Category Archives: Science

Fair Drug Pricing Demanded

By David Arnett

Last week, President Donald J. Trump sent letters to 17 of the leading pharmaceutical companies outlining steps they must take to lower prescription drug prices for Americans — including matching the lowest price offered in other developed nations. Fairness worldwide, what a great concept.

In a press release Monday, the White House asserted, “There is no reason American consumers should pay exorbitantly more than other countries for the same drug in the same packaging and manufactured in the same factory. That’s why President Trump warned the companies that if they ‘refuse to step up, we will deploy every tool in our arsenal to protect American families from continued abusive drug pricing practices.’”

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Targeted Concussion Care Works

By University of Arkansas

New study finds majority of patients receiving targeted concussion treatment reported still being recovered and exhibited normal quality of life scores 1-6 years after injury.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – As the fall sports season approaches, athletes and their families may be concerned about the potential risk of head injuries. Now, they can take comfort in the findings of a clinical study done on the long-term outcomes of concussion patients. After receiving targeted treatment for concussion in which an individualized “profile” is created for patients, more than 83% of them reported still being fully recovered from their concussions, ranging from 1-6 years after the injury.

Creating an individualized clinical profile of a patient’s concussion is a relatively new practice and has gained much wider acceptance over the last decade. But to date, no one has followed up with patients who have received what’s known as “clinical-profiles informed care” for their concussion.

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USDA to Bolster Meat & Poultry Safety

By David Arnett

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins Tuesday at the opening of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) new, modernized Midwestern Food Safety Laboratory, launched a  comprehensive plan to bolster USDA’s efforts to combat food-borne illness.

“President Trump is committed to ensuring American consumers have the safest, most abundant, and affordable food supply in the world. When it comes to food safety, USDA is charting a bold new course in giving consumers confidence their meat, poultry, and egg products meet our best-in-class food safety standards,” said Secretary Rollins. “I look forward to continued collaboration across the Trump administration, with states, and with food producers from farm to table, to reduce food-borne illness and protect public health.”   

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Screen Use Linked to Teen Suicide

By David Arnett

A recent study by researchers at Cornell, Columbia, and University of California- Berkeley links addictive screen use by adolescents to an increase in suicidal behaviors. The study followed 4,285 U.S. adolescents over a four-year period, and the results imply overwhelmingly that the key element driving risk of suicidal behavior is not total time but rather addictive use of social media, mobile phones, and video games. 

“This is the first study to identify that addictive use is important, and is actually the root cause, instead of time,” said lead author Yunyu Xiao, assistant professor of psychiatry and population health sciences at Weill Cornell Medical College.

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Responsible Forest Management

By David Arnett

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced during a meeting of the Western Governors’ Association in New Mexico, June 23, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is rescinding the 2001 Roadless Rule. This outdated administrative rule contradicts the will of Congress and goes against the mandate of the USDA Forest Service to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation’s forests and grasslands. Rescinding this rule will remove prohibitions on road construction, reconstruction, and timber harvest on nearly 59 million acres of the National Forest System, allowing for fire prevention and responsible timber production.

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