When clinicians talk to patients about preventing heart disease, they typically describe risk in dry percentages such as “eight out of 100 people like you may have a heart attack in the next decade.” Many Americans find that hard to grasp - and the numbers do not always move them to action.



A research team at Northwestern University <a href="https://www.feinberg.northwestern.edu/index.html">Feinberg School of Medicine</a> thinks there is a clearer, more motivating way to translate cardiovascular danger: tell people the age of their heart.



In a new study, epidemiologist Dr. Sadiya Khan and colleagues introduce an online calculator that converts standard health information - blood pressure, cholesterol, smoking status, and diabetes - into a single “heart age.” 



The metric is anchored to the American Heart Association’s new <a href="https://professional.heart.org/en/guidelines-and-statements/prevent-calculator%C3%B9" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PREVENT equations</a>, which Khan also helped develop.



“We hope this tool helps doctors and patients discuss risk for heart disease more effectively so we can better inform what therapies can prevent <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/subtle-warning-signs-what-a-heart-attack-really-feels-like/">heart attacks</a>, stroke, or heart-failure events from ever happening,” Khan said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-testing-heart-age-globally">Testing "heart age" globally</h2>



The premise is intuitive: if laboratory results and lifestyle factors give you the cardiovascular profile of an older person, you probably need to rethink prevention. Conversely, if your heart age matches or beats your birth certificate, you might be on track.



To validate their calculator, Khan’s team mined data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NHANES</a>), a rolling study that measures the health of the U.S. population.



They focused on 14,000 adults aged 30 to 79 who had never been diagnosed with heart disease. For each person, they calculated chronological age and heart age, then compared the two.



The patterns were sobering. Across the board, Americans carried older hearts than their birthdays would suggest. Women averaged a heart age of 55.4 despite being only 51.3 years old. 



The gap was wider for men: an average heart age of 56.7 versus an actual age of 49.7 - roughly seven extra “cardiac birthdays.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-race-and-income-age-hearts">Race and income age hearts</h2>



The researchers drilled deeper into the data to see how these gaps varied by education, income, and race or ethnicity. These factors are known to track with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/heart-disease-remains-the-leading-cause-of-death-worldwide/">cardiovascular outcomes</a>.



Men with no more than a high-school education showed the greatest disconnect: almost one-third possessed hearts at least a decade older than their bodies.



Racial and ethnic contrasts were stark as well. Among men, Black participants had a heart age 8.5 years older than their chronological age. Hispanic men trailed at 7.9 years, followed by Asian men at 6.7 and white men at 6.4.



Women showed similar but smaller gaps. Black women had the oldest hearts relative to their age (a 6.2-year difference), while Asian women had the youngest (2.8 years).



These numbers, the authors argue, reveal how structural forces - access to health care, exposure to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/chronic-stress-disrupts-gut-bacteria-and-fuels-cancer-progression/">chronic stress</a>, the cost of nutritious food - literally age the heart faster in some communities than others.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-risk-that-feels-personal">Risk that feels personal</h2>



<a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21493-cardiovascular-disease" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cardiovascular disease</a> has remained the nation’s leading cause of death for more than a century, even in the face of better medications and public-health campaigns against <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/smoking-related-deaths-will-surge-by-2030/">smoking</a>.



A key reason, Khan said, is that millions of people who would benefit from preventive therapies never start them - or start too late. She believes the new heart-age tool can turn abstract percentages into something people feel viscerally.



“Many people who should be on medicine to lower their risk for heart attack, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/stroke-risk-is-elevated-by-air-pollution-and-traffic-noise/">stroke</a>, or heart failure are not on these medications,” Khan explained.



“We hope this new heart-age calculator will help support discussions about prevention and ultimately improve health for all people.”



The idea draws on behavioral research showing that vivid, easily understood messages spur action. 



A person who hears their heart is “ten years older” may grasp the urgency of lowering <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-identify-minimum-amount-of-physical-activity-needed-to-prevent-high-blood-pressure/">blood pressure</a>, quitting cigarettes, or beginning statin therapy. They may respond more readily than someone handed a 10 percent risk score.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-heart-aging-tool-with-limits">Heart aging tool, with limits</h2>



The online tool, available for free, asks for five inputs: age, sex, total cholesterol, <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/hdlthegoodcholesterol.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">HDL</a> (“good”) cholesterol, systolic blood pressure, and whether the user smokes or has diabetes. With one click it produces a heart age and a brief explanation.



Khan’s team is quick to add caveats. The calculator is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Its equations are built on large-population averages, but individual factors - such as family history, kidney disease, or inflammatory conditions - can raise or lower risk outside the scope of the tool. 



Users should discuss results with a clinician before changing medications.



To ensure clinicians embrace the approach, the researchers are planning follow-up studies that track whether framing risk as age improves adherence to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-identify-minimum-amount-of-physical-activity-needed-to-prevent-high-blood-pressure/">blood-pressure</a> drugs, statins, or lifestyle programs. They also aim to see whether it reduces heart attacks and strokes over time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-getting-through-to-young-adults">Getting through to young adults</h2>



One finding leapt out of the NHANES analysis: people in their thirties and forties often carried heart ages ten or more years beyond their chronological age. 



Yet they rarely meet intensity thresholds for preventive medications under current guidelines. Khan hopes the metric will spotlight hidden risk among younger adults who still feel invincible.



“The important thing is that we have very good options available in our toolbox to help slow that aging down if we can identify it,” she said. “This may be even more important in younger people who don’t often think about their risk for heart disease.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-heart-age-stats-matter">Why "heart age" stats matter</h2>



The heart-age calculator could also equip public-health agencies and employers to tailor interventions. 



Communities where the average heart age dwarfs chronological age might benefit from subsidized blood-pressure screenings, mobile clinics, or healthier food outlets.



Public health campaigns and community-based programs can emphasize the importance and availability of fast walking to improve health outcomes. 



They can also provide resources and support to facilitate increased fast walking within all communities.



Khan echoes that spirit for heart-age awareness. By translating risk into an easy-to-grasp figure, the team hopes to close gaps in prevention and push heart disease - long the country’s top killer - down the leaderboard at last.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamacardiology/article-abstract/2836740">JAMA Cardio</a><a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamacardiology/article-abstract/2836740" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">l</a><a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamacardiology/article-abstract/2836740">ogy</a>.



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Scientists invent new tool that determines your 'heart age' as compared to your actual age

When clinicians talk to patients about preventing heart disease, they typically describe risk in dry percentages such as “eight out of 100 people like you may have a heart attack in the next decade.” Many Americans find that hard to grasp - and the numbers do not always move them to action. A research team at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine thinks there is a clearer, more motivating way to translate cardiovascular danger: tell people the age of their heart. In a new study, epidemiologist Dr....

In cities across the globe, rats are considered to be major pests that seem to be everywhere you turn. These rodents are known to spoil food, spread disease, and even start fires.

Despite these problems, a new study has found that rats are actually the least studied wildlife in New York City. “The most difficult challenge of urban rat research is finding suitable research sites (e.g. municipal businesses and dwellings) to obtain access to rats long enough to generate robust science,” explain the study’s authors in the <a href="https://academic.oup.com/jue">Journal of Urban Ecology</a>.

In order to conquer this challenge, the researchers have offered rather significant incentives to property owners in order to study the rats on their premises. These perks include free and confidential extermination services – after the rats have been studied, of course – and up to a $1,000 reward for information leading to research sites in Manhattan.

With greater access to private residences or businesses, researchers would be able to set up their expensive equipment and monitor the rats’ activity privately. Because rats are so perfectly adapted to their environment, they’re incredibly difficult to research without the proper set up. They can easily hide and avoid human contact.

The researchers believe that a better understanding of the ecology of city rats could lead to improvements in pathogen and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mathematical-fight-plant-diseases/">disease</a> surveillance, as well as a better understanding of their population distribution.

“We neglect to study them at our own peril,” says Michael Parsons, lead author of the study. “No war has ever decimated 1/3 of the human population. Rats have.”

Whether or not another black plague is in the future (let’s hope for “not”), studying these pests that inhabit many of the areas where we live and work can only help us to better understand them. 

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="https://academic.oup.com/jue">Journal of Urban Ecology</a>, The Daily Mail

Why rats in major cities aren’t even being monitored

In cities across the globe, rats are considered to be...

It may be possible to develop drugs to delete memories that trigger anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) without affecting other important memories of past events, a new study suggests.

Different types of memories stored in the same neuron of the marine snail Aplysia can be selectively erased, according to the study by <a href="http://www.cumc.columbia.edu/">Columbia University Medical Center</a> and<a href="http://www.mcgill.ca/"> McGill University</a> and published in <a href="http://www.cell.com/current-biology/home">Current Biology</a>.

During emotional or traumatic events, multiple memories can become encoded, including memories of any incidental information that is present when the event occurs. In the case of a traumatic experience, the incidental, or neutral, information can trigger anxiety attacks long after the event has occurred, the researchers said.

"The example I like to give is, if you are walking in a high-crime area and you take a shortcut through a dark alley and get mugged, and then you happen to see a mailbox nearby, you might get really nervous when you want to mail something later on," said Samuel Schache of Columbia, a coauthor of the study.

In the example, fear of dark alleys is an associative memory that provides important information based on a previous experience. Fear of mailboxes, however, is an incidental, non-associative memory that is not directly related to the traumatic event.

"One focus of our current research is to develop strategies to eliminate problematic non-associative memories that may become stamped on the brain during a traumatic experience without harming associative memories, which can help people make informed decisions in the future -- like not taking shortcuts through dark alleys in high-crime areas," Schacher said.

Previous research suggested that increases in synaptic strength in creating associative and non-associative memories share common properties. Selectively eliminating non-associative synaptic memories would be impossible, because for any one neuron, a single mechanism would be responsible for maintaining all forms of synaptic memories, the previous research suggested.

The new study tested that hypothesis by stimulating two sensory neurons connected to a single motor neuron of the marine snail Aplysia. One sensory neuron was stimulated to induce an associative memory and the other to induce a non-associative <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/brain-trained-improve-memory/">memory</a>.

By measuring the strength of each connection, the researchers found that the increase in the strength of each connection produced by the different stimuli was maintained by a different form of a Protein Kinase M (PKM) molecule (PKM Apl III for associative synaptic memory and PKM Apl I for non-associative). They found that each memory could be erased - without affecting the other -- by blocking one of the PKM molecules.

"Our study is a 'proof of principle' that presents an opportunity for developing strategies and perhaps therapies to address anxiety," said Schacher. 

Future studies in preclinical models are needed to better understand how PKMs are produced and localized at the synapse before researchers can determine which drugs may weaken non-associative memories, the authors said.

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley, </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www.cumc.columbia.edu/">Columbia University Medical Center</a>

Study: Select memories can be deleted leaving others present

It may be possible to develop drugs to delete memories...

Straining to see a mobile device outside may soon become a thing of the past. Scientists have developed a new coating for mobile screens that minimizes surface reflection. The innovation is based on unique structures found in moth eyes which make them antireflective. 

When bright sunlight reflects off the screen of a mobile device, it washes out the display. Adjusting the brightness makes a screen more visible, but drains the battery power of the device. 

Researchers led by Shin-Tson Wu of the <a href="http://www.creol.ucf.edu/">College of Optics and Photonics</a>, University of Central Florida set out to find a simple solution to the issue of outdoor screen readability. 

The team turned their attention to the antireflective nanostructures that cover the eyes of moths. These structures allow moths to see in the dark without being detected by predators. Previous experimentation had mimicked these tiny structures to improve solar panels.

"Because the structures are so small, a high-resolution and high-precision fabrication technique is necessary,” explained Guanjan Tan, first author of the study.

The technique developed by the team used self-assembled nanospheres to form a precise pattern. The process is simple, yet accurate enough to construct a film the size of a mobile screen.

The team was also able to create a computer model that accurately captured the optical behavior of the coating. They used the model to adjust the size of the nanostructures for optimal performance.

The optimized film was tested on glass. The contrast ratio was four times greater in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/sunset-crater-san-francisco-volcanic/">sun</a> and ten times greater in the shade. The antireflection film had a surface reflection of just .23 percent, which is significantly lower than that of most smartphones. For example, iPhone's have a surface reflection of 4.4 percent.

"Using our flexible anti-reflection film on smartphones and tablets will make the screen bright and sharp, even when viewed outside," said Wu. "In addition to exhibiting low reflection, our nature-inspired film is also scratch resistant and self-cleaning, which would protect touch screens from dust and fingerprints."

The tiny structures that make up the coating are about one-thousandth the width of a human hair. This means the coating can also be used with flexible display applications such as phones with screens that fold like a book, which are expected to be released as early as next year.

The team is currently adapting the coating for long-term use on touch screens, and working with their computer model to continue improving the film's antireflective performance. The report on this study is published in the journal Optica.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Source: <a href="http://www.creol.ucf.edu/">College of Optics and Photonics</a>

New coating for mobile screens make it easier to read outside

Straining to see a mobile device outside may soon become...

In a world where national leadership is backing away from environmental protection, the private sector will need to drive much of the conversation around climate change. Have you ever wondered about the environmental impact of taking your flight to your summer vacation? Airplanes have become 80 percent more fuel efficient than they were in the 1950’s, but getting up in the air is still an emission intensive endeavor. 

Luckily for our personal carbon footprint and the environment, big airline companies have a huge vested interest in making planes as fuel efficient as possible. 

Most are probably less driven out of fear for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/republican-party-denial-climate-change/">climate change</a> and more motivated by the effect of fuel costs on the company’s bottom line. Nonetheless, the result has been the United States leading the world in the production of some of the most fuel efficient airliners to date. 

Between changing how planes are made of to what is used to fuel them, many aviation companies are making groundbreaking strides towards increasing the efficiency of flying. 

Notably, last year Alaska Airlines operated its first commercial jet powered by forest biomass and it has been using RNP technology that uses satellites to help guide planes over tough terrain trying to utilize as much wing power as possible, lowering fuel consumption. Virgin Atlantic is trialing ATJ (alcohol to jet) powered jets. EasyJet is working on what they call a hybrid plane. And Boeing sales have taken off in recent years due to their new planes ability to reduce fuel consumption by 20 percent. 

However, the technology that is already here and very much increasing the per-person efficiency of planes is airlines increased capacity for fitting as many people as possible on flights with new plane layouts in conjunction with their ability to keep as many flights as possible full, much to the consumers dismay. 

Efficiency is the key to keeping America in the ring against climate change. The airline industry is one example of the private sector making decisions (no matter the reason) that will benefit the environment and keep American airline companies on the cutting edge of technology innovations. 

If you’re looking for ways to support these initiatives, don’t forget that we do not just vote by turning in ballots but we also vote and make our voices heard with how we spend our dollars. Airlines also say that if consumers cut just 5 pounds from their luggage they would be saving thousands of gallons of fuel and would decrease carbon emissions by hundreds of thousands pounds each year. You may want to keep this in mind the next time you are packing your bag for a summer vacation! 

---

Original Feature By <a href="mailto:bianca@earth.com">Bianca Vierra</a>, <a href="http://earth.com/staff">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Earth.com presents: How fuel efficient are commercial airlines?

In a world where national leadership is backing away from...

Early intervention could increase the number of teenagers from less privileged backgrounds who go to college, a new study suggests.

The research published in the <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/core20/current">Oxford Review of Education</a> analyzed how young people's expectations of applying to universities change between the ages of 14 and 17. It found that those from less advantaged backgrounds were more likely to lower their expectations than their more advantaged peers. This was true even when comparing individuals with the same test scores.

Compared to the most advantaged fifth of young people, the least advantaged fifth had more than twice the probability of switching from being 'likely to apply' to 'unlikely to apply’, the study found. The most advantaged fifth had more than twice the probability of changing from being ‘unlikely to apply’ to ‘likely to apply’.

How young people reacted to new information on their academic attainment at age 16 also depended on their background. For those with higher socioeconomic status, improvements in exam results were significantly more likely to raise expectations of applying to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/college-kids-underestimate-drinking/">college</a>.

"These findings suggest that part of the socioeconomic difference in university applications has its roots during the period when potential applicants are aged between 14 and 17 and, as such, it's not too late to target policies at this age group to try and narrow the gap,” said study author Jake Anders of <a href="http://www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe">UCL Institute of Education</a>.

Early intervention to maintain college expectations rather than trying to raise them later is likely to be more successful, Anders said.

"Sixteen could also be a key age for interventions,” he added. “This is a difficult point in time to reach young people as many move between educational institutions or leave full time education altogether.”

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley, </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://taylorandfrancis.com/">Taylor &amp; Francis Group</a>

Underprivileged teens more likely to drop college ambitions

Early intervention could increase the number of teenagers from less...

Sleep rhythms vary as much as 10 hours in individuals across any age group, according to a new study.

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/delaying-meals-reset-body-clock/">Circadian systems</a> synchronize with light and darkness in the environment, giving rise to chronotypes, individual rhythms in physiology, cognition, and behavior. People with early chronotypes have earlier sleep times, while those with late chronotypes have later sleep times and can sleep into the day.

Currently, 30 percent of the U.S. workforce has unusual work schedules, such as alternating or extended shifts, and on-call duty, the study said. These unusual schedules are linked with health and safety risks which could be minimized with schedules tailor to a person’s chronotype.

The study by Dorothee Fischer from <a href="http://www.harvard.edu/">Harvard University</a> analyzed self-reported data from 53,689 respondents of the American Time Use Survey from 2003 to 2014. The researchers used the mid-point of sleep on weekends as a proxy for chronotype.

Sleep chronotypes vary widely over an individual's lifetime, the study found. The greatest difference in chronotypes is during adolescence and early adulthood. Chronotypes start growing grow later during adolescence, peaking at about age 19.

The average mid-point of sleep, at age 17-18 was 4:30 a.m., compared to 3:00 a.m. at age 60. Most U.S. public schools start at 8:30 a.m. or earlier, suggesting that high school students go to school during their biological night, the study found. This work supports delaying school start times to benefit the sleep and circadian alignment of high school students.

In addition, the researchers found that chronotypes vary up to 10 hours from one individual to another regardless of age.

This could provide opportunities for tailoring work schedules to chronotypes, which is important because syncing workers with their optimal work times could help minimize health and safety risks, the study said.

The research is published in the journal <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/">PLOS ONE</a>.

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley, </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/">PLOS ONE</a>

Sleep patterns vary widely with age, individuals

Sleep rhythms vary as much as 10 hours in individuals...

Forgetfulness can be good for the brain, allowing humans to hold onto the most valuable information while eliminating the clutter, a new study says.

In fact, human <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/extra-virgin-olive-oil-protects-brain/">brains</a> actively work to forget, the study said.

"We find plenty of evidence from recent research that there are mechanisms that promote memory loss, and that these are distinct from those involved in storing information," said Paul Frankland, one of the authors and senior fellow at the <a href="https://www.cifar.ca/">Canadian Institute for Advanced Research</a>.

The study, published in the journal <a href="http://www.cell.com/neuron/home">Neuron</a>, looks at the literature on remembering, known as persistence, and the newer body of research on forgetting, or transience.

Forgetting is just as important a component of our memory system as remembering, according to the most recent research, the authors said.

The goal of memory is not to transmit the most accurate information over time, but to guide and optimize intelligent decision making by only retaining valuable information.

"It's important that the brain forgets irrelevant details and instead focuses on the stuff that's going to help make decisions in the real world," said coauthor Blake Richards, an associate fellow in the<a href="https://www.cifar.ca/research/learning-in-machine-and-brains/"> Learning in Machines &amp; Brains</a> program.

One of the mechanisms the brain uses to forget is the weakening or elimination of synaptic connections between neurons in which memories are encoded. Another mechanism, supported by evidence from Frankland's own lab, is the generation of new neurons from stem cells. 

As new neurons integrate into the hippocampus, the new connections remodel hippocampal circuits and overwrite memories stored in those circuits, making them harder to access. This may explain why children, whose hippocampi are producing more new neurons, forget so much information, the study said.

It may seem counterintuitive that the brain would expend so much energy creating new neurons at the detriment of memory. Richards, whose research applies artificial intelligence (AI) theories to understanding the brain, looked to principles of learning from AI for answers. 

Using these principles, Frankland and Richards frame an argument that the interaction between remembering and forgetting in the human brain allows us to make more intelligent memory-based decisions.

Forgetting allows us to adapt to new situations by letting go of outdated and potentially misleading information that can no longer help us maneuver changing environments.

"If you're trying to navigate the world and your brain is constantly bringing up multiple conflicting memories, that makes it harder for you to make an informed decision," said Richards.

The second way forgetting facilitates decision making is by allowing humans to generalize past events to new ones. In artificial intelligence, this principle is called regularization and it works by creating simple computer models that prioritize core information but eliminate specific details, allowing for wider application.

Memories in the brain work in a similar way. When we only remember the gist of an encounter as opposed to every detail, this controlled forgetting of insignificant details creates simple memories which are more effective at predicting new experiences, according to the study.

Research shows that episodic memories of things that happen to us are forgotten more quickly than general knowledge that we access on a daily basis, supporting the old adage that if you don't use it, you lose it. But in the context of making better memory-based decisions, you may be better off for it, the authors said.

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley, </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="https://www.cifar.ca/">Canadian Institute for Advanced Research</a>

Study: The brain forgets in order to clean out mind clutter

Forgetfulness can be good for the brain, allowing humans to...

If your family is from a <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/corinth-canal-connects-mediterranean/">Mediterranean</a> country – especially Italy or Greece – you know the importance of olive oil when it comes to cooking. But did you know that there may be potential health benefits as well? 

In a recent study published in the <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)2328-9503">Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology</a>, researchers from the <a href="http://medicine.temple.edu/">Lewis Katz School of Medicine (LKSOM) at Temple University</a> have found a possible link between extra-virgin olive oil consumption and protection against cognitive decline.

The study involved using a well-established Alzheimer’s disease mouse model known as a triple transgenic model – as the mice develop three characteristics of the disease. These characteristics are memory impairment, amyloid plagues, and neurofibrillary tangles.

By testing two groups of mice – one that consumed food enriched with olive oil and one that didn’t – the researchers could see the effects of this substance on the brain. They discovered that at age 9 months and 12 months, the group of olive oil mice performed significantly better on tests designed to evaluate working memory, spatial memory, and learning abilities. Furthermore, through analysis of the animals’ brain tissue, they found that there were major differences in nerve cell appearance and function, including reduced inflammation.

“One thing that stood out immediately was synaptic integrity,” says Dr. Domenico Praticò, professor at LKSOM. Synapses are the connections between the neurons, which appeared to be better preserved in mice that had olive oil enhanced diets. The brain cells of the mice in this group also had a significant increase in nerve cell autophagy activity, which helps reduce amyloid plagues and phosphorylated tau – both of which are major factors in the development of Alzheimer’s.

Prior studies have linked consumption of extra-virgin olive oil with many health benefits. “The thinking is that extra-virgin olive oil is better than fruits and vegetables alone, and as a monounsaturated vegetable fat it is healthier than saturated animal fats,” explains Praticò.

The researchers are excited by these findings, and plan on performing further studies into the healing abilities of extra-virgin olive oil. Their next step is to see if olive oil reduces the Alzheimer’s symptoms of mice that have already developed plaques and tangles. 

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www.templehealth.org/content/default.htm">Temple University Health System</a>

Extra-virgin olive oil protects brain from Alzheimer’s in mice

If your family is from a Mediterranean country – especially...

Attempted suicide is more common among people who have been diagnosed with learning disabilities, a new study found.

Lifetime prevalence of suicide attempts was much higher for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cats-older-women-match/">women</a> who had been diagnosed with learning disabilities (16.6%) compared to women who had not (3.3%), the<a href="https://www.utoronto.ca/"> University of Toronto</a> study said. Men with learning disabilities also were more likely to have attempted suicide compared to men without learning disorders (7.7% vs 2.1%), according to the study.

"Learning disabilities such as dyslexia cast a very long shadow,” said lead author Esme Fuller-Thomson.

Adults with learning disabilities who had been sexually abused in childhood or experienced chronic parental domestic violence have twice the odds of having ever attempted suicide, the research showed.

The study examined a nationally representative sample of 21,744 Canadians, of whom 745 reported they had been diagnosed with learning disabilities. Data were drawn from the 2012 Canadian Community Health Survey-Mental Health.

"The disturbingly high prevalence of suicide attempts among people with learning disabilities underline the importance of health professionals screening patients with learning disabilities for mental illness and suicidal thoughts." said Wook Yang, study co-author and doctoral student in the <a href="http://www.dlsph.utoronto.ca/">Dalla Lana School of Public Health</a> at the University of Toronto. 

The results highlight the need for early detection of learning disabilities, Fuller-Thomson said.

“In addition to the benefits of these treatment for improving learning skills and academic success, it is possible that they may also decrease long-term suicide risk,” said Fuller Thomson. “It is unacceptable that many children with learning disabilities languish for years on waiting-lists for needed educational interventions."

The study was published online in the <a href="http://ldx.sagepub.com/">Journal of Learning Disabilities</a>.

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley, </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="https://www.utoronto.ca/">University of Toronto</a>

One in six women with learning disabilities has attempted suicide

Attempted suicide is more common among people who have been...

Eating fish has been shown to have many health benefits and the latest may be controlling arthritis symptoms, a new study concludes.

People with rheumatoid arthritis who consumed <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fish-recognizing-faces/">fish</a> twice a week had lower disease activity, such as swollen and tender joints, than those who ate fish never to less than once a month.

The new study was published in the journal<a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)2151-4658"> Arthritis Care &amp; Research.</a>

Increased servings of fish were linked with incrementally lower levels of disease activity, according to the study of 176 patients.

Frequency of fish consumption was assessed by a food frequency questionnaire assessing usual diet in the past year, the study said.

"If our finding holds up in other studies, it suggests that fish consumption may lower inflammation related to rheumatoid arthritis disease activity," said Sara Tedeschi, lead author of the study and a rheumatologist at <a href="https://hms.harvard.edu/">Harvard Medical School</a> and <a href="http://www.brighamandwomens.org/">Brigham and Women’s Hospital</a> in Boston. "Fish consumption has been noted to have many beneficial health effects, and our findings may give patients with rheumatoid arthritis a strong reason to increase fish consumption."

It’s the latest study outlining potential benefits of eating fish.

Eating plenty of salmon, mackerel and sardines prevents Alzheimer’s disease by boosting blood flow, according to a recent study published in the <a href="http://www.j-alz.com/">Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease</a>.

Using brain scans, researchers found that omega-3 fatty acids in oily fish can actually increase blood flow to the parts of the brain that control memory and learning. These are also the very same regions that are attacked by Alzheimer's.

People who eat a lot of oily fish are also better at acquiring and understanding new information, the study said. They are also better at acquiring and understanding knowledge, the researchers found.

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley, </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www.wiley.com/">Wiley</a>

Why eating fish may ease arthritis symptoms

Eating fish has been shown to have many health benefits...

A team of scientists in Japan have identified multiple active compounds in a traditional plant medicine that both strengthen memory and reduce Alzheimer’s disease characteristics in mice. 

The discovery was made possible by a new technique innovated by the researchers that allowed them to isolate and identify active compounds in plant medicines that, in turn, account for drug behavior in the body.

The plant medicine, known as Drynaria Rhizome, has been used by humans for many years to help cope with a variety of ailments. 

While many plant compounds have little to no effect on the body, others can have an important, therapeutic effect. If those compounds can be isolated, they can be used in new medicines. 

Still, once these compounds enter the body, enzymes can reduce their effectiveness. Additionally, certain parts of the body like the brain can be very difficult for the drugs to access.

"The candidate compounds identified in traditional benchtop drug screens of plant medicines are not always true active compounds, because these assays ignore bio-metabolism and tissue distribution," said Chihiro Tohda, senior author of the study. "So, we aimed to develop more efficient methods to identify authentic active compounds that take these factors into account."

To test the active compounds in Drynaria Rhizome, the scientists used mice who possessed a genetic mutation as a model for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/lack-sleep-eat-brain/">Alzheimer's disease</a>. After treating the mice with the compounds orally and examining their brain tissue several hours later, they found that three compounds had made to to the brain. As a result, the plant treatment reduced both memory impairment and levels of amyloid and tau proteins, which build up and block memory. 

The researchers are hopeful that the breakthrough technique can be used to identify further Alzheimer’s disease treatments.

"We are applying this method to discover <a href="https://medicalxpress.com/tags/new+drugs/">new drugs</a> for other diseases such as spinal cord injury, depression and sarcopenia," explains Tohda.

--

By <a href="mailto:rarnold@earth.com">Rory Arnold</a>, <a href="http://earth.com/staff">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www.frontiersin.org/">Frontiers</a>

Breakthrough plant compounds could help treat Alzheimer’s disease

A team of scientists in Japan have identified multiple active...

A recent article published in <a href="http://journal.frontiersin.org/journal/sociology">Frontiers in Sociology</a> explores the definition and origin of music, and raises the question of whether music has always been of great significance to humans. Author Jeremy Montagu determines that music brings people together, and represents the stories of human lives and traditions. 

Music can be defined differently by each individual. To Montagu, music is “sound that conveys emotion.” Music obviously involves sound but Montagu believes there is meaning to the sound. He says the emotion behind sound has “an infinite range of possibilities,” from pleasure to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/yoga-lower-back-pain-therapy/">pain</a>. 

Speech, which also conveys emotion, can vary in pitch the same way music does. It seems that, in order for music to be distinguished from speech, it must have a rhythm or at least a pattern. However, Montagu points out that speech may also have patterns and rhythms such as those used in poetry recital. He says it is up to each individual to classify what is heard as music or speech. 

When questioning whether music can be defined as organized, Montagu applies his expertise. He is an ethno-organologist who studies the history of musical instruments worldwide. He determines that “organization may be regarded as desirable for musical sound, but it cannot be deemed essential.”

To answer the question of when our ancestors began singing, scientists studied the fossilized skulls and jaws of apes from a million years ago and found they contained the anatomy that is needed to sing. This means the capability to sing was passed down to Neanderthals, yet there is no way to know if they did.

Rhythm is a key component of music. While sticks and soft materials that may have been used in ancient times to make music cannot be tracked down, what have survived are bone pipes. Some of the earliest bone pipes ever found are made from swan and vulture wing bones and are between 39,000 and 43,000 years old. There is also evidence of  "rock gongs," stalactites that were stuck together in caves, which date back 12,000 years. 

Why has music persisted for so long? Montagu explains, “There are four evident purposes for music: dance, ritual, entertainment personal, and communal, and above all social cohesion.”

Montagu believes the main reason that music persists is because it joins people together.

"Music leads to bonding, such as bonding between mother and child or bonding between groups," explains Montagu.

"It has even been suggested that music, in causing such bonding, created not only the family but society itself, bringing individuals together who might otherwise have led solitary lives."

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Source: <a href="http://journal.frontiersin.org/journal/sociology">Frontiers in Sociology</a>

How music has a long history of bringing people together

A recent article published in Frontiers in Sociology explores the...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prrq8Ql81zk
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Acid rain and a crisis solved.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-don-t-we-ever-hear-about-acid-rain-anymore-the-environmental-crisis-that-was-solved">Why don't we ever hear about "acid rain" anymore? The environmental crisis that was solved</h2>



Remember the 1980s when acid rain dominated headlines? Dire warnings about rain eating buildings, killing fish, and destroying forests filled every news cycle. Then, almost like magic, acid rain vanished from public discourse. What happened? Did we actually solve one of the late 20th century's most pressing environmental challenges?



The answer might surprise you. Unlike many environmental issues that drag on indefinitely, acid rain represents one of modern history's most successful ecological recovery stories. It's a tale of science, politics, and technology working together to tackle what seemed impossible.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What was acid rain?</h2>



Acid rain isn't regular rain having a bad day – it's precipitation that became significantly more acidic due to air pollution. When power plants, factories, and vehicles burn fossil fuels, they release sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) into the atmosphere.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The science behind it</h2>



Think of acid rain as nature's chemistry experiment gone wrong. These compounds react with water, oxygen, and other chemicals to form sulfuric and nitric acids. When mixed with water vapor in clouds, they create precipitation with dangerously low pH levels.



While clean rain has a pH of about 5.6, acid rain could drop as low as 4.2 to 4.4 – roughly as acidic as tomato juice or coffee. According to US Geological Survey documentation, Scottish chemist Angus Smith first coined "acid rain" in 1872, but it didn't become a household phrase until the 1960s and 1970s when Swedish scientist Svante Odén documented its devastating effects on Scandinavian lakes and European forests.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The crisis at its peak</h2>



During the height of public concern, environmental damage was both widespread and visible. This wasn't some abstract future threat – people could see destruction happening in real-time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Environmental devastation</h2>



The most dramatic impacts were impossible to ignore. Research documented by the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation shows that in the Adirondack Mountains, more than 200 lakes became so acidic they couldn't support fish life. The Adirondack Council reports that 409 lakes once supported brook trout, but many lost their fish populations due to acid rain.



By 1976, when scientists cataloged all acidified lakes in the Adirondack Park, researchers found that half of the lakes over 2,000 feet above sea level had no fish, according to studies published in environmental journals. The acidification process worked like a slow-motion disaster. As acid rain fell into watersheds, it gradually lowered pH levels. Fish couldn't survive in acidic water, and their food sources died off too.



Trees at high elevations showed stress directly linked to acid rain. It weakened them by leaching nutrients and making them susceptible to disease. Historical records show Germany's Black Forest saw nearly half its trees damaged by the mid-1980s.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Economic impact</h2>



Acid rain wasn't just environmental – it was expensive. Acidic precipitation corroded infrastructure, buildings, and monuments. Historic stone structures deteriorated at accelerated rates. Tourism suffered as lakes became fishless and forests declined. EPA economic analyses from the period documented repair costs mounting into billions annually.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The solution: government action and technology</h2>



Transformation from crisis to success required unprecedented cooperation between governments, industries, and environmental groups.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Clean Air Act of 1990</h2>



The turning point came with the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, signed by President George H.W. Bush. This represented a fundamentally new approach to environmental regulation, as documented in EPA historical records.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Cap-and-trade success</h2>



Instead of mandating specific technologies, the 1990 amendments introduced something revolutionary: a cap-and-trade system for sulfur dioxide emissions. EPA program documentation shows this market-based approach set overall limits but allowed companies to trade emission allowances.



The genius was harnessing market forces to find cost-effective pollution reduction. Companies reducing emissions cheaply could sell excess allowances to those facing higher costs. Research published in environmental economics journals and EPA progress reports shows this resulted in dramatic SO2 reduction at a fraction of projected costs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Technology advances</h2>



Policy provided the framework, but technology made reductions possible. Studies in atmospheric science journals document the widespread adoption of flue gas desulfurization systems ("scrubbers") that removed sulfur dioxide before it reached the atmosphere. By the 2000s, new installations could remove over 95% of SO2 emissions, according to EPA technical reports.



The push coincided with cleaner energy development. Natural gas produces fewer sulfur compounds than coal. Wind and solar, emerging in the 1990s, captured growing market share, reducing reliance on high-sulfur coal.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-we-don-t-hear-about-it-today">Why we don't hear about it today</h2>



Why did acid rain disappear from headlines? Simple: the problem was largely solved.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Success doesn't make news</h2>



There's an old journalism saying: "If it bleeds, it leads." Environmental success stories don't generate urgency like crisis reporting. Media attention shifted to other challenges: climate change, plastic pollution, and biodiversity loss. There's only so much environmental anxiety the public can absorb, and newer concerns replaced acid rain.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Mission accomplished</h2>



The primary reason is beautifully simple: interventions worked. EPA monitoring data shows sulfur dioxide emissions dropped over 90% since 1990. Academic research published in environmental science journals confirms pH levels in formerly affected areas returned closer to normal. This represents one of history's most dramatic environmental recoveries. Studies by the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation show fishless lakes now support healthy populations. Forests recovered, and building damage slowed dramatically.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-is-it-really-gone">Is it really gone?</h2>



The crisis is largely resolved, but monitoring data shows the problem isn't completely eliminated – it's managed to acceptable levels. Some areas still experience occasional events during high pollution periods. International environmental research indicates that rapidly industrializing Asian countries face similar problems to what we experienced decades ago, though they're implementing successful strategies.



EPA research shows nitrogen oxide emissions proved more challenging than sulfur dioxide, coming from vehicles and mobile sources. Climate science studies suggest changing weather patterns add complexity to how acid rain forms and falls.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What this teaches us</h2>



The acid rain experience proves that seemingly intractable environmental problems can be solved with scientific understanding, political will, and technological innovation. Environmental monitoring data shows recovery speed was remarkable – within a decade, measurable improvements appeared in air quality and ecosystem health.



Success came from bipartisan support across party lines. Policy analysis studies show the market-based approach appealed to those preferring economic incentives while achieving environmental goals. This support created lasting policy surviving political changes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Conclusion</h2>



Acid rain's disappearance from public consciousness represents environmental science's greatest success stories. Through effective regulation, technological innovation, and international cooperation, we transformed an overwhelming crisis into a manageable challenge.



Today's silence isn't because we forgot – it's because we solved it. The 1990 Clean Air Act, combined with technology and energy market changes, reduced acid rain emissions over 90%, according to comprehensive EPA data analysis.



This success offers hope for current challenges. It proves complex problems can be solved when science, policy, and technology work together. As we face climate change and plastic pollution, acid rain reminds us that dramatic positive change is possible.



Next time someone asks whether environmental regulations work, remember acid rain. It's proof that sometimes, we get it right.



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



Sources: This article draws from EPA official documentation and progress reports, peer-reviewed research published in environmental and atmospheric science journals, historical data from the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation records, US Geological Survey publications, policy analysis studies, and environmental monitoring data collected over three decades.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Frequently Asked Questions</h2>



1. Is acid rain completely gone? No, but EPA monitoring shows it's reduced to manageable levels. US sulfur dioxide emissions dropped over 90% since 1990, making acid rain much less severe than the 1980s crisis.



2. How long did solving take? Environmental monitoring data shows significant improvements began within 5-10 years of 1990s emission controls. Full ecosystem recovery took longer – some areas need 20-30 years for complete recovery.



3. What made the solution successful? Clear scientific understanding, visible damage motivating action, bipartisan support, available technology, and innovative market-based policies like cap-and-trade.



4. Do other countries have acid rain problems? Yes, particularly rapidly industrializing Asian countries. However, international environmental research shows many implement similar successful control strategies.



5. Could acid rain return? Potentially, if regulations weaken or we return to high-sulfur coal without controls, though effects would take years to become severe according to environmental projections.



6. Can you recommend any teaching tools on the subject of "acid rain"? The United States Environmental Protection Agency produced a wonderful teacher's guide for ages 14 and under that you can find on the EPA website here: <a href="https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-03/documents/teachersguide.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-03/documents/teachersguide.pdf</a>



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The environmental problem we actually solved

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prrq8Ql81zk Acid rain and a crisis solved. Why don't we...

Fresh,Radish,Harvest,On,Soil,In,Garden.

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https://youtu.be/Fi2OeEwuzRM?si=vTyd2m9FMmtyWkex
</div></figure>







Mid-July is an opportune time to kick-start a thriving fall garden, and this guide lays out the best vegetables and herbs to plant now for a fruitful autumn harvest. 



Fast-growing leafy greens such as spinach, lettuce, kale, and arugula perform especially well in the waning summer heat, with harvests beginning as soon as 30 days. 



These cool-season crops relish the transition into fall, offering repeated yields with cut-and-come-again methods.



Root vegetables like radishes, carrots, and beets also excel during this period. Radishes deliver satisfaction in under a month, while carrots and beets mature in about two months. Employing succession planting ensures a continuous stream of produce deep into the cooler months. 



For a boost of fresh flavor, herbs like cilantro, basil, dill, and chervil are excellent picks. These heat-loving varieties flourish in July’s warmth and are harvest-ready in about 30 days, especially when sown continuously.



Gardeners in zones 6 through 9 can benefit from planting bush beans and snap peas, which don’t require trellising and are ideal for compact plots. 



Maturing in 50–60 days, they’re a smart choice for quick, protein-rich harvests. For those in hotter regions, heat-tolerant crops such as okra and southern peas provide reliable yields and thrive in scorching conditions.



This guide emphasizes more than crop selection—it highlights the importance of timing, soil preparation, and ongoing sowing techniques. 



With thoughtful planning and attention to regional climate needs, even late-summer gardeners can enjoy fresh salads, hearty stews, and the satisfaction of a robust, homegrown harvest well into fall.



-----



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What to plant in your garden in mid-July

https://youtu.be/Fi2OeEwuzRM?si=vTyd2m9FMmtyWkex Mid-July is an opportune time to kick-start a thriving...

Green,Ecoduct,Over,An,Empty,Highway,During,Sunset.

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https://youtu.be/XYgiPzmNBTU?si=eFYY7gPHU1JznLvU
</div></figure>



A new long-term study in Monkton, Vermont, reveals that wildlife tunnels significantly reduce amphibian road mortality during seasonal migrations. 



Frogs and salamanders often cross roads to reach breeding ponds each spring, but many are killed by vehicles. 



Researchers from the <a href="https://www.uvm.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Vermont</a>, in collaboration with local citizens and the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, installed two underpass tunnels in 2015. 



Over a 12-year monitoring period, they observed an 80.2% reduction in amphibian deaths, and up to 94% for non-climbing species like salamanders. 



The study used a before-after-control-impact design and documented more than 5,200 amphibians, highlighting the tunnels’ effectiveness even in nearby buffer zones.



Funded at $342,397 - far cheaper than wildlife crossings for large mammals - the project showcased the power of community-led conservation.



Local groups initiated the effort after observing mass amphibian deaths. Wildlife cameras later captured over 2,200 amphibians using a tunnel in just one spring, along with other species like raccoons and bobcats, indicating wider ecosystem benefits.



This marks the first peer-reviewed, long-term data set in the northeastern U.S. confirming amphibian-specific underpasses work. 



The study urges transportation departments to incorporate these designs into road planning and highlights how community action, thoughtful infrastructure, and persistence can make a real difference for biodiversity.



The full study was published in the <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1617138125000780" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal for Nature Conservation</a>.



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-----

Wildlife tunnels save millions of amphibians

https://youtu.be/XYgiPzmNBTU?si=eFYY7gPHU1JznLvU A new long-term study in Monkton, Vermont, reveals that...

Scientists are transforming chocolate into a functional food by infusing it with probiotics and prebiotics, aiming to create a treat that satisfies cravings while supporting gut health. 



The challenge lies in maintaining chocolate's beloved texture and flavor while adding health benefits.



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https://youtu.be/Ug657J67iEo?si=w96YjGMsg939LD_3
</div></figure>



Probiotics - beneficial microbes that balance gut bacteria and aid digestion - are typically fragile and can be destroyed by stomach acid or processing. 



Prebiotics act as food for these microbes, helping them thrive. Together, they form "synbiotics," a powerful health combination.



Researchers Smriti Gaur and Shubhi Singh from India's Jaypee Institute of Information Technology took an innovative approach, using natural prebiotics like corn and honey instead of complex processing methods. 



They created five chocolate varieties: a control and four synbiotic versions containing different combinations of prebiotics, probiotics (Lactobacillus strains), and flavor enhancers (cinnamon or orange).



Laboratory simulations of human digestion showed the probiotics remained viable for over five hours, suggesting they could survive long enough to benefit gut health.



Taste tests were positive, with researchers particularly enjoying the orange-flavored variety, describing it as having "vibrant citrus notes" complementing the "rich cocoa" with a "luxurious" texture.



This research represents just the beginning. With further refinement of strains, textures, and flavors, chocolate could evolve beyond mere indulgence to become a functional food that nourishes while it delights.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsfoodscitech.4c00741" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ACS Food Science &amp; Technology</a>.

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

Scientists are transforming chocolate into a functional food by infusing...

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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

[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



---



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="3upvlAaHgO-2256633-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="3upvlAaHgO-2256633-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.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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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky" Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features northwest Lesotho in South Africa.



According to ESA, Lesotho is the only nation in the world that lies completely above 1,000 m in elevation. The country is famous for its tall mountains and narrow valleys, and is known as Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky."



Out of a population of around two million people, about 80 percent live in rural areas. More than 75 percent of these people are engaged in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-will-have-a-global-impact-on-agriculture/">agriculture</a>, including rainfed cereal production and animal grazing.&nbsp;



ESA reports that the country’s agricultural system faces a growing number of issues, with climate-related vulnerabilities such as drought, floods and extreme temperatures occurring more frequently. 



Diamonds are amongst the minerals found in the mountains. Indeed, Lesotho can truly be called the Kingdom in the Sky. Beautiful, culturally rich, safe, affordable, and easily accessible from Durban and Johannesburg, mountainous Lesotho is a vastly underrated travel destination. the Kingdom of Lesotho (Sotho: 'Muso oa Lesotho) is an enclaved country in southern Africa. It is just over 30,000 km2 (11,583 sq mi) in size and has a population of around 2 million.



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&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> Staff Writer 



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.

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

[sendtonews key="0879czfG3k-1785905-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from NASA...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the Pyrenees Mountains, which form a natural boundary between France and Spain in southwest Europe.



The mountain range is 430 kilometers in length. It stretches from the Mediterranean Sea on the east to the Atlantic Ocean on the west.



At an elevation of 3404 meters, Pico de Aneto is the highest mountain peak in the Pyrenees, and the third-highest peak in Spain. Pico de Aneto is located in the Posets-Maladeta Natural Park, which spans more than 82,000 acres.&nbsp;



"Geological studies have revealed that the Pyrenees Mountains have been around for longer than the Alps, with their sediments first deposited in coastal basins during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras," reports ESA.



"The entire mountain range formed due to the upwelling of large sedimentary rocks by the collision of the Iberian and the Eurasian plate around 100 to 150 million years ago, followed by intense erosion from ice and water."



The western Pyrenees receive more precipitation due to moisture blowing in from the Atlantic Ocean. The mountain range contains many lakes, several small glaciers, and some of the highest waterfalls in Europe.



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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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"

[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



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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://welcome.miami.edu/">University of Miami</a> Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science explores how changes in water temperatures have affected tiger shark habitats and movements in the North Atlantic Ocean. The study reveals that rising temperatures have caused the sharks to shift toward the poles over the past 40 years.



“Tiger shark annual migrations have expanded poleward, paralleling rising water temperatures,” explained study lead author Neil Hammerschlag. “These results have consequences for tiger shark conservation, since shifts in their movements outside of marine protected areas may leave them more vulnerable to commercial fishing.”



The researchers analyzed nine years of tracking data from satellite-tagged tiger sharks, combined with four decades of conventional tag and recapture data provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Cooperative Shark Tagging Program.



The experts found that during the last decade of record heat, for every one-degree Celsius increase in water temperatures, tiger sharks migrated further poleward by over 400 kilometers. They also migrated two weeks earlier than usual to waters off the northeastern coast of the United States.



“Given their role as apex predators, these changes to tiger shark movements may alter predator-prey interactions, leading to ecological imbalances, and more frequent encounters with humans,” concluded Professor Hammerschlag.



Video Credit: University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science



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



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Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

Today’s Video of the Day from the University of Miami...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> is focused on the melt ponds that emerge during the spring and summer on the Greenland Ice Sheet, which is the largest ice mass in the northern hemisphere.



"Melt ponds are vast pools of open water that form on both sea ice and ice sheets and are visible as turquoise-blue pools of water in this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image," says ESA.



"When snow and ice melts atop glaciers, water flows in channels and streams and collects in depressions on the surface. These melt ponds can speed up the melting of the surrounding ice since they greatly reduce the ice’s ability to reflect sunlight."



"This can create a positive feedback where an increasing number of melt ponds absorb more heat which causes ice cover to melt even faster."



According to ESA, Greenland has been hit with a late-season heatwave that began in early September. This caused the type of melt event that usually occurs in the middle of summer.



"In a recent paper published in Nature Climate Change, scientists found that major sea-level rise from the melting of the Greenland ice cap is now ‘inevitable’ even if the burning of fossil fuels were to halt overnight," says ESA. "Using satellite observations of Greenland ice loss and ice cap from 2000 to 2019, the team found the losses will lead to a minimum rise of 27 cm regardless of climate change."



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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Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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