THC, the main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, is being used by more pregnant women as the legalization of recreational cannabis gains ground. Women who are expecting often use cannabis for morning sickness, lower back pain, or anxiety relief.



Recent figures indicate that up to 1 in 5 pregnant women in the U.S. now use cannabis. However, growing research suggests that THC exposure could pose significant risks to the developing fetus.



A recent study highlights how prenatal exposure to THC may increase the risk of opioid addiction later in life.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-thc-rewires-the-fetal-brain">THC rewires the fetal brain</h2>



The preclinical animal study, led by researchers at the <a href="https://www.medschool.umaryland.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Maryland School of Medicine</a> and published in the journal Science Advances, revealed that prenatal exposure to THC rewires the fetal brain.



According to the study, THC made certain <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/covid-19-makes-you-feel-moody-and-sad-by-depleting-dopamine/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dopamine</a> neurons hyperactive, resulting in a marked increase in dopamine release and an amplified response to reward-related cues, such as a signal indicating the availability of food or an opioid drug.



“Doctors are contending with an explosion of cannabis use, and the THC content has quadrupled from what it was a generation ago,” said Dr. Joseph Cheer, a professor of Neurobiology and Psychiatry at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.



“It demonstrates the enduring consequences that prenatal cannabis exposure exerts on the brain’s reward system, which ultimately results in a neurobiological vulnerability to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/opioid-related-deaths-are-on-the-rise-among-young-people/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">opioid</a> drugs.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-prenatal-exposure-to-thc">Prenatal exposure to THC</h2>



The study revealed that prenatal exposure to THC led to significant changes in the brain's reward system, particularly in male animals. 



These animals displayed an exaggerated surge in the "reward-seeking" brain chemical dopamine when exposed to opioid drugs during adolescence, compared to those not exposed to THC.



Even moderate doses of THC - equivalent to one to two joints per day in humans - altered how the fetal brain processed rewards, fostering behavior suggestive of increased opioid-seeking.



This behavior was confirmed by follow-up experiments where tiny sensors implanted in their brains detected heightened dopamine release and over-activation of neurons linked to reward-seeking behavior.



“These observations support the hypothesis of a hypersensitized ‘wanting’ system that develops in the brain after exposure to THC during <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/prenatal-cannabis-exposure-has-unexpected-effect-on-infant-language/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">prenatal</a> development,“ said Dr. Cheer. 



"Interestingly, we found that this opioid-seeking phenotype occurs significantly more in males compared to females, and we are currently performing research with our colleagues at UMSOM to determine why this is the case.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-advancing-research-and-guidance">Advancing research and guidance </h2>



Dr. Cheer and his colleague, Dr. Mary Kay Lobo, co-direct the Center for Substance Use in Pregnancy at the University of Maryland School of Medicine’s Kahlert Institute for Addiction Medicine. 



Their ongoing research aims to further understand the long-term impact of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/prenatal-thc-exposure-linked-to-life-long-health-risks/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">drug exposure during pregnancy</a>.



“We need to more fully understand the enduring effects of THC exposure in the womb and whether we can reverse some of the deleterious effects through CRISPR-based gene therapies or repurposed drugs," said study co-author Dr. Dean Mark T. Gladwin.



"We also need to provide better advice to pregnant patients, many of whom are using cannabis to help control anxiety because they think this drug is safer for their baby than traditional anti-anxiety medications.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cannabis-use-during-pregnancy">Cannabis use during pregnancy </h2>



The findings suggest that there is a need for more exhaustive public health programs to educate pregnant women on the long-term effects that coincide with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/record-number-of-americans-are-high-on-marijuana-at-work/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">marijuana</a> exposure during pregnancy. 



Previous studies on cannabis use during pregnancy have also raised significant concerns about its potential impacts on fetal development and maternal health.



For example, studies have linked prenatal cannabis exposure to deficits in attention, memory, and executive functioning in children. 



Furthermore, cannabis use during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of low birth weight, which can lead to complications such as developmental delays and long-term health issues.



Guidelines on pregnancy and provision of adequate resources for pregnant women could be created and harmonized in collaboration between healthcare providers, researchers, and policymakers.



Investments in supplemental research, which would include human studies, may also clarify how exposures to THC impact the fetal brain in its developing state. 



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adq5652" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science Advances</a>.



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.&nbsp;



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



-----

Cannabis use during pregnancy rewires the fetal brain

THC, the main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, is being used by more pregnant women as the legalization of recreational cannabis gains ground. Women who are expecting often use cannabis for morning sickness, lower back pain, or anxiety relief. Recent figures indicate that up to 1 in 5 pregnant women in the U.S. now use cannabis. However, growing research suggests that THC exposure could pose significant risks to the developing fetus. A recent study highlights how prenatal exposure to THC may increase the risk of opioid addiction later...

Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, claiming an estimated 17 million people each year. In a new study from <a href="https://www.ucla.edu/">UCLA</a>, experts report that grapes can help protect&nbsp; heart health by boosting beneficial gut bacteria and lowering <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/intermittent-fasting-has-extraordinary-health-benefits/">cholesterol</a>.



Even among people who rarely eat fruit and vegetables, the study revealed that four weeks of grape consumption produced substantial heart health benefits, reducing the risk of heart attack or stroke.



“We found that grapes have a beneficial effect on gut bacteria, which is great news, since a healthy gut is critical to good health,” said study lead author Professor Zhaoping Li.



“This study deepens our knowledge and expands the range of health benefits for grapes, even as the study reinforces the heart health benefits of grapes with lowered cholesterol."



Grapes are considered to be a "superfood" that is rich in powerful antioxidants called polyphenols that can decrease inflammation.



The study was focused on participants between the ages of 21 and 55 who consumed about 40 grapes per day, which is the equivalent of two servings. After several weeks, the individuals had higher levels of gut microbiome diversity.



This community of trillions of bacteria in the gut is widely considered to be the body's first line of defense against chronic illness and disease. Therefore, diverse gut bacteria are critically important to human health.&nbsp;



After a month of eating grapes on a daily basis, the study participants were found to have nearly eight percent less “bad” cholesterol. In addition, bile acids fell by more than 40 percent. This is significant because malabsorption of bile acid leads to a drop in good cholesterol and a rise in bad cholesterol.&nbsp;



The harmful fats associated with bad cholesterol can cause blocking and clotting of blood clots and cut off blood flow to the heart or brain.



Previous studies have linked improved heart health to grapes in other forms as well, including red wine. According to the researchers, the findings suggest a promising new role for grapes in gut health and reinforce the benefits of grapes on heart health.



“In summary, our results provide novel preliminary information about the effects of grape intake on the gut microbiome, host cholesterol, and BA metabolism. These data will assist in the future design of studies to explore the health benefits of grape consumption.”



---



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

Grapes lower bad cholesterol and protect heart health

Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of death...

Cool,Skateboarder,Outdoors,-,Afroamerican,Guy,Jumping,With,His,Skate

A new study led by the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a> has found that skateboarding in middle age can help people cope with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/botox-injections-may-reduce-anxiety-and-depression/">depression</a>, bond with their children, and achieve emotional well-being. According to study author Dr. Paul O’Connor, a sociologist at the University of Exeter, aside from its physical benefits, skateboarding can alleviate mental health issues and give “profound meaning and resonance.”



The popularity of skateboarding has risen after the first <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/year-three-the-beginning-of-the-end-of-the-pandemic/">COVID-19</a> lockdown. It made its Olympic debut as an official sport at the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. A reason behind its sudden popularity could be the fact that the measure of success in skateboarding is more fluid compared to other sports, with occasional failure seen as an intrinsic part of this activity.



In order to investigate the benefits of this sport, Dr. O’Connor interviewed 30 middle-aged skateboarders from the United States and Canada, and observed skateboarders in Hong Kong and the United Kingdom.&nbsp;



“For those I spoke to skateboarding was more than about looking after physical health,” Dr. O’Connor reported. “On at least two occasions when I asked informants to try to explain what skateboarding meant to them, I was confronted with grown men fighting back tears, literally lost for words in grasping to communicate the importance and gravitas of their pastime.”



The study findings suggest that skateboarding significantly alleviated symptoms of depression and other mental health issues, provided an opportunity to re-connect with offspring, and helped people cope with addictions and substance abuse.



“Middle-aged skateboarders appear to acknowledge the health benefits of being active and obtaining exercise through skateboarding; however, their main focus appears to be pleasure,” explained&nbsp;Dr. O'Connor.



“Older skateboarders may well be interested in losing weight and keeping fit, but these are often reported to be by-products of the more general well-being achieved through the activity. Skateboarding provides a serious emotional outlet for people who have experienced personal trials in the collapse of long-term relationships, career challenges, parenthood, and substance abuse.”



Moreover, while sports such as football or rugby have a strong competitive nature, with clear-defined instances of success or failure, “lifestyle sports” such as skateboarding tend to be more about the intrinsic enjoyment of the activity and less about competing with others.



“In skateboarding there is a much more fluid understanding of success, and one that is open to failure as a contingent part of the activity, of both learning and progressing,” Dr. O’Connor concluded.



The study is published as a chapter of the book <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/edit/10.4324/9780429340505/lifestyle-sports-identities-tyler-dupont-becky-beal">Lifestyle Sports and Identities</a>.&nbsp;



---



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

Skateboarding alleviates depression and increases well-being

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

A research team led by <a href="https://www.colostate.edu/">Colorado State University</a> (CSU) has recently used one of the largest global health databases in the world (the <a href="https://www.healthdata.org/gbd/2019">Global Burden of Disease</a>) to investigate the causes of deaths and disabilities in the state of Colorado over a period of 29 years, from 1990 to 1999. They found that cardiovascular disease and cancers accounted for over half of the deaths in Colorado during these decades.



According to the study findings, the number of deaths nearly doubled, from 21,171 in 1990 to 40,724 in 2019. While well-known culprits such as heart disease and cancer killed as usual an enormous number of people, other top risk factors for premature deaths included tobacco, drug use (which increased by 140 percent, particularly since the rise of opioids), high body-mass index, alcohol use (causing a 30 percent spike in kidney disease), and high blood sugar leading to diabetes. However, premature deaths caused by HIV/AIDS decreased by 82 percent, and transportation injuries also dropped by 40 percent.



The scientists claim that seeing tobacco at the top of the risk factors list came as a surprise. “It should be less of a problem, compared with years ago before people were aware of the health risks,” said study senior author Dr. David Rojas-Rueda, an assistant professor of Epidemiology at CSU. “But when you connect the idea that tobacco exposure will not become a disability or health concern until many years later — causing lung cancer, respiratory and cardiovascular problems — it makes sense. It’s a reminder that we should still pay attention to public health messaging related to tobacco.”&nbsp;



Another surprising finding was the significant impact of musculoskeletal disorders, particularly low back pain, on overall disability in Colorado. “When I think about debilitating diseases, low back pain doesn’t come to mind,” said study lead author Jen Roux, a graduate student in Public Health at CSU. “It is interesting to see the broad impact in Colorado and within the U.S. as well.” In fact, other <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7186678/">studies</a> show that low back pain is the leading cause of disability globally.



While data for 2020 will only become available in spring 2022, Dr. Rojas-Rueda claimed that, although COVID-19 will most probably be among the leading causes of death and disability, the other problems will still remain.&nbsp;



“These health problems will remain when the pandemic lessens. And we also need to be prepared for what we’re facing after the pandemic lifts, to some degree, in the future. This study is another reminder that we need to do better,” he concluded.



The study is published in the International <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/1/288">Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health</a>.



---



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

Study reveals major health risks in Colorado

A research team led by Colorado State University (CSU) has...

A new study from <a href="https://www.cmu.edu/">Carnegie Mellon University</a> suggests that changing trends in baby names are driven by a battle between the desire to stand out and the need to fit in. According to the researchers, the study demonstrates that motives to conform and to be unique interact to produce complex and unpredictable <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/male-giraffes-have-social-connections-beyond-their-own-community/">social dynamics</a>.



“I am curious about everything, but I am clueless about popular social trends,” said Russell Golman, associate professor in the Social and Decision Sciences Department at CMU. “My interest was sparked by thinkers in the field of complex systems who study non-equilibrium dynamics in the economy and society.”



The researchers developed a mathematical model to understand why the most popular baby names are always shifting. Professor Golman was curious what factors could be applied to such a model to drive behavior out of what ultimately becomes a steady pattern of change instead of equilibrium.



“I wanted to use math to describe two conflicting motives - wanting to fit in and wanting to stand out at the same time. They push you in opposite directions but you can want both things.”



Professor Golman noted that while the desire to fit in would drive behavior toward the median of the group, the desire to stand out would drive behavior away from the most popular baby names. “Put them together, and they still lead to equilibrium.”&nbsp;&nbsp;



To break away from equilibrium, the researchers factored in social networks. According to Professor Golman, these networks include communities, neighbors, colleagues, clubs, and other social groups, but not necessarily social media.&nbsp;



“It was surprising that social networks could make such a big difference,” said Professor Golman. “We modeled the dynamics with a lot of different networks, and not converging to equilibrium is actually pretty typical.”



To test the new model, PhD student Erin Bugbee used the large database of baby names managed by the Social Security Administration for the last century. The analysis revealed an interesting pattern. When the popularity of one name, such as Emily, peaked - parents tended to move on to a similar one, like Emma.&nbsp;



This strategy allows parents to choose a baby name that is socially acceptable by its similarity to the popular name, but will also stand out in a crowd as being unique.



The study authors concluded that an understanding of both social psychology and social network structure are necessary to explain the emergence of unpredictable cultural trends.&nbsp;



The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/rev">Psychological Review</a>.



---



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

Baby names: the desire to stand out meets a need to fit in

A new study from Carnegie Mellon University suggests that changing...

A new study led by the <a href="https://www.gu.se/en">University of Gothenburg</a> has found that both moderate and strenuous physical exercise are highly effective at alleviating both acute and chronic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/botox-injections-may-reduce-anxiety-and-depression/">anxiety</a>. According to scientists, structured physical activity is better for treating anxiety than drugs or even psychological or psychiatric therapy.



The scientists recruited 286 patients with anxiety disorders from primary care services in Gothenburg and the northern part of the Halland County on the western coast of Sweden. The average age of the participants was 39, and 70 percent of them were women. Almost half of them had lived with anxiety for over 10 years.&nbsp;



The participants were assigned to 60-minutes group exercise sessions, either moderate or strenuous, three times per week, for a total of 12 weeks.&nbsp;Afterwards, they needed to report the severity of their anxiety symptoms, including nervousness, rapid breathing, increased heart rate, and trembling.



The results indicate that both moderate and strenuous physical exercise are highly effective in mitigating anxiety symptoms, even in the case when patients struggled with chronic anxiety disorders.



“A 12-week group exercise program proved effective for patients with anxiety syndromes in primary care,” wrote the study authors. “These findings strengthen the view of physical exercise as an effective treatment and could be more frequently made available in clinical practice for persons with anxiety issues.”



The researchers found that the more intense the training sessions were, the more they lowered participants’ anxiety levels.&nbsp;“There was a significant intensity trend for improvement – that is, the more intensely they exercised, the more their anxiety symptoms improved,” explained study lead author Malin Henriksson, a doctoral student at the University of Gothenburg.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Current mainstream treatments of anxiety include the use of psychotropic drugs, generally combined with cognitive behavioral therapy. However, such treatments are quite expensive and the drugs have numerous side effects. Thus, the alternative proposed by the University of Gothenburg’s research team may prove to be more effective.



“Doctors in primary care need treatments that are individualised, have few side effects, and are easy to prescribe,” said study senior author&nbsp;Maria Åberg, a specialist physician and senior lecturer at the University of Gothenburg. “The model involving 12 weeks of physical training, regardless of intensity, represents an effective treatment that should be made available in primary health care more often for people with anxiety issues.”&nbsp;



The study is published in the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165032721010739?via%3Dihub">Journal of Affective Disorders</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;



---



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

Physical exercise reduces chronic anxiety better than drugs

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

For those of us who may have indulged in a little too much <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/stress-causes-women-to-consume-more-alcohol-than-intended/">alcoholic</a> cheer during this festive season, the news is not good. It seems there is little scientific evidence that traditional hangover cures will help us. Although there are many products sold for the treatment of hangover symptoms, up-to-date scientific evidence of their effectiveness is limited.&nbsp;



With this in mind, a team of researchers from King’s College London, the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) South London, and from Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust conducted a systematic review of published literature to examine the current evidence for hangover treatment efficacy.



The researchers investigated 21 placebo-controlled, randomized trials involving different hangover cures. The hangover cures were Curcumin, Duolac ProAP4 (probiotics), L-cysteine, N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine (NAC), Rapid Recovery (L-cysteine, thiamine, pyridoxine and ascorbic acid), Loxoprofen (loxoprofen sodium), SJP-001 (naproxen and fexofenadine), Phyllpro (Phyllanthus amarus), Clovinol (extract of clove buds), Hovenia dulcis fruit extract (HDE), Polysaccharide rich extract of Acanthopanax (PEA), Red Ginseng, Korean Pear Juice, L-ornithine, Prickly Pear, Artichoke extract, 'Morning-Fit' (dried yeast, thiamine nitrate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, and riboflavin), Propranolol, Tolfenamic acid, Chlormethiazole, and Pyritinol.



The review, which is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/13600443">Addiction</a>, finds that although some of the studies did show statistically significant improvements in hangover symptoms, the quality of the scientific methods used was very poor. No two studies considered the effects of the same treatment and none of the results found in these studies have been replicated in other, independent studies. The 21 studies reviewed thus lack scientific reliability and represent rather low-quality evidence that any of these remedies work.



There were also other methodological limitations in some of the studies, such as the fact that eight used only male participants, measurements were sometimes imprecise and the exact quantity, type and timing of alcohol use were not standardized. In addition, the assessment of hangover symptoms was subjective and not comparable between studies.&nbsp;



The researchers stress that further studies on the topic are necessary before concluding that any of these remedies is effective. Future studies should be more scientifically rigorous in their methods, for example by using validated scales to assess hangover symptoms. There is also a need to improve the participation of women in hangover research.



“Hangover symptoms can cause significant distress and affect people’s employment and academic performance. Given the continuing speculation in the media as to which hangover remedies work or not, the question around the effectiveness of substances that claim to treat or prevent a hangover appears to be one with considerable public interest," said study lead author Dr. Emmert Roberts.



"Our study has found that evidence on these hangover remedies is of very low quality and there is a need to provide more rigorous assessment. For now, the surest way of preventing hangover symptoms is to abstain from alcohol or drink in moderation.”



---



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

No convincing evidence that hangover remedies work

For those of us who may have indulged in a...

In a new study led by Julia Brailovskaia of <a href="http://www.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/en">Ruhr-Universität Bochum</a>, scientists have found a link between problematic smartphone use and psychological issues during the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dogs-have-provided-support-during-the-pandemic/">pandemic</a> in the spring of 2021. People with problematic smartphone use were linked to a lower sense of control, repetitive negative thinking and fear of missing out (FOMO).&nbsp;



"During the 21st century, smartphones became people’s daily companions. Through mobile Internet access, smartphones allow permanent availability and provide up-to-date news around the globe and in the life of family and friends," wrote the study authors.&nbsp;



"Oral communication through phone calls is complemented by typed interaction and exchange of photos and videos anywhere and at any time using various social media applications on our smartphone - that is social platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, as well as instant messengers such as WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal."



"In addition to the active online interaction, one can passively observe the online behavior of others by checking their updates. Depending on privacy settings, we can track when our friends are online, and for example whether they have read our recent messages on WhatsApp."



"To sum up, through the smartphone we can participate in the lives of other people and allow them to be part of our lives. These functions of our smartphone not only satisfy our need for belonging; they also can contribute to the satisfaction of another important human need - the sense of control."



Previous studies have shown that during the COVID-19 pandemic, smartphone use increased substantially. Like many modern technologies, there are two sides to smartphone use. While phones can be useful tools for work efficiency and connectivity, they can also have negative impacts on relationships, as well as physical and mental health.&nbsp;



To delve further into smartphone use during the pandemic, Brailovskaia and her colleagues surveyed 516 smartphone users over the age of 18 during April and May of 2021.&nbsp;



The experts asked respondents to self report their smartphone use. There were also questions designed to ascertain people’s sense of control, repetitive thinking and fear of missing out. The team hypothesized that these factors might lead to problematic smartphone usage.&nbsp;



The results of the survey analysis showed that indeed all of these factors were associated with problematic smartphone use. Correlation is not causation, however. There seems to be some statistically significant relationship between the four factors and problematic smartphone usage, yet exactly what that relationship is remains uncertain.&nbsp;



It is possible that fear of missing out may be a factor that leads someone to problematic smartphone use through lack of control. Also, a larger amount of repetitive thinking was connected to a greater fear of missing out and problematic smartphone use.&nbsp;



The study was primarily focused on young, female participants. To gain further insight, the experts suggest that the research be repeated with a broader range of people.



The study was published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/">PLOS ONE</a> on December 22, 2021.&nbsp;



---



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

Pandemic smartphone use linked to lower sense of control

In a new study led by Julia Brailovskaia of Ruhr-Universität...

Voice,Search.,Happy,Black,Man,Using,Voice,Assistant,On,Mobile

Life coaching, a process in which an expert helps a person identify and achieve his or her most important personal and professional <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/children-effort-goals-adults/">goals</a>, is becoming increasingly trendy. Such support is also used by groups and companies. Recently, a research team led by <a href="https://www.upf.edu/en/">Pompeu Fabra University</a>, Spain, has investigated the possibility of using virtual life coaches instead of real people.



“Using coaching models, we programmed a conversational agent based only on voice, which would guide people to achieve their goals in the same way that a human coach guides you in your session through questions,” explained study lead author Dr. Laura Aymerich-Franch, a research fellow at Pompeu Fabra University. “In this study we found that, using the application we created, the psychological well-being of the participants improved.”



Dr. Aymerich-Franch and her colleagues created an application called NORIKA, which could be installed on smartphone and operated using a very simple visual interface. In order to test it, the researchers asked 30 participants to work together with NORIKA on deciding which aspects of their lives they wanted to focus on, finding the core values for those specific aspects, identifying a goal based on SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely) criteria, and putting it into practice.



To test the effectiveness of the virtual assistant, the scientists measured variables such as personal growth (Personal Growth Initiative Scale, or PGI), life satisfaction (Life Satisfaction Scale, or SLS), and Implementing the Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS).



“The results revealed a significant increase in PGI and SLS values, and in turn an also significant decrease in negative emotions (PANAS) compared to the status prior to the start of the sessions,” explained Dr. Aymerich-Franch. “This suggests that the coaching program contributed positively to psychological well-being, life satisfaction and personal growth.”



“Everything seems to indicate that [virtual coaches such as NORIKA] will be increasingly present in the home. Although for the moment the conversational agent cannot offer the same abilities and services as a session with a coach or a therapist, it can serve to help eliminate attitudinal barriers that still exist when seeking therapeutic support to improve psychological well-being,” Dr. Aymerich-Franch concluded.



The study is published in the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1071581921001634?via%3Dihub#!">International Journal of Human-Computer Studies</a>.



---



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

Virtual assistants could be used for life coaching

Life coaching, a process in which an expert helps a...

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a common complication of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/exercise-during-pregnancy-improves-the-health-of-babies/">pregnancy</a>, with an estimated 17 percent of pregnant women worldwide developing this condition. It is characterized by high blood sugar levels and may affect the health of the baby and increase the mother’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life.&nbsp;



Although the cause of this condition is not known, excess weight before pregnancy often plays a role. Along with obesity, diet has also been implicated as a key contributory factor in the onset of GDM.&nbsp;&nbsp;



To investigate the link between diet and gestational diabetes in more depth, a team of scientists from the <a href="https://www.utu.fi/en">University of Turku</a> and the Turku University Hospital in Finland recently undertook a study of 351 pregnant women and their diets. The objective of the study was to determine the extent to which diet in early pregnancy contributes to the risk of developing GDM in a high-risk group of women who were overweight or obese.&nbsp;



The women's nutrient intake was calculated using questionnaires and self-reported records in food diaries that were kept by the participants during early pregnancy. The researchers evaluated the relationship between the development of gestational diabetes and the pregnant women’s nutrient intakes, dietary patterns, overall diet quality when compared to a recommended diet, and eating frequency. They also studied the inflammatory potential of each woman’s diet using a dietary inflammatory index.



During the course of the study, 23 percent (81) of the women were diagnosed with gestational diabetes. These women had significantly higher pre-pregnancy BMI values and higher diastolic blood pressure at the start of the study, compared to those of women who did not develop GDM.&nbsp;



Analysis of the women’s dietary patterns showed two predominant patterns, which the researchers labeled healthier and unhealthier. The healthier pattern was characterized by a high intake of vegetables, fruits, berries, rye bread, pasta, rice, fish and seafood. The unhealthier pattern represented a diet focused on multigrain and wheat bread, dairy desserts (e.g., ice-cream), sweet pastries, savory pastries, sugar, sweets and chocolate, nuts, seeds, popcorn, potato crisps and dried fruits, beverages, pasta and rice, and poultry.



The study found that women who adhered more strictly to the healthier dietary pattern during early pregnancy had a lower risk of developing GDM later on. More particularly, the development of gestational diabetes was associated with higher dietary intake of fats, specifically saturated fatty acids and trans fatty acids.&nbsp;



In addition, a more inflammatory diet was associated with a higher risk of developing gestational diabetes. The authors state that low-grade inflammation is a mediator for insulin resistance and therefore foods with higher inflammatory indices (e.g., fats) could contribute to the onset of GDM. Total fat, saturated fatty acids, and trans&nbsp;fatty acids have a high inflammatory potential and are able to increase the presence of chronic, systemic inflammation in the body.



“Our research results show that following a healthy diet in early pregnancy reduces the risk of gestational diabetes," said study first author Lotta Pajunen.



One of the limitations of the study was that it focused on overweight and obese women only. The researchers feel that this is justifiable, given the fact that these women are more prone to the development of GDM than are women of normal weight, and that levels of obesity are increasing globally.&nbsp;



Overall, the findings suggest that pregnant women who are overweight or obese can lower their risk of developing gestational diabetes by consuming a diet with a low inflammatory index and more healthy foods, particularly foods that do not contain a lot of saturated fats.&nbsp;&nbsp;



“Eating vegetables, fruit, berries, and wholegrain products as well as unsaturated fats is particularly important. These nutrients and foods reduce inflammation in the body and therefore also the risk of gestational diabetes. Mothers who are overweight or obese already before the pregnancy would most likely benefit from dietary guidance in early pregnancy,” said Professor Kirsi Laitinen.



The study is published in the <a href="https://www.springer.com/journal/394">European Journal of Nutrition</a>.



---



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

Healthy diet during early pregnancy reduces gestational diabetes risk

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a common complication of pregnancy,...

Young children love to hear a good story and shared reading is a way of teaching them about <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bilingual-brains-can-switch-between-languages-with-ease/">language</a> and the world, at the same time as entertaining them. However, many popular children’s books have been shown to portray protagonists and other characters in gender-specific ways and may inadvertently perpetuate beliefs and stereotypes relating to gender. 



Children learn at a young age about gender-related characteristics. By 24 months (in girls) and 31 months (in boys), children already exhibit knowledge of behaviors that are stereotypically feminine (e.g., vacuuming), masculine (e.g., building), and neutral (e.g., sleeping). For this reason, it is very important to understand how gender is represented in books for young children.



“Some of the stereotypes that have been studied in the social psychology literature are present in these books, like girls being good at reading and boys being good at math,” said Molly Lewis, special faculty in the Social and Decision Sciences and Psychology departments at the Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences.&nbsp;



In a new study, Lewis and her colleagues from <a href="https://www.cmu.edu/">Carnegie Mellon University</a> and the University of Wisconsin analyzed 247 popular, contemporary books written for children between the ages of 0 and 5 years. Previous work on how gender is represented in books has used “content analysis” methods that involve detailed analyses of a small number of texts. But in the current study, the researchers had a broader focus and analyzed the entire 200,000-word corpus constituting the 247 books.&nbsp;



In their analysis, the researchers quantified the extent to which words in texts were associated with males vs. females, which they termed the words’ “gender bias.” Some of these gender biases reflect well-known stereotypes, for example “pretty” (female) or “large” (male). They quantified the gender biases in individual books and in the corpus as a whole using two methods.



In the first method, adults were asked to judge which words were associated with gender stereotypes, and in the second method, statistical co-occurrence of words was investigated. In addition, the researchers compared their findings to the word use in adult fictional literature.&nbsp;



The results indicate that books for young children vary widely in degree of gender bias, ranging from strongly male to strongly female. In particular, books with gendered language were centered around the protagonist in the story. Female-associated words focused on affection, school-related words and communication verbs, like ‘explained’ and ‘listened.’ In contrast, male-associated words focused more on professions, transportation and tools.



“The audiences of these books [are] different,” said Lewis. “Girls more often read stereotypically girl books, and boys more often read stereotypically boy books.”



Furthermore, girls are more likely to have books read to them that include female protagonists, than boys. Interestingly, the books with female protagonists had more gendered language than the books with male protagonists. The researchers attribute this finding to “male” being historically seen as the default gender, making the female-associated words more striking and notable.&nbsp;



Because girls prefer books with female protagonists and boys prefer those with male protagonists, children are more likely to learn about the gender biases of their own gender than of other genders, while enjoying shared reading.



When the researchers compared their findings to the word usage in adult fiction books, they found that children’s books displayed more gender stereotypes than fictional books read by adults. In particular, the researchers examined how often women were associated with good, family, language and arts, while men were associated with bad, careers and math. Compared to the adult corpus, which was fairly gender neutral when it came to associations between gender, language, arts and math, children’s books were far more likely to associate women with language and arts and men with math.



“Our data are only part of the story – so to speak,” said Mark Seidenberg, professor of psychology at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and contributing author on the study. “They are based on the words in children’s books and say nothing about other characteristics that matter: the story, the emotions they evoke, the ways the books expand children’s knowledge of the world.&nbsp;We don’t want to ruin anyone’s memories of ‘Curious George’ or ‘Amelia Bedelia.’ &nbsp;Knowing that stereotypes do creep into many books and that children develop beliefs about gender at a young age, we probably want to consider books with this in mind.”



Together, the findings suggest that children’s books may be an early source of gender associations and stereotypes. Clearly, the words and information used in early education books could play a role in establishing and formalizing perceptions of gender in young children.



“There is often kind of a cycle of learning about gender stereotypes, with children learning stereotypes at a young age then perpetuating them as they get older,” said Lewis. “These books may be a vehicle for communicating information about gender. We may need to pay some attention to what those messages may be and whether they’re messages you want to even bring to children.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/home/pss">Psychological Science</a>.



---



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

Young children learn gender stereotypes from storybooks

Young children love to hear a good story and shared...

Carbohydrates are important in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/avocado-linked-to-overall-healthier-diets/">diets</a> of most people, and are consumed in the form of starches and sugars. But Greenlandic people have a long history of consuming a diet consisting mostly of protein and fat from fish, seals, whales and reindeer. There is almost no carbohydrate in their traditional diet.&nbsp;



Several different enzymes are involved in breaking down dietary carbohydrates to form the glucose that is then absorbed into the bloodstream. One such enzyme, known as sucrase-isomaltase (SI), acts on both sucrose and maltose and breaks them down into smaller sugars. Sometime in the history of Greenlanders, the gene that codes for this enzyme has undergone mutation that has rendered it non-functional and today, as much as 39 percent of the Greenlandic population carries the dysfunctional gene.&nbsp;



The mutated gene is recessive and so people who carry only one copy will still be able to produce the SI enzyme and to digest the sugars. However, those people who carry two copies of the mutated gene (homozygous) will not be able to break down sucrose or isomaltose in the usually manner. Congenital sucrase-isomaltase deficiency (CSID) has a negative impact on children who eat carbohydrates: they suffer a range of symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal pain and bloating. But the impact on the health of adults has not been investigated.&nbsp;&nbsp;



In a recent study, published in the journal Gastroenterology, scientists from Denmark, Greenland and the USA assessed the metabolic health of 6,551 Greenlanders, two percent of whom were homozygous carriers of the mutant gene and so suffered from CSID. The researchers measured such parameters as Body Mass Index (BMI), body fat percentage, waist and hip circumference, weight, blood lipid profile and cholesterol levels.



They found that participants who carried only one copy of the mutated gene had the same metabolic profile as those who carried normal genes. However, those who were homozygous (carried two copies) for the mutated gene had markedly healthier metabolic profiles. They had a lower BMI, less body weight, a lower fat percentage, and lower levels of triglycerides and cholesterol.



“Adult Greenlanders with the genetic variation have lower BMI, weight, fat percentage, cholesterol levels and are generally significantly healthier. They have less belly fat and might find it easier to get a six pack. It is amazing and surprising that a genetic variation has such a profoundly beneficial effect,” said Professor Anders Albrechtsen from the University of Copenhagen.&nbsp;



The researchers also made use of genetically modified mice to investigate the effects of sucrase-isomaltase deficiency. The knockout mice had their SI gene experimentally mutated, while the wild-type mice had functional SI genes. The mice were fed different diets for eight weeks, some containing sucrose and some without sucrose, although all diets were the same in terms of calorific value.&nbsp;



After the experimental period, the knockout mice showed significantly lower weight gain, and lower body fat percentage than the wild-type mice, even though the calories eaten were the same for the two types of mice. These findings support the results seen in the sample of Greenlanders that were deficient for the SI enzyme and indicate that the healthier metabolic profile linked to loss of SI function, in both humans and mice, is related to changes in uptake of sucrose, rather than to changes in energy content of the food eaten.



During further analysis, the researchers found higher levels of acetate circulating in the blood of people who were homozygous for the mutation. Since sugars are not being digested in the initial part of the digestive system (stomach and small intestine), they travel further along the digestive tract and are ultimately broken down by gut bacteria instead.



“Here, gut bacteria convert the sugar into a short-chain fatty acid called acetate, which in previous studies has been shown to reduce appetite, increase metabolism and boost the immune system. That is most likely the mechanism happening here,” explained Mette Andersen, an assistant professor at Copenhagen’s Center for Metabolism Research.



The researchers discuss possible reasons why SI deficient children suffer symptoms when carbohydrates are introduced into their diets whereas the adults do not. They propose that a surplus of simple carbohydrates in the gut could favor the development of microflora that transform the carbohydrates into acetate, turning them from a potential irritant into a tool for a healthier metabolism.



“Younger carriers of the variation experience negative consequences due to their different type of sugar absorption. For them, consuming sugar causes diarrhea, abdominal pain and bloating. Our guess is that as they age, their gut bacteria&nbsp;<a href="https://www.studyfinds.org/tag/gut-health/">gradually get used to sugar</a>&nbsp;and learn how to convert it into energy,” noted Torben Hansen, a doctor and professor at Copenhagen’s Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research.



Ultimately, the findings may be useful in developing a treatment for people with obesity or cardiovascular disease. A drug that targets the SI enzyme and renders it non-functional would perhaps have the consequence of reducing weight gain and promoting metabolic health. However, further studies are needed to investigate the consequences of inhibiting otherwise functional enzymes in the intestines of people who struggle with weight gain.&nbsp;



“We can see that the genetic variation provides a better balance of fat in the bloodstream, which results in lower weight and consequently, fewer cardiovascular diseases. If you can develop a drug that inhibits the sucrase-isomaltase gene, then in principle, we might all be able to have equally strong health profiles,” concluded Hansen.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.gastrojournal.org/">Gastroenterology</a>.



---



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

For some Greenlanders, eating sugar has health benefits

Carbohydrates are important in the diets of most people, and...

The results of a new study published by <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/">Frontiers</a> suggests that adults can greatly reduce <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/covid-19-antibody-levels-are-highest-in-women-after-vaccination/">Covid-19</a> transmission in schools and preschools by wearing masks. The researchers found that Covid-19 outbreaks were more severe when an adult was the first identified case, or the index case.



The experts report that adults wearing masks can significantly lower secondary cases. They recommend that masks become obligatory for adults working at schools and preschools to help prevent outbreaks.



"To date, there is only insufficient evidence to definitively rule out schools as a source of infection. It remains undisputed that children and adolescents can be infected with SARS-CoV-2 and can spread the infection possibly as asymptomatic carriers," wrote the study authors.&nbsp;



"However, studies in schools suggest that infections are predominantly brought into schools by adults and that a child-to-child transmission in schools is rare and probably not the primary cause of SARS-CoV-2 infections in children collectives."



While the role that children play in the spread of Covid-19 remains unclear, school closures are not the best solution. Research has shown that the closing of schools has negative impacts on the well-being of children and adolescents. School closures have been linked to social isolation and academic challenges, for example.



“To avoid school closures at high incidence levels, it is important to identify factors contributing to the spread of Covid-19 infections in schools and preschools,” said study co-author Dr. Anika Kästner of the University Medicine Greifswald.



The experts analyzed the dynamics of Covid-19 infections in schools and preschools. In particular, they looked at changes in hygiene measures and studied the influence of these measures on the extent of outbreaks.



The analysis was focused on routine surveillance data of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany, between August 2020 and May 2021. They analyzed outbreak events in schools and preschools, while considering changes in infection control measures over time.&nbsp;



“Our results show that mandatory masking of teachers and caregivers and children at schools in the 2020 to 2021 school year each resulted in a significant reduction in the number of Covid-19 transmissions," said study first author Dr. Martine Sombetzki.



“In a model analysis, mask obligation, for adults in particular, was shown to be effective in reducing secondary cases," said Dr. Kästner. "We can therefore recommend all-time mandatory masking in schools for both children and adults. In preschools, mask wearing could also reduce secondary cases."



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health">Frontiers in Public Health</a>.



---



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

Adults can greatly reduce Covid-19 in schools by wearing masks

The results of a new study published by Frontiers suggests...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="G9bUoxcjr4-2511624-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="3upvlAaHgO-2256633-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="3upvlAaHgO-2256633-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="LvS8v8bp9z-2564889-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="JRaP49ISmm-2357509-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="JRaP49ISmm-2357509-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="e4ZG0Jawp3-2374785-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="uV9Lh2fQbV-1760058-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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"

[sendtonews key="uV9Lh2fQbV-1760058-12187" type="single"] Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky" Today’s...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="qjvhBOBnY8-2426650-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="qjvhBOBnY8-2426650-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="oL4FnPTGCV-2384527-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="oL4FnPTGCV-2384527-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="0879czfG3k-1785905-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="0879czfG3k-1785905-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from NASA...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="6HyfrAJTBI-1831843-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="6HyfrAJTBI-1831843-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="QIoVYJqRBi-2434608-12187" type="single"]</div>



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)



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="JbW4VsY53O-1632195-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="JbW4VsY53O-1632195-12187" type="single"] Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected...

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



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="qARzJPSabQ-2270617-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="qARzJPSabQ-2270617-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="qas3EhyI0Y-2220951-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="qas3EhyI0Y-2220951-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="vpljfR2VBX-2560867-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="vpljfR2VBX-2560867-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="MHyhtebibJ-2200368-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="MHyhtebibJ-2200368-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from NASA...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="761m2QQvR1-2035772-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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...