https://phys.org/ en-us Latest news from Public Library of Science Asthma can lead to childhood hospitalizations, missed school days, missed workdays for caregivers, and a lower quality of life for both children and their caregivers. The global prevalence of asthma has increased over the past 50 years. Now a study published in PLOS Medicine by Annelise Blomberg at Lund University, Lund, Sweden, and colleagues suggests that high prenatal PFAS exposure may play a role. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-high-prenatal-exposure-pfas-childhood.html Thu, 09 Apr 2026 14:00:04 EDT news694881061 Researchers have discovered a new species of glassfrog in Ecuador—the Dajomes glassfrog—named after Neisi Dajomes, the first Ecuadorian woman to receive an Olympic gold medal, which she won in Tokyo 2020 in women's 76 kg weightlifting. Mylena Masache, a Biology student of the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, and colleagues describe the frog in a new study published April 8, 2026 in the journal PLOS One. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-glassfrog-species-ecuadorian-woman-gold.html Plants & Animals Wed, 08 Apr 2026 14:00:10 EDT news694688253 An estimated 55 million people live with dementia worldwide, and both its prevalence and cost are expected to increase, with global costs projected to reach $2 trillion dollars by 2030. Current treatments for preventing or treating dementia have limited efficacy; therefore, public health efforts have also aimed at healthy lifestyle factors to reduce the risk of dementia before symptoms occur. Healthy behaviors such as regular physical activity and good sleep hygiene are known to support cognitive health. However, there remains a need to better understand their relationship to dementia. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-physical-linked-subsequent-dementia.html Wed, 08 Apr 2026 14:00:01 EDT news694795416 Taxes on sugary drinks had no effect on beverage calorie purchases from fast-food chain restaurants in the U.S., according to a new study by Brian Elbel and Pasquale Rummo from NYU Grossman School of Medicine and colleagues published in the open-access journal PLOS Medicine. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-sugary-taxes-effective-fast-food.html Thu, 02 Apr 2026 14:00:05 EDT news694281361 A new study tracking global progress on child mortality finds that the world will miss a key United Nations (UN) health target by at least five years at current rates, with the burden falling heavily on Sub-Saharan Africa. The UN's Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 calls for all countries to reduce the mortality rate for children under 5 to fewer than 25 deaths per 1,000 live births by 2030. As that deadline approaches, there has been no comprehensive assessment of where countries stand. The findings are published in PLOS One by Min Liu of Peking University, Beijing, China, and colleagues. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-world-falling-child-mortality-sustainable.html Wed, 01 Apr 2026 16:20:02 EDT news694273501 Commonly used self-report measures of romantic relationships may capture people's overall appraisal of their relationship more than measuring distinct relationship facets such as communication, conflict and affection, according to a new study published in PLOS One by James Kim of Lakehead University in Ontario, Canada, and colleagues. The findings also suggest that a person's judgment of their overall relationship quality strongly shapes how they answer questions intended to capture distinct, separate facets of the relationship. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-relationship-surveys-wrong-factor.html Social Sciences Wed, 01 Apr 2026 14:00:03 EDT news694195981 In a recent study of U.S. adults, walking was—by far—the most popular leisure-time physical activity, while rural residents also enjoyed gardening, hunting and fishing, and urban residents more commonly reported running, weightlifting and dancing. Urban residents were more likely than rural residents to meet physical activity guidelines. Christiaan Abildso of West Virginia University, U.S., and colleagues present these findings in PLOS One. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-urban-rural-habits-dominates.html Wed, 01 Apr 2026 14:00:01 EDT news694191121 When the "eco-friendly" bioplastic, polylactic acid (PLA), biodegrades, the resulting nanoplastics can accumulate in the fetuses of pregnant mice and interfere with fetal growth. Yichao Huang and De-Xiang Xu of Anhui Medical University, China, and Mingliang Fang of Fudan University, China, report these findings in a study published in the open-access journal PLOS Biology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-breakdown-products-eco-friendly-plastics.html Thu, 26 Mar 2026 14:00:23 EDT news693666675 Women who consistently met physical activity guidelines throughout middle age had half the risk of dying from any cause compared to women who remained inactive, according to a paper published in PLOS Medicine by Binh Nguyen of the University of Sydney, Australia, and colleagues. Physical activity is known to provide numerous health benefits and to reduce the risk of chronic diseases and premature mortality. However, most prior studies have measured physical activity at only a single point in time, which fails to capture how activity levels change over time. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-staying-middle-age-women-premature.html Thu, 26 Mar 2026 14:00:01 EDT news693675181 Analysis of two decades of student data at a large U.S. university suggests that grade inflation exists in graduate education. Researcher Vivien Lee and colleagues at the University of Minnesota, U.S., present these findings in the journal PLOS One. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-significant-grade-inflation-decades-worth.html Education Wed, 25 Mar 2026 14:00:03 EDT news693587581 Severe infections increase the risk of dementia independently of other coexisting illnesses, according to a new study published in the open-access journal PLOS Medicine by Pyry Sipilä of the University of Helsinki, Finland, and colleagues. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-severe-infections-dementia.html Tue, 24 Mar 2026 14:00:07 EDT news693477301 Researchers led by Guilio Bernardi at the IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca in Italy have discovered a key relationship between dreaming and the feeling of having had a good night's sleep. Published in PLOS Biology, the study shows that the feeling of deep sleep is not determined solely by slow-wave brain activity. Rather, immersive dreaming that comes with increases in wake-like brain activity leads to a greater feeling of deep sleep. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-vivid-deeper.html Tue, 24 Mar 2026 14:00:01 EDT news693474121 A large-scale genetic analysis of East Asian individuals led by Fuu-Jen Tsai of the China Medical University Hospital, finds that people with greater height face a higher risk of endometriosis and atrial fibrillation. A person's height is the result of a complex mix of genetic and environmental factors. The genetics underlying height have been linked to multiple health conditions, but these stature-related health risks have not been well explored, especially in East Asian populations. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-genetic-links-height-cardiovascular-reproductive.html Sun, 22 Mar 2026 10:00:01 EDT news693068819 In a new, survey-based study of three kinds of "designer" crossbreed dogs, cockapoos, cavapoos and labradoodles, all three showed more undesirable behaviors than at least one of their purebred progenitor breeds, with cockapoos displaying the most unwanted habits. Gina Bryson of the Royal Veterinary College, U.K., and colleagues present these findings in the open-access journal PLOS One. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-crossbreed-dogs-problem-behaviors-pure.html Plants & Animals Wed, 18 Mar 2026 20:10:01 EDT news693043261 In a survey study of U.S. teens, more than half (55.3%) reported that they had created at least one image using nudification tools, which use generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) to show what an individual may look like without clothing. Chad Steel of George Mason University, Virginia, U.S., presents these findings in the open-access journal PLOS One. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-teens-ai-sexualized-images-survey.html Internet Wed, 18 Mar 2026 14:00:13 EDT news693044175 Fear-eliciting images of modern and ancestral threats are equally likely to evoke physiological reactions, despite their distinct evolutionary origins, according to a study published in the open-access journal PLOS One by Eva Landová from Charles University, the Czech Republic, and colleagues. However, ancestral threats such as heights and venomous snakes trigger greater skin resistance responses, a measure of sweating, compared to modern threats and harmless stimuli. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-heights-snakes-harder-tracks-people.html Evolution Wed, 18 Mar 2026 14:00:03 EDT news693051207 Neanderthals probably used birch tar for multiple functions, including treating their wounds, according to a study published in the open-access journal PLOS One by a team of researchers led by Tjaark Siemssen of the University of Cologne, Germany, and the University of Oxford, U.K. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-neanderthals-birch-tar-anti-bacterial.html Archaeology Wed, 18 Mar 2026 14:00:01 EDT news693046162 Every year, millions of people are diagnosed with cancer globally; however, current treatments are limited by disease complexity. A study published in the open-access journal in PLOS Biology by Tianyu Jiang at Shandong University, Qingdao, China and colleagues suggests that Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 (EcN) may be engineered with anticancer agents to treat cancerous tumors in mice. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-bacteria-cancer-drug-tumors-mice.html Tue, 17 Mar 2026 14:00:06 EDT news692873674 In a study involving data from thousands of people, the risk of a new coronary heart disease diagnosis was statistically associated with bloodstream levels of nine specific molecules that are produced by gut microbes. Danxia Yu of Vanderbilt University Medical Center, U.S., and colleagues present these findings in the open-access journal PLOS Medicine. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-heart-disease-molecules-gut-microbes.html Tue, 17 Mar 2026 14:00:04 EDT news692871902 Gut dysbiosis caused by a high-fat diet can allow bacteria to move from the gut to the brain in mice, according to a new study by David Weiss and Arash Grakoui from Emory University, U.S., and colleagues published in the open-access journal PLOS Biology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-high-fat-diet-linked-dysbiosis.html Thu, 12 Mar 2026 14:00:23 EDT news692530261 Adults over age 65 experience greater numbers of emergency hospitalizations for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases during and after power outages, reports a new study by Heather McBrien of Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, U.S., and colleagues, published in the open-access journal PLOS Medicine. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-power-outages-linked-emergency-hospital.html Thu, 12 Mar 2026 14:00:17 EDT news692523061 Gender differences in poverty rates in the United States may be associated with women's differing circumstances—particularly the burden of dependent children—rather than inherent to gender itself, according to a study published in PLOS One by Patti Fisher of Virginia Tech, U.S. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-childcare-burden-gender-gap-poverty.html Social Sciences Wed, 11 Mar 2026 14:00:13 EDT news692367481 Humans perceive emotional expressions displayed by non-human primates and spontaneously mimic these expressions, according to a study published in the open-access journal PLOS One by Ursula Hess from Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany, and colleagues. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-primate-reveal-empathy-humans-mirror.html Social Sciences Wed, 11 Mar 2026 14:00:10 EDT news692353105 In a new analysis, racial and ethnic disparities in fatal shootings of U.S. residents by police varied widely between states. Roland Neil of the RAND Corporation in California, U.S., and colleagues present these findings in the open-access journal PLOS One. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-racialethnic-disparities-people-fatally-shot.html Social Sciences Wed, 11 Mar 2026 14:00:07 EDT news692354766 The news media is shaping reproductive narratives and stigma around childlessness, presenting it as a threat to national interests, a deviation from moral or cultural norms, as a risk and, sometimes, as a legitimate life path. In an article published in PLOS Global Public Health, Julia Schröders of Umeå University, Sweden, and colleagues, conclude that understanding these narratives will allow the development of media literacy initiatives to destigmatize and support more equitable health communication. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-news-media-representations-contribute-stigma.html Social Sciences Wed, 11 Mar 2026 14:00:06 EDT news692354764 Thousands of years ago, European communities used a variety of plant and animal products to create elaborate meals, according to a study published in the open-access journal PLOS One by Lara González Carretero of the University of York, U.K. and colleagues. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-charred-pot-residues-reveal-prehistoric.html Archaeology Wed, 04 Mar 2026 14:00:10 EST news691749361 Individuals have a more negative reaction to the societal time change to Standard Time (ST) in the fall than to Daylight Saving Time (DST) in the spring, according to a study published in the open-access journal PLOS One. The findings were reported by Ben Ellman, an independent researcher in Illinois, Michael Smith of the Purdue University College of Agriculture, U.S., and colleagues. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-frustrate-americans-fall-shift-linger.html Health Wed, 04 Mar 2026 14:00:08 EST news691749122 Different regions of the United States are experiencing different patterns of warming climate, requiring region-specific adaptation, according to a study published in PLOS Climate by María Dolores Gadea Rivas of the University of Zaragoza, Spain and Jesús Gonzalo of University Carlos III, Spain. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-states-warmer-slightly-ways.html Earth Sciences Wed, 04 Mar 2026 14:00:01 EST news689322181 Suitable habitat for migrating monarch butterflies will shift southwards because of climate change, according to a study published in PLOS Climate by Francisco Botello and Carolina Ureta at the National Autonomous University of Mexico and colleagues. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-climate-fragment-habitat-monarch-butterflies.html Plants & Animals Wed, 25 Feb 2026 14:00:09 EST news691145761 Even in the womb, where all oxygen is provided by the parental placenta, fetuses can—and do—yawn. More yawns during observation were associated with a lower weight at birth—potentially indicating mild fetal stress in the womb, according to a study published in PLOS One by Damiano Menin, of the Università degli Studi di Ferrara in Italy, and colleagues. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-healthy-fetuses-mild-distress.html Obstetrics & gynaecology Wed, 25 Feb 2026 14:00:06 EST news691172881