PRESS

Dec 23 2024BUSINESS

Bye-Bye Balloons: Party City Closes Doors

For decades, Party City has been the go-to place for party supplies, from Halloween costumes to birthday favors. But recently, the retailer announced it's shutting down nearly 700 stores nationwide. The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy for the second time in two years, blaming tough economic

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Dec 23 2024ENVIRONMENT

The Power of Bats: How Landscapes in Portugal Affect Pest Control

Bats play a vital role in keeping pests under control, especially in areas with lots of agriculture. But figuring out how to include bat management in conservation plans is tough. The way a landscape looks can greatly influence where bats live, how many different types there are, and how well they d

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Dec 22 2024BUSINESS

Why Amazon and Starbucks Workers Are Fighting for Better Conditions

Workers at Amazon and Starbucks are on strike in several U. S. cities. They're pushing for better wages, benefits, and working conditions. The strikes come at a crucial time, as President-elect Donald Trump could appoint a less union-friendly National Labor Relations Board. The pandemic sparked a wa

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Dec 22 2024HEALTH

Can Exercise Lift Teens from Depression?

Depression is becoming more common in young people between 13 and 17. It's crucial to find ways to help them that are as effective as, if not better than, traditional therapies or drugs. One approach that might work is getting them to exercise more. However, there's a lack of strong evidence showing

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Dec 22 2024HEALTH

The HER2 Factor: How It Affects TNBC Patients on Capecitabine

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a tough nut to crack. When patients receive adjuvant capecitabine, doctors aren't quite sure how the HER2 protein will impact their survival. Let's dive into this puzzle. First, what's HER2? It's a protein that can sometimes go into overdrive in breast cancer

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Dec 22 2024HEALTH

How Does Hot Weather Really Affect Our Blood Pressure?

You might think that hot weather only makes you sweat, but it can also change your blood pressure. According to a study in Bangladesh, when the temperature goes up, our blood pressure can go down. This isn't just because our skin blood vessels open up to cool us off. The heat also affects how much p

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Dec 22 2024HEALTH

Vaccine Approval in Brazil: Leveraging Expertise and Navigating Politics

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the crucial role of a country's regulatory abilities. Nations had to fast-track new vaccine technologies amidst scientific uncertainty and political pressure, a particularly tough challenge for middle-income countries with less experience in crisis regulation. How did c

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Dec 20 2024HEALTH

Vagus Nerve Stimulation: A New Hope for Severe Depression

Imagine a life changed by a small device. Nick Fournie, now 62, knows this well. His depression journey started 40 years ago, turning his life upside down. Medications caused more harm than good. Then, a nurse suggested vagus nerve stimulation (VNS). This treatment uses electric pulses to stimulate

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Dec 19 2024SCIENCE

How Cells Coordinate to Shape an Embryo

Ever wondered how cells work together to shape an organism? During animal development, cells undergo processes like convergent extension, which changes the shape of tissues. While we know how genes drive this process on a large scale, we're still figuring out how individual cells control it locally.

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Dec 19 2024SCIENCE

How Bestrophin-4 Helps Fight Colorectal Cancer

Have you ever wondered how certain cells in our body fight cancer? Well, let's talk about a special protein called Bestrophin-4 (BEST4). This protein is part of a family that helps control the flow of calcium and chloride in our cells. Scientists have found that BEST4 is really important in mature

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