Abstract: The present work studies the engagement of prosocial behavior as an antecedent of affective commitment within for-profit organizations. In order to accomplish this, the work focuses on the role of positive feelings. It tests a partial least square-structural equation model using a cross-sectional survey of 144 professional employees from several Colombian industries. Results obtained show that prosocial behavior is associated with affective commitment, but only with the intervention of meaningfulness at work. These associations provide insight into professional employees’ attitudes towards the search for intrinsic motivation and engagement in for-profit organizational environments. Further implications revolve around the justification for working on practices that not only found and foster prosocial behavior in the workplace but also promote skill variety, task identity, and task meaningfulness to obtain adequate levels of engagement and commitment. Finally, since most studies have been conducted in developed countries, this study also contributes to a better understanding of the topic in previously unexplored contexts. In this case, a Latin American emerging economy, like Colombia. Resumen: El presente trabajo estudia el comportamiento prosocial como un antecedente, tanto del trabajo significativo como del compromiso afectivo en el contexto de las organizaciones con fines de lucro. Para ello, el trabajo se enfoca en el papel de los sentimientos positivos y prueba un modelo de ecuaciones estructurales basado en mínimos cuadrados parciales, a partir de la aplicación transversal de un instrumento a 144 empleados profesionales de varias industrias en Colombia. Los resultados obtenidos muestran que el comportamiento prosocial está asociado con el compromiso afectivo, pero solo gracias la intervención de la experiencia de tener un trabajo significativo. Estas asociaciones proporcionan conocimiento sobre las actitudes de los empleados profesionales hacia la búsqueda de la motivación intrínseca y la participación en entornos organizacionales con fines de lucro. Las implicaciones giran en torno a la justificación para trabajar en prácticas gerenciales que no solo encuentran y fomentan el comportamiento prosocial en el lugar de trabajo, sino que también promuevan la variedad de habilidades, la identidad de la tarea y la significancia de la tarea para obtener niveles adecuados de responsabilidad y compromiso. Finalmente, dado que la mayoría de los estudios se han realizado en países desarrollados, este estudio también contribuye a una mejor comprensión del tema en contextos previamente inexplorados; en este caso, una economía en vías de desarrollo, como la colombiana.

Abstract: Using the theoretical-methodological perspective based on experience frameworks, this paper aims at analyzing and understanding the way in which organizations communicate aspects that are related to occupational safety and health. In this sense, we carry out an analysis of the narratives related to this topic and propose a diagnosis mechanism to subjectively measure the burden of the regulatory, strategic, and moral frameworks of these narratives. A panel of Latin American experts applied a three-round Delphi analysis on five case studies in Colombia to illustrate how this mechanism works. In addition to the use of a robust research paradigm, this work contributes by proposing a scheme capable of presenting the motivations and interests of occupational safety and health professionals in perspective, finding imbalances in the way relevant information is transmitted through official messages and channels. Therefore, its use is susceptible to study in this and other areas of knowledge of the organizational discipline, and its adoption could be worthwhile in order to generate more and better knowledge in this regard. Resumen: Haciendo uso de la perspectiva teórico-metodológica basada en los marcos de la experiencia, el presente trabajo tiene como propósito analizar y entender la forma en la que, usualmente, se comunican los aspectos relacionados con la seguridad y la salud en el trabajo en el contexto organizacional. En este sentido, se despliega un análisis sobre las narrativas propias de esta temática y se propone un mecanismo de diagnóstico para medir subjetivamente la carga de los marcos reglamentario, estratégico y moral de dichas narrativas. Un análisis Delphi de tres rondas aplicado por un panel de expertos latinoamericanos sobre cinco casos de estudio en Colombia ilustra la manera en la que el mecanismo en mención puede funcionar. Adicional al uso de un paradigma investigativo robusto, el trabajo contribuye, toda vez que propone un esquema capaz de exponer en perspectiva, las motivaciones y los intereses de los profesionales de la seguridad y salud en el trabajo, encontrando desequilibrios en cuanto a la forma de transmitir información relevante por medio de mensajes y canales oficiales. Por tanto, su uso es susceptible de estudio en esta y otras áreas del conocimiento de la disciplina organizacional, y su adopción podría valer la pena en aras de generar más y mejor conocimiento al respecto.

Abstract: This paper investigates the combined failure mode of the Extended Hollo-Bolt (EHB) and the effect of the column thickness on the tensile behaviour of the blind fastener. A three-dimensional Finite Element (FE) model was developed, validated against experimental data and used in a parametric study. The non-linear numerical model, which simulates a single row of two EHB in tension, presents reliable results of the column and bolt failure modes in agreement with experimental data. It is concluded that the failure mode is first controlled by the plastic resistance of the component limited by concrete the bolt. An analytical model which predicts the global force-displacement relationships when varying the column thickness is proposed. Therefore, the stiffness and the strength behaviours of this combined mode of failure for the studied blind fastener can be estimated. Resumen: Este artículo investiga el modo de falla combinado del Extended Hollo-Bolt (EHB) y el efecto del espesor de la columna en el comportamiento de tracción del tornillo ciego. Se desarrolló un modelo tridimensional de elementos finitos (FE), que se validó con datos experimentales y se utilizó en un estudio paramétrico. El modelo numérico no lineal, que simula una sola fila de dos EHBs en tensión, presenta resultados confiables de los modos de falla de la columna y el tornillo de acuerdo con los datos experimentales. Se concluye que el modo de falla se controla primero por la resistencia plástica del componente limitada por la falla del concreto junto con la deformación de la sección tubular de acero; luego es controlado por las propiedades del tornillo. Se propone un modelo analítico que predice la relación fuerza-desplazamiento global cuando se varía el espesor de la columna. Por lo tanto, se pueden estimar los comportamientos de rigidez y resistencia de este modo combinado de falla para el tornillo ciego estudiado.

Abstract: Floods are disastrous natural severe weather events that cause large damage worldwide each year, inducing loss of human lives, destruction of infrastructure and economical losses. Consequently, forecasting this type of events through hydrological modelling is of great importance from a civil protection point of view since it allows institutions to reduce the generated hydrological risk by means of early warning systems. Nevertheless, ungauged basins where there is lack of direct measurements of meteorological information to force the models is one encountered problematic affecting the forecasts. In the present study is evaluated the possibility of using meteorological predictions coming from MOLOCH model to force the FEST-WB hydrological model to perform discharge forecasting. This, under the hypothesis that the committed error of the prediction is negligible when using forecasts up to 24 h. The study is done in a well-known area such as the Seveso-Olona-Lambro river basins located in northern Italy. Thus, the main hydro-meteorological variables are analysed by carrying out a comparison between spatialized observed meteorological data coming from ARPA and meteonetwork weather stations and meteorological predictions. Moreover, a sensitivity analysis following the one-factor-at-time methodology is accomplished with the aim of defining which forcing mostly affects flowrate forecasts. It is shown that discreet correspondence of information with an underestimation trend – particularly for large values - is verified for discharge at hourly and daily scale, and that underestimation of precipitation - especially in summer - and overestimation of solar radiation are the main reasons of this. Hence, to improve the predictability when coupling the two models, some actions should be evaluated to enhance the correspondence of the meteorological forcings. Resumen: Las inundaciones son desastres naturales que causan una gran cantidad de daño alrededor del mundo cada año, induciendo pérdidas de vidas humanas, destrucción de infraestructura y pérdidas económicas. En consecuencia, la predicción de este tipo de eventos a través de modelos hidrológicos es de suma importancia desde el punto de vista de la protección civil ya que permite a las instituciones reducir el riesgo hidrológico creado, por medio de sistemas de alerta temprana. Sin embargo, cuencas hidrográficas sin instrumentación en las que existe una falta de mediciones directas de información meteorológica para inicializar los modelos, es una problemática encontrada que afecta a las predicciones. En el presente estudio se evalúa la posibilidad de usar predicciones meteorológicas obtenidas con el modelo MOLOCH para inicializar el modelo hidrológico FEST-WB y así realizar predicciones de caudal. Lo anterior se realiza hipotetizando que el error cometido en la predicción de caudal resulta ser insignificante cuando se utilizan predicciones meteorológicas hasta las primeras 24 h. El estudio se realiza en un área ampliamente estudiada como la cuenca de los ríos Seveso-Olona-Lambro localizados en el norte de Italia. De este modo, las principales variables hidro-meteorológicas son analizadas llevando a cabo una comparación entre información meteorológica observada y espacializada, obtenida a partir de las estaciones climáticas de ARPA y meteonetwork, y las predicciones meteorológicas. Adicionalmente, se efectúa un análisis de sensibilidad con la metodología “un factor a la vez” (one-factor-at-time) con el objetivo de definir cuál de las forzantes afecta mayoritariamente las predicciones de caudal. Se evidencia que para los caudales a escalas horaria y diaria existe una correspondencia de información discreta con una tendencia a la subestimación, particularmente para valores elevados, y que, la subestimación de la precipitación (especialmente en verano) y la sobreestimación de la radiación solar son las razones principales de este comportamiento. Por consiguiente, para mejorar la predictibilidad cuando se acoplan los dos modelos mencionados, acciones adicionales deben ser evaluadas para realzar la correspondencia de las forzantes meteorológicas.

Abstract: The adequate provision of service delivery is essential for social welfare; however, providers performance varies, tending to underperform in developing countries. Therefore, whether providers responsiveness is sensitive to citizen oversight remains a relevant question for public governance. To this extent, Understanding the dynamics of accountability as a strategy to foster access, quality, and affordability of services delivery is vital to ensure development. This thesis establishes a quantitative assessment of the relationship between accountability and development. First, I systematically reviewed the empirical literature evaluating how accountability interventions affect service delivery in developing countries between 1990-2020, finding twenty-one papers from nine developing countries. Then, I conducted a meta-analysis based on an RVE model with over 90 outcomes to quantitatively synthesise the effectiveness of accountability in triggering citizen oversight of service delivery and providers responsiveness. The findings suggest that although accountability increases citizen knowledge of civic and political means to demand service delivery reforms, factors such as context, accountability structure and interventions length influence its effectiveness. While the results provide evidence to inform policy-making about aspects that effectively ignite citizen participation, they also suggest future research avenues to further conceptualise this relationship in an era of widely accessible information and new approaches to democracy.

Abstract: Because there is nothing intelligent to say about a massacre. Everybody is supposed to be dead, to never say anything or want anything ever again. Everything is supposed to be very quiet after a massacre, and it always is, except for the birds.” All wars are atrocious, and the task of incorporating such inglorious events into a nation’s collective identity becomes understandably hard. But it needs to be done, otherwise, the memory of the war might be trivialized and forgotten and, hence, are more prone to be repeated. War is bound to replicate itself without confrontation and awareness. Mosul city was established on the western bank of the Tigris River in the 6th Century, just across the water from the ruins of the Assyrian city of Nineveh. The city flourished during the ancient era establishing itself as an epicentre of the Islamic world, therefore it is rich with ancient ruins and cultural heritage. The war which erupted in Iraq didn’t aim to destroy only its defence, but also its identity. Entire urban blocks of Mosul’s city were damaged so severely, that when it comes to reconstruction it cannot simply restore the former fabrics, either of space or architecture. The war has changed everything, and most critically the structure of society itself. The spatial reconstruction will mostly require more than just physical rehabilitation and restoration of the cities devastated infrastructure and housing. In order to provide sensations for the need of diversity and unity, more urgent concern should be given to restoring public facilities and daily utilities. Architectural and landscape design can be judiciously used in healing the social structure. How can common spaces be rearranged to create conditions for a peaceful and creative coexistence among citizens which survived such horrors? How can the location and the design of such utilities be done in a way as to meet the needs for intimacy and peace? This thesis study intends to recommend an urban and architectural regeneration project, to be taken upon during the redevelopment of the old city of Mosul. Furthermore, a set of strategies that may ensure the preservation of the urban identity of the area, while redeveloping and coping with the environmental, socioeconomic and political changes have been identified for reclaiming the urban identity and promoting the sense of belonging.

Abstract: The disorders caused by mutations in genes encoding subunits and accessory proteins of cohesin complex are collectively termed as cohesinopathies. The best known cohesinopathy is Cornelia de Lange Syndrome (CdLS), which is a multisystem developmental disorder characterized by facial dysmorphism, limb malformations, growth and cognitive impairment. Mutations in five genes, encoding subunits of the cohesin complex (SMC1A, SMC3, RAD21) and its regulators (NIPBL, HDAC8), are responsible for ∼70% of CdLS cases. We describe a 16-year-old boy with facial dysmorphism, growth retardation, intellectual disability, hirsutism and small hands, who has a small Supernumerary Marker Chromosome (sSMC) present in mosaic form. sSMC is composed of two duplicated segments encompassing 17 genes including SMC1A gene, at the regions Xp11.22 and Xp11.21q11.1. Clinical comparison between our patient with a previously reported individual with a SMC1A duplication and four male carriers of similar sSMC reported in databases, suggest that they all share clinical features related to cohesinopathies. Although our patient does not have the classical CdLS craniofacial phenotype, he has pre and postnatal growth retardation, intellectual disability and mild musculoskeletal anomalies, features commonly seen in patients with cohesinopathies.

Abstract: Mobility is a multifaceted concept with social, economic and political implications. This article reflects on the role of mobility and its relation to precarity in the emergence of protests in both Quito (Ecuador) and Santiago (Chile) in 2019 by examining the interplay between mobility and inequality. It argues that the announced increases in transport and fuel costs in Chile and Ecuador exposed obstacles to spatial and social mobility and existing inequalities. Although the protests arose in response to the announced reduction in fuel subsidies and possible increases in transport costs, we propose that they reflect a deeper issue, relating to the vulnerability of the livelihoods of significant segments of the population, despite the fact that both Quito and Santiago have seen improvements in several poverty and inequality indicators in recent years. We discuss how mobility and geography relate to patterns of structural marginalisation that are not necessarily evident from aggregate economic indicators, and how understanding inequality in terms of the ‘right to the city’ and access to public services explain the protests in both countries as a response to existing segregation and deep-seated inequalities.

Abstract: One of the most valuable features of Capital and Ideology is its concern to take history seriously and consider how the emergence of different political and economic regimes relate to discourses about fairness and justice across time. This paper pushes this agenda further by acknowledging that the experience of a few developed nations should not be taken as the template for the generalized study of inequality dynamics across time and space. In this paper, we interrogate Piketty's analysis and policy proposals against specificities that are central to understanding the production and reproduction of inequalities within South Africa. We reflect on the South African case, the structure of inequality and its changes since 1994. We review a battery of policy interventions that have been implemented to address inequality in the last 25 years. We emphasize that the long shadow cast by centuries of colonialism and various forms of apartheid strongly affirm Piketty's emphasis on understanding history. But this is both affirmation and critique given the foundational, imbedded impact that this specific legacy has had on post-apartheid society and its policies. Piketty is aware that the levels of inequality in South Africa are so high that this is “unknown territory.” We map out some of this territory to reveal how these extreme initial wealth and racial inequities inform the reproduction of inequalities in all dimensions and undermine well intentioned policies. We claim that understanding extractive histories, imbedded wealth inequalities, and complex social and political institutions allows us to understand and confront some of the reasons why even in light of progressive policies, many of which are in line with the proposals from Piketty, government interventions have thus far failed to reduce inequality.

Abstract: Cornelia de Lange Syndrome (CdLS) is a congenital autosomal dominant (NIPBL, SMC3 and RAD21) or Xlinked (SMC1A and HDAC8) disorder characterized by facial dysmorphism, pre and postnatal growth retardation, developmental delay and/or intellectual disability, and multiorgan involvement. Musculoskeletal malformations are usually bilateral and affect mainly the upper limbs; the range goes from brachyclinodactyly to severe reduction defects. Instead lower extremities are usually less and mildly involved. Here, we report on a 3-year-old Senegalese boy with typical craniofacial CdLS features, pre and postnatal growth retardation, atrial septal defect, developmental delay and right ipsilateral limb malformations, consistent with oligodactyly of the 3rd and 4th fingers, tibial agenesis and fibula hypoplasia. Exome sequencing and Sanger sequencing showed a novel missense mutation in NIPBL gene (c.6647A>G; p.(Tyr2216Cys)), which affects a conserved residue located within NIPBL HEAT repeat elements. Pyrosequencing analysis of NIPBL gene, disclosed similar levels of wild-type and mutated alleles in DNA and RNA samples from all tissues analyzed (oral mucosa epithelial cells, peripheral blood leukocytes and fibroblasts). These findings indicated the absence of somatic mosaicism, despite of the segmental asymmetry of the limbs, and confirmed biallelic expression for NIPBL transcripts, respectively. Additionally, conditions like Split-hand/foot malformation with long-bone deficiency secondary to duplication of BHLHA9 gene have been ruled out by the array-CGH and MLPA analysis. To our knowledge, this is the first CdLS patient described with major ipsilateral malformations of both the upper and lower extremities, that even though this finding could be due to a random event, expands the spectrum of limb reduction defects in CdLS.