Monday, April 05, 2021
Checkout Newswise top 3 research articles for this week
Today I would like to provoke your curiosity with this week’s top articles about the AstraZeneca vaccine suspension, whether a hot tub soak is an alternative to exercise, and wood floors that generate energy.
First, today the European Union has reinstated the AstraZeneca vaccine after suspending it on Monday. Luis Schang, a molecular virologist at Cornell University says that suspension of the vaccine may have led to more blood clots, which are a common side effect of severe COVID-19. As of March 8th, there have been 37 total cases of blood clots reported after administering 17 million vaccines in Europe. The incidence rate is well below the normal incidence for blood clots among vaccinated populations. Schang says,
“The fact that this low frequency of a rare event was detected and reported and is being so thoroughly followed up constitutes an even further re-assurance that the SARS CoV-2/COVID-19 vaccination campaigns are proceeding with extreme caution and attention to even the most remote possibility of negative side effects. This may well be the most careful worldwide vaccination campaign ever performed.”
The researchers found that both activities had similar benefits! They found that both had an increased heart rate, dilation of the arteries, and lower blood pressure during both the cycling exercise and heat conditions. Christopher Minson the corresponding author of the study says,
“We know that the post-exercise period is an important time frame that links exercise with long-term cardiovascular benefits. That similar post-stress cardiovascular responses were observed following exercise as following hot water immersion is compelling.”
Ingo Burgert and his team at Empa and ETH Zurich have developed a simple, environmentally friendly process for generating electricity from a type of wood sponge. Without special treatment, wood is not flexible enough to generate enough electricity. So Burgert’s team developed a way to make the wood elastic. The aim was to modify the process in such a way that it no longer requires the use of aggressive chemicals. There are still a few steps to be taken before the “piezo” wood can be used as a sensor or as an electricity-generating wooden floor. But imagine being able to generate electricity in your home through your everyday movements.
You can check out our video of last week’s best articles on Newswise here.
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