In the paper published on Science of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the authors outline the bacteriostatic activity and mechanism of minerals containing rubidium (MCR). According to the findings, MCR inhibited Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, and Escherichia coli with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 11.95, 2.60, and 2.60 mg/mL, respectively. The inhibitory activity of MCR was insignificant against Bacillus subtilis, Salmonella typhimurium, and Helicobacter pylori at 3.25 mg/mL. Mechanistic assessments showed that MCR affected bacterial conductivity, protein and nucleic acid levels, reducing sugar content, respiratory chain dehydrogenase activity, bacterial lipid peroxidation, intracellular adenosine triphosphate, and extracellular alkaline phosphatase.

Analysis of data from the Family Financial Survey, included in the Spanish Statistical Plan, shows that parents aged 50-75 living together with children over 30 in the family home has an adverse effect on the well-being of mothers, especially if they are adult male sons.

In Southern European countries, more than 40% of adults aged 25-34 live at home with their parents and the average age of leaving the family home is 29.8 years. Apart from economic aspects, the cultural contexts of Mediterranean countries seem to explain these results, as they are traditionally characterised by stronger family ties and a less equal division of household labour.

Researchers at the University of Oxford and Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have uncovered the mechanism by which cells identify and repair a highly toxic form of DNA damage that causes cancer, neurodegeneration, and premature ageing. The findings, published in Nucleic Acids Research, reveal how DNA-protein crosslinks (DPCs) – harmful DNA lesions induced by chemotherapy, formaldehyde, and UV exposure – are recognised and broken down by SPRTN, a key repair enzyme. The research team discovered a new region within SPRTN that enables it to selectively target DPC lesions, increasing its repair activity 67-fold while leaving surrounding structures unharmed.