Category: 4. Health

However, five years later, SARS-CoV-2 is still circulating, and in the process, evolving into new variants that require updated vaccines to protect against them.

But it takes time to design, manufacture, and distribute a new vaccine, which raises an important question: How can scientists create vaccines for versions of the virus that…

The headlines keep coming: Another federal grant funding medical research terminated. Another lab devoted to mental health losing its funding. Another clinical trial stopped.

It’s all part of actions the Trump administration says are needed to make government more efficient or to eliminate funding related to diversity, equity and inclusion. Opponents say the cuts undermine crucial medical research, gut careers and damage U.S. leadership in science.

“When policies shift…

Venom from snakes and other animals can have fatal effects if not treated. Venom is a toxic substance and includes various components, including neurotoxins. Consequently, the neurotoxins within the venom disrupt the nervous system and cause deleterious effects including paralysis, respiratory failure, and interreference of electrical impulses that regulate nerve and muscle function. Unfortunately, treatment against venomous bites is limited to species…

Each cell has their own genetic code that helps maintain viability and directs function.  This genetic code is commonly referred to as deoxyribonucleic acid or DNA. DNA is the molecule that carries genetic instructions that dictate the development and function of each living cell within an organism. Another form of genetic material that is critical for the survival of multicellular organisms includes ribonucleic acid (RNA). This molecule is critical in…

Many teens who vape want to quit. A recent clinical trial suggests that a drug used to stop smoking can help.

In the last four weeks of a 12-week trial, 51 percent of the 88 teens and young adults taking the drug varenicline, which was paired with counseling and text messaging support, abstained from vaping completely, researchers report April 23 in the Journal of the American Medical Association. That’s compared with only 14 percent of the 87 receiving the same support but…

For people with chronic gynecological pain conditions, pain can be constant, making everyday activities like sitting, riding a bicycle and even wearing underwear extremely uncomfortable. For many of these people – most of whom identify as women – sexual intercourse and routine pelvic exams are unbearable.

Endometriosis and vulvodynia, or chronic genital pain, are common gynecological conditions that can cause severe pain. They each affect about 1 in 10 American women.

Yet many…

For many people, grit – the perseverance and passion for long-term goals – is a virtue. It is also a key ingredient in overcoming challenges, achieving success and maintaining resilience.

Studies have linked grit with success in goal attainment, improved psychological well-being and increased life satisfaction.

But despite conventional narratives equating this type of psychological persistence with well-being, brain research is beginning to show that mustering grit in the face…

Many people with chronic pain find themselves interacting with…

As Republican lawmakers try to identify…

The report, Understanding the intergenerational transmission of educational (under)achievement, which was funded by the Nuffield Foundation, evaluated how parental genetics can influence child development through the environment provided by their parents (for example, reading habits or access to better resources), also known…