Caroline Perkins

Mar 27, 2025 | churchpop.com | Caroline Perkins |Jacqueline Burkepile

During the penitential season of Lent, Catholics worldwide abstain from meat on Fridays and Ash Wednesday. At one point in time, Catholics abstained from eating meat every Friday of the year, but U.S. bishops now allow Catholics to instead substitute another act of charity or sacrifice. Abstinence is the absence of meat (mammals) or fowl, but fish is allowed. You can access our full Lenten fasting and abstinence guide .

Mar 21, 2025 | biorxiv.org | Stephanie Thomas |Caroline Perkins |Sean Brown |Arthur S. McMillan

AbstractA major risk factor for acquiring Clostridioides difficile is antibiotic usage that disrupts a healthy microbial gut community facilitating establishment of infection. Once established, C. difficile secretes endotoxins (TcdA and TcdB) that are internalized into host colonic epithelial cells where they disrupt gut barrier function and induce hyper inflammation resulting in severe diarrhea and possibly leading to death.