1,216 news posts in Mind and body

Life sciences

05 Aug 2016

Under-reporting of fisheries catches threatens Caribbean marine life

by Brittany Alexander, Frontiersin.org Marine fisheries catches have been drastically under-reported in the Turks and Caicos Islands in the Caribbean, threatening the marine environment and livelihoods of the local community, reveals a recent study published in the open-access journal Frontiers in Marine Science. Actual catches on the islands were an alarming 2.8 times, or 86% higher than that reported to the FAO, and this has very troubling implications. Lead researcher Aylin Ulman, recently based at the Sea Around Us, and her team call for urgent action from policy-makers to ensure the future sustainability of the fishing industry in this archipelago nation. Fishing has historically been the main industry in the Turks and Caicos Islands and in some areas up to 75% of locals are involved in the fishing industry. The rise in tourism is creating more demand for locally caught seafood and is placing increasing pressure on local marine life. The islands operate small-scale fisheries for queen conch, Caribbean spiny lobster, and finfish as the three main targets. The local government is required to report all catches to the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) to be able to trade with signatory nations of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered […]

Life sciences

05 Aug 2016

Butterflies use differences in leaf shape to distinguish between plants

The preference of Heliconius butterflies for certain leaf shapes is innate, but can be reversed through learning, says a study in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. These results support a decades-old theory for explaining the evolution of the exceptional diversity of leaf shapes in passionflowers. The tropical butterfly Heliconius eratodistinguishes between shapes, and uses them as a cue for choosing the plants on which to feed and lay eggs, shows new research by scientists from the University of Cambridge and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. The butterfly has an innate preference for passionflowers with particular leaf shapes, but can learn to overcome this preference in favor of other shapes, especially those that are the most abundant in the local flora. These preferences can promote the evolution of plant biodiversity. Heliconius erato, the red passionflower butterfly, is a large (5 to 8 cm wingspan), white-red-black butterfly that occurs throughout Central America and tropical South America. Females lay their eggs on passionflowers (Passiflora), a genus of tropical vines with extreme variation in leaf shape, both between and within species. For example, related species can have triangular, elongated, elliptic, lobed, or spear-shaped leaves, while even on the same plant leaf shape may vary […]

Health

04 Aug 2016

Frontiers in Medicine: New Leadership for the Geriatric Medicine Specialty Section

We are pleased to announce the new Specialty Chief Editor of the Geriatric Medicine section of Frontiers in Medicine – Dr. Tzvi Dwolatzky, who is also the President of the Israel Geriatric Society. Dr. Dwolatzky is Director of Geriatric Services at Rambam Medical Center, Haifa, and Associate Professor of Geriatrics at the Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion – Israel Institute of Health Sciences. He has made important scientific contributions to various aspects of aging and common geriatric conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, frailty and longevity. In recent years, there has been increasing awareness of the issues that arise as a result of the growing and aging world population and its implications for healthcare, workforce, economy, social insurance and changing family structures. Increasing life expectancy poses new challenges to medicine and healthcare, emphasizing the need to find better approaches to cope with chronic noncommunicable diseases, currently being the major cause of death for the elderly. Given recent reported trends of unprecedented, pervasive and enduring aging of the world population, it is of utmost importance to improve and advance geriatric medicine. Dr. Dwolatzky emphasizes: “Geriatrics must become a vibrant field of medicine in order to meet the demographic challenges of […]

Psychology

03 Aug 2016

Smartphone Exercises for a Better Mood

Brief, directed smartphone exercises can help quickly improve our mood. This is the latest finding from psychologists at the University of Basel and their international colleagues, reported in the journal Frontiers in Psychology. Participants in the international study felt more alert, calmer and uplifted after – using five-minute video tutorials on their smartphones as a guide – they had, for example, practiced concentrating on their bodies. The subjects could choose between various established or more modern psychotherapeutic exercise modules known as micro-interventions. Some of the participants, for example, recalled emotional experiences during the exercise, while other test subjects repeated short sentences or number sequences in a contemplative manner, or played with their facial gestures. The subjects recorded their mood on their smartphones, answering short questions by marking a six-step scale both before and after the exercise. Those who succeeded in immediately improving their mood through the brief exercises benefited over the longer term as well: Their mood improved overall during the two-week study phase. The study, conducted by researchers in associate professor Marion Tegethoff’s team at the University of Basel’s Faculty of Psychology, included 27 healthy young men as part of a larger research program. The use of modern communication […]

Life sciences

01 Aug 2016

Do trees go to sleep at night?

by Juan Jovel, Frontiersin.org It may sound like something from a fantasy book, but scientists have found that trees seem to go to sleep at night. One hour after sunset, tree branches start dangling and continue doing so throughout the night, reaching their lowest point about 9-11 hours after sunset, new research published in the journal Frontiers in Plant Science has found. When morning comes they start to return to their normal position, which takes another three hours. The daily position of the branches and leaves allows trees to maximize their capture of sunlight, which fuels their biomass-producing processes, while the drooping position probably reduces the loss of heat during the night. Circadian rhythms refer to biological processes that cycle roughly every 24 hours and explain, for instance, patterns of sleeping and feeding in animals. The scientists from Finland, Austria and Hungary, setup to investigate whether silver birch trees experience movement patterns in a circadian fashion. They used a sophisticated technique called Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS), which allows monitoring the movement of objects, including trees or parts thereof, during day or nighttime. Dr. Eetu Puttonen, from the National Land Survey of Finland, and his international collaborators, used TLS to monitor the […]

Health

29 Jul 2016

Fish oil vs lard – why some fat can help or hinder your diet

By Fabienne Eckert, Frontiersin.org A diet high in saturated fat can make your brain struggle to control what you eat, says a new study in Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience. If people are looking to lose weight, stay clear of saturated fat. Consuming these types of fatty food affects a part of the brain called the hypothalamus, which helps regulate hunger. The fat causes inflammation that impedes the brain to control the food intake. In other words, people struggle to control how much they eat, when to stop and what type of food to eat – symptoms seen in obesity. The study found, through tests in rats, that a meal rich in saturated fat, reduces a person’s cognitive function that make it more difficult to control eating habits. “These days, great attention is dedicated to the influence of the diet on people’s wellbeing. Although the effects of high fat diet on metabolism have been widely studied, little is known about the effects on the brain;” explained Professor Marianna Crispino and Professor Maria Pina Mollica from the University of Naples Federico II. A diet rich in fat can take different forms and in fact, there are different types of fats. Saturated fats are found […]

Psychology

28 Jul 2016

Music makes beer taste better

The music played in a bar can impact how much you enjoy your drink. by Samantha Bradey, Frontiersin.org Music can influence how much you like the taste of beer, according to a study published in Frontiers in Psychology. Their findings suggest that a range of multisensory information, such as sound, sensation, shape and color, can influence the way we perceive taste. The Brussels Beer Project collaborated with UK band The Editors to produce a porter-style beer that took inspiration from the musical and visual identity of the band. The ale had a medium body and used an Earl Grey infusion that produced citrus notes, contrasting with the malty, chocolate flavors from the mix of grains used in production. This taste profile was designed to broadly correspond to The Editors latest album, ‘In Dreams’. Then, a team of researchers led by Dr. Felipe Reinoso Cavalho, from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and KU Leuven, designed an experiment to see if the influence of music and packaging design would result in a more positive tasting experience. They invited 231 drinkers to experience the beer in three different conditions. The first served as a control group and drank the beer along with a bottle […]

Psychology

25 Jul 2016

Pain of rejection makes us more likely to commit fraud

by Abigail Pattenden, Frontiersin.org People commit fraud because they are unhappy about being rejected, a new study in Frontiers in Psychology has found. Many of us might not be professional criminals, however when an insurance company rejects our claims, we are more likely to inflate the claims. Insurance companies take note: we are more likely to submit false insurance claims if our original submissions are rejected. Regardless of whether that rejection is fair or unfair, or if there is a financial reward at stake, being rejected makes us feel unhappy and we react by behaving dishonestly. In this study, which used a mock insurance claim scenario, people whose claims were initially rejected were quick to fudge their stories to get their claims settled. Whilst the odd small claim inflation in the real world may seem harmless enough to the perpetrator, insurance fraud is a very expensive crime. According to the FBI, insurance fraud amounts to around $40bn per year, or $400-$700 per family per year in the US. Dr Sophie Van Der Zee explained “Fraud is a widespread issue that is costing society and thereby each individual large sums of money. The problem with fraud is that it benefits a few […]

Life sciences

19 Jul 2016

Call for editors for Frontiers in Physiology

Exciting News! Frontiers in Physiology is launching a number of new specialty sections, including: Aviation, Space and Environmental Physiology Avian Physiology Reproductive Physiology Embryology and Developmental Physiology Join the Frontiers in Physiology community of editors today by applying to join the board as: Specialty Chief Editor Associate Editor Review Editor In June 2016, Frontiers in Physiology, received the official Impact Factor of 4.031 — up from 3.534 in the previous report. Since its launch in 2010, it has become the #1 most cited and 2nd largest open-access journal in Physiology, and the #2 most cited amongst all journals in Physiology. Specialty Chief Editor applications will be reviewed by the Field Chief Editor of the journal. Associate and Review Editor applications will be reviewed by the Specialty Chief Editor of each section. HOW DO I APPLY? Step 1: Select the specialty section you would like to apply for. Step 2: Select the role you would like to apply for (please see below for each role’s requirements). Specialty Chief Editor: Frontiers Specialty Chief Editors are leading academics and active experts in their field, typically full professors from a recognized institution with a proven track record of publications in international, peer-reviewed journals and with editorial experience. Specialty Chief […]

Psychology

19 Jul 2016

Electric brain stimulation can improve mood and relieve stress

Feeling down? How about an electric pick-me-up for your brain? by K.E.D. Coan Electrical brain stimulation can improve the mood of healthy people as well as those suffering from depression, says study published in Frontiers in Psychology. More than 10% of American adults take antidepressants, according to the CDC’s last survey, but these drugs can come with a variety of unpleasant side effects. As an alternative, a team at Swansea University is developing an approach using electrical brain stimulation to alleviate stress and depression. Past studies have shown this method can relieve depression, but their most recent study presents the first evidence that it can also give healthy people a little boost when they’re feeling down. “We’ve shown that weak electric stimulation is effective to improve the mood of those who are not depressed, but are still affected by the consequences of a stressful, restless, and demanding lifestyle,” said Dr. Frederic Boy, Head of Translational and Consumer Neuroscience at Swansea. Although the idea of electric brain stimulation may give you pause for thought, researchers have safely used transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) for over a decade. Last year, the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) also approved tDCS for the treatment […]

Life sciences

14 Jul 2016

Antiphonal singing in indris

By Michiel Dijkstra, Science Writer – published June 14, 2014 “How to get noticed as a singer?” isn’t only a concern for young people aspiring to a career in the music industry. Young indris, critically endangered lemurs from Madagascar, sing in antiphony with their choirmates to increase their chances of getting noticed by rival groups, according to a new study in Frontiers in Neuroscience. Indris (Indri indri) are one of the few species of primates that sing. They live only in the eastern rainforests of Madagascar, a habitat threatened by illegal logging. They live in small groups, which generally consist of a dominant female and male, their immature offspring, and one or more low-ranking young adults. Both females and males sing, and their songs play an important role in territorial defense and group formation. In the new study, researchers from Italy, Germany, and Madagascar recorded 496 indri songs and analyzed their timing, rhythm, and pitch. The research is part of a long-term study on the ecology of indris in the vicinity of Andasibe-Mantadia National Park and the Maromizaha Forest, eastern Madagascar. Group members carefully coordinate their singing, show the researchers. As soon as one indri starts to sing, all group […]

Psychology

14 Jul 2016

Opposites attract – unless you’re in a relationship

by Alice Rolandini Jensen, Frontiersin.org If we are in a relationship we are more likely to be attracted to faces resembling our own, but for single people, opposites attract. Relationship status affects who and what we find attractive, found a study published in Frontiers in Psychology. Dr Jitka Lindová of Charles University in the Czech Republic and her team showed a series of photographs of faces to university students and asked them to rate their attractiveness. The photographs were digitally manipulated so that the resemblance to the student was modified. Images were of an individual of the opposite sex, whose face had been manipulated to look either more or less similar to the student. They were also presented with images of a same-sex individual manipulated in the same way. “We found that single participants, those not in relationships, rate dissimilar faces as more attractive and sexy than self-resembling faces;” stated Lindová. This was observed when participants rated both same-sex and opposite-sex faces. “For the first time, we have observed how our partnership status affects who we find attractive;” she added. “Our interpretation is that attractiveness perception mechanisms that give us a preference for a genetically suitable partner may be suppressed […]

Humanities

12 Jul 2016

Announcing the launch of Frontiers in Research Metrics and Analytics

We are proud and delighted to announce the launch of the new specialty journal, Frontiers in Research Metrics and Analytics. This specialty journal will be led by Specialty Chief Editor Chaomei Chen, Professor at Drexel University. Research Metrics and Analytics aims to provide an open and stimulating forum for the study of the advancement, dissemination, and assessment of scholarly knowledge, from science, technology and medicine to humanities and social sciences. The scope of the specialty journal covers the development, applications, and evaluation of academic metrics, including but not limited to, bibliometric, scientometric, informatric, and altmetric studies, as well as fundamental research of scholarly knowledge and relevant analytic and evaluative techniques. Topics of interest include: Altmetrics Bibliometrics Case studies Citation analysis Informetrics Machine learning Methodologies Patent analysis Qualitative studies of scholarly knowledge Research assessment and evaluation Research policy Reviews and surveys of the state of the art Scholarly communication Scholarly discourse and metadiscourse Science and technology indicators Science mapping Science studies Scientometrics Technometrics Text Mining Visual Analytics Webometrics Regarding his vision for this Specialty Journal, Professor Chen commented: “Research Metrics and Analytics (RMA) is set to serve as an open forum and a synergizing platform for research communities across a broad […]

Life sciences

11 Jul 2016

Horizon Scan 2017: Emerging Issues in Marine Science – call for submissions

by Nina Hall, Journal Development Manager Frontiers in Marine Science is proud to launch the first edition of our annual Research Topic Horizon Scan 2017: Emerging Issues in Marine Science. This Research Topic is unique as it is the only topic that publishes invited review and synthesis articles, and awards the authors with a free publication to showcase the latest and most important research in the marine sciences at the beginning of every year. Each of the invited manuscripts is selected by the Specialty Chief Editors across all twenty-one specialty sections of the journal based on the quality and topicality of the research. If you would like to be considered for selection, please send the title and abstract of your review/synthesis manuscript to marinescience@frontiersin.org for evaluation by the Chief Editors. The submission deadline is October 1, 2016. The average review time from submission to publication for Frontiers in Marine Science is 89 days, which should allow for publication of the manuscript in January 2017 if accepted. Frontiers in Marine Science is the most comprehensive and largest open-access marine science journal with an editorial board of 2,257 editors and over 500 submitted manuscripts, 318 of which have already been published. To […]

Health

11 Jul 2016

Is the Agile Wallaby man’s new best friend?

Scientists name top five animals that are suitable to be kept as pets by Samantha Bradey, Frontiersin.org Looking for a new pet? If so, consider the Agile Wallaby or the Asian Palm Civet. Responding to the growing trend in keeping exotic animals as pets a team, led by Dr. Paul Koene, has developed a methodology to assess the suitability of mammals to be kept domestically in a new study published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science. The top five animals were: the Sika Deer, Agile Wallaby, Tamar Wallaby, Llama, and Asian Palm Civet, which were all judged to be suitable pets by the scientists from the Wageningen University and Research Centre, in the Netherlands. So, will the Sika Deer challenge the common canine for the title of man’s best friend? “The main influence of this work is methodological. In the Netherlands many mammal species are kept and for a long time the government wanted to guarantee the welfare of animals;” Dr. Koene explained; “Therefore the Dutch Animal Act was made stating that mammals should not be kept unless they are production animals, or are species that are suitable to be kept by anyone without special knowledge or skills.” In order to determine […]