144 research outputs found
A framework to evaluate the viability of robotic process automation for business process activities
Robotic process automation (RPA) is a technology for centralized automation
of business processes. RPA automates user interaction with graphical user
interfaces, whereby it promises efficiency gains and a reduction of human
negligence during process execution. To harness these benefits, organizations
face the challenge of classifying process activities as viable automation
candidates for RPA. Therefore, this work aims to support practitioners in
evaluating RPA automation candidates. We design a framework that consists of
thirteen criteria grouped into five perspectives which offer different
evaluation aspects. These criteria leverage a profound understanding of the
process step. We demonstrate and evaluate the framework by applying it to a
real-life data set.Comment: This is an accepted manuscript for the "RPA Forum" at the "Int.
Conference on Business Process Management (BPM 2020)". The final
authenticated version is available online at
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-58779-6_1
Susceptibility variation to different entomopathogenic nematodes in Strategus aloeus L (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)
Local host-dependent persistence of the entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema carpocapsae used to control the large pine weevil Hylobius abietis
Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN) applied inundatively to suppress insect pests are more likely to persist and establish in stable agroecosystems than in annual crops. We investigated a system of intermediate stability: three stumps harbouring the large pine weevil (Hylobius abietis L.; Coleoptera: Curculionidae), a major European forestry pest. We tested whether persistence of EPN Steinernema carpocapsae Weiser (Rhabditida: Steinernematidae) applied around stumps is maintained by recycling of EPN through pine weevils developing within stumps. Steinernema carpocapsae was detected in soil around and under the bark of treated tree stumps up to two years, but not 4–5 years after application. Differences in nematode presence between sites were better explained by tree species (pine or spruce) than soil type (mineral or peat). Presence of S. carpocapsae in soil was positively correlated with the number of H. abietis emerging from untreated stumps the previous year, which was greater for pine stumps than spruce stumps
Glass transition with decreasing correlation length during cooling of Fe50Co50 superlattice and strong liquids
The glass transition GT is usually thought of as a structural arrest that
occurs during the cooling of a liquid, or sometimes a plastic crystal, trapping
a metastable state of the system before it can recrystallize to stabler forms1.
This phenomenon occurs in liquids of all classes, most recently in bulk
metallic glassformers2. Much theoretical interest has been generated by the
dynamical heterogeneity observed in cooling of fragile liquids3, 4, and many
have suggested that the slow-down is caused by a related increasing correlation
length 5-9. Here we report both kinetics and thermodynamics of arrest in a
system that disorders while in its ground state, exhibits a large !Cp on arrest
(!Cp = Cp,mobile - Cp,arrested), yet clearly is characterized by a correlation
length that is decreasing as GT is approached from above. We show that GT
kinetics in our system, the disordering superlattice Fe50Co50, satisfy the
kinetic criterion for ideally 'strong' glassformers10, and since !Cp behavior
through Tg also correlates10, we propose that very strong liquidsand very
fragile liquids exist on opposite flanks of an order-disorder transition - one
that is already known for model systems
Assessment of lung toxicity caused by bleomycin and amiodarone by Tc-99m HMPAO lung scintigraphy in rats
Search for anomalous t t-bar production in the highly-boosted all-hadronic final state
A search is presented for a massive particle, generically referred to as a
Z', decaying into a t t-bar pair. The search focuses on Z' resonances that are
sufficiently massive to produce highly Lorentz-boosted top quarks, which yield
collimated decay products that are partially or fully merged into single jets.
The analysis uses new methods to analyze jet substructure, providing
suppression of the non-top multijet backgrounds. The analysis is based on a
data sample of proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV,
corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5 inverse femtobarns. Upper limits
in the range of 1 pb are set on the product of the production cross section and
branching fraction for a topcolor Z' modeled for several widths, as well as for
a Randall--Sundrum Kaluza--Klein gluon. In addition, the results constrain any
enhancement in t t-bar production beyond expectations of the standard model for
t t-bar invariant masses larger than 1 TeV.Comment: Submitted to the Journal of High Energy Physics; this version
includes a minor typo correction that will be submitted as an erratu
Tachykinins Stimulate a Subset of Mouse Taste Cells
The tachykinins substance P (SP) and neurokinin A (NKA) are present in nociceptive sensory fibers expressing transient receptor potential cation channel, subfamily V, member 1 (TRPV1). These fibers are found extensively in and around the taste buds of several species. Tachykinins are released from nociceptive fibers by irritants such as capsaicin, the active compound found in chili peppers commonly associated with the sensation of spiciness. Using real-time Ca2+-imaging on isolated taste cells, it was observed that SP induces Ca2+ -responses in a subset of taste cells at concentrations in the low nanomolar range. These responses were reversibly inhibited by blocking the SP receptor NK-1R. NKA also induced Ca2+-responses in a subset of taste cells, but only at concentrations in the high nanomolar range. These responses were only partially inhibited by blocking the NKA receptor NK-2R, and were also inhibited by blocking NK-1R indicating that NKA is only active in taste cells at concentrations that activate both receptors. In addition, it was determined that tachykinin signaling in taste cells requires Ca2+-release from endoplasmic reticulum stores. RT-PCR analysis further confirmed that mouse taste buds express NK-1R and NK-2R. Using Ca2+-imaging and single cell RT-PCR, it was determined that the majority of tachykinin-responsive taste cells were Type I (Glial-like) and umami-responsive Type II (Receptor) cells. Importantly, stimulating NK-1R had an additive effect on Ca2+ responses evoked by umami stimuli in Type II (Receptor) cells. This data indicates that tachykinin release from nociceptive sensory fibers in and around taste buds may enhance umami and other taste modalities, providing a possible mechanism for the increased palatability of spicy foods
Cancers of unknown primary origin: current perspectives and future therapeutic strategies
It is widely accepted that systemic neoplastic spread is a late event in tumour progression. However, sometimes, rapidly invasive cancers are diagnosed because of appearance of metastatic lesions in absence of a clearly detectable primary mass. This kind of disease is referred to as cancer of unknown primary (CUP) origin and accounts for 3-5% of all cancer diagnosis. There is poor consensus on the extent of diagnostic and pathologic evaluations required for these enigmatic cases which still lack effective treatment. Although technology to predict the primary tumour site of origin is improving rapidly, the key issue is concerning the biology which drives early occult metastatic spreading. This review provides the state of the art about clinical and therapeutic management of this malignant syndrome; main interest is addressed to the most recent improvements in CUP molecular biology and pathology, which will lead to successful tailored therapeutic options
Metabolic engineering of Escherichia coli into a versatile glycosylation platform: production of bio-active quercetin glycosides
Whole-body tissue stabilization and selective extractions via tissue-hydrogel hybrids for high-resolution intact circuit mapping and phenotyping
To facilitate fine-scale phenotyping of whole specimens, we describe here a set of tissue fixation-embedding, detergent-clearing and staining protocols that can be used to transform excised organs and whole organisms into optically transparent samples within 1–2 weeks without compromising their cellular architecture or endogenous fluorescence. PACT (passive CLARITY technique) and PARS (perfusion-assisted agent release in situ) use tissue-hydrogel hybrids to stabilize tissue biomolecules during selective lipid extraction, resulting in enhanced clearing efficiency and sample integrity. Furthermore, the macromolecule permeability of PACT- and PARS-processed tissue hybrids supports the diffusion of immunolabels throughout intact tissue, whereas RIMS (refractive index matching solution) grants high-resolution imaging at depth by further reducing light scattering in cleared and uncleared samples alike. These methods are adaptable to difficult-to-image tissues, such as bone (PACT-deCAL), and to magnified single-cell visualization (ePACT). Together, these protocols and solutions enable phenotyping of subcellular components and tracing cellular connectivity in intact biological networks
- …