Rosalie Belian

DBSitter: An Intelligent Tool for Database Administration

Database administration routines involve manual or semi-automatic methods for monitoring the environment and solving problems that arise. In this work, we propose a novel alternative approac h to this task, which unifies two Artificial Intelligence techniques: Case Based Reasoning and Intelligent Agents. Our prototype, DBSitter, consists of a Multi-agent system for automatic monitoring and fault correcting in a relational DBMS, where problems are represented as Cases. In searching for better solutions, the system can also interact with the Database Administrator. The main functionalities provided are failure prediction and adaptation of problem – solving capabilities through the chosen learning mechanism.

A context-based schema integration process applied to healthcare data sources

Decision-making in healthcare mainly depends on the integration of distributed health information contained in multiple, autonomous and heterogeneous data sources. Many information integration systems have been proposed as a way of offering a concise and uniform view of the distributed data, abstracting out their syntactic, structural and semantic diversities. This paper proposes a context-base schema integration process for a mediator-based information integration system applied to healthcare data sources. The distinguishing feature of this process is to explore and model the contextual information needed for schema-level sense disambiguation in its different steps. This process tackles the semantics of data source schema elements by identifying their meanings and, thereafter, establishing semantic affinities among them. The contextual information is modeled using an ontology-based approach enabling reasoning, reusability and sharing of information.

Balance performance of children and adolescents with sensorineural hearing loss: Repercussions of hearing loss degrees and etiological factors

INTRODUCTION Some studies have demonstrated a parallelism between the extent of hearing loss and the frequency of vestibular dysfunction in children with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). Despite this, little is known about the repercussion of degrees of hearing loss and etiological factors on the balance performance in this children. OBJECTIVE Compare the balance performance between normal hearing (NH) children and those with SNHL, considering the sex and age range of the sample, and analyze balance performance according to the degrees of hearing loss and etiological factors in the latter group. METHODS Cross-sectional study that assessed 96 children (48 NH and 48 with SNHL), aged between 7 and 18 years old. The balance performance was assessed by the Brazilian version of the Pediatric Balance Scale, validated for Brazilian child population and the Mann-Whitney test used for statistical analysis. RESULTS The group with SNHL showed lower average balance performance compared to NH (p = 0.000). This was also observed when the children were grouped by sex: female and male (p = 0.001). The same difference occurred when the children were stratified by age group: 7-14 years old (p = 0.000). There were no differences between the balance performance of the groups according to the degrees of hearing loss (p = 0.236) and the children with prematurity or post-natal meningitis as an etiological factor demonstrated the worst balance performance. CONCLUSION The children with SNHL showed worse balance performance compared to NH of the same sex and age range between seven to fourteen years. There were no differences between balance performance and hearing loss degrees, and those children with prematurity or post-natal meningitis as an etiological factor demonstrated the worst balance performances.

DECIDIX: encontro da pedagogia Paulo Freire com os serious games no campo da educação em saúde com adolescentes

Resumo A educacao em saude com adolescentes caracteriza-se como desafio cotidiano. Os “serious games” sao ferramentas estrategicas e sua efetividade se relaciona a perspectiva pedagogica adotada. Considerando a educacao em saude como promotora de protagonismo e autonomia, a Pedagogia Paulo Freire constitui referencial teorico e metodologico relevante. Objetivo analisar as contribuicoes do “serious game” DECIDIX para acoes educativas subsidiadas pelo referencial de Paulo Freire no campo da educacao em saude sexual e reprodutiva com adolescentes. Metodo Dados provenientes de pesquisa de validacao do DECIDIX, realizada em duas etapas com adolescentes e profissionais de saude e educacao. Os dados foram coletados atraves de gravacao das intervencoes; grupo focal; entrevista e observacao (participante e nao participante), codificados e categorizados qualitativamente. Abordagem teorica: O DECIDIX e a analise da sua efetividade foi subsidiada pelo referencial de Paulo Freire. Resultados O DECIDIX e uma ferramenta que auxilia o(a) educador(a) no desenvolvimento de acoes educativas baseadas no referencial freireano, intencionadas para a construcao de relacoes horizontalizadas e dialogicas entre educadores e adolescentes, que promovam a reflexao critica e contribuiam para experiencias promotoras de autonomia.INTRODUCTION Health education with adolescents is a challenge. Serious games are considered strategic tools, and their effectiveness is related to the pedagogical model adopted. Health education can promote leadership and autonomy, especially since is based on Paulo Freires Pedagogy as the theoretical foundation. OBJECTIVE To analyze the contributions of the DECIDIX serious game for educational purposes, supported by Paulo Freires foundations, applied to health education with adolescents in the sexual and reproductive field. METHODS Data were acquired through the validation of DECIDIX, which was carried out in two stages: i) with adolescents, and, ii) with health and education professionals. Data were registered through an audio recording of interventions; focus group; interviews and (participant and non-participant) observation. Also, data were qualitatively coded and categorized. Theoretical approach: Paulo Freires theoretical foundations supported both, DECIDIX development and the analysis of its effectiveness. RESULTS DECIDIX is a tool that assists the educator in educational activities using Freires constructs, aiming the establishment of horizontal and dialogical relationships between educators and adolescents, and also, promoting experiences to develop critical reflection and autonomy.

Systematization of nursing care in the hospital: construction of a system applied to academic practice

ABSTRACT Objective : to devise an information system applied to the Nursing Care System in academic practice. Method for structuring the system used the following steps: planning and literature on related systems, followed by the requirements elicitation, specification and system validation. The theoretical for the training of Nursing Diagnosis was based on the International Classification for Nursing Practice Beta 2. Results : the computerized model functionally reproduces the sequential stages of nursing practice: data collection, establishment of the diagnosis and plan of nursing care. Initially the students should record the information about the clients nursing problems, and then traced the Nursing Diagnosis from the Nursing Phenomena raised. The care plan would be presented as a final result of the care system, where it could evaluate the implementation of nursing actions proposed by the students . Conclusion : the use of the system proposed in academic practice will serve as an important auxiliary tool in the teaching - learning process, contributing to a distinguished student training. Descriptors : nursing care; nursing education; medical informatics; computer-assisted instruction. RESUMO Objetivo : arquitetar um sistema de informacao aplicado a Sistematizacao da Assistencia de Enfermagem na pratica academica. Metodo : para a estruturacao do sistema foram adotadas as seguintes etapas: planejamento e levantamento bibliografico sobre sistemas correlatos, seguido do levantamento de requisitos, da especificacao do sistema e da validacao dos modelos. A fundamentacao teorica para a formacao dos Diagnosticos de Enfermagem foi baseada na Classificacao Internacional para a Pratica de Enfermagem Beta 2. Resultados : o modelo informatizado reproduziu funcionalmente as etapas sequenciais da pratica de enfermagem: coleta de dados, estabelecimento dos diagnosticos e do plano de cuidados de enfermagem. O sistema possibilita que os academicos registrem as informacoes sobre os problemas de enfermagem do cliente, sendo entao tracados os Diagnosticos de Enfermagem a partir dos Fenomenos de Enfermagem levantados. O plano de cuidados e apresentado como resultado final da sistematizacao da assistencia, onde e possivel avaliar a implementacao das acoes de enfermagem propostas pelos estudantes. Conclusao : a utilizacao do sistema proposto na pratica academica servira como uma ferramenta auxiliar importante no processo ensino - aprendizagem, contribuindo para uma formacao discente diferenciada. Descritores : assistencia de enfermagem; educacao em enfermagem; informatica em saude; instrucao por computador. RESUMEN Objetivo : disenar un sistema de informacion aplicadas al Sistema de Atencion de Enfermeria en la practica academica. Metodo : para la estructuracion del sistema que se utilice los pasos siguientes: la planificacion y la literatura en los sistemas relacionados, seguido por la obtencion de requerimientos, especificacion y validacion del sistema. El teorico de la formacion de Enfermeria diagnostico se baso en la Clasificacion Internacional de Enfermeria Practica Beta 2. Resultados : El modelo computarizado funcionalmente reproduce las etapas secuenciales de la practica de enfermeria: la recopilacion de datos, el establecimiento del diagnostico y el plan de cuidados de enfermeria. Inicialmente, los estudiantes deben registrar la informacion acerca de los problemas de enfermeria del cliente y, a continuacion trazo el Diagnostico de Enfermeria de los fenomenos de enfermeria planteadas. El plan de atencion se presenta como un resultado final del sistema de atencion, donde se podria evaluar la aplicacion de las acciones de enfermeria propuesto por los estudiantes. Conclusion : el uso del sistema propuesto en la practica academica servira como una importante herramienta auxiliar en el proceso ensenanza - aprendizaje, contribuyendo a una formacion de los estudiantes distinguidos. Descriptores : cuidados de enfermeria, educacion en enfermeria; informatica medica; instruccion por computador.