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Condorcet and Borda first introduced the consensus theory in the eighteenth century when they studied voting systems. Consensus problems have been investigated for a long time in many fields such as economics, sociology, computer science, bioinformatics, collective intelligence, and automation. They are fundamental to developing distributed systems. In recent years, with blockchain's great applications and potential, consensus problems have received significant attention from many researchers. The consensus method allows a blockchain network to function in a distributed system, especially IoT (Internet of Things). Voting consensus has been applied in distributed systems and blockchain, and consensus in distributed systems is also used in blockchain systems. This study reviews the consensus methods in voting, distributed systems, and blockchain.

Estimation of model accuracy plays a crucial role in protein structure prediction, aiming to evaluate the quality of predicted protein structure models accurately and objectively. This process is not only key to screening candidate models that are close to the real structure, but also provides guidance for further optimization of protein structures. With the significant advancements made by AlphaFold2 in monomer structure, the problem of single-domain protein structure prediction has been widely solved. Correspondingly, the importance of assessing the quality of single-domain protein models decreased, and the research focus has shifted to estimation of model accuracy of protein complexes. In this review, our goal is to provide a comprehensive overview of the reference and statistical metrics, as well as representative methods, and the current challenges within four distinct facets (Topology Global Score, Interface Total Score, Interface Residue-Wise Score, and Tertiary Residue-Wise Score) in the field of complex EMA.

Abstract Background Surgical handover is associated with a significant risk of care failures. Existing research displays methodological deficiencies and little consensus on the outcomes that should be used to evaluate interventions in this area. This paper reports a protocol to develop a core outcome set (COS) to support standardisation, comparability, and evidence synthesis in future studies of surgical handover between doctors. Methods This study adheres to the Core Outcome Measures in Effectiveness Trials (COMET) initiative guidance for COS development, including the COS-Standards for Development (COS-STAD) and Reporting (COS-STAR) recommendations. It has been registered prospectively on the COMET database and will be led by an international steering group that includes surgical healthcare professionals, researchers, and patient and public partners. An initial list of reported outcomes was generated through a systematic review of interventions to improve surgical handover (PROSPERO: CRD42022363198). Findings of a qualitative evidence synthesis of patient and public perspectives on handover will augment this list, followed by a real-time Delphi survey involving all stakeholder groups. Each Delphi participant will then be invited to take part in at least one online consensus meeting to finalise the COS. Ethics and dissemination This study was approved by the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) Research Ethics Committee (202309015, 7th November 2023). Results will be presented at surgical scientific meetings and submitted to a peer-reviewed journal. A plain English summary will be disseminated through national websites and social media. The authors aim to integrate the COS into the handover curriculum of the Irish national surgical training body and ensure it is shared internationally with other postgraduate surgical training programmes. Collaborators will be encouraged to share the findings with relevant national health service functions and national bodies. Discussion This study will represent the first published COS for interventions to improve surgical handover, the first use of a real-time Delphi survey in a surgical context, and will support the generation of better-quality evidence to inform best practice. Trial registration Core Outcome Measures in Effectiveness Trials (COMET) initiative 2675. http://www.comet-initiative.org/Studies/Details/2675 .

Background: Surgical handover is associated with a significant risk of care failures. Existing research displays methodological deficiencies and little consensus on the outcomes that should be used to evaluate interventions in this area. This paper reports a protocol to develop a core outcome set (COS) to support standardisation, comparability, and evidence synthesis in future studies of surgical handover between doctors. Methods: This study adheres to the Core Outcome Measures in Effectiveness Trials (COMET) initiative guidance for COS development, including the COS-Standards for Development (COS-STAD) and Reporting (COS-STAR) recommendations. It has been registered prospectively on the COMET database and will be led by an international steering group that includes surgical healthcare professionals, researchers, and patient and public partners. An initial list of reported outcomes was generated through a systematic review of interventions to improve surgical handover (PROSPERO: CRD42022363198). Findings of a qualitative evidence synthesis of patient and public perspectives on handover will augment this list, followed by a real-time Delphi survey involving all stakeholder groups. Each Delphi participant will then be invited to take part in at least one online consensus meeting to finalise the COS. Ethics and dissemination: This study was approved by the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) Research Ethics Committee (202309015, 7th November 2023). Results will be presented at surgical scientific meetings and submitted to a peer-reviewed journal. A plain English summary will be disseminated through national websites and social media. The authors aim to integrate the COS into the handover curriculum of the Irish national surgical training body and ensure it is shared internationally with other postgraduate surgical training programmes. Collaborators will be encouraged to share the findings with relevant national health service functions and national bodies. Discussion: This study will represent the first published COS for interventions to improve surgical handover, the first use of a real-time Delphi survey in a surgical context, and will support the generation of better-quality evidence to inform best practice. Trial registration: Core Outcome Measures in Effectiveness Trials (COMET) initiative 2675. http://www.comet-initiative.org/Studies/Details/2675. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Group decision-making involves selecting among limited options. Experts share their perspectives in a comparative debate but then evaluate alternatives using preference relations, which can result in inconsistencies between their expressions and assessments. To address this, a method is proposed that automates the generation of these relationships from the debate comments, classifying them into positive and negative using sentiment analysis, namely with the Large Language Model. A new operator is introduced that weights these comments to calculate preference relations. Furthermore, modification of the relationships is allowed if the experts so wish. Moreover, another operator is incorporated that adjusts the weight of each expert according to his or her active participation in the discussion, assigning more weight to those who contribute more comments. Finally, this innovative method promotes coherence and equal participation in group decision-making by employing an innovative sentiment analysis detection system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scientific relevance. Studies of the toxicological and pharmacokinetic properties of medicinal compounds are a crucial stage of preclinical research; unsatisfactory results may invalidate further drug development. Therefore, the development of in silico methods for a preliminary pre-experimental assessment of toxicological and pharmacokinetic properties is a relevant and crucial task.Aim. The study aimed to review current approaches to in silico prediction of the absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADMET) parameters of pharmacologically active compounds, in particular, the most important toxicological and pharmacokinetic parameters, and to present the results of the authors’ own research in this area.Discussion. According to the review of models for predicting the toxicological properties of chemical compounds (acute toxicity, carcinogenicity, mutagenicity, genotoxicity, endocrine toxicity, cytotoxicity, cardiotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, and immunotoxicity), the accuracy of predictions ranged from 74.0% to 98.0%. According to the review of models for predicting the pharmacokinetic properties of chemical compounds (gastrointestinal absorption; oral bioavailability; volume of distribution; total, renal, and hepatic clearance; and half-life), the coefficient of determination for the predictions ranged from 0.265 to 0.920. The literature review showed that the most widely used methods for in silico assessment of the ADMET parameters of pharmacologically active compounds included the random forest method and the support vector machines method. The authors compared the literature data with the results they obtained by modelling 12 toxicological and pharmacokinetic properties of chemical compounds using the consensus method in the IT Microcosm system and artificial neural networks. IT Microcosm outperformed the models described in the literature in terms of predicting 2 toxicological properties, including carcinogenicity and blood–brain barrier penetration (the prediction accuracy reached 93.4%). Neural network models were superior in predicting 4 toxicological properties, including acute toxicity, carcinogenicity, genotoxicity, and blood–brain barrier penetration (the prediction accuracy reached 93.8%). In addition, neural network models were better in predicting 3 pharmacokinetic properties, including gastrointestinal absorption, volume of distribution, and hepatic clearance (the coefficient of determination reached 0.825).Conclusions. The data obtained suggest that artificial neural networks are the most promising and practically significant direction for the development of in silico systems for predicting the ADMET characteristics of new medicinal products.

Abstract Background and objective Consensus methods are crucial in developing clinical guidelines. Different methods, such as the Delphi and nominal group techniques, are commonly used, but there is a lack of detailed instructions on how to implement them effectively. The survey aims to explore the opinions and attitudes of the chair, panel and working group on the critical elements of the consensus methods during guideline development. Methods We used a cross-sectional design to conduct this study and sent a structured questionnaire to stakeholders, including the chair, panel members, and working group participants, through the popular mobile phone application WeChat.We selected participants using a combination of purposive and snowball sampling. The questionnaire gathered information on demographics, experiences, opinions, and concerns regarding consensus methods and guideline development. Results The sample comprised 290 participants representing 31 provinces or municipalities. Among them, the most significant number of respondents (n = 107, 36.9%) were from Beijing. Most participants, specifically 211 (72.76%), held senior professional titles, while 186 (64.14%) adhered to ongoing guidelines. The Delphi method was the most commonly used consensus method (n = 132, 42.31%), but the respondents had only a preliminary understanding of it (n = 147, 47.12%). The consensus process also revealed the insufficiency of involving pharmacoeconomists, patients, and nurses. Conclusions Consensus methods have to be standardised and used consistently in the guideline development process. The findings of this study offer insights into diverse roles and more effective ways to apply the consensus process during guideline development.

In the process of developing clinical practice guidelines, consensus method is essential to determine clinical problems and recommendations, among which Delphi method and modified Delphi method are the most common. Therefore, scientific and standardized application of Delphi method to reach a consensus (such as expert selection, process design) has become an important topic in urgent need of study. In the process of using Delphi method, it is necessary to refer to mature methodological suggestions to make theconsensus process structured and transparent. This article focuses on the key elements of Delphi method in the development of clinical practice guidelines, and elaborates its basic methods and processes, including the number, composition, standards and selection methods of the 'expert group', as well as the key points of patients' participation. In terms of technical points, anonymity, consensus threshold and time control are described. Furthermore, the limitations of Delphi method and the highlights of the report are presented, in order to promote the standardized application of Delphi method in the development of the guidelines.

ObjectiveThis study delves into the pivotal factors influencing the consensus process within traditional Chinese medicine guideline development, with the objective of augmenting the quality of this process through methodological recommendations aimed at elevating standardization.MethodsSemi-structured qualitative interviews were used to interview guideline leaders, working groups and consensus groups to explore the pertinent elements impacting the credibility of consensus and gather insights into the constitution and progression of the consensus methodology.ResultsThe study encompassed interviews with 26 participants, yielding 212 codes that were subsequently categorized into five domains: establishment of the consensus group, integration of patient participation, adeptness of the meeting moderator, preparation for consensus formulation, and overarching factors influencing consensus. The research distilled three fundamental phases for forming a consensus group and delineated 17 fundamental tenets for applying the consensus methodology.ConclusionsIn forthcoming guideline development endeavors, it is advisable to bolster methodological training ahead of the consensus process while ensuring comprehensive engagement of methodologists. Encouraging experts to navigate differences judiciously and prioritizing meticulous methodology and evidentiary groundwork are recommended. The process should involve openly disclosing the selection of consensus group members, heightening the involvement of patients, and effective management and disclosure of conflicts of interest. This collective approach helps curtail bias, enhance transparency, bolster reliability, and fortify the scientific rigor of consensus outcomes.

Background and objective: Consensus methods are crucial in developing clinical guidelines. Different methods, such as the Delphi and nominal group techniques, are commonly used, but there is a lack of detailed instructions on how to implement them effectively. The survey aims to explore the opinions and attitudes of the chair, panel and working group on the critical elements of the consensus methods during guideline development. Methods: We used a cross-sectional design to conduct this study and sent a structured questionnaire to stakeholders, including the chair, panel members, and working group participants, through the popular mobile phone application WeChat.We selected participants using a combination of purposive and snowball sampling. The questionnaire gathered information on demographics, experiences, opinions, and concerns regarding consensus methods and guideline development. Results: The sample comprised 290 participants representing 31 provinces or municipalities. Among them, the most significant number of respondents (n = 107, 36.9%) were from Beijing. Most participants, specifically 211 (72.76%), held senior professional titles, while 186 (64.14%) adhered to ongoing guidelines. The Delphi method was the most commonly used consensus method (n = 132, 42.31%), but the respondents had only a preliminary understanding of it (n = 147, 47.12%). The consensus process also revealed the insufficiency of involving pharmacoeconomists, patients, and nurses. Conclusions: Consensus methods have to be standardised and used consistently in the guideline development process. The findings of this study offer insights into diverse roles and more effective ways to apply the consensus process during guideline development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a network of smart objects connected via the Internet, where each object is identified by a unique, accessible, and programmable address, while Blockchain is a technology for storing and transmitting information based on a decentralized system such that the centralized validation of transactions is replaced by a consensus mechanism. The integration of these two technologies requires consensus protocols to overcome the major challenges encountered in IoT systems, including issues related to security, storage capacity limits, computing power, etc. Therefore, different consensus algorithms have been implemented. For this purpose, this paper presents a research study on the criteria that would render a Blockchain consensus algorithm suitable for IoT networks, namely, computing power, latency, storage capacity, and security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates a fully distributed time-varying formation tracking problem for a group of fixed-wing aircraft. The fixed-wing aircraft formation control system consists of an outer-loop trajectory control subsystem and an inner-loop attitude control subsystem. For fixed-wing aircraft, it is crucial to consider the time delay of the engine response, the model uncertainties, the tracking capability of the attitude commands in the inner loop, and other agility performances of the aircraft. To address the problems related to the input time delay and model uncertainties, a predictive extended state observer-based fully distributed time-varying formation tracking control (PESO-TVFTC) protocol is proposed. To satisfy the constraints set by the attitude tracking quickness and the trajectory tracking smoothness, the low gain feedback technique is introduced in the protocol to keep the control inputs for the outer loop within the desired saturation constraints. Through theoretical analysis, it is proved that the multiple aircraft systems can achieve time-varying formation tracking consensus under specific initial conditions and feasibility conditions, and it is shown that the upper bounds of the PESO gains are restricted by the time delay. Numerical simulations are used to demonstrate the effectiveness of and the improvements in the proposed method.

Objective: To define criteria of the role of a clinical pharmacy technician that can be applied to the Primary Care Network environment in England. Method: Consensus building study using Delphi methodology conducted in three stages: Stage 1: topic generation from a literature review; Stage 2: Delphi process via Jisc Online Surveys; Stage 3: analysis and presentation of identified topics. Key findings: A consensus-defined list of 61 criteria appropriate for the role description of a clinical pharmacy technician across all healthcare sectors was derived. This was refined to 35 criteria considered most important to the role of a clinical pharmacy technician working in a Primary Care Network environment. A qualitative analysis of expert panel comments identified the importance of defining the level at which a pharmacy technician conducts each element of the role, suggesting they would be working at an 'advanced' level. Due to the advanced nature of this role, day-to-day supervision would be less than that of a pharmacy technician, and usually conducted by a pharmacist. This research supports existing international literature that a clinical pharmacy technician role releases capacity for other healthcare professionals to focus on more complex patient cases. Conclusion: This research has provided a defined list of criteria considered appropriate for the role description of a clinical pharmacy technician. The need to evidence levels of pharmacy technician practice against recognised competency frameworks alongside clear role descriptors was noted. This study adds to the limited international research about pharmacy technician roles and supports the International Pharmaceutical Federation Pharmaceutical workforce development goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The study aimed to identify the aspects and items of nurse turnover impact on organizations as perceived by nursing management. Background: Turnover rate does not capture the extent to which an organization is affected by turnover. Another indicator is required to assess the control status of turnover impact. Methods: A Delphi study was conducted in 2021, where 2670 managers of nursing at 712 hospitals were asked to complete the survey three times. Factor analysis was conducted on these items for which a consensus was reached. Results: Overall, 232 managers who responded multiple times, including the third survey, were included in the analysis. Consensus was reached for 36 items affected by turnover and considered important for nursing management. Using exploratory factor analysis, the following six factors were extracted: quality of nursing care, physical and mental health of nursing staff, workload and working conditions of nursing staff, relationships among nursing staff members, sense of responsibility among nursing staff, and cost and benefit of hiring replacement personnel. Conclusions: Six factors consisting of 36 items were extracted that can be used to assess the impact of nurse turnover. Implications for Nursing Management: Nurse managers can assess the status of the organization more appropriately by understanding the factors that impact nurse turnover in vaious facilitites and look at strategies to overcome the impact on nurse staffing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a network of smart objects connected via the Internet, where each object is identified by a unique, accessible, and programmable address, while Blockchain is a technology for storing and transmitting information based on a decentralized system such that the centralized validation of transactions is replaced by a consensus mechanism. The integration of these two technologies requires consensus protocols to overcome the major challenges encountered in IoT systems, including issues related to security, storage capacity limits, computing power, etc. Therefore, different consensus algorithms have been implemented. For this purpose, this paper presents a research study on the criteria that would render a Blockchain consensus algorithm suitable for IoT networks, namely, computing power, latency, storage capacity, and security.

Background: A core outcome set defines the minimum outcomes that should be included in clinical trials, audit or practice. The aim being to increase the quality and relevance of research by ensuring consistency in the measurement and reporting of outcomes. Core outcome sets have been developed for a variety of disease states and treatments. However, there is no established set of core outcomes for refractory childhood epilepsy treated with ketogenic diet therapy. This should be developed using a patient-centred approach to ensure the outcomes measured are relevant to patients and clinical practice.Methods: This is a mixed methods study of four phases to develop a core outcome set for refractory childhood epilepsy treated with ketogenic diet therapy. In phase 1, a systematic scoping review of the literature will establish which outcomes are measured in trials of refractory epilepsy treated with ketogenic diet therapy. In phase 2, qualitative interviews with parents and carers will aim to identify the outcomes of importance to these stakeholders. Phase 3 will see a comprehensive list of outcomes collated from the first two phases, grouped into domains according to an outcome taxonomy. Phase 4 will invite parents, health care professionals and researchers to participate in a two-round Delphi study to rate the importance of the presented outcomes. Following which, the core outcome set will be ratified at a face to face consensus meeting.Discussion: This study will guide outcome measurement in future studies of childhood epilepsy treated with ketogenic diet therapy and clinical practice through audit and service evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Clustering is a crucial step in the analysis of single-cell data. Clusters identified in an unsupervised manner are typically annotated to cell types based on differentially expressed genes. In contrast, supervised methods use a reference panel of labelled transcriptomes to guide both clustering and cell type identification. Supervised and unsupervised clustering approaches have their distinct advantages and limitations. Therefore, they can lead to different but often complementary clustering results. Hence, a consensus approach leveraging the merits of both clustering paradigms could result in a more accurate clustering and a more precise cell type annotation. Results We present scConsensus, an $${\mathbf {R}}$$ R framework for generating a consensus clustering by (1) integrating results from both unsupervised and supervised approaches and (2) refining the consensus clusters using differentially expressed genes. The value of our approach is demonstrated on several existing single-cell RNA sequencing datasets, including data from sorted PBMC sub-populations. Conclusions scConsensus combines the merits of unsupervised and supervised approaches to partition cells with better cluster separation and homogeneity, thereby increasing our confidence in detecting distinct cell types. scConsensus is implemented in $${\mathbf {R}}$$ R and is freely available on GitHub at https://github.com/prabhakarlab/scConsensus .

To develop an agreed upon set of outcomes known as a "core outcome set" (COS) for noninfectious uveitis of the posterior segment (NIU-PS) clinical trials. Mixed-methods study design comprising a systematic review and qualitative study followed by a 2-round Delphi exercise and face-to-face consensus meeting. Key stakeholders including patients diagnosed with NIU-PS, their caregivers, and healthcare professionals involved in decision-making for patients with NIU-PS, including ophthalmologists, nurse practitioners, and policymakers/commissioners. A long list of outcomes was developed based on the results of (1) a systematic review of clinical trials of NIU-PS and (2) a qualitative study of key stakeholders including focus groups and interviews. The long list was used to generate a 2-round Delphi exercise of stakeholders rating the importance of outcomes on a 9-point Likert scale. The proportion of respondents rating each item was calculated, leading to recommendations of "include," "exclude," or "for discussion" that were taken to a face-to-face consensus meeting of key stakeholders at which they agreed on the final COS. Items recommended for inclusion in the COS for NIU-PS. A total of 57 outcomes grouped in 11 outcome domains were presented for evaluation in the Delphi exercise, resulting in 9 outcomes directly qualifying for inclusion and 15 outcomes being carried forward to the consensus meeting, of which 7 of 15 were agreed on for inclusion. The final COS contained 16 outcomes organized into 4 outcome domains comprising visual function, health-related quality of life, treatment side effects, and disease control. This study builds on international work across the clinical trials community and our qualitative research to construct the world's first COS for NIU-PS. The COS provides a list of outcomes that represent the priorities of key stakeholders and provides a minimum set of outcomes for use in all future NIU-PS clinical trials. Adoption of this COS can improve the value of future uveitis clinical trials and reduce noninformative research. Some of the outcomes identified do not yet have internationally agreed upon methods for measurement and should be the subject of future international consensus development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The distributed cubature Kalman filter is widely used in the field of target tracking, however, the presence of model uncertainties will undermine its tracking stability and effectiveness for tracking maneuvering target. In order to eliminate this effect on maneuvering target tracking, this paper develops a distributed consensus based strong tracking cubature Kalman filter scheme. First, each node obtains its local estimation with the usage of local observations via strong tracking cubature Kalman filter, where the suboptimal fading factor and adaptive factor are introduced for adaptively modifying the filter gain. Then, the designed filter gain is used for updating the local state estimation. Second, after all, nodes have achieved its local estimation, each node exchanges its local estimation to its neighbors and updates its local estimation according to the consensus communication protocol. It can be further proved that the distributed interaction between neighbors will contribute to enhancing the tracking stability. The detailed proof for stochastic boundedness of the estimation error is analyzed by introducing a stochastic process. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm can achieve higher tracking accuracy than the existing methods for tracking a maneuvering target.

Background: Clustering is a crucial step in the analysis of single-cell data. Clusters identified in an unsupervised manner are typically annotated to cell types based on differentially expressed genes. In contrast, supervised methods use a reference panel of labelled transcriptomes to guide both clustering and cell type identification. Supervised and unsupervised clustering approaches have their distinct advantages and limitations. Therefore, they can lead to different but often complementary clustering results. Hence, a consensus approach leveraging the merits of both clustering paradigms could result in a more accurate clustering and a more precise cell type annotation. Results: We present scConsensus, an R framework for generating a consensus clustering by (1) integrating results from both unsupervised and supervised approaches and (2) refining the consensus clusters using differentially expressed genes. The value of our approach is demonstrated on several existing single-cell RNA sequencing datasets, including data from sorted PBMC sub-populations. Conclusions: scConsensus combines the merits of unsupervised and supervised approaches to partition cells with better cluster separation and homogeneity, thereby increasing our confidence in detecting distinct cell types. scConsensus is implemented in R and is freely available on GitHub at https://github.com/prabhakarlab/scConsensus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article attempts to analyse the argumentative model of European consensus as a ground for adopting or refusing to adopt a dynamic interpretation of the ECHR's provisions. The consensus model promises an objective and verifiable method of dynamic interpretation. This aspiration is rooted in the positivistic character of the model—the evolutionary interpretation is thought to reflect the currently dominant societal axiological views, which are established through purely legal reasoning involving comparative legal analysis. Unfortunately, the theoretical promise of the consensus method remains unfulfilled. The professionalisation of the Court's comparative research will not be able to rescue this method if there are no coherent criteria for evaluating the data resulting from the research. In addition, the majoritarian logic that lies behind the consensus model cannot satisfy the justificatory need invoked from the perspective of a respondent State. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Delphi is a scientific method to organize and structure an expert discussion aiming to generate insights on controversial topics with limited information. The technique has seen a rise in publication frequency in various disciplines, especially over the past decades. In April 2021, the term Delphi method yielded 28,200 search hits in Google Scholar for the past five years alone. Given the increasing level of uncertainty caused by rapid technological and social change around the globe, collective expert opinions and assessments are likely to gain even more importance. Therefore, the paper at hand presents technical recommendations derived from a Delphi study that was conducted amid the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. • The paper comprehensively demonstrates how to prepare, conduct, and analyze a Delphi study. In this regard, it combines several methodological advancements of the recent past (e.g., dissent analyses, scenario analyses) with state-of-the-art impulses from other disciplines like strategic management (e.g., fuzzy clustering), psychology (e.g., sentiment analyses), or clinical trials (e.g., consensus measurement). • By offering insights on the variety of possibilities to exploit Delphi-based data, we aim to support researchers across all disciplines in conducting Delphi studies and potentially expand and improve the method's field of application.

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Estimation of model accuracy plays a crucial role in protein structure prediction, aiming to evaluate the quality of predicted protein structure models accurately and objectively. This process is not only key to screening candidate models that are close to the real structure, but also provides guidance for further optimization of protein structures. With the significant advancements made by AlphaFold2 in monomer structure, the problem of single-domain protein structure prediction has been widely solved. Correspondingly, the importance of assessing the quality of single-domain protein models decreased, and the research focus has shifted to estimation of model accuracy of protein complexes. In this review, our goal is to provide a comprehensive overview of the reference and statistical metrics, as well as representative methods, and the current challenges within four distinct facets (Topology Global Score, Interface Total Score, Interface Residue-Wise Score, and Tertiary Residue-Wise Score) in the field of complex EMA., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Abstract Background The advent and ongoing development of next generation sequencing technologies (NGS) has led to a rapid increase in the rate of human genome re-sequencing data, paving the way for personalized genomics and precision medicine. The body of genome resequencing data is progressively increasing underlining the need for accurate and time-effective bioinformatics systems for genotyping - a crucial prerequisite for identification of candidate causal mutations in diagnostic screens. Results Here we present CoVaCS, a fully automated, highly accurate system with a web based graphical interface for genotyping and variant annotation. Extensive tests on a gold standard benchmark data-set -the NA12878 Illumina platinum genome- confirm that call-sets based on our consensus strategy are completely in line with those attained by similar command line based approaches, and far more accurate than call-sets from any individual tool. Importantly our system exhibits better sensitivity and higher specificity than equivalent commercial software. Conclusions CoVaCS offers optimized pipelines integrating state of the art tools for variant calling and annotation for whole genome sequencing (WGS), whole-exome sequencing (WES) and target-gene sequencing (TGS) data. The system is currently hosted at Cineca, and offers the speed of a HPC computing facility, a crucial consideration when large numbers of samples must be analysed. Importantly, all the analyses are performed automatically allowing high reproducibility of the results. As such, we believe that CoVaCS can be a valuable tool for the analysis of human genome resequencing studies. CoVaCS is available at: https://bioinformatics.cineca.it/covacs.

The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is a method that allows complex decisions to be made from impartiality, making it suitable for reaching a consensus among experts seeking to solve a problem. This method has been successfully applied in other investigations, and its use has been extended to several disciplines. This technical paper presents the lessons learned from a study that relied on the AHP method to determine priority aspects for sustainable neighborhoods. The research is developed in three replicable phases. In each of them, aspects that are recommended to be considered are detailed, for example, in the formulation of the hierarchical structure, selection of experts, expert survey design, and information processing for the determination of weights and levels of importance.•The utilization of software to apply the AHP method can help researchers to optimize time and resources.•Social networks proved to be more effective than conventional methods for identifying and contacting experts.•Subjective sustainability issues can be prioritized by expert consensus., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2023 Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Data analysis plays a prominent role in interpreting various phenomena. Data mining is the process to hypothesize useful knowledge from the extensive data. Based upon the classical statistical prototypes the data can be exploited beyond the storage and management of the data. Cluster analysis a primary investigation with little or no prior knowledge, consists of research and development across a wide variety of communities. Cluster ensembles are melange of individual solutions obtained from different clusterings to produce final quality clustering which is required in wider applications. The method arises in the perspective of increasing robustness, scalability and accuracy. This paper gives a brief overview of the generation methods and consensus functions included in cluster ensemble. The survey is to analyze the various techniques and cluster ensemble methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Delphi method is a consensus method that aims to find general agreement among an expert panel on a specific research topic. The selection and sampling method of the experts should be explicit and clear, and should be defined prior to the study. The research question of a study defines the selection of the experts, with health professionals being the most frequent choice. In a Delphi study, first, one researcher is assigned as the facilitator, to organize an expert panel and undertake communication with the experts. In the first round of the study, the initial questionnaire is distributed to the expert panel for the assessment by the members. The participating experts assess the importance of each item of the questionnaire using, usually, a nine-point Likert scale or less frequently, a seven-point, five-point or three-point Likert scale. The researchers analyze the first round data and construct a second round questionnaire that includes the items that did not achieve consensus in the first round, along with new items that arose from the comments of the experts on the first round. Specifically, the researchers include in the final questionnaire those items that were considered by the experts to be important in the first round, using predefined statistical criteria. During the second round, the facilitator informs each expert, anonymously, about the degree of consensus between his(her) answers and the answers of the other experts. Each expert can thus reconsider his(her) answers on common items between the first and the second round questionnaires, knowing the answers of the other experts. The Delphi study design includes the following issues: Τhe research question, selection of the experts, the number of the experts, construction of the questionnaire, the information provided to experts and administration of the questionnaire. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Uveitis, a group of disorders characterised by intraocular inflammation, causes 10-15% of total blindness in the developed world. The most sight-threatening uveitis affects the posterior segment of the eye (posterior-segment involving uveitis (PSIU)). Numerous different outcomes have been used in clinical trials evaluating alternative treatments for uveitis, limiting inter-trial comparison and aggregation of data. We aim to develop a core outcome set (COS) that would provide a standardised set of outcomes to be measured and reported in all effectiveness trials for PSIU.Methods: A three-phase design will be used informed by recommendations from the Core Outcome Measures in Effectiveness Trials (COMET) initiative. Phase 1: a comprehensive list of outcomes will be identified through both a systematic review of effectiveness trials of PSIU and qualitative research with stakeholders. The qualitative study will comprise focus groups with patients and their carers in parallel with one-to-one telephone interviews with health professionals and policy-makers. In the focus groups, patients will be grouped according to whether or not their uveitis is complicated by the sight-threatening condition uveitic macular oedema (UMO) since it is hypothesised that the presence of UMO may significantly impact on patient experience of PSIU. Phase 2: Delphi methodology will be used to reduce the range of potential outcomes for the core set. Up to three Delphi rounds will be used through an online survey. Participants will be asked to rate the importance of each outcome on a 9-point Likert scale where 9 is most important. Phase 3: a consensus meeting will be held with key stakeholders to discuss the Delphi results and ratify the final outcomes to be included in the COS.Discussion: The development of an agreed COS for PSIU would help ensure that outcomes which matter to key stakeholders are captured and reported in a consistent way. A COS for PSIU would allow greater comparison and aggregation of data across trials for the better evaluation of established and emerging therapies through evidence synthesis and meta-analysis to inform clinical guidelines and health policy.Trial Registration: COMET. http://comet-initiative.org/studies/details/640 . August 2015. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]