Multi-source and multimodal data fusion for predicting academic performance in blended learning university courses

In this paper we applied data fusion approaches for predicting the final academic performance of university students using multiple-source, multimodal data from blended learning environments. We collected and preprocessed data about first-year university students from different sources: theory classes, practical sessions, on-line Moodle sessions, and a final exam. Our objective was to discover which data fusion approach produced the best results using our data. We carried out experiments by applying four different data fusion approaches and six classification algorithms. The results showed that the best predictions were produced using ensembles and selecting the best attributes approach with discretized data. The best prediction models showed us that the level of attention in theory classes, scores in Moodle quizzes, and the level of activity in Moodle forums were the best set of attributes for predicting students' final performance in our courses

Duration and cost variability of construction activities: an empirical study

The unique nature of construction projects can mean that construction activities often suffer from duration and cost variability. Because this variability is unplanned, it can present a problem when attempting to complete a project on time and on budget. Various factors causing this variability have been identified in the literature, but they predominantly refer to the nature and/or context of the whole project rather than specific activities. In this paper, the order of magnitude of and correlation between activity duration and cost variability is analyzed in 101 construction projects with over 5,000 activities. To do this, the first four moments (mean, standard deviation, skewness, and kurtosis) of actual versus planned duration and cost (log) ratios are analyzed by project, phase of execution, and activity type. Results suggest that, contrary to common wisdom, construction activities do not end late on average. Instead, the large variability in the activity duration is the major factor causing significant project delays and cost overruns. The values of average activity duration and cost variability gathered in this study will also serve as a reference for construction managers to improve future construction planning and project simulation studies with more realistic data

Improving prediction of students' performance in intelligent tutoring systems using attribute selection and ensembles of different multimodal data sources

The aim of this study was to predict university students' learning performance using different sources of data from an Intelligent Tutoring System. We collected and preprocessed data from 40 students from different multimodal sources: learning strategies from system logs, emotions from face recording videos, interaction zones from eye tracking, and test performance from final knowledge evaluation. Our objective was to test whether the prediction could be improved by using attribute selection and classification ensembles. We carried out three experiments by applying six classification algorithms to numerical and discretized preprocessed multimodal data. The results show that the best predictions were produced using ensembles and selecting the best attributes approach with numerical data

Effects of ADHD on writing composition product and process in school-age students

Objective: This study examined the relationship between ADHD and writing performance. Method: Students in Grades 3 to 7, 84 with ADHD and 135 age and gender-matched controls completed a writing task (including process logs), and measures of, working memory and attention. Results: Students with ADHD wrote texts of similar length but with poorer structure, coherence and ideation. 6.7% of the variance in writing quality was explained by whether or not the student had an ADHD diagnosis, after control for IQ and age-within-year, with students with ADHD producing text that was less coherent, well structured, and ideationally rich and to spend less time thinking about and reviewing their text. Half of the effect on text quality could be attributed to working memory and sustained attention effects. Conclusions: ADHD has some effect on writing performance which can, in part, be explained by working memory and attentional deficits

Prólogos de ida y vuelta: Juan de Piña, Alonso de Castillo Solórzano, Francisco de Quintana, Juan Pérez de Montalbán y María de Zayas en el campo literario de Lope de Vega

This paper reviews the dialogue and controversies between the paratexts of a corpus of collections of short novels –and romances– published from 1624 to 1637: Novelas ejemplares y prodigiosas historias (1624) and Varias fortunas (1627) by Juan de Piña; La desdicha en la constancia (1624) and El cuerdo amante (1628) by Miguel Moreno; Sucesos y prodigios de amor (1624) by Juan Pérez de Montalbán; Tardes entretenidas (1625), Jornadas alegres (1626), Tiempo de regocijo (1627), Escarmientos de amor moralizados (1628), Lisardo enamorado (1629) and Huerta de Valencia (1629) by Alonso de Castillo Solórzano; Experiencias de amor y fortuna (1626) and Historia de Hipólito y Aminta (1627) by Francisco de Quintana; and Novelas amorosas y ejemplares (1637) by María de Zayas. It focuses upon the active literary field around Lope de Vega, on the collaborations of the printers Juan González and Luis Sánchez with de bookseller Alonso Pérez and, over all, on the “Prólogo al que leyere” and the “Prólogo de un desapasionado” in the Zayas’s volume. After proposing a writing date for the first one (1626), it is shown that the author of the second foreword (c. 1635-1637) was Castillo Solórzano.El presente artículo pasa revista al diálogo y las controversias entre los paratextos de un corpus de colecciones de relatos –y de novelas largas– publicadas desde 1624 a 1637: Novelas ejemplares y prodigiosas historias (1624) y Varias fortunas (1627) de Juan de Piña; La desdicha en la constancia (1624) y El cuerdo amante (1628) de Miguel Moreno; Sucesos y prodigios de amor (1624) de Juan Pérez de Montalbán; Tardes entretenidas (1625), Jornadas alegres (1626), Tiempo de regocijo (1627), Escarmientos de amor moralizados (1628), Lisardo enamorado (1629) y Huerta de Valencia (1629) de Alonso de Castillo Solórzano; Experiencias de amor y fortuna (1626) e Historia de Hipólito y Aminta (1627) de Francisco de Quintana; y Novelas amorosas y ejemplares (1637) de María de Zayas. Se hace hincapié en el activo campo literario alrededor de Lope de Vega, en las colaboraciones de los impresores Juan González y Luis Sánchez con el librero Alonso Pérez y, sobre todo, en el “Prólogo al que leyere” y el “Prólogo de un desapasionado” del volumen de Zayas. Luego de proponer una fecha de redacción para el primero (1626), se evidencia que el autor del segundo (c. 1635-1637) fue Castillo Solórzano

Parallel-in-time quantum simulation via Page and Wootters quantum time

In the past few decades, researchers have created a veritable zoo of quantum algorithm by drawing inspiration from classical computing, information theory, and even from physical phenomena. Here we present quantum algorithms for parallel-in-time simulations that are inspired by the Page and Wooters formalism. In this framework, and thus in our algorithms, the classical time-variable of quantum mechanics is promoted to the quantum realm by introducing a Hilbert space of "clock" qubits which are then entangled with the "system" qubits. We show that our algorithms can compute temporal properties over $N$ different times of many-body systems by only using $\log(N)$ clock qubits. As such, we achieve an exponential trade-off between time and spatial complexities. In addition, we rigorously prove that the entanglement created between the system qubits and the clock qubits has operational meaning, as it encodes valuable information about the system's dynamics. We also provide a circuit depth estimation of all the protocols, showing an exponential advantage in computation times over traditional sequential in time algorithms. In particular, for the case when the dynamics are determined by the Aubry-Andre model, we present a hybrid method for which our algorithms have a depth that only scales as $\mathcal{O}(\log(N)n)$. As a by product we can relate the previous schemes to the problem of equilibration of an isolated quantum system, thus indicating that our framework enable a new dimension for studying dynamical properties of many-body systems.Comment: 19+15 pages, 18+1 figure

Non-adiabatic direct quantum dynamics using force fields: Toward solvation

Quantum dynamics simulations are becoming a powerful tool for understanding photo-excited molecules. Their poor scaling, however, means that it is hard to study molecules with more than a few atoms accurately, and a major challenge at the moment is the inclusion of the molecular environment. Here, we present a proof of principle for a way to break the two bottlenecks preventing large but accurate simulations. First, the problem of providing the potential energy surfaces for a general system is addressed by parameterizing a standard force field to reproduce the potential surfaces of the molecule’s excited-states, including the all-important vibronic coupling. While not shown here, this would trivially enable the use of an explicit solvent. Second, to help the scaling of the nuclear dynamics propagation, a hierarchy of approximations is introduced to the variational multi-configurational Gaussian method that retains the variational quantum wavepacket description of the key quantum degrees of freedom and uses classical trajectories for the remaining in a quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics like approach. The method is referred to as force field quantum dynamics (FF-QD), and a two-state ππ*/nπ* model of uracil, excited to its lowest bright ππ* state, is used as a test case

Detection of anomalous microwave emission in the Perseus molecular cloud with the COSMOSOMAS experiment

We present direct evidence for anomalous microwave emission in the Perseus molecular cloud, which shows a clear rising spectrum from 11 to 17 GHz in the data of the COSMOSOMAS experiment. By extending the frequency coverage using WMAP maps convolved with the COSMOSOMAS scanning pattern we reveal a peak flux density of 42 (+/-) 4 Jy at 22 GHz integrated over an extended area of 1.65 x 1.0 deg centered on RA = 55.4 (+/-) 0.1 deg and Dec = 31.8 (+/-) 0.1 deg (J2000). The flux density that we measure at this frequency is nearly an order of magnitude higher than can be explained in terms of normal galactic emission processes (synchrotron, free-free and thermal dust). An extended IRAS dust feature G159.6-18.5 is found near this position and no bright unresolved source which could be an ultracompact HII region or gigahertz peaked source could be found. An adequate fit for the spectral density distribution can be achieved from 10 to 50 GHz by including a very significant contribution from electric dipole emission from small spinning dust grains.Comment: 5 pages, 2 postscript figures, accepted ApJ Let