In the News

June 2008

Adoption Incentive Prompts Concerns
Charlotte Observer - June 30
Charlotte.com - June 30

North Carolina's child welfare officials had a moment of reckoning in the early 1990s. Abused and neglected children were growing up without parents. The state had found their birth parents unfit, and the children were sent to live in temporary homes while social workers waited on their parents to get it together. The state carved out money to pay private adoption agencies to recruit and prepare adoptive parents. Agencies such as Children's Home Society earn from several thousand dollars to $15,000 for every child placed. Children's Home Society could have earned as much as $45,000 for placing Sean and his two siblings, though the state won't say exactly how much the agency earned. "The state's relationship with Children's Home Society could be a problem," said Richard P. Barth, PhD, MSW, dean of the School of Social Work. He said there's no incentive to walk away from a bad fit.
www.charlotte.com

Betting on the Price of Oil
The Disciplined Investor, podcast - June 29

Oil prices reached another record high today, once again bringing into question the role of speculatorsý trading in unregulated futures markets. On The Disciplined Investor, one of the most popular podcasts among Wall Street's rank and file, Michael Greenberger, JD, professor at the School of Law and a former director at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, said proper regulation enacted by Congress could significantly lower oil prices immediately. "When you have an unregulated market as we have today, and you have the extreme leverage ý you don't have to corner something, you can strategically pick vulnerabilities," said Greenberger.
media.umaryland.edu:8080

Dems' Energy Proposals Stymied
DesertConservative.com - June 26

Speaker Nancy Pelosi hoped to send House Democrats home for the Fourth of July recess with a series of votes that would show theyýre serious about easing the pain at the pump. The speaker met with these and other members for more than an hour Wednesday morning. They were joined by Michael Greenberger, JD, a School of Law professor and a former director of trading and markets at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, who has testified before Congress that speculators are driving up the price of oil. But the participants who emerged from that meeting suggested the various committees of jurisdiction will begin looking at this legislation before leaders craft a compromise.
www.desertconservative.com

Gramm Could Be Controversial McCain Appointee
The Dallas Morning News - June 29

Former Sen. Phil Gramm (R-Texas) is a top economic advisor to Sen. John McCainýs presidential campaign, but Grammýs legislative past has drawn criticism from Democrats and financial experts. Gramm championed the Commodity Futures Modernization Act of 2000, which effectively removed a significant block of energy futures trading from regulatory oversight and paved the way for Enronýs manipulation of energy prices in California. Michael Greenberger, JD, professor at the School of Law and a former director of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, said Gramm dislodged the bill from legislative purgatory.
www.dallasnews.com

Karen H. Rothenberg
The Art of Advocacy (blog) - June 27

Much news this week from Karen H. Rothenberg, JD, dean of the School of Law. On Wednesday she offered an excellent op-ed on the importance of law schools attending to the ethical aspects of the legal profession. And yesterday came word that she will be stepping down as dean and returning to the faculty at the end of next school year. The law school will miss her leadership. Over the years she has steered the School with the same moral sensibility that is on display in the op-ed.
www.attorneyadvocacy.com

Nipping at Montgomery County's Heels
Washington Business Journal -June 27

In Baltimore, two massive bioparks are brushing off their space for new tenants. This past April, The Science + Technology Park at Johns Hopkins debuted a 278,000-square-foot building, the first of five planned life sciences buildings in a $1.8 billion mixed-use development. And the University of Maryland, Baltimore opened in March the second building in the University of Maryland BioPark, which totals 360,000 square feet so far. Eight more life sciences buildings are on the BioPark's drawing board, as is an 8,500-square-foot incubator that will be built with the help of a $1 million loan the park is getting from the Maryland Technology Development Corp.

Sheila Dixon Investigation
2 the Point, WMAR-TV - 12:30 a.m., June 30

Andrew Levy, JD, adjunct professor in the School of Law, appeared on the community affairs program 2 the Point to discuss the ongoing investigation into Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon.

Surgeons, Pilots Trade Safety Ideas
Forbes - June 27
Associated Press - June 27

The parallels between surgery and aviation are gaining traction in an era in which doctors are under pressure to reduce medical mistakes that account for an estimated 100,000 deaths a year in the United States. ýBoth work in a high-stakes environment where the tolerance for error is zero, and error can translate in very short order to fatality,ý said Adrian Park, MD, a professor at the School of Medicine and chief of general surgery at the University of Maryland Medical Center, which sponsored the two-day forum that began yesterday.
www.forbes.com

House Votes to Police Foreign Energy Markets
iStockAnalyst.com - June 26

The U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill on Thursday that would force the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to use its emergency powers to police excessive energy speculation on oversees markets. Financial experts contend that the rampant buying and selling of oil futures contracts on unregulated markets has driven up the cost of oil to record highs. Michael Greenberger, JD, professor at the School of Law and a former director at the CFTC, said "This says quickly look into the question of whether these markets are unhinged from supply-demand principles, and gives them the power for imposing margin limits, speculation limits. They've often used emergency powers to impose moratoria on trading, even barring certain contracts from being traded."
www.istockanalyst.com

Surgeons, Pilots Trade Safety Ideas
The (Baltimore) Sun - June 27
The (Baltimore) Examiner - June 27

The parallels between surgery and aviation are gaining traction in an era in which doctors are under pressure to reduce medical mistakes that account for an estimated 100,000 deaths a year in the U.S. "Both work in a high-stakes environment where the tolerance for error is zero, and error can translate in very short order to fatality," said Adrian Park, MD, a professor at the School of Medicine and chief of general surgery at the University of Maryland Medical Center, which sponsored the two-day forum that began yesterday.
www.baltimoresun.com
www.examiner.com

UM Law Dean Plans to Return to the Faculty
The BLT (The Blog of Legal Times) - June 26

Karen H. Rothenberg, JD, the first female dean of the School of Law, announced yesterday that she will step down at the end of the next academic year and return to the faculty of the downtown school. "We're thriving, so itýs a perfect time to say, 'Let's move into our next transition,ý and it's a good time for me personally," said Rothenberg, 55, who became law dean in 2000, after a year as interim dean, and is now in her 25th year with the School.
legaltimes.typepad.com

Your Health: Diabetes Sugar Treatment
Action News, WTVQ (Ky.) - June 26

Thomas Donner, MD, assistant professor at the School of Medicine, led the early research on the low-calorie sweetener called tagatose. It's a sugar found naturally in dairy foods and used in sodas, cereals, and toothpaste. "We did a pilot study where we gave 10 patients tagatose for a full year and we saw improvements not only in their blood sugar level, but also reductions in weight," says Donner, an endocrinologist at Joslin Diabetes Center at the University of Maryland Medical Center. Participants who consumed tagatose before meals did not have the typical spikes in blood sugar after eating. Researchers think the sweetener, marketed as naturlose, works because of the way it's metabolized in the body
www.wtvq.com

10,000 New Instances of Diabetes in Maryland
The (Baltimore) Sun -June 26

More than 10,000 Marylanders were newly diagnosed with diabetes over the federal government's most recent two-year reporting period for local government, reflecting a sharp jump in incidence of the disease nationally, according to federal health authorities. "We've seen diabetes rates increase over the past decade, and rates are going to continue to go up," said Thomas Donner, MD, associate professor at the School of Medicine and director of the Joslin Diabetes Center at the University of Maryland Medical Center.
www.baltimoresun.com

Angelos Giving $5M to University of Baltimore
The Washington Business Journal - June 25

Baltimore attorney and Orioles owner Peter Angelos has pledged a $5 million matching grant for a new law center at the University of Baltimore that could transform the midtown architectural landscape. The average LSAT scores of full-time law students increased from 153 to 155 last year, out of a total possible score of 180, and the incoming class will have a 157 LSAT average. At the more selective downtown University of Maryland School of Law, the only other law school in the state, the median LSAT scores of full-time students is 162 and the median GPA is 3.65, according to data compiled by the American Bar Association.
washington.bizjournals.com

Lawmakers Pushing for Controls on Oil Speculation
Politico.com - June 26
WFMJ.com - June 26
WISTV.com - June 26
WUSA-TV, Ch. 9, 9 a.m. ý June 25
Oil & Gas Journal - June 25
Falls Church News-Press - June 25
Trading & Markets - June 24

U.S. lawmakers are scrambling to pass legislation aimed at dropping gas prices immediately, and bills have been introduced that range from banning speculators from the market completely to cracking down on price gouging by oil companies. Michael Greenberger, JD, professor at the School of Law and a former director at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, testified before two congressional committees earlier this week, arguing that a key component to lowering the price of oil is regulating oil speculation on ýdark markets.ý ýI think we've made a terrible mistake calling the Intercontinental Exchange a [British] exchange when its headquarters are in Atlanta, its operations are in Chicago, and it has trading engines across the United States,ý Greenberger said. ýWhatýs happening in these markets is not friendly to the American gas-paying public, it is very friendly to Wall Street interests.ý
www.politico.com
www.wfmj.com
www.wistv.com

Meet Baltimore's Future
Baltimore magazine - July issue

Denise Choiniere, BSN, RN, outreach coordinator for Maryland Hospitals for a Healthy Environment, based at the School of Nursing, and cardiac care unit staff nurse and environmental health coordinator at University of Maryland Medical Center, received top billing (#1) in Baltimore magazineýs "40 Under 40," a list of movers and shakers that will be the architects of Baltimore in the decades to come. Choiniere was recognized as a Hospital Green Crusader who has made a difference by encouraging the purchase of recyclable materials, incinerating less waste, and providing healthier food to patients and staff. "Even Florence Nightingale knew that the patientýs environment matters," she said.
(To read this story, contact the Communications office at the School of Nursing at 6-4115.)

Military Funds Development of Brainwave Binoculars
The Associated Press - June 25

Military binoculars may soon get information directly from the brains of the soldiers using them. The premise is based on the idea that the brain absorbs and assesses more visual information than it lets onýand that it could make more sense out of what's visible through high-power binoculars if it stopped filtering that information. Robert Shin, MD, assistant professor at the School of Medicine, said the brain is constantly processing images but most get filtered out. "There is a level where the brain can identify things before it ever makes it to the conscious level," Shin said. "Your brain says, 'It may be something.' But it might not realize that it is something that should rise to the conscious level."
ap.google.com

Names in the News
The (Baltimore) Sun - June 26

Shawn Bediako, a University of Maryland, Baltimore assistant professor of psychology, recently received a one-year, $55,000 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant to conduct a study of adults with sickle cell disease, a chronic genetic blood disorder. The study will assess how those adults are affected at work and in their attempts to obtain health care.

Supreme Court Prevents Death Penalty In Child Rape Cases
The Ron Smith Show, WBAL Radio, 5 p.m. - June 25

Mark Graber, JD, PhD, a professor at the School of Law, discussed the legal reasoning by the Supreme Court in its recent decision to prevent the death penalty in the case of child rape.

UM Law Dean Plans to Return to the Faculty
The (Baltimore) Sun - June 26
The Washington Post - June 26
The (Baltimore) Examiner - June 26
The Baltimore Business Journal - June 25
The Associated Press - June 25

Karen H. Rothenberg, JD, the first female dean of the School of Law, announced yesterday that she will step down at the end of the next academic year and return to the faculty of the downtown school. "We're thriving, so it's a perfect time to say, 'Let's move into our next transition,' and it's a good time for me personally," said Rothenberg, 55, who became law dean in 2000, after a year as interim dean, and is now in her 25th year with the School.
www.baltimoresun.com
www.washingtonpost.com
baltimore.bizjournals.com
www.mddailyrecord.com

Remaking Law School with Moral Component
The (Baltimore) Sun - June 25

ýAfter almost a decade as a law school dean, I have learned that I can count on two stories involving our school to appear in the news media every year. The first is publication of the annual U.S. News and World Report rankings. The other is the announcement of skyrocketing first-year salaries for the small percentage of graduates heading to work at large national firms," writes Karen H. Rothenberg, JD, dean of the School of Law. "Thanks to a $1.6 million investment from the Fetzer Institute, the UM School of Law has recently launched a pioneering initiative that will emphasize ethics, moral formation, and leadership development for lawyers."
www.baltimoresun.com

Speculators Driving Up Cost of Oil
Washington Times - June 24
Austin American-Statesman - June 24
Fort Worth Star-Telegram - June 24
United Press International ý June 24
Associated Content ý June 24
Council on Foreign Relations ý June 24
Executive Intelligence Review - June 23
The News-Press - June 22

After two days of testimony from financial experts in two congressional committees, oil speculators have become public enemy No. 1 on Capitol Hill. Now lawmakers are crafting legislation that would regulate energy trading and closely scrutinize speculative activity. Michael Greenberger, JD, professor at the School of Law and a former director at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, said, ýThere is clearly a supply and demand problem in the oil markets ý but there is also clearly a speculation premium. Weýre paying a tax that is being collected by speculators.ý
washingtontimes.com
www.statesman.com
www.star-telegram.com

UB Gets $5 Million Pledge
The (Baltimore) Sun - June 25

Baltimore attorney and Orioles owner Peter G. Angelos has pledged a $5 million matching grant for a new law center at the University of Baltimore that could transform the midtown architectural landscape. The average LSAT scores of full-time law students increased from 153 to 155 last year, out of a total possible score of 180, and the incoming class will have a 157 LSAT average. At the more selective downtown University of Maryland School of Law, the only other law school in the state, the median LSAT scores of full-time students is 162 and the median GPA is 3.65, according to data compiled by the American Bar Association.
www.baltimoresun.com

2020 Vision: O'Malley $1.1B Plan Creates Maryland Bio Center
BioRegionNews.com - June 23

In part by outspending the nationýs top-tier bioclusters, in part by emulating one of them, Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley last week unveiled a $1.1 billion, 10-year package of economic subsidies and other tax incentives designed to grow the stateýs life sciences industryýand bring it in the direction that leaders have sought for years. Other highlights of Bio 2020: funding for a third building, Health Sciences Facility III, within the University of Maryland, Baltimoreýs campus; and $5.7 million over 10 years, starting with $500,000 next fiscal year, to expand a School of Law program that works with entrepreneurs to protect and provide valuations for intellectual property.
www.bioregionnews.com

Oil Price Speculation
C-SPAN3, 4 p.m. - June 23
C-SPAN, 3 a.m. - June 24

Michael Greenberger, JD, professor at the School of Law and former director of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, appeared live on the C-SPAN networks after testifying before a congressional subcommittee exploring linkages between a lack of federal regulation and high prices for crude oil and gasoline.
media.umaryland.edu:8080

A Childrenýs Zone on the West Side
The (Baltimore) Sun - June 21

Bronwyn Mayden, MSW, director of Continuing Professional Development at the School of Social Work and of the Children's Zone Initiative at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, wrote a letter to the editor, saying, "I was delighted to see the profile of the Harlem Children's Zone and see The Sun use it as a model for efforts to help children in Baltimore ('In Harlem, a zone apart,' June 15). And indeed, over the last year, the University of Maryland, Baltimore has begun working with other groups to develop plans for a Baltimore Children's Zone that would serve several city neighborhoods on the west side. The proposed Children's Zone would fill in the gaps in the health and social services currently available and ensure that continuous and comprehensive supports are in place for underprivileged, low-income, and at-risk children and families in West Baltimore."
www.baltimoresun.com

Higher Learning Adapts to Greening Attitudes
The Washington Post - June 22

The environmental fervor sweeping college campuses has reached beyond the push to recycle plastics and offer organic food and is transforming the curriculum, permeating classrooms, academic majors, and expensive new research institutes. Schools have added graduate programs or adapted them and increased research. At Johns Hopkins University, students in a part-time master's degree program for working engineers kept asking for more courses on alternative energy. The School of Nursingýs environmental nursing program has included a push to remove mercury thermometers from hospitals.
www.washingtonpost.com

Nancy Gordon: Employee of the Year
The Baltimore Jewish Times - June 20

David Ramsay, DM, DPhil, president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore, named Nancy Gordon, senior director of university events, as Employee of the Year for her leadership in the development, sale, and kickoff of the UMB Cooks cookbook. Gordon also was honored for her work organizing the annual Founders Week events, the coordination and display of banners for the Universityýs bicentennial celebration, and her work with the commencement exercises.

New UM Law Clinic Takes Aim at Disasters, And the Big Legal Picture
The Daily Record - June 23

Hurricane Katrina, a typhoon in Burma, an earthquake in China, flooding in the Midwestýthe disasters seem to arrive with mind-numbing regularity. Which raises some questions: Armed with a grant of nearly $1.7 million from the Fetzer Foundation to research curriculum development on law, leadership, and democracy, the School of Law is about to find answers in a most pragmatic way. Earlier this month, five law students and two faculty members flew to Biloxi, Miss., to start assisting local residents still reeling from Hurricane Katrina with their civil legal needs. They will focus on consumer fraud, foreclosure scams, housing, and community development. The new clinic comes on the heels of other efforts by the law school to help Gulf Coast residents under the direction of Douglas Colbert, JD, professor at the School. "The Mississippi clinic is part of the democracy piece of the grant," said Brenda Bratton Blom, JD, PhD, a professor at the School.
www.mddailyrecord.com

Officials Raid Baltimore Mayor's Home
The New York Times - June 21

A two-year state investigation into Baltimoreýs spending practices took a major turn last week when officials raided the home of Mayor Sheila Dixon and left with several boxes of papers. Andrew Levy, JD, an adjunct professor at the School of Law and a defense lawyer with experience in public corruption cases, said, ýOne has to remember that the bar for getting a search warrant is actually not very high and any decent prosecutor can get a grand jury to indict a ham sandwich. On the other hand,ý Levy said, ýyou also have to assume that a judge reviewing a warrant for a sitting mayorýs home is probably going to review that warrant pretty closely.ý But he added that for the time being, ýall we can conclude is that watching investigators carry boxes out of a mayorýs house makes for good television, but it really proves nothing.ý
www.nytimes.com

Pricking For Your Health
Red Orbit - June 23

Osteoarthritis is a major cause of loss of motion and reduced quality of life especially in the elderly, and more so among women. It is the most common form of arthritis and occurs most frequently in the knee. Currently, there is no non-surgical cure for the disease. The focus of treatment is the management of pain and functional limitation. Although patient education, physical therapy, exercise, and weight loss are all an important part of intervention, medications are eventually required. In one study, researchers at the School of Medicine evaluated 570 elderly patients with knee osteoarthritis to determine whether acupuncture provides greater pain relief and improved function compared with "fake" acupuncture or patient education only.
www.redorbit.com

Removing the Tick: The Monday Morning Consult
Charm City Moms, Web log, The (Baltimore) Sun - June 23

Robert Edelman, MD, a professor at the School of Medicine and an infectious disease specialist, said the surest sign of Lyme's disease is the distinctive bull's-eye rash, which 90 percent of those who get Lyme disease exhibit. Other symptoms are headache, fatigue, and muscle aches. As for the blood test, he said that it may not always be helpful because it can take weeks after an infection for the test to register a positive result.
weblogs.baltimoresun.com

Todayýs Newsmakers
The (Baltimore) Examiner - June 21

The Society for Neuroscience presented Ellicott City resident Norbert Myslinski, PhD, MA, with a special achievement award for his vital contributions and leadership to neuroscience education. The award, presented at the organizationýs recent Brain Awareness Week conference, recognizes Myslinski for his work with pre-college students on a local, national and international level. Myslinski is an associate professor in the Dental Schoolýs Department of Biomedical Sciences. His innovative methods include using art, theater, and debates.

Md. Doctors Helping Earthquake Victims in China
WJZ-TV, Ch. 13, 5, 6, and 11 p.m. - June 18
Wjztv.com - June 19
WMAR-TV, Ch. 2, 5 and 6 p.m. - June 18
Wmar.com - June 19

A medical team from the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center at the University of Maryland, Baltimore has returned from a 10-day trip to help earthquake victims in China. At Shock Trauma, the team members regularly treat serious injuries, but they say nothing compares to the scale of what they saw in Chengdu. "This west China hospital had 3,000 casualties in less than two weeks," said Thomas Scalea, MD, professor at the School of Medicine and physician-in-chief at the center. "You can almost add a zero or two zeros to everything they do there in terms of how many patients they're taking care of," said Geoffrey Sheinfeld, MD, a specialist in critical care and assistant professor at the School.
wjz.com
weblogs.baltimoresun.com
www.examiner.com

Montgomery County's Reaction to Water Main Break Criticized
WTTG, Ch. 5, 6 p.m. - June 18

Residents of Montgomery County who signed up to receive e-mail alerts in the event of an emergency were not notified of a catastrophic water main break this week that had the potential to contaminate water. The reason: the two county employees trained in the system were on vacation. Michael Greenberger, JD, professor at the School of Law and director of the Center for Health and Homeland Security, said "normally a personal assistant who knows nothing about communication takes a course within the company so that if he or she is the only one there, they know how to run the system."
media.umaryland.edu:8080

Mother Jones Strikes Back at National Review
MotherJones.com - June 18

After printing an in-depth piece about former Sen. Phil Grammýs role in paving the way for the soaring cost of oil and the subprime meltdown, Mother Jones was lambasted by a writer in the National Review. In the Mother Jones article, Michael Greenberger, JD, professor at the School of Law and a former director at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, said that credit default swaps, a financial instrument deregulated by a bill sponsored by Gramm, have been ýat the heart of the subprime meltdown.ý
www.motherjones.com

Names in the News
The (Baltimore) Sun - June 19

Matthew Cooper, MD, associate professor at the School of Medicine, has been named chair of the United Network for Organ Sharing's Living Donor Committee. Cooper is a transplant surgeon at the University of Maryland Medical Center. The committee of transplant professionals examines issues relating to patient safety and outcomes for organ donors. It also makes recommendations about improving the donor process. Cooper, who performs kidney, pancreas and liver transplants, is also director of clinical research for the Division of Transplantation at the School.
www.baltimoresun.com

Oil Traders Scrutinized
St. Petersburg Times - June 19

With the price of gas at more than $4 a gallon and climbing each day, lawmakers and financial experts are questioning the role oil speculators play in driving up costs. Michael Greenberger, JD, professor at the School of Law and a former director at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, said, "Right now the market is overwhelmed by speculators. ý If they're not policed, speculators will distort the market and drive the price in any direction they want to take it."
www.tampabay.com

Pharmacy School Grads Face Bright Prospects Despite Downturn
The (Baltimore) Examiner - June 17

Students with degrees in pharmacy have it made this year. The nationwide shortage of pharmacists means big bucks for those who earn a graduate degree in pharmacy. This year pharmacy majors are receiving an average of four job offers with salaries in the six-figure range before they leave school, school officials say. Pharmacistsý vacancy rate at hospitals in Maryland rose steadily over the past few years and reached 12 percent in 2007, said Nancy Fiedler, spokeswoman for the Maryland Hospital Association. While nurses and doctors are also in short supplyýa result of the aging baby boomer populationýpharmacists are stretched even thinner because every grocery store seems to have a pharmacy now, Fiedler said. ýWeýve had a pharmacist shortage in the state of Maryland for a number of years, as well as nationally, and that shortage does not seem to be dissipating,ý said Natalie D. Eddington, PhD, dean of the School of Pharmacy.
www.examiner.com

Sheila Dixon Search Warrants
WMAR-TV, Ch. 2, 5, 5:30, and 6 p.m. - June 18
Abc2news.com - June 18
WBAL-TV, Ch. 11, 5, 6 p.m. - June 18
WBAL.com - June 18
WJZ-TV, Ch. 13, 4 p.m. - June 18
WJZ.com - June 18

Adjunct Professor Andrew Levy, JD, of the School of Law appeared on numerous telecasts to discuss various legal aspects of the state investigation into Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon. He discussed the process of obtaining warrants, the impact of the search (ýitýs a humiliating experienceý), the function of the Office of the State Prosecutor, and the presumption of innocence of the person at the center of the search.
media.umaryland.edu:8080
media.umaryland.edu:8080
media.umaryland.edu:8080
www.abc2news.com
www.wbaltv.com
wjz.com

Thanking Those Who Made the Ultimate Donation
The Annapolis Capital - June 19

On Monday afternoon, before the rain came pouring down, a burial service was held for Marylanders who donated their bodies to science last year. The service is an annual occasion held to recognize the vital donationsýand unclaimed bodiesýthat are used by Maryland's medical and dental students for education and research. The service was held at Springfield Hospital Center in Sykesville. A multimedia presentation includes commentary from Ronn Wade, head of anatomical services at the School of Medicine.
www.hometownannapolis.com

'Darký'Markets Investigated
CBS Evening News, 7 p.m. - June 17

A significant amount of oil futures contracts are traded on so-called ýdarký marketsýaway from the watchful eye of U.S. regulatorsýand experts argue unmonitored trading on those markets is partly responsible for what you pay at the pump. Michael Greenberger, JD, professor at the School of Law and a former director at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, said, ýIf you can trade out of the sight of U.S. regulators, you can manipulate those markets.ý
media.umaryland.edu:8080

Call for More Controls on Oil Speculators
The (Baltimore) Sun - June 18
The Tucson Citizen - June 18
The Arizona Daily Star - June 18
Amarillo.com - June 18

Both U.S. officials and lawmakers are vowing to crack down on excessive oil futures trading by large financial institutions on unregulated markets. Michael Greenberger, JD, a professor at the School of Law and a former director at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, said, ýThere can be no doubt that there is a supply-and-demand problem at work here. But many believe, including me, that thereýs a speculative premium that goes beyond what supply-and-demand factors dictate. And thatýs what could be drained with aggressive United States regulation.ý
www.baltimoresun.com
www.tucsoncitizen.com
www.azstarnet.com
www.amarillo.com

Developer Hampstead to Buy 35 Poppleton Properties at Big Discount
The Daily Record - June 18

Poppleton is adjacent to the northwest side of the newly developed University of Maryland BioPark, a research complex that, when completed, is expected to create 2,500 jobs and $500 million in capital investment. So far, two research buildings and a parking garage have been built at the BioPark, with ground for a third broken this year.

In Memory of Marylanders Who Donated Their Bodies to Science
MdDailyRecord.com - June 17
CarrollCountyTimes.com - June 17

On Monday afternoon, before the rain came pouring down, a burial service was held for Marylanders who donated their bodies to science last year. The service is an annual occasion held to recognize the vital donations--and unclaimed bodies--that are used by Maryland's medical and dental students for education and research. The service was held at Springfield Hospital Center in Sykesville. A multimedia presentation includes commentary from Ronn Wade, head of anatomical services at the School of Medicine; David Pumplin, PhD, adjunct professor at the School of Medicine; and medical students Kristen Angster and Chris Lemon.
www.mddailyrecord.com
www.carrollcountytimes.com

Lack of Diversity in Genetic Counselors Could Affect Patients
Health Behavior News Service - June 18

African-American, Hispanic or American Indian patients undergoing genetic testing are unlikely to encounter counselors of their ethnic backgrounds, according to a review appearing in the August issue of the Journal of Genetic Counseling. ýMinorities are underrepresented in genetic counseling. It's not a unique problem to genetics. We see it in health professions as a whole, but it's more pronounced in the genetic counseling professions," said lead author Ilana Mittman, PhD, MS, an instructor in the School of Medicine.
www.hbns.org

Maryland Law Students to Get Ethics Training
Legal Times blog - June 17

The School of Law announced this week that it will incorporate ethics and professionalism training into its coursework, as business schools often do. Diane Hoffman, JD, associate dean for academic programs at the School of Law, said she hopes the ethics, professionalism, and leadership training "will start a movement" at other law schools.
legaltimes.typepad.com

New Civil Rights Digital Library
Know blog - June 12

The University of Georgiaýs new Civil Rights Digital Library provides organized access to the resources of nearly 100 digital collections to provide a single source for online civil rights research. The collections of the Thurgood Marshall Law Library at the School of Law, the Tarlton Law Library at the University of Texas, Yale Law School, and the Virginia Center for Digital History Information at the University of Virginia are just a few of those included.
whatweneedtoknow.wordpress.com

O'Malley to Make More Money Available to Md. Biotech
Frederick County Biotech Community blog - June 17

Under a nine-point plan outlined by Gov. Martin O'Malley yesterday, the state would build incubators that help small technology companies bring their ideas to market, expand a School of Law program to work with entrepreneurs to protect intellectual property, and direct at least $20 million annually to stem-cell research.
fredcobio.wordpress.com

Panel to Find Owner for Hospital
The Montgomery County Sentinel - June 18

A seven-member panel has been appointed to find a new owner for the struggling Prince Georgeýs Hospital Center, which has been called a linchpin in the area's health care delivery system. Donald E. Wilson, MD, MACP, former dean of the School of Medicine who now directs the Schoolýs program in minority health and health disparities, will be vice chair.
www.thesentinel.com

Psychosocial Influences in HIV/AIDS
HealthNewsDigest - June 18

Why do some people infected with HIV do well for years while others experience rapid declines in health? A growing body of research suggests mental health and other psychosocial factors provide part of the answer. "I think the contribution of behavioral and psychosocial variables to disease progression has really been underestimated in the biomedical field," said Lydia Temoshok, PhD, a professor at the School of Medicine.
www.healthnewsdigest.com

Sheila Dixon Investigation
WJZ-TV, Ch. 13, 5, 6 and 11 p.m. - June 17
WJZ.com - June 17

Adjunct Professor Andrew Levy, JD, of the School of Law appeared in a televised interview to explain the investigation into the mayor of Baltimore.
wjz.com

TEDCO Awards $400,000 to Local University Researchers
Baltimore Business Journal - June 17

The Maryland Technology Development Corp. has given $400,000 to eight researchers at local universities to help them turn their work into commercial products, including Nabile Safdar, MD, an assistant professor at the School of Medicine who is working on a computer application used in the diagnosis of cartilage injuries.
www.bizjournals.com

Cost of Medicine Could Increase
The (Baltimore) Sun - June 17

Industry efforts to limit sales of generic drugs stem from the 1984 federal law that authorized the cheaper copies. Over the years, major drugmakers have filed patent infringement suits that delay sales of generics and have paid generic drugmakers to refrain from developing competing drugs. "Now we're morphing into going to states [for regulation of generics]," said Frank Palumbo, JD, PhD, executive director of the Center on Drugs and Public Policy at the School of Pharmacy.
www.baltimoresun.com

Deflating the Oil Bubble
ýMarketplace,ý WYPR, 6:30 p.m. - June 16

With the price of oil once again reaching a record high, more evidence suggests that the markets are dysfunctional and out of control because of speculative activity. Michael Greenberger, JD, professor at the School of Law and a former director at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, said ýThe question is do you want to deflate the bubble by that kind of suffering or do you want to deflate the bubble by applying tight U.S. regulatory controls?ý
marketplace.publicradio.org

DuPont Announces New Kevlar Technology
Forbes.com (via AP) - June 16

New Kevlar technology will allow the production of body armor that provides better bullet-stopping power at a lighter weight, the DuPont Co. said Monday. In addition to better penetration protection, the new technology also better dissipates the energy from a bullet, resulting in less blunt force trauma to the wearer from what is called "backface deformation" of a vest, DuPont said. Such trauma typically consists of bruising and minor rib fractures, according to Deborah Stein, MD, MPH, assistant professor at the School of Medicine.
www.forbes.com

Mobility: Electronic, Wearable Tech Gear Helps Stroke Patients
El Paso Times - June 16
Elpasotimes.com - June 16

A small but growing number of stroke patients are benefiting from new, wearable technology that uses mild electronic shock to stimulate the nerves and muscles in areas that have been severely affected. When in use, the units send electric shocks to the targeted areas, resulting in a tingling sensation similar to the feeling that returns to a limb that has fallen "asleep." They've been in use at rehabilitation hospitals, and the results, administrators and therapists alike say, have been eye-opening in some cases. Prevention magazine included the device on its list of 10 top medical breakthroughs for 2007, citing it as a "breakthrough that could help stroke victims walk again." "This is a huge improvement over wearing a brace," Gad Alon, PT, PhD, an associate professor of physical therapy and rehabilitation science at the School of Medicine, said in the article.
www.elpasotimes.com

Northrop-Led Team Developing Military Binoculars That Tap Into Brain Waves
The Daily Record - June 15

A team of researchers led by Northrop Grumman Corp. has received federal funding to construct a space-age set of binoculars that would tap into a soldierýs brainwaves to pick out possible threats from as far away as six miles. One of two teams to receive money from the Department of Defense, it will explore the technology necessary to create ýintelligentý binoculars that would far surpass anything available to infantry soldiers. Robert Shin, MD, assistant professor at the School of Medicine, said the idea of tapping the brainýs visual processing centers made sense. "The brain is constantly processing images, movement, and patterns in a personýs field of view." Given the amount of information that is collected, Shin said most gets filtered out to prevent information overload. "There is a level where the brain can identify things before it ever makes it to the conscious level," Shin said. "Your brain says, 'It may be something,' but it might not realize that it is something that should rise to the conscious level."
www.mddailyrecord.com

OýMalley Pledges More Investment to Bolster Md.'s Biotech Industry
The Washington Post - June 17
The (Baltimore) Sun -June 17
The Milwaukee Business Journal - June 17
Baltimore Business Journal - June 16
Chronicle.com - June 16

Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley outlined a strategy yesterday to invest $1.1 billion in the state's bioscience industry over the next decade or so, expanding tax credits, bolstering stem cell research, and providing new support for startups. The School of Law plans to expand its legal services for startups and entrepreneurs, as many new companies cannot afford legal services for intellectual property valuation and protection. "The governor's investment in Hopkins and University of Maryland will help boost the state's returns," said E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, dean of the School of Medicine, following Monday's announcement. He said the state will help the University finance the construction of a new $400 million research building on its Baltimore campus. Construction could begin by 2009 and the building could be open by 2013.
milwaukee.bizjournals.com
www.washingtonpost.com
chronicle.com
www.baltimoresun.com

Prescription for Success
Baltimore Jewish Times - June 13

Martin Mintz, PD, FASCP, who built Northern Pharmacy and Medical Equipmentýthe small Northeast Baltimore pharmacy he bought 30 years agoý into a large, thriving endeavor, was recently inducted into the School of Pharmacyýs Hall of Fame as a "Distinguished Community Pharmacist." Mintz is a member of the Schoolýs Board of Visitors.
(To read this story, contact the Communications office at 7-7820, or respond to this e-mail.)

Blood Substitute Proven Effective in Phase 3 Trial
Ivanhoe's Medical Breakthroughs (Fla.) - June 16

A phase 3 multicenter clinical trial demonstrated that the use of a blood substitute was relatively safe in patients aged less than 80 years who have a moderate need for transfusion, up to the equivalent of 3 units of regular blood. Published in the June edition of the Journal of Trauma, this study is the first phase 3 trial to compare a blood substitute to regular blood and was conducted at 46 sites in the United States, Europe, and South Africa. "We found that we eliminated the need for blood transfusions for 59 percent of the 350 patients who received the blood substitute," said Colin Mackenzie, MD, MB, ChB, former director of the National Study Center for Trauma and Emergency Medical Systems at the School of Medicine.
www.ivanhoe.com

Fathers and Friends
The (Baltimore) Examiner - June 14

In this Op-Ed, Geoffrey Greif, DSW, MSW, a professor at the School of Social Work, discusses the importance of fathers and their friends on the development of children. He writes, ýDevelopmental experts, politicians, clergy, and lay leaders extol the importance of father involvement in the lives of their children. What they donýt talk about is the balance that fathers need to strike between the demands of work, family, and friends. Friends are usually left out of the equation. Yet research shows that people with friends live longer and healthier lives. Fathers, as my childhood friend illustrates, influence their children in many ways.ý
(To read this story, contact the Communications office, or respond to this e-mail.)

Finding Ways to Balance Work and Family, While Keeping On the Partner Track
The Daily Record - June 15

Jessica Morrison was about to quit her job. After her first son, Hunter, was born in 2004, Morrison had gone back to work as a litigation associate at McGuireWoods LLP. But when Mikey was born in September 2006, she panicked at the thought of hopping back on the partnership track. Morrisonýs situation occurs at law firms all over the country. Lawyersýoften, but not exclusively, women lawyersýcan struggle with balancing work and family. That goes double for those with more than one child, said Paula Monopoli, JD, a professor at the School of Law who studies gender and the law. Often, women lawyers leave firm life for government or in-house counsel work; some leave the practice of law altogether. Though law schools churn out around the same number of male and female attorneys, fewer than 20 percent of law firm partners are women.
www.mddailyrecord.com

Free Dental Clinic Opens in Charles
The Washington Post - June 16

In Charles County, where big houses and yards are easy to come by but access to specialized and affordable health care is limited, there is a bright spot. The county recently opened its first dental clinic for poor and uninsured children with hopes of extending the service to adults. Housed in the county's Health Department building in White Plains, the clinic is the first to open in the three counties that make up Southern Maryland. Calvert and St. Mary's counties do not offer such a service. Pediatric dentist Susana Merida, DDS, the clinic's dental fellow at the University of Maryland Dental School, signed on to work in the clinic four days a week, providing cleanings, fillings, and restorations to about 15 children a day.
www.washingtonpost.com

Panel To Find Owner for Hospital
The (Baltimore) Sun - June 14
The Washington Post - June 14

A seven-member panel has been appointed to find a new owner for the struggling Prince George's Hospital Center, which has been called a linchpin in the area's health care delivery system. Donald E. Wilson, MD, MACP, former dean of the School of Medicine who now directs the Schoolýs program in minority health and health disparities, will be vice chair.
www.baltimoresun.com
www.washingtonpost.com

Seeking a Few Good Men; State Looks to Recruit More Foster Fathers, Families
The (Baltimore) Sun -June 15

The Maryland Department of Human Resources is seeking to expand the shrinking pool of foster parents in the state. In finding homes for children, workers sometimes look at whether a household includes a father. Studies show that a father's involvement, in general, improves a child's well-being. ýBoys are quite influenced by having a male figure around,ý said Richard P. Barth, PhD, MSW, a professor and dean at the School of Social Work. Because of their histories, children in foster care can be behind in school. "One of the things that fathers may be able to bring are the kinds of activities especially that connect them to children who are not that oriented toward higher education," Barth said. That might include playing sports or working on cars.
www.baltimoresun.com

Speculators Driving Up the Cost of Oil
The Tennessean - June 15
North Platte Bulletin - June 15
Cherry Hill Courier Post - June 14
USA Today ý June 13
GoldSeek.com ý June 13

Experts argue that excessive oil futures trading by large financial institutions on unregulated markets is driving up the cost of gas, and consumers are paying the price. Michael Greenberger, JD, a professor at the School of Law and a former director at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, said ýthere is clearly a supply and demand problem in the oil markets ý but there is also clearly a speculation premium. We're paying a tax that is being collected by speculators.ý

'Heart Healthy' Weekend Deemed a Success
CaymanNetNews.com - June 13

Hundreds of people flocked to the Family Life Centre over the Discovery Day weekend to take part in Cayman Heart Fundýs Heart Healthy weekend. At the fair, the Cayman public was joined by eminent cardiologists from the United States, who the night before had given riveting presentations to Caymanýs medical professionals. They included Mandeep Mehra, MBBS, professor at the School of Medicine.
www.caymannetnews.com

'Placing Bets' Costs Consumers
NBC Nightly News ý 7 p.m., June 10
Business and Media - June 11

Investment banks and hedge funds are going all-in on commodities futures as the American dollar continues to weaken, driving up the cost of oil and food. Michael Greenberger, JD, professor at the School of Law and a former director at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, said, ýWhat we see today is the speculators dominating this market and driving the prices up.ý
www.businessandmedia.org

Aftermath of the Enron Loophole
SeekingAlpha.com - June 13

In December 2000, Congress passed the Commodity Futures Modernization Act, which experts say created the so-called ýEnron Loopholeýýa provision that effectively exempted from regulation energy trading on electronic platforms in the United States. 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 the Enron Loophole led to the development of "dark markets" where commodity speculators engage in uninhibited trading, devoid of federal regulation
seekingalpha.com

Gitmo Detainees Have Habeas Corpus Rights
ABC News - June 12

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday that detainees held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, can challenge their detentions in federal court. Michael Greenberger, JD, professor at the School of Law and director of its Center for Health and Homeland Security, said U.S. courts will be able to handle challenges by the detainees. "That is not an unusual situation. During World War II, both enemy combatants and prisoners of war were held in the United States," Greenberger said.
abcnews.go.com

Initiative Aims to Put Lawyers in the 'LEAD'
The Daily Record - June 13

A new program at the School of Law aims to train lawyers to become leaders by following the LEAD. The Leadership, Ethics and Democracy Initiative, which organizers say is the first of its kind, will help law students develop ethical and social skills by integrating those professional traits throughout the curriculum. The program will be formally announced Friday night by Dean Karen H. Rothenberg, JD, during the Maryland State Bar Associationýs annual meeting. ýItýs really a culling of courses, projects, and workshops that seek to create model programs to teach professionalism, leadership and clinical education,ý said Michael Millemann, JD, a law professor who was named director of the initiative. Millemann spoke Wednesday from Mississippi, where he was helping set up a law clinic.
To read this story, please contact the Communications office at ext. 6-7820, or respond to this e-mail.)

More Senate Action to Fight Rising Oil Prices
CNBC, 1:20 p.m.,- June 12

Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., is sponsoring a bill that would put time-tested speculation limits on investors in commodities markets. Michael Greenberger, JD, professor at the School of Law and a former director at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, said, "This hasn't been a problem of too much regulation. [Lieberman is] going into markets where thereýs been no regulation... the speculators can come in, but they canýt dominate the market."
media.umaryland.edu:8080

Robots Get Rave Surgical Reviews
WJZ-TV, Ch. 13, 5:30 p.m. - June 12
WJZ.com - June 12

From prostate and bladder surgery to heart bypass, robotic technology is taking off. "As physicians, we look at it as a better treatment for an epidemic," said Bartley Griffith, MD, professor at the School of Medicine.
wjz.com

Senators Urge Federal Officials to Crack Down on Oil Trading
Portland Press Herald - June 12
The Guardian - June 12

Senators Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., and Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, are demanding that the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) exercise its existing authority to bring transparency and safeguards to all U.S. oil and gas futures markets, and both lawmakers plan to introduce legislation that would regulate oil speculation on those markets. Michael Greenberger, JD, professor at the School of Law and a former director at the CFTC, joined the senators to make that announcement at a news conference on Capitol Hill on Thursday. ýIt is the foremost obligation to prevent speculators from dominating markets and the classic control on that is to limit the participation of speculators,ý Greenberger said.
news.mainetoday.com
www.guardian.co.uk

U.S. Considering New Oil Speculation Regulations
Reuters (via Forbes.com) - June 12

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is working with a similar agency in the United Kingdom to set position limits on West Texas Intermediate contracts on the IntercontinentalExchange (ICE) Futures Europe Exchange. Michael Greenberger, JD, professor at the School of Law and a former director at the CFTC, said the CFTC could regulate ICE on its own. ýA lot of time is being wasted with the CFTC begging the [Financial Services Authority] to do what the CFTC could do itself,ý said Greenberger.
www.forbes.com

Assessing Black Leadership
NPR ý June 11

In a national broadcast on the News & Notes program, Sherrilyn Ifill, JD, associate professor at the School of Law, offered her thoughts on how Americaýs black community judges its leadership. The new generation is unafraid of using the Internet and media, she said, and also unafraid of money and finance. ýTheyýre fundamentally optimistic ý Theyýre optimistic about what America can do,ý she said.
www.npr.org

Bird Flu Vaccine Shows Promise in Lab
The (Baltimore) Sun - June 12
Dog Flu.ca ý June 12
Peopleýs Daily Online (China) - June 12
Associated Press ý June 11

Lab grown cells have been used to make an experimental bird flu vaccine that according to researchers holds a lot of promise when it comes to protecting against the virus. "I think it is a big leap forward," said Wilbur Chen, MD, assistant professor and vaccine researcher at the School of Medicine. He was not involved in the study.
www.baltimoresun.com
www.dogflu.ca
english.people.com.cn
ap.google.com

GOP Blocks Tax on Oil Giants' Profits
Contra Costa Times - June 11

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), which regulates the futures markets, has said it doesn't believe that speculation causes today's high oil prices but has promised that the task force will take a deep look. "That's a great way to appear to be doing something when you are not," said Michael Greenberger, JD, a School of Law professor who was the CFTC's director of trading during the Clinton administration.
www.contracostatimes.com

Names in the News
The (Baltimore) Sun - June 12

A 2008 American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Crystal APPLE Award has been presented to the School of Pharmacy and Frank Pucino, PharmD, of the Clinical Center at the National Institutes of Health for excellence in experiential education. Pucino has mentored dozens of students since becoming a preceptor for the School of Pharmacy in 1996.
www.baltimoresun.com

Presentations Focus on County Youth Drug and Alcohol Abuse
The Gazette - June 12

The Carroll County Health Department in partnership with several agencies joined together for the 12th annual Risky Business Prevention Conference to inform the community of these and other trends in Carroll County. David McDuff, MD, a clinical associate professor at the School of Medicine, will focus on the effects of drug abuse on the adolescent brain and discuss ways parents can screen their children as well as strategies they can use to prevent abuse.

Report Warns of Toxic Cribs
The (Baltimore) Examiner - June 11

Little of the existing research focuses on developing children, said Brenda Afzal, MS, RN, director of community health at the School of Nursing, but the link between asthma and children's exposure to formaldehyde is becoming apparent. ýMost of what we know about the health risk for formaldehyde is from workplace exposure,ý Afzal said of the people working in the factories that make the furniture. The risks are multiplied with babies, Afzal said. ýIf you think about a baby, itýs not going to be their only exposure. Mom has probably just painted their room, and there are volatile organic compounds in the paint,ý she said. ýAlso formaldehyde is a heavier-than-air gas, which means it stays down where toddlers and crawlers spend a lot of time.ý
www.examiner.com

Aftermath of the Enron Loophole
iStockAnalyst.com - June 10

In December 2000, Congress passed the Commodity Futures Modernization Act, which experts say created the so-called ýEnron Loopholeýýa provision that effectively exempted from regulation energy trading on electronic platforms in the United States. 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 the Enron Loophole led to the development of "dark markets" where commodity speculators engage in uninhibited trading, devoid of federal regulation.
www.istockanalyst.com

Blood Substitute Proven Effective in Phase 3 Trial
Doctorýs Guide - June 11

A phase 3 multicenter clinical trial demonstrated that the use of a blood substitute was relatively safe in patients aged less than 80 years who have a moderate need for transfusion, up to the equivalent of 3 units of regular blood. Published in the June edition of the Journal of Trauma, this study is the first phase 3 trial to compare a blood substitute to regular blood and was conducted at 46 sites in the United States, Europe, and South Africa. "We found that we eliminated the need for blood transfusions for 59 percent of the 350 patients who received the blood substitute," said Colin Mackenzie, MD, MB, ChB, former director of the National Study Center for Trauma and Emergency Medical Systems at the School of Medicine.
www.docguide.com

Federal Officials to Investigate Oil Speculation
The Oregonian - June 11
McClatchy Newspapers - June 10

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) announced yesterday that a special federal task force will study whether speculators and financial institutions are playing a role in driving up the price of oil to record highs. Michael Greenberger, JD, professor at the School of Law and a former director at the CFTC, said the task force may not be enough to make a significant dent in prices. ýThatýs a great way to appear to be doing something when you are not,ý said Greenberger.
www.oregonlive.com
www.mcclatchydc.com

Humor, Feeling Good Can Go Hand in Hand
Minneapolis Star Tribune - June 11
Startribune.com - June 11

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

Pancreatic Cancer Treatment
HOINews 19, ABC (Ill.) - June 11

Researchers found patients with tumors of the pancreatic head had improved survival rates (31 percent at three years) compared to those receiving only chemoradiation (22 percent at three years). Common side effects of the chemotherapy drug gemcitabine include loss of appetite, thinning or brittle hair, diarrhea, constipation, nausea, and vomiting. William Regine, MD, a professor at the School of Medicine, says investigators eventually hope to add an additional chemotherapy agent that specifically targets cancer cells.
www.hoinews.com

Top U.S. Officials Ignore Quick Fixes for Gas Prices
The (Baltimore) Examiner - June 10

President Bush, John McCain, and Barack Obama each claim to know what policy will help lower gas prices, but experts say all three are off the mark. Bush wants to increase oil drilling in Alaska and offshore; McCain wants to suspend the federal gas tax; Obama has called for a tax on the profits of oil companies. Increased regulation is endorsed by Michael Greenberger, JD, professor at the School of Law and a former director at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
www.examiner.com

2008-2009 In-State Tuition Frozen, But Not Fees
The (Baltimore) Sun - June 5

The University System of Maryland regents voted to freeze tuition levels for in-state, undergraduate students during the 2008-2009 academic year, but some fees, including room and board, will continue to rise. In-state students will not have to pay more in tuition, but they should expect increases in fees that all students must pay. The fees range from campus to campus, but at the University of Maryland, College Park, students must pay eight additional fees including fees for transportation, technology, and performing arts. These fees add up to $1,439 for next year, that is on top of tuition, and room and board. As for graduate programs, students at the University of Maryland School of Law will have a $1,395 increase, while School of Medicine students in-state will have a $1,673 increase and out-of-state students will have a $2,348 increase.
www.baltimoresun.com

Bethesda Sophomore Wins International Brain Bee
The Rockville Gazette - June 4
The Aspen Gazette - June 4
The Kensington Gazette - June 4
The Bethesda Gazette - June 4
The Chevy Chase Gazette - June 4

Flexing her mental muscles, 16-year-old Elena Kim Perry from Bethesda became the winner of the International Brain Bee in Montreal last week. The International Brain Bee, which took place May 26, is a live question-and-answer competition that tests the neuroscience knowledge of high school students. It is directed by the Dental School. The competition is three-tiered. In February, 20 students from 12 high schools in Maryland and Washington, D.C., participated in the National Capital Area Brain Bee
www.gazette.net
www.gazette.net
www.gazette.net
www.gazette.net
www.gazette.net

Fostering Gains
Science News - June 2

The foster care system in the United States gets plenty of bad press. Thereýs room for optimism, though. Kids removed from their homes because of abuse or neglect display encouraging behavioral and emotional responses to two alternative foster care tactics, new studies find. One strategy calls for children to live in the homes of responsible relatives. Another enrolls youngsters in a private foster care program that offers expanded services compared with public foster care. "Children prefer to be placed with relatives, and the care of relatives may support better behavioral outcomes," remarks Richard P. Barth, PhD, MSW, dean of the School of Social Work.
www.sciencenews.org

Humor, Feeling Good Can Go Hand in Hand
Asbury Park Press - June 10

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

Top U.S. Officials Ignore Quick Fixes for Gas Prices
McClatchy Newspapers - June 9

President Bush, John McCain and Barack Obama each claim to know what policy will help lower gas prices, but experts say all three are off the mark. Bush wants to increase oil drilling in Alaska and offshore; McCain wants to suspend the federal gas tax; Obama has called for a tax on the profits of oil companies. Increased regulation is endorsed by Michael Greenberger, JD, professor at the School of Law and a former director at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
www.mcclatchydc.com

Truckers Support Oil Futures Regulation
LogisticsManagement.com - June 9

Feeling the economic pressure of record diesel full prices, the American Trucking Association applauded the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) for vowing to increase regulation of U.S. oil markets. Experts argue that excessive oil futures trading by large financial institutions on unregulated markets is driving up the cost of gas, and consumers are paying the price. Michael Greenberger, JD, a professor at the School of Law and a former director at the CFTC, said the commission still has work to do, and its intention to obtain more information about futures trading on exchanges overseen by officials in London and Dubai was an "abdication of its responsibility. . .and an outrage."
www.logisticsmgmt.com

Why Is Gas More Than $4 a Gallon?
The Diane Rehm Show, WAMU 88.5 FM, 10 a.m. - June 10

Host Diane Rehm held a live roundtable discussion on soaring oil prices and the shrinking value of the U.S. dollar and what steps the government should take to right Americaýs financial ship. Michael Greenberger, JD, professor at the School of Law and a former director at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, said one major cause of record high oil prices is inaction on the part of U.S. officials when it comes to regulation of futures markets. In the past week, Greenberger has met with U.S. senators on both sides of the aisle who agree there needs to be more regulation in place.
media.umaryland.edu:8080

For Teen, Big Strides Amid Pain
The (Baltimore) Sun - June 8

For nearly two years, McKenzie Hull has had an incessant headache, known as the New Daily Persistent Headache, an incurable condition for which there is no known cause. New Daily Persistent Headache is an extremely difficult condition to treat, said Jack Gladstein, MD, associate professor at the School of Medicine and director of the Pediatric Headache Clinic at the University of Maryland Medical Center. "Once the diagnosis is made, it's a difficult long road for a lot of families," he said.
www.baltimoresun.com

New Regulation Targets Oil Traders
Business Week - June 9
The Electric New Paper (Singapore) - June 9
Executive Intelligence Review ý June 9 (June 13 issue)
The Salt Lake Tribune - June 7

After the price of oil climbed $16 a barrel in just two days last week, the average cost of a gallon of regular gasoline jumped above $4 for the first time. Now Congress and federal regulators have vowed to crack down on excessive futures trading on U.S. oil marketsýand to take action as soon as possible. Michael Greenberger, JD, professor at the School of Law and a former director at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, said ýthe only way to permanently deflate the [commodities] market is to ensure more aggressive oversight.ý
www.businessweek.com
newpaper.asia1.com.sg
www.larouchepub.com
www.sltrib.com

No Loss For Feminism
The (Baltimore) Sun - June 8

In an Op-Ed about the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, Sherrilyn Ifill, JD, a professor at the School of Law, wrote, ýIn the next few days, the historical narrative about the presidential primary race between Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton will become set in stone. The contest between a powerful and talented black man and a powerful and talented white woman has already become, in the minds of many, a story about the continuing power of sexism over racism as a barrier to equality. But very little about the candidacy of Hillary Clinton reflected feminism.ý
www.baltimoresun.com

Public Dental Clinic for Kids Opens
The Washington Post - June 8

About 6,000 Charles County children in need of care have the region's first public dental clinic available to them regardless of whether they are insured. A pediatric dental fellow from the Dental School in Baltimore will work four days a week at the clinic, serving about 15 patients weekly. "I'm so tired of Charles County kids coming all the way up to the University of Maryland, that two-hour trip, just to get their teeth cleaned," said Norman Tinanoff, DDS, MS, professor and chairman of pediatric dentistry. "This will stop that spigot." Susana Merida, the clinic's dental fellow at the Dental School, said, "This is a Corvette for dentists."
www.washingtonpost.com

Should Credit Default Swaps Be Regulated Like Insurance?
The Hedge Fund Law Report ý May 30

The market for credit default swaps (CDS) has exploded in recent years with contracts valued at more than $60 trillion worldwide, and the New York insurance superintendent wants to regulate CDS as insurance when the buyer owns the referenced asset. But research shows that the buyer is the asset owner only 20 percent of the time, while the other 80 percent consists of buyers who are betting on assets they do not own. In those cases, a CDS is an agreement between two parties where one party pays a premium to another party with the promise of a payoff if a designated third party defaults or breaches a financial contract. ýAll credit default swaps should be deemed insurance,ý said Michael Greenberger, JD, professor at the School of Law and a former director at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
www.hflawreport.com

Greenberger Testifies at Senate Hearing on Oil Prices
Oil & Gas Journal - June 4
CleanSkiesTV 4 p.m. - June 3

A group of experts told the Senate Commerce Committee on Tuesday that increased federal regulatory action of energy markets could be the catalyst for a drastic drop in oil prices. Michael Greenberger, JD, professor at the School of Law and a former director at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), said that U.S. regulatorsý no-action commitment has opened the door for price manipulation on U.S. oil markets. "The CFTC has abdicated its responsibility to regulate 30% of the total U.S. crude oil futures traded to regulatory authorities in Dubai and the United Kingdom," said Greenberger, a key expert on the panel. "As it is, we can't expect regulations before sometime this fall."
www.ogj.com
www.cleanskies.tv

Investors' Growing Appetite for Oil Evades Market Limits
The Washington Post - June 6
Free Internet Press - June 6

Hedge funds and big Wall Street banks are taking advantage of loopholes in federal trading limits to buy massive amounts of oil contracts, according to a growing number of lawmakers and prominent investors, who blame the practice for helping to push oil prices to record highs. Michael Greenberger, JD, a professor at the School of Law and former Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) director, said there were loopholes the agency could close without much effort. "There's smoke here, and the CFTC hasn't wanted to look if there's a fire," he said. "Now they say they want to look, but they need the data. . . . But these are dark markets. They don't even know who's doing the trading."
www.washingtonpost.com
freeinternetpress.com

Shock Trauma Team to Help Quake Victims
The (Baltimore) Sun - June 6
The (Baltimore) Examiner - June 6
WJZ-TV - June 5
WJZ.com - June 5
WMAR-TV - June 5
ABC2News.com - June 5
Examiner.com - June 5
WBAL-TV ý June 5
WBAL.com ý June 5

Three doctors, a nurse, and an engineer from the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center plan to travel to China today to help treat victims of the May 12 earthquake that devastated the central part of the country. Thomas Scalea, MD, Shock Trauma's physician in chief and professor at the School of Medicine, said he and his colleagues offered to help soon after the earthquake struck. "I wasn't really expecting the phone to ring, but then a few days ago they said 'please come' and we said 'yes,'" Scalea said. Besides Scalea, the team will consist of Assistant Professor Thomas Grissom, MD, a specialist in critical care and anesthesiology; Assistant Professor Geoffrey Sheinfeld, MD, a specialist in critical care and kidney issues; Karen Karash, RN, a neurotrauma and critical care nurse; and Assistant Professor Peter Hu, MS, an engineer who will handle telemedicine and translate.

Bikers Take to the Streets for SIDS Awareness
The Advocate ý June 4

Bikers will be participating in the first annual Team JEM 3 Ride for SIDS on Sunday by traveling at least 80 miles to raise funds that will benefit the Center for Infant and Child Loss (CICL). The CICL, which is headquartered inside the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, assures that Maryland families who have faced the sudden death of a child will have access to bereavement interventions, counseling, and information based on current research.
www.eldersburgadvocate.com

Greenberger Testifies at Senate Hearing on Oil Prices
C-SPAN ý June 4, 10 a.m.
SeekingAlpha.com ý June 4
The Seattle Times ý June 4
The Bellington Herald ý June 4
The Austin American-Statesman ý June 4
Cattlenetwork.com ý June 4
The Guardian ý June 3
Land Line Magazine ý June 3
Pensions & Investmentsý ý June 3
TheHill.com ý June 3

A group of experts told the Senate Commerce Committee yesterday that increased federal regulatory action of energy markets could be the catalyst for a drastic drop in oil prices. Michael Greenberger, JD, professor at the School of Law and a former director at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, said that financial institutions like investment banks are manipulating oil prices through rampant futures trading on opaque markets. ýI think there is a correlation between the weak dollar and excessive speculation,ý said Greenberger, who was a key witness at the hearing. ýTurning this regulation over to Dubai and the English is a joke.ý
rtsp:
seattletimes.nwsource.com
www.statesman.com
www.guardian.co.uk

Hospitals Going ýGreený
St. Louis Post-Dispatch ý June 4

Health care facilitiesýwhich experts say are among the largest users of energy and water in their communitiesýare focusing more on shrinking their environmental footprint. "There's no question that hospitals are moving forward on these issues and they're discovering that it's good for everybody," said Barbara Sattler, RN, DrPh, FAAN, director of the Environmental Health Education Center at the School of Nursing.
www.stltoday.com

Student Wins Third Place at Brain Bee International
Guelph (Ontario) Mercury ý June 3

Isdin Oke is giving his mind a deserving rest after winning bronze in an international "brain bee" competition. One of four finalists, the Canadian Grade 12 Centennial Collegiate student came in third in the final round of competition last week in Quebec. Norbert Myslinski, PhD, MA, associate professor at the Dental School, founded the neuroscience contest, which has grown to 70 local brain bee coordinators across the globe. The competition tests high school competitors in brain anatomy and patient diagnosis, and consists of an oral examination and multiple-choice exam.
news.guelphmercury.com

Children Who Live With Relatives May Have Fewer Behavioral Problems
Florida School Counselor ý June 2

Children who leave their homes because of maltreatment appear to have fewer behavioral problems three years later if they are placed with relatives than if they are placed in foster care, according to a report in the June issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the Journal of the American Medical Association/Archives journals. "Being in kinship care and having fewer behavior problems likely comprise a relationship that is too complicated to be thought of as being causal and one-way," writes Richard P. Barth, PhD, MSW, dean of the School of Social Work, in an accompanying editorial.
www.fla-schoolcounselor.org

Congressman Concerned About Overmedication of Foster Kids
Rochester Democrat & Chronicle ý June 3

Growing concerns about whether foster children are overprescribed psychotropic medication have prompted a congressman to examine the oversight of the foster care system nationwide. The actions by Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Wash., which included a congressional hearing a few weeks ago, come as New York officials are trying to ensure that foster care systems have safeguards against overmedication. One speaker at the hearing, School of Pharmacy Professor Julie Zito, PhD, said better studies were needed about the outcome of psychotropic treatment. Many drugs do have beneficial uses, but foster children and disabled children are the most likely to be prescribed costly medication that has not been subjected to rigorous testing to prove its effectiveness, she said.
www.democratandchronicle.com

Fostering Gains
Science News ý June 2
Reuters Health ý June 2

The foster care system in the United States gets plenty of bad press. Thereýs room for optimism, though. Children removed from their homes because of abuse or neglect display encouraging behavioral and emotional responses to two alternative foster care tactics, new studies find. ýChildren prefer to be placed with relatives, and the care of relatives may support better behavioral outcomes,ý remarks Richard P. Barth, PhD, MSW, dean of the School of Social Work.
www.sciencenews.org
www.reuters.com

Federal Officials Investigating U.S. Oil Markets
African Energy News Review - June 1
Bloomberg.com ý May 31
WZBC-FM, Boston, Sounds of Dissent, 12:10 p.m. ý May 31
CNN.com ý May 31
KLIF-AM, Dallas, Wheels with Ed Wallace, 9 a.m. - May 31
Bloomberg.com - May 30
CNN.com - May 30
BizRadio Network, Houston, The Mike Norman Show, 11:15 a.m. - May 30

Late last week, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) announced that it was investigating U.S. oil markets for possible price manipulation by investors, banks, and hedge funds. After the announcement, the crude prices took their steepest decline in 2 1/2 months. Michael Greenberger, JD, professor at the School of Law and a former director at the CFTC, said, ýThe traders now know that someone is looking over their shoulder. There will be a lot of administrative and criminal litigation before the sun sets on this.ý Greenberger will testify on this issue tomorrow before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
www.energynews.co.za
www.bloomberg.com
money.cnn.com
www.bloomberg.com
www.cnn.com

Heart Surgery: Faster Recovery
Ivanhoe.com - June 1

"We repair a heart in surgery," says Bartley Griffith, MD, professor at the School of Medicine and a heart surgeon at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore. "It's a little bit like we create a bruise and the bruise has to heal in the heart." Now, to help hearts heal after surgery, cardiac surgeons temporarily implant a new device that helps the heart pump blood, giving it a short-term rest. "It basically can perform the function of two-thirds of the heart, and so we let the heart kind of just hang out and repair itself," Griffith explains.
www.ivanhoe.com

Laughter Helps People 'Yuk'Their Way to Better Health
The Times-Picayune (New Orleans) - June 1

Michael Miller, MD, associate professor at the School of Medicine, found that people with healthy hearts were more likely to use humor and laughter than people with heart disease. In another study, Miller found that people who watched funny movies like There's Something About Mary had increased blood flow to the heart compared with those who watched sad movies like Saving Private Ryan.
www.nola.com

May is National Celiac Disease Awareness Month
StateandLake.net - May 23

May is National Celiac Disease Awareness Month and I thought Iýd share my experiences while providing a few helpful facts about gluten and celiac disease. Celiac disease is difficult to diagnose. "In the United States, many cases remain undiagnosed because symptoms vary from person to person and because physicians have not been adequately trained in what to look for," reports Alessio Fasano, MD, professor at the School of Medicine and director of its Center for Celiac Research, in the centerýs newsletter.
stateandlake.net

Our Ailing ERs
The (Baltimore) Sun - June 1

There's no denying the emergency room at University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) is a busy place. On a recent morning, the beds that circle the nurse's station are quickly filling up. "Who shows up here? Anybody who thinks they've got a problemýthat's the definition of an emergency," says Brian Browne, MD, professor at the School of Medicine and chief of emergency medicine at UMMC. "It's your perception of the issue, not necessarily mine. I don't mind. It's my job."
www.baltimoresun.com

Sports Drinks Can Be Tough on Your Teeth
LiveJournal.com - May 17

Sports and energy drinks can be wonderful potions that hydrate top-tier athletes and weekend warriors alike. But here's some advice about their use, not from your trainer or your coach, but from a dental school professor: If you choose to use them, chug them. Don't sip or savor them all day. That's what J. Anthony von Fraunhofer, PhD, professor and director of biomaterials research at the Dental School, suggests. Otherwise, the drinks could be eating away tooth enamel, setting one up for tooth decay and other dental problems.
satisfiedmako.livejournal.com