PROFNET EXPERT ALERTS: Japan Earthquake / Bullying Behaviors / Summer Vacations

March 18, 2011

TOPIC ALERT:

Japan Earthquake, Tsunami (17 experts)

EXPERT ALERTS:

1. Behavior: Long-Term Effects of High-School Bullying Behaviors Explored

2. Health: Hot or Cold: What's the Best Treatment for Back Pain?

3. Health: Immunophenotyping Using Flow Cytometry for Detecting Blood Cancers

4. Home: For Laundry, Size Only Matters if it Gets Clean

5. Marriage: Office Pools Can Be Treacherous for Gambling Addicts

6. Shopping: Give Personalized Gifts This Mother's Day

7. Travel: Research, Math and Price Comparisons Are Keys to Affordable Summer Vacations

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JAPAN EARTHQUAKE, TSUNAMI:

Following are experts who can discuss various aspects of the 8.9-magnitude earthquake and consequent tsunami that struck Japan. We will be updating this list on our social networking site, ProfNet Connect: http://prn.to/quakeexperts We have also organized a Twitter List of experts on this topic: http://bit.ly/gCcQXr

**1. Saliha Bava, Ph.D., is associate professor of marriage and family therapy at Mercy College's School of Social and Behavioral Sciences and can speak to the issues of disaster preparedness and response, couples and parent-child relationships, and psychological trauma and first aid. Bava, who is based at Mercy College's Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., campus, is available for phone interviews Monday through Friday in the mornings, or anytime in the day on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. News Contact: Gladwyn Lopez, [e-mail]

**2. Jerrold T. Bushberg is a professor of radiology and director of health physics programs at UC Davis. He received his M.S. and Ph.D. in radiological physics/health physics from Purdue University and has served as a consultant in nuclear medicine, health physics and radiation biology to several national and state organizations and agencies. He was appointed as a member of the main scientific council of the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurement (NCRP), as well as its Scientific Advisory Committee on Radiation Protection in Medicine. He is a diplomate of the American Board of Science in Nuclear Medicine and the American Board of Medical Physics. Bushberg can comment on various issues related to health concerns posed by possible earthquake damage to Japan's nuclear power plants. News Contact: Dorsey Griffith, [e-mail] Phone: [phone]

**3. Lorraine Cashin, program director of physician assistant studies at Mercy College's School of Health and Natural Sciences, is a disease expert who warns that survivors in hard-hit areas of the tsunami need to take precautions against the development of diseases like cholera, one of the primary diseases one associates with disruption of clean water supply and sanitation services; hepatitis A and E, which are transmitted by fecal/oral route in association with lack of safe drinking water and clean sanitation; and leptospirosis, a bacterial disease transmitted through contact of the skin and mucous membranes with water, damp vegetation or mud contaminated with rodent urine (flooding facilitates the spread of this organism due to the proliferation of rodents and the proximity of rodents to humans on shared high ground). Cashin, who is based at Mercy College's Bronx, N.Y., campus, is available for phone interviews throughout the day Monday through Friday. News Contact: Gladwyn Lopez, [e-mail]

**4. Matthew Coleman is associate adjunct professor of radiation oncology at UC Davis. He studies how low-dose radiation exposure affects gene regulation and controls cellular response. His work aims to provide the basis for identifying those factors that make cells susceptible to low-dose radiation. Coleman can comment on various issues related to health concerns posed by possible earthquake damage to Japan's nuclear power plants. News Contact: Dorsey Griffith, [e-mail] Phone: [phone]

**5. Sandra Gorges is UC Davis' chief of pediatric imaging. Gorges is an expert in the radiographic evaluation of child abuse, pediatric oncology imaging and pediatric neuroimaging. One of her research interests in pediatric imaging is dose reduction and appropriate utilization of resources in pediatric CT. Gorges can comment on various issues related to health concerns posed by possible earthquake damage to Japan's nuclear power plants. News Contact: Dorsey Griffith, [e-mail] Phone: [phone]

**6. Wolf-Dietrich Heyer is professor of microbiology and of molecular and cellular biology at UC Davis, and leader of the UC Davis Cancer Center's Molecular Oncology Program. His research focuses on DNA repair, the process by which cells repair DNA and may become resistant to radiation therapy and other anti-cancer treatments. Heyer can comment on various issues related to health concerns posed by possible earthquake damage to Japan's nuclear power plants. News Contact: Dorsey Griffith, [e-mail] Phone: [phone]

**7. James Holmes is a professor in the Department of Emergency of Medicine at UC Davis. He conducts research on trauma patients, including studies to determine indications of abdominal CT and head CT. He can discuss balancing risks of missing important injuries versus risks of death from CT radiation-induced malignancies in both injured children and adults. Holmes can comment on various issues related to health concerns posed by possible earthquake damage to Japan's nuclear power plants. News Contact: Dorsey Griffith, [e-mail] Phone: [phone]

**8. Kristi L. Koenig, M.D., FACEP, an ACEP emergency physician and expert in radiological injury, is available to talk with reporters about the nuclear situation in Japan. She is at the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of California at Irvine, and director of public health preparedness. In addition, Annals of Emergency Medicine has made available online (without a subscription) the article "Medical Treatment of Radiological Casualties: Current Concepts," co-authored by Koenig: http://tinyurl.com/65ew7cx News Contact: Laura Gore, [e-mail] Phone: [phone], ext. 3008

**9. Stephen Kowalczykowski is a distinguished professor of microbiology and of molecular and cellular biology at UC Davis, and an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences. He is a pioneer in the analysis and visualization of DNA repair processes at the single-molecule level. Kowalczykowski can comment on various issues related to health concerns posed by possible earthquake damage to Japan's nuclear power plants. News Contact: Dorsey Griffith, [e-mail] Phone: [phone]

**10. Nate Kuppermann is professor and chair of emergency medicine and professor of pediatrics at UC Davis Children's Hospital. He has been studying the appropriate use of CT imaging in children for more than a decade. He also is lead author of a widely cited article recently published in Lancet on overuse of CT in children in the emergency room. He is a lead investigator in the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network, the first federally funded research network on pediatric emergency care in the United States. Kuppermann can comment on various issues related to health concerns posed by possible earthquake damage to Japan's nuclear power plants. News Contact: Dorsey Griffith, [e-mail] Phone: [phone]

**11. Ramit Lamba is assistant professor and chief of CT at UC Davis Medical Center. He specializes in the use of CT for diagnosis, interventional procedures and management of diseases in the abdomen and pelvis. His research focus is on the optimization of radiation dose for abdominal and pelvic CT exams. Lamba can comment on various issues related to health concerns posed by possible earthquake damage to Japan's nuclear power plants. News Contact: Dorsey Griffith, [e-mail] Phone: [phone]

**12. Jian-Jian Li is a professor of radiation oncology at UC Davis and a researcher who studies the molecular mechanisms causing tumor resistance to radiation and chemotherapy. The goal of his work is to find therapeutic targets to enhance the cure rate for patients undergoing radiation therapy. Li also researches ways to protect normal tissue from the effects of both high-dose and low-dose radiation. He can comment on various issues related to health concerns posed by possible earthquake damage to Japan's nuclear power plants. News Contact: Dorsey Griffith, [e-mail] Phone: [phone]

**13. James Purdy is professor and vice chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology and director of the Physics Division at UC Davis. Purdy has worked with the International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurement to develop standards for specification of dose and volumes in radiation oncology. He serves on the National Council on Radiation Protections and Measurements Scientific Committee 1-17: "Second Cancers and Cardiovascular Effects after Radiotherapy." His other research interests include image-based conformal radiation therapy, including intensity-modulated radiation therapy and image-guided radiation therapy and their associated quality assurance. He has been a leader in the development of cooperative group QA informatics infrastructure in support of national and international radiation therapy clinical trials. Purdy can comment on various issues related to health concerns posed by possible earthquake damage to Japan's nuclear power plants. News Contact: Dorsey Griffith, [e-mail] Phone: [phone]

**14. David Rocke is a distinguished professor of biostatistics in the Department of Public Health Sciences at UC Davis. His research explores the molecular mechanisms of the response of cells and tissues to low-dose radiation from environmental and occupational exposures. He also researches possible genetic and environmental differences among people in response to radiation. Rocke can comment on various issues related to health concerns posed by possible earthquake damage to Japan's nuclear power plants. News Contact: Dorsey Griffith, [e-mail] Phone: [phone]

**15. Robert Stevenson, Ed.D., is associate professor of Mental Health Counseling at Mercy College's School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, and an expert in the areas of grief and loss (especially among children and adolescents); suicide prevention and response (and depression); and crisis response (schools, communities and businesses). He is also an instructor of FEMA programs for the 88th Brigade, New York Guard. He is available for phone interviews Monday through Friday in the mornings. Stevenson is based at Mercy College's Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., campus. News Contact: Gladwyn Lopez, [e-mail]

**16. Richard Valicenti is professor and chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology at UC Davis. Valicenti is recognized nationally and internationally for his use of image-guidance and intensity-modulated radiation therapy in the treatment of cancer patients. He can comment on various issues related to health concerns posed by possible earthquake damage to Japan's nuclear power plants. News Contact: Dorsey Griffith, [e-mail] Phone: [phone]

**17. Andrew Vaughan is professor of radiation biology at UC Davis, and associate chief of staff for research and development at the VA Northern California. His research centers on the fusion of certain genes that leads to development of leukemia in infants and in patients who have been exposed to radiation or chemotherapy for other cancer treatment. Vaughan can comment on various issues related to health concerns posed by possible earthquake damage to Japan's nuclear power plants. News Contact: Dorsey Griffith, [e-mail] Phone: [phone]

EXPERT ALERTS:

**1. BEHAVIOR: AS WHITE HOUSE ADDRESSES BULLYING, LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF HIGH-SCHOOL BULLYING BEHAVIORS EXPLORED. Robert Crosnoe, professor of sociology and psychology at the University of Texas at Austin, can discuss the effects of high-school bullying into adulthood, based on his recent research, as well as tips for parents and educators: "Obama's discussion of bullying is an essential step, but the effects of bullying can persist long after high school. Bullying and not fitting in socially at high school can spur identity issues and coping mechanisms that disrupt academic progress and interfere with college-going. Because social experiences in high school have such demonstrable effects, the social concerns of teenagers are educational concerns that cannot be so easily dismissed." Crosnoe is the author of "Fitting In, Standing Out: Navigating the Social Challenges of High School to Get an Education" (April 14, 2011). News Contact: Nicole Villeneuve, [e-mail]

**2. HEALTH: HOT OR COLD: WHAT'S THE BEST TREATMENT FOR BACK PAIN? Kaixuan Liu, M.D., Ph.D., renowned endoscopic spine surgeon and chief surgeon at Atlantic Spinal Care in Edison, N.J.: "It is estimated that close to 80 percent of Americans will experience low-back pain at some point in their lives, and about a third of U.S. adults have an aching back at least once a month. In fact, only headaches are higher on the list of most common neurological complaints. But despite our familiarity with back pain, many of us aren't sure how to treat it. Do we ice it or apply heat? Does it even matter which method we use? The fact is that the vast majority of low-back pain -- pain that's centered in the lumbar region of the spine just above your pelvis -- will resolve on its own, generally within a few weeks. And to help it along, you can use both heat and coldness, but you've got to use them correctly. Picking the wrong remedy can actually make your pain worse and potentially delay the healing process." News Contact: Melissa Chefec, [e-mail] Phone: [phone]

**3. HEALTH: IMMUNOPHENOTYPING USING FLOW CYTOMETRY FOR DETECTING BLOOD CANCERS. Zsuzsanna Vegh-Goyarts, Ph.D., is assistant director of the flow cytometry department at Acupath Laboratories, a leader in cancer diagnostics: "Every four minutes someone is diagnosed with a blood cancer, and every 10 minutes someone dies from blood cancers such as leukemia, Hodgkin lymphoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, myeloma and myelodysplastic syndromes, all of which originate in the bone marrow or lymphatic tissues. Although five-year survival rates are higher today than ever, early detection and prompt, proper treatment remain the keys to surviving these cancers. Blood tests, as well as testing bone marrow biopsies and bone marrow aspirates, help detect blood cancers. The current method of choice for the diagnosis of hematological malignancies and to determine the effectiveness of treatments is a procedure called immunophenotyping using flow cytometry. Immunophenotyping allows us to 'see' the cellular and molecular characteristics of the cancer cells. Using flow cytometry, normal cells can be distinguished from malignant cells; cell maturity and cell type can be determined; and the quantity (percentage) of the abnormal cell population can be observed. In most cases we can establish the cancer type, and the results may help with the staging of the disease." Vegh-Goyarts is located in Plainview, N.Y. News Contact: Melissa Chefec, [e-mail] Phone: [phone]

**4. HOME: FOR LAUNDRY, SIZE ONLY MATTERS IF IT GETS CLEAN. J.B. Hoyt, director of Regulatory Affairs and State Government Relations, Whirlpool Corporation: "Due to new Department of Energy regulations that go into effect April 30, regarding clothes-washer capacity, consumers may hear a lot of conflicting information about whether size really matters when it comes to laundry. When researching clothes washers, ask about capacity as it relates to cleaning versus just how much the machine will hold, to ensure that it can clean large loads. And no matter how big the machine is, don't overload. Clothes will be cleaned more effectively when given room to move." Hoyt, who is located in Benton Harbor, Mich., can speak about how the new guidelines affect consumers when shopping for a new washer and what they should know about capacity and cleaning performance. Hoyt: [e-mail]

**5. MARRIAGE: OFFICE POOLS CAN BE TREACHEROUS FOR GAMBLING ADDICTS. Mary Jo McCurley, a name partner in the Dallas-based family law firm of McCurley Orsinger McCurley Nelson & Downing L.L.P.: "Entering your office's NCAA pool may be a nice way to bond with your co-workers, but for those with gambling issues, it can put additional strain on a marriages. Most office pools have a reasonable buy-in of $20 or less, but those with a gambling addiction may seek out a more thrilling, high-cost pool. Gambling is one of the more pernicious addictions when it comes to the impact on marriage. It combines the risk of bankruptcy with a toxic level of deceit and subterfuge, all of which are napalm to a happy marriage." News Contact: Amy Hunt, [e-mail] Phone: [phone]

**6. SHOPPING: GIVE PERSONALIZED GIFTS THIS MOTHER'S DAY. Lindsay Roberts of TheGiftInsider.com, a site that reviews and categorizes unique and creative gift ideas: "Our top recommendations for Mother's Day are gifts that are personalized and show you put that extra thought in. Make her a custom book from LoveBookOnline, with each page telling her a different reason why you love her. Does she have a favorite family photo? Send it in to GiveAcaricature and have them create a one-of-a-kind custom caricature. Instead of a typical piece of jewelry, give her a necklace with your family's fingerprints engraved on each charm." Roberts, located in Chicago, does not sell these products, but reviews them on her site and on NBC, ABC, FOX and CBS news affiliates across the country. Please contact her for more ideas to make life easier this Mother's Day. Roberts: [e-mail]

**7. TRAVEL: RESEARCH, MATH AND PRICE COMPARISONS ARE KEYS TO AFFORDABLE SUMMER VACATIONS. Ian Ford, CEO and founder of Undercover Tourist, has been in the travel industry for more than 15 years. Summer is just around the corner and many families are gearing up for their summer vacation plans -- two of the top destinations are Disney World and Universal Orlando: "With gas prices on the rise, most families have a tight budget this year and are looking to spend as little as possible. The good news is that there are some easy ways to chip away at costs and build a great Orlando vacation. Regardless of where you live, the steps for determining a good travel deal are basically the same: research, do the math and compare prices." Ford also has some practical insider tips to the parks that will save you money, such as bringing a portable umbrella stroller to give your kids a place to rest. Even kids that normally do not need a stroller will get tired during a long day in the heat at Disney World. It is well worth it to bring one of these strollers along. Undercover Tourist is a discount-travel website that provides consumer advice and discount tickets to popular tourist attractions, including Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, SeaWorld Orlando, Richard Petty Driving Experience and Medieval Times. Its customers receive "real" tickets versus vouchers, eliminating the need to stand in long ticket lines upon arrival. Ford is based in Austin, Texas. News Contact: Amanda Abbott, [e-mail] Phone: [phone] Website: http://www.undercovertourist.com

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/PRNewswire -- March 18, 2011/

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