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  • Editorial Note: Model of tumor dormancy/recurrence after short-term chemotherapy

    by The PLOS One Editors



  • Telemedicine interventions for improving antibiotic stewardship and prescribing: A systematic review

    by Ghasem Dolatkhah Laein, Javad Raeesi, Ali Mokhtari, Omid Salehinia, Mohammad Mehri, Ujjwal Shilanath Tiwary

    The global antibiotic resistance crisis necessitates optimized stewardship programs, with telemedicine emerging as a promising delivery strategy. This systematic review evaluated the effectiveness of telemedicine interventions in improving antibiotic stewardship across clinical settings. Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, we systematically searched seven databases from January 2010 to July 2024. Two independent reviewers assessed studies using Risk of Bias in Non-randomized Studies (ROBINS-I) and Cochrane Risk of Bias 2.0 tools, with evidence certainty evaluated using Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE). Twenty-one studies met inclusion criteria (10 observational, 8 quasi-experimental, 2 Randomized Controlled Trials [RCTs], 1 mixed-methods), predominantly from the United States (57.0%, n = 12). Among studies reporting antibiotic use outcomes (52.4%, n = 11), 90.9% demonstrated significant reductions ranging from 5.3% to 62.7%, with the highest-quality evidence showing a 28% reduction (95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 22-34%). Guideline adherence studies (57.1%, n = 12) showed acceptance rates of 67.7% to 98%, with comparable effectiveness between telemedicine and in-person consultation (79.1% vs 80.4%, p = 0.36). Prescribing rate outcomes (38.1%, n = 8) revealed setting-dependent variations: inpatient implementations demonstrated significant reductions (Relative Risk [RR] 0.68; 95% CI: 0.63-0.75), while outpatient findings showed mixed results. Quality assessment revealed predominantly low risk of bias [ROB] (66.7%, n = 14). These findings suggest that telemedicine effectively improves antibiotic stewardship compared to traditional care models, particularly in hospital settings, while outpatient applications demonstrated variable effectiveness. This review was registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO: CRD42023454663).

  • Retraction: Study of aerobic and anaerobic bacterial profile of nosocomial infections and their antibiotic resistance in a referral center, Southwest Iran: A three year cross-sectional study

    by The PLOS One Editors



  • The evolution of bone-eating worm diversity in the Upper Cretaceous Chalk Group of the United Kingdom

    by Sarah Jamison-Todd, James D. Witts, Marc E. H. Jones, Deborah Tangunan, Kim Chandler, Paul Bown, Richard J. Twitchett

    The bone-eating worm Osedax is today a member of the highly adapted invertebrate assemblages associated with whale carcasses on the ocean floor. The worm has also been found in a variety of other vertebrates in marine environments. Osedax borings are represented by the trace fossil Osspecus, which has been identified in fossil whales and marine reptiles, with the earliest occurrence in the Albian. In studies of present-day whale bones it has been found that individual species of Osedax create distinct boring morphologies. The diversity of boring geometries therefore provides a proxy for species diversity that can be applied to the fossil record to better understand the diversity, ecology, and evolution of extinct Osedax species. We examined marine reptile fossils from the Upper Cretaceous Chalk Group of the United Kingdom, and found five previously undocumented boring morphologies. These results, coupled with a re-examination of previous records of Osspecus, led to the naming of seven new ichnospecies. Using nannofossil biostratigraphy from the chalk, we constrained the ages of these occurrences and found a high species diversity in the early Late Cretaceous, indicating either a rapid diversification or an earlier origin for Osedax than previously estimated. Furthermore, we recognise five Cretaceous ichnospecies that are also found in the Cenozoic, three of which are also found in present-day whale bones.

  • Correction: CDC2 Mediates Progestin Initiated Endometrial Stromal Cell Proliferation: A PR Signaling to Gene Expression Independently of Its Binding to Chromatin

    by Griselda Vallejo, Alejandro D. La Greca, Inti C. Tarifa-Reischle, Ana C. Mestre-Citrinovitz, Cecilia Ballaré, Miguel Beato, Patricia Saragüeta