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...

Antibiotic resistance is a growing problem worldwide that is largely driven by the overuse of antibiotics. In a new study from the <a href="https://www.uga.edu/">University of Georgia</a>, researchers have determined that soil <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/outdoor-air-pollution-increases-stroke-risk-almost-immediately/">pollution</a> is also a key contributor to antibiotic resistance.    

The scientists analyzed the composition of soil using a technique known as genomic analysis. They discovered a strong correlation between antibiotic resistance and heavy metal contamination.

The contaminated soils were collected from the U.S. Department of Energy's Savannah River Site in South Carolina.

The study revealed that soils polluted with heavy metals had a higher level of specific bacterial hosts that contained antibiotic-resistant genes (ARGs).

The bacteria had ARGs for three drugs are used to treat infections in humans: vancomycin, bacitracin, and polymyxin.

According to study lead author Jesse C. Thomas, the bacteria also had an ARG for multidrug resistance, a strong defense gene that can resist heavy metals as well as antibiotics.

When ARGs were present in the soil, they were accompanied by metal-resistant genes (MRGs) for several metals such as arsenic, copper, and zinc.

Thomas, who is currently a biologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, explained that microorganisms develop new strategies and countermeasures over time to protect themselves.

"The overuse of antibiotics in the environment adds additional selection pressure on microorganisms that accelerates their ability to resist multiple classes of antibiotics. But antibiotics aren't the only source of selection pressure," said Thomas. "Many bacteria possess genes that simultaneously work on multiple compounds that would be toxic to the cell, and this includes metals."

Professor Travis Glenn said that further research is needed to determine whether metal-resistant genes respond in the same way to bacteria as antibiotic-resistant genes.

Heavy metals do not degrade in the environment so "they can exert long-standing pressure," said Professor Glenn.

The study authors noted that in previous research, experts identified antibiotic-resistance in heavy metal-contaminated water that was collected from streams at the Savannah River Site.

"When you expose the sample to a drug on a petri dish or assay, it only represents a fraction," said Thomas. "This doesn't give you a complete picture. With genomic analysis we were able to get much further."

It is clear that there are several human pathogens that develop antibiotic resistance, and overuse is not the only cause, according to Thomas. Other causes include agriculture and the combustion of fossil fuels.

"We need a better understanding of how bacteria are evolving over time," said Thomas. "This can impact our drinking water and our food and eventually our health."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://sfamjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/17517915">Microbial Biotechnology</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Soil pollution is a source of antibiotic resistance

Antibiotic resistance is a growing problem worldwide that is largely...

A team of researchers led by <a href="https://ethz.ch/en.html">ETH Zurich</a> has demonstrated how much more quickly <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-has-boosted-the-productivity-of-some-forests/">forests</a> can recover from disturbances with help from simple restoration projects. The study was focused on a tropical forest in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo that was heavily damaged by logging in the 1980s before becoming a protected area.

The long-term research project was focused on the forest's capacity to rebuild biomass. The study revealed that in areas left to regenerate naturally, the annual capacity to store carbon increased by as much as 2.9 tons of carbon per hectare. 

The researchers also found that areas of forest that underwent active restoration recovered even more rapidly, with an increase in the annual capacity to store carbon by as much as 4.4 tons per hectare.

The research expands on previous work by Professor Mark Cutler of the University of Dundee, which was conducted in Borneo nearly 25 years ago. 

Commercial logging in Sabah started decades ago, and large areas of forest were severely degraded. Very little of Sabah's natural forest cover is unaffected. 

Professor David Burslem explained that scientists have known for some while that tropical forests can regenerate from logging if left undisturbed for long enough. But the rapid recovery that resulted from simple, low-tech restoration techniques was a surprise to the researchers. 

"We gained this insight through a sustained investment in research by a multi-national team over more than 20 years," said Professor Burslem.

The study authors pointed out that the current price of carbon does not cover the cost of restoration, which greatly limits the potential of forest restoration to help mitigate climate change.

"The increase in forest regrowth from restoration coupled with average global restoration costs suggests carbon prices need to be much higher," said Professor Cutler. "If they were around US$40-80 per ton CO2 in accordance with the 2016 Paris climate agreement, this would be an incentive to invest in restoration. We must find sustainable mechanisms for funding."

Restoration projects are particularly important for the recovery of logged forests like those in Sabah to help maintain biodiversity and carbon sequestration.

"This active restoration encourages naturally diverse forest, and is therefore much more beneficial for biodiversity than monocultures or plantation forests," said study co-author Christopher Philipson. He noted that restoration helps previously over-used forests not only to recover carbon, but also to become ecologically sound and diverse again.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/">Science</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Restoration projects help forests recover remarkably faster

A team of researchers led by ETH Zurich has demonstrated...

There is a stunning amount of diversity in <a href="http://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/the-beginners-guide-to-plant-pots/">plants</a>, which evolve different features for optimal performance in their specific environment.

In a new study from the <a href="https://www.jic.ac.uk/">John Innes Centre</a>, researchers have investigated why some plants have extremely unusal shapes, such as the heart-shaped seed pods of the Capsella genus.   

With its distinctive appearance, the heart-shaped Capsella fruit is the perfect candidate for studying the emergence of diverse shapes among plant organs.

Previous research suggests that the expression of key regulatory genes controls the evolution of plant organ shapes. The current study has revealed a critical new step in this pathway that involves the modification of protein activity.

The researchers identified a specific protein, which they named heartbreak (htb), that controls the activity of the key regulator of fruit development in Capsella rubella. 

The protein htb activates a type of "molecular trimming" pathway that initiates the production of the plant hormone auxin. This triggers anisotropic cell expansion, which is when cells expand in a preferred direction that is not uniform, and the heart-shaped Capsella fruit is formed.

"We know that the diversity in shape we observe in nature frequently is caused by changes in the position and timing of key regulatory genes: that is how a lot of variation occurs," said study co-author Professor Lars Østergaard.

"What we have found is that there is this post translational effect, beyond the gene expression. This protein modification is at the basis of this type of diversity of fruit shape - and goes a long way to explain the difference for example between the fruits of Capsella and those from the related model plant Arabidopsis. This is about a modification of protein activity at a different stage than we have seen before."

Using a genetic screening technique to study a range of traits, the experts managed to identify the important developmental role of htb.

"We now have an entire pathway based on gene expression, hormone dynamics and post translational modification of proteins in such detail that we can test to what extent these kinds of pathways with these components are shared much wider across kingdoms and not just within the plant kingdom," said first author Dr. Yang Dong.

The research answers a key question about how the unique heart-shaped seed pods develop, but the purpose they serve remains an intriguing mystery.  

"Previously we thought these shapes might be a good functional design for seed dispersal because the shape could allow the wind to catch the seed pod walls, but our assays comparing them with Arabidopsis and oilseed rape do not reveal any great advantage of the Capsella fruit in seed dispersal. So, we don't think that can be a major factor," said Professor Østergaard.

"It is possible they could act like solar panels. In other words, maybe they function to capture sunlight and increase photosynthetic capacity. We know that the photosynthetic capacity of the seed pod walls can have a strong effect on seed development inside the pod and therefore on yields. So, by understanding this mechanism it does give us tools to perhaps be able to manipulate the seed pod walls in crops like oilseed rape."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home">Current Biology</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Study reveals how Capsella plants get heart-shaped seed pods

There is a stunning amount of diversity in plants, which...

Tropical forest soils are more sensitive to <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/study-reveals-human-health-impacts-of-climate-change/">climate</a> change than previously realized. As a result, billions of tons of CO2 could be released into the atmosphere, according to a study from the <a href="https://www.ed.ac.uk/">University of Edinburgh</a>. 

Tropical forests store one-third of the world's carbon, and the researchers said that CO2 emissions from soils in these forests could increase dramatically if temperatures continue to rise in line with current predictions.

A field experiment conducted in Panama indicates that soil carbon  emissions will increase by 55 percent if average global temperatures rise by four degrees Celsius.

"The results demonstrate the high sensitivity of these ecosystems to warming," said study lead author Dr. Andrew Nottingham. "It should be a wake-up call for us to take action to mitigate climate change and preserve tropical forests, which are one of the most important components in Earth's carbon cycle."

Carbon is released from soils during microbial activity and decomposition. The amount of CO2 that could be emitted from tropical soils is potentially so large that it would trigger additional global warming in a reinforcing feedback loop.

Previous studies have shown that rising temperatures threaten to release carbon locked away in frozen soils, such as Arctic permafrost. Prior to this study, however, tropical soils were thought to be more resilient to climate change.

The research team conducted a large-scale experiment in a tropical forest on Barro Colorado Island in the Panama Canal. 

The experts built heating devices and buried them one meter into the soil. The system was fitted with heating cables and a thermostat. For two years, the equipment kept the experimental areas four degrees warmer than the surrounding soil.

The findings show that, from every single hectare of tropical forest, up to eight extra tons of soil carbon will be released in the form of CO2 each year as temperatures rise.

While the researchers expect that the rate of emissions will eventually decline in the experimentally warmed soils, they do not yet know how long this will take. The long-term impact of soil warming on climate change is also unclear.

The team will continue the experiment - the Soil Warming Experiment in Lowland Tropical Rainforest (SWELTR) - to better understand how tropical forests are responding to global warming.

Study co-author Professor Patrick Meir concluded that the carbon emissions from warming tropical forest soils are much higher than expected, which shows that there is a need to re-examine current predictions.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/">Nature</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Billions of tons of CO2 could be released from tropical soils

Tropical forest soils are more sensitive to climate change than...

A new study from <a href="https://www.yale.edu/">Yale University</a> suggests that stress and anger can worsen <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/heat-related-cardiovascular-hospitalizations-are-on-the-rise/">cardiovascular</a> disease. Patients with heart failure were found to experience life-threatening symptoms shortly after dealing with negative emotions.

"Factors such as mental stress and anger often go unrecognized and are under-addressed," said study senior author Matthew Burg. 

"This study contributes to the extensive literature showing that stress and anger affect clinical outcomes for patients with heart disease, adding chronic heart failure to the list that includes ischemic heart disease (narrowed arteries) and arrhythmic disease."

Heart failure is a condition in which the heart is damaged or weakened. The disease can cause the heart muscle to pump out less blood than usual, which is known as a reduced ejection fraction.

The researchers evaluated the effects of stress and anger on diastolic function among patients who had heart failure with reduced ejection fraction.

Diastolic function refers to the heart's capacity to relax and refill between muscle contractions, and is an indicator of mortality risk.

For one week, the study participants reported daily on their experiences of stress and anger during the previous 24 hours. Next, the individuals completed a standardized "mental stress" assessment during which they solved challenging math problems and described a recent stressful experience. Echocardiograms were used to measure diastolic function during the stress task and also while the individuals were at rest.

According to the researchers, patients who reported experiencing anger in the week prior to the lab testing exhibited worse baseline resting diastolic pressure.

Stress-provoked changes in diastolic function, including decreased early relaxation and increased diastolic pressure, were observed in most patients.

"Mental stress is common in patients with heart failure due in part to the complexities of disease self-management, progressively worsening functional limitations, and frequent symptom exacerbations and hospitalizations," said study lead author Kristie Harris, who is a postdoctoral associate in Cardiovascular Medicine at Yale.

"We have evidence that patients who experience chronically elevated levels of stress experience a more burdensome disease course with diminished quality of life and increased risk for adverse events." 

"Clarifying the relevant behavioral and physiological pathways is especially important in the era of COVID-19 when the typical stressors of heart failure may be further compounded by pandemic-related stressors."

According to Burg, stress management and related techniques have been shown to reduce risk for adverse events among patients with ischemic heart disease. However, he said that further research is needed to identify factors that increase vulnerability to the effects of stress in heart failure, and to determine whether stress management may improve health outcomes.

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.onlinejcf.com/">Journal of Cardiac Failure</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Heart failure is worsened by stress and anger

A new study from Yale University suggests that stress and...

In the most comprehensive study of its kind, researchers have found evidence to suggest that some dinosaurs were flying before they were birds. The experts have determined that flight potentially evolved three different times: twice in feathered dinosaurs and once early <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/ancient-birds-looked-and-behaved-like-giant-penguins/">birds</a>.

The study provides brand new  insight into the evolutionary history of bird-like theropods and their descendants.

The researchers developed a new analytical technique to search for evolutionary trees, and then estimated how each species may have burst into powered flight.

"For the first time, we find a broad range of these ancestors neared the wing loading and specific lift thresholds indicative of powered flight potential," wrote the study authors. 

"This suggests there was greater experimentation with wing-assisted locomotion before theropod flight evolved than previously appreciated."

The international research team included Professor Michael Pittman and Professor Rui Pei from Hong Kong University and Professor Hans Larsson from <a href="https://www.mcgill.ca/">McGill University</a>.

"Our revised evolutionary tree supports the traditional relationship of dromaeosaurid ('raptors') and troodontid theropods as the closest relatives of birds," said Professor Pei. 

"It also supports the status of the controversial anchiornithine theropods as the earliest birds." The experts reconstructed the potential of bird-like theropods for powered flight, using data from studies on flight in modem birds.

The analysis indicates the potential for powered flight evolved at least twice in dromaeosaurids. 

"The capability for gliding flight in some dromaeosaurids is well established so us finding at least two origins of powered flight potential among dromaeosaurids is really exciting," said Professor Pittman.

"This was a fun collaboration over several years," said Professor Larsson. "For the first time, we have a well resolved evolutionary tree of these small, feathered dinosaurs to ask questions about how birds originated." 

"We were able to map biomechanical limits to all these species and propose a picture of experimentation within a spectrum of near-flight to fully-flighted capabilities in these wonderful little carnivores." 

"This goes against the simple, linear stepping forward through evolution model of bird origins and instead presents one were an explosive radiation of feathered dinosaurs were experimenting with many kinds of wing-assisted locomotion. I think this is the most realistic view of bird origins to date."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home">Current Biology</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Feathered dinosaurs were flying before birds

In the most comprehensive study of its kind, researchers have...

Yoga can help people overcome the constant worrying and stress that comes along with generalized anxiety disorder, according to a new study from <a href="https://med.nyu.edu/our-community/about-us">NYU Grossman School of Medicine</a>. The researchers found that yoga was more effective in relieving symptoms of generalized <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/stress-anxiety-helpful/">anxiety</a> than standard education on stress management.

Study lead study Dr. Naomi M. Simon is a professor in the Department of Psychiatry at NYU Langone Health. 

"Generalized anxiety disorder is a very common condition, yet many are not willing or able to access evidence-based treatments," said Dr. Simon. 

"Our findings demonstrate that yoga, which is safe and widely available, can improve symptoms for some people with this disorder and could be a valuable tool in an overall treatment plan."

The study was focused on 226 men and women with generalized anxiety disorder. The participants were randomly assigned for training in either cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), Kundalini yoga, or stress-management education. 

After three months, yoga and CBT proved to be much more effective for anxiety than stress management. In particular, 54 percent of individuals who practiced yoga had fewer anxiety symptoms compared to just 33 percent in the stress-education group.

On the other hand, after six months of follow-ups, CBT appeared to have the longest lasting effects. This type of treatment involves psychoeducation, muscle relaxation, and cognitive interventions that are focused on identifying and adapting maladaptive thoughts.

Kundalini yoga included physical postures, breathing techniques, relaxation exercises, meditation, and mindfulness training.

According to researchers, generalized anxiety disorder is a common, impairing, and undertreated condition that currently affects an estimated 6.8 million people in the United States. The disorder is characterized by worrying that becomes excessive and interferes with daily life. 

"Many people already seek complementary and alternative interventions, including yoga, to treat anxiety," said Dr. Simon. "This study suggests that at least short-term there is significant value for people with generalized anxiety disorder to give yoga a try to see if it works for them. Yoga is well-tolerated, easily accessible, and has a number of health benefits."

Dr. Simon said that future research could investigate which individuals are most likely to benefit from yoga for generalized anxiety disorder.

"We need more options to treat anxiety because different people will respond to different interventions, and having more options can help overcome barriers to care," said Dr. Simon. "Having a range of effective treatments can increase the likelihood people with anxiety will be willing to engage in evidence-based care."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry">JAMA Psychiatry</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Yoga relieves anxiety and obsessive worrying

Yoga can help people overcome the constant worrying and stress...

Jealousy is not always a bad thing when it comes to maintaining friendships, according to a recent study from <a href="https://www.asu.edu/">Arizona State University</a> (ASU). In fact, the researchers propose that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/jealousy-root-brain/">jealousy</a> is often a good thing for friendship maintenance.

Social isolation is associated with a greater risk of fatal heart disease, and also with serious mental health issues like depression, dementia, and schizophrenia. On the other hand, people with friends are physically healthier and have an improved sense of well-being.

But even among the most highly social people, relationships do not always last forever.

"Friendships can foster happiness, health, and reproductive fitness. However, friendships end - even when we might not want them to," wrote the study authors. "A primary reason for this is interference from third parties." 

"Yet, little work has explored how people meet the challenge of maintaining friendships in the face of real or perceived threats from third parties, as when our friends inevitably make new friends or form new romantic relationships." 

"Friends aren't just fun. They are an important resource, especially in our current situation with ongoing COVID-19 outbreaks. Friends give support during conflict, buffer against loneliness, and can even provide life sustaining resources when we need them," said Professor Jaimie Arona Krems.

"We wanted to understand how we keep friendships, and we found feelings of jealousy can act like a tool for maintaining friendships."

The researchers found that feelings of jealousy were related to the value of the friendship and also motivated behaviors that boosted relationships. 

The study also showed that not all threats to friendships evoked jealousy. For example, when a best friend moved away, the feelings that emerged were primarily sadness and anger rather than envy.

On the other hand, when friendships were threatened by another person - such as a potential romantic partner or a new friend at work - the predominant feeling was jealousy.

The intensity of jealousy depended on the extent of the perceived threat posed by a third-party. A best friend usually felt more threatened by a new pal than by a romantic partner, resulting in stronger feelings of envy.

"The third party threats to a friendship were not just related to a best friend spending time away from us: It mattered whether the person they were spending time with could replace us as a friend, explained Professor Douglas Kenrick.

"We found people felt less jealous about their best friend spending the same amount of time with a new romantic partner than a new acquaintance, which means what makes us most jealous of is the possibility that we might be replaced."

When individuals felt threatened by being replaced, behaviors emerged that helped to defeat the third-party interference, like trying to monopolize a best friend's time.

"Together, these behaviors are called 'friend guarding', and they occur across cultures and also in non-human animals. Female wild horses are known to bite and kick other female horses," said Professor Keelah Williams.

While some friend guarding behaviors focused on control or manipulation, others involved a  commitment to being a better friend.

"Getting jealous can sometimes be a signal that a friendship is threatened, and this signal can help us jump into action to invest in a friendship that we might have been neglecting," said Professor Athena Aktipis.

"In contrast to earlier conceptualizations from developmental research, which viewed friendship jealousy as solely maladaptive, we propose that friendship jealousy is one overlooked tool of friendship maintenance," wrote the study authors.

The research is published in the <a href="https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/psp">Journal of Personality and Social Psychology</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Friendship jealousy can actually create a happy ending

Jealousy is not always a bad thing when it comes...

In a study from <a href="https://www.mcmaster.ca/">McMaster University</a>, new clues have emerged that may solve the mystery of why COVID-19 infection affects patients in such different ways. The research challenges the widely accepted notion that the ACE2 receptor serves as the cellular gateway for <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/viruses-related-to-sars-cov-2-could-cause-future-pandemics/">SARS-COV-2</a>. 

In collaboration with experts at the <a href="https://uwaterloo.ca/">University of Waterloo</a>, the researchers have been investigating how the virus infects the lungs. Scientists had previously determined that the coronavirus gains entry into lung cells through ACE2 receptors located on their surface. 

However, in the new study, the researchers discovered that the ACE2 receptor is at very low levels in human lung tissue.

"Our finding is somewhat controversial, as it suggests that there must be other ways, other receptors for the virus, that regulate its infection of the lungs," said study co-author Professor Jeremy Hirota.

"We were surprised that the fundamental characterization of the candidate receptors in human lung tissue had not yet been done in a systematic way with modern technologies."

Professor Andrew Doxey said that finding such low levels of ACE2 in lung tissue has important implications for how we think about this virus. "ACE2 is not the full story and may be more relevant in other tissues such as the vascular system."

The team's findings have been independently confirmed by other researchers in Molecular Systems Biology.

To explore additional infection pathways and different patient responses to infection, the team is using nasal swabs that were collected for clinical diagnoses of COVID-19. The samples can be analyzed to link the genes expressed in a patient's cells to the progression of the disease in that individual.

The study will ultimately lead to a system for better identifying and treating patients who are the most likely to develop serious complications.

"It is clear that some individuals respond better than others to the same SARS-CoV-2 virus. The differential response to the same virus suggests that each individual patient, with their unique characteristics, heavily influences COVID-19 disease severity," said Hirota.

"We think it is the lung immune system that differs between COVID-19 patients, and by understanding which patients' lung immune systems are helpful and which are harmful, we may be able to help physicians proactively manage the most at-risk patients."

The study is published in the <a href="https://erj.ersjournals.com/">European Respiratory Journal</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;

Why does COVID-19 affect people so differently? 

In a study from McMaster University, new clues have emerged...

A group of modern humans that lived roughly half a million years ago were highly social individuals, according to a new <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/">UCL</a> study. <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/first-ever-fossil-egg-in-antarctica-was-laid-by-massive-reptile/">Fossil</a> evidence obtained from an archaeological site in England offers unprecedented insight into the lives of Homo heidelbergensis, who lived in the region that is now Boxgrove.

The researchers have reconstructed the social activities of these early humans as they made tools, including the oldest bone tools documented in Europe. The experts even pieced together an event during which the Boxgrove people butchered and consumed a large horse 480,000 years ago.

"This was an exceptionally rare opportunity to examine a site pretty much as it had been left behind by an extinct population, after they had gathered to totally process the carcass of a dead horse on the edge of a coastal marshland," said study lead author Dr. Matthew Pope.

"Incredibly, we've been able to get as close as we can to witnessing the minute-by-minute movement and behaviors of a single apparently tight-knit group of early humans: a community of people, young and old, working together in a co-operative and highly social way."

The Horse Butchery Site is one of many excavated in quarries near Boxgrove, which is home to Britain's oldest human remains. The site was excavated in the 1980s and 90s by the UCL Institute of Archaeology.

More than 2,000 razor sharp flint fragments were recovered from the site, representing the exact places where early humans knelt to make their tools. They left behind material that had been shaved off between their knees.

The archaeologists discovered that the early humans were consistently making the same thing - large flint knives called bifaces that are described as the perfect butcher's tool.

"We established early on that there were at least eight individuals at the site making tools, and considered it likely that a small group of adults, a 'hunting party', could have been responsible for the butchery," said Dr. Pope. 

"However, we were astonished to see traces of other activities and movement across the site, which opened the possibility of a much larger group being present. We worked with our reconstruction artist Lauren Gibson to bring the site and its social complexity to life."

Study co-authors Dr. Silvia Bello and Simon Parfitt analyzed the horse bones and determined that the animal was not just stripped of meat, but each bone was broken down with stone hammers so that the marrow could be sucked out. 

The horse was completely processed - the fat, marrow, internal organs, and even the stomach contents provided a meal for the early humans gathered at the site.

The researchers also found that several of the bones had been used as tools called retouchers.

"These are some of the earliest non-stone tools found in the archaeological record of human evolution," said Parfitt. "They would have been essential for manufacturing the finely made flint knives found in the wider Boxgrove landscape."

"The finding provides evidence that early human cultures understood the properties of different organic materials and how tools could be made to improve the manufacture of other tools," said Dr. Bello. "Along with the careful butchery of the horse and the complex social interaction hinted at by the stone refitting patterns, it provides further evidence that early human population at Boxgrove were cognitively, socially and culturally sophisticated."

The research suggests that temporary sites could have been highly social spaces for interaction, learning, and the sharing of tools and ideas. The Horse Butchery Site reveals this behavior in more vivid detail than any other known site in the archaeological record.

The research was funded by Historic England, the Arts and the Humanities Research Council.

 ---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Mysterious early humans were highly social

A group of modern humans that lived roughly half a...

A new study led by researchers at the <a href="https://www.rcsi.com/dublin/about/faculty-of-medicine-and-health-sciences">RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences</a> has found that a seasonal increase in strokes across urban areas of Ireland is linked to outdoor air <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/air-pollution-is-declining-but-its-distribution-remains-the-same/">pollution</a>. The study is the first to confirm an association between short-term air pollution and stroke in Ireland.

After accounting for other factors that may have had an influence such as temperature and humidity, the researchers found that there was a statistically significant rise in the number of hospitalizations for strokes in Dublin zero to two days after a rise in air pollution.

"As Ireland has relatively low air pollution internationally, this highlights the need to introduce policy changes to reduce air pollution in all countries," wrote the study authors.

Throughout the winter months, the air in Dublin becomes filled with higher levels of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and particle pollution. The spike in pollution is primarily a result of burning fossil fuels and running diesel engines. 

Study lead author Dr. Colm Byrne is a clinical lecturer in the RCSI Department of Geriatric and Stroke Medicine.

"Every year, more than 10,000 people in Ireland have a stroke. Our research adds evidence that there needs to be a national ban on solid fuel burning to help in our efforts to reduce this number," said Dr. Byrne. 

A growing collection of research is documenting the harmful health effects of outdoor air pollution, which is responsible for millions of premature deaths every year. According to the <a href="https://www.who.int/">World Health Organization</a>, one third of deaths from stroke, lung cancer, and heart disease are tied to air pollution.

"Air pollution is hard to escape, no matter how rich an area you live in. It is all around us. Microscopic pollutants in the air can slip past our body’s defenses, penetrating deep into our respiratory and circulatory system, damaging our lungs, heart and brain," explains the World Health Organization.

"Air pollution is closely linked to climate change - the main driver of climate change is fossil fuel combustion which is also a major contributor to air pollution - and efforts to mitigate one can improve the other."

The RCSI study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.karger.com/Journal/Home/224153">Cerebrovascular Diseases</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;

Outdoor air pollution increases stroke risk almost immediately

A new study led by researchers at the RCSI University...

The "insect apocalypse" does not seem to be taking place in the United States, according to a new study from the <a href="https://www.uga.edu/">University of Georgia</a> (UGA). The researchers found that these warnings may be exaggerated, and do not accurately reflect what is happening with insects on a larger scale.

There is evidence that European honey <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/bees-use-incredibly-forceful-buzzing-for-flower-pollination/">bees</a> are sharply declining, but UGA Professor Bill Snyder wanted to determine whether insects are disappearing worldwide. 

"We depend on insects for so many things. If insects disappear it would be really, really bad. Maybe the end of human existence," said Professor Snyder.

To investigate, the experts analyzed data on insects and other arthropods that was collected over 36 years. The data is from monitoring sites that represent 68 natural and managed areas of the United States.

While some sites showed increases or decreases in the abundance and diversity of insects, many remained unchanged. 

Overall, the abundance and biodiversity trends were essentially indistinguishable from zero. The lack of general gains or losses was consistent across all arthropod groups.

The researchers compared the data with human influences like insecticides and light pollution, but the trends were found to be similar across both disturbed sites and natural sites.

Study lead author Michael Crossley is a postdoctoral researcher in the UGA Department of Entomology.

"No matter what factor we looked at, nothing could explain the trends in a satisfactory way," said Crossley. "We just took all the data and, when you look, there are as many things going up as going down. Even when we broke it out in functional groups there wasn't really a clear story like predators are decreasing or herbivores are increasing."

"This is an implication for conservation and one for scientists, who have been calling for more data due to under-sampling in certain areas or certain insects. We took this opportunity to use this wealth of data that hasn't been used yet."

"There's got to be even more data sets that we don't even know about. We want to continue to canvass to get a better idea about what's going on."

According to the study, insects are not declining overall. However, the researchers noted that some insect species that we rely on for critical ecosystem services including pollination remain unambiguously in decline in North America.

Professor Snyder said there may be a larger and longer lasting impact in Europe, where studies have found dramatic insect declines, compared to the United States.

"It's not the worst thing in the world to take a deep breath. There's been a lot of environmental policies and changes. A lot of the insecticides used in agriculture now are narrow-acting. Some of those effects look like they may be working."

And when it comes to conservation, everyone can make a contribution, even if it's just a small one.

"It's hard to tell when you're a single homeowner if you're having an effect when you plant more flowers in your garden," said Professor Snyder. "Maybe some of these things we're doing are starting to have a beneficial impact. This could be a bit of a hopeful message that things that people are doing to protect bees, butterflies and other insects are actually working."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/natecolevol">Nature Ecology and Evolution</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

No signs of "insect apocalypse" in the United States

The "insect apocalypse" does not seem to be taking place...

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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;



---



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



---



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

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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

[sendtonews key="f8fukm28Vz-2491833-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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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

[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...