On the relationship between subjective and objective measures of virtual reality experiences : a case study of a serious game

In this paper we present a Virtual Reality game related to Cultural Heritage. We contribute with an analysis of subjective measures taken from questionnaires filled by users after the VR experience, and objective measures taken from logs during the VR game. Specifically, we were interested on study data globally and in groups of user behaviour. Analysing data globally we see a high value of users’ subjective perceptions. Nevertheless, we found differences of subjective measures when splitting the Novice group. Specifically, the subjective perception of Strugglers is considerably lower than the rest of groups, and this difference is significant. Then, we propose strategies to provide a better experience to Strugglers. We also found correlations between objective and subjective data when they were analysed globally (i.e. without using groups), but these measures did not correlate when they were analysed using behaviour groups

Protecting the underscreened women in developed countries: the value of HPV test

Background: Poor attendance to cervical cancer (CC) screening is a major risk factor for CC. Efforts to capture underscreened women are considerable and once women agree to participate, the provision of longitudinal validity of the screening test is of paramount relevance. We evaluate the addition of high risk HPV test (HPV) to cervical cytology as a primary screening test among underscreened women in the longitudinal prediction of intraepithelial lesions grade 2 or worse (CIN2+). Methods: Women were included in the study if they were older than 39 years and with no evidence of cervical cytology in the previous five years within the Public Primary Health Care System in Catalonia (Spain). 1,832 underscreened women from eight public primary health areas were identified during 2007-2008 and followed-up for over three years to estimate longitudinal detection of CIN2+. Accuracy of each screening test and the combination of both to detect CIN2+ was estimated. The risk of developing CIN2+ lesions according to histology data by cytology and HPV test results at baseline was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Results: At baseline, 6.7% of participants were HPV positive, 2.2% had an abnormal cytology and 1.3% had both tests positive. At the end of follow-up, 18 out of 767 (2.3%) underscreened women had a CIN2+, two of which were invasive CC. The three-year longitudinal sensitivity and specificity estimates to detect CIN2+ were 90.5% and 93.0% for HPV test and 38.2% and 97.8% for cytology. The negative predictive value was >99.0% for each test. No additional gains in validity parameters of HPV test were observed when adding cytology as co-test. The referral to colposcopy was higher for HPV but generated 53% higher detection of CIN2+ compared to cytology. Conclusions: Underscreened women had high burden of cervical disease. Primary HPV screening followed by cytology triage could be the optimal strategy to identify CIN2+ leading to longer and safe screen intervals

Etnoarqueología Selknam: contribución de las fuentes etnográficas

Las fuentes etnográficas sobre la sociedad selknam de Tierra del Fuego son abundantes, sin embargo las mejores son sin duda las producidas por etnógrafos, viajeros y misioneros a finales del s. XIX e inicios del XX. La revisión de éstas, desde una perspectiva etnoarqueológica, se convierte en una herramienta útil para la investigación arqueológica. En este trabajo se presentan los resultados de la confrontación entre los datos arqueológicos del sitio Ewan (Tierra del Fuego, Argentina) y las fuentes etnográficas contemporáneas. Las características de Ewan son coherentes con la distribución espacial del Hain, ceremonia Selknam de iniciación de los varones jóvenes. La metodología utilizada para el reconocimiento del Hain permite reflexionar sobre la identificación de los espacios rituales en arqueología. Por otro lado, el enfoque etnoarqueológico proporciona datos sobre aspectos no suficientemente documentados en la etnografía.Fil: Pique Huerta, Raquel. Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona; EspañaFil: Mansur, Maria Estela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; Argentin

Landscape and human settlement dynamics in insular environments. An archaeological approach

Archaeological researches in island territories of the subarctic and subantarctic regions, at opposite ends of the planet, have largely developed independently. Therefore independent interpretive frames have also been developed to explore the dynamics of human settlement in the past, especially with regard to hunter-gatherer societies. In the northern hemisphere, the archaeological studies are part of the research tradition of Paleolithic / Mesolithic Europe, initially developed with a largely terrestrial focus. Although in recent years new emphasis has been placed on research in coastal areas – including the subarctic area, the theoretical frameworks remain similar to those employed in the study of hunter-gatherers of the inland areas of continental Europe. On the other side, the archaeology of Tierra del Fuego has developed close to ethnoarchaeological research, as native populations lived there until the end of XIXth century. It has emphasized the analysis of social processes, confronting archaeological data with ethnographic and ethnohistorical records. We believe that models on aboriginal strategies build from this ethno-archaeological perspective constitute an excellent starting point to discuss some aspects of Scottish mesolithic archaeology. Recently we have adopted a comparative approach; our starting point is focused in the differences in scales of analysis (environment, home ranges, etc.). In this paper we highlight some of the comparable features and offer a new perspective on the archaeological record and mobility of hunter-gatherer sites in Scotland using the ethnohistorical records from Tierra del Fuego

Semilla, frutas, leña, madera: el consumo de plantas entre las sociedades cazadoras-recolectoras

Las plantas fueron utilizadas durante la prehistoria para una gran diversidad de fines que podemos agrupar en tres grandes categorías: alimentación, elaboración de bienes y medios deproducción. Para hacerlas aptas para el consumo fue necesario producirlas/recolectarlas, transportarlas, transformarlas, elaborarlas y distribuirlas. Ello implica una determinada organización de la producción por parte de estas sociedades, diferente según el momento histórico. El análisis de estos procesos de trabajo es determinante para comprender la organización de las sociedades pasadas. En este trabajo se revisa la naturaleza de los restosarqueobotánicos y su significado a la luz de los métodos utilizados para su recuperación y análisis

Educación para la salud

Proyecto de Educación para la Salud que surge ante la necesidad de completar la formación del alumnado, poniendo a su disposición la mayor información posible para concienciarles de la importancia de estos temas en su desarrollo personal. El programa se estructura en los siguientes bloques: Educación Sexual, Educación Nutricional y Toxicomanías. Para su desarrollo parte de una metodología eminentemente activa que favorece la reflexión, el sentido crítico (elaboración de conclusiones propias) y la investigación. Así, las actividades realizadas son: charlas-coloquio, proyección de vídeos y diapositivas, preparación de murales, exposiciones orales, trabajos en grupo, análisis de prensa, visitas y excursiones. La valoración de la experiencia destaca, por una parte el carácter enriquecedor (formación e información) de los temas tratados y, por otra, la posibilidad de cubrir así las lagunas existentes en el sistema de enseñanza. La memoria incluye una selección de los trabajos realizados.Madrid (Comunidad Autónoma). Consejería de Educación y CulturaMadridMadrid (Comunidad Autónoma). Subdirección General de Formación del Profesorado. CRIF Las Acacias; General Ricardos 179 - 28025 Madrid; Tel. + 34915250893ES

Site formation processes, human activities and palaeoenvironmental reconstructions from archaeobotanical records in cave and rock-shelter sites in NE Iberia

The main aim of this paper is to evaluate the potential of cave and rock-shelter sites for palaeoecological and archaeobotanical research. Climate conditions in the Mediterranean region and the depositional and post-depositional dynamics involved in the formation processes of open-air sites cause, in many cases, poor conservation of archaeobotanical remains, especially in the case of pollen, affected by oxidation and other taphonomic agents. However, more stable temperature and humidity, as found in cave and rock-shelter sites, provide optimum conditions for the preservation of vegetal remains. This study presents integrated archaeobotanical data from several NE Iberian sites, with occupations from the Middle Palaeolithic to the Bronze Age. On the one hand, the diachronic study of the pollen record in archaeological stratigraphies reconstructs vegetation evolution and abrupt climate changes during the Pleistocene and the Holocene. On the other hand, archaeopalynology reveals the need to consider different taphonomic agents in the interpretation of pollen records in archaeological cave and rock-shelter sites, especially the anthropogenic input of plants to the archaeological contexts. The study of anthracological remains offers a picture of the surrounding wooded landscape, and provides data to characterise vegetal resource management and to verify which plants were brought to the cave. Finally. the carpological record shows the presence of edible wild fruits from bushes and trees in the Pleistocene and beginnings of the Holocene, and cultivated and synanthropic plants from the Middle Holocene onwards