Watching thoughts — and addiction — form in the brain

Being the primary breadwinner is bad for men’s psychological well-being and health
Gendered expectations in marriage are not just bad for women, they are also bad for men, according to a new study by University of Connecticut sociologists.

Bartending and family life might not mix, study says
If you want to mix drinks for a living, don’t expect to have a typical family life.

UNC researcher provides recommendations to stop violence against clinicians in China
Responding to the number of violent attacks on physicians in China, Joseph D. Tucker, M.D., Ph.D., director of UNC Project-China, organized an initiative to rebuild patient-physician trust with recommendations published in The Lancet.

‘Ecosystem canaries’ provide early warning signs of catastrophic changes to ecosystems
New research, led by the University of Southampton, demonstrates that ‘ecosystem canaries’ can provide early warning signals of large, potentially catastrophic, changes or tipping points in ecosystems.

New oral diabetes drugs may also protect patients’ kidney health
In a clinical trial of patients with type 2 diabetes, canagliflozin (a sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor) slowed kidney function decline to a greater extent than glimepiride (a sulfonylurea), while having similar blood sugar-lowering effects.

Gallstone disease may increase heart disease risk
A history of gallstone disease was linked to a 23 percent increased risk of developing coronary heart disease. Preventing gallstone disease may also benefit heart health, say researchers.

Over-the-counter laser pointers a threat to eyesight
Some laser pointers that can be bought over the counter are unsafe — to the point that they can cause blindness.

Study confirms long-term effects of ‘chemobrain’ in mice
Women undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer have long complained of lingering cognitive impairments after treatment. These effects are referred to as ‘chemobrain,’ a feeling of mental fogginess. A new study from the University of Illinois reports long-lasting cognitive impairments in mice when they are administered a chemotherapy regimen used to treat breast cancer in humans.

University of Washington paleontologists discover major T. rex fossil
Paleontologists with the University of Washington’s Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture have discovered a Tyrannosaurus rex, including a very complete skull. The find, which paleontologists estimate to be about 20 percent of the animal, includes vertebrae, ribs, hips and lower jaw bones.

In cells, some oxidants are needed
But some studies are showing that these reactive oxygen species (ROS) molecules sometimes can aid in maintaining health — findings now boosted by a surprising discovery from Joslin Diabetes Center researchers.

Smoking marijuana provides more pain relief for men than women
Researchers from Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) found that men had greater pain relief than women after smoking marijuana. ‘These findings come at a time when more people, including women, are turning to the use of medical cannabis for pain relief,’ said Ziva Cooper, Ph.D., associate professor of clinical neurobiology (in psychiatry) at CUMC…

Scientists explain why Russian tuberculosis is the most infectious
Scientists conducted a large-scale analysis of the proteins and genomes of mycobacterium tuberculosis strains that are common in Russia and countries of the former Soviet Union and found features that provide a possible explanation for their epidemiological success.

Pacific sea level predicts global temperature changes
Sea level changes in the Pacific Ocean can be used to estimate future global surface temperatures, according to a new paper in Geophysical Research Letters. Scientists knew both the rate at which global surface temperature is rising and sea level in the Pacific varied, but had not connected the two phenomena. The researchers estimate by the end of 2016, average surface temperature will increase up to 0.5 F (0.28 C) more than in 2014.

Insecticide treatment of cattle to kill sand flies and combat leishmaniasis
With an estimated 500,000 human infections and 50,000 deaths annually, visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is the second most prevalent parasitic killer, behind malaria. Leishmania parasites are transmitted through the bite of phlebotomine sand flies. A study published in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases makes the case that fighting the insects by treating cattle with the long-lasting insecticide, fipronil, could substantially reduce VL in areas where people and cattle live in close proximity.