Ethical issues in the translation of social neuroscience: a policy analysis of current guidelines for public dialogue in human research

Social neuroscience and its potential implications create an interesting case study for examining human research ethics policies on the topic of public communication of research. We reviewed mainstream national and international human research ethics guidelines and policies on issues of public communication of research. Our analysis relied on five thematic nets to capture the interactions between research and the public: public understanding, knowledge translation, public participation, social outcomes, and dual use. Coverage of these topics is sparse and inconsistent in mainstream policies and guidelines. We identify three options to address these gaps and analyze their strengths and weaknesses.     

Disclosure of individualized research results: a precautionary approach

Assessing and managing risks to participants is a central point of contention in the debate about disclosing individualized research results. Those who favor disclosure of only clinically significant results think that disclosing clinically insignificant results is risky and costly, and that harm prevention should take precedence over other ethical considerations. Those who favor giving participants the option of full disclosure regard these risks as insubstantial, and think that obligations to benefit participants and promote their autonomy and right to know outweigh the obligation to prevent harm or financial considerations. The risks of disclosing clinically insignificant research results are currently not quantifiable, due to lack of empirical data. The precautionary principle provides some insight into this debate because it applies to decision-making concerning risks that are plausible but not quantifiable. A precautionary approach would favor full disclosure of individualized results with appropriate safeguards to prevent, minimize, or mitigate risks to participants, such as: validating testing methods; informing participants about their options for receiving tests results and the potential benefits and risks related to receiving results; assessing participants' comfort with handling uncertainty; providing counseling and advice to participants; following-up with individuals who receive tests results; and forming community advisory boards to help investigators deal with issues related to disclosure.     

哲学观与哲学研究的重大问题(英文)

近年来,中国哲学界开展了当前马克思主义哲学研究的重大问题的讨论。人们对重大问题的不同看法,表现了对哲学性质和功能的理解等哲学观的差异,特别是对马克思哲学革命实质的理解的差异。本文认为,马克思的哲学革命终结了理论形而上学,但保留了传统哲学关于人的自由和全面发展的理想,保留了传统哲学超越的形而上学维度。只有进入和保持在哲学思维方式的水平上,才能有哲学意义和性质的重大问题研究,哲学思维方式仍是哲学研究的根本问题。     

The ethical issues in uranium mining research in the Navajo Nation

We explore the experience of Navajo communities living under the shadow of nuclear age fallout who were subjects of five decades of research. In this historical analysis of public health (epidemiological) research conducted in the Navajo lands since the inception of uranium mining from the 1950s untill the end of the 20th century, we analyze the successes and failures in the research initiatives conducted on Navajo lands, the ethical breaches, and the harms and benefits that this research has brought about to the community. We discuss how scientific and moral uncertainty, lack of full stakeholder participation and community wide outreach and education can impact ethical decisions made in research.     

Biomedical research and the commercialization agenda: a review of main considerations for neuroscience

This article reviews a range of issues associated with the commercialization of biomedical research and speculates on how these issues might apply to the neuroscience context. Drawing on existing studies of the impact of research commercialization activities on various areas of biotechnology research, the authors explore normative benchmarks for assessing and resolving issues likely to arise from the commercialization of neuroscientific research, including such topics as patenting, marketing pressures, and representations of research prospects.     

Current issues in clinical research and the development of new pharmaceuticals

As a normal part of the drug development process, U.S. pharmaceutical companies conduct many thousands of clinical trials each year. Only after a reasonable assurance of safety is made can the drug be given to patients who have the underlying medical condition that the drug is designed to treat. Patient welfare is assured by adhering to the Food and Drug Administration's interpretation of the "common rule" if the data will be used to support a licensing application. 21 CFR Part 50 sets forth the regulations along with the principles of informed consent and the use of institutional review boards (IRBs) that assure patients' rights are protected. Any potential conflict of interest on the part of a clinical investigator must be reported to the FDA. Pharmaceutical companies extensively monitor ongoing clinical trials for compliance with appropriate regulations. The recent revision of the Declaration of Helsinki governing placebo-controlled clinical trials may adversely impact drug development.     

Current issues in clinical research and the development of new pharmaceuticals

As a normal part of the drug development process, U.S. pharmaceutical companies conduct many thousands of clinical trials each year. Only after a reasonable assurance of safety is made can the drug be given to patients who have the underlying medical condition that the drug is designed to treat. Patient welfare is assured by adhering to the Food and Drug Administration's interpretation of the “common rule”; if the data will be used to support a licensing application. 21 CFR Part 50 sets forth the regulations along with the principles of informed consent and the use of institutional review boards (IRBs) that assure patients’ rights are protected. Any potential conflict of interest on the part of a clinical investigator must be reported to the FDA. Pharmaceutical companies extensively monitor ongoing clinical trials for compliance with appropriate regulations. The recent revision of the Declaration of Helsinki governing placebo‐controlled clinical trials may adversely impact drug development     

Child effects in socialization research: Some conceptual and data analysis issues

This paper examines issues associated with the conceptualization of child effects in socialization research and outlines possible data analysis strategies that may be used with contemporaneous correlational data from parents and children. The paper begins with an outline of some recognized prohlems in the studv of child effects. The role of cognitive factors, which complicate efforts to disentangle child effects, is emphasized, in an attempt to clarify further the meaning of child effect, three different types of effect are outlined and then a distinction is made between moderator and mediator variables. In general, a moderator variable specifies when certain outcomes will hold (e.g. for one type of child but not another), whereas a mediator variable indicates how or why the outcome occurs. The distinction between moderator-mediator variables provides the main focus of the paper. It assists in the conceptualization of child effects, as well as having direct implications for data analysis strategies. The relevance of the distinction is illustrated via data from a study of family relationships. The use of correlations, multiple regressions with interaction terms, and latent variable path analysis are examined as ways of investigating moderator and then mediator variables. Conclusions are reached about conceptual and data analysis difficulties associated with attempts to determine child effects.     

Social Causation and cognitive neuroscience

all mental life by which we surpass the animals is evoked in us as we assimilate the articulate framework of a culture. Michael Polanyi (1959)     

Disclosure Issues in Neuroscience Research

Issues of disclosure arise in neuroscientific research during the informed consent process, whenever incidental findings are identified, and when study results are generated. The possibility of disclosure of incidental findings and/or research results may raise informational expectations on the part of subjects and may alter a study's risk:benefit ratio. We recommend that the informed consent process address this potential consequence of research participation, and specify the conditions under which particular types of information will be offered, the conditions under which information may not be disclosed, and any provisions for helping subjects make sense of the information to be disclosed.     

What is child protection? Historical and methodological issues in comparative research on lastensuojelu/child protection

This article addresses comparative research on what has come to be called, in (British) English, 'child protection' or, rather differently, in Finnish ' lastensuojelu '. In developing a cross-national research project on lastensuojelu /child protection practices in England and Finland, we found it necessary to go back a few steps, to address what might usually be considered as 'background issues'. This article discusses the welfare state traditions in both countries, especially with respect to families and children, in order to contextualise the focus of ongoing qualitative research on micro comparisons. When comparing the mundane practices of child protection and the ways problems and clienthoods are constructed, as in this study, historical, social, cultural and linguistic issues matter. Indeed, very basic concepts such as 'child protection' and 'child protection case' become problematic in the comparison.     

国外关于书面情感表露的研究综述

大量文献证明,情感的表露有助于个体的心理健康。然而,在大多数传统的心理治疗理论中,关于情感表露的研究主要集中在思想或感觉的口头表达上。然而,对于个体来说,并不是所有的情感都可以通过口头表露表达出来的,有些情感需要通过书面的形式表露。近来,国外一些关于个体情感经历的书面表露的研究表明,情感的书面表露对个体的心理和生理健康都有益处。本文总结了国外书面情感表露研究的基本范式和研究成果,讨论了记录的效果的机制及影响表露效果的因素问题。有关其隐含的理论还有待进一步探讨。     

Disclosure of Unknown Harms in Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research

Unknown harms are by their nature difficult to communicate. While magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has known risks (e.g., metal projectiles, dislodgement of medical implants), this imaging modality also has potential unknown long-term negative health effects associated with its static magnetic fields. We carried out a research ethics board (REB) file review of previously approved MRI research studies and found that unknown risks were either left undisclosed or were inadequately disclosed to research participants and REBs. This article outlines issues raised by our REB file review and suggests steps that should be taken in order to satisfactorily communicate information about potential unknown harms of MRI.     

国外关于书面情感表露的研究综述

大量文献证明，情感的表露有助于个体的心理健康。然而，在大多数传统的心理治疗理论中，关于情感表露的研究主要集中在思想或感觉的口头表达上。然而，对于个体来说，并不是所有的情感都可以通过口头表露表达出来的，有些情感需要通过书面的形式表露。近来，国外一些关于个体情感经历的书面表露的研究表明，情感的书面表露对个体的心理和生理健康都有益处。本文总结了国外书面情感表露研究的基本范式和研究成果，讨论了记录的效果的机制及影响表露效果的因素问题。有关其隐含的理论还有待进一步探讨。     

全媒体时代的政府信息公开: 特点、挑战及展望

全媒体是传统媒体与新兴媒体的融合,重塑了社会结构与组织形式,在这种语境下思考政府信息公开问题具有重要意义。当前,中国政府信息公开呈现出参与交互、多元融合与主动有位的特点,然而全媒体降低了政治参与的准入门槛,微政治时代的信息生产、传播和接收的低成本也给政府信息公开带来一定的挑战。因此,政府从制度和能力等方面不断提高政府信息的影响力、公信力和传播力是可能的破题路径。     

Decision-making: from neuroscience to neuroeconomics—an overview

Theory and Decision -     

The impact of migration on women and the family: research,policy and programme issues in developing countries

"In the context of the pervasive invisibility of migrant women in the standard data collection, policy-making and planning processes, this paper seeks to review some of the major trends and patterns of female migration in developing countries; identify some important research priorities, and to delineate some of the areas in which policies and programmes might be framed so as to assist or change the impact of migration on women and the family. In the discussion of the relevance of these issues to national services and community organisation are emphasised as priority action programmes."     

"能说就要说"还是"能不说就不说" ——自愿性信息披露与企业创新

外部融资约束和内部代理冲突是制约企业创新的重要因素,降低二者对创新的不利影响需要高效的资本市场和互信的股东与经理层关系,这有赖于企业充分的信息披露.利用上市公司自愿性信息披露指数,探究自愿性信息披露能否促进企业创新,并从声誉效应、 治理效应和安全网效应三个方面深入研究其影响机理.结果表明,自愿性信息披露对企业创新绩效具有显著的提升作用,其影响机制是自愿性信息披露可以显著减轻企业融资约束和代理成本对创新的负面影响(声誉效应和治理效应),降低CEO离职业绩敏感性(安全网效应),从而促进企业创新.进一步研究发现,三种影响机制在国有企业并不显著,这可能与国有企业政策工具性和垄断性特征有关系.