U.N Says Ebola Outbreak Could Be Gone By the Summer

Medicine & Technology Mar 23, 2015

Exactly one year ago today, on March 23, 2014, the World Health Organization announced there was an Ebola outbreak in Guinea. At that point, there were 49 cases of Ebola that had resulted in the deaths of 29 people from the disease. Since the outbreak, Ebola has claimed the lives of more than 10,000 people in West Africa. But, the United Nations now believes that the Ebola outbreak could be gone by the end of August.

Tips to Reduce Your Allergic Reactions This Season

Mar 22, 2015

Spring has finally sprung, but with it comes allergy season. Experts believe this year to be a particular high pollen count year and recommend that everyone be prepared for a potentially rough allergy season.

Inconsistent Lab Practices Bring CDC Credibility Into Question

Mar 21, 2015

A new report on lab safety at the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention created by a committee of external experts calls into question the credibility of the agency.

Health Experts Defend E-Cigarettes Amidst Concerns

Mar 21, 2015

Health experts at an Abu Dhabi anti-tobacco conference defended e-cigarettes, in spite of the increasing concerns that the devices are not safe and could lure adolescents into nicotine addiction.

Want Better Sex? Get Better Sleep.

Mar 20, 2015

A new study has found that if you want to have better sex, you need to try to get better sleep. According to the study, young women were more likely to desire sex and have it if they slept longer the previous night.

Extended Breastfeeding Linked to Higher IQ and Income

Mar 19, 2015

Prior studies have continually shown that breast feeding is linked to increased IQ in children and adults. In a new long-term study of infants in Pelotas, Brazil not only backs up this study but also shows that breastfeeding is also linked to higher income as well.Prior studies have continually shown that breast feeding is linked to increased IQ in children and adults. In a new long-term study of infants in Pelotas, Brazil not only backs up this study but also shows that breastfeeding is also linked to higher income as well.

Researchers Blame Anti-Vaccination Activists for Recent Outbreak

Mar 17, 2015

In a new publication of the Journal of the American Medical Association's Pediatrics, researchers believe the recent measles outbreak that was linked to Disneyland is the result of the anti-vaccination activists and their movement supporting extreme views such as not vaccinating children.

Memory Loss Linked to Age Could Be Worse for Men

Mar 17, 2015

According to a new study, you shouldn't feel bad about misplacing those keys or forgetting something important especially if you find this happening to you more as you age.

First Successful Penis Transplant Raises Questions around South African Circumcision Ceremonies

Mar 14, 2015

While a South African patient’s identity is being protected for ethical reasons, according to Tygerberg Hospital, news of his successful procedure and sexual history are making headlines nonetheless. Fully recovered from a nine-hour operation that occurred on Dec. 11, 2014, the young man whose name is not being disclosed at this time, marks a great achievement in that doctors were the first to successfully complete a penile transplant operation in his case.

Listeriosis Outbreak Now Poses Threat to Ice Cream—Blue Bell Creameries Recalls Products

Mar 14, 2015

It’s in the popcorn, in the caramel apples, and now it’s in the ice cream. It appears that Listeria monocytogenes has some pretty great tastes, seeing as how it has infected all of our favorite treats. And now, in what happens to be the company’s first recall in a successful 108-year history, a new outbreak of Listeriosis has caused Blue Bell Creameries to take its ice cream off of the shelves.

Why Ebola Places Children at Greater Risk

Mar 13, 2015

The death toll of the most recent round of Ebola moved beyond 10,000 on Thursday Mar. 12, but the threat to West Africa isn't over yet, and children are at far greater risk. But it's not Ebola that health care experts are worried about now, but rather large outbreaks of other vaccine-preventable diseases that could overrun the region.

Intricate Organic Molecules—Yeah, We Can 3D Print That

Mar 13, 2015

Perhaps you’re a neurobiologist looking to isolate endocanibinoids from human brains. Any volunteers to offer their brains up for study? You’re not likely to find any takers, but now thanks to some researchers at the University of Illinois, you may just be able to print your own. That’s right, print. In what the researchers are calling the next step in 3D-printing, with a version specifically designed to tailor to researchers, University of Illinois chemists led by lead researcher Martin Burke have develop a machine that can systematically synthesize thousands of different molecules basically from scratch.

In the Wake of Ebola—H7N9 Influenza Has Spread in Secret

Mar 13, 2015

In the wake of the Ebola pandemic, researchers in China have identified a virus capable of global infection that has been mutating and brewing on the sidelines. A strain of the avian influenza, the H7N9 flu emerged in eastern China in Feb. 2013 in a small population with a mortality rate of roughly 33%. But over the last year, since it reemerged in October 2013, the virus has been spreading steadily, and mutating along the way. Now public health officials fear that the growing viral infection may soon reach the levels much like the Ebola outbreak, and it is something that researchers are heavily investigating.

Genetic Markers and Immune Response Reveal Origins of PTSD

Mar 13, 2015

While Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has become highly stigmatized as a mental health condition within the armed forces, where soldiers often return home from battle with the debilitating condition, it appears that not only may some soldiers be genetically predisposed to it—some may have immunological reactions that even make it worse. In a new study published this week in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, a team of researchers with the University of Southampton (UK) and University of California, San Diego have uncovered the genetic markers that could theoretically allow them to identify soldiers or patients that may be most at risk, even before they’re deployed at all.

Clearing the Questions Around PTSD—How Researchers Revealed a New Genetic Link

Mar 13, 2015

It’s a story not too unfamiliar in the line of duty for those in the armed forces. When faced with the traumatic experiences, dangers and death of warring nations, often those on the front line are scathed to say the least. A new study revealing the origins and genetic markers for Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may provide a glimmer of hope for soldiers suffering with the condition, but with the stigma and disbelief the general public has regarding the disorder, the battle is far from over.