HCM Strategists (United States)

Background One could hypothesize that the biomedical research agenda aligns with the (global) burden of disease, since it should aim to reduce illness and death. We investigated the relationship between publication volume and Research-dependent Fraction of Global Burden of Disease (BoD-RdF): the fraction of Burden of Disease that can only be relieved by further biomedical research. Aim of this comparison is to evaluate and support the optimization of biomedical research portfolios.MethodsBoD-RdF, defined as the burden of disease reported in the 1st quartile of the age corrected burden of disease per capita for all countries, was calculated using 2014 Global Burden of Disease data from WHO for the years 2000 and 2012. Publication volumes were based on 6.5 million publications between 2000 and 2012 from the Clarivate Analytics’ Web of Science database, categorized into disease groups by keyword analysis and text mining techniques. The categorized publication volumes were compared to BoD-RdF. FindingsFrom the global burden of disease in 2012, we estimate that 48% depends on further biomedical research to be relieved (BoD-RdF). Generally, diseases with high burden are underresearched, whereas diseases with relatively little burden are overrepresented in the global research portfolio. Large variations in publication volume (up to twelve-fold) exist for diseases with similar BoD-RdF. Likewise, diseases with a similar publication volume vary greatly in BoD-RdF (up to 50-fold). Compared to 2000, the disease-specific publication volume almost doubled in 2012, but the correlation with burden of disease and BoD-RdF showed only a small improvement.InterpretationWe found a profound and persistent misalignment of publication volume with BoD-RdF. For 18 diseases, which account for 50% of the global BoD-RdF, a factor 2 increase of the publication volume would be justified based on BoD-RdF. This misalignment persisted over the last decade, despite doubling of the total number of disease specific publications. Although we recognize that the global research portfolio will never be dictated by global disease burden alone, we propose that the comparison between BoD-RdF and publication volume provides supportive insights that can be used in optimization of the research portfolio.

Abstract Accurate measurement of the static and dynamic earth pressures acting on structures is critical to understanding the behavior of and the interaction between structures and soil. Different types of devices are commercially available to measure the soil-structure contact stress, and the advantages and limitations of some commonly used devices are summarized. A new, easily constructible, simple, and robust sensor assembly for measuring pressures at the soil-structure interface is introduced and discussed. The sensors are suitable for a variety of potential soil-structure contact situations, including static and dynamic load cases and linear and nonlinear soil behavior. One static and two dynamic experimental case studies serve as examples to describe the construction, installation, and deployment of the new sensors. The static and dynamic calibration procedure of pressure sensors with capacities of 144 kPa and 288 kPa are described. Recommendations for investigators to build and implement the sensor for individualized research applications are provided.

Abstract When turnover among new hires with less than 18 months of service at a New England–based health insurance provider doubled in two years, the organization examined its recruitment process and then redesigned it to align with research‐based best practices. Revamped to address candidates' cultural fit in a collaborative environment, the new process requires analyzing the target job; identifying relevant dimensions of job performance; identifying the abilities, skills, and knowledge (ASKs) required to successfully perform the job; adopting tools to measure the ASKs; and validating tools to ensure they accurately predict performance. As a result of the company's efforts to consider cultural fit during the selection process, the organization reduced new‐hire turnover by 40 percent in 18 months. Encouraged by this success, the company now has a multipronged approach to workforce planning that encompasses a combination of strategies to ensure effective external recruitment while fostering the development of in‐house talent. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Craven & Ober, Policy Strategists, LLC, is a full-service Massachusetts-based government relations firm dedicated to credible, assertive advocacy and to the dissemination of reliable public policy information.Figure

The introduction of training credits through Training and Enterprise Councils (TECs) has required care and sensitivity. When Leeds TEC launched its quality training and guidance package for young people, it was based in part on research commissioned from Quaestor Research and Marketing Strategists. Considers the structure and value of the research, and the input from training providers. Arising from the research was a recognition of the vital need to “raise the parity of esteem” between academic and vocational learning. The research also helped in the design of the product, and underlined the relative importance which is attached to the monetary value of a training credit.