When mortuary employees in a rural South African village first heard screaming coming from the morgue freezer, they fled in fear, thinking it was a ghost. They eventually returned and discovered a 50-year-old man alive and well, though a bit dehydrated, locked inside the refrigerated compartment. He had apparently suffered an asthma attack the day before that rendered him unconscious. Family members, presuming he had died, called a local undertaker, who, finding no pulse or heartbeat, placed him in the freezer. Health officials say the incident highlights the importance of contacting a trained healthcare worker to check for signs of life before pronouncing a person dead.
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Israeli scientists have reported early success with an "electronic nose" device that can detect several forms of cancer through a simple breath test. Chemical variations in the breath allow the sensor to distinguish between the healthy and the cancer-stricken as well as determine what type of cancer it is detecting—lung, breast, bowel, or prostate. Researchers hope the technology will make it easier and cheaper to diagnose cancer early, even before tumors are visible on conventional scans, such as X-rays.
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"Occupy," "amazing," "man cave," and "baby bump" are just a few of the terms included in Lake Superior State University's 37th annual list of overused, misused, and cliché words and phrases that deserve to be banished from the English language. The Michigan university began publishing its "Banished Word List" in 1976 and has, in past years, tossed out such phrases as "at this point in time," "battleground state," and "24/7." Hundreds of words are nominated for the list each year by people from around the globe, but this year only 12 made the cut.
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A geology student in Massachusetts has found what researchers are calling the oldest imprint of a prehistoric insect. Found at a rocky outcrop near a large shopping center in North Attleboro, Massachusetts, the 312 million-year-old imprint shows the creature’s thorax, abdomen, and six legs. Though not a dragonfly, the insect had a similar body structure and may have been some sort of mayfly. A few weeks earlier, the fossilized remains of a wing that may have belonged to another insect of the same species was uncovered.
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According to a recent study, one in every 25 deaths worldwide is linked to alcohol consumption, and men are five times more likely to die from an alcohol-related illness than women. In addition to diseases directly caused by alcohol consumption, like liver disorders, a number of other health effects such as cancer, depression, and stroke have been linked to drinking. Researchers say that while moderate alcohol consumption is believed to have positive cardiovascular effects, the risks of drinking far outweigh the benefits.
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US census data for 2010 showed that the number of new marriages dropped five percent between 2009 and 2010, bringing the percentage of married US adults to a record low. Whereas 72 percent of American adults were married in 1960, just 51 percent are married today. The median age for first-time brides and grooms has also risen, and now stands at 26.5 years and 28.7 years respectively. Similar trends are being seen in other developed countries around the world and may be attributed to a combination of economic, societal, political, and religious factors.
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An Italian man who lost his left forearm in an automobile accident was successfully connected to a robotic hand that was controlled by his mind and which allowed him to feel sensations in the artificial limb. At the start of the monthlong experiment, Pierpaolo Petruzziello, a 26-year-old amputee, had electrodes implanted in the nerves of what remained of his left arm. Over time, he learned to wiggle the robotic fingers independently, make a fist, grab objects, and make other movements. Experts say this experiment is a significant step forward in the development of a viable interface between the human nervous system and prosthetic limbs. Discuss
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If the current bedbug problem has taught us anything, it is that without harsh and often dangerous chemicals, we are at the mercy of many pests. Early humans could perhaps teach us a thing or two about repelling insects. Ancient bedding discovered in a South African cave contained bug-repelling plants that helped the people on them sleep more comfortably. An unintended consequence of these bug-repelling mattresses was that they also helped reduce the transmission of insect-borne diseases. At 77,000 years old, the bedding is 50,000 years older than any previously discovered prehistoric beds.
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Scientists believe that sedimentary deposits found in New York and New Jersey prove that a rare Atlantic Ocean tsunami swept across the region 2,300 years ago. Large gravel, marine fossils, and other unusual deposits were found in sediment cores of 20 sites in the two US states. Given the size and distribution of the material, it seems unlikely that a mere storm could have scattered the debris in this manner. The scientists speculate that an undersea landslide or asteroid impact could have triggered the massive wave. Discuss
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Though doctors and patients often describe being under general anesthesia as being asleep, a three-year study of the similarities and differences of sleep, anesthesia, and coma has shown that general anesthesia is actually more similar to a reversible, drug-induced coma. The only period in which there is any real overlap between anesthesia and sleep is in the lightest phases of anesthesia, which resemble the deepest states of sleep. Beyond that, patients' brains are more coma-like. Researchers believe the study will improve understanding of general anesthesia as well as help in the development of strategies for helping coma patients return to a conscious state. Discuss
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