Myopia may afflict half the world’s people by 2050

Mom was right: Sitting in front of the television might make us blind. According to a study published in the Ophthalmology Journal, five billion people, or about 50 percent of the global population, might suffer from myopia (shortsightedness) by 2050. Moreover, the number of people with vision loss from severe shortsightedness is predicted to increase seven-fold from 2000 to 2050.

Carnitine may prevent some forms of autism

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) consists of a group of neurodevelopmental disorders. Individuals with autism tend to experience social, emotional and communication skill disabilities.

Samsung impresses at Mobile World Congress

This past week, the Mobile World Congress (MWC) convened for the eighth year in a row, meeting in Barcelona, Spain. This annual event is the largest mobile phone exhibition, where electronic companies including Samsung, LG and HTC showcase their soon-to-be-released smartphones. One big name is missing from this list every year — Apple is noticeably absent from this event because the company hosts its own reveal events.

Incarceration affects sexual partnerships

High rates of incarceration prevail in many U.S. communities. According to the most recent data compiled last month by the International Centre for Prison Studies, the U.S. has the second-highest incarceration rate in the world: about 698 prisoners per 100,000 residents. Numbering more than 2.2 million, the U.S. prison population is by far the largest in the world and is disproportionately comprised of young black and Hispanic men.

Can the brain repair its own injuries?

Microbiomes are influenced by the environment

We all carry a unique assemblage of bacterial colonies in and on ourselves that we began to collect before we were born and that continues to evolve as we pass through life. This “microbiome” helps us to fend off pathogenic bacteria and keeps us healthy. However, it can also cause health problems.

Choosing a good disease model

Cognitive therapy can change brain volume

Scientists have recently found that cognitive therapy can change the brain volume of people suffering from social anxiety disorder (SAD).

High blood-iron concentrations may be harmful to cells

Iron is vital to bodily function, playing an important part in oxygen transport and metabolism. However, nutritional deficiencies or excessive bleeding can cause iron deficiency anemia in patients. Those who are anemic may feel tired or lethargic. Currently, millions of people who have iron deficiencies take iron tablets to supplement their iron intake.

Scientists catalog more rare Earth minerals

A recent catalog of rare Earth minerals revealed that the total quantities of some of these minerals have a smaller volume than a sugar cube. However of the over 2,500 minerals in the catalog, many hold information that is crucial to understanding how the Earth formed. Robert Hazen, a researcher at the Carnegie Institution for Science, argues that while many people dismiss these rare minerals because they are so minimal in quantity, these minerals tell us how the Earth differs from the Moon, Mars and other planetary bodies. These uncommon minerals found only on our planet hold the key to knowing what makes Earth so special.

Neural pathways may strengthen our habits

Global Brigades group volunteers in Honduras

During Intersession, 25 students spent six days in Honduras sorting medications, shadowing doctors, seeing patients and running a temporary clinic for nearby citizens. The medical care they provided motivated citizens from all over the area to travel to the temporary clinic. Some citizens were rumored to have walked for over two hours to receive the medical care that Hopkins students were helping to deliver.

The food we eat may influence our genes

A recent study from the University of Cambridge and the Francis Crick Institute in London has provided evidence that almost all of our genes may be influenced by the food we eat.

New discovery could turn windows into televisions

A breakthrough by researchers at the University of British Columbia could change the function of windows by expanding the range of features they could offer.

Why the hippocampus needs new neurons

Researchers investigate the origin of cancer

Cancer is a notoriously difficult disease to understand.

Flint lead poisoning crisis caused by pipes

Lead poisoning resulting from the man-made health disaster in Flint, Mich. continues to affect a community of about 99,000 people. While Michigan’s state officials have switched back the water supply source from the Flint River to the Detroit water system fed by Lake Huron, the aged pipes of many service lines, corroded by the polluted water from Flint River, are still leaching lead into the water. This has forced Flint residents to rely on donations of bottled water for clean drinking water.

Hopkins to perform first HIV transplants

The Johns Hopkins Hospital recently revealed that it is ready to perform kidney and liver transplants between HIV-positive donors and HIV-positive patients. The hospital, which received approval to conduct this procedure from the United Network for Organ Sharing, will be the first hospital in the U.S. to perform an HIV-positive kidney transplant and the first in the world to perform an HIV-positive liver transplant.

New study links Zika virus to fetal microcephaly

First discovered in Uganda in 1947 as a mosquito-borne virus that caused a brief, mild illness, the Zika virus’s notoriety has expanded significantly as it continues to live up to its recent designation by the World Health Organization as a global public health emergency.