ATLANTA, Georgia, July 15 -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia issued the following news release on July 14: District court permanently blocks abortion ban from going into effect in a challenge from reproductive rights and justice activists, abortion providers, and reproductive rights organizations to the state's 2019 law banning abortion. This is the second ban blocked by a federal court today, coming hours after a judge temporarily blocked a Tennessee law that banned abortion at   more

NEW YORK, July 15 -- The American Civil Liberties Union, a 501(c)3 non-profit that works to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the U.S., issued the following news release on July 13: A federal court permanently struck down Georgia's 2019 six-week abortion ban in SisterSong v. Kemp. It is the second federal ruling blocking a state abortion ban, coming just hours after a Tennessee law that banned abortion at nearly every stage of pre  more

NEW YORK, July 15 -- The American Civil Liberties Union, a 501(c)3 non-profit that works to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the U.S., issued the following news release on July 13: A federal district court in Tennessee issued a temporary restraining order, blocking a law signed by Gov. Bill Lee earlier that bans abortion at nearly every stage of pregnancy and for reasons related to race, gender, or fetal diagnosis. The emergency  more

WASHINGTON, July 16 -- The American Society for Microbiology issued the following news release: Metabolic syndrome increases the risk of severe disease from viral infection, according to a review of the literature performed by a team of researchers from St. Jude Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, both in Memphis. The research appears this week in the Journal of Virology, a publication of the American Society for Microbiology. Metabolic  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, July 16 -- Vanderbilt University Medical Center issued the following news on July 15: Based on positive results in preclinical studies reported, potently neutralizing antibodies identified by researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center are showing promise as a potential therapy for preventing and treating COVID-19. The monoclonal antibodies were isolated from the blood of a couple from Wuhan, China, who were diagnosed with COVID-19 after traveling to Toronto, Cana  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, July 17 -- Vanderbilt University Medical Center issued the following news: Two volunteer leaders have been named to positions on Vanderbilt University Medical Center's advisory boards. Grammy Award-winning country music artist Kix Brooks is the new chair of Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt Advisory Board, effective July 1, taking over for outgoing chair Allison DeMarcus. Louise Adams, who succeeds Judge Les Smith, was recently named the chair of the Van  more

NEW YORK, July 14 -- The Center for Reproductive Rights issued the following news release on July 13: A federal court permanently struck down Georgia's 2019 six-week abortion ban in SisterSong v. Kemp. It is the second federal ruling today blocking a state abortion ban, coming just hours after a Tennessee ban was blocked. The lawsuit was filed by the ACLU, the ACLU of Georgia, the Center for Reproductive Rights, and Planned Parenthood Federation of America in June 2019, after Georgia was one o  more

NEW YORK, July 14 -- The Center for Reproductive Rights issued the following news release on July 13: A federal district court in Tennessee issued a temporary restraining order, blocking a law signed by Gov. Bill Lee earlier that bans abortion at nearly every stage of pregnancy and for reasons related to race, gender, or fetal diagnosis. The emergency restraining order was granted at the request of the Center for Reproductive Rights, the American Civil Liberties Union, Planned Parenthood Federa  more

KNOXVILLE, Tennessee, July 16 -- The College and University Professional Association for Human Resources issued the following news release: Representation and pay of Black employees across the higher education workforce varies considerably depending on the type of position. To highlight this challenge, the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPA-HR) has created an interactive graphic that encourages institutions to explore workforce data from the past five year  more

MEMPHIS, Tennessee, July 15 -- Comparative Medicine, a journal that says it promotes human and animal health through the study of laboratory animal disease from the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science, published research articles on the following topics in its June 2020 edition: Original Research: * Functional Deficits in Mice Expressing Human Interleukin 8 * Effects of Colonization of Gnotobiotic Swiss Webster Mice with Helicobacter bilis * Comparative Behavioral Assessment   more

WASHINGTON, July 17 -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations issued the following news release: The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, condemned an alleged death threat targeting Tennessee's 4th Congressional District Democratic primary candidate Chris Hale for criticizing white supremacy and the Confederate flag. Hale called Grundy County a "hotbed of white supremacy" after a July 4th parade at which Confederat  more

MEMPHIS, Tennessee, July 16 -- St. Jude Children's Research Hospital issued the following news release: P. David Rogers, Pharm.D., Ph.D., has been named chair of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Rogers specializes in defining the mechanisms of resistance in pathogenic fungi to antifungal drugs, which greatly hinder treatment. Pediatric cancer patients are very susceptible to secondary infections due to compromised immune systems, so drug resis  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, July 14 -- Vanderbilt University Medical Center issued the following news: A group of Vanderbilt students, residents and faculty -- connected through their passion for health equity -- have identified and worked together to rectify longstanding concerns about the inappropriate use of race as a variable in the calculation of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), which estimates a patient's level of kidney function and helps determine the stage of kidney disease. In   more

MEMPHIS, Tennessee, July 15 -- The Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science, a peer-reviewed journal that says it features animal biology, technology, facility operations and management, published research articles on the following topics in its July 2020 edition: Biology: * Vertebral Heart Score in Rhesus Macaques (Macaca mulatta): Generating Normal Reference Intervals and Assessing its Validity for Identifying Cardiac Disease Husbandry: * Behavioral Effects of Ca  more

WASHINGTON, July 14 -- The Military Officers Association of America issued the following news: Although former Navy Lt. j.g. Phil Ponder has been an artist all his life -- throughout his childhood, while serving in the Navy, and during 30 years in the shoe business -- he said he doesn't create art. He creates memories. The Tennessee resident is most known for painting skylines and famous buildings, including Market Street in Nashville, the Alamo, and Opryland. After Ponder spent three and a ha  more

WASHINGTON, July 14 -- NARAL Pro-Choice America issued the following news release: Anti-choice, anti-freedom Governor Bill Lee signed into law a cruel and sweeping measure (SB 2196/HB 2263) that effectively outlaws abortion in the state of Tennessee. In addition to banning abortion before many people even know they're pregnant, the law includes an exhaustive list of provisions meant to chip away at and ultimately end the right to abortion. The ACLU, Center for Reproductive Rights, and Planned  more

MEMPHIS, Tennessee, July 16 -- The National Cotton Council issued the following news release: Efforts shift to traceability within the supply chain, as brands in North America work to keep sustainability initiatives afloat during pandemic. A recent global survey shows 54 percent of sustainability leaders at apparel and textile brands say they've seen their customers' demands for environmentally sustainable practices and products increase since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, but 59 per  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, July 17 -- Vanderbilt University Medical Center issued the following news: One-third of Tennessee parents with children ages 6-17 are worried their child has an undiagnosed mental health condition, a new poll from the Vanderbilt Center for Child Health Policy found. The findings in the poll led by researchers at Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt and Vanderbilt University Medical Center, also found that about 30% of parents said their child had been diagn  more

BRENTWOOD, Tennessee, July 15 -- Neuropsychopharmacology, a scientific journal from the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology that says it focuses on clinical and basic science that advance understanding of the brain and behaviour, published research articles, including the following topics, in its August 2020 edition: Research Highlight: * Stressing the potential of guanfacine as a treatment for cocaine use disorder * Vigilance in a time of social distancing Review Article: * A roa  more

OAK RIDGE, Tennessee, July 14 -- New Phytologist, a journal that says it features plant science and its applications, published research articles, including the following topics, in Part 2 of its August 2020 edition: Reviews: * Wound- and mechanostimulated electrical signals control hormone responses Research: * Competition x drought interactions change phenotypic plasticity and the direction of selection on Arabidopsis traits * Is forest fecundity resistant to drought? Results from an 18  more

ATLANTA, Georgia, July 14 -- The Planned Parenthood Federation of America issued the following news release on July 13: A federal court permanently struck down Georgia's 2019 six-week abortion ban in SisterSong v. Kemp. It is the second federal ruling blocking a state abortion ban, coming just hours after a Tennessee ban was blocked. The lawsuit was filed by the ACLU, the ACLU of Georgia, the Center for Reproductive Rights, and Planned Parenthood Federation of America in June 2019, after Georg  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, July 14 -- The Planned Parenthood Federation of America issued the following news release on July 13: A federal district court in Tennessee issued a temporary restraining order, blocking a law signed by Gov. Bill Lee earlier that bans abortion at nearly every stage of pregnancy and for reasons related to race, gender, or fetal diagnosis. The emergency restraining order was granted at the request of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, the Center for Reproductive Right  more

RESTON, Virginia, July 15 -- The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging issued the following news release: Dusty M. York, MAEd, CNMT, PET, ARRT(N)(CT), associate professor and clinical coordinator of the nuclear medicine program at Chattanooga State Community College in Chattanooga, Tennessee, has been elected as the 2020-21 president-elect for the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Technologist Section (SNMMI-TS). The new slate of officers was introduced during the So  more

CHICAGO, Illinois, July 15 -- The Society of Thoracic Surgeons issued the following news release: A mobile platform for lung cancer screening with low-dose computed tomography (CT) can be developed with limited financial risk and take powerful screening tests directly to patients, including underserved rural areas where rates of new lung cancer cases tend to be higher, according to study published in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery. "This study shows that if you bring it, they will come," said   more

WASHINGTON, July 17 -- The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation issued the following news release on July 16: The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) announced $1.3 million in grants to restore, enhance, and protect shortleaf pine, oak and riparian forests, and in-stream habitats for wildlife in Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky and Tennessee. The grants will generate nearly $1.5 million in matching contributions for a total conservation impact of $2.8 million. The projects supported by the  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, July 15 -- The Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association issued the following news: Gibson Electric Membership Corporation and its not-for-profit subsidiary, Gibson Connect, have announced their boards have approved moving forward with Phase III of their broadband network buildout. Phase III work will begin in the Rutherford, Kenton and Newbern zones. These zones have met their participation goals using Gibson Connect's registration website, join.gibsonconnect.com. "A st  more

BRENTWOOD, Tennessee, July 15 -- The Tennessee Hospital Association issued the following statement by President and CEO Wendy Long regarding use of face coverings in public spaces: "Early on in the COVID-19 pandemic, we all worked together to flatten the curve by staying home. These efforts resulted in our state seeing far fewer cases and hospitalizations than were predicted at that time. "While it worked for the short term, we know it is not feasible to stay home for months on end. Now that m  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, July 15 -- Vanderbilt University Medical Center issued the following news: An experimental coronavirus vaccine stimulated robust immune responses against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, and raised no serious safety concerns in an early-stage clinical trial. The vaccine, called mRNA-1273, was developed by Moderna Inc. in collaboration with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health. Early findin  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, July 17 -- Vanderbilt University Medical Center issued the following news: Vanderbilt University Medical Center's Nurse Residency Program is facing a unique challenge this summer -- welcoming more than 350 nurse residents, its largest cohort ever, while drastically altering the program to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. VUMC's Office of Nursing Education and Professional Development was in the middle of interviewing more than 1,300 applicants for the highly competitive   more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, July 14 -- Vanderbilt University Medical Center issued the following news: Semi-invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells are a type of white blood cell that helps the body defend against infection and maintain homeostasis. This defense mechanism should be optimal, as an unbridled iNKT cell-mediated response can cause inflammatory disease. Nur77 is a transcription factor that limits inflammation and autoimmune conditions in animal models. Its role in iNKT cells previously w  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, July 17 -- Vanderbilt University Medical Center issued the following news: Children and their families who come to Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt for their care are used to seeing the friendly faces and smiles of staff, nurses and doctors. When COVID-19 cases began rising in Nashville, masking became a regular part of life across Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Children's Hospital as one of several public health safety measures to protect emp  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, July 17 -- Vanderbilt University Medical Center issued the following news: In hospitals and clinics, automated alerts and reminders from electronic health record (EHR) systems are sometimes perceived by busy members of the clinical team as unhelpful or a nuisance. To the extent that such perceptions become more common and so-called alert fatigue sets in among users, everyone loses. On April 1, the Vanderbilt Clinical Informatics Center (VCLIC), in coordination with Health  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, July 14 -- Vanderbilt University Medical Center issued the following news: A multidisciplinary team from Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Columbia University has demonstrated that injured human donor lungs declined for transplant can be recovered by cross-circulation between the human lung and a xenogeneic host. The new technique, described in a study published recently in Nature Medicine, has the potential to increase the supply of donor lungs available for trans  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, July 17 -- Vanderbilt University Medical Center issued the following news: Vanderbilt University Medical Center is evaluating razuprotafib, a drug being investigated for the treatment of glaucoma, in a new randomized, investigational trial for the prevention and treatment of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in adult patients with moderate to severe COVID-19. "We urgently need to find effective treatments for COVID-19, especially for patients who develop severe l  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, July 17 -- Vanderbilt University Medical Center issued the following news: On July 16, Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital's (VWCH) Emergency Department transitioned to become part of Vanderbilt University Medical Center's Department of Emergency Medicine. The VWCH Emergency Department was previously staffed through physicians from a contracted agency. The transition will involve VUMC hiring seven new emergency medicine physicians in addition to two who already practice at   more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, July 15 -- Vanderbilt University Medical Center issued the following news: NAEs are bioactive lipid molecules that appear to play roles in energy balance, inflammation, stress responses and addiction. How NAE levels are regulated and their precise contributions to biological processes remain poorly understood. To develop tools to explore NAE function, Sean Davies, PhD, and colleagues screened a library of experimental compounds for inhibitors of NAPE-PLD, the enzyme that   more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, July 14 -- Vanderbilt University Medical Center issued the following news: Three co-chairs have been named to lead a new Racial Equity Task Force, which is charged with identifying barriers to and opportunities for achieving racial equity at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Vanderbilt University School of Medicine (VUSM). The Racial Equity Task Force is one of the key actions recently announced by Dr. Jeff Balser, VUMC CEO and Dean of VUSM, to take additional concr  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, July 17 -- Vanderbilt University Medical Center issued the following news on July 16: After serving 16 years as associate director for Research Education at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center (VICC), Ann Richmond, PhD, Ingram Professor of Cancer Research, is stepping down from the leadership post. Richmond, who is internationally known for her research on chemokines and tumor growth, will continue as director of the Graduate Program in Cancer Biology and to lead her research  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, July 16 -- Vanderbilt University Medical Center issued the following news: New dates and a revised, virtual format have been announced for StrategyShare2020, with the first session on Sept. 29. StrategyShare is an annual event showcasing innovative work being done to advance Vanderbilt University Medical Center's Strategic Directions: Design for Patients and Families; Make Diversity and Inclusion Intentional; Discover, Learn and Share; and Amplify Innovation. Originally   more

MEMPHIS, Tennessee, July 16 -- The National Cotton Council issued the following news release: The Trust Protocol brings quantifiable and verifiable goals and measurements to responsible cotton production. Brands and retailers can join the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, a new system for responsibly grown cotton that will provide annual data for six areas of sustainability in line with the U.N. Sustainability Goals. This year-over-year data, available for the first time, will allow brands and retai  more