The inclusion of fiber in the diet has been linked to a variety of health perks for decades. The body needs this essential nutrient to keep digestion running smoothly and maintain steady blood sugar levels.&nbsp;



Most experts recommend at least 25 grams per day for women and 38 grams for men, yet many adults in the United States barely reach half that goal. But there is more to this story than a happy belly or balanced glucose.&nbsp;



A recent study in Nature Metabolism shows that fiber may also leave a mark on our genes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-fiber-still-matters">Why fiber still matters</h2>



Fiber comes in many forms, from the crunchy stems of leafy greens to the chewy shells of beans and nuts. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/want-to-lose-weight-try-eating-more-protein-and-fiber/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dietary fiber</a> travels to the large intestine, where friendly bacteria feast on it.&nbsp;



This feast produces short-chain fatty acids, including propionate and butyrate, which have gained attention recently for their effects on gut health.



Researchers have been eager to see whether these acids from fibers impact genes beyond basic energy production.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fiber-gut-and-fatty-acids">Fiber, gut, and fatty acids</h2>



The science behind short-chain fatty acids and genes has intrigued experts for years, and now <a href="https://med.stanford.edu/profiles/michael-snyder" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Michael Snyder</a>, Stanford B. Ascherman Professor of Genetics at <a href="https://www.stanford.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stanford University</a>, has shed more light on it through this project. 



His team traced the biological footprints of propionate and butyrate in both <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fiber-rich-diets-reduce-antimicrobial-resistance-in-the-gut/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">normal cells</a> and cancer cells. 



The aim was to see how these acids might switch genes on or off in ways that influence the growth and survival of cells.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-fiber-impacts-genes-nbsp">How fiber impacts genes&nbsp;</h2>



Short-chain fatty acids are generated when gut microbes break down fiber. They move into the bloodstream and can reach different tissues.&nbsp;



The study found that propionate and butyrate attach to certain sites on histones - which are proteins that act like spools for DNA - causing direct modifications on genes related to cell division and cell death.



“We found a direct link between eating fiber and modulation of gene function that has anti-cancer effects,” said Snyder.



Instead of simply describing fiber’s link to good health, the researchers pinpointed the exact molecular changes behind those benefits.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-preventing-uncontrolled-cell-growth">Preventing uncontrolled cell growth</h2>



Cancer often begins when cells lose their usual checks and balances. Normal cells are expected to grow, specialize, and sometimes self-destruct if there’s a problem.&nbsp;



When those processes go haywire, mutated cells can survive too long or multiply too fast. The study uncovered how certain chemical markers on genes for cell regulation might switch in a protective way when these short-chain fatty acids are around.



It is generally the case that people’s diets are very poor in fiber. Adjusting meal plans to include foods like beans, nuts, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/certain-vegetables-protect-us-from-illness-by-strengthening-the-lung-barrier/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cruciferous vegetables</a>, or <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/eating-one-avocado-each-day-can-add-years-to-your-life/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">avocados</a> may promote the production of more of these acids, potentially offering some defense against abnormal cell growth.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-gut-and-genes-might-need-more-fiber">Why gut and genes might need more fiber</h2>



A diet that skimps on fiber starves the microbes that produce these beneficial fatty acids. Low levels can reduce the supply of butyrate and propionate.



That could leave you short on important chemical signals that appear to help keep unwanted cellular behavior under control.&nbsp;



According to the <a href="https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/carbohydrates/fiber/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health</a>, most Americans only consume around 15 grams of fiber daily, which falls short of <a href="https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/carbohydrates/fiber/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">recommended amounts</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cancer-risk-and-fiber-s-gene-protective-role">Cancer risk and fiber’s gene-protective role</h2>



Colon cancer is a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-cooking-oils-in-your-diet-may-be-linked-to-cancer/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">concern for many adults</a>. The <a href="https://www.cancer.org/cancer/colon-rectal-cancer.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">American Cancer Society</a> estimates that about 1 in 23 men and 1 in 25 women will be diagnosed with colon cancer at some point in their lifetime. 



This new study provides a window into how the byproducts of fiber breakdown might influence gene behavior in the colon, and possibly other tissues, in a helpful way.



“By identifying the gene targets of these important molecules we can understand how fiber exerts its beneficial effects,” said Snyder.&nbsp;



Although more work is needed to confirm how each type of fiber interacts with the gut and the rest of the body, this adds to growing evidence that diet and cancer risk are tightly woven together.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-connection-between-diet-gut-and-genes">Connection between diet, gut, and genes</h2>



The research highlights the importance of diet as a modulator of genetic signals. 



It also emphasizes potential opportunities for personalized strategies that combine better eating habits with therapies aimed at correcting harmful gene activity.&nbsp;



Many clinicians see fiber as a key feature of a balanced diet, and these findings may prompt more specific guidelines on how much and which types of fiber are most valuable for long-term health.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-foods-can-boost-fiber-intake">What foods can boost fiber intake?</h2>



Whole grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes remain <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ketogenic-diet-may-help-the-body-kill-cancer-cells/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">top options</a> for boosting your daily fiber count. Vegetables like Brussels sprouts and broccoli, as well as fruits such as raspberries, also offer generous amounts.&nbsp;



Even small shifts like opting for a whole-wheat tortilla instead of a white-flour tortilla can push your numbers up. 



For individuals who struggle to reach recommended targets, talking with a healthcare provider or a registered dietitian can point the way to practical changes that nourish both you and your gut bacteria.



People sometimes balk at the thought of adding more plant-based foods to their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/which-dietary-changes-are-best-for-cancer-prevention/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">diet</a>. But a gradual introduction may help your gut adjust without uncomfortable bloating or gas.&nbsp;



Your digestive system, along with your genes, could benefit from these simple swaps, especially as ongoing research on fiber clarifies the links between short-chain fatty acids and various cellular pathways.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-of-health-research">Future of health research</h2>



All signs suggest that fiber is more than just a helper for digestion. These insights about short-chain fatty acids may prompt further collaboration between nutrition science and genetics.&nbsp;



By paying attention to what our microbes need, we may discover fresh paths to protect our cells from harm. The study is published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s42255-024-01191-9" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Metabolism</a>.



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Eating enough fiber prevents cancer in a surprising way

The inclusion of fiber in the diet has been linked to a variety of health perks for decades. The body needs this essential nutrient to keep digestion running smoothly and maintain steady blood sugar levels.&nbsp; Most experts recommend at least 25 grams per day for women and 38 grams for men, yet many adults in the United States barely reach half that goal. But there is more to this story than a happy belly or balanced glucose.&nbsp; A recent study in Nature Metabolism shows that fiber may...

A new study led by the <a href="https://www.uef.fi/en">University of Eastern Finland</a> in collaboration with the <a href="https://www.psshp.fi/etusivu">Kuopio University Hospital</a> has found that people taking <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/vitamin-d-is-essential-for-heart-health/">vitamin D</a> supplements regularly have a considerably lower risk of developing melanomas (skin cancers).



Scientists have long known that vitamin D plays a key role in the normal functioning of the human body. While the relationship between vitamin D and skin cancers has been studied in the past, previous research has mainly focused on serum levels of calcidiol, a metabolite of vitamin D. However, the results of these studies have been inconclusive and even contradictory at times, since serum calcidiol levels have been associated both with a higher and lower risk of developing different types of melanomas.&nbsp;



In the new study, the experts enrolled 498 adult patients with increased risk of skin cancers and divided them into three groups, based on their vitamin D intake: non-users, occasional users, and regular users. Serum calcidiol levels were measured in half of the patients and found to correspond to their reported use of vitamin D.



The analysis revealed that there were significantly fewer cases of melanoma among regular vitamin D users, and that even occasional users had a lower risk of skin cancers than non-users. These findings reinforce results from other recent studies that have provided evidence of the benefits of vitamin D in melanoma, such as the association of vitamin D regular use and less aggressive skin cancers.



“These earlier studies back our new findings from the North Savo region here in Finland. However, the question about the optimal dose of oral vitamin D in order to for it to have beneficial effects remains to be answered. Until we know more, national intake recommendations should be followed,” concluded senior author Ilkka Harvima, a professor of Dermatology and Allergology&nbsp;at the University of Eastern Finland.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/CMR.0000000000000870">Melanoma Research</a>.



—



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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Vitamin D reduces risk of skin cancer

A new study led by the University of Eastern Finland...

A new study published in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/pnasnexus/pgac285">PNAS Lexus</a> has found that, despite policymakers’ efforts to reduce lead exposure since the 1970s, children living near a California airport have higher levels of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/humans-blame-lead-pollution/">lead</a> in their blood, due to the fact that leaded gasoline is still used by piston-engine aircrafts across the United States.



Over the past 40 years, the blood lead levels of U.S. children declined significantly due to policies that forbidden the use of lead in plumbing, paint, food cans, and automotive gasoline. According to many scientists, the decision to phase-out the use of tetraethyl lead from automotive gasoline (under provisions of the Clean Air Act of 1970) was the most effective of these policies.



However, leaded gasoline has not disappeared completely, and remains a major part of aviation gasoline, being used by about 170,000 piston-engine aircrafts nationwide (accounting for two-thirds of lead emissions in the United States). As the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/">U.S. Environmental Protection Agency</a> (EPA) estimates, about four million people reside within half a mile of airports servicing piston-engine planes, and nearly 600 elementary or secondary schools are located close to such facilities.



By analyzing the blood lead levels of children under six years of age during a ten-year period (2011-2020) who resided near the Reid-Hillview Airport in Santa Clara County, California, the scientists found that many children living near the airport had blood lead levels exceeding the <a href="https://www.cdph.ca.gov/">California Department of Public Health</a>-defined threshold of 4.5 micrograms per deciliter.



The analysis showed that, for children living a mile or more from the airport, the probability of lead levels exceeding this threshold was 21.4 percent lower than for those living within a half mile of the airport. Moreover, children residing east of the airport (downwind) were 2.18 times more likely to have blood lead levels above the threshold of concern.



“Across an ensemble of tests, we find consistent evidence that the blood lead levels of children residing near the airport are pushed upward by the deposition of leaded aviation gasoline. This indicates we should support policy efforts to limit aviation lead emissions to safeguard the welfare of at-risk children,” concluded study lead author Sammy Zahran, a professor of Demography at <a href="https://www.colostate.edu/">Colorado State University</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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Children near airports are exposed to high levels of lead

A new study published in the journal PNAS Lexus has...

A team of researchers led by the <a href="https://www.ubc.ca/">University of British Columbia</a> (UBC) has recently investigated over 350 compounds derived from natural sources such as plants, fungi, and sea sponges in order to find new antiviral drugs that can be used to treat Covid-19. By bathing human lung cells in solutions made from these compounds and then infecting the cells with SARS-CoV-2, the experts discovered 26 compounds that completely reduced viral infection in the cells. These findings pave the way for the development of new <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/worlds-largest-covid-wave-currently-unfolding-across-china/">Covid</a> treatments made from natural sources.



“This interdisciplinary research team is unraveling the important possibilities of biodiversity and natural resources and discovering nature-based solutions for global health challenges such as Covid-19,” said study senior author François Jean, an associate professor of Microbiology and Immunology at UBC.



“The advantage of these compounds is that they are targeting the cells, rather than the virus, blocking the virus from replicating and helping the cell to recover,” added co-first author, Jimena Pérez-Vargas, a research associate specializing in the same fields at UBC. “Human cells evolve more slowly than viruses, so these compounds could work against future variants and other viruses such as influenza if they use the same mechanisms.”



The scientists used a version of SARS-CoV-2 that causes cells to become fluorescent green when infected, together with a groundbreaking screening technique, in order to identify natural compounds which showed inhibition of Covid infection with low cell damage.&nbsp;



The three most effective compounds were discovered in Canada: alotaketal C from a sea sponge collected in Howe Sound, British Columbia (B.C.), bafilomycin D from a marine bacterium from Barkley Sound, B.C., and holyrine A from marine bacteria from Newfoundland waters.



The analysis revealed that these compounds were effective against the Delta variant, as well as several Omicron variants. Moreover, they appeared to be as safe for human cells as current Covid-19 treatments. Since many of these existing treatments – such as those based on monoclonal antibodies – are ineffective against several Omicron sub-variants, there is an urgent need for new antivirals, which could be combined with other drugs for combating the new coronavirus. For instance, bafilomycin D appeared to be highly effective against the Omicron subvariant BA.2 when used in combination with a&nbsp;recently discovered&nbsp;antiviral (the molecule N-0385).



The scientists aim to test the newly discovered compounds in animal models over the next six months. “Our research is also paving the way for large-scale testing of natural product medicines that can block infection associated with other respiratory viruses of great concern in Canada and around the world, such as influenza A and RSV,” Professor Jean concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.antiviral.2022.105484">Antiviral Research</a>.



—



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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Sea sponges contain compounds that block Covid infection

A team of researchers led by the University of British...

Heap,Of,Peeled,Almonds,With,Leaf,In,A,Wooden,Spoon

A new study published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2022.1042719">Frontiers in Nutrition</a> has found that eating <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/a-daily-dose-of-almonds-can-boost-gut-health/">almonds</a> is highly beneficial for recovery after intense bouts of physical exercise. 



The experts discovered that participants who ate 57 grams of almonds daily for one month had higher levels of the beneficial fat 12,13-dihydroxy-9Z-octadecenoic acid (12,13-DiHOME). This substance is known to increase the transport of fatty acid and its uptake by skeletal muscles, with the overall effect of stimulating metabolic recovery after strenuous physical activities - in their blood immediately after a session of intense exercise.



“Here we show that volunteers who consumed 57g of almonds daily for one month before a single ‘weekend warrior’ exercise bout had more beneficial 12,13-DiHOME in their blood immediately after exercising than control volunteers. They also reported feeling less fatigue and tension, better leg-back strength, and decreased muscle damage after exercise than control volunteers,” explained study lead author David Nieman, an expert in Exercise and Nutrition at the <a href="https://www.appstate.edu/">Appalachian State University</a>.



The trial involved 38 men and 26 women aged 30-65, who did not engage in regular weight training. The scientists split them into two groups - one in which participants consumed a daily dose of almonds, and a control group in which they ate a calorie-matched cereal bar – and took blood and urine samples before and after a four-week period of dietary supplementation. 



After a 30 second Wingate anaerobic test, a 50 meters shuttle test run, a vertical jump, and bench press and leg-back stretching exercise, additional blood and urine samples were taken, both immediately following these 90 minute sessions of intense exercise and daily for four days afterwards.



Immediately after exercise, the concentration of the beneficial 12,13-DiHOME was 69 percent higher in the blood plasma of participants in the almond group than in those in the control group (where in fact a reverse pattern was found, with the mildly toxic 9,10-Dihydroxy-12-octadecenoic acid (9,10-diHOME) being 40 percent higher).



According to the scientists, daily consumption of almonds leads to metabolic changes, downregulating inflammation and oxidative stress from exercise and enabling the body to recover faster. 



“Almonds provide a unique and complex nutrient and polyphenol mixture that may support metabolic recovery from stressful levels of exercise. Almonds have high amounts of protein, healthy types of fats, vitamin E, minerals, and fiber. And the brown skin of almonds contains polyphenols that end up in the large intestine and help control inflammation and oxidative stress,” Nieman concluded.&nbsp;



—



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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Almonds accelerate recovery after strenuous exercise

A new study published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition...

A new study led by the <a href="https://www.colorado.edu/">University of Colorado Boulder</a> has found that community gardening is highly beneficial for both physical and mental <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/covid-disrupts-gut-health-increasing-risk-of-other-infections/">health</a>. According to the experts, those who engage in gardening activities eat more fiber and get more physical activity – two known ways to reduce the risk of cancers and other chronic diseases. Moreover, gardeners also typically exhibit lower levels of stress and anxiety.&nbsp;



“These findings provide concrete evidence that community gardening could play an important role in preventing cancer, chronic diseases, and mental health disorders,” said study senior author Jill Litt, a professor of Environmental Sciences at CU Boulder.



The researchers recruited 291 non-gardening adults from the Denver area, with an average age of 41. Over a third of them were Hispanics and more than half came from low-income households. Half of them were assigned to a community gardening group, receiving a community garden plot, together with seeds and seedlings and an introductory gardening course, while the others were assigned to a control group which was asked to wait one year before starting gardening. All participants took periodic surveys about their nutritional intake and mental health, wore activity monitors, and underwent body measurements.



The analysis revealed that, by autumn, those in the gardening group were eating, on average, 1.4 grams more fiber per day than those in the control group. Since fiber is known to exert a powerful effect on inflammatory and immune responses, it influences a variety of processes, ranging from how we metabolize food to how healthy our gut microbiome is and how susceptible we are to conditions such as diabetes or cancer.



Moreover, the gardening group also increased their physical activity levels by about 42 minutes per week, and reported declines in their stress and anxiety levels. Finally, since community gardening allows people to interact, such activities can also boost social relationships.



“Even if you come to the garden looking to grow your food on your own in a quiet place, you start to look at your neighbor’s plot and share techniques and recipes, and over time relationships bloom. It’s not just about the fruits and vegetables. It’s also about being in a natural space outdoors together with others,” Litt explained.



These findings will hopefully encourage health professionals, policymakers, and land planners to consider community gardens – as well as other spaces that encourage people to come together in nature – as a vital part of the public health system.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(22)00303-5">Lancet Planetary Health</a>.&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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Gardening is beneficial for physical and mental health

A new study led by the University of Colorado Boulder...

A new study led by the <a href="https://publichealth.jhu.edu/">Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health</a> has found that including <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/food-products-need-environmental-impact-labels/">climate impact</a> labels on a sample fast food menu significantly influenced people’s food choices in favor of more climate-friendly items, such as vegetarian, chicken, or fish dishes.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



The researchers enrolled over 5,000 online participants and presented them a sample menu resembling a fast food menu and asked them to choose a single item for a meal. While one group of participants received a menu with non-red meat items such as salads or chicken sandwiches labeled “low climate impact,” another one received a menu with red meat items, such as beef burgers, labeled “high climate impact.” Finally, a third control group received a menu with QR codes on all items but no climate labels.



The analysis revealed that both the high and low climate impact labels significantly reduced red meat selections compared to the control group. However, the high impact labels had a strong effect, increasing non-beef choices by 23 percent compared to just 10 percent in the case of menus including low climate impact labels.



“These results suggest that menu labeling, particularly labels warning that an item has high climate impact, can be an effective strategy for encouraging more sustainable food choices in a fast food setting,” said study lead author Julia Wolfson, an associate professor in the Department of International Health at the Bloomberg School.



In addition to being asked to choose an item, participants were also asked to rate how healthy they believed the item they ordered was. Regardless of what type of label was on the menu, those who selected a more sustainable item perceived their choice to be healthier compared to those who selected a red meat item.&nbsp;



Since red meat consumption has been linked to a variety of health issues, including colorectal cancer, type 2 diabetes, and stroke, the type of climate labeling analyzed in this study could prove highly effective in preventing illness. However, as the researchers warn, climate labels may also have the unwanted side effect of making a choice seem healthier than it actually is.



“An undeserved health halo conferred to unhealthy menu items could encourage their overconsumption. So we have to look for labeling strategies that create ‘win-wins’ for promoting both more sustainable and healthy choices,” Wolfson concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.48320">JAMA Network Open</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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Climate impact labeling has a strong influence on food selection

A new study led by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School...

The role of the gut <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dog-microbiomes-around-the-world-are-functionally-similar/">microbiome</a> in respiratory viral infections in general, and in COVID-19 patients, in particular, is only just beginning to be understood. Previous reports have shown that COVID-19 is often accompanied by gastrointestinal symptoms and that persistent microbiome changes are found in people with long-term COVID-19. Furthermore, investigations have shown that all COVID-19 patients manifest differences in gut bacterial populations when compared to healthy controls, and that infected patients treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics while in hospital have an increased risk of developing multi-drug resistant secondary infections and of dying from septic shock.



Despite these earlier findings, the causal direction of the relationship between disrupted gut microbiome and infection by coronavirus has remained unclear. Does coronavirus infection result in a disrupted gut microbiome, or does an already weakened or dysfunctional gut microbiome make the body more vulnerable to infection by the virus?



A recent study, led by researchers from <a href="https://med.nyu.edu/our-community/about-us">NYU Grossman School of Medicine</a>, has now set out to elucidate this relationship. Initially, the researchers tested the changes in gut microbes found in laboratory mice that had been infected with SARS-CoV-2, and found that the diversity of different bacterial species in the gut decreased dramatically within the first few days of infection. Some families of important bacteria disappeared from the gut, while other families proliferated. These results led the researchers to suspect that the virus would also disrupt the microbiome in human patients.&nbsp;



They then investigated changes to gut microbes in 96 men and women who were hospitalized with COVID-19 in 2020, in New York City and in New Haven, Conn. The researchers analyzed the microbe communities present in stool samples taken throughout each patient’s hospital stay.&nbsp;



The results, published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-33395-6">Nature Communications</a>, showed that the majority of patients had low gut microbiome diversity, as was found in the experimental mice, with around a quarter of the patients showing a microbiome dominated by a single type of bacteria. At the same time, populations of several microbes known to include antibiotic-resistant species increased, possibly due to widespread antibiotic use early in the pandemic. Antibiotics kill off species that are susceptible to the drugs but leave, in their place, different species that are resistant to the drugs.&nbsp;



These antibiotic-resistant bacteria found in the gut were also observed to have migrated into the bloodstream in 20 percent of patients. In the bloodstream, they cause infections that can be life-threatening to patients. The study authors note that further research is needed to uncover why this group was at higher risk for a secondary infection while other patients remained protected.&nbsp;



“Our findings suggest that coronavirus infection directly interferes with the healthy balance of microbes in the gut, further endangering patients in the process,” says study co-senior author and microbiologist Dr. Ken Cadwell. “Now that we have uncovered the source of this bacterial imbalance, physicians can better identify those coronavirus patients most at risk of a secondary bloodstream infection."



Under normal circumstances, microbes are not able to migrate between the gut and the bloodstream unless the intestinal barrier is damaged. In fact, the researchers found gut epithelial cell alterations in the mice infected with SARS-CoV-2, implying that the virus in some way also changes the permeability of the intestine lining.&nbsp; In previous research, the influenza virus was also shown to disrupt the intestinal barrier in mice by damaging the gut microbiota.&nbsp;



In the current study, the patients who were shown to have a microbiome dominated by one type of bacteria often suffered the migration of this drug-resistant species from the gut into the blood, indicating some compromise to the intestinal barrier. This caused a secondary infection in these patients that proved fatal, in some instances.&nbsp;



“Our results highlight how the gut microbiome and different parts of the body’s immune system are closely interconnected,” says study senior author Dr. Jonas Schluter. “An infection in one can lead to major disruptions in the other.” Schluter cautions that since the patients received different kinds of treatments for their illness, the investigation could not entirely account for all factors that may have contributed to the disruption of their microbiome and worsen their disease.&nbsp;



Taken together, these research findings support a scenario in which gut-to-blood migration of microorganisms occurs in COVID-19 patients due to the virus causing disruption to the normal gut microbiome. This migration leads to bloodstream infections that can be dangerous complications of the disease. According to Schluter, the study team next plans to examine why certain microbial species are more likely to escape the gut during COVID-19. The researchers say they also intend to explore how different microbes interact, which may contribute to this migration into the bloodstream. &nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

COVID disrupts gut health, increasing risk of other infections

The role of the gut microbiome in respiratory viral infections...

Many studies have shown the various health benefits of time-restricted eating, including increase in lifespan, making practices such as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/intermittent-fasting-improves-health/">intermittent fasting</a> a major topic in the welfare industry. Yet, exactly how time-restricted eating is affecting the body on a molecular level, and how such changes interact across multiple organ systems, have not been clearly understood.



Now, a team of researchers led by the <a href="https://www.salk.edu/">Salk Institute for Biological Research</a> has found that, in mice, time-restricted eating influences gene expression – the process through which genes are activated and respond to their environment by creating proteins – across more than 22 regions of the body and brain. These findings could have significant implications for a wide range of health issues where time-restricted eating has shown potential benefits, including heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, or cancer.



“We found that there is a system-wide, molecular impact of time-restricted eating in mice,” said study senior author&nbsp;Satchidananda Panda, an expert in Regulatory Biology at Salk. “Our results open the door for looking more closely at how this nutritional intervention activates genes involved in specific diseases, such as cancer.”



In their experiments, the scientists fed two groups of mice the same high-calorie diet. However, while one group was given free access to the food, the other was restricted to eating within a window of nine hours per day. After seven weeks, the experts collected tissue samples from 22 organ groups and the brain – including the heart, the liver, the lungs, the adrenal gland, the hypothalamus, and various parts of the intestines - at different times during the day and night, and analyzed them to detect possible genetic changes.



The analysis revealed that 70 percent of mouse genes responded to time-restricted eating, and that almost 40 percent of genes in the adrenal gland, hypothalamus, and pancreas – which are important for hormonal regulation, safeguarding the organism from diseases such as diabetes, cancers, or stress disorders – were affected by restricting the time when the animals were allowed to eat. "By changing the timing of food, we were able to change the gene expression not just in the gut or in the liver, but also in thousands of genes in the brain,” Panda reported.



Moreover, time-restricted eating appeared to have a major role in aligning the circadian rhythms of multiple organs. “Circadian rhythms are everywhere in every cell. We found that time-restricted eating synchronized the circadian rhythms to have two major waves: one during fasting, and another just after eating. We suspect this allows the body to coordinate different processes,” Panda added.



In future research, the scientists will explore the effects of time-restricted eating on specific conditions or systems, including atherosclerosis – a hardening of the arteries which is often a precursor to heart disease and stroke – and chronic kidney disease.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2022.12.006">Cell Metabolism</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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Time-restricted eating affects gene expression

Many studies have shown the various health benefits of time-restricted...

In a new study led by the <a href="https://www.pitt.edu/">University of Pittsburgh</a>, experts have discovered that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/study-reveals-what-triggers-our-brains-to-overeat/">brains</a> rely on sight to identify a familiar voice. While listening to the voices of U.S. presidents, study participants used the same brain region to recognize both voices and faces.&nbsp;



The results suggest that voice and face recognition are more closely linked than what was previously understood.&nbsp;



“From behavioral research, we know that people can identify a familiar voice faster and more accurately when they can associate it with the speaker’s face, but we never had a good explanation of why that happens,” said study senior author Dr. Taylor Abel of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.&nbsp;



“In the visual cortex, specifically in the part that typically processes faces, we also see electrical activity in response to famous people’s voices, highlighting how deeply the two systems are interlinked.”&nbsp;



Neuroscientists have widely acknowledged a connection between auditory and the visual brain processing, but those systems were expected to have distinct and separate structures.&nbsp;



The study was focused on epilepsy surgery patients, who had been were temporarily implanted with electrodes that measure brain activity. The participants were presented with photographs and voice recordings of three U.S. presidents - Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama.&nbsp;



For the investigation, electrical activity was recorded in the brain region that processes visual cues, the fusiform gyri (FG). The experts found that the same brain region became active when participants heard familiar voices, even though this response was slightly delayed.&nbsp;&nbsp;



“This is important because it shows that auditory and visual areas interact very early when we identify people, and that they don’t work in isolation,” said Dr. Abel. “In addition to enriching our understanding of the basic functioning of the brain, our study explains the mechanisms behind disorders where voice or face recognition is compromised, such as in some dementias or related disorders.”&nbsp;



The study is published in the <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1152/jn.00459.2022">Journal of Neurophysiology</a>



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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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Brains rely on sight to identify voices

In a new study led by the University of Pittsburgh,...

As cells perform their daily functions, they turn on various genes and cellular pathways. A research team led by the <a href="https://www.mit.edu/">Massachusetts Institute of Technology</a> (MIT) has now managed to coax cells to inscribe the history of these events in a long <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/proteins-identified-that-allowed-vertebrates-to-evolve/">protein</a> chain which can be then studied using a light microscope. 



According to the experts, cells programmed to produce these chains incessantly add building blocks encoding particular cellular events. Later, these ordered protein chains can be labeled with fluorescent molecules which the scientists can use to reconstruct the timing of the events. This method could help clarify the steps that underlie processes such as memory formation, responses to drug treatments, or gene expression.



“There are a lot of changes that happen at organ or body scale, over hours to weeks, which cannot be tracked over time,” explained study senior author Edward Boyden, a professor of Neurotechnology at MIT. However, if the newly developed technique could be extended to function over longer time periods, it could be also used to study temporal phenomena such as disease progression or aging.



To study the functions of biological cells, scientists usually image proteins, RNA, or other molecules from inside the cells. Unfortunately, most current methods for doing this offer only a glimpse of a single moment in time, or don’t function properly with large populations of cells.



“Biological systems are often composed of a large number of different types of cells. For example, the human brain has 86 billion cells,” said study lead author Changyang Linghu, an assistant professor of Cell and Developmental Biology at the <a href="https://umich.edu/">University of Michigan</a>. “To understand those kinds of biological systems, we need to observe physiological events over time in these large cell populations.”



To achieve this, the scientists recorded cellular events as a series of protein subunits continuously added to a chain, by using engineered protein subunits that can assemble into long filaments. Then they designed a genetically encoded system in which one of these subunits is continuously produced inside cells, while another is generated only when specific events occur. Each subunit contains an “epitope tag” - a short peptide that can bind to a different fluorescent antibody that can help scientist later on visualize the tags.



“We’re hoping to use this kind of protein self-assembly to record activity in every single cell,” Linghu said. “It’s not only a snapshot in time, but also records past history, just like how tree rings can permanently store information over time as the wood grows.”



This approach could detect and record a variety of temporally extended cellular events, including the progression of a disease or a drug treatment, as well as processes related to growth or aging. In future research, the scientists aim to extend the recording period so that longer temporal events can be recorded and analyzed.



“The total amount of information it could store is fixed, but we could in principle slow down or increase the speed of the growth of the chain. If we want to record for a longer time, we could slow down the synthesis so that it will reach the size of the cell within, let’s say two weeks. In that way we could record longer, but with less time resolution,” he concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41587-022-01586-7">Nature Biotechnology</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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Engineered proteins can record cellular "memories"

As cells perform their daily functions, they turn on various...

Clinical,Trial,For,New,Modern,Covid,Vaccine,During,Global,Pandemic.

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C) is a poorly understood health condition affecting about one in 3,000 to 4,000 children and adolescents who were previously infected with SARS-CoV-2. It usually occurs about a week or two after a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/worlds-largest-covid-wave-currently-unfolding-across-china/">Covid</a> infection and is characterized by symptoms ranging from stomach pain, fever, and rashes to myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) and even organ failure. To date, over 9,000 patients have been diagnosed with MIS-C in the Unites States, and 74 have died.



A lingering question troubling scientists has been whether a Covid vaccine may increase the risk of health problems in young people who have had MIS-C. Fortunately, according to a new study funded by the <a href="https://www.nih.gov/">National Institutes of Health</a> (NIH) and involving 22 medical centers and 385 racially diverse patients aged five or older with prior MIS-C, vaccination does not seem to lead to serious complications such as myocarditis or MIS-C reoccurrence. Instead, only mild adverse reactions – such as arm soreness and fatigue – occurred in 49 percent of the participants.



“We are very reassured by the results and this safety data should be comforting to families and healthcare professionals when considering and recommending vaccination,” said study co-leader Matthew D. Elias, M.D., a pediatric cardiologist at <a href="https://www.chop.edu/">Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia</a> and clinical assistant professor of Pediatrics at the <a href="https://www.upenn.edu/">University of Pennsylvania</a>.



These findings provide support for the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/">Centers of Disease Control and Prevention</a>’s recommendation that patients with a history of MIS-C receive a Covid vaccine at least 90 days after their initial diagnosis. “In light of the acute and long-term consequences of COVID-19 it is vital to continue the development, testing, and deployment of preventive as well as therapeutic agents in at-risk groups as well as the general population,” concluded Gary H. Gibbons, M.D., the director of the <a href="https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/">National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute</a> (NHLBI).&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.48987">JAMA Network Open</a>.   



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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Covid vaccines appear safe for children after MIS-C

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C) is a poorly understood health condition...

A new study published in the <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/apl0001062">Journal of Applied Psychology</a> has found that gig workers, salespeople, and other workers who rely on volatile, fluctuating <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/income-inequality-public-less-cooperative/">income</a> often experience worse physical health outcomes, including poor sleep, headaches, stomach issues, and back pain.



“Pay volatility seems to predict worse health outcomes across a wide range of incomes,” said study author Gordon Sayre, an assistant professor of Organizational Behavior at <a href="https://em-lyon.com/">Emlyon Business School</a> in France. “Not only was pay volatility related to worse health in lower-paid tipped jobs or among freelancers in the gig economy but for higher-paid professionals working in finance, sales, and marketing, where commissions and performance bonuses are common.”



In one study, 85 U.S. workers relying on tips, such as waiters, delivery drivers, or maids, filled-in daily surveys for two weeks regarding their total daily pay and health. The analysis revealed that large fluctuations of daily pay over the study period was associated with negative health issues and poor sleep quality. This relationship was stronger when volatile pay made up a larger percentage of the workers’ total pay.



Another three-weeks study included 375 U.S. participants who spent an average of 29 hours per week working Amazon’s <a href="https://www.mturk.com/">Mechanical Turk</a>, a website where individuals have to complete a variety of tasks for minimal amounts of pay. In this case too, those with larger fluctuations in their pay experienced the worse health outcomes.



Finally, Sayre conducted a three-month online survey of 252 higher-income employees in finance, marketing, and sales who relied on commissions or bonuses for a fraction of their income. The results showed that pay volatility was less harmful to health when the participants were less reliant on commissions and bonuses.



These findings suggest that businesses should consider whether volatile forms of pay are necessary and ensure that more stable forms of compensation make up a larger part of employees’ total income.&nbsp;



“Unions are another way that workers could secure stronger protections against volatile pay. Raising the proportion of base pay and reducing dependence on volatile pay should help protect workers’ health in many industries,” Sayre concluded.



—



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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Fluctuating income is detrimental to health

A new study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

[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



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Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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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



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Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> reveals the evolution of the Columbia Glacier in southeastern Alaska. Columbia is among the fastest shrinking glaciers in the world, and the video documents its rapid retreat over the years.&nbsp;



Columbia Glacier is a large, multi-branched calving glacier that flows out of the Chugach Mountains to the Prince William Sound.&nbsp;



According to USGS, Columbia had a long history of stability prior to 1980, with a length 41 miles, and small, short-lived advances or retreats.



In the years since 1980, however, satellite images have captured Columbia’s alarming retreat. By using false-color images, scientists can distinguish between snow and ice, open water, vegetation, and rocky debris on the glacier’s surface.



The series of false-color images featured in today's video were acquired over the span of 35 years. You can see that by 2021, the glacier’s main branch had retreated about 15 miles from its initial position.



The Columbia Glacier has also lost more than 50 percent of its volume, mostly due to calving. <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/nasa-reveals-3d-visual-of-an-atmospheric-river/">NASA</a> reports that while climate change likely started the retreat, mechanical processes kept the disintegration going.



The NASA images are provided by Jesse Allen, Robert Simmon, Joshua Stevens, and Lauren Dauphin using data from Landsat satellites, from the U.S. Geological Survey, and data from MODIS on NASA’s Terra satellite. The structure of Columbia’s moraine played a large role in the stability of the glacier before 1980. 



Like other tidewater glaciers, the Columbia built up a moraine over time, and the mixture of ice and rock functioned like a dam keeping out the sea. It was supported on one end by the shoreline and by the underwater terminal moraine at the other.



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory/&nbsp; NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio



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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.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"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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.

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes a new map of Mars that is providing insight into the planet’s watery past. The map also reveals where future missions could safely land on Mars.&nbsp;



The map has been created over the last decade using observations of water-rich rocks and mineral deposits. The images were captured by ESA’s Mars Express and NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.



"A big surprise is the prevalence of these minerals, with the map revealing hundreds of thousands of water-affected locations in the oldest parts of the planet," says ESA. "The new data will help answer exciting questions about Mars’ climate history, whether water was globally persistent or confined to short, intense episodes, and whether the conditions were ever suitable for life."



"Specifically, the map shows the locations and abundances of aqueous minerals. These are from rocks that have been chemically altered by the action of water in the past, and have typically been transformed into clays and salts."



According to John Carter of the Institut d’Astrophysique Spatiale (IAS), our collective understanding of Mars has been oversimplified. He explained that planetary scientists have tended to think that only a few types of clay minerals on Mars were created during its wet period, then as the water gradually dried up, salts were produced across the planet.



The new map shows that the composition of Mars is much more complicated than what we thought. For example, while many salts formed after Martian clays, there are some salts that are presumed to be older than some of the clays.&nbsp;



“The evolution from lots of water to no water is not as clear cut as we thought, the water didn’t just stop overnight. We see a huge diversity of geological contexts, so that no one process or simple timeline can explain the evolution of the mineralogy of Mars. That’s the first result of our study. The second is that if you exclude life processes on Earth, Mars exhibits a diversity of mineralogy in geological settings just as Earth does,” said Carter.



Video 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 history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.stowers.org/">Stowers Institute for Medical Research</a> describes how cavefish adapted to a sedentary lifestyle over tens of thousands of years. 



The experts found that the muscle metabolism of cavefish has been genetically reprogrammed over time. As a result, the animals have experienced major changes in their morphology and behavior. Despite these changes, however, the cavefish remain healthy and fit.



The research may provide new clues about the evolutionary consequences of prolonged physical inactivity in humans.&nbsp;



“It’s no surprise that people are moving less and less as technology has advanced,” said Rohner. “With cavefish, we have a unique system where we can study what might happen if people remained couch potatoes over very, very long periods of time.”



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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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.

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> some of the most incredible waves in the world, as seen by Landsat satellites.



"With more than 370,000 miles of coastline on Earth, there are plenty of places where epic waves build up, curl over, and hurtle toward the shore.- much to the thrill of surfers," says NASA. "There are some places where these waves are so magnificent that they can be seen from space."



"With the broad perspective of satellites, we can see how these iconic waves develop into the world’s tallest, longest, fastest, and heaviest."



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&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 capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes why satellite images and measurements of our planet have become "essential to our survival, offering a new outlook of our world."&nbsp;



Rising sea levels pose one of the biggest societal threats associated with climate change. According to ESA, satellite altimeter missions such as Copernicus Sentinel-6 are essential in monitoring global and regional changes in sea level.



"Unbeknown to many, the island of Crete, Greece, plays an important role in the Copernicus satellite altimetry constellation and on an international stage," reports ESA.



"Satellite altimetry data have to be continuously monitored at the ESA’s Permanent Facility for Altimetry Calibration where different techniques have pioneered the use of transponders to provide the best measurements to validate satellite altimeters in space soon after launch."



Dr. Craig Donlon explains that, by understanding planet Earth through satellite measurements, we are able to find evidence of change.&nbsp;



Video Credit: European Space Agency&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

Satellites have become essential to our survival

[sendtonews key="761m2QQvR1-2035772-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...