Crosscutting

The National Eye Institute (NEI) has added a new interactive, searchable clinical trial database to its web site (www.nei.nih.gov). The database provides detailed information on ongoing and completed clinical trials supported and conducted by NEI since 1970. Each trial description includes information on the background and purpose of the study, patient eligibility criteria, patient recruitment, current status of the study, results to date, a bibliography, and implications for clinical practice. Listings are included for the study chairperson, participating clinical centers, resource centers, and NEI staff representatives. A trial can be searched by key word, eye disease, or location. Information also is provided on how to participate in a trial and how to refer a patient to a trial.

Clinicians and consumers seeking information on bipolar disorders can now access a new web site. The Bipolar Disorders Information Center (www.mhsource.com/bipolar) includes a weekly online feature, "Ask the Bipolar Expert." The host, a practicing psychiatrist, will answer bipolar-related questions submitted by e-mail. Visitors may also join online mailing lists, read full-text articles from Psychiatric Times and the quarterly supplement Bipolar Disorders Letter, access a bipolar search engine, or connect with important organizations. Clinicians have the opportunity to earn Category 1 continuing medical education credit online at no charge.

The ERIC Clearinghouse on Information & Technology has introduced the Gateway to Educational Materials (GEM), a one-stop web site for teachers looking for educational materials or lesson plans on the Internet. The web address is www.geminfo.org/catalog/start.html. GEM brings together Internet-based educational materials prepared by a consortium of more than 25 organizations. It now links to more than 700 resources and expects to add many new resources and participating organizations. GEM enables educators to access Internet-based educational resources of participating GEM members and to link directly to full-text material on particular topics. Teachers may want to browse the Gateway and explore lists organized by subject, key word, grade, or education level. This project is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education’s National Library of Education.

Violent and Abusive Behavior Join Together Online Gun Violence

(www.jointogether.org) is an electronic action center that offers daily news summaries, tips about how to take action to reduce gun violence, funding information, and in depth feature stories. It provides information about support for survivors and their families, positions taken by Federal and State legislators and ways to contact them, and the latest research findings. The site also provides information on taking action and finding resources.

The web site of WHO’s Global TB Programme (www.who.ch/gtb) is an online resource to promote information sharing on tuberculosis among those interested in the latest issues in TB control. The site was recently upgraded with a newly revised Tuberculosis Fact Sheet, late-breaking news items, press releases, and publication ordering information. In addition, past issues of the TB Treatment Observer and the WHO Report on the Global Tuberculosis Epidemic areavailable.

Mental Health and Mental Disorders

The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry now offers Facts for Families in Spanish. The fact sheets were prepared in a universal translation and reviewed by several different language experts to ensure understanding by speakers of various Spanish dialects. The fact sheets provide parents, families, and schools with information about psychiatric disorders affecting children and adolescents. The 61 topics include depression, teen suicide, television watching, violent behavior, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and divorce. Available in a camera-ready set of glossy black-and-white pages or in a spiral bound set, the cost is $20 for Academy members and $30 for nonmembers. All orders must be prepaid to AACAP Public Information, P.O. Box 96106, Washington, DC 20090. For more information, call (202) 966-7300, ext. 124, or e-mail kwoodham@aacap.org.

ZERO TO THREE has produced a new resource on assessment titled New Visions: A Parent’s Guide to Understanding Developmental As-sessment.

Written for parents, the materials are a companion piece to a volume for professionals. The parent materials are now available at no charge on ZERO TO THREE’s web page (www.zerotothree.org) in the Parents’ Section. The materials were created for parents who are concerned about their child’s development and are about to go through an assessment or already have had experience with assessments. The guide includes an overview of developmental assessments, information about how to plan and prepare for a child’s assessment, a glossary, and a resource list. For more information, contact Tom Salyers or Claire Lerner at (202) 638-1144 or e-mail 0to3@zerotothree.org. For orders, call (800) 899-4301.

Diet and Health Recommendations for Cancer Prevention is now avail-able from the American Institute for Cancer Research. The 36-page guide provides recommendations related to diet, body weight, physical activity, fruits and vegetables, alcohol, meat, fat, salt, food storage, risk factors, cooking methods, dietary supplements, and tobacco. For more information, write to the American Institute for Cancer Research, 1759 R Street, NW., P.O. Box 97167, Wash-ington, DC 20090-7167, or call (800) 843-8114 or (202) 328-7744. The booklet costs 45 cents for single copies or 40 cents each for 25 copies or more.

The Directory of the Public Housing Primary Care Programs 1998 provides information about 21 programs funded by the Health Resources and Services administration, Bureau of Primary Health Care, to improve the health status of residents in public housing. The directory is intended as a reference tool for those who are interested in learning more about the scope of services offered in these programs. The directory offers summary information. The Bureau of Primary Health Care believes these programs offer effective models of primary health care delivery at the community level and that much can be learned and replicated from their experiences. For copies, contact the Public Housing Primary Care Information Resource Center at (800) 277-3281.

Adolescents and Young Adults Adolescent Transitions: Risk-Taking and Health highlights the perspectives of Californians about issues affecting the health of adolescents, including teen pregnancy, substance abuse, and the role communities play in helping young people grow up well. The report is based on a recent survey of California adults and reflects high levels of concern among all Californians about threats facing adolescents. For more information, contact the California Center for Health Improvement at (916) 646- 2149, fax (916) 646-2151, e-mail policymatters@cchi.org, or write CCHI at 1321 Garden Highway, Suite 210, Sacramento, CA 95833-9754. The web address is www.policymatters.org.

Crosscutting

A 1-year grant from the California Endowment to the Center for Civic Partnerships is providing enhanced support to four healthy cities and startup funding for two communities. Each community will receive technical assistance, consultation, and funding to achieve locally driven goals and objectives. Baldwin Park is addressing underemployment and the need for technology skills. Berkeley is addressing pedestrian and bicycle injuries and fatalities. Montclair is looking at alternatives to the traditional "case management" model and will involve families and public, non-profit, and private agencies and community-based organizations in decisions related to support services for parents and children. Tulare is expanding Take Stock in Tulare, an innovative community mobilization program. Victor Valley is launching a community-building effort with St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center toaddress concerns about family communication, teen pregnancy, and lack of entertainment as a contributor to at-risk behavior among youth. Finally, West Sacramento is expanding its Volunteers in Policing program, in which seniors partnered with the Police Department to reduce crime. For more information, ontact Shirley Duma at the California Healthy Cities Project, (916) 646-8680.

The Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) has awarded contracts totaling nearly $1.6 million to 13 community-based organizations for programs to promote sexual abstinence until marriage. Organizations winning contracts include health foundations, educational institutions, religious organizations, and community partnerships. Their proposed projects include training to resist social and peer pressure, refusal skills development, and parent workshops. ADHS also awarded a $300,000 contract for an extensive statewide evaluation of the entire abstinence until marriage campaign. The National Center for Health Statistics recently reported that Arizona’s 1995 teen birth rate was the fourth highest in the Nation. For more information, contact Brad Christensen, Communications Director, (602) 542-1001, or Marianna Bridge, Office of Women’s & Children’s Health, (602) 220-6550.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is funding three new types of career development awards aimed at increasing the participation of clinical researchers in medical research and enriching the pipeline of people properly trained to do clinical research. The new awards, which NIH expects to begin funding in fiscal year 1999, will support young investigators who have just completed specialty training and mid-career investigators; institutional curriculum awards will be offered to help teach the essentials of clinical research to young trainees and junior faculty. The first type of award is the Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award, focused on providing didactic training and mentored research experience for up to 5 years. Medical doctors, dentists, osteopaths, chiropractors, optometrists, and others certified to perform clinical duties are eligible. The second award is the Mid-Career Investigator in Patient-Oriented Research Award. Developed for midcareer clinical scientists, it provides support for up to 5 years. The Institutional Curriculum Award is designed for institutions with a substantial clinical research portfolio and a critical mass of individuals in clinical research training and career development. The maximum award for a program, which may not exceed 5 years, will be $200,000. More information is available on the web at www.nih.gov/grants/policy/policy.htm.

Cancer

"Choose Your Cover" is a new national initiative to prevent skin cancer among Americans. The campaign, sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), educates, encourages, and empowers people to protect themselves from the sun’s ultraviolet rays by practicing sun-safe behaviors. The "Choose Your Cover" public service announcements target 18- to 25-year-olds, who spend many hours out in the sun. The campaign also will reach out to 9- to 18-year-olds, because individuals in this age group set patterns of behavior that they carry with them into adulthood. The 5-year campaign will build in the current messages and expand to reach other age groups. For more information, visit www.cdc.gov/ChooseYourCover or call (888) 842-6355.

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