In the News

October 2007

Coaching Good Health
The (Baltimore) Sun - Oct. 28

In a Q & A, Howard County health officer Peter Beilenson, MD, said that dental care is considered important to overall health, yet the Healthy Howard Plan doesn't cover dental. Why not? The Howard County Public Health officials are working with the Howard County Dental Association for more pro-bono care and also talking with the Dental School.
www.baltimoresun.com

Commentary: Charitable Giving
The Daily Record - Oct. 26

In response to the rising number of homeowners facing foreclosure, public and private sector leaders formed the Baltimore Homeownership Preservation Coalition (BHPC) to address the growing crisis in the city. The coalitionýs work directly supports the cityýs comprehensive planning goal to build citizen wealth by strengthening neighborhoods. In addition to traditional marketing, the coalition is incorporating a grassroots outreach effort. Students from the School of Social Work, working as fellows at BHPC, are targeting their activities to communities in Baltimore with high rates of mortgage delinquency. The fellows are part of the School's Social Work Community Outreach Service program that places graduate students within community organizations.

Early Autism Testing: Boon or Bane?
ABCNews.com - Oct. 29

While many autism experts applaud the new screening recommendations, some remain concerned that the new guidelines could spark fears in parentsýparticularly if normal children are misdiagnosed. "It might also mislabel and create undue anxiety, given the wide range of normal for development in this age group," says Charles Shubin, MD, associate professor of pediatrics at the School of Medicine.
abcnews.go.com

Halloween Preview
WJZ-TV, Ch. 13, 7:30 a.m. - Oct. 29

The Westminster Hall staff and Lu Ann Marshall, special projects coordinator at the School of Law, promoted the upcoming Halloween festivities at the Westminster Burying Ground at the School.
media.umaryland.edu:8080

Impact of Farmland Runoff on Bay Will Be Summit's Focus
The (Baltimore) Sun - Oct. 28

The often-delicate subject of the impact farmland runoff has on the Chesapeake Bay will be front and center at a summit this week on the Eastern Shore. The Waterkeeper Alliance, the sponsor of the event, points to agricultural runoff, most of which comes from poultry litter from Eastern Shore operations, as the primary source of pollution in the bay. Jane Barrett, JD, associate professor at the School of Law and director of the Environmental Law Clinic, will take part in the conference.
www.baltimoresun.com

Legal Battle Pits Privacy Against Free Speech
The Associated Press - Oct. 29

Albert Snyder, of York, Pa., is seeking monetary damages from a fundamentalist Kansas church that routinely pickets at the funerals of troops killed in Iraq and elsewhere after members protested outside the March 2006 burial of his son in Westminster. Whether the pickets are an invasion of privacy and an intentional attempt to cause emotional distress, and should be forced to pay damages in punishment, is what jurors in a federal civil case are considering in U.S. District Court in Baltimore. "I'm not sure that will work," said Mark Graber, JD, PhD, MA, a professor at the School of Law who specializes in constitutional law. Even if the protesters' speech is found not to be protected by the First Amendment, that "doesn't mean that the people can be punished," Graber said, noting protesting at a funeral was not against state law at the time, although it is now.
www.cjonline.com

Patent Attorneys in U.S. Decry Changes to Rules
The Daily Record - Oct. 29
Dolan Media Newswire - Oct. 29

A move aimed at creating a more efficient process at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is generating some criticism from attorneys and their clients across the country. New broad-sweeping rules to the claims and continuation practices that take effect Nov. 1 and apply retroactively will influence pending and future patent applications. "The difficulty when you make such a massive change is that you never know if you will have the unintended consequence of creating a whole new set of problems," said Lawrence Sung, JD, PhD, professor at the School of Law and director of the Intellectual Property Law Program.

University Recruits Two Nanotechnology Researchers
Salt Lake Tribune - Oct. 26
Deseret News - Oct. 27

The University of Utah has used money allocated by the legislature to the Utah Science Technology and Research Initiative to hire two prominent scientists whose research may translate into economic returns for the state. One of the new hires, Hamid Ghandehari, PhD, associate professor of pharmaceutical chemistry and director of the Center for Nanomedicine and Cellular Delivery at the School of Pharmacy, is developing extremely small "nanoparticles" that can deliver drugs to cancer cells.
www.sltrib.com
deseretnews.com

Artificial Lung Technology Moves Forward
ImediNews (from UPI) - Oct. 25

Doctors say they are inspired by the case of a man in Maryland who survived 107 days on an artificial lung designed 30 years ago. Bartley Griffith, MD, professor at the School of Medicine, secured a five-year, $3.7 million National Institutes of Health grant last spring to design portable devices to serve lung patients the way portable heart pumps now serve many cardiac patients.
www.imedinews.ge

Closing the 'Enron Loophole'
"Marketplace Morning Report," WAMU-FM 88.5 - Oct. 24

Congress wants to prevent inflated natural gas prices from investment manipulation, along the lines of what happened with hedge fund Amaranth Advisors. Michael Greenberger, JD, professor at the School of Law, director of the Center for Health and Homeland Security, and a former director for trading and markets for the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, said Amaranth inflated natural gas prices by trading on unregulated exchanges. "They've only been able to do it because they know that no one's been looking over their shoulder," Greenberger said.
marketplace.publicradio.org

Colleges Brace for Tuition Hikes
The (Baltimore) Examiner - Oct. 25

Of the state schools, the University of Maryland, College Park could lose the most, $42.9 million, followed by the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB), $18.8 million, according to Gov. Martin O'Malley's estimates. "We are extremely anxious because the size of this cut is very worrisome," said Barbara Klein, MPA, associate vice president for government and community affairs at UMB, where students studying medicine and dentistry can carry debts of $115,000 or more.
www.examiner.com

Mandel Trial Revisited
The Community Times - Oct. 25

It was a walk down memory lane recently at the School of Law, a clash between this state's best defense attorneys and federal prosecutors over a 30-year-old caseýthe indictment of Gov. Marvin Mandel. Once again Mandelýs chief defender, Arnold Weiner, faced off against the government's best prosecutor, Barney Skolnik. It was grand theater, an encore performance that reminded us of the riveting Mandel drama from 30 years ago.
www.communitytimes.com

Task Force on Voting Irregularities to Meet
The Daily Record - Oct. 25

Sherrilyn Ifill, JD, professor at the School of Law, is co-chair of the Task Force on Voting Irregularities, which will hold its first public hearing Monday night at Bowie State University. The task force will hear members of the public speak about any problems they may have encountered when voting in the 2006 primary and general elections. The task force will compile a report detailing irregularities in the 2006 elections and make recommendations to resolve those problems. The task force's findings are to be presented to the governor, attorney general, and legislative leaders by early next year.

Today's Newsmaker
The (Baltimore) Examiner - Oct. 25

University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) has announced the appointment of Cleveland Barnes, MSc, as director of public safety and chief of police. After serving in Vietnam as a Marine, Barnes joined UMB in 1971.

CHHS Gets $650,000 Grant for Emergency Planning Course
Associatedcontent.com - Oct. 16

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recently awarded the School of Law's Center for Health and Homeland Security (CHHS) a $650,000 grant to continue to offer nationwide its emergency planning course, "Preparing the States: Implementing Continuity of Operations (COOP) planning." This course was recently certified by DHS and FEMA.
www.associatedcontent.com

Dialysis in a Time of Disaster
ABCNews.com - Oct. 23

Among the thousands of California residents displaced by fires are many with existing health issues. "Many thousands of patients have been displaced from their homes and, as a result, [have lost] access to medical care," says Matthew Weir, MD, professor at the School of Medicine. "From a simple standpoint, you may have patients who had all their medicines at home, but had to leave their home. If they are unable to have access to their home, you run into the issue of how to get these patients the prescriptions they need."
www.abcnews.go.com

Four Years Without a Dentist
WYPR-FM, Maryland Morning with Sheilah Kast 9 a.m. - Oct. 24

Sheilah Kast spoke to Maryland U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings, who has been active on the issue of low-income families' lack of access to dental care with Ohio U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, and to Harry Goodman, DMD, professor and chair of the Clinical Operations Board at the Dental School. Goodman also chaired the Dental Action Committee that gave recommendations to Secretary John Colmers of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

Hope For an Artificial Lung
The (Baltimore) Sun - Oct. 24

"It's an affirmation that the concept of living with an artificial lung is sound. It basically says, 'We can do this,'" said Bartley Griffith, MD, professor at the School of Medicine. Griffith secured a five-year, $3.7 million National Institutes of Health grant last spring to design portable devices to serve lung patients the way portable heart pumps now serve many cardiac patients. Once the patient is on the existing machine, one of two things will happen: The lungs will improve on their own, or the patient will die, said Associate Professor Aldo Iacono, MD. A recent patient developed acute respiratory distress syndrome, a lung condition that occurs when head injuries cause infections that spread to other areas, said Thomas Scalea, MD, professor and director of the School's Program in Trauma.
www.baltimoresun.com

Nurse Educator Was Innovator In the Care of Preterm Babies
The (Baltimore) Sun - Oct. 24

Mary Virginia Neal, PhD, RN, a retired School of Nursing educator honored by her profession for her contributions to infant care, died of cancer Oct. 11 at Greater Baltimore Medical Center. The Homeland resident was 89. In 1968 she joined the faculty of the School, where she became the chairwoman of the Department of Maternal and Child Health in 1972. In 1977, she was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, and in 1996, that organization named her a Living Legend.
www.baltimoresun.com

People on the Move
The (Baltimore) Sun - Oct. 24

Christopher Plowe, MD, MPH, a professor at the School of Medicine and chief of the malaria section at its Center for Vaccine Development, has been named a 2007 Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator. The Hughes investigators conduct research at their home institutions but become employees of the medical institute, which also pays project expenses.
www.baltimoresun.com

Terror Watch List Hearing
WUSA-TV, Ch. 9, 9 a.m. - Oct. 24

There has been a dramatic increase in the number of names on the federal government's terror watch list, and a congressional hearing took place today to look at what's behind the increase. "The list is up to 800,000 people right now, and people are predicting it soon will become a million. When you have that many people on a terror watch list it virtually becomes useless," said Michael Greenberger, JD, professor at the School of Law and director of the Center for Health and Homeland Security.
media.umaryland.edu:8080

Today's Newsmakers
The (Baltimore) Examiner - Oct. 24

Barbara McLean, MA, senior policy fellow at the School of Medicine, has been appointed to the Maryland Health Care Commission.

Wawa Dairy Goes Hormone Free
The (Baltimore) Examiner - Oct. 24

"What we should be asking is how good a food is milk," said Matthew Hebdon, MD, PhD, assistant professor at the School of Medicine. "When you consider how much fat there is in milk and the growing obesity crisis, we'd probably do better if Wawa took all the fat out of their milk and sold nothing but skim milk." Hebdon said there is no scientific evidence that the trace amounts of hormones that make their way into the milk one drinks could affect a child's own delicate system of hormones.
www.examiner.com

Work-Related Asthma: Cleaning Agents Put RNs at Risk
Nursing Spectrum - Oct. 22

Cleaning agents used in many health care settings to prevent the spread of infection are putting nurses at risk for developing asthma. "Work-related asthma can happen almost anywhere that cleaning products are used," says Paxson Barker, RN, a doctoral student and research assistant at the School of Nursingýs Work and Health Research Center, who developed asthma after working in a cardiac catheterization lab for 12 years. But finding a direct link to the workplace can be difficult. "With work-related asthma, we have to determine whether the asthma was caused by a one-time exposure or repeated chronic exposures," says Barbara Sattler, DrPH, RN, FAAN, professor and director of the School's Environmental Health Education Center.
include.nurse.com

Beauticians Who Get in Your Face
Worcester (Mass.) Telegram & Gazette News (from NYT) - Oct. 23

Now that professional skin care is rife with options, and the goal is often to take years, not simply pollutants, from a face, the aesthetician has become the decider. "There has been a shift of power," said Pamela Peeke, MD, MPH, an assistant clinical professor at the School of Medicine, and a former medical adviser to the International Spa Association. "A lot of these people also work in doctorsý offices; dermatologists and plastic surgeons actually refer patients to them."
www.telegram.com

Funding Shortfalls Plague Superfund
OMBwatch.org - Oct. 22

A subcommittee of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works held a hearing last week on the current state of Superfund, the federal governmentýs toxic waste cleanup program. Rena Steinzor, JD, professor at the School of Law, testified about the funding shortfalls and the unfortunate consequences: "In constant dollars, revenue appropriated for the Superfund program now stand at levels 40 percent lower than the amounts Congress specified when it last reauthorized the program in 1986." Steinzor argued the programýs budget has been cut even though many Superfund sites pose a serious threat to communities.
www.ombwatch.org

Kids Get Free Dental Exams in East Baltimore
The (Baltimore) Sun - Oct. 23
FOX 45, 5 and 10 p.m. - Oct. 22
WMAR-TV, Ch. 2, 6 p.m. - Oct. 22

When another 4-year-old, Tyrell Sinkler, was examined, he was found to have a mouth almost full of fillings, and three or four teeth appeared to have been extracted. But, relatively speaking, those were good signs. "The beauty of it is that he had treatment," said Clemencia Vargas, DDS, PhD, MPH, associate professor in the Department of Pediatric Dentistry at the Dental School. "In this population, 50 percent of the kids will have decay, and not necessarily with treatment." Harry Goodman, DMD, MPH, a Dental School professor and supervisor of Head Start's dental health programs in a six-state region that includes Maryland and Delaware, said as he examined children Monday that "culturally sensitive" education is crucial if deaths like 12-year-old Deamonte Driver's in February are to be avoided. Also, Norman Tinanoff, DDS, MS, was interviewed on two broadcasts explaining the free dental screenings at a Baltimore Head Start center. The segments discussed the importance of dental health for children and how the University is helping.
www.baltimoresun.com

School of Law Student Named Maryland Bachelor 2007
WMAR-TV, Ch. 2, 5 p.m. - Oct. 22; 5 and 6 a.m. - Oct. 23

Wesley Williams, a third-year student at the School of Law, was picked by Cosmopolitan magazine as Maryland Bachelor 2007. He appears in the magazine's November issue after a photo shoot in the Hamptons.
media.umaryland.edu:8080

Sequella's TB Drug Wins Special Status
The Daily Record - Oct. 23

Today's tuberculosis treatments were developed in the 1960s, and little innovation has occurred since, said infectious disease specialist Janaki Kuruppu, MD, an assistant professor of medicine with the Institute of Human Virology at the School of Medicine. ýWe got a little complacent in the Western world and stopped designing new drugs,ý Kuruppu said. "There had been a sense of, 'We've got this under control.'" Sequella Inc.'s treatment is about to begin a second Phase I safety trialýits first ended with positive results last springýconducted at the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, known as NIAID. Sequella Inc. is a Rockville-based, privately held biotechnology company developing products to combat infectious diseases.

Shareholders at Sunrise Vote Down Two Board Issues
The Washington Post - Oct. 23
Washingtonpost.com - Oct. 23

Shareholders have rebuffed Sunrise Senior Living, the McLean, Va., assisted living provider, on two issues of corporate governance, including approval of a resolution to elect all nine of the companyýs directors every year, rather than three per year. Lisa Fairfax, JD, professor and director of the Business Law Program at the School of Law, said measures such as the one to hold annual board elections have become popular in recent years to counter signs of "board entrenchment and uncooperativeness."
www.washingtonpost.com

Simple Screening Changes Lives
The (Baltimore) Examiner - Oct. 23

University of Maryland, Baltimore researchers taught family physicians in 25 locations to screen everyone with unexplained symptoms that could be celiac diseaseýas well as those with a family history of the illness. In the year preceding the study, of 55,000 patients only 12 were properly diagnosed with the disease. "After the one-year intervention, they were able to find 40 times more people with celiac disease than before," said Alessio Fasano, MD, professor and director of the Center for Celiac Research at the School of Medicine.
www.examiner.com

Breast Cancer Trials
The Boston Globe - Oct. 22

Higher cancer rates among ethnic and racial minority groups cannot be attacked without increasing their representation in clinical trials, Claudia Baquet, MD, MPH, an associate dean at the School of Medicine and director of the University of Maryland Center for Health Disparities, told about 100 people at a conference at the University of Massachusetts in Boston last week. About 3 percent to 5 percent of all cancer patients participate in clinical trials that study ways to prevent, diagnose, and treat cancer. "It's a total myth that underserved communities have no interest in research," she said. "It's just that it has not been presented in a way that they can consider the benefits."
www.boston.com

Kids Get Free Dental Exams in East Baltimore
The (Baltimore) Sun - Oct. 22

About 300 children were preparing to get free dental exams this morning at an East Baltimore community center, the latest effort to help poor youngsters after the death in February of a 12-year-old Maryland boy who died when a tooth infection spread to his brain. Norman Tinanoff, DDS, MS, professor at the Dental School and chairman of the Department of Health Promotion and Policy at the School, said similar screenings are done often, but not for this many children. "Kids are not getting access to care," he said, adding that people have a difficult time finding doctors who accept Medicaid patients.
www.baltimoresun.com

Maryland Institutions Announce Changes
The Daily Record - Oct. 19

The School of Social Work announced that Jodi Jacobson, PhD, assistant professor at the School, has received a $19,851 award from the U.S. Department of Energy for an EAP Implementation Plan. Jacobsonýs research focus is employee assistance programs, work/life, workplace crises intervention, traumatic stress, and suicide. Also, Karen Parker, a PhD student at the School, has received a $20,000 award from the American Cancer Society for social workers and smoking cessation counseling.

Names in the News
The (Baltimore) Sun - Oct. 20

Karen H. Rothenberg, JD, MPA, dean of the School of Law, received the 2007 Dean John R. Kramer Award from Equal Justice Works for her nurturing a spirit of public service at the School.

What Scholars Make of the Noose Incidents
DIVERSE: Issues In Higher Education - Oct. 21

In the months since a noose dangled from a schoolyard tree in Jena, La., the infamous symbol of racial hatred and prejudice has been at the forefront of three high-profile racially charged incidents on college campuses. Whether the culprits are prosecuted or not, one thing remains clear, said Sherrilyn Ifill, JD, professor at the School of Law and author of On the Courthouse Lawn: Confronting the Legacy of Lynching in the Twenty-first Century. "There has been this long-standing silence about lynching. We now have an opportunity to discuss the history associated with this symbol and why it is particularly odious," Ifill said.
diverseeducation.com

'Hairspray' Gets Students Talking About Racism, Justice
The (Baltimore) Examiner - Oct. 19
WMAR-TV, Ch. 2. 12:30 and 5:30 p.m. - Oct. 18; 5:30 and 6:30 a.m. - Oct. 19
WBFF-TV, Ch. 45, 5:30 and 10 p.m. - Oct. 18; 6, 7, and 8 a.m. - Oct. 19

About 200 Baltimore high school seniors dissected race relations-on stage and in life-at workshops with students from the School of Law Thursday before joining 1,500 area students for a free matinee at the Hippodrome Theatre of the Broadway show 'Hairspray,' the musical based on the John Waters film. "We wanted to bring the show to life for kids so that they can understand, if they donýt already know, what life was like for a teenager, particularly a teenager of color in the '60s, and then to open their minds to what still goes on in our culture today," said Terry Hickey, JD, adjunct professor at the School and director of Community Law in Action, which organized the workshops. Kelly Moore, a third-year student at the School, led a discussion with students at the Baltimore Freedom Academy. "Even though a lot has changed since 1962 when 'Hairspray' was set, we still have a long way to go. I think seeing a play like 'Hairspray' where a Baltimore City teenager successfully advocates for change is empowering," she said.
www.examiner.com
media.umaryland.edu:8080
media.umaryland.edu:8080

Access to the Pill in Md. Schools Dates Back; Maine Case Renews Debate
The (Baltimore) Sun - Oct. 19

While much of the nation debates a Maine middle school board's vote to let school-based clinics give young teens contraceptives without parental consent, Baltimore girls as young as 12 have had access to birth-control pills from such clinics for more than 20 years. Health care experts say that during a visit to a pediatrician, it's routine for the doctor to take time with an adolescent patient without a parent being present. "Of course, a major topic of conversation is sex and sexual activity, as well as substance abuse and other issues they do not want to talk about in front of their mothers," said Virginia Keane, MD, associate professor of pediatrics at the School of Medicine.
www.baltimoresun.com

Not Guilty in Assault Case
The (Annapolis) Capital - Oct. 18

When an alleged assault victim didn't show up in court to testify in the case against her boyfriend, Anne Arundel Circuit Court Judge Paul Harris said it didnýt matter what a police officer saw. Andrew Levy, JD, adjunct professor at the School of Law, said the judge 'probably' could have convicted the defendant with only the officer's testimony. "It's not like there is a rule saying you can't get a conviction without the victim's testimony," he said, noting judges infer murder victims didnýt want to die all the time.
www.hometownannapolis.com

Underfunded Foster Care Payments Spark ýCrisisý in the U.S.
Medill News Service - Oct. 19
The Houston Chronicle - Oct. 18

Most states pay foster parents far less than what middle-income families spend to raise their children, according to a report recently released by two national organizations and the School of Social Work. Diane DePanfilis, PhD, MSW, associate professor, associate dean for research, and director of the Ruth H. Young Center for Families and Children at the School, co-authored the report.
news.medill.northwestern.edu

Additive Helps Teeth Rebuild Enamel
The (Baltimore) Examiner - Oct. 18

Tooth enamel is under constant siege whether itýs the Coke with lunch, pickle that came with the sandwich, aggressive attempts to brush teeth clean or chemical whiteners. Two associate professors from the Dental School have a solution: A calcium-phosphorous additive thatýs being marketed in toothpaste, floss and various dental hygiene products. Called NovaMin, the additive promotes regrowth of tooth enamel and won creators Gary Hack, DDS and Leonard Litkowski, DDS, their University's Entrepreneur of the Year honors.
www.examiner.com

Battling the Bug
The (Baltimore) Sun - Oct. 18

Testing every patient on admission has cut down on infection rates in Denmark and the Netherlands. Those who test positive get their own rooms, and personnel take special hygiene precautions around them. Such precautions would probably work in Maryland, but costs could prove prohibitive, some experts say. "If we could afford it, yes, I think it would be a great idea," said Mark Shirtliff, PhD, an assistant professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences who studies MRSA at the Dental School.
www.baltimoresun.com

Facts About Pneumonia
The (Baltimore) Sun - Oct. 18

When flu is rampant, doctors typically also see an increase in the number of patients with pneumonia, says Louis Domenici, MD, associate professor and chief of the Division of General Internal Medicine at the School of Medicine.
www.baltimoresun.com

Fighting For Civil Rights in the Courts
"News and Notes," National Public Radio - Oct. 15
NPR.org - Oct. 15

As part of a roundtable discussion, Sherrilyn Ifill, JD, professor at the School of Law, talked about how the U.S. court system brought about social change. "It had been a long road for civil rights litigation," Ifill said. "The lawyers didn't sit down then, they continued to litigate cases, some they won, some they lost, they were pushing a rock up a hill, until the conditions were right in which they could effect change. And I think that's the period we're in now."
www.npr.org

Preparations Under Way for Bird Flu Season
The (Baltimore) Examiner - Oct. 18

Masked hospital staff quickly checked in and evaluated coughing volunteers during an avian flu simulation at the University of Maryland Medical Center on Wednesday. "The genetic makeup of avian influenza has the capability to change and may [be] transmitted," said School of Medicine Professor Harold Standiford, MD, MACP. "We just want to be prepared."
www.examiner.com

Taking Your Lumps Seriously
The (Baltimore) Sun - Oct. 18

Close to 178,500 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year and 40,460 will die. Contrary to popular belief, a family history is not required, or even typical, in those who get the disease, say doctors such as Nazanin Khakpour, MD, assistant professor at the School of Medicine.

Today's Newsmakers
The (Baltimore) Examiner - Oct. 18

Stefanie Walick, MLS, liaison and outreach services librarian at the Health Sciences and Human Services Library, has been named the 2008 Emerging Leader by the American Library Association (ALA). The ALA Emerging Leader program offers select librarians under age 35 with leadership training opportunities.

UMB Dental Professors Turn Research Into Business
The (Baltimore) Examiner - Oct. 18

Two Dental School associate professors learned thereýs no limit to what people will pay for a healthy, shiny smile. ýYour teeth are very important, from a cosmetic standpoint,ý said Gary Hack, DDS. "We're seeing tremendous growth in the cosmetic industry." Hack and Leonard Litkowski, DDS, hope their tooth-care invention will take a bite out of the expanding oral health care industry-a global pie totaling $30 billion in annual revenues.
www.examiner.com

Underfunded Foster Care Sparks 'Crisis' in the U.S.
The Washington Post - Oct. 18
Topeka Capital-Journal - Oct. 18

Only the District of Columbia and Arizona have reimbursement rates that meet or exceed the estimated cost of caring for a foster child, according to a report by the School of Social Work, the national watchdog group Childrenýs Rights, and the National Foster Parent Association. "In some states, they've had pretty sophisticated methods for coming up with rates," said Diane DePanfilis, PhD, MSW, associate professor, associate dean for research, and director of the Ruth H. Young Center for Families and Children at the School. "In most states, however, there's been no actual method for how they construct the rates that they provide to foster families."
www.washingtonpost.com
cjonline.com

Attorney General Nomination Hearings; Mortgage Meltdown
WUSA-TV, Ch. 9, 9 a.m. - Oct. 17

Michael Greenberger, JD, professor at the School of Law and director of the Center for Health and Homeland Security, discussed the start of todayýs Senate confirmation hearings for Michael Mukasey, President Bush's nominee for attorney general, and the governmentýs response to the mortgage crisis due to subprime loans.
media.umaryland.edu:8080

Cancer Treatment Promising
The Daily Record - Oct. 17

Scientists at the School of Medicine and CSA Medical Inc. are touting the results of a clinical trial conducted at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore for what they say may yield a breakthrough treatment for pre-cancerous and cancerous diseases of the esophagus. The trial, supported by the Maryland Industrial Partnerships Program, was conducted to show that a technique called CryoSpray Ablation pioneered by CSA Medical, a private, Baltimore-based medical technology company, can reduce and often eliminate pre-cancerous and cancerous esophageal lesions caused by chronic acid reflux, also known as GERD.

Counterterrorism Drill Simulates Real Event to Test Readiness
Associated Press - Oct. 17

A bright flash lit up an old city bus followed by a loud explosion from a simulated "dirty bomb" to open what organizers say is the largest terrorism exercise in the nation. The fourth national TOPOFF drillýshort for ýtop officialsýýwas staged yesterday in Portland, Ore., to test the response of local, state, and federal agencies and to measure how well they work together in a crisis. ýItýs very confusing when you have an event that calls into play the state, federal, and local governments,ý said Michael Greenberger, JD, professor at the School of Law and director of the Center for Health and Homeland Security, "and we had that in the Hurricane Katrina situation." But he said disaster response has improved since Katrina, and the lessons from it and exercises such as TOPOFF are invaluable in planning to reduce casualties and provide vital supplies and services.
www.casperstartribune.net

Experts: Snorting Alcohol Can Be Fatal
The (Baltimore) Examiner - Oct. 17

Some young drinkers are snorting vodka through the nose to get drunk more quickly in a new fad that can be very dangerous. Depending on how persistent the drinker-or snorter-is, it could be fatal, said Christopher Welsh, MD, assistant professor at the School of Medicine. "It's a much quicker way of getting a huge concentration of alcohol to your brain," he said.
www.examiner.com

Maryland's Foster Care Ranks Favorably In Study
The (Baltimore) Examiner - Oct. 17

Maryland's foster care reimbursement rate meets proposed standards for younger children and is just slightly lower than the standards for teens, according to an Op-Ed by Diane DePanfilis, PhD, MSW, associate professor, associate dean for research, and director of the Ruth H. Young Center for Families and Children at the School of Social Work. DePanfilis partnered with Children's Rights and the National Foster Parent Association in a research study about state-by-state calculation of the real cost of raising foster care children.
www.examiner.com

Sleuth Tracks Down More Bogus Tickets
The (Baltimore) Examiner - Oct. 17

As the city's burgeoning scandal over bogus parking tickets continues to grow, Jaclyn Schwarz, a PhD candidate at the School of Medicine, might have uncovered the biggest bogus ticket-writing spree yet: 10 false citations written in a single neighborhood-five written in a matter of minutes.
www.examiner.com

Staph Among Us; The Bacteria is Common and Doesnýt Always Infect
The Washington Times - Oct. 16

Carrying the bacteria known as staph is common, but it usually doesn't lead to an infection, doctors say. Unnecessary antibiotic use has led to staph's increased resistance, said Anthony Harris, MD, MPH, associate professor at the School of Medicine.
www.washingtontimes.com

A Tingling In the Arm, A Medical Shock
The (Baltimore) Sun - Oct. 7

Marlene King, an assistant to the chair of the Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science at the School of Medicine, wrote a first-person account of the shock of having an unexpected heart attack, a shock because she hadn't been overweight and was fit with normal blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Later, doctors found that the heart attack may have been caused by trauma to the chest from a car accident 19 years earlier.
www.baltimoresun.com

Acupuncture, Even Fake, Works Better Than Standard Back Treatment
Asbury Park Press - Oct. 16

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.

Lawmaker Targets Flavored Cigars
The (Baltimore) Sun - Oct. 16

State legislation to more tightly regulate the sale of Black & Milds-flavored cigars popular in urban centers across the country-could be introduced as early as the special session set to begin later this month. Kathleen Dachille, JD, assistant professor and director at the Legal Resource Center for Tobacco Regulation, Litigation and Advocacy at the School of Law, said she is working with several legislators to prevent the sale of flavored tobacco, which would include the Black & Mild cigars that come in flavors such as cream, wine, and apple.
www.baltimoresun.com

O'Malley To Travel To Ireland To Honor Gallo
The (Baltimore) Sun - Oct. 15

Gov. Martin OýMalley is scheduled to travel to Ireland, where he plans to attend a lunch this week at the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland that is being held to honor Robert Gallo, MD, professor and director of the School of Medicineýs Institute of Human Virology.
www.baltimoresun.com

Panel Turns to Superfund Funding Shortfalls
Environment and Energy Daily - Oct. 15

Senate Democrats this week intend to address what they see as lingering problems with the Environmental Protection Agency's hazardous waste remediation program during an oversight hearing meant to explore the slowdown in the pace of cleanups. Rena Steinzor, JD, professor at the School of Law, will testify on the panel.

Report: Payments To Foster Parents Just $12.49 Per Day
Quad-Cities Online.com - Oct. 16

"Hitting the MARC: Establishing Foster Care Minimum Adequate Rates for Children," a report recently released by Children's Rights, the National Foster Parent Association, and the School of Social Work, represents the first nationwide, state-by-state calculation of the real expense of providing for the basic needs of children in foster care. It recommended the foster care rates in Illinois be increased up to 81 percent in order to cover the real costs of providing care for children.
qconline.com

American Pharmacists Month
WJZ-TV, 7:30 a.m. - Oct. 15

In a live interview, students from the School of Pharmacy urged people to get to know their pharmacist as a way to protect their health.
media.umaryland.edu:8080

Baltimore Seeks Safer Cigarettes
"The C4 Show," WBAL-AM 1090, 2:45 p.m. ý Oct. 11

Baltimore health officials have proposed a requirement that all cigarettes sold in the city meet enhanced fire-safety standardsýa move that they say would help prevent tragedies like the May fire that killed eight people in East Baltimore. "All the consumer product research has shown that smokers donýt notice that they're smoking a different kind of cigarette-other than if they walked away from it in a bar, it's partially burned down rather than completely burned down," said Kathleen Dachille, JD, assistant professor at the School of Law, director of the School's Legal Resource Center for Tobacco Regulation, Litigation and Advocacy, and a legal advocate for stricter tobacco regulation.
media.umaryland.edu:8080

Glow Stick Detection
SeparationsNow.com - Oct. 15

Christopher Geddes, PhD, adjunct assistant professor at the School of Medicine, and his colleagues from the University of Maryland, Baltimore, have been experimenting with microwave-induced heating, which is now regularly used to accelerate chemical synthesis and also has been shown to speed up enzymatic reactions. Geddes is confident that this new chemiluminescence technique should allow proteins to be detected in a range of situations, including after being separated by chromatography or electrophoresis.
www.separationsnow.com

Incidents Break the Silence About Legacy of Lynchings
Richmond Times-Dispatch - Oct. 15

"If it had been a cross burning, everyone would have understood it," said Sherrilyn Ifill, JD, professor at the School of Law. "If it had been a swastika, it wouldn't have been dismissed." But Ifill, author of On the Courthouse Lawn: Confronting the Legacy of Lynching in the 21st Century, said this form of terror was more mainstream than many Americans are comfortable with.

Mandel Trials Revisited
The (Baltimore) Sun - Oct. 13
The Associated Press - Oct. 13 (published in five newspapers and four Web sites)
Capital News Service - Oct. 13
WBAL-TV, Ch. 11, 6 p.m. - Oct. 12; 5 and 9 a.m. - Oct. 13

Still-sharp comments by the opposing counsel set off Fridayýs spirited and scholarly examination of the Marvin Mandel case on its 30th anniversary at the School of Law. Participants, including prosecutors, defense attorneys, and the reporters who chronicled their every move for years, filled the afternoon with warm remembrances, new anecdotes, and still-hot clashes over the value of a prosecution that took almost two decades to sort out.
www.baltimoresun.com
www.baltimoresun.com
www.dailytimesonline.com

Noose Findings Evoke Ugly Images from Past
Newsday - Oct. 12

"It was designed to send a signal to the whole black community," said Sherrilyn Ifill, JD, professor at the School of Law. "Lynching was always a message crime. It wasn't just about killing the black person who supposedly transgressed some racial code. So hanging the noose is a message of intimidation." Unlike the swastika or a burning cross, the symbolism of the noose and the history of lynching has yet to be confronted, Ifill said.
www.newsday.com

Same-Sex Marriage on State's Agenda
The (Annapolis) Capital - Oct. 14

The gay marriage case came to the Court of Appeals of Maryland after the Circuit Court of Baltimore City found the stateýs Family Law Article violated the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to the Maryland Constitution. The majority's opinion that overturned the ruling is very "myopic" when it comes to its interpretation of the ERA and the importance of marriage, said Jana Singer, JD, professor at the School of Law. Allowing men and women to be considered as classes is contrary to the purpose of state and federal protection laws that are meant to safeguard people as individuals, Singer said.
www.hometownannapolis.com

Two Takes on Annapolis Crime Statistics
The (Annapolis) Capital - Oct. 14

Annapolis officials and a new community group disagree over what crime numbers released by the city, crime statistics compiled by the FBI, and census data mean about violence in the city. Orde Kittrie, JD, visiting associate professor at the School of Law who teaches classes on state crime trends, said the city's crime rate is still too high. "The slight drop from 2006 to 2007 is nice, but what's more important is the baseline is so much higher than the national average," he said. "If I lived in Annapolis, Iýd be concerned."
www.hometownannapolis.com

Women's Law Center Bestows Awards
The Daily Record - Oct. 15

Patricia Chiriboga-Roby, an attorney with the Immigration Legal Services at Catholic Charities in Baltimore, will receive the Access to Justice Award from the Women's Law Center of Maryland. "Patty has been holding up the nonprofit end of immigration practice in Baltimore for years," said Maureen Sweeney, JD, clinical instructor and director of the Small Firm Practice: Immigration Clinic at the School of Law and a former co-worker of Chiriboga-Roby.

14 Cold Remedies for Kids Removed
WBFF-TV, Ch. 45, 10 p.m., 11 p.m. - Oct. 11; 6:30 a.m. - Oct. 12

Bruce Anderson, PharmD, associate professor, and Jill Morgan, PharmD, associate dean at the School of Pharmacy discussed why infant cold and cough medicine is being pulled off shelves. The Maryland Poison Center at the School received 1,100 calls in the last year for children under 5 who had ingested too much cough medicine.

14 Cold Remedies for Kids Removed
Philadelphia Inquirer - Oct. 12

Common cough and cold medicines also fail to work in children under 6, said Joshua Sharfstein, Baltimoreýs public health commissioner. Other sources also indicated a problem. The Maryland Poison Center at the School of Pharmacy received 1,100 calls in the last year for children under 5 who had ingested too much cough medicine.
www.philly.com

Cardin to Seek More Funds for Unmet Legal Needs
The Daily Record - Oct. 12

At Maryland Legal Services Corp.'s 25th anniversary symposium, which was held at the School of Law and co-sponsored by the School's Journal of Race, Religion, Gender and Class, U.S. Sen. Benjamin Cardinýs office announced that he will introduce legislation next year to increase federal funding to meet the legal needs of lower income residents.

Overdose of Cold and Cough Medicines Can Kill Infants
eFluxMedia.com - Oct. 12
The (N.J.) Star-Ledger - Oct. 12
The (Baltimore) Sun - Oct. 12

Non-prescription drugs used to combat cold and cough symptoms in children under age 2 can lead to fatalities, and this is why a massive, nationwide recall has been issued. "There are no good studies that provide any information about appropriate dosing if they did work," said Steven Czinn, MD, chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the School of Medicine and a signer of the petition.
www.efluxmedia.com
www.nj.com
www.baltimoresun.com

Reliving the Mandel Case
Associated Press - Oct. 11

Thirty years after the months-long trial and guilty verdict of Gov. Marvin Mandel, the event still holds an important place in Maryland history and in the minds of the defendants, lawyers, and media who were a part of it. They'll remember it today at a School of Law forum sponsored by the Maryland Chapter of the Federal Bar Association. Mandel says he hopes to attend.
www.wbaltv.com

Study Proposes Minimum Rates for Foster Care
Tampa Tribune - Oct. 12
The (Wash.) Columbian - Oct. 11
Kansas City Star - Oct. 10

A study released last week called for minimum reimbursement rates nationwide for foster parents. The Foster Care Minimum Adequate Rates for Children study was created and researched by national child advocacy groups, including Childrenýs Rights, the School of Social Work, and the National Foster Parent Association.
www.tbo.com
www.columbian.com
www.kansascity.com

Three Bullets To The Head?
Slate.com - Oct. 11

Bizhan Aarabi, MD, associate professor at the School of Medicine, helped explain how a self-inflicted bullet to the head, or even two, could fail to kill a person. This apparently happened in the case of the Wisconsin deputy sheriff who allegedly concluded a killing spree by clumsily committing suicide.
www.slate.com

Aestheticians Who Get In Your Face
The New York Times - Oct. 11

That some aestheticians now work at "medi-spas," where facials are performed under a doctor's auspices, has also added to their credibility in the eyes of consumers. The number of so-called medi-spas nationwide has more than tripled, from 310 in 2006 to 976 this year, according to the International Spa Association. ýThere has been a shift of power,ý said Pamela Peeke, MD, MPH, an assistant clinical professor at the School of Medicine, and a former medical advisor to the International Spa Association. "A lot of these people also work in doctors' offices; dermatologists and plastic surgeons actually refer patients to them."
www.nytimes.com

Men with Heart Disease Can Have Sex
HeartZine (U.K.) - Oct. 10

Researchers say that for men age 40 to 65, with or without coronary artery disease, peak heart rates and oxygen consumption levels during sex are comparable to walking at a rate of 2.5 to 3 miles per hour, climbing stairs or performing household chores such as vacuuming. "I can guarantee you that less than 5 percent of physicians will even ask patients about their sexual function," says Mandeep Mehra, MBBS, professor and chief of cardiology at the School of Medicine.
www.heartzine.com

Move To Fire-Safe Cigarettes Would Precede State Law
The (Baltimore) Sun - Oct. 11

Baltimore health officials proposed Wednesday requiring that all cigarettes sold in the city meet enhanced fire-safety standards-a move that they say would help prevent tragedies like the May fire that killed eight people in East Baltimore. Kathleen Dachille, JD, assistant professor at the School of Law, director of School's Legal Resource Center for Tobacco Regulation, Litigation and Advocacy, and a legal advocate for stricter tobacco regulation, said the move toward fire-safe cigarettes is extraordinary. "The way this has been methodically passed in about 23 jurisdictions in the last year, that's very rapid progress for a bill."
www.baltimoresun.com

Private Security Firms in Iraq
WUSA-TV, Ch. 9, 9 a.m. - Oct. 10

The State Department is considering phasing out or curbing the use of private security guards in Iraq, in the wake of two deadly shootings of Iraqi civilians. "This is becoming a major issue in the country, and it's an issue thatýs beginning to divide the United States from Iraq itself," said Michael Greenberger, JD, professor at the School of Law and director of the Center for Health and Homeland Security. "The Iraqi government and the Iraqi people are very upset about these episodes."
media.umaryland.edu:8080

School Had No Duty To Limit Losses
The Daily Record - Oct. 10

A private school can recover a full year's tuition, interest and attorneysý fees from parents who withdrew their child after the cancellation date, even if the school suffered no loss, the stateýs highest court has held. The decision will impact any contract that includes a ýliquidated damagesý clause, in which both sides agree in advance on an amount that will be paid if the contract is breached. "The specific narrow holding of the Court of Appeals is a significant one as it clarified that in the case of a valid liquidated damages clause, the 'avoidable consequences' rule does not apply," said Michael Van Alstine, JD, MJurComp, DrJur, associate dean for research and faculty development at the School of Law. "It is a very clear, bright-line case that will provide great certainty for future contractors."

The Benefits of Using Flaxseed Oil
The (Baltimore) Sun - Oct. 11

Olympian Marion Jones once said she used it. And so did Tour de France winner Floyd Landis and home run record-holder Barry Bonds. Flaxseed seemed to be getting endorsements from every celebrity athlete on the defensive about illegal doping - perhaps because some say it shares a sensory quality with at least one substance banned in pro sports. The recommended dosage depends on who you are, but generally a tablespoon a day for every 100 pounds is a rule of thumb, said Monica Myklebust, MD, assistant professor at the School of Medicine and medical director for the School's Center for Integrative Medicine, which melds conventional and alternative treatments.
www.baltimoresun.com

UM Medical School Researcher Joins Hughes Institute
The (Baltimore) Examiner - Oct. 11
Baltimore Business Journal - Oct. 11

A researcher at the School of Medicine is one of the newest investigators added to the prestigious Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Christopher Plowe, MD, MPH, professor and chief of the malaria section of the Center for Vaccine Development, was selected from a national competition. The Howard Hughes Medical Institute will fund his research on drug treatments for malaria. Plowe is the first professor named from the School to the institute, officials said.
baltimore.bizjournals.com

UMB Sets $650 Million Goal for Campaign
Associated Press - Oct. 9
wjz.com - Oct. 9

The University of Maryland, Baltimore has launched its largest fundraising campaign ever, a $650 million effort to enhance programming and bolster its finances for the future. ýWe are excited to launch our capital campaign,ý said David J. Ramsay, DM, DPhil, president of the University. "Generous contributions to our scholarship funds, endowed chairs, programs, and capital projects ensure that UMB will continue to make an impact locally, nationally, and worldwide."
wjz.com

To Some, Mandel Carries a Scarlet Letter
The (Baltimore) Examiner - Oct. 10

The trials of Marvin Mandel commenced 30 years ago, and leave it to the legal profession to mark the occasion by analyzing it to death. At the School of Law, attorneys, judges, lobbyists, exhausted veterans of the lengthy legal ordeal, and other ýdistinguished guestsý will gather Friday to recall the events that brought down Mandel, the former governor of Maryland, and several of his friends, and left a shivering impact on the worlds of politics and the law.
www.examiner.com

UMB Sets $650 Million Goal for Campaign
WBAL Radio, 8 a.m. - Oct. 9

The University of Maryland, Baltimore has launched its largest fundraising campaign ever, a $650 million effort to enhance programming and bolster its finances for the future.

Reliving the Mandel Case
The Daily Record - Oct. 9

Thirty years after the months-long trial and guilty verdict of Gov. Marvin Mandel, the event still holds an important place in Maryland history and in the minds of the defendants, lawyers, and media who were a part of it. They'll remember it this Friday at a School of Law forum sponsored by the Maryland Chapter of the Federal Bar Association. Mandel says he hopes to attend.

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.
www.metrowestdailynews.com

UM Law Student Strikes a Chord with YouTube Video
The Daily Record - Oct. 9

Last month, Owen Jarvis, a third-year student at the School of Law, posted "Law School Musical"ýan ode to the trials and tribulations of the first year of schoolýon YouTube. The video has logged more than 44,000 views and is averaging around 2,000 a day. "I'm the closest thing to a rock star at University of Maryland law school," Jarvis said with a laugh. He's gotten pats on the back around campus. He got a card and law school goodies package from Teresa LaMaster, JD, assistant dean for institutional advancement.

UMB Sets $650 Million Goal for Campaign
The Daily Record - Oct. 9
Baltimore Business Journal - Oct. 9
The (Baltimore) Sun - Oct. 9

The University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) today is launching its largest fundraising campaign ever, a $650 million effort to enhance programming and bolster its finances for the future. "It's as ambitious as the promise that this campus holds," said T. Sue Gladhill, MSW, vice president for external affairs for UMB and CEO of the University of Maryland Baltimore Foundation, Inc. UMB must build a solid fiscal foundation without relying on the fluctuating availability of public money, said Mary Campion, the Universityýs associate vice president for development. "Philanthropy needs to be the new bedrock that ensures we'll have steady support." Vice President of Medical Affairs and Dean E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, said the School of Medicine contributes more than $1.5 billion in economic development benefits to the region each year. The public university must raise money in order to remain competitive with private schools, both in drawing quality faculty and students, said Karen H. Rothenberg, JD, MPA, dean of the School of Law. Campaign chair and former state Sen. Francis X. Kelly Jr., who has been closely involved with the University for decades, said UMB's message is clear. "We have this gem in Baltimore, and we have to raise money to keep it going and compete in the world," Kelly said.
www.baltimoresun.com
www.bizjournals.com

Bioparks Bring Golden Opportunity to Universities, Life Science Firms
The Daily Record - Oct. 5

This summer, the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) completed the second building of its biotechnology park. It plans to offer 10,000 square feet of pre-built lab space for life sciences companies that need a spot to work immediately. It typically takes six to nine months to finish lease space for lab settings. ýSometimes a company doesnýt want to wait that long,ý said James Hughes, MBA, vice president for research and development at UMB. To see it on a Monday and be able to move in two weeks later is important to a firm that might have just won a research contract, Hughes said.

FDA's Response to the IOM's Report on Safety
The Healthcare Channel - Oct. 8

Sheila Weiss Smith, PhD, associate professor in the School of Pharmacy, continues her discussion of the Food and Drug Administration in the wake of her critical paper in the New England Journal of Medicine.
link.brightcove.com

Foster Parents Report Discussed
Toledo Blade - Oct. 8
The News Tribune (Tacoma, Wash.) - Oct. 8
St. Louis Post-Dispatch - Oct. 7
Chillicothe (Ohio) Gazette - Oct. 6
The Home News (N.J.) Tribune - Oct. 6
Racine (Wis.) Journal Times - Oct. 5

Raising foster children on the cheap is a shameful reflection of societyýs misplaced priorities. The data to determine how much is adequate was compiled by the School of Social Work, the National Foster Parent Association, and Children's Rights, a New York-based advocacy group.
toledoblade.com
www.stltoday.com
www.chillicothegazette.com

From a Curiosity to a Cure
The (Baltimore) Sun - Oct. 7

Officials at the School of Medicine say this is the first time that alternative medicine has been used in a trauma center in the United States, a sign of the growing acceptance of this booming field. "I was very skeptical. I was like, 'OK, so you wave your hands over people and there are these energy fields and this makes you feel better?'" recalled David Tarantino, MD, assistant professor at the School. "We're not machines, and our minds affect our bodies in substantial ways," said Brian Berman, MD, professor and director of the School's Center for Integrative Medicine. But, he said, "the proof's in how people do. We can talk about the theory, but is it helping people or not?" Lixing Lao, PhD, associate professor and the centerýs director of traditional Chinese medicine research, said acupuncture has so many possibilities because, unlike a drug, it has no specific receptor in the body.
www.baltimoresun.com

Legacy of Lynching
CNN, 4:45 p.m. - Oct. 6

Sherrilyn Ifill, JD, professor at the School of Law, discussed the lasting legacy of lynchings in light of the increasing number of incidents where nooses have been found on high school and college campuses.
media.umaryland.edu:8080

Men with Heart Disease Can Have Sex
UPI News Service - Oct. 6, 7

Researchers say that for men age 40 to 65, with or without coronary artery disease, peak heart rates and oxygen consumption levels during sex are comparable to walking at a rate of 2.5 to 3 miles per hour, climbing stairs or performing household chores such as vacuuming. "I can guarantee you that less than 5 percent of physicians will even ask patients about their sexual function," says Mandeep Mehra, MBBS, professor and chief of cardiology at the School of Medicine.
www.upi.com
www.foxnews.com

Reliving the Mandel Case
The (Annapolis) Capital - Oct. 7

It's been 30 years since Marylanders saw their governor, Marvin Mandel, hauled off to prison on federal racketeering and mail fraud charges. This Friday a panel of journalists, lawyers, and lobbyists will review the case's lasting importance at the School of Law. Mandel, now 87 and an active attorney living and practicing in the Annapolis area, was one of the most colorful and creative governors in state history. He said that he plans to attend the event Friday.
www.capitalonline.com

A Boost For Biotech
Baltimore Business Journal - Oct. 5

The U.S. House of Representatives gave the biotechnology industry a long-awaited victory when it passed legislation that allows small companies majority-owned by venture capital firms to be eligible for federal small-business assistance. Despite being backed by about $40 million in venture capital, Alba Therapeutics was unable to persuade its investors to fund a "risky" development related to its treatment of healthy cells in patients with diabetes, said Blake Paterson, MD, CEO of Baltimore-based Alba. And because the firm is backed largely by venture funds, Alba was unable to apply for a federal small-business loan of $1 million to $2 million for the project.
baltimore.bizjournals.com

Federal Spending on Research Trailed in 2005-2006
The Chronicle of Higher Education - Oct. 5

Federal spending for academic research and development fell in the 2005-2006 fiscal year, after adjusting for inflation, for the first time in nearly 25 years, the National Science Foundation said in a report. From 2005 to 2006, the top 20 institutions remained the same, and the rankings for most other institutions on the list changed little. Two big exceptions were Case Western Reserve University, which leaped 20 places, to 24th, and the University of Maryland, Baltimore, which rose 19 spots, to 53rd.

Is It A Hottie, Or A Hoover?
CanWestNews Service - Oct. 5

Researchers say that for men age 40 to 65, with or without coronary artery disease, peak heart rates and oxygen consumption levels during sex are comparable to walking at a rate of 2.5 to 3 miles per hour, climbing stairs or performing household chores such as vacuuming. "If you do a general poll around practices that care for patients with heart failure, I can guarantee you that less than 5 percent of physicians will even ask patients about their sexual function," says Mandeep Mehra, MBBS, professor and head of cardiology at the School of Medicine. He added that patients in turn are usually too embarrassed to bring it up except in extreme circumstances.
www.canada.com

Movers and Shakers
The Deal.com - Oct. 5

Newly formed law firm Dewey & LeBoeuf has made its first new hires, adding four partners in Washington, D.C. Lawrence Sung, JD, PhD, professor and director of the Intellectual Property Law Program at the School of Law, has joined the IP practice, having left Nixon Peabody's partnership earlier this year.

Owner of Bail Bonds Company Acquitted of Charges
WYPR, 88.1 FM, 3, 5, and 7 p.m. - Oct. 3
WYPR.org - Oct. 3

A convicted felon who controls a substantial majority of the bail bonds business in Baltimore was found not guilty on charges of conspiracy, perjury, bribery, and obstruction of justice by a Circuit Court jury. Although prosecutors failed to prove their case, Douglas Colbert, JD, a School of Law professor who is a long time critic of Baltimoreýs bail bonds system, said he hopes the acquittals will put more attention on the bail bonds industry.
www.publicbroadcasting.net

The Power of Hate Symbols
"Out in the Open," CNN, 8 p.m. - Oct. 4; 10 a.m. and 1:45 p.m. - Oct. 5

Sherrilyn Ifill, JD, professor at the School of Law, discussed the increasing number of incidents where nooses have been found on high school and college campuses. "[We need] to open the conversation about race, to open the conversation about a part of our racial history we don't talk about," Ifill said.
transcripts.cnn.com

USM To Seek An Additional $94.5 Million in State Money
Baltimore Business Journal - Oct. 5
Charlotte Business Journal - Oct. 5

The University System of Maryland plans to ask state leaders for an additional $94.5 million to cover the costs of operating its 11 degree-granting colleges and universities. School officials said the increase in state funds would be used to boost financial aid by 5 percent, raise merit pay for faculty and staff by 2.5 percent, and cover a 10 percent increase in health insurance costs for all employees. The state's proposed contributions also would help cover costs of expanding the School of Pharmacy to the Universities at Shady Grove.
charlotte.bizjournals.com

Dental Help for Poor Questioned
The Washington Post - Oct. 4

United Healthcare has recently focused its efforts on improving access to care for the state's poor children by creating an updated online dental directory, providing improved customer service, adding 35 dentists to the Maryland network, and establishing a dental safety net clinic at the Dental School in Baltimore.
www.washingtonpost.com

Dewey & LeBoeuf Snare First Laterals
The Lawyer.com - Oct. 4

Newly formed law firm Dewey & LeBoeuf has made its first new hires, adding four partners in Washington, D.C. Lawrence Sung, JD, PhD, professor and director of the Intellectual Property Law Program at the School of Law, has joined the IP practice, having left Nixon Peabody's partnership earlier this year.
www.thelawyer.com

Flinchbaugh Named Director of Development
Greater Baltimore Committee Newsletter - Oct. 3

Dean Richard P. Barth, PhD, MSW, has announced the appointment of David D. Flinchbaugh as director of development at the School of Social Work.
www.gbc.org

New Treatment Offered for Damaged Esophagus
KING5 TV (Seattle) - Oct. 3

Barrett's esophagus is a condition where acid eats away the esophagus' lining and precancerous cells grow in its place. "The low-pressure spray liquid nitrogen is a new technique," said Bruce Greenwald, MD, associate professor at the School of Medicine. Doctors at the University of Maryland Medical Center are leading a pilot study aimed at looking at the cryotherapy technique. Since April 2006, 22 patients have been treated in the study.
www.king5.com

Ohio Pays Foster Parents Much Less Than Cost of Raising Child
WTOL-TV.com - Oct. 4

A first-of-its-kind survey finds Ohio is one of the least generous states when it comes to paying foster parents. The new report, done by the School of Social Work and two advocacy groups, says most states reimburse foster parents much, much less than what they spend on raising a foster child. Ohio is said to be one of five states that would need to more than double their current base rates to adequately cover the actual child-rearing costs. The study draws its conclusions based on regional living expenses.
www.wtol.com

Owners of Bail Bonds Company Acquitted of Charges
The (Baltimore) Sun - Oct. 4

"Bondsmen are the most powerful, and least scrutinized, players in the criminal justice system," said Douglas Colbert, JD, a School of Law professor who has studied the industry for more than eight years. Colbert said it is "unusual to charge a leading bail bondman with a criminal offense," and he urged more judicial oversight of the bond industry.
www.baltimoresun.com

Rothenberg Chosen for Honor
The Daily Record - Oct. 4

Karen H. Rothenberg, JD, MPA, dean of the School of Law, will receive Equal Justice Works' Dean John R. Kramer Award for 2007 at the organization's awards dinner in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 11. Rothenberg is the Marjorie Cook Professor of Law, and founding director of the Law & Health Care Program. The award honors her dedication to nurturing an outstanding spirit of public service at the School, according to the announcement.

State Delays Rape Case Against Former Police Officer
The Daily Times (Salisbury) - Oct. 4

The Wicomico County State's Attorney's Office withdrew its case Wednesday against a former Salisbury patrolman charged with rape, but vowed to recharge him again in November. "The defense has no right to object [to the delay] because the prosecutor is elected by the people of Wicomico County and has a responsibility to proceed in the best interest of the people," said John Fader II, JD, senior judicial fellow and lecturer at the School of Law and retired Baltimore County Circuit Court judge.
www.delmarvanow.com

UM Social Work Study Shows Rates for Foster Care Inadequate
The Chicago Tribune - Oct. 4
Los Angeles Times - Oct. 4
Richmond Times-Dispatch - Oct. 4
Orange County Register - Oct. 4
Orlando Sentinel - Oct. 4

Most states pay foster parents far less than what middle-income families spend to raise their children, according to a report released Wednesday by two national organizations and the School of Social Work. Diane DePanfilis, PhD, MSW, associate professor and associate dean for research, and director of the Ruth H. Young Center for Families and Children at the School, co-authored the report.
www.chicagotribune.com
www.latimes.com
www.inrich.com
www.ocregister.com

Clarence Thomas v. Anita Hill, Round 2
The Chronicle of Higher Education.com - Oct. 3

Clarence Thomas roiled academe during his confirmation hearings for the Supreme Court. Now his new autobiography, My Grandfather's Son, is sparking rancorous response from professors. Revisiting his journey from poverty in Georgia to the highest court in the land, Thomas also reviews his contretemps with Anita Hill, claiming the black law professor who accused him of sexual harassment was used by his political foes to "lynch" him. At the group blog blackprof.com, Sherrilyn Ifill, JD, professor at the School of Law, writes: "Everything that remained unanswered about Thomas is, for me, answered by the fact that he felt compelled to publish this bookýrepeating his incredible [by that I mean, lacking in credibility] claim that Anita Hill's testimony was false, dragging out the trope of the high-tech lynching, and just altogether showing that he is a man of too many complexes and too much anger to ever be a great Supreme Court justice."
chronicle.com

Demand Driving Med School Expansions
The Diamondback - Oct. 3

The Association of American Medical Colleges asked schools to consider increasing the number of students they admit by about 20 percent, according to Milford Foxwell, MD, assistant professor and associate dean of admissions at the School of Medicine. But despite that request, the School increased its size by only 10 students, from around 150 to 160 last year, and isn't planning on expanding it further any time soon. "The problem is, you have to have the facilities to hold more students," Foxwell said. "Our lecture hall right now only holds about 160."
media.www.diamondbackonline.com

UM Social Work Study Shows Rates for Foster Care Inadequate
Associated Press - Oct. 3
USA Today - Oct. 3

Most states pay foster parents far less than what middle-income families spend to raise their children, according to a first-of-its-kind survey out today by the School of Social Work, the National Foster Parent Association, and Childrenýs Rights, a New York-based advocacy group. Most state rates fall far short of real costs, said Diane DePanfilis, PhD, MSW, co-author of the report, and associate professor, associate dean for research, and director of the Ruth H. Young Center for Families and Children at the School.
ap.google.com
www.usatoday.com

Achieving the Perfect Smile
KOTV (Tulsa, Okla.) - Oct. 1

A new 3-D dental implant procedure gives patients permanent teeth in just one hour. "Most of the patients, they come out with a smile," says Liene Molly, DDS, PhD, assistant professor at the Dental School. "You can visualize the bone. You can visualize how the teeth will be and how they can come together in one area," says Debora Armellini, DDS, MS, assistant professor at the School.
www.kotv.com

Congressional Hearing Held at Law School Regarding Drug Programs
The (Baltimore) Sun - Oct. 2
WBFF-TV, Ch. 45, 5:30 and 10 p.m. - Oct. 1; 6, 7:30, and 8:30 a.m. - Oct. 2
WMAR-TV, Ch. 2, 6 and 11 p.m. - Oct. 1; 5, 5:30, and 6 a.m. - Oct. 2
WBAL-TV, Ch. 11, 5 p.m. - Oct. 1; 5 and 6:30 a.m. - Oct. 2

Two congressional leaders held a hearing at the School of Law Monday to learn more about Baltimore's drug treatment and violence reduction programs. Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich (D-Ohio), chairman of the House Domestic Policy Subcommittee and a candidate in the Democratic presidential primary, and Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, who represents Baltimore's 7th District, called the hearing. Cummings is a 1976 graduate of the School. After taping a copy of the official seal of the U.S. House of Representatives on the dais in the Ceremonial Moot Courtroom, he proclaimed: "This is your government in action. We are here to hear testimony on these excellent programs, and we hope to do something legislatively to carry them throughout the country."
www.baltimoresun.com
media.umaryland.edu:8080

Editorials: Judge Is On Target in Patriot Act Ruling
Reading Eagle - Oct. 2

A federal judge in Oregon was absolutely right when she ruled two provisions of the Patriot Act violate the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution, said Michael Greenberger, JD, professor at the School of Law and director of the Center for Health and Homeland Security. He told The Associated Press that the judge's analysis of the law, which guarantees the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures, was extraordinarily sound.
internetservices.readingeagle.com

Martha's Place: A Safe Harbor for Addicted Women
WYPR Radio, Morning News - Oct. 2

In a profile about a recovering addict who sought help at Marthaýs Place, Anthony Tomasello, PhD, associate professor at the School of Pharmacy and director of the School's Office of Substance Abuse Studies, says the estimated 45,000 to 85,000 addicts citywide means that treatment needs outweigh available resources.
www.publicbroadcasting.net