Resumen: En la presente tesis exploro las narrativas breves de la escritora colombiana Marvel Moreno y la escritora inglesa Angela Carter teniendo como denominador común una doble conceptualización de la noción de imaginación, el wavering imaginativo y la conciencia imaginante. Propongo que las dos conceptualizaciones constituyen marcos interpretativos para examinar comparativamente estrategias textuales y temáticas particulares existentes en las respectivas narrativas. El wavering imaginativo y la conciencia imaginante tienen como característica básica el movimiento. En el primero el movimiento implica una oscilación constante entre la realidad intradiegética y el pensamiento racional expuesto en los cuentos. En la segunda, el movimiento entraña el acto de aprehensión de la realidad que los personajes habitan. La primera parte del trabajo está dedicada al wavering imaginativo en las narraciones de Moreno y Carter. En cinco capítulos examino los modos textuales en que la imaginación oscila entre un discurso racional, materializado en los cuentos a través de voces narrativas y personajes ilustrados, y los eventos intradiegéticos sobrenaturales y maravillosos. En unas narraciones, la presencia de la razón se da en consonancia con la imaginación cuando controvierte costumbres supersticiosas y religiosas o cuando discurre sobre los procesos imaginativos dentro de los textos. En otras narraciones, la razón es subvertida por una imaginación que a través de sucesos sobrenaturales o de naturaleza folclórica devela cómo el pensamiento racional se aferra a una perspectiva rígida y excluyente. La segunda parte está dedicada a la conciencia imaginante en los cuentos de las dos escritoras. En cuatro capítulos analizo cómo las conciencias imaginantes de los personajes experimentan la realidad circundante y se forjan una vida y una identidad a partir de imágenes mentales o imágenes percibidas, como la del reflejo especular. Los personajes femeninos propician imágenes mentales como única salida para sobrevivir en medio de contextos adversos. Con las imágenes percibidas se genera un proceso de formación de la identidad a través del reflejo que devuelve el espejo o la mirada de los otros. Finalmente, la conciencia imaginante permite dilucidar cómo otros personajes y voces narrativas perciben a los protagonistas y concibe un vínculo intersubjetivo afirmando su autonomía individual. Abstract: In this dissertation, I explore the short stories of Colombian writer Marvel Moreno and English writer Angela Carter. I propose that the authors’ works share a dual conceptualization of the notion of imagination -- imaginative wavering and imagining consciousness. These conceptualizations constitute interpretative frameworks to comparatively examine textual strategies and themes within the authors’ works of fiction. A fundamental characteristic of both imaginative wavering and imagining consciousness is movement. With the former, movement implies a constant oscillation between intradiegetic reality and rational thinking, as exposed in the stories. With the latter, movement entails the act of grasping the reality that the characters inhabit. The first part of this study is devoted to imaginative wavering in the stories of Moreno and Carter. In five chapters, I examine textual modes in which imagination wavers between a rational discourse, materialized through narrative voices and enlightened characters, and intradiegetic events of a supernatural and fantastic nature. In some stories, reason works in concert with imagination when it controverts superstitious and religious customs or when it reflects on imaginative processes within the texts. In other stories, reason is subverted by an imagination that, through supernatural or folkloric occurrences, reveals how rational thinking clings to a rigid and restrictive perspective. The second part is devoted to imagining consciousness in the narratives of both writers. In four chapters, I analyze how the characters’ use imagining consciousness to experience their surrounding reality and to forge a life and an identity from both mental images and perceived images, such as specular reflections. The feminine characters foster mental images as the only way to survive in adverse environments. With perceived images, the protagonists embark on a process of identity formation using mirrored reflections or the gaze of others. Finally, imagining consciousness elucidates how other characters and narrative voices observe the protagonists and conceive an intersubjective link through the assertion of their individual autonomy.

This report provides analysis of the problems in Columbia Shuttle disaster in 2003 which is found in the article “Systematic Biases and Culture in Project Failures” by Barry Shore. Mainly based on the Columbia Accident Investigation Board Report, information has been found that NASA was created as a governmental organisation which depends directly to the United States Congress and the White House. NASA culture at that time was arrogant due to the state of the art technology they had which convinced them they had the pioneer in the space industry. However, it has also been found that communication between teams or department did not flow effectively which unfortunately caused this Columbia Shuttle disaster. Moreover, evidences found to support Shore’s assertions to this Columbia Shuttle disaster which are conservatism, overconfidence, and recency. Based on those assertions, cultural change is suggested to deliver similar project effectively.

The paper deals with the techno-economical assessment of the gas-cooled/water-cooled fixed-bed reactor network for methanol synthesis. The study is the extension of the first-principles model for the water-cooled reactor already proposed in our prior work (Manenti et al., 2013). Here, the optimization is extended to the steam generation and the reactor length ratio. As a result, basing on the integrated optimization of energy and process yield, we propose to significantly revise the common design. The traditional water/gas-cooling reactor length ratio could be significantly reduced with consequent simultaneous increase in methanol production and steam generation as well, however preserving safety and operational ranges. The economic benefit deriving from the proposed design for a medium-scale process is estimated in more than 1.7 M€/y.

Abstract: Algorithms for minimizing other regular criteria than the makespan in the Flexible Job-shop Scheduling Problem (FJSP) are rather scarce. In this paper, we propose a local search algorithm to optimize any regular criterion in the FJSP, which makes use of the disjunctive graph model to represent schedules and search for an optimal solution. Two neighborhood structures are proposed based on moving critical operations. Efficient conditions for testing the feasibility of moves are presented and new move evaluation functions are proposed. The efficiency of the algorithm is shown on instances of the classical job-shop scheduling problem with total weighted tardiness, as well as on instances of the FJSP with other regular criteria. Resumen: Algoritmos formulados para minimizar criterios regulares diferentes al makespan en el problema de scheduling job-shop flexible son realmente escasos. En este paper se propone un algoritmo de búsqueda local para optimizar cualquier criterio regular que utiliza una gráfica disyuntiva para representar soluciones y la forma para optimizar. Aquí se propone un test de factibilidad para el movimiento de operaciones críticas y una función de estimación. La eficiencia del algoritmo es evidenciado al alcanzar resultados de calidad en instancias de la tardanza total en el problema clásico de Job-shop, como también en instancias del job-shop flexible con otros criterios regulares.

This paper describes the experimental conditions in surface acoustic wave (SAW) designed on aluminum nitride (AlN) films grown on Si3 N 4 substrates by using pulsed laser deposition. Moreover it was studied the dependency of optical properties with temperature of deposition. The thickness, measured by profilometry technology, was 150 nm for all films. Moreover, SAW devices with a Mo/AlN/Si3N4 configuration were fabricated employing AlN buffer and Mo Channel.

Abstract: This study describes the application of Waterworld (a policy support system), in assessing the possible Ecosystem Services (ES) of Protected Areas (PAs) in the Magdalena River basin (Colombia), related to the provision of WQ gains to downstream populations and its relationships with diarrheal disease incidence. This was achieved by applying Land Use Change (LUC) scenarios to grazing and cropping inside the PAs of the Magdalena basin and analysing the potential impacts on the Human footprint Water Quality (Diarrheal Relevant) (HFWQ-DR) index in downstream rivers and population centres. Results indicate that LUC to grazing inside the PAs increases the HFWQ-DR index, suggesting that PAs do provide WQ gains downstream and that such LUC affects in more proportion this ES than an agricultural LUC, which obtained a reduction in the HFWQ-DR index. This study also emphasises the importance of PAs for the conservation of natural resources, especially hydrology, and the importance of identifying the ES that they provide in order to support public policies that enhance their protection and extension. Resumen: El estudio describe la aplicación de Waterworld (un sistema de soporte de decisiones basado en la web) para determinar los posibles servicios ecosistemicos (SE) de las áreas protegidas (AP) en la cuenca del Río Magdalena (Colombia), relacionados con la provisión de mayor calidad de agua para las poblaciones aguas abajo y sus relaciones con la incidencia en enfermedades diarreicas. Esto se logró mediante la aplicación de escenarios con cambios en el uso del suelo dentro de las áreas protegidas a usos de tipo pastoreo y agrícola para posteriormente analizar los potenciales impactos en el índice de Huella humana para la calidad de agua relevante a diarrea (Human footprint on water quality – diarrheal relevant, HFWQ-DR) en los ríos y centros poblados ubicados aguas abajo de las AP. Los resultados indicaron que cambios en el uso del suelo a pastoreo dentro de las AP incrementan el índice HFWQ-DR, lo cual sugiere que las AP si proveen mayor calidad de agua en ríos y poblaciones aguas abajo y que tales cambios en el uso del suelo afectan en mayor proporción estos SE en comparación con cambios de uso del suelo agrícolas, los cuales obtuvieron una reducción en el índice de HFWQ-DR, aunque en un menor grado. Este estudio también enfatiza la importancia de las AP en la conservación de los recursos naturales, especialmente hidrológicos y la importancia de identificar los SE que ellas proveen para soportar políticas públicas que puedan incrementar y mejorar su protección y extensión.

Resumen: La presente revisión se centra en la etiología, patogénesis, epidemiologia, diagnóstico y tratamiento de la « enfermedad renal poliquística autosómica dominante » (ERPAD). La ERPAD es un trastorno genético heredable tradicionalmente asociado al gato persa y que afecta también al gato mestizo en todo el mundo. La enfermedad se presenta como una insuficiencia renal crónica generalmente en gatos mayores de tres años de edad y no posee un tratamiento específico. Sin embargo, el mayor uso de la ultrasonografía en tiempos recientes permite detectar la enfermedad de forma temprana, mejorar el pronóstico y llevar a cabo medidas de control basadas en la prevención de la cría de gatos afectados para evitar el nacimiento de progenie genéticamente susceptible. Abstract: The present review focuses on the etiology, pathogenesis, epidemiology, diagnosis and treatment of the « Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease » (ADPKD). It is an inheritable genetic disorder traditionally described in Persian cats an presently recognized in crossbreed cats worldwide. Affected animals develop and chronic renal insufficiency and failure, and disease has a late onset, usually when cats are over three years old, and there is no specific treatment for it. However, the development in recent times of ultrasound imaging as the main diagnostic tool for ADPKD, is allowing early disease detection, improve prognosis and to implement control measures based on preventing breeding from affected cat to avoid genetically ADPKD susceptible progeny.

Urban trees are a dominant natural element in cities; they provide important ecosystem services to urban citizens and help urban areas adapt to climate change. Many rationales have been proposed to provide a purpose for urban forest management, some of which have been ineffective in addressing important ecological and social management themes. Among these rationales we find a values-based perspective, which sees management as a process where the desires of urban dwellers are met. Another perspective is climate change adaptation, which sees management as a process where urban forest vulnerability to climate change is reduced and resilience enhanced. Both these rationales have the advantage of complementing, enhancing, and broadening urban forest management objectives. A critical analysis of the literature on public values related to urban forests and climate change adaptation in the context of urban forests is undertaken to discuss what it means to adopt these two issues in urban forest management. The analysis suggests that by seeing urban forest management as a process by which public values are satisfied and urban-forest vulnerabilities to climate change are reduced, we can place issues such as naturalization, adaptive management, and engaging people in management at the centre of urban forest management. Focusing urban forest management on these issues may help ensure the success of programs focused on planting more trees and increasing citizen participation in urban forest management.

El presente documento muestra los resultados de un estudio realizado en torno a metodologías para la evaluación ambiental en proyectos de inversión. En este se desarrolla una revisión sistemática para el establecimiento de un marco teórico de referencia que permite evidenciar el estado actual de la literatura sobre la temática. Considerando lo anterior, se refleja una tendencia en aumento aproximadamente del 10 % anual de la producción de artículos científicos, principalmente en países como Estados Unidos, Italia y España. También, se identifican 18 metodologías de las cuales el 34 % están siendo aplicadas en proyectos de inversión del sector industrial y de construcción. Asimismo, se determina que las políticas burocráticas, la tensión entre los ministerios ambientales y no ambientales y la escasa participación pública son algunas de las limitaciones en la evaluación ambiental. Finalmente, se presenta una tabla de compilación correspondiente a las metodologías mencionadas, que permite la descripción y comparación de las mismas.

Objective. This work sought to characterize the scientific production of the degree works in the Master’s in Collective Health (MCH) of the Faculty of Nursing at Universidad de Antioquia, during the period from 1996 to 2013. Methodology. Ours was a descriptive, observational study, based on documentary research and content analysis. The work analyzed the degree works presented in the MCH since 1996 until 2013, reported in the library of the Faculty of Nursing, and the scientific articles published. These were reviewed manually using an instrument containing the variables of the characteristics of the works and articles. Results. Some 51 degree works were included, corresponding to eight cohorts from the Master’s in which 65 master’s students have graduated and 61 professors have participated as counselors. The most common themes have been Gender and Health (27%) and Food and Nutrition Safety (16%). The most frequent populations object of study were women (14%) and population groups and/or community (14%). The methodologies used have been 90.2% qualitative, 3.9% quantitative, and 5.9% mixed. A total of 52.9% of the degree works were published as articles in scientific journals; of these, 46.49% corresponded to A2 journals, according to the classification by COLCIENCIAS. Conclusion. The characteristics of the degree works show increased dissemination in scientific journals, as well as diversification in the populations object of study and progress in the dissemination of the knowledge generated in the MCH, thus, contributing to progress in collective health in national and international settings.