News by Subject Social & Behavior

A single allergic reaction during pregnancy prompts sexual-development changes in the brains of offspring that last a lifetime, new research suggests. Female rats born to mothers exposed to an allergen during pregnancy acted more characteristically 'male' -- mounting other female rodents, for instance -- and had brains and nervous systems that looked more like those seen in typical male animals.

Researchers from the George Washington University and the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology have developed a solution for multiparametric optical mapping of the heart's electrical activity. This technique is a useful tool for enhancing our understanding of the mechanisms behind cardiac arrhythmias. Arrhythmia causes your heart to beat too quickly, too slowly or erratically. Hijacking the heart's vital rhythm and pumping function can have serious consequences like a stroke or cardiac arrest.

Offering praise and having a good working relationship isn't always enough to engender loyalty from staff -- employees also need to feel that the relationship with their boss is important, according to new research.

It is important to understand and prevent unethical behavior in working life. Leaders should be able to take responsibility for challenging situations and show commitment to moral values. A recent study at the University of Jyvaskyla charted the different moral identity statuses among Finnish leaders.

Researchers from Northwestern University and Facebook in March published new research in the INFORMS journal Marketing Science that sheds light on whether common approaches for online advertising measurement are as reliable and accurate as the 'gold standard' of large-scale, randomized experiments.

Delusions are one of the most common symptoms of psychosis, but little is known about what causes them. A new study from researchers at Columbia University and New York State Psychiatric Institute offers insight into the development of delusions, which could lead to better treatments for people with psychosis.

Amanda Veile, an assistant professor of anthropology at Purdue University, and her team report that indigenous mothers in farming communities in Yucatán, Mexico, breastfeed for about 1.5 months longer following cesarean deliveries than they do following vaginal deliveries. Veile believes this is possible because the mothers live in an exceptionally supportive breastfeeding environment.

Doctors should think carefully before testing patients for a urinary tract infection (UTI) to avoid over-diagnosis and unnecessary antibiotic treatment, according to updated asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB) guidelines released by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) and published in Clinical Infectious Diseases.

Participation in team sports is associated with fewer depressive symptoms in children, whereas non-sport activities have no association with symptoms, according to a study in Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, published by Elsevier.

University researchers and industry practitioners have developed lists of 'top tips' for businesses and academics to foster better relationships that could potentially benefit all parties.