Research News

A study in mice suggests that our brains tell us when to start and stop drinking long before our bodies are fully hydrated.

Still Thirsty? It's Up To Your Brain, Not Your Body

4:33pm February 28, 2018

by Jon Hamilton

Thirst is what compels us to start hydrating. Now scientists have found a brain circuit in mice that seems to switch off thirst when they've taken in enough fluid and before it gets dangerous.

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Melanie White takes photos of North Atlantic right whales from NOAA's Twin Otter as the plane circles the whales near Savannah. Whale observers and researchers use the photos to identify the whales.

Researchers Haven't Found A Single Endangered Right Whale Calf Yet This Season

10:37am February 28, 2018

by Molly Samuel

"The right whales are at a point where more are dying than are being born," biologist Clay George says. "That's just not sustainable long-term."

It's easy to mistake adolescent depression for something else, child psychiatrists say; the signs can include misbehavior, eating problems or sleep trouble.

Pediatricians Call For Universal Depression Screening For Teens

5:11pm February 26, 2018

by Allison Aubrey

The nation's leading group of pediatricians has updated its guidelines for tackling teen mental health issues. One recommendation: Annual depression screening for all adolescents 12 and older.

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When wildfire smoke choked their community last summer, Amy Cilimburg (left), the director of Climate Smart Missoula, helped Joy and Don Dunagan, of Seeley Lake, Mont., get a HEPA air filter through a partnership with the Missoula City-County Health Depar

When Wildfire Smoke Invades, Who Should Pay To Clean Indoor Air?

8:14am February 25, 2018

by Nora Saks

Public health agencies are set up to regulate air pollution from cars, trucks and factories. Wildfire smoke presents a different set of threats, prompting some of those agencies to rethink priorities.

Wildfire smoke filled the sky in Seeley Lake, Mont. on Aug. 7, 2017. Weather effects concentrated the accumulating smoke, chronically exposing residents to harmful substances in the air.

Montana Wildfires Provide A Wealth Of Data On Health Effects Of Smoke Exposure

8:08am February 24, 2018

by Nora Saks

Last summer's wildfires handed scientists a rare chance to study effects of smoke on residents. Most previous work had been on wood-burning stoves, urban air pollution and the effects on firefighters.

A scientist says pen refill reviews on Amazon are more informative that what the current peer review system offers on scientific work costing millions of dollars.

Scientists Aim To Pull Peer Review Out Of The 17th Century

8:08am February 24, 2018

by Richard Harris

Some scientists want to change the old-fashioned way scientific advancements are evaluated and communicated. But they have to overcome the power structure of the traditional journal vetting process.

Ashley Copeland (right) talks to her mom Sue Iverson in the Swedish Medical Center emergency department, near Denver. Copeland got a nerve-blocking anesthetic instead of opioids to ease her severe headache. At discharge she was advised to use over-the-cou

These 10 ERs Sharply Reduced Opioid Use And Still Eased Pain

11:18am February 23, 2018

by John Daley

Collaboration was key for the 10 emergency rooms that cut opioid prescriptions by 36 percent. Doctors say they now use less addictive medicines to manage pain and have shifted patients' expectations.

Rosemary Grant is a registered nurse and helps coordinate sepsis care at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. The center's goal, she says, is to get a patient who might be developing sepsis antibiotics within three hours.

Synergy Between Nurses And Automation Could Be Key To Finding Sepsis Early

6:45pm February 22, 2018

by Richard Harris

A bedside computer loaded with software that tracks vital signs in the ICU can pick up early warning patterns, specialists say. But it takes a human care provider to sort the signal from the noise.

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A global map showing where all fishing vessels were active during 2016. Dark circles show the vessels avoiding exclusive economic zones around islands, where they aren't allowed.

New Maps Reveal Global Fishing's 'Vast Scope Of Exploitation Of The Ocean'

5:57pm February 22, 2018

by Dan Charles

Researchers have used radio transmissions to track the movement of fishing vessels and create stunning maps of fishing activity. The maps show that fishing covers most of the globe's oceans.

Kristopher Kelly near his home in Concrete, Wash., in February. He broke his pelvis and all his ribs in a work accident last year. The resulting infection he developed in the hospital almost killed him.

Did An IV Cocktail Of Vitamins And Drugs Save This Lumberjack From Sepsis?

5:42pm February 21, 2018

by Richard Harris

A 51-year-old man nearly died from septic shock, when a crushing injury led to overwhelming infection. After getting an experimental treatment, he's recovering well, but some doctors want more proof.

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