bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Correlation of vitamin D receptor gene (ApaI) polymorphism with periodontitis: A meta‐analysis of Chinese population
Authors: Guo Hai‐xia , Pan Jian , Pan Heng‐biao , Cui Si‐jia , Fang Chun‐ying 
Published: September 2019

AbstractMany studies have tried to elucidate the connection between vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene (ApaI) polymorphism and periodontitis; however, so far there is no consensus. To further assess the impact of ApaI polymorphism on periodontitis risk, we have conducted a meta‐analysis of Chinese population. Relevant literatures were searched according to PubMed and Chinese database in January 2019. The strength of correlation was evaluated by combining odds ratio (ORs) and 95% confidence interval (CIs). Six case–control studies were identified with inclusion criteria, including 734 cases of periodontitis and 687 controls. Based on the overall analysis, the VDR ApaI polymorphism was not due to the risk of periodontitis in all models. Subgroup analysis showed that the risk of periodontitis in North China was significantly reduced. To sum up, the study shows that VDR‐ApaI polymorphism may be connected with a lower risk of periodontitis in northern China. It is suggested that inferential studies should be conducted in other ethnic groups.
Why is glycocholic acid sodium salt better than deoxycholic acid sodium salt for the preparation of mixed micelle injections?
Authors: Wang Tao , Shen Liao , Sun Lijun , Zhang Yadan , Li Haiyan , Wang Yongan , Quan Dongqin 
Published: September 2019

AbstractClassical mixed micelle systems make excellent parenteral drug carriers for lipophilic or poorly soluble drugs, but many formulations details are not fully understood and need further study. Thus, we constructed mixed micelle systems with lecithin and either glycocholic acid sodium salt or deoxycholic acid sodium salt in order to investigate the differences between the bile salts. Vitamin K1, a lipid‐soluble drug, was encapsulated in the mixed micelles, and the influence of bile salts on the quality and stability of the mixed micelle systems was analyzed. Both bile salts displayed similar profiles, and the amounts of bile salts used in formulating clear solutions did not differ. Mixed micelle systems formed from glycocholic acid sodium were physically stable at low pH levels (5.5), whereas those formed from deoxycholic acid required higher pH (>8.5). High pH levels hurt active pharmaceutical ingredients that are prone to hydrolytic and oxidative degradation. Hence, when mixed micelle systems formed from deoxycholic acid sodium were sterilized, unexpected chemical unstability occurred. Therefore, we conclude that glycocholic acid sodium salt is more suitable than deoxycholic acid sodium salt for the preparation of mixed micelle injections.
Techno‐economic assessment of carbon capture, utilization and storage for coal‐fired power generation, and CO2‐enhanced oil recovery in the USA: an Ohio case study
Authors: Fukai Isis , Mishra Srikanta , Scharenberg Mackenzie , Jimenez Martin , Glier Justin , Peterson Rick 
Published: September 2019

AbstractThe economic feasibility of carbon dioxide (CO2) enhanced oil recovery (EOR) to offset CO2capture costs from a coal‐fired power plant are evaluated for 36 source‐sink scenarios in Ohio; one of the top ten states for fossil‐fuel use and CO2emissions in the United States. Six capture scenarios are examined for a representative 550 megawatt (MW) coal‐fired power plant, and three CO2‐EOR injection scenarios are evaluated for both East Canton oil field and Gore consolidated oil field. The potential costs and credits associated with CO2storage related tax incentives are also considered. Power plant capture performance and costs integrated with field‐scale CO2‐EOR techno‐economics suggest that there are potentially feasible scenarios for capture, transport, and CO2‐EOR storage of 25%, 50%, and 90% of CO2emissions, respectively, from a 550 MW power plant. Economically feasible outcomes exhibiting net present values of $2191, $1380, and $1940 million are estimated for the 25%, 50%, and 90% capture scenarios, respectively. On average, the 45Q tax credit for CO2storage affords a $3–$7 per barrel decrease in the minimum oil price required to break‐even on the project. In all source‐sink scenarios qualifying as feasible, the CO2capture costs incurred by the power plant are offset by revenue from CO2‐EOR and are not passed on to ratepayers during the 30‐year analysis time frame. The most economical outcome for supporting a commercial carbon capture, utilization, and storage project in Ohio is also identified, and the potential impact of CO2‐EOR operational strategy on source‐sink feasibility is discussed. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The impact of menstrual hygiene management on adolescent health: The effect of Go! pads on rate of urinary tract infection in adolescent females in Kibogora, Rwanda
Authors: Janoowalla Hannah , Keppler Hannah , Asanti Daniel , Xie Xianhong , Negassa Abdissa , Benfield Nerys , Rulisa Stephen , Nathan Lisa M. 
Published: September 2019

AbstractObjectiveTo determine the rates of urinary tract infection (UTI) in adolescent users of menstrual pads versus non‐users in a rural area of Rwanda.MethodsAn interventional prospective cohort study was conducted at four secondary schools in the Western Province of Rwanda from May 12, 2017 to October 20, 2017. Inclusion criteria were female students aged 18–24 who were menstruating and volunteered to participate in the study. In total, 240 adolescent participants were assigned to two cohorts; 120 received menstrual pads for 6 months and the other 120 did not use pads. Baseline symptoms and urine cultures were obtained. Symptoms and methods of menstrual hygiene management were assessed and urine cultures were obtained every 2 months. The primary outcome was the presence of UTI diagnosed by positive urine culture. Secondary outcomes were symptoms of UTI, vulvovaginal symptoms, sexual activity, dyspareunia, and self‐reported sexually transmitted infection. Generalized estimating equations with nesting were used to assess associations of pad use with study outcomes.ResultsA total of 209 participants completed the study. There was no difference in rates of positive urine culture. A decreased odds of vulvovaginal symptoms was found in self‐reported ”always” versus “never” pad users (odds ratio [OR] 0.64, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.43–0.96; P=0.031).ConclusionsDespite not finding any difference in rates of UTI, the present study showed a decreased rate of vulvovaginal symptoms in users of menstrual pads. Further research investigating rates of genital infections in this population is thus necessary.
Approach to structure, formalize and map MBSE meta‐models and semantic rules
Authors: Duprez Jean 
Published: September 2019

AbstractFor decades Airbus has largely used modeling and simulation techniques all along the development cycle. Models are nowadays key components of most advanced methods and tools, dealing with many different disciplines and addressing most of systems engineering processes and domain specific needs. As a result, models come from a large variety of modeling tools that use different diagrams, domain specific languages and features. This paper aims to present an approach used in Airbus to ensure the consistency of information that is formalized and shared through these models. It relies on the definition of a generic ontology and on the identification of how concepts are depicted in models and in each type of diagram used. Resulting correspondence rules are then used to ensure the overall semantic consistency of model elements and to support the propagation of modifications.
Improving the information transfer between engineering and installation; case study at AS Nymo
Authors: Thygesen Erik , Muller Gerrit , Kokkula Satyanarayana 
Published: September 2019

AbstractEngineering, Procurement, Construction and Installation (EPCI) projects for the offshore oil and gas industry become more and more complex, with a reduced timeframe, and increased demand for cost savings in the industry. The result is reduced profit margins; therefore, the need for increased productivity is higher than ever. Some of the aspects important for productivity include material flow, information flow, sound planning, and organizational structure. This paper focuses on the information transfer between the engineering team and the installation phase of the fabrication at AS Nymo. Feedback from stakeholders, previous research and lessons learned from completed projects pinpoints that this handover has a potential for improvement. We analyzed historical data and involved key stakeholders in an iterative process to identify insignificant elements in the handover format. By removing this insignificant information, we found that it is possible to reduce the number of handover revisions by 60%. Additionally, we found that improving the handover could give a 67% reduction in time spent for the receiving stakeholders to find the specific information they seek. To verify our results, we suggest further testing for verification before validation through a full‐scale project execution testing for future research.
Implementing systems engineering and project management processes in a Canadian company – Overview and Results Achieved
Authors: Tremblay Nicolas , Laporte Claude Y. , Poliquin Denis , Menaceur Jamil 
Published: September 2019

AbstractThis article presents a project consisting of implementing project management and systems engineering processes at CSinTrans Inc. (CSiT), a Canadian company founded in 2011. CSiT provides multi‐modal transit information systems as well as information integration to the transit industry worldwide. The Basic profile of the ISO/IEC 29110 for systems engineering has been used as the main reference for the development of these processes.The reasons that prompted CSiT to implement the ISO/IEC 29110 are mentioned. The approach and details on how the standard has been implemented are presented. The lessons learned are described. CSiT developed three process groups to match the attributes of projects such as size and nature. The selection of tools to support the processes is discussed.Third‐party audits, conducted annually since 2016, that led CSiT to become the first systems engineering company successfully audited with ISO/IEC 29110, are presented as well as the benefits obtained.ISO/IEC 29110 has helped raise the maturity of the organization by implementing proven practices and developing consistent work products from one project to another. ISO/IEC 29110 was a good starting point to align processes with specific practices of CMMI® Maturity Levels 2 and 3. ISO/IEC 29110 has also helped CSiT in developing light processes as well as remaining flexible and quick in its ability to respond to its customers.To illustrate the implementation of the Basic profile of ISO/IEC 29110 in other engineering domains, this article briefly presents the implementation in the automotive, agriculture, aeronautic, nuclear and space domains in 6 enterprises of France in 2018.
Managing Complexity with Agility and Openness
Authors: Rosser Larri A. 
Published: September 2019

AbstractThis paper, based on a series of observational studies, workshops and panel sessions with systems engineering practitioners who apply agile and open concepts to complex systems, describes a pragmatic approach to identifying manifestations of complexity in engineered systems and applying agile and open concepts to managing that complexity. The author's intent is to apply the heuristics and recommendations in this paper to a number of projects in the form of structured pilots to advance empirical understanding of tactics for managing complexity in engineering.Engineering projects and systems are becoming increasingly dynamic, intricate and collaborative in response to forces such as globalization, interconnectivity, the pace of technical change and integration of human and natural systems. Approaches emerging in response to these changes include complex systems science, agile frameworks and techniques, and open architecture methods and standards.Systems Engineering practitioners are beginning to employ these approaches in combination to address the challenges of current and future needs. Domains such as Agile Space employ open architectures as enablers for agility. Teams employ agile methods to solve complex problems in security, networking and healthcare domains. As these pairwise applications become more common, the interaction between complexity, agility and openness become more frequent and intricate. This paper explores ways in which these interactions can enhance engineering practice.
OMG standard for integrating safety and reliability analysis into MBSE: Concepts and applications
Authors: Biggs Geoffrey , Post Kyle , Armonas Andrius , Yakymets Nataliya , Juknevicius Tomas , Berres Axel 
Published: September 2019

AbstractModel‐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. However, SysML does not provide the necessary constructs to capture safety and reliability information in the system model. A group of industry experts at the OMG has been working since 2016 to define a new specification providing the necessary capabilities. This paper provides an update on the progress of this work. It discusses the proposed specification's use of generic concepts to allow information interchange amongst diverse analyses, its use of existing SysML constructs to provide automation of safety and reliability work in existing modelling tools, and describes several of the supported analysis methods.
The Digital Twin Throughout the SE Lifecycle
Authors: Hause Matthew 
Published: September 2019

AbstractA digital twin is much as it sounds: a digital representation of a specific asset in the field, including current and past configuration states, considering serialized parts, software versions, options, and variants. Condition data is also represented including sensor readings, alerts, and operating environments. A digital twin has significant implications for service, operations, analysis, design, etc. especially when visualized as a Computer Aided Design (CAD)‐sourced graphic in 3D virtual or augmented reality. Using this immersive and real‐time information, engineers can inspect and verify the asset being serviced, designed or operated to get precise product information. However, the digital twin does not spring into life fully formed straight from the CAD model. It requires an informed system engineering approach to ensure that the integration between physical and digital is fit for purpose. Model‐Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) models can be used in conjunction with the digital twin to improve operational models, predict and analyze faults, perform best‐fit analysis and eliminate inappropriate system configurations, etc. This paper will look at various aspects of the digital twin and how it can be used in conjunction with MBSE.
A Subjective Toolbox for Sociotechnical Systems
Authors: Devaney Kevin 
Published: September 2019

AbstractOne of the recent developments in systems engineering has been the expansion of its focus to include sociotechnical systems. As systems become larger and more complex, the interactions between humans and systems become more important, as do the interactions between systems and the environment. There have been calls for systems engineering to adapt to these changes. New disciplines and new frameworks have been proposed in response. In this paper, it is argued that these new disciplines and frameworks will have a limited impact because they have a limited viewpoint: they only make use of objective perspectives. It is proposed that an Integral approach, based on Ken Wilber's Integral Theory, which makes use of both subjective and objective perspectives, can have a greater impact on the discipline of systems engineering in the development of sociotechnical systems. This proposal includes the introduction of a subjective toolbox, which enables more effective use of subjective perspectives, and results in a more human‐centric approach to systems engineering.
Solution Validation and Customer Needs Understanding in the Early Phases of Product Platform Development; a Case Study in Digital Manufacturing Machines
Authors: Kvanvik Simon , Budal Lidvar , Muller Gerrit 
Published: September 2019

AbstractWe have observed in our company that the high‐level specification of new products is difficult. The company works with legacy product platforms. Even with extensive knowledge about legacy products and applications, it can be difficult for engineers to understand if their proposed solutions for new products or features that will satisfy customers.The goal of this study was to investigate why the company is having problems with specifying new products that eventually will constitute a new product platform. We show that relying on proxies and agile development is not sufficient to close the validation loop, how validation of solution concepts fails due to insufficient specifications of needs and that engineers must rely on indirect customer feedback, which they often receive late in the development process. We trace the problem to a suboptimal definition of customer segments, causing a lack of validated needs and leading to challenges in calculating business cases
Managing Systems Engineering Projects with Uncertain Requirements
Authors: Bordley Robert F. , Keisler Jeffrey M. 
Published: September 2019

AbstractPrior to being alerted that a requirement has changed, project management typically recommends that an engineer treat that requirement as fixed. But proper risk management emphasizes that all uncertainties should be explicitly recognized prior to making any decisions. Hence the engineer should explicitly recognize the possibility that their requirements may change. As a result, systems engineering indexes each requirement by its stability, which reflects its probability of changing. Building on this insight, this paper presents a new technique for considering the uncertainty associated with any requirement in design decisions.
Emerging Education Challenges for Resilient Cyber Physical Systems
Authors: McDermott Thomas A. 
Published: September 2019

AbstractEngineering resilient cyber physical systems (CPS) is viewed as a systems engineering (SE) challenge. The research and education programs in computer and software security and resilience were advanced through the 1990's with many formal approaches to system reliability, security, dependability, and safety. Since that time, the internet and the information security needs in information technology (IT) systems has had a large education focus. Meanwhile, the scale and complexity of today's critical computing systems used in engineering domains has increased immensely. There has not been a related increased focus on research, knowledge, and education specifically addressing dependable and secure computing in domains such as infrastructure, industrial control, defense, and emerging commercial autonomous systems and the Internet of Things (IoT). While security education in the U.S. has greatly expanded in the domain of IT systems and related computer science and engineering fields, there exists a lack of engineering education programs and opportunities for engineering graduates to gain knowledge and skills related to design of secure, safe, and dependable CPS, what we call resilient CPS. There is also a lack of investment in laboratory facilities that can simulate large scale CPS, which are costlier to develop than IT related facilities. Formal research or studies in CPS and resilient computing related curricula are also difficult to find, although the domain is well researched. This paper discusses the primary foundations and characteristics of resilient CPS as a step toward a general taxonomy, the emerging needs and gaps in engineering education related to these systems, and the knowledge areas and bodies of knowledge that are already established or need to be developed in the education system. The goal is to bring broad attention in the systems engineering community to these needs.
Evolution of the Helix Project: From Investigating the Effectiveness of Individual Systems Engineers to Systems Engineering Organizations
Authors: Hutchison Nicole , Tao Hoong Yan See , Burke Pamela , Luna Sergio , Zavala Araceli , Kothari Suchita , Soneji Shikha , Ramirez‐Marquez Jose 
Published: September 2019

AbstractThe U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and the Defense Industrial Base (DIB) have faced challenges in systems engineering in recent years (GAO, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2018). The Helix project started in 2012 as a multi‐year longitudinal research study mainly to understand what makes systems engineers effective. The previous Helix work on individual systems engineers is a critical input to this project focus. In 2018, the Helix team shifted from an exclusively workforce focus (within the Systems Engineering Research Center (SERC) Human Capital Development Strategy area) to encompass how organizations can become more effective at systems engineering as a discipline and includes organizational characteristics that influence the effectiveness of the systems engineering workforce, as well as how they better enable their systems engineering workforce. This paper provides an update on the research including the updated methodology to investigate the organizational systems engineering effectiveness.
Innovation in the Spirit of Design Thinking
Authors: Buede Dennis M. , Liebe Robert M. , Beekman Jared 
Published: September 2019

AbstractWe define an innovation process that was designed for the provision of analytic services and software products. Our iterative process, which is based on design thinking, captures the need to both create value and accelerate value creation. The four steps in our iterative process include illuminate, ideate, create, and evaluate. We present a case study for which we used this process in the successful creation of a conversational non‐player character within a virtual training environment for the Army.
London Underground Deep Tube Upgrade Programme: System Function Definition Model Case Study
Authors: Everett Nathan , Coultharde-Steer Michael , Fischer Luke 
Published: September 2019

AbstractOn complex rail projects involving a step change in technology or capability, it is important to understand what functionality is required from the system, especially if such changes are new or novel. This paper details a case study (Deep Tube Upgrade Programme) where a structured functional breakdown approach was developed to provide stakeholders (including non‐Systems Engineering practitioners such as operators and maintainers) with an accessible means of checking their life‐cycle concepts and stakeholder requirements for completeness. The approach also enabled the decomposition of those needs into system design requirements for allocation to one or more of the 20 delivery projects, to ensure they will deliver the required emergent properties.