This tiny spider is technically known as Theridion grallator -- but if you click the link below, it’s not hard to see how it got its more popular name: the happy-face spider.

These spiders are found only in rainforests in the Hawaiian islands, and have a vast range of patterns and colors. The patterns may have developed as a way of confusing predators. They are less than a quarter of an inch long and live alone on the underside of leaves.

The most common form is plain yellow and has no smile. But other variations are plentiful; the ‘red front’ morph pictured here with a cluster of her eggs is the second most common.

Many in the U.S. are losing their jobs in the current economic climate, and it could be even worse news than many people think. Researchers recently made public a large study with an unsettling finding -- losing your job may make you sick.

A researcher analyzed detailed employment and health data from more than 8,000 individuals surveyed between 1999 and 2003. Workers who lost a job through no fault of their own were twice as likely to report developing a new ailment like high blood pressure, diabetes or heart disease over the next year and a half.

The risk was just as high for those who found new jobs quickly as it was for those who remained unemployed.

The major reason for the obesity epidemic currently gripping the United States is increased food intake, not reduced physical activity, according to a recent study. The study is the first to quantify the relative contributions of food and exercise habits to the growing number of overweight Americans.

In the study, researchers calculated how much people need to eat in order to maintain a stable weight, and then figured out how much Americans were actually eating, using national food supply data from the 1970’s and the early 2000’s. This information allowed them to predict how much weight Americans would be expected to gain over the 30-year study period if food intake were the only influence. Next, the investigators determined the actual weight gained over the study period.

Weight gain in the American population seemed to be virtually all due to the consumption of more calories, with declines in physical activity playing only a minor role.

In this interview with Dr. Burton Berkson, he explains how low dose Naltrexone can have amazing effects on arthritis, lupus, and other autoimmune diseases.

Newborn lungs exist in a "compacted state" suitable for the womb. When the infant is born, the placenta and cord pulse for up to 20 minutes, delivering a burst of blood volume to the infant's system.  This blood burst is just what is needed for the lungs of the newborn to expand.

Unfortunately, many hospitals and doctors don't understand the mechanics of this and are engaging in early umbilical cord clamping -- often within one minute of birth.

Without the burst of blood from the placenta, the infant suffers a drop in blood pressure as its lungs fail to open as they should, creating a chain reaction of effects that can include brain damage and lung damage. Immediate cord clamping can cause hypotension, hypovolemia and infant anemia, resulting in cognitive deficits. Some have even theorized that the rise in autism could be linked at least in part to early cord clamping.

The most common behavioral problem for which cat owners seek assistance is housesoiling. In fact, housesoiling is a leading cause of cats’ relinquishment to shelters.

There are three main causes of housesoiling in cats: underlying medical problems [e.g. feline lower urinary tract disease, or feline urologic syndrome (FLUTD/FUS)], urine marking, and toileting issues. Toileting problems can stem from a variety of causes, including factors unrelated to the litter box. So, it is always critical to get a comprehensive history to correctly identify the motivation for the problematic behavior.

By getting the latest scoop on litter, you will be better prepared to prevent and resolve litter- and litter-box-related toileting problems in your feline patients. Factors to consider include:

• Litter fragrance
• Odor control
• Litter box size
• Texture of the substrate material (such as clay, recycled newspaper, corn cob, wheat or other organic pellet material)
• Location

Every cat has unique preferences, and the best way to identify an individual cat’s set of toileting preferences is to experiment with a variety of litter choices and box styles. This article focuses on new research related to litter and litter boxes that may be helpful in preventing and treating toileting problems.

Dr. Becker’s Comments

Has your kitty been making unwanted deposits outside the litter box? Are you at your wit’s end trying to make sense out of your cat’s housesoiling behaviors?

If so, you are not alone.

The most important point is to not assume that your cat is being “bad” if he urinates or defecates outside the litter box. There are reasons for this behavior, and your kitty is limited in the ways he can communicate with you when something is wrong. If you can view his behavior as a form of communication and not an act of defiance, you and kitty will have a better chance for finding a solution to the problem, instead of entering into a battle of wills, which will only make a behavior problem worse.

Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease

Urinary issues top the list of why cats visit vets. Urinating outside the litter box can sometimes be a sign of feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD), also known as feline urologic syndrome (FUS) -- a collection of conditions that can affect the bladder and urethra of cats. In addition to urinating in inappropriate places, affected cats exhibit other recognizable signs, such as:

• Frequent and/or prolonged attempts to urinate
• Straining to urinate
• Crying out while urinating
• Excessive licking of the genital area, and
• Blood in the urine

**Cats with a urethral obstruction will show the above signs, but will pass little to no urine, and will become increasingly distressed. Urethral obstruction is an absolute emergency, requiring immediate veterinary treatment.

FLUTD can be seen in cats of any age, but it is most often seen in middle-aged, overweight cats that get little exercise, have restricted access to the outside, and eat a dry diet. Environmental factors, such as his relationship with you and with other household cats, and changes in routine may increase your cat’s risk for FLUTD/FUS.

Details about the specific causes of FLUTD can be found in the article by Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, cited above.

A few cats with FLUTD will experience frequent recurrences of bladder symptoms, but most cats have only occasional or rare episodes. Although treatment depends on the exact cause, there are some steps you can take to help reduce the frequency, severity and duration of attacks:

• Feed small, frequent meals
• Increase moisture in your cat’s diet by weaning him/her onto canned food
• Provide clean, fresh water at all times
• Provide an adequate number of litter boxes in quiet, safe areas of the house
• Keep litter boxes clean
• Minimize major changes in routine
• For cats with struvite stones, a special acidic stone-dissolving diet may be prescribed to eliminate the stones

Feline Marking and Spraying

If you are finding urine outside the litter box and have ruled out medical problems, your cat could be displaying urine-marking behavior. He does this to inscribe a pheromonal message for later passers-by. He’s posting a sign ... “Tigger was here. Keep out.”

Urine-marking can be performed by a cat from a standing or squatting position, on vertical or horizontal surfaces.

Spraying is the most common form of urine-marking behavior. In spraying, the cat backs up to a vertical surface, the tip of the tail quivers, and he delivers a fine stream of urine onto the surface.

Marking behavior is testosterone-enhanced, so non-neutered males have the greatest motivation to mark. However, both males and females can mark. Females can spray, especially when in heat, most commonly from the squatting position. Neutering and spaying will eliminate 90-95 percent of urine-marking behaviors in cats.

If your cat is stressed, he will have a much higher tendency to mark. Stress can come from many sources, but some of the more common sources are:

• Arrival of a new person in the home--like a new baby
• Departure of a key caretaker
• Arrival of a new cat
• Inadequate number of litter boxes for the number of cats in the house (the general recommendation is to provide one for each cat, plus one extra box)
• Conflicts with another household cat
• Moving to a new house, or renovation of the house

Sometimes your cat will urine-mark because he doesn’t like the location of the litter box, or the size. In fact, the place he marks is often where he would prefer to go! Of course, you can’t always accommodate such “suggestions,” so kitty will have to be encouraged to a more convenient location.

The solution lies in determining what is stressing your kitty. Your challenge is to think about what might have changed in his world at the time the marking began.

Cats will return to mark areas they have previously marked. Clean up all urine-sprayed areas with an odor neutralizer/enzyme product that naturally breaks down the urine molecules completely.

Cleaning with an enzymatic product might not eliminate future urine-marking in some cases. However, there is a product called Feliway that can be helpful—it’s a synthetic pheromone designed to mimic feline cheek gland secretions.

Since cats also mark with their cheek glands (which is why they rub their cheeks against you), spraying Feliway onto the area where they have urine-marked encourages them to rub with their cheeks, decreasing the likelihood of additional urine-spraying.

Feliway is also helpful anytime you want to calm your cat, such as before a trip to the vet, and before introducing a new cat into the household.

Make sure your cat’s environment is not overcrowded. Cat trees are one way to increase kitty’s territory, since they include vertical space as territory.

Make sure the litter box is large enough for your cat. Kitties want some privacy, yet they don’t want to feel vulnerable when inside the litter box. Keep it very clean, since cats are meticulous creatures. Do not place any litter boxes next to their food and water since that is a turn-off for most cats.

Make changes gradually since cats are creatures of habit. You will only discover what works by changing one thing at a time.

And never punish your cat!

Speaking in harsh tones or using physical punishment can cause your kitty to avoid you, which will only make the problem worse. By offering your kitty some extra affection, taking a nap together, or a sharing a grooming session, or just letting him be close, you can greatly reduce his level of stress and sense of competitiveness with other members of the family (unless of course he is not a lap cat -- closeness only works for the cuddlers.) 

Litter Aversion

Cats evolved in the desert, using fine sand for their toileting. This evolutionary accommodation has persisted to modern day housecats, which is why the litter box has become the kitty potty standard.

Even though commercial cat litter is generally a pretty fair substitute for desert sand, sometimes cats develop a litter aversion—not liking the odor or feel of the litter -- resulting in urinating or defecating in inappropriate places. Or, sometimes a kitty has learned to associate the litter with something unpleasant, such as pain, or being cornered by another cat, or being caught to give medications there.

Besides housesoiling, some other common signs of litter aversion include:

• Scratching at the sides of the box, on the floor, or other nearby objects instead of in the litter
• Using the litter but shaking his paws a lot during and after use
• Not digging in the litter before eliminating
• Straddling the box, trying to avoid touching the litter
• Jumping out of the box quickly
• Meowing at the litter box

Some cats are fussy about how much litter is in the box. Too much or too little is aversive to them. A few cats have even been known to dislike the litter box if it is too clean!

So, it might take some trial and error to discover what it is your kitty likes and doesn’t like.

Choosing a Safe Litter

Now, more than ever, there are a variety of litters available; however, not all litters are safe. Many contain chemicals to mask odors, and many create dust than can cause respiratory issues.

So, it’s a matter of finding a litter that is safe and appeals to you--and your cat.

In choosing a cat litter, keep the following suggestions in mind:

• Select the least toxic litter for your cat, as free of synthetic chemicals as possible. Look for one made from synthetic ingredients such as clay, wheat/grain fibers, corn, or recycled newspaper, for example.
• Some cats find deodorized or scented litter objectionable.
• Use plain hot water to clean the litter box. Cleaning products leave a lingering smell, which many cats may find distasteful.
• Don’t use plastic box liners since kitties can get their claws stuck in the plastic when digging, which discourages them from using the box.
• You might give your cat a “litter buffet” for a week or two, with separate boxes, to see which product your cat prefers.
• Some cats prefer to have one box for urine and one for stool.
• Make changes gradually. To change the type of litter, first use an additional box with the new litter, and gradually take away the old litter once your cat is happy with the new one. (The same applies to changing to a new type of box or a new box location)

The Scoop on Clumping Cat Litter

To clump or not to clump ...

If you are a long-time cat owner, you might be aware of the controversy about clumping cat litter. The first cat litter was developed in the 1940s by Edward Lowe, but it took another 40 years for “scoopable” litters containing sodium bentonite to appear in the marketplace. Although the convenience of not needing to completely replace the used litter seemed like a great idea, questions have arisen about the safety of these immensely popular clumping litters.

Arguments can be found on both sides, so it is difficult to pin down the truth about the safety of sodium bentonite clay clumping litter. That said, the arguments about their potential hazards DO seem logical and worth mentioning:  

• Cats repeatedly inhale dust from clay litter, as well as ingesting it while cleaning their feet. This is even more of a problem with kittens, who will sometimes eat litter out of curiosity.
• The powerful clumping ability of these litters can result in the formation of a solid mass when combined with liquid. It follows, if a sufficient quantity is ingested or inhaled, it could result in a clogging of the respiratory or digestive tract.
• Clay contains silica. Therefore, the dust contains silica dust, which is known to be toxic to both human and animal lungs.
• The clumping material can coat the digestive tract, causing retention of fecal material, increasing toxicity, and prohibiting proper digestion and assimilation of food. This could result in stress on your cat’s immune system, making him more susceptible to viral, bacterial, parasitic and yeast infections.
• Dogs are sometimes inexplicably drawn to “litter box snacks”

The lack of scientific studies makes it hard to offer an objective recommendation about the safety of clumping litter. Use common sense.

If you see your cat eating it, then don’t use it.  If you have a kitten, then it’s probably not worth taking any chances when there are safer options available. If your cat develops stomach problems, constipation or diarrhea, urinary or respiratory issues, make sure you mention to your vet the fact that you are using clumping litter.

Until there is better data, you will have to exercise your best judgment about how much risk is worth the convenience.

Acupuncture brought more relief to people with back pain than standard treatments, whether it was done with a toothpick or a real needle.

A research team wanted to study the effects of different types of acupuncture in a large, carefully controlled study of more than 600 patients with chronic low back pain. They divided patients into several groups -- one group got seven weeks of standardized acupuncture treatment known to be effective in back pain, while another group got an individually prescribed acupuncture treatment.

A third group was treated using a toothpick in a needle guide tube that did not pierce the skin as regular acupuncture does, but targeting the correct acupuncture "points".  A final group got standard medical treatment, which included medication and physical therapy.

After eight weeks, 60 percent of the patients who got any type of acupuncture reported significant improvement in their ability to function compared with those who got standard medical care alone. However, there was no significant difference in the pain relief people got from the acupuncture using needles or from toothpicks.

Historically, some types of acupuncture have used non-penetrating needles. Such treatments may involve physiological effects that make a clinical difference.

New research suggests that taking vitamins after exercise may undo some of the beneficial effects of your workout.

Some advocate taking antioxidants like vitamin C and E to help protect the body from harmful chemical by-products it creates in breaking into a sweat. But some scientists now believe these "free radicals" may actually be good for us and even buffer against diabetes -- which means that mopping them up with antioxidants may do more harm than good.

It is thought that antioxidant vitamins prevent oxidative stress damage to your body's tissues by eliminating the free radicals that cause it. Oxidative stress has been implicated in several major diseases, including cancer and heart disease.

But a research team has claimed that free radicals may have a positive effect on the body by increasing its sensitivity to insulin, something that is lost in type 2 diabetes; this effect is blocked by antioxidant vitamins.

Reacting to the study, antioxidant expert Dr. Alexander Schauss, said that the title of the study (Antioxidants prevent health-promoting effects of physical exercise in humans) was misleading. “The primary objective of this study was to study the effect of a 4-week intensive 5-days a week exercise program on insulin sensitivity. Yet the title of the paper leads one to believe otherwise,” he said.

“This is a small gender-biased study of 40 male subjects, 25 to 35 years of age. When I read through the study for the first time I had to wonder, how could the authors have come up with such a title for their paper?”

In addition to questioning the study design, particularly with respect to assigned both trained and untrained people to an intensive exercise program, Dr. Schauss also questioned the conclusions drawn from the data. “Skeletal muscle biopsies were obtained from the right vastus lateralis muscle of study subjects. But some of the data is missing for a number of subjects, and reported as such by the authors,” said Dr. Schauss.

Dr. Schauss also noted that the authors presented no evidence of adverse effects by any of the individuals from vitamin C and E supplementation.

The World Health Organization is investigating a claim by Australian researcher Adrian Gibbs, who says that the swine flu virus circling the globe may have been created as a result of human error.

Gibbs, who collaborated on research that led to the development of Tamiflu, said in an interview that he intends to publish a report suggesting the new strain may have accidentally evolved in eggs scientists use to grow viruses and drugmakers use to make vaccines. Gibbs said he came to his conclusion as part of an effort to trace the virus’s origins by analyzing its genetic blueprint.

“One of the simplest explanations is that it’s a laboratory escape,” Gibbs said in an interview with Bloomberg Television today. “But there are lots of others.”

Gibbs, who has studied germ evolution for four decades, is one of the first scientists to analyze the genetic makeup of the virus.

Several years ago, the NBC newsmagazine Dateline investigated infomercials and found out that doctor endorsements were considered a standard part of the package delivered by infomercial producers. More recently, Jon Marshall, D.O., was the face of Hydroxycut products, which were recently pulled from the market. Since then, he has been difficult to find by reporters seeking interviews.

Dr. Dave David has been doing product endorsements since 1992. He currently has a cosmetic surgery practice in the Boston area, and he is a member of the AMA and the Massachusetts Medical Society. When asked if he knew about AMA policy on physician endorsements and he said no.

The AMA says doctors should only endorse products that they use, and allows payment only if the infomercial or advertisement clearly and prominently states that the doctor was paid to endorse the product.

Research suggests that the run-of-the-mill bad dreams (which may be most of them) are actually good for your brain. Bad dreams allow you to process and regulate the day's emotions during REM sleep, when dreams occur.

Such dreams are commonly filled with bizarre and possibly scary images, which allow you to dispel fears.

However, these dreams differ from nightmares, which are bad dreams that wake you up. Nightmares reveal a problem in emotional processing. While waking up from a nightmare is a relief, it may serve to reinforce the feeling that the threat was real. About 85 percent of people have one nightmare a year.

If you look at the ingredients of Vitamin Water 10 (owned by Coca Cola), you might be pleased to see that it contains the natural sweetener stevia. However, you will also notice that it is loaded with crystalline fructose, sucrose, and a mysterious product called Erythritol.

Erythritol is a sugar alcohols, a sweetener that does not provide as many calories as sugar. But the reason that sugar alcohols provide fewer calories than sugar is because they are not completed absorbed into your body. For this reason, high intakes of foods containing sugar alcohols can lead to abdominal gas and diarrhea.

Also, bear in mind that while sugar alcohols are lower in calories, gram for gram, than sugar, they are not calorie-free, and if eaten in large enough quantities, the calories can be comparable to sugar-containing foods.

Some sugar alcohols are reasonable to consume in moderate quantities -- for example, xylitol doesn't spike blood sugar levels in the way that high-fructose corn syrup might, and it is anti-bacterial and actually helps prevent dental cavities.

Changing lighting to improve health is a strategy some researchers have begun to test in a long-term care facility where daylight, which has proven health benefits, is not readily available.

The researchers removed some standard fluorescent lighting and installed new blue-white lamp prototypes. The research team hypothesized that periods of blue light, like daylight, can help regulate the sleep-wake rhythm, which is linked to the production of the hormone melatonin. Depending on the level of the hormone, people are awake or sleepy.

By increasing exposure to blue-white light during the day and yellow-white light in the evening, researchers hope to help patients regulate their sleep-wake cycles so that they are more awake during the day and more asleep at night. The project may prove to be especially beneficial for people suffering from dementia; in a recently conducted pilot study with five male patients suffering from dementia, the results showed promise in raising activity levels during daytime hours and increasing sleep at nighttime.

If changing the lighting works to improve health, the researchers plan on trying to influence public policy to include new lighting standards for healthcare facilities.

Biotechnology companies love to talk about how safe and effective their technologies are. If you’ve been paying attention to the news about genetically modified plants, you’ve probably heard corporate shills repeat at least some of the myths below. But bear in mind that myths are exactly what they are.

Myth: Genetic engineering is a continuation of traditional breeding methods

In fact, most GM crops are modified with the introduction of DNA from other species entirely. This never occurs in nature, or with traditional breeding methods.

Myth: Opponents of GM food are anti-science

Leading opponents of GM foods include the Union of Concerned Scientists, the Independent Science Panel, the U.S. Center for Food Safety, and numerous agronomic, environmental, and health scientists.

Myth: GM crops have higher yields

GM crops currently on the market do not increase yields, and in fact are not designed to. In fact, GM crops generally have lower yields.

Myth: Americans have been eating GM foods for 15 years without any health problems

How would anyone know? GM foods are not labeled in the U.S., which makes traceability impossible. There may or may not be health problems -- it is carefully designed so that no one can find out.

Myth: GM food sold in the EU, at least, is clearly labeled as such

In fact, a loophole allows meat, poultry, and dairy products from livestock fed GM ingredients to be sold without a label, and some restaurants use GM cooking oil without informing customers.

In general, GM foods are worse for the environment, worse for your health, and worse for world hunger. And those who claim otherwise are probably trying to sell you something.