Apr.18: AROUND THE WORLD
- Posted by CERC India
- Posted in April
USA
Your body fat may protect you from infections
 Good side of fat
Fat is not all bad. Evidence in mice and monkeys suggests fat is important for storing important immune cells and may even make them more effective at fighting infection. The findings were published in the journal Immunity. Fat should be considered an immune organ, according to some experts.
Scientists from the US National Institutes of Health found that a type of immune cell – called a memory T-cell – is stored in the body fat of mice. These cells seemed to be more effective than those stored in other organs at fighting infections. It is believed that the T-cells are particularly powerful because they may be feeding on the energy-rich fat tissue they are stored in.
Immune organÂ
SINGAPORE
This glass makes water taste like a cocktail!
Senses hijacked Â
A ‘virtual cocktail’ glass has been developed by scientists that lets you change the flavour of your drink using a smartphone app. Developed by researchers at the National University of Singapore, the ‘Vocktail’ can change a glass of water into a mojito at the press of a button.
The world-first technology tricks your brain into thinking it is experiencing a specific flavour by fooling your senses of sight, smell and taste. It uses LED lights to change the colour of the drink. Scent canisters and tongue electrodes further change the flavour experience. Virtual drinks could satisfy your taste buds without the calories.
Zero-calorie drink Â
SWITZERLAND
Video game addiction now a mental health disorder
WHO decision
The World Health Organization (WHO), headquartered in Geneva in Switzerland, has included ‘gaming disorder’ in a draft of its upcoming 11th International Classification of Diseases. The entry suggests these symptoms need to be present for at least 12 months to justify a diagnosis.
WHO describes the disorder as a “a pattern of persistent or recurrent gaming behaviour that may include impaired control over gaming activities and is severe to the extent that gaming takes precedence over other life interests and daily activities.†WHO did not include prevention or treatment options for the disorder.
Like other addictions
