The copper geographies of Chile and Britain: A photographic study of mining

This practice-based thesis is a study of the uneven geographical development of Chilean copper mining industry and the circulation of copper in Britain. My research examines three key historical moments in a pattern of ‘denationalisation,’ a term identified by Sassen (2003), of the copper resources of Chile: (1) 1840–1880; (2) 1904–1969; and (3) 1981–today, in which resources have been transferred from public to private management. In my research, I use a combination of photographic and historical methodologies to explore the impact of those processes on the extractive ecologies of Chile and to connect them to the global geographies of London, Liverpool and Swansea. My thesis considers how photography can be used to propose a re-mapping of the relationship between the global and the local, the national and the transnational, making visible the hidden geopolitical forces that shape the mobile and unequal geographies of copper. My doctoral investigation explores the global circulation of copper and its agency to produce geographical and political change. With the aim of revealing their close connections and networks, it examines the notion of ‘unequal geography’ established by Baran (1957) and the newer ‘mobility paradigm’ proposed by Sheller and Urry (2006). I follow the flow of copper, in Held’s words, ‘across space and time’ (1999), creating a constellation of photographs and texts about the transformation and mutation of copper as it traverses the world, exploring traces of extraction, smelting, manufacture, transport and trade processes across geographies. In doing so, I open ways of thinking about how landscape carries traces of those processes, bringing to the fore the significance of photographic intervention in highlighting them. The photographic research conducted during this investigation is organised in three lines of inquiry: Global mobility of copper; Post-industrial landscapes; and Contemporary mining industry and its relation to London. The first, Global mobility of copper comprises four visual essays presented together this written thesis: Sulphiric Acid Route (2012), Metallic Threads (2010-2015), High Rise (2012) and Hidden Circuits (2015). These works explore the mutation and transformation of hard-rock mining, back and forth from Chile to Britain from raw material to capital; through ore, smelted commodity, stock market exchanged value, assembled material and waste. The second, Post industrial landscapes, is explored through two case studies. The first of these is Coquimbo & Swansea (2014), which studies forgotten historical mining connections between Coquimbo, Chile and the Lower Swansea Valley, Wales between 1840 and 1880. This is followed by Miss Chuquicamata, the Slag (2012), which examines the Chuquicamata corporate town, Antofagasta Region, Chile and its contested history. The third line of inquiry, Contemporary mining industry and its relation to London involves two case studies. It opens with Antofagasta plc, Stop Abuses! (2010–14), which connects contemporary struggles of the inhabitants of Pupio Valley with the City of London, the world’s centre for mining investment. This line of investigation concludes with the site-specific studies LME Invisible Corporate Network (2011–15), which examines the London Metal Exchange within the City of London, using mapping methodologies. These case studies can also be used to map the three periods of denationalisation of copper resources in Chile. My photographic work is based on extensive photographic fieldwork in each geographical location, conducted over the last four years, as well as my two years as an activist photographer. Through my written thesis I seek to make visible the historical conditions that are central to the formation of the geographies of copper. Both aspects of my work are informed by the notion of ‘critical realism’ coined by Georg Lukács (1963) and developed later by Allan Sekula (1984). Alongside these case studies, my written thesis contains photographic examples of my practice so as to give insight into my research process. This thesis has been produced as part of Traces of Nitrate: Mining history and photography between Britain and Chile, a research proyect developed in collabotation with Art and Design historian Louise Purbrick and photographer Xavier Ribas, based at the University of Brighton and funded by with the generous support of the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)

Sustaining successful turnaround in a high poverty public high school

Today’s American public education system faces one of the largest challenges in its history, the pervasive problem of failing schools and the resultant student dropouts. According to Research and Best Practices (2010), “There are 5,000 chronically low-performing schools in this country doing a disservice to hundreds of thousands of students” (p. 2). Focused efforts to rapidly improve failing schools has become known in the research as school turnaround. When successful cases of school turnaround have occurred, the success that is achieved in the initial turnaround is not always sustained over time. Too often, once a school has achieved rapid improvement resulting from turnaround efforts, the initial success levels off or does not sustain. This study investigated the actions taken by a high poverty public high school to successfully turnaround, in a brief period of time, the school’s state accountability rating from not meeting to meeting standard. The study also investigated the actions taken by the school to sustain the turnaround for three or more years. The two research questions that guided this study were as follows: (1) What actions were implemented by the school studied in order to successfully complete school turnaround, and (2) what actions were implemented by the school studied in order to sustain the success of the initial turnaround? Participants consisted of teachers, staff members, campus administrators, and central office staff who have worked with the school as part of the turnaround and sustainability process. The participants were selected using random purposeful sampling. Qualitative research methods were used following a single case design. Data were collected using interviews, archival documentation studies, and researcher journal coding with teachers, administrators, and central office staff who were directly involved with the school’s turnaround and sustainability efforts. Participant findings showed that school culture, instructional infrastructure, data fluency & interventions, talent management, leadership, student & family support, central office support, and safety & security were the major themes that led to and sustained successful school turnaround. In conclusion, this study poses questions for further research in the area of sustaining school turnaround efforts. Findings will add to the body of knowledge related to sustaining successful turnaround in high poverty public high schoolsEducational Leadership and Polic

Daylight Spectrum Index: A New Metric to Assess the Affinity of Light Sources with Daylighting

The current scenario of colorimetry shows a wide variety of different metrics which do not converge in the assessment of the color rendering of light sources. The limitations of the Color Rendering Index have promoted the emergence of new metrics, such as the Color Quality Scale. As in the case of the previous metric, these new concepts are based on the analysis of the deviation of different color samples in a color space, contrasting the results with those obtained with a light source reference, which can vary depending on the color temperature. Within this context, the Daylight Spectrum Index is proposed. This new concept aims to determine the affinity with daylighting of electric light sources, comparing the resulting spectral power distributions of the lamps studied and that observed under natural light. The affinity of an electric light source with daylighting allows for lower energy consumption due to the better performance of human vision. The new metric proposed is evaluated following the results obtained from 80 surveys, demonstrating the usefulness of this new concept in the quantification of color rendering of LED lamps and the affinity of electric light sources with daylighting.Government of Spain BIA2017-86997-

Adhesivos y madera modificada térmicamente

A technological alternative for chemical impregnation of wood, is thermal modification, which improves wood durability and dimensional stability. The main advantage of thermal modification is that the wood produced is superior from the environmental point of view. It makes possible a responsible and sustainable use of this resource. However, thermal modification has negative effects on physical and chemical properties that affects certain uses of wood. Such is the case of physical resistance, which makes thermally modified wood not proper for some structural uses. The present work is focused on the study of physical and chemical properties associated to the surface of thermally modified wood. These properties have impact on the performance of adhesives applied on wood. Pinus taeda and Eucalyptus grandis wood, both produced in Uruguay, were heated at 200°C for 3 hours in a nitrogen atmosphere. Mass loss, pH changes and chemical modifications were studied. Furthermore, surface characterization of wood was realized by light microscopy, hygroscopicity and wettability studies. Finally, a comparative test was performed with non-modified and modified wood, with a polyurethane adhesive and an emulsion polymer isocyanate adhesive (EPI). Mass loss, as well as chemical changes, were more significant in E. grandis. However, for both species, important changes on hygroscopicity and wettability were observed. The polyurethane adhesive test was successful for P. taeda and it was concluded that there is potential to develop products with thermally modified wood and polyurethane. On the other hand, polyurethane did not achieve an acceptable degree of performance on thermally modified E. grandis. For the EPI adhesive, performance was considered not satisfactory for both species, after thermal modification.La modificación térmica de la madera es una alternativa tecnológica a la impregnación química que permite mejorar la durabilidad y estabilidad dimensional de la madera. Como ventaja principal frente a la impregnación, la madera modificada es, desde el punto de vista ambiental, superior. Permite un uso responsable y sostenible del recurso. Sin embargo, la modificación térmica genera cambios en propiedades físicas y químicas que pueden ser negativas en algunos usos. Tal es el caso de la pérdida de resistencia física, lo que hace a esta madera modificada inapropiada para algunos usos estructurales. El presente trabajo se centra en el estudio de las propiedades físicas y químicas de la superficie de la madera térmicamente modificada. Estas propiedades tendrán importancia en el desempeño y aplicabilidad de adhesivos en madera modificada. Madera de Pinus taeda y Eucalyptus grandis, producidas en Uruguay, fueron sometidas a 200 °C en una atmósfera de nitrógeno por 3 horas. Se estudió la pérdida de masa, el cambio en el pH y las modificaciones química. Posteriormente, se realizó la caracterización de la superficie de la madera mediante microscopía óptica, estudios de higroscopicidad y humectabilidad. Finalmente, se llevó acabo el ensayo comparativo entre madera modificada y sin modificar con adhesivo de poliuretano y con adhesivo de emulsión de polímero de isocianato (EPI). La pérdida de masa, así como los cambios químicos, fueron más significativos en E. grandis. Sin embargo, para ambas especies se observaron cambios relevantes en la higroscopicidad, así como en la humectabilidad. El ensayo con adhesivo de poliuretano fue considerado exitoso para P. taeda y se concluye que existe potencial para el desarrollo de productos con poliuretano y P. taeda térmicamente modificado. Por otro lado, la madera de E. grandis modificada térmicamente no alcanzó un desempeño aceptable con este adhesivo y en las presentes condiciones de tratamiento. En cambio, para el adhesivo EPI, el desempeño fue considerado no satisfactorio para ambas especies.La investigación que da origen a los resultados presentados en la presente publicación recibió fondos de la Agencia Nacional de Investigación e Innovación bajo el código POS_NAC_2018_1_151214

“If the present is a struggle, the future will be ours”: The FUBA’s student movement and the generation of activism through political aesthetic practice in Buenos Aires, Argentina

This thesis considers the complex relationship of the organisational body of the Federación Universitaria de Buenos Aires (the Student Federation of the University of Buenos Aires, FUBA) with the student movement it articulates. Taking the case of Buenos Aires, Argentina, it explores how a troubled local and regional political history - of recurring episodes of violent repression and socioeconomic crises - has generated alternative forms of politics, based on horizontal relationships and autonomy vis-à-vis institutionalised State politics. The thesis examines one particular instance of alternative, radical politics to explore the ways in which the emergence of these alternative approaches to the political may have promoted a political form that generates new ways of community making and learning. The thesis explores how members of the FUBA - together with other heterogeneous social movements and social organisations - have defined their emergence as political agents over time and propose to interpellate students through a range of political and aesthetic practices that entail the re-appropriation and production of space, developing connections between theory and practice, and engaging with militant practices relating to collective memory, thereby reflecting and altering the urban spaces in which the movement unfolds. The thesis argues for a connection between the dimension of the aesthetic, t he sensorial, and the development of the political. And it contributes to the anthropological study of social movements, protest, union, and activist research

Dynamic Daylight Metrics for Electricity Savings in Offices: Window Size and Climate Smart Lighting Management

Daylight performance metrics provide a promising approach for the design and optimization of lighting strategies in buildings and their management. Smart controls for electric lighting can reduce power consumption and promote visual comfort using different control strategies, based on affordable technologies and low building impact. The aim of this research is to assess the energy efficiency of these smart controls by means of dynamic daylight performance metrics, to determine suitable solutions based on the geometry of the architecture and the weather conditions. The analysis considers different room dimensions, with variable window size and two mean surface reflectance values. DaySim 3.1 lighting software provides the simulations for the study, determining the necessary quantification of dynamic metrics to evaluate the usefulness of the proposed smart controls and their impact on energy efficiency. The validation of dynamic metrics is carried out by monitoring a mesh of illuminance-meters in test cells throughout one year. The results showed that, for most rooms more than 3.00 m deep, smart controls achieve worthwhile energy savings and a low payback period, regardless of weather conditions and for worst-case situations. It is also concluded that dimming systems provide a higher net present value and allow the use of smaller window size than other control solutions

Presupuestos teóricos para un análisis del discurso del comunicador corporativo

En su empeño por fomentar la investigación científica, la Facultad de Comunicación y Relaciones Corporativas adelanta cuatro proyectos de investigación, que se ocupan del estudio de la Cultura juvenil urbana alternativa; las Necesidades de la empresa antioqueña en el campo de las Relaciones Públicas; el diagnóstico de los Imaginarios contemporáneos y relaciones interpersonales; y del Análisis del discurso del comunicador corporativo. El siguiente artículo presenta una síntesis de los presupuestos teóricos que orientan este último proyecto, al cual se encuentran vinculados los docentes Gladys Lucía Acosta, Rogelio Cárdenas y Jorge Ignacio Sánchez.Este texto se propone, en un primer momento, esbozar las categorías teóricas que –si bien emergen de una diversidad de campos de saber (la Lingüística, la Etnolingüística, la Sociolingüística, las Teorías de la Enunciación, la Pragmática y la Teoría de la argumentación)– constituyen el entramado conceptual que fundamenta las denominadas Teorías del Análisis del Discurso. En un segundo momento, procura pensar dichas categorías en el escenario corporativo, con el propósito de delimitar los elementos que aproximen a la caracterización del discurso del comunicador corporativo. Para cumplir los dos propósitos, el texto se estructura en apartados que se titulan teniendo en cuenta, bien sea las categorías teóricas, o bien la perspectiva de análisis

CO2 Concentration and Occupants’ Symptoms in Naturally Ventilated Schools in Mediterranean Climate

A large part of the school building stock in Andalusia lacks ventilation facilities, so that the air renewal of the classrooms is achieved through the building envelope (air infiltration) or the opening of windows. This research analyses the airtightness of the classrooms in Andalusia and the evolution of CO2 concentration during school hours through in situ monitoring. Pressurization and depressurization tests were performed in 42 classrooms and CO2 concentration was measured in two di erent periods, winter and midseason, to study the impact of the di erent levels of aperture of windows. About 917 students (11–17 years of age) were surveyed on symptoms and e ects on their health. The mean n50 values are about 7 h-1, whereas the average CO2 concentration values are about 1878 ppm, with 42% of the case studies displaying concentrations above 2000 ppm with windows closed

Una caracterización del discurso del comunicador en el escenario corporativo

Este texto da cuenta del objetivo principal de la investigación Del discurso del comunicador que actúa en el ámbito corporativo. Se trata de una caracterización de este discurso, a partir de un método deductivo, de tal manera que se expone una hipótesis y se procede a su sustentación. Es necesario aclarar que las dimensiones propuestas –estructura, propósito y contexto–, se trabajan de manera articulada, no separadamente.El estudio se abordó con un enfoque cualitativo, desde una perspectiva descriptivo-analítica posibilitada por el método del Análisis del discurso en diferentes vertientes. Los datos se obtuvieron en doce organizaciones públicas y privadas de Medellín, mediante la aplicación de una Escala Likert, una Encuesta y, una Entrevista ‘semiestructurada: también se observaron eventos públicos de las organizaciones y se analizaron dos escenarios de actuación clave para el comunicador: el grupo primario y el boletín, institucional impres