"We studied temporal variation in adult size and sexual size dimorphism (SSD) of seven hunting spider species, Ctenus amphora, C. crulsi, C. manauara, C. villasboasi (Ctenidae), Phoneutria fera, P. reidyi (Ctenidae), and Ancylometes rufus (Pisauridae) in a tropical rainforest, and one species from a relatively open vegetation habitat, C. minor, in central Amazonia. Size variation was great within and among field trips. Spiders were generally smaller in October (end of dry season) when compared with other months: adults of C. amphora, C. crulsi and C. manauara were significantly smaller in October 1995 when compared to February 1996; P. fera were smaller in October 1998 than in June 1998; and A. rufus were smaller in October 1998 than in August 1998. The temporal variation in size is possibly a result of low prey availability during the dry season. Six species had significant differences in prosoma length between males and females: C. amphora, C. crulsi, C. manauara and C. minor had larger males (which is considered rare in spiders), and P. reidyi and P. fera had larger females. However, considering an alternative index of size, the ‘‘rough area’’ (an approximate measure of the area of the spider as seen from above), the males were significantly larger for all species (up to 2.8 times in C. minor), because they have longer legs relative to their prosoma length. We suggest that selection for high mobility may be the reason for adult males with longer legs, and that the smaller species had higher degrees of sexual dimorphism in leg length because of the relative size of obstacles in the leaf litter. Resumen: Estudiamos la variación temporal en el tamaño adulto y el dimorfismo del tamaño sexual (SSD) de siete especies de arañas cazadoras, Ctenus amphora, C. crulsi, C. manauara, C. villasboasi (Ctenidae), Phoneutria fera, P. reidyi (Ctenidae) y Ancylometes rufus (Pisauridae) en una selva tropical, y una especie de un hábitat de vegetación relativamente abierto, C. minor, en la Amazonía central. La variación de tamaño fue excelente dentro y entre las excursiones. Las arañas fueron generalmente más pequeñas en octubre (final de la estación seca) en comparación con otros meses: los adultos de C. amphora, C. crulsi y C. manauara fueron significativamente más pequeños en octubre de 1995 en comparación con febrero de 1996; P. fera fueron más pequeños en octubre de 1998 que en junio de 1998; y A. rufus fueron más pequeños en octubre de 1998 que en agosto de 1998. La variación temporal en el tamaño es posiblemente el resultado de la baja disponibilidad de presas durante la estación seca. Seis especies tenían diferencias significativas en la longitud del prosoma entre machos y hembras: C. amphora, C. crulsi, C. manauara y C. minor tenían machos más grandes (lo que se considera raro en las arañas), y P. reidyi y P. fera tenían más hembras, Sin embargo, considerando un índice de tamaño alternativo, el ""área rugosa"" (una medida aproximada del área de la araña como se ve desde arriba), los machos fueron significativamente más grandes para todas las especies (hasta 2,8 veces en C. minor), porque tienen piernas más largas en relación con la longitud de su prosoma. Sugerimos que la selección para una alta movilidad puede ser la razón de los machos adultos con patas más largas, y que las especies más pequeñas tenían grados más altos de dimorfismo sexual en la longitud de las patas debido al tamaño relativo de los obstáculos en la hojarasca."

Results from the recent excavations at the Cuncaicha rock shelter (4480 m above sea level) suggest a successful colonization of the Andean highlands by groups of foragers during the Terminal Pleistocene and Early Holocene. The discovery of Early and Late Holocene human remains buried in the site brings new opportunities to assess mobility and occupation strategies during this period. In this study, isotopic analysis of strontium (87Sr/86Sr) and oxygen (δ18O) in faunal and human dental enamel helped to identify the most likely areas where humans obtained food and consumed water during their formative years. Collection of modern plant and water samples also helped to define a reliable background for the mobility analysis within the study area.87Sr/86Sr ratios andδ18O on dental enamel showed that Early Holocene humans lived within the Pucuncho Basin and obtained most of their resources from there. Isotopic analyses are an important step for modeling the mobility patterns of the Early Holocene occupants of Cuncaicha.

The importance of the knowledge universities constantly generate through research cannot be denied, and the appliance of this knowledge and its potential impact in industry has created challenges for the relation among academics and practitioners. One important topic for higher education is how to better generate relevant knowledge than can relate to industry and contribute to knowledge creation. That question has been examined by engaged scholarship where collaboration has been a tool to put both universes together. However, this model also faces some challenges which make pertinent the study of new ways to transfer knowledge from academia to industry. This research attempts to find the extent into which the appliance of creativity in knowledge translation could enhance knowledge transfer effectiveness. Advertising has shown effectiveness with the use of creativity; therefore, this research aims to link creative advertising and knowledge transfer to experiment with the role of creativity for a better academic communication. Resumen: No se puede negar la importancia del conocimiento que las universidades generan constantemente a través de la investigación y que el uso de este conocimiento y su impacto en la industria ha creado desafíos para la relación entre académicos y profesionales. Un tema importante para la educación superior es cómo generar conocimiento relevante que sea posible de relacionar con la industria y contribuir a la creación de conocimiento. Esa pregunta ha sido examinada en diferentes tipos de estudio en donde la colaboración ha sido una herramienta para unir ambos universos. Sin embargo, este modelo también enfrenta algunos desafíos que hacen pertinente el estudio de nuevas formas de transferir conocimiento de la academia a la industria. Esta investigación intenta encontrar en qué medida el uso de la creatividad en la traducción del conocimiento podría mejorar la eficacia en la transferencia de conocimiento. La publicidad ha demostrado efectividad con el uso de la creatividad; Por lo tanto, esta investigación tiene como objetivo vincular la publicidad creativa y la transferencia de conocimiento para experimentar el papel de la creatividad en la comunicación académica.

To meet the goals of the Paris Agreement, the Netherlands is integrating large amounts of offshore wind energy into the power system and has ambitious plans for the coming years. A grid topology with transmission capacity above 1 GW connecting offshore wind farms (OWFs) at distances close to 100 km in a standardized, modular, and cost-efficient manner is the focus of this paper. An electromagnetic transient (EMT) model was built in PSCAD in which OWFs are connected with 66-kV cables to a centralized offshore platform and a transmission link with a capacity of 1050 MW. The 66-kV cables will be coupled to three converter transformers connected to each other on the valve side and not on the 66-kV side. The link to the onshore transmission network uses VSC-HVDC technology with MMC topology. A dynamic performance analysis was done to obtain a complete overview and understanding of the overall behaviour of the network. Resumen: Para cumplir con los objetivos del Acuerdo de París, los Países Bajos están integrando grandes cantidades de energía eólica marina en el sistema eléctrico y tienen planes ambiciosos para los próximos años. En este artículo se presenta una nueva topología de red con una capacidad de transmisión superior a 1 GW que conecta parques eólicos marinos a distancias cercanas a 100 km de manera estandarizada, modular y rentable. Se construyó un modelo electromagnético transitorio (EMT) en PSCAD en el que los parques eólicos marinos están conectados con cables de 66 kV a una plataforma centralizada mar adentro y un enlace de transmisión con una capacidad de 1050 MW. Los cables de 66 kV se acoplarán a tres transformadores convertidores conectados entre sí en el lado de las válvulas, pero no en el lado de 66 kV. El enlace a la red de transmisión en tierra utiliza tecnología de corriente continua de alto voltaje (HVDC) con topología de convertidor multinivel modular (MMC). Se realizó un estudio para evaluar el desempeño dinámico de la topología propuesta y se detalla el modelamiento de cada elemento del sistema.

Sergio Cabrera is a prominent figure in the history of Colombian cinema: with seven long-feature films made throughout a career of more than thirty years, the director is one of the most renowned Colombian filmmakers in the country and abroad. His oeuvre has always aimed to address Colombian social reality through an original blending of his approach to cinema as an auteur and the deployment of accessible genres, narratives, and aesthetics. However, his relevance has not always been accompanied by a thorough scholarship that methodically analyses his films. This dissertation aims to fill this gap regarding academic studies about Cabrera’s films, especially considering his work as a corpus, not separately. In the following study, the author makes a textual analysis that aims to critically describe the aesthetic and ideological elements within three films from the 1990’s by Sergio Cabrera that constitute the director’s representation of Colombian society, focusing on three main social issues depicted in each film: social class (La estrategia del caracol), gender (Ilona llega con la lluvia), and armed conflict (Golpe de estadio). To do such analysis, this dissertation uses the concept Melorealism, an encompassing category coined by Paul A. Schroeder Rodríguez to outline the aesthetic, ideological, and economical factors that have shaped Latin American films from 1990s. The analysis will ultimately show that Cabrera’s oeuvre is constantly moving within a spectrum defined by utopia and reality. Resumen: Sergio Cabrera es una figura destacada en la historia del cine colombiano: con siete largometrajes realizados a lo largo de una carrera de más de treinta años, el director es uno de los cineastas colombianos más reconocidos en el país y en el extranjero. Su obra siempre ha tenido como objetivo abordar la realidad social colombiana a través de una combinación original de su enfoque del cine como autor y el despliegue de géneros, narrativas y estéticas accesibles. Sin embargo, su relevancia no siempre ha estado acompañada de un estudio exhaustivo que analice metódicamente sus películas. Esta tesis tiene como objetivo llenar este vacío con respecto a los estudios académicos sobre las películas de Cabrera, especialmente considerando su trabajo como un corpus, no por separado. En el siguiente estudio, se realiza un análisis textual que tiene como objetivo describir críticamente los elementos estéticos e ideológicos dentro de tres películas de la década de 1990 de Sergio Cabrera que constituyen una representación de la sociedad colombiana desde la perspectiva del director, centrándose en tres temas sociales principales representados en cada película: clase social (La estrategia del caracol), género (Ilona llega con la lluvia) y conflicto armado (Golpe de estadio). Para hacer dicho análisis, esta disertación utiliza el concepto Melorealismo, una categoría acuñada por Paul A. Schroeder Rodríguez para delinear los factores estéticos, ideológicos y económicos que han dado forma a las películas latinoamericanas de la década de 1990. El análisis finalmente mostrará que la obra de Cabrera se mueve constantemente dentro de un espectro definido por la utopía y la realidad.

In 2019, the European Commission published the “2030 Clean Energy for All Europeans” package, as part of the 2050 Energy roadmap. To comply with the European directives, Italy published the National Energy and Climate Plan setting a target of 55% for RES share in electricity generation by 2030. This high RES generation target raises concerns about the operational flexibility of the Italian power system. The flexibility of the Italian power system was measured using currently available flexibility frameworks and indexes (e.g.: AFPER, FAST2). Hence, the 2030 Base Scenario and 15 alternative scenarios were simulated using Promed Grid, a market tool developed by CESI and able to perform a coordinated hydro- thermal dispatching over a one-year horizon, considering the adoption of some flexibility sources such as storage systems and demand response. The results were then compared to characterize the performance of each flexibility source and its influence on the power system. BESS, PHS, and DR showed a level of complementarity while covering flexibility needs and controlling price spikes. Daily needs are covered mainly by BESS and weekly needs by PHS, mainly during the summer since both technologies were more used due to high solar power generation. Conversely, peak shedding DR was primarily activated in winter since prices are higher and storage systems lees used. In the case of V2G and DR, the role of aggregators is vital to have a representative capacity to be offered in the power markets. Finally, from a holistic perspective, the benefits of implanting all flexibility source are higher than the costs. Nevertheless, such benefits should be redistributed to incentivize the deployment of certain sources with low benefit-cost ratios. The results of this thesis can serve as a starting point to delve into the technical performance and economic implications of each flexibility source. In addition, it highlighted the advantages for Italy of boosting and supporting some schemes such as DR and V2G, as well as incentivizing the installation of storage systems.

AEC industry is currently facing a remarkable transformative stage given by the use of disruptive technologies alongside a gradually increasing interest form project participants to enhance collaborative dynamics in projects, throughout the implementation of technologies such as Building Information Modelling, migrating from a fragmented conduct workflow in the built environment projects, to a share and open- access iterative process. The rising popularity and the wide adoption of these technology had unleash a high level of digital information and sharing transactions, overcoming the capacity of current digital infrastructures, entailing some collateral effects for the AEC organisations, such as handling with vast amount of information during multiple projects, increasing the complexity of data and resulting in a mistrust on the reliability on the information. Blockchain is the unbounded innovation technology behind cryptocurrencies, the characteristics of this platform presents multiple similarities with the database in the BIM files and the network workflows of information set a feasible scenario for the application of this technology as a backbone of BIM, this study sought to unveil and explore possible technological fusion between these two ground-breaking technologies, to achieve these goals, this study sets a qualitative methodology conducted with two approaches, a systematic literature review regarding previous research about this technologies alongside personal interviews with professionals in the AEC industry related to this. The findings on these two approaches are later discussed and analysed unveiling the best path that future researchers might follow to continue with the development of these technologies, benefiting the AEC industry in the long term. Resumen: La industria de AEC se enfrenta actualmente a una notable etapa de transformación dada por el uso de tecnologías disruptivas junto con un interés gradualmente creciente de los participantes del proyecto para mejorar la dinámica de colaboración en los proyectos, a lo largo de la implementación de tecnologías como el Modelado de información de construcción, migrando desde un flujo de trabajo fragmentado en entornos constructivos, a un proceso iterativo de acceso abierto y compartido. La creciente popularidad y la amplia adopción de estas tecnologías han desencadenado un alto nivel de información digital y transacciones de intercambio, superando la capacidad de las infraestructuras digitales actuales, lo que conlleva algunos efectos colaterales para las organizaciones de AEC, como el manejo con gran cantidad de información durante múltiples proyectos, aumentando la complejidad de los datos y dando lugar a una desconfianza en la fiabilidad de la información. Blockchain es la tecnología de innovación ilimitada detrás de las criptomonedas, las características de esta plataforma presentan múltiples similitudes con la base de datos en los archivos BIM y los flujos de trabajo de la red de información establecen un escenario factible para la aplicación de esta tecnología como columna vertebral de BIM, este estudio buscó Revelar y explorar la posible fusión tecnológica entre estas dos tecnologías innovadoras, para lograr estos objetivos, este estudio establece una metodología cualitativa realizada con dos enfoques, una revisión sistemática de la literatura sobre investigaciones anteriores sobre estas tecnologías junto con entrevistas personales con profesionales en la industria de AEC relacionados a esto. Los resultados de estos dos enfoques se discuten y analizan más tarde, revelando el mejor camino que los futuros investigadores podrían seguir para continuar con el desarrollo de estas tecnologías, beneficiando a la industria de AEC a largo plazo.

This research contrasts two of the most common methods used to estimate sprinkler response, semi-empirical correlations and computational models based on fluid dynamics. The semi-empirical calculations are based on Alpert’s relations and the modelling task is carried out with the software tool Fire Dynamic Simulator, FDS. The case studies implemented in this work were defined considering the limitations of Alpert’s equations. Different enclosure configurations were considered, such as, unconfined spaces (open rooms - steady state and time-dependent fires), confined spaces (rooms with parallel walls creating corridors – steady state fires) and obstructed areas (rooms with beams in the ceiling – steady state fires). The results obtained show that both approaches predict accurately the sprinklers activation time for unconfined configurations, except for the heat release of 500 kW since Alpert's relationships are not applicable for small fires. In general, the tendency observed is that semi-empirically calculated values are more conservative, resulting in the prediction of longer activation times. Therefore, this would result in designs based on the worst-case scenario, showing that Alpert’s correlations can be applied with certain confidence. On the contrary, for confined and obstructed scenarios, the outcomes show that the semi-empirical correlations are not completely reliable for this type of enclosures. In confined configurations, regardless of the magnitude of the heat release rate, the more confined the corridor, the sooner the sprinkler activation occurs. Therefore, in these cases, although Alpert's relationships consider the worst risk scenario by predicting longer activation times, the design of fire protection systems will be based on inappropriate values. In obstructed scenarios, even the smallest obstruction modifies the ceiling jet flow due to the presence of the beams, varying also the smooth ceiling jet attributes characteristic of unconfined scenarios. Therefore in rooms with obstructions, the semi-empirical correlations are not applicable anymore for devices located in a bay other than the primary, since Alpert´s equations predict shorter activation times to those that could be expected in reality, which means that the worst risk scenario would not be considered. This study demonstrates the importance of using computational tools for sprinkler response estimations, being a useful and valid alternative to analyse complex fire scenarios and to improve fire protection systems designs.

This dissertation explores the relationship between corruption and social trust in Colombia through a mixed methods study that combines descriptive statistics and semi-structured interviews. Two hypotheses are established: first, that corruption is a cause of low social trust and second, that there are external factors that affect the relationship between corruption and social trust. The analysis confirms both hypotheses as results show that there is a strong correlation between the two factors, corruption is a cause of low social trust in the country, and three main external factors affect this relationship in the national context, which are culture, violence and drug trafficking, and Catholicism.

In representative democratic systems, governments are expected to act in the interest of citizens in a responsive manner. A core feature of democracy settings is accountability which is needed for citizens to judge the propriety and effectiveness representatives’ actions and decisions. Generally, elections are seen as the main accountability mechanisms but they have shown to be insufficient for citizens to control their representatives and effective democracy. Despite its importance, literature on the field shows significant variance in its conceptualization what has hindered the development of a fixed tool for the systematic and rigorous analysis of accountability. This research focuses on the relationship between citizens and their representatives to hold them accountable –social accountability– by means other than elections. Qualitative content analysis was employed by this research to critically compare and analyse eight prominent tools developed to assess the level or quality of accountability. Furthermore, I argue that the Between Elections Democracy framework and its core concepts (e.g. responsiveness, ongoing interactions) can help to advance but so far the approach has not included the study of accountability. Thus, this research contributes to fill a gap in the BED framework by identifying social accountability as relevant phenomena to study and including other actors besides governments as representatives. Another significant contribution is the proposal of an initial set of indicators for a systematic and comparative evaluation of social accountability. Resumen: En sistemas de democracia representativa, se espera que los gobiernos actúen respondiendo a los intereses de los ciudadanos. Una característica esencial de establecimientos democráticos es la accountability (rendición de cuentas), la cual es necesaria para que los ciudadanos juzguen la efectividad de las actuaciones y decisiones de sus representantes. Generalmente, las elecciones son vistas como el principal mecanismo para juzgar y ‘exigir’ cuentas, pero éstas han mostrado ser insuficientes para que los ciudadanos ejerzan control sobre sus representantes y procurar una democracia efectiva. A pesar de su importancia, la literatura en este campo muestra una significativa variedad en la conceptualización, lo que ha obstaculizado el desarrollo de una herramienta para el estudio riguroso y sistemático de accountability. Esta investigación se enfoca en la relación entre ciudadanos y sus representantes para ejercer control sobre estos últimos – rendición de cuentas social- por medios distintos a las elecciones. El análisis cualitativo de contenido fue utilizado para críticamente, comparar y analizar ocho herramientas destacadas, desarrolladas para evaluar niveles o calidad de accountability. Incluso, este trabajo argumenta que el marco teórico de Democracia Entre Elecciones (BED en inglés) que incluye conceptos como receptividad e interacción permanente puede ayudar a avanzar en la tarea, pero hasta ahora no ha sido aplicado al estudio de rendición de cuentas. De esta manera, esta investigación contribuye al marco BED al incluir la rendición de cuentas como un fenómeno relevante. Otra importante contribución es la propuesta de indicadores para el análisis sistemático y comparativo de la rendición de cuentas.