Men’s Offices Germier Than Women’s, Says Study

Ciaran Griffin/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) -- Men’s offices harbor significantly more bacteria than women’s, according to a new study published in the online journal PLoS ONE.

The types of bacteria are the same, and come mostly from the skin, nose, mouth and digestive tract.  Several types are also commonly found in feces.

Researchers from the San Diego State University and the University of Arizona took 450 samples from different office surfaces in New York City, San Francisco and Tucson, Ariz.

Chairs and phones had the highest amount of bacteria, while desktops, keyboards and computer mice had fewer bacteria.

One of the main reasons the researchers did the study was to learn more about what microorganisms inhabit workplaces.

“Westerners spend about 90 percent of time indoors in artificial environments that we build, and workplaces are where we spend a lot of our time,” said co-author Scott Kelley, a professor of biology at San Diego State.

Kelly said he believes men’s work spaces have more bacteria simply because men are generally bigger than women, though there could also be other reasons.

For example, he said, “Skin is a major source of the bacteria, and if men’s hands are physically bigger, there’s more surface area to colonize bacteria.  Men’s mouths are also bigger.”

Philip Tierno, a clinical professor microbiology and pathology at NYU Langone Medical Center, said another reason is that men just aren’t as clean as women.

“Men tend to be less tidy.  They wash their hands less than women and tend to be a little more cavalier about eating from the floor or from other surfaces,” he said.  Tierno was not involved in the study.  “Also, numerous people touch chairs and phones, but not as many people touch keyboards.”

Previous research found that the opposite is true -- women’s offices are more contaminated than men’s, perhaps in part because women use cosmetics and are more likely to store food in their desks.

One reason for the discrepancy between the studies, Tierno said, is the method used to identify the bacteria.  Kelley’s study uses molecular methods, which are more sensitive and specific than the culture-based identification used in other research.

In addition to differences between men and women, Kelley said the study also found that there was no significant difference between the types of bacteria found in offices in San Francisco and New York. In Tucson, though, there were different types of bacteria associated with drier, desert-like climates.

Though there may be a lot of bacteria in office spaces, Kelley said, most of it doesn’t do much harm.

“Most of what’s brought in is harmless, but it’s very easy to spread.  If someone gets sick, they should stay home because they are bringing bacteria in with them and making others sick.”

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

FDA Slaps J&J for Tampon, KY Trouble

Cristina Arias/Getty Images(SKILLMAN, N.J.) -- The beleaguered consumer product giant Johnson & Johnson has had its hand slapped again by the FDA, this time for problems with tampons and other popular personal care products.

In a warning letter released Wednesday, the FDA admonished J&J’s McNeil unit for failing to adequately follow up on a range of consumer complaints. The most serious of the complaints includes a report of a woman who suffered from toxic shock syndrome after using an O.B. tampon.

McNeil’s plant in Skillman, N.J., manufactures a variety of personal care products, including O.B. tampons, Carefree and Stayfree menstrual napkins, KY brand lubricant and moisturizing products, as well as Reach dental floss.

In the reported case of toxic shock syndrome, J&J waited more than a month before alerting the FDA. And in a separate incident, J&J failed to tell the FDA that a consumer had lost a tooth while using Reach floss.

But the latest and most extensive list of offenses involved KY Liquibeads Vaginal Moisturizer. J&J markets Liquibeads as an “ovule insert”  that contains a “premium quality silicone formula” that “dissolves within minutes, locking in your body’s natural moisture and keeping intimate skin hydrated while enhancing comfort.”

For 227 consumers, who complained to J&J between June 2010 and December 2011, the Liquibeads did not live up to those promises of “enhanced comfort” or “more enjoyable” intimacy. Yet the company filed away such complaints -- under headings like “does not dissolve,” “uncharacteristic consistency/texture and “does not perform as expected.” The complaints were not, the FDA said, “adequately evaluated or investigated.”

The agency’s warning letter also raised questions about whether Liquibeads should be on the market at all, given the manufacturer’s failure to prove that the moisturizer is compatible for use with latex condoms.

J&J has until early June to outline a plan to correct the problems.

“We take the issues raised by the FDA seriously,” McNeill PPC, Inc. said in a statement to ABC News. “We will respond fully to their concerns and take whatever steps are needed to resolve these issues.”

This chiding from the FDA is only the latest in a string of problems that has plagued J&J in recent years. In 2010, metal and wood particles were found in 13 million packages of Rolaids. In 2011, J&J’s Ethicon was sued by more than 100 women citing negligence and defective product design of the vaginal mesh, Gynecare Prolift. And in March, J&J recalled, yet again, thousands of bottles of Tylenol 8 Hour Extended Release Caplets.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

People More Open-Minded About Open Relationships

Hemera/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) -- Americans' attitudes about sex and what makes up cheating and betrayal have certainly changed from the days when television programs were forbidden to show married people sleeping in the same bed.
 
Bad Online Dates, which encourages people to commiserate about their lousy dates, conducted a survey of hundreds of users to get an idea of what they consider the modern definition of infidelity.
 
For instance, 97 percent of respondents felt that watching pornography online does not constitute cheating.
 
For that matter, just under five percent think someone using a blow-up doll for sex when they’re involved with another person is being unfaithful.
 
Meanwhile, about one in seven say it’s okay if their best friend was sleeping with a married man or woman although six in ten would not tell their partner about having sex with a hotel bartender.
 
Still, 31 percent believe that cheating on a significant other is okay sometimes.
 
As for the subject of monogamy, two-thirds of the respondents believe people were not born to be with one just person and as proof of that, close to eight in ten would be open to idea of a threesome.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

‘Old People’s Odor’ Exists, But Not Unpleasant

Comstock/Thinkstock(PHILADELPHIA) -- Elderly people do emit a characteristic odor, but it turns out they might actually smell better than younger people, according to a new study published online in PLoS ONE.

Researchers at Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia found that people could distinguish among the body odors of different age groups.

They asked 41 people to evaluate odors collected from the armpits of study participants from three different age groups -- people between the ages of 20 and 30; between 45 and 55; and between 75 and 95.

The evaluators rated the odors from the younger groups as more unpleasant than the odors from the elderly participants, and they also found that the older people’s odors were less intense.  The evaluators could also determine that odors came from old people, but could not correctly attribute the odors from the other groups.

These findings, said co-author Johan Lundstrom, confirm the popular belief of an “old people smell.”

“We do have an old people odor, but when taken out of the popular context, it doesn’t smell as bad,” said Lundstrom.

The study also found that younger men smelled worse than younger women, but among the participants older than 75, men and women smelled pretty much the same.

It’s not clear exactly what’s behind the ability to discriminate between the age groups and the sexes, the authors wrote.

“An older study found that there is one chemical that varies with age, but we don’t know if that’s the chemical people are picking out,” Lundstrom said.

It’s also possible that the loss of testosterone, changes in the skin, changes in the sweat glands or a combination of these factors play a role in why the sexes don’t smell much different at older ages.

There may be an advantage to being able to discern the smell of old age among animals.

For example, the authors wrote, “older male insects have a higher reproductive success than their younger competitors,” and “reproductive success is a highly sought-after trait.”

The authors also believe it’s likely that had the evaluators been aware that the odors came from elderly people, they may have rated them as more unpleasant.

Future research, they continued, will focus on identifying the mechanism behind age-related body odor discrimination.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Fake Adderall Sold Online Gets FDA’s Attention

iStockphoto/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) -- Beware of fake versions of ADHD medication Adderall that are being sold on the Internet, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has warned.

The agency issued the warning Tuesday after receiving complaints from the manufacturer Teva Pharmaceutical Industries that the 30 mg tablets, which do not even resemble the authentic version, were being sold online under the company name, FDA spokesperson Shelly Burgess told ABC News.

Adderall is approved by the FDA to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorders (ADHD) and narcolepsy.

“We issued the warning to warn the public of the risks of buying from Internet sellers,” said Burgess.

The agency, which conducted lab tests on some of the counterfeits, found the counterfeit version did not contain the correct active ingredients for Adderall.  Instead, it contained acetaminophen and tramadol, which are used to treat acute short-term pain.

Since there is no tracking system for rogue websites that sell fake medication, it is unclear how many people have bought the imitations online.

The nationwide shortage of Adderall in pharmacies may have led some to purchase the medication on the Internet. The FDA’s website lists many dosages of Adderall manufactured by Teva pharmaceuticals have been in short supply since at least October 2011.

According to the FDA, counterfeit Adderall may be white instead of orange, contain no markings on a tablet, and come in a blister package. There may also be misspellings on the package.

Trustworthy websites are licensed by state board of pharmacy and contain a list of the boards on the site. The site should also have a licensed pharmacist available to answer questions the consumer may have. Sound websites also require prescription verification before dispensing any pharmaceutical medication.

“If it offers dramatically low prices from market value, this is a red flag,” said Burgess.

Anyone who suspects they have purchased the counterfeit version should stop taking the medication and report any side effects to the FDA’s MedWatch Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program, said Burgess.

The agency is grappling with how best to regulate rogue online sites that sell fake and potentially harmful medications. The FDA can issue warning letters to the sites highlighting its unsafe practices, but are not able to ensure that it can be stopped.

“These sites can shut down and pop back up under a different name the next day,” said Burgess.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Surly People Tend to Like Vicious Dogs, Study Finds

Photodisc/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) -- Many people believe dogs match the personality of their owners, and in a new study that seems to confirm that belief, British researchers say they’ve found that surly people tend to own aggressive dogs.

For the study, researchers at the University of Leicester’s School of Psychology had human participants fill out personality tests that also included questions to determine which breeds of dogs they liked.

The tests reveal that younger people and individuals with “low levels of agreeableness” -- those who are generally less concerned about others' well-being and may be suspicious, unfriendly and competitive -- tend to prefer dog breeds that are considered more aggressive, such as boxers and pit bull terriers.

Lead researcher Vincent Egan says there’s no evidence of a connection between a person liking an aggressive breed of dog and delinquent behavior.  He says there's also no evidence that having an aggressive breed of dog is a “status display” meant to show off or attract members of the opposite sex.

The study is published in the June edition of the journal Anthrozoos.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Children's Self-Esteem Decreases When Watching More TV, White Boys Excluded

Photodisc/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) -- Children’s self-esteem generally goes down as TV watching goes up. Still, white boys are the exception, according to a new study published in the journal Communications Research.

Researchers from Indiana University surveyed close to 400 boys and girls between the ages of 7 and 12, of whom 58 percent were black, 48 percent white, to see if there was a correlation between time spent in front of the TV and children’s self-esteem. They tallied the amount of TV watched and had the participants complete an 11-item questionnaire intended to measure overall feelings of self-worth.

The existing research on the impact of TV on children’s health has focused on body image and eating disorders, Nicole Martins, an assistant professor of telecommunications at Indiana University and co-author of the study, told ABC News. Given that children spend more than seven hours a day with some sort of media (computers, TV, video games), examining the influence of media on how they feel about themselves seemed long overdue, she said.

The study authors said that while white male TV characters tend to hold positions of power in prestigious occupations, have a lot of education and beautiful wives, the TV roles of girls and women tend to be less positive and more one-dimensional. Female characters are often sexualized, and success is often measured according to how they look.

Black men and boys are often criminalized on TV, the researchers said, which can affect their feelings of self-worth.

According to the study, self-esteem has significant behavioral and emotional ramifications, and it is often correlated with motivation, persistence and academic achievement, particularly among children.

But Alan Kazdin, a professor of psychology and child psychiatry at Yale University, said self-esteem had not been found to  relate causally to anything at all. While it can be one measure of clinical depression, that does not mean it characterizes or causes depression.

“As citizens, we think of self-esteem as very important,” said Kazdin. “But I deal with aggressive and violent children who have self-esteem that can be much higher than the average child. Yes, every parent wants their child to feel good about themselves, but high self-esteem is not an elixir to get you through life. It is not the protective factor we’d like it to be.”

Building confidence in children, and helping them gain skills and competencies that contribute to a better life, such as learning instruments, playing sports or sticking with a difficult school lesson, will help do that. If children do not have friends, setting up “light play dates” will help build socialization skills, a “really important aspect of life,” Kazdin said.

Martins suggested that parents limit TV time, and as Kazdin suggested, help their kids gain skills that will improve their lives.

“Too much time in front of the screen may displace real-life experiences, such as playing a musical instrument, playing ball in the backyard, that could build a child’s feeling of self-worth,” said Martins. “Another option would be to actively mediate children’s media use so that they can more easily understand fantasy from reality.

“Simple distinctions and conversations like this help mitigate the impact such an image might have on self-esteem and comparisons to media characters,” she said.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Top 5 Summer Allergy Triggers

Hemera/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) -- Summer is unofficially on, which means three months full of sun, heat and allergy triggers.

The fully bloomed trees and green grass may appear nice, but the pollen they harbor can bring allergy sufferers misery during the spring and summer months. And it's not just that ubiquitous powdery substance that can trigger sniffling, sneezing and itchy eyes during the hotter months. Experts say the following allergy triggers can also be common during the summer:

Mold:  Outdoor mold is the culprit behind many allergic reactions starting in late summer and fall when there is a peak in the amount of some types of mold spores, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.

Stings:  Avoiding a painful encounter is just one reason to steer clear of stinging insects. Insect stings are also a well-known summer allergy trigger that can lead to a severe reaction known as anaphylaxis.

Poison ivy and sunscreen:  While not especially common, poison ivy and sunscreen do pose allergy hazards during the warmer seasons.

Seasonal fruit:  Allergic reactions to food can happen at any time, but for some people, summer fruits and vegetables can be more than just juicy and delicious.

Pollen:  No matter what the season, pollen is in the air, ready to set off allergy attacks.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

NYC Special Education School Incorporates Sex Ed in Mission

Hemera/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) -- For Judy Blake, a mother of two sons, both with autism spectrum disorder, it was important for her to have the sex talk with them at an early age, in clear and specific terms.

"A parent of a child with special needs doesn't just have to be two steps ahead, but 10 steps ahead," said Blake, author of the book, Judy's World, which discusses her experience as a mother to two sons with autism.  "For many kids, learning about sex requires a lot of repetition about safety, appropriateness, social cues and relationships."

Lorraine Merkl, a mother of an eighth grade student at the Aaron Academy, a special education school based in New York City, agrees that sex education must be presented in a gradual, individualistic and repetitive way for many children with intellectual disabilities.

"The school does a good job of laying the foundation of sex, the nuts and bolts, but allows parents like me to talk to their kids about the emotional and moral aspects of sex," said Merkl, whose daughter has Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD.

That's because the school makes a conscious effort to incorporate sex education in its mission to educate mindful and responsible adults.

"We have specialized instruction around difficult issues," said Barbara McKeon, director of the Aaron Academy.  "Many students are physically mature, but not there emotionally.  They are a more vulnerable part of the population, being bombarded by media and social networking, it can be difficult to sort out what is expected."

The Aaron Academy follows an educational framework based on research in cognitive neurosciences.  The method encourages flexible learning environments that accommodate individual learning differences, and sex education is a key modality in the school's education mission.

New York City schools are mandated to teach sexual education.  Nevertheless, McKeon said "sex ed is not the goal, but a part of the process" at the school.

Relationship and decision-making concepts are built into the school's courses.  There is focus around health and hygiene for teens going through puberty and students keep journals to write down thoughts they do not want to discuss out loud.

McKeon also said administrators use a "red light, green light" tactic.  If students say something inappropriate to another teacher or student, they will hear "red light."

"The inappropriate comment will fade off and the students are able to process appropriate conversations in a better way," said McKeon.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

6-Year-Old Has Stroke, Doctors Spot Rare Moyamoya Disease

Courtesy Dan Wilcox(TOLEDO, Ohio) -- Six-year-old Erica Wilcox woke up one fall morning in 2011 and told her parents her right hand felt "fizzy."

The first-grader was healthy and active, even running cross-country at her elementary school, so her parents, Dan and Leann Wilcox, of Toledo, Ohio, didn't think much of it.

"Honestly, we kind of wrote it off as her just sleeping on her arm wrong," Dan Wilcox said.

They had no idea their young daughter had had a stroke.

"If you would have told me when I was watching her run on the track that a few days later I'd be taking her to the hospital for a stroke, I'd have never believed it," Wilcox said.  "But there were warning signs there."

Many people hear "stroke" and think only older adults, perhaps with heart disease or other underlying conditions, are stricken.  But children can also suffer from strokes, although they are rare.  Doctors estimate that about six out of 100,000 children have a stroke each year.  Stroke is one of the top 10 causes of death for children in the U.S.

The cause of Erica's stroke made it even more unusual.  Erica has Moyamoya, a rare condition in which the vessels feeding blood to the brain become narrowed over time as the walls of the arteries get thicker.  Sensing the lower flow of blood, the body will try to compensate by sprouting new webs of smaller blood vessels to bypass the blockage, creating what the Japanese call Moyamoya, meaning "puff of smoke," on brain imaging scans.

Moyamoya primarily affects children and teens, who are usually unaware that their arteries are silently narrowing, choking off blood to their brains.  Dr. Mark Bain, a neurosurgeon at the Cleveland Clinic, said often the condition is diagnosed only when a child comes to the hospital after having a stroke.

"A lot of times, the signs will be very subtle, like numbness or tingling in the limbs," Bain said.  "It's such a rare thing to have a stroke in children that a lot of the time, people don't diagnose it right away."

Weeks after Erica awoke with "fizziness" in her hand, Leann Wilcox was helping Erica with her homework, and noticed that she was using her left hand to write, even though she was right-handed.  When Wilcox asked her to hold her pencil in her right hand, Erica said she couldn't.  Hours later, Erica told her parents that she couldn't put her clothes on after taking a shower.  By the time the Wilcoxes got to the hospital 10 minutes from their home, Erica couldn't move her lower arm at all.

"It was unbelievably scary," Dan Wilcox said.

Wilcox said Erica's doctors were initially perplexed and, spotting the "puff of smoke" blood vessels on her brain scans, thought that she had a brain tumor.  But more tests revealed Erica's stroke and Moyamoya.

Doctors understand very little about the causes of Moyamoya, although a genetic basis for the disease is suspected.  Bain said blood-thinning drugs like aspirin can be a short-term solution, but ultimately the best solution is surgery to try to restore the brain's blood flow.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio