The five most-read posts on Scope this week were:
Stanford study shows depression symptoms may predict breast cancer survival: New research published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology shows that decreases in depression among women with advanced breast cancer are associated with improved survival rates for these patients. In this Q&A, Stanford psychiatrist David Spiegel, MD, who was principal investigator on the study, discusses the significance of the results, the physiological connection between depression and breast cancer, and why it's worthwhile for breast cancer patients to be screened for depression.
The dark side of the peer review process: A sampling of an annual list complied by Environmental Microbiology featuring funny and/or snarky comments from participants in the journal's peer review process.
Researchers gain new insights into "warrior gene": A controversial gene linked to aggression and violent behavior may help carriers make optimal decisions when faced with risky financial situations, according to findings published this week in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
"Natural" or not, chicken nuggets are high in fat, sodium: A discussion on the nutritional value of chicken nuggets, which a Consumer Reports Health investigation found to be high in fat and sodium.
Ideas for health-related charitable gifts: If you are turning your attention to Christmas shopping this week, you may want to consider this interesting list of global-health gift ideas complied by NPR's Shots blog.
From December 20 to January 3, Scope will be on a limited holiday publishing schedule. During that time, you may also notice a delay in comment moderation. We will return to our regular schedule on January 3.
