Concept Mapping to Develop a Framework for Characterizing Electronic Data Capture (EDC) Systems

CTSAs have brought about a push to find better EDC systems, which facilitate translational research. Based on the data management needs of a specific clinical/translational research lab, concept mapping was used to create a framework to evaluate EDCs. After refinement based on a spiral model, including consultations with the UW CTSA and a survey of other CTSAs, the tool was used to characterize EDCs used at CTSA sites across the country

A Partnership Approach for Electronic Data Capture in Small-Scale Clinical Trials

The data collection process for clinical trials can be a tedious and error-prone process, and even a barrier to initiating small-scale studies. Electronic Data Capture (EDC) software can meet the need for faster and more reliable collection of data, but these informatics solutions can also be difficult to for researchers to set up. Establishing a full-featured commercial Clinical Trials Management System (CTMS) ecosystem is not realistic due to current institutional resource constraints. As an alternative solution, our Biomedical Informatics core (BMI) provided the technical expertise to pilot each EDC system in partnership with research teams and performed a qualitative evaluation using criteria we had established with prior research.1 When we began our pilot process, we assumed that each system’s EDC functionality would be the most important aspect and we produced a whitepaper focused on functionality.2 However, as we worked with various study teams it became clear they were willing to work around limitations since any web-based EDC software was a step up from paper forms. In our evaluation we found that the design of the Catalyst Web Tools3 made it difficult to use for clinical trials. OpenClinica4 has the most advanced functionality, for example in site management and complex CRF design, but what documentation is available is written in less user-friendly technical language. REDCap5 had a very clear advantage due to its ease of use extensive tutorials, and online training materials. In early 2010, BMI decided on REDCap as the preferred EDC software to support for small-scale studies. Since then usage has steadily increased. As of August 2010 there were 98 active REDCap users and 16 production studies at the University of Washington, Seattle Children’s, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, and Bastyr University, with collaborators from many other institutions. Post-evaluation, in addition to maintaining our installation of REDCap we are concentrating on future work in two areas: partnerships with investigators to enhance the local usage of REDCap, and informatics research to solve problems in data integration and interoperability. BMI members have contributed to the Ontology of Clinical Research.7 Additionally through our i2b2 Cross-Institutional Clinical Translational Research (CICTR) project we have identified use cases for moving data between REDCap and i2b2.8 Lastly, in keeping with our “bottom up” philosophy we are applying lightweight data integration techniques to query across REDCap and other systems, such as freezer inventory

Temperature-dependent gap equations and their solutions in the SU(4) model of high-temperature superconductivity

Temperature-dependent gap equations in the SU(4) model of high-Tc superconductivity are derived and analytical solutions are obtained. Based on these solutions, a generic gap diagram describing the features of energy gaps as functions of doping P is presented and a phase diagram illustrating the phase structure as a function of temperature T and doping P is sketched. A special doping point P_q occurs naturally in the solutions that separates two phases at temperature T = 0: a pure superconducting phase on one side (P > P_q) and a phase with superconductivity strongly suppressed by antiferromagnetism on the other (P < P_q). We interpret P_q as a quantum phase transition point. Moreover, the pairing gap is found to have two solutions for P < P_q: a small gap that is associated with competition between superconductivity and antiferromagnetism and is responsible for the ground state superconductivity, and a large gap without antiferromagnetic suppression that corresponds to a collective excited state. A pseudogap appears in the solutions that terminates at P_q and originates from the competition between d-wave superconductivity and antiferromagnetism. Nevertheless, this conclusion does not contradict the preformed pair picture conceptually if the preformed pairs are generally defined as any pairs formed before pairing condensation.Comment: 23 pages, 5 color figure

Universality of Symmetry and Mixed-symmetry Collective Nuclear States

The global correlation in the observed variation with mass number of the $E2$ and summed $M1$ transition strengths is examined for rare earth nuclei. It is shown that a theory of correlated $S$ and $D$ fermion pairs with a simple pairing plus quadrupole interaction leads naturally to this universality. Thus a unified and quantitative description emerges for low-lying quadrupole and dipole strengths.Comment: In press, Phys. Rev. Lett. 199

Solution of the Nuclear Shell Model by Symmetry-Dictated Truncation

The dynamical symmetries of the Fermion Dynamical Symmetry Model are used as a principle of truncation for the spherical shell model. Utilizing the usual principle of energy-dictated truncation to select a valence space, and symmetry-dictated truncation to select a collective subspace of that valence space, we are able to reduce the full shell model space to one of manageable dimensions with modern supercomputers, even for the heaviest nuclei. The resulting shell model then consists of diagonalizing an effective Hamiltonian within the restricted subspace. This theory is not confined to any symmetry limits, and represents a full solution of the original shell model if the appropriate effective interaction of the truncated space can be determined. As a first step in constructing that interaction, we present an empirical determination of its matrix elements for the collective subspace with no broken pairs in a representative set of nuclei with $130\le A \le 250$. We demonstrate that this effective interaction can be parameterized in terms of a few quantities varying slowly with particle number, and is capable of describing a broad range of low-energy observables for these nuclei. Finally we give a brief discussion of extending these methods to include a single broken collective pair.Comment: invited paper for J. Phys. G, 57 pages, Latex, 18 figures a macro are available under request at [email protected]

A Unified Description of Cuprate and Iron Arsenide Superconductors

We propose a unified description of cuprate and iron-based superconductivity. Consistency with magnetic structure inferred from neutron scattering implies significant constraints on the symmetry of the pairing gap for the iron-based superconductors. We find that this unification requires the orbital pairing formfactors for the iron arsenides to differ fundamentally from those for cuprates at the microscopic level.Comment: 12 pages, 10 figures, 2 table

Prospectus, June 10, 1991

https://spark.parkland.edu/prospectus_1991/1008/thumbnail.jp

An SU(4) Model of High-Temperature Superconductivity and Antiferromagnetism

We present an SU(4) model of high-temperature superconductivity having many similarities to dynamical symmetries known to play an important role in microscopic nuclear structure physics and in elementary particle physics. Analytical solutions in three dynamical symmetry limits of this model are found: an SO(4) limit associated with antiferromagnetic order; an SU(2) X SO(3) limit that may be interpreted as a d-wave pairing condensate; and an SO(5) limit that may be interpreted as a doorway state between the antiferromagnetic order and the superconducting order. The model suggests a phase diagram in qualitative agreement with that observed in the cuprate superconductors. The relationship between the present model and the SO(5) unification of superconductivity and antiferromagnetic order proposed by Zhang is discussed.Comment: A long paper extended from the early version cond-mat/9903150; accepted by Phys. Rev.

How Configuration Management Helps Projects Innovate and Communicate

This slide presentation reviews the concept of Configuration Management (CM) and compares it to the standard view of Project management (PM). It presents two PM models: (1) Kepner-Tregoe,, and the Deming models, describes why projects fail, and presents methods of how CM helps projects innovate and communicate

Ways to Reduce Peak Electrical Demand in South Louisiana

This study analyses alternatives for coping with the peak electrical demand of hot summer afternoons. Economic and Political aspects, as well as technical feasibility, are included. It is concluded that South Louisiana may indeed be able to trim peak demand to 5% below what is anticipated by 1980 , thus making one of the coal fired stations scheduled then unnecessary. However, the contingencies (Natural Gas Shortage, Another Oil Embargo) would make a coal-fired station very desirable