Researchers identify brain center responsible for responses to rapid temperature change

We’ve all heard it: Put a frog in boiling water, and it will jump out. But put the same frog in lukewarm water and heat it gradually, and you’ll cook the frog. Often used as a metaphor for the unhurried and stubborn response many have to a slowly rising threat, the mechanisms underlying the urban myth have become a subject of scientific fascination.

Genomic tug of war could boost cancer therapy

Some patients with myelodysplastic syndromes, like acute myeloid leukemia, benefit from a chemotherapy drug called decitabine that stunts cancer growth. But many others are resistant to decatibine’s effects or become resistant over time. Wilmot Cancer Institute researchers have uncovered a “genomic tug of war” in animal studies that could influence how well certain patients—or certain cancers—respond to decitabine.

Q&A: How to support someone with post-traumatic stress disorder

Question: I’m reaching out because I’m in a tough spot. A close friend rode out Hurricane Ian in Florida last year and it seems to me that he’s struggling now. He’s angry and jumpy, while being numb to what’s happening around him. He told me that he’s not sleeping well, especially when another hurricane is in the news. Is it possible that he has PTSD from the hurricane? I’m not sure how to offer support without making him feel uncomfortable.

Many Americans facing financial ruin as costs soar for elder care

Margaret Newcomb, 69, a retired French teacher, is desperately trying to protect her retirement savings by caring for her 82-year-old husband, who has severe dementia, at home in Seattle. She used to fear his disease-induced paranoia, but now he’s so frail and confused that he wanders away with no idea of how to find his way home. He gets lost so often that she attaches a tag to his shoelace with her phone number.