Scientific Jury Research Articles

ABOUT THE ABSTRACTS (SUMMARIES) OF DISSERTATIONS

Purpose: The paper will give readers a reasonable idea of how the abstracts of the dissertations are unnecessary today in the presence of scientific juries. The personal opinion of the author is expressed here on the subject of the abstracts of doctoral degree dissertations – for a doctor (Dr., PhD) and for a doctor of science (DSc.). Methods: Several scientific methods were used in the creation of this article: obtaining information on the topic through different search methods; experience and knowledge. Results: The history, essence, idea and goals of the dissertation abstract are briefly presented. The main elements of the structure of the abstract, as well as the practice of its printing today, are constructively critically examined. Conclusions: If there is a scientific jury, there is no need for an abstract. By giving up writing abstracts, it will save us a lot of energy and time, and therefore increase our standard of living.

The Work of Prof. Dr. Habil. Atanas Dermendzhiev – Roads, Paths and Insights Related to Geography

The article presents the scholarly work of Prof. Dr. Habil Atanas Dermendzhiev. Monographs, textbooks, teaching aids, studies, articles, reports, communications online editions with lectures, citations, reviews of monographs and textbooks, standpoints, opinions of his as a member of a scientific jury, interviews, speeches, etc. have been studied, systematized and presented. The life and professional path of the geographer – Prof. Dr. Habil Atanas Dermendzhiev have been revealed.

The IYPT and the ‘Ring Oiler’ problem

The International Young Physicists’ Tournament (IYPT) continued in 2018 in Beijing, China and 2019 in Warsaw, Poland with its 31st and 32nd editions. The IYPT is a modern scientific competition for teams of high school students, also known as the Physics World Cup. It involves long-term theoretical and experimental work focused on solving 17 publicly announced open-ended problems in teams of five. On top of that, teams have to present their solutions in front of other teams and a scientific jury, and get opposed and reviewed by their peers. Here we present a brief information about the competition with a specific focus on one of the IYPT 2018 tasks, the ‘Ring Oiler’. This seemingly simple mechanical problem appeared to be of such a complexity that even the dozens of participating teams and jurying scientists were not able to solve all of its subtleties.

ESC/EASD guideline sheds light on diabetes and cardiovascular disease management

ESC/EASD guideline sheds light on diabetes and cardiovascular disease management

The Employment of Public Mural Design in Serving Feminist Issues in the Egyptian Society: an Educational and Practical Experiment With a Group of Students From the 4TH Level at the Mural Painting Section in 2018/2019; Exhibition: Graffiti… No for FGM

The Employment of Public Mural Design in Serving Feminist Issues in the Egyptian Society: an Educational and Practical Experiment With a Group of Students From the 4TH Level at the Mural Painting Section in 2018/2019; Exhibition: Graffiti… No for FGM

Green Chemistry for Life Grant Programme—Call for Applications

The PhosAgro/UNESCO/IUPAC grant programme aims to promote the implementation of innovative research projects in green chemistry that respect the 12 principles of green chemistry. Young scientists aged 35 years or less with a PhD degree (or equivalent) in chemistry or its allied areas are invited to compete. Successful projects will be selected by an international scientific jury. Grants will be up to US$30,000 and should be awarded for research that may be completed in one year.

Cancer stem cells—therapeutic targeting or therapy?

The scientific jury is still out on the subject of cancer stem cells. The case centres on several questions: do cancer stem cells really exist? How many are there within a tumour? How do they differ from other cancer cells? What shall we call them? And last, but by no means least, how can we best eradicate them? Patients long for cures and often might associate the notion of targeting cancer stem cells as a panacea for cancer. Current medical approaches cure only a proportion of patients with cancer.

Moving Back to Science and Self-Reflection in the Debate over Sexual Orientation Change Efforts

The April 2011 issue of Social Work featured a commentary by Adrienne Dessel regarding sexual reorientation therapies. At first we wondered why Dr. Dessel had chosen to comment on an article that appeared in a different journal from a different discipline (that is, marriage and family therapy; Serovich et al., 2008). However, it seems the most important feature of the article was that it could be used as a springboard for Dr. Dessel to question the very existence of such psychological care before an audience of social workers. In the interest of trying to provide a balanced perspective on the subject, we would like to briefly highlight some more recent contributions to the literature that can assist social workers in basing their advocacy claims in science and a self-reflective humility. In 2009 the American Psychological Association (APA) released the 130-page report of their task force on appropriate therapeutic responses to sexual orientation (APA, 2009). This report surveyed the literature on what the task force referred to as sexual orientation change efforts (SOCE) in far greater breadth and depth than did the Serovich et al. (2008) analysis. The report was widely lauded for its attempt to take the religious faith of clients seriously as a diversity dimension in addressing SOCE. Although the task force clearly discouraged the practice of SOCE in favor of an affirmative therapeutic model, the evidence (or lack thereof) did not support the banning of SOCE. The report concluded that there is little in the way of credible evidence that could clarify whether SOCE does or does not work in changing same-sex attractions [emphasis added] (APA, 2009, p. 28). The report been questioned on the grounds that it had to set unrealistically high standards for methodological purity to summarily disregard this literature (Jones, Rosik, Williams, & Byrd, 2010), but the trade-off in doing so is having to acknowledge that the scientific jury is still very much out as pertains to SOCE. Here it is worth remembering that the absence of conclusive evidence of effectiveness is not logically equivalent to positive evidence of ineffectiveness. Moreover, banning SOCE on the basis of these methodological standards would likely bring into question the validity of other contemporary therapy approaches. Any failure to similarly ban them would give the impression of double standards and partisan rather than scientific motives. To its credit, the task force acknowledged that the affirmative therapeutic approach has not been evaluated for safety and efficacy (APA, 2009, p. 91) and that research meeting its methodological standards is still needed to establish this. We admire the compassion and concern for the betterment of gay, lesbian, and bisexual (GLB) clients that Dr. Dessel exudes in her commentary. We do, however, wish that her arguments could have shown a greater familiarity with and respect for the traditionally religious worldview that motivates many SOCE consumers. This omission may reflect a certain limitation in worldview brought about by what moral psychologist Jonathan Haidt refers to as the tribal-moral community of many mental health professionals who are united by sacred values that can hinder research and blind them to the unwelcoming climate that they may create for non-liberals (Tierney, 2011). In this regard, social workers and other mental health professionals from across the sociopolitical spectrum will benefit immensely from a knowledge of Haidt's moral foundations theory (MFT) (see http://www.MoralFoundations.org). MFT integrates anthropological and evolutionary accounts of morality to identify and explain the standards by which liberals and conservatives formulate their moral frameworks (Graham, Haidt, & Nosek, 2009; Haidt, 2012); to discover your own moral foundations profile visit http://www. YourMorals.org. Through the lens of MFT, these authors conclude that although conservative and liberal individuals share some similar moral concerns (relative to the rights and welfare of individuals), conservatives also are motivated by moral concerns that liberals may not recognize and that emphasize the virtues and institutions that bind people into roles, duties, and mutual obligations. …

Counterpoint: Alterations in airway smooth muscle phenotype do not cause airway hyperresponsiveness in asthma

We have been assigned the task of showing that “alterations in airway smooth muscle phenotype DO NOT cause the airways hyperresponsiveness of asthma.” In the following paragraphs we will briefly review the overwhelming lack of evidence that any fundamental change in the intrinsic properties of

The Utility of Scientific Jury Selection

Many attorneys place considerable importance on the jury selection process. In order to more effectively screen potential jurors, attorneys involved in major litigation frequently hire jury selection consultants. Consultants use a variety of survey and observational approaches based on social science research techniques to conduct scientific jury selection (SJS). Over the past three decades, psychologists have engaged in research that has implications for evaluating the utility of SJS. In some cases, these research endeavors have examined the general relationship between background characteristics of research participants and their inclinations to either convict or acquit a defendant. In other cases, SJS techniques have been studied in actual trials, as well as mock trial simulations. In this article, I review these lines of research and conclude that while SJS may have some utility, methodological flaws associated with existing research prevent clear conclusions from being drawn. There is currently a strong need for high-quality evaluative research studies to be conducted on the SJS approach.

Can Scientific Jury Selection Produce Fair Juries or Just Juries With a Different Bias?

Can Scientific Jury Selection Produce Fair Juries or Just Juries With a Different Bias?

Scientific Jury Selection: Does It Work?

This article describes different methodologies used to predict the likely disposition of jurors in order to guide the exercise of peremptory challenges. The actual use of these methodologies in 27 telephone surveys, 9 focus groups, and 2 studies of jurors after the case was decided is examined. It is concluded that the efficacy of scientific jury selection depends, in part, on the type of case.

Environmental Review: Trenbolone and Other Cattle Growth Promoters: Need for a New Risk-Assessment Framework

The “six-pack” of hormone growth promoters used in feedlot cattle deserves closer investigation from researchers and policy makers. The potential effects of exposure to such compounds are of particular interest in the field of endocrine disruption, which focuses on the effects these compounds can have during sensitive developmental periods, rather than using a carcinogenesis model. Steroid hormones participate in a delicate balance during fetal development. Interference with that balance can lead to disruptions that manifest as health problems at birth and later in life. Although we need more studies of the effects of feedlot compounds on human and wildlife development, some industry and government literature leads consumers to conclude that all the data are in. Governmental reviews of the literature from the European Union (where hormone use is banned) and Australia (where hormones are used) reveal different attitudes and conclusions about the same body of research, and these differences may relate to a different understanding of the value of the endocrine-disruption model. It is important to approach examinations of the effects of trenbolone and other growth promoters without bias and to acknowledge that cattle growth promoter research in the context of endocrine disruption has just begun. The scientific jury is still out regarding whether introducing these compounds into the human food supply and ecosystems—research suggests that hormonally active feedlot effluent may harm wildlife—can be deleterious.

Spanning the Boundary Between Clinics and Communities to Address Overweight and Obesity in Children

The epidemic of obesity and its related health consequences are growing concerns for Americans. As noted by Whitlock and colleagues in this issue of Pediatrics ,1 providers have an important part to play in addressing overweight and obesity in children, although the scientific jury is still out on what approaches will be most successful. Faced with a major health concern and limited evidence of effective interventions that can be delivered in clinical settings, practitioners will nevertheless feel compelled to take action. They may choose to implement clinical strategies, either in the hope that they will be effective or that recommendations from clinicians can help to motivate individual behavior change. Whatever benefits may occur from clinical approaches, providers working one patient at a time cannot address this epidemic alone. Population-based interventions involving families, schools, and communities, which are proven to be effective in addressing nutrition, physical activity, obesity, or a combination of these but have been underutilized, could also be channeled toward this public health problem. As leading authorities on the health of children in their communities, pediatricians … Address correspondence to Steven M. Teutsch, MD, MPH, Outcomes Research and Management, Merck & Company, Inc, PO Box 4, WP39-130, West Point, PA 19486-0004. E-mail: steven_teutsch{at}merck.com

Sociologists in action: The McMartin sexual abuse case, litigation, justice, and mass hysteria

This paper describes our involvement as jury consultants in one of the most notorious criminal trials in history—the McMartin child-molestation trial in Los Angeles. The McMartin trial was the longest and costliest criminal trial in American history. The prosecution spent $15 million and took nearly six years in making a criminal case against day-care workers, only to have the jurors declare them not guilty. The defendants in the McMartin trial were charged with molesting young children at a preschool in Manhattan Beach, Los Angeles County, California. In 1987, we had performed scientific defense voir dire jury selection to choose the most impartial jurors to try the two defendants, Raymond Buckey and Peggy Buckey McMartin. In performing scientific jury selection, both a community survey and pre-voir dire questionnaires served as an important empirical foundation to assess jurors’ attitudinal, demographic, and socioeconomic characteristics to develop the effective juror profiles for the trial.

Religiousness, Religious Orientation, and Attitudes Towards Gays and Lesbians1

Two studies are reported that examine the relationships among religiousness, religious orientation, and prejudice toward gays and lesbians. Study 1 reports the results of a survey done for the purposes of scientific jury selection. These results suggest that Baptists, fundamentalists, and “Christians” display more antigay prejudice than do Catholics, Jews, and many Protestant denominations, but even many supporters of gay‐tolerant religions show more antigay prejudice than those claiming no religious preference. Among those with a religious preference, frequency of worship is significantly related to antigay prejudice among those belonging to antigay denominations, but not among those belonging to more gay tolerant religious faiths.Study 2 reports the results of a study of college students regarding religiousness, religious orientation, and prejudice toward gays and lesbians. Results showed that self reported religiousness, frequency of worship, and Batson's internal and external scales were all positively correlated with measures of prejudice toward gays and lesbians, whereas scores on the Quest (Interactional) scale were negatively correlated. Results of both studies strongly challenge the view that those with an intrinsic religious orientation are unprejudiced. It is argued that a social influence process can account for the role played by religious practice and beliefs in creating and maintaining negative attitudes toward gays and lesbians.

Pretrial Publicity and Prospective Jurors: Problems In The Use of Survey Research

Since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a state conviction on the grounds of prejudicial pretrial publicity (Irvin v. Dowd), survey research expertise has become a resource for the defense. This has been especially the case in the use of consultants and their survey products in seeking changes of venue and in scientific jury selection (Nietzel and Dillehay, 1982:41,1; and 1983:4,309). As a result of the increasing acceptance of the use of survey research in legal actions, some scholars and practitioners have expressed concern over its misuse (Goeke, 1984: 1-4; Mamer, 1976: 1101-1133; McCormick, 1982: 879-916). Nietzel and Dillehay (1983: 333-334) and others have emphasized the problems and prospects associated with the use of opinion surveys in support of motions to change venue.

An assessment of the potential utility of “scientific jury selection”: A “thought experiment” approach

The efficacy of “scientific jury selection” (the use of social science methodology to aid the jury selection process) has been a subject of considerable contention. Unfortunately, such issues are difficult to address empirically, especially at the level of jury rather than juror decisions. One means of addressing some of these questions is through the use of “thought experiments” or computer simulations that are based not on intuition or conventional wisdom alone but guided by relevant empirical data. This paper reports the outcomes of simulations that explore jury verdict consequences from the use of scientific jury selection to (a) obtain changes in venue, (b) select jurors, and (c) accomplish both of the preceding. The results indicated that the potential effects of scientific jury selection are strongest when the techniques are successful in bringing about changes of venue or more representative jury panels. Somewhat weaker, albeit still consequential, effects were observed in those instances where scientific jury selection techniques are used to select particular jurors. The psychological and legal implications of these results, and the thought experiment approach in general, are discussed.

Social science involvement in voir dire: Preliminary data on the effectiveness of “scientific jury selection”

AbstractThe validity of what has been termed “scientific” or “systematic” jury selection (SJS) techniques is addressed using data from two actual cases; one criminal and one civil. Data from the highly publicized Joan Little trial indicated that where validity data were available for the survey approach and in‐court rating of authoritarianism, these techniques measured what they purported to measure. Validation data were not available for a third technique—in‐court rating of nonverbal communication. Data from the civil case indicated that the survey approach could successfully predict verdicts of mock jurors. It is concluded that while these data are suggestive of the validity of two of the techniques used in SJS, more rigorous tests are essential before conclusions can be drawn.

American Jury Voir Dire and the Ideal of Equal justice

Two approaches to the minimizing of jury bias have gained attention in recent years. One attempt is to increase the representativeness of juries by developing jury lists that better reflect a cross-section of the community. The second leads to more extensive voir dire examination and the use of what has been called "scientific jury selection." This article focuses upon the second approach—extensive voir dire—and argues that gains in representativeness from expanded jury pools may be lost because citizens are needlessly dismissed from juries during voir dire. This is of particular concern since the small amount of empirical evidence available on the effectiveness of voir dire suggests that it may not be very useful in identifying biased jurors. The article reviews the literature on voir dire, discusses the effects of dismissal on attitudes of jurors, and suggests some topics for research.