PLoS ONE
Articles in this Issue
Systemic iron availability differentially shapes tumor and brain iron handling in a sex-dependent manner in glioblastoma
Iron is essential for normal physiological function, yet dysregulation of iron metabolism is increasingly recognized as a hallmark of cancers such as glioblastoma (GBM). Recent clinical evidence sugge...
Genetic testing in individuals with extreme HDL-C levels: Diagnostic yield and clinical implications from the Tromsø Study
Aim This study aimed to assess the prevalence of genetic variants responsible for extreme levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and evaluate the adequacy of curren...
Pre-CRRT furosemide and mortality in sepsis-associated AKI: A retrospective cohort study
Objective We aimed to assess whether pre-CRRT furosemide use in SAKI patients requiring CRRT is associated with 28-day mortality, and to evaluate its relationship with secondary ou...
Soluble ST2 as a biomarker for predicting severe adverse events among pediatric patients with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia
Aim Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) is a leading cause of pneumonia in children. Early identification of patients at high risk is critical f...
Strategies to improve sexual health in women with urinary incontinence: A scoping review
Background Urinary incontinence (UI), affecting 3%–55% of women worldwide, significantly impairs sexual health and quality of life. Despite its prevalence, interventions targeting...
Comfort in a cross-sector care delivery model to address birth inequities: Learnings from San Francisco’s Pregnancy Village
Introduction Comfort is a key factor in physical and mental health, influencing overall well-being. Though once seen as peripheral to the patient care experience, it is now recogni...
IM-NSGAII: A novel approach to boost convergence speed and population diversity in multi-objective optimization
Convergence speed and population diversity have long been central concerns in multi-objective evolutionary algorithms. However, the NSGAII algorithm often shows insufficient ability to maintain divers...
Uptake and determinants of immediate and extended postpartum long-acting reversible contraceptive use in Eastern and Western Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Background Reducing unintended pregnancies and improving maternal/child health relies heavily on postpartum family planning (PPFP). Despite their high effectiveness, the use of lon...
Survival status and predictors of mortality among preterm neonates admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit at public hospitals of Harari region and Dire Dawa administration, eastern Ethiopia: Retrospective cohort study 2025
Background The neonatal period is the most vulnerable time for an infant’s survival, particularly for preterm neonates. Preterm birth is among the leading causes of neonatal mortal...
Real-time torque behavior of reciprocating nickel–titanium instruments using different irrigating solutions
Reciprocating nickel–titanium instruments generate mechanical stress during root canal preparation, which may affect instrument safety. Although instrument design is known to influence torque generati...
Dysregulated lactate metabolism synergizes with ALS genetic risk factors to accelerate motor decline
Neurons rely on glial ‘lactate shuttling’ for metabolic support, which declines with aging and in neurodegenerative disease. Full disruption of lactate shuttling in peripheral nerves causes progressiv...
A tripartite multifactorial analysis of abstract anaphoric choice between this and this+NP in Chinese L2 English argumentative writing: Extending the usage-based approach to discourse alternation
The usage-based approach has documented L2 learners’ general convergence with native speakers in the probabilistic constraint patterns governing syntactic alternations. However, whether this convergen...
Color outside the lines: How does amoral management influence employees’ creative unethicality?
Existing research has confirmed that amoral management can induce employees to engage in unethical behavior. However, its influence on a specific form of misconduct that involves creativity—namely, cr...
Measuring reading time: Comparing logged and self-reported data in relation to reading skills
Background Children’s reading time at home plays a critical role in their reading development. However, existing measures of reading time, based on self-reports, are often biased....
MMP-2 associated imbalance of VEGF/Endostatin is linked to suppression of the PI3K/AKT/HIF-1α pathway in steroid-induced osteonecrosis of femoral head
Objective To investigate the role of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and the imbalance between vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and Endostatin in the pathogenesis of st...
The complete mitochondrial genome of Holothuria atra (Holothuriida: Holothuriidae: Holothuria) and its structural characteristics
Sea cucumbers, as typical representatives of deep-sea benthic animals, possess significant scientific and economic importance. This investigation examined the genomic structural characteristics and ge...
Mass drug administration approved and candidate anthelmintics beginning on larval stage 1 Caenorhabditis elegans are generally potent, suggesting a novel, pre-infective control for helminths
About 1.5 billion people are infected with at least one of three soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) — roundworm, hookworm, and whipworm— which have devastating outcomes for growth, nutrition, cognition...
First insights into the intestinal microbiota of the endangered Angler Saddleback pig
The Angler Saddleback pig is an endangered local breed from northern Germany, characterized by high genetic diversity and exceptional meat quality, but with reduced growth performance compared to comm...
Hypergraph-based decay analysis for predicting and classifying states beyond regge trajectories
Regge trajectories provide a simple geometric picture of hadron spectra, but particles at higher-spin and missing states often scatter from linear fits, raising questions about both experimental compl...
Impact of prophylactic oral azithromycin during labor on Azithromycin Resistance (AMR) in nasal Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae in women and infants in the multi-country Azithromycin Prevention in Labor Use Study (A-PLUS)
Background Prophylactic oral azithromycin vs. placebo reduced maternal, but not neonatal, mortality/sepsis in the A-PLUS Randomized Trial. While prophylactic intrapartum azithromyc...
Examining the infographic design instructional process in terms of prospective mathematics teachers’ infographic design proficiency, self‑efficacy, and abilities in evaluating student errors: A model proposal
The rapid integration of digital visualization tools into teacher education programs has created new opportunities for enhancing instructional design skills in mathematics education. This study invest...
Functional hearing and low frequency hearing preservation after cochlear implant surgery is achievable with FLEX electrode arrays: Real world evidence from the MEHS Registry
This study uses data from the MED-EL Hearing Solutions (MEHS) multicenter registry to examine the impact of a series of flexible lateral wall electrode arrays on postoperative low frequency hearing pr...
AI literacy among basic school teachers in Ghana: A structural equation modelling analysis
Understanding the synergy of Artificial Intelligence (AI) literacy among teachers is imperative for successful integration in educational settings. This study examined basic school teachers’ (BSTs) AI...
Unguided web-based brief intervention with genetic risk education to reduce unhealthy alcohol consumption in Japan: Protocol for a randomized controlled trial
Background Alcohol consumption is a major global contributor to morbidity and mortality and is a well-established risk factor for multiple cancers. Acetaldeh...
Numerical simulation of heat transfer and fluid characteristics in micro-channels with obliquely arranged capsule-shaped ribs and optimization study of structural parameters
To enhance the cooling performance of high-power laser diodes, this paper proposes a novel micro-channel design that incorporates oblique capsule-shaped ribs. By integrating computational fluid dynami...