Food As Social: What You Eat Is Influences by With Whom You Eat

Our Food Choices Are Influenced By Social Norms,  Study Suggests.  Medical News Today.  December 31, 2013.

(1)  The researchers say that social mechanisms affecting what we eat are there even when _____________________.

Cholesterol Association With Alzheimer's Protein Points To ??????????

Cholesterol Linked To Alzheimer's Protein, Unclear Why by Shereen Jegtvig.  December 31, 2013.

(1)  Patterns of "good" and "bad" cholesterol associated with heart disease also predict ___________________________.

(2)  Vascular risk factors are, as a result of this study, now also viewed as _________________

(3)  Assuming that this finding is replicated in other studies it will be even more important to
understand the mechanism _________________.

(4)  The brain and the heart form separate "pools" separated by __________________<

To Screen Or Not To Screen?

Breast Cancer Screenings:  What We Still Don't Know by H. Gilbert Welch.  The New York Times.  Opinion piece.

An eye-opening opinion piece pointing out that the decision of whether to screen is a close call.

Medical Billing System Overhaul Looms; New Detail Challenges Computer Systems

Who Knows The Code For Injury By Orca?  by Andrew Pollack.  The New York Times.  December 30, 2013.  Unable to locate in the online Times.  In print edition.

(1)  On ______________ virtually the entire health care system will switch to a new set of computerized used for determining  what _____________________ and how much _____________.

(2)  The new set of codes, known as _____________, allows for ________________.

(3)  More detail could allow for improved tracking of _________________ and better _______________________.

(4)  The need for prepare for ____________ and the Affordable Care Act and to achieve so-called ____________ use of electronic health records all at once could _____________________, many computer officials worry.

(5)  The I.C.D.-10 is the 10 revision of the _____________________________ which is issued by the __________________________________________.

(6)  The new I.C.d. will have about ___________ codes for diagnoses and _____________ for procedures.

(7)  The new codes should not be too hard for coders but harder for doctors who will have to be _______________________.

Taxonomy Of Compassionate Speech Developed To Guide Medical Training

Researchers Study Compassionate Speech To Guide Doctors.  UPI.  December 28 2013.

(1)  In contrast to empathy, compassion  involves a _________________________.

(2)  The three main elements of compassion are _________ of suffering, __________ resonance, and movement toward ________________.

New--And Reversible- Cause Of Aging Identified

New--And Reversible--Cause Of Aging:  Naturally Produced Compound Rewinds Aspects of Age-Relate Demise In Mice.  Science Daily.  December 19, 2013.

(1)  The restoration of _________ between the ________ and ____________ by means of administering a molecule naturally produced by _____________ showed in mice biological hallmarks that were comparable to those of much younger mice.

(2)  Self-contained organelles called _____________ have long been identified as key biological plays in aging.

(3)  The prevailing theory that age-related ills cannot be reversed rests on the belief that they are the results of _________________________ and _________ cannot be reversed.

(4)  This research begins to show how the physiology of cancer is similar to ________________________.

Crowdsourcing Used To Monitor Flu In New WebMD Tracker

How Bad Is The Flu In Your Neighborhood?  by Caroline Winter.  BloombergBusiness-Technology.  December 27, 2013.

The actual WebMD tracker is found here.  The data is based upon "a combination of geo-location data and information compiled from over 3 million Symptom Checker visits per month."  The Symptom Checker is feature of the WebMD website.

High Blood Pressure Is Highest In The Southeast With No Improvement Seen

High Rates Of High Blood Pressure Persist In US Southeast by Kathryn Doyle.  Reuters.  December 27, 2013.

(1)  ___________ of U.S. adults have high blood pressure.  In the southeast the rate is ____________.
(2)  High blood pressure accounts for up to ___________ deaths worldwide each year.

(3)  __________ was factored out from the research design of the study.

(4)  Blacks were nearly _______________ as whites to suffer from high blood pressure.

(5)  The racial difference was seen mainly among __________.

(6)  __________ seems to be a main driver of the problem especially among whites.

(7)  Other factors included ______________________.

(8)  Black people were ____________ as whites to have high blood pressure without knowing it.

(9)  Only ________ percent of those who knew they had high blood pressure were taking diuretics.

 

Placebo Effect Shows Effectiveness-- Fake and Real Acupuncture Both show Results

Acupuncture, Real Or Not, Eases Side Effects Of Cancer Drugs  by Nicholas Bakalar.  The New York Times.  December 26, 2013.  

(1)  While the results could be attributable to a placebo effect, they could perhaps also result from ______________ some scientists suggest.

Study Suggest More Focused Approached to Meniscus Surgery

Common Knee Surgery Does Very Little For Some, Study Suggests by Pam Belluck.  The New York Times.  December 25, 2013.

(1)  A unique feature of this research is that one group of volunteer research actual surgery while the other received just _____________________.

(2)  This study added to other recent research suggesting that meniscal surgery should be aimed at a ____________ and that, for many physical therapy __________________

Neanderthal Genes The Source Of High Diabetes Risk Among Latin Americans

Neanderthals Gave Latin Americans Diabetes Risk by Cheri Cheng.  Counsel & Heal.  December 26, 2013.

(1)  The specific gene, _________, is extremely rare in people of _______________ descent, while roughly ___________ percent of people from ______________ have the gene.

(2)  Researchers reasoned that they gene could have developed due to _____________ Neanderthals and modern humans.

(3)  This kind of evolutionary genetic study could illuminate  new _____________ with drugs.

A Principal Architect Of Romneycare And Obamacare Assesses Healthcare Rollout

Will Health Care Reform Work Out?  An Interview by Andy Miller.  Georgia Health News.  December 19, 2013.

This interview with Jonathan Gruber, economics professor at MIT, provides a unique prospective to the rollout thus far.

Process Of Brain Connection "Streamlining" Occurs Earlier In Females Than In Males

Brain Connections May Explain Why Girls Mature Faster.  Science Daily.  December 19, 2013.

(1)  The research study found that while overall brain connections get __________, long-distance connections are _____________.

(2)  Why does brain function not deteriorate as connections are pruned?

(3)  The researchers found that connections between distant brain regions, between hemisphers, and between processing modules _____________________________.

(4)  Loss of brain connectivity during development can improve brain function by reorganizing the network _____________.

Your Microbiome And You: What Clinicians Need to Know

Your Microbiome And You:  What Clinicians Need To Know by Scott Peterson, PhD.   Medscape.  December 20, 2013.

An excellent and brief presentation of the microbiome.

(1)  What is meant by referring to humans as a metaorgnism?

(2)  What are the aims and limitations of the Human Microbiome Project?

(3)  What are some of the direct effects of disruptions of the homeostasis between humans and their microbiotal counterparts?  Indirect effects?

(4)  What are two key practical questions raised by research on the microbiome?

(5)  What are some of the harmful gut impacts of fructose?

(6)  The link between the microbiome, obesity, and diabetes is thought to be related to ____________________.

(7)  The interplay between _____________________ opens a wholly new avenue of research into oncogenesis.

(8)  What is TMAO and how can it promote heart disease?

(9)  Infectious disease can be conceived of as an extreme___________________ between microbe and human.

(10)  Pharmacomicrobiomics examines how ______________________ affect _______________.

(11)  How can imbalance in microbiota lead to skin disorders?

(12)  How is a link between genetics and alterations in the microbiome perhaps related to ankylosing spondylitis?

(13)  How does gut microbial species perhaps lead to imparied memory and increased anxiety-like behaviors?

(14)  What are three needed areas of future research?

Stress-Sensitivity Gene Linked To Heart Attacks

Stress-Sensitivity Gene Linked To Heart Attacks, Death by Catharine Paddock PhD.  Medical News Today.  December 19, 2013.

(1)  The gene change already linked to stress is also tied to a ________ higher risk of heart attack or death in people with heart disease.

(2)  With the identification of this gene change there is now a "paradigm to move toward ___________  in cardiovascular disease.

(3)  The variation in a DNA sequence is located in a makes a _____________.

(4)  This variation is associated with higher levels of the stress hormone _____________.

(5)  The researchers say the raised cardiovascular sik may be associated with a blood compoung called ________ .

Study Confirms Narcolepsy As An Autoimmune Disease

Study Confirms Narcolepsy As An Autoimmune Disease.  Medical News Today.  December 20, 2013.

(1)  "Mimicry" refers to  when the immune system attacks a body protein because of it similarity to ________________________.

(2)  The wakefulness protein ___________ is very similar to part a protein from the ____________ virus.

(3)  Narcolepsy is a chronic disorder where the brain cannot control ______________.

(4)  A spike in narcolepsy cases in 2010 may have been related to __________________.

(5)  The vast majority with narcolepsy have a variant of the _______________ that is found in only a quarter of the population.

Racial Gap In Screening and Treatment Of Breast Cancer Is Growing With No Signs of Abating

Tackling A Racial Gap In Breast Cancer Survival by Tara Parker-Pope.  The New York times.  December 20, 2013.

(1)  In the 1980s breast cancer survival rates for white and black women were ____________.

(2)  _________ is the deadliest major American city for African-American women with breast cancer.

(3)  Over all, black women with a breast cancer diagnosis will die _______ years sooner than their white counterparts.

(4)  True or False:  Biological differences can explain the gap in breast cancer survival.

(5)  Among the reasons that Memphis is an epicenter for many diseases including breast cancer are
_________ disparities, __________ of the medical establishment, and lack of ________________.

(6)  Many black women in Memphis do not see______________ at all.

(7)  A network of __________ has proved to be effective in outreach to women on breast cancer outreach.

New Target For HIV Therapeutics Identified In Lab

HIV Mechanism:  Suicide, Not Murder by Michael Smith.  MedPage Today.  December 19, 2013.

(1)  According to the research reported here, an over-the-top _________________ causes much of the damage that leads to AIDS.

(2)  In the laboratory the drug VX-765 effectively blocks ___________ activity,  __________ cell death, and the release of ________________.

(3)  VX-765 has been found safe and effective in clinical trials in ______________.

(4)  For the 16 million people with HIV who do not have access to triple-drug antiretroviral therapy a caspase 1 inhibitor might ________________ while people wait for antiretroviral drugs.

(5)  Blocking caspase 1 might reduce _____________ and prevent diseases of aging that strike HIV-positive people earlier than others.

California Continues Trend Toward Empowering Professionals Assisting Physicians

New Independence For California Midwives by Lisa Renner.  California Health Report.  December 19, 2013.

(1)  Under a new law licensed midwives will now be authorized to operate _________________ without physician supervision, with access to __________________________ used in their practice.

(2)  The law makes it easier for physicians to ________________ without fear of being sued.

New Blood Pressure Guidelines

Blood Pressure Guidelines Can Be Loosened, Panel Says by Gina Kolata.  The New York Times.  December 18, 2013.

(1)  The previous goals for blood pressure have been in place for more than _____ years.

(2)  The previous goal for blood pressure was below ____________.  The new guidline for people over 60 should be systolic of less than  __________  and diastolic of less than ___________.

(3)  Systolic pressure indicates the pressure on ___________ when __________.  Diastolic refers to pressure on blood vessels when _____________.

(4)  As a result of _____________ that counteract some of the benefits of blood pressure medication, maximum benefit may occur with less _______________ nd higher __________.

(5)  True or False:  Lower blood pressure is always better.

(6)  True or False:  Rigorous studies have established systolic blood pressure goals for younger people.

(7)  90 percent of blood pressure drugs are available as ____________.

(8)  True or False:  The final guidelines are sanctioned by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.

A Lifelong Fight Against Trans Fats

A Lifelong Fight Against Trans Fat by Melanie Warner.  The New York times.  December 16, 2013.

The article puts a face on the long effort to ban trans fats, an effort which recently came to fruition with an F.D.A. rule issued in November.   Dr. Fred Kummerow is profiled in the article along with his current iconoclastic research at age 99.  

Using Data Trails To Determine Probable Medical Conditions--Access To Medical Records Not Required

Data Mining To Recruit Sick People by Joseph Walker.  The Wall Street Journal.  December 16, 2013.

(1)  Indirect clues to an individual's health are sometimes available from __________________________________ without accessing personal medical records.

(2)  Firms specializing in clinical trial patient recruitment often use ___________________ to identify sick and target them with ____________________.

(3)  As data-mining methods become more sophisticated it is harder to ______________.

(4)  The federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act does not protect _______________________

(5)  A major driver of the trend toward using data mining for health records is the need to speed up recruitment and completion of______________.

Seven Viewpoints On The Role Of Drug Companies

Room For Debate:  Developing Cures Or Hyping Up Demand?  The New York Times.  December 16, 2013.

Overview of issues involved in drug company role in healthcare.  Be sure to look at the reader comments.

Brain Region Linkage Offers Method To Measure Consciousness For Surgery

What Anesthesia Can Teach Us About Consciousness by Maggie Koerth-Baker.  The New York Times.  December 10, 2013.

(1)  Successful anesthetization requires _______________, and ___________ isn't something we can measure.

(2)  What are two barriers to avoiding anesthesia awareness?

(3)  Lacking a direct measure for consciousness, anesthesiologist monitor for ___________.

(4)  Studies are increasingly finding that sensory networks in the brain remain locally functional
for _____________ but ____________ communication has broken down.

(5)  This finding suggest that anesthetics work best when different parts of the brain _____________.

(6)  While you need a brain to have ___________, you might not need a brain to _______________  
perhaps because pain response is a ___________ reflex.

(7)  Mashour's research suggest that anesthesia monitors might be more effective if they monitor how electrical signals _____________.

Occupational Therapy Play Role In Safe Driving For The Elderly--Driving Rehabilitation Specialist

An Alternative To Giving Up The Car Keys by Alina Tugend.  The New York Times.  December 13, 2013.

(1)  In the United States about _____ million licensed drivers are over 65.

(2)  The groups that have the highest fatal crash rates are __________ and those ______ years and older.

(3)  Older drivers are often safer because they are less likely to ________________.

(4)  The increasing rate of fatal crashes beginning at age 75 is not necessarily because older people have more accidents but because ___________________________.

(5)  As flexibility and range of motion decrease with age, ____________ can help.

(6)  __________________ can adjust the range and intensity of light to improve night vision.

(7)  What are some of the advances in collision avoidance that can make driving safer for older people?

(8)  In some cases, medical insurance or Medicare will cover _____________ as part of occupational therapy.

(9)  The American Occupational Therapy Association provides a list on its website of occupational  therapists who specialize in _____________________.  

Sugar Makes You Want More Sugar Study Seems To Indicate

In Food Cravings, Sugar Trumps Fat by Anahad O'Connor.  The New York Times. Well blog. December 13, 2013.

(1)  The pleasure centers of the brain lit up more effectively in responce to  _________ than ________ in the study recounted in this article.

(2)  Dr Eric Stice citing research says in the article that "the more sugar you eat, ___________________________.

(3)  Low fat, low sugar milkshakes used in this study were shown to activate regions of the brain associated with ___________________, but they had no impact on _________.

(4)  According to Dr. Stice addressing societal problems with overeating should start with __________.

(5)  According to Dr. Avena from Columbia University when sugar is suddenly taken away opiate receptors should signs of ___________.

(6)  Dr. David Ludwig found that sugar milkshakes stimulate reward regions but also cause ___________________ which leads to cravings for foods that can quickly restore _____________-.

Four Overlooked Health Care Stories Of 2013

The 4 Most Overlooked Health Care Stories Of 2013 by Robert Pearl, M.D.  Forbes.  December 12, 2-13.

(1)  There were a number of investigative reports highlighting regional ______________ of American health care.

(2)  There is a growing realization that higher prices do not translate __________________.

(3)  What are two factors that lead to regional variation in costs

(4)  Cesarean birth rates in the U.S. are _________ the  World Health Organization's recommended rate of _________ percent.

(5)  According to the author, cesareans scheduled with less than 39 weeks of gestation are __________________.

(6)  Through the ACA insurance companies are mandated to  include ___________________.

(7)  In hypertension management, the average US. doctor achieves results that are ____________ than the best doctors.

(8)  The Physician Payment Sunshine Act requires that ___________________.

Technique To Mend Misfolded Proteins May Be Key To Cure For Several Diseases

New Drug Approach Could Lead To Cures For Wide Range Of Diseases.  Science Daily.  December 9, 2013.

(1)  Diseases caused by "misfolded" protein molecules include _________________________.

(2)  Misfolded protein molecules can still function however they are ____________ within the cell, thus causing disease.

(3)  The drugs that rescue misfolded proteins and return them to normalcy are called __________.

(4)  The research highlighted here is the first time the process of correcting misfolded proteins has worked in __________________.

Incidental Findings Of Medical Tests/Procedures Raise Difficult Problems of Treatment and Communication

Medical Test Surprises:  What Should You Be Told?  Associated Press/Washington Post.  December 12, 2013.  

(1)  ________ percent of brain scans spot something unrelated that may require more tyesting.

(2)  Anywhere from ___________ percent of abdominal CT scans turn up incidental findings.

(3)   True or False:  Follow-up testing is without risk.

(4)  What do American College of Medical Genetics guidelines provide about reporting the results of genetic tests?

Cash-Only Psychiatry May Limit Access To Mental Health Services

Psychiatrists Top Cash-Only MD List by John Gever.  MedPage Today.  December 12, 2013.

(1)  The rate of Medicaid acceptance by psychiatrists was _________%.

(2)  The rates of insurance acceptance for all other physicians averaged about _________ points higher in 2009-2010.

(3)  With nearly half of psychiatrists apparently operating on a cash-only basis the impact of the Affordable Care Act on utilization of mental health services may be __________________.

(4)  What are the factors suggested by the study authors for the low acceptance of insurance among
psychiatrists?

Addressing Fears About Antibiotic Resistance, FDA Plans Effort To Phase Out Antibiotics In Animal Production

FDA Launches Plan To Curb Antibiotic Use In Animal Production by Ryan Jaslow.  CBS News.  December 11, 2013.

(1)  Antibiotic-resistant germs are said to kill ___________ people a year.

(2)  The voluntary plan involves animal pharmaceutical companies to change the __________________________ so they would no longer be used for _______________.

(3)  Why is the FDA pursuing a voluntary approach instead of mandatory rule making?

Changes In Diet Shown To Quickly And Significantly Change Gut Microbiome

Chowing Down On Meat, Dairy Alters Gut Bacteria A Lot, And Quickly by Michaeleen Doucleff.  NPR.  December 11, 2013.

(1)  One type of bacteria that flourishes under the meat-rich diet used in the experiment has been linked to ____________ and ____________ in mice.

(2) Intestinal organisms influence many aspects of health including ________________.

(3)  The researchers found that the gut bacteria shifted with __________ after the food hit the gut.

(4)  The kinds of genes turned on in the microbes changed _________________.

(5)  According to one of the researchers this study is proof of concept that you can __________________________.

Move Toward Lifetime Care For Cancer Survivors

The Next Front In Cancer Care.  The Informed Patient.  The Wall Street Journal.  December 9, 2013.

(1)  Survivorship-care programs include services such as ____________________________.

(2)  What are some of the aftereffects of survival from cancer?

(3)  The number of cancer survivors is projected to grow from around _________ million now to _______ million by 2022.

Heart Stent Design Perhaps Enhanced By Mathematical Models Of Drug Release

Math Models Enhance Current Therapies For Coronary Heart Disease.  Science Daily.  December 9, 2013.

(1)  The design of drug-eluting heart stents is severely limited by _______________________________________.

(2)  This limitation could be addressed by developing models of  __________________________ and comparing the ________________________.

(3)  The integral equation called the _______________ can be shown under under  under certain circumstances to satisfy for the drug release concentration.  

Researchers: Using Contact Lenses To Deliver Glaucoma Medication Could Improve Effectiveness And Adherence

Your Contact Lens Might Someday Dispense Eye Drugs.  Health Day News.  December 9, 2013.

(1)  According to the author of the study, eye drops are an inefficient method of drug delivery that has _____________________.

(2)  The leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide is __________.

Intel Survey Shows Openness To Technological Innovation In Healthcare Across Eight Countries

Technology Inspires Optimism For Healthcare.  Business Wire/PCB Design 007.  December 9, 2013.
While it would be very surprising for a survey funded by a major technology company to find that people hated the idea of technology in healthcare, the results of this survey of eight countries is interesting and significant.

(1)  __________ percent believe traditional hospitals will be obsolete in the future.

(2)  _______ percent of respondents are receptive to using toilet sensors, prescription bottle sensors or swallowed monitors to collect ongoing and actionable personal health data.

(3)  _______ percent indicated they would be willing to anonymously share their personal health information if it could lower medication costs or overall cost to the healthcare system.

(4)  _______ percent indicated that they would be willing to see a doctor via video conference for non urgent appointments.

(5)  The healthcare innovation least likely to be incorporated by the global population is __________________.

Commonwealth Fund Study: Georgia Taxes Will Benefit Other States Which Expand Medicaid While Georgia Will Receive Nothing If It Does Not Expand

Study Calculates Cost Of Expansion Decision by Andy Miller.  Georgia Health News.  December 5, 2013.

(1)  Only _____________ would have net losses higher than Georgia among the 20 states that have opted not to expand Medicaid.

(2)  Over ____________ low-income Georgians could remain uninsured in 2014 if the state refuses to expand Medicaid.

(3)  A study by the Healthcare Georgia Foundation indicated that expansion would produce an economic impact statewide of _______ annually.

How Are Drugs Priced? Case Studies Illustrate

A Tale Of Two Drugs by Barry Werth.  Technology Review.  October 22, 2013.

(1)  In 2012, the FDA approved ___________new drugs, the most in a decade.

(2)  The primary customer for drugs in the United States is not the _____________
but the ___________ and _____________.

(3)  Demand for therapeutic drugs is price ____________ meaning increasing the price does not _______________.

(4)  The United States, with 5 percent of the world's population, buying more than  _______ percent
of the world's prescription drugs.

The article offers case studies of pricing of drugs including the cystic fibrosis drug kalydeco.

Drop In Teen Pregnancy Rate Drives Birth Rate Decline

U.S. Pregnancy Rates Slide, Near Record Lows by Carol Morello.  The Washington Post.  December 4, 2013.

(1)  Only in ________ has the birth rate been lower in the past 30 years.

(2)  The only group with increasing birth rates was women over __________.

(3)  The abortion rate has dropped reflecting a continuous slide since peaking in _________.

(4)  A sociologist quoted in the article said that "what happened was a a postponement of births among younger women with _________________."

(5)  Among teenagers having sex there has been a sharp increase in ___________________.

(6)  AIDS has forced many school districts to ______________.

(7)  The United States has ______________ among industrialized countries.

Relatively Small Cost Difference Between Healthy And Unhealthy Foods

Healthy Eating Costs Extra $1.50 A Day, Study Finds by Ryan Jaslow.  CBS News December 6, 2013.

(1)  The study finds eating a healthy diet filled with _________________________________ costs significantly more than a diet filled with ________________________.

(2)  The price difference between healthy and unhealthy foods is small in comparison with ______________________________.

(3)  This study reviewed ________ earlier studies from ________ high income nations.

(4)  The study called for an infrastructure for the production of _______________ which may increase availability and reduce costs.

(5)  Price differences by healthfulness appeared largest for ___________.

Quest For Integrated Approach To Health Attracts Many Including Celebrities

Here's To Good Health (But No Toast) by Bee Shapiro.  The New York  Times.  December 4, 2013.

A profile of Dr. Frank Lipman whose appeal illustrates a strong desire by many for an integrated approach to medicine and health.

Dementia Predicted To Triple By 2050

135 Million People Worldwide Will Have Dementia By 2050:  Report.  HealthDay.  U.S. News And World Report.  December 5, 2013.

(1)  An estimated ________ million people worldwide have dementia.  By 2050 that number is predicted to increase to _________ million.

(2)  By 2050 ________ percent of people with dementia will live in middle- and low-income nations.

Palliative Care: Comforting The Afflicted

When Palliative Care Is The Best Care by Anna Gorman.  Kaiser Health News.  December 3, 2013.

(1)  According to the article, the role of a palliative care doctor is __________ patients instead of ____________, to help them ________ their illnesses.

(2)  Palliative care programs in hospitals are designed to relieve seriously ill patients' _______________.

(3)  Palliative care is recognized as a _______________.

(4)  The increase in popularity of palliative care programs is in part due to ____________________

(5)  Why do some doctors resist palliative care programs?

(6)  How  were palliative care physicians touched by the "death panel" controversy in Obamacare?

(7)  Why do patients sometimes refuse to see the palliative care team?

(8)

Exercise Could Be A Way To Deal With Sharp Rise In Dementia In The Coming Decades

Exercise Beneficial For Dementia.  MedicalXpress.  December 3, 2013.

(1)  This study is a review of eight trials showing that exercise could ________________.

(2)  There was the need for more evidence to understand how could reduce the burden on ____________________________.

(3)  As a result of these studies there is promising evidence for _______________ improving __________ and carrying out ______________.

Projected Expenditures On Health Care Law Now Estimated To Be Less Than Anticipated

Cost Of Health Care Law Is Seen As Decreasing by Annie Lowrey.  The New York Times.  December 2, 2013.

(1)  Both ________ expansion and ___________ for private insurance are ending up less expensive than anticipated.

(2)  The main reason, economist broadly agree, for the slowdown is ______________.

(3) Insurers and health care providers are agreeing to contracts that pay for __________ rather than _____________.

(4)  While there will be a drastic bump in health spending by government starting next year, economists expect _______________________.

(5)  Why is it possible that this time the slowdown will be more durable.

Dual Names For Drugs: Medication Errors Waiting To Happen

One Drug, Two Names, Many Problems by Theresa Brown.  Bedside.  The New York Times.  November 30, 2013.

The hazards of having two names for drugs (brand and generic) with a proposal for a solution.

Narrow Taste Range Resulting From Processed, Refined Foods Linked To Infant, Prenatal Diets And Obesity

Bad Eating Habits Start In The Womb by Kristin Wartman.  Opinion Piece.  The New York Times.  December 1, 2013.

(1)  The taste preferences that develop at crucial periods in infancy _________________.

(2)  True or False:  It is easy to change food preferences beyond toddlerhood.

(3)  Processed, refined foods could be setting children up for __________________.

(4)  Early exposures to foods leads to an _____________ phenomenon such that those flavors  are  preferred but take on __________________.

(5)  Junk food in utero and through breast milk leads offspring to develop a  reward pathway that is ___________________________.

(6)  Globally, infant formula is the _________________  with growth on track for a __________ increase in 2013 alone.

(7)  The World Health Organization recommends breast-feeding up to ____________.

Passing The United States in Obesity, Mexico Taxes Soda And Junk Food

Viva Mexico by Mark Bittman.  The New York Times.  November 29, 2013.

(1)  High-fructose corn syrup accounts for ________ percent of calories in the American diet.

(2)  The annual consumption of sweetened beverages in Mexico and the United States is around _________ gallons per capita.

(3)  Proponents of the tax linked its passage to assuring that purified drinking water would ________________.

(4)  The junk food tax will use _____________ to define processed foods that are detrimental to health.

(5)  Due to ______________ Mexico has suffered more than any other country by adapting the standard American diet.