Health

Breaking down the science: GDF15 protein’s impact on severe morning sickness

Biology, Health / /

As you may have heard from loved ones who have experienced it, morning sickness is common for many women during the early stages of pregnancy, affecting approximately 70% of the pregnant population. However, a small percentage of people in early pregnancy experience a rare form of extreme morning sickness: hyperemesis gravidarum. As explained by University […]

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“Sick” of being stressed: The link between chronic stress and the immune system

Health, Psychology / /

Stress is an inevitable part of life, but when it becomes chronic, its effects can persist far beyond mere psychological discomfort. Chronic stress is characterized by prolonged exposure to physical, emotional, or environmental stressors. Unlike acute stress, which is the body’s natural response to a threat, chronic stress persists over an extended period of time

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3D-printing the brain: Is this the new way to treat brain injuries?

Health, Technology / /

Is it possible to 3D print human brain tissue? Beyond the intricacies of the individual cells that comprise them, brain tissue is organized into complex structures that are difficult to replicate. But what many once considered to be science fiction has now proven to be a novel remedy for traumatic brain injuries and a revolution

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Cell-ebrity avoidance: How tumors avoid immune cells

Biology, Health / /

Our immune system consists of hundreds of specialized cells dedicated solely to maintaining our well-being. This branch of our body is dedicated to fighting pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, parasites, and even our own mutated cells. Fundamentally, the cells of the immune system can be categorized into two main varieties: the innate immune system and

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Opinion: Weight loss drugs highlight the flaws of the US healthcare system

Culture, Health, Opinion, World / /

In recent years, the production of weight loss drugs has exploded across the United States. Though these drugs have promising potential in combating the obesity epidemic in the United States, I worry these drugs will widen healthcare inequities for the very patients who need access to weight management care the most.  In clinical studies, injection-based

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Function of dreaming in humans from an evolutionary perspective

Health, Psychology / /

Sometime around 2500 BCE, the earliest recorded dream in history was documented. This was Sumerian king Dumuzi’s dream, from the ancient civilization of Mesopotamia, and was recorded in cuneiform. In this vision, the king sees subjects moving before him with various objects in their hands and on their heads, which was a perplexing story to

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Navigating the shadows of black-box systems

Health, Technology / /

Don’t look. Or, more accurately, you can’t look. You wouldn’t be able to see anything if you tried.  A few banalities to start us off: Artificial intelligence (AI), specifically machine learning systems, is increasingly being used to make high-stakes medical decisions. This includes decisions regarding diagnoses, surgical outcome predictions, technical skill evaluation, and disease risk

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Using AI to predict diseases

Health, Technology / /

Although still a relatively new field, the applications and possibilities of artificial intelligence (AI) are rapidly expanding. AI technology has been utilized in virtual assistants and chatbots in customer service, fraud detection and risk assessment in finance, surveillance and threat detection in law enforcement, and much more. Especially in this past year, AI has made

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The Ikigai of the cell: Unveiling the mitochondrial theory of aging

Biology, Health, World / /

Imagine the sun-kissed shores of Okinawa, where residents embrace the Ikigai philosophy — a lifelong pursuit of purpose intertwined with passion, skill, and societal contribution. This idyllic island serves as a testament to the potential for extended, vibrant lives. Now, let’s embark on a journey, into the microscopic realm of cells, where the mitochondrial theory

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