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Disorganized eggs hinder fertility in obese women

Severely obese women are at an increased risk for producing eggs that have multiple spindles and disorganized chromosomes, possibly explaining the reduced fertility in this population, report researchers.

13 Sep 2012

Local Talent Global Impact event at Queen's University to be held on Sep. 13

Members of the public are being invited to Queen's University at lunchtime on Thursday (13 September) to meet and hear from the people behind some of the biggest scientific, medical and technological breakthroughs of recent times.

13 Sep 2012

BRCA1/2 gene mutations lethal to human embryos

BRCA1/2 gene mutations, widely associated with breast and ovarian cancer risks in women, are, in principle, lethal to human embryos, according to new research conducted by three teams of researchers from the Center for Human Reproduction (CHR) in New York City, the Medical University Vienna in Vienna, Austria, and the Medical University Graz, Graz, Austria.

13 Sep 2012

Surprising new roles for angiotensin converting enzyme

At the 1st ECRC "Franz-Volhard" Symposium on September 7, 2012 at the Max Delbr-ck Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) in Berlin-Buch, Professor Ken Bernstein reported that in mice an excess of ACE led to a much stronger immune response than usual.

10 Sep 2012

Link between recreational marijuana use and increased risk of testicular cancer

A new study from the University of Southern California (USC) has found a link between recreational marijuana use and an increased risk of developing subtypes of testicular cancer that tend to carry a somewhat worse prognosis.

10 Sep 2012

JQ1 compound dramatically prevents sperm production in mice

Attention men: The day may be coming soon when you can take your own birth control pill with no side effects, according to a study done by a group of scientists that includes a Texas A&M University researcher.

6 Sep 2012

Study reveals higher maternal death rates following abortion in Denmark

A new study of the medical records for nearly half a million women in Denmark reveals significantly higher maternal death rates following abortion compared to delivery. This finding has confirmed similar population studies conducted in Finland and the United States, but contradicts the widely held belief that abortion is safer than childbirth.

6 Sep 2012

Key facts about polycystic ovary syndrome

September marks Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) awareness month and with this condition affecting millions of women in the world, there are some key facts about the condition to highlight that can affect a women's fertility when suffering with the disorder.

6 Sep 2012

Eat your greens for healthy sperm genes

Men who consume a high amount of certain nutrients may produce healthier sperm than men who do not, an effect that appears to be more pronounced in older men, report US researchers.

3 Sep 2012

Scientists establish genetic mouse model for primary ovarian insufficiency

Scientists have established a genetic mouse model for primary ovarian insufficiency (POI), a human condition in which women experience irregular menstrual cycles and reduced fertility, and early exposure to estrogen deficiency.

31 Aug 2012

Viewpoints: Health law will leave some poor families 'in lurch'; Mich. Gov.'s effort to get health exchange

Confusing language in the health care reform law has raised the possibility that millions of Americans living on modest incomes may be unable to afford their employers' family policies and yet fail to qualify for government subsidies to buy their own insurance. This is a bizarre development that undercuts the basic goal of health care reform - to expand the number of insured people and make their coverage affordable.

28 Aug 2012

Healthy intake of micronutrients may boost sperm DNA quality in older men

A new study led by scientists from the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) found that a healthy intake of micronutrients is strongly associated with improved sperm DNA quality in older men.

27 Aug 2012

Children may benefit from having older mothers

The children of older mothers may have improved health and development up to 5 years of age, say researchers in the British Medical Journal.

24 Aug 2012

Cocoa and blood pressure: an interview with Dr Karin Ried

The compounds in cocoa responsible for blood pressure reduction are called flavanols or polyphenols. Flavanols are also found in green tea, dark berries or red wine.

24 Aug 2012

Surgeons should not resist rectal resection in endometriosis

Rectal resection for deeply infiltrating endometriosis can be performed with limited morbidity, say the authors of an Australian study.

22 Aug 2012

Chemotherapy during pregnancy: an interview with Professor Sibylle Loibl

The incidence is about 1-3% of all breast cancers. The incidence seems to be increasing due to women delaying their childbearing to when they are in their thirties.

22 Aug 2012

New statistical model predicts global decline in working-age adults to support elderly people

A new statistical model predicts that by 2100 the number of people older than 85 worldwide will increase more than previously estimated, and there will be fewer working-age adults to support them than previously expected.

21 Aug 2012

Semen protein acts on the female brain to prompt ovulation

An international team of scientists led by Gregg Adams at the University of Saskatchewan has discovered that a protein in semen acts on the female brain to prompt ovulation, and is the same molecule that regulates the growth, maintenance, and survival of nerve cells.

21 Aug 2012

Calls for more widespread safety information on PGD

The informed consent process for prospective parents considering prenatal genetic diagnosis may be inadequate due to a lack of disclosure by fertility clinics about the risks involved in the procedure, says a US researcher.

20 Aug 2012