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Abusive Relationships Increase Women's Risk Of HIV Infection
A new study of nearly 14,000 U.S. women reveals that those who are in physically abusive relationships are at higher risk for HIV infection.
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They Are Young And Need The Job: A Second Chance For Dangerous T Cells
The immune system"s T-cells react to foreign protein fragments and therefore are crucial to combating viruses and bacteria. Errant cells that attack the body"s own material are in most cases driven to cell death. Some of these autoreactive T-cells, however, undergo a kind of reeducation to become "regulatory T-cells" that keep other autoreactive T-cells under control. A group led by immunologist Professor Ludger Klein of LMU Munich has now shown that the developmental stage of an autoreactive T-cell is decisive to its ultimate destiny. Young autoreactive T-cells are very readily reeducated into regulatory T-cells. Under identical conditions, however, older T-cells become fully activated and can cause damage - they are in a way resistant to reeducation. "We now intend to study at the molecular level what makes a T-cell accessible for reeducation," said Klein, "because then it may be possible to convert even normal adult T-cells, which can be obtained easily and in great numbers from blood. Possibly, they could then be used as regulatory T-cells in therapies for autoimmune diseases such as type-1 diabetes or multiple sclerosis: these are diseases that are triggered by uncontrolled autoreactive T-cells." (PNAS, 10 June 2009)
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Lobbyists Face Potential Conflicts Of Interest
"With a health reform at the top of the Congressional and White House agenda, it"s prime time for industry lobbyists," Roll Call reports. But, because details of the anticipated reform package have not yet emerged, industry winners and losers remain largely unknown. Lobbyists are forced to accept clients despite their incomplete knowledge of client needs, and are struggling to anticipate conflicts of interest before they arise, according to the article. "There are so many different players at the table, and right now not knowing whose ox is likely to get gored and at whose expense... the best we can do is try and anticipate conflicts and be clear with our clients in advance," one health care lobbyist told the paper. "We certainly would not lobby on both sides of an issue. It"s also entirely possible conflict may emerge in the next two to six months, and we hope we don"t have to make hard choices" (Ackley, 6/3).
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Impact Of Young Londoners' Alcohol Misuse Revealed, England

The capital"s 11-15 year olds now drink the equivalent of 180,000 bottles of lager every week - and the amount they drink is on the rise, a new report from the London Assembly today warns. In the first comprehensive assessment of the drinking habits of the capital"s young people, the report, Too much too young? also reveals that although they drink less than their peers elsewhere in the country, more than a third1 of young Londoners are regular drinkers. The consequences are of serious concern. Almost 2,000 young people2 in the capital are receiving specialist treatment for alcohol dependence. Alcohol-related hospital admissions have almost doubled in recent years3 and calls to the London Ambulance Service relating to young people drinking have increased 27 percent in just four years4. During its ten-month investigation, the Assembly Health and Public Services Committee also identified some worrying statistics about young Londoners" drinking habits: - Young women aged 11-15 are drinking more heavily and now have drinking habits similar to those of their male peers. Hospital admissions for these young women are almost double those for men of the same age because of their lower tolerance of alcohol. - There has been a substantial increase5 in the proportion of young people from Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities who drink. This raises concern that these recent increases could be the start of an ongoing trend. - There is a wide variation in drinking habits across the capital: young people living in outer London are more likely to drink and get drunk than those in inner boroughs. James Cleverly AM, Chair of the London Assembly Health and Public Services Committee, said: "We are very concerned by our findings that young Londoners are drinking more and more often than a few years ago. Young people"s drinking is having serious repercussions on their health and on public services. "We hope this report will highlight the problem, as well as outlining a set of recommendations that will help young Londoners stay safe with alcohol and to ensure this issue is given the priority it deserves." The investigation found a lack of senior leadership both locally and regionally means efforts to tackle the problem are not always effectively prioritised or co-ordinated. To address this, the Committee believes the Mayor and local leaders need to focus more effort on tackling alcohol. The report recommends that local alcohol-harm reduction champions should be appointed in boroughs where alcohol-specific hospital admissions for young people - currently Kingston and Sutton - are higher than the national average. The Committee makes recommendations in key areas to help reduce the harm alcohol can cause, including: Reducing the supply of alcohol to under 18s Boroughs should set up local partnerships to reduce alcohol sales, using the successful St Neots Community Alcohol Partnership as a model for this work. This involves the local council working together with the police, alcohol retailers and others to tackle underage alcohol sales through awareness raising, intelligence sharing and joint operations. During this investigation, the Committee helped facilitate the set up of a new pilot community alcohol partnership in Croydon. Improving education and information A London-wide marketing campaign is needed to raise awareness of the risks and to help young people stay safe. This campaign should target specific groups, including young women, the Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities, and parents. The Government also needs to ensure alcohol is given sufficient prominence in Personal, Social and Health Education, currently under review. Helping young people who are misusing alcohol The NHS needs to focus more on early intervention measures to help reduce people drinking at hazardous levels before they develop long-term problems. Notes 1. 2005/06 figures for 11-21 year olds - Profile of Young Londoners" drinking, 2009, Institute of Alcohol Studies for the London Assembly 2. Figures for 11-21 year olds from National Treatment Agency 3. In 2006, there were 1315 hospital admissions for 11-21 year olds, compared to 690 in 2002 - an increase of 91 percent. Profile of Young Londoners" drinking, 2009, Institute of Alcohol Studies for the London Assembly 4. In 2001/4 just 4 percent of Pakistani and 2 percent of Bangladeshi young people drank at least once a year. By 2005/07, this figure had grown to 10 percent and 12 percent respectively, although they are less likely to drink than young people from other communities. 5. Alcohol misuse is taken to mean alcohol consumption by young people under the age of 18, and alcohol consumption by 18-21 year olds that exceeds the Government"s sensible drinking guidelines of two to three units a day for women and three to four units a day for men. 6. As well as investigating issues that matter to Londoners, the London Assembly acts as a check and a balance on the Mayor. London Assembly


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