Culture

The majority of teens say they have never heard of acetaminophen – or what the appropriate dosing of it is even with access to the label instructions – despite having taken the medication recently, according to a new University of Rochester Medical Center Study assessing teens' health literacy. More than 60 percent of the teens in the study had never before heard of acetaminophen despite 21 percent of them having taken it within the previous month.

The majority of children living in apartments are exposed to secondhand smoke, even when they don't live with smokers. This study from the University of Rochester Medical Center is the first to examine whether housing type is a potential contributor to children's exposure to cigarette smoke. The abstract was presented this morning at the Pediatric Academic Society Meeting in Vancouver, Canada.

 Just 5 minutes of 'green exercise' optimal for good mental health

WASHINGTON, May 1, 2010 — How much "green exercise" produces the greatest improvement in mood and sense of personal well-being? A new study in the American Chemical Society's semi-monthly journal Environmental Science & Technology has a surprising answer.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA–The May issue of Ophthalmology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, includes a surprising, first report on increasing rates of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) among Asians, and describes an innovative "bypass" laser surgery that may help many people with central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) avoid serious vision loss.

Are Asians as Vulnerable to AMD as Caucasians?

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA – The incidence of abusive head trauma among children has skyrocketed since the beginning of the recession in late 2007, according to research that will be presented Saturday, May 1 at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA – For parents wondering when they should talk to their children about sex, the writing may be on the wall — or on their child's Facebook page.

New research suggests that display of sexual references on teens' Facebook profiles is associated with their intention to initiate intercourse.

Alexandria, VA – Despite their widespread use by parents and caregivers, over-the-counter (OTC) cold and cough medicines have carried a warning by the FDA since 2008, and still have the potential to cause serious adverse events in infants and children. Conservative therapies, including nasal suctioning, humidification, and nasal saline, should be recommended over routine use of OTC cough/cold products in infants and children, according to a new commentary published in the May 2010 issue of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery.

Alexandria, VA – Despite their widespread use by parents and caregivers, over-the-counter (OTC) cold and cough medicines have carried a warning by the FDA since 2008, and still have the potential to cause serious adverse events in infants and children. Conservative therapies, including nasal suctioning, humidification, and nasal saline, should be recommended over routine use of OTC cough/cold products in infants and children, according to a new commentary published in the May 2010 issue of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery.

WESTCHESTER, Ill. – A study in the May 1 issue of the journal SLEEP is the first to examine sleep issues in a large sample of exceptionally old adults, including nearly 2,800 people who were 100 years of age and older.

Fighting fungal infections with bacteria

A bacterial pathogen can communicate with yeast to block the development of drug-resistant yeast infections, say Irish scientists writing in the May issue of Microbiology. The research could be a step towards new strategies to prevent hospital-acquired infections associated with medical implants.

Plants remain an effective way of tackling global warming despite emitting small amounts of an important greenhouse gas, a study has shown.

Research led by the University of Edinburgh suggests that plant leaves account for less than one per cent of the Earth's emissions of methane –which is considered to be about 25 times more effective than carbon dioxide at global warming.

The results contrast with a previous scientific study which had suggested that plants were responsible for producing large amounts of the greenhouse gas.

 Roller coasters linked to common ear injury

LAS VEGAS – The sharp turns, ups and downs, and high speeds of today's roller coasters bring a lot of thrills, but if you're not careful, the ride could also cause damage to your ears, say physicians at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.

A genetic study of island lizards shows that even those that have been geographically isolated for many millions of years have not evolved into separate species as predicted by conventional evolutionary theory. Professor Roger Thorpe and colleagues Yann Surget-Groba and Helena Johansson, at Bangor University, UK, reveal their findings April 29 in the open-access journal PLoS Genetics.

Researcher explores role of human behavior in infectious disease emergence

After studying the interactions of human and animal populations in Africa, Kathleen Alexander, associate professor of wildlife science in Virginia Tech's College of Natural Resources, found powerful evidence of how human behavior can influence the emergence of infectious disease in humans and animals.