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Mate Selection: How Does She Know He'll Take Care Of The Kids?
Throughout the animal kingdom brilliant colors or elaborate behavioral displays serve as "advertisements" for attracting mates. But, what do the ads promise, and is there truth in advertising? Researchers at Yale theorize that when males must provide care for the survival of their offspring, the males" signals will consistently be honest - and they may devote more of their energy to caring for their offspring than to being attractive.

Blogs Comment On Supreme Court Decisions, Obama Administration, Other Topics
The following summarizes selected women"s health-related blog entries. ~ "Just Released: Gains and Losses for Women in 2008-09 Supreme Court Decisions," National Women"s Law Center"s "Womenstake": The Supreme Court"s 2008-2009 term, which concluded Monday, included "several crucial decisions that demonstrate the impact of the court on women"s lives," according to the blog post, which summarizes a new analysis from NWLC on the cases. For example, the blog post says that the rulings in Fitzgerald v. Barnstable School Committee and Crawford v. Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, Tenn., increased employees" protections against discrimination in the workplace. However, the rulings in Ricci v. DeStetano -- which overturned an appellate court"s anti-discrimination ruling -- and AT&T Corp. v. Hulteen -- which "permitted AT&T to pay women lower pension benefits for the rest of their lives" -- were "not as positive," the blog entry says. NWLC Co-President Marcia Greenberger said that the Supreme Court "ignored the realities of the workplace and the intent of Congress and ruled against female workers" in AT&T v. Hulteen. Greenberger also said that such cases "underscore why every seat on the Supreme Court is of paramount importance to women," adding that it is "absolutely critical" that Supreme Court nominees have "a strong commitment to upholding and enforcing women"s basic legal rights and protections" ("Womenstake," National Women"s Law Center, 6/29).~ "Waldman and Saletan: Oh What a Fine Bromance!" Jodi Jacobson, RH Reality Check: In a recent bloggingheads.tv chat on "common ground" in the abortion-rights debate, Slate columnist Will Saletan and Beliefnet Editor-in-Chief Steve Waldman "spent as much time as possible complimenting each other"s work" and "as little as possible on any real substance regarding reproductive health and choice issues," Jacobson writes. It is "clear that the Obama administration"s stated intention to create "a common ground platform"" on abortion rights has become "a full employment program for both Waldman and Saletan," she writes. Jacobson continues, "So perhaps the most striking thing about the conversation was that, in the end, they both effectively concluded that the common ground enterprise was a "just for show" political strategy," and that the "real strategies" necessary to reduce the need for abortion "are the very prevention programs least likely to be supported by the far right. (Revelation!)." She adds, "However, they came to this conclusion through the same faux-expert uninformed arguments that characterize their columns." During the "Will-interviews-Steve format," Saletan "revealed once again that there is no core philosophy or framework underlying his ever-shifting positions on choice and abortion," according to Jacobson. She adds that "Waldman, for his part, several times underscored what is clear from reading his work": that he "just throws things "out there" without considered thought" about what "might be good versus bad data, not understanding how to read evidence," and "oblivious or uncaring about the effects his free-form moralistic misinformation and opinions might actually have on an already polarized debate." According to Jacobson, "Public policies affecting sexual and reproductive health issues" should be "based first and foremost on public health and on promoting individual rights balanced by individual responsibilities," but "as anyone living on Planet Earth knows, sex and reproduction have become the front in a war waged by ultra-conservative religious and political forces for which Waldman serves as a paid flacky." She continues, "In fact, Waldman himself stated during the program: "I have a corporate interest in injecting religion into every debate."" Jacobson states, "Reading and watching this duo is like buying the OK! magazine version of the culture wars at the grocery store; they put whatever sells on the front cover, no matter the truth or consequences.
News of the day
Medical Students To Be Informed And Inspired
Medical students will be urged to look beyond our shores, as the Australian Medical Students" Association (AMSA) Global Health Conference explores the health issues and challenges facing developing countries.
Oncology

WHO And EFA Call For Global Action On Chronic Respiratory Disease

The World Health Organisation (WHO) and European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases (EFA) today announced that they are bringing together over 150 international delegates to discuss the growing epidemic of Chronic Respiratory Diseases (CRD) that affects one billion people worldwide1, [2], [3] and is responsible for four million deaths annually1. The conference which will discuss the implementation of a five-year initiative to unite policy makers, providers and patient groups will be hosted by the Italian Ministry of Health in Rome on June 12 and 13. EFA and the WHO Global Alliance against Chronic Respiratory Diseases (GARD) are working for and with respiratory disease patients for a world where everyone breathes freely. The conference will look into the role of patient organisations and the implementation of the GARD Action Plan 2008-2013 within the framework of the WHO"s Action Plan for the Global Strategy for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases 2008-2013. The action plan shows that there is a clear need for collaboration between health policy makers, providers and patient organisations to improve care and the environment and the integration of health concerns into all policies [4]. By joining forces of European patient associations through EFA with GARD, this major alliance has become a global influence through a strong united patients" voice in all five continents. Presenting at the conference will be leading respiratory expert, Jean Bousquet, Professor of Pulmonary Medicine at the University of Montpellier and Chairman of WHO GARD: "The burden of allergy, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Europe and the rest of world is such that the cost of inaction is unacceptable and the WHO has recognised the enormous human suffering from chronic respiratory diseases, and are therefore making CRD one of its priorities between 2008-13." Marianella Salapatas, Acting President, EFA: "Our overall message to policy makers and the new European Parliament and Commission is that chronic respiratory diseases such as allergy, asthma and COPD are public health problems and we therefore need innovative and comprehensive strategies and collaboration, including with patient organisations, to fight against and improve care and the environment." Italian MEP Cristina Muscardini will be contributing to the opening presentations: "In the EU, chronic respiratory diseases are significant public health issues despite the availability of treatment options and in some cases, prevention strategies. EU Health Strategy needs to take the burden on chronic respiratory diseases into consideration." One billion people in the world currently suffer from CRDs1,2,3 and every year four million people die as a result, a figure higher than for deaths related to other global diseases such as AIDS1. The fact that this epidemic is on the rise4 and that every person in the world is exposed to the risk factors of CRD [5], [6], [7], [8] has been the key motivator to bring together delegates from around the world to attend this important conference. References [1] Bousquet J, Khaltaev N. Global surveillance, prevention and control of Chronic Respiratory Diseases. A comprehensive approach. Global Alliance against Chronic Respiratory Diseases. World Health Organisation. ISBN 978 92 4 156346 8. 2007:148 pages [2] Bousquet PJ, Leynaert B, Neukirch F, Sunyer J, Janson CM, Anto J, et al. Geographical distribution of atopic rhinitis in the European Community Respiratory Health Survey I. Allergy. 2008 Oct;63(10):1301-9 [3] Weinmayr G, Forastiere F, Weiland SK, Rzehak P, Abramidze T, Annesi-Maesano I, et al. International variation in prevalence of rhinitis and its relationship with sensitisation to perennial and seasonal allergens. Eur Respir J. 2008 Nov;32(5):1250-61 [4] 2008-2013 Action plan for the global strategy for the prevention and control of non communicable diseases. Prevent and control cardiovascular diseases, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases, diabetes. http://www.who.int/nmh/Actionplan-PC-NCD-2008.pdf, Accessed 20 May 2009 [5] United Nation Population Fund (UNFPA). State of the world population 2007. wwwunfpaorg. 2007. [6] Torres-Duque C, Maldonado D, Perez-Padilla R, Ezzati M, Viegi G. Biomass Fuels and Respiratory Diseases: A Review of the Evidence. Proc Am Thorac Soc. 2008 Jul;5(5):577-90. [7] Esson K, Leeder S. The Millennium Development Goals and Tobacco Control. An opportunity for global partnership. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organisation, http://www.who.int/tobacco; 2003. [8] Balmes J, Becklake M, Blanc P, Henneberger P, Kreiss K, Mapp C, et al. American Thoracic Society Statement: Occupational contribution to the burden of airway disease. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2003 Mar 1;167(5):787-97. [9] World Health Organisation, Chronic Respiratory Diseases, http://www.who.int/respiratory/en/index.html, Accessed 20 May 2009 http://www.efanet.org http://www.who.int/gard/en/index.html


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