New study suggests pregnant women hospitalized for COVID-19 do not face increased risk of death
(University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston) Pregnant women who are hospitalized with COVID-19 and viral pneumonia are less likely than non-pregnant women to die from these infections, according to a new study by researchers with The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) and the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM). (Source: EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases)
Source: EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases - May 11, 2021 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: news

Pregnant women hospitalized for COVID-19 infection do not face increased risk of death
(University of Maryland School of Medicine) Pregnant women who develop severe COVID-19 infections that require hospitalization for pneumonia and other complications may not be more likely to die from these infections than non-pregnant women. In fact, they may have significantly lower death rates than their non-pregnant counterparts. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - May 11, 2021 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news

Pfizer-BioNTech Has Requested Full Approval of Their COVID-19 Vaccine From the FDA
Pfizer-BioNTech announced on May 7 that they have requested that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) start the process of fully approving their COVID-19 vaccine. The companies will continue to supply the agency with additional data on vaccination safety and effectiveness on a rolling basis over coming weeks. The FDA issued an emergency use authorization for the shot in December, based on short-term data on safety and efficacy. Now, the companies have the required six-month data on the vaccine to support a biologics license application, which the FDA will review over the next several weeks before making a decision. ...
Source: TIME: Health - May 7, 2021 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Alice Park Tags: Uncategorized COVID-19 Source Type: news

UMD researchers study metabolism and liver function in embryonic chickens and hatchlings
(University of Maryland) University of Maryland is improving poultry production and welfare. During their first week, chickens undergo a metabolic switch from the fat-rich diet embryos grow in to a high carbohydrate diet. This is a natural transition in chicks, whereas a high fat diet in humans leads to metabolic consequences such as fatty liver disease and diabetes. Researchers hope to gain insights into how the liver works to help prevent metabolic disease in animals and humans. (Source: EurekAlert! - Biology)
Source: EurekAlert! - Biology - May 6, 2021 Category: Biology Source Type: news

Doctors overestimate risk leading to over-diagnosis, overtreatment, study finds
(University of Maryland School of Medicine) Primary care practitioners often over-estimate the likelihood of a patient having a medical condition based on reported symptoms and laboratory test results. Such overestimations can lead to overdiagnosis and overtreatment, according to a recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) published in JAMA Internal Medicine. (Source: EurekAlert! - Cancer)
Source: EurekAlert! - Cancer - April 28, 2021 Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: news

UMD studies mangrove genetic diversity in Africa to conserve centers of biodiversity
(University of Maryland) In collaboration with the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, a University of Maryland (UMD) researcher co-published a large-scale study examining the genetic diversity of mangroves over more than 1,800 miles of coastline in the Western Indian Ocean, including Eastern Africa and several islands. This work showcases how oceanic currents create both connectivity and barriers between mangrove populations, with important implications for how to protect these ecosystems. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)
Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science - April 27, 2021 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news

Wavering on getting the Covid-19 vaccine? Justin Tucker may just give you the kick you need
Only weeks ago, demand for the Covid-19 vaccine was soaring, with an appointment a hot commodity. But with people who desperately wanted the shot successfully getting vaccinated, Maryland officials are turning their attention to those who might need a little persuasion. University of Maryland Medical System is teaming with popular Ravens kicker Justin Tucker in a new public service announcement urging the public to get vaccinated. Tucker, also a popular pitchman for homegrown Royal Farms' chicken,… (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Physician Practices headlines)
Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Physician Practices headlines - April 23, 2021 Category: American Health Authors: Joanna Sullivan Source Type: news

University of Maryland and Mid-Atlantic Quantum Alliance launch quantum business incubator
(University of Maryland) The incubator seeks to launch and grow new startups and to connect quantum businesses with mentors, existing companies, funding and infrastructure--all to create or advance quantum-based technologies (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)
Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science - April 23, 2021 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news

UMD sows the seeds of conscious living, wins the LAGI International Design Challenge
(University of Maryland) University of Maryland (UMD) was named one of ten winners worldwide for their stunning self-sustaining eco-restoration base, Ripple. As winners of the LAGI International Design Challenge, the team will build Ripple this summer on the Fly Ranch in the Nevada desert, part of the Burning Man Project. Ripple will be a flexible space to regenerate native plant diversity and ecological wisdom, paying equal homage to the land and the indigenous tribes who once lived there. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)
Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science - April 22, 2021 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news

How long does protection from COVID-19 vaccines last?
While the current COVID-19 vaccines will likely last for at least about a year, they probably won't offer lifelong protection, as with measles shots, said Dr. Kathleen Neuzil, a vaccine expert at the University of Maryland. (Source: The Economic Times)
Source: The Economic Times - April 22, 2021 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news

NSF award to help understand ocean ecology where Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic meet
(University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science) The National Science Foundation has awarded $1 million to a team of researchers at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science to study how the nutrient plume of the nation's largest estuary, the Chesapeake Bay, changes over the course of the year and what those changes mean for food webs and nutrient cycles in the coastal Atlantic Ocean (Source: EurekAlert! - Biology)
Source: EurekAlert! - Biology - April 16, 2021 Category: Biology Source Type: news

Trillions of ‘Brood X’ Cicadas Are About to Emerge Across the U.S. to Sing, Mate and Die. Here’s What to Expect
This coming May, millions of people around the United States will have front-row seats to an extraordinary entomological event: Trillions of Brood X cicadas across 15 states will emerge almost synchronously after having spent the last 17 years underground. The males will take up elevated positions, each buzzing as loud as a lawnmower to attract females. After mating, the adult cicadas will die off en masse just about as quickly as they arrived—likely sometime in late June or July—while their offspring tunnel underground, not to emerge until 2038, when the dance will begin anew. Annual, or “dog day,”...
Source: TIME: Science - April 14, 2021 Category: Science Authors: Rebecca Katzman Tags: Uncategorized animals Environment News Source Type: news

Researchers map brain regions responsible for intoxicating effects of alcohol
(University of Maryland School of Medicine) The slurred speech, poor coordination, and sedative effects of drinking too much alcohol may actually be caused by the breakdown of alcohol products produced in the brain, not in the liver as scientists currently think. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - April 14, 2021 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news

Psychedelic experience may not be required for psilocybin's antidepressant-like benefits
(University of Maryland School of Medicine) University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) researchers have shown that psilocybin--the active chemical in " magic mushrooms " -- still works its antidepressant-like actions, at least in mice, even when the psychedelic experience is blocked. The new findings suggest that psychedelic drugs work in multiple ways in the brain and it may be possible to deliver the fast-acting antidepressant therapeutic benefit without requiring daylong guided therapy sessions. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - April 13, 2021 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news

Road salts and other human sources are threatening world's freshwater supplies
(University of Maryland) When winter storms threaten to make travel dangerous, people often turn to salt to melt snow and ice. Road salt is an important tool for safety, but a new study in Biogeochemistry led by Sujay Kaushal of the University of Maryland warns that introducing salt into the environment--for de-icing roads, fertilizing farmland or other purposes--releases toxic chemical cocktails that create a serious and growing global threat to our freshwater supply and human health. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - April 12, 2021 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news