-- PROFESSOR OF MEDICINE. INVESTIGATES UNEXPLAINED NAUSEA
-- TELEHEALTH PROGRAMS FOCUS OF NEW STUDY
-- IST DEAN TO SPEAK AT CONGRESSIONAL HEARING
-- MARKER LECTURES IN GENETIC ENGINEERING, SEPT. 28 AND 29
-- ECOLOGIST LOOKS AT CANCER, ENVIRONMENT IN TALK, OCT. 23
-- WPSX-TV WINS MID-ATLANTIC EMMY
PROFESSOR OF MEDICINE. INVESTIGATES UNEXPLAINED NAUSEA
Gastric neuromuscular disorders should be considered in cases of unexplained nausea and vomiting, says Kenneth L. Koch, M.D., professor of medicine at Penn State's College of Medicine and gastroenterologist at The Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. About 15 percent of the population had at least moderate nausea in the past three months, but nausea and vomiting are symptoms associated with many different diseases and can often be a challenge to diagnose for physicians. Usually, standard diagnostic tests are performed first to exclude common diseases and disorders that can be treated with specific therapies. But Koch believes that in the absence of a specific diagnosis, gastric neuromuscular disorders should be considered. Koch, a pioneer in the field of nausea with more than 20 years of study, often uses an electrogastrogram (EGG) to assist in diagnosis as a noninvasive way to record and analyze stomach electrical activity. It is much like an EKG device is for the heart, he says. Koch recently published his in the journal, Current Treatment Options in Gastroenterology. His paper details specific treatments, including patient education, an extensive list of drug therapies and surgery. For more on this story, go to http://www.hmc.psu.edu/news/pr/sep/91400.htm
TELEHEALTH PROGRAMS TO BE FOCUS OF NEW STUDY
Penn State professor will research telehealth technology and factors that lead to successful programs, thanks to support from The Nonprofit Sector Research Fund of The Aspen Institute. Dr. Kathryn H. Dansky, associate professor of health policy and administration in the College of Health and Human Development, received a $25,000 grant for her study, "A Stakeholder Analysis of Telehealth Programs: Does Ownership Matter?" "Despite the growth of telehealth technology, little is known about its impact or the factors that lead to successful programs. Her study will investigate differences between for-profit and not-for-profit telehealth programs, among other factors. For the full story, go to http://www.psu.edu/ur/2000/danskytelehealth.html
IST DEAN TO SPEAK AT CONGRESSIONAL HEARING
"Educating the IT Workforce in the 21st Century: Lessons from Penn State’s School of Information Sciences and Technology (IST)" will be the focus of comments by Dean James B. Thomas before a U. S. House of Representatives committee on Friday, Sept. 22. Thomas will speak before the Committee on Education and the Workforce, chaired by Rep. William F. Goodling of Pennsylvania at 9:30 a.m. in Room 2175 of the Rayburn House Office Building. In addition to his remarks, the dean will enter additional information into the official record of the committee proceedings. IST was founded by Penn State to help fill the enormous global shortfall in information technology professionals. Now in its second year of operation, the school has more than 1,300 undergraduate students at 19 Penn State locations across Pennsylvania. This fall, IST introduced the first of its on-line courses, with more to follow soon. For more information on IST, go to http://www.ist.psu.edu
MARKER LECTURES IN GENETIC ENGINEERING, SEPT. 28 AND 29
Arnold J. Levine, President of The Rockefeller University, will give the 2000 Marker Lectures in Genetic Engineering on Sept. 28 and 29. The two-lecture series, "Tumor Suppressor Genes and Cancer," is sponsored by the Eberly College of Science and is open to the public. Levine is a leading authority on the molecular basis of cancer. His research focuses on the tumor suppressor gene called p53 and on its protein product, which he discovered in 1979. When the p53 gene does not function properly, it fails to control cell division and acquires dangerous traits that add to the malignancy of a tumor. Disruption of p53's normal function is associated with an estimated 60 percent of human cancers. The lecture, "Putting the Breaks on Cancer" is scheduled for t 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 28, and "Transcriptional Profiles of p53 Regulated Genes and Colon Cancers" will be held at 11:15 a.m. on Friday, Sept.29, both in 101 Thomas Building. For the full story, go to. http://www.science.psu.edu/alert/MarkerGen9-2000.htm
ECOLOGIST LOOKS AT CANCER, ENVIRONMENT IN TALK, OCT. 23
Sandra Steingraber, research ecologist, cancer survivor and author of "Living Downstream: An Ecologist Looks at Cancer and the Environment" will visit Penn State to talk on how environmental factors can affect human health at 6:45 p.m. Oct. 23 at the Penn Stater Conference Center and Hotel. "Sandra Steingraber is well versed in how ecological factors and environmental risk can influence women's health, pregnancy and childbirth," says Ann Ward, regional program director of the Appalachian Cancer Network. "She has researched the prenatal risk factors for breast cancer and is writing her current book on the development of the mammary gland from fetal life through adolescence, pregnancy and menopause." Steingraber also will be a guest on the live 60-minute radio call-in program "To the Best of My Knowledge," on Oct. 24 at 7 p.m., hosted by President Graham Spanier. For more information go to http://pabcerf.psu.edu or http://www.outreach.psu.edu/C&I/LivingDownstream/
WPSX-TV WINS MID-ATLANTIC EMMY
Public TV station WPSX-TV won a Mid-Atlantic Emmy Award in the Outstanding Sports Series category for "Center Court with Rene Portland." Receiving awards were Anne Moss, host, Bill Amin, producer, Don Hampton, segment director, Jennifer Bortz, audio specialist, and Matt Chirdon, graphic designer. "We are quite proud of this achievement," said Penn State Public Broadcasting General Manager Ted Krichels. "Recognition from industry peers is always gratifying and reflects the talents of a very dedicated staff." The regional competition included nominees from Pennsylvania, Delaware, Southern New Jersey, and West Virginia. For more information, go to http://wpsx.psu.edu/center_court.html