In the work we developed a new methodology based on the ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) and the level set method for the continuous model updating of geological facies with respect to production and static (well logs) data. We modelled geological facies using a level set representation and further conditioned them to production and static data using the ensemble Kalman filter. The history matching was done in a continuous fashion since the filter does not depend on previous states and updates parameters and states of the physical system as it receives data from the fields. The methodology is completely new and may provide an alternative to the pluri-Gaussian method with competitive complexity times. Further, the methodology allows to involve prior knowledge of the reservoir as a template base case in a Bayesian-like update. The methodology was tested and compare to others and implemented on a real 3D north-sea and synthetic reservoirs.

Globalization has led legal systems to influence each other throughout history and legal transplants have not been immune to that process either. Nowadays we do not just see examples of legal transplants but come across cases of 'cross-fertilization' of case law. An emergence of unstudied trends that have spread around the world in a voluntary and involuntary way across legal cultures can also be witnessed. However it seems that legal transplants have been largely misunderstood and have been condemned as mere copy-paste exercises due to their history. This paper studies the different theories of legal transplants in comparative law and also analyses some particular cases that have eventually ‘worked’ efficiently both in the country of origin and in the country where those laws were adopted. We can no longer say that legal transplants are impossible; they are a reality we cannot run away from. Amongst the many challenges faced by this phenomenon, the primary one is to overcome all the obstacles imposed by a ‘legal globalization’ that is threatening developing countries by focusing more on the liberalization of markets, rather than on policies supporting social welfare. Despite this fact, there is still hope for a new concept of ‘legal globalization’, one that includes executing a serious study of the trends that not only developing countries are in need of, but also is a need of the developed countries, which is the adoption of policies towards social welfare, one of the biggest challenges that face modern legal comparatists today.

A review of the main issues that affect the livelihoods of non timber forest products (NTFP) focusing on the commercialisation issues of gatherers/producers and traders, was made for Colombia. It aimed to investigate broadly which are some of the cultural, economic, social, environmental, marketing and legislative issues that affect the outcomes for NTFP livelihoods. The sustainable rural livelihood framework was used to understand the main issues affecting NTFP livelihoods and to propose alternatives to improve the constraints found in NTFP development and commercialisation. The study identify the great importance of NTFP local and regional markets for rural development, and some data was given for international markets in order to understand the magnitude of the commerce and the possibilities that might arise for some promissory products. The review of some institutional and organisation incentives influencing NTFP production and commercialisation was undertaken by reviewing the forestry policies and some of its instruments. The study used secondary data of reports made mainly in Latin-America. The report concludes that the policies and norms that influence NTFP, such as the forestry policy and plans do not consider the importance of NTFP for social and environmental objectives. For NTFP research, the analysis of the commercialisation process is strongly co-related to social networks, ecology, cultural taboos, norms for management of NTFP and effectiveness of support organisations. NTFP livelihoods can be seriously affected by government organisations and NGO’s if they are treated as traditional commodities because of the fragility and uniqueness of their ecology, economy and social structures. The report gives some recommendations to government agencies and researchers that wish to mend the constraints found for NTFP successful development.

In the Colombian context, which ideally will now start a post-conflict period, it is necessary for the government to pursue strategies to prevent the causes of the conflict. This study considers the hypothesis that one possible cause for future conflict is the problems that emanate from coexistence of social housing neighbours. In Colombia, social housing programmes focus on providing shelter, in the sense that it is understood as something only physical. The problem is that this notion ignores the need of people to generate community integration. This study takes a conceptual approach to the issue by addressing the debates around citizenship as an identity and active citizenship. It also analyses concepts such as social capital, state-society-synergy and finally community and social housing. The study focuses on the case of Colombia, analysing the context and the challenges of social housing. It evaluates the housing policy and community integration programs of different institutions of the national government. Finally, it concludes with the suggestion that the government should have a participatory approach to building social housing that will help with arraigo (attachment) and to form the social fabric to achieve community integration, accomplishing better conviviality and housing conditions.

The study analyzes the causal link between the FTA and certain economic effects, which include changes in trade and investment flows, levels of output and employment, and commodities prices. The findings of this study indicate that while the said changes may prove largely beneficial to efficient producers in certain exporting sectors, some import-competing sectors are affected adversely. The consequent emergence of winners and losers in the economic context may trigger social impacts which are beneficial for certain groups on one hand, and crippling for others. The said social impacts are associated with the living standards of the population, food security, and community life. Additionally, the economic shifts may also lead to changes in the use of natural resources that emerge as both threats and opportunities for the environment.

How can public employees be motivated to pursue important public purposes with intelligence and energy? When employees are motivated to work, a greater State capacity and a better public provision can be achieved. Motivation concerns how behavior starts, energizes, sustains and directs people to attain goals with drive and persistence and the kind of subjective reaction present in the organism while all this is going on. Current literature in public administration, human resource management and psychology argue that motivation fosters employee work performance and, even more, that it affects the degree to which an employee can contribute to an organization’s success. This paper explains the importance of employee motivation, specifically in the public sector, and explores how this concept affects different factors of human resource management such as goal setting, training and development, organizational climate and culture, team-building, appreciation, feedback, rewards and fairness. This analysis is then contrasted with the reality of a specific organization belonging to a specific context: the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. For this, the Colombian public sector background – and the Ministry’s in particular – in regards to public employee motivation is illustrated. Through a qualitative research approach, the Human Resources Direction, 4 other top-level management and 34 employees are asked to indicate the main motivators of the staff and the factors that most affect their motivation to work. The results show that, due to the particularities of the Colombian context, there are certain factors that deeply affect the staff´s motivation. Such factors, nonetheless, validate what has been concluded by motivation, psychology and HRM literature and research. Employees in the Ministry, just as any other human being, seek to carry out interesting and purposeful tasks; want to grow and achieve goals; and long for an environment whose climate and culture provides appreciation, feedback and fairness. In this regard, 8 recommendations are provided to help the MFA improve its employees’ motivation and thus productivity, performance and – equally important – happinness (for high motivation is a sign of happier people). Although the recommendations are specific for the MFA, considering that the findings confirm motivation literature and are in accordance with the problems portrayed of the Colombian public sector context, it is also plausible to take them into account for other public sector agencies in Colombia and abroad.

Unnamed Aerial Vehicles (UAV) are known for their application in surveillance and tracking with on-board cameras. Videos from UAV usually suffer from jitter and high frequency unintended movements which makes necessary stabilize the footage. This is a Computer Vision problem, particularly difficult due to level of noise in acquisition and different types of scenarios which make hard to implement online stabilizer (on the fly). The present thesis explains in depth algorithms, methods and implementations of the OpenCV module videostab. We presented a version in C++ of videostab in context of video from UAV. Two main blocks constitute the current implementation: motion estimation and motion stabilization. In the former, the system robustly estimates global displacement in between every consecutive pair of frames. The latter can be used in two possible ways: Assuming that estimated motion contains intended UAV motion and high frequency vibrations or assuming that all estimated motion is undesirable. The first case is solved with a Gaussian filter to smooth motions and, in the second case, a filter called Zero Motion was implemented to give sensation of stillness. Results show that the implementation is robust and can work in different scenarios of UAV. Moreover, it is possible to run it in a general purpose computer with high speed performance. Online performance can be achieved using some function with graphic processing unit (GPU).

Development literature suggests that legal systems provide the framework for examining the main drivers of development. As one of the main legal tools through which lay citizens and companies can enforce contracts, the present analysis focuses on assessing the impact that the level of access to the legal system has on foreign investors’ decisions. Using a two stage least square (2 SLS) regression and data from the Rule of Law Index collected in 2009, this paper finds that the access to civil justice does not have a significant effect on Foreign Direct Investment. Further, the regression analysis indicates that the amount of taxes paid by the businesses as a percentage of commercial profits, the number of days to start a business and the Gross Domestic Product Per Capita are more important to attract foreign capital than the finding itself.

The benefit-effort analysis methodology was designed as a decision making tool in the provision of water and sanitation in rural communities in developing countries. This is an innovative approach that evaluates environmental projects during the complete project life cycle. The methodology provides a framework that incorporates social, political, economic, technical and ecological aspects which are essential to identify good solutions for the provision of water and sanitation in rural and isolated communities. It is based on the knowledge of experts that are recognized by their know-how in the specific topic and in the validation with local communities that can easily participate by providing personal opinions and suggestions. The methodology makes evident both, benefits and efforts during the complete project life cycle, in order to minimize or maximize them and to improve the decision making process guiding the identification of the best sustainable result.

This paper analyses how contemporary Colombian social studies and South African history textbooks represent notions of race and racism to combat the historical legacies of these countries. It uses Critical Discourse Analysis to argue that, while there has been significant progress made in overcoming racism in the new textbooks in the two countries, there are still many challenges. In particular the paper notes that notwithstanding the more equal and balanced representation of traditionally excluded subjects, new forms of exclusion still permeate new social studies and history textbooks in Colombia and South Africa. In reviewing the textbooks produced in the two countries, the paper provides markers for researchers and policy makers seeking to transform deep-seated inequities in society.