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...

Stanford researchers have found strong evidence to support the theory that a devastating extinction event was caused by a lack of oxygen in Earth's oceans approximately 444 million years ago. The study also suggests that the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/low-oxygen-early-jurassic-oceans/">anoxic</a> conditions persisted for more than three million years.

Today, human-caused global warming is the primary cause of marine oxygen loss, and a variety of species are at risk. 

Study lead author Richard George Stockey is a graduate student in the lab of Professor Erik Sperling at <a href="https://earth.stanford.edu/">Stanford's School of Earth, Energy &amp; Environmental Sciences</a>.

"Our study has squeezed out a lot of the remaining uncertainty over the extent and intensity of the anoxic conditions during a mass die-off that occurred hundreds of millions of years ago," said Stockey. "But the findings are not limited to that one biological cataclysm."

The investigation was focused on the Late Ordovician Mass Extinction, which is one of the "Big Five" mass extinction events in Earth's history. The most famous of the great die-offs is the Cretaceous-Paleogene event that wiped out three-quarters of all plant and animal species, including the dinosaurs, about 65 million years ago.

During the Late Ordovician event nearly 450 million years ago, most life was confined to the oceans and only a few plants had moved onto land. The continents were still mostly connected as a single giant landmass called Gondwana.

The initial wave of extinction was triggered by a global cooling that impacted much of Gondwana. Approximately 444 million year ago, a second wave of extinction set in that is theoretically tied to ocean anoxia. By the end of the Late Ordovician event, around 85 percent of marine species vanished from the fossil record.

Previous studies have derived ocean oxygen concentrations through the analysis of ancient sediments containing isotopes of metals such as uranium and molybdenum. These elements have different chemical reactions in anoxic conditions compared to well-oxygenated conditions.

The Stanford researchers developed a new model which combined the existing metal isotope data with new data from samples of black shale, which was recovered from the Murzuq Basin in Libya. The shale was deposited in the geological record during the mass extinction event. 

Based on the model, the researchers concluded that severe and prolonged anoxia must have occurred across large volumes of Earth's deep seabeds.

"Thanks to this model, we can confidently say a long and profound global anoxic event is linked to the second pulse of mass extinction in the Late Ordovician," said Professor Sperling. "For most ocean life, the Hirnantian-Rhuddanian boundary was indeed a really bad time to be alive."

The research indicates that the deoxygenation across modern oceans will push many species toward extinction. "There is no way that low oxygen conditions are not going to have a severe effect on diversity," said Stockey.

"We actually have a big problem modeling oxygenation in the modern ocean," said Professor Sperling. "And by expanding our thinking of how oceans have behaved in the past, we could gain some insights into the oceans today."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Ancient mass extinction event was caused by ocean deoxygenation

Stanford researchers have found strong evidence to support the theory...

A new study published by <a href="https://www.elsevier.com/">Elsevier</a> has revealed that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/physical-exercise-strengthen-brain/">exercise</a> helps prevent the most common type of liver cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma. The researchers found evidence to suggest that exercise inhibits the development of liver cancer independently of weight control. 

Liver cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death and is rising alongside a growing rate of obesity. Fatty liver disease, which often affects people with obesity and type 2 diabetes, is a major cause of liver cancer. 

Study lead author Dr. Geoffrey C. Farrell is the head of the Liver Research Group at Australian National University Medical School.

"As yet there are very few effective therapies for liver cancer (the death rate approximates the incidence), so approaches to prevent liver cancer are greatly needed," explained Dr. Farrell. "Some population data suggest that persons who exercise regularly are less likely to develop liver cancer but, studies addressing whether this has a real biological basis, and, if so, identifying the molecular mechanism that produces such a protective effect, are few and the findings have been inconclusive."

The experts set out to determine whether exercise may reduce the development of liver cancer among mice that were genetically driven to become obese and diabetic as young adults. Early in life, the animals were injected with a low dose of a cancer-causing agent. 

One group of mice was given access to a running wheel, while a second group remained sedentary. The active mice ran up to 25 miles a day, according to measurements of exercise wheel rotations. The researchers found that exercise slowed weight gain among active mice for the first three months. 

After six months, both groups of mice were obese and most of the sedentary mice had liver cancer. However, none of the active mice had developed cancer.

The study demonstrates that exercise can stop the development of liver cancer in mice that have fatty liver disease related to obesity and type 2 diabetes. The research also provides strong evidence to suggest that weight control is not as effective as exercise in preventing liver cancer.

Upon further analysis, the researchers found that the beneficial effects of voluntary exercise were utilized through molecular signaling pathways. Two of these pathways were identified, including the tumor suppressor gene p53 and the stress-activated protein kinase JNK1.

The investigation showed that JNK1 activation, which is known to play a key role in cancer cell proliferation, can be "switched off" by exercise. The researchers also demonstrated that exercise activates p53. Known as the "guardian of the cell," p53 is important for regulation of the cell cycle inhibitor p27. Ultimately, activated p53 stops the persistent growth of altered cells that would usually evolve into cancer cells.

"Exercise has already been shown to improve some outcomes for patients with cirrhosis. If the present studies in an animal model that closely resembles humans with fatty liver disease can be replicated in patients, it is likely that exercise could delay onset of liver cancer and mitigate its severity, if not completely prevent it - thereby greatly improving patient outcomes," said Dr. Farrell. "Also, knowing the molecular pathways involved points to ways that drugs or pharmaco-nutrients could be employed to harness the powerful protective effect of exercise to lower risk of liver cancer in overweight people with diabetes."

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.journal-of-hepatology.eu/">Journal of Hepatology</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Exercise can prevent the development of liver cancer

A new study published by Elsevier has revealed that exercise...

In a new study from <a href="https://utswmed.org/">UT Southwestern Medical Center</a>, experts have found that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/switch-maintenance-therapy-slows-metastatic-bladder-cancer/">cancer</a> cells avoid death after radiation by hijacking a cell signaling pathway to silence the anti-tumor immune response. The research may ultimately lead to methods to manipulate cell death signaling and improve cancer treatments.  

Radiation kills cancer cells in two different ways. First, the high-energy beams attack some cells directly. When the dead tumor cells break apart, DNA fragments are leaked that trigger a tumor-fighting immune response through proteins known as interferons (IFNs). 

However, even though cancerous cells make up the vast majority of a tumor, studies have shown that these cells secrete very little IFN themselves, explained study leader Dr. Yang-Xin Fu. This stifles the immune response that could eradicate the cancer cells. "We figured that tumor cells must have some mechanism to escape interferon production," said Dr. Fu.

To investigate, the team studied mouse colon cancer cells growing in petri dishes. The researchers tested 42 FDA-approved drugs that block various parts of cell signaling, searching for a treatment that may prompt these cells to secrete more interferons after radiation. 

The experts pinpointed a drug known as emricasan, which helps prevent rejection during liver transplants. Emricasan slows the production of enzymes known as caspases, which help trigger cell death and mute the immune system's response to dying cells.

Upon further analysis, the researchers found that one such enzyme, caspase-9 (CASP9), played a key role in preventing the cancer cells from secreting IFN. 

The researchers genetically modified cancer cells to turn off CASP9 production. They found that radiation dramatically increased IFN production compared with cancer cells that had not been manipulated.

In mice, the CASP9-deficient cancer cells allowed the tumors to completely regress after radiation. Additional experiments revealed the tumor regression was facilitated by a specific population of immune cells, known as CD8+ T cells, which were recruited by the secreted interferon.

Even though blocking CASP9 production appears to be a promising way to boost the anti-tumor immune response, the researchers discovered a drawback. When the tumors in animal models lost CASP9 signaling, the cells found a new way to evade immune attack by elevating the production of a protein called programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1). This protein shields cancer cells from immune discovery. 

When the researchers administered an antibody that blocked PD-L1, the tumors regressed again. Using a combination of CASP9 inhibitors with anti-PD-L1 could offer a new strategy for boosting the effects of radiation, said Dr. Fu.

"This approach could eventually give doctors the confidence that they're irradiating the tumor that they can see and using the immune system to knock out other tumor cells that they can't see. Together, this may be able to give some patients long-lasting survival that's not yet achievable."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ni/">Nature Immunology</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Cancer cells shield themselves from death after radiation

In a new study from UT Southwestern Medical Center, experts...

The current medical guidelines for testing babies and young children for cow's milk <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/sesame-allergies-tighter-labeling/">allergies</a> may lead to overdiagnosis, according to a new study led by <a href="https://www.imperial.ac.uk/">Imperial College London</a>. The experts determined that while only one percent of children are allergic to cow's milk, as many as 14 percent of families believe they have a child with this condition. 

The investigation was focused on nine guidelines for cow's milk allergies published between 2012 and 2019 across many countries, mostly in Europe. The team found that many of the symptoms listed as being indicators of a cow's milk allergy, such as regurgitating milk and loose stools, are very common in healthy babies. 

After analyzing a recent European birth cohort study which involved over 12,000 infants in nine countries, the researchers determined that the condition has been frequently misdiagnosed. 

The study revealed that eight out of ten of all guideline authors reported a conflict of interest with formula manufacturers. The research suggests that prescriptions for specialist formulas developed for babies with cow's milk allergies had increased significantly between 2000 and 2018, yet with no evidence of an increase in cow's milk allergies.

Out of the nine guidelines examined for the study, seven specified that women who are breastfeeding a baby with a suspected cow's milk allergy should cut out all dairy from their diet. However, the experts analyzed 13 studies of breastmilk composition which indicate that less than one millionth of the protein from cow's milk travels through to breast milk. Upon further analysis, the team concluded that this amount is too low to trigger a reaction through breastfeeding for over 99 percent of children who are allergic to cow's milk.

Study lead author Dr. Robert Boyle is an allergy specialist at Imperial's National Heart and Lung Institute.

"Many infants who are labeled as having milk allergy don't have the condition," explained Dr. Boyle. "Having a child with suspected milk allergy can be a stressful time for any family. Misdiagnosing milk allergy could lead to another condition with similar symptoms being missed, or breast-feeding mothers needlessly following restricted diets - or even stopping breast-feeding altogether. It can also lead to families and the NHS unnecessarily paying for expensive specialist formula."

Milk allergies are most common in children under two, and they fall under two categories: IgE mediated and non-IgE mediated. An IgE mediated reaction can be very dangerous, with symptoms ranging from vomiting and hives to difficulty breathing.

The symptoms of non-IgE mediated reactions may include diarrhea, vomiting, or excessive crying. According to the researchers, the non-IgE mediated symptoms are often confused with normal conditions in young babies.

"In the nine guidelines we studied, seven of them suggested including milder symptoms as indication of non-IgE cow's milk allergy, such as regurgitating milk, crying and rashes - but many of these symptoms are present normally in babies, and will get better with time," explained study first author Dr. Daniel Munblit. 

"Non-IgE cow's milk allergy affects less than 1 percent of infants, whereas troublesome vomiting, crying or eczema each affect 15-20 percent of babies."

Overall, 81 percent of all guideline authors reported that funding was received from formula manufacturers, which is a conflict of interest. Three of the guidelines were directly supported by formula manufacturers or marketing consultants, who stand to make a profit.

"Formula manufacturers may gain from promoting increased cow's milk allergy diagnosis - by influencing practitioners and parents to use a specialized formula in place of a cheaper formula, and by potentially undermining women's confidence in breastfeeding, so that specialized formula is used in place of breastmilk," said Dr. Boyle.

"We must not only critically appraise our current guidelines, and dissociate the development of guidelines from those who may profit from them, but also ensure we are giving each family the best possible care by avoiding overdiagnosis of cow's milk allergy."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics">JAMA Pediatrics</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Cow's milk allergies are overdiagnosed in babies and children

The current medical guidelines for testing babies and young children...

An international team of astronomers led by the <a href="https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/index.aspx">University of Birmingham</a> has discovered the most massive <a href="http://www.earth.com/image/the-remains-of-a-massive-star-glow-brightly/">supernova</a> that has ever been identified. The stellar explosion has at least twice the power and luminosity of any known supernova.

The experts believe the newly-identified supernova, SN2016aps, is the result of a theoretical event that occurs when two massive stars merge before exploding. This would be the very first record of the phenomenon, pulsational pair-instability, which has never been confirmed through observation.

"We can measure supernovae using two scales - the total energy of the explosion, and the amount of that energy that is emitted as observable light, or radiation," explained study lead author Dr. Matt Nicholl.

"In a typical supernova, the radiation is less than 1 percent of the total energy. But in SN2016aps, we found the radiation was five times the explosion energy of a normal-sized supernova. This is the most light we have ever seen emitted by a supernova."

For a supernova to contain this much radiant power, the explosion must have been far more energetic than what is typically observed. An analysis of the light spectrum revealed that the explosion was energized by a powerful collision between the supernova and a massive shell of gas.

"While many supernovae are discovered every night, most are in massive galaxies," said study co-author Dr. Peter Blanchard of Northwestern University."This one immediately stood out for further observations because it seemed to be in the middle of nowhere. We weren't able to see the galaxy where this star was born until after the supernova light had faded."

After two years of observation, the explosion faded to one percent of its peak brightness. Based on these measurements, the researchers determined that the mass of the supernova was between 50 to 100 times greater than our sun, or 50 to 100 solar masses. Supernovae usually have between 8 and 15 solar masses.

"Stars with extremely large mass undergo violent pulsations before they die, shaking off a giant gas shell. This can be powered by a process called the pair instability, which has been a topic of speculation for physicists for the last 50 years," said Dr. Nicholl. "If the supernova gets the timing right, it can catch up to this shell and release a huge amount of energy in the collision. We think this is one of the most compelling candidates for this process yet observed, and probably the most massive."

"SN2016aps also contained another puzzle. The gas we detected was mostly hydrogen - but such a massive star would usually have lost all of its hydrogen via stellar winds long before it started pulsating. One explanation is that two slightly less massive stars of around, say 60 solar masses, had merged before the explosion. The lower mass stars hold onto their hydrogen for longer, while their combined mass is high enough to trigger the pair instability."

Study co-author Professor Edo Berger of Harvard University explained that the discovery of this supernova could not have happened at a better time. "Now that we know such energetic explosions occur in nature, NASA's new James Webb Space Telescope will be able to see similar events so far away that we can look back in time to the deaths of the very first stars in the Universe," said Professor Berger.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/natastron/">Nature Astronomy</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Astronomers find a supernova that is so bright it only existed in theory

An international team of astronomers led by the University of...

Experts identify a gene that may regulate menopause symptoms. Experts at <a href="http://ucla.edu">UCLA</a> have identified a gene that may play a central role in <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/acupuncture-ease-menopause-symptoms/">menopause</a>-related hot flashes and weight gain. The gene, called reprimo, is expressed by certain neurons in the brain.

It is common for women to experience weight gain during menopause that is not directly related to food, as well as other symptoms like hot flashes. While hormone therapy may be effective, it is linked to a higher risk of heart disease and breast cancer.

The discovery of a gene that can be targeted opens up the possibility of safer treatments to curb weight gain and other menopausal changes. 

Study senior author Stephanie Correa is an assistant professor of Integrative Biology and Physiology at UCLA and a member of the Brain Research Institute.

"We want to figure out which neurons are mediating the beneficial portions of hormone therapy and mimic them without hormones," said Professor Correa. "Hormone therapy can be beneficial, but it treats the entire brain and body with hormones. We may be able to bypass the hormone. That's our goal, and it's a big one. We haven't achieved it yet, but we're learning."

The researchers determined that the reprimo gene plays an important role in temperature regulation. Changes in temperature, which are known to affect body weight, may promote menopause-related weight gain.

"It's possible that reprimo is involved in the weight gain that accompanies menopause," explained study co-lead author Edward van Veen. "If equivalent neurons exist in humans and we can find some way to tweak them, it might relieve much of the weight gain without the side effects of hormone therapy."

A technique known as single-cell RNA-seq allows biologists to study individual cells one at a time. The researchers used this technique to analyze dozens of genes in the hypothalamus brain region of mice.

In both humans and mice, the hypothalamus controls many functions that are critical for survival, such as eating, drinking, reproduction, and body-temperature regulation.

"We had hints there were different types of neurons in the ventromedial hypothalamus, and this region is very different in males and females, so we studied hundreds of cells in males and females to identify the different types of neurons and determine whether there are sex differences,"said Professor Correa.

The experts paid close attention to neurons that have estrogen receptors, which can bind to the hormone and control gene expression. The study revealed that the reprimo gene, which is expressed in one group of neurons with estrogen receptors, was almost entirely restricted to females.

"We were excited to find not only populations of estrogen-responsive neurons but also differences in these populations between males and females," said study co-lead author Laura Kammel.

"The difference between females and males in reprimo in the ventromedial hypothalamus is like night and day," said Professor Correa. "The females express a ton of it, and males express little, if any, reprimo in this brain region. Of the dozens of genes I have studied in this region, this is easily the strongest sex difference I have ever seen."

The researchers interfered with the function of reprimo in about two dozen mice. They shut off reprimo in female mice by using an RNA molecular compound. In a separate trial, reprimo expression was increased among male mice. Both experiments resulted in dramatic changes in body temperature, which confirms a link between the effects of estrogen and the role of reprimo in body temperature. 

"Our findings suggest reprimo is controlling some of the effects of estrogen on temperature," said Professor Correa. "If it is controlling the beneficial effects, then maybe we can manipulate it - with a drug that targets reprimo or the neurons that express reprimo - as an alternative to hormone therapy and get around the requirement for estrogen. We are studying the brain in a nuanced way and trying to learn which cells or which genes are important to target for potential therapies."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/natmetab/about?gclid=Cj0KCQjw-Mr0BRDyARIsAKEFbeffI7XoCrIx7SjAttPm4dsqaCjfFT3HUWFtkKiI-vU8IJ3jPLkhpIkaAo44EALw_wcB">Nature Metabolism</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Experts identify a gene that may regulate menopause symptoms

Experts identify a gene that may regulate menopause symptoms. Experts...

In Louisville, Kentucky, four different power plants either eliminated the use of coal or installed stricter emissions controls. As a result, <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/ketogenic-diet-may-prevent-asthma-attacks/">asthma</a> symptoms and asthma-related hospitalizations dropped dramatically among local residents. 

Coal-fired power plants generate harmful emissions that are associated with a number of adverse health effects, including asthma. Kentucky has a history of ranking among the top states for emissions related to power generation.

In 2012, the city of Louisville launched a project called AIR Louisville. Data from digital sensors would be used to monitor air quality and to better understand how pollution was affecting the community, which faces a heavy burden of respiratory disease.

More than 1,200 Louisville residents were equipped with Propellor Health sensors, which were attached to inhalers prescribed for asthma and COPD. The sensors tracked relevant data such as medication usage and environmental factors. 

"AIR Louisville brought together local government, public and private partners and residents for a common mission: to leverage local data to make our city better and more breathable," said Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer. "We are still seeing the results of AIR Louisville in this research, which demonstrates the public health impact of retiring coal as an energy source or further controlling coal-fired emissions."

Using data from Propeller and local hospitals, the researchers analyzed how asthma-related symptoms, ER visits, and hospitalizations changed over time after the power plant transitions.

Study lead author Dr. Joan Casey is a professor of Environmental Health sciences at <a href="http://columbia.edu">Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health</a>.

"This study was unique in its ability to measure asthma morbidity based on both hospitalizations and daily symptoms, and to leverage an abrupt change in environmental exposure to more directly attribute changes in asthma exacerbation to changes in coal-fired power plant emissions," said Dr. Casey.

In the year following power plant transitions, nearly 400 emergency room visits and hospitalizations were avoided across Louisville. 

In the Mill Creek area, a sulfur dioxide (SO2) scrubber installed in June 2016 was linked to an immediate 17-percent reduction in the need for rescue medication. 

"This is the first study to use digital inhaler sensors to understand the health effects of reducing emissions from coal-fired power plants," said study co-author Dr. Meredith Barrett. "We hope this evidence will encourage government officials to support stricter standards when regulating coal-fired power plants and encourage us towards cleaner power options, thereby protecting the health of the people who live near these facilities."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/nenergy/">Nature Energy</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Louisville reaps the health benefits of reduced emissions

In Louisville, Kentucky, four different power plants either eliminated the...

A new study published by the <a href="https://www.heart.org/">American Heart Association</a> has revealed that many <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/above-normal-blood-pressure-may-cause-the-brain-to-shrink/">blood pressure</a> devices sold for home monitoring have not been sufficiently tested. According to the researchers, inaccurate readings can lead to inappropriate treatment and dangerous consequences.

Study lead author Dr. James E. Sharman is the deputy director of the Menzies Institute for Medical Research at the University of Tasmania.

"Inaccurate blood pressure measuring devices could have a major implication for public health. If blood pressure is incorrectly overestimated it could lead to unnecessary prescriptions or higher doses than needed of blood pressure lowering medications, which are usually prescribed for life," said Dr. Sharman.

"Medications are costly, have potential side effects and patients incorrectly labeled with high blood pressure could suffer unnecessarily. When blood pressure is incorrectly underestimated, people might remain at increased risk for a heart attack or stroke that could otherwise be avoided with the appropriate medication and dose, and/or lifestyle changes."

The researchers analyzed the blood pressure devices available online in Australia. More than 90 percent of the devices were sold by large, multinational businesses like Amazon and eBay.

When a blood pressure device is validated, this means it has gone through extensive testing for accuracy. The study showed that only six percent of the 972 models of blood pressure monitoring devices had been validated. 

Wristband monitors made up about half of the devices being sold, and none of them had been validated. Among the upper-arm cuff blood pressure devices examined, just over 18 percent had been rigorously tested and validated. 

"People around the world monitor their blood pressure using home devices to help to effectively manage hypertension and to help determine their risk for heart attacks or strokes," said Dr. Sharman. 

"If the devices haven't been properly validated for accuracy, treatment decisions could be based on incorrect information. We found non-validated devices dominate the Australian marketplace, which is a major barrier to accurate blood pressure monitoring and cardiovascular risk management."

The study was focused solely on devices available in Australia's online marketplace, so it has some limitations. While the major e-commerce sites sell products worldwide, the team did not investigate where specific blood pressure devices are sold. In the United States, the FDA requires manufacturers to submit documentation that devices have been tested, but the tests are not independently evaluated. 

"International policies need to be strengthened to ensure that home use medical devices are rigorously tested for accuracy before being cleared for sale by regulatory authorities. Currently, manufacturers of blood pressure devices conduct their own accuracy testing, an honor system with potential real-life consequences for patients," said Dr. Sharman.

The study is published by the American Heart Association in the journal <a href="https://www.ahajournals.org/journal/hyp">Hypertension</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;

Many blood pressure devices for home monitoring are not validated

A new study published by the American Heart Association has...

<a href="http://www.earth.com/news/microplastic-pollution-remote-glaciers/">Microplastics</a> (MPs) have become abundant in the ocean, where they are easily ingested by marine organisms. In a new study published by the <a href="https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en.html">American Chemical Society</a>, researchers have discovered that lobsters in the deep sea break down some of the microplastic material they ingest, releasing the secondary fragments back into the water.

Microplastic pollution eventually sinks to the bottom of the ocean, but just what happens to the contaminants in the deep sea is a mystery.

The Norway lobster, also known as langoustine, resides on the muddy seafloor. This makes the lobster an ideal subject for investigating microplastic contamination in the deep ocean. 

Based on the contents of their stomachs and digestive tracts, previous studies have indicated that lobsters can ingest plastics. In addition, another type of crustacean that lives in the water column is known to have the ability to break down plastic particles through digestion.

A team of experts led by marine ecologist Alessandro Cau set out to investigate whether this type of MP fragmentation happens in nature among species dwelling on the seafloor. The study was focused on lobsters collected near Sardinia in the Mediterranean Sea.

The researchers found that larger plastic particles became trapped in the stomach, while others passed into the gastric mill where food is broken down. Lobsters have small calcified plates that grind against each other, and much of the plastic particles were broken down and fragmented during this process. The smaller particles moved into the intestines, where they would have been released back into the sea.

"Our results show that the stomach can act as a size-bottleneck for ingested MPs, enhancing the retention of larger particles within the stomach and promoting fragmentation into smaller plastic debris, which is then released in the intestine," wrote the researchers.

"Our results provide evidence that the langoustine is responsible for the fragmentation of MPs already accumulated in sediments through its scavenging activity and digestion. These findings highlight the existence of a new peculiar kind of 'secondary' MPs, introduced in the environment by biological activities, which could represent a significant pathway of plastic degradation in a secluded and stable environment such as the deep sea."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/journal/esthag">Environmental Science &amp; Technology</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Lobsters break down microplastics and release them back into the sea

Microplastics (MPs) have become abundant in the ocean, where they...

A team of experts at <a href="https://www.mcgill.ca/">McGill University</a> has identified a protein that plays a central role in the biological changes associated with <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/depression-memory-loss/">depression</a>. The discovery may ultimately lead to the development of more effective antidepressants and improved treatments for depression, which is a leading cause of disability worldwide. 

Depression is a mood disorder that affects more than 264 million people of all ages. Antidepressants are the most common form of treatment for depression. While these medications can be very effective, only 40 percent of patients respond to the first type of antidepressant they are prescribed.

The McGill research team, led by Professor Gustavo Turecki, has pinpointed the protein GPR56 as a target for new and improved antidepressants. 

The experts analyzed changes across gene activity in blood samples from over 400 patients who were being treated with antidepressants.

The study revealed significant changes in the levels of GPR56 in patients who responded favorably to antidepressants. The changes were not found in patients who had no response to the treatment or in those who received a placebo. The findings suggest that an individual's response to antidepressants can be measured with simple blood tests.

Using human brain tissue and experiments with mice, the researchers confirmed that GPR56 was linked to biological changes in the central nervous system. The team found that depression was associated with distinctive changes in GPR56. When antidepressants were administered, GPR56 was modified in both the brain and the blood. 

Significantly, the GPR56 changes were most evident in the prefrontal cortex. This part of the brain is not only involved in emotional responses, but also has connections with brain regions that control critical substances for mood regulation: dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin.

"Identifying new therapeutic strategies is a major challenge, and GPR56 is an excellent target for the development of new treatments of depression," said Professor Turecki. "We are hopeful that this will provide an avenue to alleviate the suffering of patients who face this important, and often chronic, mental illness which is also strongly associated with the risk of addiction and an increased risk of suicide."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communication</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Recent breakthrough may lead to better antidepressants

A team of experts at McGill University has identified a...

Summer will not slow down the spread of COVID-19 infection, according to a new study from <a href="https://www.fudan.edu.cn/">Fudan University</a>. Despite previous findings that warmer temperatures reduce the transmission of the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/false-negative-covid-19-tests-may-lead-to-a-second-wave-of-infection/">COVID-19</a> virus, the latest study has found no such association.

Many viral infections, such as influenza, are known to diminish in hotter weather, and a number of factors are thought to contribute. For example, a boost of Vitamin D helps power the body’s immune system, while UV radiation may slow the spread of respiratory diseases.

There has been widespread speculation that the rate of COVID-19 infection will start to decline in the northern hemisphere with the arrival of spring and summer.

In previous research, experts at both Beihang and Tsinghua Universities found evidence that the transmission rate of COVID-19 infection dropped in China as the temperatures rose. However, this conclusion is not supported by the Fudan study, which was led by public health expert Dr. Weibing Wang. 

"Our analysis suggests that ambient temperature has no significant impact on the transmission ability of SARS-CoV-2," wrote the researchers. "It is premature to count on warmer weather to control COVID-19, and relying on seasonality to curb this pandemic can be a dangerous line of thought. Changing seasons may help but are unlikely to stop transmission."

The experts explained that urgent interventions, such as community travel bans and school closures, are what is needed to help slow the rate of COVID-19 infection. 

For the investigation, the team analyzed data from the National Health Commission and the Provincial Health Commissions. The analysis was focused on the spread of COVID-19 in 224 Chinese cities, including 17 cities in the Hubei province where the outbreak originated. 

The progression of the disease was compared with daily weather data from January to early March 2020. For each region, the researchers evaluated relative humidity, average temperatures, and ultraviolet (UV) radiation.

The study revealed that there was no significant link between the overall COVID-19 infection rate and the temperature or levels of UV radiation exposure.

The experts pointed out that the first SARS coronavirus, which emerged in November of 2002 and ended the following July, may have been seasonal. "It also might have been controlled by effective case finding, contact tracing and quarantine."

The study is published in the <a href="https://erj.ersjournals.com/">European Respiratory Journal</a>. 

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Warmer weather will not slow the rate of COVID-19 infection 

Summer will not slow down the spread of COVID-19 infection,...

Air pollution has dropped by 30 percent over the northeastern U.S. Satellite data from the <a href="http://Nasa.gov">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center</a> has revealed that nitrogen dioxide <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/children-develop-asthma-air-pollution/">pollution</a> levels were 30-percent lower across the Northeast in March compared to the same time last year. The decline is tied to widespread restrictions that are keeping millions of Americans on lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Atmospheric levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) are primarily influenced by vehicle emissions and electricity generation. Major U.S. cities including Seattle, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Chicago also experienced significant declines in air pollution over the month of March. 

COVID-19 has impacted every state in the U.S. By Saturday, the country surpassed Italy in the number of fatalities from the coronavirus, which has exceeded 20,000. The state of New York is considered the epicenter of the outbreak. 

In New York City, traffic has abruptly diminished, dropping by nearly 60 percent across the busiest bridges and tunnels. According to research from Columbia University, carbon monoxide emissions have also declined by more than half in New York City.

Based on data from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) on NASA's Aura satellite, March 2020 shows the lowest monthly atmospheric NO2 levels of any March in at least 15 years. The improvements to air quality, however, will be short-lived as emissions will eventually return to normal. 

The experts at NASA pointed out that NO2 levels fluctuate naturally on a daily basis. Therefore, further analysis is required to determine how much of the recent change in NO2 levels is linked to reduced human activity versus natural variations in weather. 

You can find more information on NASA's air quality research <a href="https://airquality.gsfc.nasa.gov/">here</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Air pollution has dropped by 30 percent over the northeastern U.S.

Air pollution has dropped by 30 percent over the northeastern...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Nushagak Bay, a large estuary in southwest Alaska. Nushagak runs mainly north to south and exits in Bristol Bay, a large body of water in the Bering Sea.



"The bay is primarily fed by the Nushagak River, which begins in the Alaska Range and flows southwest approximately 450 km. The bay is also fed by several additional rivers including the Wood, Igushik, Snake and Weary rivers," says ESA.



"The dark colors of the Nushagak River are most likely due to tannins or lignins (chemical substances found in plants). Tannins and lignins from roots, leaves, seeds, bark and soil can leach into the water and give it a brown or even black colour. The sediments then flow southwards where it is mixed with the bluer waters of the bay."



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> (ACS) reveals that proteins on flu viruses are actually flexible, tilting and waving in a “breath-like” motion. According to the experts, these proteins could be used to better defend against the flu.



"The main antigenic targets of influenza virus are two surface glycoproteins, hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). Whereas the structural and dynamical properties of both glycoproteins have been studied previously, the understanding of their plasticity in the whole-virion context is fragmented," wrote the researchers.



To investigate, the team conducted detailed simulations of the influenza A H1N1 virion, or the swine flu. The experts concluded that the visualizations show many new vulnerable states of flu viruses, which could improve future vaccines and antiviral drugs.



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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



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

Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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

Designing crops that can beat the heat

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Santiago, the capital city of Chile. The city is located in the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Region, which has a population of about eight million people.&nbsp;



'The weather of Santiago resembles the Mediterranean climate with dry and warm summers with temperatures reaching up to 35°C (from October to March) and cool and humid winters that can drop to 0°C (from April to September)."



"The city lies in the centre of the country’s central valley around 80 km from the Pacific Ocean to the west and borders Argentina to the east. A tiny part of Argentina is visible in the top-right corner of the image where the mountain crest of the Andes Mountains acts as a divider between the two countries," says ESA.



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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Astronomers at <a href="https://www.jhu.edu/">Johns Hopkins University</a> have created an interactive map of the universe, including the actual position and real colors of 200,000 galaxies. The map allows the public to access data that was previously only available to scientists.



The map was developed using data collected by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. For over two decades, a telescope in New Mexico was aimed at slightly different locations to capture the night sky.&nbsp;



"Growing up I was very inspired by astronomy pictures, stars, nebulae and galaxies, and now it's our time to create a new type of picture to inspire people," said map creator Brice Ménard, a professor at Johns Hopkins. "Astrophysicists around the world have been analyzing this data for years, leading to thousands of scientific papers and discoveries. But nobody took the time to create a map that is beautiful, scientifically accurate, and accessible to people who are not scientists. Our goal here is to show everybody what the universe really looks like."



"In this map, we are just a speck at the very bottom, just one pixel. And when I say we, I mean our galaxy, the Milky Way which has billions of stars and planets. We are used to seeing astronomical pictures showing one galaxy here, one galaxy there or perhaps a group of galaxies. But what this map shows is a very, very different scale."



"From this speck at the bottom, we are able to map out galaxies across the entire universe, and that says something about the power of science."



The <a href="https://mapoftheuniverse.net/">interactive map</a> is available online, where it can be downloaded for free.



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Dublin, the capital and largest city of Ireland. Beyond its pub culture, Dublin is known as a modern culinary destination and a UNESCO City of Literature.



"Dublin is located near the midpoint of Ireland’s east coast in the province of Leinster. The city, which covers an area of around 115 square kilometers, is bordered by the Dublin Mountains, a low mountain range to the south, and is surrounded by flat farmland to the north and west," says ESA.



"The city straddles the River Liffey, which rises in the Wicklow Mountains and flows around 80 kilometers eastwards through the city of Dublin, in which it is canalised and bordered with quays. It then empties into Dublin Bay, an arm of the Irish Sea."



Dublin has an abundance of green spaces, including one of the largest enclosed public parks in any European capital city. Phoenix Park, which was originally formed as a royal hunting park in the 1660s, includes 707 hectares of green space.



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain. The image was captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission.



"Together with the provinces of Huesca and Teruel, Zaragoza formed the old kingdom of Aragon. Its capital, also called Zaragoza (not visible in this image) is home to around half of Aragon’s population," says ESA.



"The Ebro River can be seen winding its way through the province from west to east in this image. Between its source in the Cantabrian Mountains in the northwest and its delta on the Mediterranean coast, the Ebro River is fed by more than 200 tributaries as it flows 910 km across much of northern Spain."



Since rainfall is very scarce in this region, irrigation in the Ebro basin is critically important. In the valleys surrounding the Ebro River, many fields are used for growing crops such as corn, wheat, and barley.



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

[sendtonews key="oL4FnPTGCV-2384527-12187" 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.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

[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



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...