1. Jamie Wells, MD, testified at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency last week in favor of more transparency in science. The debate over putting an end to "secret science" and "sue-and-settle" agreements is solely a political one, but that has not prevented some scientists from circling the wagons defending a lack of transparency at the agency.

A new study says that the overdose-reversing drug increases opioid use, and doesn't reduce opioid-related mortality, overall, because it provides users with a “safety net” and thus encourages riskier drug use. But a public health researcher argues that it's a vital tool in fighting the overdose epidemic and too often it's hard to get when it's needed the most.

Since pets are in such close proximity to many more humans, they’re actually more likely than farm animals to transfer resistant bacteria – mainly through saliva or skin contact. Pets risk becoming reservoirs of resistant microbes that spill over into their owners with disastrous effects.

For do-gooders, the ends justify the means. Do-gooders believe they are saving the world, therefore any tactic is completely defensible. In Santa Barbara, selling a drink with a plastic straw could result in a $1,000 fine and six months in jail. 

Complementary medicine ranges from authentic stress-relieving massage to well-meaning (but expensive) placebo, to outright spurious healing claims. Researchers decided to study its impact on patients with curable cancers.

Some activists are claiming that a "cocktail" of harmless chemicals is somehow doing something greater than the individual harmless chemicals can. These people don't just deny chemistry, toxicology and biology. They deny simple arithmetic.

While aspirin has been shown to be effective in reducing the risk of cardiovascular events, there have previously been no dosage recommendations tailored to a person's weight. But a new study indicates that a weight needs to be considered to improve helpful outcomes and prevent any harmful effects from occurring.

For every 1o C increase in temperature, the risk of suicide also increases by 1 percent to 37 percent. In general, heat tends to exacerbate previously existing mental illness and drug misuse.

While a new study highlighted the detrimental effects of isolation in an older Chinese population, it also noted that being connected to one's community and being more socially active were mitigating factors. The study also took a closer look at Asian-Americans, in general, being considered the U.S.'s so-called "model minority."

Bundled payments, paying one fee for hospitalization and the next 90 days of care, reduces the cost of surgical care. But for a medical hospitalization there's no evidence of cost savings. Why?