Big data challenge for monitoring quality in higher education institutions using business intelligence dashboards

As big data becomes an apparent challenge to handle when building a business intelligence(BI)system,there is a motivation to handle this challenging issue in higher education institutions(HEIs).Monitoring quality in HEIs encompasses handling huge amounts of data coming from different sources.This paper reviews big data and analyses the cases from the literature regarding quality assurance(QA)in HEIs.It also outlines a framework that can address the big data challenge in HEIs to handle QA monitoring using BI dashboards and a prototype dashboard is presented in this paper.The dashboard was developed using a utilisation tool to monitor QA in HEIs to provide visual representations of big data.The prototype dashboard enables stakeholders to monitor compliance with QA standards while addressing the big data challenge associated with the substantial volume of data managed by HEIs’QA systems.This paper also outlines how the developed system integrates big data from social media into the monitoring dashboard.

Flexible pavement longitudinal joint quality evaluation using non-destructive testing

Longitudinal joint construction quality is critical to the life of flexible pavements.Maintaining deteriorated longitudinal joints has become a challenge for many highway agencies.Improving the joint's quality through better compaction during construction can help achieve flexible pavements with longer service lives and less maintenance.Current quality control(QC)and quality assurance(QA)plans provide limited coverage.Consequently,the risk of missing areas with poor joint compaction is significant.A density profiling system(DPS)is a non-destructive alternative to conventional destructive evaluation methods.It can provide quick and continuous real-time coverage of the compaction during construction in dielectrics.The paper presents several case studies comparing various types of longitudinal joints and demonstrating the use of DPS to evaluate the joint's compaction quality.The paper shows that dielectric measurements can provide valuable insight into the ability of various construction techniques to achieve adequate levels of compaction at the longitudinal joint.The paper proposes a dielectric-based longitudinal joint quality index(LJQI)to evaluate the relative compaction of the joint during construction.It also shows that adopting DPS for assessing the compaction of longitudinal joints can minimize the risk of agencies accepting poorly constructed joints,identify locations of poor quality during construction,and achieve better-performing flexible pavements.

A Study on the Challenges of Human-Centric Cyber-Security and the Guarantee of Information Quality

Information security and quality management are often considered two different fields. However, organizations must be mindful of how software security may affect quality control. This paper examines and promotes methods through which secure software development processes can be integrated into the Systems Software Development Life-cycle (SDLC) to improve system quality. Cyber-security and quality assurance are both involved in reducing risk. Software security teams work to reduce security risks, whereas quality assurance teams work to decrease risks to quality. There is a need for clear standards, frameworks, processes, and procedures to be followed by organizations to ensure high-level quality while reducing security risks. This research uses a survey of industry professionals to help identify best practices for developing software with fewer defects from the early stages of the SDLC to improve both the quality and security of software. Results show that there is a need for better security awareness among all members of software development teams.

A novel method for geometric quality assurance of rock joint replicas in direct shear testing-Part 2:Validation and mechanical replicability

Each rock joint is unique by nature which means that utilization of replicas in direct shear tests is required in experimental parameter studies.However,a method to acquire knowledge about the ability of the replicas to imitate the shear mechanical behavior of the rock joint and their dispersion in direct shear testing is lacking.In this study,a novel method is presented for geometric quality assurance of replicas.The aim is to facilitate generation of high-quality direct shear testing data as a prerequisite for reliable subsequent analyses of the results.In Part 1 of this study,two quality assurance parameters,smf and V_(Hp100),are derived and their usefulness for evaluation of geometric deviations,i.e.geometric reproducibility,is shown.In Part 2,the parameters are validated by showing a correlation between the parameters and the shear mechanical behavior,which qualifies the parameters for usage in the quality assurance method.Unique results from direct shear tests presenting comparisons between replicas and the rock joint show that replicas fulfilling proposed threshold values of σ_(mf)<0.06 mm and
|V_(Hp100)|
<0.2 mm have a narrow dispersion and imitate the shear mechanical behavior of the rock joint in all aspects apart from having a slightly lower peak shear strength.The wear in these replicas,which have similar morphology as the rock joint,is in the same areas as in the rock joint.The wear is slightly larger in the rock joint and therefore the discrepancy in peak shear strength derives from differences in material properties,possibly from differences in toughness.It is shown by application of the suggested method that the quality assured replicas manufactured following the process employed in this study phenomenologically capture the shear strength characteristics,which makes them useful in parameter studies.

Innovation and Practice of Internal Quality Assurance System in Higher Education Institutions -- Taking Jingzhou Vocational and Technical College as an Example

Continuously improving the internal quality assurance system and promoting the innovative development of higher vocational education is a challenge that every higher vocational institution must solve on the road of diagnosis and improvement.To address the current dilemma of building internal quality assurance systems in higher education institutions,this study utilizes a case study approach.This study takes Jingzhou Vocational and Technical College as the research object for research.Conclusion:The excellent diagnosis and reform model and the effectiveness of diagnosis and reform in this school can provide new strategic ideas for the practice of diagnosis and reform for the high-quality development of higher education in Hubei.

A novel method for geometric quality assurance of rock joint replicas in direct shear testing-Part 1:Derivation of quality assurance parameters and geometric reproducibility

Since each rock joint is unique by nature,the utilization of replicas in direct shear testing is required to carry out experimental parameter studies.However,information about the ability of the replicas to simulate the shear mechanical behavior of the rock joint and their dispersion in direct shear testing is lacking.With the aim to facilitate generation of high-quality direct shear test data from replicas,a novel component in the testing procedure is introduced by presenting two parameters for geometric quality assurance.The parameters are derived from surface comparisons of three-dimensional(3D)scanning data of the rock joint and its replicas.The first parameter,smf,captures morphological deviations between the replica and the rock joint surfaces.smf is derived as the standard deviation of the deviations between the coordinate points of the replica and the rock joint.Four sources of errors introduced in the replica manufacturing process employed in this study could be identified.These errors could be minimized,yielding replicas with smf
0.06 mm.The second parameter is a vector,VHp100,which describes deviations with respect to the shear direction.It is the projection of the 100 mm long normal vector of the best-fit plane of the replica joint surface to the corresponding plane of the rock joint.

VHp100

was found to be less than or equal to 0.36 mm in this study.Application of these two geometric quality assurance parameters demonstrates that it is possible to manufacture replicas with high geometric similarity to the rock joint.In a subsequent paper(part 2),smf and VHp100 are incorporated in a novel quality assurance method,in which the parameters shall be evaluated prior to direct shear testing.Replicas having parameter values below established thresholds shall have a known and narrow dispersion and imitate the shear mechanical behavior of the rock joint.

Construction and Quality Assurance of Outstanding Applied Horticultural Talent Training Curriculum System under the Background of New Agricultural Science:A Case Study of Huaiyin Institute of Technology

Huaiyin Institute of Technology is taken as the research object.The content of horticulture curriculum system under the background of new agricultural science is constructed and elaborated,including theoretical curriculum system of"three platforms and seven curriculum groups"and practice system of"two platforms,three levels and four modules".Moreover,the quality assurance strategy of the curriculum system is discussed from three angles of enhancing professional emotion,enhancing professional practice and strengthening innovation ability,to reach the training objective of outstanding applied horticultural talents under the background of new agricultural science.

Implementation of Level-3 Autonomous Patient-Specific Quality Assurance with Automated Human Interactive Devices

Purpose: Patient-specific quality assurance (PSQA) requires manual operation of different workstations, which is time-consuming and error-prone. Therefore, developing automated solutions to improve efficiency and accuracy is a priority. The purpose of this study was to develop a general software interface with scripting on a human interactive device (HID) for improving the efficiency and accuracy of manual quality assurance (QA) procedures. Methods: As an initial application, we aimed to automate our PSQA workflow that involves Varian Eclipse treatment planning system, Elekta MOSAIQ oncology information system and PTW Verisoft application. A general platform, the AutoFrame interface with two imbedded subsystems—the AutoFlow and the PyFlow, was developed with a scripting language for automating human operations of aforementioned systems. The interface included three functional modules: GUI module, UDF script interpreter and TCP/IP communication module. All workstations in the PSQA process were connected, and most manual operations were automated by AutoFrame sequentially or in parallel. Results: More than 20 PSQA tasks were performed both manually and using the developed AutoFrame interface. On average, 175 (±12) manual operations of the PSQA procedure were eliminated and performed by the automated process. The time to complete a PSQA task was 8.23 (±0.78) minutes for the automated workflow, in comparison to 13.91 (±3.01) minutes needed for manual operations. Conclusion: We have developed the AutoFrame interface framework that successfully automated our PSQA procedure, and significantly reduced the time, human (control/clicking/typing) errors, and operators’ stress. Future work will focus on improving the system’s flexibility and stability and extending its operations to other QA procedures.

Quality Assuring a Ring Vortex Flow Phantom in Real-Time

Introduction: The ring vortex phantom is a novel, cost-effective prototype which generates complex and well-characterised reference flows in the form of the ring vortex. Although its reproducibility has been demonstrated, with ring speeds routinely behaving within 10% tolerances at speeds of approximately 10 - 70 cm/s, a form of real-time QA of the device at the time of imaging is needed to confirm correct function on demand in any environment. Methods: The technology described here achieves real-time QA, comprising a linear encoder, laser-photodiode array, and Doppler probe, measuring piston motion, ring speed and intra-ring velocity respectively. This instrumentation does not interfere with imaging system QA, but allows QA to be performed on both the ring vortex and the device in real-time. Results: The encoder reports the reliability of the piston velocity profile, whilst ring speed is measured by laser behaviour. Incorporation of a calibrated Doppler probe offers a consistency check that confirms behaviour of the central axial flow. For purposes of gold-standard measurement, all elements can be related to previous Laser PIV acquisitions with the same device settings. Conclusion: Consequently, ring vortex production within tolerances is confirmed by this instrumentation, delivering accurate QA in real-time. This implementation offers a phantom QA procedure that exceeds anything seen in the literature, providing the technology to enhance quantitative assessment of flow imaging modalities.

QUALITY ASSURANCE INFORMATION SYSTEM FOR AGILE MANUFACTURING

The customer driven dynamic global market and geographical distribution of collaborating partners bring new challenges to the development of quality assurance information system (QAIS) for agile manufacturing. With recent dramatic advances in information technology, firstly the requirements of QAIS are examined in agile manufacturing environment, then a new implementation framework of a distributed QAIS is presented, where a deve loping environment of QAIS is established and some critical techniques are studied. Finally a prototype system based on world wide web (WWW) is accomplished.

Comparative Study of Evaluation Indicators for Learning Cities and the Implications

With the development of society,more and more cities are participating in the initiative to build learning cities.Constructing an evaluation indicator system for learning cities to monitor the progress and promote their growth has become increasingly important.This paper analyzes the preliminary framework of the UNESCO Global Learning City Index and R3L+Quality Framework.The comparison is made from the aspects of design philosophy,criteria of indicator,and the cycle of evaluation process.The findings suggest that the construction of an evaluation indicator system should be focused more on the diversity of learning city development,the construction of an evaluation process cycle,and the significance of building cooperative networks.

Quality assurance and quality control in the laboratory andrology

Quality assurance （QA） and quality control （QC） are fundamental aspects of any laboratory measurement. However, in comparison with other medical disciplines, the need for QA and QC in laboratory andrology has been recognized only recently. Furthermore, there is evidence that the effort required to undertake QA and QC has not been wholly welcomed by some clinicians. Nevertheless, accrediting bodies and regulatory authorities increasingly require evidence that laboratories have effective QA and QC measures in place because both are central to the quality management processes. Following the publication of the 5th edition of the World Health Organization Laboratory Manual, existing QA and QC systems will need to be updated to take into account some of the methodological changes recommended by the manual. Three of these are discussed in this commentary; they relate to： （i） the move to infer semen volume from its weight; （ii） the re-classification of sperm motility grades from four to three; and （iii） the publication of a lower reference limit for morphology of 4% （with a corresponding 95% confidence interval of 3%-4%）. The importance of QA and QC in all laboratory tests, including up and coming new tests to assess sperm DNA integrity, is discussed. The need for adequate initial training and continuing professional development programmes to support laboratory scientists performing andrology is also described.

A Quality Assurance Procedure and Evaluation of Rainfall Estimates for C-Band Polarimetric Radar

A mobile C-band dual polarimetric weather radar J type （PCDJ）, which adopts simultaneous transmission and simultaneous reception （STSR） of horizontally and vertically polarized signals, was first developed in China in 2008. It was deployed in the radar observation plan in the South China Heavy Rainfall Experiment （SCHeREX） in the summer of 2008 and 2009, as well as in Tropical Western Pacific Ocean Observation Experiments and Research on the Predictability of High Impact Weather Events from 2008 to 2010 in China （TWPOR）. Using the observation data collected in these experiments, the radar systematic error and its sources were analyzed in depth. Meanwhile an algorithm that can smooth differential propagation phase （~Dp） for estimating the high-resolution specific differential phase （KDP） was developed. After attenuation correction of reflectivity in horizontal polarization （ZH） and differential reflectivity （ZDR） of PCDJ radar by means of KDP, the data quality was improved significantly. Using quality-controlled radar data, quantitative rainfall estimation was performed, and the resutls were compared with rain-gauge measurements. A synthetic ZH /KDp-based method was analyzed. The results the traditional ZH-based method when the rain suggest that the synthetic method has the advantage over rate is 〉5 mm h^-1. The more intensive the rain rates, the higher accuracy of the estimation.

Development and Challenge of HIV/AIDS Testing Laboratory Network and Quality Assurance System in China

This paper describes the development and challenge of HIV/AIDS testing laboratory network and quality assurance system in China. At present,the HIV/AIDS testing laboratories includes three classes,the National AIDS Reference Laboratory,HIV/AIDS confirmatory laboratories and HIV/AIDS screening laboratories. All of them are accredited by the health authorities,and each class of laboratories take charge of their function strictly according to the "National Management of HIV/AIDS Detection (2006)". A complete quality assurance and quality control system for HIV/AIDS testing has been developed,which includes technical training,strict laboratory monitoring and approval,examination or proficiency testing on HIV/AIDS detection,and quality evaluation and supervision of HIV/AIDS diagnostic kits. Besides conduct the routine anti-HIV antibody test,more and more laboratories began to conduct other tests,such as CD4+ T lymphocyte cell counting,HIV viral load,HIV DNA PCR,genotyping,drug resistance,and HIV-1 recent infection test. The primary challenges faced by the HIV/AIDS testing laboratory network are in the areas of laboratory management and quality control. For example,the provincial PT program is inefficient,the internal quality control is conducted perfunctorily,personnel training can not met the needs of the workplace,which need to be improved.

Development of the Supply Chain Oriented Quality Assurance System for Aerospace Manufacturing SMEs and Its Implementation Perspectives

Aerospace manufacturing SMEs are continuously facing the challenge on managing their supply chain and complying with the aerospace manufacturing quality standard requirement due to their lack of resources and the nature of business. In this paper, the ERP system based approach is presented to quality control and assurance work in light of seamless integration of in-process production data and information internally and therefore managing suppliers more effectively and efficiently. The Aerospace Manufacturing Quality Assurance Standard （BS/EN9100） is one of the most recognised and essential protocols for developing the industry-operated-and-driven quality assurance systems. The research investigates using the ERP based system as an enabler to implement BS/EN9100 quality management system at manufacturing SMEs and the associated implementation and application perspectives. An application case study on a manufacturing SME is presented by using the SAP based implementation, which helps fiarther evaluate and validate the approach and application system development.

Methods, units and quality requirements for the analysis of haemoglobin A_(1c) in diabetes mellitus

The formation of glycohemoglobin, especially the hemoglobin A1c(Hb_(A1c)) fraction, occurs when glucose becomes coupled with the amino acid valine in the β-chain of Hb; this reaction is dependent on the plasma concentration of glucose. Since the early 1970 s it has been known that diabetics display higher values of Hb_(A1c) because they have elevated blood glucose concentrations. Thus Hb_(A1c) has acquired a very important role in the treatment and diagnosis of diabetes mellitus. After the introduction of the first quantitative measurement of Hb_(A1c), numerous methods for glycohemoglobin have been introduced with different assay principles: From a simple minicolumn technique to the very accurate automated highpressure chromatography and lastly to many automated immunochemical or enzymatic assays. In early days, the results of the quality control reports for Hb_(A1c) varied extensively between laboratories, therefore in United States and Canada working groups(WG) of the Diabetes Controls and Complications Trial(DCCT) were set up to standardize the Hb_(A1c) assays against the DCCT/National Glycohemoglobin Standardization Program reference method based on liquid chromatography. In the 1990 s, the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine(IFCC) appointed a new WG to plan a reference preparation and method for the Hb_(A1c) measurement. When the reference procedureswere established, in 2004 IFCC recommended that all manufacturers for equipment used in Hb_(A1c) assays should calibrate their methods to their proposals. This led to an improvement in the coefficient of variation(CV%) associated with the assay. In this review, we describe the glycation of Hb, methods, standardization of the Hb_(A1c) assays, analytical problems, problems with the units in which Hb_(A1c) values are expressed, reference values, quality control aspects, target requirements for Hb_(A1c), and the relationship of the plasma glucose values to Hb_(A1c) concentrations. We also note that the acceptance of the mmol/mol system for Hb_(A1c) as recommended by IFCC, i.e., the new unit and reference ranges, are becoming only slowly accepted outside of Europe where it seems that expressing Hb_(A1c) values either only in per cent units or with parallel reporting of percent and mmol/mol will continue. We believe that these issues should be resolved in the future and that it would avoid confusion if mmol/mol unit for Hb_(A1c) were to gain worldwide acceptance.

An Effective and Secure Quality Assurance System for a Computer Science Program

Improving the quality assurance (QA) processes and acquiring accreditation are top priorities for academic programs. The learning outcomes (LOs)assessment and continuous quality improvement represent core components ofthe quality assurance system (QAS). Current assessment methods suffer deficiencies related to accuracy and reliability, and they lack well-organized processes forcontinuous improvement planning. Moreover, the absence of automation, andintegration in QA processes forms a major obstacle towards developing efficientquality system. There is a pressing need to adopt security protocols that providerequired security services to safeguard the valuable information processed byQAS as well. This research proposes an effective methodology for LOs assessment and continuous improvement processes. The proposed approach ensuresmore accurate and reliable LOs assessment results and provides systematic wayfor utilizing those results in the continuous quality improvement. This systematicand well-specified QA processes were then utilized to model and implement automated and secure QAS that efficiently performs quality-related processes. Theproposed system adopts two security protocols that provide confidentiality, integrity, and authentication for quality data and reports. The security protocols avoidthe source repudiation, which is important in the quality reporting system. This isachieved through implementing powerful cryptographic algorithms. The QASenables efficient data collection and processing required for analysis and interpretation. It also prepares for the development of datasets that can be used in futureartificial intelligence (AI) researches to support decision making and improve thequality of academic programs. The proposed approach is implemented in a successful real case study for a computer science program. The current study servesscientific programs struggling to achieve academic accreditation, and gives rise tofully automating and integrating the QA processes and adopting modern AI andsecurity technologies to develop effective QAS.

Colometer:A real-time quality feedback system for screening colonoscopy

AIM:To investigate the performance of a new software-based colonoscopy quality assessment system.METHODS:The software-based system employs a novel image processing algorithm which detects the levels of image clarity,withdrawal velocity,and level of the bowel preparation in a real-time fashion from live video signal.Threshold levels of image blurriness and the withdrawal velocity below which the visualization could be considered adequate have initially been determined arbitrarily by review of sample colonoscopy videos by two experienced endoscopists.Subsequently,an overall colonoscopy quality rating was computed based on the percentage of the withdrawal time with adequate visualization(scored 1-5;1,when the percentage was 1%-20%;2,when the percentage was 21%-40%,etc.).In order to test the proposed velocity and blurriness thresholds,screening colonoscopy withdrawal videos from a specialized ambulatory colon cancer screening center were collected,automatically processed and rated.Quality ratings on the withdrawal were compared to the insertion in the same patients.Then,3 experienced endoscopists reviewed the collected videos in a blinded fashion and rated the overall quality of each withdrawal(scored 1-5;1,poor;3,average;5,excellent) based on 3 major aspects:image quality,colon preparation,and withdrawal velocity.The automated quality ratings were compared to the averaged endoscopist quality ratings using Spearman correlation coefficient.RESULTS:Fourteen screening colonoscopies were assessed.Adenomatous polyps were detected in 4/14(29%) of the collected colonoscopy video samples.As a proof of concept,the Colometer software rated colonoscope withdrawal as having better visualization than the insertion in the 10 videos which did not have any polyps(average percent time with adequate visualization:79% ± 5% for withdrawal and 50% ± 14% for insertion,P < 0.01).Withdrawal times during which no polyps were removed ranged from 4-12 min.The median quality rating from the automated system and the reviewers was 3.45 [interquartile range(IQR),3.1-3.68] and 3.00(IQR,2.33-3.67) respectively for all colonoscopy video samples.The automated rating revealed a strong correlation with the reviewer's rating(ρ coefficient= 0.65,P = 0.01).There was good correlation of the automated overall quality rating and the mean endoscopist withdrawal speed rating(Spearman r coefficient= 0.59,P = 0.03).There was no correlation of automated overall quality rating with mean endoscopists image quality rating(Spearman r coefficient= 0.41,P = 0.15).CONCLUSION:The results from a novel automated real-time colonoscopy quality feedback system strongly agreed with the endoscopists' quality assessments.Further study is required to validate this approach.

Food Physics and Food Safety- Some Aspects in Food Processing and Food Quality Control

The article deals with special questions of some aspects of food safety and application of methods of food physics in food processing and also in food quality control and quality assurance. The role of food safety has developed significantly in the last 2 decades, so today the production and processing of safe and quality food is of primary importance. Modem food production is based on principles of GAP and GMP （including GHP） and different methods and tools for quality control and assurance （IFS, HACCP, ISO-9000, ISO-9000/2010, ISO-22000, TQM）. There are different techniques and methods to produce safe food and to control the quality of the foodstuffs. The modem, up-to-date technologies and measurement techniques involve the application of many physical methods - high pressure, pulsing electrical field, microwave, non-destructive techniques （e.g., INAA, NMR, NIR-NIT, PAS）, radiation treatments as well. Using radiation technologies （of course not only nuclear ones） it is possible to fulfil some very important expectations of modem food processing, e.g., decrease of microbial contamination, improvement of sensory properties, increase of storability of food products.

Evaluating Pedagogical Quality of Learning Activities Using Fuzzy Evaluation Mappings: The Case of Pedagogical Games of Mathematical Proof

This paper introduces a conceptual framework for developing pedagogical games of mathematical proof (PGMP) designed to help non-STEM students learn mathematical reasoning in a playful manner and without “fear”. Within the constructivist learning paradigm it develops an in-class learning activity where social science students learn the concept of mathematical deduction playfully using toys to construct tables from which formal proofs of propositions are derived without calculations. A PGMP pedagogy quality assurance evaluation method based on fuzzy evaluation mappings capturing learning effectiveness, learning efficiency, and learning satisfaction is introduced. Our results from an in-class experiment show that pedagogical games of mathematical proof help non-STEM students to effectively engage with mathematical reasoning playfully. The results are consistent according to a quality assurance consistency index.