Application of Data Mining and Process Mining approaches for improving e-Learning Processes

The paper describes the basic principles of Data mining and Process mining methods, their similarities and differences. Some examples of special software for Data mining and Process mining are presented. The authors examine the research in Educational Data Mining field, associated with the use of Data mining techniques in education, give examples of problems to be solved with the use of Data mining and Process mining techniques in the area of traditional and e-learning, describe the possibilities and limitations of different methods. A review of major scientific conferences and journals devoted to the research in Educational Data Mining is made.This work is supported by the Bulgarian National Scientific Research Fund under the contract DFNI - I02/13

The role of subprocess-connector in business process modeling

The paper presents several aspects of Petri Nets as a tool for surmounting the deadlocks in a system. Emphasis is placed on the importance of the correct and consistent business process planning. The most important objective in business process generation is the proper execution of the activities in a business organization and studying the links between them. To visualize all business processes in a system a subprocess – connector has been created that helps to detect: the deadlock markings in a system. It is impossible to change a component without interfering the operation with the others.This work is supported by the Bulgarian National Scientific Research Fund under the contract DFNI - I02/13

Applying process mining techniques and neural networks to creating and assessment of business process models

The article presents an approach for automated generation of business process models by applying process mining techniques to event logs created during the operation of information systems used in an organization. Existing algorithms for process mining are discussed. Criteria for performing a comparative analysis of these algorithms are specified. А framework is proposed in which to build and analyze business process models. The framework includes tools for initial analysis of the event log file, extracting elements of a business process model, and composing a new model by applying a trained neural network

Is current incremental safety assurance sound ?

International audienceIncremental design is an essential part of engineering. Without it, engineering would not likely be an economic, nor an effective, aid to economic progress. Further, engineering relies on this view of incrementality to retain the reliability attributes of the engineering method. When considering the assurance of safety for such artifacts, it is not surprising that the same economic and reliability arguments are deployed to justify an incremental approach to safety assurance. In a sense, it is possible to argue that, with engineering artifacts becoming more and more complex, it would be economically disastrous to not “do” safety incrementally. Indeed, many enterprises use such an incremental approach, reusing safety artifacts when assuring incremental design changes. In this work, we make some observations about the inadequacy of this trend and suggest that safety practices must be rethought if incremental safety approaches are ever going to be fit for purpose. We present some examples to justify our position and comment on what a more adequate approach to incremental safety assurance may look like

Spectrum of conditionally pathogenic microflora isolated from the prostate secret in chronic bacterial prostatitis patients

The article represents a description for microbiocenosis of isolated prostate secret. The initial samples were taken on the territory of the Irkutsk region from men diagnosed with chronic bacterial prostatitis in the acute stage. 90 % of samples of isolated prostate secret were tested by cultural method revealed 4l representatives of opportunistic pathogenic microflora. Gram-positive microorganisms were found in most samples (86.7 %). Staphylococcus genus representatives formed the majority in isolated samples of conditionally pathogenic microflora (66.7 %). As for gram-negative representatives (which role in chronic bacterial prostatitis is proven by multiple research), E. coli and K. pneumoniae were isolated. In the half of samples, we revealed bacterial associations consisting mostly of two kinds of microorganisms. Staphylococcus epidermidis was isolated in 70 % of such associations

DETECTION OF GENETIC DETERMINANTS OF PATHOGENICITY OF STRAINS OF KLEBSIELLA SPP. ISOLATED FROM THE INTESTINAL BIOTOPE OF CHILDREN WITH FUNCTIONAL GASTROINTESTINAL DISORDERS

Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGID) are one of the most common problems in children of the first year of life. The aim of the study was to assess the pathogenic potential of Klebsiella spp. strains, isolated from the colon in children of the first year of life with FGID. Material for the study included 61 coprological samples. The biological material was divided into comparison groups, depending on the type of Klebsiella excreted at a concentration of 105–108 CFU/g: 1st – with vegetation in the colon K. pneumoniae (n = 30); 2nd – with vegetation K. oxytoca (n = 31). Bacteriological study composition of the intestinal contents was carried out according to the Industry standard “Protocol of management of patients. Intestinal dysbiosis” (2003). Identification was carried out according to generally accepted schemes using commercial test systems for biochemical identification of bacteria. Statistical data processing was performed using licensed applications “MS Office Excel 2003 for Windows 7”. The data on the quantitative and qualitative changes in the composition microbiota in the comparison groups were obtained. The results of detection genetic determinants of pathogenicity in the samples of Klebsiella of two species show that among the strains of Klebsiella spp., vegetating in the intestines of children as a component of an allochthonous microbiota, a sufficiently high and virulent potential can be concentrated. Detection of pathogenicity genes in bacteria of the genus Klebsiella will expand and deepen the problem of finding the structures of adaptation of strains of bacteria that cause FGID in children of the first year of life

Analysis of phagoand antibiotic sensitivity of Enterobacteriaceae bacteria isolated from women of reproductive age

Pelvic inflammatory diseases occupy a special place in the structure of general morbidity, and are polymicrobial in nature with dominance of opportunistic microorganisms, in particular bacteria of the family Enterobacteriaceae. The aim was to study the composition of the vaginal microbiota in women of reproductive age with pelvic inflammatory diseases, as well as to determine the sensitivity of isolated microorganisms to antibiotics and bacteriophages. The study included 70 women of reproductive age, among them 37 were diagnosed with colpitis and cervicitis, 33 women in the comparison group (women screened for a diagnosis). Isolated microorganisms were identified by abdominoperineal methods, including the disk diffusion method to determine the sensitivity of microorganism cultures of Enterobacteriaceae family to antibiotics, and the method of crosses (evaluation of lytic activity of bacteriophages by the number of crosses) to determine the sensitivity to specific therapeutic bacteriophages. Vaginal biocenosis was characterized by deficit of lactobacilli (< 106 CFU/ml in 100 %), the presence of conditionally pathogenic microflora: bacteria of Enterobacteriaceae family, coccal flora and Candida fungi. From 60.0 to 89.3 % of Enterobacteria strains were resistant to aminoglycosides and quinolones, but also had a low level of sensitivity to therapeutic bacteriophages. The obtained data indicate the reduction of colonization resistance of vaginal mucosa in pelvic inflammatory diseases and specify the need to use medicinal drugs only under medical supervision to prevent clinically significant drug resistance

Microorganisms associated with bacterial vaginosis: diversity and clinical and diagnostic significance

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the most common infectious non-inflammatory disease in women of reproductive age. The key feature of BV is that in the  absence of a specific pathogen, the disease develops against the background of vaginal biotope dysbiosis. According to the opinion of some authors, initially, the main role of BV in the pathogenesis was assigned to the species G. vaginalis. However, using of molecular methods made it possible to significantly expand the range of microorganisms found in women with BV, and to identify Gardnerella vaginalis, Atopobium vaginae, Mobiluncus spp., Prevotella spp. as the primary causative agents of BV. A number of studies have confirmed the sexual transmission of BV pathogens, with a new sexual partner being significant risk factors for episodic BV, and sexual contact with the same partner without using barrier methods of contraception for recurrent BV. At the same time, BV-associated bacterias  rarely exist as planktonic forms of one species, more often, they thrive in complex polymicrobial communities surrounded by an extracellular matrix, the so-called biofilms. In patients with BV, biofilms are detected in 90% of cases. G. vaginalis and Prevotella bivia are widespread in women with BV and, being the primary colonizers, create a bacterial biofilm, to which secondary colonizers can subsequently join, including A. vaginae, Sneathia spp. and potentially other BVABs. The resistance of bacterias in the biofilm to antimicrobial drugs is 1000 times higher than of planktonic forms, which can lead to chronicity of the infectious process and torpid course of the disease.The aim of this review was analyzing of modern studies on the prevalence, characteristics of opportunistic microorganisms associated with BV, to present their clinical and diagnostic significance and role in the pathogenesis of  diseases

Comparison of microecological intestinal indices in children with different value of body mass index

The body mass index (BMI) is one of the key and at the same time simple and significant indicators of the state of the human body. Both large and small quantities of BMI is associated with high morbidity. The aim of the study was to analyze microecological disorders of intestinal biocenosis in children of different ages using the value of BMI as the criterion of comparison. We researched scatological material from 158 children and adolescents aged from 5 to 17 years (77 boys and 81 girls). The material was divided into three comparison groups depending on the BMI value: group 1 - body mass deficit (n = 34); group 2 - patients having body mass excess (n = 37); group 3 - with normal body mass (n = 87). It has been shown that more than 80 % of children with different BMI value were recorded to have dysbiotic disturbances of the intestinal microbiota of degrees 1 and 2. However, in the group of children with normal body mass, frequency of detection of intestinal dysbiosis was significantly lower; in the group of children with underweight dysbiotic disorders were found significantly more often than in overweight and obese children (p < 0.05). In children with body mass deficit we observed not only increasing concentration of opportunistic pathogenic bacteria, but also an increased occurrence of representative of Enterobacteriаceaе. family. 58.8 % of cases had two- and three-component associations of opportunistic pathogenic bacteria, which is an indication the expressed violations of the intestine microbiocenosis formation. The data obtained show that,you can use BMI, an important criterion reflecting the severity of the disease, in the assessment of intestinal microflora in combination with other studies

Response sensitivity to bacteriophages of Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from the microbiota of the oropharynx in children of Irkutsk

Dysbiotic disorders of the oropharynx takes one of the first places in the structure of morbidity worldwide. The aim of the study was to determine the peculiarities of microbiocenosis of the oropharynx in children at different ages and to assess the level of sensitivity of S. aureus strains to specific bacteriophages. Material for the study consisted of 84 smears from the oropharynx of children with inflammatory diseases of the upper respiratory tract (nasopharyngitis, pharyngitis, tonsillitis, laryngitis (J00, J02, J03, J04 according to 1CD-10). The biological material was distributed depending on the age of the surveyed: the first group - children 3-6 years (n = 61) and the second age group - children 7-12 years (n = 23). Studies of the microflora of the oropharynx were performed according to standard methods. Isolated microorganisms were identified by morphological, tinctorial, cultural and biochemical properties. The results were evaluated in accordance with the Order of USSR Ministry of Health N 535 as of April 22,1985. Specific lytic activity of bacteriophages against S. aureus was determined using preparations of staphylococcal bacteriophage and polyvalent pyobacteriophage Sexta. The sensitivity of strains of S. aureus to specific bacteriophages was assessed by the method of «crosses», according to the guidelines. Statistical analysis was performed with the use of licensed applications Offiœ Ms Excel 2007for Windows 7 BioStat v. 5.0.1.2008. Correlation analysis (Pearson method) was used. 1t has been shown that with increasing age children in the oropharynx microbial density is increasing for indicators of both normoflora (S. oralis), and of opportunistic microflora (S. β-hemolytic, S. pyogenes, S. pneumoniae, bacteria Enterobacteriaceae), especially of S. aureus (up to 74 %). Registration of sensitive strains of S. aureus in more than 70 % of cases in preschool and school-aged children is evidence of the correctness of correction of the dysbiotic disorders of the oropharynx with the use of bacteriophages of staphylococcus and Sexta