Simulation of BPMN process models: current BPM tools capabilities

"The 2016 World Conference on Information Systems and Technologies (WorldCIST'16)"Nowadays, more and more organizations are using Business Process Management (BPM) to prepare themselves to deal, in an effective way, with the increasingly difficult conditions of modern markets. Essential to BPM is the collection of tools which support the operationalization of the business process concept – BPM tools. These tools deal with business process models, which have to be described with a suitable language. In the present, BPMN is considered the standard modeling language to describe business processes. Once a business process is modeled, a process simulation approach might be used in order to find its optimized version. Therefore, the simulation of business process models, such as those defined in BPMN, appears as an obvious way of improving processes. This paper advances work previously published by the authors regarding BPM tools capabilities in terms of the simulation of BPMN process models. In this context a platform to support the characterization of BPM tools regarding process simulation capabilities has been developed. This platform might be helpful to users who want to select the most adequate BPM tool regarding their simulation needs.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Centile curves and reference values for height, body mass, body mass index and waist circumference of peruvian children and adolescents

This study aimed to provide height, body mass, BMI and waist circumference (WC) growth centile charts for school-children, aged 4–17 years, from central Peru, and to compare Peruvian data with North-American and Argentinean references. The sample consisted of 8753 children and adolescents (4130 boys and 4623 girls) aged 4 to 17 years, from four Peruvian cities: Barranco, La Merced, San Ramón and Junín. Height, body mass and WC were measured according to standardized techniques. Centile curves for height, body mass, BMI and WC were obtained separately for boys and girls using the LMS method. Student t-tests were used to compare mean values. Overall boys have higher median heights than girls, and the 50th percentile for body mass increases curvilinearly from 4 years of age onwards. In boys, the BMI and WC 50th percentiles increase linearly and in girls, the increase presents a curvilinear pattern. Peruvian children are shorter, lighter and have higher BMI than their counterparts in the U.S. and Argentina; in contrast, age and sex-specific WC values are lower. Height, body mass and WC of Peruvian children increased with age and variability was higher at older ages. The growth patterns for height, body mass, BMI and WC among Peruvian children were similar to those observed in North-American and Argentinean peers.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Maturação biológica: da sua relevância à aprendizagem do método TW3

Este estudo teve os seguintes objetivos: (1) apresentar procedimentos metodológicos utilizados na estimação da idade óssea; (2) descrever o método Tanner-Whitehouse (TW3), e (3) destacar os resultados da reprodutibilidade deste método em crianças e jovens. A metodologia adotada na preparação do processo de aprendizagem e reprodutibilidade do método TW3 foi estruturada em três fases, tendo sido realizadas em duas Instituições de ensino (Portugal e Bélgica), sob a orientação e supervisão de avaliadores experientes. Após várias etapas de treinamento, os resultados alcançados na avaliação inter e intraobservador situaram-se entre 81,3 e 87,9%. Os resultados finais do estudo possibilitaram comprovar a eficácia de um rigoroso processo de treino, como elemento essencial na preparação prévia do avaliador, para a utilização da avaliação da maturação esquelética com base no método TW3

Longitudinal studies on somatic growth and motor performance: designs, challenges and needs

O objetivo principal desta revisão é fornecer uma visão geral dos principais estudos longitudinais e longitudinais-mistos que se centraram sobre o crescimento somático, maturação biológica e, mais recentemente, também no desempenho físico. Somente foram considerados os estudos realizados na América do Norte, Europa e países de língua portuguesa. Em primeiro lugar, são apresentadas as principais considerações teóricas, características gerais, o delineamento do estudo e análise estatística multivariada dos dados. Na segunda parte, é edificado o panorama geral sobre os estudos emblemáticos de natureza longitudinal e longitudinal-mista. Finalmente, foram considerados alguns dos principais desafios que se colocam à pesquisa longitudinal

Multivariate analysis of lifestyle, constitutive and body composition factors influencing bone health in community-dwelling older adults from Madeira, Portugal

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Developmental and physical-fitness associations with gross motor coordination problems in peruvian children

he aims of this cross-sectional study were to examine the developmental characteristics (biological maturation and body size) associated with gross motor coordination problems in 5193 Peruvian children (2787 girls) aged 6–14 years from different geographical locations, and to investigate how the probability that children suffer with gross motor coordination problems varies with physical fitness. Children with gross motor coordination problems were more likely to have lower flexibility and explosive strength levels, having adjusted for age, sex, maturation and study site. Older children were more likely to suffer from gross motor coordination problems, as were those with greater body mass index. However, more mature children were less likely to have gross motor coordination problems, although children who live at sea level or at high altitude were more likely to suffer from gross motor coordination problems than children living in the jungle. Our results provide evidence that children and adolescents with lower physical fitness are more likely to have gross motor coordination difficulties. The identification of youths with gross motor coordination problems and providing them with effective intervention programs is an important priority in order to overcome such developmental problems, and help to improve their general health status.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

An allometric modelling approach to identify the optimal body shape associated with, and differences between brazilian and peruvian youth motor performance

Children fromdevelopedanddevelopingcountriesdifferintheirbodysizeandshapedueto markeddifferencesacrosstheirlifehistorycausedbysocial,economicandculturaldifferenceswhicharealsolinkedtotheirmotorperformance(MP).Weusedallometricmodelsto identifysize/shapecharacteristicsassociatedwithMPtestsbetweenBrazilianandPeruvianschoolchildren.Atotalof4,560subjects,2,385girlsand2,175boysaged9–15years werestudied.Heightandweightweremeasured;biological maturation wasestimated with thematurityoffsettechnique;MPmeasuresincludedthe12minuterun(12MR),handgrip strength(HG),standinglongjump(SLJ)andtheshuttlerunspeed(SR)tests;physicalactivity(PA)wasassessedusingtheBaeckequestionnaire.Amultiplicativeallometricmodel wasadoptedtoadjustforbodysizedifferencesacrosscountries.Reciprocalponderalindex (RPI)wasfoundtobethemostsuitablebodyshapeindicatorassociatedwiththe12MR, SLJ,HGandSRperformance.Apositivematurationoffset parameterwasalsoassociated withabetterperformanceinSLJ,HGandSRtests.Sexdifferenceswerefoundinallmotor tests.BrazilianyouthshowedbetterscoresinMPthantheirPeruvianpeers,evenwhen controlling fortheirbodysizedifferencesThecurrentstudyidentifiedthekeybodysize associatedwithfourbodymass-dependentMPtests.Biological maturationandPAwere associatedwithstrengthandmotorperformance.Sexdifferenceswerefoundinallmotor tests,aswellasacrosscountriesfavoringBrazilianchildrenevenwhenaccountingfortheir bodysize/shapedifferences

Diásquise cerebelar cruzada – Diagnóstico pela Ressonância Magnética

A diásquise cerebelar cruzada (DCC) é caracterizada pela perda da atividade funcional e do metabolismo no cerebelo contralateral à lesão supratentorial.1,2,3,4 Este fenômeno foi usualmente observado em pacientes com infarto cerebral, tumores supratentoriais, epilepsia, encefalite, como resultado de ruptura da via cortico-ponto-cerebelar.1,2,3,4 A DCC é consistentemente relatada como resultado de inativação súbita do circuito, como acidente vascular cerebral (AVC), mas também pode ser encontrada em doenças crônicas, tumores cerebrais, infartos gânglio-capsulares, pequenos acidentes vasculares cerebrais, encefalite, epilepsia, enxaqueca, malformações arteriovenosas, hemorragia e doença de Alzheimer.2,3 Nas primeiras horas após o AVC, a diásquise é potencialmente reversível em caso de reperfusão supratentorial; no entanto, DCC persistente (mais de 24 horas) está associado a danos irreversíveis e mau resultado clínico.2 Este caso demonstra um homem de 60 anos com sequela de isquemia aguda à direita há dois anos, com fraqueza unilateral dos membros à esquerda. O exame neurológico demonstrou a língua desviada para a direita, desvio do ângulo da boca e sinal de Babinski positivo. A ressonância magnética que detectou uma diásquise cerebelar cruzada demonstrada pelo estudo perfusional ASL (arterial spin labeling) que utiliza o sangue magnetizado como contraste endógeno para avaliação do fluxo sanguíneo cerebral (CBF)

Uma comparação da aptidão funcional de mulheres idosas portuguesas e brasileiras

O objectivo deste estudo transversal foi descrever e comparar os perfis funcionais de duas amostras: 401 idosas portuguesas e 967 brasileiras (Krause et al., 2009), dos 60-79 anos. A aptidão funcional (ApF) foi avaliada usando a bateria Senior Fitness Test (Rikli & Jones 2001). Em ambas as amostras, as idosas dos 60-64 anos apresentaram melhores desempenhos na maioria dos testes de ApF, comparativamente às dos 75-79 anos. As idosas brasileiras foram mais proficientes na aptidão cardio-respiratória e flexibilidade, e as portuguesas, na força do membro superior. Os valores do índice de massa corporal foram superiores nas idosas portuguesas (60-79 anos). Estes resultados poderão ser úteis na identificação precoce de perdas funcionais, e fundamentar a intervenção ao nível da ApF em mulheres idosas

Access to fresh food in vulnerable urban areas : a classification study of the favelas and formal establishments in São Paulo

The environment significantly influences individuals’ food choices. Vulnerable urban areas, such as favelas, can have a decisive impact on discouraging the consumption of fresh, nutritionally rich foods. This issue is exacerbated by the urban infrastructure required to deliver fresh foods to these locations. Therefore, it is essential to understand the context of the favelas in the municipality of São Paulo in terms of the food environment and infrastructure to support the design of public policies that enhance the presence of minimally processed foods in these areas. We applied the k-means clustering method to two datasets: the food environment of favelas, characterized by food establishments, and the urban infrastructure of the favelas in the municipality of São Paulo. Of the city’s 1,701 favelas, only 271 have formally registered food establishments. Larger favelas with better urban infrastructure generally exhibited a food environment with greater access to fresh foods. The results suggest that investing in urban infrastructure can increase access to fresh foods in these areas. It is also necessary to consider local specificities to find effective solutions that increase the availability of minimally processed foods, thereby improving the population’s quality of life and health