5W2H+M: A Broad Gamification Design Process But Focused on Motivation

Gamification has been increasingly implemented in systems to motivate users. To assist designers in the gamification process there are several frameworks, some of them address motivation in gamification superficially while others focus on motivation and are not broad enough. This work presents the 5W2H+M framework and its use to redesign an already gamified system. Game elements were implemented to motivate users to increase the frequency and quantity of responses; longevity of use; feeling of accompaniment, and; feeling of belonging on the users. An evaluation was conducted with a specialist and showed that the frequency, amount of questions and feeling of belonging improved. However, the longevity and accompaniment can be further addressed

A decomposition method to evaluate the ‘paradox of progress’ with evidence for Argentina

The ‘paradox of progress’ is an empirical regularity that associates more education with larger income inequality. Two driving and competing factors behind this phenomenon are the convexity of the ‘Mincer equation’ (that links wages and education) and the heterogeneity in its returns, as captured by quantile regressions. We propose a joint least-squares and quantile regression statistical framework to derive a decomposition in order to evaluate the relative contribution of each explanation. The estimators are based on the ‘functional derivative’ approach. We apply the proposed decomposition strategy to the case of Argentina 1992 to 2015.Centro de Estudios Distributivos, Laborales y Sociale

Análise sobre a gamificação em Ambientes Educacionais

A gamificação é a utilização de elementos de jogos em outros contextos sem relação com jogos, sendo uma técnica bastante utilizada nos ambientes educacionais para motivar os alunos. O objetivo desse trabalho é identificar como é feita a avaliação da experiência e interação do usuário com a gamificação aplicada em ambientes educacionais. Foram analisados trabalhos que fazem experimentos controlados comparando um ambiente educacional com e sem gamificação. Nesses trabalhos, existe uma grande variação em relação ao contexto, ao tempo de duração, ao número de participantes e de elementos utilizados. As métricas empregadas foram obtidas através de implementações no ambiente e em questionários de satisfação. Espera-se que, com o levantamento de diferentes formas de experimentação, outros trabalhos possam avaliar a utilização da gamificação em ambientes educacionais

Empreendedorismo no Brasil: um estudo sobre a mortalidade de micro e pequenas empresas / Entrepreneurship in Brazil: a study on micro and small business mortality

O processo de globalização não é recente. Devido à variedade cada vez maior de alternativas, o mercado proporciona uma indispensabilidade incessante de melhorias que tornem as empresas mais competitivas. Por isso as empresas que são prematuras, acabam falhando em não se planejarem da forma correta, e não buscam estudar o setor em que elas irão se inserir. Por isso, observa-se um considerável aumento do número de falências de empresas no Brasil. Por meio de um MASP (Método de Análise e Solução de Problemas), esse estudo objetiva corroborar com a importância de o empresário conhecer a área que ele irá se inserir, a importância do planejamento e da gestão empresarial para não ocorrer a mortalidade do empreendimento

Qualidade óssea de ratas wistar em crescimento alimentadas com ração hiperlipídica

A relação entre a obesidade e o tecido ósseopermanece contraditória, mesmo após anos deinvestigações. Os resultados são inespecíficos,sobretudo, quando é avaliado o efeito de dietas ricas emgordura em modelos experimentais. O objetivo desseestudo foi avaliar a qualidade óssea de ratas wistar emcrescimento alimentadas com ração hiperlipídica. Foramutilizadas 20 ratas pós-desmame. Elas foram divididasigualmente em dois grupos, sendo PAD: ratasalimentadas com ração padrão AIN-93 e HIP: ratasalimentadas com ração AIN-93 modificada de modo aconter 60% da energia em forma de gordura. O períodode tratamento foi de 5 semanas. As ratas foramsubmetidas à eutanásia por doses excessivas deanestesia e, após necropsia e dissecação, as tíbias foramanalisadas quando à Densidade Mineral Óssea (DMO),Resistência Mecânica e Análise microestrutural atravésda Microscopia Eletrônica de Varredura. A DMO foiestatisticamente maior no grupo HIP em relação aogrupo PAD, entretanto, a resistência mecânica foiestatisticamente igual entre os dois grupos. Amicroarquitetura permaneceu similar entre os doisgrupos após análise quantitativa. Foi possível concluir,portanto, que embora a DMO tenha sido maior no grupoalimentado com ração hiperlipídica, a resistênciamecânica e microarquitetura óssea permaneceu intactaapós 5 semanas de tratamento.The relationship between obesity and bonetissue remains contradictory, even after years ofinvestigation. The results are non-specific, particularlywhen it assessed the effect of high-fat diets inexperimental models. The aim of this study was toevaluate bone quality of wistar growing rats fed withhigh-fat diet. 20 post-weaning wistars rats were used inthis study. They were equally divided into two groups,PAD: rats fed with standard diet AIN-93 and HIP: ratsfed with a modified AIN-93 diet to contain 60% ofenergy as fat. The exposure period was 5 weeks. Therats were euthanized by overdose of anesthesia and,after autopsy and dissection, tibiae were analyzed whenthe Bone Mineral Density, Mechanical Strength andMicrostructural Analysis by Scanning ElectronMicroscopy. BMD was statistically higher in the HIPgroup compared to the PAD group. However, themechanical strength was statistically similar betweenthe two groups. Microarchitecture remained similarbetween the two groups observed by quantitativeanalysis. It was concluded, therefore, that althoughBMD was higher in the group fed high-fat diet, themechanical strength and bone microarchitectureremained intact after 5 weeks of exposure

Políticas, ideas y expertos en la cuestión social de la Argentina democrática (1983-2012)

The article examines poverty, education and health policies during the four political cycles following Argentina’s 1983 democratic restoration. It discusses the relationships between the role of experts and the circulation of ideas and the interplay of institutions, political alliances and restrictions imposed by the domestic and international contexts. The article signalizes the persistence of poverty as public problem, identifying continuities and ruptures among administrations and underscoring the broader degree of freedom of the realm of innovative ideas than that of policy implementation.El artículo examina las políticas hacia la pobreza, educación y salud en los cuatro ciclos de gobierno desde la restauración democrática en 1983 en Argentina hasta 2012, poniendo en relación el papel de los expertos y la circulación de ideas, con el juego de las instituciones y alianzas políticas y con las restricciones impuestas por el contexto local e internacional. Se señala la persistencia de la pobreza como problema público, y se identifican continuidades y rupturas entre las distintas administraciones, y sobre todo, los mayores grados de libertad de la innovación de ideas que la posibilidad de plasmarlas en políticas

Prognostic molecular markers in early breast cancer

A multitude of molecules involved in breast cancer biology have been studied as potential prognostic markers. In the present review we discuss the role of established molecular markers, as well as potential applications of emerging new technologies. Those molecules used routinely to make treatment decisions in patients with early-stage breast cancer include markers of proliferation (e.g. Ki-67), hormone receptors, and the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2. Tumor markers shown to have prognostic value but not used routinely include cyclin D(1 )and cyclin E, urokinase-like plasminogen activator/plasminogen activator inhibitor, and cathepsin D. The level of evidence for other molecular markers is lower, in part because most studies were retrospective and not adequately powered, making their findings unsuitable for choosing treatments for individual patients. Gene microarrays have been successfuly used to classify breast cancers into subtypes with specific gene expression profiles and to evaluate prognosis. RT-PCR has also been used to evaluate expression of multiple genes in archival tissue. Proteomics technologies are in development

Fucans, but Not Fucomannoglucuronans, Determine the Biological Activities of Sulfated Polysaccharides from Laminaria saccharina Brown Seaweed

Sulfated polysaccharides from Laminaria saccharina (new name: Saccharina latissima) brown seaweed show promising activity for the treatment of inflammation, thrombosis, and cancer; yet the molecular mechanisms underlying these properties remain poorly understood. The aim of this work was to characterize, using in vitro and in vivo strategies, the anti-inflammatory, anti-coagulant, anti-angiogenic, and anti-tumor activities of two main sulfated polysaccharide fractions obtained from L. saccharina: a) L.s.-1.0 fraction mainly consisting of O-sulfated mannoglucuronofucans and b) L.s.-1.25 fraction mainly composed of sulfated fucans. Both fractions inhibited leukocyte recruitment in a model of inflammation in rats, although L.s.-1.25 appeared to be more active than L.s.-1.0. Also, these fractions inhibited neutrophil adhesion to platelets under flow. Only fraction L.s.-1.25, but not L.s.-1.0, displayed anticoagulant activity as measured by the activated partial thromboplastin time. Investigation of these fractions in angiogenesis settings revealed that only L.s.-1.25 strongly inhibited fetal bovine serum (FBS) induced in vitro tubulogenesis. This effect correlated with a reduction in plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) levels in L.s.-1.25-treated endothelial cells. Furthermore, only parent sulfated polysaccharides from L. saccharina (L.s.-P) and its fraction L.s.-1.25 were powerful inhibitors of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) induced pathways. Consistently, the L.s.-1.25 fraction as well as L.s.-P successfully interfered with fibroblast binding to human bFGF. The incorporation of L.s.-P or L.s.-1.25, but not L.s.-1.0 into Matrigel plugs containing melanoma cells induced a significant reduction in hemoglobin content as well in the frequency of tumor-associated blood vessels. Moreover, i.p. administrations of L.s.-1.25, as well as L.s.-P, but not L.s.-1.0, resulted in a significant reduction of tumor growth when inoculated into syngeneic mice. Finally, L.s.-1.25 markedly inhibited breast cancer cell adhesion to human platelet-coated surfaces. Thus, sulfated fucans are mainly responsible for the anti-inflammatory, anticoagulant, antiangiogenic, and antitumor activities of sulfated polysaccharides from L. saccharina brown seaweed