El sistema de aumentación en tierra GBAS permite mejorar el rendimiento de cualquier sistema de navegación por satélite, o GNSS, permitiendo proveer operaciones de precisión en aproximación y aterrizaje hasta la categoría CAT I para aeronaves civiles. El equipo a bordo de la aeronave confía en la validez y exactitud de la información suministrada por la estación GBAS para así calcular sus propios Niveles de Protección (PL). Por tanto, la estación GBAS es completamente responsable de evaluar los y asegurar los niveles de integridad de la señal que recibe, en cumplimiento con los requerimientos establecidos. De lo contrario, una notificación o mensaje ha de ser enviado por la estación GBAS a las aeronaves informando de esta situación. El error de posicionamiento de satélite debido a efemérides es una falla en la cual la ver- dadera posición del satélite no se corresponde con aquella calculada por las aeronaves. Pese al hecho de que la probabilidad de tales eventos es baja, y que normalmente cuando se sucede su magnitud no es lo suficientemente considerable para tener un impacto significativo en el posicionamiento, podría ocurrir que una combinación de factores diera lugar a una amenaza real a la integridad, y a potenciales errores en el posicionamiento. Este reporte se centra en el tipo de error de orbitas B, en el cual la discordancia entre la posición emitida por satélite y la verdadera es una consecuencia directa de un error en la información contenida en las efemérides. Trabajos previos han demostrado satisfactorios resultados detectando estas fallas comparando el mensaje de efemérides recibido con respecto a un mensaje previo que ya haya sido validado, implementando una aproximación de orden cero (ZOH), de primer orden (FOH) y de segundo orden (SOH). El objetivo principal es la implementación de estas aproximaciones, comparar los resultados y elegir un candidato para el monitor de error en orbitas de satélite de tipo B, cumpliendo los requerimientos para aproximaciones y aterrizajes de precisión categoría CAT-I. El siguiente trabajo de grado presentado para optar por el título de Master en Sistemas de Navegación por Satélite en la Escuela Nacional de la Aviación Civil Francesa, ENAC, también presentado como resultado final del trabajo de practicas la Universidad Politécnica de Catalunya, UPC, bajo el marco del Master de Ciencias y Tecnologías Aeroespaciales, detalla el desarrollo e implementación practica de un monitor de orbita de satélite para ser utilizado en aproximaciones de precisión CATI.

In this master thesis, a methodology for the estimation of electrical energy demand of buildings using a 3D city model is presented. The idea of include that kind of data lies in the fact that nowadays those models are rich of geometric and semantical data, which could be useful in energy demand forecasting. The first part of the document introduces the basic concepts of the Geographic Information Systems, the CityGML standard and the Web Map Services. As well as the introduction of basic concepts of energy and the presentation of several methods for the estimation of electrical energy demand. After the presentation of the different methodologies, the selection of the End-Use method is done, which is the one that better suits the scope of this master thesis. After the selection of the method to use, a better presentation of its characteristics is done. Later the comprehensive tools for processing CityGML files are presented, giving a description of their characteristics and why are they considered. After this chapter the problem statement of the master thesis is done. In the following chapter the methodology for the estimation of electrical energy demand is done, first from a theoretical perspective being detailed in every single step of the process at the end the chapter is concluded by the presentation of the work-flow diagram that better states the ideas presented. After this chapter the results of an area of study used in the implementation part of the master thesis are shown, in this section the methodology is evaluated and some adjustments to the initial idea are done. The final chapter of this document is dedicated to the conclusions and the presentation of further researches that could take place after.

Despite ample evidence about the short-term impacts of conditional cash transfer (CCT) programs on education and health outcomes, little is known about their long-term effects. This paper evaluates the longer-run impacts (after nearly 10 years) of Mexico’s renowned CCT program Oportunidades, on the rural youth. In particular, it examines the effects of differential exposure to the program (of 1.5 additional years) on education and employment outcomes as well as adult life-style decisions (marriage and migration). The results do not show strong evidence of significant long-term impacts on education (except for the elder youth). There is some of evidence that early exposure to Oportunidades is associated with a higher probability of engaging in certain types of jobs. However, there is no indication of a shift away from agricultural activities. Finally, there is some evidence suggesting that longer exposure to the program may cause women to delay marriage. This effect could enhance women’s possibilities of participating in the labor market (through a reduction or postponement of the domestic workload.) However, finding no significant impact on earnings or probability of employment may imply that in these poor rural communities additional human capital accumulation may not suffice to improve the productive lives of these young adults in the long-run.

During twenty years of sustained conflict, boys and girls in Uganda suffered a commensurable number of atrocities as abductees in the Lord’s Resistant Army (LRA). In general men have been seen as warriors and fighters whereas women have been seen mainly as “wives” in charge of practical support and catering of the rebels. This is a simplistic perception that has affected the design and delivery of reintegration programmes in Northern Uganda since it does not consider other types of involvement and roles that particularly female combatants performed inside of the LRA. This dissertation draws upon testimony from female ex-combatants and interviews with different organisations working on reintegration of former combatants and local authorities. Primary information, secondary data and theoretical concepts are linked to demonstrate that the approach used in the reintegration of female ex-combatants in Northern Uganda has not included an extensive comprehension of the change in gender roles and relations during the war. As a result, these programmes have largely failed countering stigmatisation and harnessing the social and technical skills learnt by women during abduction, their agency capacity and their economic potential at the community level. This thesis offers some alternatives and recommendations to include a broader analysis of gender roles and ‘capabilities’ in order to contribute to outline hybrid forms of peace and opportunities to reintegrate female ex-combatants into society after six years of relative peace from 2006 to 2012 in the region.

Worldwide electricity power systems are evolving from conventional/dispatchable sources to environmental friendly but Not-dispatchable renewable energy (RE) sources. This has effects on the dynamic of the system and on conventional and RE generators, electricity quality and energy cost. This research identifies the main effects of higher portions of Non-dispatchable RE based on a reference case. An MATLAB/EXCEL “ad-hoc” model has been developed. It simulates the Unit Commitment (UC) and Economic Dispatch (ED) with 10 conventional generators and one zero fuel cost RE generator (Non-dispatchable RE as “study-case” and Dispatchable RE “reference-case”). Results indicated that higher portions of Non-dispatchable RE had a swapping effect where base load units were displaced. Consequently, the system ran at lower cost-efficient point, the number of Start-ups and RE curtailment increased compared to the reference case. Furthermore, conventional generators running cost and system running cost followed the variable pattern of the Non-dispatchable RE source. Meanwhile, these costs were linked to the demand in the reference case. Ultimately, higher portions of Non-dispatchable RE made the system underperform compared to the reference case. Therefore, this incentive technology that lessen unwanted effects. Future studies shall focus on increasing the number of units and complexity of the system by using more powerful software.

Power conversion systems are becoming fundamental with the increasing power generation from renewable energy sources due to global warming and energy security concerns. In particular, wind energy systems require advance power converter devices to be able to supply power to the electric network or remote isolated areas in an effective way. A practical approach to these devices is required to fully comprehend their principles of operation and how they are integrated with the expanding renewable electricity production. This thesis describes the design and construction process of an inverter and a DC-DC converter, part of the AC-DC-AC link required to connect a laboratory model of a variable speed wind power system to the grid or to an isolated load.

This paper discusses risk management tools for unemployment risk in Colombia and the necessity to implement an extensive social insurance program for this exposure. Particularly, it analyzes the determinants for the use of severance payments in low-income households to decrease vulnerability in spells of unemployment sells. Using the 2011 GEIH survey I found that only a small percentage of the low-income households use the severance payments with this purpose. Moreover, through a Heteroskedastic Probit methodology, I show that the determinants for the use of severance payments to deal with unemployment risk are: household income, financial literacy, indefinite formal labor contracts, length of employment spells, public service and household size. From the results, two public policy recommendations arise: i) severance payments are not used in the desired way suggesting a different scheme that should be implemented; ii) financial education is crucial to reduce vulnerability through optimal risk management.

Given the large drop in the US monetary policy interest rate during the past decade, a significative spillover effect was reflected over Colombia as it had to lower its own policy rate considerably to avoid a further currency appreciation. Its impact on the real exchange rate misalignment is assessed using a Vector Error Correction Model with fundamentals such as the real interest rates differential, net foreign assets, terms of trade, the Balassa Samuelson effect, which reflects the productivity growth differential and the government expenditure employing quarterly data. In order to contrast the importance of this effect two periods were analyzed, one from 1996q1 to 2005q4 and another from 2006q1 to 2014q4. Results show that although the impact of the real interest rate differential does not have a large contribution to the determination of the real exchange rate it has changed its effect sign and now seems to explain a larger proportion of the forecast error variance in longer horizons. Other fundamentals, such as the net foreign assets, the terms of trade and the Balassa Samuelson effect are found to be key determinants for the long run equilibrium.

Natural disturbances are important drivers of ecosystem change in the boreal forest and new approaches to sustainable forest management draw on natural disturbance patterns as a template for harvesting. The main premise for such approach is that species have evolved and adapted to stand-replacing natural disturbances and thus are more likely to be maintained on landscapes managed to preserve spatial patterns of natural disturbance. I used spiders – one of the most important, diverse and ubiquitous groups of terrestrial predatory invertebrates – as a model for assessing the impacts of variable retention harvesting practices on biodiversity in the mixedwood boreal forest. Spiders were collected from the Ecosystem Management Emulating Natural Disturbance (EMEND) project landbase over a period of five years from different harvest treatments and forest-types. Results for 249 species in 18 families are included in this study. Changes in composition of spider assemblages clearly followed the disturbance gradient from clear-cut to uncut treatments and these changes were linked to habitat and forest structure. Ground-dwelling assemblages were mostly affected by harvesting, whereas canopy assemblages were less influenced when stand connectivity remained. Low tree retention (i.e., 10-20%, which is the range currently applied by the forestry industry) showed some ability to mitigate adverse effects of clear-cutting; yet, higher retention levels are needed to maintain forest specialist species, especially in late successional seres (e.g., conifer dominated). A “life-boating” effect of aggregated retention was evident, and was more effective when applied in combination with dispersed retention. The application of different harvesting practices alone is unlikely to entirely emulate the effects and processes caused by major disturbances on the landscape. Thus, keeping in mind that fire is an important component in the boreal forest, this type of disturbance cannot be excluded from management if the goal is to preserve a natural range of biodiversity. In conclusion, to sustain rich and diverse spider assemblages, management of the boreal mixedwood should aim towards maintaining landscape heterogeneity. Consequently, no single practice is effective to emulate natural post-disturbance patterns and to adapt harvesting to effectively imitate the processes of a disturbance driven system, a combination of prescriptions is recommended.

The present study reports results from the evaluation of the environmental conditions of an orphanage in Managua, Nicaragua and their associations with the children’s development while they were still in the orphanage. The observational measures were obtained by trained assessors (Caregiver Child Socioemotional Relationship Scale or CCSERS and the physical environment measures ITERS and ECERS ).The analysis was conducted at the unit level of the ward, an approached not taken in previous research. The results support the crucial role of the caregiving environment in the development of institutional children. The results of the present study show a positive and strong relationship between the caregiving environment (behavioral environment measured with CCSERRS) and the development of children (measured with BDI) in one Latino orphanage. The changes in the developmental outcomes of the institutionalized children at the post intervention period are not only a product of changes in the physical environment of the wards (e.g., the relationship between the Total ITERS - ECERS score and the total Battelle was positive but non-significant). These changes are more related to the improvement of the caregiver child interactions (the behavioral environment) in the wards. However, the environmental scales (ITERS-ECERS) and the CCERRSS have a positive but not strong association indicating that the physical aspects of environment are associated with the quality of caregiver-child interactions at the level of the wards. Thus both, physical and behavioral environment must be improved in orphanages, but socio-emotional aspects are more influential in the proper development of children. Previous studies had established the relationship between the environment and the development of children but the present study offers evidence at the ward versus the institutional level.