By Joffa - 26 Feb 2015 10:16 PM
First ever human head transplant 'could be just two years away'
Robin de Peyer
Published: 26 February 2015
The first ever human head transplant could be undertaken within just two years, a surgeon has claimed.
Under plans drawn up by Italian doctor Sergio Canavero a living person's head could be grafted on to a donor body.
The surgeon, from the Turin Advanced Neuromodulation Group, says the operation could be used to help extend the lives of people who have suffered degeneration of the muscles and nerves.
He claims the surgery, which could also help people with advanced cancer, may even be undertaken within just two years.
Dr Canavero hopes to launch the pioneering project at a meeting of neurological surgeons in the US in June.
He told the New Scientist: “The real stumbling block is the ethics. Should this surgery be done at all? There are obviously going to be many people who disagree with it.
"If society doesn’t want it, I won’t do it. But if people don’t want it, in the US or Europe, that doesn’t mean it won’t be done somewhere else.
"I’m trying to go about this the right way, but before going to the moon, you want to make sure people will follow you."
He added: "I’m trying to go about this the right way, but before going to the moon, you want to make sure people will follow you.”
The operation would see the recipient's head cooled, with tissues around the neck dissected and major blood vessels joined using tubes.
After the spinal cords are cut, the recipient's head would be placed onto the donor's body and the spinal cords would then be fused back together.
The person would then be placed in a four-week coma to prevent movement.
When they awoke, the patient could expect to feel their face, speak with the same voice, and even walk within a year, Dr Canavero said.
The first ever head transplant in the US in 1970 saw a monkey die nine days after the procedure because its immune system rejected the new body part.
http://www.standard.co.uk/news/health/first-ever-human-head-transplant-could-be-just-two-years-away-10071499.html
Edited by Joffa: 26/2/2015 10:19:10 PM
Edited by Joffa: 1/3/2015 01:21:08 AM
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By Joffa - 3 Mar 2015 10:28 PM
Hit the Sack! People Who Get a Good Night's Sleep Are Happier
by Rachael Rettner, Senior Writer | March 02, 2015 03:01pm ET
Happiness and a good night's sleep seem to go hand in hand, a new poll suggests.
The survey of more than 7,000 U.S. adults revealed that people who reported getting more sleep also had a higher overall well-being than those who said they got less sleep.
For example, the average well-being score for people who reported getting 8 hours of sleep a night was 65.7 out of 100, compared with 64.2 for those who got 7 hours of sleep and 59.4 for those who got 6 hours of sleep.
Because the poll was conducted at one point in time, rather than over a long study period, it cannot say whether getting more sleep boosts well-being or if people who have higher well-being tend to get more sleep.
The researchers, from Gallup and Healthways, calculated the well-being scores based on participants' answers to questions about their sense of purpose, social relationships, financial lives, community involvement and physical health. [7 Tips to Sleep Soundly Tonight]
The survey also found that 42 percent of Americans get less than 7 hours of sleep a night, which is the minimum amount recommended by the National Sleep Foundation for people ages 18 and older.
A number of factors may affect how much sleep people get, including their work hours, family obligations, conditions such as insomnia, or poor physical health.
Because a person's well-being is also known to be connected to their level of engagement at work, employers may want to consider allowing employees to work more flexible hours to help them balance their sleep with their work and family obligations, a statement about the poll from Gallup said.
The poll was based on a survey conducted in 2014 between Sept. 5 and 19, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 1 percentage point.
Follow Rachael Rettner @RachaelRettner. Follow Live Science @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science.
http://www.livescience.com/50005-happiness-well-being-poll.html
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