The influence of heterogeneous exposure and pre-deliberation queries on pretrial publicity effects

Prior research on pretrial publicity has produced mixed results and a roughly equal number of studies show an effect, show no effect, or show mixed results. We explored the effects of (a) homogenous vs. heterogeneous exposure (whether deliberating jurors were all exposed to the same publicity or not) and (b) pre-deliberation queries as potential contributors to mixed results. We found an effect for positive but not negative publicity on conviction rates but not evidence ratings. Exposure heterogeneity appears to explain these differences and pre-deliberation queries did appear to play some role in the obtained outcomes. Overall these findings do not replicate a robust publicity effect and future research should consider how homogeneous exposure and pre-deliberation opinion queries influence results.     

浅谈刑事诉讼程序违法问题

分析了刑事诉讼程序违法的内涵及其存在的原因和解决该问题的对策，强调了重视刑事诉讼程序违法问题研究的意义。     

Bounding,An Accessible Method for Estimating Principal Causal Effects,Examined and Explained

Estimating treatment effects for subgroups defined by posttreatment behavior (i.e., estimating causal effects in a principal stratification framework) can be technically challenging and heavily reliant on strong assumptions. We investigate an alternative path: using bounds to identify ranges of possible effects that are consistent with the data. This simple approach relies on fewer assumptions and yet can result in policy-relevant findings. As we show, even moderately predictive covariates can be used to substantially tighten bounds in a straightforward manner. Via simulation, we demonstrate which types of covariates are maximally beneficial. We conclude with an analysis of a multisite experimental study of Early College High Schools. When examining the program's impact on students completing the ninth grade “on-track” for college, we find little impact for ECHS students who would otherwise attend a high-quality high school, but substantial effects for those who would not. This suggests a potential benefit in expanding these programs in areas primarily served by lower quality schools.     

宪法性权利对司法认知的束缚：司法认知正当性质疑与正义表达

对于司法认知的效力存在塞耶-威格莫尔理论与摩根-麦考密克理论两种不同的观点。由于司法认知效力问题与被告人由陪审团审判的宪法性权利密切相关,指示陪审团接受法官对结论性事实作出的司法认知可能意味着对犯罪构成直接做出裁定。作出司法认知是否会侵犯刑事被告人的宪法性权利存在着广泛的争议。这种争议不仅在立法过程中存在重大分歧,在司法实践中也莫衷一是。《联邦证据规则》起草者在民事案件中采用摩根-麦考密克理论,但在刑事案件中塞耶一威格莫尔理论却促成了司法认知与宪法性权利的调和。     

Application of network meta-analysis in the field of physical activity and health promotion

Continued advancement in the field of physical activity and health promotion relies heavily on the synthesis of rigorous scientific evidence. As such, systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials have led to a better understanding of which intervention strategies are superior (i.e., produce the greatest effects) in physical activity-based health behavior change interventions. Indeed, standard meta-analytic approaches have allowed researchers in the field to synthesize relevant experimental evidence using pairwise procedures that produce reliable estimates of the homogeneity, magnitude, and potential biases in the observed effects. However, pairwise meta-analytic procedures are only capable to discerning differences in effects between a select intervention strategy and a select comparison or control condition. In order to maximize the impact of physical activity interventions on health-related outcomes, it is necessary to establish evidence concerning the comparative efficacy of all relevant physical activity intervention strategies. The development of network meta-analysis (NMA)—most commonly used in medical-based clinical trials—has allowed for the quantification of indirect comparisons, even in the absence of direct, head-to-head trials. Thus, it stands to reason that NMA can be applied in physical activity and health promotion research to identify the best intervention strategies. Given that this analysis technique is novel and largely unexplored in the field of physical activity and health promotion, care must be taken in its application to ensure reliable estimates and discernment of the effect sizes among interventions. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to comment on the potential application and importance of NMA in the field of physical activity and health promotion, describe how to properly and effectively apply this technique, and suggest important considerations for its appropriate application in this field. In this paper, overviews of the foundations of NMA and commonly used approaches for conducting NMA are provided, followed by assumptions related to NMA, opportunities and challenges in NMA, and a step-by-step example of developing and conducting an NMA.     

论审判公开与人民法院审判机制改革

审判公开是我国司法审判中的一项基本制度,但在审判实践中与审判公开相悖的现象仍然存在,尤其是目前的法院审判机制已成为制约审判公开落实的瓶颈。因此,必须实现审判权的归位,建立运行合理的审判工作机制。     

Discoverability of information on clinical trial data-sharing platforms

Objective:This study was intended to (1) provide clinical trial data-sharing platform designers with insight into users'' experiences when attempting to evaluate and access datasets, (2) spark conversations about improving the transparency and discoverability of clinical trial data, and (3) provide a partial view of the current information-sharing landscape for clinical trials.Methods:We evaluated preview information provided for 10 datasets in each of 7 clinical trial data-sharing platforms between February and April 2019. Specifically, we evaluated the platforms in terms of the extent to which we found (1) preview information about the dataset, (2) trial information on ClinicalTrials.gov and other external websites, and (3) evidence of the existence of trial protocols and data dictionaries.Results:All seven platforms provided data previews. Three platforms provided information on data file format (e.g., CSV, SAS file). Three allowed batch downloads of datasets (i.e., downloading multiple datasets with a single request), whereas four required separate requests for each dataset. All but one platform linked to ClinicalTrials.gov records, but only one platform had ClinicalTrails.gov records that linked back to the platform. Three platforms consistently linked to external websites and primary publications. Four platforms provided evidence of the presence of a protocol, and six platforms provided evidence of the presence of data dictionaries.Conclusions:More work is needed to improve the discoverability, transparency, and utility of information on clinical trial data-sharing platforms. Increasing the amount of dataset preview information available to users could considerably improve the discoverability and utility of clinical trial data.     

医学期刊应重视临床试验注册

从20世纪70年代提出概念,临床试验注册已由零散的自发状态发展到由世界卫生组织临床试验注册平台统一领导、各国政府支持并在全球展开。国际医学编辑委员会所有的成员杂志及其他一些国际知名杂志共2000余种均要求临床试验注册后才考虑发表。我国也有46种杂志支持临床试验注册。医学期刊审查临床试验注册时应参照WHO临床试验注册最低要求20个条目。医学期刊应从编辑、作者、读者3个层次就医学期刊如何实施临床试验注册制度进行教育和培训,才能真正推进医学期刊执行临床试验注册制度。     

A guide for the perplexed: Scientific educational research, methodolatry, and the gold versus platinum standards

The paper opens by characterizing recent discourse about empirical educational research as the “new Babel”-critics, using different theoretical vocabularies and making different deep assumptions about the nature of social life, are failing to communicate with each other. After locating some of the critical positions on a left-right continuum, the main discussion focusses upon the end of this continuum where there are located the recent attempts to restore rigor to educational research by using the so-called “gold standard” of randomized field trials. It is argued that positions at this end of the continuum misrepresent the nature of science, and some examples are briefly mentioned in order to covey the point that it is fruitful to view scientists as making convincing cases, cases that appeal to a wide variety of evidence. This assessment of scientific cases is called the “platinum standard”.