Science

Researchers at Cornell University have developed a new kind of antibacterial bandage that doesn’t use antibiotics. There’s also no drug in there – the germs are destroyed by the bandage material itself. This is Lawson or henotanninic acid, which is derived from henna leaves and is prized for its anti-inflammatory properties. It also has antioxidant properties.

It is not easy to work with this substance, as due to its strong hydrophobic properties it cannot be mixed with water and get a convenient solution for wound treatment. Therefore, the scientists used carbohydrates cyclodextrins, “hiding” looson inside their hollow structure. The outer surface of cyclodextrins is well wetted with water, so a kind of solution was obtained.

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Scientists at Monash University have identified the music best suited to first aid for heart attacks. As it turned out, the songs of Taylor Swift are optimally suited for this purpose. The fact is that the singer found almost 50 tracks in which the rhythm is 120 beats per minute. The researchers hope that the younger generation will learn to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to these songs.
For the manipulation to be successful, it is necessary to keep the number of chest compressions in the range of 100-120 times per minute. Swift’s work includes many songs that fall into it – these findings were presented at the Swiftposium 2024 scientific conference. Taylor’s songs, being iconic for the younger generation, are best suited for teaching resuscitation skills and can replace their counterparts that have begun to lose relevance.

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Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences have proven that the use of the traditional practice of “tai chi” contributes to the prevention of cardiovascular diseases better than classical aerobic exercise. Numerical indicators do not matter, because the assessment of patients’ condition is largely subjective. The main thing is the impact of the technique on people’s quality of life and the possibility of its scalability, which is highly relevant to the Chinese population.

The main idea is to replace the dynamics of aerobic exercise with the relaxed execution of tai chi moves. Doctors have long understood that physical activity is necessary to prevent heart disease, but without excessive physical exertion – especially for the elderly. To solve this controversial problem is impossible in principle, but there are various private methods of realising the required conditions. And tai-chi is one of them.

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Researchers at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology have discovered that clownfish have counting skills. They are able to accurately determine the number and size of white stripes on each other’s bodies – but use this skill only to defend territory. Woe to the individual whose stripes coincide with those of the “owner” of a particular house-actinia – it will be mercilessly expelled.

The formation of white stripes in clownfish is considered one of the main signs of maturation. Three wide and brightly coloured stripes on the body is a sign of an adult. As a rule, by this time it has its own home in the form of a separate actinia (coral polyp). This is a successful, but fragile symbiosis, so the fish is not going to allow anyone to go there – especially its closest relatives.

In the course of research, scientists have found that the older the individual, the more ruthless she is to all other clownfish. The alpha female always drives out all the newcomers, but even if we are talking about a colony of young fish, there too the largest female takes on the function of “guard”. To avoid confusion, clownfish recognise each other’s age and status by the type and number of white stripes on their bodies.

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Light Bio has announced the start of taking pre-orders for the biosynthetic plant “Firefly Petunia”. It is a genetically modified organism that differs from a regular petunia in that it glows in the dark on its own. What was previously the subject of experimentation is now available to everyone and for only $29.
The first artificial glowing plants were created back in the 80s of the last century. Then scientists introduced genes of fireflies into them. Modern technology has gone a step further and allows not just moving genes, but also pre-editing them to achieve the best effects. The Light Bio team is made up of experts in this field who have decided to monetise their developments.

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