Misconduct in science and the german law

In the past, only norms and rules developed for other types of illegal activities could be applied to misconduct in science in Germany. But only particularly blatant cases of misconduct can be dealt with efficiently in this way. Nowadays, a couple of very important funding agencies and research institutions have enacted special procedures that apply in cases of suspected scientific misconduct. A strongly decentralised system of dealing with misconduct in science is being established in Germany. An earlier version of this paper was presented at a symposium, Scientific Misconduct. An International Perspective, organised by The Medical University of Warsaw, 16 November, 1998.     

An analytic hierarchy process model to apportion co-author responsibility

The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) can be used to determine co-author responsibility for a scientific paper describing collaborative research. The objective is to deter scientific fraud by holding co-authors accountable for their individual contributions. A hiearchical model of the research presented in a paper can be created by dividing it into primary and secondary elements. The co-authors then determine the contributions of the primary and secondary elements to the work as a whole as well as their own individual contributions. They can use the results to determine authorship order.     

The poehlman case: running away from the truth

Eric T. Poehlman, Ph.D., was an internationally recognized, tenured professor at the University of Vermont (UVM) in Burlington when, in October 2000, a junior member of Poehlman’s laboratory became convinced that he had altered data from a study on aging volunteers from the Burlington area. This suspicion developed into one of the most significant cases of scientific misconduct in the history of the US Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of Research Integrity (ORI), launching a US Department of Justice (DOJ) civil and criminal fraud investigation and, eventually, to a much publicized guilty plea and felony conviction. In the end, Dr. Poehlman admitted to 54 findings of scientific misconduct made by the UVM and ORI, agreed to retract or correct ten of his publications and to exclude himself from federal procurement and nonprocurement transactions for life. The United States Government’s handling of this case was distinguished by a highly cooperative approach that integrated the resources of the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont (USAO) and both ORI and the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) in HHS in the common goal of prosecuting research fraud. The content of this article represents the personal views of the authors and does not express the opinion or policy of DHHS or its components. A paper on this topic was presented at the 6th International Bioethics Conference on the subject of ‘The Responsible Conduct of Basic and Clinical Research’, held in Warsaw, Poland, 3–4 June 2005.     

考试应付与相关因素的研究

本研究运用测量的方法考察了 1 0 0个大学生考试前后的应付方式以及人格、社会支持等因素对应付方式选择的影响作用。结果发现 ,考试应付与情景变化、人格特点和社会支持等因素有关。其中自尊、外向和低精神质人格特点与解决问题指向应付方式使用相关 ,低掩饰性与悲观人格特点与幻想、发泄、否认的消极应付方式使用相关。社会支持在应付中是一种重要的辅助资源 ,缺乏社会支持资源 ,考试过程中倾向于使用自闭的消极应付方式 ,社会支持资源丰富 ,则倾向于使用寻求社会支持的积极应付方式。     

婚检“检”破处女膜映射出的医学伦理问题

近年来婚检或妇检过程中“检”破未婚女性处女膜的现象屡屡发生,给未婚女性的身心带来巨大伤害,既侵犯了未婚女性的合法权益,又严重地损害了医学伦理声誉。医师在检查未婚妇女的生殖器官时除了要遵循普通的疾病诊断特别是体格检查过程中的伦理要求和妇科检查道德规范外,在婚检过程中还应当特别强调遵循自愿检查(知情同意)原则、尊重原则、不伤害(安全性)原则,履行谨慎检查、保护隐私等医学伦理义务,切实遵守婚前体格检查的技术规范,确保被检妇女的权益不受侵害。     

运动性心理疲劳问题的研究现状

通过对运动性心理疲劳概念和检测评价方法等问题的国内外研究现状及其局限性和不足进行的综述讨论,作者分析指出目前关于运动性心理疲劳问题的有关研究成果满足不了中国训练体系下训练实践的需要,提出有必要系统进行运动性心理疲劳问题的实证研究。就心理疲劳问题的研究方向和研究切入点,作者认为应综合开展运动性心理疲劳神经生理与心理机制的探索性研究。研究的主要切入点包括：（1）研究建立适合中国运动训练体制与环境的运动性心理疲劳概念,构建运动性心理疲劳概念模型;（2）基于此模型研究建立多维检测评价方法系统和运动性心理疲劳问卷。研究过程中要将神经生理方法与心理测量、行为观察等方法结合起来同步测量,在训练过程中开展纵向追踪与横向调查综合性的实证研究     

Dynamic dominance persists during unsupported reaching

Previous studies examining lateralization of arm movements focused on supported movements in the horizontal plane, removing the effects of gravity. The authors hypothesized that interlimb differences in free reaching would be consistent with the differences shown during supported reaching. Kinematic and kinetic data were collected for the forearm and upper arm segments in a 3-direction reaching task. Results showed lateralization of coordination, reflected by initial movement direction and trajectory curvature. The nondominant arm showed increased initial direction errors, and path curvature associated with a timing deficit between elbow and shoulder peak torques. These coordination deficits did not disrupt final position accuracy. The authors conclude that nondominant arm coordination deficits are similar to those reported previously for horizontal plane movements.     

关于内科临床技能培训教学课程设置的探讨

通过对参加内科临床技能培训的大连医科大学2007级、2009级五年制及七年制临床医学专业学生进行问卷调查及客观结构化临床考试（OSCE）,探讨内科临床技能培训课程的学时及课程内容等设置.100%的学生认为有开设临床技能培训课的必要,50%以上的学生认为在大学4年级开设本课程较合适,50%以上的学生认为12学时的设置较合理,80%以上的学生认为应每4人共用一名模拟人.OSCE证实毕业前12学时培训组成绩优于实习前8学时组.     

The Flynn effect puzzle: A 30-year examination from the right tail of the ability distribution provides some missing pieces

The Flynn effect is the rise in IQ scores across the last eighty or more years documented in the general distribution of both industrialized and developing nations primarily on tests that require problem solving and non-verbal reasoning. However, whether the effect extends to the right tail (i.e., the top 5% of ability) remains unknown. The present study uses roughly 1.7 million scores of 7th-grade students on the SAT and ACT as well as scores of 5th- and 6th-grade students on the EXPLORE from 1981 to 2010 to investigate whether the effect operates in the right tail. The effect was found in the top 5% at a rate similar to the general distribution, providing evidence for the first time that the entire curve is likely increasing at a constant rate. The effect was also found for females as well as males, appears to still be continuing, is primarily concentrated on the mathematics subtests of the SAT, ACT, and EXPLORE, and operates similarly for both 5th and 6th as well as 7th graders in the right tail. These findings help clarify the nature of the effect and may suggest ways that potential causes can now be more meaningfully offered and evaluated.