New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show COVID-19 cases are again rising in some parts of the country. The CDC’s map indicates that several states are experiencing a “substantial increase” in cases (more than 20%), including Texas , New Mexico, Kansas, and Nebraska, which saw a 57.3% spike from the previous week. The local surges in COVID are a reminder that although the...
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The remaining frontiers in fighting hepatitis C
Q&A — Virologist Charles M. Rice A scientist whose work was key to identifying, studying and finding treatments for this life-threatening virus discusses the scientific journey and challenges that persist A, B, C, D, E: It’s a short, menacing alphabet representing the five types of virus causing viral hepatitis, a sickness afflicting some 400 million people around the world today. Hepatitis...
Tracking daily step counts can be a useful tool for weight management – an exercise scientist parses the science
Step counts have an inconsistent relationship with weight loss. Jose carlos cerdeno martinez/Moment via Getty Images ~~~~~ Over the last decade, smartphones have become ubiquitous not just for sending texts and staying abreast of news, but also for monitoring daily activity levels. Among the most common, and arguably the most meaningful, tracking method for daily physical activity is...
For people with sickle cell disease, ERs can mean life-threatening waits
Heather Avant always dresses up when she goes to the emergency room. “I’ve been conditioned to act and behave in a very specific way,” said Avant. “I try to do my hair. I make sure I shower, have nice clothes. Sometimes I put on my University of Michigan shirt.” It’s a strategy to combat discrimination the 42-year-old photographer in Mesquite, Texas, has developed over a lifetime of managing her...
Dermatology Company Settles Violations of Stark Law and Anti-Kickback Statute
A Texas-based dermatology management company recently agreed to pay the U.S. government approximately $8.9 million, including $5.9 million in restitution, to settle self-reported allegations of potential violations of the Stark Law and the Anti-Kickback Statute resulting in liability under the False Claims Act. The Settlement Agreement According to the settlement agreement, from January 2013 to...
A magnetic therapy for depression gains precision
Approved over a decade ago, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is moderately effective. Tailoring the treatment to individual brains may improve results. In the mid-1970s, a British researcher named Anthony Barker wanted to measure the speed at which electrical signals travel down the long, slender nerves that can carry signals from the brain to muscles like those in the hand, triggering...