The dramatic and incapacitating nature of seizures is reflected in the word itself, which derives from the Greek “to take hold” – like an invisible force suddenly grasping someone and controlling their body. This sense of an unknown force has driven many superstitions and misrepresentations of seizures throughout history. Over the past century, the public’s […]
5 min read
A lifeguard shortage in many parts of the U.S. means an increased drowning risk at pools and beaches this summer. Earlier this summer, SciLine interviewed Linda Quan, a pediatric emergency medicine physician and professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine, about drowning risks and what people should know to keep themselves […]
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A new virus, Langya henipavirus, is suspected to have caused infections in 35 people in China’s Shandong and Henan provinces over roughly a two-year period to 2021. It’s related to Hendra and Nipah viruses, which cause disease in humans. However, there’s much we don’t know about the new virus – known as LayV for short […]
4 min read
Eighty years ago, when sun exposure was first associated with skin cancer, popular culture was exalting tanning by emphasizing that a “fine brown color suggests health and good times, and is a pleasant thing to see.” We know that sun exposure can be deadly, and today’s public awareness campaigns strongly focus on sun avoidance to […]
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The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work. The big idea The Y chromosome can be lost through the process of aging, and this can lead to an increased risk of heart failure and cardiovascular disease, according to a recent study my colleagues and I published in the journal Science. While most […]
3 min read
Florida’s outbreak of listeria has so far led to at least one death, 22 hospitalizations and an ice cream recall since January. Humans get sick with listeria infections, or listeriosis, from eating soil-contaminated food, undercooked meat or dairy products that are raw, or unpasteurized. Listeria can cause convulsions, coma, miscarriage and birth defects. And it’s […]
5 min read