Deadline To Bid On Contract To Run Nation’s Organ Transplant System Extended
UNOS, the nonprofit organization that holds the contract now, has faced little competition over the last few decades. A shakeup could mean big changes for organ donations in the country. In other public health news: damaged lungs, exercise, mental health services and E. coli.
The Washington Post:
Government Gives More Time To Potential Bidders For Transplant Contract
The Trump administration on Tuesday extended the deadline to bid for the contract to run the nation’s organ transplant system after potential competitors complained that previous rules strongly favored the current operator, the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS). A notice on the website FedBizOpps.gov announced the extension of the bidding period from May 4 to May 30. That gives anyone who wants to bid for the contract 60 days from March 30, when the request for proposals was first announced. Potential bidders were initially given just 31 days to respond. The deadline was later postponed by four days, to May 4. (Bernstein, 5/1)
NPR:
Synthetic Lung Surfactant Could Ease Breathing
An engineer in California has an invention that she hopes will someday help people with damaged lungs breathe easier. Stanford University's Annelise Baron has developed a synthetic version of something called lung surfactant. Lung surfactant coats the tiny air sacs in the lung. Without it, every breath would be a struggle, like blowing up millions of little balloons. With surfactant, breathing is as easy as blowing soap bubbles. (Palca, 5/1)
Los Angeles Times:
Can You Skip Your Regular Workout And Just Shiver Instead?
What do shivering and exercise have in common? More than you might think. Both shivering and exercise cause you to contract your muscles and expend energy — that's pretty obvious. But less obvious is a new discovery, published Tuesday in Cell Metabolism, that they both release a molecule into the bloodstream that tells your muscles to start burning fat. (Netburn, 5/1)
Columbus Dispatch:
Americans Want More Mental-Health Services For Children, Survey Shows
A survey released by Nationwide Children’s Hospital on Tuesday shows that 87 percent of Americans believe their communities need more mental-health services for children, including prevention and treatment. ...Among the 500 parents with children under age 18 who responded, 37 percent said there is child in their life who may need mental-health support. (Viviano, 5/1)
Minnesota Public Radio:
E. Coli: Why You Had To Throw Out That Romaine Lettuce
The food-borne illness E. coli is back in the news after the bacteria caused a rash of food poisoning, linked to romaine lettuce grown in Yuma, Arizona. The CDC said nearly 100 people in 22 states have been sickened in connection with this outbreak. (Crann, 5/1)
