An unexpectedly high number of young stars has been identified in the direct vicinity of a supermassive black hole and water ice has been detected at the center of our galaxy.

An international team led by Dr Florian Peißker at the University of Cologne’s Institute of Astrophysics has analysed in detail a young star cluster in the immediate vicinity of the super massive black hole Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*) in the centre of our galaxy and showed that it is significantly younger than expected...

People looking to reduce their cholesterol and trim fat from around their waist could try swapping meat for Quorn protein, according to the findings from a new study by Northumbria University, Newcastle, published in the European Journal of Nutrition, which saw positive effects in both areas in just two weeks.

Researchers from the University found that participants who ate Quorn products — the popular mycoprotein-based meat substitute — over just a two-week period, saw a significant 12% drop in ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol and a 7% fall in total cholesterol, compared to those who ate similar products made from red and processed meat. In addition, they also reduced their waist circumference by close to 1cm (0.95cm) on average over the 14 days.

Such a drop in total cholesterol levels cou...

A research team co-led by scholars from City University of Hong Kong (CityU) has successfully morphed all-inorganic perovskites at room temperature without compromising their functional properties. Their findings demonstrate the potential of this class of semiconductors for manufacturing next-generation deformable electronics and energy systems in the future.

All-inorganic lead halide perovskites are becoming increasingly important semiconducting materials in energy conversion and optoelectronics because of their outstanding performance and enhanced environmental stability.

“However, unlike metal materials or polymers, inorganic semiconductors ar...