Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896
November 25, 2024

Science & Technology






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EpiPens are one vital drug that have soared in price over the years.

New Maryland statute regulates big Pharma

To those who suffer from allergies, EpiPens, or epinephrine injections, are the difference between life and death. Yet many families without health insurance have to take the risk, because they cannot afford EpiPens, which can set a family back anywhere from $300 to $630 just for a pack of two.


COURTESY OF JOCELYNE DIRUGGIERO
Hopkins professor Jocelyne DiRuggiero spends time researching in extreme climates such as the desert.

Hopkins lab studies archaea in harsh environments

Where there’s a will, there’s a way. For extremophiles, those words aren’t just a mantra but a way of life. Thriving in environments from volcanoes to the frozen Arctic, extremophiles have found a way to adapt to the harshest environments on Earth. Research professor Jocelyne DiRuggiero and her team at Hopkins are studying these extremophiles to learn how they have come to be so versatile.


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Reduction in depression occurred with sleep deprivation.

Sleep deprivation may be an effective anti-depressant

For most college students, sleep deprivation is a frustratingly familiar enemy. Medical professionals recommend seven to nine hours of sleep per night; however, on average, one in three adults fails to meet these standards.




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Slowing cell growth can replace traditional drug related treatments for many brain disorders.

Slowing brain cell growth reduces risk of seizures

According to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a major contributor to disabilities and deaths in the U.S. Statistics indicate that 153 people die every day from injuries involving TBI.


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Human remains in Malawi show no DNA link to modern day habitants.

Newly found DNA unveils migration patterns

When we think about the beginnings of humanity, we often imagine a caveman with a club running in circles looking for food. We are taught that humanity slowly evolved in northeastern Africa, that homo sapiens slowly spread through the continent and then out of Africa to Europe, Asia and the Americas.



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Studies have shown that telling children they are smart results in an increased inclination to cheat.

Praising children for being smart increases cheating

A pair of studies from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) at the University of Toronto, along with researchers in China and the U.S. have found that children who are told that they are smart or that they are high-achieving academic students are more likely to cheat.


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The HPV vaccine has been shown to prevent multiple types of cancer.

More teens are getting vaccinated for HPV

There’s a vaccine that could eradicate cervical cancer, but it’s heavily underused in the U.S. Thankfully new numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that a rising number of U.S. teenagers are receiving one or more shots of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, totaling up to 60 percent in 2016. Experts say the target rate is 80 percent.


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Excessive drinking can cause serious damage in the brain activity of adolescents.

Binge drinking has permanent effects on development

While many may classify occasional binge drinking as a fun and harmless practice, researchers have beginning to discover otherwise. Recent studies of young college binge drinkers have shown that excessive drinking can have serious and permanent effects on the brain development and brain activity of young adults.





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Germ free mice given human subject microbiomes showed dramatic weight gain or loss.

Human gut microbiome found to influence health

If you have ever considered yourself a germaphobe and shuddered at the thought of bacteria surrounding you, recent scientific research may shock you. Did you know that the average human can have as much as five pounds of bacteria living on and inside of them?



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