20180220

How baby stroke survivors' brains adapt
A study of children who had strokes as babies has found they adapted to use a different part of their brain for language.
Imaging revealed language was based in the exact mirror opposite region to the normal left side area.
Georgetown University researchers hope their work will help the rehabilitation of adult stroke patients.
A UK expert said the brain had an "incredible ability" to make up for what was lost in a stroke.
It's estimated that one in 4,000 babies are affected shortly before, during or after birth by a stroke.
The plasticity of babies' developing brains makes them better able to recover from a stroke than adults.
The research, which is being presented to the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) annual conference in Austin, Texas, looked at 12 perinatal stroke survivors aged 12-25.
natal【形】出生の
navel【名】へそ
The case studies had few indicators that they had experienced a stroke - one had a limp and many had learned to make their left hands dominant because of the stroke damaging the right hand's function - but all had developed good language skills.
case studyケーススタディ、事例［症例］研究
However they found that, because their brains were developing when they had the strokes, they were able to adapt.
Elissa Newport, a professor of neurology and director of the Centre for Brain Plasticity and Recovery at Georgetown University, led the study.
She says: "These young brains were very plastic, meaning they could relocate language to a healthy area, (but) it doesn't mean that new areas can be located willy-nilly on the right side.
willy-nilly【形】なかなか決心できない、決断力のない、ためらう、優柔不断の
行き当たりばったりの、出たとこ勝負の
いや応なしの、好むと好まざるとに関わらない、有無を言わせない
【副】
いや応なしに、有無を言わせずに
"We believe there are very important constraints to where functions can be relocated. There are very specific regions that take over when part of the brain is injured, depending on the particular function.
"Each function, like language or spatial skills, has a particular region that can take over if its primary brain area is injured. This is a very important discovery that may have implications in the rehabilitation of adult stroke survivors."
The study is now being extended to a larger group, and will look at whether functions other than language are relocated, and where.
They are also carrying out more research into the molecular basis of plasticity in young brains in order to try and work out how to "switch on" plasticity in adults who have suffered a stroke or brain injury.
Strokes in babies
A stroke happens when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off.
There are over 400 childhood strokes a year in the UK - around a quarter of these are in children under a year old.
Babies are vulnerable due to stress on the brain during childbirth and the change in blood circulation from the mother to baby.
Stroke in babies during pregnancy to 28 days after birth are known as pre- and perinatal ischaemic stroke.
isch(ein) to suppress, check + -emia
They are usually caused by clots breaking off from the placenta and lodging in the child's brain, or because of a blood-clotting disorder that the mother or baby may have.
Strokes in the first few weeks of life are often missed and only picked up on when a child doesn't seem to be developing as expected, or is displaying a weakness down one side.
Some children, especially newborn infants, may not show any symptoms. In babies up to 28 days old, seizures are a common symptom of stroke.
Dominic Brand, from the Stroke Association, said this was a small study.
But he added: "We do know that the brain can have an incredible ability to reorganise undamaged cells after a stroke, and make up for what has been lost.
"In many cases, with the right support, stroke survivors of any age are able to walk, talk and live independently again."But there is much more research that needs to be done to help us fully understand how the brain can recover after a stroke."

20180219

Lena Dunham undergoes hysterectomy after chronic pain
Lena Dunham has revealed she has undergone a total hysterectomy following years of suffering from the condition endometriosis.
hysterectomy【名】子宮摘出（術）
The actress explained her decision in a deeply personal essay for the March edition of US Vogue magazine.
The star of the TV series Girls said she had been "battling endometriosis for a decade", adding: "This will be my ninth surgical procedure."
endometriosis【名】《病理》子宮内膜症
子宮内膜症は、子宮内膜あるいはそれと似た組織が子宮内腔以外の部位に発生し、女性ホルモン（エストロゲン）の刺激を受けて増殖する疾患です。　子宮内膜症の大部分は骨盤内に発生し、その病変部は月経時に、子宮内膜と同じようにはがれて出血します。卵巣内で増殖すると、毎月、卵巣にチョコレート状になった古い血液がたまって大きくふくれ、いわゆるチョコレート 嚢胞のうほうを形成します。
The 31-year-old said, however, that she still hopes to one day become a mother.
"I may have felt choiceless before, but I know I have choices now," she said.
"Soon I'll start exploring whether my ovaries, which remain someplace inside me in that vast cavern of organs and scar tissue, have eggs.
cavern【名】大洞窟
scar tissue《医》瘢痕組織
"Adoption is a thrilling truth I'll pursue with all my might."
Dunham admitted, however, that after the surgery she had started a process of "mourning" over the sure knowledge she would now never be able to carry a child.
mourning【名】悲嘆
Dunham described her uterus as the "Chinatown Chanel purse of nightmares".
Endometriosis is a condition which means tissues that should line the uterus begin to grow outside.
It often leads to pain and other complications in the woman affected, which, in some cases, become extreme.
Dunham also said the surgery had revealed her uterus was "worse than anyone could have imagined. It's the Chinatown Chanel purse of nightmares".
Hysterectomy
What is it?: A hysterectomy is a surgical procedure to remove the womb (uterus).
Why is it necessary?: Hysterectomies are carried out to treat conditions that affect the female reproductive system.
What does the surgery involve?: The womb is removed and the patient may also have her cervix or ovaries removed, depending on her personal circumstances.
Is every hysterectomy the same?: There are various types of hysterectomy procedure depending on why the patient needs the operation and on personal medical advice.
"In addition to endometrial disease, an odd hump-like protrusion and a septum running down the middle, I have retrograde bleeding, aka my period running in reverse so that my stomach is full of blood," she added.
aka【略】＝also known as～の別名でも知られる、別名～、別称～、またの名を、一名～という◆略語のakaは砕けた文では意味が広がってie（すなわち）のように用いられることもある。
"My ovary has settled in on the muscles around the sacral nerves in my back that allow us to walk.
sacral nerves仙骨神経
"Let's please not even talk about my uterine lining. The only beautiful detail is that the organ - which is meant to be shaped like a light bulb - was shaped like a heart."
uterine lining子宮内膜
Dunham was admitted to hospital at least three times in a year due to endometriosis and had a surgical procedure on her ovaries in April.
She afterwards said she was clear of the condition but it returned in May. She had been attending the Met Gala in New York - one of the biggest celebrity events of the year - when she was rushed to hospital.
She later had to cancel her Lenny: America IRL tour. She told fans she was in "the greatest amount of physical pain that I have ever experienced".
The actress is well-known for speaking out about her own issues and those of others.
Last year, she criticised a magazine who she thought had altered her picture to make her look thinner (it hadn't), and had earlier in 2017 praised Glamour for not airbrushing her figure.
However, she has also had to go back on her public comments after causing a backlash against her.
In November she had to apologise for supporting a writer on her show Girls, who had been accused of sexual assault.
Dunham initially said she was "confident" the accusation had been "misreported" but later said it was the wrong time to make such a statement.
She is also well-known for her support of women's rights and runs the website Lenny Letter with Jennifer Konner, which features feminist issues, in particular through weekly essays and featured publications.

20180217

Fathers may pass ovarian cancer risk to daughters
US scientists believe they have identified a new gene mutation that can raise the risk of ovarian cancer, and is passed from father to daughter.
It is inherited through the X-chromosome and is independent of other known susceptibility genes that women can already be tested for.
susceptibility gene感受性遺伝子
susceptibility【名】影響を受けやすいこと、感染しやすいこと
Experts say more studies are needed to confirm the identity and function of the gene.
identity【名】〔人やものの〕正体
The latest findings appear in the journal PLoS Genetics.
Family risk
Currently, women with a strong family history of cancer can be tested for the BRCA gene, which greatly increases a woman's chance of developing breast cancer and ovarian cancer.
Angelina Jolie inherited BRCA1 from her mother - she had preventative surgery after her doctors estimated she had an 87% risk of breast cancer and a 50% risk of ovarian cancer.
But researchers believe there may be many other cases of seemingly sporadic ovarian cancer that are actually inherited - some via the X chromosome girls get from their father.
seemingly【副】一見したところ
sporadic【形】〔いろいろな場所に〕散在する、散在性の
Men pass on one X chromosome to their daughters.
Dr Kevin Eng and colleagues at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute honed in on one suspect gene, called MAGEC3, located on the X chromosome from fathers.
hone in on〈主に米話〉～に焦点を合わせる
Ovarian cancers linked to genes inherited from the father (and paternal grandmother) had an earlier age-of-onset than ones linked to maternal genes, and were also associated with higher rates of prostate cancer in fathers and sons.
age of onset発症年齢
Lead author Kevin Eng from the Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Centre in Buffalo, New York said: "What we have to do next is make sure we have the right gene by sequencing more families. This finding has sparked a lot of discussion within our group about how to find these X-linked families.
"It's an all-or-none kind of pattern: A family with three daughters who all have ovarian cancer is more likely to be driven by inherited X mutations than by BRCA mutations."
Ovarian cancer and BRCA
Most women in the UK have a one in 54 chance of developing ovarian cancer in their lifetime,
BRCA1 and BRCA2 are genes that help repair damage to the DNA in our cells. If people inherit a mutated version of either of these genes it puts them at greater risk of certain cancers.
BRCA1（breast cancer susceptibility gene I、乳がん感受性遺伝子I）とは、がん抑制遺伝子のひとつBRCA1は、DNA損傷時のシグナル伝達において重要な役割を持つことが知られている。
BRCA 1 mutation gives women a lifetime risk of ovarian cancer of 40-50%.
If women know they have BRCA gene mutations, they can choose to take action before cancer develops.
Angelina Jolie had her fallopian tubes and ovaries removed when she found she had BRCA1
Dr Catherine Pickworth from Cancer Research UK said: "This research suggests that some women's risk of ovarian cancer could be passed down through their father's family, as well as their mother's, due to newly discovered faulty genes.
"In future, this could help women with a family history of ovarian cancer better understand their risk of developing the disease. This is important because ovarian cancer is often diagnosed at a late stage when it's harder to treat. Further work is now needed to get a clearer picture of how the genetic faults uncovered in this research might affect inherited risk of ovarian cancer."
Annwen Jones, Chief Executive of Target Ovarian Cancer, said: "These findings, if borne out by further research, would represent a significant step forward in ovarian cancer prevention, saving thousands of lives".
bear out【句動】裏付ける、実証する、証明する

20180216

Ultra-processed foods 'linked to cancer'
A link between highly processed foods and cancer has been suggested by French researchers.
They classified foods including cakes, chicken nuggets and mass-produced bread as "ultra-processed".
A study of 105,000 people hinted the more of such foods people ate, the greater their risk of cancer.
A lot of caution is being expressed about the study, but experts said a healthy diet is best.

What counts as ultra-processed
Mass-produced packaged breads and buns
Sweet or savoury packaged snacks including crisps
Chocolate bars and sweets
Sodas and sweetened drinks
Meatballs, poultry and fish nuggets
Instant noodles and soups
Frozen or shelf-life ready meals
Foods made mostly or entirely from sugar, oils and fats
Diet is already known to affect the risk of cancer.
Being overweight is the biggest preventable cause of the disease after smoking and the World Health Organization says processed meat does slightly increase the risk of cancer.
But what about ultra-processed foods?
The team - at Universite Sorbonne Paris Cite - used food surveys on two days to work out what people were eating.
Those on the study, who were mostly middle-aged women, were followed for an average of five years.
The results, in the British Medical Journal, showed that if the proportion of ultra-processed food in the diet increased by 10%, then the number of cancers detected increased by 12%.
During the study:
On average, 18% of people's diet was ultra-processed
On average, there were 79 cancers per 10,000 people each year
Upping the proportion of processed food by 10% would lead to nine extra cancers per 10,000 people per year
The researchers concluded: "These results suggest that the rapidly increasing consumption of ultra-processed foods may drive an increasing burden of cancer in the next decades."
But they said the findings need to "be confirmed by other large-scale" studies and research was needed to establish what could be behind the link.
A 'warning signal'
This study is far from the definitive take on ultra-processed foods and cancer.
take見解、見方、解釈
It cannot say ultra-processed foods are a cause of cancer.
There are also factors that muddy the waters as people who ate a lot of ultra-processed foods had other behaviours that have been linked to cancer.
muddy the water about～を不明確にする
They were much more likely to smoke, were less active, consumed more calories overall and were more likely to be taking the oral contraceptive.
oral contraceptive《医》経口避妊薬
While the researchers did adjust their analysis for this they say their impact "cannot be entirely excluded".
Prof Linda Bauld, Cancer Research UK's prevention expert, said: "It's already known that eating a lot of these foods can lead to weight gain, and being overweight or obese can also increase your risk of cancer, so it's hard to disentangle the effects of diet and weight."
disentangle【他動】～のもつれを解く
Overall she said the study was a "warning signal to us to have a healthy diet" but people should not worry about eating a bit of processed food "here and there" as long as they were getting plenty of fruit, vegetables and fibre.
Dr Ian Johnson, from the Quadram Institute in Norwich, said the study had "identified some rather weak associations".
Does the type of bread you eat make a difference to your cancer risk?
But he criticised the vagueness of the term ultra-processed.
He said: "The problem is that the definition of ultra-processed foods they have used is so broad and poorly defined that it is impossible to decide exactly what, if any, causal connections have been observed."
causal connection因果関係
For Prof Tom Sanders at King's College London, the definition of ultra-processed foods throws up too many quirks.
quirk【名】曖昧な言葉遣い
He said mass-produced bread would be classed as ultra-processed, but a home-made loaf or bread from a posh local bakery would not.
posh【形】〈話〉〔建物などが〕高級な、豪華な
"This classification seems arbitrary and based on the premise that food produced industrially has a different nutritional and chemical composition from that produced in the home or by artisans. This is not the case," Prof Sanders said.
Even the accompanying commentary in the British Medical Journal warned against jumping to conclusions.
Martin Lajous and Adriana Monge from the National Institute of Public Health in Mexico, warned "we are a long way from understanding the full implications of food processing for health and well-being".
They said the study was simply "an initial insight".
 

20180215

Musk's Tesla to stay in space for millions of years
The Tesla car that Elon Musk launched into space is likely to stay there for tens of millions of years before crashing into the Earth or Venus.
That's the conclusion of an analysis by Czech and Canadian researchers.
They calculated that the roadster has a 6% chance of colliding with Earth and a 2.5% probability of hitting Venus over the next million years.
But there's no cause for concern: if it eventually returns to Earth, most of the vehicle will burn up.
cause for concern心配［懸念］の原因、心配の種
The team's computer simulations suggest there is a very slim chance of the vehicle colliding with the Sun, but little to no chance of the car hitting Mars.
slim chanceわずかな望み
little to no皆無かそれに近い
The results have been published on the Arxiv.org pre-print server.
US entrepreneur Musk launched the car into space on 7 February, atop his new rocket, the Falcon Heavy - which is the most powerful launcher currently available.
The whimsical payload selected for the experimental flight was Musk's old cherry-red Tesla sports car.
whimsical【形】気まぐれな、風変わりな
A space-suited mannequin was strapped in the driver's seat, and the radio set to play a David Bowie soundtrack on a loop.It was despatched into an elliptical orbit around the Sun that extends as far out as the Planet Mars.
Dr Hanno Rein and colleagues, ran a computer simulation 240 times to understand how the Tesla's orbit would evolve over the course of 3.5 million years.

"We did not know what to expect because the other near-Earth objects we see in space are asteroids and typically come from further out in the Solar System. In this case, it's the reverse. We know the object comes from Earth, so the question is where will it go from here," Dr Rein, an assistant professor at the University of Toronto, told BBC News.
"There were two possibilities, either it would stay with the terrestrial planets of the inner Solar System, or it would go further out where all these other asteroids and other Kuiper Belt objects are."
The Tesla will make relatively close passes of the Earth every 30 years
The researchers wondered whether long-term gravitational interactions - known as strong resonances - between the sports car and giant planets like Jupiter might draw the object outwards. But this did not seem to be the case.
Instead, the car's orbit over short and long timescales appears to be dominated by close encounters with the Earth. Over time, interactions with Venus become more common.
Dr Rein also allayed any fears, however unlikely, that a collision with Mars could contaminate the Red Planet with terrestrial bacteria, complicating scientific efforts to detect any indigenous microbes. "This thing will be in space for several million years before it hits anything," he told me.
allay【他動】
〔恐怖・怒り・興奮・心配などの程度を〕下げる、軽くする、減らす、弱める
If it does return to Earth, it is likely to burn up completely, although there is a possibility that a small chunk could hit the ground. But there is no danger of this hitting anyone, and in several million years, there might not be any humans around to care.
There's very little chance of the Tesla hitting other asteroids, but over time, the vehicle's appearance might change "dramatically" as it's peppered by very tiny micrometeorites.
Dr Rein said the Tesla is likely to make a close approach to Earth every 30 years or so, with a pass in 2091 that's within the distance from the Earth to the Moon.
"It's a very small object so I'm not sure how easy it will be to observe it over a year or so - I think it will be very faint," said Dr Rein.
"But the next time it comes back to a relatively close distance to Earth, 30 years from now, it would be fun to see if we could find it again."
 

20180212

How do people die from the flu?
The United States is in the midst of a deadly flu season. The latest statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that 37 children have died so far this flu season, which began in October. The flu is currently widespread in 49 states, and doctors across the country continue to see more cases, more hospitalizations, and more deaths from influenza infections.
Over the past several weeks, deaths of Americans of all ages from the flu have made headlines. The family of 12-year-old Dylan Winnick, who died from the flu in Florida last week, said they were stunned by how quickly the virus took his life. 
"No indications. No warnings. Just common cold. That's what's so scary about it," his stepfather Mike Medwin said.
Two young mothers - Tandy Harmon of Gersham, Oregon, and Karlie Illg Slaven of Hendricks County, Indiana - also died of the flu last week. Their families said they were healthy until the sudden illness struck.
While flu is most dangerous for adults over the age of 65 and children under the age of 5, it can turn deadly for anyone. 
The number of flu-related deaths varies widely from year to year, but even during a relatively mild flu season the illness claims thousands of lives. The CDC reports that over a three-decade period starting in the mid-1970s, the number of flu deaths in the U.S. ranged from a low of about 3,000 a year to as many as 49,000 in a bad year.
How does the flu lead to death?
While it is possible for the flu itself to cause death due to serious breathing problems and severe dehydration, according to Dr. Claire Bocchini, an infectious disease specialist at Texas Children's Hospital, it is more likely that a complication from the infection will be the cause of a flu-related fatality.
The most common complication from the flu that can lead to death is a bacterial infection of the lungs, or bacterial pneumonia.
"This happens because the flu virus injures the lungs and causes inflammation that then makes it easier for bacteria to invade the lungs and cause a very serious infection," Bocchini told CBS News. "The bacterial infection can make it hard for children to breathe, and their lungs struggle to get enough oxygen for their body."
Sepsis is another complication that can lead to death. It occurs when the body overreacts to an infection. Sepsis can affect multiple organ systems, sometimes causing organ failure and resulting in death.
Other rare complications from the flu that can be fatal include infection of the heart (or myocarditis) which can cause sudden death or heart failure, and infection of the brain (or encephalitis) which can lead to seizures and dangerous swelling of the brain. 
seizure【名】〔脳卒中やてんかんなどの〕発作
Who is most at risk? Children under the age of 5, and especially those younger than 2, as well as people who are 65 and older are more likely to develop complications from flu. Also in the higher-risk group are pregnant women and people with chronic medical conditions such as lung disease, heart disease, diabetes, and neurologic conditions.
How can you protect yourself?
The best defense against the flu is to get the flu vaccine. The CDC recommends everyone age 6 months and older get a flu shot each year.
"The flu vaccine is a very safe vaccine that saves lives," Bocchini said. "Studies have shown that of the children who died from the flu in the U.S. last year, 85 percent were not immunized."
Although the flu vaccine doesn't guarantee that you won't get sick, doctors say it does reduce the chances, and if you do get sick it may be less severe.
If you develop flu-like symptoms, such as fever, body aches and fatigue, and you are at high risk for complications from the flu, it is important to see your doctor to ask if you should receive an antiviral medication such as Tamiflu (also available as generic oseltamivir), Relenza or Rapivab.
"There are antiviral medications that can be used to shorten the duration of illness as well as to help prevent complications from the flu," Bocchini said. "Antiviral medications should be started early to have their best chance of helping."
Take common-sense precautions to avoid exposure to the flu virus, such as washing your hands frequently and staying away from people who are sick. Stay home if you have flu-like symptoms until at least 24 hours after the fever is gone. 
When to seek emergency medical attention
When the flu becomes severe, some people may need immediate medical attention to prevent further complications.
"Sometimes people will need to go to the emergency room to see a doctor right away due to the flu virus," Bocchini said. "It is very important to know the signs and symptoms that indicate when someone is very sick from the flu and needs help right away."
According to the CDC, emergency warning signs in children include:
Fast breathing or trouble breathing
Bluish skin color
Not drinking enough fluids
Not waking up or not interacting
Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
Fever with a rash
In adults, emergency warning signs from flu may present as:
Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
Sudden dizziness
Confusion
Severe or persistent vomiting
Flu-like symptoms that improve but then return with fever and worse cough
If you or your child have these symptoms, it is important to get medical treatment right away.
 

20180212

Flu outbreak has killed at least 63 children: CDC officials
The nationwide flu outbreak could be the worst on record, federal health officials said today while releasing a grim report that at least 63 children have died from influenza.
Officials conceded that they can't predict when the epidemic will end.
Dr. Anne Schuchat, acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said 10 children have died from influenza in the past week alone.
"I wish there was better news this week, but almost everything we're looking at is bad news," Schuchat said at a news conference.
She said the flu remains widespread in nearly all states, except for Oregon and Hawaii. The H3N2 flu strain is infecting the most people, according to the CDC.
Schuchat said the country is now in the eleventh week of the 2017-2018 flu season. While the past five flu seasons have lasted 11 to 20 weeks, she could not say how how many more weeks the current season will run.
"It's difficult to predict, and we don't know," Schuchat said.
Nationwide flu outbreak shows no sign of easing up as more deaths reported
Outpatient and emergency room visits remain high with flu cases, and the rate of hospitalizations is at the highest since the CDC began tracking the flu 10 years ago, she said.
The CDC weekly influenza report shows that 17,101 laboratory-confirmed cases have led to hospitalizations between Oct. 1, 2017, and Feb. 3.
Flu infection rates are rising higher than those in any year since 2009, when the swine flu pandemic hit the country, according to the CDC. Flu cases are on track to surpass the 2014-2015 season, the worst on record when 710,000 people were hospitalized in the United States and 148 children died.
"We recognize that this issue is personal to so many families and that there is a lot of fear and alarm," Schuchat said. "Flu is incredibly difficult to predict, and we don't know if we've hit a peak. We could see more weeks of increased flu activity."
With no predictable end in sight for the influenza season, the CDC advised Americans that it's not too late to get a flu shot. The agency also recommended people 65 years or old get a pneumococcal pneumonia vaccination.
pneumococcal pneumonia《病理》肺炎球菌性肺炎

20180208

Elon Musk's Falcon Heavy rocket launches successfully
US entrepreneur Elon Musk has launched his new rocket, the Falcon Heavy, from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The mammoth vehicle - the most powerful since the shuttle system - lifted clear of its pad without incident to soar high over the Atlantic Ocean.
It was billed as a risky test flight in advance of the lift-off.
The SpaceX CEO said the challenges of developing the new rocket meant the chances of a successful first outing might be only 50-50.
"I had this image of just a giant explosion on the pad, a wheel bouncing down the road. But fortunately that's not what happened," he told reporters after the event.
With this debut, the Falcon Heavy becomes the most capable launch vehicle available.
It is designed to deliver a maximum payload to low-Earth orbit of 64 tonnes - the equivalent of putting five London double-decker buses in space.
Such performance is slightly more than double that of the world's next most powerful rocket, the Delta IV Heavy - but at one third of the cost, says Mr Musk.
For this experimental and uncertain mission, however, he decided on a much smaller and whimsical payload - his old cherry-red Tesla sports car.
whimsical【形】気まぐれな、風変わりな、移り気な
A space-suited mannequin was strapped in the driver's seat, and the radio set to play a David Bowie soundtrack on a loop.
The Tesla and its passenger have been despatched into an elliptical orbit around the Sun that reaches out as far as the Planet Mars.
The Falcon Heavy is essentially three of SpaceX's workhorse Falcon 9 vehicles strapped together. And, as is the usual practice for SpaceX, all three boost stages - the lower segments of the rocket - returned to Earth to attempt controlled landings.
Two came back to touchdown zones on the Florida coast just south of Kennedy. Their landing legs made contact with the ground virtually at the same time.
"That was epic," said Mr Musk. "That's probably the most exciting thing I've ever seen, literally."
The third booster was due to settle on a drone ship stationed several hundred kilometres out at sea. Unfortunately, it was unable to slow its descent by re-igniting sufficient engines, missed the target vessel and was destroyed as it hit the water at some 500km/h.
By then, the upper-stage of the Falcon Heavy, with its Tesla cargo, was heading on a trajectory that would hopefully take it towards Mars' orbit.
That required the engine on the upper-stage to fire on three separate occasions, with the third and final ignition only occurring after a long cruise phase - something which was confirmed some six hours after the launch.
Having such a large and powerful rocket should open up some fascinating new possibilities for Mr Musk and his SpaceX company. These include launching:
Much bigger satellites for use by US intelligence and the military. The scale of these satellites is limited by current rocket performance.
Large batches of satellites, such as those for Mr Musk's proposed constellation of thousands of spacecraft to deliver broadband across the globe.
Bigger, more capable robots to go to the surface of Mars, or to visit the outer planets such as Jupiter and Saturn, and their moons.
Huge telescopes. Hubble's successor, the James Webb Space Telescope, is having to be folded origami-like to fit in its launcher next year.
But it is the low cost - brought about through the recovery and reuse of the boosters - that Elon Musk believes will be a game-changer when allied to the new performance.
"It'll be game-over for all other heavy-lift rockets," he told reporters on Monday.
"It'll be like trying to sell an aircraft where one aircraft company has a reusable aircraft and all the other companies had aircraft that were single-use where you would parachute out at your destination and the plane would crash-land randomly somewhere. Crazy as that sounds - that's how the rocket business works."

20180207

HPV vaccine offered to men who have sex with men in England
Men who have sex with men are to be offered the (human papilloma virus) HPV vaccination in England.
パピローマまたは乳頭腫と呼ばれる疣を形成することから名付けられた。
疣贅(ゆうぜい)贅　　いぼの古名
HPVは接触感染で皮膚や粘膜の微小な傷から侵入し、扁平上皮基底部の細胞に感染する。感染HPV は血中に侵入しないのでウイルス血症を起こさない。また感染した細胞を破壊せずウイルス粒子を大量に放出させることもない。このため抗原提示細胞の活性化や抗原認識の過程が回避され、免疫が誘導されにくい。
The programme for men aged 45 or younger will start from April 2018, to protect them from some cancers caused by HPV as well as genital warts,
Since 2008, girls aged 11 to 13 have been offered vaccination against HPV, which can cause cervical cancer.
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland already offer the vaccine to men who have sex with other men.
The English programme followed a successful pilot that started in 42 specialist sexual health clinics in England in 2016.
Warts and cancers
There will be a phased roll-out to men attending sexual health (GUM) clinics and HIV clinics in England.
phased【形】段階的な
roll-out水平展開する、製品投入
The pilot was prompted by increasing evidence of the association between HPV infection and non-cervical cancers in men who have sex with men.
This high risk group does not benefit from indirect protection from the vaccination programme for girls.
HPV increases the risk of oral, anal and penile cancers.
Dr Michael Edelstein, consultant epidemiologist at Public Health England, said: "Our evidence shows that men who have sex with men are welcoming an HPV vaccination programme, and it can be delivered successfully through sexual health services.
"They are a group who receive little indirect protection from the adolescent girls' vaccination programme. We expect the new programme to reduce the number of cancers that are directly caused by HPV."
Last year a decision not to vaccinate boys against HPV attracted fierce criticism.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation found little evidence to justify treating boys.
But critics said vaccinating boys could help reduce the risk of cancers still further.
 

20180206

Malaria breath test shows promise
People with malaria give off a distinctive "breath-print" that could be used as a test for the disease, according to American scientists.
They had already tried out a crude prototype breathalyser in Africa, a tropical medicine conference heard.
The test was reasonably good at detecting cases in children, but needs developing to become a routine device.
One of the odours it sniffs out is identical to a natural smell that attracts insects that spread malaria.
Pine trees and conifers emit these terpenes to summon mosquitoes and other pollinating insects, say the researchers, from Washington University in St Louis.
conifer【名】針葉樹、球果植物
terpene【名】《化学》テルペン
テルペン (terpene) はイソプレンを構成単位とする炭化水素で、植物や昆虫、菌類などによって作り出される生体物質である
They believe people with malaria who have this odour in their breath may also attract mosquitoes and infect more of the biting insects, which can then spread the disease to other people that they bite.
Although the test needs perfecting, it could offer a new cheap and easy way to help diagnose malaria, Prof Audrey Odom John and colleagues say.
The prototype breath test detects six different odours or volatile organic compounds to spot cases of malaria.
The researchers tried it on breath samples from 35 feverish children in Malawi, some with and some without malaria.
It gave an accurate result in 29 of the children, meaning it had a success rate of 83%.
This is still too low for the test to be used routinely, but the researchers hope they can improve its reliability and develop it into an off-the-shelf product.
Simple, rapid blood tests for malaria are already available, but they have limits, say the Washington University researchers.
Testing blood can be expensive and technically challenging in rural settings.
A non-invasive method of detection that does not require blood samples or technical expertise could be of great benefit.
technical expertise技術的な専門知識
Prof James Logan from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine said: "The rapid detection of asymptomatic malaria is a challenge for malaria control and will be essential as we move towards achieving the goal of malaria elimination. A new diagnostic tool, based on the detection of volatiles associated with malaria infection is exciting."
asymptomatic【形】〔病気が〕身体に症状を現さない［引き起こさない］、無症状（性）の、無症候（性）の
He said more work was now needed to see if it could be made into a reliable test.
The findings are being presented at this year's annual meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

​20180205

Philippines gripped by dengue vaccine fears
Fears over a dengue vaccine in the Philippines have led to a big drop in immunisation rates for preventable diseases, officials have warned.
Health Under-Secretary Enrique Domingo said many parents were refusing to get their children vaccinated for polio, chicken pox and tetanus.
土壌中に生息する嫌気性の破傷風菌 (Clostridium Tetani) が、傷口から体内に侵入することで感染を起こす。
破傷風菌は毒素として、神経毒であるテタノスパスミンと溶血毒であるテタノリジンを産生する。テタノスパスミンは、脳や脊髄の運動抑制ニューロンに作用し、重症の場合は全身の強直性痙攣をひき起こす。
The fears centre on Dengvaxia, a drug developed by French company Sanofi.
Sanofi and local experts say there is no evidence linking the deaths of 14 children to the drug.
However, the company had warned last year that the vaccine could make the disease worse in some people not infected before.
Dengue fever affects more than 400 million people each year around the world. Dengvaxia is the world's first vaccine against dengue.
The mosquito-borne disease is a leading cause of serious illness and death among children in some Asian and Latin American countries, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
What did Mr Domingo say about immunisation rates?
"Our programmes are suffering... (people) are scared of all vaccines now", he warned.
Mr Domingo added that vaccination rates for some preventable diseases had dropped as much as 60% in recent years - significantly lower that the nationwide target of 85%.
Mr Domingo expressed concerns about potential epidemics in the Philippines - a nation of about 100 million people, many of whom are impoverished.
What triggered fears about Dengvaxia?
More than 800,000 children were vaccinated across the country in 2016-17. Fourteen of them have died.
Dengvaxia immunisations were halted last year, as the Philippines launched an investigation into what caused the deaths.
On Saturday, Doctors for Public Welfare (DPW) said a clinical review conducted by Philippine General Hospital forensic pathologists had determined that the deaths were not linked to the vaccine, the Philippine Daily Inquirer reported.
What about Sanofi's reaction?
In a statement, the French company said: "The University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital expert panel confirmed... that there is currently no evidence directly linking the Dengvaxia vaccine to any of the 14 deaths.
"In Dengvaxia clinical trials conducted over more than a decade and the over one million doses of the vaccine administered, no deaths related to the vaccine have been reported to us.
"Clinical evidence confirms dengue vaccination in the Philippines will provide a net reduction in dengue disease."
Last November, Sanofi announced that its vaccine could worsen the potentially deadly disease in people not previously infected.
"For those not previously infected by dengue virus, however, the analysis found that in the longer term, more cases of severe disease could occur following vaccination upon a subsequent dengue infection," the firm said in a statement.
Sanofi says Dengvaxia has been registered in 19 countries and launched in 11 of them.
In its latest advice on the vaccine, the WHO said that "until a full review has been conducted, WHO recommends vaccination only in individuals with a documented past dengue infection".
Recent vaccine controversies:
'Anti-vax' movement: activities in the past few years by fringe campaigners against immunisation - particularly for measles - lead to falling immunisation rates in France, Italy and the US
Polio: Islamist militants in Pakistan have carried out attacks against workers vaccinating children in recent years. The militants say immunisation is a Western campaign to sterilise Pakistani children
MMR (measles, mumps and rubella): starts with a publication of a 1998 paper falsely linking the vaccine to autism. This leads to a drop in immunisation rates in the UK and the Republic of Ireland.
rubella【名】
〈ラテン語〉《医》風疹
先天性風疹症候群（せんてんせいふうしんしょうこうぐん、Congenital rubella syndrome、CRS）は、妊娠中の女性が風疹に罹患した時に胎内にいる胎児に感染する疾患の一群を指す。

20180201

Blood test finds toxic Alzheimer's proteins
Scientists in Japan and Australia have developed a blood test that can detect the build-up of toxic proteins linked to Alzheimer's disease.
The work, published in the journal Nature, is an important step towards a blood test for dementia.
The test was 90% accurate when trialled on healthy people, those with memory loss and Alzheimer's patients.
Experts said the approach was at an early stage and needed further testing, but was still very promising.
Alzheimer's disease starts years before patients have any symptoms of memory loss.
The key to treating the dementia will be getting in early before the permanent loss of brain cells.
This is why there is a huge amount of research into tests for Alzheimer's.
One method is to look for a toxic protein - called amyloid beta - that builds up in the brain during the disease.
amyloid beta
アルツハイマー病の病理学的特徴の一つである老人斑の主要構成成分は、アミロイドβタンパク質（Aβ）と呼ばれる40アミノ酸程度のペプチドである。
It can be detected with brain scans, but these are expensive and impractical.
'Major implications'
The new approach, a collaboration among universities in Japan and Australia, looks for fragments of amyloid that end up in the blood stream.
By assessing the ratios of types of amyloid fragment, the researchers could accurately predict levels of amyloid beta in the brain.
Significantly, the study shows it is possible to look in the blood to see what is happening in the brain.
Dr Abdul Hye, from King's College London, said: "This study has major implications as it is the first time a group has shown a strong association of blood plasma amyloid with brain and cerebrospinal fluid."
Early stages
The test is cheaper than brain scanning, "potentially enabling broader clinical access and efficient population screening", according to the study.
At the moment there is no treatment to change the course of Alzheimer's, so any test would have limited use for patients.
However, it could be useful in clinical trials.
Prof Tara Spires-Jones, from the Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, at the University of Edinburgh, said: "These data are very promising and may be incredibly useful in the future, in particular for choosing which people are suited for clinical trials and for measuring whether amyloid levels are changed by treatments in trials."
Dr Hye added: "Considering Alzheimer's disease has a very long pre-clinical phase, a truer test will be how well this test performs in independent, healthy, cognitively normal individuals or even in individuals in the early stages of the disease."

20180131

Brain 'pacemaker' for Alzheimer's
LaVonne Moore has Alzheimer's disease, but her doctors hope her dementia symptoms could possibly be kept in check by a new type of treatment.
keep ~ in check～を抑制［制止・阻止・防止・けん制］する、～を食い止める
Electric wires implanted deep in her brain stimulate areas involved with decision-making and problem-solving.
Unlike many long-term dementia patients, LaVonne, 85, can cook meals, dress herself and organise outings.
organize outings for（人）のために遠足［ピクニック］を企画する
But it remains unclear whether her deep brain stimulation (DBS) therapy is responsible for her independence.
deep brain stimulation《医》脳深部（電気）刺激、脳深部刺激（療）法
DBS is already helping hundreds of thousands of patients with Parkinson's disease to overcome symptoms of tremor, but its use in Alzheimer's is still very experimental.
Only a small number of DBS studies have been done for Alzheimer's and they have focused on stimulating brain regions governing memory, rather than judgement.
But Dr Douglas Scharre and colleagues at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center believe their approach, which targets the decision-making frontal lobe of the brain, might help patients keep their independence for longer.
Deep brain stimulation
Involves permanently implanting very fine wires, with electrodes, into the brain, under anaesthetic
The wires are connected to a pulse generator (pacemaker) under the skin of the chest wall
The device delivers electric stimulation to the brain to improve function or reduce symptoms
LaVonne's brain pacemaker was implanted three and a half years ago.
Since then, her husband, Tom, from Delaware, Ohio, says her dementia has worsened - but more slowly than he had expected.
"LaVonne has had Alzheimer's disease longer than anybody I know, and that sounds negative, but it's really a positive thing because it shows that we're doing something right."
Two other patients have had the same treatment as LaVonne, but only one of them appeared to benefit significantly, according to the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.
Experts say it is too early to say if the treatment will help counteract cognitive decline.
Neurosurgery expert Prof Andres Lozano, who has been conducting his own DBS trials in Alzheimer's patients in Canada, said: "We desperately need a novel treatment for Alzheimer's.
novel treatment新規治療
"This may seem bold and aggressive to some, but it is promising. Studies so far show it is safe.
"We've got patients with Parkinson's who have had these devices inside of them for 30 years with no problems.
"Although we are not talking about treating the Alzheimer's degeneration, we can look at changing the downstream consequences by turning parts of the brain back on."
Dr Carol Routledge from Alzheimer's Research UK, said: "The study did not compare against a dummy treatment and so while signs of benefit are worthy of follow-up, the full benefits and cost-effectiveness of this treatment need much more robust investigation in larger trials."

20180130

Scientists discover how giardia parasite makes you ill
It is a stomach bug known to afflict some backpackers with bouts of uncomfortable diarrhoea.
bout【名】一時的な期間、不快な状態
Now scientists say they have discovered how the parasites that cause giardiasis - one of the world's most common gastric diseases - make people ill.
giardiasis【名】《病理》ランブル鞭毛虫症
Giardia parasites mimic human cell functions to break apart cells in the gut and feed inside, researchers found.
This also allows bacteria already present in the body to join in and feed from the same nutrients, they said.
Some 500,000 cases of giardiasis are diagnosed each year, with people typically picking up the disease by drinking infected water or contaminated food.
Symptoms include severe diarrhoea, stomach pains, bloating, flatulence and fatigue and can last weeks or months without treatment.
bloating【名】《獣医》鼓脹（症）
flatulence【名】〔胃・腹に〕ガスがたまること 腹部の膨張
Although it is found throughout the world, it is most prevalent in developing countries and is one of the most common gastric diseases caught by backpackers.
But although scientists have known of giardia's existence for hundreds of years, until now it remained unclear how it makes people sick.
Researchers found the giardia parasite produces two types of protein that enable it to cut through layers of protective mucus in the gut - breaking the links that knit cells together - in order to easily access the nutrients within them.
One of the proteins does this by mimicking a group of human proteins called tenascins, which regulate cell adhesion and break apart when necessary, such as during wound healing.
tenascin【名】《化学》テネイシン
細胞外マトリックスの巨大な糖タンパク質で、脊椎動物の発生過程の胚に多く存在し、形態形成に関与している。組織修復、癌に関係している。
But the giardia tenascins are used instead to upset the body's balance by preventing healing of the junctions between cells that hold them together.
One of the study's authors, Dr Kevin Tyler, from UEA's Norwich medical school, said: "Because the giardia have broken down the cell barriers and made all these nutrients available, other, opportunistic bacteria can move in to take advantage of these 'ready meals' which can make giardiasis even more severe for some."
opportunistic bacteria日和見感染細菌
ready meal〈英〉調理済みの食料
'Bad bacteria'
Those suffering from giardiasis are usually able to recover from the illness with or without antibiotics.
However, about half of those who get the parasite experience no symptoms of the illness.
Dr Tyler said the difference in the severity of disease might be explained by the proportion of "good" and "bad" bacteria in the gut.
Those who become more ill may have a higher proportion of "bad bacteria" feeding off nutrients released by the giardia parasite, Dr Tyler said.
Dr Tyler told the BBC: "Some people have a gut that is predominantly full of quite good bacteria that doesn't cause inflammation and illness and indeed may protect from it.
"What we think is that in people who have the bad bacteria, the pro-inflammatory bacteria, those start to use the nutrients that have been unleashed by the giardia.
"The giardia does the damage, allowing the nutrients to flow into the gut, and then if you have the wrong kind of bacteria you get this cycle of inflammation."
This is why probiotic drinks and supplements - which populate the gut with good bacteria - are helpful in treating giardiasis, he said.
probiotic【名】体に良い（働きをする）バクテリア［細菌］
The study was published in the journal GigaScience.
How to avoid giardiasis
When abroad make sure to drink filtered or bottled water
Practice good hygiene
Avoid eating food that may be contaminated
Avoid water (drinking or recreational) that may be contaminated
Clean up after ill people and pets

​20180127

US flu outbreak is worst since 2009 swine pandemic
More Americans are seeking medical care for flu than at any time since the "swine" pandemic of nearly a decade ago, say US health officials.
Thirty-seven children have died and nearly 12,000 patients have been admitted to hospital nationwide.
The outbreak could surpass 2014-15 when 34 million Americans fell ill, says the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).In that season, 710,000 people were admitted to hospital and 56,000 died.
The director of the CDC, Dr Daniel Jernigan, said thousands of people were going to doctor's offices and emergency rooms to seek treatment for flu-like symptoms.
"This is the highest level of activity recorded since the 2009 pandemic," he said.
All 50 states excluding Hawaii are reporting "widespread" flu activity.
A 12-year-old boy in Florida, described by his family as a healthy child, became one of the latest to die from the virus.Dylan Winnick died on Tuesday a day after developing a fever, according to stunned family members.
Another recent flu fatality was Katie Denise Oxley Thomas, a 40-year-old mother of three and marathon runner
In 2014-15 the number of child deaths from flu reached 148.
Schools in at least 12 states have closed this year because of the deadly virus.
Also being mourned is Karlie Illg Slaven, 37, who died on Monday in Indiana from a flu-related illness after taking care of her two sick children.
Her distraught father is advising the public to get a flu shot, saying his daughter was the only household member not to have been vaccinated for the virus.
distraught【形】取り乱した
Mother-of-two Tandy Harmon died last week in Oregon after being diagnosed only two days earlier.
Dr Jernigan said baby-boomers - those in the 50 to 64 age bracket - are currently being hit particularly hard.
bracket【他動】《編集》～をブラケット［角かっこ］で囲む【名】角括弧
The 2009 swine flu pandemic was exceptionally widespread because it was a new virus.
However, the H3N2 virus that has swept the nation this year is the most deadly of the so-called "seasonal" strains.The strain, also known as the "Aussie flu", has been around for 50 years and was first called the "Hong Kong flu" in 1968.
Aussie【名・形】〈話〉オーストラリア（の）
H3N2 also wreaked havoc during the 1997-98 and 2003-04 seasons, and is known to be particularly harmful for young children and the elderly.
wreak havoc大惨事［大規模破壊］をもたらす、大損害を与える
H3N2 A型インフルエンザウイルスの亜型の一つであり、H3N2、A (H3N2)とも表記される。 香港かぜを引き起こした亜型であり、A香港型あるいは香港型とも呼ばれる。

20180126

Ariane rocket suffers rare failure
Europe's normally highly dependable rocket, the Ariane 5, has had an anomaly during its latest launch.
Contact with the vehicle was lost shortly after its two stages separated, about nine minutes into the flight from French Guiana.
The rocket was carrying two telecommunications satellites - one for Luxembourg-based operator SES, the other for Abu Dhabi-based Yahsat.
As yet neither spacecraft has made contact with ground controllers.
as yet今（まで）のところは 否定文で用いられる。
The SES satellite, called SES-14, was manufactured in the UK by Airbus at its Portsmouth and Stevenage plants.
The Ariane 5 is the workhorse of European rocketry.
workhorse【名】役馬、、大きく貢献する人、役に立つ機械 主力商品
It famously failed on its very first outing in 1996, and then had one more failure in 2002 before then putting together 82 flights without incident.
"We lost contact with the launcher a few seconds after the ignition of the upper stage," said Stephane Israel, the CEO of Arianespace, the company that operates the Ariane 5 at its South American spaceport.
"Up to now our customers do not have contact with the satellites.
"We need now to know if they have been separated and where they are exactly to better analyse the consequences of this anomaly."

20180125

Disabilities caused in babies by epilepsy drug a 'scandal'
An MP has said the harm caused to children after their mothers were given the epilepsy drug sodium valproate is an "extraordinary scandal".
sodium valproateバルプロ酸ナトリウム
It is thought about 20,000 children in the UK have been left with disabilities caused by valproate since the 1970s.
Norman Lamb MP said it was also "extraordinarily distressing" new research suggested medical problems could be passed through generations.
Affected families have called for a public inquiry and compensation.
Sodium valproate, also known as Epilim, can be prescribed by doctors as a treatment for epilepsy and bipolar disorder.
bipolar disorder双極性障害
It carries a risk of causing physical abnormalities, autism, low IQ and learning disabilities if babies are exposed to the drug while in the womb.
autism【名】自閉症
The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said the drug is "kept under constant review", while the Department of Health said it expects the MHRA to take further action if a review finds more can be done to highlight the risks associated with it.
Many parents have claimed they were not made aware of the risks from taking the treatment while pregnant, even after new safety warnings were introduced in 2016.
Sue Jenkinson, from Liverpool, took the drug while she was pregnant and both of her two daughters developed foetal valproate syndrome.
They have since had their own children and they believe they are showing signs of the condition, despite neither taking valproate during their own pregnancies.

"It's because I took that medication, that's why my kids haven't got a normal life and they struggle every single day of their lives," Ms Jenkinson said.
Her grandson Ryan has medical problems including dyspraxia, learning difficulties and a bowel condition, and is being monitored by Professor of Clinical Neuropsychology Gus Baker.
dyspraxia 【名】 《医》統合運動障害
bowel【名】腸
Prof Baker said he is currently identifying Ryan's "strengths and weaknesses" and "trying to map them on to what we understand about sodium valproate and how it affects children".

"I'll probably be in a good position to provide a formulation of what I think has happened to him and what we might be able to do to ameliorate those difficulties that he is clearly having," he said.
ameliorate【他動】改善［改良］する
Mr Lamb, a former minister for care and support, is part of a campaign calling for the government to back compensation claims.
"We are in a good dialogue. The minister, Lord O'Shaughnessy, appears to be completely conscious of the need to stop this scandal continuing," he said.
In France, a charity-led campaign is being supported by the government and Mr Lamb has called for something similar "to happen here without delay".
The drug's maker Sanofi said valproate had been "made available to physicians to treat epileptic patients in the 1970s".
"It was and still is one of the most effective treatments for epilepsy, a serious and complex disease that can be potentially fatal to patients," it added.
The firm said it was "aware of the challenging situations faced by families with children with conditions that may be related to their mother's treatment with antiepileptic drugs".
However, they said the drug "has at all times been supplied in the UK with a warning of the risk of malformations in babies".
Research from Konkuk University in South Korea involving mice has also suggested disabilities caused by valproate could afflict successive generations within families.
Professor of Pharmacology Chan Young Shin said he found evidence "the compound could cause autism spectrum disorder trans-generationally".
The MHRA has said the study had "many limitations", but some families believe this has happened to them.

Mr Lamb said the research into whether the syndrome can pass between generations showed the consequences of taking valproate during pregnancy must be "extraordinarily distressing for the families affected".
Any potential help for affected families will probably be too late for Bridget Buck.
The 19-year-old, from Stanmore in north-west London, was born with severe medical problems including brain damage and spina bifida after her mother was prescribed sodium valproate.
spina bifida〈ラテン語〉《医》脊椎披裂、二分脊椎
"I do all Bridget's overall care. I think for Bridget, I talk for Bridget, I walk for Bridget. I live for Bridget," her mother Karen said.
Yet she has been told the speed her daughter is deteriorating means she will probably only have months to live.
"Mothers shouldn't have to bury their daughter, no mother should do that," she said.
shouldn't have to～しなきゃいけないなんておかしい◆【直訳】～しなければならないという状況があるべきではない
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: "Patient safety is always our priority. We want to make sure doctors give women the right information when prescribing these drugs ? that's why the medicines regulator is already reviewing how effective measures to highlight these risks have been.
"We expect them to take further action if they find that more can be done."
An NHS Resolution spokesperson said: "Where claims for clinical negligence are made they will be handled in the normal way and compensation paid where appropriate."