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Clinical-scale generation of functional red blood cells from human embryonic stem cells

Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. reported that it is feasible to differentiate and mature human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) into functional oxygen-carrying red blood cells (RBCs) under conditions suitable for scale-up.

19 Aug 2008

Are your eyes a window to diabetes-related health issues?

Scientists at Aston University in Birmingham, UK are carrying out a unique study using the eyes to detect early signs of health problems which could lead to diabetes, and they're looking for volunteers to help.

19 Aug 2008

Bacterial pneumonia caused most deaths in 1918 influenza pandemic

The majority of deaths during the influenza pandemic of 1918-1919 were not caused by the influenza virus acting alone, report researchers from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health. Instead, most victims succumbed to bacterial pneumonia following influenza virus infection.

19 Aug 2008

Rifamycin antibiotics attack tuberculosis bacteria with walls, not signals

Amid concerns about the rising number of new tuberculosis cases worldwide, researchers led by Rockefeller University's Seth A. Darst have reexamined and disproved a theory that describes how a potent class of antibiotics kills a deadly form of bacteria. The findings, which will appear in this week's online issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, not only bring scientists closer to understanding how these antibiotics work but also how the bacteria become resistant to their effects.

19 Aug 2008

New discovery may lead to new drugs to regulate sleep

A team of scientists from Oxford University in the UK have discovered the reason why people feel drowsier in dim lighting and more alert in bright white light.

19 Aug 2008

Research shows Indigenous children don't need number words to count

According to a new international study, Indigenous Australian children who speak languages that have few number words are still able to count.

19 Aug 2008

In-breeding in pedigree dogs means debilitating genetic diseases

Research in the UK by the BBC has revealed that pedigree dogs are being bred with debilitating genetic diseases and the culprit is the breeding process used to produce pedigree dogs.

19 Aug 2008

Chewing gum speeds up recovery from colon surgery

Scientists in Britain say chewing gum after colon surgery improves the recovery of the bowel.

19 Aug 2008

A single abortion does not jeopardise a woman's mental health

According to the American Psychological Association (APA) there is no evidence than an abortion increases the risk of mental health problems for adult women.

19 Aug 2008

Boys more likely to grow out of asthma

According to researchers in the U.S. boys are more likely than girls to grow out of childhood asthma when they reach their teenage years.

19 Aug 2008

Working better with Aboriginal clients: addressing sexual health, HIV and hepatitis C

Improving access to sexual health and related services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in NSW will be among the issues discussed at a workshop coordinated by the University of New South Wales (UNSW).

19 Aug 2008

When the patient can't make the decision

Family members are often called upon to make medical choices for patients who are unable to do so themselves. Researchers led by Alexia Torke, M.D., of the Indiana University School of Medicine and the Regenstrief Institute, Inc., studied how physicians treating these patients interacted with surrogate decision-makers.

18 Aug 2008

Mosquitoes smell DEET and stay away

Spray yourself with a DEET-based insect repellent and the mosquitoes will leave you alone. But why? They flee because of their intense dislike for the smell of the chemical repellent and not because DEET jams their sense of smell, report researchers at the University of California, Davis.

18 Aug 2008

New sickle cell unrelated transplant trial

Children's National Medical Center immunologist and blood and marrow transplant physician Naynesh Kamani, MD, will serve as the study co-chair for a new national clinical trial of unrelated donor marrow and umbilical cord blood transplants for severe sickle cell disease.

18 Aug 2008

Teens with poor sleep habits may have higher blood pressure

In new research, the sleeping habits of teenagers has come under scrutiny and has found that not getting enough sleep may be linked to a rise in their blood pressure.

18 Aug 2008

Symmetry the key to sexual appeal

Scientists say when it comes to searching for a partner, the attraction of a potential mate is all about symmetry.

18 Aug 2008

Fish melanoma gene linked to pigment pattern that attracts mates

Though skin cancer is deadly to male fish, it also has one perk: The black melanoma splotches arise from attractive natural markings that lure female mates. A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences this week shows that the melanoma gene can be conserved in swordtail fish because of its beneficial role in sexual selection.

18 Aug 2008

First drug for Huntington's disease approved for use in the U.S.

Huntington's disease is a fatal, inherited neurodegenerative disorder for which there is no cure and usually affects people in their 30s and 40s, but some patients are affected as early as childhood, while others aren't affected until they are older.

18 Aug 2008

What makes the human body attractive?

A study by Dr William Brown and colleagues in Brunel University's School of Social Sciences and School of Engineering and Design, published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), has revealed an explanation for the correlation between attractiveness and bodily characteristics like height, breast size, long legs, broad shoulders or a curvy figure.

18 Aug 2008

Wake Forest University launches major initiatives in bioethics

Responding to a looming 'bioethics crisis,' Wake Forest University is launching several initiatives in bioethics to address the ethical and social aspects of medical care and technology.

18 Aug 2008