Friday Roundup

Here is a list of articles of interest that have been published in the last 7-10 days:

Health
1. Breast-feeding reduces childhood obesity risks in babies exposed to prenatal diabetes, Medscape Today, March 3, 2011
Brief Intro:"Breast-feeding may protect babies who were prenatally exposed to diabetes against childhood obesity, according to the results of a retrospective cohort study reported in the March issue of Diabetes Care."

2. Potassium levels may explain racial disparity in Type 2 diabetes, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, March 2, 2011
Brief Intro:"Low serum potassium appears to be independently associated with incident type 2 diabetes, and low dietary potassium is more common in African Americans than in whites. "

3. Diabetes takes six years off your life by increasing risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer, study says, Los Angeles Times, March 2, 2011
Brief Intro:"A 50-year-old with Type 2 diabetes will lose an average of six years of life as a result of the disease, only one less than would be lost by a long-term smoker of the same age, researchers reported Wednesday."

4. Gene therapy against HIV not a proven cure, experts say, Businessweek.com, March 1, 2011
Brief Intro:"Experts are reacting with cautious optimism to the announcement Monday that researchers reconfigured immune cells so that they became resistant to HIV in six patients infected with the virus."

Education
1. Education secretary cautions districts about layoffs, NYT.com March 3, 2011
Brief Intro:"Arne Duncan, the federal secretary of education, urged state and local authorities to avoid short-sighted decisions as they cut school budgets, and said laying off teachers based solely on seniority was “a wrong way to cut spending.”

Immigration
1. House passes Arizona-style bill aimed at illegal immigration, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, March 3, 2011
Brief Intro:"HB 87 would authorize state and local police to verify the immigration status of certain suspects. A federal judge halted a similar provision in Arizona last year after the Obama administration argued it is pre-empted by federal law."