University of Santiago de Compostela

On Tuesday, the Council of Ministers approved the draft bill amending the current Tobacco Act, which was passed in 2005. The bill now begins its passage through Parliament and includes new measures to tackle smoking and regulate tobacco-related products. The text prohibits the consumption of tobacco by minors — in addition to its sale —, extends smoke-free zones to outdoor seating areas and other spaces, and restricts the advertising of tobacco-related products. It also treats e-cigarettes and other devices in the same way as traditional tobacco cigarettes, amongst other measures.

A Danish study published in JAMA Neurology found an association between long-term exposure to residential road traffic noise and an increased risk of developing Parkinson's disease. The study followed more than three million Danish adults aged 40 years and older for 18 years using data from Denmark's national administrative and health registries. The researchers assessed residential road traffic noise exposure at both the most exposed and the least exposed façades of participants' homes. The study also found that individuals with a quiet façade had a lower risk of developing Parkinson's disease than those whose homes were exposed to high levels of noise on all sides.

A team led by a Spanish researcher has identified, near the centre of the Milky Way, a type of sugar composed of four carbon atoms, known as erythrulose, which on Earth is found in raspberries and self-tanning products. This would suggest that complex and biologically relevant molecules can form in space. Ribose and glucose had previously been discovered in samples from meteorites and asteroids, but until now no sugar had been directly detected in the interstellar medium. The finding is published in Nature Astronomy.

The expected arrival of millions of visitors to witness the event will pose challenges for transport, safety and environmental protection. Here are some practical tips to help ensure that large crowds do not overshadow what should be a memorable day.

To fully experience the astronomical phenomenon of a total eclipse, you need to prepare in advance. The main concern is eye safety, but there are other health risks that can easily be avoided. We explain the main personal precautions to bear in mind.

Meeting in Manchester (United Kingdom), the plenary session of IPBES (Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services) ratified its Assessment on Business and Biodiversity, which presents data to understand the dependence and impact of businesses on nature and proposes more than 100 measures to improve the global situation. Three of its representatives explained the main results and proposals at a briefing organized by SMC Spain.

In a sample of academic articles retracted by medical journals, the proportion of female authors is lower than the overall share of female researchers in these fields. "The underrepresentation of women among retracted authors, particularly for misconduct-related retractions, may reflect systemic gender imbalances in academia rather than differences in scientific integrity," writes the author of the study in PLoS One. His analysis, based on 878 retracted publications in nine clinical areas, estimates that 16.5% of the first authors of retracted papers were female, while the proportion of first authors of biomedical publications exceeds 40%.

Periodontal disease—chronic inflammation of the gums—is correlated with minor brain damage in older people, according to a study published in Neurology Open Access. The study compared magnetic resonance images of the brains of 800 adults with periodontal disease with those of 343 people without the condition.

If the United States did not change the time twice a year, there would be a lower incidence of obesity and strokes. This is the conclusion of a study by Stanford University (USA) published in PNAS that compared how three different time policies — permanent standard time (winter), permanent daylight saving time, and biannual time changes — could affect circadian rhythms and the health of the population. By modelling light exposure, circadian impacts and health characteristics county by county, the researchers estimate that permanent standard time would prevent about 300,000 cases of stroke per year and reduce the number of people with obesity by 2.6 million, compared to biannual changes. Permanent daylight saving time would also be positive, although with a smaller impact.

 

Although tobacco consumption is declining in many parts of the world, there appears to be an increase in the number of lung cancer cases among non-smokers. One of the possible causes of this increase is air pollution. Now, researchers in the US, with Spanish participation, have analysed the genomes of 871 lung tumours in people from various locations who had never smoked. The results, published in the journal Nature, indicate that greater exposure to pollution is linked to an increase in the number of mutations, including those commonly associated with tobacco.