Ruth Francis obituary Other lives: Communications head for scientific publishers who also chaired her industry body

Other Lives obituary of the brilliant Ruth Francis, my former @nature.com colleague. Ruth also worked at @cancerresearchuk.org, @kingscollegelondon.bsky.social, @bmc.springernature.com and @f1000publishing.bsky.social, and was chair of @stempra.bsky.social.

www.theguardian.com/science/2026...

The influence of psychological ownership on pride in a Citizen Science project on wildlife ecology Voluntary engagement is crucial for committed participation in Citizen Science (CS) projects. So far, the CS literature has argued that psychological ownership (i.e., subjective feelings of owning or…

A new study by Greving and colleagues finds that psychological ownership in citizen science participants increases later feelings of pride, suggesting that when volunteers feel a project is “theirs,” it can boost motivation and sustained engagement.

Combining space use with diet data to investigate foraging tactics of black bears in response to the pulsed availability of migratory caribou calves Migratory caribou (Rangifer tarandus) is a key component of the arctic food web. Female caribou typically gather in late spring to give birth, creating a predictable, ephemeral resource pulse that…

A new study by Nowack and colleagues finds black bears show diverse foraging strategies during caribou calving, with higher meat intake linked to greater overlap with calving grounds but not movement patterns, highlighting opportunistic responses to pulsed prey.

Effects of a native avian predator (weka; Gallirallus australis) and colony density on breeding success of a burrow-nesting seabird (tītī; Ardenna grisea) As island ecosystems are restored, native predators are recovering and re-establishing interactions with their prey. However, compared with widely-publicised impacts of invasive predators, little is…

A new study by Carpenter and colleagues finds a native avian predator (weka) has little overall impact on burrow-nesting tītī seabird breeding success, with larger, denser colonies buffering predation, although risks may rise if tītī populations decline.

Proto-mammals laid eggs, paleontologists finally confirm Lystrosaurus fills in a major evolutionary gap.

New research concludes that Lystrosaurus, a dicynodont therapsid that lived before the Permian extinction and which are considered ancestors to mammals were egg layers. 🧪www.popsci.com/science/did-mammal-ances...

We are pleased to share our new paper on the Iberian Aurignacian. We employed a quantitative approach to explore techno-typological variability and test its spatio-temporal dimension.
@palomadelalasca.bsky.social

Paper: doi.org/10.1371/jour...

Carved in stone: Experimental criteria for identifying Paleolithic bas-relief production techniques and sculptors’ expertise Paleolithic bas-relief is a rare yet technically demanding form of parietal art whose production methods and skill requirements remain poorly understood. Investigating their production is essential…

A new study by Brochard and colleagues experimentally replicates Paleolithic bas-relief carving, showing how techniques and expertise shape surface traces, and providing new criteria to identify methods and skill in prehistoric art.

5-HT1B receptor agonists promote Schwann cell myelination Congenital demyelinating peripheral neuropathy causes severe sensorimotor defects, affecting patient mobility. To identify therapeutic compounds for peripheral hypomyelinating neuropathy, we…

A new study by Kobayashi‑Ujiie and colleagues shows that 5‑HT1B receptor agonists like zolmitriptan promote Schwann cell myelination and improve peripheral nerve function in a mouse model of congenital demyelinating neuropathy.

On the ability of proglacial lake diatoms to reconstruct Antarctic past ozone changes The depletion of Antarctic stratospheric ozone since the 1970s, and the resulting increase in UV radiation reaching the Earth’s surface, have posed a well-recognized threat to polar aquatic and…

Oaquim and colleagues use diatoms to reconstruct Antarctic past ozone changes. Their results indicate that the magnitude of recent ozone depletion is unprecedented over the past 7,700 years.

Niche partitioning facilitates coexistence of three apex predators in the Lapchi Valley, Central Himalaya, Nepal Large carnivores increasingly coexist in human-modified mountain landscapes, yet empirical evidence on how multiple apex predators partition space, time, and resources to reduce competition remains…

A new study by Narayan Prasad Koju, @rckglobal.bsky.social and colleagues finds snow leopards, leopards, and Himalayan wolves coexist in Nepal via niche partitioning, differing in diet despite spatial and temporal overlap, reducing competition in alpine ecosystems.

plos.io/4v4kNVS

Effects of two side-by-side camera trap deployments on estimations of richness, abundance, and the detection of medium- and large-sized mammals Medium- and large-sized mammals play key ecological roles but remain difficult to monitor due to low detectability and logistical constraints. Camera traps are widely used to address these…

A new study by Guerrero‑Vázquez and colleagues shows that deploying two side‑by‑side camera traps per site significantly increases detected species richness, number of photographic records, and reduces time to first detection for medium and large mammals in biodiversity surveys.

Editorial Spotlight: Mahmoud Yaish - EveryONE This interview and blog post was prepared by PLOS One Associate Editor Sarah Jose. Professor Mahmoud Yaish earned his Ph.D. in Biological…

In our latest Editorial Spotlight, Academic Editor Mahmoud Yaish talks to staff editor @sarahjose.bsky.social about his research on plant stress physiology, ensuring fair and thorough peer review, and the importance of #OpenScience.

everyone.plos.org/2026/04/13/e...

Habitat context affects sediment nitrogen burial by restored Eastern Oyster reefs Oysters perform essential functions in estuarine environments. Reef restoration has recently become the subject of significant attention to reestablish populations after historic losses and to…

A new study by @annesmiley.bsky.social and colleagues shows that restored Eastern oyster reefs’ habitat context significantly influences sediment nitrogen burial rates, highlighting how restoration can increase nitrogen removal in coastal ecosystems.

plos.io/3NXJanm

Resilience of the gelatinous zooplankton species Oikopleura dioica to ocean alkalinity enhancement Ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) through mineral dissolution is a promising marine carbon dioxide removal strategy because it increases the buffering capacity of seawater and thereby enhances…

Bhaumik and colleagues show that the gelatinous zooplankton Oikopleura dioica is physiologically resilient to ocean alkalinity enhancement across tested alkalinity increases, with abundance and feeding unchanged, highlighting its tolerance to future carbon‑removal strategies.

These simple lifestyle changes could decrease dementia risk by 25% New research is the latest to show that people don’t need elaborate or expensive longevity hacks to stay mentally sharp as they age.

Contracting muscles release a protein that boosts cognitive function, generates new neurons and improves connections between neurons, especially in the hippocampus, the part of the brain that converts short-term memory to long-term memory.
www.nbcnews.com/health/aging...

Twenty years of PLOS One Discover a faster, simpler path to publishing in a high-quality journal. PLOS ONE promises fair, rigorous peer review, broad scope, and wide readership – a perfect fit for your research every time.

PLOS One is 20! This Editorial reflects on the journal's development: "Over the past 20 years, we learned that there is broad community support for PLOS One’s founding principles... [However,] the most enduring lesson we have learned is that our principles matter more than profits."

Blood host preferences and competitive inter-species dynamics within an African malaria vector species complex inferred from signs of animal activity around aquatic larval habitats Background The feeding behaviours of the malaria vector Anopheles arabiensis, and its competitive relationships with other sibling species within the Anopheles gambiae complex, remain largely…

A new study by Walsh and colleagues finds that Anopheles mosquito sibling species differ in blood host preferences and competitive dynamics across natural vs human‑dominated habitats, with implications for malaria vector persistence and control strategies.

Happy 20th birthday to PLOS One! 🎉 Our Editor-in-Chief has written this Editorial about its history, accomplishments, and lessons learned 🎂

Effect of aging and Varroa parasitism on the paracellular and transcellular permeability of the honeybee blood-brain barrier Honeybees (Apis mellifera) provide crucial pollination services to agricultural systems globally, however, their healthspan in these contexts is constantly at risk. Agricultural environments impose a…

A new study by Quigley and Amdam shows that in honeybees, age doesn’t alter blood‑brain barrier permeability much, but heavy Varroa mite parasitism increases transcellular permeability, revealing a stressor‑linked threat to bee neural protection.

plos.io/4tgOBwF

Habitat use of Bechstein´s bats (Myotis bechsteinii) within wind parks in forests Wind parks are increasingly installed at forest sites, which are a sensitive habitat for bats. As a consequence forest habitats are disturbed and altered by logging, edge effects and turbine…

A new study by Hurst and colleagues shows that Bechstein’s bats adjust habitat use within forest wind parks, with proximity to turbines influencing their foraging and movement patterns. These insights could inform wildlife–renewable energy planning.

plos.io/4uVrCce

Sequoia affects Drosophila central nervous system development by regulating axonal extension and guidance The development of the Drosophila melanogaster central nervous system (CNS) requires both determination of neuronal cell types and the subsequent establishment of neural connectivity. Numerous…

A new study by Al‑Hajri and colleagues finds that the Sequoia gene is essential for proper central nervous system development in Drosophila, affecting axon extension and guidance in embryonic nerve tracts.

plos.io/4vaFVKm

Happy birthday to our younger (but much bigger) sibling!! 🎂

Today is #WorldHealthDay and also the One Health High-Level Summit and Global Forum of WHO Collaborating Centres. These recent articles highlight the focus on #OneHealth and “Together for health - Stand with science”: plos.io/3Qpo8yP plos.io/4skoDHR plos.io/4bWyyi0 plos.io/4cWBxHV #StandWithScience

Utilizing large language models to construct a dataset of Württemberg’s 19th-century fauna from historical records Constructing datasets on past biodiversity from historical sources is crucial for understanding long-term ecological changes. Typically, compiling such datasets relies on prior knowledge of the…

A new study by Teich and colleagues demonstrates that large language models can effectively extract and link 19th‑century wildlife mentions from historical texts to modern biodiversity databases, offering a scalable way to build long‑term species datasets.

Identifying suitable habitats under climate change for non-targeted demersal fish in the Mediterranean Sea Non-targeted fish species contribute significantly to the structure and functioning of marine ecosystems, but they remain largely understudied. In this study, species distribution models (SDMs) were a...

New research by Georgios Orfanidis and colleagues:

"Identifying suitable habitats under climate change for non-targeted demersal fish in the Mediterranean Sea"

journals.plos.org/climate/arti...

Differentiation of ecological niche patterns between sympatric lemurs in northwestern Madagascar: Implications for their conservation Understanding how species respond to habitat loss and fragmentation is a critical requirement for effective conservation action, particularly in biodiversity hotspots like Madagascar. Species with…

A new study by @fmercad.bsky.social and colleagues finds that two lemur species in Madagascar share similar niches but differ in range size, highlighting how subtle differences in niche requirements can shape a species’ habitat use and vulnerability to environmental change.

In memory of Ruth Francis - Stempra It is with great sadness that we share the news of the death of Ruth Francis.

Shocked to hear about the death of Ruth Francis - Ruth RIP stempra.org.uk/resources/ne...

Conference attendance! If you're heading to the European Lung Cancer Congress in Copenhagen, keep an eye out for our Senior Editor Alex Tosun! 🧪 #ELCC26
@atosun.bsky.social

The cell biology community mourns the loss of Catherine Rabouille, an exceptional scientist whose determination, innovation, and fearless engagement with ideas reshaped how we think about cellular organization. #InMemoriam from @adamgrieve.bsky.social and colleagues: rupress.org/jcb/article/...