
Randomized Treatments May Be More Effective at Stopping Disease Outbreaks
Mathematicians have found that by varying the timing of treatments, doctors may be able to increase the odds that a disease outbreak will die off suddenly

Randomized Treatments May Be More Effective at Stopping Disease Outbreaks
Mathematicians have found that by varying the timing of treatments, doctors may be able to increase the odds that a disease outbreak will die off suddenly

Different Placebos Can Have Different Effects
In a study of patients asked to tolerate discomfort, different placebo treatments achieved different levels of relief, in keeping with individual expectations. Katherine Harmon reports


Does Israel’s New Polio Outbreak Threaten Global Eradication Efforts?
An expert sheds light on what polio virus found in the nation’s sewers means for the world

Sniffing Out New Strategies in the Fight Against Alzheimer’s Disease
Despite barriers of blood, brain and bureaucracy, intranasal insulin may emerge as a promising treatment for pathological memory loss

Performance Enhancers Could Always Trump Detection
Veteran sportswriter and journalism professor Justice B. Hill shared insights about the challenges of catching athletes who use performance enhancers, on August 1 at the annual meeting of the National Association of Black Journalists in Orlando. Steve Mirsky reports

Synthetic Molecule Chokes TB Growth
Compound acts by novel mechanism and is effective in mice, offering a potential new weapon in the fight against antibiotic-resistant tuberculosis

Antibiotics Are More Mysterious Than They Appear
Scientists still don't know exactly how antibiotics work

Experts Urge Mass Dog Vaccination to Eradicate Rabies
Some rabies infections may not be lethal, but be especially wary of dog bites

Gastric Bypass Makes Gut Burn Sugar Faster
Diabetic rats were found to control blood glucose better after undergoing the weight-loss surgery

Marine Microbe Produces Unknown Antibiotic
A bacterial species at the California coast was found to produce anthracimycin, which showed activity against anthrax and MRSA in initial, nonhuman testing. Christopher Intagliata reports

Defecation Nation: Pig Waste Likely to Rise in U.S. from Business Deal
A proposed acquisition of Smithfield Foods would send pork to China and leave more pig feces in the U.S., potentially increasing the risk of superbug infections and other diseases

Medicare May Fund Brain Scans for Alzheimer’s Research
Test that uses imaging agent to detect protein buildup may get government funding, but only in limited cases