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Opinion Pieces Examine Recent Public Opinion Polls On Abortion
Two newspapers recently published opinion pieces on abortion-related public opinion polls. Summaries appear below.~ Steven Kull, Baltimore Sun: Although "many Americans feel morally conflicted about" abortion, it is a "common error to believe that the American electorate is deeply divided about how the government should deal with" the procedure, Kull -- director of WorldPublicOpinion.org and the Program on International Policy Attitudes at the University of Maryland -- writes in a Sun opinion piece. He adds that "there is substantial consensus that the government should not criminalize abortion." According to Kull, a new CNN poll found that 68% of respondents believe Roe v. Wade should not be overturned, and a recent WorldPublicOpinion.org poll found that when asked, "Do you think the government should be involved in trying to discourage abortion or do you think the government should leave these matters to the individual," 69% said that the matter should be left to the individual. Kull adds that "of the 29% who said that the government should be involved in trying to discourage abortions, a remarkably low 8% favored using criminal enforcement methods." According to Kull, other polls have found if "given a middle option -- somewhere between strict prohibition and government permission -- a significant number will choose it." Kull writes that "once the moral question is differentiated from the question of how the government should act, it does appear that there is substantial consensus that abortion should not be criminalized." He concludes, "Once the option of criminal enforcement is taken off the table, constructive options are more likely to emerge and can be an effective focus for the energies freed up from the incessant debates about abortion" (Kull, Baltimore Sun, 5/22).~ Cheryl Wetzstein, Washington Times: "It"s rather ironic that as the most pro-choice government in U.S. history settles into its seats," a Gallup poll "finds that most Americans are pro-life," columnist Wetzstein writes in a Times opinion piece. She adds, "Some observers have tried to pooh-pooh this result, but it doesn"t surprise me for two reasons." Wetzstein writes that her "experience with youth, both personally and professionally, is that they often recoil at abortion," adding, "So I find a pro-life trend in youth to be quite plausible." She continues, "Second, I think some aging baby boomers are changing their views," adding, "People generally become more conservative and self-reflective with age. Legacies matter. Hindsight is 20/20. Regrets appear." Wetzstein concludes, "My suspicion is that in more than a few cases, baby boomers who were willing to have abortions are not at ease with the idea of losing their grandchildren," adding, "It may be that in the autumn of life, being "pro-life" has a whole new meaning" (Wetzstein, Washington Times, 5/26).

Studying The Anti-Cancer Capabilities Of A Special Purple Sweet Potato
A Kansas State University researcher is studying the potential health benefits of a specially bred purple sweet potato because its dominant purple color results in an increased amount of anti-cancer components.
News of the day
Development Of DNA Drugs Gives Hope To Lupus Patients
A generation of DNA-like compounds, class R inhibitory oligonucleotides (INH-ODNs), have been shown to effectively inhibit cells responsible for the chronic autoimmune condition lupus. Researchers writing in BioMed Central"s open access journal Arthritis Research & Therapy have demonstrated the anti-inflammatory effects of the INH-ODNs in both in vitro and mouse experiments.
Sexual Health

Genetic Defects Linked With Rare Bearded Lady

New research provides exciting genetic insight into a rare syndrome that first appeared in the medical literature in the mid 1800s with the case of Julia Pastrana, the world"s most notorious bearded lady. The study, published by Cell Press in the May 21st issue of the American Journal of Human Genetics, reveals intriguing molecular clues about the pathogenesis of this mysterious condition that has captured the attention of the public since the Middle Ages. Congenital generalized hypertrichosis (CGH) represents a group of conditions characterized by excessive hair growth over the entire body, well beyond the average limits for a particular age, sex or race. Congenital generalized hypertrichosis terminalis (CGHT) with gingival hypertrophy is a distinct subgroup of CGH that is associated with universal overgrowth of darkly pigmented hairs, enlarged gums and a distortion of facial features, the phenotype famously exhibited by Julia Pastrana. "Although it has long been believed that most people with CGH have some kind of genetic defect, the specific genetic mutations that underlie CGHT, with or without gingival hyperplasia, had not been discovered until now," explains senior study author Dr. Xue Zhang from the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College in Beijing. The condition has been very difficult to study because it is so rare. Dr. Zhang and colleagues performed a sophisticated, high resolution genetic analysis of several members of three Chinese families with CGHT and an individual with a sporadic case of CGHT with gingival hyperplasia. The researchers mapped the genetic locus for this syndrome and discovered that genetic defects on chromosome 17q24.2-q24.3 were responsible for CGHT with or without gingival hyperplasia. The three families exhibited different DNA deletions whereas the sporadic case was associated with a DNA duplication within the identified chromosome region. These different copy number mutations affected 4 to 8 genes. "Our work clearly establishes CGHT as a genomic disorder. However, further studies are needed to elucidate the exact molecular mechanisms by which copy number mutations on 17q24.2-q24.3 lead to the defining characteristics of this rare disorder," concludes Dr. Zhang. Cathleen Genova Cell Press


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