#The Beauty of Millipedes (Op-Ed) This article was published originally at The Conversation. The publication contributed the article to Live Science's Expert Voices:
Op-Ed & Insights. I stumbled through the forest attempting to find a path I knew was there.
Some species in that family called cherry millipedes can release hydrogen cyanide a poisonous chemical when disturbed by predators.
and drank a milky alcoholic concoction at one of the largest cities in prehistory Teotihuacan in Mexico researchers say.
A number of these paintings may also depict scenes of people drinking a milky alcoholic potion known as pulque
This project pushed the detection limits of absorbed organic residue analysis said lead study author Marisol Correa-Ascencio an archaeological chemist at the University of Bristol in England.
and the trade of arms and narcotics Woody said. In African nations where elephants are slaughtered for their ivory tusks the illegal ivory trade is exacerbated by a potent cocktail of poverty poor governance
Gender Norms Affect Teen Cancer Risk Teenage girls who see themselves as the most feminine and teenage boys who perceive themselves as the most masculine may be more likely to behave in ways that increase their risk of cancer
and other health issues compared with teens who do not strictly follow gender standards as they are marketed by certain industries.
and being said feminine study author Andrea Roberts a research associate at the Harvard School of Public health.
of which are associated with cancer risk and other serious health issues such as indoor tanning cigar smoking tobacco-chewing cigarette smoking
and lack of physical activity. Boys who want to appear more masculine are drawn to these behaviors such as cigar smoking
The study is published today (April 16) in the Journal of Adolescent Health. Follow Agata Blaszczak-Boxe on Twitter.
7 Things to Know About Your Ticker This method could be useful for certain patients such as those who develop infections from electronic pacemakers
or fetuses with life-threatening heart disorders who cannot have an electronic pacemaker implanted the researchers said.
Babies still in the womb cannot have a pacemaker study researcher Dr. Eugenio Cingolani director of the Cardiogenetics-Familial Arrhythmia Clinic at Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute in Los angeles said in a statement.
It is possible that one day we might be able to save lives by replacing electronic hardware with an injection of genes.
or integrate into the genome the pig experiments showed that a small amount of virus did end up in other organs in the animals besides the heart according to the study published today (July 16) in the journal Science Translational Medicine.
and have symptoms such as fatigue fainting or even cardiac arrest. Such patients may have electronic pacemakers put in to monitor the heart rhythm which sends electrical pulses to keep the heart beating normally.
In the study the researchers used pigs with a condition called complete heart block in which the heart beats very slowly.
The researchers injected a gene called TBX18 into a small area of the heart muscle. This gene converted this area of heart muscle cells into sinoatrial node cells.
but does not originate it study researcher Dr. Eduardo Marbã¡n director of the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute said in news conference about the findings.
Future research The new findings represent a critical step toward potentially filling an important clinical niche
and provide an encouraging indication that a biological pacemaker might eventually be ready for human translation Dr. Nikhil Munshi
and Eric Olson of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical center wrote in an editorial accompanying the study in the journal.
whether this low level of infection has long-term consequences the editorial said. In addition it could be problematic if the virus ends up in multiple places in the heart and forms more than one biological pacemaker.
and vegetables each day although few eat dark green vegetables according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
because they contain potatoes said study researcher Samara Joy Nielsen a nutritional epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The new report is published today (July 16) by the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics.
and metallic although the latter is often due to various disorders or conditions. It s the bitter taste that started all of this supertaster stuff.
In 1931 American chemist Arthur Fox accidentally released a cloud of phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) powder into his laboratory.
PTC is a little bit toxic so beware of taste and smell scientists such as Fox approaching you
because poisonous things are usually bitter. At least one study suggests that supertasters do indeed eat fewer bitter vegetables.
Why'Lighting Up'Causes So many Diseases Fifty years after the first U s. Surgeon general's report in 1964 warned about the link between smoking
and lung cancer research continues to identify more diseases that are caused directly by smoking. Now liver and colorectal cancers have been added to the list of cancers for
which there's sufficient data to infer smoking is linked not merely to but actually can cause the diseases according to the newest Surgeon general's report released today (Jan 17).
Cigarette smoke contains thousands of compounds including 69 known to be carcinogens chemicals that are involved directly in causing cancer.
Carcinogens can result in tumors by damaging the genome or disrupting the cell's metabolic processes.
Smoking is responsible for more than 90 percent of lung cancers. But traces of tobacco carcinogens have been found in other organs as well.
For example pieces of DNA bound to carcinogens have been found in breast tissue and breast milk according to the report authors who reviewed new research over the recent years.
In colorectal cancer tumors often originate in the glands and the cells that cover the inside of the bowel.
These cells then might form polyps which can progress into malignant or cancerous tumors. Reviewing large previous studies the researchers found an increased risk of colon and rectal cancer particularly after smoking for two or more decades.
In some studies smokers were up to twice as likely to develop colorectal cancer as nonsmokers.
The report authors also looked at other cancers such as prostate cancer and concluded that smoking is not a cause for this type of cancer
although it increases risks of dying for those diagnosed with prostate cancer. Examining breast cancer the researchers concluded the evidence suggests smoking can cause the disease.
Even a finding that is'suggestive'is a pretty strong finding Glantz told Livescience. If I give a glass filled with clear liquid
and say this might give you breast cancer but I'm not absolutely positive I don't think you want to drink the liquid.
Other new entries in the official list of smoking-caused diseases include Type 2 diabetes rheumatoid arthritis erectile dysfunction macular degeneration that can blind older people and cleft palate birth defects.
In addition to carcinogens in the cigarette smoke there's a lot of inflammatory agents Glantz said. Smoking causes these diseases partly by triggering inflammatory processes
and increasing the general inflammatory environment. Looking over the past 50 years of the war on smoking the report authors warned that the disease risks from smoking by women have risen sharply
and are now equal to those of men for lung cancer and pulmonary and heart diseases. Since the landmark 1964 report nearly 21 million people have died prematurely because of smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke according to the report.
Heart and metabolic diseases attributed to smoking accounted for 40 percent of tobacco-related deaths the report revealed.
This is very important. When people think about smoking they usually just think cancer. Most people don't really appreciate how big the risks of heart diseases are said Glantz.
The anti-smoking movement has had achievements too the report authors noted. Today fewer than 20 percent of Americans smoke down from 42 percent in 1964.
Tobacco advertising has been banned from TV and 26 U s. states and the District of columbia have enacted laws prohibiting smoking in all indoor public areas.
Email Bahar Gholipour or follow her@alterwired. Follow us@Livescience Facebook & Google+.+Original article on Livescience e
#New Technique Busts Chocolate Counterfeiters Scientists say they have figured out how to identify the genetic origin of the cacao fruit a finding that should help put a damper on counterfeit chocolate.
I briefly discussed Sundrop Farms in an article for The Conversation late last year on the CEFC which is targeted to be scrapped by the Abbott government.
Lowering Salt Cuts Strokes and Heart attacks (Op-Ed) This article was published originally at The Conversation.
The salt debate has filled the pages of health magazines and newspapers for years. From John Swales original scepticism in 1988 to the Godlee s sharp call to reality in 1996 the debate has transcended the scientific arena into public opinion
and a 40%drop in deaths from coronary heart disease. So where does this leave the salt debate?
since the translation of the results of scientific studies into public health and policy actions and the salt debate#has become for some a salt war#.
and the cholera epidemic in the 19th century the long-lasting denial of the harm of tobacco smoking in the 20th century global warming and climate change in the 21st century) when the translation of science into practice clashes with vested interests.
High blood pressure causes strokes and heart attacks and a reduction in blood pressure reduces them. The effect is related to the size of the fall in blood pressure.
It is therefore conceivable that a moderate reduction in salt intake in a population would help reduce stroke and heart attacks through a reduction in blood pressure.
and heart attacks would need a randomised double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial. However it has been argued that such a mother of trials#will never be possible.
Should we then refrain from implementing public health policies based on the available evidence so far? A randomised clinical trial of tobacco smoking and lung cancer was carried never out in humans to prove#that smoking causes lung cancer
and that we should eventually ban tobacco. And an assessment of the bulk of evidence underlying population action of salt reduction dwarfs the evidence that supports today accepted policies on weight reduction increase in physical exercise intake of fibre fruit and vegetable
for the prevention of both cancer and cardiovascular disease. The BMJ Open study is another contribution to the bulk of supportive evidence suggesting though not proving a plausible connection between the reduction in salt intake achieved in the last eight years in the UK with a national programme (1. 4g less salt per day) and the reduction
of average population blood pressure (3. 0/1. 4 mmhg) and cardiovascular mortality (42%in stroke and 40%in ischaemic heart disease) during the same period.
and protect it against diseases and water stress enhancing plant growth in exchange for sugars the plant produces via photosynthesis. Without their fungal assistants plants as we know them would not exist.
While the most fungi are beneficial some fungi are devastating plant pathogens while a small number of fungi can cause disease in humans such as ringworm trichosporonosis or aspergillosis.
Humans have recruited also an array of fungi to their cause. Products produced by fungi are used in medicine many antibiotics come from fungi
and the production of a range of food products including soy sauce blue cheese bread beer and wine.
The work in the Peru Trench used environmental RNA sequencing to guarantee that sequences observed were from environmental samples and not contaminants from human skin.
The use of modern DNA technologies and classification tools may allow development of bioactive compounds for medicine enhanced agricultural productivity environmental damage repair industrial applications such as biofuels
A pregnant woman needs more calcium folic acid iron and protein than a woman who is not expecting according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG.
Folic acid also known as folate when found in foods is A b vitamin that is crucial in helping to prevent birth defects in the baby's brain and spine known as neural tube defects.
For that reason the March of Dimes an organization dedicated to preventing birth defects recommends that women who are trying to have a baby take a daily vitamin supplement containing 400 micrograms of folic acid per day for at least one month before becoming pregnant.
Getting too little iron during pregnancy can lead to anemia a condition resulting in fatigue and an increased risk of infections.
but most women don't have problems getting enough of these foods in their diets said Sarah Krieger a registered dietitian and spokeswoman on prenatal nutrition for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics in St petersburg Florida.
The committee report said moderate caffeine consumption does not appear to contribute to miscarriage or premature birth.
Heavy use of alcohol during pregnancy has been linked with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders a group of conditions that can include physical problems as well as learning and behavioral difficulties in babies and children according to the Centers for Disease Control
Methyl mercury is a toxic chemical that can pass through the placenta and can be harmful to an unborn baby's developing brain kidneys and nervous system.
and toxoplasmosis an infection caused by a parasite. The CDC reports that Listeria infection may cause miscarriage stillbirth preterm labor and illness or death in newborns.
To avoid listeriosis the USDA recommends forgoing the following foods during pregnancy: Raw meat: A mother can pass a Toxoplasma infection on to her baby
which can cause problems such as blindness and mental disability later in life reports the CDC.
To avoid toxoplasmosis the USDA recommends avoiding the following foods during pregnancy: Some foods may increase a pregnant woman's risk for other types of food poisoning including illness caused by salmonella and E coli bacteria.
Foodsafety. gov lists these foods to avoid during pregnancy and why they pose a threat.
Morning sickness When a mother-to-be is experiencing morning sickness the biggest mistake she can make is thinking that
if she doesn't eat she'll feel better Krieger said. The exact causes of morning sickness are known not
but it may be caused by hormonal changes or lower blood sugar according to the Mayo Clinic. It can bring on waves of nausea and vomiting in some women especially during the first three months of pregnancy.
And it's definitely not happening only in the morning Krieger said. It's any time of day.
It's better to eat small amounts of foods that don't have an odor since smells can also upset the stomach she suggested.
Food cravings It is common for women to develop a sudden urge or a strong dislike for a food during pregnancy.
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) guidelines for total weight gain during a full-term pregnancy recommend that:
and is meant not to offer medical advice. t
#Ostrich Facts: The World's Largest Bird Ostriches are large flightless birds that have long legs
if they come across a watering hole. Male ostriches are called cocks or roosters and females are called hens.
#Livestock Workers May Carry Staph Bacteria from Pigs Workers who handle livestock may carry antibiotic-resistant bacteria in their noses after they leave the farm.
and some carried drug-resistant strains of the bug including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA.
Over the past several decades it's become standard practice for farmers to give animals such as chickens and pigs regular doses of antibiotics.
This is not done to fight bacterial infections but rather to promote the animals'health and speed up their growth.
However the increasing use of antibiotics has encouraged the evolution of drug-resistant strains of bacteria.
There is now even a livestock-associated strain of MRSA a bacterial strain that in humans can cause debilitating sometimes deadly infections
and is known for spreading among hospital patients. 6 Superbugs to Watch out For About one-third of people in the general population carry the human-associated strain of Staphylococcus aureus in their noses at any given time according to the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention. When the bacteria do cause an infection it usually isn't life-threatening.
Staph infections can become more serious problems when they involve surgical wounds the bloodstream the lungs or the urinary tract according to Johns hopkins university.
Antibiotic-resistant strains of staph such as MRSA can be the most damaging because they can be very difficult to treat.
In the new study which was described in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine this month 22 hog workers swabbed the inside of their noses several times over the course of 14 days.
The researchers found that 19 (86 percent) of the workers carried some form of Staphylococcus aureus
and 16 workers (73 percent) carried livestock-associated staph at some point in those two weeks.
these strains were found either in all or all but one of their nasal samples over the 14-day study.
Six of the workers persistently carried the variety of Staphylococcus aureus that is resistant to multiple drugs
and is known as MDRSA (multi-drug resistant Staphylococcus aureus) and one worker persistently carried MRSA. Some of the workers still had the bacteria in their noses even after they spent four days off work and away from the hog farm.
and even into hospitals if the bacteria linger in the workers'noses after they leave the hog operation the researchers said.
Previous research has shown that people who persistently carry Staphylococcus aureus have increased an risk of infection in clinical settings.
if there's a link between the workers who carry livestock-related staph in their noses and increased infections.
or is it a threat to public health at large study leader Christopher Heaney an assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public health said in a statement.
but how the length of this time period relates to the risk of infection and other health outcomes in workers their families and communities Follow Megan Gannon on Twitter and Google+.
+Follow us@livescience Facebook & Google+.+Original article on Live Science Â
#Ancient Egyptian Woman with 70 Hair Extensions Discovered More than 3300 years ago in a newly built city in Egypt a woman with an incredibly elaborate hairstyle of lengthy hair extensions was laid to rest.
Their Roles in Heart Health Questioned Eating more of the good kinds of fat and less saturated fat may not be the best way to reduce the risk of heart disease a new review suggests.
Researchers did not find a strong link that people who ate lots of the good (polyunsaturated fats found in vegetable oils
and pork had reduced a risk of heart disease. The researchers concluded their analysis did not yield clearly supportive evidence for current cardiovascular guidelines
However the results did show a link between eating more trans fats which are hydrogenated the partially oils added to foods to keep them fresh longer and an increased risk of heart disease.
Our report was an attempt to do the most comprehensive assessment of fatty acids by combining data from all previous studies into a single investigation said study author Dr. Rajiv Chowdhury a cardiovascular epidemiologist
He said the data came from recent and well-designed studies that involved people who were initially healthy as well as people who already had heart disease
The findings will be detailedin today's (March 18) issue of the journal Annals of Internal medicine. Reducing risk Chowdhury and colleagues carried out the study to shed light on the role of fat in coronary heart disease.
Uncertainties about this role have raised questions about the optimum amounts and types of fat people should eat.
and sunflower seeds may lower the risk of heart disease. The researchers examined data from population studies of diets
or omega-6 fatty acids could reduce heart disease risk Chowdhury said. But the researchers said that more research is needed especially to determine
if omega-3 supplements may help prevent heart disease in healthy people. (In fact a study out this week in JAMA Internal medicine suggested taking omega-3 supplements doesn't reduce risk of heart disease.
What should people make of these results? We believe that a more'food-focused'approach should be considered
or not harmful to cardiovascular health rather than pills Chowdhury said. 11 Surprising Facts About the Circulatory system
and processed meats people should replace those foods with nuts fatty fish and healthy oils rather than with white rice white bread potatoes sugary drinks or other refined carbohydrates Chowdhury said.
Heart-healthy foods These data do not change the need for consuming a heart-healthy diet they simply point out that not all fatty acids are created equally said Linda Van horn a professor of preventive medicine
and a research nutritionist at Northwestern University Feinberg School of medicine in Chicago and American Heart Association spokeswoman who was involved not in the study.
Vodka is a popular alcoholic drink traditionally made from the distillation of fermented potatoes. Beer and tea are consumed also widely.
Innovation Helps Cannabis Industry Flourish DENVER The legalization of recreational marijuana sales in Colorado is turning an underground industry into a big business and ushering in innovations in everything from genetics to growing methods.
The burgeoning cannabis industry is coming out of illegal basement grow rooms and into sprawling warehouses befitting ravenous consumer demand.
Every single day someone is reinventing the wheel so to speak said Scott Reach a cannabis breeder and owner of the Colorado-based seed company Rare Dankness.
The History of 8 Hallucinogens The emergence of legal weed Medicinal use of marijuana has been legal under Colorado state law
since 2000 when voters approved an amendment to the state constitution allowing cannabis possession and use with a doctor's order.
In 2012 state voters again loosened the prohibition on marijuana with Amendment 64 which allows personal use of marijuana for adults age 21 and older.
Smoking or other methods of consuming marijuana in public are allowed not under the law. Marijuana is still illegal under federal law
which makes banking and investments a challenge for ganjapreneurs in Colorado. Nevertheless the money and interest are flowing in.
In Denver alone 4. 5 million square feet (41800 square meters) of warehouse space is devoted to growing pot said Kayvan Khalatbari cofounder of Denver Relief Consulting a medical
marijuana center. All those indoor growing facilities need lighting. Denver Relief just hired a former NASA scientist Neil Yorio who worked on lighting technology for long-duration space missions to develop new options for marijuana growers.
The company has been experimenting with LED lighting Khalatbari told Live Science. Traditional LED lights lack the ultraviolet rays plants need to thrive he said
but new bulbs do a better job of mimicking the sun. The lights use less electricity
Legal innovation Hice expects the innovation surrounding marijuana to translate to other cash crops given the interest in urban indoor growing.
Meanwhile other researchers are digging into the cannabis genome. Canadian researchers mapped the genome of the common strain Cannabis sativa in 2011.
Now the Cannabis Genomic Research Initiative led by ecologist Nolan Kane of the University of Colorado at Boulder seeks to sample DNA from multiple cannabis species. Pot's future This genetic innovation has some cannabis users
Anti-GMO activists also raise concerns about the potential health dangers of consuming genetically modified organisms. 5 Pot Facts for 4/20
while the drug is still federally illegal. A more immediate issue is the sale and regulation of marijuana concentrates which extract the active ingredients of the plant with solvents such as butane.
The most potent plants top out at a concentration of 29 percent THC or tetrahydrocannabinol the mind-altering compound in marijuana Khalatbari said.
Concentrates can have levels of 85 percent to 95 percent THC. It's essentially like smoking a joint without smoking in one hit Khalatbari said.
In multiple cases at home wannabe chemists have blown up their homes trying to extract cannabis concentrates themselves.
Developers are coming up with pot patches marijuana e-cigarettes oral strips tinctures and topical creams Khalatbari said.
and pathogen avoidance the authors wrote. Follow Megan Gannon on Twitter and Google+.+Follow us@livescience Facebook & Google+.
#Dr. Oz's'Miracle'Diet Pills: 5 Controversial Supplements This week Dr. Mehmet Oz host of The Dr. Oz Show sat down to explain to senators why he as a surgeon
and popular doctor promotes what some experts have called unscientific claims about magical weight-loss products on his show.
Sen. Claire Mccaskill D-Mo. chairwoman of the U s. Senate Committee on Commerce Science and Transportation's Subcommittee on Consumer Protection Product Safety and Insurance led a panel on Tuesday (June 17
because you know it's not true Mccaskill told Oz On his show Oz has called some herbal weight-loss products the magic weight-loss cure and the No. 1 miracle in a bottle.
and exercising are the things they need to do. 10 Fitness Apps: Which Is Best for Your Personality?
but this little bean has scientists saying they've found the magic weight-loss cure for every body type.
One study a randomized controlled trial published in The Journal of the American Medical Association in 1998 even found that people who took the supplement as part of their weight-loss diet lost less weight than the control group who took a placebo.
African mango diet pill: Irvingia or African mango extract is touted another product for weight loss that Oz has talked about on his show.
To kill fecal contamination on chicken flesh factories typically drench bird carcasses in chlorine. It is a practice so unappetizing that the nation's trading partners like Russia
To understand why U s. poultry companies would rather risk export markets than stop dipping birds in chlorine it's helpful to understand how bad the fecal contamination is.
A 2014 Consumer Reports exposã revealed that virtually all 97 percent of chicken breasts in the United states harbor dangerous pathogens like Salmonella
Moreover even after chlorine treatment the meat later can potentially be exposed to pathogens and contaminated.
To make matters worse just in time for grilling season the U s. Department of agriculture (USDA) was proposing rules that could have increased further contamination.
while conscious resulting in more fecal contamination and as the Washington post described more potential for animal suffering and food safety problems at chicken slaughter plants.
As Americans grapple with a long string of meat recalls periodic episodes of food-poisoning outbreaks that sicken many
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