PLoS ONE
Articles in this Issue
Modifications to rhesus macaque TCR constant regions improve TCR cell surface expression
T cell immunotherapy success is dependent on effective levels of antigen receptor expressed at the surface of engineered cells. Efforts to optimize surface expression in T cell receptor (TCR)-based th...
Genetic variability and population structure analysis of Protostrongylus oryctolagi (Nematoda: Protostrongylidae) in Lepus europaeus from Central and Northern Italy
Nematodes are abundant and ubiquitous animals which are poorly known at intraspecific level. This work represents the first attempt to fill the gap on basic knowledge of genetic variability and differ...
Enhancing public sector employees ’ professional identity: A study using China’s Labor Force Survey data
Public sector employees, as the crucial link between the party, government, and the general public, represent the frontline in safeguarding the interests of the people and providing services to them....
Reproducibility and repeatability of 18F-(2S, 4R)-4-fluoroglutamine PET imaging in preclinical oncology models
Introduction Measurement of repeatability and reproducibility (R&R) is necessary to realize the full potential of positron emission tomography (PET). Several studies have evaluated the reproducibi...
Shaping a low-carbon future: Uncovering the spatial-temporal effect of population aging on carbon emissions in China
Background With the accelerated development of the aging trend in Chinese society, the aging problem has become one of the key factors affecting sustainable economic and social development. Given the...
“If my husband was in the labor ward with me, my baby wouldn’t have died”; experiences on birth companionship from a tertiary health facility, Tanzania
Background Despite existing policies promoting companionship, it remains uncommon in Tanzania. Pregnant women select a trusted individual to accompany them during childbirth, providing emotional, phys...
Effects of aerobic and resistance training on walking and balance abilities in older adults with Parkinson’s disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Objective To explore the impact of aerobic and resistance training on walking and balance abilities (UPDRS-III, Gait Velocity, Mini-BESTest, and TUG) in individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Me...
Patient stratification by genetic risk in Alzheimer’s disease is only effective in the presence of phenotypic heterogeneity
Case-only designs in longitudinal cohorts are a valuable resource for identifying disease-relevant genes, pathways, and novel targets influencing disease progression. This is particularly relevant in...
Effects of body weight-supported Tai Chi Yunshou training on upper limb motor function in stroke patients: A three-arm parallel randomized controlled trial
Objectives To form a unique body weight support-Tai Chi Yunshou (BWS-TCY) training method, apply it to the treatment of upper limb dysfunction after stroke, and provide a new safe and effective treatm...
In silico drug repurposing at the cytoplasmic surface of human aquaporin 1
Aquaporin 1 (AQP1) is a key channel for water transport in peritoneal dialysis. Inhibition of AQP1 could therefore impair water transport during peritoneal dialysis. It is not known whether inhibition...
Clinical control in COPD and therapeutic implications: The EPOCONSUL audit
Objective This study aimed to evaluate clinical control in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the consequences in terms of treatment decisions, and their potentially associated factors duri...
Treadmill belt accelerations may not accurately replicate kinematic responses to tripping on an obstacle in older people
Background Treadmill belt perturbations have high clinical feasibility for use in perturbation-based training in older people, but their kinematic validity is unclear. This study examined the kinemati...
Broiler farming and antibiotic use through an agency theory lens. A case study from West Bengal, India
Chicken meat (broiler) production is a rapidly growing livestock sector in India, and one dominated by contract farming. Studies have reported high levels of antibiotic use in Indian broiler farms whi...
Widespread use of ChatGPT and other Artificial Intelligence tools among medical students in Uganda: A cross-sectional study
Background Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer (ChatGPT) is a 175-billion-parameter natural language processing model that uses deep learning algorithms trained on vast amounts of data to generate...
Analysis of the structure and robustness of the global semiconductor trade network
Amidst the global restructuring of the semiconductor supply chain, this paper constructs a global semiconductor trade network (2007, 2012, 2017, 2021) encompassing three segments (raw materials, equip...
Familiarity of an environment prevents song suppression in isolated zebra finches
Despite the wide use of zebra finches as an animal model to study vocal learning and production, little is known about impacts on their welfare caused by routine experimental manipulations such as cha...
Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity does not improve mortality in type 2 diabetes patients with severe abdominal aortic calcification
Background The impact of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) on all-cause mortality in type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients with severe abdominal aortic calcification (SAAC) remains unclear. Met...
Frequencies and functions of vocalizations and gestures in the second year of life
Speculations on the evolution of language have invoked comparisons across human and non-human primate communication. While there is widespread support for the claim that gesture plays a central, perha...
Futility in TAVI: A scoping review of definitions, predictive criteria, and medical predictive models
Background Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) procedures are rapidly expanding, necessitating a more extensive stratification of patients with aortic stenosis. Especially in the high-risk...
Enhancing stroke disease classification through machine learning models via a novel voting system by feature selection techniques
Heart disease remains a leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide, necessitating the development of accurate and reliable predictive models to facilitate early detection and intervention. Whi...
The efficacy of acupuncture for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in college students: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial
Introduction Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is the most common type of anxiety disorders. GAD usually occurs in adolescence or early adulthood, and the prevalence of GAD is higher among college-en...
Exploring the perceptions of the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental well-being and medical education of medical students in Northern Ireland, in addition to the perceived barriers to seeking support; a qualitative study
Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic had a negative effect on population mental health. Medical students may have been particularly affected, whom prevalence of mental health conditions was already high...
The role of the microbiota and metabolites in the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis with UC-MSCs: Integrating fecal metabolomics and 16S rDNA analysis
Introduction Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a chronic and irreversible interstitial lung disease characterized by a lack of effective therapies. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have garnered significant int...
Evaluating the effects of time-restricted eating on overweight and obese women with polycystic ovary syndrome: A randomized controlled trial study protocol
Background Time-restricted eating (TRE) manages weight effectively, but choosing how long and what time window remain debatable. Although an 8:00 a.m. to 16:00 p.m. time frame is reported to show posi...
Mammography screening: Eliciting the voices of informed citizens
Background Many medical organisations recommend continuing with existing mammography screening programmes but some recommend stopping or de-intensifying them. In Denmark women aged 50–69 are offered b...