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April 23, 2024

Science & Technology

JHSPH studies stigma of addiction, mental illness

By ALIZAY JALISI | October 16, 2014

The stereotypical portrayals of people suffering from addiction and mental illness have become prevalent in the brains of many Americans due to messages conveyed by TV shows, addiction or depression recovery projects and brochures advertising antidepressants. These stereotypes are the root of a study conducted by Colleen Barry, associate professor and associate chair for research and practice in the Department of Health and Policy at the Bloomberg School of Public Health (JHSPH) titled “Discrimination, Treatment Effectiveness and Policy: Public Views About Drug Addiction and Mental Illness.”

Bloomberg School hosts Ebola symposium

By Catie Paul | October 16, 2014

Hopkins is no stranger to battling epidemics. From the influenza epidemic of 1918 and 1919 to the AIDS crisis, Hopkins researchers have worked on accurately diagnosing patients, developing treatments and identifying at-risk populations. This is why, to Hopkins President Ronald J. Daniels, it made sense that Hopkins would host a symposium on the current Ebola epidemic. The symposium was held Tuesday, Oct. 14 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Bloomberg School of Public Health (JHSPH). It was also available to the public on a livestream.

New Windows 10 OS will arrive next year

By VICTOR DADFAR | October 16, 2014

Three years after the announcement of Windows 8, Microsoft is back with another entry in its decades-spanning operating system. Whereas Windows 8 was meant to serve touchscreens with large, easy-to-navigate icons in a flat and colorful “metro” environment, the new Windows 10 will harken back to the old days with a more prominent desktop environment. With the changes, Microsoft intends to make it easier than ever to use a Windows machine.

Study finds falling child mortality rates

By JOAN YEA | October 16, 2014

Birth certificates are useful for more than just getting a passport. Vital statistics, specifically the documentation of births and deaths within a population, play a critical role in evaluating the progress toward achieving worldwide health goals. One such health goal is the U.N. Millennium Development Goal of reducing mortality in children under the age of five by two-thirds between 1990 and 2015.

Social anxiety disorders best treated by therapy

By JOHN HUGHES | October 16, 2014

Today it may seem like there’s a pill to treat everything. But is turning to medication always the best answer? A researcher at the Bloomberg School of Public Health (JHSPH) conducted a meta-analysis of studies from between 1988 to 2013 and found that individual Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) is more effective at treating social anxiety disorder than any pharmacological or psychological treatment options. This analysis could help treat the 15 million people in the U.S. with social anxiety disorder.

Tobacco plants could be key to Ebola vaccine

By SARAH SUKARDI | October 16, 2014

Consider the vaccine. It is administered to hundreds of thousands of screaming infants and toddlers each year; its advertisements are ubiquitous in store and pharmacy windows during flu season. Vaccines are also commonly grown and incubated in the eggs of mammalian animals, to be harvested and made into the fluid which we inject into our upper arms. But researchers have found that there may be a cheaper and better way to produce vaccines, and the answer lies in the form of the tobacco plant.

Fossil discovery sheds light on multicellular life

By SUNNY CAI | October 9, 2014

It is hard to fathom that animals as complex as humans evolved from tiny microscopic organisms. A recent fossil discovery may provide more insights into how exactly the evolution from single-celled forms of life into the intricate life forms alive today happened.

Studies bring tumeric to stem cell research

By MARU GARZA | October 9, 2014

Turmeric, known scientifically as Curcuma longa, does more than just add spice to the curry eaten all over the world. Native to southeast Asia, the orange and yellow plant has been used for centuries not just as a dye or a spice but also as a medical treatment. A lab in Germany has recently brought turmeric back into the medical playing field. The study, done by Maria Adele Rueger and her team, tested the compound’s utility in relation to diseases of the brain.

BlackBerry releases Passport smartphone

By ELSHEBA ABRAHAM | October 9, 2014

September was likely the highlight of the year for smartphone enthusiasts everywhere. Not only were they treated to the long-awaited iPhone 6 and 6 plus, but now BlackBerry has decided to contribute to some of the ongoing buzz with their own new invention: the BlackBerry Passport.

Nobels awarded in Physics, Physiology and Chemistry

By MELANIE LEVINE | October 9, 2014

This week the Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, and The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded the Physics and Chemistry Prizes. The science prizes recognized achievements from nine scientists over the past 50 years.

Malaria medication efforts fail in objective

By REGINA PALATINI | October 9, 2014

There aren’t many immediate obvious similarities between malaria and Coca-Cola... except when they intertwine in the field of public health. They are able to converge because the economic influence and marketing practices of one is being used in combatting the other. 

First American Ebola patient dies in Dallas

By ALIZAY JALISI | October 9, 2014

In the past week, Ebola has turned from a threat on a distant continent to something very real for Americans. Thomas E. Duncan is the first person to be diagnosed with Ebola in the United States, as confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) on Sep. 30. Duncan died from the disease yesterday in a Dallas hospital.

Large galaxies will consume smaller ones, research says

By SARAH SUKARDI | October 2, 2014

Picture the Milky Way galaxy: our home, and the only galaxy that humanity has ever known. It is large and serene, a spiral of incredible beauty and unimaginable proportions. It is an inspiration to artists, philosophers and candy bar manufacturers alike. The earth resides peacefully in this galaxy, calm and seemingly endless — but the conditions of the Milky Way are far from static. In fact, our home galaxy will soon eat other galaxies and in turn be “eaten” — that is, merge with smaller dwarf galaxies. When this happens, life as we know it will cease to exist. This desolate finding was published recently in the prestigious journal, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, which is produced by the Oxford University Press.

The Brain Wave: New brain cell shape discovered

By DUY PHAN | October 2, 2014

A central tenet in biology holds that structure yields function. Whatever the cell does is significantly influenced by its morphology, or shape. For example, the morphology of neurons in the nervous system guides communication. On a macroscopic level, neurons talk to each other in circuit-like networks. Neurons with long axons (one meter or even longer) will be able to communicate with other neurons located far away, whereas neurons with short axons (one micrometer, or 0.1 percent of a millimeter) talk to each other in small localized circuits.

APL makes strides in public health

By JOHN HUGHES | October 2, 2014

For over 15 years, the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) has developed technologies to assist in the study of public health in order to detect and prevent the spread of disease. These technologies are designed to be easily distributable and open source, meaning that anyone can look at their design.

Researchers find area of the brain involved in deep sleep

By SUNNY CAI | October 2, 2014

Contrary to what many Hopkins students seem to believe, a good night’s sleep is essential for optimal physical, mental and emotional functioning. Despite the recognized importance of sleep, the brain structures responsible for sleep regulation are still relatively unfamiliar territory. However, several research pioneers have started blazing the trail into the wilderness of the neuroscience of sleep.

Researchers discover telomerase “on-off” switch

By REGINA PALATINI | October 2, 2014

Today it seems that nearly every industry has a product claiming to combat aging: supplements, skin creams, workouts, foods, juice, yoga and even pillowcases (which claim to prevent the skin from losing moisture). But many of these inventions leave much to be desired once their claims are evaluated in an unbiased way, and they produce results that are often far from optimal.

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