Scientific Questions Research Articles

Chasing Shadows: How Implausible Assumptions Skew Our Understanding of Causal Estimands

The ICH E9 (R1) addendum on estimands, coupled with recent advancements in causal inference, has prompted a shift towards using model-free treatment effect estimands that are more closely aligned with the underlying scientific question. This represents a departure from traditional, model-dependent approaches where the statistical model often overshadows the inquiry itself. While this shift is a positive development, it has unintentionally led to the prioritization of an estimand’s ability to perfectly answer the key scientific question over its practical learnability from data under plausible assumptions. We illustrate this by scrutinizing assumptions in the recent clinical trials literature on principal stratum estimands, demonstrating that some popular assumptions are not only implausible but often inevitably violated. We advocate for a more balanced approach to estimand formulation, one that carefully considers both the scientific relevance and the practical feasibility of estimation under realistic conditions.

Optimal designs for testing pairwise differences: A graph‐based game theoretic approach

AbstractIn a variety of experimental settings there is an interest in comparing pairs–of–treatments. Such experiments usually address one of the following two scientific questions: (1) is there a difference within any of the selected pairs of treatments? or (2) is there a difference within all of the selected pairs of treatments? In this article, we propose max–min optimal designs for testing the above hypotheses using a graph‐based game theoretic approach. Some of the max–min designs obtained are well known, but not recognized as optimal, others are novel and provide an improvement over naive designs.

Recording diagnostic conversations for communication research purposes in pediatric leukemia.

Recordings of patient-doctor interactions is a recommended method in communication research. However, concerns are expressed regarding audio-recording of conversations with vulnerable patients. Our study examined experiences of children, parents, and oncologists with recording diagnostic conversations in the pediatric acute leukemia setting. Results show that recording conversations is generally well received by virtually all children and parents. Pediatric oncologists seem to overestimate the expected emotional burden for children and parents, which may lead to gatekeeping by professionals. This in turn may lead to a decrease in patient autonomy and research quality when addressing relevant questions in communication science.

Thinking Skills Level Classification of Scientific Questions Using Bidirectional LSTM

Thinking Skills Level Classification of Scientific Questions Using Bidirectional LSTM

Navigating investigator-initiated clinical trials: A call for guidelines & monitoring frameworks from an Indian context.

Investigator-initiated clinical trials - also known as non-regulatory or academic clinical trials, are conducted by investigators from academia or research organizations. They usually aim to address scientific questions with insufficient commercial implications and generate real-world applicable solutions, unlike trials sponsored by the pharmaceutical industry which are primarily focused on marketing approval of products that have a commercial value. For the trial results to be credible, adhering to robust methodology and the highest quality standards is paramount. Currently, investigator-initiated clinical trials in India are beyond the purview of the national regulatory authority. They are guided mainly by the National Ethical Guidelines for Biomedical and Health Research Involving Human Participants, 2017 published by Indian Council of Medical Research. They lack an accepted framework for review, conduct, monitoring, reporting of adverse events, and participant compensation. Considering this scenario, we discuss the challenges faced in an investigator initiated clinical trial and explore plausible solutions.

FIB/SEM serial sectioning as a versatile tool for microstructural analysis

Abstract FIB/SEM tomography is a serial sectioning method in which the cross-sectional area of the sample is stepwise removed with a focused ion beam (FIB) and the exposed cross-sectional area is imaged with a scanning electron microscope (SEM). All imaging techniques of the SEM can be used, which allows the application to a wide range of materials science questions. On the one hand, resolutions of a few nm can be achieved, and on the other hand, volumes with edge lengths of 100 μm and more can be examined. This article gives an overview of the current state of the art and the practical implementation of FIB/ SEM serial sectioning. The special aspects of the integration of energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) are also discussed.

Uneasiness in interdisciplinary research and the importance of metaphors: A case story on building an interdisciplinary chronic pain research team

Interdisciplinary research is increasingly recognized as a key method to tackle complex societal challenges and stimulate creativity to find innovative solutions. Our key goal when starting our collaboration was to come to innovative ways of treating chronic pain. An ambitious goal that requires out-of-the-box and high-risk-high-gain research. However, interdisciplinary research in practice can be uneasy and will not always be successful. This paper describes a case story focussing on the challenges we faced building an interdisciplinary team. One of the most important lessons is that researchers from different disciplines may think they speak a universal ‘language of science’, but a thorough understanding of each other's ways of working, research paradigms, methods, and concepts is necessary before they can start working together on solving scientific questions. In fact, if researchers cannot understand each other's language, they cannot expect patients to understand scientific language either. Lastly, for academics to engage with a non-scientific audience and vice-versa, we need to find and create places to meet and find ways to interact effectively. Language is the medium through which all these interactions take place. It is therefore essential that language takes a central place in the process of collaboration across disciplines, interdisciplinary research, patient participation and public engagement. In this case story, we share our experiences in creating a common language, summarized in five steps (1: creating the team; 2: metaphor-forced introduction to disciplines; 3: creating common ground; 4: outreach; 5: integration). Metaphors play an important role in this process. We will demonstrate how we reflectively progressed through these steps while enhancing interdisciplinarity, (scientific) innovation and public engagement. This five-step journey can be used as a process-tool for any other high-risk-high-gain research team seeking to innovate through interdisciplinarity – with the risk of becoming a brilliant failure.

On the applicability of low-cost GNSS antennas to precise surveying applications

Abstract This study addresses the scientific question of the applicability of low-cost antennas to the most precise GNSS applications. First of all, we inspect the implications of the availability and quality of low-cost antenna PCC models for precise positioning. From this point of view, we analyze the selected performance indicators of multi-constellation positioning with the representative set of low-cost mass-market GNSS receiver antennas. The processing strategy was based on the relative positioning model, considered the most reliable and precise one. To isolate the antenna-related errors from atmospheric propagation ones, we conducted an experiment based on an ultra-short baseline. As the main indications of low-cost antenna performance, we considered distance and height residuals, defined as the difference between benchmarks and the retrieved from GNSS measurements. We found that the low-cost antenna's PCV effect may significantly affect the final results. On the other hand, the results obtained using certain configurations of low-cost antennas were characterized by only slightly higher standard deviations and discrepancies with respect to benchmark values than those obtained with surveying or geodetic equipment. We identify several sets of low-cost antennas where distance residuals do not exceed 4 mm and height residuals do not exceed 6 mm, which shows the low-cost antenna performance comparable to those achieved using high-grade antennas. On this basis, we conclude that selected low-cost antennas can meet the requirements of high-precision surveying applications.

Enhanced denitrification by sunlight–hematite: A neglected nitrogen flow pattern in red soil

Mineral-microbe interactions in the Earth's Critical Zone significantly influence elemental biogeochemical cycling and energy flow processes. This study addresses the key scientific question of how semiconducting minerals drive microbial nitrogen cycling. In the red soil environment, the presence of semiconducting minerals enhances the denitrification process mediated by facultative microorganisms (Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1) with denitrifying activity. Compared to darkness, light significantly enhanced the synergistic denitrification kinetic process of red soil and Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 (1.87 times). Cyclic voltammetry shows that the P. aeruginosa PAO1-red soil synergistic system exhibits distinct redox peaks under light. The constant potential current curve and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements reveal a high photocurrent density (1.0 μA/cm2) and minimal polarization resistance (102 Ω) under this condition. These findings confirm that the sunlight-red soil-P. aeruginosa PAO1 synergistic process has excellent electron generation and migration capacity, active redox reactions, and good electron compatibility. Additionally, the photoelectrons of semiconductive minerals in red soil profoundly impact the metabolic processes of microbial denitrification functional genes. Using real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) gene array technology, the abundance of nitrogen metabolism functional genes in P. aeruginosa PAO1 increased by 200 % during the light-red soil synergistic process. Notably, denitrification-related genes (ureC, nirS1, gdhA, and nosZ2) were significantly upregulated. This study confirms that semiconducting minerals are involved in the nitrogen cycle pathway of microbial denitrification and supplements the theory of mineral-microbial synergistic element biogeochemical cycling in the natural environment.

Establishing correct concept meanings in psychology: Why should we care and how can we do it?

The purpose of this article was to address and to propose answers to three basic questions in psychological science. (a) Why should we care about carefully and rigorously establishing correct meanings for the concepts we employ in our research and clinical work, especially in those cases where foundational concepts such as "behavior," "mental disorder," and "personality" are concerned? (b) How can we move beyond meanings grounded in little more than relatively meager armchair intuition to ones grounded in ways that strongly justify their acceptance as correct and thus might result in consistency and uniformity in the field regarding their meanings? (c) Aside from the standard practices of providing definitions and prototypes, what are some other forms that concept formulation takes in other sciences and could take in psychological science, that is, other means of capturing and demarcating the domains of reference of our concepts? (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Shabana Khan.

"A turning point in my career was working on silylene chemistry during my postdoctoral research, which provided a vision of utilizing low-valent compounds in different fields of science… I chose my current career path because of the freedom to explore scientific questions alongside young minds…" Find out more about Shabana Khan in her Introducing… Profile.

What is health services research?

In health services research, the health care of the population is examined under everyday conditions. Scientific questions include medical, patient-oriented, system-, performance- and quality-related as well as health economics topics. In health services research, complex interventions, e.g., treatment concepts with multiple therapy components, and/or across multiple sectors, are often implemented. The design of studies in health services research is based on the research question, the setting, and the available data, which can come from avariety of sources.

Advancing the role of real-world evidence in comparative effectiveness research.

Aim: Comparative effectiveness research (CER) is essential for making informed decisions about drug access. It provides insights into the effectiveness and safety of new drugs compared with existing treatments, thereby guiding better healthcare decisions and ensuring that new therapies meet the real-world needs of patients and healthcare systems. Objective: To provide a tool that assists analysts and decision-makers in identifying the most suitable analytical approach for answering a CER question, given specific data availability contexts. Methods: A systematic literature review of the scientific literature was performed and existing regulatory and health technology assessment (HTA) guidance were evaluated to identify and compare recommendations and best practices. Based on this review a methods flowchart that synthesizes current practices and requirements was proposed. Results: The review did not find any papers that clearly identified the most appropriate analytical approach for answering CER questions under various conditions. Therefore, a methods flowchart was designed to inform analyst and decision makers choices starting from a well-defined scientific question. Conclusion: The proposed methods flowchart offers clear guidance on CER methodologies across a range of settings and research needs. It begins with a well-defined research question and considers multiple feasibility aspects related to CER. This tool aims to standardize methods, ensure rigorous and consistent research quality and promote a culture of evidence-based decision-making in healthcare.

A. B. Ranovich’s “Essay on the History of Ancient Hebrew Religion” in the Context of Disputes about the Formation Stage of Ancient Eastern Societies (Late 1930s – Early 1940s)

The article analyzes the materials of the discussion of the monograph by A. B. Ranovich, “Essays of the History of the Ancient Hebrew Religion”, submitted in 1939 for defense as a doctoral thesis. These materials, previously held in the archives of the USSR Higher Attestation Commission, have not been widely circulated in the scholarly community. It is imperative to introduce these materials into academic discourse to aid in the study of the development of Soviet historical science. The materials shed light on A. B. Ranovich’s role in advancing the Soviet model for studying early Christianity. They reveal that his initial attempt to obtain the degree of candidate of sciences was unsuccessful in 1935, and he finally attained the degree in 1938. In March 1939, he successfully defended his dissertation for the degree of Doctor of Historical Sciences at a meeting of the Academic Council of the Faculty of History of Moscow State University. Moreover, the materials illustrate the intricate process of forming the Soviet canon of formation theory and the functioning mechanisms of the community of Soviet historians of antiquity. Specifically, Ranovich’s defense of his doctoral dissertation highlights the conflict between Moscow and Leningrad scholars, with both organizational and conceptual dimensions. The critique of Ranovich’s dissertation by V. V. Struve brings to light a new stage of debate on the formational affiliation of ancient Eastern societies, a fundamental question for Soviet historical science in the 1930s. This debate aligns with the longstanding dispute between Academician N. M. Nikolsky and V. V. Struve, wherein the deputy editor-in-chief of JAH took the position of Academician N. M. Nikolsky.

Evaluating AI Excellence: A Comparative Analysis of Generative Models in Library and Information Science

ABSTRACT This study compares the performance of GPT-3.5, GPT-4, Bard, and Gemini in answering Library and Information Science (LIS) questions. Sixteen questions were used for assessment, with two independent examiners scoring the initial and two successive responses from each AI system. Statistical analyses, including one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), independent sample t-test, and one-sample t-test, were employed to identify performance differences. The results revealed consistency in responses generated across iterations for all AI systems. Significant differences were observed among the AI models, with Bard consistently underperforming compared to GPT-3.5, GPT-4, and Gemini. The study uncovered variability in the examiners’ scoring and emphasized the need for multiple evaluators in AI assessment.

Key Issues and Challenges in Establishing Regionally Differentiated Water Quality Standard in China

The goal of environmental management in China is transitioning from pollution control to the improvement of ecological quality. The establishment of regional differential water quality standards can better adapt to the ecological characteristics and development needs of different regions. Given the shortcomings of current water quality standards and the needs of technological development, this study analyzed the causes and influencing factors of regional differences in water quality standards and summarized China's regional variations in areas such as the characteristics of receiving water bodies, social attributes, climate conditions, physicochemical properties of water, and aquatic biotic populations. It also examined the impact of regional characteristics on the assessment of biological toxicity. Based on these analyses, the study identified key scientific questions that may arise in the development of regional differential water quality standards in China and outlined future critical research directions in this field. These directions include developing theories and methods for determining the effluent dilution coefficient, establishing methods for identifying regional key water quality indicators and assessing their impact on water quality standards, determining regional characteristic species and their influence on water quality standards, and formulating theories and methods for categorizing different regions across the country. The aim of the study was to provide a reference for the scientific establishment of water quality standards in China.

Vessel Trajectory Prediction at Inner Harbor Based on Deep Learning Using AIS Data

This study aims to improve vessel trajectory prediction in the inner harbor of Busan Port using Automatic Identification System (AIS) data and deep-learning techniques. The research addresses the challenge of irregular AIS data intervals through linear interpolation and focuses on enhancing the accuracy of predictions in complex port environments. Recurrent neural network (RNN), Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), Bidirectional LSTM, Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU), and Bidirectional GRU models were developed, with LSTM delivering the highest performance. The primary scientific question of this study is how to reliably predict vessel trajectories under varying conditions in inner harbors. The results demonstrate that the proposed method not only improves the precision of predictions but also identifies critical areas where Vessel Traffic Service Operators (VTSOs) can better manage vessel movements. These findings contribute to safer and more efficient vessel traffic management in ports with high traffic density and complex navigational challenges.

Agencification in the EU Energy Sector: A Case Study on Delegation and Margin of Discretion in EU Electricity Market Rule-making

The number and role of agencies in the EU has grown significantly, a process often referred to in the EU legal scholarship as agencification. The trend has intensified since the Lisbon Treaty, which codified agencies as part of the EU’s institutional machinery. A new type of independent EU agency, endowed with considerable powers, has emerged, especially in the energy sector. This article focuses on the agencification phenomenon in the EU energy sector and, more specifically, the delegation of power and the use of institutional margins of discretion in that context. While agencies have a margin of discretion within which they can make decisions that have general application, this discretion should be limited to scientific and technical questions; questions of a political nature should fall outside that margin. From a practical point of view, the challenge is that the divide between what is technical or scientific and what is political is not always clear. The article argues that the delegated rule-making by Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulator (ACER) in the EU energy sector stretches the boundaries of the Meroni doctrine by subsuming questions that are not solely technical in nature but may involve political discretion as well.

Searching for extraterrestrial intelligence across a century

Abstract SETI, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, is an old idea but a new science. Both inspirational and controversial, the scientific search for non-human artificial signals or communications, known as technosignatures, was pioneered by a few visionary scientists and through amazing technological advances of recent years is experiencing a renaissance that may soon answer one of the greatest scientific questions of this or any age: Are we alone? This paper describes the origins of SETI science, its rocky road to acceptance and some of the bold new ideas and explorations that are pushing the limits of our understanding of the nature of life and intelligence in the Universe.

Tunable ferromagnetism via in situ strain engineering in single-crystal freestanding SrTiO3-δ membrane

Engineering stoichiometry and lattice field in transition metal oxides (TMOs) is recognized as a promising approach for achieving emergent functional properties and exploring fundamental scientific questions. To overcome the constraints of rigid epitaxial TMOs, this study releases and transfers freestanding SrTiO3-δ (STO3-δ) membranes, derived using a water-dissolution method from STO3-δ/Sr3Al2O6/SrTiO3, onto flexible polyimide. In-plane mechanical strains were then applied to investigate the strain evolution-induced ferromagnetism. Continuous strain modulates interplane and intraplane exchange interactions between neighboring atoms in the ferromagnetic STO3-δ membranes, thereby influencing their ferromagnetic properties. STO3-δ initially undergoes in-plane octahedral distortion when strain is less than 1.5 %, followed by a decrease in the out-plane lattice constant. This structural variation leads to complex strain-dependent behaviors in the saturation magnetic moment (Ms) and coercive field (Hc) of STO3-δ, with Ms and Hc exhibiting a nonlinear, volcano-shaped, and step-wise correlation, respectively. Our research demonstrates that freestanding STO3-δ serves as a platform for studying local defects and their impacts on tunable magnetic properties, greatly enhancing our understanding of t2g electron engineering through modulable inter/intra plane exchange coupling with lattice field.