Buele, Jorge
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Buele, Jorge
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Ambato
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jorgebuele@uti.edu.ec
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57200380202

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Effects of a dual intervention (motor and virtual reality-based cognitive) on cognition in patients with mild cognitive impairment: a single-blind, randomized controlled trial

2024 , Buele, Jorge , Avilés-Castillo, Fátima , Carolina Del-Valle-Soto , Varela Aldas, José , Guillermo Palacios-Navarro

Abstract Background The increase in cases of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) underlines the urgency of finding effective methods to slow its progression. Given the limited effectiveness of current pharmacological options to prevent or treat the early stages of this deterioration, non-pharmacological alternatives are especially relevant. Objective To assess the effectiveness of a cognitive-motor intervention based on immersive virtual reality (VR) that simulates an activity of daily living (ADL) on cognitive functions and its impact on depression and the ability to perform such activities in patients with MCI. Methods Thirty-four older adults (men, women) with MCI were randomized to the experimental group (n = 17; 75.41 ± 5.76) or control (n = 17; 77.35 ± 6.75) group. Both groups received motor training, through aerobic, balance and resistance activities in group. Subsequently, the experimental group received cognitive training based on VR, while the control group received traditional cognitive training. Cognitive functions, depression, and the ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs) were assessed using the Spanish versions of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-S), the Short Geriatric Depression Scale (SGDS-S), and the of Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL-S) before and after 6-week intervention (a total of twelve 40-minutes sessions). Results Between groups comparison did not reveal significant differences in either cognitive function or geriatric depression. The intragroup effect of cognitive function and geriatric depression was significant in both groups (p < 0.001), with large effect sizes. There was no statistically significant improvement in any of the groups when evaluating their performance in ADLs (control, p = 0.28; experimental, p = 0.46) as expected. The completion rate in the experimental group was higher (82.35%) compared to the control group (70.59%). Likewise, participants in the experimental group reached a higher level of difficulty in the application and needed less time to complete the task at each level. Conclusions The application of a dual intervention, through motor training prior to a cognitive task based on Immersive VR was shown to be a beneficial non-pharmacological strategy to improve cognitive functions and reduce depression in patients with MCI. Similarly, the control group benefited from such dual intervention with statistically significant improvements. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06313931; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06313931.

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Factors Influencing University Dropout in Distance Learning: A Case Study

2023 , Núñez Hernández, Corina , Buele, Jorge

In the field of higher education in Ecuador, there is a phenomenon where students abandon the career, they were initially enrolled in. This research article aims to identify the determining factors that influence dropout, analyzing sociodemographic variables and economic, technological, institutional, and academic variables. The methodology used is action research built from educational practice. A survey was used to address several factors applied to 260 students of the second, fourth, and seventh levels of undergraduate study at a private institution. As a result, it was found that the most determining factor for a student to abandon their university career in the distance mode, with 72.31%, is the economic factor. Finally, it is concluded that students' permanence is affected mainly by socioeconomic aspects, which cause economic resources, illness, lack of time, and academic performance to be the most representative factors when deciding whether to remain or abandon a university career. This information increases the bibliography that deals with student behavior to search for alternatives to work on students' permanence. © 2023, North American Business Press. All rights reserved.

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Temperature Controller Using the Takagi-Sugeno-Kang Fuzzy Inference System for an Industrial Heat Treatment Furnace

2020 , Buele, Jorge , Ríos-Cando P. , Brito G. , Moreno-P R. , Salazar F.W.

The industrial welding industry has a high energy consumption due to the heating processes carried out. The heat treatment furnaces used for reheating equipment made of steel require a good regulator to control the temperature at each stage of the process, thereby optimizing resources. Considering dynamic and variable temperature behavior inside the oven, this paper proposes the design of a temperature controller based on a Takagi-Sugeno-Kang (TSK) fuzzy inference system of zero order. Considering the reaction curve of the temperature process, the plant model has been identified with the Miller method and a subsequent optimization based on the descending gradient algorithm. Using the conventional plant model, a TSK fuzzy model optimized by the recursive least square’s algorithm is obtained. The TSK fuzzy controller is initialized from the conventional controller and is optimized by descending gradient and a cost function. Applying this controller to a real heat treatment system achieves an approximate minimization of 15 min with respect to the time spent with a conventional controller. Improving the process and integrated systems of quality management of the service provided. © 2020, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

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Facial recognition system for people with and without face mask in times of the covid-19 pandemic

2021 , Talahua J.S. , Buele, Jorge , Calvopina P. , Varela Aldas, José

In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the use of a face mask as a mandatory biosafety measure. This has caused problems in current facial recognition systems, motivating the development of this research. This manuscript describes the development of a system for recognizing people, even when they are using a face mask, from photographs. A classification model based on the MobileNetV2 architecture and the OpenCv's face detector is used. Thus, using these stages, it can be identified where the face is and it can be determined whether or not it is wearing a face mask. The FaceNet model is used as a feature extractor and a feedforward multilayer perceptron to perform facial recognition. For training the facial recognition models, a set of observations made up of 13,359 images is generated; 52.9% images with a face mask and 47.1% images without a face mask. The experimental results show that there is an accuracy of 99.65% in determining whether a person is wearing a mask or not. An accuracy of 99.52% is achieved in the facial recognition of 10 people with masks, while for facial recognition without masks, an accuracy of 99.96% is obtained. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

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Strategic Planning to Improve the Production Systems of an MSME: Case Study of a Toy Store

2024 , Buele, Jorge , Lozada-Cepeda J.A. , Ruales, María Belén

Competitiveness in the sales and services sector is becoming more and more intense. Therefore, the implementation of methodologies and strategies is necessary for the achievement of objectives, business growth, and the improvement of production systems. This article presents the performance of a strategic plan (SP) to identify the shortcomings of a company belonging to the MSME group. A toy store developing in Ecuadorian business is presented as a case study. The initial analysis uses tools such as the external PESTEL analysis, the Servqual model, and an analysis of current competitiveness. A new business model (Business Model Canvas) is defined to implement the plan, and strategic initiatives and projects are established. Since this study is projected for five years, experimental results are obtained for the first year, which shows a reduction in the gaps between customer expectations and the service offered. There is also evidence of minor quality mismatches in the Servqual model and a better competitive position than others. These objectives are related to increasing the company’s performance and combining quality, cost, and logistics on time. © 2024, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

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Sustainable Development in Higher Education Curricula for Software Engineering Chairs

2023 , León Toro, Jenny Marcela , Buele, Jorge , Camino-Morejón V.M. , Ayala-Chauvin, Manuel Ignacio

Nowadays, society demands that high quality teaching practices must be part of the curriculum in higher education institutions. The interdisciplinarity view of the contents taught has made the technical aspects of engineering merge with social, cultural, and economic nuances. In this sense, the new generations of students show their interest in learning and carrying out activities that contribute to sustainability, for this reason, the inclusion of ecological themes in the subjects of computer science and software career is required. A bibliographical analysis was carried out that allowed recognition of main concepts and methodologies applied to the subject. As a result of them, an adjustment of chairs is presented allowing integrating conventional teaching with the new trends of green technology. Reforms were implemented from introductory courses to theoretical knowledge of green software, to the development of web applications with the same approach. In the same way, it involves the management of computer projects, modeling, monitoring, and optimization of resources, and green evaluation. According to the socio-educational model, the articulation between technology and sustainability will allow managing software projects that provide real solutions to problems in context. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

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Mobile Manipulator for Hospital Care Using Firebase

2022 , Varela Aldas, José , Buele, Jorge , Guerrero-Núñez S , Andaluz V.H.

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that the use of the technology in medicine is no longer a luxury, but a necessity. The use of the robotics in the treatment of diseases and physical therapies is limited in Latin America due to the high acquisition and maintenance costs. This document proposes the design, development, and evaluation of a robotic system for the guided monitoring of patients, through remote control using a mobile application. Within the methodology, four phases were proposed: planning, design, development, and evaluation. The 3D design is done using the Tinkercad software, which facilitates the construction of the pieces using 3D printing technology. The ESP32 board is the main element that receives the signals from the sensors and controls the actions of the actuators through the orders received from Firebase. For the development of the application, App inventor is used, building a friendly and easy-to-use interface. To validate this proposal, experimental tests were carried out with two patients in a medical center. In addition, a parameter compliance questionnaire was applied to the robot, obtaining a score of 92.6%, and the mobile application obtained 72.5% in the usability test. All this confirms an efficient care proposal, with a reduced investment. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

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Augmented Reality Application with Multimedia Content to Support Primary Education

2023 , Buele, Jorge , Espinoza J. , Ruales, María Belén , Camino-Morejón V.M. , Ayala-Chauvin, Manuel Ignacio

Education is continually reinventing itself to meet the growing needs of learners. In the context of an emergency, confinement and mobilization difficulties have necessitated the adoption of online education. This new offer brings technological means to conventional processes, but its main disadvantage is the limited access in some places. This has motivated the present study, which proposes the development of a mobile application using augmented reality (AR) to complement primary education. This application aims to disseminate multimedia content without needing a stable internet connection. A high-performance computer is required for the design and a mid-range smartphone for its execution. Four scripts are generated in c# programming language using Visual Studio. The environment and the three-dimensional objects are developed using Unity software and the packages ARFoundation, Unity MARS, and Vuforia. Two groups of 13 children each participated in the experimental testing. The experimental group used the application for two weeks to complement the virtual classes in the subjects of language, natural sciences, and mathematics. The analysis with SPSS software shows a statistically significant increase in the average grades compared to the control group. This research shows that the use of technology can contribute to improving the current teaching-learning processes. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

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Natural lighting performance of vernacular architecture, case study oldtown Pasa, Ecuador

2023 , Bustán-Gaona D. , Ayala-Chauvin M. , Buele, Jorge , Jara-Garzón P. , Riba-Sanmartí G.

Vernacular architecture is an architectural style that reflects the traditions and cultural aspects of a particular region or community. It is characterized by the use of local materials and traditional construction techniques, adapting to the climatic, geographical, and cultural conditions of the place. Despite extensive research on the benefits of natural lighting in modern architecture, there is limited understanding of how vernacular architecture integrates natural lighting principles in various climatic conditions, mainly due to restrictions in intervention and concerns about structural integrity. In today's world, energy efficiency and conservation are crucial aspects of building design. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the effectiveness of natural lighting in the indoor spaces of vernacular architecture. The research includes measurements taken in traditional buildings in the parish of Pasa, Ambato, Ecuador, as well as simulations to evaluate the behavior of sunlight. The findings reveal that, with new construction technologies, lighting levels in the interior spaces of these buildings can be improved. To address this issue, a proposed solution is presented to optimize the use of natural light, resulting in an increase from 30 to 100 lx. This improvement could pave the way for the implementation of policies that enhance the quality of life for users. © 2023

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Gamification in Inclusive Education for Children with Disabilities: Global Trends and Approaches - A Bibliometric Review

2023 , Jadán Guerrero, Janio , Avilés-Castillo, Fátima , Buele, Jorge , Palacios-Navarro G.

Given the growing attention to the intersection between technology and education, gamification has emerged as a strategy with great benefits. This bibliometric review addresses gamification’s current and future relevance in the educational field, focusing on its use as a pedagogical strategy to improve the learning and engagement of children with disabilities. Sixty-six studies published between 2001 and 2023 were analyzed, evaluating the most influential articles, main keywords, prominent authors, collaborating institutions, and funding sources. The literature suggests that gamification offers inclusive and personalized learning opportunities covering various disabilities. Methodologies and approaches to implement gamification were identified, including game elements, user-centered design techniques, and emerging technologies such as virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and educational robotics. However, challenges and areas for improvement were also found, such as the need for more long-term empirical evidence and the importance of considering individual differences and specific needs when designing gamification strategies. The review highlights the importance of strengthening collaborative networks between researchers and education professionals to disseminate best practices and promote more effective gamification approaches adapted to the needs of children with disabilities. Collaboration between educators, game developers, researchers, and parents are crucial to ensure that gamification efforts are inclusive and meet the diverse needs of students. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

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