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31/10/2022 ---- 09/11/2022

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09.11.2022
THEME: POLITICS

2022 US midterms: control of House of Representatives and Senate hangs in balance

The US midterm elections of 2022 are arguably the most discussed and awaited. They come at a historical time for America and the world. The US economy is indeed facing high inflation, while tensions are high with Russia over the Ukraine crisis and China over Taiwan. Furthermore, internal politics is in turmoil due to a succession of facts involving former president Donald Trump. On January 6, 2021, following then–U.S. President Donald Trump's defeat in the 2020 presidential election, a mob of his supporters attacked the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. They sought to keep Trump in power by preventing a joint session of Congress from counting the electoral college votes to formalize the victory of President-elect Joe Biden. An ongoing investigation is now assessing the possibility that this was premeditated by Trump with the intent to overturn the election results. After Biden is elected president, however, other events occurred that put Trump under scrutiny. After a long procedure involving the National Archives and the FBI, on August 8 2022 the FBI executed a search warrant at Trump's Florida property, uncovering 13 boxes or containers with documents marked classified. Trump, in a post online, says the records were "all declassified" and placed in "secure storage." A day later, Trump, who continues to hint at a possible 2024 run for the presidency, cites the FBI search in a campaign fundraising appeal. A legal process is now ongoing to assess the penal responsibilities of ex-president Trump, who has been pushing the electoral campaigns for the Republicans. After the vote on November 8 Republicans are favored to win the House of Representatives, but the fight for the Senate is on a knife edge. Although President Joe Biden is not on the ballot, the midterms will shape the fate of his agenda. If Democrats lose control of either the House or the Senate their decisional power will be more limited than in the last two years. Until now, president Joe Biden could count on a strong majority in the House while the Senate, in parity, was to be considered a majority since Vice President Kamala Harris holds the casting vote power. Despite the results having been beyond the expectations of the Democrats, which feared a “red wave” in favor of the Republicans, it remains true that they will not have a strong majority in either of the two chambers, therefore ensuring hardships ahead for current president Joe Biden.

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04.11.2022
THEME: HEALTH

Dietary fibers influence the efficacy of the immune system

“We are what we eat,” said the German philosopher Ludwig Feuerbach during the turmoil of the German revolution in 1848. This aphorism is still valid in light of the latest and most advanced research on the impact of diet on the body and health. A preclinical study, published in Nature on November 2, focused on the dietary component inulin - a common fiber present in a wide variety of fruit and vegetables such as bananas, asparagus, garlic, onions, chicory roots, leeks, and wheat. Scientists have found that inulin, besides its beneficial effect on the functionality of the gastrointestinal tract, also influences the functioning and efficacy of the immune system. It was shown that this dietary fiber alters the metabolism of certain beneficial bacteria inhabiting our gut (known as Bacteroidetes) which in turn triggers an immune response called “type 2 inflammation”. This type 2 immune response defends the body against parasitic worms (Helminths) infections, and it is also important for wound healing. More studies are now needed to understand the relevance of these findings for the human model. Indeed, in the human body, there is a large number of bacteria amounting to an average of 2 kg mass per individual. Part of these bacteria is known to contribute to many mechanisms, which include immune system functionality and its efficacy against many threats.

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02.11.2022
THEME: ENVIRONMENT

A study estimates that blue whales ingest an alarming amount of microplastic particles

The presence of plastic in the oceans is a grave problem for our planet and its marine ecosystem. We already know that many marine animals inadvertently ingest plastics as they move through the waters, which poses significant consequences for their health. Biologists and ocean scientists at Stanford and California State University have analyzed the diet habits of the largest marine animals, the whales, and published their study on Nature Communication. The study involves drone observations, non-invasive tags, small research vessels, and sound waves to map dense gatherings of fish and krill in the whales’ feeding areas off the coast of California. The analysis showed that whales feed 50 to 250 meters below the surface. Incidentally, the highest concentration of microplastics is found at this same depth. The whales, rather than slurping up the microplastic with the seawater as they open their mouths, are ingesting microplastics as they eat their prey, particularly krill. It is estimated that a single whale can eat up to 10 million tiny pieces of plastic per day. More research is now needed to clarify the repercussions for the animal’s nutrition and health. It is important to note that the plastic in the oceans also impacts human nutrition and health. The implications of microplastic in our oceans are still not yet understood. It is a growing phenomenon with unpredictable effects on marine life, with vast implications for sustainability and conservation challenges.

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31.10.2022
THEME: TECHNOLOGY

China space station is close to completion as the Mengtian laboratory module has been successfully launched

Today the last of the three modules - Mengtian - of the Chinese space station Tiangong (translated as “Celestial Palace”) has successfully left the Earth and reached its orbit, now waiting for the final docking to the other modules. Tiangong will soon be the second permanently inhabited outpost in low-earth orbit after the NASA-led International Space Station. The uncrewed Mengtian - or "Dreaming of the Heavens" - module was launched atop China's most powerful rocket, the Long March 5B, at 3:37 PM from the Wenchang Space Launch Centre in the southern island province of Hainan. The completion of the Chinese space station, designed for a lifespan of at least ten years, will be a milestone in China's ambitions in space exploration. During this time, China has planned more than 1,000 scientific experiments - from studying how plants adapt in space to how fluids behave in microgravity. China has approved at least nine proposals from scientists in countries ranging from Switzerland to India in the first batch of experiments in cooperation with the United Nations space office. Mengtian is a crucial part of the space station as it is the most advanced laboratory module, carrying many advanced instruments. The 17.88-meter-long, 4.2-meter-diameter mega space lab weighs around 23.3 tons by launch - the heaviest payload China has ever launched. Mengtian does not have life support systems like the other two modules Tianhe and Wentian, nor dormitory and restrooms. It is designed as a working zone with 13 cabinets designed to host various experiments mainly in the fields of microgravity, fluid physics, combustion, materials, and space technologies. The Mengtian will also carry the world's first space-based set of cold atomic clocks - a hydrogen clock, a rubidium clock, and an optical clock. If successful, these atomic clocks will form the most precise time and frequency system in space, which should not lose one second in hundreds of millions of years. Scientists explained that the space cold atomic clock technology will contribute to higher-precision satellite positioning, and navigation systems, as well as support fundamental physics research such as dark matter probes and gravitational wave detection. The Tiangong space station will also become a new platform for China to explore and push forward cooperation with other nations.

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