Effective Improvement Strategies Research Articles

Boosting the Development of Hard Carbon for Sodium‐Ion Batteries: Strategies to Optimize the Initial Coulombic Efficiency

AbstractGiven the merits of affordable cost, superior low‐temperature performance, and advanced safe properties, sodium‐ion batteries (SIBs) have exhibited great development potential in large scale energy storage applications. Among various emerging carbonaceous anode materials applied for SIBs, hard carbon (HC) has recently gained significant attention regarding their relatively low cost, wide availability, and optimal overall performance. However, the insufficient initial Coulombic efficiency (ICE) of HC is the main bottlenecks, which is inevitably hindering their further commercial applications. Herein, an in‐depth holistic exposition about the reasons causing the unsatisfied ICE and the recent advances on effective improvement strategies are comprehensively summarized in this review, which have been divided into two aspects including the intrinsic property (degree of graphitization, pore structure, defect, et al.) and the extrinsic factor (electrolyte, electrode materials, et al.). In addition, future prospects and perspectives on HC to enable practical application in SIBs are also briefly outlined.

Highly efficient low-temperature biodegradation of polyethylene microplastics by using cold-active laccase cell-surface display system

To eliminate efficiency restriction of polyethylene microplastics low-temperature biodegradation, a novel InaKN-mediated Escherichia coli surface display platform for cold-active degrading laccase PsLAC production was developed. Display efficiency of 88.0% for engineering bacteria BL21/pET-InaKN-PsLAC was verified via subcellular extraction and protease accessibility, exhibiting an activity load of 29.6 U/mg. Cell growth and membrane integrity revealed BL21/pET-InaKN-PsLAC maintained stable growth and intact membrane structure during the display process. The favorable applicability was confirmed, with 50.0% activity remaining in 4 days at 15 °C, and 39.0% activity recovery retention after 15 batches of activity substrate oxidation reactions. Moreover, BL21/pET-InaKN-PsLAC possessed high polyethylene low-temperature depolymerizing capacity. Bioremediation experiments proved that the degradation rate was 48.0% within 48 h at 15 °C, and reached 66.0% after 144 h. Collectively, cold-active PsLAC functional surface display technology and its significant contributions to polyethylene microplastics low-temperature degradation constitute an effective improvement strategy for biomanufacturing and microplastics cold remediation.

Hand-hygiene compliance: The importance of WHO's “moment 1” in prevention of healthcare-associated infections

BackgroundHand hygiene is the single most effective strategy for preventing healthcare associated infections (HCAI) but compliance is usually low and effective improvement strategies are needed. We assessed hand hygiene (HH) compliance with the World Health Organization (WHO) prescribed five moments of hand hygiene among health-care workers (HCW). MethodsA retrospective analysis of one-year data on hand hygiene was done. WHO single observer direct observation technique was used and HH compliance was noted among HCWS. ResultsA total of 16,552 opportunities were recorded. Overall compliance as per WHO Guidelines was 69.2%. Sanitation worker had an adherence rate of 73.1% (95% confidence interval [CI]:70.6–75.4) followed by the nurses 71.2% (95% CI: 70.4–72.1). Physicians and technicians had a compliance rate of 64.9% (95% CI: 63.1–66.6) and 64% (95% CI: 60.1–67.9) respectively. Physiotherapists had a compliance rate of 62.2 (95% CI: 50.1–73.2) and the compliance of Phlebotomists was observed to be 23.1% (95% CI: 9.0–43.6). HCW stood best for WHO moment 5 and worst for moment 1 with compliance of 79.1% (95% CI:77.4–80.7) and 55.8% (95% CI:54.5–57.1) respectively. DiscussionThe moment 1 of the WHO's five moments is the most important for preventing the transmission of resistant pathogens between patients. Missed opportunities in moment 1 need to be focused on while planning new strategies to promote hand hygiene.

Impact of externally facilitated continuous quality improvement cohorts on Advanced Access to support primary healthcare teams: protocol for a quasi-randomized cluster trial

BackgroundImproving access to primary health care is among top priorities for many countries. Advanced Access (AA) is one of the most recommended models to improve timely access to care. Over the past 15 years, the AA model has been implemented in Canada, but the implementation of AA varies substantially among providers and clinics. Continuous quality improvement (CQI) approaches can be used to promote organizational change like AA implementation. While CQI fosters the adoption of evidence-based practices, knowledge gaps remain, about the mechanisms by which QI happens and the sustainability of the results. The general aim of the study is to analyse the implementation and effects of CQI cohorts on AA for primary care clinics. Specific objectives are: 1) Analyse the process of implementing CQI cohorts to support PHC clinics in their improvement of AA. 2) Document and compare structural organisational changes and processes of care with respect to AA within study groups (intervention and control). 3) Assess the effectiveness of CQI cohorts on AA outcomes. 4) Appreciate the sustainability of the intervention for AA processes, organisational changes and outcomes.MethodsCluster-controlled trial allowing for a comprehensive and rigorous evaluation of the proposed intervention 48 multidisciplinary primary care clinics will be recruited to participate. 24 Clinics from the intervention regions will receive the CQI intervention for 18 months including three activities carried out iteratively until the clinic’s improvement objectives are achieved: 1) reflective sessions and problem priorisation; 2) plan-do-study-act cycles; and 3) group mentoring. Clinics located in the control regions will receive an audit-feedback report on access. Complementary qualitative and quantitative data reflecting the quintuple aim will be collected over a period of 36 months.ResultsThis research will contribute to filling the gap in the generalizability of CQI interventions and accelerate the spread of effective AA improvement strategies while strengthening local QI culture within clinics. This research will have a direct impact on patients’ experiences of care.ConclusionThis mixed-method approach offers a unique opportunity to contribute to the scientific literature on large-scale CQI cohorts to improve AA in primary care teams and to better understand the processes of CQI.Trial registrationClinical Trials: NCT05715151.

Comparative functional microbiome profiling of various animal manures during their anaerobic digestion in biogas production processes

Anaerobic digestion (AD) for bio-methane production continues to be plagued by major problems such as acidification, ammonia inhibition, long reaction periods, and expensive biogas upgrading. In this study, the authors suggest that intrinsic microbial roles during AD have previously been understudied yet they are the basis for discovery of effective and substrate-specific strategies for biogas process improvement. A comparison of the functional microbiome profiling of fresh cow, horse, pig, and chicken manures sourced from seven farms around Gauteng in South Africa was done. Correlation of profiles of the daily and cumulative biogas and bio-methane production determined in an automatic methane potential system (AMPTS), six intermediate AD compounds (propionate, butyrate, formic acid, lactic acid, ethanol, and acetate) observed using a modular Thermo Scientific Vanquish Core high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system, and active microbiome observed through Illumina 16S rDNA high-throughput sequencing suggests that cow manure AD went through 2 quick and efficient phases while horse manure showed 3 phases with hydrolysis being the rate limiting step, pig manure showed 4 phases and was dominated with hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis, and chicken manure had 2 phases affected by ammonia inhibition. It was inferred from the findings, that co-digestion of the horse manure within the first 9 days with cow manure, manipulation of Methanococcus hydrogenotrophs from pig manure AD in 2 stage reactor co-digestion systems, introduction of Methanococcus-rich inoculum from a pig manure AD system (between Day 15 & Day 24) as well as trace nutrient supplementation to boost SAOB, are strategies that can improve hydrolysis & methanogenesis in horse manure AD, upgrade biogas quality from various substrates, counter ammonia inhibition in chicken manure AD as well as in other similar substrates respectively.

Spatial variability of herbage yield, grazing capacity and plant diversity in a tropical savannah rangeland ecosystem

To improve ruminant livestock production, evaluation of rangelands must be a routine. Rangeland evaluation gives information about the vegetation structure, biomass yield and quality. The Guinea savannah rangelands of Ghana lack research that characterises the spatial variability of herbage yield and quality. It was hypothesised that there is spatial heterogeneity in herbage yield, grazing capacity and plant diversity in the Guinea savannah rangelands of Ghana. The objective was to evaluate the spatial structure of herbage production and grazing capacity in the Guinea savannah rangelands of Ghana for sustainable livestock production. Data were collected from 105 sampling sites and integrated into geo-statistics, using ordinary kriging interpolation to generate herbage yield and grazing capacity estimates. Herbage yield and grazing capacity ranged from 0.63 t ha−1 to 13.43 t ha−1 and 0.18 LU ha−1 to 3.79 LU ha−1 respectively. The root mean square error and the average standard error values were close (2.38 and 2.51 respectively for herbage yield and 0.67 and 0.71 respectively for grazing capacity). Species diversity using the Shannon’s index ranged from 1.13 to 2.40. There was spatial heterogeneity in herbage yield, grazing capacity and species diversity in Ghana’s Guinea savannah rangelands with some parts needing effective site-specific improvement strategies for sustainable livestock production.

Implementation of Management of COVID-19 Prevention and Control at PT. X

The Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic has become a major ongoing global economic crisis, including in the construction sector. To recover the economy in line with Government Policy, PT. X implements the Management of COVID-19 Prevention and Control because Company realizes protecting workers' health is a top priority. This study aims to provide an overview of management COVID-19 prevention and control implementation and recommendations and effective strategies for improvement. The research design used was a cross-sectional study using an online interview and secondary data. Data will be analyzed using SWOT Analysis. The study only focused on activities and working conditions at PT. X. This study uses qualitative methods. The information was collected through in-depth interviews with key informants and supporting documents used in the data triangulation process—COVID-19 prevention and control measures implemented at PT. X refers to the company, local government, and central government regulations and policies. The company has implemented several programs during PPKM. In general, the implementation of the COVID-19 health protocol at PT X has been exemplary. Management always emphasizes the commitment of all levels to understand the COVID-19 pandemic, transmission routes, and control and prevention measures to minimize the significant impact on the company's business operations.

Exploring Labiodental Consonant Pronunciation Challenges Faced by Sundanese EFL Learners: Effective Strategies for Improvement

<p><em>This study aims to explore the challenges faced by Sundanese EFL learners in pronouncing labiodental consonant sounds, specifically /f/ and /v/, and to propose effective strategies for improvement. The study focuses on collecting data from Sundanese EFL learners at various levels of proficiency using interviews and pronunciation tests. The results indicate that learners face various challenges in pronouncing labiodental consonants, such as substituting similar sounds from their native language and struggling with unfamiliar sound combinations. The study proposes several strategies to overcome these challenges, including drilling exercises, practicing with audio recordings, and promoting learner autonomy.</em></p>

Effective Strategies for System Improvement in K-League Youth System

Effective Strategies for System Improvement in K-League Youth System

An improved differential evolution by hybridizing with estimation-of-distribution algorithm

To fully exploit the strong exploitation of differential evolution (DE) and the strong exploration of the estimation-of-distribution algorithm (EDA), an improved differential evolution by hybridizing the estimation-of-distribution algorithm named IDE-EDA is proposed in the study. Firstly, a novel cooperative evolutionary framework is proposed to hybridize LSHADE-RSP, a state-of-the-art DE variant incorporating DE-based effective improvement strategies, with EDA. Secondly, the dominant individuals generated by LSHADE-RSP are used to establish the probability distribution model for EDA to enhance its exploitation in each generation, and a new control parameter is introduced to balance exploitation and exploration. Then, the use of greed strategy works via EDA to fully retain high-quality solutions to the next generation to improve the convergence speed. Finally, the greedy strategy is used to shrink the external archive when its size decreases due to the reduction of the population size. A comparison of IDE-EDA with cutting-edge DE-based and EDA-based variants, including AAVS-EDA, EB-LSHADE, ELSHADE-SPACMA, jSO, LSHADE-RSP, RWGEDA, HSES, and APGSK-IMODE, was implemented to verify its efficiency. The statistical test results on the IEEE CEC 2018 and IEEE CEC 2021 test suites demonstrate that IDE-EDA is an excellent hybrid algorithm. The MATLAB source code of IDE-EDA can be downloaded from https://github.com/Yintong-Li/IDE-EDA.

Stratified analysis of multiple management of gastric cancer: A population-based study of incidence, mortality and DALY.

The aim was to illuminate the difference in incidence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) of gastric cancer (GC) between the United States of America (US) and China. The multiple management was analyzed with stratification to explore an effective survival improvement strategy. The Global Burden of Disease Study data was analyzed to assess GC morbidity, mortality and DALYs from 1990 to 2019 in the US and China. The age-period-cohort model was established to generate estimation of metrics. Verification was completed and stratified analysis of the multiple management was performed by accessing data of Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database in 1992 to 2019. Continuous downtrends in GC incidence, mortality and DALYs from 1990 to 2019 and persistent uptrends in 1-, 3-year survival from 1992 to 2019 were observed in the US population. In the Chinese population, the overall trends of incidence, mortality and DALYs decreased with a fluctuating manner. The lower overall survival rates were observed in elderly, unmarried patients, distant disease and poor grade, as well as patients lacking of medical treatment (P < .05). In stratified analyses, single local therapy decreased and the other modalities increased over time across different stages. Moreover, combined treatment and single systemic therapy decreased, but single local and conservative therapy increased with age. The study quantified the incidence, GC-specific mortality and DALYs in the US and China and estimated stage profiles, 1- and 3-year survival in the US. The heavy burden on later-onset GC (>70) and potential increase on early-onset GC (<40) needed to be addressed. Combined modalities and single chemotherapy were becoming more widely used over time, however, their uses decreased with age because of poor physical fitness. Our findings provide new insights into management tailoring appropriately to specific subgroups contributes to the increasing survival rate.

Promoting effect of reduction-oxidation strategy on the Co3O4/γ-Al2O3 catalysts for propane total oxidation

Co3O4/γ-Al2O3 is one of the most active and commonly used catalysts for environmental pollution control. However, the strong Co-Al interaction has seriously deteriorated their catalytic performance, and even affected the promotion effect of an effective improvement strategy. In our previous report, by reasonably adjusting the interaction, the reduction-oxidation (RO) strategy greatly improved its performance. Herein, by constructing a series of 10Co3O4/γ-Al2O3 of enhanced interaction, and treating them by RO strategy, we found that RO strategy improved the activity of all 10Co3O4/γ-Al2O3 for model reaction-propane total oxidation to varying degrees, but the improvement degree is closely related with the interaction strength. In 10CoAl-(500–700) with relatively strong interaction, the improvement was more remarkable than that of 10CoAl-(300–400) with weak interaction and 10CoAl-800 with strong interaction. The maximum reduced values of T50 and T90 are 129 °C and 162 °C over 10CoAl-700, 28 °C and 57 °C higher than that in our previous work. The biggest promoting effect of 10CoAl-(500–700) is the formation and redispersion of active cobalt species, where the latter contributed to the significant increase of 10CoAl-700. The more active Co species produced play a major role in increasing the activity of 10CoAl-(300–400), while weakening of Co-Al interaction slightly increases the activity of 10CoAl-800. This work provided deep insight into the performance improvement of catalysts for air pollution control, and will shed light on catalyst regeneration, design and optimization in the environmental field.

Care Endpoints in Adults With Type 2 Diabetes: Screening and Therapeutic Targets at a Canadian Tertiary Diabetes Care Centre

ObjectivesAlthough national diabetes guidelines recommend targets for various health parameters, studies have demonstrated a gap between recommendations and real-life practice. The objectives of the present study were to 1) assess measurements in type 2 diabetes (T2DM) care performed by diabetologists in tertiary care, 2) determine whether these measurements were within recommended targets by Canadian guidelines, and 3) identify how these measurements compare with previously published Canadian studies. MethodsA retrospective chart review analyzed electronic medical records of patients seen by diabetes specialists at the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC). Patients 18 to 75 years of age and diagnosed with T2DM were assessed for blood pressure <130/80 mmHg, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) ≤2 mmol/L and glycated hemoglobin (A1C) ≤7%. Urinary albumin:creatinine ratio (uACR) was also assessed. Comparisons were made with existing literature data. ResultsThe percentages of patients with recent screening of A1C, LDL-C, blood pressure and uACR were higher compared with the earlier studies. The calculated means for A1C, LDL-C and blood pressure were comparable with those studies. The percentage of measurements achieving target was comparable with subspecialty care data but differed from primary care data. ConclusionsPatients with T2DM at the MUHC receive guideline-based measurements of health parameters more frequently than at other institutions. Achievement of target values was closer to that seen by Canadian specialists than by primary care. Although further analyses are necessary to help implement effective strategies for improvement, quality assurance is nonetheless an essential part of ensuring the standards of tertiary care.

High-reliability organisation principles implemented in dentistry.

Introduction/objectives Successful dentistry inherently requires high-reliability and situational awareness to provide consistent high-quality care. However, treatment errors still occur in dentistry as they do in medicine. The importance of avoiding error is elevated for dentistry due to the increased frequency of irreversible procedures in each patient interaction compared to non-surgical specialties in medicine. Although a universal protocol for time-out exists, wrong-site procedures are a persistent healthcare issue in dentistry.Data By implementing high-reliability organisations (HROs) principles to dentistry, improved safety and quality can be achieved.Sources There are five essential principles that HROs have been observed to adhere to: preoccupation with failure; situational awareness/sensitivity to operations; a reluctance to simplify; deference to expertise; and commitment to resilience. Deep examination of the potential vulnerabilities in dentistry, using HRO ideology will create effective process improvement strategies. It fosters a culture of accountability using systematic problem-solving as opposed to condemnation.Study selection Implementation of HRO principles will improve the existing universal time-out process, while placing quality and performance at the central focus of strategic success.Conclusions Dentists can adopt these HRO principles into their practices to create effective process improvement strategies.

Joint Scheduling Optimization of a Short-Term Hydrothermal Power System Based on an Elite Collaborative Search Algorithm

The joint scheduling optimization of hydrothermal power is one of the most important optimization problems in the power system, which is a non-linear, multi-dimensional, non-convex complex optimization problem, and its difficulty in solving is increasing with the expansion of the grid-connected scale of hydropower systems in recent years. In this paper, three effective improvement strategies are proposed given the shortcomings of the standard collaborative search algorithm, which easily falls into local optimization and weakening of global search ability in later stages. Based on this, an elite collaborative search algorithm (ECSA) coupled with three improvement strategies is established. On this basis, taking the classic joint scheduling problem of a hydrothermal power system as an example, the optimization model with the goal of the least pollutant gas emission is constructed, and the system constraint treatment method is proposed. In addition, five algorithms, i.e., ECSA, CSA, PSO, GWO, and WOA are used to solve the model, respectively. Through the comparison of results, taking the median as an example, the emission of polluting gases of ESCA is reduced by about 1.8%, 13.1%, 38.2%, and 11.2%, respectively, and it can be found that ECSA has obvious advantages in the convergence speed and quality compared with the other four algorithms, and it has a strong ability for global search and jumps out of the local optimal.

A novel perspective of Australian primary care dietetics: Insights from an exploratory study using complex adaptive systems theory

AimsEffective quality improvement strategies are essential to enhancing outcomes of dietetic care. Interventions informed by complex adaptive systems theory have demonstrated effectiveness in other healthcare settings. This study aimed to explore primary care dietetics practice using complex adaptive systems theory and to identify factors that individuals across the healthcare system can examine and address to improve the quality of dietetic care.MethodsQualitative analysis of semi‐structured interviews of healthcare consumers and professionals involved in the provision of dietetic care. Data collection and analysis was guided by a complexity‐informed conceptual framework. The Framework Method was used to code transcripts and identify themes describing primary care dietetics.ResultsTwenty‐three consumers and 26 primary care professionals participated. Participants described dietetic care as being delivered by individuals organised into formal and informal systems that were influenced by the wider environment, including legal, economic, and socio‐cultural systems. Dietitians described interactions with consumers as a learning opportunity and sought education, mentoring, or supervision to address knowledge and skill gaps. Relationships underpinned transfer of information between individuals.ConclusionComplex adaptive systems theory proved to be a useful conceptual framework for primary care dietetics. Factors identified at the macro (e.g., funding), meso (e.g., professional networks), and micro (e.g., consumer education) levels should be examined and addressed to improve the quality of dietetic care.

Quality of Informed Consent Practices around the Time of Childbirth: A Cross-Sectional Study in Italy.

Background: Few studies have explored consent request practices during childbirth. Objective: We explored consent request practices during childbirth in a referral hospital and research centre in Italy, capturing both women and health workers’ perspectives. Methods: Data were collected using self-administrated questionnaires between December 2016 and September 2018. Nine key maternal and newborn procedures were analysed. Associations between consent requests and women characteristics were explored by multiple logistic regression. Results: Among 1244 women, the rate of consent requests varied widely, with caesarean section (CS) showing the highest rate (89.1%) and neonatal conjunctivitis prophylaxis presenting the lowest rate (11.4%). Information provided on “risks/benefits” and “reasons” for procedures by health staff was most often not comprehensive for procedures of interest (range 18.6–87.4%). The lack of informed consent is not specifically linked to any pattern of women characteristics. According to 105 health workers, adequate protocols and standard forms for consent requests were available in 67.6% and 78.1% of cases, respectively, while less than one third (31.4%) reported having received adequate training and supportive supervision on how to deliver informed consent. Conclusions: Study findings align with previous evidence showing that consent request practices during childbirth need to be largely improved. More research is needed to investigate effective strategies for improvement.

Performance Improvement of Perovskite Solar Cells by Interactions between Nano‐Sized Quantum Dots and Perovskite

AbstractPerovskite solar cells (PSCs) have undergone rapid progress and attracted considerable attention as a promising alternative to conventional photovoltaics but currently still face the challenges of Shockley‐Queisser (SQ) limit and stability. Herein, the use of quantum dots (QDs) for the advancement of PSCs is focused on. The interactions between QDs and perovskite are discussed in terms of energy and charge transfer. The effective strategies for performance improvement of devices treated with QDs are interpreted from the point of view of surface modification (passivation and mixing), and microstructure (buffer function) and nanostructure (core/shell structure). In particular, possible routes to success in surpassing the SQ limit are summarized in association with the corresponding mechanisms. Also, the mechanisms for the enhancement of stability by QD treatment are analyzed, including quantum confinement effect, crystallization, ion migration inhibition, hydrophobicity improvement, passivation, and decomposition suppression. In addition, application of QDs to charge transporting layers is introduced and the resultant changes in device performance and stability are pointed out. The insights gained from this review are very crucial for the further advancement of PSCs treated with QDs.

Fuzzy Comprehensive Evaluation Model of the Farmers’ Sense of Gain in the Provision of Rural Infrastructures: The Case of Tourism-Oriented Rural Areas of China

During the rapid development of rural infrastructures in China, many important issues such as the real wishes of farmers and the proper management of the infrastructure have been overlooked, resulting in a weak sense of gain among farmers. To propose effective improvement strategies, this research aimed to explore the influence mechanism of the farmers’ sense of gain and to build a comprehensive evaluation model of farmers’ sense of gain in the provision of rural infrastructure. To achieve the above aims, we first proposed hypotheses among four constructs and selected an evaluation index for each construct. Using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and a questionnaire survey, we then verified the proposed hypotheses and developed a fuzzy comprehensive evaluation model of the farmers’ sense of gain in the provision of rural infrastructure. The results first showed that the content of gain and the way of gain directly affect the farmers’ sense of gain, and the governance indirectly affects the farmers’ sense of gain. Moreover, the way of gain has the greatest impact on the sense of gain, followed by the governance and the content of gain. Furthermore, the analysis results demonstrate that the developed fuzzy comprehensive evaluation model is feasible and effective in evaluating farmers’ sense of gain in the provision of rural infrastructures. The findings of this study first enrich the relevant theories of farmers’ sense of gain in the provision of rural infrastructure. The findings also provide theoretical support for the government authorities to put forward effective governance strategies for rural infrastructure from the perspective of farmers’ sense of gain.

Do multiple experimenters improve the reproducibility of animal studies?

The credibility of scientific research has been seriously questioned by the widely claimed “reproducibility crisis”. In light of this crisis, there is a growing awareness that the rigorous standardisation of experimental conditions may contribute to poor reproducibility of animal studies. Instead, systematic heterogenisation has been proposed as a tool to enhance reproducibility, but a real-life test across multiple independent laboratories is still pending. The aim of this study was therefore to test whether heterogenisation of experimental conditions by using multiple experimenters improves the reproducibility of research findings compared to standardised conditions with only one experimenter. To this end, we replicated the same animal experiment in 3 independent laboratories, each employing both a heterogenised and a standardised design. Whereas in the standardised design, all animals were tested by a single experimenter; in the heterogenised design, 3 different experimenters were involved in testing the animals. In contrast to our expectation, the inclusion of multiple experimenters in the heterogenised design did not improve the reproducibility of the results across the 3 laboratories. Interestingly, however, a variance component analysis indicated that the variation introduced by the different experimenters was not as high as the variation introduced by the laboratories, probably explaining why this heterogenisation strategy did not bring the anticipated success. Even more interestingly, for the majority of outcome measures, the remaining residual variation was identified as an important source of variance accounting for 41% (CI95 [34%, 49%]) to 72% (CI95 [58%, 88%]) of the observed total variance. Despite some uncertainty surrounding the estimated numbers, these findings argue for systematically including biological variation rather than eliminating it in animal studies and call for future research on effective improvement strategies.