El proceso de construcción de la identidad del Cabildo Indígena Ambiká-Pijao en el marco de la Política Pública para Pueblos Indígenas en la localidad de Usme. (2005-2015)

El propósito del presente diagnóstico es analizar el proceso de construcción de la identidad del Cabildo Indígena Ambiká-Pijao en la localidad de Usme en la ciudad de Bogotá, desde el año 2005 hasta 2015. Este diagnóstico busca analizar la identidad en el marco de la Política Pública para Pueblos Indígenas de la ciudad de Bogotá, teniendo como elementos centrales las variables del territorio y su pérdida debido al desplazamiento en muchos casos forzado, la cultura, y las características sobre las cuales se entiende al indígena en contextos urbanos. Con base en estos fenómenos, se estudian las principales características de la comunidad e individuos que hacen parte de la misma, para así plantear algunos retos por parte de las instituciones políticas en torno al desarrollo e implementación de políticas multiculturales de reconocimiento para el caso de indígenas presentes en lo urbano.

Contribución de la misión de naciones unidas en Guatemala – Minugua, a la promoción, defensa y garantía de los derechos de la población indígena guatemalteca (1994 a 2004)

El conflicto armado en Guatemala se originó por el abuso de poder, la desigualdad, la exclusión y la profunda discriminación, sobre todo hacia la población indígena, a la que se le han desconocido históricamente sus derechos y que fue la más afligida durante el conflicto. Lo que desembocó en el nacimiento de grupos al margen de la ley, cuyo propósito fue reivindicar los derechos de la población, así como la equidad y justicia social. El conflicto se caracterizó por la formación de grupos paramilitares, la violación al Derecho Internacional Humanitario, el elevado número de víctimas del conflicto, mayoritariamente indígenas y porque más del 85% de las violaciones a los derechos humanos fueron perpetradas por el Estado. Gracias a la voluntad política, al respaldo de la comunidad internacional, especialmente de la Organización de Naciones Unidas -ONU, y a los buenos oficios de la Comisión Nacional de Reconciliación – CNR, se lograron firmar los Acuerdos de Paz y dar fin a este cruento conflicto de más de 36 años. Las partes firmantes vieron la necesidad de que un ente autónomo e imparcial de Naciones Unidas, verificara el cumplimiento de La Misión de Naciones Unidas en Guatemala - MINUGUA contribuyó a la promoción, defensa y garantía de los derechos de la población indígena guatemalteca. Específicamente, incidió en el cumplimiento de los compromisos contenidos en el Acuerdo sobre Identidad y Derechos de los Pueblos Indígenas guatemaltecos –AIDPI, que fue suscrito el 31 de marzo de 1995, asimismo, contribuyó a la garantía del derecho a la justicia de la población indígena, lo que se evidenció en las acciones y el papel que desempeñó en los componentes de verdad, justicia y reparación.

‘Crows’ vs. ‘Avatar’, or: 3D vs. total-dimensional immersion

3D film’s explicit new space depth arguably provides both an enhanced realistic quality to the image and a wealth of more acute visual and haptic sensations (a ‘montage of attractions’) to the increasingly involved spectator. But David Cronenberg’s related ironic remark that ‘cinema as such is from the outset a «special effect»’ should warn us against the geometrical naiveté of such assumptions, within a Cartesian ocularcentric tradition for long overcome by Merleau-Ponty’s embodiment of perception and Deleuze’s notion of the self-consistency of the artistic sensation and space. Indeed, ‘2D’ traditional cinema already provides the accomplished «fourth wall effect», enclosing the beholder behind his back within a space that no longer belongs to the screen (nor to ‘reality’) as such, and therefore is no longer ‘illusorily’ two-dimensional. This kind of totally absorbing, ‘dream-like’ space, metaphorical for both painting and cinema, is illustrated by the episode ‘Crows’ in Kurosawa’s Dreams. Such a space requires the actual effacement of the empirical status of spectator, screen and film as separate dimensions, and it is precisely the 3D caracteristic unfolding of merely frontal space layers (and film events) out of the screen towards us (and sometimes above the heads of the spectators before us) that reinstalls at the core of the film-viewing phenomenon a regressive struggle with reality and with different degrees of realism, originally overcome by film since the Lumière’s Arrival of a Train at Ciotat seminal demonstration. Through an analysis of crucial aspects in Avatar and the recent Cave of Forgotten Dreams, both dealing with historical and ontological deepening processes of ‘going inside’, we shall try to show how the formal and technically advanced component of those 3D-depth films impairs, on the contrary, their apparent conceptual purpose on the level of contents, and we will assume, drawing on Merleau-Ponty and Deleuze, that this technological mistake is due to a lack of recognition of the nature of perception and sensation in relation to space and human experience.

"¿Politizando la maternidad o maternalizando la política? Ciudadanía y participación política de las mujeres de los barrios del sur de san José, 1950-1980"

En este artículo se abordan los aspectos más relevantes en cuanto a la ciudadanía, participación polí­tica y equipamiento urbano en los barrios del Sur de San José, específicamente la comunidad de Luna Parle. El tema se estudia en relación con las formas de control y resistencia y el rol de la maternidad, de las mujeres que participaron en el espacio público comunal. Se enfatizo en el trabajo del Club de Madres, formado en 1974 y el rol de la Junta ProgresistaAbstractThis article studies citizenship, political participation and urban facilities in south San losé, specifically the Luna Park neighborhood. The topic was studied in relation to the forms of control and resistance and the rule of motherhood for women to participate in the communal public space. Emphasis ¡s placed on the work of the Club de Madres, created in 1974 and the role of the Junta Progresista.

Estado Constitucional de Derecho y Democracia: ¿conceptos antagónicos?: revisando Centroamérica

El texto explora las concepciones sobre democracia y Estado Constitucional de Derecho. Intenta explicar las posibles diferencias entre ambas expresiones y sus puntos de encuentro. Recurre tanto a doctrina de ciencia política como de derecho constitucional.Se sostiene la conveniencia científica, desde una perspectiva también histórica, de hablar de estado constitucional de derecho entendido como una categoría más exacta de lo que debe entenderse como forma de acceder al poder y proteger los derechos fundamentales.Finalmente, se hace un análisis de la situación actual de Centroamérica y se relaciona aquella con la existencia real de estados constitucionales de derecho en la región. The article analyzes on the concepts about democracy and rule of constitutional law. It aims to explain the  possible differences and coincidences between these notions throughout the political sciences and constitutional law. From an historic view, it points out to the scientific convenience and correctness of the term ‘constitutional rule of law’, understood as a more precise category of what it must be defined as a means to access the power and the protection of fundamental rights.Finally, the article examines on the current situation of the Central American region emphasizing on whether these states embrace a true constitutional rule of law. 

Funzionalizzazione e unitarietà della vicenda contrattuale negli appalti pubblici

La tesi intende analizzare l’unitarietà della vicenda contrattuale dell’appalto pubblico nell’ottica del superamento della tradizionale visione dicotomica tra la fase della scelta del contraente e quella esecutiva. Sullo sfondo della funzionalizzazione del contratto alla realizzazione dell’interesse pubblico in concreto, oggi più che mai comprensivo dei fini ambientali, sociali e occupazionali, l’attenzione sarà posta in particolare sulla compresenza in entrambe le fasi di “momenti” (e quindi di regimi) pubblicistici e privatistici. A tal fine, l’attenzione sarà principalmente riservata, da un lato, all’estensione del regime delle trattative precontrattuali anche al momento che precede quello dell’aggiudicazione e, dall’altro lato, all’applicazione dello statuto pubblicistico all’esecuzione del contratto, specialmente in relazione all’esercizio del recesso, in ciò esprimendosi con maggior forza il senso dell’unitarietà fra le due fasi. Rilevata infine la frammentazione delle giurisdizioni, valorizzata l’esigenza di un giudice specializzato sulla materia e preso atto di alcune trasformazioni (potenziali e attuali) sul fronte più generale del riparto, si cercherà di fornire una lettura atta ad estendere, a Costituzione invariata, la giurisdizione esclusiva del giudice amministrativo su tutta l’unitaria vicenda contrattuale.

Il principio di prevedibilità in materia penale. Riflessi sulle garanzie fondamentali di una analisi comparata sulla "cultura del precedente"

Nell’epoca di profonda transizione dell’era «pos-moderna», il modello tradizionale di legalità che conferisce al Parlamento il monopolio in materia penale entra in crisi in ragione della frammentazione delle fonti del diritto - a livello nazionale e sovranazionale - nonché delle spinte di globalizzazione capaci di incidere, ormai, ben oltre il mero piano economico. A fronte della incapacità del legislatore di rispondere in termini effettivi alla urgenza di razionalizzare e riformare il sistema penale, quindi, il potere giudiziario ha assunto una funzione di sostanziale supplenza, generando inevitabili attriti con il nullum crimen e i suoi corollari. Ne deriva che il Giudice di legittimità sempre più si preoccupa di assicurare la prevedibilità dei mutamenti interpretativi, specie se in malam partem, tenendo a mente gli ultimi approdi della giurisprudenza di Strasburgo in riferimento all’art. 7 CEDU. In particolare, tanto nelle motivazioni delle decisioni quanto nei contributi dottrinali, si diffonde graduale il riferimento a istituti propri del modello di common law: la recente riforma dell’art. 618, co 1 bis, c.p.p., del resto, è stata descritta a più voci come l’avvio della diffusione nell’ordinamento interno della c.d. “cultura del precedente”. In tale frangente, diviene utile approfondire l’opportunità dell’accostamento tra il modello di common law e di civil law, conducendo uno studio comparato tra i due ordinamenti quanto all’esercizio del potere punitivo che intende esaminare l’opportunità di acquisire rimedi propri della esperienza secolare del diritto judge-made in un ordinamento governato dalla soggezione del giudice alla legge.

Photoactive (supra)molecular devices in double layer membranes

Biological systems are complex and highly organized architectures governed by non-covalent interactions responsible for the regulation of essential tasks in all living organisms. These systems are a constant source of inspiration for supramolecular chemists aiming to design multicomponent molecular assemblies able to perform elaborated tasks, thanks to the role and action of the components that constitute them. Artificial supramolecular systems exploit non-covalent interactions to mimic naturally occurring events. In this context, stimuli-responsive supramolecular systems have attracted attention due to the possibility to control macroscopic effects through modifications at the nanoscale. This thesis is divided in three experimental chapters, characterized by a progressive increase in molecular complexity. Initially, the preparation and studies of liposomes functionalized with a photoactive guest such as azobenzene in the bilayer were tackled, in order to evaluate the effect of such photochrome on the vesicle properties. Subsequently, the synthesis and studies of thread-like molecules comprising an azobenzene functionality was reported. Such molecules were conceived to be intercalated in the bilayer membrane of liposomes with the aim to be used as components for photoresponsive transmembrane molecular pumps. Finally, a [3]rotaxane was developed and studied in solution. This system is composed of two crown ether rings interlocked with an axle containing three recognition sites for the macrocycles, i.e. two pH-switchable ammonium stations and a permanent triazolium station. Such molecule was designed to achieve a change in the ratio between the recognition sites and the crown ethers as a consequence of acid-base inputs. This leads to the formation of rotaxanes containing a number of recognition sites respectively larger, equal or lower than the number of interlocked rings and connected by a network of acid-base reactions.

Sovereign wealth funds and state immunity

The study sheds light on the application of the rule of state immunity to sovereign wealth funds (SWFs). SWFs are Janus-faced investment vehicles established by their parent states to invest public resources in financial markets, with the aim of increasing long-term returns and pursuing macroeconomic goals. The ultimate purpose of the study is to assess if the hybrid nature of SWFs results in changes to the rule of state immunity when applied to them, and whether a generally accepted standard in this regard can be deduced from state practice. The research is conducted through a comparative analysis. It is based on the provisions of the UN Convention on Jurisdictional Immunities of States and Their Property (UNCSI), as well as on six domestic jurisdictions (US, UK, France, Germany, Italy and China) among those that have contributed most significantly to the international debate on state immunity and which host the largest amount of SWF investments.

Application of fuzzy-rule-based postprocessing to correlation methods in pattern recognition

One of the most important problems in optical pattern recognition by correlation is the appearance of sidelobes in the correlation plane, which causes false alarms. We present a method that eliminate sidelobes of up to a given height if certain conditions are satisfied. The method can be applied to any generalized synthetic discriminant function filter and is capable of rejecting lateral peaks that are even higher than the central correlation. Satisfactory results were obtained in both computer simulations and optical implementation.

Implicit and explicit functions in the acquisition of a phonics rule in the word recognition of learning disabled and non learning disabled students /

One group of 12 non learning disabled students and two groups of 12 learning disabled students between the ges of 10 and 12 were measured on implicit and explicit knowledge cquisition. Students in each group implicitly cquired knowledge bout I of 2 vocabulary rules. The vocabulary rules governed the pronunciation of 2 types of pseudowords. After completing the implicit acquisition phase, all groups were administered a test of implicit knowledge. The non learning disabled group and I learning disabled group were then asked to verbalize the knowledge acquired during the initial phase. This was a test of explicit knowledge. All 3 groups were then given a postlest of implicit knowledge. This tcst was a measure of the effectiveness of the employment of the verbalization technique. Results indicate that implicit knowledge capabilities for both the learning disabled and non learning disabled groups were intact. However. there were significant differences between groups on explicit knowledge capabilities. This led to the conclusion that implicit functions show little individual differences, and that explicit functions are affected by ability difference. Furthermore, the employment of the verbalization technique significantly increased POStlest scores for learning disabled students. This suggested that the use of metacognitive techniques was a beneficial learning tool for learning disabled students.

Targeting of EBNA1 for rapid intracellular degradation overrides the inhibitory effects of the Gly-Ala repeat domain and restores CD8+T cell recognition

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-encoded nuclear antigen 1 (EBNA1) includes a unique glycine-alanine repeat domain that inhibits the endogenous presentation of cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) epitopes through the class I pathway by blocking proteasome-dependent degradation of this antigen. This immune evasion mechanism has been implicated in the pathogenesis of EBV-associated diseases. Here, we show that cotranslational ubiquitination combined with N-end rule targeting enhances the intracellular degradation of EBNA1, thus resulting in a dramatic reduction in the half-life of the antigen. Using DNA expression vectors encoding different forms of ubiquitinated EBNA1 for in vivo studies revealed that this rapid degradation, remarkably, leads to induction of a very strong CTL response to an EBNA1-specific CTL epitope. Furthermore, this targeting also restored the endogenous processing of HLA class I-restricted CTL epitopes within EBNA1 for immune recognition by human EBV-specific CTLs. These observations provide, for the first time, evidence that the glycine-alanine repeat-mediated proteasomal block on EBNA1 can be reversed by specifically targeting this antigen for rapid degradation resulting in enhanced CD8+ T cell-mediated recognition in vitro and in vivo.

Stratigraphic interpretation of Well-Log data of the Athabasca Oil Sands of Alberta Canada through Pattern recognition and Artificial Intelligence

Dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Geospatial Technologies.

Recognition of activities of daily living in healthy subjects using two ad-hoc classifiers

Activities of daily living (ADL) are important for quality of life. They are indicators of cognitive health status and their assessment is a measure of independence in everyday living. ADL are difficult to reliably assess using questionnaires due to self-reporting biases. Various sensor-based (wearable, in-home, intrusive) systems have been proposed to successfully recognize and quantify ADL without relying on self-reporting. New classifiers required to classify sensor data are on the rise. We propose two ad-hoc classifiers that are based only on non-intrusive sensor data. METHODS: A wireless sensor system with ten sensor boxes was installed in the home of ten healthy subjects to collect ambient data over a duration of 20 consecutive days. A handheld protocol device and a paper logbook were also provided to the subjects. Eight ADL were selected for recognition. We developed two ad-hoc ADL classifiers, namely the rule based forward chaining inference engine (RBI) classifier and the circadian activity rhythm (CAR) classifier. The RBI classifier finds facts in data and matches them against the rules. The CAR classifier works within a framework to automatically rate routine activities to detect regular repeating patterns of behavior. For comparison, two state-of-the-art [Naïves Bayes (NB), Random Forest (RF)] classifiers have also been used. All classifiers were validated with the collected data sets for classification and recognition of the eight specific ADL. RESULTS: Out of a total of 1,373 ADL, the RBI classifier correctly determined 1,264, while missing 109 and the CAR determined 1,305 while missing 68 ADL. The RBI and CAR classifier recognized activities with an average sensitivity of 91.27 and 94.36%, respectively, outperforming both RF and NB. CONCLUSIONS: The performance of the classifiers varied significantly and shows that the classifier plays an important role in ADL recognition. Both RBI and CAR classifier performed better than existing state-of-the-art (NB, RF) on all ADL. Of the two ad-hoc classifiers, the CAR classifier was more accurate and is likely to be better suited than the RBI for distinguishing and recognizing complex ADL.