Molecular inhibitor represents new treatment target for drugs to halt atherosclerosis

Working with mice and rabbits, Johns Hopkins scientists have found a way to block abnormal cholesterol production, transport and breakdown, successfully preventing the development of atherosclerosis, the main cause of heart attacks and strokes and the number-one cause of death among humans. The condition develops when fat builds inside blood vessels over time and renders them stiff, narrowed and hardened, greatly reducing …

Presented this year at the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie, the Richard Mille RM 19-02 Tourbillon Fleur is a women’s tourbillon with an artistic twist. Positioned on the dial at 7 o’clock is a representation of a magnolia composed of five 18-karat-white-gold petals hand painted purple. Every 5 minutes, these petals open to reveal the watch’s beating flying tourbillon—a version of the complication that is supported by only a lower bridge. As the petals open, the tourbillon—which is set with seven rub…

Is play part of your plan for health? Leisure activities, particularly group activities, are a vital part of keeping adults healthy in mind and body, says Jeremy Barron, M.D., medical director of the Beacham Center for Geriatric Medicine at Johns Hopkins. But according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, time spent on leisure and sports activities over the weekend peaks in our late teens and then diminishes as adult responsibilities monopolize our free time.  

To help make play a priority in your life a…

Experiments in mice with a bone disorder similar to that in women after menopause show that a scientifically overlooked group of cells are likely crucial to the process of bone loss caused by the disorder, according to Johns Hopkins researchers. Their discovery, they say, not only raises the research profile of the cells, called preosteoclasts, but also explains the success and activity of an experimental osteoporosis drug with promising results in phase III clinical trials. A summary of their work was publish…

The Ferrari name was established on the racetrack in 1929, and its founder, Enzo Ferrari, intended to keep it there. In fact, Ferrari (the man) famously despised building road cars, but he saw it as a means to fund his racing programs when he launched the marque in 1947. As a result, Ferrari—a name now synonymous with the world’s best sports cars—seems to be competing with itself these days. Having released its LaFerrari flagship sports car (limited to just 499 examples) in 2013, the Italian automaker recently…

Gene Variation Affects Brain Cell Development

Johns Hopkins researchers have begun to connect the dots between a schizophrenia-linked genetic variation and its effect on the developing brain. As they report July 3 in the journal Cell Stem Cell, their experiments show that the loss of a particular gene alters the  skeletons of developing brain cells, which in turn disrupts the orderly layers those cells would normally form.

“This is an important step toward understanding what physically hap…

900 hp Porsche 918 Spyder Supercar Earns Top Honors

MALIBU, CA (February 23, 2015) – For the first time in the award’s 22-year history, Robb Report’s Car of the Year honor will be presented to a plug-in hybrid, as the international luxury lifestyle authority has selected the 900 hp Porsche 918 Spyder from a field of 13 newly introduced luxury and sports cars.

Thanks to its prowess as a plug-in hybrid that has “more in common with a Formula 1 racecar than a practical daily driver,” the 918 becomes the sec…

An unusually diverse and uniquely daring assemblage of 13 automobiles challenged assumptions and presented our judges with the dilemma of choosing a clear winner during Robb Report‘s 22nd Car of the Year competition. The contenders comprised the Aston Martin Vanquish Volante, Audi RS 7, Bentley Continental GT V8 S, BMW i8, Cadillac ELR, Ferrari California T, Jaguar F-Type R Coupe, Kia K900, Lamborghini Huracán LP 610-4, Maserati Ghibli S Q4, Mercedes-Benz S550 AMG 4-Matic Coupe, Porsche 918 Spyder (above illustration by Mike Kim), and <a href="http://robbreport.com/slideshow/automobiles/robb-report-2015-car-year/7" style="text-decoration:none; font-weigh…

Detecting delirium among small patients in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit is tricky, since children are often heavily sedated and may not be able to articulate their visions or fears. 

“Any child who is exposed to the chaotic ICU environment, with constant light, noise, sedative medications, and resultant sleep disturbances, is at major risk for delirium,” says Johns Hopkins’ Sapna Kudchadkar, an assistant professor of pediatric anesthesiology and critical care. “We’re developing tools for identifyi…

Since introducing the innovative Master’s Collection in 2006, Chris Morris, Woodford Reserve’s master distiller, has taken this triple-pot-distilled whiskey to places no bourbon has gone before. In fact, due to the legal requirement that bourbon must be aged in new American white-oak barrels, this latest limited-edition spirit cannot technically be called bourbon at all.

As its name suggests, Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection Sonoma-Cutrer Pinot Noir Finish ($100) has been finished in French oak barrels …