Preserving fertility during chemotherapy
One of the most significant impairments of the quality of life after a chemotherapy is infertility. Researchers have now identified the mechanism of chemotherapy-induced infertility in females. Many chemotherapeutics act by damaging the DNA. Since cancer cells divide more often than most normal cells, they react more sensitive to DNA damaging agents. One exception are oocytes. To prevent birth defects they initiate a cellular death program if DNA damage is detected. This proc
How dads pre-conception health can affect the baby, too
Many moms-to-be know that their health even before they become pregnant -- known as pre-conception health -- can affect the health of their babies. Now, research is continuing to show that the pre-conception health of fathers also can influence a pregnancy and the baby. Three papers published Monday in the journal The Lancet detail how the health of both women and men, before they even conceive a child, can have profound impacts on the health of their offspring -- such as bir
The emotions we feel may shape what we see
Our emotional state in a given moment may influence what we see, according to findings published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. In two experiments, researchers found that participants saw a neutral face as smiling more when it was paired with an unseen positive image. The research shows that humans are active perceivers, say psychological scientist Erika Siegel of the University of California, San Francisco and her coauthors.
Chinese baby born four years after parents death
A baby has been born in China to a surrogate mother four years after his parents died in a car crash, Chinese media reported. The couple, who died in 2013, had frozen several embryos hoping to have a child through IVF. After the accident, their parents fought a protracted legal battle to be allowed to use the embryos. The boy was born in December to a surrogate from Laos and The Beijing News first reported the case this week. The newspaper explained how the lack of precedent
New US health study reveals 'dangerous disparities' among states
Working-age Americans in 21 states faced a higher probability of premature death from 1990 to 2016, according to the most extensive state-by-state US health study ever conducted. The likelihood of early death for men and women age 20 to 55 is highest in West Virginia, Mississippi, and Alabama. In contrast, same-age residents of Minnesota, California, New York, and several northeastern states have a lower probability of premature mortality. "We are seeing dangerous disparities
