Entorn virtual d'agendes d'aprenentatge individualitzades

Les agendes d'aprenentatge han de servir als alumnes, com a eines de plani caci�� i seguiment de treball personal, en tant que hi poden trobar tota la informaci�� necess��ria per al seguiment de totes les seves tasques. Aix�� doncs, cal desenvolupar una nova eina, que faciliti aquesta tasca, donada la inexist��ncia d'eines similars amb aquesta voluntat. S'ha desenvolupat una agenda d'aprenentatge mitjan��ant un calendari web on s'hi presenten totes les tasques d'una assignatura. Aix�� l'alumne t�� consci��ncia de tota la feina que ha de fer i li serveix com a guia educativa en un entorn de blended-learning.

Disseny d'un "museu virtual" per una sala d'exposicions mitjan��ant OpenGL

Aquest projecte tracta del disseny i implementaci�� d���una aplicaci�� gr��fica que permeti visualitzar diferents exposicions de quadres que es realitzin a la sala d���exposicions de la Hemeroteca General de la UAB, gestionada pel col��lectiu ���Cultura en Viu���. La utilitat ha sigut desenvolupada mitjan��ant la llibreria gr��fica OpenGL i Microsoft Visual Studio. L���aplicaci�� generada ��s tamb�� una eina de creaci�� i manipulaci�� d���exposicions al servei del usuari.

Scheduling in virtual infrastructure

For the execution of the scientific applications, different methods have been proposed to dynamically provide execution environments for such applications that hide the complexity of underlying distributed and heterogeneous infrastructures. Recently virtualization has emerged as a promising technology to provide such environments. Virtualization is a technology that abstracts away the details of physical hardware and provides virtualized resources for high-level scientific applications. Virtualization offers a cost-effective and flexible way to use and manage computing resources. Such an abstraction is appealing in Grid computing and Cloud computing for better matching jobs (applications) to computational resources. This work applies the virtualization concept to the Condor dynamic resource management system by using Condor Virtual Universe to harvest the existing virtual computing resources to their maximum utility. It allows existing computing resources to be dynamically provisioned at run-time by users based on application requirements instead of statically at design-time thereby lay the basis for efficient use of the available resources, thus providing way for the efficient use of the available resources.

THE USE OF SIMULATIONS IN EVOLUTIONARY POPULATION GENETICS: APPLICATIONS ON HUMANS, OWLS AND VIRTUAL ORGANISMS

Summary (in English) Computer simulations provide a practical way to address scientific questions that would be otherwise intractable. In evolutionary biology, and in population genetics in particular, the investigation of evolutionary processes frequently involves the implementation of complex models, making simulations a particularly valuable tool in the area. In this thesis work, I explored three questions involving the geographical range expansion of populations, taking advantage of spatially explicit simulations coupled with approximate Bayesian computation. First, the neutral evolutionary history of the human spread around the world was investigated, leading to a surprisingly simple model: A straightforward diffusion process of migrations from east Africa throughout a world map with homogeneous landmasses replicated to very large extent the complex patterns observed in real human populations, suggesting a more continuous (as opposed to structured) view of the distribution of modern human genetic diversity, which may play a better role as a base model for further studies. Second, the postglacial evolution of the European barn owl, with the formation of a remarkable coat-color cline, was inspected with two rounds of simulations: (i) determine the demographic background history and (ii) test the probability of a phenotypic cline, like the one observed in the natural populations, to appear without natural selection. We verified that the modern barn owl population originated from a single Iberian refugium and that they formed their color cline, not due to neutral evolution, but with the necessary participation of selection. The third and last part of this thesis refers to a simulation-only study inspired by the barn owl case above. In this chapter, we showed that selection is, indeed, effective during range expansions and that it leaves a distinguished signature, which can then be used to detect and measure natural selection in range-expanding populations. Résumé (en français) Les simulations fournissent un moyen pratique pour répondre à des questions scientifiques qui seraient inabordable autrement. En génétique des populations, l'étude des processus évolutifs implique souvent la mise en oeuvre de modèles complexes, et les simulations sont un outil particulièrement précieux dans ce domaine. Dans cette thèse, j'ai exploré trois questions en utilisant des simulations spatialement explicites dans un cadre de calculs Bayésiens approximés (approximate Bayesian computation : ABC). Tout d'abord, l'histoire de la colonisation humaine mondiale et de l'évolution de parties neutres du génome a été étudiée grâce à un modèle étonnement simple. Un processus de diffusion des migrants de l'Afrique orientale à travers un monde avec des masses terrestres homogènes a reproduit, dans une très large mesure, les signatures génétiques complexes observées dans les populations humaines réelles. Un tel modèle continu (opposé à un modèle structuré en populations) pourrait être très utile comme modèle de base dans l'étude de génétique humaine à l'avenir. Deuxièmement, l'évolution postglaciaire d'un gradient de couleur chez l'Effraie des clocher (Tyto alba) Européenne, a été examiné avec deux séries de simulations pour : (i) déterminer l'histoire démographique de base et (ii) tester la probabilité qu'un gradient phénotypique, tel qu'observé dans les populations naturelles puisse apparaître sans sélection naturelle. Nous avons montré que la population actuelle des chouettes est sortie d'un unique refuge ibérique et que le gradient de couleur ne peux pas s'être formé de manière neutre (sans l'action de la sélection naturelle). La troisième partie de cette thèse se réfère à une étude par simulations inspirée par l'étude de l'Effraie. Dans ce dernier chapitre, nous avons montré que la sélection est, en effet, aussi efficace dans les cas d'expansion d'aire de distribution et qu'elle laisse une signature unique, qui peut être utilisée pour la détecter et estimer sa force.

CINE-SYS: aplicaci��n web para una comunidad virtual de cine

Este proyecto es la realizaci��n de una aplicaci��n web para una comunidad virtual de cine, cuyo objetivo es crear un punto de encuentro entre todos los usuarios que visiten la web.

Are virtual planning and guided surgery for head and neck reconstruction economically viable?

PURPOSE: Virtual planning and guided surgery with or without prebent or milled plates are becoming more and more common for mandibular reconstruction with fibular free flaps (FFFs). Although this excellent surgical option is being used more widely, the question of the additional cost of planning and cutting-guide production has to be discussed. In capped payment systems such additional costs have to be offset by other savings if there are no special provisions for extra funding. Our study was designed to determine whether using virtual planning and guided surgery resulted in time saved during surgery and whether this time gain resulted in self-funding of such planning through the time saved. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All consecutive cases of FFF surgery were evaluated during a 2-year period. Institutional data were used to determine the price of 1 minute of operative time. The time for fibula molding, plate adaptation, and insetting was recorded. RESULTS: During the defined period, we performed 20 mandibular reconstructions using FFFs, 9 with virtual planning and guided surgery and 11 freehand cases. One minute of operative time was calculated to cost US $47.50. Multiplying this number by the time saved, we found that the additional cost of virtual planning was reduced from US $5,098 to US $1,231.50 with a prebent plate and from US $6,980 to US $3,113.50 for a milled plate. CONCLUSIONS: Even in capped health care systems, virtual planning and guided surgery including prebent or milled plates are financially viable.

Entorn virtual d'aprenentatge per una escola de secund��ria

Implementarem un Entorn Virtual d���Aprenentatge (EVA) per a l'escola Arrels-Blanquerna de Badalona. Instal��larem un Moodle perqu�� els alumnes puguin refor��ar els aprenentatges adquirits a les classes i realitzar activitats proporcionades pel docent. Farem servir les eines que proporciona GoogleApps per l���elaboraci�� i modificaci�� dels diferents documents que es facin servir, i per la comunicaci�� a trav��s de correu electr��nic. Per ��ltim, construirem una p��gina web amb el programari Joomla! que ser�� ��til per penjar noticies relacionades amb el projecte eduCAT1x1 i com a punt d���enlla�� amb les diferents plataformes.

HPSS ICT Programme - From Vision to Reality (PDF 193KB)

Implementing the ICT Strategy

Tratamiento psicol��gico del dolor atrav��s de entornos de realidad virtual

Proyecto de investigaci��n de una estancia en el Universit�� degli Studi de Padova, Italia, durante noviembre del 2007. El objetivo principal ha sido desarrollar entornos de realidad virtual para el tratamiento del dolor agudo mejorando las propiedades gr��ficas de los mundos virtuales. La participaci��n en las diferentes l��neas de Investigaci��n en el laboratorio de tecnolog��a humana ha permitido la aplicaci��n de nuevas tecnolog��as en el estudio del dolor.

Myths & Reality - Summary Document (PDF 142KB)

Report of the Working Group on Teenage Pregnancy & Parenthood

Myths & Reality - Consultation Document (PDF 1183KB)

Report of the Working Group on Teenage Pregnancy & Parenthood

Llegint el llibre de la vida: una proposta de Museu Virtual Interactiu sobre l'ADN

Es descriu el proc��s de creaci�� d'un Museu Virtual sobre la gen��tica i l'ADN, i una primera evaluaci�� del projecte.

Les emocions en el proc��s d'aprenentatge virtual : una aproximaci�� des de la perspectiva de l'experi��ncia dels estudiants de la Universitat Oberta de Catalunya

Treball que s'engloba en l'ampli camp de les Humanidades i vol contribuir al coneixement emp��ric sobre l'experi��ncia emocional implicada en els processos d'aprenentatge virtual des de la perspectiva dels estudiants.

L'Observatori Cient��fic de la Ciutat Mediterr��nia : estudi de cas avaluaci�� del F��rum virtual de l'Evoluci��

La meva recerca s'ha centrat a analitzar la manera com els f��rums especialitzats poden ser ��tils a la difusi�� de la cultura i en concret als museus del segle XXI i de quina manera se'n beneficien tamb�� els ciutadans.