IBT Staff Reporter

Gold prices remained vulnerable in Asian trade Thursday despite advanced marginally in early trade. Gold for immediate delivery was seen trading at $1229.02 an ounce at 12.00 noon Singapore time while US gold futures for December delivery was at $ 1231.45 an ounce on the comex division of Nymex.

The parenting hormones oxytocin and prolactin have been found to surge in men as much as in women during childbirth allowing new fathers to bond with their new child just like mothers do with their babies.

Gold edged up on Thursday, to just short of its highest since the start of July, as volatile equities and concerns about the global economy spurred buying from investors, but selling from jewelers capped gains.

Oil was under pressure on Thursday from a stronger dollar and brimming U.S. petroleum inventories, while modest gains in Asian equities provided support to a market focused on the prospects for economic growth.

The dollar edged up against the yen on Thursday with investors reluctant to chase the yen higher as they waited to see if the Bank of Japan or the government will take new steps to rein in the yen's rise. Earlier, rumours had circulated in the market that the BOJ would hold an emergency policy meeting at 2 p.m. (0500 GMT). That followed a media report that the central bank had started considering additional monetary easing steps.

American researchers have found that Vitamin D may treat or prevent allergy to a common mold that complicates asthma and cystic fibrosis.

The Northeast region of the U.S., represented by the New England and Central Atlantic regions shown in Figure 1, typically account for over 80 percent of U.S. heating oil sales. As shown in Figure 2, the top 5 consuming States, in rank order, are New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and New Jersey. Heating oil is a distillate fuel, coming from the same boiling-range portion of crude oil as diesel fuel. However, unlike diesel fuel used in transportation, heating oil has no Federal...

Researchers at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (WEHI) in Melbourne have discovered that macrophages or white blood cells inflame fat tissues in obese people and trigger their resistance to insulin, which leads to diabetes and heart disease.

SA Health authorities are unavailable for comments on the unexplained deaths of up to ten babies per year at home.

The winning party in Saturday's elections should offer regular heart checks for Australians over the age of 45, the National Heart Foundation and National Stroke Foundation have urged.

According to a study by the Flinders University, one in four Australian medical students has suffered major depression.

Health conscious South Koreans are driving the growing demand for blueberries in the Asian country as they recognized the fruit's potential to ward off cancer, heart disease, strokes, infections, and other ailments

n an effort to improve the diet of Australian kids, Avocado growers have just launched eat-healthy kits funded by the government for early childhood educators to encourage and promote healthier eating habits among 3 to 5 years old.

U.S. researchers have found that real and fake acupuncture can relieve knee arthritis pain.

Sleep experts reveal Australian teenagers are suffering from insomnia because of their addiction to text-messaging, iPods listening or checking up their social networking sites.

Cardiac surgeons at St Vincent's Hospital, where Australia's first heart transplant operation was done in 1968, continue to urge the state government to fund its costly heart-lung transplant program.

A report by the Institute of Health and Welfare reveals there has been a spike of 70 per cent in the number of Australians being admitted to the hospital for kidney dialysis.

A mother from Penrith in Sydney's West has given birth every year since 2000 and says she still wants more children.

The Australian Dollar is steady after a relatively quiet night on the economic data front gave the markets little to draw on as far as the state of the economic recovery in the US and Europe is concerned.

The Australian Dollar opens lower today against the greenback at 0.8980.

Pizzas and other meaty recipes containing 20 to 45 percent less salt will be served in 10 Pizza Hut stores in NSW starting November as the fast food chain prepares to roll out its healthier offerings in all 280 outlets nationwide next year.

European and U.S. health authorities have banned a flu vaccine for children made by Australian biopharmaceutical CSL Biotherapies Australia.

Your odds of going under the knife may depend on whether or not your orthopedic surgeon has a financial stake in your treatment center, suggests a new study.

Cigarette smoking has been clearly linked to increased risks of a number of cancers, including cancers of the lungs, colon, pancreas and bladder. But studies have yielded conflicting results as to whether smoking may boost a woman's odds of developing breast cancer.

Toyota Motor Corp plans to introduce a start-to-finish manufacturing system for midsize hybrid vehicles made by a Kyushu subsidiary to meet growing consumer demand for hybrids.

German automaker Volkswagen AG struck a deal with workers at its Mexican plant to avoid a strike threatened by the factory's union

General Motors and China's SAIC Motor Corp deepened their ties to include the joint development of small engines and transmissions as the U.S. automaker seeks to draw on the allure of the fast-growing China market ahead of a highly anticipated IPO.

U.S. safety regulators have opened a preliminary investigation into a potential problem with the Kia Soul after a driver reported a complete loss of steering and limited braking in a two-month-old car.

General Motors Co will recall more than 243,000 model year 2009/2010 crossover sport utilities, mainly in the United States, to inspect safety belts for possible damage.