Wednesday, June 18, 2025

Many species are declining in the Wadden Sea, only a few are thriving

University of Groningen

Population trends — image:
The weighted vote count as the percentage of each trend type in all ecosystem components together (top row) and separately (for the groups specified on the left axis) is weighted by the number of years with observations. Numbers of trends and species per organism group: zooplankton (56 trends, 14 species), plants (205 trends, 33 species), phytoplankton (1111 trends, 161 species), macrozoobenthos (938, 96 species), fish (382 trends, 40 species), and birds (350 trends, 57 species). The organism group of “Plants” includes salt marsh plants and seagrasses.
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Credit: University of Groningen/Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg

In a unique collaboration between the University of Groningen and the Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, researchers studied population trends across 3,058 populations of various species throughout the entire Wadden Sea. Twenty-four per cent of the populations showed a significant decline in size, and this trend is occurring simultaneously across various groups. Only fourteen per cent of the populations showed an increase in size. These findings were published in the journal Global Change Biology on June 18, 2025.

The ‘losers’ are mainly native species, often related to each other, while the ‘winners’ are various non-native species. At first glance, birds seem to be doing well, but a number of species have been declining significantly since the late 1990s. Phytoplankton and plants are also strongly represented among the losers, as these are species at the base of the food web. But bivalves, marine worms, and some fish such as the Atlantic cod are also struggling.

It is striking that the declines in the numbers of the losing species often occur simultaneously, which points to a common underlying cause. ‘In follow-up research, we aim to investigate the specific causes of these dramatic changes,’ says Britas Klemens Eriksson, Professor of Marine Ecology at the University of Groningen. ‘In any case, it is a warning signal of potential local extinction.’

Overview of monitoring stations and periods for each organism group. Points reflect individual stations for the respective group (colour) within the radius of the concentric circle. The red outline indicates the official UNESCO World Heritage boundaries.

Credit

University of Groningen/Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg

Journal

Global Change Biology

DOI

10.1111/gcb.70298

Method of Research

Meta-analysis

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Synthesis of population trends reveals seascape-wide reorganisation of biodiversity from microalgae to birds

Article Publication Date

18-Jun-2025

England’s diabetes prevention program as blueprint for Canada

Canadian Medical Association Journal

Canada can learn from England’s successful diabetes prevention program to build its own programs to tackle diabetes prevention across the country, argue authors in an analysis in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) https://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.250057.

In 2022, Canada released a diabetes framework that calls on provincial and Indigenous governing bodies to build community-based programs to help address increases in new cases of diabetes.

Based on evidence showing positive preventive benefits of diet and exercise on type 2 diabetes, England’s National Health Service (NHS) created publicly funded prevention and remission programs that have been successful. The initiative has reduced diabetes rates from 64.3 to 53.4 per 1000 person-years in people with prediabetes and is projected to save $121 million over 35 years.

A Quebec-based team of clinician–scientists, legal experts, and health economist researchers, with funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, several of whom are Diabetes Quebec professional council members, have partnered with leaders from the NHS to investigate whether a similar program could be rolled out in Quebec. The idea is to start in Quebec and trigger action in other parts of Canada. It would be akin to what happened with Quebec’s early child education and care program, which Canada’s federal government has adopted to deliver similar programs across the country.

“Our goal is to build successful programs in Quebec that will catalyze programs across Canada,” writes Dr. Kaberi Dasgupta, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, Quebec, with coauthors.

“In our view, if 1 province successfully builds a program, it will catalyze others and attract federal funding.”

As another example of change in one part of the country leading to change in other parts, medicare, which was originally a provincial initiative in Saskatchewan, was rolled out nationally and is the basis of Canada’s publicly funded health systems.

Journal

Canadian Medical Association Journal

DOI

10.1503/cmaj.250057

Method of Research

Literature review

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Building diabetes prevention and remission programs across Canada: learning from England

Article Publication Date

16-Jun-2025

Homelessness in pregnant and parenting people is increasing

Canadian Medical Association Journal

Homelessness is increasing in pregnant and parenting people in Canada, posing health risks to children. Authors of a commentary in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) https://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.241623 argue it is a health crisis that needs urgent attention.

“Housing is a basic life necessity for everyone,” write Drs. Nicole Racine and Stéphanie Manoni-Millar, University of Ottawa, and CHEO Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario. “With rising numbers of pregnant and parenting people experiencing homelessness in Canada, more children are being put at risk of negative health outcomes. Adequate housing that interfaces with supportive health and mental health services is a fundamental first step to counter the effects of poverty, family fragmentation, and displacement for this vulnerable group.”

Recent data show that the number of people experiencing homelessness increased by 20% from 2018 to 2022, with 10% indicating they are part of a family.

“The health and developmental implications of homelessness for infants and young children are profound,” the authors write. It has been found that infants born to people experiencing homelessness have lower birth weights, higher risk of needing neonatal intensive care, and increased likelihood of infections and negative mental health and cognitive development.

They urge federal and provincial funding to provide access to safe and affordable housing with integrated services to support families, with support from municipal governments, social services and other providers.

“Reducing service fragmentation by enhancing collaboration and communication between housing services, mental health and addiction services, and health services optimizes the continuity of service delivery. However, few services or programs currently have the capacity or funding to provide longer-term services to clients.”

Journal

Canadian Medical Association Journal

DOI

10.1503/cmaj.241623

Method of Research

Commentary/editorial

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Tackling the crisis of homelessness among pregnant and parenting people in Canada

Article Publication Date

16-Jun-2025

Can a psychedelic compound from mushrooms benefit people with cancer and major depression?

Phase 2 trial reveals that a single dose of psilocybin offers long-term relief from symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Wiley

New results from a clinical trial reveal that a single dose of psilocybin—a naturally occurring psychedelic compound found in mushrooms—can provide sustained reductions in depression and anxiety in individuals with cancer suffering from major depressive disorder. The findings are published by Wiley online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society.

People with cancer often struggle with depression. In this phase 2 trial, 28 patients with cancer and major depressive disorder received psychological support from a therapist prior to, during, and following a single 25-mg dose of psilocybin.

During clinical interviews conducted 2 years later, 15 (53.6%) patients demonstrated a significant reduction in depression, and 14 (50%) had sustained depression reduction as well as remission. Similarly, psilocybin reduced anxiety for 12 (42.9%) patients at 2 years.

An ongoing randomized, double-blind trial is currently evaluating up to two doses of 25 mg of psilocybin versus placebo as treatment for depression and anxiety in patients with cancer. This study is building on the single-dose study in an effort to bring a larger majority of the patients into remission of depression and anxiety.

“One dose of psilocybin with psychological support to treat depression has a long-term positive impact on relieving depression for as much as 2 years for a substantial portion of patients with cancer, and we’re exploring whether repeating the treatment resolves depression for more than half of the patients,” said lead author Manish Agrawal, MD, of Sunstone Therapies. “If randomized testing shows similar results, this could lead to greater use of psilocybin to treat depression in patients with cancer.”

Additional information
NOTE: The information contained in this release is protected by copyright. Please include journal attribution in all coverage. A free abstract of this article will be available via the CANCER Newsroom upon online publication. For more information or to obtain a PDF of any study, please contact: Sara Henning-Stout, newsroom@wiley.com

Full Citation:
“Long-term Benefits of Single-Dose Psilocybin in Depressed Cancer Patients.” Manish Agrawal, Kim Roddy, Betsy Jenkins, Celia Leeks, and Ezekiel Emanuel. CANCER; Published Online: June 16, 2025 (DOI: 10.1002/cncr.35889).
URL Upon Publication: http://doi.wiley.com/10.1002/cncr.35889

Author Contact: Laura Volovski at lvolovski@sunstonetherapies.com

About the Journal   
CANCER is a peer-reviewed publication of the American Cancer Society integrating scientific information from worldwide sources for all oncologic specialties. The objective of CANCER is to provide an interdisciplinary forum for the exchange of information among oncologic disciplines concerned with the etiology, course, and treatment of human cancer. CANCER is published on behalf of the American Cancer Society by Wiley and can be accessed online. Follow CANCER on X @JournalCancer and Instagram @ACSJournalCancer, and stay up to date with the American Cancer Society Journals on LinkedIn.

About Wiley    
Wiley is one of the world’s largest publishers and a trusted leader in research and learning. Our industry-leading content, services, platforms, and knowledge networks are tailored to meet the evolving needs of our customers and partners, including researchers, students, instructors, professionals, institutions, and corporations. We empower knowledge-seekers to transform today’s biggest obstacles into tomorrow’s brightest opportunities. For more than two centuries, Wiley has been delivering on its timeless mission to unlock human potential. Visit us at Wiley.com. Follow us on Facebook, X, LinkedIn and Instagram.

Journal

Cancer

DOI

10.1002/cncr.35889

Article Title

Long-term Benefits of Single-Dose Psilocybin in Depressed Cancer Patients

Article Publication Date

16-Jun-2025

Identifying ecological thresholds for optimal ecosystem management

INRAE - National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment

Grassland area of Pleine-Fougère (France) — image:
Grassland area of Pleine-Fougères (France), research workshop on the role of agricultural activities in the management of landscape resources, biodiversity, and the dynamics of associated ecosystem services (production and biological regulation), at the scales of the agricultural holding to the local territory.
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Credit: INRAE - Christophe Maitre

Ecosystem responses to global change are often nonlinear. Ecological thresholds are tipping points beyond which small changes in environmental conditions can have disproportionate effects on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Such changes in climate—drought, rising temperatures, etc.—are caused by human activities, including land use intensification. Understanding and identifying these ecological thresholds—which require complex data—would enable us to anticipate and take action before ecosystems deteriorate.

Grasslands: One of the most diverse yet threatened ecosystems

Grasslands are rich in biodiversity and provide numerous ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration, water filtering and grazing for livestock. Yet they are one of the most threatened ecosystems as a result of the intensification of land use. Researchers from INRAE and CNRS analysed data from a network of 150 temperate grasslands across Germany, collected between 2008 and 2020. These grasslands, representative of Western Europe, are utilised by farmers at varying levels of land use intensity. To identify the ecological thresholds of these grasslands, researchers analysed a series of functional traits within the ecosystems, i.e. plant characteristics that determine how species respond to, interact with and influence their environment (e.g. leaf size, growth rate, etc.). The research team analysed functional traits to gain deeper insight into how plant species come together and coexist in grasslands. They then compared these findings with the farming practices employed throughout the region.

A key ecological threshold linked to land use intensification

The study detected ecological thresholds linked to nitrogen fertilisation, which abruptly changes the ecological balance of grasslands. The first threshold occurs when farmers begin fertilising the grasslands. Compared to unfertilised natural grasslands (based on 50 sites studied), these fertilised grasslands exhibit reduced biodiversity, yet the ecosystem remains stable and productive. However, beyond a fertilisation level of 80 kg of nitrogen per hectare per year (observed across another 50 sites), researchers detected a critical change: species lost their ability to coexist. Consequently, grasslands became dominated by fewer species with similar functional traits—such as forage grasses like ryegrass and common weeds like dandelion. The study also revealed a threshold beyond which intensifying agricultural practices no longer boosts plant biomass. Instead, it leads to increased nutrient leaching due to enhanced water infiltration and makes crops more vulnerable to climatic stresses, especially drought. Natural grasslands, on the other hand, support a wide variety of plants with varied traits, enhancing their resilience to weather fluctuations. Moreover, these grasslands provide vital ecological services, including carbon sequestration, pollinator support, and soil fertility maintenance.

Measuring functional traits in grasslands enables researchers to assess their capacity to support a high diversity of plant species and take preventive action at the first signs of declining ecosystem services. Additionally, by identifying ecological thresholds in grasslands—where fertilisation exceeds 80 kg of nitrogen per hectare per year—agricultural practices can be adjusted to better balance productivity, biodiversity, and ecological resilience in grasslands. The approach proposed in this study could also be applied to other environmental challenges—such as lake eutrophication, fisheries and forest management, or desertification—to help prevent critical ecosystem shifts and enable timely intervention before they start to deteriorate.

Further research is underway to better understand these ecological thresholds and assess whether the degradation of affected ecosystems can be at least partially reversed.

Journal

Nature Ecology & Evolution

DOI

10.1038/s41559-025-02729-0

Article Title

Thresholds of functional trait diversity driven by land use intensification

Article Publication Date

17-Jun-2025

Critical gaps in ethical publishing knowledge among researchers in China, reveals new survey

Joint study by Taylor & Francis and National Science Library of the Chinese Academy of Sciences is published in the Journal of Data and Information Science

Taylor & Francis Group

A new survey has revealed a widespread lack of clarity among researchers in China regarding ethical publishing practices, particularly when third-party manuscript services are involved. Analyzing the results of the survey, the authors of a study published in the Journal of Data and Information Science highlight the urgent need for all researchers to receive comprehensive and fit-for-purpose ethics education.

Conducted as part of a pioneering collaboration between international publisher Taylor & Francis and the National Science Library at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the survey of 1,777 students, researchers and librarians, demonstrates high levels of uncertainty about research and publishing ethics.

Understanding the responsibilities that come with article authorship is an area of confusion for 35.9% of survey respondents, with masters students reporting the highest levels of confusion. In addition, a notable proportion report having engaged in practices that constitute ‘gift authorship’; that is adding an author to a paper, or agreeing to be named as an author, when proper authorship criteria are not met.

The study also explores researchers’ perceptions of the services offered by third parties to support publication in international journals. While 31% of respondents report using third-party services, there is limited ability to recognize some of the unethical options offered. Most respondents correctly recognized services such as language editing, translation and formatting to be acceptable. However, a concerning number of respondents also consider activities typically carried out by paper mills, such as writing parts of a paper or adding authors and citations of the agent’s own choosing, to be acceptable.

The authors of the study conclude that there needs to be timely, accessible, fit-for-purpose training in research integrity and publishing ethics for researchers at all levels. This should include undergraduates and those at institutions who are responsible for upholding overall integrity standards. Core topics such as authorship responsibilities and working with ethical third-party manuscript services must be included in mandatory training. Only 55.4% of the survey respondents said they currently had any access to training, and an even smaller proportion to formal training.

The quality of current training is also called into question by the report. While researchers with formal training display more awareness and concern about ethical issues, many are still unable to confidently identify questionable practices, particularly around authorship.

The survey was developed by the Joint Lab on Research Integrity, a project supported by Taylor & Francis and the National Science Library at CAS. Established in December 2023, the Lab aims to better understand and address research ethics challenges in China by combining publisher expertise with direct research institution experience and insights.

Dr Sabina Alam, Director of Publishing Ethics & Integrity at Taylor & Francis, said: “The findings of our survey highlight the urgent need for training for students and researchers at all levels in China, a finding which we believe to be applicable to many students and researchers across the world. Until then, the knowledge gaps we’ve discovered leave researchers vulnerable to exploitation by unethical organizations, such as paper mills, and many may unknowingly engage in misconduct.”

“It is no wonder that 80% of those who responded to our survey are currently concerned about the impact of research integrity issues on the trustworthiness of research publications,” Alam added. “Partnerships between publishers and research institutions will be key to tackling global research integrity challenges, including the development and implementation of comprehensive training in research integrity and publishing ethics. A key motivation for establishing our collaboration with the National Science Library at CAS was to explore critical issues and we believe these results from our Joint Lab show the benefits of working together in this way.”

Dr Zhesi Shen, Deputy Director of the Department for Scientometrics and Research Evaluation at the National Science Library, CAS, said: “Research institutions and libraries play a vital role in educating the next generation of researchers about academic integrity standards and their implementation. Through close collaboration with publishers, these organizations can leverage their complementary strengths to develop and deliver systematic training programs tailored to local needs, while collectively addressing global research integrity challenges”

Research article: ‘Perceptions and recommendations about research integrity and publishing ethics: a survey among Chinese researchers on training, challenges and responsibilities’ by Sabina Alam, Victoria Babbit, Jason Hu, Ying Lou, Zhesi Shen, Laura Wilson and Zhengyi Zhou. Journal of Data and Information Science

Journal

Journal of Data and Information Science

DOI

10.2478/jdis-2025-0031

Method of Research

Survey

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Perceptions and recommendations about research integrity and publishing ethics: A survey among Chinese researchers on training, challenges and responsibilities

Article Publication Date

16-Jun-2025

COI Statement

Zhesi Shen is vice-editor of Journal of Data and Information Science. He is not involved in the handling or editorial decision-making of this paper.

Poll finds public turning to AI bots for news updates

By AFP
June 17, 2025

The yearly survey from the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism found 'for the first time' that significant numbers of people were using chatbots to get headlines and updates - Copyright GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP SPENCER PLATT
Paul RICARD

People are increasingly turning to generative artificial intelligence chatbots like ChatGPT to follow day-to-day news, a respected media report published Tuesday found.

The yearly survey from the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism found “for the first time” that significant numbers of people were using chatbots to get headlines and updates, director Mitali Mukherjee wrote.

Attached to Britain’s Oxford University, the Reuters Institute annual report is seen as unmissable for people following the evolution of media.

Just seven percent of people report using AI to find news, according to the poll of 97,000 people in 48 countries, carried out by YouGov.

But the proportion is higher among the young, at 12 percent of under-35s and 15 percent of under-25s.

The biggest-name chatbot — OpenAI’s ChatGPT — is the most widely used, followed by Google’s Gemini and Meta’s Llama.

Respondents appreciated relevant, personalised news from chatbots.

Many more used AI to summarise (27 percent), translate (24 percent) or recommend (21 percent) articles, while almost one in five asked questions about current events.

Distrust remains, with those polled on balance saying AI risked making the news less transparent, less accurate and less trustworthy.

Rather than being programmed, today’s powerful AI “large language models” (LLMs) are “trained” on vast quantities of data from the web and other sources — including news media like text articles or video reports.

Once trained, they are able to generate text and images in response to users’ natural-language queries.

But they present problems including “hallucinations” — the term used when AI invents information that fits patterns in their training data but is not true.

Scenting a chance at revenue in a long-squeezed market, some news organisations have struck deals to share their content with developers of AI models.

Agence France-Presse (AFP) allows the platform of French AI firm Mistral to access its archive of news stories going back decades.

Other media have launched copyright cases against AI makers over alleged illegal use of their content, for example the New York Times against ChatGPT developer OpenAI.

– News still a draw for X –

The Reuters Institute report also pointed to traditional media — TV, radio, newspapers and news sites — losing ground to social networks and video-sharing platforms.

Almost half of 18-24-year-olds report that social media like TikTok is their main source of news, especially in emerging countries like India, Brazil, Indonesia and Thailand.

The institute found that many are still using Elon Musk-owned social media platform X for news, despite a rightward shift since the world’s richest man took it over.

“Many more right-leaning people, notably young men, have flocked to the network, while some progressive audiences have left or are using it less frequently,” the authors wrote.

Some 23 percent of people in the United States reported using X for news, up eight percent on 2024’s survey, with usage also rising in countries like Australia and Poland.

By contrast, “rival networks like Threads, Bluesky and Mastodon are making little impact globally, with reach of two percent or less for news”, the Reuters Institute found.