Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Neuromuscular disorders can be caused by hereditary or acquired genetic mutations, impairing the function of skeletal muscles: those under voluntary control. These diseases cause muscles to weaken and waste progressively, leading to declining muscle function and significant hinderance to quality of life. Due their diverse origins and clinical presentations, neuromuscular disorders…
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Did you ever feel your own shoulders relax when you saw a friend receive a shoulder massage? For those of you who said “yes,” congratulations, your brain is using its power to create a “placebo effect.” For those who said “no,” you’re not alone, but thankfully, the brain is trainable. Since…
Two recent studies published by the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) on flour indicate that U.S. consumers need more education on how to use flour safely. The first study, titled “Consumption of Raw Flour in the United States: Results from the 2019 U.S. Food and Drug Administration Food Safety and Nutrition Survey,” shows that…
Two new studies from Britain and Scotland support early data from South Africa that while the Omicron variant of COVID appears to be more transmissible, it may cause less severe illness than the Delta variant.The first study from the Imperial College London COVID response team evaluated all confirmed PCR-tested cases of Omicron and Delta in…
Dec. 22, 2021 — People who get COVID-19 infections caused by the Omicron variant are less likely to need hospital care, compared with those infected by the Delta variant, according to two large new studies from the U.K. and South Africa.The findings, which were released ahead of peer review, add to previous glimmers of evidence…
Climate change is affecting every continent across the globe. Climate research, on the other hand, is in need of catching up. There are far more studies on climate impacts in high-income countries than in low-income countries, according to a new study that reviewed more than 100,000 published climate research papers. It’s a problem the authors…
Female sage grouse move as a group at a site in northwest Colorado. New research examines the impact of hunting restrictions on the iconic bird across the West. Credit: Jeff Beck A thorough review of the history of sage grouse hunting and populations across the Intermountain West shows that declines in the bird’s numbers have…
Two studies in different European countries have both emphasized the need to improve consumer awareness and education to prevent botulism. The first study looked at epidemiological data on foodborne botulism in Western Romania over the past decade. Botulism poisoning is a rare illness caused by toxins produced by Clostridium botulinum bacteria. Medical records from one…