Attribute reduction and missing value imputing with ANN: prediction of learning disabilities

Learning disability (LD) is a neurological condition that affects a child’s brain and impairs his ability to carry out one or many specific tasks. LD affects about 10% of children enrolled in schools. There is no cure for learning disabilities and they are lifelong. The problems of children with specific learning disabilities have been a cause of concern to parents and teachers for some time. Just as there are many different types of LDs, there are a variety of tests that may be done to pinpoint the problem The information gained from an evaluation is crucial for finding out how the parents and the school authorities can provide the best possible learning environment for child. This paper proposes a new approach in artificial neural network (ANN) for identifying LD in children at early stages so as to solve the problems faced by them and to get the benefits to the students, their parents and school authorities. In this study, we propose a closest fit algorithm data preprocessing with ANN classification to handle missing attribute values. This algorithm imputes the missing values in the preprocessing stage. Ignoring of missing attribute values is a common trend in all classifying algorithms. But, in this paper, we use an algorithm in a systematic approach for classification, which gives a satisfactory result in the prediction of LD. It acts as a tool for predicting the LD accurately, and good information of the child is made available to the concerned

Learning From Cross Country Experiences In Housing: A Micro Finance Approach For Inclusive Housing In India

Housing is one of the primary human needs. It is second only to the need for food and clothing. From a macro perspective, housing is an industry that can prove itself to be a growth engine for a nation, particularly a developing nation like India. Housing has been one of the top priorities for the various governments in India since the seventies. The need for housing has been increasing at a phenomenal pace in India and so also the need for housing finance. Since the growth in supply of housing could not keep pace with the growth in its demand, housing shortage has been on the rise over the years. Housing finance industry which was relatively dormant till the early nineties underwent sweeping changes ever since the initiation of financial sector deregulation measures. Financial deregulation measures brought about several changes in this industry, the first and foremost being the fast growth rate in the industry coupled with cutthroat competition among the industry players. This trend has been quite prominent since the entry of commercial banks into this arena. Accordingly, there has been a surge in the growth of retail (personal) loans segment, particularly in respect of housing loans. This is evident from the fact that housing loans disbursed by banks as a percentage of their total loans has increased from just 2.79% as of end-March 1997 to as high as 12.52% as of end-March 2007. Thus, there has been an unprecedented growth rate in the disbursement of housing loans by banks, and as of 31 March 2007 the outstanding balance of housing loans by all banks in India stands at Rs.230689 Crore, as against just Rs.7946 Crore as of 31 March 1997, the growth rate being 35.82 %CAGR (for the eleven years’ period, FY 1997-‘2007). However, in spite of the impressive growth in housing finance over the years, there are growing apprehensions regarding its inclusiveness, i.e. accessibility to the common man, the underprivileged sections of the society to housing finance etc. Of late, it is widely recognized that formal housing finance system, particularly the commercial banks (CBs) – most dominant among the players – is fast becoming exclusive in operations, with nearly 90% of the total housing credit going to the rich and upper middle income group, primarily the salaried class. The case of housing finance companies (HFCs) is quite similar in this regard. The poor and other marginalized sections are often deprived of adequate credit facilities for housing purpose. Studies have revealed that urban housing poverty is much more acute than the rural probably because of the very fast process of urbanization coupled with constant rural to urban migration

Resum del curs "El Centre de Recursos per a l’Aprenentatge i la Investigació (CRAI) com a model d’oferta integrada de serveis davant els reptes del nou EEES"

Resum del curs "El Centre de Recursos per a l’Aprenentatge i la Investigació (CRAI) com a model d’oferta integrada de serveis davant els reptes del nou EEES", organitzat per l'UPC, on es presentaven quatre experiències docents i de reorganització dels serveis bibliotecaris. En aquest marc es plantejaven els canvis en el model docent davant de l'EEES i el que significa aflorar la competència en la recerca d'informació. Com a models de Crai es presenten la Universitat de Kingston, Sheffield i la Pompeu Fabra

The UK Professional Standards Framework for teaching and supporting learning in higher education

This is a part of a collection of materials developed by the HEAcademy Subject Centre for Languages, linguistics and area studies. The materials provide reflective activities designed to engage teachers with some of the key issues in working with international students and practical ideas for ways in which these can be addressed. They will be of particular interest to new staff or anyone new to working with international students.

Learning Objects at CIPeL

The Centre for Inter-Professional e-Learning (CIPeL) at Coventry University provides a number of useful reusable learning objects.

Estimulacion magnetica trascraneal en el desempeno motor en enfermedades del sistema nervioso central: Revision Sistematica

Introducción: El uso de la estimulación cerebral no invasiva en procesos de rehabilitación es de gran interés, por cuanto con mediación tecnológica se generan nuevas posibilidades de recuperación motora, a partir de la activación de la corteza cerebral. El objetivo del estudio es establecer la evidencia del uso terapéutico de la EMT, relacionado con el desempeño motor de pacientes con enfermedades del sistema nervioso central. Metodología: Se realizó una revisión sistemática de la literatura. Se incluyeron 10 estudios en el análisis cualitativo que incluyó la evaluación de calidad con la escala de Jadad y del riesgo de sesgo con la herramienta Cochrane. Fueron excluidos 1613 estudios. Se aplicó el protocolo del estudio para la extracción, revisión y validez de los estudios incluidos. Resultados: La evidencia disponible muestra resultados positivos del uso terapéutico de la EMT en el desempeño motor en aspectos como la aceleración, la fuerza de pinza y de agarre, la estabilidad y la fuerza muscular, así como una mejor velocidad de la marcha y una disminución en la frecuencia y severidad de los espasmos. Discusión: La EMT puede constituir una estrategia terapéutica para mejorar el desempeño motor en pacientes con ECV, Lesión Medular y enfermedad de Parkinson, que requiere más investigación por la heterogeneidad de los diseños y medidas de descenlace utilizados, así como por la alta variabilidad interindividual que hace complejo estandarizar los protocolos de su uso terapéutico.

Análisis del Espacio Schengen en materia de seguridad como base para la implementación del Protocolo sobre la Facilitación del Movimiento de Personas de la Comunidad para el Desarrollo de África Austral (SADC)

El fin de la Guerra Fría supuso no sólo el triunfo del capitalismo y de la democracia liberal, sino un cambio significativo en el Sistema Internacional; siendo menos centralizado y más regionalizado, como consecuencia de la proximidad y relaciones de interdependencia entre sus actores (no sólo Estados) y permitiendo la formación de Complejos Regionales de Seguridad (CRS). Los CRS son una forma efectiva de relacionarse y aproximarse a la arena internacional pues a través de sus procesos de securitización y desecuritización consiguen lograr objetivos específicos. Partiendo de ello, tanto la Unión Europea (UE) como la Comunidad para el Desarrollo de África Austral (SADC) iniciaron varios procesos de securitización relacionados con la integración regional; siendo un ejemplo de ello la eliminación de los controles en sus fronteras interiores o libre circulación de personas; pues consideraron que de no hacerse realidad, ello generaría amenazas políticas (su influencia y capacidad de actuación estaban amenazadas), económicas (en cuanto a su competitividad y niveles básicos de bienestar) y societales (en cuanto a la identidad de la comunidad como indispensable para la integración) que pondrían en riesgo la existencia misma de sus CRS. En esta medida, la UE creó el Espacio Schengen, que fue producto de un proceso de securitización desde inicios de la década de los 80 hasta mediados de la década de los 90; y la SADC se encuentra inmersa en tal proceso de securitización desde 1992 hasta la actualidad y espera la ratificación del Protocolo para la Facilitación del Movimiento de personas como primer paso para lograr la eliminación de controles en sus fronteras interiores. Si bien tanto la UE como la SADC consideraron que de no permitir la libre circulación de personas, su integración y por lo tanto, sus CRS estaban en riesgo; la SADC no lo ha logrado. Ello hace indispensable hacer un análisis más profundo de sus procesos de securitización para así encontrar sus falencias con respecto al éxito de la UE. El análisis está basado en la Teoría de los Complejos de Seguridad de Barry Buzan, plasmada en la obra Security a New Framework for Analysis (1998) de Barry Buzan, Ole Waever y Jaap de Wilde y será dividido en cada una de las etapas del proceso de securitización: la identificación de una amenaza existencial a un objeto referente a través de un acto discursivo, la aceptación de una amenaza por parte de una audiencia relevante y las acciones de emergencia para hacer frente a las amenazas existenciales; reconociendo las diferencias y similitudes de un proceso de securitización exitoso frente a otro que aún no lo ha sido.

Children treated in psychoanalytical psychotherapy for learning problems

A clinical psychotherapy needs to turn its gaze to the current demands, and update its practice in empirical studies. The objective of this research is to ascertain the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of children treated in psychotherapy by learning problems. We conducted a retrospective documentary study with records of 2106 children treated between 1979 and 2007 in two outpatient psychological care of the city of Porto Alegre, southern Brazil. The results showed that demand for Learning Problems is the fourth largest cause of psychotherapeutic care. There was no statistically significant difference regarding gender. Children with learning problems come to psychotherapy more frequently in the early stages of elementary school, around 7 years old. Increased demand for psychotherapy of children with learning problems takes place in May. Perhaps, learning difficulties can be understood simultaneously as a symptom global, in which other aspects, besides the uniqueness of the subject are involved. We conclude that individual and social aspects involved in Learning Problems may be useful in the clinical management of these children by professionals who are dedicated to meeting this particular clientele. One must be aware of ongoing partnership which should be placed between psychologist and pedagogue. Both professionals, education and health, account for components of the child to know

Global geography : learning through development education at key stage 3.

Este manual, pensado para la etapa tres, aunque también puede aplicarse a la etapa cuatro, es el resultado de la colaboración entre el Development Education Centre (DEC) de Birmingham y la Geographical Association. Está escrito por profesores en ejercicio de educación secundaria y terciaria, que han trabajado en el Development Education Centre y, demuestra por qué y cómo los conceptos y métodos de educación para el desarrollo deben estar al servicio de profesores y alumnos en el estudio de la geografía.

Collaborative learning activities in the classroom : designing inclusive materials for learning and language development.

Este cuadernillo quiere ser un catalizador que motive a los estudiantes a pensar y hablar sobre un tema relevante. Hablar les ofrece la oportunidad de reflexionar, pensar, y expresar con palabras, una nueva forma de aprendizaje y de probar su comprensión de una situación, o en otras palabras 'pensar en voz alta'. Este proceso de reflexión en voz alta permite a los alumnos explorar nuevos conceptos de información y construir su comprensión de ellos, al responder a las preguntas de otros estudiantes y, obtener una respuesta, a su vez, a sus propias ideas.

Educação física na 4ª série do ensino fundamental das escolas Governador Freitas Neto e Colégio Lerote da cidade de Teresina-PI : a relação entre leitura e expressão corporal

RESUMO:O hábito de ler é decorrente do exercício e nem sempre se constitui num ato prazeroso, porém, sempre necessário. Por este motivo se deve recorrer a estímulos para criar o hábito de leitura em nossos alunos. Desta forma, a disciplina de Educação Física pode também contribuir para este processo. Por ser uma disciplina que envolve a dimensão motora, cognitiva e expressionista, a sua relação com a leitura é quase que intrínseca, porém, viabilizada de formas diferentes. É certo que a criança não conseguirá na sua totalidade, uma absorção intelectual explícita da leitura para construir uma realidade virtual e representar em gestos corporais, a partir de um conjunto léxico de significantes e significados correspondentes à postura física. No entanto, o exercício da leitura desenvolve na criança capacidades cognitivas de mais valia que lhe possibilita níveis satisfatórios de representatividade corporal. As atividades recreativas oferecem, sem dúvida, um processo excepcional para fazer as crianças tomarem parte ativamente no processo do ensino, como participantes, em vez de meros espectadores. A proposta deste trabalho de intervenção busca auxiliar o professor de Educação Física no campo de atuação profissional do pesquisador, tendo como delimitação do campo de investigação o Centro de Educação Básica Governador Freitas Neto, escola da rede municipal de Educação de Teresina e, Colégio Lerote, da rede particular de Teresina. Deste modo, os objetivos do presente estudo consistem em analisar as contribuições da disciplina de Educação Física para a aprendizagem do ensino da prática de leitura com crianças do Ensino Fundamental, nas séries iniciais com escolas da rede municipal e particular da cidade de Teresina – Piauí. Concluiu-se que com um trabalho integrado da Educação Física com o processo de alfabetização nas primeiras séries do Ensino Fundamental, essa etapa pode ser vista de forma rica e ampla. Assim, com essa contribuição, aprender a ler e escrever pode, pois, se tornar mais natural e mais divertido. ABSTRACT: The habit of reading is a result of exercise and is not always a pleasurable act, but always necessary. For this reason one should resort to incentives to create the reading habit in our students. Thus, the discipline of Physical Education can also contribute to this process. Because it is a discipline that involves the size motor, cognitive and expressionistic, their relationship with reading that is almost inherent, however, made possible in different ways. It is true that the child can not in its entirety, an explicit intellectual absorption of reading to construct a virtual reality and represented body gestures from a whole lexicon of signifiers and meanings corresponding to the physical posture. However, the exercise of reading the child develops cognitive abilities that enables him to gain more satisfactory levels of representative body. The recreational activities offer, no doubt, an exceptional procedure to make the children take part actively in the process of education, as participants rather than spectators. The purpose of this intervention work intends to help the physical education teacher in the professional field of research, with the delimitation of the field of research the Centre for Basic Education Governador Freitas Neto, the municipal school of Teresina and Education, College Lerote, from private Teresina. Thus, the objectives of this study are to analyze the contributions of physical education for learning the practice of teaching reading with children of elementary school, in the early grades with municipal schools and particularly the city of Teresina - Piauí. It was concluded that with an integrated physical education with the acquisition of literacy in the early grades of elementary school, this step can be seen in a rich and broad. So, with this contribution, learning to read and write may therefore become more natural and fun.

Using idealized snow forcing to test teleconnections with the Indian summer monsoon in the Hadley Centre GCM

Anomalous heavy snow during winter or spring has long been regarded as a possible precursor of deficient Indian monsoon rainfall during the subsequent summer. However previous work in this field is inconclusive, in terms of the mechanism that communicates snow anomalies to the monsoon summer, and even the region from which snow has the most impact. In this study we explore these issues in coupled and atmosphere-only versions of the Hadley Centre model. A 1050-year control integration of the HadCM3 coupled model, which well represents the seasonal cycle of snow cover over the Eurasian continent, is analysed and shows evidence for weakened monsoons being preceded by strong snow forcing (in the absence of ENSO) over either the Himalaya/Tibetan Plateau or north/west Eurasia regions. However, empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis of springtime interannual variability in snow depth shows the leading mode to have opposite signs between these two regions, suggesting that competing mechanisms may be possible. To determine the dominant region, ensemble integrations are carried out using HadAM3, the atmospheric component of HadCM3, and a variety of anomalous snow forcing initial conditions obtained from the control integration of the coupled model. Forcings are applied during spring in separate experiments over the Himalaya/Tibetan Plateau and north/west Eurasia regions, in conjunction with climatological SSTs in order to avoid the direct effects of ENSO. With the aid of idealized forcing conditions in sensitivity tests, we demonstrate that forcing from the Himalaya region is dominant in this model via a Blanford-type mechanism involving reduced surface sensible heat and longwave fluxes, reduced heating of the troposphere over the Tibetan Plateau and consequently a reduced meridional tropospheric temperature gradient which weakens the monsoon during early summer. Snow albedo is shown to be key to the mechanism, explaining around 50% of the perturbation in sensible heating over the Tibetan Plateau, and accounting for the majority of cooling through the troposphere.

Early social experience and individual differences in infants' joint attention

Fifty-nine healthy infants were filmed with their mothers and with a researcher at two, four, six and nine months in face-to-face play, and in toy-play at six and nine months. During toy-play at both ages, two indices of joint attention (JA)—infant bids for attention, and percent of time in shared attention—were assessed, along with other behavioural measures. Global ratings were made at all four ages of infants’ and mothers’ interactive style. The mothers varied in psychiatric history (e.g., half had experienced postpartum depression) and socioeconomic status, so their interactive styles were diverse. Variation in nine-month infant JA — with mother and with researcher — was predicted by variation in maternal behaviour and global ratings at six months, but not at two or four months. Concurrent adult behaviour also influenced nine-month JA, independent of infant ratings. Six-month maternal behaviours that positively predicted later JA (some of which remained important at nine months) included teaching, conjoint action on a toy, and global sensitivity. Other behaviours (e.g., entertaining) negatively predicted later JA. Findings are discussed in terms of social-learning and neurobiological accounts of JA emergence.