían generalizarse a otros contextos de diseño. Sobre la base de este trabajo teórico y estadístico, la intervención se lleva a cabo en tres escuelas de Turín, un experimento que sigue un estudio morfológico y tipológico como base para identificar el potencial transformador de los espacios al aire libre. Como resultado, ha sido posible crear el primer kit de herramientas espaciales que resume y conceptualiza las herramientas de diseño que podrían ponerse en práctica en los espacios abiertos de la escuela. Esas estrategias deben mejorar la calidad del espacio disponible para una posible regeneración y nuevas relaciones entre la ciudad y los edificios escolares, brindando a los niños la oportunidad de tener actividades innovadoras de aprendizaje al aire libre y clases prácticas.

Abstract: Background: Although Latin American migrants (LAMs) are one of the fastest-growing migrant populations in England, they still face health barriers that make them unaware of their HIV status, leading to late HIV diagnosis, AIDS, and even death. Thus, this study aims to assess the differences in HIV outcomes among newly HIV-diagnosed LAMs compared to other England populations. Methods: Data on new HIV/AIDS diagnoses in the UK during the 2011-2020 period were obtained from the HIV and AIDS New Diagnoses and Deaths Database (HANDD) and the HIV and AIDS Reporting System (HARS). Potential associations between the region of birth and late HIV diagnosis, AIDS at HIV diagnosis, and mortality were analysed by logistic regression. Furthermore, a comparison between LAMs and the main populations living in the UK was examined. Lastly, a descriptive trend analysis was made. Results: From 2011 to 2020, 47,828 new HIV diagnoses were reported in the UK, with almost a third (29.2%) being late diagnoses. Over half of new diagnoses (52%) were made in migrants, LAMs representing 9.3% of those diagnoses. In general, newly diagnosed HIV LAMs are not more likely to be diagnosed late than UK residents (aRRR: 1.02; 95%CI: 0.90–1.15). However, some subgroups are more likely to be diagnosed late than their UK counterparts (e.g., 15-24 years old). Regarding AIDS and mortality, LAMs are less likely to be diagnosed with AIDS (aOR: 0.50; 95%CI: 0.35–0.71) or die by any cause (aOR: 0.29; 95%CI: 0.16–0.52) than UK residents. Finally, the number of new HIV diagnoses among LAMs increased in those ten years, but the number of late diagnoses remained nearly constant. Conclusions: Although the current HIV epidemiological situation of LAMs living in the UK is not troublesome, the expansion of the LAM population and their increasing number of new HIV diagnoses could become a public health challenge in the coming years. Therefore, to accomplish the 2030 zero HIV transmission goal, it is necessary to integrate the migrant community into future public policies and categorise them as the ‘sixth’ HIV key population in the UK.

Abstract: The evolution of multidrug resistance in Klebsiella species in response to selective pressure and the extent to which this may be reversible is not fully understood. The spread of carbapenemresistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) is considered a public health threat by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As such, more studies are needed to understand the evolution of antibiotic resistance mechanisms to determine if it is possible to reverse this trend. Highlighted In this study, a comprehensive characterisation of a clinical Klebsiella quasipneumoniae isolate called FK688 is performed. The FK688 strain is resistant to multiple antibiotics, including third-generation cephalosporins and carbapenems and caused a bloodstream infection in a hospitalised patient. A combinational approach of genomic, enzymatic, and machine learning analyses did not uncover any carbapenemase-encoding genes in FK688. Rather, this research showed that epistatic changes are necessary for FK688 to acquire a CRE phenotype. Evolution experiments demonstrated the fitness burden associated with antimicrobial resistance determinants and the reversion to a carbapenem-susceptible phenotype in an antibiotic-free environment. Fitness assays showed that a low concentration of ceftazidime selects for a ?- lactamase gene and can potentiate evolution to carbapenem resistance by a single-step mutation in the porin OmpK36. This study demonstrated the importance of epistatic events and how variation in drug exposure can shape the evolutionary pathway to antibiotic resistance in bacteria.

Résumé: Ce èémoire de première année de master cherche à établir des réflexions et des dialogues entre, d'une part, une tradition graphique et historique et, d'autre part, une dynamique creative expérimentale et interdisciplinaire. A partir de l'étude et de l'analyse de définitions précises concernant l'univers des arts graphiques, un parcours est proposé à travers différents ateliers et manifestations artistiques permettant d'apprécier l'évolution des arts graphiques jusqu'à nos jours. Cela confirme que la pratique artistique des arts graphiques continue de susciter l'intérêt de nombreux artistes contemporains. Resumen: Esta tesis de primer año de maestria, busca establecer reflexiones y diálogos entre, por un lado, una tradición gráfica e histórica y, por otro, una dinámica creativa experimental e interdisciplinar. A partir del estudio y análisis de definiciones precisas concernientes al universo de las artes gráficas se plantea un recorrido por diferentes talleres y manifestaciones artísticas que permiten apreciar la evolución de las artes gráficas hasta la actualidad. Lo que permite confirmar que la práctica artistique alrededor de las artes gráficas continua a interesar a varios artistas contemporáneos.