Wear and tear, injury, certain medical conditions, and age can take a toll on shoulder function. Oftentimes, surgery can be avoided, with many people responding well to nonoperative treatments, such as physical therapy or injections, to decrease their pain and improve the use of their shoulder. Sometimes, surgery to repair the torn tendons may be necessary.

An individual with contagious tuberculosis was recently identified within the UC Davis "campus community," the university said in a Dec. 2 news release.

Previously unknown volcanic eruptions may have kicked off an unlikely series of events that brought the Black Death—the most devastating pandemic in human history—to the shores of medieval Europe, new research has revealed.