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The Smell of Virtue
A new study out of Brigham Young University suggests cleanliness actually is next to godliness. Or at least it makes one a better person.
In the journal Psychological Science, BYU researcher Katie Liljenquist reports that people who live in clean-…Read more.
Not Much Fungus Among Us
There are roughly 1.5 million known species of fungus in the world, but only a few hundred are pathogenic to mammals. That is, they pose a health hazard. And in most of these cases, the resulting infection is the consequence of an impaired immune …Read more.
A Workout for the Head
Exercise really does make you feel good about yourself.
A new University of Florida study found that just the simple act of getting sweaty helped people gain greater confidence, even if the workouts produced no dramatic or even obvious results.
…Read more.
Pangs of Hunger and Love
Ladies, listen up: The way to a man's heart may be through your stomach.
A study published in the Journal of Social, Evolutionary and Cultural Psychology says hungry men (we're talking literally, as in wanting food) prefer a romantic partner who is, …Read more.
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Feeling Their PainGetting those first immunizations is among the most painful aspects of early childhood — even for parents, who invariably wince at the cries of their children. In a novel study, researchers at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto say they've discovered that the sequence of required shots can actually reduce the pain. Infants who receive their combined vaccine for diphtheria, polio, tetanus, pertussis and Haemophilus influenzae type B first, followed by the pneumococcal conjugate (PCV) injection appear to experience less pain than those immunized in the opposite order. Generally speaking, the combined DPTaP-Hib vaccine is less painful. Giving the more painful PCV shot first, the researchers surmised, may focus the infant's attention on the procedure and activate the brain's pain processing centers, resulting in a more intense pain signal to any subsequent shots. "Varying the order of vaccine administration to reduce pain is a strategy that is simple and effective, cost-free and easily incorporated into clinical practice," said the researchers. Plus, it helps ensure the children and parents will return for the next set of scheduled shots. GET ME THAT. STAT! Women who have babies naturally in their 40s and 50s tend to live longer than other women, says a new study by University of Utah demographers. Specifically, the study found that women who gave birth at age 45 or older were 14 percent to 17 percent less likely to die during any year after age 50 than women who did not deliver a child after age 40. NUMBER CRUNCHER A single cake doughnut — chocolate, sugared or glazed — (about 3-3/4 inches in diameter or 60 grams) contains 175 calories, 75 from fat. It also contains 24 milligrams of cholesterol (8 percent); 143 mg of sodium (6 percent); 24.1 grams of total carbohydrates (8 percent); 0.9 g of dietary fiber (4 percent); 13.4 g of sugar and 1.9 g of protein. MEDTRONICA Family practice notebook fpnotebook.com Spare in design but chock-full of information, this site has an estimated 5,000 medical and health topics divided into 31 books, from cardiovascular medicine to urology. A good variety of activities, too: Use the online pregnancy calendar, consult "the dietitian in a box," assemble a paper heart or watch the video "Choosing vasectomy." For a nominal fee, there are advertising-free and Pocket PC versions. HYPOCHONDRIAC'S GUIDE In Japan (but apparently only in Japan), researchers have identified a psychiatric illness called taijin kyofusho, which involves an intense fear that a person's body is offensive in appearance, movement or odor. The sufferer sometimes believes that his or her body can be shrunk by the power of other people looking at it. PHOBIA OF THE WEEK Pnigophobia — fear of choking OBSERVATION The only parts left of my original body are my elbows. — American comedian Phyllis Diller, who says she has had at least 15 cosmetic surgery procedures CURTAIN CALLS In 1994, Peter Weiller, a German filmgoer, was beaten to death by ushers in a Bonn cinema after bringing his own popcorn. To find out more about Scott Lafee and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2009 CREATORS SYNDICATE INC.
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