Health & Medicine

  1. Archaeology

    Armenian cave yields ancient human brain

    A team of scientists has excavated 6,000-year-old artifacts and three human skulls, including one containing a preserved brain, from a cave bordering Armenia’s Arpa River.

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  2. Health & Medicine

    Sirtuin shown to control gene activity

    A previously overlooked protein called SIRT6 provides some molecular clues to aging.

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  3. Health & Medicine

    Record low for human blood oxygen levels

    Study of Mt. Everest climbers shows some bodies can tolerate low oxygen levels that are toxic to others.

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  4. Health & Medicine

    Early C-sections pose risks

    Babies delivered by elective cesarean section just a week or two before 39 weeks of gestation face increased risk of respiratory and other complications.

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  5. Health & Medicine

    Parkinson’s brain surgery works in older patients, too

    A surgery in which two tiny electrodes are placed in the brain improves the quality of life of patients with Parkinson’s disease, including older patients, and seems to have only short-term side effects.

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  6. Health & Medicine

    Bone-growth drugs may increase jaw disease risk

    New study finds link between common drug and jawbone death.

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  7. Health & Medicine

    Fewer dopamine receptors makes for risky business 

    Brain-scanning study in people sees link between personality, dopamine system.

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  8. Health & Medicine

    Disturbed sleep tied to Parkinson’s risk

    People who have a disorder that causes them to thrash and kick during sleep face a high risk of developing Parkinson’s disease or other neurodegenerative disorders.

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  9. Health & Medicine

    New embryonic stem cells ratted out

    Overcoming obstacles, scientists have created stable embryonic stem cells from rats. Researchers hope their method will prove useful as a general recipe for isolating stem cells from other mammals.

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  10. Health & Medicine

    Hot clock key to fruit fly’s global spread

    A temperature-sensitive switch in a fruit fly’s biological clock means some species can survive in a wide range of climates while others are stuck on the equator.

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  11. Health & Medicine

    Sense for morphine has gender gap

    Female rats have fewer brain receptors that sense morphine, making the drug less effective. The work points to the need for more research on why medicine potency can vary among people.

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  12. Health & Medicine

    Experimental drug fends off emphysema in mice

    Mice exposed to cigarette smoke and then ed the drug and fended of emphysema, suggesting the edible drug might help ex-smokers.

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