Scientists have made a discovery that helps explain why humans and animals are so susceptible to contracting tuberculosis (TB)—and it involves the bacteria harnessing part of the immune system meant to protect against infection.

In a recent study of the contiguous United States, Los Alamos National Laboratory researchers found that the risk of disease from hantavirus is higher in drier, underdeveloped geographic areas with more socioeconomic vulnerability and increased numbers of unique rodent species. This is the first study to examine the combined effects of multiple variables—including socioeconomic, environmental, land use and rodent species—to determine which are most likely to predict the risk of people contracting hantavirus.

Research from Oregon Health & Science University has found that laws restricting access to abortion may disproportionately affect pregnancies conceived through fertility treatment.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a serious neurodegenerative disease largely affecting older adults. Apart from age, it also shows sex-based differences, with women being more at risk. However, the origin of these differences remains unknown.

IDH-mutant glioma, caused by abnormalities in a specific gene (IDH), is the most common malignant brain tumor among young adults under the age of 50. It is a refractory brain cancer that is difficult to treat due to its high recurrence rate.

Humans respond to environments that change at many different speeds. A video game player, for example, reacts to on-screen events unfolding within hundreds of milliseconds or over several seconds. A boxer anticipates an opponent's moves—even when their timing differs from that of previous opponents. In each case, the brain predicts when events occur, prepares for what comes next and flexibly adapts to the demands of the situation.

Although constipation and diarrhea may seem like opposite problems, they both hinge on the same underlying issue: how much fluid moves into the gut. These common issues affect millions of people in the U.S. each year, yet scientists have not fully understood what regulates intestinal fluid balance.

Maternal influenza and tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccinations are associated with a lower risk for influenza- and pertussis-related hospitalization or emergency department (ED) visits in infants younger than 6 months, according to a study published online Jan. 8 in JAMA Network Open.

Primavera Nueva Inc. is recalling specific lots of its 4-count tamales after learning they may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, a bacteria that can cause serious illness.

Women are more than twice as likely as men to develop stress-related conditions such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but the biological mechanisms underlying that risk have remained poorly understood. New research from Emory University School of Medicine provides the first direct evidence in humans that the ovarian hormone estradiol plays a key role in shaping how the brain responds to perceived threats after trauma.