Clinical intelligence & editorial.

PLOS

HIF-1α expression is associated to cell proliferation and ECM production in temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis

Temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis (TMJOA) is a complex joint disorder characterized by progressive degradation of the cartilage matrix and apoptosis of chondrocytes; however, hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) serves a positive role in maintaining the stability of the articular cartilage matrix. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the expression levels of HIF-1α in the cartilage tissue of rats with TMJOA, and to explore its association with the proliferation of chondrocytes an...

Osteoarthritis

Li Liu, Xiaoying Shi, Xingxing Li, Yunhong Lin, Hefeng Yang, Jun Zhang, Chun Yang• November 10, 2026

PLOS

Illness perceptions among adults aged 18–44 years with ankylosing spondylitis: A qualitative study informed by the common-sense model of self-regulation

Background: Ankylosing spondylitis mainly affects people in early and middle adulthood. This period involves important transitions in education, career, relationships, and family. Illness perceptions play an important role in treatment adherence and disease management. Few qualitative studies have examined how Chinese adults perceive and cope with the disease using a clear theoretical framework. Objective: This study aimed to explore illness perceptions among adults aged 18–44 years with ankylos...

Ankylosing Spondylitis

Di Zhu, Binbin Wang, Yingjin Li, Xiaohan Nie, Haining Yin, Saisai Huang, Qiong Wang, Renju Xu• November 10, 2026

PLOS

Laboratory-based assessment of quantitative PCR to describe Arctic fish assemblages in surface water affected by acid rock drainage

Permafrost thaw has been identified as a cause of metal mobilization from acid rock drainage and transport to Arctic rivers. Elevated metal concentrations and precipitation of Fe(III) minerals (i.e., rusting) in surface waters deteriorates water quality and raises questions about ecosystem effects, especially to the health of fish species. Environmental DNA (eDNA) analyses could be used for assessing impacts of acid rock drainage to fish assemblages but may be prone to biases like polymerase cha...

Pcr

Laura C. Scott, Andrew M. Ramey, Ann E. Riddle-Berntsen, Brett A. Poulin, Joshua C. Koch, Jonathan A. O’Donnell, Michael P. Carey• November 10, 2026

PLOS

Traditional knowledge of childhood illnesses among the Sidama nation, clinical presentation and hematological findings

Background: Sidama possesses extensive indigenous knowledge regarding infant illnesses described as “feyancho”. Feyancho has a widespread recognition among Sidama people, though poorly documented in scientific literature. This study aimed to document the indigenous understanding of this infantile disease and examine associated clinical and biochemical profiles in the Sidama National Regional State, Ethiopia. Methods: A household-based cross-sectional study was conducted in nine districts selecte...

Hematology

Serawit Deyno, Mairegu Daniel, Tsadiku Getachew, Menfese Tadesse, Hizkel Engiso, Sintayehu Fekadu, Nigatu Tuasha• November 10, 2026

PLOS

Associations of palmar surface lactic acid with hand scaling and in vitro pathogen inactivation: A cross-sectional study

The relationship between palmar surface lactic acid and hand scaling is not well understood. This cross-sectional study examined associations between palmar surface lactic acid, hand scaling, and in vitro anti-pathogenic activity, to generate hypotheses relevant to hand skin condition and pathogen inactivation. In 49 healthy adults, after standardized hand washing and acclimation (20°C, 40% RH), we assessed scaling (visual score), surface lactic acid and stratum corneum ceramides (LC–MS), stratu...

Scales

Kenichi Nagano, Kenji Manabe, Ichiro Mori, Yasuhiro Okada, Eri Shimizu, Satoru Naito• November 10, 2026

PLOS

MFMNet: Adaptive tri-layer graph pyramid with cross-scale attention router for synergistic drug prediction

Background and objective: Experimental screening of synergistic anticancer drug pairs is time-consuming, while effectively integrating complementary molecular graph representations with cell-line-specific information remains challenging for computational drug-synergy prediction. Methods: We developed MFMNet with a Tri-Layer Graph Pyramid (TGP) comprising GCN, GIN, and GAT branches for extracting complementary molecular graph representations. A Cross-Scale Attention Router (CSAR), implemented as...

Scales

Lei Wang, Liping Sun, Jingwen Pan, Guangming Shao, Guokun Shi, Guanyu Zhang, Yucheng Shi, Li Jin• November 10, 2026

PLOS

RE-AIM evaluation of the national scale-up of community-based index case HIV testing in Guinea: Successes and challenges

In Guinea, an estimated 36% of people living with HIV remain unaware of their status, hindering progress toward the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets (95% of people living with HIV to know their HIV status, 95% of those diagnosed with HIV to receive sustained antiretroviral therapy, and 95% of those receiving antiretroviral therapy to achieve viral suppression). This study evaluated the effectiveness, implementation fidelity, and sustainability of the community-based index case testing (ICT) strategy usin...

Scales

Soriba Camara, Mory 1 Kourouma, Castro Gbêmêmali Hounmenou, Aly Badara Touré, Emile Faya Bongono, Sidikiba Sidibé, Tamba Mina Millimouno, Abdoulaye Sow, Alioune Camara, Alexandre Delamou• November 10, 2026

PLOS

Correction: A digital microscope for the diagnosis of Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax, including P. falciparum with hrp2/hrp3 deletion

After publication of this article [ 1 ], the following errors were identified in Table 1 and the article text: In Table 1A, the Ghana RDT (HRP2/LDH) Sensitivity at 200 parasites/µL contains a typographical error. The correct value is 94.6% (175/185). In Table 1A, the Combined Microscopy values contain errors in the recorded sensitivity percentages and are erroneously included in the published table. The authors note that as the protocol to obtain these data differed between the two sites,...

Microscopes

Yalemwork Ewnetu, Kingsley Badu, Lise Carlier, Claudia A. Vera-Arias, Emma V. Troth, Abdul-Hakim Mutala, Stephen Opoku Afriyie, Thomas Kwame Addison, Nega Berhane, Wossenseged Lemma, Cristian Koepfli• November 10, 2026

PLOS

Effects of infertility on relationship quality and mental health outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa: A scoping review

Infertility is associated with significant psychosocial challenges, and relationship strain yet remains underprioritized in sub-Saharan African policy and research. We conducted a scoping review to examine the effects of infertility on relationship quality and mental health outcomes among people experiencing infertility in sub-Saharan Africa. We utilized the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for scoping reviews and reported following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Met...

Mental Health

Kenneth Juma, Cynthia Kairu, Merlyne Akwir Nungo, Merryline Chepkoech, Easter Olwanda, Sally Atieno Odunga, Ramatou Ouedraogo, Boniface Ayanbekongshie Ushie, Yohannes Dibaba Wado• November 10, 2026

PLOS

Rethinking psychosocial rehabilitation in mental health

Summary points: Psychosocial rehabilitation is central to recovery-oriented mental health care, yet its uptake remains uneven because of persistent conceptual, methodological, organisational, and implementation barriers. Greater conceptual clarity is needed through stakeholder dialogue to establish a common set of core principles that can be adapted across diverse cultural and health system contexts. Meaningful co-creation with people with lived experience and their families should be embe...

Mental Health

Eleonora Prina, Laura Asher, Stefano Barlati, Sudipto Chatterjee, Ioana Alina Cristea, Sandra Ferreira, Charlotte Hanlon, Karli Montague-Cardoso, Parth Sharma, Marianna Purgato, Corrado Barbui• November 10, 2026

PLOS

Gendered pathways to adolescent mental health: An empirical assessment of a new conceptual framework

Gender norms and roles are important determinants of physical and mental health in the key period of adolescence. Yet, the gendered pathways to mental health in adolescents are not fully understood. Using a conceptual framework for global adolescent mental health that we developed based on a Delphi process, we empirically investigated the associations between six gender-related constructs and adolescent mental health. We used an existing cross-sectional dataset from Ethiopia (2020) from the Gend...

Mental Health

Anita Alaze, Daniel Hagen, Tamara Schamberger, Oliver Razum, Céline Miani• November 10, 2026

PLOS

From suicidal ideation to hope: Perceived mental health transformation following a culturally adapted multiple family group therapy for adolescents living with HIV in Ghana - A qualitative process evaluation

Adolescents living with HIV (ALHIV) in sub-Saharan Africa experience profound mental health challenges including depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. Evidence-based psychological interventions specifically designed for this population remain scarce, particularly family-based approaches in resource-limited settingsThis study explored ALHIV's perceived mental health transformation following participation in culturally adapted Multiple Family Group Therapy (MFGT) in Ghana.Qualitative study n...

Mental Health

Dorothy Serwaa Boakye, David Atsu Deegbe, Gladys Dzansi, Adote Anum, Samuel Adjorlolo• November 10, 2026