Science...

It permeates everyday life. Yet the understanding of advances in biomedical science is limited at best. Few people make the connection that biomedical science is medicine and that biomedical scientists are working today for the  medicine of tomorrow. Our weekly five-hundred word newspaper column and two-minute radio show provides insights into a broad range of biomedical science topics. Medical Discovery News is dedicated to explaining discoveries in biomedical research and their promise for the future of medicine.

Each release is designed to stimulate listeners to think, question and appreciate how science affects their health as well as that of the rest of the world. We also delve into significant biomedical discoveries and portray how science (or the lack of it) has impacted health throughout history.

Flesh-Eating Bacteria Infects Georgia Student
It started innocently enough: a college student spent a day zip lining along a Georgia river. But the line broke, cutting the 24-year-old's calf, and she received 22 staples at the emergency room. And that was just the beginning. As the pain and swelling continued for days, Aimee Copeland was eventually diagnosed with necrotizing fasciitis caused by a deadly flesh-eating bacteria, Aeromonas hydrophila. Doctors amputated most of the leg that was originally infected, only to find that the infection has spread throughout her body and more limbs may have to be removed. Copeland is in critical condition but responsive. An informative leaflet from the New Zealand Food Safety Authority is available here.

Genes May Reveal Why Some Can't Stand Meat
Genes may be to blame for some people's aversion to meat. A new study found that participants with two functioning copies of a gene called OR7D4, which affects the ability to spell a chemical in some mammals like pigs, did not like the smell or taste of pork. On the other hand, participants with just one or no copies of this gene could not smell the androstenone compound and had no problem with the food.

Young Adults Disregard Skin Cancer Risks
Warnings about the risk of skin cancer from soaking up the sun don't seem to be sinking in among young adults. Half of American adults under 30 have been sunburned at least once in the past year, the same percentage as 10 years ago. In addition, young women tan in salons twice a month on average. The American Cancer Society worries that people are not using enough sunscreen, despite the fact that one blistering burn doubles the risk of a deadly skin cancer called melanoma, which is also on the rise.

Facebook Affects Brain's Sense of Reward
Bragging about oneself on a social media Web sites like Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, or Pinterest activates the same response in the brain as eating food, getting money, or having sex. Harvard researchers found that 80 percent of posts on these sites are about a person's own instantaneous experiences. They studied brain activity of participants who posted on these sites, and found certain regions of the brain that recognize reward were more active when the participant was told their post was not private.

Hate Traffic? Your Heart Does Too
Those who spend longer amounts of time in a car going to and from work are less likely to be physically fit and more likely to have heart and weight problems. In a study of over 4,000 people in the Dallas/Fort Worth and Austin metro areas over seven years, the likelihood of having cardiovascular or metabolic issues related directly to a person's commute. The study examined each person's cardiorespiratory fitness, body mass index, cholesterol, waist size, glucose levels, and blood pressure.

Commentators Latch On To Time Magazine's Breastfeeding Photo
An estimated 20 billion people without access to quality health care suffer blindness from cataracts, a completely fixable condition. Sanduk Ruit has pioneered a high-quality, low-cost procedure to remove cataracts that can be done even in the most rural places and that has already restored the sight of tens of thousands across Asia and Africa. The same procedure would cost $3,000 in America, but Sanduk's operation averages $115.

Junior Seau's Death Ignites Debate About Head Injuries
The apparent suicide of NFL linebaker Junior Seau, 43, has raised questions about whether a degenerative brain condition could have contributed to his death. Seau, along with former professional football players Dave Duerson and Ray Easterling, who also committed suicide recently, was thought to have chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) as a result of frequent hits to the head. CTE is common in athletes and veterans who experience head trauma, and can cause problems with memory, impulse control, dementia and depression.