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New study shows cognitive benefits of doll play in children: Frontiers in Human Neuroscience By Amarilis Whitty | Mattel Inc. The study by neuroscientists from Cardiff University provides first neuroimaging evidence of brain activations during natural play with dolls made possible by using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) technologyEvidence shows that doll play activates brain regions which are associated with social information processing and empathy, indicating that doll play enables children to rehearse, use and perform these skills even when playing on their ownOther findings show that doll play allows children to develop empathy and social processing skills more so than solo tablet play, even when playing by themselves...

News, views and info on Open Science & scholarly publishing from the past week Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)MoreClick to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)...

New specialty section on Organic Chemistry to be led by Chief Editor, Pr. Iwao Ojima who stresses the importance of a multidisciplinary outlook for his field. New specialty section on Organic Chemistry to be headed by Chief Editor, Professor Iwao Ojima who stresses the importance of a multidisciplinary outlook for the future of his field. We are proud and delighted to announce the launch of the new specialty section on Organic Chemistry, within Frontiers in Chemistry....

Professors Laurence Chalip and Tracy Taylor lead new specialty on Sports Management and Marketing in Frontiers in Sports and Active Living Sports Management and Marketing, a new specialty in Frontiers in Sports and Active Living is being led by Professor Laurence Chalip and Professor Tracy Taylor. Led by Chief Editors Professor Laurence Chalip (George Mason University, United States) and Professor Tracy Taylor (University of Technology Sydney, Australia), this specialty will publish high-quality research on contemporary sport management and marketing issues, focusing specifically on expanding the breadth of discourse about the industry....

By Martina Haller, Frontiers “Tinnitus is the perception of a sound when no external sound is present. The severity of tinnitus varies but it can be debilitating for many patients. With more than 100 million people with chronic tinnitus worldwide, tinnitus is a disorder of high prevalence. The increased knowledge in the neuroscience of tinnitus has led to the emergence of promising treatment approaches, but no uniformly effective treatment for tinnitus has been identified....

A system developed by David Dalmazzo and Rafael Ramírez, members of the Music Technology Group, allows violin students to benefit from real-time accurate information about their movements when playing the instrument; Frontiers in Psychology A system developed by David Dalmazzo and Rafael Ramírez, members of the Music Technology Group, allows violin students to benefit from real-time accurate information about their movements when playing the instrument — by Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona...

Community Guidelines for comments and content The Frontiers blog is a place for researchers, media, industry and the general public to discuss science and scholarly issues in a respectful and intelligent way. Please keep your posts on topic and constructive. Above all, respect others and their opinions. All comments, blog posts and other content will be reviewed by Frontiers’ blog editorial team. Content that defames or attacks others will be removed....

New study on the impostor phenomenon in the workplace shows how it affects career prospects and productivity — By Simon Watt, Science Writer — Have you ever felt that you are not good enough and that someday soon someone will see through your façade of competence and expose you a fraud in your job? If so, you are not alone. This sensation of being a fake in the workplace, somehow in a position beyond one’s true capabilities is known as “the impostor phenomenon”....

Scientists have studied antibiotic resistance emergence and dissemination in the Chobe River, northern Botswana’s only permanent surface water resource; Frontiers in Microbiology Scientists studied antibiotic resistance emergence and dissemination in the Chobe River, northern Botswana’s only permanent surface water resource — by Virginia Tech Greater access to antibiotic drugs, together with their misuse and overuse, has accelerated the emergence of antibiotic resistant bacteria worldwide. A new study now suggests that surface water dynamics are a crucial contributor to this growing global health concern....

When and why did human brains decrease in size 3,000 years ago? New study in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution may have found clues within ants By Suzanna Burgelman, Frontiers science writer The brain is the most complex organ in the human body. Now, a new study has brought us closer to understanding some of its evolution. It shows that human brains decreased in size approximately 3,000 years ago. By studying ants as models to illustrate why brains may increase or decrease in size, the researchers hypothesize that brain shrinkage parallels the expansion of collective intelligence in human societies....

Replication crisis in science highlighted by low acceptance rate of replication studies in psychology journals. Replication crisis in science highlighted by low acceptance rate of replication studies in psychology journals. Researchers find that only 3% of the psychology journals explicitly state they accept these non-novel studies for submission. — By Conn Hastings Researchers in London have investigated 1151 psychology journals and found that just 3% state that they welcome scientists to submit replication studies for publication....

As energy drink consumption continues to grow worldwide, there is a need to examine their advertised benefits, nutritional content and negative effects: Frontiers in Public Health — By Tania Fitzgeorge-Balfour A review of current scientific knowledge on energy drinks finds their advertised short-term benefits can be outweighed by serious health risks — which include risk-seeking behavior, mental health problems, increased blood pressure, obesity and kidney damage. The study, published in Frontiers in Public Health, also highlights the worrying trend of mixing energy drinks with alcohol....

By Abigail Pattenden, Frontiers Science Writer A new discovery could help people suffering with single-sided deafness (SSD) find a treatment quicker – and could potentially lead to a cure. SSD affects around 9,000 people per year in the UK, and around 60,000 per year in the US. It can be caused by a number of things – from viral infections to brain tumours – and is currently incurable and difficult to treat....

Gut bacteria from old mice induce age-related chronic inflammation in young mice, finds a study in Frontiers in Immunology A new study suggests that chronic inflammation in the elderly — thought to be involved in many age-related diseases — is due to imbalances in gut bacteria Scientists in the Netherlands have shed new light on how an imbalance of the gut microbiome may be the cause of so-called “inflammaging” in the elderly....

The latest Frontiers in Pharmacology section promotes cutting-edge discoveries contributing to the goal of eliminating renal dialyses and deaths from kidney diseases. Professor Giuseppe Remuzzi, Chief Editor of the new Renal Pharmacology section of Frontiers in Pharmacology, is at the forefront of developing treatments to treat and prevent chronic kidney diseases. — By Alessandra Conte and Rossella Rebecchi Frontiers in Pharmacology welcomes Professor Giuseppe Remuzzi — the most-cited clinical researcher in Italy and one of the world’s most influential clinicians — as Specialty Chief Editor of the new Renal Pharmacology section....

(Lausanne, Switzerland) – There has been a series of media reports concerning the recent retraction of the paper Recursive Fury: Conspiracist ideation in the blogosphere in response to research on conspiracist ideation, originally published on 18 March 2013 in Frontiers in Psychology. Until now, our policy has been to handle this matter with discretion out of consideration for all those concerned. But given the extent of the media coverage – largely based on misunderstanding – Frontiers would now like to better clarify the context behind the retraction....

Recipients of the vaccine develop characteristics of spontaneous ‘post-treatment controllers’, whose immune system can control the reactivation of HIV after discontinuing therapy; Frontiers in Immunology Recipients of the vaccine develop characteristics of spontaneous ‘post-treatment controllers’, whose immune system can control the reactivation of HIV after discontinuing therapy — by the Italian National Institute of Health A new study published in Frontiers in Immunology suggests that HIV infection could be controlled without the need for continuous lifelong antiretroviral medication....

We talk to fellow Fronton Carolina Garcia, who is a journal specialist in the Publishing Development department, about her volunteering work with Be Enriched, an organization that ‘uses food to bring joy and connection to the socially excluded, develop skills in young people, build communities and grow future generations’. Author: Anastasia Long Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, volunteers have been at the forefront of community and societal responses. This week, we talk to fellow Fronton Carolina Garcia, who is a journal specialist in the Publishing Development department, about her volunteering work with Be Enriched, an organization that ‘uses food to bring joy and connection to the socially excluded, develop skills in young people, build communities and grow future generations’....

Frontiers in Marine Science is launching a new section on Physical Oceanography. Join the largest and most comprehensive open-access journal for the marine community Frontiers in Marine Science. Join our new section on Physical Oceanography as a: Specialty Chief Editor Associate Editor Review Editor We are also looking for new Specialty Chief Editors for our existing sections on: Marine Systematics and Taxomony Ocean Engineering, Technology and Solutions for the Blue Economy Specialty Chief Editor applications will be reviewed by the Field Chief Editor of the journal....

In celebration of World Water Day, Frontiers in Water officially launches under the leadership of Professor Praveen Kumar — By Tim Gardner In commemoration of World Water Day, Frontiers in Water officially launches with five sections examining urgent issues affecting water and its supply. Led by Professor Praveen Kumar, University of Illinois, Frontiers in Water will address Sustainable Development Goal 6 to “ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all”....