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New research challenges the idea that changes in the Earth’s orbit triggered Sahara desertification. — Nick Fraser, Journal Development Manager, Frontiers in Earth Sciences The Sahara today forms one of the largest and driest expanses of land on Earth. Yet between 5,000 and 10,000 years ago, a period of time commonly referred to as the ‘African Humid Period’, both the climate and ecosystem of the Sahara were dramatically different. Instead of an arid desert landscape, the Sahara was characterized by lush and diverse vegetation, a consequence of monsoons and increased rainfall over the northern Africa landmass....

By Mischa Dijkstra, Frontiers science writer During parabolic flight to simulate weightless conditions in space, researchers show for the first time that a DNA polymerase enzyme derived from bacteria makes 10-140% more errors while copying DNA in microgravity. Combined with the known greater rate of DNA damage from space radiation, this inaccuracy of DNA replication is likely to pose a threat to the health of future astronauts on long missions....

The more parents engage in math activities with their children, the higher their early numeracy performance: Frontiers in Psychology Counting, sorting and simple sums: More mathematics at home might boost kids’ early number processing and calculation skills — By Tanya Petersen New research links specific numerical activities undertaken by parents to certain math skills in young children. Published in open-access journal Frontiers in Psychology, the study also finds that the more parents engage in mathematical activities with their children, the higher their early numeracy performance....

This year’s theme of ‘Working Together to Prevent Suicide’ prompts us to reflect on the role research plays in the collaborative effort to tackle this important global issue. Today is a significant awareness day in the psychiatric calendar: World Suicide Prevention Day 2018. This year’s theme of ‘Working Together to Prevent Suicide’ prompts us to reflect on the role research plays in the collaborative effort to tackle this important global issue....

With an Impact Factor of 4.298, Frontiers in Plant Science is the 1st most cited Plant Sciences journal in the world. With an Impact Factor of 4.298, Frontiers in Plant Science is the 1st most cited Plant Sciences journal in the world This year, 211 journals were listed in the category of Plant Sciences in the 2016 edition of the Journal Citation Reports (JCR), of which 31 are open-access (OA)....

By Emily Parker, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine ‘Hormones’ have long been blamed for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries in female athletes, but according to a new review paper, one menstrual hormone may be mediating the damage: relaxin. University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine student, Emily Parker, writes to Frontiers that upon noticing the lack of progress in the 20-odd years since early relaxin-musculoskeletal studies, the support of orthopedic department mentors and the assistance of a fellow student allowed a thorough dive into the disjointed, cross-disciplinary research trail....

Why we involve kids and teens in the peer review of scientific articles – Diversity & Inclusion during Peer Review Week 2018 This year, during Peer Review Week, we’re talking about diversity and inclusion in peer review, about getting a more diverse set of people to be part of the review process, about ensuring that peer reviews reflect the perspectives of different people. What better way to contribute to these discussions than showcasing a unique example of inclusivity in peer review!...

Neuropeptide GPCRs in neuroendocrinology Frontiers in Endocrinology Edited by: Hubert Vaudry and Jae Young Seong The Impact of Emotion on Cognition – Dissociating between Enhancing and Impairing Effects Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience/Frontiers in Psychology Edited by: Florin Dolcos, Lihong Wang and Mara Mather Augmentation of Brain Function: Facts, Fiction and Controversy [Open for submissions] Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience Edited by: Mikhail Lebedev, Ioan Opris and Manuel Casanova Interval Timing and Time-Based Decision Making...

Personal reflections on a symposium. On 9 January, Dr Anke Beck, head of European public affairs and advocacy at Frontiers, helped chair a symposium for early career researchers at the Association of Publishing in Europe annual conference. There is a profound cultural change underway that will transform the way science is funded, shared, and published – and thereby the impact new knowledge has on society. Open Science, backed by broader calls for diversity and inclusion, is now a strong and growing focus for governments, funders, institutions, and authors....

A study in Frontiers in Medicine suggests that personal factors influence the chance of dental filling failure, and not the choice of filling material. A new study suggests that personal patient factors influence the chance of dental filling failure, rather than the choice of filling material. — By Conn Hastings New research shows that people who drink alcohol or men who smoke are more likely to suffer a failed dental filling....

We are delighted to announce that The Norwegian Center for Child Behavioral Development (Nasjonalt utviklingssenter for barn og unge) supports their authors in publishing open access. As part of this support, eligible authors from The Norwegian Center for Child Behavioral Development will benefit from a 10% membership discount under the terms of the UNIT Open Access Publishing Framework Agreement. Eligible authors are corresponding authors affiliated with the The Norwegian Center for Child Behavioral Development....

TU Wien (Technische Universität Wien) will cover article processing charges for eligible authors in any of the Frontiers journals. Under the terms of the Austria Open Access Publishing Framework Agreement, TU Wien (Technische Universität Wien) will cover article processing charges for eligible authors in any of the Frontiers journals. Eligible authors are corresponding authors of a given article who meet the funding criteria of the TU Wien. If the author(s) are members of a FWF-funded project, the FWF may cover the APCs (more information here)....

A recent study published in Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology sheds new light on the development of a DNA vaccine against dengue virus. — By Anna Sigurdsson “Our DNA vaccine candidate induced effective immune responses and protection in mice. Importantly, the bivalent vaccine generated a balanced immunity against DV1 and DV2 infection, which emits light for development of new type of tetravalent vaccine against dengue viruses,” says corresponding author Dr....

Females use and experience cannabis differently to males — and neuroscience is beginning to explain why, says new review; Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience Females use and experience cannabis differently to males — and neuroscience is beginning to explain why, says a new review — by Matthew Prior, Frontiers science writer Cannabis use is riding high on a decade-long wave of decriminalization, legalization and unregulated synthetic substitutes. As society examines the impact, an interesting disparity has become apparent: the risks are different in females than in males....

Academic, pharmaceutical, healthcare policy and pension fund perspectives. — By Elliott Williams “The fundamental questions of whether aging can and should be classified as a disease are not new, but today they are more pressing than ever for many reasons,” says Dr Alex Zhavoronkov, CEO of Insilico Medicine and Chief Science Officer at the Biogerontology Research Foundation. Gerontology, the study of old age, spans multiple academic fields from economics to social sciences....

Is fostering our innate capacity for levity the ultimate antidote to stress and unhappiness? Frontiers in Psychology Is fostering our innate capacity for levity the ultimate antidote to stress and unhappiness? — by Matthew Prior, Frontiers science writer According to the 2019 Gallup Global Emotions Report, people around the world are becoming more angry, stressed and worried. Recent research published by Frontiers provides some simple tools for redress – including a 20 minute nature pill to rapidly reduce stress hormone levels, and a brain training app that can help us to cope with the distractions of modern life....

Players of action real-time strategy games better allocate brain resources between competing visual stimuli: Frontiers in Human Neuroscience — by Mischa Dykstra, Frontiers Science Writer Action real-time strategy video games such as World of Warcraft, Age of Empires, and Total War are played by millions. These games, which can be won through strategic planning, selective attention, sensorimotor skills, and teamwork place considerable demands on the brain. Research has shown that experience of playing games can improve cognitive development such as greater sensitivity to contrasts, better eye-to-hand coordination, and superior memory....

By Peter Rejceck, science writer Social isolation can have devastating health effects, especially for elderly people. A number of studies have shown that art is not only good for the soul, but can also improve both physical and mental well-being. Researchers in Canada investigated whether these art-based benefits could be delivered digitally through virtual museum tours. They found that indeed older adults who attended weekly guided tours online felt less frail – offering a public health model to promote healthy aging....

Below is a list of Frontiers eBooks published in December 2015. All Frontiers eBooks are free to download. Science: Recent Advances and the Future Generation of Neuroinformatics Infrastructure, hosted by Xi Cheng, Daniel R. Weinberger, Daniel Marcus, John Van Horn, Venkata Satyanand Mattay and Qian Luo Autism Spectrum Disorders: From Genotypes to Phenotypes, hosted by Valsamma Eapen, Andrew J. Whitehouse, Charles Claudianos and Rudi Crncec Microbial Symbiosis of Marine Sessile Hosts – Diversity, Function and Applications, hosted by Suhelen Egan and Torsten Thomas...

Sleep deprivation affects children’s brains differently than adults’, according to a new study By K.E.D. Coan, Science Writer Any parent can tell you about the consequences of their child not getting enough sleep. But there is far less known about the details of how sleep deprivation affects children’s brains and what this means for early brain development. “The process of sleep may be involved in brain ‘wiring’ in childhood and thus affect brain maturation,” explains Salome Kurth, first author of the study published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, and a researcher at the University Hospital of Zurich....