Newsfeeds

PLOS ONE Alerts: New Articles

  • Task-aware conformal power envelopes for multi-horizon spacecraft monitoring

    by Nan Lu, Lehan Cui, Xinian Zhi

    Reliable spacecraft power monitoring requires uncertainty estimates across forecast horizons and consistency between primitive electrical states and derived power. We present a task-aware conformal framework that selects joint residual geometry according to downstream power-envelope efficiency. A residual iTransformer produced point centres for five primitive electrical states at 1, 5, and 15 min. Candidate geometries were fitted, selected, and calibrated on chronologically separated complete-orbit blocks, and the final evaluation comprised 25,278 forecast origins from the chronologically subsequent July 2023 telemetry. Across three random-seed runs, the task-aware selector chose a joint box, whereas a residual-volume control selected the sample-covariance ellipsoid. Orbit-balanced primitive-state joint coverage was 0.892 (95% complete-orbit bootstrap confidence interval [CI], 0.883–0.899) at the 90% nominal level and 0.947 (95% CI, 0.943–0.952) at the 95% nominal level. At 90% and 95%, simultaneous coverage of both power channels across all horizons was 0.913 and 0.957. Relative to residual-volume selection, the task-aware method reduced normalized power interval score by 34.3% and 30.3%; the paired absolute reductions were 1.522 (95% CI, 1.505–1.540) and 1.552 (95% CI, 1.534–1.570). Power envelopes were computed from synchronized primitive current and bus-voltage sets. For the selected non-negative box, zero algebraic gap and full interval-image containment follow by construction; the empirical analyses quantify coverage and sharpness. The results demonstrate task-aware geometry selection for BUPT-1 multi-horizon power monitoring.

  • Psychological distress among women with abnormal cervical cancer screening results in Poland: Validation of the Polish version of the Cervical Dysplasia Distress Questionnaire (CDDQ-PL)

    by Agata Szmigiel-Soja, Justyna Kot, Klaudia Sieńko-Hans, Iwona Gawron, Robert Jach, Iwona Malinowska-Lipień, Dominika Trojnarska

    Background

    This study evaluated the validity and reliability of the Polish version of the Cervical Dysplasia Distress Questionnaire (CDDQ-PL) in women with abnormal cervical cancer screening results.

    Methods

    A cross-sectional validation study was conducted among 285 women referred to a colposcopy unit following an abnormal cervical cancer screening result. Psychometric evaluation included language and content validity, item analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, internal consistency, and concurrent and convergent validity. Data were collected using a sociodemographic questionnaire, the CDDQ, an anxiety scale, and the Short Form Health Survey (SF-36).

    Results

    The mean age of participants was 38.69 years (SD = 10.77). The mean total CDDQ-PL score was 2.21, with the highest distress observed for health consequences (3.02) and the lowest for embarrassment (1.47). Anxiety significantly decreased after the visit (6.51 ± 2.73 vs. 4.87 ± 2.95). Internal consistency was good, with Cronbach’s alpha coefficients ranging from 0.830 to 0.919 across subscales. Total CDDQ-PL scores showed moderate positive correlations with anxiety before (r = 0.378, p < 0.001) and after the visit (r = 0.381, p < 0.001). Higher distress was associated with poorer quality of life, particularly in emotional well-being, pain, and energy/fatigue domains of the SF-36.

    Conclusions

    The Polish version of the CDDQ demonstrated satisfactory validity and good internal consistency for assessing psychological distress in women with abnormal cervical cancer screening results. Its temporal stability requires confirmation in future test–retest studies.



  • Spatiotemporal evolution and coupling of “Forest–Cropland–Water” ecosystem vulnerability in the Yangtze River Economic Belt

    by Shuai Wu, Xuanhui Li, Xiaohuang Liu, Guanzhong Zeng, Wei Zhang, Xiaojing Liu, Qinghua Zeng, Jie Sun, Liang Ru, Hang Xing, Jiankun Kang

    The Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB), China’s “golden waterway” and “green barrier”, relies on its “Forest–Cropland–Water” system for carbon sequestration, grain production, and water conservation. Tracking its vulnerability and coordination on a spatiotemporal scale reveals barriers to balancing ecological security with sustainable growth. Our study innovatively proposes a multi-system coupling evaluation framework. We integrate the Order relation (G1) method, the CRiteria Importance Through Intercriteria Correlation (CRITIC) method, and a game theory combination weighting to assess the ecological vulnerability of the “Forest–Cropland–Water” system across YREB. Using coupling coordination and spatial autocorrelation models, we then map the spatiotemporal pattern and spatial clustering characteristics of ecosystems interactions. Finally, geodetector method is employed to identify the principal drivers of coupling coordination. In 2000–2023, the ecological vulnerability of each ecosystem and the overall system exhibited a fluctuating downward trend. Spatial clustering of coupling coordination gradually weakened, and coupling types shifted from mild imbalance toward mild coordination. Concurrently, high vulnerability areas progressively transitioned to moderate and low vulnerability. Among the driving factors, Land use intensity and aerosol optical depth consistently exhibited the strongest explanatory power for the coupling coordination degree of the “Forest–Cropland–Water” system, whereas the influence of extreme high-temperature days markedly declined over time and the remaining selected factors played only subsidiary roles. This work provides a systematic framework for assessing future multi-system ecological vulnerability and coupling relationship, offering scientific guidance for promoting sustainable natural-resource management and inter-basin development.

  • First responders’ experiences and training needs at the scene of a suspected suicide in Ireland: A mixed methods study

    by John Goodwin, Saoirse Duggan, Katerina Drakos, Patrick Cotter, Ryan Biskupovic-Goulding, Sean Kelleher, Maria O’Malley, Nuala Walshe, Brendan Noonan, Rachel Flynn, Emma Gleeson, Andrea Kelly, Lisa Culloty, Nell Fingleton, Omar Fitzell, John Cudmore, Owen Hackett, Victor Shine, Bruce Pierce, Carmel Crowe, Ger O’Dea, Aine O’Donovan

    Background

    First responders are categorised as those who are the first to respond to emergency calls and attend the site of an emergency. They include, but are not limited to police, emergency medical technicians, firefighters, and water safety personnel. First responders play a critical role in suicide postvention, supporting those bereaved by suicide and preventing adverse outcomes. However, many responders feel uncertain about how to effectively support those bereaved by suicide and often lack formal postvention training. This study aimed to explore and understand the experiences and training needs of first responders when attending the scene of a suspected suicide.

    Methods

    A mixed-method approach was adopted. A national quantitative survey with first responders was conducted. The impact of previous suicide-related training on suicide literacy, attitudes, and postvention knowledge was analysed using multivariate ANOVA, adjusting for sociodemographic factors. Qualitative data were collected through focus groups and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.

    Results

    A total of 1587 first responders completed surveys. Participants demonstrated positive and non-stigmatising attitudes towards suicide prevention and suicidal individuals, though lower scores were achieved for suicide literacy, postvention knowledge, organisation support, and preparedness. Previous suicide-related training was significantly associated with higher literacy, attitudes, and postvention knowledge, although effect-sizes were small. Qualitative findings from 10 focus groups revealed substantial gaps in training and confidence when responding to suspected suicides. Participants also described the considerable emotional toll of attending the scene and emphasised the need for support in the aftermath.

    Conclusion

    Attending the scene of a suspected suicide has an impact on first responders. Limited suicide prevention and postvention training creates challenges, particularly in communicating with the bereaved. These findings underscore the need for comprehensive suicide prevention and postvention training and the allocation of adequate support.



  • USB-powered vs. self-heating warm compresses for meibomian gland dysfunction: A prospective randomized crossover clinical trial

    by Ali M. Al Saqr, Moath Faisal Alharbi, Meshary Alrumizan, Ali Abusharha

    Background

    Dry eye syndrome (DES) is a prevalent multifactorial condition characterized by tear film instability and meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD). Warm compress therapy remains a cornerstone for improving lipid layer function. However, very limited comparative data exist on newer USB-powered devices vs. self-heating masks in Middle Eastern populations.

    Methods

    This randomized crossover clinical trial compared USB-powered and self-heating masks in 15 participants aged 18–40 years with meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) associated eye (tear break-up time ≤10 s). Each intervention was scheduled for five consecutive days, separated by a two-week washout. The prespecified primary outcome was non-invasive TBUT measured with the OCULUS Keratograph 4M; tear meniscus height (TMH) and symptom scores were secondary outcomes. A two-way ANOVA and Post-hoc Bonferroni tests adjusted for multiple comparisons were used for analysis. The trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT07618169).

    Results

    All 15 participants contributed data to both intervention phases. Across observed visits, the USB-powered device was associated with higher TBUT (likelihood-ratio χ2(1) = 7.43, p = 0.006) and TMH (χ2(1) = 4.49, p = 0.034). Day 5 descriptive means with USB-Powered compress and self-heating mask were 9.53 ± 2.18 s versus 7.21 ± 2.90 s for TBUT, and 0.200 ± 0.020 mm versus 0.188 ± 0.016 mm for TMH, respectively. No significant between-device difference was observed in SPEED scores, although mean scores showed a mild improvement, and no adverse events were reported.

    Conclusions

    USB-powered warm compresses provided superior outcomes in enhancing tear film stability and volume compared to self-heating masks. Consistent temperature control and reusability make them a promising at-home therapy for patients with MGD. USB-powered devices may be preferred for patients requiring sustained thermal therapy, particularly in arid climates with variable indoor cooling. Further large-scale trials are warranted to confirm these findings.

    Clinical Trial Registration

    This trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov under registration number: NCT07618169.