PLoS ONE
Articles in this Issue
Differences in housing wealth between U.S. military service personnel and the Civilian population—Exploring the role of financial stress
The study investigates whether frequent job-based relocations, which are typical for military service personnel, are correlated with households’ ability to accumulate housing wealth. Specifically, we...
Isolation, purification, and phenotypic characterization of virulent Klebsiella pneumoniae phages from environmental samples in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: A synergistic approach combining spot assay and streak plating
Background Multidrug-resistant (MDR) Klebsiella pneumoniae poses a significant global health threat, necessitating alternative therapies like bacteriophage treatment. Traditional phage isolation metho...
Runway: A novel, forward-screen method of analyzing catwalk gait analysis data
Assessing locomotor endpoints is a crucial component of neurotrauma research. One method of measuring locomotor behavior is through gait analysis, where one empirically measures different aspects of a...
Providing psychological support to people impacted by terminal illness: A mixed methods study of hospice staff perceived competence, confidence and training needs
Background Psychological distress is common amongst people with a terminal illness. While mental health specialists have a role in assessment and management of those with complex psychological problem...
Facilitators and barriers to contraceptive uptake and use: Perspectives of female students in South Africa and lessons for quality provision of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis
Young women in South Africa face a dual risk of unplanned pregnancies and HIV infections. The country’s high contraceptive prevalence rate masks underlying challenges affecting the initiation and main...
The function of Anr in the differential effects of oxygen levels on biofilm development and nitrogenase performance in Pseudomonas stutzeri A1501
Pseudomonas stutzeri A1501 exhibits a rare and notable trait: nitrogenase activity, which functions under microaerophilic conditions with limited oxygen availability. Optimal biofilm formation occurs...
Understanding and mitigating the impact of ambient mRNA contamination in single-cell RNA-sequencing analysis
Droplet-based single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) frequently encounters significant challenges from contamination of cell-free mRNAs, known as “ambient mRNAs”, which can substantially distort singl...
Organic acid-mediated phosphorus mobilization in black soils: differential effects of maize root exudates on alfisols and mollisols in Northeast China
Soil phosphorus exists in various forms, but only minimal soluble phosphorus is bioavailable. While phosphate fertilizers address deficiency, low efficiency leads to insoluble phosphate accumulation,...
Clinical characteristics, risk factors and outcome of critically ill immunocompromised patients with bloodstream infections and sepsis
Background Immunocompromised patients with sepsis face higher mortality than immunocompetent individuals. However, data on bloodstream infections (BSIs) and sepsis among critically ill immunocompromis...
How labor market institutions influence the relationship between exchange rate regimes and economic growth
How do exchange rate regimes affect economic growth? Although this topic has attracted considerable empirical attention, a definitive answer remains elusive. This study aims to advance our understandi...
Tracking the emergence of the Upper Palaeolithic in western Asia and Europe: A Multiple Correspondence Analysis of Protoaurignacian and Southern Ahmarian lithics
Reconstructing changes in human behaviour during the Pleistocene, particularly when based on lithic or other artefact types, is often hindered by the traditional categorisation of these materials into...
Long-term conservation agriculture with optimum nitrogen fertilization improves soil phosphorus availability
Understanding the interactive effects of conservation agriculture (CA) and nitrogen (N) fertilization on soil phosphorus (P) dynamics is critical for sustainable nutrient management. However, informat...
Correlations between social media addiction and anxiety, depression, FoMO, loneliness and self-esteem among students: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Background and aims With the ubiquity of the internet, social media have become an essential part of daily life. There are various types of social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, WeChat and...
Industrial robot application and total factor productivity of manufacturing enterprises
In the context of intensifying global competitiveness and rapid technological advancement, industrial robots have emerged as a pivotal component in the integration of digital technology, exerting a vi...
Investigating the anti-osteosarcoma effects of Patchouli alcohol through protein network mapping and in vitro experiments
Osteosarcoma is one of the most common malignant tumors in orthopedics, especially in the metaphysis of tubular bones of the extremities in adolescents. Patchouli alcohol (PA) is a tricyclic sesquiter...
IGF-1 downregulates matrix metalloproteinase 8 to promote plaque stability: Evidence from myeloid cell-specific MMP8 in atherosclerosis
Background & aims Macrophages (MF) play an important role in atherosclerosis, a chronic inflammatory disease. Matrix metalloproteinase 8 (MMP8), a collagen degrading enzyme, is expressed by inflam...
Removal efficiency of pharmaceuticals during the wastewater treatment process: Emission and environmental risk assessment
The release of pharmaceuticals into the environment is a major concern. These compounds enter waterways through the effluent of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). However, most WWTPs using mechanica...
Design and implementation of a Targeted HealthcaRe InnoVation & Entrepreneurship (THRIVE) fellowship program
The Targeted HealthcaRe InnoVation & Entrepreneurship (THRIVE) Fellowship was created to bridge the gap between healthcare professionals, who often lack experience in technology development and en...
Combined effect of probiotics and omega-3 fatty acids on blood and liver function biomarkers and gut microbiota diversity in male mice with high fat diet-induced obesity
This study investigates the combined effects of probiotics and omega-3 fatty acids on blood and liver function biomarkers, as well as gut microbiota diversity, in a high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity...
Nationwide assessment of fall risk and protective factors among older adults in Saudi Arabia
In Saudi Arabia, nearly half of older adults (49.9%) experience at least one fall annually. Despite its global and regional significance, research on fall risk factors in Saudi Arabia remains limited,...
Improving Contraception Outreach through Human-Centered Design: A Pilot Study of the Ndingathe (“I Can”) Intervention in Rural Malawi
Background In Malawi, community health workers known as Health Surveillance Assistants (HSAs) can facilitate access to contraception through rural outreach. Self-injectable contraception also shows pr...
Acceptability of Digital Adherence Technologies to support people with drug-susceptible TB in South Africa
Background Tuberculosis (TB) remains a challenge in South Africa, with an estimated 280,000 new cases reported in 2022. Digital Adherence Technologies (DATs) may be important tools to improve adherenc...
Voice clones sound realistic but not (yet) hyperrealistic
AI-generated voices are increasingly prevalent in our lives, via virtual assistants, automated customer service, and voice-overs. With increased availability and affordability of AI-generated voices,...
Utilization of psychotropic drugs in Serbia from 2006 to 2021: Patterns before and during the COVID-19 pandemic
Background The increasing global prevalence of mental disorders as well as a persistent stigma make mental disorders a public health priority. The aim of this study was to provide a comprehensive over...
Misconception about HIV/AIDS transmission among sexually active women in emerging regions of Ethiopia
Background Misconceptions about how HIV is transmitted persist among sexually active women, especially in emerging regions, and pose a barrier to effective prevention and control efforts. Therefore, t...