Mobile Tech & Gadgets

In the era of hybrid work there is a new unicorn of business management: the Barcelona factorial startup

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In 2020 and in full pandemic a technological startup of Barcelona called Factorial He lived his particular turning point. The company had an attractive and versatile online platform for human resources management, and the confinement gave a unique opportunity to make potential clients known: it offered its platform for free until confinement passed, and that made many known and realized how well that platform could work while the teleworking became strength. His CEO, Jordi Romero, explained So how many of the new clients who registered in factorial maintained their management in local files or at most “in a dropbox folderbut nothing more. “In April the firm achieved an investment of 16 million dollars of CRV, but that was a stressful round. Just before the pandemic came the company had” an agreement between knights (with CRV), so to speak, “Romero commented,” but the money had to be transferred yet. “ The decision to offer its platform for free was a success, and many companies verified the benefits of that comfortable online management that allowed everything very well organized and accessible in a simple way. At that time that round was the largest that was seen in Spain, and it happened at a time when the labor market was in a certainly strange situation. Factorial took advantage of something that no other company in the sector had previously taken advantage of: His platform was perfect for companies that or did not have HR professionals for being too small, or that if they had them were overcome by the workload or by having to make those tasks with others of management. The factorial solution precisely solved the problem, and that marked a before and after for her and her clients. New and important investment rounds After that round starring CRV, 18 months later factorial became one of the protagonists of the Spanish technological sector. In September 2021 the general investment firm Catalyst bet 80 million dollars for her and confirmed her remarkable projection. This bet was a success: the factorial growth has made it one of the most promising technological startups in our country. A year later, factorial lifted another 120 million dollars in a round with the majority participation of Atomico, but also of GIC, Tiger Global, CRV, K-Found and Creandum. That made it a de facto “unicorn”: its valuation was already 1,000 million dollars, twice what was a year earlier with the previous round. The company, which then had 7,000 clients in Europe and in Latin America – where those first years had its great focus— has not stopped growing And he has had a especially notable 2024. His number of customers is now 13,000 SMEs, and has just given another great news: General Catalyst, which as we said already invested 80 million dollars in it, has expanded that investment at $ 120 million, so that the total bet It becomes 200 million dollars. It is striking that this extension of the investment is carried out without diluting the capital of its shareholders. Jordi Romero, CEO of Factorial (on the left in the image with Bernat Farrero, another of the co -founders) explained how that is “something uncommon in hypercrection companies that, in addition, are financially sustainable.” Pau Ramón, the third co -founder and exco from the company, abandonment Factorial in 2023 for personal reasons. The funds, as those responsible for Factorial point out, will go to the expansion of the firm in Germany – where it is growing especially fast – France and Italy. Not only that: they will allow this firm to give the final impulse in a transition in which they have been working for years: to go from being a human resources software to a large business management platform. SANNED ACCOUNTS AND OWN RISK CAPITAL FUND They hope to reach about 20,000 clients before the end of the year, Romero said In the countryand its forecast is to exceed 100 million dollars of recurring income this year. As indicated in that article, 2024 has been the first year in which the company has grown up without consuming its own resourcessomething especially important to consolidate the profitability of the company. Bernat Farrero, Pau Ramón (now outside the company) and Jordi Romero, co -founders of the company. Source: Factorial. The firm had at the end of 2024 with 90 million dollars of cash reserves, something striking because it shows the financial solidity of a company that is capable of growing without practically boxing of cash. The investment round seemed almost unnecessary, but according to Romero that allows factorial to “continue its expansion without compromising its financial stability or diluting the capital of its shareholders,” as we mentioned earlier. The company has no immediate plans to go over – “We are not in a hurry,” Romero explains – and does not seem interested in inorganic growth inking or buying other companies. What they do, explained those responsible In araIt is to bill 1,000 million euros in five years. And although the exit to the parquet is for now an unknown, what those entrepreneurs have done has been, as they pointed out In the avant -garde, Create a risk capital fund of 15 million euros with which they want to finance emerging companies. It’s called Itnig Capital, and He has already invested One million euros in nine Spanish companies. The “Startup factory” of Factorial seems to have started with good foot, and is helping that new firms created by former factorial employees take their first steps, as pointed out expanding A few months ago. Growing, but with comparatively low wages During all this factorial time it has evolved. Its creators began working on a human resources platform to manage both employees and various administrative tasks, but in recent times they have become a “Comprehensive Business Management Platform“That allows the management of projects, training and control of expenses. Romero, Farrero and Ramón shared the same frustration when creating factorial: that in many companies there was little technology that helped to climb … Read more

Blackstone wants to buy it for 5.5 billion euros

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The greatest business operation of what we have been in Spain is going unnoticed between more striking headlines and more names Sexiesbut its magnitude is extraordinary: two giants of risk capital want to buy the company that manages your waste for a sidereal price. The latest. Blackstone and EQT have signed an exclusivity agreement to negotiate Urbaser for approximately 5.5 billion euros, debt included, as progressing The economist. The consortium will now make a Due Diligence Four -week confirmatory to close the final fringes. Why is it important. This assessment makes Urbaser, a waste management company that was born as an ACS subsidiary, a more valuable asset than airlines such as China Airlines or Easyjet, and even that Indra, the Spanish Technological Giant of Defense. Incidentally, demonstrates the growing interest of global funds in the Spanish environmental sector. Between the lines. The Platinum Equity Fund, current owner –Urser is of Spanish origin but of US capital – will triple its investment in just three years. Urbaser bought the Chinese Chinese group Tianying (Cnty) in 2021 for 3,500 million, which in turn I had acquired it from ACS for only 1,114 million in 2016. The money trail. Platinum already has extracted a considerable value of Urbaser: He charged a dividend of 300 million euros in previous exercises. I had prepared another extraordinary dividend of 1,000 million if the sale failed. He sold four subsidiaries for approximately 1,000 million (United Kingdom, Nordic countries, water and operations business in Portugal). In figures. Urbaser is a growing giant: Ebitda of 2024: 560 million euros (without Argentina) Ebitda forecast by 2025: 600 million (without Argentina) The Argentine subsidiary, excluded from the operation, provides additional 90 million. What is happening. Blackstone continues with its strategy to buy Spain for fascicles. The American giant already has a large number of strategic assets in our country, from homes and hotels to logistics centers. This operation fits its global commitment to critical infrastructures and essential public services. And now what? If the operation is completed, it will be the largest of the year in Spain and one of the largest in Europe. The Argentine subsidiary will be sold separately, according to Expansionwhile the new owners must manage an important debt after the acquisition. In Xataka | Playtomic has just lifted one of the largest investment rounds this year in Spain with a peculiar hook: paddle Outstanding image | Urbaser

The US has drawn its polygraph. The person who leaked that Elon Musk has the secret plan of a war with China is sought

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The story began Last Thursday. Apparently, the Pentagon had organized an informative meeting for Elon Musk. So far, all more or less “normal” The government role who has obtained the richest man in the world since Trump was re -elected. The problem was the task of the apparent meeting, According to the New York Times: Put Musk aware of the Military Secret Plan that has in the United States before a possible war war with China. The schism has been such that Pentagon itself seeks at this time to the culprit. Presidential denial. After the Times articlePresident Donald Trump did not take long in reject publicly The possibility that Musk has access to secret military plans related to a potential conflict with China. As we said, according to the newspaper, Musk would have been scheduled to receive a high -level informative session in the Pentagon on US military strategies against Chinawhat aroused concern due to their extensive commercial links With that country. Trump denied the existence of this session and said that, although Musk is significantly helping the government, identifying “waste, fraud and abuse,” It would not be appropriate Sharing high sensitivity information, emphasizing that, in his opinion, Musk himself would not want to put himself in that position. The visit and multiple interpretations. Musk, CEO of Spacex and Tesla, in addition to part -time government advisor, visited the pentagon the day after the exclusive Times, on Friday, March 22, and said A private meeting Of more than an hour with the Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, and with the Vice Chief of the Joint General Staff, Admiral Christopher W. Gray. Originally, according to two officials cited by the TimesMusk was going to be received in “The Tank”, a high security conference room within the building, to discuss defense strategies in case of a confrontation with China. It was also mentioned that the meeting would include Admiral Samuel J. Paparo, head of the United States Indo-Pacific Command. However, this last session seems that It was finally canceled After the publication of the article. Musk finally met at the Office of the Secretary of Defense, not in the “Safe Sala”, which could have limited access to classified material. Postures and ambiguity. During an event in the Oval office in which Trump and Hegseth announced a new defense contract for the new Air Force hunting, Both denied The version of Times, describing it as “a false story.” Hegseth insisted that the visit It was informal and revolved around government efficiency issues. Trump claimed to have learned of the alleged classified session Through the newspaper And he declared that he had called his chief of Cabinet and Hegseth to confirm the veracity of the information, who discarded it as absurd. Despite this, Trump took the opportunity to underline that, due to Musk’s businesses in China, It would be reckless Share sensitive military plans, marking one of the clearest limits so far regarding the relationship between the tycoon and the administration. Lack of clarity. I counted in Another later article The Times there are areas Gray at the meeting. Neither Musk nor Hegseth answered questions from the press at the end of it. When questioned by a reporter of the Times about the content of the meeting, Hegseth replied Dry: “Why would I tell you?”, Before retiring without clarifications. A senior defense official, speaking under condition of anonymity, said Musk attended to provide, and not receive, an informative session focused on industrial policy and sharing experiences linked to their companies. Trump, meanwhile, He reaffirmed this version Subsequently, stating that the visit was related to Musk’s efforts to reduce the size of the government and improve the efficiency of public spending. Tension after controversy. Be that as it may, the United States Department of Defense has started formal investigationwhich includes the use of polygraph tests, to identify those responsible for internal leaks after the accusations arising around Musk’s recent visit to Pentagon. The decision was promoted after Musk itself publicly demandedthrough Your social network Xthe prosecution of Pentagon officials that would be disseminating “maliciously false information” about their relationship with the military institution. Criminal implications. Before the magnitude of the scandal, Joe Kasper, Hegseth Cabinet Chief, announced the immediate start of research to identify unauthorized leaks of information on national security. In a memorandum issued on March 21, Kasper indicated that the investigation will collect A complete record of unauthorized disseminations within the Department of Defense and will issue recommendations to improve confidentiality protocols. Who are responsible will be referred to criminal authorities corresponding for prosecution. This investigative offensive, which includes interrogations with lies detector, represents an unprecedented response within the American defense apparatus and reflects the level of concern generated by filtration. Tesla and China. The truth is that the controversy that has emerged is much less trivial, and has to do with the Musk’s delicate balance Between the two powers. Tesla, Musk’s automotive company, has been one of The big beneficiaries of Chinese policies in favor of electric vehicles. His factory in Shanghai is the biggest and company productive, and represents approximately 37% of its global sales. To fully operate in the country, Tesla has received incentivesregulatory approvals and privileged access to the market, including authorizations to display autonomous driving technology. Starlink and China. In parallel, Spacex and its Starlink satellite system, essential for the operations of the Department of Defense, place Musk in a dual position: as a key supplier for the national security of the United States and as an entrepreneur with strong interests in a rival power. Dissonance becomes even more evident for the past comments of Musk himself, who Taiwan has described as “an integral part of China” and has proposed a reintegration model similar to Hong Kong’s, ideas that have been Well received in Beijing But harshly criticized by Taipei and by US officials. Concern in Congress. Had the weekend The Washington Post That both Republican and Democratic legislators have expressed concerns about how the Chinese Communist … Read more

Protein shake glycine

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The automobile industry has taken the path of electrification. Sean electric, hybrids of any type or microhíbridoseveryone has something in common: larger or smaller, they set up a battery. And that carries a long -term problem: what will happen to that battery when Finish the car’s life cycle. The answer should be recycling, but current methods emit large amounts of waste and do not allow all lithium and other battery components to recover. However, Chinese researchers believe they have found the key to recover 99.99% of the lithium of batteries. And the secret ingredient is something that is in the protein smoothies that we consume to gain muscle mass: glycine. Need. Our dependence on lithium batteries It’s worrying. Numerous devices have them as a source of energy, but in the case of electric vehicles, obviously the necessary amount is much higher. It is what has caused global production to quadruplica between 2010 and 2022. And that 2022 already said that We were going to need more lithium of which, probably, have the planet. Ok, then we recycle. The problem is that … well, there are not few problems. Recycle a battery (this applies to anyone, but intensifies with the huge batteries of cars) is that it takes a long time to perform the process. You have to download it completely before you can handle them safely and, once done that, there are two consolidated methods: Hydrometallurgy: By acids, metals dissolve in a process known as leaching. We can obtain both lithium and nickel/cobalt and it is estimated that 99% of them are suitable for new batteries. Pyometallurgy: By ovens at 1,500 degrees Celsius, the components are melted and cobalt, nickel and copper are separated, on the one hand, and the rest of the components (aluminum, lithium and manganese) on the other. To recover lithium, after pyrometallurgy you have to do a hydrometallurgy process. The inconveniences are clear: in the case of hydrometallurgy, the use of acids is very polluting and liquid waste must be managed. In addition, it takes a long time to break down and separate the elements. In that of pyrometallurgy, although the process is faster, large amounts of CO2 occur that are emitted to the atmosphere and consume a lot of energy. Glycina. It is necessary to find more sustainable alternatives, and that is where glycine comes into play. Researchers from the South Central University of Changsha, the University of Guizhou and the National Center for Advanced Materials Engineering of Advanced Energy Storage have found a way of recycling less pollutingly 99.9% of the battery materials. In his studyexpose how glycinawhich is a non -essential amino acid found in proteins, can achieve an efficient recovery of 99.99% of lithium, 96.86% of nickel, 92.35% of copper and 90.59% of the manganese of batteries. Turbohydrometallurgy. Researchers detail that the key is to create an atmosphere of soft leaching. Changing ‘hard’ acids that are commonly used in battery recycling for neutral pH solutions with glycine allows the materials of the old battery to decompose and subsequently recover the elements that interest in the face of their recycling in new equipment. As they point from Motorpasionby contacting the batteries used with an iron salt solution, sodium oxalate and liquid glycine, an iron layer is formed on them that plays the anode paper, while the battery material that is recycled works as a cathode. This chemical provides a process that breaks down the battery structure, facilitating the independent dissolution of lithium, nickel, cobalt and manganese. In addition, the team ensures that it is a quick process: just 15 minutes. Recycle vs mining. From the study they affirm that it is a cheaper process, more energy efficient and with less emissions than the traditional methods of hydrometallurgy that use acid or ammonia, but of course, it is something that has been tested in the laboratory and that would have to be seen in a real scenario. What is clear is that recycling seems the key to advancing in that automotive electrification without resorting to an increase in the Exploitation of lithium mines. A few weeks ago, researchers at Stanford University published a study in which they compared the benefits of lithium -ion batteries recycling in the face of the extraction of new materials. In summary: It is emitted between 58% and 81% less greenhouse gases. It is used between 72% and 88% less water. It is used between 77 and 89% less energy. Less soot and sulfur is also emitted. We are in it. These results are the result of a method patented by university researchers. It is like pyrometallurgy, but selectively, so the temperature is lower and emissions, therefore, they are also. Whether with the Standford method or with that of glycine devised by Chinese researchers, the world is in that race for the recycling of electric vehicle batteries. Princeton University are investigating the low temperature plasma to replace the traditional methods of pyrometallurgy; There are already companies that have BMW or Mercedes contracts with the objective of recycling car batteries and also methods that use the microwave radiation To separate the components: up to 87% of the lithium of a battery in 15 minutes. It is evident that, just as there is a career for electrification, it is also actively investigated how to reuse batteries that no longer serve for new cars, but that can be used in the manufacture of others. At least while we wait those of solid state… Images | Tennen-Gas In Xataka | The US has found lithium to solve the problem of the electric car “for decades.” It is worse news of what it seems

We thought we were 8,000 million people throughout the planet. Until some researchers began to make numbers

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In November 2022, the UN celebrated that we were already 8,000 million humans on earth. They are estimates, of course, but beyond the figure, the really interesting thing is that in 2023 We do not reach the replacement rate and that humanity will reach its peak at the end of the century to, irremediably, Start falling. But … to what extent can we trust those accounts? It is something that takes time on the table, and now a study It arrives to add more spicy when we affirmed that we have been making it counting. So much that we have left several hundred million people along the way. Can we trust the numbers? “Calculating the number of people on the planet is an inaccurate science.” That was the comment of demographer Jakub Bijak a BBC In the middle of last year, just when the Study of world population perspectives. Something scientific is something exact, but the researcher also commented that the only thing that can be sure when predicting population figures is of the lack of certainty. That, eye, does not mean that demographers get the figures out of nowhere. “It is something difficult based on our experience, knowledge and each piece of information we have,” said Toshiko Kanera, an expert in demographic forecasts. The demographers drink from the data and trends of each country since 1950, but … what if it had not been well told? We are missing millions. In a new study published in Natureresearchers from the University of Aalto in Finland show how the data sets that demographers manage to “deep and systematic” the population figures worldwide. The serious thing is that we would be talking about hundreds of millions more people living on earth. Example of the tools that demographers use in their analysis. Each corresponds to a different bias The rural areas. Josias Láng-Rritter is one of the investigators in charge of the study and points to the accounts made in a specific segment: that of the rural population. “For the first time, our study provides evidence that a significant proportion of the rural population could be absent in the data sets of the global population,” he says. As we say, we don’t talk about a few million, but thousands of millions. “Depending on the data set used, rural populations have been underestimated between 53% and 84% in the period studied. The results are notable, since these data sets have been used in thousands of studies and have widely supported decision making, but their precision has not been systematically evaluated,” says the researcher. The map shows the location of the 307 rural areas analyzed in the study. It was found that the populations reported in the graph were underestimated between 53% and 84% | University of Aalto Biases. Attempts to review these data are not new, but previous investigations have focused on specific countries or urban areas. The researchers at the University of Aalto have wanted to take a more global photo when comparing the five most used population data sets worldwide. They have used maps that divide the planet into high resolution grids and have taken as a very concrete reference: the resettlement figures of more than 300 rural dams projects in 35 countries. Why this dam bias? Because When a dam is builtthe population that lives in the area that will be flooded is relocated and precise resettlement data is usually had. When comparing this population data from 1975 to 2010, the researchers found that the 2010 maps were more precise, but still omitted between 32% and 77% of the rural population. Between 2015 and 2020 the data sets were updated, but the demographers continue to consider that the underestimation of the rural population continues to exist and is a problem that persists in all regions of the world. Consequences. And we are talking about a problem whose resolution is complex. According to researchers, no matter how much the data is reviewed, it is a structural problem. Governments do not have the resources to collect precise data in these rural regions, there is a huge discrepancy between the real population and the one reported in the population maps that are used to carry out demographic studies and that influences decision making. Average percentage of rural population estimated down (red and orange) and overestimated (blue) | University of Aalto And it is important. Current estimates place 43% of 8,200 million World inhabitants in rural areas -And 3,526 million people- and if we take into account that it is a percentage that has underestimated between 53% and 84%, we are not talking about little population, precisely. And it is essential to know exactly how many we are for a simple reason: the redistribution of resources. No data. The lack of precise demographic records can affect political decision making. Ritter sets the example of social decisions. “In many countries, there may not be enough available data at the national level, so they depend on the global population maps to support their decisions: do we need an asphalted road or a hospital? How much medicine is needed in a specific area? How many people could be affected by natural disasters such as earthquakes or floods?” Making quick accounts, in the best scenario – the 53% deviation in the rural population – we would talk about 1,869 million people who would not have counted. In the worst case, in the 84% not registered, we would talk about 2,962 million people. In Nature’s study, they put an example Paraguay, which in the 2012 census may have left out a quarter of the population. Reviewing the methods. In the analysis of the team, there are countries that come out better than others. They put Finland as an example of reliable data, even in rural regions, because they began bringing digital records of the population 30 years ago. However, in countries in which this conscientious digital registry has taken longer to be implemented due to crisis of any kind, … Read more

Emirates has fallen in love with shows with drones. It already moves millions of dollars and aims to have no rival in the sky

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More than a decade ago It was held next to the Danube Riverin Austria, the first show of drones of which you have registration. It was during a local music festival, with Few flying devices But with a huge technical deployment. Since then, this type of exhibitions has not stopped evolving. Today, drones have become an increasingly popular alternative to fireworks. The United States and China have taken the lead with mass shows, but the United Arab Emirates want to take the proposal a step further. And are willing to strive to achieve it. Emirates wants to lead the future of shows in heaven Talking about Arab Emirates is talking about a country accustomed to megaprojects. From the Burj Khalifa to the artificial island Palm Jumeirahgoing through The future tower with the highest watch in the worldtheir ambitions do not know limits. Behind this deployment there is a clear strategy: diversify the economy and reduce oil dependence. One of the last steps in that direction is to turn Abu Dhabi into a cultural and technological pole. Sheikh Khaled Bin Mohamed al Nahyan has opted for an unpublished show: The largest exhibition of drones in the world. The objective is to launch more than 10,000 illuminated drones, coordinated in real time to form three -dimensional images. The challenge is not less. Until now, few have managed to operate such a number of drones simultaneously. The record is held by Shenzhenin China, With 10,197 devices in 2024in a sample that beat two Guinness records. The United States has also advanced, With exhibitions of up to 5,000 drones in Texas. Although Abu Dhabi has not yet confirmed the date of the ambitious event, it is known that it will be in charge of Nova Sky Stories (a Colorado firm) with Analog, a Emiratí company specialized in mixed reality and physical intelligence. Arab Emirates was a pioneer in adopting this technology, and the shows began to gain popularity in 2020. Today they are a usual part of great conferences and festivals. According to Rest of Worldan average show in the region costs some $ 112,000 and implies around 400 drones, well above what a traditional fireworks show costs, which is around $ 13,000 and $ 41,000. The global market is also taking off. In 2023 it was valued at 338.9 Millions of dollarswith the Middle East representing 41 million. And, from what we have seen, there is still a generous margin of growth. The AI ​​is already changing the way these shows are designed. Skyvertise, one of the most active companies in Emirates, explains that algorithms allow reducing manual labor time to Automize much of visual planning. The future of air entertainment is changing, and the Emirates want to be in charge. Images | Cyberdrone Drone Show In Xataka | Emirates financed a study to know if it can cause rain in the desert with solar farms. The answer is yes

We knew that smell and memory are closely related. And that unlocks an advantage: detect the Alzheimer’s

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Alzheimer’s disease may be difficult to detect. The symptoms of this disorder usually become evident only after the progress of this dementia, which is a huge problem. And, in the absence of a definitive cure, our ability to stop the impact of the disease depends largely on early detection. Smell. One of the clues we have when detecting Alzheimer’s in its early stages is through smell. A study conducted by researchers from the University of Chicago analyzed the impact of the disease on our sensory capacity and detected that there is a rapid loss of smell when making us greater could predict with some accuracy The advent of Alzheimer’s disease. Smell of Magdalena. The relationship between memory and smell is very narrow. We know that the evocative capacity of smells It did not go unnoticedbut in recent decades science He has been confirmed This unique connection. The reason for this close relationship can be anatomical. The olfactory bulb is the region of the brain that processes in the first instance the smells and then send the signal to other areas of the brain. This signal crosses key areas of the limbic system, areas linked to emotions and memory. “The olfactory signals reach the limbic system very quickly,” Explain to The Harvard Gazette Venkatesh Murthy, head of the university’s cell and molecular biology department. 515 participants. The study of the University of Chicago had 515 participants, advanced adults, registered in the memory and aging project of the Rush University. These participants were examined annually, exams that test their cognitive abilities to detect signs of dementia. These tests also studied their ability to identify odors, in addition to other health -related parameters. More than memory loss. The team thus found a new link between smell and memory: a rapid loss of olfactory capacity prior to any cognitive loss could predict the arrival of various symptoms associated with Alzheimer’s. These symptoms included a lower volume of gray matter in the areas of the brain linked to smell and memory, cognitive loss and a greater risk of dementia. They also found a relationship between this olfactory loss and the presence of the APOE-E4 gene, a genetic variant considered risk factor in the advent of Alzheimer’s. The details of the study were published In an article In the magazine Alzheimers & Dementia. “This study provides another clue on how a rapid loss of the meaning of smell is a very good indicator of what will end structurally in specific regions of the brain,” ” explained in a press release Jayant M. Pinto, co -author of the study. Get ahead of the disease. Alzheimer’s is an incurable disease for now, but there are different treatments that allow us to delay the development of its symptoms. For that, we must get ahead of the disease as much as we can. Something difficult in a disorder that only shows its consequences once the disease is advanced. “If we could identify their 40, 50 or 60 people with greater risk, we could potentially have enough information to aim them in clinical trials and develop better medications,” also added in a press release Rachel Pacyna, work caoautora. Own initiative. The fact that the change in our smell is rapid and before the arrival of cognitive deterioration opens an important window, putting the patient itself in warning. And it is that most of the ways we have to detect the appearance of dementia is through external evaluations, for example when family members detect memory problems or In language. The loss of smell is something that, in principle, It can be striking to the patient himself and put it on guard or encourage him to seek medical advice. When the smell of the Magdalena stops bringing us memories, perhaps what we are playing is not only the evocation of a memory. In Xataka | We have a new “theory of all” to understand Alzheimer’s. Your key is in small granules Image | Cottonbro Studio

A Peruvian farmer has seen a glacier from the Andes melts. So he has brought a German energy to trial

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The Peruvian farmer Saúl Luciano Lliuya has observed how Lake Palcacocha grows every year in Huaraz. This situation has caused the farmer issue for the overflow of the lake and ends affecting his community. However, instead of resigning, he has decided to take those responsible for this situation to court. An unprecedented case. Saul Luciano Lliuya has sued the RWE energy company before the German courts. In its demand, Lliuya has argued that this company is the one that emits the most issuance contributing to climate change, accelerating the melting of glaciers in its hometown, putting its habitability at risk, according to has collected Associated Press. The demand. Supported by the activist group Germanwatchthe Peruvian farmer wants RWE to pay around 17,000 euros ($ 18,520) for a flood defense project, according to He has reported Reuters. 10 years ago. The filing of the lawsuit was in 2015 in Germany and, two years later, the courts accepted it, According to EFE. During all these years, evidence has been collected to determine whether there is a direct relationship between RWE emissions and the risk of flooding in Huaraz. In addition, the trial has prolonged because the German company has used legal strategies, arguing that the responsibility for climate change cannot be attributed to a single issuer, such as They have explained to Associated Press. The defendant. The energy company has denied its responsibility on multiple occasions. From the company, have affirmed for DW that climate change is a global problem caused by multiple factors and that it is not possible to legally attribute its effects to a single entity. In addition, for the same medium, they have declared that if there is such claim according to German legislation, all drivers should also be considered responsible, and that it is a socio -political error. The evaluations. Among the collection of information that is being gathered for the trial, there is a 2014 study conducted by Greenpeace and the Climate Justice Program, in which RWE held RWE for 0.47% of global greenhouse gas emissions since the beginning of industrialization. In addition, different researchers have shown that greenhouse gas emissions have a direct impact on the melting of glaciers in the Andes, such as have detailed in The Guardian. Regarding the glacier, this has been melting in these last 36 years for climate change, according to A study by Nature magazine. Although this is not the only evidence, another scientific research has shown that the water level in Lake Palcacoha It has increased Since 1990. This situation can raise the risk of an avalanche, similar to what devastated Huaraz in 1941 and caused the death of 1,800 people. The beginning of the trial. On Monday, March 17, the trial began and, As Efe has advancedthe lawyer of Lliuya, Roda Verheyen, explained that if sentence is issued in the next session, scheduled for April 14, the necessary precedent will be obtained to go after other great pollutants. Image | Pxhere Xataka | There are still energetic ones that trace the system to inflate prices: the CNMC has just issued two millionaire fines

We carry from the Pleistocene domesticating the avocado. It took 8,000 years to adopt the way we wanted

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When we talk about domestication, we automatically think about that of the animals around us. The dogthe cat –Something more complicated– Or the farm animals and work. But humanity carries thousands of years domesticating fruits and vegetables. An example is that of avocado, a fruit that has become Obsession for half the world and that it would not exist if we had not saved it 7,500 years ago. And the avocado then has little to do with the one now. Megafauna. The avocado appeared about 400,000 years ago in what we now know as Mexico. Like many other fruits and vegetables, It was very different As we know it today. The avocado was more rounded, with fine skin and a seed smaller than the current one. It was like a small apple and dispersed throughout the territory thanks to the megafauna of the Pleistocene. These animals devoured the complete fruit and chew the seed. Thanks to their feces, the seed were spreading and giving rise to at least three different species of avocado: the Mexican, the Guatemalan and the Antillean. However, the Great extinction of Pleistocene that ended that megafauna. The Avocado Meteorite. As we read in The New York Timeswithout animals large enough to reach the fruit, eat it whole and spread its seeds, the prehistoric avocado distribution area was greatly reduced. It is something that happened about 13,000 years ago, but fortunately humans intervened. In a study About avocado domestication published By researchers from the University of California, they detail that this avocado domestication arose due to the need. “Without megafauna, humans needed new food sources. They began to cultivate the fruit, saving avocados,” says Doug Kennet, one of the authors of the study. Excavations in ‘El Gigante’ ‘The giant’. That is, the fruit, which was practically on the verge of extinction, was recovered by necessity by humans. In the investigation, the authors focused on a place to the west of Honduras called ‘El Gigante’. It is a high cave that was inhabited 11,000 years ago and where lots of pumpkin seeds, corn grains, agave leaves and other plant waste that have been studied in these last 20 years have been found. Among those seeds, there were avocado remains. Playing with genetics. As if they were Mendel with the peas, the settlers began to keep seeds and plant their own trees. Harvest after harvesting, the branches were rotting to foster the growth of trees, but also selecting the largest and fleshy avocados. Thus, 7,500 years ago, humans had already made the seeds larger and the most resistant shells. Some 3,000 years later, the seeds reached the size of an apricot and the peel became even thicker, which suggests an intentional manipulation of the fruit. “It is an indicator that people began to save seeds to plant their own trees,” says Amber Vanderwarker, another of the authors. “I think people, probably, have been eating Guacamole for 10,000 years” – Amber Vanderwarker. Seed size change is considerable Transport. It may be that the weight of the seeds and the size of the fruit was what led to that way of ‘pear’, but beyond speculation, from the study they point out that humans favored thick pests for a mere practical issue: the thicker, more resistant and, therefore, the easier to transport the fruit from one side to another without danger for the indoor plating. The dispersion of it, in fact, is amazing, with evidence that thousands of years ago was consumed in Peru, Mexico, Colombia and Panama. In addition, they point to another possible reason why they favored that thick and resistant shell that does not differ much from how we consume avocado today. Vanderwarker points out that a possible reason to grow fruits with a thick shell is the facilitation of meat extraction with a spoon. In addition, molecular research suggests that the complete change to obtain a fruit similar to the current one was not so much: about 2,200 years ago. Essential. In the end, it would be given by what was given, the avocado was vital for Mesoamerican civilizations. Maya and Aztecs made it a star food, developing some of the avocado varieties to adapt them to the height and climate conditions of different areas, such as lowlands and highlands. In addition, they contributed to the expansion of avocado thanks to their cultural influence and commercial lines. World fever and wars. Currently, we live an authentic avocado fever. It has become a fashion fruit thanks to its nutritional properties, but also its importance in dishes such as the guacamole that the United States consumes big, especially during the American football super bowl. Such is the importance of fruit that is a thrown weapon between Mexico and the United States. But well, researchers at the University of California say that, although discoveries on avocado are interesting, as research progresses, more evidence on them will be discovered, but also more types of food plants manipulated by humans. Images | Thomas Harper and Ken Hirth (University of California Santa Barbara), EDURAFI2, Hariadhi In Xataka | There are billions of people worried about climate change, but there is a little group that is not: English wine growers

Yonaguni’s Japanese island was known for its beauty and Bad Bunny. Now it is a military strength because of Taiwan

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It is possible that until recently the vast majority of the population did not know what it was Yonaguni. In 2021, the picturesque Japanese island appeared in the “map” of millions of people when the artist Bad Bunny dedicated him A song (Singing it in Spanish and Japanese, in addition). However, the enclave, very much, will possibly be more famous over the months. Is found in the center of a war Between the United States and China, and has in front of Taiwan. Paradise in the conflict. Yonaguni, the westernmost island in Japan, is usually remembered as an idyllic corner of Crystalline waters and almost empty routes between cane fields. However, its strategic location only 110 km from the Taiwanese coast has placed it in the center of the growing tension between China and Taiwantransforming his image of tourist paradise into an expanding military enclave. The Japanese government has announced the Base extension From the self -defense forces (SDF), as well as works to extend the airport, build a port for large boats and create underground evacuation shelters. These developments have left their only 1,500 inhabitants trapped between the growing militarization and the latent threat of a regional conflict. A military bastion. As AP explained In a recent report, while some residents and local authorities such as Fumie Kano dreamed of promoting commercial links with Taiwan through direct sea routes, but the plan was set aside In favor of militarizationwhich offered government subsidies and security promises. Since 2016, the island houses a unit of 160 members coastal surveillanceequipped with radars, to which electronic war units and potential deployments of long -range missiles. Today, the military and their families already They represent 20% of the populationa constantly increased figure that begins to reconfigure the economy and social structure of the island. Division before the threat. The possibility of a Taiwan Yūjian emergency caused by a Chinese Invasion of Taiwan, worries residents, who fear that the island will become a military objective or refugee receiver. Not everyone, of course. The Guardian told A few weeks ago cases such as that of the Shoko Komine restaurant, where they do not believe that the conflict is imminent, although they are afraid of its immediate impact on tourism, the main economic engine of the island. The militarization, in the opinion of its owner, has displaced the efforts to promote Yonaguni As a tourist destination. Even those who voted in favor of the base in 2015, when it was approved by little margin, seem to express their concern today at the possible missile installation, which would make the island blank in case of hostilities. Yonaguni Geopolitics in the Pacific. The reorientation of the Japanese defense policy, which for decades focused on the Soviet threat in the north, has displaced its focus to the south and the growing pressure of China. We tell it A few weeks ago, Yonaguni is part of the Nansei Islands chain, whose strategic importance It has been redoubled In a context in which the United States It demands from Japan a more active role in your own defense. Under that framework, the American ambassador to Japan, Rahm Emanuel, recently visited the island in a symbolic sample of American support. In addition, other nearby islands, such as Miyako and Ishigaki, already house missile units (and comes A broader package), increasing the Pressure on Okinawa Prefecturewhich welcomes most American troops in Japan. Defense or provocation. The people are divided. For example, the mayor of Yonaguni, Kenichi Itakazu, support military expansionconsidering it essential to protect the island and access part of the record of 43 billion yen (276,000 million dollars) in defense expense planned for 2028. He argues that, given the experience with Hong Kong, Xi Jinping’s peaceful promises cannot be trusted. However, critical voices such as councilor Chiyoki Tasato warn that the deployment of troops and missiles does not deter, but that attracts danger. Tasato considers inevitable that Japan will be involved if a war in the Taiwan Strait due to the United States Security Treaty, which imposes bilateral military responsibilities. The 2015 law Approved under the mandate of Shinzō Abe authorizes Japan to exercise collective self -defense in case an ally is attacked, which reinforces that vision. An island in transformation. Yonaguni, like many remote regions of Japan, faces a complicated depopulation process. Of the 12,000 inhabitants he had in 1947, today There are hardly 1,500 civiliansmostly older people. A figure that contrasts with 160 SDF troops and its 90 relatives, whose presence begins to transform the social structure. According to calculations of the Tetsu Inomata residentby 2026 the military “base population” will exceed 40% of the total number of inhabitants. Although soldiers have tried to integrate, for example, participating in schools, shops and cultural activities, many islanders feel that a military enclave is being configured that could eventually displace the civilian population. Historical and strategic memory. Some inhabitants, such as local politician Mizuho Chidacome in the Evacuation drills that we have counted before an undercover preparation for an armed conflict. Others, like Tasato, advocate Strengthen the links economic and cultural with Taiwan, a country with which Yonaguni shared business relations at the time of the Ryukyu kingdom. Despite the geographical proximity, there are currently no direct routes between the two regions, although maritime crosses are foreseen soon. This vision contrasts with the perception that the island has been alibuated by external interests, particularly those of Washington, with Tokyo’s complicity. The weight of the story. The past also plays an important role in the perception of the premises. The memories of the Okinawa battlewhere about 200,000 people died during World War II, still resonate among residents. Many fear that, as then, the islands of southern Japan are sacrificed In the name of national security. Today Central Okinawa house more than half Of the 50,000 American soldiers deployed in Japan, and the new bases in Yonaguni and neighboring islands such as Miyako and Ishigaki expand that geostrategic burden on a historically marginalized region … Read more

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