PLoS ONE
Articles in this Issue
Evolutionary echoes of emotion: Humans mimic other primate expressions
Humans readily mimic the emotional behavior of conspecifics -- a behavior linked to empathy. Yet, whether humans unconsciously mimic the emotional expressions of non-human primates remains an open que...
Colorectal adenoma presence is associated with decreased menaquinone pathway functions in the gut microbiome of patients undergoing routine colonoscopy
Background Colorectal adenomas are key precancerous lesions and a major target for colorectal cancer prevention. While gut microbiome alterations are well described in colorectal c...
Growth rates of coral reefs peaked at 25 °C through the Holocene
For millennia, corals have built coral-reef structures upon the remains of past generations of coral skeletons, forming the world’s most diverse marine ecosystems. Yet, ocean warming and regional and...
An integrated method for lightweight design and additive manufacturing of UAV arms
Topology optimization and additive manufacturing (AM) have been widely applied to the lightweight design and fabrication of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). However, existing topology optimization met...
Towards equitable and immersive outdoor orienteering: An artificial intelligence-driven multi-objective route planning framework with augmented sand cat swarm optimization
Outdoor orienteering has emerged as a globally popular recreational activity and competitive sport, combining navigational challenges with physical endurance across diverse natural terrains. Despite i...
Economic evaluation of anti-malarial drug policies across presidential regimes in Nigeria: A comparative analysis from 1999 to present
Background Malaria remains a significant public health challenge in Nigeria, accounting for substantial morbidity, mortality, and economic loss. Successive administrations have imp...
Left atrial strain reveals subclinical dysfunction in children after successful coarctation repair
Background Although surgical repair of aortic coarctation (CoA) often restores hemodynamic integrity, subclinical myocardial dysfunction may persist long-term. Left atrial (LA) str...
Comprehensive methodology for sample enrichment in EEG biomarker studies for Alzheimer’s risk classification
Objective Dementia, particularly Alzheimer’s disease (AD), constitutes a major global health concern, with AD accounting for approximately 70% of all cases. EEG-based biomarkers ho...
A register-based study of long-term health and social care costs among children with prenatal alcohol exposure
Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) associated with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) often remain underdiagnosed. They globally cause a wide range of health and social problems leading to high cost...
Racial and ethnic disparities in fatal police shootings: Variation across U.S. states and the role of firearm ownership
Fatal police shooting rates vary greatly across U.S. states, and states with higher firearm ownership rates tend to have higher rates of police shootings. Yet, despite well-documented national racial...
What do editors of medical journals think about opportunities and barriers to advancement in the publication of plain language summaries? A qualitative analysis
Background Plain language summaries (PLSs) are short summaries of research articles written for a diverse audience, using plain, easy-to-understand language. Although they have bee...
Why would individuals use indoor positioning systems? A study from a potential user interface perspective
Indoor positioning systems (IPS) differ from outdoor navigation in technological foundations and typical use cases, yet real-world deployments remain relatively rare. For an early-stage acceptance eva...
Influence of biosilica treatments and storage receptacles on the quality of maize (Zea mays L.) and common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) seeds during long-term storage
Common bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is a major source of affordable, high-quality dietary protein that complements maize ( Zea mays...
Regional differences, distribution dynamics and convergence of multi-dimensional grain security level in major grain producing areas in China
Based on panel data from China’s 13 major grain – producing provinces between 2014 and 2023, this study constructs a multidimensional grain security evaluation index system, incorporating the dimensio...
Clinical outcomes and patient-reported measures in HCV care: Insight from a longitudinal prospective study in a large Italian region
Background Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection remains a critical public health issue worldwide. Direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) have revolutionized the treatment of hepatitis C. How...
Analyzing public opinion on China’s “Double Reduction” policy: A sentiment and content analysis of microblog discourse
The “Double reduction” policy in China was promulgated and implemented on July 24, 2021. This was the most rigorous and radical education reform since China was founded, aimed at easing pupils’ academ...
Unpacking antigypsism and support for solidarity-based actions: Implications of social class, discrimination awareness, group efficacy and emotions
Roma people, being the largest ethnic minority in Europe, continue to experience prejudice and structural discrimination. Moreover, there is low participation in Roma collective action and allies’ sol...
Epidemiological characteristics of foodborne disease outbreaks in Chongqing from 2003 to 2023
Foodborne diseases have a high incidence and widespread occurrence, affecting a significant number of individuals, making them one of the most pressing public health issues globally. The situation reg...
Barriers to and facilitators of timely family consent in caesarean sections: Experiences, perspectives and associated factors–a mixed-methods study in Somaliland
Introduction In many countries, the consent for caesarean section (CS), when indicated, is made by the woman herself. However, in Somaliland, the family (husband, father, or other...
Exploring COVID-19 pandemic perceptions and vaccine uptake among community members and primary healthcare workers in Nigeria: A mixed methods study
Background The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted global health, with diverse perceptions about the disease and its control measures, including vaccination. Understanding the...
Exposure to high-altitude hypobaric hypoxic environment induces low-frequency hearing loss in C57BL/6J mice: Mediated by slowing down the postsynaptic electrical signal transmission speed in the cochlear-inferior colliculus auditory signaling pathway
Objective To reveal the pattern of effects of exposure to high-altitude hypobaric hypoxia environment on the auditory function of C57BL/6J mice, so as to provide a theoretical basi...
Surface geoenvironments shape organic matter inputs in iron-ore caves of Carajás, southeastern Amazonia
Cave ecosystems rely heavily on organic matter inputs from the outside to support their trophic networks and biodiversity. In the iron-ore caves of Carajás, southeastern Amazonia, bat guano is a major...
C1RL-AS1/microRNA-424-5p/adrenoceptor β2 axis: A novel regulatory mechanism in lung adenocarcinoma associated with immune infiltration and prognosis
Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), the most common subtype of non-small cell lung cancer, is associated with poor prognosis and limited treatment options despite advances in cancer therapy. Adrenoceptor β2 (...
Using reinforcement algorithms to improve the collaboration efficiency of entrepreneurial teams
Entrepreneurial Team (ET) plays an essential role in the business process by driving innovation and optimizing ideas via adaptability, collaboration, and resourcefulness. The team performance is conti...
Potentially unsafe doses of local anesthetics in axillary brachial plexus block: A single-center retrospective cohort study
Local anesthetic systemic toxicity is a rare but potentially life-threatening complication of regional anesthesia that can occur when high doses of local anesthetics are administered. This study aimed...