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In the News
March 2005
March 30 update.
Before Schiavo, 1991 Case Led to Landmark Maryland Law
Associated Press ý March 30
Washington Post ý March 30
WBAL-TV, Channel 11, 5 p.m., 6 p.m. ý March 30
John Fader II, JD, a former judge and currently a senior judicial fellow and lecturer in the School of Law, heard a case argued by C. Christopher Brown, JD, associate professor, School of Law, when Brown represented the wife of a man named Ronald Mack. Mack was said to be in a vegetative state. A ruling by Fader ensured that a feeding tube for Mack stayed in place. The landmark decision in Maryland led to Maryland's living will law. Two principal architects of the law were Diane Hoffmann, JD, now the associate dean, School of Law, and Karen Rothenberg, JD, MPA, dean, School of Law.
www.baltimoresun.com
www.washingtonpost.com
Careers in Health Care Supplement
Baltimore Sun - March 30
A special advertising section profiles the pursuit of nursing as a second career. "Second career nursing students bring unique and varied academic and work backgrounds to the nursing role," says Janet Allan, PhD, RN, CS, FAAN. A major attraction of nursing remains the personal satisfaction nurses experience from caring for patients. Mary Etta Mills, ScD, RN, FAAN, assistant dean for baccalaureate studies, School of Nursing, is quoted. Bob O'Bryhim, BSN, a 1996 graduate of the School, is quoted and pictured.
In Praise of a Doctor's ADHD Research
Norfolk Virginian-Pilot ý Feb. 20
The writer of a letter to the editor praises research conducted by a doctor at Eastern Virginia Medical School. Cited is recent research by Julie Magno Zito, MS, PhD, associate professor, School of Pharmacy, and School of Medicine, that "has documented startling increases in the use of stimulant medication nationally."
When Media, Religion, and Politics Collide
Baltimore Sun - March 27
An opinion columnist notes that the Terry Schiavo affair "reached feeding-frenzy warp speed a week ago." Quoted for their perspective on health care law are Robin Wilson, JD, associate professor, School of Law, and Gordon Young, JD, LLM, School of Law. Also quoted is John Fader II, JD, a former judge and currently a senior judicial fellow and lecturer in the School of Law.
www.baltimoresun.com
March 29 update.
Learning to Forgive is Healthy, Studies Show
The Age (Australia) ý March 27
Like acupuncture, meditation, and other alternative healing strategies, forgiveness has only recently become a respectable topic of scientific studies. In his clinical practice, Fred DiBlasio, PhD, professor, School of Social Work, has found that using forgiveness can speed up therapy. Also quoted is Lydia Temoshok, PhD, professor, School of Medicine, and director, Behavioral Medicine Program, Institute of Human Virology.
www.theage.com.au
Medicine and Modesty
Fort Worth Star-Telegram - March 28
Caryn Andrews, PhD, who received her doctorate from the School of Nursing in 2004, based the research in her dissertation on the question of whether religious Jews would be less likely to go for a mammogram because of some forms of modesty practiced in the Jewish community. The concept of modesty and its role in Jewish culture led Andrews, an oncology nurse practitioner at Northwest Hospital Center in Randallstown, to conduct a research project that examines whether modesty among Jewish women might discourage them from receiving breast cancer screenings.
Popular ADHD Drug Comes Under Greater Scrutiny from U.S. Parents
Asbury Park Press - March 29
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a public health advisory on its Web site saying that the rate of sudden death for children on Adderall XR is no higher than for those not on the drug. However, children with heart defects could be at higher risk. Parents are making decisions about stimulants such as Adderall XR with few facts, says Julie Magno Zito, MS, PhD, associate professor, School of Pharmacy, and School of Medicine.
www.app.com
March 28 update.
Justice's Family to Back BWI Renaming
Baltimore Sun - March 28
In a move to press the state Senate to support renaming Baltimore-Washington International Airport for Thurgood Marshall, lawmakers and African-American political leaders planned to hold a news conference March 28 featuring the civil rights pioneer's widow and son. "It is a little surprisingý that its future in the Senate seems a little uncertain. No senator has really stepped up and said they will take a lead role, says Larry Gibson, LLB, professor, School of Law, an organizer of the news conference.
www.baltimoresun.com
Know How to Pick 'Em
Daily Record ý March 25
The Maryland Defense Counsel, the Council on Jury Use and Management and Maryland Trial Lawyer's Association will sponsor an all-day symposium on the civil jury system from 7:45 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 29, at Westminster Hall in the School of Law. After an overview by Chief Judge Robert M. Bell, speakers will address the nuts and bolts of jury selection for newer practitioners, plans to improve the experience for people called for jury duty, and topics on the future of the jury system.
UM to Conduct Human Tests of Avian Flu Vaccine
Forbes.com ý March 24
Hagerstown Morning Herald ý March 24
Cambridge Daily Banner ý March 24
The School of Medicine and two other institutions next week will begin human tests of a vaccine designed to combat avian influenza, a virus widely feared for its potential to cause the next global pandemic. As a first step, researchers in the School will begin recruiting volunteers next week to test the vaccine. James Campbell, MD, assistant professor, School of Medicine, is quoted.
www.forbes.com
www.herald-mail.com
www.newszap.com
March 25 update.
A Burning Issue for Health
Baltimore Sun ý March 25
Barbara Sattler, PhD, RN, FAAN, research associate professor, director of the Environmental Health Center, School of Nursing, and nursing profession colleague Anna Gilmore Hall write in an opinion piece, "The unusual saga of Baltimore's Phoenix Services incinerator, the largest medical waste incinerator in the country, is about to reach a new level of public scrutiny, and the stakes are high for the health of local families."
www.baltimoresun.com
Acupuncture Works, Western Science is Finding
Baltimore Sun - March 25
At long last, Western scientists are beginning to demonstrate, by their own standards, what Chinese acupuncturists have been saying for millenniums: the effects of acupuncture are real, a health columnist writes. At the moment, Brian Berman, MD, professor, School of Medicine, director of its Center for Integrative Medicine, recommends that patients use acupuncture with, not instead of, pain medications.
www.baltimoresun.com
New Device Makes Getting Drunk Without Drinking a Drop Possible
Daily Record - March 25
A "buzz" from beer or other forms of alcohol can now be achieved through inhalation, using a machine known as AWOL (Alcohol Without Liquid). "The delivery of the drug from the lung to the bloodstream is instantaneous," says Tony Tommasello, PhD, associate professor, director of the Office of Substance Studies, School of Pharmacy. "AWOL is to drinking what smoking crack cocaine is to snorting cocaine."
Of Service: Interest in Public Interest on the Rise at UM Law
Daily Record - March 25
The Maryland Public Interest Law Project in the School of Law is profiled. The problems of the poor, the disabled, abused and neglected children, the elderly and other underrepresented groups are a high priority with more lawyers in training at the School. Students Alex Freemire and Amanda Hill, and M. Teresa Schmiedeler, JD, director of judicial clerkships and public interest programs in the School, are quoted.
The Transplant Gap
Baltimore Sun - March 25
For a variety of reasons, African-Americans must wait longer than whites for organ transplants. The good news is that organizations have begun to address the disparity. Clarence Foster, MD, assistant professor, School of Medicine, is quoted extensively.
www.baltimoresun.com
March 24 update.
National Poison Prevention Week
WBAL-TV, Channel 11 ý Noon News, March 23
Suzanne Doyon, MD, ACMT, medical director, Maryland Poison Center in the School of Pharmacy, appeared live in the news studio to discuss the annual National Poison Prevention Week. The Maryland Poison Center urges families across the state to observe National Poison Prevention Week, March 20-26, by familiarizing themselves with the information and resources available at the center.
UM to Conduct Human Tests of Avian Flu Vaccine
Baltimore Sun ý March 24
The School of Medicine and two other institutions next week will begin human tests of a vaccine designed to combat avian influenza, a virus widely feared for its potential to cause the next global pandemic. As a first step, researchers in the School will begin recruiting volunteers next week to test the vaccine. (Quoted extensively is Anthony Fauci, MD, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health, who delivered the 2003 commencement address at the University of Maryland, Baltimore.)
www.baltimoresun.com
March 18 update.
'Leap of Faith' Sends UM Medical School Graduate to Help Tsunami Victims
Baltimore Sun - March 18
On Jan. 11, armed only with the e-mail confirmation, the name of a contact at the airport in Hyderabad and two suitcases, James Chamberlain, MD, left his wife and three daughters for a two-week stay in a remote area of India hit by the tsunami. "It was a leap of faith," says Chamberlain, 46, who practices in Arnold and Stevensville. After graduation from Western Maryland College in 1980, he spent a year in India helping Jesuit doctors treat lepers, an experience that inspired him to attend the University of Maryland School of Medicine and develop a lifelong connection to India.
www.baltimoresun.com
Acupuncture May Cut Pregnancy Pelvic Pain
WebMD ý March 18
Acupuncture and exercises to help stabilize the pelvis and lower back help ease pelvic/hip pain during pregnancy, say Swedish researchers. They say acupuncture provided relief from pelvic girdle pain, a common condition in pregnancy that causes severe pain in a third of affected women and may persist after pregnancy. "Usually, we do not suggest needle treatments during the first trimester, which is 12 weeks," says Lixing Lao, PhD, an associate professor with the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
my.webmd.com
Animal Studies and Imaging Techniques Show a Tongue at Work
Richmond TimesDispatch ý March 16
"The tongue is embedded in this moist, dark cavity that is warm and very inaccessible . . . difficult to see, difficult to measure," says Maureen L. Stone, PhD, director of the University of Maryland Dental School's Vocal Tract Visualization Laboratory. Stoneýs lab examines how the tongue is controlled by muscles and motor neurons to produce speech. Several imaging techniques have turned the mouth into a theater in which researchers can watch the tongue make simple sounds, say short phrases, or swallow cookies. (View ultrasound and MRI images at www.speech.umaryland.edu.)
www.timesdispatch.com
Helen Thomas Column Cites UM Laughter Study
Hearst newspaper column ý March 17
In her weekly column about Washington, Helen Thomas writes that there isnýt a lot to laugh about in DC now, but the traditional press dinners are an exception. She cites the recent "research by the University of Maryland School of Medicine that a good laugh may actually fend off heart attacks and a stroke."
www.fcnp.com
Lab is the Focus of DOD Anthrax Scare
WUSA-TV Ch 9 ý March 16
WTOP Radio ý March 16 & 17
The Hill ý March 18
Richmond TimesDispatch ý March 17
Potomac News ý March 17
Michael Greenberger, JD, professor in the School of Law and director of the University of Maryland Center for Health and Homeland Security was interviewed by several news organizations concerning the response to the anthrax scare at a Pentagon mail facility and a Defense Department mailroom in Fairfax County.
www.timesdispatch.com
www.thehill.com
www.potomacnews.com
Laughter May Fight Arteriosclerosis
United Press International ý March 18
Salt Lake Tribune and 2 more newspapers ý March 14
eDiets.com and 2 more web sites ý March 18
Baltimore researchers have shown for the first time that laughter is linked to healthy function of blood vessels. Principal investigator Michael Miller, MD, of the University of Maryland Medical Center, says laughter appears to cause the tissue that forms the inner lining of blood vessels, the endothelium, to dilate or expand to increase blood flow.
washingtontimes.com
www.sltrib.com
www.ediets.com
New Security Cameras in Baltimore City
WBAL-TV Ch 11 5 & 6 p.m. ý March 17
Baltimore City officials have approved spending $3 million to install surveillance cameras in several high-crime neighborhoods. Michael Greenberger, JD, a professor in the School of Law and director of the University of Maryland Center for Health and Homeland Security, says the installation of the cameras in public places are likely to be upheld by the courts as being constitutional and not an invasion of privacy.
Researcher Fabricated Data in Studies on Women
Washington Post - March 18
Eric T. Poehlman, who had been a tenured research professor at the University of Vermont College of Medicine, has agreed to plead guilty to civil, criminal and administrative charges and pay $196,000 in fines and attorneys' fees, the officials said. Poehlman, who also worked at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, from 1993 to 1996, left the University of Vermont in 2001 to work at the University of Montreal.
March 17 update.
A Stitch in Time?
Washington Post - March 8
Pregnant women deemed at risk for premature delivery are sometimes treated with cerclage, a surgical procedure in which the cervix is temporarily stitched closed in an attempt to prolong the pregnancy. A relevant study, led by Carl Weiner, MD, professor, School of Medicine, is cited.
www.washingtonpost.com
Terrorist Threats and Anthrax Scare
Baltimore Sun - March 9
A photo and news brief announced the appointment of Scott Strome, MD, professor, School of Medicine, as new chair of the Department of Otorhinolaryngology.
March 16 update.
Anthrax Scare
WTOP Radio, 6:50 a.m. - March 16
Michael Greenberger, JD, professor, School of Law, and director of the Center for Health and Homeland Security, discussed an anthrax scare that closed three area mail facilities that handle Pentagon-bound mail. The two-day scare turned out to be a false alarm related to an apparent mix-up at a laboratory.
Terrorist Threats and Anthrax Scare
WUSA-TV, Ch. 9 ý 9 a.m., March 16
The Department of Homeland Security, trying to better focus antiterrorism spending nationwide, has identified a dozen possible strikes that it views as most plausible or devastating, including detonation of a nuclear device in a major city, release of sarin nerve agent in office buildings and a truck bombing of a sports arena. Michael Greenberger, JD, professor, School of Law, and director of the Center for Health and Homeland Security, discussed this development.
Valve Surgery: Sooner is Better
Washington Post - March 15
Patients with a condition known as severe mitral valve regurgitation, often diagnosed after doctors hear a heart murmur during routine exams, should consider surgery even if they don't have symptoms, a new study reports. If translated into medical practice, this advice could result in more aggressive diagnostic screening and tens of thousands of preventive heart surgeries per year. James Gammie, MD, professor, School of Medicine, and a cardiac surgeon at the University of Maryland Medical Center, is quoted.
www.washingtonpost.com
March 15 update.
Assembly Pulls Teeth From Bill to Regulate Clinical Trials
Daily Record - March 11
Drug companies conducting clinical trials in Maryland would be forced to register their tests with a federal database if legislation makes its way through the state General Assembly. But amendments to the bill would remove all financial penalties if the companies fail to register. And opponents of the bill still warn it could deter researchers from doing their work in Maryland. James Hughes, MBA, UMB vice president for research and development, is quoted, and the University of Maryland, Baltimore is cited.
Gaps in Airport Security
WTOP Radio, 3:20 p.m. - March 14
The nation's aviation system remains vulnerable to attacks by al-Qaida and other terrorists who may be targeting noncommercial aircraft and helicopters, according to a confidential government report. Michael Greenberger, JD, professor, School of Law, and director of the Center for Health and Homeland Security, was interviewed live and discussed the report.
Laughter's Link to Health May Be in the Blood
Washington Post - March 14
Laughter really is the best medicine, at least for one's blood flow. Researchers in the School of Medicine have released a study showing that daily doses of laughter help shrink blood vessels and therefore reduce the threat of heart disease and infection. "We believe laughing is good for your health," says Michael Miller, MD, professor, School of Medicine, who led the research. "And we think we have evidence to show why that's the case."
www.washingtonpost.com
Sutton Has the Drive and the Passion
Washington Post - March 4
Kelly Sutton, a female driver on the NASCAR (auto racing) Craftsman Truck Series, competes in her sport despite her battle with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. Sutton is being treated by Kenneth Johnson, MD, professor, School of Medicine, who says that more than 400,000 people in the United States suffer from MS.
www.washingtonpost.com
March 14 update.
Changes Sought on Maryland Rules for Water
Baltimore Sun - March 14
The Ehrlich administration is proposing new water-quality standards that would allow the state to classify some Maryland waterways as too polluted to justify the expense of cleaning them up. The proposal, which is similar to rules used by Ohio, Alabama, and other states, is drawing protests from environmentalists. Rena Steinzor, JD, professor, School of Law, and director of the School's environmental law clinic, is quoted.
www.baltimoresun.com
Healthy Discussion
Baltimore Sun - March 12
U.S. Rep. Elijah E. Cummings spoke to health workers, lawyers, and other professionals in the School of Law on March 11 at a conference titled, "Bridging the Racial Divide in Health Care." Cummings' appearance is described in a photo caption.
March 9 update.
No Position
Baltimore Sun - March 9
The University of Maryland, Baltimore, is cited in an editorial that is critical of Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., with regard to what the newspaper says is Ehrlich's indecision regarding a bill to fund stem cell research and the impact of that alleged indecision on the state's biotech industry. States the editorial, "Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Medical Center 'discovered' the field, and they and those at the University of Maryland and elsewhere have been in the forefront in discoveries."
www.baltimoresun.com
Researchers Prescribe Hearty Dose of Laughter
ABCNews.com ý March 7
ABC News "World News Tonight" ý March 7
ABC News "Good Morning, America" ý March 8
WJZ-TV ý March 7
WRC-TV ý March 7
Discovery Channel Canada ý March 7
BBC News ý March 7
CBS News (affiliates feed) ý March 7
New York Times ý March 7
Associated Press ý March 7
Laughter really is the best medicine, at least for one's blood flow. Researchers in the School of Medicine have released a study showing that daily doses of laughter help shrink blood vessels and therefore reduce the threat of heart disease and infection. "The endothelium (which regulates blood flow) is the first line in the development of hardening of the arteries," says Michael Miller, MD, professor, School of Medicine, who adds, "At the very least, laughter offsets the impact of mental stress, which is harmful to the endothelium."
wusatv9.com
March 7 update.
Caution Regarding New Pill
BBC News.com ý March 7
Experts advise caution about claims of a pill that could enable people with diabetes and celiac disease to eat foods that are normally off-limits. Alessio Fasano, MD, professor, School of Medicine, is quoted.
news.bbc.co.uk
Schwarcz Named to Newly Created Position
Baltimore Sun - March 2
Robert Schwarcz, PhD, professor, School of Medicine, has been appointed to the newly created position of director of neuroscience research within the School's Department of Psychiatry.
March 4 update.
FDA Halts Three Gene Therapy Trials
Los Angeles Times ý March 4
Baltimore Sun ý March 4
Federal authorities have temporarily suspended three gene therapy experiments after news that in a similar French study, a third child has developed leukemia and one of the three has died. A spokeswoman with the School of Medicine says the School is not conducting any gene therapy trials.
www.baltimoresun.com
Is Baltimore a Southern or Northern Town?
"The Marc Steiner Show," WYPR-FM, Noon ý March 2
Baltimore Style Magazine ý March
What is the culture of Baltimore? Larry Gibson, LLB, professor, School of Law, says he found that the city presented conflicting signals to African-Americans. "When I was growing up (in the 1950s), it was all a hodgepodge. (African-Americans) could go to public schools, on buses, and into Memorial Stadium, but you couldn't eat at certain restaurants. It was strange," Gibson says.
www.baltimorestyle.com
Social Workers Rally in Annapolis
WBAL-TV, Ch. 11 ý 5 p.m., 6 p.m., March 3
Gisele Ferretto, MSW, instructor, School of Social Work, led a group of approximately 100 students to Annapolis to discuss with state legislators the importance of social workers as advocates for vulnerable populations.
Too Fat?
Baltimore Sun ý March 2
Using the well-known body-mass index (BMI) to determine whether too many players in the National Football League are obese can be misleading, because many players are very muscular. "No question some NFL players are very muscular, work out a lot, have huge muscle masses, and to that degree, the BMI is inaccurate," says Barbara Hansen, PhD, professor, School of Medicine. "However, it is also true there are quite a number of players who are fat. They have big potbellies, they have fat on their shoulders, they have fat coating their arms and they are, in fact, obese."
www.baltimoresun.com
March 3 update.
Backers Revise Stem Cell Legislation
Baltimore Sun - March 1
Attempting to make a bill to fund stem cell research more politically palatable, the two Democratic sponsors say they will amend the legislation to limit state funding for research to embryos that already exist ý a move not likely to allay concerns from those with religious and ethical objections. The Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland [Baltimore], which conduct the bulk of stem cell research in the state, are not taking a position on the bill as institutions.
www.baltimoresun.com
Justices Abolish Death Penalty for Juveniles
WUSA-TV, Ch. 9, 9 a.m. - March 2
A divided U.S. Supreme Court abolished the death penalty on March 1 for killers younger than 18, saying "a line must be drawn" barring a practice out of use in most states and banned by nearly every other country in the world. The court's 5-4 ruling reversed a 1989 decision allowing capital punishment for killers who were 16 or 17 at the time of their crimes. Michael Greenberger, JD, professor, School of Law, discussed the ruling.
Justices to Hear Ten Commandments Case
WBFF-TV, Fox 45 - 6 a.m., March 2; 10 p.m., March 1
The U.S. Supreme Court is considering whether Ten Commandments displays on government property unconstitutionally entangle church and state, a cultural battle that has splintered lower courts for decades. Mark Graber, JD, PhD, adjunct professor, School of Law, was interviewed.
Osteoporosis Linked to Celiac Disease
Forbes.com - March 1
People with osteoporosis, the bone-weakening condition, may also have celiac disease and should be screened for that illness, too, a new study from Washington University recommends. A School of Medicine study in 2003 published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that one of every 133 children has celiac disease, but added that the case for mass screening was still unproven.
www.forbes.com
March 1 update.
An Alternative Treatment
Boston Globe ý March 1
Although acupuncture is being embraced by more and more hospitals, it is usually used in conjunction with more conventional and scientifically tested treatments. "I think we've got a long way to go in really seeing what its role is, as far as mainstream care. The fact is many people are using acupuncture, so we in the medical community have got to catch up," says Brian Berman, MD, professor, School of Medicine.
www.boston.com
For Group, Salt Use Leaves a Bad Taste
Chicago Tribune ý Feb. 27
Newsday ý Feb. 27
Seeking to force a reduction in the levels of sodium that Americans consume, the Center for Science in the Public Interest is suing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The suit cites a commentary in the American Journal of Public Health (AJPH) contending that 150,000 lives would be saved annually if sodium levels in the food supply were cut in half. "Unfortunately, a lifetime of eating too much salt is putting Americans' lives in jeopardy," says Stephen Havas, MD, professor, School of Medicine. Havas was the lead author of the AJPH commentary.
www.newsday.com
Mother-to-Baby Spread of HIV Falls 85 Percent in City
Baltimore Sun - March 1
WJZ.com - March 1
Mirroring a nationwide trend that has encouraged public health officials, the rate of HIV transmission from mothers to their babies in Baltimore fell sharply during the past decade. Screening is a critical first step in reducing such transmissions, because women who don't know they're infected can't begin treatment. "Many women have no idea that they have been at risk," says Lindsay Alger, MD, professor, School of Medicine, and medical director of labor and delivery at the University of Maryland Medical Center.
www.baltimoresun.com
wjz.com
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