Expensive Proprietary Software Research Articles

TMIC-30. EFFICIENT, QUANTITATIVE MAPPING OF TUMOR-IMMUNE NEIGHBORHOOD COMPOSITION IN GLIOBLASTOMA USING CASSATT

Abstract The microenvironment surrounding brain cancer cells, and their position relative to anatomical features such as the vasculature, is a critical contributor to tumor malignancy. Immunohistochemical staining is widely used to examine such multicellular interactions, and approaches like cyclic immunohistochemistry (cycIHC), multiplexed immunofluorescence, or mass-based imaging can include up to 100 channels of interest. However, large (often > 50 GB) datasets from cycIHC or comparable approaches currently require an expert data scientist to concatenate open-source tools for each step of image pre-processing, registration, and segmentation, or the use of expensive proprietary software. We generated an open-source, unified, and user-friendly workflow for processing and analyzing cycIHC data - Cyclic Analysis of Single-Cell Subsets and Tissue Territories (CASSATT). CASSATT registers scanned slide images across all rounds of staining, segments individual nuclei, and scores marker expression on each detected cell. Beyond straightforward data analysis outputs such as dimensionality reduction, clustering, cell population identification and quantification, CASSATT explores the spatial relationships between cell populations via a statistical analysis module that can be applied to other high-dimensional imaging data types. In brief, it helps users identify populations of cells that interact - or do not interact - at frequencies that are greater than those occurring by chance. It also identifies specific ‘neighborhoods’ based on the cell types that surround each cell in the sample. The presence and location of these neighborhoods can be compared across slides or within distinct regions within a tissue. Within a newly generated cycIHC dataset consisting of 6 glioblastoma tissue sections processed through 8 cycles of chromogenic IHC staining, CASSATT successfully identified populations detected in parallel flow cytometry analyses and revealed specific associations between tumor and immune populations. Additional successful benchmarking was completed on a published tissue microarray dataset consisting of 107 cores processed through 18 cycles of staining and imaging.

The Role of Health Kiosks: Scoping Review.

BackgroundHealth kiosks are publicly accessible computing devices that provide access to services, including health information provision, clinical measurement collection, patient self–check-in, telemonitoring, and teleconsultation. Although the increase in internet access and ownership of smart personal devices could make kiosks redundant, recent reports have predicted that the market will continue to grow.ObjectiveWe seek to clarify the current and future roles of health kiosks by investigating the settings, roles, and clinical domains in which kiosks are used; whether usability evaluations of health kiosks are being reported, and if so, what methods are being used; and what the barriers and facilitators are for the deployment of kiosks.MethodsWe conducted a scoping review using a bibliographic search of Google Scholar, PubMed, and Web of Science databases for studies and other publications between January 2009 and June 2020. Eligible papers described the implementation as primary studies, systematic reviews, or news and feature articles. Additional reports were obtained by manual searching and querying the key informants. For each article, we abstracted settings, purposes, health domains, whether the kiosk was opportunistic or integrated with a clinical pathway, and whether the kiosk included usability testing. We then summarized the data in frequency tables.ResultsA total of 141 articles were included, of which 134 (95%) were primary studies, and 7 (5%) were reviews. Approximately 47% (63/134) of the primary studies described kiosks in secondary care settings. Other settings included community (32/134, 23.9%), primary care (24/134, 17.9%), and pharmacies (8/134, 6%). The most common roles of the health kiosks were providing health information (47/134, 35.1%), taking clinical measurements (28/134, 20.9%), screening (17/134, 12.7%), telehealth (11/134, 8.2%), and patient registration (8/134, 6.0%). The 5 most frequent health domains were multiple conditions (33/134, 24.6%), HIV (10/134, 7.5%), hypertension (10/134, 7.5%), pediatric injuries (7/134, 5.2%), health and well-being (6/134, 4.5%), and drug monitoring (6/134, 4.5%). Kiosks were integrated into the clinical pathway in 70.1% (94/134) of studies, opportunistic kiosks accounted for 23.9% (32/134) of studies, and in 6% (8/134) of studies, kiosks were used in both. Usability evaluations of kiosks were reported in 20.1% (27/134) of papers. Barriers (e.g., use of expensive proprietary software) and enablers (e.g., handling of on-demand consultations) of deploying health kiosks were identified.ConclusionsHealth kiosks still play a vital role in the health care system, including collecting clinical measurements and providing access to web-based health services and information to those with little or no digital literacy skills and others without personal internet access. We identified research gaps, such as training needs for teleconsultations and scant reporting on usability evaluation methods.

Analysis of the development of open GIS software and QGIS system

Abstract. Open source software could emerge thanks to the development of the Internet, development tools, and computer literacy in general. The most attractive parameter of open source GIS software is a free license. The rapid pace of development, attracting developers from all over the world and high modularity stimulate the innovative nature of open source software. Here, the introduction of new technologies does not meet with opposition, but rather welcomes. These circumstances, as well as elucidation of the functional capabilities of such GIS, become very important in the search for means of providing the educational process with modern GIS software, which is traditionally an expensive proprietary software. Goal: Analysis of up-to-date GIS software protection and visual accessibility of the QGIS system in the first place with studying geoinformation systems.Quantum GIS (QGIS) is an open source software (GIS) geographic information system (GIS). Open software is one of the most interesting technological phenomena of the present, owing to its rapid growth in the development of the Internet, development tools and computer literacy in general. The key role in the creation, development and support of open source software is played, as a rule, by the community of developers forming around individual software products: commercial companies, groups of enthusiasts or research organizations. The term open source was proposed by Bruce Perens, one of the key leaders in the Open Source and Free Software movement, cofounder with Eric Raymind in 1998 of the Open Source Initiative (OSI), an open source software development organization that promotes and provides technical open source support. This open source term is used by OSI to determine whether a software license complies with open source standards. The main features of open source software as defined include free distribution, accessible source code, permission to modify this source code. At the same time, even successful open source software products require companies on the market ready to provide technical support and advice on issues related to the selected products. However, the number of companies providing support services for open source GIS software is still relatively small.

SnowCloudHydro—A New Framework for Forecasting Streamflow in Snowy, Data-Scarce Regions

We tested the efficacy and skill of SnowCloud, a prototype web-based, cloud-computing framework for snow mapping and hydrologic modeling. SnowCloud is the overarching framework that functions within the Google Earth Engine cloud-computing environment. SnowCloudMetrics is a sub-component of SnowCloud that provides users with spatially and temporally composited snow cover information in an easy-to-use format. SnowCloudHydro is a simple spreadsheet-based model that uses Snow Cover Frequency (SCF) output from SnowCloudMetrics as a key model input. In this application, SnowCloudMetrics rapidly converts NASA’s Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) daily snow cover product (MOD10A1) into a monthly snow cover frequency for a user-specified watershed area. SnowCloudHydro uses SCF and prior monthly streamflow to forecast streamflow for the subsequent month. We tested the skill of SnowCloudHydro in three snow-dominated headwaters that represent a range of precipitation/snowmelt runoff categories: the Río Elqui in Northern Chile; the John Day River, in the Northwestern United States; and the Río Aragón in Northern Spain. The skill of the SnowCloudHydro model directly corresponded to snowpack contributions to streamflow. Watersheds with proportionately more snowmelt than rain provided better results (R2 values: 0.88, 0.52, and 0.22, respectively). To test the user experience of SnowCloud, we provided the tools and tutorials in English and Spanish to water resource managers in Chile, Spain, and the United States. Participants assessed their user experience, which was generally very positive. While these initial results focus on SnowCloud, they outline methods for developing cloud-based tools that can function effectively across cultures and languages. Our approach also addresses the primary challenges of science-based computing; human resource limitations, infrastructure costs, and expensive proprietary software. These challenges are particularly problematic in countries where scientific and computational resources are underdeveloped.

Implementation of Open Source GIS to Palm Oil Tree Plantation Database: A Case Study in Bukit Kerayong and Bukit Rajah Estate

The palm oil plantation industry is on the rise and it is the biggest plantation industry in Malaysia. Due to its importance and the rise in demand for palm oil plantations, thorough care needs to be given in order to produce high-quality products. Nevertheless, the increasing number in the plantation makes it difficult for the plants to be taken care of manually. It requires an appropriate Geographic Information System (GIS) to manage the plantation. A database management system through GIS can help solve the problem as the data developed by the system can help ease the work of monitoring and analysing the growth of the plants. Companies usually used expensive proprietary software due to its accountability. However, the development of Open Source Software nowadays should not be taken for granted as its ability is at the same par with the proprietary software and it could provide the same good services just as the proprietary software does. The aim of this study is to develop a GIS database using open source GIS software which is Quantum GIS (QGIS) by determining the information of oil palm; numbers of oil palm trees, an area covered by the estate and the vegetation index for oil palm using WorldView-2 images. This study shows that the respondents are positive and open about the usage of open-source software although they do have their concerns regarding the friendliness and performance of the software.

Towards a methodology to build virtual reality manufacturing systems based on free open software technologies

Virtual reality and augmented reality are being increasingly used in the manufacturing field for different purposes. As a result, these technologies seem to have a very promising future in the manufacturing industry. However, most of the current applications are based on the use of expensive proprietary software packages (such as specific CAD modules). This work presents a methodology that helps programmers to build virtual and augmented reality systems, which is valid for a broad number of industrial plants. Differently to other approaches, ours is based on open technologies, most of them free of cost. The technologies proposed to build the virtual worlds are already mature at the entertainment industry. The presented approach opens new possibilities for creating virtual reality models aimed at two major directions: (1) pure simulation of real processes and products for different purposes (e.g. staff training; prototype designing; manufacturing optimization; marketing) and (2) teleoperation of real processes (e.g. in dangerous environments or in micro and macro scale manufacturing). The application of the methodology is illustrated by means of the creation of a non-immersive virtual world which represents a part-classifying station, allowing both the simulation of the real plant as well as its remote operation.

Healthcare related open source software innovations: diffusion patterns and early adopter influence

The role of information technology in healthcare is receiving great attention owing to its ability to reduce costs, improve quality of healthcare and create distinct advantages for users. Open source software offers a viable alternative for expensive proprietary software for many small and medium organisations. In this paper, we focus on two important questions: a) What are the types of diffusion patterns for healthcare related to open source software? b) What is the influence of early adopters on the rate of diffusion of healthcare related open source software innovations? Our findings suggest that the widely used Bass model explains the diffusion of healthcare open source software innovations. In addition, we find four distinct takeoff patterns in the diffusion curves helping us understand the heterogeneity in the diffusion patterns. Finally, we find strong empirical evidence in support of the influence of early adopters on the diffusion process.

Show me the money: the business models of Linux players

The major trends characterising the development of e-business platforms include increasing the performance-to-price ratio of hardware components (e.g., servers and chips), as well as the declining costs of operating systems and middleware software as organisations switch from expensive proprietary software (e.g., Microsoft Windows) to open source software (e.g., Linux). The unique origins of Linux and open source software require the adoption of new business models to allow key players to sustain themselves long-term. Using a historical review of the open software movement and a value chain analysis for the open software industry, we examine, using primary data from interviews, the business models of five Linux players (Red Hat, Novell, Navica, Open Country and SohoLaunch). Case analyses enable us to identify four open source business models that should be sustainable in the long run.

OS Software: an alternative to costly Learning Management Systems

This is the first in a series of two reports discussing the use of open source software (OSS) and free software (FS) in online education as an alternative to expensive proprietary software. It details the steps taken in a Canadian community college to download and install the Linux Operating System in order to support an OSS/ FS learning management system (LMS).

Application of TOC/OPT rules in a medium sized shop

Abstract Abstract. Theory of constraints (TOC) and optimized production technology (OPT) are frequently presented as the better options for production control systems. Despite this enthusiasm, there is very little literature on how these principles can be implemented in practice without having to resort to the expensive proprietary software. In this paper we present a case study in which the OPT/TOC ideas were implemented without using the software. Management's major concern was reduction of work in process and increased delivery performance. It was decided to test whether the ideas of OPT/TOC were applicable in this environment and more importantly to which extent these two performance measures could be improved. The paper reports on the methodology used to test the OPT/TOC ideas in this shop and presents some early results of improvement, as well as some new problems which arose due to the new approach.