bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Agile architecture framework for model driven development of C2systems
Authors: Hallberg Niklas , Andersson Richard , Ölvander Christina 
Published: June 2009

AbstractCommand and Control (C2) systems are complex systems composed of personnel, technical equipment, organizational structures, and work procedures. This complexity increases the difficulties involved in developing such systems, which in turn leads to a need for supportive development measures. This paper presents and explores an agile, lightweight, architecture framework for the development of C2systems. The architecture framework prescribes a model‐driven process for structuring the developed models into various levels and views. This facilitates the developers' ability to consider the C2system from a holistic and concurrent perspective. By applying the architecture framework, both the C2system and its context are modeled in order to study how the C2system should be used to support the performance of operational activities, and what support the technical system should provide to the commanders, who are a part of the C2system. The architecture framework provides traceability from the operational level to the technical systems via the C2systems. The architecture framework was iteratively developed and evaluated in three sequential case studies. The outcome shows that the framework supports the initial steps in the development of complex systems, such as C2systems. However, further development and evaluations of the architecture framework are necessary. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Eng
Technology infusion for complex systems: A framework and case study
Authors: Suh Eun Suk , Furst Michael R. , Mihalyov Kenneth J. , Weck Olivier de 
Published: June 2009

AbstractManufacturing companies in today's competitive environment constantly need to develop new technologies and infuse them into their line of products to stay ahead of the competition. Most new technologies only deliver value once they are successfully infused into a parent system. However, there has been little research done to develop formal methods to assess the impact of new technology infusion into existing products and systems. In this paper, a systematic framework to quantify and assess the impact of technology infusion early in the product planning cycle is proposed. The proposed methodology quantitatively estimates the impact of technology infusion through the use of a Design Structure Matrix (DSM) and the creation of a Delta DSM (ΔDSM) describing the changes to the original system due to the infused technology. The cost for technology infusion is then estimated from the ΔDSM, and the potential market impact of the technology is calculated based on customer value, expressed through utility curves for system technical performance measures. Finally, the probabilistic ΔNPV of a newly infused technology is obtained using Monte Carlo simulation. The proposed methodology was demonstrated on an actual complex printing system, represented as an 84 element DSM with a density of 3.7%, where a newly developed value‐enhancing technology was infused into the existing product. The result shows that a positive marginal net present value ΔNPV can be expected, despite the new technology causing an invasiveness of 8.5% to the existing design. The methodology can be applied in a rigorous and repeatable manner, opening up possibilities for further implementation of the proposed framework, including analysis of the interactions amongst multiple technologies. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Eng
Lunar architecture and technology analysis driven by lunar science scenarios
Authors: Weisbin Charles R. , Mrozinski Joseph , Lincoln William , Elfes Alberto , Shelton Kacie , Hua Hook , Smith Jeffrey H. , Adumitroaie Virgil , Silberg Robert 
Published: June 2009

AbstractNASA's Vision for Space Exploration and the missions it comprises pose large‐scale systems‐engineering problems with concomitant large‐budget investment decisions involving multiple disciplines (e.g., science, engineering, information technology), multiple constraints (e.g., time, mass, energy consumption), myriad uncertainties, and a hierarchical structure of problem decomposition with resolution of increasing fidelity. Navigation through this sea of complexity is greatly facilitated by an analytical system that includes optimization and analysis software tools. The interplay between program planning and decision‐support tools is seen here in a case study of a hypothetical mission on the Moon. The architecture of one such tool, HURON, is discussed and its application is illustrated in a comparison of the relative productivity of employing two pressurized or two unpressurized robotic rovers with two pairs of astronauts to conduct a specified group of activities. For the mission scenarios studied, a pair of pressurized rovers is shown to be significantly more productive than a pair of unpressurized rovers when calculating work accomplished divided by marginal operational costs. The HURON decision‐support system presented and successfully applied in this paper deals explicitly with combinatorial explosion of a huge design space in scheduling the activities of agents subject to constraints, deploys a productivity function as a measure of value, and automatically determines a ranked sensitivity list of important inputs. The approach is applicable to a wide class of large‐scale systems‐engineering applications. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Eng
Mapping space‐based systems engineering curriculum to government‐industry vetted competencies for improved organizational performance
Authors: Squires Alice , Larson Wiley , Sauser Brian 
Published: June 2009

AbstractThis paper demonstrates a method that can be used to analyze the degree to which an organization's systems engineering capabilities meet government‐industry defined systems engineering needs. To demonstrate this process, using universities as the case study, we summarize secondary research completed for nine institutions from various countries that offer systems engineering graduate level programs in the space domain. Next, we select a Masters degree program from three universities, one from each country, and map their space‐based systems engineering courses to the 37 systems engineering capabilities within the 10 systems engineering competencies. These capabilities represent the knowledge, skills, and behaviors that systems engineers are expected to possess and perform as a part of their job. We then review a process for a more detailed mapping of the curriculum to one of four levels of proficiency within each capability, using the Stevens Institute of Technology as the example. The result is a systems engineering competency‐based approach that can be used by universities or companies to compare the “as is” state of their systems engineering capabilities development against a government‐industry defined set of needs to identify and address gaps or opportunities in the curriculum, training, or experience of their students and/or employees. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Eng
Identification of proteins associated with the yeast mitochondrial RNA polymerase by tandem affinity purification
Authors: Markov Dmitriy A. , Savkina Maria , Anikin Michael , Del Campo Mark , Ecker Karen , Lambowitz Alan M. , De Gnore Jon P. , McAllister William T. 
Published: June 2009

AbstractThe abundance of mitochondrial (mt) transcripts varies under different conditions, and is thought to depend upon rates of transcription initiation, transcription termination/attenuation and RNA processing/degradation. The requirement to maintain the balance between RNA synthesis and processing may involve coordination between these processes; however, little is known about factors that regulate the activity of mtRNA polymerase (mtRNAP). Recent attempts to identify mtRNAP–protein interactions in yeast by means of a generalized tandem affinity purification (TAP) protocol were not successful, most likely because they involved a C‐terminal mtRNAP–TAP fusion (which is incompatible with mtRNAP function) and because of the use of whole‐cell solubilization protocols that did not preserve the integrity of mt protein complexes. Based upon the structure of T7 RNAP (to which mtRNAPs show high sequence similarity), we identified positions in yeast mtRNAP that allow insertion of a small affinity tag, confirmed the mature N‐terminus, constructed a functional N‐terminal TAP–mtRNAP fusion, pulled down associated proteins, and identified them by LC–MS–MS. Among the proteins found in the pull‐down were a DEAD‐box protein (Mss116p) and an RNA‐binding protein (Pet127p). Previous genetic experiments suggested a role for these proteins in linking transcription and RNA degradation, in that a defect in the mt degradadosome could be suppressed by overexpression of either of these proteins or, independently, by mutations in either mtRNAP or its initiation factor Mtf1p. Further, we found that Mss116p inhibits transcription by mtRNAP in vitro in a steady‐state reaction. Our results support the hypothesis that Mss116p and Pet127p are involved in modulation of mtRNAP activity. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Rights to safe motherhood and newborn health: Ethical issues
Authors: Milliez Jacques 
Published: June 2009

AbstractWorldwide, one woman dies every minute as a result of being pregnant. This statistic highlights the denial of women's rights to safe motherhood in many parts of the world, particularly in low‐resource countries where 98% all maternal deaths occur. The majority of pregnant women die because they deliver unattended by a properly trained birth professional. According to the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, every woman has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well‐being of herself and her family, including medical care. The principle of moral philosophy supporting women's rights to safe motherhood may be difficult to implement. Philanthropy is diverted by other competing needs, such as HIV prevention and treatment, or provision of urgent food supplies. Equity is denied because women's health is too often set as a low priority. Utilitarianism advocates that safe motherhood is an investment of societal shared interest.
Safe motherhood and newborn health: FIGO initiatives 2006–2010
Authors: Lalonde André B. , McMullen Heather , Lee Amanda C. 
Published: June 2009

AbstractThrough international partnerships, FIGO has been delivering safe motherhood and newborn health (SMNH) projects in a number of low‐income countries. The projects aim to achieve the objectives set out in the ICPD Programme of Action and the Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5, which are related to child survival and maternal mortality. Each project is developed in response to the needs of the intervention region and can be organized around the following themes: provision of maternal and newborn health care services to underserved and hard‐to‐reach areas; improvement and provision of quality basic emergency obstetric care; establishment of functional clinical and perinatal audits; development of new maternal and newborn health care protocols; community education and sensitization to women's rights in sexual and reproductive health; and reducing the risk of unsafe abortion.
THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN FAMILY STRUCTURE, REPORTS OF ILLNESS AND HEALTH CARE DEMAND FOR CHILDREN: EVIDENCE FROM RURAL BANGLADESH
Authors: RABBANI ATONU , ALEXANDER G. CALEB 
Published: June 2009

SummaryAccess to health care in lesser-developed countries is often quite limited, especially in rural areas. However, less is known about how different factors, such as household structure, parental income and parental education, modify such access to care. This study uses individual-level data from rural Bangladesh during and following a period of major flooding to examine factors associated with reports of illness and demand for doctors in households with children less than 10 years of age. Using information about the number of children who were reported sick and also those who were taken to a doctor, a model was estimated for such reports and decisions to visit a doctor. Overall, 74% of households reported an illness in a child during the study period. The likelihood of reports was significantly greater for boys (36%) than girls (31%). In most analyses, there was no association between parental education and reports of child illness after adjusting for village- and household-level heterogeneity. However, in analyses limited to female children, greater education of the household head was associated with lower odds of such a report (odds ratio [OR] 0.95, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.91–1.00). Parental education and income were also related to household decisions to seek medical care, though results once again differed based on the sex of the child. There was a particularly strong effect between maternal education level and demand for medical care for boys (OR 1.13; CI 1.01–1.27), though not for girls (OR 0.96; CI 0.84–1.09). Overall, the likelihood of a doctor's visit for a sick child was positively related to household income and at the highest levels of income was a virtual certainty.
Transitions to adulthood and psychological distress in young adults born 12 years apart: constraints on and resources for development
Authors: Sacker A. , Cable N. 
Published: June 2009

BackgroundLater transitions to adult roles and responsibilities have been linked with better psychological well-being yet psychological distress has risen despite young people making the transition to adulthood at older ages over recent years.MethodWe examine the role of structural constraints and adolescent resources in the relationship between the timing of transitions and psychological distress in early adult life in the 1958 National Child Development Study and the 1970 British Cohort Study. Graphical chain models were used to examine the influences on timing of four key transitions and their relationship with psychological distress (Malaise Inventory). The role of structural factors at birth (gender, social class) and adolescent resources (psychosocial problems, exam grades) were modelled.ResultsAn earlier transition to adult roles was associated with an increased risk for psychological distress but so was failing to make some key transitions. Structural constraints had negative effects on successful development. Persistent social class and gender inequalities in psychological distress were evident in both cohorts. Social class constraints were mediated by educational resources whereas gender constraints were mediated by psychosocial resources. The influence of structural constraints on the timing of transitions to adult roles was more complex with evidence of positive and negative mediation and moderation effects.ConclusionsDelaying transition to adulthood promotes psychological health but failure of transition to independent living is associated with psychological distress. Life-course transitions are constrained by social origin and gender and possibly economic environment. Adolescent resources help young adults to make timely transitions to adult roles.
A randomized controlled trial of a cognitive behavioural therapy-based self-management intervention for irritable bowel syndrome in primary care
Authors: Moss-Morris R. , McAlpine L. , Didsbury L. P. , Spence M. J. 
Published: June 2009

BackgroundRecent guidelines for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) emphasize the need for research to facilitate home-based self-management for these patients in primary care. The aim of the current study was to test the efficacy of a manualized cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)-based self-management programme for IBS in a pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT).MethodSixty-four primary-care patients meeting Rome criteria for IBS were randomized into either self-management plus treatment as usual (TAU) (n=31) or a TAU control condition (n=33). The self-management condition included a structured 7-week manualized programme that was self-administered in conjunction with a 1-hour face-to-face therapy session and two 1-hour telephone sessions. The primary outcome measures were the Subject's Global Assessment (SGA) of Relief and the Irritable Bowel Syndrome Severity Scoring System (IBS-SSS) assessed at baseline, end of treatment (2 months), and 3 and 6 months post-treatment.ResultsAnalysis was by intention-to-treat. Twenty-three (76.7%) of the self-management group rated themselves as experiencing symptom relief across all three time periods compared to seven (21.2%) of the TAU controls [odds ratio (OR) 12.2, 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.72–40.1]. At 8 months, 25 (83%) of the self-management group showed a clinically significant change on the IBS-SSS compared to 16 (49%) of the control group (OR 5.3, 95% CI 1.64–17.26).ConclusionsThis study provides preliminary evidence that CBT-based self-management in the form of a structured manual and minimal therapist contact is an effective and acceptable form of treatment for primary-care IBS patients.
Age differences in major depression: results from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R)
Authors: Kessler R. C. , Birnbaum H. , Bromet E. , Hwang I. , Sampson N. , Shahly V. 
Published: June 2009

BackgroundAlthough depression appears to decrease in late life, this could be due to misattribution of depressive symptom to physical disorders that increase in late life.MethodWe studied age differences in major depressive episodes (MDE) in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication, a national survey of the US household population. DSM-IV MDE was defined without organic exclusions or diagnostic hierarchy rules to facilitate analysis of co-morbidity. Physical disorders were assessed with a standard chronic conditions checklist and mental disorders with the WHO Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) version 3.0.ResultsLifetime and recent DSM-IV/CIDI MDE were significantly less prevalent among respondents aged ⩾65 years than among younger adults. Recent episode severity, but not duration, was also lower among the elderly. Despite prevalence of mental disorders decreasing with age, co-morbidity of hierarchy-free MDE with these disorders was either highest among the elderly or unrelated to age. Co-morbidity of MDE with physical disorders, in comparison, generally decreased with age despite prevalence of co-morbid physical disorders usually increasing. Somewhat more than half of respondents with 12-month MDE received past-year treatment, but the percentage in treatment was lowest and most concentrated in the general medical sector among the elderly.ConclusionsGiven that physical disorders increase with age independent of depression, their lower associations with MDE in old age argue that causal effects of physical disorders on MDE weaken in old age. This result argues against the suggestion that the low estimated prevalence of MDE among the elderly is due to increased confounding with physical disorders.
Framing tangible interaction frameworks
Authors: Mazalek Ali , van den Hoven Elise 
Published: June 2009

AbstractTangible interaction is a growing area of human–computer interaction research that has become popular in recent years. Yet designers and researchers are still trying to comprehend and clarify its nature, characteristics, and implications. One approach has been to create frameworks that help us look back at and categorize past tangible interaction systems, and look forward at the possibilities and opportunities for developing new systems. To date, a number of different frameworks have been proposed that each provide different perspectives on the tangible interaction design space, and which can guide designers of new systems in different ways. In this paper, we map the space of tangible interaction frameworks. We order existing frameworks by their general type, and by the facets of tangible interaction design they address. One of our main conclusions is that most frameworks focus predominantly on the conceptual design of tangible systems, whereas fewer frameworks abstract the knowledge gained from previous systems, and hardly any framework provides concrete steps or tools for building new tangible systems. In addition, the facets most represented in existing frameworks are those that address the interactions with or the physicality of the designed systems. Other facets, such as domain-specific technology and experience, are rare. This focus on design, interaction, and physicality is interesting, as the origins of the field are rooted in engineering methods and have only recently started to incorporate more design-inspired approaches. As such, we expected more frameworks to focus on technologies and to provide concrete building suggestions for new tangible interaction systems.
Tangible interactions in a digital age: Medium and graphic visualization in design journals
Authors: Oehlberg Lora , Lau Kimberly , Agogino Alice 
Published: June 2009

AbstractDesigners are interacting with an increasing number of digital tools in their design process; however, these are usually in addition to the traditional and ubiquitous paper-based design journals. This paper explores the medium of informal design information and its relationships with sketching behavior over three stages of the design process: preliminary investigation and user needs analyses, concept generation and development, and prototyping and testing. Our test bed consists of tangible, digital, and hybrid design journals collected from four semesters of UC Berkeley's graduate level, multidisciplinary course titled “Managing the New Product Development Process: Design Theory and Methods.” We developed protocols for two categories of analysis: one that codes for the media type of each journal and its content, and another one that characterizes the content within the journal. We found a trend toward hybrid digital–tangible journals for the engineering students over the 4-year period. These hybrid journals exhibited a higher degree of detail over advancing design stages, which has been shown to correlate with improved project performance. We also present several case studies of unusual design journals that illustrate the range of designers' interpretations of design journals as a medium. Based on this descriptive research, features for interactive hybrid tangible–digital design journals are recommended.