My Afterlife on the Body Farm

Most of us hope to be remembered after death for the ways we contributed to society during our lives. I want to keep contributing even after I’m gone. The part of me that proudly checks the organ donor box every time I renew my driver’s license has always been offended at the idea of throwing…

Researchers use health data tools to rapidly detect sepsis in newborns

IMAGE: Aaron J. Masino, PhD, is a machine-learning scientist at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. view more  Credit: Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Automated programs can identify which sick infants in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) have sepsis hours before clinicians recognize the life-threatening condition. A team of data researchers and physician-scientists tested machine-learning models in…

Tracking food leads to losing pounds

IMAGE: People who tracked weight and food using a free app lost pounds in a new Duke study. view more  Credit: Duke University DURHAM, N.C. — Without following a particular diet, overweight people who tracked daily food consumption using a free smartphone app lost a significant amount of weight in a new Duke University study. The…

Is alcohol consumption more helpful than harmful? It depends on your age

PISCATAWAY, NJ – Studies of health effects of alcohol consumption may underestimate the risks of imbibing, particularly for younger people, according to a new study in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs. The research demonstrates that although cohort studies–the type of observational investigations typically used to study health benefits and risks–sometimes show benefits…