Archive for October, 2008
Scientists claim that they have developed a new safer blood test that will help to tell pregnant women if their unborn babies have Down’s syndrome.
According to PNAS journal reports, the test of DNA evidence in 18 pregnant women’s blood correctly recognized nine cases of Down’s syndrome.
The test was conducted by the researchers from Stanford University and now they want a larger-scale test. In babies with Down’s syndrome there is an extra copy of chromosome 21 that becomes the cause of physical and intellectual impairments. Read the rest of this entry
According to researchers, some common antidepressants can decrease the fertility of some men, as they cause damage in the DNA of their sperm.
In this small study, the researchers gave paraoxetine( Paxil or Seroxat) to 35 healthy men and they found that the ratio of fragmented DNA sperm cells rose from 13.8 percent to 30.3 percent after four weeks of treatment on average basis.
Almost the same levels of DNA damage are associated to problems with embryo capability in those couples who try to have children.
The research has been reported in the New Scientist magazine and it is expected to be presented in November at a meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine.
Some experts conclude that only a substantial proportion of men on paroxtine may have to face fertility related damage, as it adversely affects the DNA integrity of sperm.
According to a US study, lung disease will cause more than 80 million deaths in China in the next 25 years. However, the researchers believe that a large of number of those premature deaths can be avoided.
In this study, the researchers focused on the disturbing impact of the common practice of burning wood or coal at home and smoking.
The researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health research assessed considering a 30-year period (Including the last five and the next 25 years.)
Though lung disease is considered a leading cause of death in China, the study suggests a shocking rise as it calculates around 83 million deaths in the 30-year period.
Lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are being considered the major killer in this connection.
The lead author of the study, Professor Majid Ezzati , says that many millions of lives can be saved if the government of China shows some serious concern.
