The connections between the left and the right hemispheres of the brain strengthen in young children while they sleeo, which may help brain functions mature, according to a new paper.

Scientists have known that the brain changes drastically during early childhood: New connections are formed, others are removed and a fatty layer called "myelin" forms around nerve fibers in the brain. The growth of myelin strengthens the connections by speeding up the transfer of information.

Maturation of nerve fibers leads to improvement in skills such as language, attention and impulse control. But it is still not clear what role sleep plays in the development of such brain connections.

The caffeine in a cup of coffee might help your small blood vessels work better, according to a paper presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2013, which followed 27 healthy adults and showed that drinking a cup of caffeinated coffee significantly improved blood flow in a finger, which is a measure of how well the inner lining of the body's smaller blood vessels work.

Specifically, participants who drank a cup of caffeinated coffee had a 30 percent increase in blood flow over a 75-minute period compared to those who drank decaffeinated coffee.  

A research team has uncovered what may be the first recognized example of ancient Martian crust.

The genome sequence of a 24,000-year-old Siberian individual demonstrates genomic signatures that are basal to present-day western Eurasians and close to modern Native Americans and provides a key piece of the puzzle in the quest for Native American origins and also sheds light on the genetic landscape of Eurasia 24,000 years ago. 

People are already attached to their smartphones but if you have ever been in an airport waiting area and watched them scramble for outlets, you know recharging is not in the 21st century yet.

There are some solar recharging devices but they are more novelty than practical. A new paper in Nano Letters highlights a battery that can be woven into clothing fibers or incorporated into watchbands - and it even has solar cells for recharging. 

About 11 million smokers in the United States own a smartphone - they have apps to do almost anything, including quitting smoking.

Like weight loss or any other behavioral change, their ability to help is limited. But there are some basic strategies most likely to work, and most popular anti-smoking apps for iPhones or Androids lack even those, according to a new study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.