Previous research has shown that stress can make you more susceptible to illness and increase your risk for certain health conditions such as depression and …
Month: August 2011
She's a Barbie girl, living in a Barbie world (that discourages careers in science)
It's no secret: Women scientists are a rare breed. And who better to know this firsthand than Athene Donald, a physics professor at the University …
Humans owe important disease-fighting genes to trysts with cavemen
Researchers have unearthed fascinating details about the human species' genetic history since the publication of the genomes of Neanderthals and Denisovans. For example, recent findings …
Fighting fire with fire? Using bacteria to inhibit the spread of dengue
Like Ebola, dengue is a particularly nasty virus for which there are no vaccines, so prevention efforts have centered on the the mosquito, Aedes aegypti, …
Found: Ebola's entry point into human cells
The Ebola virus is a hideous thing. It disrupts both the endothelial cells lining blood vessels and interferes with coagulation, causing massive bleeding - not …
Limb regeneration mysteries revealed in Stanford study
Although you may not know it, mammals (even humans!) can regrow small portions of amputated digits like fingers and toes. This remarkable ability has perplexed …
Exercise may be effective in treating depression
Research, along with plenty of personal anecdotes from octogenarians, clearly shows that exercise is good for your health. But investigators are still working to understand …
"Healthy" chocolate milk, coming to a school near you
In case you missed it, the New York Times' Well blog reports today that most of the country's school districts are starting the new school …
Report shows millions of jobless Americans forgoing needed health care, prescription drugs
A new report from The Commonwealth Fund examining the effect of the recession on health coverage for working-adults in the United States underscores the daily …
Heart-attack data gets to hospital before patient does
A new study published online yesterday in Circulation found that people suffering from major heart attacks are being treated much faster than just five years …
Federal contest aims to spur development of public health apps for Facebook
Federal health officials are challenging software developers to create Facebook applications that enhance community connections and improve individuals' preparedness for emergency situations such as epidemics …
Should high-school and college athletes be routinely screened for heart conditions?
Previous research suggests that requiring electrocardiogram (ECG) screenings for participants of competitive sports may reduce the rate of cardiac deaths among athletes ages 14 to …
Reporter takes a long look at his own heart cells
In a rather nice Technology Review piece, David Ewing Duncan takes an in-depth look at cardiomyocytes grown from induced pluripotent stem cells that were created …
Radiation expert to Fukushima: Don't worry, be happy?
Back in March, radiation-protection specialist Shunichi Yamashita, MD, PhD, sparked outrage when he told people in Fukushima, Japan: "The effects of radiation do not come …
Discussing sleep and work performance among health-care professionals
No matter how often experts warn us of the dangers of sleep deprivation, we as a society continually fail to make sleep a priority. Not …
Treating loved ones: Should doctors do it?
There’s an interesting piece today on Salon written by pediatrician Rahul Parikh, MD, that delves into the question of whether or not doctors should treat …