Pub Date : 2024-01-22DOI: 10.3389/frym.2023.1224593
Darshini Babu Ganesh, Meghna Pandey, Tracy Riggins, Rebecca M. C. Spencer, Rhea Tiwari, Mark Wehland, Sonya Leikin
Getting enough sleep is important not only for our health but also for learning. If sleep is good for us, why do children stop napping as they get older? Why do some children stop napping around their second birthday while others nap much longer? To answer these questions, scientists reviewed studies on how sleep, the brain, and memory develop. They took information from each area to create a new theory about why and when children stop napping. The scientists suggested a specific “memory area” in the brain, known as the hippocampus, develops as children grow up. Once the hippocampus can store the day’s memories, it results in fewer “napping” signals sent to the body, causing fewer naps. Information about how and why children stop napping is important for parents and teachers so they can best support children’s sleep needs.
{"title":"Where Did Nap Time Go? Why Older Kids Do Not Nap at School","authors":"Darshini Babu Ganesh, Meghna Pandey, Tracy Riggins, Rebecca M. C. Spencer, Rhea Tiwari, Mark Wehland, Sonya Leikin","doi":"10.3389/frym.2023.1224593","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frym.2023.1224593","url":null,"abstract":"Getting enough sleep is important not only for our health but also for learning. If sleep is good for us, why do children stop napping as they get older? Why do some children stop napping around their second birthday while others nap much longer? To answer these questions, scientists reviewed studies on how sleep, the brain, and memory develop. They took information from each area to create a new theory about why and when children stop napping. The scientists suggested a specific “memory area” in the brain, known as the hippocampus, develops as children grow up. Once the hippocampus can store the day’s memories, it results in fewer “napping” signals sent to the body, causing fewer naps. Information about how and why children stop napping is important for parents and teachers so they can best support children’s sleep needs.","PeriodicalId":73060,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers for young minds","volume":"36 12","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139607503","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 : 2024-01-22DOI: 10.3389/frym.2023.1207431
Olga Cannavacciuolo, Davide D’Angelo, Alessandro Nicolia, Nunzio D’Agostino
Do you know that there are plants that steal food from other plants, damaging and even killing them? Are you curious about how and why they do it? Parasitic plants are unwelcome guests in agricultural fields and they can be extremely hard to get rid of, costing farmers a lot of money. In this article we will tell you about parasitic plants and how scientists are trying to fight them.
{"title":"Developing Crops That Can Fight Off Parasitic Plants","authors":"Olga Cannavacciuolo, Davide D’Angelo, Alessandro Nicolia, Nunzio D’Agostino","doi":"10.3389/frym.2023.1207431","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frym.2023.1207431","url":null,"abstract":"Do you know that there are plants that steal food from other plants, damaging and even killing them? Are you curious about how and why they do it? Parasitic plants are unwelcome guests in agricultural fields and they can be extremely hard to get rid of, costing farmers a lot of money. In this article we will tell you about parasitic plants and how scientists are trying to fight them.","PeriodicalId":73060,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers for young minds","volume":"26 15","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139608933","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 : 2024-01-19DOI: 10.3389/frym.2023.1273603
Julie Sesen, Stephanie Ragland, Valentina Lagomarsino, Sara Busatto
The healthcare industry creates 4.4% of the world’s carbon emissions. To put this into perspective, if the healthcare industry were a country, it would be the fifth-largest carbon emitter on the planet. The goal of the healthcare industry is to create new, life-saving treatments for patients, but it also produces a lot of waste that cannot be recycled, such as plastic and chemicals. Additionally, this industry uses a lot of non-renewable energy. The Green Lab Project is a worldwide, 10-year-old program attempting to reduce the carbon emissions caused by the activities of scientists within the healthcare industry. The Green Lab project arrived at Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH) in 2020, at the request of a group of postdocs, graduate students, and employees. The BCH Green Labs group is working to sponsor environment-protecting projects and educate BCH scientists to adopt more responsible, informed, and “greener” work practices. This article will describe ways that BCH scientists are trying to reduce lab waste and energy consumption, including sharing equipment and materials to limit waste production, cleaning freezers regularly, and using outlet timers to avoid wasting energy.
{"title":"Green Labs: How Scientists Can Help Fight Climate Change","authors":"Julie Sesen, Stephanie Ragland, Valentina Lagomarsino, Sara Busatto","doi":"10.3389/frym.2023.1273603","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frym.2023.1273603","url":null,"abstract":"The healthcare industry creates 4.4% of the world’s carbon emissions. To put this into perspective, if the healthcare industry were a country, it would be the fifth-largest carbon emitter on the planet. The goal of the healthcare industry is to create new, life-saving treatments for patients, but it also produces a lot of waste that cannot be recycled, such as plastic and chemicals. Additionally, this industry uses a lot of non-renewable energy. The Green Lab Project is a worldwide, 10-year-old program attempting to reduce the carbon emissions caused by the activities of scientists within the healthcare industry. The Green Lab project arrived at Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH) in 2020, at the request of a group of postdocs, graduate students, and employees. The BCH Green Labs group is working to sponsor environment-protecting projects and educate BCH scientists to adopt more responsible, informed, and “greener” work practices. This article will describe ways that BCH scientists are trying to reduce lab waste and energy consumption, including sharing equipment and materials to limit waste production, cleaning freezers regularly, and using outlet timers to avoid wasting energy.","PeriodicalId":73060,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers for young minds","volume":"4 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139525881","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 : 2024-01-18DOI: 10.3389/frym.2023.1170456
Riley P Fortier, J. M. Heberling, Kenneth J. Feeley
When scientists study plants, they often collect, preserve, and store parts of the plants in a big collection called an herbarium. These plant specimens serve as proof that a species was growing in a certain place at a certain time. Herbaria (“herbaria” is the plural of herbarium) are where scientists describe new plant species and study how different species are related. Herbaria also contain lots of information about where certain plant species grow, what type of habitats species like, and at what time of year plants bloom and make fruits. Finally, herbaria are powerful tools for helping us understand how plants are affected by disturbances like habitat destruction and climate change. For all of these reasons, herbaria allow us to better understand and protect plant species all over the world. To continue benefitting from herbaria, we need to keep collecting plants and make these collections accessible to the world.
{"title":"What is an Herbarium and How Does it Help Us Protect Biodiversity?","authors":"Riley P Fortier, J. M. Heberling, Kenneth J. Feeley","doi":"10.3389/frym.2023.1170456","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frym.2023.1170456","url":null,"abstract":"When scientists study plants, they often collect, preserve, and store parts of the plants in a big collection called an herbarium. These plant specimens serve as proof that a species was growing in a certain place at a certain time. Herbaria (“herbaria” is the plural of herbarium) are where scientists describe new plant species and study how different species are related. Herbaria also contain lots of information about where certain plant species grow, what type of habitats species like, and at what time of year plants bloom and make fruits. Finally, herbaria are powerful tools for helping us understand how plants are affected by disturbances like habitat destruction and climate change. For all of these reasons, herbaria allow us to better understand and protect plant species all over the world. To continue benefitting from herbaria, we need to keep collecting plants and make these collections accessible to the world.","PeriodicalId":73060,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers for young minds","volume":"104 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139614763","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 : 2024-01-18DOI: 10.3389/frym.2023.1175170
L. Virta, Alf Norkko, Anna Villnäs
Did you ever eat too much salty popcorn? What happened afterwards? You probably became really thirsty. There was so much salt in the popcorn that the saltiness in your body got out of balance. The same way your popcorn can be too salty or just right, the saltiness in our oceans and coastal seas can be right or wrong for the marine life. You can tell the difference between salty ocean water and fresh lake water from their different tastes and smells, and from the fact that you can float easier in the ocean. However, the effects of saltiness are much more important for animals, plants, algae, and other organisms that live in the water—for them, saltiness is a matter of life and death.
{"title":"Salty, Brackish, Or Fresh—Saltiness Matters for Aquatic Species!","authors":"L. Virta, Alf Norkko, Anna Villnäs","doi":"10.3389/frym.2023.1175170","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frym.2023.1175170","url":null,"abstract":"Did you ever eat too much salty popcorn? What happened afterwards? You probably became really thirsty. There was so much salt in the popcorn that the saltiness in your body got out of balance. The same way your popcorn can be too salty or just right, the saltiness in our oceans and coastal seas can be right or wrong for the marine life. You can tell the difference between salty ocean water and fresh lake water from their different tastes and smells, and from the fact that you can float easier in the ocean. However, the effects of saltiness are much more important for animals, plants, algae, and other organisms that live in the water—for them, saltiness is a matter of life and death.","PeriodicalId":73060,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers for young minds","volume":"121 15","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139615080","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 : 2024-01-16DOI: 10.3389/frym.2023.1052361
Elisa Laiolo, Intikhab Alam, Mahmut Uludag, Tahira Jamil, S. Agustí, Takashi Gojobori, S. Acinas, J. Gasol, Carlos M Duarte
Life has been evolving in the oceans much longer than it has on land, resulting in highly diverse ocean organisms—particularly microbes like bacteria and archaea. Ocean microbes perform crucial functions that influence the health of the ocean and ultimately impact Earth’s climate. To understand the diversity and functions of marine organisms, scientists have used a powerful technique called metagenomics to study the DNA of all the organisms present in an ocean-water sample at once. In our research, we combined results from multiple ocean metagenomic studies, taken from various locations and depth zones across the world’s oceans, to produce a global ocean genome composed of 317.5 million groups of similar genes—approximately half of which could be categorized by type of organism and function. This unprecedented amount of data has much to teach us about varied ocean habitats and can help scientists answer many questions about ocean organisms and their functions.
{"title":"The Global Ocean Genome: A “Catalog” of Ocean Life","authors":"Elisa Laiolo, Intikhab Alam, Mahmut Uludag, Tahira Jamil, S. Agustí, Takashi Gojobori, S. Acinas, J. Gasol, Carlos M Duarte","doi":"10.3389/frym.2023.1052361","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frym.2023.1052361","url":null,"abstract":"Life has been evolving in the oceans much longer than it has on land, resulting in highly diverse ocean organisms—particularly microbes like bacteria and archaea. Ocean microbes perform crucial functions that influence the health of the ocean and ultimately impact Earth’s climate. To understand the diversity and functions of marine organisms, scientists have used a powerful technique called metagenomics to study the DNA of all the organisms present in an ocean-water sample at once. In our research, we combined results from multiple ocean metagenomic studies, taken from various locations and depth zones across the world’s oceans, to produce a global ocean genome composed of 317.5 million groups of similar genes—approximately half of which could be categorized by type of organism and function. This unprecedented amount of data has much to teach us about varied ocean habitats and can help scientists answer many questions about ocean organisms and their functions.","PeriodicalId":73060,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers for young minds","volume":" 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139620380","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 : 2024-01-12DOI: 10.3389/frym.2023.1329759
Shir Nagar, Boaz M. Ben-David, Mario Mikulincer
According to one of the most important theories in psychology, called attachment theory, being close to a person who loves and supports us in times of need evokes a sense of security that allows us to explore the world around us. But can this sense of security also give us “superpowers”, such as an improved sense of hearing? To test this, we conducted an experiment in which we performed two hearing tests: one was a regular test and, in the other, participants looked at a picture of a trusted loved one. The results were very surprising—when the participants looked at a picture of their loved one, their threshold for hearing was significantly better. So, the next time you try to hear a whisper, try to imagine the face of someone you love—you might be able to hear better.
{"title":"How Looking at a Picture of a Loved One Can Improve Your Hearing","authors":"Shir Nagar, Boaz M. Ben-David, Mario Mikulincer","doi":"10.3389/frym.2023.1329759","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frym.2023.1329759","url":null,"abstract":"According to one of the most important theories in psychology, called attachment theory, being close to a person who loves and supports us in times of need evokes a sense of security that allows us to explore the world around us. But can this sense of security also give us “superpowers”, such as an improved sense of hearing? To test this, we conducted an experiment in which we performed two hearing tests: one was a regular test and, in the other, participants looked at a picture of a trusted loved one. The results were very surprising—when the participants looked at a picture of their loved one, their threshold for hearing was significantly better. So, the next time you try to hear a whisper, try to imagine the face of someone you love—you might be able to hear better.","PeriodicalId":73060,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers for young minds","volume":"40 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140509557","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 : 2024-01-11DOI: 10.3389/frym.2023.1161075
Krista L. Wahlstrom, Cory S. Inman
Do you ever wonder why you remember some experiences better than others? Why do you remember that funny joke your friend told at lunch a few months ago or the scary snake you saw in your backyard, but not that time you went to the post office with your parents? Just like a computer has a save button, our brains do, too! When something scary, exciting, or strange happens, a small part of the brain, the amygdala, helps us click “save” on that event so we can remember it later. Decades of research have helped scientists understand what parts of the brain are important for memory and how the amygdala works with other brain regions to tag experiences as worth remembering. This research is important for understanding how memories are formed and can help us create new therapies for people with memory problems, who have trouble forming new memories and remembering past experiences.
{"title":"Your Brain’s “Save” Button: The Amygdala","authors":"Krista L. Wahlstrom, Cory S. Inman","doi":"10.3389/frym.2023.1161075","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frym.2023.1161075","url":null,"abstract":"Do you ever wonder why you remember some experiences better than others? Why do you remember that funny joke your friend told at lunch a few months ago or the scary snake you saw in your backyard, but not that time you went to the post office with your parents? Just like a computer has a save button, our brains do, too! When something scary, exciting, or strange happens, a small part of the brain, the amygdala, helps us click “save” on that event so we can remember it later. Decades of research have helped scientists understand what parts of the brain are important for memory and how the amygdala works with other brain regions to tag experiences as worth remembering. This research is important for understanding how memories are formed and can help us create new therapies for people with memory problems, who have trouble forming new memories and remembering past experiences.","PeriodicalId":73060,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers for young minds","volume":" 26","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139627063","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 : 2024-01-11DOI: 10.3389/frym.2023.1257749
Flavie Detcheverry, Sneha Senthil, Sridar Narayanan, A. Badhwar
As adults get older, their body functions decline. This can cause a build up of harmful substances, called reactive oxygen species, which can damage the cells: the process is called oxidative stress. Luckily, the body uses superhero chemicals called antioxidants to fight against oxidative stress, with the most common being a chemical called glutathione. We were curious to know whether glutathione levels change with age, and how. In previous studies, some researchers measured glutathione levels in the brains of healthy individuals and in the preserved brains of people that had passed away. Other researchers measured glutathione levels in the blood. We analyzed all the results to see how they fit together. Compared to young adults, glutathione levels in older people were either higher, lower, or unchanged depending on the brain region scientists looked at. In blood, glutathione levels were usually lower with increasing age. This means that oxidative stress contributes to aging by damaging the cells in different parts of the brain and in the body, and that the superhero chemical provides protection by fighting oxidative stress.
{"title":"A Molecular Superhero That Helps Fight Aging","authors":"Flavie Detcheverry, Sneha Senthil, Sridar Narayanan, A. Badhwar","doi":"10.3389/frym.2023.1257749","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frym.2023.1257749","url":null,"abstract":"As adults get older, their body functions decline. This can cause a build up of harmful substances, called reactive oxygen species, which can damage the cells: the process is called oxidative stress. Luckily, the body uses superhero chemicals called antioxidants to fight against oxidative stress, with the most common being a chemical called glutathione. We were curious to know whether glutathione levels change with age, and how. In previous studies, some researchers measured glutathione levels in the brains of healthy individuals and in the preserved brains of people that had passed away. Other researchers measured glutathione levels in the blood. We analyzed all the results to see how they fit together. Compared to young adults, glutathione levels in older people were either higher, lower, or unchanged depending on the brain region scientists looked at. In blood, glutathione levels were usually lower with increasing age. This means that oxidative stress contributes to aging by damaging the cells in different parts of the brain and in the body, and that the superhero chemical provides protection by fighting oxidative stress.","PeriodicalId":73060,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers for young minds","volume":" 12","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139625306","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 : 2024-01-11DOI: 10.3389/frym.2023.1237191
Anthony Nasser
Do you ever think about how people can skip, hop, run, and jump? It is largely thanks to our incredible tendons! Tendons connect muscles to bones, with the special job of transferring the muscle’s power to the attached bones to help us move. Tendons are strong and do not change shape easily. This helps ensure our bodies move efficiently. Did you know that there are thousands of tendons in the body? The largest of all is the Achilles tendon, in the ankle. Whilst tendons are strong and resilient, they can become injured. The most common injury to tendons is called tendinopathy. Exercises are commonly used to treat tendon pain. In fact, exercise makes tendons stronger and helps people return to doing the activities they love.
{"title":"Can Exercise Help Our Tendons?","authors":"Anthony Nasser","doi":"10.3389/frym.2023.1237191","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frym.2023.1237191","url":null,"abstract":"Do you ever think about how people can skip, hop, run, and jump? It is largely thanks to our incredible tendons! Tendons connect muscles to bones, with the special job of transferring the muscle’s power to the attached bones to help us move. Tendons are strong and do not change shape easily. This helps ensure our bodies move efficiently. Did you know that there are thousands of tendons in the body? The largest of all is the Achilles tendon, in the ankle. Whilst tendons are strong and resilient, they can become injured. The most common injury to tendons is called tendinopathy. Exercises are commonly used to treat tendon pain. In fact, exercise makes tendons stronger and helps people return to doing the activities they love.","PeriodicalId":73060,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers for young minds","volume":" 11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139625903","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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