Business Process Modelling with Continuous Validation

In this paper, we demonstrate the prototype of a modelling tool that applies graph-based rules for identifying problems in business process models. The advantages of our approach are twofold. Firstly, it is not necessary to compute the complete state space of the model in order to find errors. Secondly, our technique can even be applied to incomplete business process models. Thus, the modeller can be supported by direct feedback during the model construction. This feedback does not only report problems, but it also identifies their reasons and makes suggestions for improvements

EPK-Validierung zur Modellierungszeit in der bflow* Toolbox

Dieser Beitrag stellt den Prototyp eines EPK-Modellierungswerkzeugs vor, der Verfahren zur Suche in Graphen nutzt, um Fehler in EPK-Modellen zu identifizieren. Dieses Werkzeug hat gegenüber bekannten Ansätzen zwei Vorzüge: Zum einen ist es nicht notwendig, den (oft sehr großen) Zustandsraum aller möglichen Abläufe in einem Modell zu berechnen. Zum Zweiten kann unser Ansatz auch auf noch nicht vollständig fertiggestellte Modelle angewendet werden. Der Modellierer wird sofort zur Modellierungszeit über mögliche Probleme sowie deren Ursachen informiert und erhält unmittelbare Vorschläge zur Beseitigung der Probleme

Dagstuhl-Manifest zur Strategischen Bedeutung des Software Engineering in Deutschland

Im Rahmen des Dagstuhl Perspektiven Workshop 05402 "Challenges for Software Engineering Research" haben führende Software Engineering Professoren den derzeitigen Stand der Softwaretechnik in Deutschland charakterisiert und Handlungsempfehlungen für Wirtschaft, Forschung und Politik abgeleitet. Das Manifest fasst die diese Empfehlungen und die Bedeutung und Entwicklung des Fachgebiets prägnant zusammen

Phase I/II intra-patient dose escalation study of vorinostat in children with relapsed solid tumor, lymphoma, or leukemia

Background: Until today, adult and pediatric clinical trials investigating single-agent or combinatorial HDAC inhibitors including vorinostat in solid tumors have largely failed to demonstrate efficacy. These results may in part be explained by data from preclinical models showing significant activity only at higher concentrations compared to those achieved with current dosing regimens. In the current pediatric trial, we applied an intra-patient dose escalation design. The purpose of this trial was to determine a safe dose recommendation (SDR) of single-agent vorinostat for intra-patient dose escalation, pharmacokinetic analyses (PK), and activity evaluation in children (3-18 years) with relapsed or therapy-refractory malignancies. Results: A phase I intra-patient dose (de)escalation was performed until individual maximum tolerated dose (MTD). The starting dose was 180 mg/m(2)/day with weekly dose escalations of 50 mg/m(2) until DLT/maximum dose. After MTD determination, patients seamlessly continued in phase II with disease assessments every 3 months. PK and plasma cytokine profiles were determined. Fifty of 52 patients received treatment. n = 27/50 (54%) completed the intra-patient (de)escalation and entered phase II. An SDR of 130 mg/m(2)/day was determined (maximum, 580 mg/m(2)/day). n = 46/50 (92%) patients experienced treatment-related AEs which were mostly reversible and included thrombocytopenia, fatigue, nausea, diarrhea, anemia, and vomiting. n = 6/50 (12%) had treatment-related SAEs. No treatment-related deaths occurred. Higher dose levels resulted in higher C-max. Five patients achieved prolonged disease control (> 12 months) and showed a higher C-max (> 270 ng/mL) and MTDs. Best overall response (combining PR and SD, no CR observed) rate in phase II was 6/27 (22%) with a median PFS and OS of 5.3 and 22.4 months. Low levels of baseline cytokine expression were significantly correlated with favorable outcome. Conclusion: An SDR of 130 mg/m(2)/day for individual dose escalation was determined. Higher drug exposure was associated with responses and long-term disease stabilization with manageable toxicity. Patients with low expression of plasma cytokine levels at baseline were able to tolerate higher doses of vorinostat and benefited from treatment. Baseline cytokine profile is a promising potential predictive biomarker

The impact of the temporal sequence of cranial radiotherapy and platin-based chemotherapy on hearing impairment in pediatric and adolescent CNS and head-and-neck cancer patients: A report from the PanCareLIFE consortium.

The impact of the temporal sequence by which cranial radiotherapy (CRT) and platin-based chemotherapy (PCth) are administered on sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) in pediatric and adolescent central nervous system (CNS) and head-and-neck (HN) cancer patients has not yet been studied in detail. We examined the ototoxic effects of sequentially applied CRT and PCth. This study included children and adolescents with CNS and HN tumors who participated in the multicountry PanCareLIFE (PCL) consortium. Audiological outcomes were compared between patients who received CRT prior to PCth and those who received it afterwards. The incidence, degree and posttreatment progression of SNHL, defined as Muenster classification grade ≥MS2b, were evaluated in 141 patients. One hundred and nineteen patients were included in a time-to-onset analysis. Eighty-eight patients received CRT prior to PCth (Group 1) and 53 patients received PCth before CRT (Group 2). Over a median follow-up time of 1.6 years, 72.7% of patients in Group 1 experienced SNHL ≥ MS2b compared to 33.9% in Group 2 (P < .01). A time-to-onset analysis was performed for 74 patients from Group 1 and 45 patients from Group 2. Median time to hearing loss (HL) ≥ MS2b was 1.2 years in Group 1 and 4.4 years in Group 2 (P < .01). Thus, audiological outcomes were better for patients who received CRT after PCth than before. This finding should be further evaluated and considered within clinical practice in order to minimize hearing loss in children and adolescents with CNS and HN tumors

Business Process Modelling with Continuous Validation

In this paper, we demonstrate the prototype of a modelling tool that applies graph-based rules for identifying problems in business process models. The advantages of our approach are twofold. Firstly, it is not necessary to compute the complete state space of the model in order to find errors. Secondly, our technique can even be applied to incomplete business process models. Thus, the modeller can be supported by direct feedback during the model construction. This feedback does not only report problems, but it also identifies their reasons and makes suggestions for improvements

EPK-Validierung zur Modellierungszeit in der bflow* Toolbox

Dieser Beitrag stellt den Prototyp eines EPK-Modellierungswerkzeugs vor, der Verfahren zur Suche in Graphen nutzt, um Fehler in EPK-Modellen zu identifizieren. Dieses Werkzeug hat gegenüber bekannten Ansätzen zwei Vorzüge: Zum einen ist es nicht notwendig, den (oft sehr großen) Zustandsraum aller möglichen Abläufe in einem Modell zu berechnen. Zum Zweiten kann unser Ansatz auch auf noch nicht vollständig fertiggestellte Modelle angewendet werden. Der Modellierer wird sofort zur Modellierungszeit über mögliche Probleme sowie deren Ursachen informiert und erhält unmittelbare Vorschläge zur Beseitigung der Probleme