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By Conn Hastings, science writer Honeybees use a sophisticated dance to tell their sisters about the location of nearby flowers. This phenomenon forms the inspiration for a form of robot-robot communication that does not rely on digital networks. A recent study presents a simple technique whereby robots view and interpret each other’s movements or a gesture from a human to communicate a geographical location. This approach could prove invaluable when network coverage is unreliable or absent, such as in disaster zones....

Binge drinking during adolescence alters the brain, leading to reduced cognitive abilities and increased risk for developing alcohol use disorder. Heavy alcohol use or binge drinking during adolescence and young adulthood, alter brain structures and function, leading to reduced cognitive abilities and increased risk for developing alcohol use disorder. — By Fabienne Eckert, Frontiers science writer What would a celebration be without alcohol, whether we are talking about a private or professional event?...

Suppression of HIV Replication by CD8+ Regulatory T-Cells in Elite Controllers Wei Lu*, Song Chen, Chunhui Lai, Mingyue Lai, Hua Fang, Hong Dao, Jun Kang, Jianhua Fan, Weizhong Guo, Linchun Fu and Jean-Marie Andrieu* Microchip Screening Platform for Single Cell Assessment of NK Cell Cytotoxicity Karolin Guldevall, Ludwig Brandt, Elin Forslund, Karl Olofsson, Thomas W. Frisk, Per E. Olofsson, Karin Gustafsson, Otto Manneberg, Bruno Vanherberghen, Hjalmar Brismar, Klas Kärre, Michael Uhlin and Björn Önfelt*...

Supplemental Upward Lighting From Underneath to Obtain Higher Marketable Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) Leaf Fresh Weight by Retarding Senescence of Outer Leaves Geng Zhang, Shanqi Shen, Michiko Takagaki, Toyoki Kozai and Wataru Yamori* De novo Transcriptome Assembly of a Chinese Locoweed (Oxytropis ochrocephala) Species Provides Insights Into Genes Associated with Drought, Salinity and Cold Tolerance Wei He, Huihui Zhuang, Yanping Fu, Linwei Guo, Bin Guo, Lizhu Guo, Xiuhong Zhang and Yahui Wei*...

New study published in Frontiers in psychology suggests electronic media may pose less of an impact to learning for toddlers than is the case for preschoolers Electronic books captured the attention of toddlers and led to greater learning Pediatricians, educators, and parents have always agreed on at least one thing: reading to your toddler — early on in life and regularly — is vital to promote language acquisition and also an enthusiasm for learning....

Air pollution increases the risk of severe period pain for women and girls: Frontiers in Public Health By Mischa Dijkstra, Frontiers science writer Painful and severe periods (dysmenorrhea) is a common gynecological disorder with major impacts on quality of life. A new epidemiological study by the open access publisher Frontiers is the first to show that the risk of developing dysmenorrhea increases by more than 30 times for women and girls who are exposed in the long-term to air pollutants such as carbon and nitrogen oxides and fine particulate matter....

Microbiology highlights 2017 has been another exciting year for Frontiers in Microbiology — the 3rd-most cited of all journals in the category of Microbiology, with an Impact Factor of 4.076. We are delighted to welcome 990 new editors on the editorial board this year. With a nearly 30% increase in article submissions, these dedicated experts help maintain our quick publication times while ensuring a thorough peer-review process. 2017 figures* for the journal include:...

Where do stars come from? Human beings have thought about this question for thousands of years and have proposed many different explanations, but scientists have only had the technology to observe the places where stars are forming for a few decades. This is because stars form inside cold “dusty” clouds in space that are invisible to our eyes and invisible to telescopes that study visible light. Fortunately, we have many instruments today that can record light that our eyes cannot see, and we can use familiar colors to represent this light....

By Colm Gorey, Frontiers science writer Swab samples of 8 surfaces aboard the International Space Station have led to the identifying of 4 strains of bacteria, 3 of which belong to a newly discovered novel species within the genus Methylobacterium. According to researchers, these new strains might be useful in helping future space missions grow food in extreme environments. In order to withstand the rigors of space on deep-space missions, food grown outside of Earth needs a little extra help from bacteria....

Frontiers in Immunology is honored to announce a memorial Research Topic dedicated to Dr William Erwin Paul and his unparalleled contribution to immunology. On April 29, Day of Immunology, Frontiers in Immunology is honored to announce a memorial collection of articles dedicated to Dr William Erwin Paul and his unparalleled scientific contribution to immunology. — By Nikolaos Chatziandreou Endlessly fascinated by immunology, William Erwin Paul, also known as Bill, certainly amazed – and inspired – the scientific community by his immense contribution to the field....

Is noise pollution by drones interfering with marine wildlife research? — By K.E.D. Coan Marine researchers have made sure that their research drones aren’t disturbing their research subjects, shows a report in Frontiers in Marine Science. And they’re hoping that others will follow their example to help protect wildlife in the future. We’ve all seen the videos—drones and wildlife don’t always get along. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) offer unparalleled scientific footage and insight, but how can wildlife researchers be sure that they’re not disturbing the very animals they’re hoping to study?...

Detection of small asteroids temporarily captured in Earth’s orbit will increase our knowledge of asteroids and allow testing of space-faring technology: Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Science Detection of small asteroids temporarily captured in orbit around Earth will provide an opportunity to increase our knowledge of asteroids and test space-faring technology. — By Tania Fitzgeorge-Balfour The detection of “mini-moons” — small asteroids temporarily captured in orbit around Earth — will vastly improve our scientific understanding of asteroids and the Earth-Moon system, says a review published in Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Science....

Under the terms of the Sweden Open Access Publishing Framework Agreement, Umeå University will cover article processing charges (APCs) for eligible authors, publishing in any of the Frontiers journals. Eligible authors are corresponding authors of a given article, affiliated with Umea University. Please see the Open Access Publishing page for more information. To submit your article under this institutional agreement, it is recommended you submit with an email domain affiliated to your institution....

Industrial Biotechnology is a new specialty in Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology Led by Georg Gübitz of the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU Vienna), the new specialty on Industrial Biotechnology will focus on the use of enzymes and microbes for industrial processes such as food and feed processing, cosmetics, and polymer processing and for the manufacture of bio-based products. Commenting on the implications of new research in this area, Chief Editor Georg Gübitz says: “The bioeconomy for a sustainable future relies on industry to enhance utilization of renewable resources among other strategies....

Luxembourg’s research community has strengthened its commitment to Open Access through a new national publishing agreement, announced this week. The Bibliothèque Nationale du Luxembourg, the country’s national library, and the open access publisher Frontiers have reached a three-year publishing deal that will run until February 2024. Managed by the Consortium Luxembourg national library service, participating organizations include: the Bibliothèque Nationale du Luxembourg, the Luxembourg Institute of Health, and the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, as well as the Luxembourg National Research Fund (FNR), making it the first publisher agreement to include the main funder in Luxembourg....

Prof. Jo Wilmshurst is the Head of Pediatric Neurology at the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital in Cape Town, the largest pediatric Michaela Dunckova talks with her about her career. Author: Michaela Dunckova, Journal Specialist Prof. Jo Wilmshurst is the Head of Pediatric Neurology at the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital in Cape Town, the largest pediatric hospital in sub-Saharan Africa. I took some time to chat with her about her exciting career, spanning three continents, the African Pediatric Fellowship program she runs, and her thoughts on publishing from her role as a Specialty Chief Editor of Frontiers in Neurology – Pediatric Neurology....

‘Rewilding’ the urban environment with native microbes could restore the human microbiome and reduce our risk of chronic disease; Frontiers in Microbiology ‘Rewilding’ the urban environment with native microbes could restore the human microbiome and reduce our risk of chronic disease — by University of Adelaide Replanting urban environments with native flora could be a cost effective way to improve public health, University of Adelaide researchers say. In a new paper, published in Frontiers in Microbiology, researchers say that humans – thought of as ‘holobionts’, a symbiosis of host and microorganisms reliant on ecosystem health and biodiversity for optimal health outcomes – and more specifically, urban populations, are in dire need of more natural habitat to address chronic disease rates....

By The University of Hertfordshire 28% of people have used image and performance-enhancing drugs (IPEDs) during the Covid-19 pandemic, rising to 32% in the UK, an international study led by the University of Hertfordshire has found. Researchers say this trend is being worsened by ‘fitspirational’ posts on social media pressuring people to achieve the ‘perfect body’. Published today in Frontiers in Psychiatry, researchers asked more than 3,000 people from 7 different countries, including the UK, about their exercise habits, use of IPEDs and the feelings they have towards their appearance....

Frontiers in Veterinary Science is proud to announce the launch of its newest section – Veterinary Neurology and Neurosurgery, led by Specialty Chief Editor Prof Andrea Tipold of the Foundation University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Germany. Frontiers in Veterinary Science is part of Frontiers, a community-driven open-access publisher and research networking platform. The journal series won the Gold Award for Innovation in Publishing by the Association of Learned and Professional Society Publishers in 2014, and with 50,000 editors, 100,000 authors and nearly 30,000 articles published, Frontiers is one of the leading open access publishers in the world....

Female whale sharks are the world’s largest fish: Frontiers in Marine Science By Tayyibah Aziz, science writer Whale shark girls overtake the boys to become world’s largest fish Female whale sharks grow more slowly than males but end up being larger, research suggests. A decade-long study of the iconic fish has found male whale sharks grow quickly, before plateauing at an average adult length of about eight or nine metres....