Gamification and online consumer decisions: Is the game over?

Consumption can be more than just a necessity; it can become a leisure activity. With the emergence of e-commerce and social media, products and services are just one click away; a trend that is further driven by gamified systems. This research aims to systematically analyze the most relevant academic literature on gamification, to establish if it influences online consumer decisions and, if so, which elements, mechanisms, and theories can explain it. After a thorough search from Web of Science and Scopus databases using SciMAT, 257 papers were analyzed. Twenty-nine (29) of the 36 papers found show empirical evidence that the inclusion of game elements in non-game activities has a significant influence on consumer engagement and online consumer decisions in digital contexts. Moreover, rewards and challenges were identified as the two most used mechanisms, with points, badges, and leaderboards being the most tested gamification elements. The Self- Determination Theory (SDT) and the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) are the two most common theoretical explanations for why gamification works. Lastly, possible future studies to include thematic, methodological and theoretical agendas were discussed

The classic foundations of capital accumulation in Piketty

El objetivo de este artículo es proponer un modelo que permita analizar el esquema teórico de la acumulación del capital de Piketty, a partir de una adaptación del modelo clásico propuesto por Bidard y Klimovsky (2006). El vínculo entre ambas concepciones teóricas opera por medio de la ecuación de Pasinetti, la cual facilita la distinción entre las situaciones de desequilibrio y de equilibrio. De esta manera, el modelo identifica las condi ciones que explican la brecha entre la tasa de beneficio y la tasa de crecimiento del ingreso nacional

Evaluación socioformativa en procesos de formación en línea mediante proyectos formativos

El objetivo del presente estudio es determinar la relación entre un conjunto de variables de la evaluación socioformativa y los proyectos formativos en un posgrado en línea. La metodología que se implementó corresponde a un estudio descriptivo-correlacional con una muestra de 79 participantes de una maestría en línea en donde se correlacionó la evaluación socioformativa mediante problemas de contexto, empleo de rúbricas, autoevaluación y coevaluación en el foro académico, con el impacto de los proyectos formativos que hacen énfasis en la importancia de la colaboración y los procesos de mejoramiento de las evidencias considerando los criterios y las metas de desempeño establecidas. Los principales resultados mostraron que la autoevaluación, la coevaluación, los intentos para resolver el problema del contexto, el número de veces que se mejoró la evidencia y los integrantes que conformaron los equipos para la realización de estas presentaron una correlación significativa con el desempeño reflejado en el promedio académico. Por lo tanto, el proceso de retroalimentación continua mediante la autoevaluación y la coevaluación para la mejora de las evidencias realizadas durante el semestre, así como la colaboración y el apoyo para la resolución de problemas del contexto empleando los proyectos formativos, se asocian con un mejor desempeño académico. Se sugiere nuevos estudios para determinar relaciones de causalidad.L'objectiu del present estudi és determinar la relació entre un conjunt de variables de l'avaluació socioformativa i els projectes formatius en un postgrau en línia. La metodologia que es va implementar correspon a un estudi descriptiu correlacional amb una mostra de 79 participants d'un mestratge en línia on es va correlacionar l'avaluació socioformativa mitjançant problemes del context, l'ocupació de rúbriques, l'autoavaluació i la coavaluació en el fòrum acadèmic, amb l'impacte dels projectes formatius que fan èmfasi en la importància de la col·laboració i els processos de millorament de les evidències considerant els criteris i les metes d'acompliment establerts. Els principals resultats van mostrar que l'autoavaluació, la coavaluació, els intents per resoldre el problema del context, el nombre de vegades que es va millorar l'evidència i els integrants que van conformar els equips per a la realització d'aquestes van presentar una correlació significativa amb l'acompliment reflectit en la mitjana acadèmica. Per tant, el procés de retroalimentació contínua mitjançant l'autoavaluació i la coavaluació per a la millora de les evidències realitzades durant el semestre, així com la col·laboració i el suport per a la resolució de problemes del context emprant els projectes formatius s'associen amb un acompliment acadèmic millor. Se suggereixen nous estudis per determinar relacions de causalitat.The objective of this study is to determine the relationship between a set of variables related to socioformative assessment and training projects in the framework of an online postgraduate degree. The methodology comprised a descriptive correlational study with a sample of 79 participants enrolled in an online master's degree. A socioformative assessment model based on context problems, the use of rubrics, and self-assessment and coassessment schemes in an academic forum is correlated with the impact of training projects which emphasize the importance of collaboration and processes to improve the evidence considering the established criteria and performance goals. The main results show that self-assessment, co-assessment, attempts to solve context problems, the number of times that the evidence was improved and the members of teams that were formed to carry out these tasks were significantly correlated with academic performance as reflected in the grade point average. Therefore, ongoing feedback through self-assessment and co-assessment schemes to improve evidence during the academic term, as well as collaboration and support in solving context problems through training projects are associated with better academic performance. Further studies to determine causal relationships are proposed

Short communication: Application of site‐level assessment of governance and equity (sage) methodology to a candidate oecm: AndakÍ municipal natural park, caquetÁ, colombia.

Governance is a fundamental aspect and precondition for conservation strategies, such as protected areas or OECMs. A methodology for Site-level Assessment of Governance and Equity (SAGE) has been proposed by IUCN to explore different aspects of governance, based on ten principles. This article describes the application of SAGE to a candidate OECM for what we believe is the first time: the Andakí Municipal Natural Park in the Amazon region of Colombia. The application of SAGE generated useful insights into different aspects of governance, including the importance of good communication and recognising and respecting the rights and responsibilities of different actors. Based on this experience, we believe that the SAGE methodology could be a useful tool not only to identify priorities for improving governance, but also to assess governance and equity in order to evaluate if an area meets the criteria for an OECM that it is governed and managed to achieve sustained and effective contributions to in situ conservation of biodiversity, associated ecosystem functions and services, and cultural, spiritual, socio-economic and other locally relevant values. © 2021, IUCN - International Union for the Conservation of Nature. All rights reserved.This process was made possible with the support of: a) the Local Protected Areas Regional Project implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft f?r Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, ICLEI ? Local Governments for Sustainability and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN); Environment ministries in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru; commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Protection and Nuclear Safety; b) the project adaptation of the OECM criteria to the Colombian context supported by PPD-GEF-PNUD, and implemented by Resnatur, Instituto Humboldt, Fundaci?n Natura and the Local Protected Areas Project; and c) the EUROCLIMA+ programme supported by Expertise France, GIZ and the International Institute for the Environment and Development (IIED); and d) Thora Amend, Vice Chair, IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (thematic area: Governance)

Nuevas profesiones y TICs en las organizaciones turísticas: Ocupaciones, perfiles y competencias

Emerging occupations and jobs are identified in the new professions related to STEAM areas, within the tourism sector; considered one of the most influenced by ICTs in the last two decades. Tasks that have been proven to strengthen a new business technological value chain, and whose processes are assumed from the company's internal and external logistics, operations, marketing and services revalue the tourism product. In other words, processes that characterize new roles and technological competencies, which must be considered in specialized trainingSe identifican ocupaciones y labores emergentes en las nuevas profesiones relacionadas con las áreas STEAM, dentro del sector turístico; considerado como uno de los más influenciados por las TICs en las dos últimas décadas. Unas tares que se ha comprobado que afianzan una nueva cadena de valor tecnológica empresarial, y cuyos procesos, son asumidos desde la logística interna y externa de la empresa, las operaciones, el marketing y los servicios revalorizan el producto turístico. Es decir, unos procesos que caracterizan nuevos roles y competencias tecnológicas, que deben ser contempladas en la formación especializada

Tractography of the Spider Monkey (\u3cem\u3eAteles geoffroyi\u3c/em\u3e) Corpus Callosum Using Diffusion Tensor Magnetic Resonance Imaging

The objective of this research was to describe the organization, connectivity and microstructure of the corpus callosum of the spider monkey (Ateles geoffroyi). Non-invasive magnetic resonance imaging and diffusion-tensor imaging were obtained from three subjects using a 3T Philips scanner. We hypothesized that the arrangement of fibers in spider monkeys would be similar to that observed in other non-human primates. A repeated measure (n = 3) of fractional anisotropy values was obtained of each subject and for each callosal subdivision. Measurements of the diffusion properties of corpus callosum fibers exhibited a similar pattern to those reported in the literature for humans and chimpanzees. No statistical difference was reached when comparing this parameter between the different CC regions (p = 0.066). The highest fractional anisotropy values corresponded to regions projecting from the corpus callosum to the posterior cortical association areas, premotor and supplementary motor cortices. The lowest fractional anisotropy corresponded to projections to motor and sensory cortical areas. Analyses indicated that approximately 57% of the fibers projects to the frontal cortex and 43% to the post-central cortex. While this study had a small sample size, the results provided important information concerning the organization of the corpus callosum in spider monkeys

Geochemistry and Geochronology of the Guajira Eclogites, northern Colombia : evidence of a metamorphosed primitive Cretaceous Caribbean Island-arc

The chemical composition of eclogites, found as boulders in a Tertiary conglomerate from the Guajira Peninsula, Colombia suggests that these rocks are mainly metamorphosed basaltic andesites. They are depleted in LILE elements compared to MORB, have a negative Nb-anomaly and flat to enriched REE patterns, suggesting that their protoliths evolved in a subduction related tectonic setting. They show island-arc affinities and are similar to primitive islandarc rocks described in the Caribbean. The geochemical characteristics are comparable to low-grade greenschists from the nearby Etpana Terrane, which are interpreted as part of a Cretaceous intra-oceanic arc. These data support evidence that the eclogites and the Etpana terrane rocks formed from the same volcano-sedimentary sequence. Part of this sequence was accreted onto the margin and another was incorporated into the subduction channel and metamorphosed at eclogite facies conditions. 40Ar-39Ar ages of 79.2±1.1Ma and 82.2±2.5Ma determined on white micas, separated from two eclogite samples, are interpreted to be related to the cooling of the main metamorphic event. The formation of a common volcano-sedimentary protolith and subsequent metamorphism of these units record the ongoing Late Cretaceous continental subduction of the South American margin within the Caribbean intra-oceanic arc subduction zone. This gave way to an arc-continent collision between the Caribbean and the South American plates, where this sequence was exhumed after the Campanian

Automatic quantification of abdominal subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue in children, through MRI study, using total intensity maps and Convolutional Neural Networks

Childhood overweight and obesity is one of the main health problems in the world since it is related to the early appearance of different diseases, in addition to being a risk factor for later developing obesity in adulthood with its health and economic consequences. Visceral abdominal tissue (VAT) is strongly related to the development of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases compared to abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue (ASAT). Therefore, precise and automatic VAT and ASAT quantification methods would allow better diagnosis, monitoring and prevention of diseases caused by obesity at any stage of life. Currently, magnetic resonance imaging is the standard for fat quantification, with Dixon sequences being the most useful. Different semiautomatic and automatic ASAT and VAT quantification methodologies have been proposed. In particular, the semi-automated quantification methodology used commercially through the cloud-based service AMRA R Researcher stands out due to its extensive validation in different studies. In the present work, a database made up of Dixon MRI sequences, obtained from children between 7 and 9 years of age, was studied. Applying a preprocessing to obtain what we call total intensity maps, a convolutional neural network (CNN) was proposed for the automatic quantification of ASAT and VAT. The quantifications obtained from the proposed methodology were compared with quantifications previously made through AMRA R Researcher. For the comparison, correlation analysis, Bland-Altman graphs and non-parametric statistical tests were used. The results indicated a high correlation and similar precisions between the quantifications of this work and those of AMRA R Researcher. The final objective is that the proposed methodology can serve as an accessible and free tool for the diagnosis, monitoring and prevention of diseases related to childhood obesity.Comment: 14 pages, 9 figures, 3 table

The synaptic ribbon is critical for sound encoding at high rates and with temporal precision.

We studied the role of the synaptic ribbon for sound encoding at the synapses between inner hair cells (IHCs) and spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) in mice lacking RIBEYE (RBEKO/KO). Electron and immunofluorescence microscopy revealed a lack of synaptic ribbons and an assembly of several small active zones (AZs) at each synaptic contact. Spontaneous and sound-evoked firing rates of SGNs and their compound action potential were reduced, indicating impaired transmission at ribbonless IHC-SGN synapses. The temporal precision of sound encoding was impaired and the recovery of SGN-firing from adaptation indicated slowed synaptic vesicle (SV) replenishment. Activation of Ca2+-channels was shifted to more depolarized potentials and exocytosis was reduced for weak depolarizations. Presynaptic Ca2+-signals showed a broader spread, compatible with the altered Ca2+-channel clustering observed by super-resolution immunofluorescence microscopy. We postulate that RIBEYE disruption is partially compensated by multi-AZ organization. The remaining synaptic deficit indicates ribbon function in SV-replenishment and Ca2+-channel regulation

Prevalence and molecular epidemiology of bovine leukemia virus in Colombian cattle

Bovine leukemia virus (BLV) is one of the five agents considered most significant for cattle. It is important to determine the prevalence and molecular epidemiology of BLV throughout the country in order to gain a more thorough understanding of the current situation of BLV and to reveal the possibility of masked genotypes that the primers used by OIE are unable to identify. Blood samples were collected at random from 289 cows distributed in 75 farms across the country. PCR amplification of env, gag and tax gene segments was performed. The obtained amplicons were sequenced and then subjected to phylogenetic analyses. A total of 62% of the cows present at 92% of the farms were BLV-positive for gag fragment. Genotype 1 was exclusively detected by env gene segment when analyzed using previously reported primers. However, tax gene analysis revealed circulation of genotype 6 variants, which were also detected based on env gene analysis with newly designed primers. These results indicate that current genotyping approaches based on partial env sequencing may bias BLV genetic variability approaches and underestimate the diversity of the detected BLV genotypes. This report is one of the first molecular and epidemiological studies of BLV conducted in Colombia, which contributes to the global epidemiology of the virus; it also highlights the substantial impact of BLV on the country's livestock and thus is a useful resource for farmers and government entities