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Introduction: In Colombia, 6,690 people died from road crashes in 2019; for this and the following two years, deaths from traffic crashes were the second cause of death due to external causes. Many of these deaths can be prevented by implementing cost-effective population-level measures such as the WHO11 WHO: World Health Organization.-established Vehicle Safety Standards22 VSS: Vehicle Safety Standards. (VSS). Our objective was to identify the perceptions of key stakeholders about the adoption and implementation of VSSs in the Colombian context. Methodology: Exploratory, descriptive and multimethod study, using analysis and information collection techniques, such as the design and application of semi-structured interviews to recognize the different perspectives, power resources, and characteristics of certain consumers regarding VSS in the Colombian context. The advertising offered in various media about VSS was described and analyzed; sources of information on the rights of consumers and stakeholders regarding this issue were analyzed. Results: Relevant and expectant critical actors regarding the implementation of VSS were identified. VSS advertising adapts to different media, sometimes making it difficult to display. We identified that the Colombian market prioritizes the price of vehicles over safety and luxury as the category most valued by consumers in vehicles purchased in Colombia. Some entities were found to have been sanctioned for misleading advertising and technical failures of the VSS. Conclusions: To reduce the road crash rate, Colombia must adopt international measures such as the standards of the United Nations World Forum for the Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations known as WP.29, which obliges States to improve the design, production, marketing, and distribution of safe vehicles. Some key players in the automotive industry are favorably disposed to adopting WP.29 due to the reduction in injuries and damage to the health of road users, even more so in the post-pandemic period that shows an increase in these events that impact public health.

ABSTRACT: Welfare problems in broiler chickens are associated with accelerated growth in high density and barren environments. Encouraging broiler movement yields benefits by increasing locomotion, foraging, and environmental exploration. Robot sensors with autonomous navigation capabilities developed to collect husbandry information could collaterally induce movement of birds while traversing the chicken houses. This study examines the short-time dynamic of changes in broiler spatial distribution within the robot's zone of influence throughout the growing cycle. Two batches of mixed-sex Cobb-500 were raised in a commercial broiler farm until 42 d of age, in 2 houses divided into 4 equally sized sectors. In half of the sectors an AviSense robot sustained 2-h per day of autonomous navigation. The minute prior and the 4 min following the robot entering the zone of influence were video recorded weekly. Control sectors without a robot were analyzed equivalently. Number of individuals within the zone of influence of the robot were obtained at 1-s intervals and relative density (%) was estimated. Physical interactions between broilers and the robot, as well as interactions with the environment were also recorded. The entrance of the robot triggers within seconds a strong depopulation of the zone with birds walking to neighboring areas (P < 0.03, in all ages). The decreases in relative density induced by the robot appears more pronounced, and repopulation of the zone was slower, in younger than in older birds (P < 0.05). Broilers´ showed physical interactions towards the robot and were also touched and/or slightly pushed by the robots (19 and 84% of videos recorded, respectively). They were also found scratching and/or pecking the ground after the robot passed (64% of videos). Findings strongly suggest that robots, beyond their specific capabilities as environmental sensors, were effective in promoting increased movement in broilers along the growing cycle and could also favor additional exploratory behaviors. Thus, these robots could be considered as environmental enrichment elements that contribute to welfare improvements during intensive rearing.

“Immersive technology” is a broad and evolving term that encompasses various kinds of technologies and viewpoints, and has applications in various fields, such as education, healthcare, entertainment, the arts, and engineering. This research paper aims to compare the effectiveness of two teaching methods, namely the conventional method (using PowerPoint slides), and the immersive technology method (initiating a mixed reality with a HoloLens 2 device). The experiment involved two groups of students, aged between 19 and 52 years-of-age, who received different types of instruction: the first group viewed a PowerPoint slide with an image of the human muscular system, and the second group viewed a 3D hologram of the human body that displayed the same muscle groups as in the PowerPoint slide. The researchers wanted to examine if mixed reality devices could improve students’ cognitive abilities and explore if the age of the participants had any impact on the effectiveness of the instruction method. The main findings of this study are that the instruction method that used mixed reality technology, the Microsoft HoloLens 2 device, was more suitable for younger participants, and that traditional instruction methods, such as PowerPoint slides, are more appropriate for older students. While this research provides some valuable insights into the factors that influence student performance in anatomy tests, it has some limitations that should be considered.

Abstract We investigate the potential of rare hyperon decays to probe the short distance structure in the s → dv v ¯ $$ s\to dv\overline{v} $$ and s → dℓ + ℓ − transitions. Hyperon decays into neutrinos B 1 → B 2 v v ¯ $$ \left({B}_1\to {B}_2v\overline{v}\right) $$ can be reliably predicted by using form factors determined in baryon chiral perturbation theory. Their decay rates are sensitive to different short-distance operators, as compared to their kaon counterparts, and the corresponding branching fractions are in the range of 10 −14 ∼ 10 −13 in the standard model. In the context of the low-energy effective theory, we find that the anticipated BESIII measurements of the B 1 → B 2 v v ¯ $$ {B}_1\to {B}_2v\overline{v} $$ decays would lead to constraints on new physics in the purely axial vector d ¯ γ μ γ 5 s $$ \overline{d}{\gamma}_{\mu }{\gamma}_5s $$ current that are stronger than the present limits from their kaon siblings K → ππv v ¯ $$ K\to \pi \pi v\overline{v} $$ . On the other hand, although hyperon decays into charged leptons are dominated by long-distance hadronic contributions, angular observable such as the leptonic forward-backward asymmetry is sensitive to the interference between long- and short-distance contributions. We discuss the sensitivity to new physics of a potential measurement of this observable in comparison with observables in the kaon decays K L → μ + μ − and K + → π + μ + μ − . We conclude that the current kaon bounds are a few orders of magnitude better than those that could be obtained from Σ+ → pμ + μ − except for two scenarios with new physics in the d ¯ γ μ s ℓ ¯ γ μ γ 5 ℓ $$ \left(\overline{d}{\gamma}^{\mu }s\right)\left(\overline{\mathrm{\ell}}{\gamma}_{\mu }{\gamma}_5\mathrm{\ell}\right) $$ and d ¯ γ μ γ 5 s ℓ ¯ γ μ ℓ $$ \left(\overline{d}{\gamma}^{\mu }{\gamma}_5s\right)\left(\overline{\mathrm{\ell}}{\gamma}_{\mu}\mathrm{\ell}\right) $$ currents. Finally, we point out that the loop effects from renormalization group evolution are important in this context, when relating the low-energy effective field theory to new physics models in the UV.

With the increasing adoption of intelligent transportation systems and the upcoming era of autonomous vehicles, vehicular services (such as remote driving, cooperative awareness, and hazard warning) will have to operate in an ever-changing and dynamic environment. Anticipating the dynamics of traffic flows on the roads is critical for these services and, therefore, it is of paramount importance to forecast how they will evolve over time. By predicting future events (such as traffic jams) and demands, vehicular services can take proactive actions to minimize Service Level Agreement (SLA) violations and reduce the risk of accidents. In this paper, we compare several techniques, including both traditional time-series and recent Machine Learning (ML)-based approaches, to forecast the traffic flow at different road segments in the city of Torino (Italy). Using the most accurate forecasting technique, we propose n-max algorithm as a forecast-based scaling algorithm for vertical scaling of edge resources, comparing its benefits against state-of-the-art solutions for three distinct Vehicle-to-Network (V2N) services. Results show that the proposed scaling algorithm outperforms the state-of-the-art, reducing Service Level Objective (SLO) violations for remote driving and hazard warning services.

To design architectural spaces that not only respond to the basic needs of users, but also seek their emotional well-being, it is necessary for the architecture students to have a special sensitivity and be aware of the different sensations that their designs should and can evoke. To achieve this competence without exploring real spaces, Immersive Virtual Reality technology offers an important contribution to the field of architecture. The purpose of this research is to determine if the sensations perceived in virtual architectural spaces by students are similar to the real ones and to determine the characteristics of this technology that allow a better perception of sensations. Six architectural modules were designed to be walked through and experienced at real scale using a Head Mounted Display by 22 students of the first and fifth year of studies of Architecture career in Peru. An ad-hoc questionnaire allowed to know the perceived sensations and the benefits of the tool. The results obtained showed that the perception of sensations of the fifth year students is a little closer to those expressed by a group of seven experts compared to that of the first year students and that the students consider the characteristics of accessibility, real scale of the space and the possibility of going through and looking at the space in all directions are those that have given more realism to the experience and therefore better perception of the space, while the characteristics of natural light and shadows, construction materials and external environment have been less valued in the realism of the experience. It is concluded that the sensory experimentation in architectural spaces modelled realistically in virtual environments allows the perception of sensations very similar to those that the architect seeks to convey initially.

Background: Diarrhea is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among under-five children in Bangladesh. Hospitalization for diarrhea can pose a significant burden on households and health systems. The aim of this study was to estimate the cost of illness due to diarrhea from the healthcare facility, caregiver, and societal perspectives in Bangladesh. Method: A cross-sectional study with an ingredient-based costing approach was conducted in 48 healthcare facilities in Bangladesh. In total, 899 caregivers of under-five children with diarrhea were interviewed face-to-face between August 2017 and May 2018, followed up over phone after 7–14 days of discharge, to capture all expenses and time costs related to the entire episode of diarrhea. Results: The average cost per episode for caregivers was US$62, with $29 direct and $34 indirect costs. From the societal perspective, average cost per episode of diarrhea was $71. In 2018, an estimated $79 million of economic costs were incurred for treating diarrhea in Bangladesh. Using 10% of income as threshold, over 46% of interviewed households faced catastrophic expenditure from diarrheal disease. Conclusion: The economic costs incurred by caregivers for treating per-episode of diarrhea was around 4% of the annual national gross domestic product per-capita. Investment in vaccination can help to reduce the prevalence of diarrheal diseases and avert this public health burden.

Abstract Background This study estimated the economic cost of treating measles in children under-5 in Bangladesh from the caregiver, government, and societal perspectives. Method We conducted an incidence-based study using an ingredient-based approach. We surveyed the administrative staff and the healthcare professionals at the facilities, recording their estimates supported by administrative data from the healthcare perspective. We conducted 100 face-to-face caregiver interviews at discharge and phone interviews 7 to 14 days post-discharge to capture all expenses, including time costs related to measles. All costs are in 2018 USD ($). Results From a societal perspective, a hospitalized and ambulatory case of measles cost $159 and $18, respectively. On average, the government spent $22 per hospitalized case of measles. At the same time, caregivers incurred $131 and $182 in economic costs, including $48 and $83 in out-of-pocket expenses in public and private not-for-profit facilities, respectively. Seventy-eight percent of the poorest caregivers faced catastrophic health expenditures compared to 21% of the richest. In 2018, 2263 cases of measles were confirmed, totaling $348,073 in economic costs to Bangladeshi society, with $121,842 in out-of-pocket payments for households. Conclusion The resurgence of measles outbreaks is a substantial cost for society, requiring significant short-term public expenditures, putting households into a precarious financial situation. Improving vaccination coverage in areas where it is deficient (Sylhet division in our study) would likely alleviate most of this burden.

Abstract We present a systematic survey of possible short-distance new-physics effects in (semi)leptonic charged- and neutral-current charmed meson decays. Using the Standard Model Effective Field Theory (SMEFT) to analyze the most relevant experimental data at low and high energies, we demonstrate a striking complementarity between charm decays and high invariant mass lepton tails at the LHC. Interestingly enough, high-p T Drell-Yan data offer competitive constraints on most new physics scenarios. Furthermore, the full set of correlated constraints from K, π and τ decays imposed by SU(2) L gauge invariance is considered. The bounds from D (s) decays, high-p T lepton tails and SU(2) L relations chart the space of the SMEFT affecting semi(leptonic) charm flavor transitions.

Abstract Mutations in genes affecting primary cilia cause ciliopathies, a diverse group of disorders often affecting skeletal development. This includes Jeune syndrome or asphyxiating thoracic dystrophy (ATD), an autosomal recessive skeletal disorder. Unraveling the responsible molecular pathology helps illuminate mechanisms responsible for functional primary cilia. We identified two families with ATD caused by loss‐of‐function mutations in the gene encoding adrenergic receptor kinase 1 (ADRBK1 or GRK2). GRK2 cells from an affected individual homozygous for the p.R158* mutation resulted in loss of GRK2, and disrupted chondrocyte growth and differentiation in the cartilage growth plate. GRK2 null cells displayed normal cilia morphology, yet loss of GRK2 compromised cilia‐based signaling of Hedgehog (Hh) pathway. Canonical Wnt signaling was also impaired, manifested as a failure to respond to Wnt ligand due to impaired phosphorylation of the Wnt co‐receptor LRP6. We have identified GRK2 as an essential regulator of skeletogenesis and demonstrate how both Hh and Wnt signaling mechanistically contribute to skeletal ciliopathies.

El objetivo trazado fue analizar el derecho a la libertad y la presunción de inocencia de modo que permitan la racionalización del uso de este mecanismo cautelar penal solicitado por fiscalía y habilitado por los jueces de garantías penales, con énfasis en el Derecho a la libertad física y presunción del Estado constitucional de inocencia. Los métodos científicos investigativos parten del modelo cualitativo, apuntalado en técnicas tales como análisis y síntesis bibliográficas, de la misma forma histórica lógica e inductiva deductiva. De lo anterior se concluye que pese al avance normativo, doctrinario y jurisprudencial nacional e internacional en esta materia, aún persiste un desequilibrio en su uso, lo que acarrea consecuencias jurídicas vulneradoras de derechos esenciales tales como la libertad física y el Estado constitucional de inocencia.

Abstract We revisit the status of the new-physics interpretations of the anomalies in semileptonic B decays in light of the new data reported by Belle on the lepton-universality ratios R D(*) using the semileptonic tag and on the longitudinal polarization of the D * in B → D * τν, F L D ∗ $$ {F}_L^{D\ast } $$ . The preferred solutions involve new left-handed currents or tensor contributions. Interpretations with pure right-handed currents are disfavored by the LHC data, while pure scalar models are disfavored by the upper limits derived either from the LHC or from the B c lifetime. The observable F L D ∗ $$ {F}_L^{D\ast } $$ also gives an important constraint leading to the exclusion of large regions of parameter space. Finally, we investigate the sensitivity of different observables to the various scenarios and conclude that a measurement of the tau polarization in the decay mode B → Dτν would effectively discriminate among them.

Pillar replacement in mining works is a technique of using the pillars that are part of the support structures having a high degree of mineralization, which attracts economic interest. The technique consists of replacing the support pillars of the mineral matrix that contain appreciable and beneficial quantities of mineral by artificial pillars that provide geomechanical structure to the operations, generating support and safety benefits greater than or equal to those provided by the original pillars and thus maximizing the intrinsic economic value of the available rock in the operation. Based on the literature regarding design techniques for the assembly of pillars used in underground gold mining, daily and continuous field inspections were conducted for two months, taking the necessary data for the proposed design following ISRM standards for data collection. The proposed pillars must consider a set of operational economic requirements and meet the geomechanical performance required to guarantee the safety and stability of the site. The design consisted of a combination of two types of pillars, one of concrete and one of mesh, cables and sterile material (granodiorite and dyke). The measurements consisted of RMR determination, the dimensions of the current pillars, and the geomechanical condition using detailed scanlines. Subsequently, the information was refined and correlated, and the degree of fracture and safety factor of the original pillars versus those proposed in the new designs were calculated. As a result, the optimal design for the construction of the replacement pillars should have dimensions of 2 x 1.7 x 1.7 meters, achieving a safety factor of 1.36, complying with the geomechanical requirements of safety and stability and yielding a profit of 405 % as a cost-benefit ratio in replacing the original pillars by those proposed in the design; the sterile material and mesh pillars would have dimensions of 2 x 2 x 2 meters.

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The proactive role of university students demands that teaching staff engage in attempts at motivating students to make greater efforts at building knowledge by providing them with resources that facilitate learning. This paper provides details of a study that has involved designing and building Learning Objects (LOs) for Architectural Graphic Expression and inserting them into a university degree as a teaching aid to study their influence on student motivation. Findings show that the use of LOs in Architectural Graphic Expression produces significant improvement in students’ intrinsic goal orientation, which is fundamental to the development of deeper learning.

Se realizó un análisis crítico de la planeación y gestión municipal en el ordenamiento territorial minero, considerando la disyuntiva que vive el país con respecto a la apuesta que hace el Gobierno nacional al impulso de la actividad extractiva minera y la prioridad que definen los entes territoriales y la ciudadanía respecto a la conservación y protección de las riquezas naturales del país. La investigación realizada plantea la existencia de un escenario que riñe entre el ejercicio de la autonomía territorial municipal y los principios de coordinación, concurrencia, complementariedad y subsidiariedad, generado a partir de la escasa inclusión que los recursos del subsuelo tienen en los planes de ordenamiento territorial como eje estructurador de las actividades humanas; dicha evaluación se realiza a partir de la importante línea jurisprudencial que ha desarrollado a través del tiempo la Corte Constitucional colombiana.

Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) has proven to be an important tool for the exploration and communication of architectural projects prior to their real construction; however, there have been few scientific advances of its use in the understanding, exploration, and definition of architectural space by architecture students in their initial design processes. The purpose of this research is to determine how the use of IVR incorporated in the initial phases of the architectural design process improves, among students, the achievement of three specifics design competencies, and to know the evaluation that professors make of the advantages and disadvantages of the use of this tool in the design process. A mixed methodology was applied, considering participatory observations and surveys of students and teachers concerning the initial architecture workshop on architectural careers. It was found that the three analyzed competencies are better achieved with the use of IVR due to its high utility in the perception of space on a real scale and in its interior experimentation, both referred to as important advantages by students and teachers. It is concluded that the application of the interactive and immersive VR is a pedagogical tool that allows students to get feedback from their own spatial experience to correct and improve their designs, while teachers find the tool useful in the initial phases of architectural design.

Abstract We introduce a set of clockwork models of flavor that can naturally explain the large hierarchies of the Standard Model quark masses and mixing angles. Since the clockwork only contains chains of new vector-like fermions without any other dynamical fields, the flavor constraints allow for relatively light new physics scale. For two benchmarks with gear masses just above 1 TeV, allowed by flavor constraints, we discuss the collider searches and the possible ways of reconstructing gear spectra at the LHC. We also examine the similarities and differences with the other common solutions to the SM flavor puzzle, i.e., with the Froggatt-Nielsen models, where we identify a new clockworked version, and with the Randall-Sundrum models.

Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) has emerged as a key process in the development of renal fibrosis. In fact, EMT-derived fibroblasts contribute to the progression of chronic renal disease. In addition, anti-inflammatory M2 macrophages have exhibited a great influence on renal fibrosis. However, because of the high impact that the inputs of different environmental cytokines have on their phenotype, macrophages can easily lose this property. We aim to known if microencapsulated macrophages on M2-inducing alginate matrices could preserve macrophage phenotype and thus release factors able to act on epithelial cells to prevent the epithelial differentiation towards mesenchymal cells. We reproduced an in vitro model of EMT by treating adipose-derived stem cells with all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and induced their transformation toward epithelia. Dedifferentiation of epithelial cells into a mesenchymal phenotype occurred when ATRA was retired, thus simulating EMT. Results indicate that induction of M2 phenotype by IL-10 addition in the alginate matrix produces anti-inflammatory cytokines and increases the metabolic activity and the viability of the encapsulated macrophages. The released conditioned medium modulates EMT and maintains healthy epithelial phenotype. This could be used for in vivo cell transplantation, or alternatively as an external releaser able to prevent epithelial to mesenchymal transformation for future anti-fibrotic therapies.

We study the renormalization group evolution (RGE) of new physics contributions to (semi)leptonic charged-current meson decays, focusing on operators involving a chirality flip at the quark level. We calculate their evolution under electroweak and electromagnetic interactions, including also the three-loop QCD running and provide numerical formulas that allow us to connect the values of the corresponding Wilson coefficients from scales at the TeV to the low-energy scales. The large mixing of the tensor operator into the (pseudo)scalar ones has important phenomenological implications, such as the RGE of new physics bounds obtained from light quark decays or in b→cℓν transitions. For instance, we study scenarios involving tensor effective operators, which have been proposed in the literature to address the B-decay anomalies, most notably those concerning the RD(⁎) ratios. We conclude that the loop effects are important and should be taken into account in the analysis of these processes, especially if the operators are generated at an energy scale of ∼1 TeV or higher.

Abstract Qa-2 is believed to mediate a protective immune response against cancer; however, little is known about the role of Qa-2 in tumorigenesis. Here, we used 4T1 breast cancer cells to study the involvement of Qa-2 in tumor progression in a syngeneic host. Qa-2 expression was reduced during in vivo tumor growth and in cell lines derived from 4T1-induced tumors. Tumor-derived cells elicited an epithelial-mesenchymal transition associated with upregulation of Zeb1 and Twist1/2 and enhanced tumor initiating and invasive capacities. Furthermore, these cells showed increased stem characteristics, as demonstrated by upregulation of Hes1, Sox2 and Oct3/4, and enrichment of CD44high/CD24median/low cells. Remarkably, Qa-2 cell-surface expression was excluded from the CD44high/CD24median/low subpopulation. Tumor-derived cells showed increased Src activity, and treatment of these cells with the Src kinase inhibitor PP2 enhanced Qa-2 but reduced Sox2 and CD44high/CD24median/low expression levels, suggesting that Src signaling, while positively associated with stemness, negatively regulates Qa-2 expression in breast cancer. Finally, overexpression of the Qa-2 family member Q7 on the cell surface slowed down in vivo tumor growth and reduced the metastatic potential of 4T1 cells. These results suggest an anti-malignant role for Qa-2 in breast cancer development, which appears to be absent from cancer stem cells.

En la operación unitaria de perforación y voladura es muy frecuente que se presenten errores asociados a las desviaciones de las labores. Errores como el posicionamiento incorrecto del brazo del jumbo, poco paralelismo entre perforaciones, longitudes irregulares de los barrenos y la deficiente simetría del frente, hacen que la voladura sea ineficiente. Así, de los datos medidos en la mina “El Roble”, ubicada en el Chocó, se plantea una mejora asociada en el uso de herramientas como el inclinómetro magnético, el uso de tubos guia de PVC, el flexómetro y el trazado riguroso de la malla de perforación en el frente, para así asegurar la pendiente de la labor y reducir las desviaciones. De esta manera se mejoran los avances de las labores en cifras superiores al 90%, en recuperar las toneladas perdidas en un 90.2% y en reducir los costos por metro de avance en un 13%.

Objetivo: Evaluar la asociación entre la presencia de discrepancia de longitud de miembros inferiores (DLMI) y el desarrollo de síndrome de impingement femoroacetabular (SIFA) en jugadores de tenis. Materiales y método: A partir de un diseño de casos y controles, se eligieron consecutivamente 14 tenistas con SIFA (casos) diagnosticados según criterios de Warwick y se los emparejó, en edad y sexo, con 14 tenistas sin SIFA (controles). Como medida de asociación se reportó el odds ratio (OR) con el intervalo de confianza al 95% (IC 95%). Se consideró significativo un valor de p

En labores de minería subterránea es de gran importancia tener una adecuada caracterización del macizo rocoso con el fin de tomar las decisiones correctas en términos de fortificación y de otras labores, como lo es caso del arranque con perforación y voladura. Se plantea la construcción de una tabla geomecánica basada en el GSI a través de la cual se pueda tomar la decisión de que configuración de malla de perforación que a aplica para cada tipo de roca. Ello permite mejorar los ciclos de producción y consumo de explosivos en las voladuras. Dicha tabla se crea a partir de ensayos experimentales en voladuras de los paneles con distintas configuraciones geométricas de mallas de perforación que oscilan entre espaciamientos de 60x60cm y 80x80 cm; y su principal parámetro a garantizar es una granulometría máxima de 30 cm tras la voladura logrando reducir los costos en un 24,6%.

Rapid freehand drawings are of great importance in the early years of university studies of architecture, because both the physical characteristics of spaces and their sensory characteristics can be communicated through them. In order to draw architectural spaces, it is necessary to have the ability to visualize and manipulate them mentally, which leads us to the concept of spatial skills; but it also requires a development of spatial perception to express them in the drawings. The purpose of this research is to analyze the improvement of spatial skills through the full-scale sketching of architectural spaces in virtual immersive environments and to analyze spatial perception in reference to the capture of spatial sensations in virtual immersive environments. Spatial skills training was created based on the freehand drawing of architectural spaces using Head Mounted Displays (HMD) and registered the spatial sensations experienced also using HMD, but only in previously modeled realistic spaces. It was found that the training significantly improved orientation, rotation and visualization, and that the sensory journey and experimentation of architectural spaces realistically modeled in immersive virtual reality environments allows for the same sensations that the designer initially sought to convey.

There has been a conscious shift towards developing increasingly inclusive applications. However, despite this fact, most research has focused on supporting those with visual or hearing impairments and less attention has been paid to cognitive impairments. The purpose of this study is to analyse touch gestures used for touchscreens and identify which gestures are suitable for individuals living with Down syndrome (DS) or other forms of physical or cognitive impairments. With this information, app developers can satisfy Design for All (DfA) requirements by selecting adequate gestures from existing lists of gesture sets. Twenty touch gestures were defined for this study and a sample group containing eighteen individuals with Down syndrome was used. A tool was developed to measure the performance of touch gestures and participants were asked to perform simple tasks that involved the repeated use of these twenty gestures. Three variables are analysed to establish whether they influence the success rates or completion times of gestures, as they could have a collateral effect on the skill with which gestures are performed. These variables are Gender, Type of Down syndrome, and Socioeconomic Status. Analysis reveals that significant difference is present when a pairwise comparison is performed, meaning individuals with DS cannot perform all gestures with the same ease. The variables Gender and Socioeconomic Status do not influence success rates or completion times, but Type of DS does.

The ever-growing and widespread use of touch, face, full-body, and 3D mid-air gesture recognition sensors in domestic and industrial settings is serving to highlight whether interactive gestures are sufficiently inclusive, and whether or not they can be executed by all users. The purpose of this study was to analyze full-body gestures from the point of view of user experience using the Microsoft Kinect sensor, to identify which gestures are easy for individuals living with Down syndrome. With this information, app developers can satisfy Design for All (DfA) requirements by selecting suitable gestures from existing lists of gesture sets. A set of twenty full-body gestures were analyzed in this study; to do so, the research team developed an application to measure the success/failure rates and execution times of each gesture. The results show that the failure rate for gesture execution is greater than the success rate, and that there is no difference between male and female participants in terms of execution times or the successful execution of gestures. Through this study, we conclude that, in general, people living with Down syndrome are not able to perform certain full-body gestures correctly. This is a direct consequence of limitations resulting from characteristic physical and motor impairments. As a consequence, the Microsoft Kinect sensor cannot identify the gestures. It is important to remember this fact when developing gesture-based on Human Computer Interaction (HCI) applications that use the Kinect sensor as an input device when the apps are going to be used by people who have such disabilities.

Many people wishing to learn a musical instrument opt to learn using alternative or informal methods instead of the traditional Master–Apprentice model that requires a greater cognitive load. This paper presents an augmented reality (AR)-based application designed to teach and train guitar chords, with the novelty that it is also used to teach short melodies consisting of four chord transitions so that users have to change hand and finger positions. The app uses high-quality 3D models of an acoustic guitar and animated hand to indicate correct finger positions and the movements required when changing from one chord to another. To follow the animated instructions, the learner overlaps the 3D model onto the neck of the physical guitar and his or her own hand. A system usability scale (SUS) questionnaire was used to measure the usability of the application. A score of 82.0 was obtained, which is higher than the average of 68 points that indicates the application is good from a user experience perspective, thus satisfying the purpose for which it was created. Having analysed the data for both groups—individuals with no prior experience of playing a musical instrument versus individuals with prior experience—it was concluded that the application provided a useful learning approach for all participants involved in the study, regardless of experience. That said, those possessing prior experience of playing an instrument learnt faster. It should be noted that the research revealed significant difference in learning by gender, with male participants learning faster than female participants. Similar results have been detected in other research performed in the field of music, as well as in other fields. As this study required spatial reasoning when viewing the 3D model, the differences identified this case may well have arisen as a consequence of differences in men and women’s spatial awareness, thereby leaving open an alternative line of research.

Background: Male circumcision reduces men's risk of acquiring HIV and some sexually transmitted infections from heterosexual exposure, and is essential for HIV prevention in sub-Saharan Africa. Studies have also investigated associations between male circumcision and risk of acquisition of HIV and sexually transmitted infections in women. We aimed to review all evidence on associations between male circumcision and women's health outcomes to benefit women's health programmes. Methods: In this systematic review we searched for peer-reviewed and grey literature publications reporting associations between male circumcision and women's health outcomes up to April 11, 2016. All biomedical (not psychological or social) outcomes in all study types were included. Searches were not restricted by year of publication, or to sub-Saharan Africa. Publications without primary data and not in English were excluded. We extracted data and assessed evidence on each outcome as high, medium, or low consistency on the basis of agreement between publications; outcomes found in fewer than three publications were indeterminate consistency. Findings: 60 publications were included in our assessment. High-consistency evidence was found for five outcomes, with male circumcision protecting against cervical cancer, cervical dysplasia, herpes simplex virus type 2, chlamydia, and syphilis. Medium-consistency evidence was found for male circumcision protecting against human papillomavirus and low-risk human papillomavirus. Although the evidence shows a protective association with HIV, it was categorised as low consistency, because one trial showed an increased risk to female partners of HIV-infected men resuming sex early after male circumcision. Seven outcomes including HIV had low-consistency evidence and six were indeterminate. Interpretation: Scale-up of male circumcision in sub-Saharan Africa has public health implications for several outcomes in women. Evidence that female partners are at decreased risk of several diseases is highly consistent. Synergies between male circumcision and women's health programmes should be explored. Funding: US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Jhpiego.

Nowadays, virtual reality technologies and immersive virtual reality (VR) apps allow people to view, explore, engage with and learn about historic monuments and buildings, historic sites, and even historic scenes. To preserve our cultural heritage for future generations. it is essential that damaged and dilapidated historic artefacts are accurately documented, and that steps are taken to improve user experiences in the areas of virtual visits, science and education. This paper describes an approach to reconstruct and restore historic buildings and mural paintings. The work process uses digital models that are then inserted into an interactive and immersive VR environment. Windows-Mixed Reality is used to visualize the said VR environment. The work method was applied at a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) World Heritage Site in Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain), thereby creating a virtual three dimensional (3D) rendering of the architectural structures of the St Augustine Church in La Laguna and its murals. A combination of topography and terrestrial photogrammetry was used to reconstruct its architectural features, and the digital imaging tool DStretch® to recover its murals. The resulting 3D model was then inserted into an immersive and interactive VR environment created using the cross-platform game engine Unity. One of the greatest challenges of this project revolved around recovering the dilapidated and virtually nonexistent mural paintings using DStretch®. However, the final result is an immersive and interactive VR environment containing architectural and artistic information created within the video game engine Unity, which thereby allows the user to explore, observe and interact with a cultural heritage site in real time.

There is currently significant interest in the use of instructional strategies in learning environments thanks to the emergence of new multimedia systems that combine text, audio, graphics and video, such as augmented reality (AR). In this light, this study compares the effectiveness of AR and video for listening comprehension tasks. The sample consisted of thirty-two elementary school students with different reading comprehension. Firstly, the experience, instructions and objectives were introduced to all the students. Next, they were divided into two groups to perform activities—one group performed an activity involving watching an Educational Video Story of the Laika dog and her Space Journey available by mobile devices app Blue Planet Tales, while the other performed an activity involving the use of AR, whose contents of the same history were visualized by means of the app Augment Sales. Once the activities were completed participants answered a comprehension test. Results (p = 0.180) indicate there are no meaningful differences between the lesson format and test performance. But there are differences between the participants of the AR group according to their reading comprehension level. With respect to the time taken to perform the comprehension test, there is no significant difference between the two groups but there is a difference between participants with a high and low level of comprehension. To conclude SUS (System Usability Scale) questionnaire was used to establish the measure usability for the AR app on a smartphone. An average score of 77.5 out of 100 was obtained in this questionnaire, which indicates that the app has fairly good user-centered design.

Coal dust is highly explosive and caused dozens of victims in Colombia. In this research the most important and direct influence on coal dust, especially those that cause combustion and explosion inside the mine factors were analyzed; is important to discuss the characteristics of each coal mined and processed, for actions that do not compromise the integrity of the staff or facilities. Four (4) channel samples of coal exploitation faces with High Volatile Bituminous C from Cerrejón Formation were collected and analyzed: Proximal (moisture, ash, volatile matter, fixed carbon, total sulfur and calorific value ); petrographic (maceral counting and vitrinite reflectance) and Hardgrove mill index. The samples were crushed to obtain fractions corresponding to meshes 200, 270 and 325 considering those sizes could give greater risks of explosion. The analysis showed that there is a direct relationship between the results of the Hardgrove mill index and the degree of explosiveness in the fraction corresponding to 200 mesh, meaning that a higher rate of milling the greater the degree of explosiveness; a direct relationship between calorific inertinite content range and also observed. The 325 mesh fraction for all samples showed the same degree of explosiveness, which indicates that the grain size and the type of coal maceral not influence the content and coal rank. The flash point decreased for finer grains for all samples. Thus, the size of carbon particle is very important as an indicator in the coal-dust explosion factor: finer particles have greater the likelihood of explosion. The percentage of inertinites has a close relationship with the explosivity index, the higher the content of this maceral, coupled with the fine grain, coal dust behaves like a highly explosive element and generate risks in mining operations. Coal rank is an important factor regard to self combustion and explosion of particles with grain sizes greater 200 mesh. If a low rank coal has susceptible and unstable at high temperature elements and this is combined with high volatile matter and some other influential environmental parameters, such as blow air, dust concentration, humidity, and pressure, among others, the ideal combustion and then a likely violent explosion may affect a large portion of mine.

Despite being one of the most commonly self-taught instruments, and despite the ready availability of significant amounts of didactic material, the guitar is a challenging instrument to learn. This paper proposes an application based on augmented reality (AR) that is designed to teach beginner students basic musical chords on the guitar, and provides details of the experimental study performed to determine whether the AR methodology produced faster results than traditional one-on-one training with a music teacher. Participants were divided into two groups of the same size. Group 1 consisted of 32 participants who used the AR app to teach themselves guitar, while Group 2, with a further 32 participants, received formal instruction from a music teacher. Results found no differences in learning times between the two groups based on the variables of method and gender. However, participant feedback suggested that there are advantages to the self-taught approach using AR that are worth considering. A system usability scale (SUS) questionnaire was used to measure the usability of the application, obtaining a score of 82.5, which was higher than the average of 68 that indicates an application to be good from a user experience point of view, and satisfied the purpose for which the application was created.

This paper appraises a tool developed to evaluate user experiences of urban digital interfaces. The authors propose an evaluation method that uses 14 guidelines to analyze questions pertaining to efficiency, assistance and instructions, content structure, resemblance to reality, feedback interface, visual design, cognitive processes, internationalization, and perceptive access. The proposed tool serves to identify obstacles that once identified can then be tackled and resolved in the design phase. Addressing obstacles in the design phase serves to prevent the creation of inefficient interfaces that would lead to poor user experiences, or, likewise, the rejection of these interfaces by users. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed guidelines in a real-world environment a field study has been conducted in which eight urban interfaces located in different cities and countries were observed. The study reveals the issues typically encountered by users that prevent them from having satisfactory or enjoyable experiences when using digital urban interfaces. The paper concludes by identifying and discussing areas of opportunity for further research and improvements to the proposed guidelines.

Studies have revealed that applications using virtual and augmented reality provide immersion, motivation, fun and engagement. However, to date, few studies have researched how users with Down syndrome interact with these technologies. This research has identified the most commonly used interactive 3D gestures according to the literature and tested eight of these using Oculus, Atheer and Leap Motion technologies. By applying MANOVAs to measurements of the time taken to complete each gesture and the success rate of each gesture when performed by participants with Down syndrome versus neurotypical participants, it was determined that significant difference was not shown for age or gender between these two sample groups. From the results, a difference was only demonstrated for the independent variable Down syndrome when analysed as a group. By using ANOVAs, it was determined that both groups found it easier to perform the gestures Stop, Point, Pan and Grab; thus, it is argued that these gestures should be used when programming software to create more inclusive AR and VR environments. The hardest gestures were Take, Pinch, Tap and Swipe; thus, these should be used to confirm critical actions, such as deleting data or cancelling actions. Lastly, the authors gather and make recommendations on how to develop inclusive 3D interfaces for individuals with Down syndrome.

El tema de cierre de minas es un componente estratégico de un proyecto minero. Hoy día es inadmisible un proyecto que no contemple desde su concepción, todos los aspectos técnicos, políticos, sociales y económicos sobre el cierre progresivo o final de la operación minera. Australia, Brasil, Canadá, Chile, Perú, entre otros países, han ordenado su jurisprudencia como estrategia para su actividad minera. En Colombia existe una legislación, aunque dispersa involucra en la práctica todos los temas relacionados, entre ellos están: suelos, aire, vertimientos, emisiones, y captaciones. Tanto la Constitución Política Colombiana, como leyes, decretos-ley, decretos reglamentarios y resoluciones, establecen normativa que, acorde con el análisis de los autores, involucran los diferentes aspectos del cierre de minas. A diferencia de países como Chile o Perú, se concluye que para nuestro país no sería necesario expedir una legislación específica para esta temática; como tampoco sería necesaria la expedición de una Ley sobre apertura de minas. Lo recomendable sería que el Ministerio de Minas y Energía preparare una cuarta Guía Minera (de las tres ya existentes, cuya elaboración fue competencia conjunta del Ministerio de Minas y Energía con el Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Desarrollo Sostenible) sobre las diferentes disposiciones legales de cierre de minas, reforzando el tema de las garantías y el monitoreo en el largo plazo.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1006307.].

The acrofacial dysostoses (AFD) are a genetically heterogeneous group of inherited disorders with craniofacial and limb abnormalities. Rodriguez syndrome is a severe, usually perinatal lethal AFD, characterized by severe retrognathia, oligodactyly and lower limb abnormalities. Rodriguez syndrome has been proposed to be a severe form of Nager syndrome, a non-lethal AFD that results from mutations in SF3B4, a component of the U2 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particle (U2 snRNP). Furthermore, a case with a phenotype intermediate between Rodriguez and Nager syndromes has been shown to have an SF3B4 mutation. We identified heterozygosity for SF3B4 mutations in Rodriguez syndrome, confirming that the phenotype is a dominant disorder that is allelic with Nager syndrome. The mutations led to reduced SF3B4 synthesis and defects in mRNA splicing, primarily exon skipping. The mutations also led to reduced expression in growth plate chondrocytes of target genes, including the DLX5, DLX6, SOX9, and SOX6 transcription factor genes, which are known to be important for skeletal development. These data provide mechanistic insight toward understanding how SF3B4 mutations lead to the skeletal abnormalities observed in the acrofacial dysostoses.

La industria minera proporciona un gran aporte económico en la región donde se desarrolla, debido al empleo, la generación de riqueza y el soporte que presta a los diferentes sectores productivos. Este aporte no se ha cuantificado con variables que faciliten a los diferentes sectores de la región conocer la magnitud de este impacto y tener mejores indicadores de desarrollo regional y para la gestión territorial. Este artículo propone una metodología basada en experiencias en Chile y Perú con una adaptación para Colombia, la cual se implementa en un caso estudio. La metodología que se propone utiliza parámetros cuantificables, que indican cómo impacta la empresa minera a la economía de la región en tres grandes aspectos: el empleo, el dinero que proporcionan la empresa a la región y la dependencia que tienen los sectores productivos de la región con la empresa minera. La metodología se aplicó a la empresa aurífera Frontino Gold Mines (FGM) en la región de Segovia y Remedios, Antioquia. Se encontró que la empresa sostiene económicamente a 17.000 personas de la región, siendo el 29% de la población de Segovia y Remedios. También se halló que la FGM inyecta a la economía de la región cerca de 22.000 millones de pesos, equivalentes al 16 % del producto interno bruto, y es el principal motor de los demás sectores económicos. Se espera que estos indicadores contribuyan a tener una mayor objetividad del impacto económico de una empresa en su entorno y mejores elementos de juicio en la Gestión del Desarrollo Territorial.