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Background: Hepatitis E can potentially progress to HEV-related acute liver failure (HEV-ALF). East and South Asia bear a substantial burden of HEV infection, with Bangladesh, China, and India facing the most severe threat in this region. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the burden of HEV-ALF in these three high-risk countries. Methods: A systematic literature search was performed utilizing PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Medline, Embase, and Web of Science databases. Studies in English or Chinese that reported data on the burden of HEV-ALF in Bangladesh, China and India were included. Outcomes were pooled with meta-analysis utilizing R software. Estimates were calculated with random-effects models, and subgroup analysis and sensitivity analysis were conducted to address heterogeneity. Egger's test and Begg's test were performed to assess publication bias. Results: A total of 20 eligible studies were included in this study. The pooled HEV-attributable proportion of viral-related acute liver failure was estimated to be 40.0% (95% CI: 0.28–0.52), 30.0% (95% CI: 0.18–0.44), and 61.0% (95% CI: 0.49–0.72) among non-pregnant individuals in India, China and Bangladesh, while in Indian pregnant females, it was 71.0% (95% CI: 0.62–0.79). The combined prevalence among non-pregnant HEV-infected participants was 28.0% (95% CI: 0.20–0.37) and 10.0% (95% CI: 0.01–0.28) in India and China, and it was 34.0% (95% CI: 0.27–0.42) in Indian pregnant females with HEV infection. The overall mortality of HEV-ALF was estimated to be 32.0% (95% CI: 0.23–0.42) and 64.0% (95% CI: 0.50–0.77) among the non-pregnant and the pregnant participants in India, and it was 23.0% (95% CI: 0.14–0.34) in Chinese non-pregnant participants. Conclusions: The burden of HEV-ALF in Bangladesh, China, and India is non-negligible despite geographic and population heterogeneity. The prevention of HEV infection and early recognition of HEV-ALF are of great significance, especially in high-risk countries and populations. Registration: PROSPERO registration ID is CRD42022382101. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to examine the rate and characteristics of retracted articles in infectious diseases and clinical microbiology. Using the Retraction Watch Database, we conducted a cross-sectional study for retracted publications categorized as 'Infectious Disease' or 'Microbiology' until June 30 2022. We included publications for which citation information was available through the Web of Science database. Study characteristics, retraction trends and number of citations before and after the retraction year were analysed. Overall, 1004 retracted publications were included, retracted between August 1968 and June 2022. The number of retractions climbed through the years, peaking in 2020–2021. A total of 614 retractions originated from USA, China, and India, of total 183 736 PubMed publications from these countries. Overall, 378 (38%) were retracted because of errors; 182 (18%) because of plagiarism; and 142 (14%) because of falsification/fabrication. Specific reasons included 'concerns/issues about data' (158, 16%); 'duplication of image' (127, 13%); and 'unreliable results' (116, 12%). Of the 347 retractions during 2020 to June 2022, 91 (26%) were COVID-19 related. Fifty of 895 (5.6%) first authors had two retracted papers, and 14 (1.6%) had ≥2 retractions. Of 824 publications cited at least once, 466 (57%) were cited more often after retraction. Retractions of infectious diseases and clinical microbiology publications are increasing. Concerning reasons such as plagiarism, falsification/fabrication and errors are not uncommon. Nonetheless, these publications continue to be commonly cited after being retracted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• India dominates the global sandalwood market and research publications quantitatively. • Bibliometric analysis revealed dominance of China and Australia in Indian Sandalwood research in last decades. • Increased research interest correlates with increased sandalwood prices globally. • Lokta's law validated the chance for increased research productivity in future. • Spacing, tree-host ratio, irrigation & nutrition regime and yield are the research lacunae. Sandalwood (Santalum album) is woven into the culture and traditions of India for last 3000 years. However, India's dominance on the international sandalwood trade is waning. Other countries, specifically Australia are emerging as a big-mammoth player in sandalwood trade. Still, there is a high demand-supply gap for Indian Sandalwood. This offers opportunities for the countries to dominate the trade by upscaling sandalwood cultivation among farmers and various stakeholders. Considering the extent of research activity as a proxy to a country's attitude and approach towards the Santalum album , we used the theoretical framework of bibliometric studies to understand the current status of Indian sandalwood research globally. After 92 years of research (1928−2020), 374 scientific publications were listed in the Web of Science database for a single keyword search " Santalum album ". Analysis of this metadata using the bibliometrix R-package revealed an annual growth of 5.25 per cent in scientific publications over the years. Lokta's law was found to be valid for Indian sandalwood research, indicating a possibility for increased research in the upcoming years which perfectly correlate with the increase in sandalwood prices. The analysis revealed a decadal shift in prominent researching countries. India dominated in terms of the number of scientific publications for the last two decades, followed by Australia during the decade I (2000−2010). However, China surpassed Australia in the current decade (2011−2020) in terms of research output. Further, more productive researchers were from China and Australia. The increased interest of Chinese researchers can have an impact on sandalwood market in the near possible future. SciMAT science mapping tool was used to map prominent researched areas over the 92 years and to uncover the future researchable areas. The results will contribute critically to ascertaining relevant research aspects while accounting the significant gaps like field planting geometry, tree: host ratio, irrigation and nutrition management regime and yield estimation. So that complete scientific information will encourage the private cultivation and can also promote Indian sandalwood cultivation at the community level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]