The five most-read stories on Scope this week were:
More-nutritious breast milk for preemies: A Stanford team led by neonatologist William Rhine, MD, recently published the second of two papers confirming that moms who used hands-on pumping had higher fat content in their milk than women relying on electric pumps alone.
Can yoga help women suffering from fibromyalgia?: A study recently published in the Journal of Pain Research shows that practicing yoga boosts levels of the stress hormone cortisol and could help ease some symptoms of fibromyalgia such as pain, fatigue, muscle stiffness and depression.
Immunology escapes from the mouse trap: Mark Davis, PhD, director of Stanford’s Institute for Immunity, Transplantation and Infectious Disease advocates to move immunology research beyond mice and using humans for research.
How lack of sleep affects the brain and may increase appetite, weight gain: A growing body of scientific research, including a 2004 Stanford study, shows that sleep duration is an important regulator of body weight and metabolism. Now findings recently published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism offer additional insight into the link between sleep deprivation, cognitive function and weight gain.
The end of sex?: In a talk entitled "The End of Sex," Stanford law professor Hank Greely, JD, made the prediction that in the next 50 years or so, the majority of babies in developed countries will be spawned in IVF clinics.
