Statins may reduce risk of death by 39% for patients with life-threatening sepsis, large study finds

Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Sepsis is when the immune system overshoots its inflammatory reaction to an infection, so strongly that the vital organs begin to shut down. It is life-threatening:…

Ivory Coast announces cholera outbreak after 7 deaths

Scanning electron microscope image of Vibrio cholerae. Credit: Wikipedia Ivory Coast announced a cholera outbreak on Thursday, confirming seven deaths from the disease. Daniel Kouadio Ekra, head of the National…

Can AI Be Funny? Yes, But Not Funnier Than a Human

Summary: A new study shows that AI can create internet memes rated as funny and shareable as those made by humans, but the best jokes still come from people. Researchers…

Study shows how obesity can affect care provision

Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain A new study has found that older adults living with obesity can feel judged or dismissed by care providers due to their weight, leading to a…

Multitasking Is Many Skills, Not One

Summary: A new study reveals that multitasking isn’t a single, universal skill, but a combination of broad cognitive abilities and task-specific skills. Researchers tested 224 participants across nine different multitasking…

Game theory explains why reasonable parents make vaccine choices that fuel outbreaks

When outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles occur despite highly effective vaccines being available, it’s easy to conclude that parents who don’t vaccinate their children are misguided, selfish or…

Cuts to school lunch and food bank funding mean less fresh produce for children and families

The U.S. government recently cut more than US$1 billion in funding to two long-running programs that helped schools and food banks feed children and families in need. The U.S. Department…

Diabetes drug shows benefits for patients with liver disease

Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain The sodium glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT-2) inhibitor drug dapagliflozin, widely used to treat type 2 diabetes, also shows improvements for patients with progressive liver disease, finds…

Baby’s microbiome may protect against later childhood viral infection

Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain A baby’s makeup of gut bacteria—their microbiome—which starts to form as soon as they are born, could help protect against viral infections later in childhood, a…

Hallucinogens Linked to Milder PTSD

Summary: In a unique real-world study, researchers examined the psychological effects of trauma on survivors of the October 7 Nova Festival attack in Israel, focusing on their use of mind-altering…