You've undoubtedly noticed that the Moon has two distinct sides, right? The near side that we see from Earth and the far side that remains a mystery because it is never turned towards us.



This unusual lunar characteristic -- a global dichotomy -- is what a team of scientists led by Professor XU Yigang from the Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry (<a href="http://english.gig.cas.cn/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">GIGCAS</a>) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has been investigating.



They have been studying lunar soil samples collected from the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) Basin on the far side of the Moon, and returned to Earth by China's <a href="https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=CHANG-E-6" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chang’e-6 mission</a>.



These invaluable samples have allowed them to investigate the Moon's peculiar dichotomy and the results have shed light on some of its secrets.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-is-chang-e-6">What is Chang’e-6?</h2>



The Chinese space program launched Chang'e 6, their latest Moon mission, on May 3, 2024. The spacecraft blasted off from Wenchang Satellite Launch Center on a Long March 5 rocket at 9:27 UT (that's 5:27 PM Beijing time). 



Their goal? To grab about four pounds (2 kg) of Moon rocks from the far side - something no one had done before.



The lander touched down in a huge crater called the South Pole Aitken Basin. The team used both a scoop and a drill to dig up surface samples and even went 2 meters deep into the lunar soil. 



They also sent out a small rover that cruised around taking snapshots of the lander doing its work.



Once they collected the samples, the crew packed them into an ascent vehicle sitting on top of the lander. 



On June 3 at 11:38 PM UT (7:38 AM Beijing time the next day), this vehicle shot up from the Moon's surface and met up with the orbiter waiting above. They made the handoff on June 6, 2024.



After ditching the ascent vehicle (which crashed back into the Moon), the return vehicle hung around in orbit for a couple weeks before heading home. 



It pulled off a tricky skip-entry through Earth's atmosphere and landed in Inner Mongolia's Siziwang Banner region on June 25 at 6:07 UT (2:07 PM Beijing time). 



The final haul? Roughly 4.2 pounds (1.9 kg) of Moon rocks and soil from the far side -- marking another big win for China's space program.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-far-side-vs-visible-side-of-the-moon">Far side vs. visible side of the Moon</h2>



The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/its-official-earth-now-has-two-moons-captured-asteroid-2024-pt5/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Moon's</a> dichotomy is visible in its topography, chemical composition, crustal thickness, evidence of volcanism and, most noticeably, in the difference in geomorphology between its near and far sides.



The near side of the Moon is home to the familiar "man in the moon" maria - the dark "seas" that are the result of ancient volcanic activity. 



These areas were flooded with molten lava that created rocks known as mare basalts.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/moon_farside_volcanic-episodes_diagram_credit-YANG-Muhan_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/moon_farside_volcanic-episodes_diagram_credit-YANG-Muhan_1s.webp" alt="Distribution of distinct volcanic episodes on the Moon’s farside. The remote sensing image highlights the Chang’e-6 landing site along with nearby mare and cryptomare basaltic units. Credit: Image by YANG Muhan" class="wp-image-1950782"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Distribution of distinct volcanic episodes on the Moon’s farside. The remote sensing image highlights the Chang’e-6 landing site along with nearby mare and cryptomare basaltic units. Credit: Image by YANG Muhan</figcaption></figure>



How about the far side? Well, here's where it gets intriguing. Only about 2% of this hidden part of the Moon is covered in the basalts, compared to around 30% on the near side.



This inexplicable difference is a vital part of the lunar global dichotomy that the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program aims to unravel.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-secrets-of-the-moon-s-far-side">Secrets of the Moon's far side</h2>



Thanks to the Chang’e-6 lunar soil samples, Professor XU's team discovered the existence of two different types of mare basalts, low-Ti, and very low-Ti (VLT). 



“The samples returned by Chang’e-6 provide a best opportunity to investigate the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/2024-pt5-mini-moon-say-goodbye-to-earths-second-moon-we-barely-got-to-know-you/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lunar</a> global dichotomy,” said Professor XU.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/moon_farside_volcanic-eruptions_basalt-types_credit-GIGCAS_1s.webp" alt="The two types of basalts in Chang’e-6 soils and isochrons of the Chang’e-6 low-Ti basalt. Credit: GIGCAS" class="wp-image-1950784"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The two types of basalts in Chang’e-6 soils and isochrons of the Chang’e-6 low-Ti basalt. Credit: GIGCAS</figcaption></figure>



Let's not dismiss the aspect of dating these samples either. With high-precision Pb-Pb dating techniques, the team determined that the low-Ti basalt dates back to around 2.83 billion years ago.



This attests to the presence of "young" magmatism or volcanic activities on the far side of the Moon. But of course, young is a relative term when we talk about 2.83 billion years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mapping-the-history-of-volcanoes">Mapping the history of volcanoes</h2>



With such valuable information now in our hands, we can clearly chart the volcanic timeline on the far side of the Moon. 



Led by Professor LI Qiuli, the team conducted radioisotope dating on 108 basalt fragments, with 107 of them revealing a consistent formation age of 2807 million years ago.



But there's more. One fragment, a high-aluminum basalt, was dated to a monumental 4203 million years ago, making it the oldest <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/harvest-moon-2024-will-feature-a-partial-lunar-eclipse/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lunar</a> basalt for which age has been precisely determined.



This implies elevated levels of volcanic activity on the far side of the Moon for at least 1.4 billion years - between 4.2 billion and 2.8 billion years ago.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-does-any-of-this-matter">Why does any of this matter?</h2>



These findings, available for everyone to dissect, can help recalibrate the existing lunar crater chronology models. 



Christopher Hamilton, an independent planetary volcano expert, emphasized the importance of obtaining samples from this previously unchartered lunar territory.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/moon_farside_volcanic-episodes_Change-6-mission_landing_credit-CLEP_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/moon_farside_volcanic-episodes_Change-6-mission_landing_credit-CLEP_1s.webp" alt="China's Chang’e-6 mission spacecraft landed on the far side of the Moon. Credit: CLAP" class="wp-image-1950787"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">China's Chang’e-6 mission spacecraft landed on the far side of the Moon. Credit: CLAP </figcaption></figure>



More than just understanding the Moon, these lunar soil samples also have implications for some broad astronomical theories.



The new data indicates a constant impact flux after 2.83 billion years, which can offer new insights into planet migration in the early Solar System. 



So, by looking at the Moon, we are indirectly learning about our own cosmic neighborhood as well!



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-happens-next">What happens next?</h2>



With more missions like the Chang'e-6, the future will undoubtedly bring many enlightening discoveries about our constant celestial companion.



In the end, we see that the Moon, despite its <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earth-may-have-captured-the-moon-from-space/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">familiar appearance</a>, still hides untold secrets waiting to be discovered. 



These lunar missions represent a new age of lunar and planetary exploration that pushes the boundaries of our understanding.



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The researchers from the <a href="https://english.cas.cn" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chinese Academy of Sciences</a> express their gratitude for the support received from various institutes such as the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the National Natural Science Foundation of China. These institutions' enduring support enables such important lunar explorations.



The study is published in the journals <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-08382-0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature</a> and <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adt1093" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science</a>.



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Far side of the Moon had volcanic eruptions for over one billion years

You've undoubtedly noticed that the Moon has two distinct sides, right? The near side that we see from Earth and the far side that remains a mystery because it is never turned towards us. This unusual lunar characteristic -- a global dichotomy -- is what a team of scientists led by Professor XU Yigang from the Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry (GIGCAS) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has been investigating. They have been studying lunar soil samples collected from the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) Basin on the far...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/edible-plants-could-replace-shots-as-vaccines/">Plants</a> have evolved over millions of years to adapt to their nutritional needs, including through the incredible method of modifying the permeability of their roots through suberin. However, there is a lot that is not yet known about how this adaptive process works.



A study by Marie Barberon, professor at the Department of Botany and Plant Biology at the Faculty of Science of the <a href="https://www.unige.ch/">UNIGE</a>, previously discovered that the substance is a cork-like protective layer that can be produced or degraded to resist environmental stresses.



Scientists were unsure how such adaptive processes are activated. But now, researchers at the University of Geneva (UNIGE) have discovered four molecular factors that are responsible for the genetic activation of suberin. The research may help to engineer plants that are more resistant to drought, flooding, and overexposure to salt.



The new study, which was led by Professor Barberon, investigated regulators within the endodermis of the Arabidopsis thaliana. The endodermis contains a layer of cells which transports the sap that a plant uses to produce suberin.&nbsp;&nbsp;



“We were able to use one of the characteristics of this plant, namely the transparency of its roots, to observe directly in microscopy the presence or absence of suberin after staining and could identify the factors essential for its production," explained study first author Vinay Shukla.



Through this technique, the researchers were able to identify the four key proteins that allow suberin production in the endodermis.&nbsp;



“Using the CRISPR/Cas9 technique, we also generated a quadruple mutant for these proteins that is impaired in suberin production," said Shukla.&nbsp;&nbsp;



These mutated Arabidopsis plants were then grown within different exposure levels of sodium, with some levels being optimal for growth with others being toxically high.&nbsp;



“We observed that plants whose roots are continuously covered with suberin absorb less sodium than those without. On the other hand, the latter are less resistant to toxic concentrations," explained study co-author Marie Barberon.



Discovering the key properties that regulate suberin formation provides an extremely useful toolset for the precise study of the substance and its role in nutrient balance and maintenance within plants.&nbsp;



Ultimately, the researchers hypothesize that the results of this study could present significant agronomical applications. By using suberin and the techniques used throughout the study, scientists will be better equipped for selecting plants with root traits that are biologically more resistant to adverse environmental conditions.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a> (PNAS).



---



By <a href="mailto:calumvaughan05@gmail.com">Calum Vaughan </a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

How plants activate their protective barrier of suberin

Plants have evolved over millions of years to adapt to...

Many experts believe that the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-is-following-a-pattern-similar-to-earths-largest-mass-extinction/">Earth</a> is quickly approaching various “tipping points” beyond which the effects of climate change could become irreversible. Researchers at the <a href="https://uwaterloo.ca/">University of Waterloo</a> in Canada are currently developing an artificial intelligence algorithm that could assess climate change tipping points to act as an early warning system.



Some tipping points that are often associated with irreversible climate change include: the melting of the Arctic permafrost, leading to the release of huge amounts of methane in the atmosphere and rapid heating; the disintegration of ice sheets, causing sea-level changes; or the breakdown of oceanic current systems, spurring severe fluctuations in weather patterns.



In order to detect in advance the possible emergence of such tipping points, scientists have created a deep-learning algorithm and trained it on what they characterize as a “universe of possible tipping points,” including over half a million of possible models. Additionally, they have also tested it on specific real-world tipping points in different systems, including historical climate-related changes.



“We found that the new algorithm was able to not only predict the tipping points more accurately than existing approaches but also provide information about what type of state lies beyond the tipping point,” explained study co-author Chris Bauch, a professor of Applied Mathematics at the University of Waterloo. “Many of these tipping points are undesirable, and we’d like to prevent them if we can.”&nbsp;



Now that this algorithm has learned how tipping points function, Professor Bauch and his team are feeding it data related to current climate-related trends. According to study co-author Timothy Lenton, director of the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/gsi/">Global Systems Institute</a> at the University of Exeter, the algorithm could warn us when we are close to a dangerous tipping point.&nbsp;



“Providing improved early warning of climate tipping points could help societies adapt and reduce their vulnerability to what is coming, even if they cannot avoid it," said Lenton.



Moreover, this algorithm could be trained in the future to detect tipping points in other areas too, such as ecology, epidemiology, or even stock markets.&nbsp;



“What we’ve learned is that AI is very good at detecting features of tipping points that are common to a wide variety of complex systems,” said study co-author Thomas Bury, a postdoctoral fellow at <a href="https://www.mcgill.ca/">McGill University</a>.&nbsp;



The study in published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/118/39/e2106140118">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.



---



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

Artificial intelligence can reveal climate change tipping points

Many experts believe that the Earth is quickly approaching various...

A new therapy against <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-do-bats-resist-covid-19-infection/">Covid-19</a> has shown “significant potential” in early animal trials. It consists of “nanobodies,” which are smaller and simpler versions of antibodies that llamas, camels, alpacas, and sharks appear to produce naturally in response to viral and bacterial infections. 



Experts claim that once this therapy has been comprehensively tested in humans, it could be given as a nasal spray in order to treat or even prevent infections with SARS-CoV-2.



A research team led by the <a href="https://www.rfi.ac.uk/">Rosalind Franklin Institute</a> in Oxfordshire vaccinated the llama Fifi with a small piece of viral protein, stimulating her immune system to produce nanobodies. Like in the case of antibodies, nanobodies bind to viruses and bacteria that invade an organism and help the body build a strong immune response to fight the infection.



These special, highly potent molecules were picked out and purified from a sample of Fifi’s blood, and then multiplied in the laboratory and tested on Syrian golden hamsters. All of the coronavirus-infected rodents that were treated with the nanobody nasal spray fully recovered within six days.



"The immune system is so marvelous that it still does better than we can - evolution is hard to beat," said study leader James Naismith, a professor of Structural Biology at the <a href="https://www.ox.ac.uk/">University of Oxford</a>. Although vaccines against the coronavirus are currently administered worldwide, having effective treatments is very important. "Not all of the world is being vaccinated at the same speed, and there remains a risk of new variants capable of bypassing vaccine immunity emerging," explained Professor Naismith.



New treatments such as this are crucial steps toward ending the current pandemic. However, according to Professor Sheena Cruickshank, an immunologist from the <a href="https://www.manchester.ac.uk/">University of Manchester</a>, further research is needed in order to assess the benefits and safety of using nanobody nasal sprays in humans.



"We need more data on efficacy and safety before we move to human trials," she said. "However, it's very promising nonetheless and the fact it may be cheaper and easier to administer is a plus. Covid-19 will be, unfortunately, with us for a while yet, so more treatments will be needed."



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-25480-z">Nature Communications</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

Llamas provide a potential treatment against Covid-19

A new therapy against Covid-19 has shown “significant potential” in...

Ahead of <a href="https://ukcop26.org/">COP 26</a>, the UN <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-is-following-a-pattern-similar-to-earths-largest-mass-extinction/">climate</a> change conference, a collaborative group of Indigenous leaders, activists and scientists is calling upon world leaders to commit to saving the Amazon. In a <a href="https://www.globallandscapesforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Protect_Amazonia_EN.pdf">statement</a> the group urged great change in global economic systems.



“We, Indigenous peoples and local communities, have a deep spiritual connection to, and knowledge of, our territories and their management. Our knowledge is a treasure offered to enrich a new paradigm of human–nature interaction: Rethinking the economics of our societies, with their overconsumption that is destroying the ability of our generous planet to sustain life. Economic change is essential for preserving the socio-cultural and biological diversity of Amazonia and the future of life on Earth.”



The Amazon, they say, is a place like no other, a place containing not only an incredible diversity of different life forms but also sustaining a diversity of human cultures. Not only indigenous peoples, but also unique Afro-cultures descended from escaped slaves that found a way to live harmoniously in the forest.&nbsp;



The group points to these cultures as sustainable ways to preserve not only the Amazon itself but also to protect against global climate change and as lessons to the world on sustainability.&nbsp;



“Research leaves no doubt that Indigenous and local knowledge systems are strongly linked to reduced deforestation, sustainable management of natural resources and flexible adaptation to climate change," said Solange Bandiaky-Badji, Coordinator of the Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI).



"Global leaders must use this momentum around climate to amplify their support to secure rights for Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendant Peoples and local communities - particularly their networks of women - as an essential pathway to preventing climate change as well as supporting local livelihoods.”



The call comes at a time when Brazil, which contains the majority of the Amazon ecosystem, is under the presidential leadership of Jair Bolsonaro - a president so dangerous that <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jul/14/amazon-rainforest-will-collapse-if-bolsonaro-remains-president">some claim</a> the Amazon itself will collapse if he remains in power. This makes international pressure to protect the forest and its people all the more important.&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Indigenous leaders call on the world to save the Amazon

Ahead of COP 26, the UN climate change conference, a...

A study from <a href="https://www.aaas.org/">AAAS</a> is shedding new light on the mystery of the timing of human migration into the Americas. While analyzing exposed outcrops of an ancient lake in White Sands National Park, New Mexico, the researchers discovered multiple <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/genetic-mutation-may-explain-how-humans-lost-their-tails/">human</a> footprints that are 23,000 to 21,000 years old.&nbsp;



"Archaeologists and researchers in allied fields have long sought to understand human colonization of North America," wrote the researchers. "Questions remain about when and how people migrated, where they originated, and how their arrival affected the established fauna and landscape."



According to the study, which is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/">Science</a>, the footprints indicate that humans inhabited North America for approximately two millennia during the Last Glacial Maximum.&nbsp;



"These findings confirm the presence of humans in North America during the Last Glacial Maximum, adding evidence to the antiquity of human colonization of the Americas and providing a temporal range extension for the coexistence of early inhabitants and Pleistocene megafauna," explained the study authors.



The results of previous studies have suggested that humans arrived in the Americas around 13,000 years ago at the end of the last Ice Age. Other archaeological research placed humans on the continent several thousand years earlier - between 16,000 and 17,000 years ago.



“We’d been suspicious of the age for a while, and so now (that) we finally have that it’s really exciting,” study co-author David Bustos, the chief of natural and cultural resources at White Sands, told NBC News. “One of the neat things is that you can see mammoth prints in the layers a meter or so above the human footprints, so that just helps to confirm the whole story.”



For the investigation, the researchers used radiocarbon dating to analyze the age of hundreds of dried ditchgrass seeds found in layers above and below the footprints.



Study co-author Sally Reynolds is a paleontologist at Bournemouth University. She said the new findings suggest that humans co-existed with animals such as mammoths and giant sloths for longer than expected.&nbsp;



“It may well be that the humans were harvesting these megafauna as part of their killing and their hunting more sustainably in the earlier years, and potentially through time, as the populations grew, the balance of power shifted and the humans started perhaps overharvesting these megafauna," Reynolds explained in a <a href="https://youtu.be/5PxqOMKvibE">video</a>.&nbsp;



Study lead author Matthew R. Bennett and colleagues said that their analysis of the tracks indicates that most were made by teenagers and children.



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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

Humans were in North America during Last Glacial Maximum

A study from AAAS is shedding new light on the...

Many scientists and environmental activists worry about the possible extinction of various species of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/animals-use-tools/">primates</a>. A new study led by <a href="https://duke.edu/">Duke University</a> argues that the demise of threatened primates could also trigger the extinction of many species of parasites that live in and on them.&nbsp;



Due to human activities such as deforestation, hunting, or trapping, a large number of primates are at risk of extinction. Currently, 108 of the 213 primate species from the <a href="https://www.iucn.org/">International Union for Conservation of Nature</a>’s dataset are considered endangered. However, scientists rarely think about the even larger number of parasite species that will disappear together with these primates.



"If all the primates that are threatened with extinction really do die out, they won't be the only species that go extinct," said study first author James Herrera, a researcher at the <a href="https://lemur.duke.edu/">Duke Lemur Center</a>. "It could also be twice that many parasites. That's a whole realm of biodiversity that could be going extinct without us even noticing.”&nbsp;



As Herrera acknowledges, it might seem weird to worry about these parasites, considering all our efforts to deworm and delouse our pets. However, many parasites are not dangerous for their hosts, and can even have surprising benefits, such as protecting against other infections or keeping autoimmune disorders in check.&nbsp;



“There's so little that we know about what they do in the body, that we don't even know what we're losing," he said. As previous studies show, 85 to 95 percent of the parasitic worms of animals are not even known to science yet. Thus, their potential benefits are far from being understood.&nbsp;



To estimate the potential loss of biodiversity primate extinctions could cause, Herrera and his colleagues used network analysis to measure the potential ripple effects on the parasites camping in or on primates.



They discovered that the 213 primates they studied were connected in complex webs of interaction with 763 species of worms, mites, protists, and other parasites. When a primate host dies, the parasites need to find another host in order to survive. However, if an entire primate species goes extinct, the parasites connected to it might have no other suitable hosts and disappear too.&nbsp;



Herrera and his team have found that if the 108 endangered primate species go extinct, 250 species of parasites could be doomed as well. Further research is needed to fully understand these complex inter-species connections and the ecosystemic risks their extinction might give rise to.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rstb.2020.0355">Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



---



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

If primates go extinct, so will their parasites

Many scientists and environmental activists worry about the possible extinction...

Unhealthy,Food,,High,Fat,And,Carbs,Burger,And,Beer

Obesity is considered a world-wide epidemic and has been associated with many <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/insects-from-jamaica-transmit-diseases-to-florida-palm-trees/">diseases</a> in humans, including heart disease and diabetes. Despite this, the precise mechanisms whereby obesity effects organ dysfunction are not known.&nbsp;



In a recent article published in&nbsp;Nature, researchers from <a href="https://www.tmd.ac.jp/english/">Tokyo Medical and Dental University</a> (TMDU) identified a mechanism whereby genetically induced obesity or eating a high-fat diet can lead to hair thinning and loss in laboratory mice.&nbsp;



Hair follicles are tiny epithelial organs that grow hair, thanks to the action of hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs). These cells replenish themselves at the start of every new hair follicle cycle, which enables us to grow our hair back after it falls out naturally. Unfortunately, HFSCs become depleted as we age, which leads to miniaturization of hair follicles and consequent thinning of our hair.



The researchers from TDMU used mouse models to investigate whether genetically induced obesity and eating a high-fat diet accelerate hair loss, and to establish the molecular mechanisms involved.



The experts found that both obesity and eating a high-fat diet can lead to depletion of hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs) and that these cells begin to differentiate into keratinized skin cells, rather than forming new hair follicles. This blocks hair follicle regeneration and ultimately results in the loss of hair follicles. Even when young mice are fed a high-fat diet for only four consecutive days, their HFSCs show increased oxidative stress and begin to exhibit abnormal differentiation into skin cells.&nbsp;



“High-fat diet [HFD] feeding accelerates hair thinning by depleting HFSCs that replenish mature cells that grow hair, especially in old mice,” explained study lead author Hironobu Morinaga. “We compared the gene expression in HFSCs between HFD-fed mice and standard diet-fed mice and traced the fate of those HFSCs after their activation.”



“We found that those HFSCs in HFD-fed obesed mice change their fate into the skin surface corneocytes or sebocytes that secrete sebum upon their activation. Those mice show faster hair loss and smaller hair follicles along with depletion of HFSCs.”&nbsp;



The data demonstrate that stem cell inflammatory signals induced by obesity robustly repress organ regeneration signals, thereby accelerating the miniaturization of the hair follicles.&nbsp;



“The gene expression in HFSCs from the high-fat-fed mice indicated the activation of inflammatory cytokine signaling within HFSCs,” explained senior author Emi K. Nishimura. “The inflammatory signals in HFSCs strikingly repress Sonic hedgehog signaling that plays a crucial role in hair follicle regeneration in HFSCs”.



The researchers also found that re-activation of the Sonic hedgehog signaling pathway can reverse the depletion of HFSCs. “This could prevent the hair loss brought on by the high-fat diet,” said Nishimura. The discovery could lead to new methods for preventing and treating hair thinning as well to enhanced understanding of obesity-related diseases.



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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

Obesity and high-fat diets may contribute to hair loss

Obesity is considered a world-wide epidemic and has been associated...

Sawfly larvae secrete noxious <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/indoor-air-is-an-underestimated-source-of-dangerous-chemicals/">chemicals</a> to deter predation, especially by ants. The effectiveness of this deterrent can be tested directly on ants but in a recent study, researchers took a novel approach. Instead of exposing other insects or predators to the sawfly larvae chemicals, scientists translated the chemicals to noise and exposed humans to it.&nbsp;



To quantify how much the humans disliked the sounds, they measured how far from the loudspeakers people walked to reach a comfortable distance.&nbsp;



Entomologist Jean-Luc Boevé of the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences was one of the collaborators on the project.



"Interestingly, we could show that the responses by ants and humans are correlated, thus indicating that sonification can approximate the 'real world' of predator-prey interactions," said Boevé, who explained where the idea of translating chemicals into sounds came from.



"For instance, you have small molecules like acetic acid contained in vinegar or pungent formic acid emitted by some ants, they're very volatile and diffuse into the air rapidly. So, I thought it would be possible to translate a high or low volatility into high or low tones, as well as other chemical traits into other sound traits."



The process of turning chemical cues into sound, that is the process of sonification was work intensive and time consuming. Many experiments and analysis of the sawflies chemistry and morphology were required.&nbsp;



"To be honest, I considered the sonification project so far-fetched myself that I set the project aside, sometimes for several months," said Boevé.



In the end, many of the roughly 50 human participants described the sounds as scary or unpleasant, exactly what you would expect from chemical deterrents. The researchers hope that the new technique of sonification will be useful for further research in assessing volatile insect chemicals, especially in cases where it may otherwise be challenging.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



The results were published by <a href="https://www.cell.com/">Cell Press</a> in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/patterns/home">Patterns</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Sawfly defense chemicals translated into creepy sounds

Sawfly larvae secrete noxious chemicals to deter predation, especially by...

A new study published in the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211320721000415?via%3Dihub">International Journal for Parasitology: Drugs and Drug Resistance</a> has revealed that the hookworms infecting greyhound dogs in the United States have become resistant to all the drugs veterinarians used to kill them.&nbsp;



Hookworms are some of the most common <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/parasites-help-worker-ants-live-much-longer-lives/">parasites</a> infecting dogs and they can be transmitted to humans too. They live in the animals’ intestines, often causing weight loss, anemia, bloody stools, and lethargy. According to research led by the <a href="https://www.uga.edu/">University of Georgia</a>, these parasites have recently become resistant to all the types of drugs that veterinarians generally used to kill them.



A research team led by Professor Ray Kaplan analyzed fecal samples from greyhound adoption kennels, an active racing kennel, and three veterinary practices that cooperate with adoptions groups. Four out of every five greyhounds were found to be infected by hookworms. Even more alarming, Professor Kaplan and his colleagues discovered that the dogs still had high levels of infection even after they were treated with well-known medications that previously managed to kill these worms.



The researchers claim that in places where there is a high number of dogs simultaneously infected by hookworms, such as racing dog kennels and breeding farms, there is a high chance for the hookworms to mutate and evade dewormer medications. The more often the medications are used, the more tolerance the parasites will develop.



"There's a very committed greyhound adoption industry because they are lovely dogs. I used to own one. But as those dogs are adopted, the drug-resistant hookworms are going to show up in other pet dogs," said Professor Kaplan.&nbsp;



A possible breeding ground for drug-resistant hookworm outbreaks are dog parks. "Personally, I would not take my dog to a dog park. If your dog picks up these resistant hookworms, it's not as easy as just treating them with medication anymore. Until new types of drugs are available, taking your dog to a dog park has to be considered a risky activity," explained Professor Kaplan.



Luckily, scientists found that these multiple drug-resistant hookworms seem to be susceptible to emodepside, a dewormer that was previously used only for cats. However, this treatment can only be performed in veterinary clinics, since it requires expertise and careful supervision after administration. Moreover, it is not yet known how long hookworms will take to build mutations that could evade this treatment too.&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

Dog parasites have become resistant to medications

A new study published in the International Journal for Parasitology:...

It is notoriously difficult to determine the age of a lobster. In a new study, researchers at the <a href="https://www.uea.ac.uk/">University of East Anglia</a> (UEA) have managed to identify a way of accurately determining age based on modifications in the lobster’s DNA.



For decades, experts have pondered how old lobsters can get, with some estimates rising even to a century or more. However, scientists could not find reliable methods to determine their exact age. This has been a problem, since knowing how many individuals of particular ages are present in a given area is important in order for them to be sustainably harvested.



“Until now, a lobster's age has usually been estimated using its size - but this is inaccurate as individual lobsters grow at different rates,” explained Dr. Martin Taylor from UEA’s <a href="https://www.uea.ac.uk/about/school-of-biological-sciences">School of Biological Sciences</a>. 



“For a long time, it appeared that there was no accurate way to quantify a lobster’s age. Some research suggested that you could tell a lobsters age by counting the rings in parts of their eyestalks and stomach – a little like counting tree rings. But you can’t do that for a living lobster.”



Recently, UEA scientists, in collaboration with the <a href="https://www.nationallobsterhatchery.co.uk/">National Lobster Hatchery</a> and the <a href="https://www.cefas.co.uk/">Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science</a> (CEFAS), have developed a new DNA technique&nbsp;that could solve this problem. By quantifying DNA changes that accumulate within lobsters as they age, accurate indications of their ages have been found.



“We identified a very strong relationship between age and DNA modifications, which allowed us to accurately estimate the ages of individual lobsters,” said Dr. Taylor. 



“Applying this method to wild lobsters predicted ages that generally aligned with minimum estimates of age based on size.&nbsp;Our method shows great promise as a tool for improved management of the European lobster where information regarding the age-structure of stocks is currently missing.”



According to Dr. Carly Daniels, head of production science and development at the National Lobster Hatchery, knowing lobsters’ precise ages will help fisheries, scientists and conservationists alike to understand, manage and conserve our vulnerable lobster stocks.



The study is published in the journal&nbsp;<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/17524571">Evolutionary Applications</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

DNA technique can help estimate the age of lobsters

It is notoriously difficult to determine the age of a...

Brazil gets two-thirds of its energy from hydropower and has numerous large hydropower storage reservoirs that are fed by perennial <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/more-than-half-of-the-worlds-rivers-run-dry-each-year/">rivers</a>. Although it is usually understood that the construction and operation of hydropower systems reduce the river flow downstream due to the increase in evaporation, a recent study suggests that in humid conditions, as found in parts of Brazil, hydropower&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/reservoir-storage">storage reservoirs</a>&nbsp;actually contribute to increasing the flow of the river upstream of the reservoir.



“It is widely accepted that river flow impacts reservoir levels. This is true on a weekly and monthly scale. However, on an annual scale the level of the reservoirs actually has a greater effect on the inflow of the river in the southeast of Brazil,” explained study leader Julian Hunt, a researcher in the IIASA Energy, Climate, and Environment Program.



In fact, the study finds that large storage reservoirs in southeastern Brazil can double the flow of rivers if the reservoirs are full, when compared with the effect of empty reservoirs. This finding has significant implications for water and energy management in the region, which is currently experiencing a historic drought and associated energy crisis.&nbsp;



The researchers explain that humidity is high during the wet season in the south-eastern region of Brazil. This reduces evaporation from the surface of reservoirs but it also increases the chances of precipitation in the area because any additional evaporation from a large body of water (storage reservoir) adds significantly to the high moisture content of the environment. Therefore, the higher the hydropower reservoir level, the higher the precipitation and the larger will be the inflow of the associated river.&nbsp;



The researchers analyzed river flow into eight dammed reservoirs in the region, which is Brazil’s most important for the production of hydropower. They compared the natural inflow of the rivers prior to damming in 1970 with water flow today, during the wet and dry seasons.&nbsp;



The team then compared the dam reservoir levels at the end of the dry season (October), with the average inflow recorded at the start of the following wet season (November). The data was used in correlation analyses to understand the potential impact of the reservoir level on the incoming river flow.



The results show that the flow of the rivers into all dams increased by an average of 112% if the reservoir was full in October, compared to if the reservoir was empty.&nbsp;



The researchers conclude that hydropower storage reservoirs have a significant impact on river flow in this region of Brazil and that keeping them full will alleviate some of the effects of drought, including decreases in the production of energy and increases in the costs of food.



Additionally, the study authors recommend that in order to improve current conditions, the smaller reservoirs at the heads of inflowing rivers should be filled first, followed by the larger ones. They calculate that reservoir storage levels at the end of October should be 78 percent full and the hydropower plants in cascade should operate with a capacity factor of 50 percent.&nbsp;



The findings help to explain why the river flow in southeastern Brazil decreased by 60 percent within one year of the start of the drought in 2014. Reservoir levels were allowed to drop significantly at that time and this could have exacerbated the problem by reducing the flow of incoming rivers even further.&nbsp;&nbsp;



“We should realize that managing water, land and other resources is not just a way to adapt to a changing climate. It can also affect the climate itself,” said Hunt.



The study is published in the journal&nbsp;<a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/energy">Energy</a>.



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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

Storing more water could alleviate Brazil’s food and energy crisis

Brazil gets two-thirds of its energy from hydropower and has...

A new <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.09.14.460388v1">study</a> led by <a href="https://med.nyu.edu/">New York University Langone Health</a> has found that a certain genetic mutation is responsible for a profound anatomical change that Charles Darwin first recognized with immense puzzlement in the 19th century: the loss of tails in humans and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/great-apes-politely-end-their-social-interactions/">apes</a>, which occurred roughly 25 million years ago.



For over half a billion years, our ancestord sprouted tails. Fish used them to swim through the Cambrian seas, and later on, primates managed to keep their balance while rushing from branch to branch in the Eocene jungles with the help of their tails.



Paleoanthropologists have found that the oldest known primates, dating back 66 million years, had full-fledged tails that were crucial for their locomotion. Although most of today’s living primates still have them, fossil records of apes had shown animals with no tails at all since about 20 million years ago. 



“This question - where’s my tail? - has been in my head since I was a kid,” said lead author Bo Xia, a doctoral student in stem cell biology at <a href="https://med.nyu.edu/our-community/about-us">N.Y.U. Grossman School of Medicine</a>. After a car accident in 2019, when he injured his coccyx (a set of vertebrae extending beyond the pelvis that scientists think it is a vestigial remain of a tail), Xia decided to investigate scientifically this puzzling absence in humans and other great apes.



Xia and his team investigated how tails form in the early stages of embryonic development and identified over 30 genes that play a fundamental role in these processes.&nbsp;



One of these genes, called TBXT, exhibited a significant mutation in humans and other tailless apes. The gene apparently emerged about 20 million years ago and caused apes to grow just a stump of a tail, or even to not grow one at all.



However, even if geneticists such as Xia and his colleagues begin to explain how our tails disappeared, they are still far from understanding why this happened. Since the first apes were larger than monkeys, they would have probably fallen off branches more frequently and with often fatal consequences. Thus, tail loss might have put them at a significant evolutionary disadvantage. Furthermore, the lack of tail brings a whole series of spinal cord defects that modern humans struggle with as well.&nbsp;



“It’s very confusing why they lost their tail,” said Gabrielle Russo, an evolutionary morphologist at <a href="https://www.stonybrook.edu/">Stony Brook University</a>, New York. “That’s the next outstanding question: What on earth would the advantage be?”



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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

Genetic mutation may explain how humans lost their tails

A new study led by New York University Langone Health...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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



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

Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

[sendtonews key="iuA5mpp3jv-1641775-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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

Designing crops that can beat the heat

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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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://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> features a visual dataset of.methane emissions from wetlands across the globe. Atmospheric methane levels have reached record highs in recent years, and wetlands are a major source of these emissions.&nbsp;



"Methane is an important greenhouse gas that contributes substantially to global warming. On a molecule by molecule basis, methane is much more efficient at trapping heat than carbon dioxide, the main driver of warming," says NASA.



"Though human activities, including agriculture, oil and natural gas production and use, and waste disposal, collectively contribute the majority of methane to the atmosphere, about a third of total methane emissions comes from wetlands."&nbsp;



According to NASA, understanding methane emissions from wetlands and other natural sources is critically important for scientists and policymakers who are working to combat climate change by reducing emissions from human activities.



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.stowers.org/">Stowers Institute for Medical Research</a> describes why experts are studying zebrafish to gain a better understanding of how the immune system responds to injury. Zebrafish have the ability to repair and regenerate organs.



“Organ regeneration offers an exciting opportunity for studying the immune system and to inquire why some species can regenerate organs like the heart or missing limbs while others like humans cannot,” explained Dr. Tatjana Piotrowski.



Zebrafish sensory organ hair cells are an ideal system to investigate the pathways and cell types involved in regeneration since they are easily destroyed with antibiotics and begin regenerating within five hours. This enabled the researchers to identify the exact timing and genetic programs for each anti-inflammatory macrophage activation state.&nbsp;



“Our hypothesis is that human macrophages do not receive the proper chemical activation 'cocktail' to instruct pro-regenerative processes,” said Dr. Nicolas Denans. “Identifying the molecular recipe of macrophage activation in zebrafish may one day enable us to design regenerative immunotherapies in humans.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



“The new evidence is a valuable resource for comparative studies on the genetic programs involved in macrophage-mediated repair and regeneration. In other words, different types of injuries may induce different kinds of inflammatory responses. We want to decipher whether this 'language' is universal or if there are a variety of dialects."



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research&nbsp;



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



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

How the immune system responds to injury

[sendtonews key="0dEcERCq61-2283382-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from Stowers...

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes how record-breaking heat expressed itself around the world in 2022.



Scientists have determined that 2022 was the 5th warmest year since 1880. Furthermore, the last nine consecutive years have been the warmest on record.



From devastating floods and wildfires to natural disasters like Hurricane Ian, 2022 showed us yet again how a warming climate affects people across the globe.&nbsp;



"As we look back at 20:22 and years past, we see that each year we better understand the challenges we face and how important it is to meet them," says NASA.



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

[sendtonews key="QIoVYJqRBi-2434608-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

[sendtonews key="JbW4VsY53O-1632195-12187" type="single"] Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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