Developing evaluative judgement: enabling students to make decisions about the quality of work

Evaluative judgement is the capability to make decisions about the quality of work of oneself and others. In this paper, we propose that developing students’ evaluative judgement should be a goal of higher education, to enable students to improve their work and to meet their future learning needs: a necessary capability of graduates. We explore evaluative judgement within a discourse of pedagogy rather than primarily within an assessment discourse, as a way of encompassing and integrating a range of pedagogical practices. We trace the origins and development of the term ‘evaluative judgement’ to form a concise definition then recommend refinements to existing higher education practices of self-assessment, peer assessment, feedback, rubrics, and use of exemplars to contribute to the development of evaluative judgement. Considering pedagogical practices in light of evaluative judgement may lead to fruitful methods of engendering the skills learners require both within and beyond higher education settings

The topology of vitronectin: A complementary feature for neuroblastoma risk classification based on computer‐aided detection

Tumors are complex networks of constantly interacting elements: tumor cells, stromal cells, immune and stem cells, blood/lympathic vessels, nerve fibers and extracellular matrix components. These elements can influence their microenvironment through mechanical and physical signals to promote tumor cell growth. To get a better understanding of tumor biology, cooperation between multidisciplinary fields is needed. Diverse mathematic computations and algorithms have been designed to find prognostic targets and enhance diagnostic assessment. In this work, we use computational digital tools to study the topology of vitronectin, a glycoprotein of the extracellular matrix. Vitronectin is linked to angiogenesis and migration, two processes closely related to tumor cell spread. Here, we investigate whether the distribution of this molecule in the tumor stroma may confer mechanical properties affecting neuroblastoma aggressiveness. Combining image analysis and graph theory, we analyze different topological features that capture the organizational cues of vitronectin in histopathological images taken from human samples. We find that the Euler number and the branching of territorial vitronectin, two topological features, could allow for a more precise pretreatment risk stratification to guide treatment strategies in neuroblastoma patients. A large amount of recently synthesized VN would create migration tracks, pinpointed by both topological features, for malignant neuroblasts, so that dramatic change in the extracellular matrix would increase tumor aggressiveness and worsen patient outcomes

Application of the Wigner-Ville distribution for the detection of rotor asymmetries and eccentricity through high-order harmonics

The diagnosis of induction machines through the use of methods based on the study of the startup current has become an issue of special interest. These techniques may provide, in certain situations (unbalanced supply voltages, load torque oscillations, variable load, etc.) and for certain faults (broken bars, eccentricity, stator short circuit, etc.) substantial advantages in comparison with the classical method, based on the Fourier spectrum of the steady-state current. Nevertheless, in the case of rotor asymmetries, these transient-based techniques have been mainly focused on the tracing of the lower sideband harmonic (LSH). In this paper, a wideband diagnosis method is proposed, in which the Wigner-Ville distribution is applied to the detection of eccentricity and other high-order components also introduced by the rotor asymmetry. It is shown that the proposed wide band analysis might help to reach a more reliable diagnosis conclusion in cases in which the tracing of commonly used harmonics may be difficult (inter-bar currents, load torque oscillations, non stationary regimes, etc.). An evaluation of the method is carried out through simulations and laboratory tests. The results show the potential of the tool for the detection and quantification of these components as a basis to diagnose such faults. © 2012 Elsevier B.V

Compressed Lateral and anteroposterior Anatomical Systematic Sequences «CLASS»: compressed MRI sequences with assessed anatomical femoral and tibial ACL's footprints, a feasibility study

[EN] Purpose This study's main objective is to assess the feasibility of processing the MRI information with identified ACL-footprints into 2D-images similar to a conventional anteroposterior and lateral X-Ray image of the knee. The secondary aim is to conduct specific measurements to assess the reliability and reproducibility. This study is a proof of concept of this technique. Methods Five anonymised MRIs of a right knee were analysed. A orthopaedic knee surgeon performed the footprints identification. An ad-hoc software allowed a volumetric 3D image projection on a 2D anteroposterior and lateral view. The previously defined anatomical femoral and tibial footprints were precisely identified on these views. Several parameters were measured (e.g. coronal and sagittal ratio of tibial footprint, sagittal ratio of femoral footprint, femoral intercondylar notch roof angle, proximal tibial slope and others). The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICCs), including 95% confidence intervals (CIs), has been calculated to assess intraobserver reproducibility and interobserver reliability. Results Five MRI scans of a right knee have been assessed (three females, two males, mean age of 30.8 years old). Five 2D-"CLASS" have been created. The measured parameters showed a "substantial" to "almost perfect" reproducibility and an "almost perfect" reliability. Conclusion This study confirmed the possibility of generating "CLASS" with the localised centroid of the femoral and tibial ACL footprints from a 3D volumetric model. "CLASS" also showed that these footprints were easily identified on standard anteroposterior and lateral X-Ray views of the same patient, thus allowing an individual identification of the anatomical femoral and tibial ACL's footprints.This work was supported by the University of Fribourg in Switzerland. The study was performed in collaboration with the "Instituto de Biomecanica"-the Polytechnic University of Valencia in Spain.Thürig, G.; Panadero-Morales, R.; Giovannelli, L.; Kocher, F.; Peris-Serra, J.; Tannast, M.; Petek, D. (2022). Compressed Lateral and anteroposterior Anatomical Systematic Sequences «CLASS»: compressed MRI sequences with assessed anatomical femoral and tibial ACL's footprints, a feasibility study. Journal of Experimental Orthopaedics. 9(1):1-7. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40634-022-00445-3179

The location routing problem with facility sizing decisions

The location routing problem (LRP) integrates operational decisions on vehicle routing operations with strategic decisions on the location of the facilities or depots from which the distribution will take place. In other words, it combines the well-known vehicle routing problem (VRP) with the facility location problem (FLP). Hence, the LRP is an NP-hard combinatorial optimization problem, which justifies the use of metaheuristic approaches whenever large-scale instances need to be solved. In this paper, we explore a realistic version of the LRP in which facilities of different capacities are considered, i.e., the manager has to consider not only the location but also the size of the facilities to open. In order to tackle this optimization problem, three mixed-integer linear formulations are proposed and compared. As expected, they have been proved to be cost- and time- inefficient. Hence, a biased-randomized iterated local search algorithm is proposed. Classical instances for the LRP with homogeneous facilities are naturally extended to test the performance of our approach.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Chrome Plug-in to Support SRL in MOOCs

Proceeding of: 6th European MOOCs Stakeholders Summit, EMOOCs 2019 Naples, Italy, May 20–22, 2019.Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have gained popularity over the last years, offering a learning environment with new opportunities and challenges. These courses attract a heterogeneous set of participants who, due to the impossibility of personal tutorship in MOOCs, are required to create their own learning path and manage one’s own learning to achieve their goals. In other words, they should be able to self-regulate their learning. Self-regulated learning (SRL) has been widely explored in settings such as face-to-face or blended learning environments. Nevertheless, research on SRL in MOOCs is still scarce, especially on supporting interventions. In this sense, this document presents MOOCnager, a Chrome plug-in to help learners improve their SRL skills. Specifically, this work focuses on 3 areas: goal setting, time management and selfevaluation. Each area is included in one of the 3 phases composing Zimmerman’s SRL Cyclical Model. In this way, the plug-in aims to support enrolees’ self-regulation throughout their complete learning process. Finally, MOOCnager was uploaded to the Chrome Web Store, in order to get a preliminary evaluation with real participants from 6 edX Java MOOCs designed by the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M). Results were not conclusive as the use of the plug-in by the participants was very low. However, learners seem to prefer a seamless tool, integrated in the MOOC platform, which is able to assist them without any learner-tool interaction.The authors acknowledge the eMadrid Network, funded by the Madrid Regional Government (Comunidad de Madrid) with grant No. P2018/TCS-4307. This work also received partial support from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness/Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities, Projects RESET (TIN2014-53199-C3-1-R) and Smartlet (TIN2017- 85179-C3-1-R), and from the European Commission through Erasmus+ projects COMPETENSEA (574212-EPP-1-2016-1-NL-EPPKA2-CBHE-JP), LALA (586120-EPP-1-2017-1-ESEPPKA2- CBHE-JP), and InnovaT (598758-EPP-1-2018-1-AT-EPPKA2-CBHE-JP).Publicad

Influence of the Pecking Motion Frequency on the Cyclic Fatigue Resistance of Endodontic Rotary Files

Purpose: To analyze the influence of the pecking motion frequency on the cyclic fatigue resistance of endodontic rotary files. Material and Methods: Sixty PlexV 25.06 endodontic rotary files were selected and distributed into three groups: 30 movements/min (n = 20), 60 movements/min (n = 20), and 120 movements/min (n = 20). A dynamic cyclic fatigue device was designed using Computer Aided Design/ Computer Aided Engineering (CAD/CAE) technology and manufactured by 3D impressions to simulate the pecking motion performed by an operator. Failures of the endodontic rotary files were detected by a Light-Emitting Diode (LED)/Light-Dependent Resistor (LDR) system controlled by an Arduino-Driver complex and management software. Endodontic rotary files were tested on an artificial root canal manufactured by wire electrical discharge machining (EDM), with similar dimensions to those of the instrument under examination. Endodontic rotary files were used following the manufacturer's recommendations. The results were analyzed by ANOVA and Weibull statistics. Results: All pairwise comparisons revealed statistically significant differences in all three variables, except for the difference in the number of cycles between the groups with 60 and 120 movements/min (p = 0.298). The scale distribution parameter of Weibull statistics showed statistically significant differences in all three variables, except for the differences in the number of cycles between groups with 30 and 60 movements/min (p = 0.0722). No statistically significant differences in the three variables were observed for the shape distribution parameter. Conclusion: A low frequency of pecking motion is recommended to reduce the risk of failure of endodontic rotary files associated with cyclic fatigue

Inflammatory response in mixed viral-bacterial community-acquired pneumonia

Background The role of mixed pneumonia (virus¿+¿bacteria) in community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) has been described in recent years. However, it is not known whether the systemic inflammatory profile is different compared to monomicrobial CAP. We wanted to investigate this profile of mixed viral-bacterial infection and to compare it to monomicrobial bacterial or viral CAP. Methods We measured baseline serum procalcitonin (PCT), C reactive protein (CRP), and white blood cell (WBC) count in 171 patients with CAP with definite etiology admitted to a tertiary hospital: 59 (34.5%) bacterial, 66 (39.%) viral and 46 (27%) mixed (viral-bacterial). Results Serum PCT levels were higher in mixed and bacterial CAP compared to viral CAP. CRP levels were higher in mixed CAP compared to the other groups. CRP was independently associated with mixed CAP. CRP levels below 26 mg/dL were indicative of an etiology other than mixed in 83% of cases, but the positive predictive value was 45%. PCT levels over 2.10 ng/mL had a positive predictive value for bacterial-involved CAP versus viral CAP of 78%, but the negative predictive value was 48%. Conclusions Mixed CAP has a different inflammatory pattern compared to bacterial or viral CAP. High CRP levels may be useful for clinicians to suspect mixed CAP