Health News

Violent video games reduce teens' self-control, study shows

Date: Nov-29-2013
Gone are the days of teenagers being content with climbing trees and playing basketball in their free time. Nowadays, they are more likely to be found playing video games. But new research suggests that teenagers who play violent video games are more likely to cheat, experience increased aggression and have reduced self-control.This is according to a study published in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science.

EORTC Cancer in the Elderly Task Force: appropriate treatment for elderly patients with cancer

Date: Nov-29-2013
As we age, we experience a progressive decline in many of our bodily functions. This decline can vary greatly from individual to individual. One 75 year old might still be very active and participate in strenuous physical activities, while another might require considerable assistance just to perform simple everyday tasks. Aging is variable. It is a highly individualized process that is influenced by a number of genetic, developmental, and environmental factors.

Newborn neurobehavior affected by maternal mood disorder

Date: Nov-29-2013
A great number of women experience depression or anxiety while pregnant, and exposure of the fetus to these maternal mood disorders may lead to long-term emotional and behavioral problems in the offspring. Many studies have shown that the fetal environment has a strong influence on offspring neurobehavioral outcomes by altering the developing brain, although the exact mechanisms by which this occurs are not completely understood.

Locusts provide clues to how the brain processes smells

Date: Nov-29-2013
Our sense of smell is often the first response to environmental stimuli. Odors trigger neurons in the brain that alert us to take action. However, there is often more than one odor in the environment, such as in coffee shops or grocery stores. How does our brain process multiple odors received simultaneously?Barani Raman, PhD, of the School of Engineering & Applied Science at Washington University in St. Louis, set out to find an answer.

Study reveals gender differences in sexual regret

Date: Nov-29-2013
In the largest, most in-depth study to date on regret surrounding sexual activity, a team of psychology researchers found a stark contrast in remorse between men and women, potentially shedding light on the evolutionary history of human nature.Researchers for the peer-reviewed study included University of Texas at Austin evolutionary psychologist David Buss. The study was led by Andrew Galperin, a former social psychology doctoral student at the University of California-Los Angeles; and Martie Haselton, a UCLA social psychology professor.

Portion size influenced by personality traits

Date: Nov-29-2013
As dish size increases, so do portion size and the amount of food actually eaten - but could personality traits play a role in how susceptible people are to this plate-size bias? New research by the Cornell Food and Brand Lab indicates that extraverted and introverted children respond differently to environmental cues, such as plate size, when it comes to portion control.Researchers examined the breakfast behaviors of kids, ages 6 to 10, in a within-subject study.

Destroying contaminants in baby formula with a touch of garlic

Date: Nov-29-2013
Garlic may be bad for your breath, but it's good for your baby, according to a new study from the University of British Columbia.The study, recently published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, is the first to identify two compounds derived from garlic - diallyl sulfide and ajoene - that significantly reduce the contamination risk of Cronobacter sakazakii in the production of dry infant formula powder.The discovery could make the product safer to consume, easing the minds of new mothers who can't or opt not to breastfeed.

Expensive training programs don't help kids' grades, behavior: ADHD study

Date: Nov-29-2013
Many parents spend thousands of dollars on computer-based training programs that claim to help children with ADHD succeed in the classroom and in peer relationships while reducing hyperactivity and inattentiveness. But a University of Central Florida researcher says parents are better off saving their hard-earned cash.

Preventing bullying through school climate interventions

Date: Nov-29-2013
To prevent bullying schools need to understand positive school climate, use reliable measures to evaluate school climate and use effective prevention and intervention programs to improve the climateTo effectively prevent bullying schools need to understand positive school climate, use reliable measures to evaluate school climate and use effective prevention and intervention programs to improve the climate, a recent paper co-authored by a University of California, Riverside assistant professor found.

The effects of transplanted fecal microbiota

Date: Nov-29-2013
Scientists at the Institute for Genome Sciences at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and physicians at Sinai Hospital, Baltimore, MD, have found that restoring the normal, helpful bacteria of the gut and intestines may treat patients suffering from recurrent Clostridium difficile infections. Transplanting fecal matter of healthy donors into patients with recurrent C. difficile infection (RCDI) appears to restore normal bacterial composition and resolve infection. The study findings appear in the journal PLOS ONE.C.