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Miniature instruments and new techniques described in Frontiers in Microbiology can detect and analyze microbes in extreme environments resembling those on Mars Miniature instruments and new techniques can detect and analyze microorganisms in extreme environments resembling those on Mars — By Freya Wilson Researchers demonstrate for the first time the potential of existing technology to directly detect and characterize life on Mars and other planets. The study, published in Frontiers in Microbiology, used miniaturized scientific instruments and new microbiology techniques to identify and examine microorganisms in the Canadian high Arctic — one of the closest analogs to Mars on Earth....

Open Access is becoming the accepted standard for sharing research results. The next step is using machines to improve data analysis and publishing systems. Universal and open access to the scientific literature is well on the way to becoming the accepted standard by which the results of research are shared. The next step is to bring in the machines — to help scientists analyse data more quickly and efficiently, and further empower authors, editors and reviewers in the publishing process....

In 2019, Frontiers signed a three year national open access agreement in the UK with JISC Collections. Thanks to this landmark deal, UK universities now benefit from a simplified and streamlined route to open access publishing for researchers in the UK. As we approach the second anniversary of the agreement, we are pleased to announce an overwhelmingly positive response from UK universities. More than half of all UK articles published by Frontiers come from the growing number of universities participating in this agreement (see list below)....

By K.E.D. Coan, science writer Only a few microbes inhabit Earth’s most extreme environments, but they have varied adaptations to do so, reports a new study. Hydrothermal hot springs such as at the Poás volcano in Costa Rica provide an opportunity not only to explore life on Earth, but also to understand how life might have evolved on Mars. A few specialist microbes survive conditions analogous to those of Mars’ early history, reports a new publication in Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences — and this may be thanks to a broad range of adaptations....

The open-access publisher Frontiers has acquired the journal Oncology Reviews from PAGEPress. The acquisition marks a significant milestone for Frontiers. It is the first journal the publisher has acquired since it was founded in 2007. Oncology Reviews is also Frontiers’ first proprietary Reviews journal, aiming to publish highly impactful reviews, thought-provoking editorials and opinion pieces. Dr. Frederick Fenter, chief executive editor of Frontiers, said: “Our successful experience with supporting the journals of learned societies on our open-science platform has now made it possible to pursue our mission via the strategic acquisition of existing journals....

ANNOUNCEMENT: University of Manchester now holds a Central Invoicing agreement with Frontiers. For information on how to submit or to see if you qualify for funding, please visit their Open Access page at http://bit.ly/1ar09Wh The University of Manchester supports its researchers in making their research as openly available as possible. As part of this support, the University of Manchester has entered an institutional agreement with Frontiers. Under the terms of this agreement, eligible authors from the University of Manchester may publish in any Frontiers journal at no cost to them and with a simplified process....

The evidence-based development of policies for regulatory authorities, these days known as Regulatory Science, is emerging as a critical component for advancement of medical research and practice. Frontiers in Medicine is proud to be part of the progress with our new section on Regulatory Science, led by the Specialty Chief Editor Dr. Beatriz Lima (iMED.Ulisboa, University of Lisbon). Medical research and practice have greatly benefited from the rapid developments in science and technology....

It is with great pleasure that we announce the appointment of the new Field Chief Editor for Frontiers in Neurology, Dr. Irene Litvan. She is the Director of the Parkinson & Other Movement Disorders Center at the University of California, San Diego, the Director of the National Parkinson Foundation Center of Excellence at the University of California, San Diego and the Tasch Endowed Professor in Parkinson Disease Research. During her career, Dr....

A Stanford-led study suggests ecosystem investments to minimize storm damage; Frontiers in Marine Science A Stanford-led study suggests ecosystem investments to minimize storm damage — by Stanford University As new hurricanes gain strength in the Atlantic, residents of the Bahamas have barely begun recovering from destroyed villages and flooded streets brought by Hurricane Dorian’s battering this month. The losses were grim validation of a new Stanford-led study on coastal risk throughout the country....

A prospective pilot trial for pallidal deep brain stimulation in Huntington´s disease Lars Wojtecki*, Stefan J. Groiss, Stefano Ferrea, Saskia Elben, Christian J. Hartmann, Stephen B. Dunnett, Anne Rosser, Carsten Saft, Martin Südmeyer, Christian Ohmann, Alfons Schnitzler and Jan Vesper for the Surgical Approaches Working Group of the European Huntington’s Disease Network (EHDN) Effects of transcranial direct current stimulation on the recognition of bodily emotions from point-light displays Sharona Vonck, Stephan Patrick Swinnen, Nicole Wenderoth and Kaat Alaerts*...

New method could save hundreds of thousands of horseshoe crabs per year and enable life-saving clinical uses for humans: Frontiers in Marine Science — by Mischa Dykstra, Frontiers Science Writer Horseshoe crabs are remarkable animals, beautiful in their weirdness. These “living fossils” evolved 450 million years ago and have lived through at least five mass extinctions fatal to the majority of multicellular lifeforms on Earth. Sea-dwelling relatives of spiders, horseshoe crabs can lay millions of eggs, have four pairs of eyes, and (importantly to us) have blue blood containing amoeba-like immune cells....

With the latest release of the 2016 Journal Citation Reports (JCR) by Clarivate Analytics (f.k.a. Thomson Reuters), 24 Frontiers journals now have Impact Factors, up from 19 last year. Latest update based on the 2016 Journal Citation Reports (JCR), released in 2017 by Clarivate Analytics (f.k.a. Thomson Reurters). Read the full 2016-JCR analysis here. June 15, 2017: With the latest release of the 2016 Journal Citation Reports (JCR) by Clarivate Analytics (f....

Local weather conditions could serve as an early warning system for dengue fever outbreaks, suggests a study in Frontiers in Microbiology New research suggests that local weather conditions could serve as an early warning system for dengue fever outbreaks — By Conn Hastings Dengue virus grows and spreads in mosquitoes faster at higher temperatures, but slows when temperatures are lower or fluctuate, suggesting that local weather conditions could have a big influence on dengue fever outbreaks....

The Role of Environmental Factors on Sleep Patterns and School Performance in Adolescents Dagmara Dimitriou*, Frances Le Cornu Knight* and Patrick Milton Giving Good Directions: Order of Mention Reflects Visual Salience Alasdair D. F. Clarke*, Micha Elsner and Hannah Rohde Odor Perception in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Its Relationship to Food Neophobia Anne-Claude Luisier, Genevieve Petitpierre, Camille Ferdenzi, Annick Clerc-Berod, Agnes Giboreau, Catherine Rouby and Moustafa Bensafi* The Moral Self-Image Scale: Measuring and Understanding the Malleability of the Moral Self Jennifer Jordan*, Marijke C....

“I asked kids why they thought peer review would be important. They said: ‘because someone can lie, because they want to be famous.’” When you launch an article Collection on ‘Everything you and your teachers need to know about the learning brain’, you cannot simply stay behind your desk: you have to go to the ‘field’, the classroom! One of our Collection Editors, Nienke van Atteveldt, therefore shares her experiences of embarking on the mission of teaching kids the valuable lessons of critical thinking and recognizing scientific information....

Chronic and hidden hunger affect nearly half of rural households in sub-Saharan Africa: Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems Chronic and hidden hunger affect nearly half of rural households in sub-Saharan Africa, reveals one of the largest studies of its kind — By Kristin Coan, science writer A survey of over 6,000 sub-Saharan households shows an estimated 39% experience severely unreliable access to food. In addition, 49% have inadequate diversity in their diet, putting them at risk for micronutrient deficiencies....

We are delighted to announce the second edition of Frontiers in Nanotechnology Awards. With these Awards, we want to highlight members of our editorial board, who have significantly contributed to the growth of Frontiers in Nanotechnology going above and beyond in safeguarding the quality of the published articles, as well as by suggesting and leading article collections in the journal. We are very proud of our journal community and grateful for each member’s support in growing a robust Nanotechnology journal and helping us in our mission to make science open....

Frontiers in Psychology bestows the Young Researcher Award on three scientists in Clinical and Health Psychology Frontiers in Psychology recently celebrated its young contributing researchers by hosting the “Young Researcher Award”. The Award was conceived by the Specialty Chief Editors of Clinical and Health Psychology, Professors Gianluca Castelnuovo and Changiz Mohiyeddini. Three winners: Dr. Juan Santamaria, Dr. Ramon Landin-Romero, and Dr. Giada Pietrabissa were carefully selected by an established committee of prolific researchers working within the Clinical and Health Psychology domain, including the Chief Editors themselves....

By Ben Stockton With a wish to not appear immodest, Professor Pierre Magistretti tentatively indicates two moments that have shaped his career. The first came with the surprise that lactate, more typically associated with insufficient blood supply to muscle, was being produced by the support cells of the brain, known as glia or astrocytes, and used as an energy source for neurons. “Neurons can send messages to glial cells and tell them, “please get us some energy,”” and this arrives in the form of lactate, explains Magistretti....

A new study is the first to find a significant link between common allergic diseases and a broad spectrum of psychiatric disorders: Frontiers in Psychiatry A new study is the first to find a significant link between common allergic diseases and a broad spectrum of psychiatric disorders — By Conn Hastings, science writer Patients with asthma and hay fever have an increased risk of developing psychiatric disorders, finds a new study published in Frontiers in Psychiatry....