A comparative analysis of business process modelling techniques

Business process modelling is an increasingly popular research area for both organisations and academia due to its usefulness in facilitating human understanding and communication. Several modelling techniques have been proposed and used to capture the characteristics of business processes. However, available techniques view business processes from different perspectives and have different features and capabilities. Furthermore, to date limited guidelines exist for selecting appropriate modelling techniques based on the characteristics of the problem and its requirements. This paper presents a comparative analysis of some popular business process modelling techniques. The comparative framework is based on five criteria: flexibility, ease of use, understandability, simulation support and scope. The study highlights some of the major paradigmatic differences between the techniques. The proposed framework can serve as the basis for evaluating further modelling techniques and generating selection procedures

Two-time Green's functions and spectral density method in nonextensive quantum statistical mechanics

We extend the formalism of the thermodynamic two-time Green's functions to nonextensive quantum statistical mechanics. Working in the optimal Lagrangian multipliers representation, the $q$-spectral properties and the methods for a direct calculation of the two-time $q$% -Green's functions and the related $q$-spectral density ($q$ measures the nonextensivity degree) for two generic operators are presented in strict analogy with the extensive ($q=1$) counterpart. Some emphasis is devoted to the nonextensive version of the less known spectral density method whose effectiveness in exploring equilibrium and transport properties of a wide variety of systems has been well established in conventional classical and quantum many-body physics. To check how both the equations of motion and the spectral density methods work to study the $q$-induced nonextensivity effects in nontrivial many-body problems, we focus on the equilibrium properties of a second-quantized model for a high-density Bose gas with strong attraction between particles for which exact results exist in extensive conditions. Remarkably, the contributions to several thermodynamic quantities of the $q$-induced nonextensivity close to the extensive regime are explicitly calculated in the low-temperature regime by overcoming the calculation of the $q$ grand-partition function.Comment: 48 pages, no figure

Spectral density method in quantum nonextensive thermostatistics and magnetic systems with long-range interactions

Motived by the necessity of explicit and reliable calculations, as a valid contribution to clarify the effectiveness and, possibly, the limits of the Tsallis thermostatistics, we formulate the Two-Time Green Functions Method in nonextensive quantum statistical mechanics within the optimal Lagrange multiplier framework, focusing on the basic ingredients of the related Spectral Density Method. Besides, to show how the SDM works we have performed, to the lowest order of approximation, explicit calculations of the low-temperature properties for a quantum $d$-dimensional spin-1/2 Heisenberg ferromagnet with long-range interactions decaying as $1/r^{p}$ ($r$ is the distance between spins in the lattice)Comment: Contribution to Next-SigmaPhi conference in Kolymbari, Crete, Greece, August 13-18, 2005, 9 page

A Semantic-based framework for discovering business process patterns

Patterns currently play an important role in modern information systems (IS) development and their use has mainly been restricted to the design and implementation phases of the development lifecycle. Given the increasing significance of business modeling in IS development, patterns have the potential of providing a viable solution for promoting reusability of recurrent generalized models in the very early stages of development. This paper focuses on business process patterns and proposes an initial framework for the discovery and reuse of business process patterns within the IS development lifecycle. The framework synthesizes the idea from the domain engineering literature and proposes the use of semantics to drive both the discovery of patterns as well as their reuse

Semantic discovery and reuse of business process patterns

Patterns currently play an important role in modern information systems (IS) development and their use has mainly been restricted to the design and implementation phases of the development lifecycle. Given the increasing significance of business modelling in IS development, patterns have the potential of providing a viable solution for promoting reusability of recurrent generalized models in the very early stages of development. As a statement of research-in-progress this paper focuses on business process patterns and proposes an initial methodological framework for the discovery and reuse of business process patterns within the IS development lifecycle. The framework borrows ideas from the domain engineering literature and proposes the use of semantics to drive both the discovery of patterns as well as their reuse

The Classical Spectral Density Method at Work: The Heisenberg Ferromagnet

In this article we review a less known unperturbative and powerful many-body method in the framework of classical statistical mechanics and then we show how it works by means of explicit calculations for a nontrivial classical model. The formalism of two-time Green functions in classical statistical mechanics is presented in a form parallel to the well known quantum counterpart, focusing on the spectral properties which involve the important concept of spectral density. Furthermore, the general ingredients of the classical spectral density method (CSDM) are presented with insights for systematic nonperturbative approximations to study conveniently the macroscopic properties of a wide variety of classical many-body systems also involving phase transitions. The method is implemented by means of key ideas for exploring the spectrum of elementary excitations and the damping effects within a unified formalism. Then, the effectiveness of the CSDM is tested with explicit calculations for the classical $d$-dimensional spin-$S$ Heisenberg ferromagnetic model with long-range exchange interactions decaying as $r^{-p}$ ($p>d$) with distance $r$ between spins and in the presence of an external magnetic field. The analysis of the thermodynamic and critical properties, performed by means of the CSDM to the lowest order of approximation, shows clearly that nontrivial results can be obtained in a relatively simple manner already to this lower stage. The basic spectral density equations for the next higher order level are also presented and the damping of elementary spin excitations in the low temperature regime is studied. The results appear in reasonable agreement with available exact ones and Monte Carlo simulations and this supports the CSDM as a promising method of investigation in classical many-body theory.Comment: Latex, 58 pages, 12 figure

Assessment of the radiological impact of a decommissioning nuclear power plant in Italy

The assessment of the radiological impact of a decommissioning Nuclear Power Plant is presented here through the results of an environmental monitoring survey carried out in the area surrounding the Garigliano Power Plant. The levels of radioactivity in soil, water, air and other environmental matrices are shown, in which {\alpha}, {\beta} and {\gamma} activity and {\gamma} equivalent dose rate are measured. Radioactivity levels of the samples from the Garigliano area are analyzed and then compared to those from a control zone situated more than 100 km away. Moreover, a comparison is made with a previous survey held in 2001. The analyses and comparisons show no significant alteration in the radiological characteristics of the area surroundings the plant, with an overall radioactivity depending mainly from the global fallout and natural sources.Comment: 13 pages, 6 figures, 2 table

Assessment of the radiological impact of a decommissioning nuclear power plant in Italy

The assessment of the radiological impact of a decommissioning Nuclear Power Plant is presented here through the results of an environmental monitoring survey carried out in the area surrounding the Garigliano Power Plant. The levels of radioactivity in soil, water, air and other environmental matrices are shown, in which {\alpha}, {\beta} and {\gamma} activity and {\gamma} equivalent dose rate are measured. Radioactivity levels of the samples from the Garigliano area are analyzed and then compared to those from a control zone situated more than 100 km away. Moreover, a comparison is made with a previous survey held in 2001. The analyses and comparisons show no significant alteration in the radiological characteristics of the area surroundings the plant, with an overall radioactivity depending mainly from the global fallout and natural sources

Prognostic significance of primary-tumor extension, stage and grade of nuclear differentiation in patients with renal cell carcinoma

Surgery remains the preferred therapy for renal cell carcinoma. The various adjunctive or complementary therapies currently yield disappointing results. Identifying reliable prognostic factors could help in selecting patients most likely to benefit from postoperative adjuvant therapies. We reviewed the surgical records of 78 patients who had undergone radical nephrectomy with lymphadenectomy for renal cell carcinoma, matched for type of operation and histology. According to staging (TNM), 5.1% of the patients were classified as stage I, 51.3% as stage II, 29.5% as stage III and 14.5% as stage IV. Of the 78 patients 40 were T2N0 and 21 T3aN0. Tumor grading showed that 39.7% of the patients had well-differentiated tumors(G1), 41.1% moderately-differentiated (G2), and 19.2% poorly-differentiated tumors (G3). Overall actuarial survival at 5 and 10 years was 100% for stage 1; 91.3% at 5 years and 83.1% at 10 years for stage II; 45.5% and 34.1% for stage III; and 29.1% and nil for stage IV (stage II vs stage III p = 0.0001). Patients with tumors confined to the kidney (pT2N0) had better 5- and 10-year survival rates than patients with tumors infiltrating the perirenal fat (pT3aN0) (p = 0.000006). Survival differed according to nuclear grading (G1 vs G3 ; p = 0.000005; G2 vs G3; p = 0.0009). In conclusion our review identified tumor stage, primary-tumor extension, and the grade of nuclear differentiation as reliable prognostic factors in patients with renal cell carcinomas

Discharge measurement with salt dilution method in irrigation canals: direct sampling and geophysical controls

An important starting point for designing management improvements, particularly in irrigation areas, is to record the baseline state of the water resources, including the amount of discharge from canals. In this respect discharge measurements by means of the salt dilution method is a traditional and well-documented technique. However, this methodology can be strongly influenced by the natural streaming characteristics of the canal (e.g. laminar vs. turbulent flow) and accurate precautions must be considered in the choice of both the measuring section and the length of the measuring reach of the canal which can affect the plume shape. The knowledge of plume distribution in the measuring cross-section is of primary importance for a correct location of sampling points aimed in obtaining a reliable measurement. To obtain this, geophysical imaging of an NaCl plume from a slug-injection salt dilution test has been performed within this paper by means of cross-flow fast electric resistivity tomography (FERT) in a real case history. Direct sampling of the same plume has been also performed with a multisampling optimization technique to obtain an average value over the measuring section by means of contemporarily sampling water in nine points. Results show that a correct visualization of the passage of the salt plume is possible by means of geophysical controls and that this can potentially help in the correct location of sampling points