Crowdsourcing hypothesis tests: Making transparent how design choices shape research results

To what extent are research results influenced by subjective decisions that scientists make as they design studies? Fifteen research teams independently designed studies to answer fiveoriginal research questions related to moral judgments, negotiations, and implicit cognition. Participants from two separate large samples (total N > 15,000) were then randomly assigned to complete one version of each study. Effect sizes varied dramatically across different sets of materials designed to test the same hypothesis: materials from different teams renderedstatistically significant effects in opposite directions for four out of five hypotheses, with the narrowest range in estimates being d = -0.37 to +0.26. Meta-analysis and a Bayesian perspective on the results revealed overall support for two hypotheses, and a lack of support for three hypotheses. Overall, practically none of the variability in effect sizes was attributable to the skill of the research team in designing materials, while considerable variability was attributable to the hypothesis being tested. In a forecasting survey, predictions of other scientists were significantly correlated with study results, both across and within hypotheses. Crowdsourced testing of research hypotheses helps reveal the true consistency of empirical support for a scientific claim.</div

Genome-Wide Association Study Identifies Novel Restless Legs Syndrome Susceptibility Loci on 2p14 and 16q12.1

Peer reviewe

High Skin Sympathetic Nerve Activity in Patients with Recurrent Syncope

(1) Background: The autonomic imbalance plays a role in vasovagal syncope (VVS) diagnosed by head-up tilting test (HUT). neuECG is a new method of recording skin electrical signals to simultaneously analyze skin sympathetic nerve activity (SKNA) and electrocardiogram. We hypothesize that SKNA is higher in subjects with tilt-positive than tilt-negative and the SKNA surges before syncope. (2) Methods: We recorded neuECG in 41 subjects who received HUT (according to the “Italian protocol”), including rest, tilt-up, provocation and recovery phases. Data were analyzed to determine the average SKNA (aSKNA, μV) per digitized sample. Electrocardiogram was used to calculate standard deviation of normal-to-normal beat intervals (SDNN). The “SKNA-SDNN index” was calculated by rest aSKNA multiplied by the ratio of tilt-up to rest SDNN. (3) Results: 16 of 41 (39%) subjects developed syncope. The aSKNA at rest phase is significantly higher in the tilt-positive (1.21 ± 0.27 µV) than tilt-negative subjects (1.02 ± 0.29 µV) (p = 0.034). There are significant surges and withdraw of aSKNA 30 s before and after syncope (both p ≤ 0.006). SKNA-SDNN index is able to predict syncope (p &lt; 0.001). (4) Conclusion: Higher SKNA at rest phase is associated with positive HUT. The SKNA-SDNN index is a novel marker to predict syncope during HUT