Big data-driven fuzzy cognitive map for prioritising IT service procurement in the public sector

YesThe prevalence of big data is starting to spread across the public and private sectors however, an impediment to its widespread adoption orientates around a lack of appropriate big data analytics (BDA) and resulting skills to exploit the full potential of big data availability. In this paper, we propose a novel BDA to contribute towards this void, using a fuzzy cognitive map (FCM) approach that will enhance decision-making thus prioritising IT service procurement in the public sector. This is achieved through the development of decision models that capture the strengths of both data analytics and the established intuitive qualitative approach. By taking advantages of both data analytics and FCM, the proposed approach captures the strength of data-driven decision-making and intuitive model-driven decision modelling. This approach is then validated through a decision-making case regarding IT service procurement in public sector, which is the fundamental step of IT infrastructure supply for publics in a regional government in the Russia federation. The analysis result for the given decision-making problem is then evaluated by decision makers and e-government expertise to confirm the applicability of the proposed BDA. In doing so, demonstrating the value of this approach in contributing towards robust public decision-making regarding IT service procurement.EU FP7 project Policy Compass (Project No. 612133

Correlation between endoscopic and histological activity in ulcerative colitis using validated indices

Background and Aim Endoscopy and histopathology are pivotal for evaluating disease activity in ulcerative colitis (UC); correlation between validated endoscopic and histological indices has not been examined. We aim to correlate the Ulcerative Colitis Endoscopic Index of Severity (UCEIS) with two new validated histological indices in patients with established UC. Methods Retrospective single centre cohort of patients with established UC who underwent flexible sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy by a single endoscopist. The UCEIS was scored at the worst affected area in the distal colon, which was biopsied; histological disease activity using Nancy (NI) and Robarts’ Histological (RHI) indices was scored by a pathologist blinded to the endoscopy. Spearman correlation between the UCEIS, NI and RHI, and between NI and RHI were performed. Results 125 patients, median age 37 years (range 16-81 years), with UCEIS scores (scale 0-8) 0=21; 1-3=48; 4-6=51; 7-8=5. Correlation coefficients between UCEIS and NI (scale 0-4) were r=0.84 (95% CI 0.76-0.89, p&lt;0.001) and between UCEIS and RHI (scale 0-33) r=0.86 (95% CI 0.80-0.90, p&lt;0.001). The difference in correlation was not significant (p=0.57). There was excellent correlation between the two histological indices (r=0.92, 95% CI 0.87-0.95, p&lt;0.001). Quiescent disease activity defined as the absence of neutrophils (Nancy 0-1, Robarts 0-3) was most closely correlated with UCEIS=0. Conclusions The UCEIS strongly correlates with both NI and RHI. Complete mucosal healing is best defined as a UCEIS=0/8, since this correlates with the absence of microscopic disease activity.</p

Correlation between endoscopic and histological activity in ulcerative colitis using validated indices

Background and Aim Endoscopy and histopathology are pivotal for evaluating disease activity in ulcerative colitis (UC); correlation between validated endoscopic and histological indices has not been examined. We aim to correlate the Ulcerative Colitis Endoscopic Index of Severity (UCEIS) with two new validated histological indices in patients with established UC. Methods Retrospective single centre cohort of patients with established UC who underwent flexible sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy by a single endoscopist. The UCEIS was scored at the worst affected area in the distal colon, which was biopsied; histological disease activity using Nancy (NI) and Robarts’ Histological (RHI) indices was scored by a pathologist blinded to the endoscopy. Spearman correlation between the UCEIS, NI and RHI, and between NI and RHI were performed. Results 125 patients, median age 37 years (range 16-81 years), with UCEIS scores (scale 0-8) 0=21; 1-3=48; 4-6=51; 7-8=5. Correlation coefficients between UCEIS and NI (scale 0-4) were r=0.84 (95% CI 0.76-0.89, p Conclusions The UCEIS strongly correlates with both NI and RHI. Complete mucosal healing is best defined as a UCEIS=0/8, since this correlates with the absence of microscopic disease activity.</p