Studies show that frequent television viewing in middle age is associated with a reduction in the volume of certain brain regions and signs of damage decades later. Engaging in mentally active tasks while sitting has a more positive effect on brain health than passive TV watching.
Canadian ecologists have discovered that antidepressants and opioids accumulate in the tissues of small river fish living downstream from wastewater treatment plants. The study revealed gender differences in toxin accumulation and proposed a new analytical method to assess the impact of pharmaceutical pollution on aquatic ecosystems.
A new large-scale study has found that autism occurs in girls almost as frequently as in boys, but girls are diagnosed significantly later. This highlights the need to revise diagnostic approaches and to better understand gender differences in how autism manifests.