Health Research: Nanotechnology advances could pave way for implantable artificial kidney ♦ Kitchen utensils can spread bacteria between foods

Research reveals main reasons why people go to work when ill High job demands, stress and job insecurity are among the main reasons why people go to work when they are ill, according to new British research. The study aims to improve understanding of the key causes of employees going to work when sick, known as presenteeism, and to help make managers more aware of the existence of the growing phenomenon, what triggers the behavior and what can be done to improve employees' health and productivity.

Racial disparities associated with living kidney donation assessed Increasing median income levels of transplant candidates' zip codes were associated with higher rates of living donation, but African American candidates living in the wealthiest neighborhoods had only slightly higher rates than rates seen among the lowest median income areas for Caucasians. African American  donors had higher rates of complications early after donation

Nanotechnology advances could pave way for implantable artificial kidney New advances in nanopore technology could lead to the development of a surgically implantable, artificial kidney.

Kitchen utensils can spread bacteria between foods Researchers have found that produce that contained bacteria would contaminate other produce items through the continued use of knives or graters -- the bacteria would latch on to the utensils commonly found in consumers' homes and spread. Unfortunately, many consumers are unaware utensils and other surfaces at home can contribute to the spread of bacteria, say the authors of a new report.

Children's Health: Teen marijuana use down despite greater availability ♦iVruses flourish in guts of healthy babies ♦ Time spent outdoors results in decreased rate of nearsightedness

Viruses flourish in guts of healthy babies Bacteria aren't the only nonhuman invaders to colonize the gut shortly after a baby's birth. Viruses also set up house there. The study is one of the first surveys of viruses that reside in the intestine, beginning the work of defining a healthy gut virome.

Racial disparities in pain of children with appendicitis in EDs Black children were less likely to receive any pain medication for moderate pain and less likely to receive opioids for severe pain than white children in a study of racial disparities in the pain management of children with appendicitis in emergency department.

Teen marijuana use down despite greater availability Marijuana use among American high school students is significantly lower today than it was 15 years ago, despite the legalization in many states of marijuana for medical purposes, a move toward decriminalization of the drug and the approval of its recreational use in a handful of places.

Hookah tobacco smoking seems to be increasing in both prevalence, frequency Nearly one in five recently surveyed high school seniors report having smoked tobacco from a hookah in the past year, and more than a third of them reported smoking hookahs often enough to be considered regular users. The findings add to evidence that hookah use among adolescents is increasing in both prevalence and frequency.

Additional time spent outdoors by children results in decreased rate of nearsightedness The addition of a daily outdoor activity class at school for three years for children in Guangzhou, China, resulted in a reduction in the rate of myopia (nearsightedness, the ability to see close objects more clearly than distant objects,