Washington, April 10: Researchers in New York have moved a step closer towards developing a biological solution to artificial heart pacemakers.

Richard Robinson and his colleagues at Columbia and Stony Brook Universities highlight the fact that the body''s own natural pacemaker, called the sinoatrial (SA) node, is extremely vulnerable to damage during a heart attack, often leaving the patient with a weak, slow or unreliable heartbeat.

London, April 10: Scientists at the University of Nevada School of Medicine claim that they have gained fresh insights into the reproductive workings of the male sex chromosome, which may have significant implications for male infertility and contraception.

The researchers have found that the X chromosome in developing sperm cells encodes numerous tiny ribonucleic acids called microRNAs despite the fact that that most of genes on the X chromosomes are suppressed.

According to them, this suggests that these small RNAs have critical roles in chromosome inactivation and also in sperm formation.

London, April 10: Early administration of antiretroviral treatment can reduce the rate of AIDS development and deaths in HIV-positive patients by 28 per cent, according to an international study.

The study analysed information from more than 45,000 patients in Europe and North America, and combined data from 15 international cohorts.

The best moment to instate antiretroviral treatment has been the subject of debate for some time.

Vienna - A court in Austria has thrown out a suit brought on behalf of a baby born with a deformed spine aimed at acknowledging his dignity of life, local media reported Thursday.

The lawsuit against the Austrian state was brought in the name of baby Emil Karg, who was born last August with an incompletely-formed spinal chord.

Washington, April 9 : Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine have found that stem cells collected from human corneas restore transparency and don''t trigger a rejection response when injected into eyes that are scarred and hazy, raising hopes that cell-based therapies to treat human corneal blindness and vision impairment may soon be available.

London, Apr 9: Difficult co-workers and awful working atmosphere leads to poor team spirit, which, in turn, increases the risk of developing depression by more than half, according to a Finnish study.

The study revealed that employees working in such atmosphere were 60 per cent more likely to be depressed, and
50 per cent more likely to use antidepressants.

Dr Marjo Sinokki, of the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, said that such "psycho-social" factors as "team climate" could be used to predict mental health.