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Obama Adviser Jarrett Praises Supreme Court Nominee Sotomayor, Responds To Critics
White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett in a speech on Monday at the National Partnership for Women & Families" annual luncheon touted Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor"s credentials and responded to critics who have attacked the judge"s qualifications and past statements, the Washington Post"s "44" reports. Jarrett noted that Sotomayor has more federal experience than any other Supreme Court justice in 100 years. "You can imagine our surprise when people started saying maybe she wasn"t qualified," Jarrett said. She continued that Sotomayor also has an "incredible, rich personal story" that represents the "American Dream." When Sotomayor "talk[ed] about how important that upbringing was, what that will help her bring to the bench -- just as I might add Justice Alito did during his confirmation -- suddenly her background comes into question," Jarrett said, adding that this is a "double standard." Critics have attacked Sotomayor"s comment during a speech at the University of California-Berkeley that she would "hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn"t lived that life." Alito during his confirmation hearing said, "When I get a case about discrimination, I have to think about people in my own family who suffered discrimination because of their ethnic background or because of religion or because of gender. And I do take that into account."Jarrett said of Sotomayor, "I can tell you we really don"t have anything to worry about." She added that Sotomayor "will be far more prepared than anybody else, which is often the case with women. She will make us all proud" (Brown/Leiby, "44," Washington Post, 6/15).

London Health Service Begins Offering Rapid HIV Tests
Barts and the London NHS Trust has become the first National Health Service provider in the United Kingdom to offer rapid, oral HIV tests, BBC News reports. Officials hope that the service will increase the number of people who seek testing because requirements of giving blood and waiting for test results are eliminated with the rapid tests. Barts will offer the rapid, oral tests in non-health care settings such as outreach centers. In addition, sexual health workers hope to be able to offer the test in night clubs in the future. About 200 people in Barts clinics have received rapid tests since March, and officials hope to test 250 people monthly. Merle Symonds, the sexual health adviser at the trust, said the message that HIV is a treatable disease has not "filtered through and stigma does remain around HIV, even if it is waning." Lisa Power of the Terrence Higgins Trust -- an HIV/AIDS organization that also offers rapid, oral tests -- said that a major problem surrounding HIV/AIDS in the United Kingdom is that many people are not aware of their status. She added, "Anything we can do to increase the take-up of testing is welcome, and we think what Barts is doing is fantastic."According to BBC News, the United Kingdom has the largest number of people living with HIV in Western Europe, with men who have sex with men accounting for 41% of new cases. BBC News reports that approximately one-third of HIV-positive people in the country are not aware of their status (BBC News, 5/20).
News of the day
Protein Structures Revealed At Record Pace
Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy"s (DOE) Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have developed a fast and efficient way to determine the structure of proteins, shortening a process that often takes years into a matter of days.
Medical Devices

Heatwave Advice For Diabetics

Experts are predicting record-breaking temperatures this week, so it"s important to take precautions to ensure that your diabetes remains well-controlled in this extreme weather. Long periods of inactivity in the sun can affect diabetes control, making blood glucose levels higher than usual. On the flipside, insulin will be absorbed more quickly from the injection site in hot weather and this increases the risk of hypos. Monitor your levels Cathy Moulton, Care Advisor at Diabetes UK, said: "People with diabetes will need to monitor their blood glucose levels more often and be ready to adjust their diet or insulin dose accordingly. "If your levels are higher than expected, it is worth considering whether your insulin could have been damaged in the sun." Top tips When you"re out and about in the sun, remember to: - wear long sleeves, loose trousers, a hat and sunglasses with a UV 400 label - apply sunscreen to exposed areas of your body 15-30 minutes before going out in the sun - If you have neuropathy you may not be aware when your feet are burning, so apply sunscreen and wear flip flops on hot ground. Heat exhaustion Heat exhaustion can develop when the body finds it difficult to keep cool. Symptoms include headaches, dizziness, nausea and vomiting, tiredness, muscle cramps, stomach cramps and pale skin. As some of these could also be due to unstable blood glucose levels, it"s important to test regularly. Cathy Moulton advised: "Heat exhaustion needs immediate treatment. Move to a cool place to rest and sip a cold drink. If left untreated heat exhaustion can lead to the more severe and potentially life-threatening condition heat stroke, so take action straight away." Symptoms of heat stroke include confusion, hallucinations, rapid breathing and convulsions, all of which require immediate medical attention. Be vigilant - "If people are vigilant about their diabetes control then there is no reason they can"t have fun in the sun like anybody else." Diabetes UK


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