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Failure-mode index

Search what already failed

A searchable index of real negative results, null findings, and replication failures from the published literature — so you can learn what didn't work before repeating it.

WASTE indexes published research — it does not host or republish full papers. Each entry is a metadata record (title, authors, DOI) compiled from open scholarly databases, with the abstract shown in full only where the paper is openly licensed (e.g. Creative Commons); otherwise a short excerpt is shown for reference under fair use. WASTE classifies each work by failure type; classifications are automated and approximate.

21318 results · page 423 of 711

Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessMedicine

DNAm scores for serum GDF15 and NT-proBNP levels associate with a range of traits affecting the body and brain

Danni A. Gadd, Hannah M. Smith, Donncha Mullin et al. · 2024 · Clinical Epigenetics

Abstract Background Plasma growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) and N‐terminal proB‐type natriuretic peptide (NT‐proBNP) are cardiovascular biomarkers that associate with a range of diseases. Epigenetic scores (EpiScores) for GDF15 and NT-proBNP may provide new routes for risk stratification. Results In the Generation Scotland cohort (N ≥ 16,963), GDF15 levels were associated with incident dementia, ischaemic stroke and type 2 diabetes, whereas NT-proBNP levels were associated with incident ischaemic heart disease, ischaemic stroke and type 2 diabetes (all PFDR 95%) with levels of GDF15 an

View details →DOI: 10.1186/s13148-024-01734-7
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessPhysiology

Modeling age‐dependent developmental changes in the expression of genes involved in citrulline synthesis using pig enteroids

Mahmoud A. Mohammad, Inka C. Didelija, Barbara Stoll et al. · 2020 · Physiological Reports

Abstract Background Age‐dependent changes in the intestinal gene expression of enzymes involved in the metabolism of citrulline and arginine are well characterized. Enteroids, a novel ex‐vivo model that recreates the three‐dimensional structure of the intestinal crypt‐villus unit, have shown to replicate molecular and physiological profiles of the intestinal segment from where they originated (“location memory”). Objective The present study tested the hypothesis that enteroids recapitulate the developmental changes observed in vivo regarding citrulline production in pigs (“developmental memory

View details →DOI: 10.14814/phy2.14565
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessInternal medicine

The effect of FOXA2 rs1209523 on glucose-related phenotypes and risk of type 2 diabetes in Danish individuals

Banasik Karina, Hollensted Mette, Andersson Ehm et al. · 2012 · BMC Medical Genetics

Abstract Background Variations within the FOXA family have been studied for a putative contribution to the risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D), and recently the minor T-allele of FOXA2 rs1209523 was reported to associate with decreased fasting plasma glucose levels in a study using a weighted false discovery rate control procedure to enhance the statistical power of genome wide association studies in detecting associations between low-frequency variants and a given trait. Thus, the primary aim of this study was to investigate whether the minor T-allele of rs1205923 in FOXA2 associated with 1) decrea

View details →DOI: 10.1186/1471-2350-13-10
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessPsychology

Early Maladaptive Schemas' Associations with Big-Five Personality Traits in a Non-Clinical Adult Sample

Aiste DIRZYTE, Aidas PERMINAS, Aiste SKARNULYTE et al. · 2024 · European Journal of Mental Health

Introduction: While personality traits and early maladaptive schemas (EMSs) can affect an individual’s behavior and well-being, the links between these constructs are under-researched, especially in non-clinical samples. Aims: Two studies were conducted to address these links, intending to explore their specifics, as previous research evidenced various associations’ models. Methods: In Study 1, the sample consisted of 120 respondents (65.0% females) living in the UK and the USA. In Study 2, the sample consisted of 244 respondents (68.0% females) living in Lithuania. In both studies, most of th

View details →DOI: https://doi.org/10.5708/ejmh.19.2024.0015
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessNeurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry

Replication challenges in linking personality to resting-state functional connectomics

Nikola Jajcay, David Tomeček, Iveta Fajnerová et al. · 2026 · Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience

An increasing number of studies are currently focusing on “personality neuroscience,” a term denoting the research aimed at neuroimaging correlates of inter-individual temperament and character variability. Among other methods, a graph theoretical analysis of the functional connectivity in resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data was applied in a study by, reporting novel functional connectivity correlates of personality traits. The current paper presents a conceptual replication of the results of this study and discusses the related challenges, including an extension of the or

View details →DOI: 10.3389/fncom.2026.1796308
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessMedicine

Exploration of shared genetic susceptibility loci between type 1 diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis in the Pakistani population

Muhammad Muaaz Aslam, Peter John, Kang-Hsien Fan et al. · 2019 · BMC Research Notes

Abstract Objective Type 1 diabetes (T1D) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are autoimmune diseases. It is known that certain genetic loci and factors that increase the overall autoimmunity risk can be shared among different autoimmune diseases. We sought to replicate seven T1D-related SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms) that have been previously reported to be associated with RA susceptibility in a small set of mixed family-based and case–control Pakistani sample in a relatively large and independent RA case–control sample from the same population. Seven T1D-associated SNPs (GLIS3/rs7020673, BA

View details →DOI: 10.1186/s13104-019-4590-8
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessPsychiatry

Reported Childhood Abuse and Stress Reactivity in Psychosis: A Conceptual Replication and Exploration of Statistical Approaches

Jonas Weijers, Jonas Weijers, Wolfgang Viechtbauer et al. · 2018 · Frontiers in Psychiatry

A previous study observed that reported childhood abuse moderated psychotic and emotional reactivity to stress among patients with non-affective psychotic disorder. However, that study used a type of analysis unsuited for skewed data. This study aimed (1) to replicate the study and (2) to examine whether we would obtain similar results using a statistical approach better suited to skewed data. Fifty-nine patients with non-affective psychotic disorder were examined for up to 6 days using an intensive diary method to assess levels of negative affect, psychosis, and daily-life stress. A mixed-lin

View details →DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00639
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessDentistry

Dens invaginatus as a diagnostic challenge: evaluating large language models against expert endodontic reasoning

Damla Erkal, Turgut Felek, Oana-Paula Butean et al. · 2025 · BMC Oral Health

Abstract Introduction This study hypothesized that large language models (LLMs) would underperform compared to expert clinicians in diagnosing and managing complex endodontic anomalies, such as dens invaginatus, when provided with periapical radiographs. Although LLMs have shown promise in dental education and basic diagnostics, their effectiveness in nuanced clinical reasoning has remained unclear. Methods Nineteen anonymized periapical radiographs depicting challenging endodontic conditions were paired with clinical vignettes. Six advanced LLMs and one expert endodontist independently answer

View details →DOI: 10.1186/s12903-025-06987-z
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessBiology (General)

Comparison of human intestinal enteroid and zebrafish larva models for replication of human norovirus

Sahaana Chandran, Jan Vinjé, Kimberly Huynh et al. · 2026 · Applied and Environmental Microbiology

ABSTRACT Human intestinal enteroid (HIE) and zebrafish larva (ZF) models support the replication of certain strains of human norovirus (HuNoV), the leading cause of viral gastroenteritis worldwide. The replication of 17 HuNoV-positive stool specimens (nine genotypes) from patients ranging from 5 months to 83 years old was evaluated in both HIE and ZF models. The yolk of 3-day post-fertilization ZF larvae was microinjected with 3 nL 10% clarified stool suspension. Each day post-infection (dpi), 10 larvae were pooled as one sample, and two specimens were collected daily until 5 dpi. Viral RNA wa

View details →DOI: 10.1128/aem.00152-26
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessMedicine

Ultrastructural investigation and in vitro recapitulation of spermatid differentiation in a potential bio-indicator species - The marine invertebrate Galeolaria gemineoa (Polychaeta: Serpulidae).

Yonggang Lu, Robert John Aitken, Minjie Lin · 2017 · PLoS ONE

Galeolaria gemineoa is a sessile broadcast-spawning marine invertebrate, whose spermatozoa have been regarded as a sensitive indicator for water quality monitoring. In this study, 10 steps of spermiogenesis have been identified at the ultrastructural level and this differentiation process has been recapitulated in vitro up to the point of spermiogenesis (step 7-9 spermatids). On completion of the second meiosis, newly formed spermatids were detached from the seminiferous epithelium and released to the lumen of each germinal chamber. These spermatids were present in pairs and interconnected by

View details →DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0183986
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessScience

Does competitive winning increase subsequent cheating?

Andrew M. Colman, Briony D. Pulford, Caren A. Frosch et al. · 2022 · Royal Society Open Science

In this preregistered study, we attempted to replicate and substantially extend a frequently cited experiment by Schurr and Ritov, published in 2016, suggesting that winners of pairwise competitions are more likely than others to steal money in subsequent games of chance against different opponents, possibly because of an enhanced sense of entitlement among competition winners. A replication seemed desirable because of the relevance of the effect to dishonesty in everyday life, the apparent counterintuitivity of the effect, possible problems and anomalies in the original study, and above all t

View details →DOI: 10.1098/rsos.202197
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessConsciousness. Cognition

Do Children (and Adults) Benefit From a Prediction Error Boost in One-Shot Word Learning?

Chiara Gambi, Jaroslaw R. Lelonkiewicz, Davide Crepaldi · 2024 · Journal of Cognition

Influential theories and computational models suggest error-based learning plays an important role in language acquisition: Children learn new words by generating predictions about upcoming utterances and revising those predictions when they are erroneous. Critically, revising stronger (rather than weaker) predictions should further enhance learning. Although previously demonstrated in adults, such prediction error boost has not been conclusively shown in children. To close this gap, we tested 107 participants between the ages of 5 and 10. We found little evidence that word learning in this ag

View details →DOI: 10.5334/joc.342
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessMicrobiology

Live Triple Gene-Deleted Pseudorabies Virus-Vectored Subunit PCV2b and CSFV Vaccine Undergoes an Abortive Replication Cycle in the TG Neurons following Latency Reactivation

Selvaraj Pavulraj, Rhett W. Stout, Daniel B. Paulsen et al. · 2023 · Viruses

Like other alpha herpesviruses, pseudorabies virus (PRV) establishes lifelong latency in trigeminal ganglionic (TG) neurons. Upon stress, the latent viruses in the TG neurons reactivate and are transported anterograde from the neuron cell bodies to the nerve endings in the nasal mucosa, where they replicate and are discharged in the nasal and oral secretions. Consequently, the virus is transmitted to other naïve animals. This cycle of latency and reactivation continues until the animal dies or is slaughtered. We have constructed a PRV triple mutant virus (PRVtmv) and used it as a live subunit

View details →DOI: 10.3390/v15020473
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessMedicine (General)

Epidemiology and Risk Factors of Table-Tennis-Related Injuries: Findings from a Scoping Review of the Literature

Carlo Biz, Luca Puce, Maamer Slimani et al. · 2022 · Medicina

Background and Objectives: Table tennis represents one of the fastest ball games in the world and, as such, is characterized by unique physiological demands. Despite its popularity, there is a dearth of data related to table-tennis-related risk factors and injuries. Therefore, the present review was conducted to fill in this gap of knowledge. Material and Methods: The present review was designed as a scoping review. Eleven online databases were searched with no language/date limitations. Results: Forty-two investigations were retained in the present review. These studies indicated that tenosyn

View details →DOI: 10.3390/medicina58050572
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessTherapeutics. Pharmacology

Hydroxychloroquine as a Chemoprophylactic Agent for COVID-19: A Clinico-Pharmacological Review

Mudit Agarwal, Piyush Ranjan, Upendra Baitha et al. · 2020 · Frontiers in Pharmacology

Hydroxychloroquine has gained much attention as one of the candidate drugs that can be repurposed as a prophylactic agent against SARS-CoV-2, the agent responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to high transmissibility and presence of asymptomatic carriers and presymptomatic transmission, there is need for a chemoprophylactic agent to protect the high-risk population. In this review, we dissect the currently available evidence on hydroxychloroquine prophylaxis from a clinical and pharmacological point of view. In vitro studies on Vero cells show that hydroxychloroquine effectively inhibits SA

View details →DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.593099
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessZoology

Do as I do imitation in a steller sea lion Eumetopias jubatus

Masahiro Sasaki, Hinano Kinoshita, Akitsugu Konno · 2025 · Animal Cognition

Abstract The present study explored whether a well-socialized Steller sea lion named Hama could reproduce similar actions with human demonstrations using the “Do as I do” (DAID) paradigm. Hama had learned 50 types of behaviors, but her social learning ability was unknown. In Study 1, we trained Hama to produce simultaneous DAID responses. After introducing the DAID training, we conducted four tests to confirm Hama’s acquisition of demonstrator-matching behavior. We found that Hama successfully acquired the action-matching ability for human actions, not only with three trained actions but also

View details →DOI: 10.1007/s10071-025-01971-0
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessNeurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry

The rhythm of memory. Does theta frequency audio/visual flicker improve recall?

Louise Simeonov, Ravi Das · 2025 · Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience

A fundamental question in cognitive neuroscience is how multi-sensory elements are bound into a unified memory trace. The formation of memories is thought to be reliant on precisely timed neural activity. Theta frequency neural oscillations have been proposed to orchestrate the timing of different sensory cortices. Here, we attempt to replicate findings that flickering stimuli presented in synchronous theta frequency will lead to enhanced recall. Additionally, we investigate whether theta frequency sensory flicker can improve encoding of emotional associative memories. The current study failed

View details →DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2025.1555081
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessAgriculture

In vitro efficiency of Trichoderma harzianum mutants in biocontrol of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. radicis-cucumerinum

Leila Sahampoor, Fatemeh Zaker Tavallaie, Seyed Reza Fani et al. · 2020 · Journal of Crop Protection

Trichoderma is very important as a bio control agent and probably a good alternative for chemical fungicides. Fusarium oxysporum is a plant pathogen that causes wilt in a wide range of plants. The use of gamma irradiation can be employed to increase Trichoderma efficiency against F. oxysporum. The induced mutation provides genetic changes in Trichoderma and in some of the mutated isolates the efficiency of bio control may be improved. In this study the efficiency of mutated T. harzianum CS5 against the F. oxysporum f.sp. radicis-cucumerinum was evaluated. Among 16 wild isolates of Trichoderma,

Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessAgriculture (General)

Pot Experiments Overestimate Mercury Accumulation in Rice: Evidence from Multi-Year Field Validation

Lingxiao Zhang, Jinlong Dong, Xiao Ma et al. · 2026 · Agriculture

The uptake and accumulation of mercury (Hg) in rice poses a serious threat to food safety. Pot experiments are widely used to screen for low-Hg-accumulating cultivars, yet their reliability in predicting field performance remains uncertain. This study evaluated pot-based screening by (1) comparing Hg uptake in rice grown in freshly processed versus aged soil; (2) contrasting Hg accumulation in the same cultivars grown in pots versus at two field sites; and (3) isolating micro-environmental effects by burying pots in situ. A total of 22 rice cultivars were used during 2021–2023 in this study. P

View details →DOI: 10.3390/agriculture16080907
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessPsychology

Snap & Write: Examining the Effect of Taking Photos and Notes on Memory for Lecture Content

Maribeth M. Trego, Julia S. Soares, Annie S. Ditta · 2025 · Behavioral Sciences

Three studies investigated the effects of photo and note taking on memory for lecture content in in-person and online environments. Participants watched slideshow lecture videos and were instructed to only watch, take photos, take notes, or simultaneously take both photos and notes of the information on the slides. Memory for on-slide and only said information was tested using fill-in-the-blank questions. Experiment 1, conducted in-person, found a significant photo-taking impairment and an interaction for on-slide information such that there was a larger impairment when participants took both

View details →DOI: 10.3390/bs15050561
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessMedicine

Is reading fiction associated with a higher mind-reading ability? Two conceptual replication studies in Japan.

Yuka Takahashi, Toshiyuki Himichi, Ayumi Masuchi et al. · 2023 · PLoS ONE

Previous studies have revealed that reading fiction is associated with dispositional empathy and theory-of-mind abilities. Earlier studies established a correlation between fiction reading habits and the two measures of social cognition: trait fantasy (i.e., the tendency to transpose oneself into fictitious characters) and performance on the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET; a test of the ability to identify others' mental states based on their eyes). Recently, experimental studies have shown that brief exposure to fiction enhances RMET performance. Nevertheless, these studies have been

View details →DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0287542
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessMedicine

No evidence of conditioning of pupillary constriction despite overtraining

Diederick C. Niehorster, Stina Bengtsson, Niklas Brodin et al. · 2022 · PeerJ

Eyeblink conditioning is the most popular paradigm for studying classical conditioning in humans. But the fact that eyelids are under voluntary control means it is ultimately impossible to ascertain whether a blink response is ‘conditioned’ or a timed ‘voluntary’ blink response. In contrast, the pupillary response is an autonomic response, not under voluntary control. By conditioning the pupillary response, one might avoid potential volition-related confounds. Several attempts have been made to condition the pupillary constriction and dilation responses, with the earliest published attempts da

View details →DOI: 10.7717/peerj.12948
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessPsychology

When Does the Story Matter? No Evidence for the Foregrounding Hypothesis in Math Story Problems

Sabrina M. Di Lonardo Burr, Jill Turner, Jesse Nietmann et al. · 2021 · Journal of Numerical Cognition

Math story problems are difficult for many solvers because comprehension of mathematical and linguistic content must occur simultaneously. Across two studies, we attempted to conceptually replicate and extend findings reported by Mattarella-Micke and Beilock (2010, https://doi.org/10.3758/PBR.17.1.106) and Jarosz and Jaeger (2019, https://doi.org/10.1002/acp.3471). Mattarella-Micke and Beilock found that multiplication word problems in which an irrelevant number was associated with the protagonist of the problem (i.e., foregrounded in the text) were solved less accurately than problems in othe

View details →DOI: 10.5964/jnc.6053
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessEcology

Evaluation of isoprene light response curves for bryophyte-dominated ecosystems and implications for atmospheric composition

Ben Langford, James M Cash, Massimo Vieno et al. · 2022 · Environmental Research: Ecology

Isoprene is emitted from numerous plant species in response to light and temperature and parameterisations of these relationships, based on observations from a few vascular plant species, have been shown to be broadly applicable to many different vegetation types. Here, we investigate their performance when applied to an ecosystem dominated by bryophytes. Over a six-week period, emissions of isoprene were measured above a Scottish peat bog. The light response derived on the basis of both canopy-scale flux and whole-plant enclosure measurements, deviated from the classical response, showing no

View details →DOI: 10.1088/2752-664x/aca2ad
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessNeurology. Diseases of the nervous system

Association study of the vesicular monoamine transporter 1 (VMAT1) gene with schizophrenia in a Japanese population

Arima Kunimasa, Hori Hiroaki, Shizuno Tomoko et al. · 2006 · Behavioral and Brain Functions

Abstract Background Vesicular monoamine transporters (VMATs) mediate accumulation of monoamines such as serotonin, dopamine, adrenaline, and noradrenaline from the cytoplasm into storage organelles. The VMAT1 (alternatively solute carrier family 18: SLC18A1) regulates such biogenic amines in neuroendocrine systems. The VMAT1 gene maps to chromosome 8p21.3, a locus with strong evidence of linkage with schizophrenia. A recent study reported that a non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of the gene (Pro4Thr) was associated with schizophrenia. Methods We attempted to replicate this fi

View details →DOI: 10.1186/1744-9081-2-39
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessMedicine

Causal Link Between Obstructive Uropathy, Estradiol, and Risk of Breast Cancer: Insights From Observational Evidence and Genetic Association Analyses

Hailu Wang, Yingying Dai, Wenhai Pan et al. · 2026 · Medicine Advances

ABSTRACT Background Estradiol, the key endogenous estrogen, reduces the risk of urinary obstruction by smooth muscle relaxation but also increases susceptibility to breast cancer (BC). However, whether estradiol serves as a mechanistic mediator linking urinary tract obstruction and BC remains unclear. This study aimed to determine if there is an association between urinary tract obstruction and the risk of BC and to assess the potential mediating role of systemic estradiol. Methods A case‐control study and survival analysis of Cox regression were conducted using clinical data from the United K

View details →DOI: 10.1002/med4.70048
Failed Experiment ReportOpen accessPsychology

Working Memory Load Effects on the Tilt Aftereffect

Gaoxing Mei, Mofen Cen, Xu Luo et al. · 2021 · Frontiers in Psychology

Prolonged exposure to an oriented stimulus causes a subsequent test stimulus to be perceived as tilted in the opposite direction, a phenomenon referred to as the tilt aftereffect (TAE). Previous studies have demonstrated that high-level cognitive functions such as attention can modulate the TAE, which is generally well-known as a low-level perceptual process. However, it is unclear whether working memory load, another high-level cognitive function, could modulate the TAE. To address this issue, here we developed a new paradigm by combining a working memory load task with a TAE task. Participan

View details →DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.618712
Failed Experiment ReportOpen accessMedicine

Is reading fiction associated with a higher mind-reading ability? Two conceptual replication studies in Japan

Yuka Takahashi, Toshiyuki Himichi, Ayumi Masuchi et al. · 2023 · PLoS ONE

Previous studies have revealed that reading fiction is associated with dispositional empathy and theory-of-mind abilities. Earlier studies established a correlation between fiction reading habits and the two measures of social cognition: trait fantasy (i.e., the tendency to transpose oneself into fictitious characters) and performance on the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET; a test of the ability to identify others’ mental states based on their eyes). Recently, experimental studies have shown that brief exposure to fiction enhances RMET performance. Nevertheless, these studies have been

Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessEnvironmental technology. Sanitary engineering

Climate variability, food production shocks, and violent conflict in Sub-Saharan Africa

Halvard Buhaug, Tor A Benjaminsen, Espen Sjaastad et al. · 2015 · Environmental Research Letters

Earlier research that reports a correlational pattern between climate anomalies and violent conflict routinely refers to drought-induced agricultural shocks and adverse economic spillover effects as a key causal mechanism linking the two phenomena. Comparing half a century of statistics on climate variability, food production, and political violence across Sub-Saharan Africa, this study offers the most precise and theoretically consistent empirical assessment to date of the purported indirect relationship. The analysis reveals a robust link between weather patterns and food production where mo

View details →DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/10/12/125015