Health & Safety

Researchers at the U.S. Geological Survey National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wis., use eggs to see if the Asian strain of the H5N1 bird flu virus has entered the U.S. in this photo from 2006.

Research Moratoriums And Recipes For Superbugs: Bird Flu In 2012

5:46am December 31, 2012

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

When scientists figured out how to make the deadly H5N1 virus more contagious, a debate ignited about whether to publish the research and do more experiments. Over the past year, scientists published the contentious work, but they still can't agree on the field's future.

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Kathy Del Tonto (far right) participates in a class that teaches school cafeteria workers how to prepare meals from scratch.

One Lunch Lady's Cafeteria Conversion

6:02pm December 28, 2012

by Eric Whitney

"If it's not me, who's it going to be?" asks Colorado school cafeteria manager Kathy Del Tonto. After serving processed foods in her cafeterias for years, she realized that reducing childhood obesity can begin with her. She now has the lunch ladies making 95 percent of meals from scratch.

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Making Resolutions That Stick

1:03pm December 28, 2012

Vowing to stop smoking, curb spending or exercise more this January 1? Nearly half of U.S. adults will make year-end resolutions to change for the better in the coming year. Clinical psychologist John Norcross talks about how to increase the odds of success.

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'Consider the Fork' Chronicles Evolution of Eating

1:03pm December 28, 2012

Did you know that the human overbite may have evolved after people began using forks and knives? In Consider the Fork, author Bee Wilson traces how kitchen tools--from knives to pots to gas stoves--have changed over time, and how they have influenced what, and how, we eat.

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People visit a memorial outside Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., on Dec. 15.

Shootings Leave Sandy Hook Survivors Rethinking The Odds

11:02pm December 27, 2012

by Alix Spiegel

The probability that an individual will experience a school shooting may be low. But when the improbable happens to you, where do you find comfort?

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Brain scans using Amyvid dye to highlight beta-amyloid plaques in the brain. Clockwise from top left: a cognitively normal subject; an amyloid-positive patient with Alzheimer's disease; a patient with mild cognitive impairment who progressed to dementia d

Despite Uneven Results, Alzheimer's Research Suggests A Path For Treatment

7:24pm December 26, 2012

by Jon Hamilton

The year saw some disappointments in the development of drugs to treat Alzheimer's. But the setbacks were offset by progress in other areas. The upshot from this year's mixed results, some scientists say, is that treatment for Alzheimer's needs to start long before forgetfulness and muddled thinking are apparent.

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The number of new drug shortages each year in the U.S., from 2001 through Dec. 21, 2012.

Health & Safety

How A Drug Shortage Hiked Relapse Risks For Lymphoma Patients

7:24pm December 26, 2012

by Rob Stein

The short supply of a key drug to treat lymphoma forced doctors to switch to another medicine. Now researchers have documented that the fallback drug wasn't as good a choice as many doctors thought.

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Mobile apps and devices track a user's health statistics. But those data are sometimes sold and can end up in the hands of employers and insurance companies.

Health & Safety

Who Could Be Watching You Watching Your Figure? Your Boss

2:28pm December 26, 2012

by Aarti Shahani

Those of us trying to get in shape after overindulging this holiday season can get help from a slew of new devices that monitor steps climbed, calories burned and heart rate. But companies and venture capitalists in new startups hope to make money in a new way: by selling the data right back to the people tracking their activity — and to their employers.

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Stem Cells Treat Lou Gehrig's Disease, In Mice

11:36am December 26, 2012

Reporting in Science Translational Medicine, researchers write that neural stem cell implants were able to slow the onset of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's disease, in mice. Study author Evan Snyder discusses the stem cells' protective effect, and why human trials may not be far behind.

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According to a study published in Pediatrics, boys are entering puberty six months to two years earlier than they did in past studies.

Health & Safety

Like Girls, Boys Are Entering Puberty Earlier

11:23am December 26, 2012

by Patti Neighmond

Boys are entering puberty six months to two years earlier than they did in past studies. Caucasian boys tend to begin puberty, on average, at around 10 years old while African American boys tend to begin puberty at 9.

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