Compliance of Semantic Constraints - A Requirements Analysis for Process Management Systems

Key to the use of process management systems (PrMS) in practice is their ability to facilitate the implementation, execution, and adaptation of business processes while still being able to ensure error-free process executions. Mechanisms have been developed to prevent errors at the syntactic level such as deadlocks. In many application domains, processes often have to comply with business level rules and policies (i.e., semantic constraints). Hence, in order to ensure error-free executions at the semantic level, PrMS need certain control mechanisms for validating and ensuring the compliance with semantic constraints throughout the process lifecycle. In this paper, we discuss fundamental requirements for a comprehensive support of semantic constraints in PrMS. Moreover, we provide a survey on existing approaches and discuss to what extent they meet the requirements and which challenges still have to be tackled. Finally, we show how the challenge of life time compliance can be dealt with by integrating design time and runtime process validation

Development, Validation, and Reliability Evaluation of a Functional Classification System

Due to accountability, cost/benefit, and third party payers, it was necessary to develop an objective measurement of functional abilities of rehab patients. In Part I of the research, Development of a Functional Classification System for a Rehabilitation Unit at St. Alexius Medical Center, a Functional Classification System (FCS) was developed and edited; however, the validity and reliability of the new FCS had to be justified. Forty-seven patients admitted onto the St. Alexius Rehabilitation Unit between November 1992 and January 1993 were evaluated using version three of the FCS and objectively scored. Validity was tested between admit, discharge, and goal scores with a Pearson Correlation Coefficient of 0.8224 (moderately high) between admit and goal scores. The FCS scores were in a hierarchy fashion which is proper progression of a scoring instrument measuring progress. Content validity was found by use of a scale of one to five with one being agree and five disagree. The professionals agreed that the FCS did a good job of objectively measuring patient\u27s status. Inter-rater reliability was found by randomly selecting eleven of the forty seven patients and then comparing three parameter scores: Grooming, Eating, and Transfers. The scores were scored between inter-disciplinary personnel each week. It was found that there was 11.5% agreement and 88.5% disagreement in the Grooming category; Eating, 46.2% agreement and 53.8% disagreement (but a high correlation coefficient); and Transfers, 46.4% agreement and 53.6% disagreement. The high difference in scores may be due to incomplete scores and inter-disciplinary scoring instead of intradisciplinary scoring. Further research requires a larger population and additional intra-disciplinary rating

Automatic determination of the Atterberg limits with machine learning

In this study, we determine the liquid limit (Wt), plasticity index (PI), and plastic limit (Wp) of several natural fine-grained soil samples with the help of machine-learning and statistical methods. This enables us to locate each soil type analysed in the Casagrande plasticity chart with a single measure in pressure-membrane extractors. These machine-learning models showed adjustments in the determination of the liquid limit for design purposes when compared with standardised methods. Similar adjustments were achieved in the determination of the plasticity index, whereas the plastic limit determinations were applicable for control works. Because the best techniques were based in Multiple Linear Regression and Support Vector Machines Regression, they provide explainable plasticity models. In this sense, (Equation presented), and (Equation presented). So that, we propose an alternative, automatic, multi-sample, and static method to address current issues on Atterberg limits determination with standardised tests.En este estudio, determinamos el límite líquido (), el índice de plasticidad (PI) y el límite plástico () de suelos naturales finos con ayuda de machine-learning y métodos estadísticos. Ello permite localizarlos en la Carta de Plasticidad de Casagrande con una sola medida en extractores de presión-membrana. Los modelos de machine-learning mostraron ajustes en la determinación de apropiados para propósitos de diseño, comparados con métodos estandarizados. Ajustes similares se alcanzaron en la determinación de PI, mientras que las determinaciones de permiten ajustes apropiados para trabajos de control. Debido a que las técnicas más apropiadas se basaron en Regresión Lineal Múltiple y Máquinas de Soporte de Vectores, aportaron modelos de plasticidad explicables. En este sentido, =(9.94±4.2)+(2.25±0.3)∙4.2,=(−20.47±5.6)+(1.48±0.3)∙4.2+(0.21±0.1)∙y=(23.32±3.5)+(0.60±0.2)∙4.2−(0.13±0.04)∙. Por consiguiente, proponemos un método alternativo, automático, estático y multimuestra para enfrentar problemas frecuentes en la determinación de los Límites de Atterberg con ensayos normalizados

On Enabling Integrated Process Compliance with Semantic Constraints in Process Management Systems

Key to broad use of process management systems (PrMS) in practice is their ability to foster and ease the implementation, execution, monitoring, and adaptation of business processes while still being able to ensure robust and error-free process enactment. To meet these demands a variety of mechanisms has been developed to prevent errors at the structural level (e.g., deadlocks). In many application domains, however, processes often have to comply with business level rules and policies (i.e., semantic constraints) as well. Hence, to ensure error-free executions at the semantic level, PrMS need certain control mechanisms for validating and ensuring the compliance with semantic constraints. In this paper, we discuss fundamental requirements for a comprehensive support of semantic constraints in PrMS. Moreover, we provide a survey on existing approaches and discuss to what extent they are able to meet the requirements and which challenges still have to be tackled. In order to tackle the particular challenge of providing integrated compliance support over the process lifecycle, we introduce the SeaFlows framework. The framework introduces a behavioural level view on processes which serves a conceptual process representation for constraint specification approaches. Further, it provides general compliance criteria for static compliance validation but also for dealing with process changes. Altogether, the SeaFlows framework can serve as formal basis for realizing integrated support of semantic constraints in PrMS

The Proceedings of the International Civil Aviation English Association (2019) Conference

Hosted by All Nippon Airways (ANA) in Chiba, Tokyo, Japan, the 2019 International Civil Aviation English Association (ICAEA) annual conference focused on exploring the aviation English training needs of ab-initio pilots and air traffic controllers, as well as aircraft maintenance personnel. Globally, much of the demand for new pilots and air traffic controllers is located in areas of world for which English is not a first or national language. Exploring this resulting need to train non-native English speaking personnel was a primary focus of the 2019 ICAEA conference, including consideration of the language proficiency required for success in initial training, test design and implementation, instructional techniques, and the actual language used by this target population. Further, although the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Language Proficiency Requirements (LPRs) do not directly apply to maintenance personnel, the widespread use of English in the international aviation maintenance industry necessitates language-training solutions. For the first time, the ICAEA conference included a specific track for presenters to share their knowledge and experience related to training aircraft maintenance personnel which, until now, has been an underrepresented and underdeveloped area of aviation English. The conference featured plenary presentations, Q&A panels, and practical workshops. More than 100 participants from over 35 countries attended ICAEA’s first event in Asia in seven years. Attendees included representatives from airlines, flight training organizations (FTOs), air navigation service providers (ANSPs), civil aviation authorities (CAAs), universities, and training and testing providers from all over the world. These proceedings feature six articles written by seven of the presenters, summarizing their practical experiences and research findings which were shared at the conference. This publication is recommended to anyone interested in aeronautical communication. The accompanying presentation materials, as well as shorter summaries of other presentations and workshops, can be found on Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Scholarly Commons page

Towards a Holistic CAD Platform for Nanotechnologies

Silicon-based CMOS technologies are predicted to reach their ultimate limits by the middle of the next decade. Research on nanotechnologies is actively conducted, in a world-wide effort to develop new technologies able to maintain the Moore's law. They promise revolutionizing the computing systems by integrating tremendous numbers of devices at low cost. These trends will have a profound impact on the architectures of computing systems and will require a new paradigm of CAD. The paper presents a work in progress on this direction. It is aimed at fitting requirements and constraints of nanotechnologies, in an effort to achieve efficient use of the huge computing power promised by them. To achieve this goal we are developing CAD tools able to exploit efficiently these huge computing capabilities promised by nanotechnologies in the domain of simulation of complex systems composed by huge numbers of relatively simple elements.Comment: Submitted on behalf of TIMA Editions (http://irevues.inist.fr/tima-editions

Fast Speech in Unit Selection Speech Synthesis

Moers-Prinz D. Fast Speech in Unit Selection Speech Synthesis. Bielefeld: Universität Bielefeld; 2020.Speech synthesis is part of the everyday life of many people with severe visual disabilities. For those who are reliant on assistive speech technology the possibility to choose a fast speaking rate is reported to be essential. But also expressive speech synthesis and other spoken language interfaces may require an integration of fast speech. Architectures like formant or diphone synthesis are able to produce synthetic speech at fast speech rates, but the generated speech does not sound very natural. Unit selection synthesis systems, however, are capable of delivering more natural output. Nevertheless, fast speech has not been adequately implemented into such systems to date. Thus, the goal of the work presented here was to determine an optimal strategy for modeling fast speech in unit selection speech synthesis to provide potential users with a more natural sounding alternative for fast speech output