Modeling Requirements for Value Configuration Design

Breadth and depth complexity are key challenges in achieving business process fusion as the enabler for value configuration design. The PARM framework is proposed as the requirement to address breadth and depth complexity through the independent but integrated operation of the process, activity, resource and management viewpoints. The operational scenarios for each viewpoint result in varying process modeling extension requirements. Existing process modeling constructs have varying support for these requirements. The PARM framework solution is an extension and integration of existing modeling constructs rather than a solution in its own right. Using the MDA approach of abstracting a platform independent model from a platform specific implementation, it is the goal in future papers to define process modeling extensions to support the PARM framework and map these into existing implementation architectures

Socializing makes thick-skinned individuals: On the density of epidermal alarm substance cells in cyprinid fish, the crucian carp (Carassius carassius)

Published version of an article in the journal: Journal of Comparative Physiology A: Neuroethology, Sensory, Neural, and Behavioral Physiology. Also available on SpringerLink: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00359-010-0550-4In cyprinid fish, density of epidermal club cells (i.e. alarm substance cells) has been found to vary between lakes with different predator fauna. Because predators can be labelled with chemical cues from prey, we questioned if club cell density could be controlled indirectly by predators releasing prey cues. In particular, we suspected a possible feedback mechanism between chemical alarm signals and their cellular source. We raised crucian carp singly and in groups of four. For both rearing types, fish were exposed to skin extracts of either conspecifics or brown trout (without club cells), and provided either low or high food rations. Independent of rearing type, condition factor and club cell density increased with food ration size, but no change was found in club cell density following exposure to conspecific alarm signals. However, the density of club cells was found significantly higher for fish raised in groups than for fish raised alone. We conclude that an increased condition factor results in more club cells, but crucian carp may also possess an awareness of conspecific presence, given by higher club cell densities when raised in groups. This increase in club cell density may be induced by unknown chemical factors released by conspecifics

Panel 9: Problem Framing: Emerging Issues in DSS Research

Decision support systems (DSS) are commonly understood to be interactive computer-based systems that are designed to help managers cope with ill-defined situations. In the past, most DSSs have helped decision makers deal with issues that have been relatively easy to structure. These have not always been the issues that have been of most interest to them. This panel will address various research issues related to isolating and structuring the problems in which effective problem framing accounts for a large part of the performance variance in problem solving. While the members of the panel agree that DSS must be extended in order to help managers formulate problems, they differ in their perceptions of the criticality of issues to be considered. Joyce Elam is convinced that initial research efforts should be directed toward methods and feasibility of supporting decision makers in the task of framing multiple problem representations. She believes that ill-defined situations require creative problem formulations. In other words, asking the right questions can be more important than answering them. She has found that problem formulation appears to grow in importance as the need for alternative solutions increases. She will argue that the key to creative thinking in ill-defined situations is the manager\u27s ability to develop and explore alternative problem formulations and that DSS must facilitate this process. Omar El Sawy believes that successful problem framing is critically dependent on initially enlarging the problem space through effective environmental scanning and multiple scenario generation, similar to what is practiced in futures research. He will discuss the features of DSS that have divergent rather than convergent support capabilities and are suitable for problem framing. He will address the types of DSS capabilities and underlying technologies that can be used to support How about? and What else? as well as the more traditional What if? Benn Konsynski\u27s position is that research into problem-framing DSS must begin with an investigation of dialogue management. He will propose an approach that begins by exploring the human computer dialogue through which decision makers frame problems. Convinced that, for the most part, DSS dialogues are static and offer little help in structuring problems, he will discuss the proper apportionment of the cognitive responsibilities between manager and system. Charles Stabell suggests that, in order to develop more effective support for problem framing, we need to have a better understanding of how managers frame problems. In particular, he believes that to develop active support for problem framing, we need to consider and understand under what conditions, in what context, and for what purpose a manager might choose to use such a tool. He will address the issue by reviewing some ongoing research on key determinants of problem framing. In particular, he will discuss the operational code approach to studying managerial choice behavior; the approach considers the manager\u27s fundamental beliefs about life in organizations, the role of managers, and the basis for effective decision making. Sue Weber believes that we can best help managers frame problems in ill-structured situations by providing them with pattern- matching tools. These tools would help a manager gradually to accumulate patterns, extract the invariant features from these patterns, and map patterns and relations. Recognizing and then accepting a new problem formulation often requires considerable time and practice. Consequently, she calls for a problem-framing DSS that would support a manager in storing, retrieving, and modifying different mappings over many sessions until understanding and confidence in the formulation is developed

Challenging fear: Chemical alarm signals are not causing morphology changes in crucian carp (Carassius carassius)

Crucian carp develops a deep body in the presence of chemical cues from predators, which makes the fish less vulnerable to gape-limited predators. The active components originate in conspecifics eaten by predators, and are found in the filtrate of homogenised conspecific skin. Chemical alarm signals, causing fright reactions, have been the suspected inducers of such morphological changes. We improved the extraction procedure of alarm signals by collecting the supernatant after centrifugation of skin homogenates. This removes the minute particles that normally make a filtered sample get turbid. Supernatants were subsequently diluted and frozen into ice-cubes. Presence of alarm signals was confirmed by presenting thawed ice-cubes to crucian carp in behaviour tests at start of laboratory growth experiments. Frozen extracts were added further on three times a week. Altogether, we tested potential body-depth-promoting properties of alarm signals twice in the laboratory and once in the field. Each experiment lasted for a minimum of 50 days. Despite growth of crucian carp in all experiments, no morphology changes were obtained. Accordingly, we conclude that the classical alarm signals that are releasing instant fright reactions are not inducing morphological changes in this species. The chemical signals inducing a body-depth increase are suspected to be present in the particles removed during centrifugation (i.e., in the precipitate). Tissue particles may be metabolized by bacteria in the intestine of predators, resulting in water-soluble cues. Such latent chemical signals have been found in other aquatic organisms, but hitherto not reported in fishe

'Round the Clock Observations of the Q0957+561 A,B Gravitationally Lensed Quasar

An observing campaign with 10 participating observatories has undertaken to monitor the optical brightness of the Q0957 gravitationally lensed quasar for 10 consecutive nights in January 2000. The resulting A image brightness curve has significant brightness fluctuations and makes a photometric prediction for the B image light curve for a second campaign planned for 12-21 March 2001. The ultimate purpose is to determine the gravitational lens time delay to a fraction of an hour, and to seek evidence for rapid microlensing.Comment: 8 pages, AASTeX 4.0, accepted by the Astrophysical Journa

A Dynamical Study of the Friedmann Equations

Cosmology is an attracting subject for students but usually difficult to deal with if general relativity is not known. In this article, we first recall the Newtonian derivation of the Friedmann equations which govern the dynamics of our universe and discuss the validity of such a derivation. We then study the equations of evolution of the universe in terms of a dynamical system. This sums up the different behaviors of our universe and enables to address some cosmological problems.Comment: Needs IOP LaTeX class; 17 pages, 9 figure

Homogeneous cosmologies with cosmological constant

Spatially homogeneous cosmological models with a positive cosmological constant are investigated, using dynamical systems methods. We focus on the future evolution of these models. In particular, we address the question whether there are models within this class that are de Sitter-like in the future, but are tilted.Comment: 10 pages, 13 eps-figures. Submitted to Phys. Rev.

A conserved 3′ extension in unusual group II introns is important for efficient second-step splicing

The B.c.I4 group II intron from Bacillus cereus ATCC 10987 harbors an unusual 3′ extension. Here, we report the discovery of four additional group II introns with a similar 3′ extension in Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki 4D1 that splice at analogous positions 53/56 nt downstream of domain VI in vivo. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that the introns are only 47–61% identical to each other. Strikingly, they do not form a single evolutionary lineage even though they belong to the same Bacterial B class. The extension of these introns is predicted to form a conserved two-stem–loop structure. Mutational analysis in vitro showed that the smaller stem S1 is not critical for self-splicing, whereas the larger stem S2 is important for efficient exon ligation and lariat release in presence of the extension. This study clearly demonstrates that previously reported B.c.I4 is not a single example of a specialized intron, but forms a new functional class with an unusual mode that ensures proper positioning of the 3′ splice site