(University of Bristol) A University of Bristol academic has succeeded where countless cryptographers, linguistics scholars and computer programs have failed - by cracking the code of the 'world's most mysterious text', the Voynich manuscript.

(American Academy of Family Physicians) A widely cited statistic suggests that health care services account for only a small percentage of the variation in American life expectancy. However, the methodology supporting the finding has been challenged.

(American Academy of Family Physicians) In older adults, inappropriate prescribing in primary care is associated with a wide range of adverse outcomes, but not mortality.

(University of Portsmouth) Regular coffee drinkers can sniff out even tiny amounts of coffee and are faster at recognising the aroma, which could open the door to new ways of using aversion therapy for addiction

(Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation) Inequalities in life expectancy by income in Norway were substantial, and increased between 2005 and 2015, according to a study from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health in collaboration with the Institute For Health Metrics And Evaluation (IHME). Although considerable differences in life expectancy by income levels were found in both Norway and the USA, the shape of the association differed.

(Regenstrief Institute) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is clarifying its guidelines on opioid prescribing, citing the findings of a review panel led by Regenstrief Institute Research Scientist Kurt Kroenke, M.D. Dr. Kroenke and his colleagues found that many clinicians, policymakers and payers are misapplying the CDC's guidelines, and those actions are negatively affecting patients.

(Association for Psychological Science) We are more envious of someone else's covetable experience before it happens than after it has passed, according to research published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.

(Rutgers University) Men who delay starting a family have a ticking 'biological clock' -- just like women -- that may affect the health of their partners and children, according to Rutgers researchers.

(UT Southwestern Medical Center) A UT Southwestern study suggests why urinary tract infections (UTIs) have such a high recurrence rate in postmenopausal women -- several species of bacteria can invade the bladder walls.

(University of California - Riverside) A team of psychologists has found strong associations between working memory -- a fundamental building block of a functioning mind -- and three health-related factors: sleep, age, and depressed mood. The team also reports that each of these factors is associated with different aspects of working memory. Working memory is the part of short-term memory that temporarily stores and manages information required for cognitive tasks such as learning, reasoning, and comprehension.

(Michigan State University) A new Michigan State University study adds to growing evidence that participating in recreational sports not only can help improve grades while attending college, but it also can help students return for another year.

(Kanazawa University) Researchers led by Kanazawa University developed a transgenic approach to inactivating the mosquito salivary protein AAPP. Transgenic mosquitoes showed significantly longer probing and prediuresis times, and worse feeding success and meal sizes compared with their wild-type counterparts. Although malarial parasite development was unaffected by these behavioral changes in a laboratory setting, real-world stresses associated with parasite burdens would be expected to adversely affect the survival of transgenic mosquitoes.

(RMIT University) A new study suggests high levels of the hormone ghrelin, which stimulates appetite and is also released during stress, could be harmful to some aspects of reproductive function.

In the past, measles outbreaks have been brought under control with vaccines, but the dynamic may be shifting-- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com

(University of North Carolina Health Care) Chlamydia is the most prevalent bacterial STI in the world. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill researchers, in partnership with colleagues at sites in the US, Europe and Australia, will receive up to $10.7 million over five years from the NIH to move closer to identifying a vaccine.

We can “nudge” our way toward a healthier planet-- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com