Has addiction gone VIRAL? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Retroviruses like HIV make us sick by inserting their genes into our cells. Usually, these genes cause cells to make new copies of the retrovirus. But occasionally, the genes mutate and can’t make new viruses.
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Could the next medical breakthrough be… in your pocket? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Anemia is a blood condition that reduces hemoglobin, which moves oxygen through the body. In children, it can slow development and deplete immune systems. Diagnosing anemia usually requires a blood
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Doc – it’s been two days! Where are my medical results? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. You’ve come down with a bug, so you took a blood test. Now, you’re waiting for the results AND a huge medical bill. Is there a faster —
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Mosquitos! What a pain! Or…are they? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Mosquitos are a familiar foe. They bite and leave behind itchy reminders of their presence. But how is it we never notice them sucking our blood until it’s too late? At the Ohio
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Is that sugar in your…. EYE!? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. More than thirty million people in the US have diabetes – which can lead to vision trouble, among other things. Keeping track of blood sugar levels means pricking your finger several times every
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Want a tattoo your parents would approve of? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. For diabetics, tracking blood sugar is important – but annoying. Finger-pricking is painful. Patches that monitor blood sugar are expensive and can come unstuck. Is there a better way? Enter Ali
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What if a tattoo could save your life? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Heart disease patients need continuous heart monitoring for optimum treatment. But traditional monitors are bulky and uncomfortable to wear. Electronic, or E-tattoos, are a comfortable, wearable alternative. These thin devices are
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Euh! A lock of grey hair! I blame my teenagers. This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Worse than going grey, stress-induced inflammation can cause problems like allergies or depression. But there’s hope in the strangest form! Mycobacterium vaccae, a species of bacteria found in soil,
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Shots or pills? How about BOTH? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. I would pick pills over shots any day! Easier to take and PAINLESS – hypodermic needles are scary!! But what about the drugs that HAVE to be injected? For those, Alex Abramson from
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The robots are coming… after my heart? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. To fix a leaky heart valve, surgeons drive a snake-like robot through your heart to get to the leak, kind of like a roto-rooter. But arteries aren’t exactly smooth drives in the
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