Best time to fry is in the morning: Whether the look you crave is sunkissed or full-on Jersey Shore, aim for a morning tanning session to lower your risk of developing skin cancer later. Researchers at the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill found that mice who were exposed to UV radiation at 4 AM versus at 4 PM were 500 percent more likely to develop skin cancer. Human circadian clocks, on the other hand, work on an opposite schedule from mice, suggesting that humans are safer tanning in the morning than at night. Of course, more research has to be done on actual humans before this claim can be made official. [Futurity]
Panel says boys should get HPV shot: Despite the recent controversy among presidential candidates regarding the effects of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, a CDC advisory panel voted Tuesday to recommend that boys ages 11 to 12 get the shot. HPV is the most common sexually transmitted disease in the US; 20 million people are affected by it every year. The vaccine may prevent anal cancer and mouth cancers in boys, as well as prevent the spread of the infection to female sexual partners. Some experts say it may be harder to justify the expensive three-shot series for boys. [Time Healthland]
Drinking soda makes you mean: Put down the pop, kid. A study published in Injury Prevention found that teens who drank a high number of fizzy soft drinks were more likely to demonstrate aggressive, violent behavior than their peers. Those who drank more than five cans of nondiet soda per week were more likely to carry a weapon and act more violent toward their parents and/or peers. While the high caffeine and sugar intake may be a reason for the aggression, researchers also said there might be other causes unaccounted for in their study. [Science Daily]
Bad girls with BPA: The official verdict on the effects of bisphenol A (BPA), a compound found in many plastics, is still out, but a study published in the journal Pediatrics found that girls who had been exposed to the compound while in the womb were more likely to exhibit aggressive behaviors later in life. The study has some caveats, however, including the fact that it relied on mothers’ own observations, “which aren’t always reliable.” In addition, scientists measured how much BPA was in the mothers’ urine, not their blood, which could be a more accurate predictor of how much of the chemical the fetus absorbed, NPR noted. [NPR]
