Thesis: S.M. in Engineering and Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, System Design and Management Program, 2018. / Page 49 blank. Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. / Includes bibliographical references (page [48] ). / Electrosorption technology is currently gaining significant tractions as a viable separation technique due to its low energy consumption, its intrinsic reversibility and its reagent free nature. As most companies thrive towards a more sustainable approach, electro-chemical based process become more and more attractive. The group of Prof. Hatton of the Chemical Engineering department at MIT has improved further the state of the art of electro-chemical technologies by using functionalized metallocene-based pseudo-capacitors. Their research demonstrates that the technology they developed can selectively remove specific compounds such as carboxylates, sulfonates, phosphonates and potentially heavy metals. The aim of this thesis is to help the technology find a first market fit and build the foundation for a successful scale-up by defining its positioning within the treatment train of the production of the identified markets. Two main markets were identified. The selection of each market was based on the price of the end-product, the size and growth of the market and the numbers of applications and potential customers. The lactic acid and the lithium carbonate markets were selected. Both are growing markets sustaining a real demand over the years to come with very promising and diversified applications. We collected real-life feedbacks and identified the pain points in each respective industry by conducting interviews with professionals in the field. Several unmet needs and possible alignments with the benefits brought by the selective electrosorption technology were identified thanks to this endeavor. New potential production lines were proposed. The new innovative treatment line allows for the simplification of the process train, a reduction of the chemical and reagent needed and a likely decrease in solid waste and wastewater volume. / by Adrien A. Moreau. / S.M. in Engineering and Management

Thesis: S.M. in Engineering and Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, System Design and Management Program, 2018. / "June 2018." Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. / Includes bibliographical references. / The $17 billion U.S. skincare industry negatively impacts women's health. It sets unrealistic beauty standards and ideals that are meant to influence consumers' product choices. Skincare products are unevenly regulated, and many formulations contain chemicals that harm individuals' health and end up in toxic landfills and watersheds. Skincare companies offer products with ingredients that are not verified or tested for safety or efficacy. Additionally, skincare products have historically been created for fictional archetypes, and insufficient attention has been paid to consumer's unique and changing skin needs. The short-term and long-term health outcomes resulting from skincare product usage affect divergent populations differently, due to the behavioral differences between women of different ages, ethnicities, and geographic locations, as well as other demographic and psychographic factors. This thesis examines these factors and looks beneath the skin of the industry, challenging the current modus operandi of its players. Using data mining techniques, the correlation between these factors are identified and used to predict skincare product waste. Unsupervised learning is used to group skincare consumers by their consumption behavior, as opposed to their demographics. A diverse sample of skincare consumers was chosen to score the skincare products in their everyday routine with both an individual health and environmental safety score. One solution supported by the research is innovation and new companies that are focused on customer education, ingredient transparency, and the measurement of individual safety outcomes resulting from skincare product usage. / by Meghan Maupin. / S.M. in Engineering and Management

Thesis: S.M. in Engineering and Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, System Design and Management Program, 2018. / Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. / Includes bibliographical references (pages 67-69). / In the past decade, the cost associated with processing the human genome has decreased at a rate that is outpacing Moore's Law. The first human genome was sequenced in 2001, the culmination of a ten-year effort at a program cost of $2.7 billion. This has increased the accessibility of genomics research and enabled rapid development of adjacent biotechnologies and new genetic treatments. The Broad Institute, responsible for analyzing the first human genome, has remained at the center of this rapidly growing industry. Broad Genomics, a 200+ person division of the Broad Institute, is focused on the high-quality delivery of genomic data and data science. Over the past five years, Broad Genomics has been the largest producer of human genomic information in the world. Processing more than 1.5 million samples from over 50 countries. While conducting research for this thesis, Broad Genomics sequenced its 100,000th human genome. Shortly after the division's inception in 2012, Broad Genomics implemented the Dynamic Work Design and Visual Management method developed by Nelson Repenning, the MIT Sloan School of Management Distinguished Professor of System Dynamics and Organization Studies and Associate Dean of Leadership. This method offers a new approach to designing work that is both effective and engaging, while ensuring daily operational work is directly linked to the high-level strategic goals of the Broad Genomics organization. Positive operational results of this intervention for whole genome and exome sequencing were published in a case study in 2017. In the interim, continued iteration on this implementation has resulted in an integrated system of three primary levels of Visual Management boards within the organization. The goal of this research was to assess the continued alignment with the principles of Dynamic Work Design and to assess their effectiveness through an integrated system of boundary objects architected through multiple functional levels of the Broad Genomics organization. Additionally, the research evaluates the harmonization of Dynamic Work Design with principles and frameworks of knowledge boundaries and boundary objects as well as recent team dynamics and people analytics research. / by Benjamin Linville-Engler. / S.M. in Engineering and Management

Thesis: S.M. in Engineering and Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, System Design and Management Program, 2018. / Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. / Includes bibliographical references (pages 107-109). / Urban Mobility is in the midst of a revolution, driven by the convergence of technologies such as artificial intelligence, on-demand ride services, as well as connected and self-driving vehicles. Technological advancements often lead to new hazards and changing nature in how accidents can happen. Coupled with increased levels of automation and connectivity in the new generation of autonomous vehicles, cybersecurity is emerging as one of the key threats affecting the safety of these vehicles. Traditional methods treat safety and security analysis in isolation, and are limited in the ability to account for interactions among organizational, socio-technical, human, and technical components. In response to these challenges, the System Theoretic Process Analysis (STPA) was developed to meet the growing need for system engineers to analyze such complex socio-technical systems. We applied STPA-Sec, an extension to STPA to include security analysis, to co-analyze safety and security hazards, as well as identify mitigation requirements. The results were compared with another promising method known as Combined Harm Analysis of Safety and Security for Information Systems (CHASSIS). Both methods were applied to the Mobility-as-a-Service use case, focusing on over-the-air software updates feature. Overall, STPA-Sec identified additional hazards and more effective requirements compared to CHASSIS. In particular, STPA-Sec demonstrated the ability to identify hazards due to unsafe/ unsecure interactions among sociotechnical components. This research also suggested using CHASSIS methods for information lifecycle analysis to complement and generate additional considerations for STPA-Sec. Finally, results from both methods were back-tested against a past cyber hack on a vehicular system, and we found that recommendations from STPA-Sec were likely to mitigate the risks of the incident. / by Chee Wei Lee. / S.M. in Engineering and Management

Thesis: S.M. in Engineering and Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, System Design and Management Program, 2018. / Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. / Includes bibliographical references (pages 102-104). / The U.S. Army conducts assessments throughout all levels of warfare in order to gain a better understanding of progress towards a goal. The Army specifically conducts operation assessments to measure the effectiveness of employing military forces. The assessment process is an iterative activity that is present throughout the mission planning process. The current state of operation assessments is the result of doctrine and methodology developed over the past decades of warfare. However, the need for further development of the assessment process has been identified by several stakeholder groups within the ecosystem. This research aims to provide a thorough analysis of the operation assessment enterprise and provide recommendations for opportunities of architectural improvement. The research methodology includes a literature review, stakeholder assessments and interviews, and systems analysis methods applied within an Architecting for Innovative Enterprise Strategy (ARIES) framework to assess current state conditions and identify opportunities of transformation for a future state system. The proposed future state elements are then analyzed to determine an increase of value delivery across multiple levels of the assessment process. The research identifies opportunities in system design that can be further developed to better deliver value to stakeholders. The implementation of assessment-specific training is assessed to have the most impactful effect upon multiple levers of the system. Additional capability awareness training and advocacy of the process to key stakeholders can also work to propagate more effective assessment products and services. Finally, the analysis of assessment capabilities as an accumulation of information supports recommendations to implement measures that better capture and disseminate experience within the system. / by Delbert S. Joo. / S.M. in Engineering and Management

Thesis: S.M. in Engineering and Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, System Design and Management Program, 2018. / Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. / Includes bibliographical references (pages 71-72). / There is no doubt that performance and output of a product development teams can be attributed to creativity, knowledge and leadership. To increase the chances for a successful project outcome, open communications, trust, and judgment should be shared between PMs and their stakeholders (Skulmoski & Hartman, 2010). However, there are several claims about the positive effect of emotional intelligence (EI) on work team performance, both in commercial and scientific literature. Emotional intelligence (EI) plays a role in effecting that trust. Goleman, Boyatzis, and McKee (2002, p. 59) suggest that by cultivating trust El can help one maximize "cooperation, collaboration, and effectiveness." This thesis focuses on Integrated Design and Management program, where engineers, designers and business professionals come together to form teams and develop innovative products. These teams start with same project brief and with a similar goal in mind. In this study, I am assessing emotional intelligence using the mood meter from the RULER course by Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. Other parameters are collected through observation, surveys and interviews at different stages of the project with individuals enrolled in the IDM program at MIT. This thesis will be mapping individuals' emotional intelligence with their disciplines, roles in the project and at different phases of the project. Teams can lead to positive inferences relating to multidisciplinary teams and competitive work cultures. I believe that studying the correlation between the different parameters can lead to useful inferences relating to team performance and work satisfaction of individuals. / by Suneeta Karri. / S.M. in Engineering and Management

Thesis: S.M. in Engineering and Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, System Design and Management Program, 2018. / Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. / Includes bibliographical references (pages 64-66). / The Healthcare industry, just like any industry, is constantly racing to stay abreast with pace of technological innovations, especially at such a time where the industry is experiencing a strain on the global healthcare infrastructure. Specifically, the evolution of record management systems in the healthcare system has taken a slow and gradual transformation with each stage of transformation carrying over certain aspects and functions of previous stages. A survey of record management practices reveals that record management begun with paper-based records that have since partially been replaced with centralized Electronic Health Records (EHR). With the advent of Electronic Health Records enabled by distributed ledgers, we continue to see the inclusion of traditional paper-based functions beyond centralized EHR functions. Electronic data sharing in the healthcare ecosystem is constrained by interoperability challenges with different providers choosing to implement systems that respond to increasing their productivity. Prioritizing a patient-focused strategy during implementation of EHRs forces providers to implement systems that are more interoperable. A system engineering approach was adopted to guide the development and valuation of candidate architectures from Stakeholder analysis to concept generation and enumeration. Nine (9) key design decisions were selected with their combinations yielding 512 feasible hybrid architectures. In this paper, we proposed a hybrid EHR solution combining distributed ledger technologies and Internet of Medical Things, which contributes towards providing value-based healthcare. Leveraging properties of distributed ledgers and IoMT, the hybrid solution interconnects various data sources for health records to provide real-time record creation and monitoring whilst enabling data sharing and management in a secure manner. / by Paula Ingabire. / S.M. in Engineering and Management

Thesis: S.M. in Engineering and Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, System Design and Management Program, 2018. / This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections. / Cataloged from student-submitted PDF version of thesis. / Includes bibliographical references (pages 71-73). / Increases in the volume of data and the availability of compute power have driven a number of advancements in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI), and AI technologies and applications are getting a flood of publicity in the media. While four in five executives agree that AI is a strategic opportunity for their organization, only about one in five has incorporated AI in some offerings or processes, and only one in 20 has extensively incorporated AI in their offerings or processes. There is a gap between expectation and action, and we are still in the early days of enterprise AI adoption. This thesis explores the path enterprises need to take to close this gap and to build an enterprise AI capability, thereby realizing the full value of this disruptive technology. Through a literature review it proposes a seven component holistic framework that can guide enterprises through this journey. The framework is more 'wide than deep', and it is supplemented with five case studies that take deep dives into the real life journeys of enterprises from different industries. These stories provide a vivid illustration of best practices and challenges. The case studies cover Danske Bank fighting financial fraud with deep learning, Deutsche Telekom improving customer service with an intelligent digital assistant, General Electric deploying machine learning applications for monitoring workflows in the Industrial Internet of Things, General Mills automating insights for marketers, and Kaiser Permanente using state of the art Natural Language Processing techniques on unstructured triage notes to improve patient flow forecasting. Learnings from the case studies are synthesized into recommendations to aid practitioners on the road to enterprise Artificial Intelligence. / by Saleha Saulat Siddique. / S.M. in Engineering and Management

Thesis: S.M. in Engineering and Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, System Design and Management Program, 2018. / This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections. / Cataloged from student-submitted PDF version of thesis. / Includes bibliographical references (pages 77-79). / Identifying patients with aggressive cancers is a major healthcare challenge in resource-limited settings such as sub-Saharan Africa. Holographic imaging techniques have been shown to perform diagnostic screening at low cost in order to meet this clinical need, however the computational and logistical challenges involved in deploying such systems are manifold. This thesis aims to make two specific contributions to the field of point-of-care diagnostics. First, it documents the design and construction of low-cost holographic imaging hardware which can serve as a template for future research and development. Second, it presents a novel deep-learning architecture that can potentially lower the computational burden of digital holography by replacing existing image reconstruction methods. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the algorithm by reconstructing biological samples and quantifying their structural similarity relative to spatial deconvolution methods. The approaches explored in this work could enable a standalone holographic platform that is capable of efficiently performing diagnostic screening at the point of care. / by Ismail Degani. / S.M. in Engineering and Management

Thesis: S.M. in Engineering and Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, System Design and Management Program, 2018. / Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. / Includes bibliographical references (pages 101-109). / Inflexibility, failure to adapt technology, and overly regulatory processes frustrate construction industry productivity and reduce the likelihood that large infrastructure projects will be delivered on-schedule and on-budget. Divergence from entrenched project delivery methods can provide flexibility to project managers and offers advantages for improving quality, collaboration, costs, and timeliness. The objective of this research is to provide the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) recommendations for their Project Management Business Process (PMBP). This study reviews the current state of project management in USACE, conducts a structured systems architecture analysis of the PMBP, evaluates USACE project statistics, assesses alternative project delivery methods through a literature review, and provides case studies to consider the implementation impediments of alternative methods for public and private projects. USACE serves as the nation's largest public engineering agency with responsibilities in military construction, civil works, water navigation, environmental restoration, and disaster response. This research concludes with recommendations for selecting alternative project delivery methods best-fit to meet the distinct needs of each USACE business program. Explicitly, the application of Integrated Project Delivery is best suited for highly specialized, technical projects for military construction and interagency support, but also presents contractual challenges notyet adapted for USACE. Public Private Partnerships show promise for possible future implementation in civil works projects, but require further refinement through the USACE Pilot Program. Lastly, Construction Management at Risk is the most mature alternative method for USACE, and can provide Project Managers with additional options in fast-tracking and early contractor involvement. Essentially, the flexibility of PMBP project delivery should match the vast diversity of USACE's missions. / by Brian T. Williams. / S.M. in Engineering and Management