scholarly journals A review of R for Data Science: key elements and a critical analysis

Author(s):  
Christopher J Lortie

A detailed review of a recent data science book by Hadley Wickham and Garrett Grolemund is developed herein. Technical book reviews should provide a guide to the readers, a sense of the appropriate audience, the specifics of the software/language, and identify critical thinking questions that emerge through reading the specifics of these books. This is a pre-print, extended version of a review of 'R for Data Science', and it provides a relatively comprehensive framing of this particular book. The context and background of the authors is introduced, key elements of this book - primarily the workflow proposed and the value of the tidyverse - are summarized, and a critical analysis of the book was done. The following critical questions were addressed in the review. (1) Does this book (or any data science book for that matter) effectively communicate basic versus advanced data science concepts to the reader? (2) Does this book extend or improve upon previous resources particularly for the individual in- terested in using and learning data science to do statistics in R? (3) Can this book be read as a general data science book and by extension how much is this an R versus RStudio book? The importance of reading a book associated with tools one uses in computer science such as R versus rapid, online solution-based reading is very effectively established in 'R for Data Science'. Time spent with a technical book providing the big picture for the tools one uses to solve problems in R is important for deeper learning and insights.

Author(s):  
Christopher J Lortie

A detailed review of a recent data science book by Hadley Wickham and Garrett Grolemund is developed herein. Technical book reviews should provide a guide to the readers, a sense of the appropriate audience, the specifics of the software/language, and identify critical thinking questions that emerge through reading the specifics of these books. This is a pre-print, extended version of a review of 'R for Data Science', and it provides a relatively comprehensive framing of this particular book. The context and background of the authors is introduced, key elements of this book - primarily the workflow proposed and the value of the tidyverse - are summarized, and a critical analysis of the book was done. The following critical questions were addressed in the review. (1) Does this book (or any data science book for that matter) effectively communicate basic versus advanced data science concepts to the reader? (2) Does this book extend or improve upon previous resources particularly for the individual in- terested in using and learning data science to do statistics in R? (3) Can this book be read as a general data science book and by extension how much is this an R versus RStudio book? The importance of reading a book associated with tools one uses in computer science such as R versus rapid, online solution-based reading is very effectively established in 'R for Data Science'. Time spent with a technical book providing the big picture for the tools one uses to solve problems in R is important for deeper learning and insights.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua T. Vogelstein ◽  
Eric W. Bridgeford ◽  
Minh Tang ◽  
Da Zheng ◽  
Christopher Douville ◽  
...  

AbstractTo solve key biomedical problems, experimentalists now routinely measure millions or billions of features (dimensions) per sample, with the hope that data science techniques will be able to build accurate data-driven inferences. Because sample sizes are typically orders of magnitude smaller than the dimensionality of these data, valid inferences require finding a low-dimensional representation that preserves the discriminating information (e.g., whether the individual suffers from a particular disease). There is a lack of interpretable supervised dimensionality reduction methods that scale to millions of dimensions with strong statistical theoretical guarantees. We introduce an approach to extending principal components analysis by incorporating class-conditional moment estimates into the low-dimensional projection. The simplest version, Linear Optimal Low-rank projection, incorporates the class-conditional means. We prove, and substantiate with both synthetic and real data benchmarks, that Linear Optimal Low-Rank Projection and its generalizations lead to improved data representations for subsequent classification, while maintaining computational efficiency and scalability. Using multiple brain imaging datasets consisting of more than 150 million features, and several genomics datasets with more than 500,000 features, Linear Optimal Low-Rank Projection outperforms other scalable linear dimensionality reduction techniques in terms of accuracy, while only requiring a few minutes on a standard desktop computer.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen Triep ◽  
Alexander Benedikt Leichtle ◽  
Martin Meister ◽  
Georg Martin Fiedler ◽  
Olga Endrich

BACKGROUND The criteria for the diagnosis of kidney disease outlined in “The Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO)” are based on a patient’s current, historical and baseline data. The diagnosis of acute (AKI), chronic (CKD) and acute-on-chronic kidney disease requires past measurements of creatinine and back-calculation and the interpretation of several laboratory values over a certain period. Diagnosis may be hindered by unclear definition of the individual creatinine baseline and rough ranges of norm values set without adjustment for age, ethnicity, comorbidities and treatment. Classification of the correct diagnosis and the sufficient staging improves coding, data quality, reimbursement, the choice of therapeutic approach and the patient’s outcome. OBJECTIVE With the help of a complex rule-engine a data-driven approach to assign the diagnoses acute, chronic and acute-on-chronic kidney disease is applied. METHODS Real-time and retrospective data from the hospital’s Clinical Data Warehouse of in- and outpatient cases treated between 2014 – 2019 is used. Delta serum creatinine, baseline values and admission and discharge data are analyzed. A KDIGO based standard query language (SQL) algorithm applies specific diagnosis (ICD) codes to inpatient stays. To measure the effect on diagnosis, Text Mining on discharge documentation is conducted. RESULTS We show that this approach yields an increased number of diagnoses as well as higher precision in documentation and coding (unspecific diagnosis ICD N19* coded in % of N19 generated 17.8 in 2016, 3.3 in 2019). CONCLUSIONS Our data-driven method supports the process and reliability of diagnosis and staging and improves the quality of documentation and data. Measuring patients’ outcome will be the next step of the project.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rochelle E. Tractenberg

This article introduces the concept of the steward: the individual to whom the public, and other practitioners, can entrust the integrity of their field. The concept will be defined, particularly with respect to what about stewardship can be demonstrated by the practitioner so that others – including other stewards – can recognize this professional identity. Stewardship is an important aspect of professionalism, and although data science is a very new profession, its growth in terms of the number of practitioners should also include growth in the commitment to integrity in practice. Although an undergraduate program may seem early to begin understanding what this commitment means, and how to generate evidence of that commitment for yourself, those with a strong understanding of stewardship and how to recognize it will be better able to select jobs in contexts where this commitment to integrity is nurtured and valued. Learning about stewardship engages students in taking responsibility for their role in the profession, and so taking responsibility for the profession and the professional community. Once the construct is understood, learners can focus on the nature of the evidence they can compile - as well as the types of activities that can generate that kind of evidence- and on why this is meaningful over their career.


2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jovanka Mariana de Genova Ferreira ◽  
Gisele Pereira de Souza

Ao analisar as teorias de Pierre Bourdieu e Paulo Freire sobre educação, bem como a posição acadêmica e política dos autores sobre o tema, o artigo pretende refletir sobre projeto ‘Escola sem Partido’ e sua implicação em relação à prática dentro da sala de aula. Tal movimento que, nos últimos tempos, ganhou destaque no cenário brasileiro é contra o que chama de doutrinação política e ideológica dos alunos por parte dos professores e a usurpação dos direitos dos pais na educação moral e religiosa de seus filhos. Constatou-se que no cenário brasileiro atual existe uma iniciativa de diminuir a força da análise crítica dentro das escolas. A própria natureza do ‘Escola sem Partido’ traz essa premissa, pois a intenção de desmerecer a posição política do professor junto aos seus alunos demonstra que o propósito seja desqualificar a iniciativa de incentivar uma consciência crítica, o que, de múltiplas formas discutidas no presente estudo, colabora para que a relação oprimido e opressor prospere.Palavras-chave: Educação. Autonomia do Indivíduo. Escola sem Partido Reflections about ‘Escola sem Partido’ inspired by the theories of Paulo Freire and Pierre BourdieuAnalyzing the theories of Pierre Bourdieu and Paulo Freire on education, as well as the academic and political position of the authors on the theme, the article intends to reflect on the project “Escola Sem Partido” and its implication in relation to the practice within the classroom. This movement, which recently gained prominence in the Brazilian scenario, is against what it calls the political and ideological indoctrination of students by teachers and the usurpation of the rights of parents in the moral and religious education of their children. It was found that in the current Brazilian scenario there is an initiative to reduce the force of critical analysis within schools. The very nature of the “Escola Sem Partido” has this premise, since the intention to discredit the teacher’s political position with his students demonstrates that the purpose is to disqualify the initiative to encourage a critical conscience. What, in many ways is discussed in the present study, contributes to the oppressed and oppressive relationship to thrive.Keywords: Education. Autonomy of the Individual. Escola sem Partido. Reflexiones sobre la ‘Escola sem Partido’ inspirada por las teorías de Paulo Freire y Pierre BourdieuRESUMENAl analizar las teorías de Pierre Bourdieu y Paulo Freire sobre educación, así como la posición académica y política de los autores sobre el tema, el artículo pretende reflexionar sobre proyecto “Escola sem Partido” y su implicación con relación a la práctica dentro del aula. Tal movimiento, que en los últimos tiempos ganó destaque en el escenario brasileño está en contra lo que llama de adoctrinamiento político e ideológico de los alumnos por parte de los profesores y la usurpación de los derechos de los padres en la educación moral y religiosa de sus hijos. Se constató que en el escenario brasileño actual existe una iniciativa de disminuir la fuerza del análisis crítico dentro de las escuelas. La propia naturaleza de la “Escola sem Partido” aporta esa premisa, pues la intención de desmerecer la posición política del profesor junto a sus alumnos demuestra que el propósito sea descalificar la iniciativa de incentivar una conciencia crítica. Lo que, de múltiples formas discutidas en el presente estudio, colabora para que la relación oprimido y opresor prospere.Palabras clave: La educación. Autonomía del individuo. Escola sem Partido.


2019 ◽  
Vol 63 (2) ◽  
pp. 160 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ron M. Lewis ◽  
Marie R. Kennedy

The merging of two departments into the Acquisitions and Collection Development Department afforded Loyola Marymount University an opportunity to rethink existing workflows, with the acquisition of electronic books (e-books) being identified as a critical task to review. Process mapping was used to show the complexity of different tasks being performed in the department and to provide a visualization mechanism for staff to see how their work fit into a sequence of actions as part of a larger workflow. The authors listed the types of acquisition models used at their library for e-books and constructed process maps for the following six major types: 1. Firm order e-books; 2. Firm order e-book collections; 3. Approval order e-books; 4. Demand-driven e-books; 5. Standing order e-books, and; 6. Subscription e-book database. The authors merged the individual process maps into a single visualization to view the entirety of the acquisition process as a whole and to show how the different e-book acquisition models relate and diverge from one another.


2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 174-190
Author(s):  
Mojca Ilc Klun

Slovenian emigration is often presented with a general overview in which general data and statistical facts prevail, while the individual experiences and memories of Slovenian emigrants are omitted from these descriptions. In the study, which was conducted using a biographical-narrative methodological approach among members of the Slovenian diaspora from the United States of America, Canada and Australia, we were interested in the personal experiences and memories of those who emigrated from Slovenia themselves, or whose ancestors did. Through those life stories and memories, we can illustrate Slovenian emigration processes in such a way that people would better understand global migration processes. In the article we present three real life stories of members of the Slovenian diaspora, their individual memories and perceptions of their place of origin, homeland, the memories of emigration and immigration processes and memories of integration to the new social environments.


Author(s):  
Shaleph O’Neill

The Situationists defined the increasingly spectacularized society (The Society of the Spectacle ) as the alienation of the individual by an increasingly mediated and commoditised modern world that has spread across the globe, pacifying and alienating its audience with the manufacture of lack and the control of desire. Set dead against this spread of spectacular culture, the Situationists sought to free themselves from the commoditisation and mediation of everyday experience. By employing direct action and the creation of “situations,” they attempted to make clear the restrictive boundaries, both intellectual and environmental, that the habituated processes of modern capitalism (in the form of production and consumption, work and leisure) had placed upon society. In the era of the emerging digital or interactive Spectacle that now permeates every aspect of our culture, what has been added to the Spectacle is the illusion of agency administered through the new technological conduits. Virtual environments, for example, deliver visitation and visualization of places that, despite attempts at access by the viewer, remain remote. However, in our new digitally enhanced cultural spaces, despite restrictions, Situationist style interventions can still be made. Views can be expressed that had no outlet in previous media forms, allowing for the development of communities and exchange of ideas that require, at least in some part, the agency of the individuals taking part in them. Situationist theory takes its place in helping to describe such activities, even though, in some cases, the polemic is often watered down. Here we shall consider a number of examples of this kind of intervention, in relation to the Situationist practices of the dérive and détournement, to help give some structure to the critical analysis.


Author(s):  
Dara Hallinan

This chapter sketches a baseline level of protection for genetic privacy rights in biobanking, against which legal systems, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), might be compared. This baseline level of protection is provided via identifying principles dealing with the protection of all types of genetic privacy rights, and rights holders, in biobanking in the international framework. The chapter identifies two types of international principles: common international principles—principles identified in a majority of all biobank-relevant international instruments; and emerging international principles—principles identifiable in a majority of biobank-specific international instruments. It also offers a critical analysis of the protection offered under the international framework. This critique does not aim to undermine the legitimacy of regarding identified international principles as offering a baseline level of protection. Rather, it merely aims to highlight that the protection provided has flaws, and thus should not be regarded as definitive or perfect.


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