Sex bias in research labs
Worldwide, lab cages are filled with white male mice leading to women becoming the losers in pharmaceutical and aging research. Its been shown now that 75% of drugs that extend lifespan were developed with males. Belated testing showed they were ‘vanishingly unlikley” to work in females. In addition, when using female mice, researchers chose mice who’d never given birth -ignoring the impact of childbirth.
Source: Guardian
$40 HIV vaccine
A new vaccine-like HIV drug that’s injected twice a year could cost as little as $40 claims scientists. That’s1000 times less than the current price. Early trials of 5,000 women in South Africa and Uganda show treatment offers full protection and can even suppress HIV in those already infected. There were 1.3 million new HIV infections last year with 39 million people living with the virus, according to the WHO.
Source: Economic Times
Less work injuries?
Over a 14-year period an Ontario study looking at work injuries seen in the ER found that mild and moderate
injuries had declined but the proportion of high severity physical injuries rose to 13%. Among women, the rates of very severe injuries actually increased by 18% which is cause for concern. Injuries related to concussions were also significantly up causing scientists to question a change in diagnosis or detection as an influencing factor.
Source: IWH
MRI and pancreatic cancer
Emerging magnetic resonance imaging methods are helping ‘light up’ and reveal deep hiding tumours in the pancreas. Similar to glucose tolerance test which can indicate the onset of diabetes, by measuring how the body digests sugar, the new MRI method tracks how cells “eat” (metabolize glucose). Weizmann scientists used chemically altered glucose containing a stable isotope of hydrogen called deuterium to achieve this breakthrough.
Source: Weismann Canada
Drinking to cope
How do kids develop a healthy relationship with alcohol? A team at Northeastern University found that maternal permissiveness was indirectly linked to more future alcohol problems and episodes of heavy drinking to deal with stress. Authoritative parenting styles that didn’t allow underage drinking and set boundries were found to have fewer alcohol related issues and stress-induced drinking.
Source: Northeastern University
Summertime mental health
Employees appear to be seriously impacted by looming vacation time with almost 47% of workers feeling guilty for taking a vacation. Engulfed with anxiety, they are struggling with the immense pressure they feel from ‘unmanageable workloads’. There’s also stress related to negative body confidence on “beach style” holidays that affects nearly one in five workers (Heat waves and forest fires also have some people fretting not without cause we might add).
Source: Yahoo Finance
