A Combined Approach of Process Mining and Rule-based AI for Study Planning and Monitoring in Higher Education

This paper presents an approach of using methods of process mining and rule-based artificial intelligence to analyze and understand study paths of students based on campus management system data and study program models. Process mining techniques are used to characterize successful study paths, as well as to detect and visualize deviations from expected plans. These insights are combined with recommendations and requirements of the corresponding study programs extracted from examination regulations. Here, event calculus and answer set programming are used to provide models of the study programs which support planning and conformance checking while providing feedback on possible study plan violations. In its combination, process mining and rule-based artificial intelligence are used to support study planning and monitoring by deriving rules and recommendations for guiding students to more suitable study paths with higher success rates. Two applications will be implemented, one for students and one for study program designers.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures, conference, 30 reference

Doping Dependence of the Chemical Potential in Cuprate High-TcT_{\rm c} Superconductors I: La2−x_{2-x}Srx_xCuO4_4

The names of the authors, which were inadvertedly lacking in the tex-file submitted two days ago, have been added.Comment: 10 pages, figures on request. Revtex, version 2, Materials Science Center Internal Report Number VSGD.94.6.

Tribofilms on CoCrMo alloys: Understanding the role of the lubricant

The tribological activation of a passive metal alloy in an aqueous biological environment have been highlighted by many researchers; better known as bio-tribocorrosion. Tribocorrosion processes, which can be found at a number of metal-based biomedical implant interfaces, can be affected by lubricant species such as proteins, amino acids and salts. To date, researchers have quantified how the presence of organic species and the environment affect the tribological and corrosion process. However, the nature of the bio-films is still broadly to be explored. This study aims to understand how the lubricant - surface interactions influence the evolving frictional, corrosion and material volume loss from CoCrMo alloys and how the formation of any tribo-film at the interface may influence the aforementioned processes. This current research uses reciprocating tribocorrosion tests of CoCrMo surfaces in saline, protein, and protein-free cell culture medium lubricants (0.9% NaCl, 25% Foetal Bovine Serum (FBS) diluted in Phosphate Buffered Saline (PBS), Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium (DMEM) and 25% FBS in DMEM solutions). Results show the addition of organic constituents give a better tribology and corrosion performances. XPS confirmed that chemical reactions happened on the tested surfaces. Calcium, phosphorus and sulphur are shown to be catalysed to react in tribology-induced processes and have important roles in tribocorrosion. These results contribute to the understanding of protein-metal interactions occurring in tribofilm formation on wearing surfaces