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February 13, 2026

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01/27/2026

Visual impairments

The socioeconomic impact of inherited retinal dystrophies (IRDs) in Belgium: A cost-of-illness study

Vandersmissen and colleagues investigated the societal burden of inherited retinal diseases in Belgium in 2023, highlighting the substantial clinical and economic impact. Their findings underscore the importance of continued research investment to inform future policy, enhance well-being, and reduce the burden these diseases impose.

Image credit: Fig 2 by Vandersmissen et al., CC BY 4.0

01/23/2026

Ecology

Do sheep-grazed pastures support insectivorous bat activity and bat species richness?

Wiesinger and colleagues investigated how sheep grazing affects bat activity, species richness, and occurrence in pastures across a heterogeneous landscape in southern Burgenland, Austria. Using acoustic surveys, they captured short-term responses of multiple bat species, highlighting the role of grazing in shaping bat activity patterns.

Image credit: Fig 1a by Wiesinger et al., CC BY 4.0

01/07/2026

Palaeoecology

Diets and environments of late pleistocene pygmy and Columbian mammoths: Isotopic evidence from Southern California

Hannold and colleagues analyze the isotope content of the teeth of mammoths living on the channel islands of Southern California, and compare to mainland mammoths. They find that the channel mammoths ate more water rich plants, and that climates throughout Southern California were wetter during the Late Pleistocene than they are now.

Image credit: Fig 3a by Hannold et al., CC BY 4.0

01/23/2026

Communications

Do opinion leaders know more? Knowledge accuracy, self-confidence, and media use in agricultural issues

Gabriel and Bitsch examine the link between self-identification as an opinion leader, factual knowledge, and subjective confidence, finding that confidence and media use are stronger predictors of perceived opinion leadership than factual accuracy, and highlighting a mismatch between confidence and knowledge among influential communicators.

Image credit: faces-silhouettes by Geralt, Pixabay

02/04/2026

EveryOne

World Cancer Day 2026: Continuing the theme of “United by Unique”

World Cancer Day’s three-year theme “United by Unique,” now in 2026, puts people at the heart of cancer care. It is prioritizing patient voices, collaboration, personalized support, and quality of life alongside scientific innovation.

Image credit: PLOS by PLOS, CC BY 4.0

01/19/2026

EveryOne

Editorial Spotlight: Issa Ali Atoum

Prepared by PLOS One Associate Editor Daniel Parkes, this interview features Academic Editor Issa Atoum on rigorous manuscript assessment, responsible use of AI, and how industry experience supports research integrity and reproducibility.

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12/29/2025

EveryOne

A Year of Editor Spotlight 2025: Tips from Academic Editors

PLOS One Academic Editors share practical advice for editors, early-career researchers, and authors on fair peer review, interdisciplinary collaboration, rigorous methods, clear writing, and making research accessible, credible, and enjoyable to read.

Image credit: PLOS by PLOS, CC BY 4.0

01/21/2026

Virtual Reality

An open-source closed-loop VR system for studying social interaction and collective behavior in fish

Sanchez and colleagues have developed a system for studying the interactions between a live fish, and a virtually projected fish.

Image credit: Fig 5c by Sanchez et al., CC BY 4.0

01/27/2026

Sociology

Children’s views on everyday food practices

Wright-Pedersen and colleagues explore 8-12 year-old children’s food practices to investigate the intersections between individual, social and structural determinants of children's engagement with food and food behaviors.

Image credit: child-strawberry by StockSnap, Pixabay

01/16/2026

Children's health

Mapping ActEarly: early promotion of good health and wellbeing

Gansallo and colleagues assess whether the city-wide ActEarly programme improved child health across the system and targeted key early-life outcomes, finding strong alignment with local priorities.

Image credit: girl-swing-rock-skyliney by kinkate, Pixabay

02/04/2026

Bioengineering

Toward mass customization of animal trackers by design automation

Beutler and colleagues present a web-based platform for mass-customizable animal trackers, enabling flexible, species-specific designs with automated engineering, 3D-printable housings, and rapid, low-cost production.

Image credit: Fig 3 by Beutler et al., CC BY 4.0

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