Suggested criteria for evaluating systems engineering methodologies

Systems engineering is the application of mathematical and scientific principles to practical ends in the life-cycle of a system. A methodology for systems engineering is a carefully developed, relatively complex procedure or process for applying these mathematical and scientific principles. There are many systems engineering methodologies (or possibly many versions of a few methodologies) currently in use in government and industry. These methodologies are usually designed to meet the needs of a particular organization. It has been observed, however, that many technical and non-technical problems arise when inadequate systems engineering methodologies are applied by organizations to their systems development projects. Various criteria for evaluating systems engineering methodologies are discussed. Such criteria are developed to assist methodology-users in identifying and selecting methodologies that best fit the needs of the organization

Regular Dimpled Nickel Surfaces for Improved Efficiency of the Oxygen Evolution Reaction

Persistent bubble accumulation during the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) can effectively block catalytically active surface sites and reduce overall system performance. The OER is an essential half-reaction with relevance to metal–air batteries, fuel cells, and water electrolysis for power to gas applications. The renewable energy sector could benefit from the identification of surface morphologies that can effectively reduce the accumulation of bubbles on electrocatalytic surfaces. In this work, regular dimpled nickel (Ni) features were prepared to investigate how electrode morphology and therefore its roughness and wetting properties may affect the efficiency of the OER. The dimpled Ni features were prepared using spherical poly(styrene) (PS) templates with a diameter of 1 μm. The electrodeposition against regular, self-assembled arrays of PS templates was tuned to produce four types of dimpled features each with a different depth. Enhancements to the OER efficiency were observed for some types of dimpled Ni features when compared to a planar electrodeposited Ni electrode, while the dimpled features that were the most recessed demonstrated reduced efficiencies for the OER. The findings from this study emphasize the influences of electrode surface morphology on processes involving electrocatalytic gas evolution

The Influence of Electrochemical Aging on Bead-Blasted Nickel Electrodes for the Oxygen Evolution Reaction

The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is of importance to both electrochemical energy conversion and energy storage. Low-cost, non-precious metal electrocatalysts that can withstand high operational current densities will likely be the best candidates for meeting the commercial needs for a range of OER applications. In addition to electrode composition, the surface morphology of gas evolving electrodes can affect their efficiency and performance. In this work, we demonstrate the influence of electrochemical aging on the performance of micro- and nanoscale textures for the OER. A series of textured Ni electrodes were prepared by rapid, scalable techniques, which included the use of bead-blasting. Two distinct approaches to induce the formation of the active Ni (oxy)hydroxide phase were conducted by electrochemical aging using cyclic voltammetry (CV) methods. The influence of the aging technique was assessed and correlated to the performance of these surface textures. Differences in the morphology of these textures and their resulting surface areas were estimated using three-dimensional (3D) reconstructions obtained from electron microscopy analyses. Focused ion beam (FIB) milling was also performed on the bead-blasted electrodes to visualize buried cracks and voids. The potential required for the OER at an applied current density of 500 mA/cm2 exhibited a reduction of 0.7 V for the electrodes aged by the steady-state treatment. The OER performance of the textured electrodes were found to correlate to both the electrode surface morphology and the type of electrochemical aging applied to the electrodes

SDSS-III: Massive Spectroscopic Surveys of the Distant Universe, the Milky Way Galaxy, and Extra-Solar Planetary Systems

Building on the legacy of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS-I and II), SDSS-III is a program of four spectroscopic surveys on three scientific themes: dark energy and cosmological parameters, the history and structure of the Milky Way, and the population of giant planets around other stars. In keeping with SDSS tradition, SDSS-III will provide regular public releases of all its data, beginning with SDSS DR8 (which occurred in Jan 2011). This paper presents an overview of the four SDSS-III surveys. BOSS will measure redshifts of 1.5 million massive galaxies and Lya forest spectra of 150,000 quasars, using the BAO feature of large scale structure to obtain percent-level determinations of the distance scale and Hubble expansion rate at z<0.7 and at z~2.5. SEGUE-2, which is now completed, measured medium-resolution (R=1800) optical spectra of 118,000 stars in a variety of target categories, probing chemical evolution, stellar kinematics and substructure, and the mass profile of the dark matter halo from the solar neighborhood to distances of 100 kpc. APOGEE will obtain high-resolution (R~30,000), high signal-to-noise (S/N>100 per resolution element), H-band (1.51-1.70 micron) spectra of 10^5 evolved, late-type stars, measuring separate abundances for ~15 elements per star and creating the first high-precision spectroscopic survey of all Galactic stellar populations (bulge, bar, disks, halo) with a uniform set of stellar tracers and spectral diagnostics. MARVELS will monitor radial velocities of more than 8000 FGK stars with the sensitivity and cadence (10-40 m/s, ~24 visits per star) needed to detect giant planets with periods up to two years, providing an unprecedented data set for understanding the formation and dynamical evolution of giant planet systems. (Abridged)Comment: Revised to version published in The Astronomical Journa

Effect of Hydrocortisone on Mortality and Organ Support in Patients With Severe COVID-19: The REMAP-CAP COVID-19 Corticosteroid Domain Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Evidence regarding corticosteroid use for severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is limited. Objective: To determine whether hydrocortisone improves outcome for patients with severe COVID-19. Design, Setting, and Participants: An ongoing adaptive platform trial testing multiple interventions within multiple therapeutic domains, for example, antiviral agents, corticosteroids, or immunoglobulin. Between March 9 and June 17, 2020, 614 adult patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 were enrolled and randomized within at least 1 domain following admission to an intensive care unit (ICU) for respiratory or cardiovascular organ support at 121 sites in 8 countries. Of these, 403 were randomized to open-label interventions within the corticosteroid domain. The domain was halted after results from another trial were released. Follow-up ended August 12, 2020. Interventions: The corticosteroid domain randomized participants to a fixed 7-day course of intravenous hydrocortisone (50 mg or 100 mg every 6 hours) (n = 143), a shock-dependent course (50 mg every 6 hours when shock was clinically evident) (n = 152), or no hydrocortisone (n = 108). Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary end point was organ support-free days (days alive and free of ICU-based respiratory or cardiovascular support) within 21 days, where patients who died were assigned -1 day. The primary analysis was a bayesian cumulative logistic model that included all patients enrolled with severe COVID-19, adjusting for age, sex, site, region, time, assignment to interventions within other domains, and domain and intervention eligibility. Superiority was defined as the posterior probability of an odds ratio greater than 1 (threshold for trial conclusion of superiority >99%). Results: After excluding 19 participants who withdrew consent, there were 384 patients (mean age, 60 years; 29% female) randomized to the fixed-dose (n = 137), shock-dependent (n = 146), and no (n = 101) hydrocortisone groups; 379 (99%) completed the study and were included in the analysis. The mean age for the 3 groups ranged between 59.5 and 60.4 years; most patients were male (range, 70.6%-71.5%); mean body mass index ranged between 29.7 and 30.9; and patients receiving mechanical ventilation ranged between 50.0% and 63.5%. For the fixed-dose, shock-dependent, and no hydrocortisone groups, respectively, the median organ support-free days were 0 (IQR, -1 to 15), 0 (IQR, -1 to 13), and 0 (-1 to 11) days (composed of 30%, 26%, and 33% mortality rates and 11.5, 9.5, and 6 median organ support-free days among survivors). The median adjusted odds ratio and bayesian probability of superiority were 1.43 (95% credible interval, 0.91-2.27) and 93% for fixed-dose hydrocortisone, respectively, and were 1.22 (95% credible interval, 0.76-1.94) and 80% for shock-dependent hydrocortisone compared with no hydrocortisone. Serious adverse events were reported in 4 (3%), 5 (3%), and 1 (1%) patients in the fixed-dose, shock-dependent, and no hydrocortisone groups, respectively. Conclusions and Relevance: Among patients with severe COVID-19, treatment with a 7-day fixed-dose course of hydrocortisone or shock-dependent dosing of hydrocortisone, compared with no hydrocortisone, resulted in 93% and 80% probabilities of superiority with regard to the odds of improvement in organ support-free days within 21 days. However, the trial was stopped early and no treatment strategy met prespecified criteria for statistical superiority, precluding definitive conclusions. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02735707

Temporal dynamics of groundwater-dissolved inorganic carbon beneath a drought-affected braided stream: Platte River case study

Impacts of environmental changes on groundwater carbon cycling are poorly understood despite their potentially high relevance to terrestrial carbon budgets. This study focuses on streambed groundwater chemistry during a period of drought-induced river drying and consequent disconnection between surface water and groundwater. Shallow groundwater underlying vegetated and bare portions of a braided streambed in the Platte River (Nebraska, USA) was monitored during drought conditions in summer 2012. Water temperature and dissolved inorganic carbon (dominated by HCO3-) in streambed groundwater were correlated over a 3 month period coinciding with a decline in river discharge from 35 to 0 m3 s-1. Physical, chemical, and isotopic parameters were monitored to investigate mechanisms affecting the HCO3- trend. Equilibrium thermodynamic modeling suggests that an increase of pCO2 near the water table, coupled with carbonate mineral weathering, can explain the trend. Stronger temporal trends in Ca2+ and Mg2+ compared to Cl- are consistent with carbonate mineral reequilibria rather than evaporative concentration as the primary mechanism of the increased HCO3-. Stable isotope trends are not apparent, providing further evidence of thermodynamic controls rather than evaporation from the water table. A combination of increased temperature and O2 in the dewatered portion of the streambed is the most likely driver of increased pCO2 near the water table. Results of this study highlight potential linkages between surface environmental changes and groundwater chemistry and underscore the need for high-resolution chemical monitoring of alluvial groundwater in order to identify environmental change impacts

Electrochemically Aged Ni Electrodes Supporting NiFe2O4 Nanoparticles for the Oxygen Evolution Reaction

The preparation and screening of nanoparticle (NP) electrocatalysts for improved electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reactions (OER) will require a better understanding and optimization of the interactions between NPs and their support. First-row transition metals are used extensively as electrocatalysts in electrochemical energy storage and conversion systems. These electrocatalysts undergo transformations in their phase and surface morphology, which are induced by oxidizing potentials in the alkaline medium. A template-assisted approach to prepare electrodes with regular surface morphologies was used to monitor interactions between the NPs and their support both before and after prolonged electrochemical aging. A template-assisted method was used to prepare uniform surface inclusions of nickel ferrite (NiFe2O4) NPs on conductive nickel (Ni) supports for evaluation toward the OER. Electron microscopy-based methods were used to assess the resulting transformations of the embedded NPs within the Ni support matrix. Electrochemical aging of these textured electrodes was conducted by cyclic voltammetry (CV) techniques, which resulted in the growth of a 200 nm thick Ni oxy(hydroxide) film on the surfaces of the Ni supports. The growth of the active surface layer led to the encapsulation of the NiFe2O4 NPs as determined by correlative energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) techniques. The NP-modified electrodes exhibited reduced overpotentials and higher sustained current densities for the OER when compared to pure Ni supports. The well-defined morphologies and NP surface inclusions prepared by the template-assisted approach could serve as a platform for investigating additional NP–support interactions for electrocatalytic systems