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Authors: Hong Zhong, Xianjuan Gou, Nana Xu, Linfei Li, Xiaoling Du, Ya Gong, Zhi Kou, Manhong Zhou

Objective To evaluate the associations of peripheral perfusion index (PI) and end-tidal carbon dioxide (PETCO2), individually and in combination, with sustained return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) in adults with in-hospital cardiac arrest, and to assess their predictive performance. Methods This prospective observational study included 125 adults with in-hospital cardiac arrest, of whom 62 achieved sustained ROSC and 63 did not. Measurements obtained after ROSC or termination of resuscitation were excluded. Changes in PI and PETCO2 during resuscitation were analyzed using linear mixed-effects models. Event-average PI and PETCO2 were evaluated for their ability to predict sustained ROSC using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. The combined model was internally validated using 2,000 bootstrap resamples. Results The median time to ROSC was 11 min (IQR, 5–20). Significant group-by-time interactions were observed for both PI and PETCO2 (both P < 0.001). Event-average PI was higher in the ROSC group than in the non-ROSC group [0.62% (IQR, 0.42–0.90) vs. 0.37% (0.31–0.52)], as was event-average PETCO2 [15.5 mmHg (12.2–17.8) vs. 12.0 mmHg (10.4–13.7)] (both P < 0.001). The areas under the ROC curve (AUCs) were 0.756 (95% CI, 0.670–0.842) for PI, 0.753 (95% CI, 0.666–0.839) for PETCO2, and 0.808 (95% CI, 0.731–0.886) for their combination. The optimism-corrected AUC for the combined model was 0.800. Pairwise comparisons showed no significant differences among the AUCs. In the exploratory fully adjusted model, PETCO2 remained independently associated with sustained ROSC (adjusted OR, 1.626; 95% CI, 1.148–2.302; P = 0.006), whereas PI was not statistically significant (adjusted OR, 1.359 per 0.1% increase; 95% CI, 0.962–1.920; P = 0.082). Conclusion Higher PI and PETCO2 during resuscitation were associated with sustained ROSC. Combining PI with PETCO2 yielded numerically better discrimination than either measure alone, although the differences in AUC were not statistically significant. External validation is needed before the combined model can be applied in clinical practice.

Source: PLOS ONE. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0359869. Abstract from the publisher’s feed; HTML formatting and repeated author line removed.

Authors: Ovidiu Razvan Gaceu, Tudor Caciora, Mihai Dudaș, Ștefan Baias, Marius Stupariu, Maria Maxim, Cătălina Mărculeț

The 17th century was a period of significant climatic and social challenges in Europe, marked by the transition to the Maunder Minimum, as part of the Little Ice Age; marked by low solar activity, many negative thermal anomalies, long and harsh winters, rainy years, numerous extreme weather phenomena, famines, epidemics, etc. Taking these aspects into account, the present study aims to reconstruct, based on written historical sources, the climatic variability in the Principality of Transylvania during the 17th century. The emphasis is placed on reconstructing anomalies in temperature and precipitation regimes, as well as on analysing climate-related calamities and their impacts on society. The analysis identified a high prevalence of events associated with abnormally cold weather, with 55 winters mentioned as particularly harsh in this century; 36 of these occurred during the Maunder Minimum (between 1645 and 1700, which falls within our study period). This interval was also characterised by numerous episodes of excessive precipitation, especially during winter, and a clear imbalance between events associated with excessive humidity and those associated with drought. Variable climatic conditions caused poor harvests, famine, high prices and favoured the emergence of severe epidemics (especially plague) and social crises. The correlation of historical sources with other proxy data from natural archives confirms the exceptional character of this century and validates the reconstruction based on historical sources. They also indicate that natural factors, such as solar activity and general atmospheric circulation, could have generated the colder and wetter climatic conditions in 17th century Transylvania, particularly during the winters of the Maunder Minimum.

Source: PLOS Climate. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pclm.0000961. Abstract from the publisher’s feed; HTML formatting and repeated author line removed.

Authors: Connor Dupuits, Amanda McCloat, Elaine Mooney

An increasing body of evidence indicates that systemic changes to the food system are necessary to mitigate ongoing environmental degradation. The adoption of sustainable dietary practices is an actionable individual-level strategy that may benefit both human health and environmental sustainability. This paper aimed to explore the barriers and facilitators to adopting a sustainable diet among adolescents in Ireland. The data from this research seeks to clarify the steps needed to support this dietary transition. Data were collected from four sites, involving 48 participants aged 15–17 years in seven semi-structured focus groups. Non-probability convenience sampling was employed. Transcripts were audio-recorded, transcribed, and inductively coded to identify barriers and facilitators, which were then deductively mapped onto the Theoretical Domains Framework and presented on the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation – Behaviour model. Barriers (n = 33) were more frequent than facilitators (n = 8) in the adoption of a sustainable diet. Prominent barriers to adopting a sustainable diet included a lack of knowledge about the characteristics of a sustainable diet, a current diet that does not align with a sustainable diet, a lack of practical skills for preparing a sustainable diet, unaccommodating school canteens, and cultural influences such as a strong attachment to meat. Facilitators to the adoption of a sustainable diet were the view that this diet promotes human health, and the acknowledgement of the changes required to make their diet more sustainable. However, although participants could identify changes to make their diets more sustainable, most were unwilling to transition at present. This research is important because it provides insights into the design of future interventions using the Behaviour Change Wheel intervention framework to facilitate behaviour change to support adolescents’ transition to a sustainable diet.

Source: PLOS ONE. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0361509. Abstract from the publisher’s feed; HTML formatting and repeated author line removed.

Authors: Nicolo’ Bellin, Nicolo’ Riboni, Annamaria Buschini, Federica Bianchi, Maria Careri, Chiara Conciatori, Clarissa Facchini, Laura Filonzi, Stefano Nicolosi, Valeria Rossi

Daphnia is a widely recognised model organism in ecotoxicological studies, exhibiting environmental sex determination. Environmental cues such as temperature, photoperiod and crowding are known to trigger transitions from parthenogenetic to sexual reproduction. Experimental studies based on exogenous exposure suggest that methyl farnesoate (MF), a juvenile hormone–like compound, is associated with male production and predator-induced defensive traits in Daphnia; however, direct evidence of endogenous MF production and environmental dynamics remains limited. In this study, we investigated the release of endogenous MF into the rearing water of Daphnia pulex. Two D. pulex clonal lineages differing in propensity for male, ephippia and neckteeth production were selected. Experimental conditions simulating crowding and different habitat suitability, including variations in population density, food availability, photoperiod and temperature, were investigated. MF was quantified at ultra-trace levels using solid-phase microextraction coupled to gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. In the first generation, MF concentrations decreased from approximately 18.5–20.0 ng/L in controls to 11.0–14.5 ng/L under crowding conditions and 6.7–7.2 ng/L under crowding combined with MK-801. In the second generation, concentrations were approximately 10.5 ng/L in control offspring and 12.0–12.3 ng/L after recovery from crowding. Exposure to crowding over two generations resulted in clone-specific concentrations, whereas MF remained below the limit of quantification of 0.08 ng/L, when parental females had been exposed to MK-801. In the density and seasonal experiments, MF released in the medium was higher release per female under early-spring conditions and in clone S. These variations occurred under conditions promoting male production, ephippia formation and antipredator responses. While not demonstrating a causal endocrine role of MF, our findings provide quantitative and environmentally relevant evidence that D. pulex releases MF into the aquatic environment and this release is modulated by both environmental conditions and genetic background.

Source: PLOS ONE. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0361189. Abstract from the publisher’s feed; HTML formatting and repeated author line removed.

Authors: Md. Nayan, F. M. Jamil Uddin, Rounak Islam, Pronomi Paul Sutapa, Pallab Goswami, Swapan Kumar Paul, Tamara Jackson, Md. Harun Rashid

Brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) requires considerable soil moisture throughout its life cycle, therefore, its cultivation in water constraint area is difficult. Though different soil moisture conservation technologies and lower water use irrigation systems have been developed for crop cultivation, their successful deployment largely depends on the locality, especially on soil characteristics. This study evaluated the effects of irrigation regimes, mulching practices, and their combination on growth, stress physiology and irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) of brinjal across two field locations with contrasting soil conditions. Location 1 had coarser soil, lower nutrient and organic matter content profiles and lower water-holding capacity than location 2. The experiment comprised three irrigation levels [rainfed (I0), conventional furrow irrigation (IC), and drip irrigation (ID)] and three mulching treatments [no mulch (M0), straw mulch (MS), and plastic mulch (MP)] with three replications at both locations. Irrigation and mulching both significantly influenced growth, stress indicators, fruit yield, and IWUE, though the effects of the treatment on these parameters varied between locations. At Location 1, drip irrigation (ID) produced a fruit yield of 8.90 ± 5.68 t ha−1, with considerable variability among replicates, and did not differ significantly (p = 0.88) from conventional furrow irrigation (IC) or the rainfed treatment (I0). In contrast, at location 2, drip irrigation outperformed (21.88 ± 9.44 t ha−1) other treatments, being 117% and 32% higher than I0 and IC, respectively. Plastic mulching (MP) improved growth, reduced drought stress and increased yield compared to MS and M0 at both locations. The highest yield at location 1 (23.18 ± 6.62 t ha−1) occurred under IC × MP, while the highest yield at location 2 (32.93 ± 1.62 t ha−1) was achieved under ID × MP. IWUE peaked at 38.84 kg ha−1 mm−1 (IC × MP) in location 1 and 65.87 kg ha−1 mm−1 (ID × MP) in location 2. A linear mixed model estimated that plastic mulch increased yield by ~10.63 t ha−1 (95% CI: 6.58–14.68 t ha−1, p < 0.001) over no mulch, and IC × MP produced a synergistic yield gain of 11.03 t ha−1 (95% CI: 5.3–16.76 t ha−1, p = 0.003) over the control. Overall, plastic mulching consistently enhanced brinjal performance, while the benefit of drip irrigation was soil-dependent and was most evident in the higher water-retention field.

Source: PLOS ONE. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0360413. Abstract from the publisher’s feed; HTML formatting and repeated author line removed.

Authors: Loise Wanjira Njogu, George A. Makalliwa, Bridget Kimani, Kellen Karimi, Zephania Kibet, Doris Njomo, Titus Watitu, Paul M. Gichuki

Trachoma remains the leading infectious cause of preventable blindness globally, disproportionately affecting marginalized and impoverished communities. Despite global and national efforts guided by the World Health Organization’s (WHO) SAFE strategy (Surgery, Antibiotics, Facial cleanliness, Environmental improvement), the latter two components remain under-implemented. In Kenya, trachoma remains endemic in 13 of 47 counties, including Baringo. This cross-sectional study was conducted in Tiaty East Sub-County, a trachoma Sub-Evaluation Unit in Baringo, to determine the burden of trachoma and assess facial cleanliness and environmental improvement for control of the disease at the household level. Using a structured questionnaire and observation checklist, data were collected from 178 randomly selected households. A total of 279 children aged 1–9 years were examined for trachomatous inflammation-follicular (TF). The overall TF prevalence was 5.02% (95% CI: 2.8-8.3), with the confidence interval overlapping with the WHO elimination threshold of <5%. Facial cleanliness was sub-optimal, with 91.8% of children having visibly unclean faces. Latrine coverage was low (21.3%), and 99.1% of households without latrines practiced open defecation. Most households (61.8%) sourced water from a dam, and 80.9% required more than 30 minutes to fetch it. Handwashing stations were absent in 94% of households. Final multivariable analysis identified older caregiver age (> 20 years) as significantly associated with lower odds of TF (21–30 years: AOR = 0.089, 95% CI: 0.018–0.447; 31–40 years: AOR = 0.259, 95% CI: 0.068–0.991; ≥ 40 years: AOR = 0.160, 95% CI: 0.029–0.871). Caregiver awareness of poor hygiene as a trachoma-related factor was associated with higher odds of TF (AOR = 3.795; 95% CI:1.272-11.324), suggesting a critical knowledge-practice gap. Although TF prevalence was slightly above the threshold based on a few events, with poor F&E coverage, there remain sub-EU-level gaps in trachoma control. In this context, strengthening the F&E aspects of the SAFE strategy with focused investments on WASH and behavior-based hygiene promotion will be important to the achievement of sub-EU disease elimination.

Source: PLOS Global Public Health. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0007534. Abstract from the publisher’s feed; HTML formatting and repeated author line removed.

Authors: Katherine Cann

Transformative climate adaptation efforts, which call for the fundamental reshaping of social systems that inform vulnerability to climate risk, introduce significant ethical and procedural questions for researchers. Engaged research practices, such as co-production and participatory action research, may be useful in addressing these complex questions and pushing adaptation research towards more transformative ends. However, there are also ethical and procedural concerns plaguing participatory knowledge production, and scholars claim engaged research efforts have failed to meet goals for transforming scientific practice. Recent literature in adaptation, climate services, sustainability science, and environmental governance, illustrates the ongoing challenges and unresolved tensions holding engaged research practices back from its transformative aims. This essay suggests three areas of growth for engaged researchers in climate services and adaptation: interrogate the aims of research projects, focus on learning outcomes, and evaluate research governance. The essay addresses a wide audience and serves three primary purposes: 1) as a primer for students and early career researchers beginning to explore the history and use of engaged research in climate services and adaptation, 2) as a summary of common challenges for researchers designing and implementing engaged research projects with communities and other stakeholders, and 3) as a blueprint for institutional supporters, including funders and research convenors aiming to improve engaged research outcomes and advance more transformative adaptation.

Source: PLOS Climate. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pclm.0001093. Abstract from the publisher’s feed; HTML formatting and repeated author line removed.

Authors: Elyas Hannoufa, Eric Johlin

Building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) are a promising strategy for enhancing building energy performance and reducing carbon emissions. However, most design optimization studies rely on historical climate datasets that may fail to capture the operating conditions buildings will experience under climate change. This study develops a computational framework for the multi-objective optimization of BIPV envelope systems using future climate projections from the CanESM5 model under the SSP3-7.0 scenario. We analyze two system configurations, awning shades and thin-film window coatings, across four cities with diverse climates (Berlin, Los Angeles, Chicago, Singapore), comparing results from conventional EPW files, NASA 2023 historical data, and 2046–2050 climate scenarios. Optimization integrates electricity generation, thermal loads, and daylighting quality to capture building-level trade-offs. Results show that traditional EPW datasets systematically under-predict BIPV performance, particularly in Berlin and Los Angeles. Under 2046–2050 projected conditions, all four cities exhibit performance gains: substantial in Berlin, Chicago and Los Angeles, and marginal in Singapore, with the largest absolute gains in Los Angeles. By 2050, unshaded windows transition to consistently detrimental for building energy balance. Thin-film coatings achieve optimal outcomes at high absorptance, in the 80–90% range, contrary to current low-absorption design practice. Within the CanESM5 SSP3-7.0 scenario examined, these findings show that projected climate conditions can substantially reshape the modeled performance landscape of BIPV systems, emphasizing the need for forward-looking climate projections in building design optimization and the growing importance of BIPV for climate-adaptive and resilient urban buildings.

Source: PLOS Climate. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pclm.0001087. Abstract from the publisher’s feed; HTML formatting and repeated author line removed.

Authors: Behzad Amirzade, Tareq Zobaer, Janis Lapsley, Do-Gyoon Kim, Laura E. Selmic, Ali Nassiri

Bone is a hierarchical and heterogeneous bio-composite material, with cortical and trabecular regions exhibiting distinct mechanical behaviors across scales. Patient-specific Finite Element Analysis (FEA) derived from medical images is increasingly used in both human and veterinary medicine to predict bone mechanical behavior under various loading conditions, assess fracture risk, and evaluate treatment outcomes. However, due to the complexity associated with measuring full elasto-plastic bone properties across multiple scales and bridging microscale properties to macroscale models, simplified material definitions are often adopted in FEA simulations. Such simplifications may produce unrealistic mechanical responses and fail to capture permanent microscopic and macroscopic deformations that occur when stresses exceed the bone yield point, particularly in implant design applications. This study presents an integrated experimental–computational framework for generating continuum material maps as a function of density from tissue-scale characterization of the canine femur. High-depth spherical nanoindentation combined with Genetic Algorithm (GA)-based inverse optimization was conducted to extract mechanically consistent elasto-plastic properties of cortical and trabecular bone from load–displacement responses influenced by post-yield contact uncertainties. Trabecular tissue-scale properties were then assigned to Representative Volume Elements (RVEs) reconstructed from micro-Quantitative Computed Tomography (μQCT) data and homogenized to account for architecture-dependent effective behavior. Finally, optimized cortical and homogenized trabecular properties were correlated with density to establish compartment-specific material mapping relationships for whole-bone FEA simulations. The optimized responses showed good agreement with the experimental indentation measurements, supporting the capability of the proposed framework to generate mechanically informed material definitions for patient-specific bone FEA simulations. Overall, the proposed framework provides a pathway for translating localized experimental measurements into heterogeneous elasto-plastic material inputs for whole-bone FEA without explicitly resolving trabecular microarchitecture.

Source: PLOS ONE. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0361283. Abstract from the publisher’s feed; HTML formatting and repeated author line removed.

Authors: Yuanliang Dong, Chengcheng Pan, Siyu Pan, Lei Zhang

Linear cultural heritage landscapes embody the long-term coupling relationships between ecological processes and human cultural practices, yet conservation models guided by a single ecological or cultural goal fail to meet their holistic management needs. Based on the perspective of biocultural diversity, this study takes the Huizhou-Hangzhou Ancient Trail (HHAT) as a case study and constructs a comprehensive conservation framework oriented toward spatial planning. Biodiversity and cultural diversity patterns are assessed and their spatial relationships are quantified using the coupling coordination degree model. The biocultural diversity index is further integrated with the Marxan systematic conservation planning model to identify Biocultural Core Protected Areas (BCCPA) and support differentiated spatial conservation strategies. The results indicate that biodiversity and cultural diversity along the HHAT exhibit a pronounced antagonistic coupling relationship: regions with antagonistic coupling account for 98.90% of the total study area, while coordinated regions make up only 0.02%. Based on the natural and cultural context of the study area, this pattern may be jointly influenced by rigid competition for small‑scale spatial resources, the dual effects of traffic corridors, and the cumulative effects of traditional livelihood activities. In response, an integrated conservation spatial pattern of one core area and two corridors is proposed, together with four conservation strategies: Conservation-Minimal Intervention, Conservation-Appropriate Revitalization, Restoration-Minimal Intervention, and Restoration-Appropriate Revitalization-enabling an effective translation from coupling diagnosis to spatial planning responses. This study advances understanding of biocultural interactions in mountainous linear heritage landscapes and provides a transferable methodological pathway for integrated conservation planning.

Source: PLOS ONE. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0360922. Abstract from the publisher’s feed; HTML formatting and repeated author line removed.