UMN: Bio-Med Library - Public Health

Public Health Grand Rounds is a series of satellite broadcasts and webcasts presenting real-world case studies on public health issues ranging from obesity to bioterrorism, from SARS to food safety.

Our next program will be Antimicrobial Resistance on April 8, 2005. Beginning February 28, site facilitators will be able to register their sites for the program. Participant registration will open on March 7, and you will be able to register to view the upcoming program at a satellite downlink location near you, or from your own desk via webcast. In the meantime, you can view webcasts of our archived programs.

Site Located at: http://www.publichealthgrandrounds.unc.edu/

Posted by Chad Fennell at 05:31 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (1)

As this season's window of opportunity to administer the flu vaccine comes to a close, the attention of those in the supply chain -- from physicians who give the shot to the people involved in manufacturing it -- has turned to next year.

And there is already a hiccup.

Many physicians are having problems placing their pre-orders for next season's supply, an activity usually on the to-do list at this time.

Full Article: http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2005/03/07/hlsb0307.htm

Posted by Chad Fennell at 05:30 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

"BOSTON, Feb. 24 - The researchers whose findings led the New York City health department to warn of a rare and possibly virulent strain of H.I.V. defended on Thursday their decision to notify city officials, saying the virus presented a serious threat to public health.

Giving a detailed account of their investigation for the first time at a scientific meeting here, the researchers said their discovery of the potentially more aggressive strain in a New York City man with multiple sexual partners was reason enough to sound the alarm."

Full Article: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/25/nyregion/25aids.html?ex=1267074000&en=1f43b6236b66fce1&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland

Posted by Chad Fennell at 08:58 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

"NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - For children, obesity often begins in preschool, suggesting that pediatricians need to act early to prevent and treat excess weight in childhood, new research shows.

Furthermore, referring kids who have already gained too much weight to a pediatric endocrinologist does little to help them shed excess pounds.

These findings suggest that obese children need more than a visit to the doctor in order to lose weight, study author Dr. Teresa Quattrin told Reuters Health."

...

"The medical records showed that 4 out of 5 children became obese before their sixth birthdays, and came to the endocrinologist an average of 4 years after gaining weight."

Full Article: http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2005/02/24/eline/links/20050224elin018.html

Posted by Chad Fennell at 08:57 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Willmar, Minn. — So far, domestic chicken flocks in southeast Asia have been hit hardest by avian influenza. But the disease puts fear in any poultry producer. Dale Lauer, who directs the Minnesota Poultry Testing Laboratory in Willmar, the epi-center of the state's turkey industry, says turkeys are just as susceptible.

Full Article: http://news.minnesota.publicradio.org/features/2004/11/29_bensonl_birdflu/

Posted by Chad Fennell at 08:38 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Minnesota health officials are alerting doctors to watch for what might be a new, drug-resistant strain of HIV that is said to move quickly to AIDS.

Full Article: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/MN_DRUG_RESISTANT_HIV_MNOL-?SITE=MNROC

Posted by Chad Fennell at 04:24 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Boston, MA -- Routine HIV screening should be extended to most Americans, according to the findings of two research teams described in the February 10, 2005 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. Researchers at Yale, Harvard and the Massachusetts General Hospital found that such screening could increase survival, prevent transmission of the disease and be undertaken at reasonable cost relative to the benefit for society. Another team from the VA, Duke and Stanford Universities employed different data and methods and reached similar conclusions. An editorial in the same issue of NEJM calls explicitly for a change in US screening policies which currently recommend testing only in high risk groups.

Full Article: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/press/releases/press02092005.html

Posted by Chad Fennell at 01:20 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

David Williams

Hidden biases in data and analytical methods may obscure important insights needed to close the gap in persistent U.S. racial and ethnic disparities in health, said David Williams of the University of Michigan on February 2 in Snyder Auditorium.

Full Article: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/now/feb18/research.html

Posted by Chad Fennell at 01:19 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Young adults can be motivated to eat more servings of fruits and vegetables if they are exposed to tailored, practical messages about nutrition, a University of Wisconsin-Madison nutritional scientist announced today (Feb. 20) at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Washington, D.C.

"Even though young adults are incredibly busy, they still want to know what they can do to improve their health," says Susan Nitzke, a professor at UW-Madison's College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. Nitzke is the lead investigator of a multistate collaborative project that aimed to improve fruit and vegetable consumption among economically disadvantaged young adults.

Full Article: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2005-02/uow-sya021405.php

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Basics of Database Search: OVID Medline - Monday, 2/7 11:00 - 12:00 pm

RefWorks - Tuesday, 2/8 1:00 - 2:30 pm

Bio-Medical Library Virtual Tour Friday, 2/11 10:00 - 11:00 am

Feed Your Information Need with RSS Tuesday, 2/22 12:30 - 1:30 pm

Basics of Database Searching: PubMed Tuesday, 3/8 10:00 - 11:00 am

PowerPoint: Basic Techniques Tuesday, 3/8 11:00 - 12:00 pm

RefWorks Thursday, 3/10 10:00 - 11:30 am

Finding Quality Health Information Friday, 3/11 10:00 - 11:00 am

PDAs & Pocket PCs in Clinical Practice Tuesday, 3/15 1:00 - 2:00 pm

Battle of the Browsers Wednesday, 3/16 10:00 - 11:00 am

MICROMEDEX Tuesday, 3/20 2:00 - 3:00 pm

Googling the 'Net Thursday, 3/24 1:00 - 2:00 pm

PowerPoint: Beyond the Basics Tuesday, 3/29 11:00 - 12:30 pm

Class Blogs: Getting Started Tuesday, 3/29 11:30 - 12:30 pm

Ovid vs PubMed Wednesday, 3/30 12:00 - 1:00 pm

RefWorks Tuesday, 4/12 10:00 - 11:30 am

Please send me a class list for Summer 2005

Register at: http://www.biomed.lib.umn.edu/inst/lcclassregfm.html

Posted by Chad Fennell at 11:43 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (1)

Please call Kamala Upadhyaya at 626-5326 for assistance with your application.

THE CONSORTIUM ON LAW AND VALUES IN HEALTH, ENVIRONMENT & THE LIFE SCIENCES

The Consortium on Law and Values in Health, Environment & the Life Sciences (http://www.lifesci.consortium.umn.edu) is pleased to announce 3 funding opportunities for faculty; graduate and professional students; and departments, programs, or centers. This funding initiative aims to encourage work on the broad societal implications of problems in health, environment, or the life sciences.

1. Request for Proposals (RFP) from GRADUATE/PROFESSIONAL STUDENTS to Provide Support for Summer 2005 or 2005-06 (deadline 3/4/05);

2. Request for Proposals (RFP) to Support DEPARTMENT, PROGRAM, or CENTER Colloquia in Summer 2005 or 2005-06 (deadline 4/8/05); and

3. Request for Proposals (RFP) from FACULTY to Fund Interdisciplinary Research, Projects, or Curricular Innovation on Health, Environment, or the Life Sciences in Summer 2005 or 2005-06 (deadline 3/25/05).

The Consortium currently links 17 University programs and centers to examine the legal, ethical, and policy questions raised by the life sciences. The Requests for Proposals (RFPs) deadlines may be found at
http://www.lifesci.consortium.umn.edu/rfps/

If you have questions concerning these RFPs, please contact Ann Hagen at hagen055@umn.edu or 612-625-3356.

Full Article: http://www.cancer.umn.edu/page/ccmembers/members.html

Posted by Chad Fennell at 11:37 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

CINCINNATI--Health-care costs for morbidly obese adults are nearly twice those of people considered to be of normal weight, says a study led by University of Cincinnati (UC) researchers.

The study found that medical expenditures for morbidly obese adults in the year 2000 were 81 percent more than for normal-weight adults, 65 percent more than overweight adults, and 47 percent more than obese adults.

Full Article: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2005-02/uoc-mop021105.php

Posted by Chad Fennell at 11:35 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

unding is now available to support 4 fellowship positions for minority doctoral students. The selected fellows will conduct research related to the efforts of, and within, CDC-funded Prevention Research Centers. Fellowship positions are for a two-year period. The Association of Schools of Public Health (ASPH) will be responsible for coordinating these fellowships.

Full Article: http://www.cancer.umn.edu/page/ccmembers/members.html

Posted by Chad Fennell at 12:35 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

IMPACT: The fact that the gene mutation arises naturally suggests that tolerance levels to alcohol may be genetically wired in people, too. If so, the findings could eventually help identify children and adults at higher risk of developing alcohol dependency, so these individuals can make an informed decision about whether to drink. The study results may also speed the development of new drugs that target alcohol-sensitive GABA receptors, leading to better treatments for alcohol poisoning and addiction.

Full Article: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2005-02/uoc--ubs020205.php

Posted by Chad Fennell at 09:57 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (1)

The PubMed® Cubby will soon be replaced by My NCBI. My NCBI works similarly to the Cubby in that it retains user information in order to provide additional services. To use My NCBI you must be signed in. You can sign in using an existing Cubby account, or if you do not have an account, you can register for a My NCBI account.

Full Article: http://80-www.nlm.nih.gov.floyd.lib.umn.edu/pubs/techbull/jf05/jf05_myncbi.html

Posted by Chad Fennell at 08:35 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Thursday, February 3, 2005 (Washington, DC) – Public interest supporters of the NIH Enhanced Public Access Plan today declared the just-announced policy falls short of their expectations and long-standing recommendations. In a letter addressed to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Michael Leavitt, the Alliance for Taxpayer Access outlined its key concerns with the NIH plan:

Full Article: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2005-02/wc-pia020305.php

Posted by Chad Fennell at 05:15 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Contact: Andrea Brunais
MediaRelations@moffitt.usf.edu
813-632-1478
University of South Florida Health Sciences Center

Tampa, FL (Feb. 1, 2005) In the largest grant ever to a Cancer Control and Prevention researcher at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, the National Institutes of Health awarded $10 million to Anna Giuliano, Ph.D., to help determine men's roles in spreading the human papillomavirus (HPV), which causes deadly cervical cancer in women.

The grant is the largest of its kind in the world. Up to this point in the world of cancer research, little has been done to study men's roles in spreading the sexually transmitted organism linked to cervical cancer in women. The men will be followed every six months for four years. They need not have the HPV virus. But they must be willing to visit a clinic at Moffitt twice a year for the four-year study duration.

Full Article: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2005-02/uosf-se020105.php

Posted by Chad Fennell at 07:21 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

By RANDOLPH E. SCHMID
Associated Press Writer

February 1, 2005, 4:20 PM EST

WASHINGTON -- The National Institutes of Health banned its scientists from working as consultants for pharmaceutical, biotechnology and similar businesses, a step officials hope will end controversy over paid consulting arrangements by some of its doctors.

"Nothing is more important for NIH than preserving the public's trust," NIH Director Dr. Elias A. Zerhouni said Tuesday.

Full Article: http://www.newsday.com/news/health/sns-ap-nih-ethics,0,6416863.story?coll=ny-top-headlines

Posted by Chad Fennell at 07:12 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)