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Issue 17, April 29, 2013

The report consists of four components:

  • Top Ten Articles of the Week
  • CDC-authored publications
  • Key scientific articles in featured topic areas (this week featuring Maternal and Child Health - Folic Acid)
  • Public health articles noted in the media

This week's Science Clips featured articles begin with a focus on chronic disease prevention and control. An article published in the New England Journal of Medicine by MK Ali and colleagues documents some improvements in U.S. diabetes care over the past decade, but also notes areas such as tobacco use where more progress is needed. Analyzing data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), Y Ostchega et al provide the first estimates of home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM), noting the prevalence to be about 15% monthly. Turning to cancer prevention, a systematic review of intentional tanning among adolescents (a documented risk factor for skin cancer) conducted by DM Holman and M Watson finds that individual, social, and contextual factors are all involved in influencing tanning behavior.

Health policy related issues are of increasing importance to the public health community, and are represented in several features this week. An examination of the 2006 Massachusetts health reform legislation led by SS Dhingra finds resulting increased health insurance coverage, particularly among those with greater health care needs. An evaluation of a more narrowly focused public health policy initiative, the Legacy for Children, finds controlled trial effectiveness on behavioral and emotional outcomes in pre-school age low-income children. An analysis of serum concentrations of brominated flame retardants by MK Horton and colleagues concludes that legislation and policy may have played important roles in reducing exposure to these compounds during pregnancy.

Sexually transmitted diseases occupy two slots in the top ten this week. A modeled estimate led by PG Farnham finds that while early diagnosis and treatment of HIV infection improves length and quality of life and reduces the number of new infections by nearly half, lending support to the concept of "treatment as prevention". M Steinau et al find in a population-based analysis that nearly 80% of anal cancers were associated with "high risk" human papillomavirus (HPV) types 16 and 18, suggesting that most anal cancers could be preventable by HPV vaccines.

The ongoing importance and diverse uses of surveillance data are highlighted by our final features this week. S Cauchemez, writing with CDC and non-CDC colleagues, describes the development of an approach to estimate the possibility that an emerging zoonotic infection will develop into an epidemic, using swine origin influenza H3N2v virus as an example. In the CDC journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, JL Munoz-Jordan and contributors from the CDC Dengue Branch and the Florida Department of Health show through sequencing of Dengue viruses that endemic transmission of Dengue has been occurring within the continental US for at least the past two years.

John Iskander
Editor, Science Clips


  1. Top Ten Articles of the Week


    Selected weekly by a senior CDC scientist from the standard sections listed below.
  2. CDC Authored Publications


    The names of CDC authors are indicated in bold text.
    Articles published in the past 6-8 weeks authored by CDC or ATSDR staff.
  3. Key Scientific Articles in Featured Topic Areas


    Subject matter experts decide what topic to feature, and articles are selected from the last 3 to 6 months of published literature. Key topic coincides monthly with other CDC products (e.g. Vital Signs).
  4. Public Health Articles Noted in the Media


    Articles about important public health topics that have been mentioned in the press.

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CDC Science Clips Production Staff:

  • John Iskander, MD MPH, Editor
  • Rebecca Satterthwaite, MS, Librarian
  • Gail Bang, MLIS, Librarian
  • Deidre Mallett, MLS, Librarian
  • Kathleen Connick, MSLS, Librarian
  • Barbara Landreth, MLS, Librarian
  • Joseph Dunlap, Web Developer
  • Joe Bryce, Web Developer

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DISCLAIMER: Articles listed in the CDC Science Clips are selected by the Stephen B. Thacker CDC Library to provide current awareness of the public health literature. An article's inclusion does not necessarily represent the views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention nor does it imply endorsement of the article's methods or findings. CDC and DHHS assume no responsibility for the factual accuracy of the items presented. The selection, omission, or content of items does not imply any endorsement or other position taken by CDC or DHHS. Opinion, findings and conclusions expressed by the original authors of items included in the Clips, or persons quoted therein, are strictly their own and are in no way meant to represent the opinion or views of CDC or DHHS. References to publications, news sources, and non-CDC Websites are provided solely for informational purposes and do not imply endorsement by CDC or DHHS.

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