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A recent study analyzes the investment in OA publishing by German research institutions, indicating a growing trend toward full open access and raising important questions about hybrid OA journals. By Richard Walker The number of scientific articles published in Open Access journals world-wide is increasing at a rate of over 20% every year. Already in 2015, 11% of all the articles that appeared in the literature were published in Open Access journals....

This post presents a list of advice to give your manuscript the smoothest ride through the review process with hopefully an increased chance of success. Dr. Jonathan Wood, Review Operations Specialist As a former researcher, I know how time-consuming and stressful it can be preparing your manuscript for Peer Review; let alone the weeks, months or years, it has taken to obtain your invaluable data. However, I am now on the other side of the manuscript....

Professor Martina Amanzio and Dr Sara Palermo lead Neuropsychology, a new section in Frontiers in Psychology — by Rossella Rebecchi Neuropsychology investigates how the human brain influences cognitive functions and behaviors. Thanks to its strict collaboration with various medical fields, such as neurology, endocrinology, geriatrics and pediatrics, this discipline is making strides in preventing brain diseases, cognitive rehabilitation and in promoting healthy ageing. Neuropsychology also has made close links with technology-focused fields such as ICT, IoT and Big Data....

A dedicated research platform to focus on plant interactions with beneficial mutualistic and endophytic organisms. With the current climate crisis and its devastating effects on the planet’s biodiversity, research elucidating the interactions between plants and their surroundings is critical to both the conservation of endangered habitats and the maintenance of crop cultures. Plant Symbiotic Interactions, led by Associate Professor Andrea Genre of the University of Turin, is the new open-science platform dedicated to multidisciplinary research on plant interactions with beneficial mutualistic and endophytic organisms....

A virtual reality simulation of having Albert Einstein’s body reduces age stereotypes and can enhance cognitive performance: Frontiers in Psychology A virtual reality simulation that allows people to embody Albert Einstein reduces age stereotypes — and enhances the cognitive performance of those with low self-esteem — by Conn Hastings, Frontiers science writer The perception of having Albert Einstein’s body may help unlock previously inaccessible mental resources, finds a new study. Following a virtual reality “Einstein” experience, participants were less likely to unconsciously stereotype older people while those with low self-esteem scored better on cognitive tests....

An interview with Michele Samaja, Associate Professor in Biochemistry at the University of Milan and Guest Associate Editor for Frontiers in Pediatrics. Before falling in love with Biochemistry, Professor Michele Samaja was about to leave the university after only one year. “After the classical courses in Chemistry, Physics, Organic Chemistry, Microbiology etc., I was rather discouraged by the tedious and repetitive teachings and textbooks,” he said, “I even started practicing as a TV-cameraman and as a downhill ski instructor....

The latest news on our collaborations with research institutions, libraries, consortia and funders Welcome from Ronald Buitenhuis, Head of Institutional Partnerships This year we have had the pleasure of welcoming an ever-growing number of institutional partners to our program. Frontiers is committed to supporting institutions to build the frameworks and infrastructure necessary for a global transition to open access. We now collaborate with over 650 institutions worldwide, providing seamless and cost-effective access to Frontiers’ services....

A group of bacteria is capable of ingesting toxic organic compounds as a source of carbon, nitrogen and energy: Frontiers in Microbiology –by Peter Rejcek, Frontiers Science Writer There may be a small answer to one of the biggest problems on the planet. German researchers report in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology that they have identified and characterized a strain of bacteria capable of degrading some of the chemical building blocks of polyurethane....

GM cotton in Mexico is delivering monster crops, without the Frankenstein – thanks to traditional farming practices and use of non-GM ‘refuges’; Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology. GM cotton in Mexico is delivering monster crops, without the Frankenstein — thanks to traditional farming practices and use of non-GM ‘refuges’. — by Matthew Prior, Frontiers science writer New research shows GM cotton can live up to promised economic and environmental benefits — but parallel agricultural developments appear at least partly responsible, and risks like resistant pests and gene transfer to wild cotton require continued vigilance....

Research published in Frontiers in Public Health estimates that 91% adult Americans are ‘overfat’ – a term defined as having excess body fat sufficient to impair health. With the holidays just around the corner, researchers blame excess sugar consumption for Americans being fatter than ever. — By Phil Maffetone A new study published in Frontiers in Public Health estimates that 91 percent of American adults and 69 percent of children are overfat....

A new method described in Frontiers in Neuroscience may help identify epilepsy patients at high risk of continued seizures. Statisticians show integrative analysis can predict risk of postoperative seizures — Rice University Surgery to remove a part of the brain to give relief to patients with epilepsy doesn’t always result in complete seizure relief, but statisticians at Rice University have developed a method for integrating neuroimaging scans to identify patients at high risk of continued seizures before the surgery takes place....

Human nose-witnesses identify criminals in a lineup of body odor By Alice Rolandini Jensen, Frontiers science writer Move over sniffer dogs, people who witnessed a crime are able to identify criminals by their smell. Police lineups normally rely on sight, but nose-witnesses can be just as reliable as eye-witnesses, new research published in Frontiers in Psychology has found. “Police often use human eye-witnesses, and even ear-witnesses, in lineups but, to date, there have not been any human nose-witnesses;” explained Professor Mats Olsson, experimental psychologist at the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden; “We wanted to see if humans can identify criminals by their body odor....

This is the question that researchers want to address in their inter-disciplinary Research Topic ‘Birth’. This is the question that Professor Kath Woodward, Professor Mary Christopher and Dr Sophie Woodward want to address in their inter-disciplinary Research Topic ‘Birth’. — By Radhaika Kapur Spring and cultural assumptions about the regeneration of our natural surroundings are linked to the birth of animals be they chicks, rabbits, or human newborns. However, the celebration of natural and biological birth is somewhat at odds with everyday practices and expectations about reproduction....

Gastrointestinal symptoms, coupled with a fever or history of exposure to COVID-19, could indicate coronavirus infection in children: Frontiers in Pediatrics — by Tania Fitzgeorge-Balfour, Frontiers Science Writer Children suffering from sickness and diarrhea, coupled with a fever or history of exposure to coronavirus, should be suspected of being infected with COVID-19, recommends a new study published in Frontiers in Pediatrics. The research also suggests that the gastrointestinal symptoms first suffered by some children hints at potential infection through the digestive tract, as the type of receptors in cells in the lungs targeted by the virus can also be found in the intestines....

Professor Peter Wenaweser Specialty Chief Editor for the new section Structural Interventional Cardiology of Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine is pleased to announce Professor Peter Wenaweser as the Specialty Chief Editor for the new section Structural Interventional Cardiology. The section is open for submissions (see scope of section) and welcomes applications to the editorial board. Peter Wenaweser is one of the leading interventional cardiologists focusing on the treatment of coronary artery diseases and heart valve defects....

Two major dependencies can be alleviated by increasing legume cultivation. These are the dependency of nitrogen fertilizers and the dependency on imports. By Emily Barker, Frontiers Science Writer The year 2016 has been declared by United Nations as the International Year of Pulses (IYP2016) with the aim to heighten public awareness of the nutritional benefits of pulses as part of sustainable food production aimed towards food security and nutrition. Pulses are legume crops harvested for dray grain, i....

— by Autonomous University of Barcelona A team of researchers has discovered a new process capable of generating resistance to synthetic antibacterial drugs within bacterial populations long before they are put to clinical use. The research was led by Jordi Barbé, researcher at the Molecular Microbiology Group of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), and by Ivan Erill from the Department of Biology at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)....

Professor Johanna Devaney new Specialty Chief Editor of Digital Musicology, specialty section within Frontiers in Digital Humanities. We are delighted to welcome Professor Johanna Devaney to the role of Specialty Chief Editor of Digital Musicology, specialty section within Frontiers in Digital Humanities. Digital Musicology is a relatively young field which encapsulates musicological research engaged with digital technology. Research can be focused on topics such as encoding musical repertoires, ethnomusicology and music theory....

Students wearing police uniforms show biased attention towards people wearing hoodies. — By Conn Hastings Canadian students wearing police uniforms showed biased attention towards images of people in hoodies, compared with images of a black face, a white face, or people in a suit. Interestingly, this only happened when the students wore a police uniform, and not when they wore mechanic overalls, or when a police uniform was placed on a desk in front of them....

Extra vitamin D can restore good bacteria in the gut, according to a study in mice, giving hope in the fight against risk factors for diabetes and heart disease Extra vitamin D can restore good bacteria in the gut, according to a study in mice, giving hope in the fight against risk factors for diabetes and heart disease. Image: Shutterstock — By Mònica Bosch Morató It is well known that a diet high in fat can trigger a metabolic syndrome, a group of symptoms that pose as risk factors for diabetes and heart disease....