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Currently, tuberculosis (TB) and COVID-19 account for substantial morbidity and mortality worldwide, not only during their acute phase, but also because of their sequelae. This scoping review aims to describe the specific aspects of post-TB and post-COVID (long-COVID-19) sequelae, and the implications for post-disease follow-up and rehabilitation. In particular, evidence on how to identify patients affected by sequelae is presented and discussed. A section of the review is dedicated to identifying patients eligible for pulmonary rehabilitation (PR), as not all patients with sequelae are eligible for PR. Components of PR are presented and discussed, as well as their effectiveness. Other essential components to implement comprehensive rehabilitation programmes such as counselling and health education of enrolled patients, evaluation of cost-effectiveness of PR and its impact on health systems as well as research priorities for the future are included in this scoping review.

Multimodal emotion detection has been one of the main lines of research in the field of Affective Computing (AC) in recent years. Multimodal detectors aggregate information coming from different channels or modalities to determine what emotion users are expressing with a higher degree of accuracy. However, despite the benefits offered by this kind of detectors, their presence in real implementations is still scarce for various reasons. In this paper, we propose a technology-agnostic framework, HERA, to facilitate the creation of multimodal emotion detectors, offering a tool characterized by its modularity and the interface-based programming approach adopted in its development. HERA (Heterogeneous Emotional Results Aggregator) offers an architecture to integrate different emotion detection services and aggregate their heterogeneous results to produce a final result using a common format. This proposal constitutes a step forward in the development of multimodal detectors, providing an architecture to manage different detectors and fuse the results produced by them in a sensible way. We assessed the validity of the proposal by testing the system with several developers with no previous knowledge about affective technology and emotion detection. The assessment was performed applying the Computer System Usability Questionnaire and the Twelve Cognitive Dimensions Questionnaire, used by The Visual Studio Usability group at Microsoft, obtaining positive results and important feedback for future versions of the system.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which since 2013 is considered as an umbrella term for several disorders such as autistic syndrome, Asperger’s disorder and pervasive developmental disorder, is characterized, among other aspects, by deficits in social-emotion reciprocity. This deficit manifests itself as a reduced sharing of emotions and an increased difficulty in interpreting emotions other people are feeling, which in the end leads to more impairments in social communication. Since it is possible to help a person with ASD (especially children) to improve their ability to understand and detect emotions, we have developed a proposal which integrates emotion recognition technologies, often used in the field of HCI, to try to overcome this difficulty. In this paper, we present a novel software application developed as a serious game to teach children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to identify and express emotions. The system incorporates cutting-edge technology to support novel interaction mechanisms based on tangible user interfaces (TUIs) and emotion recognition from facial expressions. In this way, children interact with the system in a natural way by simply grasping objects with their hands and using their faces. The system has been assessed on the premises of an association with children with ASD. The outcomes of the evaluation are very positive and support the validity of the proposal.

Cells remodel their structure in response to mechanical strain. However, how mechanical forces are translated into biochemical signals that coordinate the structural changes observed at the plasma membrane (PM) and the underlying cytoskeleton during mechanoadaptation is unclear. Here, we show that PM mechanoadaptation is controlled by a tension-sensing pathway composed of c-Abl tyrosine kinase and membrane curvature regulator FBP17. FBP17 is recruited to caveolae to induce the formation of caveolar rosettes. FBP17 deficient cells have reduced rosette density, lack PM tension buffering capacity under osmotic shock, and cannot adapt to mechanical strain. Mechanistically, tension is transduced to the FBP17 F-BAR domain by direct phosphorylation mediated by c-Abl, a mechanosensitive molecule. This modification inhibits FBP17 membrane bending activity and releases FBP17-controlled inhibition of mDia1-dependent stress fibers, favoring membrane adaptation to increased tension. This mechanoprotective mechanism adapts the cell to changes in mechanical tension by coupling PM and actin cytoskeleton remodeling., Mechanical forces are sensed by cells and can alter plasma membrane properties, but biochemical changes underlying this are not clear. Here the authors show tension is sensed by c-Abl and FBP17, which couples changes in mechanical tension to remodelling of the plasma membrane and actin cytoskeleton.

Language learning from an increasingly early age is a challenge that most schools in all countries are taking up. Numerous methods are available to facilitate language teaching at different levels. In the case of children, interactive systems are especially convenient to increase their motivation and engagement. In this paper we present an interactive system, called IRIS, specifically designed to support English language learning for primary school children, applying teaching techniques based on "learning while playing". During the learning process the figure of the teacher is very important, and this system has been implemented to cover both roles, that of students and teachers, so that the latter can design and guide the activities to be carried out by the students and subsequently monitor their progress. The teacher accesses the Control Panel, designed for the management of students and activities, while the students directly access the playground, where they playfully carry out the activities selected by their teacher. The system allows a personalized monitoring of students and is especially useful in contexts where students cannot attend classes in person, or in schools where students are separated in different locations, as it is the case of Gathered Rural Schools.

In this paper we present a novel software application developed as a serious game to teach children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to identify and express emotions. The system incorporates cutting-edge technology to support innovative interaction mechanisms based on Tangible User Interfaces (TUI) and emotion recognition based on facial expressions. This way, children interact with the system in a natural way just by grasping objects with their hands and using their faces. The system has been assessed in the premises of an association with children with ASD. The outcomes of the evaluation are very positive showing the validity of the proposal.

Background: Serum concentrations of ST2 (interleukin-1 receptor-like 1) represent a meaningful prognostic marker in cardiac diseases. Production of soluble ST2 (sST2) may be partially extracardiac. Identification of sST2 sources is relevant to design strategies for modulating its signaling. Methods and Results: An experimental model of ischemic heart failure was used. sST2, membrane-bound ST2 (ST2L), and IL-33 were measured in lungs, heart, kidney, and liver by quantifying mRNA and protein expression in tissue samples obtained at different times (1, 2, 4, and 24 weeks). Primary human type II pneumocyte cell cultures were subjected to strain. sST2 was measured in samples of bronchial aspirate and serum obtained from patients treated with invasive respiratory support. In the experimental model, sST2 increased significantly from the first week in both lungs and myocardium, whereas ST2L/IL-33 response was unfavorable in lungs (decrease) and favorable in myocardium (increase). No changes were observed in liver and kidneys. ST2 immunostaining was intensely observed in alveolar epithelium, and sST2 was secreted by primary human type II pneumocytes in response to strain. sST2 levels in lung aspirates were substantially higher in the presence of cardiogenic pulmonary edema (median, 228 [interquartile range, 28.4–324.0] ng/mL; P Conclusions: The lungs are a relevant source of sST2 in heart failure. These results may have implications for the progression of disease and the development of therapies targeting the ST2 system in patients with heart failure.

The new technologies for data analysis, such as decision tree learning, may help to predict the risk of developing diseases. The aim of the present work was to develop a pilot decision tree learning to predict overweight/obesity based on the combination of six single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) located in feeding-associated genes. Genotype study was performed in 151 healthy individuals, who were anonymized and randomly selected from the TALAVERA study. The decision tree analysis was performed using the R package rpart. The learning process was stopped when 15 or less observation was found in a node. The participant group consisted of 78 men and 73 women, who 100 individuals showed body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25 kg/m2 and 51 BMI

This case study proposes to rethink context as a determinant of digital government success and elaborate on the variables that affect these initiatives in specific contexts. When talking about contextual variables, researchers often categorize them as social, political, and economic. Regarding social conditions, the digital divide is probably the most studied concept, although the conceptualization can vary for authors from different disciplines and theoretical traditions. For instance, many authors use the digital divide to not only refer to access to the Internet and related technologies, but also the skills and capabilities of users and how they use technologies to generate value in their daily lives. This case study argues, however, that the social context goes well beyond the digital divide and includes additional important factors like extreme poverty and legal vulnerability. Using the case of immigration services in the southern border of Mexico, this paper shows how multiple variables from the social environment affect digital government success and its impact on multiple users.

Emotion detection has become one of the most important aspects to consider in any project related to Affective Computing. Due to the almost endless applications of this new discipline, the development of emotion detection technologies has brought up as a quite profitable opportunity in the corporate sector. Many start-up enterprises have emerged in the last years, dedicated almost exclusively to a specific type of emotion detection technology. In this paper, we present a thorough review of current technologies to detect human emotions. To this end, we explore the different sources from which emotions can be read, along with existing technologies developed to recognize them. We also explore some application domains in which this technology has been applied. This survey has let us identify the strengths and shortcomings of current technology for emotion detection. We conclude the survey highlighting the aspects that requires further research and development.

Historically, e-government approaches have focused on citizens as the most important audience for government information and services. This focus is appropriate for most traditional public services. However, a large number of service users are noncitizens, including, for example, people applying for immigration services. Theoretically and practically, there are interesting differences between government services targeted to citizens and migration services. Some of these differences are due largely to the rules and laws that apply in each case, but there are also differences related to the fact that the majority of users of migration services are not citizens and they are very diverse in many respects. For instance, in the case of noncitizens the audience and their needs can be as broad as their different nationalities and different contexts they reside in. This chapter identifies and explains some of these differences and also a few similarities. It considers the variables from Fountain’s technology enactment framework and includes some additional environmental conditions based on a previous extension of that initial model, applying them to the case of immigration services for border workers in the south of Mexico. Based on this analysis, this chapter suggests a preliminary reinterpretation of the technology enactment framework and highlights the differences between e-government services for citizens and for noncitizens, in order to propose a discussion about a group of users that has not been thoroughly analyzed in the literature, but which is important for scholars and practitioners to consider.

“Los hechos que relato en esta tesis no son aislados, la violencia del despojo y la imposición de grandes agendas económicas sobre el territorio están articuladas unas con otras. Es complejo reflexionar mientras la represión ocurre frente a tu puerta, en este momento mientras escribo esta introducción la policía está arremetiendo con gases lacrimógenos contra maestros que continúan en la lucha por defender la educación. Pero mientras constantemente suceden situaciones de violencia e injusticia, existe el llamado a sistematizar, documentar y teorizar sobre esto que nos sucede. La violencia a Nochixtlán de parte del gobierno, sucede en un espacio que me es cercano, un lugar de paso entre territorios con los cuales tengo fuertes vínculos y significados conectados a mi historia y a la de los colectivos con los cuales he hecho equipo. Estas violencias, afectan a profundidad la vida, personal, social y comunitaria, así lo hicieron también conmigo y con muchas personas muy cercanas. Sin embargo, estos mismos hechos reiteran mi compromiso por cuestionar el modelo neoliberal que se fortalece con muchas estrategias para despojar a las personas de sus sabidurías, fuerzas vitales y territorios. Nochixtlán ha sido mi lugar de paso durante los últimos seis años, para ir a poblaciones diversas de la mixteca, rumbo a Huajuapan y Tlaxiaco. Desde el año 2014 ha sido parte de mi camino para llegar a Santiago Yosondúa, lugar donde se sitúa esta investigación. En ese andar, vinculándome con espacios organizativos, hace varios años empecé a hacer equipo con otros y otras que buscaban informar sobre las concesiones y consecuencias de la minería, de esa forma fue que llegué a Santiago Yosondúa”.

Objective: A multimarker strategy may help determine the prognosis of patients with acute heart failure (AHF). The aim of this study was to evaluate the capacity of mid-regional pro-adrenomedullin (MRproADM), copeptin and interleukin-6 (IL-6) combined with conventional clinical and biochemical markers to predict the 30-day mortality of patients with AHF. Methods: We performed an observational, multicenter, prospective study of patients attended in the emergency department (ED) for AHF. We collected clinical and biochemical data as well as comorbidities and biomarker values. The endpoint variable was mortality at 7, 14, 30, 90 and 180 days. The clinical model included: gender, age, blood pressure values, hemoglobin, sodium

Aims To evaluate if rivaroxaban, an oral factor Xa (FXa) inhibitor, could modify the expression in vitro of inflammatory and oxidative stress biomarkers in abdominal aortic aneurysmal (AAA) sites showing intraluminal thrombus. Methods AAA sites with intraluminal mural thrombus were obtained from six patients undergoing elective AAA repair. In addition, control abdominal aortic samples were obtained from six organ donors. AAA sites were incubated in the presence and absence of 50 nmol l–1 rivaroxaban. Results AAA sites showing thrombus demonstrated higher content of FXa than control. Interleukin-6 levels released from AAA [Control: median: 23.45 (interquartile range: 16.17–37.15) vs. AAA: median: 153.07 (interquartile range: 100.80–210.69) pg ml–1 mg tissue–1, P

The objective of this research is to analyze two important aspects: first is the centrality of the user in e-Government projects and the second is e-government processes associated with migration. Regarding the former, studies of egovernment have not addressed in depth the centrality of the citizen. They have partially studied some way, either from the supply side or the demand side, so this study aims to analyze the three elements: organizational process, web portal, and necessities and capabilities from the perspective of the citizen. Furthermore, this study aims to address migration issues, in particular the modernization of National Institute of Migration at the Mexico's southern border, in Tapachula Chiapas the border with Guatemala, specifically with those migrants who came to Mexico for labor objectives.

The purpose of this poster is to present the current state of this study. The objective is to know whether the Mexican National Migration Institute web portal provides the results users expect; in particular to obtain the entry permission to foreign workers, and if the process is easier, cheaper, and faster now with the implementation of information technologies than it was before. This is particularly interesting, since the main users of these processes are not citizens, but national from Central American countries. The question that leads this research project is the following, which are the organizational and institutional variables that have influenced the technological characteristics of INM's web portal and how those characteristics produced benefits and respond to the user's expectations? Are the influences similar to the ones present in citizen-oriented applications and systems? To reach this goal a mixed methodology is applied with three different techniques: interviews of coffee growers and Guatemalan workers, an assessment of the technical features of the web portal and an analysis of the official documents of National Migration Institute.

The purpose of this poster is to present a theoretical review of different conceptualizations related to citizen-centered e-government and to propose a more integral approach, which includes not only the work of government, but also the demands and capabilities of citizens. In this review we consider various approaches to this topic. We argue that for a truly citizen-centered approach three aspects must be taken into consideration: organizational processes and the transformation of the back office, the multiple services offered to citizens, and the needs and capabilities of citizens and other potential users.