Imagine a hidden battle playing out in the rivers of Curitiba, Brazil. The culprits? Three drugs—azithromycin, ivermectin, and hydroxychloroquine—used widely during the COVID-19 pandemic. Scientists dove into this issue, finding alarming levels of these medicines in both water and sediment from urba
Have you ever heard of scabies? It's a skin condition that can spread quickly, especially in places like hospitals. Usually, doctors in Europe treat it with two doses of ivermectin, 7 days apart. But at Careggi University Hospital in Florence, Italy, they tried something different. They had a case o
You know how sometimes, using medicine seems like the easiest fix? Well, let's talk about kids and weight issues. Some docs believe giving pills to chubby kids is the fastest route to slim. But hold on, is it really that simple? First off, what's the big deal with kid obesity? It's not just about l
Chronic urticaria, a skin condition that causes hives and swelling for over six weeks, can be a real pain. It’s tough on quality of life and often needs long-term treatment. One such treatment is omalizumab, but it’s pricey, making it hard to access in countries with high healthcare costs. Researche
Imagine turning your leftover fruits and vegetables into a clean energy source. That's what scientists are exploring with ultrasonic pretreated waste. They're mixing fruit and veg waste with sewage sludge and using anaerobic digestion to produce biomethane. This isn't just about reducing waste; it's
Back in 1994, the DSM-IV introduced "with poor insight" as a specifier for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The DSM-5 took it a step further, allowing clinicians to diagnose OCD "with absent insight/delusional beliefs. " This change has blurred the line between OCD and psychosis. A recent study
Imagine you're born with a deformed ear, something called microtia. It's a common birth defect, and the 'concha-type' can be tricky to fix. Doctors in one study tackled this issue with a clever mix of triangular flaps and full-thickness skin grafts. These methods used the remaining ear tissue and fl
Breast cancer comes in many forms, and one of the toughest types is Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC). This type of cancer doesn't have the usual targets that treatments often go for, making it tricky to treat. Scientists have been trying something clever though. They've been using a method calle
India sadly has a staggering 14 million survivors of human trafficking, many of whom are forced into sexual exploitation. This crime not only robs them of their basic rights but also leaves deep psychological wounds. Yet, there's a lack of reliable treatment options for these survivors. One promisin
Imagine being in the middle of chemotherapy and having to fight your insurance company to get the medicine you need. That's what happened to Arete Tsoukalas, a 26-year-old law student from Indiana. After being diagnosed with leukemia, she found out her insurance required a $13, 000 monthly copay for
