Tiny bits of plastic no wider than a human hair have turned up in some unexpected places, including the human bloodstream. 



Now, data presented at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology meeting shows that these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/microplastics-spread-deep-into-the-ocean-far-below-the-surface/">fragments</a> have breached the fluids that surround eggs and travel with sperm.



The research team led by Dr. Emilio Gómez‑Sánchez of Next Fertility Murcia in Spain scanned <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/follicular-fluid" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">follicular fluid</a> from 29 women and seminal fluid from 22 men.



The experts found microplastics in 69 percent of the women and 55 percent of the men they studied. According to Dr. Gómez‑Sánchez, the team was surprised to find that the particles were so widespread.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-plastics-in-human-reproductive-fluids">Plastics in human reproductive fluids</h2>



The study detected polymers such as <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/polytetrafluoroethylene" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">polytetrafluoroethylene</a> and <a href="https://adrecoplastics.co.uk/polypropylene-uses/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">polypropylene</a>, materials better known for slick frying pans and food packaging. Seeing them next to human eggs turns a theoretical hazard into a measurable one.



Back in 2021, Italian obstetricians spotted twelve plastic fragments in every placenta they examined, confirming that particles smaller than five millimeters can cross the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33395930/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">maternal‑fetal boundary</a>.



Similarly sized particles have been uncovered deep in <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35364151/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lung tissue</a> removed during surgery, proving that inhalation is a realistic delivery route for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/simple-way-to-remove-microplastics-from-tap-water-home-faucet/">plastic</a> dust.



Researchers in the Netherlands have even measured plastic mass circulating in human blood samples, an <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35367073/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">observation</a> that explains how fragments migrate to distant tissues.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-plastics-enter-the-human-body">How plastics enter the human body</h2>



Most people take in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/microplastics-in-human-brains-may-affect-mental-health/">plastic</a> flecks by eating, drinking, or breathing, because everyday products shed invisible dust whenever they are heated, abraded, or exposed to sunlight. 



Once swallowed or inhaled, particles small enough can slip through the gut wall or the thin air‑blood membrane in the lungs.



Animal studies suggest that fragments under one micrometer can enter cells directly, whereas larger shards get trapped in tissue and spark local irritation. Either way, they bypass the body’s usual waste filters.



Laboratory work on mice shows that digestive uptake rises when <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/airborne-microplastics-where-they-come-from-and-where-they-go/">microplastics</a> hitchhike on fats, a detail that matters for fertility research because reproductive hormones ride on similar lipid highways. 



The overlap raises worry that plastics may act as endocrine mimics or carriers for other chemicals.



Dr. Gómez‑Sánchez’s team avoided laboratory contamination by collecting every human sample in glass vials and verifying the absence of background plastic. This means the polymers they found were genuine residents, not stray lab dust.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-plastic-harms-fertility">Plastic harms fertility</h2>



Mice exposed to polystyrene fragments shed sperm with damaged DNA and sluggish movement, effects traced to <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31896473/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">oxidative stress</a> that overwhelms antioxidant defenses.



Separate <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36948006/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">work</a> on rodent Leydig cells shows shriveled mitochondria after nanoplastic exposure, which throttles testosterone production and shrinks litter sizes.



Reviews published in 2024 concluded that microplastics can disrupt the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38750730/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hypothalamic‑pituitary‑gonadal axis</a>, leading to hormonal imbalances and faulty egg maturation.



Because human oocytes develop over months, chronic exposure could matter more than a short spike. That makes the repeated detection of PTFE in both eggs and sperm especially noteworthy.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-plastic-levels-in-eggs-and-sperm">Plastic levels in eggs and sperm</h2>



In the current data set, PTFE appeared in 31 percent of sampled egg fluid and 41 percent of semen. PP ranked second among women and <a href="https://www.chemicalsafetyfacts.org/chemicals/polystyrene/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">polystyrene</a> second among men, with <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/polyethylene-terephthalate" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">polyethylene terephthalate</a> also present but in smaller numbers.



Annual plastic output has climbed from under two million tons in 1950 to about 460 million in 2019, a 230‑fold jump documented by the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36969097/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Minderoo‑Monaco Commission on Plastics and Human Health</a>.



Each uptick in production increases litter, weathering, and fragment release, tightening the feedback loop between plastics and people. Reproductive cells, delicate by design, stand on the front line.



Gómez‑Sánchez reported that most reproductive samples contained only one or two plastic particles, amounts considered low compared with overall debris in the fluids. Yet fertility specialists note that even trace metals can derail embryo development, so particle counts alone may not predict risk.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-human-fertility-research-must-include-plastics">Human fertility research must include plastics</h2>



“They should be considered an additional argument in favor of avoiding the generalized use of plastics in our daily lives,” said Professor Carlos Calhaz‑Jorge of the University of Lisbon. He also noted that further research is needed to prove causation.



The research team will now study hundreds of patients and link particle loads to embryo quality during <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/22457-ivf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">in vitro fertilization cycles</a>. Those correlations could supply the first direct human evidence beyond laboratory rodents.



They plan lifestyle questionnaires to test whether habits such as heavy bottled‑water use or microwaving food in plastic correlate with higher particle counts. The approach could convert abstract exposure theory into personal advice.



“Microplastics are just one variable in a complex equation,” said Dr. Gómez‑Sánchez. He urges moderation of plastic use rather than alarm. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-simple-habits-to-lower-exposure">Simple habits to lower exposure</h2>



Switching from plastic bottles to glass or stainless steel lowers ingestion because heat and time no longer leach particles from container walls. Replacing scratched nonstick pans can cut PTFE flakes in the diet.



Researchers advise skipping plastic cutting boards and using ceramic or bamboo instead, because knife action liberates shavings that cling to food. Letting take‑out cool before transferring it from polystyrene boxes also helps.



Air purifiers with HEPA filters capture airborne fibers shed by synthetic textiles, a step especially useful for nurseries. Regular vacuuming with a sealed system keeps particles from resuspending.



These tweaks are not foolproof, yet they come with side benefits like removing chemical additives that ride on plastic dust. They buy time while science sorts out the clinical stakes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-efforts-to-cut-human-plastics-pollution">Efforts to cut human plastics pollution</h2>



Public‑health researchers argue that personal choices alone cannot outrun a supply chain making more than a billion pounds of new plastic every day. 



Negotiators at the United Nations are hammering out a global treaty that could cap production and streamline recycling.



<a href="https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/schools/morrissey/departments/biology/people/faculty-directory/Phil-Landrigan.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dr. Philip Landrigan</a> of Boston College calls the treaty a once‑in‑a‑generation chance to protect human health, because curbing output remains the only sure way to slow microplastic fallout. He points to the emerging fertility data as evidence that time is short.



Whether lawmakers act or not, the science of sub‑visible plastic is moving fast thanks to sharper imaging tools and nanomechanical sensors. Studies that once took months now finish in days, filling the literature with fresh clues.



Every new dataset sharpens the same picture: plastics weather into dust, the dust goes everywhere, and living tissue keeps no closed doors. Eggs and sperm, it turns out, are no exception.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://academic.oup.com/humrep#google_vignette" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Human Reproduction</a>.



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Tiny plastic particles found in human egg and sperm fluids

Tiny bits of plastic no wider than a human hair have turned up in some unexpected places, including the human bloodstream. Now, data presented at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology meeting shows that these fragments have breached the fluids that surround eggs and travel with sperm. The research team led by Dr. Emilio Gómez‑Sánchez of Next Fertility Murcia in Spain scanned follicular fluid from 29 women and seminal fluid from 22 men. The experts found microplastics in 69 percent of the women and 55...

As plastic pollution reaches alarming levels in ecosystems worldwide, a new study traces this crisis back to decades of industrial growth.



The research, led by an interdisciplinary team of Penn State researchers, explores the rise of microplastics in freshwater environments and links it to a global increase in plastic production since the 1950s.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tracking-freshwater-microplastics">Tracking freshwater microplastics </h2>



The exports tracked microplastic levels in freshwater sediment back to the mid-20th century. They uncovered a clear link between rising microplastic concentrations and the global surge in plastic manufacturing.



“Ours is one of the first to track microplastic levels in freshwater sediment from before the 1950s to today, showing that concentrations rise in line with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plastic-production-increases-create-identical-plastic-pollution-increase/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">plastic production</a>," said Nathaniel Warner, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at Penn State.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-focus-of-the-research">Focus of the research </h2>



Microplastics are minute particles of plastic that range from one hundredth the width of a human hair to roughly the size of a pencil eraser.



The study was primarily focused on sediment cores from four watersheds in Pennsylvania: Kiskiminetas River, Blacklick Creek, Raystown Lake, and Darby Creek. 



Interestingly, the team discovered that regardless of the population density or land use, high levels of microplastics could be found.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-recycling-landscape-and-plastic-build-up">The recycling landscape and plastic build-up</h2>



Lisa Emili, associate professor of physical geography and environmental studies at Penn State Altoona, explained how the findings differed from previous studies.



“Based on other findings in the literature, what we thought would be important turned out not to be driving forces in microplastic variation across sites, notably the percentage of microplastics related to developed area and population density," said Emili.



The researchers found a decrease in microplastic accumulation from 2010 to 2020, a timeline that seems to align with increased <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/u-s-plastic-recycling-dropped-under-six-percent-in-2021/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">recycling</a> efforts. 



Observations from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency support this finding. The agency reported substantial expansion in plastic recycling efforts from 1980 to 2010.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-mystery-of-missing-plastic">The mystery of missing plastic </h2>



Raymond Najjar, professor of oceanography at Penn State, believes this study can clarify the "<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ocean-interior-has-accumulated-missing-plastics/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">missing plastics</a>" paradox. This refers to the disparity between the estimated amounts of plastic waste entering the ocean annually and the visible amount that can be found floating on the ocean's surface.



Professor Najjar suggested that estuaries, particularly tidal marshes, could be trapping river-borne plastics preventing them from reaching the ocean. 



"This could explain why there is far less plastic floating around in the surface ocean compared to how much is expected to be there given the input to the ocean from rivers," said Professor Najjar.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-need-to-reduce-plastic-consumption">Need to reduce plastic consumption </h2>



The research team predicts continued growth of microplastic concentrations in both water and sediment.



"<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/contamination-crisis-microplastics-found-in-88-of-protein-sources/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Humans are ingesting plastic when they eat</a> and drink and inhaling it when they breathe, and the long-term impacts are just beginning to be studied," said Warner. 



"However, we need to figure out how to release less plastic into the environment and how to reduce consumption and exposure.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-study-implications-and-future-research-directions">Study implications and future research directions</h2>



Bringing together an interdisciplinary team from three campuses, five colleges, and five disciplines, Emili highlighted the significance of this collaboration. 



“We brought together complementary skillsets from our fields of chemistry, engineering, hydrology, oceanography and soil science."



Emili also mentioned that the research project was initially funded with an Institute of Energy and the Environment seed grant, which "served as an ‘incubator’ for a continuation and expansion of our work exploring the fate and transport of microplastics in freshwater environments, with a particular focus on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coastal-lagoons-have-high-loads-of-microplastics/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">coastal locations</a>.”



Going forward, Professor Warner hopes to investigate how the composition and types of microplastics have evolved over time. He also wants to assess how the associated health risks have unfolded.



The research was supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation, Penn State’s Commonwealth Campus Center Nodes (C3N) Program, and the Institute of Energy and the Environment.



Ultimately, the study aims to expand our understanding of the land-to-sea pathway of microplastics and inspire long-term solutions to reduce pollution and its associated health risks.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0048969724067755" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science of The Total Environment</a>.



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Microplastics are steadily increasing in freshwater environments

As plastic pollution reaches alarming levels in ecosystems worldwide, a...

Not long ago, the common belief was that only a subset of media consumers - often less educated and highly biased - would let their political allegiance override the truth. They would believe the news that favors their political inclinations, even if it wasn't authentic.



Then some intriguing studies emerged which indicated quite the opposite. The research suggested that media consumers across the spectrum value truth over partisanship.



The studies proclaimed that the authenticity of news was more influential than its alignment with a consumer's political views by more than four times.



However, as we stand on the brink of a national election fraught with misinformation, a fresh study shakes this understanding to its core.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-news-and-political-views">News and political views</h2>



The research, led by top psychology scholars at Stanford University, suggests that the masses tend to prioritize partisanship over truth when <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/political-views-change-our-perception-of-the-past-and-future/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">consuming news</a>.



Quite unexpectedly, this behavioral pattern spans across all political orientations, educational backgrounds, and reasoning capabilities.



Study lead author Michael Schwalbe is a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Psychology at the School of Humanities and Sciences at <a href="http://www.stanford.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stanford University</a>.



"We saw an effect of people being more influenced by political alignment than truth," said Schwalbe. 



"We saw it on both political sides and even among people who scored well on a reasoning test. We were a bit surprised to see how widespread this tendency was. People were engaging in a lot of resistance to inconvenient truths."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-pervasive-problem-across-political-parties">Pervasive problem across political parties</h2>



The researchers unearthed intriguing ways in which political views and partisanship can impact the analysis of news. 



In one measure of bias, people's beliefs about the impartiality of their political side compared to their rivals were assessed. Ironically, those who were most confident in their side's neutrality were the most biased.



Furthermore, partisanship seemed to have a more robust effect on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-opinions-swing-voting-and-elections-in-the-u-s/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">processing real news</a> than fake news. People demonstrated a higher propensity to reject true information that challenged their political views and accept false information that supported their ideological stances.



"Everyone thinks it's the other person who is the problem," said Geoffrey L. Cohen, the James G. March Professor of Organizational Studies in Education and Business, professor of psychology in H&amp;S, and senior author of the study. 



"People say, 'Not me!' But it turns out, like with a lot of social psychological research, it's actually a pretty pervasive problem across political parties and up and down the educational ladder. The problem isn't just misinformation but the filters of our own mind - perhaps more so."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-news-sources-and-political-beliefs">News sources and political beliefs</h2>



The study is based on research conducted on a sample of the voting-age U.S. population, matched to the demographics of the census. This group included supporters and opponents of former President Donald Trump.



A distinctive aspect of this research is its deviation in methodology from previous studies. According to Cohen, this could be why the findings contradict them. While the other studies used existing news headlines, this research involved fabricated ones.



Also, in prior investigations, subjects could see the news sources, which may have influenced their acceptance or rejection of the information, whereas this study focused on the headlines alone.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-role-of-headlines">The role of headlines</h2>



The research team conjured fake headlines like "Trump Beats Grandmaster Chess Champion" and "Trump Attended Private Halloween Gala with Sex Orgies Dressed as the Pope." 



Surprisingly, the experts discovered that Trump's supporters and opponents were more likely to believe headlines that aligned with their views than to accept <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cities-are-largely-unprepared-for-the-effects-of-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">true headlines</a> that opposed their beliefs.



The researchers suggest that one contributing factor for this situation is the increased consumption of partisan media. 



"We found that the strongest predictors of bias include extreme views of Trump, a one-sided media diet, and belief in the objectivity and lack of bias of a person's own political side relative to the other side," Schwalbe said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-growing-concern-about-news-consumption">Growing concern about news consumption </h2>



The findings of this study underscore concerns about news consumption in the 21st century, especially with the advent of social media and the constant availability of political news. 



Gaining access to one-sided information has become easier, which can reinforce beliefs in personal objectivity and lead to deepened polarization over time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-possible-paths-to-improvement">Possible paths to improvement</h2>



Having identified the problem, the next logical step is to propose interventions. A measure suggested by Cohen, known as "pre-bunking," involves proactive fact-checking where media sources warn of potential misinformation, or people independently learn to recognize manipulation tactics.



However, Cohen and Schwalbe emphasized that the solution doesn't solely lie in policy changes focused on fake news; people are also biased in their disbelief of true news.



Accordingly, they highlight the significance of promoting intellectual humility, wherein media consumers acknowledge the fallibility of their minds and learn to question their perceptions.



"There's still much more to do to understand the problem," said Schwalbe. So, while this study forms a solid foundation for further exploration, there's no denying that we're only at the beginning of this investigative journey.



The study is published in the <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/2025-33892-004.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal of Experimental Psychology: General</a>. 



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People trust news that matches their political views, even when it's fake

Not long ago, the common belief was that only a...

The cooperative behavior of bees, resembling a singular "superorganism," is something uniquely remarkable in the world of nature.



It is not uncommon for thousands of worker bees to function collectively to protect the colony, feed it, and look after the offspring. This intricate social conduct unifies their individual actions into a concerted effort.



But how is this complex behavior encoded and inherited among generations of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/honey-bees-spread-viruses-to-bumblebees-in-the-spring/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">honey bees</a>? The answer lies in a special gene, as unveiled by a team of scientists.



The research was led by experts at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (<a href="https://www.hhu.de/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">HHU</a>), along with colleagues from Frankfurt/Main, Oxford, and Würzburg. The study has uncovered the genetic underpinnings of honey bee cooperation.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-genes-behind-cooperative-bee-behavior">Genes behind cooperative bee behavior</h2>



The principal investigator and the head of the Institute of Evolutionary Genetics at Heinrich-Heine University, Dr. Martin Beye, and his team have made this breakthrough discovery. The research was focused on a gene called "doublesex" or "dsx."



"The behavioral repertoire of the individual bees and their function in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/honey-bee-colonies-are-collapsing-as-climate-change-progresses/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">colony</a> are not learned, but rather inherited. Until now, it was not known how such complex behaviors were genetically encoded," said Dr. Beye.



The key discovery is that the dsx gene influences worker bee-specific behavior, noted study first author Dr. Vivien Sommer.



"The gene programs whether a worker bee takes up a task in the colony and for how long. This includes collective tasks such as caring for the larvae or foraging for food and social exchanges on food sources, for example," said Dr. Sommer. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-gene-editing-in-bees">Gene editing in bees</h2>



The team used the CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing technique to modify the dsx gene in select bees, attaching a QR code to the manipulated bees.



Cameras inside the hive monitored the bees' behavior, and with the assistance of artificial intelligence, video sequences were analyzed to determine individual behavioral patterns.



"Our central question was whether and how the inherited behavioral patterns changed as a result of the gene modification. Such changes must be reflected in the nervous system of the worker bees where the specific behaviour is controlled," said Dr. Sommer.



Adding a twist, the researchers introduced a green fluorescent protein (GFP) into the dsx sequence to visualize the neuronal circuits. 



They found that the dsx gene plays a crucial role in creating specific neural pathways in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/study-explores-the-basis-of-social-behavior-in-the-insect-brain/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bee’s brain</a>, according to doctoral researcher Jana Seiler, who is also a co-author of the study.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-new-chapter-in-bee-behavior">New chapter in bee behavior </h2>



"Our findings indicate a fundamental genetic program that determines the neuronal circuitry and behavior of worker bees," said Dr. Wolfgang Rössler, an expert in the Department of Behavioural Physiology and Sociobiology at the University of Würzburg.



The next challenge is to move from the individual honeybee to the whole bee colony and understand how the gene influences the “superorganism.” 



"We hope to find the link between individual programming and the coordinated behaviour of many individuals," said Alina Sturm, a doctoral researcher at HHU.



Revealing the genetic secret behind the collective behavior of honey bees is more than just a scientific breakthrough. It’s a tribute to the remarkable complexity of nature and its infinite capacity for surprise. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-broader-implications-of-bee-behavior">Broader implications of bee behavior</h2>



The discovery of a gene that influences honey bee behavior has implications beyond the study of bees.



Understanding how a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/a-single-gene-allows-cape-honey-bees-to-reproduce-asexually/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">single gene</a> can shape complex social dynamics could inspire innovations in fields such as robotics and artificial intelligence.



For example, roboticists often look to nature for insights into building more efficient, cooperative systems. The hive’s "superorganism" structure could serve as a model for developing autonomous swarm robots designed to work together toward a shared goal.



Additionally, the study of bee cooperation offers valuable insights for ecology and conservation. 



Honey bees play a critical role in pollination. Identifying the genetic foundations of their social behavior could lead to better strategies for supporting bee populations amid environmental threats.



By shedding light on the inner workings of the hive, this research adds a new dimension to preserving biodiversity and maintaining the stability of ecosystems that rely heavily on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-honey-bee-day-protecting-our-vital-pollinators/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pollinators</a>.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adp3953?adobe_mc=MCMID%3D91765132952246405812279585398434020131%7CMCORGID%3D242B6472541199F70A4C98A6%2540AdobeOrg%7CTS%3D1730680771" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science Advances</a>.



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Bees do not learn to be cooperative - it is in their genes

The cooperative behavior of bees, resembling a singular "superorganism," is...

Ever wondered about the fish you see leaping across rivers with a furious determination? These diligent creatures, including salmon and similar species, have one thing in common. They all face a significant life decision early on - whether to stay in the river or migrate to the sea and then return to procreate.



This choice is about survival and it's a tough one, as both paths come with their unique set of challenges.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-salmon-migrating-to-the-open-sea">Salmon migrating to the open sea</h2>



Salmon-like fish, known as salmonids, often choose to either stick around in their birthplace or adapt to the seawater of the open sea, returning to the river to lay their eggs later. 



This branching of strategies impacts how these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/large-fish-swarms-attract-predators-making-them-an-easy-target/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">fish communities</a> evolve over time, especially when we factor in their interplay with environmental conditions. 



This complex interaction could potentially shape individual traits, leading to a shift in the proportion of fish adopting the different pathways.



Such strategic divergences are not exceptional in the animal kingdom. However, how this sort of divergence affects population evolution is not entirely understood. So, researchers are diving into this topic to unravel the mysteries beneath these aquatic decisions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-residents-or-migrants">Residents or migrants?</h2>



To investigate, a team of researchers led by Jun-nosuke Horita from the Japan Weather Association, and Yuuya Tachiki, an assistant professor at <a href="https://www.tmu.ac.jp/english/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tokyo Metropolitan University</a>, developed a mathematical model.



The model incorporates known traits of a specific salmonid, the female masu salmon, and explores how populations evolve over time given the availability of alternative strategies.



Female masu salmon have three strategies to choose from. They can remain in the river where they were born (residents), migrate to the sea after a year (early migrants), or venture out into the sea at a later stage of their lives (late migrants). 



For simplicity, the research team modeled the salmon to be either resident or early migrants.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-salmon-size-in-open-sea">Salmon size in open sea</h2>



An intriguing aspect of the model was the inclusion of size distributions. Young salmon that are smaller are more prone to choose migrating over staying put. 



This study built upon known features of salmon demographics, including the number of eggs per individual and their survival rate. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-predicting-the-migratory-paths">Predicting the migratory paths</h2>



The results of the study were significant. The research team observed that under a broad range of parameters, a stable population was maintained. 



Interestingly, they also identified set conditions under which alternative strategies could be triggered. It was found that a river environment unfavorable for survival, coupled with a fertile sea environment, increased the likelihood of salmon migrating. 



When the survival rate of the arduous migration process plunges below a certain threshold, there is a sudden switch which leads to entire <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fish-find-new-ways-to-reproduce-in-response-to-predators/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">populations</a> opting to stay home and become residents.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-survival-evolution-and-environmental-changes">Survival, evolution, and environmental changes </h2>



The ability to predict how populations choose different migratory strategies is crucial for understanding eco-evolution.



This knowledge can help us comprehend how changes in our environment can impact the survival of these organisms. The team is hopeful that their work could be applied to assess and forecast how human-induced changes can affect animal populations.



So, the next time you spot a salmon leaping across the river, remember, it's not just a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ai-illuminates-fish-interactions-in-coral-reefs/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">fish</a> going against the flow; it's an individual caught in the intricate web of survival, evolution, and environmental changes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-salmon-evolving-in-seas">Salmon evolving in seas</h2>



The research has provided some valuable insights into the world of salmonids and their struggle between migrating and staying put. But it also raises questions about the impact of environmental changes on these aquatic beings.



"This model provides several insights into the eco-evolutionary response of the population to environmental change. For example, the increase in survivorship during migration increased the population size and the fraction of migrants as an ecological and evolutionary response, respectively," noted the researchers.



As we continue our journey of exploration and understanding, let's remember that the decisions we make and the actions we take today have a ripple effect on these fragile ecosystems. 



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://esj-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/1438-390X.12196" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Population Ecology</a>.



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How do salmon decide whether to venture out to sea?

Ever wondered about the fish you see leaping across rivers...

A growing body of research suggests that, like humans, animals also adjust their social behaviors as they age.&nbsp;



A special issue of <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/toc/rstb/2024/379/1916" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B</a> recently published 16 studies exploring this topic, with six led by the <a href="https://www.leeds.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Leeds</a>. 



The studies reveal how social patterns shift as animals grow older, providing insights into the potential biological and social benefits of these changes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-less-social-engagement-in-aging-red-deer">Less social engagement in aging red deer</h2>



One of the studies focused on red deer on Scotland’s Isle of Rum, particularly on the behavior of older female <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/deer-migration-is-driven-by-springtime-vegetation-patterns/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">deer</a>, or does. As the deer age, they interact less with their peers. This reduction in socialization may help them avoid competition and reduce their risk of parasite infection. 



Josh Firth from the University of Leeds, one of the editors of this special issue, highlighted that such behavior may be widespread across species, as it allows individuals to avoid health risks associated with social interactions.&nbsp;



“These kinds of effects might be expected across societies, where individuals might avoid social interactions as they become more vulnerable to the costs of infection,” Firth explained.



The shift in behavior among aging deer has parallels in human behavior, especially seen during the COVID-19 pandemic when many older adults limited their social activities to avoid exposure to illness.&nbsp;



“Wild animals provide a good model system for considering the costs and benefits of changing social behavior with age,” Firth added.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-house-sparrows-lose-social-connections-over-time">House sparrows lose social connections over time</h2>



Another notable study investigated how aging impacts social behavior in house <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sparrows-have-fewer-friends-as-they-age-just-like-most-people/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sparrows</a>. Research led by Julia Schroeder at <a href="https://www.imperial.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Imperial College London</a>, with additional input from Jamie Dunning, found that older sparrows tend to shrink their social circles. 



“Our study is one of the first to suggest that birds, like mammals, also reduce the size of their social network as they age,” Dunning said. This decline could be influenced by the deaths of peers and the challenges older birds face in forming new bonds.



The research on Lundy Island offered a unique setting, as the isolated population of sparrows has no birds entering or leaving, allowing scientists to monitor each bird’s social connections throughout its life.&nbsp;



According to Schroeder, understanding the dynamics of these aging friendships may shed light on how social patterns evolve among birds and even offer insights into similar behaviors in other species.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-broad-applications-across-species">Broad applications across species</h2>



These studies go beyond mammals and birds, extending to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-insect-decline-what-are-the-causes-and-consequences/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">insects</a>, which may not immediately come to mind when considering social dynamics. Professor Amanda Bretman’s work with Drosophila fruit flies showed that social environments impact aging even in simpler animals. 



“In humans, a poor social environment can have the same level of impact as smoking or obesity on healthy aging,” Bretman noted. Her team’s research found that social interactions can significantly affect lifespan and aging, even in insects.



Studying the impact of social behavior in fruit flies offers a controlled environment where researchers can observe the mechanics of social aging.&nbsp;



These insights could potentially apply to broader research on aging in humans, helping scientists better understand the underlying processes that link social behaviors and health outcomes across different life stages.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-understanding-the-mechanisms-of-social-aging">Understanding the mechanisms of social aging</h2>



In their studies of fruit flies, Bretman’s team could precisely manipulate the flies’ social surroundings, gaining a deeper look into why animals, and perhaps humans, might adjust social behaviors with age.&nbsp;



The research underscores that the social environment can vary by gender, timing, and social structure. By looking at how even insects adapt their behavior based on social context, scientists hope to reveal fundamental patterns that apply across species, possibly suggesting strategies for promoting healthy social <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/assamese-macaques-show-how-aging-affects-our-social-networks/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">aging</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-implications-for-social-aging-in-humans">Implications for social aging in humans</h2>



These findings offer potential insights for human social dynamics as well. Firth noted that animal models are valuable for understanding the roots of social aging in human societies, where shifts in social habits can affect physical and mental health outcomes.&nbsp;



“Animal systems are now widely considered as well placed for developing our fundamental understanding of aging societies,” he explained. Observing animal behavior may provide clues on supporting social connections and minimizing isolation in human populations as they age.



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



Looking forward, researchers intend to explore the intricacies of social aging further. Schroeder’s team plans to continue studying the life-long social patterns of house sparrows, examining how friendships form and evolve.&nbsp;



The researchers believe that such detailed studies could illuminate the complexity of aging not only in animals but also offer parallels to human aging, as people similarly adapt their social interactions to match their life stage and health needs.



In addition, Bretman’s team is keen to examine how social environments impact health across different life stages in simpler animals. Since insects are easier to study in controlled environments, they can serve as useful models to understand the biological mechanisms that drive social aging, possibly uncovering processes that can apply to more complex animals, including humans.



The breadth of these studies highlights that changing social behaviors with age is a general phenomenon across species. From deer reducing their social interactions to avoid health risks to sparrows experiencing a natural decline in friendships as peers pass on, the social effects of aging are universal.&nbsp;



The insights provided by this special issue reveal that the social consequences of aging are not unique to humans. Instead, they reflect a broader biological principle that has significant implications for understanding both animal and human health across the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/lifespan-is-influenced-more-by-lifestyle-than-genetics/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lifespan</a>.



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Social aging: What animals can teach us about getting older

A growing body of research suggests that, like humans, animals...

The notion that Mars once teemed with life billions of years ago continues to intrigue scientists. Today, the red planet's cold, dry landscape, stripped of its once-strong magnetic field, poses questions reminiscent of a cosmic forensic investigation.&nbsp;



Researchers are particularly interested in understanding whether Mars was habitable, and if so, during what period.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mars-magnetic-field">Mars' magnetic field</h2>



A research team at Harvard's <a href="https://paleomag.fas.harvard.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Paleomagnetics Lab</a>, within the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, has been at the forefront of exploring this timeline.&nbsp;



A recent paper in <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-51092-4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Communications</a> presents their strongest evidence yet that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mars-captured-in-true-color-like-youve-never-seen-the-red-planet-before/">Mars</a>' life-protecting magnetic field, or “dynamo,” could have lasted until about 3.9 billion years ago.&nbsp;



This contrasts with older estimates that placed its demise around 4.1 billion years ago, suggesting the dynamo persisted for hundreds of millions of years longer than previously thought.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-modeling-the-martian-dynamo">Modeling the Martian dynamo</h2>



Leading the study is <a href="https://gsas.harvard.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences</a> student Sarah Steele, who, with the help of computer modeling and simulation, has worked to pinpoint the age of Mars' dynamo.&nbsp;



The Martian dynamo, driven by convection within the planet's iron core much like Earth's, could shield the surface from harmful <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/amaterasu-extremely-high-energy-cosmic-ray-detected-with-no-clear-source/">cosmic rays</a>, crucial for maintaining a habitable environment.&nbsp;



Steele, along with senior author Roger Fu, a professor of natural sciences, is challenging prevailing theories that Mars' magnetic field weakened early. Their research incorporates simulations of the cooling and magnetization processes in Mars' surface craters.&nbsp;



Previously studied impact basins on the planet are known for their weak magnetic fields, leading to the assumption they were formed after the planet's dynamo had already ceased.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-magnetic-fields-preserved-in-rock-nbsp">Magnetic fields preserved in rock&nbsp;</h2>



Paleomagnetics, which involves studying ancient magnetic fields preserved in rock, provided the foundation for these assumptions. According to the experts, ferromagnetic minerals within rock align with magnetic fields when heated, and once the rock cools, this alignment is "frozen" in place. 



Such fossilized magnetic signatures can be examined billions of years later, revealing the state of the magnetic environment during the rock's formation.



The weak magnetic signals observed in some Martian craters led researchers to theorize that these features formed in the absence of an active dynamo.&nbsp;



However, Steele's team proposes an alternative explanation: these basins may have formed during a polarity reversal, where the north and south magnetic poles switch places.&nbsp;



These reversals occur periodically on Earth, and simulations indicate that they could account for the weak magnetic fields detected in Martian craters.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-habitable-mars-a-shift-in-perspective-nbsp">Habitable Mars: A shift in perspective&nbsp;</h2>



According to Steele, this finding challenges long-held beliefs about when Mars' dynamo ceased.&nbsp;



“We are basically showing that there may not have ever been a good reason to assume Mars's dynamo shut down early,” she said. This new interpretation builds on the team's earlier work that first questioned the established Martian habitability timeline.



Their previous research involved examining a well-known Martian meteorite, Allan Hills 84001, using an advanced quantum diamond microscope in Fu's lab.&nbsp;



The analysis revealed varying magnetic properties within the rock that hinted at a magnetic field lasting until approximately 3.9 billion years ago.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-significance-of-planetary-magnetic-fields">Significance of planetary magnetic fields</h2>



Steele acknowledged that challenging a widely accepted theory can be daunting. However, she noted that the planetary research community has been supportive of fresh perspectives.&nbsp;



“We are trying to answer primary, important questions about how everything got to be like it is, even why the entire solar system is the way that it is,” Steele explained. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/weak-magnetic-field-may-have-set-the-stage-for-life-on-earth/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Magnetic fields</a> play a key role in these explorations, as they offer insights into the deep interiors and the early history of planets.



The potential implications extend beyond Mars. Understanding the longevity and nature of magnetic fields on other planets helps scientists draw parallels and contrasts with Earth’s history.&nbsp;



These insights also inform the search for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/habitable-worlds-new-strategy-to-identify-planets-that-may-host-life/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">habitability</a> on planets beyond our solar system, suggesting that the presence and persistence of a magnetic field could be vital indicators of a world’s potential to host life.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-when-was-mars-habitable">When was Mars habitable?</h2>



The research by Steele and her team is a testament to how scientific thinking evolves with new data and innovative methodologies.&nbsp;



By re-examining the nature and duration of Mars' magnetic field, they open new paths for understanding the planet's ability to support life billions of years ago.&nbsp;



This deeper exploration of planetary history emphasizes the need for continuous investigation and creative approaches to age-old questions in planetary science.



The findings offer a renewed lens through which to view Mars' ancient environment, ultimately bringing researchers a step closer to deciphering the planet's mysterious past and its implications for life beyond Earth.



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When was Mars habitable? Much more recently than we thought

The notion that Mars once teemed with life billions of...

Dna,Spiral,,Life,Blueprint.,Double,Helix,Structure,,Genetic,Science,Symbol,

Evolution has always been seen as a complex, random, and unpredictable process, shaping life on Earth in ways we could hardly anticipate. 



But what if there's more order to it than chaos? That's exactly what a team of scientists is suggesting in a new study.



This research, led by Professor James McInerney and Dr. Alan Beavan from the School of Life Sciences at the <a href="https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Nottingham</a>, hints that evolution might not be as random as we've long thought.



Their research could have big implications for tackling issues like antibiotic resistance, diseases, and even climate change.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-evolution-genes-and-the-pangenome">Evolution, genes, and the pangenome</h2>



So, what's this all about? The team analyzed <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/meet-the-pangenome-the-clearest-snapshot-ever-taken-of-human-genomic-diversity/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the pangenome</a> -- the complete set of genes within a species -- to see if evolution follows any predictable paths. 



They wanted to know: Is evolution just a series of accidents, or is there a pattern influenced by a genome's history?



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-is-the-pangenome">What is the pangenome?</h2>



In simple terms, the pangenome is the complete set of all genes found within a species. 



It includes every gene present in all the different strains or individuals, covering both the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/human-dna-secrets-revealed-by-genomic-time-machine-and-transposable-elements/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">common genes</a> shared by everyone (the core genome) and the unique ones found only in some (the accessory genome). 



So even though individual members might have different genetic makeups, the pangenome represents the full genetic diversity that the species has.



Analyzing the pangenome allows researchers to identify which genes are essential for survival and which ones offer specific advantages, opening up possibilities for new medical and environmental applications.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-computing-power-required">Big computing power required</h2>



The team used a machine learning approach called <a href="https://www.ibm.com/topics/random-forest" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Random Forest</a> to sift through a massive dataset of 2,500 complete genomes from a single bacterial species. 



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-machine-learning-can-help-us-protect-chimpanzees/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Machine learning</a> algorithms like this are great at finding patterns that might be too complex or subtle for humans to detect on their own. 



This wasn't a quick job -- it took several hundred thousand hours of computer processing.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-evolution-and-gene-families">Evolution and "gene families"</h2>



First up, they created "gene families" from each gene in every genome. "In this way, we could compare like-with-like across the genomes," explained Dr. Maria Rosa Domingo-Sananes from <a href="https://www.ntu.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nottingham Trent University</a>.



Once they had these families sorted out, they focused on the genes and gene families inside the genomes.



"We found that some gene families never turned up in a genome when a particular other gene family was already there," said Dr. Domingo-Sananes. 



"And on other occasions, some genes were very much dependent on a different gene family being present."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hidden-gene-ecosystem-driving-evolution">Hidden gene ecosystem driving evolution</h2>



In other words, they discovered an invisible ecosystem where genes either get along or clash with each other, making <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/human-evolution-may-be-the-biggest-roadblock-to-solving-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">evolution predictable</a>.



"These interactions between genes make aspects of evolution somewhat predictable and furthermore, we now have a tool that allows us to make those predictions," added Dr. Domingo-Sananes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-paradigm-shift">A paradigm shift</h2>



Professor McInerney, the lead author of the study, is excited about the possibilities, to say the least. 



"The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/missing-law-of-nature-explains-the-evolution-of-everything-that-exists-in-the-universe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">implications of this research</a> are nothing short of revolutionary," he said. 



"By demonstrating that evolution is not as random as we once thought, we've opened the door to an array of possibilities in synthetic biology, medicine, and environmental science."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-real-world-applications">Real-world applications</h2>



This research isn't just about <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/snails-defy-death-and-revive-through-evolution/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">understanding evolution</a> for curiosity's sake. It has real-world implications that could affect our lives in significant ways.



But how could this affect us in practical terms? 



"From this work, we can begin to explore which genes 'support' an antibiotic resistance gene, for example," Dr. Beaven explained.



"Therefore, if we are trying to eliminate <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/umbrella-toxin-discovery-may-help-human-antibiotic-resistance/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">antibiotic resistance</a>, we can target not just the focal gene, but we can also target its supporting genes."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fighting-antibiotic-resistance">Fighting antibiotic resistance</h2>



This approach could be a game-changer in the fight against <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antibiotic-resistance-increasing-enterococci-looming-global-crisis/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">antibiotic-resistant bacteria</a>. 



By understanding the network of genes that work together, scientists could develop more effective treatments.



"We can use this approach to synthesize new kinds of genetic constructs that could be used to develop new drugs or vaccines," Dr. Beavan continued. 



"Knowing what we now know has opened the door to a whole host of other discoveries."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-implications-for-climate-change">Implications for climate change</h2>



The study's insights might also help in the fight against climate change. 



By engineering microorganisms that can capture carbon or break down pollutants, we could develop new tools to reduce our <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/small-changes-in-diet-can-greatly-reduce-your-carbon-footprint/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">environmental footprint</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-advancing-personalized-medicine">Advancing personalized medicine</h2>



The predictability of gene interactions could also revolutionize <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/your-microbiome-trillions-of-bacteria-unique-like-your-fingerprint/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">personalized medicine</a>. 



Imagine doctors being able to predict how a disease might progress in your body based on your genetic makeup, or which treatments would be most effective for you. 



This research could bring us one step closer to that reality.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-evolution-gene-manipulation-and-the-future">Evolution, gene manipulation, and the future</h2>



To sum it all up, this new research is shaking up how we think about evolution. Instead of seeing it as a series of random events, the study suggests there's a level of predictability influenced by gene families and genetic history. 



This is obviously a very big deal for many other reasons besides the fact that it upends everything we thought we knew about evolution since Charles Darwin burst onto the scene. 



This discovery means that we might be able to anticipate and even guide <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/finch-beaks-and-bird-songs-a-new-story-of-evolution/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">evolutionary changes</a> in ways we never thought possible.



The practical applications are vast. From developing new strategies to combat antibiotic resistance to engineering organisms that can help fight climate change, the possibilities are exciting. 



The idea that we can target not just harmful genes but also their "supporting cast" opens up new avenues in medicine and environmental science.



Overall, this study invites us to rethink some fundamental assumptions about life and evolution. It's not just about chance anymore; there's a pattern and order we can tap into. 



As we learn more, who knows what other doors might open? It's an exciting time to be alive, and an exciting time to be a scientist.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2304934120" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.



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New evolution discovery is being called "nothing short of revolutionary"

Evolution has always been seen as a complex, random, and...

You've heard of childhood obesity and probably know about the rising rates, health implications, and the urgent need to address this worsening problem. New research suggests that something as simple as a text message could make a huge difference in the battle against childhood obesity.



This idea was proposed by Dr. Eliana Perrin, Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of Primary Care at the Johns Hopkins University Schools of Medicine, Nursing and Public Health.



Dr. Perrin co-led a study that shows adding text messaging and digital feedback alongside traditional health counseling can help to prevent obesity in very young children. This, in turn, prevents life-long obesity-related problems.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-childhood-obesity-rates">Childhood obesity rates</h2>



About 1 in 5 school-aged children were affected by <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/childhood-obesity-rates-are-surging-worldwide/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">obesity</a> in 2017–18, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.



This is a rate that's only increased during and since the pandemic. Solutions to reduce this rate heavily leaned on in-person interventions by pediatric providers. However, these interventions had limited success.



Enter the Greenlight Program, developed by Dr. Perrin and her colleagues. The goal of this intervention is to educate parents about healthy growth in their newborns.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-text-messages-to-tackle-obesity">Text messages to tackle obesity</h2>



“We found that parents are eager for more information to help their children grow up healthy, and the vast majority of parents own smartphones,” said Dr. Perrin, who is also a general pediatrician at the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/johns-hopkins-childrens-center/what-we-treat/specialties/general-pediatrics/harriet-lane-clinic" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Harriet Lane Clinic</a>&nbsp;at the Children’s Center.



The researchers recruited nearly 900 parent-infant pairs from newborn nurseries or pediatric primary care clinics across six medical institutions. All babies were 21 days old or younger, born after 34 weeks gestation, at a healthy weight, and with no chronic medical conditions that might <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/childhood-obesity-rates-spiked-during-the-pandemic/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">affect weight gain</a>.



The infant-parent pairs were randomly sorted into two groups. Both groups received Greenlight Program education, with counseling on healthy nutrition and behaviors from their primary care providers. Additionally, they received educational booklets matching the child’s age, with guidance and goal-setting tips.



However, half of the infant-parent pairs received personalized, interactive text messages from a fully automated system. This system provided immediate feedback, tips for addressing challenges, and encouragement based on progress.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-impact-of-the-text-messages">Impact of the text messages </h2>



The study meticulously tracked the outcomes of sending text messages on childhood obesity up to the child's second birthday. Researchers collected data on various health metrics, including childhood weight and growth patterns, to assess the program's effectiveness. 



Through innovative data collection methods, such as regular follow-ups and digital monitoring, they were able to capture a comprehensive picture of each child's development. 



The findings revealed a noticeable improvement in maintaining healthy growth trajectories among children who received the personalized text messages.



These results emphasize the powerful potential of integrating <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/neighborhood-food-access-linked-to-childhood-obesity-risk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">digital communication</a> within traditional healthcare frameworks to combat childhood obesity.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-broader-implications-of-the-research">Broader implications of the research </h2>



The success of this study on text-based obesity interventions opens avenues for future research and application in diverse settings, suggesting that similar approaches can be adapted for older children or other health conditions.



As the prevalence of smartphones continues to rise, leveraging digital technology offers an accessible and scalable solution for real-time health education and intervention. 



This approach not only personalizes healthcare but also empowers parents with the tools they need to provide healthier environments for their children.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-digital-victory-of-texts-on-obesity">Digital victory of texts on obesity</h2>



There was a difference between the two groups. Children of parents who received the digital intervention had healthier weight-for-length growth curves over the first two years of life compared to those who had counseling only. The digital intervention also resulted in a 45% relative reduction in obesity.



The researchers concluded that the digital intervention led to healthier weight-for-length paths and decreased obesity incidences. They believe that these digital services were effective, especially in populations at the highest risk of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dads-diets-have-a-direct-impact-on-childhood-obesity-rates/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">obesity</a>.



The “intervention effect” occurred as early as 4 months and continued throughout the two years. This study may be one of the first ever to prevent early childhood obesity, particularly in such a large and diverse group of participants.



“If we can prevent obesity in these children at greatest risk, we can also create better health equity in the future,” said Dr. Perrin. The researchers plan to follow the impacts of their project as the children grow up.



The research was supported by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute. Study data were collected and managed using REDCap electronic data capture tools hosted at <a href="https://www.vanderbilt.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Vanderbilt University</a> Medical Center and supported by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences/National Institutes of Health.



The research is published in the journal <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2825869?guestAccessKey=718ecc07-ada5-431f-a301-60824022ecfb&amp;utm_source=For_The_Media&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=ftm_links&amp;utm_content=tfl&amp;utm_term=110324" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">JAMA</a>.



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Simple text messages could help tackle childhood obesity

You've heard of childhood obesity and probably know about the...

Have you ever thought about the impact neutering might have on your dog's health? If you're a dog owner, chances are this topic has crossed your mind more than once. 



While common belief supports neutering as a way to control the pet population and eliminate certain health risks, there is a side of this story that often remains untold.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-neutering-and-dog-health">Neutering and dog health</h2>



The intriguing relationship between neutering and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/early-neutering-linked-to-serious-health-risks-in-some-dog-breeds/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dog health</a> is not new, and several studies have pointed towards a link between the timing of neutering and the onset of certain diseases in female dogs. 



However, the lack of uniform methodologies and diverse study populations have made it difficult to reach a consensus.



The intriguing question remains - does the timing of neutering, especially in relation to puberty, influence the health outcomes of our beloved dogs?



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-impact-of-neutering-on-female-dogs">Impact of neutering on female dogs</h2>



Dr. Rachel Moxon and her team at the <a href="https://www.nottingham.ac.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Nottingham</a> set out to investigate by sifting through existing literature.



The goal was to explore the impact of neutering timing (particularly around puberty) on five key <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ai-can-now-hear-signs-of-heart-disease-in-dogs/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">health outcomes</a> - atopy, developmental orthopedic disease (DOD), neoplasia, obesity, and urogenital disease.



The study was focused on female dogs and how neutering affects their health. An astounding number of publications were identified, reviewed, and assessed to build a rich and comprehensive picture of the subject matter.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-significant-lack-of-evidence">Significant lack of evidence </h2>



Contrary to the team's hope for a rich evidence base, the review shed light on a stark reality. There is a significant lack of evidence regarding the impacts of neutering female dogs before or after puberty on the five stated aspects of dog health.



Only a handful of studies considered the dog's pubertal status at neutering, while others merely took the dog's age into account.



Why is this a big deal? This missing link makes it difficult for veterinarians and pet owners to make informed decisions about the optimal timing of neutering. After all, who wants to make a choice that could potentially impact their pet’s health negatively?



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-conflicting-study-results">Conflicting study results</h2>



"Conflicting information in the veterinary literature regarding the beneficial and detrimental impacts of neutering at different times makes decisions regarding the best time to neuter female dogs difficult for pet dog owners, and providing advice to owners difficult for veterinarians," said Rachel Moxon, lead researcher on the project.



"Similar to the findings of another review by this research group that looked at the effects on behavior, this review has identified a lack of evidence related to the impacts of neutering female dogs before or after puberty on five aspects of female dog health."



According to Moxon, studies generally propose that neutering female dogs earlier appears to be protective for some cancers, but increases the risk of developmental orthopedic disease and potentially urinary incontinence.



These contrasting results make it difficult to determine the optimal timing of neutering to benefit female dog health.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-impact-of-neutering-remains-unclear">Impact of neutering remains unclear</h2>



"This scoping review suggests that robust evidence to support veterinarians, those working with dogs and dog owners when discussing the timing of neutering relative to puberty does not yet exist," concluded the researchers.



"The review highlighted the lack of literature along with weaknesses in the existing studies caused by age rather than puberty being examined. Whether or not neutering before or after puberty has an impact on the health of female domesticated dogs is currently unknown."



So, where does this leave us? As pet owners or veterinarians, how are we supposed to navigate this conundrum?



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-call-for-more-research-on-dog-neutering">Call for more research on dog neutering</h2>



By the end of this journey, if there's one key insight we can draw, it's the necessity for further research. More comprehensive, standardized studies considering the pubertal status at neutering are crucial to give us a clearer picture.



Think about it: wouldn't it be great if we could make informed decisions about neutering to ensure the best health outcomes for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dogs-are-evolving-to-fit-the-modern-lives-of-humans/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">our furry companions</a>?



In a world where our decisions can directly impact the lives of our beloved pets, ignorance cannot be bliss. 



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0311779" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PLOS ONE</a>.



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How does neutering affect a dog's health? Many questions remain

Have you ever thought about the impact neutering might have...

A wilting flower is not always a sign of poor health or inadequate care. It could actually be a strategic play, millions of years in the making, created by Mother Nature herself.



Researchers from Macquarie University, along with international collaborators, have discovered a simple strategy that has been overlooked: plants recycle resources from wilting flowers for future reproduction.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-recycling-resources-from-wilting-flowers">Recycling resources from wilting flowers </h2>



"Our research delivers the first direct demonstration that plants can salvage resources from wilting flowers and reuse these resources to promote future reproduction," said lead author Honorary Professor Graham Pyke from <a href="https://www.mq.edu.au" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Macquarie University</a>.



Why bother with this recycling effort? Well, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/flowers-blooming-92-days-earlier-due-to-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">flowers</a> aren't just pretty faces. They are rich in energy and nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus. When they wilt, it isn't necessarily the end but rather the beginning of another chapter.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wilting-flowers-of-christmas-bells">Wilting flowers of Christmas bells </h2>



The focus of the three-year study was a native of Eastern Australia, the stunning Blandfordia grandiflora. Known commonly as Christmas bells, it casts a striking image with its vibrant red and yellow flowers, especially around December.



"Our research takes place on a plantation containing several hectares of native wet heath where Christmas bells flower quite profusely, along with a commercial shadehouse," noted Professor Pyke.



To assess the abilities of the plant, the team used an array of techniques. They modulated pollination and flower wilting and then gauged the effect on seed production and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bees-prefer-flowers-with-large-bullseyes/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reflowering</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-storing-up-chemical-energy">Storing up chemical energy </h2>



The researchers soon realized things weren’t exactly as they had predicted. They found that plants did not use resources from wilted flowers to bolster short-term reproduction.



"These plants salvage resources invested in reproduction during one flowering season and reuse these resources during the next flowering season," explained Professor Pyke.



Blandfordia grandiflora was found to transfer resources from its wilting flowers to its underground corms and roots, effectively storing this "chemical energy" to produce new flowering stems in the subsequent season, often a year later.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-resource-management-in-wilting-flowers">Resource management in wilting flowers</h2>



Professor Pyke noted that plants work on principles similar to economics. "Plants must make decisions about where to allocate their limited resources; investing in one area means they can't invest as much in another."



This concept of resource allocation prompted Professor Pyke to investigate flower wilting, which he anticipated to be a plant's mechanism of diverting resources to other processes.



The results, however, were not quite what he expected. The plants were storing their reclaimed resources for the next flowering season - not using them right away.



According to Professor Pyke, plants have different ways of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/flowers-are-picky-when-choosing-their-mate-for-fertilization/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">managing their flowers</a> post reproduction, with wilting being just one of many strategies. Some plants, such as the jacaranda and the frangipani, even shed their flowers before they wilt.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-seed-production-and-wilting-in-flowers">Seed production and wilting in flowers</h2>



The study findings were confirmed through various experiments. One such experiment compared seed production between plants with flowers that were allowed to wilt and those with petals removed to prevent wilting.



Another experiment stopped seed production in all flowers but allowed wilting in one group of plants. Results showed that plants with wilting flowers were more likely to reflower the next season than those where wilting was prevented.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-factors-that-influence-seed-production">Factors that influence seed production </h2>



The study also took into consideration other factors that might influence seed production, such as stem height, the number of flowers per stem, and flower position.



"Taller flowering stems, for example, produced more seeds and heavier seeds, as did stems with more flowers. But flowers positioned lower down on the plant tended to have fewer seeds, and seeds that weighed less," said Professor Pyke.



"Our findings pave the way for further research into other plant species, and how they recover and reuse the resources from wilting flowers."



An exciting road lies ahead, with a lot to discover. Future research will explore what these salvaged resources are composed of, how plants move and change them, and whether saving these resources outweighs the costs of making <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/organic-farming-and-flower-strips-improve-honey-bee-health/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">flowers</a> in the first place.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/plb.13720" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Plant Biology</a>.



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Plants with wilting flowers aren't dying - they are saving energy

A wilting flower is not always a sign of poor...

A recent study points to an exciting possibility: that Uranus's moon Miranda, located in the far reaches of our solar system, may harbor a hidden sea beneath its icy crust, making it hospitable to extraterrestrial life.



Discovering water on a moon is no easy task. It's even harder when that moon is hundreds of millions of miles away.



Tom Nordheim, a planetary scientist at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (<a href="https://www.jhuapl.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">JHAPL</a>), is the person who gave us a peek into these icy depths. 



"To find evidence of an ocean inside a small object like Miranda is incredibly surprising," said Nordheim, who co-authored the study. 



His team's work challenges our understanding of Miranda while positing new questions about the potential for life on other celestial bodies.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-miranda-s-bizarre-moonscape">Miranda's bizarre moonscape</h2>



Recall 1986 when <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/nasa-lost-contact-with-voyager-2-spacecraft-12-billion-miles-away/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Voyager 2</a>, NASA's intrepid spacecraft, beamed back the first close-up images of Miranda. It was a sight to behold.



A bizarre landscape that looked as if it had been stitched together from bits and pieces of different worlds. 



From deep grooves and towering cliffs to mysterious trapezoid-shaped regions known as coronae, Miranda appeared to be a geological wonder. But what could have caused such a varied landscape?



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-the-deal-with-uranus">What's the deal with Uranus?</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/uranus-is-more-gassy-less-icy-than-we-ever-imagined/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Uranus</a> is one of the lesser-known planets in our solar system. Unlike the other planets, Uranus rotates on its side, so its axis is almost parallel to its orbit. 



This tilt causes some extreme seasons -- imagine a planet where each pole gets 42 years of continuous sunlight followed by 42 years of darkness. 



Scientists think a massive collision with an Earth-sized object might have knocked it over early in its history.



Another interesting aspect is Uranus's atmosphere, which is rich in icy materials like water, ammonia, and methane. That methane is what gives the planet its <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/the-ice-giant-uranus-in-stunning-detail/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">signature blue-green color</a>. 



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-photos-of-uranus-from-hubble-and-new-horizons/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Uranus</a> also has a set of faint rings and at least 27 moons, many named after Shakespearean characters like Miranda, which is the subject of this article, and Ariel. 



Despite being discovered way back in 1781 by William Herschel, Uranus still holds many secrets, and researchers are eager to explore it further to understand more about these distant, icy worlds.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hidden-ocean-on-a-moon-named-miranda">Hidden ocean on a moon named Miranda</h2>



Caleb Strom, a graduate student at the <a href="https://und.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of North Dakota</a>, and Alex Patthoff from the <a href="https://www.psi.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Planetary Science Institute</a> in Arizona joined Nordheim for this fascinating study.



They approached this mystery like detectives working a cold case, revisiting old Voyager 2 images and using modern computer modeling techniques to reconstruct Miranda's geologic past.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/miranda_uranus-moon_ocean_possible-life_Voyager2_NASA_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/miranda_uranus-moon_ocean_possible-life_Voyager2_NASA_1s.webp" alt="Uranus’ icy moon Miranda, captured by NASA’s Voyager 2 spacecraft on Jan. 24, 1986. Credit: NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory-Caltech" class="wp-image-1949103"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Uranus’ icy moon Miranda, captured by NASA’s Voyager 2 spacecraft on Jan. 24, 1986. Credit: NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory-Caltech</figcaption></figure>



As Strom and his team mapped out Miranda's convoluted surface features and modeled different scenarios for its interior structure, a startling picture began to emerge. 



Their findings suggest that around 100 to 500 million years ago, Miranda likely harbored a subsurface ocean, at least 62 miles deep, beneath a frozen crust no more than 19 miles thick.



"That result was a big surprise to the team," said Strom. The thought that a moon as small as Miranda could contain such a large ocean is not something scientists expected.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tidal-forces-on-the-moon-miranda">Tidal forces on the moon Miranda</h2>



Even more confusing is the fact that this ocean could have been warm enough to remain liquid, despite Miranda's incredible distance from the Sun. 



The credit goes to a dance of gravitational forces played out between Miranda and her neighboring moons orbiting Uranus.



This phenomenon, known as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earths-interactions-with-mars-influence-deep-ocean-circulation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">orbital resonance</a>, can generate friction and heat within a moon's interior, enough to sustain a subsurface ocean.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-could-miranda-still-have-a-liquid-ocean">Could Miranda still have a liquid ocean?</h2>



The case isn't closed yet. The team believes that Miranda's interior hasn't entirely frozen over. If it had, we would see specific surface features that just aren't there. 



So, there's a good chance that Miranda still has a subsurface ocean, though likely thinner than before. 



"But the suggestion of an ocean inside one of the most distant moons in the solar system is remarkable," remarked Strom.



This isn't the first time a small moon has surprised us. Back in 2004, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/life-sparking-energy-source-found-on-saturns-moon-enceladus/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Enceladus</a>, one of Saturn's moons, revealed active geysers spewing water vapor and ice into space, hinting at a hidden ocean. Today, Enceladus is a prime target in the search for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/shock-discovery-saturns-moon-enceladus-has-all-of-the-ingredients-necessary-for-life/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">extraterrestrial life</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-could-the-miranda-moon-support-life">Could the Miranda moon support life?</h2>



It's still too early to pack our bags for Miranda, but the possibility of it harboring life is tantalizing. However, as Nordheim points out, we still need more data to confirm if an ocean definitely exists.



While recent research has provided fresh insights into Uranus's moons, we've barely scratched the surface. 



"We're squeezing the last bit of science we can from Voyager 2's images," says Nordheim. 



To truly understand Miranda's potential, we need to launch new missions to Uranus. Until then, we hold our breath and watch this icy moon with great anticipation.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-miranda-ocean-worlds-and-extraterrestrial-life">Miranda, ocean worlds, and extraterrestrial life</h2>



In the grand scheme of our solar system, Miranda might just be the underdog story we didn't see coming. 



This tiny moon, once thought to be a frozen, inactive world, could be hiding a vast ocean beneath its patchwork surface. 



The idea that such a small body, orbiting one of the most distant planets, might have an environment capable of sustaining life is nothing short of mind-blowing.



All of this goes to show that there's so much left to discover out there. Revisiting old data with fresh eyes has opened up new possibilities and questions. 



Maybe it's high time we head back to Uranus and take a closer look at Miranda and its neighboring moons.



The full study was published in <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/PSJ/ad77d7">The Planetary Science Journal</a>.



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Moon named "Miranda" orbiting Uranus seems to have an ocean and possibly life

A recent study points to an exciting possibility: that Uranus's...

For countless individuals worldwide, grappling with the lingering impacts of COVID-19 months after their initial recovery has become a puzzling reality. 



Often referred to as "long COVID," the condition is marked by an array of recurring symptoms, including chest pain and heart palpitations.



But why do these symptoms persist? Recent research by the University of Queensland (UQ) offers profound insights.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cardiovascular-impact-of-long-covid">Cardiovascular impact of long COVID </h2>



Getting to the root of the matter, the <a href="https://www.uq.edu.au/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Queensland</a>-led investigation focused on post-COVID cardiovascular issues. The goal was to understand why chest pain and heart palpitations persist among long COVID sufferers.



"We discovered elevated levels of cytokines, proteins which help control inflammation in the body, in the blood samples of people at about 18 months post-infection with SARS-CoV-2," said Professor Kirsty Short. 



"Lab studies showed these trace-level cytokines had a direct effect on the functionality of cardiomyocytes, the cells of the heart responsible for its pump function."



Professor Short noted that these particular types of cells are fundamental building blocks for our heart, so damaging them can lead to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/a-century-of-progress-in-the-fight-against-cardiovascular-disease/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cardiovascular</a> symptoms.



Until now, the role of chronic inflammation in cardiovascular symptoms had been unclear, particularly in cases where symptoms persisted for over a year after infection. 



These findings bring the medical community one step closer to understanding the full extent of COVID-19’s long-term impact on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/heart-disease-deaths-increased-during-covid-reversing-progress/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">heart</a> health.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-studying-long-covid-through-blood-samples">Studying long COVID through blood samples</h2>



To explore the mysteries of long COVID, the team analyzed the blood of 50 participants from across Australia.



This cohort included individuals who had been living with long COVID for over a year, those who had recovered from COVID-19, and individuals who had never been infected by the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/covid-19-virus-lingers-body-two-years-after-infection/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">virus</a>.



A unique technology developed at UQ's Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN) called "immuno-storm chip" nanotechnology, was the tool of choice to investigate trace elevated cytokines. The experts also examined markers linked with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/covid-19-patients-experience-changes-in-heart-tissue/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cardiac tissue</a> damage.



Although excited about the findings, Professor Short remains cautious. "It's only early days and these results require validation in additional patient cohorts, including those infected with more recent SARS-CoV-2 strains."



Professor Short also noted that the study's focus was primarily on people with cardiovascular symptoms.



Despite the limitations, the research paves the path toward a better understanding of long COVID. It presents comprehensive insights into this complex disease and could potentially enhance diagnosis and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/simple-treatment-restores-sense-of-smell-in-long-covid-patients/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">treatment options</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-collaborative-scientific-endeavor">A collaborative scientific endeavor</h2>



The research team included Jane Sinclair, a Ph.D. candidate from UQ's School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, Courtney Vedelago from AIBN, and Dr. Feargal J. Ryan of the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute.



The study represents a collaborative effort by multiple institutes, including UQ's School of Mathematics and Physics, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Faculty of Medicine, Mater Health Queensland, Mater Research Institute-UQ, and several other institutions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-covid-s-lasting-impact-on-heart-health">COVID’s lasting impact on heart health</h2>



The findings from the study highlight the importance of understanding the long-term cardiovascular effects of COVID-19, particularly for individuals grappling with symptoms over a year post-infection.



By identifying elevated cytokine levels and their impact on cardiomyocytes, the research opens doors for targeted treatments focused on reducing inflammation to protect heart health in long COVID patients.



"An estimated 65 million people globally suffer from post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC), with many experiencing cardiovascular symptoms like chest pain and heart palpitations," noted the study authors.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-guiding-future-research">Guiding future research </h2>



While the research team remains cautious about drawing broad conclusions, they acknowledge the study’s potential in guiding future research. 



This initial study suggests a need for expanded research across larger and more diverse populations to confirm the findings. 



Additionally, future investigations could explore whether specific anti-inflammatory therapies might mitigate the persistent cardiovascular symptoms observed in long COVID patients.



This study marks a pivotal step in understanding long COVID, but it’s only the beginning. By continuing to investigate the role of chronic inflammation, scientists hope to develop clearer diagnostic tools and treatments, ultimately improving the quality of life for those affected by this complex condition.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41564-024-01838-z" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Microbiology</a>.



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Long COVID inflammation damages heart cells

For countless individuals worldwide, grappling with the lingering impacts of...

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.



<figure class="wp-block-embed aligncenter 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://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

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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

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

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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



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

Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

[sendtonews key="iuA5mpp3jv-1641775-12187" 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.igb.illinois.edu/">Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology</a> reveals how scientists can modify common crops like soybean, rice, and wheat to protect them from heat stress.



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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

Designing crops that can beat the heat

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features 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

[sendtonews key="JRaP49ISmm-2357509-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

[sendtonews key="EjmSP20gQK-2593093-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

[sendtonews key="qjvhBOBnY8-2426650-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features 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

[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



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2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

[sendtonews key="3UUsNkFOuS-2487333-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="JbW4VsY53O-1632195-12187" type="single"]</div>



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...

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