Health News: 34 Sick with salmonella infantis in Canada ♦Scientists identify proteins crucial to loss of hearing ♦ A nap to recap: How reward, daytime sleep boost learning

34 Sick with salmonella infantis in Canada The Public Health Agency of Canada is collaborating with federal and provincial public health partners to investigate an outbreak of Salmonella Infantis in eight provinces. To date, the source of this investigation has not been identified, but the investigation is ongoing, and updates will be provided as new information becomes available. Currently, there are 34 cases of Salmonella Infantis illness...

Scientists identify proteins crucial to loss of hearing Right now, there is no way to reverse hearing loss, largely because auditory hair cells, which sense sound and relay that information to the brain, do not regenerate. A new study, however, has found a key clue to how these hair cells develop. The study identified a new role for a particular group of proteins in the development and survival of the hair cells.

Investigators create complex kidney structures from human stem cells derived from adults A highly efficient method has been developed for making kidney structures from stem cells that are derived from skin taken from patients. The kidney structures formed could be used to study abnormalities of kidney development, chronic kidney disease, the effects of toxic drugs, and be incorporated into bioengineered devices to treat patients with acute and chronic kidney injury.

A nap to recap: How reward, daytime sleep boost learning Rewarding learning selectively enhances the consolidation of learned information during sleep, report scientists. This human study builds on what we know from Drosophila by showing how sleep and reward combine to boost memory.

Nicotine gives brain more codeine relief, risk of addiction Nicotine use over time increases the speed that codeine is converted into morphine within the brain, by increasing the amount of a specific enzyme, according to new research in rat models. It appears smokers' brains are being primed for a bigger buzz from this common pain killer -- which could put them at a higher risk for addiction, and possibly even overdose. These findings are part a new way of seeing the brain's role when it comes to drugs and toxins.