Scientists reveal genetic architecture underlying alcohol, cigarette abuse
Have you ever wondered why one person can smoke cigarettes for a year and easily quit, while another person will become addicted for life? Why can’t some people help themselves from abusing alcohol and others can take it or leave it? One reason is a person’s genetic proclivity to abuse substances. UNC School of Medicine […]
Increase in leptin levels in preeclampsia prompts cardiovascular cascade that puts mother and baby at risk
Before a baby is ever born, critical supply chain problems with nutrition and oxygen can result in premature birth or even death and increase the child and mother’s lifelong risk of cardiovascular disease. Scientists have found that a midgestation increase in the hormone leptin, which most of us associate with appetite suppression, produces problematic blood […]
Opinion | Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, and Death
More than ever these days, we aren’t able to hide death from children. Whether we’re addressing their fear around school shootings, natural disasters, grief from family members lost during the COVID-19 pandemic, or concerns about their own illness, it’s impossible to shield kids from bearing witness to illness and death — nor should we. So, […]
Opinion | It’s Time for a Post-Mortem on COVID Crisis Standards of Care
Ever since the threat of an avian flu pandemic in 2006, governments, hospitals, and professional associations have been preparing for the next “big one.” New York State was a leader in pandemic preparation, having developed its Ventilator Allocation Guidelines in 2007, with updates in 2015. And yet, when the COVID tsunami hit New York City […]
Europe’s largest land predator unearthed on the Isle of Wight
Research led by palaeontologists at the University of Southampton has identified the remains of one of Europe’s largest ever land-based hunters: a dinosaur that measured over 10m long and lived around 125 million years ago. Several prehistoric bones, uncovered on the Isle of Wight, on the south coast of England, and housed at Dinosaur Isle […]
Tear-free hair brushing? All you need is math: Researchers develop a mathematical understanding of detangling that could be used for textile manufacturing, robotic hairdressers
As anyone who has ever had to brush long hair knows, knots are a nightmare. But with enough experience, most learn the tricks of detangling with the least amount of pain — start at the bottom, work your way up to the scalp with short, gentle brushes, and apply detangler when necessary. L. Mahadevan, the […]
House Members Remain Divided on Universal Healthcare
WASHINGTON — Democratic and Republican House members appeared as far apart as ever Tuesday on the issue of the best way to achieve universal healthcare coverage in the U.S. “Republicans are serious on this committee about trying to solve the healthcare problems we have in America, but bigger government and government-run healthcare is not the […]
Climate scientists reconsider the meaning and implications of drought in light of a changing world
Maps of the American West have featured ever darker shades of red over the past two decades. The colors illustrate the unprecedented drought blighting the region. In some areas, conditions have blown past severe and extreme drought into exceptional drought. But rather than add more superlatives to our descriptions, one group of scientists believes it’s […]
Got Brain Fog Because Of Long COVID? Here’s Why And How To Cope.
If you’ve ever been jet-lagged or pulled an all-nighter before going straight into work or school, you probably know the feeling. Maybe you had a harder time focusing that day, were more irritable and forgetful than usual, or just felt mentally off. Brain fog, a term used to describe feelings of mental fuzziness, affects everyone […]
Whole-genome sequencing reveals new secrets about killer fungus
New research from the University of Exeter reports the largest ever whole-genome sequencing project for the potentially fatal yeast infection Candida glabrata from hospitals across Scotland. Candida glabrata is a type of yeast that can cause disease in humans. It most commonly affects the urinary tract, genitals, mouth, and the bloodstream. If it is not […]