Do you recall those childhood days when you eagerly anticipated bedtime stories about Peter Rabbit, Toad or Ratty from The Wind in the Willows? Or the excitement that washed over you every time you opened a children's book teeming with playful, animated animals? 



Well, a new study is giving us a fresh perspective on the role of these furry, iconic characters.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-children-s-books-animal-characters">Children's books animal characters</h2>



The research has shed light on the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/toddlers-learn-faster-after-witnessing-impossible-events/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">potential influence</a> of non-human characters in children's books.



The researchers aimed to gauge how these animal characters affected children's theory of mind skills - crucial abilities which include deciphering social changes in the environment based on voice tone, word choice, or facial expressions.



They worked with over 100 children aged five to 10, each of whom were tested on their theory of mind skills after hearing stories featuring animal characters, as well as those highlighting human characters.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-human-vs-animal-characters-in-books">Human vs. animal characters in books</h2>



The study unveiled an interesting pattern. When exposed to stories centered around human characters, an age-related progression was observed. 



Older children were consistently outperforming their younger counterparts, with 3rd grade children surpassing the researchers' expectations in tests featuring human characters.



But the revelations didn't stop there. The tests that involved animal characters threw up another surprise. 



The younger participants were able to match the scores achieved by pupils in 3rd grade, who were two years their senior. That's quite a feat for our young champions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-new-insight-into-children-s-development">New insight into children's development</h2>



These findings, published in the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, highlight the importance of both human and non-human characters in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/outdoor-classes-improve-childrens-mental-health/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">children's developmental stages</a>.



The research was led by Dr. Gray Atherton and Dr. Liam Cross from the University of Plymouth’s <a href="https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/schools/psychology" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">School of Psychology</a>.



"Animals play a huge part of children’s stories, whether that is in books and comics or through TV and film. We wanted to test if that is down to more than simply liking the characters, and whether there are actual benefits of children learning through by watching or reading about animals and if this changes over time," said Dr. Atherton.



"Our findings showed that both human and non-human characters are important in helping children interpret the world around them, and that they play differing roles at different stages in their development. Adapting activities and lessons in nurseries and the early school years to take that into account could be hugely effective in helping to support their development."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-implications-for-educators-and-parents">Implications for educators and parents</h2>



The insights gained from this study have substantial implications for educators and parents aiming to support children's cognitive and social development.



By incorporating both human and animal characters into books, educators can craft a more balanced learning environment that caters to the diverse needs of children across age groups. 



Parents, too, can enrich their children's home learning experiences by selecting a variety of stories that include both human and animal protagonists. 



This approach not only makes reading sessions more engaging but also aids in developing empathy and understanding of complex social scenarios.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-research-directions">Future research directions</h2>



While this study provides valuable insights, it also opens avenues for further exploration. 



Future research could go deeper into the types of animal characteristics that are most effective in nurturing children's theory of mind. For instance, exploring whether anthropomorphized animals or more realistic portrayals have differing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/parents-who-use-humor-have-better-relationships-with-their-children/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">impacts</a>. 



Similarly, cross-cultural studies could investigate whether the affinity towards animal characters holds true in diverse cultural contexts. These inquiries could refine understanding and application in educational strategies, enhancing the efficacy of storytelling as a developmental tool.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-animal-characters-and-autism-treatment">Animal characters and autism treatment</h2>



In previous studies, Dr. Atherton and Dr. Cross examined the factors influencing the educational and social development of individuals with autism and learning difficulties.



The experts launched initiatives proving how board and online games can bolster confidence among people with autism. 



Borrowing insights from this research, the scholars now plan to dig deeper to explore if their findings could provide specific benefits to children with such conditions.



Dr. Cross envisions a significant impact of this study on individuals with autism or <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/kids-with-behavioral-issues-have-high-cortisol-levels-in-their-hair/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">other conditions</a> affecting their learning. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-new-way-of-looking-at-animal-characters">A new way of looking at animal characters</h2>



The researchers have observed how tasks involving animal characters can result in autistic individuals performing on par with non-autistic children. 



The plan is to replicate this study with autistic children in an effort to unveil more effective ways to support them at a critical stage in their development.



In a nutshell, this study has unraveled an entirely new dimension of how we view animals in children's books. 



Those delightful animal characters do more than simply entertain; they help shape our children's minds and understanding of the world around them in their formative years.



The study is published in the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S002209652400256X?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal of Experimental Child Psychology</a>. 



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Animal characters boost social and emotional skills in children

Do you recall those childhood days when you eagerly anticipated bedtime stories about Peter Rabbit, Toad or Ratty from The Wind in the Willows? Or the excitement that washed over you every time you opened a children's book teeming with playful, animated animals? Well, a new study is giving us a fresh perspective on the role of these furry, iconic characters. Children's books animal characters The research has shed light on the potential influence of non-human characters in children's books. The researchers aimed to gauge how these...

A new study from <a href="https://www.global.hokudai.ac.jp/">Hokkaido University</a> suggests that rising <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/atlantic-ocean-may-hold-200-million-tons-of-microplastics/">ocean</a> temperatures are impacting an unexpected region of East Antarctica. The experts have found that ice is melting at an alarming rate beneath the Shirase Glacier Tongue, where warmer waters flow into the surrounding bay.

The 58th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition provided scientists with a very rare opportunity to observe areas near the tip of the Shirase Glacier after large areas of heavy sea ice had broken up. This gave the researchers access to the frozen Lützow-Holm Bay into which the glacier extends.

"Our data suggests that the ice directly beneath the Shirase Glacier Tongue is melting at a rate of 7 to 16 meters per year," said study co-author Professor Daisuke Hirano. "This is equal to or perhaps even surpasses the melting rate underneath the Totten Ice Shelf, which was thought to be experiencing the highest melting rate in East Antarctica, at a rate of 10 to 11 meters per year."

The amount of Earth's freshwater that is contained in the Antarctic ice sheet is so massive that if it was completely lost, the oceans could rise by 60 meters.

To put this in perspective, current predictions estimate that sea levels will rise by about one meter this century, which would completely submerge low-lying islands and devastate the most vulnerable coastal regions. 

Scientists have been primarily concerned with the behavior of ice shelves in West Antarctica, while those in East Antarctica have been presumed to be more stable with colder water cavities underneath.

During the expedition, the researchers collected data on water temperature, salinity, and oxygen levels from 31 relevant sites in January and February of 2017. These measurements were combined with data on ocean currents, wind, and ice volume using computer modeling to simulate ocean circulation beneath the Shirase Glacier Tongue.

The simulations suggest that melting is occurring as a result of deep, warm water flowing toward the base of the Shirase Glacier Tongue. 

The warm water is moving along a deep underwater ocean trough and then flowing upwards along the tongue's base. According to the researchers, this melting is occurring year-round, but is affected by easterly winds that vary with the seasons. For example, the influx of warm water increases when the winds diminish in the summer, and melting is accelerated.

"We plan to incorporate this and future data into our computer models, which will help us develop more accurate predictions of sea level fluctuations and climate change," said Professor Hirano.

A better understanding of this type of sub-glacier melting could help improve predictions of Antarctic ice retreat and the associated sea level rise.

The study is published in <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Unexpected region of East Antarctica is rapidly melting

A new study from Hokkaido University suggests that rising ocean...

The United States has now reported well over five million cases of COVID-19, which is more than any other country in the world. A new study from the <a href="https://www.nd.edu/">University of Notre Dame</a> is helping to explain how the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/coronavirus-may-attack-the-body-through-the-nose/">coronavirus</a> managed to spread so extensively. 

According to the researchers, more than 100,000 Americans were already infected with COVID-19 by early March, yet only 1,514 cases had been officially reported and a national emergency had not been declared. 

Study lead author Alex Perkins is an associate professor in the Department of Biological Sciences and an expert in Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Population Biology.

"We weren't testing enough," said Professor Perkins. "The number of unobserved infections appears to be due to very low rates of case detection during a critical time, when the epidemic was really starting to take hold in this country. Part of it was the availability of testing, but another huge part was case definitions and the fact that they were overly restrictive early on."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the United States was in January. The early focus was on banning travel to and from Wuhan, China.

"While we were focusing on people coming back from China, we were ignoring people coming from Europe, and actually quite a bit of the initial seeding of the virus into various parts of the United States came from Italy," said Professor Perkins.

By mid-March, several states had begun closing schools and restaurants and imposing lockdowns, but a lack of a coordinated national response created a number of variables that proved to be detrimental. 

The Notre Dame team focused the study on the January to March timeframe, when little to no action had been taken to address COVID-19 on a wide scale. 

"It was such a crucial period in terms of how this situation started," said Professor Perkins. "We look at the United States now and compare it to other countries like South Korea or Germany, New Zealand or Vietnam, any number of countries who have done a much, much better job controlling transmission." 

"The key differences really come down to the time period we examine in this study. Those countries had adequate surveillance up and running at that time, whereas we show that throughout most of February the United States missed the vast majority of infections that were already out there. This particular timeframe that we focus on is really important for figuring out how we got here in the first place."

The researchers used a computer model to simulate data reported by Johns Hopkins University beginning on January 1. The model accounted for confirmed cases and deaths, asymptomatic infections, case fatality rates, and local transmission. 

First, the experts generated an estimate of the total infections across the United States through March 12. They factored in how the detection of symptomatic infections evolved over time, and predicted the number of undocumented infections during this time.

The researchers said the number of unobserved and unreported infections, as well as the number of uncertainties early on in the pandemic, demonstrate just how critical containment strategies are when battling infectious diseases.

"I think the fact that there were so many infections by the second half of February speaks to the importance of and what we could have done in terms of containment," said Professor Perkins. 

"If you think about Ebola or SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) or other emerging infectious diseases, there have been cases that show up in the U.S. or other countries where officials move quickly to get ahead of them." 

"They isolate those people, they do contact tracing - and transmission is extinguished. I think a lot of us were hoping that would be the situation with this disease. By the time we got to February, the problem had grown so big, containing the virus wasn't possible."

The study is published in <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

How did COVID-19 spread so extensively in the United States?

The United States has now reported well over five million...

Many farmers are turning to regenerative ranching, which incorporates various organic and sustainable practices to restore degraded soil, boost food production, and improve the quality of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/best-conditions-for-growing-crops-in-the-midwest-are-moving-north/">crops</a>. A new study from <a href="https://oregonstate.edu/">Oregon State University</a> describes how regenerative ranching can increase a farm's overall well-being and capacity to adapt, while inadvertently helping to mitigate climate change.

Regenerative agriculture is centered around rebuilding ecological processes so farmers can become less dependent on herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers, which contribute to greenhouse gas emissions and global warming.

Previous research suggests that sustainable farming practices can help level off greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere through increased soil carbon sequestration. Despite the potential climate benefits of regenerative ranching, however, OSU Professor Hannah Gosnell noted that climate change mitigation is not usually the driving factor behind the adoption of this practice.

"What we found is that ranchers manage regeneratively for all these other benefits, and if there's some measurable soil carbon sequestration and it contributes to climate change mitigation, then that's icing on the cake," said Professor Gosnell.

Livestock production, while important to livelihoods across the world, is a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions, a key contributor to climate change, said Professor Gosnell.

To better understand the motivation behind regenerative agriculture, the OSU team interviewed ranchers in the United States and Australia about the perceived benefits and challenges of adopting the practices.

The analysis showed that the transition to regenerative ranching is often difficult because the practices require a thorough understanding of the fundamental ecosystem processes involved. The study also revealed that cash incentives are not the best way to encourage farmers to make the transition.

"It's hard to transition to regenerative ranching because it requires such a deep commitment," said Professor Gosnell. "If you want ranchers to make the switch, paying them is likely not motivation enough."

In the interviews, farmers most often mentioned that an increase in deep ground cover was the greatest benefit of regenerative ranching. Deep ground cover increases soil carbon sequestration, expands livestock foraging, and provides greater resilience to stressors such as droughts, floods, or freezing temperatures.

Because ranchers using regenerative practices were not dependent on expensive chemicals, they became less vulnerable to financial shocks and stressors, which in turn increased their resilience, explained Professor Gosnell.

"As a result of their new practices, ranchers see less bare ground, more native perennials, more biodiversity and more forage for their cattle, all without use of chemicals."

"This inspires them to continue with regenerative practices, which then leads to more ecological improvement, better economic returns and more positive feedback for the rancher."

Professor Gosnell pointed out that regenerative ranching is a low-cost, low-tech, natural climate solution, and it can be a really effective and important one. "But it is hard for ranchers to transition to because it requires a deep understanding of fundamental ecological processes and adoption of a new set of management tools."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/journal/rsfs">The Royal Society Interface Focus</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Regenerative ranching is a low-cost, natural climate solution

Many farmers are turning to regenerative ranching, which incorporates various...

Scientists at the <a href="https://medicine.wustl.edu/">Washington University School of Medicine</a> (WashUMed) have developed a new <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/several-endangered-species-may-be-vulnerable-to-covid-19/">COVID-19</a> vaccine that is administered through the nose. Using a mouse model, the team demonstrated that a single dose of the nasal vaccine successfully blocked COVID-19 infection. Next, the researchers will test the safety and efficacy of the vaccine in nonhuman primates and humans.

A growing collection of research suggests that the nose is often the initial site of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The WashUMed team found that nasal delivery created a strong immune response throughout the body. The treatment proved to be especially powerful in the nose and respiratory tract, blocking the infection from becoming established inside the body. 

"We were happily surprised to see a strong immune response in the cells of the inner lining of the nose and upper airway -- and a profound protection from infection with this virus," said study senior author Dr. Michael S. Diamond. "These mice were well protected from disease. And in some of the mice, we saw evidence of sterilizing immunity, where there is no sign of infection whatsoever after the mouse is challenged with the virus."

To develop the vaccine, the researchers inserted the spike protein of the coronavirus inside of another virus called an adenovirus. This adenovirus usually causes the common cold, but the scientists tweaked it so that it was unable to cause illness. 

The modified adenovirus carries the spike protein into the nose, so that the body can launch an immune defense against SARS-CoV-2 without becoming sick. In an effort to boost the number of antibodies produced, the researchers incorporated two mutations into the spike protein that stabilize it in a specific shape.

"Adenoviruses are the basis for many investigational vaccines for COVID-19 and other infectious diseases, such as Ebola virus and tuberculosis, and they have good safety and efficacy records, but not much research has been done with nasal delivery of these vaccines," said study co-senior author Dr. David T. Curiel. 

"All of the other adenovirus vaccines in development for COVID-19 are delivered by injection into the arm or thigh muscle. The nose is a novel route, so our results are surprising and promising. It's also important that a single dose produced such a robust immune response. Vaccines that require two doses for full protection are less effective because some people, for various reasons, never receive the second dose."

Unlike vaccines and other drugs that would simply reduce the severity of COVID-19, the new nasal treatment appears to potentially stop the viral infection before it even starts. In the mice, nasal delivery completely prevented infection in both the upper and lower respiratory tract - the nose and lungs.

While the study is very promising, the researchers cautioned that the vaccine has only been studied in mice so far.

"We will soon begin a study to test this intranasal vaccine in nonhuman primates with a plan to move into human clinical trials as quickly as we can," said Dr. Diamond. "We're optimistic, but this needs to continue going through the proper evaluation pipelines. 

"In these mouse models, the vaccine is highly protective. We're looking forward to beginning the next round of studies and ultimately testing it in people to see if we can induce the type of protective immunity that we think not only will prevent infection but also curb pandemic transmission of this virus."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/">Cell</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Nasal vaccine shows potential to stop COVID-19 before it starts

Scientists at the Washington University School of Medicine (WashUMed) have...

Sea-level rise is already driving up the height of water tables along the California coast, which means that groundwater is being pushed closer to the surface. If the water table rises past ground level, this can cause major <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/salt-marshes-have-reduced-coastal-flooding-for-centuries/">flooding</a> and damage to infrastructure. 

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.uark.edu/">University of Arkansas</a> modeled the effects of rising sea levels along the entire coast of California. The results suggest that sea level rise will push inland water tables higher, damaging infrastructure and increasing the severity of flooding.

Not only do rising water tables pose a greater threat to areas considered high-risk, but they also create the potential for flooding in unexpected inland areas.

"Increased roadway fatigue, reduced sewer and septic drainage, and the potential for mobilizing contaminants in soils currently above the water table will eventually be triggered farther inland as the water table rises with higher sea levels," wrote the researchers.

The risks of overland flooding associated with sea level rise are well-documented, but the impacts of rising groundwater tables are much less understood. Water tables rise as the result of an effect known as shoaling - when surface waves change in height upon entering shallow waters. 

In some low-lying areas, shoaling can force groundwater water to the surface. The study pinpointed key infrastructure that is at risk from shoaling, including the Port of Los Angeles and airports in Santa Barbara and San Francisco.

Furthermore, the experts pointed out that groundwater does not even have to fully emerge to cause problems. For example, water tables that rise from six feet below ground to three feet could impact infrastructure buried underground such as wastewater pipes and building foundations. 

Places like Miami and Hawaii have been struggling to deal with the connection between sea levels and water tables for some time. In California, however, the correlation is more subtle, and has not yet been addressed in climate mitigation strategies.  

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/nclimate">Nature Climate Change</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Groundwater tables are creeping up along California coast as sea levels rise

Sea-level rise is already driving up the height of water...

Several critically endangered species may have a high risk of COVID-19 infection, according to new research from <a href="https://www.ucdavis.edu/">UC Davis</a>. 

An international team of scientists conducted a genetic study of 410 different species of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/humans-could-wipe-out-billions-of-years-of-evolution-among-vertebrates/">vertebrates</a>, including birds, fish, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals to determine which may be most vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2.

In humans, the ACE2 protein that serves as the cellular gateway for COVID-19 contains 25 amino acids that are important for the virus to bind and gain entry into the body. The genomic analysis was designed to investigate how many of these amino acids are found in the ACE2 proteins of the different species.

"Animals with all 25 amino acid residues matching the human protein are predicted to be at the highest risk for contracting SARS-CoV-2 via ACE2," said study first author Joana Damas. "The risk is predicted to decrease the more the species' ACE2 binding residues differ from humans."

The study revealed that about 40 percent of the species potentially susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 are classified as "threatened" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. These animals may be particularly vulnerable to human-to-animal transmission. 

"The data provide an important starting point for identifying vulnerable and threatened animal populations at risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection," said study lead author Professor Harris Lewin. "We hope it inspires practices that protect both animal and human health during the pandemic."

The researchers found that several critically endangered primate species have the highest risk of COVID-19, including the Western lowland gorilla, Sumatran orangutan, and Northern white-cheeked gibbon.

Marine mammals such as gray whales and bottlenose dolphins  were also identified as having the highest risk of infection.

Cats, cattle, and sheep were determined to have a medium risk of ACE2 binding, while dogs, horses, and pigs were found to have a low risk. 

Further research is needed to better understand the implications of the findings. In documented cases of SARS-COV-2 infection in animals such as cats, dogs, hamsters, and tigers, the virus may be using ACE2 receptors or may be using different receptors to gain access to host cells. 

The National Zoo and the San Diego Zoo, which both contributed genetic material to the study, are among many institutions that have strengthened programs to protect both animals and humans from COVID-19.

"Zoonotic diseases and how to prevent human to animal transmission is not a new challenge to zoos and animal care professionals," said study co-author Klaus-Peter Koepfli. "This new information allows us to focus our efforts and plan accordingly to keep animals and humans safe."

The researchers said the predicted animal risks should not be overinterpreted, as more studies are needed to determine the susceptibility of animals to SARS-CoV-2.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Several endangered species may be vulnerable to COVID-19

Several critically endangered species may have a high risk of...

Scientists at <a href="https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/">Johns Hopkins Medicine</a> have found strong evidence that the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/coronavirus-detected-in-air-pollution-particles/">coronavirus</a> enters the human body through cells in the nose.

Experients showed that the ACE2 receptor used by SARS-CoV-2 to infect cells is hundreds of times more abundant in a particular region of the nose compared to cells from surrounding regions.

More specifically, cells in the olfactory neuroepithelium have up to 700 times more ACE2 receptors compared to cells in other parts of the nose or in the trachea.

These cells, which are found in the upper nose, are necessary for the development of the sense of smell. This may explain why people infected with the virus often lose the ability to smell and taste. The findings may also help to advance the search for the best target for drugs to treat COVID-19.

"Loss of the sense of smell is associated with COVID-19, generally in the absence of other nasal symptoms, and our research may advance the search for a definitive reason for how and why that happens, and where we might best direct some treatments," said study co-author Dr. Andrew Lane, who is the director of the Division of Rhinology and Skull Base Surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Scientists previously determined that SARS-CoV-2 latches onto a biological hook on the surface of many types of human cells called an angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptor (ACE2). 

To investigate this phenomenon further, the scientists used an advanced imaging technique to produce high-resolution images of cells lining the nasal and tracheal airways. Using fluorescent stains, they were able to identify ACE2 receptors.

Depending on the biopsy sample, cells in the olfactory neuroepithelium were found to have a 200-fold to 700-fold increase in ACE2 proteins compared with other samples from the nose and trachea. 

If the cells lining the nose prove to be a key entry point for SARS-CoV-2, Dr. Lane said there may be ways to target those particular cells with topical antiviral drugs or other therapies directly to that area.

"These findings, taken together with ACE2 protein cellular localization presented here, suggests that active virus infection and replication occurs in the apical layer of nasal and olfactory mucosa," wrote the researchers. 

"The differential expression of ACE2 in the olfactory neuroepithelium and respiratory epithelium may help account for the spectrum of nasal-related symptoms, while also raising the intriguing possibility that COVID-19 may be amenable to novel therapeutic approaches."

The study is published in the <a href="https://erj.ersjournals.com/">European Respiratory Journal</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Coronavirus may attack the body through the nose

Scientists at Johns Hopkins Medicine have found strong evidence that...

Around 11,000 years ago, the Sahara <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/desert-shrubs-become-more-efficient-as-temperatures-rise/">desert</a> was a heavily vegetated landscape covered with grasslands, trees, rivers, and lakes. Extreme environmental changes transitioned the Sahara back into a dry desert about 5,000 years ago. 

Now, a study from the <a href="https://www.upenn.edu/">University of Pennsylvania</a> has found that the end of the Green Sahara triggered a previously unknown megadrought that devastated Southeast Asia.

An international team of scientists is describing how this major climate transformation led to a shift in human settlement patterns in Southeast Asia.

"In this study, we provide the first proof for a strong link between the end of the Green Sahara and Southeast Asian monsoon failure during the mid- to late Holocene period," said study co-author Professor Kathleen Johnson. 

"Our high-resolution and well-dated record suggests a strong connection between Northern Africa and mainland Southeast Asia during this time."

The research was focused on stalagmite samples from caves in Northern Laos. In her lab at UC Irvine, Professor Johnson and colleagues obtained the paleoclimate record contained in the samples through various analyses.

This data was combined with a series of climate model simulations that were conducted by co-author Francesco Pausata of the University of Quebec in Montreal.

For the computer simulations, Saharan vegetation and dust concentrations were altered. This enabled the experts to examine the potential ocean-atmosphere feedbacks that were associated with the abrupt shift in precipitation across the Sahara.

The simulations indicated that reduced vegetation in the Sahara led to increased airborne dust that cooled the Indian Ocean and shifted its circulation pattern eastward - causing an event similar to a modern-day El Niño. 

Ultimately, this system led to a large reduction in monsoon rainfall across Southeast Asia that lasted more than 1,000 years, explained Professor Johnson.

Study lead author Michael Griffiths is a professor of Environmental Science at William Paterson University. He said the link between the end of the Green Sahara and the origin of the Southeast Asia megadrought had not been previously investigated.

"Archaeologists and anthropologists have been studying this event for decades now, in terms of societal adaptations and upheavals, but its exact cause has eluded the scientific community," said Professor Griffiths, who collaborated with Professor Johnson on the for more than 10 years.

"Results from this work provide a novel and convincing explanation for the origin of the Southeast Asia megadrought and could help us better understand, to varying degrees, the observed societal shifts across many parts of the tropics and extra-tropics."

The researchers propose that the centuries-long megadrought corresponds to the "missing millennia" in Southeast Asia between 4,000 and 6,000 years ago. This time frame is marked by a noticeable lack of evidence in the interior region of Southeast Asia compared to before and after.

The research indicates that the mid-Holocene megadrought led to major changes in human settlement. The event likely forced the creation of new resilient subsistence strategies and possibly contributed to the start of Neolithic farming in mainland Southeast Asia.

"This is outstanding evidence for the type of climate change that must have affected society, what plants were available, what animals were available," said study co-author Joyce White. 

"All of life had to adjust to this very different climate. From an archaeological point of view, this really is a game changer in how we try to understand or reconstruct the middle Holocene period."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms">Nature Communications</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Climate change in the Sahara linked to a megadrought in Asia

Around 11,000 years ago, the Sahara desert was a heavily...

The COVID-19 pandemic has spurred some remarkable advancements in remote <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/hands-off-approach-to-parenting-is-better-for-mental-health/">mental health</a> care, and a new study from <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/">University College London</a> shows that telemedicine practices will continue beyond the pandemic. However, the experts caution that there are still some barriers that need to be overcome.

Telemedicine allows health care professionals to evaluate, diagnose, and treat patients remotely using various forms of technology. 

In a survey involving 29 countries, mental health care staff reported on how the pandemic has been harmful to some people that need access to mental health services.

In addition, a separate UCL study summarizes 872 published reports on mental health complications that arose during lockdowns across six continents.

For example, many people had increased anxiety due to concerns about getting infected, while others struggled with the loss of routine, social isolation, or loneliness. 

Many of the studies indicated that social adversities and inequalities could continue to get worse.

"People working in mental health care settings across the UK and globally have reported rapid innovation at their workplaces, including the rapid adoption of telemedicine, after years of slow progress," said Professor Sonia Johnson, who is a co-author on both studies.

"Most people we surveyed support partial adoption of remote working, but they caution that telemedicine doesn't work for everyone, and there are still major challenges to be addressed for it be truly effective. The voices of the digitally excluded are especially in danger of not being heard."

Mental health professionals said they anticipate an increased need for services as concerns about inpatient care continue to rise.

"Mental health care staff in many countries are concerned about a potential delayed wave of increased demand, putting strain on services with limited resources," said Dr. Luke Sheridan Rains. "The potential long duration of the pandemic suggests that avoiding a crisis in mental health care should be a global priority."

The researchers explained that while there is not much official data available yet, mental health care staff from numerous countries reported reduced referrals and visits to mental health services in the very early stages of the pandemic. This may be due to fears of infection, the belief that help would not be available, or worry over being a burden.

In the UK survey, the experts noted that a key challenge continues to be managing to combine infection control with a good therapeutic environment. 

"We found that balancing infection control requirements with maintaining therapeutic relationships with patients who may be distressed, suspicious, or struggling to comprehend the situation, remains an important priority, and, as we have seen with reports of Covid-19 deaths among people subject to the Mental Health Act, the price of failure is potentially very high," said study first author Christian Dalton-Locke.

"We found that in the UK and in other countries, mental health care providers have demonstrated considerable agility and flexibility in responding to the pandemic, but staff remain concerned for the future," said study senior author Professor Alan Simpson.

"Regarding telemedicine, our sources have given a clear warning that substantial technological, social and procedural barriers remain, and that its use should remain selective, complementing rather than replacing face-to-face contact."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.springer.com/journal/127">Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology</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

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Telemedicine helps address the ongoing mental health crisis

The COVID-19 pandemic has spurred some remarkable advancements in remote...

Children exposed to higher levels of fine particle pollution (PM2.5) are more likely to develop asthma and persistent wheezing, according to a new study published by the <a href="https://www.bmj.com/">BMJ</a>. The findings add to a growing collection of research that links air pollution to the onset of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/teens-who-stay-up-late-have-more-asthma-and-allergy-issues/">asthma</a>.

The researchers also identified other risk factors for asthma, including genetics, prenatal exposure to smoking, and parents with low education and low income.

Fine particle pollution is primarily the result of power plants, motor vehicles, and domestic energy production. These particles are so microscopic in size that they can penetrate deep into the lungs and may even gain entry into the circulatory system.

While short term exposure to elevated levels of air pollution has been conclusively linked to the worsening of asthma symptoms, the consequences of long term exposure have remained unclear. 

To investigate, a team of researchers in Denmark set out to identify pollution and family-related risk factors for the onset of asthma and persistent wheezing in children between the ages of one and 15.

The investigation was focused on more than three million Danish children born from 1997 to 2014. Among these individuals, 122,842 children were identified as having asthma and persistent wheezing at an average age of 1.9 years.

This data was linked to air quality measurements at the children's home addresses, parental asthma, maternal smoking, parental education, and income.

The study revealed that higher levels of asthma and persistent wheezing were most strongly linked to parents with asthma and in children of mothers who smoked during pregnancy.

By contrast, asthma cases were found less frequently among children with parents who had higher educational status and income.

Children living in areas with high levels of fine particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, and nitrate were found to have a greater chance of developing asthma. However, only the link between asthma and PM2.5 persisted across different models and after further sensitivity analyses.

Despite some study limitations, such as factors related to the children's indoor environment, the research differs from previous studies in that it accounts for a large, diverse group of children across all social classes and ages.

The researchers said that further reductions in fine particle pollution may help to reduce the number of children who develop asthma and persistent wheezing in highly exposed populations.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.bmj.com/">The BMJ</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

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Fine particle pollution may cause children to develop asthma

Children exposed to higher levels of fine particle pollution (PM2.5)...

Large aquatic reptiles known as ichthyosaurs appeared in the oceans about 250 million years ago after the Permian mass extinction. These reptiles looked like fish but breathed air like <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/high-levels-of-toxins-found-in-stranded-whales-and-dolphins/">dolphins</a> and whales. 

While scientists have theorized that ichthyosaurs were top predators in their ocean ecosystems like killer whales or great white sharks, there has been little direct evidence to support this theory.

But now, in a new study from <a href="https://www.ucdavis.edu/">UC Davis</a>, scientists are describing the fossilized remains of a five-meter ichthyosaur that swallowed a four-meter reptile just before its death. 

The 240 million-year-old remains of the ichthyosaur Guizhouichthyosaurus were discovered in 2010 in Guizhou province, China.

The fossils represent the earliest evidence of a large animal preying on another large animal, or megapredation.

"We have never found articulated remains of a large reptile in the stomach of gigantic predators from the age of dinosaurs, such as marine reptiles and dinosaurs," said study co-author Professor Ryosuke Motani. "We always guessed from tooth shape and jaw design that these predators must have fed on large prey but now we have direct evidence that they did."

When the fossil skeleton was first uncovered, researchers noticed a large bulge of other bones within the animal's abdomen. Upon further analysis, they identified the smaller marine reptile as a thalattosaur called Xinpusaurus xingyiensis, which was lizard-like in appearance with four paddling limbs.

The predator's last meal appears to be the middle section of the thalattosaur, from its front to back limbs. The bones of what appears to be the tail section of the prey were found nearby.

"Guizhouichthyosaurus is a genus of ichthyosaur that would not be considered an apex predator based on the traditional criteria," wrote the study authors. They explained that its typical size range is about four to six meters in total length, although some individuals reached about 7 meters. "Its teeth lacked carinae and were not very large for the body size."

Guizhouichthyosaurus had small, peg-like teeth that appeared to be better adapted for handling squid-like animals that were abundant in the oceans at the time. However, it's clear that you don't need slicing teeth to be a megapredator, said Professor Motani. 

Guizhouichthyosaurus likely used a strategy that is similar to that of modern crocodiles and orca - using the force of its bite to injure the prey before ripping it apart.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/iscience/home">iScience</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

&nbsp;

Ancient ichthyosaur died right after devouring large reptile 

Large aquatic reptiles known as ichthyosaurs appeared in the oceans...

Researchers at <a href="https://www.massgeneral.org/">Massachusetts General Hospital</a> (MGH) have conducted the most comprehensive study of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/proteins-identified-that-may-help-covid-19-spread-in-the-body/">COVID-19</a> pediatric patients to date. The study reveals that children play a much larger role in the spread of COVID-19 than what was previously expected.

The investigation was focused on 192 children from infants to age 22. Among these subjects, 49 tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 and 18 tested positive for a late-onset illness related to COVID-19.

Compared to hospitalized adults being treated for COVID-19 in the ICU, the infected children were found to have significantly higher levels of the virus in their airways.

"I was surprised by the high levels of virus we found in children of all ages, especially in the first two days of infection," said study lead author Dr. Lael Yonker. 

"I was not expecting the viral load to be so high. You think of a hospital, and of all of the precautions taken to treat severely ill adults, but the viral loads of these hospitalized patients are significantly lower than a 'healthy child' who is walking around with a high SARS-CoV-2 viral load."

The risk of contagion is much greater with a higher viral load. Furthermore, some of the typical COVID-19 symptoms - runny nose, fever, and cough - can be easily overlooked because they often overlap with other illnesses such as the flu or the common cold.

The researchers compared the expression of the viral receptor and antibody response in healthy children, those with acute SARS-CoV-2 infection, and a few children with Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C).

The results of the analysis, which was based on nose and throat swabs and blood samples, have major implications for the reopening of schools and daycares.

"Kids are not immune from this infection, and their symptoms don't correlate with exposure and infection," said study senior author Dr. Alessio Fasano. 

"During this COVID-19 pandemic, we have mainly screened symptomatic subjects, so we have reached the erroneous conclusion that the vast majority of people infected are adults."

"However, our results show that kids are not protected against this virus. We should not discount children as potential spreaders for this virus."

The experts noted that even though children with COVID-19 are not as likely to become as severely ill, they can spread infection and bring the virus into their homes as asymptomatic carriers while attending school. 

The study findings also suggest that younger children may have lower numbers of the virus receptor than older children and adults. However, regardless of having a lower susceptibility to developing COVID-19 infection, they still carry a high viral load.

The researchers studied immune response in MIS-C, which is a multi-organ infection that can develop in children with COVID-19 several weeks after infection. The doctors found that complications from the accelerated immune response seen in MIS-C can include severe cardiac problems, shock, and acute heart failure. 

"This is a severe complication as a result of the immune response to COVID-19 infection, and the number of these patients is growing," said Dr. Fasano. "And, as in adults with these very serious systemic complications, the heart seems to be the favorite organ targeted by post-COVID-19 immune response."

According to the experts, understanding MIS-C and post-infectious immune responses from pediatric COVID-19 patients is critical for developing next steps in treatment and prevention strategies. 

When it comes to children returning to school, Dr. Fasano and Dr. Yonker said that SARS-CoV-2 infection cannot be identified based on body temperature or symptom monitoring alone. They recommend that routine screening of all students for SARS-CoV-2 infection with timely reporting of the results should be prioritized in return-to-school policies.

"This study provides much-needed facts for policymakers to make the best decisions possible for schools, daycare centers and other institutions that serve children," said Dr. Fasano. "Kids are a possible source of spreading this virus, and this should be taken into account in the planning stages for reopening schools."

Dr. Fasano fears that a rushed return to school without proper planning could result in a spike in cases of COVID-19 infections. "If schools were to reopen fully without necessary precautions, it is likely that children will play a larger role in this pandemic," concluded the study authors.

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms">Nature Communications</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

&nbsp;

Children play an unexpected role in COVID-19 transmission

Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) have conducted the most...

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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



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Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.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

[sendtonews key="QGPzYnXEtN-1712599-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from Carl...

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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

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

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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



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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

[sendtonews key="0879czfG3k-1785905-12187" 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 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

[sendtonews key="0dEcERCq61-2283382-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from Stowers...

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

[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



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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...