scholarly journals The perception of reproducibility in a small cohort of scientists in Europe

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. e20
Author(s):  
Giuliano Didio ◽  
Plinio Casarotto
Keyword(s):  
Essential Feature ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Replication Studies ◽  
Small Cohort ◽  
General Estimation

Reproducibility is an essential feature of all scientific outcomes. Scientific evidence can only reach its true status as reliable if replicated, but the results of well-conducted replication studies face an uphill battle to be performed, and little attention and dedication have been put into publishing the results of replication attempts. Therefore, we asked a small cohort of researchers about their attempts to replicate results from other groups, as well as from their own laboratories, and their general perception of the issues concerning reproducibility in their field. We also asked how they perceive the venues, i.e. journals, to communicate and discuss the results of these attempts. To this aim we pre-registered and shared a questionnaire among scientists at diverse levels. The results indicate that, in general, replication attempts of their own protocols are quite successful (with over 80% reporting not or rarely having problems with their own protocols). Although the majority of respondents tried to replicate a study or experiment from other labs (75.4%), the median successful rate was scored at 3 (in a 1-5 scale), while the median for the general estimation of replication success in their field was found to be 5 (in a 1-10 scale). The majority of respondents (70.2%) also perceive journals as unwelcoming of replication studies.

Supporting a Culture of Replication: An Examination of Education and Special Education Research Grants Funded by the Institute of Education Sciences

2018 ◽  
Vol 47 (9) ◽  
pp. 594-605 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina S. Chhin ◽  
Katherine A. Taylor ◽  
Wendy S. Wei
Keyword(s):  
Special Education ◽  
Education Research ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Original Study ◽  
Effectiveness Research ◽  
Research Grants ◽  
Replication Studies ◽  
Grant Applications

Despite the important role that replication studies play in building scientific evidence, recent reports show that few replications have been conducted in education. The goal of the current study was to examine how many efficacy and effectiveness research grants funded by the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) were replications, what types of replications they represented, and whether applicants explicitly stated their intent to conduct a replication. Data showed that IES has not funded any direct replications that duplicate all aspects of the original study, but almost half of the funded grant applications can be considered conceptual replications that vary one or more dimensions of a prior study. The majority of funded grant applications did not explicitly state an intent to conduct a replication.

scholarly journals Making replication mainstream

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rolf A. Zwaan ◽  
Alexander Etz ◽  
Richard E. Lucas ◽  
M. Brent Donnellan
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Single Observation ◽  
Essential Component ◽  
Replication Studies ◽  
High Profile ◽  
Psychological Science

AbstractMany philosophers of science and methodologists have argued that the ability to repeat studies and obtain similar results is an essential component of science. A finding is elevated from single observation to scientific evidence when the procedures that were used to obtain it can be reproduced and the finding itself can be replicated. Recent replication attempts show that some high profile results – most notably in psychology, but in many other disciplines as well – cannot be replicated consistently. These replication attempts have generated a considerable amount of controversy, and the issue of whether direct replications have value has, in particular, proven to be contentious. However, much of this discussion has occurred in published commentaries and social media outlets, resulting in a fragmented discourse. To address the need for an integrative summary, we review various types of replication studies and then discuss the most commonly voiced concerns about direct replication. We provide detailed responses to these concerns and consider different statistical ways to evaluate replications. We conclude there are no theoretical or statistical obstacles to making direct replication a routine aspect of psychological science.

scholarly journals Are Difficult-To-Study Populations too Difficult to Study in a Reliable Way?

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Florian Lange
Keyword(s):  
Statistical Power ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Neuropsychological Test ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Selective Reporting ◽  
Test Procedures ◽  
Psychological Phenomena ◽  
Replication Studies ◽  
Methodological Choices

Abstract. Replication studies, pre-registration, and increases in statistical power will likely improve the reliability of scientific evidence. However, these measures face critical limitations in populations that are inherently difficult to study. Members of difficult-to-study populations (e.g., patients, children, non-human animals) are less accessible to researchers, which typically results in small-sample studies that are infeasible to replicate. Nevertheless, meta-analyses on clinical neuropsychological data suggest that difficult-to-study populations can be studied in a reliable way. These analyses often produce unbiased effect-size estimates despite aggregating across severely underpowered original studies. This finding can be attributed to a neuropsychological research culture involving the non-selective reporting of results from standardized and validated test procedures. Consensus guidelines, test manuals, and psychometric evidence constrain the methodological choices made by neuropsychologists, who regularly report the results from neuropsychological test batteries irrespective of their statistical significance or novelty. Comparable shifts toward more standardization and validation, complete result reports, and between-lab collaborations can allow for a meaningful and reliable study of psychological phenomena in other difficult-to-study populations.

scholarly journals From Undetectable Equals Untransmittable (U=U) to Breastfeeding: Is the Jump Short?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tullio Prestileo ◽  
Adriana Sanfilippo ◽  
Lorenza Di Marco ◽  
Antonina Argo
Keyword(s):  
Retrospective Study ◽  
Hiv Infection ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Antiretroviral Treatment ◽  
Treatment Guidelines ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Hiv Rna ◽  
Vertical Transmission Of Hiv ◽  
Small Cohort ◽  
Prophylaxis Therapy

Background: Vertical transmission of HIV infection can occur during pregnancy, during childbirth or through breastfeeding. The recommendations issued by the various international guidelines (WHO 2010, EACS 2017, DHHS 2017) on the safety of breastfeeding of HIV-infected women in effective antiretroviral treatment do not provide univocal indications referring to individual countries the choice to advise or advise against such procedure. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted in a small cohort of HIV-infected pregnant women who, despite the information received, decided to breastfeed their children. The observation was carried out in the period between March 2017 and June 2021. In all newborns, prophylaxis therapy was initiated at birth, according to the treatment guidelines, the scheme adopted involved the administration of zidovudine (AZT) orally for 4 weeks, started immediately after the childbirth. Breastfeeding time was, on average, 5 months. Results: No contagion was diagnosed. All infants were tested for HIV-RNA at birth, 1, 3, and 6 months after birth, and 1, 3 and 3 months after stopping breastfeeding. Conclusions: The data obtained represent, in our opinion, a solicitation to discuss and re-evaluate scientific evidence that starting from "Undetectable Equals Untransmittable" (U = U) can open a scientific and cultural review of breastfeeding.

scholarly journals Making Replication Mainstream

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rolf Antonius Zwaan ◽  
Alexander Etz ◽  
Richard E. Lucas ◽  
Brent Donnellan
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Single Observation ◽  
Essential Component ◽  
Replication Studies ◽  
High Profile ◽  
Psychological Science

Many philosophers of science and methodologists have argued that the ability to repeat studies and obtain similar results is an essential component of science. A finding is elevated from single observation to scientific evidence when the procedures that were used to obtain it can be reproduced and the finding itself can be replicated. Recent replication attempts show that some high profile results--most notably in psychology, but in many other disciplines as well---cannot be replicated consistently. These replication attempts have generated a considerable amount of controversy and the issue of whether direct replications have value has, in particular, proven to be contentious. However, much of this discussion has occurred in published commentaries and social media outlets, resulting in a fragmented discourse. To address the need for an integrative summary, we review various types of replication studies and then discuss the most commonly voiced concerns about direct replication. We provide detailed responses to these concerns and consider different statistical ways to evaluate replications. We conclude there are no theoretical or statistical obstacles to making direct replication a routine aspect of psychological science.

scholarly journals Central Serous Chorioretinopathy and Personality Characteristics: A Systematic Review of Scientific Evidence over the Last 10 Years (2010 to 2020)

Medicina ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 57 (6) ◽  
pp. 628
Author(s):  
Giovanni Genovese ◽  
Alessandro Meduri ◽  
Maria Rosaria Anna Muscatello ◽  
Sebastiano Gangemi ◽  
Clemente Cedro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Personality Traits ◽  
Central Serous Chorioretinopathy ◽  
Psychiatric Symptoms ◽  
Essential Feature ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Dimensional Approach ◽  
Current State ◽  
Specific Assessment

Background and Objectives: to investigate the current state of art in the study of personality disorders in central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC), also taking into account the dimensional approach. Materials and Methods: this systematic review was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines. We included articles written in English or Italian, published in peer reviewed journals from 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2020. Results: after the screening, 10 studies were included. The results suggest that CSC patients are not characterized by the prevalence of a formal personality disorder, but they are better explained by typical personality traits that may alter their relationship with others. CSC patients seems to be characterized by high levels of aggressiveness and anxiety traits along with low sociability. We propose a model of disease where stress exacerbates prior specific traits in a vicious circle where some traits might be involved in disease progression and manifestation. Conclusions: maladaptive personality traits might be an essential feature of the disease and may represent a possible link between psychiatric symptoms, such as insomnia, anxiety, and depression, and endocrinological patterns. Further research should use a specific assessment scale evaluating both the level of interpersonal functioning and specific maladaptive traits.

Holding replication studies to mainstream standards of evidence

2018 ◽  
Vol 41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Duane T. Wegener ◽  
Leandre R. Fabrigar
Keyword(s):  
Replication Studies ◽  
Replication Research ◽  
Standards Of Evidence ◽  
Do So

AbstractReplications can make theoretical contributions, but are unlikely to do so if their findings are open to multiple interpretations (especially violations of psychometric invariance). Thus, just as studies demonstrating novel effects are often expected to empirically evaluate competing explanations, replications should be held to similar standards. Unfortunately, this is rarely done, thereby undermining the value of replication research.

Caveolin-1, galectin-3 and lipid raft domains in cancer cell signalling

2015 ◽  
Vol 57 ◽  
pp. 189-201 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jay Shankar ◽  
Cecile Boscher ◽  
Ivan R. Nabi
Keyword(s):  
Plasma Membrane ◽  
Lipid Rafts ◽  
Cancer Cell ◽  
Cellular Response ◽  
Spatial Organization ◽  
Essential Feature ◽  
Cell Signalling ◽  
Coated Pits ◽  
Signalling Molecules ◽  
Raft Domains

Spatial organization of the plasma membrane is an essential feature of the cellular response to external stimuli. Receptor organization at the cell surface mediates transmission of extracellular stimuli to intracellular signalling molecules and effectors that impact various cellular processes including cell differentiation, metabolism, growth, migration and apoptosis. Membrane domains include morphologically distinct plasma membrane invaginations such as clathrin-coated pits and caveolae, but also less well-defined domains such as lipid rafts and the galectin lattice. In the present chapter, we will discuss interaction between caveolae, lipid rafts and the galectin lattice in the control of cancer cell signalling.

Lessons Learned From Coaching Postsecondary Students With Traumatic Brain Injury

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 88-96
Author(s):  
Mary R. T. Kennedy
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Traumatic Brain Injury ◽  
Brain Injury ◽  
Sense Of Self ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Sudden Onset ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Speech Language Pathologists ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Exhaustive List

Purpose The purpose of this clinical focus article is to provide speech-language pathologists with a brief update of the evidence that provides possible explanations for our experiences while coaching college students with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Method The narrative text provides readers with lessons we learned as speech-language pathologists functioning as cognitive coaches to college students with TBI. This is not meant to be an exhaustive list, but rather to consider the recent scientific evidence that will help our understanding of how best to coach these college students. Conclusion Four lessons are described. Lesson 1 focuses on the value of self-reported responses to surveys, questionnaires, and interviews. Lesson 2 addresses the use of immediate/proximal goals as leverage for students to update their sense of self and how their abilities and disabilities may alter their more distal goals. Lesson 3 reminds us that teamwork is necessary to address the complex issues facing these students, which include their developmental stage, the sudden onset of trauma to the brain, and having to navigate going to college with a TBI. Lesson 4 focuses on the need for college students with TBI to learn how to self-advocate with instructors, family, and peers.

Medical and Legal Issues Raised by the Protz Decision Issued by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court

2017 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 12-13
Author(s):  
LuAnn Haley ◽  
Marjorie Eskay-Auerbach
Keyword(s):  
Supreme Court ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Workers Compensation ◽  
Sixth Edition ◽  
Complex Concept ◽  
The Supreme Court ◽  
Compensation Claims ◽  
Recent Edition ◽  
Impairment Ratings ◽  
Definition Of

Abstract Pennsylvania adopted the impairment rating provisions described in the AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment (AMA Guides) in 1996 as an exposure cap for employers seeking predictability and cost control in workers’ compensation claims. In 2017, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania handed down the Protz decision, which held that requiring physicians to apply the methodology set forth in the most recent edition of the AMA Guides reflected an unconstitutional delegation of legislative power to the American Medical Association. The decision eliminates the impairment-rating evaluation (IRE) mechanism under which claimants were assigned an impairment rating under the most recent edition of the AMA Guides. The AMA Guides periodically are revised to include the most recent scientific evidence regarding impairment ratings, and the AMA Guides, Sixth Edition, acknowledges that impairment is a complex concept that is not yet defined in a way that readily permits an evidence-based definition of assessment. The AMA Guides should not be considered standards frozen in time simply to withstand future scrutiny by the courts; instead, workers’ compensation acts could state that when a new edition of the AMA Guides is published, the legislature shall review and consider adopting the new edition. It appears unlikely that the Protz decision will be followed in other jurisdictions: Challenges to using the AMA Guides in assessing workers’ compensation claims have been attempted in three states, and all attempts failed.

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