Our bodies need movement, starting from a young age. A recent study confirms this, linking prolonged sitting with a spike in blood pressure.



The study suggests that for every six hours of sedentary behavior per day from childhood through young adulthood, a 4 mmHg increase in systolic blood pressure may occur. Simply put, prolonged sitting and inactivity can raise your blood pressure from childhood all the way into your early adult years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sitting-time-and-blood-pressure">Sitting time and blood pressure</h2>



The study, conducted by the Universities of <a href="https://www.bristol.ac.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bristol</a> and <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Exeter</a> in the UK and the University of Eastern Finland, tracked the activities and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sitting-too-much-can-cause-premature-aging-even-if-you-exercise/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">health outcomes</a> of 2,513 children from ages 11 to 24 years. 



The children’s activities were broken down into sedentary periods, periods of light physical activity (LPA), and intervals of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA).



As the children grew older, an increase in sedentary time and a decrease in LPA were recorded. When comparing the changes in the subjects' blood pressure rates from childhood to adulthood, a persistent rise in sedentary time was linked with an average 4 mmHg excess spike in systolic blood pressure. 



Interestingly, while moderate-to-vigorous physical activity did not lower blood pressure, participation in light physical activity from childhood reduced the final level by 3 mmHg.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-less-sitting-time-for-healthy-blood-pressure">Less sitting time for healthy blood pressure</h2>



Andrew Agbaje, a physician and associate professor of Clinical Epidemiology and Child Health at the <a href="https://www.uef.fi/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Eastern Finland</a>, highlights the significance of these findings.



“When 10 minutes out of every hour spent sedentary was replaced with an&nbsp;equal amount of LPA from childhood through young adulthood in a simulation model, systolic blood pressure decreased by 3 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure by 2 mmHg," said Agbaje.



"This is significant, as it has been reported in adults that a systolic blood pressure reduction of 5 mmHg decreases the risk of heart attack and stroke by ten percent.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-world-s-longest-follow-up">World's longest follow-up</h2>



This study is the world's largest and longest follow-up of accelerometer-measured movement behavior and blood pressure progression in youth. 



The research not only took into account blood pressure, sitting time, LPA, and MVPA, but it also included repeated measures of fasting blood samples at ages 11, 15, and 24 years. 



Additionally, socio-economic status, family history of cardiovascular disease, and smoking status were accounted for in the analyses.



A striking revelation in the study was that previous attempts to lower blood pressure in young individuals through MVPA-based randomized controlled trials were unsuccessful. An increase in muscle mass due to MVPA, it seems, merely enhances a physical increase in blood pressure. 



This finding shows how crucial it is to focus on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/walking-can-counteract-the-health-risks-of-sitting/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">light physical activities</a>, rather than high-intensity workouts, in controlling blood pressure in young individuals.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-to-healthy-blood-pressure">Key to healthy blood pressure</h2>



The World Health Organization estimates that physical inactivity-related diseases could cause 500 million new cases by 2030. Half of these cases might be linked to high blood pressure, highlighting the urgent need for proactive measures to reduce sitting time.



"At least three hours of LPA per day is critical to preventing and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/just-5-minutes-of-daily-exercise-can-lower-blood-pressure/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reversing elevated blood pressure</a> and hypertension. Examples of LPA are long walks, house chores, swimming, and bicycling," said Dr. Agbaje.



"We all, parents, paediatricians and policymakers included, should encourage children and adolescents to participate in LPA to keep their blood pressure in a healthy range."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-technology-and-light-physical-activity">Technology and light physical activity </h2>



Technology offers both challenges and opportunities for getting kids active. While screens can lead to less outdoor play, we can use tech to promote movement and reduce sitting time. 



Wearable fitness trackers and apps help kids stay active by tracking their steps, reminding them to move, and providing fun challenges. 



Schools and communities can make a difference by using these tools to inspire kids to engage in activities through games and rewards.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-supporting-the-research">Supporting the research</h2>



Dr. Agbaje's research group, urFIT-child, is backed by grants from multiple esteemed foundations, including the Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation, the Finnish Cultural Foundation Central Fund, and the Novo Nordisk Foundation, among others.



Their work continues to shed light on the importance of reducing sitting and promoting light physical activity to maintain healthy blood pressure in our growing generation.



Remember – sit less, move more. Your blood pressure, your <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sedentary-time-in-childhood-linked-to-heart-enlargement/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">heart</a>, and ultimately, your health, will thank you for it.



The study is published in the <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jcsm.13639" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal of Cachexia Sarcopenia and Muscle</a>. 



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Sitting too much can raise blood pressure, even in kids

Our bodies need movement, starting from a young age. A recent study confirms this, linking prolonged sitting with a spike in blood pressure. The study suggests that for every six hours of sedentary behavior per day from childhood through young adulthood, a 4 mmHg increase in systolic blood pressure may occur. Simply put, prolonged sitting and inactivity can raise your blood pressure from childhood all the way into your early adult years. Sitting time and blood pressure The study, conducted by the Universities of Bristol and Exeter...

Motivation is a highly important process in life, often marking the difference between success and failure, goal-directedness and aimlessness, or wellbeing and unhappiness. However, becoming and staying motivated is far from easy, prompting many scientists to look for ways of boosting motivation.



Now, a team of researchers led by the <a href="https://www.epfl.ch/en/">Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne</a> (EPFL) has investigated whether differences in the metabolites in the brain affect our capacity for motivation, and whether nutritional interventions could be an effective vehicle to improve motivated performance. The scientists focused on an area of the brain called the “nucleus accumbens,” which plays a major role in regulating functions such as reward, reinforcement, aversion, and most importantly, motivation.



Like all tissues in our body, the brain is subjected to constant <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/exposure-to-green-space-reduces-oxidative-stress-in-children/">oxidative stress</a>, as a result of its metabolism. As cells consume various molecules to garner energy, they produce toxic waste products in the form of highly reactive molecules known as “oxidative species.” Although cells have several mechanisms in place to clear oxidative species, sometimes this capacity is disturbed in a process called “oxidative stress.” The question the researchers focused on in this study was whether antioxidant levels in the brain’s nucleus accumbens can affect motivation, by looking into the brain’s most important antioxidant, a protein called glutathione (GSH).



“We assessed relationships between metabolites in the nucleus accumbens – a key brain region – and motivated performance,” said study senior author Carmen Sandi, a behavioral neuroscientist at EPFL. “We then turned to animals to understand the mechanism and probe causality between the found metabolite and performance, proving as well that nutritional interventions modify behavior through this pathway.”



By using a technique called “proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy,” the researchers assessed the relationship between GSH levels in the brain and performance in tasks measuring motivation in both humans and rats. The analysis reveled that higher levels of GSH were linked to better and steady performance in motivation tasks.



“Our study provides novel insights on how brain metabolism relates to behavior and puts forward nutritional interventions targeting key oxidative process as ideal interventions to facilitate effortful endurance,” the authors explained. Their findings “suggest that improvement of accumbal antioxidant function may be a feasible approach to boost motivation.”



“N-acetylcysteine, the nutritional supplement that we gave in our study can also be synthesized in the body from its precursor cysteine,” Sandi added. “Cysteine is contained in ‘high-protein foods,’ such as meat, chicken, fish or seafood. Other sources with lower content are eggs, whole-grain foods such as breads and cereals, and some vegetables such as broccoli, onions, and legumes.”



“Of course, there are other ways beyond N-acetylcysteine to increase GSH levels in the body, but how they relate to levels in the brain – and particularly in the nucleus accumbens – is largely unknown. Our study represents a proof of principle that dietary N-acetylcysteine can increase brain GSH levels and facilitate effortful behavior,” she concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.77791">eLife</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Nutritional interventions can boost motivation in the brain

Motivation is a highly important process in life, often marking...

In many countries, ultra-processed <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/benefits-of-blue-foods-are-not-reaching-millions-of-people/">foods</a> (UPFs) - ready-to-eat-or-heat industrial formulations made with ingredients extracted from foods or synthesized in laboratories, including prepackaged soups, sauces, frozen pizza, hot dogs, sausages, sodas, ice cream, and store-bought cookies, cakes, candies, and doughnuts – have gradually been replacing traditional foods made from fresh or minimally processed ingredients. However, extensive consumption of such foods is highly dangerous, and can lead to illness or even death. According to a recent study led by the <a href="https://www.fearp.usp.br/en/index.php/where-we-are/university-of-sao-paulo">University of São Paulo</a> in Brazil, increased consumption of UPFs was associated with over 10 percent of all-cause premature deaths in Brazil in 2019.&nbsp;



“Previous modelling studies have estimated the health and economic burden of critical ingredients, such as sodium, sugar and trans fats, and specific foods or drinks, such as sugar sweetened beverages,” said study lead investigator Eduardo A.F. Nilson, an expert in Nutrition and Health at the University of São Paulo. “To our knowledge, no study to date has estimated the potential impact of UPFs on premature deaths. Knowing the deaths attributable to the consumption of these foods and modeling how changes in dietary patterns can support more effective food policies might prevent disease and premature deaths.”



The scientists modelled data from nationally representative dietary surveys to estimate baseline intakes of UPFs by age- and sex-groups, and used statistical analyses to estimate the proportion of total deaths attributable to the consumption of these foods, as well as the impact of reducing intake of UPFs by 10, 20, and 50 percent within various age groups.



The analysis revealed that consumption of UPFs ranged from 13 to 21 percent of total food intake in Brazil in 2019, with a total of 541,260 adults aged 30 to 69 dying prematurely, of whom 261,061 were from preventable, non-infectious diseases. Among these, 57,000 could be attributed to the consumption of UPFs, corresponding to 10.5 percent of all premature deaths and 21.8 percent of all deaths from preventable noncommunicable diseases. Since in countries such as the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, or Australia UPFs account for over half of the total caloric intake, their estimated impact would most likely be even higher.



“Consumption of UPFs is associated with many disease outcomes, such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, some cancers, and other diseases, and it represents a significant cause of preventable and premature deaths among Brazilian adults,” Dr. Nilson explained. “Even reducing consumption of UPFs to the levels of just a decade ago would reduce associated premature deaths by 21 percent. Policies that disincentivize the consumption of UPFs are urgently needed.”



Reducing the consumption of UPFs and promoting healthier choices would require multiple interventions and public health measures, such as developing new fiscal and regulatory policies, changing food environments, strengthening the implementation of food-based dietary guidelines, and improving consumer knowledge, attitudes, and behavior.



The study is published in the <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2022.08.013">American Journal of Preventive Medicine</a>. &nbsp;&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Ultra-processed foods associated with premature deaths

In many countries, ultra-processed foods (UPFs) - ready-to-eat-or-heat industrial formulations...

A new study led by <a href="https://www.nyu.edu/">New York University</a> (NYU) has found that one in five people who survive cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) after cardiac arrest described lucid experiences of death that occurred while they were seemingly unconscious.&nbsp;



The study involved 567 participants whose hearts stopped beating while hospitalized and received CPR between May 2017 and March 2020 in the United States and the United Kingdom. Survivors reported having unique lucid <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/near-death-experience/">near-death experiences</a>, such as perceptions of a separation from the body and observations of external events without fear or distress, together with a meaningful evaluation of their lives, actions, intentions, and thoughts toward others. According to the scientists, these experiences were different from hallucinations, delusions, illusions, dreams, or CPR-induced states of consciousness.



Brain scans revealed spikes of brain activity, including the activation of so-called gamma, delta, theta, alpha, and beta waves up to an hour into CPR. Such brain waves usually occur when people are conscious and performing higher mental functions like thinking, memory retrieval, or conscious perception.&nbsp;



“These recalled experiences and brain wave changes may be the first signs of the so-called near-death experience, and we have captured them for the first time in a large study,” said study lead investigator Sam Parnia, an associate professor of Medicine at NYU. “Our results offer evidence that while on the brink of death and in a coma, people undergo a unique inner conscious experience, including awareness without distress.”



These findings suggest that the sense of self and consciousness, much like other biological body functions, may not stop completely around the time of death. “These lucid experiences cannot be considered a trick of a disordered or dying brain, but rather a unique human experience that emerges on the brink of death,”&nbsp;Parnia explained.



As the brain is shutting down, several of its natural braking systems are released, in a phenomenon known as “disinhibition,” which gives access to the depths of a person’s consciousness, providing access to stored memories and thoughts from early childhood and other periods in life. While the evolutionary function of such phenomena is not yet clear, they open intriguing questions about the nature of human consciousness and the meaning of life.



The study was presented at a resuscitation science symposium that is part of the <a href="https://exhibitatsessions.org/scientific-sessions/">American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2022</a> (Chicago, November 6, 2022).



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Many patients have death experiences during CPR

A new study led by New York University (NYU) has...

Currently, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cannabis-contamination-is-a-serious-public-health-risk/">cannabis</a> has been legalized in many US states, as well as other countries around the world, and is increasingly used to treat a variety of health conditions, such as depression or glaucoma. However, according to several new studies, consuming cannabis could be as damaging to the heart as smoking cigarettes.



For instance, a team of Canadian researchers has found that, in regular users, the drug increased blood pressure and heart rate in a similar way that heavy smoking does, thus increasing the risk of heart attacks in less healthy users.



"When the tobacco industry first began, we didn’t know the damage smoking caused,” explained Abbas Alshami, a New Jersey-based cardiologist.&nbsp;“It was only once it was in widespread use that we started seeing the health consequences, and acted to try to limit it.&nbsp;Unfortunately, millions of people died avoidable deaths before that happened.”



“I feel like we are going through the same thing with cannabis now. We’re alarmed by what we’re seeing, and would like to see much tougher restrictions reimposed. Many people here [in the US] have no idea that cannabis is harmful but, clearly, it is.”



In another study, which examined nearly 35 million hospital admission records, scientists found that the chance of cannabis users developing acute coronary syndrome – an umbrella term for heart-related conditions in which the blood supply to the heart becomes compromised, such as angina pectoralis or different types of heart attacks – was similar to that heavy cigarette smokers face. Moreover, previous research has also revealed that cannabis users who had common conditions such as chronic kidney disease were more likely to suffer heart attacks or strokes than those who didn’t consume the drug.



Thus, in terms of heart risk, cannabis can be seen as “the new tobacco,” as Robert Paige – a researcher at the <a href="https://www.heart.org/">American Heart Association</a> – put it. “Cannabis is a psychotropic drug that not only has an impact on the brain but also the nervous system, so what we’re seeing in these studies makes a lot of sense.”



“The worry is that we're observing an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes even in younger adults, who are the biggest recreational users of cannabis. This is a huge signal that warrants more research,” he concluded.



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Cannabis may damage heart health as much as cigarettes

Currently, cannabis has been legalized in many US states, as...

According to a new study published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2116967119">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>, engaging infants with music supports <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fathers-age-social-development/">social development</a> by synchronizing caregiver-infant social engagement.



The scientists enrolled 112 infants who were either two or six months old and tracked their eye-movements while listening to a recording of a caregiver singing. The analysis revealed that the rhythm of caregivers’ singing causes infant eye-looking to become synchronized or entrained to the caregivers’ social cues at sub-second timescales.



At two months of age – when infants start to engage with others in an interactive manner – infants were twice more likely to look to the singers’ eyes time-locked to the musical beat, and, by six months of age, when infants are more experienced in face-to-face musical games and are developing rather sophisticated rhythmic and communicative behaviors such as babbling, they were more than four times as likely to look to the singers’ eyes synchronized to the musical beats.&nbsp;



“Singing to infants seems like such a simple act, but it is full of rich and meaningful social information,” said study lead author Miriam Lense, an assistant professor of Otolaryngology and co-director of the Music Cognition Lab at the <a href="https://www.vumc.org/">Vanderbilt University Medical Center</a> (VUMC). “Here we show that when caregivers sing to their infants, they are intuitively structuring their behavior to support the caregiver-infant social bond and infant social learning.”



The scientists used videos of singing rather than live singing to make sure that any changes in infant looking behavior were due to the infant, and not the caregiver adjusting to the infant. “Infants could look anywhere while watching the videos but we found that their looking behavior was not random,” Lense explained.



“Critically, the predictable rhythm of singing is essential for this entrained social interaction. When we experimentally manipulate the singing so that it no longer has a predictable rhythm, entrainment is disrupted and infants no longer successfully synchronize their eye-looking to the caregivers’ social cues.”



To confirm their findings, the researchers enrolled another group of six-month-old infants who watched both the original video, and videos that had been manipulated so their rhythms were no longer predictable. While the infants displayed entrained eye-looking to the original videos, this effect was no longer present when the predictable rhythm had been disrupted.



“This is important because it reveals a remarkable physical coupling between caregiver behavior and infant experience,” said study senior author Warren Jones, an expert in autism at <a href="https://www.emory.edu/home/index.html">Emory University</a>. “Without conscious awareness, something as simple and intuitive as caregiver singing sets in motion a whole cascade of behaviors that alters infants’ experiences.”&nbsp;



These findings suggest that music is not only about entertainment, but is in fact a core aspect of early socio-emotional development, and highlight the extent to which very young children are sensitive to musical rhythm, as well as the complex ways in which music is intertwined with early social engagement.



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Music promotes social development in infants

According to a new study published in the journal Proceedings...

The World Health Organization states that eating a healthy diet can reduce our risks of suffering from non-communicable diseases and conditions, such as obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer. A healthy diet should include at least five portions of vegetables or fruit per day, less saturated and trans- fats, more unsaturated fats of plant origin, less processed meat and less salt. These guidelines are publicly available in the media and form part of the curriculum taught to most children in schools across the globe. But are we listening?



A comprehensive study, and the first to include findings for children as well as adults, has now reviewed more than 1,100 different surveys on food and nutrient consumption levels in 185 different countries between 1990 and 2018. The researchers, who were from the <a href="http://nutrition.tufts.edu/">Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University</a>,&nbsp;obtained the survey data from the Global Dietary Database, a large, collaborative compilation of data on dietary behaviour in people. They analysed the quality of diets on a global, national and regional level to understand the changes that have occurred since 1990.&nbsp;



The researchers used a scale known as the <a href="https://dash.harvard.edu/bitstream/handle/1/41426798/84523%20403a40c3ceff.pdf?sequence=1">Alternative Healthy Eating Index</a>, a validated measure of diet quality that ranks peoples’ diets from 0 to 100. With this system, 0 represents a poor diet that does not fulfil the WHO’s dietary recommendations and is loaded with added sugar, salt, and saturated fat, and is deficient in fruits and vegetables. To score 100 on this scale, a person’s diet must contain the recommended balance of fruits, vegetables, legumes/nuts and whole grains, must contain minimal added sugar and salt, and make use of modest amounts of fat, mostly unsaturated fats of plant origin.



The results, published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s43016-022-00594-9">Nature Food</a>, showed that regional average diet quality ranged from as low as 30.3 in Latin America and the Caribbean to as high as 45.7 in South Asia. The average score of all 185 countries included in the study was 40.3, which represents a paltry 1.5 increase since 1990. Only 10 countries, representing less than 1 percent of the world’s population, had scores of over 50. The world’s highest scoring countries were Vietnam, Iran, Indonesia and India, and the lowest scoring were Brazil, Mexico, the United States and Egypt.&nbsp;



“Intake of legumes/nuts and non-starchy vegetables increased over time, but overall improvements in dietary quality were offset by increased intake of unhealthy components such as red/processed meat, sugar-sweetened beverages, and sodium,” said study lead author Victoria Miller, a visiting scientist from McMaster University.



These results seem to highlight the fact that we are not really listening to the WHO guidelines. Although there has been a small improvement globally in the past 30 years, there are clearly significant challenges to implementing healthy eating behaviour in most countries. There was evidence that nutritious eating options had become more popular in the United States, Vietnam, China and Iran, but this trend was not see in other countries, such as Tanzania, Nigeria and Japan.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Globally, diets were affected by demographic factors, with adult women being more likely to eat recommended diets than adult men, and older adults eating more healthily than younger adults. In addition, young children had better quality diets than teenagers.



“On average across the world, dietary quality was also greater among younger children but then worsened as children aged,” said Miller. “This suggests that early childhood is an important time for intervention strategies to encourage the development of healthy food preferences.”&nbsp;



“Healthy eating was also influenced by socioeconomic factors, including education level and urbanicity. Globally and in most regions, more educated adults and children with more educated parents generally had higher overall dietary quality.” The researchers say that, although the study has some limitations, the findings offer key benchmarks for comparison as new information is added to the Global Dietary Database. In addition, their results offer nutrition researchers, health agencies, and policymakers the opportunity to understand trends in dietary intake and take appropriate action to encourage healthy eating in future, such as promoting meals made up of fresh produce, seafood, and plant oils.



“We found that both too few healthy foods and too many unhealthy foods were contributing to global challenges in achieving recommended dietary quality,” said study co-author <a href="https://nutrition.tufts.edu/profile/faculty/dariush-mozaffarian">Dariush Mozaffarian</a>. “This suggests that policies that incentivize and reward more healthy foods, such as in healthcare, employer wellness programs, government nutrition programs, and agricultural policies, may have a substantial impact on improving nutrition in the United States and around the world.”



The research team next plans to look at estimating how different aspects of poor diets contribute to major disease conditions around the world, as well as to model the effects of various policies and programs to improve diets globally, regionally, and nationally.



This research was supported by&nbsp;grants from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and from the American Heart Association.&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Global diet quality has not improved in the past 30 years

The World Health Organization states that eating a healthy diet...

A new study reveals that one out of three Canadians experienced severe loneliness during the second wave of COVID-19. Dr. Lamson Lin Shen of the <a href="https://www.cityu.edu.hk/">City University of Hong Kong</a> estimates that loneliness affected 34.7 percent of the population, which is much higher than previous estimates of 14–27 percent that were established in other parts of the world.&nbsp;



According to the study, individuals who experienced job instability during the pandemic had double the risk of developing severe loneliness compared to people with secure employment.



“This concerning magnitude implies that during the pandemic lockdown, severe loneliness was ubiquitous in Canada,” said Dr. Lin. “This is probably due to the disruption in daily social activities, which normally help people cope with stress, as well as the intense social isolation caused by the lockdown measures implemented in many provinces of Canada.”



The research was focused on data from thousands of participants in the Canadian Perspective Survey Series, which was conducted during the second wave of the pandemic. Dr. Lin used machine learning to identify population patterns of loneliness.



The analysis revealed that migrants who experienced job insecurity - such as business closures, layoffs or absence from work due to COVID-19 infection - were among the most at risk of severe loneliness.



“The COVID-19 pandemic indeed amplified immigrants' susceptibility to loneliness,” said Dr. Lin. “This may be due to the fact that many migrants to Canada are over-represented in low-paid, low-skilled, unstable jobs, such as retail positions, cleaners, or cashiers, that require extensive interaction with the public, so they are at greater occupational risk of COVID-19 infection and consequential employment insecurity.”



The analysis also identified groups that have a higher risk of loneliness, regardless of the pandemic, including youth and adolescents, women, people living alone, people with a limited social circle, binge drinkers, abs recent cannabis users.&nbsp;



“My findings further shed light on the importance of building an equitable mental health care system in the pandemic response and recovery in Canada and other immigrant-receiving countries of the world,” said Dr Lin. “Primary care providers and mental health clinicians should assess loneliness symptoms in their routine patient examinations. At the community level, social care organizations should develop early prevention and intervention programs targeting high-risk groups with a greater burden of loneliness, especially for immigrant and marginalized populations.”



The study is published in the <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2022.08.131">Journal of Affective Disorders</a>.



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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Loneliness was widespread during the second wave of Covid

A new study reveals that one out of three Canadians...

A team of researchers from <a href="https://www.vt.edu/">Virginia Tech</a> and the <a href="https://www.birds.cornell.edu/home/">Cornell Lab of Ornithology</a> has recently received a grant from the <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/">Natural Science Foundation</a> (NSF) to investigate human-wildlife interactions through <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bird-feeders-helping-birds/">bird feeding</a>. By analyzing data from Cornell’s&nbsp;<a href="https://feederwatch.org/">Project FeederWatch</a>&nbsp;— a November-April participatory science project in which birders observe birds that visit backyards, nature centers, community areas, and other places in North America - the experts aim to learn how birds react to what people do in their backyards, how people react to what they see at bird feeders, and how birds impact people’s wellbeing.&nbsp;



“With this study, we will be able to explore how to maximize benefits to wildlife and humans in a dynamic system,” said principal investigator Ashley Dayer, a conservation social scientist at Virginia Tech. “Importantly, we aim to shed light on questions wildlife agencies are asking about how to address avian disease outbreaks. If they tell people to take down their bird feeders, how will that impact populations of birds and how will it impact human well-being if people are no longer seeing birds at their feeders?”&nbsp;



Besides exploring how to make changes to Project FeederWatch to include more minorities, such as Blacks, Indigenous people, or people with disabilities, the scientists will investigate ways of stopping the spread of a pathogen causing conjunctivitis in birds – an “indirectly lethal” disease which, although it doesn’t kill birds directly, it makes them lethargic and thus less able to feed themselves and more prone to predator attacks.&nbsp;



“We think that bird feeders ironically may help birds stay alive when they’re really sick because it provides an easy source of food,” explained co-principal investigator Dana Hawley, a professor of Biological Sciences at Virginia Tech. “But at the same time, by keeping diseased birds alive and using feeders, it’s probably contributing to spread, so there’s this trade-off where you might be helping diseased birds in an area by putting feeders up but potentially hurting the birds that have not gotten the disease yet.”



“What we’re looking for are ways to prevent spread rather than treating the birds, which is hard to do for wild birds. Preventing spread at feeders would minimize how many birds get sick in the first place. We’re trying to come up with some approaches for cleaning feeders that are realistic for people but still result in reduced spread of bacteria, such as using bleach wipes to clean feeding stations.”



According to the project leaders, conservation scientists cannot continue to study any biological phenomenon without incorporating an account of human behaviors and feelings. With this project, they hope to explore how important interaction with nature is for human wellbeing and possibly design new nature-based therapies for both physical and mental disorders.



“This is truly a transdisciplinary project in which the social sciences and the natural sciences will come together in the study of a complex system with significant outcomes for humans and ecological systems,” said Joel Snodgrass, head of the Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation. “The project clearly illustrates the interconnection among people, animals, and their shared environment and will provide students the opportunity to work at the cutting edge of science that addresses the complex environmental and human health challenges we currently face.”



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Exploring the impacts of human-wildlife interactions

A team of researchers from Virginia Tech and the Cornell...

A team of researchers led by the <a href="https://www.uq.edu.au/">University of Queensland</a> (UQ) in Australia has found that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/covid-disrupts-gut-health-increasing-risk-of-other-infections/">Covid-19</a> activates the same inflammatory response in the brain as Parkinson’s disease and other neurodegenerative diseases. The experts studied the effect of SARS-CoV-2 on the “microglia” – the brain’s immune cells, which play a fundamental role in the development of age-related neurodegenerative disorders.



“Our team grew human microglia in the laboratory and infected the cells with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19,” said study senior author Trent Woodruff, a professor of Pharmacology at UQ. “We found the cells effectively became ‘angry,’ activating the same pathway that Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s proteins can activate in disease, the inflammasomes.”



According to study lead author Eduardo Albornoz – a postdoctoral fellow in Neuroscience, Immunology, and Pharmacology at the same university – triggering the inflammasome pathway can spark a “fire” in the brain that begins a chronic and sustained process of killing off neurons.



“It’s kind of a silent killer, because you don’t see any outward symptoms for many&nbsp;years,” he said. “It may explain why some people who’ve had Covid-19 are more vulnerable to developing neurological symptoms similar to Parkinson’s disease.”



The scientists discovered that the spike protein of the virus was enough to start this process, which was further exacerbated when the brain already contained proteins linked to Parkinson’s disease. Thus, if someone is already pre-disposed to Parkinson’s, getting infected with the new coronavirus “could be like pouring more fuel on that “fire” in the brain,” according to Professor Woodruff.



Fortunately, the scientists also discovered a potential treatment – a class of UQ-developed inhibitory drugs that are currently in clinical trials with Parkinson’s patients. “We found it successfully blocked the inflammatory pathway activated by Covid-19, essentially putting out the fire,” Dr. Albornoz said. “The drug reduced inflammation in both Covid-19-infected mice and the microglia cells from humans, suggesting a possible treatment approach to prevent neurodegeneration in the future.”



“Further research is needed, but this is potentially a new approach to treating a virus that could otherwise have untold long-term health ramifications,” Professor Woodruff concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41380-022-01831-0">Molecular Psychiatry</a>. &nbsp;&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Covid-19 could trigger inflammation in the brain

A team of researchers led by the University of Queensland...

Although we may never learn about the existence of life beyond Earth or other intelligent civilizations, there is a significant chance that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/extraterrestrial-life-inside-planet/">extraterrestrial life</a> could be soon detected. But what will humanity do when we discover that we are not alone in the universe? The new <a href="https://seti.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/">SETI Post-Detection Hub</a>, hosted by the <a href="https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/">University of St Andrews</a> will act as a coordinating center for an international effort bringing together expertise across both the sciences and the humanities for devising impact assessments, protocols, procedures, and treaties designed to enable an efficient and responsible response.



&nbsp;“Science fiction is awash with explorations of the impact on human society following discovery of, and even encounters with, life or intelligence elsewhere.&nbsp;But we need to go beyond thinking about the impact on humanity. We need to coordinate our expert knowledge not only for assessing the evidence, but also for considering the human social response, as our understanding progresses and what we know and what we don’t know is communicated. And the time to do this is now,” said John Elliot, the coordinator of the SETI Post-Detection Hub.



“Scanning signals of assumed extra-terrestrial origin for structures of language and attaching meaning is an elaborate and time-consuming process during which our knowledge will be advanced in many steps as we learn ‘Extra-Terrestrial.’”



While there are many procedures and entities established by the United Nations for dealing with the possible threats posed by asteroid impacts, nothing similar is in place for the detection of extraterrestrial life. At the moment, the only existing “contact” protocols are those drawn up by the SETI community itself in 1989, which were last revised in 2010. However, these protocols focus solely on general scientific conduct, and constitute non-enforceable aspirations that fall short of being useful for practically managing the full process of searching, handling evidence, confirmation of detections, post-detection analysis and interpretation, and possible responses.



Fortunately, the SETI Post-Detection Hub now provides a permanent “home” for coordinating the development of a fully comprehensive framework for dealing with extraterrestrial life, drawing together an international community of scientists and policy experts to work on topics such as message decipherment, data analytics, and the development of regulatory protocols, space law, and societal impact strategies.



“Will we ever get a message from E.T.? We don’t know. We also don’t know when this is going to happen. But we do know that we cannot afford to be ill prepared – scientifically, socially, and politically rudderless – for an event that could turn into reality as early as tomorrow and which we cannot afford to mismanage,” concluded Dr. Elliot.



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

What will humans do if we discover extraterrestrial life?

Although we may never learn about the existence of life...

While good feline healthcare clearly requires visiting the veterinary clinic, many components of a veterinary visit or stay may potentially result in negative experiences for the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cats-can-tell-when-speech-is-directed-at-them/">cats</a>. These impacts can be far-reaching, including distress and prolonged recovery from illness for the cats, and, for the medical team, the risk of misleading test results and clinical findings, possible injuries, and increased difficulties with handling the cats at future veterinary visits.&nbsp;



Now, two recently published “Cat Friendly Guidelines” address in detail how to properly handle cats’ veterinary experiences, including their journey to the clinic, their interactions with the medical professionals, and the physical and social environment of the clinic (such as the presence of other animals in the waiting and hospitalization areas).&nbsp;



At the heart of these guidelines is the recognition that mental wellbeing is as important as physical health, and that the cats’ emotional experience is crucial during veterinary visits. The experts distinguish between a cat’s positive, or “engaging” emotions – which might lead it to explore the environment and seek food, treats, play, and social interaction – from its negative, or “protective” emotions of fear, frustration, or pain. This framework could help professionals better understand the feline perspective, identify underlying stressors, and decide what approach works best to resolve rather than exacerbate certain negative situations the cat might find itself in during such visits.



Since much of the behavior of cats is derived from their wildcat ancestor (Felis silvestris lybica) – such as their natural preference to rely on themselves for protection – familiarity, control, predictability, and avoidance of threats are essential for a cat’s perceived safety. According to the experts, minimizing negative experiences should start before reaching the clinic by considering what the cat will see, hear, and smell (with their highly tuned sensory system) during the journey to the clinic, and extend during the veterinary visit.



Some advice includes minimizing visual or auditory stimulation, by keeping away even pictures of cats or other animals, protecting the felines from noisy patients and loud clinical equipment, and maintaining all human vocalizations soft, gentle, and slow in tempo. Moreover, if the clinic treats also dogs, the medical team should remove potentially challenging scents by sweeping up dog hair, emptying bins of strong-smelling waste, and perhaps even using synthetic feline pheromones to create a more reassuring environment. Moreover, the medical team should remain “cat focused” during all the interactions, by being aware of the cats’ preferred areas of touch (such as the face), not leaning over or cornering the cats, avoiding direct eye contact, and using friendly equipment and positive distractions.



Implementing this type of “cooperative care” will require new skills to be developed and practiced, both at home and at the veterinary clinic, to help cats feel more relaxed and in control in situations where they may naturally feel fearful and frustrated.



The two guidelines are published in a special issue of the <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/page/jfm/collection/cat-friendly-special-issue">Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery</a>.&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

What does a cat-friendly veterinary experience look like?

While good feline healthcare clearly requires visiting the veterinary clinic,...

According to the <a href="https://www.heart.org/">American Heart Association</a>, cardiovascular disease claims more lives each year in the U.S. than all forms of cancer and chronic lower respiratory disease combined. However, advances in treatment and preventative medicine, as well as education about heart healthy lifestyle choices, had seen a steady decline in deaths due to heart disease during the past three decades. This trend marked a success story of note, but it saw a setback in 2020 due to the arrival of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/life-expectancy-continues-to-decline-due-to-covid/">COVID-19</a> pandemic.



In a presentation at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2022, being held November 5–7 both virtually and in Chicago, researchers have compared the national death rate from heart disease during 2020 with the death rates during the period 2010–2019. They did this by accessing the age-standardized death rates per 100,000 population from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s WONDER database, which aggregates death certificate data from the National Vital Statistics System.&nbsp;



Their analysis, presented during the AHA’s meeting, found that heart disease death rates increased in 2020, across adults in all age, sex, race and ethnicity groups, particularly among younger adults and non-Hispanic Black adults.



“Prior to 2020, death rates from heart disease had been declining among adults for decades, which has been recognized by the CDC as one of the ten greatest public health achievements of the last century,” said lead study author Rebecca C. Woodruff, Ph.D., M.P.H., an epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “The increases in death rates from heart disease in 2020 represented about 5 years of lost progress among adults nationwide and about 10 years of lost progress among younger adults and non-Hispanic Black adults,” she added.



The spread of COVID-19 in the U.S. began prompting school and workplace closures in some states in February 2020. It was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization the following month and stay-home orders were widespread. The first COVID-19 vaccinations for adults and some teens were available in December 2020.



“The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted many aspects of daily life, including access to preventive health care, which may have led to delays in detecting and treating heart disease,” Woodruff said. “We expected to see an increase in heart disease death rates among adults, however the magnitude of the increase was striking.”



In particular, the researchers found that, whereas the national heart disease rate among adults decreased by 9.8 percent between 2010 and 2019, it increased by 4.1 percent in 2020. This reversal represents about five years of lost progress in reducing heart disease death rates among adults.&nbsp;



The findings were even more unsettling for younger adults. Among 35- to 54-year-old people, deaths from heart disease fell by 5.5 percent between 2010 and 2019, yet they jumped up by12 percent in 2020. This represents approximately ten years of lost progress. Among 55- to 74-year-old adults, heart disease death rates were down by 2.3 percent between 2010 and 2019, yet they increased by 7.8 percent in 2020.



In addition, increases in heart disease death rates were high among non-Hispanic Black adults, who experienced approximately ten years of lost gains. In this group, heart disease death rates declined by 10.4 percent between 2010 and 2019, then increased by 11.2 percent in 2020.



Although further investigation needs to be done, the researchers name several factors implicated in the reversals of the heart disease death rate trend during 2020. Lockdowns saw people exercising less and smoking and drinking alcohol more regularly, all of which contributed to the higher cardiovascular death rates, said American Heart Association President Michelle A. Albert, M.D., M.P.H., FAHA, the Walter A. Haas-Lucie Stern Endowed Chair in Cardiology and professor of medicine at the University of California at San Francisco. In addition, growing evidence suggests that people who have had COVID-19 infection may be at an increased risk for new or worsening cardiovascular disease.&nbsp;



“These social determinants of health have a larger effect on people who are economically disadvantaged – Black people, Hispanic people and Indigenous and Native individuals – so then you have a domino effect resulting in higher death rates and more disease among these populations,” Albert explained.



She urged action from both citizens and health care professionals. “If you are a person who has not received medical care for one or more years because of the pandemic, please seek out care from a health care professional. And it’s important for health care professionals to really take a look at their pool of patients to identify those persons who have dropped off their radar, and reach out to those people and offer medical assistance, as well as potentially connect them with the social resources that they might need now coming out of the pandemic.”



Woodruff added that the CDC is actively investigating heart disease trends after 2020 to see how the trends have changed since then. Meanwhile, there are steps to better manage cardiovascular disease risk going forward. Everyone can improve cardiovascular health by following the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-lifestyle/lifes-essential-8">American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8:</a> eat better, be physically active, do not smoke, get enough sleep, maintain a healthy weight, and control blood pressure, as well as levels of cholesterol and blood sugar.



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By <a href="mailto:bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Heart disease deaths increased during COVID, reversing progress

According to the American Heart Association, cardiovascular disease claims more...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Nushagak Bay, a large estuary in southwest Alaska. Nushagak runs mainly north to south and exits in Bristol Bay, a large body of water in the Bering Sea.



"The bay is primarily fed by the Nushagak River, which begins in the Alaska Range and flows southwest approximately 450 km. The bay is also fed by several additional rivers including the Wood, Igushik, Snake and Weary rivers," says ESA.



"The dark colors of the Nushagak River are most likely due to tannins or lignins (chemical substances found in plants). Tannins and lignins from roots, leaves, seeds, bark and soil can leach into the water and give it a brown or even black colour. The sediments then flow southwards where it is mixed with the bluer waters of the bay."



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> (ACS) reveals that proteins on flu viruses are actually flexible, tilting and waving in a “breath-like” motion. According to the experts, these proteins could be used to better defend against the flu.



"The main antigenic targets of influenza virus are two surface glycoproteins, hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). Whereas the structural and dynamical properties of both glycoproteins have been studied previously, the understanding of their plasticity in the whole-virion context is fragmented," wrote the researchers.



To investigate, the team conducted detailed simulations of the influenza A H1N1 virion, or the swine flu. The experts concluded that the visualizations show many new vulnerable states of flu viruses, which could improve future vaccines and antiviral drugs.



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

[sendtonews key="G9bUoxcjr4-2511624-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Lake Trasimeno, which is located west of Perugia in central Italy. It is the fourth largest lake in the country. While Trasimeno’s water level varies, it has a maximum depth of approximately six meters.&nbsp;



"In this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image, captured on 6 August 2022, the lake’s emerald green colour is likely due to the presence of phytoplankton. Streaks in the water, particularly visible in the west, indicate the presence of soil and sediments which have been stirred up by winds. Dark colored waters in the southern part of the lake indicate a presence of submerged and floating macrophytes (aquatic plants) as well as algae," says ESA.



"Surrounded by hills on three sides, Trasimeno is subject to heavy storms created by winds, especially from the north and west. There are three islets in the lake: Maggiore, Minore and Polvese (the largest). The lake’s shores are sparsely inhabited with only two popular villages: Castiglione del Lago and Passignano sul Trasimeno."



"Italy is experiencing its worst drought in 70 years which has affected drinking water supplies, hydroelectric power and agricultural production. High temperatures, hot winds and lack of rainfall are the main causes of drought in the Umbrian region which saw Lake Trasimeno’s drop 1.3 m, reaching the limit of the hydrometric zero in July 2022."



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> describes a new self-powered nanosensor that can instantly detect mercury contamination with the tap of a finger.&nbsp;



The oxidized form of mercury can be harmful when it is ingested through contaminated water or food. This makes it necessary for experts to develop sensors that can quickly and accurately detect the presence of mercury.&nbsp;



Zong-Hong Lin and colleagues have now created a triboelectric nanosensor (TENS) that can detect mercury by simply by touching a sample. According to the researchers, their TENS could serve as the basis for similar devices to safely and remotely monitor other pollutants.



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

[sendtonews key="LvS8v8bp9z-2564889-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> explores the ability of salt to transform the way that foods and beverages taste. Salt is known to cover up undesirable flavors, such as bitterness in coffee or beer, but how exactly does sodium chloride change the taste of other compounds?



One previous study showed that, not only does salt suppress bitterness, but also enhances sweetness and sourness. Another study revealed that bitterness reduction by salt seems to be happening at the tongue receptor level as well as in the brain.&nbsp;



While it is known that salt taste is mediated by the presence of sodium channels in the form of taste buds, experts believe that there is also an unknown receptor responsible for how we taste salt that has not yet been identified.&nbsp;



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

How does salt makes things taste better?

[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Santiago, the capital city of Chile. The city is located in the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Region, which has a population of about eight million people.&nbsp;



'The weather of Santiago resembles the Mediterranean climate with dry and warm summers with temperatures reaching up to 35°C (from October to March) and cool and humid winters that can drop to 0°C (from April to September)."



"The city lies in the centre of the country’s central valley around 80 km from the Pacific Ocean to the west and borders Argentina to the east. A tiny part of Argentina is visible in the top-right corner of the image where the mountain crest of the Andes Mountains acts as a divider between the two countries," says ESA.



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Santiago, Chile in South America

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Spiral,Galaxy,,Illustration,Of,Milky,Way

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Astronomers at <a href="https://www.jhu.edu/">Johns Hopkins University</a> have created an interactive map of the universe, including the actual position and real colors of 200,000 galaxies. The map allows the public to access data that was previously only available to scientists.



The map was developed using data collected by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. For over two decades, a telescope in New Mexico was aimed at slightly different locations to capture the night sky.&nbsp;



"Growing up I was very inspired by astronomy pictures, stars, nebulae and galaxies, and now it's our time to create a new type of picture to inspire people," said map creator Brice Ménard, a professor at Johns Hopkins. "Astrophysicists around the world have been analyzing this data for years, leading to thousands of scientific papers and discoveries. But nobody took the time to create a map that is beautiful, scientifically accurate, and accessible to people who are not scientists. Our goal here is to show everybody what the universe really looks like."



"In this map, we are just a speck at the very bottom, just one pixel. And when I say we, I mean our galaxy, the Milky Way which has billions of stars and planets. We are used to seeing astronomical pictures showing one galaxy here, one galaxy there or perhaps a group of galaxies. But what this map shows is a very, very different scale."



"From this speck at the bottom, we are able to map out galaxies across the entire universe, and that says something about the power of science."



The <a href="https://mapoftheuniverse.net/">interactive map</a> is available online, where it can be downloaded for free.



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

[sendtonews key="e4ZG0Jawp3-2374785-12187" type="single"] Astronomers at Johns Hopkins University have created...

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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky" Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features northwest Lesotho in South Africa.



According to ESA, Lesotho is the only nation in the world that lies completely above 1,000 m in elevation. The country is famous for its tall mountains and narrow valleys, and is known as Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky."



Out of a population of around two million people, about 80 percent live in rural areas. More than 75 percent of these people are engaged in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-will-have-a-global-impact-on-agriculture/">agriculture</a>, including rainfed cereal production and animal grazing.&nbsp;



ESA reports that the country’s agricultural system faces a growing number of issues, with climate-related vulnerabilities such as drought, floods and extreme temperatures occurring more frequently. 



Diamonds are amongst the minerals found in the mountains. Indeed, Lesotho can truly be called the Kingdom in the Sky. Beautiful, culturally rich, safe, affordable, and easily accessible from Durban and Johannesburg, mountainous Lesotho is a vastly underrated travel destination. the Kingdom of Lesotho (Sotho: 'Muso oa Lesotho) is an enclaved country in southern Africa. It is just over 30,000 km2 (11,583 sq mi) in size and has a population of around 2 million.



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Dublin, the capital and largest city of Ireland. Beyond its pub culture, Dublin is known as a modern culinary destination and a UNESCO City of Literature.



"Dublin is located near the midpoint of Ireland’s east coast in the province of Leinster. The city, which covers an area of around 115 square kilometers, is bordered by the Dublin Mountains, a low mountain range to the south, and is surrounded by flat farmland to the north and west," says ESA.



"The city straddles the River Liffey, which rises in the Wicklow Mountains and flows around 80 kilometers eastwards through the city of Dublin, in which it is canalised and bordered with quays. It then empties into Dublin Bay, an arm of the Irish Sea."



Dublin has an abundance of green spaces, including one of the largest enclosed public parks in any European capital city. Phoenix Park, which was originally formed as a royal hunting park in the 1660s, includes 707 hectares of green space.



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain. The image was captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission.



"Together with the provinces of Huesca and Teruel, Zaragoza formed the old kingdom of Aragon. Its capital, also called Zaragoza (not visible in this image) is home to around half of Aragon’s population," says ESA.



"The Ebro River can be seen winding its way through the province from west to east in this image. Between its source in the Cantabrian Mountains in the northwest and its delta on the Mediterranean coast, the Ebro River is fed by more than 200 tributaries as it flows 910 km across much of northern Spain."



Since rainfall is very scarce in this region, irrigation in the Ebro basin is critically important. In the valleys surrounding the Ebro River, many fields are used for growing crops such as corn, wheat, and barley.



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> reveals the evolution of the Columbia Glacier in southeastern Alaska. Columbia is among the fastest shrinking glaciers in the world, and the video documents its rapid retreat over the years.&nbsp;



Columbia Glacier is a large, multi-branched calving glacier that flows out of the Chugach Mountains to the Prince William Sound.&nbsp;



According to USGS, Columbia had a long history of stability prior to 1980, with a length 41 miles, and small, short-lived advances or retreats.



In the years since 1980, however, satellite images have captured Columbia’s alarming retreat. By using false-color images, scientists can distinguish between snow and ice, open water, vegetation, and rocky debris on the glacier’s surface.



The series of false-color images featured in today's video were acquired over the span of 35 years. You can see that by 2021, the glacier’s main branch had retreated about 15 miles from its initial position.



The Columbia Glacier has also lost more than 50 percent of its volume, mostly due to calving. <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/nasa-reveals-3d-visual-of-an-atmospheric-river/">NASA</a> reports that while climate change likely started the retreat, mechanical processes kept the disintegration going.



The NASA images are provided by Jesse Allen, Robert Simmon, Joshua Stevens, and Lauren Dauphin using data from Landsat satellites, from the U.S. Geological Survey, and data from MODIS on NASA’s Terra satellite. The structure of Columbia’s moraine played a large role in the stability of the glacier before 1980. 



Like other tidewater glaciers, the Columbia built up a moraine over time, and the mixture of ice and rock functioned like a dam keeping out the sea. It was supported on one end by the shoreline and by the underwater terminal moraine at the other.



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory/&nbsp; NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the Pyrenees Mountains, which form a natural boundary between France and Spain in southwest Europe.



The mountain range is 430 kilometers in length. It stretches from the Mediterranean Sea on the east to the Atlantic Ocean on the west.



At an elevation of 3404 meters, Pico de Aneto is the highest mountain peak in the Pyrenees, and the third-highest peak in Spain. Pico de Aneto is located in the Posets-Maladeta Natural Park, which spans more than 82,000 acres.&nbsp;



"Geological studies have revealed that the Pyrenees Mountains have been around for longer than the Alps, with their sediments first deposited in coastal basins during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras," reports ESA.



"The entire mountain range formed due to the upwelling of large sedimentary rocks by the collision of the Iberian and the Eurasian plate around 100 to 150 million years ago, followed by intense erosion from ice and water."



The western Pyrenees receive more precipitation due to moisture blowing in from the Atlantic Ocean. The mountain range contains many lakes, several small glaciers, and some of the highest waterfalls in Europe.



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes two exoplanets that are orbiting a star 218 light-years away. A team of researchers led by the University of Montreal has found evidence that these planets are "water worlds."



The experts used data from NASA’s Hubble and Spitzer Space Telescopes. They discovered that exoplanets Kepler-138 c and Kepler-138 could be composed largely of water.



"We previously thought that planets that were a bit larger than Earth were big balls of metal and rock, like scaled-up versions of Earth, and that's why we called them super-Earths," explained study co-author Björn Benneke.&nbsp;



"However, we have now shown that these two planets, Kepler-138 c and d, are quite different in nature and that a big fraction of their entire volume is likely composed of water. It is the best evidence yet for water worlds, a type of planet that was theorized by astronomers to exist for a long time."



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



Image Credit: NASA, ESA, and Leah Hustak (STScI)



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

[sendtonews key="QIoVYJqRBi-2434608-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes Earth’s interconnected systems, and how this network is affected by rising temperatures.&nbsp;



During 2020, average global temperatures matched the hottest year on record. The hurricane season was also record-breaking, with many of the storms intensifying at extraordinary speeds. Hot water in the ocean is fuel for hurricanes. The satellite data shows that it's all one interconnected system showing how Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected.



According to NASA, dust swept up from Northern Africa plays a major role in the formation of hurricanes, and is also a key source of fertilization in the Amazon rainforest. As a result of<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seagrass-wasting-disease-is-fueled-by-climate-change/"> climate</a> change, dust plumes are expected to decline, which will have an effect on vegetation far away.&nbsp;



Images from Earth-observing satellites show how the world’s plant life is affected by natural disasters, fires, and deforestation. Satellites also reveal how widespread changes in vegetation impact waterways,&nbsp; the climate, air quality. Satellites communicate by using radio waves to send signals to the antennas on the Earth. "Earth From Space" is a groundbreaking two-hour special that reveals a spectacular new space-based vision of our planet. 



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://welcome.miami.edu/">University of Miami</a> Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science explores how changes in water temperatures have affected tiger shark habitats and movements in the North Atlantic Ocean. The study reveals that rising temperatures have caused the sharks to shift toward the poles over the past 40 years.



“Tiger shark annual migrations have expanded poleward, paralleling rising water temperatures,” explained study lead author Neil Hammerschlag. “These results have consequences for tiger shark conservation, since shifts in their movements outside of marine protected areas may leave them more vulnerable to commercial fishing.”



The researchers analyzed nine years of tracking data from satellite-tagged tiger sharks, combined with four decades of conventional tag and recapture data provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Cooperative Shark Tagging Program.



The experts found that during the last decade of record heat, for every one-degree Celsius increase in water temperatures, tiger sharks migrated further poleward by over 400 kilometers. They also migrated two weeks earlier than usual to waters off the northeastern coast of the United States.



“Given their role as apex predators, these changes to tiger shark movements may alter predator-prey interactions, leading to ecological imbalances, and more frequent encounters with humans,” concluded Professor Hammerschlag.



Video Credit: University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

Today’s Video of the Day from the University of Miami...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> is focused on the melt ponds that emerge during the spring and summer on the Greenland Ice Sheet, which is the largest ice mass in the northern hemisphere.



"Melt ponds are vast pools of open water that form on both sea ice and ice sheets and are visible as turquoise-blue pools of water in this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image," says ESA.



"When snow and ice melts atop glaciers, water flows in channels and streams and collects in depressions on the surface. These melt ponds can speed up the melting of the surrounding ice since they greatly reduce the ice’s ability to reflect sunlight."



"This can create a positive feedback where an increasing number of melt ponds absorb more heat which causes ice cover to melt even faster."



According to ESA, Greenland has been hit with a late-season heatwave that began in early September. This caused the type of melt event that usually occurs in the middle of summer.



"In a recent paper published in Nature Climate Change, scientists found that major sea-level rise from the melting of the Greenland ice cap is now ‘inevitable’ even if the burning of fossil fuels were to halt overnight," says ESA. "Using satellite observations of Greenland ice loss and ice cap from 2000 to 2019, the team found the losses will lead to a minimum rise of 27 cm regardless of climate change."



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes a new map of Mars that is providing insight into the planet’s watery past. The map also reveals where future missions could safely land on Mars.&nbsp;



The map has been created over the last decade using observations of water-rich rocks and mineral deposits. The images were captured by ESA’s Mars Express and NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.



"A big surprise is the prevalence of these minerals, with the map revealing hundreds of thousands of water-affected locations in the oldest parts of the planet," says ESA. "The new data will help answer exciting questions about Mars’ climate history, whether water was globally persistent or confined to short, intense episodes, and whether the conditions were ever suitable for life."



"Specifically, the map shows the locations and abundances of aqueous minerals. These are from rocks that have been chemically altered by the action of water in the past, and have typically been transformed into clays and salts."



According to John Carter of the Institut d’Astrophysique Spatiale (IAS), our collective understanding of Mars has been oversimplified. He explained that planetary scientists have tended to think that only a few types of clay minerals on Mars were created during its wet period, then as the water gradually dried up, salts were produced across the planet.



The new map shows that the composition of Mars is much more complicated than what we thought. For example, while many salts formed after Martian clays, there are some salts that are presumed to be older than some of the clays.&nbsp;



“The evolution from lots of water to no water is not as clear cut as we thought, the water didn’t just stop overnight. We see a huge diversity of geological contexts, so that no one process or simple timeline can explain the evolution of the mineralogy of Mars. That’s the first result of our study. The second is that if you exclude life processes on Earth, Mars exhibits a diversity of mineralogy in geological settings just as Earth does,” said Carter.



Video Credit: ESA



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.stowers.org/">Stowers Institute for Medical Research</a> describes how cavefish adapted to a sedentary lifestyle over tens of thousands of years. 



The experts found that the muscle metabolism of cavefish has been genetically reprogrammed over time. As a result, the animals have experienced major changes in their morphology and behavior. Despite these changes, however, the cavefish remain healthy and fit.



The research may provide new clues about the evolutionary consequences of prolonged physical inactivity in humans.&nbsp;



“It’s no surprise that people are moving less and less as technology has advanced,” said Rohner. “With cavefish, we have a unique system where we can study what might happen if people remained couch potatoes over very, very long periods of time.”



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> some of the most incredible waves in the world, as seen by Landsat satellites.



"With more than 370,000 miles of coastline on Earth, there are plenty of places where epic waves build up, curl over, and hurtle toward the shore.- much to the thrill of surfers," says NASA. "There are some places where these waves are so magnificent that they can be seen from space."



"With the broad perspective of satellites, we can see how these iconic waves develop into the world’s tallest, longest, fastest, and heaviest."



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes why satellite images and measurements of our planet have become "essential to our survival, offering a new outlook of our world."&nbsp;



Rising sea levels pose one of the biggest societal threats associated with climate change. According to ESA, satellite altimeter missions such as Copernicus Sentinel-6 are essential in monitoring global and regional changes in sea level.



"Unbeknown to many, the island of Crete, Greece, plays an important role in the Copernicus satellite altimetry constellation and on an international stage," reports ESA.



"Satellite altimetry data have to be continuously monitored at the ESA’s Permanent Facility for Altimetry Calibration where different techniques have pioneered the use of transponders to provide the best measurements to validate satellite altimeters in space soon after launch."



Dr. Craig Donlon explains that, by understanding planet Earth through satellite measurements, we are able to find evidence of change.&nbsp;



Video Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Satellites have become essential to our survival

[sendtonews key="761m2QQvR1-2035772-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...