Collaborative research between academia and industry using a large clinical trial database: a case study in Alzheimer's disease

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Large clinical trials databases, developed over the course of a comprehensive clinical trial programme, represent an invaluable resource for clinical researchers. Data mining projects sponsored by industry that use these databases, however, are often not viewed favourably in the academic medical community because of concerns that commercial, rather than scientific, goals are the primary purpose of such endeavours. Thus, there are few examples of sustained collaboration between leading academic clinical researchers and industry professionals in a large-scale data mining project. We present here a successful example of this type of collaboration in the field of dementia.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The Donepezil Data Repository comprised 18 randomised, controlled trials conducted between 1991 and 2005. The project team at Pfizer determined that the data mining process should be guided by a diverse group of leading Alzheimer's disease clinical researchers called the "Expert Working Group." After development of a list of potential faculty members, invitations were extended and a group of seven members was assembled. The Working Group met regularly with Eisai/Pfizer clinicians and statisticians to discuss the data, identify issues that were currently of interest in the academic and clinical communities that might lend themselves to investigation using these data, and note gaps in understanding or knowledge of Alzheimer's disease that these data could address. Leadership was provided by the Pfizer Clinical Development team leader; Working Group members rotated responsibility for being lead and co-lead for each investigation and resultant publication.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Six manuscripts, each published in a leading subspecialty journal, resulted from the group's work. Another project resulted in poster presentations at international congresses and two were cancelled due to resource constraints.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The experience represents a particular approach to optimising the value of data mining of large clinical trial databases for the combined purpose of furthering clinical research and improving patient care. Fruitful collaboration between industry and academia was fostered while the donepezil data repository was used to advance clinical and scientific knowledge. The Expert Working Group approach warrants consideration as a blueprint for conducting similar research ventures in the future.</p

Advanced Welding and Joining Technical Workshop: Pipelines

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) strongly supports the drive toward safer pipelines, and joined with the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) to advance this goal. NIST in collaboration with PHMSA and several pipeline industry trade organizations, organized and executed the Advanced Welding and Joining Technical Workshop on January 25 and 26, 2006 workshop in Boulder, Colorado. Assistance in organizing the workshop came from an 18-person steering committee selected to represent the different interests in the pipeline industry. This committee helped to prepare the agenda, identify speakers, organize the working groups, and promote attendance. The workshop had 69 participants representing pipeline owners, technology developers, trade and standards organizations, and government agencies. The workshop structure included six keynote presentations to suggest some issues, five working groups (by topical area) to identify and rank the research needs, and summary presentations (back to the whole group) to compare results and comment on any overlaps or omissions. The five working groups were: • Weld Design in Emerging Materials, • Construction, • Weld Inspection and Assessment Methods, • Weld Maintenance and Repair, and • Joining Issues for Nonmetallic Material

Relating Individual Characteristics and Task Complexity to Performance Effectiveness in Individual and Collaborative Problem Solving

The objective of this research is to examine the variables that influence performance effectiveness on individual and collaborative problem solving. The last few years have seen renewed interest in how team member personal characteristics and team composition characteristics impact team effectiveness. Even with a growing quantity of organizations performing jobs by using groups, little is understood how people included in a team impact intragroup interaction and results. Most research investigates group’s performance based on a single characteristic which causes much confusion and contradictory results of the variables that impact overall group performance. Most research typically does not analyze the composition of individual-member characteristics (e.g., learning styles, dependency, and working memory capacity). There are few investigations in the literature that assess the connection between individual characteristics and collaborative problem-solving abilities. This research explored the effect of individual characteristics of learning styles, dependency, and working memory capacity on both individual problem-solving and collaborative problem solving. For individual problem solving, learning style and dependency interaction affected accuracy while working memory alone affected accuracy. For collaborative problem solving, the three-way interaction of all three characteristics impacted accuracy. Interactions between dependency and working memory and learning style and working memory impacted group performance time. The results of this study may be used by government agencies and industry in job design and employment placement. Assessing the individual characteristics of employees will help the employees to see all those things that are not so obvious in the interview. It makes them one step closer to identifying the right person for the position. In addition, to have their CVs, experiences, and education, some individual characteristics tests (i.e. learning style, dependency, and working memory) may provide more information important for team members. If employers can pair individuals correctly based on their characteristics, they might be able to decrease conflicts and improve collaboration between employees

STRATEGI KOLABORASI KELOMPOK KERJA BUNDA PAUD PROVINSI JAWA BARAT DENGAN PERGURUAN TINGGI DALAM MENINGKATKAN KOMPETENSI PENDIDIK PADA PENDIDIKAN ANAK USIA DINI DI KOTA BANDUNG

This study aims to provide an overview of the collaborative strategy implemented by the Pokja Bunda PAUD in West Java Province and Universities in Improving the Competence of Early Childhood Educators in the City of Bandung. The West Java Provincial PAUD Working Group is a non-structural institution under the auspices of the West Java Province Bunda PAUD as a special mandate from the Ministry of Education and Culture. The method used was qualitative through in-depth interviews with Bunda PAUD of West Java Province, Chairperson of West Java Province Bunda PAUD Working Group, and teachers who were participants in the implementation of Childhood Educator Competency Improvement activities in Bandung City. Data collection was also complemented by observation techniques in the Bunda PAUD Working Group with universities and documentation of collaboration data carried out by the organization. The results of the study show that even though Childhood Education is not under the authority of the Province, the West Java Provincial Bunda PAUD Working Group as a representative for Childhood Education management at the provincial level is able to support the implementation of Childhood Education competency improvement through collaboration with tertiary institutions, including International Women's University, as well as internal collaboration with academics who are members of the Group Bunda PAUD Working Group in West Java Province, which came from the Indonesian University of Education, and the Islamic University of Bandung. Apart from tertiary institutions, the West Java Provincial Bunda PAUD Working Group can also optimize collaborative efforts with other parties including the Business World/Industry World in supporting financing through CSR schemes, as well as other organizations including The Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization - Center Of Early Childhood Care Education and Parenting (SEAMEO CECCEP), Indonesian Kindergarten Teachers Association (IGTKI), Raudhatul Athfal Teachers Association (IGRA), and the Indonesian Early Childhood Education Association (HIMPAUDI). The recommendation is that the research results obtained can also be implemented to the Provincial and District/City Bunda PAUD Working Group

"Prevention is the biggest success”: barriers and enablers to personal biosecurity in the thoroughbred breeding industry

Employees in the equine industry are at occupational risk of zoonoses such as Hendra virus and equine chlamydiosis through exposure to infected materials. This study aimed to gain a deeper understanding of the views and experiences of employees, and the key drivers of infection control and personal biosecurity (PB) practices in the Thoroughbred breeding industry. Methods: An exploratory qualitative study was conducted in 2018 in New South Wales, Australia using interviews (9) and small group discussions (7). The 29 participants included veterinarians, veterinary nurses, foaling staff, stud managers and laboratory personnel working in a range of equine medicine settings. Interviews and focus groups were recorded, transcribed and analysed manually by at least two members of the research team. An iterative approach was used to derive themes. Results: Five main themes emerged: (i) greater awareness of current and emerging infectious risks promotes use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE); (ii) currently available PPE is not comfortable, practical or well-suited to equine reproductive work in Australia’s hot climate; (iii) creating supportive environments for PB reduces risk of exposure to infectious materials; (iv) strong leadership is required to implement sustainable change in workplace culture and practices; and (v) policy and economic factors play an important role in adopting biosecurity (BS) and PB measures in the workplace. Personnel working in the Australian Thoroughbred breeding industry face unique zoonotic risks in a challenging physical environment. A qualitative approach provided rich insights into social and physical factors motivating BS and PB in this occupational group. There is an opportunity for collaboration between Public Health services and industry partners to develop and implement strategies most likely to be effective in ensuring consistent uptake of PB measures in the workplace

Employer Policies and Practices to Manage and Prevent Disability: Foreword to the Special Issue

Purpose Employer policies and practices have been shown to impact workplace disability, but research in this area has waned in recent years despite an aging workforce, a growing prevalence of chronic health conditions, and a larger proportion of working-age adults on permanent work disability in many jurisdictions. The purpose of this article is to describe the background rationale and methodology for an invited conference designed to improve research of employer strategies to curtail work disability. Methods A multidisciplinary team of 26 international researchers with published research in employer-based disability management or related fields were invited to attend a 3-day conference in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, USA. The overall goal was to review the status of current research of workplace disability management and prevention, examine its relevance for employer decision-making, compare conceptual frameworks or theoretical perspectives, and recommend future research directions. Working groups were organized and draft manuscripts were prepared in advance. Conference activities included working group presentations and critiques, discussions with a panel of industry consultants and advisors, group interaction and debate, generation of final recommendations, and manuscript revision. Results/Conclusion Six principal domains were established with respect to future research: (a) further elucidation of the key workplace factors that buffer the disabling effects of injury and illness; (b) more innovative and feasible options for workplace intervention; (c) measurement of workplace-relevant disability outcomes; (d) a stronger theoretical framework for understanding the factors behind employer uptake and implementation; (e) a focus on special clinical populations and occupations where disability risk is most troubling; and (f) better representation of workers and employers that reflect the diverse and changing nature of work. Final comments and recommendations of the working groups are presented in the following six articles in this special issue of the Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation. Conference attendees recommended changes in methodology, collaboration strategies, and theoretical perspectives to improve the practical and scientific impact of future research of employer practices

Planning and implementation of effective collaboration in construction projects

The 21st century is now seen as the time for the construction industry to embrace new ways of working if it is to continue to be competitive and meet the needs of its ever demanding clients. Collaborative working is considered by many to be essential if design and construction teams are to consider the whole lifecycle of the construction product. Much of the recent work on collaborative working has focused on the delivery of technological solutions with a focus on web (extranets), CAD (visualisation), and knowledge management technologies. However, it is now recognised that good collaboration does not result from the implementation of information technology solutions alone. The organisational and people issues, which are not readily solved by pure technical systems, need to be resolved. However, approaches that exclusively focus on organisational and people issues will not reap the benefits derived from the use of technology, especially in the context of distributed teams which are the norm in construction. Work currently being undertaken at Loughborough University aims to bring together the benefits enabled by the technology, with the organisational, and its people issues to provide a framework enabling high level strategic decisions to be made to implement effective collaboration. This paper reports on the initial stages of the project: the background to the project, the methodology used, and findings from the literature survey and the requirements capture survey conducted as part of the project

Framework for effective collaborative working in construction

The potential benefits of collaborative working in construction projects have yet to be fully realised in the sector. This is in part due to the misunderstanding of the use of the information and communication technologies (ICT) and tools associated with working collaboratively. There are, however, isolated pockets of experts that have realised that in order to fully embrace the potential of collaborative working in their businesses, the role of ICT has to be closely aligned with the people that use it, and should relate to the overall goals of the business. The aim of the Planning and Implementation of Effective Collaboration in Construction (PIECC) project is to develop a decision-making framework that enables organisations to fully integrate ICT and its associated people and business issues into their projects and individual businesses. This paper reports on the development processes used to develop the framework, and its evaluation and testing within the UK construction sector. The paper presents the different processes that should be followed to develop a joint collaboration strategy, and the results and implications of using the PIECC framework to manage collaborative working

Benefits to the U.S. from Physicists Working at Accelerators Overseas

We illustrate benefits to the U.S. economy and technological infrastructure of U.S. participation in accelerators overseas. We discuss contributions to experimental hardware and analysis and to accelerator technology and components, and benefits stemming from the involvement of U.S. students and postdoctoral fellows in global scientific collaborations. Contributed to the proceedings of the Snowmass 2013 Community Summer Study.Comment: 23 pages, 1 figur