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The Minister of Health, Carolina Darias, responded yesterday in the government control session in Congress to a parliamentary question that face masks will continue to be obligatory on public transport. According to Darias, the Alerts Committee justifies the measure "due to the high concentration of people in very small spaces, without adequate ventilation and on long journeys".
Using images taken by astronauts aboard the International Space Station, a team of researchers has designed a map showing the variation in the spectral composition of artificial lighting across Europe during 2012-2013 and 2014-2020. The results, published in the journal Science Advances, show a change associated with white LED lights and higher blue emissions, which the authors link to an increased risk of harmful effects on ecosystems.
Two researchers propose that the anti-diarrhoeal drug Loperamide could be a candidate for treating the main symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), such as difficulties in social interaction and communication. The research, published in the journal Frontiers in Pharmacology, has used a computer model that includes the proteins involved in ASD and has analysed how different drugs affect them.
The ESA/NASA Solar Orbiter mission may have made the first direct observation of what are known as magnetic switchbacks on the Sun. The phenomenon, which consists of S-shaped disturbances that cause sudden reversals of its magnetic field, had been identified by different space probes since the 1970s, but its explanation had only been described theoretically. The finding is published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.
Although gold is chemically inert, i.e. it resists discolouration and corrosion, its alloys are less resistant. This type of metal in the form of gold leaf is present in the Alhambra in Granada. Two researchers from the University of Granada analyse in the journal Science Advances what causes this corrosion and why purple-coloured nanospheres have appeared.
A study published in the journal Nature and conducted on mice has found that a communication between the gut and the brain stimulates the desire to consume fats, regardless of whether they can be tasted.
A single amino acid change in a protein (TKTL1) may have given modern humans an advantage over their older contemporaries, such as Neanderthals, by allowing greater neocortical neuronal formation, according to research published in Science.
Last week saw the conclusion of the XL Annual Meeting of the Spanish Society of Epidemiology under the theme: "Challenges of the 21st Century: Environment, Climate Change and Social Inequalities". Climate change is the most important environmental challenge with an impact on public health facing society today. It is also a social challenge, as it further accentuates inequalities and inequities in health.
Psychological distress, including depression, anxiety, worry, perceived stress and loneliness, prior to covid-19 infection was associated with an increased risk of persistent covid, according to research published in JAMA Psychiatry.
A study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine has found a link between the practice of physical exercise and a lower risk of developing breast cancer in any of its types. The authors claim that there is very strong evidence that the association is causal.