March 15, 2013
Imagine for a moment that you could choose any superpower you wanted. If you’re the demonstrative sort, you might be tempted by something dramatic, such as Hulk-like strength or the ability to fly. Or perhaps you’d prefer something a little … Read More
March 14, 2013
From the Vatican to Buenos Aires, Catholics worldwide rejoiced when Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio became the new pope. (CNN)
March 14, 2013
Maharashtra’s cadaver donation count – which stood at an abysmal 355 organs in the past 15 years – made impressive strides last year. As per the latest report of the state heath department, as many as 381 kidney transplants and … Read More
March 14, 2013
Some people call it “brain doping” or “meducation.” Others label the problem “neuroenhancement.” Whatever the term, the American Academy of Neurology has published a position paper criticizing the practice of prescribing “study drugs” to boost memory and thinking abilities in … Read More
March 14, 2013
Pre-clinical research has generated some very promising findings using adult stem cells for the treatment of diabetic wounds. The research carried out by scientists at the National University of Ireland Galway, is published in Diabetes, the official journal of the … Read More
March 14, 2013
Aspirin-like drugs could improve the success of stem-cell transplants for patients with blood or bone-marrow disorders, a study suggests. The compounds coax stem cells from bone marrow into the bloodstream where they can be harvested for use in transplantation — … Read More
March 14, 2013
An official from the Ministry of Health (MOH) stressed on Tuesday that surrogate motherhood remains banned in China. (China.org.cn)
March 14, 2013
Health research projects are increasingly being conducted that do not fit the standard picture of biomedical research…Such participant-led research (PLR) is gaining popularity and attention, especially as its outcomes have started infiltrating peer-reviewed scientific journals. (The Scientist)
March 14, 2013
Discovering your DNA sequence is cheap and easy, and that genetic knowledge could change – even save – your life. [Op-ed by one of the founders of 23andMe]. (The Guardian)
March 13, 2013
Hidden in a tiny tile of interwoven DNA is a message. The message is simple, but decoding it unlocks the secret of dynamic nanoscale assembly. (Nanowerk)
March 13, 2013
Over the past two years, Mexican scientists involved in bio- and nanotechnology have become targets. They’re not threatened by the nation’s drug cartels. They’re marked for death by a group of bomb-building eco-terrorists with the professed goal of destroying human … Read More
March 13, 2013
For the first time we are close to creating artificial life from scratch. So says Craig Venter, founder of the J. Craig Venter Institute in Rockville, Maryland, and famed for creating the first cell with a synthetic genome. (New Scientist)
March 13, 2013
Thousands of physicians are profiting from promotional speaking gigs for drugmakers, but is the practice ethical? (Salon)
March 13, 2013
This document examines 10 of the top companies in [synthetic biology] and discusses their positions in these complex patterns of supply and demand, as well as their investments and alliances. The chosen companies have effectively positioned themselves to connect the … Read More
March 13, 2013
In the United States alone, an estimated 100,000 patients per year receive implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) – devices that detect life-threatening heart rhythm irregularities and deliver a high-voltage shock to return the heart to a normal pace. Despite their lifesaving … Read More
March 13, 2013
Abortions are becoming illegal in America at a rapid clip. (ABC News)
March 13, 2013
The Honourable David Kilgour, former Canadian Secretary of State for the Asia Pacific Region arrived in Australia last week. In Melbourne on Thursday, Mr. Kilgour is speaking at a pre-release private screening of the film “Free China: The Courage to … Read More
March 12, 2013
The percentage of married women or women in couples who use at least one contraceptive method has grown over the past two decades, from 55 percent in 1990 to 63 percent in 2010. But new projections suggest that the demand … Read More
March 12, 2013
An international team of genetic researchers led by Prof Merlin Crossley from the University of New South Wales has found the third and final missing piece in the genetic puzzle of an unusual form of haemophilia, known as haemophilia B … Read More
March 12, 2013
Imaging studies, body activity, sleep and other indicators reveal more and more clues. To translate this varied data into meaningful diagnosis, we need a mechanism that tracks, stores, and continuously monitors body’s information. Today’s electronic health records (EHRs) are systems … Read More
March 12, 2013
Ellen Goodman won the Pulitzer Prize for her thoughtful Boston Globe columns. Now retired from that job but busier than ever, Goodman publicly laments that she won no prizes for easing her mother through illness and very hard decisions about … Read More
March 12, 2013
The procedures described, currently under evaluation by the British Human Fertilisation and Embryo Authority (HFEA) for the prevention of “mitochondrial diseases,” would carry profoundly negative implications for the future of the human species were they ever implemented, and thus warrant … Read More
March 11, 2013
Few women voluntarily go through the invasive and time-consuming procedure without compensation, leading to a shortage of healthy oocytes, commonly called eggs, for research. (Sacramento Bee) Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2013/03/10/5250417/california-bill-seeks-pay-for.html#storylink=cpy (
March 11, 2013
Nanoparticles carrying a toxin found in bee venom can destroy human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) while leaving surrounding cells unharmed, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have shown. The finding is an important step toward developing a … Read More
March 11, 2013
Since 1993 when the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that Sue Rodriguez did not have the right to have a physician help her end her life, several private members bills on the issue have been defeated in the House of … Read More
