suspect

We have been blaming mobile phones for myopia for years. Now we have a much more subtle suspect: lack of light

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It is quite a grandmother’s and mother’s phrase to hear that spending a long time in front of a screen or being very close to a book can cause us to develop a disease in the eyes like the myopia. However, science has long suspected that “close work” alone does not explain why myopia has become a global pandemic. The new. Now a revealing study has proposed a physiological mechanism that fits all the pieces of the puzzle together, placing the blame not only on what we look at, but on the amount of light that reaches the back of our eye while we do so. And the investigation is quite justified, since the data is scary. In Spain, 19% of children between 5 and 7 years old are already myopicand projections estimate that by 2050 half of the world’s population will need glasses. To stop this, we need to understand exactly the mechanism that produces myopia, and a team from New York has found the key. The famine of light. The work, recently published in the prestigious magazine Cell Reports by researchers, points to a fascinating concept in this case: the light deprivation hypothesis. Until now we knew that focusing on nearby objects is closely linked to the development of myopia. But what this study has measured with empirical precision is how the myopic eye reacts to the healthy eye during this process. What they have seen. The main finding is that myopes suffer from excessive accommodative pupillary constrictionthat is, when you look closely, the pupil becomes much smaller than normal. If we add to this that close-up work is usually done indoors where lighting rarely exceeds 500 lux, compared to 10,000 lux outdoors, the result is a lethal cocktail for the eye: the combination of dim light and a maximally contracted pupil causes the retina to “starve” due to lack of light. The short circuit. Here the question that logically must be asked is: Why does this lack of light cause the eye to grow abnormally, causing myopia? This is where the purest neuroscience comes in, since our retina processes the image through two main channels: the ON path that is activated with increases in light, and the OFF path, which reacts to shadows. In previous work from 2024, this same team had already shown that in myopic patients the ON pathways have serious deficits, since they are less sensitive and slower. Now the new hypothesis postulates a vicious circle in which, when reading or looking at a cell phone indoors, the pupil closes too much. And this is a problem, since chronic lack of light further weakens the retinal ON pathway, and this imbalance sends erroneous signals that ultimately promote elongation of the eyeball. The treatments. This proposal not only stands out for explaining the biological mechanism of myopia, but also unifies at once why the treatments that ophthalmologists They have been applying it empirically for years. One of the examples is spending time outdoors, but not because it cures, but because the sunlight is so intense that it more than compensates for having a small pupil, keeping the ON pathway stimulated and slowing the progression of myopia. Another example is the use of atropine drops in children to stop myopia thanks to the dilation of the pupil so that more light enters the retina. The same goes for multifocal lenses that are used to reduce accommodation effort, since the pupil does not need to constrict as excessively. It is not definitive. As is almost always the case in science, this work does not demonstrate a direct coincidence yet, but rather offers us an incredibly solid and plausible physiological mechanism supported by very robust data on the behavior of our pupil and neural pathways. But there is still a way to go with new long-term studies to confirm the hypothesis 100%. While we wait for those results, the practical conclusion seems clearer than ever: the problem is not just the tablet or the book. The problem is doing it in the dark, so if you are going to strain your eyes up close, make sure you turn on a good lamp and, above all, don’t forget to go out into the sun. Images | Akshit Dhasmana In Xataka | Denialism has reached one of the last corners of science still free of it: seeing glasses

The EU is beginning to suspect manufacturers’ plants

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The Chinese automotive industry has set out to conquer Europe. He is doing it bringing your cars directly from the factories in China, partnering with European groups and also in the most optimal way for the market: opening factories in our territory. It is the optimal way to avoid tariff packagesyes, but there is a problem: there are companies assembling their cars with removable kits. And that is not liked in Europe. Recently, Stéphane Séjourné, Vice President of Prosperity and Industrial Strategy of the European Commission, commented to the Italian media La Stampa who are attentive to the situation of some Chinese manufacturers. The focus, in fact, is on those who have settled in Spain. “Currently, there are manufacturers in Europe who assemble chinese cars with Chinese components and Chinese personnel. It’s happening in Spain and Hungary, and it’s not right”. It’s not the first time he says it. A little over a year ago, tariffs on electric cars coming from China came into force. They don’t have to be Chinese (the Tesla Gigafactory in Shanghai are included in those tariffs, for example), but the Asian country has designed a way to assemble cars in foreign countries with a double objective. These “removable” kits They are parts of cars that are manufactured and assembled in China to later dismantle them when they see that everything works, send them in pieces to the destination country and, on the new floor, the workers assemble them again. It’s not like building a car, but like rebuilding a giant LEGO. Ebro is an example. Assembly plant or manufacturing plant? a few months ago we already have that this “void” was something that they already contemplated from Europe, but there was a second reason. In July, China’s Ministry of Commerce held a meeting with a dozen domestic manufacturers who were given a maxim: the secrets of the electric vehicle industry must be protected as much as possible. That means key vehicle systems would be made in China, where it’s easier to maintain control. Valdis Dombrovskis is the executive vice-president of the European Commission and has already expressed his doubts about the value that will be created in the European Union with this way of proceeding. “What part of know-how Will it be stored here? Is it a simple assembly plant or an automobile manufacturing plant? “There is a substantial difference,” he said. Returning to Séjourné, he assures that he does not believe that tariffs are the answer because “they destroy the value chain and create trade tensions.” He does not give an answer about what should be done, but comments that we Europeans “need to be less naive and put ourselves back to the standards of all the major economies in the world.” The Chery factory in Barcelona, ​​for example, is one of the Chinese factories that have operated in SKD, or Semi Knock Down, mode. As our colleagues point out Motorpassionfrom China the car is sent half disassembled, without elements such as the steering wheel or wheels, and then they are assembled again on European soil. The idea is that pass to the CKD or Completely Knock Down mode. This implies that They will arrive completely disassembled and will be assembled in Barcelona completely, including welding, painting and there will be an integration of local suppliers that will improve that value chain and create wealth in the surroundings of the factory. What they criticize from Europe is that the operators are, sometimes, workers who come directly from China. An example, also on Spanish soil, is the CATL gigafactory in Zaragoza. They will create batteries to supply the Stellantis plant in Figuerelas and it is expected to generate 3,000 direct jobs. But, when it came time to build the factory, There will be close to 2,000 workers from China those who do the work. One eye on removable kits, another on hybrids Because the objective of the European Union is for the brands that reach our territory to generate wealth in the countries in which they are established. There are relevant examples of this. SEAT gives direct work more than 15,000 people between the Martorell plants, but indirectly generates thousands of other jobs. Similar happens with Toyota in Valenciennes. In the French plant they employ about 4,000 people, but they generate thousands of indirect jobs in the surrounding area because logistics, auxiliary industry, local suppliers, etc. come into play. In fact, they point that Toyota in Europe directly and indirectly employs 94,000 people. But although Europe’s focus on protecting community interests is focused on the electric car, we have already said on occasion that hybrids and plug-ins are the real threats. In May 2025, Chinese brands reached 5.4% market share, with more than 60,000 cars sold compared to 3% in the previous period. In that same time, the European market only grew by 1.3%. These figures were achieved thanks, above all, to the hybrids that brands like MG or BYD have brought to our territory. And this success does not come from nowhere: Chinese hybrids offer a good price-power-design ratio, with attractive and very competitive prices against which European and Japanese manufacturers barely compete. The solution? Complex. Séjourné also commented that Europe is “the only continent that lacks strategic thinking in terms of industrial policy”, and the solution may be to apply something similar to what, precisely, China did in the past. When foreign brands wanted to establish themselves in the Asian giant, they had to partner with local companies so that there was a transmission of knowledge and wealth. And, perhaps, that is the way for foreign brands to establish themselves in Europe. In fact, this is exactly what Josep Maria Recasens, president of Renault Spain, is asking for, who has also stated that Europe “cannot allow them to make four plates with wheels.” Images | Ebro, BYD In Xataka | Chinese cars are “indistinguishable in quality” from European ones. We don’t say it, the industry itself says it

Three Chinese astronauts have delayed their return to Earth due to an impact on the ship. The suspect: space junk

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The crew of the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft, which was scheduled to land this Wednesday in Inner Mongolia, has been forced to postpone its return to Earth. The cause is not bad weather, as is usual in manned flights, but the most feared enemy of modern space exploration: a probable impact of space debris. Evaluating risks. China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) broke the news this morning: The return of the three astronauts aboard Shenzhou-20 has been delayed indefinitely following suspicions that the ship may have been hit by a small piece of space debris. The ship is still docked at the Chinese Tiangong space station, where the crew are safe. The crew and engineers on the ground are analyzing the impact on the ship to try to determine the extent of the damage and assess the risks of the return journey. The problem is reentry. Three people traveled to the Chinese space station in April aboard the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft: Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie. The problem is not his immediate survival, but the viability of his ship surviving the atmospheric re-entry maneuver after the impact. In low orbit, objects travel at hypersonic speeds of up to 28,000 km/h. At that speed, even a tiny fragment of metal or paint can release devastating kinetic energy, especially if it hits critical components like the ship’s heat shield or its parachutes. What do we know for now? The CMSA has not specified where it believes the impact occurred or what data alerted them to the event. Now, engineers on the ground and the crew in orbit will perform telemetry checks, check for possible leaks, and analyze the guidance and propulsion systems. They will most likely use the Tiangong station’s 10-meter robotic arm to conduct a detailed visual inspection of Shenzhou-20. If necessary, an extravehicular activity (EVA) or spacewalk is not ruled out to assess the damage closely. A problem that China was trying to avoid. The irony of this incident is that the Shenzhou-20 crew itself is fully aware of the danger. In fact, part of its six-month mission in orbit focused on mitigating this risk. Two of the astronauts six hours passed in September by installing additional protective shields against orbital fragments outside the Tiangong station. Although they reinforced the station, the impact seems to have occurred in the way that would bring them back. Image | CMSA In Xataka | Three large pieces of space debris reenter every day: “one day our luck will run out and they will fall on someone”

Colon cancers are increasing alarmingly among young people. We have a suspect: sedentary lifestyle

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colon cancer It is one of the tumors that has increased its incidence the most in young adults over the last few decades, a trend that is very worrying because has made science need to answer why. One of the most important points are the factors that are influencing more and more young people to begin to have tumors in their digestive system. A big problem. Colon cancer is undoubtedly one of the most aggressive diseases that we endure, and also really frequent among the population, with a really aggressive treatment with surgeries that can mean the removal of part of the colonbut also with a high mortality behind them. Its early diagnosis is so relevant that in Spain there are many autonomous communities that have screening programs either screening (although sometimes they fail like in Andalusia) to begin treatment in the case of positive cases, as soon as possible to increase their chances of survival. The problem is that this horrible disease is becoming increasingly prevalent, and science is seeing many factors that are important to take into account to try to reduce the chances of suffering from it. Quantified. This trend has been reflected in a published study in Annals of Internal Medicine which has detected that in many countries the number of cases among those under fifty years of age has grown up to four times faster than in older people. In the end, it is a phenomenon that has revived the debate about the causes and future strategies that must be taken in prevention and early detection. This is extremely important, since a timely diagnosis can mean a big difference in life expectancy who has a patient. The reasons. As stated in the Institute for Cancer Research, London After studying forty-two different countries, two main explanations have been identified. The first is the screening that is done among adults. Although it is very positive to do screening among the population for this disease, the reality is that there is an age limit from which these tests are carried out. This does not occur among the younger population who do not receive this type of screening tests on a regular basis, which may explain the accelerated growth in this group, since cancers are not diagnosed in the early stages. The second reason given is obesity. In this case It is considered a very important risk factor which drives the increased probability of suffering from colon cancer in young people and adults of all ages. Although it remains to be seen if there is an increase in its relationship with the younger population. Environmental factors. In addition to these two causes, the research led by the CNIO Digital Genomics Group in Spain provides new evidence about why this may occur. In his published study In Nature, the influence of the intestinal microbiota, particularly certain strains of E.coli intestinal, producers of the toxin colibactin. As we already sawthis can cause great genetic damage to colon cells that can accelerate tumor development. But other factors associated with the patients’ lifestyle are also being considered. In this case, the increase in type 2 diabetesespecially when there is a sedentary habit and unhealthy diets that seem to increase the risk of having this type of cancer. A Swedish study with a national cohort showed that people with diabetes reach an equivalent risk of colorectal cancer at younger ages than those who do not suffer from it, requiring prevention and monitoring before the standard screening age in the general population. But ultra-processed diets also come in here, excessive consumption of alcohol or even sugary drinkswhich can be an important risk factor. Prevention. Experts agree that there is no single and definitive cause, but rather a combination of genetic, biological, environmental and social factors. While research continues, it is proposed to implement comprehensive prevention policies that adapt to these realities. To do this, they aim to apply personalized screening that includes risk factors such as obesity, diabetes or family history. But we must also focus on research into how our microbiota can have an important implication in this. This forces us to have to take great care of what we eat and maintain adequate intestinal health. But the most relevant thing is to adapt the recommendations for starting screening for high-risk groups, such as young people who have diabetes or a family history so that they begin surveillance at age 40. Images | Ramon Inciarte Julia Koblitz In Xataka | Until now, different types of cancer required different types of treatment. A new vaccine wants to change that

The abuses have shot in the United States and the main suspect is also an old acquaintance in Europe: the SUV

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25 years ago, cars were more insecure. It is undoubted. Modern vehicles have been filled with radars, sensors and cameras that have turned our cars into authentic technological machines that squeak, stop and even dodge before an obstacle. But mortal abuses have shot in the United States. Every day we see less. And no, they are not your eyes. The study. It has been done by the Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)an independent association that studies road safety on US roads. According to their data, mortal abuses to pedestrians in the United States have shot 37%. And in 42% if we talk about cyclists abuse. It is not a matter of cars being more insecure. On the contrary. Cars are safer than ever. At least for those who travel inside. Because the problem is that every time we see less what we have in front of us. And that, according to the IIHS, explains why this increase. Giant cars. The United States has always been a country of huge cars. In 2021, We already explained in Xataka that some of the best -selling cars in the country could have six children sitting in front and would not see them. One behind the other. Uploaded aboard a Cadillac Escalade, a driver would see only the head (and partially) of the sixth child sitting in the row. Just take a look at the best -selling cars in the United States To verify to what extent their drivers prefer large cars. The best-selling vehicle is the Ford-F Series, a pick-up with a multitude of versions. The second The Silverado Chevrolet (another pick-up) and the third classified is the most “restrained” Toyota Rav4. Of course, they are far from the Dacia Sandero, Renault Clio and Volkswagen Golf that take the first three positions on the list of best selling in Europe. However, little by we continue to go down, among the 10 best -selling cars on our continent we find up to four SUVs. We see less and less. The IIHS has studied What visibility has a driver less than 10 meters around your vehicle and if it has improved or worsened in the last 25 years with the launch of the new generations. And there are bad news: among the three best -selling SUVs in the United States, visibility has worsened considerably. According to his calculations, the driver of a Honda CR-V saw 68% of everything around a 10 meter radius. In your latest generation, you can only observe 28% of what surrounds you. A Ford F-150 does not get much better data. In a quarter of a century it has only lost 7% visibility. The problem is that 25 years ago it was so bad that the driver has gone from seeing 43% to 36%. In Azul, the blind points of one of the cars analyzed Huge blind spots. The problem is that cars have become machines with huge blind spots. The higher the nose, less visibility in short distances. The bigger the car front pillar, the less visibility we have diagonally. And even the rearview is a problem when the size is triggered. This has been measured in the IIHS with 360º cameras located at different heights to represent all the carvings of the drivers. Then, a software performs an average and calculates how far the driver begins to see or how much space is outside his viewing angle. In the upper image, the blue zone is the space that is covered to the driver. In Europe we also know them. Yes, in Europe we also know these cars well. If we take a look at SUV sales 25 years ago we will realize that Just 5% of the market share It was occupied by this type of cars. In 2025 More than half of the cars sold can be put within this category. For a five years, the SUV is the car that sells the most. But, in addition, cars have grown a barbarity in this quarter of a century. There are SUV versions that would seem more than unlikely 25 years ago, such as Toyota Yaris Cross. And the height of the cars has not grown much but their frontal ones have been muscular and are now larger. A BMW X3 measured 4,565 meters in 2004. Today measures 4,755 meters. A danger. Those who suffer the most the consequences of this excessive growth are pedestrians and cyclists. As we said, cars are safer in case of accident. And have a technological arsenal to avoid them, such as the rear camera to which forces the European Union. But lifting the front has very serious consequences in case of accident. In case of shockit is more likely that the pedestrian dies in the accident or that he receives serious injuries such as hip breakage. Also head injuries (if they bounce against the car) are more serious. The studies say That every 10 centimeters that the hood rises, the possibilities of receiving serious injuries increase by 27%. Photo | IIHS In Xataka | At night all pedestrians are brown: the abuse prevention system fails when it is most needed

Physicists believed that the neglect was a useless particle. Now they suspect that it is the key to universal quantum computers

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Experts Quantum computing with those who have had the opportunity to speak, such as Spanish physicists Ignacio Cirac either Juan José García RipollThey argue that quantum computers will be able to make great contributions when they are capable of amend your own mistakes. The main problem they face in this area is noise, understood as the disturbances that can alter the internal state of the cubits and introduce calculation errors. The strategy for which many of the research groups that are involved in the development of quantum computers are opting for monitoring the operations carried out by the cubits to identify real -time errors and correct them. The problem is that from a practical point of view This strategy is very challenging. Logical cubits represent a way to overcome the difficulty involved in the use of hardware or physical cubits, which are extremely noise sensitive, and, therefore, prone to make mistakes. Each logical cubit is constructed abstractly on several physical or hardware cubits, so that a single logical cubit encodes a single cubit of quantum information, but with redundancy. It is precisely this redundancy that allows to detect and correct the errors that are present in the physical cubits. Anyway, the researchers will have one more tool to deal with the errors of quantum computers. It can even be the most powerful resource that they currently have at your fingertips: the Neglectón. Universal quantum computers are one step closer One of the most promising research fields in this area is topological quantum computing. Its purpose is to protect the delicate quantum information that the cubits work coding it in the geometric properties of exotic particles known as ISING anions. An important note before moving forward: in condensed physics an anion is not the same as in chemistry. In fact, Ising’s anions are quasiparticles that, in theory, arise in some two -dimensional materials. Its existence has not yet been demonstrated experimentally, so they are a theoretical result at the moment. It seems a complicated concept, and it is, but in this article we do not need to deepen much more. What we do need is that Ising’s anions They are presumably much more robustand, therefore, resistant to errors that traditional cubits. In practice this implies that moving some anions around others in a specific way should allow researchers to carry out logical operations with them. This is the reason why they are so attractive in quantum computing. And, in addition, they have another great advantage: this configuration is largely immune to external noise. Ising’s anions are quasiparticles that, in theory, arise in some two -dimensional materials Currently, Ising’s anions are thoroughly investigating in the condensed matter laboratories of the entire planet because they are one of the main candidates to participate in the construction of universal quantum computers, and, therefore, immune to errors. Aaron Lauda, ​​professor of mathematics, physics and astronomy at the University of Southern California (USA), Holds the following: “By themselves, Ising’s anions cannot perform all the necessary operations for a general purpose quantum computer. The calculations they support are based on the ‘braided’ (branding), And they require physically moving anions around each other To carry out quantum logic. For Ising’s anions, this braided only allows a limited set of operations known as Clifford doors, which fall short with respect to all the power required for universal quantum computing. “ Fortunately, the research team led by Lauda has found a way to transform ISING anions into universal structures that are capable of performing any quantum calculation through braided. Its solution for the moment is only theoretical, but its potential is enormous. The surprising thing is that what they propose is to resort to a new type of anion known as Neglectón that was initially discarded when it was “discovered” in the theoretical framework. In fact, Neglelectón has gone from being a mathematical waste to be the new hope of quantum computers. In theory when combining Ising’s anions and neglect, universal quantum computing will be possible through braided. According to Aaron Lauda Only one neglect is needed because it remains in the stationary or static state while the calculations are carried out by braiding Ising anions around them. It is a surprising conclusion. One last note to conclude: The neglect is not a fundamental particlesuch as the electron or the quark; It is a theoretical quasiparticle that arises from the collective behavior of many other particles in a two -dimensional system. Let us trust that it is consolidated as the definitive tool that will allow researchers to carry quantum computing from theory to practice in a robust and efficient way. Image | IBM More information | Science Daily In Xataka | Bitcoin encryption and other cryptocurrencies will fall. And those responsible will be quantum computers

The suspect of provoking a fire

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In Petín, a town in Valdeorras (Province of Ourense), on Monday chartered Two big buses so that their nearby 900 inhabitants They could go to the Courts of the region and defend one of their life of a lifetime. So far strange. The curious thing is what the neighbor in question was doing there, a 61 -year -old man wrapped in a yellow work monkey with ash spots. Days before the Civil Guard had arrested him for allegedly causing a fire. For the authorities he is suspected of contributing to The fire wave which is sweeping hectares and hectares of Galicia. For its neighbors, the same ones suffering from the flames, it is a hero who has saved several homes. An unexpected image. The Forest fire wave that has been shaking for almost two weeks Galicia has left many images. Flames. Brigadistas Ume. Trees devoured by fire, desperate neighbors and carbonized hectares. However, however shocking some of those prints, none is as shocking as the one that was lived Earl this week In the courts of A Pobra de Trives, Ourense, an area punished by fire. On Monday there were more 150 people to support one of their neighbors accused precisely to cause a fire. The people in the area support it to such an extent that that same morning they left Two buses From his hometown, Petín (half an hour on Trives road), full of locals determined to defend the detainee. Among them was even the mayor, Raquel Bautista. Click on the image to go to Tweet. What happened? To understand what all those neighbors gathered before the court, you have to go back a few days ago, to Saturdaywhen you flame them They harassed The neighboring municipality of O Bolo, which borders Petín. According to the neighbors, the detainee decided to lend a hand and went to the parish or Seixo to stop the progress of the flames. “In Petin we were somewhat calmer and warned that I was burning or seixing. That belongs to or bolus, but we had to help, just like they helped us,” He recounts The mayor. In O Seixo the situation was not easy. “The fire moved with an incredible speed, the head was runaway and our astonish Explain to the newspaper The region Gwendal Ordonez, neighbor of O Seixo. In those were when Petín’s volunteers arrived (including the detainee) and “got” in the fire. “With knowledge of cause”. The key to the case is what happened from that moment. The neighbor of Petín who has ended up detained considered that, given the circumstances, there was no better way to fight fire than with more fire and (According to the version of witnesses) tried to create a “firewall.” “He is a person who leads his life here and has faced fires, he probably knows better what to do people who have been four months,” assures A local before heraque that the detainee acted in good faith and “with knowledge of cause.” And where is the problem? That, however well -known, that new fire turned on without authority And a UME member surprised Petin’s neighbor in the middle of the work. Other people who tried to quell the flames, Jorge Sixto, He counted Monday a The region How he looked for a forest agent to ask permission to make the firewall, but it was impossible. “There was no danger,” he cries. Whether or not, the next day the Civil Guard stopped to the Petin volunteer for allegedly causing a forest fire in O Seixo. The man ended before the court of instance of A Pobra de Trives, the same place to which his neighbors went to defend him the next morning. Hero, reckless or incendiary? The million dollar question. For now, justice seems to be clear that it must open an investigation for an alleged crime of forest fire. The Prosecutor’s Office has even gone further and Consider that the fire turned on “as an act that goes against reasoning” and its author acted knowing that he was doing it could constitute a crime. For that reason he has requested a elusive provisional prison measure with a bond of 2,000 euros. For its neighbors the situation is very different. On Monday one of the slogans that was most chanted at the gates of the courts is that the detainee is “A hero”. “This man has been turning fires every day. What happened in O Seixo is that he made a counter to save four houses … And thanks to that we save them,” Sixto cries. The mayor insists in fact that since the fires began, “he was the first to put the case.” “At first we were very homeless. If it is not for people like this, none would have houses.” An uncertain future. For now, man has been able to return home. On Monday the TRIVES court decided Put it freely, although as investigated for allegedly provoking a fire and with the order to appear on days 1 and 15 of each month. “If you want a Turk’s head, looking elsewhere, let us work. If they do not help us, at least they let us work, that we are going to defend ours,” The mayor insists from Petín, that Underline that the fire was already declared when his neighbor decided to create a firewall. Images | Petin council and Ministry of Defense (X) In Xataka | The fires already devastate 344,000 hectares in Spain. This is seen from satellites and maps that you can consult yourself

The food industry is living its highest price drop since 2014. There is a clear suspect: white brands

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Manufacturers in the food sector are living an interesting phenomenon. They go up Industry prices in general, Upload the CPIgo up What they pay consumers in stores when they buy food and yet The rates That applies the food industry have been in free fall for almost a year. Moreover, the sector is facing its highest price decrease since early 2014. Behind that apparent nonsense there is a clear suspect: the effect of white brands and The fight that is getting rid of supermarkets. We explain ourselves. A percentage: 3.3%. Among the many indicators that periodically publishes the INE there is one that helps us better understand a key link of trade, which connects industry with the chain of distributors that take their merchandise to stores. The so -called Industrial Price Index (IPRI) records the oscillations in the right prices in That “first stage” of “internal market”, when the articles leave the factories and do not yet incorporate other added expenses, such as transport, marketing or VAT. Your approach is different from that of IPCwhich takes into account the prices paid by consumers. The INE calculates the IPRI for large sectors every month and sometimes the indicator leaves us some surprise, as happened in June, when it showed an annual fall of the 3.3% In the food industry. What does that mean? That month food manufacturers decided to reduce their rates. Why is it important? For what that percentage means. What reveals to us is a Price drop In the food industry, an adjustment of the rates with which the products leave the factory. The most curious thing is that this fall is not the dominant tonic in the industrial sector. On the contrary. Even beverage manufacturers saw in June how their industrial prices experienced A 2.7% rise. He IPRI General registered one 0.8% rise and if We go down to detail We observed that the indicator rose in most industrial branches. It only retreated in oil refinement, the chemical, metallurgical sector … and food. The annual IPC rate, which reflects the prices paid by consumers, also It was positive: In June it rose 2.2%. If we talk about the specific IPC of non -alcoholic foods and beverages of the purchase basket, it also grew 2.8%. It matters what … And imports when. If we look back, to the context, we observe two interesting data. The first is that the price index of the food industry has already a few months adjusting down. In June he scored a variation of -3.3%, but in May he had already done -2.7%and in April 2.2%. Actually the indicator has been going back. The second fact that we must take into account is that the food industry I had a decade without registering such a pronounced price drop. To find a major year -on -year drop, you have to go back to February 2014. What is the reason? The million dollar question. In a context of industrial inflationwith energy, a 3.5% And the increasing industrial prices, why do those in the food sector descend? In An article in which he delves into that phenomenon, Javier Romera, from The economisthe remembered yesterday that the reduction of the industry arrives in a context marked by a crucial factor: the rise of white brands and their growing competition In supermarkets. THE GREAT PULSE OF THE SECTOR. The industry price adjustment therefore coincides with a key moment for manufacturers, marked by the pulse with supermarket chains and The growing weight that white marks have (those of the distributor itself, such as Auchan, Hacondado or Seleqtia). All this also after years marked by a deep inflationary crisis that has made the big chains that manage supermarkets try to contain prices. The phenomenon is not new and Manuel Morales, manager of the IFA group, in An interview with The economist: “If they don’t react, brands are dead.” His notice, he remembered, comes in a context in which white brands have a greater weight in the linear of supermarkets. “Already almost 50% add up and will continue to grow because they have increased quality and differentiating prices is increasing,” Morales foreshadowed. With that backdrop, the food industry has begun to Cut your profitability. In the first quarter it stood at 6.81% after falling for the first time since 2022. Does the white mark grow so much? Yeah. Last year Promarca presented A report which shows that in just a five years, between 2018 and 2023, the presence of white -branded goods in supermarkets increased by 13%. The opposite path followed the articles sold with the brand of its manufacturer, which during that same period they retreated 23%. Promarca represents manufacturers and is therefore interested in, but their report provides a valuable track. Promarca estimates that in a five years they have disappeared from the super more than 3,600 Products marketed by manufacturers outside the distribution chains while theirs, those of the white brand, added 1,800 only in the feeding and hygiene sections. The calculation was made after analyzing six large chains. The Statista platform estimates that the market share of the white brands grew between 2005 and 2015, fell for a few years and would rebound again in 2019 until they were in 2024 in about 46%. Other studies consider that their mark on the linear of supermarkets is greater and already exceeds 50%. Images | Arno Senoner (UNSPLASH) and Alcampo In Xataka | The favorite ice cream in Spain are from Mercadona and have no “brand”. And there is a Valencian company making gold with them

Someone has made a ranking with the greatest fines in the history of Spain and an old suspect is in the lead: Ryanair

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The fine imposed by the Government of Spain to Ryanair is the highest in the history of our country. The more than 100 million euros of sanction exceed all the records we had until a few months ago. To get an idea, the highest fine until then was just over three million euros. These are the most large fines and the companies that have received them. The highest. Without any discussion and without competitors. Ryanair received a sanction of 107.78 million euros last November 2024 on the occasion of his hand luggage policy. The sanction did not arrive alone and also punished Vueling (almost 40 million euros) and Easyjet (almost 30 million euros) for the same issue. However, Ryanair’s traffic volume is so high That by punishing the same fact repeatedly, the economic amount for the company is very high. So much so that, as we see, the two companies that accompanied him in it were well below the punishment to the Irish airline. Unprecedented. The list with the 15 toughest fines imposed by Spanish entities to companies operating in our country has collected Facua. This classification shows how, before the sanction to the airlines, the toughest fine had been for Unicaja and had stayed at 3.17 million euros. At that time, the Junta de Andalucía punished Unicaja in a package that extended to other banks that had imposed land clauses to their customers in mortgages. Rapier It was considered abusivehe entailed a very small fine with Ryanair’s. Despite being the first until very recently, Ryanair’s fine is 3,400%. Who appears? In addition to the aforementioned airlines, Norweigan was also part of that package and slipped between the 10 largest sanctions in our country. In between, Movistar (receivable in the time of the calls), CaixaBank (soil clauses), Vodafone (seven fraud among which is the deceptive advertising) and Endesa (for applying illegal rates for the rental of their light counters). It should be noted that, in addition, Movistar is the company that repeats the most in the ranking, adding up to three fines, the aforementioned and two other sanctions worth 1.53 million euros. Vodafone also repeats with a second fine of 1.19 million euros. Volotea, the fifth and final sanctioned airline, also appears here with a fine of 1.4 million. Banco Mare Nostrum (BNM) and Caja Rural de Granada are two other financial entities that close the breakdown. Has there been any consequence? Yes, although Ryanair has camouflaged him In response to rates, supposedly abusivefrom Aena at airports. Its response has been the abandonment or partial exit of some regional airports. A change of strategy propitious to the company And that, in addition, it has served to press the government, aware of the importance of these spaces. While Ryanair has been winning passengers in Spain, now he faces new fines. Some of the routes survived by the commercial agreements that Ryanair maintained with municipalities and other entities for advertising that acted as Covering line of the line. That has caused the complaint of, among others, The Mayor’s Office. Who is right? It remains to be seen. At the moment, the sanction is imposed but in Spain justice has proved both to the government and the company Despite judging the same fact: the possibility or not of Ryanair to charge for hand luggage. Until now, aerial regulations force airlines to let a lump pass that allows the “essential” to transfer. That, according to the government, cannot enter the brief measures that The company applies. Ryanair alleges otherwise And emphasize that there is no paper that proves the minimum size that the backpack has to have. The latest changes. Everything indicates that Europe is going to put on the side of Ryanair. The institutions are advancing in a new regulation to fly in which you want to stipulate a minimum measure for cabin luggage. This is slightly higher than that forced by Ryanair and The company has already made the changes to adapt to the regulations. It remains to be seen, to leave that new regulation ahead, the company would end up claiming Spain the money of the large fine with which it has punished it. This listing list shown can completely change if your claims get ahead. Photo | Nejc Soklič AND FACUA DATA In Xataka | Ryanair’s new competition does not come from any European airline: it comes from India and has an ambitious plan

A French people have to deal with an surprising incidence of ALS. The main suspect is a fungus

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Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ELA (ALS in English) is a disease capable of wreaking havoc in our nervous system. Today It has no cure And what we know about its origin is quite limited. Throughout decades of study, we have been discovering risk factors related to the appearance of this disorder but perhaps the strangest was detected a few years ago in a town in the French Alps. The unique case of Montchavin. A few years ago, a group of researchers discovered that the French people of Montchavin, located near the Alpine border with Italy, has a high incidence of ELA. After investigating the case, the team pointed out as possible culprit To a very concrete element of local gastronomy, the fungus Gyromitra gigasa type of false colmenilla or false morilla. ELA. The Amyotrophic lateral sclerosisknown among other names as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a disease that affects neurons, both in our brain and spinal cord. It is a disease that is progressing until it ends the life of who suffers it. Today we do not know a cure, although there are treatments that relieve Some symptoms and increase the life expectancy of patients. The symptoms of this disease usually appear from the age of 50, although there are earlier cases, and They can start With problems walking, writing or speaking. The disease It generates the loss of muscle strength and coordination capacity, problems that extend to different muscle groups. Unknown cause. Today we have no accurate record of what mechanisms unleash this ailment, although we know Some risk factors correlated with their appearance. What we do know is that about 10% of cases are related to a genetic variant, and that the disease is more common among men than among women. Among the known risk factors are tobacco and exposure to certain environmental toxins. A higher prevalence has also been detected among people who did military service. The incidence of this disease It is between one and 2.6 annual cases per 100,000 inhabitants; with an approximate prevalence of about six cases per 100,000 per 100,000 people. An enigma in the French Alps. A few years ago, the cases of Montchavin unleashed the curiosity of the French neurologist Emmeline Lagrange. The health and its team accounted for 14 cases of ELA diagnosed between 1990 and 2018 linked to residents in this town, including migrants and people who had their second residence in Montchavin. Examining the case, the team did not find genetic factors that could justify the high incidence in the town. Although they found cases of smokers, they also ran into healthy habits in the group. Nor did they find clues of possible pollutants in land, air or water, or radon traces, a pollutant that could also be linked to this disease. From Pacific to France. As the journalist Terence Monmany narrates In an article For the medium Knowablethe team found a thread to throw on the remote island of Guam. On this island located in the archipelago of the Mariana Islands, in the Western Pacific, another team had detected a possible relationship between the consumption of potentially toxic seeds and the prevalence of neurological diseases (including ELA) among the natives. Although science is not settled in the causes of this epidemic, this hypothesis placed the consumption of food in the center of the debate. According to Detaine Monmanythe native chamorros treated these seeds with water to reduce their toxicity before their culinary preparation. This process would not be able to eliminate all toxins, giving rise to subsequent neurological damage. Gyromitra gigas. Something similar could be happening in Montchavin, not with seeds but with a mushroom. As the team observed, the cases could be drawn up to people linked to the collection and consumption of the fungus Gyromitra gigasa type of false morilla. It is a fungus in a toxic principle, but that, as in the case of Guam, can be treated to reduce its toxicity. In spite of this, the team maintains in its work that the incidence of the ELA in the town can be linked to its toxins and DNA lesions caused by these in the long term. The details of that study were published in 2021 In an article In the magazine Journal of the Neurological Sciences. A spurious relationship? In Xataka | I am a journalist, I have ela and I can’t move anything from my body except my eyes … So I write articles with my pupils Image | Henk Monster / Alexey Laa

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