Improving process models by discovering decision points

Workflow management systems (WfMS) are widely used by business enterprises as tools for administrating, automating and scheduling the business process activities with the available resources. Since the control flow specifications of workflows are manually designed, they entail assumptions and errors, leading to inaccurate workflow models. Decision points, the XOR nodes in a workflow graph model, determine the path chosen toward completion of any process invocation. In this work, we show that positioning the decision points at their earliest points can improve process efficiency by decreasing their uncertainties and identifying redundant activities. We present novel techniques to discover the earliest positions by analyzing workflow logs and to transform the model graph. The experimental results show that the transformed model is more efficient with respect to its average execution time and uncertainty, when compared to the original model.     

Sources of New Ideas for Charity Fundraising: An Empirical Study

Intense competition in the UK charity fundraising market and the near continuous need for charities to acquire new supporters, reactivate lapsed donors and encourage first time donors to make further gifts has resulted in charities needing repeatedly to initiate novel fundraising campaigns. The starting point for an innovative campaign is an idea or set of ideas that will attract public attention, differentiate a charity from other fundraising organizations and distinguish the charity's current marketing activities from those undertaken in the past. An important but neglected issue in the charity idea creation field is the question of where and how fundraising organizations source their ideas for new campaigns. This empirical study identified (i) the main sources of fresh ideas for fundraising employed by a sample of 417 British charities, and (ii) certain antecedents of a charity's use of various categories of sources. Potential connections between particular types of idea source and managerial satisfaction with both the creative quality of the ideas obtained and the financial revenues derived from these ideas were also examined.     

Blockchain Based Consensus Algorithm and Trustworthy Evaluation of Authenticated Subgraph Queries

Over the past era, subgraph mining from a large collection of graph database is a crucial problem. In addition, scalability is another big problem due to insufficient storage. There are several security challenges associated with subgraph mining in today’s on-demand system. To address this downside, our proposed work introduces a Blockchain-based Consensus algorithm for Authenticated query search in the Large-Scale Dynamic Graphs (BCCA-LSDG). The two-fold process is handled in the proposed BCCA-LSDG: graph indexing and authenticated query search (query processing). A blockchain-based reputation system is meant to maintain the trust blockchain and cloud server of the proposed architecture. To resolve the issues and provide safe big data transmission, the proposed technique also combines blockchain with a consensus algorithm architecture. Security of the big data is ensured by dividing the BC network into distinct networks, each with a restricted number of allowed entities, data kept in the cloud gate server, and data analysis in the blockchain. The consensus algorithm is crucial for maintaining the speed, performance and security of the blockchain. Then Dual Similarity based MapReduce helps in mapping and reducing the relevant subgraphs with the use of optimal feature sets. Finally, the graph index refinement process is undertaken to improve the query results. Concerning query error, fuzzy logic is used to refine the index of the graph dynamically. The proposed technique outperforms advanced methodologies in both blockchain and non-blockchain systems, and the combination of blockchain and subgraph provides a secure communication platform, according to the findings.     

The pLysRS-Ap4A Pathway in Mast Cells Regulates the Switch from Host Defense to a Pathological State

The innate and adaptive immune systems play an essential role in host defense against pathogens. Various signal transduction pathways monitor and balance the immune system since an imbalance may promote pathological states such as allergy, inflammation, and cancer. Mast cells have a central role in the regulation of the innate/adaptive immune system and are involved in the pathogenesis of many inflammatory and allergic diseases by releasing inflammatory mediators such as histamines, proteases, chemotactic factors, and cytokines. Although various signaling pathways are associated with mast cell activation, our discovery and characterization of the pLysRS-Ap₄A signaling pathway in these cells provided an additional important step towards a full understanding of the intracellular mechanisms involved in mast cell activation. In the present review, we will discuss in depth this signaling pathway’s contribution to host defense and the pathological state.     

Secure data hiding by fruit fly optimization improved hybridized seeker algorithm

Multidimensional Systems and Signal Processing - The recent growth of World Wide Web (WWW) and development of the next-generation internet facilitates a huge amount of data being conveniently...     

As(V) removal using carbonized yeast cells containing silver nanoparticles

The present study involves the development of adsorbent containing silver nanoparticles for arsenate removal using silver reducing property of a novel yeast strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae BU-MBT-CY1 isolated from coconut cell sap. Biological reduction of silver by the isolate was deduced at various time intervals. The yeast cells after biological silver reduction were harvested and subjected to carbonization at 400 °C for 1 h and its properties were analyzed using Fourier Transform Infra-Red spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope attached with energy dispersive spectroscopy and transmission electron microscope. The average size of the silver nanoparticles present on the surface of the carbonized silver containing yeast cells (CSY) was 19 ± 9 nm. The carbonized control yeast cells (CCY) did not contain any particles on its surface. As(V) adsorption efficiency of CCY and CSY was deduced in batch mode by varying parameters like contact time, initial concentration, and pH. Desorption studies were also carried out by varying the pH. The experimental data were fitted onto Langmuir and D-R Isotherms and Lagergren and pseudo second order kinetic models. The CSY was more efficient in arsenate removal when compared to CCY.     

Diversity among various forms of catechins and its synthesizing enzyme (phenylalanine ammonia lyase) in relation to quality of black tea (Camellia spp.)

BACKGROUND: Quality of tea depends on the cultivar and climatic conditions. Biochemical pathways within the plant and climatic factors can result in noticeable changes in chemical composition, which determine the quality of tea. Black tea quality attributes are influenced by various forms of catechins, namely gallated, non‐gallated, dihydroxylated and trihydroxylated catechins and their ratios. Hence the variations in grouped catechins and their synthesizing enzyme in relation to quality of south Indian black tea grown in different seasons and different cultivars were studied. RESULTS: Gallated, non‐gallated, dihydroxylated, trihydroxylated catechins and catechin index were significantly higher in crop shoots harvested during summer. A significant and wide diversity in various forms of catechins was noticed among the cultivars tested. Among the cultivars, UPASI‐3 registered the higher amount of various forms of catechins and activity of phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), followed by UPASI‐9 and UPASI‐17 respectively, while the lowest amount was exhibited by ‘Assam’ seedlings and TRI‐2043. CONCLUSION: Overall quality as evaluated by tea tasters was positively correlated to the cultivars and seasons tested. This positive correlation can be attributed to higher levels of grouped catechins and PAL activity. Thus the contents of various forms of catechins could be the most important quality parameter of the south Indian black teas. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry     

Solid oxide fuel cell with compositionally graded cathode functional layer deposited by pressure assisted dual-suspension spraying

In this work, the benefit of compositionally grading a cathode functional layer (CFL) for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) is explored. Cells are prepared wherein either a standard cathode functional layer (SCFL) or a linearly compositionally graded cathode functional layer (CGCFL) is placed between the cell electrolyte and cathode current collecting regions. The electrochemical performance of these cells is compared with a SOFC cell containing no CFL. All cells are fabricated using a pressurized dual-suspension spraying system. Electrolytes, cathode functional layer, and cathode current collecting materials are deposited on a powder compacted anode support. SEM and EDAX area maps are taken to study the resulting micro-structures and to verify that the desired CFL profiles are produced. The EDAX area map verifies that a compositionally graded CFL and a SCFL are obtained. The cells are analyzed using impedance spectroscopy to evaluate the electrochemical performances of each cell. The open circuit voltage (OCV) and peak power densities of all three cells are 1.04 V with 80 mW cm⁻², 1.12 V with 108 mW cm⁻², and 1.08 V with 193 mW cm⁻² at 850 °C for the SCFL cell, the cell without a CFL, and the compositionally graded CFL cell respectively. The results show that this approach is a viable means for producing SOFC functional layers with unique composition and interfacial properties.     

Poly(O‐methoxyaniline) thin films: Cyclic voltammetry study

Electrochemical polymerization of poly(O‐methoxyaniline) (POMA) thin films was carried out under cyclic voltammetric conditions. The cyclic voltammograms (CV) of the POMA films in the presence and absence of monomer in the aqueous solution of 1M H₂SO₄ were studied. The electrochemical degradation of the POMA films was investigated by cyclic voltammetry and UV‐visible spectroscopy. It was observed that the rate of degradation is strongly dependent on the applied potential. UV‐visible spectroscopy revealed no significant chemical modification or phase change from the degradation. The temperature dependence of the voltammetric response of the POMA films in the aqueous solution of 1M H₂SO₄ was also investigated. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 74: 3009–3015, 1999