Free contraception and counseling decrease teen pregnancy rates by a whopping 12.5 percent among at-risk teens in St. Louis.
http://www.healthline.com/health-news/free-contraception-lowers-teen-pregnancy-rates-100114
New drug-delivery Capsule May Replace Injections
Given a choice, most patients would prefer to take a drug orally instead of getting an injection. Unfortunately, many drugs, especially those made from large proteins, cannot be given as a pill because they get broken down in the stomach before they can be absorbed.
http://newsoffice.mit.edu/2014/microneedles-drug-delivery-capsule-100
We are slowly winning the war on cancer: Mortality rates have fallen from 215 deaths per 100,000 to 172 per 100,000
"If science and medicine are so great, then why are so many people dying of cancer?" This question has been asked of me more than a few times. The answer is complex and multifaceted.
Exercise is the New ADHD Medication
Physical movement improves mental focus, memory, and cognitive flexibility; new research shows just how critical it is to academic performance.
Artificial Sweeteners Aren’t the Answer to Obesity
They’re supposed to be the sweet alternative to high-calorie, diabetes-causing sugar. But the latest science shows that artificial sweeteners may actually set us up for obesity and diabetes.
This Device Lets Fully Paralyzed Rats Walk Again, and Human Trials Are Planned
Swiss Federal Institute for Technology (EPFL) have figured out a way to reactivate the severed spinal cords of fully paralyzed rats, allowing them to walk again via remote control.
Gut Bacteria Controls our Minds
It sounds like science fiction, but it seems that bacteria within us — which outnumber our own cells about 100-fold — may very well be affecting both our cravings and moods to get us to eat what they want, and often are driving us toward obesity.
http://universityofcalifornia.edu/news/do-gut-bacteria-rule-our-minds
Turning Off Pain Receptor In Mice Lengthens Their Lifespan by 10%
Biologists from the Salk Institute, who were led by Professor Andrew Dillin found that removing a pain receptor in mice has the trifecta effect of lengthening life span, improving cognition, and protecting against obesity.
http://www.neomatica.com/2014/06/13/turning-pain-receptor-mice-lengthens-lifespan-10/
San Diego Biofuel Industry Struggling
Companies developing renewable fuels and chemicals face extraordinary political uncertainty in getting the government to support their needs, said speakers at a San Diego conference on industrial biotechnology.
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/dec/10/biofuels-bioenergy-pacific-rim-summit/
Exercise as Potent as Medicine
Exercise can be as effective as many frequently prescribed drugs in treating some of the leading causes of death, according to a new report.
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/12/11/exercise-as-potent-medicine/?_r=0