George Berkeley's Mathematical Philosophy And The Calculus

UMKC Honors Colleg

Student Evaluation of Teaching: The Inequity of Faculty Scores in Online versus Face-to-Face Courses

Researchers have conducted a multitude of studies over the last century on Student Evaluations of Teaching (SET); however, very few have been conducted in the new digital age (Loveland, 2007). More work is in progress as researchers try to define the differences in student responses and thoughts about the online teaching environment. The unfortunate side of this can be the administrative decision to use a one-size-fits-all mentality when many authors including Dziuban and Moskal (2011) have outlined several research-based alternatives for evaluation of online instructional effectiveness. SETs are important to faculty because they often are the determining factor in merit pay and tenure/promotion. Faculty use SETs to guide decision-making about their curriculum and instructional strategies used to deliver the course (Sheehan & DuPrey, 1999). The power of the SET is recognized as a driving force in academia. What are often not discussed are the differences between SET for face-to-face courses versus SET for online courses

How Gradient Affects the Foraging Decisions of Leaf Cutting Ants at the Food Source

The eusocial insects have long held the fascination of scientists for their co-operative behaviour, which can range from a small group of workers, to millions strong colonies, such as those found in the leaf cutting ant, Atta cephalotes. Though decades of research have allowed us some insight into their organisation and methods, there are many things that have gone unexplained. One of these is the mystery of why Atta consistently takes leaf loads back to the nest that are significantly smaller than would be optimal, when they should in theory optimise leaf transport rate. While compelling evidence has been presented to suggest that it is at least in part to do with how the leaves are processed inside the nest, here I present evidence to suggest that gradient is another key factor. This is a factor which has been explored only very cursorily up until now in leaf cutting ants, with experiments investigating it being extremely limited in scope, suffer from potential methodological errors or deal with grass cutting ants, which share many traits with leaf cutting ants, but have adapted to face different challenges. Upon a thorough examination of the effects of gradient, it was discovered that A. cephalotes favour a cautious, but more reliable method of transport. At almost every point, their behaviour shows the importance of maintaining grip on steep and vertical gradients to the point where it is prioritised over everything else, including speed and load size. While it may seem paradoxical to suggest that smaller loads, carried slower might result in a higher overall rate of leaf collection, a fast, but reckless approach might result in a high proportion of unsuccessful foraging trips, each of which costs energy and time. As a result, by increasing their success, rather than speed, they minimise wasted effort, loss of workers and potentially, have a higher rate of leaf collection over time. This aspect of leaf cutting ant behaviour shows that leaf cutting ants can change their priorities at the feeding site to best maximise transport success at an individual level, which demonstrates previously unappreciated plasticity and a new lens through which to view future investigations into ant foraging behaviour

Novel filler materials for composite out-of-plane joints

In the manufacture of the out-of-plane joints of composite stiffened panels, such as the connection between skin and T, I, omega shaped stiffeners, a filler material is needed to fill the void between the flanges, web and skin. The most common filler is a rolled unidirectional prepreg tape (“noodle”), which is not only expensive to manufacture, but also has low strength that can lead to premature failure of the loaded joint. In this work, eight novel filler concepts are introduced and experimentally validated against the baseline noodle via T-joint tensile tests. Polyamide nonwoven interleaved joints increase the damage tolerance of the structure and nonwoven nanofibres increase the failure initiation load. 3D printed fillers have lower strength but demonstrate the possibility of thermoplastic-thermoset hybrid structures. Fillers made of chopped prepreg match the strength of the baseline noodle and can serve as a low cost replacement. Another low cost, resin infused braided concept has lower strength, but its counterpart using multiple individual braids has the same strength as the unidirectional noodle. Moreover, the latter concept shows that different resin systems can be cured together without causing a knockdown in strength, and can serve as a basis for a range of novel applications

Novel filler materials for composite out-of-plane joints

In the manufacture of the out-of-plane joints of composite stiffened panels, such as the connection between skin and T, I, omega shaped stiffeners, a filler material is needed to fill the void between the flanges, web and skin. The most common filler is a rolled unidirectional prepreg tape (“noodle”), which is not only expensive to manufacture, but also has low strength that can lead to premature failure of the loaded joint. In this work, eight novel filler concepts are introduced and experimentally validated against the baseline noodle via T-joint tensile tests. Polyamide nonwoven interleaved joints increase the damage tolerance of the structure and nonwoven nanofibres increase the failure initiation load. 3D printed fillers have lower strength but demonstrate the possibility of thermoplastic-thermoset hybrid structures. Fillers made of chopped prepreg match the strength of the baseline noodle and can serve as a low cost replacement. Another low cost, resin infused braided concept has lower strength, but its counterpart using multiple individual braids has the same strength as the unidirectional noodle. Moreover, the latter concept shows that different resin systems can be cured together without causing a knockdown in strength, and can serve as a basis for a range of novel applications

Evidence-based appraisal of two guidelines for the diagnosis of suspected, uncomplicated urinary tract infections in primary care: a diagnostic accuracy validation study

Objectives: Given the lack of accurate rapid diagnostics for Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) in women, many countries have developed guidelines aiming to support appropriate antibiotic prescribing, but some guidelines have not been validated. We performed a diagnostic accuracy validation study of two guidelines: Public Health England (GW-1263) and Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN160). Methods: We used data from women with symptoms suggestive of uncomplicated UTI from a randomised controlled trial comparing urine collection devices. Symptom information was recorded via baseline questionnaire and primary care assessment. Women provided urine samples for dipstick testing and culture. We calculated the number within each risk category of diagnostic flowcharts who had positive/mixed growth/no significant growth urine culture. Results were presented as positive/negative predictive values, with 95% confidence intervals. Results: Of women under-65 years, 311/509 (61.1%, 95% CI 56.7-65.3%) classified to the highest risk category (recommended to consider immediate antibiotic prescribing) and 80/199 (40.2%, 95% CI 33.4-47.4%) classified to the lowest risk category (recommended to reassure that UTI is less likely) by GW-1263 guideline (n=810) had positive culture. For the SIGN160 guideline (n=814), the proportion with positive culture ranged from 60/82 (73.2%, 95% CI 62.1-82.1%) in those for whom immediate treatment was indicated to 33/76 (43.4%, 95% CI 32.3-55.3%) in those recommended a self19 care/waiting strategy. Conclusions: Clinicians should be aware of the potential for diagnostic error when using diagnostic guidelines for managing uncomplicated UTI and making antimicrobial prescribing decisions. Infection cannot be excluded on the basis of symptoms and dipstick testing alone