Health & Medicine
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Health & MedicineCelebrex combats skin cancer in vulnerable group
Anti-inflammatory drug limits number of tumors in patients with hereditary condition
By Nathan Seppa -
HumansPet tarantulas can pose a hairy threat
A new medical case report reaffirms why even largely non-venomous tarantulas can make questionable pets. Some respond to stress by expelling a cloud of barbed hairs that can lodge in especially vulnerable tissues. Like your eyeball.
By Janet Raloff -
Health & MedicineTexting and driving don’t mix, just as suspected
Sending or receiving messages proves even worse than cell phone calls for young adults on simulators.
By Nathan Seppa -
LifeLupus not identical in twins
Differences in DNA methylation may account for why one sibling gets the autoimmune disease while the other stays healthy.
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Health & Medicine2009 Science News of the Year: Nutrition
Natural vanilla extract comes from pods (shown), but most vanillin is synthesized in the lab. Credit: De-Kay/istockphoto That yeast smells good Yeast has long been pressed into service for making beer and bread. Now the fungus has been tapped for a loftier flavor: vanillin, vanilla’s dominant compound (SN: 5/23/09, p. 9). Natural vanilla comes from […]
By Science News -
Health & Medicine2009 Science News of the Year: Body & Brain
Numbers of passengers arriving from Mexico in March and April 2008 show which cities would have been most vulnerable to H1N1 transmission. Credit : The New England Journal of Medicine ©2009 H1N1 strikes and spreads Like the years 1957 and 1968, 2009 will be known as a pandemic flu year. The springtime eruption of a […]
By Science News -
Health & MedicineDarker liquor, never sicker
People report feeling worse the next morning after drinking bourbon than after drinking vodka.
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Health & MedicineWhen body meets H1N1 flu
Two studies map interactions between virus and human cells; one study reveals natural flu fighters.
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Health & MedicineGene variant may help against emphysema, asthma
Uncommon version seems to lessen risk of lung disease in smokers.
By Nathan Seppa -
Health & MedicineMom and Dad not equally to blame for some bad genes
Common genetic variants may have different effects on disease depending which parent passes along the trait.
By Science News -
Health & MedicineNearsightedness increasing in the United States
A new study suggests that myopia has increased by more than 60 percent since the 1970s.
By Nathan Seppa -
Health & MedicineNew material could support stem cell development
A ’smart’ gel could help coax stem cells to develop into heart cells.