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Hair straightening chemicals associated with higher uterine cancer risk

Photo of young women
Image by TréVoy Kelly from Pixabay

NIH study finds Black women may be more affected due to higher use.

US National Institutes of Health

Women who used chemical hair straightening products were at higher risk for uterine cancer compared to women who did not report using these products, according to a new study from the National Institutes of Health. The researchers found no associations with uterine cancer for other hair products that the women reported using, including hair dyes, bleach, highlights, or perms.

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Mindfulness, meditation and self-compassion – these science-backed practices can improve mental health

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Studies show that consistent meditation practice is key. pixdeluxe/E! via Getty Images

Rachel Goldsmith Turow, Seattle University

Mindfulness and self-compassion are now buzzwords for self-improvement. But in fact, a growing body of research shows these practices can lead to real mental health benefits. This research – ongoing, voluminous and worldwide – clearly shows how and why these two practices work.

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Caught in the Act: Astronomers Detect a Star Devouring a Planet

Artis rendering of a planetbeing devoured by it's star
This artist’s concept shows a planet gradually spiraling into its host star. The Jupiter-size planet pulls gas away from the star, sending it into space. There, the gas cools and becomes dust, which is visible to astronomers. Credit: R. Hurt & K. Miller (Caltech/IPAC)

A star nearing the end of its life swelled up and absorbed a Jupiter-size planet. In about 5 billion years, our Sun will go through a similar end-of-life transition.

A new study published online Wednesday, May 3, in the journal Nature documents the first observation of an aging star swallowing a planet. After running out of fuel in its core, the star began to grow in size, shrinking the gap with its neighboring planet, eventually consuming it entirely. In about 5 billion years, our Sun will go through a similar aging process, possibly reaching 100 times its current diameter and becoming what’s known as a red giant. During that growth spurt, it will absorb Mercury, Venus, and possibly Earth.

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Water in space – a ‘Goldilocks’ star reveals previously hidden step in how water gets to planets like Earth

Artist drawing of a galaxy forming into a disk.
The star system V883 Orionis contains a rare star surrounded by a disk of gas, ice and dust. A. Angelich (NRAO/AUI/NSF)/ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO), CC BY

John Tobin, National Radio Astronomy Observatory

Without water, life on Earth could not exist as it does today. Understanding the history of water in the universe is critical to understanding how planets like Earth come to be.

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Myocarditis risks from covid compared to vaccination

Artist drawing of a human heart surrounded by viruses
Viral myocarditis or virus infection of the human heart resulting in inflammation of the cardiac circulatory organ with 3D illustration elements.

What the research shows about risks of myocarditis from COVID vaccines versus risks of heart damage from COVID – two pediatric cardiologists explain how to parse the data

Frank Han, University of Illinois at Chicago and Jennifer H. Huang, Oregon Health & Science University

Soon after the first COVID-19 vaccines appeared in 2021, reports of rare cases of heart inflammation, or myocarditis, began to surface.

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Could mRNA offer a path towards universal flu vaccines?

image of Influenza vaccine vials pattern background
Broad protection from a universal flu vaccine could replace seasonal flu shots. Flavio Coelho/Moment via Getty Images

How do you make a universal flu vaccine? A microbiologist explains the challenges, and how mRNA could offer a promising solution

Deborah Fuller, University of Washington

To everything there is a season, and for the flu, it’s wintertime. Flu cases peak between December and February, and the flu vaccine is your best defense. Getting the vaccine means you will be less sick even if you get a breakthrough infection.

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One-shot COVID-19 vaccine approach moving forward

Artist drawing of viruses
The FDA advisory committee discussed vaccine safety, effectiveness of the current shots, potential seasonality of COVID-19 and more. wildpixel/iStock via Getty Images Plus

FDA advisory committee votes unanimously in favor of a one-shot COVID-19 vaccine approach – 5 questions answered

Matthew Woodruff, Emory University

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s key science advisory panel, the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee, met on Jan. 26, 2023, to chart a path forward for COVID-19 vaccine policy. During the all-day meeting, the 21-member committee discussed an array of weighty issues including the efficacy of existing vaccines, the composition of future vaccine strains and the need to match them to the circulating variants of SARS-CoV-2, the possibility of moving to an annual-shot model, the potential seasonality of the virus and much more.

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USDA Launches New Virtual Nutrition Center of Excellence

Photo of of fresh food in heart-shaped bowl
Policymakers are responding to a growing recognition of food as medicine. udra11/Shutterstock.com

US Department of Agriculture

WASHINGTON, Dec. 5, 2022 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced its new Agricultural Science Center of Excellence for Nutrition and Diet for Better Health (ASCEND for Better Health) in support of President Biden’s Cancer Moonshot effort to end cancer as we know it.

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We’re told to ‘eat a rainbow’ of fruit and vegetables. Here’s what each color does in our body

Photo of fresh produce in a basket
Shutterstock

Evangeline Mantzioris, University of South Australia

Nutritionists will tell you to eat a rainbow of fruit and vegetables. This isn’t just because it looks nice on the plate. Each colour signifies different nutrients our body needs.

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Counteracting the effects of sitting all day

Photo of man sitting at a desk.
Researchers have long known that sitting at your desk hour after hour is an unhealthy habit. Morsa Images/Digital Vision via Getty Images

Sitting all day is terrible for your health – now, a new study finds a relatively easy way to counteract it

Keith Diaz, Columbia University

The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work.

The big idea

To reduce the harmful health effects of sitting, take a five-minute light walk every half-hour. That’s the key finding of a new study that my colleagues and I published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.

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