Using DEWIS and R for multi-staged statistics e-assessments

We demonstrate how the DEWIS e-Assessment system may use embedded R code to facilitate the assessment of students' ability to perform involved statistical analyses. The R code has been written to emulate SPSS output and thus the statistical results for each bespoke data set can be generated efficiently and accurately using standard R routines. This enables students' answers, generated from their application of SPSS, to be marked and appropriate feedback supplied back to them by DEWIS. Staging is used between different parts of the e-Assessment to replicate the natural stages of a complete statistical analysis. This allows students the freedom to work away from DEWIS; they may view the relevant stage an unlimited number of times prior to submitting their answers for that stage. The technical challenges of setting up the e-Assessment in this way are discussed as well as the rationale for adopting this pioneering approach

Open access statistics resources

In this paper we illustrate an open access statistics resource related to the statistical activities involved in choosing and carrying out an appropriate one sample test for location (mean or median) on a randomly generated data set. The development of the resource was funded through a sigma Resource Development Grant and is freely available from the UK national statstutor site. Five e-Assessment modules are available and these may be accessed independently or can be taken sequentially mimicking the flow of a full statistical analysis using the SPSS software package. On accessing the resource a new statistical data set may be generated or an existing data set used. Each module requires the data to have been downloaded to the SPSS statistical package, relevant analysis output obtained and a few questions answered to demonstrate understanding of the results. On submission, the e-Assessment system marks the responses immediately and provides full bespoke feedback for inappropriate test choices as well as other incorrect analysis. Videos and instruction pamphlets are accessible as links from each e-Assessment, which give clear instructions as to how to carry out the analyses and interpret results using SPSS. These additional resources, together with repeated use of the e-Assessment modules, facilitates learning how to identify and employ the correct test on a variety of data sets

Seismic P-Wave Polarization in the Context of On-Site Early Warning System

Design of an on-site seismic early warning system for critical facilities, based on P-wave detection, requires knowledge of local seismicity, analysis of strong-motion records, and local geological settings. The scope of current paper is to present an efficient and reliable methodology for P-wave detection and discrimination. It is tolerant to the environmental, traffic and other types of noise at the location of the critical facility. The basic idea that is exploited in the proposed algorithm is the degree of P-wave polarization, which is obtained with Karhunen- Loève transform of the orthogonal triaxial records. A system consisting of borehole sensor array that has been designed based on these ideas is described and some preliminary results are provided. This system has been already implemented to provide earthquake early warning for a tunnel on a major highway in British Columbia, Canada

Accuracy and feasibility of an android-based digital assessment tool for post stroke visual disorders - The StrokeVision App

Background: Visual impairment affects up to 70% of stroke survivors. We designed an app (StrokeVision) to facilitate screening for common post stroke visual issues (acuity, visual fields and visual inattention). We sought to describe the test-time, feasibility, acceptability and accuracy of our app based digital visual assessments against a) current methods used for bedside screening, and b) gold standard measures. Methods: Patients were prospectively recruited from acute stroke settings. Index tests were app based assessments of fields and inattention performed by a trained researcher. We compared against usual clinical screening practice of visual fields to confrontation including inattention assessment (simultaneous stimuli). We also compared app to gold standard assessments of formal kinetic perimetry (Goldman or Octopus Visual Field Assessment); and pencil and paper based tests of inattention (Albert’s, Star Cancellation, and Line Bisection). Results of inattention and field tests were adjudicated by a specialist Neuro-Ophthalmologist. All assessors were masked to each other’s results. Participants and assessors graded acceptability using a bespoke scale that ranged from 0 (completely unacceptable) to 10 (perfect acceptability). Results: Of 48 stroke survivors recruited, the complete battery of index and reference tests for fields was successfully completed in 45. Similar acceptability scores were observed for app-based (assessor median score 10 [IQR:9-10]; patient 9 [IQR:8-10]) and traditional bedside testing (assessor 10 [IQR:9-10; patient 10 [IQR:9-10]). Median test time was longer for app-based testing (combined time-to-completion of all digital tests 420 seconds [IQR:390-588]) when compared with conventional bedside testing (70 seconds, [IQR:40-70]) but shorter than gold standard testing (1260 seconds, [IQR:1005-1620]). Compared with gold standard assessments, usual screening practice demonstrated 79% sensitivity and 82% specificity for detection of a stroke-related field defect. This compares with 79% sensitivity and 88% specificity for StrokeVision digital assessment. Conclusion: StrokeVision shows promise as a screening tool for visual complications in the acute phase of stroke. The app is at least as good as usual screening and offers other functionality that may make it attractive for use in acute stroke

Changing times – A decade of empirical insight into the experience of rail passengers in Great Britain

© 2016 Elsevier Ltd In the last decade the number of rail passenger journeys in Great Britain has increased by half and car trips per person are down by a tenth. Meanwhile there has been significant growth in internet use and ownership of smartphones. Travel patterns are changing in tandem with adoption of digital age innovations. At a time when Britain is also poised to invest tens of billions of pounds in high speed rail, this paper examines how the experience of rail passengers has changed from 2004 to 2014. It draws upon questions concerning travel time use designed by its first two authors that have been included in the National Rail Passenger Survey waves conducted in Autumn 2004, 2010 and 2014, yielding over 80,000 survey responses in total. The data reveal an ongoing decline of paper-based materials accompanying travellers in the face of increasing adoption of digital alternatives. The latter can, for many, make their journey time experience better. However, the significant increase from 2004 to 2010 in the proportion of passengers considering their time use to have been very worthwhile has not continued on to 2014. This appears to be attributable (in part) to increased crowding and reduced passenger satisfaction associated with rising demand for rail travel. The paper sets out empirical insights, drawing them together in the form of a diagrammatic depiction of the interplay of factors involved in rail passenger experience. This depiction is then used to consider the implications for the future of rail travel. While mobile technologies appear to be placing more control of passenger experience in the hands of the passengers themselves, there remain important imperatives for the rail industry to support positive use of travel time

Conservative interventions for urinary or faecal incontinence, or both, in adults with multiple sclerosis

© 2018 The Cochrane Collaboration. This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (Intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the effects of conservative interventions for urinary or faecal incontinence (or both) in adults with multiple sclerosis, compared to no treatment, sham and usual care, any other active treatment, or another conservative treatment. To critically appraise and summarise the current evidence on resource use, costs and cost effectiveness of conservative interventions for adults with urinary or faecal incontinence (or both) and MS. We will make the following comparisons. Conservative treatment versus no treatment Conservative treatment versus sham treatment Conservative treatment versus usual care Conservative treatment versus pharmacological treatment Conservative treatment versus surgical treatment Conservative treatment versus any other conservative treatmen

Mapping the current and forecasted hydrogen skills landscape

This report examines the current and forecasted jobs and skills demands in Scotland’s hydrogen economy. It defines the scope of the sector and the scale of the opportunity for Scotland as a result of growth in the hydrogen economy, assesses current and future skills demand within the sector, and identify key skills requirements and issues

Reproducibility of Serologic Assays for Influenza Virus A (H5N1)

Results for clade 1 viruses were more consistent among laboratories when a standard antibody was used