In the News

May 2008

Does CAM Work?
THonline.com (Dubuque, Iowa) - May 12
Telegraph Herald - May 12

The placebo effect might be responsible for the spotty successes claimed for acupuncture, acupressure, aromatherapy, reflexology, biofeedback, magnets, Chinese herbs, gingko balboaýin short, the whole range of products and practices called complementary or alternative medicine (CAM). Last year, R. Barker Bausell, PhD, a professor at the School of Nursing and formerly research director of the National Institute of Health, which funded clinical trials of acupuncture, wrote the book Snake Oil Science, The Truth About Complementary and Alternative Medicine, published by Oxford University Press.
www.thonline.com

Exercise and Parkinson's Disease
WKRC-TV - May 13

The effects of Parkinson's disease and stroke can be debilitating. The conditions can make it difficult for patients to walk or control their bodies, therefore affecting nearly all of their daily activities. Insulin resistance and glucose intolerance are highly prevalent following a stroke, contributing to these patients' worsening cardiovascular disease after the attack and the predisposition for a repeat stroke. By having patients exercise regularly on a treadmill, researchers from the School of Medicine found patients were able to reduce insulin resistance, therefore reducing their risk of a repeat stroke. "Now we're interested to see if this same concept will work for other neurological conditions such as Parkinson's disease," says Richard Macko, MD, professor at the School.
www.kcrg.com

Shock Trauma Handles Teen Accidents
WBAL-TV, Ch. 11, 11 pm - May 12

Thomas Scalea, MD, a professor at the School of Medicine and physician in chief at the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, discussed accidents involving teenagers that bring them to the trauma center. One expert explained that teen brains are not yet fully developed. To view a video of this story, click here:
media.umaryland.edu:8080

Worth a Laugh
The Washington Post - May 13

Michael Miller, MD, an associate professor at the School of Medicine, has done research showing that laughter may have beneficial cardiovascular effects, just as stress has been shown to adversely affect cardiovascular health.
www.washingtonpost.com

Experts Step Up Debate Over Health Risks of Some Plastics
Nashua (N.H.) Telegraph - May 11

Many scientists and environmental advocates believe man-made components in plasticsýparticularly a group of compounds called phthalates and another hormonally active chemical known as bisphenol A, or BPAýcan leach harmful chemicals that get absorbed into our bodies. Some blame plastics for increased rates of cancer, asthma, neurological disorders, and infertility. "Most people haven't had college-level chemistry or advanced chemistry" to know what the alphabet soup of chemicals on labels mean, says Caroline Baier-Anderson, PhD, an assistant professor at the School of Medicine. Baier-Anderson also was online at www.washingtonpost.com on Tuesday, April 22, at 11 a.m. ET to discuss protecting your health against plastic products ladened with harmful chemicals.
www.nashuatelegraph.com
www.washingtonpost.com

Mental Health Findings Reported
Aging and Elder Health Week -May 11
Health Insurance Week - May 11
Health Insurance Law Weekly - May 11

In this recent report published in the journal Health Services Research, researchers in the United States conducted a study "to describe the extent of drug coverage among severely mentally ill Medicare beneficiaries and to determine whether and to what extent discontinuities in prescription drug coverage influence the use of medications used to treat serious mental health conditions. Analysis of two therapeutic classesýantidepressants and antipsychoticsýrevealed varying impacts of drug gaps on both probability of any drug use, as well as number of medications received among users," wrote Linda Simoni-Wastila, PhD, associate professor, and her colleagues at the School of Pharmacy.
To read a copy of this story, please contact the Communications Office at ext. 6-7820, or respond to this e-mail.)

Top Official Removed from Trial
ABC Nightly News, 6:30 p.m. - May 10

Michael Greenberger, JD, a professor at the School of Law and director of the School's Center for Health and Homeland Security, was interviewed about the dismissal of a general from the military tribunal trial of suspected militants held at Guantanamo Bay. "We have still not seen the bad guys get the punishment they deserve, because the Bush administration has fumbled the ball over a seven-year period," said Greenberger.
www.abcnews.go.com

Mental Health: Deadly Stigma Remains
montgomeryadvertiser.com (Ala.) - April 27

The highest rate of suicide in the U.S., higher than among any other professional group, occurs among doctors. The problem, according to one doctor, is the stigma associated with mental illness. Also, many health insurance plans continue to provide less coverage for mental health issues than they do for other health matters. "The first objections to parity," according to Howard Goldman, MD, PhD, a professor at the School of Medicine, "were on the basis that mental disorders were not real and you shouldnýt cover conditions that arenýt real."
(To read this story, please contact the Communications Office at ext. 6-7820, or respond to this e-mail.)

Stem Cell Study Grants Awarded
The (Baltimore) Sun - May 9

Maryland has handed out its second round of grants for stem cell research, awarding a total of $23 million for 62 projects ranging from basic studies of the cells' properties to potential therapies for human disease. All told, 45 grants went to The Johns Hopkins University, including both the medical school and the Homewood campus. Sixteen went to the University of Maryland, including the School of Medicine, the biotechnology institute, and the main campus in College Park.
www.baltimoresun.com

Victim Notification
WBAL-TV, Ch.13, 6 p.m. - May 8

When a Prince Georgeýs County assault victim was not notified that her assailant had a sentencing appeals hearing, she asked the court to order a new hearing. Although the trial judge agreed to her request, the Maryland Court of Appeals ruled this week that the victim did not have standing in the case. Andrew Levy, JD, professor at the School of Law, explained that the court proceedings are between the judge, the state, and the defendant. The victim is appealing to the state legislature to change the law to give victims more rights.
media.umaryland.edu:8080

Careers in Health Care: Part II ý Hospitals Growing Nursing Opportunities
Baltimore Examiner ý May 5

Nursing students looking for the challenges and thrills that come with hospital work can add increased opportunities to the list of reasons for considering those employers. Chris Kuligowski, a junior in the BSN program at the School of Nursing, was attracted to the profession by the fast tempo of hospital trauma and critical care centers. The former chef said his preferred area of hospital work stems from a desire to always think on his feet. "Our professors encourage us to look at areas that are good fits for our personalities," he said.

Council Weighs Bill on Homes
The (Baltimore) Sun - May 8

A Baltimore City Council bill would permit more live-in drug treatment centers to open in residential neighborhoods. The legislation would allow residential drug abuse treatment programs and other group homes to open in any residential area as long as they shelter eight or fewer clients. The current zoning code requires City Council approval on a case-by-case basis for any homes with more than four residents. "It is now time for Baltimore City to come into compliance with the law," said Ellen Weber, JD, an assistant professor at the School of Law and an activist on the issue who filed a complaint with the federal government. "Baltimore City will simply never be a safe or healthy city until more residential treatment services are there."
www.baltimoresun.com

Domestic Violence Among the Elderly
WBAL-TV, Ch. 11, 6 p.m. - May 7

An 83-year old Howard County man with a history of verbal but not physical abuse toward his 81-year old wife attacked and beat her nearly to death with a hammer. Kelley Macmillan, PhD, MSW, an assistant professor at the School of Social Work, who focuses on aging, discussed behavioral changes within the elderly. "If an elderly loved one begins demonstrating changes in behavior, it is best to seek professional help as soon as possible," he said.
media.umaryland.edu:8080
www.wbaltv.com

Electronic Pillbox Helps Seniors Stick to Drug Regimens
U.S.News & World Report - May 7

Older adults following a medication regimen are less likely to miss doses when reminded by an electronic pillbox that both beeps at the appointed drug-taking time and announces the number of pills to take and how to take them, new research reveals. The study, which was funded by the National Institute on Aging, was presented recently at the American Geriatric Society meeting in Washington, D.C., by co-authors Vesta Brue, founder and chairman of Lifetechniques Inc., of San Antonio, and Priscilla Ryder, PhD, MPH, a postdoctoral fellow at the School of Pharmacy and in the Department of Pharmaceutical Health Services Research.
health.usnews.com

Names in the News
The (Baltimore) Sun - May 8

Martin Mintz, PD, FASCP, recently received the School of Pharmacy Dean's Hall of Fame Award for Distinguished Community Pharmacists. Mintz, a 1965 graduate of the School, owns Northern Pharmacy & Medical Equipment in Baltimore. The award was established two years ago.
www.baltimoresun.com

Women, Click Here for Good Health
CNN.com - May 8

CNN.com asked four women's health experts for their favorite sites on women's health. Pamela Peeke, MD, MPH, FACP, clinical assistant professor of at the School of Medicine, recommends the Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation Web site.
www.cnn.com

A Letter to the Editor: Worker Dangers as Detailed In a Play
The (Baltimore) Sun - May 7

Melissa McDiarmid, MD, MPH, a professor at the School of Medicine and director of the Schoolýs Occupational Health Program, wrote a letter commenting on an aspect of a theater review about a play depicting worker dangers. She wrote, ýSun theater critic Mary Carole McCauley would do well to do some fact-checking regarding the context of the new Center Stage production These Shining Lives before she posits the unlikely scenario of a company that ýdeliberately sets out to murder its workers.ý ("'Lives' Takes up Cause of Workers," May 3). In the play, the point that the company knew the dangers its workers faced is portrayed to the audience through a discussion of the high pay (especially for women's work) that the workers enjoyed as well as in the increasing discomfort the workers' immediate supervisor displays when he is confronted by his sickly work force.
www.baltimoresun.com

Birthday Buddies Help Children in Foster Care
St. Charles (Mo.) Journal - May 7

The Foster and Adoptive Care Coalition's Birthday Buddy program is the brainchild of volunteer Debbie Schoemehl of Sunset Hills and Shelley Thomas-Benke, director of FosterServe Volunteers. The program could make birthdays brighter for kids in the foster care system, and foster parents who are stretched financially. According to a 2007 study by the University of Maryland School of Social Work, the monthly stipend foster parents receive to care for kids would have to increase between 120 and 130 percent to approach the real cost of caring for a child.
stcharlesjournal.stltoday.com

Fast Gains Found in Giving up Smoking
The(Baltimore) Sun - May 7

People who have spent most of their lives smoking may derive health benefits within five years of quittingýdrastically reducing their chance of dying from a heart attack, stroke, or lung cancer, according to a study published today. In just five years, quitters reduced their added risk of dying of a heart attack by 47 percent and of lung cancer by 21 percent. Over time, their risk declined to the level of nonsmokers. "You stop smoking, and basically you're reversing this process," said Michael Miller, MD, an associate professor at the School of Medicine and director of the Center for Preventative Cardiology at the University of Maryland Medical Center.
www.baltimoresun.com

Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Garner Local and National Attention
WYPR, Newsroom - May 7

Inside a West Baltimore community center, about a dozen women and one man are sitting around a table. Over juice and donuts, they listen, talk, laugh, and cry, while discussing the challenges of raising children. Not their own kids, but their grandchildren. Roxanne McCoy, one of about 30 grandparents taking part in a program called Grandparent Family Connections, sponsored by the School of Social Work, finds support and solace within the group. Frederick Strieder, PhD, MSSA, a veteran social worker and associate professor at the School, who heads the program, says ýthis issue merits attention. In the state of Maryland, there are 131,000 children living with their grandparents. About 10 percent of all families.ý
www.publicbroadcasting.net

Chemical Imbalance Cited as Cause for Schizophrenia
Daily Press (Newport News, Va.) - May 6

Schizophrenia is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain and typically hits women between the ages of 17 and 40, and men between the ages of 17 and 25, according to William Carpenter, MD, professor of psychiatry and pharmacology and experimental therapeutics at the School of Medicine. There are no cures for the mental illness, Carpenter said, but the earlier it's treated the better a person's chance of succeeding in life. "If it's a college student," he said, "you may be able to help them get through college and their first job. Even if the disease stays the same, they're better off for life."
www.dailypress.com

Evolutionary Intricacies of Rickettsia Pathogens Revealed
OBBeC.com - May 6

Researchers from the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute (VBI) at Virginia Tech and the School of Medicine have unveiled some of the evolutionary intricacies of rickettsia pathogens by analyzing over a decadeýs worth of genomic data. The new data is publicly available via the PATRIC project Web site (patric.vbi.vt.edu).
www.obbec.com

Fever Alone No Cause for Fear
The (Baltimore) Sun - May 6

Many parents worry too much about the danger of childhood fevers and tend to overtreat even the mildest temperatures, according to research unveiled yesterday by Johns Hopkins doctors. A little fever, they say, may actually be good for kids. "Parents for some reason have gotten the message that fever is dangerous and haven't gotten the counter side, which is fever fights off infection," said Virginia Keane, MD, associate professor at the School of Medicine. "Most of the viruses that infect us can't live at temperatures higher than 101 degrees. If you're not uncomfortable, it's good to have a fever."
www.baltimoresun.com

Woman Gives Father Gift of Life With Kidney Transplant
The (Baltimore) Sun - May 6

On April 9, LeKebra Clark and Gregory Bryant lay side by side in an operating room at the University of Maryland Medical Center as Stephen Bartlett, MD, professor at the School of Medicine, and chief of surgery, used tiny laparoscopic tools to remove Clark's kidney and insert it into her father.
www.baltimoresun.com

Author Equates Alternative Treatments with Placebo Effect
AMA-ASSN.org - May 12

Doctors may not realize it, but they are familiar with the reason for the apparent success of alternative and complementary treatments; they just call it the placebo effect, said R. Barker Bausell, PhD, a biostatistician and professor at the University of Maryland School of Nursing. Bausell also served as research director for the University of Maryland's alternative medicine center but has left that post for reasons that had nothing to do with his research findings, he said.
www.ama-assn.org

Genes Explain Race Disparity in Response to a Heart Drug
The Virginian-Pilot - May 4

Many black patients seem to do just as well if they take a mainstay of therapy, a class of drugs called beta blockers, as if they do not. It is almost as if they were immune to the drugs. Now researchers at Washington University and the University of Maryland have discovered why: these non-responsive patients have a slightly altered version of a gene that muscles use to control responses to nerve signals. This is the first time anyone has found such a gene effect, said Stephen Liggett, MD, a professor at the School of Medicine and one of the first authors of the study. ýConceptually, this is quite a surprise,ý he said.
epilot2.hamptonroads.com

Laughter Really Can Be Good Medicine
Shreveport Times (La.) - May 5

Michael Miller, MD, theorizes endorphins released during laughter may "cross-talk" with the chemicals involved with vascular health, resulting in heart-healthy benefits. Given studies that have shown stress can take a toll on our cardiovascular health, it makes sense that laughter might improve it, says Miller, associate professor at the School of Medicine. "Wouldn't it be nice if we could say, 'When you wake up in the morning, spend a few minutes not only doing pushups but laughing to release those endorphins'?" Miller said.
www.shreveporttimes.com

No Whiter Shade of Pale
The (Baltimore) Sun - May 5

For years, Americans have been taught that as summer approaches, they should reach for sunscreen to protect themselves from a scorching burnýand the skin cancer it might trigger. But new research shows that by covering up, they may be sacrificing important vitamin D, which is made by the skin when it's exposed to sunlight. So, ahead of the beach season, we sought some guidance about the "sunshine vitamin" from Elizabeth Streeten, MD, assistant professor of medicine in the division of endocrinology, diabetes and nutrition at the School of Medicine. ýMy opinion is that everyone, children and adults alike, needs to take a vitamin D supplement above the latitude of Atlanta, Ga., during the months of September through April. There is not enough vitamin D in foods to fulfill our requirements except for the most enthusiastic milk drinkers.ý
www.baltimoresun.com

Nurse Staffing Levels Linked to Workplace Injuries
NurseZone.com - May 5

Recent research has linked nurse staffing levels to patient safety, but a new study shows that nurse-to-patient ratios also significantly affect the safety of workers. The study, authored by Alison Trinkoff, ScD, MPH, BSN, RN, a professor in the School of Nursingýs Work and Health Research Center, concluded that there was a direct relationship between low staffing levels and high rates of worker injury in the nursing home environment. "The kinds of injuries suffered by nurses and other workers in nursing homes are not distinct from those that could occur in a direct care situation in a hospital," she explained. ýMusculoskeletal injuries occur anywhere there is lifting and moving of patients.ý
www.nursezone.com

Oldest University of Md. Doctor Turning 105
WJZ-TV, Ch. 13, 5:30 p.m. - May 2

This is the 133rd Alumni Reunion Weekend at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Richard Sher reports that among those attending Friday's luncheon is Dr. Paul Schenker, the oldest living graduate. Schenker turns 105 on June 10. Schenker was a general surgeon who graduated from the Schoolýs Class of 1926. He retired in 1989. What's changed over the years? Schenker says, "Most doctors don't care as well as they used to."
wjz.com

Remedy Our Shortage of Nurses
The (Baltimore) Sun - May 5

A report released in March on "The Future of the Nursing Work Force in the United States" says the shortage of registered nurses could reach 500,000 by 2025. An older report by the federal Health Resources and Services Administration projects a shortage of more than 1 million registered nurses by 2020, including 5,600 in the District of Columbia, 18,200 in Maryland, and 26,300 in Virginia. In February, Gov. Martin O'Malley announced the allocation of $3.4 million to the School of Nursing to address the shortage through enhanced and expanded space, faculty and staff recruitment, and tuition for additional students.
www.baltimoresun.com

Schaefer's Milestone Highlights Common Dilemma
The Washington Post - May 4

It was a highly public version of a drama that has touched many families. Former Maryland Gov. William Donald Schaefer, 86, famously stubborn and growing increasingly frail, refused to move out of his Pasadena townhouse. "We call these ethical dilemmas," said Kelley Macmillan, PhD, MSW, an assistant professor in the School of Social Work, who has studied aging for more than 20 years. Sometimes the decision is made in a collaborative way, and at other times the choice to move is delegated, by necessity or default, to another person
www.washingtonpost.com

The School House
The (Baltimore) Sun - May 4

Renting an off-campus condo or apartment may seem like the most valid option when trying to save, but in the right situation, buying a house near campusýeven with the real estate market in a downturnýis a viable alternative to shelling out thousands of dollars over the course of a few years without seeing any return. Sarah Hale, 27, a student at the School of Medicine, began exploring different housing options at the end of her first year. Hale, with the help of her mother, Francie Christopher, was paying $1,000 a month for an apartment in a University-owned building that didn't feel like a place for truly serious students to live and study. "It felt like a college dorm," says Hale, who is studying to be a family practice physician. "We had routine closet inspections and things of that nature. I didn't feel like an adult."
www.baltimoresun.com

'It Is a Moral Imperative'
Washington Post - May 2

Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley voiced his support for the expansion of nuclear energy within the state yesterday at the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant, where construction of a new reactor could begin by the end of the year. "The fact that they can call [nuclear energy] clean energy should be prohibited" because the plants generate radioactive waste that lasts thousands of years, said Steven Soifer, PhD, MSW, an associate professor at the School of Social Work and a member of the Chesapeake Safe Energy Coalition.
www.washingtonpost.com

Alan Greenspan, Dented American Idol
Gulf Daily News (Bahrain) - May 1

At the height of Alan Greenspanýs fame, a Washington magazine portrayed him on its cover as a Buddha figure, clad in a purple robe, sitting in the Lotus position before adoring worshippers. ýThe Cult of Greenspan,ý said the headline. A decade later, the U.S. economy is ailing and has begun to infect the rest of the world. In the hunt for a scapegoatýstandard operating procedure in Washingtonýmany fingers point at Greenspan and critics say his 18-year leadership of the U.S. Federal Reserve led to today's troubles in the housing markets. A major milestone on the road to "what is fast becoming the worst financial calamity since the Great Depression," in the words of Morgan Stanley's Stephen Roach, was the Commodity Futures Modernization Act of 2000. "I would say there was no one, except the drafters of the bill, who understood what it did," said Michael Greenberger, JD, who served in the Commodity and Futures Trading Commission in the late 1990s and is a professor at the School of Law. "And the drafters were Wall Street lawyers, not legislators."
www.gulf-daily-news.com

Pharaoh Explained
The (Baltimore) Sun - May 2 (Plus 81 other references)

Yale medical school dermatology professor Irwin Braverman will address a University of Maryland medical school conference today on the genetic disorders that might have determined Akhaenaten's strange appearance. The conference, open to the public, is designed to spark interest in pathology and encourage doctors to enhance their powers of observation when they diagnose disorders, according to Philip Mackowiak, MD, the School of Medicine professor who organizes the conference. "I firmly believe it makes one a better physician," said Mackowiak, who has written a book about the disorders that may have killed a variety of historical figures. Barry Daly, MD, a professor of diagnostic radiology at the medical school, will speak tomorrow about CT scans conducted on a mummy brought to the University of Maryland Medical Center from the Walters Art Museum on March 18.
www.baltimoresun.com

Wellmobile Program Comes to the City of Seat Pleasant
WTTG-TV Ch 5 10 p.m. - May 1
MyFoxDC.com - May 1

The Governorýs Wellmobile Program, operated by the School of Nursing, has opened its newest location in the City of Seat Pleasant in Prince Georges County. The program is directed by Rebecca Wiseman, PhD, RN, and uses family nurse practitioners to provide primary health care services for underserved and uninsured residents throughout Maryland. Last year, the program saw more than 7,000 patients and saved the state over $2.7 million in averted emergency room fees.
media.umaryland.edu:8080
www.myfoxdc.com

When Challah Becomes the Bread of Affliction
Jewish Journal (Los Angeles) - May 2

Rabbi Marvin Hier hasn't eaten challah, let alone matzah, in several years. But this bread-free existence isn't part of some Passover-inspired, Atkins-style diet. The founder and dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center was diagnosed with celiac disease (CD) more than four years ago. The disease was thought to be rare, but it is now believed that 1 percent of the populationýroughly 3 million people in the United Statesýhave the condition, according to the Center for Celiac Research at the School of Medicine. CD is especially common among Jews, along with Italians, Irish, British, Scandinavians, Spaniards, and Palestinians.
jewishjournal.com

A Leader in Nursing Education, Margaret Gould Tyson Dies
The (Baltimore) Sun - April 30

Margaret Gould Tyson, 87, former vice president and dean of the School of Nursing at the State University of New York, Binghamton and a national leader in nursing education, died in her sleep Friday at the Fairhaven retirement community in Sykesville. A direct descendant of John Beale Davidge, founder of the University of Maryland School of Medicine in 1807, Tyson was born in Baltimore. Last year, she endowed the Margaret G. Tyson Dean's Fund for Excellence Award at the University of Maryland School of Nursing in support of professional development. "Dr. Tyson understood that learning is a dynamic process that does not end when one enters a career," said Janet D. Allan, PhD, RN, CS, FAAN, dean of the School. "But she translated this understanding into action by using her generosity to motivate staff to explore continued learning opportunities," Allan added.
www.baltimoresun.com

Alan Greenspan,,Dented American Idol
Reuters - April 30

At the height of Alan Greenspan's fame, a Washington magazine portrayed him on its cover as a Buddha figure, clad in a purple robe, sitting in the Lotus position before adoring worshippers. "The Cult of Greenspan," said the headline. A decade later, the U.S. economy is ailing and has begun to infect the rest of the world. In the hunt for a scapegoatýstandard operating procedure in Washingtonýmany fingers point at Greenspan and critics say his 18-year leadership of the U.S. Federal Reserve led to today's troubles in the housing markets. A major milestone on the road to "what is fast becoming the worst financial calamity since the Great Depression," in the words of Morgan Stanley's Stephen Roach, was the Commodity Futures Modernization Act of 2000. "I would say there was no one, except the drafters of the bill, who understood what it did," said Michael Greenberger, JD, who served in the Commodity and Futures Trading Commission in the late 1990s and is a professor at the School of Law. "And the drafters were Wall Street lawyers, not legislators."
www.reuters.com

Bypass Surgery Made Healthier, More Economical by Da Vinci Robot
ComputerWorld.com - April 30
United Press International - April 30
ScienceCenter.com - April 30
<i>Techgadget.com - April 29
ZDNet.com - April 29

Researchers have noted that bypass surgery done by the da Vinci Robot is more beneficial to oneýs health than a traditional surgery is. It has been observed that patients whose surgeries have been done by the robot recuperate faster with very few chances of post-operative complications. ýThese findings are significant because payers are considering linking reimbursement for coronary artery bypass surgery to patient outcomes,ý says Stephen Bartlett, MD, a professor at the School of Medicine and chief of surgery at the University of Maryland Medical Center.
www.computerworld.com
www.upi.com

Cell Phone-Based Diabetes Management on Trial
Wirelesshealthcare.com - May 1

CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield and WellDoc Communications, a technology-based health care company focused on improving diabetes management, are sponsoring a 12-month randomized clinical trial with 260 patients with Type 2 diabetes. The trial, which uses WellDoc's Web- and cell phone-based diabetes management platform, focuses on helping CareFirst members manage the full spectrum of their disease, including blood glucose, blood pressure, cholesterol, lifestyle, self-management, and other critical components required to optimize their diabetes management. The study is being conducted at the University of Maryland School of Medicine under the direction of Charlene Quinn, PhD, RN, an assistant professor of epidemiology and preventive medicine
www.wirelesshealthcare.co.uk

Decision to Lower Key Overnight Rate
BBC Radio Live 5 - April 30

Michael Greenberger, JD, former director of the Division of Trading and Markets at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and a professor at the School of Law, was interviewed about the decision by the Federal Open Market Committee, the policy-making body of the U.S. Federal Reserve, to lower its key overnight rate on loans between banks by 0.25 of a percentage point to 2.00 percent. Most lending institutions use the overnight rate, known as the federal funds rate, as a benchmark for what they charge consumers for everything from credit cards to home loans.
www.bbc.co.uk

Quirk of Spring Weather Has Trees and Grass Pollinating At The Same Time
The (Baltimore) Sun - April 30

Pollen-induced allergy and asthma symptoms are suspected of triggering a rash of complaints by schoolchildren across Baltimore County, school officials said. Allergy sufferers, meanwhile, are descending on their doctors. The absence of classroom air conditioning may have contributed to the students' distress at Parkville Middle School. "Air conditioning ... filters out 90 percent of the pollen," said Mary Beth Bollinger, DO, associate professor and interim chief of pediatric pulmonology and allergy at the School of Medicine. Opening windows on a warm day like Friday would have admitted plenty of accumulated pollen.
www.baltimoresun.com