Chronic itch known clinically as chronic pruritus is characterized as an unrelenting and sometimes even debilitating sensation to itch, and often lowers the quality of life for those who suffer with it. Treating the condition has been difficult because there are few Food and Drug Administration-approved therapies. Now, a recent case study by Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers provides evidence that a promising option for patients with chronic itch may already be available: medical marijuana (cannabis).
A report on the team s findings was published April 9, 2021, in Chronic itch can be an especially difficult condition to treat, with off-label therapeutics often utilized, says Shawn Kwatra, M.D., assistant professor of dermatology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. With the increased utilization of medical marijuana and our knowledge of the role of the endocannabinoid system [a complex cell-signaling system that regulates a variety of functions in the body]
Spaceflight Insider
Laurel Kornfeld
May 11th, 2021
An artist’s rendering of 10 hot Jupiters, exoplanets physically similar to Jupiter that orbit very close to their parent star, studied by Dr. David Sing of the Johns Hopkins University Center for Astrophysical Sciences. Credit: NASA, ESA, and D. Sing
The various methods used over the last 25 years to discover exoplanets and the science of categorizing the many types of exoplanets that have been found was the focus of an April 19 workshop for science writers sponsored by the
Space Telescope Science Institute (
STScI virtual
symposium centering on the formation, structure, and evolution of the more than 4,000 exoplanets discovered to date. Speakers included Dr. Jessie Christiansen of
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NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter captured this image of its shadow during the rotorcraft’s second experimental test flight on April 22, 2021. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
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Picture the scene: A small drone the size of a suitcase descends into a dark Martian crevasse perhaps a lava tube that was formed billions of years ago by volcanic activity on the Red Planet. The drone illuminates its surroundings, recording views never seen before by human eyes as its suite of instruments seeks out signs of past or present alien biology. Finally, its reconnaissance complete, the drone flies back to a landing zone on the surface to transmit invaluable data back to Earth. After soaking up the Martian sunlight to recharge its batteries, it continues its explorations of terrain inaccessible to any other machine.
First in Flight: NASA Just Proved Flying on Mars Is Possible Next Up Is the Solar System
With Ingenuity’s five successful flights on the Red Planet, aviation may find unexpected footing in the future of space exploration
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NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter captured this image of its shadow during the rotorcraft s second experimental test flight on April 22, 2021. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
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Picture the scene: A small drone the size of a suitcase descends into a dark Martian crevasse perhaps a lava tube that was formed billions of years ago by volcanic activity on the Red Planet. The drone illuminates its surroundings, recording views never seen before by human eyes as its suite of instruments seeks out signs of past or present alien biology. Finally, its reconnaissance complete, the drone flies back to a landing zone on the surface to transmit invaluable data back to Earth. After soaking up the Martian sunlight to recharge its batteries, it continues its explo
Gadget In Extremis: Parker Solar Probe becomes fastest human-made object
Talk about setting the controls for the heart of the sun…NASA’s Parker Solar Probe is doing that, repeatedly, setting new records in the process.
The spacecraft is seeking to improve our understanding of the Sun and its changing conditions. It’s hot work, as the probe travels through the Sun’s atmosphere, closer to the surface than any spacecraft before it, “facing brutal heat and radiation conditions” in the words of NASA.
It represents the closest-ever observations of a star, and the craft has just made another science-gathering pass “across” its target. In the process it was moving faster than 330,000 miles per hour (532,000 kilometers per hour), beating its own previous record.