Improving learning center usage verification processes using Six Sigma

The Academic Learning Center at the University of Northern Iowa provides tutoring and advising services to enrolled students at the university. As Iowa legislatures consider performance based funding, having accurate and timely student usage data is imperative for the Academic Learning Center as the data is used in making funding decisions. The purpose of this research is to improve the student usage verification process and increase the accuracy of data collected by a math and science tutoring center located in the Academic Learning Center. An Access database was designed to record and track the math and science tutoring services provided and verify the usage data maintained by the AccuTrack system. The Six Sigma DMAIC methodology was used to improve the verification process and the DMADV method was applied when testing the reliability of the database. The Six Sigma DMAIC process improvement methodology improved the efficiency of the learning center’s AccuTrack verification process. The DMADV methodology is an effective tool for testing the reliability of the new database in verifying the center’s usage data. The cycle time for completing the verification process improved by 63% from an average of 44 days to 16 days. Before the process, the number of errors per report ranged between 25 and 111 with an average of 60 errors per report. After the process was improved, errors per report ranged between 0 and 32 with the average number of errors per report being 8. Applying the Six Sigma techniques can refine existing processes and increase the efficiency of a learning center. Accurate usage data assist in acquiring funding and validating request for increased staffing, expanding services, and evaluating the effectiveness of learning centers. The Six Sigma process improvement techniques have not been applied in a tutoring or learning center. The research validates using the Six Sigma DMADV and DMAIC methodologies in these settings

Factors affecting breeding status of wading birds in the Everglades.

This goals of this research and monitoring effort are to document nesting effort and roughly categorize success of nesting by wading birds in the central Everglades of Florida, and to investigate the causes of nonbreeding in a high proportion of the adult wading birds in the ecosystem The latter goal has focused on breeding of White Ibises (Eudocimus albus) and has been approached through 1) understanding the nutritional, behavioral, and hormonal aspects of normal breeding in a captive colony ofScarlet Ibises (considered conspecific to White Ibises) in central Florida, and 2) comparing breeding and nonbreeding wild White Ibises in the Everglades, in their physiology, nutritional state, breeding phenology, contaminant load, and hormonal status. This report covers work on this project between January and November, 2000. (81 page docoument

Adult ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) collected from tobacco fields and adjacent pastures and woodlands in East Tennessee

Seasonal activity-abundance of 106 species in 48 genera of ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) was based on pitfall trapping records from tobacco fields, pastures, and woodlands in eastern Tennessee. Six teen species of Carabinae and one species of Cicindelinae were considered abundant. Populations of Harpalus pennsylvanicus DeGeer comprised 30.6%. of the total collections. No significant differences in numbers of ground beetles were observed between carbofuran treated and untreated tobacco fields

Diffusion Tensor Imaging for Assessment of Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Patients With Breast Cancer.

In this study, the prognostic significance of tumor metrics derived from diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was evaluated in patients with locally advanced breast cancer undergoing neoadjuvant therapy. DTI and contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging were acquired at 1.5 T in 34 patients before treatment and after 3 cycles of taxane-based therapy (early treatment). Tumor fractional anisotropy (FA), principal eigenvalues (λ1, λ2, and λ3), and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) were estimated for tumor regions of interest drawn on DTI data. The association between DTI metrics and final tumor volume change was evaluated with Spearman rank correlation. DTI metrics were investigated as predictors of pathological complete response (pCR) by calculating the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Early changes in tumor FA and ADC significantly correlated with final tumor volume change post therapy (ρ = -0.38, P = .03 and ρ = -0.71, P < .001, respectively). Pretreatment tumor ADC was significantly lower in the pCR than in the non-pCR group (P = .04). At early treatment, patients with pCR had significantly higher percent changes of tumor λ1, λ2, λ3, and ADC than those without pCR. The AUCs for early percent changes in tumor FA and ADC were 0.60 and 0.83, respectively. The early percent changes in tumor eigenvalues and ADC were the strongest DTI-derived predictors of pCR. Although early percent change in tumor FA had a weak association with pCR, the significant correlation with final tumor volume change suggests that this metric changes with therapy and may merit further evaluation

Reviewing research evidence and the case of participation in sport and physical recreation by black and minority ethnic communities

The paper addresses the implications of using the process of systematic review in the many areas of leisure where there is a dearth of material that would be admitted into conventional Cochrane Reviews. This raises important questions about what constitutes legitimate knowledge, questions that are of critical import not just to leisure scholars, but to the formulation of policy. The search for certainty in an area that lacks conceptual consensus results in an epistemological imperialism that takes a geocentric form. While clearly, there is a need for good research design whatever the style of research, we contend that the wholesale rejection of insightful research is profligate and foolhardy. A mechanism has to be found to capitalise on good quality research of whatever form. In that search, we draw upon our experience of conducting a review of the material available on participation in sport and physical recreation by people from Black and minority ethnic groups. The paper concludes with a proposal for a more productive review process that makes better use of the full panoply of good quality research available. © 2012 © 2012 Taylor & Francis

Talk the talk, walk the walk: Defining Critical Race Theory in research

Over the last decade there has been a noticeable growth in published works citing Critical Race Theory (CRT). This has led to a growth in interest in the UK of practical research projects utilising CRT as their framework. It is clear that research on 'race' is an emerging topic of study. What is less visible is a debate on how CRT is positioned in relation to methodic practice, substantive theory and epistemological underpinnings. The efficacy of categories of data gathering tools, both traditional and non-traditional is a discussion point here to explore the complexities underpinning decisions to advocate a CRT framework. Notwithstanding intersectional issues, a CRT methodology is recognisable by how philosophical, political and ethical questions are established and maintained in relation to racialised problematics. This paper examines these tensions in establishing CRT methodologies and explores some of the essential criteria for researchers to consider in utilising a CRT framework. © 2012 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC

Factors affecting breeding status of wading birds in the Everglades.

This comprehensive final report summarizes the results of a four-year research and monitoring effort (1998 - 2001) designed to document nesting effort and success by wading birds, and to investigate the reproductive physiology and ecology of White Ibises (Eudocimus albus) in the Everglades ecosystem. The monitoring of nesting has been accomplished bystandardized systematic aerial and ground surveys and study of nesting success of nesting colonies in Water Conservation Areas (WCAs) 2 and 3 ofthe central Everglades. The White Ibis work was accomplished through 1) investigation of the nutritional, behavioral, and hormonal aspects of "normal" breeding in a captive colony of Scarlet Ibises (Eudocimus ruber, considered by many to be the same species as the White Ibis), and 2) documenting the physiology, nutritional state, breeding phenology, contaminant load, and hormonal status of free- living adult White Ibises in the central Everglades. (364 page document

Pubertal timing and breast density in young women: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND:Earlier age at onset of pubertal events and longer intervals between them (tempo) have been associated with increased breast cancer risk. It is unknown whether the timing and tempo of puberty are associated with adult breast density, which could mediate the increased risk. METHODS:From 1988 to 1997, girls participating in the Dietary Intervention Study in Children (DISC) were clinically assessed annually between ages 8 and 17 years for Tanner stages of breast development (thelarche) and pubic hair (pubarche), and onset of menses (menarche) was self-reported. In 2006-2008, 182 participants then aged 25-29 years had their percent dense breast volume (%DBV) measured by magnetic resonance imaging. Multivariable, linear mixed-effects regression models adjusted for reproductive factors, demographics, and body size were used to evaluate associations of age and tempo of puberty events with %DBV. RESULTS:The mean (standard deviation) and range of %DBV were 27.6 (20.5) and 0.2-86.1. Age at thelarche was negatively associated with %DBV (p trend = 0.04), while pubertal tempo between thelarche and menarche was positively associated with %DBV (p trend = 0.007). %DBV was 40% higher in women whose thelarche-to-menarche tempo was 2.9 years or longer (geometric mean (95%CI) = 21.8% (18.2-26.2%)) compared to women whose thelarche-to-menarche tempo was less than 1.6 years (geometric mean (95%CI) = 15.6% (13.9-17.5%)). CONCLUSIONS:Our results suggest that a slower pubertal tempo, i.e., greater number of months between thelarche and menarche, is associated with higher percent breast density in young women. Future research should examine whether breast density mediates the association between slower tempo and increased breast cancer risk