Low oxygen likely made Great Dying worse, greatly delayed recovery
The biggest mass extinction in Earth history some 251 million years ago was preceded by elevated extinction rates before the main event and was followed by a delayed recovery that lasted for millions of years. New research by two University of Washington scientists suggests that a sharp decline in atmospheric oxygen levels was likely a major reason for both the elevated extinction rates and the v...Late peak may have prevented severe flu season from becoming worse
The 2004-2005 flu season was at least as severe as the 2003-2004 season, but peaked later according to data from Solucient, a leading provider of healthcare information. This later peak may have prevented the most recent flu season from being even worse. A flu season's severity is reflected in hospital admissions for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), one of the most common complications...FSU biologists uncover mechanisms that shape cells for better or worse
In a landmark study, biologists at Florida State University have uncovered a specific genetic and molecular mechanism that causes cell polarity -- the asymmetric shape or composition critical to a cell's proper functioning. Their findings in fruit fly eggs may help to clarify how muscular dystrophy and some cancers develop in humans. That's because many of the genes involved in the cell-t...Environmental toxins may cause body's defenses to worsen lung disease
The University of Cincinnati (UC) has received $2.4 million to study whether environmental toxicants can stimulate the body's natural defense system to cause additional damage in people with chronic lung diseases. Michael Borchers, PhD, believes long-term exposure to certain environmental toxicants may activate a specific receptor--known as NKG2D--in lung cells that causes the immune syst...A steady, high-fat diet is bad, but the news gets worse
So much for the adage, ‘All things in moderation.?Researchers at the University of Calgary have found that people who consume a single, high-fat meal are more prone to suffer the physical consequences of stress than those who eat a low-fat meal. Published this month in the Journal of Nutrition, the study looked at the stress responses of two groups of students: one group consumed a fast-fo...Work-life imbalance - A global problem getting worse
This quote by a Dutch man is taken from a paper by Rhonda Rappaport, Suzan Lewi...Windows exploit worsens as stop-gap measures fill in for official patch
<b...Are your working conditions better now or worse?
Every year around Labor Day, a slew of surveys and polls are taken to gauge the state of the American worker. One released by the Associated Press earlier this week suggests that most Americans are happy with their jobs (81 percent) and think their pay is fair (71 percenet). But 34 percent say they experience too much work-related stress. In the spirit of the presidential election season...Stress Found To Worsen Acne In Teenagers
Acne is a condition of the skin that affects more than 80 percent of teenagers and up to 25 percent of adults. While stress has often been cited // as a source of acne, these claims have been unsubstantiated until now. Twenty-two university students participated in this study. Each participant had at least one academic examination within the time of the study. Exam sessions are common so...Tentative inhaled steroids is worse for lung patients
According to a new study, patients with lung disease suffered more complications if they tried doing without inhaled steroids. Researchers in Texas studied a group of 200 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).// All received a high dose of inhaled steroids, to manage their condition, for a period of four months. After this time, they either continued the steroids or r...Women Worse Affected By Chronic Cough
Latest research shows chronic cough affects women more severely than men and greatly impacts their quality of life. // Researchers from the University of Massachusetts Medical School, analyzed data from 116 women and 56 men seeking medical attention for chronic cough and a control group of 31 men and women smokers who were observed to be coughing but did not complain of cough....