2009 news releases on risk topics

Europe in Figures – Eurostat Yearbook 2009 - European Statistics from A to Z (PDF version) (9/18/09, Eurostat); see links to full yearbook in PDF

Inventors Offer Ecofriendly Substitutes for Polystyrene (9/17/09, USDA Agricultural Research Service)

National New Biology Initiative Offers Potential for "Remarkable and Far-reaching Benefits" (9/17/09, National Academies); find links to full report, report in brief, slides, etc.

Medications Effective in Reducing Risk of Breast Cancer but Increase Risk of Adverse Effects, New Report Says (9/15/09, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality)

Deloitte Online Poll: Most Respondents Expect Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) Violations to Increase in Coming Years - One-third of Organizations Still Have No Comprehensive FCPA Compliance Program in Place (9/14/09, Deloitte Development LLC)

Electronic Nose Sniffs Out Toxins (9/13/09, National Institutes of Health)

American Council on Science and Health Mourns the Passing of One of Its Founding Directors, Nobel Laureate Dr. Norman Borlaug, 1914-2009 (9/13/09, ACSH); also see http://timesonline.typepad.com/science/2009/09/norman-borlaug-and-the-next-green-revolution.html

SRI International to Present Hydrogen Fuel Safety Research Results at 2009 International Conference on Hydrogen Safety (9/11/09, SRI International)

New Limits on Pesticide Uses Will Protect Salmon (9/11/09, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)

SRI International’s Research on Nicotine Use and Dependence Featured in the National Cancer Institute’s Tobacco Control Monograph Series (9/10/09, SRI International)

Organic Wars Rage Anew - No Nutritional Difference Between Organic and Conventional Food (9/10/09, American Council on Science and Health)

Mandatory Alcohol Testing for Truck and Bus Drivers Reduces Alcohol Involvement in Fatal Crashes (9/10/09, Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health)

CCH Sword in Visionaries Quadrant of Magic Quadrant for Operational Risk Management Software for Financial Services (9/10/09, CCH Incorporated)

One Man. One Bike. 16,000 Miles. And One Mission: To Highlight Risks of Cell Phone Use While Driving (9/10/09, National Safety Council)

August Trade Data: Global Economy Holding Steady (9/9/09, posted 9/28/09, Panjiva Inc.)

HHS and USDA Unveil New Food Safety Consumer Web Site at www.foodsafety.gov - New Site Features the Latest Food Safety and Recall Information from Across the Government (9/9/09, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)

Climate Effects of Atmospheric Haze a Little Less... Hazy (9/9/09, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)

FDA Opens the Reportable Food Registry Electronic Portal for Industry - Food Facilities Now Required to Report Potentially Dangerous Products (9/8/09, U.S. Food and Drug Administration)

NOAA's Powerful New Supercomputers Boost U.S. Weather Forecasts (9/8/09, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)

IAEA Revises Nuclear Power Projections Upward - Shift Greatest for Far East (9/8/09, International Atomic Energy Agency)

European Commission Report on Railway Safety and Interoperability (9/8/09, European Commission); also see Background on Railway Safety in Europe

Substantial Salt Reduction in Food Products Now Feasible Without Loss of Taste (9/7/09, Top Institute Food and Nutrition)

First SAFE CITY Conference To Be Held in Israel - Conference To Be Followed by Unique “Experience Israel” Training Tour (9/7/09, Globus Gate Group Ltd.)

Experts Warn of Radiation Abuse in Medicine - Role of Radiological Diagnosis Also Acknowledged During Workshop (9/7/09, International Atomic Energy Agency)

Scientists Identify Two Gene Variants Associated with Alzheimer's Risk - Largest-ever Genome Study of Alzheimer's Suggests CLU, PICALM Gene Variants May Play a Role in Disease (9/6/09, National Institutes of Health)

She's Going Back to School, But Can She Read? (9/4/09, The University of Western Ontario); read full report Key Factors to Support Literacy Success in School-aged Populations - A Literature Review (PDF version)

NRC Chairman Tasks Staff to Evaluate Agency Activities on Buried Piping at Nuclear Reactors (9/3/09, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission)

With Biobased Additives, ARS Scientists "Just Say No!" to Petroleum (9/3/09, USDA Agricultural Research Service)

Safe Seed: Researchers Yielding Good Results on Food Cotton in Field (9/3/09,Texas A&M AgriLife)

Institute of Medicine (IOM) Recommends N95 Respirators to Protect Health Care Workers from H1N1 Flu, Cautions Against Reliance on a Single Strategy to Control Infection (9/3/09, National Academies); see link to full report

Surgical Scrub Solution: It's Good for Patients, Too - Chlorhexidine Bathing Is Cheap and Effective Means of Protecting Patients from Superbugs (9/3/09, Johns Hopkins Medicine)

HHS Awards $70.9 Million to States to Expand Health Insurance Coverage (9/3/09, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)

UNH Crimes Against Children Research Center Receives More Than $1.8M in Grants (9/3/09, University of New Hampshire)

Justice Department Announces Largest Health Care Fraud Settlement in Its History - Pfizer to Pay $2.3 Billion for Fraudulent Marketing (9/2/09, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)

Mapping and Modeling Eastern U.S. Food Production (9/2/09, USDA Agricultural Research Service)

CDC to Distribute $40 Million in Recovery Act Funding to Help States Fight Healthcare-Associated Infections - Money Marks First Time Congress Appropriates HAI Prevention Funds Specifically to States (9/1/09, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

National Transportation Safety Board Calls for Improved Technology, Pedal Design to Minimize Risk of Pedal Misapplication in Heavy Vehicles (9/1/09, NTSB)

Satellites and Submarines Give the Skinny on Sea Ice Thickness (9/1/09, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory)

U.S. EPA Announces Houses of Worship Can Now Earn Energy Star Label and Reduce Their Carbon Footprint - Approximately 370,000 Can Track Their Energy Use (9/1/09, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)

Increasing Residential and Employment Density Could Mean Reductions in Vehicle Travel, Fuel Use, and CO2 Emissions (9/1/09, National Academies); see links to report brief and full report

Waist-Hip Ratio Better Than BMI for Gauging Obesity in Elderly - Study Finds Close Association Between Ratio and Premature Death Risk (9/1/09, University of California, Los Angeles)

European Lamps Become More Energy Efficient (PDF version in English or links to PDF versions in various languages) (9/1/09, European Commission Energy); also read frequently asked questions about phasing out conventional incandescent bulbs

August 2009

U.S. EPA Certifies JACADS (Johnston Atoll Chemical Agent Disposal System) Facility Has Been Properly Cleaned and Closed - Agency Announces U.S. Army Work Has Been Properly Done to Clean Up Facility (8/31/09, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)

Improved Seismology Tools Can Detect and Locate Low-yield Nuclear Explosions (8/31/09, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory)

Closing the Science Gaps on What Is Happening to the World's Oceans and Seas - United Nations Experts' Report to Governments Charts Ways Forward (8/31/09, United Nations Environment Programme)

Working to Make Climate Services Available to All (8/31/09, World Meteorological Organization)

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Releases New Report: America’s Seniors and Health Insurance Reform: Protecting Coverage and Strengthening Medicare (8/27/09, HHS)

H1N1 Flu in Turkeys May Spread - Poultry Connection Strengthens Global H1N1 Pandemic - No Threat to Humans (8/27/09, United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization)

Modern Day Pirates to Face New Defense System on the High Seas (8/26/09, International Maritime Security Network, LLC)

Liquidity Risk - International Regulatory Convergence Unlikely Until Regulators Agree on Interpretation of Liquidity Risk Management Best Practice, Says Algorithmics - Algorithmics Comments on Financial Services Authority (FSA) Consultation Paper 09/13 (8/25/09, Algorithmics Software LLC)

U.S. Food and Drug Administration Authorizes Emergency Use of H1N1 Test for U.S. Troops Serving Overseas (8/25/09, FDA)

U.S. Food and Drug Administration Moves Forward on Implementation of Tobacco Law (8/25/09, FDA)

Weathering Hurricane Season (8/25/09, Federal Trade Commission)

While Farmers Frequently Blamed for Forest Loss, New Study Shows About Half of Farmlands Worldwide Have Significant Tree Cover - Scientists Use Detailed Satellite Images to Reveal the Vital Role of Trees on One Billion Hectares of Agricultural Lands in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Europe (8/24/09, United Nations Environment Programme)

HHS Secretary, ED Secretary Unveil New CDC H1N1 Guidance for Colleges, Universities, and Institutions of Higher Education (8/20/09, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)

Life Expectancy at All Time High; Death Rates Reach New Low, New Report Shows (8/19/09, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

FEMA Encourages Personal Preparedness As Storm Activity Increases (8/18/09, Federal Emergency Management Agency)

U.S. Transportation Secretary Announces New Details on Distracted Driving Summit (8/18/09, U.S. Department of Transportation)

White House Orders Review of U.S. Export Control System (Including Rules Restricting the Export of Technologies Considered To Be Security Risks) (8/18/09, National Academies)

MetricStream Positioned in the Leaders Quadrant in Enterprise Governance, Risk and Compliance Platforms Magic Quadrant - Evaluation based on Completeness of Vision and Ability to Execute (8/18/09, MetricStream Inc.)

Warming Ocean Contributes to Global Warming (8/14/09, National Oceanography Centre, Southampton)

Virus Enzymes Could Promote Human, Animal Health (8/14/09, USDA Agricultural Research Service)

"Clunkers" Program Is Expensive Way to Cut Carbon Emissions (8/13/09, University of California, Davis)

Year´s Work in Review - IAEA Activity Remains Centered Around Technology, Safety, Security, Verification (8/12/09, International Atomic Energy Agency)

The Peopling of the Americas: Genetic Ancestry Influences Health (8/12/09, The University of Oklahoma)

NASA’s Asteroid Detection Programs Not Yet Meeting U.S. Goals (8/12/09, National Academies); read full report Near-Earth Object Surveys and Hazard Mitigation Strategies: Interim Report and download executive summary

Idaho National Laboratory Nuclear Engineer Is Safe Bet for Risk Information (8/11/09, INL)

Jefferson Wells Launches Global Risk Advisory Services Practice - New Practice Seamlessly Delivers Complete, Integrated Governance, Risk Management and Compliance Services (PDF version) (8/11/09, Jefferson Wells)

Study Shows ARS Device Is Highly Effective at Controlling Ticks That Spread Lyme Disease (8/11/09, USDA Agricultural Research Service)

The Lurking Menace of Weeds - Farmers' Enemy No. 1 (8/11/09, United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization)

What Science Says About Beach Sand and Stomach Aches (8/10/09, U.S. Geological Survey)

Safety of Pandemic Vaccines - Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 Briefing Note 6 (8/6/09, World Health Organization); also see Pandemic Influenza Vaccine Manufacturing Process and Timeline - Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 Briefing Note 7

New FTC Rule Prohibits Petroleum Market Manipulation (8/6/09, Federal Trade Commission)

Climate Change Threatens Human Security in the Pacific Islands (8/6/09, United Nations Development Programme)

Women Often Opt to Surgically Remove Their Breasts, Ovaries to Reduce Cancer Risk (8/6/09, American Association for Cancer Research)

U.S. EPA Seeks Comments on Its Reevaluation of the Chemical Perchlorate (8/5/09, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Delegates Authority for the HIPAA Security Rule to Office for Civil Rights (8/3/09, HHS)

Heavy Drinkers Face Significantly Increased Cancer Risk - Montreal Study Links Heavy Consumption of Beer and Spirits to Six Different Cancers (8/3/09, McGill University)

European Food Safety Authority Publishes Data Requirements for Assessing Food Additives (8/3/09, EFSA)

Switch to Digital Mammography Leads to Increased Cancer Detection Rates (8/3/09, American Roentgen Ray Society)

Patient Radiation Exposure During Interventional Procedures Is a Concern for Some Developing Countries (8/3/09, American Roentgen Ray Society)

Risk of Pancreatic Cancer Linked to Variation in Gene That Determines Blood Type (8/2/09, National Institutes of Health)

July 2009

HHS Secretary, Agriculture Secretary Announce New Strategies to Keep America’s Food Supply Safe - Departments Take Steps on Leafy Greens, Tomatoes, Melons and Ground Beef (7/31/09, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)

Americans Spent $33.9 Billion Out-of-Pocket on Complementary and Alternative Medicine (7/30/09, National Institutes of Health)

CDC Advisors Make Recommendations for Use of Vaccine Against Novel H1N1 (7/29/09, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Actions Taken Over the Next Decade to Demonstrate and Deploy Key Technologies Will Determine U.S. Energy Future (7/28/09, National Academies); see links to full report and study website

Study Estimates Medical Cost of Obesity May Be As High as $147 Billion Annually - New Community Recommendations Show Ways to Reduce Burden (7/27/09, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

U.S. Food and Drug Administration Authorizes Emergency Use of Another Test for 2009 H1N1 Influenza Virus (7/24/09, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)

Major Drive Launched Against Foot and Mouth Disease - Aims to Bring Disease Under Progressive Global Control (7/23/09, United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization)

Non-Targeted and Delayed Effects of Ionizing Radiation (PDF version) (7/21/09, United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation)

Effects of Exposure to Radon Gas (PDF version) (7/21/09, United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation)

Effects of Ionizing Radiation on the Immune System (PDF version) (7/21/09, United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation)

Elimination of River Blindness Feasible (7/21/09, World Health Organization)

iJET Introduces Mobile Access to Worldcue® Global Control Center - Worldcue® Mobile Optimizes Travel Risk Management for Mobile Device Users (7/21/09, iJet Intelligent Risk Systems)

Panjiva Launches "App Store for Global Trade" to Transform the Way Businesses Gather Intelligence on Global Suppliers - "onPanjiva" Program Creates New Channel for Global Data Sources to Publish Information (7/20/09, Panjiva Inc.)

Global Tobacco Surveillance System Serves as Worldwide Standard (7/17/09, Centers for Disease Control and Prevetion)

Draft of Hurricane Protection Program Lacks Long-Term Plan, Priorities (7/17/09, National Academies); read full report

Fungus Tapped to Take on Kudzu (7/16/09, USDA Agricultural Research Service)

Latest Version of CCH Sword Streamlines Risk Assessments (7/15/09, CCH Incorporated)

Council to Improve Foodborne Outbreak Response (CIFOR) Guidelines for Foodborne Disease Outbreak Response Published by National Food Safety Group (PDF version) (7/15/09, CIFOR)

USDA and HHS Praise Guidelines for Foodborne Disease Outbreak Response (7/15/09, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)

Bread for the World Welcomes G8 Hunger Initiative (7/10/09, PR Newswire)

MetricStream Cited As a "Leader" in Enterprise GRC Platforms by Independent Research Firm - The Forrester Wave™ Highlights MetricStream’s Strength of Audit Management Capabilities and Its Strong Value Proposition for Compliance (7/9/09, MetricStream Inc.)

Obama Administration Calls on Nation to Begin Planning and Preparing for Fall Flu Season & the New H1N1 Virus - Administration Leaders Say That Flu Preparedness Is a “Shared Responsibility,” Announce New Funding for States and New Nation-Wide Flu Prevention Campaign at flu.gov (7/9/09, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)

Chromium Review Panel to Meet July 28-29, 2009 (7/8/09, Toxicology Excellence for Risk Assessment)

South-East Europe to Strengthen Regional Capacity for Reducing Risk of Natural Disaster (7/6/09, World Meteorological Organization)