Health & Fitness

Propofol is used in the operating room to induce anesthesia. To maintain anesthesia, a continuous infusion of the agent via a separate syringe pump is the standard procedure for total intravenous anesthesia. However, this is not entirely sustainable: propofol produces about 45 percent of the drug waste in the operating room, and a quarter of the agent remains unused. Researchers have now shown that an alternative method reduces the amount of waste.

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An ancient gene mutation among First Nations inhabitants of Oceania may make them more susceptible to infectious diseases like influenza, according to a new study.

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Researchers have identified a key biochemical mechanism relevant to the development of Huntington's Disease. This discovery opens up the possibility of studying the disease before its clinical onset and eventually stopping its progression.

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Researchers have developed a miniature soft lithium-ion battery that could be used as a defibrillator to control heart rhythm during surgery. The flexible lithium-ion battery is constructed by assembling biocompatible hydrogel droplets. The state-of-the-art device is the smallest soft lithium-ion battery with the highest energy density. The research opens the way to developing tiny bio-integrated devices, with a range of applications in robotics, biology, and medicine.

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Researchers have elucidated the role of the p53 gene in ulcerative colitis. The study suggests a potential new drug target to stop disease progression to cancer.

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A new analysis shows that political polarization also poses significant health risks -- by obstructing the implementation of legislation and policies aimed at keeping Americans healthy, by discouraging individual action to address health needs, such as getting a flu shot, and by boosting the spread of misinformation that can reduce trust in health professionals.

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Elite ice hockey players with a history of concussion report heightened mental health symptoms, according to a new study.

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