Health Research: High-fat diet may alleviate mitochondrial disease ♦ Eye color may be linked to alcohol dependence ♦ July 4: Short-term spike in particulate matter in US

High-fat diet may alleviate mitochondrial disease Mice that have a genetic version of mitochondrial disease can easily be mistaken for much older animals by the time they are nine months old: they have thinning grey hair, osteoporosis, poor hearing, infertility, heart problems and have lost weight. Dietary fat, coupled with a natural hormone, can relieve symptoms in these mice.

Eye color may be linked to alcohol dependence People with blue eyes might have a greater chance of becoming alcoholics, according to a unique new study

For women with bipolar disorder, sleep quality affects mood Poor sleep is associated with negative mood in women with bipolar disorder, according to researchers. Bipolar disorder is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks. The condition is marked by extreme mood episodes characterized as manic (highs), depressive (lows) or mixed

Research reveals new insights into a key antibiotic target in the fight against TB A key process in the bacterium that causes tuberculosis has been unraveled by researchers, potentially paving the way for new antibiotics to fight the disease. TB is one of the world's top infectious killers, causing 1.5 million deaths every year. The TB bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is estimated to be present in up to a third of the world's population, although active TB only develops in around one in 10 cases.

July 4: Short-term spike in particulate matter in US From the founding of America, the Fourth of July has been synonymous with fireworks. A new study quantifies the surge in fine particulate matter -- particles that are two and one half microns in diameter (PM2.5) -- on July 4, using observations from the 315 US air quality monitoring sites that operated from 1999 to 2013. While scientists have known that fireworks displays produce a surge in fine particulates, the new study is the first nationwide quantitative analysis of the effects.

Cleaner Air Tied to Healthier Lungs in Kids

Over the past 30 years, researchers have linked a wide array of health effects to air pollution. Among these are reduced lung function, asthma, cardiovascular disease, preterm birth, and even death. The period between 11 and 15 years of age is particularly important for long-term lung function, as lungs are developing rapidly.

In Southern California—long known for its levels of air pollution—public policies have helped to improve air quality over the past few decades. A team of researchers led by Dr. W. James Gauderman of the University of Southern California used these changes to examine the association between air quality improvements and

The team used data from the 20-year Children’s Health Study, which took measurements of children’s health and outdoor air pollution levels in communities throughout Southern California. The researchers examined data from 3 different groups of children taken during the time periods 1994–1998, 1997–2001, and 2007–2011. Numbering over 2,100, the children came from 5 communities: Long Beach, Mira Loma, Riverside, San Dimas, and Upland. All received 2 or more tests of lung function from the ages of 11 to 15 years old. The scientists compared lung function with levels of nitrogen dioxide, ozone, and particulate matter of different sizes.

The researchers found improvements in lung function development were associated with declining levels of nitrogen dioxide; fine particles, which are 2.5 micrometers in diameter or less (found in smoke and haze); and larger particles with diameters up to 10 micrometers (including wind-blown dust). The proportion of children with clinically low lung function at 15 years of age also declined as air quality improved. Across the 3 time periods, the proportion with low lung function fell from 7.9% to 6.3% to 3.6%. These associations held after adjustment for several other variables, including smoking habits, health insurance, parental education, and exposure to cats, dogs, mold, and mildew.

The effects of the 3 different pollutants couldn’t be separated, as their levels were highly correlated. However, these results show that broad-based efforts to improve general air quality can significantly improve lung function in children. Improvements were seen in both boys and girls, in children with and without asthma, and in children of different racial/ethnic backgrounds.

“We expect that our results are relevant for areas outside Southern California, since the pollutants we found most strongly linked to improved health—nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter—are elevated in any urban environment,” Gauderman says.

The researchers note that these results and others suggest that further improvements to air quality could lead to even better lung health