A new neuroimaging study conducted by researchers from the Montreal Neurological Institute of McGill University and the Universite de Montreal at the International laboratory for Brain Music and Sound Research (BRAMS), has found that tone-deaf or amusic individuals have more grey matter in specific regions of the brain related to processing musical pitch, namely the right interior frontal gyrus and the right auditory cortex, as compared to those who are musically intact. The study, published in a recent issue of the prestigious Journal of Neuroscience, sheds light on the neurological basis for congenital amusia.

Music, at all times of the year, but especially during the holidays, produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without, according to Confucius. Unfortunately, for about 4% of the population, music is less pleasure and more cacophony.

Congenital amusia, or tone-deafness is a life-long disorder that impairs a person’s ability to perceive or produce music, preventing otherwise normal functioning individuals from developing even the most basic of musical skills or deriving any enjoyment from music. As one tone-deaf individual describes it, listening to music is like listening to “pots and pans being thrown on a kitchen floor.”

“Overall, behavioral evidence indicates that congenital amusia is due to a severe deficit in the processing of pitch information. However, until now, very little was known about the neural correlates of this disorder,” says Dr. Krista Hyde, a post-doctoral research fellow at the Montreal Neurological Institute and lead-investigator for the study in collaboration with Drs. Robert Zatorre at the MNI and Isabelle Peretz at the Universit?© de Montr?©al. “Using sophisticated computerized brain imaging techniques/methods developed by Dr. Alan Evans at the MNI, we were able to quantify differences in brain structure between a tone-deaf group and a musically-intact group. Specifically, we found that tone-deaf individuals had a thicker cortex (or grey matter) in particular brain regions known to be involved in auditory and musical processing. This parallels what has been observed in the learning disability dyslexia, in which the cortex is thicker in areas of the brain involved in reading ability.

The study employed a neuroimaging technique developed by Dr. Alan Evans and colleagues in the McConnell Brain Imaging Centre at the MNI that measures the thickness of grey matter (or cortex) using MRI brain scans. All amusics had normal intellectual, memory and language skills, but were impaired compared to normal controls on a standardized battery of musical tests, the MBEA, used to diagnose congenital amusia. The MBEA involves six tests including melodic, rhythmic, metric and recognition memory tests. In order to better understand the nature of brain anatomical differences, the study correlated musical performance with cortical thickness measures. The lower the score on the MBEA the thicker the cortex in musically-relevant regions of the brain.

A uniquely human capability that predates language, music is a fundamental aspect of life, providing a unique window into brain function. “Listening to and creating music involves many different regions of the brain, the auditory system, the visual system, the motor system, as well as memory and emotion etc. – making music an excellent tool for gaining insight into all of these systems and studying the human brain,” adds Dr. Hyde.

Cortical thickness differences in the right inferior frontal gyrus and right auditory cortex of amusic brains relative to controls may be due to abnormal neuronal migration or atypical cell pruning during development. Abnormal migration occurs when nerve cells do not reach their target or proper location in the brain and therefore do not make the right connections. Cell pruning is the process by which frequently-used nerve cells and connections (synapses) are strengthened while pathways that are of little use are eliminated. The compromised development of the right fronto-temporal pathway linking regions of the brain crucial for musical processing, may contribute to the musical impairments in congenital amusia. These findings have implications for the understanding of normal acquisition of musical abilities and will lead to further studies on the neurological basis of congenital amusia.

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Source: Sandra McPherson

Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital Continue reading →

Vivian Cheung, M.D., a pediatric neurologist at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, has been named a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) investigator. Following a nationwide competition in 2007, Cheung was one of 15 physician-scientists selected recently by the prestigious research organization.

Like all those chosen, Dr. Cheung focuses on translating research discoveries into improved medical treatments.

“We are extremely pleased and proud of the fact that one of our pediatricians was honored by one of the world’s leading biomedical research institutions,” said Philip R. Johnson, M.D., chief scientific officer and senior vice president of Children’s Hospital. “This appointment recognizes Dr. Cheung’s accomplishments in advancing genetic discovery.”

Cheung investigates how the sequence of DNA units in a person’s chromosomes affects that person’s susceptibility to disease. She uses microarray technology to rapidly measure how strongly genes are expressed within cells. By determining how gene expression changes in response to drugs and other treatments, she discovers how each patient’s DNA variations are associated with the effectiveness of their disease treatments.

Her goal is to help physicians predict how a patient will respond to a given drug or treatment, based on the patient’s particular genetic profile. Ultimately, providing refined genetic tools may remove some of the guesswork in making treatment decisions and in providing the best preventive and therapeutic care.

Trained in neurology, Cheung has a specific interest in a neurogenetic disease called ataxia telangiectasia, which affects movement, muscle control, the immune system and susceptibility to cancer. Because different children may react very differently to their treatments, her research aims to customize treatment to a patient’s genetic profile, thus minimizing side effects and providing maximum benefits. Cheung’s studies could be applied to a broad range of common and uncommon diseases, in using genetic tools to eventually routinely guide physicians and patients to better treatments.

As a pediatrician at Children’s Hospital, Cheung is continuing to work at the Hospital and has become an employee of HHMI, which provides a research budget and funding for laboratory space. Cheung remains an associate professor of Pediatrics and Genetics at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

After earning her M.D. degree from Tufts University School of Medicine, Cheung completed her residency at the UCLA Medical Center, before coming to The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in 1996. She holds the William Wikoff Smith Endowed Chair in Pediatric Genomic Research at Children’s Hospital, where she leads an NIH-funded laboratory.

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About the Howard Hughes Medical Institute: HHMI is one of the world’s largest philanthropies, with laboratories across the United States and grants programs throughout the world. The Institute is a nonprofit medical research organization that employs hundreds of leading biomedical scientists working at the forefront of their fields. In addition, through its grants program and other activities, HHMI is helping to enhance science education at all levels and maintain the vigor of biomedical science worldwide. HHMI’s endowment at the end of the 2006 fiscal year was approximately $16.3 billion.

About The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia: The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia was founded in 1855 as the nation’s first pediatric hospital. Through its long-standing commitment to providing exceptional patient care, training new generations of pediatric healthcare professionals and pioneering major research initiatives, Children’s Hospital has fostered many discoveries that have benefited children worldwide. Its pediatric research program is among the largest in the country, ranking third in National Institutes of Health funding. In addition, its unique family-centered care and public service programs have brought the 430-bed hospital recognition as a leading advocate for children and adolescents. For more information, visit chop.edu/.

Source: John Ascenzi

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Continue reading →

Minnesota U.S. Senate Democratic candidate Al Franken on Wednesday said the federal government should negotiate with drug companies to lower seniors’ drug prices, permit re-importation of prescription medications from other countries and ban mass-market drug advertising, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports. Franken said these proposals, which have been suggested by other candidates and in previous years, could move forward if enough Democrats are in the Senate next year (Stassen-Berger, St. Paul Pioneer Press, 7/30).

Franken said his opponent — Sen. Norm Coleman (R) — is participating in “a massive betrayal of Minnesota seniors” by supporting a provision in the Medicare Part D program that prohibits the federal government from negotiating with drug companies to lower prices (Doyle, Minneapolis Star Tribune, 7/30). A recent U.S. House oversight committee report found that Medicare insurers would have reduced spending on the top 100 drugs by $3.7 billion had Medicare been able pay the same prices negotiated by Medicaid in 2006 and 2007 (St. Paul Pioneer Press, 7/30).

Franken said Coleman was “rewarded handsomely” by the pharmaceutical and health products industry for his support of the Medicare drug benefit. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, the industry contributed $204,000 during this election cycle to Coleman’s campaign.

Franken also advocated a ban on drug advertising to consumers because such commercials “drum up pharmaceutical sales by encouraging patients to specifically request medication that their medical providers might otherwise not have prescribed.”

Coleman Reaction
Coleman spokesperson Mark Drake noted that the senator was one of six Senate Republicans who joined Democrats and voted to take up a bill last year that would have allowed Medicare to negotiate drug prices. Drake added that Coleman would support government negotiation to lower prices if the measure guaranteed seniors would not be denied access to needed medications (Minneapolis Star Tribune, 7/30). Drake added that Coleman would support authorizing drug re-importation from other countries if it did not limit access to common prescription drugs and the process was deemed safe (St. Paul Pioneer Press, 7/30).

Reprinted with kind permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.

© 2008 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved. Continue reading →

A new MRI guided technique known as manual interleaved MR-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) safely treats fibroids in 60% less time than conventional MRgFUS, according to a new study by researchers from the Lahey Clinic in Burlington, MA.

For the study, researchers analyzed the results of 14 women with symptomatic fibroids who were treated with the rapid interleaved MRgFUS. The researchers found that interleaved MRgFUS permitted up to 127 sonications–sound wave pulses that break up the fibroid–in a three-hour treatment versus 60-70 sonications with the conventional technique in the same time span. The procedure had no serious adverse side-effects, even after a six-month follow up. In addition, 12 of the 14 patients had marked improvements in their symptoms on the follow-up visits.

“Basically, it allows the procedure to be performed faster–about 60% faster. The conventional method permits more than twice as many sonications can be performed during the same three-hour treatment,” said George A. Holland, MD, lead author of the study

“Using this technique, women with fibroids can be treated faster and women that would not be considered for the treatment because of the size of their fibroid can now also be treated,” he added.

The full results of the study will be presented in May 2006 during the American Roentgen Ray Society Annual Meeting in Vancouver, BC.

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About ARRS
The American Roentgen Ray Society (ARRS) was founded in 1900 and is the oldest radiology society in the U.S Radiologists from all over the world attend the ARRS Annual Meeting to take part in instructional courses, scientific paper presentations, symposiums, new issues forums and scientific and commercial exhibits related to the field of radiology. The ARRS is named after Wilhelm Roentgen, who discovered the x-ray in 1895.

Contact: Necoya Lightsey
American Roentgen Ray Society Continue reading →

Today the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled in favour of the European Commission, upholding the validity of the Food Supplements Directive, its legal base and the positive list system. The European Commission will now study the details of the Court’s judgement and in view of the Court’s comments on the procedure, the Commission will look at ways to ensure that the Directive is implemented in a manner that is transparent, timely and the least restrictive that science allows. The aim is to minimise restrictions on businesses while maintaining a high level of protection of public health based on science.

Markos Kyprianou, Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection, said: “I welcome the fact that the European Court of Justice has upheld the validity of the Food Supplements Directive, its legal base and the positive list system. The Commission will now study the Court’s judgement in detail, and takes note of the Court’s conclusions on the need for a transparent and timely implementation procedure. This is a Directive designed to open the internal market and boost growth, while ensuring a high level of protection of public health. With these dual goals in mind, we will look at the implementation of the Directive to ensure that it is implemented in a transparent and timely manner and is the least restrictive that science will allow.”

In its judgement today, the Court:

– Concluded that the Directive was correctly based on Article 95 (internal market) of the Treaty;

– Pointed out that certain restrictions can be justified by the protection of public health, and considered the measures in question to be necessary and appropriate for this purpose;

– Upheld the system of a positive list of vitamins and minerals and their sources.

The Commission takes note of the Court’s conclusion that the Commission should ensure generally that the consultation stage with EFSA is carried out transparently and within a reasonable time. The Commission has already adopted a series of implementing measures on the procedures to be applied by EFSA to requests for scientific opinions, and the Commission will examine whether these need to be further supplemented or reinforced.

Background

The Directive on food supplements (2002/46/EC) was adopted in June 2002. It establishes a positive list of vitamins and minerals approved for use in food supplements as well as rules on labelling to better inform consumers. The main aim of the Directive is to enable food supplements to be marketed freely across the EU while ensuring the safety of consumers. Harmonisation at EU level opens up new markets for products which might previously have encountered difficulties due to differences in national legislation or to the fact that some Member States would use public health grounds to block products from other countries. The majority of stakeholders from consumer associations and industry supported the legislation. However, a group of consumers and retailer associations in the UK challenged the validity of the transposition of the Directive into UK law, and the UK court subsequently referred the case to the ECJ, questioning the validity of the Directive. The ECJ today ruled in favour of the Commission.

europa.eu.int Continue reading →

A randomized multicenter study of 190 patients at 13 medical centers show for the first time the “superior” benefit of stent grafts over balloon angioplasty for maintaining function of dialysis access grafts in kidney failure patients who undergo dialysis. Until now, no other therapy has proven more effective than angioplasty. At six months, the stent grafts allowed dialysis patients to continue life-saving treatment with significantly fewer interruptions and invasive procedures, according to a study published in the Feb. 11 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. Hemodialysis is the leading treatment for more than 340,000 patients in the United States with end-stage renal disease or kidney failure.

“Stent grafts are a game changer for dialysis patients, especially for those who suffer due to the repeated need for invasive procedures to maintain their ability to get dialysis,” said Ziv J Haskal, M.D., FSIR, vice chair of strategic development and chief of vascular and interventional radiology at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore, Md.

“This study the first large prospective controlled study of its kind shows that this novel therapy (stent grafts) provides clear improvement over balloon angioplasty by prolonging the function of a patient’s bypass without surgery helping individuals avoid additional invasive procedures and time in the hospital,” noted Haskal, who is also professor of radiology and surgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. “Stent grafts overwhelmingly performed better than balloon angioplasty for maintaining access in dialysis patients, providing superior patency and freedom from repeat interventions,” added the lead investigator and co-author of “Stent Graft Versus Balloon Angioplasty for Failing Dialysis-access Grafts.” He noted, “What we’ve done is arguably supersede the results of surgery by improving the flow dynamics beyond those achievable with an operation.”

Thirteen participating sites including academic, community-based, inpatient and freestanding outpatient dialysis centers enrolled 190 patients (69 men, 121 women) with failing arteriovenous (AV) grafts in this study, said Haskal. Ninety-seven patients received stent grafts, with 93 undergoing balloon angioplasty (percutaneous transluminal angioplasty or PTA). There were no significant differences between graft and PTA groups with respect to demographics or relevant medical history. Nearly 51 percent of dialysis accesses treated with stent grafts remained open at six months, as compared to just 23 percent of those treated with balloon angioplasties. Treating physicians had a nearly 94 percent success rate at implanting the stent grafts. There were no differences in adverse events between the two approaches.

“Interventional radiologists work to keep access to the circulatory system open to ensure that patients with end-stage renal disease can continue to receive regular life-saving dialysis,” noted Society of Interventional Radiology President Brian F. Stainken, M.D., FSIR, who represents the national organization of nearly 4,500 doctors, scientists and allied health professionals dedicated to improving health care through minimally invasive treatments. “This study is another example of the way in which interventional radiologists pioneer advances to improve health care for patients in this case, specifically for kidney failure patients,” added Stainken, an interventional radiologist who is also president of the Imaging Network of Rhode Island and chair of the diagnostic imaging department at Roger Williams Medical Center in Providence, R.I.

When kidneys fail called chronic kidney or end-stage renal disease treatment in the form of regular dialysis (or hemodialysis) is needed to replace the kidney’s job of ridding the body of toxic waste products to maintain fluid, electrolyte and acid base balance. Before dialysis can begin, patients often have a vascular access graft surgically placed in the arm to provide a high-flow site. This prosthetic fistula (or passageway) works by connecting a patient’s vein with an artery in his or her forearm, allowing high flow of blood from the artery into the vein.

Over time, the accesses narrow and block off (occlude) due to buildup of scar tissue. Failing or occluded dialysis access grafts cause considerable morbidity, discomfort and inconvenience for dialysis patients due to the need for invasive procedures to reestablish access flow or to graft abandonment and reoperation. When failure occurs, per National Kidney Foundation Guidelines, an interventional radiologist normally performs a balloon angioplasty to reopen the fistula and regain access for dialysis.

“Stent Graft Versus Balloon Angioplasty for Failing Dialysis-access Grafts,” which appears in the Feb. 11 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, was co- Ziv J Haskal, M.D., FSIR, FAHA, FACR, University of Maryland Medical Center, Baltimore, Md.; Scott O. Trerotola, M.D., FSIR, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pa.; Bart L. Dolmatch, M.D., FSIR, University of Texas/Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas; Earl Schuman, M.D., Oregon Surgical Consultants, Portland, Ore.; Sanford D. Altman, M.D., Open Access Vascular Access Center, Miami, Fla.; Samuel W. Mietling, M.D., Vascular Access Center, Augusta, Ga.; Scott S. Berman, M.D., Vascular Surgery, Tucson Ariz.; Gordon McLennan, M.D., FSIR, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis; Clayton K. Trimmer, DO, University of Texas/Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas; John Ross, M.D., Bamberg County Hospital and Nursing Center, Bamberg, S.C.; and Thomas M. Vesely, M.D., FSIR, Vascular Access Center of Frontenac Grove, Frontenac, Mo.

References

National Kidney Foundation: More than 485,000 Americans are being treated for kidney failure, also called end-stage renal disease, or ESRD. Of these, more than 341,000 are dialysis patients and more than 140,000 have a functioning kidney transplant.

Dialysis treatment (2006): 354,754 U.S. residents with ESRD received dialysis; United States Renal Data System (USRDS) 2008 Annual Data Report.

About the Society of Interventional Radiology

Interventional radiologists are physicians who specialize in minimally invasive, targeted treatments. They offer the most in-depth knowledge of the least invasive treatments available coupled with diagnostic and clinical experience across all specialties. They use X-ray, MRI and other imaging to advance a catheter in the body, such as in an artery, to treat at the source of the disease internally. As the inventors of angioplasty and the catheter-delivered stent, which were first used in the legs to treat peripheral arterial disease, interventional radiologists pioneered minimally invasive modern medicine. Today, interventional oncology is a growing specialty area of interventional radiology. Interventional radiologists can deliver treatments for cancer directly to the tumor without significant side effects or damage to nearby normal tissue.

Source: Society of Interventional Radiology Continue reading →

Research conducted by Speech Remedy, LLC, a leading provider of speech therapy rehabilitation materials, shows that many health professionals are frustrated by the lack of current, multicultural, functional, “real life” applicable materials for those 16 and older. To address this need, Speech Remedy founders Joanna Boyer and Terri Tarnoff Snyder, both certified practicing speech-language pathologists, created SR-Cognition, a multi-sensory therapeutic tool kit for adult rehabilitation.

This new, up-to-date tool-kit, with a hands-on, interactive approach to learning is available at speechremedy The kit will help to rehabilitate individuals who have sustained a stroke, traumatic brain injury, cranial resection, tumor, or are suffering from degenerative conditions such as dementia, ALS, or multiple sclerosis. It may also aid high school aged individuals with developmental challenges by providing functional and independent life skills training.

The comprehensive kit contains two workbooks (one with easel option and one with re-useable, reproducible pages) featuring hundreds of therapeutic activities, photo cards, picture cards, and a dry erase marker, all in a sturdy portable tote box.

Activities and exercises feature realistic every-day scenarios, in real world environments using current cues for memory and language building.

After extensively reviewing the limited number of existing adult therapeutic materials, Speech Remedy conducted research and collected feedback from the SLP community to develop, what they believe is the most comprehensive, up-to-date adult speech therapy product on the market today.

The kit can be used in a one-on-one or group setting.

The kit targets five major areas of cognition: 1) orientation; 2) attention and scanning; 3) memory; 4) receptive and expressive language; 5) reasoning and problem solving. Research shows that with early intervention, speech-language-cognitive rehabilitation can substantially help people achieve their best possible long-term outcomes.

Speech Remedy products incorporate a multi-sensory (auditory, visual and tactile) approach which is generally recognized as the most effective treatment therapy for learning difficulties.

The peer reviewed and tested materials are designed to stimulate minds of patients and provide the necessary support to foster independence. “SR-Cognition is a wonderful piece of equipment. Every therapist should have it in their arsenal of therapy materials,” says Lawrence Friedman, speech pathologist clinical mentor for Evergreen Health Care in Tracy, California.

About Speech Remedy

Speech Remedy, LLC was founded in 2006 to provide cutting-edge adult multisensory therapeutic materials to the SLP (Speech Language Pathology) community. Speech Remedy’s products are developed by Joanna (Light) Boyer, M.S., M.A. CCC-SLP a published cognitive psychologist and certified speech-language pathologist and Terri Tarnoff Snyder, M.A. CCC-SLP, a practicing speech-language pathologist of over 25 years and rehabilitation director of Breakthrough, Inc. Speech Remedy’s products are being used by health professionals in leading home health care agencies, assisted living centers, board and care facilities, acute hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, adult day health centers and high schools. Speech Remedy will be launching new products at the ASHA 2007 national convention – Boston, Massachusetts, November 15-17, 2007.

SR Cognition is a great starter kit for the beginning clinician, an up-to-date addition to an existing library of materials and an easy-to-use product for family carry-over and long term recovery. SR-Cognition’s re-usable design makes it convenient as well as environmentally friendly. SR-Cognition tool kit is $299 and available online at speechremedy.

Contents of SR Cognition kit include:

– A master workbook: This modernized versatile workbook can be used in a standard workbook manner and also as a flipchart to provide a scaffolding framework for the client, when activity items prove to be too challenging. This book includes 300+ pages of therapeutic activities, including but not limited to immediate and delayed recall, following directions, convergent/divergent naming, verbal sequencing, problem solving of life skills situations and emergency preparedness.

– A supplemental reproducible workbook: This colorful laminated workbook provides supplemental multi-sensory stimuli for activities presented in the Master Workbook. This book includes re-useable, reproducible pages, including, but not limited to, caregiver information, activities of daily living, calendars, schedules, menus, maps, signs and symbols. The pages in this book may be used time and time again and may be reproduced and distributed to the client, his/her family and/or caregivers as desired.

– 85 photo cards with up to date pictures and illustrations: Four sets of 5″x7″ colorful photographic cards (85 cards total) are designed for confrontational naming, categorization and scanning, sequencing and problem solving. These cards include up-to-date photographs of everyday objects, animals, actions, categories and pictorial absurdities.

– 20 picture cards: Twenty 2″ x 2″ double-sided, laminated, full-color picture cards may be used alone or in conjunction with the activities provided in the Workbooks. These cards allow for tactile manipulation during activities including, but not limited to: memory, word finding, following directions, and language building.

– A tote box: This sturdy tote box houses all of the kit contents; allowing for ease of mobility and increased organization. Also included is a dry erase pen.

speechremedy Continue reading →

A systematic literature review conducted by a team of researchers from the University of Connecticut, the Hispanic Health Council (Hartford), and the Connecticut Center for Eliminating Health Disparities among Latinos assessed the impact of peer education/counseling on nutrition and health outcomes among Latinos living in the United States. The results, published in the July/August issue of the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, provide evidence that peer nutrition education has a positive influence on diabetes self-management and breastfeeding outcomes, as well as on general nutrition knowledge and dietary intake behaviors, among Latinos in the US.

“Overall, these nutrition education demonstration studies suggest that peer education has the potential to change dietary behaviors among Latinos,” commented lead investigator Rafael P?©rez-Escamilla, PhD. “There is a need to better understand how nutrition peer educators can be formally incorporated into the health care system within the Chronic Care Model community health worker (CHW) framework.” Latinos are the largest minority group in the United States, accounting for more than 12% of the population, and they are expected to be nearly 25% of the population by 2050. Latinos also have less access to nutritionally adequate and safe food-compared to 7.8% of non-Latino white individuals, almost 20% of Latinos are food insecure.

The group’s findings are consistent with studies conducted with non-Latino white and black individuals, which suggests that it is important to formally incorporate peer nutrition educators as part of the CHW framework and to integrate them as part of US public health and clinical health care management. This strategy could contribute to addressing the health disparities that seriously affect Latinos, as well as other minority groups.

Additionally, this review produced the surprising finding that researchers could not identify any experimental or quasi-experimental study assessing the impact of the Food Stamp Nutrition Education Program (FSNE) on Latinos, even though this major program has been in place for over a decade. As many states include peer nutrition educators as part for their FSNE delivery strategies, this represents a major gap in knowledge.

Researchers also found a need for longitudinal randomized trials testing the impact of peer nutrition education interventions for Latinos grounded on goal setting and culturally appropriate behavioral change theories. Operational research is needed to identify the optimal peer educator characteristics, the type of training that they should receive, the client loads and dosage (ie, frequency and amount of contact needed between peer educator and client) and the best educational approaches and delivery settings.

The article is “Impact of Peer Nutrition Education on Dietary Behaviors and Health Outcomes among Latinos: A Systematic Literature Review” by Rafael P?©rez-Escamilla, PhD; Amber Hromi-Fiedler, PhD, MPH; Sonia Vega-L??pez, PhD; Angela Berm??dez-Mill??n, PhD, MPH; Sofia Segura-P?©rez, MS, RD. It appears in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, Volume 40, Issue 4 (July/August 2008), pp 208-225.

The development of this article was funded by the Connecticut Center of Excellence for Eliminating Health Disparities among Latinos (CEHDL) (NIH National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities grant).

About The Journal Of Nutrition Education And Behavior (www.jneb)
The Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior (JNEB), the official journal of the Society for Nutrition Education (SNE), is a refereed, scientific periodical that serves as a resource for all professionals with an interest in nutrition education and dietary/physical activity behaviors. The purpose of JNEB is to document and disseminate original research, emerging issues and practices relevant to nutrition education and behavior worldwide and to promoting healthy, sustainable food choices. It supports the society’s efforts to disseminate innovative nutrition education strategies; and communicate information on food, nutrition and health issues to students, professionals, policy makers, targeted audiences and the public.

The Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior features articles that provide new insights and useful findings related to nutrition education research, practice and policy. The content areas of JNEB reflect the diverse interests of health, nutrition, education, Cooperative Extension and other professionals working in areas related to nutrition education and behavior. As the Society’s official journal, JNEB also includes occasional policy statements, issue perspectives, and member communications.

About Elsevier

Elsevier is a world-leading publisher of scientific, technical and medical information products and services. Working in partnership with the global science and health communities, Elsevier’s 7,000 employees in over 70 offices worldwide publish more than 2,000 journals and 1,900 new books per year, in addition to offering a suite of innovative electronic products, such as ScienceDirect, MD Consult, Scopus, bibliographic databases, and online reference works.

Elsevier is a global business headquartered in Amsterdam, The Netherlands and has offices worldwide. Elsevier is part of Reed Elsevier Group plc, a world-leading publisher and information provider. Operating in the science and medical, legal, education and business-to-business sectors, Reed Elsevier provides high-quality and flexible information solutions to users, with increasing emphasis on the Internet as a means of delivery. Reed Elsevier’s ticker symbols are REN (Euronext Amsterdam), REL (London Stock Exchange), RUK and ENL (New York Stock Exchange).

Elsevier Continue reading →

The US Tuna Foundation (USTF) today stated that by finding that mercury levels in women and young children are very low
and “not of concern,” a new study from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) should reassure all
Americans that eating fish, such as canned tuna, is safe and should be encouraged because of the many health benefits
associated with seafood consumption.

Published in the November 5 issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, the CDC’s new study confirms that mercury
levels from fish consumption for women and young children in the U.S. are well below any level of concern.

Specifically, CDC researchers used the ongoing National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) to analyze the
amount of mercury in the blood of more than 3,600 women of childbearing age and 1,500 children aged one to five years and
found that all had mercury levels significantly below the threshold for any known risk.

Of added significance, the new CDC study updated previous estimates of mercury levels in women and young children and found
that concentrations in the blood of American women have actually declined over a four-year period (1999-2002). While CDC
estimated that 8 percent of U.S. women had mercury levels at or slightly above the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA)
“reference dose” in 1999, this number has dropped to only 6 percent.

What makes this finding even more significant is the CDC’s conclusion that women with mercury concentrations at this slightly
higher level are not at risk because EPA built in a ten-fold safety factor when it established its reference dose.

At the same time, the new CDC report confirms previous findings that no child in the U.S. has mercury levels that are even
close to the EPA’s reference dose and are not at risk from consuming seafood.

“The government’s new study is reassuring because it demonstrates that over 94 percent of women of childbearing age have
blood mercury levels below EPA’s reference dose, which in itself is a very conservative guideline. These levels are far
below the blood mercury levels observed in island populations where effects have been reported,” said Jay Murray, Ph.D., a
toxicologist that specializes in maternal and fetal health and a member of the Tuna Nutrition Council, which advises USTF on
nutrition and public health matters.

“We now have proof that mercury levels in the vast majority of women and young children in the U.S. are not of concern, which
should go a long way towards reassuring the public that eating seafood, such as canned tuna, is safe and provides a number of
important health benefits.”

Even though the CDC study finds very low levels of mercury in U.S. women and young children, the report urged pregnant and
nursing women to follow the government’s 2004 seafood advisory to reduce mercury exposure during pregnancy.

Health Benefits of Omega-3s During Pregnancy

Complementing these findings, the CDC report also emphasized the health benefits associated with seafood consumption, such as
the growing body of evidence about the beneficial role that omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish, play during pregnancy. A
recent National Institutes of Health study across 23 countries found that women whose breast milk was rich in omega-3 were
less likely to experience postpartum depression. Further, extensive research confirms that the omega-3 fatty acids in canned
tuna may prolong gestation, which could reduce the incidence of premature birth. For these reasons, the government’s
advisory makes it clear that: “A well balanced diet includes a variety of fish and shellfish that can contribute to heart
health and children’s proper growth and development.”

Equally important for pregnant and nursing women, canned tuna contains DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), an omega-3 fatty acid that
is essential for the healthy development of the fetus and young child.

According to scientific studies, DHA comprises approximately 40 percent of the polyunsaturated fatty acid content in the cell
membranes in the brain and 60 percent of the cell membranes in the retina and is transferred from mother to the fetus at a
high rate during the last trimester of pregnancy.

“It is important for pregnant and nursing women to understand that the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish are essential during
pregnancy and lactation,” said Joyce A. Nettleton, D.Sc., RD, author of Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Health and another member of
the Tuna Nutrition Council. “Accumulating evidence shows that eating canned tuna and many other types of fish during
pregnancy provides the omega-3 fatty acids that are necessary for the developing fetus to develop and thrive.”

Canned Tuna Is Nature’s Healthy Fast Food

Besides the benefits for pregnant and nursing women, the omega-3 fatty acids found in canned tuna are important for people of
all ages, which is why several health organizations such as the American Heart Association and the American Dietetic
Association now recommend that people eat two to three servings of a variety of fish a week, including canned tuna.

According to a number of recent studies, the omega-3 fatty acids found in canned tuna and other types of fish lowers the risk
of heart disease, reduces the likelihood of blood clots and stroke, protects against certain cancers, has a therapeutic
effect on autoimmune diseases, and helps to relieve depression.

More information about canned tuna and its health benefits is available at the USTF Web site, tunafacts.

Established in 1976, the U.S. Tuna Foundation (USTF) is the national organization representing the canned tuna processors and
the fishermen who supply them and addresses issues ranging from fishing access arrangements to federal and state regulations
and domestic marketing.

tunafacts Continue reading →

Computer games have a broad appeal that transcends gender, culture, age and socio-economic status. Now, computer scientists in the US think that creating computer games, rather than just playing them could boost students’ critical and creative thinking skills as well as broaden their participation in computing. They discuss details in the current issue of the International Journal of Social and Humanistic Computing.

Nikunj Dalal, Parth Dalal, Subhash Kak, Pavlo Antonenko, and Susan Stansberry of Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, outline a case for using rapid computer game creation as an innovative teaching method that could ultimately help bridge the digital divide between those people lacking computer skills and access and those with them. “Worldwide, there is increasing recognition of a digital divide, a troubling gap between groups that use information and communication technologies widely and those that do not,” the team explains. “The digital divide refers not only to unequal access to computing resources between groups of people but also to inequalities in their ability to use information technology fully.”

There are many causes and proposed solutions to bridging this divide, but applying them at the educational and computer literacy level in an entertaining and productive way might be one of the more successful. The team adds that teaching people how to use off-the-shelf tools to quickly build a computer game might allow anyone to learn new thinking and computing skills. After all, they explain, the process involves storytelling, developing characters, evaluating plots, and working with digital images and music. Indeed, their preliminary survey of this approach shows largely positive effects. Rapid computer game creation (RCGC) sidesteps the need for the students, whether schoolchildren or adult learners, to have any prior knowledge of computer programming.

Traditionally, various groups have stereotypically been excluded from computing to some degree, including women, seniors and people who don’t consider themselves as mathematically minded. Dalal and colleagues suggest that their approach circumvents most of the issues and provides a lead into computing that would otherwise not be apparent.

With RCGC becoming increasingly popular in schools and universities, the team suggests that the next step will be to develop yet more effective teaching models using RCGC and to investigate the conditions under which it works best in improving critical and creative thinking and developing positive attitudes to computing among different groups by gender, age, nationality, culture, ethnic group, and academic background.

“Rapid digital game creation for broadening participation in computing and fostering crucial thinking skills” in Int. J. Social and Humanistic Computing, 2009, 1, 123-137

Source:
Nik Dalal
Inderscience Publishers Continue reading →