New Delhi, Feb 11 - The recent cases of a 12-year-old who died aping a TV serial suicide and a 15-year-old who stabbed his teacher to death after being reportedly influenced by watching revenge drama "Agneepath" have put the spotlight on the influence showbiz exerts on young, impressionable minds. But films and TV shows are not alone to blame, say experts.

Media literacy for kids is one way out, suggests child psychiatrist Samir Parikh.

London, Feb 11 : Infants who were fed milk directly from their mothers in the first six months of their life are less likely to grow up angry and irritable compared to their bottle-fed counterparts, a new study has revealed.

Scientists believe that the warm attachment to their mother makes them more mild-mannered and less hostile in later life, the Daily Express reported.

Shillong, Feb 11 - Authorities Saturday gave the all-clear signal and calmed the panic in Meghalaya after clinical tests on dead pigeons proved negative for bird flu, a veterinary official said Saturday.

"The blood samples of the pigeons which were sent for testing at Assam-based Regional Research and Diagnostic Laboratory (RRDL) have confirmed negative for bird flu," said Meghalaya's Animal and Husbandry Veterinary director D. Lyngwa.

Washington, Feb 10: Ultrasound scans have provided the first direct evidence that malaria infection reduces early foetal growth, a study claims.

The researchers studied almost 3,800 pregnancies for their study.

Washington, Feb 10 : Researchers have discovered that the immune response regulator IKBKE (serine/threonine kinase) plays two roles in tobacco-related non-small cell lung cancers.

Tobacco carcinogens induce IKBKE and, in turn, IKBKE induces chemotherapy resistance.

London, Feb 10 - While people may be extra cautious about what they wear on a date, a British survey has found slim women wear the least sexiest underwear for such an occasion.

Women size eight and below are most likely to wear sensible cotton pants. But size 16s make the most of their feminine figures by opting for sexier matching sets in lace and silk, the Sun reported.

Washington, Feb 10 : Testing a developing foetus’ DNA through chromosomal microarray (CMA) provides more information about potential disorders than the standard method of prenatal testing, which is to visually examine the chromosomes (karyotyping), according to a new study.

London, Feb 10 - Mothers opting for delivery through caesarean section could be harming their baby's health, researchers have warned contrary to the widely-held belief that a C-section delivery poses no health risks to the baby.

Washington, Feb 10 : Children who show multiple psychosomatic symptoms, like regular aches, pains, sleep and appetite problems, are more than twice as likely to be suffering from physical abuse at home than kids who do not display such signs, a new study has revealed.

Washington, Feb 10 : Researchers have found new evidence for the role of the brain in obesity and weight gain.

Although obesity typically results simply from excessive energy intake, it is currently unclear why some people are prone to overeating and gaining weight.

Washington, Feb 10 : Previous scientific research on resveratrol, a constituent of red wine and other vegetable products, has revealed that in high doses, it may increase longevity of life and reduce metabolic diseases of aging.

But, a new study in mice has argued that crediting only resveratrol for a specific effect on health could be misleading.

Shillong, Feb 10 - Fears of bird flu gripped Shillong Friday and Meghalaya state authorities sounded a general alert after a hundred pigeons were found dead in the state capital, an official said.

The pigeons have died over a month at Keating Road in the heart of Shillong City, and Thursday three more pigeons died of unnatural deaths, said Animal and Husbandry Veterinary director D. Lyngwa.

London, Feb.

Sydney, Feb 10 - Smokers beware. Your heavy puffing around the time of conception greatly increases the chances of your child developing the most common form of childhood cancer, known as Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL), a study reveals.

The study investigated the link between parental smoking and the occurrence of ALL in offspring.

Washington, Feb 10 : Use of a drug in mice appears to quickly reverse the pathological, cognitive and memory deficits caused by the onset of Alzheimer's disease, according to a study.

The results point to the significant potential that the medication, bexarotene, has to help the roughly 5.4 million Americans suffering from the progressive brain disease, US researchers said.

Washington, Feb 9 : Growing up on a farm directly affects the regulation of the immune system and causes a reduction in the immunological responses to food proteins, a new study has found.

London, Feb 9 : Scientists say they have created a revolutionary `putty' that can heal bone fractures in days rather than months.

The University of Georgia Regenerative Bioscience Center scientists used adult stem cells to produce a protein involved in bone healing and generation.

They then incorporated them into a gel, combining the healing properties into something they labelled `fracture putty.'

Washington, Feb 9 : A specific goal to eat a set number of daily servings of low-glycemic-index foods can improve dietary habits of people with Type 2 diabetes, researchers say.

Washington, Feb 9 : Researchers have found new evidence of why mice, people and other vertebrate animals carry thousands of varieties of genes to make immune-system proteins named MHCs - even if some of those genes make vertebrate animals vulnerable to infections and to autoimmune diseases.

Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) proteins are found on the surfaces of most cells in vertebrate animals.

Washington, Feb 9 : Gene therapy for congenital blindness has taken another step forward, as researchers further improved vision in three adult patients earlier treated in one eye.

After receiving the same treatment in their other eye, the patients became better able to see in dim light, and two were able to navigate obstacles in low-light situations. No adverse effects occurred.

Washington, Feb 9 : Scientists have designed tiny "micromotors" that propel themselves through acidic environments using hydrogen bubbles.

These micromotors are expected to work in stomach acid.

Researchers, led by University of California San Diego nanoengineering professor Joseph Wang, constructed each micromotor from extremely tiny plastic tubes containing a thin layer of zinc, Discovery News reported.

Washington, Feb 8 : A botanical formula considerably suppresses tumour growth in aggressive, hormone refractory (androgen independent) human-prostate cancer cells, according to researchers.

Scientists at Indiana University, Methodist Research Institute study a botanical formula that kills aggressive prostate cancer tumours. Their findings are based on experiments in mice using a human prostate cancer tumour model.

London, Feb 9 : Frisky pensioners who continue to have sex well into their 70s are less likely to suffer from confusion and memory loss in later life, scientists say.

A team from Rostock University in northern Germany including Professor Peter Kropp and Dr Britta Muller interviewed 170 people aged between 63 and 75 in 2011.

They found that sexual satisfaction was directly linked with a young mind.

Washington, Feb 9 : Researchers have found that people who are more physically active have greater levels of excitement and enthusiasm than people who are less physically active.

Also people are more likely to be excited and enthusiastic on days when they are more physically active than usual, say Penn State researchers.

Washington, Feb 9 : A new study has suggested that low dopamine levels that occur as a result of withdrawal from smoking actually promote the relapse to smoking.

Dopamine is a brain chemical messenger that is critically important in reward and motivation. Some research suggests that one of its central roles is to send a signal to the brain to `seek something enjoyable'.