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Researchers Confirm Link Between HPV And Head And Neck Cancer But Europe-wide Survey Shows Woeful Public Ignorance On Role Of Oral Sex
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is an important causative agent in squamous cell cancers of head and neck (HNSCC) a new meta-analysis presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) confirms; but a separate European survey at the same meeting reveals the public is woefully ignorant about it and possible ways to avoid it. Lack of public awareness about the possible link between HPV-related head and neck cancer and oral sex with multiple partners presents a case for making vaccinations against HPV more widely available to boys as well as girls before they become sexually active, commented leading expert Professor Jean-Louis Lefebvre of Centre Oscar Lambret, Lille, France.
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Senate Appropriations Subcommittee Approves Fiscal Bill Without Abstinence-Only Funding
The fiscal year 2010 Senate Appropriations Labor, HHS, Education and Related Agencies Subcommittee spending bill approved on Tuesday by voice vote does not include funding for abstinence-only programs, CQ Today reports.Subcommittee Chair Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) said that when the full committee marks up the bill on Thursday, it will not include funding for abstinence-only sex education. The bill will provide money for comprehensive sex education programs, which can include teaching abstinence. The recently approved House version (HR 3293) takes a similar approach. CQ Today calls Harkin"s support for defunding abstinence-only "another nail in the coffin" for the programs, which had grown during President George W. Bush"s administration. According to CQ Today, since taking control of Congress in 2007, Democrats have been "slowly bleeding the program," saying most research has shown that abstinence-only programs are "ineffective at ensuring teen chastity."The subcommittee approved the bill"s funding table, which would provide $163.1 billion in discretionary funding. The amount of discretionary funding is $1.6 billion more than President Obama requested, $2.1 billion more than the House bill and $3.2 billion more than the fiscal year 2009 spending bill (Wolfe, CQ Today, 7/28).
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Franken To Be Seated As Minn. Senator, Will Serve On HELP, Judiciary Committees
The Minnesota Supreme Court on Tuesday unanimously voted to uphold Al Franken"s (D) win in the 2008 U.S. Senate election in Minnesota, effectively clearing the way for Franken to become the state"s newest senator, the Wall Street Journal reports. His election gives Democrats in the Senate a 60-vote supermajority, which could help the party pass health care reform legislation, according to the Journal. Following the ruling, opponent Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) conceded the election, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) said that he would certify the result Tuesday.Franken is expected to be seated next week. He will join the Senate Judiciary Committee, where he will vote on the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor, and the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, which is completing its draft of health care reform legislation (Bendavid/Hitt, Wall Street Journal, 7/1).
Diagnostics

Shetland Seaweed For Safer Hair Dyes And Cosmetics

Scientists have launched a project to make hair dye out of seaweed from around the Shetland Islands. Scientists at the University of Leeds are planning to extract chemical compounds from different species of seaweed and use them to develop a new range of hair dyes. The naturally d compounds will be used by scientists as substitutes for synthetic ingredients that can be found in most hair dyes currently on the market. Many compounds in existing products are allergens and certain chemicals, notably p-phenylenediamine (PPD), have been linked to more serious long-term health effects. The project also hopes to develop other safer and more environmentally friendly cosmetics, including hair treatments and skin care, from the compounds extracted from the Shetland seaweed. "We are hoping to be able to offer people a real alternative to current hair dyes that contain chemicals which are known to be very bad for you," explains project leader Dr Richard Blackburn, a natural products researcher at The University of Leeds. The good news is that the new hair dyes won"t be green - scientists are confident that a range of colours including blonde, brown and red, and even black, can be made using the seaweed extracts. "We can make a range of colours using these natural compounds because the variety of British seaweed species is so diverse," explains Professor Christopher Rayner, also at the University of Leeds, who is working alongside Dr Blackburn on the project. "Seaweed is especially suited to being used in cosmetics because it has evolved very clever techniques to protect itself from weathering. And cosmetics are all about protection from ageing and the elements," says Dr Blackburn. Laboratory work at the University of Leeds will focus on developing ways of isolating and extracting individual compounds found in seaweed that have these special properties in order to understand them better and explore their potential uses in other products. The 2-year project is worth just over ÷£500,000, including an investment of nearly ÷£300,000 from the Technology Strategy Board plus from projects partners, including The Body Shop and Bç¶d Ayre, Shetland seaweed farmers and processors based in Lunnaness. "This could bring commercial and job opportunities to Shetland for a new high-value farming industry. It would be much better to extract the seaweed on Shetland rather than shipping elsewhere for processing," said Margaret Blance from Bç¶d Ayre. Clare Ryan University of Leeds


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