Health & Medicine
- Health & Medicine
Add high-fat diet to the ‘don’t’ list for pregnant moms
There’s always controversy over what to eat while pregnant. Four animal studies at this year’s Society for Neuroscience meeting bring together negative effects of high-fat diets.
- Health & Medicine
The kids will be all right
Children are generally as resilient as adults when it comes to acute trauma, and studies suggest that a little stress and exercise might help kids cope with disasters.
- Life
Norovirus can play protective role in mice
In mice, viral infection can help intestines develop, strengthen immune system.
- Health & Medicine
Aspirin’s heart benefits not a slam dunk
No survival gain found in people age 60 and over who took daily dose of aspirin.
By Nathan Seppa - Life
Semen seems to counteract microbicides that kill HIV
Semen seems to inhibit most microbicides from killing HIV, but one that targets a receptor on cells remains effective, suggesting a promising approach against HIV.
- Neuroscience
Stopped brain clock saves memory in hamsters
Broken timekeeper in brain may explain some memory problems, hamster study suggests.
By Meghan Rosen - Genetics
Rare mutations may protect against heart disease
Rare mutations in a key gene seem to lower bad cholesterol and provide protection against heart disease.
By Nathan Seppa - Health & Medicine
Foul smells during sleep may help smokers quit
A night of smelling rotten eggs and fish while inhaling cigarette odors makes smokers reach for fewer cigarettes upon waking.
- Neuroscience
Serotonin lies at the intersection of pain and itch
Serotonin may help relieve pain, but it also causes itch. A study shows why scratching just makes it worse.
- Health & Medicine
Whooping cough shot shown safe for pregnant women
Women who get a booster shot against whooping cough, or pertussis, during pregnancy don’t increase their risk of having a problem birth, and they boost their babies’ immunity to the disease.
- Environment
Thirdhand smoke poses lingering danger
Harmful cigarette chemicals that linger on surfaces, known as thirdhand smoke, can go on to pollute the air and may harm people’s health.
By Beth Mole - Neuroscience
For a friendlier zebra finch, just add stress
Adding stress hormones to the diet of developing zebra finches produced birds that were social butterflies.