New research from EBRI: Older Americans staying longer in the work force
The labor-force participation rate is increasing for older Americans (those age 55 and older) as older workers are faced with higher health costs and economic losses, according to a study published by the nonpartisan Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI).
For those ages 55-64 (the “near elderly”), the increase is being driven almost exclusively by the increase of women in the work force; the male participation rate is flat to declining. However, among those age 65 and older (the elderly), labor-force participation is increasing for both male and females, says the study in the February 2010 EBRI Notes, available at www.ebri.org
As the study suggests, workers increasingly are facing more responsibility in paying for their retirement expenses: Private-sector workers who have access to an employment-based retirement plan most commonly have a defined contribution plan (typically a 401(k) plan, financed at least partially with workers’ own contributions), and retiree health insurance is becoming increasingly scarce. Even for those who do have retiree health insurance, caps on what the employer will pay annually for the coverage are being reached and/or surpassed.
Consequently, the study says, workers today have greater incentives to stay in the work force, such as the ability (and in some cases the need) to continue to accumulate assets in defined contribution plans and to have access to employment-based health insurance coverage, instead of having to tap into their savings to pay for their expenses.
The study, based on U.S. Census Bureau data, includes these additional points:
- The percentage of civilian noninstitutionalized Americans age 55 or older who were in the labor force declined from 34.6 percent 1975 to 29.4 percent in 1993. However, since 1993, the labor-force participation rate has steadily increased, reaching 39.4 percent in 2008–the highest level over the 1975-2008 period.
- Education is a strong factor in an individual’s participation in the labor force at older ages: Individuals with higher levels of education are significantly more likely to be in the labor force than those with the lower levels of education.
- The upward trend among the working near elderly and elderly is not surprising and is likely to continue because of workers’ need for access to employment-based health insurance and for more earning years to accumulate assets in defined contribution (401(k)-type) plans–especially after the 2008 downturn in the stock market and economy.
- While some older Americans have a greater need to work to help make their retirement assets last longer or to continue to build up assets, monetary incentives are not the only motivating factor. There also is an increased desire among Americans to work longer, particularly among those with more education, for whom more meaningful jobs may be available that can be done well into older ages.
Source: Employee Benefit Research Institute
New research shows U.S. economy will grow by billions of dollars if high school dropout rate is reduced
If just half the dropouts in an average year graduated, additional tax revenues and increased wages would substantially buoy the local economies of the nation’s 50 largest cities
New game-changing research recently conducted by the Alliance for Excellent Education (The Alliance) and released shows that the U.S. economy would grow significantly if the number of high school dropouts was cut in half.
Nearly 600,000 students dropped out of the high school class of 2008 in the nation’s 50 largest cities and surrounding areas. The Alliance’s research shows that if just half those students had graduated they would have earned more than $4.1 billion in additional income. In addition, state and local tax revenues in an average year would jump by a total of nearly $536 million.
“In these lean economic times, local businesses and governments are looking for creative ways to improve their financial situations,” said former West Virginia Governor and Alliance for Excellent Education President Bob Wise. “These numbers clearly demonstrate that every consumer, business, and taxpayer benefits dramatically when we do what it takes to increase the number of students who graduate from high school with the skills they need to succeed in life. Indeed, the best economic stimulus is a high school diploma.”
The Alliance study also found that 65 percent of the additional high school graduates would continue their education and many would earn a doctorate or other professional degree.
“As a business leader I’m committed to a quality education for all children and to strengthening the vitality of our communities,” said Edward B. Rust Jr., Chairman and CEO of State Farm(R). “The new Alliance for Excellent Education model conclusively demonstrates that graduating from high school has significant, positive economic and financial consequences for the business community and not just for the individual getting the education. Ensuring that students graduate from high school with the skills necessary to compete in a global economy is something all businesses – small and large – should see as a priority.”
The economic model used to estimate these economic benefits was developed by the Alliance for Excellent Education with the generous support of State Farm(R) and in partnership with Economic Modeling Specialists, Inc. The model is based on graduation rates calculated by Editorial Projects in Education and projects the economic benefits for U.S. Census-defined metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs), which each consist of a central urban area and the surrounding geographic area if it has strong social and economic ties to that city. The 45 MSAs include the 50 largest cities in the country. Five of these cities share a region with another.
The 4,900 high schools located within these MSAs have an average graduation rate of 69.8 percent. More than 900 of these are considered “dropout factories,” that is, schools where fewer than 60 percent of freshman progress to their senior year on time.
The cities in the research include: Albuquerque, Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Colorado Springs, Columbus, Dallas-Ft. Worth-Arlington, Denver, Detroit, El Paso, Fresno, Honolulu, Houston, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles-Long Beach, Louisville, Memphis, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Nashville, New York, Oklahoma City, Omaha, Philadelphia, Phoenix-Mesa, Portland, Sacramento, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco-Oakland, San Jose, Seattle, Tucson, Tulsa, Virginia Beach, Washington, D.C., and Wichita.
For more information and specific numbers for each of the cities listed above, visit the Alliance’s website at http://www.all4ed.org/publication_material/EconMSA.
Source: Alliance for Excellent Education
Nine leading research teams selected to study how digital games improve players health
Researchers seek to discover how interactive video games can be designed to improve physical activity, prevention behaviors and self-management of chronic conditions
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) announced more than $1.85 million in grants for research that will offer unprecedented insight into how digital games can improve players’ health behaviors and outcomes. With funding from RWJF’s Health Games Research national program, nine research teams across the country will conduct extensive studies to discover, for example, how the popular dance pad video game Dance Dance Revolution might help Parkinson’s patients reduce the risk of falling, how Wii Active might be most effectively implemented in high schools to help overweight students lose weight, how a mobile phone game with a breath interface might help smokers quit or reduce their tobacco use, or how facial recognition games might be designed to help people with autism learn to identify others’ emotions.
Health Games Research is supported by an $8.25 million grant from RWJF’s Pioneer Portfolio, which funds innovative projects that may lead to breakthrough improvements in the future of health and health care. The national program, which conducts, supports, and disseminates research to improve the quality and impact of health games, is headquartered at the University of California, Santa Barbara. It is directed by Debra Lieberman, Ph.D., communication researcher in the university’s Institute for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Research and a leading expert in the research and design of interactive media for learning and health behavior change. The grants were awarded under the program’s second funding round to strengthen the evidence base in this emerging field.
“Digital games are interactive and experiential, and so they can engage people in powerful ways to enhance learning and health behavior change, especially when they are designed on the basis of well-researched strategies,” said Lieberman. “The studies funded by Health Games Research will provide cutting-edge, evidence-based strategies that designers will be able to use in the future to make their health games more effective.”
The nine research teams, chosen from among 185 proposals, each have been awarded between $100,000 and $300,000 to lead one- to two-year studies of digital games that engage players in physical activity and/or motivate them to improve how they take care of themselves through healthy changes in lifestyle; prevention behaviors; cognitive, social or physical skills; chronic disease self-management; and/or adherence to a medical treatment plan. Studies will focus on diverse population groups that vary by race and ethnicity, health status, income level, and game-play setting, with age groups ranging from elementary school children to 80-year-olds. The research teams will study participants’ responses to health games played on a variety of platforms, such as video game consoles, computers, mobile phones and robots.
“The pace of growth and innovation in digital games is incredible, and we see tremendous potential to design them to help people stay healthy or manage chronic conditions like diabetes or Parkinson’s disease. However, we need to know more about what works and what does not — and why,” said Paul Tarini, team director for RWJF’s Pioneer Portfolio. “Health Games Research is a major investment to build a research base for this dynamic young field. Further, the insights and ideas that flow from this work will help us continue to expand our imagination of what is possible in this arena.”
The nine grant recipients are:
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (Philadelphia, PA) Reward Circuitry, Autism and Games that Teach Social Perceptual Skills -- tests effects of facial perception games on the brain activity and facial perception skills of 8- to 12-year-old children who have been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Children with ASD tend to have difficulty perceiving and interpreting facial expressions and recognizing a person’s identity by observing their face. The games used in the study challenge them to notice subtle differences in faces and expressions and give them opportunities to rehearse these skills and receive feedback on their performance. Behavioral testing and use of functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) of players’ brains before and after playing the games for 50 hours over the course of eight weeks will help the researchers determine how the games influence facial perception skills and how the brain changes in response to these game experiences.
George Washington University (Washington, DC) Active-Adventure: Investigating a Novel Exergaming Genre in Inner City School Physical Education Programs – compares physical, psychological and behavioral effects of three activities: (1) playing Winds of Orbis, a video game that involves an upper and lower body workout as the player moves in order to control a character’s movements in the game; (2) playing Dance Dance Revolution, a popular video game that provides a lower body workout as players dance on a pad that detects their dance steps; and (3) engaging in traditional physical education activities at school. Study participants are inner-city African-American and Hispanic students from grades 1-8 who are randomly assigned to the three groups. The study examines various outcomes such as their enjoyment of the activities, attitudes toward physical activity, amount of exercise and number of calories burned.
Georgetown University (Washington, DC) Wii Active Exergame Intervention for Low-Income African-American Obese and Overweight Adolescents – assigns obese and overweight urban high school students to (1) play the Wii Active competitively after school with the goal of lowering their body mass index (BMI), (2) play the Wii Active cooperatively in a team after school with the goal of helping each other reduce their BMI, or (3) play with no access to Wii Active after school (control condition). The seven-month field experiment examines physiological, social and cognitive outcomes of participants in all three groups to determine whether those who play Wii Active are more physically active; lose more weight; develop greater self-esteem; have more friends; and have better memory, attention and other cognitive skills than those assigned to the control group. The study also examines whether competitive or cooperative game play influences these outcomes the most.
Long Island University (Brooklyn, NY) Dance Video Game Training and Falling in Parkinson’s Disease – compares the use of a commercially available dance pad video game, Dance Dance Revolution, to two traditional treatment options that help people with Parkinson’s Disease reduce their risk of falling by increasing their balance, strength, endurance, motor coordination and visual-motor integration. The two traditional treatments are rhythmic stepping and treadmill training with music. The researchers assess balance, motor function, reaction time and self-confidence to evaluate the game in comparison to the two traditional treatments. They also use functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) to observe participants’ brain activity.
Michigan State University (East Lansing, MI) Buddy Up! Harnessing Group Dynamics to Boost Motivation to Exercise. Research has found that people will work harder with a partner in a strenuous physical task than when working alone, especially if the partner is moderately better at the task. This study provides a virtual partner that engages in exercises with participants on the Eye Toy: Kinetic camera-based video game. College-age study participants are randomly assigned to engage in Eyetoy: Kinetic exercises either with a virtual partner or alone. Characteristics of the partner are varied to see which are most effective at improving endurance and exercise time.
Michigan State University (East Lansing, MI) Short-Term and Long-Term Effectiveness of Exergames for Young Adults – investigates effects of the Mount Olympus game, a 3D fantasy role-playing game that requires players to move their upper and lower body in order to control their character’s movements throughout the world of the game. Overweight and inactive college students participate in the study, which randomly assigns them either to play Mount Olympus or to use a motivational Web site designed to promote and support physical activity. The study examines the extent to which each media activity meets individuals’ needs for competence, autonomy and social relatedness, and how meeting these needs may motivate engagement in the activity. More engagement is expected to lead to more physical activity in daily life and therefore to more weight loss and better health outcomes.
Teachers College, Columbia University (New York, NY) Lit: A Game Intervention for Nicotine Smokers – develops and evaluates a smoking reduction game delivered on a mobile phone. The game is intended to be an alternative to smoking with the goal of reducing or eliminating tobacco use in players’ lives. The game involves breathing into a microphone to control gameplay and is coupled with sound, color, images, challenges and feedback to mimic the stimulant and relaxant effects of smoking. Effects will be evaluated through emotional response and physiological measures (electroencephalogram (EEG), heart rate, galvanic skin response) and compared to subjects after smoking or after playing the game in lieu of smoking. If successful, the game will emulate the effects of smoking as a replacement therapy for smokers who want to quit.
University of California, San Francisco (San Francisco, CA) A Video Game to Enhance Cognitive Health in Older Adults. As people age, they lose some of their ability to sustain their attention and to focus their attention on their main task while ignoring distractions. This study aims to improve these and other related cognitive skills by using a driving game in which players practice paying attention to relevant information, such as traffic signs, and ignoring irrelevant information, such as billboards. The study monitors brain activity with electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings and observes eye position and game performance in younger adults (ages 18 to 30) and older adults (ages 60 to 80) before and after six weeks of game play. The study assesses changes in cognitive ability, brain activity and transfer of game-related skills to similar cognitive operations and activities that take place in daily life.
University of Southern California (Los Angeles, CA) Robot Motivator: Towards Adaptive Health Games for Productive Long-Term Interaction – examines the influence of virtual social characters on people’s motivation to exercise. Study participants ages 60 and older are randomly assigned to exercise by following the lead of either (1) an embodied character, which is a human-looking robot that demonstrates exercises right there in the room with them or (2) an animated presentation of the same robot on a television screen. The study investigates the role of physical embodiment and social presence on participants’ motivation to engage and persist in exercise and physical activity.
Source: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Health Games Research
Groundbreaking project launched to improve brain cancer treatments and outcomes
New Atlas Project to Deepen Scientific Understanding of Malignant Brain Tumors; Opens the Door for Improved Patient Care and Treatment Options
A major collaborative research project focused on mapping the gene activity in brain tumors was launched, The goal of the research, known as the Ivy Glioblastoma Atlas Project (GAP), is to unlock the secrets behind one of the deadliest brain tumors known to humankind — glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), a cancer that recently took the lives of U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy and columnist Robert Novak. The project is a partnership between the Ben and Catherine Ivy Foundation, the Allen Institute for Brain Science and the Swedish Neuroscience Institute’s newly named Ben and Catherine Ivy Center for Advanced Brain Tumor Treatment.
The Ivy GAP will show which genes are active — or not functioning normally — within a GBM tumor at a level of detail not previously possible. This is important because the development of better therapies depends on understanding the key molecular changes that drive brain tumor behavior. The ultimate goal of the project is to improve disease management in GBM patients, as well as facilitate breakthroughs in drug development and treatment. Researchers expect that these breakthroughs could accelerate the effort to develop improved patient prognoses.
Research on the atlas project is slated for completion in 2013. The resulting atlas information will then be made available online for free use by the global medical and scientific communities. The GAP is expected to be of great value to the more than 20,000 Americans who are diagnosed with malignant brain tumors annually.
Since GBM is a highly heterogeneous disease, meaning that brain cancer manifests itself differently in each person, it has been challenging for researchers to discover effective treatments. Each treatment plan needs to be highly personalized and the development of better patient therapies depends on an improved understanding of the differences in brain tumors. This detailed information from the Ivy GAP will allow doctors and researchers the ability to correlate tumor differences with treatment response in each patient.
“Supporting the Ivy Glioblastoma Atlas Project fulfills several important goals for our Foundation,” said Catherine Ivy, founder of the Ben and Catherine Ivy Foundation. “We hope this project will increase our understanding of brain tumors which, in turn, can lead to improved diagnostics and treatments. Information from the project will be made publicly available to researchers throughout the world so they can use it freely in their own studies. This project honors the memory of my late husband and our dedication to doing everything we can to reduce the suffering of patients diagnosed with a brain tumor.”
Atlas to Shed New Light on Genetic Mutations of Brain Cancer Tumors
Previously published GBM gene data has contained information from whole tumor samples, but understanding what this information means is challenging because of the lack of knowledge about where abnormal gene activity takes place within the tumor. Results from the atlas project will provide insight into functional context and provide a better understanding of GBM tumor biology and heterogeneity. This, in turn, will help doctors better understand the unique features of a patient’s tumor.
The atlas project will target 1,000 genes, which were selected for study by a panel of physician scientists and medical professionals led by Greg Foltz, M.D., director of the Ivy Center for Advanced Brain Tumor Treatment and a principal investigator on the atlas project. The committee includes experts in the field of neuro-oncology and genomics from leading academic centers and research institutes in the U.S. The final list will include candidate genes as well as known genes relevant to GBM biology.
“The atlas project will accelerate our discovery for new brain cancer treatments and allow scientists around the world to focus on the genes that really matter in glioblastoma,” Dr. Foltz said. “Research from recent decades has led to the identification of thousands of abnormal genes in glioblastoma. This atlas project will allow us to prioritize which of those genes play important roles in the tumor behavior.”
Creating the Ivy Glioblastoma Atlas Project
Tumor tissue samples will be collected at the Ivy Center for Advanced Brain Tumor Treatment for a complete genomic analysis and then sent to the Allen Institute for Brain Science for study of the target genes. There, the samples will be sliced into extremely thin strips, processed using in situ hybridization and digitally photographed. Each of the high-resolution photos will be reassembled in a computer model where researchers will plot the cells and genes into a 3-D map. In addition to the gene analysis, researchers will collect clinical information from the patients to compare the molecular findings with treatment outcomes throughout the study.
“Based on our experience with the launch of the Allen Mouse Brain Atlas in 2006, we anticipate widespread use of this free resource with the potential for immediate impact on patient outcomes,” said Elaine Jones, chief operating officer at the Allen Institute. “The atlas will be integrated with The Institute’s core project, the Allen Human Brain Atlas, allowing researchers the ability to rapidly identify GBM specific genes.”
In addition to collecting initial samples from some 64 participating patients, the research team at the Ivy Center for Advanced Brain Tumor Treatment will also be able to collect samples from recurrent tumors to compare them to each patient’s original tumor. This will provide researchers with a rare opportunity to identify patterns of gene expression as the tumor progresses within an individual patient.
“For the Ivy Foundation, patients remain at the core of all the research we support,” Ivy said. “To be meaningful, the ultimate goal of all research must be to impact on the clinical care of patients by improving diagnostics and treatment. We hope that the Ivy Glioblastoma Atlas Project will do just that.”
Source: Swedish Neuroscience Institute
New Fall Allergy Capitals reveal the Most Challenging Cities for allergy sufferers
New Survey Also Gives Clear View on Eye Allergy Problems this Season
The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) announced the 2009 Fall Allergy Capitals(TM) rankings. The annual research project ranks the fall’s 100 most challenging cities for people with fall allergies. The top five cities this year are: McAllen, TX (1); Wichita, KS (2); Louisville, KY (3); Oklahoma City, OK (4); and Jackson, MS (5).(1) In addition, according to a recent AAFA survey, fall is also one of the most troublesome times of year for people with eye allergies. In the survey, nearly a third (29%) of respondents said that they experience eye allergy symptoms in Autumn. A full report of the fall rankings and a summary of the eye allergy survey findings are available for free at www.AllergyCapitals.com.
Many Americans may not be aware of fall allergies, but spring is not the only time you can have a runny nose, watery eyes, sneezing and/or congestion from upper respiratory allergies.(2A)In fact, the fall brings new allergy triggers that are not prevalent in the spring, such as ragweed.(2B) The Fall Allergy Capitals research also shows that overall pollen concentrations have increased in the top allergy cities.(1) Outdoor allergy triggers can make fall a very difficult time for the more than 35 million Americans who suffer from seasonal allergies.(2C)
No matter where a city ranks on the list of Fall Allergy Capitals, it’s important for people to know if their hometown is included. “Whether a city is ranked number 100 on the Allergy Capitals list or number 1, it’s essential for allergy sufferers to take the appropriate steps to manage their allergies,” says Mike Tringale, Director of External Affairs at AAFA. “Allergy sufferers should know what allergens trigger their symptoms and how to manage them.”(3)
Eye allergy symptoms can range from red irritation to constant itching. Allergy sufferers who wear contact lenses that you use for longer periods of time, may experience discomfort and symptoms such as ocular itching, tearing, and redness because allergens and other irritants can build up on contact lenses over time. Studies show that single-use contacts – daily disposable lenses that you throw away at the end of the day, can be a more comfortable option for many people with eye allergies than lenses replaced every two weeks or more.
During the fall when outdoor allergy triggers peak,(2D) people may continue to suffer from indoor allergies caused by common allergy triggers like pet dander and dust mites.(3A) In addition, ragweed and pollen can travel indoors through open windows and doors.(2E) Indoor and outdoor allergy triggers can be a significant challenge for people year round.(3B)
To help allergy sufferers better understand and manage the condition this fall, AAFA is offering a free educational brochure titled “Eye Health and Allergies.” The brochure, supported by 1 DAY ACUVUE® MOIST® Brand Contact Lenses, includes vital allergy season advice for the nation’s 40 million contact lens wearers. The brochure, which also includes a Free*** Trial Pair Certificate for the contact lenses, can be downloaded at www.AllergyCapitals.com. By visiting the Web site, people can learn if their city is an Allergy Capital and get information about allergy symptoms, how to avoid triggers, and how to best treat their symptoms.
The Allergy Capitals(TM)
The Allergy Capitals is an annual research project of AAFA to identify “the 100 most challenging places to live with allergies” in the spring and fall seasons. The rankings are based on scientific analysis of three factors for 100 metro areas. The data measured and compared each year includes: (1)
– Pollen scores (airborne grass/tree/weed pollen and mold spores)*
– Number of allergy medications used per patient
– Number of allergy specialists per patient
This year’s report indicates that more than fifty percent of the United States’ population lives in one of the 100 Fall Allergy Capital cities. However, McAllen, TX is ranked number one this year due to a higher-than-average pollen score, higher use of allergy medications per person, and lower-than-average access to allergy specialists, compared to other cities on the list.(1)
Allergies
More than 36 million Americans suffer from indoor and outdoor allergic rhinitis, also known as upper respiratory allergies.(2C) Allergies are caused when a person’s immune system overreacts to normally harmless substances.(3B) These substances are often referred to as triggers.(3C) People can encounter indoor and outdoor allergy triggers anytime throughout the year that can lead to allergy symptoms. (3C) Indoor allergies can occur year-round and are triggered by substances such as mold, dust mites, and pet dander.(3D) These allergens are often inhaled through the nose and mouth, putting the allergens in contact with the immune cells in the lining of the nose, mouth, throat, and airways of the lungs causing an allergic response. (3D) Similarly, outdoor allergies can occur when outdoor allergens such as pollen from grasses, weeds and trees are inhaled through the nose and mouth into the lungs causing an allergic response.(3E) Those who suffer from outdoor allergies are often affected by allergies in the spring and fall.(3F) Symptoms for both indoor and outdoor allergies can include itchy, watery eyes, itchy nose or throat,(2F) sneezing(2G) and runny nose.(2F)
*AAFA is solely responsible for the identification and ranking of the Fall Allergy Capitals list
**”Pollen score” is comprised of compressive recorded levels of airborne grass/tree/weed pollen and mold spores, and prevalence data for each of these specific types of allergens.
***Professional exam and fitting fees not included. Valid only while supplies last.
References
1. Fall Allergy Capitals 2008. Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. 2008 www.allergycapitals.com
2. The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology http://www.aaaai.org/
a) http://www.aaaai.org/patients/publicedmat/tips/whatisallergytesting.stm. Who should be tested for allergies? Bullet 1, Lines 1-3.
b) http://www.aaaai.org/patients/topicofthemonth/0808/august_ragweed.pdf. Ragweed Tumbles In. Avoid Exposure. Paragraph 1.
c) http://www.aaaai.org/fallallergy/2007. Fall Allergy Guide. Page 1. Paragraph 1, Lines 1-2.
d) http://www.aaaai.org/patients/publicedmat/tips/outdoorallergens.stm. Paragraph 1. Lines 4-12.
e) http://www.aaaai.org/patients/topicofthemonth/0808/august_ragweed.pdf. Ragweed Tumbles In. Avoid Exposure. Bullet 1.
f) http://www.aaaai.org/patients/publicedmat/tips/whatisallergytesting.stm. Who should be tested for allergies? Bullet 1.
g) http://www.aaaai.org/patients/publicedmat/tips/whatisallergytesting.stm. Which allergens will I be tested for? Paragraph 1. Lines 1-3.
3. Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America: www.aafa.org
a) http://www.aafa.org/display.cfm?id=9&sub=24&cont=344. Indoor Air Quality and Allergies. Paragraph 1. Lines 1-3.
b) http://www.aafa.org/display.cfm?id=9&sub=30. Allergy Facts and Figures. Overview. Paragraph 1. Lines 1-2.
c) http://www.aafa.org/display.cfm?id=9&sub=30. Allergy Facts and Figures: Prevalence. Bullet 3. Lines 1-7.
d) http://www.aafa.org/display.cfm?id=9&sub=18. Indoor. Paragraph 1, Lines 1-5.
e) http://www.aafa.org/display.cfm?id=9&sub=19&cont=217. Outdoor. Paragraph 1, Lines 1-4.
f) http://www.aafa.org/display.cfm?id=9&sub=19&cont=268. Allergy Facts and Figures: What Causes Rhinitis. Paragraph 3. Lines 4-6.
Source: The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA)
Ford researchers look to Mother Nature for clues on how to create greener, lighter plastics
Auto researchers and engineers are examining the use of lighter-weight materials and components in their quest to develop more fuel-efficient vehicles.
Ford’s distinctive approach to alternative materials is not just about the need to be lighter, however, but also about the need to be greener. The company’s use of more bio-based, recycled and reclaimed materials in production vehicles today, for example, already is resonating with the growing number of customers consciously purchasing products that are healthier for people and the planet.
Ford researchers now are looking even harder at plastics, rubber, foam, film and fabric to develop more alternative bio-based materials that are functional, durable and cost-effective, and that decrease our dependence on foreign oil.
Ford researchers are taking a hard look at traditional, petrol-based plastics, turning to Mother Nature to help create composites that are durable, lightweight and better for the environment.
While petroleum and glass fibers are typical ingredients associated with today’s automotive plastics, Ford’s research team is developing all-new composite recipes that include more natural ingredients such as soy flour, hemp, cellulose, and the sugars in corn, sugarbeets and sugarcane.
Nature made
Plastics currently make up approximately 10 percent of a vehicle, ranging from sight-unseen parts such as impact shields and engine covers to components drivers see and interact with everyday, including doors and instrument panels. Some of these plastics have fillers such as heavy glass fibers for added strength. Ford is examining the possibility of replacing those glass fibers with natural fiber reinforcements made from cellulose, soy protein, hemp fiber, flax fiber and other bio-based materials.
So far, lab test results have been promising, with the natural fiber-reinforced plastics showing up to a 30 percent weight reduction depending on the part.
Taking the idea of a greener automotive composite a step further, Ford is also working with a biodegradable plastic called polylactic acid (PLA). Derived completely from the sugars in corn, sugarbeets, sugarcane, switch grass and other plants, a plastic part made from PLA can biodegrade after its life cycle in 90 to 120 days versus up to 1,000 years in a landfill for a traditional, petroleum-based plastic.
Potential automotive applications for PLA are wide ranging, from textile applications for vehicle carpeting, floor mats and upholstery to interior trim pieces that are injection molded. More immediate possibilities include using PLA for nondurable auto applications such as protective wrappings used during vehicle manufacturing and transit.
Composite challenges
The presence of more bio-based materials in automotive plastics does pose mechanical performance, durability and process challenges that Debbie Mielewski, technical leader of Plastics Research at Ford, and her four-person biomaterials group are hot to solve.
To speed up development, the Ford team is working with several organizations and universities, including the Ontario BioCar Initiative – a multi-university effort between the University of Guelph, University of Toronto, University of Waterloo and University of Windsor.
The BioCar Initiative is an Ontario government-funded project designed to advance the use of more plant-based materials in the auto and agricultural industries. Ford holds a spot on BioCar’s advisory board and directs some of the project’s automotive research with biomaterials.
Issues on the working block include:
– Moisture absorption: Natural fiber-reinforced plastics are more likely to absorb moisture over time, causing functional and durability concerns.
– Odor: Injection molding at high temperatures with a natural fiber-reinforced plastic emits an undesirable odor.
– Decomposition: PLA is designed to decompose quickly, but researchers want to make sure it will last the lifetime of a vehicle before that decomposition process starts.
Experimentation with nano filler materials in plastic composites is still on Ford’s research screen, too. Nano fillers have the potential to reduce weight while increasing strength. Early testing shows, in fact, that a plastic reinforced with 5 percent nano filler instead of the typical 30 percent glass filler has strength and lightweight properties that are better than glass. The big roadblock all nano researchers are facing today, however, is how to uniformly exfoliate or disperse the nano material within the composite so that weak spots do not occur.
Here today
Although increased usage of bio-based materials in plastics is still in the advanced research phase, Ford has already made great inroads with other bio-based, reclaimed and recycled materials that are in Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles today. They include:
– Soy-based polyurethane foams on the seat cushions and seatbacks, now in production on the Ford Mustang, Expedition, F-150, Focus, Escape,
Escape Hybrid, Mercury Mariner and Lincoln Navigator and Lincoln MKS. More than 1.5 million Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles on the road
today have soy-foam seats, which equates to a reduction in petroleum oil usage of approximately 1.5 million pounds. This year, Ford has expanded its soy-foam portfolio to include the industry’s first application of a soy-foam headliner on the 2010 Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner for a 25 percent weight savings over a traditional glass-mat headliner.
– Underbody systems, such as aerodynamic shields, splash shields and radiator air deflector shields, made from post-consumer recycled resins such as detergent bottles, tires and battery casings, diverting between 25 and 30 million pounds of plastic from landfills.
– 100 percent postindustrial recycled yarns in seat fabrics on vehicles such as the Ford Escape. The 2010 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan Hybrids feature 85 percent postindustrial yarns and 15 percent solution-dyed yarns. The 100 percent usage represents a 64 percent reduction in energy consumption and a 60 percent reduction in CO2 emissions.
In addition, Ford also has led the way for other industries to capitalize on its greener material technologies, licensing its soy-based foam to companies such as Deere & Company for agricultural applications. Ford researchers also continue to welcome biomaterial discussions with other non-auto-related manufacturers of items ranging from child car seats to furniture.
The team
Ford’s Biomaterials and Plastics Research group has nearly 50 years of combined experience at Ford Motor Company in paints, plastics and other materials development.
Led by 23-year veteran Mielewski, the team includes Dr. Cynthia Flanigan, Dr. Ellen Lee, and research engineers Angela Harris and Laura Beyer. All hold varying combinations of bachelor’s, master’s and Ph.D.s in the areas of environmental engineering, chemical engineering and materials science. All also hold the important title of mom, with 10 children between them.
Mielewski organized Ford’s biomaterials program in 2001, leading her team in the development of Ford’s soy-based foam seating, which was first introduced on the Ford Model U concept vehicle in 2003 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. In 2007, this soy-based foam first hit the production line in the seats of the 2008 Ford Mustang, and has since won multiple awards and industry recognition.
Source: Ford Motor Company
New evidence-based research shows that Universal Comprehensive Eye Exams would help more children succeed in school
Only three states require exams, many children remain untreated, creating a new public health concern, according to report from National Commission on Vision and Health
Even though universal comprehensive eye exams for children prior to starting school would result in more children being diagnosed and successfully treated for vision problems and eye diseases, requirements vary widely from state to state and only three states require eye examinations for school-age children, according to a new report from the National Commission on Vision and Health.
The report, “Building a Comprehensive Child Vision Care System,” found that children are being screened at low rates and those who are screened do not often receive the necessary follow-up and treatment they may require. Children without health insurance and those living in poverty are at the greatest risk. Although the majority of states do require some type of vision screening prior to children entering public schools, they often fail to use the best screening tests and to assure important follow-up for those who fail the screening. Only three states, Kentucky, Illinois and Missouri, require comprehensive eye exams for children entering school. Currently fifteen states do not require any form of screenings or exams, resulting in a public health emergency for millions of children.
“Children from low-income families lack the health care resources necessary to break the cycle of poverty,” said David Rosenstein, DMS, MPH, Oregon Health & Science University professor emeritus. “This lack of vision care is handicapping our most vulnerable populations. Research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that 83 percent of families earning less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level have children who have not seen an eye care provider during the prior year. This must change now for the sake of our children.”
According to doctors, early detection and treatment are essential in treating eye diseases and disorders in children and can lead to better school achievement and overall health outcomes which can lead to prevention of eye disease and developmental delays. Vision screenings vary in scope and are not designed to detect many visual problems. A comprehensive exam by an eye doctor does, and an eye doctor can also provide follow-up treatment.
“This report finds that vision screenings are not the most effective way to determine vision problems,” said Deborah Klein Walker, EdD., principal author of the report and past-president of the American Public Health Association. “Screenings missed finding vision conditions in one-third of children with a vision problem and most of the children who are screened and fail the screening don’t receive the follow-up care they need. This, despite the fact that many of the vision problems affecting children can be managed or even eliminated if they receive proper care right away.”
Millions of children are without adequate care and preventable eye diseases and correctable vision problems are neglected. Many eye and vision disorders lack obvious signs and symptoms and can be prevented or treated through early detection, follow-up care and ongoing treatment. Undiagnosed and untreated vision problems in children can potentially limit the range of experiences and kinds of information to which the child is exposed. Visual learning plays an important role in how a child learns to understand and function in the world.
Studies indicate that one in four children have an undetected vision problem. Additionally, a quarter of school-age children suffer from vision problems that could have been addressed or eliminated if appropriate eye assessment programs and follow-up care had been in place when they started school.
“Starting school with good vision should be a part of every child’s back-to-school plan,” said Commission chair Edwin C. Marshall, O.D., M.P.H., Vice President for Diversity, Equity, & Multicultural Affairs at Indiana University. “Clear and comfortable vision is essential for learning, and the country would be well-served to make sure children’s eye exams are accessible and required.”
Given the data surrounding this public health emergency, the Commission recommends agencies at the federal, state and local levels collaborate with academia, business, providers and the public to create a comprehensive child vision care system to ensure all children are assessed for potential eye and vision problems before entering school and throughout the school years. In addition to universal access to vision care, the Commission recommends a point of accountability within local public health agencies, a national education campaign, and ongoing data collection to monitor the use and efficacy of child vision exams.
Specifically, the commission supports a national child vision care system that:
– Includes child vision health care in key legislation at the federal and state levels.
– Assures adequate comprehensive coverage of child vision care services by all public and private insurers and payers.
– Establishes a child vision health categorical program linked to the Title V MCH Block Grant within the Maternal and Child Health Bureau in the Health Resources Service Administration (HRSA), Health and Human Services (HHS).
– Develops a national set of children’s vision guidelines for screening and examinations and assure these guidelines are adopted by all states.
– Implements and funds a national clearinghouse for child vision health within the Department of Health and Human Services.
– Enhances and fully funds national campaigns to encourage early identification of child vision problems and to prevent injuries from sports and toys.
– Designs and implements an ongoing data system that monitors prevalence of child vision problems together with access and utilization of child
vision care services.
– Develops and facilitates a broad coalition of child-oriented stakeholder groups to work towards the establishment and maintenance of a comprehensive child vision system across the country.
Source: National Commission on Vision and Health
Piecing Together the HIV Prevention Puzzle
AVAC Report Assesses Progress in AIDS Vaccine, Microbicide and PrEP Research and Calls for Urgent Coordination and Leadership in Advance of Upcoming Results
“It’s an exciting time in HIV prevention research. We will see results from a number of critically important HIV prevention research trials this year, as well as see the start of new trials around the world that will yield important answers in the years to come,” said Mitchell Warren, AVAC executive director, at the release of AVAC’s 13th annual report of the field.
“But scientific, community and political leaders must act now to plan for continued research and implementation of effective strategies, or this excitement will be wasted,” Warren added.
The report – Piecing Together the HIV Prevention Puzzle – looks at AIDS vaccine research, where there is an energized focus on discovery, innovation and basic science and looks at the broader HIV prevention field, particularly the implications of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and other strategies in efficacy trials today.
This analysis of the HIV prevention field comes in a year that has already brought disappointment as well as intriguing results from various prevention studies. At the same time, even trials that failed to show overall benefit, such as the Step Study of the Merck HIV vaccine candidate, have continued to generate new, valuable information and questions that would not otherwise exist.
These trials have succeeded as a result of increasingly robust partnerships between researchers and communities grappling with HIV, including gay men around the world and heterosexual women in Africa. These partnerships, along with the persistently high rates of new infections, are a continual reminder of the global commitment to and need for continuing the search for new prevention for as long as it takes.
“We hope to have new prevention intervention pieces to add to the puzzle in the next few years,” said Warren. “But as the slow implementation of male circumcision to reduce heterosexual men’s risk of HIV infection reminds us, we need extensive planning and guidance to ensure research results are translated into real impact against the epidemic. We can’t afford to wait for efficacy results before we begin to plan. We must anticipate and tackle the major hurdles for implementation now.”
The Report identifies major issues for implementation of new prevention options, including:
- Ongoing global failures to scale up access to HIV testing and counseling services.
- Persistent inattention to the needs of gay men and other men who have sex with men around the world.
- Gaps in health care infrastructure that will complicate introduction of any new strategy.
In the Report, AVAC also underscores the importance of WHO and UNAIDS getting involved in planning for the results from PrEP trials before data are available.
“WHO and UNAIDS, along with other stakeholders, need to combine their strengths now to provide leadership and coordination so that the world is ready to work with results from the many ongoing PrEP trials,” said Warren.
Positive results from current vaccine, PrEP and microbicide trials will also present challenges and opportunities for other ongoing and planned HIV prevention trials.
“There has been concern that positive results from PrEP trials would require vaccine or microbicide trials to become larger, longer and more expensive, as PrEP could become a standard of prevention in these trials,” said Warren. “But we believe that success in one trial will open up possibilities and options for research that could combine AIDS vaccines and other interventions as they emerge.”
To help guide efforts in new areas of research and sustain ongoing research, AVAC calls for researchers and trial sponsors to begin planning on how combination strategies can be evaluated.
As the field looks to fit the puzzle pieces together, the AVAC Report also identifies a number of big questions in AIDS vaccine research for 2009 and beyond, focusing on issues such as cell-mediated viral control, HIV genetic diversity, the role of animal models, immune activation, antibodies and adjuvants.
In its analysis of the vaccine field, AVAC also assesses the progress and future potential of the Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise and considers the impact of results from the Thai prime-boost vaccine trial that are expected in September. With over 16,400 participants, this is the largest AIDS vaccine trial ever undertaken.
“In AIDS vaccine and HIV prevention research today, we see a fertile mix of big science and individual efforts, of product-oriented work and of slow and steady basic science,” Warren added. “What we need now is a quick, strategic, scientific analysis of all the efforts underway, with a goal of identifying gaps and opportunities for synergy both within the AIDS vaccine field and across the vaccine, PrEP, and microbicide fields. AVAC is excited to help move the HIV prevention field toward a collaborative agenda and to prepare now for implementing potential new prevention options.”
Piecing Together the HIV Prevention Puzzle is available at www.avac.org/reports.htm.
NASA Selects 16 Small Business Technology Transfer Projects
NASA has selected 16 proposals for negotiation of Phase 2 contract awards in the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program. The selected projects have a total value of approximately $9.6 million. The contracts will be awarded to 16 hi-tech firms partnered with 15 universities in 18 states.
The Small Business Administration provides guidance for the general conduct of the STTR Program. NASA is one of the federal agencies required to reserve a portion of its research and development funds to award to small business. NASA works closely with Small Business Administration to ensure compliance with federal regulations.
NASA’s Innovative Partnerships Program office at the agency’s headquarters in Washington provides executive oversight of the STTR program as part of its focus on emerging technologies and efforts to advance technological innovation for NASA purposes. The office partners with U.S. industry to infuse innovative technologies into NASA missions and transition them into commercially available products and services for NASA and other markets.
As an investment opportunity, STTR innovations address specific technology gaps in mission programs, provide a foundation for future technology needs, and are complementary to other NASA research investments.
Examples of some STTR technologies being pursued in current selected proposals are provided below:
- A novel on-chip sensor system that monitors body fluids to follow the potential onset and progress of diseases is being developed. The integrated platform will provide the technological backbone to develop microfluidic processing systems and nano-biosensors for a variety of applications in healthcare and the life sciences.
- A smart reconfigurable antenna for space suits is under development for use during NASA’s spacewalking operations on the moon. These proposed smart antennas offer a high performance-to-cost ratio and may reduce the cost of mobile communication antennas.
- A new coordinated control architecture for a new generation of robotic vehicles is under development. It will improve motion planning for cooperative mechanisms, task sequencing and monitoring, and enable the robotic vehicles to work in closely coordinated teams. This control architecture also can be applied to commercial sector robots, making factories and warehouses more efficient.
- Research proposed to develop a technique and sensor to measure simultaneously the concentrations of several contaminants in hydrogen gas storage tanks and supply lines. The purity of hydrogen fuel is important in engine testing at NASA and the proposed sensor may also be used for quality control in pharmaceutical, chemical and food processing industries.
Participating firms and research institutions submitted 25 Phase 2 proposals. The criteria used to select the winning proposals included technical merit and innovation, Phase 1 results, value to NASA, commercial potential, and company capabilities.
The program is a highly competitive, three-phase award system. It provides qualified small businesses, including women-owned and disadvantaged firms, with opportunities to propose innovative ideas that meet specific research and development needs of the federal government. In addition, the STTR program requires a collaborative research effort between small business and research institutions.
Phase 1 is a feasibility study to evaluate the scientific and technical merit of an idea. Awards are for up to 12 months in amounts up to $100,000. Phase 2 expands on the results of the development in Phase 1. Awards are for up to two years in amounts up to $600,000. Phase 3 is for the commercialization of the results of Phase 2 and requires the use of private sector or non-STTR federal funding. These NASA awards are for the second-phase in this competitive process.
NASA’s STTR program operations are managed by NASA’s Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, Calif. Individual projects are managed by NASA’s field installations. For a list of selected companies, visit: http://sbir.nasa.gov
For information about the Innovative Partnerships Program, visit: http://www.ipp.nasa.gov
Source: NASA
Landmark Policy Report: Many Cancers Could Be Prevented Across the Globe
Comprehensive, Evidence-Based Recommendations for All Levels of Society
A new global policy report estimates that approximately 37 percent of colon cancer cases and 28 percent of breast cancer cases in Brazil and other middle-income countries in South America are preventable through diet, physical activity and weight maintenance. The report also sets out recommendations for policies to reduce the global number of cancer cases.
The overall message of the report, Policy and Action for Cancer Prevention, published today by World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) and American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR), is that all sections of society need to make public health, and cancer prevention in particular, a higher priority.
It includes estimates on the proportion of many different types of cancer that could be prevented through diet, physical activity and weight. In South America, about one third of the most common cancers could be prevented. That figure does not include smoking, which alone accounts for about a third of cancers.
Different Policy Recommendations for Different Groups
As part of the evidence-based report, thought to be the most comprehensive ever published on the subject, two independent teams of scientists systematically examined the evidence for how policy changes can influence the behaviors that affect cancer risk.
Following this, a panel of 23 world-renowned experts made a total of 48 recommendations, divided between nine different but often overlapping sectors of society — called “actor groups” in the report. These actor groups are: multinational bodies; civil society organizations; government; industry; media; schools; workplaces and institutions; health and other professionals; and people.
Among the recommendations:
- Governments should require widespread walking and cycling routes to encourage physical activity.
- Governments should encourage healthy food and discourage unhealthy food through legislation and pricing.
- Industry should give a higher priority for goods and services that encourage people to be active, particularly young people.
- The food and drinks industry should make public health an explicit priority at all stages of production.
- Schools should actively encourage physical activity and provide healthy food for children.
- Schools, workplaces and institutions should not have unhealthy foods available in vending machines.
- Health professionals should take a lead in giving the public information about public health, including cancer prevention.
- People should use independent nutrition guides and food labels to make sure the food they buy for their family is healthy.
Professor Sir Michael Marmot, Chair of the WCRF/AICR Panel, said, “When people think of policy reports, they often think they only speak to governments. But the evidence shows that when it comes to cancer prevention, all groups in society have a vital role to play. “
Panel member Tim Byers, M.D., MPH of the University of Colorado at Denver said, “Estimating cancer preventability is a very complex prospect that involves making a number of assumptions. Having said that, the figures in this report are as good an estimate it is possible to achieve about the proportion of cancer cases that could be prevented through healthy diet, regular physical activity and maintaining a healthy weight.”
“On a global level every year, there are millions of cancer cases that could have been prevented. This is why we need to act now before the situation gets even worse.”
The report includes preventability for Brazil (considered a middle-income country), as well as for the U.S. and U.K. (considered a high-income countries), and China, considered a low-income countries. The global preventability estimate ranges between one quarter and one third of all cancers.
Policy Report Represents the Next Step
The new WCRF/AICR Policy Report is a companion document to the expert report Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity and the Prevention of Cancer: A Global Perspective, which was published by AICR and WCRF in November of 2007. That expert report evaluated the scientific evidence from over 7000 studies and came away with 10 recommendations for lowering cancer risk.
“The 2007 expert report identified the specific choices that people can make to protect themselves against cancer, but actually making those healthy choices remains difficult for many people,” said policy report panel member Ricardo Uauy, M.D., Ph.D., of the Instituto de Nutricion y Technologia de los Alimentos in Santiago, Chile. “The policy report takes the next step — it identifies opportunities for us as a society to make those choices easier.”
The American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) is the cancer charity that fosters research on the relationship of nutrition, physical activity and weight management to cancer risk, interprets the scientific literature and educates the public about the results. It has contributed more than $86 million for innovative research conducted at universities, hospitals and research centers across the country. AICR has published two landmark reports that interpret the accumulated research in the field and is committed to a process of continuous review. AICR also provides a wide range of educational programs to help millions of Americans learn to make dietary changes for lower cancer risk. Its award-winning New American Plate program is presented in brochures, seminars and on its Web site, www.aicr.org. AICR is a member of the World Cancer Research Fund International.