bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Rh(III)‐Catalyzed Selective C8−H Acylmethylation of Quinoline N‐Oxides
Authors: You Chang , Pi Chao , Wu Yangjie , Cui Xiuling
Published: August 2018

A highly efficient Rh‐catalyzed regioselective C8−H acylmethylation of quinoline N‐oxides with sulfoxonium ylides using N‐oxide as the directing group under air atmosphere has been developed. This transformation has the generality of a broad scope of substrates, avoids external oxidants, and provides an efficient protocol to C8−H acylmethylated quinolines.

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Rolled‐Up Self‐Assembly of Compact Magnetic Inductors, Transformers, and Resonators
Authors: Karnaushenko Dmitriy D. , Karnaushenko Daniil , Grafe Hans‐Joachim , Kataev Vladislav , Büchner Bernd , Schmidt Oliver G.
Published: August 2018

3D self‐assembly of lithographically patterned ultrathin films opens a path to manufacture microelectronic architectures with functionalities and integration schemes not accessible by conventional 2D technologies. Among other microelectronic components, inductances, transformers, antennas, and resonators often rely on 3D configurations and interactions with electromagnetic fields requiring exponential fabrication efforts when downscaled to the micrometer range. Here, the controlled self‐assembly of functional structures is demonstrated. By rolling up ultrathin films into cylindrically shaped microelectronic devices, electromagnetic resonators, inductive and mutually coupled coils are realized. Electrical performance of these devices is improved purely by transformation of a planar into a cylindrical geometry. This is accompanied by an overall downscaling of the device footprint area by more than 50 times. Application of compact self‐assembled microstructures has significant impact on electronics, reducing size, fabrication efforts, and offering a wealth of new features in devices by 3D shaping.
Nasal polyp fibroblasts modulate epithelial characteristics via Wnt signaling
Authors: Dobzanski Alex , Khalil Syed Muaz , Lane Andrew P.
Published: August 2018

Background

While essential to the normal differentiation of ciliated airway epithelial cells, upregulated Wnt signaling in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) has been proposed to result in abnormal epithelial morphology and dysfunctional mucociliary clearance. The mechanism of epithelial Wnt signaling dysregulation in CRSwNP is unknown, and importantly cellular sources of Wnt ligands in CRSwNP have not yet been investigated.

Methods

Human sinonasal epithelial cells (hSNECs) and human sinonasal fibroblasts (hSNFs) were collected from 34 human subjects (25 control and 9 CRSwNP) and differentiated as primary air‐liquid interface (ALI) and organoid co‐cultures. hSNECs were isolated to the apical compartment of the transwell and hSNFs were isolated to the basolateral compartment. After 21 days of ALI culture, ciliary expression and sinonasal epithelial morphology were examined by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR). An organoid model was used to evaluate proliferation of basal cells in presence of hSNFs.

Results

Epithelial cells co‐cultured with CRSwNP‐hSNFs revealed significantly decreased ciliated cells, altered epithelial cell morphology, and increased colony forming efficiency compared to epithelial cells co‐cultured with control‐hSNFs. CRSwNP‐hSNFs showed significantly higher messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of canonical WNT3A. A Wnt agonist, CHIR99021, replicated CRSwNP‐hSNF co‐cultures, and treatment with the Wnt inhibitor IWP2 prevented abnormal morphologies.

Conclusion

These results suggest that abnormal interactions between epithelial cells and fibroblasts may contribute to CRSwNP pathogenesis and supports the concept that dysregulated Wnt signaling contributes impairment to epithelial function in CRSwNP.
Polynesian Deforestation of New Zealand: A Preliminary Synthesis
Authors: McGlone M. S.
Published: August 2018

In olden times our islands were covered with forest growth; the only open spaces were sterile places whereon nothing would grow. When Kupe and other early immigrants arrived here they lit fires at all places whereat they landed, and so much forest was destroyed, also the moa perished in those fires.

Maori tradition related to Best (1942:2).
Interactive Lecture in the Dissection Hall: Transforming Passive Lecture into a Dynamic Learning Experience
Authors: Chimmalgi Mamata
Published: August 2018

Traditionally, cadaver dissection and didactic lectures have formed the mainstay of teaching gross anatomy, but, apathy of the learners toward didactic lectures and reduction in the time allotted for teaching anatomy have necessitated adoption of interactive teaching methods that require lesser student contact time. In this study, for two consecutive years, first‐year medical students were taught selected gross anatomy topics using Interactive Lecture in the Dissection Hall (ILDH). Instead of discarding the traditional methods, ILDH combined the two into a single, cohesive, interactive session, to teach the topic through multiple, short, segments of lecture alternating with interactive demonstration on the specimen. This method emerged by combining the insight gained from the newer teaching methods and reasoning from the cognitive load theory and contiguity principle. Students’ performance after ILDH was assessed by a test and was compared with the performance after conventional method of teaching. Students’ perception toward ILDH was assessed by a questionnaire. Students perceived that ILDH not only helped them in understanding the concepts better (97.7%), but, was also a better learning experience (99.2%). Majority felt that ILDH should be made an integral part of teaching anatomy (97.7%). Students’ performance in the test after the unified approach of ILDH was significantly better than with the split‐source format of conventional methods. Students’ satisfaction, improved scores, and time efficiency indicate that ILDH may be an optimum method for teaching selected topics in anatomy.
Bayesian l0‐regularized least squares
Authors: Polson Nicholas G. , Sun Lei
Published: August 2018

Bayesian l0‐regularized least squares is a variable selection technique for high‐dimensional predictors. The challenge is optimizing a nonconvex objective function via search over model space consisting of all possible predictor combinations. Spike‐and‐slab (aka Bernoulli‐Gaussian) priors are the gold standard for Bayesian variable selection, with a caveat of computational speed and scalability. Single best replacement (SBR) provides a fast scalable alternative. We provide a link between Bayesian regularization and proximal updating, which provides an equivalence between finding a posterior mode and a posterior mean with a different regularization prior. This allows us to use SBR to find the spike‐and‐slab estimator. To illustrate our methodology, we provide simulation evidence and a real data example on the statistical properties and computational efficiency of SBR versus direct posterior sampling using spike‐and‐slab priors. Finally, we conclude with directions for future research.
Algorithm based on modified angle‐based outlier factor for open‐set classification of text documents
Authors: Walkowiak Tomasz , Datko Szymon , Maciejewski Henryk
Published: August 2018

This paper presents a new method of open‐set classification of text documents, with respect to subject areas. Standard (closed‐set) approaches to text classification involve training classifiers on annotated text corpora, representing a fixed number of subject areas. Such classifiers assign a new document with unknown annotation to one of the trained classes, even if the new document is not related to any class.

We propose a two‐step procedure for open‐set classification. We first use a closed‐set classifier to assign a new document to one of the known classes. Then, we evaluate the (dis)similarity between the document and the chosen class using a novel criterion of outlierness named interquartile ranged angle‐based outlierness factors, which we find effective in high‐dimensional data. Based on this, we can avoid spurious assignment of documents to unrelated subject classes.

We demonstrate the feasibility of this procedure in the task of subject classification of a collection of Wikipedia documents. As compared to the standard closed‐set approach, our open‐set classifier realizes significantly better precision with only small decrease of the recall measure observed in recognition of the tested classes.
„Außenliegende Wandtemperierung”
Authors: Schmidt Christoph , Altgeld Horst , Groß Bodo , Luther Gerhard , Maas Stefan , Scholzen Frank
Published: August 2018

Im Rahmen der Forschungsprojekte „LEXU” und „LEXU II” der IZES gGmbH wurde eine außenliegende Wandtemperierung (aWT) entwickelt und erprobt. Bei der außenliegenden Wandtemperierung handelt es sich um eine niederexergetische Flächentemperierung, die zwischen Bestandswand und neuem Wärmedämmverbundsystem (WDVS) aufgebracht wird. Es ist somit ein Sonderfall eines thermoaktiven Bauteilsystems (TABS), mit Fokus auf dem niederexergetischen Ansatz und mit der Möglichkeit einer minimalinvasiven thermischen Sanierung „von außen”. Erweitert man den Wandaufbau um einen Luftspalt zwischen dem Temperierungssystem und dem WDVS, so kann die aWT zu einer außenliegenden Lufttemperierung (aLT) erweitert werden. Neben der Erarbeitung der theoretischen Grundlagen und von Simulationsmöglichkeiten, werden beide Systeme aktuell anhand eines Demonstrationsobjektes umgesetzt. Der Fokus der Veröffentlichung liegt auf der Umsetzung der Feldtestfläche für die aWT. Inhaltlich baut diese Veröffentlichung auf den theoretischen Betrachtungen und den Kennwerten aus dem ersten Teil zu der Thematik in der Ausgabe Bauphysik 4/2017 auf.
AKTIVkrankenhaus – Modernisierungsstrategie für ein klimaneutrales Krankenhausareal
Authors: Fahrion Marc‐Steffen , Draeger Susan , Sinn Michel , Altinisik Leman , Sobek Werner
Published: August 2018

Die Waldkliniken im thüringischen Eisenberg haben als erstes Krankenhaus das Ziel, ihren Gebäudebestand sowie die geplanten Neubauten durch den Zubau erneuerbarer Energien und eine intelligente Verbrauchssteuerung in naher Zukunft klimaneutral zu versorgen und somit den von Werner Sobek entwickelten Aktivhaus‐Standard für ein gesamtes Krankenhausareal zu erfüllen. Im Rahmen einer durch das Thüringer Ministerium für Umwelt, Energie und Naturschutz sowie den Europäischen Fonds für regionale Entwicklung (EFRE) geförderten Studie wurde eine entsprechende Modernisierungsstrategie entwickelt. Infolge des aktuell noch sehr hohen Energieverbrauchs wurden zunächst Effizienzpotenziale im Bestand analysiert. Im Anschluss fand eine Untersuchung der am Standort erschließbaren regenerativen Energiequellen statt. Darauf aufbauend wurden ein kurzfristig umsetzbares Energiekonzept sowie eine mittelfristige Modernisierungsstrategie entwickelt. Diese erlaubt es, bis zum Ende der 2040er Jahre ein AKTIVkrankenhaus zu realisieren und darüber hinaus sogar am Regelenergiemarkt teilzunehmen und somit die Energiewende überregional zu unterstützen.
Host an in‐house disability compliance workshop
Authors: Eidtson William , Shoop Glenda , Stebbins Cori , Brandon Alicia J. , Albright Amanda
Published: August 2018

Health science disability services is a complex and rapidly evolving landscape. Faculty and staff with other professional duties often find it challenging to stay informed of the most current legal, instructional, and technological advances in disability compliance. The Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth's Office of Student Accessibility Services recently tackled this challenge through two three‐hour workshops that addressed key areas of disability compliance, including:
Molecular Simulation‐Assisted Solvent Selection for Separation of 1,2,4‐Trimethylbenzene
Authors: Cho Jung Ho , Kim Young Han
Published: August 2018

Extractive distillation is an alternative for processes where normal distillation is difficult, such as separation of close‐boiling mixtures, but solvent selection for distillation is laborious, and its selection pool is narrow. An innovative selection process using molecular simulation is proposed, and the performance of the selected solvent, 1,2,4‐trichlorobenzene, for the separation of 1,2,4‐trimethylbenzene from a C9 mixture is reviewed. The proposed process requires less investment and leads to lower operating expenses than the conventional two‐column process. The computed vapor‐liquid equilibrium determined from the molecular simulation is close to the HYSYS estimation in two ternary systems.
Development and validation of the autotransplanted maxillary canine radiological index
Authors: Grisar Koenraad , Vanpoecke Jasper , Raes Margot , Albdour Emad Ali , Willems Guy , Politis Constantinus , Jacobs Reinhilde
Published: August 2018

The purpose of this study was to propose and validate an index evaluating 2D and 3D radiographic variables of autotransplanted maxillary canines. Setting and sample population are from the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at University Hospitals Leuven. Eight oral‐maxillofacial surgeons rated 12 autotransplanted maxillary canines and adjacent bone using 11 rating variables. A new autotransplanted maxillary canine radiological index (AMCRI) was proposed. It consisted of 11 variables. These variables were based on 2D (intraoral) and 3D Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) radiographs. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Fleiss's kappa statistics were performed to analyze intrarater and interrater agreement. Considering cumulative assessment of the AMCRI, the mean ICC value for the interrater agreement of the eight examiners was 0.94, representing an excellent agreement. Intrarater agreement was 0.91. The AMCRI is an objective tool in rating radiological outcome of autotransplanted canines and adjacent bone, when compared with the contralateral canine.
Food additives and bioactive substances from in vitro systems of edible plants from the Balkan peninsula
Authors: Vrancheva Radka , Ivanov Ivan , Aneva Ina , Stoyanova Magdalena , Pavlov Atanas
Published: August 2018

During the last few years there is an increasing demand to the natural biologically active compounds. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) about 11% of the conventional medicines are of plant origin. Nowadays, plant biotechnologies are modern and reliable tool for producing valuable bioactive compounds. Recently, the potential of plant cells as foods also was confirmed. The advantages of plant in vitro systems over the intact plants are well known: growing under controlled and optimized laboratory conditions; independence of climatic and soil differences; preservation of rare and endangered plant species; cultivation in diverse bioreactor systems for increasing production yields of target metabolites.

There have been developed many in vitro systems for production of various plant bioactive compounds with potential application in food industries. But potential for industrial implementation of this technology depends on solving problems with the scale‐up of bioreactor cultivation, development of additional approaches for improving/modification of bioactivities of the target plant secondary metabolites, and to find way to exclude or replace in the culture media the carcinogenic plant growth regulator 2,4‐dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4‐D) with its safety analogs, such as α‐naphtaleneacetic acid (NAA) and/or indole‐3‐butyric acid (IBA).

The aim of the current mini review is to summarize information about different in vitro systems of edible plants from the Balkan Peninsula with potential for producing food additives and biologically active substances and to describe prospects for successful industrial implementation of this technology.
A rare case of choriocarcinoma after a positive pregnancy test in a postmenopausal woman
Authors: Chang Leona , Sookram Janhvi , Wilson‐Smith Robin
Published: August 2018

Choriocarcinomas are rare malignant trophoblastic tumors. There is a strong need for development of guidelines for therapeutic decision making.
Incorporating Variability and Reuse into System Architecture Models – Principles and Challenges
Authors: Malone Robert , Friedland Brittany , Herrold John , Houde Ronald
Published: August 2018

Great economies are achieved in the design, production and support of corporate Product Lines if available features and components can be shared across Products and across Product Lines. Incorporation and effective management of Product variability and component reuse within System Architecture models can improve the chances of successfully designing and deploying Product Lines. This paper introduces some principles for incorporating feature‐based variability and reuse within System Architecture models, and also some challenges that must be overcome to allow the effective management of Product Line design models.
What Can You Learn About Systems Engineering by Building a Lego™ Car?
Authors: Hahn Heidi Ann
Published: August 2018

Los Alamos National Laboratory's (LANL's) Future Female Leaders in Engineering (FFLIE) Program brings female engineering undergraduate students to the Laboratory for summer internships, which include a technical work assignment and a specialized eight‐week long professional development course. During their first year, FFLIE students receive training on LANL's Mission Assurance (MA) Program, which involves the integrated application of systems engineering (SE), project management (PM), and engineering quality and rigor (QA) to ensure mission success. The instruction is organized around the system development project life cycle and emphasizes activities and artifacts associated with the various life cycle phases. A home improvement project (adapted from Braakhuis, Janssen, Koudenburg, de Liefde, Malotaux, Rens, and Stevenson, 2010) is used in a series of table‐top exercises throughout to illustrate various points. The training culminates with a project – building a car for a Lego™ Derby race – on which the students exercise the skills they have just learned in the classroom instruction. This paper briefly reviews the instructional content, with an emphasis on the activities and artifacts exercised in the Derby project; provides lessons learned; and concludes that there's a lot one can learn about SE by building a Lego™ Derby car if the experience is properly structured! Overviews of FFLIE students’ learnings about requirements, measures of performance, trade studies, and verification and validation are provided.
The Implementation of a Business Intelligence Platform to Leverage the Army Logistics Support Command's Balanced Scorecard – A Case Study
Authors: Rodríguez Raúl , Díaz‐Osto Pedro , Sols Alberto
Published: August 2018

Many complex organizations struggle to optimize the use of their assets and resources. The Logistics Support Command of the Spanish Army was aware, about a decade ago, of a number of inefficiencies that had a negative influence on the effectiveness of the weapon systems that it had to sustain in their operational lives. In order to improve the management of its allocated resources, it decided to develop and implement a balanced scorecard and a business intelligence platform. The job was performed with the support of ISDEFE (Engineering Systems for the Defence of Spain) the systems engineering firm of the Ministry of Defence. The systems approach led to a successful implementation of the needed platform, which substantially enhanced the effectiveness and efficiency of the Logistics Support Command. This paper shows what was done, and how. This case study of applied systems engineering enables the issuing of a number of recommendations for organizations that plan to develop similar business intelligence platforms, as a mechanism to becoming more competent and successful at the managing of their resources.
The Systems Engineering Incompetency Framework
Authors: Pickard Andrew C , Beasley Richard , Nolan Andy J
Published: August 2018

The INCOSE Competency Working Group has invested significant effort in defining a Systems Engineering Competency Framework. This is important in that it allows Engineers to assess their level of competence in the different Systems Engineering skills and see where further training or on‐the‐job experience may help them become more effective Systems Engineers. The assumption is that competency starts at zero and improves with experience and training. This paper looks at the opposite side of the coin; what happens if a competence is not just absent, but if a reverse “incompetence” is present. Does this spell disaster for a program or for development of an effective product? Is it possible to train someone in an incompetency? What can Engineers do to avoid developing a “Systems Engineering Incompetency”?
Informing the delineation of input uncertainty space in exploratory modelling using a heuristic approach
Authors: Moallemi Enayat A. , Elsawah Sondoss , Ryan Michael J.
Published: August 2018

Exploratory modelling is an emerging approach which can address the challenge of model‐based decision making in dealing with input model uncertainties. Exploratory modelling samples from an input uncertainty space and generates extensive computational experiments to analyse possible model behaviours in an output solution space. The way that the input uncertainty space is delineated influences the results of exploratory modelling and its computational cost. In this article, we show the statistical significance of the implication of the size of an input uncertainty space on the resulted output solution space. We also propose a heuristic approach which informs the delineation of input uncertainties by screening the relevant model behaviour in the solution space. An illustrative example of an aircraft fleet management system is used to demonstrate the implementation of our approach in practice. We conclude that the delineation of input uncertainty space can be a way to control simulations in exploratory modelling and to enhance the efficiency of the exploration process and the confidence of the final results.
Utilization of Goal Function Trees for Robust Requirements Definition
Authors: Gethers Marc , Thomas Dale
Published: August 2018

This paper describes the implementation of the Goal Function Tree (GFT) for an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) in a Systems Modeling Language (SysML) environment which tracks nominal and off nominal goals for a successful flight of a UAV. The utility of the GFT enables the traceability of the system's goals and requirements to perform a successful mission scenario. Definition of nominal goals reduces ambiguity about mission success and can be followed more easily by the customer. Furthermore, the Goal Function Tree can also track and implement corrections if the measurements for success are deviating through the use of off nominal functions. The GFT's off nominal functions create a new set of functions and goals that attempt to mitigate a failing attribute instead of the other methods that only defined failure. This methodology creates a set of procedures for an operator or system when action is needed, thereby identifying more robust requirements as compared to traditional requirements development based only on nominal mission scenarios. The advantage of the SysML environment enables the legible traceability of the overlapping of goals of various structural and behavioral system objects, the execution of functions, and implementation of stereotypes which classifies the interactions between objects.
Delivering Better Projects on Time by Ensuring Requirements Quality Upfront
Authors: Vaz Eduardo
Published: August 2018

As systems and projects become ever more complex due to multiple and distinct stakeholders, growing user demands, stricter regulations, and rapidly increasing integration and automation, the number and criticality of requirements also grows rapidly. The number of errors due to poor, ambiguous, and inconsistent requirements are becoming unmanageable and are leading to dramatic costs overruns and systemic delays. This paper investigates the cause and effects that errors in natural language requirements have in a projects’ timelines and costs and how an emerging class of automated requirements analysis tools based on computational natural language processing can be harnessed by domain experts at the onset of the development lifecycle for them to retake control and ensure successful projects on time and on budget.
Using Systems Theory to Address Complex Challenges to International Spent Nuclear Fuel Transportation
Authors: Williams Adam D.
Published: August 2018

Simply looking at a world map suggests new, more complex set of risks and threats will challenge successful international spent nuclear fuel (SNF) transportation operations. Whether related to multimodal transfers of SNF casks or inconsistency in multijurisdictional control measures, international SNF transportation represents a clear example of new threats and risk stemming from a multifaceted, globalized operating environment. In response to recent work out of Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) suggesting that new, system‐theoretic analysis techniques better ensure safe, secure and safeguarded international transportation of SNF, this paper explores the ability of basic systems theory concepts—interdependence, hierarchy and emergence—to better understand and address these complexities in system analysis.
How Many Systems Engineers Does It Take To Change a Light Bulb?
Authors: Nolan Andy , Pickard Andrew C , Nolan Judy , Beasley Richard , Pruitt Timothy C
Published: August 2018

This paper transposes lessons learnt in cost and schedule estimating over to Systems Engineering. Systems Engineering, like estimating, is reliant on the experience and judgement of the individuals developing the system. But how effective is judgement and can we trust it?

Often Systems Engineers will not have enough data and must rely on their judgement. But humans are notoriously bad at judgement because they suffer from emotions, biases and egos.

However, since the early 20th century, it has been known that the collective judgement of a crowd can often be better than the judgement of many of the individuals within the crowd. Systems Engineering benefits from independent reviews, brainstorming and other group based techniques. We know that “many heads are better than one”, but how many heads?

Although we all use judgement in most of our work and life, we have a low opinion of any conclusions based entirely on judgement. Based on a study of 3,760 guesses, this paper draws some useful conclusions for when to use judgement, when to use a crowd and how to determine the optimum crowd size when using judgement in Systems Engineering.

Although the paper refers to the judgement of numerical values, the findings described in this paper apply to any group based activities in Systems Engineering.
Formalizing Requirements Verification and Validation
Authors: Carson Ronald S. , Noel Robert A.
Published: August 2018

The Verification and Validation of requirements are formalized using decomposition and set theory to yield four elemental criteria, verifiability, feasibility, necessity, and sufficiency, which are derived from definitions of requirements “verification” and “validation”, and “correct and complete” requirements. These criteria are mapped to the fourteen characteristics of requirements in the INCOSE Guide to Writing Requirements. Requirements parent‐child relationships are established for the verification and validation (V&V) criteria at multiple levels of a system architecture, from user needs to component requirements. Using these V&V criteria during the requirements development process would enable improved first‐pass success and less rework caused by revisiting missing, incomplete, incorrect or unnecessary requirements.
A Novel “Resilience Viewpoint” to aid in Engineering Resilience in Systems of Systems (SoS)
Authors: Joannou Demetrios , Kalawsky Roy
Published: August 2018

Designing evolutionary systems to meet stakeholder expectations on safety, reliability and overall resilience is of great importance in an age of interconnectivity and high dependency systems. With incidents and disruptions becoming more frequent in recent years, the requirement for systems to demonstrate high levels of resilience given the economic, political and temporal dimensions of complexity, resilience is of great significance today. Systemic resilience is of high importance at the global level. Therefore, the role of the system engineer and architect is becoming more demanding due to the need to consider requirements from a broader range of stakeholders and to implement them into early conceptual designs. The early modeling process of all systems is common ground for most engineering projects, creating an architecture to both understand a system and to design future iterations by applying model‐based processes has become the norm. With the concept of systems‐of‐systems (SoS) becoming common language across multiple engineering domains, model‐based systems engineering techniques are evolving hand‐in‐hand to provide a paradigm to better analyse current and future SoS. The intrinsic characteristics of the constituent systems that make up the SoS make the challenge of designing and maintaining the reliability and resilience of a systems extremely difficult. This paper proposes a novel viewpoint, within an architecture framework (based around DoDAF, MoDAF and UPDM) to aid systems architects explore and design resilient SoS. This is known as theResilience Viewpoint.Much of the research in the area is focussed on critical infrastructure (CI), looking at telecommunication networks, electric grid, supply networks etc, and little has been done on a generalizable tool for SoS architecture analysis, especially using existing modeling languages. Here, the application of the ‘Resilience Viewpoint’ is demonstrated using a case study from an integrated water supply system of systems, to portray its potential analytical capabilities.
Quantitative Resiliency Analysis of Microgrids
Authors: Hecht Myron
Published: August 2018

Electrical power generation, transmission, and distribution are among the most vital of the critical infrastructure services in modern society. While electrical grids in developed regions of the world are highly reliable, they are vulnerable to cyberattacks, extreme weather, electromagnetic pulses, and other extreme natural phenomena and malicious events. Microgrids are generally recognized as a means of increasing resiliency of electrical power. However, a specific quantitative definition of resilience and the appropriate measures of performance and effectiveness have not yet been established. Without these quantitative measures of performance and effectiveness, it is not possible to assess how much resilience a microgrid has or what enhancements or corrective actions are necessary to enable it to reach a specified level of resiliency. This paper proposes such quantitative resiliency measures, sets forth approaches for modeling and evaluating them, provides application examples, and shows they can be encapsulated within SysML models.
A successful use of systems approaches in cross‐disciplinary healthcare improvement
Authors: Johnson Julian , Smith Gary , Beck Fran , Harding Alan
Published: August 2018

UK Healthcare is facing many different trends: a changing demographic of an ageing and ‘frail’ population; increasing numbers of the population living with at least two long term conditions; improvements in medical care and interventions which can treat a larger number of conditions; continued budget pressures and raising expectations. Healthcare is a complex socio‐technical system, and to identify and devise interventions with clear net benefits is a challenge: we see a classic ‘wicked problem'. The outcome from three INCOSE‐facilitated multi‐disciplinary workshops was a coherent prioritised work programme, with buy‐in from all stakeholders, and traceable back to original issues and opportunities. This presentation will explain the context, the engagement from INCOSE, the nature of the workshops and techniques applied, and the outcomes. The developed programme supports the Shropshire and Telford NHS Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP). Arguably the biggest ongoing challenge remains handling complexity and coherence across multiple stakeholder perspectives.
An MBSE modeling approach to efficiently address complex systems and scalability
Authors: Duprez Jean
Published: August 2018

For decades Airbus has largely used modeling and simulation techniques all along the development cycle. Nowadays, the use of systemic approaches, associated with proper modeling tools and technics, provides efficient solutions to leverage associated benefits while addressing the increasing systems complexity. This paper highlights some of these modeling principles, providing ways to improve, ease and make design activities more efficient, and providing solutions to better master the overall design complexity. The paper illustrates how to combine them, thanks to a given model structure, based on a deployment case performed within Airbus. Such an implementation requires significant customization efforts, raising risks to well support its deployment in extended enterprise, with other partners. Out of specificities linked to features of used modeling tools, the goal of this paper is to share with the MBSE community some root principles and needs, in order to have them better involved into future tools and standards.
A fresh look at Systems Engineering – what is it, how should it work?
Authors: Sillitto Hillary , Griego Regina , Arnold Eileen , Dori Dov , Martin James , McKinney Dorothy , Godfrey Patrick , Krob Daniel , Jackson Scott
Published: August 2018

INCOSE's definition of SE was compared to the aspirations set out in SE Vision 2025 for SE as it ought to be to address modern challenges. Doing this led us to three fundamental realisations. First, while “20th century systems” were, for the most part, “deterministic” or nearly so, 21st century systems are on the other hand increasingly non‐deterministic, adaptive or “evolutionary”. Second, while “20th Century Systems Engineering Management” was implicitly based on a “command and control” paradigm, 21st Century Systems Engineering, to be successful, will usually need to use a more collaborative leadership paradigm. And third, that while 20th Century systems were largely “single systems”, designed to “solve” specific problems, 21st Century systems are almost invariably networked, and are parts of complex extended enterprises with multiple, often conflicting, stakeholder objectives, that are intimately related to complex societal challenges. We used elements of Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) to understand the implication and consequences of the paradigm shift implied by these realisations. A revised strawman definition of Systems Engineering is offered for consideration by INCOSE, showing the changes that would be required to take these and related factors into account.
A Systems Engineering Assessment of Emergency Disconnect System from the User Perspective
Authors: Kjørstad Marianne , Falk Kristin
Published: August 2018

This paper assesses the decision‐making process for activation of the Emergency Disconnect Systems (EDS) on offshore rigs in the oil and gas domain. The industry strives to evolve to a higher level of autonomy. At the same time, the standards and regulations are falling behind. The objective of this paper is to investigate the knowledge gap in engineering requirements for a future autonomous decision‐making system. We have interviewed key personnel with operational experience from Dynamic Positioning (DP) rigs operating on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS), and a specialist engineer from a global supplier of offshore workover systems. The standards currently applied to design the EDS, are mainly providing procedures. To evolve to a higher level of autonomy, we suggest that designers consider the socio‐technical elements and relations of the EDS. The ISO9241‐210 standard can contribute with a human‐centered design approach as a supplement to the existing engineering approach.
Use of a Multidisciplinary Design Optimization Approach to Model Treatment Decisions in Oropharyngeal Cancer
Authors: Aarhus Robert T. , Huang Edward
Published: August 2018

A potential Systems Engineering (SE) contribution to the healthcare discipline is in modeling the influence of interrelationships found in long‐term clinical decision‐making dynamics. Shared decision‐making (SDM) is an increasingly important practice used to navigate challenging issues in the selection of appropriate therapies. We have employed a Multidisciplinary Design Optimization (MDO) approach to formulate a prospective SDM model addressing treatment pathways for patients diagnosed with oropharyngeal cancer (OPC). While routine SDM is usually a collaboration between physician and patient, chronic and serious illness requires a longitudinal approach that coordinates action and decision space between multiple independent entities and represents a complex engineered system (CES) focused on successful treatment outcomes. We discuss an example that illustrates the trade‐offs between functionality and longevity that is often seen in OPC, and outline our efforts in augmenting SDM practices to reduce regret and recognize the diversity of patient preferences.
Integration of Parametric Cost Estimation with System Architecture – It's a dirty job but someone has to do it!
Authors: Papke Barry. , Wang Gan
Published: August 2018

The rapid adoption and advancement of Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) methods and tools opens up new avenues of systems engineering practices. One of them is cost estimation. As a key enabler for affordability analysis and budgetary decision making, cost estimation is an essential component for all system development and sustainment efforts. However, cost estimation is typically a separate endeavor from the design and development effort, creating a professional “chasm” between the worlds of systems designers and of cost analysts, causing a disconnect between the system as designed and the cost and effort required to build it.

This paper describes an approach to “tightly” integrate the existing practice of parametric cost estimation with the system architecture development process by leveraging MBSE and SysML to enable repeatable and efficient estimation of system development cost, and to allow system cost and affordability to be incorporated into the “digital thread” of the design while improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the cost estimation process. By expanding our previous work (Papke, Wang and Pavalkis 2017), this paper describes a new concept of operation (CONOP) for system development, enabled by the integrated SysML and COSYSMO modeling environment, that effectively connects the cost baselines to the technical baselines throughout the project life cycle. This new CONOP presents another step towards “pulling the digital thread” by making affordability and economic analysis an integral part of the system architecture.
Information Technology Governance through the Complex System Governance Lens
Authors: Bradley Joseph M. , Soule Ralph T.
Published: August 2018

As the field of complex system governance (CSG) continues to emerge, definition of organizations that reflect the principles of complex system governments can be imagined. We briefly review the progression of research on complex system governance, beginning with the conundrum posed by Rittel and Weber for current research in the field. A high level over view of the Complex System Governance Reference Model (Keating and Bradley (2015)) is provided to ground the following analysis. We next apply principles of CSG identified by Keating and Bradley (2015) to an exemplar Information Technology (IT) system of systems (a complex system) that is part of a larger industrial enterprise. This application of the Reference Model continues with a discussion of gaps in the espoused governance model of the US Navy system for software acquisition and maintenance. The paper concludes with suggestions for further research. This paper is part of a sequence on the development, design and maturation of Complex System Governance.
Reverse engineering a legacy software in a complex system: A systems engineering approach
Authors: Moraga Maximiliano , Zhao Yang‐Yang
Published: August 2018

In a complex system, a legacy software as a component is determined by various factors beyond its own capability. Lack of knowledge that shaped software, which is often the case of a legacy software, can prohibit appropriate maintenance and development to comply with the system needs. To reverse engineering legacy software for a fit with the overall system of interest is a daunting task. Existing techniques of reverse engineering are mostly from a purely technical point of view and for the single discipline of software engineering. Thus, this paper aims for an approach to properly reverse engineer the reasoning behind the legacy software developments in a complex system. By jointly apply the CAFCR model and the reverse engineering, a roadmap is created to guide incremental developments of legacy software in a complex system, which benefits both the maintenance of existing implementation and realization of new functionalities for improved system performance.
Integrating Safety and Reliability Analysis into MBSE: overview of the new proposed OMG standard
Authors: Biggs Geoffrey , Juknevicius Tomas , Armonas Andrius , Post Kyle
Published: August 2018

Model‐Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) is gaining popularity in organizations creating complex systems where it is crucial to collaborate in a multi‐disciplinary environment. SysML, being one of the key MBSE components, has a good foundation for capturing requirements, architecture, constraints, views and viewpoints. It allows linking different types of models that come from different engineering disciplines. However, inherent safety and reliability aspects of a system are not addressed by the SysML language. A new group at the OMG has been created by industry experts in this area to address these aspects in a new standard. In this paper, with the intent to get feedback from the systems engineering community, the members of the newly formed group present the current state of the Safety and Reliability Analysis Profile for UML submission, which extends the SysML language with the tools for modelling safety and reliability aspects. This paper also explains the value users get from taking a model‐based approach to safety and reliability analysis and integrating it into the MBSE toolkit. Open issues and challenges are also discussed.
An “EPIIC” Vision to Evolve Project Integration, Innovation, and Collaboration with Broad Impact for How NASA Executes Complex Projects
Authors: Moreland Robert J. , Evans John W. , McGowan Anna‐Maria R. , Knizhnik Jessica , Phojanamongkolkij Nipa
Published: August 2018

Evolving Project Integration, Innovation, and Collaboration (EPIIC) is a vision defined to transform the way projects manage information to support real‐time decisions, capture best practices and lessons learned, perform assessments, and manage risk across a portfolio of projects. The foundational project management needs for data and information will be revolutionized through innovations on how we manage and access that data, implement configuration control, and certify compliance. The embedded intelligence of new interactive data interfaces integrate technical and programmatic data such that near real time analytics can be accomplished to more efficiently and accurately complete systems engineering and project management tasks. The system‐wide data analytics that are integrated into customized data interfaces allows the growing team of engineers and managers required to develop and implement major NASA missions the ability to access authoritative source(s) of system information while greatly reducing the labor required to complete system assessments. This would allow, for example, much of what is accomplished in a scheduled design review to take place as needed, between any team members, at any time. An intelligent data interface that rigorously integrates systems engineering and project management information in near real time can provide substantially greater insight for systems engineers, project managers, and the large diverse teams required to complete a complex project. System engineers, programmatic personnel (those who focus on cost, schedule, and risk), the technical engineering disciplines, and project management can realize immediate benefit from the shared vision described herein. Implementation of the vision also enables significant improvements in the performance of the engineered system being developed.
The Whole Nine Yards of Systems Engineering: Stakeholders and enabling / realization systems
Authors: Beasley Richard , Pickard Andrew C , Cardow Iain , Symons Jon
Published: August 2018

This paper explores how a Systems Engineer, during the development of a system, needs to convert their focus from considering the stakeholders of the system to becoming a stakeholder themselves. In particular, the paper explores the outflow of derived needs, not only to other elements of the system, but out to the realization or enabling systems. An extension to James Martin's classic 7 Samurai systems is made, adding consideration of a Business Execution system to create and deliver the solution (including engagement with the realization systems), and the layers of Enterprise system management to control multiple projects (and possibly sectors). This leads to identification of 9 systems involved in a system delivery – “the whole nine yards of Systems Engineering”.

The implications of the interaction with the realization systems to both Program Management and the modelling are reviewed. In most companies, where there is more than one solution produced the realization systems are shared, and therefore must be considered as a complex, rather than complicated, capability system supporting the solution delivery.
Integrating a Model‐Based Systems Engineering and Model‐Based Product Support Approach for Affordable System Sustainment
Authors: Kwon Steve , Page Kimberly , Weinstein Kevin
Published: August 2018

Systems engineers and product support managers often approach building the “best” or “right” system from different perspectives. Systems engineers focus on technical solutions that meet system requirements and maximize capabilities, while product support managers focus on optimized sparing levels and reduced supply chain delays. These tendencies lead to design decisions that do not optimize system readiness over the system life cycle. As programs evolve to deliver systems in today's budget constrained environment, several are adopting model‐based engineering approaches. The emphasis in acquisition is often to capture system requirements and architecture definition through a model‐based systems engineering (MBSE) approach. There is a significant opportunity to integrate model‐based product support (MBPS) practices with MBSE through concept and development to enable a decision support capability that effects optimized sustainment costs and demonstrates impacts on system readiness in design trades.