NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks fell on Wednesday, after a robust rally a day earlier, as limp demand at an Italian debt auction sparked concerns over the financial health of the euro zone.
The S&P 500 index, which rose to within striking distance of its record closing high on Tuesday, was now more than 10 points away from that peak.
Stoking concerns about the euro zone, Italy paid more to borrow over five years than it has since October at an auction Wednesday, as lack of progress in forming a new government and worries about Cyprus's bailout hurt demand.
"The overhang of the Cypriot bailout, and especially its implications for euro zone-wide banking depositors, along with a dip in confidence and lackluster Italian debt auctions have upset the apple cart for U.S. investors determined to assault record stock market highs," said Andrew Wilkinson, chief economic strategist at Miller Tabak & Co in New York.
Cyprus is finalizing capital control measures to prevent a run on its banks by depositors anxious about their savings, after wealthy depositors were penalized under a rescue package agreed with international lenders. Cypriot banks are due to reopen on Thursday.
The Dow Jones industrial average was down 64.90 points, or 0.45 percent, at 14,494.75. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index was down 7.39 points, or 0.47 percent, at 1,556.38. The Nasdaq Composite Index was down 18.37 points, or 0.56 percent, at 3,234.15.
As Boeing works to regain permission for its 787 Dreamliner to resume flights, it faces what could be a costly new challenge - a temporary ban on some long-distance, trans-ocean journeys the jet was intended to fly.
Boeing was the biggest decliner on the Dow index, shedding 1.6 percent to $85.24.
JPMorgan Chase & Co also weighed heavily on the Dow, falling 1.5 percent to $47.93 following a report that U.S. prosecutors are examining whether JPMorgan fully alerted authorities to suspicions about fraudster Bernard Madoff.
Short interest in BlackBerry was at record levels and has more than doubled over the course of the last year, according to industry data released on Tuesday. But shares were up 0.3 percent at $14.51 in early trading.
Data showed contracts to buy previously owned U.S. homes fell in February, held back by a shortage of properties, but there was little to suggest that the housing market recovery was stalling. The market's reaction was muted.
Investors will be hearing remarks from several U.S. Federal Reserve officials throughout the day, including Chicago Fed President Charles Evans and Boston Federal Reserve Bank President Eric Rosengren.
Researchers at UC Davis and the University of British Columbia have shed new light on methylation, a critical process that helps control how genes are expressed. Working with placentas, the team discovered that 37 percent of the placental genome has regions of lower methylation, called partially methylated domains (PMDs), in which gene expression is turned off. This differs from most human tissues, in which 70 percent of the genome is highly methylated.
While PMDs have been identified in cell lines, this is the first time they have been found in regular human tissue. In addition to enhancing our understanding of epigenetics, this work could influence cancer research and help illuminate how environmental toxins affect fetal development. The paper was published online this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
Since it was unraveled more than ten years ago, the human genome has been the focus of both popular interest and intense scientific focus. But the genome doesn't act alone; there are many factors that influence whether genes are turned on or off. One of these is an epigenetic process called methylation, in which a group of carbon and hydrogen atoms (a methyl group) attaches to DNA, adjusting how genes are expressed.
"I like to think of epigenetics as a layer on top of your genetic code," said senior author Janine LaSalle, professor of medical microbiology and immunology. "It's not the DNA sequence but it layers on top of that ? and methylation is the first layer. Those layers provide a lot of information to the cells on where and when to turn on the genes."
How and when genes are activated (or inactivated) can have a profound impact on human development, cancer and the biological legacy of environmental toxins. Prior to this research, PMDs had only been found in cultured cell lines, which led some scientists to wonder if they existed outside the test tube. This study confirms they exist in placental tissue, a critically important window into fetal development.
"The placenta is the interface between mother and fetus," said LaSalle, who is a researcher affiliated with the UC Davis MIND Institute. "It's a time capsule from when a lot of important methylation events occurred."
In addition, placental tissue was interesting to study because it has a number of invasive characteristics often associated with cancer. In fact, a number of cancers, such as breast and colon, have widespread PMDs. LaSalle notes that anti-cancer epigenetic therapies that adjust methylation could be refined based on this improved understanding of PMDs.
This work could also enhance our ability to detect genetic defects. Methylation, and other epigenetic data, provides information that cannot be found in the genome alone. For example, the vast majority of cells in the body contain identical genetic code. However, the added information provided by methylation allows scientists to determine where specific DNA came from.
"Methylation patterns are like fingerprints, showing which tissue that DNA is derived from," LaSalle said. "You can't get that information from just the DNA sequence. As a result, methylation studies could be a very rich source for biomarkers."
In the study, PMDs encompassed 37 percent of the placental genome, including 3,815 genes, around 17 percent of all genes. When found in low-methylation regions, these genes were less likely to be transcribed into proteins. Researchers also found that PMDs also contain more highly methylated CpG islands (genomic areas with large numbers of cytosine-guanine pairs), which are often associated with gene transcriptional silencing of promoters.
Because the placental PMDs contained many genes associated with neuronal development, and specifically autism, LaSalle notes that future research could investigate how epigenetics impacts autism genes at birth.
"We are looking for biomarkers that predict neurodevelopmental outcomes," LaSalle said. "Now we have a series of snap shots from a critical period where we think environmental factors are playing a role in the developing brain."
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University of California - Davis Health System: http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu
Thanks to University of California - Davis Health System for this article.
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State Representative Rick Stream (R)?of Kirkwood is pushing for a bill that would require health?insurance providers and health benefit plans to provide coverage to individuals with eating disorders, and for the diagnosis and treatment options.
The coverage would also include psychiatric, medical treatment, and other treatment options prescribed by a health care professional. Stream?s push for the bill stems?from personal tragedy. His daughter Katie, who was just 18 years old, died from battling bulimia in 1995. ?She had bulimia for just under three years, so it went pretty fast for her,? he said. ?We had her in treatment, but she couldn?t stop. It?s an addiction.? He says treatment for eating disorders has changed drastically in the past 17 years.
Stream says his daughter binged and purged for nearly three years, and he said as a parent, it?s difficult to see your child slowly dying. He says treatment options have?taken on a multi-faceted approach. ?Nutrition, as well as the counseling aspect- because it is a psychiatric condition, so you have to treat the mind as well as the body,? Stream said. ?And it?s not about the food, it?s about body perception primarily by young women, but also young men too.?
In an effort to educate other legislators on the need for eating disorder insurance coverage, The National Eating Disorders Association is holding its 5th annual Missouri Advocacy Day on Thursday at the Missouri?State Capitol.
To view Representative Stream?s proposed bill (HB131), click here.
Microsoft would certainly argue that its Surface tablet design is iconic. The company is doing more than simply extolling the virtues of kickstands and VaporMg casings, however. It just obtained a trio of design patents that cover both the Touch Cover keyboard and the magnetic coupling on the tablet that so often gives Microsoft something to dance about. You won't find any deep insights into the technological workings here -- still, this might give some would-be Surface KIRF creators a reason to hesitate.
Rural cancer care may be closer than you thinkPublic release date: 26-Mar-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Thomas Gruca thomas-gruca@uiowa.edu 319-335-0946 University of Iowa
Study finds more residents of rural areas have access to oncologists than they realize
Research from the University of Iowa suggests that cancer care is more accessible in rural areas than thought, and this increased accessibility should be considered as changes are made in the health care system under the Affordable Care Act.
Thomas Gruca, professor of marketing in the Tippie College of Business and study co-author, found that significant portions of Iowa's population are, indeed, an excessive distance from full-service cancer care centers located in larger cities like Des Moines, Omaha/Council Bluffs, or Davenport. But his study finds that number drops significantly if visiting consultant clinics (VCCs) in rural hospitals are taken into consideration.
Gruca says rural VCCs host oncologists at least once a month from cancer centers in larger urban areas, and depending on the clinic provide a range of diagnostic, treatment, and post-treatment services. Using data from the Iowa Health Professions Tracking Center in the Carver College of Medicine, the study found that the median driving time for Iowans to the closest site for oncology care falls from 51.6 minutes to 19.2 minutes when VCCs are considered. According to federal guidelines, anything more than a 30-minute drive is considered an excessive commute to receive care.
Even from isolated rural towns, Gruca says the median travel time for cancer care dropped from 58 minutes to 26 minutes when VCCs were considered, well within the guidelines.
"Clearly, visiting consultant clinic sites are an important mechanism for providing medical oncology services in rural communities," Gruca says.
The study group's research found 80 VCCs in rural Iowa hospitals, serviced by 55 oncologists visiting from larger cities. He found 38 of the VCCs are visited by an oncologist once a month, 22 are visited two or three times, and 20 are visited four or more times monthly.
In the end, he says the proportion of Iowa's population outside of a 30-minute drive to an oncology care site drops from 42 percent to 10 percent when VCCs are considered. He says this number is important because it turns the problem into something that can be addressed.
"When almost half the population has limited access to cancer care, you throw up your hands and say what can you do?" he says. "But if only 10 percent have limited access, we say, we can deal with that, that's a problem we can solve."
Gruca says his study suggests that VCCs could play a larger role in cancer care as the health care system is reorganized by the Affordable Care Act.
"We need to study this more to make sure those changes don't make access to care more difficult," he says.
Making VCCs a larger part of the health care system could also boost the economic fortunes of struggling hospitals in small towns and rural areas that have seen large numbers of their population move away in recent years.
Gruca says additional research is needed to determine how VCCs can be most optimally used. His research looked at only Iowa, and while he expects his results will apply to other Midwest states that have larger towns and cities that can service rural VCCs, it might not apply to more isolated Plains states with less population density.
He says past research has also shown doctors don't always like participating in visiting clinic programs because it's disruptive and requires a lot of time on the road.
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The study, " The Influence of Visiting Consultant Clinics on Measures of Access to Cancer Care," was co-written by Roger Tracy of the Office of Statewide Clinical Education Programs in the UI Carver College of Medicine, and Inwoo Nam of the College of Business at Chung-Ang University in Seoul, South Korea. It was published this month in the journal Health Sciences Research.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Rural cancer care may be closer than you thinkPublic release date: 26-Mar-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Thomas Gruca thomas-gruca@uiowa.edu 319-335-0946 University of Iowa
Study finds more residents of rural areas have access to oncologists than they realize
Research from the University of Iowa suggests that cancer care is more accessible in rural areas than thought, and this increased accessibility should be considered as changes are made in the health care system under the Affordable Care Act.
Thomas Gruca, professor of marketing in the Tippie College of Business and study co-author, found that significant portions of Iowa's population are, indeed, an excessive distance from full-service cancer care centers located in larger cities like Des Moines, Omaha/Council Bluffs, or Davenport. But his study finds that number drops significantly if visiting consultant clinics (VCCs) in rural hospitals are taken into consideration.
Gruca says rural VCCs host oncologists at least once a month from cancer centers in larger urban areas, and depending on the clinic provide a range of diagnostic, treatment, and post-treatment services. Using data from the Iowa Health Professions Tracking Center in the Carver College of Medicine, the study found that the median driving time for Iowans to the closest site for oncology care falls from 51.6 minutes to 19.2 minutes when VCCs are considered. According to federal guidelines, anything more than a 30-minute drive is considered an excessive commute to receive care.
Even from isolated rural towns, Gruca says the median travel time for cancer care dropped from 58 minutes to 26 minutes when VCCs were considered, well within the guidelines.
"Clearly, visiting consultant clinic sites are an important mechanism for providing medical oncology services in rural communities," Gruca says.
The study group's research found 80 VCCs in rural Iowa hospitals, serviced by 55 oncologists visiting from larger cities. He found 38 of the VCCs are visited by an oncologist once a month, 22 are visited two or three times, and 20 are visited four or more times monthly.
In the end, he says the proportion of Iowa's population outside of a 30-minute drive to an oncology care site drops from 42 percent to 10 percent when VCCs are considered. He says this number is important because it turns the problem into something that can be addressed.
"When almost half the population has limited access to cancer care, you throw up your hands and say what can you do?" he says. "But if only 10 percent have limited access, we say, we can deal with that, that's a problem we can solve."
Gruca says his study suggests that VCCs could play a larger role in cancer care as the health care system is reorganized by the Affordable Care Act.
"We need to study this more to make sure those changes don't make access to care more difficult," he says.
Making VCCs a larger part of the health care system could also boost the economic fortunes of struggling hospitals in small towns and rural areas that have seen large numbers of their population move away in recent years.
Gruca says additional research is needed to determine how VCCs can be most optimally used. His research looked at only Iowa, and while he expects his results will apply to other Midwest states that have larger towns and cities that can service rural VCCs, it might not apply to more isolated Plains states with less population density.
He says past research has also shown doctors don't always like participating in visiting clinic programs because it's disruptive and requires a lot of time on the road.
###
The study, " The Influence of Visiting Consultant Clinics on Measures of Access to Cancer Care," was co-written by Roger Tracy of the Office of Statewide Clinical Education Programs in the UI Carver College of Medicine, and Inwoo Nam of the College of Business at Chung-Ang University in Seoul, South Korea. It was published this month in the journal Health Sciences Research.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Parents often have worries when it comes to the education of their children. Will they get good grades? Will they have trouble making friends in school? Do they have learning disabilities? Will they get into trouble? One of the worries I have as a parent is about the quality of the education my child receives. In my pursuit to determine what will provide a high-quality education (and what will not), I have compared private education to public education. I assumed that at the end of my search, I will have been convinced that private schooling is best. What I have found has surprised me.
?In my search, I ran across an interesting report that compares public to private educational settings (Braun, Jenkins & Grigg, 2006). In this study, researchers compared assessment scores from large samples of private and public schools and the results were as expected. In general, private school students scored higher in math and reading skills, with the gap widening as grade level increases (Braun et al., 2006). However, when student variables were controlled for, the differences were much less significant (Braun et al., 2006). These student variables include gender, race, disabilities, socioeconomic status, absenteeism and access to books and computers in the home.
Now, being the analytical thinker that I am, I realized that it is possible that it was not the school itself that makes a student 'smarter', but?rather the student's individual factors. All students?larn and perfrom?differently, and perhaps their sucess can be determined by personality, genetics, environment, or parental interventions. In the summary section of the report, I found support to my hypothesis: The variance decompositions associated with the analyses comparing all private schools to all public schools indicate that there is greater variance among students within schools than among schools (Braun et al., 2006). In addition, when student-level covariates are included in, the averages of private school means is lower than the averages of public school means (Braun et al., 2006).
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What does this mean for my son? It means that I can stop looking for a private school to place him in. It also means that I vow to be an active participant in his learning. I now know that the quality of his education does not depend solely on the school he attends, but also upon his environment and upon himself. It is the students themselves that make the school, with a little help from their parents and their environment.
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Reference:
Braun, H., Jenkins, F., and Grigg, W. (2006). Comparing Private Schools and Public Schools Using Hierarchical Linear Modeling (NCES 2006-461). U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Institute ofEducation Sciences. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
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Public release date: 26-Mar-2013
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