Chad's News

Scurvy is a potentially fatal illness caused by a lack of vitamin C. Historically it was a problem for sailors, who went out to sea for long periods on a restricted diet. The cure (eating citrus fruit, fresh meat, etc.) has been known since at least the 15th century, but in a tragic comedy of errors this fact was repeatedly forgotten, misapplied, or misunderstood. It wasn’t until 1932 that vitamin C was identified and definitively shown to be the “cure” for scurvy. The linked article explains the long history, with special emphasis on Robert Falcon Scott’s disastrous Terra Nova Expedition to the South Pole.

Link: http://idlewords.com/…
(via Neatorama)

Researchers have shown that there is a physical basis to the placebo effect. They measured pain-related nerve activity in the spinal cord and found that it vanished when a placebo was used.

Link: http://www.newscientist.com/…

In yet another case of science fiction becoming science fact, researchers have been working on nanoparticles that home in on cancer cells and destroy them, without damaging the rest of the body. Much, much better than chemotherapy. I hope this technology makes it to the mainstream.

Link: http://hplusmagazine.com/…
(via Slashdot)

Medical researchers have long wanted a generic anti-viral agent that works on most viruses, much like antibacterials (such as penicillin) work on bacterial infections. The main way we protect against viruses is to inject a vaccine consisting of a harmless or dead version of the virus. This causes the body to generate antibodies and allows it to react more quickly when exposed to the real virus. The problem is that this doesn’t work on new or mutated viruses (think SARS or the ever-changing flu virus).

Now researchers have developed a promising anti-viral drug that should work on most existing viruses as well as any new ones. Rather than prepping the body’s immune system, it works directly on the virus and prevents it from replicating. And as an added bonus, it will be quite difficult for a virus to develop an immunity to the drug. The linked article has more details.

Link: http://www.newscientist.com/…

Chad’s News has no opinion on political issues, but given the controversy surrounding the US government’s proposed health care legislation, I thought the linked article would be helpful. It provides basic information about the existing programs in various countries (including the US).

Link: http://www.mentalfloss.com/…

Japanese researchers have successfully grown replacement teeth in mice. Here’s hoping this will be a common procedure for humans when I’m old enough to need dentures.

Link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/…

A new strain of swine flu has broken out in Mexico and Texas, leading to concerns about a pandemic. The linked article has more information, as well as answers to common questions.

Link: http://www.newscientist.com/…

Is Gattaca the future? It will be if insurance companies have their way. I’ve read about pending legislation making it illegal to discriminate based on genetic predispositions. I’m not sure, however, if anything’s been made into law yet.

Link: http://www.smh.com.au/…
(via digg)

The sad history of lobotomies in the US.

Link: http://health.howstuffworks.com/…
(via digg)

It’s been known for some time now that maggots are quite good at clearing dead tissue out of a wound while leaving the live tissue alone. This latest study suggests they can also remove antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which is becoming more and more of a concern.

Link: http://arstechnica.com/…

Researchers have developed a prototype plastic-based blood substitute. It’s less perishable than real blood and doesn’t need to be refrigerated, making it ideal for the battlefield and other emergency situations. I guess as long as something transports oxygen to the cells, it doesn’t really matter what it’s made from.

Link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/…
(via Neatorama)

A disturbing first-person account of someone with body identity integrity disorder (BIID). I’ve heard of this before but the article makes it more understandable.

Link: http://society.guardian.co.uk/…