Four Hours to Infection: HIV in the Female Genital Tract

Denmark researchers have performed an interesting study on taste that points to the differences between genders and ages of children in perception and preference. I know scores of American kids who would line up as subjects just to get their tongue painted blue… seriously, I wonder how the results would hold out in studies performed across cultures?

Age apparently not only affects the way you taste, but also the way you think. Not a big surprise there, although I’m heartened to read that the frontal cortex is still going strong in people my age. The research is published in Psychological Science, although you’ll need a log on to so much as see the journal cover art (if there is any).

Also, in case you’ve missed it, today is the last day of the 2008 American Society for Cell Biology Annual Meeting. Abstracts are here and breaking news is being covered on a blog, which is a nice touch. Pediatricians take note that researchers have found HIV to penetrate the mucosal lining of the vaginal tract, previously thought to be a barrier. Researchers witnessed the virus wriggle its way past the squamous epithelium in as little as four hours. Any sexually active adolescent girl who hasn’t been aware of HIV risk needs to understand it now. And there’s yet another HIV study to throw onto the circumcision question pile.

HIMSS attempts to kill two birds--healthcare reform and economic stimulus--with one stone through a report that calls for a federal government investment of $25 billion to support the implementation of electronic medical records in hospitals and physician practices. Rick Peters of The Health Care Blog disagrees with the idea. What’s your take?