Delivery Of A Urology Online Course Using Moodle Versus Didactic Lectures Methods.

To subjectively and objectively compare an accessible interactive electronic library using Moodle with lectures for urology teaching of medical students. Forty consecutive fourth-year medical students and one urology teacher were exposed to two teaching methods (4 weeks each) in the form of problem-based learning: - lectures and - student-centered group discussion based on Moodle (modular object-oriented dynamic learning environment) full time online delivered (24/7) with video surgeries, electronic urology cases and additional basic principles of the disease process. All 40 students completed the study. While 30% were moderately dissatisfied with their current knowledge base, online learning course delivery using Moodle was considered superior to the lectures by 86% of the students. The study found the following observations: (1) the increment in learning grades ranged from 7.0 to 9.7 for students in the online Moodle course compared to 4.0-9.6 to didactic lectures; (2) the self-reported student involvement in the online course was characterized as large by over 60%; (3) the teacher-student interaction was described as very frequent (50%) and moderately frequent (50%); and (4) more inquiries and requisitions by students as well as peer assisting were observed from the students using the Moodle platform. The Moodle platform is feasible and effective, enthusing medical students to learn, improving immersion in the urology clinical rotation and encouraging the spontaneous peer assisted learning. Future studies should expand objective evaluations of knowledge acquisition and retention.

Reaction time assessment in children with ADHD

Attention deficit, impulsivity and hyperactivity are the cardinal features of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) but executive function (EF) disorders, as problems with inhibitory control, working memory and reaction time, besides others EFs, may underlie many of the disturbs associated with the disorder. OBJECTIVE: To examine the reaction time in a computerized test in children with ADHD and normal controls. METHOD: Twenty-three boys (aged 9 to 12) with ADHD diagnosis according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, 2000 (DSM-IV) criteria clinical, without comorbidities, Intelligence Quotient (IQ) >89, never treated with stimulant and fifteen normal controls, age matched were investigated during performance on a voluntary attention psychophysical test. RESULTS: Children with ADHD showed reaction time higher than normal controls. CONCLUSION: A slower reaction time occurred in our patients with ADHD. This findings may be related to problems with the attentional system, that could not maintain an adequate capacity of perceptual input processes and/or in motor output processes, to respond consistently during continuous or repetitive activity.

Combining Legendre's Polynomials and Genetic Algorithm in the Solution of Nonlinear Initial-Value Problems

This work develops a method for solving ordinary differential equations, that is, initial-value problems, with solutions approximated by using Legendre's polynomials. An iterative procedure for the adjustment of the polynomial coefficients is developed, based on the genetic algorithm. This procedure is applied to several examples providing comparisons between its results and the best polynomial fitting when numerical solutions by the traditional Runge-Kutta or Adams methods are available. The resulting algorithm provides reliable solutions even if the numerical solutions are not available, that is, when the mass matrix is singular or the equation produces unstable running processes.

Finite element analysis of steady-state natural convection problems in fluid-saturated porous media heated from below

In this paper, a progressive asymptotic approach procedure is presented for solving the steady-state Horton-Rogers-Lapwood problem in a fluid-saturated porous medium. The Horton-Rogers-Lapwood problem possesses a bifurcation and, therefore, makes the direct use of conventional finite element methods difficult. Even if the Rayleigh number is high enough to drive the occurrence of natural convection in a fluid-saturated porous medium, the conventional methods will often produce a trivial non-convective solution. This difficulty can be overcome using the progressive asymptotic approach procedure associated with the finite element method. The method considers a series of modified Horton-Rogers-Lapwood problems in which gravity is assumed to tilt a small angle away from vertical. The main idea behind the progressive asymptotic approach procedure is that through solving a sequence of such modified problems with decreasing tilt, an accurate non-zero velocity solution to the Horton-Rogers-Lapwood problem can be obtained. This solution provides a very good initial prediction for the solution to the original Horton-Rogers-Lapwood problem so that the non-zero velocity solution can be successfully obtained when the tilted angle is set to zero. Comparison of numerical solutions with analytical ones to a benchmark problem of any rectangular geometry has demonstrated the usefulness of the present progressive asymptotic approach procedure. Finally, the procedure has been used to investigate the effect of basin shapes on natural convection of pore-fluid in a porous medium. (C) 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Solution of adsorption problems involving steep moving profiles

The moving finite element collocation method proposed by Kill et al. (1995) Chem. Engng Sci. 51 (4), 2793-2799 for solution of problems with steep gradients is further developed to solve transient problems arising in the field of adsorption. The technique is applied to a model of adsorption in solids with bidisperse pore structures. Numerical solutions were found to match the analytical solution when it exists (i.e. when the adsorption isotherm is linear). The method is simple yet sufficiently accurate for use in adsorption problems, where global collocation methods fail. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Causes of communication problems at work: A qualitative analysis of supervisor-subordinate differences

This study provided information about how individual workers perceive, describe and interpret episodes of problematic communication. Sixteen full-time workers (5 males, 11 females) were interviewed in depth about specific incidents of problematic communication within their workplace. Their descriptions of the attributed causes of the incidents were coded using a categorisation scheme developed from Coupland, Wieman, and Giles' (1991) model of sources of problematic communication. Communication problems were most commonly attributed to individual deficiency and group membership, although there were differences depending on the direction of communication. The most negative attributions (to personality flaws, to lack of skills, and to negative stereotypes of the outgroup) were most commonly applied by individuals to their supervisors, whilst attributions applied to co-workers and subordinates tended to be less negative, or even positive in some instances (where individuals attributed the fault to themselves). Overall, results highlighted distinctions between the perceptions of communication problems with supervisors and with subordinates, and are interpreted with reference to social identity theory.

The impact of perinatal and socioeconomic factors on mental health problems of children from a poor Brazilian city: a longitudinal study

Low birth weight and preterm birth, and social disadvantage may negatively affect mental health of children, but findings have been inconsistent. To assess the influence of perinatal and social factors on mental health problems in children aged 7-9 years. A random sample of 805 births in So Luis, Brazil was studied in 1997/1998 and again in 2005/2006. Perinatal, socioeconomic and demographic variables were assessed within 24 h after delivery. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) was used to assess mental health problems in the children. Simple and multiple Poisson regressions were used for statistical analysis. The overall prevalence of mental health problems in the total sample was 47.7%. The prevalences of emotional and conduct problems were 58.2 and 48.8%, respectively. Only paternal age (< 20 years) was associated with mental health problems as measured by the full SDQ scale (prevalence ratio PR = 1.27). Children born to single mothers (PR = 1.31) and those with birth weight from 1,500 to 2,499 g (PR = 1.18) and from 2,500 to 2,999 g (PR = 1.17) had a higher risk of emotional problems, but those from low income families had a lower risk (PR = 0.80). Children with a father of less than 20 years had a higher risk of having problems with their peers (PR = 1.75). A maternal education of 9 years or over was inversely associated with peer (PR = 0.70) and conduct problems (PR = 0.73). Girls had a lower risk of conduct (PR = 0.77) and hyperactivity problems (PR = 0.68). A maternal education of 4 years or less increased the risk of hyperactivity (PR = 1.48). Socioeconomic and demographic conditions were better predictors of mental health problems in children than birth weight or preterm birth. However, since most effect sizes were small most mental health problems were, unexplained by the variables in the study.

Expert system application on preliminary design of water retaining structures

Design of liquid retaining structures involves many decisions to be made by the designer based on rules of thumb, heuristics, judgment, code of practice and previous experience. Various design parameters to be chosen include configuration, material, loading, etc. A novice engineer may face many difficulties in the design process. Recent developments in artificial intelligence and emerging field of knowledge-based system (KBS) have made widespread applications in different fields. However, no attempt has been made to apply this intelligent system to the design of liquid retaining structures. The objective of this study is, thus, to develop a KBS that has the ability to assist engineers in the preliminary design of liquid retaining structures. Moreover, it can provide expert advice to the user in selection of design criteria, design parameters and optimum configuration based on minimum cost. The development of a prototype KBS for the design of liquid retaining structures (LIQUID), using blackboard architecture with hybrid knowledge representation techniques including production rule system and object-oriented approach, is presented in this paper. An expert system shell, Visual Rule Studio, is employed to facilitate the development of this prototype system. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

A framework for table driven testing of Java classes

With the advent of object-oriented languages and the portability of Java, the development and use of class libraries has become widespread. Effective class reuse depends on class reliability which in turn depends on thorough testing. This paper describes a class testing approach based on modeling each test case with a tuple and then generating large numbers of tuples to thoroughly cover an input space with many interesting combinations of values. The testing approach is supported by the Roast framework for the testing of Java classes. Roast provides automated tuple generation based on boundary values, unit operations that support driver standardization, and test case templates used for code generation. Roast produces thorough, compact test drivers with low development and maintenance cost. The framework and tool support are illustrated on a number of non-trivial classes, including a graphical user interface policy manager. Quantitative results are presented to substantiate the practicality and effectiveness of the approach. Copyright (C) 2002 John Wiley Sons, Ltd.

Higher-order lazy functional slicing

Program slicing is a well known family of techniques intended to identify and isolate code fragments which depend on, or are depended upon, specific program entities. This is particularly useful in the areas of reverse engineering, program understanding, testing and software maintenance. Most slicing methods, and corresponding tools, target either the imperative or the object oriented paradigms, where program slices are computed with respect to a variable or a program statement. Taking a complementary point of view, this paper focuses on the slicing of higher-order functional programs under a lazy evaluation strategy. A prototype of a Haskell slicer, built as proof-of-concept for these ideas, is also introduced

Slicing functional programs by calculation

Program slicing is a well known family of techniques used to identify code fragments which depend on or are depended upon specific program entities. They are particularly useful in the areas of reverse engineering, program understanding, testing and software maintenance. Most slicing methods, usually targeting either the imperative or the object oriented paradigms, are based on some sort of graph structure representing program dependencies. Slicing techniques amount, therefore, to (sophisticated) graph transversal algorithms. This paper proposes a completely different approach to the slicing problem for functional programs. Instead of extracting program information to build an underlying dependencies’ structure, we resort to standard program calculation strategies, based on the so-called Bird- Meertens formalism. The slicing criterion is specified either as a projection or a hiding function which, once composed with the original program, leads to the identification of the intended slice. Going through a number of examples, the paper suggests this approach may be an interesting, even if not completely general alternative to slicing functional programs

Knee muscle strength, balance and functional independence in persons with stroke

Purpose: to investigate the relationship between knee muscle strength, balance and functional independence within the first month after stroke. Relevance: cerebral vascular disease is one of the main causes of morbidity, disability and mortality in developed countries. Problems with movement control are frequent after stroke. Lower limb weakness and impaired balance are common problems that are related with the risk of falls and are likely to interfere with the ability to perform daily life activities. Physiotherapy intervention usually starts early after stroke and addresses impairments related to movement and posture in order to improve motor recovery and restore function.

Muscle strength, balance and functional independence in persons with stroke

Cerebral vascular disease is one of the main causes of morbidity, disability and mortality in developed countries. Problems with movement control are frequent after stroke. Lower limb weakness and impaired balance are common problems that are related with the risk of falls and are likely to interfere with the ability to perform daily life activities. Physiotherapy intervention usually starts early after stroke and addresses impairments related to movement and posture in order to improve motor recovery and restore function. Purpose: to investigate the relationship between knee muscle strength, balance and functional independence within the first month after stroke.

Study on influence of the new CoDeSys V3.0 on the existing CoDeSys discipline of the Mind8 Engineering Center

CoDeSys "Controller Development Systems" is a development environment for programming in the area of automation controllers. It is an open source solution completely in line with the international industrial standard IEC 61131-3. All five programming languages for application programming as defined in IEC 61131-3 are available in the development environment. These features give professionals greater flexibility with regard to programming and allow control engineers have the ability to program for many different applications in the languages in which they feel most comfortable. Over 200 manufacturers of devices from different industrial sectors offer intelligent automation devices with a CoDeSys programming interface. In 2006, version 3 was released with new updates and tools. One of the great innovations of the new version of CoDeSys is object oriented programming. Object oriented programming (OOP) offers great advantages to the user for example when wanting to reuse existing parts of the application or when working on one application with several developers. For this reuse can be prepared a source code with several well known parts and this is automatically generated where necessary in a project, users can improve then the time/cost/quality management. Until now in version 2 it was necessary to have hardware interface called “Eni-Server” to have access to the generated XML code. Another of the novelties of the new version is a tool called Export PLCopenXML. This tool makes it possible to export the open XML code without the need of specific hardware. This type of code has own requisites to be able to comply with the standard described above. With XML code and with the knowledge how it works it is possible to do component-oriented development of machines with modular programming in an easy way. Eplan Engineering Center (EEC) is a software tool developed by Mind8 GmbH & Co. KG that allows configuring and generating automation projects. Therefore it uses modules of PLC code. The EEC already has a library to generate code for CoDeSys version 2. For version 3 and the constant innovation of drivers by manufacturers, it is necessary to implement a new library in this software. Therefore it is important to study the XML export to be then able to design any type of machine. The purpose of this master thesis is to study the new version of the CoDeSys XML taking into account all aspects and impact on the existing CoDeSys V2 models and libraries in the company Harro Höfliger Verpackungsmaschinen GmbH. For achieve this goal a small sample named “Traffic light” in CoDeSys version 2 will be done and then, using the tools of the new version it there will be a project with version 3 and also the EEC implementation for the automatically generated code.

Modelos de simulação em MATSim aplicados à análise de sistemas de transporte

Dissertação para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Engenharia Civil na Área de Especialização de Vias de Comunicação e Transportes