In the News

July 2008

Intestinal Gluten Receptor Is Gateway for Celiac Disease
U.S. News & World Report - July 24

Researchers believe they have finally answered a basic question about the cause of celiac diseaseýwhere in the body does the wheat protein gluten enter one's system? ýThis is a scientific question that had never been answered before," Alessio Fasano, MD, professor at the School of Medicine and medical director of the Schoolýs Center for Celiac Research, said in a University news release. "It is not only significant in the basic science of autoimmune disorders such as celiac disease, but in therapeutic approaches for the future. This opens a new scientific paradigm for the study of immunity."
health.usnews.com

Man Seized Near UMB Charged With Assault
WMAR-TV, Ch. 2, 6 a.m. - July 25
WMAR-TV, Ch. 2, 5 p.m. and 11 p.m. -July 24

A man arrested near the University of Maryland, Baltimore campus Tuesday after police said he was carrying a makeshift explosive device was charged Wednesday with assault, reckless endangerment, and concealing a deadly weapon. Baltimore police spokesman Sterling Clifford identified the suspect as Dallas Jermaine Smith, 22, who has no fixed address. Prosecutors say Smith has been treated for psychiatric problems, including bipolar disorder and manic depression. Officer Randall White and Sgt. David Jones, members of the University Police Force and the first responders to the situation, were interviewed about their vigilance, training, and presence of mind in neutralizing the incident.
media.umaryland.edu:8080

Maryland Braces for Boomer Impact
The Daily Record - July 24

The baby boom ended more than 40 years ago, but as that generation marches boldly into its 60sýand into the nationýs hospitalsýthe health care system will feel the ripple effect. The University of Maryland Medical Center expects to grow its units in chronic diseases and musculoskeletal diseases, offering more joint replacements and spine surgeries. ýThe actual number of geriatricians has decreased over the years rather than increased,ý said Charlene Quinn, PhD, assistant professor at the School of Medicine. ýIn my view, what we need to do is maybe we donýt try to have geriatricians per se, or their role changes so they become more of a consultant.ý
www.mddailyrecord.com

More Care, Fewer Pills for Foster Kids
Madill Reports - July 25

As foster children switch homes, they often switch doctors. And in the shuffle of homes and paperwork, it is easy to lose track of the latest diagnosis or prescription. More than 65 percent of foster children in Texas alone are taking mind-altering drugsýwith the majority taking two or more, according to a study by Julie Zito, PhD, professor at the School of Pharmacy. A new Fostering Connections bill in Congress would require each state to track the medications and diagnoses in a centralized database.
news.medill.northwestern.edu

Quote of the Day
The (Baltimore) Examiner - July 25

ýBecause there is such a need for representation, we were given a very wide ability to be able to actually prepare our own casesýjust like actual lawyers. It was sort of my first brush with immigration law, and I just loved it. It was such a great experience,ý said University of Maryland School of Law student Lauren Karam, commenting on her defense of an immigrant facing deportation.

Venture Capital Deals in Area Biotech Grind to Halt
Baltimore Business Journal - July 25

At the University of Maryland BioPark, one of Baltimoreýs newest life science research centers, getting biotechnology companies interested in the space isn't a problem. Rather, when it comes to closing a lease deal, a handful of biotechsýat least three from Baltimoreýhave told the University they are waiting to take new space until they land needed venture funding. However, those investment deals are fewer and farther between in Baltimore and the rest of the Washington, D.C., region, according to a report that says the number and value of venture deals for biotechs in the area fell by half during the second quarter of this year.
baltimore.bizjournals.com

Consumers Increasingly Exposed to Counterfeit Drugs
Consumer Report - July 18

More and more consumers are turning to the Internet as a source of lower-cost prescription drugs, and the trend could have negative consequences on public health, according to researchers at the School of Pharmacy. Counterfeit drugs get into the U.S. through different sources, but those through illegitimate Internet sites are of special concern, says report author Francis Palumbo, PhD, JD, executive director of the Center on Drugs and Public Policy at the School.
www.consumeraffairs.com

Gas Price Issue Still Looming on Capitol Hill
"Beyond the Sound Bite" podcast - July 23
CNSnews.com - July 23

U.S. lawmakers are racing to pass legislation before the August recess that takes aim at the soaring price of oil and the financial institutions believed to be partly to blame for what consumers are paying at the pump. Michael Greenberger, JD, professor at the School of Law and a former director at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, said ýmarkets were created [in 2000] that allowed trading to take place but did not have speculation limits imposed. And in recent years those markets have become huge, they have been dominated by speculators, and the thesis is ý the crude oil markets, the gasoline markets, the heating oil markets, are now being driven by speculation, excessive speculation, and theyýve become unmoored from market fundamentals.ý
beyondthesoundbite.blogspot.com
www.cnsnews.com

Man Seized Near UMB Charged With Assault
The (Baltimore) Sun ý July 24
PrivateOfficerNews ý July 23
PrivateOfficerBreakingNews ý July 23
NationalTerrorAlert.com ý July 23
ABC2News.com ý July 24
WBALTV.com ý July 23
The Daily Record ý July 23

A man arrested near the University of Maryland, Baltimore campus Tuesday after a police officer said he was carrying a makeshift explosive device was charged yesterday with assault, reckless endangerment, and concealing a deadly weapon. Baltimore police spokesman Sterling Clifford identified the suspect as Dallas Jermaine Smith, 22, who has no fixed address. A District Court commissioner yesterday ordered Smith to be held without bail; his next court appearance had not been set.
www.baltimoresun.com
www.abc2news.com
www.wbaltv.com
privateofficernews.wordpress.com

Psychological Aspect of the Hinckley Case
The National Geographic Channel, 8 p.m. - July 23

William Carpenter, MD, a professor at the School of Medicine, discussed the psychological aspects of the John Hinckley Jr. assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan.
channel.nationalgeographic.com

Explosive Device Falls From Manýs Backpack Near UMB
The (Baltimore) Sun - July 23
BaltimoreSun.com - July 23
The (Baltimore) Examiner - July 23
Examiner.com ý July 23
WTTG-TV, Ch. 5, 5:30 p.m. ý July 23
WMAR-TV, Ch. 2, 5 a.m. ý July 23
WTMD Radio, 89.7 FM, 7:30 a.m. ý July 23
WBAL-TV, Ch. 11, 5 p.m. and 11 p.m. ý July 22
WJZ-TV, Ch. 13, 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. ý July 22

A man who was stopped yesterday morning and questioned by a police officer near the University of Maryland, Baltimore campus was arrested after a makeshift explosive device fell from his knapsack when he fought with the officer, authorities said. The man was being questioned by detectives. Charges had not been filed by late yesterday and his name was not released.
www.baltimoresun.com
www.examiner.com

Man Found With Explosives Near UMB Charged
BaltimoreSun.com - July 23

The man who was arrested near the University of Maryland, Baltimore yesterday after a scuffle with a police officer revealed he was carrying a makeshift explosive device was charged today with assault, reckless endangerment, and concealing a deadly weapon
www.baltimoresun.com

Shedding Light on a 'Dark Market'
News Blaze - July 22

An array of experts agree that excessive speculation in opaque, unregulated markets is driving up the price of oil, on top of the upward trend in cost associated with supply-and-demand fundamentals. Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have introduced legislation that would give regulators access to information that could prove that theory correct. Michael Greenberger, JD, professor at the School of Law and a former director of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, said the legislation would start to bring down the price of oil because traders would be back under the watch of the public eye.
newsblaze.com

Explosive Device Falls From Manýs Backpack Near UMB
BaltimoreSun.com - July 22

A man who was stopped this morning and questioned by a police officer near the University of Maryland, Baltimore campus was arrested after authorities said he fought with the officer and a makeshift explosive device fell from his knapsack. The man was being questioned by detectives, and charges had not been filed by late this morning. The man's name had not been released.
www.baltimoresun.com

Medicine Gears Up for Code Green
The Washington Post - July 22

It is ironic that the U.S. medical industryýan industry trusted to protect healthýis releasing substances that may be tied to cancer, diabetes, and other illnesses. But recently, some health care professionals are thinking greener. "There is an understanding between and among health professionals that the environment is playing a really important part in our health status," said Barbara Sattler, DrPH, RN, FAAN, a professor at the School of Nursing and director of the Schoolýs Environmental Health Education Center. In fact, she added, many of the industry's most wasteful habits, including those made in the name of hygiene and sterility, "may be creating avenues for disease."
www.washingtonpost.com

University of Maryland, Baltimore Fundraising Campaign Tops $69M
Baltimore Business Journal - July 21

The University of Maryland, Baltimore edged out its goal for the 2007-2008 fundraising year by bringing in more than $69 million. "We've raised our own standards," said T. Sue Gladhill, MSW, vice president of external affairs for the University, in a statement released Monday.
baltimore.bizjournals.com

Can States Invoke ýHot Pursuitý to Hunt Rebels?
Council on Foreign Relations - June 7
Small Wars Council - July 19

Peter Danchin, JSD, assistant professor at the School of Law, says if states want to prosecute someone for war crimes or crimes against humanity, usually they need to have them extradited. ýThis idea of ýhot pursuitý is just an attempt to twist the law of the sea doctrine into a self-defense idea. What youýre talking about is the use of force against the territory of another state,ý which brings up touchy issues of state sovereignty.
www.cfr.org
council.smallwarsjournal.com

Emergency Contraceptive Pill Gives Birth to Confusion
The (Baltimore) Examiner - July 21

As more women opt for the emergency contraceptiveýapproved by the Food and Drug Administration in November 2006 for over-the-counter saleýa uniform approach to distribution is still lacking, advocates say. An overall policy to enforce a uniform process of care by pharmacists is missing if questions arenýt being asked before the drug is dispensed, said Magaly Rodriguez de Bittner, PharmD, BCPS, CDE, professor at the School of Pharmacy and president of the Maryland Pharmacists Association. ýMy responsibility as the pharmacist giving you a recommendation is to ask you questions that will dictate what I give you,ý de Bittner said.
www.examiner.com

Pets and People
Discovery Health Channel ý July 20

Pets can help people with their health in various ways and several examples are shown in this hourlong documentary. Among the experts interviewed for the program was Erika Friedmann, PhD, a professor in the School of Nursing who has been studying the impact of pets on people, including lowering their blood pressure. The first seven minutes of the program, which included the interview with Friedmann, can be seen by clicking on the link:
media.umaryland.edu:8080

Risks In Ordering Drugs By Internet On The Rise
Online Canadian Pharmacy - July 20
UPI.com - July 21

Counterfeit drugs get into the U.S. through different sources, but those through illegitimate Internet sites are of special concern, says report author Francis Palumbo, PhD, JD, executive director of the School of Pharmacyýs Center on Drugs and Public Policy.
medicgenetics.com
www.upi.com

The Art of Appellate Advocacy: Things That Go Bump in the Night
The Daily Record - July 21

Opinion piece by Andrew Baida, JD, an adjunct professor of appellate advocacy at the School of Law, who offers a checklist of 34 points of legal advocacy.
www.mddailyrecord.com

Womenýs Brains Are Different from MenýsýAnd Hereýs Scientific Proof
The Independent - July 18

Boys, on the other hand, are more likely than girls to be diagnosed with autism, Tourette's syndrome, dyslexia, attention-deficit disorder and early-onset schizophrenia. The review reports that Margaret McCarthy, PhD, professor at the School of Medicine, believes that hormone-like substances called prostaglandins, which help masculinize the male brain around the time of birth, may be partly to blame.
www.independent.co.uk

Young Drivers Getting a Lesson in Economics
The Washington Post - July 21

As the nation's unprecedented jump in gas prices takes a toll across the region, many teenagers say they, too, are feeling the pinch. Laurie Johnson of Olney said that her eldest daughter, Kathy, 19, will be living on campus at the School of Pharmacy in Baltimore rather than commuting there as the family had planned. "We really thought she would save money by living at home and driving every day," Johnson said. But as prices climbed, the economics shifted.
www.washingtonpost.com

Business News Summary
The Daily Record - July 18

The University of Maryland, Baltimore raised $68.7 million in fiscal 2008, which ended June 30, setting a record for a single year of fundraising, according to university officials. To put that amount in perspective, an ambitious, multiyear fundraising effort at UMB in the early 1990s known as the ýMinds of Maryland Campaigný concluded with a little less than $74 million collected. Now, UMB officials say they expect to surpass that amount over the next 12 months, reaching the point where the sums once raised in multiyear campaigns are now generated in just one year.
www.mddailyrecord.com

Names & Faces
Gazette.net - July 18

The Maryland Stem Cell Research Commission elected Karen Rothenberg JD, chair and Brenda Crabbs vice chair. Rothenberg, dean and Marjorie Cook professor of law at the School of Law, succeeds Linda Powers, who completed her two-year term. Crabbs is a former chair of the Maryland chapter of the National Arthritis Foundation and a member of its medical and scientific council.
www.gazette.net

Risks in Ordering Drugs by Internet on the Rise
Science Daily - July 18
Armenian Medical Network -July 18
GAO News [General Accounting Office] - July 18
Medical News Today - July 18

A report from the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy concludes that consumers are facing a growing risk of getting counterfeit drugs because of rising Internet sales of medical drugs, projected to reach upwards of $75 billion by 2010. The report calls for stronger enforcement legislation than current proposals in Congress. Counterfeit drugs get into the U.S. through different sources, but those through illegitimate Internet sites are of special concern, says report author Francis Palumbo, PhD, JD, executive director of the Schoolýs Center on Drugs and Public Policy at the University of Maryland, Baltimore.
www.sciencedaily.com
www.health.am
www.medicalnewstoday.com
www.gao.gov

Area Hospitals Focus on Healthier Food Choices
Annapolis Capital - July 10

Anne Arundel Medical Center is one of four hospitals in the state to join a national program aimed at improving the health of patients and staff by using organic food products. Across the country, 122 hospitals have joined Health Care Without Harm's effort to produce foods without pesticides or antibiotics. "This food is not only nutritious, but less processed food that comes from a food system that is socially responsible," said Louise Mitchell, sustainable foods coordinator for the University of Maryland School of Nursing's Hospitals for a Healthy Environment.
www.hometownannapolis.com

Community Backs Officer with Rare Disease
The Gazette - July 17

Businesses, residents, and police officers are rallying in support of a county officer diagnosed in May with a rare type of lymphoma. Maria Baer, MD, a professor at the School of Medicine, said histiocytic sarcoma accounts for less than 1 percent of all lymphomas. "It's extremely rare," she said.
www.gazette.net

Cost of Heating Oil on the Rise in New England
Malden Observer - July 16

New England residents could be headed for a particularly chilly winter as the cost of home heating oil continues to soar. In Massachusetts alone, prices have jumped more than 80 percent in the last year alone. Experts argue that excessive speculation in energy markets is partly to blame, forcing American consumers to face tough financial times at the expense of large financial institutions, pension funds, and hedge funds. Michael Greenberger, JD, professor at the School of Law and a former director at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, said ýtighter control on speculators and market manipulation could immediately reduce fuel prices by 25 percent.ý
www.wickedlocal.com

Genetic Variation May Raise AIDS Infection Risk in Africans
Bloomberg.com - July 16

HIV risk may jump 40 percent in people of African ancestry because of a slight genetic change, according to researchers who say the mutation might help account for the spread of the AIDS virus in Africa. Developers of HIV vaccines and drugs should immediately begin testing people in their studies to see whether they were born with the risk-raising gene version, scientists said. "You would want to know whether people have this variant and take that into account in your studies," said Anthony DeVico, PhD, a professor and an HIV researcher at the School of Medicine. "Without knowing the background genetics, you could underestimate or overestimate the effectiveness of a vaccine in a racial group."
www.bloomberg.com

SINI2008 Opening
hi-blogs.info - July 16
Informaticopia - July 16

SINI2008, the 18th Annual Summer Institute in Nursing Informatics, starts today at the School of Nursing.
differance-engine.net
www.rodspace.co.uk

When Banks Go Bad, is Phil Gramm to Blame?
Metrowest Newspapers - July 17

Former Texas Sen. Phil Gramm was the chief supporter of the Commodity Futures Modernization Act of 2000 (CFMA) that, once passed, shielded financial institutions from so-called over-regulation. But the CFMA also created the Enron loophole and, some say, paved the way for the subprime mortgage meltdown. Michael Greenberger, JD, professor at the School of Law and a former director at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, said "if the Enron loophole is removed, you get at least a 25 percent drop in the cost of oil ... some people estimate 50 percent."
www.metrowestfyi.com

Baltimore Children Face Hunger
The (Baltimore) Sun - July 16
The (Baltimore) Examiner - July 16

Nearly one in eight families taking children to the University of Maryland Medical Center's emergency room and primary care clinic lack enough food to ensure good nutritionýputting the youngsters at risk for growth and learning problems, a study has found. The pervasiveness of the problem is often disguised by the tendency of many poorly nourished people to become overweight or obese, said Maureen Black, PhD, professor at the School of Medicine and the study's director.
www.baltimoresun.com
www.examiner.com

Business Briefs
Catonsville Times - July 16

Among the grants from the Maryland Technology Development Corporation last month was one for Nabile Safdar MD, assistant professor at the School of Medicine, to research a computer-aided detection application to help in the diagnosis of cartilage injuries.
www.explorebaltimorecounty.com

High Five: Bonatti Is a Leading Heart Surgeon
The (Baltimore) Examiner - July 16

Johannes Bonatti, MD, a new professor at the School of Medicine, is recognized as one of the worldýs most experienced surgeons in minimally invasive heart operations.

Laughter Every Day Might Just Keep the Doctor Away
Eureka (Calif.) Reporter - July 16

In 2005, researcher Michael Miller, MD, associate professor at the School of Medicine, found that among members of a volunteer group watching a scene from the comedy movie King Pin, the inner lining of their blood vessels expanded to increase blood flow. But the opening scene of Saving Private Ryan had the reverse effect. Miller also found that people with heart disease were 40 percent less likely to laugh in a variety of situations than those of the same age with healthy hearts.
www.eurekareporter.com

Sweet Taste Receptors Studied
MedicalNewsToday.com - July 16

Studies on sweet taste receptors are providing new evidence for biological factors that raise or lower sensitivity to sweet tastes and might stoke desire for cookies, cake, ice cream and other sweet treats. In a symposium, Steven Munger, PhD, associate professor at the School of Medicine, will present recent findings on a hormone known as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) that appears to modulate sensitivity to sweet tastes.
www.medicalnewstoday.com

In Good Health, Hospitals and Head Trauma
The Frederick News-Post Online - July 15

When a 9-year-old girl died of head and abdominal injuries after being sent home from Frederick Memorial Hospital last month, some pointed fingers at the hospital. CT scans and other such procedures typically are not performed unless the patient exhibits hard symptoms, like unconsciousness, confusion, memory loss, repeated vomiting in a child or any vomiting in an adult, seizures, loss of balance or weakness, said Larry Weiss, MD, JD, professor of emergency medicine at the School of Medicine and president of the American Academy of Emergency Medicine. Patients with normal sensory function and no hard symptoms may be discharged immediately, he said. If the patient has had any of the above symptoms that have diminished before being seen by a physician, the academy recommends a six- to 24-hour observation period or a CT scan, Weiss said.
www.fredericknewspost.com

Robot Heart Surgery Expert Joins UM
Baltimore Sun - July 15

A world expert in minimally invasive heart bypass surgery has joined the surgery department at the University of Maryland. Johannes Bonatti, MD, professor of surgery at the School of Medicine and a cardiac surgeon at the University of Maryland Medical Center, has moved to Baltimore from Innsbruck University Hospital in Innsbruck, Austria, where he was a cardiac surgeon and an associate professor of surgery. He takes his new position today. Bonatti has performed more than 300 heart surgeries using the DaVinci robot.
www.baltimoresun.com

UMB Gets Seven of 22 Research Projects
BioRegionNews.com - July 14

The Maryland Industrial Partnerships Program today announced the approval of 22 research projects partnering Maryland companies with researchers at universities to develop high-tech products. The University of Maryland, Baltimore was awarded seven of the 22 grants.
www.bioregionnews.com

Greenberger Testifies in Favor of Regulation, Transparency
The Wall Street Journal - July 11

In a series of hearings July 10 and 11, lawmakers heard a plethora of arguments for and against cracking down on excessive speculation in U.S. oil markets. Michael Greenberger, JD, professor at the School of Law and a former director at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, urged two House committees to consider tougher oversight of oil futures trading.
online.wsj.com

Half Man Half Tree
Thaindian News - July 14

Dede, a 35-year-old Indonesian fisherman who feared that he would be killed by tree-like growths on his body, will recover from the ugly warts covering his hands and body. Anthony Gaspari, MD, professor at the School of Medicine, diagnosed Dedeýs condition as a result of the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). The condition has forced cellular machinery of his skin cells to produce massive amounts of the substance that creates the coetaneous horns on his hands and feet. Dedeýs condition will be cleared up by a daily dose of a synthetic form of vitamin A, which has been shown to arrest the growth of warts in severe cases of HPV.
www.thaindian.com

Senators Target Oil Speculation
NationalJournal.com - July 11

A bipartisan trio of U.S. senators introduced the Commodity Speculation Reform Act of 2008, a measure that aims to curb the soaring cost of food and energy by curtailing excessive speculation and beefing up staff numbers at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). Michael Greenberger, JD, professor at the School of Law and a former director at the CFTC, said there is ýa lot of steamý behind the Senate bill.
www.nationaljournal.com

Time for Dixon to Step Aside from Redevelopment
Red Maryland (blog) - July 10

At a time when Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon is being investigated by the state prosecutor's office for buying practices while she was president of the City Council, her administration is responsible for overseeing more than $1.3 billion in publicly funded redevelopment projects. The prudent and honorable thing for Dixon to do while she is under investigation would be to recuse herself from any decisions regarding these projects. The major projects the Dixon administration oversees includes the University of Maryland, Baltimore, which is investing in a $300 million biotechnology park located in the 800 and 900 blocks of West Baltimore Street.
redmaryland.blogspot.com

UMB Reduces Energy Load by 20 Million Kwh
Today's Facility Manager (TFM, New Jersey) blog - July 14

Utility technology company Comverge announced today the successful results of its demand response program at the University of Maryland, Baltimoreýwith an electricity load reduction of more than 20 million kilowatt-hours in two years. That is enough energy to power approximately 2 million homes with electricity for two months.
todaysfacilitymanager.com

Doctors Launch Study to Better Treat Seizures
wjz.com - July 10

Every year up to 60,000 people have prolonged seizures that in some cases can last for several hours. The formal name is status epilepticus. They are prolonged seizures combined with convulsions. When it happens, patients are often rushed to the emergency room which is why local ER doctors want to find the best possible treatment. Richard Lichenstein, MD, associate professor at the School of Medicine, says seizures can continue for hours and in extreme cases, days. They often indicate the presence of epilepsy.
wjz.com

Rothenberg to Chair Maryland Stem Cell Research Commission
Baltimore Business Journal - July 10
The Daily Record - July 10

The Maryland Stem Cell Research Commission has appointed Karen Rothenberg, JD, MPA, as its new chairwoman. Rothenberg is dean and the Marjorie Cook Professor of Law at the School of Law. She succeeds Linda Powers, who recently completed a two-year term as chairwoman of the stem cell commission. Rothenberg's term as chair will last one year.
baltimore.bizjournals.com
www.mddailyrecord.com

UMB Gets Six of 22 Research Projects
MarketWatch - July 9
Baltimore Business Journal - July 9

The Maryland Industrial Partnerships Program today announced the approval of 22 research projects partnering Maryland companies with researchers at universities to develop high-tech products. The University of Maryland, Baltimore was awarded six of the 22 grants.
www.marketwatch.com
baltimore.bizjournals.com

Bloomberg Says Speculators Aren't to Blame
WNYC, New York Public Radio - July

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg told reporters that soaring oil prices are not the result of excessive speculation in unregulated markets, but a sign that more and more people are using energy. But Michael Greenberger, JD, professor at the School of Law and a former director at the U.S.Commodity Futures Trading Commission, said supply and demand is only one piece of the puzzle. ýAll of this could be laid at the steps of thinking that free markets will protect themselves,ý said Greenberger. ýThey need regulation and we learned that in the 1920s.ý
www.wnyc.org

Crash Crunch Cracks Crime
The (Baltimore) Sun - July 10

Jeremy Gunderson, spokesman for the Highway Safety Office of the State Highway Administration, said that if it proves effective, Baltimore County's program of increased police presence could be adopted by other Maryland jurisdictions. He said the Charles ýMcCý Mathias Jr. National Study Center for Trauma and Emergency Medical Systems at the University of Maryland, Baltimore will evaluate the program results.
www.baltimoresun.com

EpiVax Receives $600,000 Grant for Diabetes Treatment
MedicalNewsToday.com ý July 10

EpiVax, Inc., of Providence, R.I., is the recipient of a $600,000 grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases to develop a drug for the prevention and treatment of a type of diabetes. The companyýs research program will be carried out in collaboration with David Scott, PhD, professor at the School of Medicine, and Robert Smith, MD, of the Hallett Center for Diabetes and Endocrinology at Rhode Island Hospital.
www.medicalnewstoday.com

Greenberger on Oil Prices
The Corner (National Review Online blog) - July 9

Almost every attack on former senator and current John McCain adviser Phil Gramm has featured a quote or two from School of Law Professor Michael Greenberger, JD. He has also been in the news as a prominent voice against the view that speculators are driving up the price of oil. In a recent report for a Senate subcommittee, Republican and Democratic staffers joined forces to question Greenberger's credibility.
corner.nationalreview.com

House Panel Continues Hearings on Commodities Exchange Act
AgWeb.com - July 10

Legislation on the area of regulation of the commodity futures markets might be developed by the House Committee on Agriculture in time so that it can reach the House floor before lawmakers depart for the August congressional recess. Today's hearing features testimony from Michael Greenberger, JD, a professor at the School of Law.
www.agweb.com

Prostate Cancer Therapy May Not Help Some Men
WJZ-TV, Ch.13, 5:30 p.m. - July 9
WJZ.com - July 9

A popular hormonal treatment for prostate cancer does nothing to extend the lives of men over age 65 with early-stage tumors and may actually be harmful. "Overall, I agree with the results of this paper," said Michael Naslund, MD, MBA, a professor at the School of Medicine. "I use hormonal therapy quite a bit in different types of patients but would not use it in an older man with localized treatment who chooses not to be treated otherwise."
wjz.com

Stay-at-Home Dads
WBAL-Radio, 5 p.m. - July 9

Frederick DiBlasio, PhD, MSW, a professor at the School of Social Work, was quoted in a story about a stay-at-home dads group.

The Three-Minute Interview: Magaly Rodriguez de Bittner
The Baltimore Examiner - July 10

Magaly Rodriguez de Bittner, PharmD, chairwoman of the Department of Pharmacy Practice and Sciences at the School of Pharmacy, was recently named president of the Maryland Pharmacists Association. Asked how she will advocate for pharmacists, she said she wants to establish a dialogue with other health-care providers in the state.
www.examiner.com

UMB Study Finds Fewer Blacks in Cancer Studies
WFMZ-TV.com (Allentown, Pa.) - July 8

Across the state, minorities and residents of rural areas are underrepresented in cancer trials, according to a new study from University of Maryland School of Medicine researchers. And the study found that rates of participation among African-Americans are dropping. "The studies may not be generalizable to" all ethnic and geographic groups, said the report's lead author, Claudia Baquet, MD, MPH, a professor of medicine and director of the Schoolýs Center for Health Disparities.
hosted.ap.org

Weight Loss and Lifestyle
The (Baltimore) Sun - July 10

Hypertension and other obesity-related chronic diseases that are prevalent among adults are now increasingly common in youngsters. Just this week, the American Academy of Pediatrics called for more aggressive screening and treatment of children to combat high cholesterol. Maureen Black, PhD, professor of pediatrics at the School of Medicine, says what makes some weight-loss options better than others is how their approaches to diet and exercise incorporate a healthy lifestyle. "Whatever you do to lose weight, be it surgical or nonsurgical, if you don't have a lifestyle change, you will not sustain it," Black said.
www.baltimoresun.com

Another Biotech Firm's CEO to Step Down
The Gazette - July 9

For the second time in two weeks, a giant of Marylandýs biotech industry announced plans to step down. Last week it was Edward Rudnic, PhD, who is resigning as CEO from MiddleBrook Pharmaceuticals, Inc., the Germantown company he founded in 1999. Rudnic is also on the board of the entity managing the BioPark at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, and is an adjunct associate professor at the School of Pharmacy.
www.gazette.net

Cautionary Note About Prostates
The (Baltimore) Sun - July 9

A popular hormonal treatment for prostate cancer does nothing to extend the lives of men over age 65 with early-stage tumors and may actually be harmful, according to a study published today. "Overall, I agree with the results of this paper," said Michael Naslund, MD, MBA, a professor at the School of Medicine. "I use hormonal therapy quite a bit in different types of patients but would not use it in an older man with localized treatment who chooses not to be treated otherwise."
www.baltimoresun.com

Disparity in Cancer Trials
The (Baltimore) Sun - July 9
The (Baltimore) Examiner - July 9

Across the state, minorities and residents of rural areas are under represented in cancer trials, according to a new study from University of Maryland researchers. And the study found that rates of participation among African-Americans are dropping. "Everyone should have an equal chance of participating in a trial. That does not happen," said Shiraz Mishra, PhD, MBBS, an associate professor at the School of Medicine and one of the study's authors. "The studies may not be generalizable to" all ethnic and geographic groups, said the report's lead author, Claudia Baquet, MD, MPH, a professor of medicine and director of the School's Center for Health Disparities.
www.baltimoresun.com
www.examiner.com

For the Professors: A Changing of the Guard
The New York Times - July 9

Geoffrey Greif, DSW, MSW, a professor at the School of Social Work, wrote a letter to the editors, saying, ýYour article discussed the changes that have befallen campuses, causing faculties to shift from the left toward the center. Another reason for this shift could be the greater emphasis most universities place on acquiring grants. Anyone entering academia is expected to publish and get grants. Involvement in campus and social issues (as well as teaching) may not be wise when that time could be spent on research and other steps leading to promotion and tenure. The university as an institution may suffer as a result.
www.nytimes.com

Greenberger to Testify Before Congressional Committees
Feedstuffs - July 8

Energy and agricultural futures markets will take center stage as two House committees ask whether soaring prices should be blamed on excessive speculation or on supply not keeping pace with demand. Michael Greenberger, JD, professor at the School of Law and a former director at the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, will testify on Thursday before the House Committee on Agriculture and the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies. He will testify again on Friday before the House Committee on Agriculture.
www.feedstuffs.com
agriculture.house.gov
appropriations.house.gov

Law Students Rush to Meet Needs in Booming Field of Immigration
Immigration Station blog (from The Washington Post) - July 8

A subject that three decades ago was a secondary, technical field delegated to adjunct professors is booming at law schools nationwide. Elective immigration-law courses taught by tenured specialists are filling lecture halls, immigration clinics are expanding, and student groups devoted to the subject are mushrooming. In the past three years, students at the University of Maryland School of Law, George Mason University, and Harvard University have founded immigration law groups.
immigrationstation.blogspot.com

Man Serves Four Months for Crime He Didn't Commit
Maryland Gazette - June 25

Commenting on the case, Douglas Colbert, JD, a professor at the School of Law, said it illustrates a significant weakness in the state's criminal justice system. "This is inexcusable. ... Where were the prosecutors? Where were the defense attorneys? Where were the checks and balances?" he said
www.hometownannapolis.com

Medicaid to Cover Minor Drug Treatment
The (Baltimore) Examiner - July 9

Maryland doctors can get reimbursed for identifying and treating drug abusers through Medicaid, Bush administration officials announced this week. The move marks a dramatic shift toward treating drug abuse as a medical issue rather than a social failing, Baltimore doctors said. ýItýs definitely a step in the right direction,ý said Christopher Welsh, MD, a psychiatrist and assistant professor with the School of Medicine. ýThereýs a lot of good evidence that for people who are early in having problems with drugs or alcohol, a few minutes with a physician can make a lot of difference.ý Anthony Tomasello, PhD, MS, former director of the Office of Substance Abuse Studies at the School of Pharmacy and now a field medical adviser for Reckitt Benckiser, said, ýIt is a good first step.ý
www.examiner.com

Organic Farm in White Hall Supplies Produce for Patients
North County News - July 7

Last week, four hospitals in the state announced they will add fresher foods to their menus. Carroll Hospital Center, Sinai Hospital, Anne Arundel Medical Center, and Mercy Medical Center will serve local produce, meat, and other items as part of the Local Foods for Local Hospitals initiative coordinated by the School of Nursing. Louise Mitchell, sustainable foods coordinator at the School, is in charge of the project, which calls for greater reliance on locally produced foods, reducing the health risks from the use of pesticides, hormones or antibiotics.
www.explorebaltimorecounty.com

Petition Asks Army to Halt Using Live Animals in Training
The Gazette - July 9

Pentagon officials are considering a petition asking them to halt the use of live animals for teaching medical procedures at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda. The University of Maryland School of Medicine uses computer and mechanical simulation
www.gazette.net

Providence Firm Wins NIH Grant
The Providence Journal - July 9

EpiVax, Inc., of Providence, R.I., said yesterday that it has won a $600,000 grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases to develop a drug for the prevention and treatment of a type of diabetes. The companyýs research program will be carried out in collaboration with David Scott, PhD, professor at the School of Medicine and Robert Smith, MD, of the Hallett Center for Diabetes and Endocrinology at Rhode Island Hospital.
www.projo.com

A Cry to Help Save Homes in Maryland
The (Baltimore) Sun - July 8

The Foreclosure Prevention Pro Bono Project will train lawyers to take on cases, advise homeowners or assist housing counseling agencies. Robert Bell, JD, chief judge of Maryland's Court of Appeals, sent letters dated yesterday to every licensed attorney in Marylandýmore than 33,000 in allýasking them to volunteer their time or donate money. "He's acting in the best tradition of the judiciary," said Michael Millemann, JD, professor at the School of Law. "He's not taking a position on the merits of any foreclosure dispute. ... All he's saying is, 'Let's balance the process.'"
www.baltimoresun.com

Cigar Letter Called Error
The (Baltimore) Sun - July 8

Peter Franchot, comptroller of Maryland, scrambled yesterday to offer his support for a proposed city ban on the individual sale of cheap cigars days after his office wrote a letter to Baltimore officials arguing that the ban would be illegal. Kathleen Dachille, JD, director of the Legal Resource Center for Tobacco Regulation, Litigation, and Advocacy at the School of Law, who worked with the health department in support of the proposal, said her interpretation of the law is that the city may regulate such businesses if the state has not done so aggressively. She said there are few state regulations on the books for cigar sales.
www.baltimoresun.com

Federal Judge Messitte to Take Senior Status
The Daily Record - July 8

U.S. District Judge Peter Messitte, JD, has notified President Bush that he will take senior status effective Sept. 1. School of Law Professor William Reynolds, JD, who studies the appellate courts, said Messitte is seen as a ýbrightý judge who ýthinks carefully and creatively about issues.ý
www.mddailyrecord.com

Immigration Programs Growing at Law Schools
Daily News-Record (Harrisonburg, Va.) - July 8

American University has had an immigration division within its human rights clinic for several years, and students at law schools such as those at the University of Maryland, George Mason University, and Harvard University have formed immigration law groups in the past few years. Given the highly politicized nature of the immigration debate, coupled with the size of the immigrant population, the demand for this legal specialty is expected to continue to grow.
www.dailynews-record.com

Local Food for Local Hospitals
The Frederick News-Post - July 8

Last week, four hospitals in the state announced they will add fresher foods to their menus. Carroll Hospital Center, Sinai Hospital, Anne Arundel Medical Center, and Mercy Medical Center will serve local produce, meat, and other items as part of the Local Foods for Local Hospitals initiative coordinated by the School of Nursing.
www.fredericknewspost.com

Plant Could Help Fight Cancer
The Jamaica Observer - June 6
Jamaicaobserver.com - June 6

The Jamaican ball moss is something you might ignore. Yet the inconspicuous plant is one of two plants endemic to Jamaica that a research team at the School of Medicineýs Center for Human Virology has found to have anti-cancer properties.
www.jamaicaobserver.com

UMB Reduces Energy Load by 20 Million kwh
CNN - July 8

Utility technology company Comverge announced today the successful results of its demand response programs at the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB)ýwith an electricity load reduction of more than 20 million kilowatt-hours in two years. That is enough energy to power approximately 2 million homes with electricity for two months. "Serving as our Curtailment Service Provider (CSP) or broker in the PJM Demand Response Programs, Comverge became a facilitator for reducing our peak demand and overall consumption, which ultimately contributed to reducing our carbon footprint and emission levels," said Michael Krone, utility operations manager for UMB.
money.cnn.com

Another Biotech CEO to Leave
The Gazette of Politics and Business - July 4

For the second time in two weeks, a giant of Marylandýs biotech industry has announced plans to step down. Last week it was CEO David M. Mott leaving MedImmune. This week itýs Edward Rudnic, PhD, an associate professor at the School of Pharmacy, who is resigning as CEO from MiddleBrook Pharmaceuticals, the Germantown company he founded in 1999. Rudnic is also on the board of the entity that manages the University of Maryland BioPark.
www.gazette.net

Can Arrests Solve Our Border Woes?
The (Baltimore) Sun - July 5

Maureen Sweeney, JD, a clinical instructor who teaches in the immigration clinic at the School of Law, wrote a letter to the editor, saying, ýIn this 21st century, in which people, ideas, commerce, and information will continue to flow more and more freely across borders and around our shrinking globe, our federal system charged with regulating the all-important flow of people has broken down.ý
www.baltimoresun.com

Cashing Out: The Bail Bonds Industry in Baltimore is Huge
City Paper - July 2

The bail bonds industry, according to Doug Colbert, JD, is "an incredibly powerful, influential, and profitable industry." Colbert, a professor at the School of Law, estimates that bail bondsmen statewide make between $100 and $150 million each year. It's a system that Colbert would like to see reformedýwith a supervised release program for nonviolent and minor offenders taking the place of the current system, where it all comes down to cash and who can pay it.
www.citypaper.com

Laparascopic Incisional Ventral Hernia Repair from University of Maryland Medical Center
FutureTechToday.com blog - June 24

On Sept. 14, 2005, at 4 p.m., webcast viewers watched as Adrian Park, MD, a professor at the School of Medicine and chief of general surgery at University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC), and his colleague, Scott Roth, MD, also an assistant professor at the School and director of surgical endoscopy at UMMC, performed a laparoscopic incisional/ventral hernia repairýa procedure that Park helped pioneer. At UMMC, most hernias are repaired laparoscopically rather than as an open procedureýthe standard treatment at many other institutions.
www.futuretechtoday.com

Law Students Rush to Meet Needs in Booming Field of Immigration
The Washington Post - July 7

A subject that three decades ago was a secondary, technical field delegated to adjunct professors is booming at law schools nationwide. Elective immigration law courses taught by tenured specialists are filling lecture halls, immigration clinics are expanding, and student groups devoted to the subject are mushrooming. The momentum is partly driven by a high-profile, rancorous immigration debate. But it is also the result of an era of mass immigration that has fueled demand from foreigners and businesses seeking help navigating U.S. immigration statutes and has created a generation of law students intimately familiar with the issue, often because they are children of immigrants or immigrants themselves. In the past three years, students at the University of Maryland School of Law, George Mason University, and Harvard University have founded immigration law groups.
www.washingtonpost.com

Loopholes and Oil Prices
The Newark Star Ledger - July 6

In December 2000, Congress passed the Commodity Futures Modernization Act (CFMA), which experts say created the so-called ýEnron Loopholeýýa provision that effectively exempted from regulation energy trading on electronic platforms in the U.S. The resulting excessive trading and speculation was a catalyst for the energy crisis in California in 2001 and could be to blame for record-high oil prices today. Michael Greenberger, JD, professor at the School of Law and a former director at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, said because of the CFMA, regulators have no way of gauging the extent of speculation on electronic markets, limiting their ability to detect price manipulation.
www.nj.com

Nationýs Worst Polluter Thumbs Nose at Law, With White House Approval
Ihatewhatyoujustsaid.com blog - July 7
Winter Patriot.com blog - July 3
Military-Quotes.com blog - June 30
ThePumpHandle.com blog - June 30

The Pentagon and the Environmental Protection Agency are mired in a dispute over the pace of environmental clean-ups at Maryland's Fort Meade and Fort Detrick, where contamination from fuels and munitions for years seeped into soil and groundwater. "This is stunning," said Rena Steinzor, JD, a professor at the School of Law and president of the nonprofit Center for Progressive Reform, who helped write the Superfund laws as a congressional staffer. "The idea that they would refuse to sign a final orderýthat is the height of amazing nerve."
winterpatriot.blogspot.com
www.ihatewhatyoujustsaid.com
www.military-quotes.com
thepumphandle.wordpress.com

Oil Speculators in Congressional Crosshairs
McClatchy Newspapers - July 7
Fortune - July 7
Bellingham Herald - July 6
High Plains/Midwest Ag Journal - July

Congress is expected to put oil prices at the top of its legislative list starting this week once lawmakers return from their holiday hiatus. A cornucopia of bills in both the House and the Senate are targeting speculative activity in unregulated markets, which some analysts blame for driving up the cost of oil as much as 50 percent. "We need to look at these markets very closely to see whatýs going on with them," said Michael Greenberger, JD, professor at the School of Law and a former director at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. "My opinion is a meaningful investigation will drain speculation from the markets," Greenberger said.
www.mcclatchydc.com
www.bellinghamherald.com
www.hpj.com
money.cnn.com

A Helping Hand (A Photo Story)
The (Baltimore) Examiner - July 3

Crystal Easter, 18, an intern at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, assists Iris Burrell and her 3-year-old son in using a new asthma education computer program that Easter and Richard Lichenstein, MD, associate professor at the School of Medicine and director of pediatric emergency medicine research, will be testing. A new report calls for more grants for young university faculty members and more mentoring for students like Easter who want to pursue science careers.

Fighting Tooth and Nail
The (Baltimore) Sun - July 3

"Patients need to know what's being placed in their mouths," said Howard Strassler, DMD, director of operative dentistry at the Dental School. "Tens of millions of Americans have amalgam in their mouths." "Studies over and over again show no long-term effects," said Carroll-Ann Trotman, BDS, MA, MS, associate dean for academic affairs at the School. "Every time a filling is replaced, it puts the nerve of the tooth at risk," added Strassler. "To take out an existing filling, additional tooth structure must be removed, which may cause patients to need root canals in the future."
www.baltimoresun.com

German Firm, JHU Team Up for Surgery
The (Baltimore) Examiner - June 3

Surgeons are increasingly moving toward minimally invasive surgery, turning to high-tech tools to reduce the trauma and recovery time. Minimally invasive surgery means smaller incisions so there is less trauma and quicker recovery, said Scott Roth, MD, FACS, associate professor at the School of Medicine.
www.examiner.com

Maryland Tax Credit Program Draws Interest From Biotech
Washington Business Journal - July 2

Fourteen Maryland biotechnology companies applied for up to $6 million in state tax credits to help boost investments from individuals, companies, and venture capital groups. "It's often called the valley of death," David Block, CEO of Baltimore startup Gliknik, said about young biotechs' early fundraising efforts. Block was in line by 5 a.m. Tuesday to apply for the tax credits. The company received the credits last year and was able to use the private investments to launch the company in August 2007. Gliknik is among the first emerging companies to locate at the University of Maryland BioPark. "Our investors may not have invested as much if it weren't for the tax credit program," Block said after submitting the application.
baltimore.bizjournals.com

Other News to Note
TMCnet.com - July 2

RegeneRx Biopharmaceuticals Inc., of Bethesda, Md., received a second $100,000 award from the State of Maryland Industrial Partnerships program after completion of the first year's research goals. The company is working with the University of Maryland, Baltimore to develop novel pharmaceutical products aimed at preventing reperfusion injury associated with cardiac ischemia.
www.tmcnet.com

Quote of the Day
The (Baltimore) Examiner - July 1

Steven Soifer, PhD, MSW, an associate professor at the School of Social Work, was featured in the ýQuote of the Dayý for saying, ýWe know 7 percent of the population has shy bladder syndrome, but the reason we have formed this organization is because we are also dealing with people who are incontinent. When they gotta go, they gotta go.ý

Report Calls for Universities to Mentor Science Students
The (Baltimore) Examiner - July 3

High school studentsý summer jobs often involve flipping hamburgers. Antonio Finley clones cells at his. Finley graduated from Vivien T. Thomas Medical Arts Academy charter school in Baltimore a few weeks ago and became a molecular biology intern as part of a mentoring program for high school students at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. Recruiting younger students, such as 18-year-old Finley, is crucial for American universities to stay competitive in the scientific world, according to a report released Wednesday by an American Academy of Arts and Sciences panel.
www.examiner.com

The Three-Minute Interview
The (Baltimore) Examiner - July 3

Steven Soifer, PhD, MSW, an associate professor at the School of Social Work, is the subject of the column focusing on his expertise and advocacy work on reforming public restrooms. He is working on a book about how establishments can design "the perfect bathrooms."
www.examiner.com

Week in Review
The Daily Record - July 3

Evoking images of watery Jell-O and mystery meat, hospital food has a bad reputation for being mass-produced, bland and, ironically, unhealthy. No more. As part of the University of Maryland School of Nursingýs ýHealthy Food in Health Care Initiative,ý four Maryland hospitalsýMercy Medical Center, Sinai Hospital, Carroll Hospital Center, and Anne Arundel Medical Centerýhave pledged to change the way they think about food by committing to buy locally grown produce, organic foods, and non-modified meats and daily products.
www.mddailyrecord.com

Brush Away Tooth Pain
Prevention ý August 2008 edition

Plagued by sensitive teeth? A new type of relief is available. Two professors from the Dental School (Gary Hack, DDS, and Leonard Litkowski, DDS, MS) created NovaMin, a compound made with calcium and phosphorusýsome of the same minerals that form teeth and bones. Unlike traditional remedies, which dull nerve endings, NovaMin fills tiny teeth pores, covering exposed nerves.
www.prevention.com

IEA Report Disputed
SeekingAlpha.com - July 2

The International Energy Agency (IEA) released a report this week that argued growing speculation in oil markets is not to blame for soaring oil prices, saying the real culprit is supply and demand. Michael Greenberger, JD, professor at the School of Law and a former director at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, testified to the contrary before three congressional committees in June, telling lawmakers that on top of the supply/demand problem, excessive speculation by large financial institutions in unregulated oil markets is driving up the price of oil.
seekingalpha.com

Local Hospitals Switching to Homegrown Food
The (Baltimore) Examinerý - July 2
The Carroll County Times - July 2
The Daily Record - July 2
WJZ-TV.com -July 2
WJZ-TV, Ch. 13, 5:30 p.m. - July 1
WBAL-TV, Ch. 11, 5 p.m. - July 1
WMAR-TV, Ch. 2, 5 p.m. - July 1
WBFF-TV, Ch. 45, 11 p.m. - July 1

Four Baltimore-area hospitals have pledged full participation in the School of Nursingýs "Healthy Food in Health Care Initiative," a program that encourages hospitals to provide healthy, locally grown produce, organic foods, and meats and dairy products devoid of hormones. Mercy Medical Center, Sinai Hospital, Carroll Hospital Center, and Anne Arundel County Medical Center have all signed on, but the medical community is beginning to show even more interest. "Over 30 hospitals in the state are participating in some form," said Louise Mitchell, sustainable foods coordinator for Maryland Hospitals for a Healthy Environment at the School of Nursing.
www.examiner.com
www.carrollcountytimes.com
www.mddailyrecord.com
wjz.com

Still Rockin'
The (Baltimore) Sun - July 2

At a time when Baltimore officials are poised to make recommendations on a new indoor sports and concert arena, the aging facility that's being replaced, 1st Mariner Arena, is performing better than ever. J. Kirby Fowler, president of the Downtown Partnership, said city leaders' push for a new arena has everything to do with aging infrastructure and a building design that lacks street-level activity and that separates, rather than connects, areas of downtown from the University of Maryland, Baltimore to Charles Center.
www.baltimoresun.com

A Taste of Diversity
Nurse.com - June 30

"Maryland's Nursing Shortage: A Workforce Crisis," a report prepared by Barbara Heller, RN, FAAN, and Del Sweeney, PhD, at the Center for Health Workforce Development at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, found 74 percent of Marylandýs RNs in 2001 were Caucasian, 15 percent black, 5 percent Asian, 1 percent Hispanic, and 5 percent other. This is not representative of the state's ethnic diversity, which is 64 percent Caucasian, 28 percent black, 4 percent Asian, 4 percent Hispanic, and less than 1 percent other ethnic groups.
include.nurse.com

A Woman's Place
The Urbanite - July

According to 2007 figures from Baltimore Substance Abuse Systems, Inc., nearly 40 percent of the more than 21,000 people treated for addiction last year at publicly funded facilities were women. Anthony Tommasello, PhD, MS, director of the Office of Substance Abuse Studies at the School of Pharmacy, says women have unique challenges that can hinder their long-term treatment success: ýFor instance, who will care for a womanýs children or family while she is undergoing care?ý
www.urbanitebaltimore.com

Dixon Calls Ethics Probe Racist, Sexist
WBAL-TV, Ch. 11, 5 p.m. - June 30

In addition to calling the ethics probe against her racist and sexist, Mayor Sheila Dixon also blasted leaks in the case, speculating that the seed for the investigation was planted by someone at City Hall. School of Law Professor Taunya Banks, JD, agreed. "It undercuts public confidence in the legal system, in the courts. ý Grand jury proceedings are secret. They're secret for a reason," Banks said. The leaks amount to a pretrial in the press, according to Banksýa pretrial that could result in some big legal questions. "Assuming there is an indictment, this affects the case. The question is, has all this pretrial publicity tainted the jury pool?" Banks questioned.
www.wbaltv.com

Lord of the Loos
Baltimore magazine - July

"My vision is that ARA becomes the AAA of public restrooms," says American Restroom Association co-founder Steven Soifer, PhD, MSW. An associate professor at the School of Social Work in Baltimore, Soifer helped launch the group in 2004. Although his academic specialty is community organizing, a personal interest in paruresis, or "shy bladder" syndrome, has opened up a veritable Pandora's box of potty issues.
www.baltimoremagazine.net

Maryland Law School Dean Stepping Down
Law.com ý July 1
Blog of The Legal Times ý June 26

Karen H. Rothenberg, JD, announced Wednesday that next year she will be stepping down as dean of the School of Law. When she leaves next June, she will have served 10 years at the School's helm.
www.law.com
legaltimes.typepad.com

McCain Responds to Top Aide's Connection to Mortgage Crisis
Philadelphia Daily News - July 1

Sen. John McCainýs campaign co-chair and economic advisor is former Texas Sen. Phil Gramm, the chief supporter of the Commodity Futures Modernization Act of 2000. That bill, once passed, shielded credit default swaps (CDS) from regulation, allowing banks to offer investors a form of off-the-radar insurance (in name only) for buying bank-created securities composed of a veritable zip file of subprime mortgages. Michael Greenberger, JD, professor at the School of Law and a former director of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, said unregulated CDS ýhave been at the heart of the subprime meltdown.ý
www.philly.com

Pentagon, EPA at Odds
The (Baltimore) Sun - July 1, 2008
The Swamp - July 1
CleanSkies.tv - July 1
The Washington Post - June 30
Christian Science Monitor - June 30

The Pentagon and the Environmental Protection Agency are mired in a dispute over the pace of environmental cleanups at Maryland's Fort Meade and Fort Detrick, where contamination from fuels and munitions for years seeped into soil and groundwater. One environmental law expert said the Pentagon's stance is indefensible. "It is, in essence, the polluter defining how the cleanup should be done," said Rena Steinzor, JD, professor at the School of Law and president of the nonprofit Center for Progressive Reform. The EPA would typically sue private employers that refuse to sign cleanup orders. But the EPA would not take such action against the Pentagon, she said, because that would be tantamount to the government suing itself.
www.baltimoresun.com
weblogs.baltimoresun.com
features.csmonitor.com
www.washingtonpost.com

Served in South Carolina, Casually Attired Giannasca Appears for Court Hearing
The Daily Record - July 1

After skipping court dates last week in advance of a Baltimore judgeýs $33.6 million verdict against him and his co-defendants in former Raven Michael McCraryýs fraud lawsuit, Edward V. Giannasca II appeared as ordered in the Clarence M. Mitchell Jr. Courthouse on Monday morning. As for why Giannascaýs past absences matter now that the judgment has been entered, a law professor unconnected to the case said itýs probably a matter of maintaining respect for the courtýs instructions. ýIt might have something to do with the apportionment of damages among the parties, but itýs more that he ignored a judicial order,ý said William Reynolds, JD, Jacob A. France Professor of Judicial Process at the School of Law. ýJudges donýt like that.ý
www.mddailyrecord.com

The Statin Showdown
Forbes.com - June 30

Only giant clinical trials measuring hard outcomes like heart attacks, strokes, and deaths can tell doctors whether a heart drug's benefits outweigh its risks. "Until you put a drug in 10,000 people, you don't know what result you're going to get," says Robert Vogel, MD, a professor at the School of Medicine.
www.forbes.com

UM Prof Awarded $715K Grant
The Daily Record - July 1

Edward Pecukonis, PhD, MSW, an associate professor at the School of Social Work, has been awarded a five-year, $715,000 leadership training grant by the Health Resources and Services Administration, a unit of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The grant will pay for the work of the School's Center for Maternal and Child Health Social Work Education, one of only three programs in the country receiving money to provide social work training in maternal and child health, according to an announcement from the University.
www.mddailyrecord.com

Why We Need to Put Science Back in Government
AlterNet.org - June 30

Over the 71⁄2 years of the Bush administration, it's hard to name a major U.S. government regulatory agency that hasn't seen some type of scandal involving science. From the Environmental Protection Agency to the Bureau of Land Management to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, we've heard repeated complaints from government scientists who say that their work on environmental issues has been inappropriately edited by political appointees, that they themselves have been muzzled, and that their agencies have put out rank misinformation to the public. Rena Steinzor, JD, a professor at the School of Law and president of the Center for Progressive Reform, notes, "The problem is not just that they put these panels together outside of FACA [Federal Advisory Committee Act], outside of that statutory protection." Additional issues arise when it comes to ensuring that advisory committees formed under FACA aren't rife with conflicts of interest. The law allows the granting of "waivers" that let potentially conflicted scientists serve anyway, and this has been widely abused. "The disclosures are late, never publicized, and conflicts are waived all the time," says Steinzor.
www.alternet.org