The five most-read posts on Scope this week were:
3D printer uses living cells to produce a human kidney: A fascinating TED Talk by Anthony Atala, MD, director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, discussing early-stage research exploring the use of living cells to print transplantable organs.
Anti-anxiety circuit found in unlikely brain region: Stanford researchers published a paper this week in Nature showing stimulation of a distinct "circuit" that lies within a brain structure typically associated with fearfulness produces the opposite effect. Its activity, instead of triggering or increasing anxiety, counters it.
"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.
Hey guys, sometimes less really is more: Stanford developmental biologists published research in Nature this week showing that humans are missing snippets of regulatory DNA shared among other mammals. The upshot is that the loss of these regulatory regions appears to have led to some uniquely human features, including our bigger brains and our lack of penile spines.
How health-care providers are using social media to build connections with patients: A recent Palo Alto Weekly story highlights the multitude of ways Stanford Hospital & Clinics and other local health-care providers use social media tools to raise awareness about health issues and build personal connections with patients. In the article, patients comment on why they value interacting with hospitals and physicians on sites such as Facebook and Twitter.
