Negotiating open source software adoption in the UK public sector

Drawing on two case studies in the UK public sector our qualitative study explains how and why open source software has seen such a mixed response. Our narratives indicate that for both cases there was strong goodwill towards open source yet the trajectories of implementation differed widely. Drawing upon ideas of change(ing), mutability and materiality we unpack the process of adoption. The study shows that open source software has certain facets; code, community, coordination mechanisms, license and documentation. Each facet is not stable; indeed, it is changing and mutable. This creates possibilities, potential but also recalcitrance, and barriers. The interesting point of departure of our study is how open source software — a much touted transparent and open phenomenon — is by its nuanced and layered mutability able to make the process and practices surrounding it less visible. It concludes with clear policy recommendations developing from this research that could help to make open source adoption more sustainable in the public sector

Governing open source software through coordination processes

Governance provides the authoritative framework for coordinating activities in open source development. Prior studies of open source governance have largely focused on its changing nature over time. In this work, we argue that the nature of governance varies across open source communities, and, in its evolution, multiple traces of authority may co-exist. We propose that such multiplicity can be understood by close examination of the authoritative structures embedded in coordination processes. We collected eight years of data on the coordination related to version control of the Linux kernel. Drawing on in-depth qualitative analysis, we investigate how coordination processes with different authoritative structures come together in the governance of open source software. We trace four coordination processes (autocratic clearing, oligarchic recursion, federated self-governance, and meritocratic idea-testing), each grounded in different authoritative structures (autocracy, oligarchy, federation, meritocracy) with their own form of legitimation. We offer a two-fold contribution in this paper. First, we enhance the open source governance literature by advancing a new theoretical perspective in which governance is seen as a configuration of coordination processes. Configurations give complementary support and are a source of tension and renewal. Second, we articulate a view on the conceptual relationship between governance and coordination where these concepts are understood as a duality, both working together to give rise to efficient and dynamic organizing in open source

Folding and unfolding : balancing openness and transparency in open source communities

Open source communities rely on the espoused premise of complete openness and transparency of source code and development process. Yet, openness and transparency at times need to be balanced out with moments of less open and transparent work. Through our detailed study of Linux Kernel development we build a theory that explains that transparency and openness are nuanced and changing qualities that certain developers manage as they use multiple digital technologies and create, in moments of needs, more opaque and closed digital spaces of work. We refer to these spaces as digital folds. Our paper contributes to extant literature: by providing a process theory of how transparency and openness are balanced with opacity and closure in open source communities according to the needs of the development work; by conceptualizing the nature of digital folds and their role in providing quiet spaces of work: and, by articulating how the process of digital folding and unfolding is made far more possible by select elite actors’ navigating the line between the pragmatics of coding and the accepted ideology of openness and transparency

STRATEGIC DRIVERS OF OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE ADOPTION IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

This paper draws upon the results of a qualitative study on the procurement and adoption of open source software by public sector organizations spanning Europe, Brazil and the USA. The premise of this work was to understand the role ?cost? or total cost of ownership of software plays in government procurement decisions. We found, however, that this was more a rhetoric to gain acceptance for open source and to achieve a level playing field. Interviews with key stakeholders from government agencies and system integrators led us to understand and organize our findings on open source adoption under four broad categories; economic concerns, technical and development features, risk management, and innovation and strategic issues. We conclude with a number of insights to help other public sector organizations make better procurement decisions for information technology

The emergence of openness in open source projects : the case of openEHR

The meaning of openness in open source is both intrinsically unstable and dynamic, and tends to fluctuate with time and context. We draw on a very particular open-source project primarily concerned with building rigorous clinical concepts to be used in electronic health records called openEHR. openEHR explains how openness is a concept that is purposely engaged with, and how, in this process of engagement, the very meaning of open matures and evolves within the project. Drawing on rich longitudinal data related to openEHR we theorise the evolving nature of openness and how this idea emerges through two intertwined processes of maturation and metamorphosis. While metamorphosis allows us to trace and interrogate the mutational evolution in openness, maturation analyses the small, careful changes crafted to build a very particular understanding of openness. Metamorphosis is less managed and controlled, whereas maturation is representative of highly precise work carried out in controlled form. Both processes work together in open-source projects and reinforce each other. Our study reveals that openness emerges and evolves in open-source projects where it can be understood to mean rigour; ability to participate; open implementation; and an open process. Our work contributes to a deepening in the theorisation of what it means to be an open-source project. The multiple and co-existing meanings of ‘open’ imply that open-source projects evolve in nonlinear ways where each critical meaning of openness causes a reflective questioning by the community of its continued status and existence

Version control software in the open source process: A performative view of learning and organizing in the Linux collectif.

This research describes a study of learning and organizing within the Linux kernel open source collective. For its empirical focus it concentrates on Linux kernel development activities and this collective's debates about the role of, and need for, an agreed approach to version control software. This is studied over a period of eight years from 1995-2003. A textual analysis of messages in the Linux Kernel mailing list is used as the primary data source, supported by other contemporary accounts. In this work learning and organizing are understood to be mutually constitutive, where one entails and enables the other. Learning is about interacting with the environment, organizing is about reflecting this in the collective. The thesis uses the theoretical approach of actor network theory, Bateson's levels of learning and Weick's concept of organizing, to analyze learning and organizing in the kernel collective. The analysis focuses on the discourse and interplay between relevant actors (human and non-human), and the ongoing debates among kernel developers over whether to use version control software, and then which version control software to adopt. The persistence and passion of this debate (it spans the 8 years studied and is ongoing) is evident, and allows a longitudinal study of the becoming of learning and organizing. Drawing on actor network theory, the thesis emphasizes the performative (worked out, lived, 'in the doing of', in other words the becoming) character of learning and organizing. The findings of the study reveal how learning is understood in the collective and is, to a degree, reflected in its organizing activity. Key themes that emerge include: the organizing of time and space, maintaining of transparency and the overall concern with sustaining the assemblage. The thesis offers a distinctive account of technical actors as an essential part of the open source process. In conclusion, it re-emphasizes the significance of code and the agency of non-human actors

An Analysis of Export Restriction Rules and Proposals Under the WTO

هذه المذكرة هي نسخة منقحة عن ورقة بحثية سرية حول القيود المفروضة على المفاوضات نات الصلة بالأمن الغذائي تحت رعاية منظمة التجارة العالمية (WTO) . تتألف النسخة الكاملة لهذه الورقة من عنصرين: يمنح العنصر الأول خطه للإطار القانوني القائم ومقترحات التفاوض على قيود الصادرات. أما العنصر الثاني. فهو يمنح مقترحات التفاوض. وبسبب السرية. إن العنصر الأول فقحد متاح للعامة وسيتم عرضه في هذه المذكرة. تتمحور هذه المذكرة حول ثلاثة أقسام حيث يتناول القسم الأول أهم معاهدات منظمة التجارة العالمية (WTO) . وبالأخص الاتفاقية العامة للتعرفة و التجارة الدولية ١٩٩٤ (1994 GATT) واتفاقية الزراعة (AoA). كما أنه يناقش كيف يسهم التباس المصطلحات في هذه المعاهدات في خلق التحديات على صعيد التنظيم الفعال لقيود الصادرات. أما القسم الثاني. فهو يعرض المقترحات العديدة لأعضا، منظمة التجارة العالمية (WTO) والتي تهدف إلى توضيح الالتباسات أو ملء الثغرات في المخططات التنظيمية القائمة. ويناقش القسم الثالث المعاهدات التجارية الإقليمية بما فيها شراكة التجارة والاستثمار عبر الأطلسي (TTIP). اتفاقية الاقتصاد والتجارة الشاملة (CETA)‘ والشراكة عبر المحيط الهادئ (TTP)، بالإضافة الى اتفاقيات أخرى أقل شهرة لمنظمة التجارة العالمية (WTO).This memorandum is a redacted version of a confidential research paper on export restriction negotiations in relation to food security under the auspices of the World Trade Organization (WTO). The complete version of this paper has two components: the first provides a sketch of the existing legal framework and negotiation proposals on export restriction; the second provides negotiation proposals. Due to confidentiality considerations, only the first component of analysis is publicly available and presented here. This memorandum is organized into three parts. The first part elaborates on the most relevant WTO treaties, namely the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 (GATT 1994) and the Agreement on Agriculture (AoA). It discusses how ambiguity in the terms in these treaties poses challenges to effective regulation of export restriction. The second part presents proposals from several WTO Members that seek to clarify the ambiguities or fill the void in the existing regulatory schemes. The third part discusses regional trade treaties, including Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), and Trans- Pacific Partnership (TTP), along with other less prominent WTO agreements

Maternal characteristics and outcomes affected by hypothyroidism during pregnancy (Maternal hypothyroidism on pregnancy outcomes, MHPO-1)

Background: Hypothyroidism in pregnancy is an arena of ongoing research, with international conflicts regarding screening, management, and outcomes. Various studies have described the outcomes depending on geographical and international diagnostic criteria. No study has been conducted in this regard from the region of Pakistan. Therefore, we aim to report the clinical features and maternal outcomes of hypothyroid pregnancies and compare the maternal outcomes between uncontrolled and controlled TSH levels in the preconception as well as the gestational period.Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional retrospective study on 718 cases in the Aga Khan University Hospital after ethical approval. We collected information on pregnant females who have diagnosed hypothyroidism before conception or during their antenatal period. We noted the maternal characteristics and maternal comorbidities. Laboratory data were recorded for thyroid stimulating hormone levels before conception and during gestation. We recorded maternal outcomes as pregnancy loss (including miscarriage, stillbirth/intrauterine death, medical termination of pregnancy and ectopic pregnancy), gestational hypertension, pre-eclampsia, postpartum hemorrhage, placental abruption, and modalities of delivery. Data analysis was performed on Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 20.0.Results: Among 708 hypothyroid women 638 had live births. Postpartum hemorrhage was the most frequent maternal outcome (38.8%). The emergency cesarean section occurred in 23.4% of cases. We determined TSH levels in 53.2, 56.7, 61.7 and 66.6% of cases in preconception, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd trimester periods. A significant association existed between cesarean section and preconception thyrotropin levels \u3e 2.5 mIU/L, whereas postpartum hemorrhage was significantly associated with thyrotropin levels \u3e 2.5 mIU/L in the preconception and third trimester.Conclusion: Successful live births in our patients were complicated by maternal postpartum hemorrhage and a frequent number of emergency cesarean section

Global, regional, and national burden of chronic kidney disease, 1990–2017 : a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017

Background Health system planning requires careful assessment of chronic kidney disease (CKD) epidemiology, but data for morbidity and mortality of this disease are scarce or non-existent in many countries. We estimated the global, regional, and national burden of CKD, as well as the burden of cardiovascular disease and gout attributable to impaired kidney function, for the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2017. We use the term CKD to refer to the morbidity and mortality that can be directly attributed to all stages of CKD, and we use the term impaired kidney function to refer to the additional risk of CKD from cardiovascular disease and gout. Methods The main data sources we used were published literature, vital registration systems, end-stage kidney disease registries, and household surveys. Estimates of CKD burden were produced using a Cause of Death Ensemble model and a Bayesian meta-regression analytical tool, and included incidence, prevalence, years lived with disability, mortality, years of life lost, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs). A comparative risk assessment approach was used to estimate the proportion of cardiovascular diseases and gout burden attributable to impaired kidney function. Findings Globally, in 2017, 1·2 million (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 1·2 to 1·3) people died from CKD. The global all-age mortality rate from CKD increased 41·5% (95% UI 35·2 to 46·5) between 1990 and 2017, although there was no significant change in the age-standardised mortality rate (2·8%, −1·5 to 6·3). In 2017, 697·5 million (95% UI 649·2 to 752·0) cases of all-stage CKD were recorded, for a global prevalence of 9·1% (8·5 to 9·8). The global all-age prevalence of CKD increased 29·3% (95% UI 26·4 to 32·6) since 1990, whereas the age-standardised prevalence remained stable (1·2%, −1·1 to 3·5). CKD resulted in 35·8 million (95% UI 33·7 to 38·0) DALYs in 2017, with diabetic nephropathy accounting for almost a third of DALYs. Most of the burden of CKD was concentrated in the three lowest quintiles of Socio-demographic Index (SDI). In several regions, particularly Oceania, sub-Saharan Africa, and Latin America, the burden of CKD was much higher than expected for the level of development, whereas the disease burden in western, eastern, and central sub-Saharan Africa, east Asia, south Asia, central and eastern Europe, Australasia, and western Europe was lower than expected. 1·4 million (95% UI 1·2 to 1·6) cardiovascular disease-related deaths and 25·3 million (22·2 to 28·9) cardiovascular disease DALYs were attributable to impaired kidney function. Interpretation Kidney disease has a major effect on global health, both as a direct cause of global morbidity and mortality and as an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease. CKD is largely preventable and treatable and deserves greater attention in global health policy decision making, particularly in locations with low and middle SDI

Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London