A recent scientific breakthrough reveals the profound influence of human breast milk on the health of an infant. In a nutshell, our body's most natural nourishment for newborns, breast milk, is found to have a protective effect against asthma by shaping the baby's microbiome during the first year of life.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mother-s-milk-natural-pacemaker-for-infants">Mother's milk: Natural pacemaker for infants</h2>



You might wonder why breast milk is a big deal. Well, the answer lies in our body's complex community of microorganisms, known as the microbiome. 



A recent study led by NYU Langone Health and the <a href="https://umanitoba.ca" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Manitoba</a> shows that breastfeeding for more than three months supports the gradual maturation of the microbiome in the infant's digestive system and nasal cavity. 



Stopping breastfeeding before this period disrupts this development process, leading to a higher risk of preschool asthma.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-breast-milk-and-the-microbiome">Breast milk and the microbiome</h2>



Human breast <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/engineered-gmo-plants-make-baby-formula-healthy-as-breast-milk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">milk</a> isn't just about nutrition. It is also about promoting the right microbes in the infant's gut and nasal cavity. 



Some components in breast milk, like complex sugars called human milk oligosaccharides, can only be broken down with the help of certain microbes. 



This gives a leg-up to these microbes over others, creating a specialized microbiome environment within the infant.



Early weaning from breast milk, on the other hand, leads to a different set of microbes thriving, ones that help digest formula components.



These microbes eventually colonize all babies, but their early arrival is linked to an increased risk of asthma.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-breast-milk-for-asthma-prevention">Breast milk for asthma prevention</h2>



Study co-senior investigator Dr. Liat Shenhav is an assistant professor at <a href="https://med.nyu.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NYU Grossman School of Medicine</a> in the Institute for Systems Genetics and the Department of Microbiology.



“Just as a pacemaker regulates the rhythm of the heart, breastfeeding and human <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/thc-from-cannabis-use-lingers-breast-milk-new-mothers/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">milk</a> set the pace and sequence for microbial colonization in the infant’s gut and nasal cavity, ensuring that this process occurs in an orderly and timely manner,” said Dr. Shenhav. 



“Healthy microbiome development is not only about having the right microbes. They also need to arrive in the right order at the right time."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-microbiome-asthma-and-breast-milk">Microbiome, asthma, and breast milk</h2>



This is the part where science gets interesting. Breastfed children had a later appearance of a bacterial species called Ruminococcus gnavus in their guts compared to formula-fed babies. 



This bacterium is related to the production of molecules called short-chain fatty acids, and the formation and breakdown of the amino acid tryptophan.



Both of these processes have ties to immune system regulation and disruption, including an increased asthma risk.



Through tracking the changes in the infants' microbiomes and their mothers' breastfeeding habits, the researchers were able to identify breastfeeding duration as a crucial determinant of the child's microbial makeup. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-valuable-insights-through-machine-learning">Valuable insights through machine learning</h2>



The team also created a machine-learning model that predicted asthma years in advance based on these microbial patterns and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/what-triggers-the-release-of-breast-milk-in-mothers/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">milk components</a>. The primary way breastfeeding reduces asthma risk, they found, is through shaping the infant's microbiome.



“The algorithms we developed provide valuable insights into microbial dynamics during an infant’s first year of life and how these microbes interacted with the infant,” said Dr. Shenhav.



These insights allowed the team to move beyond identifying associations, enhancing their ability to make predictions and explore causal relationships.



“Our research highlights the profound impact of breastfeeding on the infant microbiome and breastfeeding’s essential role in supporting respiratory health,” Shenhav explained.



By uncovering the mechanisms behind the protective effects of breast milk, as demonstrated in this study, scientists aim to inform national guidelines on breastfeeding and weaning from breast milk in a data-driven manner.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-milestone-in-infant-health-research">Milestone in infant health research</h2>



The research has been supported through a variety of grants and programs, including the National Institutes of Health and the <a href="https://www.chairs-chaires.gc.ca/home-accueil-eng.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Canada Research Chair Program</a>.



The study was a part of the CHILD Cohort Study, which has been studying the same 3,500 Canadian children at different life stages, starting from the womb and stretching into adolescence.



The tireless efforts of a large, dedicated group of investigators from various institutions have made this research possible. 



The experts have provided valuable insights into the complex dynamics of the microbiome in an infant's first year of life, showing us how important mother's <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/nutrition-for-neurons-the-role-of-breast-milk-in-shaping-our-brains/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">milk</a> are for respiratory health and asthma prevention.



This is a reminder that sometimes, the most natural solutions are the most effective ones.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(24)00782-7" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cell</a>.



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Breast milk is crucial for microbiome development in babies

A recent scientific breakthrough reveals the profound influence of human breast milk on the health of an infant. In a nutshell, our body's most natural nourishment for newborns, breast milk, is found to have a protective effect against asthma by shaping the baby's microbiome during the first year of life. Mother's milk: Natural pacemaker for infants You might wonder why breast milk is a big deal. Well, the answer lies in our body's complex community of microorganisms, known as the microbiome. A recent study led by NYU...

Holly,,Ivy,And,Mistletoe,Christmas,And,Winter,Greenery,Background.,Traditional

Christmas time has come around again and we are ready to deck our halls and trim our <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/citrus-greening-infects-entire-trees-before-its-detected/">trees</a>. But first, we are encouraged by the authors of a new article published in <a href="https://www.bmj.com/">The British Medical Journal</a> to take note of some of the nastier characteristics of the festive plants typically associated with the holiday season.



The researchers conducted informal interviews with 22 friends and colleagues on the plants they associated with Christmas, checked aisles of shops, garden centers and florists, looked in magazine back catalogs, and immersed themselves in Yuletide songs, films, and stories. Their friends and colleagues were largely from a British background, and the traditions and festive plants they mentioned reflect this.&nbsp;



The experts then looked up each plant species in the TOXBASE database to determine whether it had any harmful attributes. Those listed as low toxicity were excluded from further search criteria. For those listed as toxic, the authors searched PubMed, along with the terms “poison,” “poisoning,” and “Christmas.”&nbsp;



Luckily, their searches turned up little negative information about Christmas trees. It seems that these are safe to gather around, although some people who handle a lot of Christmas trees may develop a case of contact dermatitis.&nbsp;



The ivy we may use to deck our halls or adorn our tables is also a friendly plant. But the holly has sharp, spiky leaves and its berries contain saponins, which can cause an upset stomach, drowsiness, and even problems with balance and speech (ataxia), if consumed in large quantities.



It may well be fine to sneak a kiss with a loved one under the Christmas mistletoe, but you should not get any closer than this to the plant. All parts of it (the stem, leaves and berries) are poisonous. Mistletoe&nbsp;contains toxic proteins known as viscotoxins (ricin is a famous member of this family), and eating it may lead to blurred vision, gastrointestinal upsets, vomiting and fever. Cliff Richard’s famous seasonal song&nbsp;Mistletoe and Wine&nbsp;is a particularly disastrous combination, warn the study authors.



And if someone were to give you a pear tree for Christmas, you should be sure not to eat the seeds. Pears have seeds that contain amygdalin, which is converted to cyanide in the gut. While there are no reports of human cyanide poisoning resulting from pear seed consumption, it would be wise not to overindulge in these fruits.&nbsp;



Beware if your neighbor hangs up a wreath containing bittersweet and yew. Bittersweet is a nightshade, the berries of which contain solanine glycoalkaloids; high levels of these can bring on unpleasant abdominal cramps. Yew leaves contain alkaloids known as taxines, that cause cardiac dysrhythmias; eating just a few can prove fatal. The researchers state that yew was used as a method of suicide among defeated Celtic tribes in Julius Caesar’s conquest of Gaul.



People love to decorate their homes with indoor flowers during Christmas time. Cyclamen are safe indoor Christmas flowers, as are Christmas cactus and poinsettia. It seems that, although poinsettias have a reputation for being toxic, this is not true and most exposures to this festive plant don’t require medical attention. The sap may irritate your skin, however, and should definitely be kept away from your eyes.&nbsp;



Unfortunately, the ornamental Christmas rose, or hellebore, is not as benign. This plant contains cardiac glycosides, which may affect the heart’s rhythm and cause unpleasant symptoms in the stomach, intestines, kidneys and nervous system. The Jerusalem or Christmas cherry is another nightshade; its tempting berries contain toxic solanine glycoalkaloids that cause gastrointestinal symptoms if ingested.&nbsp;



And then there is the matter of Christmas dinner, which is also not without its pitfalls. For example, your roast potatoes are from the nightshade family and are related to the Christmas cherry. The growing buds (“eyes”) contain the same solanine glycoalkaloids on exposure to light and these are not destroyed by cooking. Luckily the potato tuber has a low concentration of solanines, unless it has turned green in the cupboard, prior to cooking, in which case these toxins may cause vomiting, diarrhea, delirium, and tachycardia.



Buttered parsnips should not present any dangers, say the study authors, as long as you are sure of their identity. In the past, foragers have sometimes mistaken poisonous water hemlock for parsnips, and have suffered seizures and kidney damage as a consequence.



It seems that even a sprig of rosemary used to flavor and garnish your roast dinner may be hazardous. The experts point to a case where a rosemary twig caused a perforated bowel and subsequent hepatic abscess. On the other hand, Brussels sprouts, do not seem to be poisonous, note the authors. “Looks like you’ll have to endure them after all.”



Finally, they sound a note of caution regarding cinnamon and nutmeg, two of the spices found in eggnog or mulled wine, not to mention Christmas pudding.&nbsp;



They suggest avoiding the “cinnamon challenge,” a viral video challenge to eat a spoonful of ground cinnamon in under 60 seconds without drinking anything. This challenge was apparently responsible for several cases of respiratory distress requiring medical attention. Cinnamon is a noxious powder that is bio-resistant in the lungs and may also cause hypersensitivity reactions.&nbsp;



Nutmeg, another typical Christmas spice, can trigger hallucinations at a remarkably low dose (less than a tablespoon). The chemical agent responsible, myristicin, has also been linked to gastrointestinal distress, seizures, psychosis, delirium and death.



In summary, the researchers recommend moderation in everything, along with sensible precautions, such as refraining from consumption of foliage, festive household plants, and unidentified wild species.&nbsp;



“We hope that this piece has given you the information necessary to navigate holiday foliage more safely,” they conclude.



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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

Festive Christmas plants may not be as safe as you think!

Christmas time has come around again and we are ready...

In cold temperatures, brown adipose tissue (BAT) or brown fat generates heat to keep the body warm, and has significantly more mitochondria (subcellular organelles that help producing energy) than white adipose tissue. Thus, it can burn <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/people-who-are-obese-have-a-harder-time-burning-calories/">calories</a> and produce heat by activating the mitochondrial uncoupling protein 1 (Ucp-1). The stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) after exposure to cold, exercise, or calorie restriction induces white fat browning. BAT activation and fat browning are essential in the fight against cardiovascular conditions, as well as obesity.



A new study led by the <a href="https://www.shibaura-it.ac.jp/en/">Shibaura Institute of Technology</a>, Japan, has discovered that the dietary administration of flavanols, chemical compounds with strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects that can be found in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cocoa-can-help-people-live-longer-healthier-lives/">cocoa</a>, apples, grapeseed, and red wine, can also activate BAT and enhance browning of adipose tissue by activating the SNS. These findings show a direct connection between fat browning and flavanol consumption, which could help scientists develop new treatments for obesity-related disorders.



By administering both single and multiple doses of flavanols to mice, the researchers found that flavanols activate fat browning via the SNS, which secretes catecholamine neurotransmitters such as adrenaline and noradrenaline. The white fat cells of mice that were fed flavanols daily for two weeks eventually turned brown, exhibiting notable structural changes.



“Although the mechanism of adipose browning is not fully understood, it is possible that repeated administration of FLs may produce browning via catecholamines and its receptors,”&nbsp;explains study lead author Naomi Osakabe, a professor of Bioscience and Engineering at the Shibaura Institute. “Further studies will be required to understand how this process is induced by FL-rich foods.”



Previous findings have already proven the positive role of flavanols in improving glucose and insulin levels. According to Professor Osakabe and her colleagues, the results of this new study can significantly contribute to scientific advances in the prevention of lifestyle-related diseases, such as cardiovascular illness or obesity.&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/12/4214">Nutrients</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

Foods rich in flavanols can help burn excess fat

In cold temperatures, brown adipose tissue (BAT) or brown fat...

Our planet is experiencing massive losses in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coral-reef-biodiversity-expected-to-shuffle-but-not-decline/">biodiversity</a> due to several factors, including climate change, diseases, pollution, invasive species, and habitat loss due to agriculture and industrialization. Around the globe, an estimated 25 percent of plant and animal species are considered vulnerable, meaning that over one million species could face extinction within decades.



This year, the United States <a href="https://www.fws.gov/">Fish and Wildlife Service</a> (FWS) has declared 23 species extinct. This marks the largest group of animals and plants to be formally deemed extinct at once under United States’ main wildlife protection law, the <a href="https://www.fws.gov/international/laws-treaties-agreements/us-conservation-laws/endangered-species-act.html">Endangered Species Act</a> (ESA), since it was passed in 1973. Previously, only 11 species have been classified as extinct.



The 23 species include 11 birds, eight freshwater mussels, two types of fish, a fruit bat, and a flowering plant from the mint family. Eleven of these species were native to the Pacific Islands and Hawaii, and fell victim to the risks posed by their very limited geographical distribution.



As this list suggests, birds are currently among the most endangered species. According to FWS, avian populations as a whole diminished by over three billion birds since 1970, mostly due to anthropogenic environmental changes.



Some species have probably been extinct for quite some time, even if they have just reached this list now. For instance, the ivory-billed woodpecker, America’s largest woodpecker known to bird watchers as the “Lord God Bird,” had last been seen in 1944 in northeastern Louisiana. Since then, deforestation in the U.S. South has destroyed its habitat, leading it to extinction. Similarly, Bachman’s warbler, one of America’s rarest songbirds has last been spotted in the wild in the United States in 1962.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



If actions to mitigate climate change and environmental destruction due to human expansion are not taken immediately, this list will grow significantly in the coming years, marking severe biodiversity losses.



"With climate change and natural area loss pushing more and more species to the brink, now is the time to lift up proactive, collaborative, and innovative efforts to save America's wildlife," urged U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland.



A list and description of the 23 species can be found <a href="https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/animal-extinct-biodiversity-2021/">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

The United States recently declared 23 species extinct

Our planet is experiencing massive losses in biodiversity due to...

New research published in the journal <a href="https://cgejournal.biomedcentral.com/">Canine Medicine and Genetics</a> highlights the health risks associated with French bulldogs caused by poor <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dogs-have-a-high-risk-of-disease-due-to-inbreeding/">breeding</a> practices. According to the study, the well-being of French bulldogs is particularly threatened by breeding them for a shorter muzzle and flat head.



Researchers from the <a href="https://www.rvc.ac.uk/">Royal Veterinary College in Hertfordshire</a> collected 2016 medical records from across the UK stored in the VetCompass database. They analyzed records from 2,781 French bulldogs.



The research team, led by Dan O’Neill, compared 43 disorders that French bulldogs and other breeds were suffering from. The scientists found that the French bulldogs had a 42.14 times greater risk of narrowed nostrils, 30.89 times higher risk of obstructive airways disorder, 14.4 times greater risk of ear discharge, and 11.18 times higher risk of skin dermatitis.&nbsp;



Looking at the French bulldogs in the study, the scientists found interestingly that only 63.4 percent were diagnosed with a disorder compared to 66.1 percent of other breeds. This suggests that French bulldogs as a whole are slightly less likely to be diagnosed with an unspecified disorder, it’s possible that it could also indicate owners are more able to identify disorders in other breeds.&nbsp;



Despite having a higher risk of diagnosis with 20 disorders, French bulldogs had a smaller likelihood of being diagnosed with 11 out of 43 common disorders, including lameness and obesity. This propensity towards health in some categories shows the possibility of the breed being improved health wise.&nbsp;



The researchers suggest that better breeding practices, such as those that are not focused on risky traits such as shorter muzzles and skin folds, could help improve the overall well-being of the breed.&nbsp;



“Achieving meaningful changes to the typical look of French bulldogs over time requires buy in from breeders and kennel clubs who publish breeding standards, but the biggest responsibility lies with owners who ultimately can demand dogs with more moderate features," said O'Neill.



"The Kennel Club have recently updated the breed standard for the French ulldog to move further away from elements of extreme conformation with evidence of health ill-effects. This is a very positive step to prioritise the health of dogs over human desires for how these dogs look and we must now continue this evolution of the breed towards a more moderate conformation.”



The scientists point out that their research relies on a snapshot of data and does not indicate how long a dog may suffer from a particular disorder or how badly the dog may suffer. They also suggest that traits such as snoring may not be seen as an indicator of a disorder and many French bulldogs may not require veterinary services. However, with better breeding practices emphasizing animal health over arbitrary aesthetics, French bulldogs could be a healthier breed.&nbsp;&nbsp;



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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

Breeding practices threaten the health of French bulldogs

New research published in the journal Canine Medicine and Genetics...

After certain U.S. states introduced <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/lockdowns-disrupted-work-leisure-balance-especially-for-moms/">lockdowns</a> and stay-at-home orders in March, 2020, there were anecdotal reports that people bought and consumed more alcohol than usual. However, data-driven research into whether this was the case produced mixed results.



Scientists at the <a href="http://www.buffalo.edu/">University of Buffalo</a> set out to clarify this situation by analyzing data on sales of alcohol in 16 U.S. states during the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic. They used monthly sales figures reported by the <a href="https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/">NIAAA</a> for the period from March to June 2020, and compared these with sales in the same period in 2018 and 2019. In some states (but not all), separate sales figures were available for wine, beer and spirits.&nbsp;



In addition, the researchers used anonymized mobility data from over 45 million smart mobile devices (mostly smartphones) indicating people’s visits to businesses where alcohol is sold. In this way they could assess any changes in the relationship between alcohol sales and people’s visits to businesses that sell alcohol.&nbsp;



“Anonymized human mobility data and geospatial analysis help us understand how people’s visiting behavior to alcohol outlets changed during the stay-at-home period of COVID-19, and how such behavior change varied across different geographic regions,” says Yingjie Hu, PhD, an assistant professor of geography in the UB College of Arts and Sciences.



“Understanding how alcohol purchase behavior is changed by events such as COVID is important because heavy alcohol use is known to be associated with numerous social problems, especially within the home,” says Bria Quigley, PhD, research assistant professor of medicine in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at UB and the UB Clinical and Research Institute on Addictions.



The results of the analyses showed that the overall sales of spirits and wine increased in the early months of the pandemic – by as much as 20–40 percent in some states. The sales of beer declined overall, compared to sales during the same period in previous years. Meanwhile, people’s visits to bars and pubs declined, but visits to liquor stores increased.



The trends did vary significantly between states. For example, while beer sales decreased in most states, they increased in Kansas, Arkansas and Texas. Furthermore, Texas, Kentucky and Virginia showed sustained increases in their sales of both spirits and wine, which the authors suggest “can be alarming signals for problematic alcohol use.”



“If data can provide information about geographic areas in which alcohol use increases during certain types of events such as during severe weather, high unemployment, or events such as the COVID pandemic, this information can be useful to help prepare law enforcement, medical professionals and substance use disorder treatment providers to address alcohol-related issues associated with such times,” said Quigley.



Machine-learning assessments in the study point to a significant shift in the relationship between alcohol sales data and visits to various alcohol outlets. The researchers suggest the possibility that people turned increasingly to online alcohol purchases or to panic buying of spirits and wine. More research will be necessary to understand the exact changes in people’s purchasing behavior.&nbsp;



The research team notes that the study has some limitations: For example, many states were not included in the NIAAA dataset, and the human mobility data was not able to capture sales at places such as grocery stores, where sales of alcohol are mixed with sales of other items.&nbsp;



Nevertheless, these results provide insights into the potential effects of lockdown policies on alcohol use and could inform future public health policies to address alcohol-related social issues, the researchers say.



The results of this study were published today in the open-access journal&nbsp;<a href="https://plos.org/">PLOS ONE</a>.



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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

Many turned to alcohol during early pandemic lockdown

After certain U.S. states introduced lockdowns and stay-at-home orders in...

Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are a major factor impacting our climate. According to many scientists, a solution for diminishing the amount of CO2 from the atmosphere is to restore natural CO2 reservoirs on the coasts that have been destroyed in the past decades, including mangrove <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/satellite-data-reveals-vulnerable-tropical-forests-on-a-global-scale/">forests</a>, salt marshes, or seagrass meadows. However, a new study led by the <a href="https://www.hereon.de/">Helmholz-Zentrum Hereon</a> has found, in some cases, seagrass meadows absorb far less CO2 than previously thought.



Seagrasses are aquatic plants thriving in shallow, light-flooded water. They are anchored by their roots to the soft seabed and are vital grazing grounds and nurseries for many marine animal species. In order to develop their tissues, seagrasses absorb CO2, and when they ultimately die and become deposited in the sediment of the seabed, they act as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/carbon-sinks-are-a-powerful-weapon-against-climate-change/">carbon sinks</a>.



Yet, according to recent findings, fighting climate change by recultivating seagrass meadows is not as simple as many scientists believed. In fact, some seagrass meadows appear to release even more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than they store.&nbsp;



“By taking measurements in seagrass meadows off the coast of Florida, we could show that some of these tropical seagrass meadows absorb considerably less carbon dioxide than has long been thought. In contrast, on some coasts, they even emit more CO2,” said study lead author Bryce Van Dam, a biochemist at the Helmholz-Zentrum.



Van Dam and his colleagues found that carbonates, substances winding up in the sea through the weathering of rocks, play a fundamental role in binding the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing it in the seawater. The more carbonate the water contains, the more CO2 it can ultimately absorb and store.



In the warm tropical waters, the metabolic processes of the seagrass plants convert the dissolved carbonates to lime, which trickles to the seafloor.&nbsp;“The result is that these seagrass meadows hardly bind any carbon dioxide. On the contrary, they tend to release carbon dioxide through various other biochemical processes,” explained study co-author Helmuth Thomas, a biochemist at&nbsp;the <a href="https://www.hereon.de/institutes/carbon_cycles/index.php.en">Hereon Institute of Carbon Cycles</a>.



“We cannot rely on blue carbon offsets to counteract the CO2&nbsp;that we put into the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels. Rather, we must first reduce CO2&nbsp;emissions and then protect these coastal habitats for the many financial and environmental benefits they offer us, which may not always include CO2&nbsp;sequestration,” concluded Van Dam.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1126.sciadv.abj1372">Science Advances</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

Seagrass meadows absorb less CO2 than previously thought

Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are a major factor impacting our...

The Little <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/major-climate-shift-a-million-years-ago-linked-to-ocean-currents/">Ice Age</a>, which set about 600 years ago, was one of the coldest periods during the past 10,000 years. It was responsible for crop failures, famines, and pandemics throughout Europe, resulting in the misery and death of millions of people. Until now, the causes of this cooling remained mysterious. 



New research led by the <a href="https://www.umass.edu/">University of Massachusetts Amherst</a> has found a rather paradoxical answer to the puzzle of the Little Ice Age: the cooling appeared to have been triggered by an unusually warm episode.



By analyzing a 3,000-year reconstruction of North Atlantic sea surface temperatures, the researchers noticed a sudden change from very warm temperatures in the late 1300s to unprecedented cold conditions only 20 years later, in the early 1400s. Apparently, there was an abnormally strong northward transfer of warm water in the late 1300s, which peaked around 1380, and resulted in the unusual warming of the waters south of Greenland and the Nordic Seas.



Usually, there is always a transfer of warm water from the tropics to the Arctic through a process called the <a href="https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/learn-about/weather/oceans/amoc">Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation</a> (AMOC). However, in the late 1300s, AMOC strengthened significantly, moving north far more water than before, and causing rapid arctic ice loss. From the late 1300s to early 1400s, vast amounts of ice were flushed out into the North Atlantic, cooling its waters and diluting their saltiness, ultimately causing AMOC to collapse. According to the scientists, this collapse triggered a substantial global cooling.



One of the causes for the changes in atmospheric circulation affecting the AMOC has been the unusually high solar activity recorded in the late 1300s, which led to higher atmospheric pressure over Greenland. At the same time, fewer volcanic eruptions provided a cleaner atmosphere that was more responsive to changes in solar output.



In the wake of these discoveries, scientists are wondering whether out current climate change could cause such an abrupt cooling event. While the diminishing of artic ice due to global warming makes such a scenario rather unlikely, other climatic processes currently at play could have quite unpredictable results.



“Persistent periods of high pressure over Greenland in summer have been much more frequent over the past decade and are linked with record-breaking ice melt,” said study lead author François LaPointe, a postdoctoral fellow in Geosciences at UMass Amherst.&nbsp;



“Climate models do not capture these events reliably and so we may be underestimating future ice loss from the ice sheet, with more freshwater entering the North Atlantic, potentially leading to a weakening or collapse of the AMOC.”&nbsp;&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abi8230">Science Advances</a>.&nbsp;&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

Scientists reveal the surprising cause of the Little Ice Age

The Little Ice Age, which set about 600 years ago,...

Summer,Background.,Lemon,Garden

It can take weeks for the symptoms of citrus greening to appear, and by this time the entire tree is infected, according to a new study from the <a href="https://www.apsnet.org/">American Phytopathological Society</a>. For the very first time, the researchers were able to measure the speed of the bacteria that causes citrus greening disease.



“We found that CLas can move at average speed of 2.9 to 3.8 cm per day. At these speeds a tree that is 3 meters in height will be fully colonized by CLas in around 80 to 100 days, and this is faster than the symptoms appear, which generally takes at least 4 months,” explained Silvio A. Lopes, a plant pathologist at Fundecitrus.



Citrus greening disease is the most deadly  citrus disease in the world. Once infected, trees produce low-quality fruit until they are eventually unable to grow fruit. The disease has caused billions of dollars of economic losses in the state of Florida alone.



The disease-causing bacteria, Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas), is carried by small insects that infect the tree as they feed on sap. The scientists used a new statistical modeling analysis to track the path of CLas as it spreads throughout the tree in the sap. 



The results indicate that by the time a grower can detect symptoms of citrus greening disease, the tree has already been infected from the roots up. The findings explain why a diseased tree cannot be cured by removing symptomatic branches.



The researchers also investigated the impact of temperature on the speed of colonization. It had been previously established that CLas does not multiply well in hot or cold environments.



“We estimated that 25.7°C (78°F) was the best condition for CLas to move from one side to the other side of the tree,” said Lopes. “The grower can use this information to select areas less risky for planting citrus trees.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://apsjournals.apsnet.org/journal/phyto">Phytopathology</a>.



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

Citrus greening infects entire trees before it's detected

It can take weeks for the symptoms of citrus greening...

A <a href="https://www.coastal.ca.gov/meetings/agenda/#/2021/12">virtual hearing</a> will take place on December 16 where the California Coastal Commission will decide whether or not to allow the US Fish &amp; Wildlife Service to poison Southeast Farallon Island. The island is part of the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary.&nbsp;



The US Fish &amp; Wildlife Service (USFWS) is proposing a plan to distribute 1.5 tons of cereal bait laced with a powerful poison by helicopter on the island in an attempt to eradicate house mice. Unfortunately “non-target” animals will also be killed if the plan is carried out.&nbsp;



The USFWS estimates that as many as 1,050 Western Gulls could suffer poisoning under the plan. The agency claims that this amount of casualty would still allow recovery of the gulls within a couple of decades, but previous USFWS estimates suggest as many as 3,000 gulls could be killed.&nbsp;



“The proposed poison drop would wreak havoc on the delicate Farallon Island ecosystem," said Lisa Levinson, campaigns director of <a href="https://www.idausa.org/">In Defense of Animals</a>. "Scientific data indicates that Brodifacoum could remain in crabs and even the smallest living creatures. This deadly poison would become part of the food web, killing exponentially more animals than it could possibly save. We urge the California Coastal Commission to choose contraception over killing for the health and well-being of all Farallones animal residents.”&nbsp;



Indeed, brodifacoum is an anticoagulant poison that can spread through a food web, accumulating in greater concentrations in predators, it impacts mammals, birds and other animals. The poison also has a history of up to 38% failure rate in eradication efforts on other islands. Richard Charter of the <a href="https://oceanfdn.org/projects/coastal-coordination/">The Ocean Foundation</a> encouraged citizens to speak out against this plan.&nbsp;



“This is a unique chance for the public to speak for protection of their coast and its wildlife," said Charter. "I am confident that those who care about our coast will take this convenient opportunity to weigh in on the inappropriateness of this dangerous anticoagulant poison being so casually spread around such a sensitive place.”&nbsp;



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

US agency plans to drop poison in a marine sanctuary

A virtual hearing will take place on December 16 where...

Oceans are some of the largest <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/carbon-sinks-are-a-powerful-weapon-against-climate-change/">carbon sinks</a> on our planet, due to the “biological carbon pump” represented by microorganism like algae and phytoplankton which absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through photosynthesis. When these organisms sink at the bottom of the ocean, the carbon they contain often remains intact for millennia. A new study led by the <a href="https://www.awi.de/en/">Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research</a> (AWI) has found that meltwater from sea ice floes can delay this process by up to four months.



Between 2016 and 2018, the scientists used the ocean observation system <a href="https://www.awi.de/en/expedition/observatories/ocean-fram.html">FRAM</a> (Frontiers in Arctic Marine Monitoring), to gather data about the coupled physical-biological processes taking place in the Fram strait, located between Greenland and Svalbard.&nbsp;&nbsp;



&nbsp;“For the first time, for two entire years we were able to comprehensively monitor not only the seasonal developments of microalgae and phytoplankton, but also the complete physical, chemical, and biological system in which these developments take place,” said study lead author Dr.&nbsp;Wilken-Jon von Appen, a climate researcher at the AWI.



While in the summer of 2017, a huge amount of ice was transported out of the Arctic through the Fram strait, producing a great deal of low-saline meltwater and a pronounced stratification of the water (“the meltwater regime”), in the summer of 2018 an uncharacteristically low amount of ice went out of the Arctic, producing thus very little meltwater and salinity-based stratification (“the mixed-layer regime”).



The scientists found that during the meltwater regime from 2017, very little carbon made its way to the seafloor, and although the algae and phytoplankton had already bloomed by mid-May, it took another four months for the carbon to reach the seafloor, with the microorganisms being able to fix up to 25 grams of carbon per square meter.



By contrast, during the mixed-layer regime from 2018, only two to three weeks after the algae and phytoplankton had started to bloom, organic carbon reached depths of up to 1,200 meters, and a few more weeks later, it reached the seafloor. Furthermore, the microorganisms were able to fix 50 grams of carbon per square meter, thus twice as much as in the meltwater regime.



“In the future, the mixed-layer regime could spread over larger regions of the Arctic,” Dr. von Appen explained. “The conditions in this regime are similar to those in lower latitudes, and the Arctic Ocean could increasingly behave more like oceans in southern regions.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-26943-z">Nature Communications</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

Meltwater influences carbon storage in the Arctic

Oceans are some of the largest carbon sinks on our...

New research suggests that taking a long, deep breath of sea air while standing on the beach may not be such a good idea. When <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rising-ocean-temperatures-lower-giant-kelps-nutritional-value/">ocean</a> waves break, they release not only aerosolized salts but also other "forever chemicals" that start off dissolved in the seawater and may be far more dangerous.&nbsp;



The study, published by the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a>, finds that perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in seawater could become airborne as bubbles pop at the water’s surface, enabling them to enter the atmosphere and travel inland.



PFASs, which include perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs), are potentially harmful organic contaminants that were used in industrial processes, food packaging, personal care products and water-repellent coatings. Although their use has been banned in some countries, these compounds are now found worldwide in the atmosphere, in oceans and in living organisms, including humans. PFASs don’t break down easily, which is why they are often referred to as forever chemicals.



A previous study of the transport of PFAAs from seawater into the atmosphere showed that, when bubbles containing PFAAs burst at the surface of saltwater, these persistent compounds are ejected as aerosols – extremely small airborne particles. The study predicted that these contaminants could potentially be transported long distances inland via this process. However, there was no evidence of this from field studies.&nbsp;



This led the authors of the current study to conduct observations at two coastal locations in Norway, to determine whether PFASs originating in sea spray, were being transported inland.&nbsp;



They collected more than one hundred 48h aerosol samples between 2018 and 2020, and analyzed these for the presence of 11 different PFAAs, including the possible carcinogens perfluorooctanoic acid and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid. They also tested the air samples for sodium ions (Na+) which are considered to originate in sea spray and therefore indicate that the PFAAs were indeed associated with sea spray aerosols.&nbsp;



The researchers detected the contaminants in all of the air samples collected. In addition, the levels of individual PFAAs were strongly correlated with the presence of tracer sodium ions, indicating that these organic contaminants were coming from coastal waters and were leaving the ocean with sea spray and travelling inland. The correlations were stronger in the samples from the site at Andøya than they were for Birkenes, which is located further away from the coast.&nbsp;



The researchers calculated, using their field measurements, that for eight of the PFAAs, there could be 284 to 756 U.S. tons of forever chemicals released globally from the oceans to the air each year, which is higher than previous estimates.&nbsp;



Based on their field measurements, the researchers conclude that sea spray is an important source of this class of PFASs to coastal communities. They add that because sea spray can travel far distances inland, this is also likely to be a route for PFASs to be transported, and potentially return, to terrestrial regions from the ocean.



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



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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

Forever chemicals are released from sea spray

New research suggests that taking a long, deep breath of...

The value of using whole-plant medicinal cannabis to treat children with intractable epileptic seizures has been known from anecdotal sources for more than 150 years. In 1843, an Irish physician noted that cannabis tinctures cured an <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/infants-have-surprisingly-strong-immune-systems/">infant</a>, and the doctor proclaimed that medicine had found a useful anticonvulsant mediation.&nbsp;



However, the recreational and medicinal use of cannabis was made illegal in the U.K. in 1971. Research into the efficacy of cannabis for treating epileptic seizures ceased.



More recently, however, the U.K.’s National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), which provides guidance on which treatments and therapies the health service in England should adopt, has reviewed this situation. They have decided to accept as valid the testimonies of parents and carers who report that children respond well to whole-plant medicinal cannabis in instances where other, conventional antiepileptic drugs or purified cannabidiol (CBD oil) have not brought relief.



In 2018, medicinal whole-plant cannabis was designated a prescription medicine for the treatment of severe childhood epilepsy in the U.K. However, doctors have been very hesitant to prescribe this medication due to the absence of clinical trial data.&nbsp;



Whole plant cannabis includes tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the molecular component responsible for the characteristic ‘high’ associated with recreational use, along with cannabidiol, other neuroactive cannabinoids, and molecules such as terpenes.



In a study published today in the open access journal&nbsp;<a href="https://bmjpaedsopen.bmj.com/">BMJ Paediatrics Open</a>, scientists report on the cases of ten severely epileptic children whose seizures had not responded to conventional treatment. Two of these children had also not responded to treatment with the only pharmaceutical grade, purified CBD oil licensed in the U.K. for treating the condition in children (Epidyolex). The scientists were interested in whether the use of whole-plant medicinal cannabis had reduced frequency of seizures in these children.



The researchers, from DrugScience (the UK-based drugs advisory committee), the Imperial College London, and the London School of Economics and Political Science, recruited participants from two charities representing children using medicinal cannabis to treat their severe epilepsy. The children’s average age was 6, but ranged from 1 to 13 years, and they all suffered from intractable forms of epilepsy.



Parents and carers reported their experiences to the researchers by means of phone or video calls between January and May 2021. The data relied on the subjective memories and evaluations of parents and carers, who assessed how children had responded while being treated with medicinal cannabis.



The results indicated an overall decrease of 86 percent in the frequency of seizures experienced by the ten children. In addition, while taking medicinal cannabis the children were able to dispense with the use of other, conventional epilepsy drugs. Whereas before treatment with medicinal cannabis the children used an average of seven different epilepsy drugs, afterwards they used an average of only one other drug. Furthermore, seven of the children were able to stop the use of all other drugs completely.&nbsp;



Parents and carers also reported significant and sustained improvements in the health and wellbeing of their children, including in sleep, eating, behavior and cognition, after they started to take whole-plant medicinal cannabis products. Only a few minor side effects, such as tiredness, were reported.&nbsp;



Combining the data from all ten children, the researchers calculated that the children used an average of 5.15 mg THC and 171.8 mg CBD every day. In addition, the average monthly cost of the medicinal cannabis products was £874. One child had obtained a prescription for free on the NHS.



The researchers acknowledge the small sample size for this research and the fact that it was an observational study that relied on parental recall and had no control group. They also recognize the possibility that only parents and carers whose children had responded positively to medicinal cannabis may have decided to take part in the study.



At the same time, the experts state their findings support several other observational and controlled interventional studies that show significant reductions in seizure frequency after treatment with medicinal cannabis.



Full chemical analysis of whole-plant medicinal cannabis products is ongoing, and research still needs to elucidate the mechanisms by which the constituents work to achieve the reported effects. In addition, the potential long-term negative effects of taking medicinal cannabis need to be weighed up against the effects of using other antiepileptic drugs, some of which have severe consequences for normal childhood development.



“We believe that our data on whole-plant medical cannabis in childhood-onset severe treatment-resistant epilepsy, provides evidence to support its introduction into the NHS within current NICE prescribing guidelines," concluded the researchers.



“Such a move would be hugely beneficial to the families, who in addition to having the psychological distress of looking after their chronically ill children, have also to cover the crippling financial burden of their medication.”



---



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

Medicinal cannabis reduces epileptic seizures by 86 percent

The value of using whole-plant medicinal cannabis to treat children...

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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.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Kainji Lake, a reservoir on the Niger River.



In 1968, Kainji Lake was created by the construction of the Kainji Dam. The Niger River, the third longest in Africa, enters the lake in the north.&nbsp;



According to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rivers-in-the-american-west-are-a-lifesaving-resource-for-birds/">ESA</a>, the creation of the lake submerged Foge Island and the town of Bussa and permanently flooded other riverine settlements, leaving around 50,000 people displaced.&nbsp;



Large parts of Foge Island are temporarily exposed during low water tides, and the land is often used by migrating fishermen. Kainji Dam is a dam across the Niger River in Niger State of Central Nigeria. 



Wild mammals occur at relatively low densities due to illegal hunting. Lake Kainji has suffered a dramatic decline as a fishery due to the high numbers of artisanal and subsistence fisherfolk using the lake. It has been suggested that a period of closure, together with controlled fishing rights may help improve fish stocks.



Kainji Lake National Park is the oldest of its kind in Nigeria. The park contains three distinct areas: a part of the Kainji Lake, the Borgu Game Reserve to the west of the lake, and the Zugurma Game Reserve to the southeast. The park is home to around 65 mammal species, 350 bird species, and 30 species of reptiles and amphibians. 



Video/ Image Credit: European Space Agency&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.

Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.igb.illinois.edu/">Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology</a> reveals how scientists can modify common crops like soybean, rice, and wheat to protect them from heat stress.



“We need to double crop production by 2050 to feed a growing global population, and not only are we not on track to do that, but climate change is further complicating things,” said Amanda Cavanagh, a lecturer at the University of Essex. 



The study is part of Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency (RIPE), an international research project that aims to develop food crops that turn the sun’s energy into food more efficiently.



“Using an engineering approach we designed multiple alternative metabolic pathways to photorespiration. Testing them in the field showed increases in productivity which led Amanda to significantly move the project forward by showing our engineered plants can withstand pretty extreme temperature stress,” said study co-author and RIPE researcher Paul South.&nbsp;



“As the climate changes and temperature stresses increase the pressure on our global food supply, farmers will need every tool available including engineering approaches like the synthetic biology used here to maintain safe and productive harvests.”



The experts tested plants modified to have more efficient photorespiration to see if they were better adapted to warmer temperatures.&nbsp;



The team found that the engineered plants produced 26 percent more biomass than the wild-type plants exposed to the same temperatures, and had 15 percent less yield loss under the higher temperatures.



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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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.

Designing crops that can beat the heat

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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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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes the first comprehensive estimate of carbon density in the Saharan, Sahel, and Sudanian zones of Africa. In an effort to measure the amount of carbon stored across these drylands, a team of scientists used high-resolution satellite images and artificial intelligence to map nearly 10 billion individual trees. 



"The high spatial resolution (50 cm) combined with AI and field measurements used in this study is key to improving tree inventories in drylands," said Pierre Hiernaux, a French researcher working for NASA. "The ever-increasing availability of very high-resolution satellite imagery will make it possible to assess carbon pools and their dynamics at the individual tree level on a global scale."



"This study is exceptional because it is pioneering a type of approach that will revolutionize the monitoring of trees and forests on a global scale: in the short term, it will be possible to map the world's trees from the centre of the Amazon to our schoolyards," said <a href="https://www.inrae.fr/en">INRAE</a> researcher Jean-Pierre Wigneron.



"Many fields of application will become much more efficient and accurate, such as tracking carbon stocks, biodiversity, monitoring logging and protection against illegal forest degradation, in near real time.”



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.

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

[sendtonews key="EjmSP20gQK-2593093-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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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://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> features a visual dataset of.methane emissions from wetlands across the globe. Atmospheric methane levels have reached record highs in recent years, and wetlands are a major source of these emissions.&nbsp;



"Methane is an important greenhouse gas that contributes substantially to global warming. On a molecule by molecule basis, methane is much more efficient at trapping heat than carbon dioxide, the main driver of warming," says NASA.



"Though human activities, including agriculture, oil and natural gas production and use, and waste disposal, collectively contribute the majority of methane to the atmosphere, about a third of total methane emissions comes from wetlands."&nbsp;



According to NASA, understanding methane emissions from wetlands and other natural sources is critically important for scientists and policymakers who are working to combat climate change by reducing emissions from human activities.



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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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.

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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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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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.stowers.org/">Stowers Institute for Medical Research</a> describes why experts are studying zebrafish to gain a better understanding of how the immune system responds to injury. Zebrafish have the ability to repair and regenerate organs.



“Organ regeneration offers an exciting opportunity for studying the immune system and to inquire why some species can regenerate organs like the heart or missing limbs while others like humans cannot,” explained Dr. Tatjana Piotrowski.



Zebrafish sensory organ hair cells are an ideal system to investigate the pathways and cell types involved in regeneration since they are easily destroyed with antibiotics and begin regenerating within five hours. This enabled the researchers to identify the exact timing and genetic programs for each anti-inflammatory macrophage activation state.&nbsp;



“Our hypothesis is that human macrophages do not receive the proper chemical activation 'cocktail' to instruct pro-regenerative processes,” said Dr. Nicolas Denans. “Identifying the molecular recipe of macrophage activation in zebrafish may one day enable us to design regenerative immunotherapies in humans.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



“The new evidence is a valuable resource for comparative studies on the genetic programs involved in macrophage-mediated repair and regeneration. In other words, different types of injuries may induce different kinds of inflammatory responses. We want to decipher whether this 'language' is universal or if there are a variety of dialects."



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research&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.

How the immune system responds to injury

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes how record-breaking heat expressed itself around the world in 2022.



Scientists have determined that 2022 was the 5th warmest year since 1880. Furthermore, the last nine consecutive years have been the warmest on record.



From devastating floods and wildfires to natural disasters like Hurricane Ian, 2022 showed us yet again how a warming climate affects people across the globe.&nbsp;



"As we look back at 20:22 and years past, we see that each year we better understand the challenges we face and how important it is to meet them," says NASA.



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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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.

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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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...