Curated News: PLOS

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The authors conducted a population-based cohort study including 1,951,984 deliveries in Sweden and British Columbia, Canada, from 2004 to 2016, with data obtained from national and provincial birth registers. They assessed differences in caesarean delivery rates between countries and over time using the WHO-endorsed caesarean delivery classification. They compared these differences in caesarean delivery rates with and without accounting for population differences in maternal, fetal, and obstetric practice factors, such as maternal age, maternal body-mass-index, fetal weight and fetal position.

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Scientists at the University of Nottingham have made a major breakthrough in understanding how malaria parasites divide and transmit the disease, which could be a major step forwards in helping to prevent one of the biggest killer infections in the world.

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Health care facilities in Black metropolitan counties, Hispanic rural counties and hardest-hit counties were less likely to administer COVID-19 vaccines during initial rollout, UC San Diego study finds.

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An abandoned Caribbean colony unearthed centuries after it had been forgotten and a case of mistaken identity in the archaeological record have conspired to rewrite the history of a barrier island off the Virginia and Maryland coasts.

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A single horse tooth from Haiti reveals that popular folklore that the Spanish shipwrecked horses off the coast of the U.S. is likely true.

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New study uncovers links between hormones, gut microbes, and social behavior in cohabitating cats.

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UC San Diego researchers describe a different way to build a COVID-19 vaccine, one that would, in theory, remain effective against new and emerging variants and could be taken as a pill, by inhalation or other delivery methods.

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Incorporate the actions of individual farmers when forming policies to tackle livestock disease outbreaks, say researchers from the University of Warwick and University of Nottingham

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An individualized diet program that empowers users to create their own plan based on targeted levels of protein and fiber shows promise at helping people lose extra pounds and keep them off.

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While thinking an unwanted thought could make it more likely to recur, we can proactively control this process

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A study by Indiana University faculty found that despite COVID-19 pandemic challenges, those with substance use disorder were largely resilient and employed effective coping mechanisms.

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Swans give up resting time to fight over the best feeding spots, new research shows.

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University of Florida scientists found that gardening activities lowered stress, anxiety and depression in healthy women who attended twice-weekly gardening classes.

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Snake fungal disease is a relatively recent but growing concern among scientists, who are making comparisons to the devastating white-nose syndrome in bats. NAU professor Jason Ladner conducted a genetic study of the pathogen in the hopes of discovering how SFD emerged and how to best manage the disease in the wild.

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The BirdNET app, a free machine-learning powered tool that can identify more than 3,000 birds by sound alone, generates reliable scientific data and makes it easier for people to contribute citizen-science data on birds by simply recording sounds. Results of tests to measure the app's accuracy are published in the open access journal PLOS Biology.

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As the restaurant sector shifts back into gear, catering to younger health-conscious consumers could help the industry return to its former glory, as new research shows that more than a quarter of customers would be happy to pay premium prices for healthier products.

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A new study from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai quantifies the cardiovascular risk posed by exposure to specific environmental factors, showing, for example, that air pollution heightens the risk of heart disease mortality by 17 percent.

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Along with high blood pressure, diabetes, and smoking, environmental factors such as air pollution are highly predictive of people’s chances of dying, especially from heart attack and stroke, a new study shows.

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Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), the University of Connecticut, and Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences have executed a license agreement for a kelp germplasm, or collection of microscopic cells called gametophytes, containing more than 1,200 samples all developed and isolated by WHOI and UConn-led teams.

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Human populations have waxed and waned over the millennia, with some cultures exploding and migrating to new areas or new continents, others dropping to such low numbers that their genetic diversity plummeted.

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Allowing fights among players in the National Hockey Leagues does not deter greater violence in the modern game, according to a new study. In fact, teams and players that fight more often are also responsible for a disproportionate number of violent penalties across the league.

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Scientists are starting to understand the precise workings of a type of gene that, unlike other genes, does not code for proteins – the building blocks of life.

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Many disease-linked variants are declining in frequency in breeds regularly screened for the marker.

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A sensor-equipped computer program can accurately identify and count arm movements in people undergoing stroke rehabilitation, a new study shows.

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Study suggests BP’s reputation suffered, but not the reputations or stock returns of other oil firms.

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Valproic acid (VPA) keeps nervous system cells from growing and dividing correctly, researchers discovered.

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A study of the lead agent (CPI-613) in a class of anticancer drugs undergoing Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved clinical trials reveals that CPI-613 is effective against most carcinoma cell lines, and, used in combination, could have efficacy against reducing some tumors.

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Machine learning enables largest study to date on aesthetic preferences and fish ecology.

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A large genetic study by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs’ Million Veteran Program (MVP)) has found that a person's height may affect their risk for several common health conditions in adulthood.