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Isolation and preliminary characterization of extracellular vesicles from bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) and long-finned pilot whale (Globicephala melas) blow.
Moccia V, Centelleghe C, Zendrini A … +9 more , Tassoni S, Ceolotto L, Bouchard B, Alvarez E, Pesce G, Bergese P, Radeghieri A, Mazzariol S, Zappulli V
PLoS One · 2026 · PMID 42384662 · Full text
Cetaceans are key sentinel species for environmental health monitoring. Although sampling from free-ranging animals is challenging, the analysis of cetacean blow offers a minimally invasive approach to assess their healt...
Cetaceans are key sentinel species for environmental health monitoring. Although sampling from free-ranging animals is challenging, the analysis of cetacean blow offers a minimally invasive approach to assess their health status. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are cell-derived nanostructures present in biological fluids and widely studied as disease biomarkers in humans. Despite the potential for similar uses, EVs have not been studied in cetacean blow to date. This proof-of-concept study aims to assess the feasibility of the isolation and characterization of EVs from blow samples collected from five bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) kept under human care and from a free ranging specimen of long-finned pilot whale (Globicephala melas). EVs were purified from bottlenose dolphin blows by ultracentrifugation (UC) or size exclusion chromatography (SEC) and from the long-finned pilot whale by SEC. Particle concentration and size distribution were assessed by Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (NTA), morphology by Air-atomic force microscopy (AFM) and protein expression by Western Blotting (WB). NTA revealed a higher mean particle concentration in bottlenose dolphin EVs isolated by UC compared to SEC, while EVs isolated from the long-finned pilot whale presented a lower particle concentration. AFM confirmed the presence of EV-like particles within the typical EV size range in bottlenose dolphin's EVs obtained both by SEC or UC. All EV samples were positive for CD9 and integrin-β and negative to Calnexin. SEC was more sensitive to detect OmpA, a membrane protein of Gram-negative bacteria, in EVs from both species. Our pilot study demonstrates that EV-like particles are present in cetacean blow and can be isolated and characterized. Future investigations focused on characterizing and quantifying a wider array of EV associated molecules may further the application of blow EV analysis for cetacean health assessments.
Social vulnerability and spatial patterns of COVID-19 mortality: Global implications for respiratory health equity.
Kearney GD, Obi ON, Maddipati V … +2 more , Levitin G, Hu G
PLoS One · 2026 · PMID 42384661 · Full text
BACKGROUND: The pandemic highlighted geographic inequities in COVID-19 mortality worldwide, reflecting structural and social vulnerabilities that exacerbated respiratory disease outcomes. The primary aim of this study wa...
BACKGROUND: The pandemic highlighted geographic inequities in COVID-19 mortality worldwide, reflecting structural and social vulnerabilities that exacerbated respiratory disease outcomes. The primary aim of this study was to examine the spatial relationship between COVID-19 mortality and communities characterized by greater social disadvantage in North Carolina. This application highlights the value of spatial analytic approaches when considering inequities in respiratory mortality. METHODS: This study analyzed 25,051 COVID-19 deaths occurring in North Carolina from March 2020 through April 2022 using state vital statistics data and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Social Vulnerability Index data. SaTScan™ was used to identify mortality hot spots, and Moran's I in ArcGIS Pro was used to assess spatial autocorrelation at the ZIP-Code Tabulation Area level. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to assess differences in social vulnerability index scores in mortality hot spots areas and non-hot spots areas. RESULTS: Local bivariate analysis identified moderate spatial clustering characterized by high-high (mortality-vulnerability) hot spots and spatial outliers. In non-parametric testing, COVID-19 mortality hot spot areas had significantly higher, but modestly elevated, median overall social vulnerability index scores compared with non-hot spot areas (0.58 vs. 0.45; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Social vulnerability partially explains the observed spatial heterogeneity in COVID-19 mortality (2020-2022), with statistically significant spatial clustering consistently concentrated in areas of higher social vulnerability. This study highlights how pre-existing inequities in healthcare access and social conditions intensified mortality disparities during the pandemic.
Destination choices during internal temporary migration: Evidence from northern Bangladesh.
Rana MS, Faye A
PLoS One · 2026 · PMID 42384658 · Full text
While migration to urban areas is often associated with higher wage opportunities, it remains unclear why many rural poor prefer rural destinations, particularly for temporary migration. We investigate this in northern r...
While migration to urban areas is often associated with higher wage opportunities, it remains unclear why many rural poor prefer rural destinations, particularly for temporary migration. We investigate this in northern rural Bangladesh, where temporary migration is common, by analyzing both the determinants of rural versus urban temporary migration and their income effects. We examine temporary migrants' destination choices, accounting for their self-selection into migration, and address endogeneity when estimating the income effects of these choices. Despite recent findings that perceived income gains tend to be higher from rural destinations, our findings show that rural destinations are not necessarily better than urban ones at increasing actual total household income. In fact, remittances from rural-bound temporary migration are lower than those from urban-bound migration. However, our results also suggest that rural-bound migration is not primarily driven by remittance maximization. Instead, constrained by household obligations, temporary migrants often prefer rural destinations because they offer greater income-to-cost ratio, permit continued engagement in origin-based labor activities, and hence facilitate household risk diversification while reducing time away from home.
Probability of a timely vocal response in mother-infant interaction and later psychiatric diagnosis: A case-control study.
Stanley B, Allely CS, Charlton J … +7 more , Gillberg C, Law J, Levickis P, McConnachie A, Puckering C, Thompson L, Wilson P
PLoS One · 2026 · PMID 42384656 · Full text
Patterns of parent-child interactions are commonly cited as being predictive of later psychiatric disorders but precisely which elements of these interactions are important is rarely clear, potentially affecting the effe...
Patterns of parent-child interactions are commonly cited as being predictive of later psychiatric disorders but precisely which elements of these interactions are important is rarely clear, potentially affecting the effective targeting of interventions in young children. The current study aimed to examine the relationship between timely vocal response during parent-child interactions (i.e., the probability of mothers responding to their child within a specified time period and vice versa), and later psychiatric diagnosis. Drawing on data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) cohort, a case control study was conducted based on infant-mother video observations of children assessed for neuropsychiatric disorders using the parent-reported Development and Wellbeing Assessment (DAWBA) at seven years of age (103 controls and 55 cases). Empirical examination suggested that 1 second represented the optimal threshold for maternal responses and 8 seconds for child responses. Only the maternal measure was found to predict later psychiatric disorders, with evidence of associations limited to hyperactivity and conduct disorders. These associations were not sensitive to either maternal education or child sex. The results are discussed in terms of the value of precise interpretation of early mother/child interaction and for the potential for providing targeted intervention to the population concerned.
Duration-dependent effects of social isolation on reintegration behavior in the swarming soldier crab, Mictyris guinotae.
Yang R, Eto K, Nakano T … +1 more , Gunji YP
PLoS One · 2026 · PMID 42384653 · Full text
Social contact is fundamental to the behavioral and physiological homeostasis of group-living animals. When such contact is disrupted, even briefly, individuals may undergo behavioral shifts that persist beyond the isola...
Social contact is fundamental to the behavioral and physiological homeostasis of group-living animals. When such contact is disrupted, even briefly, individuals may undergo behavioral shifts that persist beyond the isolation period and alter their interactions upon reintegration into the group. The soldier crab Mictyris guinotae, which forms large, dense swarms on intertidal flats, provides a tractable natural system for studying how transient isolation affects subsequent reintegration into collective behavior. Unlike eusocial insects with stable social roles, M. guinotae exhibits flexible, non-hierarchical interactions, allowing individual perturbations to be examined without confounding effects of dominance or task specialization. We conducted two experiments to examine how different durations of enforced isolation influence subsequent reintegration into collective movement. Isolation periods ranged from 5 to 180 minutes, and behavioral parameters such as local polarity, movement distance, and nearest-neighbor proximity were compared with controls. Individuals isolated for 5-30 minutes exhibited increased locomotor activity and reduced nearest-neighbor distance relative to controls, whereas 3-hour isolation induced a biphasic pattern characterized by an initial reduction in movement followed by elevated activity that remained weakly coordinated with the swarm. These results reveal a non-linear, threshold-dependent effect of isolation in a non-eusocial, anonymous collective. The study establishes Mictyris guinotae as a tractable invertebrate system for examining how transient social disruption alters measurable individual-level behavior and propagates through local interactions to shape emergent group-level dynamics.
Effects of OsNRT2.3b transgenosis on lettuce antioxidant capacity and nitrogen metabolism under low nitrogen.
Qian Y, Liu X, Wang B … +4 more , Liu N, Li D, Wu Z, Tong J
PLoS One · 2026 · PMID 42384652 · Full text
Nitrate (NO3-) plays dual roles in vascular plants, functioning as both an essential macronutrient and a phytoactive signaling compound. Research indicates that the high-affinity NO3- transporter OsNRT2.3b orchestrates f...
Nitrate (NO3-) plays dual roles in vascular plants, functioning as both an essential macronutrient and a phytoactive signaling compound. Research indicates that the high-affinity NO3- transporter OsNRT2.3b orchestrates fundamental agronomic traits, including biomass accumulation, grain production, and nitrogen (N) metabolism efficiency in cultivated rice. In this study, transgenic lettuce lines of OsNRT2.3b were generated, from which four lines with high OsNRT2.3b expression (OE20-5, OE21-7, OE21-11, and OE21-13) were selected and subjected to normal (CK) and low nitrogen (LN) treatments for 12 d. The results indicate that OsNRT2.3b transgenosis increased chlorophyll and glutathione (GSH) contents, as well as the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT), in lettuce. However, OsNRT2.3b transgenosis had little effect on certain agronomic traits (leaf number, plant height, and leaf dimensions) of lettuce. Compared to the wild-type (WT), OsNRT2.3b transgenosis substantially enhanced the contents of NO3-, ammonium (NH4+), amino acids, soluble protein, and the activities of NO3- reductase (NR), nitrite (NO2-) reductase (NiR), glutamine synthetase (GS), and glutamate synthetase (GOGAT) in lettuce. Thus, OsNRT2.3b transgenosis improves the antioxidant capacity, photosynthetic level, and N use efficiency of lettuce. This research provides theoretical references for improving the N utilization efficiency of lettuce and enhancing its antioxidant capacity.
LLM-impersonated debate contributions are more authentic, relevant and coherent than their original: A representative study using BBC1's Question Time.
Herbold S, Trautsch A, Kikteva Z … +1 more , Hautli-Janisz A
PLoS One · 2026 · PMID 42384651 · Full text
Generative AI has the potential to pollute the public information sphere with made-up content, posing a significant threat to the cohesion of societies at large. This paper offers the first large-scale and systematic stu...
Generative AI has the potential to pollute the public information sphere with made-up content, posing a significant threat to the cohesion of societies at large. This paper offers the first large-scale and systematic study of how authentic, relevant and coherent impersonated content from Large Language Models (LLMs) is perceived by the general public. Based on a cross-section of British society, we show that LLM-generated responses to questions drawn from a broadcast political debate programme in the UK are judged to be more authentic and relevant than the original responses given by the panel members who were impersonated. We also show that stylistic differences do not influence these judgments, meaning that the distinction of original and generated content is challenging for the general public. Taken together, this means that LLMs can be made to deceive the public regarding the nature of statements in the political domain, with the consequence that there is a dire need to inform the general public of the potential harm this can have on society.
Pretreatment out-of-pocket costs for people with drug-resistant tuberculosis in Bandung, Indonesia.
Lestari BW, Indriani S, Miranda AV … +8 more , Safira DAN, Fitriani NA, Nurhayati RD, Purwitasari M, Alifia A, Larasmanah A, Kulsum ID, Soeroto AY
PLoS One · 2026 · PMID 42384650 · Full text
BACKGROUND: People with drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) experience multiple visits to healthcare providers before DR-TB diagnosis and treatment. Our study aimed to quantify pretreatment direct costs and factors assoc...
BACKGROUND: People with drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) experience multiple visits to healthcare providers before DR-TB diagnosis and treatment. Our study aimed to quantify pretreatment direct costs and factors associated with higher costs among people with DR-TB. METHODS: Our cross-sectional study aimed to recruit 300 adults with pulmonary DR-TB from three DR-TB referral centers in Bandung, Indonesia, between February 2023 and February 2024. Participants were interviewed using a structured questionnaire regarding their demographic characteristics and out-of-pocket costs for the following categories: administration, chest radiography, laboratory tests, medication, travel, food, and other non-medical costs. Pretreatment out-of-pocket costs were analyzed descriptively, and factors influencing higher costs were examined using quantile regression. Costs were presented in U.S. dollars (USD, $) and reported as medians and interquartile ranges (IQRs). RESULTS: Among 258 eligible participants, 57.4% were male; median age was 38 years (IQR 27-47.7). A higher proportion of patients resided in rural areas (68.6%) and had initial visits to community health center (CHC) for TB-related symptoms (53.1%). The median pretreatment direct costs (excluding hospitalization) per person were estimated at $44.6 (IQR 18.8-92.7). The major contributors of pretreatment costs per person included hospitalization ($67.3), travel expenses ($13.7), chest radiography ($11.2), and medication ($10.8). Factors associated with greater pretreatment costs were residing in a rural area [β = 17.9, (95% CI: 1.07, 34.93)], had ≥ 7 visits to a healthcare provider [β = 19.9, (95% CI: 3.12, 36.74)], and their first TB symptom-related visit was to a private hospital [β = 38.7, (95% CI: 8.20, 69.30)], public hospital [β = 35.7, (95% CI: 8.60, 62.77)] and private primary care [β = 37.9, (95% CI: 19.36, 56.54)], compared to a community health center. CONCLUSIONS: People with DR-TB in Indonesia incurred incremental direct costs during the pretreatment phase. Strengthening TB diagnostic infrastructure and sample referral networks between public and private providers in rural areas is critical to reducing the extra visits and financial burden for DR-TB patients.
"The system is obviously bonkers": The APC Trap and the bind of scholarly publishing across four research intensive institutions in the U.S.
Cantrell MH, Caldwell R, Mezick JA … +2 more , Estill M, Collister LB
PLoS One · 2026 · PMID 42384648 · Full text
This study analyzes the cognitive dissonance displayed by authors at research intensive institutions in the United States (U.S.) regarding the scholarly publishing of Open Access (OA) publications. A qualitative analysis...
This study analyzes the cognitive dissonance displayed by authors at research intensive institutions in the United States (U.S.) regarding the scholarly publishing of Open Access (OA) publications. A qualitative analysis of 154 open-ended responses was conducted. Eight codes were identified, then each response was analyzed for the codes. The codes themselves coalesce around a phenomenon the authors of this study term the article processing charge (APC) Trap, in which privileged and well-resourced researchers in the U.S. experience highly contradictory sentiments about OA publishing. The cognitive dissonance characteristic of the APC Trap result in strong feelings of conflict as well as powerlessness. The qualitative analysis reveals the APC Trap as a deeply layered phenomenon, with manifestation dependent on positionality, including demographic features and interactions between APC Trap codes. While much has been made of the failings of the APC model of OA publishing for under-resourced researchers, this study reveals the ways this publishing model is unsustainable even for privileged researchers most well-positioned to participate.
Prefecture government fiscal intervention and corporate asset allocation: The perspective of transaction cost theory.
Pan J
PLoS One · 2026 · PMID 42384647 · Full text
This study examines the impact of prefecture-level government fiscal intervention on corporate asset allocation in China from the perspective of transaction cost theory. Using a panel dataset of Chinese listed firms from...
This study examines the impact of prefecture-level government fiscal intervention on corporate asset allocation in China from the perspective of transaction cost theory. Using a panel dataset of Chinese listed firms from 2008 to 2023, we find that increased fiscal intervention significantly reduces firms' allocation to operating assets while increasing financial asset holdings, indicating a substitution effect. Mechanism analysis suggests that fiscal intervention raises regional transaction costs, discouraging long-term productive investment. Heterogeneity analysis shows stronger effects among private firms and firms more dependent on local economies. These findings provide new evidence on how government intervention shapes firm-level resource allocation and offer policy implications for improving fiscal efficiency and supporting real-sector development in emerging economies.
From catwalk to kitchen: A qualitative study of luxury fashion companies' diversification into hospitality and restaurant sector.
Luongo S, Sepe F, Lupolo E … +1 more , Del Gaudio G
PLoS One · 2026 · PMID 42384646 · Full text
This study examines the strategic diversification of luxury fashion brands into the hospitality and restaurant industry, with a particular focus on sustainability. The objective is to explore the motivations behind this...
This study examines the strategic diversification of luxury fashion brands into the hospitality and restaurant industry, with a particular focus on sustainability. The objective is to explore the motivations behind this cross-industry expansion, the strategies employed and the sustainable practices integrated into such ventures. A qualitative research design is applied, drawing on semi-structured interviews with stakeholders from leading luxury fashion companies. This approach allows for an in-depth understanding of how experiential branding, strategic decision-making and sustainability are embedded within hospitality initiatives. The findings reveal that luxury brands enter the hospitality sector to enrich the brand experience, strengthen customer engagement and foster innovation in sustainability. Sustainable practices are identified both in operational management and in customer-facing activities, though the extent of integration varied across cases. The results underscore the dynamic relationship between experiential branding and sustainability, highlighting opportunities for competitive differentiation as well as challenges in aligning brand identity with new industry practices. This research contributes to the growing literature on luxury brand management and diversification by demonstrating how sustainability influences experiential strategies in cross-industry contexts. The originality of this paper lies in its integrated view of luxury branding, diversification and sustainability, showing how fashion companies leverage hospitality ventures to reinforce brand value and connect with socially conscious consumers.
Frequency-domain stability analysis of mixed traffic flow considering communication degradation and human driving heterogeneity.
Han H, Li F, Hao Z … +3 more , Qi L, Wei Z, Zhao C
PLoS One · 2026 · PMID 42384645 · Full text
Mixed traffic containing connected automated vehicles (CAVs) and human-driven vehicles (HDVs) is sensitive to loss of cooperative information and heterogeneous driver responses. This study develops a probability-weighted...
Mixed traffic containing connected automated vehicles (CAVs) and human-driven vehicles (HDVs) is sensitive to loss of cooperative information and heterogeneous driver responses. This study develops a probability-weighted full-frequency transfer-function framework to evaluate longitudinal string stability under communication degradation. CAVs are represented by cooperative adaptive cruise control (CACC) when cooperative information is available and by adaptive cruise control (ACC) when such information is unavailable; HDV responses are represented by the intelligent driver model (IDM), optimal velocity model (OVM), and risk-sensitive model (RSM). The framework preserves frequency-dependent disturbance responses and interprets the conventional algebraic condition as a low-frequency approximation. Under the adopted single-lane, small-perturbation assumptions, passive CACC-to-ACC degradation raised the global critical CAV penetration threshold from about 87.3% in an ideal connected-upgrade benchmark to about 96.0% in the degraded baseline. HDV heterogeneity mainly compressed local stable-speed regions rather than changing the global threshold, and this pattern persisted under 100 Latin Hypercube samples with ±10% HDV parameter perturbations. A 5% functional communication-reliability loss increased the critical threshold to about 99.7% and compressed the stable domain; an equivalent response delay reduced the stable-area ratio even when the global threshold changed only slightly at 0.20 s. An NGSIM US101 trajectory replay supported the IDM-based HDV component, with median speed and spacing root mean square errors of 0.8456 m/s and 3.5078 m. These findings indicate that mixed-flow stability depends not only on CAV penetration but also on cooperative-information availability and HDV response heterogeneity, while the full speed-penetration stability map remains a model-based prediction.
Magnitude and predictors of anemia among adult solid cancer patients in Hawassa, Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study.
Alemu E, Melis A, T/Haimanot A … +4 more , Dires B, Fikrie A, Tesfay H, Amano A
PLoS One · 2026 · PMID 42384644 · Full text
INTRODUCTION: Anemia is a common and debilitating complication in cancer patients, affecting prognosis, quality of life, and treatment response. The burden of anemia may be higher in resource-limited settings due to nutr...
INTRODUCTION: Anemia is a common and debilitating complication in cancer patients, affecting prognosis, quality of life, and treatment response. The burden of anemia may be higher in resource-limited settings due to nutritional deficiencies and limited healthcare access. However, data on anemia among newly diagnosed cancer patients in Ethiopia remain scarce. This study was aimed to determine the magnitude and predictors of anemia in newly diagnosed adult solid cancer patients in Hawassa, Ethiopia. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among randomly selected 405 newly diagnosed adult solid cancer patients at selected public health facilities in Hawassa City, Ethiopia, from June 2021 to October 2021. Data were collected using structured face-to-face interviews and from medical records. Data were entered into EpiData version 3.1 and exported to SPSS version 26 for analysis. Descriptive statistics were computed for all variables. Binary logistic regression was performed to determine the independent effects of potential explanatory variables on the presence of anemia. Adjusted Odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Statistical significance was set at p-value < 0.05. RESULT: The prevalence of anemia was 26.4% (95% CI: 22.1-30.7%), with normocytic anemia (56.1%) being the most common morphological type. Multivariable analysis identified a history of bleeding (AOR = 3.46, 95% CI: 1.94-6.16), advanced cancer stage (AOR = 2.01, 95% CI: 1.20-3.34), and underweight BMI (AOR = 2.14, 95% CI: 1.28-3.55) were significantly associated with anemia. Conversely, higher educational attainment (diploma and above) was protective (AOR = 0.35, 95% CI: 0.13-0.93). CONCLUSION: Anemia affects over one-quarter of newly diagnosed solid cancer patients in Hawassa, with advanced-stage disease, bleeding history, and decreasing body mass index as significant risk factors. These findings highlight the need for routine anemia screening at diagnosis, nutritional interventions, and early bleeding management in oncology settings.
Real-world outcomes of Finerenone in patients with diabetic kidney disease in Saudi Arabia.
Albekery MA, Alhomoud IS, Alamer KA … +9 more , Alanazi AA, Al Mulhem AE, Alnaim AE, Almulhim FM, Almulhim AS, Al Makhaytah SA, Aldawsari RH, Al Sahlawi M, Almulhim MY
PLoS One · 2026 · PMID 42384643 · Full text
BACKGROUND: Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) represents a significant microvascular complication associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), markedly elevating the risk of kidney failure, cardiovascular events, and pre...
BACKGROUND: Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) represents a significant microvascular complication associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), markedly elevating the risk of kidney failure, cardiovascular events, and premature mortality. Despite advancements in therapeutic management, such as renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) blockade and sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, residual risk remains significant. Finerenone, a novel nonsteroidal and selective mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist (MRA), has demonstrated substantial cardiorenal benefits in clinical trials; however, real-world data, especially from Saudi Arabia, remain limited. METHOD: This single-center, retrospective cohort study. All adult patients (≥18 years) who received finerenone as part of routine clinical care were eligible if they met either of the following criteria: (1) documented diabetic kidney disease (DKD) based on KDIGO-aligned clinical criteria, including diabetes mellitus with chronic kidney disease manifested by albuminuria/proteinuria and/or reduced eGFR; (2) and/or a urine protein-to-creatinine ratio (uPCR) >0.3 mg/mg. Longitudinal changes in uPCR, eGFR, and serum potassium were analyzed using linear mixed-effects models adjusted for relevant clinical covariates. RESULTS: A total of 75 patients prescribed finerenone were screened, of whom 67 met the inclusion criteria. The median age was 63 years, and 53.7% were female. Comorbidities were highly prevalent, including diabetes mellitus (89.6%), hypertension (97.0%), dyslipidemia (92.5%), heart failure (56.8%), and coronary artery disease (40.3%). A significant effect of time on uPCR was observed (F[3,193] = 3.457; P = 0.018), with a mean reduction of 0.464 mg/mg after six months (95% CI, -0.895 to -0.034; P = 0.027). The estimated eGFR slope after finerenone initiation was -1.08 mL/min/1.73 m² per month (95% CI -1.74 to -0.41; P = 0.002), corresponding to an annualized decline of approximately -12.9 mL/min/1.73 m² per year. Serum potassium increased modestly at early follow-up points (F[5,245] = 4.008; P = 0.002), rising by +0.209, + 0.256, and +0.286 mmol/L at the first three readings (P = 0.029, 0.005, and 0.006, respectively), then plateaued thereafter (P > 0.5). CONCLUSION: Finerenone use among DKD patients in Saudi Arabia was associated with significant reductions in proteinuria, an early decline in eGFR that requires cautious interpretation, and an overall favorable safety profile. These real-world findings align with results from pivotal clinical trials and support the incorporation of finerenone into standard DKD management. Future multicenter prospective studies are warranted to confirm these outcomes and evaluate long-term cardiorenal benefits.
An exercise-associated gut microbiota signature enhances endurance performance: A study combining a human cohort and a mice FMT model.
Zhang X, Fu Y, Chen J … +9 more , Shen H, Du Y, Wu J, Lai H, Liu Y, Chen J, Hou X, Chang W, Hu X
PLoS One · 2026 · PMID 42384640 · Full text
BACKGROUND: The gut microbiota is closely related to exercise, but the interrelationship between the two remains elusive. In this study, we aimed to explore differences in the gut microbiota between young adults with exe...
BACKGROUND: The gut microbiota is closely related to exercise, but the interrelationship between the two remains elusive. In this study, we aimed to explore differences in the gut microbiota between young adults with exercise and sedentary lifestyles. In addition, we evaluated the effects of gut microbiota from these different lifestyle populations on endurance exercise capacity. METHODS: The exercise status and nutritional characteristics of young adults were evaluated by PARS-3 and food frequency questionnaires. The gut microbiota of young adults from exercise and sedentary lifestyle groups was analyzed by 16S rRNA analysis. Subsequently, we performed fecal bacteria transplantation (FMT) from the human donors into mice and evaluated the effects on their endurance exercise capacity. RESULTS: The exercise group exhibited significantly higher gut microbiota diversity compared to the sedentary group. Several beneficial bacteria, including Veillonella, Faecalibacterium, and Bacteroides, were enriched in the exercise group. The FMT experiment confirmed that mice receiving microbiota from the exercise group showed significantly improved endurance exercise capacity. CONCLUSION: Young people who exercise regularly possess a more diverse gut microbiota enriched with beneficial bacteria. This exercise-associated microbiota has the potential to directly improve exercise capacity.
Study on mechanical and energy properties of rock-like specimens under the effect of loading rate.
Wu J, Xie F
PLoS One · 2026 · PMID 42384638 · Full text
To investigate the effects of loading rate on the strength evolution, failure mechanism and energy properties of rock-like materials, rock-like specimens were prepared using similar materials, and tests under variable lo...
To investigate the effects of loading rate on the strength evolution, failure mechanism and energy properties of rock-like materials, rock-like specimens were prepared using similar materials, and tests under variable loading rate were conducted through uniaxial compression. Standard cylindrical specimens were fabricated with a fixed sand-binder ratio of 1:9 and three cement-gypsum ratios (1:9, 5:5 and 9:1), using river sand as aggregate and ordinary Portland cement and building gypsum as cementitious materials. The tests were conducted under two loading modes: displacement loading and force loading. The results show that the density of rock-like specimens increases linearly with the rise of cement-gypsum ratio; the stress-strain curves of specimens with different mix ratios all exhibit four stages, namely compaction, elasticity, yield and failure. The uniaxial compressive strength, elastic modulus and deformation modulus increase in the form of logarithmic function with the increase of loading rate, while the peak strain decreases logarithmically; all specimens present columnar splitting failure, and the stress concentration effect induced by force loading is more significant, resulting in a higher degree of failure compared with displacement loading. Moreover, the higher the loading rate, the more fully developed the fractures and the poorer the integrity of specimens. In terms of energy conversion, the lower the loading rate, the smaller the percentage of releasable elastic energy in the absorbed energy (the value of Ue/U is greater than 70%), and the larger the percentage of dissipated energy in the absorbed energy (the value of Ud/U is less than 30%). As the loading rate increases, Ue/U increases as a logarithmic function, while Ud/U exhibits an opposite trend. The findings of this study can provide a reference for support design and stability control in deep soft rock engineering.
Silenced and privileged voices in media discourses: Climate change and social capital.
Bashri M, Ahmed ST
PLoS One · 2026 · PMID 42384637 · Full text
Media representations and narratives around climate change are often dominated by certain voices whilst others are excluded or marginalized. This study investigates media portrayal of climate change around Glasgow's COP2...
Media representations and narratives around climate change are often dominated by certain voices whilst others are excluded or marginalized. This study investigates media portrayal of climate change around Glasgow's COP26, focusing on the prominence or exclusion of certain voices. Analyzing US and UK newspaper coverage, it identifies variances in representation, with Indigenous and minority voices marginalized in favor of political, scientific, and activist perspectives from the Global North. Through content analysis, the research explores how power, access, and frames shape media narratives on climate change, underscoring the need for more inclusive discussions.
Genetic regulatory axis between AGR2 and ESR1 promotes breast cancer progression.
Mohtar MA, Fessart D, Yuh Cai C … +6 more , Zahari S, Syafruddin SE, Abdullah-Zawawi MR, Le Morvan V, Taouji S, Hupp T
PLoS One · 2026 · PMID 42384634 · Full text
Anterior gradient protein 2 (AGR2), a member of the protein disulfide isomerase family, plays a critical role in endoplasmic reticulum proteostasis and has been implicated in breast cancer progression. However, the downs...
Anterior gradient protein 2 (AGR2), a member of the protein disulfide isomerase family, plays a critical role in endoplasmic reticulum proteostasis and has been implicated in breast cancer progression. However, the downstream regulatory programs and signaling pathways governed by AGR2 remain incompletely defined. Here, we employed CRISPR-Cas9-mediated knockout of AGR2 in breast cancer cells to systematically investigate the functional and transcriptional consequences of AGR2 loss. AGR2 depletion resulted in significant suppression of cell migration, invasion, and chemoresistance. Unbiased transcriptomic profiling by RNA sequencing revealed extensive differential gene expression, implicating AGR2 in receptor-mediated signaling, oxidative stress responses, and cell adhesion pathways. Protein-protein interaction network analysis identified several highly connected hub genes within the AGR2-regulated transcriptome, including estrogen receptor alpha (ESR1/ERα), cadherin 1 (CDH1), androgen receptor (AR), lymphocyte cell-specific protein-tyrosine kinase (LCK), S100 calcium binding protein P (S100P), parkin RBR E3 ubiquitin ligase (PRKN), and decay-accelerating factor (CD55). Notably, ERα emerged as a prominent node within this network, consistent with prior reports linking ERα and AGR2 biology. Integration with publicly available epigenomic datasets further supports a potential regulatory connection between ERα-associated chromatin landscapes and AGR2 expression. Together, these findings define AGR2-dependent transcriptional networks in breast cancer and identify ESR1-associated signaling as a key pathway perturbed upon AGR2 loss, providing a foundation for future mechanistic studies targeting this regulatory interaction.
Monotherapy or combinations? Intravenous vitamin C in sepsis and septic shock: An umbrella review of 31 systematic reviews.
Vera-Ponce VJ, Ballena-Caicedo J, Valladolid-Sandoval LAM … +4 more , Zuzunaga-Montoya FE, Acosta-Porzoliz R, Rivera-Lozada O, Valladares-Garrido MJ
PLoS One · 2026 · PMID 42384633 · Full text
Intravenous (IV) vitamin C has been proposed as an adjuvant therapy in sepsis/septic shock due to its biological plausibility and safety profile, but the proliferation of reviews has not resolved its clinical utility. To...
Intravenous (IV) vitamin C has been proposed as an adjuvant therapy in sepsis/septic shock due to its biological plausibility and safety profile, but the proliferation of reviews has not resolved its clinical utility. To synthesize the evidence on IV vitamin C (monotherapy, HAT-hydrocortisone+vitamin C+thiamine-and vitamin C+thiamine) in adults with sepsis/septic shock, prioritizing 28-30-day mortality. Umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses (MEDLINE/PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science, without language restriction). Quality was assessed with AMSTAR 2, overlap with CCA, and when available, TSA and component/network meta-analysis (CINeMA). Certainty of evidence was graded using GRADE with an anchor estimator per outcome and regimen. Thirty-one reviews were included (30 quantitative: 28 SR/MA and 2 component/network MA; 1 qualitative). Combinations (HAT and vitamin C+thiamine) did not reduce mortality; hemodynamic improvements (small decreases in ΔSOFA and vasopressor hours) were modest, did not translate into survival benefits, and were primarily attributable to the corticosteroid. Monotherapy showed a possible mortality benefit signal under specific conditions (initiation ≤24 h, intermediate dose 25-100 mg/kg/day, 3-4-day courses; more pronounced in sepsis than shock), but with low-to-moderate certainty due to heterogeneity, imprecision, publication bias, and very high overlap among reviews. Combination regimens (HAT and vitamin C plus thiamine) did not reduce mortality; hemodynamic improvements were modest, did not translate into survival benefits, and were primarily attributable to the corticosteroid component. For monotherapy, a possible mortality benefit signal was identified under specific conditions (initiation within 24 h, intermediate dose 25-100 mg/kg/day, 3-4-day courses, more pronounced in sepsis than shock), but overall certainty remains low-to-moderate due to heterogeneity, imprecision, publication bias, and very high overlap among reviews. These findings do not support routine use of IV vitamin C in any regimen; for monotherapy, the identified signal warrants rigorous multicenter trials in well-defined clinical scenarios before any recommendation can be made.
Perceptions of research participation among underrepresented groups: Insights using freelisting methodology.
Klaiman T, Silvestri JA, Ferrante EB … +8 more , Sheu D, Lieberman A, Dress E, Ogunniyi MO, Dickert NW, Lane-Fall MB, Frasso R, Kohn R
PLoS One · 2026 · PMID 42384632 · Full text
BACKGROUND: Low enrollment and retention in clinical research disproportionately impact Black, Hispanic or Latinx, women, and rural populations, undermining generalizability and perpetuating health disparities. However,...
BACKGROUND: Low enrollment and retention in clinical research disproportionately impact Black, Hispanic or Latinx, women, and rural populations, undermining generalizability and perpetuating health disparities. However, few studies have compared mechanisms driving underrepresentation across populations. Freelisting is a qualitative methodology that elicits lists of terms, explores perspectives about domains, and identifies common themes within groups with shared characteristics; however, it has not been systematically applied to understand research participation across underrepresented populations. OBJECTIVE: To explore perspectives on clinical research participation across underrepresented populations using freelisting methodology to ultimately inform culturally-responsive recruitment strategies. METHODS: We conducted a web-based freelisting survey among adults who identified as Black, Hispanic or Latinx, women, and/or resided in rural communities between May and September 2023 across the Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Washington, DC metro areas. Participants listed words or phrases that came to mind in response to three prompts about research and participation. Using Anthropac software, we calculated salience indices to assess the relative importance of terms within and across the underrepresented groups. Terms were categorized by sentiment (positive, neutral, negative) and examined by demographic group and prior research experience. RESULTS: Of 101 participants (56% Black, 23% Hispanic or Latinx, 80% women, 46% rural), several salient terms were shared, including 'study,' 'knowledge,' 'search,' and 'scary.' Sentiment regarding being approached for research was generally positive. In contrast, sentiment about becoming a participant varied, with more negative terms among those never previously invited to join research. 'Research misconduct' emerged as uniquely salient among Black participants. Individuals with prior research experience conveyed more positive sentiments overall. CONCLUSIONS: Underrepresented populations hold positive and negative views about clinical research, with more negative perceptions among those never previously approached. These findings suggest that proactive outreach to individuals who have never previously been approached, combined with efforts to address persistent negative perceptions such as fear, may be among the most impactful strategies for improving research representativeness. Future work is needed to understand the contextual information surrounding the sentiments we found, and to elucidate the mechanisms underlying these sentiments, ultimately enabling the development of more effective, culturally-responsive recruitment and retention strategies across diverse groups.
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