Springer

What is life? 'In Search of Life: A Mathematico-Philosophical Journey', an #OpenAccess monograph, proposes a mathematical framework for studying the phenomenon of life, suggesting the answer may lie in a recent development in pure mathematics—hyperset theory. bit.ly/4cBX9cJ #PhilSci #BookSky

For 180 years, Springer has powered global discovery through 2,700 journals and 220,000 books. Give your research the trusted home it deserves. From breakthrough studies to special issues, explore how our community is bringing knowledge to life: bit.ly/4b6jext. #ResearchPublishing #AcademicSky

Digital Collection Sale

💙📚 Digital Collection Sale is here now. Order selected SpringerNature #eBooks for £/$/€12.99. Hurry, the sale is valid until March 28! bit.ly/4rPLDz2 #DigitalCollectionSale

Visualizing application of RUBY-MAT system in maize genetic transformation and gene expression pattern detection - Plant Cell Reports Key message RUBY-MAT system, integrating the RUBY reporter and MAT module, was innovatively applied to Agrobacterium-mediated maize transformation, and precise spatiotemporal gene expression analysis. Abstract Maize genetic improvement relies on efficient genetic transformation and gene expression monitoring technologies. In this study, we provided RUBY-MAT system with RUBY reporter and MAT (morphogene-assisted transformation), and realized its visual application in Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation of maize immature embryos and gene expression patterns. Experimental results demonstrated that RUBY-MAT system can be successfully applied in Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation of maize immature embryos, and RUBY reporter enables non-invasive monitoring of positive transformation events, as early as 7 days after culture, through the clearly distinguishable betalain of positive callus. Dynamic expression monitoring further revealed that RUBY reporter can reflect the spatiotemporal expression patterns of specific promoters in real time: in constitutively expressed RUBY plants, high activity was observed in tissues including tassels, anthers, and stem nodes; in ZmH1A promoter-driven RUBY lines, betalain accumulation clearly indicated gene expression in vascular bundles and stomatal guard cells; while in lines harboring the putative young leaf-specific ZmGLP1 promoter, betalain specifically accumulated in young leaves. Quantitative analysis confirmed a strong linear correlation between betalain absorbance and promoter activity, establishing the RUBY reporter as a reliable quantitative tool for monitoring transformation efficiency and gene expression at tissue and cellular levels. Collectively, the RUBY-MAT system offers robust technical support for maize genetic transformation and functional gene analysis, demonstrating broad application potential in both field and laboratory studies.

This study from 'Plant Cell Reports' provides an innovative tool for maize molecular breeding and establishes a foundation for extending the application of RUBY-based reporter systems to other monocot crops.
bit.ly/4aQ494j #PlantScience #CropEngineering #Biotech

Springer Nature presents World Obesity Day with "Metabologia."

On #WorldObesityDay, explore 'Metabologia'—our newly launched journal advancing metabolic health. Its first editorial examines the future of #obesity research and invites the community to rethink how we address global metabolic challenges. bit.ly/46yWEMH #EndoSky

Why do women live longer than men, but spend more time in poor health? A decomposition analysis of the gender gap in unhealthy life years across Europe - European Journal of Epidemiology This study tests the “longevity hypothesis,” which posits that women’s greater number of years spent in poor health is primarily a direct consequence of their longer survival. We analyse gender differences in unhealthy life years (ULY) at age 50 across 22 European countries in 2015–2017. ULY was estimated using three approaches—the Sullivan method, the cross-sectional average length of healthy life, and multistate life tables—applied to four health indicators of varying severity: chronic diseases, functional limitations, self-rated health, and disability. Data were drawn from the Human Mortality Database and the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe. We decomposed the gender gap in ULY into a “mortality effect” (ME), reflecting differences in life years lived, and a “health effect” (HE), reflecting differences in morbidity prevalence. Women at age 50 lived more unhealthy years than men across almost all health indicators and countries. In most cases, more than half of the gender gap in ULY was attributable to the ME, indicating that women’s longer survival primarily explains their greater number of years spent in poor health. The HE showed greater variation across indicators and countries. Results were most consistent for chronic diseases and self-rated health, while functional limitations and disability yielded smaller and less consistent differences. Findings support the longevity hypothesis: women’s higher life expectancy is the main driver of their longer lifetime spent in poor health. The variation across health dimensions highlights the importance of distinguishing between them when studying gender inequalities in health.

😷💉 Why do women live longer than men, but spend more time in poor health? This study tests the “longevity hypothesis,” which posits that women’s greater number of years spent in poor health is primarily a direct consequence of their longer survival. bit.ly/3OQF7cD @vdilego.bsky.social

Springer Nature hosts 'Advanced Metamaterials' virtual journal launch ceremony, Wednesday, 11 March, 12:00 PM / 4:00 PM (CET-1). Pictured are Prof. Chris Geddes, Joshua Bayliss, and Christian Kohl.

Join us on 11 March for a virtual presentation of the 'Advanced Metamaterials journal'. Learn about how to submit and how to benefit from publishing #OpenAccess via a waiver code.

⚛️ Register here:
🕛 12:00 (CET-1): bit.ly/4l3HlBp
🕓 16:00 (CET-1): bit.ly/405xUb5

#ResearchPublishing

Meet the Publishers and Editors of Humanities and Social Sciences webinar

💙📚 Want to publish in Humanities and Social Sciences? Attend the Meet the Editors webinar on March 5 to hear from senior publishers and editors about publishing trends, priorities, open access, and society partnerships. Sign up today! bit.ly/46qOOVh #ResearchPublishing

The image reads, "THE STORY OF SPRINGER'S FIRST OPEN ACCESS BOOK," written by Christina Emery, Head of Thought Leadership Programmes, with the Springer Nature logo. A hand with red nail polish is using a tablet against a blurred background of books.

Did you know that it has been 15 years since @springer.springernature.com published it’s first OA book? To commemorate this landmark, we feature the story of our first open access book and the benefits of publishing open access: spklr.io/63322DhnNr

#AcademicPublishing #OpenAccess

Night shift work, dietary patterns, and coronary heart disease - European Journal of Epidemiology Shift workers exhibit a higher incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD) than daytime workers. We examined whether this difference in CHD incidence between shift workers and daytime workers is associated with two dietary factors linked to lower CHD risk—daily fiber intake and meat avoidance—using UK Biobank data. The study included 222,801 participants (53.8% women; mean age 52.6 years), categorized as daytime workers, shift workers with no or occasional night shifts, or regular night shift workers. Dietary habits were assessed via touchscreen dietary questionnaires. During a median follow-up of 12.6 years, 12,265 fatal and non-fatal CHD events occurred. Compared with daytime workers, regular night shift work—but not shift work with no or occasional night shifts—was associated with higher CHD incidence (hazard ratio [HR] 1.10, 95% CI 1.01–1.20). HRs for CHD were higher (vs. daytime work) in both shift work groups among participants with lower daily fiber intake, whereas they were attenuated among those with higher fiber intake (p < 0.05 for interaction). Meat avoidance was associated with a 10.4% lower CHD HR compared with meat consumption (p = 0.020), although no significant interaction with work schedule was observed. In summary, while our finding that meat avoidance is associated with modestly lower CHD HR across work schedules aligns with established cardiovascular recommendations, our observation that higher fiber intake may reduce CHD differences specifically linked to night shift work highlights an additional, shift-specific dietary consideration that could complement the American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8.

😷💉🛟 This #OpenAccess study from 'European Journal of Epidemiology' finds that a higher dietary fibre intake was associated with lower coronary artery disease risk among night shift workers. bit.ly/46vPwAD @christianbenedict.bsky.social 🍎📃

Advances in Continuous and Discrete Models

🎉 Congratulations to Prof. Hung Vinh Tran and Dr. Jiwoong Jang on receiving the 2025 Best Paper Award from Advances in Continuous and Discrete Models! 🧮 Explore their award-winning research: bit.ly/47cZzdY. #ResearchPublishing

💙📚 'Handbook of Beauty and Inequality' offers a state-of-the-art overview of theoretical perspectives, empirical insights, and scholarly debates into the relationship between beauty and inequality. bit.ly/3OHlmUP #Sociology @giselinde.bsky.social @outisarpila.bsky.social

Diabetes Ancient and Modern

Discover the history behind #diabetes research with 'Diabetes Ancient and Modern'—charting every medical milestone in the understanding of diabetes, exploring and examining literature from the first recognition of symptoms in ancient civilizations. bit.ly/4sdVMW4 #EndoSky #BookSky

Studies in East European Thought

🔍 Behind the Paper: 'The Story Behind a Famous Quote on the “Harmfulness” of Philosophy in 1850s Russia.' 🗃️ This story revisits censorship, intellectual life, and debate in Imperial Russia. Read more here: bit.ly/3OySDl8. #PhilSky

Psychopharmacologys

In Psychopharmacology, a “two-hit” model shows that prenatal infection combined with adolescent alcohol exposure increases alcohol-seeking behavior in adulthood—particularly in males. Prenatal antioxidant treatment suppressed this effect. bit.ly/46VcTni #PsycSci #ResearchPublishing

William Dawes Scientist, Governor, Abolitionist: Caught Between Science and Religion

🗃️ Check out William Dawes and his place as ‘jack of all trades’ in the early colony of New South Wales! This book describes William Dawes’ life and professional achievements. Read more here: bit.ly/4c83rjX. #BookSky

Environmental Earth Sciences

🌏🦋 This article from 'Environmental Earth Sciences' analyses climate variability in the Tagus River headwaters and evaluates how these changes, together with the Tagus-Segura Water Transfer, affect streamflow and water quality in the middle Tagus. bit.ly/4aBmyle #Hydrology

Methods of Organic Synthesis

💙📚 A practical guide to understanding and designing #OrganicSyntheses—'Methods of Organic Synthesis'—covers the most important modern and classic synthetic methods/named reactions and illustrates which substrates they can be most efficiently applied to. bit.ly/4tXTlZA #ChemSky

Decarbonising homes and the in-between: Intersections of visible and latent climate-wise housing and mobility - Ambio Effective decarbonisation must be socially equitable and attentive to the capacities of households to adopt and apply new social practices at home and in mobility spaces in-between. Understanding attitudinal landscapes and the dynamics of social recognition and interaction surrounding decarbonisation helps advance technical solutions and reduce consumption. This paper approaches decarbonisation as a “social dramaturgy” of climate-friendly practices and conceptualises the modalities and performances of climate action in public and private spaces, following Erving Goffman’s notions of “front- and backstages”. Analysing a geocoded Finnish survey from 2022 (n = 1446), we compare visible technological solutions with more latent, self-reported energy- and resource-saving practices. By examining how attitudes toward climate change shape beliefs in various solutions, we find that backstage decarbonisation practices align more with climate change concerns, while frontstage practices diffuse more easily. This novel sociospatial approach contributes to debates on the legitimacy of climate action and efforts to curb segregation concurrently.

A study in 'Ambio' shows that decarbonisation depends on both visible technological solutions and less visible everyday energy-saving practices, with hidden “backstage” actions aligning more strongly with climate concern. bit.ly/4kNAfAY @jonivainikka.bsky.social #EnvSci #ClimateChange

SPRINGER NATURE's Essential Reading Sale: "Plant Anatomy" by Richard Crang, Sheila Lyons-Sobaski, and Robert Wise. It is "20% off".

💙📚🪴 Featured in our #EssentialReadingSale: 'Plant Anatomy: A Concept-Based Approach to the Structure of Seed Plants'—provides students with a comprehensive, up-to-date text on plant anatomy. 🔗 Book: bit.ly/4qP9de0 | Sale: bit.ly/3MpyZrf #PlantScience

Biodiversity and Conservation

🌍 Farmland birds and butterflies show different long-term trends, meaning agricultural biodiversity cannot be judged from a single indicator—multiple taxa are essential, finds an #OpenAccess study in 'Biodiversity and Conservation.' bit.ly/4csyVSb #Biodiversity #FarmSky

Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology

Salt-loving bacteria, bioplastics, and a surprisingly promising genome. Halovibrio sp. HP20-59 as a potential PHB producer—could extremophiles be the key to scalable bioplastics? 🌊🦠 'Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology': bit.ly/4kIBqBG. #OpenAccess #Biotechnology

Law and Philosophy An International Journal for Jurisprudence and Legal Philosophy

'Law and Philosophy' is a forum for the publication of work in law and philosophy which is of common interest to members of the two disciplines of jurisprudence and legal philosophy. bit.ly/4rogmTv #LawSky #PhilSc

🧬🧶 How do scientists recreate life at the molecular scale? 'Computer Simulations in Molecular Biology' reveals how powerful computer models simulate atoms, molecules, and complex biological systems—showing where computation meets chemistry and biology. bit.ly/40iVGAm #BookSky

Variations in Repeated Measures of Cognitive Load and Interest During Complex Learning Tasks - Educational Psychology Review Systematic analyses of repeated measures of cognitive load during realistic, complex learning tasks are still lacking. Previous findings are based on simulations and the use of a set of multiple short problem-solving tasks. For the present study, lower secondary level pupils (N = 360) worked on three worked examples on the topic of acids in their chemistry lessons. Cognitive load (invested mental effort and perceived task difficulty), interest, and self-assessed understanding were measured at seven points during the completion of each example. The study examines differences between repeated measures of cognitive load and interest and the relationship between the variables. The results show that the values of the repeated measures differ significantly and are poorly represented by the mean value across the measurement points. In addition, the pairwise relationship between the variables (invested effort, perceived task difficulty, interest, and self-assessed understanding) is not constant at different measurement points. Further analyses also show that different intervention conditions during the learning phase and prior knowledge are additional influencing factors.

An #OpenAccess study in 'Educational Psychology Review' finds cognitive load and interest shift throughout complex learning tasks—showing repeated measures offer richer insight into how students learn. @mrost.bsky.social bit.ly/4rQMdvS #PsychSciSky #EduSky

Social Justice/Criminal Justice

⚖ On 'World Day of Social Justice', we’re highlighting @springernature.com books that explore inequality, justice, policy, and social change across the globe, starting with ‘Social Justice/Criminal Justice’ by William C. Heffernan: bit.ly/3OT3LJy. #WorldDayOfSocialJustice #LawSky

The Story Behind a Famous Quote on the “Harmfulness” of Philosophy in 1850s Russia

🔍 Behind the Paper: 'The Story Behind a Famous Quote on the “Harmfulness” of Philosophy in 1850s Russia.' 🗃️ This story revisits censorship, intellectual life, and debate in Imperial Russia.🔗 Read more here: bit.ly/4qK0AkX. @springer.springernature.com #PhilSky

zwei Hände schreiben auf einem Laptop und es gibt viele mathematische Zeichen, Stichwort Cybersecurity

Sie möchten Ihr Wissen über Elektrotechnik in Buchform veröffentlichen? Wir suchen fundierte, praxisnahe Konzepte aus Forschung und Anwendung. Reichen Sie Ihr Projekt ein und gestalten Sie die Fachliteratur der Elektrotechnik! Kontaktieren Sie uns hier: bit.ly/4kM8Bo0. #Engineering #EduSky

Urban Ecosystems

🌍 Study in 'Urban Ecosystems': Urban Lasius niger ants more readily accept low-concentration sucrose solutions than rural ants—suggesting possible carbohydrate stress and stronger motivation to exploit available food in city environments. bit.ly/4qG7GXp @tomerczaczkes.bsky.social #Entomology

Synthetic genomics (SynGen) has emerged as a new game-changing platform for future crop improvement by allowing the design and construction of designer-made plant genomes for sustainable agriculture. This chapter first discussed the conceptual and technological foundations of SynGen for future genome design. We investigated how SynGen is being applied to improve yield, stress tolerance, nutritional profile, metabolic pathway engineering, plant–microbe interactions, and to design minimal or fully synthetic plant genomes. Integration with multi-omics, biofoundries, and gene drives further expands its capability to fast-track future crop design. Nevertheless, widespread application encounters major technical, ethical, and regulatory challenges, along with some bottlenecks and implications of redesigned crops, which demand transparent governance and inclusive public dialogue. To address these issues, we propose that innovations in synthetic biology and public–private collaborations could assist in the design of future climate-smart, high-performance crops. In short, SynGen could serve as a game-changing approach that can help achieve global food security in the face of changing climate.

Happy to share our🆕 book chapter "Advances in #SyntheticGenomics🧬🧪✂️(SynGen) for Crop Improvement and Beyond🌾", published by @springernature.com 🤩🎉

🔗 link.springer.com/chapter/10.1...

✔️SynGen enables custom plant #genomes🧬 for #climate-resilient, sustainable #agriculture🪴🥗

@scinews.bsky.social