Culture
In 2006, more than 400 children under the age of 5 died during an outbreak of diarrheal disease in Botswana. In what was a 25-fold increase in diarrheal disease mortality for this age group, citizens of the country were devastated.
LEBANON, NH - For decades, theories have existed to explain patient reports of seeing light flashes during radiation therapy, even with their eyes closed. However, no one has been able to secure evidence of this sensation in humans to prove their theory. A team of researchers at Dartmouth's and Dartmouth-Hitchcock's Norris Cotton Cancer Center led by radiation oncologist Lesley Jarvis, MD, PhD and Irwin Tendler, MEng, have collected real-time data to show that during head and neck radiation therapy, enough light is produced inside the eye to elicit such a visual sensation.
Zinc and folic acid, a pair of dietary supplements long touted as an effective treatment for male infertility, failed to improve pregnancy rates, sperm counts, and sperm potency in a new study conducted at University of Utah Health and other medical centers in conjunction with the National Institutes of Health. According to the researchers, the finding presents the most definitive evidence to date that so-called fertility supplements do not live up expectations.
University of Cincinnati geography researchers have identified a tipping point for deforestation that leads to rapid forest loss.
Geography professor Tomasz Stepinski used high-resolution satellite images from the European Space Agency to study landscapes in 9-kilometer-wide blocks across every inch of the planet between 1992 and 2015. He found that deforestation occurs comparatively slowly in these blocks until about half of the forest is gone. Then the remaining forest disappears very quickly.
The study was published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.
Astronomers announced Monday the first discovery made by NASA's TESS mission of a two-star planetary system. Led by researchers at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and San Diego State University, with other collaborators, the telescope satellite's finding marks the start of a much better understanding of the population of such planetary systems.
On behalf of the international team of 60 investigators, the work was presented by researcher Veselin Kostov at the 235th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Honolulu.
Honolulu -- The outskirts of the Milky Way are home to the galaxy's oldest stars. But astronomers have spotted something unexpected in this celestial retirement community: a flock of young stars.
The most effective way to reduce HIV-related deaths and prevent onward transmission is to diagnose and treat all persons as soon as possible after HIV infection. According to a study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases, New Yorkers living with HIV are being treated sooner after infection. The time to treatment initiation was reduced in tandem with expanded HIV testing and treatment efforts in New York City.
Astronomers using data from NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) have shown that Alpha Draconis, a well-studied star visible to the naked eye, and its fainter companion star regularly eclipse each other. While astronomers previously knew this was a binary system, the mutual eclipses came as a complete surprise.
The genetic material of our cells--DNA--exists in a high-order structure called "chromatin". Chromatin consists of DNA wrapped around histone proteins and efficiently packs DNA into a small volume. Moreover, using a spool and thread analogy, chromatin allows DNA to be locally wound or unwound, thus enabling genes to be enclosed or exposed. The misregulation of chromatin structures results in aberrant gene expression and can ultimately lead to developmental disorders or cancers.
A new study provides convincing evidence that the use of peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) to administer medicine and draw blood in children is associated with a significantly increased risk of blood clots (known as venous thromboembolism or VTE) compared with central venous catheters (CVCs) placed directly into the neck or chest. The study results, published today in Blood, also reveal a significantly higher rate of CVC-related bloodstream infections and catheter malfunctions among pediatric patients receiving PICCs.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. - Children with public insurance are slightly more likely to receive medical services that they don't need than those with private insurance, a new study finds.
One in nine publicly insured and one in 11 privately insured children received low-value care in 2014, according to the findings published in journal Pediatrics.
Researchers evaluated data for 8.6 million children in 12 states to see whether having public or private insurance is associated with receiving low-value medical services.
Ann Arbor, January 7, 2020 - People are looking at e-cigarettes as a "healthy" alternative to cigarettes and we currently have an epidemic of e-cigarettes use.
At a time when kombucha is commonplace on cafe menus and "probiotic-fortified" has become the newest health buzzword, our guts have never been more relevant. With good reason, humans have begun paying more attention to the bacteria living in our guts -- our microbiomes. The microbiome helps fight disease and aid digestion, playing a pivotal role in many creatures' wellbeing, from canines to primates to rodents. But for the first time-- largely in part due to museum collections--scientists were able to compare the guts of mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians alike.
HIGHLIGHTS
In many cases, researchers can predict the kinds of microbes a species might host in their guts if they already know the microbial makeup within other, related animals.
This study shows that's not the case for bats, which are unique among mammals -- their microbial patterns more closely resemble birds, who also have unpredictable microbial communities.
COLUMBUS, Ohio - When college students post about feelings of depression on Facebook, their friends are unlikely to encourage them to seek help, a small study suggests.
In fact, in this study, none of the 33 participating students said their friends told them they should reach out to a mental health professional to discuss their problems.
Instead, most friends simply sent supportive or motivating messages.