No easy answers

Systems Engineering Philosophy: No Easy Answers?

Many continue to ask if Systems Engineering is really a discipline and does it have an underlying philosophy. This paper is an attempt to fill the gap in the literature on the philosophical drivers of systems engineering. In doing so, we discuss the philosophy of science, philosophy of technology, and their relationship to systems engineering. We also explore some topical issues relevant to thi...

Estrogens, lipids and cardiovascular disease: no easy answers.

Postmenopausal hormone therapy as a means of cardiovascular risk reduction remains highly controversial. Advocates point to the numerous experimental studies that show beneficial vascular effects and favorable effects on lipoprotein profiles and to the myriad of observational epidemiologic studies showing improved cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality among hormone users (1–3). Opponen...

Nitric oxide and cisplatin resistance: NO easy answers.

C isplatin is one of the most widely used chemotherapeutic drugs for treating cancer. Initially, platinum-based therapies are very effective in treating a wide array of cancers; however, recurrence and resistance remain the major limitation to curative therapies (1). Although cisplatin resistance is clearly multifactorial in nature, increased levels of cellular thiols are often associated with ...

Leadership Without Easy Answers

Preoxygenation in Critically Ill Patients Requiring Intubation: Difficult Questions, No Easy Answers.

Airway management in critically ill patients remains a fundamental but challenging procedure, characterized by a high rate of complications. Studies have shown that as many as 40% of intubations in critical care settings are accompanied by severe adverse events,1,2 the most frequent complication being hypoxemia. A prospective study from critical care units in Scotland reported that severe hypox...