This work presents four high-amplitude variable YSOs (≃3 mag at near- or mid-IR wavelengths) arising from the SPICY catalog. Three outbursts show a duration that is longer than 1 year, and are still ongoing. And additional YSO brightened over the last two epochs of NEOWISE observations and the duration of the outburst is thus unclear. Analysis of the spectra of the four sources confirms them as new members of the eruptive variable class. We find two YSOs that can be firmly classified as bona fide FUors and one object that falls in the V1647 Ori-like class. Given the uncertainty in the duration of its outburst, an additional YSO can only be classified as a candidate FUor. Continued monitoring and follow-up of these particular sources is important to better understand the accretion process of YSOs.

Colombia is an emerging country that has institutional stability and perspectives of fast economic growth. Indeed, despite decades of internal conflict and drug related security challenges, Colombia maintains relatively strong democratic institutions characterized by peaceful, transparent elections and the protection of civil liberties (CIA World Factbook, 2014). Today, Colombia is Latin America’s fourth largest economy. Most importantly, the country is witnessing the benefits of governmental and economic stability, as evidenced by its commodity markets, strong macroeconomic policies, and improved security and infrastructure conditions. The bottom line is that Colombia has been witnessing strong economic performance since the early 2000s (OECD, 2013), and now its citizens are reaping the benefit of being new middle-class and upper-class members. A remarkable characteristic of emerging countries is the increase in the size and the economic power of their middle-class population (Bridsal, 2010). The middle-class is an ambiguous social classification, which reflects the ability of a group of citizens within a country to lead a comfortable life. These comforts include, stable housing, access to quality healthcare, educational opportunities, job security, and discretionary income that can be spent on vacation and other leisure pursuits (Kharas, 2010; p.7). As country’s become increasingly wealthier in term of gross national output, the country’s middle-class typically witnesses corresponding increases in income levels and more available cash to use for marketplace consumption. Indeed, in terms of Colombia, its middle-class represents approximately 26% of total consumption (Ferreiro et al., 2013; Bridsal, 2010; p.11). Perhaps, one of the common characteristics across all global middle-class populations is their unique affinity for mall shopping compared to the lower-class and upper-class populations (Jafferlot & van den Veer, 2008; Conroy, 1998). That is, middle- class consumers show strong preferences for visiting and patronizing modern department stores and shopping malls (Mathur, 2010). Indeed, shopping malls are important for newly minted middle-class populations because it signals to them they have reached a higher status and possess disposable income for engaging in shopping, luxury consumption, and entertainment activities (Banerjee & Duflo, 2008). Given Colombia’s economic growth and its newly created middle-class population, understanding consumption patterns among this group is well-warranted, especially given Colombia’s emerging nation status. Thus, the goal of this presentation is to introduce the global community to the growing and affluent Colombian middle-class consumers. We achieve this goal by exploring the types of mall shoppers that currently exist in Colombia and by exploring how consumption patterns differ between and among different demographic consumer segments. Interestingly, one of the primary findings that emerge from this research is that the Colombian middle-class consumer exhibits essentially the same consumption pattern as any other consumer in an industrialized nation. That is, the typical middle-class consumer is a female housewife who enjoys shopping as a leisure activity. In the following section, we discuss a brief review of the literature and then discuss our research methodology and findings. We conclude this extended abstract with a discussion of managerial and theoretical implications and research limitations.

arched for standards in teacher competency for the different economies in the Asia-Pacific region. We found information about them in several documents contained in the UNESCO and in the Ministry of Education of each economy. After that, we looked for common strategies to propose a model for teacher training with ICT and in the use and introduction of ICT in schools. We found that there are a lot of commonalities, specifically that teachers should be competent in a variety of software and technological tools appropriated to the topic they teach and the students 'age, assess the software and technological tools relevant to the topic they teach and their potential to be used in class, use the computers in a constructive way and to prepare and utilize work plans that incorporate the use of technology. But despite all the advances and recommendations about ICT introduction in teacher training, we still lack a common model that allows us to exchange and share information regarding this issue, even within the Asia-Pacific region. We tried to put these competencies in one single place so that people can access and consider them in developing a teacher training or ICT introduction to classrooms programs.

The MIM technology is an alternative process for fabricating near net shape components that usually uses gas atomised powders with small size (< 20 μm) and spherical shape. In this work, the possibility of changing partially or totally spherical powder by an irregular and/or coarse one that is cheaper than the former was investigated. In this way, different bronze 90/10 components were fabricated by mixing three different types of powder, gas and water atomised with different particle sizes, in order to evaluate how the particle shape and size affect the MIM process.