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La sociedad, los negocios y la tecnología cambian rápidamente, es por eso que la percepción del aprendizaje tiene que ser cambiada para poder mantener el ritmo frente al ambiente competitivo. En la actualidad ha habido un cambio significativo en la enseñanza superior y en el proceso de aprendizaje en general, con el auxilio de las tecnologías de la información y comunicación (TIC) y, especialmente, debido a Internet. En este contexto se destaca la EaD (Educación a Distancia). Esta a su vez ha presentado expansión en el mercado y también comodidad al alumno, pues él escoge el horario y dónde quiere estudiar. Esta investigación tiene el objetivo de evaluar la calidad (a través de la escala SERVQUAL y del modelo gap) de la EaD en una institución ubicada en Rio Grande do Sul. También la investigación se propone refinar (validar) un instrumento de investigación, para perfeccionarlo, utilizando el análisis factorial. Los resultados apuntaron que en la institución analizada existen gaps (vacíos) a ser llenados. Y el análisis factorial se mostró útil para el refinamiento del instrumento de investigación. Pues, eso hizo que hubiera mayor homogeneidad entre las variables de cada dimensión. Por lo tanto, la investigación se muestra útil tanto a nivel académico como empresarial.

The incorporation of new methods of heritage analysis belonging to other branches of science is currently providing very useful tools for the examination of preservation products. This paper outlines the use of spectral images as an alternative to traditional colorimetry measurements carried out with a spectrophotometer for the evaluation of color changes produced by consolidation treatments applied on polychromed plasterwork. Thus, for this investigation we used a total of 18 plaster test specimens which reproduce the techniques and materials present in plasterwork from the medieval era, on which a selection of six currently-used consolidants was applied. By doing this, we have proved that the use of this method over traditional colorimetry has several advantages, such as the analysis of spatial homogeneity or obtaining colorimetric data of the entire scanned surface.

Hyperspectral imaging of effect coated samples can be challenging, mainly because of the large differences in irradiance that stem from the orientation distribution of the metallic flakes contained in the coating, and from the lightness variations from one sample to another. Besides, high spatial resolution is needed to sample the details of the texture (sparkle) typical of these samples. In addition, focus search strategy and image registration are essential to achieve high quality data for further analysis. In this work, we propose and fully validate a capture framework for measuring spectral reflectance of effect-coated samples with high spatial resolution in 45/0 geometry, using an LCTF (Liquid Crystal Tunable Filter) coupled with a monochrome camera. The main features of the proposed framework are an optimized focus search method based on object movement, a very precise alignment for the images captured in different bands (image registration), achieving sub-pixel accuracy, and a dynamic procedure that uses several white reference surfaces in exposure time estimation to cope with very dark or highly reflective samples. The proposed capture device produces spectral reflectance values comparable to a conventional spectroradiometer using the same observation/illumination geometry, with the additional advantage of achieving a spatial resolution more than two times higher than the human visual system.

The aim of this study is to analyze the level of reading comprehension skills in students of a subsidized school in the city of Iquique, Chile. The study was carried out with 79 2nd , 3rd and 4th primary school students, divided into 43 girls and 36 boys. The group was evaluated using reading comprehension tests that consist of literal, inferential and critical levels. Due to the results, the students were classified into three other groups: the insufficient level group , the elementary level group and the achiever level group. The results showed that the level of reading comprehension diminishes while the grade increases. No greater differences were observed in the results by genre, even though there exist a slightly higher result on boys. These findings also show that in relation to girls boys are more disperse in their results the distribution according to the level of reading comprehension skills is similar to approximately 30% of the students in each of the groups that they have been classified.

El marketing aplicado a las tecnologías modifica las prácticas y vías tradicionales en las que se ejecuta la información y la comunicación. Bajo la noción acerca de la composición básica del marketing tradicional que es definida por producto, precio, plaza y promoción. La estrategia de marketing con enfoque en las tecnologías transforma las reglas y amplían la noción incorporando asociaciones y la protección a los derechos autorales. La promoción de un producto tecnológico educativo gratuito mediante diversos recursos (redes sociales) conduce al usuario al acceso y aprendizaje de diferentes servicios. Hablando de Marketing, en el campo de la educación, es importante que las variables del producto/servicio tecnológico estén disponibles y con fácil acceso. Estudio señalan que la esencia del marketing comienza en la idealización del concepto, basándose en las necesidades presentadas por el objeto en estudio, concepto realizado a partir de una planeación para establecer acciones y propuestas. La vertiente de esta investigación tiene el enfoque en la tecnología de la información en marketing, un recurso de la filosofía de la gestión administrativa, y es entendido como una de las tareas del marketing dirigido a la información, buscando suministrar resultados positivos a las organizaciones. El objetivo de la investigación es la aplicación de esa vertiente a la Educación por medio de la divulgación de un Curso Online Masivo Abierto o MOOC por sus siglas en inglés (Masive Open Online Courses) partiendo del recuso de un video paper disponible en el Repositorio de Contenido de Información en Filmes (RECIF), dónde se conceptualiza este video como un Recurso Educativo Abierto (REA). De esta forma el curso es ofrecido sin costos, de forma libre y el aprendizaje es autónomo, permitiendo aún su reutilización por diferentes vías de administración educativa. El video paper del curso fue idealizado en el Encuentro Latinoamericano de Edificaciones y Construcciones Sustentables – ELECS en sus versiones 2013 y 2015m. En esta investigación la reutilización de video papers bajo la forma de un curso se define en el transcurso de la misma como una estrategia de marketing de la información que favorece la diseminación del tema sustentabilidad ambiental. Las redes sociales involucradas fueron Facebook®, Twitter®, entre otras. Por lo que se procedió a realizarse una planeación de una campaña de marketing seguida de la inserción en la internet conforme a la formulación de un plan de marketing basado en la literatura estudiada. El monitoreo de las acciones y sus resultados fueron medidos en la búsqueda de indicadores a partir del número de visualizaciones de los videos antes y después de la campaña de marketing. En resumen, en la investigación una vez que se usa el concepto REA al video paper, se aplica una vertiente del marketing – de la información – a fin de diseminar el curso en redes sociales y adecuarlo a las exigencias de un MOOC.

Highly cited papers are an important reference point in a research field. H-Classics is a new identification method of highly cited papers that is based on the H-index and is sensitive to the own characteristics of any research discipline and also its evolution. Recently, Ho (Scientometrics 98(1):137---155, 2014) presented a study on highly cited papers in Social Work area using as selection criterion a citation threshold value equal to 50 citations received. In this paper, we present a new study on the highly cited papers in Social Work discipline which is developed using the concept of H-Classics. This new study provides more precise results and a different vision on Social Work area.

The World Bank has suggested the need to enhance Information and Communication Technology skills in all sectors because a 10% increase in internet connectivity was found to boost GDP growth by 1.38%. Simultaneously, the OECD argued that high internet access rates generate a 2% increase in GDP. Because the internet positively affects economic growth, we investigated the relationship between an economically active population, human capital and technology to evaluate these effects in Mexico. A data series from 1991 to 2010 was analysed in three stages according to the least-squares method. A Cobb–Douglas function under the Solow model was considered. Technology and internet access were found to positively affect top-level students and graduate students and thus contribute to the global innovation index.

The authors would like to thank Mr. Francisco Fernández Fábregas, owner of the Transfiguration of Christ for allowing us the privilege of studying this painting. We also acknowledge the collaboration of Angela Tate., This paper presents a complete framework for capturing and processing hyperspectral reflectance images of artworks in situ, using a hyperspectral line scanner. These capturing systems are commonly used in laboratory conditions synchronized with scanning stages specifically designed for planar surfaces. However, when the intended application domain does not allow for image capture in these controlled conditions, achieving useful spectral reflectance image data can be a very challenging task (due to uncontrolled illumination, high-dynamic range (HDR) conditions in the scene, and the influence of chromatic aberration on the image quality, among other factors). We show, for the first time, all the necessary steps in the image capturing and post-processing in order to obtain high-quality HDR-based reflectance in the visible and near infrared, directly from the data captured by using a hyperspectral line scanner coupled to a rotating tripod. Our results show that the proposed method outperforms the normal capturing process in terms of dynamic range, color and spectral accuracy. To demonstrate the potential interest of this processing strategy for on-site analysis of artworks, we applied it to the study of a vintage copy of the famous painting “Transfiguration” by Raphael, as well as a facsimile of “The Golden Haggadah” from the British Library of London. The second piece has been studied for the identification of highly reflective gold-foil covered areas., Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, DPI2015-64571-R, ECQM2018-004952-P

Citation classics identify those highly cited papers which are an important reference point in a research field. To identify a paper as a citation classic we have to fix a citation threshold value. Usually, this threshold value should not be the same for all research fields because each field presents its respective citation pattern. Studies of citation classics in the literature define particular criteria and methods to set citation thresholds, which are often set arbitrarily and designed ad-hoc, and do not allow the scientific community to validate and compare their results. In this paper we introduce the concept of H-Classics to overcome this problem and provide scientific community a standardization of key constructs. We present a new and systematic method to identify citation classics. This identification method of highly cited papers is based on the H-index and thank to the properties of H-index it is sensitive to the own characteristics of any research discipline and also its evolution. Therefore, the concept of H-Classics allows to systematize search procedure of citation classics for any field of research.

espanolLas TIC suscitaron una revolucion en los modelos educativos, influyendo directamente en las practicas docentes. No obstante, los medios digitales carecen de espacios virtuales que orienten y ayuden a los profesionales. El desarrollo de Recursos Educativos Abiertos (REA) y Objetos de Aprendizaje (OA) han ido en aumento. El objetivo de esta investigacion es presentar un modelo de intercambio y colaboracion que fomente el acceso y oriente a profesionales al uso de recursos multimedia como oferta educativa. Se ha realizado una investigacion exploratoria seguida de una investigacion aplicada basada en el desarrollo de una plataforma, donde se ofrecen MOOC. El estudio se ha realizado en un Instituto de Ensenanza Superior de la Universidad de Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. Como resultado de esta investigacion fue creada la plataforma de acceso abierto llamada RECIF, percibiendose la colaboracion e intercambio de ideas entre profesionales de la educacion, haciendo posible la verificacion del modelo propuesto. Como conclusion final, se observa que el modelo propuesto puede ser aplicado a cualquier practica educativa que involucre al video como recurso didactico; incentivo un aprendizaje que estimula la creatividad y el dinamismo; y fomenta la creacion de espacios virtuales motivadores, interactivos, colaborativos e innovadores EnglishICT caused a revolution in educational models, directly influencing teaching practices. However, digital media lack virtual spaces that guide and help professionals. The development of Open Educational Resources (OER) and Learning Objects (LO) has been increasing. The objective of this research is to present a model of sharing and collaboration that fosters access and guides professionals to the use of multimedia resources as an educational offering. The methodology consists of an exploratory investigation followed by applied research based on the development of a platform where MOOCs were offered. The study was carried out at a Higher Education Institute at the University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. As a result of this research, the Open Access Platform called RECIF was created, observing the collaboration and sharing of ideas among education professionals, thus making possible the verification of the proposed model. It was concluded that the proposed model can be applied in any educational practice that includes videos as a didactic resource; encourages learning that stimulates creativity and dynamism; and fosters the creation of motivational, interactive, collaborative and innovative virtual spaces.

To analyze the past, present and future of a particular research field, classic papers are usually studied because they identify the highly cited papers being a relevant reference point in that specific research area. As a result of the possible mapping between high quality research and high citation counts, highly cited papers are very interesting. The objective of this study is to use the H-classics method, which is based on the popular h-index, to identify and analyze the highly cited documents published about aggregation operators in the research area of group decision making. According to the H-classics method, this research area is represented by 87 citation classics, which have been published from 1988 to 2014. Authors, affiliations (universities/institutions and countries), journals, books and conferences, and the topics covered by these 87 highly cited papers are studied., The authors would like to thank FEDER financial support from the Projects TIN2013-40658-P and TIN2016- 75850-P.

Digital imaging of natural scenes and optical phenomena present on them (such as shadows, twilights, and crepuscular rays) can be a very challenging task because of the range spanned by the radiances impinging on the capture system. We propose a novel method for estimating the set of exposure times (bracketing set) needed to capture the full dynamic range of a scene with high dynamic range (HDR) content. The proposed method is adaptive to scene content and to any camera response and configuration, and it works on-line since the exposure times are estimated as the capturing process is ongoing. Besides, it requires no a priori information about scene content or radiance values. The resulting bracketing sets are minimal in the default method settings, but the user can set a tolerance for the maximum percentage of pixel population that is underexposed or saturated, which allows for a higher number of shots if a better signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in the HDR scene is desired. This method is based on the use of the camera response function that is needed for building the HDR radiance map by stitching together several differently exposed low dynamic range images of the scene. The use of HDR imaging techniques converts our digital camera into a tool for measuring the relative radiance outgoing from each point of the scene, and for each color channel. This is important for accurate characterization of optical phenomena present in the atmosphere while not suffering any loss of information due to its HDR. We have compared our method with the most similar one developed so far [IEEE Trans. Image Process.17, 1864 (2008)]. Results of the experiments carried out for 30 natural scenes show that our proposed method equals or outperforms the previously developed best approach, with less shots and shorter exposure times, thereby asserting the advantage of being adaptive to scene content for exposure time estimation. As we can also tune the balance between capturing time and the SNR in our method, we have compared its SNR performance against that of Barakat's method as well as against a ground-truth HDR image of maximum SNR. Results confirm the success of the proposed method in exploiting its tunability to achieve the desired balance of total Δt and SNR.

Resumen Objetivo Conocer la incidencia de polipos endometriales malignos en funcion del estado hormonal, la presencia o no de hemorragia uterina anormal (HUA), el uso de tamoxifeno (TMX) y de terapia hormonal sustitutiva (THS). Material y metodos Se analizan 1.822 polipectomias histeroscopicas. Tomaban THS 85 pacientes y TMX, 150. Resultados Los polipos de pacientes premenopausicas presentan mas HUA que los de las posmenopausicas. Se hallaron 16 polipos histologicamente malignos (0,87%). De estos, 14 se extirparon a pacientes posmenopausicas, 11 de ellas presentaban HUA. Entre pacientes premenopausicas se resecaron 2 polipos malignos, uno de ellos era asintomatico. No se detectaron polipos malignos entre pacientes con THS. Se encontraron 4 polipos malignos entre mujeres con tratamiento con TMX, 2 de ellos eran asintomaticos. Conclusion La reseccion sistematica de los polipos endometriales permite detectar todos los polipos malignos, incluso en los casos de pacientes asintomaticas y/o premenopausicas.

This work focuses on the improvement of a multispectral imaging sensor based on transverse field detectors (TFDs). We aimed to achieve a higher color and spectral accuracy in the estimation of spectral reflectances from sensor responses. Such an improvement was done by combining these recently developed silicon-based sensors with color filter arrays (CFAs). Consequently, we sacrificed the filter-less full spatial resolution property of TFDs to narrow down the spectrally broad sensitivities of these sensors. We designed and performed several experiments to test the influence of different design features on the estimation quality (type of sensor, tunability, interleaved polarization, use of CFAs, type of CFAs, number of shots), some of which are exclusive to TFDs. We compared systems that use a TFD with systems that use normal monochrome sensors, both combined with multispectral CFAs as well as common RGB filters present in commercial digital color cameras. Results showed that a system that combines TFDs and CFAs performs better than systems with the same type of multispectral CFA and other sensors, or even the same TFDs combined with different kinds of filters used in common imaging systems. We propose CFA+TFD-based systems with one or two shots, depending on the possibility of using longer capturing times or not. Improved TFD systems thus emerge as an interesting possibility for multispectral acquisition, which overcomes the limited accuracy found in previous studies.

Background Living donor (LD) transplantation has increased recently, but psychosocial aspects of living donation have not been well characterized, as risk factors for the donors. ELIPSY is a project confunded by EAHC, seeking to develop a common methodology for all EU countries for LD assessment/follow-up in the psychosocial sphere ( www.eulivingdonor.eu ). Objective To evaluate current psychosocial LD assessment/follow-up practices among European centers for key aspects and differences between kidney and liver programs. Methods Within a timeline of 30 months, this phase of the project sought to identify current LD psychosocial assessment/follow-up practices. The final survey concerned two versions focused on the kidney and on liver transplant program. The survey took place in ELIPSY partner centers under their own responsibility. Each of the centers sent the survey to other ones performing LD in their country. Partners in the EULID project includes ones in the United Kingdom, Poland, and Romania. The results were analyzed separately for each program seeking to compare and define differences among them. Results The survey took place in 10 European countries including 65 centers with LD programs. Positive answers regarding psychosocial assessment/follow-up practices were obtained for 26 (42%) kidney and nine (38%) liver centers. Some centers perform several psychosocial follow-ups but did not explain their tools, whereas the centers that did explain the tools used the same ones for both programs.

In the recent times the amount of information coming overwhelms us, and because of it we have serious problems to access to relevant information, that is, we suffer information overload problems. Recommender systems have been applied successfully to avoid the information overload in different scopes, but the number of electronic resources daily generated keeps growing and the problem still remain. Therefore, we find a persistent problem of information overload. In this paper we propose an improved recommender system to avoid the persistent information overload found in a University Digital Library. The idea is to include a memory to remember selected resources but not recommended to the user, and in such a way, the system could incorporate them in future recommendations to complete the set of filtered resources, for example, if there are a few resources to be recommended or if the user wishes output obtained by combination of resources selected in different recommendation rounds.