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Background: Arterial spin labeling (ASL) allows non‐invasive quantification of myocardial blood flow (MBF). Double‐ECG gating (DG) ASL is more robust to heart rate variability than single‐ECG gating (SG), but its reproducibility requires further investigation. Moreover, the existence of multiple quantification models hinders its application. Frequency‐offset‐corrected‐inversion (FOCI) pulses provide sharper edge profiles than hyperbolic‐secant (HS), which could benefit myocardial ASL. Purpose: To assess the performance of MBF quantification models for DG compared to SG ASL, to evaluate their reproducibility and to compare the effects of HS and FOCI pulses. Study Type: Prospective. Subjects: Sixteen subjects (27 ± 8 years). Field Strength/Sequence: 1.5 T/DG and SG flow‐sensitive alternating inversion recovery ASL. Assessment: Three models for DG MBF quantification were compared using Monte Carlo simulations and in vivo experiments. Two models used a fitting approach (one using only a single label and control image pair per fit, the other using all available image pairs), while the third model used a T1 correction approach. Slice profile simulations were conducted for HS and FOCI pulses with varying B0 and B1. Temporal signal‐to‐noise ratio (tSNR) was computed for different acquisition/quantification strategies and inversion pulses. The number of images that minimized MBF error was investigated in the model with highest tSNR. Intra and intersession reproducibility were assessed in 10 subjects. Statistical Tests: Within‐subject coefficient of variation, analysis of variance. P‐value <0.05 was considered significant. Results: MBF was not different across acquisition/quantification strategies (P = 0.27) nor pulses (P = 0.9). DG MBF quantification models exhibited significantly higher tSNR and superior reproducibility, particularly for the fitting model using multiple images (tSNR was 3.46 ± 2.18 in vivo and 3.32 ± 1.16 in simulations, respectively; wsCV = 16%). Reducing the number of ASL pairs to 13/15 did not increase MBF error (minimum = 0.22 mL/g/min). Data Conclusion: Reproducibility of MBF was better for DG than SG acquisitions, especially when employing a fitting model. Level of Evidence: 2 Technical Efficacy: Stage 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cervical cancer screening is a cornerstone of cervical cancer elimination. Detection of high‐risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) is recommended as the first step in screening provided that the assay used has been adequately validated. The Sansure® Human Papillomavirus DNA Diagnostic Kit is a new assay designed to detect HPV16, HPV18 and 13 other HPV in aggregate. The study aimed to evaluate the intra‐ and interlaboratory reproducibility of the assay according to international guidelines. Five hundred and fifty cervical residual cell samples from women attending cervical cancer screening were selected from the biobank of the HPV National Reference Centre in Belgium and used in this study. After DNA extraction, HPV was tested using the Sansure® Human Papillomavirus DNA Diagnostic Kit. The lower 95% confidence limit around the general reproducibility of this assay should be greater than or equal to 87%, with κ ≥ 0.50. Five hundred and thirty‐three samples had valid results. The Sansure® Human Papillomavirus DNA Diagnostic Kit demonstrated an excellent intra‐laboratory reproducibility of 93.8% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 91.4–95.7, κ = 0.85). The interlaboratory reproducibility was 93.4 (95% CI: 91.0–95.4, κ = 0.84). Intra and interlaboratory reproducibility were also excellent at the genotype level. Excluding HPV53 single infection samples from the analyses also resulted in excellent agreement. These data show that the Sansure® Human Papillomavirus DNA Diagnostic Kit is highly reproducible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article considers measurement system assessment for compositional data, component proportions that sum to one. The data are typically collected from a gauge R&R study, that is, an experiment. We propose a model and use it to analyze real data from a glass composition study. We also simulate data to assess the impact of the gauge R&R study design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Model distillation has been a popular method for producing interpretable machine learning. It uses an interpretable "student" model to mimic the predictions made by the black box "teacher" model. However, when the student model is sensitive to the variability of the data sets used for training even when keeping the teacher fixed, the corresponded interpretation is not reliable. Existing strategies stabilize model distillation by checking whether a large enough sample of pseudo-data is generated to reliably reproduce student models, but methods to do so have so far been developed separately for each specific class of student model. In this paper, we develop a generic approach for stable model distillation based on central limit theorem for the estimated fidelity of the student to the teacher. We start with a collection of candidate student models and search for candidates that reasonably agree with the teacher. Then we construct a multiple testing framework to select a sample size such that the consistent student model would be selected under different pseudo samples. We demonstrate the application of our proposed approach on three commonly used intelligible models: decision trees, falling rule lists and symbolic regression. Finally, we conduct simulation experiments on Mammographic Mass and Breast Cancer datasets and illustrate the testing procedure throughout a theoretical analysis with Markov process. The code is publicly available at https://github.com/yunzhe-zhou/GenericDistillation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Neck self-awareness, related to sensorimotor dysfunction, can be monitored with the Fremantle Neck Awareness Questionnaire (FreNAQ). The cross-cultural adaptation of the FreNAQ in Greek (FreNAQ-GR) and an assessment of its psychometric properties were conducted. Methods: This study included 104 participants (65 female) with non-specific chronic neck pain (NSCNP). Once the cross-cultural adaptation process of the FreNAQ-GR was complete, the testing of its construct validity was conducted via an exploratory factor analysis (EFA). The construct validity examination also included a correlational analysis with a Pain Intensity Visual Analogue Scale (PI-VAS), the Neck Disability Index (NDI), the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia (TSK), the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), and demographics. The internal consistency of the FreNAQ-GR was also examined. A sub-sample of participants (n = 30) completed the FreNAQ-GR again after 5–7 days. Results: The dataset was appropriate for EFA (measure of sampling adequacy KMO = 0.763 and Bartlett's test of sphericity p < 0.001). The FreNAQ-GR demonstrated a single-factor 6-item structure (items 7–9 removed), explaining 53.69% of the common variance. Statistically significant correlations (Spearman's) were registered between the FreNAQ-GR (both versions) and the NDI (r = 0.33/0.29, p < 0.001), the TSK (r = 0.46/0.41, p < 0.001), and the PCS (r = 0.37/0.33, p < 0.001). For the 9-item and the 6-item FreNAQ-GR, the internal consistency (Chronbach's a/McDonald's ω) was 0.80/0.79 and 0.826/0.816, respectively. The test–retest reliability was excellent for both versions ICC2,1 (95% CI) = 0.98/0.98 (0.97–0.99/0.95–0.99), with low error values SEM = 0.90/0.74 and MDC95% = 2.49/2.05 points. Conclusions: The FreNAQ-GR is suitable for assessing neck self-awareness in Greek-speaking patients with NSCNP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simulation has become, in many application areas, a sine qua non. Most recently, COVID-19 has underlined the importance of simulation studies and limitations in current practices and methods. We identify four goals of methodological work for addressing these limitations. The first is to provide better support for capturing, representing, and evaluating the context of simulation studies, including research questions, assumptions, requirements, and activities contributing to a simulation study. In addition, the composition of simulation models and other simulation studies' products must be supported beyond syntactical coherence, including aspects of semantics and purpose, enabling their effective reuse. A higher degree of automating simulation studies will contribute to more systematic, standardized simulation studies and their efficiency. Finally, it is essential to invest increased effort into effectively communicating results and the processes involved in simulation studies to enable their use in research and decision making. These goals are not pursued independently of each other, but they will benefit from and sometimes even rely on advances in other sub-fields. In this article, we explore the basis and interdependencies evident in current research and practice and delineate future research directions based on these considerations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Imaging flow cytometry (IFCM) is a technique that can detect, size, and phenotype extracellular vesicles (EVs) at high throughput (thousands/minute) in complex biofluids without prior EV isolation. However, the generated signals are expressed in arbitrary units, which hinders data interpretation and comparison of measurement results between instruments and institutes. While fluorescence calibration can be readily achieved, calibration of side scatter (SSC) signals presents an ongoing challenge for IFCM. Here, we present an approach to relate the SSC signals to particle size for IFCM, and perform a comparability study between three different IFCMs using a plasma EV test sample (PEVTES). SSC signals for different sizes of polystyrene (PS) and hollow organosilica beads (HOBs) were acquired with a 405 nm 120 mW laser without a notch filter before detection. Mie theory was applied to relate scatter signals to particle size. Fluorescence calibration was accomplished with 2 μm phycoerythrin (PE) and allophycocyanin (APC) MESF beads. Size and fluorescence calibration was performed for three IFCMs in two laboratories. CD235a‐PE and CD61‐APC stained PEVTES were used as EV‐containing samples. EV concentrations were compared between instruments within a size range of 100–1000 nm and a fluorescence intensity range of 3–10,000 MESF. 81 nm PS beads could be readily discerned from background based on their SSC signals. Fitting of the obtained PS bead SSC signals with Mie theory resulted in a coefficient of determination >0.99 between theory and data for all three IFCMs. 216 nm HOBs were detected with all instruments, and confirmed the sensitivity to detect EVs by SSC. The lower limit of detection regarding EV‐size for this study was determined to be ~100 nm for all instruments. Size and fluorescence calibration of IFCM data increased cross‐instrument data comparability with the coefficient of variation decreasing from 33% to 21%. Here we demonstrate – for the first time – scatter calibration of an IFCM using the 405 nm laser. The quality of the scatter‐to‐diameter relation and scatter sensitivity of the IFCMs are similar to the most sensitive commercially available flow cytometers. This development will support the reliability of EV research with IFCM by providing robust standardization and reproducibility, which are pre‐requisites for understanding the biological significance of EVs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Lung endothelium resides at the interface between the circulation and the underlying tissue, where it senses biochemical and mechanical properties of both the blood as it flows through the vascular circuit and the vessel wall. The endothelium performs the bidirectional signaling between the blood and tissue compartments that is necessary to maintain homeostasis while physically separating both, facilitating a tightly regulated exchange of water, solutes, cells, and signals. Disruption in endothelial function contributes to vascular disease, which can manifest in discrete vascular locations along the artery-to-capillary-to-vein axis. Although our understanding of mechanisms that contribute to endothelial cell injury and repair in acute and chronic vascular disease have advanced, pathophysiological mechanisms that underlie site-specific vascular disease remain incompletely understood. In an effort to improve the translatability of mechanistic studies of the endothelium, the American Thoracic Society convened a workshop to optimize rigor, reproducibility, and translation of discovery to advance our understanding of endothelial cell function in health and disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Detection and analysis of spontaneous synaptic events is an extremely common task inmany neuroscience research labs. Various algorithms and tools have been developed over the years to improve the sensitivity of detecting synaptic events. However, the final stages of most procedures for detecting synaptic events still involve the manual selection of candidate events. This step in the analysis is laborious and requires care and attention to maintain consistency of event selection across the whole dataset. Manual selection can introduce bias and subjective selection criteria that cannot be shared with other labs in reporting methods. To address this, we have created Eventer, a standalone application for the detection of spontaneous synaptic events acquired by electrophysiology or imaging. This open-source application uses the freely available MATLAB Runtime and is deployed on Mac, Windows, and Linux systems. The principle of the Eventer application is to learn the user's "expert" strategy for classifying a set of detected event candidates from a small subset of the data and then automatically apply the same criterion to the remaining dataset. Eventer first uses a suitable model template to pull out event candidates using fast Fourier transform (FFT)-based deconvolution with a low threshold. Random forests are then created and trained to associate various features of the events with manual labeling. The storedmodel file can be reloaded and used to analyse large datasets with greater consistency. The availability of the source code and its user interface provide a framework with the scope to further tune the existing Random Forest implementation, or add additional, artificial intelligence classification methods. The Eventer website (https://eventerneuro.netlify.app/) includes a repository where researchers can upload and share their machine learning model files and thereby provide greater opportunities for enhancing reproducibility when analyzing datasets of spontaneous synaptic activity. In summary, Eventer, and the associated repository, could allow researchers studying synaptic transmission to increase throughput of their data analysis and address the increasing concerns of reproducibility in neuroscience research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a worldwide health epidemic with a global occurrence of approximately 30%. The pathogenesis of MASLD is a complex, multisystem disorder driven by multiple factors, including genetics, lifestyle, and the environment. Patient heterogeneity presents challenges in developing MASLD therapeutics, creating patient cohorts for clinical trials, and optimizing therapeutic strategies for specific patient cohorts. Implementing pre-clinical experimental models for drug development creates a significant challenge as simple in vitro systems and animal models do not fully recapitulate critical steps in the pathogenesis and the complexity of MASLD progression. To address this, we implemented a precision medicine strategy that couples the use of our liver acinus microphysiology system (LAMPS) constructed with patient-derived primary cells. We investigated the MASLD-associated genetic variant patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing protein 3 (PNPLA3) rs738409 (I148M variant) in primary hepatocytes as it is associated with MASLD progression. We constructed the LAMPS with genotyped wild-type and variant PNPLA3 hepatocytes, together with key non-parenchymal cells, and quantified the reproducibility of the model. We altered media components to mimic blood chemistries, including insulin, glucose, free fatty acids, and immune-activating molecules to reflect normal fasting (NF), early metabolic syndrome (EMS), and late metabolic syndrome (LMS) conditions. Finally, we investigated the response to treatment with resmetirom, an approved drug for metabolic syndrome-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), the progressive form of MASLD. This study, using primary cells, serves as a benchmark for studies using "patient biomimetic twins" constructed with patient induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived liver cells using a panel of reproducible metrics. We observed increased steatosis, immune activation, stellate cell activation, and secretion of pro-fibrotic markers in the PNPLA3 GG variant compared to the wild-type CC LAMPS, consistent with the clinical characterization of this variant. We also observed greater resmetirom efficacy in the PNPLA3 wild-type CC LAMPS compared to the GG variant in multiple MASLD metrics, including steatosis, stellate cell activation, and the secretion of pro-fibrotic markers. In conclusion, our study demonstrates the capability of the LAMPS platform for the development of MASLD precision therapeutics, enrichment of patient cohorts for clinical trials, and optimization of therapeutic strategies for patient subgroups with different clinical traits and disease stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: White blood cell (WBC) scintigraphy plays a major role in the diagnostic approach to periprosthetic infections. Although the procedure has been standardized by the publication of several guidelines, the interpretation of this technique may be susceptible to intra and inter-variability. We aimed to assess the reproducibility of interpretation between nuclear medicine physicians and by the same physician and to demonstrate that Cohen's coefficient is more unstable than Gwet's coefficient, as the latter is influenced by the prevalence rates. Methods: We enrolled 59 patients who performed a Technetium-99m WBC (99mTc-WBC) scintigraphy for suspected hip or knee prosthesis infection. Three physicians, blinded to all patient clinical data, performed two image readings. Each WBC study was assessed both visually and semi-quantitatively according to the guidelines of the European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM). For semi-quantitative analysis, readers drew an irregular Region of Interest (ROI) over the suspected infectious lesion and copied it to the normal contralateral bone. The mean counts per ROI were used to calculate lesion-to-reference tissue ( L R ) ratios for both late and delayed images. An increase in L R over time ( L R late > L R delayed ) of more than 20% was considered indicative of infection. Agreement between readers and between readings was assessed by the first-order agreement coefficient (Gwet's AC1). Reading time for each scan was compared between the three readers in both the first and the second reading, using the Generalized Linear Mixed Model. Results: An excellent agreement was found among all three readers: 0.90 for the first reading and 0.94 for the second reading. Both inter- and intra-variability showed values ≥0.86. Gwet's method demonstrated greater robustness than the Cohen coefficient when assessing the intra and inter-rater variability, since it is not influenced by the prevalence rate. Conclusions: These studies can contribute to improving the reliability of nuclear medicine imaging techniques and to evaluating the effectiveness of trainee preparation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrating Large Language Models (LLMs) into e-government applications has the potential to improve public service delivery through advanced data processing and automation. This paper explores critical aspects of a modular and reproducible architecture based on Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) for deploying LLM-based assistants within e-government systems. By examining current practices and challenges, we propose a framework ensuring that Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems are modular and reproducible, essential for maintaining scalability, transparency, and ethical standards. Our approach utilizing Haystack demonstrates a complete multi-agent Generative AI (GAI) virtual assistant that facilitates scalability and reproducibility by allowing individual components to be independently scaled. This research focuses on a comprehensive review of the existing literature and presents case study examples to demonstrate how such an architecture can enhance public service operations. This framework provides a valuable case study for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners interested in exploring the integration of advanced computational linguistics and LLMs into e-government services, although it could benefit from further empirical validation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In South Africa, between 1966 and 2014, there were three kidney transplant eras defined by evolving access to certain immunosuppressive therapies defined as Pre-CYA (before availability of cyclosporine), CYA (when cyclosporine became available), and New-Gen (availability of tacrolimus and mycophenolic acid). As such, factors influencing kidney graft failure may vary across these eras. Therefore, evaluating the consistency and reproducibility of models developed to study these variations using machine learning (ML) algorithms could enhance our understanding of post-transplant graft survival dynamics across these three eras. Methods: This study explored the effectiveness of nine ML algorithms in predicting 10-year graft survival across the three eras. We developed and internally validated these algorithms using data spanning the specified eras. The predictive performance of these algorithms was assessed using the area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristics curve (ROC), supported by other evaluation metrics. We employed local interpretable model-agnostic explanations to provide detailed interpretations of individual model predictions and used permutation importance to assess global feature importance across each era. Results: Overall, the proportion of graft failure decreased from 41.5% in the Pre-CYA era to 15.1% in the New-Gen era. Our best-performing model across the three eras demonstrated high predictive accuracy. Notably, the ensemble models, particularly the Extra Trees model, emerged as standout performers, consistently achieving high AUC scores of 0.95, 0.95, and 0.97 across the eras. This indicates that the models achieved high consistency and reproducibility in predicting graft survival outcomes. Among the features evaluated, recipient age and donor age were the only features consistently influencing graft failure throughout these eras, while features such as glomerular filtration rate and recipient ethnicity showed high importance in specific eras, resulting in relatively poor historical transportability of the best model. Conclusions: Our study emphasises the significance of analysing post-kidney transplant outcomes and identifying era-specific factors mitigating graft failure. The proposed framework can serve as a foundation for future research and assist physicians in identifying patients at risk of graft failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe a Python-based software tool called RADIAN (RAnDom spatIal dAta geNerator) developed with the purpose of generating simple synthetic spatial datasets. These datasets can be used in many contexts such as teaching and learning of GIS, testing of spatial algorithms, testing and visualization approaches. This paper provides a motivation for the need for a tool such as RADIAN along with a survey of other similar approaches. The methodological component of how RADIAN generates synthetic spatial datasets is described. We describe experimental results from the comparison of RADIAN with QGIS, which is the most closely comparable tool available at the time of writing. Finally, we provide some conclusions on the impact and potential of RADIAN with some interesting avenues for future work and development. RADIAN is available as open-source software. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the functions of metal ions in biological systems is crucial for many aspects of research, including deciphering their roles in diseases and potential therapeutic use. Structural information about the molecular or atomic details of these interactions, generated by methods like X-ray crystallography, cryo-electron microscopy, or nucleic magnetic resonance, frequently provides details that no other method can. As with any experimental method, they have inherent limitations that sometimes lead to an erroneous interpretation. This manuscript highlights different aspects of structural data available for metal-protein complexes. We examine the quality of modeling metal ion binding sites across different structure determination methods, where different kinds of errors stem from, and how they can impact correct interpretations and conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enhancing the reliability of literature reviews and evidence synthesis is crucial for advancing the transformation of agriculture and food (agri-food) systems as well as for informed decisions and policy making. In this perspective, we argue that evidence syntheses in the field of agri-food systems research often suffer from a suite of methodological limitations that substantially increase the risk of bias, i.e., publication and selection bias, resulting in unreliable and potentially flawed conclusions and, consequently, poor decisions (e.g., policy direction, investment, research foci). We assessed 926 articles from the Collaboration for Environmental Evidence Database of Evidence Reviews (CEEDER) and recent examples from agri-food systems research to support our reasoning. The analysis of articles from CEEDER (n = 926) specifically indicates poor quality (Red) in measures to minimize subjectivity during critical appraisal (98% of all reviews), application of the eligibility criteria (97%), cross-checking of extracted data by more than one reviewer (97%), critical appraisal of studies (88%), establishment of an a priori method/protocol (86%), and transparent reporting of eligibility decisions (65%). Additionally, deficiencies (Amber) were found in most articles (>50%) regarding the investigation and discussion of variability in study findings (89%), comprehensiveness of the search (78%), definition of eligibility criteria (72%), search approach (64%), reporting of extracted data for each study (59%), consideration and discussion of the limitations of the synthesis (56%), documentation of data extraction (54%) and regarding the statistical approach (52%). To enhance the quality of evidence synthesis in agri-food science, review authors should use tried-and-tested methodologies and publish peer-reviewed a priori protocols. Training in evidence synthesis methods should be scaled, with universities playing a crucial role. It is the shared duty of research authors, training providers, supervisors, reviewers, and editors to ensure that rigorous and robust evidence syntheses are made available to decision-makers. We argue that all these actors should be cognizant of these common mistakes to avoid publishing unreliable syntheses. Only by thinking as a community can we ensure that reliable evidence is provided to support appropriate decisionmaking in agri-food systems science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights Doppler ultrasound may be used to assess leg blood flow (Q̇leg${{\dot{Q}}_{{\mathrm{leg}}}}$), but the reliability of this method remains unexplored in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), where between‐subject variability may be larger than healthy due to peripheral vascular changes. This study aimed to investigate the reliability of Doppler ultrasound in quantifying Q̇leg${{\dot{Q}}_{{\mathrm{leg}}}}$ during single‐leg knee‐extensor exercise (KEE) in COPD patients compared with those obtained from healthy matched controls. In this case–control study, 16 participants with COPD were matched based on sex and age with 16 healthy controls. All participants underwent measurement of Q̇leg${{\dot{Q}}_{{\mathrm{leg}}}}$ using Doppler ultrasound in a KEE set‐up at various intensities on two separate visits. Confounding factors on Q̇leg${{\dot{Q}}_{{\mathrm{leg}}}}$ were controlled for, and the ultrasound scans were consistently performed by the same sonographer. During exercise, smallest real difference (SRD) ranged from 367 mL to 583 mL in COPD and 438 mL to 667 mL in the control group. The coefficient of variation (CV) ranged from 7.9% to 14.3% in COPD and 9.4% to 10.4% in the control group. The intraclass correlation coefficient ranged from 0.75 to 0.92 in COPD and 0.67 to 0.84 in the control group. CV was lower in the control group during exercise at 0 W, but apart from that, reliability was not different between groups during exercise. Doppler ultrasound showed nearly equal reliability when evaluating Q̇leg${{\dot{Q}}_{{\mathrm{leg}}}}$ in COPD patients and healthy individuals with a CV below 15% during exercise for both groups. What is the central question of this study? What is the between‐day reliability of Doppler ultrasound when quantifying leg blood flow during single‐leg knee‐extensor exercise in COPD patients compared to healthy matched controls? What is the main finding and its importance? This study demonstrates a coefficient of variation ranging from 7.9 to 14.3% during single‐leg knee‐extensor exercise for between‐day reliability when applying Doppler ultrasound to assess leg blood flow in patients with COPD. Furthermore, it offers insights into the peripheral circulatory constraints in COPD, as evidenced by diminished leg blood flow. This study is the first of its kind to evaluate the reliability of Doppler ultrasound in the assessment of the peripheral circulation during exercise in COPD. What is the central question of this study?What is the between‐day reliability of Doppler ultrasound when quantifying leg blood flow during single‐leg knee‐extensor exercise in COPD patients compared to healthy matched controls?What is the main finding and its importance?This study demonstrates a coefficient of variation ranging from 7.9 to 14.3% during single‐leg knee‐extensor exercise for between‐day reliability when applying Doppler ultrasound to assess leg blood flow in patients with COPD. Furthermore, it offers insights into the peripheral circulatory constraints in COPD, as evidenced by diminished leg blood flow. This study is the first of its kind to evaluate the reliability of Doppler ultrasound in the assessment of the peripheral circulation during exercise in COPD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While interest in using wearable sensors to measure infant leg movement is increasing, attention should be paid to the characteristics of the sensors. Specifically, offset error in the measurement of gravitational acceleration (g) is common among commercially available sensors. In this brief report, we demonstrate how we measured the offset and other errors in three different off-the-shelf wearable sensors available to professionals and how they affected a threshold-based movement detection algorithm for the quantification of infant leg movement. We describe how to calibrate and correct for these offsets and how conducting this improves the reproducibility of results across sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to analyze the criterion‐related validity and the reliability of the standing long jump test (SLJ) for evaluating the lower‐body explosive muscular strength in adults. A total of 410 adults participated in this study. Sociodemographic, anthropometric measurements, laboratory lower‐body muscular strength tests, and the field‐based SLJ were performed. In validity analysis, stepwise regression analysis showed that maximal horizontal power, sex, percentage of body fat, maximal horizontal force, and lean mass were significantly associated with the SLJ distance (R2 = 0.78; p < 0.001). Reliability analysis showed significant differences between test–retest in the SLJ test, with an overestimation of the second measurement compared to the first [12.14 ± 14.46 cm, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) = 0.94 (0.75–0.97), p < 0.001; Cohen's d = 0.31]. The coefficient of variation (CV) was 7.06% and the minimal detectable change (MDC90) was 29 cm. After a learning period, higher reliability values were found [0.45 ± 1.04 cm, ICC = 1.00 (0.99–1.00); p = 0.001; CV = 0.53 %; MDC90 = 1 cm]. The SLJ test may be a valid tool to assess lower‐body explosive muscular strength in the adult population. A learning period may be necessary to provide reliability on the SLJ test. Highlights: The standing long jump (SLJ) test is the most used field‐based test for assessing lower‐body explosive muscular strength. However, its criterion‐related validity and reliability have not been explored in the adult population.The SLJ is a valid test. Maximal horizontal power, sex, percentage of body fat, maximal horizontal force, and lean mass account for validity variance in SLJ distance.The SLJ test is a reliable tool, regardless of sex, age and physical activity levels. It may be beneficial to implement a familiarization period before evaluation to ensure reliability.The SLJ test is practical, time‐efficient, and low in cost and equipment requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Significance: Near‐infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) measurement is a widely used technique to measure muscle oxygenation. A knowledge of the reproducibility of NIRS measurements is essential for the correct interpretation of data. Aim: Our aim was to test the reproducibility and sex differences of NIRS measurements during brachial artery occlusion in healthy participants. Approach: An NIRS device was used to measure muscle oxygenation and microvascular function during a 5 min brachial occlusion. Muscle oxygen consumption (mVO2) and tissue saturation index (TSI%) were used. The occlusion test was performed three times on separate days for males (n = 13, 28 ± 8 years) and females (n = 13, 29 ± 7 years). Results: During the occlusion phase, the reproducibility of mVO2 was excellent (intraclass correlation; ICC = 0.90). During the reperfusion phase, the maximal change in TSI% revealed the best reproducibility (ICC = 0.77). There were no sex differences in reproducibility. Male participants had higher muscle oxygenation during occlusion (mVO2, 0.054 ± 0.010 vs. 0.038 ± 0.012 mLO2/min/100 g, p = 0.001, male and female, respectively). There were no sex differences during the reperfusion phase. Conclusion: The reproducibility of NIRS to measure muscle oxygenation and microvascular function during circulation occlusion and reperfusion is good to excellent. Muscle oxygen capacity measured during occlusion is higher in males compared to females, and there are no sex differences in microvascular function during the reperfusion phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To assess intra‐ (repeatability) and inter‐observer (reproducibility) variability of laser speckle flowgraphy (LSFG) for retinal blood flow (RBF) measurement in 20 eyes of wild type (C57BL/6J) mice and effect of intravitreal Aflibercept on RBF in optic nerve head (ONH) region of 10 eyes of Ins2 (Akita) diabetic mice. Methods: 'Mean blur rate (MBR)' was measured for all quadrants of tissue area (MT), vessel (MV) and total area (MA) of ONH region. Changes in MT were analysed at each timepoint. Repeatability was evaluated by measuring MBR variability without changing mouse head position, and reproducibility after resetting mouse head position by another operator. Coefficient of repeatability (CR) through Bland–Altman plot method coefficient of variation (COV) and Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was calculated. Intravitreal Aflibercept (1 μg) was administered to Akita eyes and intraocular pressure (IOP) was measured using a tonometer at baseline, day 7, 14, 21 and 28 post‐injection. Hurvich and Tsai's criterion was used. Results: Coefficient of repeatability values of repeatability and reproducibility for all quadrants were within limits of agreement. Reliability was excellent (ICC 0.98–0.99) and reproducibility was moderate to excellent (ICC 0.64–0.96). There was a non‐significant IOP increase in all Akita eyes at Day 28 (p > 0.05), and significant increase in MT in all quadrants at Day 21 and superior, inferior and temporal quadrants at Day 28 (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Laser speckle flowgraphy demonstrates excellent repeatability and moderate to excellent reproducibility in measuring RBF. Intravitreal Aflibercept injection results in a significant increase in MT up to 28 days post‐injection without significant increase in IOP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is widespread misuse of statistics in research, particularly in the life sciences, which is one of the contributing factors to reproducibility concerns in research. However, the formal quantitative training that life sciences research trainees receive is often quite limited. Our survey of statistics requirements in undergraduate life sciences programmes offered by the top research-intensive universities in Canada, the U15 Group of Canadian Research Universities, confirmed that training in statistics tends to be limited and more general in nature. To help raise awareness and address these limitations, this paper shares findings of this statistics requirements survey and describes the evidence-based framework for a second-year undergraduate course at the University of Toronto, which was introduced to integrate statistics instruction with the life sciences research process. We hope these insights will inform future quantitative course offerings, and ultimately, better prepare students to effectively engage with statistics in life sciences research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to assess the reliability of lower limb muscle function (knee extensor/flexor peak torque, rate of torque development (RTD), impulse, and countermovement jump (CMJ) performance) and sprint performance (acceleration capacity). Methods: CMJ performance was evaluated on a force plate. MVIC, RTD and impulse variables were investigated using a portable isometric dynamometer and sprint performance was assessed with dual-beam photocells in elite female athletes. Results: CMJ test variables maximal vertical jump height, peak and mean power, concentric work, and body center of mass displacement demonstrated good-to-excellent test–retest correlations between Test 1 and Test 2 (ICC ≥ 0.70, CWw-s = 3.4–11.0%). Peak MVIC torque for the knee extensors and flexors demonstrated excellent test–retest correlations (both ICC = 0.84) along with CVw-s values of 6.8 and 6.0%, respectively. Late-phase (0–100 ms, 0–200 ms) RTD for the knee flexors demonstrated excellent test–retest correlations (ICC = 0.89–0.91, CVw-s = 4.8–8.5%). Sprint times at 10- and 20-m demonstrated excellent test–retest reproducibility (ICC = 0.83 and ICC = 0.90, respectively) with CVw-s values of 1.9 and 1.5%. For 5-m sprint times, test–retest reproducibility was good (ICC = 0.71) with CVw-s of 2.8%. Sprint testing performed while dribbling a handball improved (p < 0.05) from test to retest at 5-, 10- and 20-m. Conclusion: In conclusion, the force plate, the mobile isometric dynamometer, and dual-beam photocells provide reproducible tools for field-based testing of countermovement jump performance, knee extensor and flexor strength and sprint performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: SpotChecks is a new contrast sensitivity (CS) test designed for self‐monitoring of vision. This study assessed the test–retest repeatability of take‐home SpotChecks, in‐office SpotChecks and near Pelli–Robson charts in healthy adults. Methods: One eye of 61 healthy adults with near visual acuity (VA) of 6/9 or better (age range 22–84, mean 49 [18] years) was tested during two office visits (mean 10 [8] days apart). Each visit included high‐contrast VA, then 12 randomly ordered CS tests (6 different SpotChecks and 6 different Pelli–Robson) under the same lighting (luminance 110 cd/m2), all at near in the same eye with habitual correction. The same eye was self‐tested with take‐home SpotChecks once a day on 6 days between the office visits. SpotChecks was scored by the logCS at the highest line with ≥2 errors. Pelli–Robson was scored by [0.05 × number of letters read correctly − 0.15]. Repeatability of logCS was defined as 1.96 2Sw, Sw representing within‐subject standard deviation. Comparison for repeatability was performed with Bootstrap hypothesis test. Results: SpotChecks and Pelli–Robson showed similar intra‐session or inter‐visit repeatability (p = 0.14–0.81). Inter‐day repeatability for take‐home SpotChecks was 0.18 logCS, the same as that from the first measurements of two office visits with SpotChecks or Pelli–Robson. Inter‐visit repeatability improved to 0.15 by using the average of two repeated measurements for SpotChecks (p = 0.02) or three repeated measurements for Pelli–Robson (p = 0.04). Age showed a small effect on logCS (−0.015/decade, p = 0.02) for both SpotChecks and Pelli–Robson. Mean logCS was 0.05 lower in those ≥50 years (SpotChecks 1.84 [0.10] and Pelli–Robson 1.77 [0.10]) compared with those <50 years of age (SpotChecks 1.89 [0.07] and Pelli–Robson 1.83 [0.07]). Conclusions: SpotChecks showed good repeatability with take‐home and in‐office testing in healthy adults, making it a promising tool for monitoring disease progression at home. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economics has become increasingly empirical and, alongside this shift, has come more demand for improved transparency and reproducibility in empirical economic research. In this article, we distribute a survey to almost 1500 economics faculty from the top 161 liberal arts colleges with an economics major (according to U.S. News & World Report) in the United States to determine the prevalence of teaching reproducible methods in undergraduate economics, summarize the most-common methods of instruction, and determine the intended student learning objectives. We find that of the economics faculty at liberal arts colleges who teach these reproducible methods, most do so in advanced upper-level (42%) and basic econometrics (31%) courses. Those faculty report teaching reproducibility using the following methods: transparent coding (85%), organizational skills (78%), and producing replication documentation (47%) through individual research projects (82%), homework assignments (55%), and/or workshops (33%). We conclude with some qualitative text analysis to shed light on the intended learning objectives and find that research skills (59%) and the importance of reproducibility (37%) are the most common reasons cited for teaching these methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Naturalistic body stimuli are necessary for understanding many aspects of human psychology, yet there are no centralized databases of body stimuli. Furthermore, there are a high number of independently developed stimulus sets lacking in standardization and reproducibility potential, and a general lack of organization, contributing to issues of both replicability and generalizability in body-related research. We conducted a comprehensive scoping review to index and explore existing naturalistic whole-body stimuli. Our research questions were as follows: (1) What sets of naturalistic human whole-body stimuli are present in the literature? And (2) On what factors (e.g., demographics, emotion expression) do these stimuli vary? To be included, stimulus sets had to (1) include human bodies as stimuli; (2) be photographs, videos, or other depictions of real human bodies (not computer generated, drawn, etc.); (3) include the whole body (defined as torso, arms, and legs); and (4) could include edited images, but still had to be recognizable as human bodies. We identified a relatively large number of existing stimulus sets (N = 79) which offered relative variability in terms of main manipulated factors and the degree of visual information included (i.e., inclusion of heads and/or faces). However, stimulus sets were demographically homogenous, skewed towards White, young adult, and female bodies. We identified significant issues in reporting and availability practices, posing a challenge to the generalizability, reliability, and reproducibility of body-related research. Accordingly, we urge researchers to adopt transparent and accessible practices and to take steps to diversify body stimuli. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: T1 mapping is a widely used quantitative MRI technique, but its tissue‐specific values remain inconsistent across protocols, sites, and vendors. The ISMRM Reproducible Research and Quantitative MR study groups jointly launched a challenge to assess the reproducibility of a well‐established inversion‐recovery T1 mapping technique, using acquisition details from a seminal T1 mapping paper on a standardized phantom and in human brains. Methods: The challenge used the acquisition protocol from Barral et al. (2010). Researchers collected T1 mapping data on the ISMRM/NIST phantom and/or in human brains. Data submission, pipeline development, and analysis were conducted using open‐source platforms. Intersubmission and intrasubmission comparisons were performed. Results: Eighteen submissions (39 phantom and 56 human datasets) on scanners by three MRI vendors were collected at 3 T (except one, at 0.35 T). The mean coefficient of variation was 6.1% for intersubmission phantom measurements, and 2.9% for intrasubmission measurements. For humans, the intersubmission/intrasubmission coefficient of variation was 5.9/3.2% in the genu and 16/6.9% in the cortex. An interactive dashboard for data visualization was also developed: https://rrsg2020.dashboards.neurolibre.org. Conclusion: The T1 intersubmission variability was twice as high as the intrasubmission variability in both phantoms and human brains, indicating that the acquisition details in the original paper were insufficient to reproduce a quantitative MRI protocol. This study reports the inherent uncertainty in T1 measures across independent research groups, bringing us one step closer to a practical clinical baseline of T1 variations in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beyond addressing technological demands, the integration of machine learning (ML) into human societies has also promoted sustainability through the adoption of digitalized protocols. Despite these advantages and the abundance of available toolkits, a substantial implementation gap is preventing the widespread incorporation of ML protocols into the computational and experimental chemistry communities. In this work, we introduce ROBERT, a software carefully crafted to make ML more accessible to chemists of all programming skill levels, while achieving results comparable to those of field experts. We conducted benchmarking using six recent ML studies in chemistry containing from 18 to 4149 entries. Furthermore, we demonstrated the program's ability to initiate workflows directly from SMILES strings, which simplifies the generation of ML predictors for common chemistry problems. To assess ROBERT's practicality in real‐life scenarios, we employed it to discover new luminescent Pd complexes with a modest dataset of 23 points, a frequently encountered scenario in experimental studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: MR elastography (MRE) may provide quantitative imaging biomarkers of lumbar back muscles (LBMs), complementing MRI in spinal diseases by assessing muscle mechanical properties. However, reproducibility analyses for MRE of LBM are lacking. Purpose: To assess technical failure, within‐day and inter‐day reproducibility, robustness with the excitation source positioning, and inter‐observer agreement of MRE of muscles. Study Type: Prospective. Subjects: Seventeen healthy subjects (mean age 28 ± 4 years; 11 females). Field Strength/Sequence: 1.5 T, gradient‐echo MRE, T1‐weighted turbo spin echo. Assessment: The pneumatic driver was centered at L3 level. Four MRE were performed during two visits, 2–4 weeks apart, each consisting of two MRE with less than 10 minutes inter‐scan interval. At Visit 1, after the first MRE, the coil and driver were removed, then reinstalled. The MRE was repeated. At Visit 2, following the first MRE, only the driver was moved down 5 cm. The MRE was repeated. Two radiologists segmented the multifidus and erector spinae muscles. Statistical Tests: Paired t‐test, analysis of variance, intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). P‐values <0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: Mean stiffness of LBM ranged from 1.44 to 1.60 kPa. Mean technical failure rate was 2.5%. Inter‐observer agreement was excellent (ICC ranging from 0.82 [0.64–0.96] to 0.99 [0.98–0.99] in the multifidus, and from 0.85 [0.69–0.92] to 0.99 [0.97–0.99] in the erector spinae muscles). Within‐day reproducibility was fair in the multifidus (ICC: 0.53 [0.47–0.77]) and good in the erector spinae muscles (ICC: 0.74 [0.48–0.88]). Reproducibility after moving the driver was excellent in both multifidus (ICC: 0.85 [0.69–0.93]) and erector spinae muscles (ICC: 0.84 [0.67–0.92]). Inter‐day reproducibility was excellent in the multifidus (ICC: 0.76 [0.48–0.89]) and poor in the erector spinae muscles (ICC: 0.23 [−0.61 to 0.63]). Data Conclusion: MRE of LBM provides measurements of stiffness with fair to excellent reproducibility and excellent inter‐observer agreement. However, inter‐day reproducibility in the multifidus muscles indicated that the herein used MRE protocol may not be optimal for this muscle. Evidence Level: 2 Technical Efficacy: Stage 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Maximum diameter measurements are used to assess the rupture risk of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs); however, these are not precise enough to predict all ruptures. Four‐dimensional (4D) flow MRI‐derived parameters provide additional information by visualizing hemodynamics in AAAs but merit further investigation before they are clinically applicable. Purpose: To assess the reproducibility of 4D flow MRI‐derived hemodynamics, to investigate possible correlations with lumen and maximum diameter, and to explore potential relationships with vorticity and aneurysm growth. Study Type: Prospective single‐arm study. Population: A total of 22 (71.5 ± 6.1 years, 20 male) asymptomatic AAA patients with a maximum diameter of at least 30 mm. Field Strength/Sequence: A 3.0 T/Free‐breathing 4D flow MRI phase‐contrast acquisition with retrospective ECG‐gating. Assessment: Patients underwent two consecutive 4D flow MRI scans 1‐week apart. Aortic volumes were segmented from time‐averaged phase contrast magnetic resonance angiographies. Reproducibility was assessed by voxelwise analysis after registration. Mean flow velocity, mean wall shear stress (WSS), mean lumen diameter, and qualitative vorticity scores were assessed. In addition, Dixon MRI and retrospective surveillance data were used to study maximum diameter (including thrombus), intraluminal thrombus volume (ILT), and growth rate. Statistical Tests: For reproducibility assessment, Bland–Altman analyses, Pearson correlation, Spearman's correlation, and orthogonal regression were conducted. Potential correlations between hemodynamics and vorticity scores were assessed using linear regression. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Test–retest median Pearson correlation coefficients for flow velocity and WSS were 0.85 (IQR = 0.08) m/sec and 0.82 (IQR = 0.10) Pa, respectively. Mean WSS significantly correlated with mean flow velocity (R = 0.75) and inversely correlated with mean lumen diameter (R = −0.73). No significant associations were found between 4D flow MRI‐derived hemodynamic parameters and maximum diameter (flow velocity: P = 0.98, WSS: P = 0.22). Data Conclusion: A 4D flow MRI is robust for assessing the hemodynamics within AAAs. No correlations were found between hemodynamic parameters and maximum diameter, ILT volume and growth rate. Level of Evidence: 2 Technical Efficacy: Stage 2 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research transparency and reproducibility can improve the credibility of scientific evidence on development effectiveness and the utility of this evidence for decision-making. As a funder and producer of research on development effectiveness, the International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie) has several policies and programmes that aim to improve research transparency and reproducibility. This manuscript provides a descriptive overview of the history-to-date of research transparency and reproducibility policies and programmes at 3ie. In 2012, 3ie launched its Replication Programme to incentivise replication of impact evaluations in international development. In 2014, 3ie created the Registry for International Development Impact Evaluations to provide infrastructure for the prospective registration of impact evaluations of development interventions. In 2018, 3ie published its first Research Transparency Policy articulating requirements on the use of open science practices in research activities. In 2022, 3ie created the Transparent, Reproducible, and Ethical Evidence (TREE) Review Framework, which integrates best practices for research transparency and reproducibility into evaluation workflows. This manuscript provides stakeholders in development effectiveness specifically – as well as research grant managers and other organisations in the scientific ecosystem more generally – a descriptive example of institutional efforts to continuously improve research transparency and reproducibility policies and programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate the reliability and the level of agreement of the ADR encoder to measure the mean propulsive velocity (MPV) of the bar in the bench press (BP) exercise on the Smith machine. Eleven males (21.6 ± 1.5 years; body mass 76.05 ± 9.73 kg) performed the protocol with isometric phase prior to concentric muscle action (PP) and the protocol in the absence of isometric phase (N-PP) for BP exercise on Smith machine. ADR encoder reported reliability values with almost perfect correlations in all training zones and protocols (PP: ICC = 0.940–0.999, r = 0.899–0.997, CV = 1.56%–4.05%, SEM = 0.0022–0.0153,and MDC = 0.006–0.031 m/s; N-PP: ICC = 0.963–0.999, r = 0.946–0.998, CV = 0.70%–3.01%, SEM = 0.0012–0.0099, and MDC = 0.003–0.027 m/s). Although the levels of agreement were high in both protocols (PP: SEM = 0.0024–0.0204 m/s, MDC = 0.007–0.057 m/s; N-PP: SEM = 0.0034–0.0288 m/s, MDC = 0.009–0.080 m/s), ADR encoder considerably underestimated the MPV values in both protocols (PP: t = −2.239 to −9.486, p < 0.001–0.01; N-PP: t = −6.901 to −17.871, p < 0.001) with respect to the gold standard (T-Force). In conclusion, ADR encoder offers high reliability for the measurement of MPV in bench press exercise performed on Smith machine regardless of their execution mode, in the entire range of intensities. However, this device is not interchangeable with T-Force since it considerably underestimates the MPV values, especially at low loads (0%–40%). Furthermore, the use of too wide load ranges suggests that the data be interpreted with caution, pending further research to corroborate the findings presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: There is increasing recognition of the importance of transparency and reproducibility in scientific research. This study aimed to quantify the extent to which programming code is publicly shared in pharmacoepidemiology, and to develop a set of recommendations on this topic. Methods: We conducted a literature review identifying all studies published in Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety (PDS) between 2017 and 2022. Data were extracted on the frequency and types of programming code shared, and other key open science practices (clinical codelist sharing, data sharing, study preregistration, and stated use of reporting guidelines and preprinting). We developed six recommendations for investigators who choose to share code and gathered feedback from members of the International Society for Pharmacoepidemiology (ISPE). Results: Programming code sharing by articles published in PDS ranged from 1.8% in 2017 to 9.5% in 2022. It was more prevalent among articles with a methodological focus, simulation studies, and papers which also shared record‐level data. Conclusion: Programming code sharing is rare but increasing in pharmacoepidemiology studies published in PDS. We recommend improved reporting of whether code is shared and how available code can be accessed. When sharing programming code, we recommend the use of permanent digital identifiers, appropriate licenses, and, where possible, adherence to good software practices around the provision of metadata and documentation, computational reproducibility, and data privacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Simulation studies are essential tools to assess statistical methods. Functioning as controlled experiments, simulations generate data from known underlying processes. However, unclear or incomplete reporting of simulation studies can impact their interpretability and reproducibility, potentially leading to the misuse of statistical methods. While Morris et al. (2019, Stat Med, 38, p. 2074) recently provided guidance on the planning and conduct of simulation studies for statistical method evaluation, there is currently no comprehensive set of reporting guidelines in ecology and evolutionary biology. Here, we propose 11 reporting items for statistical simulation studies extending on Morris and colleagues' guidance. These items span across three stages: planning, coding and analysis. We also clarify the terminology related to statistical components and the broad purposes of statistical simulation studies. To highlight our proposed reporting items with current practices, we surveyed 100 articles in ecology and evolution journals that included a simulation study evaluating a statistical method. Our survey found room for improvement in more transparent reporting to ensure clear evaluation of statistical methods. Most notably, only a small proportion of articles reported a Monte Carlo uncertainty (17%; 17 out of 98), and 32% (32 out of 100) articles did not provide code. Beyond the proposed reporting items, we discuss the benefits of open science tools to enhance the reproducibility of simulation studies. Specifically, we propose the registration of statistical simulation studies to enhance planning, reporting and collaboration. We aim to instigate discussions to improve the reporting of simulation studies for statistical method research. The reporting items we propose, along with open science tools, serve as a template for developing standards and guidelines for simulation studies evaluating statistical methods. These reporting guidelines will help enhance reproducibility and indirectly encourage more consideration in the design and conduct of these simulation studies.

Abstract Chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) imaging may provide novel contrast for the diagnosis, prognosis, and monitoring of the progression or treatment of neurological applications. However, the reproducibility of prominent CEST contrasts like amide CEST and nuclear Overhauser enhancement (NOE) CEST must be characterized in healthy brain gray matter (GM) and white matter (GM) prior to clinical implementation. The objective of this study was to characterize the reproducibility of four different CEST contrasts in the healthy human brain. Using a 3T MRI scanner, two 3D CEST scans were acquired in 12 healthy subjects (7 females, mean age (± SD) 26 ± 4 years) approximately 10 days apart. Scan-rescan reproducibility was measured for four contrasts: amine/amide concentration-independent detection (AACID), Amide*, and inverse magnetization transfer ratio (MTRRex) contrast for amide and NOE. Reproducibility was evaluated between- and within-subjects using coefficients of variation (CV) and the percent difference between measurements. AACID and NOE-MTRRex contrasts demonstrated the lowest within-subject CVs (0.8–1.2% and 1.6-2.0%, respectively), between-subject CVs (1.2–2.1% and 3.4–4.2%, respectively), and percent difference (1.2–1.4% and 2.2–2.8%, respectively) for both GM and WM. AACID and NOE-MTRRex contrasts demonstrated the highest reproducibility and represented stable measurements suitable for characterizing changes in brain tissue caused by pathological processes.

Abstract Background Spinal cord injury presents a significant burden globally, with traumatic spinal cord injury being the predominant cause historically. However, nontraumatic spinal cord injury (NTSCI) is emerging as a significant contributor, particularly in developed nations, yet it remains poorly understood due to underreporting and misclassification. NTSCI, spanning various etiologies such as bony growths, vascular conditions, infections, neoplastic conditions, and immune disorders, poses unique challenges in diagnosis and treatment, often resulting in lifelong morbidity. This study addresses the lack of suitable animal models for NTSCI research, especially in neonatal animals. Methods Utilizing a solid spacer approach, we developed a compression NTSCI model applicable to both neonatal and adult Sprague–Dawley rats. Results Through anatomical measurements and in vivo experiments, we confirmed the feasibility and safety of the spacer insertion procedure and observed no acute off‐target effects. Conclusion The versatility of this model lies in its adaptability to different ages of rats, offering a cost‐effective and reproducible means to induce graded injuries. Moreover, behavioral assessments demonstrated observable hindlimb function, validating the model's utility for studying functional outcomes. Although challenges persist, particularly in accounting for spinal column growth in neonatal animals, this model fills a crucial gap in pediatric NTSCI research. By providing a platform to investigate pathophysiological mechanisms and test potential treatments, it offers promising avenues for advancing our understanding and management of pediatric NTSCI.

Abstract A concern in the field of autism electroencephalography (EEG) biomarker discovery is their lack of reproducibility. In the present study, we considered the problem of learning reproducible associations between multiple features of resting state (RS) neural activity and autism, using EEG data collected during a RS paradigm from 36 to 96 month-old children diagnosed with autism (N = 224) and neurotypical children (N = 69). Specifically, EEG spectral power and functional connectivity features were used as inputs to a regularized generalized linear model trained to predict diagnostic group (autism versus neurotypical). To evaluate our model, we proposed a procedure that quantified both the predictive generalization and reproducibility of learned associations produced by the model. When prioritizing both model predictive performance and reproducibility of associations, a highly reproducible profile of associations emerged. This profile revealed a distinct pattern of increased gamma power and connectivity in occipital and posterior midline regions associated with an autism diagnosis. Conversely, model selection based on predictive performance alone resulted in non-robust associations. Finally, we built a custom machine learning model that further empirically improved robustness of learned associations. Our results highlight the need for model selection criteria that maximize the scientific utility provided by reproducibility instead of predictive performance.

Abstract Purpose Steatotic liver disease (SLD) has become the most common cause of chronic liver disease. Nevertheless, the non-invasive quantitative diagnosis of steatosis is still lacking in clinical practice. This study aimed to evaluate the reproducibility of the new parameter for steatosis quantification named ultrasound-derived fat fraction (UDFF). Materials and methods The UDFF values were independently executed by two operators in two periods. In the process, repeated measurements of the same patient were performed by the same operator under different conditions (liver segments, respiration, positions, and dietary). Finally, the results of some subjects (28) were compared with the MRI-derived proton density fat fraction (PDFF). The concordance analysis was mainly achieved by the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Bland–Altman. Results One hundred-five participants were included in the study. UDFF had good reliability in measuring the adult liver (ICCintra-observer = 0.96, ICCinter-observer = 0.94). Meanwhile, the ICC of the two operators increased over time. The variable measurement states did not influence the UDFF values on the surface, but they affected the coefficient of variation (Cov) of the results. Segment 8 (S8), end-expiratory, supine, and fasting images had the most minor variability. On the other hand, the UDFF value of S8 displayed satisfied consistency with PDFF (mean difference, −0.24 ± 1.44), and the results of both S5 (mean difference: −0.56 ± 3.95) and S8 (mean difference: 0.73 ± 1.87) agreed well with the whole-liver PDFF. Conclusion UDFF measurements had good reproducibility. Furthermore, the state of S8, end-expiration, supine, and fasting might be the more stable measurement approach. Critical relevance statement UDFF is the quantitative ultrasound parameter of hepatic steatosis and has good reproducibility. It can show more robust performance under specific measurement conditions (S8, end-expiratory, supine, and fasting). Trial registration The research protocol was registered at the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry on October 9, 2023 ( http://www.chictr.org.cn/ ). The registration number is ChiCTR 2300076457. Key Points There is a lack of non-invasive quantitative measurement options for hepatic steatosis. UDFF demonstrated excellent reproducibility in measuring hepatic steatosis. S8, end-expiratory, supine, and fasting may be the more stable measuring condition. Training could improve the operators’ measurement stability. Variable measurement state affects the repeatability of the UDFF values (Cov). Graphical Abstract

Abstract Objective was to assess the precision and reproducibility of spatial penalty-based intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) methods in comparison to the conventional bi-exponential (BE) model-based IVIM methods. IVIM-MRI (11 b-values; 0–800 s/mm2) of forty patients (N = 40; Age = 17.7 ± 5.9 years; Male:Female = 30:10) with biopsy-proven osteosarcoma were acquired on a 1.5 Tesla scanner at 3 time-points: (i) baseline, (ii) after 1-cycle and (iii) after 3-cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Diffusion coefficient (D), Perfusion coefficient (D*) and Perfusion fraction (f) were estimated at three time-points in whole tumor and healthy muscle tissue using five methodologies (1) BE with three-parameter-fitting (BE), (2) Segmented-BE with two-parameter-fitting (BESeg-2), (3) Segmented-BE with one-parameter-fitting (BESeg-1), (4) BE with adaptive Total-Variation-penalty (BE + TV) and (5) BE with adaptive Huber-penalty (BE + HPF). Within-subject coefficient-of-variation (wCV) and between-subject coefficient-of-variation (bCV) of IVIM parameters were measured in healthy and tumor tissue. For precision and reproducibility, intra-scan comparison of wCV and bCV among five IVIM methods were performed using Friedman test followed by Wilcoxon-signed-ranks (WSR) post-hoc test. Experimental results demonstrated that BE + TV and BE + HPF showed significantly (p

Economics has become increasingly empirical and, alongside this shift, has come more demand for improved transparency and reproducibility in empirical economic research. In this article, we distribute a survey to almost 1500 economics faculty from the top 161 liberal arts colleges with an economics major (according to U.S. News & World Report) in the United States to determine the prevalence of teaching reproducible methods in undergraduate economics, summarize the most-common methods of instruction, and determine the intended student learning objectives. We find that of the economics faculty at liberal arts colleges who teach these reproducible methods, most do so in advanced upper-level (42%) and basic econometrics (31%) courses. Those faculty report teaching reproducibility using the following methods: transparent coding (85%), organizational skills (78%), and producing replication documentation (47%) through individual research projects (82%), homework assignments (55%), and/or workshops (33%). We conclude with some qualitative text analysis to shed light on the intended learning objectives and find that research skills (59%) and the importance of reproducibility (37%) are the most common reasons cited for teaching these methods.

Context: Lower extremity physical performance tests (PPTs) have been widely used in sports rehabilitation and are commonly performed in person. However, some situations may disrupt the in-person health care delivery, such as social distancing due to the pandemic, traveling, and living in remote locations. Those situations may require adjustments in planning and applying measurement tests, and telehealth has become an alternative. Nevertheless, the reliability of lower extremity PPT tests via telehealth is still unknown. Objectives: To verify the test–retest reliability, SEM, and the minimum detectable change (MDC95) of PPTs via telehealth. Methods: Fifty asymptomatic athletes completed 2 assessment sessions 7 to 14 days apart. The assessment via telehealth consisted of warm-up exercises followed by the single-, triple-, and side-hop tests, and the long jump test, in random order. Intraclass correlation coefficient, SEM, and MDC95 were calculated for each PPT. Results: Single-hop test showed good to excellent reliability, with SEM and MDC95 ranging from 6.06 to 9.24 cm and 16.79 to 25.61 cm, respectively. The triple-hop test showed excellent reliability, with SEM and MDC95 ranging from 13.17 to 28.17 cm and 30.72 to 78.07 cm, respectively. Side-hop tests showed moderate reliability, with SEM and MDC95 ranging from 0.67 to 1.22 seconds and 2.00 to 3.39 seconds, respectively. The long jump test showed excellent reliability, with SEM and MDC95 ranging from 5.34 to 8.34 cm and 14.80 to 23.11 cm, respectively. Conclusion: The test–retest reliability of those PPTs via telehealth was acceptable. The SEM and MDC were provided to assist clinicians in interpreting those PPTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The broader scientific community is struggling with a reproducibility crisis brought on by numerous factors, including “p-hacking” or selective reporting that may increase the rate of false positives or generate misleading effect size estimates from meta-analyses. This results when multiple modeling approaches or statistical tests may be brought to bear on the same problem, and there are pressures or rewards for finding “significant” results. Fisheries science is unlikely to be immune to this problem, with numerous opportunities for bias to inadvertently enter into the process through the prioritization of stocks for assessment, decisions about competing model approaches or data treatments within complex assessment models, and decisions about whether to adopt assessments for management after they are reviewed. I present a simple simulation model of a system where many assessments are performed each management cycle for a multi-stock fishery, and show how asymmetric selection of assessments for extra scrutiny or re-assessment within a cycle can turn a process generating unbiased advice on fishing limits into one that is biased high. I show similar results when sequential assessments receive extra scrutiny if they show large proportional decreases in catch limits compared to a prior assessment for the same stock, especially if there are only small changes in true stock size or status over the interval between assessments. The level of bias introduced by a plausible level of asymmetric scrutiny is unlikely to fundamentally undermine scientific advice, but may be sufficient to compromise the nominal “overfishing probabilities” used in a common framework for accommodating uncertainty, and introduce a level of bias comparable to the difference between buffers corresponding to commonly-applied levels of risk tolerance.

One way labs can establish a culture of ethical and reproducible scientific practices is to create a lab manual. For those who are seeking ways to encourage and codify scientific consistency and rigor in their labs, lab manuals can provide models and guidelines for transparent, open, and reproducible practices.

In "Toward Equity in Research on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities," we sought to make entrenched assumptions and practices of intellectual and developmental disabilities research visible by explicitly describing the status quo in terms of models of disability, participant and researcher identities, research priorities, and biases in measurement and treatment approaches. We then curated individual- and systems-level actions drawn from disability justice and broader social justice lenses to offer a way forward. We focused on three major areas (i.e., intersectionality and person-centered approaches, participatory research, and interprofessional collaboration), depicting influences, methods, and actions in a framework of disability, identity, and culture. In this Author Response, we address five commentaries that critique and extend that synthesis.

The ash content of rubber was determined by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and the effects of sample amount, sample representativeness, heating rate, combustion temperature and combustion atmosphere on the test results were studied and the repeatability and reproducibility of the method were determined. The results showed that the optimal conditions of TGA were sample mass between 10 mg and 20 mg, heating rate of 20 ℃/min or 30 ℃/min, combustion temperature for raw rubber and compounded rubber (or vulcanized rubber) of 550 ℃ and 650 ℃, respectively. The repeatability and reproducibility of TGA were all good. When ash mass fraction of 4 types of different rubbers were from 0.29% to 5.12%, the repeatability within laboratory was from 0.110% to 0.303%, and the reproducibility between laboratories was from 0.283% to 0.676%.

Psychological science has thrived thanks to new methods and innovative practices. Journals, including Behavior Research Methods (BRM), continue to support the dissemination and evaluation of research assets including data, software/hardware, statistical code, and databases of stimuli. However, such research assets rarely allow for computational reproducibility, meaning they are difficult to reuse. Therefore, in this preregistered report, we explore how BRM's authors and BRM structures shape the landscape of functional research assets. Our broad research questions concern: (1) How quickly methods and analytical techniques reported in BRM can be used and developed further by other scientists; (2) Whether functionality has improved following changes to BRM journal policy in support of computational reproducibility; (3) Whether we can disentangle such policy changes from changes in reproducibility over time. We randomly sampled equal numbers of papers (N = 204) published in BRM before and after the implementation of policy changes. Pairs of researchers recorded how long it took to ensure assets (data, software/hardware, statistical code, and materials) were fully operational. They also coded the completeness and reusability of the assets. While improvements were observed in all measures, only changes to completeness were altered significantly following the policy changes (d =.37). The effects varied between different types of research assets, with data sets from surveys/experiments showing the largest improvements in completeness and reusability. Perhaps more importantly, changes to policy do appear to have improved the life span of research products by reducing natural decline. We conclude with a discussion of how, in the future, research and policy might better support computational reproducibility within and beyond psychological science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Passive smartphone measures hold significant potential and are increasingly employed in psychological and biomedical research to capture an individual's behavior. These measures involve the near-continuous and unobtrusive collection of data from smartphones without requiring active input from participants. For example, GPS sensors are used to determine the (social) context of a person, and accelerometers to measure movement. However, utilizing passive smartphone measures presents methodological challenges during data collection and analysis. Researchers must make multiple decisions when working with such measures, which can result in different conclusions. Unfortunately, the transparency of these decision-making processes is often lacking. The implementation of open science practices is only beginning to emerge in digital phenotyping studies and varies widely across studies. Well-intentioned researchers may fail to report on some decisions due to the variety of choices that must be made. To address this issue and enhance reproducibility in digital phenotyping studies, we propose the adoption of preregistration as a way forward. Although there have been some attempts to preregister digital phenotyping studies, a template for registering such studies is currently missing. This could be problematic due to the high level of complexity that requires a well-structured template. Therefore, our objective was to develop a preregistration template that is easy to use and understandable for researchers. Additionally, we explain this template and provide resources to assist researchers in making informed decisions regarding data collection, cleaning, and analysis. Overall, we aim to make researchers' choices explicit, enhance transparency, and elevate the standards for studies utilizing passive smartphone measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Different MR elastography (MRE) systems may produce different stiffness measurements, making direct comparison difficult in multi‐center investigations. Purpose: To assess the repeatability and reproducibility of liver stiffness measured by three typical MRE systems. Study Type: Prospective. Population/Phantoms: Thirty volunteers without liver disease history (20 males, aged 21–28)/5 gel phantoms. Field Strength/Sequence: 3.0 T United Imaging Healthcare (UIH), 1.5 T Siemens Healthcare, 3.0 T General Electric Healthcare (GE)/Echo planar imaging‐based MRE sequence. Assessment: Wave images of volunteers and phantoms were acquired by three MRE systems. Tissue stiffness was evaluated by two observers, while phantom stiffness was assessed automatically by code. The reproducibility across three MRE systems was quantified based on the mean stiffness of each volunteer and phantom. Statistical Tests: Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), coefficients of variation (CV), and Bland–Altman analyses were used to assess the interobserver reproducibility, the interscan repeatability, and the intersystem reproducibility. Paired t‐tests were performed to assess the interobserver and interscan variation. Friedman tests with Dunn's multiple comparison correction were performed to assess the intersystem variation. P values less than 0.05 indicated significant difference. Results: The reproducibility of stiffness measured by the two observers demonstrated consistency with ICC > 0.92, CV < 4.32%, Mean bias < 2.23%, and P > 0.06. The repeatability of measurements obtained using the electromagnetic system for the liver revealed ICC > 0.96, CV < 3.86%, Mean bias < 0.19%, P > 0.90. When considering the range of reproducibility across the three systems for liver evaluations, results ranged with ICCs from 0.70 to 0.87, CVs from 6.46% to 10.99%, and Mean biases between 1.89% and 6.30%. Phantom studies showed similar results. The values of measured stiffness differed across all three systems significantly. Data Conclusion: Liver stiffness values measured from different MRE systems can be different, but the measurements across the three MRE systems produced consistent results with excellent reproducibility. Evidence Level: 1 Technical Efficacy: Stage 2 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to optimize the sampling of spin‐lock times (TSLs) in quantitative T1ρ mapping for improved reproducibility. Two new TSL sampling schemes were proposed: (i) reproducibility‐guided random sampling (RRS) and (ii) reproducibility‐guided optimal sampling (ROS). They were compared to the existing linear sampling (LS) and precision‐guided sampling (PS) schemes for T1ρ reproducibility through numerical simulations, phantom experiments, and volunteer studies. Each study evaluated the four sampling schemes with three commonly used T1ρ preparations based on composite and balanced spin‐locking. Additionally, the phantom and volunteer studies investigated the impact of B0 and B1 field inhomogeneities on T1ρ reproducibility, respectively. The reproducibility was assessed using the coefficient of variation (CoV) by repeating the T1ρ measurements eight times for phantom experiments and five times for volunteer studies. Numerical simulations resulted in lower mean CoVs for the proposed RRS (1.74%) and ROS (0.68%) compared to LS (2.93%) and PS (3.68%). In the phantom study, the mean CoVs were also lower for RRS (2.7%) and ROS (2.6%) compared to LS (4.1%) and PS (3.1%). Furthermore, the mean CoVs of the proposed RRS and ROS were statistically lower (P < 0.001) compared to existing LS and PS schemes at a B1 offset of 20%. In the volunteer study, consistently lower mean CoVs were observed in bilateral thigh muscles for RRS (9.3%) and ROS (9.2%) compared to LS (10.9%) and PS (10.2%), and the difference was more prominent at B0 offsets higher than 50 Hz. The proposed sampling schemes improve the reproducibility of quantitative T1ρ mapping by optimizing the selection of TSLs. This improvement is especially beneficial for longitudinal studies that track and monitor disease progression and treatment response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]