Methods and problems of analyzing process diagrams

Process diagrams of are widely used to develop conceptual database models, in particular to establish the types of relationships between process elements. For some types of process diagrams, methods have been developed for converting them into sets of relationships. However, there are objective reasons that make it difficult to convert process diagrams into adequate and complete sets of relationships.

Influence of diagram layout and scrolling on understandability of BPMN processes: an eye tracking experiment with BPMN diagrams

Business process modeling is an important activity for developing software systems—especially within digitization projects and when realizing digital business models. Specifying requirements and building executable workflows is often done by using BPMN 2.0 process models. Although there are several style guides available for BPMN, e.g., by Silver and Richard (BPMN method and style, vol 2, Cody-Cassidy Press, Aptos, 2009), there has not been much empirical research done into the consequences of the diagram layout. In particular, layouts that require scrolling have not been investigated yet. The aim of this research is to establish layout guidelines for business process modeling that help business process modelers to create more understandable business process diagrams. For establishing benefits and penalties of different layouts, a controlled eye tracking experiment was conducted, in which data of 21 professional software developers was used. Our results show that horizontal layouts are less demanding and that as many diagram elements as possible should be put on the initially visible screen area because such diagram elements are viewed more often and longer. Additionally, diagram elements related to the reader’s task are read more often than those not relevant to the task. BPMN modelers should favor a horizontal layout and use a more complex snake or multi-line layout whenever the diagrams are too large to fit on one page in order to support BPMN model comprehension.

PROBLEM SOLVING BY EXPERTS AND NOVICES IN CHEMISTRY: ANALYSIS OF ERRORS, RUN TIMES AND PARAMETERS OF EYE MOVEMENTS

Background. Professional experience is one of the most discussed problems in modern labor psychology. Researchers are trying to expose and describe the system of cognitive and metacognitive skills and abilities, which gives an advantage to experienced professionals. However, there is still a sufficient number of contradictions and unexplored aspects. The aim of the study is to identify specific features of problem solving by chemists at different levels of professional experience by analyzing performance indicators and eye movements. Techniques and sampling. The pilot study involved 35 experts and novices in the field of chemistry. They were asked to read descriptions, find errors and fill in gaps in chemical process diagrams. The tasks were based on technological regulations for the production of chemical products. We recorded the run time, errors and indicators of eye movements with the SMI Hi-Speed contactless video recording system with a 1200 Hz frequency. The results showed that the run time and the number of errors were significantly lower for experts than for novices. In addition, the two groups featured significant differences in the average duration of blinking, indicating a higher emotional stress among novices. Other eye movement differences demonstrated that experts tend to favor focal type of cognitive processing. This is revealed in longer fixations, short and slow saccades. Also, the experts were characterized by an uneven distribution of attention and cognitive efforts relative to different parts of the task and by a smaller number of transitions between them. The general analysis showed that experts, solving problems, rely more on mental representations and previous knowledge, while novices are guided by the information presented on the slides. Conclusions. The data demonstrate the superiority of experts in solving chemical problems and reveal the cognitive structure of professional experience.

Process diagrams of the driving pile construction in the perforated pipe casing

Introduction. Driving piles in drilled wells are a new trend in pile foundation engineering. Further research and development are devoted to the improvement of structural and process diagrams of these piles in order to increase the bearing capacity mainly on their side surface, mainly in weak clay soils. Materials and Methods. The options of flow and process diagrams of driving piles in perforated (penetrated) wells in various soil conditions are studied taking into account the existing regulatory documents and earlier developments on increasing the bearing capacity of driving piles in perforated (penetrated) wells. Results. The main process operations of the driving piles installation in the soil conditions under consideration include perforation (penetration) of the well with a casing with a loose puncher shoe to the base layer of the soil; formation of a well (cavity) in the base layer of the well by means of immersion of the puncher shoe; installation of a shoe reamer in the puncher shoe and formation of a spread foundation made of hard soil material above; immersion of a casing pipe with holes outside the pipe casing; filling of the casing with hard and bulk soil material; removal of the casing and driving (immersion) into the pipe casing of the precast concrete pile filled with bulk soil material with simultaneous formation of additional local broadening and possible compacted soil zones on the sections of holes along the outer contour of the pipe casing. Conclusions. The proposed structural and process diagrams of driving piles in perforated (penetrated) wells allow to significantly expand the scope of their application in terms of soil conditions, increase the side surface bearing capacity of piles and reliability of the construction of the types of foundations under consideration.

Drawing schematic diagrams

Schematic diagrams are invaluable in Earth Science in the communication of concepts in both publications and teaching. These diagrams can also be used during fieldwork to help develop interpretations of structures, palaeoenvironments, and geological processes. This chapter describes methods used to create block diagrams of structures and landscapes, surface diagrams of folds and faults, and process diagrams used to summarize interpretations of a wide range of processes. Schematic diagrams can and should be included in field notes. Process diagrams represent a cartoon of interpretative thoughts. Four worked examples of schematic diagrams are provided to illustrate their uses and construction.

Exploring Freshwater Regimes and Impact Factors in the Coastal Estuaries of the Vietnamese Mekong Delta

Freshwater resources make an essential contribution to the livelihoods of millions of local people in the coastal estuaries of the Vietnamese Mekong Delta (VMD). However, coastal freshwaters currently face numerous threats, not least (i) changing tidal dynamics due to sea level rise and (ii) changes in river regimes due to dam construction upstream. This research explores the evolution of freshwater regimes in these coastal estuaries. Using process diagrams, freshwater distributions are mapped and analyzed. Application of statistical methods provides insight into freshwater flow cycles and variations in water regimes upstream at various measurement points within the estuaries. A previously calibrated and validated hydraulic model is used to simulate drought-year scenarios and spatial changes in freshwaters over time. Findings indicate decreasing river discharges in the flood season, but increasing discharges in the dry season, due to the impacts of hydropower dams. In addition, the driest months are shifting earlier. From this data, we derive rules of thumb regarding freshwater distributions in the coastal estuaries of the VMD. These relate to (i) the boundary beyond which freshwater is always found; (ii) the boundary where freshwater appears daily; (iii) the start of the freshwater season; (iii) the boundary where freshwater appears until February and until April; (iv) the end of the flood season; and (v) the number of days without freshwater per year. The trends discerned will help local freshwater users and decision makers formulate forward-looking, flexible strategies for freshwater exploitation, while also providing avenues for further research.

On the Predictability of Radiation Fog Formation in a Mesoscale Model: A Case Study in Heterogeneous Terrain

This study evaluates the predictability of the formation phase of a radiation fog event observed during the night of 31 October 2015 to 01 November 2015 in the north-east of France at three sites managed by OPE (Observatoire Pérenne de l’Environnement). The fog layer shows significantly different behaviors at the three areas, which are located only a few kilometers apart. Three fog life cycles were observed: the formation of a dense adiabatic fog, the formation of a thin patchy fog, or no fog formation despite favorable conditions. This event was studied with the Meso-NH numerical mesoscale model at two horizontal resolutions, 500 m and 50 m. Simulations at 50 m allow estimation of the spread of the predicted parameters over the heterogeneous terrain studied. These numerical simulations strongly suggest that this event involved numerous interactions and complex circulations. The wind above the nocturnal boundary layer greatly affects the transition of shallow patchy fog into thick adiabatic fog. These numerical simulations also show that the occurrence and type of fog could be very different over a small but heterogeneous area. It is also interesting to note that the spread of the simulated parameters was very high during the transition from shallow fog to a deep fog layer. The spread was concentrated during the regime transition between the fog formation and its maturity. This appeared to be the result of the complex interplay of processes at numerous ranges of scale. A new concept called “pseudo-process diagram” is presented. These pseudo-process diagrams are very good tools to analyze fog, and allow a good illustration of the spread of fog during this chaotic phase. This kind of concept seems a promising tool to analyze fog predictability in depth.