An estimate of necessary effort in the development of software projects

International Workshop on Intelligent Technologies for Software Engineering (WITSE'04). 19th IEEE International Conference on Automated Software Engineering (Linz, Austria, September 20th - 25th, 2004)The estimated of the effort in the development of software projects has already been studied in the field of software engineering. For this purpose different ways of measurement such as Unes of code and function points, generally addressed to relate software size with project cost (effort) have been used. In this work we are presenting a research project that deals with this field, us'mg machine learning techniques to predict the software project cost. Several public set of data are used. The analysed sets of data only relate the effort invested in the development of software projects and the size of the resultant code. For this reason, we can say that the data used are poor. Despite that, the results obtained are good, because they improve the ones obtained in previous analyses. In order to get results closer to reality we should find data sets of a bigger size that take into account more variables, thus offering more possibilities to obtain solutions in a more efficient way.Publicad

How to distinguish between a block cipher and a random permutation by lowering the input entropy

IEEE 35th International Carnahan Conference on Security Technology. Londres, 16-19 October 2001A novel cryptanalysis technique is presented, and its suitability for distinguishing a block cipher algorithm or a hash function from a random permutation is explained. Additionally, we propose a genetic algorithm based implementation and show some preliminary results of these ideas on reduced rounds versions of the block cipher TEA

Using classifiers to predict linear feedback shift registers

Proceeding of: IEEE 35th International Carnahan Conference on Security Technology. October 16-19, 2001, LondonPreviously (J.C. Hernandez et al., 2000), some new ideas that justify the use of artificial intelligence techniques in cryptanalysis are presented. The main objective of that paper was to show that the theoretical next bit prediction problem can be transformed into a classification problem, and this classification problem could be solved with the aid of some AI algorithms. In particular, they showed how a well-known classifier called c4.5 could predict the next bit generated by a linear feedback shift register (LFSR, a widely used model of pseudorandom number generator) very efficiently and, most importantly, without any previous knowledge over the model used. The authors look for other classifiers, apart from c4.5, that could be useful in the prediction of LFSRs. We conclude that the selection of c4.5 by Hernandez et al. was adequate, because it shows the best accuracy of all the classifiers tested. However, we have found other classifiers that produce interesting results, and we suggest that these algorithms must be taken into account in the future when trying to predict more complex LFSR-based models. Finally, we show some other properties that make the c4.5 algorithm the best choice for this particular cryptanalytic problem.Publicad

Open ocean temperature and salinity trends in the Canary Current Large Marine Ecosystem

The Sea Surface Temperature in the Canary Current Large Marine Ecosystem (CCLME) for the 32 years in the period 1982‐2013 shows a mean warming trend of 0.28°C decade‐1. However, this overall warming trend shows significant changes due to the influence of the different dynamical regimes that coexist in the CCLME. Near the coast, in the area under the influence of the upwelling, between Cape Blanc and Cape Beddouza, the warming trend is not statistically different from zero. Near the coast, but in the waters under the influence of downwelling, between Cape Verde and Cape Blanc, the warming trend is higher (>0.5°C decade‐1), and statistically significant. In the oceanic regions, there is a statistically significant trend of 0.25°C decade‐1, a trend that is also observed in waters shallower than the permanent thermocline (200‐ 600 dbar). This warming rate is density compensate, with an increase in salinity of 0.02 decade‐1. Neither the intermediate waters nor the upper deep waters show any statistically significant trend. The deep waters (2600‐3600 dbar) in the oceanic waters north of the Canary Islands, show a warming rate of ‐0.01°C decade‐1 and a freshening of ‐0.002 decade‐1.En prens

Vaccinia-related kinase 1 (VRK1) is an upstream nucleosomal kinase required for the assembly of 53BP1 foci in response to ionizing radiation-induced DNA damage

Cellular responses to DNA damage require the formation of protein complexes in a highly organized fashion. The complete molecular components that participate in the sequential signaling response to DNA damage remain unknown. Here we demonstrate that vaccinia-related kinase 1 (VRK1) in resting cells plays an important role in the formation of ionizing radiationinduced foci that assemble on the 53BP1 scaffold protein during the DNA damage response. The kinase VRK1 is activated by DNA double strand breaks induced by ionizing radiation (IR) and specifically phosphorylates 53BP1 in serum-starved cells. VRK1 knockdown resulted in the defective formation of 53BP1 foci in response to IR both in number and size. This observed effect on 53BP1 foci is p53- and ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM)-independent and can be rescued with VRK1 mutants resistant to siRNA. VRK1 knockdown also prevented the activating phosphorylation of ATM, CHK2, and DNA-dependent protein kinase in response to IR. VRK1 activation in response to DNA damage is a novel and early step in the signaling of mammalian DNA damage responses.This work was supported in part by Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación Grants SAF2010-14935 and CSD2007-0017, Junta de Castilla y León Grants CSI006A11-2 and GR-15, and the Kutxa-Fundación Inbiomed. Supported by Junta para la Ampliación de Estudios-CSIC-Fondo Social Europeo fellowships.Peer Reviewe

Psychometric properties of an emotional adjustment computerized adaptive test

En el presente trabajo se describen las propiedades psicométricas de un Test Adaptativo Informatizado para la medición del ajuste emocional de las personas. La revisión de la literatura acerca de la aplicación de los modelos de la teoría de la respuesta a los ítems (TRI) muestra que ésta se ha utilizado más en el trabajo con variables aptitudinales que para la medición de variables de personalidad, sin embargo diversos estudios han mostrado la eficacia de la TRI para la descripción psicométrica de dichas variables. Aun así, pocos trabajos han explorado las características de un Test Adaptativo informatizado, basado en la TRI, para la medición de una variable de personalidad como es el ajuste emocional. Nuestros resultados muestran la eficiencia del TAI para la evaluación del ajuste emocional, proporcionando una medición válida y precisa, utilizando menor número de elementos de medida en comparación con las escalas de ajuste emocional de instrumentos fuertemente implantadosIn the present work it was described the psychometric properties of an emotional adjustment computerized adaptive test. An examination of Item Response Theory (IRT) research literature indicates that IRT has been mainly used for assessing achievements and ability rather than personality factors. Nevertheless last years have shown several studies wich have successfully used IRT to personality assessment instruments. Even so, a few amount of works has inquired the computerized adaptative test features, based on IRT, for the measurement of a personality traits as it’s the emotional adjustment. Our results show the CAT efficiency for the emotional adjustment assessment so this provides a valid and accurate measurement; by using a less number of items in comparison with the emotional adjustment scales from the most strongly established questionnaire

The UAB virtual campus, an essential platform for a European environment of higher education

Ponència presentada al congrés Virtual Campus 2006, celebrat el 23-25 de març de 2006 a BarcelonaThe university is currently immersed - within Europe - in a process of coordinating higher education with the adaptation into the new ECTS European credits, which implies changing from a teacher-centred model (teacher conveys knowledge) to a learner-centred model, a real challenge. From 1996, the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) is carrying out the "Campus Virtual de la UAB" project. This platform fulfils several roles that aim at providing an answer to this challenge: - It provides support to face-to-face teaching - It encourages teaching innovation - It promotes the creation of learning materials - It fosters communication - It favours monitoring the learning process - It favours self-learning and self-assessment - It enables blended teaching experiences This article will focus on how to use the communication and discussion functionalities between teacher and students, and between students themselves, and on monitoring the students' learning proces

Three-dimensional volume rendering in computed tomography for evaluation of the temporomandibular joint in dogs

Based on computed tomography (CT) images, volume rendering was used to obtain a three-dimensional representation of data (3DVR). The aims of this study included: describing the bone anatomy of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) of dogs; comparing the TMJs of each dog by skull type and age; comparing 3DVR images with three-standard-plane CTs; assessing soft tissues adjacent to the TMJ and assessing pathological cases. Multidetector computed tomography scans of bilateral TMJs of 410 dogs were observed. From a ventral view, slight displacements in the positions of the skulls were seen, whereas from a caudal view, differences in amplitude of the articular space were observed. Dolichocephalic and mesaticephalic dogs showed more similar TMJ features than brachycephalic dogs. The shape of the TMJ bones were irregular in dogs under 1 year old. The 3DVR images related to the three-standard-plane CT improved the overall comprehension of the changes in the articular space amplitude and condylar process morphology. The fovea pterygoidea, mandibular fossa and retroarticular process were perfectly shown. A better spatial situation of adjacent soft tissues was obtained. The 3DVR represents an ancillary method to the standard-plane CT that could help in the understanding of the anatomy and diagnoses of different pathologies of the TMJ in dogs