On the use of reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces in functional classification

The H\'ajek-Feldman dichotomy establishes that two Gaussian measures are either mutually absolutely continuous with respect to each other (and hence there is a Radon-Nikodym density for each measure with respect to the other one) or mutually singular. Unlike the case of finite dimensional Gaussian measures, there are non-trivial examples of both situations when dealing with Gaussian stochastic processes. This paper provides: (a) Explicit expressions for the optimal (Bayes) rule and the minimal classification error probability in several relevant problems of supervised binary classification of mutually absolutely continuous Gaussian processes. The approach relies on some classical results in the theory of Reproducing Kernel Hilbert Spaces (RKHS). (b) An interpretation, in terms of mutual singularity, for the "near perfect classification" phenomenon described by Delaigle and Hall (2012). We show that the asymptotically optimal rule proposed by these authors can be identified with the sequence of optimal rules for an approximating sequence of classification problems in the absolutely continuous case. (c) A new model-based method for variable selection in binary classification problems, which arises in a very natural way from the explicit knowledge of the RN-derivatives and the underlying RKHS structure. Different classifiers might be used from the selected variables. In particular, the classical, linear finite-dimensional Fisher rule turns out to be consistent under some standard conditions on the underlying functional model

Learning by Playing via Survey Platforms to Comprehend Environmental Management

In this work, a technique based on the learning by playing method has been tested in a regulated class that is taught at the Spanish Complutense University of Madrid (Environmental Management). This application was done during the academic two courses 2017-18 and 2018-19. The applicability of this technique has been checked in two pilot groups with 56 students (25 and 31 students, respectively). Given the game like features of this learning approach, it helps students improve their comprehension and overall performance in the class. On the other hand, it is presumable that the student can recall the acquired concepts for more time. The professor is able to control the transmission of the concepts easily and the relation with the students is closer. Therefore, it helps decrease the nonattendance and dropout rates. Finally, it strongly enhances the development of the innovation capabilities of the students

A Scrum-based approach to CMMI maturity level 2 in Web Development environments

Scrum has become one of the most popular agile methodologies, either alone or combined with other agile practices. Besides, CMMI (Capability Maturity Model Integration) is accepted as a suitable model to measure the maturity of the organizations when developing or acquiring software. Although these two approaches are often considered antagonist, the use of an agile approach to reach certain CMMI maturity levels may result beneficial to organizations that develop Web systems, since they would take the advantages of both approaches. In Web community, this union may be very interesting, because agile approaches fits with the special needs of Web development, and they could be a useful tool for companies getting a certain grade of maturity. This work analyzes the goals of CMMI maturity level 2 and the feasibility of achieving them using the practices proposed by Scrum, trying to assess whether the use of this methodology is suitable for meeting the CMMI generic and specific goals or not. Finally, and based on this analysis, this paper raises a possible extension of Scrum, based on agile techniques, to accommodate the CMMI maturity level 2.Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia TIN2010-20057-C03-02Junta de Andalucía TIC-578

Agile, Web Engineering and Capability Maturity ModelI ntegration : A systematic literature review

Context Agile approaches are an alternative for organizations developing software, particularly for those who develop Web applications. Besides, CMMI (Capability Maturity Model Integration) models are well-established approaches focused on assessing the maturity of an organization that develops software. Web Engineering is the field of Software Engineering responsible for analyzing and studying the specific characteristics of the Web. The suitability of an Agile approach to help organizations reach a certain CMMI maturity level in Web environments will be very interesting, as they will be able to keep the ability to quickly react and adapt to changes as long as their development processes get mature. Objective This paper responds to whether it is feasible or not, for an organization developing Web systems, to achieve a certain maturity level of the CMMI-DEV model using Agile methods. Method The proposal is analyzed by means of a systematic literature review of the relevant approaches in the field, defining a characterization schema in order to compare them to introduce the current state-of-the-art. Results The results achieved after the systematic literature review are presented, analyzed and compared against the defined schema, extracting relevant conclusions for the different dimensions of the problem: compatibility, compliance, experience, maturity and Web. Conclusion It is concluded that although the definition of an Agile approach to meet the different CMMI maturity levels goals could be possible for an organization developing Web systems, there is still a lack of detailed studies and analysis on the field

Alimentación de los crustáceos peracáridos asociados al alga Fucus spiralis en la Isla de Tarifa, Cádiz (sur de España)

The intertidal alga Fucus spiralis (Linnaeus, 1753) hosts an important mobile associated macrofauna, composed mainly of peracarid crustaceans such as the amphipod Hyale perieri (Lucas, 1849), the isopods Dynamene bidentata (Adams, 1800) and Ischyromene lacazei Racovitza, 1908 and the tanaid Tanais dulongii (Audouin, 1826). In the present study, we explored the feeding habits of these peracarid crustaceans associated to F. spiralis in Tarifa Island. The analysis of gut contents revealed that the community of F. spiralis is dominated by her- bivorous, feeding mainly on the own algae along all year round. As expected, taking into consideration that F. spiralis inhabit the upper levels of the intertidal and it is emerged most of the day, detritus collected from the water column was very scarce in the gut of examined species. The amphipod H. perieri , the dominant species, fed also on crustaceans besides the fucoid algae, especially during the warmer season. Dinoflagellates, diatoms and vorticellids were also present in lower proportions. Further experimental studies are needed to bet- ter understand the strong effect of associated herbivorous on the growth and dynamics of F. spiralis.El alga intermareal Fucus spiralis (Linnaeus, 1753) alberga una macrofauna móvil asociada importante, constituida fundamentalmente por crustáceos peracáridos como el anfípodo Hyale perieri (Lucas, 1849), los isópodos Dynamene bidentata (Adams, 1800) e Ischyromene lacazei Racovitza, 1908 y el tanaidáceo Tanais dulongii (Audouin, 1826). En el presente estudio, exploramos la alimentación de los peracáridos asociados a F. spiralis en la Isla de Tarifa. El análisis de los contenidos estomacales reveló que la comunidad de F. spiralis está dominada por herbívoros, que se alimentan del alga durante todo el año. Como cabría esperar, teniendo en cuenta que F. spiralis vive en los niveles superiores del intermareal en emersión la mayor parte del día, se encontró poco detrito pro- cedente de la columna de agua en las especies examinandas. El anfípodo H. perieri, la especie dominante, se alimentó también de crustáceos además de alga, especialmente durante la estación cálida. Los dinoflagelados, diatomeas y vorticélidos también estuvieron presentes, aunque en proporciones menores. Se requieren estudios experimentales para comprender mejor el fuerte efecto de la presión de herbivoría sobre el crecimiento y dinámica de F. spiralis

Agile in Public Administration: Oxymoron or reality? An experience report

In the last 10 years, Agile methods and practices have emerged as an alternative for software development. Different "flavors" of Agile have appeared ranging from project management to tests organization. These approaches have being gaining popularity and involve now a solid option for organizations developing software, but what about Public Administrations? Is Agile a suitable option for developing software in Public Administrations? Even if Public Administrations have been traditionally regarded as changeresistant, Agile approach can also provide them with the benefits of quick adaptation and frequent value delivery. This paper presents the results of two different projects, which use an Agile framework based on Scrum, developed by a Spanish Public Administration. Additionally, after considering the obtained results, it takes out some relevant learned lessons on the suitability of applying Agile approaches to Public Administration environments.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación TIN2010-20057-C03-02Junta de Andalucía TIC-578

An Approach to Transform Public Administration into SOA-based Organizations

Nowadays, Service-Oriented Architectures (SOA) is widely spread in private organizations. However, when transferring this knowledge to Public Administration, it is realized that it has not been transformed in terms of its legal nature into organizations capable to operate under the SOA paradigm. This fact prevents public administration bodies from offering the efficient services they have been provided by different boards of governments. A high-level framework to perform this transformation is proposed. Taking it as starting point, an instance of a SOA Target Meta-Model can be obtained by means of an iterative and incremental process based on the analysis of imperatives and focused on the particular business context of each local public administration. This paper briefly presents a practical experience consisting in applying this process to a Spanish regional public administration.Junta de Andalucía TIC-578