Health Research: Protein capable of regulating DNA repair ♦ Understanding the body's response to worms and allergies ♦ Are hospitals doing all they can to prevent C. difficile infections?

Beyond genes: Are centrioles carriers of biological information? Scientists have discovered that certain cell structures, the centrioles, could act as information carriers throughout cell generations. The discovery raises the possibility that transmission of biological information could involve more than just genes. Centrioles may actually be carriers of information, which holds profound implications for biology and disease treatment.

Discovery of a protein capable of regulating DNA repair during sperm formation Researchers have discovered that the signalling route - a cascade activation of several molecules - triggered by the ATM protein regulates DNA repair during the production of spermatocytes by meiosis, the cell division process which yields spermatozoa.

Understanding the body's response to worms and allergies Scientists are a step closer to developing new therapies for controlling the body's response to allergies and parasitic worm infections.

Are hospitals doing all they can to prevent C. difficile infections? Not yet, new study suggests Nearly half of American hospitals aren’t taking key steps to prevent C. difficile, a kind of gut infection that kills nearly 30,000 people annually and sickens hundreds of thousands more – despite strong evidence that such steps work

Heavy drinking and binge drinking rise sharply in US counties Today, Americans are more likely to be heavy drinkers and binge drinkers than in recent years due in large part to rising rates of drinking among women, according to a new analysis of county-level drinking patterns in the United States. By contrast, the percentage of people who drink any alcohol has remained relatively unchanged over time