A person’s face is worth a thousand words. Tiny muscles beneath the skin dictate whether we grin or grimace, scrunch up our faces, or stick out our tongues. Both anxiety and excitement fill the capillaries of our cheeks with blood, which may even turn pink, and warm with embarrassment or exhilaration. When we’re truly terrified […]
Temperature tells: How facial hot spots can reveal how well you are aging Read More »
Height and weight are usually among the first measurements taken during a medical visit. These values are often used to calculate BMI (body mass index), which falls into the following categories: underweight (less than 18.5), healthy weight (18.5 to less than 25), overweight (25 to less than 30), and obese (30 or greater). BMI is
Opinion: The Barely Meaningful Indicator (BMI) Read More »
For many couples, reliable birth control is an important aspect of their relationships. The field of male contraception is evolving to become more accessible and mainstream. Traditionally, a majority of birth control options are the responsibility of women. For male contraceptives to gain widespread acceptance, a broad shift in mindset is essential. Men must be
Societal challenges of hormonal birth control for men Read More »
Hives, rashes, shortness of breath, vomiting, and swelling are some of the quintessential symptoms of allergic reactions. To prevent these uncomfortable and sometimes life-threatening symptoms, those with food allergies have to be extra cautious in many aspects of their life, whether it is triple-checking if their gifted oatmeal cookies contain tree nuts (one of the
Beyond oral immunotherapy: How Xolair could change allergy treatment Read More »
Everyone knows how common viruses work. A drink is shared, a doorknob is touched, a sneeze is spread. Come flu season, friends and families routinely begin washing their hands and keeping their distance to prevent viral genomes from entering their cells, injecting their genetic material, and hijacking their bodies. Now imagine a similar phenomenon, but
Transmissible cancer: A strange biological phenomenon Read More »
Often viewed as vampiric blood suckers and rabies vectors, bats have a notoriously negative reputation invoking fear and disgust. Yet, people’s preconceived notions exclude the importance of these flying mammals. Bats are essential to the environment, the economy, and human well–being by controlling insect populations, pollinating plants, and dispersing seeds. A new study published in
Bats and babies: The chilling connection between a bat epidemic and infant mortality Read More »
Have you ever gotten a flu at the same time as your siblings and wondered why your sister’s fever went away days ago while your brother is still battling with it bedridden? COVID–19 is what really brought to attention the influence sex plays on one’s immune system when men started dying from the disease at
Unveiling the hormonal influences on immunity Read More »
In recent years, bird flu cases have been skyrocketing. This highly infectious and deadly strain of avian influenza has not only infected thousands of poultry birds across Europe, North America, Africa and Asia, but has spread to wild birds too. The flu has even spread to mammals such as sea lions, foxes, skunks and cats.
Bird flu on the rise: A looming threat to wildlife and humans Read More »
The COVID pandemic touched almost every part of daily life. Cities became ghost towns. Schools and workplaces worldwide shut their doors. Millions of families now have an empty seat at their table. But while COVID took a sizable toll on society, it also served as a time of profound research and innovation. It enacted change
Necessity drives invention: How COVID-19 sparked unprecedented innovations Read More »