Pub Date : 2024-03-27DOI: 10.3389/frym.2024.1080545
Yoshihiro Nakayama, Pat Wongpan, J. Greenbaum, Kaihe Yamazaki, Shigeru Aoki
In East Antarctica, warm ocean water travels toward the Totten Ice Shelf. This water melts and thins the ice shelf, and speeds up the rate at which ice moves into the sea, leading to sea-level rise. Scientists often get on board ships called icebreakers to study the ice and water in these regions. However, sea ice and icebergs are major obstacles to navigation and scientific operations. For example, American, Australian, and Japanese icebreakers tried but could only observe a small area where sea ice was more broken up. So, we used a helicopter to measure the ocean during one of our research expeditions. Helicopters can travel faster than icebreakers. They can fly over sea ice and icebergs, and trained workers can drop sensors into small gaps in the ice. In 6 days, we observed ocean temperatures at 67 sites, covering a large area that could not be studied before. We identified wide pathways of warm water flowing toward the Totten Ice Shelf.
{"title":"How Can Helicopters Help Us Determine the Health of Antarctica’s Oceans?","authors":"Yoshihiro Nakayama, Pat Wongpan, J. Greenbaum, Kaihe Yamazaki, Shigeru Aoki","doi":"10.3389/frym.2024.1080545","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frym.2024.1080545","url":null,"abstract":"In East Antarctica, warm ocean water travels toward the Totten Ice Shelf. This water melts and thins the ice shelf, and speeds up the rate at which ice moves into the sea, leading to sea-level rise. Scientists often get on board ships called icebreakers to study the ice and water in these regions. However, sea ice and icebergs are major obstacles to navigation and scientific operations. For example, American, Australian, and Japanese icebreakers tried but could only observe a small area where sea ice was more broken up. So, we used a helicopter to measure the ocean during one of our research expeditions. Helicopters can travel faster than icebreakers. They can fly over sea ice and icebergs, and trained workers can drop sensors into small gaps in the ice. In 6 days, we observed ocean temperatures at 67 sites, covering a large area that could not be studied before. We identified wide pathways of warm water flowing toward the Totten Ice Shelf.","PeriodicalId":73060,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers for young minds","volume":"18 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140374056","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-03-27DOI: 10.3389/frym.2024.1320408
Lena Smirnova, Thomas Hartung
Scientists have developed tiny cell models called microphysiological systems (MPSs) that mimic human organs, allowing medicines to be tested without using animals. MPS contain human cells carefully arranged to simulate a real organ’s structure and function. One type of MPS, called an organ-on-chip, also pumps fluids containing nutrients and oxygen through the model, similar to the function of blood flow in our bodies. These MPSs can test how medicines affect human cells and help scientists develop safer, more effective treatments for diseases. MPSs can also be personalized using a patient’s own cells, to find the best treatment for each person. While challenges remain, like cost and reliability, MPSs are steadily improving. Beyond testing medicines, they can be used to study dangerous environmental chemicals and to model diseases. We can even connect multiple “organs” to simulate the whole body. As these revolutionary technologies improve and become widely accepted, they could speed up drug development and reduce animal testing.
{"title":"Creating Tiny Human “Organs” to Test medicines… and More!","authors":"Lena Smirnova, Thomas Hartung","doi":"10.3389/frym.2024.1320408","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frym.2024.1320408","url":null,"abstract":"Scientists have developed tiny cell models called microphysiological systems (MPSs) that mimic human organs, allowing medicines to be tested without using animals. MPS contain human cells carefully arranged to simulate a real organ’s structure and function. One type of MPS, called an organ-on-chip, also pumps fluids containing nutrients and oxygen through the model, similar to the function of blood flow in our bodies. These MPSs can test how medicines affect human cells and help scientists develop safer, more effective treatments for diseases. MPSs can also be personalized using a patient’s own cells, to find the best treatment for each person. While challenges remain, like cost and reliability, MPSs are steadily improving. Beyond testing medicines, they can be used to study dangerous environmental chemicals and to model diseases. We can even connect multiple “organs” to simulate the whole body. As these revolutionary technologies improve and become widely accepted, they could speed up drug development and reduce animal testing.","PeriodicalId":73060,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers for young minds","volume":"98 23","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140377455","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-03-20DOI: 10.3389/frym.2024.1284583
Laís Lautenschlager, Kenneth Feeley
Many animals eat fruits and then get rid of any seeds that they swallow through defecation (pooping). This can be good for plants because it moves seeds around, and the seeds can grow into new plants using the dung (poop) as compost. In some cases, many animals will poop in the same spot, creating “bathroom” areas called latrines that help them to bond with other individuals of their species, communicate, and mark their home regions. These latrines can also attract many other animals that eat seeds, insects, and even poop. Unfortunately, humans are causing many animals to become less common or even extinct as we destroy their habitats or hunt them for food and fur. If we lose these animals, we also lose all the good things they do for nature. We must protect natural habitats so these important animals can keep living—and pooping!
{"title":"Poop Is Cool! Animal “Bathrooms” Help Animals And Plants","authors":"Laís Lautenschlager, Kenneth Feeley","doi":"10.3389/frym.2024.1284583","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frym.2024.1284583","url":null,"abstract":"Many animals eat fruits and then get rid of any seeds that they swallow through defecation (pooping). This can be good for plants because it moves seeds around, and the seeds can grow into new plants using the dung (poop) as compost. In some cases, many animals will poop in the same spot, creating “bathroom” areas called latrines that help them to bond with other individuals of their species, communicate, and mark their home regions. These latrines can also attract many other animals that eat seeds, insects, and even poop. Unfortunately, humans are causing many animals to become less common or even extinct as we destroy their habitats or hunt them for food and fur. If we lose these animals, we also lose all the good things they do for nature. We must protect natural habitats so these important animals can keep living—and pooping!","PeriodicalId":73060,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers for young minds","volume":"358 18","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140227830","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-03-20DOI: 10.3389/frym.2024.1248252
Daniel Berger, Michael C. Hout
Whenever you read books, listen to music, or watch TV, your brain is using signals made from electricity and chemicals to help you understand the world around you. Your brain is full of cells called neurons that communicate with each other through these signals. Chemicals released from neurons transmit messages to their surrounding neighbors, telling the neighbors whether they should send a signal too. But it is electricity traveling down the length of the neuron that causes the release of those chemicals in the first place. Because electricity is involved in communication between neurons, scientists can use magnets to change the flow of electricity in the brain and explore how that affects behavior. A method called transcranial magnetic stimulation allows scientists who study the brain to stimulate the brain from outside a person’s head (through the skull). This gives scientists clues about brain functioning without requiring dangerous brain surgery!
{"title":"Modifying Brain Activity Using Magnets","authors":"Daniel Berger, Michael C. Hout","doi":"10.3389/frym.2024.1248252","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frym.2024.1248252","url":null,"abstract":"Whenever you read books, listen to music, or watch TV, your brain is using signals made from electricity and chemicals to help you understand the world around you. Your brain is full of cells called neurons that communicate with each other through these signals. Chemicals released from neurons transmit messages to their surrounding neighbors, telling the neighbors whether they should send a signal too. But it is electricity traveling down the length of the neuron that causes the release of those chemicals in the first place. Because electricity is involved in communication between neurons, scientists can use magnets to change the flow of electricity in the brain and explore how that affects behavior. A method called transcranial magnetic stimulation allows scientists who study the brain to stimulate the brain from outside a person’s head (through the skull). This gives scientists clues about brain functioning without requiring dangerous brain surgery!","PeriodicalId":73060,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers for young minds","volume":"85 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140224951","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-03-20DOI: 10.3389/frym.2024.1339950
Jennifer A. Ross, Sharon Levy
Many of us have heard the saying “words matter”. This is especially true when talking about substance use disorders and addiction. Substance use disorders affect millions of people, including adolescents and young adults. Addiction is a long-term medical condition. In many cases, people with addictions want to quit but find it difficult. For example, many of us know someone who would love to quit smoking but is having trouble because they are addicted to nicotine. People who use substances may feel judged by others, which can make them hesitant to talk openly about their substance use or its effects on their lives. It is important that we all know how to talk about addiction non-judgmentally, which starts by knowing the correct words to use.
{"title":"The True Meaning of Addiction (And How To Talk About It!)","authors":"Jennifer A. Ross, Sharon Levy","doi":"10.3389/frym.2024.1339950","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frym.2024.1339950","url":null,"abstract":"Many of us have heard the saying “words matter”. This is especially true when talking about substance use disorders and addiction. Substance use disorders affect millions of people, including adolescents and young adults. Addiction is a long-term medical condition. In many cases, people with addictions want to quit but find it difficult. For example, many of us know someone who would love to quit smoking but is having trouble because they are addicted to nicotine. People who use substances may feel judged by others, which can make them hesitant to talk openly about their substance use or its effects on their lives. It is important that we all know how to talk about addiction non-judgmentally, which starts by knowing the correct words to use.","PeriodicalId":73060,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers for young minds","volume":"53 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140225282","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-03-20DOI: 10.3389/frym.2024.1146773
Michael Dubois, Amy S. Finn
Staying focused is important for nearly every human activity, yet we often struggle to do it. When we are unable to focus our thoughts, we say that we are mind wandering. Mind wandering is very common and occurs in every healthy mind. In fact, mind wandering may even reflect the regular way of thinking, unless people make special efforts to prevent it. But is all mind wandering the same? Why does the mind wander, and when? What effect does mind wandering have in our lives? In answering these questions, we will show how mind wandering can even be helpful for things like creativity and learning.
{"title":"Mind Wandering Can Be a Good Thing","authors":"Michael Dubois, Amy S. Finn","doi":"10.3389/frym.2024.1146773","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frym.2024.1146773","url":null,"abstract":"Staying focused is important for nearly every human activity, yet we often struggle to do it. When we are unable to focus our thoughts, we say that we are mind wandering. Mind wandering is very common and occurs in every healthy mind. In fact, mind wandering may even reflect the regular way of thinking, unless people make special efforts to prevent it. But is all mind wandering the same? Why does the mind wander, and when? What effect does mind wandering have in our lives? In answering these questions, we will show how mind wandering can even be helpful for things like creativity and learning.","PeriodicalId":73060,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers for young minds","volume":"357 11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140227837","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-03-14DOI: 10.3389/frym.2024.1043659
Cristina Genovese, E. Eronen-Rasimus, M. Corkill, Mareike Bach, Ilka Peeken
Sea ice, frozen seawater, is more than a “white desert” in the Earth’s polar regions. The solid part of sea ice is mostly pure ice, similar to what you could make by putting tap water in a freezer. It also contains an intricate network of pores, pockets, and channels—known as a brine network—which develops each season. The brine network is filled with a very salty solution that contains nutrients that ice-associated organisms (bacteria, algae, and small animals) use as food. Algae are especially important because they remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and provide some of the oxygen we breathe every day. However, ice organisms are witnessing the consequences of human pollution and climate change. Although the polar regions are located far from human areas, the ocean circulation carries pollutants to the poles. This article examines what is happening in the seemingly inhospitable but crowded brine network, including the latest observations on the accumulation of human pollution.
{"title":"Sea-Ice Organisms Face Human Threats","authors":"Cristina Genovese, E. Eronen-Rasimus, M. Corkill, Mareike Bach, Ilka Peeken","doi":"10.3389/frym.2024.1043659","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frym.2024.1043659","url":null,"abstract":"Sea ice, frozen seawater, is more than a “white desert” in the Earth’s polar regions. The solid part of sea ice is mostly pure ice, similar to what you could make by putting tap water in a freezer. It also contains an intricate network of pores, pockets, and channels—known as a brine network—which develops each season. The brine network is filled with a very salty solution that contains nutrients that ice-associated organisms (bacteria, algae, and small animals) use as food. Algae are especially important because they remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and provide some of the oxygen we breathe every day. However, ice organisms are witnessing the consequences of human pollution and climate change. Although the polar regions are located far from human areas, the ocean circulation carries pollutants to the poles. This article examines what is happening in the seemingly inhospitable but crowded brine network, including the latest observations on the accumulation of human pollution.","PeriodicalId":73060,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers for young minds","volume":"9 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140244561","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-03-14DOI: 10.3389/frym.2024.1295235
Harry Dowsett, Marci Robinson
Scientists learn about Earth’s future climate by looking at geological records from the past. About 3 million years ago, most of the east coast of the United States was under water. Sediments collected on the ocean floor show that the ocean environment was warmer and supported more species back then. Some of these sediments are now exposed above water as cliffs along the James River near colonial Jamestown in southeastern Virginia. Tiny fossils and other evidence in these sediments, which we call the Yorktown Formation, show us how the environment and ecosystems were affected by global warming in the past, and they hold many clues as to what Earth may look like in the future.
{"title":"What Cliffs Near America’s Earliest Settlements Tell Us About Climate Change","authors":"Harry Dowsett, Marci Robinson","doi":"10.3389/frym.2024.1295235","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frym.2024.1295235","url":null,"abstract":"Scientists learn about Earth’s future climate by looking at geological records from the past. About 3 million years ago, most of the east coast of the United States was under water. Sediments collected on the ocean floor show that the ocean environment was warmer and supported more species back then. Some of these sediments are now exposed above water as cliffs along the James River near colonial Jamestown in southeastern Virginia. Tiny fossils and other evidence in these sediments, which we call the Yorktown Formation, show us how the environment and ecosystems were affected by global warming in the past, and they hold many clues as to what Earth may look like in the future.","PeriodicalId":73060,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers for young minds","volume":"12 15","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140241681","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-03-13DOI: 10.3389/frym.2024.1137114
L. P. Suescún-Bolívar, Patricia E. Thomé, Natalia Carabantes
Corals and tiny algae act as a team of engineers to form the building blocks needed to create the amazing coral reef ecosystem, which supports much of the marine life in the tropical oceans. These incredible ecosystems can extend for thousands of kilometers, like the Great Barrier Reef of Australia. Coral reefs would not exist without the help of the microscopic algae that associate with the coral and provide it with important nutrients for its survival. This article features the collaboration of amazing corals and their microalgae partners. You will learn about the processes that support the construction of coral reefs, their abilities to resist the threats that currently affect them (climate change, contamination), and the actions that can be taken to keep them safe and maintain the services that these ecosystems provide to other marine life.
{"title":"Coral Reefs: A Story of Two Longtime Friends","authors":"L. P. Suescún-Bolívar, Patricia E. Thomé, Natalia Carabantes","doi":"10.3389/frym.2024.1137114","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frym.2024.1137114","url":null,"abstract":"Corals and tiny algae act as a team of engineers to form the building blocks needed to create the amazing coral reef ecosystem, which supports much of the marine life in the tropical oceans. These incredible ecosystems can extend for thousands of kilometers, like the Great Barrier Reef of Australia. Coral reefs would not exist without the help of the microscopic algae that associate with the coral and provide it with important nutrients for its survival. This article features the collaboration of amazing corals and their microalgae partners. You will learn about the processes that support the construction of coral reefs, their abilities to resist the threats that currently affect them (climate change, contamination), and the actions that can be taken to keep them safe and maintain the services that these ecosystems provide to other marine life.","PeriodicalId":73060,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers for young minds","volume":"2020 39","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140246075","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-03-13DOI: 10.3389/frym.2024.1242820
Stefani Díaz-Valerio, Heiko Liesegang
The starting point of this story is an imaginary garden. Within this garden we find plants, insects, and Bacillus thuringiensis, a friendly type of bacteria that helps humans in the fight against different pests. These bacteria are quite successful in nature, partly due to their ability to go into “sleep mode” when the conditions are not good for them, and their production of powerful weapons that help them survive. This article will tell you about these fascinating features, and we will explain how humans can use the weapons of these bacteria for environmentally friendly crop-protection strategies. Some of B. thuringiensis’s weapons may also help in the fight against certain dangerous parasites that infect humans and animals. Investigations of bacteria and their weapons can inspire us to find novel solutions for current challenges in agriculture and health.
{"title":"Inspired by Nature: Fighting Pests With Friendly Bacteria","authors":"Stefani Díaz-Valerio, Heiko Liesegang","doi":"10.3389/frym.2024.1242820","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frym.2024.1242820","url":null,"abstract":"The starting point of this story is an imaginary garden. Within this garden we find plants, insects, and Bacillus thuringiensis, a friendly type of bacteria that helps humans in the fight against different pests. These bacteria are quite successful in nature, partly due to their ability to go into “sleep mode” when the conditions are not good for them, and their production of powerful weapons that help them survive. This article will tell you about these fascinating features, and we will explain how humans can use the weapons of these bacteria for environmentally friendly crop-protection strategies. Some of B. thuringiensis’s weapons may also help in the fight against certain dangerous parasites that infect humans and animals. Investigations of bacteria and their weapons can inspire us to find novel solutions for current challenges in agriculture and health.","PeriodicalId":73060,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers for young minds","volume":"15 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140247545","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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