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    Pick up the pace! Slow Walkers Four Times more likely to Die from COVID-19, study finds

    March 18, 2021, Categories  Health/Medical, Biology/Biotechnology

    Slow walkers are almost four times more likely to die from COVID-19, and have over twice the risk of contracting a severe version of the virus, according to a team of researchers from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Leicester Biomedical Research Centre led by Professor Tom Yates at the University of Leicester.

    The study of 412,596 middle-aged UK Biobank participants examined the relative association of body mass index (BMI) and self-reported walking pace with the risk of contracting severe COVID-19 and COVID-19 mortality.

    The analysis found slow walkers of a normal weight to be almost 2.5 times more likely to develop severe COVID-19 and 3.75 times more likely to die from the virus than normal weight fast walkers.

    Professor Yates, Lead Researcher for the stud...

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    Could we Recycle Plastic Bags into Fabrics of the future?

    March 17, 2021, Categories  Physics, Chemistry/Nanotechnology

    Engineers have developed self-cooling fabrics from polyethylene, a material commonly used in plastic bags. They estimate that the new fabric may be more sustainable than cotton and other common textiles....Read More

    There might be many Planets with Water-Rich Atmospheres

    March 17, 2021, Categories  Astronomy/Space

    Artist illustration of the exoplanet WASP-121b
    A study suggests that exoplanets close to their stars may actually retain a thick atmosphere full of water. Above, an artist’s illustration of the exoplanet WASP-121b, which appears to have water in its atmosphere.
    Image courtesy of Engine House VFX, At-Bristol Science Centre, University of Exeter

    A new study suggests that hot, rocky exoplanets could not only develop atmospheres full of water vapor, but keep them for long stretches. An atmosphere is what makes life on Earth’s surface possible, regulating our climate and sheltering us from damaging cosmic rays. But although telescopes have counted a growing number of rocky planets, scientists had thought most of their atmospheres long lost.

    However, a new study by University of Chicago and Stanford University researchers expands our p...

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    How the Brain learns from Subconscious Stimuli

    March 16, 2021, Categories  Health/Medical, Biology/Biotechnology

    The ventral tegmental area contains, among others, cells that produce dopamine.

    Researchers uncovered for the first time what happens in animals’ brains when they learn from subconscious, visual stimuli. In time, this knowledge can lead to new treatments for a number of conditions. The study, a collaboration between KU Leuven, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Harvard was published in Neuron.

    An experienced birdwatcher recognises many more details in a bird’s plumage than the ordinary person. Thanks to extensive training, he or she can identify specific features in the plumage. This learning process is not only dependent on conscious processes...

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