Health News: 3-D printed objects that kill microbes ♦ Chemists turn bacterial molecules into potential drug molecules ♦ Grabbing a parasite by the tail: Team solves 'jumping gene' mystery

Researchers identify liver pathway linked to negative impacts of high-fat, high-cholesterol diet It's no secret that a high-fat, high-cholesterol "junk food" diet has been linked to major health problems, including high blood cholesterol and the buildup of plaques in the arteries, known as atherosclerosis. Now new research has identified a pathway in the liver, controlled by a protein known as BAF60a, that contributes to these negative effects by stimulating the production of bile—which helps the body to absorb more cholesterol and other fats from the foods we eat.

Grabbing a parasite by the tail: Team solves 'jumping gene' mystery Deep within your DNA, a tiny parasite lurks, waiting to pounce from its perch and land in the middle of an unsuspecting healthy gene. If it succeeds, it can make you sick. Like a jungle cat, this parasite sports a long tail. But until now, little was known about what role that tail plays in this dangerous jumping.

Chemists turn bacterial molecules into potential drug molecules Chemists explain how they have created molecules that mimic and dominate toxic ones secreted by bacteria. The implications for the study of biology and pharmacology are said to be enormous.

3-D printed objects that kill microbes Material scientists and orthodontists have made a 3D printing substrate which kills bacteria on contact. The first applications will be in dentistry, but other implants may follow.

Food Research: Nuts, peanuts, but not peanut butter, may protect against death from cancer ♦ High salt prevents weight gain in mice on a high-fat die ♦ Large doses of antioxidants may be harmful to neuronal stem cells

Nuts, peanuts, but not peanut butter, may protect against death from cancer, heart disease, respiratory disease, and other major causes A study confirms a link between peanut and nut intake and lower mortality rates, but finds no protective effect for peanut butter. Men and women who eat at least 10 grams of nuts or peanuts per day have a lower risk of dying from several major causes of death than people who don't consume nuts or peanuts.

Regular soda, please: Hormone that differentiates sugar, diet sweeteners could exist in humans We've all been there: We eat an entire sleeve of fat-free, low-calorie cookies and we're stuffing ourselves with more food 15 minutes later. One theory to explain this phenomenon is that artificial sweeteners don't contain the calories or energy that evolution has trained the brain to expect from sweet-tasting foods, so they don't fool the brain into satisfying hunger. However, until now, nobody understood how organisms distinguish between real sugar and artificial sweetener.

High salt prevents weight gain in mice on a high-fat diet In a study that seems to defy conventional dietary wisdom, scientists have found that adding high salt to a high-fat diet actually prevents weight gain in mice. The findings highlight the profound effect non-caloric dietary nutrients can have on energy balance and weight gain, and suggest that public health efforts to continue lowering sodium intake may have unexpected and unintended consequences.

Large doses of antioxidants may be harmful to neuronal stem cells Stem cells are especially sensitive to oxygen radicals and antioxidants shows new research.