Wildfires that spread so fast they outrun the efforts of fire crews trying to contain them: These types of conflagrations are becoming far more common across the Western United States, a new study warns. A fire’s velocity could be even more important than its size when it comes to the threat to people and property,… read on > read on >
Texts deliver rapid-fire messages, but a new study indicates human brains can keep up with the barrage. The brain can detect the basic linguistic structure of a brief sentence in roughly 150 milliseconds — about the speed of a blink of an eye, researchers report. “Our experiments reveal that the brain’s language comprehension system may… read on > read on >
Anaphylaxis involves a sudden, potentially life-threatening reaction to an allergen, including even very small amounts of food allergens such as egg or peanut. Now, two studies find that people with allergies, as well as those charged with their care, are often unsure what to do when anaphylaxis strikes, and how soon. Too often, patients were… read on > read on >
Medication and behavioral therapy are both effective in combatting fatigue caused by multiple sclerosis (MS), either separately or together, a new study finds. MS patients felt significantly less fatigue after they were prescribed modafinil (Provigil), a drug that promotes wakefulness and is used to treat sleepiness, researchers reported recently in The Lancet Neurology journal. Patients… read on > read on >
Cutting certain foods from a child’s diet isn’t likely to improve their eczema symptoms, a new study finds. Eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis, results from an overactive immune response and has been linked to an increased risk of food allergies, researchers said. Because of this, some parents try to manage their kids’ itchy, rashy… read on > read on >
A heart-pounding workout suppresses a person’s hunger levels better than less strenuous exercises like a brisk walk or active yoga, a new study shows. Running, swimming laps or taking a fast-paced spin class is more effective in suppressing the hunger hormone ghrelin than less intense exercise, researchers report. What’s more, women might respond better than… read on > read on >
Brain scans can provide early warning of who will develop chronic pain following a whiplash injury, a new study finds. Higher levels of “cross talk” between two specific brain regions within one to three days of the injury increases the risk that pain will last long-term, researchers found. The more the hippocampus (the brain’s memory… read on > read on >
Certain gut microbes might be linked to a person’s risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, a new study suggests. People prescribed multiple courses of penicillin antibiotics have a modestly lower risk of developing Parkinson’s, researchers found. Those antibiotics might be affecting bacterial populations in the gut, which in turn might play into Parkinson’s risk, researchers say.… read on > read on >
Just days after an E. coli outbreak tied to McDonald’s Quarter Pounders was first announced, a company producing onions used in the burgers said it has issued a recall for its diced, peeled and whole onions. The onions were produced at Taylor Farms Colorado and have been pinpointed by McDonalds as the source of the… read on > read on >
Next time you’re on a cruise, be wary of your (or your neighbor’s) private balcony hot tub, researchers warn. These luxe cabin features were pinpointed as a source of outbreaks of the respiratory illness Legionnaires disease that broke out on two ships. The Legionella bacterium thrives in wet, warm conditions, so “hot tubs offer favorable… read on > read on >
