Tag Archives: ground

Discover Sunscreens with Ground Wood That Achieve SPF 180+ Protection

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Natural Sunscreen

Exploring Innovative Natural Sunscreens

Amparo Garcia/Shutterstock

Recent research highlights that sunscreens enhanced with lignin, a natural polymer found in wood, can achieve an impressive sun protection factor (SPF) exceeding 180. This innovative ingredient also promises longer-lasting effects and lower skin penetration compared to conventional sunscreens, potentially offering a safer alternative.

While sunscreen is crucial for skin cancer prevention, there is growing concern about its safety. A recent survey revealed that 14% of young adults mistakenly believe daily sunscreen use poses more risks than direct sun exposure.

This confusion stems from findings by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which confirmed that some common sunscreen ingredients can enter the bloodstream. However, long-term studies have shown no significant health risks associated with regular sunscreen use, prompting the FDA to call for further investigation.

In response, researchers are actively seeking natural alternatives to traditional sunscreen chemicals that are not only safer for human health but also less harmful to coral reefs and marine ecosystems.

Among the most promising natural ingredients is lignin, known for reinforcing plant cell walls and shielding them from harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation.

One major challenge lies in extracting lignin from wood without altering its color. Conventional methods often use harsh chemicals, turning it from a light hue to dark brown, rendering it unsuitable for sunscreen applications.

Researchers from South China University of Science and Technology have successfully developed a milder extraction technique. Led by Jun Lee, the team extracted pale yellow lignin from poplar trees using crushing and sieving methods, followed by ultrasound treatment. Another group, led by Yong Qian, utilized a similar approach to harvest pale pink lignin from birch trees.

The extracted lignin was then transformed into nanoparticles and blended with standard white creams to formulate sunscreen products.

Tests indicated that the pale yellow lignin sunscreen achieved an SPF of 20, while the pale pink version reached an SPF of 19, providing moderate protection against harmful UV rays and blending seamlessly with various skin tones for a smooth application.

While these lignin-based sunscreens do not match the high protection levels of many commercial products (often SPF 50 or higher), the research team experimented by encapsulating popular sunscreen agents, avobenzone and octinoxate, within lignin nanoparticles. This innovative combination produced an astounding SPF of over 180. However, it’s essential to note that sunscreen labels cannot exceed SPF 50 due to regulatory guidelines.

Encapsulating these ingredients in lignin nanoparticles not only enhances their stability under sunlight but also minimizes skin penetration, thus potentially increasing safety.

Qian has reported that ongoing trials of one lignin-based sunscreen formulation indicate it is safe and effective, contributing to the search for healthier sunscreen options.

In addition to lignin, other naturally sourced ingredients like those derived from seaweed, ferns, squid, and even human hair are being investigated for sunscreen applications.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

The Global Battle Against Measles is Losing Ground

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A 7-year-old boy receiving the MMR vaccine in Texas amid a significant measles outbreak

Jan Sonnenmair/Getty Images

This month, a British child succumbed to measles, and in June, a Canadian infant lost their life to the same disease. Additionally, two American children have died from measles this year. This situation is tragic considering measles is preventable, yet we are witnessing a regression in public health behavior. If we do not take appropriate action, we may see a resurgence of other vaccine-preventable diseases.

The United States is currently grappling with its largest measles outbreak since the disease was declared eliminated in 2000, with 1300 confirmed cases, marking the highest incidence in 33 years. Europe is not exempt; in 2024, it reported its worst outbreak in over 25 years, more than doubling the cases from the previous year. Last year alone, the UK recorded nearly 3000 confirmed cases, the highest since 2012. Meanwhile, Canada saw a rise in measles cases, reporting over 3,800 cases this year, a total not seen in the past 26 years.

This unprecedented situation mirrors a time when many countries experienced major outbreaks in the 1980s and 90s, largely due to a single-dose vaccination policy for measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR). Implementing a two-dose program proved to be about 97% effective in preventing measles, leading to a significant decline in cases, and many nations had proclaimed the elimination of measles by the early 2000s.

This current crisis is astonishing. The resurgence of measles is not due to ignorance on how to prevent it but a lack of effort in vaccination campaigns. “We have never before seen measles spread this way, primarily driven by vaccine hesitancy,” says Tinatan from Northwestern University, Illinois. “This is particularly disheartening given the availability of a safe and effective vaccine.”

Herd immunity against measles occurs when over 95% of the population is vaccinated. This threshold was achieved in American kindergarteners with a two-dose regimen during the 2019-2020 school year, but by four years later, coverage dipped below 93%.

However, national averages can obscure the reality on the ground. Vaccination rates began to decline in many US counties prior to 2019. In fact, Peter Hotez from Baylor College of Medicine raised concerns about the declining vaccination rates in Gaines County, Texas—epicenter of the current outbreak—as early as 2016. Since then, coverage has deteriorated dramatically, from around 95% to under 77%. “We’ve been anticipating this situation for at least a decade,” Hotez states. “To understand the crisis, one must look at local vaccination rates, revealing pockets with alarmingly low coverage.”

Similar trends are evident globally. In Canada, vaccination rates for children aged two holding at least one MMR dose plummeted from nearly 90% in 2019 to below 83% in 2023. Alberta, a hotspot in the current outbreak, reported percentages dropping from over 83% in 2019 to approximately 80% in 2024, with some communities as low as 32%.

Meanwhile, the UK has seen less than 85% of five-year-old children receive both MMR doses between 2023 and 2024. Out of the 48 OECD member countries, the UK ranks 30th in measles vaccination rates with Canada at 39th, New Zealand at 32nd, and the US at 4th. Hungary leads with close to 100% coverage, while Romania lags behind at around 20%.

The rise in vaccine hesitancy significantly contributes to this decline, with prominent figures like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. leading the charge against vaccination, making unfounded claims that equate the risks of the MMR vaccine with measles, which can include encephalitis and blindness. The risks tied to measles infections remain significant—about 1 in 1000 individuals contracting measles develops encephalitis, compared to 1 in 1 million vaccinated children.

Despite his stance, Kennedy encourages vaccinations. During a Fox News interview in March, he mentioned that the US government is committed to ensuring vaccines are accessible.

However, this may be too little, too late. While measles incidents seem to be decreasing in the US, Hotez warns of a potential spike in cases when children return to school. The ongoing outbreak, now in its seventh month, risks jeopardizing the US’s measles elimination status. The UK has already faced similar challenges, losing its status two years after eradicating measles in 2016, before finally regaining it in 2023.

Hotez expresses concern that the current measles outbreak may be just the beginning and that increasing vaccine refusals could hinder progress against other preventable diseases, such as polio and pertussis. “I fear this won’t stop with measles,” he warns.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Koalus Only Spends 1% of Its Life on the Ground, New Research Shows

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Koalas (phascolarctos cinereus) A recent study by scientists from the University of Queensland and Sunshine Coast found that while koalas spend about 10 minutes a day on the ground, this behavior is linked to two-thirds of the koala fatalities recorded.

The wild koala features a custom-built collar that includes a GPS logger and an accelerometer. Image credit: Ami Fadhillah Amir Abdul Nasir.

The koala population in Australia has diminished by 54% over the past three decades.

Annually, millions of dollars are invested in initiatives aimed at safeguarding koalas, preserving their habitats, and treating various diseases.

Tragically, two-thirds of koala deaths occur on the ground due to vehicle accidents or attacks by dogs.

Despite extensive research, the specifics of how koalas interact with the ground remain largely unknown.

Conventional GPS tracking methods offer limited insight, as they typically document locations only once or twice a day.

“Koalas primarily reside in trees, but increasing land development forces them to descend, significantly raising their risk of injury and death,” stated a student from the University of Queensland.

“Our goal was to gain a deeper understanding of their behaviors during ground movements.”

“Key questions remain regarding how frequently koalas climb down from their trees, the distance they cover, whether they remain on the ground, and what factors influence these choices.”

“Identifying high-risk areas and times, and developing mitigation strategies during these vulnerable moments, is critical to our understanding.”

To fill these knowledge gaps, researchers employed a biologger that captures three-dimensional movements at several hundred points, mapping the koala’s directional movements during specific actions.

They tracked 10 wild koalas using an accelerometer and high-resolution GPS device for an average duration of eight days.

The researchers found that the koalas descended to the ground around three times a day, totaling just 45 minutes.

During these visits, the koalas covered an average distance of 260 meters at a typical walking speed of 1.7 km/h, with occasional bursts of up to 10.4 km/h.

By integrating accelerometer and GPS data, researchers were able to pinpoint specific trees that the koalas traversed between.

“Combining GPS tracks with movement data provides us with an in-depth perspective on how koalas navigate their habitats,” Sparks explained.

“The study confirmed that koalas predominantly stay in trees for sleeping and feeding, yet the extent to which they engage with the ground was startling.”

“We were surprised at the frequency and brevity of their ground activities; they descended only 2-3 times nightly, averaging 10 minutes in total, which is less than 1% of their day.”

“The time they spent sitting and pausing on the ground was nearly equal to the time spent walking, with only about 7% of their ground time dedicated to movement.”

“This suggests that koalas carefully assess their environment while on the ground, possibly weighing the energetic costs of remaining on the ground before deciding to climb a tree.”

This study marks the first detailed documentation of ground movements in wild koalas, raising new inquiries about their navigation in increasingly fragmented habitats.

“Currently, we’re investigating how environmental characteristics influence the time koalas spend in trees,” Sparks noted.

“If we can identify the tree and habitat features that encourage extended periods in the trees, we may be able to manage landscapes in ways that minimize the need for ground travel.”

These findings aim to steer koala conservation efforts, prioritizing specific plant types, enhancing canopy connectivity, and minimizing gaps between safe trees.

This research sheds light on koala behavior and is essential for more effective habitat management, ultimately aiming to lower mortality risks in critical zones.

“This research is just one piece of a larger puzzle, but it significantly enhances our understanding of how koalas interact with an increasingly urbanized environment,” Sparkes added.

The scientists presented their findings on July 1, 2025, at the Society for Experimental Biology Annual Conference in Antwerp, Belgium.

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Gabriella R. Spark et al. “Ordinary” Watch: What do koalas do when they’re not sleeping? SEB 2025 Summary #A16.1

Source: www.sci.news

The Giant Ground Sloth Developed Three Distinct Rotations for a Common Purpose

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The ancient sloths exhibited a variety of sizes

Diego Barletta

The cool and arid climate has shaped sloths into giants—before humans potentially drove these large animals to extinction.

Today’s sloths are small, well-known herbivores that navigate through the lush canopy of tropical rainforests. However, for tens of millions of years, South America was home to an astonishing variety of sloths, many of which were massive ground dwellers, with some giants weighing close to five tonnes.

This remarkable range of sizes is of particular interest to Alberto Boscani from the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and his colleagues.

“Body size is correlated with all biological characteristics of an animal,” states Boscaini. “This provides a promising avenue for studying sloth evolution.”

Boscaini and his team have synthesized data on physical attributes, DNA, and proteins from 67 extinct and extant sloth genera (groups of closely related species) to construct a family tree that illustrates their evolutionary relationships.

They then analyzed this evolutionary timeline, spanning 35 million years, incorporating insights on habitat, diet, and lifestyle for each sloth. They also examined evolutionary patterns in body size and made weight estimates for 49 ancient and modern sloth groups.

The findings indicate that the evolution of sloth body sizes was significantly influenced by climate change and shifts in habitat. For instance, certain sloth genera began adapting to arboreal living, much like today’s sloths, resulting in a reduction in body size.

Simultaneously, three separate lineages of sloths evolved the proportion of elephant-like features independently. This adaptation appears to have occurred in the last few million years as global cooling and the uplift of the Andes transformed South America into a drier environment.

“The giants are more closely associated with colder and drier climates,” remarks team member Daniel Casari from the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil.

A significant number of these various sloths went extinct in two catastrophic phases: one around 12,000 years ago and another approximately 6,000 years ago, according to Boscaini.

“This aligns with the expansion of Homo sapiens across the American Supercontinent and subsequently into the Caribbean,” he explains, noting that many giant sloths lived in these regions. The surviving sloth species primarily inhabit trees, making them less accessible to humans compared to larger sloths.

The hypothesis that humans played a significant role in the extinction of ancient megafauna is strongly supported, states Thaís Rabito Pansani from the University of New Mexico, who was not part of the research.

“However, solid evidence is necessary to substantiate this theory, especially concerning unresolved and highly debatable issues such as megafauna extinction,” she emphasizes. Recent evidence adds context to this narrative.

“Sloths flourished for much of their history,” says Casari. “[The findings] indicate how a once-successful group can quickly become vulnerable.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com