Being in nature: Good for mind, body and nutrition
In late 2020, Canadian doctors made headlines for “prescribing nature,” or recommended time outdoors based on research that suggests people who spent two or more hours in nature per week improved their health and wellbeing. Knowing this, transdisciplinary researchers from Drexel University investigated how nature relatedness — simply feeling connected with the natural world — […]
Revising the lifecycle of an important human parasite
“We have been interested in the romantic life of the parasite Cryptosporidium for some time,” says Boris Striepen, a scientist in Penn’s School of Veterinary Medicine. Cryptosporodium is a leading cause of diarrheal disease in young children around the world. The intestinal parasite contributes to childhood mortality and causes malnutrition and stunting. How a parasite […]
Bioengineers visualize fat storage in fruit flies
For the first time, researchers have visually monitored, in high resolution, the timing and location of fat storage within the intact cells of fruit flies. The new optical imaging tool from the lab of bioengineering professor Lingyan Shi at the University of California San Diego is already being used to untangle often discussed, yet mysterious, […]
We Didn’t Say ‘Gay’ At My High School. It Almost Cost Me My Life.
Coming of age in the early ’90s in a small city in southeastern Wisconsin meant growing up in a time and a place when no one said “gay” (or “lesbian” or “bisexual” or “transgender” or “non-binary” or any other part of the LGBTQ+ community), and the only time you heard “queer” was if you were […]
Longevity Without Alzheimer’s Tied to Lifestyle
A healthy lifestyle was tied to a longer life but the extra years did not mean more time living with Alzheimer’s dementia, a prospective study showed. People who had four or five healthy lifestyle factors — spanning diet, cognitive activity, physical exercise, smoking, and alcohol patterns — at age 65 lived longer than their counterparts […]
USPSTF: Screen Kids 8 and Up for Anxiety
In new draft guidelines, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) for the first time recommends that healthcare providers screen children for anxiety, regardless of whether they are showing signs and symptoms. USPSTF is recommending anxiety screening for children ages 8 and older (B grade) and reaffirmed their recommendations to screen for major depression in […]
I Saw Blood In The Toilet. I Never Expected A Common Drug Could Be The Cause.
When I saw the blood in the toilet bowl, I decided it was time to go to the emergency room. I had been doubled over in pain for the better part of three hours. It started out as par for the course: I had grown accustomed to semi-regular stomach problems that left me stuck in […]
How to reduce loneliness: Meaningful activities can improve health, well-being
Free time is sometimes idealized, but research shows free time can sometimes be unhealthy by increasing loneliness. A new Penn State study demonstrated that engaging in meaningful, challenging activities during free time can reduce people’s loneliness and increase their positive feelings. An international team of researchers including John Dattilo — professor of recreation, park, and […]
Actors Fitting The Part
Christian Bale’s weight gain for the upcoming film “Backseat” isn’t the only time an actor has made a drastic transformation.
Can weekly prednisone treat obesity? Obese mice gain muscle mass and lose fat with once weekly prednisone
Obese mice that were fed a high-fat diet and that received prednisone one time per week had improved exercise endurance, got stronger, increased their lean body mass and lost weight, reports a new Northwestern Medicine study. The mice also had increased muscle metabolism. The once-weekly prednisone promoted nutrient uptake into the muscles. Investigators also found […]