PLoS ONE

Vol. 21, Issue 4 Issue 4 2026
1514
Articles

Articles in this Issue

Leveraging a synthetic biology approach to enhance BCG-mediated expansion of Vγ9Vδ2 T cells

Christine M. Qabar, Allison W. Roberts, Lucas M. Waldburger et al. Apr 06, 2026 pp. e0343925 10.1371/journal.pone.0343925

There is an urgent need to develop a more efficacious anti-tuberculosis vaccine as the current live-attenuated vaccine strain BCG fails to prevent pulmonary infection in adults. In this study, we leve...

The RNA helicase eIF4A as a novel target in insect cells to combat arboviral infections

Tanja Rehling, Kim Mentchen, Leonie Konopka et al. Apr 06, 2026 pp. e0346047 10.1371/journal.pone.0346047

Arthropod-borne viruses cause major global health burdens, yet few vaccines or antivirals exist. Targeting host factors required for viral replication offers a promising approach. The DEAD-box RNA hel...

Appreciating the complexity of frailty and user context in digital health intervention design: A qualitative study with personas

Jenny Corser, Laura Dennison, Lizzie Coles-Kemp et al. Apr 06, 2026 pp. e0343371 10.1371/journal.pone.0343371

Frailty is a complex and dynamic process that is becoming increasingly common as the population ages. Early intervention has been shown to reverse or slow progression, but requires support from increa...

Platelet-rich plasma for immature post-traumatic scars and early keloids: A scoping review

Virgilio Blandón, Alessandro Alvarado, Miguel Borge et al. Apr 06, 2026 pp. e0345754 10.1371/journal.pone.0345754

Background Post-traumatic cutaneous scars enter an immature phase after re-epithelialization, characterized by ongoing inflammation and active remodeling. This phase, typically wit...

Dynamic thresholding and robust contrastive techniques for enhanced semi-supervised cardiac segmentation

Yafei Mi, Jie Zhang, Hui Jin et al. Apr 06, 2026 pp. e0342567 10.1371/journal.pone.0342567

Cardiac segmentation plays a crucial role in the diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases. However, the manual annotation of cardiac structures is a labor-intensive and time-consuming task that requires h...

Climate change and environmental degradation: Evidence from SADC countries

Olanrewaju Adewole Adediran, Samuel Olanrewaju Binuomote, Sotja Graham Dlamini et al. Apr 06, 2026 pp. e0346018 10.1371/journal.pone.0346018

The study investigated the effect of climate change on environmental degradation in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries. Using data sourced from the World Bank indicator from 1...

Dissecting executive dysfunction in children: The role of psychosocial disabilities through Bayesian and ANOVA approaches

Soo Eun Chae Apr 06, 2026 pp. e0343809 10.1371/journal.pone.0343809

This study investigates the relationship between executive dysfunction and psychosocial disabilities in children aged 8–11, utilizing data from the Korean Child Panel Study collected between 2015 and...

Predictors of burnout among academic family medicine faculty: Looking back to plan forward

Viola Antao, Paul Krueger, Christopher Meaney et al. Apr 06, 2026 pp. e0344702 10.1371/journal.pone.0344702

Objective To identify the prevalence and predictors of burnout among academic family medicine faculty. Design...

Maternal obesity and prenatal alcohol exposure are associated with child development: Results from the Safe Passage Study

Ayesha Sania, Shreya Rao, Nicolò Pini et al. Apr 06, 2026 pp. e0345406 10.1371/journal.pone.0345406

A large body of evidence supports the role of the prenatal environment in shaping childhood development. The relative contributions of prenatal alcohol use (PAE), maternal socioeconomic, and nutrition...

Clinical profile and hospital outcomes of children with Down syndrome diagnosed with congenital heart disease in a developing country: A retrospective study

Zawadi Edward Kalezi, Jimmy France Mchalange, Naizihijwa Gadi Majani et al. Apr 06, 2026 pp. e0345457 10.1371/journal.pone.0345457

Background The World health organization (WHO) identifies Down syndrome (DS) as one among common congenital disorders, along with congenital heart defects. Approximately fifty perc...

Retraction: Eukaryote Culturomics of the Gut Reveals New Species

Apr 06, 2026 pp. e0346536 10.1371/journal.pone.0346536

Expression of Concern: Emerging trends and disparities in cardiovascular, kidney, and diabetes-related mortality: A retrospective analysis of the wide-ranging online data for epidemiologic research database

Apr 06, 2026 pp. e0346397 10.1371/journal.pone.0346397

Expression of Concern: Trends, gender, and racial disparities in patients with mortality due to paroxysmal tachycardia: A nationwide analysis from 1999–2020

Apr 06, 2026 pp. e0346401 10.1371/journal.pone.0346401

Correction: Search model based on Kalman Filter and Monte Carlo simulation

Apr 06, 2026 pp. e0346674 10.1371/journal.pone.0346674

Randomized trial of transcutaneous tibial nerve stimulation to treat overactive bladder in older women

Marianna Vale D’Alessandro Barbosa, Liana Barbaresco Gomide Matheus, Patrícia Azevedo Garcia et al. Apr 06, 2026 pp. e0322508 10.1371/journal.pone.0322508

Objectives To evaluate the effects of transcutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (TTNS) associated with behavior therapy (BT) compared to BT alone in the treatment of Overactive Bladd...

Linear growth trajectories in the first two years of life predict attained linear growth and stunting at five years: Results from the MAL-ED multi-country birth cohort study

Md. Ashraful Alam, S. M. Tafsir Hasan, Amena Al Nishan et al. Apr 06, 2026 pp. e0329596 10.1371/journal.pone.0329596

Background Linear growth faltering and stunting are associated with increased childhood mortality and morbidity, as well as impaired physical growth and cognitive development....

The impact of human behavioral adaptation stratified by immune status on COVID-19 spread with application to South Korea

Sileshi Sintayehu Sharbayta, Youngji Jo, Jaehun Jung et al. Apr 06, 2026 pp. e0345642 10.1371/journal.pone.0345642

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues with ongoing variant waves and vaccination efforts, population-level immunity and public risk perceptions have shifted. This study presents a behavioral transmission...

Advanced microfluidic and 3D cell culture platforms for modeling vascularization in diabetic foot ulcers: A systematic review of translational challenges and perspectives

Ana Karoline Almeida da Silva, Gustavo Adolfo Marcelino de Almeida Nunes, Rafael Mendes Faria et al. Apr 06, 2026 pp. e0328278 10.1371/journal.pone.0328278

The healing process of diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) presents a slow pattern with an increased risk of infections, ischemia, and thrombosis correlated with high levels of reactive oxygen species product...

Correction: Exploring emotion recognition in patients with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s dementia undergoing a rehabilitation program emotion recognition in patients with dementia

Apr 06, 2026 pp. e0346658 10.1371/journal.pone.0346658

The role of childhood maltreatment, current stress, and alexithymia in nonsuicidal self-injury: A sex-specific analysis among Korean young adults

Eunjin Jo, Gyumyoung Kim, Ji-Won Hur Apr 06, 2026 pp. e0340384 10.1371/journal.pone.0340384

Prior research has highlighted various risk factors for nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI), yet inconsistencies remain regarding their predictive value and sex-specific effects. This study examined how ch...

Is there a “weekend effect” in adenoma detection rate?A single-center retrospective study

Baorang Cai, Bijuan Lin, Conghua Song et al. Apr 06, 2026 pp. e0345613 10.1371/journal.pone.0345613

Background The “weekend effect”—inferior patient outcomes on weekends—has been reported across healthcare. Its impact on colonoscopy quality, particularly the adenoma detection rat...

Psychological safety as a context-sensitive predictor of retention intentions: Gendered effects of supervisor support under caregiving-assumed conditions

Michi Yoshimura, Hiroyuki Yamaguchi Apr 06, 2026 pp. e0346791 10.1371/journal.pone.0346791

This study examined how emotional and instrumental supervisor support influence employees’ retention intentions through psychological safety, with a particular focus on gender and caregiving contexts....

Inverse design mechanical metamaterials with dual load-bearing and heat-transfer capabilities

Yuhao Liu Apr 06, 2026 pp. e0345912 10.1371/journal.pone.0345912

Metamaterials can achieve extraordinary properties unattainable in natural materials through sophisticated artificial structural design. This study constructs novel tri-periodic minimal surface config...

Association between chronic stress and the epigenome: Exploration of psychological and biological stress

Melissa Miller, Robin D. Brown, Cole Krautkramer et al. Apr 06, 2026 pp. e0346517 10.1371/journal.pone.0346517

Chronic stress is a predictor of health outcomes. Epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation (DNAm) have been proposed as mediators between stress and health trajectories, with evidence from animal...

Referral to treatment times in the National Health Service of England: A five-year analysis of the impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic and socioeconomic deprivation and future implications for Ear, Nose and Throat service delivery

Dimitrios Spinos, Thomas Beech, Jonathan Lee et al. Apr 06, 2026 pp. e0346596 10.1371/journal.pone.0346596

Introduction Referral-to-Treatment (RTT) waiting times are a critical indicator of healthcare system efficiency and equity. In England, Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) services are amon...

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Journal Info

Publisher Public Library of Science
ISSN 1932-6203
Subject Health Sciences
Language English
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