I Am ‘Unhealthy.’ That Doesn’t Make Me Any Less Valuable.
When I was a kid, I occasionally “faked” being sick to stay home. Not often, but I missed my first week of middle school because of it, all the while feeling the burden of guilt about not actually being ill. The truth was more complex: I was unwell, just not in the way I was […]
Amazon Rainforest birds’ bodies transform due to climate change
The most pristine parts of the Amazon rainforest devoid of direct human contact are being impacted by human-induced climate change, according to new research by LSU scientists. New analyses of data collected over the past four decades show that not only has the number of sensitive resident birds throughout the Amazon rainforest declined, but the […]
How Do I Stop Chronic Worrying?
Chronic worrying means being worried about things non-stop or for an extended period. Many people worry instantly or start getting anxious about something that still has to happen in the future. All these things can harm your mental and physical health. Worry sometimes also becomes a more significant concern, such as anxiety. People who worry […]
Opinion | ‘Being Concerned About a Fingernail’: What We Heard This Week
“It’s kind of like having a major auto accident and namely being concerned about a fingernail when you have multiple broken bones.” — Peter Marks, MD, PhD, director of FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, on the small risk of vaccine side effects versus the larger risk of COVID. “This is a fight about […]
More Work Needed to Clean Up Polluted Drinking Water, Experts Tell House Members
WASHINGTON — Not enough is being done to get chemical contaminants out of U.S. waterways, witnesses and lawmakers agreed during a hearing on challenges to water quality held by the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure’s Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment. “The last administration needlessly weakened Clean Water Act provisions over rivers, streams, and […]
‘Once-in-a generation’ tardigrade fossil discovery reveals new species in 16-million-year-old amber
They’ve famously survived the vacuum of space, and even returned to life after being frozen for decades in Antarctic moss. But as hard as it is to kill the bizarre microscopic animal, the tardigrade, it’s harder to find one fossilized. In fact, only two have ever been discovered and formally named — until now. In […]
Directly into the brain: A 3D multifunctional and flexible neural interface: Novel design of brain chip implant allows for measuring neuronal activity while simultaneously delivering drugs to the implant site
Being able to measure the electrical activity of the brain has helped us gain a much better understanding of the brain’s processes, functions, and diseases over the past decades. So far, much of this activity has been measured via electrodes placed on the scalp (through electroencephalography (EEG)); however, being able to acquire signals directly from […]
COVID-19 hospitalizations increase among unvaccinated pregnant women: Cases at major public hospital show role of Delta variant in severe illnesses
Unvaccinated pregnant women are increasingly being hospitalized with COVID-19 during a nationwide surge of the Delta variant, according to research from UT Southwestern Medical Center. The study — which covers more than 1,500 cases in the Dallas area since May 2020 — offers a snapshot of what doctors believe is happening in communities across the […]
New study challenges understanding of pandemic preparedness and resilience in Africa
Countries in Africa assessed as being least vulnerable to an epidemic were the worst affected by Covid-19, new research suggests. Nations with more urban populations and strong international travel links were worst affected by the pandemic, the study shows. Mortality rates and levels of restrictions — such as lockdowns and travel bans — were found […]
PhRMA Warns of Dire Consequences if Medicare Allowed to Negotiate Drug Prices
WASHINGTON — Pharmaceutical industry representatives said Wednesday that proposals now being considered on Capitol Hill to lower patients’ prescription drug costs likely will have damaging effects on new drug development and on patients’ access to new medications. As part of a $3.5 trillion infrastructure bill, “lawmakers want to offset this amount of new spending by […]