In the News

September 2007

Coping With Rheumatoid Arthritis Through Meditation
Scientist Live - Sept. 28

Researchers with the School of Medicine set out to assess the effect of meditation therapy on depressive symptoms, psychological distress, general well-being, and disease activity among rheumatoid arthritis patients. Their study supports the potential benefits of prescribing a course in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction along with the conventional course of physical and pharmacological therapy.
www.scientistlive.com

Judge Strikes Down Patriot Act Provisions
Associated Press - Sept. 28

A federal judge has ruled two provisions of the Patriot Act are unconstitutional because they allow search warrants to be issued without probable cause. The case began when the FBI misidentified a fingerprint in the Madrid train bombings in 2004, leading investigators to a Portland attorney, whose home and office were secretly searched and bugged. Michael Greenberger, JD, professor at the School of Law and director of the Center for Health and Homeland Security, called the judgeýs analysis of the law ýextraordinarily soundý and said the bungled government investigation opened the door to the Patriot Act challenge by finally allowing someone to show the government is using a secret court called the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to bypass the Constitution.
www.eastoregonian.info

Using Alternative Tools at Shock Trauma
The (Baltimore) Examiner - Sept. 28

Alternative therapies are gaining recognition as the Center for Integrative Medicine at the School of Medicine looks for ways to expand traditional medicine to meet the needs of more and more patients. "It's really about offering people more choices and more options that are evidence-based," said Brian Berman, MD, professor of family medicine and director of the center. David Tarantino, MD, assistant professor at the School and director of pain services at R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, added, "Pain is so complex and travels on so many different pathways. There's no one-size-fits-all approach to manage pain." Lixing Lao, MD, PhD, professor at the School and licensed acupuncturist with the center, said, "Shock Trauma patients who have received acupuncture as part of their pain management have reported significant drops in their pain scores; now we want to see if we can quantify the percentage of that change."
www.examiner.com

Colleges See Flare In Racial Incidents; Campuses Struggle To Explain, Cope
The Houston Chronicle - Sept. 27

A couple of weeks into classes at the University of Maryland, College Park, a rope tied into what looked like a noose was found hanging outside the campusý African-American cultural center. In some cases, "the power is in the silence that surrounds these symbols," said Sherrilyn Ifill, JD, professor at the School of Law. "We don't talk openly about why a noose is such a provocative symbol because we donýt talk much about our history of lynching."

Judge Strikes Down Patriot Act Provisions
ABCNews.com - Sept. 26
Associated Press - Sept. 27 (published in 27 newspapers and 44 Web sites)

A federal judge has ruled two provisions of the Patriot Act are unconstitutional because they allow search warrants to be issued without probable cause. The case began when the FBI misidentified a fingerprint in the Madrid train bombings in 2004, leading investigators to a Portland attorney, whose home and office were secretly searched and bugged. Michael Greenberger, JD, professor in the School of Law and director of the Center for Health and Homeland Security, called the judgeýs analysis of the law ýextraordinarily soundý and said the bungled government investigation opened the door to the Patriot Act challenge by finally allowing someone to show the government is using a secret court called the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to bypass the Constitution.
abcnews.go.com
ap.google.com

Names in the News
The (Baltimore) Sun - Sept. 27

Phil Panzarella, MD, MPH, has been named chair of the Department of Medicine at Franklin Square Hospital Center. He has served as interim chair since January 2006 and has been a staff member since 1991. Panzarella holds an academic appointment to the faculty of the School of Medicine as a clinical assistant professor and chairs Franklin Square's Patient Advisory Committee.
www.baltimoresun.com

News Summary
The Daily Record - Sept. 27

The School of Social Work has named David Flinchbaugh as director of development.

Speaking of CAM and Science-A New Example
World Health Care Blog - Sept. 26

Analysis by German researchers indicated that acupuncture works significantly better than conventional medications and other traditional Western treatments. Brian Berman, MD, director at the School of Medicine's Center for Integrative Medicine, suggested that acupuncture changes the way the brain processes pain signals or by releasing natural painkillers in the body. If this is the case, then there is a logical physiological, as well as psychological, reason for the reported success.
www.worldhealthcareblog.org

Stem Cell Funding Stalled by Contract
The Daily Record - Sept. 27

Officials of the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB), and the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute (UMBI)ýas well as the founder and CEO of the only private company to win a grant from the stem cell fundýsaid they have spent recent weeks airing their concerns over the document to the Maryland Technology Development Corp., known as TEDCO. "The language wasn't what we could legally accept," said James Hughes, MBA, vice president for research and development at UMB, echoing the sentiments of UMBI officials.

Colleges See Flare In Racial Incidents; Campuses Struggle To Explain, Cope
The Washington Post - Sept. 26

A couple of weeks into classes at the University of Maryland, College Park, a rope tied into what looked like a noose was found hanging outside the campusý African-American cultural center. In some cases, "the power is in the silence that surrounds these symbols," said Sherrilyn Ifill, JD, professor at the School of Law. "We don't talk openly about why a noose is such a provocative symbol because we don't talk much about our history of lynching."
www.washingtonpost.com

FBI Statistics Show Violent Crime Up Across U.S., Down in Md.
WBAL-TV, Ch. 11, 5, 6, and 11 p.m. - Sept. 25; 5, 5:30, 6, and 6:30 a.m. - Sept. 26
WBALTV.com - Sept. 25

According to new FBI statistics, the number of violent crimes rose 2 percent across the nation from 2005 to 2006, but in Maryland the number dropped by about 2 percent. ýThere was a slight decrease in the robbery rate. There was a slight decrease in the murder rate. But we canýt celebrate too much. We have to ask what it is weýre doing here at the No. 2 second worst rate,ý said Orde Kittrie, JD, visiting associate professor at the School of Law. He pointed out that Maryland in 2006 had the second highest per capita murder rate in the nation, behind only Louisiana, and the second highest per capita robbery rate in the nation, behind only Nevada.
media.umaryland.edu:8080

Mukasey's First Task as AG: Filling Ranks
Law.com - Sept. 25
Legal Times - Sept. 24

Now that President Bush has nominated Michael Mukasey to succeed Alberto Gonzales as attorney general, the question is how much influence the retired federal judge will wield in filling the unusually high number of vacancies at the Department of Justice. "If Mukasey is confirmed, he will have substantial input," says Michael Greenberger, JD, a professor in the School of Law and director of the Center for Health and Homeland Security who served in the associate attorney general's office under Attorney General Janet Reno. "Mukasey has been brought in there to clean up the Department of Justice. He has a chance to completely remake the department right now."
www.law.com

Nursing Shortage
WTOP Radio, 8:30 a.m. - Sept. 13

Kathryn Montgomery, PhD, RN, CNAA, associate dean for organizational partnerships, outreach, and clinical enterprise at the School of Nursing, was interviewed about the nurse and nurse faculty shortage.

Study: Acupuncture Works for Back Pain
Associated Press (published on two additional Web sites) - Sept. 24

Fake acupuncture works nearly as well as the real thing for low back pain, and either kind performs much better than usual care, German researchers have found. Brian Berman, MD, professor and director of the School of Medicineýs complementary medicine program, said the real and the sham acupuncture may have worked for reasons that can be explained in Western terms: by changing the way the brain processes pain signals or by releasing natural painkillers in the body. "The findings are at odds with previous studies that have shown a difference between true and sham acupuncture," said Eric Manheimer, MS, a clinical research associate at the Center for Integrative Medicine. More than one study has shown at least a trend in favor of true acupuncture.
ap.google.com

UMCP Forms School of Public Health
The (Baltimore) Sun - Sept. 27

The University of Maryland, College Park will formally launch the state's first publicly funded school of public health today, pledging to train students to confront regional health issues ranging from HIV infection to morbid obesity. The new program at College Park is supposed to be a social sciences companion to a medicine-focused public health school at the University System of Maryland's graduate campus, the University of Maryland, Baltimore. But that school has not opened yet. Mary Leach, PhD, senior adviser to UMB President David J. Ramsay, DM, DPhil, said yesterday that the Baltimore campus hopes to renew its search for a dean for a School of Public Health by next year, but "we're waiting to see what the budget situation will look like."
www.baltimoresun.com

What to Do When a Hip Breaks
U.S.News & World Report - Sept. 21

Karim Anton Calis, PharmD, a clinical professor in the School of Pharmacy and director of the drug information service at the National Institutes of Health, discussed the critical problem of hip fracture patients often not getting optimal care-and what new research in the New England Journal of Medicine means for them.

Artificial Lungs' Real Hurdles
Los Angeles Times - Sept. 24

Permanent implantation of an artificial lung seems unlikely, at least in the foreseeable future. Artificial lungs have a very complicated "blood contacting surface," says Bartley Griffith, MD, professor at the School of Medicine and chief of cardiac surgery and director of heart and lung transplantation at the University of Maryland Medical Center.
www.latimes.com

History, Healing, and the Jena 6 Case
Chronicle for Higher Education - Sept. 21

In a column about academic blogs, School of Law professor Sherrilyn Ifill, JD, was noted for her comments at BlackProf.com that she has been feeling grim this month since a noose was left hanging near the office of the black faculty and staff association at the University of Maryland, College Park campus. But Ifill writes that she has been comforted by attending a commemoration at Brooklynýs St. Paul Community Baptist Church, which focuses on the crimes of the Atlantic slave trade. The column notes "Earlier this year, Ifill published a book about the history of lynching in the United States, and the prospects for healing its wounds by using tribunals modeled after the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission. And yesterday she published a related essay in Baltimore's Sun."

Legal Maneuvers
Gazette.net - Sept. 21

About two years ago, Miles & Stockbridge opened an office in the BioPark at University of Maryland, Baltimore, just a few blocks from its headquarters to house its fledgling biotechnology practice.
www.gazette.net

School of Social Work Names New Faculty
The Washington Post - Sept. 23

The School of Social Work recently appointed three new faculty members for the 2007-08 academic year: Bethany Lee, PhD, MSW; Tanya Sharpe, PhD, MSW; and Terry Shaw, PhD, MSW, MPH. Lee, who joins the faculty as an assistant professor, comes from the Brown School of Social Work at Washington University. Sharpe joins the school as an assistant professor with extensive interdisciplinary practice and research experience related to public health, violence prevention, and diversity. Shaw joins the school as an assistant professor to teach child welfare research courses.
www.washingtonpost.com

Stem Cell Research Funds Still Unspent
The Daily Record - Sept. 24

The Maryland Stem Cell Commission selected the projects that will receive its grants, but as yet, has not awarded any of the funds. "It's the first I heard of the problem," said commission member Karen H. Rothenberg, JD, MPA, a bioethicist and dean of the School of Law. ýIt will be fixed.ý At the University of Maryland, Baltimore, the scientists also are learning a new process, said Vice President of Research and Development James Hughes, MBA. Basic scientists have had to undergo training on the protocols of human studies and on the Institutional Review Board process, Hughes said. "That has caused a delay that we regret, but weýre working quickly to get everything in place."

Stem Cell Research Funds Still Unspent
The Daily Record - Sept. 24

The Maryland Stem Cell Commission selected the projects that will receive its grants, but as yet, has not awarded any of the funds. "It's the first I heard of the problem," said commission member Karen H. Rothenberg, JD, MPA, a bioethicist and dean of the School of Law. ýIt will be fixed.ý At the University of Maryland, Baltimore, the scientists also are learning a new process, said Vice President of Research and Development James Hughes, MBA. Basic scientists have had to undergo training on the protocols of human studies and on the Institutional Review Board process, Hughes said. "That has caused a delay that we regret, but weýre working quickly to get everything in place."

Suicide Rates as a Public Relations Tool
The Boston Globe - Sept. 24

An examination of long-term trends in suicide rates indicate that suicides were declining here and in other countries well before selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as Prozac, Zoloft, and Paxil were widely prescribed, says Julie Zito, PhD, professor at the School of Pharmacy. Zito says there are other plausible reasons for the decline in suicide rates over the last two decades, including a more stable economy, better access to mental health care, and gun control.
www.boston.com

The 3-Minute Interview: Dr. Michael Donnenberg
The (Baltimore) Examiner - Sept. 24

Another warning about E. coli has health-conscious shoppers scanning their bags of packaged greens and wondering whether those vegetables are safe to eat. Michael Donnenberg, MD, a professor of medicine, microbiology and immunology at the School of Medicine, spoke with The Examiner about the deadly bacteria.
www.examiner.com

Travel Medicine
The New York Times - Sept. 24

Although the risk of developing acute mountain sickness (AMS), which can cause headache, nausea, lightheadedness or weakness, is probably the same for children and adults, according to Miriam Laufer, MD, an assistant professor and a pediatrician specializing in infectious diseases and travel medicine at the School of Medicine, "the challenge of traveling with toddlers is that they will not be able to communicate if they are having symptoms."
travelqa.blogs.nytimes.com

Better Mousetraps Abound in Marketplace
The Gazette - Sept. 21

The patent process is a lot more costly and time-consuming than many people might imagine, said Lawrence Sung, JD, PhD, professor and director of the Intellectual Property Law Program at the School of Law. Most people probably expect it to take a year or so to get a patent application granted, but it can take three to five years ý assuming things go well, he said. "If a patent is poorly drafted, then it may provide almost no protection for you at all," Sung said.
www.gazette.net

Congress Acts to Improve Drug Safety
The (Baltimore) Sun - Sept. 21

Congress overhauled the government's drug-safety system yesterday, giving the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sweeping new powers in a bid to better protect patients from harm caused by drugs such as the painkiller Vioxx. Some of its provisions follow recommendations by an Institute of Medicine panel, which reported last year that the FDA is an agency torn by interoffice disputes and undermined by limited power and resources. "It's great that the FDA is getting more tools. They definitely need more tools," said Sheila Weiss Smith, PhD, a School of Pharmacy associate professor who criticized the FDA this month in The New England Journal of Medicine.
www.baltimoresun.com

Gay Marriage Ruling Called 'Troubling'
Washington Blade - Sept. 21

The Maryland Court of Appeals has rejected same-sex marriage in a 4-3 ruling and upheld the stateýs statute defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman. Jana Singer, JD, a professor at the School of Law who was among the 58 professors from the University of Maryland and the University of Baltimore law schools who filed friend-of-the-court briefs supporting the plaintiffs, said the decision represented "a step backward" for the court. "It seems in many ways to have taken a step backward in its interpretation of the Maryland Declaration of Rights," she said, "and the protections it had affirmed for individuals under the Maryland Constitution."
www.washblade.com

Legal Maneuvers
The Business Gazette - Sept. 21

Miles & Stockbridge, a Baltimore firm that dates to 1932, has become the largest law firm based in Maryland, according to the National Law Journal. About two years ago, Miles & Stockbridge opened an office at the UMB BioPark just a few blocks from its headquarters to house its fledgling biotechnology practice. "That was done to better understand the business," said chairman John Frisch. "Our attorneys meet with scientists and others in those companies on a daily basis."
www.gazette.net

Shula Speaks on His High Blood Pressure Battle
WJZ-TV, Ch. 13, 5 p.m. - Sept. 20
WJZ.com - Sept. 20

Former Baltimore Colts player and coach Don Shula came to the University of Maryland, Baltimore to share his experience with high blood pressure. "The disease reflects hardening of the blood vessels and represents atherosclerosis and stiffened blood vessels," said Mandeep Mehra, MBBS, professor and chief of cardiology at the School of Medicine.
wjz.com

Aortic Repairs
WMAR-TV, Ch. 2 5:30 p.m. - Sept. 17

Doctors at the University of Maryland Medical Center have begun doing aortic repairs without cutting open the patient's chest. David Neschis, MD, an associate professor of vascular surgery in the School of Medicine, explained how the surgery "places a pipe inside a pipe."

Avandia Panel Analysis
The Health Care Channel - Sept. 17

Sheila Weiss Smith, PhD, associate professor in the School of Pharmacy, was interviewed for an online health care business Web site. She discussed the problems some people are identifying with the Food and Drug Administration panel studying the drug Avandia. She was asked to appear in the wake of the publication of her paper "Sidelining Safety: The FDA's Inadequate Response to the IOM" in the New England Journal of Medicine.
link.brightcove.com

Court Upholds Marriage Law
The (Baltimore) Sun - Sept. 19

Maryland's highest court rejected same-sex marriage yesterday and upheld the state's 34-year-old statute defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman. While the court recognized that gays and lesbians face discrimination, it also notes that as a group they are not ýpolitically powerless,ý and therefore not entitled to protections. "I don't think that's true," said Jana Singer, JD, a professor at the School of Law who was among the 58 professors from the University of Maryland and University of Baltimore law schools who filed friend-of-the-court briefs supporting the plaintiffs. "I think the fact that same-sex couples are excluded from the hundreds of protections of marriage indicates they are not politically powerful."
www.baltimoresun.com

DHS Is Still a Work in Progress
Federal Computer Week - Sept. 17

David Walker, head of the Government Accountability Office, told senators at a recent hearing that the country is safer than it was Sept. 11, 2001, but that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has failed to meet several significant management and security benchmarks, including a strategy for managing information technology (IT). Technology is the backbone of the agency's ability to respond, said Michael Greenberger, JD, professor at the School of Law and director of the Center for Health and Homeland Security. "If you don't have IT that works, everything that everyone is doing is getting lost in the ether," Greenberger said. For example, intelligence about border crossings put into systems for storage, sharing and analysis may not be processed effectively, he said.
www.fcw.com

Test Anxiety Can Put Diploma in Jeopardy
The (Baltimore) Sun - Sept. 19

At age 16, Portia Dyson is driven-a good student who works in a research laboratory at the University of Maryland, Baltimore and hopes to go to college to study science and nursing. Just one thing stands in her way: She can't pass Marylandýs High School Assessments. "This was devastating to her," said Susan Dorsey, PhD, MS, RN, assistant professor at the School of Nursing, where Portia worked this summer as part of a School of Medicine-sponsored program to introduce city students to careers in science. "I don't think you will find a more highly motivated, goal-driven city high school student."
www.baltimoresun.com

University of Maryland President Makes Education a Global Pursuit
The (Baltimore) Examiner - Sept. 18

Universities recruit sitting presidents from around the nation because governing boards want to see a demonstrated ability to fundraise and manage hundred-million-dollar budgets. It's a hard job, college presidents and search consultants say, and not everyone is cut out for it. David J. Ramsay, DM, DPhil, worked as vice chancellor at the University of California, San Francisco, before becoming president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore.
www.examiner.com

Life Sciences Advisory Panel Set
The (Baltimore) Sun - Sept. 14
The Business Gazette - Sept. 14

Gov. Martin O'Malley will announce today members of a new Life Sciences Advisory Board, which was created to further his professed mission of making Maryland "the bioscience capital of the world." Fifteen people from the industry, academia, and government are to serve on the panel, including David J. Ramsay, DM, DPhil, president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore.
www.baltimoresun.com
www.gazette.net

Roc Docs
Style: Smart Living in Baltimore - October 2007

For some Maryland doctors, the scalpel isnýt the only instrument of choice: guitars and musical instruments are others. Many doctors in the Baltimore area are accomplished rock and roll musicians. Lamont Smith, MD, a specialist in trauma and critical care medicine at the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center and clinical instructor of surgery at the School of Medicine, moonlights as Doc Rock, a popular singer/guitarist, who says music helps him decompress after a long day.

Names in the News
The (Baltimore) Sun - Sept. 13

Tanya Sharpe, PhD, MSW, has joined the faculty of the School of Social Work as an assistant professor. Sharpe has extensive research experience related to public health, violence prevention, and diversity. She previously taught at Harvard School of Public Health and Boston College Graduate School of Social Work.
www.baltimoresun.com

Pushing Innovation
The Gazette - Sept. 13

Getting an innovative product from conception to consumer can be a long, expensive process, experts say. Some inventors are able to make their mark, while other products never get to the marketplace. The patent process is a lot more costly and time-consuming than many people might imagine, said Lawrence Sung, JD, PhD, professor at the School of Law and director of the Intellectual Property Law Program. Although an inventor can file an application on his own, "if you were prudent you would not try to do it yourself," Sung said. "There are too many nuances and potential pitfalls to the patent system."
www.gazette.net

Waiter, Please Hold the Wheat
Newsweek - Sept. 17

Alessio Fasano, MD, professor at the School of Medicine and lead researcher at the Center for Celiac Research, discussed the increasing incidence of celiac disease in the U.S. and was cited as the author of a landmark epidemiological study that found that the disease occurs in one in every 133 Americans.

Celiac: A Disease With a Trigger
The (Baltimore) Examiner - Sept. 12

"Wheat gluten is widespread in packaged and canned goods, though it may be the most problematic grain in our diet," said Alessio Fasano, MD, professor and lead researcher at the Center for Celiac Research at the School of Medicine in Baltimore. "Gluten is the trigger, because when you diagnose someone with celiac disease and put them on a gluten-free diet, they heal completely," he said.
www.examiner.com

University System Leaders Face Funding Cuts
Washington Business Journal - Sept. 7

Dealing with an expected $1.5 billion state budget deficit, state leaders cut $12 million from the University System of Maryland budget. The cuts are expected to impact state schools with major research centers, including the University of Maryland, Baltimore. "I'm not convinced the cuts are there," said University President David J. Ramsay, DM, DPhil, in an interview Aug. 21. "Maryland has to invest in research infrastructure or risk losing opportunity."

GAO Report Criticizes Homeland Security's Efforts
USA Today - Sept. 6

A comprehensive report released by the federal Government Accountability Office is highly critical of the progress being made by the Department of Homeland Security. The report said the massive bureaucracy failed to meet 78 of 171 objectives, including those that were set after the Sept. 11 attacks and Hurricane Katrina exposed weaknesses in the government's ability to handle emergencies. "It's a very damning report," said Michael Greenberger, JD, professor at the School of Law and director of the Center for Health and Homeland Security.
blogs.usatoday.com

Muslim Sect Causes Stir in Walkersville
The Boston Globe - Sept. 9

A Muslim group's plan to purchase 224 acres of farmland in the Frederick County town of Walkersville for an annual convention and other activities has created a controversy. One of the town's five commissioners has proposed a zoning amendment that would prohibit places of worship, schools, and private clubs, among others, from building on land zoned for agriculture. It is unconstitutional to use regulatory power to discriminate against religion, said Garrett Power, LLM, LLB, professor emeritus at the School of Law. He said the proposed zoning amendment might violate the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000, a federal law intended to protect religious groups from discrimination in land-use cases.
www.boston.com

Vitamin D Might Be A Factor In Longer Life
The (Baltimore) Sun - Sept. 11

Vitamin D is good for your bones, doctors have said for years, but new research suggests that taking a vitamin pill a day might extend your life. Fish, liver and egg yolk are the only foods that naturally contain vitamin D, though some other foods are fortified with it. Still, to get 800 International Units (IU) of vitamin D from fortified milk you would have to drink two quarts a day. "It's impossible to get enough in your diet," said Elizabeth Streeten, MD, an assistant professor at the School of Medicine who runs the metabolic bone disease program there. She has long been telling her patients to take 1,000 IU or more daily.
www.baltimoresun.com

Bin Laden Tape Released
WTOP, 103.5 FM, 2:50 p.m. - Sept. 7

A new video of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden-the first in nearly three years-has been released, ahead of the sixth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States. "I think the tape is a reminder that we had bin Laden cornered in the mountains of Tora Bora in late 2002 and early 2003 and history has now shown us that we took our eye off the ball to go into Iraq," said Michael Greenberger, JD, professor at the School of Law and director of the Center for Health and Homeland Security.
media.umaryland.edu:8080

Grand Designs in Green Spring Valley
The (Baltimore) Sun - Sept. 9

There's living large, and then there's living grand. The 12,000-square-foot home of Donald E. Wilson, MD, MACP, and his wife, Patricia, is an excellent example of the latter. The Wilsons raised a family in the home during Donald's 15-year tenure as dean of the School of Medicine.
www.baltimoresun.com

Long History for Man in Attempted Child Rape
WBFF-TV, Ch. 45, 5:30, 10, and 11 p.m. - Sept. 7

Prosecutors are closely examining the criminal history of a Baltimore County man found hiding in a child's bedroom last week. Back in 1991, Richard Marks was initially charged with entering a home and sexually assaulting a teenage boy. Prosecutors dropped the sex charge so Marks was only serving time for burglary. He was released in April after serving 16 years of a 25-year sentence. Orde Kittrie, JD, visiting associate professor at the School of Law, says Marks' conviction was before DNA evidence became a common tool for detectives. "So it may well be that if that same crime had occurred now, he would have been convicted," Kittrie said.
media.umaryland.edu:8080

Bin Laden Tape to be Released
WTTG-TV, Ch. 5, 10 p.m. - Sept. 6; 6, 7, and 8 a.m. - Sept. 7

An Islamic Web site has reported that it will soon show a new video of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden-the first in nearly three years-to mark the sixth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States. Michael Greenberger, JD, professor at the School of Law and director of the Center for Health and Homeland Security, said such a tape would serve as a stark reminder. "His continued surfacing is a reminder to the American people that we have almost certainly been fighting the wrong threat in the wrong place at the wrong time, losing a great deal of American treasure and blood in so doing," Greenberger said.
media.umaryland.edu:8080

FDA Accused of Giving Safety Too Low a Priority
PharmaTimes - Sept. 7
PharmaWeek - Sept. 6
U.S.News & World Report - Sept. 6

Just shy of a year since the U.S. Institute of Medicine implored the Food and Drug Administration to "embrace a culture of safety," an article in the latest issue of The New England Journal of Medicine says that the agency's response shows a lack of understanding of the problems. Sheila Weiss Smith, PhD, an associate professor at the Center on Drugs and Public Policy at the School of Pharmacy, notes that the IOM's September 2006 report implored the agency to "embrace a culture of safety" but "sadly, the FDA's official response falls far short of what the American public expects and deserves."
www.pharmatimes.com
www.pharmaweek.com
health.usnews.com

GAO Report Criticizes Homeland Security's Efforts
WTWP-AM Radio, 5 p.m. - Sept. 7

A comprehensive report released by the federal Government Accountability Office (GAO) is highly critical of the progress being made by the Department of Homeland Security fours years after its formation. "The grading system was exceedingly generous," said Michael Greenberger, JD, professor at the School of Law and director of the Center for Health and Homeland Security. "But even as generous as it was, nearly one-third of the factors on which the agency was rated on were found to have the lowest grade achievable."
media.umaryland.edu:8080

Wellmobile Adds AACC as a Clinical Site
The (Baltimore) Sun - Sept. 7

The Governor's Wellmobile program, which offers low-cost primary health care services to uninsured and underinsured state residents, is adding Anne Arundel Community College as a clinical site starting Monday. Established by the governor's office in 1994, the program is managed by the School of Nursing.
www.baltimoresun.com

Acupuncture Helpful for Dry Mouth
SpiritIndia.com - Sept. 6

Eight months after several sessions of acupuncture, seven people with dry mouth said their saliva flow improved, they had fewer symptoms of dry mouth, and they had an easier time eating and swallowing. Warren Morganstein, DDS, MPH, clinical professor at the Dental School, explained that acupuncture could relieve dry mouth in several ways. He said many cases of dry mouth result from head and neck radiation and some autoimmune diseases, both of which can affect the salivary glands.
www.spiritindia.com

Doing the Distance Thing
Inside Higher Ed.com - Sept. 6

The standard model of a hospital affiliating with a university across town could be set for a shake-up. "I have no idea whether it's going to become fashionable to do this," John Kastor, MD, professor at the School of Medicine and author of two books on the subject, said of hospitals dropping their affiliations with local colleges and looking more broadly. "Looking back on my whole career and the many places I've worked at, it's a really disruptive thing" to switch affiliations. "The principle teaching hospitals and the medical schools are linked up very closely."
www.insidehighered.com

Families Cracking Under War Pressure
Agence France-Presse - Sept. 6

The majority of American veterans returning from Iraq who took part in a recent study acknowledged having "some family problem at least once a week," with children among those suffering most-both during parents' deployment and after they return. Wendy Lane, MD, MPH, assistant professor at the School of Medicine, blamed severe stress for maltreatment and neglect by the parent left at home. "Child neglect and abuse are often the result of stress and the absence of social support," Lane said.
www.military.com

GAO Criticizes Homeland Security's Efforts
The Washington Post - Sept. 6

Hobbled by inadequate funding, unclear priorities, continuing reorganization, and the absence of an overarching strategy, the Department of Homeland Security is failing to achieve its mission of preventing and responding to terrorist attacks or natural disasters, according to a comprehensive report released today by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). "It's a very damning report," said Michael Greenberger, JD, professor at the School of Law and director of the Center for Health and Homeland Security. "If you look at these grades, nearly one-third fall into the lowest category, and among those third are critically important, almost foundational tasks upon which the others rest."
www.washingtonpost.com

The Reasons Behind "Jury Nullification"
WYPR, 88.1 FM, 6:50 and 8:50 a.m. - Sept. 4
WYPR.org - Sept. 4

Jury nullification is the term sometimes used to describe what happens when a jury renders a verdict that seems to run counter to the facts and law of a case. Douglas Colbert, JD, professor at the School of Law, said prosecutors must look at preparation of their cases if they want more convictions. He said they need to be sure that police officers appear credible on the stand, with consistent, accurate testimony.
www.publicbroadcasting.net

Acupuncturists Successfully Treat Infertile Women
Florida Today - Sept. 4

Many researchers today acknowledge acupuncture's increasing role as part of a multidisciplinary or 'integrated' approach to the treatment of many medical conditions, including infertility. "It's an exciting area of research," said Brian Berman, MD, professor at the School of Medicine and director of the Center for Integrative Medicine. Accupuncture as an infertility treatment affects hormone levels and certain chemical messengers, or neurotransmitters, in the brain, Berman said.
www.floridatoday.com

Colleges Update Campus Security
WJZ-TV, Ch.13, 6 p.m. - Aug. 30

In the wake of the Virginia Tech shootings, area campus security has been updated. At the University of Maryland, Baltimore, a new text message alert system has been implemented.

Juvenile Shootings Climb This Year in Baltimore
The (Baltimore) Examiner - Sept. 5

Juvenile shootings climbed to 72 this year in Baltimore. Seventeen have been killed this year, including two 15-year-olds. Tanya Sharpe, PhD, MSW, assistant professor at the School of Social Work, said juveniles have a tendency to mimic adult behavior in a city that has seen 210 homicides this year. "From the work I've done, a lot of violence stems from unmet needs-a lack of economic opportunities and recreational opportunities," she said.
www.examiner.com

Ready for a Fight
The Frederick News-Post - Sept. 5

Two Frederick County commissioners say they are willing to take their desire to deny illegal immigrants access to county-funded programs, including education and social services, to the U.S. Supreme Court. The cost of defending a lawsuit that goes to the Supreme Court can range from nothing to more than $1 million, said Mark Graber, JD, PhD, MA, professor at the School of Law. "It would cost nothing if a legal group committed to denying benefits to illegal immigrants stepped forward and offered to defend the case for free," Graber said. Otherwise, a top Supreme Court lawyer may charge as much as $800 per hour. "One has to wonder whether, at the end of the day, they would be better just opening a free school for children of illegal immigrants and not paying for the lawsuit," he said.
www.fredericknewspost.com

Turban Search at BWI Angers Maryland Sikhs
Capital News Service - Sept. 5

An incident involving a turban pat-down at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport has sparked concern in Maryland's Sikh community, among the largest in the country, about erosion of civil liberties in the name of security. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) changed its policy on head coverings last month to give screeners the discretion to subject anyone wearing headgear to additional security screening. "I would like to know how many times they have had to pat down a cowboy hat or beret," said Michael Greenberger, JD, professor at the School of Law and director of the Center for Health and Homeland Security. "By including these items with the turban, they are trying to mask the fact that they are focused on people of Middle Eastern or Asian background, and are really going after religious gear." The idea of universally submitting everyone to headgear screening is overly broad unless the TSA can offer a rationale for the policy change and can explain how this is the least intrusive approach, Greenberger said.
www.baltimoresun.com

"Nurse Howard" Steps Down Following 60 Years of Service
The (Baltimore) Examiner - Sept. 1

Bettie Jean Howard, certified gastroenterology registered nurse and Scope Team Coordinator, RN, CGRN, is retiring after 41 years with the University of Maryland Medical Center. "I love what I do, and it's exciting," Howard said. "It's a challenge, and I learned that I myself can make a difference to the patients. Howard begins her retirement by accepting the job of an editor for the International Nurses Group for Endoscopy. "We call her the scope guru," said Julie Ray, RN, BSN, director of nursing for perioperative services. "She was very compassionate in terms of patient care and very passionate about how the use of endoscopes at the right time can affect patient outcomes."
www.examiner.com

Community Involvement
The (Baltimore) Examiner - Sept. 3

"We really want to promote involvement in our communities," says University President David J. Ramsay, DM, DPhil. Dental School doctoral candidate Leila Liberman, RDH, BS, started a program with the Maryland Dental Hygienists' Association to provide free tooth seals for elementary schoolchildren. Liberman says, "Sealants are a protective coating you put on teeth to protect them from tooth decay."
www.examiner.com

Don't Cut Corners When It Comes to Safety
The (Baltimore) Examiner - Sept. 1

After drunken driving, burns and food poisoning are some of the main emergencies handled during holiday weekends, said Joseph Martinez, MD, assistant professor of emergency medicine with the School of Medicine. "People are grilling out and leaving food out in the warm weather for long periods of time. That's a perfect environment for bacteria to grow," Martinez said.

Legal Advice
The Daily Record - Sept. 4

In this Op-Ed, James Astrachan, JD, adjunct professor at the School of Law, discusses why publishers have enacted stricter rules governing submissions by freelancers.

Sniffing at What the Nose Knows
The (Baltimore) Sun - Sept. 3

New research suggests rats can communicate how dry they are through a previously unknown sensory mechanism in their noses."Information is power, and the more information we know about what we're facing out there, the more ready we are to survive and reproduce," said Steven Munger, PhD, an associate professor of anatomy and neurobiology at the School of Medicine.
www.baltimoresun.com

Two Centuries at the Heart of Baltimore
The (Baltimore) Examiner - Sept. 3

David J. Ramsay, DM, DPhil, president of the University since 1994, discussed his vision for the University recently with The Examiner. "The recruitment of Claire Fraser-Liggett, PhD, to start the Institute for Genome Sciences, we couldn't have done it if we didn't have the space," Ramsay said.
www.examiner.com

University System Leaders Expect Funding Boost in 2009
Baltimore Business Journal - Aug. 31

Dealing with an expected $1.5 billion state budget deficit, state leaders cut $12 million from the University System of Maryland budget. The cuts are expected to impact state schools with major research centers, including the University of Maryland, Baltimore. "I'm not convinced the cuts are there," said University President David J. Ramsay, DM, DPhil, in an interview Aug. 21. "Maryland has to invest in research infrastructure or risk losing opportunity."
www.bizjournals.com

Virginia Tech Panel Raises Questions About Mental Health, Law
"The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer," PBS, 6 p.m. ý Aug. 30

An investigation into the Virginia Tech shootings criticized the university for failing to respond to the behavior of Seung-Hui Cho and for communication problems. Anthony Lehman, MD, MSPH, professor and chair of the department of psychiatry at the School of Medicine, explained the legal challenges of providing information about students' mental conditions.
www.pbs.org