A Novel Outcome-Based Educational Model and its Effect on Student Learning, Curriculum Development, and Assessment

Introduction We live in a rapidly changing world driven by technology and economy necessitating the production of qualified and well-prepared professionals. Employers are demanding that university graduates not only have the knowledge, but the appropriate skills to be effective and productive in the workplace. In order to adapt to these challenges, universities worldwide are thinking about how to redesign their academic models. A recent US national panel report calls for a dramatic reorganization of undergraduate education to ensure that all college students receive not just access to college, but an education of lasting value. The report also recommends colleges help students become intentional life-long learners, and to create new assessments that require students to apply their learning to the real world (Greater Expectation, 2002). Zayed University (ZU), a laptop university (each student and faculty owns a laptop) based in the United Arab Emirates, has adopted a new educational concept in the region, which is an Outcome-Based learning approach. This new Academic Program Model (APM) is designed to continuously improve the curriculum and provide students with the knowledge and skills to succeed in a rapidly changing world. The life-long learning outcomes, being the kernel of the courses, provide focus to the curriculum in the APM. Furthermore, all courses are designed to clearly show the experiences that students draw upon achieving a Learning Outcome. The ZU OBE learning approach is framed by three sets of learning outcomes. Two are course embedded (general education and major learning outcomes), and the third (the ZU learning outcomes (ZULO)) is a set of higher intellectual outcomes. To fulfill their ZULO requirements, students compile evidence of their achievement in electronic portfolios, which are assessed by a faculty panels. The APM is driven by five critical components: the outcome based curriculum, the e-portfolios, the learning communities, the use of information technology, and the support of the center for teaching and learning assessment. Universities in the USA and worldwide are taking a critical look at their educational systems. A recent US national panel report calls for a dramatic reorganization of undergraduate education to ensure that all college aspirants receive not just access to college, but an education of lasting value. The report also recommends colleges help students become intentional life-long learners, and to create new assessments that require students to apply their learning to the real world (Greater Expectation, 2002). Furthermore, universities in the US and worldwide are complaining about the problem of grade inflation (Rosovsky & Hartley, 2002). A number of academic institutions in the US have moved to an outcome-based education framework to move away from the grade point average driven academic framework. In North America, accreditations institutions (such as North Central Association) are asking academic institutions to present a method to assess students learning outcomes in the general education courses. In Columbia College, Columbia, Missouri, assessment of the student learning outcomes in the Information Literacy course is done by giving them a pre-test and a post-test. During the first day of the course, students are given a multiple-choice test about computer literacy. The same test is given to the students during the last week of the course as part of their final examination. The difference between the two grades is used as a measure of their progress. A new academic institution in the gulf region has tackled the above issues by adopting an academic framework that is based on the outcome-based education while still using the grade point average. This academic model is a hybrid approach that accommodates learning outcomes to measure the learning process and uses grades to accommodate the classic academic system. We anticipate that this model will insure that grade inflation is under control and that students are achieving the learning outcomes to become life-long learners (Bouslama, Lansari, Al-Rawi, & Abonamah, 2002).

Gestion péri opératoire d’un paragangliome rétro-péritonéal

Nous rapportons l'observation d'un patient âgé de 62 ans qui présente des douleurs abdominales avec une masse du flanc droit. Les explorations morphologiques ainsi que les données biologiques ont permis de faire le diagnostic d'un paragangliome secrétant. Les particularités diagnostiques ainsi que la gestion périopératoire sont envisagées

A Novel Outcome-Based Educational Model and its Effect on Student Learning, Curriculum Development, and Assessment

Introduction We live in a rapidly changing world driven by technology and economy necessitating the production of qualified and well-prepared professionals. Employers are demanding that university graduates not only have the knowledge, but the appropriate skills to be effective and productive in the workplace. In order to adapt to these challenges, universities worldwide are thinking about how to redesign their academic models. A recent US national panel report calls for a dramatic reorganization of undergraduate education to ensure that all college students receive not just access to college, but an education of lasting value. The report also recommends colleges help students become intentional life-long learners, and to create new assessments that require students to apply their learning to the real world (Greater Expectation, 2002). Zayed University (ZU), a laptop university (each student and faculty owns a laptop) based in the United Arab Emirates, has adopted a new educational concept in the region, which is an Outcome-Based learning approach. This new Academic Program Model (APM) is designed to continuously improve the curriculum and provide students with the knowledge and skills to succeed in a rapidly changing world. The life-long learning outcomes, being the kernel of the courses, provide focus to the curriculum in the APM. Furthermore, all courses are designed to clearly show the experiences that students draw upon achieving a Learning Outcome. The ZU OBE learning approach is framed by three sets of learning outcomes. Two are course embedded (general education and major learning outcomes), and the third (the ZU learning outcomes (ZULO)) is a set of higher intellectual outcomes. To fulfill their ZULO requirements, students compile evidence of their achievement in electronic portfolios, which are assessed by a faculty panels. The APM is driven by five critical components: the outcome based curriculum, the e-portfolios, the learning communities, the use of information technology, and the support of the center for teaching and learning assessment. Universities in the USA and worldwide are taking a critical look at their educational systems. A recent US national panel report calls for a dramatic reorganization of undergraduate education to ensure that all college aspirants receive not just access to college, but an education of lasting value. The report also recommends colleges help students become intentional life-long learners, and to create new assessments that require students to apply their learning to the real world (Greater Expectation, 2002). Furthermore, universities in the US and worldwide are complaining about the problem of grade inflation (Rosovsky & Hartley, 2002). A number of academic institutions in the US have moved to an outcome-based education framework to move away from the grade point average driven academic framework. In North America, accreditations institutions (such as North Central Association) are asking academic institutions to present a method to assess students learning outcomes in the general education courses. In Columbia College, Columbia, Missouri, assessment of the student learning outcomes in the Information Literacy course is done by giving them a pre-test and a post-test. During the first day of the course, students are given a multiple-choice test about computer literacy. The same test is given to the students during the last week of the course as part of their final examination. The difference between the two grades is used as a measure of their progress. A new academic institution in the gulf region has tackled the above issues by adopting an academic framework that is based on the outcome-based education while still using the grade point average. This academic model is a hybrid approach that accommodates learning outcomes to measure the learning process and uses grades to accommodate the classic academic system. We anticipate that this model will insure that grade inflation is under control and that students are achieving the learning outcomes to become life-long learners (Bouslama, Lansari, Al-Rawi, & Abonamah, 2002).

Odonata of Wadi Bouarroug (northeastern Algeria), and environmental determinants of their distribution

The present paper describes odonates recorded over an extended period at wadi Bouarroug, south of  lake Mellah, in  the national reserve of Brabtia (North-east Algeria). In all, 42 weekly visits were made to four stations at wadi Bouarroug between March 2015 and February 2016. A total of 19 species of odonates comprising seven families (Calopterygidae, Lestidae, Plactycnemidae, Coenagrionidae, Gomphidae, Aeshnidae, Libellulidae) was recorded. Among the 19 species,  autochthonous status was confirmed for 12 species. Two Maghrebian endemics species, Platycnemis subdilatata, Gomphus lucasii (“Data Deficient” species in the Mediterranean IUCN Red-List) were recorded. In the latest check-list of the odonates fauna of wadi Bouarroug, 11 species were reported,during 1993 and 1994. Eight species have been recently added (Lestes virens, Erythromma lindinii, Erythromma viridulu, Paragomphus geneii, Onychogomphus uncatus, Crocothemis erythraea, Trithemis arteriosa, Trithemis annulata) of which Paragomphus genei  was recorded for the first time in the reserve of Brabtia in 2014 and its autochthonous status is confirmed at wadi Bouarroug from June 2015. Species richness along the wadi Bouarroug is positively correlated with  density of  riverine vegetation and with  weak to moderate water flow during all the year. By contrast, species richness varies negatively with habitat fragmentation and the destruction  caused by  urbanization and  pollution. As a result of this study, we do not propose any change of  the "Red List of the IUCN" classification of the recorded species recorded at wadi Bouarroug. However, the presence of some taxa like Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis and Paragomphus geneii at wadi Bouarroug, testifies to the persistence of high-quality natural environments which are able to still support an important diversity of aquatic species.

Strategies in Case-Based Argumentation-Based Negotiation: An Application for the Tourism Domain

[EN] Negotiation is a key solution to find an agreement between conflicting parties especially during the purchase journey. This paper treats the negotiations between a travel agency and its customers in the domain of tourism. Both automated negotiation and argumentation are gathered to create a framework for automated agents, presenting a travel agency and its customers, to negotiate a trip and exchange arguments. Agents take advantage of their past experiences and use Case-Based Reasoning to select the best strategy to follow. We represent agents using two types of profiles, Argumentative profile that represents agents¿ ways of reasoning and Preference profile that embodies customers¿ preferences in the domain of tourism.Bouslama, R.; Jordán, J.; Heras, S.; Amor, NB. (2020). Strategies in Case-Based Argumentation-Based Negotiation: An Application for the Tourism Domain. Springer. 205-217. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-51999-5_17S205217Aamodt, A., Plaza, E.: Case-based reasoning: foundational issues, methodological variations, and system approaches. AI Commun. 7(1), 39–59 (1994)Adnan, M.H.M., Hassan, M.F., Aziz, I., Paputungan, I.V.: Protocols for agent-based autonomous negotiations: a review. In: ICCOINS, pp. 622–626. IEEE (2016)Amgoud, L., Parsons, S.: Agent dialogues with conflicting preferences. In: Meyer, J.-J.C., Tambe, M. (eds.) ATAL 2001. LNCS (LNAI), vol. 2333, pp. 190–205. Springer, Heidelberg (2002). https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-45448-9_14Amgoud, L., Prade, H.: Generation and evaluation of different types of arguments in negotiation. In: NMR, pp. 10–15 (2004)Bouslama, R., Ayachi, R., Ben Amor, N.: A new generic framework for argumentation-based negotiation using case-based reasoning. In: Medina, J., et al. (eds.) IPMU 2018. CCIS, vol. 854, pp. 633–644. Springer, Cham (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-91476-3_52Bouslama, R., Ayachi, R., Ben Amor, N.: A new generic framework for mediated multilateral argumentation-based negotiation using case-based reasoning. In: Kern-Isberner, G., Ognjanović, Z. (eds.) ECSQARU 2019. LNCS (LNAI), vol. 11726, pp. 14–26. Springer, Cham (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-29765-7_2Dimopoulos, Y., Moraitis, P.: Advances in argumentation based negotiation. In: Negotiation and Argumentation in Multi-agent Systems: Fundamentals, Theories, Systems and Applications, pp. 82–125 (2014)Hadidi, N., Dimopoulos, Y., Moraitis, P.: Tactics and concessions for argumentation-based negotiation. In: Computational Models of Argument: Proceedings of COMMA 2012, vol. 245, pp. 285–296 (2012)Hadoux, E., Hunter, A.: Strategic sequences of arguments for persuasion using decision trees. In: AAAI (2017)Heras, S., Jordán, J., Botti, V., Julián, V.: Argue to agree: a case-based argumentation approach. IJAR 54(1), 82–108 (2013)Heras, S., Jordán, J., Botti, V., Julián, V.: Case-based strategies for argumentation dialogues in agent societies. Inf. Sci. 223, 1–30 (2013)Jennings, N.R., Faratin, P., Lomuscio, A.R., Parsons, S., Sierra, C., Wooldridge, M.: Automated negotiation: prospects, methods and challenges. Int. J. Group Decis. Negot. 10(2), 199–215 (2001)Lazar, C.M.: Internet-an aid for e-tourism. Ecoforum J. 8(1), 1–4 (2019)Lopes, F., Novais, A.Q., Coelho, H.: Bilateral negotiation in a multi-agent energy market. In: Huang, D.-S., Jo, K.-H., Lee, H.-H., Kang, H.-J., Bevilacqua, V. (eds.) ICIC 2009. LNCS, vol. 5754, pp. 655–664. Springer, Heidelberg (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-04070-2_71Park, S., Tussyadiah, I., Mazanec, J., Fesenmaier, D.: Travel personae of american pleasure travelers: a network analysis. J. Travel Tour. Mark. 27, 797–811 (2010)Rahwan, I., Ramchurn, S.D., Jennings, N.R., Mcburney, P., Parsons, S., Sonenberg, L.: Argumentation-based negotiation. KER 18(4), 343–375 (2003)Rahwan, I., Sonenberg, L., McBurney, P.: Bargaining and argument-based negotiation: some preliminary comparisons. In: Rahwan, I., Moraïtis, P., Reed, C. (eds.) ArgMAS 2004. LNCS (LNAI), vol. 3366, pp. 176–191. Springer, Heidelberg (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-32261-0_12Sierra, C., Jennings, N.R., Noriega, P., Parsons, S.: A framework for argumentation-based negotiation. In: Singh, M.P., Rao, A., Wooldridge, M.J. (eds.) ATAL 1997. LNCS, vol. 1365, pp. 177–192. Springer, Heidelberg (1998). https://doi.org/10.1007/BFb0026758Soh, L.K., Tsatsoulis, C.: Agent-based argumentative negotiations with case-based reasoning. In: AAAI Fall Symposium Series on Negotiation Methods for Autonomous Cooperative Systems, pp. 16–25 (2001)Sycara, K.P.: Persuasive argumentation in negotiation. Theory Decis. 28(3), 203–242 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00162699Walton, D.: Argumentation Schemes for Presumptive Reasoning. Routledge, Abingdon (2013

Thrombophlebite du sinus caverneux d’origine otogene : a propos d’un cas

But : Nous illustrons un cas de thrombophlébite du sinus caverneux compliquant une oto-mastoïdite. Nous étudions à la lumière de la littérature les difficultés diagnostiques et l’importance de la mise en oeuvre d’un traitement précoce et adapté afin d’éviter les séquelles ultérieures. Observation : Il s’agit d’un enfant âgé de 14 ans, qui avait présenté une exophtalmie avec oedème palpébral bilatéral et une baisse de l’acuité visuelle d’aggravation progressive au décours d’un épisode otitique. L’examen avait objectivé une paralysie faciale périphérique droite et à l’otoscopie un tympan droit bombé congestif.La TDM avait mis en évidence une thrombophlébite du sinus caverneux associée à un abcès cérébral et à un abcès rétropharyngé avec une oto-mastoïdite homolatérale. Le malade a été traité par une antibiothérapie à large spectre associée à une héparinothérapie, avec mastoïdectomie droite et drainage de l’abcès rétro-pharyngé. L’évolution a été marquée par la régression totale de la paralysie faciale, avec reperméabilisation du sinus caverneux et disparition totale de l’abcès temporal au contrôle scannographique. Le patient a gardé comme seule séquelle une cécité mono oculaire gauche. Conclusion : La thrombophlébite du sinus caverneux est une affection rare, surtout dans son origine otogène elle doit être diagnostiquée et traitée le plutôt possible, afin de prévenir les séquelles ou d’obtenir la régression de ces dernières. Le traitement doit associer une antibiothérapie à large spectre, les anticoagulants et un drainage chirurgical approprié du foyer septique.Mots-clés : Thrombophlébite du sinus caverneux, Otite moyenne aiguë, complication

Importance of marine prey to growth of estuarine tern chicks: evidence from an energetic balance model

We assessed the effects of quality and quantity of prey species on the growth of Little Tern Sterna albifrons chicks raised in salinas (salt-pans), Algarve, Portugal. An energetic balance model was developed, which estimated the total amount of energy ingested by all chicks in a nest and the energy expenditure by the chicks when either growing alone or in groups of two and three per nest. Energy intake per chick depended on the energy available per nest and a competition value for food between chicks. Energy expenditure was defined by the basal metabolic rate (BMR), which depends on chick\u2019s weight, plus a multiple of BMR, obtained by calibration and accounting for unspecified energetic losses. Prey species ingested by Little Tern chicks were mainly the fishes sand- smelt Atherina spp., Sardine Sardina pilchardus, Garfish Belone belone and mummichog Fundulus spp., but also two types of shrimp (Paleo- monetes spp. and Paleomon spp.). Although prey species more abundant in salinas (shrimps and Fundulus spp.) were delivered at a higher rate, and Fundulus spp. had the greatest calorific content, chick growth was more sensitive to alterations in the ingestion of typically marine fish species, such as Sardina pilchardus and Belone belone. Model predictions were in agreement with data obtained in the field, as adults breeding in salinas foraged regularly at sea. Practical considerations from the pre- sent results are: (1) birds breeding in salinas rely on a sufficient amount of typically marine prey to ensure the growth of their chicks; (2) in some years foraging conditions in the salinas can be favourable, appar- ently because high food abundance (plus proximity to nests) may com- pensate for relatively poor quality of food types encounteredFCT Project POCTI/BSE/37385/200

Mechanical Thrombectomy in Patients With Milder Strokes and Large Vessel Occlusions A Multicenter Matched Analysis

Background and Purpose-We aimed to describe the safety and efficacy of immediate mechanical thrombectomy (MT) in patients with large vessel occlusions and low National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) versus best medical management. Methods-Patients from prospectively collected databases of 6 international comprehensive stroke centers with large vessel occlusions (distal intracranial internal carotid, middle cerebral artery-M1 and M2 segments, or basilar artery with or without tandem occlusions) and NIHSS 0 to 5 were identified and divided into 2 groups for analysis: immediate MT or initial best medical management which included rescue MT after neurological deterioration (best medical management-MT). Uni- and multivariate analyses and patient-level matching for age, baseline NIHSS, and occlusion site were performed to compare baseline and outcome variables across the 2 groups. The primary outcome was defined as good outcome (modified Rankin Scale score, 0-2) at day 90. Safety outcome was symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage as defined by the ECASS (European Cooperative Acute Stroke Study) II and mortality at day 90. Results: Compared with best medical management-MT (n=220), patients with immediate MT (n=80) were younger (65.3 +/- 13.5 versus 69.5 +/- 14.1;P=0.021), had more often atrial fibrillation (44.8% versus 28.2%;P=0.012), higher baseline NIHSS (4, 0-5 versus 3, 0-5;P=0.005), higher Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (10, 7-10 versus 10, 5-10;P=0.023), more middle cerebral artery-M1, and less middle cerebral artery-M2 (41.3% versus 21.9% and 28.8% versus 49.3%;P=0.016) occlusions. The adjusted odds ratio for good outcome was 3.1 (95% CI, 1.4-6.9) favoring immediate MT. In the matched analysis, there was a 14.4% absolute difference in good outcome (84.4% versus 70.1%;P=0.03) at day 90 favoring immediate MT. There were no safety concerns. Conclusions: Our retrospective, pilot analysis suggests that immediate thrombectomy in large vessel occlusions patients with low NIHSS on presentation may be safe and has the potential to result in improved outcomes. Randomized clinical trials are warranted to establish the optimal management for this patient population

α7-Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor: Role in Early Odor Learning Preference in Mice

Recently, we have shown that mice with decreased expression of α7-nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (α7) in the olfactory bulb were associated with a deficit in odor discrimination compared to wild-type mice. However, it is unknown if mice with decreased α7-receptor expression also show a deficit in early odor learning preference (ELP), an enhanced behavioral response to odors with attractive value observed in rats. In this study, we modified ELP methods performed in rats and implemented similar conditions in mice. From post-natal days 5–18, wild-type mice were stroked simultaneously with an odor presentation (conditioned odor) for 90 s daily. Control mice were only stroked, exposed to odor, or neither. On the day of testing (P21), mice that were stroked in concert with a conditioned odor significantly investigated the conditioned odor compared to a novel odor, as observed similarly in rats. However, mice with a decrease in α7-receptor expression that were stroked during a conditioned odor did not show a behavioral response to that odorant. These results suggest that decreased α7-receptor expression has a role in associative learning, olfactory preference, and/or sensory processing deficits