Scientists explore the intersection of health, society and microbial ecology
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From the 12 August Eureka Alert
(Ecological Society of America) Public awareness about the role and interaction of microbes is essential for promoting human and environmental health, say scientists presenting research at the Ecological Society of America’s 96th Annual Meeting from August 7-12, 2011.
ESA’s 96th Annual Meeting will be held August 7-12, 2011 in Austin, Texas. The meeting, which has the theme “Earth Stewardship: Preserving and enhancing the earth’s life-support systems,” draws a critical combination of more than 3,500 scientists, policy makers and concerned citizens to discuss research on Earth’s complex interactions and to explore strategies for enhancing a community-based approach to global responsibility….
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Presentations on microbial ecology include:
“The food-webs inside the human body” led by Carmen Lia Murall, University of Guelph, Canada; “Human oral microbiota as an example of microbiota diversity associated with tissue characteristics” by Jacques Izard, The Forsyth Institute, Cambridge, MA; “The impact of architectural design on the microbial diversity of built environments” led by Brendan Bohannan, University of Oregon; and “A microbial perspective on air quality: How human activities influence bacterial diversity in the atmosphere” by Noah Fierer, University of Colorado, Boulder….
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Other presentations on disease ecology include:
“Statistical prediction of West Nile Virus transmission intensity in New York City” led by Sarah Bowden, University of Georgia; “The dual role of lizards in Lyme disease ecology in the far-western United States” led by Andrea Swei, Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies; “The role of synanthropic mammals in avian influenza outbreaks” led by Susan Shriner, National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, Colorado; “The influence of host movement on epidemic dynamics: Commuting patterns in cities and their consequences for the spread of influenza” led by Benjamin Dalziel, Cornell University; and “The ecology of an emerging tick-borne pathogen, Babesia microti: How host quality affects disease risk” led by Michelle Hersh, Bard College….
….The Preliminary Press Program is available online at http://esa.org/austin/press.php, and the full searchable program is at http://eco.confex.com/eco/2011/webprogram/start.html. All abstracts are embargoed until 12:00 am EDT the day of their presentation. Contact Katie Kline at katie@esa.org for details or to register as a member of the press. Field trips are open to all meeting registrants; however, the fees are not included in press registration.
The Ecological Society of America is the world’s largest professional organization of ecologists, representing 10,000 scientists in the United States and around the globe. Since its founding in 1915, ESA has promoted the responsible application of ecological principles to the solution of environmental problems through ESA reports, journals, research, and expert testimony to Congress. ESA publishes four print journals—and one online-only, open-access journal Ecosphere—and convenes an annual scientific conference. Visit the ESA website at http://www.esa.org or find experts in ecological science at http://www.esa.org/pao/rrt.
Related articles
- Bellybutton microbiomes (eurekalert.org)
- As Ecosystems, Cities Yield Some Surprises (green.blogs.nytimes.com)
PubMed Clinical Queries Page Updated
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From the 11 August 2011 National Library of Medicine (NLM) Technical Bulletin
The PubMed® Clinical Queries homepage will be slightly modified to provide users with a more straightforward understanding of how to enter a search (see Figure 1).
After running a search, the category/scope limits for the Clinical Query Study Categories secion and topic limits for the Medical Genetics section will be available on the preview results page (see Figure 2).
The clinical queries search strategies will not be changed.
By Kathi Canese
National Center for Biotechnology Information
[From http://medlib.bu.edu/busdm/content.cfm/content/pubmedclinicalqueries.cfm]
PubMed Clinical Queries provides access to specialized PubMed searches designed to quickly connect clinicians with evidence-based clinical literature.
There are two EBM search options:
- Search by Clinical Study Category
- Find Systematic Reviews
- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK3827/ ,
- and/or http://www.nlm.nih.gov/bsd/disted/pubmedtutorial/020_570.html
- and/or contact a local academic, medical, or public librarian
Related articles
- My NCBI – Enhancements to My Bibliography (jflahiff.wordpress.com)
- Overview: “A Brand New Look for PubMed Central” ” INFOdocket (infodocket.com)
- Updated Online Tutorials for NCBI resources including an NCBI Overview and PubMed and the Gene Expression Omnibus tutorials (prweb.com)
Major Increase In Hospitalization Rates For Children With Psychiatric Disorders
From the 12 August 2011 Health News Today article
Short-stay inpatient hospitalizations for children and adolescents with a psychiatric diagnosis increased significantly over a 12-year period (1996 to 2007) and decreased for the elderly, according to a report in the early online edition in Archives of General Psychiatry by Joseph C. Blader, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Science at Stony Brook University School of Medicine…
Related articles
- Prescriptions for Antidepressants Increasing Among Individuals With No Psychiatric Diagnosis (cherished79.wordpress.com)
- Antidepressants Prescribed Without Psychiatric Diagnosis (webmd.com)
- Psychiatric Hospitalizations Increased Among Children And Teens, But Dropped Among Seniors (medicalnewstoday.com)
- In Defense of Psychiatric Medications, Part Two (psychologytoday.com)
Violence in the City: Understanding and Supporting Community Responses to Urban Violence
From the summary at the World Bank
Violence in the City: Understanding and Supporting Community Responses to Urban Violence” is the first global study of urban violence conducted by the World Bank, and incorporates case studies from urban communities in Brazil (Fortaleza), Haiti (Port-au-Prince), Kenya (Nairobi), South Africa (Johannesburg) and Timor-Leste (Dili).
For millions of people around the world, violence, or the fear of violence, is a daily reality. Much of this violence concentrates in urban centers in the developing world. Cities are now home to half the world’s population and expected to absorb almost all new population growth over the next 25 years. In many cases, the scale of urban violence can eclipse those of open warfare; some of the world’s highest homicide rates occur in countries that have not undergone a war, but that have serious epidemics of violence in urban areas. This study emerged out of a growing recognition that urban communities themselves are an integral part of understanding the causes and impacts of urban violence and of generating sustainable violence prevention initiatives.
Click here for the full report
Related articles
- LA story? (bbc.co.uk)
- Urban riots: tough love | Editorial (guardian.co.uk)
Climate Change Hits Home
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From the 8 August 2011 Huffington Post article by Wendy Gordon
Do you live in a climate-ready city? How prepared is your state for the challenges to health and the environment being caused by climate change-from the dangers of extreme heat and increased flooding to the spread of ragweed whose pollen causes allergies or mosquitoes that can spread disease?
NRDC just unveiled an incredible web interactive that lets you see how your state might be impacted by climate change. On the site, nrdc.org, you can see local data and maps detailing extreme weather patterns throughout the country, see local climate change vulnerabilities and learn about health problems in your own community that are connected to climate change….
The article also touches on these topics
- Things to remember about plants and heat
- Global warming and drinking water availability
- Which US cities can adapt best to higher temperatures (generally Midwestern cities)
- Where to go to find listings of most efficient appliances (Smarter Livings Top 10)
Related articles
- Climate update : Is climate change to blame for famine in the Horn of Africa? (via LEARN FROM NATURE) (ascleses.wordpress.com)
- Writers Write About Climate Change (readmorebooks.wordpress.com)
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This does not necessarily mean I am in agreement with their views, just that the comments are presented civilly.
My deep thanks to all readers, especially those who comment or contact me with additional information and/or enlightenment, including the reader(s) who posted below.
Personal Feedback May Aid Fitness Progress & Some Related Apps
Researchers show that daily reinforcement helps adults stick to their exercise goals
From the 12 August 2011 Health News Today article by Robert Preidt
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 10 (HealthDay News) — Using personal digital assistants (PDAs) to give daily feedback to adults about their fitness progress helps them stick with an exercise program, a new study says.
University of Pittsburgh researchers followed 189 overweight adults for six months. The participants were assigned to one of three self-monitoring programs — paper records only, PDA without daily feedback messages, or PDA with daily feedback messages.
An example of a message for participants who met their exercise goals for the day: “Super job on the physical activity. Try to repeat this tomorrow.”
For those who didn’t achieve their daily goal, the message might have said: “Don’t get disheartened; you still have time to meet your physical activity goals. Hint: Take a walk; it will pay off!”…
Some related apps
(Go to Fitness and Web 2.0 on Webicina.Com for more Apps and related fitness social media links (support groups, news, podcasts, etc,)
The Future of Healthcare Presentation on Video
<p><a href=”http://vimeo.com/27159668″>What is the Future of Healthcare?</a> from <a href=”http://vimeo.com/jonmrich”>Jonathan Richman</a> on <a href=”http://vimeo.com”>Vimeo</a>.</p>From the 12 August 2011 Science Roll
Jonathan Richman at Dose of Digital published his presentation that focused on the future of healthcare. He included the personalized, direct-to-consumer genetic companies, e-health, e-patients and many more emerging topics.
About
This blog presents a sampling of health and medical news and resources for all. Selected articles and resources will hopefully be of general interest but will also encourage further reading through posted references and other links. Currently I am focusing on public health, basic and applied research and very broadly on disease and healthy lifestyle topics.
Several times a month I will post items on international and global health issues. My Peace Corps Liberia experience (1980-81) has formed me as a global citizen in many ways and has challenged me to think of health and other topics in a more holistic manner.
Do you have an informational question in the health/medical area?
Email me at jmflahiff@yahoo.com
I will reply within 48 hours.
This blog is a companion site to my Health and Medical News and Resources Web site with…
- Great places to start (locating health information)
- Links to help from others (as health care providers and support groups)
- Interactive tools (as health calculators and apps)
- Select related news sites and blogs
My professional work experience and education includes over 15 years experience as a medical librarian and a Master’s in Library Science. In my most recent position I enjoyed contributing to our library’s blog, performing in depth literature searches, and collaborating with faculty, staff, students, and the general public.
While I will never be be able to keep up with the universe of current health/medical news, I subscribe to the following to glean entries for this blog.
- Science Daily – Your source for the latest research news
- MedlinePlus email updates from the US National Institutes of Health
- Partners in Information Access for the Public Health Workforce – a collaboration of U.S. government agencies, public health organizations and health sciences libraries
- US Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) news now with updates on the agency’s efforts to “improve the quality, safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of health care for all Americans”
- Research Buzz, “news about search engines, digital archives, online museums, databases, and other Internet information collections since 1998”
- Scout Report, a “weekly publication offering a selection of new and newly discovered Internet resources of interest to researchers and educators”
- KevinMD.com -“Social Media’s leading physician voice”
- EurekAlert-Medicine and Health
Health and Medical News and Resources 