Scholarly insight Spring 2018: a Data wrangler perspective

In the movie classic Back to the Future a young Michael J. Fox is able to explore the past by a time machine developed by the slightly bizarre but exquisite Dr Brown. Unexpectedly by some small intervention the course of history was changed a bit along Fox’s adventures. In this fourth Scholarly Insight Report we have explored two innovative approaches to learn from OU data of the past, which hopefully in the future will make a large difference in how we support our students and design and implement our teaching and learning practices. In Chapter 1, we provide an in-depth analysis of 50 thousands comments expressed by students through the Student Experience on a Module (SEAM) questionnaire. By analysing over 2.5 million words using big data approaches, our Scholarly insights indicate that not all student voices are heard. Furthermore, our big data analysis indicate useful potential insights to explore how student voices change over time, and for which particular modules emergent themes might arise. In Chapter 2 we provide our second innovative approach of a proof-of-concept of qualification path way using graph approaches. By exploring existing data of one qualification (i.e., Psychology), we show that students make a range of pathway choices during their qualification, some of which are more successful than others. As highlighted in our previous Scholarly Insight Reports, getting data from a qualification perspective within the OU is a difficult and challenging process, and the proof-of-concept provided in Chapter 2 might provide a way forward to better understand and support the complex choices our students make. In Chapter 3, we provide a slightly more practically-oriented and perhaps down to earth approach focussing on the lessons-learned with Analytics4Action. Over the last four years nearly a hundred modules have worked with more active use of data and insights into module presentation to support their students. In Chapter 3 several good-practices are described by the LTI/TEL learning design team, as well as three innovative case-studies which we hope will inspire you to try something new as well. Working organically in various Faculty sub-group meetings and LTI Units and in a google doc with various key stakeholders in the Faculties, we hope that our Scholarly insights can help to inform our staff, but also spark some ideas how to further improve our module designs and qualification pathways. Of course we are keen to hear what other topics require Scholarly insight. We hope that you see some potential in the two innovative approaches, and perhaps you might want to try some new ideas in your module. While a time machine has not really been invented yet, with the increasing rich and fine-grained data about our students and our learning practices we are getting closer to understand what really drives our students

A dedicated vascular access clinic for children on haemodialysis: Two years' experience

BACKGROUND: Arteriovenous fistula (AVF) formation for long-term haemodialysis in children is a niche discipline with little data for guidance. We developed a dedicated Vascular Access Clinic that is run jointly by a transplant surgeon, paediatric nephrologist, dialysis nurse and a clinical vascular scientist specialised in vascular sonography for the assessment and surveillance of AVFs. We report the experience and 2-year outcomes of this clinic. METHODS: Twelve new AVFs were formed and 11 existing AVFs were followed up for 2 years. All children were assessed by clinical and ultrasound examination. RESULTS: During the study period 12 brachiocephalic, nine basilic vein transpositions and two radiocephalic AVFs were followed up. The median age (interquartile range) and weight of those children undergoing new AVF creation were 9.4 (interquartile 3-17) years and 26.9 (14-67) kg, respectively. Pre-operative ultrasound vascular mapping showed maximum median vein and artery diameters of 3.0 (2-5) and 2.7 (2.0-5.3) mm, respectively. Maturation scans 6 weeks after AVF formation showed a median flow of 1277 (432-2880) ml/min. Primary maturation rate was 83 % (10/12). Assisted maturation was 100 %, with two patients requiring a single angioplasty. For the 11 children with an existing AVF the maximum median vein diameter was 14.0 (8.0-26.0) mm, and the median flow rate was 1781 (800-2971) ml/min at a median of 153 weeks after AVF formation. Twenty-two AVFs were used successfully for dialysis, a median kt/V of 1.97 (1.8-2.9), and urea reduction ratio of 80.7 % (79.3-86 %) was observed. One child was transplanted before the AVF was used. CONCLUSIONS: A multidisciplinary vascular clinic incorporating ultrasound assessment is key to maintaining young children on chronic haemodialysis via an AVF

Anarchism and the British warfare state : The prosecution of the War Commentary Anarchists, 1945

The arrest and prosecution in 1945 of a small group of London anarchists associated with the radical anti-militarist and anti-war publicationWar Commentary at first appears to be a surprising and anomalous set of events, given that this group was hitherto considered to be too marginal and lacking in influence to raise official concern. This article argues that in the closing months of World War II the British government decided to suppress War Commentary because officials feared that its polemic might foment political turmoil and thwart postwar policy agendas as military personnel began to demobilize and reassert their civilian identities. For a short period of time, in an international context of “demobilization crisis”, anarchist anti-militarist polemic became a focus of both state fears of unrest and a public sphere fearing ongoing military regulation of public affairs. Analysing the positions taken by the anarchists and government in the course of the events leading to the prosecution of the editors of War Commentary, the article will draw on “warfarestate” revisions to the traditional “welfare-state” historiography of the period for a more comprehensive view of the context of these events

On lions, impala, and bigraphs: modelling interactions in physical/virtual spaces

While HCI has a long tradition of formally modelling task-based interactions with graphical user interfaces, there has been less progress in modelling emerging ubiquitous computing systems due in large part to their highly contextual nature and dependence on unreliable sensing systems. We present an exploration of modelling an example ubiquitous system, the Savannah game, using the mathematical formalism of bigraphs, which are based on a universal process algebra that encapsulates both dynamic and spatial behaviour of autonomous agents that interact and move among each other, or within each other. We establish a modelling approach based on four perspectives on ubiquitous systems—Computational, Physical, Human, and Technology—and explore how these interact with one another. We show how our model explains observed inconsistencies in user trials of Savannah, and then, how formal analysis reveals an incompleteness in design and guides extensions of the model and/or possible system re-design to resolve this

Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics (MESA)

Stellar physics and evolution calculations enable a broad range of research in astrophysics. Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics (MESA) is a suite of open source libraries for a wide range of applications in computational stellar astrophysics. A newly designed 1-D stellar evolution module, MESA star, combines many of the numerical and physics modules for simulations of a wide range of stellar evolution scenarios ranging from very-low mass to massive stars, including advanced evolutionary phases. MESA star solves the fully coupled structure and composition equations simultaneously. It uses adaptive mesh refinement and sophisticated timestep controls, and supports shared memory parallelism based on OpenMP. Independently usable modules provide equation of state, opacity, nuclear reaction rates, and atmosphere boundary conditions. Each module is constructed as a separate Fortran 95 library with its own public interface. Examples include comparisons to other codes and show evolutionary tracks of very low mass stars, brown dwarfs, and gas giant planets; the complete evolution of a 1 Msun star from the pre-main sequence to a cooling white dwarf; the Solar sound speed profile; the evolution of intermediate mass stars through the thermal pulses on the He-shell burning AGB phase; the interior structure of slowly pulsating B Stars and Beta Cepheids; evolutionary tracks of massive stars from the pre-main sequence to the onset of core collapse; stars undergoing Roche lobe overflow; and accretion onto a neutron star. Instructions for downloading and installing MESA can be found on the project web site (http://mesa.sourceforge.net/).Comment: 110 pages, 39 figures; submitted to ApJS; visit the MESA website at http://mesa.sourceforge.ne

Exploring face perception in disorders of development: evidence from Williams syndrome and autism

Individuals with Williams syndrome (WS) and autism are characterized by different social phenotypes but have been said to show similar atypicalities of face-processing style. Although the structural encoding of faces may be similarly atypical in these two developmental disorders, there are clear differences in overall face skills. The inclusion of both populations in the same study can address how the profile of face skills varies across disorders. The current paper explored the processing of identity, eye-gaze, lip-reading, and expressions of emotion using the same participants across face domains. The tasks had previously been used to make claims of a modular structure to face perception in typical development. Participants with WS (N=15) and autism (N=20) could be dissociated from each other, and from individuals with general developmental delay, in the domains of eye-gaze and expression processing. Individuals with WS were stronger at these skills than individuals with autism. Even if the structural encoding of faces appears similarly atypical in these groups, the overall profile of face skills, as well as the underlying architecture of face perception, varies greatly. The research provides insights into typical and atypical models of face perception in WS and autism

On-orbit servicing commercial opportunities with security implications

The On-Orbit Servicing (OOS) working group discussed legal and political implications of developing a commercial OOS industry. The group considered the benefits that OOS and Active Debris Removal (ADR) can offer the satellite industry, as well as potential disadvantages for international relations between space faring nations. To gain an accurate perspective of stakeholders involved in such a process, the OOS working group held a mock hearing for OOS licensing, with members of the working group assigned to represent stakeholders. Working group members presented their cases at a simulated domestic regulatory panel, constructed of members representing various government ministers, to fully explore stakeholder views. The mock hearings explored the challenges faced by OOS and ADR entrepreneurs as well as the benefit of regulation. The groups highlighted recommendations to ensure the practicality of OOS and determine how best to encourage licensing and regulation of such activities, as summarised below. 1. The United Nations (UN) should provide regulatory guidelines for OOS and ADR. 2. Government agencies should license OOS. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has taken responsibility for licensing commercial space transportation in the United States and this should be extended to OOS/ADR missions to enable short-term advancement prior to further UN regulation. 3. Government should support OOS and ADR development to ensure continued demand. This includes leading by example on government satellites and potential launch levies to enable on-going ADR funding. 4. All stakeholders should prevent weaponisation of space through transparency of operations. 5. Nations should initiate international cooperation on ADR. OOS and ADR will ensure sustainable use of satellites, particularly in LEO and GEO, for the coming decades. It is through transparency, economic stimulation and close monitoring that such endeavours will be successful

Two-dimensional magnetic interactions in LaFeAsO

Inelastic neutron scattering measurements demonstrate that the magnetic interactions in antiferromagnetic LaFeAsO are two dimensional. Spin-wave velocities within the Fe layer and the magnitude of the spin gap are similar to the AFe2As2 based materials. However, the ratio of interlayer and intralayer exchange is found to be less than ∼10−4 in LaFeAsO, very similar to the cuprates, and ∼100 times smaller than that found in AFe2As2 compounds. The results suggest that the effective dimensionality of the magnetic system is highly variable in the parent compounds of the iron arsenides and weak three-dimensional interactions may limit the maximum attainable superconducting Tc