KANSAS CITY, Mo. — “We’re very self-conscious about our bodies, and we’re fighting that every day.” So said Misa Kuranaga, a principal dancer with the San Francisco Ballet, one day in December by phone. She was in the midst of rehearsing the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy for the annual “Nutcracker” production and ruminating…
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A cacophony of slapping noises filled the food lab at the High School for Environmental Studies in Manhattan one afternoon in late October. “Think of all the hands that have done this for thousands of years,” said Andrew Margon, an English teacher, as his students energetically pummeled lumps of corn masa into tortillas. The students…
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For several years in the early 2000s, I made mediocre sushi at a Japanese restaurant in suburban Virginia. I never intended to take up the knife; I never thought I could. I started as a dishwasher, and when I made it into the kitchen, I mostly prepared yakitori and tempura. But then one busy night,…
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Influenza (flu) can be dangerous. Although everyone is at risk of contracting the flu, those who are pregnant or have just given birth are much more susceptible to the more severe effects of the illness. Women who are pregnant or may become pregnant during flu season should get their flu shot. The flu shot may…
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A new fluorescent tool for detecting reactive oxygen species based on a chemical found in mushrooms has been developed by scientists at the University of Bath. Reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as free radicals and peroxides, are produced in cells under oxidative stress. Whilst present in healthy cells in small amounts, excessive ROS in cells…
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Washington, DC – December 17, 2019 – Weight gain and diet have long been known to shuffle the population of gut microbes. More recently, studies have also connected weight gain and diet to changes in the intestinal endocannabinoid system (eCB), a complex network of metabolites and receptors that help regulate appetite and metabolism, among other…
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People with vision impairment are more cautious when stepping over obstacles when walking – but increase their risk of falls, according to a new study published in the journal Scientific Reports. Researchers at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) asked participants with simulated blurred vision to negotiate a 10cm-high obstacle on the floor under increasing time pressure.…
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(Boston)–Dense Breast Notifications (DBNs) are having little impact. DBNs are a written notification to a woman after a mammogram that her breasts are dense. The goal is to motivate her speak with her doctor about her personal risk and possibly obtain supplemental screening for breast cancer. DBNs are mandated legislatively in more than 35 states…
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AURORA, Colo. (Dec. 17, 2019) – Long-acting reversible contraceptives like intrauterine implants have greatly reduced unintended pregnancies and abortions, but government protections allowing religious hospitals to restrict care are limiting access to health care consumers, according to an expert at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. The commentary was published this month in the…
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In Belize, where diabetes is rampant, patients need insulin every day to maintain proper blood sugar levels. But if people lack electricity or a refrigerator, they cannot store insulin at home. Medical advice pamphlets encourage such patients to keep their insulin in the refrigerators at small corner grocery stores instead. And so, in some cases,…
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