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An Australian man made the news yesterday when it was reported that he had paid $200 to have a brain tumor removed – from his ten-year-old pet goldfish.

According to reports, pet owner Pip Joyce decided to pay the $200 for the operation when he found a large growth in the head of pet goldfish George, and realized that the growth was adversely affecting the fish’s “quality of life.”  Joyce said that he had also observed George was having difficulty eating and swimming, and was even getting picked on by the other fish in the pond.

The pet was then taken to the Lort Smith Animal Hospital in North Melbourne last week, where Dr. Tristan Rich performed the delicate operation. According to Dr. Rich, he gave the owner the choice of removing the tumor or putting the fish to sleep, but George’s owners decided to go forward with the operation, with the fish going under general anesthetic and fed through a special tube in order to keep his gills wet.  In all, the surgery took about an hour to complete, and with everything said and done, the fish was “up and about and swimming around” as normal.

That’s not the best news, though, as Dr. Rich believes that George the goldfish could live for an additional 20 years following the surgery.  “If their water quality is up to scratch; if there’s enough room for a growing fish – about a few liters per centimeter of fish – and if the fish is fed a good-quality commercial diet, they can live for a long time,” he said.

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The widow of late comedian Robin Williams said Thursday that her husband was sober at the time of his death, but suffering from the early stages of Parkinson’s disease, along with his documented struggles with anxiety and depression.

“Since his passing, all of us who loved Robin have found some solace in the tremendous outpouring of affection and admiration for him from the millions of people whose lives he touched,” read a written statement from Williams’ wife, Susan Schneider. “His greatest legacy, besides his three children, is the joy and happiness he offered to others, particularly to those fighting personal battles.”

Regarding Williams’ previous issues with substance abuse, Schneider said that his sobriety was “intact” as he bravely struggled “with his own battles of depression, anxiety, as well as early stages of Parkinson’s disease.”  According to Schneider, Williams was not yet ready at that time to share details regarding his illness.  “It is our hope in the wake of Robin’s tragic passing, that others will find the strength to seek the care and support they need to treat whatever battles they are facing so they may feel less afraid,” she added.

Prior to his death, Williams had countered symptoms of depression and anxiety by exercise and cycling, and the possibility of Parkinson’s disease taking away his ability to do so had proven to be a great blow, said a person familiar with the actor’s family.  Authorities believe Williams had hung himself with a belt sometime between late Sunday and the time he was found dead by his personal assistant shortly before noon Monday.  Williams, 63, also had well-documented issues with drug and alcohol addiction, and while rumors suggested he was drinking alcohol again, Schneider’s statement seems to debunk those reports.

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It’s often said that there are no such thing as negative emotions as it’s how we work with and act on our feelings that really counts. However, this isn’t the kind of logic that’s likely to hit home with anyone that has a somewhat relentless problem with pessimism, as when an individual cannot see the bright side or potential in anything, they’re hardly best-equipped to be proactive with their own thoughts and actions.

However, we could be heading for era in which pessimism on a rather debilitating level could to some extent be controlled and perhaps alleviated. Earlier this week, researchers from the University College London reported their discovery of a small region of the brain which they believe is indeed it’s pessimism center – as in the part that’s responsible for feelings of pessimism, low motivation and a general tendency to think only of the bad things in life and never the good.

According to the team carrying out the study, the half-pea-sized human habenula plays a role in the prediction of negative events, which the researchers likened to the triggering of electric shocks. The habenula apparently learns from bad experiences and can to some extent influence future decisions and predictions – those with overactive habenulas therefore may be pre-programmed to assume that the worst outcome will always be the most probable.

The project involved the examination and analysis of 23 brains from generally healthy adults, in order to monitor the way in which their habenulas responded when the individual was presented with a photograph in some way connected with an electric shock, compared to its dormancy when photographs were shown of individuals winning money. Prior to this study, animal tests brought to light data suggesting that the habenula plays a direct role in the limiting of dopamine production – the chemical known to be responsible for motivation.

Generally speak, the habenula fires up and kicks into action either when an individual is faced with a negative situation or at least expects something bad to happen.

“The habenula tracks our experiences, responding more the worse something is expected to be,” wrote Dr Jonathan Roiser, the project’s lead author.

“For example, the habenula responds much more strongly when an electric shock is almost certain than when it is unlikely,”

“In this study we showed that the habenula doesn’t just express whether something leads to negative events or not; it signals quite how much bad outcomes are expected.”

Co-Author Dr Rebecca Lawson from the UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience insisted that the results of the tests prove that there is a direct link between habenula and motivation.

“This demonstrates a crucial link between the habenula and motivated behaviour, which may be the result of dopamine suppression,” she added.

In terms of future application, the research remains relatively remedial in nature but could eventually be used to both detect and treat hyperactive habenula conditions that may be having a severely detrimental effect on the individual’s health and wellbeing.

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In the future, a quick blood test may be all that’s needed to accurately predict how likely any give individual is to commit suicide. It may sound like something from the pages of a sci-fi novel, but researchers have reportedly identified a genetic indicator which could hold the key to determining which individuals are in the highest risk category, which could help stem fast-escalating global suicide rates.

According to the study, now published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, the genetic indicator discovers offers a much deeper insight into just how vulnerable a person may be to anxiety, stress and depression – all of which are known triggers of suicidal behavior and self-harm. The team from the Johns Hopkins Center for Prevention Research were interested in the way in which the SKA2 gene is affected by methyls – SKA2 being the gene that influences the brain’s reaction to the hormones the body produces in times of stress.

In the case of those where the functionality of the gene is affected by chemical changes, it may be difficult or impossible for the body to slow or halt the effects of stress hormones. In essence, the situation could be likened to a floodgate being opened and summarily impossible to close, which in turn leads to a situation wherein even moderate or slightly stressful situations have a damaging and ongoing impact.

For the project, the team examined postmortem brain samples from 150 individuals – some of whom had committed suicide though were all of a similar level of general health. In those that had committed suicide, it became evident that the brain’s levels of the SKA2 gene-influencing chemical were much higher, suggesting that the body had not been able to regular or limit the impact of stress hormones.

Following the initial study and analysis, the team then went on to test 325 blood samples in order to see whether or not the data collected would allow them to make accurate predictions as to whether or not any give individual was at greater risk of suicidal thoughts or behavior. By the end of the test, the results showed that the team had successfully predicted which of the individuals whose blood was being tested were in the higher-risk category with an accuracy rate of up to 90%.

However, one of the team working at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine insisted that while the biomarker could indeed be used to identify those in a potentially higher-risk category, it could not be relied on alone for an accurate diagnosis. According to assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences Zachary Kaminsky, the biomarker may not in fact be a definitely sign of suicidal thoughts or actions, but could by contrast indicate an extremely resilient individual.

“It helps you get up in the morning, it helps you cross the road, and it helps you run away from a lion,” he said.

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Shift work has long been associated with a wide variety of health complaints, some of which are more measurable than others. However, it’s now being suggested for the first time that to work in a shift rotation is to actually increase your chances of developing type 2 diabetes.

And it’s far from a wild theory cooked up on the back of nothing – a new study has drawn direct links between shift work and an elevated chance of developing the condition.

Published in Occupational & Environmental Medicine this week, the study suggests that to work long-term in a shift-based job is to face a 9% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those working non-shift rotations. More worryingly still, the same study also suggested that male shift workers are considerably more likely to develop the condition than females – men working shifts face a 37% elevated diabetes risk.

The data was produced on the back of a dozen studies, which incorporated over 225,000 participants and almost 15,000 diabetes patients. The biggest danger of all was found to be working rotating shift pattern, which showed a spike in diabetes probability of 42%.

As for the cause, the experts responsible for the study suggest that the way in which shift work leaves little room for consistent sleep patterns could be to blame. In addition, shift workers are also more likely to eat an unbalanced diet and exercise less regularly than standard workers, again attributed to the nature of their shift patterns.

“In most cases, the human body was exposed to continuous stress from attempts to adjust as quickly as possible to the varying working hours, but at the same time was frustrated by the continuous shift rotation,” reported the team behind the study.

“Consequently, the health effect on the rotating shift groups may be more profound and pronounced than for other shift groups.”

The resulting report highlighted the importance for male shift workers in particular to exercise more proactivity when working in order to carefully monitor their habits and behaviors for the sake of their health.

“Daytime levels of the male hormone testosterone are controlled by the internal body clock, so it’s possible that repeated disruption may affect this,” the report explained.

The study was carried out at China’s Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Hubei and was led by Dr. Yong Gan.

“Daytime levels of the male hormone testosterone are controlled by the internal body clock, so it’s possible that repeated disruption may affect this,” the team reported.

“Most shift patterns, except mixed and evening shifts, were associated with a heightened risk of the disease compared with those working normal office hours.”

Type 2 diabetes remains one of the most heavily-researched and investigated conditions in the US, affecting millions of lives and amounting an annual health care bill of billions. Thousands of new cases are being diagnosed every month, though researchers remain adamant that perfect the biggest and most influential triggers and catalysts of all are simple lifestyle choices – some of which are more easily controllable than others.

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Kids can in many instances be far more image conscious that us adults. What with fitting in and the rather inevitably influence of bullies to deal with, youngsters are often more than aware of their imperfections to a somewhat disproportionate level.

As such, it’s come as quite the surprise to learn than a worrying proportion of the overweight and obese child population of the US has no idea at all of its weight problem.

“Being overweight or obese is associated with adverse health outcomes, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes,” warned nutritional epidemiologist Neda Sarafrazi, who spoke this week on behalf of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics.

“Children who have a misperception of their weight are not going to take steps to control their weight or reduce their weight, and reduce the risk of future health complications,”

“If people perceive their weight accurately, they can start weight-control behavior.”

The report produced by the CDC suggests that among Hispanic-America teens and kids, a full 34% consider themselves to be thinner than they actually are. The same 34% of black youngsters are also to a worrying extent unaware of their weight problems, while white teens and kids recorded a figure closer to 28%.

Regardless of the slightly differences between ethnicities, the overall picture is one of widespread misunderstanding.

When overweight kids were polled about their current size and shape, the figures became even more worrying. While 71% of the overweight girls polled thought that their current weight and shape was perfectly fine, a whopping 81% of boys had no idea that they were in fact considered officially overweight. In the category classified as officially obese, 36% of girls thought their weight was perfectly fine and 48% of boys were not aware of the fact that they were overweight.

Interestingly, the CDC’s study also suggested that there is a notable difference in obesity perception levels between kids from richer and poorer homes. While the likelihood of a wealthier kid thinking they’re of a healthy size when they’re actually overweight was 26%, a full 31% of those from poorer homes made the same misjudgment.

On the whole, the CDC reported that around 30% of teens and children have no idea that they are either too thin or too fat, with boys being much more likely than girls to think they’re a healthy size when they are in fact anything but.

“Weight perceptions are not as simple as asking how children view themselves at their current weight and comparing that with CDC weight definitions and categories,” commented clinical nutritionist Samantha Heller after the report was published.

“We tread a fine line when we talk to children and adolescents about their weight. Of concern is creating disordered eating patterns among kids who are labeled as misperceiving their weight.”

“We can help bring children and adolescents to appropriate weights by focusing on healthy foods, regular exercise and a positive self-image. Parents, educators and caregivers can make headway by becoming role models themselves and creating opportunities to support and enjoy healthy lifestyle choices and activities with children.”

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A common thought among scientists for some time has been that chemicals in our atmosphere and environment have a part in causing autism. Recently published research in Environmental Health Perspectives stated that this theory may have some fact to it. They support the scientists’ thinking. The theory stated agricultural pesticides in the air may cause pregnant mothers to give birth to children with increased risk to autism disorders or ASDs.

According to CNN Health’s recent article, in a study of 970 participating individuals, researchers at University of California, Davis, observed and examined their medical records in order to create their theory. What they found was that pregnant women in a mile radius of an area of land treated with up to three different pesticide types were two-thirds more likely to have a child with ADS or developmental issues, such as delays. In addition to this find, they also theorized that women in their second or third trimesters who are or were exposed to pesticides were even more likely to have a child born with said mental issues.

Any of the following common locations could count as pesticide-treated lands, roadsides, pastures, parks and golf courses. The three types of pesticides were organophosphates, which includes popular chlorpyrifos and pyrtheroids and carbamates. The study analyzed all three and their respective uses.

These are not the only pesticides that may prove risky to pregnant women, however. Janie Shelton, an author of the study and a graduate student at UC Davis, stated that pregnant women should be cautious when using household chemicals as well due to the unknown risk involved in exposing themselves and their unborn child to the toxins.
“I would suggest that women who are pregnant or in the process of becoming pregnant avoid using chemicals inside the home,” Shelton said.

The findings of this recently published study add to the large amount of evidence already established that links autism to pesticide exposure during pregnancy.

Further research is still in need to fully prove that other factors may be a part of autism development as well. For instance, a mother’s genes could contribute to the risk along with exposure to pesticides. Besides genetically, race was seen as a factor for development of autism disorders according to a study of more than 7.500 people that was published in Pediatrics. This study discovered that mothers who were foreign-black, Central and South American, Filipino and Vietnamese had a higher chance of giving birth to a baby with autism than a white mother in the United States. This is not to say that these races are genetically prone to autism.

It is important to realize when reading or hearing about these studies and their findings that association and cause are not identical. Parents can worry over such high risk situations and may go great lengths to keep themselves from exposure. While this is not in all a bad thing, many experts agree that other factors constitute risk as well. Among these are maternal stress and nutritional deficiency. Further evidence must be discovered before direct correlations can be made.

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The latest Vital Signs report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicated this week that most norovirus outbreaks originate in restaurants and other similar establishments. In specific, the report suggests that infected restaurant employees are the typical source of norovirus outbreaks due to their touching ready-to-eat foods with their hands, resulting in what is colloquially known as the “stomach flu.” Ready-to-eat foods are defined as foods that do not require extra preparation, with examples of such foods including washed raw fruits and vegetables, as well as raw oysters and baked goods. According to CDC director Dr. Tom Frieden, most individuals learn about norovirus from its reputation as a leading cause of stomach flu outbreaks on cruise ships. He noted, however, that those cruise ship outbreaks only take up about one percent of all reported norovirus outbreaks. The virus can cause outbreaks in any situation where people are together, with food being served. The CDC claims that the most common way norovirus is spread is direct person-to-person contamination, while the second-most common route of transmission is foodborne transmission. “Norovirus outbreaks from contaminated food in restaurants are far too common,” said the CDC’s Frieden, stressing the importance of preventing outbreaks from happening whenever possible. “All who prepare food, especially the food service industry, can do more to create a work environment that promotes food safety and ensures that workers adhere to food safety laws and regulations that are already in place.” The CDC provided a list of guidelines that could be used by food service companies to prevent norovirus outbreaks. These include providing proper training and tools to food service workers and giving food safety certifications to kitchen managers, ensuring that food service workers always wash their hands properly and only use disposable gloves and utensils, and requiring workers to stay home for at least 48 hours following the cessation of symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea. The last guideline was a particular pain point for report co-author Aron Hall, who stressed on the report that businesses “consider using measures that would encourage sick workers to stay home, such as paid sick leave and a staffing plan that includes on-call workers.” Four years of data was included in the CDC’s analytic study, though it did primarily center on foodborne outbreaks. Among these outbreaks, 520 were due to food contamination in some way, shape, or form, with 70 percent of the cases pinning the blame on infected food service workers. Out of that 70 percent, 54 percent of those cases were related to food workers handling ready-to-eat foods with their own hands. Out of the total 324 norovirus outbreaks which had a food item implicated, more than 90 percent of the items had gotten contaminated in the final stage of preparation, and about three-fourths (75 percent) of those cases were connected to raw foods.  Fruits, leafy vegetables, and molluscs (e.g. oysters) were the specific types of raw food most commonly associated with norovirus outbreaks.