Month: October 2025

The dangerous Tiktok fashion that can destroy your smile

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Have perfect teeth with a good aligned and especially completely white It is not easy to get. But given this aesthetic need, there are many products that have been viralized that promise rapid dental whitening, ‘natural’ and under cost that They have been viralized in networksand everyone has in common that they use activated carbon. A product that has flooded the market, but that According to experts Consulted by Infosalud can have a completely contrary effect. Miracle. We all want to have a miraculous solution for our problems, and above all it does not cost us too much effort. In this case, activated carbon tooth pastes seemed ideal to have the perfect smile without having to go through the annoying dental whitening that they can do to us in a specialized clinic. But, as the saying goes, ‘the cheap is expensive’. The product. Activated carbon is a very porous black powder that is obtained from materials such as coconut shell or wood. In a classic way it has been used In the hospital sphere Because of their ability to absorb toxins, so it has been used to treat those who suffered an poisoning produced for example by a drug overdose, as it has surely been seen on some occasion in a film or series to be very appealed. And using this property of ‘entrapment’ is where marketing lies behind that activated carbon can be the perfect bleach. They precisely sell it through the ability to ‘catch’ ‘and eliminate teeth spots, leaving them whiter. Reality. Despite its great popularity, there is no solid scientific evidence that supports what the influencers say. An article published in 2023 entitled “Effectiveness and abrasiveness of activated carbon as a bleaching agent: a systematic review of in vitro studies” wanted to give a little light. After analyzing 208 articles on this matter, they could conclude that dental pastes based on activated carbon have a lower bleaching effect “than other alternatives and can be considered as less safe due to their high abrasive potential.” Also the American Dental Association (ADA) opted for making an article where literature on this subject is analyzed, and saw that abrasive nature is a big problem. The consequences. Having an abrasing effect causes enamel wear irreversibly, since it is not regenerated. And once the enamel is wearing up, the dentin is exposed, an internal yellowing layer, which can cause precisely an opposite effect to the one who wanted to be: perfectly yellow teeth. But ending this protection layer makes the tooth nerve more exposed, which makes an external stimulus such as cold or heat the sensitivity increases much greater. This is something similar to what can be felt after finishing a dental whitening treatment in a clinic. The negative effects do not stay here. The rough texture of coal can irritate the gums, causing inflammation and even gingival recession. And if we also add that many pastes with activated carbon do not have fluoride, we can also find long -term decay. The experts. They have a fairly unanimous opinion regarding the use of this type of products. As Infosalus collects, the president of the Council of Dentists of Spain points to these pasta “do not eliminate spots, or bleach the enamel in a quick and economical way.” But it adds to “the use of activated carbon in the teeth can mean serious oral health problems.” Safe alternatives. In the case of wanting a smile as if Photoshop had been done, it is best to go to a dentist to receive the best tips. In this case, advice on treatments that have been scientifically tested may be received. For example, there are whitening pasta that do have evidence when using polish agents such as carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide in low concentrations that are completely safe and effective for daily use and have the support of health authorities. Images | Tony Litvyak Chris Slupski In Xataka | We are a little closer to fulfilling the dream of the dentists: teeth that grow again

24 years ago, the earth was symmetrical. Now the northern hemisphere is “unequivocally” darker than the southern hemisphere

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NASA’s last 24 years of satellite data reveal an “unequivocal” trend: the earth has lost its balance, and now the northern hemisphere reflects less light than the southern hemisphere. How is that? Until a few years ago, our planet maintained an almost perfect symmetry in regard to its albedo: its reflectivity from the perspective of an observer in the earth’s orbit. Despite its obvious differences (the north dominated by terrestrial masses and the south by oceans), both hemispheres reflected practically the same amount of sunlight to outer space. Now that doesn’t happen anymore. The northern hemisphere is absorbing more solar energy than the southern hemisphere, breaking the balance that had been maintained for a long time. In figures. The new study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciencesquantifies this divergence at 0.34 wm – 2 per decade. It is a statistically significant value that points to a deep change in the energy engine of our planet. And why? The study, led by Norman Loeb, from the NASA Langley Research Center, points to a combination of factors; The first one, somewhat paradoxical. According to Loeb, the main engine of the growing asymmetry is the aerosols, the tiny particles suspended in the atmosphere against which we have been fighting for some time. Thanks to environmental protection measures, fine particle pollution has decreased significantly in Europe, the United States and China in recent years. Less contamination means a cleaner air and, therefore, less particles that reflect sunlight. The result is that more radiation reaches the surface and is absorbed. In the southern hemisphere it has happened just the opposite. Mass events, such as Australian forest fires of 2019-2020 or the eruption of the Hunga Tonga volcano in 2022, injected huge amounts of aerosols into the atmosphere, temporarily increasing the reflectivity. There is something else. To the aerosols we must add the change in the Albedo of the surface itself. The northern hemisphere is losing snow and sea ice at an accelerated pace, in this case because of global warming. If white and bright surfaces (which reflect the light) are replaced by water and dark terrain (that absorb it), the hemisphere is further darkened. Clouds are missing. What has most bewildered scientists is the role of clouds. For a long time it was theorized that clouds would act as a natural compensatory mechanism for this phenomenon: if a hemisphere darkened by external factors, atmospheric circulation would adjust cloudiness to reflect more light and restore balance. However, the data shows that this is not what is happening. The study concludes that the contribution of clouds to the difference in reflectivity between hemispheres is surprisingly small. The reason is complex: it seems that the changes in the clouds of the tropics are being canceled with the changes in the highest latitudes, questioning one of the fundamental hypotheses on the self -regulation of the earth’s climate. A problem. That a hemisphere hotly gets more than the other is not a simple academic curiosity. The Earth’s energy balance is the engine that drives atmospheric and oceanic circulation; that is, our climate and our weather patterns. This imbalance is already having consequences. The northern hemisphere not only heats up faster than the south, but is also seeing an increase in rainfall in tropical latitudes. If the intertopical convergence zone, the land rain belt, moves north, the consequences will be hard for billions of people.

Now it is emerging as the first “electrostation” of history

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For years, China was the country of gray skies and masks in the street. Today it is time to look at it with other eyes and follow the trail of a transformation that The video we have just published in it Xataka YouTube channel Describe as historical: move from the great pollut to something very different. What has really changed, how much of structure and how much of the situation, and what does it imply for the new map of energy power? This work adds to the proposals that we continue to develop in the channel, where formats such as 24/7the series Domotize or die in the attempt, Science and apart and reports that explore technology from very diverse angles. On this occasion, Angela Blanco It addresses a topic that connects energy, industry and geopolitics. Our partner summarizes it clearly: “China, the great pollutant, is reducing its emissions and is starring The greatest energy transition of history. ” The starting point to understand how a country identified for decades with pollution now seeks to place itself at the head of the electrical revolution. The video recalls that the energy transition became one of the priorities within the quinquenal plans of the Asian giant. A political decision that soon resulted in industrial strategy: “Beijing designed an industrial strategy they called ‘Made in China 2025′”. Movements that sought not only to clean the air, but also reinforce the country’s energy independence. But there is more. The story also brings unexpected prints: “The most symbolic case is in the province of Qinghai with a solar park of 610 square kilometers and 7 million photovoltaic panels. Its capacity is such that it can give electricity to 5 million homes. ”And it does not stay there:“ The transformation is even talking about photovoltaic sheep. ”In the video we count why these animals receive that particular nickname. Angela does not keep any detail of the transformation. “Only in the first half of 2025, China added 212 GW Solares and 51 winds,” he explains. And behind those figures appears another decisive fact: “It produces 80% of the world’s solar panels, 60% of wind turbines and 70% of electric vehicles batteries.” They are data that help to understand why the Chinese industry has so much weight in this field globally. Coal remains the great friction point in this story: a resource that guarantees supply and employment, but that It clashes with the ambition to become a renewable leader. How China manages that contradiction depends much on the world energy future. On the Xataka YouTube channel you can watch the full videowhere this theme is described in more detail, with its lights and shadows. Images | Xataka In Xataka | China is intractable in the electric car race, and is on its way to repeating with load trucks

In his battle for being the best back pain medicine, ibuprofen has just found a serious competitor: cannabis

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Lumbar pain is something that can be very common in society by the clinic so annoying that it has associated as the problems getting up from a chair, to walk or even to bend down. This makes research focused on seeking a treatment for this type problem that exceeds anti -inflammatory and analgesic classics. AND The key may be precisely in cannabis. A study. Recently published, an investigation whose results have been published in Nature Medicine, He has shown that a cannabis extract can reduce chronic low back pain. The drug called Ver-01 not only calms pain, but also Improves sleep and physical function. But the most important of all is that it does not create any dependence or withdrawal syndrome, so it is an interesting option to opioid analgesics such as the Tramadol. The problem. Chronic low back pain is one of the main causes of disability worldwide, By affecting more than 600 million people approximately. Those who suffer from Manudo faces a dead end in the therapeutic field by not having a healing path beyond taking NSAIDs and trying to reinforce the muscles in the gym. But the big problem is in the most powerful analgesics offered when ibuprofen does not finish working, but that creates a big dependence problem in our society. What is it. Obviously, we are not talking about smoking cannabis. Ver-01 is a highly standardized pharmaceutical product that is an ‘complete spectrum extract’ obtained from a patented strain of Cannabis sativa called DKJ127. But … What does ‘complete spectrum’ mean? With this term we refer to that in addition to its main psychoactive component, the THC, the extract contains a complex mixture and characterized by other compounds of the plant like others Cannabinoids (Cannabigerol or Cannabidiol), Terpenos and flavonoids. This integral composition could be key in its efficacy and tolerability profile. Methodology. There is a lot of fear around the ‘cannabis’ and the use that can be given because it logically He has long highlighted all the harmful effects that can have its consumption prolonged over time. But given the need to find a therapeutic alternative, a team of researchers evaluated the effectiveness of VER-01 in a phase 3 clinical trial. That is, the last stage before approved a medicine for commercialization. To do this, a Multicentric studyrandomized and placebo controlled. That is, a group of 820 patients with this pathology were divided into two groups and in this way for 12 weeks 394 participants received VER-01, while 426 received an identical placebo in appearance and flavor. Results. The study fulfilled the objective that had marked from the beginning. Patients who took VER -01 experienced an average pain reduction of -1.9 points on a scale from 0 to 10 on the NIR scale (numeric pain scale). On the other hand, for the placebo group there was also an improvement, but less accused of -1.4 points at the level of pain. The question is … Has it been for the drug? Our “great friend” statistics tell us that it is a statistically significant result. And although the figure may seem modest, in the treatment of chronic pain these levels of improvement are that they are very relevant. In fact, the effects were even more pronounced in patients with severe pain and in those with a neuropathic pain component (caused by nerve damage) and which today is about all with gabapentin. Benefits. In addition to the improvement in pain levels, there has also been an important improvement in the dream. Patients who received VER-01 as a treatment saw that the quality of sleep and their ability to do daily physical activity improved a lot. This is crucial, because they are classically the two aspects most affected by low back pain. He does not stay here, since it was also determined that patients had a less need to resort to rescue medication compared to the placebo group. Something that also points us to the effect is more elongated. Sure. One of the most important aspects when designing a new drug is that it is safe and can be tolerated. VER-01 treatment was well tolerated, and what is relevant is that no sign of abuse, dependence or symptoms of abstinence was detected, even after a sharp interruption of treatment. Although it is not 100% safe, because as any medicine can have adverse effects. The positive thing is that the vast majority were mild to moderate and transitory intensity. The most common were dizziness, fatigue, nausea and dry mouth. A hope. This study is one of the most rigorous to date on a medication based on cannabis for chronic pain. Its results show that Ver-01 not only provides a reduction means of pain, but also addresses other problems that are associated. By offering an effective therapeutic option, safe for long-term use and without the ghost of addiction, VER-01 is emerging as a fundamental tool in the future of pain management. It still remains for the market to need to have the final approval of the FDA and subsequently its arrival to the rest of the markets, provided that the new comparative studies with other opioids are satisfactory. And it is that putting an investigation date is certainly very daring, but this treatment is closer than we think. Images | Rick Proctor Sasun Boughdayan In Xataka | There are so many people growing marijuana in their homes that Endesa has a problem. And it will solve it with ia

Altri’s megaplant has caused a huge social response in Galicia. And now the government has given him the lunge

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In April 2022, the Portuguese company Altri chose Palas de Rei in Lugo to install a large plant initially destined for textile fibers (Lyocell). It was presented as “The most important project” From the Galician candidacy for the Next Generation funds and received early political support. However, according to They met The procedures and the real scope, collective and critical means began to refer to the initiative as a large cellulose panel, with much broader impacts than the “biophabic” label suggested. Three years later, the star plan runs out of plug: the central government leaves it out of electrical planning until 2030, and the project enters the risk zone. The decision that changes everything: without substation, there is no projectThis week, the Ministry for Ecological Transition He has left out of its 2025-2030 planning both the substation and the access to the network that Altri claimed for its plant. According to El Paísthe Executive has prioritized “more viable” investments, with greater socioeconomic return and lower environmental impact, and avoids loading consumers with projects associated with projects With financial uncertainty. Greenfiber – the promoting society participated by ALTRI and Greenalia— maintains that it is of a “purely political” resolution and announces resources; The PP of Galicia speaks of “punishment” to the Lucense industry, while neighborhood and environmental platforms celebrate the pass, without lowering their guard. He No of the central government. The Secretary of State for Energy claims that the substation and connection requested would only serve this project, whose execution is not yet guaranteed its financing, including request of 250 million euros in public aid (decarbonization belong). “We cannot assume a network investment that could be idle,” Sources from the Ministry transfer. For its part, According to El ConfidencialAltri warns: “Without connection there is no investment”, but progress that will exhaust “all resource mechanisms.” The position of the Xunta. The Galician government argues that the project meets and that the favorable day (published in the DOG) support your environmental viability under conditions and surveillance program, waiting for other authorizations. The Xunta insists that the factory It would be “energetically neutral” and that its electrical exclusion “takes Lugo from the industrial map.” Therefore, as they detail in the confidentialhas translated into a political confrontation has resulted in hard crosses between Alfonso Rueda and the leader of the PSdeG, José Ramón Gómez Besteiro, who advanced the government’s decision. The project from within. Different groups of neighborhood platforms such as Ulloa Viva, Brotherhoods of Marshamers of the Ría de Arousa and NGOs such as Adega and Greenpeace alert three key impacts: Water: Collection of 46 million liters daily of the Ulla and discharge of about 30 million liters/day – part at 27 ° C— in a river already tensioning for episodes of eutrophication, with potential condition to the Ría de Aruous. Raw material: estimated annual consumption of wood between 1.2 million m³ and even 2.4 million tons of eucalyptus. The divergence of figures underlines the controversy over eucalypticization and its effects on biodiversity and fire. Emissions and air: 75 -meter chimney and compound emissions acid rain precursorswith corrective measures subject to regulations. The Water War reaches courts. While the electrical board clears, the judicial one is turned on. Adega and the Da Ría de Arousa (PDRA) platform, together with the CIG, have filed contentious-administrative resources to declare the water grant file, having exceeded the legal deadline of 18 months without resolution, According to the jump. To the offensive They have added seven brotherhoods of the Ulla-Arousa and the entire sector of the Galician mussel. The Xunta replicates that the complexity of the procedure justifies the delay and that there is no damage to third parties, an interpretation that the plaintiffs reject to generate “legal insecurity.” And now what? Electrical exclusion opens a period of allegations and probable more intense prosecution of the file. Although the favorable day of the Xunta keeps the administrative channel, the “Electricity Class” and Water Concession alive places the project at its most fragile time. “Without water and without connection,” the detractors agree, “there is no macrocellulose.” Galicia returns to live a pulse between industrial promise and territory protection. Between an investment that the Xunta considers a tractor and a social license that, for now, does not arrive. The Palas de Rei plant, a symbol of that conflict, remains in the air: aside, the lack of network and the judicial front; On the other, the political effort to keep it afloat. The outcome is no longer settled only in offices: also on the banks of the Ulla and in the Ría de Arousa – and in court. Image | Greenpeace Xataka | Renfe is delighted to have competition in Madrid-Galicia. Especially since he knows that he will not have competition

They are also the perfect experiment to become independent from Android

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Vega is already official. Amazon presented its new operating system for Fire TV devices and Echo In an event loaded with news. Although we had been hearing rumors about this development years, it has now been when the firm has decided to make the leap. Among the devices that incorporate this operating system is the Fire TV Stick 4K Selectbeing the first of his family to leave Android. Although with him, Amazon leaves one of his main assets on the way: his application catalog. A change of views. Vega Os It is not a modified version of Android as Fire OS, but an Linux -based operating system built from scratch. This has an immediate consequence, and none of the applications that work on current Fire TV It will be compatible with Vega Os. Each developer will have to create specific versions of their applications for this new ecosystem. It is starting from scratch. A first step. Amazon’s bet looks for two clear goals. On the one hand, create cheaper devices. In this sense, Vega is lighter and requires fewer hardware resources than Android. The Fire TV Stick 4K Select works with only 1 GB of RAM, half than other 4K models, and yet Amazon promises that applications open remarkably fast. On the other, gain technological independence. Depending on Android means depending on Google, and Amazon has been looking for for years to control all the experience of its devices without intermediaries. Applications, Achilles heel. The greatest risk of Vega os that will have to face the end user is evident: an ecosystem of applications much more limited, at least for quite some time. At the moment, Amazon has confirmed Compatibility with services such as Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max, Prime Video, Paramount+, YouTube, PLUTO TV or PLEX, but many other applications are missing that Fire TV users usually use. In addition, the company has confirmed that “only Amazon Appstore applications are available to download.” At first, this also seems to close the door to Sideloadingalthough in the case of a Linux -based system, we may not be late in seeing alternatives. How it works inside. From a technical point of view, Vega works radically different from Fire OS. As they have from AFTVNewsVega applications are, in essence, web pages, and the operating system acts as a specialized browser. This works perfectly for streaming applications, which on many platforms are already built with web technologies, but severely limits other types of apps such as more complex games or utilities. The archives of their applications will go from extension. ADB on Androidthe process will be more restrictive than in Fire OS. Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Select (last generation): Start reproducing 4K content in streaming, see hundreds of thousands of films and series episodes, and access free TV and live TV The price could vary. We obtain commission for these links Amazon does not leave Android (yet). The company has made it clear that Fire will not disappear. All current Fire TV devices will continue to work with the Android -based system and receive updates. In addition, Amazon has confirmed that it will continue to launch new Fire TV devices with fire and is even working on a New version based on Android 14. At the moment, Vega is an alternative, not a replacement. The business model behind. The interesting thing about Vega is not just savings in manufacturing costs. Amazon is building a completely own ecosystem where he controls every aspect of the experience. Here we talk from the hardware to the operating system, through the application store. It is a movement similar to Apple’s, but from the opposite end of the market, that is, offering cheap and accessible devices where Amazon can then monetize through content and services. In Spain it does not come with Vega os. The Fire TV Stick 4K Select will arrive on October 15, and It can already be reserved on Amazon at a price of 54.99 euros. At the moment, the device will arrive without Vega in the country, although it is possible that it will be included as future update. There is no specific calendar yet, so it only remains to wait. Given the technical characteristics of the device, possibly the public see more attractive to take advantage of the offers of the latest generation Max than to opt for this new option, especially if there are no vega in between. Cover image | Rubén Andrés In Xataka | When the algorithm does not give one and the platforms are more confusing than ever, it is clear that the streaming business has a problem

The AEPD fine with 42,000 euros to a company

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The Spanish Agency for Data Protection (AEPD) has imposed a sanction of 70,000 euros to LVMH Iberia, a subsidiary of the French giant of the luxury cosmetics, to add a worker to a group of work WhatsApp using their personal telephone number without prior consent. The resolution, to which Diario Sur It has had accessIt is not an isolated case, and reflects how companies can violate the Data Protection Law With something as simple as put someone in a WhatsApp group. Origin. The employee had to use her personal mobile for labor matters for the demand of the company, while waiting for a new mobile phone to work that was never delivered. According to declaredother incorporated partners after they received these devices. At the beginning of his vacation, he warned by email and verbally that he would leave the WhatsApp groups work and stop using his personal mobile for work, although he would maintain contact with the clients he already had. Conflict. During his vacation, a person from the company adds his number to the WhatsApp group without prior notice or communication. The worker remained in that group until, weeks later, the same person eliminated her when she was fired from the company. It was then that he decided to denounce the facts before the AEPD. The defense of the company. According to account Diario Sur, LVMH Iberia claimed to have adopted a “guarantee” position and defended that the employee’s mail did not request a permanent elimination of the groups, but temporary during the holidays. The company claimed to have respected its decision not to participate during that period and argued that the worker expressed her willingness to continue using the personal mobile for labor purposes. The resolution. The AEPD considered that there had been an illegal treatment of personal data by not collecting prior consent of the employee, violating the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The sanction also takes into account the violation of the right of digital disconnection, protected by labor regulations. After assuming its responsibility and receiving reductions by recognition of the facts, the company finally contributed a total of 42,000 euros, a figure agreed between the agency and the company. What does legislation say. Although the GDPR does not specifically add the WhatsApp work groups, The AEPD has established That the telephone number is a protected personal fact, so adding an employee to a group without their consent constitutes an illicit data treatment. The situation changes when the company provides a corporate phone, since in that case the device and the number belong to the company, which can establish its use in internal policies. For those who telework, the obligation to provide contact data can appear in the contract, although its use It must be justified as urgent and does not allow the employee to be added to groups without direct consent. Likewise, as this last case has reflected, the worker has full right to refuse to use his personal device for labor communications. Cover image | Israel Andrade and own assembly In Xataka | The MIT has studied the impact of AI on companies. Its conclusion: only 5% of the time changes some really

Amazon new do not compete against Google Home. Compete against indifference

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A decade ago, Alexa was the future. Today, when we talk about conversational and chatbots, we mentioned ChatgptClaude, Grok or Gemini. Traditional voice assistants (I also look at you, Siri) have become something that simply exists, such as microwave: limitedly useful, but forgotten, cornered. Amazon has just presented four new echo devices: Echo Dot Max with serious three times more powerful. Echo Studio redesigned. Echo Show 8 and 11 with screens of more than one million pixels and 13 MP cameras. Yes, but. The improvements are real and measurable. The problem is that many fewer people are paying attention to ten years ago. Alexa has gone from being a revolutionary promise to a kitchen stopwatch with voice and music. We ask songs, we put alarms, little more. The narrative was exhausted. The context. The voice assistant industry It has been stagnant for years in the same basic functionalities. Meanwhile, Chatgpt has demonstrated what a real conversational means: maintain context, reason, surprise. Users already know that there is something better, even if they don’t have it in their living room. Amazon promises that these devices “feel the bases” to Alexa+its assistant with generative. In Spain there is still no arrival date for those advanced functions. It is the usual promise: Wait, the best is yet to come. The big question. Can an improved spherical speaker change habits that we carry dragging a decade? The factor in form is the same. The activation gesture, identical. The user’s expectation about what Alexa does. Between the lines. Amazon does not need only more powerful or microphones chips that better detect the activation word. We need to stop seeing Alexa as another appliance and imagine it again as something that can change how we live. That is not fixed with deeper serious. The battle is no longer against Google Home or Siri. It is against the indifference of users who learned years ago what they can expect from a voice assistant and stopped waiting for more. Amazon has the hardware. He lacks the reason for us. In Xataka | The announcement of the new Alexa hides an awkward truth: the silent sunset of the Solo-Voz interface Outstanding image | Xataka

Game Pass was too cheap for everything he offered. The problem is that Microsoft thought the same

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Microsoft has just confirmed what many players were smelling us: GAME PASS RAISES PRICE. It has not been an anecdotal increase or first in the United States to tote the land, How do other streaming platforms do: Game Pass has arrived (almost) Without warning. The XBOX subscription game service has been segmented for some time in three categories that give us access to different services and a variable number of games and, after the increase that We already experienced a year agoMicrosoft has raised the price again. The problem is that if in 2024 Game Pass Ultimate, which is the subscription that gives us access to more content, It rose from 14.99 euros to 17.99 euros, now it goes from that amount to 26.99 euros. It is an appreciable climb, as if Microsoft had realized that the service was too “cheap.” Game Pass Ultimate rises 50% “The Netflix of Video Games.” Since Microsoft launched Game Pass, many of us described it that way. Although now we can play directly for streaming in almost any devicein its beginnings we had to download the games. There was a catalog that opened through the subscription, but it was not really the ‘netflix of video games’. Over the years, Microsoft was adding services such as cloud game, Game Pass for PC or streaming transmission of some games on our property. Apart from being able to access their games from the launch without additional cost, they began to launch games from other publishers and companies, also without an added cost. This year, two heavyweights like ‘Silksong‘ either ‘Clair Oscur: Expedition 33‘They launched from the first day in Game Pass. The service became increasingly round and the price did not increase or did it very little. It was a service too good to be trueespecially seeing competition limitations (PlayStation Plus) or the price of a GeForce Now that gives access to a cloud hardware, but that demands that we buy each game individually. In 2023, Xbox ended with Xbox Live Gold To integrate your online game system in Game Pass, creating divisions within the service: Game Pass Core for 6.99 euros – online game and a small selection of accessible games. Game Pass Standard for 10.99 euros – online game and a wide selection of games (more than 300 titles) Game Pass Ultimate For 14.99 euros – online game, more than 500 games in console, Game Pass of PC and launches from day 1 Although last year prices rose At 12.99 euros for Standard and 17.99 euros for Ultimate, Microsoft seems to have realized that it was offering an excellent service at an price that did not square with the market. And that’s over. In that table we can see the updated prices with an essential – he substitutes the core – which is what, now, goes up two euros; A premium that remains and an ultimate that is the one that experiences the biggest climb: nine euros. Until before writing these lines, the 18 euros of Game Pass contrasted with what we see in one of the main services of the competition: GeForce Now. There are some Newssuch as the addition of Ubisoft+ Classics to the ‘Tier’ ultimate or that the players who pay the most will have a better quality when playing for streaming, a difference with premium that did not exist before. Also more advantages in Microsoft Rewards. All of that is an Xbox now In the Nvidia service we have a great streaming game experience, but at a price of 21.99 euros and having to buy games on platforms like Steam. The great game of Game Pass Ultimate was that you paid those 18 euros and you could play for streaming to the available games, but also download them on your console or PC without paying anything else. Game Pass Essential Game Pass Premium Game Pass Ultimate Game Pass for PC available games More than 50 More than 200 More than 400 “Hundreds of games” for PC Cloud streaming Yeah Includes own games Yeah Shorter waiting times Includes own games Yeah “With the best quality” With shorter waiting times Includes own games No available games day one No No, they join up to 12 months Yeah Yeah Online multiplayer Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah Rewards points Up to 25,000 a year Up to 50,000 a year Up to 100,000 a year Up to 50,000 a year Advantages in games Yes, in ‘League of Legends’ and ‘Cod: Warzone’ Yes, in ‘League of Legends’ and ‘Cod: Warzone’ Yes, in ‘League of Legends’ and ‘Cod: Warzone’ Yes, in ‘League of Legends’ and ‘Cod: Warzone’ others – – EA play and ubisoft+ included EA play included price 8.99 euros 12.99 euros Free 14 -day test 26.99 euros 14.99 euros With the new price of 26.99 euros, Game Pass Ultimate becomes the most premium option, far from the proposal of Nvidia or the most expensive subscription of PlayStation Plusthat of 16.99 euros, and definitely the culmination of the dreaded “is so good that it seems a lie.” In fact, the increase of three euros a year ago seemed to little taking into account that they were going to start putting everything they had bought from Activision-Blizzard, The macrooperation of 68.7 billion dollars. The Great “But” is Game Pass’s hook Despite the remarkable increase of nine euros per Game Pass UltimateMicrosoft has an ace in the sleeve (which, in turn, is what makes this change possible). Game Pass Ultimate is a service that has no competitionprecisely, for everything we have commented: Contending games to be the best of the year from day one and without additional cost. Games developed by Microsoft, such as’Indiana Jones and the big circle‘or the future’ Forza Horizon 6 ‘. Online game. Download games or streaming game without having an Xbox (on TV, the Fire TV Stick, the PC, the Tablet or on the mobile). There is no service that offers that variety and newly launched games, and it is what allows Microsoft to … Read more

29 years ago we clone to the Dolly sheep. Thanks to this, today we are one step closer to solving the fertility crisis

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Imagine a future in which the infertility caused by the lack of ovules or sperm is no longer an insurmountable obstacle. A future where two men can have a biological child together, or where A woman who has lost her ability to produce ovules For age or for a cancer treatment may have offspring with its own genetics. This future, which until now belonged to science fiction, is a little closer thanks to a revolutionary advance that has been published in Nature. Biology This advance, which seems like a science fiction, has been made by the team of researchers at Oregon Health & Science University, led by Dr. Shoukhrat Mitalipov. In this case they have managed to develop an experimental technique that forces a skin cell (somatic) to reduce your number of chromosomes in half. It is, in essence, the most crucial and complicated step in the creation of a gamete (an ovule or a sperm). A process they have called mitomeiosis. To be able to understand it, you have to know that all the cells of our body have in total 46 chromosomes in its nucleus. But there is an exception: sperm and gametes that They have 23 chromosomes. A very important number so that when an ovule and sperm merge, they have a total of 46 chromosomes. That is why it is revolutionary that they have managed to get a skin cell to have 23 chromosomes to be an ideal candidate to give offspring. The trick. The natural process to create these haploid cells (with 23 chromosomes) is called meiosis. A very complex type of cell division that has been investigating for a long time. This made it replicate in a laboratory, which is known as in vitro gametogenesis (IVG) was one of the greatest challenges of biology. Something that now reminds us of what we already saw with the Dolly sheep in the cloning process. OHSU’s team addressed the problem in an ingenious way. Using a technique similar to cloning, called nuclear somatic cell transfer (SCNT). A technique that is complex, but can be summarized in three different steps: The first thing is to take a donated human ovule and extract the genetic material. In this way, the ovule maintained all its cytoplasm with the organelles, which ultimately is like the machinery that the cell has to produce energy and carry out many processes such as meiosis. Once done, a skin cell is taken (a diploid cell with 46 chromosomes in a 2N state) and is extracted the nucleus inside. Now it only remains to introduce the core of the skin cell into the ovule that has been emptied. The result. In this case it was amazing, since the ovule cytoplasm could ‘deceive’ the skin’s core, forcing it prematurely into a state similar to the metaphase of the Meiosis. This caused its 46 chromosomes to be organized in a spindle ready to divide, despite having skipped the DNA duplication phase in the cell cycle that is before the division of the genetic material. The problem. However, here they met a wall. In nature, the entrance of the ‘active’ sperm to complete its division, being mediated by a large number of zinc. But in this case, when they tried to fertilize the SCNT ovules with sperm, the vast majority (almost 77%) remained ‘arrested’ without reacting. The natural signal was not enough for this artificial construction. The solution in this case went to develop an artificial ‘starter’ key. After sperm fertilization, they applied an assisted activation protocol an electrical pulse by electroporation to simulate the calcium entry caused by sperm to its entrance, followed by a treatment with a chemical inhibitor called Roscovitin. And it is something that ended up working. Forced activation made the modified ovules leave their arrest and complete the division. The 46 chromosomes of the cell were separated, leaving an average of 23 chromosomes within the fertilized ovum (now a zigoto) and expelling a small polar body from the rest, having achieved the long -awaited ploidy reduction that was the objective of this experiment. Progress. The embryos resulting from this experiment containing chromosomes of the skin and sperm cell, beginning to divide and even some reached the blastocyst phase (an early development of about 5-6 days), with a success rate of 8.8%. This shows that genomes can integrate and work together. It’s just a test. The authors who are still a long way forward, since for now it is a “proof of concept” by not being a perfect replica of natural meiosis. In this case, segregation is random unlike meiosis, where it is ensured that each daughter cell receives a copy of each of the 23 types of original chromosomes. In this project the separation of homologous chromosomes (the paternal and maternal) was completely random. This generates aneuploid embryos that are incompatible with life. In addition, it also lacks ‘cross -rise’ or crossovera vital mechanism in meiosis where paternal and maternal chromosomes exchange fragments creating genetic diversity. This is something that is not present in this process and that takes away a lot of variability. The future. Despite the limitations of this study, work is a fundamental milestone. It aligns with other laboratories such as the Japanese Katsuhiko Hayashi that in 2023 managed to create functional ovules From male mice skin cells, with which healthy offspring were born. In the long term, the implications of these studies give hope to those women who suffer from infertility due to lack of functional gametes and who want to have offspring with their own genetics. The same happens in same -sex couples that also open the door for a couple of men (using a skin cell to create an ovule) or women (creating sperm) can have biologically related son between both members of the couple. Although we cannot also forget that right now there is a fertility crisis that causes that in Spain, for example, there is reduced birth rate. This is also conditioned that it is … Read more

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