Articles by Katrina Pascual
New Medical Tests Essential To Curb Antibiotic Misuse, Says Economist Jim O'Neill
In a report on superbugs, Jim O’Neill warned about the 'huge cost to society' antibiotic resistance poses. The review called for rapid diagnostics to give patients the right treatment while avoiding unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions.
Restaurants Slammed Over Children's Menu: Food Choices Make Healthy Eating Impossible For Kids, Claims Campaign Group
A Soil Association “Out to Lunch” report in UK said many offerings in restaurants and fast food chains make it “almost impossible” for kids to be healthy. The investigation criticized refillable soft drinks, sugary treats, and food cooked in bulk, to name a few.
UN Experts Call For Global Climate Deal To Address Human Migration
Experts called for climate-related migration to be incorporated in the Paris climate change conference to be held on Nov. 30. The Paris agreement will offer guidance for climate change migration up to the next 40 years.
Citrus Fruit Could Be Answer To Water Pollution: Orange Peel Can Suck Up Mercury In The Ocean
A new, affordable material was found to be capable of helping against mercury pollution and taking mercury out of water and soil. It was obtained from two industrial waste materials: sulphur and limonene, which is found primarily in orange peels.
Japanese Researchers Conduct Artificial Earthquake In Volcano To Improve Prediction Of Volcanic Eruptions
The artificial quake took place on Mount Zao, which is straddling Miyagi and Yamagata prefectures. It is an active volcano that exhibit more tremors since the magnitude-9 Japan earthquake that struck in March 2011.
Costly Turing Drug Now Has Competition: Imprimis Pharmaceuticals Offers $1 Alternative To $750 Daraprim
A San Diego biomedical firm announced the launch of its $1 alternative to HIV drug Daraprim, a brand-name formulation of pyrimethamine. The price of Turing Pharmaceuticals' Daraprim jumped from $13.50 to a reported $750 per tablet last month.
Study Finds Many Doctors Passively Discourage HPV Vaccination: Here’s Why
A study found that 27 percent of doctors across the United States did not strongly endorse getting the HPV vaccine. Recommendations were also lower among doctors who were uncomfortable discussing sexually transmitted infections or thoughts that parents didn’t find the vaccine important.
Real Life 'Death Star' Caught Destroying A Planet
For the first time, scientists made observations from NASA’s Kepler spacecraft of a white dwarf in the process of consuming a disintegrating rocky body. The white dwarf was ripping it apart by its extreme gravity and turning it into dust.
DARPA To Develop Delivery Vehicles That Vanish After Completing Job
DARPA recently launched ICARUS, a program aiming to create and launch air vehicles that can deliver critical supplies and vaporize into thin air afterwards. This new endeavor was scheduled for a 26-month run with an $8 million budget.
Cancer-Causing Parasite Could Heal Diabetic Ulcers And Other Chronic Wounds
Researchers from James Cook University who conducted tests on mice and cell cultures found that the protein secreted by the parasitic oriental liver fluke healed wounds. The catch, however, is the worm could cause liver cancer in humans in the long run.
Opioids, Muscle Relaxants Offer No Relief To Back Pain
People who visited the emergency room for severe low back pain did not get more comfort from opioids or muscle relaxants than non-prescription painkillers, according to a new study. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) alone, too, relieved patients as much as more potent painkillers did.
Women Who Undergo IVF A Third More Likely To Develop Ovarian Cancer
Of more than 250,000 women who underwent assisted reproductive technology (ART) in the United Kingdom between 1991 and 2010, 386 ovarian cancer cases were recorded. This was a one-third greater chance of developing the disease compared to the general female population.
RAISE Study Reveals More Effective Way To Treat Schizophrenia: How The Treatment Works
One-on-one talk therapy coupled with lower doses of antipsychotic medication may be a more effective intervention for schizophrenia than relying on drugs alone. This was the finding of the NIMH's RAISE study that followed 404 patients and was published Tuesday, Oct. 20, in the American Journal of Psychiatry.
Birth Order Influences IQ: First-Born Child Often The Smartest
German researchers found that oldest children scored higher on intelligence tests, with IQ and the person’s perception of his or her intelligence decreasing as the sibling rank goes down. After IQ, birth order and character did not exhibit a strong link between each other.
Renewable Power Poses Ecological Threats: Solar Energy Plants In California Harm Wildlife And Animals, Study Says
A new study analyzed 161 existing and planned large-scale Californian solar energy facilities and their effects on natural habitats. A majority of solar power sites were on natural landscapes spanning about 145 square miles, while about 85 percent were located in undeveloped areas.
Implantable Eye Lens Could Replace Reading Glasses
Postgraduate student Devesh Mistry had been working with liquid crystal to produce an adjustable artificial lens aimed at helping restore long-sightedness in the elderly. This material was commonly used in the screens of smartphones and TVs.
Carbon Monoxide Is Deadly: Health Officials Advise Public To Take Precautions
In Villa Park, Chicago, an improperly installed furnace was blamed for a carbon monoxide leak at a single-family home, affecting 11 individuals on Sunday. In a separate incident the following day, two families in a home along Grand Avenue in Vernon were sent to the hospital after being exposed to the same substance.
Absolutely No Drinking For Pregnant Women: Pediatricians Say No Amount Of Alcohol Is Safe During Pregnancy
The standard should be no drinking during pregnancy, stated a new American Academy of Pediatrics report. The report added that alcohol-related birth defects and abnormalities are “completely preventable” when a pregnant woman abstains from the substance.
Low-Cost Printer Helps HIV Patients Monitor Their Health: Here’s How The Device Works
Flow cytometers and similar devices had been part of blood tests HIV patients needed for regular health tracking, but they had been bulky, powered by electricity, and cost at least $50,000. Now a low-cost printer was developed to help fill the gap and serve HIV patients in low-income countries.
Staph Kills More Babies Than Superbugs: Low Birthweight Infants More At Risk Of Infection
Researchers reporting in JAMA Pediatrics found that regular staph was as dangerous as superbugs such as MRSA in infants. Hand hygiene was recommended as a cost-effective and easy to perform intervention to prevent spread of infection.
Bees Love Caffeine And This Is How It Affects Their Foraging Behavior
Caffeine is found by previous studies to make honey bees learn and remember their routes to the correct flower better. But it can also lead to return to lower-quality forage every time - serving the interests of plants, not the pollinators.
ISRO’s ASTROSAT Captures Image Of Supernova Remnant Crab Nebula
Using the CZTI instrument, Indian space observatory ASTROSAT detected the Crab Nebula last Oct. 9. India was the fourth nation to launch a space observatory satellite.
Early Insulin Therapy Beneficial For Patients With Type 2 Diabetes
A pilot study found that the insulin-treated type 2 diabetes patients' levels of A1C, which reflects average blood sugar for the last two to three months, was reduced comparably like those of intensive oral therapy. They tolerated the treatment without severe hypoglycemia and weight gain.
Number Of Moles On Right Arm Could Predict Skin Cancer Risk
An estimated 20 to 40 percent of melanoma cases are believed to stem from preexisting moles, with more than 100 moles considered a “strong predictor” of disease risk. A higher risk of skin cancer may manifest in persons with more than 11 moles on the right arm.
Scientists Produce Beef From Cow’s Stem Cells: Lab-Grown Burgers Could Be On The Menu By 2020
Professor Mark Post created the lab-grown burger - made from stem cells - in his lab facility in Maastricht, The Netherlands. The group developing the technology for mass production expressed confidence in having the novel product on the market in five years.
Medline Industries Recalls Mislabeled Acetaminophen: Affected Products Could Lead To Liver Failure
The recall covers lot number 45810 of Medline's 500mg uncoated, compressed Acetaminophen tablets, with item number OTC20101 on their bottles and an expiration date of May 2018. The affected lot was distributed across the United States from June 12 to Sept. 18, 2015.
Study Reveals How The Brain Detects And Prevents Dehydration
Scientists probed the structure of a key protein in the brain that controls hydration and temperature. This protein can be targeted to diagnose and treat health issues linked to fluid imbalance in the body.
Excessive Drinking Costs US Government $2.05 Per Drink: CDC Study
Excessive drinking cost the U.S. economy a total of $249 billion – $2.05 per drink and $807 per person – in 2010 alone. The figures were a significant increase from $223.5 billion or $1.90 per drink spent in 2006.
Seals Have Unique Whiskers That Help Them Track And Chase Prey
Earlier studies noted trained seals’ ability to chase an object’s path even when blindfolded. Now a new study from engineers at the MIT further attributed this 'laser-like tracking ability' to the seals' unique whiskers.
GoGo Squeez Applesauce Recalled Due To Mold Threat
Because of a recent production issue leading to mold contamination, a popular children’s snack maker recalled “a small number of pouches" of its applesauce product. Affected are applesauce packs with a “Best Before Date” of June 30, 2016 to July 26, 2016.
