Process Instance Query Language to Include Process Performance Indicators in DMN

Companies are increasingly incorporating commercial Business Process Management Systems (BPMSs) as mechanisms to automate their daily procedures. These BPMSs manage the information related to the instances that flow through the model (business data), and recover the information concerning the process performance (Process Performance Indicators). Process Performance Indicators (PPIs) tend to be used for the detection of possible deviations of expected behaviour, and help in the post-mortem analysis and redesign by improving the goals of the processes. However, not only are PPIs important in terms of their ability to measure and detect a derivation, but they should also be included at decision points to make the business processes more adaptable to the process reality at runtime. In this paper, we propose a complete solution that allows the incorporation of the PPIs into decision tasks, following the Decision Model and Notation (DMN) standard, with the aim of enriching the decisions that can be taken during the process execution. Our proposal firstly includes an extension of the decision rule grammar of the DMN standard, by incorporating the definition and the use of a Process Instance Query Language (PIQL) that offers information about the instances related to the PPIs involved. In order to achieve this objective, a framework has also been developed to support the enrichment of process instance query expressions (PIQEs). This framework combines a set of mature technologies to evaluate the decisions about PPIs at runtime. As an illustration a real sample has been used whose decisions are improved thanks to the incorporation of the PPIs at runtime.Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología TIN2015-63502-C3-2-

Decision-making support for input data in business processes according to former instances

Business Processes facilitate the execution of a set of activities to achieve the strategic plans of a company. During the execution of a business process model, several decisions can be made that frequently involve the values of the input data of certain activities. The decision regarding the value of these input data concerns not only the correct execution of the business process in terms of consistency, but also the compliance with the strategic plans of the company. Smart decision-support systems provide information by analyzing the process model and the business rules to be satisfied, but other elements, such as the previous temporal variation of the data during the former executed instances of similar processes, can also be employed to guide the input data decisions at instantiation time. Our proposal consists of learning the evolution patterns of the temporal variation of the data values in a process model extracted from previous process instances by applying Constraint Programming techniques. The knowledge obtained is applied in a Decision Support System (DSS) which helps in the maintenance of the alignment of the process execution with the organizational strategic plans, through a framework and a methodology. Finally, to present a proof of concept, the proposal has been applied to a complete case study.Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología RTI2018-094283-B-C3

Comparison of different precious metals in activated carbon-supported catalysts for the gas-phase hydrodechlorination of chloromethanes

Four precious metals supported on activated carbon are compared as catalysts in the gas-phase hydrodechlorination (HDC) of chloromethanes. The intrinsic activity or turnover frequency (TOF) of the catalysts follows the order Pd/C > Rh/C > Pt/C > Ru/C in the HDC of dichloromethane (DCM) while the sequence Pd/C > Pt/C > Rh/C > Ru/C was found for the HDC of chloroform (TCM). High selectivities to non-chlorinated products were obtained in all cases except for the HDC of TCM with Rh/C and Ru/C where the selectivity to DCM greatly depends on the operating conditions. A wider diversity of non-chlorinated hydrocarbons was obtained as reaction products with these two catalysts, especially in the HDC of TCM, favoring the formation of carbonaceous deposits which provoked a marked deactivation of the catalysts. In contrast, CH4 was the only non-chlorinated product obtained with the Pt/C catalysts which showed by far the highest stability. Different reaction pathways were found depending on the catalyst and the starting chloromethane. The different reactivity of the metals is explained in terms of their different electronic structure and the physicochemical properties of the catalystsThe authors gratefully acknowledge financial support from the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO) through the project CTM2011-28352. M. Martín Martínez acknowledges the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MICINN) and the European Social Fund for her research grant. J. Bedia also wishes to thank the MICINN for financing his research through the “Juan de la Cierva” postdoctoral program

Un sistema de bajo coste para la ayuda al prediagnóstico del temblor humano

Human tremor can be defined as a somewhat rhythmic and quick movement of one or more body parts. In some people, it is a symptom of a neurological disorder. From the mathematical point of view, human tremor can be defined as a weighted contribution of different sinusoidal signals which causes oscillations of some parts of the body. This sinusoidal is repeated over time, but its amplitude and frequency change slowly. This is why amplitude and frequency are considered important factors in the tremor characterization, and thus for its diagnosis. In this paper, a tool for the prediagnosis of the human tremor is presented. This tool uses a low cost device (<$40) and allows to compute the main factors of the human tremor accurately. Real cases have been tested using the algorithms developed in this investigation. The patients suffered from different tremor severities, and the components of amplitude and frequency were computed using a series of tests. These additional measures will help the experts to make better diagnoses allowing them to focus on specific stages of the test or get an overview of these tests. From the experimental, we stated that not all tests are valid for every patient to give a diagnosis. Guided by years of experience, the expert will decide which test or set of tests are the most appropriate for a patient.El temblor humano puede definirse como un movimiento rápido y, en cierta manera, rítmico de una o más partes del cuerpo. En algunas personas, este movimiento puede ser un síntoma de alguna alteración a nivel neurológico. Desde el punto de vista matemático, el temblor humano puede ser definido como una suma ponderada de diferentes señales sinusoidales que causan oscilaciones de algunas partes del cuerpo. Esta sinusoide se repite en el tiempo pero su amplitud y frecuencia cambian lentamente. Por esta razón, la amplitud y la frecuencia son consideradas factores importantes en la clasificación del temblor y por tanto útiles en su diagnóstico. En este artículo, se presenta una herramienta de ayuda al diagnóstico del temblor humano. Esta herramienta usa un dispositivo hardware de bajo coste (<$40) y permite calcular las principales componentes de esta sinusoide asociada al temblor de una manera precisa. Como casos de estudio se presentan su aplicación a dos casos reales para probar la bondad de los algoritmos desarrollados. Los casos muestran pacientes que sufrían temblores con distinta severidad y que han realizado una serie de tests con el dispositivo para que el sistema calculara las principales componentes del temblor. Estas medidas aportadas por el sistema ayudarían en un futuro a los expertos a tomar decisiones más precisas permitiéndoles centrarse en determinadas fases del test o la realización de tests más específicos para evaluar mejor las características propias del temblor del paciente. De la experimentación realizada podemos afirmar que no todos los tests son válidos para el diagnóstico para todos los pacientes. Será finalmente la experiencia del profesional el que decidirá finalmente qué test o conjunto de tests son los más apropiados para cada paciente

Density Functional Theory Analysis of Dichloromethane andHydrogen Interaction with Pd Clusters: First Step toSimulate Catalytic Hydrodechlorination

A density functional theory (DFT) analysis hasbeen conducted for the gas-phase hydrodechlorination (HDC) ofdichloromethane (DCM) with palladium catalyst to achieve abetter knowledge of the reaction mechanism involved in the HDCprocess, which constitutes an emerging technology for the treat-ment of organochlorinated contaminants. The computationalstudy included the effect of size, oxidation state, and spin config-uration of Pd cluster on the adsorption of H2and DCM reactantson the catalyst surface. Calculations described the activation of H2by Pd clusters through a dissociative adsorption with low enthalpy values. In addition, partially and fully dissociated DCMintermediates on Pd surface were predicted by DFT calculations. Remarkably, the dissociative adsorption of DCM on Pd active sitesoccurs via the scission of C Cl bonds, promoted by the formation of C Pd linkages, implying high adsorption enthalpy. Thecomputational results showed that DCM can be also molecularly adsorbed on both zerovalent and electrodeficient Pd species.However, the nondissociative adsorption of DCM over electrodeficient Pd cluster is remarkably favored in energy, with adsorptionenthalpies (∼ 50 kcal/mol) corresponding to chemisorption. Current theoretical evidence explained the deactivation of Pd/ACcatalyst as a consequence of the selective poisoning of electrodeficient Pd active centers by chlorinated hydrocarbons, in goodagreement with our previous experimental findingsWe are grateful to the Spanish “Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion”and“Comunidad de Madrid ”for financial support (CTQ2008-04751, CTQ2008-05641, and S2009/PPQ-1545). We are also very grateful to “Centro de Computacion Científica de la Universidad Aut onoma de Madrid” for computational facilitie

Proposal of Combined Noise and Hand-Arm Vibration Index for Occupational Exposure: Application to a Study Case in the Olive Sector

In many production and industrial sectors, workers are exposed to noise and hand-arm vibrations (HAV). European directives have established the maximum limit values or exposure action values for noise and vibration independently. However, in many cases, workers who endure hand-arm vibration also receive high noise levels. This research suggests a procedure to aid the establishment of precautionary measures for workers with simultaneous exposure to both physical agents. This procedure defines a combined index based on the energy doses for both noise and HAV. From this combined index, the suggested methodology allows a recommended exposure time for workers with simultaneous noise and HAV exposure to be calculated. This methodology can be adapted to tackle the relative importance assigned to both agents according to the safety manager and new knowledge on combined health effects. To test this method, a measurement campaign under real working conditions was conducted with workers from the olive fruit-harvesting sector, where a variety of hand-held machinery is used. The results of the study case show that the suggested procedure can obtain reliable exposure time recommendations for simultaneous noise and HAV exposures and is therefore a useful tool for establishing prevention measures.State Research Agency (SRA) of SpainEuropean Commission PID2019-108761RB-I0

The effects of continentality, marine nature and the recirculation of air masses on pollen concentration: Olea in a Mediterranean coastal enclave

Olea pollen concentrations have been studied in relation to the typology of air masses, pollen grain sources and marine nature during advections in a coastal enclave in the south-eastern Iberian Peninsula. Since Spain is the world's leading olive producer, and olive growing extends throughout the Mediterranean basin, this location is ideal for the study of long-distance transport events (LTD) during the main pollen season (MPS). The air masses were classified using the calculation of 48-h back trajectories at 250, 500 and 750 m above ground level using the HYSPLIT model. After that, the frequency of LDT events from Africa and Europe was found to be 8.7% of the MPS days. In contrast, regional air masses were found in 38.6% of the MPS days. This was reflected in pollen concentrations, with significantly higher concentrations (p-value <0.05) on days with regional air masses compared to days with European air masses. Regarding the source areas, the importance of nearby sources with intense olive cultivation was confirmed (i.e., Andalusia). This proximity was relevant beyond the attenuations observed when the advections acquired a marine nature as the air mass back trajectories moved over the sea (p-value <0.001). The review of air mass typologies, source areas and pollen concentrations resulted in establishing peak dates and the detection of LDT associated with these peak dates. Distortions in the typical path of each air mass explained alterations in pollen concentrations on consecutive days. The recirculation and loops of the air mass back trajectories varied the pollen load that every type of air mass could originally contain.Funding: This research was funded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation of the Spanish Government through the projects SICAAP-CPI RTI2018-096392-B-C21 and SICAAP-CPI RTI2018-096392-B-C22. The Interministerial Committee of Science and Technology, which financed the projects BOS2000-0563-C02-02, BOS2003-06329-C02-02, BOS 2006-15103; the Seneca Foundation of the Region of Murcia, which financed the project 08849/PI/08. The authors wish to express their gratitude to Ms. Paula García López, technician at the Aerobiological Network of the Region of Murcia, funded by the Spanish State Research Agency, Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (code: PTA2017-13571-I)

Momento Económico (8)

En este número Temas de hoy, 2/ La energía del programa, Ignacio Cabrera, 3/ Se recupera la industria automotriz, 6/ Más apoyo del Estado a los industriales exportadores, Lucia Alvarez Mosso, 7/ La danza de las divisas, Ma. Luisa González Marín, 10/ La planeación del desarrollo científico tecnológico en México. Adrián Chavero Gonrález, 12/ La política científico-tecnológica en México (1980-1984), Alberto León, 1

Assessment of the influence of the elastic properties of rail vehicle suspensions on safety, ride quality and track fatigue

A sensitivity analysis has been performed to assess the influence of the elastic properties of railway vehicle suspensions on the vehicle dynamic behaviour. To do this, 144 dynamic simulations were performed modifying, one at a time, the stiffness and damping coefficients, of the primary and secondary suspensions. Three values were assigned to each parameter, corresponding to the percentiles 10, 50 and 90 of a data set stored in a database of railway vehicles.After processing the results of these simulations, the analyzed parameters were sorted by increasing influence. It was also found which of these parameters could be estimated with a lesser degree of accuracy in future simulations without appreciably affecting the simulation results. In general terms, it was concluded that the highest influences were found for the longitudinal stiffness and the lateral stiffness of the primary suspension, and the lowest influences for the vertical stiffness and the vertical damping of the primary suspension, with the parameters of the secondary suspension showing intermediate influences between them