Preparing the Ne(x)t Generation: Lessons learnt from Free / Libre Open Source Software Why free and open are pre-conditions and not options for higher

With reference to round table discussions on ‘preparing the new generation’ and ‘renewing knowledge creation’ this paper will illustrate why higher education (HE) needs to reposition itself to be prepared for the ne(x)t generation and which are the lessons to be learnt from well established virtual and informal open participatory learning ecosystems, in particular the Free / Libre Open and Source Software (FLOSS) communities. As has become clear; FLOSS communities succeed in providing and distributing in a sustainable manner the knowledge necessary for the production of good quality software, thereby using a different development approach than proprietary software producers. One characteristic of FLOSS is that it is built by a community of volunteers and frequently backed by companies that generate their revenues by providing services related to FLOSS projects and the software.Peer Reviewe

Impurity screening and stability of Fermi arcs against Coulomband magnetic scattering in a Weyl monopnictide

We present a quasiparticle interference study of clean and Mn surface-doped TaAs, a prototypical Weyl semimetal, to test the screening properties as well as the stability of Fermi arcs against Coulomb and magnetic scattering. Contrary to topological insulators, the impurities are effectively screened in Weyl semimetals. The adatoms significantly enhance the strength of the signal such that theoretical predictions on the potential impact of Fermi arcs can be unambiguously scrutinized. Our analysis reveals the existence of three extremely short, previously unknown scattering vectors. Comparison with theory traces them back to scattering events between large parallel segments of spin-split trivial states, strongly limiting their coherence. In sharp contrast to previous work [R. Batabyal et al., Sci. Adv. 2, e1600709 (2016)], where similar but weaker subtle modulations were interpreted as evidence of quasiparticle interference originating from Femi arcs, we can safely exclude this being the case. Overall, our results indicate that intra- as well as inter-Fermi arc scattering are strongly suppressed and may explain why-in spite of their complex multiband structure-transport measurements show signatures of topological states in Weyl monopnictides

Universal response of the type-II Weyl semimetals phase diagram

The discovery of Weyl semimetals represents a significant advance in topological band theory. They paradigmatically enlarged the classification of topological materials to gapless systems while simultaneously providing experimental evidence for the long-sought Weyl fermions. Beyond fundamental relevance, their high mobility, strong magnetoresistance, and the possible existence of even more exotic effects, such as the chiral anomaly, make Weyl semimetals a promising platform to develop radically new technology. Fully exploiting their potential requires going beyond the mere identification of materials and calls for a detailed characterization of their functional response, which is severely complicated by the coexistence of surface- and bulk-derived topologically protected quasiparticles, i.e., Fermi arcs and Weyl points, respectively. Here, we focus on the type-II Weyl semimetal class where we find a stoichiometry-dependent phase transition from a trivial to a non-trivial regime. By exploring the two extreme cases of the phase diagram, we demonstrate the existence of a universal response of both surface and bulk states to perturbations. We show that quasi-particle interference patterns originate from scattering events among surface arcs. Analysis reveals that topologically non-trivial contributions are strongly suppressed by spin texture. We also show that scattering at localized impurities generate defect-induced quasiparticles sitting close to the Weyl point energy. These give rise to strong peaks in the local density of states, which lift the Weyl node significantly altering the pristine low-energy Weyl spectrum. Visualizing the microscopic response to scattering has important consequences for understanding the unusual transport properties of this class of materials. Overall, our observations provide a unifying picture of the Weyl phase diagram

An open prospective study on the efficacy of Navina Smart, an electronic system for transanal irrigation, in neurogenic bowel dysfunction

Background: Transanal irrigation (TAI) has emerged as a key option when more conservative bowel management does not help spinal cord injured (SCI) individuals with neurogenic bowel dysfunction (NBD). Aim: To investigate the short-term efficacy and safety of an electronic TAI system (Navina Smart) in subjects with NBD. Design: We present an open, prospective efficacy study on Navina Smart, in individuals with NBD secondary to SCI, studied at three months. Population: Eighty-nine consecutive consenting established SCI individuals (61 male; mean age 48, range 18–77) naïve to TAI treatment were recruited from ten centres in seven countries. Subjects had confirmed NBD of at least moderate severity (NBD score ≥10). Methods: Subjects were taught how to use the device at baseline assisted by the Navina Smart app, and treatment was tailored during phone calls until optimal TAI regime was achieved. The NBD score was measured at baseline and at three months follow up (mean 98 days). Safety analysis was performed on the complete population while per protocol (PP) analysis was performed on 52 subjects. Results: PP analysis showed a significant decrease in mean NBD score (17.8 to 10, p<0.00001). In subjects with severe symptoms (defined as NBD score ≥14), mean NBD scores decreased (19.4 to 10.9, p<0.0001). The number of subjects with severe symptoms decreased from 41 (79%) subjects at baseline to 16 (31%) at three months follow-up. Device failure accounted for the commonest cause for loss of data. Side effects possibly related to the device developed in 11 subjects (12%). Discontinuation due to failure of therapy to relieve symptoms was reported by 5 subjects (6%). Conclusion: Navina Smart is effective for individuals with NBD, even those with severe symptoms; long-term data will follow. Whilst there were some device problems (addressed by the later stages of subject recruitment) the treatment was generally safe

An open prospective study on the efficacy of Navina Smart, an electronic system for transanal irrigation, in neurogenic bowel dysfunction

Background: Transanal irrigation (TAI) has emerged as a key option when more conservative bowel management does not help spinal cord injured (SCI) individuals with neurogenic bowel dysfunction (NBD). Aim: To investigate the short-term efficacy and safety of an electronic TAI system (Navina Smart) in subjects with NBD. Design: We present an open, prospective efficacy study on Navina Smart, in individuals with NBD secondary to SCI, studied at three months. Population: Eighty-nine consecutive consenting established SCI individuals (61 male; mean age 48, range 18–77) naïve to TAI treatment were recruited from ten centres in seven countries. Subjects had confirmed NBD of at least moderate severity (NBD score ≥10). Methods: Subjects were taught how to use the device at baseline assisted by the Navina Smart app, and treatment was tailored during phone calls until optimal TAI regime was achieved. The NBD score was measured at baseline and at three months follow up (mean 98 days). Safety analysis was performed on the complete population while per protocol (PP) analysis was performed on 52 subjects. Results: PP analysis showed a significant decrease in mean NBD score (17.8 to 10, p<0.00001). In subjects with severe symptoms (defined as NBD score ≥14), mean NBD scores decreased (19.4 to 10.9, p<0.0001). The number of subjects with severe symptoms decreased from 41 (79%) subjects at baseline to 16 (31%) at three months follow-up. Device failure accounted for the commonest cause for loss of data. Side effects possibly related to the device developed in 11 subjects (12%). Discontinuation due to failure of therapy to relieve symptoms was reported by 5 subjects (6%). Conclusion: Navina Smart is effective for individuals with NBD, even those with severe symptoms; long-term data will follow. Whilst there were some device problems (addressed by the later stages of subject recruitment) the treatment was generally safe

Adoption of OSS components: a goal-oriented approach

Open Source Software (OSS) has become a strategic asset for a number of reasons, such as short time-to-market software delivery, reduced development and maintenance costs, and its customization capabilities. Therefore, organizations are increasingly becoming OSS adopters, either as a result of a strategic decision or because it is almost unavoidable nowadays, given the fact that most commercial software also relies at some extent in OSS infrastructure. The way in which organizations adopt OSS affects and shapes their businesses. Therefore, knowing the impact of different OSS adoption strategies in the context of an organization may help improving the processes undertaken inside this organization and ultimately pave the road to strategic moves. In this paper, we propose to model OSS adoption strategies using a goal-oriented notation, in which different actors state their objectives and dependencies on each other. These models describe the consequences of adopting one such strategy or another: which are the strategic and operational goals that are supported, which are the resources that emerge, etc. The models rely on an OSS ontology, built upon a systematic literature review, which comprises the activities and resources that characterise these strategies. Different OSS adoption strategy models arrange these ontology elements in diverse ways. In order to assess which is the OSS adoption strategy that better fits the organization needs, the notion of model coverage is introduced, which allows to measure the degree of concordance among every strategy with the model of the organization by comparing the respective models. The approach is illustrated with an example of application in a big telecommunications company.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Managing risk in open source software adoption

By 2016 an estimated 95% of all commercial software packages will include Open Source Software (OSS). This extended adoption is yet not avoiding failure rates in OSS projects to be as high as 50%. Inadequate risk management has been identified among the top mistakes to avoid when implementing OSS-based solutions. Understanding, managing and mitigating OSS adoption risks is therefore crucial to avoid potentially significant adverse impact on the business. In this position paper we portray a short report of work in progress on risk management in OSS adoption processes. We present a risk-aware technical decision-making management platform integrated in a business-oriented decision-making framework, which together support placing technical OSS adoption decisions into organizational, business strategy as well as the broader OSS community context. The platform will be validated against a collection of use cases coming from different types of organizations: big companies, SMEs, public administration, consolidated OSS communities and emergent small OSS products.Postprint (published version

Using Games to Create Language Resources: Successes and Limitations of the Approach

Abstract One of the more novel approaches to collaboratively creating language resources in recent years is to use online games to collect and validate data. The most significant challenges collaborative systems face are how to train users with the necessary expertise and how to encourage participation on a scale required to produce high quality data comparable with data produced by “traditional ” experts. In this chapter we provide a brief overview of collaborative creation and the different approaches that have been used to create language resources, before analysing games used for this purpose. We discuss some key issues in using a gaming approach, including task design, player motivation and data quality, and compare the costs of each approach in terms of development, distribution and ongoing administration. In conclusion, we summarise the benefits and limitations of using a gaming approach to resource creation and suggest key considerations for evaluating its utility in different research scenarios

Research Blogs and the Discussion of Scholarly Information

The research blog has become a popular mechanism for the quick discussion of scholarly information. However, unlike peer-reviewed journals, the characteristics of this form of scientific discourse are not well understood, for example in terms of the spread of blogger levels of education, gender and institutional affiliations. In this paper we fill this gap by analyzing a sample of blog posts discussing science via an aggregator called ResearchBlogging.org (RB). ResearchBlogging.org aggregates posts based on peer-reviewed research and allows bloggers to cite their sources in a scholarly manner. We studied the bloggers, blog posts and referenced journals of bloggers who posted at least 20 items. We found that RB bloggers show a preference for papers from high-impact journals and blog mostly about research in the life and behavioral sciences. The most frequently referenced journal sources in the sample were: Science, Nature, PNAS and PLoS One. Most of the bloggers in our sample had active Twitter accounts connected with their blogs, and at least 90% of these accounts connect to at least one other RB-related Twitter account. The average RB blogger in our sample is male, either a graduate student or has been awarded a PhD and blogs under his own name