RETRACTION: Hierarchical Coordinated Control Method for Multiload DC Microgrid Units

The Journal of Indonesian Economy and Business (JIEB) announces the retraction of the article titled "E-Blue: Implementation of an Integrated Blue Economy Ecosystem to Increase Coastal MSMEs Competitiveness", published online on 28 May 2025 in Vol. 40, No. 2 (DOI: 10.22146/jieb.v40i2.10994). Following the detection of numerous inappropriate citations, the editorial team initiated an investigation into the article's content. Upon review, it was concluded that the paper violated the COPE Guidelines on major errors (https://publicationethics.org/guidance/guideline/retraction-guidelines). These issues raised significant concerns regarding the integrity of the article’s research and findings. As a result, the editorial board have agreed to retract the article. The retraction note will be published in JIEB Vol. 40, No. 3 (September 2025).

Fortalezas y limitaciones del peer review

Introduction: This study aims to evaluate the effect of sensor-based rehabilitation (SR) on chronic knee pain (CKP) outcomes. Materials and Methods: PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, SCOPUS, Cochrane Library, grey literature, and bibliographic references were searched from inception to April 2023. Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and cohort studies evaluating the outcomes of SR on CKP were included. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were based on type of study, research subjects, intervention, outcome, language, and availability of data. Out of 937 studies screened, a total of 10 studies with 4347 patients met selection criteria. Comparison of outcomes following intervention was conducted across studies. Meta-analysis of KOOS subscales was also conducted. Literature retrieval and data extraction were conducted by three independent reviewers. Two reviewers performed quantitative data extraction independently before compilation and cross-referencing on Covidence with a third researcher assisting in the cross-referencing process independently to minimise judgment errors. Results: The sensors utilized included wearable sensors, plantar-controlled sensors, embedded sensors, and optical sensors. There was a high degree of variability in the conduct of the intervention programs and timepoint of assessment. There was an improvement in the KOOS aggregate scores from baseline to post intervention with better improvements seen in studies incorporating avatar-based biofeedback. However, meta-analysis of the KOOS subscales did not show clinically significant differences between control and intervention groups. Conclusion: There is insufficient evidence to support the routine use of SR in patients with CKP. However, there is some evidence to suggest that incorporation of SR with avatar-based biofeedback in a multi-faceted treatment approach may yield better outcomes than the use of sensors as merely activity trackers.

Although the range of immune responses to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is variable, cytokine storm is observed in a subset of symptomatic individuals. To further understand the disease pathogenesis and, consequently, to develop an additional tool for clinicians to evaluate patients for presumptive intervention, we sought to compare plasma cytokine levels between a range of donor and patient samples grouped by a COVID-19 Severity Score (CSS) based on the need for hospitalization and oxygen requirement. Here we utilize a mutual information algorithm that classifies the information gain for CSS prediction provided by cytokine expression levels and clinical variables. Using this methodology, we found that a small number of clinical and cytokine expression variables are predictive of presenting COVID-19 disease severity, raising questions about the mechanism by which COVID-19 creates severe illness. The variables that were the most predictive of CSS included clinical variables such as age and abnormal chest x-ray as well as cytokines such as macrophage colony-stimulating factor, interferon-inducible protein 10, and interleukin-1 receptor antagonist. Our results suggest that SARS-CoV-2 infection causes a plethora of changes in cytokine profiles and that particularly in severely ill patients, these changes are consistent with the presence of macrophage activation syndrome and could furthermore be used as a biomarker to predict disease severity.

Guide for Authors

Direct Current (DC) microgrids are expected to become larger due to the rapid growth of DC energy sources and power loads. As the scale of the system expends, the importance of voltage control will be increased to operate power systems stably. Many studies have been performed on voltage control methods in a DC microgrid, but most of them focused only on a small scale microgrid, such as a building microgrid. Therefore, a new control method is needed for a middle or large scale DC microgrid. This paper analyzes voltage drop problems in a large DC microgrid and proposes a cooperative voltage control scheme with a distributed generator (DG) and a grid connected converter (GCC). For the voltage control with DGs, their location and capacity should be considered for economic operation in the systems. Accordingly, an optimal DG allocation algorithm is proposed to minimize the capacity of a DG for voltage control in DC microgrids. The proposed methods are verified with typical load types by a simulation using MATLAB and PSCAD/EMTDC.

Ellagic acid supplementation on oxidative stress, antioxidative capacity and inflammation biomarkers: A systematic review and dose–response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

SARS-CoV-2 has evolved to cleverly mimic the FURIN-cleavage site in human ENaC-α, unlike any prior coronavirus strain, shedding new light on the Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) in COVID-19 patients.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a degenerative neurological disease that primarily affects the elderly. Drug therapy is the main strategy for AD treatment, but current treatments suffer from poor efficacy and a number of side effects. Non-drug therapy is attracting more attention and may be a better strategy for treatment of AD. Hypoxia is one of the important factors that contribute to the pathogenesis of AD. Multiple cellular processes synergistically promote hypoxia, including aging, hypertension, diabetes, hypoxia/obstructive sleep apnea, obesity, and traumatic brain injury. Increasing evidence has shown that hypoxia may affect multiple pathological aspects of AD, such as amyloid-beta metabolism, tau phosphorylation, autophagy, neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and mitochondrial and synaptic dysfunction. Treatments targeting hypoxia may delay or mitigate the progression of AD. Numerous studies have shown that oxygen therapy could improve the risk factors and clinical symptoms of AD. Increasing evidence also suggests that oxygen therapy may improve many pathological aspects of AD including amyloid-beta metabolism, tau phosphorylation, neuroinflammation, neuronal apoptosis, oxidative stress, neurotrophic factors, mitochondrial function, cerebral blood volume, and protein synthesis. In this review, we summarized the effects of oxygen therapy on AD pathogenesis and the mechanisms underlying these alterations. We expect that this review can benefit future clinical applications and therapy strategies on oxygen therapy for AD.

INHALATION DEVICE TECHNIQUE ERRORS AMONG PATIENTS WITH OBSTRUCTIVE LUNG DISEASES USING METERED-DOSE INHALERS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS OF US STUDIES

In direct current (DC) microgrids, traditional droop control methods facilitate power sharing and stabilize bus voltage. However, this communication‐less approach is constrained by challenges including insufficient voltage restoration and imbalances in battery state of charge (SOC). This paper introduces a novel communication‐less control strategy designed to address these limitations in photovoltaic energy storage system (PV‐ESS) DC microgrids. This method assigns the energy storage unit (ESU) closest to the critical load as the ‘master unit’ setting its output voltage to nominal levels. This master unit injects an alternating current (AC) signal into the DC bus, with the signal frequency modulated by its SOC and output current. Additional ESUs, referred to as ‘slave units’ adjust their output currents based on the frequency of the AC signal and their local SOC. Furthermore, the master unit utilizes a logical signal based on its SOC to switch the photovoltaic module between droop control mode and maximum power point tracking (MPPT) mode. Stability analysis verifies the robustness of the proposed method, and simulation results demonstrate that it surpasses conventional droop control approaches. Specifically, the proposed method enhances load‐sharing precision, minimizes voltage deviation, and ensures SOC equalization across the DC microgrid without the need for communication links. © 2026 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan and Wiley Periodicals LLC.

Besides the benefits of plant protection products (PPPs) for agricultural production, there is an increasing acknowledgement of the associated potential environmental risks.Here, we examine the feasibility of summarizing the extent of PPP usage at the country level, using Ireland as a case study, as well as at the European level.We used the area over which PPPs are applied (basic area) as an example variable that is relevant as an initial step to assess the geographic extent of environmental risk.In Irish agricultural systems, which are primarily grass-based, herbicides fluroxypyr and glyphosate are the most widely applied Active Substances (ASs) in terms of basic area, followed by the fungicides chlorothalonil and prothioconazole that are closely associated with arable crops.Although all EU countries are subject to Regulation (EC) No 1185/2009, which sets the obligation of PPP usage data reporting at the national level, we only found usable data that met our criteria for Estonia, Germany, Finland, and Spain (4 of 30 countries reviewed).Overall, the most widely applied fungicide and herbicide in terms of basic area were prothioconazole (20%, 7% and 5% of national cultivated areas of Germany, Estonia and Ireland) and glyphosate (11%, 8% and 5% of national cultivated areas of Spain, Estonia and Ireland) respectively, although evaluations using application frequency may result in the observation of different trends.Several recommendations are proposed to tackle current data gaps and deficiencies in accessibility and usability of pesticide usage data across the EU in order to better inform environmental risk assessment and promote evidence-based policymaking.

Background and Aims Anaemia is a common complication of chronic kidney disease (CKD), affecting up to 53.4% of patients with Stage 5 CKD compared to 8.4% of patients with Stage 1 CKD [1]. Anaemia of CKD is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular events and death, increased healthcare resource utilisation (HRU), and reduced health-related quality of life (HRQoL) [2]. Established treatments for anaemia of CKD include erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) [1,2]; however, hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase inhibitors (HIF-PHIs), targeting both erythropoietin production and iron metabolism (the two key mechanisms of anaemia of CKD), are an emerging class of agents in this indication [3]. The cost and HRQoL burden associated with anaemia of CKD treatment is not well characterised.1 Thus, we conducted a systematic literature review (SLR) to evaluate published economic models (including the cost inputs, time horizon, subgroups, and clinical assumptions used) and HRU data in patients with anaemia of CKD. Findings of the SLR will help guide future economic model development and inform economic evaluation strategies as part of health technology assessment submissions to support daprodustat, an HIF-PHI under development for use in both dialysis-dependent and non-dialysis-dependent patients. Method Relevant publications were identified using structured searching of MEDLINE, Embase, MEDLINE In-Process, Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews from database inception to 10 April 2022 using disease- (e.g. CKD, chronic kidney failure, anaemia) and economic-associated (e.g. economics, economic evaluation, quality-adjusted life-years, model structure) search terms. Additional supplemental searches (conference proceedings [2016–2021], grey literature, and bibliographies) were conducted. Studies were assessed for inclusion or exclusion by two independent reviewers, with any discrepancies resolved by a third reviewer. Objectives were to determine the structure of any published economic models and the availability of health utility data in patients with anaemia and additional complications of CKD, and to examine what cost inputs, time horizons, subgroups, and clinical assumptions are used to inform economic modelling. Results From 1397 citations identified in the searches, 40 primary studies were included in the final analysis. Review of the data revealed an established approach for modelling the ESA cost-effectiveness (i.e. a Markov model with health states defined according to CKD treatment received or anaemia status): most studies were conducted from a North American or European perspective, time horizons varied, and reporting of cycle length was poor. Only one economic evaluation included an HIF-PHI model: given the different mechanisms of action of ESAs and newer treatments, a modelling strategy focused mainly on a Markov approach may not be the most optimal way of assessing cost-effectiveness in anaemia of CKD where HIF-PHIs are used. Considerations of modelling factors that could influence cost-effectiveness of HIF-PHIs are shown in Fig. 1. While existing models typically only stratified patient populations according to age (<65 vs >65 years), for appropriate modelling of treatment effectiveness, the impact of prior treatments (including response to prior ESAs) was also considered. As in every model, comorbidities may also have a role in effect modification and this impact will need to be considered in economic models of anaemia of CKD treatment. Due to the natural history of anaemia in CKD, innovative modelling techniques that retain the Markov approach and which account for respective haemoglobin levels, CKD stage, and potential kidney transplantation should be incorporated into the economic evaluation (Fig. 2). Conclusion Adjustment of existing models using the approaches described may provide more reliable estimates of treatment efficacy in a highly heterogenous population of patients with anaemia of CKD.

In evidence synthesis, assessing risk of bias (ROB) of eligible studies is crucial to inform interpretation of findings. Standardized tools like Cochrane's ROB-1 or ROB-2 traditionally rely on published information to inform assessments, but this is often incomplete or unclear. Availability of raw individual participant data (IPD) enables more in-depth assessments; however, guidance on how to use IPD in ROB assessments is lacking. We aim to develop preliminary guidance on how to use IPD to inform ROB assessments of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for three case studies. In stage 1, we reviewed relevant literature, consulted our networks, and drew on previous experience to compile items on how IPD may inform ROB assessment for each domain. We discussed feasibility and potential usefulness of each item with an international, interdisciplinary expert advisory group and developed preliminary guidance, which was piloted in two IPD meta-analyses (MAs) (65 RCTs) using ROB-1. In stage 2, the guide was adapted for ROB-2 and applied to another IPD-MA (34 RCTs). All assessments were conducted in duplicate by two independent reviewers. In stage 3, we conducted an evaluation workshop to further refine each item, and capture important lessons. To assess the impact of IPD-informed assessments, we compared them to existing ROB-1 assessments performed with published information alone for 33 trials. We identified 12 items across the ROB domains. IPD provided opportunities to enhance ROB assessments by enabling additional checks for selection bias (ie, testing randomization) and attrition bias (ie, more granular assessment of incomplete data at various time points). We also identified domains for which availability of IPD enabled reduction of ROB, for instance, by mitigating selective outcome reporting bias or by reincluding excluded participants in intention-to-treat analyses. Applying IPD-informed assessments led to changes in ROB judgment in 25 of 33 studies, most commonly, resolution of domains previously marked as "unclear". Our preliminary guidance for IPD-informed ROB assessments may be applied in IPD-MAs to increase the accuracy of ROB assessments and in some cases reduce ROB to create a more reliable evidence base informing policy and practice. When making decisions about how to treat a patient in clinical practice, it is important to consider the results of all relevant studies. Usually, combined analyses of multiple clinical trials rely on published reports, in which researchers summarize their findings. However, looking at the original data from these studies, instead of just the published reports, can improve the quality of analyses. Access to these underlying data also allows for more thorough assessment of the studies' quality and any potential for bias. This is important for understanding the results properly and for making the most appropriate treatment decisions for patients. Here, we present guidance on how to assess risk of bias of trials using these original datasets.

Study question What is the optimal time post oocyte retrieval (POR) to undertake intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) in order to maximise subsequent pregnancy and live birth outcomes? Summary answer Delaying ICSI for 5 hours or more POR may compromise subsequent clinical pregnancy and live birth rates. What is known already It is often challenging to perform ICSI at a set timing POR, especially in ART clinics with a heavy workload. However, the degree of flexibility in ICSI timing remains unclear in the literature. Some articles have reported detrimental impacts by delaying ICSI on the subsequent treatment outcomes (Pujol et al 2018), while others reported no evidence of adverse effects caused by different ICSI timings (Vandenberghe et al 2021). Therefore, we aimed to explore a “safety time window” for ICSI procedures to enable flexibility in workflow arrangement without compromising pregnancy outcomes. Study design, size, duration A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed according to PRISMA guidelines, with protocol registered with PROSPERO (ID: CRD42022296838). The studies were searched for in PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library on 16 December 2021, using (“subfertile” OR “sub-fertile” OR “infert*” OR “fertility treatment” OR “women” OR “female” OR “couple”) AND (“ICSI” OR “intracytoplasmic sperm injection” OR “intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection”) AND (“timing” OR “time interval”) AND (“pregnancy” OR “fertili*” OR “birth”) NOT (Review [Publication Type]). Participants/materials, setting, methods Two independent reviewers systematically evaluated each study on patient, intervention, comparison, and outcome (PICO). The Newcastle-Ottawa scale was used for risk of bias assessment in non-randomised trials and observational studies. Further screening was performed separately by the two independent reviewers, with differences mediated by the third reviewer. Data extraction was performed according to Cochrane methods. Clinical pregnancy or live birth data were synthesised from eligible studies depending on availability of raw data in corresponding subgroups. Main results and the role of chance A total of 605 records were hit in the search. After initial exclusion according to PICO, 30 articles were included for further screening for eligibility. For meta-analysis, 4 retrospective cohort studies were eventually included for clinical pregnancy rate assessment while 2 for live birth rate analysis. Due to different groupings in ICSI timing amongst these studies, a series of comparisons on ICSI timings with a cut-off at an hourly increment were set up to pool data from the 4 included studies where applicable. Clinical pregnancy rates were comparable when ICSI was performed (a) 2+ hours (n = 6448, Relative Risk or RR = 1.031, 95% CI 0.964-1.102) in reference to < 2 hours POR (n = 2336), (b) 3+ hours (n = 5101, RR = 1.005, 95% CI 0.945-1.069) in reference to < 3 hours POR (n = 3465), and (c) 4+ hours (n = 3192, RR = 1.017, 95% CI 0.956-1.082) in reference to < 4 hours POR (n = 5374). However, clinical pregnancy rates were significantly compromised when ICSI was performed at 5+ hours (n = 2335, RR = 1.103, 95% CI 1.036-1.175) in reference to < 5 hours POR (n = 7169). Similarly, live birth rate was also significantly reduced when ICSI was performed 5+ hours (n = 2335, RR = 1.155, 95% CI 1.070-1.246) in reference to < 5 hours POR (n = 7169). Limitations, reasons for caution All studies included for meta-analysis were retrospective with heterogeneity. There were various groupings amongst studies due to the wide range of ICSI timings POR, which limits data pooling and subsequent comparisons. A future well designed randomised controlled trial is warranted for further analysis based on better quality evidence. Wider implications of the findings Our results indicate 5 hours POR should be considered the maximum time limit to perform ICSI. This finding, supported by statistics with improved power through meta-analysis, offers valuable guidance to busy clinics. This information could both improve pregnancy outcomes and allow better workflow arrangements without compromising them. Trial registration number not applicable