Reusing adaptation strategies in adaptive educational hypermedia systems

Due to the difficulty and thus effort and expenses involved in creating them, personalization strategies in learning environments have to demonstrate a higher return-on-investment (ROI), if they are to be a viable component of the learning setting of the future. One feature that can increase this ROI is the reusability of adaptation strategies in Adaptive Educational Hypermedia Systems. This research looks into various ways of enhancing this reusability. Using multiple modular adaptation strategies (MAS) with a controlling meta-strategy is proposed as a more efficient way of authoring adaptation strategies. This renders the reuse of adaptation strategies faster and easier for course authors. A method for semi-automatically breaking down complex adaptation strategies into smaller modular adaptation strategies is described. Potential problems with using multiple strategies are described and ways to solve them are discussed. Finally, some evaluation points are illustrated, conclusions are drawn and further research areas are identified

Impact of Student-Tracked Reading Fluency

This action research project was driven by the researcher\u27s interest on the impact that student-tracked reading fluency has on fluency growth. The researcher implemented a repeated reading fluency intervention with a group of eight first grade students from her classroom. Four of the eight students tracked their reading fluency scores on a graph while the other four students, in the control group, did not record their data. Throughout the study, the eight would individually work with the instructor during their repeated reading. The same repeated reading passage was used with all eight students. The findings from this action research project report that each student showed progress throughout the course of the three-week intervention. Students in the treatment group who graphed their data did show more growth in their correct words read per minute compared to the control group. However, it was not a significant enough difference to conclude student-tracked reading fluency is more effective than data that is not tracked. Results do indicate that repeated reading positively impacts fluency scores

Differential Diagnosis for a Vietnam Veteran with Complex Neurological Signs and Symptoms: A Case Report

Background: Neck pain has an annual incidence of 10.4 to 21.3% affected in the United States. Clinical practice guidelines developed by the American Physical Therapy Association have classified neck pain into four categories that guide treatment: neck pain with mobility deficits, neck pain with movement coordination impairments, neck pain with headaches, or neck pain with radicular symptoms. Case Description: A patient presented to an outpatient physical therapy clinic with severe chronic neck pain, dropped head syndrome, and neurological symptoms including bowel incontinence and split hand sign. His chief complaint was neck pain. The patient transported Agent Orange during the Vietnam War and had comorbidities linked to his military history. Differential Diagnosis: Several diagnoses were considered for this patient due to the risk factors and signs and symptoms identified during the evaluation. Agent Orange exposure has been linked to a number of disease states. Dropped head syndrome can be a sign of certain neurological and autoimmune conditions. Epidemiological studies identified a 60% greater risk of ALS in military men during the last 100 years compared to the general population. The purpose of this case report is to describe the clinical decision-making process for the differential diagnosis of a patient with complex neurological signs and symptoms. Discussion: Physical therapists are direct access providers in many states, so it is imperative to screen for underlying conditions that would not be appropriately treated with physical therapy alone. This patient is an example of someone who did not realize the potential implications of his additional neurological signs and symptoms. Several physical therapy interventions were used with this patient including manual therapy, dry needling, and movement coordination training

Université et démocratie délibérative. Pour une éducation à la citoyenneté

Deliberative democracy represents one of the most relevant political theories and it has acquired a growing importance within political debates and practices. However it presents some crucial problems in relation to the very high standards of rationality required to citizens for the deliberative process, in particular regarding the problem of public ignorance and the capabilities’ deficit. Amid these problems this article argues in favour of the necessity of education to political life as an unavoidable precondition for deliberative democracy. Since the theory is mainly concerned with the participation of adults within society, the task of offering possible solutions to these questions evidently stands on the shoulders of university education. The article calls for a fundamental ethical and social role of university within society without which the gap between the abstract theory of deliberative democracy and its real practices would determine its complete rejection and any form of democratic participation would ultimately be meaningless, if not dangerous.La democracia deliberativa representa una de las más relevantes teorías políticas y ha adquirido una importancia creciente dentro de los debates y las prácticas políticas. Sin embargo, esta teoría presenta algunos problemas esenciales en relación con los estándares de racionalidad muy elevados que requiere en los ciudadanos para que el proceso deliberativo tenga lugar, en particular los relacionados con la cuestión de la ignorancia pública y del deficit de capacidades. Este artículo plantea la necesidad de la educación para la vida política como prerrequisito fundamental para la democracia deliberativa. Debido al hecho de que esta teoría se enfoca principalmente en la participación de los adultos en la política, la tarea de ofrecer posibles soluciones a estas cuestiones se echa sobre las espaldas de la educación universitaria. El artículo incita a un fundamental papel ético y social de la universidad dentro de la sociedad sin el cual la discrepancia entre la teoría de la democracia deliberativa y sus prácticas determinaría su completo rechazo. Además, cualquier forma de participación democratica acabaría careciendo de sentido y, más aún, perjudicial.La démocratie délibérative représente une des théories politiques les plus importantes et il a acquis une importance croissante dans des débats et des pratiques politiques. Cependant, cette théorie présente quelques problèmes cruciaux en relacion aux standards de rationalité très élevées exigée aux citoyens pour le procès délibératif, en particulier liée à la question de l’ignorance publique et du déficit des capacités. Cet article soutient la nécessité de la éducation politique comme condition préalable fondamentale pour la démocratie délibérative. Car cette théorie se concentre principalement sur la participation des adultes à la vie politique, la tâche de proposer des solutions à ces questions est debout sur les épaules de l’enseignement universitaire. Pour ces raisons, l’article appelle à un rôle éthique fondamental de l’université dans la société sans laquelle l’écart entre la théorie de la démocratie délibérative et ses pratiques déterminerait son rejet complet. De plus, tous les types de participation démocratique seraient en fin de compte vides de sens, et encoure plus, dangereux

Disease progression and genetic risk factors in the primary tauopathies

The primary tauopathies are a group of progressive neurodegenerative diseases within the frontotemporal lobar degeneration spectrum (FTLD) characterised by the accumulation of misfolded, hyperphosphorylated microtubule-associated tau protein (MAPT) within neurons and glial cells. They can be classified according to the underlying ratio of three-repeat (3R) to four-repeat (4R) tau and include Pick’s disease (PiD), which is the only 3R tauopathy, and the 4R tauopathies the most common of which are progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and corticobasal degeneration (CBD). There are no disease modifying therapies currently available, with research complicated by the wide variability in clinical presentations for each underlying pathology, with presentations often overlapping, as well as the frequent occurrence of atypical presentations that may mimic other non-FTLD pathologies. Although progress has been made in understanding the genetic contribution to disease risk in the more common 4R tauopathies (PSP and CBD), very little is known about the genetics of the 3R tauopathy PiD. There are two broad aims to this thesis; firstly, to use data-driven generative models of disease progression to try and more accurately stage and subtype patients presenting with PSP and corticobasal syndrome (CBS, the most common presentation of CBD), and secondly to identify genetic drivers of disease risk and progression in PiD. Given the rarity of these disorders, as part of this PhD I had to assemble two large cohorts through international collaboration, the 4R tau imaging cohort and the Pick’s disease International Consortium (PIC), to build large enough sample sizes to enable the required analyses. In Chapter 3 I use a probabilistic event-based modelling (EBM) approach applied to structural MRI data to determine the sequence of brain atrophy changes in clinically diagnosed PSP - Richardson syndrome (PSP-RS). The sequence of atrophy predicted by the model broadly mirrors the sequential spread of tau pathology in PSP post-mortem staging studies, and has potential utility to stratify PSP patients on entry into clinical trials based on disease stage, as well as track disease progression. To better characterise the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of the 4R tauopathies, I go on to use Subtype and Stage Inference (SuStaIn), an unsupervised machine algorithm, to identify population subgroups with distinct patterns of atrophy in PSP (Chapter 4) and CBS (Chapter 5). The SuStaIn model provides data-driven evidence for the existence of two spatiotemporal subtypes of atrophy in clinically diagnosed PSP, giving insights into the relationship between pathology and clinical syndrome. In CBS I identify two distinct imaging subtypes that are differentially associated with underlying pathology, and potentially a third subtype that if confirmed in a larger dataset may allow the differentiation of CBD from both PSP and AD pathology using a baseline MRI scan. In Chapter 6 I investigate the association between the MAPT H1/H2 haplotype and PiD, showing for the first time that the H2 haplotype, known to be strongly protective against developing PSP or CBD, is associated with an increased risk of PiD. This is an important finding and has implications for the future development of MAPT isoform-specific therapeutic strategies for the primary tauopathies. In Chapter 7 I perform the first genome wide association study (GWAS) in PiD, identifying five genomic loci that are nominally associated with risk of disease. The top two loci implicate perturbed GABAergic signalling (KCTD8) and dysregulation of the ubiquitin proteosome system (TRIM22) in the pathogenesis of PiD. In the final chapter (Chapter 8) I investigate the genetic determinants of survival in PiD, by carrying out a Cox proportional hazards genome wide survival study (GWSS). I identify a genome-wide significant association with survival on chromosome 3, within the NLGN1 gene. which encodes a synaptic scaffolding protein located at the neuronal pre-synaptic membrane. Loss of synaptic integrity with resulting dysregulation of synaptic transmission leading to increased pathological tau accumulation is a plausible mechanism though which NLGN1 dysfunction could impact on survival in PiD

Lorenzo Luzuriaga e la sfida dell’educazione globale

Este artículo indaga un aspecto descuidado pero sin embargo crucial de la obra de Lorenzo Luzuriaga: su análisis y crítica a los procesos de internacionalización de la educación que marcaron los años posteriores al segundo conflicto mundial y que coincidieron con su largo exilio argentino. En particular, a través de la presentación de sus iniciales acercamientos y de sus sucesivas y reiteradas críticas a las directrices normativas y a las prácticas educativas de la UNESCO, el artículo planteará un análisis de las premisas filosóficas y de las implicaciones políticas que cualificaron su última propuesta educativa, la cual demuestra una profunda continuidad con su obra anterior. Esta indagación permitirá comprender el relevante aporte que Lorenzo Luzuriaga ofreció al crecimiento y a la radicalización de la reflexión pedagógica de su maestro José Ortega y Gasset en un contexto político en el cual cogía forma el tentativo de definir e institucionalizar la vigencia de nuevos valores para una educación global finalizada a la construcción y difusión de la paz.Un acontecimiento histórico paradigmático que todavía sostiene y orienta el actual debate sobre la esencia y finalidad de la educación hacia la ciudadanía. Un debate en que la educación activa, social y política propuesta por Luzuriaga aun constituye una útil referencia crítica.This article inquires into a neglected but crucial feature of the works of Lorenzo Luzuriaga: his analysis and criticism of the processes of internationalisation in education which marked the post- Second World War period and which coincided with his long Argentine exile. In particular, the article analyses – through a discussion of his initial appreciation and following criticisms in regard to UNESCO’s normative guidelines and educative practices – the philosophical premises and the political implications of his last educative proposals. These will be shown to be conceived in tight connection and continuity with his preceding works. Moreover, this investigation will permit to recognize the remarkable contribution he offered to the enhancement of José Ortega y Gasset’s pedagogical theory within a changed political context characterised by a unique attempt of defining and institutionalising new values for a global education aimed to promote world peace.A paradigmatic historical event that still grounds the current debate on the nature and purposes of citizenship education and in which the active, social and political education proposed by Luzuriaga still constitutes an interesting critical referenceQuesto articolo indaga un aspetto trascurato e tuttavia centrale dell’opera di Lorenzo Luzuriaga: l’analisi e critica ai processi di internazionalizzazione dell’educazione che marcarono gli anni successivi al secondo conflitto mondiale, coincidenti con il periodo del suo lungo esilio argentino. In particolare, attraverso la presentazione dei suoi iniziali avvicinamenti e delle sue successive e reiterate critiche tanto alle direttrici normative che alle pratiche educative dell’UNESCO, questo articolo intende analizzare le premesse filosofiche e le implicazioni politiche che qualificarono l’ultima proposta educativa del pedagogista spagnolo, la quale si dimostrerà essere in profonda continuità con la sua opera precedente. Tale indagine permetterà così di comprendere il notevole apporto che egli offrì all’accrescimento e alla radicalizzazione della riflessione pedagogica del suo maestro José Ortega y Gasset in un contesto politico in cui prendeva forma il tentativo di definire e istituzionalizzare la vigenza di nuovi valori per un’educazione globale a sostengo della pace.Un evento storico paradigmatico che tuttora sostiene ed orienta l’attuale dibattito sulla natura e finalità dell’educazione alla cittadinanza e nel quale l’educazione attiva, sociale e politica proposta da Luzuriaga ancora costituisce un utile riferimento critico