ATLANTA–We all run from a burning building the same way–fast!–but how we describe it depends on the language we speak. In some languages, we might flee, race, or bolt, while in others we might just exit or leave the building quickly.. Different languages describe motion differently, according to distinct lexical rules. And though we may…
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Exposure to toxic pollutants associated with human activities may be influencing the spread of infectious diseases in wildlife, according to a new study from the University of Georgia. The findings, just published in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters, have implications for both human health and wildlife conservation. Researchers led by Cecilia Sánchez, a postdoctoral…
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In a study of older adults admitted to the hospital with influenza and other acute respiratory illnesses during the 2011-2012 flu season, functional decline was common–and for some, this decline was persistent and catastrophic. The findings are published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society . Among the 925 patients included in the study,…
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Among patients in New York City with gynecologic cancer and COVID-19, Black patients younger than 65 years of age were five times more likely to require hospitalization than non-Blacks in the same age group. Even though Black patients with gynecologic cancer represented only one-third of patients in this study, they accounted for 41 percent of…
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Humans are more prone to develop carcinomas compared with our closest evolutionary cousins, the great apes. These cancers begin in the epithelial cells of the skin or the tissue that covers the surface of internal organs and glands, and they include prostate, breast, lung, and colorectal cancers. A new study published in FASEB BioAdvances reveals…
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A new study published in Arthritis & Rheumatology suggests that recent advances in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis have prolonged patients’ lives but also increased healthcare costs. For the study, investigators examined medical claims data from the National Health Insurance of Taiwan, identifying 29,352 new cases of rheumatoid arthritis from 2003-2016. The life expectancy after…
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Medicine misuse is a public health issue, but the term has different meanings to people in different settings. A recent analysis of published studies provides a comprehensive overview of the terms and definitions used to characterize medicine misuse. The findings are published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. Among 51 relevant studies, there were…
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Although weight loss surgery is a highly effective treatment for obesity, it can be detrimental to bone health. A new study published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research suggests that exercise may help address this shortcoming. The study randomized 84 patients undergoing weight loss surgery to an exercise group or a control group…
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A new national study of public water systems found that arsenic levels were not uniform across the U.S., even after implementation of the latest national regulatory standard. In the first study to assess differences in public drinking water arsenic exposures by geographic subgroups, researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health confirmed there are…
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Compared to chimpanzees, our closest evolutionary cousins, humans are particularly prone to developing advanced carcinomas — the type of tumors that include prostate, breast, lung and colorectal cancers — even in the absence of known risk factors, such as genetic predisposition or tobacco use. A recent study led by researchers at University of California San…
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