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British System Highlights Cost-Effectiveness Concerns As Part Of U.S. Overhaul Effort
While Congress recently approved funds to study the cost-effectiveness of certain treatments, some are concerned that such research could lead to rationing of health care or that treatments deemed less effective will not be adequately covered, the AP/Washington Post reports. Those concerned often cite Great Britain"s National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, which determines which medical treatments will be covered based on cost-effectiveness. One of the criteria used by NICE to determine a treatment"s cost-effectiveness is how much each additional year of life will cost the government, which the agency has capped at about $47,000 per year of life in most cases (Cheng, AP/Washington Post, 5/26).
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Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation Awards $2.7M To 7 Top Young Clinical Investigators
The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation named 4 new Damon Runyon Clinical Investigators at its April 2009 Clinical Investigator Award Committee review. The recipients of this prestigious, three-year award are outstanding early career physician-scientists conducting patient-oriented cancer research at major research centers under the mentorship of the nation"s leading scientists and clinicians. Each will receive $450,000 to support the development of his cancer research program.
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HIV/AIDS Advocates React To Obama's Proposed Global Health Initiative
Some HIV/AIDS advocates have voiced disappointment with the level of HIV/AIDS funding in President Obama"s proposed $63 billion, six-year global health initiative, VOA News reports. According to VOA News, the advocates say that Obama has not met pledges he made as a presidential candidate, while other say that the "picture is more complicated." According to the Global AIDS Alliance, Obama previously pledged to dedicate $50 billion over five years to HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria, but has instead proposed $51 billion over six years. GAA Executive Director Paul Zeitz said this proposal translates into significantly less annual funding for PEPFAR (Kilner, VOA News, 5/19). Zeitz said, "President Obama has a moral obligation to demonstrate global leadership on behalf of the poorest and most marginalized people of the world, especially in Africa," adding, "But by turning his back on those needs, the president is betraying the trust of tens of millions of people" (Pflanz, Daily Telegraph, 5/18). Advocates estimate that the funding shortfall could result in about one million people going without HIV/AIDS treatment and about 2.9 million women going without treatment to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission. James Kamau, coordinator for the Kenya Treatment Action Movement, said that one effect of Obama"s proposal is that other donor countries could take similar actions, leading to additional cuts. "In Kenya here we say when the lead sheep limps then it does not get the others to the pastures," Kamau said, adding, "Now if [Obama] cuts back funding on the Global Fund, then the rest of the people will follow suit" (VOA News, 5/19). Some have welcomed Obama"s proposal, saying that it has expanded the focus of global health initiatives to include other health issues that can be treated at a low cost but have not received as much attention, VOA News reports. Obama"s proposal includes $12 billion for these additional areas of focus, including more emphasis on maternal health and health infrastructure, according to VOA News.According to VOA News, Obama"s proposal might be more than Congress is willing to allocate during the economic crisis. The current budget resolution under consideration by Congress would allocate $51 billion for foreign aid in FY 2010, almost $3 billion less than what Obama requested (VOA News, 5/18). African Government Spending on Health
Sexual Health

Male Or Female? Coloring Provides Gender Cues

Our brain is wired to identify gender based on facial cues and coloring, according to a new study published in the Journal of Vision. Psychology Professor Frç©dç©ric Gosselin and his Universitç© de Montrç©al team found the luminescence of the eyebrow and mouth region is vital in rapid gender discrimination. "As teenagers, dimorphism (systematic difference between sexes) increases in the nose, chin, mouth, jaw, eyes and general shape of faces," says Nicolas Dupuis-Roy, lead author of the study. "Yet we aren"t conscious of how our brain recognizes those differences." To discover those reference points, Dupuis-Roy and colleagues showed photos of 300 Caucasian faces to some 30 participants. Subjects were asked to identify gender based on images where parts of faces were concealed using a technology called Bubbles. The investigation found that eyes and mouths, specifically their subtle shading or luminance, are paramount in identifying gender. Unlike previous studies, which found the gap between the eyelid and eyebrow as essential in gender ID, this investigation found the shades of reds and greens around mouths and eyes led to faster gender discrimination. "Studies have shown that an androgynous face is considered male if the skin complexion is redder, and considered female if the complexion is greener," says Dupuis-Roy. "However, it is the opposite for the mouth. A woman"s mouth is usually redder. Our brain interprets this characteristic as female." "A man"s face usually reflects less light around the eyebrows. This is because they are usually thicker. The same applies to the upper lip and chin, which are hairier areas," he adds, noting people clearly use colour to rapidly identify gender. Partners in research: This research was supported by the Fonds quç©bç©cois de la recherche sur la nature et les technologies and Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. PhD student Isabelle Fortin and Professor Daniel Fiset also participated in the study. Sylvain-Jacques Desjardins University of Montreal


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