Methodological Framework for implementing and evaluating Living Labs

A Living Lab constitutes a research approach for innovation that challenges the whole research and innovation process in real-life conditions by human, social, cultural, organizational and institutional aspects having an impact on sustainable service, business and technology development. In this sense, Living Labs are experimentation and validation environments characterized by the early involvement of user communities, closely working together with developers and other stakeholders, and driving rapid cycles of ICT-based innovations. There is a lack of formalized methods for implementing and evaluating Living Labs regarding how Living labs act as innovation environments and what is the impact of such Living labs in creating value for users, stakeholders in the setting where they are established. This methodological framework contributes to the determination of the following issues: • Determine and disseminate the efficient practices for creating and implementing Living Labs. • Determine and assess the relative progress and impacts of living labs and understand the determining factors and processes. • Understand how LL influence their rural and regional environments • Understand the different development patterns of Living Labs and understand the determining factors • Assess the performance of the Living labs as innovation methodolog

Process Asset Library based on Knowledge Management Techniques

Software Engineering Lab is a research center at Carlos III University of Madrid (Spain) that is developing a Process Asset Library (PAL) including concepts about Knowledge Management in order to contribute to generate, acquire, share and distribute knowledge of processes defined in the organization for developing software projects. The technology minimizes the risk of losing essential knowledge to meet goals. It is searching technical collaboration for this project

On the Quantitative Effects of Unconventional Monetary Policies

I use a unique micro price data to estimate the pass-through from commodity prices to retail prices in several countries. The paper presents and develops a simple methodology to estimate the pass-through from the prices of different commodities into various sectors across several countries. This is the first exercise of this type. As expected, countries respond differently to the different shocks; and sectors respond differently across countries and commodities. A third of all the explained variation is driven by sectoral characteristics, which is a dimension mostly disregarded by the literature.

Dirac equation in exotic spacetimes

We find solutions of the Dirac equation in curved spacetime. In particular, we consider 1+1 dimensional sections of several exotic metrics: the Alcubierre metric, which describes a scenario that allows faster-than-light (FTL) velocity; the G\"odel metric, that describes a universe containing closed timelike curves (CTC); and the Kerr metric, which corresponds to the spacetime of a rotating black hole. Moreover, we also show that the techniques that we use in these cases can be extended to nonstatic metrics.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figure

Is math anxiety caused by a deficit in basic numerical skills? A study using numerical and non-numerical tasks

Recent research found differences between high and low anxiety adults in basic numerical tasks like Arabic number comparison and dot enumeration (Maloney et al., 2010; 2011). This led some researchers to consider that math anxiety could be motivated by a subtle deficit in processing quantities. However, most of these studies did not controlled for some relevant variables, hence the difficulties found in basic tasks could be motivated by differences in working memory or in “general” anxiety between the high and low math anxiety groups. In the present research working memory skills and trait and mood anxiety were assessed in 15 low anxiety and 15 high anxiety 6th grade students, then both groups took part in three experiments. In the first, dot comparison task, bigger effects of distance and magnitude were found in the high anxiety group. In Experiment 2, Arabic number comparison, however, the only difference between both groups was related to speed: low anxiety participants were faster. Similar differences were found in Experiment 3, in which participants were required to perform an attentional (Posner) task without numerical content. It is concluded that the relationship between performance and math anxiety is more complex than previously thought.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Aerodynamic Optimization of High-Speed Trains Nose using a Genetic Algorithm and Artificial Neural Network

An aerodynamic optimization of the train aerodynamic characteristics in term of front wind action sensitivity is carried out in this paper. In particular, a genetic algorithm (GA) is used to perform a shape optimization study of a high-speed train nose. The nose is parametrically defined via Bézier Curves, including a wider range of geometries in the design space as possible optimal solutions. Using a GA, the main disadvantage to deal with is the large number of evaluations need before finding such optimal. Here it is proposed the use of metamodels to replace Navier-Stokes solver. Among all the posibilities, Rsponse Surface Models and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) are considered. Best results of prediction and generalization are obtained with ANN and those are applied in GA code. The paper shows the feasibility of using GA in combination with ANN for this problem, and solutions achieved are included

A discrete approach to continuum economies

We consider a perfectly competitive economy in which only a finite number of different agents' characteristics can be distinguished. We associate this economy with an n-agents' economy with an ordered Banach commodity space, and we prove that the continuum and the discrete approach to the equilibrium problem can be considered equivalent