Dust from the African desert, previously an unnoticed atmospheric pollutant, is now recognized as a serious threat to air quality in Europe. Countries in the southern part of the continent are most susceptible to its impact, including Portugal.
The conclusions are based on a study published in the journal Nature on Wednesday. The analysis covered data from over 100 air quality monitoring stations across Europe over the last ten years.
According to this analysis, the average concentration of desert dust in Southern Europe is 5.3 micrograms per cubic meter of air (µg/m³), which is more than double the average figure in the center and north of the continent, where it was 2.1 µg/m³. Overall, over the last decade, the amount of African dust in the continent has increased by approximately 0.5 µg/m³.
Countries most affected by this problem include Portugal, Spain, Italy, as well as western France and Greece. Researchers concluded that the increase in desert dust contributes to human greenhouse gas emissions and global warming.
Kaspar Dällenbach, a researcher from the Paul Scherrer Institute in Switzerland, emphasized that this leads to drier conditions in certain regions and the expansion of deserts.
Researchers remind us that the long-term effects of exposure to desert dust can cause pneumoconiosis, asthma, or chronic bronchitis, among others. Furthermore, they note a confirmed increase in mortality on days when high levels of desert dust are recorded in the air. On such days, there are more deaths from heart attacks and respiratory problems compared to days without dust.
The Brazilian video game scene has been gaining increasing recognition in recent years, aided by major events such as gamescom latam. This rise in visibility is due to the high quality of the presented games, which is also reflected in the mobile segment. In this regard, a selection of seven Brazilian mobile games worth checking out has been compiled.
PKXD is an open-world mobile game with social interaction elements, developed by the studio Afterverse. It is primarily aimed at a child audience, hence its bright and simple design. The main focus is on character customization and house building, achieved using virtual coins. These funds can be obtained either by completing mini-games or by purchasing them with real money.
The game offers numerous different mini-games, as well as special events hosted by both the game itself and the community. Players can freely explore the entire game world, receiving constantly updated content. It is an attractive option for parents, although the presence of microtransactions should be noted.
Super Mombo Quest is a metroidvania genre game available not only on mobile devices but also on PC and consoles. It was developed by the national studio Orube Game Studio. The company presented a game that combines genre exploration with arcade platforming elements, offering fast and challenging gameplay. The player gains access to new areas for exploration by mastering special skills.
The combat mechanic is simple and focuses on jumping on enemies. However, consistently defeating opponents allows for combo creation, which yields coins necessary for progression or allows the player to restore health if they are fast enough. This makes the game engaging, especially for fans of dynamic platformers with a certain level of difficulty.
Although Looney Tunes: World of Mayhem is an international license, it was developed by AQUIRIS in collaboration with Warner Bros. In this game, characters from the famous brand participate in a turn-based mobile RPG, taking on traditional genre roles (Tank, Healer, and DPS), while maintaining the comedy and exaggeration of the cartoons. The game includes a campaign where Martian Marvin captured the other characters and created clones of them (which serves as a logical justification for the unlocking system through collecting 'details' and character variations). Furthermore, there is a PvP mode with the ability to create standard mobile 'guilds'. Overall, it is a fun and chaotic game with a huge amount of content to achieve goals, which becomes even more interesting when played together with friends.
STOP 2, created by Fanatee, brings the classic game STOP to mobile phones. However, it introduces dynamism and novelty, moving away from standard questions such as 'My dragon is...' or 'Round things', 'Words with 4 letters'. The questions also change in every round, making the gameplay unique in each session. The game can be played in story mode against artificial intelligence or online against other players. There are also events, including a quiz mode with a general ranking among participants. This is an interesting choice for those who enjoy playing in real life or are looking for something unusual.
My Boo is a mobile game from Tapps Games, similar to the old Pou, but with a significantly improved interface. It is a virtual mascot (Tamagotchi-like) game that offers many customization options and mini-games to help level up and obtain new outfits and accessories for your Boo and for 'your home'. The game is more geared towards a child audience because progress and earning coins are very simple. Nevertheless, it will suit those who prefer completely relaxing games or simply want to spend time with something cute.
CodyCross: Palavras Cruzadas is a game true to its name. This Brazilian development by Fanatee offers a wide range of levels, thematically divided into various topics: seasons, modes of transport, and the seabed, all set as if an alien is exploring planet Earth. The game has hundreds of levels where you must answer all the clues to reveal a secret vertical word. Updates are released periodically. This is a game for lovers of casual or classic analog puzzles.
Tennis Clash, as the name suggests, is a tennis game from Wildlife Studios. The gameplay is simplified to a version of the sport, where screen movement is used to control the character and serves, allowing for both short and long shots. The controls are simple and adapted for vertical format, which is convenient for one-handed play on a mobile phone. Unfortunately, the game has some drawbacks: sometimes certain shots cannot be returned, and the multiplayer mode can suffer from connection instability. Nevertheless, these disadvantages rarely affect more casual players. It is an interesting option for those looking for a way to pass the time occasionally.
All listed games are available for Android and iPhone devices, and most are free to download. Amazon Prime is also mentioned as a resource for gamers, offering monthly exclusive items, free games, and Twitch.tv subscription.
