Frontiers | Science News

Science News post list

Only showing results from Science News. Search all Frontiers

3,088 news posts

Filters

Frontiers news

26 Sep 2023

Celebrating 20 years of the Berlin Declaration: Frontiers supports Open Access Days 2023 

Open access publisher Frontiers is supporting the Open Access Days 2023 conference taking place in Berlin 27-29 September 2023. The focus of this year’s event, entitled “Shaping Visions,” is on open and free access to research results, scientific literature, and other materials on the internet.  Photo credit: Open-Access-Büro Berlin Organized by the Open-Access-Büro Berlin and hosted by the Freie Universität Berlin, Open Access Days 2023 is an annual central conference on open access (OA) in German-speaking countries. It is made up of a diverse program with lectures, workshops, a panel discussion, poster sessions, and a tool marketplace. Together, these will serve as a background for further discussions on topics such as monitoring costs and assessing the ways for an equitable transformation to open access and open science.  This year also marks the 20th anniversary of the Berlin Declaration on Open Access to Knowledge in the Sciences and Humanities, an international statement on open access and access to knowledge. First published in 2003, the Berlin Declaration has become an integral part of scientific practice, defining open access and outlining actions needed to foster the open access paradigm. During the event, three keynote speakers will shed light on the transformation to open […]

Environment

26 Sep 2023

Why ecological restoration without Indigenous leadership won’t last

by Dr Jennifer Grenz, University of British Columbia Dr Jennifer Grenz. Image: UBC Dr Jennifer Grenz is the principal investigator at The Indigenous Ecology Lab at the University of British Columbia. There, researchers apply an Indigenous, relational worldview to ecological restoration. Grenz has nearly two decades of experience providing consulting services and on-the-ground management of invasive species for all levels of government as well as working with Indigenous communities on creating food security plans and land healing initiatives consistent with community values and needs. Her current research focuses on applying an Indigenous worldview to invasive plant species on landscapes in British Columbia, challenging us to think differently about our role in ecosystems management as we face a rapidly changing climate. Together with Dr Chelsey Armstrong of the Historical Ecological Research Lab at Simon Fraser University, Grenz is co-author of a recently published Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems article. In it, they introduce the concept of ‘pop-up restoration’, meaning fragmented, disconnected, privileged restoration that perpetuates colonial notions of naturalness. In this latest Frontiers guest editorial, she wrote about their latest work. Imagine you’re sitting in your living room on a quiet evening with your family reading a book, when suddenly, complete […]

Frontiers news

25 Sep 2023

Frontiers’ Volunteers: Growing together oceans apart 

Frontiers’ volunteers have always been at the forefront of community and societal responses. Elisabeth Hordé shares her experience mentoring and growing together with student-athletes a continent away.  Photo credit: Elisabeth Hordé What is your background and role at Frontiers?  “I joined Frontiers in January 2022 as a project manager for our product operations team, which sits under the technology department. Since April 2023, I have also been chair of our Disability and Neurodiversity Employee Resource Group (ERG).  “Most of my career has been focused on project management when not deep diving into product or supporting change. I have worked in international organizations, startups, and multinationals. First, I evolved in publishing, then shifted towards fintech, and now I am positioned between publishing and tech thanks to Frontiers!”  What does the organization you volunteered for do?  “The athLEDA Foundation is a US-based organization that helps young student-athletes from underserved communities by connecting them with selected mentors. The idea is to help them see themselves as more than just athletes. athLEDA arise empowers student-athletes with a program that elevates their professional skills.  “The foundation fosters leadership and emotional intelligence while focusing on a STEM approach. Mentees can also find opportunities in all types […]

Featured news

25 Sep 2023

Holidays back to the home country could help bilingual children hold on to their family’s original language

by Angharad Brewer Gillham, Frontiers science writer Image/Shutterstock.com Holding on to a heritage language which isn’t widely spoken in the country of residence is difficult. Scientists find that using the heritage language at home, in daily life, is important to retaining it, but that some of the language skills which are most vulnerable — like vocabulary — are improved by visits to the country of origin. It’s hard to keep a language in the family. Many people who migrate to different countries find that their language of origin has become a heritage language, passed on to future generations with varying degrees of success. These languages come under pressure from the dominant language in a country as well as the lack of opportunities to practice and fluent speakers to practice with. So how do kids use or retain heritage languages? And can visits to their parents’ countries of origin help them increase their fluency? “The role of parental language use in the country of residence is well-established,” said Prof Vicky Chondrogianni of the University of Edinburgh and Dr Evangelia Daskalaki of the University of Alberta, authors of the study in Frontiers in Language Science. “Here we show how the opportunities to […]

Frontiers news

21 Sep 2023

Q&A with Tony Rhodes, editor-in-chief of the British Journal of Biomedical Science

As the official journal of the Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS), the British Journal of Biomedical Science (BJBS) is committed to publishing new and innovative research and technology on the diagnosis and management of disease. Professor Tony Rhodes, the journal’s editor-in-chief, takes pride in BJBS’s reputation as the journal of the practicing biomedical scientist. Tony took on the role of editor-in-chief in 2021 when the journal transitioned to open access with Frontiers. Having had a successful career as a biomedical scientist in the NHS in London, Tony moved to academia in 2003 and has held various professorial posts since, both in the UK and in Malaysia. Ahead of IBMS Congress, where there will be the chance to meet Tony, here’s an opportunity to get to know the person behind BJBS. Credit: Frontiers Who inspired you most as a student? Many lecturers inspired me when I was a student, but I greatly admired my PhD supervisor, Prof. Bharat Jasani from the University of Wales College of Medicine, for his scientific understanding, inquisitiveness along with his kind and calm personality. What can you tell us about the first paper you published? My first paper is probably the best one that I’ve published. […]

Featured news

20 Sep 2023

Nobel Prize winners inspire young minds in new scientific articles for kids 

Frontiers for Young Minds launches third volume of Nobel Collection articles for young readers  Photo credit: Frontiers Frontiers for Young Minds, an award-winning, non-profit, open-access scientific journal for kids, has released the third volume of its Nobel Collection today. The new volume features five articles on topics from using a glowing protein found in jellyfish to understand cell function to studying the smallest units of matter. Prior to publication, the distinguished scientists worked with young reviewers aged 8-15 to ensure their articles were interesting and understandable for young readers.  Launched in 2013, Frontiers for Young Minds inspires the next generation of scientists by making science accessible and engaging for young people. It provides reliable and up-to-date information on various topics in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM). Through a unique review process, kids engage in dialogue with leading researchers worldwide, empowering the young reviewers with a better understanding not only of the science of the article, but of the scientific process and the importance of validating information. While learning about the world around them, young reviewers develop confidence, critical thinking, and communication skills.  The Nobel Collection is a special series of articles by Nobel Laureates. This third volume of […]

Featured news

20 Sep 2023

Shading the Great Barrier Reef from the sun might slow bleaching-induced coral decline

By Deborah Pirchner, Frontiers science writer Image: Shutterstock As ocean temperatures rise, corals can lose their color due to heat stress. Bleaching does not kill corals immediately, but they become more vulnerable to disease and starvation. Shading reefs by covering them with cloth or fog, can protect them from excessive heat. Now, researchers have tested the shading response of two coral species and found that four hours of shade during the hottest time of the day can significantly slow bleaching. This knowledge can help with solar radiation management in marine ecosystems, including the Great Barrier Reef. Over the past two decades, coral reefs have declined at unprecedented rates. This is in part because of extreme weather events, which cause wide-spread coral bleaching, a process during which corals lose their color because of stressors, including changes in water temperature, light, or nutrient availability. One of the worst mass bleaching events occurred in 2016 and 2017 on the Great Barrier Reef, causing bleaching on 91% of the system’s reefs. As frequency and severity of mass bleaching events are expected to increase in the future, researchers are looking for ways to protect corals from excessive radiation and temperatures. As part of the Cooling […]

Environment

18 Sep 2023

Captive pandas could be ‘jet lagged’ if their body clocks don’t match their environment

by Angharad Brewer Gillham, Frontiers science writer Image/Shutterstock Animals’ circadian clocks normally get cues from their environments: light cycles, seasonal food availability, and temperature. If these cues are very different to the ones from the latitudes which they have adapted to, it could disrupt their bodies and behavior, like jet lag in humans. Scientists studying the effect of this possible ‘jet lag’ on giant pandas, which are a vulnerable species and live in zoos worldwide, have shown that pandas housed in different latitudes to their normal range in China are less active, with potentially negative consequences for their welfare. All animals have an internal clock called a circadian clock, which is regulated by cues from their environment — but animals in zoos can be exposed to very different cues from animals in the wild. Since all animals’ circadian clocks are linked to their behavior and physiology, this could be significant to their welfare, which is crucial to maintaining captive populations of animals at high risk of extinction in the wild, like giant pandas. Scientists set out to understand how the ‘jet lag’ of living in latitudes they did not evolve in, and therefore getting cues for their circadian clocks which […]

Frontiers news

14 Sep 2023

Frontiers launches new section in partnership with the Society for Brain Mapping and Therapeutics 

Gold open access publisher Frontiers and the Society for Brain Mapping and Therapeutics (SBMT), a renowned biomedical and educational non-profit organization, have signed a new agreement aimed at advancing brain mapping and therapeutics research.   Credit: Frontiers Building on a shared commitment to fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and driving scientific discovery, Frontiers and SBMT are joining forces to create a forum to showcase the work of researchers, clinicians, engineers, policy makers and experts from diverse backgrounds.  The collaboration will result in the launch of a new ‘Brain Mapping and Therapeutics’ section within Frontiers in Neurology and Frontiers in Psychiatry. The section will make a significant contribution to the understanding and treatment of brain disorders and, coupled with SBMT’s expertise in translational research and global neurotech policy, has great potential to bring direct benefit to patient care.  The Society for Brain Mapping and Therapeutics fosters interdisciplinary innovation and collaboration through the Neuroscience20 initiative of the G20 summit including the African union. It connects a global network of over two hundred and fifty thousand researchers and clinicians in the promotion of scientific discovery, education, and translational medicine. Its members’ work impacts patient care for Multiple Sclerosis, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease, several types of brain […]

Research Topics

14 Sep 2023

10 article collections to get into the back-to-school mindset

With the summer coming to an end, the back-to-school season always brings a distinct energy as teachers and students look forward to the next academic year. As we settle back into the classrooms and lecture theatres, take a look at the top 10 Research Topics that discuss the future of education and those shaping it. Collecting over 964,000 views, scientists investigated educational subjects, including: Neuroscience and educational psychology 15 articles | 252,000 views Exploring how neuroscience can contribute to personalized learning and education Motivational development in education 20 articles | 130,000 views Enhancing academic performance in any educational context by exploring motivational development Deep learning in education 55 articles | 124,000 views Investigating the use of AI-related techniques in educational behaviors and settings Education in a post-pandemic world 13 articles | 95,000 views Examining assessment practices in virtual and hybrid teaching environments Reading and writing skills 40 articles | 88,000 views Exploring reading and writing in the post-pandemic world, including cognitive, emotional, social, creative, and digital aspects New approaches for student well-being 17 articles | 67,000 views Focusing on positive education as a driving force for inclusion and well-being in educational settings Gender equality in higher education 10 articles | […]

eBooks

14 Sep 2023

Frontiers ebook releases: September 2023

Download the top ebook releases from this month, including: work on planning for agriculture and sustainable food systems insights into the consequences of sleep deprivation findings on neurological disorders post COVID-19 research on longevity and healthy aging All ebooks are free to download, share and distribute. Shape the future of your field — and publish your own ebook — by editing a special collection around your research area. Learn more about Research Topics or submit your suggestion. Treatment Over the Lifespan in Bipolar Disorder Edited by Andreas Reif; Dina Popovic; Janusz K RybakowskiPDFContemporary Challenges in Immunologic Testing in Clinical and Research Laboratories Edited by Luis Eduardo Coelho Andrade; Edward K.L. Chan; Pablo Engel; Michael Kirschfink; Stefan ViethsPDFConsequences of Sleep Deprivation Edited by Ritchie Edward Brown; Andrea RomigiPDFPatterns, Functions, and Processes of Alpine Grassland Ecosystems under Global Change Edited by Jian Sun; Gao-Lin Wu; Junran Jimmy Li; Shiliang Liu; Nigussie Haregeweyn; Huakun ZhouPDFPublic Perspectives on Health and Wellbeing Edited by Prof. Anat Gesser-Edelsburg; Abhishek Ghosh; Michal Grivna; Bijaya Kumar PadhiPDFLongevity and Healthy Aging Edited by Tzvi Dwolatzky; Gil AtzmonPDFOpioids in the Time of the COVID-19 Pandemic: From Cellular Mechanisms to Public Health Policy Edited by Wendy Margaret Walwyn; Tim Hales; Kathryn Anne […]

Environment

14 Sep 2023

Identifying polar bears just got easier: Here are five Frontiers articles you won’t want to miss

By Deborah Pirchner, Frontiers science writer Image: Shutterstock.com At Frontiers, we bring some of the world’s best research to a global audience. But with tens of thousands of articles published each year, it’s impossible to cover all of them. Here are just five amazing papers you may have missed. Polar bear identity and sex can be established from paw prints The recent loss of sea ice is forcing polar bears – one of the Arctic’s biggest predators – to spend more time on land closer to human settlements. To prevent potential human-animal conflicts and to protect the species, polar bear populations must be monitored and managed. More often than not, this is a costly and difficult endeavor, in part because of the remote regions the bears inhabit. Now, a team of researchers in the US has developed a method to keep track of polar bears that might make scientist less reliant on having to capture the bears to get data. Writing in Frontiers in Conservation Science, they investigated the use of environmental DNA – cells which the animals shed when walking – collected from paw-prints in the snow to identify individual polar bears and their sex. They sampled 13 polar […]

Featured news

13 Sep 2023

Certain proteins in breast milk found to be essential for a baby’s healthy gut

By Mischa Dijkstra, Frontiers science writer Researchers have shown that high concentrations of key proteins in human breast milk, especially osteopontin and κ-casein, are associated with a greater abundance of two species of bacteria in the gut of babies: Clostridium butyricum and Parabacteroides distasonis, known to be beneficial for human health and used as probiotics. These results suggest that proteins in breast milk influence the abundance of beneficial gut microbes in infants, playing an important role in early immune and metabolic development More than 320 million years of mammalian evolution has adapted breast milk to meet all the physiological needs of babies: it contains not only nutrients, but also hormones, antimicrobials, digestive enzymes, and growth factors. Furthermore, many of the proteins in breast milk, for example casein and milk fat globule membrane proteins, aren’t just sources of energy and molecular building blocks, but also directly stimulate immunity, at least under preclinical conditions. Likewise, the gut microbiome, composed of bacteria, archaea, and fungi, plays a vital role in the regulation of the immune system. This raises the possibility that the immune-boosting function of breast milk proteins might be two-pronged: not only by stimulating the immune system directly, but also indirectly, by […]

Featured news

12 Sep 2023

Frontiers adopts CCC Ringgold Identify Database to enhance data quality 

Open access publisher Frontiers has adopted the CCC Ringgold Identify Database as its Persistent Identifier (PID) solution. The unique numerical identifier system applied to organizations in the scholarly communications sector enhances data quality and promotes open access publishing.  Photo credit: Frontiers With over 600,000 Ringgold PIDs and metadata records, the Ringgold Identify Database provides a detailed view of organizations that span the scholarly ecosystem from funders to publishers, as well as those which license and create scholarly content, such as universities and government entities. The uniqueness of each identifier ensures accuracy in recognizing contributions and creates connections between articles, researchers, institutions, and funders. This supports stakeholders in understanding complex organizational hierarchies and consortia connections and allows for more strategic decision-making.  The highly granular dataset also supports the shift to open access publishing models. Publishers like Frontiers can explore information around funding and discount eligibility under institutional and consortia agreements and assist in compliance with institutional and funder mandates, such as Plan S or OSTP. The Ringgold system lends itself to interoperability as it complements other PIDs in place, including ORCID IDs, DOIs, and ISNI IDs. This makes it possible to join records across internal and external systems for a more […]

Frontiers news

11 Sep 2023

Lucia Baldino – One scientist is an island, many scientists make up a flourishing community

Author: Leticia Nani Silva Dr Lucia Baldino is a researcher in the Department of Industrial Engineering at the University of Salerno, Italy. Her work focuses on optimizing production processes and designing innovative methods for the development of nanomaterials applied to pharmaceutical, medical, food, and cosmetic fields. Her contribution to her field has made her stand out amongst her community and this is why we have chosen her to represent United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 9, which focuses on innovation, industry, and infrastructure. In this interview, we highlight the importance of working collaboratively with scientists across the world on innovating traditional methods used within science. We discuss how these innovative methods can aid in discovering new models of drug delivery and applications in the medical, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic fields. We conclude our conversation by highlighting the changes that need to happen within the field of engineering, and how working together as a community will drive us further into a sustainable future. Photo credit: Raffaele Longobardi We start our conversation by discussing Dr Baldino’s work and how it focuses on innovative and sustainable processes assisted by supercritical carbon dioxide to produce several bio-products, such as aerogels, micro- and nanoparticles. Her work also […]