Kayt Sukel

Study links arteries to immune function (The Dana Foundation Web Site - 12 November 2008)

New research suggests that arteries do much more than just transport blood through the body.  A piece on the Dana Foundation Web site discusses new work that demonstrates their role in immune function.

Excerpt:

Arteries, the large blood vessels that carry oxygenated blood away from the heart and to the rest of the body, may play a far more important role in immune response than previously thought, suggests a new study by researchers at Emory University...

(To read the rest of the article, click here).

Widow for a day (The Boston Globe Magazine - 16 November 2008)

An essay about my anticipatory grief during my husband's deployment appears in the November 16, 2008 issue of the Boston Globe Magazine. 

Excerpt:

Funerals always remind me of my father's funeral. So when I received an invitation to attend the memorial service for two soldiers killed in action during the same Iraq deployment in which my husband was participating, my first inclination was to respond, "No, thanks." But, knowing my attendance was expected, I reluctantly put on my funeral best and made my way to the chapel...

In honor of Veteran's Day, it also appeared on the front page of Boston.com.

(To read the rest of the essay, click here).

Location may make a difference in flu vaccination (The Dana Foundation Web Site - 6 November 2008)

A study published by scientists at the University of Melbourne suggest that where one receives an influenza vaccination may influence how effective it is.  An article about the study and its implications appears in the News and Features section of the Dana Foundation Web site.

Excerpt:

In many areas of medicine, how effective a treatment is depends on whether it is directly applied to the area of injury or infection. For example, bandaging the shoulder when your wrist is broken may not provide the relief desired...

(To read the rest of the article, click here).

Four winter pregnancy worries - and how to deal (American Baby - November 2008)

Worried about your winter pregnancy?  I look at four worries about being pregnant during the wintertime for an article in the November 2008 American Baby.

Excerpt:

Being pregnant in winter may seem like a nuisance, but there are actually plenty of upsides to expecting once the temperatures plunge. Here are four reasons to stop worrying and start embracing your cold-weather pregnancy...

(To read the rest of the article, click here).

Brain responds quickly to faces (BrainWork - November/December 2008)

An article about recent discoveries in how we interpret facial expressions is in the November/December issue of BrainWork, the Dana Foundation's neuroscience newsletter.

Excerpt:

Approaching the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth (in January 2009), the bulk of studies concerning facial expressions support his premise that facial expressions for emotions such as happiness, sadness and anger are universal across races and cultures. With new methods in cognitive psychology and neuroscience, researchers are extending our understanding of just what facial expressions convey and how we interpret them...

(To read the rest of the article, click here).

Green movement pushes more companies toward sustainable packaging (Nutritional Outlook - October 2008)

An article about the increasing popularity of sustainable packing appears in the October 2008 issue of Nutritional Outlook.

Excerpt:

There seems to be no doubt about it: green products and practices are in. What started as a small ecotrend has snowballed into a national movement. In fact, a recent market research survey by AMP Agency (Chicago) found that 90% of more than 3000 participants aged 18–49 believe that environmental responsibility is important enough to modify their buying behaviors. What's more, those respondents stated that they hold corporations primarily accountable for the environmental impact of their goods and processes. The AMP study is not the only one. Other surveys by organizations like EcoPulse (Knoxville, TN), Packaging Digest magazine, and the Nielsen Co. (New York City) suggest that the green movement is no mere fad...

(To read the rest of the article, click here).