Malaria In U.S. Hits 40-Year High

Malaria In U.S. Hits 40-Year High.  MedPage Today.  October 31, 2013.

(1)  The _________ cases in 2010 represent an _______ % increase from 2010.

(2)  The number of "severe" cases increased from ________ in 2010 to ________ in 2011.

(3)  The CDC suggested that causes might include ___________________________.

(4)  The U.S. figures also appear to ___________ increases in other countries.

(5)  Most imported malaria cases came from the continent of _________.

(6)  The single country that gave rise to the largest of number of cases was __________

Neurologists On The Sidelines Of Michigan/Michigan State Game

In Michigan, Sidelines Are Offices Of Neurologists by Joanne C. Gerstner.  The New York times.  October 30, 2013.

Why State Exchanges Sites Worked While the Federal Site Faltered

Why State Exchange Sites Worked While the Federal Site Faltered by Patrick Marshall.  The Seattle Times/Kaiser Health News.  October 31, 2013.

(1)  Several states running their own exchanges including ______________________ have exceeded federal enrollment targets.

(2)  The federal system must be capable of integrating with _______________________.

(3)  The federal Data Services Hub provides one connection to _____________________ to verify consumer application information for _______________________.

(4)  In Washington state eliminating legacy hardware and out-of-date software has made it easier to ___________________________________, an option not open to architects of the federal site.

(5)  Proximity to those with a stake in the system, ______________________, provide another advantage to state systems.

(6)  Managing contractors is another advantage possessed by state exchanges.  For example Washington state had ________ outside contractors while the federal site had ________.

(7)  Vendors at the federal level may have been more hesitant to alert the sponsor of problems because ________________________.

(8)  How does having a "single throat to choke" aid in the implementation of such a large project?  How did the states and federal efforts contrast in this regard.

Female Styles Of Competition And Aggression Offers Insight To Violence, Depression, And Suicide

Exploring Female Competition And Aggression.  Medical News Today.  October 28, 2013.

(1)  Female competition may be more ________ than that of males, favoring strategies that reduce the risk of ________________.

(2)  According to the issue examined in this article competition between young women "is about __________________."

(3)  Women typically use indirect aggression such as _____________________.

(4)  Unfavorable sex ratio and variance in male income increases competition for even _________________.

(5)  What is "coalitionary aggression?"

(6)  Gossip  can sometimes lead to __________________.

(7)  Since women have enhanced social skills they are more vulnerable to __________________.

(8)  Higher levels of _____________ in women plays a role in deciding whether to engage in physical violence.

(9)  How does human social evolution relate to the female strategy of social exclusion?

Insurance Cancellations In Context

Obamacare Is Radically Changing the Individual Insurance Market---And That's A Very Good Thing by Igor Volsky.  Thinkprogress.  October 29, 2013.

(1)  True or False:  Before Obamacare people never had their health coverage cancelled.

(2)  Before Obamacare _____________ to individuals with serious medical conditions.

(3)  Healthy people benefited from a system that denied coverage to the sick but only if _______________________

(4)  Before Obamacare the system was such that more than 60 percent of medical bankruptcies occurred to people who ____________________.

(5)  Many young and healthy beneficiaries may like the low premiums they pay today  but the out-of-pocket expenses if they become ill could send you into ______________.

(6)  Under the Affordable Care Act if your policies don't provide you with comprehensive insurance or have substantially changed since 2010 you will be required to ________________.  

Google Search Patterns Offer Public Health Officials About Focusing Anti-Smoking Campaigns

Thinking Of Quitting Smoking?  Mondays May Be Your Day by Kim Painter.  USA Today.  October 29, 2013.

(1)  Searches for smoking help decline through the week with Saturdays ________ % lower than Mondays.

(2)  As a result of these patterns of search results it may be effective to target online ads ___________ and fully staff _____________ then also.

(3)  Tobacco use is the single largest _____________________.

(4)  Nearly one in _________  adults still smoke.

Potential Hacking Of Medical Devices Receives Attention

Of Fact, Fiction And Cheney's Defibrillator by Gina Kolata.  The New York Times.  COctober 27, 2013.

(1)  While there have been _________ reported incidents of anyone malicious reprogramming, the possibility has caused device manufacturers to institute ________ management programs.

(2)  The wireless function of a defibrillator allows the doctor to be fixed _____________ in the doctor's office if something goes wrong.

(3)  What are two examples of malware impacting a healthcare environment?

From Problem To New Rules: Painkiller Regs Took Decades

F.D.A. Shift On Painkillers Was Years In The Making by Barry Meier and Eric Lipton.  October 27, 2013.

(1)  In the ________ drug companies successfully argued to Congress that Vicodin and similar products should be placed in the less restrictive category of Schedule III.

(2)  By the _______ drugs like Vicodin were being widely abused.

(3)  In __________ Dr. Ronald J. Dougherty filled a formal petition urging federal officials to crack down on painkillers.

(4)  A D.E.A. investigation in ________________ stated that "law enforcement has documented the diversion of millions of dosage units of hydrocodone by theft, doctor shopping, fraudulent prescriptiosn, bogus call-in prescriptions."

(5)  The F.D.A. rules in ___________ that the pain pills should remain in Schedule III.

(6)  Explain and put into context the relative roles of Representative Fred Upton and Senator Joe Machin III.

Designing Scent Into Environments For Therapeutic Results

Scent And The City by Lance Hosey.  The New York Times.  October 25, 2013.

Presents a proposal to create what the author calls "medicinal urbanism."

First-Ever Accounting Of Child Gunshot Deaths And Wounds

Terrible Tally:  500 Children Dead From Gunshots Every Year, 7,500 Hurt, Analysis Finds by Bill Briggs, NBC.  October 26, 2013.

(1)  The rate children and teenagers die in hospitals every year has increased by ___________ percent in a decade.

(2)  The number hospitalized after being wounded by gunfire has spiked by more than_______ percent from 1997 to 2009.

(3)  __________ of every 10 firearm wounds were inflected by handguns.

Medical Marijuana And Widespread Availability Produce Few Problems In California

Few Problems With Cannabis For California by Adam Nagourney and Rick Lyman.  The New York Times.  October 26, 2013.

(1)  Warnings against the adverse consequences of partial legalization have proved __________.

(2)  Research suggests that marijuana has been a ______________ for younger people.

(3)  True or False:  Driving after marijuana is more dangerous than driving after alcohol.

(4)  True or False:  Legalized medical marijuan has often resulted in cheaper prices.

(5)  A Gallup poll indicated that ______ percent of the American people favor legalization.

(6)  What are some law enforcement concerns with full legalization?

(7)  After California, medical marijuana has been legalized in  __________ states.

(8)  In some parts of the state marijuana is _____________ as alcohol.

(9)  In a study to be published in The Journal of Policy Analysis and Management there was found a correlation between ______________________________________.

(10)  True or False:  There is clear evident of increased drug use among high school students in Los Angeles during the period when medical marijuana shops opened.

(11)  The marijuana cultivation business in Northern California has been an _________ for many communities.

(12)  A common complaint about marijuana cultivation is the overwhelming ________.

Psychological, Social, and Physiological Importance Of the Face Demonstrated in Transplant

For Victim Of Ghastly Crime, A New Face, Ad New Beginning  by Abby Goodnough.  The New York Times.  October 25, 2013.

The account of a woman whose face was destroyed by her estranged husband and who received a face transplant.

Medical School Applicants, Enrollment Reach All-Time High; Residency Bottleneck Still A Problem

Medical School Applicants, Enrollment Reach All-Time Highs.  Association Of American Medical Colleges.  October 24, 2013.

(1)  The number of students enrolled in their first year of medical school exceeded _____________ for the first time.

(2)  The total number of applicants to medical school was _____________  surpassing the previous record set in __________.

(3)  The present cap on residency slots has not changed by Congress in __________ years.

(4)  The overall growth in medical school enrollment can be attributed to _____________________
____________________.

(5)  The median undergraduate GPA for applicants  was ________ with an MCAT schore of ________.

(6)  Enrollees in medical school were _________% male and _______% female.

Medical And Scientific Advance: Charting The Path To Longer Life Span

Why We Live 40 Years Longer Today Than We Did In 1880 by Joe Pinsker.  The Atlantic.  November 2013.

A great charter mapping life span and medical advances.

Continuing Industry Trend Of Building Links To Academia, Major Drug Company Moves Corporate Headquarters Near Cambridge University

AstraZeneca Cozies Up To Cambridge University by Jeanne Whalen.  The Wall Street Journal.  October 22, 2013.

(1)  Other pharmaceutical firms have obtained research labs in _________________ which have become centers of _________________.

(2)  A major problem many pharmaceutical companies are also struggling with is how to improve ___________________.

(3)  Most pharmaceutical companies in recent years have ____________ and spend more on ______________ or striking _____________________.

(4)  AstraZeneca said its aim is for its researchers to to create a "very _____________"

(5)  What are some of the possible culture conflicts between Cambridge and ZstraZeneca?

Success Stories Of Those Who Made The Exchanges Work For Them

The Obamacare Success Stories by Eleanor Clift.  The Daily Beast.  October 23, 2013.

Contrary to impression one might get from the flood of accounts of trouble with the healthcare exchanges, people are signing up and getting substantial help with their personal health insurance situations.  This article contains several such stories.

Worldwide Stroke Numbers Rise, Survivors Increase; Young People Increasingly Hit

Stroke Numbers Up Worldwide by Todd Neale.  MedPage Today.  October 23, 2013.

(1)  Stroke survivors increased ________% since 1990.

(2)  In 1990 _______% of strokes occurred in people younger than 65.  In 2010 the figure for that age group was _________%.

(3)  _________ not _______ stokes accounted for the majority of worldwide deaths.

(4)  The _______________ of the global population is leading to a rise in the number of young and old patients with stroke.

(5)  There was a __________% drop in the age-stnadardized rate of stoke in high-income countries and a __________ % increase in low and middle income countries.

(6)  According to the authors of the report, the "finding suggest that stroke should no longer be _________________________."

(7)  The shift of stroke burden is likely to continue to shift toward _____________unless effective __________________ are implemented.

(8)  The rate of hemorrhagic stroke fell in _______________ while rising by ____% in countries with low and middle income levels.

(9)  Intervention targets to prevent hemorrhagic stroke include ______________________.

In Pilot Project In Oregon Psychologists Are Put In Doctor's Offices, Joining Primary Care Team

Oregon Experiment Puts On Primary Care Teams by Kristian Foden-Vencil, Oregon Public Radio/Kaiser Health News.  October 22, 2013.

The state of Oregon is using the Medicaid program to experiment with delivery of primary care.  In one visit the patient can see different kinds of doctors in a single visit.  This article deals with the St. Charles Health System where psychologists are placed in doctors' offices.

Unexpected Side Effects Of Surviving Breast Cancer: A First-Person Account

Torpedo-Shaped Boobs And Hot Flashes At Dinner:  Breast Cancer survivor On the 'Embarrassing' Side Effects Of her Treatment by Sadie Whitelocks.  Mail Online.  October 22, 2013.

Politics and The Healthcare Website

Politics Set The Stage For The Obamacare Website Meltdown by Julie Rovner.  NPR.  October 22, 2013.

(1)  When it became clear that HHS would need more money to build the federal exchange, why was more money not available?

(2)  What were reasons for delay in implementing exchanges?

(3)  What was the administration's miscalculation about state-created exchanges?

First Steps Toward An Epigenetic Clock To Measure Biological Aging Instead Of Mere Chronological Aging

Scientists Discover New Biological Clock With Age-Measuring Potential  by Melanie Haiken.  Forbes.  October 21, 2013.

(1)  This "epigenetic clock" measures the natural process by which _________________________.

(2)  Women's breast tissues _______________________.

(3)  The researchers believe that they have produced a "first-ever _________________ across most tissues and cell types."

(4)  Another method of age prediction is based upon __________ length.

(5)  Comparing the ages of different tissues and organs in the same individual could spur a search for an __________________.

Brief Guide To Health Insurance Exchange Rollout

Your Guide To Obamacare's Bumpy Rollout by Igor Volsky.  Think Progress.  October 21, 2013.

(1)  The federal website required users to ________________________ which created a bottleneck.

(2)  Insurers complained about receiving ___________________________.

(3)  Experts are attributing some of the problems to the use of ____________, last-minute__________, messy __________ and an inability to ____________________.

(4)  Also questionable was the ability of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to _____________________________.

(5) About _____________ people have already begun applying for insurance through federal and state exchanges.

(6)  State-run marketplaces are proving more adept at ________________________.

(7) Problems that could healthy people from signing up are critical for the risk___________________.

Dialogue On Handling Medical Errors

Sunday Dialogue:  Handling Medical Errors.  Sunday Review.  The New York Times.  October 18, 2013.

Excellent brief discussion of issues raised by medical errors and their reporting.

Making Bad Decisions: Medical And Otherwise

Why We Make Bad Decisions by Noreena Hertz.  Opinion.  The New York Times.  October 19, 2013.

(1)  Studies have shown that __________________ patients are misdiagnosed.

(2)  An estimated __________ hospital deaths each could have been prevented with the proper disease diagnosis.

(3)  A study at Emory University showed that when confronted with the expert, the independent decision-making parts of many subjects brains ________________________.

(4)  It is crucial not only to ask questions of experts  but also ____________.

(5)  How does optimism distort decision-making?

(6)  We need to push ourselves to hear ________  as well as the __________.

(7)  The author learned in his research that the super-confident ________________ did not always perform well.

"Low T", An Invented Condition According to Some Physicians Fuels Spending

A Push To Sell Testosterone Gels Troubles Doctors by Elisabeth Rosenthal.  The New York Times.  October 15, 2013.

(1)  Testosterone gels generated over __________ in American sales last year with the number expected to _______________ by 2017.

(2)  Once a niche treatment for  men suffering from conditions caused by endocrine tumors or effects of chemotherapy, testosterone gels are increasingly being sold as a _________ product.

(3)  Testosterone gels sell for more than _________________ a month retail.

(4)  True or False:  The appropriate use of testosterone gels has been firmly established in scientific studies.

(5)  True or False:  Low testosterone is main cause of erectile dysfunction.

Gene Therapies Near Or In Late-Stage Human Trials; FDA Approvals Probably Not Far Off

When Will Gene Therapy Come To The U.S.?  by Susan Young.  Technology Review.  September 30, 2013.

(1)  The Dutch biotech firm UniQure has been given approval by European regulators to sell its genetic treatment for ___________________.

(2)  Most gene therapies use a modified __________ to deliver a working copy of a gene to patients who lack a healthy version.

Study Points To The Positives Of Caregiving

Think All Caregivers Are Unhappy?  They're Really Not by Nancy Shute, NPR News.  Kaiser Health News.  October 18, 2013.

(1)  Just ______ percent of the people surveyed said they had caregiving strain.

(2)  Family caregivers were ________ percent less likely to die than non-caregivers over six years.

(3)  Caring for someone with dementia can be more stressful and depressing because ____________________________.

(4)  Caring for someone after a stroke can be very positive because _______________.

Sleep Helps Clear Metabolic Waste From Brain: Research Study

Sleep Empties The Brain's Dumpster by John Gever.  MedPage Today.  October 18, 2013.

(1)  In the mice studied, sleep states were associated with 60% increases in __________
space within the brain and a large increase in convective exchange of _________________.

(2)  These convective currents have been associated with accelerated ______________________ from the brain during sleep states.

(3)  The restorative function of sleep may be due to the switching of the brain into a functional state that _________________________________.

Biomedical Research Being Crippled By Chaotic Funding

A Lost Generation Of Young Scientists?  Grad Student Voices Concern About Research Funding Crunch.  Science Daily.  October, 17, 2013.

This article focuses on the role of inflation, budget sequestration, etc on the long-term supply of research scientists.

Patterns Of Brain Activation Are Identified Pointing To Concussions' Toll

NFL Players' Brains At Work Shows Early Signs Of Concussions Toll  by Melissa Healy. The Los Angeles Times.  October 17, 2013.

(1)  Test of attention showed dramatic differences in patterns of ____________ in NFL players with a history of suspected concussion.

(2)  The research here supports mounting evidence that the effects of concussion are ____________.

(3)  The authors of the study have isolated the ________________ of brain activation that could predict trouble ahead.

(4)  The NFL players showed dramatically higher activity in the __________________ than in the same brain area of the control group.   They tended to ______________ from nearby brain regions to help complete the task.

Community Health Centers In States Who Decide Not To Expand Medicaid Will Lose Big Time

States' Medicaid Decisions Cost Community Health Centers by Phil Galewitz.  Kaiser Health News.  October 16, 2013.

(1)  518 health centers in more than two dozen states not expanding Medicaid will lose out on ________ million because their their uninsured patients won't get coverage.

(2)  The 582 health centers in states expanding Medicaid can expect to gain ___________  since more of their patients will be covered.

(3)  Centers in Alabama and Mississippi have the highest rate of uninsured patients at ____ percent and ______ percent respectively.

9 Things Millennials Need To Know About Obamacare (But Likely Don't)

9 Things Millennials Need To Know About Obamacare (But Likely Don't) by Ankita Rao and Marissa Evans.  October 16, 2013.

A great summary aimed a young people, only 10 percent of whom say they are very familiar with the new health care law.

Fruit Flies Provide Productive Model For Study Of Traumatic Brain Injury

New Discoveries About Traumatic Brain Injuries:  Fruit Flies May Be Key by Catherine Griffin.  Science World Report.  October 15, 2013.

(1)  It is estimated that ________ traumatic brain injuries occur each year.

(2)  TBIs occur when a force on the body _____________________________.

(3)  While the temporary symptoms may be ________________ over time also experience ________________ and related symptoms.

(4)  Already researchers have identified the crucial role that _________  play in the outcome of an injury.

(5)  Many of the effects of TMI are similar to normal ________ processes.

In What Is Probably A Low Estimate, Half-Million Died In Iraq From 2003-2011.

Half-Million Iraqis Died In The War, New Study Says by Dan Vergano.  National Geographic.  October 15, 2013.

(1)  This half-million figure includes at least another ____________ were added from households forced to flee Iraq.

(2)  The household survey methodology used in this research likely resulted in a conservative figure because_______________________.

(3)  Coalition forces accounted for _______ of the killings followed by militias at __________.

(4)  About ________ Iraqis have died in bombings and shootings this year.

Retrospective Study Finds Lack of Links Of Hospital CEO Pay to Patient Outcomes

Hospital CEO Pay Not Tied To Quality by David Pittman.  Medpage Today.  October 14, 2013.

(1)  Nonprofit hospital chief executive compensation was correlated only with ____________________.

(2)  In 2009 CEO compensation averaged ______________.

(3)  An author of the study stated that it is important to understand the factors that influence a CEO's compensation because ___________________.

(4)  There was _________ between adjusted mortality and CEO pay.

(5)  Among the possible unintended consequences of linking CEO compensation to quality metrics could be ___________________.

Financing Of Uncovered Medical Expenses by Credit Cards, Lines of Credit Threatens Some With Heavy Burdens

Patients Mired In Costly Credit From Doctors by Jessica Silver-Greenberg.  The New York Times.  October 13, 2013.

(1)  Credit cards and lines of credit for uncovered  medical costs are proliferating as Americans often face large out-of-pocket expenses for basic care that is not covered by ____________________.

(2)  Under these types of financial arrangements providers are paid ___________.

(3)  These cards and credit lines typically charge_________ for a promotional period but if the amount is not paid in that time rates usually ____________ kick in, rates which often are ____________.

(4)  Credit cards of all type are playing a growing role in financing health care with $__________ charged to health care costs in 2010.

(5)  The industry is being driven by people seeking ____________ and devices like_____________, which are not covered by Medicare.

(6)  Some companies offer credit cards without checking _______________.

(7)  Some critics of these financing methods combined with no industrywide standards for pricing care could result in _________________________.

Asthma Drug Prices Illustrate Larger Problem

The Soaring Cost Of A Simple Breath by Elisabeth Rosenthal.  The New York Times.  October 12, 2013.

(1)  The United States spends ____________ per capita  on medicines than other developed countries even though Americans take ________ prescriptions than people in France or Canada.

(2)  True or False:  Americans us less generic medications than patients in other developed countries.

(3)  In 2012, generics increased in price and average of ____________ while brand-names medicines increased by more than ____________.

(4)  A surprising number of lifesaving drugs are made by only ______________.

(5)  Making a generic alternative  for asthma inhalers is made more difficult by ________ which are hard to skirt.

(6)  High prices are often buttressed by choosing to sell a medicine by ________________ rather than _______________________.

(7)  The amount of money spent by the pharmaceutical and health products industries is even more than the ______________ industry.

(8)  Lawmakers had forbidden Medicare to _____________ drug prices.

(9)  Since often asthma medicines are lifechange, the demand for them is _____________.

(10)  In most national health systems make sure that inhalers are __________ or ________.

(11)  Because of the difficulty in demonstrating _____________ before the FDA sprays, creams, patches, etc present more problems for generic manufacturers.  As a result there are ________ generic inhalers in the United States.

(12)  The U.S. Patent office grants new protections for slight modifications to drugs with weighing _____________.

(13)  Drugs companies spend more on _______________ than the 15-20% of revenues that they spend on research and development.

(14)  The focus on much pharmaceutical research in research years has shifted to complicated molecules that would benefit ___________ but carry ___________.

(15)  What are a couple of the tools governments in other developed countries use to insure that drug manufacturers sell their  products at affordable prices?

(16)  In France this year the price of Advair __________ but in the Bronx the price has ___________.

(17) Drugs sold only by prescription in the United States are often available __________ in other countries.

State Contrasts in Obamacare Implementation--California and Florida

In Florida, Opposition by The State And Snags In Signing Up On The Web  by Lizette Alvarez.  The New York Times.  October 10, 2013.

Health Act Embraced In California by Jennifer Medina.  The New York Times.  October 10, 2013.

A not-too-suprising conclusion from these articles is that success in implementation is impacted by whether state officials want to subvert the law or want it to be successful.

Weekend Hospital Care: Disparities and Solutions

Why Being Hospitalized On A Weekend Costs More Lives, Health Care Dollars by Robert Pearl, M.D.  Forbes.  October 10, 2013.

(1)  According to studies cited in the article patients hospitalized Friday night or on the weekend stay __________________________.

(2)  A British study found that patients who were admitted to a hospital on Sunday _______________________________.

(3)  One possible reason for the disparity could be that stable patients may _______________________________ because diagnostic and interventional series  are not ___________________.

(4)  Delay of diagnosis on weekends may allow _________________________.

(5)  An added night of sleep disruption in the hospital _____________________.

(6)  By spreading out staffing of diagnostic and interventional services over seven days, the necessary teams are ________________________________________.

(7)  Consensus on timing of morning rounds will improve __________ of care.

(8)  Reduced payments from Medicare may change expectations for _______________.

The Architecture Of Autism

The Architecture Of Autism by Michael Tortorello.  the New York Times.  October 9, 2013.

Approximately 500,000 individuals with autism will come of age in the next decade.  Housing these individuals will be a challenge as designers seek to address the specific needs of this population.  This article examines the approach of Sweetwater Spectrum near Sonoma California.

Countering Trend, California Expands Access To Abortion; Physician Assistants, Nurse Practitioners, Nurse Midwives Now Eligible to Perform Procedure

California Expands Availability Of Abortion by Ian Lovett.  The New York Times.  October 9, 2013.

(1)  Nurse practitioners, midwives, and physician assistants, under a new law can perform a common type of abortion, an _________ abortion, during the first trimester.

(2)  The author of the bill stated that women in rural parts of the state ______________________.

(3)   Right to life advocates said that the law expands the number of abortions while reducing ____________.

(4)  So far this year _________ restrictions on abortion have been passed by states.

(5)  According to supporters of the law a state pilot program demonstrated that physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and certified nurse midwives could _________________.

Government Shutdown Impacts Funding For Medical Students Under Health Professions Scholarship Program

Government Shutdown Affects Some Med Students by Jodi Murphy.  Georgia Health News.  October 8, 2013.

The story focus on a student at the Georgia Medical Partnership in Athens who receives funding under the Health Profession Scholarship Program which funds medical education in returning for service in military uniform.

Piecemeal Callback Of Federal Workers Hamper Food Safety And Other Programs

Chicken Salmonella Outbreak Becomes Symbol of Federal Shutdown by Michael Muskal.  The Los Angeles Times.  October 9, 2013.

(1) Fewer than _____ of the employees of the CDC division that deals with food safety are being called back to deal with an outbreak of salmonella which has sickened almost 3000 people in 18 states.  There is an backlog of approximately ________ additional outbreaks to be investigated.

(2) Salmonella is _____________ in poultry and can be full eradicated if ______________________.

(3)  According to The Center for Science in the Public Interest a piecemeal approach to dealing with the partial shutdown would likely _________________________.

(4)  A bill funding the FDA until December 15 leaves ___________________________.

Pain Hurts Because................

Why Does Chronic Pain Hurt Some People More?  In The Lab.  The Wall Street Journal.  October 7, 2013.

(1)  Chronic pain is defined as lasting beyond normal healing for ____________________.

(2)  ___________ Americans suffer from chronic pain.

(3)  A new study done by scientists at Northwestern Medical School looked in the __________ of the brain consisting of _________ through which the body and brain communicate about pain.  They found that abnormalities in this communication system which forecast with __________ accuracy which individuals developed chronic pain.

(4)  The Northwestern researchers found that chronic pain ___________ brain structure with high levels of communication between the ____________ and the _______.

(5)  There is some evidence suggesting that those who seek _____________________ are more likely to experience pain more strongly.

(6)  An important goal is to identify objective markers of pain to distinguish patients who _____________ from those who report discomfort in order to ______________.

Work On Cellular Transport System Garners Nobel Prize For Three American; Relevance To Diabetes, Neurological, and Immunological Diseases

3 Americans Win Joint Nobel Prize In Medicine by Lawrence K. Altman.  The New York Times.  October 7, 2013.

(1)  Major molecules are moved around cells in small packages called _____________.

(2)  Each scientist discovered different facts that are need to ensure that ___________________________.

Opinion Piece: Obstructing The Affordable Care Act

State of Health by Atul Gawande.  The New Yorker.  October 7, 2013.

Physician Atul Gawande examines and puts into context the various efforts to obstruct the Affordable Care Act.

Company Patents System That Could Expand Parents' Choice Of Offspring Traits

Personal Genomics Firm 23andMe Patents Designer Baby System, Denies Plans To Use It by Brandon Keim.  October 2, 2013.

(1)  The patent describes a technology what would take a customer's ______________________,
compute the likely___________________________, and describe which potential ______________________.

(2)  This type of matching is theoretically available now using __________________.

(3)  Clinics offering PGD don't give customers a list _________________.

(4)  23andMe now offers and ________________ that predicts likely eye color, alcohol metabolism, and other traits.

(5)  Women using _______________ and donated __________ do practice a very broad type of selection.

(6)  Of what can be attributed to nature rather than nurture, _____________________ can presently be linked to what is found on a genome scan.

(7)  An expert cited in the article says that the power of genomic prediction declines in ________________ to the importance of what is being predicted.

Georgia Regents University Immunologist Proposes Method to Target Autoimmune Diseases

Breakthrough Against Autoimmune Diseases?  by Andy Miller.  Georgia Health News.  October 4, 2013.

Includes a video the researcher Dr. Andrew Mellor of Georgia Regents University.

Stems Cells Modified To Target Inflammation And Release Agents To Reduce Swelling

Stem Cells Engineered To Become Targeted Drug Factories.  Science Daily.  October 4, 2013.

(1)  The anti-inflammatory molecule secreted by modified connective tissue is _____________________.

(2)  This proof of concept study is drawing interest from biopharmaceutical companies because of its potential to ________________.

(3)  The rapid targeting of the cells to inflamed tissue produced a therapeutic effect despite ____________________.

Medical Students Relations With Drug Reps Questioned

For Med Students, Love From The Drug Rep by Pauline W. Chen, M.D.  Doctor and Patient Blog.  The New York Times.  October 3, 2013.

A discussion of the issues raised by the pharmaceutical industry efforts to cultivate relationships with medical students.

Major College Head Coach Works Around Epileptic Seizures

For Coach, Seizures Are Mere Distractions  by Greg Bishop.  The New York Times.  October 4, 2013.

The story of Jerry Kill, head football coach of the Golden Gophers of the University of Minnesota, probably the only coach in college football with a seizure protocol.

No State-Created Exchange Or Medicaid Expansion, Georgia Searches For Obamacare On Yahoo

Georgia Searching For Obamacare, At Least On Yahoo.  The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.  October 3, 2013.

More people in Georgia than any other state searched for "Obamacare" on Yahoo this week.

Cognitive Problems Linked To Delirium And Stays In ICU

Brain Problems Can Linger Months After ICU Stay by Gene Emery.  Reuters Health.  October 3, 2013.

(1)  These cognitive problems may persist for ____________________.

(2)  Delirium could be a sign that a patient is _______________.

(3)  This problem is not linked to the elderly with 30- and 40-year olds entering with no pre-existing diseases and leaving with ______________________.

(4)  Delirium can be lessened by ______________________________________.

(5)

Design For Safety

Next Time, Libraries Could Be Our Shelters From The Storm by Michael Kimmelman.  The New York Times.  October 2, 2013.

Key quote:  Health and safety go hand in hand with lively urban spaces.  Invest in one, and you aid the other.

States, Including Georgia, Who Have Declined To Expand Medicaid Insure That Millions Remain Uncovered By Health Law

Millions Of Poor Are Left Uncovered By Health Law by Sabrina Tavernise and Robert Gebeloff.  The New York Times.  October 2, 2013.

(1)  About _________ of poor blacks and single mothers and ___________ of low-wage workers will at present not benefit from the Health Care law largely because they live in states controlled by Republicans that have ________________________.

(2)  These individuals are stuck between __________________ who will qualify for federal subsidies and those poor enough to qualify for Medicaid in its current form.

(3)  The _____ states that have rejected Medicaid expansion contain about _______ percent of the poor and about ________ percent of the working poor.

(4)  Every Southern state except ___________ has rejected Medicaid expansion.

(5)

Reflecting Varying Costs Of Care And Lack of Competion, Georgia Exchange Premium Variation Is Biggest In Nation

Georgia Premium Rate Variation Is Worst In Nation by Andy Miller.  Georgia Health News.  September 30, 2013.

(1)  In Southwest Georgia the cost of care is high because of the large number of people with _______________ and lack of ______________.

(2)  In southwest Georgia the premiums for the cheapest "silver" plan on the health care insurance exchange were _____________ those in three other regions.

Common Stressors Linked To Higher Risk of Dementia And Alzheimer's Disease

Midlife Stress May Trigger Dementia, Alzheimer's In Women by Deborah Brauser.  Medscape.  October 2, 2013.

(1)  Among the stressors studied included _______________________________________.

(2)  Those stressors were associated with a _______% higher risk of developing Alzheimer's and a ___________% higher risk of developing dementia.

(3)  Stressors can include adverse reaction in the _____________________________________.

Opinion Piece: Why The Health Care Law Scares The G.O.P

Why The Health Care Law Scares The G.O.P. by Eduardo Porter.  The New York Times.  October 1, 2013.

The author, an economics and business columnist with the New York Times, offers his perspective on possible motivating political reasons behind G.O.P opposition to Obamacare

Dawn Of A Revolution In Health Care

Dawn of A Revolution In Health Care by The Editorial Board.  The New York Times.  September 28, 2013.

(1)  Exchanges will offer _______ levels that will have the same ________ benefits required of  by the Affordable Care Act.

(2)  Federal __________ will help enrollees pay for the premiums based upon their incomes.

(3)  Thanks to subsidies more than half of uninsured Americans may pay less than __________ per month for coverage.

(4)  About ______ percent of all people seeking coverage will have a choice of two or more insurance companies.