When we think of oxytocin, the image of a warm embrace or the deep connection between a mother and her child often comes to mind. 



This hormone, often dubbed the "love hormone" or "cuddle hormone," is famous for its role in fostering emotional bonds and promoting feelings of trust and empathy. 



But recent studies suggest that oxytocin might be doing much more behind the scenes, especially when it comes to how we learn and remember. And more surprisingly, it may also help cure addiction.



Leading this exciting exploration are Professor Akiyoshi Saitoh and researcher Junpei Takahashi from the <a href="https://www.tus.ac.jp/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tokyo University of Science</a>, and Meredith Berry, Ph.D. from the <a href="http://www.ufl.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Florida</a>. 



They have been delving into the intricate ways oxytocin influences our brains, potentially paving the way for new treatments for conditions like dementia and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/brain-discovery-offers-hope-for-tackling-opioid-addiction/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">opioid addiction</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-oxytocin-s-role-in-memory">Oxytocin's role in memory</h2>



While oxytocin is well-known for its impact on social behaviors, its role in cognitive functions is less understood. 



Professor Saitoh's team wanted to uncover whether oxytocin could be a key player in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-does-our-brain-form-long-term-memories/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">how memories are formed</a> and retained. 



“Previously we had suggested that oxytocin may be a new therapeutic candidate for dementia based on studies using a mouse model of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/alzheimers-disease-attacks-the-brain-in-two-separate-phases/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Alzheimer’s disease</a>,” he shared. 



“To investigate this further, in this study, we examined the role of endogenous oxytocin in mouse cognitive function.”



Using advanced techniques, the researchers specifically activated oxytocin neurons in certain brain regions of mice. 



They then evaluated the mice's memory using tasks designed to test recognition and recall, like the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/novel-object-recognition-test" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Novel Object Recognition Task</a>. 



This method helps scientists determine how well an animal can recognize a new object compared to one they've seen before.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-peering-into-the-brain-s-memory-centers">Peering into the brain's memory centers</h2>



The brain is a complex network, and understanding how different areas interact is crucial. 



The team noticed that when they stimulated oxytocin neurons in the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus (PVN), there was increased activity not only there but also in the supramammillary nucleus (SuM). 



These regions are connected and play roles in memory and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/music-causes-similar-emotional-experiences-and-sensations-in-all-cultures/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">emotional responses</a>.



By observing markers that indicate neuron activation, they confirmed that these areas were more active following their interventions. 



Interestingly, while the mice didn't show significant changes in short-term memory tasks, there was a noticeable improvement in long-term memory, particularly in recognizing new objects.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-oxytocin-connection-to-dementia">Oxytocin connection to dementia</h2>



These findings have significant implications. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/herbal-medicine-shows-potential-to-treat-and-prevent-dementia/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dementia</a>, including Alzheimer's disease, affects millions worldwide, leading to memory loss and cognitive decline. 



Understanding how oxytocin influences memory could lead to new therapies that slow down or mitigate these effects.



There's also a broader social context. Many believe that loneliness and lack of social interaction can worsen <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dementia-was-extremely-rare-in-ancient-times-so-why-is-it-now-so-prevalent/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dementia symptoms</a>. 



“There is a widely acknowledged belief that dementia tends to advance more rapidly in settings where individuals experience loneliness or limited social engagement. However, the scientific underpinnings of this phenomenon have remained largely elusive," Professor Saitoh pointed out.



By highlighting oxytocin's role, the research suggests that stimulating social interactions -- or even directly targeting oxytocin pathways -- might help in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/diabetes-drugs-may-protect-against-dementia/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">managing dementia</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-oxytocin-and-opioid-addiction">Oxytocin and opioid addiction</h2>



Across the globe, another team is exploring oxytocin's potential in a different arena. 



At the University of Florida, researchers are investigating whether a synthetic version of oxytocin can help curb opioid addictions, a pressing issue affecting many communities.



“The idea is that physicians could potentially prescribe, in combination, an opioid and oxytocin as an acute <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mindfulness-meditation-is-a-powerful-weapon-against-chronic-pain/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pain management</a> option, while at the same time lessening the likelihood of developing an addiction to opioids,” explained Dr. Meredith Berry.



Working alongside Dr. Yenisel Cruz-Almeida and Dr. Natalie Ebner, Dr. Berry is examining whether oxytocin can reduce pain effectively while also decreasing the desire for prolonged opioid use.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-opioids-are-still-a-huge-problem">Opioids are still a huge problem</h2>



Opioid addiction has become a significant public health concern, particularly in the United States. 



Prescription opioids, while effective for managing pain, carry a high risk of addiction. Older adults, who often require pain management, can be particularly vulnerable.



By exploring alternatives that reduce pain without the same addictive potential, researchers hope to offer safer options for patients. 



Oxytocin's natural role in promoting well-being might counteract some of the addictive properties of opioids.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-healing-addiction-with-oxytocin">Healing addiction with oxytocin</h2>



In their carefully designed study, the University of Florida team is working with participants aged 55 to 85 who have some history of opioid use. 



In a controlled setting, these participants will receive synthetic oxytocin via a nasal spray or a placebo after taking oral <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/experts-identify-a-route-to-safer-painkillers/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">oxycodone</a>.



The researchers will collect data on how much the participants enjoy the drugs, as well as monitor physical responses like heart rate and breathing. 



They'll also assess cognitive and emotional reactions. To measure pain responses, they will apply mild mechanical pressure to the thighs and expose the hands to varying temperatures.



Dr. Ebner will analyze mood changes and cognitive effects, while Dr. Cruz-Almeida will examine how the drugs affect pain responses. 



Dr. Berry will evaluate the potential for reduced opioid addiction based on these findings. Physicians from the university's College of Medicine are involved to ensure participant safety.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-is-oxytocin-the-wonder-drug-of-the-future">Is oxytocin the "wonder drug" of the future?</h2>



The combined efforts of these research teams highlight the versatility of oxytocin, putting the "love hormone" on the radar of scientists of all disciplines around the world.



From potentially enhancing memory and combating dementia to offering new strategies for pain management without the high risk of addiction, oxytocin's benefits could be far-reaching.



These studies underscore the importance of looking beyond traditional uses of well-known substances. Sometimes, the key to solving complex health issues lies in re-examining what we thought we knew.



The journey of oxytocin from a simple "love hormone" to a potential powerhouse in medical treatment is a testament to the ever-evolving nature of science. 



As researchers like Professor Saitoh and Dr. Berry continue their work, we can look forward to new discoveries that might improve the quality of life for many.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0294113" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PLOS One</a>.



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'Cuddle hormone' fosters love, boosts memory, and now also cures addiction

When we think of oxytocin, the image of a warm embrace or the deep connection between a mother and her child often comes to mind. This hormone, often dubbed the "love hormone" or "cuddle hormone," is famous for its role in fostering emotional bonds and promoting feelings of trust and empathy. But recent studies suggest that oxytocin might be doing much more behind the scenes, especially when it comes to how we learn and remember. And more surprisingly, it may also help cure addiction. Leading this exciting...

A new study led by the <a href="https://www.osu.edu/">Ohio State University</a> (OSU) has shed more light on the structure and functioning of plastins – a type of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plant-cells-message-each-other-using-rna-and-escort-proteins/">proteins</a> found in many life forms (from yeast and plants to animals and humans) that have a role in ensuring that various cells move or maintain their shape. By binding to and bundling other proteins, plastins can be considered the bones and muscles of cells. Better understanding what drives their activities could help explain their surprising links to diseases such as cancers, congenital osteoporosis, or spinal muscular atrophy.



Scientists described their discoveries about plastin behavior in terms of a “work-life balance” metaphor. While in their “at-home” mode, the protein’s two main segments strongly bond to each other, they are often forced to separate when their bundling responsibilities in the cellular “workplace” increase, such as when cells start to migrate. According to the researchers, if their structure experiences unexpected changes, plastins keep doing aggressive bundling work, even if it is not needed anymore. Although experts discovered at least one mistimed enzymatic activity that seemed to contribute to this problem, further research is needed to fully understand the mechanisms behind the switch between the protein's “weekend” and “workaholic” modes.



“We need to know this information so we can figure out how to regulate plastins,” said study senior author&nbsp;Dmitri Kudryashov, an associate professor of&nbsp;Chemistry and Biochemistry at OSU.&nbsp; “Because plastins are involved in disease, we see the manifestation of that, but we don’t know how precisely mutations lead to disease. In cancer, or certain autoimmune reactions, knowing exactly what plastins do and how to control their activity could be highly beneficial. If we could manage to inhibit this protein in cancer, it’s likely the cells would become less invasive.”



Actins – abundant proteins helping cells unite their contents, maintain their shape, divide, and migrate – are clustered together by plastins configured with two binding sites, each of which can bind to actin filaments. However, when these binding domains are tightly joined, they can connect only weakly to actins. If cells are stable, connecting in this way is sufficient, but when cells start to migrate, actins pushed in the direction of cell movement are situated in a less organized way that requires strong connections to plastins. In such a case, plastin’s binding domains have to separate from each other to form a stronger bond to actins. Eventually, actins shifting away from the cell’s edge no longer need a strong plastin bond, so plastin can return to its self-engaged “weekend” mode.



By introducing a mutation to plastin which mimics molecular changes detected in cancer cells, the scientists found that such a mutation prolonged plastin binding sites’ disengagement, and caused plastins to keep try to bundle up actins that don’t need to be bundled anymore. In such a case, plastin’s lack of response to what cells need could have undesirable downstream effects.



Further research is needed to clarify which factors may lead to this “irrational” behavior of plastins in order to shed more light on how these essential proteins contribute to disease.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41594-022-00771-1">Nature Structural &amp; Molecular Biology</a>.&nbsp;&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&nbsp;&nbsp;

Plastins stuck in “workaholic” modes can lead to disease

A new study led by the Ohio State University (OSU)...

According to a new report published by WHO’s <a href="https://theindependentpanel.org/">Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response</a>, governments around the world are no better prepared to face a new pandemic than they were at the end of 2019, when <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/nearly-60-percent-of-people-in-the-us-have-had-covid-19/">Covid-19</a> struck. Although the panel – established in July 2020 – made recommendations for improving political leadership, financing, and surveillance system, it seems that little has changed, and the world remains highly vulnerable to the emergence and spread of infectious diseases.



“One year on, and political focus to prepare for more waves is flagging,” wrote the report authors. “Work has begun to prevent the next pandemic, but at the current pace, the transformative change required will take years to complete.”



The scientists discussed the uneven distribution of vaccines around the globe as one of the main problems that needs to be overcome, if we are to avoid situations such as the current <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/9b0ab399-b545-4433-81a7-bfd710598760">Covid catastrophe</a> in North Korea - a country that adamantly refused vaccination and is now facing a frightening Omicron surge that infected almost ten percent of the country’s population in less than two weeks.&nbsp;



Such uncontrolled spread of the virus could easily lead to the emergence of new, more dangerous variants. “Variants may still emerge that our vaccines cannot manage,” wrote the study authors. “The more quickly we vaccinate now, the less likelihood there is of ever more variants emerging.”



Currently, rich countries have more vaccines than they could possibly use, leaving many low- and middle-income countries without adequate supplies of vaccines. WHO estimates that fewer than 13 percent of the people in low-income countries have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19. 



Since vaccine production is now close to its limits, new manufacturing capacity for both mRNA and other types of vaccines must be urgently built in places such as Africa and Latin America in order to prevent future waves. “Boosting production takes time, so enabling it must begin now,”&nbsp;the experts wrote.



In order to guard against new Covid variants as well as other viruses with pandemic potential, the panel recommends stronger leadership and better coordination at regional, national, and international levels. 



The experts also emphasize the need for investment in preparedness now instead of when the next crisis hits, an improved system for surveillance and alert, a pre-negotiated platform able to produce vaccines, diagnostics, therapeutics, and supplies and secure their fast and equitable distribution as essential global common goods, and increased access to financial resources both for preparedness operations and for urgently tackling any emerging threats.



The full report can be found <a href="https://theindependentpanel.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/COVID-19-Make-it-the-Last-Pandemic_final.pdf">here</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&nbsp;

The world is still unprepared for the next pandemic

According to a new report published by WHO’s Independent Panel...

Flavonoids are compounds produced by <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-grow-plants-in-lunar-soil-for-the-first-time/">plants</a> and thought to confer significant health benefits on humans. In plants, they act as essential pigments and are responsible for the colors found in buds, petals, fruits and autumn leaves. Flavonoids are found in many brightly colored fruits and vegetables, including blueberries, parsley, red grapes, cranberries, cherries and citrus fruits.



Research conducted by scientists from the <a href="https://www.uea.ac.uk/">University of East Anglia</a> set out to test whether supplementing people’s diets every day with cranberries (Vaccinium macrocarpon) could help improve memory and brain function in older individuals, and thereby reduce age-related neurodegeneration. Cranberries are rich in anthocyanins, a particular group of plant flavonoids that act as antioxidants.



“Dementia is expected to affect around 152 million people by 2050. There is no known cure, so it is crucial that we seek modifiable lifestyle interventions, such as diet, that could help lessen disease risk and burden," explained lead researcher Dr. David Vauzour.



“Past studies have shown that higher dietary flavonoid intake is associated with slower rates of cognitive decline and dementia,” he continued. “And foods rich in anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins, which give berries their red, blue, or purple colour, have been found to improve cognition. Cranberries are rich in these micronutrients and have been recognized for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.”



The researchers investigated the impact of eating 100g of cranberries each day for 12 weeks. The 60 participants, all cognitively healthy individuals between the ages of 50 and 80, were divided into two groups. One group took 100g of freeze-dried, powdered cranberry (equivalent to 1 cup of berries) as a supplement every day, while the other group received a placebo.&nbsp;



After 12 weeks, it was found that participants who had consumed the cranberry powder showed significantly improved memory of everyday events (visual episodic memory), neural functioning and delivery of blood to the brain (brain perfusion). These results have been published by the researchers in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition">Frontiers in Nutrition</a>.



“We found that the participants who consumed the cranberry powder showed significantly improved episodic memory performance in combination with improved circulation of essential nutrients such as oxygen and glucose to important parts of the brain that support cognition – specifically memory consolidation and retrieval," said Dr. Vauzour.



“The cranberry group also exhibited a significant decrease in LDL or ‘bad’ cholesterol levels, known to contribute to atherosclerosis – the thickening or hardening of the arteries caused by a build-up of plaque in the inner lining of an artery,” he added. “This supports the idea that cranberries can improve vascular health and may in part contribute to the improvement in brain perfusion and cognition.”



This study is one of the first to examine cranberries and their long-term impact on cognition and brain health in humans, and the researchers hope that their findings will be used to inform future strategies for the prevention of neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia.&nbsp;



“Demonstrating in humans that cranberry supplementation can improve cognitive performance and identifying some of the mechanisms responsible is an important step for this research field,” said Dr. Vauzour. "The findings of this study are very encouraging, especially considering that a relatively short 12-week cranberry intervention was able to produce significant improvements in memory and neural function."



The experts feel that their study establishes an important foundation for future research in the area of cranberries and neurological health.



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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

Cranberries help improve memory and brain function in older adults

Flavonoids are compounds produced by plants and thought to confer...

Compared to factors such as education or occupation, fertility has not yet received much scientific attention as a potential predictor of late-life cognition. However, a team of researchers led by the <a href="https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/">Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health</a> has now found that having three or more children has a marked negative effect on late-life cognition, by speeding-up parents’ age-related cognitive decline due to factors including financial difficulties and increased <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/stress-may-be-linked-to-female-fertility-issues/">stress</a>. The experts found that this effect was stronger in Northern Europe, where higher fertility rates significantly deplete financial, social, and psychological resources.



“Understanding the factors that contribute to optimal late-life cognition is essential for ensuring successful aging at the individual and societal levels - particularly in Europe, where family sizes have shrunk and populations are aging rapidly,” said study co-author Vegard Skirbekk, a professor of Population and Family Health at Columbia Mailman School.



&nbsp;“For individuals, late life cognitive health is essential for maintaining independence and being socially active and productive in late life. For societies, ensuring the cognitive health of the older population is essential for extending work lives and reducing health care costs and care needs,” added study lead author Eric Bonsang, a professor at the <a href="https://dauphine.psl.eu/">Paris Dauphine University</a>.&nbsp;



The scientists analyzed data from the <a href="http://www.share-project.org/">Survey of Health, Aging and Retirement in Europe</a> (SHARE) to compare the effects of having two versus three or more children in a cohort of participants aged 65 or older. By using advanced econometric methods able to disentangle causality from simple associations, the researchers found that having more than two children leads to significant cognitive decline in both men and women, having similar effects to an additional 6.2 years of aging.&nbsp;



Having a third child often leads to considerable financial costs, reduces family income, and increases the chance of families falling below the poverty line, thus decreasing the standard of living for all family members and promoting cognitive deterioration. Moreover, having more children can be highly stressful, which affects health risk behaviors and impairs adult cognitive development. Finally, an additional child is causally related to women’s lower labor market participation, fewer hours worked, and lower earnings.



“Given the magnitude of the effect, future studies on late-life cognition should also examine fertility as a prognosticator alongside more commonly researched predictors, such as education, occupational experiences, physical exercise, and mental and physical health,” said Professor Skirbekk.&nbsp;



“In addition, future studies should address the potential effects of childlessness or having one child on late-life cognition. We also need more information on the types of interactions, supports, and conflicts that occur between parents and children, which may influence cognitive outcomes,” he concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://read.dukeupress.edu/demography/article/doi/10.1215/00703370-9930490/299390/Does-Childbearing-Affect-Cognitive-Health-in-Later">Demography</a>.----



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

Parents with more children risk faster cognitive decline

Compared to factors such as education or occupation, fertility has...

A new study led by the <a href="https://med.nyu.edu/">NYU Grossman School of Medicine</a> has found that running increases the levels of a chemical involved in brain cell growth – the so-called “brain-derived neurotrophic factor” (BDNF) - that triggers the release of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dopamine-plays-a-central-role-in-songbird-mating/">dopamine</a>, a hormone which plays a crucial role in motivation, movement, and learning.&nbsp;



Scientists have long known that regular running raises dopamine activity in the brain, and could protect nerve cells from damage. Moreover, previous research has found correlations between exercise-driven boosts of BDNF and dopamine levels and significant improvements in learning and memory. However, the precise ways in which these factors interact has remained a mystery.



In the new study, researchers provided dozens of male mice with unlimited access to either a freely rotating wheel or a locked, immobile wheel.&nbsp;



After a month, they measured BDNF and dopamine levels in the mice’s brains, and found that running on a wheel for 30 days led to a 40 percent increase in dopamine release in the dorsal striatum – a part of the brain involved in movement – and a nearly 60 percent increase in BDNF levels, compared to their non-running counterparts.&nbsp;



The dopamine levels remained high even after a week of rest. However, when BDNF levels were artificially reduced, running did not result in additional dopamine release.



“Our findings suggest that BDNF plays a key role in the long-lasting changes that occur in the brain as a result of running,” said study lead author Guendalina Bastioli, a postdoctoral fellow in Neurobiology at<a href="https://nyulangone.org/"> NYU Langone Health</a>. “Not only do these results help explain why exercise makes you move, think, and feel better, they also show that these benefits continue even if you do not work out every day.”



Since patients with Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders are often treated with drugs mimicking the effect of dopamine on motor neurons, the results of this study could open paths for non-pharmaceutical treatment of such disease.&nbsp;



“Our results help us understand why exercise alleviates the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, as well as those of neuropsychiatric disorders such as depression,” said study senior author Margaret Rice. “Now that we know why physical activity helps, we can explore it as a means of augmenting or even replacing the use of dopamine-enhancing drugs in these patients.”



Further research is needed to investigate whether these findings could be easily translated from rodents to humans, and to fully understand the role of BDNF and dopamine in movement disorders.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2273-21.2022">JNeurosci</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

Why running can help you move, think, and feel better

A new study led by the NYU Grossman School of...

Alternative,Medicine.,Rosemary,,Mint,,Chamomile,,Thyme,In,A,Glass,Mortar.

Herbal supplements may not always be safe, according to a new study published by <a href="https://www.elsevier.com/">Elsevier</a>. The research highlights how serious side effects can result from the imprudent use of herbal supplements.



The report describes a case in which a patient was diagnosed with a dangerous cardiac arrhythmia after taking hemp oil containing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cbd-improves-eases-arthritis-symptoms-in-dogs/">CBD</a> and CBG along with berberine supplements.



“More and more people are taking herbal supplements for their potential benefits. Yet their ‘natural’ character can be misleading, since these preparations can have serious adverse side effects on their own or if combined with other supplements or medications,” said Dr. Elise Bakelants, an expert in the Department of Cardiology at the University Hospital of Geneva. “Their use should not be taken lightly, and dosing recommendations should always be respected.”



The study examined the case of a 56-year-old woman who experienced dizziness and fainting without warning. After physical exams came back as normal, doctors determined that the condition was caused by the herbal supplements she was taking to cope with stress.&nbsp;



Four months earlier, the patient had started taking six times the recommended dose of hemp oil, and had recently added berberine to the mix. She was then diagnosed with a life-threatening cardiac arrhythmia.



During her hospital stay, all supplements were stopped resulting in positive changes, which strongly validated a link between the supplements and the arrhythmia.



The popularity of herbal supplements has grown in recent years, especially those containing CBD (cannabidiol). This particular supplement is very accessible and available without any prescription.&nbsp;



CBD has been promoted for its anti-inflammatory, antipsychotic, and immunomodulatory properties. The products do not contain THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) - therefore, it is not subjected to scrutiny by drug regulatory agencies.&nbsp;



Berberine, found in many medicinal plants, is frequently used in traditional Chinese and ayurvedic medicine for various types of treatment.&nbsp;



The preparation of herbal supplements is largely unregulated. Exact composition can vary greatly from one distributor to another, and properties of these substances are not well known. There are limited data on their effectiveness and toxicity, making it&nbsp; difficult to predict potential side effects.



Dr. Bakelants cautioned patients and physicians to follow dosing recommendations and consider possible interactions with other medications, particularly in patients with underlying cardiac disease or those already taking QT-prolonging medication.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.heartrhythmcasereports.com/">HeartRhythm Case Reports</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:katherinebucko@gmail.com">Katherine Bucko</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Herbal supplements are not always safe

Herbal supplements may not always be safe, according to a...

Scientists have long tried to understand “the paradox of stress behavior:” why humans – as well as other <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/baboons-sacrifice-sleep-to-meet-lifes-daily-demands/">primates</a> – show signs of stress (fidgeting, scratching, nail-biting, touching their face or hair), which could show others that they are in a weakened state. 



Now, a research team led by <a href="https://www.ntu.ac.uk/">Nottingham Trent University</a> (NTU) and the <a href="https://www.port.ac.uk/">University of Portsmouth</a> has found that showing signs of stress could make us more likeable and prompt other people to act more positively towards us. The study revealed that, besides being able to quickly and accurately identify when someone is stressed, people usually reacted more positively to those exhibiting more signs of stress.



The researchers filmed a group of participants while taking part in a mock presentation and interview. These videos were then presented to raters, who were asked to assess how stressed they thought the participants were. People who reported feeling more stressed during the task, as well as those who exhibited signs of stress such as nail-biting or scratching, were also perceived to be more stressed by the raters. These findings suggest that humans can accurately detect when others are stressed from their behaviors.



Interestingly, the participants who were identified to be more stressed were also perceived as more likeable by others, which may offer a clue regarding why humans have evolved to display stress signals. “We wanted to find out what advantages there might be in signaling stress to others, to help explain why stress behaviors have evolved in humans,” said study lead author Jamie Whitehouse, a research fellow in Psychology at NTU.



“If producing these behaviors leads to positive social interactions from others who want to help, rather than negative social interactions from those who want to compete with you, then these behaviors are likely to be selected in the evolutionary process. We are a highly cooperative species compared to many other animals, and this could be why behaviors which communicate weakness were able to evolve.”



“If the individuals are inducing an empathetic-like response in the raters, they may appear more likeable because of this, or it could be that an honest signal of weakness may represent an example of benign intent and/or a willingness to engage in a cooperative rather than competitive interaction, something which could be a ‘likable’ or preferred trait in a social partner,” added study senior author Bridget Waller, a professor of Evolution and Social Behavior at NTU.



“This fits with current understanding of expressivity, which tends to suggest that people who are more “emotionally expressive” are more well-liked by others and have more positive social interactions.”



The researchers are now investigating whether young children also show a similar sensitivity to stress states. In addition, they aim to clarify how exposure to adults’ stress may impact children.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1090513822000162?via%3Dihub">Evolution and Human Behavior</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

Showing signs of stress could make you more likeable

Scientists have long tried to understand “the paradox of stress...

A research team led by the <a href="https://www.unibe.ch/index_eng.html">University of Bern</a> has recently identified how the brain triages emotions during <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/strange-dreams-help-us-organize-our-experiences/">dreaming</a> in order to consolidate the storage of positive emotions while dampening the consolidation of negative ones. This study highlights the importance of sleep for mental health and opens new therapeutic pathways for a wide range of psychological disturbances.



REM (rapid eye movement) sleep is a mysterious sleep stage during which most of the dreams occur, together with intense emotional contents. Scientists have long puzzled how and why these emotions are activated during REM sleep. While the prefrontal cortex plays a fundamental role in integrating emotions during wakefulness, it remains surprisingly quiescent during REM sleep. “Our goal was to understand the underlying mechanism and the functions of such a surprising phenomenon,” said study senior author Antoine Adamantidis, a neuroscientist at the University of Bern.



Professor Adamantidis and his colleagues had first conditioned mice to recognize auditory stimuli associated with safety and others associated with danger, and afterwards recorded the mice’s brain activity during sleep-wake cycles. Neurons are composed of a cell body (soma) which integrates information coming from dendrites and sends signals to other neurons via their axons. The researchers found &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; that, during REM sleep, cell somas are kept silent while their dendrites are activated.



“This means a decoupling of the two cellular compartments, in other words soma wide asleep and dendrites wide awake,” explained Professor Adamantidis. Such a decoupling is important because the strong activity of dendrites allows the encoding of both safety and danger emotions, while the inhibition of the soma blocks any output during REM sleep. Thus, the brain seems to favor the discrimination of safety versus danger in the dendrites, but blocks any over-reactions to danger.



According to the scientists, the coexistence of both mechanisms is crucial for the stability and survival of the organism. “This bi-directional mechanism is essential to optimize the discrimination between dangerous and safe signals,” said study lead author Mattia Aime, a neuroscientist at the University of Bern. In cases when such discrimination mechanisms are missing, excessive fear reactions are often generated, leading to anxiety disorders. In post-traumatic stress disorder, for instance, traumatic experiences are over-consolidated in the prefrontal cortex during sleep.&nbsp;



Other mental health issues involving this somatodendritic decoupling include acute and chronic stress, anxiety, depression, and anhedonia. Better understanding how the brain helps to reinforce positive emotions and weaken negative or traumatic ones during REM sleep may open new therapeutic pathways for a wide range of mental illnesses.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abk2734">Science</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

Deep sleep helps us process our emotions

A research team led by the University of Bern has...

A new study led by the <a href="https://www.udel.edu/">University of Delaware</a> has found that increasing our daily intake of apiaceous vegetables, such as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/colorful-foods-can-prevent-cognitive-decline/">celery</a>, carrots, and parsley, could mitigate the effects of air pollutants in our bodies. According to the experts, these vegetables protect the body from the accumulation of acrolein, an irritant of the lungs and skin with a strong unpleasant smell, which is abundantly found in cigarette smoke and automobile exhaust.



Through a series of laboratory tests, study senior author Jae Kyeom Kim (an assistant professor of Behavioral Health and Nutrition at the University of Delaware) and his team analyzed how apiaceous vegetables mitigated acrolein-induced toxicities and reduced the oxidative stress triggered by these harmful substances.



“Kim’s research discovered that apiaceous vegetables supported detoxification through an increase in antioxidant enzyme activity,” said study co-author Jillian Trabulsi, an associate professor of Nutrition at the University of Delaware. “The results suggest that apiaceous vegetables may provide protection against acrolein-induced damages and inflammation because, in the liver, the vegetables enhance conversion of acrolein into a water-soluble acid for bodily excretion.”



In a next step, the scientists investigated what is a reasonable dosage amount for human consumption in order to fully benefit from these vegetables. 



“When we calculated this, we determined the actual daily calorie amount of apiaceous vegetables for humans is roughly 1 and 1/3 cups per day,” Professor Kim said. “It doesn’t require a high intake to see a difference, and this is an achievable amount in daily life.”



In future studies, Professor Kim and his team plan to integrate human intervention trials to better understand the health benefits of apiaceous vegetables. For the moment, they stress the importance of implementing behavioral changes in diet as a solution for combating the buildup of toxic substances derived from air pollution.



“Research has identified that it is the totality of nutrients in fruits and vegetables that support beneficial health outcomes, rather than a single nutrient. Focusing on a healthy whole food diet is more impactful than relying on individual supplements,” Professor Trabulsi concluded.



The study is published in the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0955286322000109#!">Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry</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

Eating vegetables can protect us against air pollutants

A new study led by the University of Delaware has...

Time spent in front of a screen is part of the modern child’s everyday life. Children aged 8 to 12, for example, spend an average of 4 to 6&nbsp;hours each day watching videos, gaming and socializing using the screens of their digital <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/screen-time-does-not-inhibit-social-skills-among-kids/">devices</a>. Although digital media brings a variety of new experiences to children, it is not known what the effects of these experiences are on the developing minds and cognitive abilities of young people. Although much research has been done, this topic remains hotly debated.&nbsp;



A recent study by researchers from the <a href="https://ki.se/en">Karolinska Institutet</a> in Sweden has focused specifically on the impact of screen time on children’s intelligence, in particular their ability to learn effectively, think rationally, understand complex ideas, and adapt to new situations. The researchers used a sample of just over 9,000 US boys and girls, aged 9 to 10, to investigate how screen habits correlate with the development of cognitive abilities over time.



The team identified three different types of screen time usage: time spent watching&nbsp;TV and online videos;&nbsp;time spent socializing&nbsp;via social media, text, and video chat; and time spent&nbsp;gaming. They estimated the effect of each type of activity on intelligence after accounting for the critical confounding influences of genetic and socioeconomic backgrounds.



At the age of nine or ten, the children performed a battery of psychological tests to gauge their general cognitive abilities (intelligence). The children and their parents were also asked about how much time the children spent watching TV and videos, playing video games and engaging with social media. Then, two years later, just over 5,000 of the children repeated the cognitive tests. This allowed the researchers to study how the children’s performance on the tests varied from the one testing session to the other, and to control for individual differences in the first test.&nbsp;&nbsp;



The results, published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-11341-2">Scientific Reports</a>, showed that the children spent an average of 2.5 hours a day watching TV, half an hour on social media and one hour playing video games. They also showed that gaming positively impacted the amount of change in intelligence between the two sets of tests, so that children who played more video games at 9 to 10&nbsp;years showed the greatest gains in intelligence two years later. Children who played more games than average showed an increase in their intelligence scores of approximately 2.5 IQ points more than the average increase.&nbsp;



This result was the same for boys and for girls. Surprisingly, watching TV also showed a positive effect on the change in intelligence but, less shockingly, socializing had no effect on cognitive change. No significant effect was observed, positive or negative, for TV-watching or for social media use.



“We didn’t examine the effects of screen behavior on physical activity, sleep, wellbeing or school performance, so we can’t say anything about that,” said Torkel Klingberg, professor of cognitive neuroscience at the Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet. “But our results support the claim that screen time generally doesn’t impair children’s cognitive abilities, and that playing video games can actually help boost intelligence. This is consistent with several experimental studies of video-game playing.”



A fascinating finding of the study is that intelligence is not a constant but can vary during a person’s lifetime. This is in line with other recent research showing that intelligence is not fixed, but is influenced by environmental factors. More profoundly, the positive cognitive impacts of watching videos and playing video games could partially explain the worldwide gradual increase in intelligence scores over the decades, known as the Flynn effect.&nbsp;The authors state that it is probably not a coincidence that the introduction of video games and computer technologies in the 1970s and 1980s coincides with a slight but discernible increase in the measured rate of increase in IQ scores.&nbsp;



“We’ll now be studying the effects of other environmental factors and how the cognitive effects relate to childhood brain development,” said Professor Klingberg.



One limitation of the study is that it only covered US children and did not differentiate between different types of video games, which makes the results difficult to transfer to children in other countries with other gaming habits. There was also a risk of reporting error since screen time and habits were self-rated.



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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

Video games can help boost children’s intelligence

Time spent in front of a screen is part of...

Beautiful,Field,View,,As,A,Spiritual,Person,,Nature,For,Me

It's been long believed that the first farmers originated 11,000 years ago in the Fertile Crescent in the Near East. Still, researchers were not sure whether Europe's first farmers <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/unraveling-one-of-the-greatest-feats-of-human-migration/">migrated</a> from the Fertile Crescent or learned it through cultural dissemination.&nbsp;&nbsp;



While previous research implied that Europe's farmers came from hunter-gatherers in Anatolia, a new study led by the <a href="https://www.unibe.ch/index_eng.html">University of Bern</a> suggests that farming did not come from a single region.&nbsp;



Earlier studies indicated that the first agriculturalists were genetically different from other human groups. However, this study implies that there was a genetic mixing of hunter-gatherers from Europe and Anatolia approximately 14,000 years ago, which was 3,000 years before the first farmers.&nbsp;



"We now find that the first farmers of Anatolia and Europe emerged from a population admixed between hunter-gatherers from Europe and the Near East," said study co-author Nina Marchi.



The genetic mixing was followed by thousands of years of extreme genetic differentiation. Perhaps one of the most impressive aspects of this study is the interdisciplinary work that brings us these results.&nbsp;



The researchers used high-quality genetic material from prehistoric skeletons and analyzed demographic data to gather the necessary data. The team labeled this method "demogenomic modeling."&nbsp;



"It is necessary to have genome data of the best possible quality so that the latest statistical genomic methods can reconstruct the subtle demographic processes of the last 30 thousand years at high resolution," said study senior author Laurent Excoffier.



It took the researchers almost ten years to gather and study the skeletons. They also consulted with several anthropologists and archeologists.



"Simply comparing the similarity of different ancient genomes is not enough to understand how they evolved," said Marchi. "We had to reconstruct the actual histories of the populations studied as accurately as possible. This is only possible with complex population genetic statistics."



The discoveries made by the team only further their desire to learn more, as demonstrated by Excoffier, who wants to explore other time gaps and geographic areas. "Of course, spatial and temporal gaps remain, and this does not imply the end of studies on the evolution of humans in this area."



This study is published in <a href="https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(22)00455-X?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS009286742200455X%3Fshowall%3Dtrue">Cell</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:nire518@gmail.com">Erin Moody </a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Study sheds new light on the origins of the first farmers

It's been long believed that the first farmers originated 11,000...

A nationwide study monitored <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/vegetable-consumption-before-pregnancy-lowers-risk-of-preterm-birth/">pregnant</a> women for chemical exposure over 12 years. Disturbingly, the research showed an increased exposure to harmful chemicals, including those from plastics and pesticides. Many of these chemicals were meant to replace other chemicals which are banned. Ironically, some of these replacements are as dangerous as the originals.&nbsp;



The scientists tested the women for 103 chemicals using a urine sample. Chemicals from pesticides, plastics, and replacements for BPA were among those that were tested for.&nbsp;



Overall, 171 women tested were from California, Georgia, Illinois, New Hampshire, New York and Puerto Rico. Over 80 percent of the chemicals were detected in at least one of the women, and more than one third of the chemicals were found in most of the women. Some of the chemicals were also detected at higher than historic levels.



Study senior author Dr. Tracey J. Woodruff is the director of the <a href="https://www.ucsf.edu/">University of California, San Francisco</a> (UCSF) Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment and co-director of the UCSF EaRTH Center.



“This is the first time we’ve been able to measure the amounts of chemicals in such a large and diverse group of pregnant women – not just identify chemicals,” said Dr. Woodruff. “Our findings make clear that the number and scope of chemicals in pregnant women are increasing during a very vulnerable time of development for both the pregnant person and the fetus.”



Unsurprisingly, the researchers found that non-white women had higher exposures to chemicals. Women with lower education, were single parents or exposed to tobacco also had higher exposure levels. Latinas, in particular, had high levels of exposure to parabens, phthalates and bisphenols.&nbsp;



“While pesticides and replacement chemicals were prevalent in all women, we were surprised to find that Latinas had substantially higher levels of parabens, phthalates and bisphenols,” said study first author Dr. Jessie Buckley. “This could be the result of higher exposures to products with chemicals, such as processed foods or personal care products."



The research is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/journal/esthag">Environmental Science &amp; Technology</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Chemical exposure is increasing among pregnant women

A nationwide study monitored pregnant women for chemical exposure over...

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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

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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

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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?

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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

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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"

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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...