Parents may have more influence than they realize when it comes to shaping their children’s behavior, especially for those at higher genetic risk for conduct problems, according to Rutgers Health-led research. 

The study, published in Frontiers in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, found that consistent parental monitoring – meaning knowing where children are, who they’re with, and what they’re doing – can help offset genetic risk for developing behavior problems during adolescence. 

A mouse study led by University of California, Riverside biomedical scientists suggests that everyday exposure to microplastics — tiny fragments shed from packaging, clothing, and countless plastic products — may accelerate the development of atherosclerosis, the artery-clogging process that leads to heart attacks and strokes. The harmful effects were seen only in male mice, offering new clues about how microplastics may affect cardiovascular health in humans.