It's long been held that gum health is directly linked with heart health, but a new study is injecting some skepticism into the association.

A statement in the journal Circulation, written by a committee of the American Heart Association, points out that there is no evidence to show that heart disease is actually caused by gum disease.

"There's a lot of confusion out there," Peter Lockhart, D.D.S., co-chair of the group that wrote the statement and professor and chair of oral medicine at the Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, N.C., said in a statement. "The message sent out by some in healthcare professions that heart attack and stroke are directly linked to gum disease, can distort the facts, alarm patients and perhaps shift the focus on prevention away from well known risk factors for these diseases."

The new piece published in the journal takes a look at 500 studies that have been published on the subject. Even though the studies did suggest an association between gum health and heart health, none of them were able to show proof of causation.

The researchers noted that when a person has gum disease or heart disease, markers of inflammation -- like C-reactive protein -- may be produced, which may explain some of the association. And lifestyle factors, such as cigarette use, age and having diabetes, are all risks for both gum disease and heart disease.

"We already know that some people are less proactive about their cardiovascular health than others," Lockhart said in the statement. "Individuals who do not pay attention to the very powerful and well proven risk factors, like smoking, diabetes or high blood pressure, may not pay close attention to their oral health either."

The American Academy of Periodontology also released their own release, supporting the AHA statement.

They wrote:

While current research does not yet provide evidence of a causal relationship between the two diseases, scientists have identified biologic factors, such as chronic inflammation, that independently link periodontal disease to the development or progression of cardiovascular disease in some patients.

However, the AAP cautioned that just because there is no evidence of causation, it doesn't mean that there isn't some sort of more complicated relationship between oral health and heart health.

"Periodontal disease and cardiovascular disease are both complex, multi-factorial diseases that develop over time. It may be overly simplistic to expect a direct causal link. The relationship between the diseases is more likely to be mediated by numerous other factors, mechanisms, and circumstances that we have yet to uncover," AAP president Pamela McClain, DDS, said in a statement.

"However, as the AHA statement points out, the association is real and independent of shared risk factors," McClain added. "Patients and healthcare providers should not ignore the increased risk of heart disease associated with gum disease just because we do not have all the answers yet."

Ever wondered what that fake smile you pop on as your boss walks by might be doing to your mental health? Well, according to psychologists, how authentically people act at work has no bearing on their overall wellbeing.

So next time you’re grinning wildly at your manager’s latest ‘great idea’ you can take heart from a survey that suggests such behaviour does no major psychological damage.

Scientists from the University of Greenwich assessed levels of “authentic self expression” in 522 volunteers to see how far they opened up to people they interacted with socially.

Participants were much less likely to “be themselves” with work colleagues, than partners, friends and parents, researchers found. And while those who showed their true selves to partners tended to have greater wellbeing and were more satisfied with life, the same benefits were not seen from being authentic at work.

Dr Oliver Robinson, from the University of Greenwich in London, said: "You hear self-help gurus say that the secret of happiness is 'being yourself' or 'expressing your true feelings', but that doesn't seem to apply in the workplace.

"So in some circumstances, it may be that a polite smile or tactfully keeping quiet may be more conducive to your wellbeing than saying what you actually think and feel to work colleagues."

But Eve Menezes Cunningham of Wellbeing At Work suggests that being ‘authentic’ and ‘professional’ can go hand in hand.

“Authenticity, to me, is about honouring your feelings but not acting them out,” Cunningham told HuffPost Lifestyle

“People vent and bully and behave in other unprofessional ways calling it ‘authentic behaviour’ when really it's poor impulse control. Other times at work, we feel stressed and think we have to hide it, when we would do better to tell our colleagues in a professional manner, so the situation can be managed.”

Valerie Young, author of Changing Course adds that while it’s natural to go into “protective mode” while at work, to ensure you don’t create a negative impression, individuals should resist taking this too far.

“If your authentic self is afraid to take risks - or worries that you're not smart or capable enough to move ahead - you shouldn't listen to that part of yourself regardless of how "authentic" it feels. Rather you need to act confident despite any normal self-doubt or fear.”

But, don’t get so used to acting confident, polished and impervious to criticism that you take the pose home with you, warns Dr Oliver Robinson.

“In our study, being inauthentic at work had no negative impact on wellbeing and life satisfaction, unlike inauthenticity with partner or friends, which was significantly related to reduced wellbeing and life satisfaction.”

If you truly are what you eat, then here's your chance to be a living, walking cancer combatant, according to experts at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center who have developed a series of food plate worksheets that focus on nutrition and cancer prevention, with a culturally-sensitive twist.

The worksheets, which include cancer-fighting food options, serving size recommendations and a healthy recipe, are designed with three groups in mind, ones that experts say are more likely to develop and/or die from certain types of cancer -- African American, Hispanic and Vietnamese.

According to the American Cancer Society, African Americans are more likely to develop and die from cancer than any other racial or ethnic population. And while Hispanics have lower incidence rates for all cancers combined, when compared to whites, they generally have higher rates of cancers associated with infections, such as uterine cervix, liver, gallbladder, and stomach cancers.

Cultural differences aside, MD Anderson's food plates highlight the USDA's MyPlate (an update to the former Food Pyramid that was introduced by First Lady Michelle Obama last year) and the American Institute for Cancer Research's (AICR) food guidelines. All three make the following recommendations:

• Meals should stay within the target calorie range of 500 calories for men and 400 calories for women to help adults maintain a healthy weight.
• Two-thirds of the plate should be filled with vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans.
• One-third or less of the plate should be filled with animal protein, with no more than 18 ounces of red meat (pork, beef or lamb) per week.

Here's how African Americans can build a cancer-fighting meal. Get an accompanying recipe and worksheets for Hispanic and Vietnamese communities here.

If you work in an office, you're likely quite familiar with the IT desk -- that ever-informative department consisting of employees who seem to have the answers to everything (not to mention a fair chunk of the office gossip).

But it appears that some people like to take that job description a bit too far. In a survey recently released by Robert Half Technology, an employment agency for IT staff, company CIOs (chief information officers) were questioned about the strangest queries they've received while on the job.

Considering how helpful IT staff are generally, it's understandable some people may think of them as all-over maintenance workers. And though they probably do know the best method, it's never appropriate to have anyone else clean out your keyboard.

Be honest -- what's the weirdest thing you've ever asked of a help desk? Let us know in the comments below, or at @HuffPostCaLiv.

New nickel 5p and 10p coins should be investigated over the possibility they may cause disease, a group of skin experts has said.

The dermatologists expressed concern that the potential cost of skin disease related to nickel exposure has not been examined.

They have called for the "poorly informed" Royal Mint to consider the financial implications of treating patients, and the cost to the Treasury if those people are unable to work.

New 5p and 10p coins are made of nickel-plated steel and are gradually being phased into circulation.

The skin experts said the Swedish authorities concluded that this type of coin posed unacceptable health risks.

The letter, written by Danielle Greenblatt and Ian White of St John's Institute of Dermatology, and David Gawkrodger of the Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield, asks the Royal Mint whether a risk assessment has been completed to determine the effect of the coins on people who suffer allergic reactions to nickel.

They also asked what amount of nickel is released from the surface of the new coins.

Government chief scientist Sir John Beddington should give his opinion on the matter, they concluded.

Buckingham Palace has released details of The Queen's processional route from Westminster Hall, the Palace of Westminster, to Buckingham Palace on June 5th, and included is a neat 3D video that Google has posted tracing the route.

Will and Kate will be accompanying the Queen and Prince Philip in the procession of three carriages, marking their first formal carriage ride since the Royal Wedding.

The procession is part of a four-day bank holiday weekend celebrating the Queen's 60-year reign.

The view in Google Earth shows 3D recreations of famous landmarks that the procession will pass by.

Click here to get the new issue of 2 For Couples!

Scientists has discovered four 'Father Time' genes that help determine how fast we age.

The ageing genes are switched on or off by environmental and lifestyle factors such as diet, and may be programmed from an early age.

Knowing how the genes are altered could pave the way to new generations of anti-ageing drugs, researchers believe.

Scientists already knew that "epigenetic" changes - chemical alterations to DNA made by external factors in the environment - are important to ageing.

The new research goes some way towards solving the riddle of how and when these effects occur.

Dr Jordana Bell, one of the study authors from King's College London, said: "We found that epigenetic changes associate with age-related traits that have previously been used to define biological age.

"We identified many age-related epigenetic changes, but four seemed to impact the rate of healthy ageing and potential longevity and we can use these findings as potential markers of ageing.

"These results can help understand the biological mechanisms underlying healthy ageing and age-related disease, and future work will explore how environmental effects can affect these epigenetic changes."

The scientists, whose work is reported in the online journal Public Library of Science Genetics, first looked for epigenetic changes in the DNA of 172 twins aged 32 to 80.

Twins are often used in such studies because identical pairs share exactly the same genes, making it possible to tease apart genetic and environmental effects. If one identical twin displays very different characteristics from the other it means the cause cannot be genetic.

Analysing the changes in relation to chronological age, the researchers identified 490 age-related epigenetic changes.

Matching these to specific age-related traits highlighted four genes displaying changes linked to cholesterol levels, lung function and maternal lifespan.

Further research showed that many of the epigenetic DNA alterations were also present in a group of 44 younger twins aged 22 to 61.

This suggests that while many age-related genetic changes caused by environmental factors occur throughout a person's life, some might be triggered early on.

Professor Tim Spector, director of the Department of Twin Research at King's College, said: "This study is the first glimpse of the potential that large twin studies have to find the key genes involved in ageing, how they can be modified by lifestyle and start to develop anti-ageing therapies.

"The future will be very exciting for age research."

Gene experts at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, played a key role in the study.

Sanger scientist Dr Panos Deloukas pointed out that the research was still at an early stage. "Our study interrogated only a fraction of sites in the genome (genetic code) that carry such epigenetic changes; these initial findings support the need for a more comprehensive scan of epigenetic variation," he said.

British scientists are in the midst of developing an anti-viral drug that could protect sufferers from life-threatening symptoms.

Researchers from the University of Southampton and respiratory drug development company Synairgen believe an anti-viral drug called SNG001 could lead to a cure.

The SNG001 drug is designed to protect asthmatics from respiratory virus infections (such as the common cold) that can spread to the lung, which are a major cause of worsening asthma symptoms. It is estimated that viral infection is associated with up to eight out of 10 asthma-related emergency department visits.

The drug was recently tested on 134 adult asthma sufferers with mild to severe symptoms. Researchers discovered that the SNG001 prevented two out of three asthmatics developing worse symptoms after catching a cold, when compared to a placebo drug.

They also discovered a 65% reduction in asthma symptoms, causing a significant number of sufferers to reduce the amount of times they inhaled a bronchodilator (an inhaler that increases airflow to the lungs) as a result of the drug.

Scientists are hoping to create a commercial version of this drug - bringing fresh hope to the 5.4m asthma sufferers in the UK.

"This is a really promising breakthrough for the future treatment of asthma and one of the most exciting developments that I have seen in years,” professor Stephen Holgate, founder of Synairgen, said in a statement.

“This is the first clinical study which appears to demonstrate that, by boosting the antiviral defences of the lungs of asthmatics rather than trying to inhibit rapidly evolving viruses, we can limit the adverse effects of viral infection significantly to prevent worsening of asthma symptoms in a high risk group of patients.”

Leanne Metcalf, assistant director of research at Asthma UK, added:

"This has the potential to be one of the biggest breakthroughs in asthma treatments in the past 20 years.

“We are incredibly excited by the possibilities this research could bring to reduce hospital admissions and deaths as a result of asthma attacks.

"Over 80% of asthma attacks are triggered by cold and flu viruses, and until now we haven't had any effective treatments that can stop this from happening. This clinical trial demonstrates the potential of this anti-viral drug to prevent asthma attacks for thousands of people with severe asthma.

“We are incredibly proud to have played a part in the realisation of this research programme which should benefit people with asthma in a really significant way."

If you're worried about asthma, take a look at Asthma UK's guide to the condition.

Who knew something as simple as washing the dishes could help to ward off Alzheimer's?

A new study shows that simple activities like cooking, cleaning and washing the dishes -- as well as good old-fashioned exercise -- are linked with a lower risk of Alzheimer's disease, even among people age 80 and older.

The study, which included 716 people (average age of 82), was published in the journal Neurology.

"These results provide support for efforts to encourage physical activity in even very old people who might not be able to participate in formal exercise but can still benefit from a more active lifestyle," study researcher Dr. Aron S. Buchman, M.D., of the Rush University Medical Center, said in a statement.

The study participants wore an activity-monitoring device, called an actigraph, on their non-dominant wrist for the study, in order to track how much they moved and exercised for 10 days. The study participants also took tests every year for four years to gauge their memory and cognitive abilities, researchers said.

Over the four year period, 71 people went on to develop Alzheimer's. However, researchers found that the people who were the least active each day -- in the bottom 10th percentile in the study -- were two times more likely to go on to develop Alzheimer's disease, compared with people who were in the top 10th percentile for daily activity.

The results were even more marked when evaluating the intensity of physical activity: Those who were in the bottom 10th percentile for physical activity intensity were three times more likely to develop Alzheimer's, compared with those in the top 10th percentile.

However, Health.com pointed out that the study doesn't identify what kinds of physical activity seem to work best at warding off Alzheimer's, since the actigraphs are only able to detect activity, but not the type of it.

Previous research from the Boston Medical Center also suggests that physical activity is linked with Alzheimer's. That research suggested that walking speed and grip strength are predictors of who is likely to develop Alzheimer's or dementia.

Gyms have a way of bringing out particular personality traits in people, for better or for worse -- it's what inspires those nicknames you give to those you see regularly while working out. You know the ones we mean: 'crazy workout girl,' 'super smelly guy' and 'woman I hope I look like when I'm 75.'

And today, from the 'Don't Be That Guy' crew, comes 'Don't Be That Guy At The Gym,' a beautifully dissected round-up of five of the most infuriating men you'll find while exercising. Like any cliché, it's a combination of truth and parody, but it falls right in line with the most common complaints you'll hear about gym companions.

We could recommend a couple more problem areas (see aforementioned smelly guy), but truly, we're just happy if more attention is brought to the problem. After all, the first step toward solving the issue of the guy screaming as he lifts 350 pounds is awareness.

Who are your least favourite gym guys? Let us know in the comments below, or at @HuffPostCaLiv.

SEE: 11 of the most annoying gym behaviours:

Oreo cookies have come under fire after a controversial advert featuring a breastfeeding baby with the slogan; ‘Milk’s Favourite Cookie’ was leaked online.

The Cheil Worldwide Agency, a South Korean advertising agency, created the provocative advert, including an image of an Asian baby suckling on a fully exposed breast and nipple.

The leaked advert has created quite a stir on Twitter. See a round-up of the mixed reactions below:

In response to the uproar, the creators have come forward, claiming the advert was never intended to reach the public domain...

A representative from Kraft Foods, owner of Nabisco which produce Oreos, claim that the ad was created for a one-time use at an advertising forum and was not intended to go public.

The food company released a statement saying: “Our understanding is that they created it for use at an isolated advertising awards forum in Korea. It was never intended for consumer advertising or public distribution.”

Take a look at Oreo biscuit adverts that did make it to our TV screens - old and new.

Voice problems plague one in four workers at call centers, according to a new study.

Researchers from the University of Ulster in the U.K. found that 25 percent of people on the job -- which, as everyone knows, involves lots of talking on the phone -- has had a work-related sore throat, loss of voice or breathlessness.

"Policies on voice care should exist in all call centre environments, and should be reviewed regularly. Going forward, there needs to be an emphasis on the prevention of voice problems within the industry –- to maintain optimal vocal health," study researcher Dr. Diane Hazlett, the head of the School of Communication at the University of Ulster, said in a statement. "Employers in this sector need to show they better recognize just how important the voice is, to having a healthy, well supported workforce and a thriving business."

The study was based on survey answers from almost 600 call-center workers from 14 different centers in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The study lasted 18 months.

"People who depend on their voices within their day-to-day role, such as actors and singers, often have training on how to control and protect their voice — call agents should be no different," Dr. Luise Vassie, executive director of policy at the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health, which commissioned the study, said in a statement.

Researchers suggested that people who work at call centers take care to keep their throats properly lubricated, take regular voice breaks, have good posture and be trained properly in order to minimize risks for voice problems.

According to the New York Ear and Eye Infirmary, other "talk-heavy" professions that come with a high risk for voice problems include receptionists, customer service and technically support workers, teachers and attorneys. And police officers, restaurant workers and factory workers are also at risk for voice problems because of their noisy workplaces.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

Famed American anthropologist Margaret Mead, who coined that heartfelt phrase, would be proud to see the steps made by British communities in their quest to change Britain for the better.

Across the country, local communities are increasingly choosing to advantage of social networks and make their home a greener place to live.

Whittington And Fisherwick Group

When people from the villages of Whittington and Fisherwick in Staffordshire were told of plans to ‘fill in’ several nearby lakes with aggregate they decided to fight against the proposals.

They formed the Whittington and Fisherwick Environment Group (WFEG) and managed to find a compromise. But they didn’t stop there. Now, the group say on their website, they are committed to turning the parishes of Whittington and Fisherwick, into “ one of the first low carbon communities in the United Kingdom”.

WFEG has so far secured funding to fit out the local village hall, church hall and parish council pavilion with insulation and low-energy lighting. The Dog Inn pub in Whittington has spent £6,000 on their own money on insulation, low-energy lighting and a more efficient boiler, thanks to WFEN encouragement. And the group most recently partnered with LoCaL - Low Carbon Lichfield to offer great value solar electricity either at a great discount - or free.

Fintry in Stirlingshire

Although many communities would prefer to live without wind turbines in their backyard, the residents of Finty welcomed a proposal for a local wind farm.

Instead of opposing the scheme, the villagers asked the commercial developer to build an extra turbine and sell it to them, to try to make their community one of the greenest in the UK, reported The Guardian.

According to the Stirling Observer, the village is celebrating the fifth anniversary of the project this year.

In that time the village has benefited from a regular income generated by the turbine, averaging £40,000 to £70,000 per annum, which it invests in local renewable energy projects (and once their original loan is repaid, they could look forward to a profit of around £400,000 each year).

More than 15% of Fintry households now benefit from micro-renewable energy (produced on a small scale) thanks to the Fintry Development Trust, says the paper. It is reported that the FDT aims to help increase the number of homes with micro-renewable installations (such as solar panels) to 80% by 2015 – five years before the Scottish Government 2020 targets.

These communities could definitely help propel Britain’s green ambitions forward

Dog owners are drawn to breeds that reflect their personalities, psychologists say.

Outgoing extroverts are mostly likely to be seen walking a German shepherd, collie or bulldog.

Owners of greyhounds and beagles tend to be emotionally stable, while fans of "toy" breeds such as the Chihuahua or Pekingese appear to embrace change.

The Kennel Club assisted the research conducted by scientists at Bath Spa University.

Psychologists Dr Lance Workman and Jo Fearon asked 1,000 dog owners to complete an online questionnaire that assessed several personality traits. Participants also provided details of the kinds of dog they owned.

Breeds were split into seven groups: gundogs (eg golden retriever), hound dogs (eg greyhound; beagle), pastoral (eg German shepherd; border collie), terrier (eg Staffordshire bull), toy (eg Chihuahua), utility (eg bulldog) and working (eg Doberman).

The findings, presented at the British Psychological Society's annual conference in London, revealed links between owners' personality traits and the breed of dogs they preferred.

In particular, owners of pastoral and utility breeds were more extroverted, gundog and toy dog owners were more agreeable, and owners of utility, toy and gundogs were more conscientious.

Owners of hound dogs turned out to be more emotionally stable, while owners of toy dogs were more open to new experiences.

Dr Workman said: "This study indicates that we might be able to make predictions about someone's personality based on the breed of dog that they choose to own.

"It seems likely that personality types are subconsciously drawn to certain breeds."

Associations between personality and dog breed may relate to owners' lifestyles, he added.

"For example, more extroverted individuals might be better suited to the pastoral breeds such as German shepherd or border collie, whereas those who are particularly emotionally stable might be suited to ownership of hound dogs such as a beagle or greyhound," said Dr Workman.

If you're a dog person, take a look at our round-up of adorable dogs doing very funny things...

Otherwise, laugh out loud to their cringe-worthy, toe-curling snaps of animal lovers and their pooches...

Can you save the environment from the comfort of your couch? Probably not, but watching green movies might inspire you and your family to be a bit more eco-friendly on Earth Day.

As much of the world focuses on increasing awareness about urgent environmental issues, watching Netflix’s top 10 green movies can help show you and your kids how to take action. Curious about water wars? Blue Gold: World Water Wars is for you. Want to reduce your oil dependency? Check out Who Killed the Electric Car? Hungry for local food? Watch What’s On Your Plate.

But before you plant yourselves in front of the tube, consider the eco-friendliest way to watch. Studies have debated whether streaming a movie, having one shipped, or renting it from a video store hurts the environment the least. With so many different factors, including transportation to the video store, DVD packaging, and the amount of electricity it costs to run the streaming servers, the answer is complicated.

But like so much that relates to eco-consciousness, it's about trying as best you can to reduce and reuse energy and things, so take the tact that works for you. Whichever way you choose, take a lesson from each of these environmental movies to go green for Earth Day.

By Mikkel Becker for Vetstreet

Q. I love having my dog sleep near me, but he takes up the entire bed. Is it possible to train him to stay on his own side of the bed so that I can sleep more comfortably?

More from Vetstreet:
Should Dogs & Cats Sleep on Your Bed?
Why Does My Dog... Sleep Belly Up?
Sleeping With a Snoring Dog

A. Just over half of the dog-owning population sleep with their pets, making bed hogging a big deal for pet lovers who choose to share the mattress with their canines. And it's not only small dogs that get to sleep in people beds -- in one study, 41 percent of dogs sleeping with their owners were medium-sized, and one out of every three were large breeds. The bigger the dog, the more bed space he takes up, although small dogs can stretch out surprisingly far for their compact size. Add another human to the equation and multiple canines sharing the sheets, and it's no surprise that pet parents end up with only a sliver of the bed to sleep on.

Check With Your Vet First
Before you invite Fido into your bed, talk to your veterinarian; there can be risks involved with sharing sleeping spaces with pets. Zoonotic diseases, or those passed from pet to human, are more easily spread through close contact, such as sharing kisses or sleeping areas. Immunocompromised individuals, such as the elderly or small children, are especially vulnerable to these illnesses and should not sleep with a pet in their bed. Be sure to keep your pet on your veterinarian's recommended schedule for all required vaccinations and parasite control, and follow up with any other medical care recommended by your veterinarian.

Control Bed Hogging
Once your canine has been cleared for cosleeping, the next step in stopping his bed hogging is to designate a small portion of the bed as your dog's sleeping space, rather than allowing him to plop down and spread out wherever he pleases. The easiest way to do this is to clearly mark an area of your bed as his sleeping space by using a pet bed, towel or blanket. Teach your dog to "target" this area and lie down there by practicing with the designated blanket on the ground first. (Watch Mikkel's video on teaching your dog to target a mat and lie down.)

Once your pet is readily targeting the mat, blanket or pet bed, and is lying down when asked, place his sleeping area on top of your bed. Bring your pet up on the bed and work with him on targeting this same area, just like you practiced on the floor. Keep in mind that when you first move the targeted sleeping area to a new place, your dog may need a little guidance. Toss treats onto the sleeping space to lead him to lay down, or reward him for small steps such as simply putting a paw on the sleeping area.

As soon as your pet starts targeting the mat and lying down as readily as he did on the ground, add longer-duration down stays on the mat. This is convenient to practice at night when you are reading a book or relaxing in bed and can intermittently toss a treat to him on his sleeping area or simply offer him praise and petting. If your dog moves off his marked sleeping area and sprawls out on the bedspread, gently guide him back onto the sleeping area with the "go to your mat" cue. Using reward-based target training to teach this leads your dog to associate his sleeping zone with wonderful things, such as treats and praise; this, in turn, teaches him to love lying in this area, making it less likely he will want to move off his designated space.

Zoned For Pets
Having your pet's sleeping area located at the foot of your bed may be most conducive for deep sleep. But if your pet has taken on the job of cuddle buddy or if he is more dependent on you and needs close physical proximity, you can move his sleeping area closer to the head of the bed, where he can easily receive the valued reinforcement of petting and close contact for staying in his designated sleeping zone. No matter where you let your pooch snooze, it is important to be consistent about where your dog can lounge; he needs to understand that he is allowed to sleep in your bed only as long as he stays in his own clearly marked zone, wherever that may be.

With a clearly marked and heavily rewarded pet sleeping zone, you can safely and comfortably share the sheets with your pet -- and get a good night's sleep.

For more on sleep, click here.

For more on pet health, click here.

Flickr photo by ryansharp

American scientists have come a step closer to discovering a way of ‘curing’ paralysed limbs by creating technology that delivers direct electronic ‘messages’ from the brain to the affected part of the body.

Researchers from the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine managed to send electric signals from the brain to the targeted limb to move, bypassing the damaged spinal cord.

“We are eavesdropping on the natural electrical signals from the brain that tell the arm and hand how to move, and sending those signals directly to the muscles,” said Lee. E. Miller, lead author of the study.

The researchers focused on a ‘paralysed’ hand of a monkey, whose electrical brain and muscle signals were monitored throughout the process.

The lab monkey was given a local anesthetic to block nerve activity at the elbow, causing temporary (and painless) paralysis of the hand. They were also given tiny 'multi-electrode' implants that scientists used to track the electric signals.

When the electrical signals were sent through the body, scientists were able to develop a algorithm (a decoder) that enabled them to record and predict patterns of muscle activity in the monkey – down to the moment the monkey wanted to move a muscle.

Scientists discovered that the monkey’s brain signals were able to control tiny electric currents sent through the body and into its muscles, causing them to contract and therefore allowing the monkey to pick items up using its ‘paralysed’ hand.

Scientists from the study likened this ‘motor learning’, when people relearn the movements that achieve an everyday task.

"The monkey won't use his hand perfectly, but there is a process of motor learning that we think is very similar to the process you go through when you learn to use a new computer mouse or a different tennis racquet. Things are different and you learn to adjust to them," explains Miller.

"We can extract a remarkable amount of information from only 100 neurons, even though there are literally a million neurons involved in making that movement,” Miller said.

“One reason is that these are output neurons that normally send signals to the muscles. Behind these neurons are many others that are making the calculations the brain needs in order to control movement. We are looking at the end result from all those calculations.”

Brain news in the headlines:

• Brain scans 'linked to weight-gain'
• Brain vaccine made of patients own tumour developed
• Groundbreaking brain injection that 'could cure Parkinson's disease'
• Female orgasm captured on a brain scan

When we're young, regrets still have value -- they help us to think about the choices we've made before, and how to best move on for the future.

But a new study in the journal Science shows that regrets become less valuable as we age, and that actually letting go of regret and not ruminating on it may be the more emotionally healthy choice.

For the study, German researchers conducted functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), a type of brain scan, on three demographics of study participants: healthy older adults, depressed older adults and young adults. The researchers had the study participants play a game on the computer where they had to open up boxes. Some of the boxes contained money that they could accumulate and earn, and some contained a picture of a devil, which signified game over. If a study participant opened up one of the boxes with money, he or she could decide whether to go on and open another box, or stop and keep whatever money they'd already earned.

At the end, all the boxes in the game were revealed to the study participant, to show whether he or she could've gone on in the game without hitting a devil.

Researchers found that when the young adults and the depressed older adults saw that they could've gone on to the next box without hitting a devil, they were more likely in future rounds of the game to take risks and keep selecting to open another box. However, this knowledge didn't seem to have any impact on the healthy older adults, the researchers said.

The brain scans also showed a similar result. The young adults and depressed older adults had similar brain activity in regions called the ventral striatum -- linked with feelings of regret -- and the anterior cingulate cortex -- linked with the regulation of emotions.

However, the healthy older adults didn't have the same sort of brain activity as the other study participants, which researchers said suggests lower feelings of regret and better regulation of emotions.

The study shows that older, healthy adults may use more emotionally healthy tactics when looking at life circumstances, like telling themselves that things were just by chance instead of blaming themselves, the researchers said.

This isn't the first study to show that letting go of regret is good for you. A study from Concordia University in Montreal shows that regret -- or rather, the distressing feelings that come with experiencing regret -- can actually have a negative effect on your immune system and hormones, the AARP Bulletin reported.

Health issues linked with holding on to regret included cold symptoms and feelings of depression, the AARP Bulletin reported.

By Katherine Harmon
(Click here for the original article)

Diabetes, heart disease, stroke and other afflictions that once primarily plagued wealthier, western countries are now accelerating in poorer nations.

A new study reveals that risk factors for heart disease in Indian cities are now more prevalent than they are in the U.S. or Western Europe per capita. And with a population of more than 1.1 billion, India’s health is a major global concern.

Cardiovascular disease is still the leading killer in the U.S., but it has been on steady decline for decades. In India and other countries, such as China and Brazil, this and other diseases linked to an unhealthier lifestyle, are on the rise.

“India has the dubious distinction of being known as the coronary and diabetes capital of the world,” Prakash Deedwania, of the University of California, San Francisco and co-author of the report, said in a prepared statement.

For the study, the researchers assessed the health of 6,198 adults who lived in 11 cities in various parts of India. Across the country about 79 percent of men and 83 percent of women didn’t get much exercise, and 41 percent of men and 45 percent of women were overweight or obese, the team found. And high-fat, low-fruit-and-vegetable diets were common. All of these trends put people at higher odds for developing—and dying from—cardiovascular disease. The findings were presented April 20 in Dubai at the World Congress of Cardiology.

People in the study seemed largely unaware of their risks for heart disease. Only about half of the approximately 2,000 subjects who had high blood pressure already knew about their condition, and only about a quarter of them had their blood pressure under control, the researchers found.

The region where the subjects lived did not seem to change their risk by much. However, those who lived in more highly developed cities were more likely to have metabolic risk factors, whereas those in less developed cities were more likely to have more lifestyle-based risk factors, according to a related study also presented at the meeting.

These results should “prompt the government to develop public health strategies that will change lifestyles,” Deedwania said.

To best combat heart disease in India, Rajeev Gupta, of Fortis Escorts Hospital in Jaipur, also noted in a prepared statement, that there needs to be a comprehensive approach, which will require “improvements in basic amenities, healthcare facilities and, perhaps most importantly, education that will enable people to take responsibility for their own actions.”

The newest tool for diagnosing oral cancer? It might be your smartphone.

Researchers from Stanford University have developed a smartphone app and attachable scanner that its creators hope can improve early diagnoses of oral cancers in places where dental checkups aren't easily accessible.

OScan is a pack-of-gum-sized device that attaches onto a smartphone camera, that includes a mouth positioner, two rows of light diodes and a circuit board. The tool can take a panoramic photo of the inside of someone's mouth.

The image is detailed enough that a dental professional would be able to screen for oral lesions, the researchers said.

The device is still being tested, but it has won two awards from the Vodaphone Americas Foundation this week. The creator, Manu Prakash, Ph.D., an assistant bioengineering professor at Stanford, said that he came up with the idea for the device when he was in India at a rural clinic, and saw photos of people with oral lesions -- but the lesions were so bad, many were inoperable.

"Sometimes I see a problem and it just sticks in my head. This was one of those moments for me," Prakash said in a statement. "I just could not walk away from that chance meeting. I knew friends at high school who used to chew tobacco constantly. Nobody talked about the dire consequences."

The Atlantic explained why this sort of screening tool has the potential to be valuable in countries such as India:

Like many forms of cancer, oral cancer is easily treated if it's caught early -- but effective screening simply isn't available to many ordinary Indians. In rural parts of the country, there's only one dentist available for every 250,000 individuals.

This is certainly not the first time smartphones have shown promise against cancer and other diseases. Korean researchers published a study in the journal Angewandte Chemie that shows how smartphone touchscreens could also be used to "detect biomolecular matter, much as is done in medical tests," Reuters reported.

Reuters explained how the technology works:

The touch screens on smartphones, PDAs or other electronic devices work by sensing the electronic charges from the user's body on the screen. Biochemicals such as proteins and DNA molecules also carry specific electronic charges.