Strategic workforce planning: from closing skills gaps to optimizing talent

Purpose The purpose of this APQC (American Productivity and Quality Center) research study is to understand which strategic workforce planning approaches are currently in use; whether these approaches are meeting business needs; and what workforce planning challenges organizations are facing today. Design/methodology/approach This study involved survey research with 236 valid respondents representing organizations from a wide range of industries, regions, workforce sizes and revenues. American productivity and quality center (APQC) identified 46 “best-in-class” workforce planners from among these organizations based on their consistent achievement of superior results from workforce planning. Findings Best-in-class workforce planners are doing more than closing skills gaps and reducing skills surpluses. They are optimizing talent. Leveraging technology, varied work arrangements and employee development, they assemble the optimal mix of talent to achieve business goals. Originality/value The findings provide insight into how best-in-class workforce planners build a strong foundation for effective workforce planning through the distinctive ways they use process, people, technology and time. Organizations that adopt the practices and approaches of best-in-class workforce planners can drive improvements in their own workforce planning process.

Aesthetic monitoring-based assessment of oncological safety of oncoplastic management of breast cancer: a multi-center research study

Background Oncoplastic Breast surgeries (OBS) in breast cancer have evolved to preserve the cancerous breast rather than its amputation to improve postoperative cosmetic results. The lack of evidence to support the oncological safety and benefits of OBS is questionable. In this study, we evaluate various aspects of oncoplastic surgeries with a focused monitoring of aesthetic results and oncological safety. Methods This was a multi-center observational study focused on the statistics of data collected from cases who underwent oncoplastic surgeries from the cohort of breast cancer candidates at Mansoura University Hospitals/Egypt and King Faisal Medical Complex/KSA from January 2015 to June 2018. All data were analyzed carefully using SPSS v-26. Results Eighty cases who underwent different oncoplastic surgeries were included and reviewed for the aesthetic outcome and oncological safety. The recurrence rate was found to be 2.5%. The breast impact treatment scale assessment method was used to analyze the aesthetic outcomes, and average scores were accepted in 90% of patients. Conclusions The oncoplastic breast surgeries are feasible and they had a high rate of oncological safety with the maintenance of good aesthetic outcomes and patient satisfaction.

Training in Interdisciplinary, Practice-Oriented Minority Aging Research: Honoring the Work of Dr. James Jackson

Few scientists had the breadth and depth of scholarship, the keen interest in interdisciplinary scientific collaboration, and the commitment to mentoring the next generation of scientists as Dr. James Jackson. His passing remains a tremendous loss for the field. This symposium, organized by members of the Michigan Center for Urban African American Aging Research (MCUAAAR), which was founded by James over 20 years ago, reflects on the impact of transdisciplinary team science, of the importance of research networks and resource sharing, of the need to center research within practice and community, and of the scientific innovation that comes from integrating conceptual models, data sources, and methodological approaches from seemingly disparate fields. The session is co-chaired by Dr. Robert Taylor, longtime faculty member and current PI of MCUAAAR. The talk by session chair Dr. Briana Mezuk will discuss the ways in which the training approach of Analysis Core has inspired new training programs on integrative methods focused on minority health and disparities. The talk by Dr. Tam Perry will describe the innovations of the Community Liaison and Recruitment Core, including how COVID-19 impacted the activities of the Healthier Black Elder Center. The third talk by Dr. Rodlescia Sneed, a MCUAAAR early-career scientist, provides an example of how this Center supports interdisciplinary minority aging research through her project focused on older adults who have a history of incarceration. Finally, Discussant Dr. Roland Thorpe, a member of the MCUAAAR Advisory Board, will reflect on Dr. Jackson’s legacy of mentorship and collaboration.

Writing Center Research: Reflecting on “Radical Reciprocity in Online Spaces”

Writing Center peer tutor, Abby Bernard, describes her journey with Writing Center research. Bernard first explains her understanding of Michele Eodice's concept of "participatory hospitality" before examining participatory hospitality in online, asynchronous writing studios. This inquiry presents an opportunity to further understand which tutoring practices may foster participatory hospitality, as well as demonstrates the process of research within Writing Center scholarship.

Writing Center Research: Reflecting on “Radical Reciprocity in Online Spaces”

Writing Center peer tutor, Abby Bernard, describes her journey with Writing Center research. Bernard first explains her understanding of Michele Eodice's concept of "participatory hospitality" before examining participatory hospitality in online, asynchronous writing studios. This inquiry presents an opportunity to further understand which tutoring practices may foster participatory hospitality, as well as demonstrates the process of research within Writing Center scholarship.

Effects of food and rearing density of hybrid grouper (♂ \(\textit{E. lanceolatus}\) x ♀ \(\textit{E. fuscoguttatus}\)) from fry stage to fingerling

The study on the effects of food and rearing density of hybrid grouper (♂ E. lanceolatus × ♀ E. fuscoguttatus) from fry stage to fingerling was conducted at Nha Trang Mariculture Research and Development Center (Research Institute for Aquaculture No. 3) from March to May 2018 to assess the effects of live food and fish rearing density on the survival rate, the growth in length, the level of coefficient CVL and deformative rate. The study showed that feeding rotifers were better than the oyster larvae food, or the combination of rotifers and oyster larvae when used as food for the hybrid grouper at the fry stage to fingerlings with the survival rate at 5.4 ± 0.3%, specific growth rate at 7,90 ± 0,05% body length/day and the deformative ratio at 0.9 ± 0.3% (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, the rearing density of 8 fish/L to 12 fish/L of rearing water was recorded to be better than the density of 16 fish/L (p < 0.05).

Molecular Identification of Hg-Resistant Bacteria and Their Potential in Reducing Mercury Contamination

The aim of this research was to obtain and determine the identity of Hg-resistant bacteria in soil contaminatedwith gold processing waste and test its ability to reduce mercury contamination. Soil samples as a source of Hgresistant bacterial isolates were obtained from the gold processing location in Ilangata Village, Anggrek District,North Gorontalo Regency. The research was conducted at the Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Biology,Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. Mercury analysis was carried out at the Laboratory of FisheriesProduct Quality Development and Testing (LPPMHP), Gorontalo Province, and bacterial identification wascarried out at the Hasanuddin University Medical Research Center Research Unit. The parameters observed werethe types of Hg resistant bacteria and the ability of the bacteria to reduce mercury contamination. The resultsshowed that there were four bacterial isolates on the soil contaminated with 4.5 ppm mercury, which were namedILb01, ILB02, ILb03, and ILb04. Molecular identification showed that ILb01 was closely related toStenotrophomonas sp. SB67 and ILb02 close to Enterobacter cloacae strain CM 1, these strains were not resistantto mercury contamination; while ILb03 which is similar to strain BS0591 and ILb04 which is similar to BacteriumBacillus albus strain SQ30 16S could be resistant and was able to reduce mercury contamination by 99% at 10ppm levels. Key words: heavy metals, Hg-resistant bacteria, molecular identification, mercury

Evidence-Based Practices in Deaf Education: A Call to Center Research and Evaluation on the Experiences of Deaf People

The evidence base for educational interventions for deaf students has been, and continues to be, called into question due to a lack of “gold standard” research available to support it. Yet the paucity of research in deaf education is not only in the volume of research that meets rigorous standards but also in its lack of attention to and inclusion of a deaf-centered perspective on the inferences made about the strength of study findings in the field. This chapter uses a deaf-centered lens to examine what constitutes evidence, how it is gained, and how this information supports academic outcomes for this population. We include examples from the literature to examine implications for research personnel, study design, and accessible dissemination, with specific attention to both study sampling and measurement considerations. Considerations for deaf-centered research criteria include (a) integrating deaf researchers and epistemologies, (b) attending to the characteristics of deaf students, and (c) acknowledgment of root causes and systems factors. The recommendations in this chapter supplement the larger ongoing dialogue regarding the cultural responsiveness and representation of marginalized populations within the education research endeavor.