Photo by Sue Pizarro.

Happy 4th of July, U.S. readers. Some holiday links along with the usual health ones for you. Enjoy! I’m off to a barbecue.

Chicago Tribune: How Fireworks Work
20-minutes of fireworks = 50 hours’ programming with music and 3+ days to wire the shells to the computer.
Plus, video clips of each type of firework, including the chrysanthemum and the willow.

The History Channel’s “Did You Know?” for Independence Day
Facts and trivia about fireworks and food for the Fourth.

George Washington’s Boyhood Home Found
From the New York Times,

“What we see at this site is the best available window into the setting that nurtured the father of our country,” Philip Levy, an archaeologist and associate professor of history at the University of South Florida, said in an announcement of the discovery.

Plus, a slideshow of the dig, some of the artifacts, and the foundation of the house.

Video: U.S. Honor Guard
From Arlington National Cemetery, his job is to honor the fallen.

Time Magazine: 10 Good Things About $4 Gas
This one’s been making the rounds everywhere. How higher fuel prices are slowly reshaping American habits.

HIV Treatment Increases Asthma Risk in Kids
It makes sense if you think about it a minute, since highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) powers up HIV patients’ embattled immune systems. Now place that concept in the larger asthma picture:

[Dr. William T.] Shearer said a study that evaluates the lung function of children with HIV on anti-viral therapy would help explain how an increase in the immune system affects the risk of asthma.

“This AIDS model of asthma might help understand at a molecular level what is causing the current epidemic of asthma among children more generally,” he said.

Surprise Link Between Crohn’s and Asthma
Apparently, the ORMDL3 gene discovered as a risk factor for asthma last year is also associated with Crohn’s.

11 Best, Easy-to-Find Foods You Should Eat
Well’s Tara Parker-Pope got these from nutritionist Jonny Bowden, who wrote The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth. Check out #9. Turmeric’s been on the radar recently for anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer action, so guess what chronic lung condition it may help? I wrote an article about turmeric and asthma that I’ll have to dig up and repost here.

Filed under: Asthma News & Research, Children's Asthma, Children's Health, Friday Links, Holidays