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ANU Immunology Pioneer Elected To The Royal Society
Immunology pioneer Professor Chris Goodnow from The Australian National University has been elected as a Fellow of the prestigious UK and Commonwealth academy of science, The Royal Society.

Experts Disagree On Whether Healthy People Should Take Brain Boosting Drugs
It is unethical to stop healthy people from taking methylphenidate (Ritalin) to enhance their mental performance, says John Harris, Professor of Bioethics at the University of Manchester, in an article published on bmj.com today. He adds that society "ought to want [enhancement]" and that "it is not rational to be against human enhancement."
News of the day
Sotomayor Nomination Lacks Controversy GOP Had Hoped To Generate
Supreme Court nominee Judge Sonia Sotomayor has not become the "political lightning rod" Republican senators hoped for, leaving doubt among some members of the GOP that the nomination process will be controversial enough to help them or hurt Democrats in the 2010 elections, Politico reports. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) said that "at least so far" Sotomayor "doesn"t have the punch put there in terms of fundraising and recruiting." Thune said that one reason the GOP response to Sotomayor has been relatively quiet is that she is nominated to replace retiring Justice David Souter, rather than a more conservative justice. "When one of the conservatives leaves the court, then I think you"ll have a huge fight, and I think that will be very galvanizing," Thune said. Similarly, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said he does not foresee Sotomayor"s nomination becoming a major issue in the 2010 campaigns. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), the ranking Republican on the Judiciary Committee, said that the GOP would use witnesses at Sotomayor"s confirmation hearing to present some opposition arguments (Raju, Politico, 6/22). Sessions and other Senate Republicans are preparing a series of speeches to highlight their concerns about Sotomayor, the Wall Street Journal reports. According to a Senate Republican aide, the focus of Sessions" speech will be Sotomayor"s role in the group LatinoJustice PRLDEF, for which she served as a board member from 1980 to 1992. Unless new information surfaces, there are few doubts that Sotomayor will be confirmed, the Journal reports (Bravin, Wall Street Journal, 6/22).
Nutrition

Japanese Rock Pool Mosquitoes Become Established In Minnesota, USA

Faced with a new mosquito species that could transmit disease in Minnesota, state health and mosquito control officials are urging residents to rid their property of water-holding containers. The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and the Metropolitan Mosquito Control District (MMCD) confirmed that the Japanese rock pool mosquito (Aedes japonicus) is established in at least five southeastern Minnesota counties. This mosquito could potentially transmit LaCrosse encephalitis virus (LAC) and West Nile virus (WNV) to humans. "Spring is the perfect time to take simple steps to prevent mosquito-transmitted disease later this summer," said David Neitzel, an MDH epidemiologist who specializes in mosquito-borne diseases. "Several types of disease-carrying mosquitoes use water-holding containers, such as old tires, buckets, or cans, as breeding sites. If everyone dumps the water out of these containers and removes them during their spring yard work, we can reduce the number of mosquitoes that could transmit disease later this summer." The Japanese rock pool mosquito, an Asian mosquito that was accidentally imported into this country, has been steadily moving across the United States since it was first found in New Jersey in 1998. It was first identified in Minnesota in Scott County in 2007. During 2008, it was also detected in Dakota, Goodhue, Wabasha and Houston counties. This spring, it was determined that these mosquitoes" eggs had survived the Minnesota winter. "We suspect that we will soon find this mosquito in other counties as well," Neitzel said. LaCrosse encephalitis is usually transmitted through the bite of an infected Eastern tree hole mosquito (Aedes triseriatus), a daytime feeding mosquito common to much of southern Minnesota. This mosquito also uses water-holding containers as breeding sites. These same containers are also used by some types of Culex mosquitoes that maintain West Nile virus in the environment, but don"t commonly bite people. Removal of water-holding containers will control all three types of mosquitoes and help prevent both LaCrosse encephalitis and West Nile virus. Here are some spring-cleaning tips that can help prevent mosquito-borne disease this summer: - Inspect your yard, surrounding brush and woods, and neighborhood for any containers (e.g., tires, buckets, cans) that can hold a small amount of water. - Properly dispose or recycle any unwanted containers and store all other containers indoors so they do not collect water. In the seven county Metropolitan area, MMCD will help you recycle old tires. - Change the water in bird baths and animal watering bowls or troughs weekly. - Keep water moving in fountains, ornamental ponds and water gardens, or stock fish that eat mosquito larvae. - Make sure that unused swimming pools, fountains, and boats are kept completely drained of water. - Make sure that tarps do not collect pockets of water. - Unclog rain gutters to ensure proper drainage. - Be sure rain barrels are fitted with screens to prevent mosquitoes from using them as breeding sites. - Check your trees for pockets of standing water. Often water collects between trunks or where a branch joins the trunk. Drain any water found and fill the pocket with sand. Most of the mosquitoes produced in containers do not fly far from where they develop, so home cleanup helps to protect family and neighbors from mosquito-transmitted disease. LaCrosse encephalitis affects the brain and central nervous system. Severe cases occur primarily in children and adolescents under the age of 16 and are characterized by symptoms like high fever, headache, confusion and seizures. Since 1985, 124 LAC cases (including 1 death) have been reported to MDH. Most WNV cases experience fever, headache, fatigue, and sometimes a rash. Severe WNV encephalitis cases tend to occur in older people, rather than children or adolescents. Since 2002, 451 WNV cases (including 14 deaths) have been reported to MDH. Information on LAC, WNV, and mosquitoes can be found at the MDH Web site: http://www.health.state.mn.us and the MMCD Web site: http://www.mmcd.org. The Minnesota Department of Health


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