Demonstrators assemble next to debate venue

More than 350 people assembled at Washington University’s Public Viewing Area to express their opinions and political dissent Oct. 2 during the hours leading up to the vice presidential debate at Washington University. The area, located on the corner of Forsyth and Big Bend boulevards, was situated on the University’s Intramural Field. “We wanted to […]

Notables

Because of expanded VP debate coverage, the Record did not publish any notables this week. The Record will resume publishing its regular content, including notables, next week.

Source of abnormal electrical impulses in hypertrophied hearts revealed

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute imageThis MRI shows ventricular hypertrophy.Cardiac disorders such as valve problems or high blood pressure make the heart work harder to pump blood. This increased work can lead to enlargement (thickening) of the heart, or cardiac hypertrophy — a potentially life-threatening problem. But when heart problems cause the heart to enlarge, it doesn’t grow more muscle cells. Instead each individual cell grows bigger. Researchers at the School of Medicine have shown that this cellular enlargement leads to abnormal heart rhythms.

Population growth puts dent in natural resources

Who can ignore this 500-pound gorilla?It’s a 500-pound gorilla that Robert Criss, Ph.D., professor of earth and planetary sciences in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, sees standing on the speaker’s dais at political rallies, debates and campaigns. Its name is population growth. “Population growth is driving all of our resource problems, including water and energy. The three are intertwined,” Criss says. “The United States has over 305 million people of the 6.7 billion on the planet. We are dividing a finite resource pie among a growing number of people on Earth. We cannot expect to sustain exponential population growth matched by increased per capita use of water and energy. It’s troubling. But politicians and religious leaders totally ignore the topic.”

Nearly scarless surgery removes gallbladder through bellybutton incision

In a first for the St. Louis region, surgeons at the School of Medicine are removing patients’ gallbladders using a single small incision in the bellybutton that leaves only a barely visible scar. Surgery to remove the gallbladder is one of the most common operations performed in the United States. More than 750,000 patients undergo the procedure each year, often due to the formation of gallstones that cause intense pain.