Latest research.
A closer look at everyday life.

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: Pham Son Minh, Thanh Trung Do, Pham Ngoc Chuong, Hung-Son Dang

The injection molding of bridge-type compliant mechanisms is sensitive to non-uniform mold temperature because the thin flexure hinges are prone to premature solidification and incomplete filling. This study evaluates a fluid-layer-assisted mold temperature-control architecture using experimental thermography, transient thermo-fluid simulation, a representative straight-channel thermal baseline, melt-filling analysis, and displacement testing of molded HDPE mechanisms. The fluid-layer thermo-fluid model was validated against infrared measurements, yielding a mean absolute error (MAE) of 5.01 °C and a root mean square error (RMSE) of 6.44 °C across six validation points. Under the numerical benchmark condition of an 80 °C inlet temperature, a mass flow rate of 59.5 g/s, and 40 s heating, the fluid-layer architecture was predicted to increase the average cavity-surface temperature by approximately 4.0 °C and reduce the maximum longitudinal temperature difference by 28.6% relative to the straight-channel model. Independent thermography of a representative steel straight-channel insert under the same inlet-temperature and flow-rate conditions showed a lower and more non-uniform surface-temperature field than the steel fluid-layer configuration, confirming the direction of the predicted thermal advantage. Melt-filling simulations subsequently predicted incomplete filling at the thin flexure region for the straight-channel configuration and complete filling for the fluid-layer configuration; this filling comparison remains simulation-based. For HDPE blends containing 0–25 wt% recycled material, the molded mechanisms retained an approximately linear input–output displacement response over the investigated range. At an input displacement of approximately 175 µm, the mean output displacement decreased from 857 µm for virgin HDPE to 745 µm at 25 wt% recycled HDPE. The results support the fluid-layer architecture as a conventionally machinable approach for improving mold-surface thermal control, while polymer morphology, fatigue durability, and experimental straight-channel filling remain subjects for future work.

Source: PLOS ONE. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0361383. 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: Benedict Ayobi, Gwendolyn Otwiwa Attram, Bright Vandyke Okyere, Belinda Aba Osrah, John Kwesi Assan, Samuel Abokyi

Purpose Dry Eye Disease (DED) is highly prevalent among university students and may be influenced by modifiable factors such as psychological stress and sleep disturbance. The primary objective of this study was to investigate the associations of sleep disturbance and perceived stress with DED, while the secondary objective was to evaluate their potential interaction. Methods This analytical cross-sectional study included a random sample of university students aged 18–34 years. Perceived stress was assessed using the Perceived Stress Scale, and sleep quality was evaluated using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. DED was diagnosed according to TFOS DEWS II criteria using the Ocular Surface Disease Index, tear break-up time, corneal staining, and Schirmer testing. Robust Poisson regression models were used to estimate relative risks (RRs) for DED associated with sleep disturbance and stress. Interaction effects were assessed on both additive and multiplicative scales. Results The prevalence of DED was 77.9%. Sleep disturbance was present in 75.9% of participants, while 21.3% reported high perceived stress. In univariate analyses, both sleep disturbance and stress were significantly associated with DED prevalence (sleep disturbance: χ²(1, 403) = 14.57, p < 0.0001; stress: χ²(1, 403) = 4.20, p = 0.040). After adjustment for sex and the alternate exposure, poor sleep quality (adjusted RR = 1.11, 95% CI: 1.05–1.18; p = 0.001) and high perceived stress (adjusted RR = 1.06, 95% CI: 1.01–1.11; p = 0.015) remained independently associated with increased DED risk. Participants with both poor sleep quality and high stress exhibited the highest DED risk (RR = 1.18, 95% CI: 1.10–1.27; p < 0.0001), although no significant interaction. Conclusion Sleep disturbance and perceived stress were independently associated with an increased risk of DED in this student population. However, there was no evidence that stress modified the association between sleep disturbance and DED.

Source: PLOS ONE. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0361053. Abstract from the publisher’s feed; HTML formatting and repeated author line removed.

Authors: Yijiang Liu, Yiman Chi, Jiefeng Yin, Jun Yao

Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a progressive degenerative joint disease characterized by cartilage degeneration, synovial inflammation, and subchondral bone remodeling. Oxidative stress plays a critical role in KOA pathogenesis. This study aimed to identify oxidative stress–related hub genes by integrating single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) with machine learning to uncover potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for KOA. ScRNA-seq data from KOA cartilage tissues were obtained from the GEO database to characterize cellular heterogeneity and identify disease-associated chondrocyte subsets. CellChat was used to analyze intercellular communication, and Monocle2 was applied to reconstruct cell differentiation trajectories. Oxidative stress activity at the single-cell level was evaluated using AUCell, while high-dimensional weighted gene co-expression network analysis (hdWGCNA) was performed to identify oxidative stress–related gene modules. Candidate genes were screened using Venn analysis and further refined by LASSO regression, SVM-RFE, and XGBoost combined with SHAP analysis. Diagnostic performance was assessed, and biological relevance was explored through immune infiltration and pathway analyses. Experimental validation was conducted using qRT-PCR and western blot assays in H2O2-treated chondrocytes. InfC and ProFC were detected specifically in OA cartilage and exhibited high oxidative stress activity. InfC was enriched in inflammatory and immune-related pathways, whereas ProFC was associated with cell cycle regulation and extracellular matrix remodeling. Integrated hdWGCNA and machine-learning analyses consistently identified CYBA and SPP1 as candidate genes. The two-gene model achieved bootstrap-corrected AUCs of 0.937 and 0.825 in the training and validation cohorts, respectively. qRT-PCR and western blot analyses further showed increased CYBA and SPP1 expression in H2O2-treated chondrocytes. Conclusion InfC and ProFC may represent OA-associated chondrocyte states characterized by enhanced oxidative stress, while CYBA and SPP1 may serve as candidate diagnostic biomarkers. Given the small cohort sizes and preliminary in vitro validation, these findings require confirmation in larger independent cohorts and functional studies.

Source: PLOS ONE. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0360537. Abstract from the publisher’s feed; HTML formatting and repeated author line removed.

Authors: Sejal D. Patel, Naveen Karthik, Grant A. Justin, Alice Haystead, Stephanie J. Chiu, Sandra S. Stinnett, Kim G. Johnson, Dilraj S. Grewal, Sharon Fekrat

Purpose To assess individual retinal layer thickness and volume changes on optical coherence tomography (OCT) in individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) compared to controls. Methods Adults ≥18 years with a PTSD diagnosis were identified. Age- and sex-matched controls (±5 years) without PTSD were recruited. Exclusion criteria included any cognitive disorder, brain injury, glaucoma, diabetes, optic nerve or vitreoretinal disease, uncontrolled hypertension, refractive error >±6 diopters, or best corrected visual acuity <20/40. Non-mydriatic OCT macular cube 512x128 images were obtained using Zeiss Cirrus HD-5000 AngioPlex. The Duke Reading Center DRCVisualizer software was used to segment the ganglion cell/inner plexiform (GC-IPL), inner nuclear (INL), outer plexiform (OPL), outer nuclear (ONL), photoreceptor, and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) layers. Mean retinal thickness and volume were calculated for all layers within the central 1-mm subfield and 3- and 6-mm ETDRS rings, further divided into nasal, superior, temporal, and inferior quadrants. Results 81 eyes of 42 PTSD patients and 81 eyes of 42 controls were analyzed. Average ages were 48 ± 15 years for PTSD and 51 ± 19 years for controls. Groups were 36% male. PTSD eyes showed significantly decreased photoreceptor thickness and volume and increased RPE thickness/volume across all ETDRS rings and quadrants (all p < 0.05). OPL thicknesses were decreased in PTSD eyes versus controls for temporal 3-mm (25.29 ± 1.36 µm vs. 26.64 ± 3.80µm) and temporal 6-mm (23.47 ± 0.88µm vs. 24.00 ± 1.54µm) rings (p < 0.05). OPL inferior 6-mm thickness was decreased in PTSD eyes (23.98 ± 1.58 µm vs. 24.78 ± 2.34 µm) versus controls (p < 0.05). The ONL nasal 6-mm thickness was decreased in PTSD versus controls (55.96 ± 7.90 µm vs. 56.74 ± 7.47µm) (p < 0.05). After adjusting for multiple testing, RPE differences remained significant across all evaluated regions, while photoreceptor differences remained significant within the central 1-mm and 3-mm ETDRS regions. Conclusions PTSD eyes demonstrated decreased photoreceptor layer and increased RPE thickness and volume.

Source: PLOS ONE. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0360471. 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: Arnaud Philippot, Irène Ibanez, Marine Coppens, Coralie Eeckhout, Catherine Cescutti, Alexandre Beine, Esther Meers, Tine Van Damme, Marc Francaux, Vincent Dubois, Davy Vancampfort

Introduction Physical activity interventions for adolescents with depression often show limited effectiveness due to insufficient developmental tailoring, limited autonomy support, and poor contextual feasibility. BRIDGES (Brussels Resilience and Inclusion for Depression – Guidance, Exercise, and Support) is a theory-informed and co-designed physical activity intervention integrating the COM-B model, self-determination theory and motivational interviewing to support autonomous and competence-enhancing engagement. This pilot randomized controlled trial uses a hybrid type 2 implementation–effectiveness design to examine feasibility, acceptability, implementation processes and obtain preliminary estimates of clinical effectiveness to inform a future larger-scale trial. Methods and analysis Sixty physically inactive adolescents aged 12–19 years with depression will be recruited from an outpatient mental health service in Brussels, Belgium. Participants will be randomized in waves using covariate-adaptive minimization with a biased-coin component (p=0.85), balancing baseline depression severity, physical activity level, gender and age. The intervention consists of 18 individualized physiotherapist-led counselling sessions delivered over 12 weeks, including structured support to facilitate transition to community-based physical activity. Primary feasibility, acceptability, implementation outcomes will be assessed using quantitative measures and semi-structured interviews with adolescents, caregivers and community partners, guided by the Practical, Robust Implementation and Sustainability Model (PRISM) and the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation and Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework. Preliminary effectiveness outcomes are changes in physical activity measured using the Physical Activity Vital Sign (PAVS) and depressive symptoms measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 modified for Adolescents (PHQ-A). Preliminary effectiveness will be analysed using linear mixed-effects models following an intention-to-treat approach to estimate cluster-level parameters for a future fully powered Hybrid Type 2 trial. Secondary outcomes include social support, exercise self-efficacy, cardiorespiratory fitness and waist-to-height ratio. Qualitative data will be analysed using the Qualitative Analysis Guide of Leuven. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT07422909

Source: PLOS ONE. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0360292. Abstract from the publisher’s feed; HTML formatting and repeated author line removed.

Authors: Thanh Trung Do, Tran Minh The Uyen, Pham Son Minh

Control of mold-cavity surface temperature strongly affects filling, premature frozen-layer formation, and cycle time in thin-wall injection molding. This study evaluates an induction self-heating insert with a thin heating zone directly coupled to a cooling layer using experiments, a sequentially coupled electromagnetic-thermal model, and an Artificial Neural Network (ANN). The design space contains 25 Taguchi L25 geometries defined by T, W, and L; X and Y coordinates are added so that the ANN predicts the surface temperature field. Three cooling states are considered: No Water (NW), Stagnant Water (SW), and Flowing Water (FW). Experimental ANN targets are the mean of five repeated tests. The simulation reproduced the location of the hot zone; among four cases with reported quantitative differences, three differed by no more than about 10 °C and one showed a peak difference of about 20 °C. To prevent data leakage, all 846 points from each geometry were kept together during geometry-wise validation. The resulting R² values were 0.746, 0.653, and 0.493 for NW, SW, and FW, with Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) values of 17.03, 12.97, and 12.62 °C, respectively. The effects of T, W, and L depended on the cooling state and were not consistently monotonic. A proof-of-concept molding test showed complete filling of a Chip 2 part using Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE); the mean spacing was 28.6 µm for a nominal 30 µm, and the mean height was 106.6 µm for a nominal 100 µm. These results show that combining insert geometry, cooling-water state, and a surrogate model can support local thermal design, delay frozen-layer formation, and improve filling in injection molding.

Source: PLOS ONE. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0359849. Abstract from the publisher’s feed; HTML formatting and repeated author line removed.

Authors: Gladness N. Mkawe, Benedicto Mgala, Neema Mawi, Salome E. Buluba, Menti Ndile, Khadija Malima, Edith Tarimo, Fatina B. Ramadhani

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, with lifestyle modification being a cornerstone in their management. However, qualitative evidence on the influences that facilitate or hinder lifestyle modification practices among patients attending cardiac clinics in Tanzania remains limited. Understanding these influences is important for designing feasible, context-appropriate cardiovascular risk-reduction interventions. This study aimed to explore perceived facilitators and barriers influencing lifestyle modification among adults with cardiovascular disease attending the cardiac clinic at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre (KCMC). An exploratory qualitative study was conducted between May and July 2024 among adults with CVD attending the KCMC cardiac clinic. Ten (10) participants were purposively recruited to capture variation in age, sex, and cardiovascular diagnosis. The final sample was guided by thematic saturation, reached after eight interviews and confirmed through two additional interviews. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews and analyzed manually using Braun and Clarke’s six-phase thematic analysis. The analysis generated two themes supported by sub-themes: (1) facilitators of lifestyle modification, comprising perceived benefits and outcomes; social, family, and spiritual support; and medical advice and counselling; and (2) barriers to lifestyle modification, comprising lack of consistent motivation; psychological factors; physical limitations and health setbacks; social and environmental barriers; lack of guidance; misconceptions and beliefs; and financial constraints. Despite facing cultural, psychological, physical, and financial barriers, patients demonstrated willingness to adopt healthier lifestyles when supported by healthcare providers, family members, and personal motivation. These findings highlight the need for culturally sensitive, patient-centered interventions that integrate lifestyle counseling, psychosocial support, and community involvement to improve long-term cardiovascular outcomes.

Source: PLOS Global Public Health. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0007537. 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.