American Stroke Association says Vaccines may lower Kids’ Stroke Risk

San Diego, CA – Routine vaccinations may reduce the higher risk of stroke in children that is associated with common infections, according to research presented at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference 2014 in San Diego.

In a large, international study, researchers are examining the link between infections and ischemic stroke – those caused by a clot blocking blood flow in or near the brain. [Read more]

American Heart Association says Smoke-free laws led quickly to fewer hospitalizations

The most comprehensive laws — those covering workplaces, restaurants and bars — resulted in more health benefits.

Dallas, TX – Smoke-free legislation was associated with substantially fewer hospitalizations and deaths from heart and respiratory diseases, according to research in the American Heart Association journal Circulation.

Researchers reviewed 45 studies covering 33 smoke-free laws at the local and state levels around the United States and from countries as varied as Uruguay, New Zealand and Germany. [Read more]

GRAIL and the Mystery of the Missing Moon

Written by Dauna Coulter
Science@NASA

Pasadena, CA – As early as September 8th, NASA’s GRAIL mission will blast off to uncover some of the mysteries beneath the surface of the Moon. That cratered gray exterior hides some tantalizing things – even, perhaps, a long-lost companion.

The “Big Splat.” Four snapshots from a computer simulation of a collision between the Moon and a smaller companion show how the splattered companion moon forms a mountainous region on one side of the Moon. Credit: M. Jutzi and E. Asphaug, Nature. [more] If a paper published recently in the journal Nature* is right, two moons once graced our night skies. The proposition has not been proven, but has drawn widespread attention.

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