Articles by Rhodi Lee
FDA To Make Abortion Pill Mifeprex Cheaper, More Accessible To Women
The FDA relaxed guidelines on the use of Mifeprex. The agency extended the use of the abortion pill to 70 days of gestation, lowered the recommended dosage and reduced required visits to the doctor.
Researchers Discover Plastic, Man-Made Items Inside Stomach Of Dead Sperm Whales
Thirteen dead sperm whales were found in a coast of Germany earlier this year. A necropsy found a plastic bucket, parts of a car engine cover and fishing net inside the marine animals' stomach.
Fungi In Space Station May Pave Way For New Medicines, Cheaper Drugs
NASA and USC will send four strains of Aspergillus nidulans fungus to the ISS. The fungi experiment could pave way for new medicines that can treat cancer, Alzheimer's and osteoporosis.
Virus Prompts Shutdown Of MedStar Hospital Chain's Computer System
MedStar Health Inc. was forced to shut down its email and record systems after a virus breached its computer system. The FBI is conducting an investigation if this was a ransomware attack.
Discarded GlaxoSmithKline Drug Fights Two Disease-Causing Viruses In Lab
GlaxoSmithKline discarded GSK983 drug due to its side effects in clinical trials. Lab tests, however, suggest a strategy so this abandoned drug can be used to fight disease-causing viruses such as those that cause Zika, dengue and ebola.
World's Oldest Tortoise Gets First Bath After 184 Years
Jonathan the giant tortoise has finally taken his first bath. Nearly two centuries worth of dirt was removed from the world's oldest living land animal in preparation for an anticipated Royal visit to the British territory of St. Helena.
Obama Announces Additional Actions To Fight Opioid Abuse Epidemic
President Barack Obama will announce additional actions from his administration to fight opioid abuse and heroin epidemic. The actions involve expanding access to treatment, preventing overdose deaths and increasing community prevention strategies.
Japan's X-Ray Satellite ASTRO-H Loses Contact With Earth
Just over a month after its launch, Japan's Hitomi or ASTRO-H lost contact with space agency JAXA. What happened to the X-ray astronomical satellite?
Fredkin Gate Breakthrough Overcomes Obstacle In Quantum Computing
Particles of light helped simplify the process of building the quantum computer circuit's Fredkin gates. The breakthrough overcomes one of the obstacles of quantum computing.
Plastic Chemical BPA Used In Food Containers Linked To Premature Births
BPA was linked to increased risk for premature birth. Pregnant women with high concentration of the plastic chemical in their blood are at increased risk of giving birth before their baby is due.
Serious Heart Attack Victims Now Younger And More Obese: Study
Americans who suffer from ST-elevation heart attacks are now younger, more obese and more sickly. These heart attack suffers are also more likely to smoke.
Lost Family Dog Returns Home After Three Years
Gucci, an American pit bull terrier, disappeared before his owners moved from San Antonio, Texas to Norfolk Virginia in 2013. In early March, the microchipped dog was reunited to his family.
Malaria Started Out As Bird Parasite Before Spreading To Other Mammals
Blood samples taken from hundreds of animals revealed that malaria may have originated from bird hosts. The mosquito-borne parasite appeared to have then spread to bats and other mammals.
Blind Walking Fish In Thailand Climbs Waterfalls Like Salamander
A blind cavefish discovered in Thailand can walk and climb waterfalls like four-footed creatures. What does this walking fish reveal about early land vertebrates?
Coffee And Pregnancy: Couple's High Caffeine Intake Linked To Higher Miscarriage Risk
Consuming too much coffee or tea prior to and during the early weeks of pregnancy may increase miscarriage risk. Women whose partners drink too much caffeinated drinks are also more likely to miscarry.
Japan Whaling Fleet Kills More Than 300 Whales During Antarctic Hunt
Despite criticisms, Japan went ahead with hunting whales in the Antarctic. The ICR confirmed the whaling mission killed more than 300 whales, 200 of which were pregnant.
FDA Now Requires ‘Black Box’ Warning On Immediate-Release Opioid Painkillers
FDA now requires black box warning on immediate-release painkillers, which make up 90 percent of opioid prescriptions. Some, however, are not fully convinced this will make a significant dent on opioid abuse in the U.S.
American Red Cross Needs Type O Negative Blood
The American Red Cross urged eligible donors to donate type O negative blood. The so-called universal blood is frequently used during emergency but less than 7 percent of U.S. population has this blood type.
Solar-Powered Sterile Box Offers Safer Surgeries For Patients In Developing Countries
Many patients in low-resource areas are at risk of surgical site infections. To mitigate this problem, researchers developed the Sterile Box, a facility that uses solar power to decontaminate and sterilize medical equipment for reuse.
Teaching Asthma, COPD Patients How Inhalers Work May Help Prevent Medical Emergencies
Teaching patients with COPD and asthma on how inhaler devices work helps reduce acute symptom flare-ups after hospitalization. Those with low health literacy appeared to benefit most from this information.
Veterans Use Marijuana For PTSD Despite Limited Research
There is limited research to back up effectiveness of marijuana for PTSD but many veterans use pot. Experts said this places them at increased risk for cannabis use disorder.
Jury Favors Merck Over Gilead In Hepatitis C Drug Patent Dispute
A federal jury favored Merck & Co. over Gilead Sciences Inc. in a high-profile lawsuit involving patents for new hepatitis C drugs. Merck sued Gilead for using sofosbuvir in hepatitis drugs Sovaldi and Harvoni.
NASA's Kepler Space Telescope Catches Flash Of Exploding Star For The First Time
For the first time, astronomers witnessed the elusive shock breakout in a supernova. This was made possible by NASA's Kepler space telescope, which caught two massive stars exploding.
Rosacea Linked To Increased Risk For Parkinson's Disease
Individuals with rosacea were found to have increased risk for Parkinson's disease. They are also likely to get diagnosed of Parkinson's disease 2.4 years earlier than the general population.
US Sees Drop In Heart Disease Rates
Americans saw an average drop of 61 percent in heart disease deaths over the past 40 years. The decline, however, varies with some counties in the South seeing only a 9 percent decline in heart disease-related mortality.
Hikers Find Human Skull Near Hollywood Sign
Hikers on a trail near the Hollywood Sign in Griffith Park reported finding a human skull. Authorities who conducted the investigation said that the skull looked very old.
Ebola Virus Still A Threat To Sierra Leone, Guinea And Liberia: WHO
WHO declared the end of the latest flare up of Ebola virus in Sierra Leone. The UN agency, however, warned that due to the persistence of the virus in some survivors, Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone continue to be at risk of the hemorrhagic virus.
British Troops Test Harry Potter-Style Invisibility Cloak
British snipers reported that the invisibility cloak-like material known as Vatec allowed them to camouflage their hideout from enemy troops. This technology could be available within five years.
New Equation More Accurately Predicts Calories Burned By Walking
Standardized equations that track calories burned by walking are relatively inaccurate. The SMU equation, however, is up to four times more accurate as it factored in different sizes of walkers and used data from a larger database.
New Horizons' Data Reveal Diverse Terrain Of Dwarf Planet Pluto
Pluto has a geographically diverse surface. Researchers said this is influenced by the dwarf planet's water ice and volatile ices.
