Since 1990, childhood obesity has significantly increased on all continents, nearly doubling in prevalence. Although the United States currently has the highest prevalence, many other nations are not very far behind.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-childhood-obesity-worldwide-nbsp">Childhood obesity worldwide&nbsp;</h2>



For instance, in Southern European countries such as Greece, Italy and Spain, 10 to 15 percent of children are obese, and, although Eastern European countries have for the moment slightly lower rates, they are experiencing a rapid surge which may soon match Southern Europe.&nbsp;



At a global level, Asia has almost half of all overweight children under five, while Africa has one-quarter of such children. Finally, in Latin America, nearly 20% of children under 20 are overweight.&nbsp;



And sadly, a great number of developing countries currently face not only the challenge of&nbsp; overweight/obesity in their children, but also malnutrition.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-epidemic-levels-of-childhood-obesity-nbsp">Epidemic levels of childhood obesity&nbsp;</h2>



This obesity epidemic leads to a variety of health issues, including childhood <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/high-blood-pressure-drug-called-rilmenidine-dramatically-slows-aging-in-animals/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hypertension</a> and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/high-blood-pressure-drug-called-rilmenidine-dramatically-slows-aging-in-animals/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">type 2 diabetes</a>.&nbsp;



Recently, a team of scientists led by <a href="https://www.fau.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Florida Atlantic University</a> (FAU) has discussed these challenges and provided possible solutions in a commentary published in the <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10995-024-04001-6" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Maternal and Child Health Journal</a>.



Study lead author Charles H. Hennekens is a professor of medicine and preventive medicine at FAU.&nbsp;



“Pediatric overweight and obesity have reached epidemic levels in the U.S. and are becoming a pandemic globally. These conditions lead to high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and lipid disorders, which contribute to metabolic syndrome,” said Hennekens.



“In adults, these issues significantly increase the risks of heart attacks, stroke, liver disease, obstructive sleep apnea, arthritis and certain cancers - many of which are now occurring at younger ages.”



Hennekens noted that through coordinated clinical and public health efforts, we can address these troubling trends and work toward a healthier future for children and families globally.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-misconceptions-about-childhood-obesity-nbsp">Misconceptions about childhood obesity&nbsp;</h2>



In the United States, a preschooler is considered overweight if their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/weight-and-bmi-do-not-accurately-reflect-a-persons-health/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">body mass index</a> (BMI) surpasses the 85th percentile.&nbsp;



Previous research has shown that such children are at a significantly higher risk of being overweight in their adolescence than those with a BMI at the 50th percentile. This highlights the current misconception that children can simply “outgrow” overweight problems.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-boosting-daily-activity-among-children-nbsp">Boosting daily activity among children&nbsp;</h2>



According to the experts, health care providers and public health practitioners face great challenges in their attempts to boost daily <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/any-type-of-physical-activity-can-help-protect-the-brain/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">physical activity</a> among children, which could significantly increase metabolic rates, lower BMI, and reduce risks of coronary heart disease later in life.



“With declining physical education in schools and excessive time spent on electronic devices, many children fail to meet recommended activity guidelines,” said co-author Panagiota “Yiota” Kitsantas, the chair of FAU’s Department of Population Health and Social Medicine.&nbsp;



“This sedentary behavior contributes to overweight and obesity through poor diet, reduced sleep, and decreased physical activity. Encouraging organized, enjoyable activities rather than competitive ones can help children achieve necessary physical activity levels.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-contributing-factors-to-childhood-obesity-nbsp">Contributing factors to childhood obesity&nbsp;</h2>



However, the scientists warn that while increasing the amount of physical activity among children is necessary, it is far from sufficient to have a large impact on the rates of childhood overweight and obesity. 



This is due to the fact that other major contributors are the increase of foods containing high quantities of sugars, together with the consumption of ultra-processed foods.



“Nearly 70 percent of the average U.S.-based child’s diet is made up of ultra-processed foods,” Hennekens said. “Moreover, consumption of ultra-processed foods among children under 24 months is rising worldwide, triggering not only the potential of developing obesity but also decreased immunological protection.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-role-of-ultra-processed-foods-nbsp">The role of ultra-processed foods&nbsp;</h2>



Although further research is needed to clarify which components of ultra-processed foods lead to weight gain in children, it is already clear that a diet high in such foods is connected to increasing rates of overweight and obesity.



“Evidence suggests that enhancing school lunch nutritional standards could help reduce obesity, particularly among low-income children,” Kitsantas said.&nbsp;



“We recommend adopting school food policies that remove ultra-processed foods from menus and promote healthier alternatives, alongside educational programs on healthy eating, despite the challenges posed by external influences on children.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-public-health-measures-nbsp">Public health measures&nbsp;</h2>



Some of these challenges include the use of social media and advertising, which affects children’s food choices and behaviors such as sharing unhealthy food posts.



“Despite recommendations from the World Health Organization and public health authorities to restrict food marketing aimed at children, few countries have implemented such measures,” Hennekens explained.&nbsp;



“The effectiveness of existing regulations in today’s media landscape is uncertain, creating an opportunity for health providers and public health practitioners to educate families about the impact of this advertising.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-managing-the-public-health-crisis">Managing the public health crisis </h2>



The scientists argue that tackling the rising pediatric obesity epidemic requires a multidimensional approach. In 2023, the American Academy of Pediatrics endorsed World Health Organization’s guidelines, while releasing their own recommendations for managing this public health crisis.&nbsp;



The guidelines suggest that healthcare providers and public health professionals address the social determinants of health, utilize motivational interviewing to encourage changes in nutrition and physical activity habits, and consider options like pharmacotherapy or surgery to achieve individualized patient objectives.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-reversing-the-troubling-trends">Reversing the troubling trends</h2>



Yet, the study authors argue that although there are approved drug therapies available, maternal and child health care providers should employ therapeutic lifestyle changes before prescribing pharmaceutical interventions.



“While the ultimate goal is prevention of pediatric overweight and obesity as well as metabolic syndrome, to paraphrase Voltaire, we should not ‘let the perfect be the enemy of the good,’” Hennekens said.



“Health care and public health professionals must collaborate across disciplines to address these issues with patients, families, communities and policymakers. United efforts can help reverse these troubling trends and ensure a healthier future for children worldwide,” Kitsantas concluded.



-----



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Childhood obesity rates are surging worldwide

Since 1990, childhood obesity has significantly increased on all continents, nearly doubling in prevalence. Although the United States currently has the highest prevalence, many other nations are not very far behind. Childhood obesity worldwide&nbsp; For instance, in Southern European countries such as Greece, Italy and Spain, 10 to 15 percent of children are obese, and, although Eastern European countries have for the moment slightly lower rates, they are experiencing a rapid surge which may soon match Southern Europe.&nbsp; At a global level, Asia has almost half of...

Some stress and anxiety can actually be helpful. As <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/work-stress-sleep-hypertension/">Earth.com has reported</a>, stress can have a harmful impact on your health and wellbeing and has been linked to poor sleep and high blood pressure.

But according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/by/lisa-damour">Lisa Damour</a>, a psychologist and columnist for the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/">New York Times</a>, not all stress is bad for you. Damour led a presentation about the potential <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/certain-stress-boost-longevity/">benefits of stress</a> and anxiety at the annual convention of the <a href="https://www.apa.org/">American Psychological Association</a>. 

Damour notes that some stress is helpful, and as we learn to manage stress, we become stronger and more resilient when future stressful situations arise. 

People may want to reframe how they think about stress, instead of seeing all stress and anxiety as bad and unhealthy. Some stress and anxiety can actually be helpful

“It’s important for psychologists to share our knowledge about stress with broad audiences: that stress is a given in daily life, that working at the edge of our abilities often builds those capacities and that moderate levels of stress can have an inoculating function, which leads to higher than average resilience when we are faced with new difficulties,” said Damour. 

While research has shown that too much can be toxic, there are positive benefits that are often overlooked.  

Anxiety, for example, serves as an internal alarm and if it is viewed as something protective and helpful, people may be able to decipher these warnings and act accordingly.  

“As all psychologists know, anxiety is an internal alarm system, likely handed down by evolution, that alerts us to threats both external - such as a driver swerving in a nearby lane - and internal - such as when ’we’ve procrastinated too long and it’s time to get started on our work,” said Damour.

Damour counsels her clients to pay attention to those nervous, anxious feelings. A teen who suddenly feels anxious at a party may be feeling wary for a reason, so it’s important to listen to what your nerves are telling you. 

Having anxiety about a test because you haven’t studied is also normal, according to Darmour. 

“Similarly, if a client shares that ’she’s worried about an upcoming test for which she has yet to study, I am quick to reassure her that she is having the right reaction and that ’she’ll feel better as soon as she hits the books,” said Darmour. 

How do we decipher between what is healthy and unhealthy stress and anxiety? In other words, how do we learn not to be stressed about being stressed? 

Chronic or traumatic stress can be unhealthy, and too much stress may make it impossible for a person to cope or build up a tolerance. 

Anxiety can also be unhealthy when the alarm system overreacts to a threat or ‘goes off’ for no reason. 

When left untreated, stress and anxiety can be a serious detriment to health and well-being, which is why Damour is adamant about rethinking our relationship with stress. 

“Psychologists are good at taking a more measured approach to thinking about the human experience,” said Damour. “We want to support well-being, but ’don’t set the bar at being happy nearly all of the time. That is a dangerous idea because it is unnecessary and unachievable,” she said. “If you are under the impression that you should always be joyful, your day-to-day experience may ultimately turn out to be pretty miserable.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Aaron Amat

Some stress and anxiety can actually be helpful

Some stress and anxiety can actually be helpful. As Earth.com...

Living among green vegetation can lower risk of heart disease. A new study published by the <a href="https://www.heart.org/">American Heart Association</a> has revealed that people who live in neighborhoods with more green space have a lower risk of developing heart disease and strokes. 

The research, which was conducted by experts at the <a href="http://louisville.edu/">University of Louisville</a>, is the first of its kind to measure the impact of green spaces on individual-level markers of stress and <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/wood-coal-cooking-cardiovascular/">cardiovascular disease</a> risk.

The investigation was focused on 408 people of different age groups, ethnicities, and socioeconomic levels. Over the course of five years, blood and urine samples were collected and then tested for signs of blood vessel injury and cardiovascular disease risk.

To measure the density of green spaces near the homes of the participants, the researchers used data from a tool called the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), which relies on satellite imagery to indicate vegetation density levels. 

The study revealed that living in areas with more green vegetation was associated with lower urinary levels of epinephrine, indicating lower levels of stress, as well as lower urinary levels of F2-isoprostane, indicating better health. Participants who lived close to green spaces were also found to have a higher capacity to repair blood vessels.

Study lead author Dr. Aruni Bhatnagar is a professor of Medicine and director of the University of Louisville Diabetes and Obesity Center.

“Our study shows that living in a neighborhood dense with trees, bushes and other green vegetation may be good for the health of your heart and blood vessels,” said Dr. Bhatnagar. “Indeed, increasing the amount of vegetation in a neighborhood may be an unrecognized environmental influence on cardiovascular health and a potentially significant public health intervention.”

The study is published in <a href="https://www.ahajournals.org/journal/jaha">JAHA: Journal of the American Heart Association</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Living among green vegetation can lower risk of heart disease

Living among green vegetation can lower risk of heart disease....

Too much or too little <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sleep-heart-disease/">sleep</a> can increase the risk of heart disease. However, for individuals with genetic predispositions to cardiovascular disease, getting the right amount of sleep each night can help lower heart attack risk. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.colorado.edu/">University of Colorado, Boulder</a>, the <a href="https://www.manchester.ac.uk/">University of Manchester</a>, and the <a href="https://www.massgeneral.org/">Massachusetts General Hospital</a> analyzed medical records and sleep habits from the UK Biobank in a new study. 

The researchers reviewed data from 461,000 Biobank participants ages 40 to 69. The participants had no prior heart attack history and were followed up for a period of seven years. 

The participants that slept less than six hours each night on average were 20 percent more likely to have a heart attack in the follow-up period. 

Participants that slept more than nine hours each night were 34 percent more likely to have a heart attack. 

“This provides some of the strongest proof yet that sleep duration is a key factor when it comes to heart health, and this holds true for everyone,” said Celine Vetter, the senior author of the study. 

The correlated risks held true even after accounting for 30 different influencing factors like physical activity, smoking history, and mental health. 

The researchers also investigated the potentially protective benefits sleep provides for people with a genetic predisposition to heart disease and found that genetically influenced short sleep periods increased heart attack risk. 

Sleeping between six and nine hours each night decreased heart attack by 18 percent for people with a genetic predisposition to cardiovascular disease. 

It is still not clear how sleeping too much or too little increases heart disease risk, but the study shows a clear link between sleeping and heart attacks.

“It’s kind of a hopeful message, that regardless of what your inherited risk for heart attack is, sleeping a healthy amount may cut that risk just like eating a healthy diet, not smoking, and other lifestyle approaches can,” said Iyas Daghlas, the lead author of the study. 

The researchers published their findings in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/wavebreakmedia

Getting the right amount of sleep can lower heart attack risk

Too much or too little sleep can increase the risk...

Two studies from the <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/info/departments/joint-research-centre_en">European Commission Joint Research Centre</a> (JRC) have projected the future costs of major flooding events along the coast of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/large-scale-deforestation-europe/">Europe</a>. The researchers found that, without increased investment in resilient infrastructure along the coast, the annual damage caused by floods could increase from 1.25 billion Euros today to between 93 and 961 billion Euros by the end of the century.


According to the experts, these coastal floods could impact up to 3.65 million people every year in Europe by 2100, primarily due to an increase in extreme sea levels driven by global warming.

The scientists estimated how extreme sea levels will change during the present century. They also investigated how this sea level rise will affect future losses from coastal flooding when combined with socioeconomic change. 

The team accounted for two scenarios - one where moderate policy efforts are made to mitigate climate change and another “business as usual” scenario where climate change continues at its current rate.


The study revealed that - unless adaptation measures are adopted very quickly - there is an unprecedented flood risk. More specifically, defense structures need to be modified to withstand an increase in sea levels ranging from 0.5 to 2.5 meters in order for Europe to keep future coastal flood losses constant relative to the size of the economy.


Across the globe, the projected rise in costs from coastal flooding is now mainly attributed to climate change, whereas before it was primarily driven by socioeconomic development.

The rising sea levels are mainly triggered by thermal expansion, but retreating ice cover across regions such as Greenland and Antarctica are now also making large contributions to sea level rise.

The results of the JRC studies have been published in <a href="http://www.nature.com/nclimate/">Nature Climate Change</a> and <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Europe needs major coastal overhaul to avoid disastrous flooding

Two studies from the European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC)...

A new study from the <a href="https://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/">University of Tokyo</a> has demonstrated that exercise can change the connections in the brain that are associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The research, which was focused on a mouse model, showed that behavioral differences disappeared and structural differences were reduced after one month of treadmill <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/morning-exercise-improves-cognitive-performance/">exercise</a>. 
"Voluntary exercise can be a safe, drug-free way to improve overall health and now we have a better understanding of how exercise can positively change brain structure in ASD," said study lead author Professor Ryuta Koyama.

The study was performed in mice, and the researchers caution against expecting the same results in humans.

"A very important part of this research is that the mice were not forced to exercise - any physical activity was voluntary," said Professor Koyama. "If children are interested, they should be encouraged to do any exercise they want, but this research does not reveal how different activities might affect the brains of children with ASD."

Around ten years ago, a collection of small studies began producing evidence to suggest that regular exercise could improve the social difficulties and repetitive behaviors commonly observed among children with ASD. While many studies have investigated how exercise can make large-scale changes in healthy brains, there was no research to show how exercise may alter the brain structure of ASD patients. 

As they get older, the brains of children naturally trim away any redundant connections between neurons. A defining feature of autism is the presence of too many of these redundant connections in the brain. The results of the mouse model study indicate that exercise somehow activates the brain's normal pruning process. 

"Exercise likely enhanced the contrast between active and inactive neuronal connections so that the weak ones could be more easily targeted for removal," said Professor Koyama.

The ASD model mice display the same behaviors that are characteristic of neurodevelopmental differences. For example, they groom themselves repetitively, they interact less with new mice, and it takes them longer to start eating again when they are exposed to a new environment.

The researchers placed a running wheel in the corner of the cages so the mice could run as much as they wanted from the time they were four weeks old until eight weeks old, which is when mice reach adulthood. 

"Part of the variability of our data is that we could not give all mice the same amount of exercise. Some mice may have exercised just a little, some may have exercised very intensely," said Professor Koyama.

The researchers found that the ASD model mice who exercised exhibited behavior that was similar to healthy mice after just 30 days of gaining access to the running wheel.

Next, the researchers analyzed a brain structure called mossy fibers in the hippocampus, which is the site of neurogenesis in adults. In this area, neurons are often connected to dozens of mossy fibers sent out by other neurons.

This brain region is also equipped with immune cells called microglia, which alter the structure of the brain by overtaking less active synapses. The researchers noted that microglia had removed the less active mossy fibers in the brains of the mice that were on the spectrum, while sparing the active mossy fibers. 

According to the research team, the findings suggest that the connection between exercise and microglia should receive as much attention as future research focused on the causes of autism spectrum disorder.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/cell-reports/home">Cell Reports</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock

Exercise can help eliminate the excess brain connections of autism

A new study from the University of Tokyo has demonstrated...

The hardest part of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/crash-dieting-health-damage/">dieting</a> is the dieting itself. Not eating your favorite unhealthy foods can leave you dreaming about the sugary and fatty treats that got you into this diet in the first place. But these cravings for junk food that seem to grow the further we get into a diet are not just in your imagination.

“Craving for foods high in fat - this includes many junk foods - is an important part of obesity and binge eating,” says Jonathan Hommel, assistant professor in the department of pharmacology and toxicology at the <a href="https://www.utsystem.edu/institutions/university-texas-medical-branch-galveston">University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston</a>. “When trying to lose weight people often strive to avoid fatty foods, which ironically increases motivation and craving for these foods and can lead to overeating. Even worse, the longer someone abstains from fatty foods, the greater the cravings.”

Recently, Hommel and a team of UTMB researchers identified the brain circuits that may be able to act as a brake on binge eating and junk food craving. In a study published in <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/behavioural-brain-research">Behavioural Brain Research</a>, the researchers successfully inhibited fatty food seeking behaviors in rats who had spent a month eating a low-fat diet.

While multiple behavioral studies have shown that denying certain foods causes increased craving and motivation for that food, the brain mechanisms that lead to this type of overeating have not been identified. 

The UTMB team took rats that had been on a 30-day low-fat diet and trained them to work for fatty treats by pressing a lever. In order to measure craving and motivation, the amount of times needed to press the lever to receive a treat was increased until the rat gave up trying. In half the rats, the researchers blocked the effects of a brain chemical called neuromedin U receptor 2 within a region of the brain that regulates food intake. The other half were the control group, and did not undergo this procedure. 

It turned out that the rats who had been treated did not work as hard for fatty treats as the control rats. This may indicate that the researchers found new brain circuits that could one day help us better understand our own cravings – and maybe stop them entirely.

“While our findings are only the first step in a long process from the scientific lab to the doctor’s office, we are planning to develop new drugs to help curb those cravings,” says Hommel. “Although it may be years before the drug is ready, our research highlights some important features of food craving that may help you set realistic New Year’s resolutions.”

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Why do food cravings seem to get worse when you’re dieting?

The hardest part of dieting is the dieting itself. Not...

An extensive, seven-year study has revealed that consistent meditation over the course of a lifetime may help a person maintain attentiveness and reduce the extent of cognitive decline. 

The research team analyzed the benefits gained from three months of full-time <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/yoga-meditation-reverse-ill-health/">meditation</a> training, and then followed up with participants seven years later to see if the benefits were still noticeable.

The project was initially launched by the team at the <a href="https://www.ucdavis.edu/">University of California, Davis</a> in 2011. The experts tested the cognitive abilities of the study participants before and after they attended a three-month-long retreat at the Shambhala Mountain meditation center.

The training was designed to help individuals improve their attentiveness and also to help them focus on compassion, kindness, and emphatic joy. The researchers followed up six months, 18 months, and seven years later to evaluate the participants. 

By the final assessment, all of the remaining participants reported that they still practiced meditation. Across all of the individuals, they meditated an average of 1 hour a day for seven years, and 85 percent of them had attended at least one meditation retreat.

When cognitive abilities were tested at the seven-year mark, the experts found that the study participants had partially maintained the cognitive skills that they had gained after the intense meditation training in 2011. 

The study also revealed that older adults who had meditated frequently did not demonstrate typical patterns of age-related cognitive decline.

“This study is the first to offer evidence that intensive and continued meditation practice is associated with enduring improvements in sustained attention and response inhibition, with the potential to alter longitudinal trajectories of cognitive change across a person's life,” said lead author Anthony Zanesco.


Zanesco, who is now at the University of Miami, emphasized that further research is needed to determine if meditation is an effective treatment for improving cognitive function in older adults.

The study is published in Springer's <a href="https://link.springer.com/journal/41465"> Journal of Cognitive Enhancement</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Long-term meditation found to have lasting mental health benefits

An extensive, seven-year study has revealed that consistent meditation over...

Lung cancer is the deadliest cancer among both men and women. Most fatalities occur after the cancer spreads to other parts of the body through the bloodstream or the lymphatic system in a process known as metastasis. 

In a groundbreaking new study, researchers may have discovered a way to slow down the spread of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/red-wine-lung-cancer-prevention/">lung cancer</a> with capsaicin, the same compound that makes chili peppers hot and spicy. 

Jamie Friedman is a doctoral candidate who conducted the research in the lab of Dr. Piyali Dasgupta at the Marshall University <a href="https://jcesom.marshall.edu/">Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine</a>.

“Lung cancer and other cancers commonly metastasize to secondary locations like the brain, liver or bone, making them difficult to treat,” said Friedman. “Our study suggests that the natural compound capsaicin from chili peppers could represent a novel therapy to combat metastasis in lung cancer patients.”

The investigation was focused on experiments involving three lines of cultured human non-small cell lung cancer cells. The researchers found that capsaicin prevented invasion, which is the first step of the metastatic process. The team also observed that, among mice with metastatic cancer, those who consumed capsaicin had smaller groups of metastatic cancer cells in their lungs compared to mice who were not treated.


Upon further analysis, the experts established that capsaicin suppresses lung cancer metastasis by inhibiting activation of the protein Src. This protein plays a major role in initiating the process of invasion and other tumor progression-related events

“We hope that one day capsaicin can be used in combination with other chemotherapeutics to treat a variety of lung cancers,” said Friedman. “However, using capsaicin clinically will require overcoming its unpleasant side effects, which include gastrointestinal irritation, stomach cramps and a burning sensation.”

The researchers are working to identify elements of capsaicin that retain the anti-tumor capacity of the compound without the spiciness. They are also hoping to find additional natural compounds with anti-cancer properties.

The findings were presented at <a href="https://experimentalbiology.org/2019/home.aspx">Experimental Biology 2019</a>, the annual meeting of the American Society for Investigative Pathology.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Spicy chili pepper compound slows the progression of lung cancer

Lung cancer is the deadliest cancer among both men and...

The psychological impact of being overweight often causes depression. A research team from the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a> and the <a href="https://www.unisa.edu.au/">University of South Australia</a> has found that the psychological impact of being overweight, rather than its associated illnesses, is responsible for depression. 

While previous research into the complex relationship between <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/societal-changes-obesity-epidemic/">obesity</a> and depression has confirmed that there is a link, the new study is the first to demonstrate that being overweight can cause depression on its own, without the presence of other health issues. 


Using UK Biobank data, the experts compared data from 48,000 people with depression to 290,000 people born between 1938 and 1971 who had provided medical and genetic information. They determined which of the individuals had depression by using hospital admission data and self-reporting. 

The researchers used a genetic approach to explore the causal link between depression and obesity by separating out the psychological component of obesity from the impact of obesity-related health problems. 

Genes associated with higher BMI but lower risk of diseases like diabetes were just as strongly associated with depression as those genes associated with higher BMI and diabetes. This suggests that higher BMI is capable of triggering depression regardless, and the effect was found to be stronger in women than in men.

“Obesity and depression are both global health problems that have a major impact on lives and are costly to health services,” said study co-author Dr. Jess Tyrrell. “We've long known there's a link between the two, yet it's unclear whether obesity causes depression or vice-versa, and also whether it's being overweight in itself or the associated health problems that can cause depression.” 

“Our robust genetic analysis concludes that the psychological impact of being obese is likely to cause depression. This is important to help target efforts to reduce depression, which makes it much harder for people to adopt healthy lifestyle habits.”

The study is published in the <a href="https://academic.oup.com/ije">International Journal of Epidemiology</a>. 

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The psychological impact of being overweight often causes depression

The psychological impact of being overweight often causes depression. A...

Research from <a href="http://www.brunel.ac.uk/">Brunel University London</a> has found that listening to music during <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/exercise-improve-tolerance-cold/">exercise</a> can fight off fatigue. The study has revealed that the rhythm of music activates a region of the brain that helps keep us from becoming tired. 

“The effects of music on exercise have been systematically investigated for more than 100 years, and we are still not completely sure how music enhances exercise performance, assuages fatigue, and elicits positive affective responses,” said study author Marcelo Bigliassi.

“I have spent the past decade trying to answer this research question and, finally, after a series of fNIRS (functional near-infrared spectroscopy), EEG (electroencephalography), and fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) experiments, we can now understand how music is processed in the brain during exercise.”

The study was focused on 19 healthy adults who performed hand grip exercises while their brain activity was recorded by an MRI scanner. The individuals engaged in 30 sets of exercises, which involved ten seconds of gripping followed by ten seconds of rest. 

During some of the workout sets, the participants listened to the song “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” by Marvin Gaye. 

The researchers found that music was associated with greater stimulation during exercise and increased thoughts that were unrelated to the physical activity. In addition, there were changes observed in one particular region of the brain.

Bigliassi told <a href="https://www.psypost.org/">PsyPost</a>: “Music is a very powerful auditory stimulus and can be used to assuage negative bodily sensations that usually arise during exercise-related situations. This psychophysical response is triggered by an attentional mechanism that will ultimately result in a more efficacious control of the musculature.”

“What we have identified in this study was that the left inferior frontal gyrus activates when individuals exercise in the presence of music. This region of the brain appears to be a hub of sensory integration, processing information from external and internal sources (e.g., music and limb discomfort, respectively).”


Bigliassi said that increased activation in this region coincided with decreased fatigue among the participants. 


“It is important to emphasise that the practical implications of this study might be very similar to other applied studies in the field of sport and exercise,” said Bigliassi. “However, unravelling these mechanisms can actually open a new avenue for scientific investigation into the effects of sensory modulation on attentional responses and subsequent fatigue-related sensations.”

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/international-journal-of-psychophysiology">International Journal of Psychophysiology</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Listening to music during exercise actually helps fight fatigue

Research from Brunel University London has found that listening to...

According to a new study from the <a href="https://www.dukehealth.org/locations/duke-university-medical-center">Duke University Medical Center</a>, cutting just 300 calories can help reduce the risk of serious conditions such as diabetes and <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/celery-heart-disease-cancer/">heart disease</a>. Calorie restriction was found to improve blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and blood sugar among individuals who were already at a healthy weight. 

The results of the two-year trial, which is part of an ongoing project with the National Institutes of Health, supports the idea that weight loss is not the only way to prevent metabolic issues. The research suggests that a complex metabolic change is triggered by burning more calories than we consume. 

"There's something about caloric restriction, some mechanism we don't yet understand that results in these improvements," said study lead author Dr. William E. Kraus. "We have collected blood, muscle and other samples from these participants and will continue to explore what this metabolic signal or magic molecule might be."

During the first month of the trial, participants trained for a new diet by eating three meals a day that cut one-fourth of their daily calories. They also attended group and individual counseling sessions for six months. Meanwhile, members of a control group simply continued their usual diet.

The participants were asked to maintain the 25-percent calorie reduction for two years. Some were more successful than others, and the average calorie reduction among all of the volunteers was around 12 percent. 

Regardless, the participants managed to drop ten percent of their weight, and the researchers determined that 71 percent of this weight loss was fat. 

In markers that measure risk for metabolic disease, there were a number of improvements. The participants also showed a reduction in a biomarker that indicates chronic inflammation, which has been linked to heart disease, cancer, and cognitive decline.

"This shows that even a modification that is not as severe as what we used in this study could reduce the burden of diabetes and cardiovascular disease that we have in this country," said Dr. Kraus. "People can do this fairly easily by simply watching their little indiscretions here and there, or maybe reducing the amount of them, like not snacking after dinner."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/landia/home">The Lancet Diabetes &amp; Endocrinology</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Odua Images

Calorie restriction greatly reduces risk of heart disease and diabetes

According to a new study from the Duke University Medical...

Regular exercise slows down the body’s aging process. Experts at the <a href="https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/">University of Birmingham</a> and <a href="https://www.kcl.ac.uk/">King's College London</a> have found that a lifetime of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/exercise-brain-major-boost/">exercise</a> does not only keep a person feeling healthier, but also slows down the process of aging. 

“Hippocrates in 400 BC said that exercise is man's best medicine, but his message has been lost over time and we are an increasingly sedentary society,” said study co-author Janet Lord. “However, importantly, our findings debunk the assumption that aging automatically makes us more frail.”

“Our research means we now have strong evidence that encouraging people to commit to regular exercise throughout their lives is a viable solution to the problem that we are living longer but not healthier.”

The researchers focused their study on over 100 amateur cyclists between the ages of 55 and 79 to investigate the health of older individuals who had exercised for most of their adult lives.

After undergoing a series of tests, the study participants were compared to a group of healthy individuals between the ages of 20 and 80 who were not involved in regular exercise.

The study revealed that those who had participated in regular physical activity retained their muscle mass and strength. In addition, the cyclists did not increase their body fat or cholesterol levels with age. 

Furthermore, testosterone levels in the men who exercised regularly were found to stay high, suggesting that they may have dodged most of the effects of male menopause.

The researchers were most surprised to find that individuals who were more active had maintained an immune system that also seemed to defy the test of time.

‘We hope these findings prevent the danger that, as a society, we accept that old age and disease are normal bedfellows and that the third age of man is something to be endured and not enjoyed,” said co-author Dr. Niharika Arora Duggal.Master cyclist Norman Lazarus said: “Most of us who exercise have nowhere near the physiological capacities of elite athletes. We exercise mainly to enjoy ourselves. Nearly everybody can partake in an exercise that is in keeping with their own physiological capabilities.”

“Find an exercise that you enjoy in whatever environment that suits you and make a habit of physical activity. You will reap the rewards in later life by enjoying an independent and productive old age.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1474-9726">Aging Cell </a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Regular exercise slows down the body’s aging process

Regular exercise slows down the body’s aging process. Experts at...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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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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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



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

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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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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



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The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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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...