October 4, 2012
Philosophy will be the key that unlocks artificial intelligence
AI is achievable, but it will take more than computer science and neuroscience to develop machines that think like people. (The Guardian)
Monthly Archives: October 2012
October 3, 2012
Adult stem cells change their epigenome to generate new organs
A study developed by researchers at the IDIBELL, led by Manel Estellar, has identified epigenetic changes that occur in adult stem cells to generate different tissues of the human body. (Medical Xpress)
October 3, 2012
German medical tourism catching on in Qatar
A total of 18,00 visas, including visas for medical tourism, have so far this year been issued to Qataris by the German embassy in Doha, German Ambassador to Qatar Angelica Sturz Hkurja revealed yesterday. (The Gulf Times)
October 3, 2012
New strategy may boost fertility clinic success rate
There is growing evidence suggesting that freezing an embryo after fertilization and thawing it for use in the woman’s next monthly cycle leads to higher pregnancy rates, compared with using the embryo immediately. (Wall Street Journal)
October 3, 2012
Womb-scratching technique may boost IVF success
What if a quick, cheap and relatively painless procedure could double the chances of becoming pregnant through in-vitro fertilization? British researchers say a simple scratch to the uterine lining might do just that, but some experts are skeptical. (ABC News)
October 3, 2012
Judge warns of pitfalls of surrogacy after mother ‘disappears’ before giving consent
A judge has warned of the pitfalls of surrogacy after the Indian mother of twin boys ‘disappeared’ before giving her formal consent for them to be brought up by a British gay couple. (The Telegraph)
October 2, 2012
International donors get Bayer to cut price of implantable birth control for the poor
Bayer, the German pharmaceutical company, will cut the price of its implantable contraceptive for 27 million women in poor countries under a deal worked out with international donors that was announced last week. (New York Times)
October 2, 2012
Study: Fraud growing in scientific research papers
A review of retractions in medical and biological peer-reviewed journals finds the percentage of studies withdrawn because of fraud or suspected fraud has jumped substantially since the mid-1970s. In 1976, there were fewer than 10 fraud retractions for every 1 … Read More
October 2, 2012
Do seniors turn to the right places at end of life?
A new study says almost one third of Medicare’s beneficiaries use the program to pay for end-of-life care at nursing homes, which may not be equipped to treat or prevent pain and suffering. (Chicago Tribune)
October 2, 2012
Denmark tightens sperm donor law after NF1 transmissions
Denmark is tightening rules on sperm donation after one donor was found to have passed on a rare genetic condition to at least five of the 43 babies he is thought to have fathered. (BBC)
October 2, 2012
Male microchimerism in the human female brain
In humans, naturally acquired microchimerism has been observed in many tissues and organs. Fetal microchimerism, however, has not been investigated in the human brain. Microchimerism of fetal as well as maternal origin has recently been reported in the mouse brain. … Read More
October 1, 2012
HIV “made” new deadly Salmonella – study
An epidemic of a deadly strain of Salmonella has swept across the whole of Africa by “taking advantage” of the spread of HIV, according to an international team of researchers. (BBC)
October 1, 2012
Study finds birth defects down among IVF babies
Though assisted-reproduction techniques (ART) are known to come with a higher risk for birth defects, a new review of defect rates in Western Australia shows major birth defects becoming less common over the course of a decade among babies born … Read More
October 1, 2012
Older dads more likely to sire children with diseases, study claims
A new study showing a link between a man’s age and birth defects in his children could give rise to increased awareness in the UAE, where older men often father children, experts say. (The National)
October 1, 2012
From farms to family planning: Investing in women on world contraception day
Today is World Contraception Day. I am celebrating by visiting a cassava farm in Tanzania [Blog post by Melinda Gates]. (Huffington Post)
October 1, 2012
Prenatal test presents dilemmas to expectant mothers
A sophisticated genetic test sometimes used during pregnancy can’t always predict if chromosomal abnormalities will cause problems in children, leading some mothers to label the information “toxic knowledge” they wish they hadn’t received, a small new study shows. (U.S. News … Read More
October 1, 2012
The great stem cell dilemma
Breakthroughs promise a new era in medicine, and billionaire donors like Eli Broad and Bill Gross are lending support. But not even Andy Grove can figure out how to make the business work. (CNN)
October 1, 2012
U.N. calls for biotechnology controls
More extensive international efforts need to be taken to prevent biotechnology being used to commit biological terrorism, a U.N. official says. (UPI)
October 1, 2012
The line between embryonic and pluripotent stem cell research is blurring
But over the past two years, he notes, scientists have discovered that they can generate viable animals from iPS cells. Krzyzanowski points to two different papers as examples. (Forbes)
