Sistema de e-Learning ubicuo, sensible al contexto y personalizado para ambientes virtuales de aprendizaje

La mayoría de los ambientes virtuales de aprendizaje actuales, no presentan características de personalización de contenidos, es decir, no consideran las necesidades y gustos de los estudiantes lo que genera desinterés por parte de estos y retrasa notoriamente el proceso de aprendizaje. Otra falencia evidente en este tipo de sistemas es la incapacidad de ofrecer servicios que permitan al estudiante llevar control de las actividades ligadas al proceso de aprendizaje tales como recepción de alertas inmediatas asociadas a la finalización de tareas, activación de nuevas actividades de aprendizaje, recomendación de asistentes, etc. El objetivo de este artículo es desarrollar un módulo de servicios de awareness que busca orientar y sensibilizar a los estudiantes respecto a su desempeño, presentándoles en tiempo real un historial de las actividades realizadas en su proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje mientras utilizan el entorno virtual de aprendizaje. Cabe señalar que este módulo es integrado a un sistema multi-agente personalizado de planificación instruccional y recomendación de recursos educativos. Las metodologías empleadas en esta investigación son Prometheus, para la construcción del sistema multi-agente ubicuo y sensible al contexto, y Methontology, para el desarrollo de la ontología que representa el conocimiento del dominio de los Cursos Virtuales Adaptativos, así como de los perfiles de usuario. Cada uno de los servicios de awareness propuestos fue implementado y validado mediante un caso de estudio que demostró las ventajas que trae la utilización de este tipo de mecanismos sensibles al contexto en entornos virtuales de aprendizaje

Recomendación de objetos de aprendizaje con base en opiniones escritas por usuarios

Actualmente la cantidad de recursos educativos disponibles en Internet ha crecido hasta límites insospechados, dando lugar al problema de sobrecarga de información. La tarea de buscar recursos que sean relevantes para los usuarios se ha convertido en una tarea tediosa. Con el fin de facilitarles la tarea a los usuarios y presentarles solo los recursos que ellos necesitan se implementan los sistemas recomendadores en el dominio de e-learning. Los métodos actuales de recomendación necesitan que los usuarios valoren los objetos de aprendizaje, muchos usuarios son reacios a valorarlo de forma explícita y el éxito de las recomendaciones depende de la cantidad de valoraciones obtenidas. Es común que en lugar de completar formularios con valoraciones de dichos objetos, muchos usuarios prefieran usar el lenguaje natural y expresar sus opiniones sobre ellos en forma de texto libre, similar a una conversación con un amigo. En este artículo se presenta un mecanismo que formaliza el proceso de selección y la recuperación de las opiniones textuales sobre objetos de aprendizaje y la utilización de esas opiniones para la recomendación de recursos educativos. Los resultados obtenidos demuestran que los usuarios se sienten más satisfechos con recomendaciones soportadas con base en el juicio de otras personas

A New Generation of Learning Object Repositories Based on Cloud Computing

This work presents a proposal for an architecture based on a cloud computing paradigm that will permit the evolution of current learning resource repositories. This study presents current problems (heterogeneity, interoperability and low performance) of existing repositories, as well as how the proposed model will try to solve them

Integral Multi-agent Model Recommendation of Learning Objects, for Students and Teachers

Currently, there has been progress in building models for search and retrieval of learning objects (LO) stored in heterogeneous repositories. Likewise, research has increased the recycling of educational materials. This paper proposes the integration of two multi-agent models focused on delivering, specific LO adapted to a student’s profile; and delivering LO to teachers in order to assist them in creating courses. The objective is to have an integral multi-agent model that meets the needs of students and teachers, and in this way improve the teaching learning process

Día Virtual sobre Interacción Humano-Computadora

La comunidad tendrá oportunidad de interactuar con investigadores de cinco universidades de otros tantos países, alrededor de temas como aprendizaje colaborativo, colaboración en videojuegos, generación de recomendaciones y aspectos de la evaluación de sistemas colaborativos.El Día Virtual de Sistemas Colaborativos tiene como finalidad principal presentar a la Comunidad CUDI de Interacción Humano-Computadora (IHC) algunas de las iniciativas sobresalientes relacionadas con la construcción de software para grupos de usuarios, locales y remotos, síncronos y asíncronos. Los proyectos se llevan a cabo en instituciones iberoamericanas por un grupo de investigadores que han conformado una red de colaboración que se presentará en una de las charlas.2013_10_18_IHC.fl

ForestGEO: understanding forest diversity and dynamics through a global observatory network

ForestGEO is a network of scientists and long-term forest dynamics plots (FDPs) spanning the Earth's major forest types. ForestGEO's mission is to advance understanding of the diversity and dynamics of forests and to strengthen global capacity for forest science research. ForestGEO is unique among forest plot networks in its large-scale plot dimensions, censusing of all stems ≥1 cm in diameter, inclusion of tropical, temperate and boreal forests, and investigation of additional biotic (e.g., arthropods) and abiotic (e.g., soils) drivers, which together provide a holistic view of forest functioning. The 71 FDPs in 27 countries include approximately 7.33 million living trees and about 12,000 species, representing 20% of the world's known tree diversity. With >1300 published papers, ForestGEO researchers have made significant contributions in two fundamental areas: species coexistence and diversity, and ecosystem functioning. Specifically, defining the major biotic and abiotic controls on the distribution and coexistence of species and functional types and on variation in species' demography has led to improved understanding of how the multiple dimensions of forest diversity are structured across space and time and how this diversity relates to the processes controlling the role of forests in the Earth system. Nevertheless, knowledge gaps remain that impede our ability to predict how forest diversity and function will respond to climate change and other stressors. Meeting these global research challenges requires major advances in standardizing taxonomy of tropical species, resolving the main drivers of forest dynamics, and integrating plot-based ground and remote sensing observations to scale up estimates of forest diversity and function, coupled with improved predictive models. However, they cannot be met without greater financial commitment to sustain the long-term research of ForestGEO and other forest plot networks, greatly expanded scientific capacity across the world's forested nations, and increased collaboration and integration among research networks and disciplines addressing forest science

An appraisal of respiratory system compliance in mechanically ventilated covid-19 patients

BackgroundHeterogeneous respiratory system static compliance (CRS) values and levels of hypoxemia in patients with novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) requiring mechanical ventilation have been reported in previous small-case series or studies conducted at a national level.MethodsWe designed a retrospective observational cohort study with rapid data gathering from the international COVID-19 Critical Care Consortium study to comprehensively describe CRS—calculated as: tidal volume/[airway plateau pressure-positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP)]—and its association with ventilatory management and outcomes of COVID-19 patients on mechanical ventilation (MV), admitted to intensive care units (ICU) worldwide.ResultsWe studied 745 patients from 22 countries, who required admission to the ICU and MV from January 14 to December 31, 2020, and presented at least one value of CRS within the first seven days of MV. Median (IQR) age was 62 (52–71), patients were predominantly males (68%) and from Europe/North and South America (88%). CRS, within 48 h from endotracheal intubation, was available in 649 patients and was neither associated with the duration from onset of symptoms to commencement of MV (p = 0.417) nor with PaO2/FiO2 (p = 0.100). Females presented lower CRS than males (95% CI of CRS difference between females-males: − 11.8 to − 7.4 mL/cmH2O p RS was marginal (p = 0.139). Ventilatory management varied across CRS range, resulting in a significant association between CRS and driving pressure (estimated decrease − 0.31 cmH2O/L per mL/cmH20 of CRS, 95% CI − 0.48 to − 0.14, p RS (+ 10 mL/cm H2O) was only associated with being discharge from the ICU within 28 days (HR 1.14, 95% CI 1.02–1.28, p = 0.018).ConclusionsThis multicentre report provides a comprehensive account of CRS in COVID-19 patients on MV. CRS measured within 48 h from commencement of MV has marginal predictive value for 28-day mortality, but was associated with being discharged from ICU within the same period. Trial documentation: Available at https://www.covid-critical.com/study.Trial registration: ACTRN12620000421932

Early short course of neuromuscular blocking agents in patients with COVID-19 ARDS : a propensity score analysis

Background: The role of neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBAs) in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is not fully elucidated. Therefore, we aimed to investigate in COVID-19 patients with moderate-to-severe ARDS the impact of early use of NMBAs on 90-day mortality, through propensity score (PS) matching analysis. Methods: We analyzed a convenience sample of patients with COVID-19 and moderate-to-severe ARDS, admitted to 244 intensive care units within the COVID-19 Critical Care Consortium, from February 1, 2020, through October 31, 2021. Patients undergoing at least 2 days and up to 3 consecutive days of NMBAs (NMBA treatment), within 48 h from commencement of IMV were compared with subjects who did not receive NMBAs or only upon commencement of IMV (control). The primary objective in the PS-matched cohort was comparison between groups in 90-day in-hospital mortality, assessed through Cox proportional hazard modeling. Secondary objectives were comparisons in the numbers of ventilator-free days (VFD) between day 1 and day 28 and between day 1 and 90 through competing risk regression. Results: Data from 1953 patients were included. After propensity score matching, 210 cases from each group were well matched. In the PS-matched cohort, mean (± SD) age was 60.3 ± 13.2 years and 296 (70.5%) were male and the most common comorbidities were hypertension (56.9%), obesity (41.1%), and diabetes (30.0%). The unadjusted hazard ratio (HR) for death at 90 days in the NMBA treatment vs control group was 1.12 (95% CI 0.79, 1.59, p = 0.534). After adjustment for smoking habit and critical therapeutic covariates, the HR was 1.07 (95% CI 0.72, 1.61, p = 0.729). At 28 days, VFD were 16 (IQR 0–25) and 25 (IQR 7–26) in the NMBA treatment and control groups, respectively (sub-hazard ratio 0.82, 95% CI 0.67, 1.00, p = 0.055). At 90 days, VFD were 77 (IQR 0–87) and 87 (IQR 0–88) (sub-hazard ratio 0.86 (95% CI 0.69, 1.07; p = 0.177). Conclusions: In patients with COVID-19 and moderate-to-severe ARDS, short course of NMBA treatment, applied early, did not significantly improve 90-day mortality and VFD. In the absence of definitive data from clinical trials, NMBAs should be indicated cautiously in this setting.</p

Delayed colorectal cancer care during covid-19 pandemic (decor-19). Global perspective from an international survey

Background The widespread nature of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been unprecedented. We sought to analyze its global impact with a survey on colorectal cancer (CRC) care during the pandemic. Methods The impact of COVID-19 on preoperative assessment, elective surgery, and postoperative management of CRC patients was explored by a 35-item survey, which was distributed worldwide to members of surgical societies with an interest in CRC care. Respondents were divided into two comparator groups: 1) ‘delay’ group: CRC care affected by the pandemic; 2) ‘no delay’ group: unaltered CRC practice. Results A total of 1,051 respondents from 84 countries completed the survey. No substantial differences in demographics were found between the ‘delay’ (745, 70.9%) and ‘no delay’ (306, 29.1%) groups. Suspension of multidisciplinary team meetings, staff members quarantined or relocated to COVID-19 units, units fully dedicated to COVID-19 care, personal protective equipment not readily available were factors significantly associated to delays in endoscopy, radiology, surgery, histopathology and prolonged chemoradiation therapy-to-surgery intervals. In the ‘delay’ group, 48.9% of respondents reported a change in the initial surgical plan and 26.3% reported a shift from elective to urgent operations. Recovery of CRC care was associated with the status of the outbreak. Practicing in COVID-free units, no change in operative slots and staff members not relocated to COVID-19 units were statistically associated with unaltered CRC care in the ‘no delay’ group, while the geographical distribution was not. Conclusions Global changes in diagnostic and therapeutic CRC practices were evident. Changes were associated with differences in health-care delivery systems, hospital’s preparedness, resources availability, and local COVID-19 prevalence rather than geographical factors. Strategic planning is required to optimize CRC care