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1,202 news posts in Mind and body

Health

10 May 2022

Children grow faster during school year than during summer holidays

By Mischa Dijkstra, Frontiers science writer Image credit: MIA Studio / Shutterstock.com Children grow faster during the school year than during the summer period, show scientists. In contrast to the strong seasonality of vertical growth, there is little seasonality in increase in body weight over time. Slower vertical growth affects the BMI and contributes to the “obesogenicity” of the summer period. It has been long recognized that in Western countries, children are more likely to become overweight or obese over the summer. Causes of this include changes in kids’ physical activity and diet over the summer period, including the summer holidays. But in a new study in Frontiers in Physiology, scientists from the US show that this ‘obesogenicity” of summers has another unexpected cause: children grow faster over the school year than over the summer. And because Body Mass Index (BMI) is the ratio of body weight in kg and height in meters squared, faster vertical growth during the school leads to increased BMI during summers. “Here we show seasonality in standardized body mass index (BMIz), with children gaining height at a greater rate during the school year compared to the summer,” said Dr Jennette P Moreno, an assistant professor […]

Health

27 Apr 2022

Almost 90% of autistic women report experiencing sexual violence, often on multiple occasions

By K.E.D. Coan, science writer The prevalence of sexual abuse may be up to three times higher for women who are on the autism spectrum, compared to those who are not, reports a new study from France. This is the largest survey specifically investigating the vulnerability of autistic women and the results will improve treatment strategies for victims, as well as prevention programs worldwide. As many as nine out of 10 autistic women in France report have suffered sexual violence, shows a new study in Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience. This is one of the largest studies to date focused specifically on this population. In contrast, previous research has shown that the rate of sexual aggression against non-autistic women is one in three, suggesting that offenders are three times more likely to target autistic women. The results also revealed that most victims had been assaulted multiple times, that this began when they were young and that they were rarely able to report the abuse or receive care. These findings will guide better prevention and treatment programs.  “This research project was started by the study’s co-authors (Dr David Gourion, a psychiatrist, and Dr Séverine Leduc, a neuropsychologist) who have observed in their […]

Life sciences

26 Apr 2022

Think fast! Clever monkeys plan their food trips to avoid stronger rivals

By Mischa Dijkstra, Frontiers science writer Vervet monkey, Chlorocebus pygerythrus, from K social group in Uganda. Image credit: TJM Arseneau-Robar, KA Anderson, EN Vasey, P Sicotte, JA Teichroeb Researchers show that vervet monkeys take into account complex social contexts to plan their food trips. When higher-ranking competitors are nearby, they rush to secure the best food immediately. But when they have sufficient time, they choose a route that maximizes the total food intake and minimizes travel distance. Vervet monkeys are quick and clever planners of the best route to follow on foraging trips, shows a new study. When dominant group mates are too far away to interfere, vervets tend to choose the shortest route along successive food sites, snacking on each at leisure. But when dominants group mates are nearby, they seem to assess the time before these can approach and displace them at the feeding site. They then choose the route that maximizes their food intake and minimizes travel distance before the competitors’ arrival. These results, published in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, mean that vervets have excellent cognitive skills for quickly appraising the social context and planning their route accordingly. These skills allow them to choose foraging strategies […]

Health

25 Apr 2022

World Malaria Day: Meet a researcher using genetic engineering to tackle a serious global disease

By Colm Gorey/Prof Tania de Koning-Ward, Deakin University Prof Tania de Koning-Ward, Deakin University. Image: Deakin University World Malaria Day – held on the 25 April –  is an occasion to highlight the need for continued investment and sustained political commitment for malaria prevention and control. To mark this important awareness day, Frontiers caught up with Prof Tania de Koning-Ward to hear how she is contributing to a global effort to prevent hundreds of thousands of deaths each year. Tania de Koning-Ward is a professor in molecular microbiology based at Deakin University’s School of Medicine in Australia and is a senior research fellow of the country’s National Health and Medical Research Council. Here she heads the school’s malaria pathogenesis research group which aims to investigate molecular level, key parasite-host interactions that enable malaria parasites to thrive and survive in their host and cause disease. She has published extensively on the subject, including in an article published to Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology in September 2020. What inspired you to become a researcher? Do you have any specific memories that set off a spark? Growing up, I always enjoyed biology and maths but realized pretty quickly at university that it […]

Health

12 Apr 2022

People married into long-lived families share lower risk of type II diabetes

By Mischa Dijkstra, Frontiers science writer New study within the US Long Life Family Study identifies biomarkers characteristic for people born in – or married into – families with exceptionally long-lived members. Both groups also have a reduced risk of developing type II diabetes. Sharing the household and lifestyle of children of long-lived parents might lead to these marked health benefits for spouses, but it’s also possible that people tend to pick their partners through ‘assortative mating’, matching phenotypes and genotypes for healthy aging and longevity. What makes some people predisposed to live and remain healthy much longer than others? That some persons reach an exceptional age has been recorded throughout history. It’s tempting to write down such outliers as only the result of environment and behavior: for example, better-than-average nutrition, medical care, childcare practises, and hygiene, not to mention luck. But as average life expectancy continues to increase worldwide due to overall improvements in these and other factors, it’s becoming clear that exceptional longevity and healthy aging tend to run in families. This suggests that genetic differences also play a role in assuring lifespan and life-long good health. Prof Iva Miljkovic from the School of Public Health at the […]

Life sciences

05 Apr 2022

Frontiers in Microbiology welcomes new Field Chief Editor, Prof. Paul D. Cotter

Frontiers in Microbiology warmly welcomes our new Field Chief Editor, Prof. Paul D. Cotter, the Head of Food Biosciences at Teagasc and a Principal Investigator with APC Microbiome Ireland, Vistamilk and Food for Health Ireland. On this occasion, we would also like to express our heartfelt gratitude to our retiring Field Chief Editor, Prof. Martin G. Klotz who had been an inspiration and motivation to not only the editorial board members but also the entire journal team for the past 11 years. His fervent approach, passion for this field of science and constant feedback are some of the vital reasons that drove the success of this journal from its infancy to full growth. In his words, “After a humble beginning, the journal has matured into a widely read and cited destination venue, presenting solid science in presently 18 specialty sections, each directed by Chief Editors who lead boards of dedicated Associate editors and Review editors, selected based on their expertise and standing in the peer community. It will continue to take more than a village and relentless focus on quality (authenticity, originality & reproducibility) of what the peer community will find published in Frontiers in Microbiology – I am confident […]

Neuroscience

28 Mar 2022

Most read articles of February 2022: Does life really flash before our eyes before death?

By Colm Gorey, Frontiers Science Communications Manager Image: Shutterstock.com Each month, Frontiers shines a spotlight on some of the leading research across a wide range of topics. Here are just some of the highlights that resonated strongly with readers on our news site in the month of February. A replay of life: What happens in our brain when we die? Imagine reliving your entire life in the space of seconds. Like a flash of lightning, you are outside of your body, watching memorable moments you lived through. This process, known as ‘life recall’, can be similar to what it’s like to have a near-death experience. What happens inside your brain during these experiences and after death are questions that have puzzled neuroscientists for centuries. However, a new study published to Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience suggests that your brain may remain active and coordinated during and even after the transition to death, and be programmed to orchestrate the whole ordeal. Article link: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnagi.2022.813531/full 2. Eating vegetables does not protect against cardiovascular disease, finds large-scale study A long-term ‘UK Biobank’ study on almost 400,000 people published to Frontiers in Nutrition found little or no evidence that differences in the amount of consumed cooked or […]

Humanities

21 Mar 2022

Leftovers in prehistoric pots let scientists peek into the kitchen of an ancient civilization

By Mischa Dijkstra, Frontiers Science writer Image credit: Marko Kukic / Shutterstock.com Scientists studied animal lipids and microscopical remains of plants in vessels from the Bronze Age Indus Valley Civilization and preceding Copper Age cultures in northern Gujarat, India. By reconstructing the ancient ingredients, their diverse origin, and the ways of preparation, they find evidence for surprising continuity in ‘foodways’ over 1300 years with great cultural change. How do you reconstruct the cookery of people who lived thousands of years ago? Bones and plant remains can tell us what kind of ingredients were available. But to reconstruct how ingredients were combined and cooked, scientists need to study ancient cooking vessels. “Fatty molecules and microscopic remains from plants such as starch grains and phytoliths – silica structures deposited in many plant tissues – get embedded into vessels and can survive over long periods,” said Dr Akshyeta Suryanarayan, a researcher at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona, Spain, and co-author on a new study in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. In the new study, Suryanarayan and co-authors analyzed such ‘leftovers’ in Copper and Bronze Age vessels – including pots, vases, goblets, jars, and platters – from today’s Gujarat, India. “Our study is […]

Health

17 Mar 2022

mRNA-based Covid-19 vaccines are safe for high-risk patients, shows study

By Conn Hastings, science writer Image: Shutterstock.com Patients with impaired immunity have faced a difficult predicament during the pandemic. Their condition places them at risk of severe Covid-19 complications, but until now, no-one knew if they were at higher risk of adverse side-effects following vaccination against Covid-19. A new study trialed two mRNA vaccines in such patients and found that they are safe and well tolerated. The results will help immunocompromised patients in making an informed choice about vaccination. Spare a thought for patients with impaired immunity during the Covid-19 pandemic. Their condition puts them at high risk of severe complications from Covid-19, but also creates uncertainty about the safety and effectiveness of the available vaccines that could protect them. A new study in Frontiers in Oncology helps to put this catch-22 situation to rest by finding that two popular mRNA-based vaccines are well tolerated by such high-risk patients. The trial found that the vaccines were safe and did not cause unexpected adverse events in a group of patients with various cancers, neurological, and rheumatological conditions that are associated with immunosuppression. The results will reassure vaccine-hesitant patients that the vaccines are safe, even for the immunocompromised.     ► Read original article► Download […]