Shopping for Kettles

A kettle is equal parts kitchen workhorse and decorative accessory. So choosing one isn’t just a matter of finding something that can boil water. “Look at it as art, as well as a functional element,” suggested Sarah Blank, a kitchen designer based in Greenwich, Conn. “When you do a kitchen and have this gorgeous range…

Why Are We So Afraid of Fevers?

So why are we so hellbent on suppressing fevers? Fear is one reason, said Dr. Gordon, the Brooklyn pediatrician, who said frantic parents often call in the middle of the night when a child’s fever spikes. She suggested that doctors warn parents ahead of time to expect a nighttime rise in a child’s fever and…

Advances in understanding autism, based on “mosaic” mutations

Two studies in today’s Nature Neuroscience, led by researchers at Boston Children’s Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), and Harvard Medical School (HMS), implicate mosaic mutations arising during embryonic development as a cause of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The findings open new areas for exploring the genetics of ASD and could eventually inform diagnostic testing.…

Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation awards $2.65M to innovative scientists

The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation announced that seven scientists with novel approaches to fighting cancer have been named 2021 recipients of the Damon Runyon-Rachleff Innovation Award. Five initial grants of $400,000 over two years were awarded to early career scientists whose projects have the potential to significantly impact the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of…

Why COVID-19 pneumonia lasts longer, causes more damage than typical pneumonia

‘This effort truly represents a “moonshot” in COVID-19 research’ Scientists identify target to treat COVID pneumonia and reduce severity Clinical trials with new experimental drug to begin early in 2021 Goal is to develop treatments that make COVID-19 no worse than a common cold First comparison between immune mechanisms driving COVID-19 pneumonia with other pneumonias…