An artist’s rendering of the powerful genome editing tool, CRISPR-Cas9. Ethicists have been working overtime to figure out how to handle CRISPR, the revolutionary gene-editing technique that could potentially prevent congenital diseases but could also be used for cosmetic enhancements and lead to permanent, heritable changes in the human species. The latest iteration of this...
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Elon Musk: If Humans Are to Survive, We Must Merge With Machines
IN BRIEF Elon Musk thinks that, as AI technology and automation continue to replace jobs and more traditional technology, humans will become obsolete and need to merge with machines Since computers can communicate at speeds well beyond an organic organisms’ capacity, Musk thinks that creating a symbiotic relationship between us and our tech will give...
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One Country Has Eliminated HIV Transmission to Newborns
IN BRIEF Thailand has become the first Asian country to completely eliminate mother to child transmission of HIV Since HIV is still a global pandemic, it is important for other countries to take note of the enormous success that Thailand has found through government support of health guidelines MOTHER-TO-CHILD TRANSMISSION While the virus existed earlier,...
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PTSD Symptoms May Be Prevented With Ketamine
Study in mice shows drug’s potential to prevent PTSD in soldiers and others likely to experience psychological trauma NEW YORK, NY (Feb. 8, 2017)—Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) researchers have found that a single dose of ketamine, given one week before a stressful event, can buffer against a heightened fear response. The study, conducted in...
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That's not hard to swallow! Daily aspirin could stop cancer in its tracks by shutting down blood clot enzyme
The popular pain-killer disrupts the way blood platelets react with growths Specifically, it switches off down the enzyme COX-1, reducing their activity This, in turn, denies the malignant masses the ‘nutrients’ needed to expand It has already been credited with helping to reduce heart attack risk, but now it seems that daily doses of...
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How to stop your worries keeping you awake at night, six of the best sleep trackers and the best ways to beat the heat: The one-week insomnia cure
All this week, in the Mail’s life-changing series, Professor Jason Ellis, Director of the Northumbria Sleep Research Laboratory, has drawn on his vast experience to help tackle your sleep problems — whether it’s a duvet-hogging partner or chronic insomnia. Today, he reveals the clever tricks you can use to banish late-night anxiety… For many people...
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Think your gluten-free diet is healthy? You're exposed to twice as much arsenic and mercury, study finds
Gluten-free diets have increasingly grown in popularity over the past few years But scientists claim it could be dangerous for those choosing to eat such foods They found high levels of the 2 toxic metals in the urine of gluten-free dieters Gluten-free diets have taken off rapidly in the past few years. But new research...
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Diet Tips for COPD
COPD is a chronic lung condition that includes two conditions: emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Together, these conditions damage the lungs and airways, making it more difficult to breathe. Common symptoms include shortness of breath, chronic cough with mucus, wheezing, and fatigue. All of the body’s processes, including breathing, require energy. The body gets this energy from...
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Patient self checks are critical to avoid potentially deadly melanoma recurrence
New study finds that recurrent melanomas are more likely to be found by patients as opposed to imaging Recurrences of early stage (stage II) melanoma are more often detected by patients and their physicians than by routine imaging tests, according to study results published online as an “article in press” on the Journal of the American...
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What is the link between COPD and Pneumonia?
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease reduces people’s ability to breathe. It also increases the risks of pneumonia. People with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who develop pneumonia are also more likely to die from the infection. Understanding the link between the two conditions ensures prompt treatment. Left untreated, pneumonia is more likely to be fatal, especially for people with COPD....