Bioethics News.
03/06/2014
A Powerful New Way to Edit DNA
In the late 1980s, scientists at Osaka University in Japan noticed unusual repeated DNA sequences next to a gene they were studying in a common bacterium. They mentioned them in the final paragraph of a paper: “The biological significance of these sequences is not known.”
03/06/2014
6 Proposals Denying Service to Gays You Haven’t Heard About
Here are six related proposals getting less attention than the battles in Kansas and Arizona.
03/05/2014
Planned Parenthood, Tucson gynecologist, fighting tighter regulations on abortion drugs
Planned Parenthood and a Tucson gynecologist are asking a federal judge to block new rules that will sharply restrict ability to perform abortions using drugs instead of surgery.
03/05/2014
Childhood secondhand smoke exposure damages arteries
Exposure to second-hand smoke in childhood causes irreversible damage to children’s arteries – increasing their risk of heart attacks or strokes when they grow up, according to a large international study published on Wednesday.
03/04/2014
Large number of soldiers had mental illness before enlisting
The first publicly released findings from the largest mental-health study conducted by the military gave a sobering picture of the prevalence of mental disorders and suicide indicators among active-duty troops.
03/04/2014
China Cracks Down on DNA Testing
Genetic testing has grown to be a business big enough in China to warrant the government’s intervention.
03/03/2014
Smoking tied to changes in the structure of teen brains
Young smokers who have smoked more cigarettes have clear differences in their brains compared to lighter smokers, according to a new study.
03/03/2014
Women Still Left Out of Medical Research: Report
Two decades after the passage of a landmark law mandating that women be represented in government-funded medical research, a new report reveals that the world of science is still ignoring women’s unique health issues far more than it should.
03/03/2014
Giant virus revived from deep freeze in Siberian tundra
Researchers revived a virus dormant in a 30,000-year-old ice core. They warn that oil and gas development in far northern latitudes, such as the one shown here, near Salym, Russia, could disturb microbes harmful to humans.
02/28/2014
Nurse Education, Workload Impact Patient Post-Op Mortality
Nurse staffing and education are associated with in-hospital mortality after common surgical procedures, according to a study published online Feb. 26 in The Lancet.
02/28/2014
The Market For DNA-Sequencing-Based Down’s Syndrome Tests Could Exceed $6 Billion
On Wednesday night the New England Journal of Medicine published a study showing that a new, DNA-sequencing based blood test provides a dramatic improvement in accuracy at screening for Down’s syndrome and a second, related disease.
02/27/2014
British spy agency collected images of Yahoo webcam chats
Britain’s spy agency GCHQ intercepted millions of people’s webcam chats and stored still images of them, including sexually explicit ones, the Guardian newspaper reported on Thursday.
02/27/2014
Scientists Question Safety Of Genetically Altering Human Eggs
A panel of government advisers has expressed serious concerns about a controversial proposal to allow scientists to try to make babies using eggs that have been genetically altered to include DNA from another woman.
02/27/2014
Blood Test Provides More Accurate Prenatal Testing For Down Syndrome
A new blood test offers pregnant women a safe and much more accurate way to screen for Down syndrome.
02/26/2014
New APA autism guidelines ‘reduce diagnosis by more than 30%’
New autism guidelines could leave thousands of children who have developmental delays without autism diagnosis, meaning they will miss out on social services, educational support and medical benefits.
02/26/2014
Obesity Drops Among Young Children in U.S., Report Says
The obesity rate among 2- to 5-year-olds dropped by almost half in the U.S. over the past decade, according to a report suggesting a new wave of Americans may avoid the risks of heart disease and diabetes linked to being severely overweight.
02/25/2014
Just Say No To These 11 Outrageous Arguments Against Legalizing Marijuana
When it comes to public opinion, it’s becoming clear that anti-pot crusaders are losing the battle and over a dozen more states are considering legalization measures right now.
02/25/2014
Overlooked Virus May Be Cause Of Paralyzing Disease In California
There are about 60 enteroviruses, and they sicken millions of people each year.
02/25/2014
Centralizing organ removal shows promise for transplants
For decades, surgeons have traveled to far-off hospitals to remove organs from brain-dead donors and then rushed back to transplant them. Now an experiment in the Midwest suggests there may be a better way: Bring the donors to the doctors instead.
02/25/2014
Autism-friendly travel now officially aboard Royal Caribbean cruises
Following guidelines set by Autism of the Seas, the cruise line has now incorporated new youth programs, trained daycare staff and specialized meals that cater to autism-sensitive dietary restrictions like gluten or dairy-free options.
02/24/2014
FDA weighs risks of 3-person embryo fertilization
U.S. government health regulators will consider this week whether to green light a provocative new fertilization technique that could eventually create babies from the DNA of three people, with the goal of preventing mothers from passing on debilitating genetic diseases to their children.
02/24/2014
When Doctors Need to Lie
OF course, even when a doctor believes that a paternalistic approach is justified, he should aim to keep it as “soft” as possible. Soft paternalism involves negotiation, persuading a patient to see things from your point of view. Hard paternalism, on the other hand, is coercive.
02/21/2014
Unusual Iowa abortion rule has surprising result
University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics decided not to bill the state for the 15 abortions it had performed as of mid-February.
02/21/2014
$5B initiative proposed for stem cell research
Supporters of California’s multibillion-dollar stem cell program plan to ask for $5 billion more to bring the fruits of research to patients.
02/20/2014
Mom: Hopeful signs seen in teen called brain dead
The mother of a 13-year-old California girl who was declared brain dead after suffering complications from sleep apnea surgery said she has seen changes in her daughter’s condition that give her hope.
02/20/2014
Insured patients are often not transferred for better care, study finds
Patients with insurance may not be transferred to specialized trauma centers as quickly as those without, a Stanford study has found.
02/19/2014
Scientists create a power plant: Artificial leaf could be used to produce cheap energy
The leaf uses sunlight to break water down into hydrogen and oxygen. Hydrogen can be used to propel spacecraft, and is a potential fuel source for combustion engines and other vehicles.
02/19/2014
Sitting linked to increased risk for disability, study shows
For people over age 60, every extra hour of the day spent sitting is linked to an increased risk for developing life-altering physical disabilities, according to a new study from Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine.
02/19/2014
New York State to Limit Use of Solitary Confinement
New York State has agreed to sweeping changes that would curtail the widespread use of solitary confinement to punish prison infractions, according to court papers filed on Wednesday.
02/18/2014
Doctors fear kids’ brain disorders tied to industrial chemicals
Global restrictions on environmental toxins needed in face of rising autism and ADHD, say two top medical researchers.