El reclutamiento del profesorado universitario: desde un pasado reciente a un futuro posible

El título de este estudio recoge uno de los fenómenos más polémicos entre la población universitaria. Se trata, sin duda alguna, de uno de los principales problemas existentes en la actual Universidad española. Su análisis requiere prudencia en la argumentación, tanto si es a favor como si lo es en contra, de este sistema de selección docente, así como en la incorporación de los diversos matices que puedan precisar con mayor objetividad y rigor la presencia del mismo o su sustitución por otro procedimiento más acorde con los tiempos que corren

Machine Learning approach for TWA detection relying on ensemble data design

Background and objective: T-wave alternans (TWA) is a fluctuation of the ST–T complex of the surface electrocardiogram (ECG) on an every–other–beat basis. It has been shown to be clinically helpful for sudden cardiac death stratification, though the lack of a gold standard to benchmark detection methods limits its application and impairs the development of alternative techniques. In this work, a novel approach based on machine learning for TWA detection is proposed. Additionally, a complete experimental setup is presented for TWA detection methods benchmarking. Methods: The proposed experimental setup is based on the use of open-source databases to enable experiment replication and the use of real ECG signals with added TWA episodes. Also, intra-patient overfitting and class imbalance have been carefully avoided. The Spectral Method (SM), the Modified Moving Average Method (MMA), and the Time Domain Method (TM) are used to obtain input features to the Machine Learning (ML) algorithms, namely, K Nearest Neighbor, Decision Trees, Random Forest, Support Vector Machine and Multi-Layer Perceptron. Results: There were not found large differences in the performance of the different ML algorithms. Decision Trees showed the best overall performance (accuracy 0.88 ± 0.04, precision 0.89 ± 0.05, Recall 0.90± 0.05, F1 score 0.89± 0.03). Compared to the SM (accuracy 0.79, precision 0.93, Recall 0.64, F1 score 0.76) there was an improvement in every metric except for the precision. Conclusions: In this work, a realistic database to test the presence of TWA using ML algorithms was assembled. The ML algorithms overall outperformed the SM used as a gold standard. Learning from data to identify alternans elicits a substantial detection growth at the expense of a small increment of the false alarm.Universidad de Alcal

Impact of an Emergency Remote Teaching Model on Students’ Academic Performance During COVID-19

© 2023. The authors. This document is made available under the CC-BY 4.0 license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by /4.0/ This document is the published version of a published work that appeared in final form in Technology, Knowledge and Learning. To access the final work, see DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10758-023-09665-7The COVID-19 pandemic posed a major challenge to universities. It forced them to face the urgent need to rapidly transform their traditional onsite teaching into an emergency remote teaching (ERT) model rather than being able to gradually introduce an effective transition to an online model. Based on a sample of 505 students enrolled in the course on Work Organization at the University of Murcia in Spain, this study analyzes the impact of implementing an ERT model on students’ academic performance. Results show that students display superior academic performance in an onsite teaching–learning model compared to the online ones adopted during COVID-19. Findings also reveal that students’ self-assessment activities enhance their academic performance—both in onsite and online teaching contexts—which implies that ERT model performance can be alleviated by adequately planning self-assessment activities during the course

Clinical Experience with Diltiazem in the Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in the world. Coronary artery diseases, atrial fibrillation or hypertensive heart disease, are among the most important cardiovascular disorders. Hypertension represents a significant risk factor for cardiovascular mortality; thus, control of high blood pressure has become a priority to prevent major complications. Although the choice of drugs for treating hypertension remains controversial, extensive clinical evidences point to calcium channel blockers as first-line agents. Diltiazem, a non-dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker, is an effective and safe antihypertensive drug, alone or in combination with other agents. Diltiazem lowers myocardial oxygen demand through a reduction in heart rate, blood pressure, and cardiac contractility, representing also a good alternative for the treatment of stable chronic angina. Furthermore, diltiazem reduces conduction in atrioventricular node, which is also useful for heart rate control in patients with atrial fibrillation. In this review, clinical experts highlight studies on diltiazem effectiveness and safety for the treatment of several cardiovascular diseases and make evidence-based recommendations regarding the management of diltiazem in the clinical pracSponsorship for this review and the article processing charges was funded by Lacer Spain. All named authors meet the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) criteria for authorship for this manuscript, take responsibility for the integrity of the work as a whole, and have given final approval to the version to be published. Writing assistance in the preparation of this manuscript was provided by Patricia Rodriguez, PhD, and editorial assistance was provided by Springer Healthcare. Support for this assistance was funded by Lacer Spain

Evaluando y aprendiendo: Feedback en los procesos de evaluación

[SPA] El objetivo del estudio fue analizar el repaso grupal del examen como herramienta de autoevaluación-aprendizaje. El estudio fue realizado en Nutrición Animal-Grado en Veterinaria. Tras un examen, se procedió a explicar las respuestas, con o sin apoyo de recursos multimedia. Antes y después de la corrección del examen, los estudiantes estimaron su calificación para evaluar las correlaciones con la nota real. Se realizó un cuestionario de 5 preguntas, valoradas de 1-5. Los aspectos más destacados fueron: herramienta de autoevaluación (4.58), instrumento de aclaración (4.48) y metodología de aprendizaje (4.29). La percepción en los estudiantes que recibieron explicaciones con soporte multimedia no fue diferente del control (p=0.150). Las correlaciones entre la calificación final y las estimaciones de la nota a priori y posteriori del repaso del examen fueron 0.37 y 0.77, respectivamente. El procedimiento de revisar un examen es valorado como técnica de autoevaluación-aprendizaje, y mejora la correspondencia entre las valoraciones. [ENG] The aim of the study was to analyze the review of an exam as a tool for self-assessment/learning. The study was conducted in the subject Animal Nutrition-Veterinary Degree. After an exam, the professor explained the answers, with or without the support of multimedia resources. Before and after the correction of the exam, students estimated theirs grades to assess the correlation with the final score. A 5-question survey was performed, using a 5-point scale. The most valued aspects were: self-assessment tool (4.58), mean for clarification (4.48), and learning methodology (4.29). There were not statistical differences between the students that received explanations supported by multimedia resources and the control (p=0.150). The correlations between the final grade and the a priori and a posteriori estimates were 0.37 and 0.77, respectively. The process of reviewing immediately an exam is understood as a self-evaluation/learning technique, improving the correspondence between the scores of students and professors

Stabilization of unstable reentrant atrial tachycardias via fractionated continuous electrical activity ablation (CHAOS study)

Background: Unstable reentrant atrial tachycardias (ATs) (i.e. those with frequent circuit modification or conversion to atrial fibrillation) are challenging to ablate. We tested a strategy to achieve arrhythmia stabilization into mappable stable ATs based on the detection and ablation of rotors. Methods: All consecutive patients from May 2017 to December 2019 were included. Mapping was performed using conventional high-density mapping catheters (IntellaMap ORION, PentaRay NAV or Advisor HD Grid). Rotors were subjectively identified as fractionated continuous (or quasi-continuous) electrograms on 1–2 adjacent bipoles, without dedicated software. In patients without detectable rotors, sites with spatiotemporal dispersion (i.e. all the cycle length comprised within the mapping catheter) plus non-continuous fractionation on single bipoles were targeted. Ablation success was defined as conversion to a stable AT or sinus rhythm. Results: Ninety seven patients with reentrant ATs were ablated. Of these, 18 (18.6%) presented unstable circuits. 13 (72%) patients had detectable rotors (median 2 [1–3] rotors per patient); focal ablation was successful in 12 (92%). In the other 5 patients, 17 sites with spatiotemporal dispersion were identified and targeted. Globally, and excluding 1 patient with spontaneous AT stabilization, ablation success was achieved in 16/17 patients (94.1%). One-year freedom from atrial arrhythmias was similar between patients with unstable and stable ATs (66.7% vs. 65.8%, p = 0.946). Conclusions: Most unstable reentrant ATs show detectable rotors, identified as sites with single-bipole fractionated quasi-continuous signals, or spatiotemporal dispersion plus non-continuous fractionation. Ablation of these sites is highly effective to stabilize the AT or convert it into sinus rhythm

Divergent abiotic spectral pathways unravel pathogen stress signals across species

Plant pathogens pose increasing threats to global food security, causing yield losses that exceed 30% in food-deficit regions. Xylella fastidiosa (Xf) represents the major transboundary plant pest and one of the world’s most damaging pathogens in terms of socioeconomic impact. Spectral screening methods are critical to detect non-visual symptoms of early infection and prevent spread. However, the subtle pathogen-induced physiological alterations that are spectrally detectable are entangled with the dynamics of abiotic stresses. Here, using airborne spectroscopy and thermal scanning of areas covering more than one million trees of different species, infections and water stress levels, we reveal the existence of divergent pathogen- and host-specific spectral pathways that can disentangle biotic-induced symptoms. We demonstrate that uncoupling this biotic–abiotic spectral dynamics diminishes the uncertainty in the Xf detection to below 6% across different hosts. Assessing these deviating pathways against another harmful vascular pathogen that produces analogous symptoms, Verticillium dahliae, the divergent routes remained pathogen- and host-specific, revealing detection accuracies exceeding 92% across pathosystems. These urgently needed hyperspectral methods advance early detection of devastating pathogens to reduce the billions in crop losses worldwide.The study was partially funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme through grant agreements POnTE (635646) and XF-ACTORS (727987), as well as by projects AGL2009-13105 from the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science, P08-AGR-03528 from the Regional Government of Andalusia and the European Social Fund, project E-RTA2017-00004-02 from ‘Programa Estatal de I + D + I Orientada a los Retos de la Sociedad’ of Spain and FEDER, Intramural Project 201840E111 from CSIC, and Project ITS2017-095 Consejeria de Medio Ambiente, Agricultura y Pesca de las Islas Baleares, Spain. The views expressed are purely those of the writers and may not in any circumstance be regarded as stating an official position of the European Commission

Análisis de la utilidad de las herramientas docentes del Campus Virtual SUMA de la Universidad de Murcia percibida por los alumnos de Veterinaria. Póster

[SPA]En el marco de la Educación Superior, los Entornos Virtuales de Aprendizaje (EVA) son ampliamente utilizados como una de las herramientas de las Tecnologías de Información y Comunicación (TIC) usadas como soporte para la enseñanza virtual, mixta (blended) y presencial. La Universidad de Murcia ha desarrollado su propio entorno (EVA) denominado SUMA (Servicios de la Universidad de Murcia Abierta). El objetivo del presente trabajo fue evaluar la utilidad de las herramientas docentes implementadas por SUMA desde el punto de vista del estudiante de Veterinaria (Universidad de Murcia). Este estudio fue realizado durante el curso académico 2009/2010, llevándose a cabo una encuesta entre los estudiantes de la carrera de Veterinaria. Una muestra aleatoria de 177 encuestas fue obtenida para este estudio. Los datos fueron analizados utilizando el paquete estadístico SPSS. Las herramientas docentes “Llamamiento a exámenes”, “Contenidos” y “Tablón de anuncios de la asignatura” obtuvieron un valor de utilidad igual o mayor a 5, en una escala de Likert (de 1 a 6), en más de un 75% de los casos evaluados. Por otra parte, las herramientas que recibieron menor puntuación fueron el “Chat” y los “Foros”. [ENG]In the framework of Higher Education, the Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) are widely used as an Information and Communication Tool (ICTs) for supporting the virtual, blended and face-to-face teachinglearning process. The University of Murcia has developed its own VLE, named Services of the Open University of Murcia (SUMA). The aim of this study was to evaluate the utility of the teaching tools provided by SUMA, from the veterinary students’ point of view (University of Murcia). To carry out this research, during the academic year 2009/2010, a survey was conducted among the students of the Veterinary Degree. A random sampling was conducted, obtaining a sample of 177 surveys. Data analysis was performed using several statistical tests using the SPSS software package. The teaching tools “Exams Notice Board”, “Content Delivery System” and “Subject Notice Board” got a value equal or higher than 5, in a Likert Scale of utility (1 to 6) in more than the 75% of the cases. On the other hand, the tools with lower score were “Chats” and “Forums”.Campus Mare Nostrum, Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena, Universidad de Murcia, Región de Murci

Progress and achievements on the early detection of Xylella fastidiosa infection and symptom development with hyperspectral and thermal remote sensing imagery

Trabajo presentado en la 3rd European Conference on Xylella fastidiosa (Building knowledge, protecting plant health), celebrada online el 29 y 30 de abril de 2021.Remote sensing efforts made as part of European initiatives via POnTE, XF-ACTORS and the JRC, as well as through regional programs, have focused, among others, on the development of algorithms for the early detection of Xylella fastidiosa (Xf)-induced symptoms. Airborne campaigns carried out between 2016 and 2019 collected high-resolution hyperspectral and thermal images from infected areas in the Apulia region (Italy), in the province of Alicante and on the island of Mallorca (Spain). The remote sensing imagery collections were performed alongside field surveys and laboratory analyses to assess the presence of Xf, and the severity and incidence of disease in olive and almond trees. Radiative transfer models and machine learning algorithms were used to quantify spectral plant traits for each individual infected tree, assessing their importance as pre visual indicators of Xf-induced stress. These studies conducted across species have demonstrated that specific spectral plant traits successfully revealed Xf induced symptoms at early stages, i.e., before visual symptoms appear. The results show that spectral plant traits contribute differently to symptom detection across host species (olive vs. almond), and that abiotic-induced stress affects the performance of the algorithms used for detecting infected trees. Together, the different European initiatives studying the use of remote sensing to support the monitoring of landscapes for Xylella fastidiosa detection lead us to conclude that the early detection of Xf-induced symptoms is feasible when high-resolution hyperspectral imagery and physically-based plant trait retrievals are used, obtaining accuracies exceeding 92% (kappa>0.8). These results are essential to enable the implementation of effective control and management of plant diseases using airborne- droneand satellite-based remote sensing technologies. Moreover, these large-scale hyperspectral and thermal imaging methods greatly contribute to the future operational monitoring of infected areas at large scales, well beyond what is possible from field surveys and laboratory analyses alone