His first task: create an extremely viscous sol-gel glass.

FORBES: The Science of Small

Study after study shows marked reductions in transmission in public spaces when hand hygiene is practiced, and a recent study found nearly undetectable influenza particle levels after hands contaminated with influenza were washed with either soap and water or an over-the-counter gel containing at least 50 percent alcohol.

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There has also been a report that using an over-the-counter 4% lidocaine gel product on the skin may be more effective than oral pain relievers.

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That story drew an influx of European reporters, one armed with a pharmaceutical index to identify the knock-out gel.

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No increased risk of cancer has been found compared to other implants but he pointed to the "well-known risk of rupture" and the irritative power of the gel filler which could lead to an inflammatory reaction.

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Toshiyuki Nakagaki of the Bio-Mimetic Control Research Centre, Nagoya, Japan, placed pieces of the slime mould Physarum polycephalum in an agar gel maze comprising four possible routes.

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