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Pharmacy label for prescription hydrocodone pills. Hydrocodone is an opioid derived from codeine and thiamine. Hydrocodone is an orally active narcotic analgesic (pain reliever) and antitussive (cough suppressant)

Opioid levels in US wastewater spiked during the early pandemic months

26 August 2021

In the early months of the covid-19 pandemic, wastewater samples from Kentucky and Tennessee had a 72 per cent increase in hydrocodone, plus spikes in antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs
human cartilage

Injected hydrogel could help regenerate damaged cartilage in joints

25 August 2021

A new hydrogel that can be implanted during keyhole surgery and that provides a scaffold for cartilage cells to grow on could help improve the treatment of damaged joints
Endometriosis under a microscope

Endometriosis genetic discovery may lead to new forms of treatment

25 August 2021

The discovery of a gene linked to endometriosis, a painful condition that affects up to one in 10 women, has led to a drug treatment that shows promise in mice but hasn't yet been tested in people
A brown bear in Sweden

We can track antibiotic resistance in wild bears’ tooth plaque

25 August 2021

The mouth bacteria of wild bears in Sweden hold a historical record of human antibiotic use and the rise of antimicrobial resistance
A basket of prawns on sale at the Wuhan Baishazhou Market in China's central Hubei province

Scientists call for urgent investigation into covid-19 animal origins

25 August 2021

Scientists say the next phase of the covid-19 origin investigations needs to start urgently, calling for renewed focus on the animal origin theory rather than the lab-leak hypothesis
Not to be used for advertising or in a defamatory context MODEL RELEASED. Kidney dialysis patient monitoring herself while in hospital undergoing dialysis for a kidney disorder. The tube (cannula) in her arm is taking blood to and from a dialysis machine. Kidney dialysis (haemodialysis) is used for those with reduced or failing kidney function. A machine is used to remove waste and excess water from the blood, a function normally served by the kidneys. Photographed in the UK.

Kidney test adjustment based on ethnicity cut from UK medical guidance

24 August 2021

A controversial recommendation to adjust a person’s kidney test results based on their ethnicity has been removed from medical guidance in the UK

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