Health Research: New approach to diagnosing low back pain, ♦ Religious beliefs don't always lead to violence ♦ Patients at risk of ICU-related PTSD up to a year post discharge

Gun, fire, motor vehicle safety practices linked to parents' depressive symptoms A new study links parental depression to increased safety risks for their children. The results suggest that mothers with moderate or severe depressive symptoms were two percentage points less likely to report that their child always sat in the back seat of the car and three percentage points less likely to have at least one working smoke detector in the home

Religious beliefs don't always lead to violence From the Christian Crusades to the Paris attacks, countless conflicts and acts of violence have been claimed to be the result of differing religious beliefs. These faith-based opinions are thought to motivate aggressive behavior because of how they encourage group loyalty or spin ideologies that devalue the lives of non-believers. However, new research reveals the opposite: religious beliefs might instead promote interfaith cooperation.

New approach to diagnosing low back pain,  A new, personalized approach to diagnosing low back pain has been discovered by researchers. Low back pain is the second most common cause of physician visits in the US and contributes to an estimated $100 billion in US costs per year, making it clear that it causes a significant burden on both the healthcare system and the economy. For physicians trying to diagnose low back pain, they are looking at many potential causes and unpredictable responses to treatment

Veterans, civilian patients at risk of ICU-related PTSD up to a year post discharge One in ten patients is at risk of having new post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) related to their ICU experience up to a year post-discharge. This was the finding from a multicenter, prospective cohort research study of veterans and civilians.

Women's Health: Atomic force microscope advance leads to new breast cancer research ♦ Targeting mistreatment of women during childbirth ♦ Women's faces get redder at ovulation,

Targeting mistreatment of women during childbirth Scientists have synthesized qualitative and quantitative evidence to form a clearer picture of the extent and types of mistreatment that occurs during childbirth in health facilities. Such initiatives are key to developing policies to reduce and ultimately eliminate this inhumane and degrading phenomenon.

Women's faces get redder at ovulation, but human eyes can't pick up on it Past research shows men find female faces more attractive at peak fertility. A new study shows an increased redness of women's face skin at the most fertile point of ovulatory cycle, but just under the threshold for detectability, ruling out skin coloration as a driver of the attractiveness effect.

Osteopathic manipulative therapy significantly improves low back pain in postpartum women Osteopathic manipulative therapy decreased postpartum low back pain by over 70 percent in women who had given birth at least three months before beginning treatment.

Atomic force microscope advance leads to new breast cancer research Researchers who developed a high-speed form of atomic force microscopy have shown how to image the physical properties of live breast cancer cells, for the first time revealing details about how deactivation of a key protein may lead to metastasis.

Alcohol sensitizes brain response to food aromas, increases food intake in women The first study of its kind measuring the brain's role in mediating caloric intake following alcohol consumption among women shows that alcohol exposure sensitizes the brain's response to food aromas and increases caloric intake.

Health Research: Oil dispersant used in Gulf Oil Spill causes lung injuries ♦ Cigarette smoke makes superbugs more aggressive ♦ Phone counseling reduces pain

Oil dispersant used in Gulf Oil Spill causes lung and gill injuries to humans and aquatic animals, also identifies protective enzyme New research suggests that Corexit EC9500A, an oil-dispersant agent, contributes to damage to epithelial cells within the lungs of humans and gills of marine creatures.

Phone counseling reduces pain, disability after back surgery Having a short series of phone conversations with trained counselors can substantially boost recovery and reduce pain in patients after spinal surgery.The phone calls, designed to enrich standard pre- and postoperative care by reinforcing the value of sticking with physical therapy and back-strengthening exercise regimens, are a relatively inexpensive and simple intervention that can maximize surgical outcomes.

Team succeeds in doubling life span of mice suffering from premature aging An increase in the capacity to produce nucleotides, the 'building blocks' of DNA, reduces genome fragility and counteracts premature aging in mutant mice for the ATR protein. The experiments may explain the beneficial effects of folic acid, a precursor of nucleotides, which are clinically used to alleviate the degenerative symptoms associated with aging.

Beige' fat-burning cells in humans identified A research team has isolated energy-burning 'beige' fat from adult humans, which is known to be able to convert unhealthy white fat into healthy brown fat.

Cigarette smoke makes superbugs more aggressive Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), an antibiotic-resistant superbug, can cause life-threatening skin, bloodstream and surgical site infections or pneumonia. Researchers now report that cigarette smoke may make matters worse. The study shows that MRSA bacteria exposed to cigarette smoke become even more resistant to killing by the immune system