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...

Multiplying by seven is not a reliable method for calculating a dog's <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/exercise-can-boost-brain-health-at-any-age/">age</a> in human years, according to a new study. Researchers at <a href="https://medschool.ucsd.edu/Pages/default.aspx">UC San Diego School of Medicine</a> created a formula that more accurately compares the ages of humans and dogs by tracking changes in genetic expression.

The formula is based on the shifting patterns of methyl groups in dog and human genomes as they age. The new methylation-based technique is the first that is universal across species. According to the researchers, it may provide a useful tool for veterinarians, and for evaluating anti-aging interventions.

"There are a lot of anti-aging products out there these days - with wildly varying degrees of scientific support," said study senior author Dr. Trey Ideker. 

"But how do you know if a product will truly extend your life without waiting 40 years or so? What if you could instead measure your age-associated methylation patterns before, during and after the intervention to see if it's doing anything?" 

The formula created in the study provides a new "epigenetic clock" that assesses age based on changes in organisms caused by modification of gene expression.

Throughout the lives of humans and other species, chemical modifications - like methylation - occur in response to our age, diet, health, environment, and other factors. These epigenetic modifications actually change which genes are expressed and which are suppressed without altering the DNA sequence itself.

Dr. Ideker explained that epigenetic changes provide scientists with clues to a genome's age.

To compare human and dog aging, Dr. Ideker and study first author Dr. Tina Wang collaborated with experts in dog genetics to analyze blood samples and genomic data from 105 Labrador retrievers. 

Dogs live so closely with humans  that their environmental and chemical exposures are very similar to ours. Dr. Ideker said it is important that we better understand their aging process, as veterinarians frequently use the 1:7 years ratio to determine age and guide diagnostic and treatment decisions.

The study authors have produced a <a href="http://go.ucsd.edu/2Ze8ZCd">graph</a> that can be used to calculate a dog's age in human years. It turns out, the comparable age of dogs starts out much differently than a 1:7 ratio. 

When dogs are young, they age much more rapidly than humans. A one-year-old dog is similar to a 30-year-old human, while a four-year-old dog is similar to a 52-year-old human. By seven years old, dog aging slows dramatically.

"This makes sense when you think about it - after all, a nine-month-old dog can have puppies, so we already knew that the 1:7 ratio wasn't an accurate measure of age," said Dr. Ideker.

Further research is needed to confirm the accuracy of the new epigenetic clock in other dog breeds. Since it is accurate for humans and mice as well as Labrador retrievers, Dr. Ideker predicts the technique will apply to all dog breeds.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/cell-systems/home">Cell Systems</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

In human years, your dog is not the age you expect

Multiplying by seven is not a reliable method for calculating...

A new study has demonstrated that the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/filtration-metals-beer-wine/">metals</a> used in fireworks to produce vibrant colors can damage the health of humans and animals. Lead, copper, titanium, and other toxic metals are released into the air during fireworks displays.

Researchers at <a href="https://med.nyu.edu/our-community/about-us">NYU Grossman School of Medicine</a> investigated the potential health impacts of some of the most popular commercially-available fireworks. They found that two common types of fireworks contained harmful levels of lead.

The team conducted lab experiments with rodents and human tissue. The results showed that lung exposure to particle emissions from five types of fireworks increased oxidation, a chemical process in the body that can damage and kill cells.

"While many are careful to protect themselves from injury from explosions, our results suggest that inhaling firework smoke may cause longer-term damage, a risk that has been largely ignored," said study senior author Dr. Terry Gordon.

The researchers analyzed air quality samples that had been collected by the EPA at dozens of sites across the U.S. over 14 years. The analysis revealed that toxic metals were more prevalent in samples taken around the time of Independence Day and New Year's Eve celebrations than at any other time of the year. 

"Although people are only exposed to these substances for a short time each year, they are much more toxic than the pollutants we breathe every day," explained Dr. Gordon.

According to the American Pyrotechnics Association, more than 258 million pounds of fireworks are purchased every year in the United States. When the metals are exposed to high temperatures, a chemical reaction generates flashes of specific colors. For example, strontium produces red flashes of light, while copper produces blue flashes.

The researchers said this study is likely the first of its kind to examine the effects of firework exposure in human cells and in living animals, and to test for particles of common firework metals ejected into the atmosphere.

Black Cuckoo, a fountain-style firework, was found to be the most toxic of those studied. Compared to a nontoxic saline solution, exposure to Black Cuckoo was 10 times more damaging to human cells.

Dr. Gordon said that the current study is just the first step in the investigation, as it has only addressed the potential effects of a single exposure to the metals in fireworks. Repeated exposure is likely a larger concern, he noted. 

The study is published in the <a href="https://particleandfibretoxicology.biomedcentral.com/">Particle and Fibre Toxicology 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;

Fireworks release toxic metals that harm human cells

A new study has demonstrated that the metals used in...

Scientists at <a href="https://www.psu.edu/">Penn State</a> have identified a radar signature that could prove to be critical for determining which storms will produce tornadoes. The research may ultimately lead to more reliable forecasts and life-saving tornado warnings.

"Identifying which storms are going to produce tornadoes and which are not has been a problem meteorologists have been trying to tackle for decades," said Scott Loeffler. "This new research may give forecasters another tool in their toolbox to do just that."

Supercell thunderstorms are the source of most tornadoes. The analysis of radar data from more than 100 supercell thunderstorms revealed a significant difference in the structure of storms that triggered a tornado compared to storms that did not.

"These findings have potentially large implications for the accuracy and confidence of tornado warnings and public safety during severe storms," said Professor Matthew Kumjian. "We look forward to getting this information in the hands of operational meteorologists to assess the impact it has."

The researchers explained that tornado warning times have improved over the last several decades, thanks in part to numerical modeling research and intensive field campaigns, but decision-makers often must rely on readily available information like radar data when issuing storm warnings. 

Using conventional weather radar systems, it is difficult to distinguish between tornadic and nontornadic supercells. In 2013, the United States upgraded its radar network to include polarimetric capabilities, which provide more details about storms such as the shape and size of raindrops.

The scientists used polarimetric radar data to compare areas within supercell storms that contained large raindrops and regions with smaller drops and denser rain. The study revealed that the two types of areas were positioned differently in tornadic and nontornadic storms.

"We found for nontornadic supercells, the orientation of the separation between these two areas tended to be more parallel to the direction of the storm's motion," said Loeffler. "And for tornadic supercells, the separation tended to be more perpendicular. So we saw this shift in the angles, and we saw this as a consistent trend."

Loeffler noted the algorithm from the study can easily be adapted so operational forecasters could use the program in real time with the latest radar data available.

"Many factors go into issuing a tornado warning, but perhaps knowing the orientation in real time could help them make a decision to pull the trigger or to hold off," said Loeffler.

Further research will provide more insight into the relationship between the orientations and tornado formation.

The study is published in <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/19448007">Geophysical Research Letters</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Radar signature will improve tornado forecasting

Scientists at Penn State have identified a radar signature that...

<a href="http://www.earth.com/news/health-benefits-of-breast-milk-improved-through-exercise/">Exercise</a> can reduce or prevent the loss of vision loss associated with macular degeneration, according to new research from the <a href="https://med.virginia.edu/">University of Virginia School of Medicine</a>. The study also suggests that exercise slows the progression of other serious eye conditions, such as glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy.

The experts report that the research is the first of its kind to show that exercise can reduce the severity of macular degeneration, which is a leading cause of vision loss. An estimated ten million Americans suffer from macular degeneration, and the eye disease can lead to legal blindness.

The progression of the disease moves faster if an individual develops wet macular degeneration, which is characterized by an overgrowth of blood vessels behind the macula that leak blood or fluid.

Using a mouse model, the experts found that exercise reduced the harmful overgrowth of blood vessels in the eyes by up to 45 percent. 

"There has long been a question about whether maintaining a healthy lifestyle can delay or prevent the development of macular degeneration," said study lead author Dr. Bradley.

"The way that question has historically been answered has been by taking surveys of people, asking them what they are eating and how much exercise they are performing. That is basically the most sophisticated study that has been done." 

"The problem with that is that people are notoriously bad self-reporters, and that can lead to conclusions that may or not be true. This study offers hard evidence from the lab for the very first time."

The findings indicate that the protective effects of exercise on eye health are produced with even low levels of physical activity.

"Mice are kind of like people in that they will do a spectrum of exercise. As long as they had a wheel and ran on it, there was a benefit," said Dr. Gelfand. "The benefit that they obtained is saturated at low levels of exercise."

It is not yet clear how exercise prevents the overgrowth of blood vessels. The researchers said there could be a variety of factors at play, including increased blood flow to the eyes. Dr. Gelfand noted that the onset of vision loss is often associated with a decrease in exercise. 

"It is fairly well known that as people's eyes and vision deteriorate, their tendency to engage in physical activity also goes down. It can be a challenging thing to study in older people. How much of that is one causing the other?"

"The next step is to look at how and why this happens, and to see if we can develop a pill or method that will give you the benefits of exercise without having to exercise." 

"We're talking about a fairly elderly population, many of whom may not be capable of conducting the type of exercise regimen that may be required to see some kind of benefit." 

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://iovs.arvojournals.org/">Investigative Ophthalmology &amp; Visual Science</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Exercise can reduce or prevent vision loss 

Exercise can reduce or prevent the loss of vision loss...

During the last Ice Age, sea levels were much lower than today, and the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/virus-killing-dolphins/">coastline</a> of  Australia 160 kilometers farther offshore. As the ice melted and sea levels rose, about two million square kilometers of the continent was submerged, including places where Aboriginal Australians once lived.

A study led by Jonathan Benjamin of <a href="https://www.flinders.edu.au/">Flinders University</a> has now documented the first confirmed underwater Aboriginal archaeological sites off the coast of Australia. 

"Managing, investigating and understanding the archaeology of the Australian continental shelf in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander traditional owners and custodians is one of the last frontiers in Australian archaeology," said Benjamin.

"Our results represent the first step in a journey of discovery to explore the potential of archaeology on the continental shelves which can fill a major gap in the human history of the continent."

The findings are the result of extensive field research conducted from 2017 to 2019. The team used aerial and underwater remote sensing technologies to search for submerged archaeological sites, and deployed divers to directly investigate.

The search zeroed in on two specific areas off the Murujuga coast of northwest Australia: Cape Bruguieres Channel and Flying Foam Passage. These sites represent the first confirmed underwater archaeological sites found on Australia's continental shelf.

In Cape Bruguieres Channel, divers identified 269 artefacts that date back at least 7,000 years. One particular artifact recovered from a freshwater spring in Flying Foam Passage dated back at least 8,500 years. 

The findings demonstrate the usefulness of the exploratory techniques used for the study. According to the experts, the research serves as a foundation for developing new strategies to identify submerged archaeological targets on the Australian continental shelf and elsewhere.

"Emphasis is also placed on the need for legislation to better protect and manage underwater cultural heritage on the 2 million square kilometers of drowned landscapes that were once available for occupation in Australia, and where a major part of its human history must lie waiting to be discovered."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/">PLOS ONE</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

First underwater Aboriginal sites have been discovered 

During the last Ice Age, sea levels were much lower...

Experts at the <a href="https://www.helsinki.fi/en">University of Helsinki</a> report that wildlife tourism has enormous potential for supporting <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/conservation-efforts-are-needed-to-save-california-salmon/">conservation</a> efforts. According to the study authors, failing to encourage tourists to do more on behalf of wildlife represents a missed opportunity for conservation. 

Study lead author Dr. Alvaro Fernández-Llamazares is a researcher at the Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science.

"We argue that the combination of emotional engagement and knowledge-driven action provided by wildlife-based tours will pave the way for a new area of conservation-oriented tourism," said Dr. Fernández-Llamazares.

"Some years ago I took a whale-watching tour in Iceland, and it surprised me to see that while the guide provided very detailed information about the ecology, life cycle and foraging habits of whales, she did not mention any single time the huge conservation threats that these animals are facing."

"My colleagues had noticed similar patterns in other corners of the world. Concerned about this, we decided to thoroughly review the academic literature on wildlife-based tourism and examine to which extent was conservation messaging lacking in wildlife-based tours."

Upon their review, the researchers found that many mainstream wildlife-based tourism operations fail to incorporate messages about conservation into their programs.

"There is increasing research evidence that wildlife-based tourism could help to transform the environmental knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of tourists through first-hand encounters with wildlife, complemented by effective conservation messaging," said Dr. Fernández-Llamazares. "However, such conservation messaging is not always a priority for many wildlife-based tourism operators, who often fail to provide a well-designed environmental interpretation."

Previous research has shown that the emotional and educational experience of viewing wildlife firsthand presents many opportunities to inform tourists on how to engage in conservation action.

"I have experienced it myself: when you have the opportunity to see wildlife in situ, it creates a deep emotional connection between you and wildlife. However, as tourists we do not always have the tools to act beyond that experience, to transform the emotional bonds towards environmental stewardship," said study co-author Aina Brias-Guinart. 

"For this reason, in this study, we thought of a set of principles that wildlife-based tourism operators could use to maximize the conservation potential of the tourist experience."

The study authors have proposed new ideas to improve the conservation messaging of wildlife tourism based on five principles: promote positive messaging, provide actionable information, engage tourists in research and practice, link experience with consumption choices, and foster long-term interactions. These concepts promote emotional engagement among tourists while empowering them to take meaningful conservation action.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/25758314">People and 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;

Wildlife tourism has the potential to transform conservation

Experts at the University of Helsinki report that wildlife tourism...

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.utu.fi/en">University of Turku</a> have discovered 40 new <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/threats-posed-by-invasive-species-are-enormous/">species</a> so far this year, including 17 spiders, 23 insects, one millipede, and one lizard. In addition, the experts have described four genera that were previously unknown.

Based on patterns of biodiversity, scientists have reached different conclusions about how many species that are yet to be discovered on Earth. By all accounts, there are millions more that are unknown. 

Recent estimates show that around 15 million species exist, yet only two million have been scientifically described. At the current rate of biodiversity loss, we are losing groups before they are ever even found. Discovering new species gives us an opportunity to protect them.

Ilari E. Sääksjärvi is a professor in the Biodiversity Unit at the University of Turku.

"Biodiversity is declining at an accelerating rate and, according to estimates, even a million organisms are in danger of becoming extinct in the next few decades. If we want to protect nature's biodiversity as efficiently as possible, we have to discover as many species as we can," said Professor Sääksjärvi.

In one of the most recent studies from the Biodiversity Unit, phD candidate Alireza Zamani described a new spider, Loureedia phoenixi. The spider was named after Joaquin Phoenix because the bright colors on its back form a pattern that resembles the face paint of the movie character Joker.

"The discovery was amazing as the new species belongs to the genus of velvet spiders, of which only few species have been known so far," said Zamani. 

"They are very shy in their habits so discovering a new species was a great and welcome surprise. The species in this genus are amazingly beautiful and colorful so I hope this new discovery can make people understand the beauty and importance of spiders." 

"We discovered the species from an area that is about 1,500 kilometers outside the known geographical distribution of the Loureedia genus."

Turku researchers have also described tropical parasitoid wasps belonging to the Acrotaphus and Hymenoepimecis genera. The wasps are parasites that prey on spiders and manipulate them in complex ways. The wasp lays its egg on the spider and then manipulates it into spinning a web for its own nesting purposes. 

The team closely studied the Varanus bennetti monitor lizard in the Pacific island nation of Micronesia and drew some important conclusions. Valter Weijola and Varpu Vahtera discovered a new group that was hidden in plain sight.

"The monitor lizard species that was first considered an invasive species to Micronesia turned out to be two separate species native to the islands. We described one of these as new to science," said the  researchers.

The Biodiversity Unit of the University of Turku has become well-established in exploring the biodiversity of unknown ecosystems. The team describes dozens of new species each year, and in 2020, they are still counting.

"Our goal is to discover new species and tell their story to the world. At the moment, we are in the process of describing even more new species and genera." 

"Many of these animals live in areas that might transform or even disappear in the next few years. Describing new species to science is a race against the clock." 

"We hope that our research draws people's attention to the life of these unique species and thus promotes the conservation of biodiversity."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://kmkjournals.com/journals/AS">Arthropoda Selecta</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Turku scientists "race against the clock" to save biodiversity

Researchers at the University of Turku have discovered 40 new...

A new study published by the <a href="https://www.sfn.org/">Society for Neuroscience</a> has revealed that resistance training does not just make your <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/death-marker-protein-rejuvenates-muscles-after-exercise/">muscles</a> stronger, but also improves the function of the body's central nervous system. The investigators discovered that in the first few weeks of weight lifting, a major component of the nervous system is strengthened.

The research showed that the early stages of resistance training reinforce the reticulospinal tract, which supports posture and locomotion. This means that the positive results of weight lifting extend beyond what is visible. 

Two major neural highways, or motor tracts, descend from the brain to the spinal cord to facilitate movement: the corticospinal tract (CST) and reticulospinal tract (RST). The CST is believed to be the dominant pathway, while the RST is responsible for controlling posture. The new study suggests that the RST also plays a central role in building up physical strength. 

The researchers did not detect any changes in the corticospinal tract during weight training, indicating that an increase in body strength must originate in the RST, which is the more primitive motor pathway.

Study co-authors Isabel Glover and Stuart Baker are experts at Newcastle University's Institute of Neuroscience. For the investigation, the researchers trained monkeys to pull a weighted handle using one arm, and gradually increased the weight being lifted over twelve weeks. 

Each day, the scientists stimulated the motor cortex and the two motor tracts while measuring the resulting electrical activity in the arm muscles. 

Over the course of the training period, the electrical response in the motor cortex and the reticulospinal tract increased, which means the signaling across this motor tract was improved. 

After three more months of training, stimulation of  the reticulospinal tract triggered a greater response in the side of the spinal cord connected to the arm that was used for weight lifting.

The finding that the electrical outputs of the reticulospinal tract became more powerful during weight training confirms that this motor tract is the driving force behind physical strength. 

"We provide the first report of a strength training intervention in non-human primates. Our results indicate that strength training is associated with neural adaptations in intracortical and reticulospinal circuits, whilst corticospinal and motoneuronal adaptations are not dominant factors," wrote the researchers. 

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.jneurosci.org/">Journal of Neuroscience</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Weight lifting strengthens the body's nervous system

A new study published by the Society for Neuroscience has...

In a new study from the <a href="https://www.uga.edu/">University of Georgia</a>, researchers have found that moderate drinking may protect <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/brain-pathway-activates-to-connect-memories-and-decisions/">brain</a> health in older adults.

The experts investigated the relationship between alcohol consumption and long-term changes in cognitive function among middle-aged and older adults.

"We know there are some older people who believe that drinking a little wine everyday could maintain a good cognitive condition," said study lead author Ruiyuan Zhang. "We wanted to know if drinking a small amount of alcohol actually correlates with a good cognitive function, or is it just a kind of survivor bias."

Light to moderate drinking is defined as fewer than eight drinks per week for women and 15 drinks or fewer for men.

Past studies have shown that the moderate consumption of alcohol promotes heart health, and some research suggests that moderate drinking provides similar protective benefits for brain health. However, most of these investigations were not designed to isolate the effects of alcohol on cognition or measure the persistence of the benefits over time.

For the current study, the team used data from the Health and Retirement Study to track cognition performance of nearly 20,000 individuals over 10 years.

Every two years, the participants had reported on their health and lifestyle, including their drinking habits. The individuals were also tested for cognitive ability throughout the duration of the study, and the results were combined to calculate a total cognitive score.

The researchers analyzed the cognitive test scores and categorized the performance of participants according to whether their cognitive function remained high or began to decline over time. 

Compared to nondrinkers, individuals who had a drink or two per day tended to perform better on cognitive tests over the years. Even after accounting for other factors, such as smoking or age, the experts found a link between light drinking and high cognitive trajectories. The optimal amount of alcoholic beverages was between 10 and 14 drinks per week. 

"It is hard to say this effect is causal," said Zhang. "So, if some people don't drink alcoholic beverages, this study does not encourage them to drink to prevent cognitive function decline."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen">JAMA Network Open</a>. 

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Moderate drinking may protect brain health in older adults 

In a new study from the University of Georgia, researchers...

The regrowth of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/deforestation-amazon-beef-consumption/">Amazon</a> rainforests is stunted by gold mining, according to a new study from the <a href="https://www.leeds.ac.uk/">University of Leeds</a>. The researchers found that the effects of mining are long-lasting and greatly reduce the ability for the forests to store carbon. 

In recent years, gold mining has rapidly expanded across the Amazon. Mining is responsible for as much as 90 percent of total deforestation along the Guiana Shield, where forests store roughly twenty billion tons of carbon.

The researchers estimate that mining-related deforestation results in the annual release of over two million tons of carbon throughout the Amazon. The lack of recovery observed in the study suggests that the carbon cannot be recaptured through natural means. 

The team found that forest recovery rates on abandoned mining pits are some of the lowest ever recorded for tropical forests. Even three to four years after mining had ceased, some sites showed little to no evidence of tree regeneration.

"This study shows that tropical forests are strongly impacted by mining activities, and have very little capacity to re-establish themselves following mining," said study lead author Dr. Michelle Kalamandeen.

"Our results clearly show the extraction process has stripped nitrogen from the soil, a critical component to forest recovery, and in many cases directly contributed to the presence of mercury within neighboring forests and rivers. Active mining sites had on average 250 times more mercury concentrations than abandoned sites."

"Not only does this have serious consequences for our battle against global warming by limiting Amazonian forests' ability to capture and store carbon, but there is also a larger implication of contaminating food sources especially for indigenous and local communities who rely on rivers."

"A positive finding from this study shows that overburden sites, areas where topsoil is deposited during the mining process, recorded similar recovery rates as other Central and South American secondary tropical forests abandoned after agriculture or pasture."

Dr. Kalamandeen emphasized that active management and law enforcement is needed to guarantee recovery and to safeguard communities. There are methods available, she said, but there is an urgent need for large-scale recovery management to be tested and implemented.

"We could be facing a race against the clock. The current crisis is significantly increasing the demand for gold, given its perceived role as an economic stabilizer." 

"With current gold price more than US$1700 per ounce and estimated to reach US$2000-3000 in the coming months, many artisanal and small-scale miners are already rapidly responding to this increase in pricing, and the weakening of environmental laws and policies as we've seen in Brazil, leading to further deforestation in the Amazon."

The analysis of soil samples from recently abandoned mines revealed that forest recovery is even more limited by severe depletion of soil nutrients like nitrogen than it is by mercury contamination. 

"Currently approximately 1.3 million square kilometers of the Amazon is under prospecting for mining activities," said study co-author Dr. David Galbraith.

"This research provides support to local and national governance structures to critically approach policy implementation and development for land management, including how and where mining occurs, and more stringent monitoring and action for forest recovery. It shows that carefully planned active restoration projects will be critical in this regard."

"But responsibility lies beyond remediation efforts to mitigate the damage done. Investors and consumers alike need increased awareness and accountability of the environmental footprints of gold mining."

The study is published in the <a href="https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/13652664">Journal of Applied Ecology</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;

Gold mining limits the recovery of Amazon forests

The regrowth of Amazon rainforests is stunted by gold mining,...

The brain responds to a perceived threat differently when it is close compared to when it is far away, according to a study from <a href="https://duke.edu/">Duke University</a>. Problem-solving areas of the brain get involved when a threat is far away, but when it is too close, a primitive type of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/great-danes-provide-new-clues-about-fear-and-anxiety/">fear</a> takes over.

The researchers used virtual reality and MRI imaging to investigate the neural networks involved when the brain perceives a distant threat versus a threat that is up close and personal. 

The reaction to a faraway threat engages regions of the brain used for processing information and planning. Because this type of logic is absent in response to close-up threats, the fear associated with them is harder to extinguish and can lead to long-term stress.

"Clinically, people who develop PTSD are more likely to have experienced threats that invaded their personal space, assaults or rapes or witnessing a crime at a close distance. They're the people that tend to develop this long-lasting threat memory," said study senior author Professor Kevin LaBar. "We've never been able to study that in the lab because you have a fixed distance to the computer screen."

Duke graduate student Leonard Faul and postdoc Daniel Stjepanovic developed a new technique for the study using a 3D television, a mirror, and MRI-safe 3D glasses.

"It's like an IMAX experience," said Professor LaBar. "The threatening characters popped out of the screen and would either invade your personal space as you're navigating this virtual world, or they were farther away."

The participants were placed in the MRI machine as they virtually explored one of two settings: a dark alley or a brighter, tree-lined street.

The appearance of a "threat avatar" two to ten feet away induced fear and activated midbrain "survival circuitry." The closer threats engaged the cerebellum, and the persistence of this signal predicted how much fear was reinstated on the second day of the trial. 

The more distant shocks triggered greater connectivity between the amygdala, hippocampus, and brain regions of the prefrontal cortex related to complex planning and visual processing. The researchers pointed out that these areas of the brain are involved in thinking one's way out of a situation and coping.

The nearby threats proved harder to eliminate after they were no longer present, while the farther threats were found to be much easier to forget. 

According to Professor LaBar, understanding the brain's response to trauma at this level could point to new therapies for PTSD.

"We think that the cerebellum might be an interesting place to intervene. Clinically, it's a new interventional target. If you can somehow get rid of that persistent threat representation in the cerebellum, you might be less likely to reinstate (the fear) later on."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</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;

Primal instincts kick in when a threat appears too close

The brain responds to a perceived threat differently when it...

Researchers have identified the source of a damaging immune reaction to acute psychological <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/work-stress-linked-to-depression-and-death/">stress</a>. The study revealed that proteins secreted in brown fat cells are responsible for triggering an inflammatory response to severe stress.

Cortisol is the primary hormone that is released during the body's "fight or flight" stress response. It is a powerful anti-inflammatory hormone that reduces inflammation and regulates sugar and metabolism for the effective management of stress.

Since stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline are designed to suppress the immune system and reduce inflammation, experts have struggled to understand why stress tends to escalate inflammatory issues like autoimmune diseases and rheumatoid arthritis.

"In the clinic, we have all seen super-stressful events that make inflammatory disease worse, and that never made sense to us," said study co-author Dr. Andrew Wang of <a href="https://www.yale.edu/">Yale University</a>.

The scientists pinpointed an immune system cell, the cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6), that triggers inflammation when the body is faced with psychological stress. Previous research has shown that IL-6, which is typically secreted in response to infections, plays a role in autoimmune diseases, cancer, obesity, diabetes, depression, and anxiety.

The researchers turned their attention to the relationship between IL-6 and stress after they observed elevated levels of the proteins in mice during a stressful procedure. 

In a series of experiments with mice, the researchers found that IL-6 was induced by stress and worsened inflammatory responses. They were surprised to discover that IL-6 was secreted in brown fat cells, which are most notably involved in regulating metabolism and body temperature. 

The team demonstrated that when signals from the brain to brown fat cells were blocked, stressful conditions had no effect on inflammatory responses.

The researchers identified an additional role of IL-6 in the body's reaction to stress - it helps prepare the body to increase glucose production in anticipation of threats.

Even after the metabolic production of glucose and the release of cortisol and adrenaline, IL-6 levels secreted by brown fat cells are at their peak. The researchers said this may explain why stress can trigger inflammation despite the presence of immune-suppressing hormones.

When IL-6 production was blocked in mice, they were less agitated when placed in a stressful environment. The experts suspect IL-6 may play a role in mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety. 

According to Dr. Wang, many symptoms of depression - such as loss of appetite and sex drive - mimic those caused by infections like the flu. These so-called "sickness behaviors" can be triggered by IL-6.

Drugs that are designed to treat autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis block the activity of IL-6. Preliminary findings suggest these drugs may help alleviate symptoms of depression, noted the researchers. 

"There is an ever-growing literature on the role of IL-6 outside of immunity," said study co-author Reina Desrouleaux. "Our work is exciting because it contributes to shortening that gap of knowledge."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/">Cell</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;

Inflammatory response to stress linked to brown fat cells

Researchers have identified the source of a damaging immune reaction...

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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

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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



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Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Kainji Lake, a reservoir on the Niger River.



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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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

Designing crops that can beat the heat

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> explores the ability of salt to transform the way that foods and beverages taste. Salt is known to cover up undesirable flavors, such as bitterness in coffee or beer, but how exactly does sodium chloride change the taste of other compounds?



One previous study showed that, not only does salt suppress bitterness, but also enhances sweetness and sourness. Another study revealed that bitterness reduction by salt seems to be happening at the tongue receptor level as well as in the brain.&nbsp;



While it is known that salt taste is mediated by the presence of sodium channels in the form of taste buds, experts believe that there is also an unknown receptor responsible for how we taste salt that has not yet been identified.&nbsp;



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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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



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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



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Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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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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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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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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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

[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

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

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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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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

[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...