The surprising impact of weight loss on the emotions

A new study of almost 2,000 overweight and obese adults in the UK has found that those who lost weight were unhappier than those who remained within 5% of their original weight (Jackson et al., 2014). Although they were physically healthier four years later - with lower blood pressure and reduced risk of heart disease - those who lost weight were likely to be less happy.

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Kiev refuses to talk; situation around missing Russian journalist Stenin "unprecedented"

With over two weeks since his disappearance in eastern Ukraine, the whereabouts of Russian photojournalist Andrey Stenin remain unknown. His colleagues suggest that he may soon be freed as part of a large exchange of captives. Stenin's employers at Rossiya Segodnya news agency (formerly RIA Novosti), said that they have so far failed to get any information on their journalist from the Kiev authorities.

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Addicts' Symphony: Addiction 'rife' among classical musicians

Performance anxiety, odd hours, working weekends and post-concert socialising often leads classical musicians to use drugs and alcohol. Addiction is blighting the lives of many classical musicians as they grapple with performance anxiety and anti-social hours, a cellist has said. Rachael Lander features in a new British documentary which brings together classical musicians whose careers have been derailed by drug and drink problems. The cellist, who was addicted to alcohol and prescription pills, said the problem was rife in the classical music world.

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What's in your gut? Certain bacteria may influence susceptibility to infection

The specific composition of bacterial species in a person's gut may protect against or increase susceptibility to Campylobacter, the most common cause of human bacterial intestinal inflammation, according research published this week in mBio®, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology. The study also found that Campylobacter infection can yield lasting changes to one's gut bacteria composition. "It has been known for a long time that the microbiota, or microorganisms in the gut, can protect a person from colonization by organisms that cause intestinal tract disease. However, very little is known about how human gut microbiota influences susceptibility to these organisms, and to Campylobacter in particular," said senior study author Hilpi Rautelin, MD, PhD, professor of clinical bacteriology at Uppsala University and Uppsala University Hospital in Sweden. "We wanted to see if the composition of the human gut microbiota plays a role in susceptibility to Campylobacter infection." Rautelin and colleagues followed 24 workers at three poultry slaughterhouses in Sweden. In 2010, they collected fecal samples from the workers once a month from June to September, during the summer peak of Campylobacter-positive chicken flocks, and again the following February. Fecal samples were cultured for Campylobacter and analyzed by sequencing for all bacteria. While all participants tested negative for Campylobacter at the beginning of the study, seven participants became culture positive for the organism during the study. Only one of the Campylobacter-positive participants experienced symptoms of illness.

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Human-Cosmic connection? Siberian elders vote to bury 2,500 year-old mummy to stop quakes, floods

A council of elders in Russia's Altay Region voted to bury the mummy of a woman who lived in the region in the 5th century BC. Altay locals believe that her excavation from her tomb back in 1993 angered her spirit and causes natural disasters. The mummy, dubbed the Siberian Ice Maiden in English-language sources and the Princess of Ukok, the Altay Princess or Ochi-Bala domestically, was unearthed from a subterranean tomb at the Ukok Plateau, close to borders with Kazakhstan, China and Mongolia. The remains have spent most of the time thereafter at a research facility in Novosibirsk, as scientists conducted facial reconstruction, DNA tests and other research projects on the Maiden.

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The Netherlands: Is this summer? This August is one of the coldest since 1980

This August is the second coldest in 34 years with an average afternoon temperature of 17 Celsius at the De Bilt weather station. In the average year, the temperature is around 22 Celsius in mid August, according to forecasting bureau Weerplaza.

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2 shot, 31 arrested as Ferguson becomes a war-zone between civilians and armed cops

Violence erupted once again on Monday night in Ferguson, Missouri, where two people were shot and more than 30 were arrested during another night of protests against the killing of an unarmed African-American teen by a white policeman. The chaotic situation has been going on for more than a week even as Missouri National Guard troops arrived on Monday in Ferguson to confront protesters angered by the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown by officer Darrell Wilson on August 9. Captain Ron Johnson of the Missouri State Highway Patrol said early Tuesday that 31 protesters have been arrested, with some coming as far away as New York and California. He noted that at least two people have been wounded by gunfire. Johnson called on protesters to refrain from staging rallies during the nighttime, which, he said, provides cover for criminal elements. Johnson said "officers came under heavy gunfire" during the night, but said officers did not fire a single shot. They "acted with restraint and calm," he said. Johnson blamed a group of "lawbreakers" and "criminals" for the violence.

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