Health & Medicine
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Earth
Wildfires aren’t going away. Here’s how smoke can affect your health
How does repeat exposure to wildfire smoke affect our health? Three experts weigh in on the massive air pollution fueled by Canada’s ongoing fires.
By Meghan Rosen -
Health & Medicine
50 years ago, scientists thought coffee might treat hyperactivity
Decades of follow-up research into whether caffeine can treat the symptoms of kids with ADHD has come up with more questions than answers.
By Aina Abell -
Psychology
‘Fires in the Dark’ illuminates how great healers ease mental suffering
Kay Redfield Jamison’s new book examines approaches used throughout history to restore troubled minds and broken spirits.
By Bruce Bower -
Life
In Australia, mosquitoes and possums may spread a flesh-eating disease
Field surveys show that genetically identical bacteria responsible for a skin disease called Buruli ulcer appear in mosquitos, possums and people.
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Health & Medicine
Four things to know about malaria cases in the United States
Five people have picked up malaria in the United States without traveling abroad. The risk of contracting the disease remains extremely low.
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Psychology
Boys experience depression differently than girls. Here’s why that matters
Boys’ depression often manifests as anger or irritability, but teen mental health surveys tend to ask about hopelessness.
By Sujata Gupta -
Genetics
The first gene therapy for muscular dystrophy has been approved for some kids
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration cleared a shortened version of a gene for a muscle protein to be used in 4- and 5-year-olds with muscular dystrophy.
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Health & Medicine
‘In the Blood’ traces how a lifesaving product almost didn’t make it
There’s plenty of drama in Charles Barber’s new book, which explores why a blood-clotting invention was initially dismissed.
By Meghan Rosen -
Health & Medicine
Taurine slows aging in mice. Will it ever work for people?
The amino acid taurine — found in meats, produced by the body and common in energy drinks — may have a role in health and aging, a new study suggests.
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Neuroscience
Brain cavities that swell in space may need at least 3 years to recover
MRI scans of astronauts show that duration in space and time between flights affect how much the brain’s fluid-filled cavities expand during missions.
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Health & Medicine
With tools from Silicon Valley, Quinton Smith builds lab-made organs
Tissues made with 3-D printing and other techniques could offer insights into diseases such as fatty liver disease and preeclampsia.
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Neuroscience
A brain implant helped a man with paralysis walk more naturally
A successful test of a system that restores communication between the brain and spine could ultimately help many people with paralysis.
By Simon Makin