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 ReportOpen accessEconomics, Econometrics and Finance

Government spending and economic growth dynamics in Somalia: time series evidence from ARDL bounds testing

Bile Abdisalan Nor, Yusniliyana Yusof · 2025 · Discover Sustainability

Abstract Somalia’s economy has faced persistent instability due to shocks from COVID-19, climate-related disasters, and conflict, resulting in stagnant GDP growth (averaging 2% from 2019 to 2023) and declining real GDP per capita (− 0.8% annually). Despite government expenditure rising to 9% of GDP in 2021, its efficiency in driving growth remains uncertain, raising critical questions about fiscal policy effectiveness in fragile states. We aim to investigate the relationship between government expenditure and GDP growth in Somalia from 1991 to 2021 using the ARDL estimation technique. The resu

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

Integrating single-cell RNA-seq datasets with substantial batch effects

Karin Hrovatin, Amir Ali Moinfar, Luke Zappia et al. · 2025 · BMC Genomics

Integration of single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) datasets is standard in scRNA-seq analysis. Nevertheless, current computational methods struggle to harmonize datasets across systems such as species, organoids and primary tissue, or different scRNA-seq protocols, including single-cell and single-nuclei. Conditional variational autoencoders (cVAE) are a popular integration method, however, existing strategies for stronger batch correction have limitations. Increasing the Kullback-Leibler divergence regularization does not improve integration and adversarial learning removes biological sign

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

Host factors dictate gut microbiome alterations in chronic kidney disease more strongly than kidney function

Hubert Krukowski, Sophie Valkenburg, A. Vich Vila et al. · 2026 · Nature Microbiology

Despite recent progress, microbial associations reported in chronic kidney disease (CKD) remain inconsistent. Here we combined quantitative faecal metagenomics (n = 130) and cross-study biomarker comparisons (ntotal = 4,420) to study…

View details →
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessAgricultural and Biological Sciences

Exploring meat analogs: A review of alternative proteins with a focus on food safety and regulatory challenges

Tianyang Zhao, Noemí Echegaray, José M. Lorenzo et al. · 2025 · Food Control

Food safety and environmental concerns are global challenges that require innovative solutions, and alternative protein sources like insect proteins, plant-based meat analogs (PBMAs), and single-cell proteins represent promising pathways toward sustainable nutrition. These proteins are produced through different techniques including extrusion, fermentation, and cell cultivation, with emerging technologies like 3D printing and shear cell structuring enhancing their texture and nutritional quality. Beyond their technological advantages, these alternatives provide significant environmental benefi

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

Spatial transcriptomics reveals influence of microenvironment on intrinsic fates in melanoma therapy resistance

Ryan H. Boe, Catherine G. Triandafillou, Rossana Lazcano et al. · 2026 · Genome biology

Abstract Resistance to cancer therapy is driven by both cell-intrinsic and microenvironmental factors. We use spatial transcriptomics and single-cell RNA sequencing to uncover distinct resistance programs in melanoma cells shaped by intrinsic cellular states and the tumor microenvironment. Consensus non-negative matrix factorization reveals shared intrinsic resistance programs across cell lines. In patient samples, these resistance programs coexist within individual tumors and associate with diverse immune signatures. Single-cell resolution spatial transcriptomics in xenograft models reveals b

View details →
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessEnvironmental Science

How well do process-based and data-driven hydrological models learn from limited discharge data?

Maria Staudinger, Anna Herzog, Ralf Loritz et al. · 2025 · Hydrology and earth system sciences

Abstract. It is widely assumed that data-driven models achieve good results only with sufficiently large training data, whereas process-based models are usually expected to be superior in data-poor situations. To investigate this, we calibrated several process-based and data-driven hydrological models using training datasets of observed discharge that differed in terms of both the number of data points and the type of data selection, allowing us to make a systematic comparison of the learning behaviour of the different model types. Four data-driven models (conditional probability distributions

View details →
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessMedicine

Association of the C-reactive protein–triglyceride–glucose index with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease and long-term all-cause and cardiovascular mortality: evidence from two nationwide prospective cohort studies

Xuefeng Jin, Zhaojie Su, Jian-Fa Zhong et al. · 2026 · Cardiovascular Diabetology

BACKGROUND: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is closely linked to cardiometabolic disorders, and cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among affected individuals. Identifying simple biomarkers…

View details →
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessMedicine

Multicenter Prospective Validation of an Updated Proprietary Sepsis Prediction Model

Andrew Wong, Danielle Currey, Megan Schwinne et al. · 2026 · JAMA Network Open

Importance: The Epic Sepsis Model version 2 (ESM v2) is a widely implemented proprietary sepsis prediction model, but no multicenter, external validation of its performance has been reported to guide adoption and use. Objective: To conduct a multicenter validation of the ESM v2 to compare performance against the original ESM v1, outline differences across heterogenous clinical sites, and compare model performance against clinician recognition of sepsis. Design, Setting, and Participants: This prognostic study included adult inpatient encounters at 4 large US health systems between August 31, 2

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

Gut microbial metabolites in inflammatory bowel disease: immunological mechanisms regulating Treg/Th17 balance and therapeutic potential

He Chen, Shaochen Yu, Mengjie Zhang et al. · 2026 · Frontiers in Immunology

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammatory disorder resulting from a combination of genetic susceptibility, environmental factors, and an abnormal immune response of the intestinal immune system to commensal microorganisms. The gut microbiota and its metabolites play a pivotal role in maintaining intestinal immune homeostasis. Recent advances indicate that dysbiosis of the microbiota is accompanied by alterations in its metabolic functions. Abnormal levels of key metabolites, particularly short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), tryptophan derivatives, and secondary bile acids, are clo

View details →
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessAgricultural and Biological Sciences

Enhancing Food Safety in the Cold Chain Through Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence

Wagner Augusto Müller, Sandro Binsfeld Ferreira, Suse Botelho da Silva · 2026 · Journal of Food Science

Effective cold chain management is crucial for ensuring food safety, but traditional monitoring approaches remain reactive and fragmented. Industry 4.0 technologies, such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI), offer transformative potential for real-time tracking, automation, and predictive analytics. Many studies have explored the application of IoT and AI in the cold chain, but the existing literature focuses on isolated technologies. This review presents an integrated perspective, examining the synergistic potential of IoT-enabled data acquisition and AI-driven pr

View details →
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessAgricultural and Biological Sciences

Encapsulation in Food Systems: From Technique‐Driven Approaches to Functional, Scalable, and Sustainable Industrial Applications

Sumon Islam, Md. Hassan Bin Nabi, Iftekhar Ahmad et al. · 2026 · International Journal of Food Science

Encapsulation is an essential technology for the stabilization and controlled delivery of bioactive compounds in contemporary foods, but studies are mostly technique-based and seem not to be associated with the actual performance in the world. This review considers micro- and nanoencapsulation based on real-world performance bioavailability, food-matrix compatibility, industrial scalability, and regulatory feasibility, as well as long-term environmental sustainability as opposed to encapsulation efficiencies in the laboratory. We demonstrate that high encapsulation efficacy is not necessarily

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

Impact of air pollution on life expectancy in Asian developing countries: Does renewable energy adoption matter?

Bo Yang, Fatma Ahmed Hassan, Waqar Ahmad et al. · 2026 · Frontiers in Public Health

Air pollution (AIRP) remains a critical public health and environmental challenge in developing Asia, where rapid industrialization and fossil fuel dependence continue to undermine population health and longevity. This study examines the impact of AIRP on life expectancy (LIFE) and investigates whether renewable energy adoption moderates this relationship. AIRP is proxied by carbon dioxide (CO₂) and nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions, which capture pollution-intensive energy systems, industrial activity, and agricultural practices that jointly generate health-damaging co-pollutants, particularly in

View details →
Negative / Null Result ReportPsychology

The Role of Digital Transformation and English Language Technological Self‐Efficacy in the Era of Artificial Intelligence

Muhammad Ahsan Younas, Rashid Menhas, Uzma Noor · 2026 · European Journal of Education

ABSTRACT This study investigates the multifaceted role of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital transformation (DT) in reshaping smart learning environments within the education sector. Using structural equation modelling with data…

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

Free Movement of Inventors: Open-Border Policy and Innovation in Switzerland

Gabriele Cristelli, Francesco Lissoni · 2026 · Journal of the European Economic Association

Abstract We study the innovation effects of the Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons, signed by Switzerland and the European Union in 1999. We exploit a quasi-experimental setting created by Switzerland’s implementation of the treaty, which initially eased entry restrictions only for commuters from neighboring countries, thereby inducing a large inflow of “cross-border inventors” in regions close to the border. We find that the treaty increased patenting in such regions relative to comparable ones farther away from the border. We find no evidence indicating the displacement of native inve

View details →
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessPhysics and Astronomy

Perihelion Asymmetry in the Water Production Rate of the Interstellar Object 3I/ATLAS

Hanjie Tan, Xiaoran Yan, Jian‐Yang Li · 2026 · The Astrophysical Journal Letters

Abstract 3I/ATLAS is an interstellar object whose activity provides critical insights into its composition and origin. However, due to its orbital geometry, the object is too close to the Sun near perihelion to be observed from the ground, and space-based measurements are therefore required. Here we characterize the water production rate of 3I/ATLAS using Solar and Heliospheric Observatory/SWAN Ly α observations from 2025 November to December (heliocentric distances 1.4–2.2 au) with 3D Monte Carlo modeling. We report a peak postperihelion water production rate of Q H 2 O ≈ 4 × 1 0 28 molecules

View details →
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessMedicine

Alcohol, Smoking, and Their Synergy as Risk Factors for Incident Type 2 Diabetes

Indira Paz‐Graniel, Junko Kose, Pauline Duquenne et al. · 2025 · American Journal of Preventive Medicine

INTRODUCTION: Smoking has been independently related to an increased risk of Type 2 diabetes, whereas the role of alcohol remains controversial. The joint impact of tobacco and alcohol use on Type 2 diabetes risk is understudied. This…

View details →
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessPsychology

Think First, ChatGPT Later: Guiding Human–AI Collaboration for Learning Gains in Independent Human Creativity

Sarah Shi Hui Wong, Sophia Xuefei Qiu · 2026 · Educational Psychology Review

Abstract Generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT can boost creative performance, but do these boosts translate into learning gains? This study examined whether the benefits of ChatGPT for creativity persist even when its assistance is removed, and how people can effectively use ChatGPT to enhance their learning and independent creativity. University students ( N = 196) solved a creative product improvement task either independently (human-only group) or using ChatGPT freely (general-AI group) or using ChatGPT in a guided way (regulated-AI group). Specifically, the regulat

View details →
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessEnvironmental Science

Alaska North Slope HYDRATE 02 Geo Data Well (GDW) Downhole Logging, Pressure Coring, and Completion Operations and Data

Timothy S. Collett, Scott Marsteller, Ray M. Boswell et al. · 2026 · Energy & Fuels

Abstract The “Collaborative Gas Hydrate R&D Project in Alaska,” led by the Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC), the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), and the U.S. Geological Survey, aims to examine and assess gas…

View details →
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessPharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics

Cracking the Skin Barrier: Models and Methods Driving Dermal Drug Delivery

Francelle Bouwer, Marius Brits, Joe M. Viljoen · 2025 · Pharmaceutics

Dermal drug delivery is a promising alternate route of drug administration, offering localized therapeutic effects, reduced systemic effects, and improved patient compliance. However, the skin’s intricate configuration, especially the stratum corneum (SC), presents formidable barriers, restricting drug permeation. This review summarizes biological, synthetic, and methodological models employed to study dermal absorption and permeability. Ex vivo human skin is a reference point, but limited availability and ethical constraints necessitate reliance on animal models, including porcine, rodent, ra

View details →
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessMedicine

From immune exclusion to exhaustion: tumor microenvironment drives therapy response

Nemanja Maletin · 2026 · Frontiers in Immunology

The tumor microenvironment (TME) is increasingly recognized as a dynamic regulator of cancer progression and therapeutic resistance. Far from being a passive scaffold, the TME comprises diverse immune and stromal components, including cancer-associated fibroblasts, myeloid-derived suppressor cells, tumor-associated macrophages, dysfunctional vasculature, and metabolic stressors, that collectively shape tumor evolution and modulate treatment response. In this review, we explore how spatial immune exclusion, immune cell dysfunction, hypoxia, and metabolic reprogramming create barriers to effecti

View details →
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessNeuroscience

Sexual dimorphism in the complete Drosophila male central nervous system connectome

Stuart Berg, Isabella R. Beckett, Marta Costa et al. · 2026 · Cell

Sex differences in behavior exist across all animals, typically under strong genetic regulation. In Drosophila, fruitless/doublesex transcription factors identify dimorphic neurons, but their organization into functional circuits remains unclear. We present the connectome of the entire Drosophila male central nervous system. This contains 166,700 neurons spanning the brain and nerve cord, fully proofread and annotated, including fruitless/doublesex expression and 11,710 neuron types. We provide the first comprehensive comparison between male and female brain connectomes to synaptic resolution,

View details →
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessEngineering

Towards a more realistic evaluation of machine learning models for bearing fault diagnosis

João Paulo Vieira, Victor Afonso Bauler, Rodrigo Kobashikawa Rosa et al. · 2026 · Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing

Reliable detection of bearing faults is essential for maintaining the safety and operational efficiency of rotating machinery. While recent advances in machine learning (ML), particularly deep learning, have shown strong performance in controlled settings, many studies fail to generalize to real-world applications due to methodological flaws, most notably data leakage. This paper investigates the issue of data leakage in vibration-based bearing fault diagnosis and its impact on model evaluation. We demonstrate that common dataset partitioning strategies, such as segment-wise and condition-wise

View details →
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessEngineering

Two-terminal β-Ga2O3 photo-synapse for diversified in-sensor computing via self-trapped holes engineering

Yiyin Nie, Shujie Jiao, Xing Yang et al. · 2026 · Light Science & Applications

Abstract The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence has propelled the development of β-Ga 2 O 3 photo-synapses for solar-blind ultraviolet neuromorphic machine vision systems. However, existing β-Ga 2 O 3 photo-synapses not only exhibit reduced stability but also display high weight update nonlinearity. Herein, we propose a novel strategy to construct β-Ga 2 O 3 photo-synapses with low weight update nonlinearity based on self-trapped holes, aiming to achieve multi-level in-sensor computing tasks. Theoretical and experimental investigations revealed that the interaction between the larger

View details →
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessMedicine

Transnasal spread of bupivacaine into the pterygopalatine fossa following endoscopically assisted cotton swab placement: a cadaveric study

Simon Istenič, Anže Jerman, Luka Pušnik et al. · 2025 · Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine

BACKGROUND: There are conflicting data on the efficacy of transnasal topical anesthetic approaches intended to achieve a pterygopalatine ganglion block, specifically regarding the extent to which local anesthetics reach the pterygopalatine…

View details →
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessMedicine

Conduction System vs Biventricular Pacing in Heart Failure

André Zimerman, Alexander Dal Forno, Luis E. Rohde et al. · 2026 · JAMA Cardiology

Importance: Conduction system pacing (CSP) is a promising and potentially cost-effective alternative to biventricular pacing (BiVP) in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and left bundle-branch block (LBBB), but its impact on heart failure (HF) outcomes remains uncertain. Objective: To compare CSP vs BiVP on an HF-related outcome in patients with HFrEF and LBBB. Design, Setting, and Participants: PhysioSync-HF (Conduction System Pacing Versus Biventricular Resynchronization in Patients With Chronic Heart Failure) was an investigator-initiated, multicenter, noninf

View details →
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessAgricultural and Biological Sciences

Mechanism, Efficacy, and Safety of Natural Antibiotics

Andrei Teodor Matei, Anita Ioana Vișan · 2025 · Antibiotics

The growing ineffectiveness of common antibiotics against multidrug-resistant pathogens has made antimicrobial resistance (AMR) a serious global health concern. This review emphasizes that natural antibiotics from animals, bacteria, fungi, and plants are worthy alternatives for combating this crisis. Evolutionary pressure has shaped these molecules, leading to antibiotic-resistant bacteria that can withstand single-target synthetic drugs but are vulnerable to multiple attack pathways (e.g., cell wall disruption, protein synthesis inhibition, biofilm interference) from natural compounds. Natura

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

Advances and Perspectives in Curcumin Regulation of Systemic Metabolism: A Focus on Multi-Organ Mechanisms

Dingya Sun, Jialu Wang, Xin Li et al. · 2026 · Antioxidants

Curcumin, a natural polyphenol derived from turmeric, functions as a potent exogenous antioxidant and exhibits a range of benefits in the prevention and management of metabolic diseases. Despite its extremely low systemic bioavailability, curcumin demonstrates significant bioactivity in vivo, a phenomenon likely attributable to its accumulation in the intestines and subsequent modulation of systemic oxidative stress and inflammation. This article systematically reviews the comprehensive regulatory effects of curcumin on systemic metabolic networks-including glucose metabolism, amino acid metab

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

Adaptive food price forecasting improves public information in times of rapid economic change

Matthew MacLachlan, Michael K. Adjemian, Xiaoli Etienne et al. · 2025 · Nature Communications

The advent of COVID-19 ended an era of stable US retail food prices that followed the world food price crisis of 2010–2012. Pandemic-related disruptions, avian influenza outbreaks, and the Russia-Ukraine war drove 2022 food-at-home…

View details →