Factors Affecting Six Sigma Project Selection In The Information Systems/Information Technology Arena

The success of Six Sigma organization-wide requires that projects be resolved in a successful fashion and that the organization realize the benefits that these projects are supposed to deliver.  The success of information systems (IS) and information technology (IT) projects depends on these projects being developed in such a way that they are deployed error free.  The two development methods are different and the result is that many IS/IT personnel do not see where or how Six Sigma can be applied to their area.   In this paper, we discuss factors that are unique to the IS/IT environment that need to be considered when selecting Six Sigma IS/IT projects so that both sets of objectives can be successfully realized

Spring Migration of Eiders and Other Waterbirds at Point Barrow, Alaska

Birds migrating along the flaw lead at Point Barrow, Alaska were observed from 6 May to 4 June 1976. Little migration occurred until 25 and 26 May, when winds shifted from northeasterly to southwesterly and widened the lead. King Eiders (Somateria spectabilis) were the most abundant migrant; their movements were greatest with southwesterly (following) winds and between 1200 and 1800 h (Alaska Daylight Savings Time). On 26 May 360,000 King Eiders passed within a 10-hour period. Ninety percent of the migrant Glaucous Gulls (Larus hyperboreus) moved east by 25 May. Common Eiders (Somateria mollissima) and Oldsquaw (Clangula hyemalis) were most abundant in early June and the bulk of their migration probably occurred after 4 June. Male King Eiders passed mostly in May while females were more common in June, suggesting that this species delays pair bonding until the latter part of their migration. This strategy necessitates an early migration and introduces the risk of possible starvation due to late spring freezing in the high Arctic.Key words: waterbirds, eiders, King Eiders, Somateria spectabilis; Glaucuous Gulls, Larus hyperboreus; Common Eiders, Somateria mollissima; Oldsquaw, Clangula hyemalis; migrationMots clés: oiseaux marins, eiders, eiders respectable, Somateria spectabilis; goéland bourgmestre, Larus hyperboreus; eider commun, Somateria mollisima; canard à longue queue, Clangula hyemalis; migratio

Arctic Cod (Boreogadus saida) as Prey: Fish Length-Energetics Relationships in the Beaufort Sea and Hudson Bay

Although Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida) is widely recognized as an important trophic link to top predators in Arctic marine ecosystems, the challenges of conducting fieldwork in the Arctic make this species difficult to study. We establish some basic relationships to improve prey energetics modeling when only in-field parameters (e.g., fork length) can be measured. We investigated the intraspecific relationships among energy density, fork length, mass, and water content for Arctic cod captured by Black Guillemots and Thick-billed Murres at two sites (Western Beaufort and Hudson Bay). Dry energy density was similar between sites (21.6 – 22.2 kJ g-1) and increased with fork length (Dry EDkJ/g = 0.028 (± 0.01) • Fork Lengthmm + 18.12 (± 1.33). Even though fish lost some water as they were transported to the nest by avian predators, wet energy density also increased with fork length. We suggest that environmental conditions had a similar effect on growth at these two locations although they occur in very different oceanographic regimes. Arctic cod, especially large cod, is one of the most energy-rich prey species in the Arctic. Our results highlight the importance of this valuable prey to Arctic ecosystems and the utility of using seabirds opportunistically as samplers of the marine environment.Même si la morue polaire (Boreogadus saida) est grandement reconnue comme un lien trophique important pour les prédateurs situés en bout de chaîne des écosystèmes marins de l’Arctique, cette espèce est difficile à étudier en raison des défis inhérents à la réalisation de travaux sur le terrain dans l’Arctique. Nous établissons des relations de base afin d’améliorer la modélisation de la valeur énergétique des proies lorsque seuls des paramètres sur le terrain (comme la longueur à la fourche) peuvent être mesurés. Nous avons étudié les relations intraspécifiques qui existent entre la densité d’énergie, la longueur à la fourche, la masse et la teneur en eau de la morue polaire capturée par le guillemot à miroir et le guillemot de Brünnich à deux sites (ouest de Beaufort et baie d’Hudson). La densité d’énergie sèche était semblable entre les sites (21,6 – 22,2 kJ g-1) et augmentait en fonction de la longueur à la fourche (DE sèche EDkJ/g = 0,028 (± 0,01) • longueur à la fourchemm + 18,12(± 1,33). Même si les poissons perdaient de l’eau pendant le transport jusqu’au nid par les oiseaux prédateurs, la densité d’énergie humide augmentait également en fonction de la longueur à la fourche. Nous suggérons que les conditions environnementales avaient un effet similaire sur la croissance à ces deux sites même s’ils se trouvent dans des régimes océanographiques très différents. La morue polaire, surtout celle de grande taille, est l’une des espèces proies les plus riches en énergie de l’Arctique. Nos résultats mettent en évidence l’importance de cette précieuse proie pour les écosystèmes de l’Arctique et l’utilité de se servir des oiseaux de mer de manière opportuniste en guise d’échantillonneurs de l’environnement marin

The rate of telomere loss is related to maximum lifespan in birds

Telomeres are highly conserved regions of DNA that protect the ends of linear chromosomes. The loss of telomeres can signal an irreversible change to a cell's state, including cellular senescence. Senescent cells no longer divide and can damage nearby healthy cells, thus potentially placing them at the crossroads of cancer and ageing. While the epidemiology, cellular and molecular biology of telomeres are well studied, a newer field exploring telomere biology in the context of ecology and evolution is just emerging. With work to date focusing on how telomere shortening relates to individual mortality, less is known about how telomeres relate to ageing rates across species. Here, we investigated telomere length in cross-sectional samples from 19 bird species to determine how rates of telomere loss relate to interspecific variation in maximum lifespan. We found that bird species with longer lifespans lose fewer telomeric repeats each year compared with species with shorter lifespans. In addition, phylogenetic analysis revealed that the rate of telomere loss is evolutionarily conserved within bird families. This suggests that the physiological causes of telomere shortening, or the ability to maintain telomeres, are features that may be responsible for, or co-evolved with, different lifespans observed across species.This article is part of the theme issue 'Understanding diversity in telomere dynamics'

The circumpolar impacts of climate change and anthropogenic stressors on Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida) and its ecosystem

Arctic cod biomass are predicted. In most Arctic seas, the relative abundance of Arctic cod within the fish community will likely fluctuate in accordance with cold and warm periods. A reduced abundance of Arctic cod will negatively affect the abundance, distribution, and physiological condition of certain predators, whereas some predators will successfully adapt to a more boreal diet. Regional management measures that recognize thecritical roleof Arcticcod arerequiredtoensure that increased anthropogenic activities do not exacerbate the impacts of climate change on Arctic marine ecosystems. Ultimately, the mitigation of habitat loss for Arctic cod will only be achieved through a global reduction in carbon emissions

Molekularni patofyziologie vybranych dedicnych poruch erytropoezy. Soubor publikovanych praci s komentarem.

The publicated articles are in English.Available from STL Prague, CZ / NTK - National Technical LibrarySIGLECZCzech Republi

The Aut|look - Austrian fashion center

Abweichender Titel laut Übersetzung der Verfasserin/des VerfassersZsfassung in engl. SpracheGibt es in Wien Einrichtungen/Läden/Geschäfte, die österreichisches Modedesign anbieten? Die Frage ist definitiv mit einem "Ja" zu beantworten. Die Strukturen sind klein, meist sind Geschäftsräume und Werkstatt eine Einheit und Designer, Produzent und Verkäufer bilden eine Personalunion. Die Adressen sind oft nur "Insidern" bekannt. Die kleinen Geschäftslokale die sich meist aus Kostengründen in gering frequentierten Nebenstraßen befinden, erschweren durch die oft sehr enge und private Atmosphäre eine unbeschwerte Auseinandersetzung mit Design und erzeugen Verkaufsdruck. Anders ist es nahezu unmöglich an heimisches Design heranzutreten. Die meisten Inhaber bekannterer Läden, weigern sich österreichische Mode anzubieten, da keine Nachfrage vorhanden ist. Zwar wurden durch Initiativen wie beispielsweise der MQ Vienna Fashion Week rund um das Museumsquartier bereits andere Ansätze gefunden, doch ist es immer noch schwierig die breite Masse der Modeinteressierten anzusprechen. Thema dieser Arbeit ist es für die Modedesign Szene Österreichs einen organisierten Raum zu erarbeiten, der Designern die Möglichkeit bietet, sich zu präsentieren, den künstlerisches Austausch zu intensivieren und das Thema heimisches Design einem größeren Publikum zugänglicher zu machen.Dieser Ort soll als neutrale Verbindung zwischen den vielen Labels und der breiten Öffentlichkeit agieren und dazu beitragen, die darin vertretenen heimischen Designer bekannter zu machen.Der Aufbau dieser Arbeit gliedert sich in zwei wesentliche Bereiche:Zunächst wird die aktuelle Situation der österreichischen Modeszene beleuchtet, um einen Einblick in das Geschehen der österreichischen Modeszene und ein Verständnis für diese Thematik zu vermitteln. Neben der Entwicklung der Designszene innerhalb Wiens werden sowohl ehemalige als auch aktuelle Organisationen und Fördereinrichtungen vorgestellt, die einen wesentlichen Beitrag zur zukünftigen Modestadt Wien liefern konnten.Basierend auf den angestellten Recherchen, unter Einbeziehung der heimischen Designszene mittels Befragungen und Interviews wird im zweiten Teil dieser Arbeit ein Konzept für einen baulichen Entwurf für Österreichs Modeszene vorgestellt.Are there spaces in Vienna which are dedicated to Austrian fashion design? The obvious answer is "yes," however these little known insider spaces are often a jumble of studio, workstation, showroom, office and store.These cramped spaces scattered accross the city are often hidden in side streets and alleys for cost efficiency. What some may describe as an insider haunt is really an underdeveloped store concept where the designers have limited opportunities to showcase their designs and reach their target market. In contrast, commercial spaces in high visibility areas are largely taken by the more prominent designers or their mass market counterparts.Due to small scope of the Austrian Fashion industry, there is little support from the large commercial space inhabitors or shop owners as they argue that there is not enough demand for local designers. To counter the demise of the Austrian fashion industry, some initiatives have been undertaken in an aim to eliminate these questions of profitability. The MQ Vienna Fashion Week and the availability of design space in the Museums Quarter have helped promote awareness of the homegrown industry. Whilst the supply is supported, the demand is still at an elementary stage. In response, this work aims to create a space for the Austrian fashion scene to address both demand and supply by offering designers the opportunity to exchange ideas with fellow designers and to interact with a broader market. The project sees the space as a neutral place where different labels can be showcased to the public and awareness of local designers is fostered. The work is divided into two distinct areas. Firstly, the current situation of the Austrian fashion industry is analysed in order to identify the needs of the industry and the potential of the project.Furthermore, past and current contributors to the Austrian fashion industry will be considered in relation to their influence on its future development of Vienna as a fashion haven. These analyses are based on primary (interviews and questionnaires) and secondary research. In response to the findings, the project model will address the noted shortcomings and capitalise on opportunities for development.6