bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
SOME APPROACHES TO SYSTEMS OF SYSTEMS ENGINEERING
Authors: Cook Stephen 
Published: November 2016

ABSTRACTGiven the wide span of challenges that are amenable to systems of systems engineering (SoSE), it is not surprising that there are a considerable number of rather different SoSE approaches in use. The paper opens by describing the generic nature of SoSE methodologies and argues that they should be value‐driven, incremental, socio‐technical, bespoke for each system of systems (SoS) problem, achieve their effect through influence and persuasion rather than control, and should be informed by evidence of what works in practice. The body of the paper describes three SoSE approaches and comments on the classes of SoS for which they have proved to be successful.
THE SYSTEM OF SYSTEMS APPROACH (SOSA)
Authors: Coffield Billy 
Published: November 2016

ABSTRACTThere are number of ways in which organisations have chosen to manage their system of systems (SoS) which suits their business environment and particular SoS challenges. The system of systems approach (SOSA) is in response to the challenges presented by an increasingly complex capability design, acquisition and operating environment. The SOSA represents the way in which UK Defence applies systems engineering and systems approaches best practice in order to achieve effective and affordable military capability.In view of the need to maximise the agility and flexibility of a smaller armed forces to meet a wide range of possible operational scenarios and commitments, as captured in Defence Strategic Direction 2016. Rather than defining specific SoS requirements to meet a distinct purpose, the MOD has chosen to manage its SoS by maximising the SoS attributes such as interoperability, openness, commonality, reusability and coherence.
ARCHITECTURAL MODELLING PATTERNS FOR SYSTEMS OF SYSTEMS
Authors: Claire Ingram , Richard Payne , John Fitzgerald 
Published: November 2016

ABSTRACTArchitectural properties are amongst the defining features of systems of systems (SoS) – including distribution of the constituent parts, their autonomy, long lifecycles and unsynchronized evolution. In addition, SoS engineers need to consider the integration of legacy constituent parts, reason about the emergent behaviour of the SoS, determine the level of centralised control, and support resilience and fault tolerance. These are all features which can be tackled at least partially through architectural patterns. In this article, we present three example patterns previously identified in SoS. Patterns like these can also be used as a mechanism for transferring lessons learned in one SoS application domain into another domain. For each pattern presented, we highlight features that address the challenges posed by SoS. Finally, we detail ongoing efforts with the INCOSE Systems of Systems and Patterns Working Groups to prioritise future work in this area.
Runx1 Orchestrates Sphingolipid Metabolism and Glucocorticoid Resistance in Lymphomagenesis
Authors: Kilbey A. , Terry A. , Wotton S. , Borland G. , Zhang Q. , Mackay N. , McDonald A. , Bell M. , Wakelam M.J.O. , Cameron E.R. , Neil J.C. 
Published: November 2016

ABSTRACTThe three‐membered RUNX gene family includes RUNX1, a major mutational target in human leukemias, and displays hallmarks of both tumor suppressors and oncogenes. In mouse models, the Runx genes appear to act as conditional oncogenes, as ectopic expression is growth suppressive in normal cells but drives lymphoma development potently when combined with over‐expressed Myc or loss of p53. Clues to underlying mechanisms emerged previously from murine fibroblasts where ectopic expression of any of the Runx genes promotes survival through direct and indirect regulation of key enzymes in sphingolipid metabolism associated with a shift in the “sphingolipid rheostat” from ceramide to sphingosine‐1‐phosphate (S1P). Testing of this relationship in lymphoma cells was therefore a high priority. We find that ectopic expression of Runx1 in lymphoma cells consistently perturbs the sphingolipid rheostat, whereas an essential physiological role for Runx1 is revealed by reduced S1P levels in normal spleen after partial Cre‐mediated excision. Furthermore, we show that ectopic Runx1 expression confers increased resistance of lymphoma cells to glucocorticoid‐mediated apoptosis, and elucidate the mechanism of cross‐talk between glucocorticoid and sphingolipid metabolism through Sgpp1. Dexamethasone potently induces expression of Sgpp1 in T‐lymphoma cells and drives cell death which is reduced by partial knockdown of Sgpp1 with shRNA or direct transcriptional repression of Sgpp1 by ectopic Runx1. Together these data show that Runx1 plays a role in regulating the sphingolipid rheostat in normal development and that perturbation of this cell fate regulator contributes to Runx‐driven lymphomagenesis. J. Cell. Biochem. 118: 1432–1441, 2017. © 2016 The Authors. Journal of Cellular Biochemistry Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The role of microbial exopolymers in determining the fate of oil and chemical dispersants in the ocean
Authors: Quigg Antonietta , Passow Uta , Chin Wei‐Chun , Xu Chen , Doyle Shawn , Bretherton Laura , Kamalanathan Manoj , Williams Alicia K. , Sylvan Jason B. , Finkel Zoe V. , Knap Anthony H. , Schwehr Kathleen A. , Zhang Saijin , Sun Luni , Wade Terry L. , Obeid Wassim , Hatcher Patrick G. , Santschi Peter H. 
Published: November 2016

AbstractThe production of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) by planktonic microbes can influence the fate of oil and chemical dispersants in the ocean through emulsification, degradation, dispersion, aggregation, and/or sedimentation. In turn, microbial community structure and function, including the production and character of EPS, is influenced by the concentration and chemical composition of oil and chemical dispersants. For example, the production of marine oil snow and its sedimentation and flocculent accumulation to the seafloor were observed on an expansive scale after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Northern Gulf of Mexico in 2010, but little is known about the underlying control of these processes. Here, we review what we do know about microbially produced EPS, how oil and chemical dispersant can influence the production rate and chemical and physical properties of EPS, and ultimately the fate of oil in the water column. To improve our response to future oil spills, we need a better understanding of the biological and physiochemical controls of EPS production by microbes under a range of environmental conditions, and in this paper, we provide the key knowledge gaps that need to be filled to do so.
Comparison of sampling methods for deep‐sea infauna
Authors: Montagna Paul A. , Baguley Jeffrey G. , Hsiang Chien‐Yi , Reuscher Michael G. 
Published: November 2016

AbstractSampling methods for benthic meiofauna and macrofauna assessments on the northern Gulf of Mexico continental slope and deep sea were compared. For meiofauna, a core with an inner diameter of 5.1 cm is recommended for yielding an appropriate sample size. Meiofauna are concentrated in the uppermost 2 cm sediment layer, so the top 3 cm are sufficient to sample. Macrofauna penetrate deeper and the top 10 cm are sufficient. Smaller sieves capture more organisms so 45 μm for meiofauna, and 300 μm for macrofauna, is recommended. On average, 88% of meiofauna were extracted in the Ludox fraction compared to the total of both Ludox and the sediment pellet. Box corers and multiple corers were compared for estimating macrofauna and meiofauna metrics. Multicorers are recommended for quantitative assessments, but box corers are useful for qualitative studies that require capturing more diversity. Box cores underestimate macrofauna abundance by 2.9 times. While the larger box core captures more species resulting in higher diversity estimates, it is low relative to the 24 times larger area sampled. The multicorer preserves vertical distribution. Because meiofauna are sampled from subcores, there is little difference between the two devices for estimating meiofauna metrics. Replicate multicore samples (i.e., deployments) do not add substantially to our understanding of the variance of species richness or abundance, thus to describe the spatial footprint of macrofauna community structure, it is recommended that resources should be used to sample more stations over a larger area rather than multiple replicates at fewer stations.
Lyotropic Supramolecular Polymer Systems with Anisotropic Functional Properties
Authors: Devaki Sudha J. , Sadanandhan Neethu K. , Narayanan Rohini K. 
Published: November 2016

SummaryWe have synthesized highly ordered nanostructured conducting PEDOT (poly (3,4ethylenedioxythiophene)) through chemical and electrochemical polymerization of bio based liquid crystalline templates and modified transducer used for the detection of ascorbic acid and nicotine.
Water Soluble Dual Responsive Star Copolymer for Encapsulation of Hydrophobic Dye Molecules
Authors: Das Sandip , Ghosh Radhakanta , Chatterjee Dhruba P. , Nandi Arun K. 
Published: November 2016

SummarySynthesis of water soluble thermo and pH responsive 3‐arm star shaped random copolymer of diethylene glycol methyl ether methacrylate (DEGMEM) and N, N diethylaminoethyl methacrylate (DEAEMA) is carried out by ATRP technique. The synthesized copolymer is characterized by 1H NMR spectroscopy and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The dual stimuli responsive behavior of the synthesized block copolymers is demonstrated using dynamic light scattering (DLS) and fluorescence spectroscopy. The copolymer is insoluble in water at pH 9.2 which is attributed to the hydrophobicity of −NEt2 groups but at lower pH (pH 4 & 7) water solubility is observed due to protonation. Aggregation and dissociation behavior is only observed at pH 7 when the temperature is increased over 35 °C. Heating of the aqueous solution of the copolymer in presence of hydrophobic fluorescent molecule ‘Nile red’ over 35 °C shows a sharp increase in fluorescence intensity which again decreases with lowering of pH indicating temperature triggered encapsulation and pH triggered release of it. The increased hydrophobicity of −NEt2 groups ensure aggregated structure at pH 7 over 35 °C. This is very much important in view of loading of hydrophobic molecules within the polymer scaffold in the pH range that remains in blood stream at physiological conditions.
ATR FTIR Spectroscopic Study on Complexation of Sydiotactic Polystyrene with n‐Alkyl Carboxylic Acids
Authors: Sato Shuma , Kawaguchi Tatsuya , Kaneko Fumitoshi 
Published: November 2016

SummarySyndiotactic polystyrene (sPS) forms the monoclinic δ clathrate cocrystal with n‐alkyl carboxylic acid (nCA). The sPS/nCA cocrystal is available not only by using the conventional guest exchange procedure but also by casting a chloroform (CHCl3) solution containing two solutes (sPS and nCA). When nCAs with carbon number of 3 to 6 are introduced into the sPS cocrystal, an appreciable amount of monomers are generated. In order to clarify how the monomeric state of the nCAs are generated by the solution casting method, the structural changes during the formation of sPS/n‐hexanoic acid (nHA) cocrystal were followed by means of ATR FTIR spectroscopy. The conditions of the host sPS, the guest nHA and the solvent CHCl3 were monitored, leading the following mechanism. The sPS/nHA cocrystallization was initiated with the conformational ordering of sPS chains; the (T2G2)2 helices appeared from the solution, which was accompanied with the formation of sPS cocrystal containing CHCl3 molecules as guests. The initial guest CHCl3 molecules were gradually substituted with nHA molecules, yielding the monomeric state of nHA in the cavies of the sPS cocrystal lattice.
­Polymeric Solid Foams: Mi­crostructure, Topology and Defects Determined by­ High Resolution X‐Ray Microtomography
Authors: Kékicheff Patrick , Dabo Mouhamadou , Dalongeville Gaëtan , Gauthier Christian , Roland Thierry 
Published: November 2016

SummaryX‐ray microtomography was performed on polymeric solid foams over a large range in porosity (50–90%). Combining high flux and high spatial resolution of synchrotron radiations a complete 3D information of the inner microstructure was generated allowing physical parameters for the cells, walls, nodes, and defects (pits, holes in the cell walls, inclusions) to be determined quantitatively.
Solvent Assisted Room Temperature Synthesis of Magnetically Retrievable and Reusable Dipeptide Stabilized Nanocrystals for Suzuki‐Miyaura Cross‐Coupling
Authors: Sarkar Rajib , Sasmal Supriya , Podder Debasish , Haldar Debasish 
Published: November 2016

SummaryThe solvent assisted room temperature one pot in situ multiple oxidation reduction reaction between nitropeptide solution in ammonium hydroxide and FeCl2 leads to the formation of Fe3O4 nanocrystals stabilized by the resultant dipeptide. The Pd embedded dipeptide stabilized supramolecular nanocrystals exhibit excellent catalytic activity, magnetic recovery and reusability up to three cycles for Suzuki–Miyaura cross‐coupling reaction without significant loss of catalytic performance in aqueous media.
Bio‐Inspired Polymer Chemistry. Tuning the Structure and Properties of Self‐Assembled Polymers by Solvent Interactions
Authors: Nolte Roeland J.M. , Rowan Alan E. 
Published: November 2016

SummaryTwo examples of self‐assembled polymer systems of which the properties or functions can be tuned by solvent interactions are presented. The first involves polymers of isocyanopeptides with ethylene glycol side chains, which form gels with strain stiffening properties in water. The second deals with block copolymers of styrene and ethylene glycol, which self‐assemble in water to give polymersomes. Depending on the composition of the solvent mixture these nano‐objects can undergo shape transformations yielding bowl‐shaped architectures (stomatocytes). These stomatocytes can entrap platinum particles or enzymes and act as nanomotors.
Nanoclay Templated Poly(vinylidene fluoride) Gels
Authors: Yadav P. Jaya Prakash , Aswal Vinod K. , Maiti Pralay 
Published: November 2016

SummaryGelation of PVDF has been studies in presence of two‐dimensional layered silicate. Nanoclay crystallizes piezoelectric β‐phase in gel state as revealed through XRD and electron diffraction studies. Fibrilar morphology of both gel and nanogel is studied through scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The formation of compound of PVDF and solvent is evident while the fraction of PVDF required to form compound is less in nanogel as compared pure gel. The layered structure of assembly in gel and nanogel is revealed through small angle neutron scattering suggesting very small size blob of 7.4 nm for nanogel against the moderately larger size in pure gel of 30.7 nm. Epitaxial crystallization of PVDF in β‐phase has been suggested on top of layered silicate.
Self‐Assembly of Nanofillers in Improving the Performance of Polymer Electrolyte Membrane
Authors: Singha Shuvra , Jana Tushar 
Published: November 2016

SummaryUnderstanding structure‐property relationship between polymer‐nanoparticle interface and the distribution of interfacial region and its properties is crucial in establishing the bulk properties of polymer like mechanical stability and conductivity. In this article we try to draw a comparison of the effect of silica nanoparticles modified with three different modifiers on the properties of oxy‐polybenzimidazole (OPBI) to understand the role played by the chemical structure of the organic modifying molecule. We highlight how small changes in the structure of the chosen molecule can bring about substantial improvements in polymer nanocomposites owing to the self‐assembly of nanofillers. We use aminopropyltriethoxysilane (AMS), N‐(3‐trimethoxysilylpropyl) diethylenetriamine (LAMS) and ionic liquid modified silica (ILMS) for the surface modification of silica nanoparticles. The extent of interfacial interaction between each of these silica nanoparticles with OPBI matrix was found to be in the order OPBI/AMS < OPBI/LAMS < OPBI/ILMS. The increased interaction from AMS to LAMS to ILMS manifests as stronger adhesion between the polymer and the nanofiller particles that reflects in three important properties i.e storage modulus, acid doping level and proton conductivity of the nanocomposite membranes. Using TEM microscopy we demonstrate the distinct morphological changes induced by the self‐assembly of differently modified silica nanoparticles and correlate the morphological features to the observed properties. This systematic study represents a significant step towards predicting desired/undesired nanocomposite properties.
Comparison of Electrospinning and Gas Jet Fiber Processes for Fabrication of Bi‐Component Polymer Nanofibers from Single Solutions
Authors: Rajgarhia Stuti S. , Jana Sadhan C. 
Published: November 2016

SummaryIn this study, the rates of nanofiber production are compared between single needle electrospinning and single nozzle gas jet fiber (GJF) processes by considering bi‐component nanofibers of two immiscible polymers. The spinning solutions consist of two immiscible polymers and two mutually miscible solvents. The solvent pairs with different vapor pressure are used to obtain three morphological forms − interpenetrating network (IPN), bi‐lobal, and core‐shell. As baseline for comparison, electrospinning conditions are chosen to produce the same equivalent liquid jet diameter as in the case of GJF process. It is observed that nanofibers of IPN, bi‐lobal, and core‐shell morphologies are easily produced in the GJF process at high rates while nanofibers of only the IPN and bi‐lobal morphologies are produced via electrospinning, although at much lower rates. The core‐shell nanofibers cannot be produced via electrospinning process for the combinations of polymers and the solvents chosen in this work.
Self‐Assessment of Disability in Parkinson's Disease: The MDS‐UPDRS Part II Versus Clinician‐Based Ratings
Authors: Rodríguez‐Blázquez Carmen , Alvarez Mario , Arakaki Tomoko , Campos Arillo Víctor , Chaná Pedro , Fernández William , Garretto Nélida , Martínez‐Castrillo Juan Carlos , Rodríguez‐Violante Mayela , Serrano‐Dueñas Marcos , Ballesteros Diego , Rojo‐Abuin Jose Manuel , Ray Chaudhuri Kallol , Merello Marcelo , Martínez‐Martín Pablo 
Published: November 2016

AbstractBackgroundParkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by motor and nonmotor symptoms that progress with time, causing disability. The performance of a disease‐specific, self‐applied tool for assessing disability, the MDS‐UPDRS Part II, is tested against generic and rater‐based rating scales.MethodsAn international, cross‐sectional, observational study was performed. Patients were assessed with the Hoehn and Yahr (HY) and five disability measures: MDS‐UPDRS Part II, Schwab and England Scale (S&E), Clinical Impression of Severity Index‐PD (CISI‐PD) Disability item, Barthel Index (BI), and Rapid Assessment of Disability Scale (RADS). Data analysis included correlation coefficients, Mann‐Whitney and Kruskal‐Wallis tests, and intraclass‐correlation coefficient for concordance.ResultsThe sample was composed of 451 patients, 55.2% men, with a mean age of 65.06 years (SD = 10.71). Disability rating scales correlated from |0.75| (CISI‐PD Disability with BI) to 0.87 (MDS‐UPDRS Part II with RADS). In general, MDS‐UPDRS Part II showed high correlation coefficients with clinical variables and satisfactory concordance with the rest of disability measures, with ICC ranging from 0.83 (with BI) to 0.93 (with RADS). All disability rating scales showed statistical significant differences in the sample grouped by sex, age, disease duration, and severity level.ConclusionsThe MDS‐UPDRS Part II showed an appropriate performance to assess disability in PD, even better than some rater‐based, generic or specific, scales applied in this study.
Diagonal form fast multipole singular boundary method applied to the solution of high‐frequency acoustic radiation and scattering
Authors: Qu Wenzhen , Chen Wen , Zheng Changjun 
Published: November 2016

SummaryThe singular boundary method (SBM) is a recent strong‐form boundary collocation method that uses a linear combination of the fundamental solution of the governing equation to approximate the field variables. Because of its full interpolation matrix, the SBM solution encounters the high computational complexity and storage requirement that limit its applications to large‐scale engineering problems. This paper presents a way to overcome this drawback by introducing the diagonal form fast multipole method. A diagonal form fast multipole singular boundary method is then developed to reduce the computational operations of the SBM with direct solvers from O(N3) to O(NlogN), where N is the number of unknowns. The proposed method works well for acoustic radiation and scattering with nondimensional wave number kD<110 (k is the wave number and D the maximum diameter of the computational domain). Several numerical experiments are provided to show the efficiency and accuracy of the present strategy, including the radiation from a nuclear submarine and the scattering from an airplane. The numerical results clearly demonstrate that the present diagonal form fast multipole singular boundary method breaks the limitations of the SBM and successfully simulates the large‐scale acoustic problems with more than one million unknowns on a desktop computer. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Expression of a hepatitis B virus pre‐S2 deletion mutant in the liver results in hepatomegaly and hepatocellular carcinoma in mice
Authors: Teng Yuan‐Chi , Neo Jenq Chyuan , Wu Jaw‐Ching , Chen Yi‐Fan , Kao Cheng‐Heng , Tsai Ting‐Fen 
Published: November 2016

AbstractHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common form of liver cancer and has a poor prognosis and a low survival rate; its incidence is on the rise. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is one of the main causes of HCC. A high prevalence of pre‐S deletions of HBV surface antigen, which encompass T‐cell and/or B‐cell epitopes, is found in HBV carriers; antiviral therapy and viral immune escape may cause and select for these HBV mutants. In particular, the presence of pre‐S2 deletion mutants is an important risk factor associated with cirrhosis and HCC. We generated Alb‐preΔS2 transgenic mice that express a naturally occurring pre‐S2 mutant protein containing a 33‐nucleotide deletion (preΔS2); the aim was to investigate its effect on hepatocarcinogenesis. After 30 months of follow‐up, the liver pathology of the mice fell into four groups: G1, chronic inflammation solely; G2, chronic inflammation and fibrosis; G3, inflammation, fibrosis, and hepatomegaly accompanied by rectal prolapse (4–12%); and G4, hepatomegaly and spontaneous HCC (12–15%). Striking degeneration of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) was present in the mouse livers at an early stage (4 months old). At 8 months, overt ER stress and the Atf6 pathway of the unfolded protein response (UPR) were induced; at the same time, metabolic pathways associated with mevalonate and cholesterol biogenesis, involving the peroxisomes and the ER, were disturbed. At 20 months and older, the protein kinase RNA‐like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK) pathway of the UPR was induced and the Hippo transducer Yap was activated. Together, these ultrastructural aberrations and metabolic disturbance all seem to contribute to the molecular pathogenesis and hepatocarcinogenesis present in the Alb‐preΔS2 mice. These findings may contribute to the development of therapies for the liver disorders and HCC associated with pre‐S2 deletion mutations among HBV carriers. Copyright © 2016 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.