PLoS ONE
Articles in this Issue
Metagenomic and proteomic analyses reveal similar reproductive microbial profiles and shared functional pathways in uterine immune regulation in mares and jennies
This study aims to unveil potential differences in the vaginal and uterine microbiomes in mares and jennies, and to identify possible mechanisms involved in uterine immune homeostasis. The microbiota...
Reducing Obesity Using Social Ties (ROBUST): Protocol for a randomized control trial of a social network lifestyle intervention
Aim The aim of the Reducing Obesity Using Social Ties (ROBUST) study is to address negative and positive social network processes that may influence weight loss among individuals enrolled in an eviden...
Enabling transparent toxicokinetic modeling for public health risk assessment
Toxicokinetic modeling describes the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination of chemicals by the body. Chemical-specific in vivo toxicokinetic dat...
Distributary development in a 21st century river: The evolution of Neptune Pass and its delta, the largest new offshoot of the Mississippi River
The development of distributaries in large river deltas plays an important role in the geology, hydrology, and ecology of the coastal ocean, as large rivers are a dominant mechanism by which particula...
Development of a psychological management intervention protocol for colorectal cancer patients: a Delphi study on benefit finding
Objective This study aimed to develop Benefit Finding intervention protocols for colorectal cancer patients on psychological management in China. Methods We created an initial draft of such a protoc...
Environmental risk assessment for sustainable industrial urban development: The case of northern industrial zone of Pavlodar, Kazakhstan
This study assesses heavy metal (HM) contamination in soils of an urban industrial zone using statistical and spatial analysis methods. Concentrations of 12 key HMs, including Zn, Pb, Cu, and Ni, were...
Multi-omics evaluation of peritoneal fluid in gastroesophageal cancer (OMEGCA): protocol for a prospective multicentre cohort study to detect occult peritoneal metastases in patients undergoing curative-intent treatment
Introduction Early detection of peritoneal disease, especially micro-metastases, in patients with gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma is critical as it alters therapeutic intent, providing a vital opportu...
Genetic diversity of Olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) and the impact of selective breeding on Korean populations
This study aimed to identify the population structure and genetic diversity of olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) in Korea and to examine the potential for genetic improvement in aquaculture popu...
Trunk kinematics and motor unit behavior during different loads and speeds in individuals with and without aberrant movement patterns during active forward bending: A cross-sectional study
Background Instability catch (IC) during active forward bending is an aberrant movement pattern observed in patients with low back pain. Increasing load and speed may show different responses in kinem...
Educational needs for medication safety competence among nurses by clinical ladder stage
The objective of this study is to identify the educational needs of nurses in regard to medication safety competence at different career levels. The identification of these needs is grounded in nurse...
Melatonin and sleep parameters in infertile women with endometriosis: first results from the triple-blind randomized controlled trial of administration of melatonin in chronic pelvic pain and sleep disturbance
Introduction To evaluate the effect of melatonin supplementation on sleep quality and pelvic pain in infertile women with endometriosis and sleep disturbances. Materials and analysis A randomized, t...
Determinants and barriers in early tuberculosis treatment in children at a primary health care facility in Kampala, Uganda; A mixed methods study
Background Tuberculosis (TB) remains a leading cause of mortality worldwide, with childhood TB posing unique diagnostic challenges due to its pauci bacillary nature. The World Health Organization emph...
Seasonal dynamic of ticks infesting cattle (Bos indicus) farms in two provinces in Cambodia
Cattle tick infestations pose a significant threat to livestock health and productivity worldwide. These parasitic arthropods, feed on blood and may cause various diseases in cattle, such as anaplasmo...
Physical and financial access challenges to seeking child healthcare in a rural district in Ghana
Introduction Timely access to available, and affordable essential child healthcare services is important to ensure the well-being of children under five years. However, healthcare systems in low- and...
The impact of spaced learning within physics lessons in secondary schools
Spaced learning (SL) involves distributed learning with timed distraction breaks unrelated to the learning input. These breaks are thought to facilitate consolidation of novel information in long-term...
Waiting times for outpatient visits during military conflict: An observational study
Background Environmental events, including military conflicts, may dramatically affect a hospital’s ability to provide routine treatments while maintaining reasonable waiting times. Objective To exa...
Linear infrastructure drives biotic homogenization among bird species of a tropical dry forest
Linear infrastructures (LIs) such as roads, railroads, and powerlines are expanding rapidly around the globe. While most future developments are projected to take place in tropical regions, available...
Socioeconomic inequalities in childhood and adolescent obesity in Australia: The role of behavioral and biological factors
Background Obesity among children and adolescents is a significant public health concern, influenced by a complex interplay of biological and behavioral factors. However, the extent to which these fac...
Assessing the impact of global warming on the distributions of Allium stipitatum and Kelussia odoratissima in the Central Zagros using a MaxEnt model
Global warming is an undeniable fact occurring in different parts of the world. Climate changes can have irreversible effects on plant communities, particularly on endemic and endangered species. Ther...
Do pay-for-performance schemes improve quality in community pharmacy? A mixed-methods study exploring stakeholder perspectives on implementation of the nationwide Pharmacy Quality Scheme (PQS) in England?
Main study objectives To evaluate implementation and impact (at pharmacy and system level) of the pharmacy quality scheme (PQS), a pay-for-performance quality incentive scheme in community pharmacies...
EGF and IgA in maternal milk, donor milk, and milk fortifiers in the neonatal intensive care unit setting
Human milk contains a variety of factors that positively contribute to neonatal health, including epidermal growth factor (EGF) and immunoglobulin A (IgA). When maternal milk cannot be the primary die...
Relationship between vitamin B6 intake and thyroid function in US adults: NHANES 2007–2012 results
Background Existing studies have focused on the relationship between vitamin B6 and thyroid disease. However, there is a lack of large cross-sectional studies reporting on the relationship between vit...
In vivo anti-ulceration effect of Pancratium maritimum extract against ethanol-induced rats via NLRP3 inflammasome and HMGB1/TLR4/MYD88/NF-κβ signaling pathways and its extract metabolite profile
Background Gastric ulcer is a multifaceted ailment of multiple causes and is chronic warranting the discovery of remedies to alleviate its symptoms and severity. Pancratium maritimum L. is recognized...
Sleep quality of college students in Fujian and its influencing factors: A cross-sectional study
Aim This study aims to investigate college students’ sleep quality, explore the factors influencing it, and provide data support for further studies. Methods College students in Fujian Province were...
Deep reinforcement learning for decision making of autonomous vehicle in non-lane-based traffic environments
Existing research on decision-making of autonomous vehicles (AVs) has mainly focused on normal road sections, with limited exploration of decision-making in complex traffic environments without lane m...