Collaborative Business Process Management - A Literature-based Analysis of Methods for Supporting Model Understandability

Due to the growing amount of cooperative business scenarios, collaborative Business Process Management (cBPM) has emerged. The increased number of stakeholders with minor expertise in process modeling leads to a high relevance of model understandability in cBPM contexts. Despite extensive works in the research fields of cBPM and model understandability in BPM, there is no analysis and comprehensive overview of methods supporting process model understandability in cBPM scenarios. To address this research gap, this paper presents the results of a literature review. The paper identifies concepts for supporting model understandability in BPM, provides an overview of methods implementing these concepts, and discusses the methods’ applicability in cBPM. The four concepts process model transformation, process model visualization, process model description, and modeling support are introduced. Subsequently, 69 methods are classified and discussed in the context of cBPM. Results contribute to revealing existing academic voids and can guide practitioners in cBPM scenarios

Impact of different chloride salts and their concentrations on nitrification and trace gas emissions from a sandy soil under a controlled environment

Potassium chloride (KCl) and magnesium chloride (MgCl2) can be used to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions, but their efficacy can be strongly affected by their Cl− concentration. This study aimed to compare the behaviour of different Cl− salts and concentrations with that of a typical commercial nitrification inhibitor (3, 4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate, PIADIN). KCl, MgCl2 and PIADIN were investigated under a laboratory incubation experiment for two months. KCl and MgCl2 were applied at 0.5 and 1.0 g kg−1, while PIADIN was applied at 25 mg kg−1 soil. CO2 and N2O concentrations were analysed during the incubation period. The NH+4 and NO−3 dynamics in soil were also measured. The results showed 0.5 and 1.0 g kg−1 KCl and 0.5 g kg−1 MgCl2 decreased CO2-C emissions by 43%–46% and increased N2O-N emissions by 15%–48%, whereas 1.0 g kg−1 MgCl2 decreased CO2-C emissions by 72% and N2O-N emissions by 19%. KCl and MgCl2 retarded the decrease of the NH+4-N concentration and increase of the NO−3-N concentration. PIADIN reduced the emissions of CO2-C by 113% and N2O-N by 97% and maintained a high soil NH+4-N concentration and low NO−3-N concentration. MgCl2 addition at 1.0 g kg−1 was an effective treatment as the Mg both fertilized the soil and inhibited CO2-C and N2O-N emissions. Moreover, 1.0 g kg−1 MgCl2 could retard soil nitrification, the decrease of NH+4-N concentration and the increase of NO−3-N concentration. While PIADIN had no fertilizing value, it was a more effective nitrification inhibitor than Cl− salts

The Effect of Pension Wealth on Employment

This study provides novel evidence about the pension wealth elasticity of employment. For the identification we exploit reform-induced variation of pension wealth that is related to the number of children but which does not affect the implicit tax rate of employment. We use a difference-in-differences estimator based on administrative data from the German pension insurance and find that, on average, the negative employment effect of pension wealth is significant and economically important. Heterogeneity analyses document a strong age pattern showing that the employment effects are driven by behavioral responses of women close to retirement. The age pattern is partly explained by the positive effect of pension wealth on disability pensions after the age of 60

ON THE IMPACT OF DIFFERENT SYSTEM STRATEGIES ON THE MATERIAL PERFORMANCE OF SELECTIVE LASER MELTING- MANUFACTURED TI6AL4V COMPONENTS

Selective Laser Melting (SLM) is a powder-based additive manufacturing process that has gained substantial interest in recent years due to its feasibility of producing geometrically- complex metallic components for end-use in various industries, with or without post-treatment procedures. This paper presents recent research undertaken on different scanning strategies and process parameters with the purpose of providing an overview of the achievable material performance of Ti6Al4V components, and comparing its properties with the conventionally-produced parts. In order to understand their output, differences in the building strategies of the systems studied are analysed, and their influence on the resulting mechanical and metallurgical properties is highlighted

A Procedure Model for Integrating Retailers into Digital Platforms

The integration into digital platforms is a vital countermeasure for retailers to counter rising customer expectations, emerging competition, and rapid technological developments. To break down the behemoth of integration projects into smaller steps, we synthesized a procedure model incorporating requirements from scientific literature and practice. We applied design science research to derive a well-structured and scientifically sound artifact that was evaluated in eleven interviews with practitioners. Our analysis revealed that integrating retailers into digital platforms can be standardized for different types and depths following specific guidelines outlined in the proposed procedure model of this work. Furthermore, the integration shows many similarities to other domains, especially when considering small- and medium-sized organisations. However, there are some peculiarities for retailers that could rationalize a distinct view on the integration

Single-Mode Polymer Ridge Waveguide Integration of Organic Thin-Film Laser

Organic thin-film lasers (OLAS) are promising optical sources when it comes to flexibility and small-scale manufacturing. These properties are required especially for integrating organic thin-film lasers into single-mode waveguides. Optical sensors based on single-mode ridge waveguide systems, especially for Lab-on-a-chip (LoC) applications, usually need external laser sources, free-space optics, and coupling structures, which suffer from coupling losses and mechanical stabilization problems. In this paper, we report on the first successful integration of organic thin-film lasers directly into polymeric single-mode ridge waveguides forming a monolithic laser device for LoC applications. The integrated waveguide laser is achieved by three production steps: nanoimprint of Bragg gratings onto the waveguide cladding material EpoClad, UV-Lithography of the waveguide core material EpoCore, and thermal evaporation of the OLAS material Alq3:DCM2 on top of the single-mode waveguides and the Bragg grating area. Here, the laser light is analyzed out of the waveguide facet with optical spectroscopy presenting single-mode characteristics even with high pump energy densities. This kind of integrated waveguide laser is very suitable for photonic LoC applications based on intensity and interferometric sensors where single-mode operation is required

Prospective Evaluation of Low-Dose External Beam Radiotherapy (LD-EBRT) for Painful Trapeziometacarpal Osteoarthritis (Rhizarthrosis) on Pain, Function, and Quality of Life to Calculate the Required Number of Patients for a Prospective Randomized Study

Background: Retrospective studies have described the effectiveness of low-dose radiotherapy (LD-EBRT) in painful arthrosis of small finger joints, but two recent prospective studies have yielded ambiguous results. To generate accurate data for the planning of a trial, we conducted a prospective, monocentric, observational study to describe the effects of LD-EBRT as precisely as possible. Methods: Twenty-five consecutive patients with symptomatic trapeziometacarpal (TMC) arthrosis were irradiated with 6 × 0.5 Gy. Before, 3, and 12 months after LD-EBRT, we assessed subjective endpoints (modified “von-Pannewitz score”, 10-point visual analogue scale (VAS), “patient-rated wrist evaluation” (PRWE)), and objective measurements (“active range of motion” (AROM), Kapandji index, grip strength, pinch grip). Results: At 3/12 months, 80%/57% reported partial and 4%/18% complete remission according to the “von-Pannewitz” score. VAS “overall pain” significantly decreased from a median of seven (IQR 4) at baseline to three (IQR 6; p = 0.046) and to two (IQR 2; p = 0.013). Similar results were obtained for VAS “pain during exercise”, VAS “pain during daytime”, and VAS “function”. “PRWE overall score” was reduced from 0.5 at baseline (SD 0.19) to 0.36 (SD 0.24, p = 0.05) and to 0.27 (SD 0.18, p = 0.0009). We found no improvements of the objective endpoints (AROM, Kapandji, grip strength) except for flexion, which increased from 64° (SD 12°) at baseline to 73° (SD 9.7°, p = 0.046) at 12 months. Conclusions: We recommend the PRWE score as a useful endpoint for further studies for this indication. To prove a 15% superiority over sham irradiation, we calculated that 750 patients need to be prospectively randomized