e-ISSN: Pending

Browse the failure-mode index

20,211 real negative results, null findings, and replication failures · Negative / Null Result Report. Search the index →

WASTE indexes published research — it does not host or republish full papers. Each entry is a metadata record compiled from open scholarly databases; the abstract is shown in full only where the paper is openly licensed, otherwise a short excerpt under fair use. Classifications are automated and approximate.

Negative / Null Result Report

Apremilast for moderate hidradenitis suppurativa: no significant change in lesional skin inflammatory biomarkers

A.R.J.V. Vossen, H.H. van der Zee, N. Davelaar et al. · 2018 · Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology

Abstract Background Treatment with apremilast has recently demonstrated clinically meaningful improvement in moderate hidradenitis suppurativa ( HS ). Objective To evaluate the change in expression of inflammatory markers in lesional skin…

View details →
Negative / Null Result Report

Effect of the change in antiviral therapy indication on identifying significant liver injury among chronic hepatitis B virus infections in the grey zone

Shan Ren, Wenjing Wang, Junfeng Lu et al. · 2022 · Frontiers in Immunology

Objective In clinical practice, a substantial proportion of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections that do not fit into any of the usual immune states are considered to be in the “grey zone (GZ)”. This study aimed to investigate the…

View details →
Negative / Null Result Report

Association of clinically significant weight loss with number of patient visits and months of attendance at an Australian multidisciplinary weight management clinic

Juliana Chen, Harpreet Kaur, Joanna Jaques et al. · 2022 · Clinical Obesity

Summary Despite the obesity epidemic, there are relatively few multidisciplinary obesity services in Australia, and only limited data on the effectiveness of these services. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a…

View details →
Negative / Null Result Report

Computer-Based Programmed Instruction Did Not Improve the Knowledge Retention of Medication Instructions of Individuals With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Jorge G. Ruiz, Allen D. Andrade, Ramanakumar Anam et al. · 2013 · The Diabetes Educator

Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate whether computer-based programmed instruction (CPI) with a dynamic avatar (DA) improves retention of medication information better than text (controls) or better than CPI with text…

View details →
Negative / Null Result Report

Why did life expectancy in Central and Eastern Europe suddenly improve in the 1990s? An analysis by cause of death

Johan P. Mackenbach, Marina Karanikolos, Jamie Lopez Bernal et al. · 2015 · Scandinavian Journal of Public Health

Background: The upturn of life expectancy in Central and Eastern Europe in the 1990s, after a period of stagnation or even decline, is one of the main events in European population history of the late 20th century, but has not been…

View details →
Negative / Null Result Report

Sigma receptor type 1 knockout mice show a mild deficit in plasticity but no significant change in synaptic transmission in the CA 1 region of the hippocampus

Melissa A. Snyder, Kieran McCann, Maryline J. Lalande et al. · 2016 · Journal of Neurochemistry

Abstract The sigma‐1 receptor (σ‐1R) is a chaperone protein located at the endoplasmic reticulum ( ER ) mitochondrial interface with roles in neuroprotection and cognition. Increasing evidence suggests that loss of σ‐1R function could…

View details →
Negative / Null Result Report

Significant contributions of combustion‐related NH 3 and non‐fossil fuel NO x to elevation of nitrogen deposition in southwestern China over past five decades

Hao Huang, Wei Song, Xue‐Yan Liu · 2021 · Global Change Biology

Abstract Anthropogenic nitrogen (N) emissions and deposition have been increasing over past decades. However, spatiotemporal variations of N deposition levels and major sources remain unclear in many regions, which hinders making…

View details →
Negative / Null Result Report

Association of the functionally significant polymorphisms of the MMP9 gene with H. pylori-positive gastric ulcer in the Caucasian population of Central Russia

Volodymyr Dvornyk, Irina Ponomarenko, Oksana Minyaylo et al. · 2021 · PLOS ONE

Background and purpose The study analyzed the association of functionally significant polymorphisms of matrix metalloproteinases ( MMPs ) genes with the development of gastric ulcer (GU) in Caucasians from Central Russia. Methods The 781…

View details →
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessNeuroscience

SGLT2 inhibitors activate pantothenate kinase in the human heart

Nicholas Forelli, Trace Thome, Deborah Eaton et al. · 2026 · Science

Abstract Inhibitors of sodium glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2i) demonstrate strong symptomatic and mortality benefits in the treatment of heart failure but appear to do so independently of SGLT2. The relevant pharmacologic target of SGLT2i…

View details →
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Gut Microbiota-Derived Short-Chain Fatty Acids in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Mechanistic Insights into Gut Inflammation, Barrier Function, and Therapeutic Potential

Roberta Ottria, Susan Mirmajidi, Pierangela Ciuffreda · 2026 · International Journal of Molecular Sciences

This review delves into the complex relationship between short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) produced by the gut microbiota and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). IBD, which includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, is a group of chronic gastrointestinal disorders with an increasing global incidence. Despite extensive research, the exact etiopathogenesis remains elusive, although a complex interplay involving genetic predisposition, environmental influences, and abnormal immune responses against commensal gut microbes is widely recognized. SCFAs, primarily acetate and butyrate, emerge as key

View details →
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessImmunology and Microbiology

Immunotherapy for atherosclerosis

Claudia Monaco, Coleen A. McNamara, Bram Slütter et al. · 2025 · Physiological Reviews

Cardiovascular disease is the global number one cause of mortality and morbidity. The majority of cardiovascular diseases are caused by atherosclerosis, a lipid-driven, inflammatory disease of the middle- and large-sized arteries. The…

View details →
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Dual signaling pathways of TGF-β superfamily cytokines in hepatocytes: balancing liver homeostasis and disease progression

Roohi Chaudhary, Ralf Weiskirchen, Marcelo Ehrlich et al. · 2025 · Frontiers in Pharmacology

The transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) superfamily (TGF-β-SF) comprises over 30 cytokines, including TGF-β, activins/inhibins, bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), and growth differentiation factors (GDFs). These cytokines play critical roles in liver function and disease progression. Here, we discuss Smad-dependent (canonical) and non-Smad pathways activated by these cytokines in a hepatocellular context. We highlight the connection between the deregulation of these pathways or the balance between them and key hepatocellular processes (e.g., proliferation, apoptosis, and epithelial-mesenchym

View details →
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessEconomics, Econometrics and Finance

A digital path to carbon neutrality: Heterogeneous green innovations and their spatial impact for Chinese cities

Tingting Bai, Dong Xu, Muhammad Ali Nasir · 2026 · Technological Forecasting and Social Change

With the accelerating growth of the digital economy, digital technology—as a type of general-purpose technology—creates a more inclusive and open environment for innovation, thereby facilitating the shift toward a low-carbon economy by promoting green innovation. However, we know little about whether there are differences in the roles of various types of green innovation. Therefore, this study evaluates the impact of DE on low-carbon development (LCD) through heterogeneous green innovation. The results show that DE has a significant nonlinear effect on LCD, with an initial suppressing effect t

View details →
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessEnvironmental Science

The Origins and Control of Forest Fires in the Tropics

Clare Balboni, Robin Burgess, Benjamin Olken · 2025 · The Review of Economic Studies

Abstract Environmental externalities—uncompensated damages imposed on others—lie at the root of climate change, pollution, deforestation and biodiversity loss. Empirical evidence is limited, however, as to how externalities drive private decision making. We study one such behaviour, illegal tropical forest fires, using 15 years of daily satellite data covering over 107,000 fires across Indonesia. Weather-induced variation in fire spread risk and variation in who owns surrounding land allow us to identify how far externalities influence the decision to use fire. Relative to when all spread risk

View details →
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessPsychology

Fourteen-Month-Olds Adapt Their Imitative Behavior in Light of a Model’s Constraints

Kata Gellén, David Buttelmann · 2017 · Child Development Research

Rather than reenacting every action they observe, preverbal infants adapt their imitative behavior. Although previous studies have revealed the capability of preverbal infants to imitate selectively, the question about the adaptability of this behavior on an individual level did not attract considerable scientific attention until now. In the current study, we investigated whether 14-month-old infants flexibly alternate their imitative response in accordance with a model’s changing physical constraints in a body-part imitation paradigm. Participants were presented with two novel actions whereby

View details →
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Phylogenetic Analysis of Murine Leukemia Virus Sequences from Longitudinally Sampled Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Patients Suggests PCR Contamination Rather than Viral Evolution

Aris Katzourakis, Stéphane Hué, Paul Kellam et al. · 2011 · Journal of Virology

Xenotropic murine leukemia virus (MLV)-related virus (XMRV) has been amplified from human prostate cancer and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) patient samples. Other studies failed to replicate these findings and suggested PCR contamination…

View details →
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessEarth and Planetary Sciences

Machine learning modelling of a nonlinear environmental index with sensitivity analysis for groundwater assessment

Aliasghar Azma, Yakun Liu, Eden Tatek Alemu · 2026 · Scientific Reports

The aim of this study was to evaluate groundwater quality the Marvdasht aquifer using the Groundwater Quality Index (GWQI), which was determined using a conventional method and also predicted using three machine learning algorithms:…

View details →
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessNeuroscience

A suite of engineered mice for interrogating psychedelic drug actions

Yi-Ting Chiu, Ariel Y. Deutch, Wei Wang et al. · 2026 · Nature Neuroscience

ABSTRACT Psychedelic drugs like lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and psilocybin have emerged as potentially transformative therapeutics for many neuropsychiatric diseases, including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder,…

View details →
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessEngineering

Inflow Process of Pedestrians to a Confined Space

Takahiro Ezaki, Kazumichi Ohtsuka, Mohcine Chraibi et al. · 2026 · Qucosa (Saxon State and University Library Dresden)

To better design safe and comfortable urban spaces, understanding the nature of human crowd movement is important. However, precise interactions among pedestrians are difficult to measure in the presence of their complex decision-making processes and many related factors. While extensive studies on pedestrian flow through bottlenecks and corridors have been conducted, the dominant mode of interaction in these scenarios may not be relevant in different scenarios. Here, we attempt to decipher the factors that affect human reactions to other individuals from a different perspective. We conducted

View details →
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessMedicine

Feasibility of two levels of protein intake in patients with colorectal cancer: findings from the Protein Recommendation to Increase Muscle (PRIMe) randomized controlled pilot trial

Katherine L. Ford, Michael B. Sawyer, Sunita Ghosh et al. · 2024 · ESMO Open

•Patients were able to increase and sustain dietary protein intake from preintervention levels.•Over one-half of patients in the 2.0 g/kg/day group maintained or gained MM with a 12-week targeted nutrition intervention.•This work…

View details →
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessNeuroscience

Wearable EEG-Based Brain–Computer Interface for Stress Monitoring

Brian Premchand, Liyuan Liang, Kok Soon Phua et al. · 2024 · NeuroSci

Detecting stress is important for improving human health and potential, because moderate levels of stress may motivate people towards better performance at cognitive tasks, while chronic stress exposure causes impaired performance and health risks. We propose a Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) system to detect stress in the context of high-pressure work environments. The BCI system includes an electroencephalogram (EEG) headband with dry electrodes and an electrocardiogram (ECG) chest belt. We collected EEG and ECG data from 40 participants during two stressful cognitive tasks: the Cognitive Vig

View details →
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessEnvironmental Science

Skilful global seasonal predictions from a machine learning weather model trained on reanalysis data

Chris Kent, Adam A. Scaife, Nick Dunstone et al. · 2025 · npj Climate and Atmospheric Science

Abstract Machine learning weather models trained on observed atmospheric conditions can outperform conventional physics-based models at short- to medium-range (1–14 day) forecast timescales. Here we take the machine learning model ACE2, trained to predict 6-hourly steps in atmospheric evolution and which can remain stable over long forecast periods, and assess it from a seasonal forecasting perspective (1–3 month lead time). Applying persisted sea surface temperature (SST) and sea-ice anomalies centred on 1 st November each year, we initialise a lagged ensemble of seasonal predictions covering

View details →