Humans
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Health & Medicine
Chewing sugar-free gum reduced preterm births in a large study
Among 10,000 women in Malawi, those who chewed xylitol gum daily had fewer preterm births compared with women who didn’t chew the gum.
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Genetics
Gene therapies for sickle cell disease come with hope and challenges
Pediatrician Erica Esrick discusses existing sickle cell treatments and an ongoing clinical trial.
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Health & Medicine
Omicron crushed delta in the U.S. These numbers show just how fast it happened
It took the delta coronavirus variant eight weeks to make up more than 50 percent of new U.S. COVID-19 infections, estimates show. It took omicron two.
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Archaeology
Homo sapiens may have reached Europe 10,000 years earlier than previously thought
Archaeological finds in an ancient French rock-shelter suggest migrations to the continent started long before Neandertals died out.
By Bruce Bower -
Genetics
How one scientist aims to boost Black people’s representation in genetic datasets
Through information sharing, geneticist Tshaka Cunningham wants to build trust and encourage more Black people to engage with the medical community.
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Science & Society
Military towns are the most racially integrated places in the U.S. Here’s why
The military’s big stick approach allowed the institution to integrate troops and military towns. Can the civilian world follow suit?
By Sujata Gupta -
Health & Medicine
Why being pregnant and unvaccinated against COVID-19 is a risky combo
Being pregnant puts an individual at higher risk for severe illness and death from COVID-19, but vaccination has lagged among pregnant people.
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Archaeology
‘Origin’ explores the controversial science of the first Americans
A new book looks at how genetics has affected the study of humans’ arrival in the Americas and sparked conflicts with Indigenous groups today.
By Bruce Bower -
Health & Medicine
Medical crowdfunding rarely helps those who need it most
People in the U.S. with high medical debt and low insurance coverage are more likely to raise money but less likely to meet goals, a new study finds.
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Health & Medicine
A deadly bacteria has been infecting children for more than 1,400 years
DNA from a 6th century boy’s tooth reveals signs of the earliest known Haemophilus influenzae type b infection, shedding light on the pathogen’s history.
By Amber Dance -
Health & Medicine
Genetically engineered immune cells have kept two people cancer-free for a decade
Long-lasting leukemia remission prompts doctors to call CAR-T cell therapy a ‘cure’ for some.
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Health & Medicine
A faulty immune response may be behind lingering brain trouble after COVID-19
The immune system’s response to even mild cases of COVID-19 can affect the brain, preliminary studies suggest.