MobiMOOC 2012: a new tree structure for the delivery of connectivist MOOCs

Based on the explicit principles of connectivism (autonomy, diversity, openness and interactivity) and on the activities of aggregation, remixing, repurposing and feeding forward resources and learning, connectivist Massive Open Online Courses (c-MOOCs) have made a large impact in online education since 2008. Ideally a great part of c-MOOC participants should share, produce and consume digital media. But this does not happen and a majority of learners stay on the side as silent participants that only consume (lurkers). Those active never exceed 10% of those registered. The way c-MOOCs have been delivered up to date can be divided into: i) those that make use of a daily newsletter used by the facilitator to syndicate fundamentally the blog posts from the active participants and ii) those that rely on a centralizing web page and where all course discussions happen via the usage of a mailing list. In each format participants undergo a very different learning experience but the relation active-to-lurker is in both very similar. After the success of MobiMOOC 2011, Inge de Waard organized and coordinated in September 2012 a three weeks course on mobile learning. MobiMOOC 2012 relied on a format of a centralized wiki and mailing list but introduced a new delivery structure: a tree arquitecture. Participants concentrated in only one topic in the first week, four were offered on the second and eight on the third. MobiMOOC 2012 and this experimental new organizational structure are described in detail in this paper. We particularly analyze if a more balanced distribution of participants in active and lurkers roles was achieved when compared to previous experiences.Fil: Rodriguez, Carlos Osvaldo. Universidad del Cema; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

A Multiple Radar Approach for Automatic Target Recognition of Aircraft using Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar

Along with the improvement of radar technologies, Automatic Target Recognition (ATR) using Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and Inverse SAR (ISAR) has come to be an active research area. SAR/ISAR are radar techniques to generate a two-dimensional high-resolution image of a target. Unlike other similar experiments using Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) to solve this problem, we utilize an unusual approach that leads to better performance and faster training times. Our CNN uses complex values generated by a simulation to train the network; additionally, we utilize a multi-radar approach to increase the accuracy of the training and testing processes, thus resulting in higher accuracies than the other papers working on SAR/ISAR ATR. We generated our dataset with 7 different aircraft models with a radar simulator we developed called RadarPixel; it is a Windows GUI program implemented using Matlab and Java programming, the simulator is capable of accurately replicating a real SAR/ISAR configurations. Our objective is to utilize our multi-radar technique and determine the optimal number of radars needed to detect and classify targets.Comment: 8 pages, 9 figures, International Conference for Data Intelligence and Security (ICDIS

Study of trace elements vaporization during the sewage sludge combustion

The behavior of 11 trace elements during the sewage sludge combustion and its co-combustion with municipal solid wastes was thermodynamically investigated in order to observe the influence of different operating parameters. The thermodynamic calculations were carried out simulating the existing atmosphere during the sewage sludge combustion, between 200 and 1000 C, working at atmospheric pressure. Also, the contents of chlorine and sulphur in this atmosphere was analyzed, because these elements can exist during the co-combustion with municipal solid waste. Experimentally, the sewage sludge combustion in fluidized bed was carried out. The study was focalized in three representative toxic metals: Cd, Pb, Zn. The results show that the co-combustion with municipal solid wastes makes it difficult trace elements vaporization, since metallic chlorides react with water forming oxides which remain in the mineral matrix. The experimental study confirmed the important dependence of the heavy metals vaporization upon the operating parameters.Se estudió el comportamiento de 11 elementos traza durante la incineración de barros cloacales y su co-combustión con residuos sólidos municipales desde el punto de vista termodinámico, con el fin de observar la influencia de diferentes variables del proceso. Los cálculos termodinámicos se realizaron simulando la atmósfera de combustión existente durante la combustión de barros cloacales, en un rango de temperatura entre 200 y 1000 ºC, trabajando a presión atmosférica. Se analizó además la presencia de cloro y azufre en dicha atmósfera, debido a que éstos pueden estar presentes durante la co-combustión con residuos sólidos municipales. Desde el punto de vista experimental se incineraron los barros cloacales en un lecho fluidizado. El trabajo se focalizó en el comportamiento de tres metales tóxicos representativos: Cd, Pb y Zn. Los resultados de este estudio permiten concluir, desde el punto de vista termodinámico, que la co-combustión con residuos sólidos municipales no favorecería la vaporización de los elementos traza, ya que los cloruros metálicos reaccionarían con el agua formando óxidos y serían retenidos por la matriz mineral. El estudio experimental nos muestra que la vaporización de los metales pesados es altamente dependiente de las condiciones de operación.Fil: Flamant, Gilles. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique. PROMES Procedes. Materiaux et Energie Solaire; FranciaFil: Udaquiola, Stella. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Facultad de Ingenieria. Instituto de Ingenieria Quimica; ArgentinaFil: Martínez, Osvaldo Miguel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico la Plata. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo En Ciencias Aplicadas; ArgentinaFil: Mazza, German Delfor. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Facultad de Ingeniería; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Patagonia Norte; ArgentinaFil: Rodriguez, Rosa Ana. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Facultad de Ingenieria. Instituto de Ingenieria Quimica; ArgentinaFil: Palacios, Carlos Alberto. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Facultad de Ingenieria. Instituto de Ingenieria Quimica; ArgentinaFil: Gauthier, Daniel. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique. PROMES Procedes. Materiaux et Energie Solaire; Franci

Emotive Vocabulary in MOOCs: Context & Participant Retention

Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs) have been growing in popularity with educational researchers, instructors, and learners in online environments. Online discussions are as important in MOOCs as in other online courses. Online discussions that occur in MOOCs are influenced by additional factors resulting from their volatile and voluntary participation structure. This article aims to examine discussions that took place in MobiMOOC in the spring of 2011, a MOOC structured around mobile learning. This line of inquiry focused on language from the discussions that contained emotive vocabulary in the MobiMOOC discussion forums. Emotive vocabulary is words or phrases that are implicitly emotional (happy, sad, frustrated) or relate to emotional contexts (I wasn't able to...). This emotive vocabulary, when present, was examined to determine whether it could serve as a mechanism for predicting future and continued participation in the MOOC. In this research, narrative inquiry approach was used in order to shine a light on the possible predictive qualities of emotive text in both participants who withdrew from the course as well as moderately or moderately active participants. The results indicated that emotive vocabulary usage did not significantly predict or impact participation retention in MobiMOOC. (Contains 5 figures and 4 endnotes.)Fil: Koutropoulos, Apostolos. University of Massachussets; Estados UnidosFil: Gallagher, Michael Sean. University of London; Reino UnidoFil: Abajian, Sean C.. California State University; Estados UnidosFil: Inge de Waard. Institute of Tropical Medicine; BélgicaFil: Hogue, Rebecca Joanne. University of Ottawa; CanadáFil: Keskin, Nilgün Özdamar. Anadolu University; TurquíaFil: Rodriguez, Carlos Osvaldo. Universidad Nacional de La Plata; Argentin

Merging MOOC and mLearning for Increased Learner Interaction

In this paper, the authors suggest the merger of the Massively Open Online Course (MOOC) format and mobile learning (mLearning) based on mutual affordances of both contemporary learning/teaching formats to investigate learner interactions and dialogues in an open online course. The paper presents a case study of how MobiMOOC, a course created using the MOOC format, demonstrates the synergistic characteristics between the MOOC format and mLearning, making a combination of both fields ideal for contemporary, digital, collaborative learning, and knowledge construction based on learner interactions and dialogue. MobiMOOC was a six-week online course focusing on mLearning that ran in April and May 2011. An endof-course survey providesinsight thatsupportsthe synergies between MOOCs and mLearning: collaboration, informal and lifelong learning, and dialogue.Fil: De Waard, Inge. Athabasca University; BélgicaFil: Koutropoulos, Apostolos. University of Massachusetts; Estados UnidosFil: Hogue, Rebecca J.. University of Ottawa; CanadáFil: Abajian, Sean C.. California State University Northridge (calif. State Univ. Northridge);Fil: Keskin, Nilgün Özdamar. Anadolu University; TurquíaFil: Rodriguez, Carlos Osvaldo. Universidad del Cema. Departamento de Ingeniería Informatica; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Gallagher, Michael Sean. University of Edinburgh; Reino Unid

Estimating wind speed and capacity factors in Mexico using reanalysis data

In the fundamental stage of resource assessment, high-quality wind speed measurements are required to estimate power production. However, this high-quality data is not always available, and therefore the analysis of alternative sources becomes essential. In this work, we analyze the ability of MERRA-2 to represent wind speed characteristics at 24 anemometric stations in Mexico. The assessment was carried out using the Pearson correlation coefficient between the observed time series, and the obtained by interpolating bias-corrected reanalysis-estimated wind speed to all locations for different time-averaging periods. Results showed that the reanalysis’ performance is not uniform throughout the country; it depends on the time resolution, local orographic conditions, and the relationship between the local flow and the large-scale circulation. Based on these results, the country was subdivided into eight regions. The best-represented region was the Chivela Pass, where the winds are tightly linked to the interaction between the large-scale circulation and the local orography. The worst performing regions were located where the land sea-mask and orography at the reanalysis’ resolution may not be accurate enough to reproduce the station’s wind speeds. Reanalysis-estimated capacity factors exhibit large interannual variability in some stations, which can have significant consequences for the operation of individual wind farms and the power grid. The results show that, while caution should be exercised when applying reanalyses to wind resource assessment in Mexico, reanalysis wind power estimates can be a valuable tool to investigate the feasibility and installed capacity requirements for Mexico to meet its renewable energy targets

The south of Pozuelos (Jujuy, Argentina) before 1000 A.D. : first archaeological evidences

Este artículo tiene como objetivo dar a conocer las evidencias arqueológicas anteriores al 1.000 d.C. registradas en el sector sur de Pozuelos, las primeras de tal antigüedad reportadas para el área. Estas son escasas en relación a las de épocas posteriores, y consisten en representaciones rupestres, fragmentos cerámicos y material lítico hallado en superficie. No se han detectado hasta el momento ocupaciones en cuevas o aleros, ni arquitectura que puedan asignarse a este período temporal. En base a la información presentada se plantea que la ocupación arcaica de la región habría sido más intensa y extendida que la de época formativa temprana, y que la paulatina disminución en la cantidad de evidencias arqueológicas a medida que avanzamos en el tiempo, se habría acentuado notablemente para el primer milenio de nuestra era. Esto reflejaría un relativo despoblamiento del sur de Pozuelos hasta que, luego del 1.200 d.C., el número de habitantes del área de estudio se habría incrementado exponencialmente.This article aims to present the archaeological evidences prior to 1.000 AD recorded in the area of the South of Pozuelos, the oldest reported until this moment for the region. These are less abundant compared to those of recent times, and include rock art, pottery fragments and lithic materials found on the surface. We have not detected so far neither human occupations in caves or rockshelters, nor architecture that can be assigned to this temporary period. Based on the information presented it is suggested that the archaic occupation of the region would have been more intense and widespread than the early formative presence, and that the gradual decrease in the amount of archaeological evidence as we move forward in time, would have considerably accelerated in the first millennium AD. This would reflect a relative depopulation of the South of Pozuelos until 1.200 AD, when the number of inhabitants in the area of study would have exponentially increased.Fil: Angiorama, Carlos Ignacio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucuman. Instituto Superior de Estudios Sociales. Universidad Nacional de Tucuman. Instituto Superior de Estudios Sociales; ArgentinaFil: Argañaraz Fochi, Diego. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo; ArgentinaFil: Becerra, María Florencia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucuman. Instituto Superior de Estudios Sociales. Universidad Nacional de Tucuman. Instituto Superior de Estudios Sociales; ArgentinaFil: del Bel, Ezequiel. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo. Instituto de Arqueología y Museo; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Diaz, Osvaldo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucuman. Instituto Superior de Estudios Sociales. Universidad Nacional de Tucuman. Instituto Superior de Estudios Sociales; ArgentinaFil: Giusta, Marco Nicolás. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Leiton, Diego. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucuman. Instituto Superior de Estudios Sociales. Universidad Nacional de Tucuman. Instituto Superior de Estudios Sociales; ArgentinaFil: Perez Pieroni, María Josefina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucuman. Instituto Superior de Estudios Sociales. Universidad Nacional de Tucuman. Instituto Superior de Estudios Sociales; ArgentinaFil: Rodriguez Curletto, Silvina Vanesa. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucuman. Instituto Superior de Estudios Sociales. Universidad Nacional de Tucuman. Instituto Superior de Estudios Sociales; ArgentinaFil: Torres Vega, Lucrecia Marina Raquel. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo; Argentin

Implications of global pricing policies on access to innovative drugs: : the case of trastuzumab in seven Latin American countries

Background: Differential pricing, based on countries’ purchasing power, is recommended by the WHO to secure affordable medicines. However, in developing countries innovative drugs often have similar or even higher prices than in high-income countries. We evaluated the potential implications of trastuzumab global pricing policies in terms of cost-effectiveness (CE), coverage and accessibility for patients with breast cancer in Latin America (LA). Methods: A Markov model was designed to estimate life years (LYs), quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and costs from a health care perspective. To better fit local cancer prognosis, a base case scenario using transition probabilities from clinical trials was complemented with two alternative scenarios with transition probabilities adjusted to reflect breast cancer epidemiology in each country. Findings: Incremental discounted benefits ranged from 0.87 to 1.00 LY and 0.51 to 0.60 QALY and incremental CE ratios from USD 42,104 to USD 110,283 per QALY (2012 US dollars), equivalent to 3.6 gross domestic product per capita (GDPPC) per QALY in Uruguay and to 35.5 GDPPC in Bolivia. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis showed 0% probability that trastuzumab is CE if the willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold is one GDPPC per QALY, and remained so at three GDPPC threshold except for Chile and Uruguay (4.3% and 26.6% respectively). Trastuzumab price would need to decrease between 69.6% to 94.9% to became CE in LA. Interpretation: Although CE in other settings, trastuzumab was not CE in LA. The use of health technology assessment to prioritize resource allocation and support price negotiations is critical to making innovative drugs available and affordable in developing countries

Plant growth and survival of five introduced and two native/naturalized perennial grass genotypes exposed to two defoliation managements in arid Argentina

The field performance of the native Pappophorum vaginatum, the naturalized Eragrostis curvula and various cultivars of the introduced Achnatherum hymenoides and Leymus cinereus was evaluated as potential forage resources in rangelands of arid Argentina during the warm seasons of 2007/2008 and 2008/2009. Plants of these grass species, obtained from seeds, were transplanted to the field in 2006, when they were 1 year old. During the study years, there were two defoliation managements: plants of all study genotypes either remained undefoliated (controls) or were defoliated twice a year during spring at 5 cm stubble height. Despite tiller number being lower (P 0·05) between defoliation managements by mid-spring, there were no differences (P > 0·05) in dry weight production between defoliated and undefoliated plants in all genotypes at the end of the second growing season. Plants of one or more of the introduced genotypes showed a similar (P > 0·05) or greater (P 0·05) or greater (P 70%) or naturalized (>39%) genotypes at the end of the first or second growing seasons.Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestale

Variability and correlations of traits related to seedling vigor in two natural populations of Pappophorum vaginatum Buckley

Se evaluó variabilidad y correlación fenotípica en caracteres vinculados con el vigor de plántula en dos poblaciones de P. vaginatum. Se pesaron y embraron individualmente 100 cariopses por población ("A"; "B"). A los 43 días se determinó: longitud aérea (LA), radical (LR), total (LT) y de raíz adventicia más larga (Ladv); número de raíces adventicias (n°adv), hojas (n°hoj), hojas senescentes (n°sen) y macollos (n°mac) y peso seco aéreo (PSA) y radical (PSR). Se calculó peso seco total (PST), PSA/PSR y LA/LR. La variabilidad se analizó mediante estadística descriptiva y prueba de t. Se analizó correlación entre caracteres y regresión múltiple de los caracteres sobre PST. Las poblaciones no difirieron en PST (p≥0,05). "A" presentó mayor (p≤0,01) PSA/ PSR, LA/ LR y LA. "B" tuvo mayor (p≤0,05) LR, Ladv y PSR. Ambas poblaciones presentaron correlación significativa y positiva del PST con LA, LT, Ladv, n°adv, n°hoj y n°mac. La regresión fue significativa (p≤0,01). La variabilidad encontrada dentro y entre las poblaciones implica expectativas de respuesta a la selección. PST varió sólo dentro de poblaciones sugiriendo la conveniencia de selección intrapoblacional. La asociación encontrada entre los caracteres LA y n°mac y el vigor de plántula, debería ser considerada en la mejora genética de la implantación.It was evaluated variability and phenotypic correlation in traits related to seedling vigor in two natural populations of P.vaginatum. They were weighted and sowed individually 100 caryopses of each population ("A"; "B"). After 43 days it was determined: lenghts aerial (LA), root (LR), total (LT) and longest adventitious root (Ladv), number of adventitious root (n°adv), of leaves (n°hoj), of senescent leaves (n°sen) and of tillers (n°mac) and dry weight aerial (PSA) and root (PSR). It was calculated total dry weight (PST), PSA/PSR and LA/LR. Variability was analyzed by means of descriptive statistic and t test. It was analyzed correlation among traits and multiple regression of traits on PST. Populations did not differ in PST (p≥0.05). "A" had greater (p≤0.01) PSA/PSR, LA/LR and LA. "B" had higher (p≤0.05) LR, Ladv and PSR. Both populations showed significant and positive correlation of PST with LA, LT, Ladv, n°adv, n°hoj y n°mac. The regression was significant (p≤0.01). The variability found within and between populations implies expectations of response to selection. PST varied only within populations suggesting the convenience of intrapopulation selection. The association found between the traits LA and n°mac and the seedling vigor, should be considered for the genetic improvement of the implantation.Fil: Entio, Lisandro Jose. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestales; ArgentinaFil: Mujica, Maria de la Merced. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestales; ArgentinaFil: Busso, Carlos Alberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Centro de Recursos Naturales Renovables de la Zona Semiárida. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Centro de Recursos Naturales Renovables de la Zona Semiárida; ArgentinaFil: Torres, Yanina Alejandra. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Centro de Recursos Naturales Renovables de la Zona Semiárida. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Centro de Recursos Naturales Renovables de la Zona Semiárida; ArgentinaFil: Montenegro, Oscar Alberto. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Ministerio de Asuntos Agrarios; ArgentinaFil: Ithurrart, Leticia Soledad. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Centro de Recursos Naturales Renovables de la Zona Semiárida. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Centro de Recursos Naturales Renovables de la Zona Semiárida; ArgentinaFil: Giorgetti, Hugo Dosindo. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Ministerio de Asuntos Agrarios; ArgentinaFil: Rodriguez, Gustavo Dionisio. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Ministerio de Asuntos Agrarios; ArgentinaFil: Bentivegna, Diego Javier. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Centro de Recursos Naturales Renovables de la Zona Semiárida. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Centro de Recursos Naturales Renovables de la Zona Semiárida; ArgentinaFil: Brevedan, Roberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Centro de Recursos Naturales Renovables de la Zona Semiárida. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Centro de Recursos Naturales Renovables de la Zona Semiárida; ArgentinaFil: Fernandez, Osvaldo Alberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Centro de Recursos Naturales Renovables de la Zona Semiárida. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Centro de Recursos Naturales Renovables de la Zona Semiárida; ArgentinaFil: Baioni, Sandra Sonia. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Agronomía; ArgentinaFil: Fioretti, Maria Nelida. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Agronomía; ArgentinaFil: Tucat, Guillermo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Centro de Recursos Naturales Renovables de la Zona Semiárida. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Centro de Recursos Naturales Renovables de la Zona Semiárida; Argentin