In the News

April 2005

Acupuncture Can Reduce Knee Pain
Louisville Courier-Journal - April 21

A major study, published in a leading medical journal, found that a combination of acupuncture and standard treatment can reduce pain and functional impairment caused by osteoarthritis of the knee. The study was led by Brian Berman, MD, professor, School of Medicine, and director of the Center for Integrative Medicine.
www.courier-journal.com

Acupuncture Effects Gain Credence
Daily Record ý April 19
CNN ý April 18
WBFF-TV Ch 45 ý April 18
WJZ-TV ý April 21
MedStar Television ý April 21

A new study by the University of Maryland Center for Integrative Medicine has found that acupuncture had a statistically significant effect on easing chronic lower back pain in the short term. Eric Manheimer, the study's author, stressed that the study only showed effectiveness in the short term, or up to six months after the most recent treatment.

Baltimore Has a Place Bio Firms Can Call Home
Baltimore Business Journal (Commercial Real Estate Supplement) - April 21

After years of planning, Baltimore will take one big step toward its goal of becoming a bioscience research hub later this month when construction of the first building of the UMB BioPark concludes. Jim Hughes, MBA, vice president for research and development, is pictured.

Business Incentive Bills Enacted by Governor
Baltimore Sun - April 27

Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. has signed into law three business incentive bills including tax credits for investments in biotechnology companies and extension of a $6 million research and development tax credit for the state's high-tech companies. A sponsor of one bill says it is intended to capitalize on research happening in the state, including research at the University of Maryland.
www.baltimoresun.com

Follow-up to Recommendations of 9/11 Commission
WUSA-TV, Ch. 9 - April 27

Michael Greenberger, JD, professor, School of Law and director of its Center for Health and Homeland Security, was asked why several key recommendations of the 9/11 Commission have not yet been implemented. Among the suggested changes are making more communication channels available to fire and police departments. Greenberger said that broadcasters are reluctant to give up some of their assigned channels to accommodate the recommendation. Greenberger added that another problem is the lack of funding to vulnerable cities such as New York and Washington, D.C.

Heart Drug May Increase Risk of Death
United Press International ý April 19
Washington Times ý April 19

A team of cardiologists says their analysis of data on the medication Natrecor obtained from the manufacturer suggests it could be placing heart-failure patients at an increased risk. Stephen Gottlieb, MD, professor, School of Medicine, says he agrees further studies should be conducted to determine potential risks and benefits of Natrecor.
washingtontimes.com

How Dangerous Are Common Painkillers?
People Magazine ý April 25

As popular pain medications are being pulled off the shelf, some insurers cover alternative treatments such as acupuncture or therapeutic massage for patients who prefer them to pain medications. Says Brian Berman, MD, professor, School of Medicine, and director of the Center for Integrative Medicine, "For chronic pain, there is no magic bullet." A study of 570 arthritis sufferers conducted in the center last December found 40 percent reported less pain after 23 sessions of acupuncture during a span of six months.

U.S. Troops Nearly Capture Top Iraqi Terrorist
WBFF-TV, Ch. 45 ý April 28

Jeffrey Gilberg, JD, fellow, Center for Health and Homeland Security, School of Law, discussed one of the latest developments in the U.S. war on terror. The U.S. military has not yet managed to catch Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the top Al-Qaeda-linked terrorist in Iraq. However, they have perhaps snagged the next best thing: his laptop. Gilberg discussed the significance of confiscating the computer, and how it might help U.S. officials in the war on terror.

Moussaoui's Plea
Kansas City Star - April 20

Before a guilty plea was entered by alleged terror conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui, the motives for that prospective plea were discussed by Michael Greenberger, JD, director, Center for Health and Homeland Security and professor, School of Law. Greenberger said there was some speculation that Moussaoui was considering a guilty plea at the time in a misguided attempt to get the U.S. Supreme Court to take up his case.

Police Tactic Draws Public Reaction
WBAL-TV, Ch. 11- 5:30 p.m., April 25

Toni Chance, MSW, professor, School of Social Work, was interviewed about tactics used by police and school officials in St. Petersburg, Fla., who handcuffed a 5-year-old girl. The girl had been misbehaving at school. Chance raised the question of whether parents would have been charged with abuse if they had taken the same action as the police. She also noted that the child had settled down before police put her in handcuffs.

Drug Benefit Disparities Cited
American Health Line - April 19

The Medicare prescription drug benefit available next year will cost senior citizens an average of $772 annually. But retirees with chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease can expect to pay about double that amount and will face gaps in their coverage for as long as five months, according to projections published by the Peter Lamy Center on Drug Therapy and Aging in the School of Pharmacy. The cited study was led by Bruce Stuart, PhD, professor, School of Pharmacy, and director, Peter Lamy Center. Stuart is quoted and cited extensively.

Moussaoui Guilty Plea
ABC-TV, "World News Tonight" - 6:30 p.m., April 22

The Zacarias Moussaoui guilty plea was profiled. Moussaoui admitted to being trained by Osama Bin Laden to fly a plane into the White House. Four of the charges to which he entered a guilty plea could carry the death penalty, which Moussaoui said he will "fight with every inch" of his body. Michael Greenberger, JD, professor, School of Law, and director of the Center for Health and Homeland Security, said that escaping the death penalty with a jury from a Washington, D.C., jurisdiction, will be difficult.

Moussaoui to Admit 9/11 Role
Seattle Times - April 19

Zacarias Moussaoui has notified the government that he intends to plead guilty to his alleged role in the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. Michael Greenberger, JD, professor, School of Law, and a former high-level Department of Justice official, said that Moussaoui "certainly has acted in a bizarre fashion that heads you in the direction of questioning his competence, but I think there is room here for a finding that he does understand what is going on and can make judgments on his own and is therefore competent."

Hearing to Accept Moussaoui's Plea
Baltimore Sun - April 21

Signaling a possible conclusion in the only American criminal case tied to the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, a federal judge in Virginia scheduled a hearing for April 22 to accept a guilty plea from alleged terror conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui. "My own view is we will not learn anything more than what we've learned from the 9/11 commission. And it would be such a bizarre proceeding, that it probably would not have much of a cathartic effect for the families," says Michael Greenberger, JD, director, Center for Health and Homeland Security and professor, School of Law.
www.baltimoresun.com

Shock Trauma Violence Intervention Program
WYPR, 88.1 FM - April 20

Carnell Cooper, MD, associate professor of surgery, School of Medicine and a surgeon in the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, discussed the Center's Shock Trauma Violence Intervention Program. The program was profiled as part of the radio station's series regarding violence in Baltimore City.

UMB BioPark and Poppleton
Daily Record - April 21

The redevelopment of West Baltimore's downtrodden Poppleton neighborhood likely will begin within the next two years, bringing commercial, retail and about 500 homes to meet anticipated demand created by the construction of a nearby $300 million biotech park, the UMB BioPark at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. As of April 21, city officials were planning to announce that they have hired New York-based developer La Cite, which has done similar projects in the Manhattan neighborhood of Harlem and other urban neighborhoods.

Gates Gives UM $3.5 Million
Baltimore Business Journal - April 21

The School of Medicine has received $3.5 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's Global Health Program to vaccinate children in Mali, Africa, against bacteria that cause fatal meningitis. The project will be administered in part by the Center for Vaccine Development in the School.
baltimore.bizjournals.com

High Court to Hear Miranda Case
WBAL-TV, Ch. 11, 11 p.m. ý April 19
WBALChannel.com ý April 20

At the urging of Maryland prosecutors, the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear the case of a teenager who allegedly implicated himself in a high-profile Annapolis slaying but was not tried because state judges determined he was unfairly questioned by police. Experts say that the decision could lead to a further honing by the justices of the so-called "Miranda rights" familiar to viewers of police dramas. Michael Greenberger, JD, professor, School of Law, discussed the case and its potential implications for constitutional law.
www.thewbalchannel.com

Maryland Case Could Cut Suspects' Rights
Washington Post - April 20

A decision that has governed police interrogations for two decades has the chance to be reexamined, some legal experts believe, now that the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear the case of a teenager who allegedly implicated himself in a high-profile Annapolis slaying. The teenager was not tried because state judges determined he was unfairly questioned by police. Mark Graber, JD, PhD professor, School of Law, is quoted.
www.washingtonpost.com

UM Law School Grad Martin O'Malley Named One of 5 Best Big-City Mayors
TIME Magazine - April 25

Martin O'Malley, identified as "attending the University of Marylandýs Law School," is one of five individuals selected by TIME magazine as "The 5 Best Big-City Mayors." The article says OýMalley grew up in Washingtonýs Maryland suburbs, but "fell hard for blue-collar Baltimore" while attending the School of Law.
www.time.com

Drug Benefit Disparities Cited
Washington Post - April 19

The Medicare prescription drug benefit available next year will cost senior citizens an average of $772 annually. But retirees with chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease can expect to pay about double that amount and will face gaps in their coverage for as long as five months, according to projections published by the Peter Lamy Center on Drug Therapy and Aging in the School of Pharmacy. The cited study was led by Bruce Stuart, PhD, professor, School of Pharmacy, and director, Peter Lamy Center. Stuart is quoted and cited extensively.

High Court to Hear Miranda Case
Baltimore Sun - April 19

At the urging of Maryland prosecutors, the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear the case of a teenager who allegedly implicated himself in a high-profile Annapolis slaying but was not tried because state judges determined he was unfairly questioned by police. Experts say that the decision could lead to a further honing by the justices of the so-called "Miranda rights" familiar to viewers of police dramas. Michael Greenberger, JD, professor, School of Law, and Mark Graber, JD, PhD professor, School of Law, discuss the case and its potential implications for constitutional law.
www.baltimoresun.com

Lack of Progress for Airport Security
Fox-45 TV News ý 6:30 p.m., April 18

Michael Greenberger, JD, professor, School of Law, and director of the Center for Health and Homeland Security, discussed the lack of progress being made since the 2001 terrorist attacks toward improving airport security. Greenberger said that much more needs to be done to make the skies safer.

Moussaoui to Admit 9/11 Role
Washington Post ý April 19
Minneapolis Star-Tribune ý April 19

Zacarias Moussaoui has notified the government that he intends to plead guilty to his alleged role in the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. Michael Greenberger, JD, professor, School of Law, and a former high-level Department of Justice official, said that Moussaoui "certainly has acted in a bizarre fashion that heads you in the direction of questioning his competence, but I think there is room here for a finding that he does understand what is going on and can make judgments on his own and is therefore competent."
www.washingtonpost.com

"Food Insecurity" and Hunger
WUNC-FM, National Public Radio (North Carolina) ý April 15

Chronic hunger has been all but eliminated in the United States. Experts instead measure "food insecurity," which afflicts about 11 percent of people in North Carolina. Many people living with food insecurity are also overweight. A panel discussion about hunger, food stamps, and obesity included David Super, JD, associate professor, School of Law.

Improved Ultrasound Technology
Baltimore Sun - April 1

In a recent trend, pregnant women have been visiting establishments that use "4D" ultrasound to provide clearer pictures of their unborn baby. Carl Weiner, MD, professor, School of Medicine, is quoted.

On The Move
Daily Record - April 15

Fran Lessans, MPH, CEO of Passport Health, was appointed to a three-year term on the Board of Visitors, School of Nursing.

Ruling Undercuts the FDA's Regulation of Supplements
Baltimore Sun - April 15

A U.S. District judge has ruled that the Food and Drug Administration went too far by banning all products that contain the dietary supplement ephedra. "I think it's very important, because it makes it much more difficult for the FDA to remove or ban a dietary supplement," says Frank Palumbo, JD, PhD, professor, School of Pharmacy, director of the School's Center on Drugs and Public Policy.
www.baltimoresun.com

Algerian Convicted of Poison Plot
BBC World Service - April 13

An alleged Al-Qaeda operative named Kamel Bourgass has been found guilty of plotting to carry out chemical attacks in Britain. Michael Greenberger, JD, professor, School of Law, discusses whether this development can be considered a success in the war against terror.

Can Aspirin Rebound?
Los Angeles Times - April 11

It's unlikely Americans will return in numbers to aspirin as the pain reliever and anti-inflammatory medication of choice, not only because of the risk of internal bleeding but also because the newer drugs only have to be taken once a day, helping what doctors call "compliance." Says William Henrich, MD, professor, School of Medicine, "Time will tell whether people will be able to tolerate aspirin as they did 20 years ago. Twenty years ago, people had to tolerate it. I'm not sure they will with the newer drugs available."

Doctors Say Parkinson's is Root of Pope's Ailments
Baltimore Sun - April 1

Doctors noted that the health problems that led to the deterioration of the late Pope John Paul II's medical condition were attributable largely to his long struggle with Parkinson's disease. The Pope died on April 2. "When people die of Parkinson's, they are dying of pneumonia because their own secretions are going into the lungs," says Paul Fishman, PhD, MD, professor, School of Medicine.

Get Fit Maryland
WMAR-TV, Ch. 2 - 6 p.m., April 6

Suzanne Sysko, MD, medical director, Center for Weight Management and Wellness, School of Medicine, discussed the new "Get Fit Maryland" program.

Polio Vaccine Hailed as a Turning Point
Baltimore Sun - April 12

The 50th anniversary of the development of a polio vaccine is profiled. The mass vaccinations that followed ushered in what many consider to be the modern era of vaccine development. "We had iron lungs all over the place, and you were always worried about an outbreak," says Frank Calia, MD, professor, School of Medicine, speaking of the climate in the early 1950s before the vaccine was developed.
www.baltimoresun.com

Taking Out the Trash
Baltimore Business Journal - April 6

During the past decade, environmentalists and health care organizations such as the American Hospital Association have banded together to push for hospitals to be more conscious about the manner in which they dispose of their waste. Barbara Sattler, PhD, RN, FAAN, research associate professor, director of the Environmental Health Center, School of Nursing, is quoted.
baltimore.bizjournals.com

UM Test May Aid Elderly
Daily Record - April 11

The elderly, among the people most at risk from an influenza virus, stand to gain as the Center for Vaccine Development in the School of Medicine begins testing the effectiveness of a flu vaccine. Wilbur Chen, MD, clinical instructor, School of Medicine, is quoted.

UM to Study Diabetes and Hypertension
San Jose Mercury News ý March 31
Associated Press ý March 30

A 5-year study will look at whether teaching doctors about the latest diabetes and high blood pressure treatment guidelines, and providing counseling for their African-American patients, will help the patients better manage their conditions. Forty percent of African-Americans treated for hypertension are able to meet goals for reduced blood pressure levels, compared to 54 percent of whites, says the study's principal investigator, Elijah Saunders, MD, professor, School of Medicine, and cardiologist, University of Maryland Medical Center.
abcnews.go.com

Cummings Supports Bill to Rename Airport
Washington Times - April 7

U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings implored a state Senate committee to approve a bill that would rename Baltimore-Washington International Airport for the late Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. "If we do not do it, it will be a matter of permanent, enduring shame to this state," Larry Gibson, LLB, professor, School of Law, told the panel.

Google Sky Spy Photos
WBAL-TV, Ch. 11 - 11 p.m., April 6

Google has offered a new service that allows Internet users to view satellite photos of any location in North America. David Bogen, T. Carroll Brown Scholar and professor School of Law, was asked about the implications of this service and potential privacy violations.

Pfizer Takes Bextra Off Market
WBAL Radio, Hourly Newscasts - April 7

Under pressure from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Pfizer Inc. removed the painkiller Bextra from the market on April 7, amid aggressive action from the agency regarding stronger warnings about the potential risks of heart attack and stroke when anti-inflammatory drugs are used in higher doses. Frank Palumbo, JD, PhD, professor, School of Pharmacy, director of the School's Center on Drugs and Public Policy, was interviewed.

Attorney General Admits Use of Patriot Act in Mayfield Case
Associated Press - April 5

Since last May, when the FBI had admitted it had wrongly arrested Portland lawyer Brandon Mayfield following the Madrid train bombings. In a congressional hearing, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales acknowledged that provisions of the act were used in the investigation against Mayfield, after denying it during the hearing. Michael Greenberger, JD, director of the Center for Health and Homeland Security and professor, School of Law, says the Justice Department wants to "make this appear like a routine search consistent with a law that is not controversial."
www.oregonlive.com

BWI Measure on Way to Senate Vote
Baltimore Sun - April 6

Legislation that seeks to rename Baltimore-Washington International Airport for the late Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall is on its way to a vote in the full Senate in Annapolis. A major supporter of the name change is Larry Gibson, LLB, professor, School of Law, an organizer of a recent news conference to tell the story of Marshall's life, during which the civil rights leader's wife, Cecilia Marshall, was honored.
www.baltimoresun.com

Medicine and Modesty
Los Angeles Times - April 4

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.
www.latimes.com

TOPOFF 3 Counterterrorism Exercise in Conn., N.J.
BBC "World Tonight" - 7:15 p.m., April 4

Michael Greenberger, JD, director of the Center for Health and Homeland Security and professor, School of Law, was interviewed live regarding the TOPOFF 3 federal counterterrorism exercise being undertaken in New Jersey and Connecticut at the behest of the Department of Homeland Security.

Tests Begin on Avian Flu Vaccine
Baltimore Sun ý April 5
Crisfield Times ý April 5
Forbes ý April 5
Associated Press ý April 4
CBC-TV ý April 4
CBC.com ý April 4
WRC-TV Ch 4 ý 5 p.m., April 4
NBC-4.com ý April 4
WUSA-TV, Ch. 9 ý 5 p.m., April 4
WBALChannel.com ý April 4
WJZ.com -- April 4
WTOP.com ý April 4
Voice of America ý March 24

The School of Medicine has begun testing a vaccine designed to stop avian flu, a potential successor to the killer virus of 1918, with 150 adult volunteers. They are part of a study at three U.S. sites funded by the National Institutes of Health to see whether the new vaccine is safe and whether it triggers an immune response.
wjz.com
www.cbc.ca
www.forbes.com
www.nbc4.com
www.voanews.com
www.baltimoresun.com

Before Schiavo, 1991 Case Led to Landmark Maryland Law
WJZ-TV - 6 p.m., March 31

John Fader II, JD, a former judge and currently a senior judicial fellow and lecturer in the School of Law, heard a case in 1991 argued by C. Christopher Brown, JD, associate professor, School of Law, when Brown represented the wife of a man named Ronald Mack. Mack, like Terri Schiavo of Florida, was said to be in a vegetative state. A ruling by Fader ensured that a feeding tube for Mack would remain in place. Fader was a live guest during "The Ron Smith Show" to talk about the Mack case and the current climate in Maryland regarding living wills.

Burning Waste Harms Health
Baltimore Sun - April 2

In a letter to the editor, Brenda Afzal, MS, RN, project manager, Department of Family and Community Health, School of Nursing, discusses the Phoenix Services incinerator in Curtis Bay. Afzal writes, "As long as the Phoenix incinerator keeps operating, there will be more mercury and dioxin pollution in Baltimore's air. Hospital waste should not be turned into pollution that can make people sick."
www.baltimoresun.com

Council Chief Builds a Base in New Montgomery
Washington Post - April 3

Thomas Perez, JD, assistant professor, School of Law, is profiled in his role as president of the nine-member Montgomery County Council. It is noted that beyond "the glass of its Rockville office buildings is a (Montgomery County) leadership that in Perez's view remains too white, too Anglo and too unreflective of the community it represents."
www.washingtonpost.com

Before Schiavo, 1991 Case Led to Landmark Maryland Law
WBAL Radio, 3 p.m. - March 31

John Fader II, JD, a former judge and currently a senior judicial fellow and lecturer in the School of Law, heard a case in 1991 argued by C. Christopher Brown, JD, associate professor, School of Law, when Brown represented the wife of a man named Ronald Mack. Mack, like Terri Schiavo of Florida, was said to be in a vegetative state. A ruling by Fader ensured that a feeding tube for Mack would remain in place. Fader was a live guest during "The Ron Smith Show" to talk about the Mack case and the current climate in Maryland regarding living wills.

Spherix Begins Human Trials on No-Calorie Sugar
Daily Record - March 31

In a bid to enter the oral health market, Spherix began external human trials to show its no-calorie sugar also could act as a plaque and cavity fighter, the company announced. Successful results would give toothpastes and mouthwashes with fluoride a secondary claim to promoting oral hygiene. "It is a big claim to be able to make," says Leonard Litkowski, DDS, associate professor, Dental School. Litkowski is leading the clinical trials.

The Marshall Legacy
Baltimore Sun - March 31

In a move to encourage the state Senate to support renaming Baltimore-Washington International Airport for Thurgood Marshall, lawmakers and African-American political leaders held a news conference March. A newspaper editorial states, "Here's the more difficult question: Is renaming an airport an appropriate honor for Mr. Marshall? ý Statues of Mr. Marshall can be found prominently displayed outside Baltimore's federal courthouse and the State House in Annapolis. The University of Maryland's Law Library is named after him."
www.baltimoresun.com

Trauma Pods May Save Lives of Future Soldiers
WBAL-TV Ch 11 5 p.m. ý March 30
WJZ-TV Ch 13 5 p.m. ý March 31
WBALTV.com ý March 31
CNN.com ý March 31 (and 3 additional Internet placements)
Associated Press ý March 30 (and 17 newspaper placements)

The Pentagon has awarded $12 million in grants to develop unmanned Trauma Pods that would allow surgeons, wherever they may be, to treat wounded soldiers on the battlefield. Surgeons from the School of Medicine are, in part, developing the technology that looks almost like a video game. The unmanned trauma pods use robots to remotely perform medical procedures, including surgeries. Adrian Park, MD, professor of surgery, School of Medicine, chief of general surgery, University of Maryland Medical Center, explained the importance of the device.
www.thewbalchannel.com
www.cnn.com

UM to Study Diabetes and Hypertension
Associated Press ý March 30
Baltimore Sun ý March 31
ABCNews.com ý March 31
WJZ-TV.com ý March 31

A five-year study will look at whether teaching doctors about the latest diabetes and high blood pressure treatment guidelines, and providing counseling for their African-American patients, will help the patients better manage their conditions. Forty percent of African-Americans treated for hypertension are able to meet goals for reduced blood pressure levels, compared to 54 percent of whites, says the study's principal investigator, Elijah Saunders, MD, professor, School of Medicine, and cardiologist, University of Maryland Medical Center.
abcnews.go.com
baltimore.bizjournals.com
www.baltimoresun.com