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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]

Background Objective Methods Results Conclusions Mandibular range of motion (MROM) variables are widely used to evaluate oral function.The aim of this study was to establish the reliability of MROM variables in healthy children.In this cross‐sectional study, healthy children were examined 2 weeks apart. The following MROM variables were established: active maximum interincisal opening (AMIO), passive maximum interincisal opening (PMIO), protrusion and left and right laterotrusion. The reliability of the MROM measurements was determined by analysing the intra‐class correlation coefficient (ICC), standard error of measurement (SEM), smallest detectable change (SDC) and limits of agreement (LoA).A total of 167 healthy children were examined. The ICC indicated good reliability for AMIO (0.885); excellent reliability for PMIO (0.925); and moderate reliability for protrusion (0.578), laterotrusion left (0.601) and laterotrusion right (0.634). The SDC was 0.9 mm for AMIO, 0.4 mm for PMIO, 2.2 mm for protrusion, 1.6 mm for laterotrusion left and 1.4 mm for laterotrusion right. The LoA was −5.67 to 5.82 for AMIO, −3.90 to 3.57 for PMIO, −3.89 to 3.55 for protrusion, −2.99 to 2.77 for laterotrusion left, and − 2.71 to 2.77 for laterotrusion right.AMIO and PMIO measurements are both highly reliable in healthy children. The low SDC indicate that AMIO and PMIO are promising longitudinal measurements. Protrusion and laterotrusion measurements had moderate reliability. These results support our clinical recommendation to measure AMIO rather than PMIO, as PMIO is more difficult and more time‐consuming to perform than AMIO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ongoing technological advances have led to a rapid increase in the number, type and scope of animal‐tracking studies. In response, many software tools have been developed to analyse animal movement data. These tools generally focus on movement modelling, but the steps required to clean raw data files from different tracking devices have been largely ignored. Such pre‐processing steps are often time‐consuming and involve a steep learning curve but are crucial for the creation of high‐quality, standardised and shareable data. Moreover, decisions made at this early stage can substantially influence subsequent analyses, and in the current age of reproducibility crisis, the transparency of this process is vital. Here we present an open‐access, reproducible toolkit written in the programming language R for processing raw data files into a single cleaned data set for analyses and upload to online tracking databases (found here: https://github.com/ExMove/ExMove). The toolkit comprises well‐documented and flexible code to facilitate data processing and user understanding, both of which can increase user confidence and improve the uptake of sharing open and reproducible code. Additionally, we provide an overview website (found here: https://exmove.github.io/) and a Shiny app to help users visualise tracking data and assist with parameter determination during data cleaning. The toolkit is generalisable to different data formats and device types, uses modern ‘tidy coding’ practices, and relies on a few well‐maintained packages. Among these, we perform spatial manipulations using the package sf. Overall, by collating all required steps from data collection to archiving on open access databases into a single, robust pipeline, our toolkit provides a valuable resource for anyone conducting animal movement analyses and represents an important step towards increased standardisation and reproducibility in animal movement ecology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2014, the International Society for Extracellular Vesicles (ISEV) introduced the Minimal Information for Studies of Extracellular Vesicles (MISEV) guidelines to establish standards for extracellular vesicle (EV) research. These guidelines aimed to enhance reliability and reproducibility, addressing the expanding field of EV science. EVs, membrane-bound particles released by cells, play crucial roles in intercellular communication and are potential biomarkers for various conditions. Over the years, the EV landscape witnessed a surge in publications, emphasizing their roles in cancer and immune modulation. In response, the MISEV guidelines underwent evolution, leading to the MISEV2018 update. This version, generated through community outreach, provided a comprehensive framework for EV research methodologies, emphasizing separation, characterization, reporting standards, and community engagement. The MISEV2018 guidelines reflected responsiveness to feedback, acknowledging the evolving EV research landscape. The guidelines served as a testament to the commitment of the scientific community to rigorous standards and the collective discernment of experts. The present article compares previous MISEV guidelines with its 2023 counterpart, highlighting advancements, changes, and impacts on EV research standardization. The 2023 guidelines build upon the 2018 principles, offering new recommendations for emerging areas. This comparative exploration contributes to understanding the transformative journey in EV research, emphasizing MISEV's pivotal role and the scientific community's adaptability to challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to determine the absolute and relative reliability of concentric and eccentric flexion, extension, horizontal abduction, and adduction movements of the shoulder using a functional electromechanical dynamometer (FEMD). Forty-three active male university students (23.51 ± 4.72 years) were examined for concentric and eccentric strength of shoulder flexion, extension, horizontal abduction, and horizontal adduction with an isokinetic test at 0.80 m·s−1. Relative reliability was determined by intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) with 95% confidence intervals. Absolute reliability was quantified by the standard error of measurement (SEM) and coefficient of variation (CV). Reliability was very high to extremely high for all movements on concentric and eccentric strength measurements (ICC: 0.76–0.94, SEM: 0.63–6.57%, CV: 9.40–19.63%). The results of this study provide compelling evidence for the absolute and relative reliability of concentric and eccentric flexion, extension, horizontal abduction, and horizontal adduction shoulder isokinetic strength tests in asymptomatic adults. The mean concentric force was the most reliable strength value for all tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electrode is a key component in a microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) that needs significant improvement for practical implementation. Accurate and reproducible analytical methods are substantial for the effective development of electrode technology. Linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) is an essential analytical method for evaluating electrode performance. In this study, inoculated carbon brush (IB), abiotic brush (AB), Pt wire (PtW), stainless steel wire (SSW), and mesh (SSM) were tested to find the most suitable counter electrode under different medium conditions. The coefficient of variation (Cv) of maximum current (Imax) was the most decisive indicator of the reproducibility test. This study shows that (i) the electrode used in operation is an appropriate counter electrode in an acetate-added condition, (ii) the anode LSV test should avoid the use of Pt wire as counter electrodes, and (iii) PtW is an appropriate counter electrode in cathode LSV in all conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Palliative care is characterised by heterogeneous patient and caregiver populations who are provided care in different health systems and a research base including a large proportion of observational, mostly retrospective studies. The inherent diversity of palliative care populations and the often inadequate study descriptions challenge the application of new knowledge into practice and reproducibility for confirmatory studies. Being able to define systematically study populations would significantly increase their generalisability and effective translation into practice. Proposal: Based on an informal consensus process by active palliative care researchers challenged by this problem and a review of the current evidence, we propose an approach to creating more comparable cohorts in observational (non-randomised) palliative care studies that relies on defining the study population in relation to a fixed, well-defined event from which analyses are built ('anchoring'). In addition to providing a detailed and complete description of the study population, anchoring is the critical step in creating more comparable cohorts in observational palliative care studies. Anchoring can be done with respect to a single or multiple data points, and can support both prospective and retrospective data collection and analysis. Discussion: Anchoring the cohort to reproducible data points will help create more comparable cohorts in palliative care whilst mitigating its inherent heterogeneity. This, in turn, will help optimise the generalisability, applicability and reproducibility of observational palliative care studies to strengthen the evidence base and improve practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scientists and policymakers are becoming aware of the pressing need to restore tropical grassy biomes (TGB), which are home to unique biodiversity and provide essential ecosystem services to hundreds of millions of people. TGB face increasing threats, including forest‐ and tree‐centric restoration approaches that promote their degradation and we still lack a systematic assessment of where and how TGB restoration research has been done to guide policy and practice.We synthesized knowledge on field restoration experiments by conducting a systematic literature review to map TGB restoration field studies, examine the association of restoration techniques and degradation sources and investigate the diversity of indicators used to monitor restoration outcomes.TGB restoration was concentrated at Brazilian and Australian savannas, with large blindspots in Asia, Africa and northern and western South America. Studies were largely context‐dependent, with an inconsistent usage of restoration techniques to different sources of degradation. Less than half of the indicators evaluated were monitored consistently through time, often using a low‐dimensional approach related to ecosystem functioning. Few studies manipulated fire, herbivores and soils, the key drivers for the re‐establishment of TGB dynamics. Unfortunately, many studies lacked negative (degraded ecosystems), positive (reference ecosystems) controls, or both, impairing attempts to robustly determine restoration outcomes.Our overview of field research on TGB restoration highlights that research needs improvement to refine our ability to assess, plan, implement and monitor restoration. Severe issues with experimental designs and data reporting are identified as barriers to find generality and upscale TGB restoration to meet the goals of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.Synthesis and applications. Our synthesis calls for enhanced field experiments, transparent data reporting and quantitative syntheses to guide large‐scale TGB restoration. The overall lack of knowledge on improving resilience and measuring outcomes hampers meaningful comparisons between studies and hinders synthetic views essential for determining appropriate restoration techniques for different degradation sources and suitable monitoring indicators. To overcome the scarcity of reliable and transparent data supporting TGB restoration, we propose a simple checklist for minimum research reporting information and more complete multilingual standardized guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Like other disciplines, machine learning is currently facing a reproducibility crisis that hinders the advancement of scientific research. Researchers face difficulties reproducing key results due to the lack of critical details, including the disconnection between publications and associated models, data, parameter settings, and experimental results. To promote transparency and trust in research, solutions that improve the accessibility of models and data, facilitate experiment tracking, and allow audit of experimental results are needed. Blockchain technology, characterized by its decentralization, data immutability, cryptographic hash functions, consensus algorithms, robust security measures, access control mechanisms, and innovative smart contracts, offers a compelling pathway for the development of such solutions. To address the reproducibility challenges in machine learning, we present a novel concept of a blockchain-based platform that operates on a peer-to-peer network. This network comprises organizations and researchers actively engaged in machine learning research, seamlessly integrating various machine learning research and development frameworks. To validate the viability of our proposed concept, we implemented a blockchain network using the Hyperledger Fabric infrastructure and conducted experimental simulations in several scenarios to thoroughly evaluate its effectiveness. By fostering transparency and facilitating collaboration, our proposed platform has the potential to significantly improve reproducible research in machine learning and can be adapted to other domains within artificial intelligence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The low reproducibility of scientific data published in articles has recently become a cause of concern in many scientific fields. Data involving light microscopy is no exception. The low awareness of researchers of the technologies they use in their research has been identified as one of the main causes of the problem. Potential solutions have hinted at the need to improve technological and methodological education within research. Despite the pivotal role of microscopy core facilities in the education of researchers being well documented, facility staff (FS) often learn their trade on the job, without receiving themselves any structured education about the technology they teach others to use. Additionally, despite endorsing an important role at the highest level of education, most FS never receive any training in pedagogy, the field of research on teaching and learning methods. In this article, we argue that the low level of awareness that researchers have of microscopy stems from a knowledge gap formed between them and microscopy FS during training routines. On the one hand, FS consider that their teaching task is to explain what is needed to produce reliable data. On the other, despite understanding what is being taught, researchers fail to learn the most challenging aspects of microscopy, those involving their judgement and reasoning. We suggest that the misunderstanding between FS and researchers is due to FS not being educated in pedagogy and thus often confusing understanding and learning. To bridge this knowledge gap and improve the quality of the microscopy education available to researchers, we propose a paradigm shift where training staff at technological core facilities be acknowledged as full‐fledged teachers and offered structured education not only in the technology they teach but also in pedagogy. We then suggest that training routines at facilities be upgraded to follow the principles of the Constructive Alignment pedagogical method. We give an example of how this can be applied to existing microscopy training routines. We also describe a model to define where the responsibility of FS in training researchers begins and ends. This involves a major structural change where university staff involved in teaching research technologies themselves receive appropriate education. For this to be achieved, we advocate that funding agencies, universities, microscopy and core facility organisations mobilise resources of time and funding. Such changes may involve funding the creation and development of 'Train‐the‐trainer' type of courses and giving incentives for FS to upgrade their technological and pedagogical knowledge, for example by including them in career paths. We believe that this paradigm shift is necessary to improve the level of microscopy education and ultimately the reproducibility of published data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Behavioural ecologists frequently collect data that involve the potential for subjective judgement, so it is important that researchers in the field develop awareness of potential issues around bias in data collection. We report the results of an undergraduate classroom experiment in which we estimated the potential for students' a priori expectations to bias their estimates of behaviour. Prior to conducting a set of behavioural observations on a video-recorded flock of foraging pigeons, we randomly primed half of the students to expect the pigeons to be hungry, while the other half were primed to expect the pigeons to be satiated. Students were blind to the treatment and subsequently estimated two variables expected to differ in their potential for subjectivity: the proportion of birds in the flock that were feeding (potentially subjective), and the feeding (peck) rates of two focal individuals (potentially objective). Surprisingly, we found no evidence that observer bias affected the estimate of the percentage of birds foraging. By contrast, we found a large effect of observer bias on feeding rate estimates, with students who expected a hungry state recording inflated feeding rate estimates relative to those that expected a satiated state. We furthermore found that students' expectations of foraging state did not always match their allocated primers: bias was predicted by 'expected state' but not by 'allocated state'. Our experiment illustrates that bias associated with expectation can influence results. Furthermore, a variable we initially expected to be relatively objective proved to have a strong subjective element, inflating the effect of confirmation bias on estimation. We recommend blind data recording even when response variables are thought to be objective, as well as explicit teaching of university students about the potential for bias in data collection, and our experiment suggests a potentially useful way in which this can be undertaken. • We tested whether students' a priori expectations biased their data collection. • Bias was difficult to detect as a function of allocated priming statements. • However, confirmation bias was detected as a result of students' true expectations. • Putatively objective variables may have unconsidered subjective elements. • Blind data recording should be implemented wherever possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A stochastic network simulation is verified when its distribution of outputs is aligned with the ground truth, while tolerating deviations due to variability in real-world measurements and the randomness of a stochastic simulation. However, comparing distributions may yield false positives, as erroneous simulations may have the expected distribution yet present aberrations in low-level patterns. For instance, the number of sick individuals may present the right trend over time, but the wrong individuals were infected. We previously proposed an approach that transforms simulation traces into images verified by machine learning algorithms that account for low-level patterns. We demonstrated the viability of this approach when many simulation traces are compared with a large ground truth data set. However, ground truth data are often limited. For example, a publication may include few images of their simulation as illustrations; hence, teams that independently re-implement the model can only compare low-level patterns with few cases. In this paper, we examine whether our approach can be utilized with very small data sets (e.g., 5–10 images), as provided in publications. Depending on the network simulation model (e.g., rumor spread, cascading failure, and disease spread), we show that results obtained with little data can even surpass results obtained with moderate amounts of data at the cost of variability. Although a good accuracy is obtained in detecting several forms of errors, this paper is only a first step in the use of this technique for verification; hence, future works should assess the applicability of our approach to other types of network simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The initial version of SEDA assists life science researchers without programming skills with the preparation of DNA and protein sequence FASTA files for multiple bioinformatics applications. However, the initial version of SEDA lacks a command-line interface for more advanced users and does not allow the creation of automated analysis pipelines. Results: The present paper discusses the updates of the new SEDA release, including the addition of a complete command-line interface, new functionalities like gene annotation, a framework for automated pipelines, and improved integration in Linux environments. Conclusion: SEDA is an open-source Java application and can be installed using the different distributions available (https://www.sing-group.org/seda/download.html) as well as through a Docker image (https://hub.docker.com/r/pegi3s/seda). It is released under a GPL-3.0 license, and its source code is publicly accessible on GitHub (https://github.com/sing-group/seda). The software version at the time of submission is archived at Zenodo (version v1.6.0, http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10201605). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The doped organic hole transport layer (HTL) is crucial for achieving high‐efficiency perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, the traditional doping strategy undergoes a time‐consuming and environment‐dependent oxidation process, which hinders the technology upgrades and commercialization of PSCs. Here, we reported a new strategy by introducing a cascade reaction in traditional doped Spiro‐OMeTAD, which can simultaneously achieve rapid oxidation and overcome the erosion of perovskite by 4‐tert‐butylpyridine (tBP) in organic HTL. The ideal dopant iodobenzene diacetate was utilized as the initiator that can react with Spiro to generate Spiro⋅+ radicals quickly and efficiently without the participation of ambient air, with the byproduct of iodobenzene (DB). Then, the DB can coordinate with tBP through a halogen bond to form a tBP‐DB complex, minimizing the sustained erosion from tBP to perovskite. Based on the above cascade reaction, the resulting Spiro‐based PSCs have a champion PCE of 25.76 % (certificated of 25.38 %). This new oxidation process of HTL is less environment‐dependent and produces PSCs with higher reproducibility. Moreover, the PTAA‐based PSCs obtain a PCE of 23.76 %, demonstrating the excellent applicability of this doping strategy on organic HTL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The doped organic hole transport layer (HTL) is crucial for achieving high‐efficiency perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, the traditional doping strategy undergoes a time‐consuming and environment‐dependent oxidation process, which hinders the technology upgrades and commercialization of PSCs. Here, we reported a new strategy by introducing a cascade reaction in traditional doped Spiro‐OMeTAD, which can simultaneously achieve rapid oxidation and overcome the erosion of perovskite by 4‐tert‐butylpyridine (tBP) in organic HTL. The ideal dopant iodobenzene diacetate was utilized as the initiator that can react with Spiro to generate Spiro⋅+ radicals quickly and efficiently without the participation of ambient air, with the byproduct of iodobenzene (DB). Then, the DB can coordinate with tBP through a halogen bond to form a tBP‐DB complex, minimizing the sustained erosion from tBP to perovskite. Based on the above cascade reaction, the resulting Spiro‐based PSCs have a champion PCE of 25.76 % (certificated of 25.38 %). This new oxidation process of HTL is less environment‐dependent and produces PSCs with higher reproducibility. Moreover, the PTAA‐based PSCs obtain a PCE of 23.76 %, demonstrating the excellent applicability of this doping strategy on organic HTL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data stewards and analysts can promote transparent and trustworthy science and policy-making by facilitating assessments of the sensitivity of published results to alternate analysis choices. For example, researchers may want to assess whether the results change substantially when different subsets of data points (e.g., sets formed by demographic characteristics) are used in the analysis, or when different models (e.g., with or without log transformations) are estimated on the data. Releasing the results of such stability analyses leaks information about the data subjects. When the underlying data are confidential, the data stewards and analysts may seek to bound this information leakage. We present methods for stability analyses that can satisfy differential privacy, a definition of data confidentiality providing such bounds. We use regression modeling as the motivating example. The basic idea is to split the data into disjoint subsets, compute a measure summarizing the difference between the published and alternative analysis on each subset, aggregate these subset estimates, and add noise to the aggregated value to satisfy differential privacy. We illustrate the methods using regressions in which an analyst compares coefficient estimates for different groups in the data, and in which analysts fit two different models on the data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enhancing the reproducibility and comprehension of adaptive immune receptor repertoire sequencing (AIRR-seq) data analysis is critical for scientific progress. This study presents guidelines for reproducible AIRR-seq data analysis, and a collection of ready-to-use pipelines with comprehensive documentation. To this end, ten common pipelines were implemented using ViaFoundry, a user-friendly interface for pipeline management and automation. This is accompanied by versioned containers, documentation and archiving capabilities. The automation of pre-processing analysis steps and the ability to modify pipeline parameters according to specific research needs are emphasized. AIRR-seq data analysis is highly sensitive to varying parameters and setups; using the guidelines presented here, the ability to reproduce previously published results is demonstrated. This work promotes transparency, reproducibility, and collaboration in AIRR-seq data analysis, serving as a model for handling and documenting bioinformatics pipelines in other research domains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To achieve the energy transition, energy and energy efficiency are becoming more and more important in society. New methods, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) models, are needed to coordinate supply and demand and address the challenges of the energy transition. AI and ML are already being applied to a growing number of energy infrastructure applications, ranging from energy generation to energy forecasting and human activity recognition services. Given the rapid development of AI and ML, the importance of Trustworthy AI is growing as it takes on increasingly responsible tasks. Particularly in the energy domain, Trustworthy AI plays a decisive role in designing and implementing efficient and reliable solutions. Trustworthy AI can be considered from two perspectives, the Model-Centric AI (MCAI) and the Data-Centric AI (DCAI) approach. We focus on the DCAI approach, which relies on large amounts of data of sufficient quality. These data are becoming more and more synthetically generated. To address this trend, we introduce the concept of Synthetic Data-Centric AI (SDCAI). In this survey, we examine Trustworthy AI within a Synthetic Data-Centric AI context, focusing specifically on the role of simulation and synthetic data in enhancing the level of Trustworthy AI in the energy domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the inter-day reliability of time-domain, frequency-domain, and nonlinear HRV metrics in healthy highly active younger and older adults. The study also assessed the effect of age on the HRV metrics. Methods: Forty-four older adults (34 M, 10F; 59 ± 5 years; V ˙ O 2peak = 40.9 ± 7.6 ml kg−1 min−1) and twenty-two younger adults (16 M, 6F; 22 ± 4 years; V ˙ O 2peak = 47.2 ± 12.8 ml kg−1 min−1) attended the laboratory. Visit one assessed aerobic fitness through an exercise test. In visits two and three, participants completed a 30-min supine RR interval measurement to derive the HRV metrics. Results: The younger group (YG) and older group (OG) demonstrated poor to good day-to-day relative and absolute reliability for all HRV metrics (OG, ICCs = 0.33 to 0.69 and between day CVs = 3.8 to 29.2%; YG, ICCs = 0.37 to 0.93 and between day CVs = 3.5 to 36.5%). There was a significant reduction in ApEn (P < 0.001), SampEn (P = 0.031), RMSSD (P < 0.001), SDNN (P < 0.001), LF power (P < 0.001) and HF power (P < 0.001), HRV metrics with ageing. There was no significant effect of age the complexity metrics DFA α1 (P = 0.107), α2 (P = 0.147) and CI-8 (P = 0.493). Conclusion: HRV metrics are reproducible between days in both healthy highly active younger and older adults. There is a decline in linear and nonlinear HRV metrics with age, albeit there being no age-related change in the nonlinear metrics, DFA α1, α2 and CI-8. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zero‐dimensional lead halide perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) exhibit size‐dependent bandgap and carrier confinement compared to bulk counterparts due to the quantum confinement effect, making them essential for achieving wide‐color‐gamut displays, studying excitonic spin relaxation, and constructing superlattices. Despite their promising potential, they face a variety of technical bottlenecks, such as insufficient color reproducibility, limited large‐scale production, low stability, and toxicity. An outline of a research roadmap is provided in the review, which highlights key challenges in developing perovskite NCs for commercial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Franzén (2023 : 1) has warned of 'big problems' when researchers attempt to use Google Trends (GT) data. The evidence she provides is examined, additional evidence is obtained and analysed, and a new set of conclusions are derived. The anomalies previously encountered are due to a combination of factors, but can be explained by noting that Google samples its data to provide GT results, these data are also scaled, which can exacerbate variation between samples, and Denmark is a small country and Jakob Scharf a low-probability search term, both of which would increase variation in search probabilities provided by GT. When multiple samples are obtained and aggregated (medians are best for low-probability search terms), this variation is controlled, and a stable time series is derived. Researchers should not see GT as an easy source of data, but should do the work required to understand the data, and should use it, and interpret their results, within the limitations inherent in these data. It is important to aggregate multiple samples (preferably with the median for each time point) in order to obtain more stable estimates from GT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantitative MRI (qMRI) measures are useful in assessing musculoskeletal tissues, but application to tendon has been limited. The purposes of this study were to optimize, identify sources of variability, and establish reproducibility of qMRI to assess Achilles tendon. Additionally, preliminarily estimates of effect of tendon pathology on qMRI metrics and structure–function relationships between qMRI measures and ankle performance were examined. T1, T1ρ, T2, and T2* maps of the Achilles tendon were obtained using a 3T MRI scanner. In participants with asymptomatic tendons (n = 21), MRI procedures were repeated twice, and region of interest selection was performed by three raters. Variance decomposition and reproducibility statistics were completed. To estimate the effect of pathology, qMRI measures from individuals with asymptomatic tendons were compared to qMRI measures from a pilot group of individuals with Achilles tendinopathy (n = 7). Relationships between qMRI and ankle performance measures were assessed. Between‐participant variation accounted for the majority of variability (46.7%–64.0%) in all qMRI measures except T2*. ICCs met or exceeded 0.7 for all qMRI measures when averaged across raters or scans. Relaxation times were significantly longer in tendinopathic tendons (mean (SD) T1: 977.8 (208.6) ms, T1ρ: 35.4 (7.1) ms, T2: 42.8 (7.9) ms, T2*: 14.1 (7.6) ms, n = 7) compared to asymptomatic control tendons (T1: 691.7 (32.4) ms, T1ρ: 24.0 (3.6) ms, T2: 24.4 (7.5) ms, T2*: 9.5 (3.4) ms, n = 21) (p < 0.011 for all comparisons). T1 related to functional performance measures in symptomatic and asymptomatic groups. Study findings suggest that qMRI is reliable to assess the Achilles tendon. qMRI quantitatively assesses the presence of tendon pathology and relates to functional performance outcomes, supporting the utility of incorporating qMRI in research and clinic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to experimentally assess repeatability and reproducibility of direct tensile strength (DTS) tests with deformability measurements on two types of rocks: Blanco Mera granite (Spain) and Cotta sandstone (Germany). The tests were conducted in four rock mechanics laboratories located in different countries (Canada, Germany, Spain and Sweden). A total of 51 tests were performed on cylindrical specimens of the two rocks, using different test equipment and measuring devices. Mean and standard deviation DTS values were determined in the four laboratories for the granite (5.70 ± 0.32, 6.06 ± 0.11, 3.84 ± 0.50 and 6.76 ± 0.10 MPa) and for the sandstone (1.88 ± 0.07, 1.96 ± 0.06, 1.15 ± 0.32 and 1.74 ± 0.19 MPa), together with Young's moduli and Poisson's ratios in tension, being statistically analysed to evaluate the variability and compare the main results obtained from the participating laboratories. The findings indicate that the DTS test with deformability measurements on cylindrical rock specimens is operationally feasible. However, certain shortcomings have been identified during the course of the experiments with the existing methodologies, such as the one suggested by the ISRM for DTS tests. The results have also shown to be sensitive to appropriate test and strain measurement configurations. The objective of this study was to shed light on these issues and provide new insights for potential future improvements of the existing testing methods. Highlights: An experimental assessment of reproducibility and repeatability of direct tensile strength tests was carried out. Tests were conducted on two rocks (granite, sandstone), in four laboratories located in Canada, Germany, Spain and Sweden. Direct tensile strength test with deformability measurements on cylindrical rock specimens was found operationally feasible. Some shortcomings in current methodologies have been found, such as inappropriate loading rates or no recommendations for deformability measurements. This work provides new insights for potential future improvements of the existing testing methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It is not known how much information clients retrieve from discharge instructions. Objective: To investigate client's understanding of discharge instructions and influencing factors. Animals: Dogs and cats being hospitalized for neurological diseases. Methods: Clients were presented questionnaires regarding their pet's disease, diagnostics, treatments, prognosis and discharge instructions at time of discharge and 2 weeks later. The same questions were answered by discharging veterinarians at time of discharge. Clients answered additional questions regarding the subjective feelings during discharge conversation. Data collected included: data describing discharging veterinarian (age, gender, years of clinical experience, specialist status), data describing the client (age, gender, educational status). Raw percentage of agreement (RPA) between answers of clinicians and clients as well as factors potentially influencing the RPA were evaluated. Results: Of 230 clients being approached 151 (65.7%) and 70 (30.4%) clients responded to the first and second questionnaire, respectively (130 dog and 30 cat owners). The general RPA between clinician's and client's responses over all questions together was 68.9% and 66.8% at the 2 time points. Questions regarding adverse effects of medication (29.0%), residual clinical signs (35.8%), and confinement instructions (36.8%) had the lowest RPAs at the first time point. The age of clients (P =.008) negatively influenced RPAs, with clients older than 50 years having lower RPA. Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Clients can only partially reproduce information provided at discharge. Only clients' increasing age influenced recall of information. Instructions deemed to be important should be specifically stressed during discharge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nasal potential difference test (nPD) is an electrophysiological measurement which is altered in patients and animal models with cystic fibrosis (CF). Because protocols and outcomes vary substantially between laboratories, there are concerns over its validity and precision. We performed a systematic literature review (SR) of the nPD to answer the following review questions: A. Is the nasal potential difference similarly affected in CF patients and animal models?", and B. "Is the nPD in human patients and animal models of CF similarly affected by various changes in the experimental set-up?". The review protocol was preregistered on PROSPERO (CRD42021236047). We searched PubMed and Embase with comprehensive search strings. Two independent reviewers screened all references for inclusion and extracted all data. Included were studies about CF which described in vivo nPD measurements in separate CF and control groups. Risk of bias was assessed, and three meta-analyses were performed. We included 130 references describing nPD values for CF and control subjects, which confirmed substantial variation in the experimental design and nPD outcome between groups. The meta-analyses showed a clear difference in baseline nPD values between CF and control subjects, both in animals and in humans. However, baseline nPD values were, on average, lower in animal than in human studies. Reporting of experimental details was poor for both animal and human studies, and urgently needs to improve to ensure reproducibility of experiments within and between species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laser-induced graphene (LIG) has received much attention in recent years as a possible transducer material for electroanalytical sensors. Its simplicity of fabrication and good electrochemical performance are typically highlighted. However, we found that unmodified and untreated LIG electrodes had a limited shelf-life for certain electroanalytical applications, likely due to the adsorption of adventitious hydrocarbons from the storage environment. Electrode responses did not change immediately after exposure to ambient conditions but over longer periods of time, probably due to the immense specific surface area of the LIG material. LIG shelf-life is seldomly discussed prominently in the literature, yet overall trends for solutions to this challenge can be identified. Such findings from the literature regarding the long-term storage stability of LIG electrodes, pure and modified, are discussed here along with explanations for likely protective mechanisms. Specifically, applying a protective coating on LIG electrodes after manufacture is possibly the easiest method to preserve electrode functionality and should be identified as a trend for well-performing LIG electrodes in the future. Furthermore, suggested influences of the accompanying LIG microstructure/morphology on electrode characteristics are evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights The present study sought to evaluate the reproducibility of prominent findings stated by Fehr et al. in their developmental resource allocation experiment "Egalitarianism in Young Children", published in 2008. The experiment involved children making decisions about distributing sweets between themselves and either an in‐group or an out‐group recipient. Fehr et al. found that (1) inequity aversion develops with age; (2) 3‐ to 4‐year‐old children are inclined toward self‐advantageous allocations, whereas 7‐ to 8‐year‐olds distribute sweets more evenly in divisions, and (3) the influence of group status increases as children age. The original article stated that 229 Swiss school students aged 3 to 8 years (102 boys, 127 girls) participated in the study. However, no further demographics were reported. In our attempts to reproduce Fehr et al.'s original analyses and reanalyse the raw dataset, we found that one of the key variables was miscoded. After rectifying the miscoded variable, the reproduction results revealed only one ambiguously irreproducible result regarding a group status main effect in the sharing mini‐game—with three other tests exhibiting either strong reproducibility or ambiguous reproducibility. Reanalysis results indicated that Fehr et al.'s conclusions are robust when tested with alternative analytical tests. We evaluated the reproducibility of Fehr et al.'s (2008) highly cited developmental resource allocation findings. After identifying an inversely coded variable, we found all tests—bar one probit regression not related to major findings—to be reproducible. Reanalysis confirmed the robustness of Fehr et al.'s conclusions when using alternate analytical methods. Fehr et al.'s developmental resource allocation findings are reproducible and have theoretical implications for understanding inequity aversion and group status effects on resource allocation decisions in young children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is highly challenging to reproducibly prepare semiconducting polymers with targeted molecular weight tailored for next‐generation photovoltaic applications. Once such an easily accessible methodology is established, which can not only contribute to overcome the current limitation of the statistically determined nature of semiconducting polymers, but also facilitate rapid incorporation into the broad synthetic chemists' toolbox. Here, we describe a simple yet robust ultrasonication‐assisted Stille polymerization for accessing semiconducting polymers with high‐precision tailored molecular weights (from low to ultrahigh molecular weight ranges) while mitigating their interbatch variations. We propose that ultrasound‐induced simultaneous physical and chemical events enable precise control of the semiconducting polymers' molecular weights with high reproducibility to satisfy all the optical/electrical and morphological demands of diverse types of high‐performance semiconducting polymer‐based devices; as demonstrated in in‐depth experimental screenings in applications of both organic and perovskite photovoltaics. We believe that this methodology provides a fast development of new and existing semiconducting polymers with the highest‐level performances possible on various photovoltaic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is highly challenging to reproducibly prepare semiconducting polymers with targeted molecular weight tailored for next‐generation photovoltaic applications. Once such an easily accessible methodology is established, which can not only contribute to overcome the current limitation of the statistically determined nature of semiconducting polymers, but also facilitate rapid incorporation into the broad synthetic chemists' toolbox. Here, we describe a simple yet robust ultrasonication‐assisted Stille polymerization for accessing semiconducting polymers with high‐precision tailored molecular weights (from low to ultrahigh molecular weight ranges) while mitigating their interbatch variations. We propose that ultrasound‐induced simultaneous physical and chemical events enable precise control of the semiconducting polymers' molecular weights with high reproducibility to satisfy all the optical/electrical and morphological demands of diverse types of high‐performance semiconducting polymer‐based devices; as demonstrated in in‐depth experimental screenings in applications of both organic and perovskite photovoltaics. We believe that this methodology provides a fast development of new and existing semiconducting polymers with the highest‐level performances possible on various photovoltaic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Methods Results Conclusion 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.‘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.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).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]

As code is now an inextricable part of science it should be supported by competent Software Engineering, analogously to statistical claims being properly supported by competent statistics. If and when code avoids adequate scrutiny, science becomes unreliable and unverifiable because results — text, data, graphs, images, etc — depend on untrustworthy code. Currently, scientists rarely assure the quality of the code they rely on, and rarely make it accessible for scrutiny. Even when available, scientists rarely provide adequate documentation to understand or use it reliably. This paper proposes and justifies ways to improve science using code: 1.   Professional Software Engineers can help, particularly in critical fields such as public health, climate change and energy. 2.   'Software Engineering Boards,' analogous to Ethics or Institutional Review Boards, should be instigated and used. 3.   The Reproducible Analytic Pipeline (RAP) methodology can be generalized to cover code and Software Engineering methodologies,        in a generalization this paper introduces called RAP +. RAP + (or comparable interventions) could be supported and or even required       in journal, conference and funding body policies. The paper's Supplemental Material provides a summary of Software Engineering best practice relevant to scientific research, including further suggestions for RAP + workflows. 'Science is what we understand well enough to explain to a computer.' Donald E. Knuth in |$A=B$| [ 1 ] 'I have to write to discover what I am doing.' Flannery O'Connor, quoted in Write for your life [ 2 ] 'Criticism is the mother of methodology.' Robert P. Abelson in Statistics as Principled Argument [ 3 ] 'From its earliest times, science has operated by being open and transparent about methods and evidence, regardless of which technology has been in vogue.' Editorial in Nature [ 4 ] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this work was to assess the accuracy, repeatability, and reproducibility of a hand-held, structured-light 3D scanner (EINScan Pro 2X Plus with High Definition Prime Pack, SHINING 3D Tech. Co., Ltd., Hangzhou, China), to support its potential use in multi-site settings on lower limb prosthetics. Four limb models with different shapes were fabricated and scanned with a metrological 3D scanner (EINScan Laser FreeScan 5X, SHINING 3D Tech. Co., Ltd., Hangzhou, China) by a professional operator (OP0). Limb models were then mailed to three sites where two operators (OP1, OP2) scanned them using their own structured-light 3D scanner (same model). OP1 scanned limb models twice (OP1-A, OP1-B). OP0, OP1-A, and OP2 scans were compared for accuracy, OP1-A and OP1-B for repeatability, and OP1-A and OP2 for reproducibility. Among all comparisons, the mean radial error was <0.25 mm, mean angular error was <4°, and root mean square error of the radial distance was <1 mm. Moreover, limits of agreement were <3.5% for perimeters and volumes. By comparing these results with respect to clinically-relevant thresholds and to the literature available on other 3D scanners, we conclude that the EINScan Pro 2X Plus 3D Scanner with High Definition Prime Pack has good accuracy, repeatability, and reproducibility, supporting its use in multi-site settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neck pain, sensory disturbance and motor dysfunction in most patients suffered cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM). For CSM surgery, it is necessary to evaluate preoperative inter-vertebral disc degeneration (IDD) which determines whether to adopt fusion strategy, and postoperative IDD which is one of the main reasons for reoperation. Modified Pfirrmann grading system is commonly used to evaluate IDD. The objective of this study is to evaluate its reliability and reproducibility on cervical IDD in CSM patients, and to explore its clinical application value. All 165 patients with CSM were enrolled. 6 physicians (3 spine surgeons and 3 radiologists) who have certain clinical experience were selected. They graded cervical inter-vertebral disc according to modified Pfirrmann grading system, we used intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) and weighted kappa (wκ) to assess the inter- and intra-observer agreement. After 12 weeks, we repeated the analysis. The inter-observer reliability of modified Pfirrmann grading system was excellent with an ICC value of 0.76 and near perfect with wκ value of 0.82. The intra-observer reproducibility of modified Pfirrmann grading system was excellent with ICC values ranging from 0.80 to 0.91, and near perfect with wκ values ranging from 0.83-0.92. Modified Pfirrmann grading system has excellent inter-observer reliability and intra-observer reproducibility on cervical IDD in CSM. In addition, it indicates a good appliance among spine surgeons and radiologists, clinical and radiological studies applying it should be deemed accurate. Thus, modified Pfirrmann grading system can be widely used as an appropriate instrument in clinical care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reproducibility crisis across animal studies jeopardizes the credibility of the main findings derived from animal research, even though these findings are critical for informing human studies. To clarify and improve transparency among animal studies, the ARRIVE reporting guidelines were first announced in 2010 and upgraded to version 2.0 in 2020. However, compliance with and awareness of those reporting guidelines has remained suboptimal. Journal editors should encourage the authors to adhere to those guidelines. Authors, editors, referees, and reviewers should be aware of the ARRIVE guideline 2.0 when assessing and evaluating the methodology and findings of animal studies. However, we should also question whether reporting guidelines alone can change a research culture and improve the reproducibility of animal investigations. Reported research may not reflect actual research. Large segments of animal research efforts are wasted because of poor design choices and because of non-publication rather than suboptimal reporting. Better training of the scientific workforce, interventions at improving animal research at the design stage, registration practices, and alignment of the reward system with the publication of rigorous animal research may achieve more than reporting guidelines alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The vagus nerve is thought to be involved in the allostatic regulation of motivation and energy metabolism via gut‐brain interactions. A recent study by Neuser and colleagues (2020) provided novel evidence for this process in humans, by reporting a positive effect of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) on the invigoration of reward‐seeking behaviors, especially for food rewards. We conducted an independent direct replication of Neuser et al. (2020), to assess the robustness of their findings. Following the original study, we used a single‐blind, sham‐controlled, randomized cross‐over design. We applied left‐sided taVNS in healthy human volunteers (n = 40), while they performed an effort allocation task in which they had to work for monetary and food rewards. The replication study was purely confirmatory in that it strictly followed the analysis plans and scripts used by Neuser et al. Although, in line with Neuser et al., we found strong effects of task variables on effort invigoration and effort maintenance, we failed to replicate their key finding: taVNS did not increase the strength of invigoration (p =.62); the data were five times more likely (BF10 = 0.19) under the null hypothesis. We also found substantial evidence against an effect of taVNS on effort maintenance (p =.50; BF10 = 0.20). Our results provide evidence against the idea that left‐sided taVNS boosts the motivational drive to work for rewards. Our study also highlights the need for direct replications of influential taVNS studies. We were not able to replicate a study by Neuser et al. (2020, Nature Communications), which found a positive effect of transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation on individuals' motivation to work for monetary and food rewards. Participants completed an effort allocation task while receiving non‐invasive vagus nerve stimulation, with the idea that the vagus nerve is involved in allostatic regulation of motivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) practices are key tenets that facilitate study and data quality across all applications of untargeted metabolomics. These important practices will strengthen this field and accelerate its success. The Best Practices Working Group (WG) within the Metabolomics Quality Assurance and Quality Control Consortium (mQACC) focuses on community use of QA/QC practices and protocols and aims to identify, catalogue, harmonize, and disseminate current best practices in untargeted metabolomics through community-driven activities. Aim of review: A present goal of the Best Practices WG is to develop a working strategy, or roadmap, that guides the actions of practitioners and progress in the field. The framework in which mQACC operates promotes the harmonization and dissemination of current best QA/QC practice guidance and encourages widespread adoption of these essential QA/QC activities for liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Key scientific concepts of review: Community engagement and QA/QC information gathering activities have been occurring through conference workshops, virtual and in-person interactive forum discussions, and community surveys. Seven principal QC stages prioritized by internal discussions of the Best Practices WG have received participant input, feedback and discussion. We outline these stages, each involving a multitude of activities, as the framework for identifying QA/QC best practices. The ultimate planned product of these endeavors is a "living guidance" document of current QA/QC best practices for untargeted metabolomics that will grow and change with the evolution of the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Increasing noncommunicable diseases in Nigeria are partly related to dietary factors. However, the lack of validated nutrition assessment tools hinders the conduct of nutritional epidemiology research in this population. Objectives: To develop a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) and Food Picture Book (FPB) for Nigerian adults, and to assess its reproducibility and validity compared with 24-h dietary recalls (24DRs) during different seasons in the year. Methods: We compiled 202 foods for the FFQ through focus groups and consultations with local dietitians. We created an FPB with standardized food portion images to enhance the accuracy of reports of dietary intakes. We administered the FFQs to 205 purposively selected adults in Ibadan, Nigeria at â6 monthly intervals between November 2018 and October 2020. We evaluated the FFQ's reproducibility and validity compared with 24DR across the dry and rainy seasons by examining the consumption of common food and mixed dishes. We computed the Spearman's correlation coefficients (SCC), intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests, and generated Bland and Altman plots. Results: Overall, we studied 110 women (53.7%) and 95 men (46.3%) with a mean age of 45.0 ± 13.4 y (mean ± SD). The reproducibility tests showed a mean ± SD SCC of 0.39 ± 0.14 and mean ± SD ICC of 0.32 ± 0.12. Higher mean ± SD SCC values were noted for cereal products (0.43 ± 0.09), starchy roots and tubers (0.45 ± 0.17), and soups (0.44 ± 0.20). Conversely, lower mean ± SD SCC values were observed for milk products (0.29 ± 0.02), solid fats (0.29 ± 0.26), and fish (0.22 ± 0.19). Regarding validity tests, the overall mean ± SD SCC was 0.27 ± 0.16 and mean ± SD ICC was 0.26 ± 0.16. We observed seasonal variations in intakes of fruits, cassava flour-based products, and nuts, although most foods did not show significant differences in intakes between seasons. Conclusions: Our FFQ and FPB demonstrated moderate correlations and seasonal variations in intakes of certain foods, emphasizing the need to account for seasonality in dietary intakes in nutritional studies in Nigeria and similar countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While grouping/read-across is widely used to fill data gaps, chemical registration dossiers are often rejected due to weak category justifications based on structural similarity only. Metabolomics provides a route to robust chemical categories via evidence of shared molecular effects across source and target substances. To gain international acceptance, this approach must demonstrate high reliability, and best-practice guidance is required. The MetAbolomics ring Trial for CHemical groupING (MATCHING), comprising six industrial, government and academic ring-trial partners, evaluated inter-laboratory reproducibility and worked towards best-practice. An independent team selected eight substances (WY-14643, 4-chloro-3-nitroaniline, 17α-methyl-testosterone, trenbolone, aniline, dichlorprop-p, 2-chloroaniline, fenofibrate); ring-trial partners were blinded to their identities and modes-of-action. Plasma samples were derived from 28-day rat tests (two doses per substance), aliquoted, and distributed to partners. Each partner applied their preferred liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS) metabolomics workflows to acquire, process, quality assess, statistically analyze and report their grouping results to the European Chemicals Agency, to ensure the blinding conditions of the ring trial. Five of six partners, whose metabolomics datasets passed quality control, correctly identified the grouping of eight test substances into three categories, for both male and female rats. Strikingly, this was achieved even though a range of metabolomics approaches were used. Through assessing intrastudy quality-control samples, the sixth partner observed high technical variation and was unable to group the substances. By comparing workflows, we conclude that some heterogeneity in metabolomics methods is not detrimental to consistent grouping, and that assessing data quality prior to grouping is essential. We recommend development of international guidance for quality-control acceptance criteria. This study demonstrates the reliability of metabolomics for chemical grouping and works towards best-practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A survey of recent taxonomic studies of birds that included acoustic trait analyses reveals that most studies have not archived the sound recordings that support their conclusions, despite the current availability of online, publicly available collections of bird sounds. In addition, bird sound recordings have often been cited without unique accession numbers that permit unambiguous sample identification and in considerably less detail than other types of samples, such as museum specimens or genetic samples. Both this lack of data openness and the way acoustic samples have been cited undermine the methodological rigor that otherwise characterizes many of these studies, and much invaluable biological data are likely to be lost over time if bird sound recordings are not archived in long-term collections. I suggest that these problems can be easily addressed by embracing the open data movement and adopting some best practices that are widely used in other fields. Just as study skins and DNA sequences are required to be deposited in publicly available collections such as natural history museums and the GenBank, respectively, sound recordings used in taxonomic studies with acoustic trait analyses should be archived in publicly available collections as a condition for publication of associated results. Authors of taxonomic studies involving sounds should archive their sound recordings and provide unique accession numbers for sound recordings examined, and journals and reviewers should ensure that authors have done so. By embracing the open data movement, research studying avian acoustic signals is expected to become more transparent, reproducible, and useful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prior to the curative resection of colorectal carcinoma (CRC) or pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), the exclusion of hepatic metastasis using cross-sectional imaging is mandatory. The Doppler perfusion index (DPI) of the liver is a promising method for detecting occult liver metastases, but the underlying visceral duplex sonography is critically viewed in terms of its reproducibility. The aim of this study was to investigate systematically the reproducibility of the measured variables, the calculated blood flow, and the DPI. Between February and September 2023, two examinations were performed on 80 subjects within a period of 0–30 days and at two previously defined quality levels, aligned to the German standards of the DEGUM. Correlation analyses were carried out using Pearson's correlation coefficient (PCC) and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). The diameters, blood flow, and DPI showed a high degree of agreement (PCC of 0.9 and ICC of 0.9 for AHP). Provided that a precise standard of procedure is adhered to, the Doppler examination of AHC, AHP, and PV yields very reproducible blood flows and DPI, which is a prerequisite for a comprehensive investigation of its prognostic value for the prediction of metachronous hepatic metastasis in the context of curatively treated CRC or PDAC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neurovascular coupling (NVC) interaction with dynamic cerebral autoregulation (dCA) remains unclear. We investigated the effect of task complexity and duration on the interaction with dCA. Sixteen healthy participants (31.6 ± 11.6 years) performed verbal fluency (naming-words (NW)) and serial subtraction (SS) paradigms, of varying complexity, at durations of 05, 30 and 60 s. The autoregulation index (ARI), was estimated from the bilateral middle cerebral artery blood velocity (MCAv) step response, calculated by transfer function analysis (TFA), for each paradigm during unstimulated (2 min) and neuroactivated (1 min) segments. Intraclass correlation (ICC) and coefficient of variation (CV) determined reproducibility for two visits and objective criteria were applied to classify responders (R) and non-responders (NoR) to task-induced MCAv increase. ICC values demonstrated fair reproducibility in all tasks. ARI decreased in right (RH) and left (LH) hemispheres, irrespective of paradigm complexity and duration (p < 0.0001). Bilateral ARI estimates were significantly decreased during NW for the R group only (p < 0.0001) but were reduced in both R (p < 0.0001) and NoR (p = 0.03) groups for SS tasks compared with baseline. The reproducible attenuation of dCA efficiency due to paradigm-induced NVC response, its interaction, and different behaviour in R and NoR, warrant further research in different physiological and clinical conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Many diagnostic tests for gastroduodenal symptoms, such as gastric emptying scintigraphy (GES), gastric emptying breath tests (GEBT), and electrogastrography (EGG) show variable intra‐individual reproducibility over time. This study investigated the short‐ and long‐term reproducibility of body surface gastric mapping (BSGM), a non‐invasive test for assessing gastric function, in controls and patients with chronic gastroduodenal disorders. Methods: Participants completed three standardized BSGM tests using Gastric Alimetry® (Alimetry, New Zealand). The test encompassed a fasting baseline (30 min), a 482 kCal standard meal, and a 4 h postprandial recording. The first two tests were >6 months apart and the last occurred ~1 week after the second test, to evaluate long and short‐term reproducibility. Results: Fourteen patients with upper gastrointestinal symptoms and 14 healthy controls were recruited. There were no significant differences in any BSGM metrics between the tests at short and long term (all p > 0.180). Lin's concordance correlation coefficients (CCC) for the primary metrics were high, ranging from 0.58 to 0.96, with intra‐individual coefficients of variance (CVintra) ranging from 0.2% to 1.9%. Reproducibility was higher, and intra‐individual variation lower, than in previous studies of GES (CCC = 0.54–0.83, CVintra = 3%–77%), GEBT (CVintra = 8%–11%), and EGG (CVintra = 3%–78%). Conclusions: BSGM spectral metrics demonstrate high reproducibility and low intra‐individual variation at both short and long term, with superior results to comparable tests. The high reproducibility of Gastric Alimetry supports its role as a diagnostic aid for gastric dysfunction and a reliable tool for evaluating treatment outcomes and disease progression over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To assess the feasibility of using multifunction instruments to measure axial length for monitoring myopia progression in children and adults. Methods: Axial length was measured in 60 children (aged 6–18 years) and 60 adults (aged 19–50 years) with multifunction instruments (Myah and Myopia Master) and stand‐alone biometers (Lenstar LS900 and IOLMaster 700). Repeatability (measurements by the same examiner) and reproducibility (measurements by different examiners) were computed as the within‐subject standard deviation (Sw) and 95% limits of agreement (LoA). Inter‐instrument agreement was computed as intraclass correlation coefficients. The threshold for detecting myopic progression was taken as 0.1 mm. Measures were repeated only in children following the administration of 1% tropicamide to determine the impact of cycloplegia on axial length. Results: Overall, the IOLMaster 700 had the best repeatability in children (0.014 mm) and adults (0.009 mm). Repeatability Sw values for all devices ranged from 0.005 to 0.021 mm (children) and 0.003 to 0.016 mm (adults). In children, reproducibility fell within 0.1 mm 95% of the time for the Myah, Myopia Master and IOLMaster 700. Agreement among all devices was classified as excellent (ICC 0.999; 95% CI 0.998–0.999), but the 95% LoA among the Myah, Myopia Master and Lenstar LS900 was ≥0.1 mm. Cycloplegia had no statistically significant effect on axial length (all p > 0.13). Conclusions: The Myah and Myopia Master multifunction instruments demonstrated good repeatability and reproducibility, and their accuracy was comparable to stand‐alone biometers. Axial length measurements using different instruments can be considered interchangeable but should be compared with some caution. Accurate axial length measurements can be obtained without cycloplegia. The multifunction instruments Myah and Myopia Master are as well suited for monitoring myopia progression in children as the stand‐alone biometers IOLMaster 700 and Lenstar LS900. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The task of transporting objects is a fundamental part of daily living activities. Previous kinematic studies focusing on tasks such as pointing, reach-to-grasp, and drinking have not fully captured the motor behaviors involved in object transportation, including placing a cup on a table or storing items in specific places. Hence, this study aimed to analyze the motor behavior associated with transporting a mug using upper limb kinematic variables. Fifteen healthy adults were instructed to transport an open-handle mug across a table. The kinematic metrics evaluated included object end-error for accuracy, frontal and lateral end-range for precision, movement time, peak velocity, time to peak velocity for control strategy, object path ratio for efficiency, and interjoint coordination. The stability of motor behavior was assessed through a test-retest analysis. The mug transporting task achieved accuracy with a radius <10 mm around the target, a peak velocity of ∼0.4 m/s, a control strategy where acceleration time constituted about 30% of the movement time, and a slightly curved trajectory. The test-retest analysis confirmed stable motor behavior across all kinematic metrics (ICCs > 0.75). Thus, the mug transporting task exhibited unique and stable kinematic characteristics, distinguishing it from non-transport activities and effectively mirroring transporting activities of daily living. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Understanding students' naive conceptions about the norms that guide scientific best practice is important so that teachers can adapt to students' existing understandings. Objective: We examined what incoming undergraduate students of psychology believe about reproducibility and open science practices. Method: We conducted an online survey with participants who were about to start their first course in psychology at a university (N = 239). Results: When asked to indicate how a researcher should conduct her study, most students endorsed several open science practices. When asked to estimate the proportion of published psychological studies that follow various open science practices, participants' estimates averaged near 50%. Only 18% of participants reported that they had heard the term "replication crisis." Conclusion: Despite media attention about the replication crisis, few incoming psychology students in our sample were familiar with the term. The students were nevertheless in favour of most open science practices, although they overestimated the prevalence of some of these practices in psychology. Teaching Implications: Teachers of incoming psychology students should not assume pre-existing knowledge about open science or replicability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Even though high-throughput transcriptome sequencing is routinely performed in many laboratories, computational analysis of such data remains a cumbersome process often executed manually, hence error-prone and lacking reproducibility. For corresponding data processing, we introduce Curare, an easy-to-use yet versatile workflow builder for analyzing high-throughput RNA-Seq data focusing on differential gene expression experiments. Data analysis with Curare is customizable and subdivided into preprocessing, quality control, mapping, and downstream analysis stages, providing multiple options for each step while ensuring the reproducibility of the workflow. For a fast and straightforward exploration and visualization of differential gene expression results, we provide the gene expression visualizer software GenExVis. GenExVis can create various charts and tables from simple gene expression tables and DESeq2 results without the requirement to upload data or install software packages. In combination, Curare and GenExVis provide a comprehensive software environment that supports the entire data analysis process, from the initial handling of raw RNA-Seq data to the final DGE analyses and result visualizations, thereby significantly easing data processing and subsequent interpretation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the introduction of the Oddy test in 1973, many museums and cultural institutions have put the method in use, developing their own versions and protocols. Currently the 3-in-1 version, temperature at 60 ºC and 2 g of tested material are set as common practice; however, other variables of the test are not standardized. The purpose of this study is to examine current versions of the Oddy test, to identify differences in the results derived from variations in the procedures, and ultimately raising awareness within the conservation community to work together towards a standardized protocol. In this article, we review the available information on the methodological differences in Oddy test protocols published in the literature related to glassware cleaning, coupon preparation, reaction vessel setup and rating of materials. Based on the review, and to highlight the many variables that could affect the results of the test, seven European cultural institutions working under the H2020 IPERION HS project performed a comparative 3-in-1 Oddy test by blindly evaluating the same ten materials. Each institution used its own test methodology but some guidelines were advised: (1) Detergents as a cleaning procedure for glassware, (2) P600 sandpaper or micromesh pad close to 1500 to prepare metal coupons and (3) 1:100 as water–air ratio. Despite this, differences between institutions' results were still observed. Some of them are due to the differences in the coupons preparation, either in the sanding pattern or in the edge area. In order to separate the contribution of the experimental setup and the subjectivity of the evaluation in the discrepancies, coupons from all institutions have been rated by a single team of judges with experience in the Oddy Test. Results show that differences in the evaluation criteria play a relevant role in the discrepancies of the results, especially for institutions with less experience in the test. These results highlight the need to further standardize the methodology and criteria for visual assessment. Nevertheless, the Oddy test has been found to be reliable for the identification of materials that produce emissions hazardous for the conservation of cultural assets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of neuroimaging methodologies to map brain connectivity has transformed our understanding of psychiatric disorders, the distributed effects of brain stimulation, and how transcranial magnetic stimulation can be best employed to target and ameliorate psychiatric symptoms. In parallel, neuroimaging research has revealed that higher-order brain regions such as the prefrontal cortex, which represent the most common therapeutic brain stimulation targets for psychiatric disorders, show some of the highest levels of interindividual variation in brain connectivity. These findings provide the rationale for personalized target site selection based on person-specific brain network architecture. Recent advances have made it possible to determine reproducible personalized targets with millimeter precision in clinically tractable acquisition times. These advances enable the potential advantages of spatially personalized transcranial magnetic stimulation targeting to be evaluated and translated to basic and clinical applications. In this review, we outline the motivation for target site personalization, preliminary support (mostly in depression), convergent evidence from other brain stimulation modalities, and generalizability beyond depression and the prefrontal cortex. We end by detailing methodological recommendations, controversies, and notable alternatives. Overall, while this research area appears highly promising, the value of personalized targeting remains unclear, and dedicated large prospective randomized clinical trials using validated methodology are critical. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dietary patterns, encompassing an overall view of individuals' dietary intake, are suggested as a suitable means of assessing nutrition's role in chronic disease development. The aim of this study was to evaluate the validity and reproducibility of a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) designed for use in the Prospective Epidemiological Research Studies in IrAN (PERSIAN), by comparing major dietary patterns assessed by the FFQ with a reference method. Methods: Study participants included men and women who enrolled in the PERSIAN Cohort Study at seven of the eighteen centers. These centers were chosen to include dietary variations observed among the different Iranian ethnic populations. Two FFQ were completed for each participant over a one-year study period (FFQ1 upon enrollment and FFQ2 at the end of the study), with 24 interviewer-administered 24-hour dietary recalls (24 h) being completed monthly in between. Spearman correlation coefficients (SCC) were used comparing FFQs 1 and 2 to the 24 h to assess validity, while FFQ1 was compared to FFQ2 to assess reproducibility of the questionnaire. Results: Three major dietary patterns—Healthy, Low Protein/High Carb and Unhealthy—were identified, accounting for 70% of variance in the study population. Corrected SCC ranged from 0.31 to 0.61 in the validity and from 0.34 to 0.57 in reproducibility analyses, with the first two patterns, which accounted for over 50% of population variance, correlated at above 0.5 in both parameters, showing acceptable findings. Conclusions: The PERSIAN Cohort FFQ is suitable for identification of major dietary patterns in the populations it is used for, in order to assess diet-disease relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The analysis of large and complex biological datasets in bioinformatics poses a significant challenge to achieving reproducible research outcomes due to inconsistencies and the lack of standardization in the analysis process. These issues can lead to discrepancies in results, undermining the credibility and impact of bioinformatics research and creating mistrust in the scientific process. To address these challenges, open science practices such as sharing data, code, and methods have been encouraged. Results: CREDO, a Customizable, REproducible, DOcker file generator for bioinformatics applications, has been developed as a tool to moderate reproducibility issues by building and distributing docker containers with embedded bioinformatics tools. CREDO simplifies the process of generating Docker images, facilitating reproducibility and efficient research in bioinformatics. The crucial step in generating a Docker image is creating the Dockerfile, which requires incorporating heterogeneous packages and environments such as Bioconductor and Conda. CREDO stores all required package information and dependencies in a Github-compatible format to enhance Docker image reproducibility, allowing easy image creation from scratch. The user-friendly GUI and CREDO's ability to generate modular Docker images make it an ideal tool for life scientists to efficiently create Docker images. Overall, CREDO is a valuable tool for addressing reproducibility issues in bioinformatics research and promoting open science practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]