Statistical Complexity and Nontrivial Collective Behavior in Electroencephalografic Signals

We calculate a measure of statistical complexity from the global dynamics of electroencephalographic (EEG) signals from healthy subjects and epileptic patients, and are able to stablish a criterion to characterize the collective behavior in both groups of individuals. It is found that the collective dynamics of EEG signals possess relative higher values of complexity for healthy subjects in comparison to that for epileptic patients. To interpret these results, we propose a model of a network of coupled chaotic maps where we calculate the complexity as a function of a parameter and relate this measure with the emergence of nontrivial collective behavior in the system. Our results show that the presence of nontrivial collective behavior is associated to high values of complexity; thus suggesting that similar dynamical collective process may take place in the human brain. Our findings also suggest that epilepsy is a degenerative illness related to the loss of complexity in the brain.Comment: 13 pages, 3 figure

A quality management based on the Quality Model life cycle

Managing quality is a hard and expensive task that involves the execution and control of processes and techniques. For a good quality management, it is important to know the current state and the objective to be achieved. It is essential to take into account with a Quality Model that specifies the purposes of managing quality. QuEF (Quality Evaluation Framework) is a framework to manage quality in MDWE (Model-driven Web Engineering). This paper suggests managing quality but pointing out the Quality Model life cycle. The purpose is to converge toward a quality continuous improvement by means of reducing effort and time.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación TIN2010-20057-C03-02Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación TIN 2010-12312-EJunta de Andalucía TIC-578

La gestualidad de la barba y el mentón en la Antigüedad romana

Beards and chins are two parts of the body that are associated with a large number of gestures. This paper examines a number of texts in which these gestures appear and the meaning they convey. The analysis was conducted by distinguishing between self-adaptor gestures (those that do not involve a second party), alter-directed adaptors (those that, to the contrary, involve the intervention of another person) and object-adaptors (a category that encompasses gestures involving an object)

A methodological proposal and tool support for the HL7 standards compliance in the development of health information systems

Health information systems are increasingly complex, and their development is presented as a challenge for software development companies offering quality, maintainable and interoperable products. HL7 (Health level 7) International, an international non-profit organization, defines and maintains standards related to health information systems. However, the modelling languages proposed by HL7 are far removed from standard languages and widely known by software engineers. In these lines, NDT is a software development methodology that has a support tool called NDT-Suite and is based, on the one hand, on the paradigm of model-driven engineering and, on the other hand, in UML that is a widely recognized standard language. This paper proposes an extension of the NDT methodology called MoDHE (Model Driven Health Engineering) to offer software engineers a methodology capable of modelling health information systems conforming to HL7 using UML domain models

El proceso de composición de la obra ciceroniana según las Cartas a Ático

En este artículo se analiza la actividad literaria de Cicerón a partir de la información contenida en sus Cartas a Ático. Concretamente, se describen las primeras etapas del proceso creativo: génesis, fuentes y composición de las obras. Se detalla, en primer lugar, la etapa en que el autor concibe la idea de escribir una obra literaria, que puede responder a razones de índole diversa; en segundo lugar, se estudian las fuentes utilizadas por Cicerón según son reveladas por las cartas que escribe a Ático; finalmente, se expone el proceso de composición del texto, ilustrado con el caso particular de redacción de los Academica

Applying Model-Driven Paradigm for the Improvement of Web Requirement Validation

This paper proposes an approach for Web requirements validation by applying the model-driven paradigm in classical requirements validation techniques. In particular, we present how the Navigational Development Techniques (NDT) approach exploits the model-driven paradigm to improve its requirements validation task by exploring tool cases that systematize or even automate the application of requirements validation techniques. Our solution is validated by applying it in a real industrial environment. The results and the learned lessons are presented accordingly

Homophily and Organizational Identification Towards Organizational Commitment and Organizational Justice Among Male and Female Office Workers in Iligan City

The study of identification within the organizational setting has highlighted various factors that may contribute significant changes, either positively or negatively, to the commitment and perception of fairness of employees. As workers, their jobs and relationship with their organization are also influenced by how they perceive people around them in terms of attitude and background. In connection, this study explored on the homophily and organizational identification towards the organizational commitment and organizational justice among male and female office workers in Iligan City. The respondents are male (n = 35) and female (n = 35) office workers coming from selected companies and institutions located in Iligan City. Based on the results and findings, there is a significant relationship between homophily and organizational identification; and organizational identification and organizational commitment among male office workers while there is a significant relationship between organizational identification and organizational justice among female office workers. Finally, there is a significant interaction between invested self-concept to organizational commitment of male office workers in Iligan City while there are significant interactions between background homophily to organizational justice; management connection to organizational justice; and coworker connection to organizational justice of female office workers in Iligan City

Influence of cutting parameters and tool wear on the surface integrity of cobalt-based Stellite 6 alloy when machined under a dry cutting environment

The efficiency of a machining process can be measured by evaluating the quality of the machined surface and the tool wear rate. The research reported herein is mainly focused on the effect of cutting parameters and tool wear on the machined surface defects, surface roughness, deformation layer and residual stresses when dry milling Stellite 6, deposited by overlay on a carbon steel surface. The results showed that under the selected cutting conditions, abrasion, diffusion, peeling, chipping and breakage were the main tool wear mechanisms presented. Also the feed rate was the primary factor affecting the tool wear with an influence of 83%. With regard to the influence of cutting parameters on the surface roughness, the primary factors were feed rate and cutting speed with 57 and 38%, respectively. In addition, in general, as tool wear increased, the surface roughness increased and the deformation layer was found to be influenced more by the cutting parameters rather than the tool wear. Compressive residual stresses were observed in the un-machined surface, and when machining longer than 5 min, residual stress changed 100% from compression to tension. Finally, results showed that micro-crack initiation was the main mechanism for chip formation

Quality evaluation for Model-Driven Web Engineering methodologies

Context: There are lots of approaches or methodologies in the Model-Driven Web Engineering (MDWE) context to develop Web Applications without reaching a consensus on the use of standards and scarcity of both, practical experience and tool support. Objective: Model-Driven Web Engineering (MDWE) methodologies are constantly evolving. Moreover, Quality is a very important factor to identify within a methodology as it defines processes, techniques and artifacts to develop Web Applications. For this reason, when analyzing a methodology, it is not only necessary to evaluate quality, but also to find out how to improve it. The main goal of this paper is to develop a set of Quality Characteristics and Sub-Characteristics for MDWE approaches based on ISO/ IEC standards. Method: From the software products context, some widely standards proposed, such as ISO/IEC 9126 or ISO/IEC 25000, suggest a Quality Model for software products, although up to now, there are no standard methods to assess quality on MDWE methodologies. Such methodologies can be organized into Properties, thus, a methodology has artifacts, processes and techniques. Then, each item is evaluated through a set of appropriate Quality Characteristics, depending on its nature. This paper proposes to evaluate a methodology as a product itself. Results: This paper recommends a set of Quality Characteristics and Sub-Characteristics based on these standards in order to evaluate MDWE methodologies quality. Additionally, it defines an agile way to relate these Quality Sub-Characteristics to Properties with the sole purpose of not only analyzing, but also assessing and improving MDWE methodologies. Conclusions: The application of these Quality Characteristics and Sub-Characteristics could promote efficiency in methodologies since this kind of assessment enhances both the understanding of strengths and weaknesses of approaches.Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia TIN2007-67843-C06-03Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia TIN2010-20057-C03-0