CHICAGO–(ENEWSPF)–JULY 28, 2011. Governor Pat Quinn today signed comprehensive legislation that will help protect Illinois’ student-athletes from concussions and other brain injuries. The new law ensures that athletes who receive a concussion will not be allowed to return to play or practice until they are evaluated and receive written clearance[Read More…]
Science
New Report Identifies How Impacts of Climate Change to Water Supplies and Waterways Will Affect U.S. Cities
WASHINGTON DC–(ENEWSPF)–July 28, 2011. As the nation grapples with a record year for storms, drought and weather-related devastation, a new report released yesterday by the Natural Resources Defense Council reveals climate change is leaving American cities open to a range of water-related vulnerabilities – from drought to sea level rise[Read More…]
NIH-Funded Study May Increase Understanding of SIDS, Depressive Disorders
Bethesda, Maryland–(ENEWSPF)–July 28, 2011. NIH-funded scientists have developed a strain of mice with a built-in off switch that can selectively shut down the animals’ serotonin-producing cells, which make up a brain network controlling breathing, temperature regulation, and mood. The switch controls only the serotonin-producing cells, and does not affect any[Read More…]
It’s Dim Up North – So Northerners Need Bigger Brains to See Properly
UNITED KINGDOM–(ENEWSPF)–27 July 2011. The farther that human populations live from the equator, the bigger their brains, according to a new study by Oxford University. But it turns out that this is not because they are smarter, but because they need bigger vision areas in the brain to cope with[Read More…]
Scientists Create Global Map of Religious Forests to Protect Biodiversity Hotspots
UNITED KINGDOM–(ENEWSPF)–27 July 2011. Oxford scientists are producing an entire map of the world’s religious forests – locations that contain some of richest biodiversity in the world, including some of the highest numbers of threatened species. A research team is now engaged in a project to scientifically measure the full[Read More…]
Governor Quinn Signs Legislation to Increase Affordability of Cancer Treatments
CHICAGO–(ENEWSPF)–July 27, 2011. Governor Pat Quinn today signed legislation to ensure health insurance benefit equality between oral and injectable cancer drugs, allowing cancer patients more affordable treatment options and protecting them from significantly high out-of-pocket costs. House Bill 1825 requires private health insurance plans that provide coverage for oral and[Read More…]
NHTSA Steps Up Efforts to Prevent Child Deaths in Hot Cars
WASHINGTON–(ENEWSPF)–July 26, 2011. With record high temperatures nationwide and reports of 21 hyperthermia-related child deaths already this summer, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) convened a first of its kind roundtable with key stakeholders today to help step up efforts to prevent these needless deaths. Children left alone in[Read More…]
Frog Leg Trade Decimates Species and Causes Ecological Chaos
WASHINGTON–(ENEWSPF)–July 26, 2011. International wildlife conservation groups Pro Wildlife, Defenders of Wildlife, and the Animal Welfare Institute, issued a report today titled Canapés to Extinction: The international trade in frogs’ legs and its ecological impact. The report is the first comprehensive study of the frog leg market ever conducted and[Read More…]
Papayas Linked to Multistate Salmonella Outbreak
SPRINGFIELD, ILL.–(ENEWSPF)–July 26, 2011. The Illinois Department of Public Health is reporting 17 cases of Salmonella Agona in Illinois, which are linked to a multistate outbreak believed to be associated with papayas from Mexico. Of the 17 cases in Illinois, eight hospitalizations have been reported. Cases have been reported in[Read More…]
NIH-funded Study Proposes New Method to Predict Fertility Rates
Bethesda, Maryland–(ENEWSPF)–July 26, 2011. Researchers supported by the National Institutes of Health have developed a new statistical technique to forecast changes in fertility rates. The new method mathematically compensates for uncertainty and is expected to allow governments to plan more reliably for the infrastructure and social services needed to accommodate[Read More…]
